USU Engineering Professor Earns 2025 ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award

Ziyu Wang, assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at Utah State University, has been selected as one of the 36 recipients of the 2025 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, presented by Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

Chosen from a competitive pool of 164 applicants representing 91 member institutions, Wang's selection recognizes outstanding promise in his early career and excellence in research. The award provides a $5,000 award from ORAU, matched by an equal contribution from USU.

"As a junior faculty member, this prestigious award encourages me a lot," said Wang. "I am glad to see that this challenging work has been recognized by the ORAU society, which helps keep me motivated to continue working on it."

Wang's research focuses on how carbon-neutral fuels like hydrogen and ammonia burn under extremely high pressure. At these supercritical conditions, the way fuel molecules collide and interact can significantly affect how the fuel burns and the type of emissions produced. Gaining a better understanding of this process is essential for developing next-generation engines that are more efficient and produce lower emissions.

The Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards are intended to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty. This award is open to all full-time assistant professors at ORAU member institutions within two years of their tenure track appointment. Their research must fall within engineering, applied science, life sciences, mathematics, computer sciences, physical sciences, policy, management, or education.

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Writer: Madeline Buskirk, madeline.buskirk@usu.edu, 435-797-7512

Contact: Ziyu Wang, ziyu.wang@usu.edu, 435-797-2294