Early career researchers gain momentum

The semester was fruitful for the university’s early career faculty, who received a total of five Faculty Early Career Development Program awards from the National Science Foundation. These prestigious five-year grants support pre-tenure faculty who excel as teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research. At the time of publication, the following faculty have received NSF CAREER awards:

• Shudipto Dishari, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is reducing the cost and improving the energy efficiency of environmentally friendly fuel cells.
• Brittany Duncan, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, is developing software that enables drones to communicate with the humans around them. 
• Prahalada Rao, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, is developing a 3-D printing process that produces flawless metal parts.
• Dai Shizuka, assistant professor of biological sciences, is studying how population turnover shapes social networks.  
• Sheng Wei, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, is improving the security of high-speed cloud computing.

In addition, Dipti Dev received an Early Career Achievement Award from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dev, the Betti and Richard Robinson Assistant Professor of Child, Youth and Family Studies and a Nebraska Extension specialist, was recognized for her research on enhancing mealtimes in childcare settings.