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Researcher Given $750k to Address a Multi-Billion Dollar Problem
Methane, the majority component of natural gas, is cheap and plentiful. Ideally, it could be converted into rarer and far more valuable chemicals like methanol, ethane or ethylene, all of which have dozens of uses, many involving the creation of plastics and polymers. Easier said than done, though. “For more than 30 years, people have tried to do this chemistry,” said Lars Grabow, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “It’s the Holy Grail of catalysis…If you could invent a catalyst that selectively converts methane into ethylene, you’d be a billionaire right there.” Read More

Young PROMES Alumna Gives Back With Scholarships
The Program for Master in Engineering Studies (PROMES) says on its website that they aim for students to “encourage each other to be leaders here at UH and in their careers beyond UH,” and PROMES alumna Nwamaka Nzeocha is a shining example. Nzeocha, who graduated from the Cullen College of Engineering in May 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, is now offering two engineering scholarships ($1000 and $500) for PROMES innovators in her “Dare to be Different” scholarship contest. Read More

Faculty Publish Books on Nuclear Infrastructure, Reservoir Forecasting
Two professors with the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering published textbooks in January. Tom Hsu from civil and environmental engineering served as lead editor of the “definitive guide” on nuclear power infrastructure. The 31-chapter book includes contributions by researchers from nine different countries and grew out of an international conference held in 2010. In petroleum engineering, John Lee’s fourth textbook published by the Society of Petroleum Engineers hit the shelves in January. “Applied Well Test Interpretation” focuses on using tests of petroleum wells to determine the important properties affecting flow in a reservoir. Read about Hsu’s book  |  Read about Lee’s book

UH Researchers Mapping Tahoe National Forrest, Bit by Bit
Researchers with the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering are creating what will likely be the most accurate and detailed map of a forested area the world has ever seen.The map of Tahoe National Forest in California will chart every square meter of an area measuring 3,553 square kilometers (nearly 1,400 square miles), record the tree canopy height down to fractions of a meter and even identify the exact types of plant life in some areas. Read More

ECE Faculty, NASA Collaborators Publish on Small Satellites
ECE chairman Badri Roysam, along with ECE faculty members Ji Chen, David Jackson and NASA collaborators Steve Provence and Steven Huning, have published an article in the January 2014 issue of “ECE Source” which details the benefits of investing in small satellite research at the college-level for both undergraduate- and graduate-level ECE students. Dubbed CubeSats, these small satellites can be developed for about $5,000 and launched for under $100,000.The article, titled “Elevating the ECE Capstone Design Experience with CubeSats,” is the featured article in the latest issue of “ECE Source,” the newsletter of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA). Read More

UH Engineering Faculty Making News
Several professors with the UH Cullen College of Engineering served as expert sources in recent news reports. Ramanan Krishnamoort from chemical and biomolecular engineering (CHBE) spoke on Bakken Shale Flammability. William Epling, also with ChBE, was the subject of a Q&A on natural gas vehicles and his work as president of the Greater Houston Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance. Epling also spoke on natural gas in his appearance on The EnergyMakers Show, a web series presented by Comcast Business (link). And ChBE’s Michael Nikolaou spoke on Shale Well Depletion with the Houston Chronicle (link).