PITTSBURGH— Carnegie Mellon University's Alan McGaughey has received a three-year, $358,846 grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to develop theoretical and computational tools for monitoring heat generation and transfer in devices ranging from high-power electronics to turbine blades.
McGaughey, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, said his work will help the Air Force better understand how to reduce heat generation in operating electronics and control the operating temperature of mechanical systems.
"I am extremely excited about this work because what I find will be useful to both the academic and industrial sectors," said McGaughey.
McGaughey was one of 38 engineers and scientists nationwide to receive research funding from the Air Force's Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) which allocated a total of $14.6 million in grants. The YIP is open to scientists and engineers at research institutions across the United States who have received a Ph.D. or equivalent in the last five years, and show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research. The program received more than 200 research proposals for this latest round of grants.
The program's objective is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering, enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators and increase opportunities for the young investigators to recognize the Air Force mission and the related challenges in science and engineering.
McGaughey received his bachelor's in engineering in 1998 at McMaster University; a master's degree in mechanical engineering in 2000 from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering in 2004 from the University of Michigan. He was the 2009 recipient of the Struminger junior Faculty Fellowship for his contributions to the undergraduate mechanical engineering heat transfer class.
About Carnegie Mellon:
Carnegie Mellon (www.cmu.edu) is a private, internationally ranked research university with programs in areas ranging from science, technology and business, to public policy, the humanities and the fine arts. More than 11,000 students in the university's seven schools and colleges benefit from a small student-to-faculty ratio and an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. A global university, Carnegie Mellon's main campus in the United States is in Pittsburgh, Pa. It has campuses in California's Silicon Valley and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia, Europe and Mexico. The university is in the midst of a $1 billion fundraising campaign, titled "Inspire Innovation: The Campaign for Carnegie Mellon University," which aims to build its endowment, support faculty, students and innovative research, and enhance the physical campus with equipment and facility improvements.