The Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Utah is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Michael Hoepfner as Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. Dr. Hoepfner received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Utah and M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 2013. Michael’s research focuses on elucidating the fundamental behavior of complex systems, with an emphasis on petroleum. He is currently investigating the structure and behavior of a compound called asphaltenes, which are a petroleum fraction that cause many difficulties in the production of crude oil. The efficient and environmentally friendly extraction of oil reserves, including oil sands and bitumen, are highly dependent on the understanding of asphaltene behavior. In addition, Michael’s other research interests include the application of scattering techniques for structural analysis, deposition and aggregation processes, and modeling-based studies.