Briot, Kim, Grady and Lee among researchers selected for awards from Materials Science Research Priority Area

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 16, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Materials Science Research Priority Area (mRPA) has selected 11 researchers as recipients of multiple funding awards.

The mRPA offers a variety of funding mechanisms to support materials research across UK and expand the RPA’s breadth and depth of work.

“We are excited to award this group of talented, multidisciplinary researchers with a variety of funding to show our commitment to advancing materials science research at UK,” said John Balk, Ph.D., director of the mRPA. “By investing in innovative ideas and supporting our talented faculty, we are laying the groundwork for discoveries that will have a lasting impact on technology, industry and society. This initiative underscores our dedication to fostering a vibrant research environment where breakthroughs in materials science can flourish.”

This call for proposals included a category for research equipment (instruments) or clusters of equipment that will increase research competitiveness in the broad areas of energy and materials science. These Enabling Equipment for Materials Science and Energy Research Grants (EEMSERG) were jointly sponsored by the Energy Research Priority Area (eRPA).

The mRPA also solicited proposals for seed grants to support pilot projects, vouchers for user center access, awards to support attending conferences and meetings, and faculty success awards.

EEMSERG recipients:

• Jennifer Meakins, College of Design, “Innovation in Fiber Development for Technical Textile Applications”
• Nicolas Briot, Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, “Acquisition of a Transfer Module for the Transport of Air Sensitive Specimens in the Scanning Electron Microscopes”
• Georgina Lukoczki, Kentucky Geological Survey, “Raman System Enhancements for Materials Characterization in Energy Geoscience,” co-funded by eRPA
• Ashley Morris, Center for Applied Energy Research, “Innovative System for Automated Single-Filament Tensile Analysis with Precise Fiber Diameter Measurement and Enhanced Throughput,” co-funded by eRPA
• Jian Shi, Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, “Enhancing Analytical Capabilities in Energy and Materials Research with the Acquisition of Agilent 5800 VDV ICP-OES,” co-funded by eRPA

Seed grant recipients:

• Beth Guiton, College of Arts and Sciences, “Designing the Solid-State Synthesis of Multiferroic BiFeO3 using In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy”
• Minjae Kim, Pigman College of Engineering, “Development of Enzyme-Integrated Electrochemical Cells for the Simultaneous Detection and Degradation of Benzalkonium Chlorides in Wastewater”
• Marcelo Guzman, College of Arts and Sciences, “Sodium and Potassium Metal-Ions Carbon Supercapacitors from Bourbon Stillage”
• Douglas Strachan, College of Arts and Sciences, “Twisted Two-Dimensional van der Waals Materials for the Sequencing of Bio-Molecules Using Quantum Tunneling”

User center access voucher recipients:

• Martha Grady, Pigman College of Engineering, “Electron and Light Microscopy of Removed Dental Implants”
• Beth Guiton, College of Arts and Sciences, “Understanding the Structure of Metastable Niobates and Vanadates for Energy Storage”
• Philip Lee, Pigman College of Engineering, “Assessing atomic-scale analysis for Se-incorporated CdSe/CdTe-based photovoltaic devices”

Learn more about the mRPA, its mission and current opportunities.