The NIU Bioplastics Lab earned top honors at two events this fall, highlighting the lab’s efforts in sustainable materials research under the guidance of Associate Professor Mahdi Vaezi. In addition, a Huskie engineering student became the first to present at the Illinois Falling Walls Science Summit in several years.
At the SIU Hemp & Cannabis Symposium on September 19th, graduate researcher Ian Janusz received first place for his research poster on hemp–phenolic composite construction materials.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to share our work with leaders from both the hemp industry and the research community,” said Janusz, who also credited Vaezi and fellow lab members Ryan Mueller, Sarahjean Brown and Calvin Sissel.
A week later, at NIU’s Illinois Innovation Network Sustainability Conference, bioplastics lab students swept the awards:
- 1st Place: Ian Janusz — Tensile Properties of Pre-Impregnated Hemp/Phenolic Composites: The Effect of Fiber Morphology and Filler Content
- 2nd Place: Sarahjean Brown — Edible Transparent Soy Protein Composite Films for Packaging: An Alternative to Petroleum-Based Plastic Films
- 3rd Place: Mohamed Ahmed — Viability of Reclaiming Household Waste Lint for Use in Bioplastic Polymer Composite Applications
Vaezi, a member of the Department of Engineering Technology faculty, said the recognitions highlight the lab’s core strengths: designing bio-based and biodegradable materials, validating performance with industry-standard methods, and translating results into practical pathways for adoption.
“The bioplastics lab remains committed to hands-on research that advances NIU’s mission—delivering solutions that matter for our partners, our region, and beyond,” Vaezi said.
In addition, on Sept. 12th, Mueller took the stage as a finalist at the Illinois Falling Walls Science Summit, pitching his breakthrough on biodegradable circuit boards.
By reclaiming regional crop waste, Mueller and the bioplastics lab are building circuit boards that could cut down e-waste and protect ecosystems for the future. Finalists at Falling Walls spanned the research frontier from AI networks, medical innovations, and bio-based inks to start-up apps to aid food transparency.
“Presenting pushed me beyond my comfort zone and showed me how to share research in a way that connects across disciplines,” Mueller said.
