Two UCF Engineering Professors Honored by AAAS

By Barb Abney Feb. 18, 2009

Photo: Courtesy of UCF Marketing

Issa Batarseh and Sudipta Seal were elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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Two University of Central Florida engineering professors have been elected to an elite fellowship dedicated to advancing science around the world.

Issa Batarseh, a professor of Electrical Engineering, and Sudipta Seal, a professor of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, were honored as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at the organization’s annual meeting last weekend in Chicago.

Batarseh is the director of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Seal also is affiliated with UCF’s Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center and NanoScience Technology Center.

The UCF professors were among 486 fellows recognized by their peers for their efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications in service to society.

Election to fellowship in the society is one of the most coveted recognitions for scientists, and it gives them a voice in influencing public policy. In addition to publishing scientific newsletters, books and reports, the organization supports educational programs and speeches by globally recognizable leaders such as former Vice President Al Gore in an attempt to increase understanding of science worldwide.  The society also publishes Science, one of the most respected journals in the world for scientific discovery.   

“This is an honor not only for Drs. Batarseh and Seal, but also for the entire UCF community,” said Marwan Simaan, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. 

Batarseh was elected for his work in the area of power electronics and solar energy conversion.  His work in developing electronics to convert the energy collected in solar panels to a form useable in domestic electricity grids is licensed by PetraSolar, Inc. The company has raised $14 million and has located its research and development facilities in the Central Florida Research Park next to UCF’s main campus. The company is looking to challenge the world’s leaders in the development of novel solar energy systems.  

Seal was elected for research into the synthesis of engineered rare earth nanoparticles. His work has led to an array of uses for the miniature cells and has been shown to have benefits such as prolonged neuronal life and anti-aging, wound healing and glaucoma prevention properties. Some of his work is licensed to nSolgel, a company that is converting fly ash, the waste product of coal-fired electric generation, into a cement substitute called “zeroCrete.”  Seal also is a fellow of one of the prestigious national organizations for materials engineering, the American Society of Materials.
 
The researchers each received the AAAS Fellowship Rosette, a symbol of their achievement, at their installation.

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