News

The Rotavera group is hosting Dr. Stephen Klippenstein, Argonne National Laboratory Distinguished Fellow, for the 36^th Coulson Lecture.

The Coulson Lecture Dr. Klippenstein is giving is titled “Combustion in a Sustainable World: From Molecules to Processes” and is also recognized as a Signature Lecture.

Signature Lectures are selected by the Office of the Provost to bring prominent thought leaders to the University of Georgia campus. The series features speakers noted nationally or internationally for broad, multidisciplinary appeal and compelling bodies of work.

The annual Coulson Lecture, sponsored by the Center for Computational Quantum Chemistry, is named in honor of C. A. Coulson, British applied mathematician and theoretical chemist recognized as a pioneer of the application of the quantum theory of valency to problems of molecular structure, dynamics and reactivity.

Abstract

Announcement

The University of Georgia ranks No. 16 in the U.S. News & World Report 2023 ranking of top public national universities. Georgia is one of only four states (including California, Florida and Virginia) with more than one institution in the top 20. In addition, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida remain the only two institutions from the Southeastern Conference to rank in the top 20.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings (2023)

UGA Article

The Rotavera Group produced the third of a six-part series of science videos titled ‘Combustion Intermediates’, which is based on research supported by DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences program, and the NSF Combustion and Fire Systems program.

Combustion research makes a significant and immediate impact on sustainable transportation energy objectives.

To address scientific challenges related to increasing efficiency and decreasing emissions, advanced combustion technologies require deep insight into the fundamental chemistry and reaction mechanisms of hydrocarbons and biofuels.

Combustion Intermediates

Josh DeJongh, NASA Pathways Scholar and former USAF Aircraft Technician, received the 2022 Lockheed Martin Readiness Award.

Article

Sam Hartness received an Excellence in Graduate Research award from the College of Engineering in recognition of his scholarly accomplishments and journal publication Dependence of Biofuel Ignition Chemistry on OH-Initiated Branching Fractions published in Frontiers in 2021.

Celebration of Excellence Program

Frontiers

Nick Dewey gave a presentation in the Department of Chemistry as a part of the Physical Chemistry seminar series. His presentation, titled Development of Sub-Mechanisms for Cyclic Ethers: Alkyl-Substituted Oxiranes, is based on results that are part of an ongoing project to elucidate the fundamental chemistry of cyclic ether isomers formed during low-temperature combustion.

Announcement

Three presentations were delivered from the Rotavera Group at the 2022 Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) Symposium:

Josh DeJongh, College of Engineering
“Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Combustion Chemistry in a Jet-Stirred Reactor”

Patterson Shriner, College of Engineering
“Development of Outreach Strategies for Combustion Science”

William Ball, College of Engineering
“Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Static Mixing Time for Binary Gases”

CURO

2022 Book of Abstracts

The Rotavera Group produced the second of a six-part series of science videos titled ‘Low-Temperature Combustion Chemistry and Advanced Compression-Ignition Technologies’, which is based on research supported by DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences program, and the NSF Combustion and Fire Systems program.

Combustion research makes a significant and immediate impact on sustainable transportation energy objectives.

To address scientific challenges related to increasing efficiency and decreasing emissions, advanced combustion technologies require deep insight into the fundamental chemistry and reaction mechanisms of hydrocarbons and biofuels.

Low-Temperature Combustion Chemistry

Professor Rotavera received the 2022 Irvin Glassman Young Investigator Award in recognition of research contributions to combustion science and delivered the Glassman Lecture titled “The Importance of Reaction Mechanisms in Combustion” at the 2022 ESSCI meeting at the University of Central Florida. The award is in honor of Professor Irvin Glassman of Princeton University.

ESSCI

The Rotavera group is hosting Dr. Kelly Senecal, co-founder of Convergent Science and co-author of the new book Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green, which describes the challenges and opportunities of decarbonizing transportation.

Dr. Senecal is giving a Signature Lecture titled “Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green”.

Signature Lectures are selected by the Office of the Provost to bring prominent thought leaders to the University of Georgia campus. The series features speakers noted nationally or internationally for broad, multidisciplinary appeal and compelling bodies of work.

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Announcement

Anna Doner was selected to speak at Oxford University for the Faraday Discussion on unimolecular reactions commemorating 100 years of the Lindemann mechanism. Her presentation is based on DOE- and NSF-funded research examining the effects of stereochemistry on unimolecular reactions of cyclic ether peroxy radicals and is in collaboration with Dr. Judit Zádor (Sandia National Laboratories).

Nick Dewey was awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation Fellowship from the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP), which provides research support for graduate students pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines.

The DDETFP program advances the transportation workforce by helping to attract the nation’s brightest minds to the field of transportation to retain top talent in the U.S. transportation industry.

Alanna Koritzke delivered remarks on behalf of the Rotavera Group and the Department of Chemistry at the dedication ceremony of the new STEM research building at the University of Georgia on November 30. President Jere Morehead, Dean Leo (College of Engineering), Dean Dorsey (Franklin College of Arts and Sciences), Yang Liu (Ph.D. student, College of Engineering), and Gov. Brian Kemp also delivered remarks.

STEM Dedication Ceremony Remarks

The Rotavera Group produced the first of a six-part series of science videos titled ‘Advanced Combustion Chemistry and Biofuels’, which is based on research supported by DOE Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences program, and the NSF Combustion and Fire Systems program.

Combustion research makes a significant and immediate impact on sustainable transportation energy objectives.

To address scientific challenges related to increasing efficiency and decreasing emissions, advanced combustion technologies require deep insight into the fundamental chemistry and reaction mechanisms of hydrocarbons and biofuels.

Advanced Combustion Chemistry and Biofuels

The Office of Research at the University of Georgia interviewed Professor Rotavera on biofuels, physical chemistry research in next-generation combustion systems, and the future of sustainable transportation energy.

Article

Anna Doner received a 2021 Graduate Education Advancement Board (GEAB) Fellowship, which is awarded by the University of Georgia Graduate School and given to exceptional graduate students for accomplishments in research and for exemplifying significant potential as leader in scientific education.

Announcement

Professor Rotavera received the 2021 Fred C. Davison Early Career Scholar Award from the Office of Research at the University of Georgia.

The award recognizes the scholarly achievements of junior faculty whose research, creative activities, and scholarly achievements indicate an aggressive trajectory toward an exceptional, sustained research career and an imminent rise to international stature in the field of study, and is named for Dr. Frederick Corbet “Fred” Davison, a biochemist and the 18th President of the University of Georgia, serving in that capacity from 1967 until 1986.

Announcement

Article

Anna Doner received the prestigious SCGSR Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. The SCGSR program recognizes outstanding accomplishments in academics and research of Ph.D. students that show the potential to make important contributions to the mission of the DOE Office of Science.

The goal of SCGSR program is to prepare graduate students for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission, by providing graduate thesis research opportunities at DOE laboratories.

With the SCGSR Fellowship, Anna is working with Dr. Judit Zádor at the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories (Livermore, CA) on automated potential energy surface exploration of cyclic ether radical chemistry.

Announcement

Article

Anna Doner gave a presentation in the Department of Chemistry as a part of the Physical Chemistry seminar series. Her presentation, titled Examining Cyclic Ether Consumption in Low-Temperature Oxidation, is based on recent papers published in the International Journal of Chemical Kinetics.

Announcement

International Journal of Chemical Kinetics Article

Professor Rotavera gave a seminar entitled “Influence of Functional Groups on Low-Temperature Combustion Chemistry of Biofuels” as part of the Georgia Tech/Princeton University Combustion Webinar Series.

The seminar series, led by Prof. Yiguang Ju of Princeton University and Prof. Wenting Sun of Georgia Tech, began in May of 2020 and provides a platform for disseminating research and opportunities for learning topics related to combustion.

Seminar

Announcement

The University of Georgia is the top tier-one research institution in the nation in Victory Media’s Military Friendly Schools 2021 rankings because of the efforts of the Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) on campus, which is a department within UGA Student Affairs.

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inChemistry magazine, an ACS publication, interviewed Professor Rotavera on basics of combustion science and fundamentals of flames for an article titled Shining a Light on Candles.

Article

Matt Christianson gave a presentation in the Department of Chemistry as a part of the Physical Chemistry seminar series. His presentation, titled Combustion Chemistry of Cyclic Ether Radicals, is based on recent papers published in the International Journal of Chemical Kinetics.

Announcement

International Journal of Chemical Kinetics Article

The 5-year NSF CAREER project enables the Rotavera group to study reaction mechanisms of cyclic ether intermediates formed from low-temperature combustion. Major scientific goals of the project include understanding the role of cyclic ethers within the larger network of reactions unfolding during combustion, using experiments and computational modeling, and developing sub-mechanisms to improve the fidelity of detailed combustion models used for designing next-generation transportation systems.

The CAREER Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

Article

UGA Columns interviewed Professor Rotavera for its Faculty Spotlight feature to discuss his current research activities and how research provides relevant context for lecture topics in the classroom.

Article

Alanna Koritzke was selected by the University of Georgia as the 2020-2021 Beverly Hirsh Frank Graduate Fellow, which recognizes exceptional graduate-level research with an emphasis on interdisciplinary and emerging fields.

Announcement

Anna Doner gave an RRHS seminar, titled ‘Examining Cyclic Ether Consumption in Low-Temperature Oxidation’.

Announcement

UGA Article

Three presentations were delivered from the Rotavera Group at the 2020 Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) Symposium:

Kelsey Frandsen, Department of Chemistry
“Photolysis Lifetimes of Cyclic Ethers using Vacuum Ultraviolet Absorption Cross-Sections”

Tyler Hanson, College of Engineering
“Determination of Gas-Phase Molar Ratios of Saturated Vapor Produced from Binary Liquids”

Alex Weisel, College of Engineering
“Design of a Compact Heat Exchanger for Combustion Experiments using CFD”

CURO

2020 Book of Abstracts

Sam Hartness earned a University of Georgia GAIN Fellowship, which recognizes outstanding graduate students, from across the 17 Colleges and Schools of the University, pursuing degrees in fields that are critical to Georgia’s economic vitality. GAIN Fellows are chosen based on academic merit, excellence in research, and demonstration of leadership through outreach and other activities.

Dr. Isaac Ekoto, hosted by the Rotavera Group, is visiting the College of Engineering to deliver a seminar titled How Novel Low-Temperature Plasma Ignition Systems Can Enable Sustainable Transportation.

Seminar

Matthew Christianson and Professor Rotavera traveled to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to conduct experiments at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) synchrotron using the multipliexed photoionization mass spectrometer (MPIMS) of Sandia National Laboratories.

Advanced Light Source

Chemical Dynamics Beamline

Sandia National Laboratories Combustion Research Facility

Alanna Koritzke was selected as a 2019-2020 STEM Chateaubriand Fellow. The Chateaubriand Fellowship is a grant offered by the Embassy of France in the United States, which supports outstanding Ph.D. students from American universities for collaborative research projects in France. Chateaubriand Fellows are selected through a merit-based competition, through a collaborative process involving expert evaluators in both countries.

The Chateaubriand Fellowship in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Biology-Health (STEM) for doctoral students aims to initiate or reinforce collaborations, partnerships or joint projects between French and American research teams. The Fellowship is offered by the Office for Science & Technology (OST) of the Embassy of France in partnership with American universities and French research organizations.

As a Chateaubriand Fellow, Alanna will work with Dr. Andrea Comandini of the Institut de Combustion Aérothermique Réactivité et Environnement (ICARE) at CNRS-Orléans on high-temperature biofuel oxidation chemistry.

Announcement

Chateaubriand Fellowship Program

ICARE – CNRS Orléans

Kelsey Frandsen received a 2019 CURO Fellowship to conduct mass spectrometry research on combustion intermediates. Each year, CURO awards 30 Research Fellowships from hundreds of applications to support University of Georgia undergraduates interested in pursuing intensive, immersive, faculty-mentored research during the Summer.

CURO

Alanna Koritzke received the 2019 Martin Reynolds Smith Award for the top research paper published in 2018 by a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry for her work on reaction mechanisms of cyclohexene oxidation published in the Proceedings of the Combustion Institute.

Paper

Three presentations were delivered from the Rotavera Group at the 2019 Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) Symposium:

Kelsey Frandsen, Department of Chemistry
“Electronic Absorption Spectroscopy Measurements of Combustion Intermediates”

Sam Hartness, College of Engineering
“Chemical Kinetics Modeling of Biofuel Combustion”

Dylan Brown, College of Engineering
“Defining Uncertainty Bounds for Measurements of Gas Flow”

CURO

2019 Book of Abstracts

Jacob Davis is giving a presentation, titled Design of a High-Pressure Jet-Stirred Reactor Facility for Gas-Phase Chemical Kinetics, as a part of the 2018-2019 College of Engineering Lecture Series.

Announcement

Alanna Koritzke was awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation Fellowship from the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP), which provides research support for graduate students pursuing degrees in transportation-related disciplines.

The DDETFP program advances the transportation workforce by helping to attract the nation’s brightest minds to the field of transportation to retain top talent in the U.S. transportation industry.

The University of Georgia breaks ground on a $65 million, 100,000-sqft. Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (ISTEM) Research Building to bolster collaborative research in high-impact areas including energy and the environment.

UGA Article

The University of Georgia (UGA) rose three spots to No. 13 in the U.S. News & World Report 2019 ranking of top public national universities. Georgia is one of only three states (including California and Virginia) with more than one institution in the top 15.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings (2019)

UGA Article

Jacob Davis earned a University of Georgia GAIN Fellowship, which recognizes 10 outstanding graduate students, from across the 17 Colleges and Schools of the University, pursuing degrees in fields that are critical to Georgia’s economic vitality. GAIN Fellows are chosen based on academic merit, excellence in research, and demonstration of leadership through outreach and other activities.

Anna Doner earned a GREAT Doctoral Fellowship, which is awarded to only 10 students across the 118 Ph.D. programs at the University of Georgia. GREAT Fellows are chosen from the most outstanding nominees who demonstrate superior potential to be productive and successful researchers in areas of need that support the research and scholarships strengths of the university.

Alex Larsson earned a Joel Terry Hunt Fellowship, awarded to one graduate student annually in the College of Engineering based on academic performance, high moral character, demonstrated community service, volunteering, and leadership activities.

Alanna Koritzke is giving a presentation in the Department of Chemistry as a part of the Analytical Chemistry seminar series. Her presentation, titled Probing QOOH-Mediated Reactions in Cyclohexene Oxidation using Photoionization Mass Spectrometry, is based on synchrotron experiments conducted on cyclohexene oxidation and focuses on the technique of photoionization mass spectrometry.

Announcement

Proceedings of the Combustion Institute Article

Professor Rotavera is visiting the Laser Chemistry, Spectroscopy and Dynamics Group in the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol and giving a seminar titled Functional Group Effects on Reaction Mechanisms in Biofuel Oxidation.

Alanna Koritzke gives RRHS seminar, titled ‘Combustion Chemistry of Advanced Biofuels’.

Announcement

UGA Article

For the second time in three years, the University of Georgia has been named the top tier one research institution in the nation in the 2018-2019 rankings.

UGA Article

Professor Rotavera is visiting the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University and giving a seminar titled Combustion Chemistry of Advanced Biofuels.

Seminar

Article

Three presentations were delivered from the Rotavera Group at the 2018 Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) Symposium:

Caleb Wiff, College of Engineering
“Measurements of Pre-Heater Temperature-Dependence on Flow Rates”

Adam Jackson, College of Engineering
“Electronically Controlled Actuator for Slow Compression of Combustion Gases”

Zachary Rinehart, College of Engineering
“Modeling Functional Group Effects on Combustion: n-Butane, 1-Butanol, and Butanone”

CURO

2018 Book of Abstracts

Dr. Lenny Sheps, hosted by the Rotavera Group, is visiting the Department of Chemistry to deliver a seminar titled Unraveling Complex Pressure-Dependent Reaction Mechanisms in Autoignition and in Atmospheric Chemistry.

Seminar

Professor Rotavera is visiting the Department of Chemistry at West Virginia University and giving a seminar titled Ring-Opening Reactions of R and QOOH Radicals in Cyclic Hydrocarbons: Cyclohexene and Tetrahydropyran.

Seminar

Jacob Davis is giving a presentation in the Reaction Kinetics Colloquium at the Spring 2018 meeting of the Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute (ESSCI) held at The Pennsylvania State University next March. The presentation, titled Effects of sp² Carbon on Low-Temperature Oxidation of Cyclic Hydrocarbons, is based on synchrotron experiments conducted on cyclohexene oxidation.

Abstract

2018 Spring ESSCI Meeting

Jacob Davis, Alanna Koritzke, and Professor Rotavera travelled to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to conduct experiments at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) synchrotron using the multipliexed photoionization mass spectrometer (MPIMS) of Sandia National Laboratories.

Advanced Light Source

Chemical Dynamics Beamline

Sandia National Laboratories Combustion Research Facility

SECU, the academic initiative of the Southeastern Conference, administers the SEC Faculty Travel Program, which facilitates faculty members to travel to other SEC universities to exchange ideas, develop grant proposals, and deliver lectures. Professor Rotavera is scheduled to visit Texas A&M University next Spring.

SEC Article

2017-2018 SECU Participants

Press Release

U.S. News & World Report named UGA No. 16 on its list of 2018 Best Public Universities, up two spots from last year.

U.S. News & World Report Rankings (2018)

UGA Article

Jacob Davis gives RRHS seminar, titled ‘Fundamentals of Combustion Science’.

Announcement

UGA Article

The New York Times once again ranks the University of Georgia 10th among the nation’s top public universities based on its commitment to economic diversity.

UGA Article

New York Times Article

The College of Engineering at the University of Georgia celebrates its five-year anniversary and plans the next phase of its evolution following immense growth in all areas — including enrollment, research, placement, and corporate partnerships.

UGA Article

The Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) at the University of Georgia, led by Ted Barco, USAF Lt Col. (ret.), selected Professor Rotavera as a Distinguished Fellow. The SVRC, ranks in the Top 5 of Tier 1 Research Universities for supporting student veterans and offers wide-ranging programs, advocacy, and professional development opportunities.

Professor Rotavera and colleagues from The Combustion Institute visited Capitol Hill for meetings with Congressional Staff, including the offices of Representatives Jody Hice and Johnny Isakson and Senator David Perdue, to discuss the importance of sustained science funding and its role in issues related to energy independence, climate change, and the economy.

Combustion Institute Article

UGA is one of only 16 institutions included among the top Fulbright student and scholar producers, which were announced today by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and highlighted in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

UGA Article

Chronicle of Higher Education