Isabella (Izzie) Nelson

Hi, I’m Izzie Nelson. 

I am a 4th-year undergraduate at the University of Colorado, Boulder studying Chemical and  Biological Engineering. In the Nano Sep Lab, I study hysteresis of ultrathin polymer films for applications to sustainable aqueous separations. Growing up camping and rafting down the Colorado River and seeing how water usage has impacted the people who depend on it, sustainable water uses and treatment has always been a system that I have wanted to help improve. 

During my undergraduate degree, I have done research in computational chemical engineering focused on predicting solid-solid crystalline phase diagrams for various compounds for material science and pharmaceutical manufacturing applications. As part  of this project, I designed a python workflow which interpreted free energy differences  between crystal structures of the same compound to automate and visualize a phase  coexistence line with temperature and pressure axes. In addition to my research  experience, I have also studied abroad in Valencia, Spain, and am active in various student societies. I am the treasurer for the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering student chapter at CU Boulder, and I volunteer through the Society of Women Engineers to  tutor lowerclassmen and lead K-12 engagement in the college of engineering.  

Learning the theory behind non-equilibrium separations led me to discover my passion for  nano separations and membrane development, a unique field in chemical engineering that  I am excited to help develop. Outside of the lab, I am a typical Boulderite. I love skiing,  traveling, paddleboarding, rafting, and playing volleyball.