Office of Research Newsletter

July 2024

Dr. Josiah Owusu-Danquah, an assistant professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), along with co-investigator Dr. Geyou (Augyu) Ao, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE), will lead a new program funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Bridge Program Seed Funding. The two-year, $299,995 program will combine research and student mentoring along with engagement of NASA researchers to lay the groundwork for future proposals to NASA research programs.

The team’s research will focus on assessing and developing surface coating materials that can enhance the durability and performance of shape-memory alloys (SMAs) exposed to extremely harsh environments. SMAs have the unique ability to recover significant deformations after changes in stress and/or return to their original shapes after heating, making them useful in a range of fields. Read More »

Charles McElroy wins first prize in DoD's Defense Data Grand Prix

Congratulations to Dr. Charles McElroy, an assistant professor in the Department of Information Systems for winning first prize in the 2024 Defense Data Grand Prix, organized by the Department of Defense’s Acquisition Innovation Research Center (AIRC). Dr. McElroy won first-place honors and $45,000 for his project, “Identifying Disruptive Technologies: Leveraging Knowledge Graphs to Map the SBIR Company Ecosystem to Promote Innovation Insights.” Read More »

Faculty: Update Your Ohio Innovation Exchange Profile

The Ohio Department of Higher Education has updated its statewide portal, the Ohio Innovation Exchange (OIEx), to improve research collaborations among Ohio’s universities and increase university/industry partnerships. If you have a faculty profile, you can access your OIEx profile following these instructions. Read More »

Invention Disclosure

An invention disclosure was submitted by Dr. Srinivas Allena (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Dr. Chandra Kothapalli (Chemical and Biomedical Engineering), titled Eco-Smart and Cost Effective Ultra-High Performance Concrete. Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) offers significant advantages over conventional concrete, but faces challenges such as high costs and excessive cement content, leading to sustainability and carbon emission concerns.

The subject invention utilizes industrial wastes to substitute expensive and energy-intensive cementitious materials, significantly lowering material costs. The inventive UHPC reduces the environmental impact by replacing high quantities of cement and silica fume with more sustainable alternatives like blast furnace slag, fly ash and limestone powder, thereby lowering the carbon footprint.

CSU Research Corporation: Annual Meeting

The CSU Research Corporation (CSURC) Board of Directors held their Annual Meeting on June 13, 2024. The Board was updated by Meredith Bond, President and CEO, Jack Kraszewski, COO and Executive Director, and Ben Ward, Director, Research Development & Ethics. Several faculty research efforts and funding accomplishments were highlighted. All industry sponsored research collaborations administered by CSURC were also highlights. Dr. Chelsea Monty-Bromer (Chemical and Biomedical Engineering) presented the progress of her TeCK Fund awarded real time water quality monitoring technology.

Contact Jack Kraszewski for information regarding the benefits of CSURC and technology transfer.