News
May 06, 2025
UC Riverside joins launch of hydrogen carshare program
UC Riverside, in partnership with city and state agencies, has helped launch the nation's only hydrogen-powered carshare program—offering a clean, affordable transportation alternative to Riverside residents.
The Riverside Clean Air Carshare, or RCAC , program offers 13 Toyota Mirai sedans equipped with hydrogen fuel cell technology. Participants can reserve a car through a smartphone app, pick it up from one of several designated locations, and pay to drive it by the hour. Rental rates are designed to be lower than Uber or Lyft ride fees.
March 19, 2025
UCR EcoCAR Team Boosts Skills at Year 3 Winter Workshop
UCR EcoCAR Team Boosts Skills at Year 3 Winter Workshop From March 7-9, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) EcoCAR team participated in the Year 3 Winter Workshop for the EcoCAR EV Challenge, hosted by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) at the UCR School of Business. This event marked a significant milestone in the competition, providing opportunities for innovation, hands-on testing, and professional growth. Led by Argonne National Laboratory, the workshop brought together EcoCAR teams from various universities, along with industry experts and sponsors. Key activities
March 10, 2025
UCR and U of Michigan Launch Hydrogen Engine Alliance
The University of California, Riverside (UCR) and the University of Michigan have officially launched the Hydrogen Engine Alliance of North America (H2EA-NA), an initiative designed to accelerate innovation and deployment of hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2-ICE).
February 27, 2025
UCR and U of Michigan launch hydrogen-engine alliance
Officials at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), the University of Michigan, and several industry partners launch of the Hydrogen Engine Alliance of North America (H2EA-NA) to promote hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel.
February 03, 2025
CE-CERT’s SAINT Project Receives Tier-2 Award in Intersection Safety Challenge
The Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) has been announced as a Tier-2 winner in the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Intersection Safety Challenge.
December 16, 2024
Dr. Kanok Boriboonsomsin Appointed to EPA’s Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee
For over 20 years, Dr. Kanok Boriboonsomsin has worked on advancing research in sustainable transportation, energy and emissions modeling, and intelligent transportation systems. Now, his voice will help drive change on a national level as he joins the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Mobile Sources Technical Review Subcommittee (MSTRS).
November 22, 2024
UCR collaboration brings in electric truck manufacturer
Voltu Motor Inc., an Argentine company recognized for its sustainable and versatile electric vehicles, will establish its global headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Riverside.
November 05, 2024
CE-CERT Hosts High School Tours at STEPCon 2024
Can hands-on learning spark a passion for solving global challenges? CE-CERT believes it can. As part of our participation in STEPCon 2024, we hosted over 60 high school students for lab tours, giving them a firsthand look at the technologies driving sustainability. Each year, STEPCon brings together thousands of students from grades 4-12 across the Inland Empire for STEM learning experiences, and we contribute by offering these immersive tours aimed at inspiring the next generation of environmental innovators.
November 05, 2024
CE-CERT Faculty Continue to Lead Global Innovation with Four Named to the Top 2% Scientists List
Innovation doesn’t happen by chance—it’s the product of years of relentless research, dedication, and a drive to solve the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Four CE-CERT researchers, Matthew Barth, William Carter, Georgios Karavalakis, and Hamed Mohsenian-Rad, have been named in Stanford University’s prestigious Top 2% Scientists list, highlighting their significant contributions to addressing global environmental challenges and advancing sustainable solutions.
October 18, 2024
CE-CERT interviews incoming president of the American Association for Aerosol Research
Lights, camera, “Start Meeting!” The CE-CERT library was transformed into a studio for a remotely-conducted interview with the incoming president of the American Association for Aerosol Research, Amy Sullivan. Leading the interrogation were Sarah Petters, who serves as the Senior Assistant Editor of the association’s newsletter, Particulars, and Fidelia Lopez, an undergraduate researcher in Petters’s lab. Sullivan connected from Fort Collins, Colorado, where she is a Researcher in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.
September 30, 2024
UCR Students Explore Global Sustainability Through STREAM-ITL Program in Mexico
This summer, UCR students participated in the Synergistic Renewable Energy and Academic Mobility Initiative for Transformative Learning (STREAM-ITL) program, an educational collaboration between the University of California, Riverside (UCR), the Instituto Tecnologico de Hermosillo (ITH), and the Sonora Energy Cluster (SEC). The program brought together 20 students to engage with emerging technologies in renewable energy and programming while offering them the unique opportunity to experience Mexico’s culture and local sustainability efforts.
September 25, 2024
CE-CERT Awarded $1 Million DOE Grant to Tackle Hydrogen Permitting Challenges
CE-CERT Awarded $1 Million DOE Grant to Tackle Hydrogen Permitting Challenges The Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at the University of California, Riverside, has been awarded $1 million by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to address critical barriers in the permitting process for hydrogen projects. The project, led by CE-CERT in partnership with Sandia National Laboratories, GHD, and Hydrogen Technologies, LLC, will focus on identifying and mitigating technological and procedural challenges, with a special emphasis on safety, risk analysis, and community
September 25, 2024
Continuing a Legacy of Environmental Innovation: Meet Warren Norbeck
This summer, CE-CERT welcomed Warren Norbeck as an intern, carrying forward a unique legacy within the center. As the grandson of CE-CERT’s founder, Joe Norbeck, Warren embraced the chance to contribute to the very place his grandfather helped establish. His internship gave him hands-on exposure to environmental research, further igniting his passion for science and engineering.
September 10, 2024
CE-CERT Graduate Students Awarded ITS California Scholarships
CE-CERT Graduate Students Awarded ITS California Scholarships Two graduate students from the Center for Environmental Research and Technology (CE-CERT) at the University of California, Riverside—Saswat Priyadarshi Nayak and Dongbo Peng—have been recognized for their innovative contributions to the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Both have received the prestigious Intelligent Transportation Society of California (ITSCA) and California Transportation Foundation (CTF) scholarships, celebrating significant achievements in their academic careers. Innovative Research Shaping the
July 30, 2024
CE-CERT Announces 2024-2025 Scholarship Recipients
CE-CERT is proud to announce the recipients of the 2024-2025 Scholarship Awards totaling $52,500. We would like to congratulate them on their hard work and thank our generous donors who made these awards possible.
June 27, 2024
CE-CERT Participates in the 15th International Transport Congress in Mexico City
CE-CERT’s Dr. Alfredo Martinez-Morales contributed to a critical discussion on sustainable energy in public transportation. Key topics included integrating renewable energy, policy support, and the socioeconomic benefits of cleaner transit systems, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated efforts in urban mobility.
June 27, 2024
CE-CERT Faculty Meet with Medium and Heavy-Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Stakeholders in Mexico
On April 17, 2024, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) for the "California-Mexico Border Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Analysis for Medium-Heavy Duty Vehicles" project, funded by UC Alianza MX, met in Mexico City. Key stakeholders discussed strategic ZEV implementation, infrastructure development, regulatory alignment, technological challenges, and pilot programs.
June 27, 2024
CE-CERT Team Joins Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Facility Mentorship as Instrument Mentor
CE-CERT researchers will join the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement team at the Department of Energy as an at-large Instrument Mentor developing a network of sensors.
June 24, 2024
CE-CERT team collaborates with West Texas A&M for low-temperature research
A CE-CERT team will deploy a Cold Stage instrument at West Texas A&M University this July to measure the onset of freezing triggered by ice-nucleating particles in supercooled water. The instrument is a Community Instrument Facility (CIF) project funded by the National Science Foundation and managed by CE-CERT. WTAMU will use the facility instrument in their coursework during the fall semester before sending it back. The effort is a pilot project showcasing the open-hardware open-source model: WTAMU will build their own instrument based on design files published by the CE-CERT team.
June 17, 2024
Celebrating Women Engineers: Inspiring Stories from CE-CERT on International Women in Engineering Day
In honor of International Women in Engineering Day, we are proud to highlight some of the talented engineers at CE-CERT. These women share their inspirations, passions, and advice for other aspiring women in engineering.
May 31, 2024
UCR EcoCAR Team Competes in Year 2 of EcoCAR EV Challenge
From May 13 to May 22, 2024, the UCR EcoCAR team competed against twelve other top universities in the Year 2 Competition for the EcoCAR EV Challenge held in Yuma and Phoenix, AZ.
May 30, 2024
CE-CERT Students Earn Honorable Mention at ITE Bob Crommelin Student Presentation Award Meeting
UC Riverside’s ECE senior students, Hung Nguyen and Harvey Wang, earned the Honorable Mention Award at the 2024 RSBITE Bob Crommelin Student Presentation Award Meeting for their project on C-V2X Communication Technologies. Their research, part of the EcoCAR EV Challenge, showcased innovations in vehicle communication aimed at enhancing transportation efficiency and safety.
May 30, 2024
UC Riverside Joins Forces with UC Davis in New USDOT Climate and Transportation Research Center
UC Riverside has partnered with UC Davis to address climate-related challenges in the transportation sector through a new research initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT).
April 23, 2024
From polluting waste to sportswear
A UCR professor receives $1.45 million federal grant to further develop a chemical process that takes plant waste from wood processing and farming to make fibers for clothing fabrics and other products.
March 06, 2024
Enduring gut-churning flights in quest for Arctic climate data
UCR Professor Markus Petters and two grad students are spending more than a month with an international research team that’s making bumpy flights from northern Sweden to the Arctic Ocean to collect data needed to better understand climate change.
March 15, 2023
UCR environmental engineers to referee California’s big rig truck emission regulation
They won’t be wearing vivid black and white striped shirts, but they could.
University of California, Riverside, environmental engineers will soon serve as referees in California’s drive for big rig trucks to meet the state’s tailpipe emission standards.
July 05, 2022
NSF-funded project aims to enhance STEM graduate training in sustainable transportation
New UC Riverside program will train doctoral students on translating science into public policy
September 23, 2021
UC Riverside receives $2 million to monitor air quality impacts of goods movement in Inland Southern California
The grant comes from the California Attorney General’s Office Automobile Emissions Research and Technology Fund
June 25, 2021
UC Riverside wins grant from Southern California Energy Innovation Network
A $450,000 grant lets UCR continue helping clean energy entrepreneurs advance their ideas
July 24, 2020
UC Riverside research team fuels the hemp revolution
A new hemp pulping method that converts 100% of the plant to useful components moves toward commercialization
August 01, 2019
Supercomputing improves biomass fuel conversion
Researchers combine supercomputing with nano-imaging to reveal how to efficiently break down plant biomass and transform it into transportation fuels
July 10, 2019
Steering into the future of connected and automated vehicles
More than 1 billion motor vehicles travel roadways worldwide and that number is expected to double within one or two decades. The rise in automobiles and trucks have led to increased social, economic, and safety issues, such as the more than 30,000 deaths from car related accidents on US highways every year, according to a US Department of Transportation (DOT)
June 05, 2019
UC Riverside reaffirms MOU with EPA
A number of environmentally focused activities with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be continuing, thanks to the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between EPA’s Region 9 and the University of California, Riverside.
September 11, 2018
Renewable natural gas can help California meet climate goals
UC Riverside study finds California can replace up to 5 percent of its natural gas supply using existing raw materials and infrastructure, recommends new state standard
August 30, 2018
Natural gas engine can reduce smog from heavy-duty trucks
Simulated on-road testing shows the engine maintains near-zero emissions during all duty cycles
July 11, 2018
Donation brings zero-emissions vehicles one step closer to reality
New light-duty emissions testing facility gives UC Riverside the inside track toward the goal of zero-emission vehicles
July 02, 2018
Award-winning inventions improve electronics and renewable natural gas
Graphene thermal interface and steam hydrogasification receive TechConnect National Innovation Awards
June 07, 2018
Symposium celebrates 50 Years of clean air leadership
CARB’s 50th Anniversary Technology Symposium and Showcase highlighted CARB’s history driving innovative technologies that have made monumental improvements to California’s air quality
February 22, 2018
UC Riverside to host solar conference
Conference will focus on solar, energy storage systems, and microgrids