Stevens News / Research & Innovation

Two New NSF CAREER Awards to Stevens Faculty

Funding will support work in bioinspired materials, big-data analysis methods

Two Stevens faculty members have been awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER awards to support projects with applications in materials and data analysis, respectively.

Civil engineering professor Weina Meng will work to enhance the mechanical properties of cementitious materials by mimicking the properties and architectures of nacre, a strong, lightweight compound naturally produced by some mollusks.

The newly developed materials will have broad applications for building and transportation infrastructure construction; energy facilities; and aerospace.

In her project, "Consecutive Assembly-and-Mineralization Processed Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate Nacre with High Specific Flexural Strength and Fracture Toughness," Meng's team will design and control the growth of novel calcium-silicate-hydrate mesocrystals to form nacre structures using fabrication techniques such as freeze casting, controlled mineralization, organic phase infiltration, and hot-pressing. Machine learning tools will also be deployed in the design process.

Electrical and computer engineering professor Hang Liu will pursue algorithm and system co-designed methods that can power the development of more rapid, efficient and effective graph analytics in his NSF CAREER project, "An Algorithm and System Co-Designed Framework for Graph Sampling and Random Walk on GPUs.”  

Liu will integrate and innovate upon his previous research into graph sampling and random walk methods, both of which substantially reduce the graph size and required computing power to perform complex graph analysis on real-world graphs. He plans to create scalabale techniques that can take advantage of existing computing facilities as well as future exascale systems to accommodate graphs at the trillion-edge scale, providing a foundational tool for practitioners in academia, national research laboratories and industry.

Potential applications of the work include pandemic research, circuit design and software vulnerability evaluation.

Both projects are expected to continue through 2026.

Related Stories

Two people collaborate on building a drone with white frame and exposed circuitry on a wooden workbench. Tools including pliers and screwdrivers are visible on the table. One person wears a blue checkered shirt while assembling the device.
October 01, 2025
Let's Get "Phygital"
September 18, 2025
Are CEO Characteristics Related to a Company’s Social Impact?
September 10, 2025
Hadi Safari Katesari is Developing Tools for Smarter Economic Predictions
September 09, 2025
Lei Wu Tapped by National Renewable Energy Laboratory as Part of $1.85-Million Project to Improve Nationwide Electricity Grid Operations
More Research & Innovation

Stevens News

Stevens University Seal
Stevens Announces The Stevens Investment, a Transformative Plan to Promote Access to Higher Education
September 10, 2025
Stevens Named a ‘Dream School’ in Higher Education Expert Jeffrey Selingo’s New Book
September 09, 2025
Stevens Institute of Technology Receives Historic $21 Million Investment from A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation
September 11, 2025
Building Community Through Code
All Stevens News