Speaker Professor Moo Been Chang, Chair Professor, National Central University, Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, Taiwan - PhD Alumni

Plasma catalysis offers a compelling solution for mitigating the detrimental environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, including climate change and public health risks. GHGs like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and perfluorocarbons contribute to global warming by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Plasma catalysis leverages the unique synergy between non-thermal plasma and catalytic processes to efficiently convert these harmful gases into benign substances or valuable chemicals. This synergy enables thermodynamically unfavorable reactions to occur at lower temperatures, significantly improving energy efficiency. Careful catalyst selection is crucial in this technology as it dictates reaction pathways and product selectivity. While plasma catalysis has advantages like rapid start up and potential integration with renewable energy sources, challenges remain. These include maintaining catalyst stability under plasma conditions and the need for optimizing process parameters. This lecture will delve into scaling up of a plasma catalysis system and critical aspects of GHG mitigation through plasma catalysis such as: exploring catalyst formulation, reaction mechanisms, byproduct selectivity, and addressing existing challenges and future research directions. Full Abstract and Flyer

Accessing data about the social, economic, political, and environmental factors that make up U.S. neighborhoods and regions is more important than ever. Past research shows that inequalities persisting across these factors may explain more than half of variation in many health outcomes. To advance resilient and healthy communities, we need resilient and community-centered technological infrastructures that make SDOH data easily accessible, findable, and contextualized. We propose an engaged, human-centered approach to gathering and accessing data about SDOH and Place using design thinking, intelligient search tools, and spatial data science infrastructure. The HeRoP team demonstrates their development behind a forthcoming, free, open-source SDOH & Place Data Discovery Platform, developed with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

PhD Candidate Laura Gray was selected to attend The Global Young Scientists Summit in Singapore, PhD candidate Laura Gray was selected to attend the Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) in Singapore. This multi-disciplinary summit gathers exceptional young researchers and leading scientific minds from around the world to discuss trends in science and technology, identify future game changers, and explore how research can address significant global challenges. GYSS covers a wide range of topics, including chemistry, physics, medicine, mathematics, computer science, and engineering, with speakers who are renowned recipients of prestigious awards such as the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal, Millennium Technology Prize, and Turing Award. 

The Grainger College of Engineering and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering promoted applications for GYSS. Laura applied and, after several steps in the selection process, was chosen to be one of seven students representing the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) at the summit in Singapore.

"GYSS was an incredible opportunity to interact with and learn from Nobel Laureates and distinguished speakers, as well as to meet fellow young researchers from around the globe,” said Laura. “It was truly inspiring to hear about the work of other talented young researchers across various fields and to experience Singapore, including tours of their state-of-the-art research facilities. I feel re-energized and excited about my own research and the potential for collaboration as a result of attending. I highly encourage other CEE students to apply in the coming years!"

Congratulations, Laura! 

Dr. Lei Zhao, an assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was recently featured in an ABC News article discussing California's preparedness for wildfires. Dr. Zhao's research focuses on urban climate and land-atmosphere interactions, providing valuable insights into environmental challenges such as wildfires. His expertise contributes to understanding and mitigating the impacts of wildfires, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing climate-related issues. Read more about it:https://abcnews.go.com/US/california-best-equipped-state-deal-wildfires/story?id=118066744