Chemical Engineering

Alumnus establishes scholarship for students involved with ‘oSTEM’

Susan Glairon — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 16:17:04 +0000

Alumnus establishes scholarship for students involved with ‘oSTEM’ Susan Glairon Fri, 02/06/2026 - 09:17

Susan Glairon

From right, Thad Sauvain with his husband, Carl, in front of the Bernese Alps near Murren, Switzerland, in May 2025.

Thad Sauvain (ChemEngr’91) grew up in Colorado Springs in the 1980s, when the climate was largely anti-LGBTQ+ and conservative ministries such as Focus on the Family, headquartered just a few miles from his home, were actively opposing anti-discrimination policies.

Sauvain is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but during that period, he mostly kept that part of himself hidden.

“It was my transition to С�� Boulder to get a BS in chemical engineering that allowed both parts of me—as an engineer and as a gay individual—to grow and thrive,” he said.

Sauvain recently established a legacy endowment in his estate plan to fund undergraduate scholarships for С�� Boulder chemical and mechanical engineering majors, with preference given to students who demonstrate a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community through involvement in Out in STEM (oSTEM) or similar college programs.

Each year the endowment supports one student for four years of their college education.

“There’s a need to support students whose college funding may depend on families who are not accepting and who may be forced to choose between that funding and living authentically,” Sauvain said. “I want to support engineering students who struggle to thrive as LGBTQ+ individuals. I hope the endowment enables them to be their true selves while contributing to society as successful engineers.”

Thriving at С��

Sauvain studied chemical engineering at С�� Boulder and was later recruited to join Chevron as a process engineer. He recently retired following a 33-year career with the company and is a member of the Chemical and Biological Engineering Advisory Board.

“My engineering degree prepared me for my career and helped me build the connections that launched it,” he said.

Three years after starting his role at Chevron, Sauvain became involved in the company’s campus recruiting for engineers, a role that eventually grew into his work as a liaison for Chevron’s gifts, donations and funding.

In the early 2000s, he helped establish a Chevron scholarship for those involved in С�� Boulder’s LGBTQ+ community, similar to scholarships for other diversity organizations in place at the time, during “a time when it was not the norm.”

Thad Sauvain shortly after graduating from С�� Boulder and
starting his career with Chevron in 1991.

“Some responded negatively to this new scholarship,” he said. “But Chevron’s senior management remained steadfast in its support of the new scholarship as it aligned with the company’s values and The Chevron Way.

“Every time I tell people that I went to С�� Boulder, I feel a deep sense of pride,” he added. “Even back in the 1980s, it was a shining beacon of acceptance. I've seen that grow and broaden over the years, and I am very proud to be part of the С�� community and a graduate of С�� Boulder's College of Engineering.”

Looking ahead

Sauvain recently met with oSTEM students to talk about the climate for today’s LGBTQ+ community and its historical context.

“I told them that in 1998 when Matthew Shepard was killed, you could not be out and visible, gay, transgender, anything. And though it seems like we're taking several steps backwards now, it has gotten better since then, and long term, I fully believe that it will again get better.”

Sauvain emphasized the College of Engineering’s strong support for the LGBTQ community, noting that he has seen this commitment firsthand through his work with Chevron, his service on the Engineering Advisory Board, and now through the creation of this endowment.

“Being part of the LGBTQ+ community is only one aspect of my being, just as my training as a chemical engineer is another,” he said. “Both have enriched my life in ways I never expected. My chemical engineering degree from С�� enabled me to build a successful 35-year career in an industry not necessarily known for being accepting of the LGBTQ+ community, during which I came out to everyone in my life. I attribute my college years at С�� with giving me the confidence to become my true self, both as an LGBTQ individual and as a chemical engineer, and I hope that this endowment will help others following a similar path.”

To learn more about adding the С�� Foundation to your estate planning, contact the С�� Boulder Advancement Team.

Thad Sauvain (ChemEngr’91) recently established a legacy endowment in his estate plan to support undergraduate scholarships for С�� Boulder chemical and mechanical engineering majors, with preference for those who demonstrate a commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. Sauvain credits his own time at С�� Boulder, where he earned a BS in chemical engineering, with helping him thrive both as an engineer and as a gay individual.

Off

Traditional

White

Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in С�� Boulder history

Susan Glairon — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:38:06 +0000

Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in С�� Boulder history Susan Glairon Fri, 01/30/2026 - 10:38

Chemical and biological engineering senior Arianna McCarty has earned the prestigious Churchill Scholarship, becoming just the fourth student in university history to receive the honor. The award will support a year of master’s study at the University of Cambridge, recognizing her exceptional research achievements and academic excellence.

Off

Traditional

White

Chemical and Biological Engineering welcomes two new faculty

Susan Glairon — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 20:31:40 +0000

Chemical and Biological Engineering welcomes two new faculty Susan Glairon Tue, 01/20/2026 - 13:31

Susan Glairon

Meet the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering's newest faculty, Assistant Professors Cody Ritt and Antonio Del Rio Flores.

Off

Traditional

White

Researchers create shape-shifting, self-navigating microparticles

Susan Glairon — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 21:29:30 +0000

Researchers create shape-shifting, self-navigating microparticles Susan Glairon Wed, 01/14/2026 - 14:29

Chemical and biological engineering researchers have created shape-shifting microparticles that change their shape in response to environmental factors for self-directed propulsion and navigation.

Off

Traditional

White

Scientists use ultrasound to soften and treat cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue

Susan Glairon — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:23:32 +0000

Scientists use ultrasound to soften and treat cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue Susan Glairon Wed, 12/10/2025 - 10:23

A С�� Boulder team has invented a sound-wave technique that softens dense tumors so chemotherapy can penetrate more deeply. The discovery could boost treatment effectiveness and make cancer therapies safer for patients.

Off

Traditional

White

Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards

Susan Glairon — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 18:28:41 +0000

Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards Susan Glairon Mon, 12/01/2025 - 11:28

Susan Glairon

The recognitions reflect Coleman's work as a teaching assistant for six classes; his strong academic performance—including three graduate-level classes—and his research, where he served as first author on two papers stemming from his undergraduate thesis. It also reflects his time spent as a ChBE student ambassador.

Off

Traditional

White

Bruce Kirkpatrick honored with Outstanding Dissertation Award

Susan Glairon — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:07:51 +0000

Bruce Kirkpatrick honored with Outstanding Dissertation Award Susan Glairon Wed, 11/26/2025 - 14:07

Susan Glairon

Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD Student Bruce Kirkpatrick was honored with the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award. His hydrogel research supports technologies that enable 3D cell culture for tissue engineering and disease modeling, as well as acellular biomaterials for applications like controlled release of drugs or vaccines.

Off

Traditional

White

Electric fields steered nanoparticles through a liquid-filled maze – this new method could improve drug delivery and purification systems

Susan Glairon — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:00:31 +0000

Electric fields steered nanoparticles through a liquid-filled maze – this new method could improve drug delivery and purification systems Susan Glairon Wed, 11/12/2025 - 12:00

A new С�� Boulder study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals how electric fields control nanoparticle movement through porous materials, enabling independent control of speed and direction. This finding could advance nanorobot technologies for applications like tumor detection, drug delivery and environmental cleanup of toxic chemicals.

Off

Traditional

White

С�� Boulder's Chem-E-Car team wins international poster design competition

Susan Glairon — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 23:37:29 +0000

С�� Boulder's Chem-E-Car team wins international poster design competition Susan Glairon Thu, 11/06/2025 - 16:37

Susan Glairon

The win came at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ international Chem-E-Car competition in Boston, where С�� Boulder’s poster stood out among 56 teams.

Off

Traditional

White

How animals get their spots, and why they are beautifully imperfect

Susan Glairon — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 21:37:19 +0000

How animals get their spots, and why they are beautifully imperfect Susan Glairon Mon, 10/27/2025 - 15:37

Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta, the study’s lead researcher, and his team have developed a way to simulate natural animal patterns, including their imperfections. The findings could lead to new materials that turn to camouflage on demand.

Off

Traditional

White

Chemical Engineering

Alumnus establishes scholarship for students involved with ‘oSTEM’

Thriving at С����

Looking ahead

Off

Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in С���� Boulder history

Off

Chemical and Biological Engineering welcomes two new faculty

Off

Researchers create shape-shifting, self-navigating microparticles

Off

Scientists use ultrasound to soften and treat cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue

Off

Double major, triple honors: Ethan Coleman earns academic, research and outstanding student awards

Off

Bruce Kirkpatrick honored with Outstanding Dissertation Award

Off

Electric fields steered nanoparticles through a liquid-filled maze – this new method could improve drug delivery and purification systems

Off

С���� Boulder's Chem-E-Car team wins international poster design competition

Off

How animals get their spots, and why they are beautifully imperfect

Off

Thriving at С��

Student awarded Churchill Scholarship—the 4th in С�� Boulder history

С�� Boulder's Chem-E-Car team wins international poster design competition