From hydrogen to health care: Zeng developing next-generation sensors based on naturally occurring phenomenon

Every day, billions of natural reactions happen all around us. Reactions in our bodies that enable us to function. Reactions in the air that form clouds. But the potential for harnessing these naturally occurring phenomenon for technological advancement has remained largely untapped. That’s where Xiangqun Zeng comes in. A professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering as well as chemistry, Zeng joined Mizzou last year, bringing with her insatiable curiosity and an impressive portfolio of sponsored research.

Engineer devising hybrid two-phase system to efficiently cool data centers

A Mizzou Engineering researcher is devising a system to cool data centers down more efficiently and effectively. Chanwoo Park is leading a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Lab. It’s part of a $40 million endeavor called COOLERCHIPS, which stands for Cooling Operations Optimized for Leaps in Energy, Reliability and Carbon Hyperefficiency for Information and Processing Systems.

Korkali solving challenges around power grids as energy demands rise

From electric vehicles to electric heat pumps, Americans are plugging in more than ever. While that’s reducing emissions, it’s also creating increased demand on power grids — which are already more susceptible to blackouts as extreme weather becomes the norm. That’s where Mert Korkali comes in. Korkali is an assistant professor in electrical engineering and computer science, and he studies sophisticated approaches to upgrading and securing power grids.

Huang excited to usher in new generation of power electronics, converters

As more homes, industries, and power grid systems utilize solar and other renewable energy, and more vehicle owners switch to electric vehicles (EVs), the need for power converters is on the rise. But right now, they’re still expensive and not as efficient and compact as they could be. Qingyun Huang is working to change that. An assistant professor in electrical engineering and computer science, he’s excited to help usher in a new generation of power electronics that are efficient, compact, affordable, and reliable.

Mizzou Engineers advanced energy, AI, materials, transportation, health in 2023

This past year, Mizzou Engineers worked on significant solutions to society’s most-pressing challenges. They advanced nuclear power. They studied ways to turn leftover bread crust into plastics that will degrade naturally in the environment. They made artificial intelligence explain itself. They invented new materials, investigated self-driving trucks and came up with an innovative system to optimize blood supplies.

Researcher outlines process to simplify manufacturing of solid-state lighting

LED lighting is replacing traditional incandescent lighting across the country. These light-emitting diodes are energy efficient, but also problematic. Not only are they costly, they also emit harsh blue lighting that’s polluting our night sky and interrupting our sleep patterns. Mizzou Engineering’s Peifen Zhu is coming up with better solid-state lighting technology.

Ph.D. student awarded U.S. Department of Energy research fellowship

A Mizzou Engineer has been selected to participate in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research fellowship program designed to support graduate students working on energy-related research.

Ma recognized with Donald Q. Kern Award for pioneering, ongoing research

Hongbin “Bill” Ma is being recognized this month with the Donald Q. Kern Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for his pioneering work around heat transfer processes and oscillating heat pipes.

Mizzou Engineer receives CAREER Award for research around polymer science

In the Mizzou Thin Film Coatings and Materials Electrochemistry Lab, Matthias Young is advancing the field of polymer science for technologies such as batteries and water desalination.

Jin works to advance technology to solve climate challenges, meet energy demands

Yue Jin has been interested in nuclear power as a clean energy source since his undergraduate studies at a top-ranked university in China. So, after completing a PhD from Pennsylvania State University and working as a post-doctoral fellow at MIT, he saw Mizzou as an obvious next step.