John Grey, assistant professor of chemistry, was named the recipient of a 2008 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enrichment Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities. Grey plans to use the money from the award to continue his research in the field of photovoltaics.
Grey, who is new to UNM, says his research explores the interdependence between nano-scale structure and the outcomes of charge generation and transport processes, which will aid materials scientists in the rational design of new synthetic and processing strategies.
He is planning to work with students to incorporate new molecular level characterization techniques in order to establish correlations between local structure and functionality in promising photovoltaic strategies. Ultimately he hopes to improve the efficiency and lifetime of materials that are used in photovoltaic devices.
Grey currently has three students in his research group who will work with him on the problem of nano-structured materials in photovoltaics. This fall he will also teach Chemistry 567- Characteristics of Nano-Materials, an interdisciplinary course that emphasizes the use of fundamental physical methods to solve complex problems in emerging areas of science.
Previously Grey was an Alternative Energy Fellow (Petroleum Research Fund-American Chemical Society) at the University of Texas, Austin in 2007. He received his Ph.D. from McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 2004.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; email: kwent2@unm.edu