‘Elevating Eight’ seen as future leaders in higher education

You can call them the Elevating Eight.

Within a span of just over a year, two of the nation's top awards for early-career faculty have gone to eight members of the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences.

Seven received CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation, and one secured a New Innovator Award from the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research.

The awards help fund recipients' research and educational programs, while marking them as rising stars in academia with high potential for leadership.

Those who won awards for early-career faculty are: (top row, from left) Jackie Cha, Long Cheng, Jordon Gilmore; (middle row) Federico Iuricich, Nathan McNeese and Zhaoxu Meng; (bottom row) Shunyu Liu and Ge Lv.

Their research covers a range of topics, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, health innovation, sustainable advanced materials and advanced manufacturing.

Those with CAREER Awards are also planning educational programs related to their research, reaching from the K-12 system to the Ph.D. level.

Daniel L. Noneaker, associate dean for research, said the awards underscore the college's leadership in advancing technology and pioneering new education techniques.

"Research in the college focuses on finding solutions to critical, real-world challenges in accordance with the Clemson Elevate strategic plan," he said. "These efforts drive progress while creating leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs who will be well-positioned to meet future challenges. I congratulate each of the award winners."

Anand Gramopadhye, dean of the college, said the awards help strengthen the research community as Clemson works to build a faculty aligned with the standards of the Association of American Universities, which is a priority in the Clemson Elevate strategic plan.

"I offer each of the award winners my heartfelt congratulations," he said. "These awards spark transformative ideas, cultivate collaborative partnerships and plant the seeds for the next generation of top talent. This augurs well not only for the college and University but also for the state and beyond."

Below is a look at early-career faculty members who received prestigious awards from June 2023-July 2024. While most received CAREER Awards,
Meng received the New Innovator Award.

Jackie Cha, assistant professor of industrial engineering, is working to better understand how humans in the operating room and robots will team up in the future.

Long Cheng, an assistant professor in the School of Computing, is focused on ensuring privacy compliance and content safety for smart-speaker systems, also called voice personal assistants.

Jordon Gilmore, an associate professor of bioengineering, is developing a sensor designed to detect bacterial infections in wounds before they become serious and resistant to antibiotics.

Federico Iuricich, an assistant professor in the School of Computing, is investigating and developing new point-cloud visualization techniques that would be assisted by artificial intelligence, a step toward 3D models that are easier to use.

Nathan McNeese, an associate professor in the School of Computing, is designing AI systems that can work well with people by understanding what humans need from AI teammates and ensuring AI contributes positively to teamwork.

Zhaoxu Meng, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has launched research into finding ways of making sustainable food packaging from biopolymers, such as the cellulose in kudzu.

Shunyu Liu, an assistant professor of automotive engineering, is working to develop an innovative form of additive manufacturing with metal that would make the piece tougher and stronger for structural applications.

Ge Lv, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and bioengineering, is working on new strategies that would help powered exoskeletons adapt to different tasks and people more quickly than it currently takes.

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