ME Graduate Students Awarded ASHRAE Grant-in-Aid Funds

Mechanical Engineering graduate students Parisa Fouroughi & Gohua Kuang have received the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) Grant-in-Aid monetary awards for the scholastic year to support their research in fields of interest to the heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigerating (HVAC&R) industry.

The ASHRAE Graduate Student Grant-in-Aid Award Program provides research funds to full-time graduate students in support of development of innovative ASHRAE-related technologies. It is awarded once each year for use in the following academic year. Normally a total of 10 to 25 grants are made each year and the competition is open to both students in the U.S. and abroad. The department congratulates Parisa and Gohua for their outstanding achievement.

The grant is intended to encourage the student to continue his/her preparation for careers in the HVAC&R industry. The relevance of the research proposed by the candidate is a consideration for awarding the grant. Typical expenditures include living expenses, tuition, travel to ASHRAE meetings, experimental equipment, and supplies.

Parisa Foroughi was given the award for her research proposal study of spot cooling of sensors and detectors at cryogenic temperatures utilizing a micro cooling system.

Gohua Kuang will use his award to continue his efforts on development of a comprehensive mathematical model for study of mechanical stresses caused through operation of heat exchangers at harsh environments, such as military applications.

Their advisor Professor Michael Ohadi adds, “Our laboratory has been very successful in receiving these awards. Over the past ten years at least one of our students each year has received these highly competitive ASHRAE Grant-in-Aid awards.”

In addition to the $7,500 award granted to each student's research, the students will receive a $1,500 check directly from ASHRAE upon publishing a research article based on their respective projects in ASHRAE's highly acclaimed International Journal of HVAC&R Research or in ASHRAE Transactions.

Last year the recipients of the award were Ph.D. candidates Sourav Chaudouri and Vytenis Benetis. Their awards were used to study condensation phenomena in ultra small channels and development of a micro pump for cooling of electronics at cryogenics temperatures, respectively.

Published August 15, 2005