Two Purdue University alumni were selected by Forbes magazine for its annual “30 Under 30” list of outstanding researchers who are younger than 30.

Ian Hamilton

Ian Hamilton, who earned his master’s degree in nuclear engineering in 2017, was selected for his work in creating a source of energy from the decay products of spent nuclear fuel.

Hamilton and three other Purdue undergraduate students initially founded Atlas Energy Systems, LLC, to expand and commercialize that nuclear research. He continues as CEO of the company.

He also continues his research developing technologies utilizing spent nuclear fuel through the Chain Reaction Innovations program at Argonne National Laboratory. Hamilton was one of only five chosen to join the program in 2017.

Hamilton has shown great experience as an entrepreneur, says Seungjin Kim, the Capt. James McCarthy, Jr. and Cheryl E. McCarthy Head of the School of Nuclear Engineering.

“This is a great example of taking the initiative in transforming innovative ideas into an entrepreneurial success,” Kim says. “I met Ian at Argonne National Laboratory in December, and he is already moving forward with turning other new ideas into practical products.”,/p>

Hamilton earned a BS in materials engineering in 2015.

You Wu

You Wu trained as a mechanical engineer at Purdue University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 2011 before moving on to MIT as a roboticist where he has explored and made inventions in various fields: energy, ocean, drones, wearables, and augmented reality. In the past five years, You put his heart into tackling one of the world’s greatest water problems — water leaks. He led a team to invent Robot Daisy, a robot that can effectively find leaks, save water and protect infrastructure.

He is cofounder of Pipeguard Robotics, a company that manufactures a shuttlecock-shaped robot called “Daisy” that travels through water pipes to detect leaks. Its sensors can detect minute suction forces that indicate water leaks. It also links with mapping software, so engineers can see exactly where leaks are occurring.

It’s an elegant solution to a big problem — over 20% of the world’s clean water is lost to pipe leaks. Pipeguard is contracted with Wise County, Virginia; the Lingang Industrial Zone in Shanghai; and Monterrey, Mexico.

While getting his bachelor’s degree at Purdue, Wu was president of Pi Tau Sigma and was a project lead for Purdue Solar Racing. He also worked with Prof. Karthik Ramani’s C Design Lab. Wu developed the Daisy robot at MIT.