Many college freshmen spend the first semester getting acclimated to the academic life by scheduling 15 credits of electives and holding off on declaring a major. Penn State New Kensington freshman engineering student Mike Cavazza spent his initial semester in the chemistry lab researching alternatives to petroleum-based polyesters using soybean oil.

Cavazza, who is majoring in petroleum and natural gas engineering, was selected for a Chancellor Fellowship, a program that allows students to collaborate with faculty on specific projects. In the fall, Cavazza worked with Robert Mathers, associate professor of chemistry, analyzing the kinetics of a soybean-based polymer that could be an alternative to petroleum-based polyesters. This semester, Cavazza is continuing the research as a part of the Undergraduate Research Stipend program. He is working more on his own than side-by-side with his faculty mentor.