CAER News Archive: March 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The March/April 2008 issue of CAER's Energeia Newsletter has now been added to the CAER web site. Articles include:
-- Will Kentucky Lead the Way in Synthetic Fuels Production? -A History Lesson- by Mike Musulin
-- Commentary - A Multi-Pronged Approach to Preparing Science Professionals for the Future by Mark Meier
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Several researchers had their adjunct positions renewed recently. They include: Tom Robl (Earth and Environmental Sciences); Burt Davis (Chemistry); and BK Parekh (Mining Engineering). In addition, Director Rodney Andrews received an appointment as Associate Professor in both the Departments of Mechanical and Chemical/Materials Engineering.
Posted by Marybeth McAlister [Link]
After considering recommendations by members of the former Sustainability Task Force and nominations from campus leaders, University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. recently appointed the members of a new Sustainability Advisory Committee. One of the members is Bob Rathbone, veteran researcher of CAER. Bob spends much of his free time on environmental projects. He also helps to spearhead CAER's educational outreach program for elementary students at Russell Cave Elementary.
Among other goals, the Sustainability Advisory Committee will develop the university's Statement on Sustainability Policy and Principles; Set goals and plan actions designed to further advance an institutional culture of sustainability; Assess the completeness and progress of university sustainability efforts as compared to national benchmark institutions; Promote and encourage sustainable best practices in university facility planning, design and construction; Conduct an annual review of UK operations in terms of sustainability, develop indicators to measure progress, and make suggestions and recommendations for improvements; Prepare a guidance plan (including goals and action items) on how the university can achieve a reduction in campus greenhouse gas emissions and seek to become more climate neutral.
The committee will report regularly to the President's Office and publish an annual report each April on university sustainability activities and progress in meeting goals in campus business operations, education, research and community engagement.
Posted by Marybeth McAlister [Link]
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Dr. John Anthony, who is a CAER faculty associate from the UK Department of Chemistry, has found recent acclaim. He was awarded the Hubbard Professorship in Chemistry, which is a departmental endowment. Then on March 4th he was approved for a University Research Professorship by the UK Board of Trustees. The designation carries a $35,000 award for one year.
Lastly, he also recently published an article in Nature Materials, one of the highest-impact journals in materials science. The article is entitled “Contact-induced crystallinity for high-performance soluble acene-based transistors and circuits” and has multiple co-authors from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and The Pennsylvania State University. The article describes a low-cost way to mass produce large arrays of organic electronic transistors on polymer sheets for a range of applications including “intelligent paper.”
Anthony, who is also the Gill Professor of Chemistry, focuses on organic synthesis and materials chemistry. He came to UK in 1996 after performing postdoctoral work at the University of California at Los Angeles, where he also earned his doctorate.
Posted by Marybeth McAlister [Link]
Monday, March 3, 2008
Karen Petty is a busy lady. In addition to working as a lab technician at CAER, she is a chemical engineering student at UK. Her hard work paid off recently when she was awarded first place for her poster entitled "Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Filled Epoxy: Viscosity and Electrical Conductivity" at LSAMP. LSAMP stands for the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. This is an NSF program that funds major efforts to improve minority involvement in science-technology-engineering-mathematics disciplines. Her co-authors were Matthew Weisenberger and Rodney Andrews. Dr Weisenberger is acting as a mentor/supervisor for Karen in the Carbon Materials Group at CAER.
Posted by Marybeth McAlister [Link]
