Research
Project Highlights
Finding Clues in Atmospheric Layers
Professor Armin Sorooshian and University Distinguished Scholar contributes to research designed to improve understanding of conditions such as air pollution.
"The selection of our project is a testament to the University of Arizona's role as a harmonizer between several institutions focusing on one of the most pressing issues impacting this planet: climate change."
Achilli Leads $4M Sustainable Water Use Consortium
Associate professor Andrea Achilli is the principal investigator on a new project the brings the University of Arizona together with the University of Southern California and the University of Nevada, Reno to improve water security in the southwestern United States.
"If we really want to enable water reuse, we need to transform the systems from centralized – like we've been doing for the past 100 years – into decentralized, autonomous systems."
Preserving the Most Valuable Resource
Associate professor Kerri Hickenbottom researches desalination, a technique that removes minerals and impurities from saltwater and brackish water. She works to reduce energy use for water processing and reclamation.
"The idea is, rather than having a centralized system with water from semiconductor [fabrication] and other large facilities, let’s create dedicated systems where we recover water on-site… We can minimize the risk from a lot of these larger infrastructure systems by having smaller systems that are fit for purpose and tuned more accurately to the kind of contaminants that are removed."
Developing an Ultra-Thin Printing Technique
Assistant professor Adam Printz is transforming how high-performance thin films are made – one ultra-thin layer at a time.
"Our goal is to enhance the mechanical and chemical stability of these materials in scalable ways, enabling their use across a wide range of applications, from optoelectronics to wearable tech and computing. The most rewarding part is watching students grow – seeing their excitement for the science and how they truly take ownership of the work."
Research Centers and Facilities
CHEE faculty are leaders in the following centers:
- Aerosol Cloud meTeorology Interactions oVer the western ATlantic Experiment (ACTIVATE)
- Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies (AIRES)
- BIO5 Institute
- Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining
- Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing
- Institute for Energy Solutions (IES)
- Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions Center
- Water & Energy Sustainable Technology Center
- Water Resources Research Center
See UA College of Engineering-affiliated Research Centers and Institutes.