The National Science Foundation (NSF) has recognized four University of Notre Dame faculty members for their excellence in research with new Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards. Over the past five years, Notre Dame faculty have received 37 of these highly competitive awards.
Speaking about the awards, Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research, said, “The NSF CAREER Award competition is one of the most prestigious for early career faculty and we are proud of our faculty for being recognized in this capacity. Fostering researchers, like these award recipients, and the passion they have for their respective fields is one way Notre Dame continues to advance its mission as a distinguished and distinctive research institution, and we will continue to cultivate an environment that is committed to research, scholarship and creative endeavor.”
The full list of CAREER awardees, who come from the College of Engineering and the College of Science, is as follows:
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Kyle James Bibby, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, received the award for “Quantitative viral metagenomics for water quality assessment.” This research focuses on developing technical advancements to improve water quality monitoring and viral pathogen detection in other environments, including food. Bibby’s award was transferred to Notre Dame from the University of Pittsburgh.
- John Parkhill, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was awarded a CAREER Award for “Self-consistent models of electronic dynamics and relaxation.” The aim of the project is to develop theories and computer software to model the motion of electrons in molecules that are stimulated by light and then potentially allow software users to predict important photodynamic properties of materials.
- Jonathan K. Whitmer, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received his CAREER Award for the project titled, “Targeting assembly in colloidal materials by tilting the free energy surface.” The goal of this research is to advance the fundamental understanding of self-assembly using colloidal materials and to develop dynamic control over the process of assembly. This project enhances a researcher’s ability to create designer molecules, particles, and processes for self-assembly into new materials which have advantageous mechanical, optical or electrical properties.
- Yanliang Zhang, assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, received his CAREER Award for research called, “Printing and interface engineering of colloidal nanocrystals for flexible thermoelectrics and electronics.” The aim of this project is to develop new approaches to the use of nanocrystals in the formation of thermoelectric materials and devices, which has the potential to impact a broad range of applications in energy harvesting, cooling, and flexible electronics. Zhang’s award was transferred to Notre Dame from Boise State University.
In addition to the above four awards, 12 faculty from the Colleges of Arts and Letters, Engineering, and Science also received continuing CAREER Awards from past projects.
The CAREER program, which was established by the NSF in 1995, recognizes and supports outstanding early career faculty who exhibit a commitment to stimulating research while also providing educational opportunities for students. It is the NSF’s most prestigious award available to early career faculty. To learn about the University’s previous CAREER awardees, visit https://research.nd.edu/our-services/funding-opportunities/faculty/early-career-programs/nsf—-career-award/.
Contact: Brandi R. Klingerman, research communications specialist, Notre Dame Research, bklinger@nd.edu, 574-631-8183; @UNDResearch
Originally published by at research.nd.edu on Dec. 10.