Dr. Stephanie G. Wettstein is an Associate Professor in the Chemical and Biological Engineering department at Montana State University (MSU) where she joined the department in 2012. She received her B.S. in Paper Science at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and worked as a Process Engineer for three years at Kimberly-Clark after graduation. Dr. Wettstein then obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado in the area of zeolite membrane separations under Profs. John Falconer and Rich Noble and then completed a two-year post-doc at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the area of catalysis and separations extractions under the guidance of Prof. James Dumesic.
Dr. Wettstein has over 8 years of experience teaching mass transfer unit operations including the junior-level separations course and the senior-level unit operations laboratory. In both classes, she has incorporated industry-based experiences from her time at Kimberly-Clark including redesigning the senior lab course to make it more industrially relevant. Her teaching style includes active learning, allowing the students agency throughout the class, and helping students develop critical thinking skills, confidence, and a sense of curiosity about the material. Additionally, she integrates her research, which focuses on synthesizing renewable chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass using novel catalytic and separation processes, into the classroom through problem-solving and examples.
Additionally, Dr. Wettstein has served as the MSU Society of Women Engineers faculty advisor since 2013, on the University Athletics Committee, and as a reviewer for over 20 journals and 13 funding agencies.