Hosam Fathy, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, received the Bryant Early Career Professorship in Engineering.
Fathy directs the Control Optimization Laboratory, which focuses on control-oriented modeling of health degradation in advanced batteries, battery health-conscious optimal power management in sustainable energy systems, and networked hardware-in-the-loop simulation of sustainable energy systems.
“From a high-level perspective, our research focuses on the optimal management of energy generation, storage, and utilization systems such as batteries, smart buildings, smart microgrids, and plug-in hybrid vehicles,” Fathy said. “This research has the potential to have a significant impact on society-level energy sustainability. But to translate this potential into reality, we need to deeply engage a broader community of students, innovators, practitioners, and industry partners. This professorship will help my students and me take our research innovations out of the lab, across the so-called ‘valley of death’, and into the hands of a much broader community of innovators and learners. We’re very indebted to Edward and Cheryl Bryant for creating this professorship and giving us a tremendous push forward on our journey of not just doing good work, but also putting this research in the service of society.”
In 2014, Fathy received an Early CAREER award from the National Science Foundation in support of his research focusing on identifiability optimization in electrochemical battery systems. In 2009, he was named a College of Engineering Outstanding Research Scientist at the University of Michigan.
A Penn State faculty member since 2010, Fathy received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and his master’s degree from Kansas State University. His doctorate degree in mechanical engineering comes from the University of Michigan.
The purpose of this professorship is to recognize talented faculty working in the area of innovative energy solutions related to generation, storage, and delivery. Early career professorships offer support by targeting promising young faculty members at a crucial time in their careers. The professorships allow young faculty in the first ten years of their career to establish a commitment to teaching by directing initial energies to the classroom. Professorships may also provide start-up funds for new areas of research and teaching laboratories, as well as offer early recognition for outstanding accomplishments. Fathy’s appointment runs through June 2018.
Edward Bryant, a 1963 industrial and manufacturing engineering Penn State graduate, and his wife Cheryl endowed the Bryant Early Career Professorship. Bryant is the recipient of the 1990 Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award and the 1992 Alumni Fellow Award.