Allergy Relief at Scale: Plant Design for Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride; How have chemical and industrial accidents shaped the evolution of safety education in chemical engineering programs?

My technical work and STS research are both centered around safety in chemical engineering. My technical project focuses on a newer synthesis of diphenhydramine hydrochloride, better known as the brand name Benadryl, without the use of bromine. Bromine is a hazardous chemical that proposes risks to both the environment and workers. The decision to eliminate bromine was to explore a solvent free, safer synthesis for diphenhydramine hydrochloride. My STS research investigates how safety education has evolved for chemical engineers due to industrial accidents. The connection between the two projects is not direct, but they both are motivated by wanting to understand and improve safety in chemical processes whether it be for small molecule synthesis or education.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Eric Anderson

STS Advisor: MC Forelle

Technical Team Members: Sabrina Liskey, Justin Kim, Vanessa Campbell, Yusra Babar