Written by: Larry D Frost May 20, 2013 The College of Engineering is pleased to announce that George Nelson, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, has earned a Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), a consortium of 109 major Ph.D.-granting universities. The Powe Award supports the research and professional growth of young faculty at ORAU member institutions. Dr. Nelson’s award is one of 30 awards given nationwide this year. It will support research on the stability of thermoelectric materials at high temperatures. Thermoelectric materials can convert heat directly to electric power, and may be used to produce power from concentrated solar energy or automobile exhaust. Thermoelectric materials have also been used in electrical generators that power space probes and satellites. Dr. Nelson’s research can lead to improvements in thermoelectric material production methods and performance. Dr. Nelson joined the faculty at UAH in August 2012 following an appointment as an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Connecticut. He received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Nelson’s research interests include transport phenomena, energy storage and conversion devices, sustainable energy systems, and multi-scale modeling and analysis.
