November R&D Funding More Than $2.5 Million at School of Mines -- Released December 6, 2007

Article Body: School of Mines researchers and professors received more than $2.5 million in research and development funding during November 2007.

The awards are funding research in departments across campus. Some research is basic, and is designed to create new knowledge or to add to the literature on a given topic. Other research is applied, and is meant to produce real-world products. The School of Mines has placed an emphasis on applied research to benefit the state, region and nation.

The School of Mines, an engineering and science university in Rapid City, is home to several research institutions and centers, and plans are underway to expand the number of graduate degrees and to enhance the technology-transfer process.

The School of Mines boasts a solid research program. During the 2007 fiscal year, researchers and professors received more than $17.1 million in 72 awards from federal and state agencies, from corporations and from direct Congressional appropriations. Since 2001, the School of Mines has received nearly $80 million in Congressional appropriations for research and development.

The November award highlights:

Dr. Daniel Dolan, professor, mechanical engineering, and co-director, Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing and Production; Dr. John Weiss, professor, mathematics and computer science; Dr. Michael Batchelder, professor, electrical and computer engineering, and co-director, Center of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing and Production; Dr. Brian Hemmelman, professor and chair, electrical and computer engineering; and Elaine Linde, instructor, electrical and computer engineering, received $200,000 in additional funding from the U.S. Department of Defense - Armament Research, Development & Engineering Center - Army Research Laboratory for the project, "Ultra-wide Band Sensing for UGV."

Dr. Edward Duke, manager of analytical services, engineering and mining experiment station, and professor, geology and geological engineering; Dr. Hao Fong, assistant professor, chemistry; Dr. Shawn Decker, director, Center for Accelerated Applications at the Nanoscale; and Dr. Myung-Keun Yoon, assistant professor, mechanical engineering, received $750,000 from NASA for the project, "Continuous Nano-Scaled Carbon Fibers with Superior Mechanical Strength and Their Innovative Composites for Aeronautics and Space Applications."

Dr. Duke and Dr. William Capehart, associate professor, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, received $737,843 from NASA (EPSCoR) for the project, "Land Cover Dynamics , Regional Hydrometeorology, and the Vulnerability of Rain-Fed Agriculture to Climate Change Under Scenarios of Extensive Cultivation of Biofuel Feedstocks."

Dr. Duke also received $410,000 in additional funding from NASA for the project, "National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program," and $28,000 in additional funding from NASA for the project, "Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Higher Education 2007."

Dr. Patrick Gilcrease, assistant professor, chemical and biological engineering, received $150,000 from Ciris Energy, Inc. for the project, "Detection and Characterization of Methanogenic Populations from Coal Seams."

Dr. Dana Medlin, associate professor, materials and metallurgical engineering; Dr. Jon Kellar, chair and professor, materials and metallurgical engineering; Dr. Michael West, assistant professor, materials and metallurgical engineering; and Dr. Stuart Kellogg, chair and Pietz professor, industrial engineering, received $150,000 from the National Science Foundation for project, "Blacksmithing Metallurgy: A Multifaceted Curriculum and Laboratory Plan."

Dr. Andre Petukhov, chair and professor, physics, received $15,000 from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln for the project, "Spintronic Devices Enabled by Semiconducting Boron Carbide."

Dale Skillman, assistant professor, mechanical engineering, and director, Office of Technology Transfer, received $40,000 in additional funding from the West River Foundation for Economic and Community Development for the project, "Genesis of Innovation for South Dakota."

Dr. Karen Updegraff, research scientist I, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, received $43,193 in additional funding from Montana State University for the project, "Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership - Phase II"

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Posted by Mitchell Vander Vorst on 12/6/2007 4:10:00 PM

November R&D Funding More Than $2.5 Million at School of Mines -- Released December 6, 2007

November R&D Funding More Than $2.5 Million at School of Mines -- Released December 6, 2007

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