Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Bing Dong Awarded as IBPSA World Fellow

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Professor Bing Dong has been awarded as an International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA) World Fellow for his research contributions, mentoring, and outreach within the field. 

The IBPSA Fellow is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of building performance simulation or have demonstrated their expertise through teaching, research, simulation code development, or applying building simulation on large-scale projects. To be eligible, recipients must have also been actively involved in the field for at least ten years. 

Dong has distinguished himself through impactful contributions such as his pioneering research in occupant behavior modeling, development of novel simulation and control models to solve buildings-to-grid integration control problems, and education of junior researchers and students among other notable breakthroughs within building performance simulation.

“This award is very prestigious. IBPSA only gives fellow awards every two years and it’s nominated by six world experts in this area,” Dong said. “I’m looking forward to further contributing my knowledge and advancing the community of energy efficiency buildings to achieve net-zero energy and carbon buildings and cities. This achievement means a lot to me.”  

“This is indeed a great recognition for many years of continuing excellence Professor Dong has demonstrated in the area of building performance simulation,” said MAE Department Chair and professor in manufacturing enterprises, Young Moon. “The association awards IBPSA fellows biennially and this year, 12 fellows were awarded worldwide with only two being in the USA. I am very glad that Dr. Dong’s leadership and contributions in this critical field now have been recognized worldwide.”  

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Professor Ian Hosein Awarded New Patent For Process that Generates Energy from Saltwater

Pacific Ocean

The lack of access to clean drinking water impacts billions worldwide. With an estimated 46% of the global population affected, underdeveloped communities don’t have the means to efficient technology for water purification. As the percentage of those affected grows, associate professor Ian Hosein was recently awarded a patent that shows promise in addressing global water security and revolutionizing sustainability. To Professor Hosein, sustainability is more than just a solution to environmental issues – it’s a means of empowerment. 
 
“There’s an enormous amount of energy out there at a time when the world needs it most,” Hosein said. “We’re taking energy from the sea which everyone has access to and providing a simple technology to be able to harness that energy.” 

As an associate professor in biomedical and chemical engineering and a leader of a research group that develops sustainable technologies, Hosein is dedicated to clean energy efforts. Sparked by a student’s curiosity to investigate alternative energy sources, he began the journey to his patent by exploring the effectiveness of current filtration systems. 
 
“We worked a lot with polymers and plastics, which were great for filtration down to the atomic scale. They’re also impermeable to salts and let certain things in and out,” Hosein said. “Since most filtrations are using plastics, former student Fu-Hao Chen G’19 discovered that if you have saltwater on one side of the plastic film, and no salt on the other, you’ve essentially created a battery. Saltwater has a lot of energy, so when you place it next to non-salty water, there’s diffusion.”  

Taking this a step further, they discovered the potential of using other materials to regulate the high and low energy difference between salty and non-salty water and harness it as energy.  

“If you put a barrier between salt water and non-salty water, you have all this stored energy on one side and low energy on the other. It’s like hydroelectricity in a dam and you can control the current or amount of electricity produced.” 

Ian Hosein
Biomedical and Chemical Professor Ian Hosein

The ability to control the amount of electricity produced is what distinguishes Hosein’s patent from other patents. While many filtration systems rely on a plastic film similar to Hosein’s device, they’re passive, meaning they can’t control the amount of electricity produced. Hosein’s patented technology is active, which means it can apply additional voltage on both sides to amplify its efficiency. Other filtration systems may have inconsistent voltage depending on how much salt is in the water.  

“Our planet is 96% saltwater and saltwater also doesn’t discriminate,” he said. “It’s accessible to everyone, and anyone can gain access to clean energy with this. This could change the world.”  

While similar concepts had been explored, they were complex and relied on materials like molecular tubes. Hosein set out to find a simpler approach, which led him and Chen to develop this innovative way to purify water.  

With help from Syracuse University’s Office of Technology Transfer, they obtained a patent for the device, which Hosein intends to utilize to power small residentials and sealines. If his patented technology is scaled up, it may even be able to power sea transportation, which currently relies heavily on carbon-based fuels. With this renewable technology, Hosein also hopes to level the playing field of sustainability. 

“Sustainable energy is very empowering,” he said. “With this tech, people can empower themselves to generate their own energy and have access to clean energy. They may not have access to oil and coal, but they do have seawater. With this device, we’re closer to a world where everyone has access to clean water and more renewable energy.”   

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor Senem Velipasalar Awarded Patent for Room Occupancy Detection Platform

Remembering to turn the lights off when leaving a room is easy, but letting the furnace that you’re headed out isn’t as simple. About 37% of all energy used by commercial buildings and 40% of energy used in residences go toward heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). The costs related to heating and cooling unoccupied spaces in homes and office buildings have been a challenge for decades.

Current occupancy sensors only detect movement, so they can’t tell if someone is stationary. They also have trouble distinguishing between people and large pets, and often require an external power source and data processing. When a room is occupied, not being able to detect occupancy can cause user discomfort. On the other hand, not reliably knowing when a room is empty adds up to massive amounts of unnecessary heating and cooling costs for spaces without any people in them.

A collaboration between Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professors Senem Velipasalar and Pramod Varshney, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Ed Bogucz, Professor Tarek Rakha from Georgia Tech and SRI International, a nonprofit research institute, has developed a new sensor platform, MicroCam, which addresses many of the limitations that current systems face. Their project received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) and had to meet certain requirements. The platform had to be highly accurate, low-maintenance, affordable and easily self-commissioned for consumers while still providing more than 30% energy savings.

“It was important to us and ARPA-E that this platform be highly reliable, practical and inexpensive,” says Velipasalar. “This needed to be useful in real-world spaces, and it was designed to be battery-powered.”

The MicroCam is equipped with multi-modal sensors that can process motion, audio and video data. The camera can operate under daylight, low light or even no light conditions and it can be powered for more than a year on just three AA batteries – all the sensor processing is done inside one small unit.

“We do not use cloud computing, everything is captured and processed on this platform,” says Velipasalar. “You are not transferring or saving data, so it alleviates privacy concerns.”

While the MicroCam can detect occupancy, it does not share potentially private information.

“It senses your presence but only sends a 0 or 1 signal to the HVAC system,” says Velipasalar. “That binary occupancy result is the only data shared with the lead platform.”

Industrial and Interactive Design Professor Don Carr and his students worked with Velipasalar and Bogucz to design a prototype case for the MicroCam.

“Eventually we want a peel and stick and ideally you want to install one per room,” says Velipasalar. “If you have one of these in each room, you could monitor the entire space.”

Velipasalar was granted a patent in March 2023 titled “Low Power and Privacy Preserving Sensor Platform for Occupancy Detection.” It is the sixth patent she has been awarded over her career.

“This was a challenging project. We had to meet low cost and high accuracy requirements but it has incredible potential,” says Velipasalar.

The platform may have additional uses in the future including smart home integration and security monitoring. Velipasalar also sees possibilities for the MicroCam to provide activity monitoring and fall detection for families and nursing homes.

Engineered Magic: Wooden Seed Carriers Mimic the Behavior of Self-Burying Seeds

A vegetable plant growing next to its E-seed carrier. This seed was planted in a lab at Carnegie Mellon University in order to observe the effect on the seed of helpful fungus also carried in the E-seed.

Before a seed can grow into a tree, flower or plant, it needs to successfully implant itself in soil – a delicate and complex process. Seeds need to be able to take root and then remain protected from hungry birds and harsh environmental conditions. For the Erodium flower to implant a seed, its stalk forms a tightly wound, seed-carrying body with a long, curved tail at the top. When it begins to unwind, the twisting tail engages with the ground, causing the seed carrier to push itself upright. Further unwinding creates torque to drill down into the ground, burying the seed.

Inspired by Erodium’s magic, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Teng Zhang worked with Lining Yao from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and a team of collaborators to engineer a biodegradable seed carrier referred to as E-seed. Their seed carrier, fashioned from wood veneer, could enable aerial seeding of difficult-to-access areas, and could be used for a variety of seeds or fertilizers and adapted to many different environments. The carriers also could be used to implant sensors for environmental monitoring. They might also assist in energy harvesting by implanting devices that create current based on temperature fluctuations.

Professor Teng Zhang
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Teng Zhang

“This is a perfect example demonstrating the beauty and power of bioinspired design. We learn from nature and eventually achieve superior performance by leveraging the freedom of engineering design,” said Zhang, who also serves as an executive committee member of the Bioinspired Institute.

The team’s research appeared in the February issue of Nature.

The project is led by Lining Yao, director of the Morphing Matter Lab in the School of Computer Science’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute at CMU. Zhang developed models and performed simulations to explain the working mechanism of the wood actuators and the benefits of E-seed design. The key authors of the paper also include Danli Luo, a former research assistant at the Morphing Matter Lab, Shu Yang, a materials scientist from the University of Pennsylvania, Guanyun Wang, a former postdoctoral researcher in the Morphing Matter Lab and now a faculty member at Zhejiang University, and Aditi Maheshwari and Andreea Danielescu from ​Accenture Labs.

“Seed burial has been heavily studied for decades in terms of mechanics, physics and materials science, but until now, no one has created an engineering equivalent,” said Yao. “The seed carrier research has been particularly rewarding because of its potential social impact. We get excited about things that could have a beneficial effect on nature.”

“Gaining insight into the mechanics of wood and seed drilling dynamics leads to improved design and optimization,” said Zhang. “I am excited to see, by embracing cross-disciplinary collaborations, mechanics can play a critical role in making our society more sustainable.”

Read more about this collaborative project.

A drone dropping E-Seed Carriers

(Written by Byron Spice and Alex Dunbar)

Avocado Power

Professor Ian Hosein

The high demand for lithium-ion batteries has triggered significant research interest in finding alternative ion carriers. In a recent publication, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Professor Ian Hosein’s research team showed how they produced high performance hard carbon from avocado peels using high temperature processing. Electrochemical measurements confirmed the use of avocado-derived hard carbon as electrode active materials, with high reversible capacities of 320 mAh g−1 over 50 cycles at 50 mA g−1, good rate performance of 86 mAh g−1 at 3500 mA g−1, and Coulombic efficiencies above 99.9% after 500 cycles.

Ian Hosein holding a sample of avocado carbon

“We see avocado carbon as a cost effective and abundant source that yields a promising anode material for high-rate performance sodium-ion batteries,” says Hosein.

The research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Doctoral students Francielli Silva Genier, Shreyas Pathreeker, Robson Luis Schuarca and Dr. Mohammad Islam collaborated with Hosein on the research and publication in the IOPscience journal.

Professor Ian Hosein with an avocado and an avocado carbon sample

Rolling Right Off

New research from Syracuse University shows how nanochannels, oil and candle soot could provide a water repelling surface with numerous applications.

Surfaces that allow water or other liquids to roll right off are uniquely present in nature, such as on lotus leaves as well as on few aquatic insects, enabling them to walk on water or breathe under water by trapping a layer of air on their bodies. Such superhydrophobic surfaces can be helpful in a variety of engineering applications, ranging from coating of windshields and surgical tools, to steam turbines and condensers in power plants, and to improved hydrodynamics of submarines and ships.

Despite advancements in the development of artificially engineered superhydrophobic surfaces, durability and regenerative aspects of such surfaces remain elusive. Harsh working conditions including extreme exposure to water or humidity can deteriorate such surfaces especially after extended under-water usage.

Mechanical and aerospace engineering doctoral student Durgesh Ranjan and Professor Shalabh C. Maroo have developed a new approach for creating a durable superhydrophobic surface by first plasma-treating a fabricated porous nanochannel geometry on a silicon substrate followed by infusion-depletion of silicon oil and coating a layer of carbon derived from candle soot.

Surface Honey Test

“We are able to engineer a superhydrophobic surface which is durable against high-speed water jets, non-sticky to many liquids ranging from water to honey, and stable under water for months,” says Maroo.

Research from Ranjan, Maroo and An Zou was published in the January 2023 issue of the high impact Chemical Engineering Journal and the technology is also patent pending. Their surface  is capable of maintaining water contact angles of over 160° and roll off angle less than 5° even after undergoing 20 different tests, including chemical resistance to seawater and various solvents, high temperature exposure up to 570oF, condensation heat transfer, self-cleaning using fine all-purpose flour, frosting-defrosting cycles with ice, concentrated solar radiation exposure, and compatibility with organic products like honey, milk and syrup,  thus exhibiting potential real-world applications.

Theodore Walker

Education / Experience

  • Senior Scientist, ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ, 2019-2022
  • Ph.D., Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2019
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2015

Areas of Expertise: 

  • Heterogeneous Catalysis
  • Reaction Kinetics and microkinetic analysis
  • Experimental Determination of Reaction Mechanisms
  • Advanced liquid- and solid-state NMR spectroscopy
  • Solvent Effects in Liquid-Phase Catalytic Processes
  • Biomass conversion to renewable energy and chemicals
  • Complex plastic waste recycling

The Walker lab studies the fundamental, mechanistic details underlying heterogeneously catalyzed reactions of biomass, waste plastics, and other sources of non-fossil-based organic carbon for renewable fuels and chemicals production. We leverage our group’s strengths in solvent effects, advanced spectroscopic methods, and materials synthesis to develop novel catalysts that enable atom-efficient conversion of renewable feedstocks into fungible products while resisting deactivation by poisons.

Our experimental approach combines catalyst synthesis, characterization, and reaction kinetics measurements. We collaborate extensively with theorists to combine our experimental measurements with quantum-chemical and/or molecular dynamics simulations, toward a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental bases by which catalysts transform raw materials into products. Current research topics include:

  • Alkali-metal-resistant, bi-functional metal and acid catalysts for hydropyrolysis of waste plastics and biomass
  • Grafting of polymer brushes onto support catalysts to direct selectivity and mitigate deactivation by poisons in liquid-phase processing of renewable oxygenates
  • Electrochemical production of renewable polymers precursors and other platform molecules

Selected Publications

  1. Walker, Theodore W., et al. “Recycling of multilayer plastic packaging materials by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation.” Science advances 6.47 (2020): eaba7599.
  • Walker, Theodore W., et al. “Solid-state NMR studies of solvent-mediated, acid-catalyzed woody biomass pretreatment for enzymatic conversion of residual cellulose.” ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering 8.16 (2020): 6551-6563.
  • Walker, Theodore W., et al. “Universal kinetic solvent effects in acid-catalyzed reactions of biomass-derived oxygenates.” Energy & Environmental Science 11.3 (2018): 617-628.
  • Walker, Theodore W., et al. “Fundamental catalytic challenges to design improved biomass conversion technologies.” Journal of Catalysis 369 (2019): 518-525.
  • Walker, Theodore W., et al. “Rational design of mixed solvent systems for acid-catalyzed biomass conversion processes using a combined experimental, molecular dynamics and machine learning approach.” Topics in Catalysis 63.7 (2020): 649-663.

Natarajan Gautam

Areas of Expertise:

  • Stochastic modeling, control, and optimization
  • Data science: predictive and prescriptive analytics
  • Logistics and scheduling
  • Energy management
  • Queues and networks

Dr. Gautam’s research is on efficiently-operating systems with dynamics and uncertainty. He uses data-driven methods complemented by stochastic models for optimal design, performance analysis, and control of such systems. He has applied this work in computer systems, data centers, wireless and wireline networks, microgrids with renewable energy sources, smart manufacturing, and transportation. His methodologies are grounded in applied probability, data science, and optimization.

Honors and Awards:

  • US Patent Number 11720850 awarded to “Rohit Malshe, Liron David Yedidsion, Abhilasha Prakash Katariya, Dipal Patel Gupta, Jin Ye, Natarajan Gautam (2023) Dynamic package selection algorithm for delivery”.
  • Amazon Scholar, Amazon Corporate LLC, May 2019-present.
  • Fellow, IISE (Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, formerly IIE), May 2017.
  • Outstanding Young Industrial Engineer Award (education category), by IIE, May 2006.

Selected Publications:

  • Gautam, N. and Geunes, J.P. (2023) Analysis of Real-Time Order Fulfillment Policies: When to Dispatch a Batch? INFORMS Service Science, https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.2022.0042
  • Xu, J., Hou, I.-H. and Gautam, N. (2022) Age of information for single buffer systems with vacation server, IEEE-Trans. on Network Science and Engineering, Vol. 9, No. 3, 1198 – 1214.
  • Xu, J. and Gautam, N. (2021) Peak Age of Information in Priority Queueing Systems, IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, Vol. 67, No. 1, 373-390.
  • Ejaz, I., Alvarado, M., Gautam, N., Gebraeel, N. and Lawley, M. (2019) Condition-Based Maintenance for Queues with Degrading Servers, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering, Vol. 16, No. 4.
  • Kwon, S., Ntaimo, L. and Gautam, N. (2019) Demand Response in Data Centers: Integration of Server Provisioning and Power Procurement, IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, Vol. 51, No. 4.
  • Xu, J., Tran, H., Gautam, N. and Bukkapatnam, S. (2019) Joint Production and Maintenance Operations in Smart Custom-Manufacturing Systems, IISE Transactions, Vol. 51, No. 4, 406-421.
  • Kwon, S., Ntaimo, L. and Gautam, N. (2017) Optimal Day-Ahead Power Procurement with Renewable Energy and Demand Response, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 32, No. 5, 3924-3933.
  • Hsu, Y., Abedini, N., Gautam, N., Sprintson, A. and Shakkottai, S.  (2015) Opportunities for Network Coding: To Wait or Not to Wait, IEEE Transactions on Networking, Vol. 23, No. 6, 1876 – 1889.
  • Mohapatra, A., Gautam, N., Sprintson, A. and Shakkottai, S. (2014) Optimal Network Coding Decisions in Delay-sensitive Wireless Transmission, IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. 62, No. 8, 2965-2976.
  • Ko, Y.-M. and Gautam, N. (2013) Critically loaded multi-server queues with abandonments, retrials, and time-varying parameters, INFORMS Journal on Computing, Vol. 25, No. 2, 285-301.
  • Gautam, N. (2012) Analysis of Queues: Methods and Applications, 802 pages, CRC Press (Taylor and Francis), Boca Raton, FL.

Jianshun “Jensen” Zhang

Degrees

  • Ph.D., University of Illinois and Urbana-Champaign; 1991
  • M.S. and B.S. Beijing Agr. Eng. University; 1982 and 1985

Lab/Center Affiliations

Areas of Expertise:

  • Material Emissions, Air Purification, Ventilation, and Indoor Air Quality
  • Hygrothermal Performance of Building Materials and Enclosure Systems
  • Building Energy and Environmental Systems
  • Built Environmental Systems Measurements, Modeling, and Controls
  • Intelligent Buildings
  • Combined Heat, Air, Moisture and Pollutant Simulations (CHAMPS)
  • Multi-disciplinary and Multi-scale Building Systems Design and Optimization
  • Effects of indoor environmental quality on occupant exposure, productivity, and creativity

Professor Zhang’s research ranges multi-scale BES from nano/micro-scale in porous media to buildings and urban environment and involves engineering, architectural design, human health, and performance. Major ongoing research projects are:

  1. Virtual Design Studio (VDS): development of a digital platform for an integrated and coordinated design of green buildings. The project involves close collaboration between engineers and architects to develop a designer-oriented software tool for performance-based building system design.
  2. BM-IDC: Building monitoring and intelligent diagnosis and control. Using a full-scale testbed, a “Virtual Building” based near real-time monitoring system is developed and deployed to collect essential data for fault detection and diagnosis, and improvement of building operation.
  3. CHAMPS: Development of combined heat, air moisture, and pollutant simulation software for building system design and control optimization. The CHAMPS simulation environment includes a whole building model, an enclosure model, an HVAC mode and a room model. It is supported by a collection of shared databases of weather, materials and assemblies, pollutants, sources, and sinks. Reduced-order models will be developed for near-real-time simulation in design and predictive control in the operation of buildings.
  4. ME-IAQ: Material emissions and indoor air quality. A model-based approach is taken to develop fundamental mass transfer models with essential model parameters determined from experiments. The research leads to better models for performance prediction and better test methods for evaluating both short and long-term emissions.
  5. ACT-IAQ: Air cleaning technologies and indoor air quality. A model-based approach is taken to develop better test methods, evaluate the performance of existing air cleaning technologies, and develop new ones for improving indoor air quality.
  6. BEST: Building enclosure system technologies. This research includes experimental measurements and modeling of the hygrothermal (thermal and moisture) storage and transport properties of various building materials, model prediction of their impact on enclosure assembly performance, and full-scale evaluation and validation at reduced and full-scale setting under both laboratory and field conditions.
  7. Effects of IEQ on human performance. Human subject study is performed using a total environmental quality research facility. The focus is on how the improved thermal and air quality via personal ventilation would impact the performance of creativity and productivity of building occupants.

Honors and Awards:

  • 2019 ASHRAE Research Administration Committee Service in ASHRAE Research Award
  • 2018 ASHRAE Central New York Chapter Award for Contributions to Research and Education in HVAC and IAQ.
  • Elected Fellow of ASHRAE, 2012
  • Frontier Foreign Expert Award, State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the P.R. China, 2012
  • Shiyuan Chair Professorship from Nanjing University, China, 2011
  • Best Paper of the Year award, Building Simulation—an International Journal, 2010
  • Elected and active member of The ISIAQ Academy of Fellows, International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate, 2009
  • ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award, ASHRAE, 2008
  • JSPS Fellowship, Japanese Society for Promotion of Scientific Exchange, 2007
  • Otto Monsted Professorship from Technical University of Denmark, 2006
  • Citation by New York State Governor George E. Pataki in his 2003 State of the State address for scientific contributions to the development of the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental Systems, 2003
  • American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) National Finalist Award and New York State Diamond Award for the development of the Coupled Indoor/Outdoor Environmental Simulator (C-I/O-ES) of the Building Energy and Environmental Systems Laboratory (BEESL), 2003
  • ASHRAE Certification of Appreciation Award, 1999
  • IRC/NRC Outstanding Research Achievement Award, 1999
  • Second place paper award at the Healthy Buildings/IAQ 97 international conference, Washington, DC, 1997
  • IRC/NRC Outstanding Research Achievement Award, 1995
  • Best paper award at the 5th International Jacques Cartier Conference on Indoor Air Quality, Ventilation and Energy Conservation, 1992
  • Outstanding research paper award (top 2.5%) by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 1989
  • Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Epsilon honor societies, 1989
  • Excellent student awards, BAEU, 1980

Select Publications

Dung, A., J. Zhang and Z. Liu. 2021. Impact of humidity on formaldehyde and moisture buffering capacity of porous building material. Journal of Building Engineering, Volume 36, April 2021, 102114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.102114.

Zhao, J., J. Zhang, J. Grunewald and S. Feng. 2021. A probabilistic-based method to evaluate hygrothermal performance of an internally insulated brick wall. Building Simulation. Volume 14, 283-299.

Liu, Z., A. Nicolai, M. Abadie, M. Qin, J. Grunewald and J. Zhang. 2021. Development of a procedure for estimating the parameters of mechanistic VOC emission source models from chamber testing data. Building Simulation.Volume 14, pages269–282.

Shen, J., B. Krietemeyer, A. Bartosh, Z. Gao, J. Zhang. 2020. Green Design Studio: A modular-based approach for high-performance building design. BUILD SIMULATION – an International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12273-020-0728-9.

Zhou, S., Z. Liu, Wang, C.J. Young, T.C. VandenBoer, B. Guo,J. Zhang, N. Carslawand T. Kahan. 2020. Hydrogen Peroxide Emission and Fate Indoors during Non-bleach Cleaning: A Chamber and Modeling Study. Environ. Sci. Technol.2020, 54, 24, 15643–15651. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c04702

Lv, Yang, Xi Chen, Shanshan Wei, Rui Zhu, Beibei Wang, Bin Chen, Meng Kong, Jianshun (Jensen) Zhang. 2020. Sources, concentrations, and transport models of ultrafine particles near highways: A Literature Review. Building and Environment 186 (2020) 107325

Afshari, A., L. Ekberg, L. FOREJT, J. MO , S. RAHIMI, J. SIEGEL, W. CHEN, P. WARGOCKI, S. ZURAMI, J. ZHANG. 2020. Electrostatic Precipitators as an Indoor Air Cleaner—A Literature Review.  Journal of Sustainability: 12, Issue 21, 10.3390/su12218774

Zhang, J. 2020 Integrating IAQ control strategies to reduce the risk of asymptomatic SARS CoV-2 infections in classrooms and open plan offices, Science and Technology for the Built Environment, 26:8, 1013-1018, DOI: 1080/23744731.2020.1794499

Han, K. and J. Zhang. 2020. Energy-efficient building system integration with a smart and low cost sensing/control network for sustainable and healthy office environments: Demonstration case study. Energy and Buildings. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2020.109861

Rui Zhang, Jensen Zhang, Roger Schmidt, Jeremy Gilbert, Beverly Guo (December 2019). Effects of Moisture Content, Temperature and Pollutant Mixture on Atmospheric Corrosion of Copper and Silver and Implications for the Environmental Design of Data Centers (RP-1755). Science and Technology for the Built Environment.  December 2019,  DOI: 10.1080/23744731.2019.1701331

Kong, M., Zhang, J., Dang, T. Q., Hedge, A., Teng, T., Carter, B., Ezzat Khalifa, H. (2019). Micro-environmental control for efficient local cooling: Results from manikin and human participant tests. Building and Environment, 160, [106198]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2019.106198

Meng Kong, T. Dang, J. Zhang, and H. E. Khalifa. Micro-environmental control for efficient local heating: CFD simulation and manikin test verification. Building and Environment. 147 (2019) 382-396, (DOI) 10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.10.018

Zhang⁠, S., Shapiro, S⁠., Gehrke⁠, G., Castner, J.⁠, Liu, Z.⁠, Guo⁠, B., Prasad⁠d, R., Zhang, J., Haines⁠e⁠, S., Kormos⁠f, D., Frey⁠h, P., Qin⁠, R., and Dannemiller, K. C. 2018. Smartphone app for residential testing of formaldehyde (SmART-Form). Building and Environment.

Han, K.H., Zhang, J.S. and Guo, B. (2018). Caveats and Technical Challenges in Performance Evaluation of Activated Carbon (AC) and Non-AC Filtration for NO2 Abatement toward Energy-efficient and Healthy Ventilation. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 360:560-570. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.08.006.

Synergistic Activities

  • Jianshun Zhang has 28 years of research experience in Built Environmental Systems (BES) and has authored/co-authored 100+ peer-reviewed journal papers and 100+ refereed conference papers, one book, 2 ASTM and 1 ANSI/BIFMA Standards. His research ranges multi-scale BES from nano/micro-scale in porous media to buildings and urban environment and involves engineering, architectural design, human health and performance. He leads an international group in developing methods and tools for combined heat, air, moisture and pollutant simulations (CHAMPS) for building systems.
  • He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of building energy and environmental systems and fundamental heat and mass transfer and has advised/co-advised over 20 Ph.D. students, over 20 M.S. students, and 8 Postdoctoral Fellows.
  • He serves on the Editorial Boards of several international journals: “Energy and Buildings,” HVAC&R Research,” “Ventilation,” “Building Simulations,” “High-Rise Buildings,” and “Frontiers of Architectural Research.”
  • Zhang served on ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee (2006-present, 2011/12 Chair) and Research Administration Committee (2003-2005), and is a member of Technical and Standard Committees in the society. He is also a Voting Member of ASTM D22.05 on Indoor Air, AWMA and ISIAQ, and a U.S. Expert Representative to the ISO standard committee on air purification. He is elected Fellow of ASHRAE (2011) and ISIAQ (2009), and Member of Board of Directors of International Assoc. of Building Physics.

Quinn Qiao

Degrees:

  • Ph.D. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2006
  • M.S. Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Science, 2003
  • B.S. Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 1999

Research Interests:

  • Solar cells
  • Batteries
  • Biomedical sensors
  • Precision agriculture
  • Micro/nano fabrication

Current Research:

Dr. Qiao’s research focuses on photovoltaics, lithium metal/ion batteries, sensors, micro/nano manufacturing/fabrication, Food-Energy-Water (FEW) sustainability and precision agriculture technologies. He has published more than 200 peer reviewed papers in leading journals including Science, Nature Communications, Energy and Environmental Science, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Advanced Materials, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Nanoscale, Joule, ACS Energy Letters, Nano Energy, etc. He has received more than $11M on research grants as PI or Co-PI from NSF, NASA, USAID, EDA, 3M, Agilent, Raven Industries, etc.

Honors:

  • 2018 Commercialization Award, SDSU
  • 2016 Faculty Excellence for Global Engagement in International Research, SDSU
  • 2015 Distinguished Researcher of the Year, SDSU
  • 2014 F O Butler Award for Excellence in Research, SDSU
  • 2014 Visiting Professorship from Hefei University of Technology, China.
  • 2013 Best Poster Award at 3rd International Conference on Nanotek and Expo, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
  • 2012 Best Paper Award, Inter-Continental Advanced Materials for Photonics (I-CAMP) Summer School on renewable and sustainable energy
  • 2012 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award
  • 2012 Young Investigator Award
  • 2010 NSF CAREER Award
  • 2009 Bergmann Memorial Research Award from US-Israel Binational Science Foundation
  • 2009 Doctor New Investigator Award from American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund
  • 2006 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Student Abroad, China Scholarship Council (CSC)
  • 2006 ASME Solar Energy Division Graduate Student Award

Select Publications:

Yi Hou, Erkan Aydin, Michele De Bastiani, Chuanxiao Xiao, Furkan H Isikgor, Ding-Jiang Xue, Bin Chen, Hao Chen, Behzad Bahrami, Ashraful H Chowdhury, Andrew Johnston, Se-Woong Baek, Ziru Huang, Mingyang Wei, Yitong Dong, Joel Troughton, Rawan Jalmood, Alessandro J Mirabelli, Thomas G Allen, Emmanuel Van Kerschaver, Makhsud I Saidaminov, Derya Baran, Qiquan Qiao, Kai Zhu, Stefaan De Wolf, Edward H Sargent, Efficient tandem solar cells with solution-processed perovskite on textured crystalline silicon, Science, 367 (2020) 1135-1140.

Rajesh Pathak, Ke Chen, Ashim Gurung, Khan Mamun Reza, Behzad Bahrami, Jyotshna Pokharel, Abiral Baniya, Wei He, Fan Wu, Yue Zhou, Kang Xu, Qiquan Quinn Qiao, Fluorinated hybrid solid-electrolyte-interphase for dendrite-free lithium deposition, Nature Communications, 11 (2020) 1-10.

Yinhua Lv, Ruihan Yuan, Bing Cai, Behzad Bahrami, Ashraful Haider Chowdhury, Chi Yang, Yihui Wu, Qiquan Qiao, Shengzhong Liu, Wen-Hua Zhang, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., (2020). doi:10.1002/anie.201915928

Yilei Wu, Sebastian Schneider, Christopher Walter, Ashraful Haider Chowdhury, Behzad Bahrami, Hung-Chin Wu, Qiquan Qiao, Michael F Toney, Zhenan Bao, Fine-Tuning Semiconducting Polymer Self-Aggregation and Crystallinity Enables Optimal Morphology and High-Performance Printed All-Polymer Solar Cells, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2020, 142, 1, 392-406.

Md Ashiqur Rahman Laskar, Wenqin Luo, Nabin Ghimire, Ashraful Haider Chowdhury, Behzad Bahrami, Ashim Gurung, Khan Mamun Reza, Rajesh Pathak, Raja Sekhar Bobba, Buddhi Sagar Lamsal, Ke Chen, Md Tawabur Rahman, Sheikh Ifatur Rahman, Khalid Emshadi, Tingting Xu, Mao Liang, Wen‐Hua Zhang, Qiquan Qiao, Phenylhydrazinium Iodide for Surface Passivation and Defects Suppression in Perovskite Solar Cell, Advanced Functional Materials, 2020, 2000778. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202000778

Rajesh Pathak, Ke Chen, Ashim Gurung, Khan Mamun Reza, Behzad Bahrami, Fan Wu, Ashraf Chaudhary, Nabin Ghimire, Bin Zhou, Wen‐Hua Zhang, Yue Zhou, Qiquan Qiao, Ultrathin Bilayer of Graphite/SiO2 as Solid Interface for Reviving Li Metal Anode, Advanced Energy Materials, 9 (2019) 1901486.

Fan Wu, Rajesh Pathak, Ke Chen, Guiqiang Wang, Behzad Bahrami, Wen-Hua Zhang, Qiquan Qiao, Inverted Current-Voltage Hysteresis in Perovskite Solar Cells, ACS Energy Letters, 3(10):2457-2460, 2018.

Hytham Elbohy, Behzad Bahrami, Sally Mabrouk, Khan Mamun Reza, Ashim Gurung, Rajesh Pathak, Mao Liang, Qiquan Qiao, and Kai Zhu. Tuning Hole Transport Layer Using Urea for High‐Performance Perovskite Solar Cells. Advanced Functional Materials, 2019, 29, 1806740. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201806740.

Evan T Vickers, Thomas A Graham, Ashraful H Chowdhury, Behzad Bahrami, Benjamin W Dreskin, Sarah Lindley, Sara Bonabi Naghadeh, Qiquan Qiao, Jin Z Zhang, Improving charge carrier delocalization in perovskite quantum dots by surface passivation with conductive aromatic ligands, ACS Energy Letters, 3 (2018) 2931-2939.

Ashim Gurung, Qiquan Qiao, Solar Charging Batteries: Advances, Challenges, and Opportunities, Joule, 2 (7), 1217-1230, 2018.

Md Faisal Kabir, Md Tawabur Rahman, Ashim Gurung, and Qiquan Qiao, Electrochemical Phosphate Sensors using Silver Nanowires Treated Screen Printed Electrodes, IEEE Sensors Journal, 18 (9), 3480-3485, 2018.

Upendra Neupane, Behzad Bahrami, Matt Biesecker, Mahdi Farrokh Baroughi, and Qiquan Qiao, Kinetic Monte Carlo Modeling on Organic Solar Cells: Domain Size, Donor-Acceptor Ratio and Thickness, Nano Energy, 35, 128-137, 2017.

Roya Naderi, Ashim Gurung, Zhengping Zhou, Geetha Varnekar, Ke Chen, Jiantao Zai, Xuefeng Qian, Qiquan Qiao, Activation of passive nano-fillers in composite polymer electrolyte for higher performance lithium ion batteries, Advanced Sustainable Systems, 1, 8, 1700043, 2017.

Ashim Gurung, Ke Chen, Geetha Varnekar, Reza Khan, Salem Saad Abdulkarim, Rajesh Pathak, Roya Naderi, Qiquan Qiao, Highly Efficient Perovskite Solar Cell Photo-Charging of Lithium Ion Battery using DC-DC Booster, Advanced Energy Materials, 1602105, 2017.

Mukesh Kumar, Ashish Dubey, Nirmal Adhikari, Swaminathan Venkatesan and Qiquan Qiao, Strategic review of secondary phases, defects and defect-complexes in kesterite CZTS-Se solar cells, Energy & Environmental Science, 8, 3134-3159, 2015.

Qi Wang, Iain W. H. Oswald, Xiaolong Yang, Guijiang Zhou, Huiping Jia, , Qiquan Qiao, Yonghua Chen, Jason Hoshikawa-Halbert, Bruce E. Gnade, A Non-Doped Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Device with Above 31% External Quantum Efficiency, Advanced Materials, 26: 8107–8113, 2014, doi: 10.1002/adma.201402947 .

Jing Li, Min Yan, Yu Xie, and Qiquan Qiao, Linker Effects on Optoelectronic Properties of Alternate Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymers. Energy & Environmental Science, 4 (10), 4276-4283, 2011.

Mahbube Siddiki, Jing Li, David Galipeau, and Qiquan Qiao*, A review of polymer multijunction solar cells (invited review, among top ten most-read paper in July 2010). Energy & Environmental Science, 3(7): p. 867-883, 2010.

Prakash Joshi, Yu Xie, Mike Ropp, David Galipeau, Shelia Bailey, and Qiquan Qiao. Dye-sensitized Solar Cells based on Low Cost Nanoscale Carbon/TiO2 Composite Counter Electrode. Energy & Environmental Science (invited and cover article, among top ten most-read paper in August 2010), 2, 426 – 429, 2009.

Prasad Taranekar, Qiquan Qiao, Hui Jiang, Ion Ghiviriga, Kirk S. Schanze, and John R. Reynolds, Hyperbranched Conjugated Polyelectrolyte Bilayers for Solar-Cell Applications, Journal of the American Chemical Society (communication), 129(29), pp 8958 – 8959, 2007.

Shalabh C. Maroo

Degrees/Post-doc:

  • Post-doctoral Associate, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2010-2011
  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida, 2009
  • M.S. (thesis) in Mechanical Engineering, University of Florida, 2006
  • B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, 2003

Lab/Center Affiliations:

  • Syracuse Center of Excellence

Areas of Expertise:

  • Thermal management
  • Heat transfer
  • Nano and micro-technology
  • Energy conversion
  • Desalination

Energy and water are two of the most important necessities to maintain global security, prosperity and equity in human civilization. The global energy use is estimated to increase by ~60% while nearly 4 billion people are expected to live under severe water stress by 2050. Drinking water production from seawater is a highly energy intensive process and is inherently coupled with increased energy consumption. Thus, energy efficiency plays an ever more important and critical role in limiting energy demand growth. My research primarily focuses on two fundamental aspects of science and engineering which manifests into a wide variety of applications: 1) thermal management and energy conversion, and 2) water desalination. My research group at Syracuse University is highly multidisciplinary which conducts experiments, nano/micro scale fabrication, and performs molecular and continuum numerical simulations, in the areas of thermal management, heat transfer, energy conversion, transport phenomena, desalination, and optics.

Honors:

  • 2015 NSF CAREER Award

Selected Publications:

  • Sajag Poudel, An Zou & Shalabh C. Maroo, Thermal Management of Photovoltaics using Porous Nanochannels, ACS Energy & Fuels, 36, 8, 4549–4556, 2022
  • An Zou, Manish Gupta, and Shalabh C. Maroo, Passive nano-heat pipes for cooling and thermal management of electronics and power conversion devices, US Patent 10,881,034
  • Sajag Poudel, An Zou & Shalabh C. Maroo, Disjoining Pressure Driven Transpiration in a Simulated Tree, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 616, 895-902, 2022
  • Durgesh Ranjan, An Zou & Shalabh C. Maroo, Vapor Generation via Porous Nanochannel Wicks, accepted for publication in Cell Reports Physical Science, 3, 2, 100738, 2022
  • An Zou, Sajag Poudel, Manish Gupta & Shalabh C. Maroo, Disjoining Pressure of Water in Nanochannels, Nano Letters, 21, 18, 7769–7774, 2021
  • Sajag Poudel, An Zou & Shalabh C. Maroo, Droplet Evaporation on Porous Nanochannels for High Heat Flux Dissipation, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 13, 1, 1853–1860, 2021
  • An Zou, Manisha Gupta & Shalabh C. Maroo, Transpiration Mechanism in Confined Nanopores, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 11, 9, 3637-3641, 2020
  • An Zou, Manish Gupta & Shalabh C. Maroo, Origin, Evolution, and Movement of Microlayer in Pool Boiling, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 9 (14), 3863-3869, 2018
  • An Zou, Ashish Chanana, Amit Agrawal, Peter C.Wayner, Jr. & Shalabh C. Maroo, Steady State Vapor Bubble in Pool Boiling, Scientific Reports, 6, 20240 2016
  • Sumith YD & Shalabh C. Maroo, Surface-Heating Algorithm for Water at Nanoscale, Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 6, p. 3765-3769, 2015
  • Joel L. Plawsky, Andrei G. Fedorov, Suresh V. Garimella, Hongbin B. Ma, Shalabh C. Maroo, Chen Li & Youngsuk Nam, Nano- and Microstructures for Thin-Film Evaporation – A Review, Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, 18 (3), p. 251-269, 2014
  • Matthew McCarthy, Konstantinos Gerasopoulos, Shalabh C. Maroo & A. John Hart, Materials, Fabrication, and Manufacturing of Micro/Nanostructured Surfaces for Phase-Change Heat Transfer Enhancement, Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, 18 (3), p. 288-310, 2014
  • An Zou & Shalabh C. Maroo, Critical Height of Micro/Nano Structures for Pool Boiling Heat Transfer Enhancement, Applied Physics Letters, 103, 221602, 2013
  • Rishi Raj, Shalabh C. Maroo & Evelyn N. Wang, Wettability of Graphene, Nano Letters, 13 (4), pp 1509–1515, 2013
  • Shalabh C. Maroo & D. Yogi Goswami, Theoretical Analysis of a Single-stage and Two-stage Solar Driven Flash Desalination System based on Passive Vacuum Generation, Desalination, 249 (2), 635-646, 2009
  • Shalabh C. Maroo & Jacob N. Chung, Molecular Dynamic Simulation of Platinum Heater and Associated Nano-scale Liquid Argon Film Evaporation and Colloidal Adsorption Characteristics, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 328 (1), 134, 2008

Ian D. Hosein

Degree(s):

  • B. A. Sc., Engineering Science, University of Toronto, 2004
  • Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, 2009

Areas of Expertise:

  • Energy Conversion and Storage
  • Advanced Composites
  • Functional Surfaces
  • Optical Materials and Devices
  • Bioinspired Materials

Professor Hosein combines materials processing techniques with smart polymer chemistry and novel inorganic chemistry to create materials with tailored structure, composition and advanced optical, electronic, and chemical functionality. His work spans the spectrum from fundamental formation mechanisms to materials fabrication to application-driven research and development.  Current applications target solar energy conversion, electro-chemical energy storage, chemical separation, and smart coatings. 

Honors and Awards:

  • NSF Career Award, 2018
  • 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, 2019
  • The Association for UV & EB Technology, Innovation Award, 2020

Selected Publications:

Sara Eftekharnejad

Degree(s):

  • Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Arizona State University, 2012
  • MSc. , Electrical Engineering, West Virginia University, 2008
  • BSc., Electrical Engineering, University of Tehran, 2006

Research Interests:

  • Integration of renewable energy into power systems
  • Power system stability and control
  • Power system reliability and security
  • Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) in smart grids

Current Research:

My research focuses on integration of renewable energy resources and power system stability with high penetration of renewables. I investigate how power systems are impacted when various renewables are integrated into systems. I also investigate how power system operation and planning needs to be modified to accommodate more renewables while achieving reliable power systems.

I also investigate the problems at the intersection of network science theory and power system analysis. This includes identification of critical contingencies and solutions to prevent cascading blackouts.

Courses taught:

  • Introduction to Power Systems
  • Power System Analysis
  • Power Electronics

Selected Publications:

Eftekharnejad, G.T. Heydt, and V. Vittal., “Optimal Generation Dispatch with High Penetration of Photovoltaic Generation”, IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, Vol 6, Issue 3, pages 1013-1020, July 2015.

Eftekharnejad, V. Vittal, G.T. Heydt, B. Keel, and J. Loehr, “Impact of Increased Penetration of Photovoltaic Generation on Power Systems”, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, Vol. 28, Issue 2, pages 893 – 901, May 2013.

Eftekharnejad, V. Vittal, G.T. Heydt, B. Keel, and J. Loehr, “Small Signal Stability Assessment of Power Systems with Increased Penetration of Photovoltaic Generation: A Case Study”, IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, Vol. 4, Issue 4, pages 960 – 967, October 2013.

Bing Dong

Degrees:

  • Ph.D. in Building Performance and Diagnostics, Carnegie Mellon University
  • M.S. in Building Science, National University of Singapore
  • B.E. in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology

Lab/Center Affiliations:

  • Built Environment Science and Technology (BEST) Lab
  • Syracuse Center of Excellence in Energy and Environmental Systems

Research interests:

  • Modeling occupant behavior in buildings
  • Intelligent building operation
  • Fault detection and diagnostics
  • Buildings-to-grid integration
  • Grid-interactive Efficient Buildings
  • Urban mobility
  • Urban building energy modeling
  • Modeling and optimization of urban energy system
  • Human performance

Current Research:

Prof. Dong’s current research goal is to explore how smart buildings play an active role in urban scale cyber-physical energy system considering human behavior, renewable energy, energy storage, smart grid, health and resilience through physics-based modeling, optimization and controls, heterogeneous sensing and data-driven models. Current major research topics are: (1) Human-Building-Interactions including Detecting, Modeling and Simulating Occupant Behavior in Buildings and Behavior-driven Control and Optimization for Energy Systems and (2) System-level Modeling, Optimization and Control for Urban Built Environment including Buildings-to-Grid Integration Control and Optimization Framework, Modeling of Occupancy Behavior at a Community Level and Connect with other Urban Infrastructures and Community energy planning and management.

Major ongoing research projects are (1) NSF CAREER: Holistic Assessment of the Impacts of Connected Buildings and People on Community Energy Planning and Management, (2) Department of Energy – Argonne National Lab: Spatial-temporal data-driven weather and energy forecasting for improved implementation of advanced building controls, and (3) ARPA-E: Quantification of HVAC Energy Savings for Occupancy Sensing in Buildings through An Innovative Testing Methodology.

Teaching Interests:

  • HVAC design
  • Building performance modeling and diagnostics

Honors and Awards:

  • 2019 NSF CAREER Award
  • 2018 IBPSA-USA Emerging Contributor Award
  • 2017 Innovator of the Year, The University of Texas at San Antonio
  • 2017 Faculty Research Award, The University of Texas at San Antonio
  • 2017 Distinguished Service Award for IEA EBC Annex 66 Project
  • 2010 Isabel Sophia Liceaga Discretionary Fund Faculty Award, Carnegie Mellon University
  • 2009 Akram Midani Award, Carnegie Mellon University

Select Publications:

Dong, B., Liu, Y., Fontenot, H., Ouf, M., Osman, M., Chong, A., Qin, S., Salim, F., Xue, H., Yan, D. and Jin, Y., 2021. Occupant behavior modeling methods for resilient building design, operation and policy at urban scale: A review. Applied Energy, 293, p.116856.

Pang, Z., Chen, Y., Zhang, J., O’Neill, Z., Cheng, H. and Dong, B., 2021. How much HVAC energy could be saved from the occupant-centric smart home thermostat: A nationwide simulation study. Applied Energy, 283, p.116251.

Pang, Z., Chen, Y., Zhang, J., O’Neill, Z., Cheng, H. and Dong, B., 2020. Nationwide HVAC energy-saving potential quantification for office buildings with occupant-centric controls in various climates. Applied Energy, 279, p.115727.

Wu, W., Dong, B., Wang, Q.R., Kong, M., Yan, D., An, J. and Liu, Y., 2020. A novel mobility-based approach to derive urban-scale building occupant profiles and analyze impacts on building energy consumption. Applied Energy, 278, p.115656.

O’Brien, W., Wagner, A., Schweiker, M., Mahdavi, A., Day, J., Kjærgaard, M.B., Carlucci, S., Dong, B., Tahmasebi, F., Yan, D. and Hong, T., 2020. Introducing IEA EBC Annex 79: Key challenges and opportunities in the field of occupant-centric building design and operation. Building and Environment, 178, p.106738.

Wagner, A., O’Brien, W. and Dong, B. eds., 2018. Exploring Occupant Behavior in Buildings: Methods and Challenges. Springer.

Dong, B., Yan, D. Li, Z.*,Jin, Y., Feng, X.H., Fontenot, H. 2018. Modeling occupancy and behavior for better building design and operation—A critical review. In Building Simulation (in Press). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. (IF: 1.170)-Invited Paper: 10 Years Anniversary.

Dong, B., Li, Z.*, Taha, A. and Gatsis, N., 2018. Occupancy-based buildings-to-grid integration framework for smart and connected communities. Applied Energy, 219, pp.123-137.(IF: 7.182)

Charles T. Driscoll

Degrees:

  • Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 1980.
  • M.S., Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 1976.
  • B.S. (with distinction), Civil Engineering, University of Maine 1974.

Lab/Center Affiliation:

  • Center for Environmental Systems Engineering

Areas of expertise

  • Biogeochemistry
  • Climate change science and engineering
  • Environmental quality modeling
  • Ecosystem restoration
  • Limnology

Current Research:

My scholarly work addresses the effects of disturbance on forest, urban, freshwater and marine ecosystems, including air pollution (acid, nitrogen and mercury deposition), land-use, and climate change. Current research focuses on recovery of eastern forest watersheds from acidic deposition; health and environmental justice co-benefits of decarbonization of the electricity sector; ecosystem restoration; ecosystem response to changing climate; mitigation of harmful algal blooms; and atmospheric deposition, watershed and surface water transport and transformations, and biotic exposure of mercury. The Driscoll laboratory has published more than 530 articles in peer-reviewed journals. According to Google Scholar, these works have been cited over 55,000 times, with an h-index of 117. I have been designated as a highly cited researcher by Clarivate Analytics. I am a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Clarke Prize Laureate.

Courses Taught:

  • Aquatic Chemistry
  • Climate Change: Law, Science, Perception and Policy
  • Field methods in Environmental Science and Engineering
  • Fundamentals of Engineering Review

I teach undergraduate and graduate-level classes in environmental engineering, sustainable civil and environmental systems, aquatic chemistry and biogeochemistry.  Graduate students, undergraduate students and even some high school students who work in my laboratory. These students have a keen interest in research. They are encouraged to interpret their results in the context of environmental problems and issues, to interact with the research community beyond Syracuse University, present the findings of their research at professional meetings and publish in peer-reviewed journals.

Honors:

  • Critical Review author, Air & Waste Management Association, 2024
  • Clarke Prize Laureate, 2023
  • Syracuse University Chancellor’s Lifetime Achievement Award, 2020.
  • Lead author, United Nations Environmental Programme, Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report on Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment, 2016-2018.
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science 2018.
  • Batsheva de Rothschild Fellowship, Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Lectureship at Israel University, 2015
  • Member, National Research Council, Board of Environmental Studies and Toxicology, 2011-2017
  • Member, National Committee for Soil Science, The National Academies, 2008-2010
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering, 2007

Selected Publications:

Driscoll, C. T., J. B. Milford, D. K. Henze and M. D. Bell. In press. Atmospheric reduced nitrogen: sources, transformations, effects, and management. Journal of Air & Waste Management Association. doi: 10.1080/10962247.2024.2342765.

Marchese, M. J., J. R Gerson, A. J. Berky, C. T. Driscoll, L. E. Fernandez, H. Hsu-Kim, K. N. Lansdale, E. Letourneau, M. R. Montesdeoca, W. K. Pan, E. Robie, C. Vega and E. S Bernhardt. 2024. Human health risks of mercury exposure in gold mining regions of Peru depend on diet choices. Environmental Health Perspectives. doi: 10.1088/2752-5309/ad3d79.

Adams, E., J. E. Gulka, Y. Yang, M. E. Burton, D. A. Burns, V. Buxton, L. Cleckner, C. Desorbo, C. T. Driscoll, D. C. Evers, N. Fisher, O. Lane, H. Mao, K. R. Murray, G. Millard, R. Razavi, W. Richter, A. Sauer and N. Schoch. 2023. Distribution and trends of mercury in aquatic and terrestrial biota of New York, USA: a synthesis of 50 years of research and monitoring. Ecotoxicology, 32:959-976. doi: 10.1007/s10646-023-02704-0.

Brannon, M., A. C. A. Scholz, C. T. Driscoll. 2023. Shallow sediments as a phosphorus reservoir in an oligotrophic lake: Linkages to harmful algal blooms. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 128:e2022JG007029. doi:10.1029/2022JG007029.

Caron, S., S. M. Garvey, J. Gewirtzman, K. Schultz, J. M. Bhatnagar, C. T. Driscoll, L. Hutyra, P. H. Templer. 2023. Urbanization and fragmentation have opposite effects on soil nitrogen availability in temperate forest ecosystems. Global Change Biology, 29:2156-2171. doi:10.1111/gcb.16611.

Contosta, A., J. Battles, J. L. Campbell, C. T. Driscoll, S. Garlick, R. T. Holmes, G. Likens, N. Rodenhouse, S. Rogers, P. Templer, M. Vadeboncoeur and P. Groffman. 2023. Early warning signals of change suggest declining resilience in the biology and biogeochemistry of a northern hardwood forest. Environmental Research Letters, 19(9):094052. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/acf3fe.

E. B., S. Zhang, C. T. Driscoll and T. Wen. 2023. Human and natural impacts on the U.S. freshwater salinization and alkalinization: A machine learning perspective. Science of the Total Environment, 889:164138. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164138.

Gilliam, F., D. A. Burns, S. Watmough, S. Frey and C. T. Driscoll. 2023. Chapter 12 in Atmospheric nitrogen deposition to global forests spatial variation, impacts, and management implications. E. Du and W. Vries (Ed.). Academic Press, ISBN: 9780323911405.

Green, M. B, L. H. Pardo, J. L. Campbell, E. Rosi, E. S. Bernhardt, C. T. Driscoll, T. J. Fahey, N. LoRusso, J. Matthes, P. H. Templer. 2023. Combination of factors rather than single disturbance drives perturbation of the nitrogen cycle in a temperate forest. Biogeochemistry. doi:10.1007/s10533-023-01105-z

Marinos, R. E., P. M. Groffman, C. T. Driscoll, E. S. Bernhardt.2023. Accelerated soil nitrogen cycling in response to a whole ecosystem acid rain mitigation experiment. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. doi:10.2139/ssrn.4579996.

McDonnell, T. C., J. Phelan, A. F. Talhelm, B. J. Cosby, C. T. Driscoll, T. J. Sullivan and T. Greaver. 2023. Protection of terrestrial ecosystems in the Eastern United States from elevated atmospheric deposition of sulfur and nitrogen: A comparison of steady-state and dynamic model results. Environmental Pollution, 318:120887. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120887.

Miller, H. R., C. T. Driscoll and E.-L. S. Hinckley. 2024. Mercury cycling in the U.S. Rocky Mountains: a review of past research and future priorities. Biogeochemistry. 167(1):1-20. doi:10.1007/s10533-023-01108-w.

Ontman, R., P. Groffman, C. T. Driscoll and Z. Cheng. 2023. Surprising relationships between soil pH and microbial biomass and activity in a northern hardwood forest. Biogeochemistry, 163:265-277. doi:10.1007/s10533-023-01031-0.

Rindy, J. E., E. A. Pierce, J. Geddes, S. M. Garvey, J. Gewirtzman, C. T. Driscoll, L. R. Hutyra, P. H. Templer. 2023. Effects of urbanization and forest fragmentation on atmospheric nitrogen inputs and ambient nitrogen oxide and ozone concentrations in mixed temperate forests. Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences. doi:10.1029/2023JG007543.

Viktor J. Cybulskis

Education

  • Postdoctoral, Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 2016-2018
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 2016
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 2005

Teaching

  • CEN 412: Chemical Engineering Laboratory II
  • CEN 474: Process Design
  • CEN 429/629: Methods in Materials Characterization

Areas of Expertise:

  • Heterogeneous Catalysis
  • Kinetics and Reaction Mechanisms
  • Synthetic Materials Chemistry
  • Zeolites and Molecular Sieves

The Cybulskis lab focuses on understanding the molecular details of heterogeneously catalyzed reactions and designing reactive micro-environments to enable pathways for selective chemical transformations that safeguard our ecosystem from harmful emissions and pollutants. We are primarily interested in zeolites and molecular sieves. The well-defined, molecular-sized pores and cavities in these structures can be tailored with distinct catalytic sites and confining voids, allowing them to function as tunable nanoreactors.

Our experimental research approach combines materials synthesis, catalyst characterization, fundamental reaction kinetics, and mechanistic studies to fundamentally understand how the physicochemical properties of porous inorganic solids govern their intrinsic catalytic performance for applications in chemical manufacturing and emissions control. Current research topics include:

  • Carbon-carbon coupling of oxygenated molecules by cooperative acid-base sites in zeolites
  • Tandem catalytic pathways for direct epoxidation of alkenes
  • Methane abatement through low-temperature catalytic oxidation

Selected Publications

He, W.; Potts, D.S.; Zhang, Z.; Liu, B.; Schuarca, R.L.; Hwang, S-J.; Bond, J.Q.; Flaherty, D.W.; Cybulskis, V.J.; “Lewis acidity and substituent effects influence aldehyde enolization and C-C coupling in beta zeolites.” Journal of Catalysis. 2023, 427, 115105-115118.

Roslova, M.; Cybulskis, V.J.; Davis, M.E.; Zones, S.I.; Zou, X.; Xie, D. “Structure Elucidation and Computationally Guided Synthesis of SSZ-43: A One-Dimensional 12-Membered Ring Zeolite with Unique Sinusoidal Channels.” Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2022, 61, 1-9. (Hot Paper).

Zhu, R.; Liu, B.; Wang, S.; Huang, X.; Schuarca, R.L.; He, W.; Cybulskis, V.J.; Bond, J.Q. “Understanding the Mechanism(s) of Ketone Oxidation on VOx/γ-Al2O3.” Journal of Catalysis. 2021, 404, 109-127.

Cybulskis, V.J.; Gounder, R.; Mojarad, S.; Davis, M.E. “Initiating a Research-Focused Academic Career in Chemical Engineering: Perspectives from Faculty at Different Career Stages.” AIChE Journal. 2020, 66(4), 1-9.

Guo, Q.; Ren, L.; Kumar, P.; Cybulskis, V.J.; Mkhoyan, A.K.; Davis, M.E.; Tsapatsis, M.; “A Chromium Hydroxide/MIL-101(Cr) Composite Catalyst and its use for Selective Glucose Isomerization to Fructose.” Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2018, 130, 5020-5024.

Jesse Q. Bond

Degree(s):

  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, 2002
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2009

Research Interests:

  • Heterogeneous catalysis
  • Bio-based fuels and chemicals
  • Energy sustainability

Current Research:

Our group is focused on the design and application of catalytic materials for improving sustainability in the production of transportation fuels and chemical products. In our research, we leverage heterogeneous catalysis to facilitate the conversion of renewable feedstocks to drop-in replacements for traditional, petroleum-derived fuels. We approach this task mindful of the guiding principles of environmental stewardship and thus promote total biomass utilization, energy efficiency and conservation, and waste minimization as we strive to advance the state of the art in renewable energy.

Teaching Interests:

  • CEN 600: Heterogeneous catalysis
  • CEN 600: Biofuels
  • CEN 587: Chemical Reaction Engineering

Select Publications:

Wettstein, S.G., Bond, J.Q., Martin Alonso, D., Pham, H.N., Datye, A.K., Dumesic, J.A., “RuSn bimetallic catalysts for selective hydrogenation of levulinic acid to γ-valerolactone.” Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2012, 117–118. 321 – 329.

Martin Alonso, D., Wettstein, S.G., Bond. J.Q., Root, T.W., and Dumesic, J.A. “Production of Biofuels from Cellulose and Corn Stover using Alkylphenol Solvents,” ChemSusChem, 2011, 4, 8, 1078–1081.

Bond, J.Q., Wang, D., Martin Alonso, D., and Dumesic, J.A. “Interconversion Between g-valerolactone and Pentenoic Acid Combined with Decarboxylation to Form Butene Over Silica/Alumina.” Journal of Catalysis, 281, 2, 25, 2011, 290-299.

Martin Alonso, D., Bond, J.Q., Wang, D., and Dumesic, J.A., “Activation of Amberlyst-70 for Alkene Oligomerization in Hydrophobic Media.” Topics in Catalysis, 2011, 54, 5-7, 447 -457.

Bond, J.Q., Martin Alonso, D., West, R.M., Dumesic, J.A. “g-Valerolactone Ring-Opening and Decarboxylation over SiO2/Al¬2O3 in the Presence of Water.”Langmuir, 2010, 26, 21, 16291 – 16298.

Martin Alonso, D., Bond, J.Q., Dumesic, J.A. “Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels.”Green Chemistry, 2010, 12, 1493-1513.

Bond, J.Q., Martin Alonso, D., Wang, D., West, R.M., Dumesic, J.A. “Integrated Catalytic Conversion of g-Valerolactone to Liquid Alkenes for Transportation Fuels.” Science, 2010, 327, 5969, 1110-1114.

Ben Akih-Kumgeh

Degree(s):

  • Ph.D., McGill University

Lab/Center Affiliation:

  • Center of Excellence

Research Interests:

  • Combustion physics and chemistry (chemical kinetics, ignition, flame propagation, extinction, and pollutant formation, turbulent combustion)
  • Applied combustion in gas turbines, internal combustion engines and process burners
  • Fuel technology (formulation, additives and characterization)
  • Thermodynamic analysis of energy systems

Current Research:

Our research interests are in the area of energy conversion, with a special focus on Combustion Physics and Chemistry. Our work is a combination of experiments, combustion theory, and simulations. We determine combustion properties and pollutant formation trends, contribute to detailed and reduced chemical kinetic model development, and use computational fluid dynamics to study turbulence-chemistry interactions in combustion processes.

The ultimate goal is to develop tools for the analysis and design of advanced combustion devices such as gas turbines, internal combustion engines and industrial furnaces. We are also actively involved unravelling the physics of laser-induced initiation of burning processes; an approach that is promising as an alternative reliable ignition source for fuel-flexible engines. Other areas of research include thermodynamic analysis of energy systems and characterization of fuel blends.

Courses Taught:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Advanced thermodynamics
  • Propulsion
  • Combustion phenomena in engineering
  • Selected topics in combustion turbines and internal combustion engines

Honors/Awards:

  • 2014 FilterTech, Pi Tau Sigma, and Sigma Gamma Tau faculty award for Excellence in Engineering Education
  • NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canada, 2012-2014, declined in favor of faculty position at Syracuse University
  • MITACS/CRIAQ/NSERC internships for doctoral & postdoctoral scholars, held at Rolls-Royce Canada, 2010-2011
  • FQRNT doctoral fellowship in energy research (Provincial fellowship, Quebec, Canada), 2009-2010
  • Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid-of research, 2010

Selected Publications:

Propanol isomers: Investigation of ignition and pyrolysis time Scales (authors: S. Jouzdani, A. Zhou, Akih-Kumgeh), Combustion & Flame, 176:229-244 2016, 2017.

An experimental and chemical kinetic modeling study of dimethylcyclohexane oxidation and pyrolysis (authors: M.A. Eldeeb, S. Jouzdani, Z.Wang, M. Sarathy, Akih-Kumgeh), Energy & Fuels, 30:86488657, 2016.

Toward improved understanding of the physical meaning of entropy in classical thermodynamic (author: Akih-Kumgeh), Entropy, 18:270(16 pages), 2016.

Unsteady RANS and Scale Adaptive Simulations of Turbulent Spray Flames in a Swirled-Stabilized Gas Turbine Model Combustor using Tabulated Chemistry (authors: A. Fossi, A. deChamplain, and Akih-Kumgeh), Int. J. Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow, 25:1064–1088, 2015.

Comparative Analysis of Chemical Kinetic Models Using the Alternate Species Elimination Approach (authors: N.D. Peters, Akih-Kumgeh, J.M. Bergthorson), J. Eng. Gas Turbines & Power, 137:021505-1–021505-9, 2014.

Jeongmin Ahn

Degree(s):

  • Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern California
  • M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
  • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Lab/Center Affiliation:

  • Combustion and Energy Research Laboratory (COMER)

Areas of Expertise:

  • Energy conversion
  • Electrochemistry
  • Combustion
  • Thermal management

Professor Ahn’s research primarily concerns electrochemistry, combustion, power generation, propulsion and thermal management, with a recent emphasis on advanced energy conversion systems using solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Prof. Ahn has performed an experimental investigation of catalytic and non-catalytic combustion in heat recirculating combustors, fuel cells: fabrication, test and characterization of all types of SOFCs (dual-chamber, single-chamber and no-chamber, which is also called as a flame-assisted fuel cell), micro heat engines, thermoacoustic engines, thermal transpiration based pumping/propulsion and power generation, all solid state batteries, bio/electro corrosion of implants, and bio based materials for energy applications. 

Honors and Awards:

  • 3rd place of the Poster Competition at Research Day, 2022
  • 1st place of the Health and Well-being and 2nd place of the Energy, Environment, and Smart Materials in the Presentation Awards, 2021
  • 2nd, and 3rd place of the Student Pitch Competition at Research Day, 2020
  • People’s Choice Award for Best Paper at the ASME 2020 Power Conference & Nuclear Engineering Conference, 2020
  • Best Paper Winner of the Student Paper Competition at the ASME 2018 Power and Energy Conference & Exhibition, 2018
  • 2nd place of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Poster Contest, 2018
  • Recipient of Advisory Board Award, 1st place of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Poster Contest, 2018
  • 1st place of the SyracuseCoE Symposium Poster Competition, 2017
  • Recipient of Advisory Board Award, 1st place of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Poster Contest, 2017
  • 2nd place of the Student Pitch Competition at Research Day, 2017
  • 1st, and 2nd place of the SyracuseCoE Symposium Poster Competition, 2016
  • Best Prototype Winner of the Research Summit at the General Electric (GE) Global Research, 2016
  • 2nd place of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Poster Contest, 2016
  • Practical Application Winner of the Nunan Lecture and Research Day Poster Competition, 2016
  • Recipient of ASME Fellowship, 2016
  • Recipient of the Sustainable Aviation Research Society Science Award, 2016
  • 1st, and 2nd place in the graduate student category at the CNY ASHRAE Poster Competition, 2016
  • Recipient of SyracuseCoE Faculty Fellowship, 2015
  • 1st place of the SyracuseCoE Symposium Poster Competition, 2015
  • Best Poster Winner of the Research Summit at the General Electric (GE) Global Research, 2015
  • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place of the SyracuseCoE INSPIRE Competition, 2015
  • 2nd place of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Poster Contest, 2015
  • High Impact Idea Award of the Earth Week Sustainability Research Poster Competition, 2015
  • 2nd place of the SyracuseCoE Symposium Poster Competition, 2014
  • Best Poster Winner of the Nunan Lecture and Research Day Poster Competition, 2014
  • ASEE Best Paper Award of the ASEE St. Lawrence Section, 2013
  • Recipient of the Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, 2013
  • Named AIAA’s Spotlight Member of the Month, 2012
  • Recipient of AIAA Associate Fellowship, 2012
  • Recipient of Faculty Excellence Award, 2012
  • Grand Prize Winner of the Nunan Lecture and Research Day Poster Competition, 2011
  • Recipient of WSU MME Excellence in Teaching Award, 2008 – 2009
  • Awarded in WSU Faculty Excellence Recognition Program, 2008

Selected Publications:

  • Alexander R. Hartwell, Cole A. Wilhelm, Thomas S. Welles, Ryan J. Milcarek, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Effects of Synthesis Gas Concentration, Composition, and Operational Time on Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Performance”, Sustainability, Vol. 14, pp. 7983 (2022).
  • Thomas S. Welles, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Comparison of In Vitro Corrosion Products on CoCrMo generated via Oscillatory Electric Fields Before and After Removal of Proteinaceous Layer”, Materialia,Vol. 22, pp. 101400 (2022).
  • Brent B. Skabelund, Hisashi Nakamura, Takuya Tezuka, Kaoru Maruta, Jeongmin Ahn, and Ryan J. Milcarek, “Thermal Partial Oxidation of n-Butane in a Micro-Flow Reactor and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stability Assessment”, Energy Conversion & Management, Vol. 254, pp. 115222 (2022).
  • Thomas S. Welles, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Driving Electrochemical Corrosion of Implanted CoCrMo Metal via Oscillatory Electric Fields without Mechanical Wear”, Nature-Scientific Reports, Vol. 11, pp. 22366 (2021).
  • Alexander R. Hartwell, Thomas S. Welles, and Jeongmin Ahn, “The Anode Supported Internal Cathode Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell: A Novel Cell Geometry for Combined Heat and Power Applications”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol. 46, Issue 75, pp. 37429-37439 (2021).
  • Thomas S. Welles, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of the Effects of Electrochemical Reactions on Complex Metal Tribocorrosion within the Human Body”, Heliyon, Vol. 7, Issue 5, pp. e07023 (2021).
  • Thomas S. Welles, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Novel Investigation of Perovskite Membrane Based Electrochemical Nitric Oxide Control Phenomenon”, Nature-Scientific Reports, Vol. 10, Issue 1, pp. 18750 (2020).
  • Brent B. Skabelund, Hisashi Nakamura, Takuya Tezuka, Kaoru Maruta, Jeongmin Ahn, and Ryan J. Milcarek, “Impact of Low Concentration Hydrocarbons in Natural Gas on Thermal Partial Oxidation in a Micro-Flow Reactor for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications”, Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 477, pp. 229007 (2020).
  • Ryan J. Milcarek, Vincent P. DeBiase, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of Startup, Performance and Cycling of a Residential Furnace Integrated with micro-Tubular Flame-assisted Fuel Cells for Micro-Combined Heat and Power”, Energy, Vol. 196, pp. 117148 (2020).
  • Ryan J. Milcarek, Hisashi Nakamura, Takuya Tezuka, Kaoru Maruta, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of Microcombustion Reforming of Ethane/Air and Micro-Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells”, Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 450, Issue 29, pp. 227606 (2020).