June 7, 2024 Kyuhyeok Choi receives undergraduate award Written By: Claire Massey Departments: Chemical & Biological Engineering Categories: Awards|Undergraduate Undergraduate student Kyuhyeok (Brian) Choi received the 2024-2025 Wisconsin Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowship with George Huber, a Richard L. Antoine Professor in chemical and biological engineering. This award provides $3,000 to the student recipient and $1,000 to the faculty project advisor to offset costs of research. Kyuhyeok Choi next to research poster. Choi will be continuing his research in catalytic approaches to produce sorbic acid, a food preservative as described in the Undergraduate Q&A: a catalytic success for Kyuhyeok Choi. Except now Choi will be using a new primary solvent. He is proposing a sustainable method to utilize green solvents isopropyl alcohol and ethanol to produce TAL-derived potassium sorbate (TAL-KS). These green solvents are non-toxic, safe to handle and offer a reduced environmental footprint. Continuing his research, Choi hopes it can have a lasting impact on the industry. “The aim of this research is to strike a harmonious balance between economic viability and environmental responsibility, potentially inspiring a global movement towards more sustainable chemical production methods,” says Choi. Choi and other awardees were honored at the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 3rd.