Students win catalysis society awards
By Ethan Nash, Voiland College of Engineering & Architecture intern
PULLMAN, Wash. – Fanglin Che, Yan Li and Rebecca Baylon, graduate students in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, have received the North American Catalysis Society’s Richard J. Kokes Award.
The award aims to encourage undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the group’s annual meeting and funds their travel.
Baylon will present research about how transition metal oxides catalyze biological material to highly valued chemicals. She hopes the work will lead to biologically based energy alternatives to oil-based fuels and chemicals. She works with faculty member Yong Wang.
Che researches enhancing the performance of solid oxide fuel cells, which can directly and efficiently transfer chemical energy to electric power. She will present the effects of an external field on catalytic reactions that are directly relevant to fuel cells. She works with faculty member Jean-Sabin McEwen.
Li’s area of research is in metal oxide catalysts for selective oxidation reactions, which are critical in many common industrial processes and for the production of chemicals. She will present on the important roles of promoting catalyst activity. She works with faculty member Yong Wang.
