(February, 2005) Hong Yang, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering has received a NSF CAREER Award. According to NSF, “the CAREER Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.”

This grant will support Dr. Yang’s research activities in the design and synthesis of multifunctional nanocomposites from nanoparticles of late transition metals and metal oxides over a five-year. The research will address the fundamental issues for the synthesis of multi-component alloys using a bottom-up approach. These projects are directly relevant to the development of advanced magnetic materials. The well-defined platinum-containing alloy nanoparticles can also be used as electrocatalysts for hydrogen, methanol and other low-temperature fuel cells, which hold promises for clean energy generation and new power sources for portable microelectronic devices. In addition, the grant will support Dr. Yang’s undergraduate research/education activities, and outreach efforts to local high school students through American Chemical Society Project SEED, Pittsford Summer Internship and other programs.