Dr. Mustafa Mashal Named ISU CAES Associate Director
Dr. Mustafa Mashal has accepted the appointment as the Idaho State University CAES Associate Director (AD). Since beginning at ISU, Dr. Mashal has been collaborating with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and was elected as a CAES Fellow in 2020. Dr. Mashal is an Associate Professor and Director of the Disaster Response Complex and Structural Laboratories in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Idaho State University. He is currently a Fulbright U.S. Scholar in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at Qatar University in Doha, Qatar. Dr. Mashal will begin his CAES leadership responsibilities immediately, and will work remotely until early August 2023.
Dr. Mashal obtained his Doctorate, Masters, and bachelor’s in Civil Engineering with a focus on Structural and Earthquake Engineering from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, the State University of New York at Buffalo in the United States, and Kabul University in Afghanistan, respectively. He has more than 12 years of consulting and academic experience in the United States, New Zealand, and Afghanistan and has been the recipient of several awards and recognitions such as the “2020 Alfred Noble Prize” from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the 2018 ASCE Southern Idaho Section “Outstanding Civil Engineer of the Year Award”, and University of Canterbury’s Visiting Erskine Fellowship in New Zealand.
Center for Advanced Energy Studies Collaboration Program Now Accepting Applications
The Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) is accepting applications for CAES Collaboration Program Development Funds through February 28, 2023. This program is designed to help establish collaborative research, innovation and educational relationships between researchers at the CAES universities (Boise State University, Idaho State University and University of Idaho) and their counterparts at Idaho National Laboratory. The intention is for the collaborations to develop direct-funded proposals with CAES entities. Successful applicants will demonstrate how their proposal would enhance collaborative relationships among the CAES entities, with priority given to projects focusing on INL mission areas and CAES focus areas:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Energy Storage and Transfer
- Critical Materials and Geothermal
Award Information:
Average Award: $20K-40K
Award Duration: April 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023
Submission Information:
Application Deadline: February 28, 2023 at 5pm MT
The application needs to be completed in collaboration with an INL employee. CAES Collaboration Funds will be awarded to proposals based on an internal CAES review for strategic alignment and best return on investment.
For more information, visit their website or contact CAES Business Operations Lead Amy Woodard at (208) 690-0595 or amy.woodard@inl.gov with questions.
Upcoming Events
BSU Center for Advanced Energy Studies REU Website and Application Open Apply Now!
Boise State’s Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) with and intellectual focus on Advanced Manufacturing for a Sustainable Energy Future is open for applications for the summer of 2023. This 10-week program enables 10 undergraduate students from Idaho’s institutions, and Universities from across the nation, to work alongside faculty from Boise State University, Idaho State University and the University of Idaho at the CAES headquarters located near the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Research Campus in Idaho Falls. Students will work on projects related to advanced manufacturing in collaboration with university faculty and scientists from INL. The selected research projects will leverage new capabilities in the CAES facility, including a state-of-the-art transmission electron microscope, a 3D metal printer, and a suite of instruments for advanced manufacturing of sensors and instrumentation for extreme environments.
During the summer research experience, students will have opportunities to share their work with an active research community and co-author publications and presentations based on their research findings.
Learn More About the Program and Application Here
Doctoral Student’s Conference Success Opens Doors to International Astronautical Congress
Since 2020, College of Engineering doctoral student Fereshteh Rajabi Kouchi has been developing two-dimensional material inks for plasma jet printing of optoelectronic devices and creating cost-effective alternatives for interspace research.
In the Fall of 2022, Kouchi represented Boise State University when presenting her research at the 15th annual Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium student poster competition hosted by the University of Alabama in Huntsville and the American Astronautical Society. She won first place finish in the graduate engineering division.
Kouchi works alongside Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering Associate Professor David Estrada in the Advanced Nanomaterials and Manufacturing Laboratory. The research, “Additive manufacturing of colloidal nanocrystal inks for in-space manufacturing of advanced sensors and energy harvesters,” examines the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional sensors and electronic systems, in this case, enabled by emerging nanocrystal inks, one superfine layer at a time on inner space missions.
“I’m honored to be recognized as the top graduate finalist in this competition,” Kouchi said. “I’m thankful for Dr. Estrada and the guidance of the materials science department for supporting my research and I’m hopeful our work will lead to more discoveries to help reduce the cost of vital interspace research.”
Future Net-Zero Innovators Student Symposium
Boise State University, Idaho State University and University of Idaho are hosting an in-person student symposium for undergraduate and graduate students from across the Mountain West who have an interest in carbon neutrality. The student symposium will take place March 29th-31st in Idaho Fall, Idaho at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES).
More information, agenda and registration information can be found Here
Araujo Lead Editor on Routledge Handbook of Energy Transitions
The newly published Routledge Handbook of Energy Transitions features the editorial expertise of Kathy Araújo. Araújo is the director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) Energy Policy Institute and specializes in energy transitions, regional diversification, innovation and resilience. She is also the author of Low Carbon Energy Transitions: Turning Points in National Policy and Innovation.
The Routledge Handbook of Energy Transitions brings together the expertise of nearly 70 coauthors from around the world to examine the state of knowledge and cases of energy transitions.
To learn more about the book, visit the Routledge web page.