PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (December 19, 2022) — Dr. Yuhao Xu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), was awarded $749,997 by the Department of Education for his project “Institutional Integration of Applied Thermal and Combustion Sciences into Engineering and Science Curricula by Engaging Experiments and Research Opportunities.”
The collaborative project includes a diverse team of four co-principal investigators from various scientific disciplines at PVAMU: Ziaul Huque, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering; Jianren Zhou, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering and department head; Nabila Shamim, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemical engineering; Merlyn Pulikkathara, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics.
Yuhao Xu,Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
“By integrating research activities with multidisciplinary curricula, this grant provides PVAMU students and faculty with the ability to present their students with cutting edge learnings and technology, ultimately preparing them for careers in STEM,” said PVAMU Vice President of Research & Innovation Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA. “The success of this project will serve our students, deliver high-quality products to the sponsor, and potentially attract additional funding.”
Dr. Xu and his team are excited about the opportunity this funding provides PVAMU students’ involvement research focused projects.
“I am very proud of our team for winning this grant,” said Xu. “I am also thankful for the support from various offices at PVAMU we got while writing the proposal.”
The multidisciplinary project will enhance PVAMU’s institutional research capabilities by engaging faculty and students in leading-edge research, and integrate applied thermal and combustion sciences into undergraduate curricula through a systematic preparation approach from freshman-level all the way to advanced senior and graduate levels.
“This grant focuses more on educational activities [than research],” said Xu. “This project will help apply results from other research-focused projects (e.g., the NSF project) to in-class activities to better serve our students.”
Current biofuel research has been focusing on production technologies without a deep understanding of combustion performance. The proposed research will bridge this gap by evaluating the combustion performance of emerging biofuels and their mixtures with fossil fuels. And the results will be used to evaluate biofuels’ potential to reduce the consumption of petroleum-based fuels, improve combustion efficiency, and reduce emissions.
The target populations include not only undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and physics, but also those majoring in other science and engineering majors such as civil engineering and electrical engineering.
“With our proposed activities outlined in this project, we anticipate that students at PVAMU will have enhanced learning experiences in many science and engineering classes and improved learning outcomes,” said Xu. “These impacts will better prepare them for successful careers in STEM.”
Educational activities of this project include incorporating applied thermal and combustion sciences into nine undergraduate courses and two graduate courses to systematically prepare students for direct entry into a variety of STEM career options. Furthermore, a new senior-level technical elective course and a graduate-level course will be developed to better prepare students for a career in applied thermal and combustion sciences. Engaging in-class demonstrations, lab experiments, and hands-on projects will be developed and incorporated into these courses to enhance students’ learning experiences and outcomes.
“I look forward to seeing students’ reactions in my classes after we implement the proposed activities in my classes. I want to see them more engaged in my classes and be able to apply theory learned in the classroom to practical engineering settings,” said Xu. “This will be a rewarding journey for sure.”
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By Jenna Craig