You Qiang | Nanotechnology for Renewable Energy | Best Faculty Award

Prof. Dr. You Qiang | Nanotechnology for Renewable Energy | Best Faculty Award

Professor | University of Idaho | United States

Dr. You Qiang, a distinguished Professor of Physics at the University of Idaho, has dedicated over four decades to pioneering research in nanoparticles and nanomaterials, with a particular focus on nanoclusters, nanocomposites, and their magnetic, optical, and transport properties. He received his B.S. in Engineering Physics from Hefei University of Technology, China, an M.S. in Physics from Harbin Institute of Technology and the Chinese Academy of Space Technology, and his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Freiburg, Germany. His professional journey includes significant roles as Research Scientist and Senior Scientist at the University of Freiburg, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and since 2002, a progressive career from Assistant to Full Professor at the University of Idaho, where he also holds an adjunct appointment in Nuclear Engineering. Dr. Qiang’s research interests lie in the synthesis and characterization of advanced nanomaterials and their application to nuclear energy, radiation detection, and radioactive waste separation, integrating fundamental physics with practical technological solutions. His research skills span experimental synthesis, advanced spectroscopy, ion irradiation studies, and nanoscale materials characterization, contributing to high-impact publications in JACS, Nanoscale, Environmental Science & Technology, Advanced Functional Materials, and Journal of Physical Chemistry C. Beyond his scholarly output, he has demonstrated strong leadership as President of the Idaho Academy of Science and Engineering, organizer and chair of multiple international conferences, and editorial board member for leading journals. His dedication to mentorship has been recognized with multiple Alumni Awards for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentorship, underscoring his commitment to training the next generation of scientists. Dr. Qiang’s academic impact is substantial, with his growing recognition reflected in 2,906 citations, 97 documents, and an h-index of 27, demonstrating his influential role in advancing nanomaterials and nuclear energy research.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID | ResearchGate | LinkedIn

Featured Publications

1. Haberland, H., Mall, M., Moseler, M., Qiang, Y., Reiners, T., & Thurner, Y. (1994). Filling of micron‐sized contact holes with copper by energetic cluster impact. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, 12(5), 2925–2930. Cited by: 540

2. Wang, C. M., Baer, D. R., Thomas, L. E., Amonette, J. E., Antony, J., & Qiang, Y. (2005). Void formation during early stages of passivation: Initial oxidation of iron nanoparticles at room temperature. Journal of Applied Physics, 98(9), 094308. Cited by: 331

3. Wang, C., Baer, D. R., Amonette, J. E., Engelhard, M. H., Antony, J., & Qiang, Y. (2009). Morphology and electronic structure of the oxide shell on the surface of iron nanoparticles. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 131(25), 8824–8832. Cited by: 290

4. Qiang, Y., Antony, J., Sharma, A., Nutting, J., Sikes, D., & Meyer, D. (2006). Iron/iron oxide core-shell nanoclusters for biomedical applications. Journal of Nanoparticle Research, 8(3), 489–496. Cited by: 262

5. Baer, D. R., Amonette, J. E., Engelhard, M. H., Gaspar, D. J., Karakoti, A. S., Kuchibhatla, S. V. N. T., & Qiang, Y. (2008). Characterization challenges for nanomaterials. Surface and Interface Analysis, 40(3–4), 529–537. Cited by: 189

Mehdi Safaei | Sustainable Energy | Renewable Energy Education Award

Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehdi Safaei | Sustainable Energy | Renewable Energy Education Award

Assistant Professor | Istanbul Gelişim University | Turkey

Dr. Mehdi Safaei is an accomplished scholar with over 12 years of teaching and research experience in Industrial Engineering, specializing in supply chain management, logistics optimization, and sustainable supply networks. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering (Logistics and Supply Network) from the University of Bremen, Germany in 2014, graduating with magna cum laude distinction and a perfect GPA, supported by the prestigious IGS scholarship. He also holds an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran, where he ranked first in the highly competitive national entrance examination. Professionally, Dr. Safaei has served as Assistant Professor at Istanbul Gelisim University since 2019, leading TÜBİTAK-funded projects, publishing extensively, and supervising more than 400 undergraduate and 30 graduate theses. His previous roles include Assistant Professor at Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Lecturer at the University of Tehran and Al-Zahra University, and Research Assistant at BIBA-LogDynamic, Germany, where he received three Best Paper Awards. His research interests include dynamic supply network design, green supply chain management, machine learning in logistics, crisis management, and Industry 4.0 integration. He is skilled in supply chain modeling, project management, risk analysis, and quantitative research, with advanced expertise in simulation, ERP systems, and statistical analysis. A dedicated mentor and collaborator, he has translated key logistics texts, authored two books, and published 40+ journal and conference papers in reputed outlets such as IEEE, Elsevier, and Scopus-indexed journals. His professional affiliations include INFORMS, CSCMP, EurOMA, IISE, and IAENG, reflecting his active engagement with the global research community. Dr. Safaei’s outstanding achievements have earned him honors such as “Magna Cum Laude” recognition, national top rankings, and multiple international awards. Dr. Safaei’s growing academic impact is reflected in 132 citations, 17 documents, and an h-index of 7, demonstrating his significant and sustained influence in the field of industrial engineering and sustainable supply chain management.

Profiles: Google Scholar | Scopus | ORCID | ResearchGate | LinkedIn

Featured Publications

1. Alsharif, A. H., Salleh, N. Z. M., Baharun, R. B., & Safaei, M. (2020). Neuromarketing approach: An overview and future research directions. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, 98(7), 915–925. Cited by 65

2. Safari, Y., Abdollahi, S. A., Mahmoudi, M., Safaei, M., Taghinia, F., & Pasha, P. (2023). Numerical study of heat transfer of wavy channel supercritical CO2 PCHE with various channel geometries. International Journal of Thermofluids, 18, 100330. Cited by 32

3. Mosier, W., Elhadary, T., Elhaty, I. A. M., & Safaei, M. (2020). Crisis management and the impact of pandemics on religious tourism. Dublin Institute of Technology Conference Proceedings. Cited by 30

4. Safaei, M. (2014). An integrated multi-objective model for allocating the limited sources in a multiple multi-stage lean supply chain. Economic Modelling, 37, 224–237. Cited by 26

5. Safaei, M., & Thoben, K. D. (2014). Measuring and evaluating of the network type impact on time uncertainty in the supply networks with three nodes. Measurement, 56, 121–127. Cited by 20