15 January 2013
Young scientist awards sponsor further research
The winners have been invited to return to IIASA for a 3-month period to continue their research.
Pin Pin Oh, a chemical and environmental engineering PhD student at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia, and Karol Opara, a mathematician at the Systems Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, jointly won the Mikhalevich Award for their research on modeling the membrane reactor for producing biodiesel fuel. Oh and Opara worked with IIASA's Advanced Systems Analysis Program to develop new methods needed for building the mathematical model of the reactor having the set of experimental data, which was scarce and inconsistent with chemical knowledge. The results show how an appropriate systems analysis can help solve practical engineering problems that cannot be effectively dealt with by standard approaches.
Stefan Schreier, a PhD student at the University of Bremen in Germany, was awarded the Peccei award for his research on nitrogen oxide emissions from wildfires in Russia. Forest fires release large amounts of greenhouse gases, such as nitrogen oxide, which impact air quality and climate. However, these emissions are difficult to calculate, particularly over large, remote areas like Russia. Schreier’s study, conducted with IIASA’s Ecosystems Services and Management program, combined satellite data on emissions with bottom-up data, land cover and vegetation maps, to create a new, more accurate estimate of fire emissions.
The IIASA YSSP brings advanced PhD students from around the world to conduct interdisciplinary research at IIASA, working closely with leaders in systems research. The Institute provides a uniquely international and interdisciplinary environment that supports creative and original research.
About the Awards
The Peccei and Mikhalevich awards are given annually for outstanding work by participants in IIASA's Young Scientists Summer Program. They provide financial support for the winners to return to IIASA for an additional three-month period of research. More.