We are pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural MSEE Seed Grants for Novel Research Task and Young Investigator Awards. The MSEE Seed Grants for Novel Research Task Award was developed to foster new research directions and allow MSEE PIs to explore potentially revolutionary new research in addition to recipients having an opportunity to research high risk/high payoff task. The Young Investigator Award was developed to promote MSEE URA research across a community of young investigators, collaborate with MSEE researchers and contribute to MSEE’s overall research goals.

We hope to continue to expand the MSEE research community and offer similar opportunities in the future, subject to the availability of funding.

MSEE Seed Grant Recipients

Professor Edward L. Dreizin and Professor Gennady Y. Gor of the New Jersey Institute of Technology

Professors Dreizin (MSEE principal investigator) and Gor, were awarded an MSEE Seed Grant for Novel Research Task for their proposal, “Experimentally Validated Molecular Models of Organophosphorus Liquids”. Their objective is to develop a capability for reliable prediction of characteristics defining droplet formation for pure and contaminated organophosphorus liquids, such as chemical warfare agents and their surrogates, exposed to extreme environments. The specific focus of this seed effort will be on validating the force fields used in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of DIMP enabling one to predict its thermodynamic and transport properties, including surface tension and viscosity.

Professor Hergen Eilers of Washington State University
Professor Eilers, MSEE principal investigator, was awarded an MSEE Seed Grant for Novel Research Task for his proposal, “Single-Shot Standoff Hyperspectral Raman Imaging (S3HRI)”. His objective is to develop a single-shot standoff hyperspectral Raman Imaging (S3HRI) technique capable of dynamically imaging droplets and particles as they are released from their container, while at the same time identifying their composition using a single nanosecond laser shot.

Young Investigator Recipient

Professor Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz of the University of California Riverside

Professor Abdul-Aziz proposed collaborating with MSEE researchers and contributing to MSEE’s overall research goals to neutralize chemical warfare agent (CWA) stockpiles to benign molecular species using energetic oxide materials that can thermally decompose the agents into harmless by-products.