Two McKelvey faculty awarded Global Incubator Seed Grants
Joshua Yuan, Sang-Hoon Bae recognized for environmental research projects
Joshua Yuan, Lucy & Stanley Lopata Professor and chair of the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, and Sang-Hoon Bae, assistant professor of mechanical engineering & materials science, both in the McKelvey School of Engineering, have been awarded Global Incubator Seed Grants from WashU Global and the Office of the Provost.
Designed to catalyze faculty-led international research, the Global Incubator Seed Grant program provides one-year, nonrenewable grants of up to $25,000 to help WashU faculty incubate new projects that involve at least one highly engaged international partner from universities, nongovernmental organizations or industry. Beyond funding, it provides a platform that builds relationships across disciplines and countries, enabling WashU and its global partners to co-create knowledge, advance research and shape policy with worldwide relevance.
Yuan will collaborate with University of São Paulo to transform lignin use. The project is built upon a new concept of electrochemical lignin depolymerization, where lignin is depolymerized in deep eutectic solvents in an electrolyzer. The project will allow the international team to continue to reveal the molecular mechanisms and develop cost-effective lignin-to-bioplastics conversion, ultimately offering a sustainable strategy for waste valorization.
Bae will collaborate with Seoul National University to redefine the way perovskites are made by pioneering the vacuum growth of single-crystal perovskite (PVSK) films — a transformative leap beyond conventional solution processing. The resulting perovskite platforms will enable radically improved solar cells, light emitters and multifunctional sensors, laying the groundwork for a new generation of high-efficiency, durable energy technologies.
Yuan and Bae were among 11 university recipients of the seed grants. Read the full story here.
