Among those involved with the new Energy Frontier Research Center at the University of Delaware are, from left, Kelvin Lee, Jingguang Chen, Douglas Buttrey, Dion Vlachos, Jochen Lauterbach and Raul Lobo. Also involved but not pictured are Mark Barteau, Stanley Sandler and Douglas Doren.

UD awarded multi-million grant to establish DOE Energy Frontier Research Center

The University of Delaware will be home to a new Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) focusing on the development of innovative catalytic technologies for the efficient conversion of biomass such as trees and grasses into chemicals, electricity, and fuels.

The UD EFRC, which the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plans to fund at a level of $17.5 million over five years, will be led by Dion Vlachos, Elisabeth Inez Kelley Professor of Chemical Engineering and director of the Center for Catalytic Science & Technology (CCST). The program will also have two co-directors: Jingguang Chen, Claire D. LeClaire Professor of Chemical Engineering and interim director of the University of Delaware Energy Institute (UDEI), and Raul Lobo, professor of chemical engineering. READ MORE

Article by Diane Kukich

Photo by Ambre Alexander

CCST students take 4 out 5 awards at Catalysis Club of Philadelphia's poster contest

Congratulations to the following winners of the Student Poster Competition at the Catalysis Club of Philadelphia monthly meeting on March 19, 2009!

    Danielle Hansgen – 1^st place
    Bill Lonergan
    Allan Stottlemyer
    Nate Hould

Danielle will be a presenter at the annual Catalysis Club symposium on May 21, 2009, which will be at UD's John M. Clayton Hall Conference Center.

Dion Vlachos
CCST Director

Prof. Dion Vlachos is named the Elisabeth Inez Kelley Professor of Chemical Engineering

Effective March 1, 2009, Dion Vlachos, director of CCST, is named the Elisabeth Inez Kelley Professor of Chemical Engineering. Prof. Vlachos is an internationally recognized leader in the field of multiscale modeling of complex processes, including energy conversion, film growth, nucleation, and biological systems. His research is epitomized by a symbiotic integration of cutting-edge mathematics, high performance computing, experimentation, data mining and analysis via multiscale modeling across all scales, with technologically important applications.

Elizabeth D'Addio
Air Products Graduate Fellowship Recipient

CCST student is recipient of the first Air Products Graduate Fellowship

Air Products has given the University of Delaware an $18,000 fellowship gift to support a graduate student in chemical engineering or materials science. Elizabeth D’Addio, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering, has been selected to receive the fellowship for the 2008-09 academic year. D’Addio is advised by Prof. Jochen Lauterbach.

“Elizabeth has been studying ammonia decomposition catalysts for hydrogen generation for fuel cells,” Lauterbach says. “She has performed excellent work in her first two years and has already given multiple presentations at international meetings and actually won the young scientist award at the International Congress in Catalysis in her second year as grad student. She has also taken a leadership role with the undergraduate researchers in my group.” “I was very attracted to UD because of the Center for Catalytic Science and Technology,” says D'Addio.

D’Addio, who earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Villanova, chose the University of Delaware’s doctoral program because of her strong interest in catalysis. “I was very attracted to UD because of the Center for Catalytic Science and Technology,” says D'Addio.

D’Addio’s interest meshes well with ongoing research at Air Products, and the company selected her out of a pool of highly qualified candidates. In addition to the financial support she is receiving with the fellowship, she will have the opportunity to serve an internship at one of the company’s sites in the upcoming year. The internship will be from three to nine months in duration and will be funded directly by Air Products.

“Elizabeth D’Addio is an excellent choice for the first Air Products Graduate Fellowship,” says Department Chair Norm Wagner, Stiles Professor of Chemical Engineering. “We appreciate this excellent support for the College of Engineering’s graduate program.” The gift includes a $2,000 increment above the student’s current stipend, with the remaining $16,000 applied toward the base stipend.

Air Products provides atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and service to customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide.

Article by Diane Kukich