Eugene J. LeBoeuf, Frank M. Bowman and Timothy S. Fisher

Three junior faculty members in the School of Engineering recently won prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER awards.
       Receiving awards are Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Frank M. Bowman, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Timothy S. Fisher and Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Eugene J. LeBoeuf.
       "CAREER awards support exceptionally promising college and university junior faculty who are committed to the integration of research and education," said Rita Colwell, NSF director. "We recognize these faculty members, new in their careers, as most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century."
       Bowman's award-winning research focuses on how to represent aerosols in the complex computer models used to predict air quality of the atmosphere.
       Aerosols, which are tiny particles of solids or liquid suspended in the air, can reduce visibility, have adverse health effects and can affect the climate. Produced by combustion and a variety of industrial and natural processes, aerosols are made up of hundreds of chemical groups and are extremely difficult to analyze and reproduce in computer models.
       Bowman is looking specifically at secondary organic aerosols, hydrocarbon compounds that are released into the atmosphere as gases and then condense into droplets or coat existing airborne particles. He is exploring ways to simulate these complex mixtures accurately in computer models and developing a simplified aerosol model for teaching purposes.
       Fisher is studying how diamond films might be used to create more efficient and reliable cooling and power generation systems to someday replace today's refrigerators, air conditioners and fossil-fuel power plants.
       Fisher will conduct experiments with arrays of micron-scale pyramidal tips made of diamond film to determine whether they can refrigerate and generate power. He became interested in the possibility by studying the work of Electrical Engineering Professor Jimmy Davidson and Associate Professor W.P. Kang's work in the use of diamond films for microelectronics. He was struck by the ability of the microscopic diamond tips that the two created to propel hotter electrons through a barrier, leaving cooler electrons behind. If this form of heat transfer can be harnessed, he realized, it should be possible to construct a solid-state energy conversion system without any moving parts.
       Professor LeBoeuf is investigating groundwater contamination by volatile organic compounds, an environmental problem that has cost the nation billions of dollars in contaminated site clean-up. He is examining the molecular level of such contamination and will investigate the effect of different types and structures of soil, the amount of natural organic matter present and the degree of soil porosity.
       Improved understanding of the molecular-level mechanisms that catch and hold these materials underground is essential to accurately estimate the real risk that such contamination represents. Professor LeBoeuf is also developing interactive software and case studies to help students understand the complex tradeoffs involved in groundwater
remediation efforts.