Center for Environmental Research & Technology

Chinese, U.S. Engineering Students Share Global Concerns

 Sept. 28, 2009

An environmental research summit between Chinese and UCR engineering students entered its fifth year on Monday, Sept. 28, when a delegation from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) will visit the Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT).

The Chinese delegation was led by Associate Professor Lu Xingcai of SJTU's Research Center for Combustion and Environmental Technology.

The two universities have been trading visits since 2005 to share environmental research results developed at the two research universities. The young researchers all shared an interest in new engineering solutions to dependence on foreign oil, pollutant emissions and greenhouse gases.

UCR students tended to look at pollution emissions from different sources and formulations of biofuels used in different classes of engines. Among the research presentations from UCR was one exploring the use of molten salts to store solar energy, and another explaining how reactor design alters the biofuels from cellulosic biomass. Much of the SJTU students' research displayed an interest in modifying engine designs to get better efficiency and lower emissions. The presentations included reducing diesel pollution using non-thermal plasma preoxidation, and producing hydrogen by the photocatalytic reforming of methanol.

Environmental Impact of Paints and Other Coatings Studied

Aug. 22, 2009

CE-CERT researchers have developed an innovative chromatographic system which can measure a common volatile organic compound (VOC) used in paints. VOCs from many sources contribute significantly to the formation of ground-level ozone, the primary constituent of smog.

Texanol® is typically the most abundant VOC used in water-based architectural coatings. This compound has no other commercial use. While concentrations have been measured for indoor applications to determine indoor concentrations and in flow-through chambers to measure the emission rate as a function of time, there have been few reports attempts to measure Texanol® in ambient air.

As part of Phase I of the Paints and Architectural Coatings Environmental Study (PACES), researchers at CE-CERT have developed an innovative chromatographic system for measuring Texanol® in ambient air. Texanol® was observed in all nine samples collected during Phase I, with the concentrations ranging from 5 to 70 ppt.

With the ability to measure Texanol® in open air, it is important to conduct further measurements of Texanol® in ambient air to determine its impact on ozone (smog) formation. As part of Phase II of the project, three monitoring locations will be sampled during the following year: one just downwind of the Los Angeles urban center (Pico Rivera), one near the middle of the SoCAB (Azusa) and one on the eastern side of the SoCAB (CE-CERT facility in Riverside).

CE-CERT Announces Student Scholarship, Fellowship Winners 2009-2010

July 15, 2009

Ten UCR students have been awarded research fellowships totaling $104,000 to work in CE-CERT labs during the coming academic year, Center Director Matt Barth announced.

These competitive fellowships are the top awards among the many student research opportunities provided by CE-CERT and the UC Transportation Center for graduate and undergraduate students. A call for applications is made each May and recipients are selected by the Center's academic committee.

Four students were awarded University of California Transportation Center Graduate Fellowships: Sindhura Mandava, an Electrical Engineering student studying intelligent transportation systems; Anh Nguyen, studying kinetics in soot oxidation in Mechanical Engineering; James Stroup, a History student studying the history of public transportation; and James Yang, a Computer Science and Engineering student interested in parking economics.

The UC Transportation Center Dissertation Award went to Wenjie Dong who is an Electrical Engineering student researching vehicle formation control on highways.

Jeremy Nelson has been named winner of the 2009-2010 Ford Motor Company Undergraduate Scholarship. Mr. Nelson is a third year engineering student in Mechanical Engineering and has been conducting research at CERT under Professor Matthew Barth. His research includes collecting, processing, and analyzing road data in a test vehicle to discover how fuel economy changes with road grade. As the winner of this award, Mr. Nelson will receive $5,000 toward student expenses.

CERT also awarded the 2009 Jim Guthrie Research Award to Manjot Singh in recognition of his work on "A Preliminary Study on Preheating Kinetics," and for his outstanding participation at CERT while under the supervision of Bin Yang.

The Esther Hays Graduate Fellowship was awarded to an outstanding fourth-year graduate student, Li Qi. Ms. Qi works at the Atmospheric Processes Laboratory under the guidance of Professor David Cocker.

Additional graduate students recognized for their outstanding performances were Heather McKenzie and Annemarie Fata. Ms. McKenzie, a second-year graduate student in Chemical Engineering, won the Pierson Graduate Fellowship with an award of $5,000 to offset academic and/or research expenses. Ms. McKenzie is under the supervision of Professor Charles Wyman. Ms. Fata, a student in Mechanical Engineering, won the Roberta Nichols Graduate Fellowship. She is studying environmental flow under the supervision of Professor Marko Princevac.

CERT received multiple applications for these awards from students representing diverse talents and backgrounds. We congratulate this year's winners for the outstanding quality of their research and wish them the best in the future.More News

New Faculty to do Global Climate Research at CERT

July 1, 2009

Dr. Akua A. Asa-Awuku, who earned her Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2008, is a new Assistant Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering who will be performing research here at CERT. Dr. Asa-Awuku's primary research interest is understanding and predicting global climate change; specifically, the impact of warm cumulus clouds that may counteract the warming effects of greenhouse gases and modeling and parameterization of cloud microphysical processes. She also performs experimental investigation of the activation of Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) that form cloud droplets. Dr. Asa-Awuku will be utilizing the CERT "next generation" atmospheric simulation chamber in her research.

CERT Signs Research Agreement with Thailand Scientific Institute

May 29, 2009

TISTR staff & Joe Norbeck from CERT

Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) in collaboration with CE-CERT will conduct collaborative research in converting biomass to synthetic vehicle fuels. The three-year collaboration aims at exchanging researchers, knowledge and technology transfer in the production of renewable synthetic transportation fuels from biomass.

This collaborative research aims to exchange researchers and knowledge on the research, and to further develop a novel hydrogasification technology for synthetic fuels production from biomass that was initially developed at UCR. The future jointly developed TISTR/UCR results will belong to both parties. Two TISTR researchers will come to UCR to conduct the research and UCR will send researchers to implement its technology at TISTR.

The hydrogasification technology will be installed at TISTR in the coming months. The decrease in a dependence on imported fuels and GHG gas emissions, the increase in the security of national energy and the development of Thailand own green technologies are anticipated.

Students Graduate with Ph.D.'s

June 15, 2009

(l-r) Meng Cao, Quentin Malloy, Weihua Zhu

Meng Cao and Weihua Zhu of Electrical Engineering and Quentin Malloy of Chemical and Environmental Engineering all earned their Ph.D.'s in 2008-2009. Meng will be heading up north to UC Berkeley to be a Postdoctoral Scholar. Weihua will begin his career as a Postdoctoral Scholar at CE-CERT under Matthew Barth. Quentin will go west to Rice University in Houston, Texas for a Postdoctoral Scholar appointment doing research in Heterogeneous Chemistry. Congratulations to them all. CE-CERT wishes them the best of luck!

Intelligent Transportation Society of California Workshop at CE-CERT

May 6, 2009

The Intelligent Transportation Society of California (ITS-CA) is having its May workshop at CE-CERT on May 6th. This workshop will focus on "ITS & The Environment" and will be held in CE-CERT's training room from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ITS-CA is the key association that represents California's Intelligent Transportation industry, whose common objective is to deploy Intelligent Transportation Systems to California's and the nation's transportation system. Please join us for this exciting workshop! Please RSVP to Amanda Gomes at 951-781-5730 or amanda.raymer@ucr.edu.

Goliff Joins CE-CERT's Atmospheric Processes Group

Wendy Goliff has joined the research staff of CE-CERT's Atmospheric Processes Group. She earned her Ph.D at UC Irvine in Chemistry working with Professor Sherwood Rowland and then spent 10 years as a Research Professor at the Desert Research Institute of the University of Nevada.

She specializes in characterizing the composition of volatile organic carbon (VOC) in the atmosphere and developing mechanisms for the atmospheric photo-oxidation of these compounds.

She will start in July and work primarily with Bill Carter in developing and evaluating atmospheric chemistry mechanistic models based on smog chamber simulations. Her expertise will also be utilized in ambient field measurement studies.

 

CERT Presents Distinguished Service Awards

March 18, 2009

Three awards were announced at a dinner for the Board of Advisers of the College of Engineering-Center for Research in Environmental Technology (CE-CERT). Jim Guthrie, Richard Luben and James Boyd were honored for their involvement with the Center.

Jim Guthrie, president of Viresco Energy and Guthrie Construction Company, was presented the Distinguished Service Award for Industry for his many contributions to CE-CERT such as the establishment of the annual Guthrie Graduate Research Award, and Viresco's partnership with CE-CERT in the commercialization of technology to convert waste products into energy or fuel, a process developed at CE-CERT.

Richard Luben (holding his award as Dean Abbaschian, at left, and CE-CERT Center Director Matt Barth look on) received the Distinguished Service Award for Academia for his exceptional contributions to CE-CERT as Vice Chancellor of Research at UCR. James Boyd, Commissioner and Vice-Chairman of the California Energy Commission, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award for Government because of his outstanding support of CE-CERT over the years. He was unable to attend the event because of a prior commitment.

The event, held at the Riverside International Automotive Museum, capped a day that included an overview of progress at the Center, research presentations and round table discussions.

Biofuels Symposium at CE-CERT March 12

CE-CERT hosted a UCR Biofuels Symposium that pulled together some of the engineering faculty and some of the plant scientists at UCR. The symposium on March 12th was here at CE-CERT (1084 Columbia Avenue). The symposium's primary focus was highlighting UCR's research with 20 minute presentations from different faculty members. In addition, there were a few speakers from industry. The lunchtime keynote speaker was Joseph M. Cleary from NREL.

Durbin Awarded CARB Contract to Compare Emissions from California, Federal Diesel Fuels

The goal of this $1 million program is to better understand and quantify the benefits of continued use of California Air Resources Board (CARB) diesel fuel in the State. This program will compare CARB diesel fuels with Federal diesel fuels over a range of vehicle/engine technologies. The primary testing will be conducted using both engine and chassis dynamometer testing at the University of California at Riverside. The work is being funded by CARB.

It is initially planned that a total of three fuels will be tested, including a blend designed to represent an average CARB diesel fuel and two Federal diesel fuels, on at least three heavy-duty engines and a fleet of vehicles. Both the engines and the vehicles will include a range of technologies that are representative of California's in-use fleet. In support of this program, CE-CERT will be constructing a new heavy-duty chassis dynamometer facility for the testing of heavy-duty vehicles under different driving conditions.

Graduate Students Host 2009 UCTC Conference

The University of California, Riverside graduate students in transportation hosted The 15th Annual University of California Transportation Center (UCTC) Student Conference on Feb. 12 and 13, 2009 at the new UCR Commons Building. There were optional field trips on Feb. 14, 2009. The conference gathered researchers from UC schools to present and discuss research and applications in transportation. For more information please visit the UCTC Student Conference website: http://uctc2009.engr.ucr.edu

New UCR Chancellor Visits CE-CERT

(l to r) CE-CERT Director Matt Barth, CE-CERT Deputy Director Dennis Fitz and Chancellor White.

UCR's new leader, Chancellor White paid a visit to CE-CERT on October 28. The visit was kicked off with a lunch meeting sharing CE-CERT's research and current projects and was followed by a tour of the facilities.

PH.D. Graduate Takes Job in Australia

Recent graduate, Bethany Warren has accepted a position at Pacific Air & Environment in Brisbane, Australia as an Environmental Consultant. Dr. Warren was a Graduate Student Researcher at CE-CERT in Dr. David Cocker's group as well as a student in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering Department at UCR. Prior to accepting her new position down under, she was a postdoctoral scholar at CE-CERT. In her new position, projects include development of emission inventories, specifically geared to global climate change as well as addressing the new Californian, Australian, and international based green house gas regulations and trading systems. Many congratulations to Bethany ~ we wish her well!

New Deputy Director for CE-CERT

Mr. Dennis Fitz has been appointed as CE-CERT's Deputy Director, replacing the retired Andy McCue. He graduated with Master's degrees in both Chemistry and Applied Sciences from the University of California, Riverside, both under the direction of Professor James N. Pitts Jr., then the director of the Air Pollution Research Center (APRC). After graduation Mr. Fitz was a Research Specialist at APRC for nine years prior to becoming the manager of CE-CERT's Atmospheric Processes Group in 1993. At APRC he developed the outdoor Teflon smog chamber facility and was responsible for developing and maintaining air quality measurement techniques. His group at CE-CERT conducts research to determine the fate of air pollutants after they are emitted into the atmosphere using measurements and modeling. The primary focus is to determine the reactivity of air pollutants to form ozone and particulate matter. As Deputy Director one of his main initial challenges is to centralize document preparation and archiving.

Student Scholarship & Fellowship Winners

A much deserving congratulations to all of the awardees!

• Dylan Switzer - Jim Guthrie Research Award
• Varalakshmi Jayaram - Esther Hays Graduate Fellowship
• Edi Rocha - Ford Motor Company Undergraduate Scholarship
• Henry Vu - Roberta Nichols Graduate Fellowship (1st Nichols fellowship)
• Yan Liu - William R. Pierson Graduate Fellowship

UC Transportation Center Graduate Fellowships:

• Jaclyn DeMartini - Environmental Engineering (biofuels)
• Julie Kang - Psychology (driving behavior)
• Quentin Malloy - Environmental Engineering (transportation emissions)
• Shunsuke Nakao - Environmental Engineering (transportation emissions)

UC Transportation Center Dissertation Award:

• Lili Huang - Electrical Engineering (vehicle sensing)

One of CE-CERT's Own Receives the Distinguished Research-Instruction Collaboration Award for 2007-08

Dr. Wayne Miller was just announced recipient of the Distinguished Research-Instruction Collaboration Award (Non-Senate) for 2007-08. Dr. Miller joined CE-CERT in December 2000 after a distinguished career with Sun Oil Co. and UNOCAL. Dr. Miller brings more than 25 years of experience in technology planning, chemical engineering processes, new product development/commercialization, business development and multi-national relationships. Dr. Miller's research interests range from the current characterization of emissions of mobile and stationary sources and their impacts on the public health to earlier research on technology management as it relates to the development of new products and the subsequent protection of the intellectual property. His current research on emissions from mobile and stationary sources has involved a multitude of mobile sources including: automobiles, trucks, buses, locomotives, military diesel equipment, construction equipment, aircraft, ground support equipment, harbor craft, cargo handling equipment and ocean going vessels. Dr. Miller holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Additionally, he has had training at the Harvard Business School and Wharton School Forum on emerging technology and emerging markets. Among this honor, Dr. Miller has earned others such as, EPA's 2007 Climate Change Award for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Project (team member), Honorary Judge for the Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards (2003-2004-2005-2006 and 2007) and U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center for its Annual Technical Achievement Award (2006).

CE-CERT Students Win Awards

Quentin Malloy and Bethany Warren

Quentin G.J. Malloy, a fifth year PhD graduate student for David R. Cocker, and Bethany Warren, a recent PhD graduate of David R. Cocker, both were awarded $1,000 scholarships from the Air and Waste Management (A&WMA) west coast chapter to compete in the paper/poster competition at the national A&WMA conference in Portland Oregon in June. Both Quentin's and Bethany's papers/posters, respectively titled "Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation from Primary Aliphatic Amines with the NO3 Radical" and "Predicting Secondary Organic Aerosol Formation: PMSAPRC08", were well received by judges and conference attendants alike. Former undergraduate researchers Lindsey D. Yee and Christina Zapata also competed in the paper/poster with their research group (including Nichola Kinsinger, Quoc-Hung Phanand) and received first place in the undergraduate research category ($800) for their project titled "Power Plant NOx Control Using Bacterial Denitrification".

Thailand Delegation Visits CE-CERT

CE-CERT Director, Matt Barth (center) with Thailand delegation.

A delegation led by Wutipong Chaisang, Minister of Science and Technology in Thailand visited CE-CERT in June in hopes of collaborative research in synthetic fuel production. Thailand's fastest growing weed, the water hyacinth, prompted the visit in which the Thai government officials got the opportunity to consider if such a potent biological engine might pose an ideal source of renewable biomass to help solve the nation's need for clean diesel fuel. The Thai delegation was also interested in cellulosic ethanol production developed by Professor Charles Wyman's team, as well as the anti-pollution benefits of Professor Matt Barth's smart transportation research.

CE-CERT Researchers Mentor High School Students Science Projects

High school students Daniel Nguyen and Jason Lin

CE-CERT researchers Bin Yang and Charlie Wyman mentored high school students, Daniel Nguyen and Jason Lin, from Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, on their science project for the 2007-2008 school year. The title of their science project was, "An Ethanol World Economy? A Comparison of the Financial Viability of Ethanol Production from Grass vs. Wood" and it was chosen to go to the regional competition and then on to the state competition.

CE-CERT researcher honored by UCR Alumni

David Cocker (l) accepting the award from Assistant Vice Chancellor Kyle Hoffman (r).

David Cocker, a researcher at CE-CERT and a Chemical and Environmental Engineering associate professor, was chosen to receive the 2008 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award at the annual Alumni Awards of Distinction Banquet on May 17. After graduating with a double major in 1996, Cocker completed graduate studies at Caltech with John Seinfeld, a leading expert in the field of aerosol research. He received the prestigious NSF CAREER award in 2005, given to early-career academics that show great promise of becoming leaders in their fields. He is already recognized as an expert on aerosol formation in the atmosphere. Aside from performing research at the College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) in the state-of-the-art atmospheric processes chamber, and in the Emissions and Fuels Research Laboratory, he holds teaching duties in the Chemical and Environmental Engineering department. At CE-CERT, he works alongside his wife Kathalena who he met in undergraduate classes at UCR. They have two young daughters, Allison and Caroline.

Graduate Student Receives Fellowship

Harshit Agrawal, a third year graduate student at CE-CERT received a fellowship from MAN Diesel allowing him to work at their facility in Denmark for three months beginning August 25. MAN Diesel is the world's leading provider of large-bore diesel engines for marine and power plant applications which fits perfectly with Harshit's primary research focus, which is "Evaluation of Impacts of Marine Port Sources on Regional Air Quality". Harshit completed his B.Tech. from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Bombay in 2005 and joined University of California, Riverside with a Dean's fellowship in September 2005. In the past three years he has been working on physical and chemical characterization of emissions from aircraft engines, slow and medium speed marine diesel engines, and comparison of different sources of diesel emissions.

TechHorizons 2008 Conference Summary

The Bourns College of Engineering's annual TechHorizons Conference May 13 and 14 featured a focus on Environmental Sustainability. Center Director Matt Barth talked to The Press-Enterprise of Riverside about the Conference and CE-CERT.

Graduating Senior Wins Research Fellowship

Lindsay Yee, a graduating senior who has done considerable work in CE-CERT's Atmospheric Pollution Laboratory, has won a highly competitive three-year National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. Yee plans to pursue a Ph.D. in atmospheric studies at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech). At CE-CERT, Yee worked under Dr. David Cocker in the APL while accumulating a 3.9 GPA and winning the Ford Motor Co. Undergraduate Scholarship and first place in the Jim Guthrie Undergraduate Research Competition. She is an Environmental Engineering major with a concentration in Air Pollution Control and plans to continue research on Secondary Organic Aerosols (SOA) at the postgraduate level. "Lindsay has been a top researcher in our Atmospheric Processes Lab for four years and is quite deserving of this national honor," said Cocker.

CE-CERT Students Participate in Earth Day

Edi Rocha, Benjamin Catarino

CE-CERT's solar car was showcased on campus April 22 as part of the Earth Day festivities. Edi Rocha and Benjamin Catarino took the car and were on hand to answer any questions. The purpose of this day is to provide awareness of environmental issues. The exhaust emissions of Internal Combustion Engine(ICE) vehicles is contributing to global warming, therefore hybrid vehicles, natural gas vehicles, and solar vehicles are seen as an alternative mode of transportation. CE-CERT designed a solar vehicle by taking a General Electric Motorcars (GEM) vehicle and installed eight solar panels across the top of the car in order to charge the vehicle.

CE-CERT Research to Benefit School Children

Testing equipment on school bus

CE-CERT research has turned into a $200 million program to reduce pollution children are exposed to while riding school buses. The California Air Resources Board in March allocated the money to replace the 74 oldest school buses still in use in the state and to replace or retrofit an additional 4,500 vehicles. Dennis Fitz, manager of CE-CERT Atmospheric Processes Group, led a team including UCLA scientists to measure concentrations of pollutants in bus cabins and used tracer gases to determine the degree of self-pollution due to the bus' engine exhaust emissions. "I can't even begin to describe the significant health benefits that this program will bring into California and particularly for our most precious sector of the population, our children," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols.

Student Receives Scholarship to Study Abroad

Anh Vu won a National Science Foundation scholarship to spend the summer studying intelligent transportation systems at Osaka University in Japan. Vu, who is studying under CE-CERT Director Matthew Barth, will be in Japan for three months. The scholarship comes from the NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering and is part of the East Asian and Pacific Summer Institutes program for graduate students.

Distinguished Service Award Recipients

(l-r) Elizabeth Deakin, William Johnson, Ronald Loveridge

Elizabeth Deakin, William Johnson and Ronald Loveridge won CE-CERT's Distinguished Service Awards for 2008. The awards are given to individuals who have helped CE-CERT further its agenda of research, teaching and service. Deakin, Professor of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley and Director of the University of California Transportation Center, won in the Academic Category. She has given CE-CERT strong support in scholarship aid and research opportunities. Previous winners include William Pierson, Robert Sawyer and Susan Hackwood. Johnson, President of Johnson Machinery Co., was the winner in the Industry Category. He has been a long-time supporter of CE-CERT, especially in providing help for students and providing facilities for research work. Previous winners include Samuel Leonard, Kelly Brown and Ben Knight. Loveridge, mayor of Riverside and a board member at both the California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, won in the Government Category. Loveridge has a long-standing concern with air quality issues and has supported CE-CERT's efforts to do effective research. Previous winners include Alan Lloyd, Congressman Ken Calvert and Tom Mullen.

CE-CERT's 2007 Annual Report Available

A record year for contracts and the confirmation of Matthew Barth as Director highlighted CE-CERT's 2007 performance. For a full review of the projects and progress of the Center through the year, click here. If you desire a hard copy , please send an email to info@cert.ucr.edu.

Dr Wyman: Featured Speaker at Gore Summit

Dr. Charles Wyman was a featured speaker at a Climate Change Solutions Summit organized by former Vice President Al Gore in New York City.

Wyman, Ford Motor Co. Chair in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the Bourns College of Engineering, University of California, Riverside, spoke on "Challenges to Realizing the Benefits of Cellulosic Fuels Technologies." Wyman's laboratory, located at the College of Engineering's Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT), is working on development of new enzymes and pretreatment routines for the production of cellulosic ethanol.

The talk focused on the potential of cellulosic ethanol as a source of renewable fuel without adding to carbon dioxide emissions. Wyman pointed out the financial and political barriers to the commercialization of the fuel. He also discussed the research topics that still need work in the laboratory. [Full Text]

UCR & Audi Unite for Environmentally Friendly Navigation System

Right now, drivers can ask Google maps to direct them to their destination, and highlight pizza places along the way. UC Riverside has recently partnered with Audi on a $650,000 project (along with UC Berkeley) that will allow drivers to determine the greenest route possible.

The idea is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by giving drivers more specific information about the most environmentally responsible route for their particular car in current traffic conditions.

"Our goal is to be part of a real solution to the constant dilemma commuters face: What is the best way to get there?" said Matt Barth, professor of electrical engineering and Director of the College of Engineering Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT). "Sometimes the best way to get there is the one that causes the least damage to the planet." [Full Text]

CE-CERT Names Employee of the Year

Matthew Barth, Clementine Ellis, and Dean Abbaschian (l-r)

Clementine (Teeny) Ellis was named CE-CERT's Employee of the Year at the Bourns College of Engineering Staff Appreciation Luncheon November 16, 2007. Teeny is our Contracts & Grants Analyst. She works closely and well with new staff members at the Office of Research and keeps our PIs informed of the status of their projects and identifies problems early. She works positively to keep the administrative staff informed and working together on a range of issues. Naming her our Staff Member of the Year is but a small part of the acknowledgement she has earned.

CE-CERT to be Involved in Urbanism Study

CE-CERT is joining the Edward J. Blakely Center for Sustainable Suburban Development in a $154,452 grant for a two-year study on the link between urban design and sustainability. The study, called The Hope of New Urbanism: Energy Conservation and Sustainability through Urban Design, will be funded through a grant from the John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation. [Full Text]

CE-CERT Signs Agreement Strengthening Partnership with Tsinghua University, Beijing

Dean Abbaschian (l) and Tsinghua's Dean of the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology Hao Jiming (r) signing.

CE-CERT formalized its growing presence in China by signing an agreement with Tsinghua University in Beijing. The agreement sets the parameters for a broadened, cooperative research program that will explore the potential for joint facilities, both physical and virtual, and handle intellectual property issues. Dean Reza Abbaschian of the Bourns College of Engineering, of which CE-CERT is a part, led the UCR delegation. Matthew Barth, the Center's director, and Founding Director Joseph Norbeck, accompanied the Dean as well as CE-CERT researchers and engineering professors Charles Wyman and David Cocker. Signing on behalf of Tsinghua University was Dean of the University's Institute of Environmental Science and Technology Hao Jiming. Professors He Kebin and Wu Ye also participated in the ceremony, as did Dr. Weijian Han, research director for Ford Motor Company in China. Barth said he was struck by the similarity of Tsinghua's and CE-CERT's research programs. Said Cocker, I felt like I was visiting CE-CERT in another country. [Full Text]

CE-CERT Researchers to Find New Ways to Turn Plants into Fuel for Department of Energy (DOE).

A CE-CERT group is part of a team just awarded $125 million over 5 years by the Department of Energy to start one of three new research centers. CE-CERT's Charles Wyman and Bin Yang will be working with post-doctoral scholars and graduate students at UCR on pretreatment of advanced cellulosic plants to understand how to best modify their characteristics for optimal integration with advanced microbial systems for conversion into fuel ethanol. The CE-CERT researchers will provide a vital link for the BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Other partners include the University of Georgia, the University of Tennessee, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Georgia Tech University, the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Dartmouth College, ArborGen, Mascoma Corporation, Verenium Corporation, Cornell University, Washington State University, the University of Minnesota, North Caroline State University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Virginia Tech University.

CE-CERT Hosts 3rd Annual Symposium

CE-CERT hosted the 3rd annual CE-CERT - Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) Student Symposium on August 20 & 21. The event, led by Matt Barth (CE-CERT) and Dr. Xinqi Qiao (SJTU) welcomed 5 graduate students and 2 professors from the Research Center of Environmental Technology at SJTU. CE-CERT's participating students were Harshit Agrawal, Lili Huang, Quentin Malloy, Qing Qing, Surinder Singh, and Weihua Zhu.

The first day of the symposium was filled with interesting presentations from both sides, including, "Characteristics of Ultrafine Particles Emitted from Engines with Conventional and Alternative Fuels" and "Traffic Congestion-based Roadway Ambient Air Quality Measurement Program." The second day was taken up with informal discussions, a tour of CE-CERT, and a campus tour. "We will be collaborating with the SJTU students on further research to bridge the gap between China and the USA," said Center Director, Matt Barth.

CE-CERT Director's Interview on Local Radio Station

Matt Barth's appearance on The Green Power Report on KTIE 590 AM, a station that broadcasts in the Riverside, San Bernardino area is available on The Green Power Report's website titled, "Transportation". Matt talks about the history of CE-CERT, its research, and accomplishments. The Green Power Report is sponsored by Riverside Public Utilities (RPU), the power and water utility for the City of Riverside, CA.

Barth Confirmed as CE-CERT Director

Matt Barth has been selected as CE-CERT's permanent Director. Reza Abbaschian, Dean of the Bourns College of Engineering, confirmed the appointment of Barth, who has been the Center's Interim Director for the past three years.

Barth, a Professor of Electrical Engineering at UC, Riverside, has been manager of CE-CERT's Transportation Systems and Vehicle Technology Research Laboratory since 1991. He took over as Interim Director after CE-CERT Founding Director Joseph Norbeck moved to the campus' Environmental Research Institute in 2004.

"I'm grateful for the confidence the Dean has shown in me and in the direction and goals of CE-CERT. The research record the Center's people have built over the past 15 years in transportation systems, emissions, renewable fuels and understanding atmospheric processes speaks for itself. The Dean's and the University's commitment recognizes that level of excellence and demonstrates a commitment to the Center's future," said Barth.

Barth's research focuses on applying engineering systems concepts and automation technologies to transportation systems. With transportation growth and its negative environmental impacts rising in international importance, his research aims to make transportation more efficient, intelligent and environmentally friendly. His recent projects include an intelligent shared electric vehicle system for the UCR campus; characterizing the impacts of traffic congestion on energy and emissions; the design of sophisticated shared-use vehicle computer model; a comprehensive model for estimating transportation air quality effects; and a state-of-the-art emissions modeling suite.

Professor Barth received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from the University of Colorado, and M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been a visiting researcher at the University of Tokyo and Osaka University, and has served on several National Research Council (NRC) committees. He is married with two children and lives in Riverside. His hobbies include hiking, camping, biking and other outdoor activities.

CE-CERT (College of Engineering-Center for Environmental Research and Technology) does $6 million annually in research contracts and grants. With a staff of approximately 80 scientists, technicians and staff, it houses five research groups: Atmospheric Processes; Emissions and Fuels; Environmental Modeling; Sustainable Energy Systems; and Transportation Systems. The Center is dedicated to being an honest broker between industry and regulators by providing scientifically exacting research data.

CE-CERT Researchers Win Biodiesel Award

Dr. Wayne Miller and Dr. Thomas Durbin

More than half of the $3.3 million in recent fuel research awards from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) was won by CE-CERT. The CE-CERT research will expand ongoing biodiesel studies with the California Air Resources Board and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD).

In May, CARB announced there would be 40 winners of alternative fuel awards, to split a total of $25 million. The final division was announced July 12.

In June, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a pilot biodiesel program with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The project tests the feasibility of converting the 14,000-strong Caltrans fleet to a biodiesel fuel blend. If the first 20 vehicles pass the pilot test, as determined by CalTrans and CE-CERT, fueling the fleet could save the state up to 600,000 gallons of petroleum annually.

The researchers behind these and similar projects are Thomas Durbin and J. Wayne Miller, members of CE-CERT's Emissions & Fuels Group. Miller is manager of the Group and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering. Durbin manages CE-CERT's Mobile Emissions Laboratory, Vehicle Emissions Research Laboratory and Heavy Duty Dynamometer facility. They are joint Principal Investigators for the Caltrans and CARB projects.

The Emissions & Fuels Group conducts research on engine emissions in the lab and field, under both controlled and real-world operating conditions. Engines of all sorts have been studied, including those in trucks, trains, oceangoing ships, and aircraft. The group's leadership in emissions measurement research, as well as unique technologies and novel methods to do so have attracted partnerships with not only California agencies, but also the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), engine manufacturers and commercial engine users. The Emissions & Fuels Group has garnered the most external funding of all five CE-CERT groups over the past three years.

Durbin has been Associate Research Engineer at the center since 1994. With B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from UCR's Bourns College of Engineering, he has published and presented extensively on the emissions effects of biodiesel and other alternative fuels. Durbin is a leading expert in diesel fuel formulation, equipment operability and emissions.

Miller has been with the center since 2000. Prior to joining UCR, he was Vice President for Technology and Product Development for Sunoco. He is widely published on fuels-related research and technology acquisition. He received his B.S. from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. from Caltech, both in Chemical Engineering. He was a member of the Joint Strike Fighter Emissions Test Development Team that was awarded a 2007 Climate Protection Award from the EPA.