Pitt's Chemical Engineering professor Susan Fullerton recognized by ORAU for research by junior faculty

PITTSBURGH (May 17, 2016) … Susan Fullerton, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, was awarded a 2016 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU). 

“This is an outstanding accomplishment for a young faculty member, and so we are very proud of Susan’s award,” noted Steven Little, PhD, the William Kepler Whiteford Professor and Department Chair of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. “The Powe Award is very competitive, and it speaks highly of Susan to receive this during her first year at Pitt.”

The Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards provide seed money for research by junior faculty at ORAU member institutions. These awards are intended to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty and result in new funding opportunities. Full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their initial tenure track appointment at the time of application are eligible. Research areas must fall in one of five disciplines including Engineering and Applied Science, Life Sciences, Mathematics/Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Policy, Management, or Education.

Dr. Fullerton and her research group use the interplay between ions and electrons to design next-generation electronic devices at the limit of scaling for memory, logic and energy storage. The Powe award will support neutron scattering measurements to characterize the structure of ion-containing polymers used in these devices. Prior to joining Pitt in fall 2015, Dr. Fullerton was a Research Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. She earned her Bachelor of Science and PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University.

ORAU provides innovative scientific and technical solutions to advance national priorities in science, education, security and health. Through specialized teams of experts, unique laboratory capabilities and access to a consortium of more than 100 major Ph.D.-granting institutions, ORAU works with federal, state, local and commercial customers to advance national priorities and serve the public interest. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and federal contractor, ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

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