![Hoepfner Professional Large](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/04/Hoepfner-Professional-Large-199x300.jpeg)
Michael P. Hoepfner
Associate Professor
Principal Investigator
Education:
University of Michigan, PhD Chemical Engineering
University of Utah, B.S. Chemical Engineering
Graduate Students
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/04/Yuan_Yang-200x300.jpg)
Yuan Yang
PhD Candidate (2013-Present)
Multi-scale structure and behavior investigation of petroleum asphaltenes
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/04/Sid_Photo_Crop.jpg)
Siddarth Agrawal
PhD Candidate (2016 - Present)
Self-assembled photocatalysts for waste-water treatment and confined fluid property measurement
BS Chemistry, Idaho St. University
Hometown: Lahan, Nepal
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Weiyi_Photo_Crop.jpg)
Weiyi Kong
PhD Candidate (2016 - Present)
The effect of inorganic solids on petroleum asphaltene precipitation
BS Engineering (Anhui University of Science and Technology)
Hometown: Huainan, Anhui, China
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Abeer_Photo_Crop2-200x300.jpg)
Rizwanur Rahman Abeer
PhD Candidate (2018 - Present)
Self-assembly of polyaromatic hydrocarbons in organic mixtures
BS Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Mahmoud_Photo_Crop-200x300.jpg)
Mahmoud Elmehlawy
PhD Candidate (2018 - Present)
Static and dynamic properties of confined fluids
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Abdur_Photo_Crop-200x300.jpg)
Abdur Shazed
PhD Candidate (2019 - Present)
Molecular simulation development as informed by experimental diffraction measurements of structure
BS Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)
MS Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University
Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh
![IMG_3514.jpeg](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Brennon_Photo_Crop-200x300.jpg)
Brennon L. Shanks
PhD Candidate (2019 - Present)
Statistical and quantum mechanics characterization of fluid phase phenomena
BS Chemical Engineering and Mathematics, Ohio State University
Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Ayodeji_Photo_Crop-200x300.jpg)
Ayodeji Ajani
PhD Candidate (2019 - Present)
Properties of inorganic, organic, and aqueous interfaces in bitumen froth extraction
MS Sustainable Chemical Engineering, University of Bath
BS Chemical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University
Hometown: Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Alumni
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/04/Wattana_Chaisoontornyotin-200x300.jpg)
Dr. Wattana Chaisoontornyotin
Dissertation: Reversibility and Kinetic Precipitation of Asphaltenes (2017)
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Wyoming
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Ismail_Crop-200x300.jpg)
Manaf Ismail
MS Project Thesis: The Effect of Chemical Inhibitors on Asphaltene Precipitation and Morphology Using Ultra-Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering (2018)
Position: SciTec
![](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/04/Jeffrey_Job_Photo_Crop.jpg)
JeffrEy Job
MS Project Thesis: Nanofiltration Apparatus Design for Physical Separation of Insoluble Asphaltenes in a Diluted Bitumen Mixture (2018)
Joshua Martineau (BS ChE 2020) – BYU Law School
Ryan Mysko (BS ChE 2020)
Jingzhou Zhang (BS ChE 2019) – University of Utah, PhD Student
Sikuang Wang (BS ChE 2018)
Derek Hussein (BS ChE 2018)
Amanda Chew-Stebbins (BS ChE 2017) – Proctor & Gamble
Austin Bingham (BS ChE 2016) – University of Michigan, PhD Student
Jason McHann (BS ChE 2015)
Group Bowling @ Utah Union - Fall 2019
![Group Bowling @ Utah Union - Fall 2019](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Group_Photo_Fall_2019-768x576.jpeg)
Group Ski Trip to Solitude Mountain Resort - January 2019
![Group Ski Trip to Solitude Mountain Resort - January 2019](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Group_Photo_Winter_2019-768x576.jpeg)
Successful MS Project defense! Congrats to Mr. Ismail! - May 1st, 2018
![Successful MS Project defense! Congrats to Mr. Ismail! - May 1st, 2018](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Defense_Ismail_180501-768x576.jpeg)
Successful MS Project defense! Congrats to Mr. Job! - February 1st, 2018
![Successful MS Project defense! Congrats to Mr. Job! - February 1st, 2018](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2020/07/Defense_Job_180201-768x576.jpeg)
Successful defense! Congrats to Dr. Chaisoontornyotin! - July 20th, 2017
![Successful defense! Congrats to Dr. Chaisoontornyotin! - July 20th, 2017](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/04/Wattana_Defense_170720-768x576.jpg)
Group Ski Day @ Snowbird - January, 2017
![Group Ski Day @ Snowbird - January, 2017](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/04/Group_Photo_Jan_2017-768x576.jpg)
Group BBQ - September, 2016
![Group BBQ - September, 2016](https://hoepfner.che.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/03/Group_Photo_Fall_2016-768x511.jpg)