Research & Scholarship

Faculty Research

Biofuels Research by Dr. Fernando Resende:

Our research focuses on the production of drop-in fuels and high-value chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. Our group works with thermochemical processes such as catalytic fast pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, reactions in supercritical fluids, and the thermo-catalytic conversion of oxygenated molecules into gasoline and jet-fuels. We are particularly interested in the reaction kinetics and catalysis of these processes.

Graduate Student Researchers: Desola Orimoloye, Kenechukwu Oteleh

Biomedical Research by Dr. Carla Lacerda:

Our research focuses on the developing in vitro models to better study and understand the biomechanics and mechanobiology of components of the cardiovascular system. We use fabrication techniques such as 3D bioprinting and mechanical stimulation reactors to understand how cells respond to their microenvironment. We assess cell and tissue responses using omics tools and microscopy.

Graduate Student Researcher: Damola Agboola

Materials Research by Dr. Zishu Cao:

Our research stays at the interface of materials synthesis and separation science, with an emphasis on precisely controlling morphology and chemistry of nanostructured materials for membrane, adsorption and catalysis applications. The overall objective is nano-engineering of microporous materials (mainly zeolites) with structural elucidation, growth mechanism perception, and industrial application exploration relevant to renewable energy and resources, chemical production, water quality, and the environment.

Graduate Student Researchers: Alexander Fosu, Kwamena Adu-Osei

Interface Research by Dr. Shuhao Liu:

Dr. Shuhao Liu is a researcher specializing in advanced nanomaterials and surface/interface technologies with applications in sustainability, healthcare, agriculture, and energy. Dr. Liu earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and M.S. in Materials Science under the mentorship of Dr. Mustafa Akbulut and Dr. Luis Cisneros-Zevallos at Texas A&M University. During this time, he pioneered work on antifouling coatings, pH-responsive viscoelastic materials, and nanoencapsulation systems for enhanced food safety, oil recovery, and controlled release technologies. As a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Texas at Austin with Dr. Keith Johnston, Dr. Liu advanced his research into nanomaterial synthesis and functionalization for long-term chemical delivery systems, particularly in asphaltene inhibitor release. Dr. Liu has published extensively in leading journals such as ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Journal of Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering Journal, and Advanced Materials Interfaces. Recently, Dr. Liu is building a new research group at the Jasper Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Graduate Student Researcher: Nadim Mahmud

Computational Materials Science with AI by Dr. Ning Wang:

Our research group leverages molecular modeling and simulation, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) techniques to design and discover new materials, addressing technical challenges in climate change, water treatment, and chemical separation, and ultimately contributing to a sustainable future.

Post-doc: Dr. Sudip Das