I am an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) in Reno, Nevada. I earned my doctorate in chemical engineering with emphasis in thermodynamics, chemical process modeling & simulation. My current research involves the use of atomistic modeling methods to develop and understand new materials for extreme applications. For instance, the development of metal hexaborides, which are ceramics with unique mechanical and electronic properties; or development of reverse micellar systems for synthesis of nano-particles, are two examples of projects that we work on. We work in close collaboration with experimental groups at the University of California, San Diego and Alfred University. We are also embarking on new modeling initiaves that involve the use of machine learning methods for various applications in process systems engineering including modeling of health care clinical operations for optimization and better understanding of risk.
Our research is driven by the potential and opportunities that cutting edge modeling provide for development of new engineerng technologies. We continously publish in peer-reviewed journals, and present our work in many international and national conferences. I am an active participant in the organization of sessions in annual meetings for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Materials Research Society (MRS), and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). I am currently the adviser for the student local chapters of AIChE & SHPE. I also work on mentoring of both graduate and undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds, and I have great interest in undergraduate STEM education for diverse student groups, in particular Hispanics. I am also engaged in various leadership roles with university committees, engineering accreditation, and community at large. For example, I served as the Northern Nevada Sierra Director and member of the executive board for the AIChE NORCAL section from 2010 to 2017. I am very interested in fostering international collaborative research & teaching opportunities with countries in Latin America.
PhD in Chemical Engineering, 1999
University of Nevada, Reno
MSc in Chemical Engineering, 1998
University of Nevada, Reno
BSc (Lic) in Chemical Engineering, 1991
University of Costa Rica
Thesis defense by Alex Buettner
Dissertation defense by Kevin M. Schmidt
Chemical & Materials Engineering Department’s Rubicon Cluster Basic Usage Guide
Intel True Scale Fabric Configuration/Install on Rubicon Rocks 6.2
The goal of this collaborative project is to establish a comprehensive research and education program between University of California San Diego and the University of Nevada, Reno, exploring the physical and chemical mechanisms controlling the storage and separation of gases in hexaboride (i.e., MB 6 ) materials, with the aim of extending the basic and practical knowledge of the synthesis as well as the chemical behavior (i.e., bonding states, electronic and defect structure, phase stability, and diffusion behavior) of these types of materials.
We use molecular dynamics (MD) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements to analyze the size of reverse micellar structures in the AOT-water-isooctane system at different water-to-surfactant ratios at ambient temperature and pressure. We find good qualitative agreement for the size and morphology behavior of the reverse micelle structures between molecular dynamics calculations and DLS measurements. The combination of MD with DLS allows a better interpretation of the experimental results, in particular for conditions where the structures are non-spherical, commonly observed at lower water-to-surfactant ratios.
The main goal of the project is to support the state of Nevada efforts in exploration and utilization of geothermal energy resources by closing the loop on the life cycle analysis of these activities. The main objectives of this project are: (a) Design and develop static and dynamic Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) scenarios and methods for sustainable development of geothermal energy extraction and exploration projects in Northern Nevada and (b) Evaluate and demonstrate the LCA framework with case studies of interest for the region, and possibly extend these to other renewable energy related activities in the region.
Thermochemical conversion can alter lignocellulosic biomass to fuel, chemicals and renewable power. However, pyrolysis and gasification of raw biomass feedstock have technical barriers that must be eliminated before successful commercialization. Feedstock handling is complex due to the varying natures of commercial timber, agricultural residues (rice hulls, corn stover, wheat chaff), and energy crops (switch grass), among others. Two distinct thermal pretreatment technologies are investigated in this project: wet torrefaction and dry torrefaction.
In this project, at the University of Nevada-Reno, we have come up with an alternative wastewater processing system named Sludge to Power (S2P) that produces electricity onsite from dried wastewater biosolids, while eliminating a waste stream of millions of tons per year per plant. The EPA estimate that 60,000 dry metric tons of sludge are produced annually in Nevada alone, which could turn this into 11 megawatts of power.
We use molecular thermodynamics approaches to characterize basic thermodynamic behavior of complex systems and substrates such as biomass and foods. For example, using molecular thermodynamics we study equilibrium moisture content in this type of substrates.
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