ChE faculty Dr. Brett Savoie selected for ORAU Ralph E. Powe Award

Dr. Brett Savoie, Assistant Professor in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, has been selected to receive the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award. He will receive a one-year grant from ORAU to be matched by Purdue University. Dr. Savoie was one of only thirty-six faculty selected to receive the award, from almost 170 applicants nationwide.

Dr. Brett Savoie, Assistant Professor in the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, has been selected to receive the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award.

Dr. Savoie will receive a one-year grant, which runs from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020, and includes a $5,000 award from ORAU to be matched by Purdue University. He was one of only thirty-six faculty selected to receive the award, from almost 170 applicants nationwide.

ORAU’s Powe Awards are designed to propel research and spark professional growth for junior faculty at ORAU member institutions. The competitive research awards provide seed money for junior faculty members that often result in additional funding from other sources.

“We’re honored to be recognized by ORAU,” explained Dr. Savoie. “This award will provide critical seed funding to support our research on plastics with novel sensing and conductive properties. Awards like this fund the collection of preliminary data that is critical for establishing credibility when applying for larger awards. We are tremendously thankful for this generous support.”

Dr. Savoie’s research group focuses on accelerating the design and characterization of energy-related materials using theoretical methods. Burgeoning computational power and algorithm development have made theoretical characterization and screening essential steps in modern materials development. From first-principles predictions of electronic structure, catalytic activity, and even crystal structure—methods development continues to push the frontier of what material properties can be predicted in advance, thus economizing costly synthesis and optimization efforts.

Eligibility for the Powe Awards is open to full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their initial tenure track appointment at the time of application.

Learn more about Dr. Brett Savoie and his research at https://engineering.purdue.edu/ChE/people/ptProfile?resource_id=169347.

Read about Oak Ridge Associated Universities at https://www.orau.org/index.html.

Learn more about the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award at https://www.orau.org/university-partnerships/member-grant-programs/powe/index.html.

Read the Oak Ridge Associated Universities news release.