research

When the National Science Foundation named UNC Charlotte as a finalist in its Regional Innovation Engines program, it marked a significant milestone for the university’s emergence as a national hub for energy innovation. Central to this success is Grid Ancillary services with Uninterruptible Power Supply (GAUPS) technology, developed by Sukumar Kamalasadan, the Duke Energy Distinguished Professor in Engineering in UNC Charlotte’s William States Lee College of Engineering. GAUPS addresses a critical challenge facing advanced manufacturers, hospitals, and data centers across the Carolinas: costly power quality disruptions.

Highly skilled Niner Engineers are key to North Carolina’s continued rise in technology, energy and advanced manufacturing. Support for their education comes from Engineering North Carolina’s Future, an initiative backed by a $41.2 million investment in the University by the North Carolina General Assembly.

The investment, beginning in fall 2022 to the current fall semester, has yielded record-breaking student enrollment at the W.S. Lee College of Engineering and other significant advances.

Chideraa Ndubuisi ’25 MPH is driven to improve human health. Through research — and an unquenchable appetite for learning everything he can about medicine, public health and environmental systems — he is exploring, analyzing and drawing conclusions about the levels of microplastics and halogenated organics, particularly brominated flame retardants, in municipal wastewater treatment processes.

In a first-of-its-kind project to study one of the planet’s last unexplored environments, Roger Tipton, UNC Charlotte research associate professor of mechanical engineering and engineering science, is leading a team of researchers from multiple universities that will investigate contaminants in the Arctic’s pristine waters.

“As North Carolina’s urban research university, we are uniquely positioned to invest in our state’s future,” said Chancellor Sharon Gaber.

Minhaj Nur Alam, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Quantitative Imaging and AI Laboratory, is leading groundbreaking work in AI-assisted diagnostics for retinal diseases.

Xiang Chen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, wins NSF CAREER award to explore the complexities of energy supportive materials. She is working to unravel these complex relationships and unlock the full potential of these ionic-conducting superlattices, pushing the boundaries of what’s currently possible in various technological fields.

William States Lee College of Engineering faculty have been recognized for their exceptional contributions to research, innovation, teaching and service. These achievements reflect the College’s ongoing commitment to engineering excellence and societal impact.

This academic year, one of the world’s leaders in metal additive manufacturing, Oerlikon AM donated an industry-grade metal additive manufacturing machine to William States Lee College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, demonstrating its continued commitment to research and discovery. 

Faculty researchers from W.S. Lee College of Engineering were joined by fellow faculty from across UNC Charlotte as they were honored for leading research projects with $1 million or more in active, external funding in 2024.