Electrochemistry expert Steve Lipka is one of the early grantees in the recently announced UK-GE master agreement to collaborate on research projects. This partnership could yield research towards inventing future appliances.
http://uknow.uky.edu/content/university-kentucky-ge-appliances-enter-master-agreement-research
The record-breaking 23rd Meeting of the North American Catalysis Society got off on a fast track at an opening reception at Churchill Downs this month. A large portion of the successful conference was organized by University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy catalysis scientists.
This biennial meeting, with its large international participation, is the premier scientific event in the field of catalysis. The Tri-State Catalysis Society hosted the 23rd North American Meeting (NAM) in Louisville and this event surpassed all previous NAMs with 1,300 attendees, 54 exhibitors, 400 oral presentations, 600 posters, $278K in general sponsorship from 38 sponsors, and $75K in Kokes awards to enable students to participate in the meeting.
CAER researcher Uschi Graham was the co-meeting chair, along with Umit Ozkan (The Ohio State) and Madan Bhasin (MATRIC). CAER Associate Director Burt Davis was the honorary chair; and CAER researcher Gary Jacobs chaired the Kokes Student Award Committee.
CAER researchers Anne Oberlink and Liz Harman-Ware reached out to high school girls at the EKU Girls’ STEM Day recently. The scientists were accompanied by two high girls who recently toured CAER. STEM practitioners and educators led girls through activities that mirror real-world STEM tasks and highlight creative and innovative problem solving. Anne and Liz exhibited and served as mentors.
Anne (left) and Liz
The Cooperative Research Network and the Centre for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation research organizations held task force meetings at CAER. Both of these organizations are created to perform research and solve problems for the electric utility industry. The CRN’s members are the Rural Electric Cooperatives and the task force that met at CAER is the Generation, Fuels and Environment Group. CEATI is a similar group made up of international utilities. A portion of their time was also spent in presentations on CAER research and an in depth tour.
Elementary, middle school, and high school students from around the area monitored building efficiency, saw how fresh flowers can freeze quickly via liquid nitrogen, and discovered that algae is not just pond scum during tours of CAER this spring.
The students hailed from Russell Cave Elementary, which celebrates its decade long partnership with CAER this year; Clark County Middle School through its partnership with Bluegrass PRIDE; and a group of female high school students from Fayette County’s “Green Team.”
There were around 150 students in total. While the tours were more detailed to suit the groups’ grade level, all seemed fascinated by the science. The students were impressed when told that the newest building on CAER’s research campus uses around 60 percent of the energy for a regular building its size. They were equally as enthralled with the idea that algae could be used to capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
In addition to the demonstrations, researchers discussed their backgrounds, education, careers, and the need for future energy experts.
Michelle Johnston and Trent Garrison, MS & PhD students, respectively, in Earth & Environmental Sciences and doing their research in the CAER's Applied Petrology Lab, received awards from the Geological Society of America's Coal Geology Division. Michelle is the recipient of the GSA Coal Division’s Antoinette Lierman Medlin Lab/Analytical Research Award. The selection is for her work to characterize the coal macerals and ultimately understanding of peat accumulation and depositional environment for the Leatherwood coal. The amount of the award is $1,500.
Trent is the recipient of the GSA Coal Division’s Antoinette Lierman Medlin Field Award for his work to examine water quality impacts in area of coal fires. The amount of the award is $1,000. This is the second time that CAER petrology students have won both Medlin Awards. Jen O'Keefe and Sarah Mardon swept the awards in 2006.
This year's Sustainability Expo took place at Locust Trace Agriscience Farm, a local Fayette County public school that focuses on agricultural resources and the environment. CAER participated with staff explaining energy sustainability to children from the school.
On March second Marsha Grimminger, of the Electrochemistry Group, designed questions related to a science challenge geared toward high school chemistry students for Bluegrass Community and Technical College's Regional Science Olympiad. They were not told of the specific topic before the event. The 18 students collected data through experimentation and compared results.
Petrologist Jim Hower and Eastern Kentucky Regional Coordinator Greg Copley are assisting Jon Thorson, UK Pharmacy, in locating and sampling extreme environments in Kentucky. Such sites include soils associated with coal mine fires; waters associated with swamps, sulfur springs, acid mine drainage; and the spoils from lead and zinc mining. Thorson’s research group is hoping to isolate previously unknown antibiotics and other drugs from microorganisms in the environment. Recent sampling took place in Owen and Henry Counties.
Here Madan Kharel (Pharmacy) is obtaining a sample while CAER's John Hiett stands ready to assist.
