COE Launches Battery and Energy Storage Systems Initiative

NC State University’s College of Engineering launched a new initiative that will lead efforts to advance research in battery and energy storage systems and develop new courses and curricula in support of North Carolina’s growing energy sector.

The College of Engineering’s Battery and Energy Storage Systems Initiative is led by a committee co-chaired by Veronica Augustyn and Peter Fedkiw.

“NC State has driven innovation in battery science and engineering for decades, both in the lab and in the classroom,” Augustyn said. “The goal of this initiative is to capitalize upon — and grow — this innovation and establish the college as the premier center in North Carolina for battery and energy storage systems teaching and research.”

The committee is leading the hiring process for two positions: the Goodnight Distinguished Chair in Battery and Energy Storage Systems Engineering and a professional track faculty position in the area of batteries and energy storage. 

“These faculty positions will strengthen our efforts in battery science teaching and research,” Fedkiw said. “We already have faculty across 12 departments at NC State with expertise in battery science and engineering. Bringing in two new positions focused exclusively on batteries and energy storage will emphasize our expertise and hone our efforts in a new way.”

With the increasing adoption of electric vehicles and use of battery and energy storage systems in the power grid, the demand for battery advancements is higher than ever, as is the need to grow the industry in the U.S. North Carolina leads the U.S. in the production of lithium minerals, and the state’s battery sector is growing with the arrival of Toyota, Natron Energy, Forge Nano, Vinfast and other companies.

“The college’s ongoing growth in student enrollment and faculty to meet North Carolina’s need for more highly trained engineers and computer scientists makes this the right time to advance our energy storage research and teaching,” said Jim Pfaendtner, Louis Martin-Vega Dean of Engineering. “The committee’s work advances the college’s role as a leader in battery engineering and energy storage systems while supporting regional economic development and national energy initiatives.”

Augustyn is the Jake and Jennifer Hooks Distinguished Scholar in Materials Science and Engineering, a University Faculty Scholar and an associate professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Fedkiw is an Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

The committee is rounded out with members who bring critical domain expertise as well as leadership at the university and government levels. These are: 

• Nina Balke, Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Director of the Analytical Instrumentation Facility
• Joseph DeCarolis, Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and former Administrator of the U.S. Energy Information Administration
• Srdjan Lukic, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Deputy Director of the FREEDM Center
• Susmita Sarkar, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Xiangwu Zhang, Samuel S. Walker Distinguished Professor in Textile Innovation in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science and Associate Dean for Research in the Wilson College of Textiles

To kick off the initiative, the committee will host a Distinguished Seminar Series in Energy Storage and an Energy Storage Initiative Day this fall semester.

More information is available at engr.ncsu.edu/battery-initiative.

This post was originally published in College of Engineering News.