August 17, 2017

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MILWAUKEE — Dr. Jier Huang, assistant professor of chemistry, was recently named one of the 2017 Way Klingler Young Scholar Award recipients.

Huang has set out to develop new strategies for tapping the promise of solar energy through the development of light-activated catalysts that convert light from the sun into chemical energy.

Since 2013, when Huang formed the Huang Lab group, she and a team of researchers have used the advanced physical methods to understand the processes of converting solar power to fuel, detect the properties of the materials and determine which factors control the efficiency of the conversion. They have collected significant experimental results that require extensive data analysis.

This award grants up to $32,000 to fund a one-semester sabbatical. During her sabbatical, Huang will have time to analyze the results within the framework of a new model she is developing. "I also intend to initiate new research projects, which are challenging but critical to addressing energy crisis and environmental issues," she adds.

The Way Klingler Young Scholar Awards support promising young scholars in critical stages of their careers with awards up to $32,000. The awards are intended to fund $2,000 in operating costs and to cover 50 percent of salary to afford the recipient a one-semester sabbatical.