Lei Cao’s award was the sixth CAREER award won by the UNR College of Engineering faculty in 2022. | Lucas Vasques/Pixabay
Lei Cao’s award was the sixth CAREER award won by the UNR College of Engineering faculty in 2022. | Lucas Vasques/Pixabay
A University of Nevada, Reno mechanical engineering assistant professor recently won a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for her work to to develop stronger, more flexible titanium alloys.
According to a press release, Lei Cao and her team are analyzing the fine structures within titanium alloys in order to increase strength and pliability. Cao and her team will receive an award of $554,915 over the next five years to help with their research.
“We are so proud of Dr. Cao’s achievement,” Engineering Dean Erick Jones said, according to the release. “Her work is exemplary and highlights some of the top-notch research the College of Engineering is doing in the area of resilient supply chains, lithium and critical materials.”
Improvements in titanium alloy could lead to advancements in the aerospace and automotive industries .
“This CAREER project will be a critical step for me to achieve my long-term career goals to control mechanical properties of industry-critical materials by engineering fundamental materials physics,” Cao said.
Cao’s award is the sixth CAREER award won by the UNR College of Engineering faculty in 2022. The department has received at least one CAREER award every year since its inception.
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