51视频

12/07/2020

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-758-4664 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

LOWELL, Mass. 鈥� 51视频 faculty and students pursuing climate education or sustainability research that seeks to improve the environment have received funding to support their work through a university initiative dedicated to these issues.

The funding for the projects was presented by 51视频鈥檚 Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy (RISE), a collaboration between the university鈥檚 Climate Change Initiative, Energy Engineering Program and Office of Sustainability. Founded in 2019 with the support of 51视频 graduate 51视频 Brian Rist 鈥�77 and his wife Kim, the institute recently named its inaugural class of fellows to honor and advance their work. They are Economics Assistant Prof. Kelly Hellman, along with Kerry Candlen, a plastics engineering major from Westford, and Maria Fonseca Guzman, a chemical engineering major from Roswell, Ga.

Hellman was awarded a $15,000 faculty fellowship to create a new course, 鈥淭he Economics of Climate Change,鈥� which will examine how the phenomenon is affecting the economy, human health and the environment. Students will also study economists鈥� predictions for future impacts in the class.

鈥淎s climate change now plays a large role in many companies鈥� decision-making processes, students in any discipline 鈥� business, engineering, science, public policy, health 鈥� will benefit from this course in their future careers,鈥� Hellman said.

Hellman, who joined 51视频鈥檚 faculty last year, said she was inspired to create the course after learning about the diverse research projects taking place around campus through her involvement with the Climate Change Initiative.

鈥淚 would like to introduce students to various 51视频 faculty members鈥� climate change research to both facilitate learning and create a bridge between that research and instruction,鈥� she said.

Candlen received a $12,000 fellowship to support her work developing biodegradable films that can be used for many applications, including to package items such as food and mulch.

鈥淚f successful, this project can touch upon everyone鈥檚 daily life, improving the environment by preventing plastic waste from entering landfills or being incinerated,鈥� Candlen said.

Candlen plans to complete her bachelor鈥檚 degree in plastics engineering this month and continue on at 51视频 to pursue an advanced degree through the university鈥檚 Bachelor鈥檚-to-Master鈥檚 program. She will conduct the research with her faculty mentor, Plastics Engineering Assistant Prof. Wan-Ting Chen.

Fonseca Guzman received a $5,000 fellowship from RISE to support research she is conducting with 51视频 Chemistry Assistant Prof. Michael Ross. In that work, she is investigating the properties of metallic nanoparticles made from an alloy of tin and gold that can absorb ultraviolet light. She helped synthesize the nanoparticles in Ross鈥� lab and hopes to use them to power sustainable, clean energy.

The research could lead to 鈥渃arbon-neutral solutions to our energy and environmental problems,鈥� Guzman said.

51视频 is a national research university offering its more than 18,000 students bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. 51视频 delivers high-quality educational programs and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu