
The University of New Mexico
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Greg Johnston, 505.277.1816 or gregj@unm.edu
March 9, 2006
UNM and Collaborators Awarded $3.5 Million for Fuel Cell Research
A $3.5 million grant has been awarded to the University of New Mexico and its collaborators to conduct research on enzymatic fuel cells. U.S. Senator Pete Domenici recently announced that the Department of Defense chose UNM as one of 20 universities to receive basic research grants through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative.
Plamen Atanassov, assistant professor of chemical and nuclear engineering at UNM, will serve as principal investigator on a research project titled “Fundamentals and Bioengineering of Enzymatic Fuel Cells."
Atanassov is teaching the next generation of engineers at the UNM School of Engineering to develop better fuel cell technology and is leading several student teams in researching novel materials for fuel cells, bio sensors, and bio fuel cells.
“I commend UNM for being the recipient of this competitive research money. Studying and developing natural sources of power has become an emerging priority. This is a tremendous opportunity for UNM to advance communication mechanisms for our men and women in uniform,” said Domenici.
“This competitive award is critically important to study fundamentals of available fuel cell technology, “ said Joseph Cecchi, dean of the UNM School of Engineering. “I congratulate Professor Atanassov for his success in obtaining substantial funding in this fast-developing field of research.”
The grant will facilitate research that will study the use of natural substances such as glucose and ethanol as electrical power sources for smaller devices. These bio-fuels will then be used to power small surveillance devices.
Based at UNM, the project will include collaborators from Sandia National Laboratories as well as Columbia University , St. Louis University , Northeastern University and the University of Hawaii – Manoa.
The University of New Mexico is the state's largest university, serving more than 32,000 students. UNM is home to the state's only schools of law, medicine, pharmacy and architecture and operates New Mexico's only academic health center. UNM is noted for comprehensive undergraduate programs and research that benefits the state and the nation.
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