ANN ARBOR—This year’s winners of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute-Rackham Energy Fellowships are a metaphor for energy innovation’s future?defined less by titles and majors and more by ideas and with whom they collaborate.

The four doctoral students?sporting expertise in computational engineering, urban planning, chemical engineering and macromolecular science?will receive two years of funding and will work with faculty advisers under the umbrella of the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, which develops, coordinates and promotes multidisciplinary energy research and education at the University of Michigan.

This is the energy fellowship’s second year and is jointly funded by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies.

“The successes in the state’s, the nation’s and the world’s energy challenges are not going to spring from one source, but rather will come through thoughtful and energetic collaboration across many disciplines,” said Gary S. Was, institute director. “We are excited to be able to take some of our best new researchers and give them a set-up to explore their ideas across many disciplines. This is where good ideas become great solutions.”

The recipients are:

? Richard Chen: Harnessing the wind data

A doctoral student in industrial and operations engineering, Chen wants to develop models and algorithms for wind network design so policymakers can make informed decisions.

The variability of wind?its intermittent nature, its reliability and the correlation with electricity demands?creates a need for a new approach to wind network design. Chen will pull together a multi-disciplinary team in engineering, business, and the school of natural resources and environment to examine the impact of various wind network designs and the impact of the regulatory process.

“We want to develop tools and models to answer a lot of public policy questions more quantitatively,” Chen said.

He received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and operations research at the University of California at Berkeley.

? Steven Edmund: Getting more flex out of fuel

Converting a variety of fuels?especially fuels from renewable feedstocks and biodiesel, for example?to electricity has appeal both environmentally and economically, but these fuels come with challenges. Edmund will be exploring a way to conquer the two Achilles’ heels of fuel reforming catalysts?carbon build-up and sulfur poisoning. He’ll work to develop a novel way of using microwaves to maintain the activity of reforming catalysts in presence of carbon and sulfur contaminants.

Edmund, who is working on a doctorate in chemical engineering, finds it invaluable to do this work in the heart of the automotive industry.

“It’s critical to be a part of a broader community here in Michigan, working on and looking at applications in fuel flexible vehicles,” he said. “This is ground zero in my professional worlds.”

Edmund received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pa.

? Bong Gi Kim: Making a better solar cell

Renewable energy that is efficient, affordable and small and light enough to fit in an Ipod is in high demand and the sun seems packed with answers. Bong Gi Kim, who is pursing a doctorate in macromolecular science and engineering, will be working with small molecular organic dyes and nanotechnology to overcome both the efficiency issue of the organic solar cells and the cost issue of the silicon-based solar cells.

His project relies on a multidisciplinary approach integrating rational molecular design, chemical synthesis, electropolymerization, device fabrication and performance analysis.

?My unique hands-on experience in design and synthesis of organic/polymeric molecules for the master degree and six-year industrial experience in organic electronic device fabrication will serve as a solid foundation for me to successfully carry out the truly multidisciplinary components of the proposed research covering various disciplines such as organic chemistry, electropolymerization, device fabrication, and performance analysis,? Kim said.

Kim received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and master?s degree in materials science and engineering from Seoul National University in Korea.

? Cameron Weimar: Bringing together renewable energy and smart growth

Across the country, there’s rising enthusiasm to incorporate renewable energy sources into communities?be it wind farms, use of biomass, or easy plug-ins for hybrid electrical vehicles, yet often their chatter is followed by little action.

Weimar, who is working toward a doctorate in urban and regional planning, wants to better understand the barriers that keep communities from following up with plans for generating electricity with renewable energy with facilities actually being built. He plans on examining land use policies at the state and local levels to understand if land is available, accessible and appropriate to devote to energy, and will tap into U-M’s energy resources to fully examine the issue.

“There are states that are excited about renewable energy and are putting a lot of financial resources, incentives and favorable policies in place, but the trend hasn?t been actual facilities being constructed,” Weimar said.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in geography at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md., and master’s degrees in urban and environmental planning at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and in urban design from U-M.

For more information about the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, visit:

http://www.mmpei.umich.edu/

Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute