Adam Heller and ECS Through the Years

Remember our Official ECS Major League Trading Cards? This year, we're adding a special card in honor of Adam Heller to the series.

Get your official Adam Heller trading card at the 228th ECS Meeting!

With the fifth international Electrochemical Energy Summit and the ECS Lecture by Adam Heller, the  228th ECS Meeting is poised to be one of our most significant programs in the history of the Society. While Heller’s contributions to science are well known—from lithium batteries to biomedical engineering to photoelectrochemistry—his connects to ECS may not be as familiar, but nonetheless run deep.

Notably, this is not the first lecture delivered by Heller at an ECS meeting. During the 180th ECS Meeting in 1991, Heller delivered one of four ECS lectures entitled “On the Impact of Electrochemistry on Biomedicine and the Environment.” Now, 28 years later Heller will be delivering yet another lecture at the 228th ECS Meeting in the same location as the 180th. With his scientific themes transcending the years, his lecture this year is entitled “Wealth, Global Warming and Geoengineering.”

Over 50 Years of Innovation

Aside from delivering the much anticipated ECS Lecture at the 228th ECS Meeting, Heller will also be accepting the Heinz Gerischer Award for his fundamental and applied contributions to electrochemistry and its uses. This award is especially significant due to the connection between Heller and Gerischer.

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WEB-salmonella-cucumber-c-1020x1028A nationwide outbreak of Salmonella-tainted cucumbers has afflicted states with increased illnesses and hospitalizations. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined the source and cause of the outbreak, the damage has been done, and the case count is expected to rise in spite of the recent recall. Many are now asking the question: how can we better control food safety?

Shin Horikawa and his team at Auburn University believe their novel biosensor technology could resolve many of the current issues surrounding the spread of foodborne illnesses. As the principal scientist for a concept hand-picked for the FDA’s Food Safety Challenge, Horikawa is looking to make pathogen detection faster, more specific, and cheaper.

Faster, Cheaper, Smarter

“The current technology to detect Salmonella takes a really long time, from a few days to weeks. Our first priority is to shorten this detection time. That’s why we came up with a biosensor-based detection method,” says Horikawa, Postdoctoral researcher at Auburn University and member of ECS.

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Research out of the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) has yielded a novel micro-supercapacitor that has reportedly reached an energy density 1,000 times greater than current electrochemical capacitors.

This unmatched energy storage performance was made possible through a new electrode, producing density levels comparable to that of current lithium-ion micro-batteries.

Applications of this new technology could range from small electronics to autonomous sensor networks, opening the door to better water quality and air pollution monitoring.

“The extent of the electrode’s surface and the presence of pores of various sizes are key to a large storage capacity. We designed this new 3D electrode using an electrochemical process to synthesize a very porous gold structure. Ruthenium oxide, a pseudocapacitative material featuring high electrical conductivity and very good cyclability, was then inserted into the structure, resulting in unsurpassed energy density. For this type of application, component sizes are reduced to a few square millimeters, making it possible to use such expensive materials,” said Daniel Guay, ECS member and co-author of the study.

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Member Spotlight – Breakthroughs in Corrosion

Eric Schindelholz of Sandia National Laboratory will be awarded the ECS Corrosion Division Morris Cohen Graduate Student Award at the upcoming 228th ECS Meeting for his contributions to methods for the study of atmospheric corrosion and his insights into the fundamentals and the factors controlling surface wetness and the carrion of steel.

In light of receiving the award, Schindelholz was able to sit down with local news station KOAT to talk about his work on such projects as the preservation of the Statue of Liberty and historic Pearl Harbor ships.


Learn more about his research at the 228th ECS Meeting and take a look at his scheduled talk, “Impact of Salt Deliquescence on the Humidity-Dependence of Atmospheric Corrosion.”

2015 ECS Outstanding Student Chapter

student-blog

Members of the Indiana University ECS Student Chapter stand with invited seminar speaker, Prof. Keith Stevenson at the post-seminar reception. From left, Prof. Stevenson, Caitlyn McGuire, Lauren Strawsine, Erin Martin, Anna Weber, Kirstin Morton, Lushan Zhou, Wenqing Shi, Yi Zhou, and Prof. Dennis Peters.

Congratulations to Indiana University Student Chapter for being named ECS’s Outstanding Student Chapter for 2015.

The ECS Outstanding Student Chapter Award was established in 2012 to recognize distinguished student chapters that demonstrate active participation in The Electrochemical Society’s technical activities, establish community and outreach activities in the areas of electrochemical and solid state science and engineering education, and create and maintain a robust membership base.

With a competitive applicant pool this year, the student chapter at Indiana University truly demonstrated how they live out the mission of ECS within their community. As highlighted in their application, “Indiana University’s ECS Student Chapter is dedicated to the promotion of electrochemical and solid state science among three demographics: the general community, the general undergraduate and graduate student body at Indiana University, and the student ECS members.”

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Posted in Students

Students: Want to Give a Demo in Phoenix?

Edision Theatre Demo - Madhivanan Muthuvel

Madhivanan Muthuvel from the Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research at
Ohio University doing a demonstration on Urea Electrolysis or Pee to Power as part of Edison Theatre.

We have created a special opportunity for student members at the 228th ECS Meeting in Phoenix.

In the exhibit hall we have a booth which we are calling the Edison Theatre. Here we would like to give you the chance to:

  • demonstrate a portion of the research you have been working on
  • share projects you are taking to elementary and middle schools or community events
  • share projects you are working on with peers or cohorts within your academic setting

This is meant to be a “show and tell.” Your presentation can be anywhere from 10-15 minutes long. You can do it once or multiple times during exhibit hours. We’ll be happy to help you with your demonstration.

Edision Theatre Demo -Mike Zach

Mike Zach demonstrating a new electrochemical nanomanufacturing method that’s simple and robust enough to perform on the trade show floor in the Edison Theatre.

Here’s a piece of a video that takes a quick look at Mike Zach at the Edison Theatre from the 227th ECS Meeting in Chicago:

We are scheduling slots in the Theatre on a first come first served basis. We would like to book them as soon as possible so we can start promoting them.

We hope you want to take this opportunity to show off you and your chapter’s hard work.

Contact Rob.Gerth@electrochem.org if you’re interested.

ECS’s Nate Lewis is propelling his vision of efficient and affordable alternative energy sources with the new development of an “artificial leaf” system that splits water through solar energy to create hydrogen fuel.

(PS: Make sure to catch Nate Lewis’ presentation this October at the fifth international Electrochemical Energy Summit held during the 228th ECS Meeting!)

“This new system shatters all of the combined safety, performance, and stability records for artificial leaf technology by factors of 5 to 10 or more,” says Lewis, a 33-year ECS member and scientific director of the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis.

Shattering Water Splitting Records

He and his team, including postdoctoral scholar and ECS member Ke Sun, were able to achieve recording-setting outcomes through the development of a advice with three novel components: two electrodes, one photoanode and one photocathode, and a membrane.

This from Futurity:

The photoanode uses sunlight to oxidize water molecules, generating protons and electrons as well as oxygen gas. The photocathode recombines the protons and electrons to form hydrogen gas.

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13 New Job Postings in Electrochemistry

wordle 10ECS’s job board keeps you up-to-date with the latest career opportunities in electrochemical and solid state science. Check out the latest openings that have been added to the board.

P.S. Employers can post open positions for free!

Electroanalytical Sales Scientist
Pine Research Instrumentation – Durham, NC
The position encompasses critical aspects of sales and support for the electrochemical instrumentation product line offered by Pine Research Instrumentation. This position couples deep understanding of electrochemical science with the ability to communicate and interact with other people. Successful individuals in this position enjoy the unique chance to blend interpersonal skills (for sales and marketing purposes) with scientific knowledge (for technical support and advice).

PhD Student in Electrochemical Conversion of Biomass
Ohio University – Athens, OH
The Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research (CEER) at Ohio University is searching for PhD students to join a team of researchers working on electrochemical conversion of biomass. The successful candidate will develop materials and processes for electrochemical conversion of biomass to fuels and industrial chemicals, including developing electrocatalysts and reactor systems. Product stream analysis is an integral component of this program.

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Two ECS Members Win Professorship Awards

Two key ECS members have recently received prestigious professorship awards from the University of Florida’s Department of Chemical Engineering. The department has recognized Mark Orazem and Fan Ren for their outstanding commitment to education and innovative research in chemical engineering.

Orazem_2011_cmykMark Orazem was awarded the ExxonMobil Gator Chemical Engineering Alumni Professorship for his excellence in research and tremendous impact in academia. Orazem, an ECS Fellow, joined the Society in 1978 and has previously been recognized for his excellence in student impact in 2012 when he received the ECS Henry B. Linford Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Orazem is a recognized expert on impedance spectroscopy. His research helps to provide valuable insight into such diverse systems as batteries, fuel cells, corroding metals, and human skin. His research ranges in scope—from assisting in the development of biosensors for companies such as Medtronic to engineering dewatering mining waste streams for Mosaic. He served for ten years as an associate editor for the Journal of The Electrochemical Society and authored the seminal Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.

(PS: You can take a course instructed by him at the 228th ECS Meeting!)


Ren_FanFan Ren was awarded the Fred and Bonnie Edie Professorship, representing the highest standards of chemical engineering and serving as a role model for students. Ren is an ECS Fellow and an active member of the ECS Electronics & Photonics Division.

His groundbreaking research centers around electronic material and devices, where he pioneered the use of wide bandgap semiconductor sensors for chemical and biological detections. His acceptance lecture upon receiving the Gordon E. Moore Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Solid State Science and Technology in 2013 focused on this topic of researcher, detailing the cross-section between semiconductors and biosensors for medical applications such as glucose monitoring, biomarker detection for infectious diseases, and cancer diagnosis.

Wanted: Student Volunteers

student-twitter-adECS is excited to announce the launch of a new pilot program for ECS student members at the 228th ECS Meeting in Phoenix, AZ, October 11-15, 2015.

As a student aide you will work closely with the ECS staff and gain first-hand experience in what it takes to execute an ECS biannual meeting. Take advantage of the opportunity to network and engage with meeting attendees, symposium organizers and ECS staff while learning how registration operates, technical sessions run and how major meeting programs are facilitated.

Interested in participating within this program? Click here to fill out your application today!

Please note, the deadline to apply is September 2nd, the selected candidates will notified by September 4th.

Benefits include a unique behind the scenes experience, networking opportunities, discounted Phoenix meeting registration, an ECS shirt and a certificate of participation! For more information or questions regarding the application process please contact beth.fisher@electrochem.org.

We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix!