Dr. Murat Barisik, left, and Dr. Vahid Disfani were principal investigators on grants landing Center for Excellence in Applied Computational Science and Engineering (CEACSE) Convergent Research Initiative awards.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Research Institute announced its awardees for the FY2025–2028 Center for Excellence in Applied Computational Science and Engineering (CEACSE) Convergent Research Initiative—a program that supports multidisciplinary research advancing applied computational science and engineering at UTC.
The announcement was made by Dr. Mina Sartipi, the executive director of the UTC Research Institute, and Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann.
After a competitive review process, two projects have been selected for funding and will serve as pilot initiatives.
Nanotechnology in Engineering
- Principal investigator: Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Murat Barisik
- Co-principal investigators: Dr. Reetesh Ranjan, Dr. Rigoberto Castillo Advincula (UT Knoxville), Dr. Jennifer Lynberg, Dr. Titus Albu, Dr. Sungwoo Yang, Dr. Hamdy Ibrahim, Dr. Jin Wang
This project focuses on advancing UTC’s research in nanotechnology with applications in energy, bioscience and defense. A multidisciplinary team from five departments will use computational modeling, material design and machine learning to develop advanced nanomaterials. Key research areas include energy storage, biodegradable materials and thermal protection for hypersonic systems.
The team will collaborate with the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and local industry partners.
Sustainable and Smart Energy Systems
- Principal investigator: UC Foundation Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Vahid Disfani
- Co-principal investigators: Dr. Abdul Ofoli, Dr. Dalei Wu, Dr. Don Reising, Dr. Jejal Reddy Bathi
This initiative addresses the transition to sustainable and reliable energy systems. With 10 faculty members from five departments, the project will focus on grid integration, energy management, data analytics, cybersecurity and energy policy.
The team aims to develop comprehensive solutions for integrating renewable energy technologies while ensuring environmental sustainability and system reliability.
For more information, visit the UTC Research Institute and CEACSE webpages.
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Center of Excellence in Applied Computational Science and Engineering (CEACSE)
