09/18/09 -- UND, NDSU faculty complete several successful renewable energy-related projects
Five energy-related seed grants projects were recently completed by faculty at the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University as part of the Department of Energy’s North Dakota Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) infrastructure improvement program.
The purpose of this seed grant program was to to assist in developing UND and NDSU research capabilities related to sustainable energy. Proposals received for this competitive seed grant program were reviewed by a panel sustainable energy experts from inside and outside the university system.
The grants, which ran from May of 2007 through December 2008 were awarded as follows:
* Soizik Laguette, assistant professor, UND John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, Department of Earth System Science and Policy, “Spectral Characterization of Switchgrass for Biomass Energy and Biofuel Quality,” $32,295.
*Hossein Salehfar, professor, UND School of Engineering and Mines, Department of Electrical Engineering, “Modeling of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell and Electrolyzer Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy Technique,” $18,000.
*Julia Zhao, associate professor, UND College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry, “Development of TiO2 Nanocatalysts for Sustainable Energy,” $50,000.
*Sivaguru Jayaraman, assistant professor, NDSU Department of Chemistry, “Imprinting Molecular Chirality During Light-Induced Transformations in Solution,” $22,000.
*Chad Ulven, assistant professor, NDSU Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, “Ultra-lightweight Polymer Composites for Wind Energy System – Turbine Blade Structures,” $49,770.
Based on the productivity documented by the participants, the seed grant program was an overwhelming success. The grants resulted in 15 refereed publications and 12 technical presentations. Seed grant awardees also submitted 16 proposals for further research valued at $3,352,000 and were awarded seven grants totaling $1,704,000 based on work performed under their seed grants. The ND DOE EPSCoR seed grant program was administered by the North Dakota Sustainable Energy Research Initiative (ND SUNRISE) in coordination with the North Dakota EPSCoR program.
The Department of Energy's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR) is a federal-state partnership program designed to help the Department lead the world in meeting today's and tomorrow's energy needs through increased competition in energy-related research and development across the entire nation. The program supports DOE's overarching mission of advancing the national, economic, and energy security of the United States, by supporting research activities in EPSCoR state spanning the broad range of science and technology programs within DOE.
SUNRISE is a student centered, faculty organized supercluster comprising of 31 faculty in 14 separate academic departments at UND, NDSU, Mayville State University, and the North Dakota State College of Science. SUNRISE research is focused in three areas: the technologies to enable the environmentally sustainable use of coal, the production of fuels, chemicals, polymers, and composites from renewable sources, and the harvesting of energy from diffuse sources (wind/solar/hydrogen). More than 170 undergraduate and graduate students have worked on SUNRISE research projects.
Useful links:
SUNRISE: http://www.und.nodak.edu/dept/sunrise/index.html
DoE EPSCoR: http://www.er.doe.gov/bes/EPSCoR/about.html
For further information, please contact Wayne Seames, Director, ND SUNRISE at wayneseames@mail.und.edu; 701-777-2958
02/27/2009 -- UND and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Sign Agreement Today on Novel Undergraduate-to-Graduate 'Bridge Program'
The University of North Dakota (UND), located in Grand Forks, N.D., and the California State Polytechnic
University in Pomona (CPP), Calif., signed a memorandum of understanding today during a ceremony at the California school. The memorandum states that the two schools agree to form a partnership that will allow senior level CPP undergraduate students to gain advanced standing in master’s degree programs at UND.
Under this agreement, CPP will accept a minimum of 3 quarter credits and maximum of 9 quarter credits (equivalent to 6 UND semester credits) of UND Graduate School course work as applicable towards the appropriate CPP degree for students accepted into the "Bridge Program" and assist UND in identifying highly qualified undergraduate students for the Bridge program. UND will admit Bridge students who have successfully completed their CPP Baccalaureate Degree Program to the appropriate Master’s program, deliver Bridge Program Courses using UND’s distance technologies, and accept these courses as fulfilling some of the student’s requirements towards the associated bridge program master’s degree.
The first programs that will take advantage of this agreement are the two schools' Chemical Engineering degree programs.
Dean of the Graduate School at UND, Joseph Benoit said, “We’re excited to be partnering with Cal Poly Pomona on this innovative program. This new agreement will provide opportunities for Cal Poly students to get an early start on their Master’s degrees. Many California students don’t think of North Dakota, when they consider graduate school. Yet our strengths in areas of sustainable energy make UND a top choice for students who are looking to be on the cutting edge of research that will address one of our country’s most pressing issues. We look forward to the possibility of other partnerships that address areas of national importance.”
This Chemical Engineering agreement is part of the UND-California nondoctoral student program, an outreach program conceived by Dr. Wayne Seames, professor of chemical engineering at UND and the Director of the North Dakota Sustainable Energy Research Initiative and Supporting Education group (SUNRISE) and Dr. Winny Dong, chair of CPP's Chemical and Materials Engineering program. In addition to the Bridge program, this collaboration includes joint research projects and participation of CPP undergraduates in UND summer research experiences.
“What struck me on my first visit to CPP was the similarity in educational cultures and priorities between our two departments," said Seames. “We both have very collaborative, flexible faculty who are passionate about teaching, both in formal setting and through experiential learning settings like research.”
“CPP students are very concerned about our ability to provide for future energy needs without adverse impacts on the environment," said Dong. “The SUNRISE research in renewable fuels and the sustainable use of coal is very exciting and attractive to our students. Many of them had not considered the possibility of graduate school until we established this program. We have had a strong interest from our students here at CPP.”
Photo credit: Tom Zasadzinski, University Photographer, Office of Public Affairs, Cal Poly Pomona
