College of Engineering

CHEMICAL AND Materials ENGINEERING FACULTY

 

Department Chair: Dr. Maurice C. Fuerstenau (Interim)

Department website: www.unr.edu/cme

Paul Laxalt Mineral Research Bldg. (LMR 472)
Mail Stop 0388
Phone: (775) 784-6771
Fax: (775) 327-5059


 

Academic Faculty

Research Faculty

 

 

DHANESH CHANDRADHANESH CHANDRA
Professor, MSE
(775) 784-4960
dchandra@unr.edu

PhD 1976, University of Denver,

MS 1972, University of Illinois, Chicago

BE 1967, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India

Research/outreach areas: Energy storage systems, solid state hydrogen storage, energy storage in plastic crystals; electrochemical behavior of metals and alloys, hydrogen embrittlement and stress corrosion cracking of metals and alloys; chemical vapor deposition and vapor pressure measurement of solids (with low vapor pressures) using torsion effusion system; measurement of electrical conductivity/dielectric properties; mechanical behavior of metals and alloys.

Relevant past experience: Principal Investigator on DOE [Washington, DC, Los Alamos National Laboratories, Sandia National Laboratories, NREL, PETC (Pittsburgh)], US Bureau of Mines, DOD, NASA, NSF on various research grants and contracts research; work with Naval Research Laboratories on measurement of elastic constants of alloys, Los Alamos on tritium processing research, CVD and PVD of Nb205 optical/dielectric properties, Ni, Co, Ni-Fe alloys films on various substrates with industries such as INCO, New American Tech, and others; new activity on development of novel hydrogen storage materials for fuel cell applications for automobiles, and battery materials development, development of propellants/oxidizers for automobile air bags, EXAFS measurements on hydrides, oxides, and plastic crystals; neutron scattering experiments (elastic and inelastic) on hydrides and other materials, high voltage electron microscopy on various materials

 

 

CHARLES J. CORONELLA CHARLES J. CORONELLA
Associate Professor, CHE
(775) 784-4253
coronella@unr.edu

PhD 1993, University of Utah

MS 1990, University of Utah

BS, BA, 1986, Lehigh University

 

Research/outreach areas: Model predictive control, biological model uncertainty, fluidization.

 

Relevant past experience: Tar sands extraction process development; Controller algorithm development for pH control; leadership positions in AIChE

 

 

ALAN FUCHS ALAN FUCHS
Associate Professor, CHE
(775) 327-2227
afuchs@unr.edu

PhD 1996, Tufts University,

MS 1979, University of Rochester

BS 1977, Cooper Union

Research/outreach areas: Polymer Science and Engineering: polymer synthesis and development, polymer characterization, polymer membranes, intelligent polymeric fluids, biopolymers, polymeric composites, molecular and process modeling.

Relevant past experience: Principal Investigator and co-PI on variety of DOD and industrially sponsored projects relating to novel materials
development and characterization; significant industrial R&D experience relating to membrane research and product and process development; intellectual property development in the area of intelligent polymeric fluids.

 

 

MAURICE C. FUERSTENAU MAURICE C. FUERSTENAU
Professor and Interim Chair, CHE/MSE
(775) 784-4310
mcf@unr.edu

ScD 1961, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MS 1957, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

BS 1955, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Research/outreach areas: Surface chemistry/froth flotation,
hydrometallurgical processing, kinetics, environmental remediation.

Relevant past experience: Principal investigator on numerous projects involving extraction metallurgy and environmental remediation.

 

 

HATICE GECOLHATICE GECOL
Associate Professor, CHE
(775) 784-1116
hgecol@unr.edu

PhD 1998, University of Oklahoma

MS 1993, University of Colorado

BS 1987, Istanbul Teknik Unuversitesi


Research/outreach areas: Process development for Alternative/Renewable energies (biodiesel, ethanol, fuel cell) and excess NOx emission elimination; Reaction kinetics and reactor design (biodiesel and ethanol); Drinking and waste water treatments (removal of heavy metals and chlorinated aromatics via micro and nanoscale processes using membranes and novel adsorbents); and Applied surfactant research (deinking, emulsions, dispersions, detergency, and consumer products).

Relevant past experience: PI and co-PI on various research grants and contracts from EPA, Washoe County, ARI, NSF-EPSCoR, TAPPI and Industry relating to process, products, and materials development, reaction kinetic studies, excess NOx emission elimination, and pilot plant set up. Research Scientists, Institute for Applied Surfactant Research. Process/product development engineer, NASAS Aluminum.

 

 

JEFFREY C. LACOMBE JEFFREY C. LACOMBE
Associate Professor, MSE
(775) 784-1797
lacomj@unr.edu

PhD 1998, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

BS 1992, University of Connecticut, Storrs

Research/outreach areas: Active projects in solidification and crystal growth, solid-state diffusion, microstructural evolution, carbon nanotubes, nanowire arrays, powder processing, Telescience, robotics, and spacecraft systems.

Relevant past experience: Principal investigator on NSF and NASA-
sponsored research grants on novel casting methods and the fundamental physics of pattern formation during dendritic solidification, DOE-sponsored research focuses on microstructural evolution and multicomponent diffusion in Ni-based superalloys, as well as nanotube array growth. Additional education-based research on student-built, autonomous robots and satellite systems are also under way, including
interdisciplinary collaborations with other University of Nevada, Reno programs and other institutions.

 

 

QIZHEN LI QIZHEN LI
Assistant Professor, MSE
(775) 784-4507
qizhenl@unr.edu

 

PhD 2004, Ohio State University

MS 2000, Harbin Engineering University

BS 1997, Harbin Engineering University


Research/outreach areas: Mechanical behavior of materials at ambient and high temperatures by experimental, computational, and theoretical methods, nanostructured materials, multilayered thin films, biomaterials, shape memory alloys, porous materials, metallic foams and Light alloys.

Relevant past experience: Dr. Qizhen Li received her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Ohio State University in 2004. Her PhD dissertation focused on theory and modeling of mechanical behavior of nanoscale and finescale multilayer thin film. After graduation, Qizhen worked as a post-doctoral research associate in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University till June 2006. While at Northwestern University, her research was primarily on microstructure and mechanical properties of Titanium alloy based lattice block materials and Ni-Ti based shape memory alloys, and superplastic forming of cast coarse-grained Ti alloys.

 

 

MANORANJAN MISRA MANORANJAN MISRA
Professor, MSE
(775) 784-1603
misra@unr.edu

PhD 1981, University of Utah

MS 1977, South Dakota School of Mines

MSc 1972, Regional Engineering College, India

BSc 1970, Utkal University, Orissa, India

 

Research/outreach areas: Principal Investigator numerous projects involving removal of radionuclides from soil; passivation of acid mine drainage, treatment and remediation of arsenic & extraction of precious metals

Relevant past experience: Eight (8) US patents and over 120
publications; UNR Outstanding Researcher (1996); and recipient of 2002 Gunnerman Award for Excellence in Science & Technology.

 

 

RAVI SUBRAMANIAN RAVI SUBRAMANIAN
Assistant Professor, CHE
(775) 784-4686
ravisv@unr.edu

PhD 2004, University of Notre Dame

MS 1999, University of Mumbai, India

BS 1996, University of Nagpur, India

Research/outreach areas: Alternate energy: Photovoltaics, hydrogen generation at low and high temperature from renewable sources, environmental remediation. Minority recruitment: underrepresented groups such as Hispanics, African Americans, and female students. Education of K-12 students: Recruiting through outreach coordinators. Presentation to high school teachers: Informing about current state-of-the-art in research of alternate energy with focus on hydrogen and photovoltaics.

Relevant past experience: PhD (2004, Univ of Notre Dame); Post-doc (2006, Univ. of Illinois); Industrial: 1 year work experience in utility
industry (Thermax, India).


 

VICTOR R. VASQUEZ VICTOR R. VASQUEZ
Associate Professor, CHE
(775) 784-6060
vvasquez@unr.edu

PhD 1999, University of Nevada

MS 1998, University of Nevada

Bsc (Licenciate) 1991, University of Costa Rica

Research/outreach areas: Uncertainty analysis of thermodynamic models and process flowsheets, process synthesis and simulation, parallel computing, thermodynamics of complex fluids, simulation of novel separation processes, pollution prevention analysis, molecular simulation.

Relevant past experience: Investigator on NSF sponsored research grants for process system analysis of insulin delivery models and molecular simulation of reverse micellar systems (ongoing), private sponsored projects for analysis and modeling of rocket engines, consultant for Interamerican Bank of Development (Bolivar Program) for technology transfer in Latin America, consultant for the Costa Rican government in energy related issues, consultant for the Costa Rican Petroleum Refining Company on industrial safety issues, instructor of University of Costa Rica, researcher on projects for rotenone extraction (Costa Rica).