Research @ UVA Engineering

Engineering for a Sustainable Future

Engineering a better future will require the best work of researchers collaborating along the spectrum from the tiniest building blocks of materials through the complex workings of entire societal systems. We work at the micro- and nano-scale in fields like heat transfer, catalysis and 2-D materials to identify fundamental properties of matter. Our goal is not simply to conduct research, but to pursue research with positive global impact.

Research Area

Optics, Photonics and Sensing Energy, Transportation and the Environment Materials Engineering & Nanotechnology
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  • materials sample under magnification

    Electrical Magnetic Optical Properties

    Materials Science and Engineering Our research in electrical, magnetic and optical properties of materials makes modern computation and communication possible.
  • a student holds up a sample

    Energy and Environment

    Chemical Engineering Our chemical engineers are creating innovations in battery chemistry, solar materials, and impacting large-scale energy storage. They're also developing membranes for desalination, forward osmosis, osmotic power, and batteries. Additionally, they're engaged in bioremediation and designing biorenewable molecules to enhance safer and sustainable chemical production and combustable.

  • Engineering Materials and Design

    Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Hand holding a personal medical device with data on screen

    Human-Technology Interaction

    Systems and Information Engineering When people interface with technology, complex questions arise: from automous control timing and priority, risk and decision analysis, usable haptics, and computing, and integrating human and machine intelligence, our researchers are improving humans’ ability to work effectively in complex technical systems.
  • X-51a Wave Rider hypersonic vehicle

    Hypersonic Research

    Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering UVA has over 35 years of experience in hypersonic technology development and hypersonic ground and flight testing. We have 17 faculty that are actively conducting research in hypersonics-related or hypersonics-relevant areas. Our core strengths lie in air-breathing propulsion and materials for hypersonic applications.
  • Our Purpose

    LASER

  • Hypersonics

    Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • computer screen with lines of code

    Information and Intelligent Automation

    Systems and Information Engineering Exploring intelligent, automated technology and method development and innovative ways these intelligent systems can improve society.

  • LASER
  • Students in a lab study a sample

    Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology

    Chemical Engineering Our nanotechnology research explores polymer nanocomposites, nanomaterials, and advanced polymer membrane materials, including semiconductor and nanoparticle research, metal-organic frameworks crystal growth, and engineering biomaterials for diverse applications like tissue engineering, drug delivery, and electronic devices.
  • graphic illustration of data

    Operations Research and Analytics

    Systems and Information Engineering Systems researchers model, analyze and improve the most complex systems in th world, using analytics. , including machine learning and artificial intelligence, optimization, stochastic processes, and discrete-event and agent-based simulation to improve domains from manufacturing, human health, defense and energy.
  • abstract illustration of photons

    Photonics

    Electrical and Computer Engineering We lead in photodetector research on high-speed, high-power photodiodes and low noise avalanche photodiodes.