Three professors from the School of Engineering recently received Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and U.S. Department of Energy to support the continuation of their research.
The U.S. government typically gives the awards, which rank among its most prestigious, to non−tenure faculty members who are still in the early years of their independent research.
The three grant recipients will use the money to further their research in emerging fields that fuse science and technology. Each professor's research is a part of a larger effort to develop technology with important applications.
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Valencia Joyner received a five−year $541,000 grant from the NSF to support her work developing a specific biological imaging technique for viewing small biological structures.
"The goal of the program is to develop a novel type of optical sensor that has a number of unique characteristics that enable very high−resolution imaging in biological structures," she said.
Joyner said that her research into this new technique would lead to better imaging methods for doctors hoping to diagnose diseases.
"If you look at current imaging technology, there are a number of limitations to standard image sensors that you can buy commercially," she said. "What we're looking at is trying to develop a new type of image sensor."
This advancement is based on the development of advanced infra−red spectroscopy, according to Joyner.
"You want to look at not only how much light is absorbed through the tissue, but also the travel time through the tissue," she said. "It allows you to determine, in some instances, the size and diameter of the structure inside of the tissue."
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Luisa Chiesa received a five−year $750,000 grant for her research on superconducting materials with applications for fusion energy, a potential alternative energy source.
Chiesa said her work with superconducting materials will ultimately contribute to the formation of a fusion power machine, which will be the first of its kind.
"There is a machine that we will build in the next few years in France," she said. "It will be the first machine to show that fusion power is possible."
Chiesa, who has been researching superconducting materials for the past 10 years, said that researchers are planning to complete the machine within the next decade.
"The application is for a very powerful magnet to confine high−temperature plasma and to produce energy," she said. "One of the big components of this machine is the conducting magnets and their use to confine the plasma."
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Sameer Sonkusale received a five−year $400,000 grant for his research into the use of nanowires grown on silicone chips. Sonkusale is developing new ways to assemble and grow nanowires, which can serve as highly effective sensory devices.
Sonkusale said that a large component of his research focuses on conducting chemistry experiments to explore the properties of silicone chips. "If you do small−scale chemistry, they have very interesting properties," he said.
According to Sonkusale, this research will help develop new technology with the ability to assess the content of biological fluids such as blood. "The ultimate goal of the research is to start this new concept of nano electrochemical systems," he said.
Sonkusale's research also has implications for other fields, according to an NSF release containing a description of the award.
"The research, if successful, will have tremendous economic and societal impact through innovation and product development in areas of chemical and biological sensing, high−speed electronics, and devices for energy generation and storage," the release said.
