Bryce Askew

Bryce Askew chose to major in chemical engineering to combine his passion for chemistry and interest in exploring engineering.

“The opportunity to participate in so many different research and academic opportunities excited me,” Askew says.

Among those research and academic opportunities was working with Matthew Green, an associate professor of chemical engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. Askew researched the use of polymer membranes — devices used to filter contaminants from liquids and gases — to treat water.

Askew says Taysha Telenar, a Fulton Schools chemical engineering graduate student, was a valuable research mentor while working in Green’s lab.

“Taysha has been instrumental in my development as a researcher and is a big part of the reason I decided to go to graduate school,” Askew says. “I will always be grateful for the contributions she made to my education and growth.”

As part of the Grand Challenges Scholar Program, Askew sought to develop solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing society. Grand Challenges Scholars aim to tackle one of the 14 Grand Challenges of Engineering from the National Academy of Engineering while focusing on one of five themes, from which Askew chose sustainability.

Outside of his academic pursuits, he got involved in a variety of student organizations, including the Young Democratic Socialists of America at ASU, Engineering Projects in Community Service and the Rainbow Coalition at ASU.

“I became a strong advocate, fighting for better LGBTQ+ resources on campus and for more inclusivity through my work in the Rainbow Coalition,” Askew says. “I have built connections with a massive number of individuals who I have worked with on a variety of important projects and learned the value of networking. Through this, I have been able to help organize several successful events that I am very proud of to this day.”

After graduation, he will attend the University of Illinois Chicago to pursue his doctoral degree in chemical engineering. Askew plans to go into academia after graduation, with a long-term goal of becoming a university professor running his own lab specializing in technology for a more sustainable future.

Read about other exceptional graduates of the Fulton Schools’ spring 2025 class here.