Chemistry Professor Receives Award for Fuel Cell Research
Award increases portfolio of alternative energy research at UNLV
Chulsung Bae, assistant professor of chemistry in the UNLV College of Sciences, has received a five-year, $450,000 Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for his research on fuel cells — technology considered critical for meeting energy needs in the 21st century.
Each year NSF recognizes outstanding scientists who, early in their careers, show exceptional potential for leadership at the frontiers of knowledge. The CAREER award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. Government on scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. Bae is the third UNLV researcher in as many years to receive the award.
The major focus of Bae's work includes developing new materials that will improve the performance of fuel cell devices, hasten their delivery to commercial markets, and help in the development of more environmentally friendly chemical technology.
Fuel cells, which convert the chemical energies stored in fuel directly into electrical energy, are expected to be a key technology for meeting energy needs in the 21st century. The goal of Bae's CAREER project is to combine different fields of chemistry and materials science/engineering and create new materials that will provide molecular-level insight into material property and play a key role in the development of commercially viable fuel cell technologies globally.
In addition to basic research and education programs for students, Bae hopes his fuel cell research will build a bridge between the general public's increasing concern about global climate change and its desire for clean alternative energy production.
This new grant is just the latest boost to UNLV's growing portfolio of alternative energy research. Currently more than 20 UNLV researchers from across the academic disciplines are engaged in research that may contribute to a cleaner energy future for our state, our region, and the world. Ongoing projects include work in the areas of fuel cells technologies, hydrogen energy production and storage, solar technologies and applications, climate adaptive architecture, wind energy assessment, and biofuel production, among others.
Because of the multidisciplinary nature of alternative energy research, these projects are attracting participants from a wide range of areas, contributing to the infrastructure and programmatic basis for research and education opportunities — e.g., graduate student training, graduate mentoring of undergraduate research assistants, classroom demonstrations — and creating an academic/private industry partnership as a possible career path for students.
