OU Engineering Professors Selected for Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame

-
Two engineering educators at the University of Oklahoma have been selected as inductees into the 2020 Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame for their distinctive achievements and contributions to higher education.

David Sabatini, founding director of the Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center and associate director of the Institute for Applied Surfactant Research in the Gallogly College of Engineering; and Daniel Resasco, Gallogly Chair of Chemical Engineering in the Gallogly College of Engineering; are among this year’s 11 inductees.

“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Sabatini and Dr. Resasco, who have worked hard throughout their careers to earn this prestigious honor,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Their selection is a testament to their commitment to their students, research and the University of Oklahoma. We are fortunate to have world-class faculty like them who help advance our sacred purpose.”

Since 1994, the Oklahoma Higher Education Society has recognized individuals whose achievement and leadership in scholarship, teaching, research, administration, staff support, outreach and public service have brought honor and distinction to higher education in Oklahoma by inducting them into the Hall of Fame. To date, more than 200 individuals have been honored.

Sabatini is the director of the Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER) Center and serves as the associate director of the Institute for Applied Surfactant Research. He joined OU in 1989 and is a David Boyd Professor and Sun Oil Co. Endowed Chair of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.

His research focuses on sustainable drinking water systems for developing countries, surfactant-based environmental and biofuel technologies, and understanding/characterizing contaminant transport and remediation in the subsurface.

He is the associate editor of the Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, associate editor of Journal of Surfactants and Detergents and an editorial board member of the Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. He has co-authored or co-edited four books and more than 200 refereed journal publications. 

Sabatini has received numerous awards, including the International Service Award from the U.S. National Chapter of International Association of Hydrogeologists, Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching from the Oklahoma Foundation of Excellence and the OU David L. Boren Award for Outstanding Global Engagement. 

He earned his bachelor of science degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his master of science degree from Memphis State University and his doctorate from Iowa State University, all in civil engineering. 

Resasco is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and holds the inaugural Gallogly Chair of Engineering. His research focuses on material synthesis, characterization of materials under reaction conditions and precise measurement of the catalytic behavior with the goal of understanding the relationship between the catalytic performance and the microscopic structure and composition of the material, in addition to the links between the synthesis process and the final catalyst. He has co-authored 300 articles and 30 patents.

In 2003, Resasco was named a George Lynn Cross Professor, the highest research honor bestowed by OU. He has also received the N.N. Bakhshi Lectureship Award in Chemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, the Oklahoma Chemist of the Year Award from the American Chemical Society and was a finalist for the Small Times U.S. Innovator of the Year in 2007. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of Argentina.

He earned his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina and his doctorate from Yale University.

Popular posts from this blog

OU Engineering Welcomes 14 New Faculty Members for 2023-24

-
Image
OU Engineering has welcomed 14 new faculty members for the 2023-24 academic year. This marks a milestone in the college's growth journey, with faculty numbers increasing from just over 100 in 2017 to 175 in 2023. OU Engineering is committed to expanding its faculty ranks, aiming for over 200 faculty members by the 2025-26 academic year, says OU Engineering Dean John Klier. To achieve this goal, the college has initiated more than 20 faculty searches. The State of Oklahoma continues to acknowledge the need for more engineers. They recently responded to OU Engineering’s request for additional recurring funding. The funding will play a crucial role in offering undergraduate student tuition waivers, supporting graduate students and helping recruit new faculty and staff. These positions will be phased in over the next three years. "OU Engineering extends its gratitude for the ongoing support from the State of Oklahoma as it continues to address the growing demand for engineers,&quo
Read more

OU Engineering 1 of 28 Teams Nationwide to Receive DEPSCoR Grant

-
Image
University of Oklahoma engineering researcher Reza Foudazi, Ph.D., has been selected to receive a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense under the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or DEPSCoR. The highly competitive grant was awarded to only 28 academic teams nationwide.  An associate professor in the School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, Foudazi’s research centers on the exploration of electrochemical energy storage systems that incorporate multivalent ions. He says the systems are of interest due to their potential for higher energy density when compared to conventional lithium-based systems.  “We are dedicated to advancing the field of electrochemical energy storage. The primary goal of this research is to understand the fundamental design principles behind nanostructured thermoresponsive electrolytes for multivalent ions,” Foudazi said.  Foudazi's team will produce ionogel electrolytes by using block copol
Read more

OU Engineering Students Shine in Community Projects

-
Image
At the University of Oklahoma, a transformative course called Pathways to Engineering Thinking is leaving a mark on OU students and the community. In the first-year engineering course, over 800 students across 16 sections collaborated to tackle real-world challenges presented by community partners. Their projects ranged from developing prosthetic limbs for injured animals to creating innovative solutions for community gardens and zoos. The course aims to guide students through the engineering design process, emphasizing collaborative teamwork and problem-solving skills.  This semester’s projects reached many areas of the community. Partnerships with the OU Food Pantry, OU Community Garden, Oklahoma City Zoo, OU Engineering K-12 Outreach, a local dog rescue and the City of Norman provided students with real-world challenges to address. Each team delved into issues presented by the partners, working toward delivering functional design solutions by the semester’s end. The heart of the cou
Read more