Haotian Wang, the William Marsh Rice Trustee Chair and assistant professor in chemical and biomolecular engineering (ChBE), has received the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum’s Young Investigator Award.
Wang was recognized for “outstanding research in the development of novel nanomaterials for energy and environmental applications in energy storage, chemical/fuel generation, and water treatment.” The award was presented during the AICHE’s annual meeting in November.
Wang, who holds a joint position in materials science and nanoengineering, and chemistry, joined the Rice faculty in 2019. He earned his Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford University in 2016 and worked as a Rowland Fellow at Harvard University.
His research focuses on renewable energy technologies, including novel electrocatalysts for energy storage, sustainable chemical synthesis and water treatment. In 2020, Wang was awarded a four-year, $2-million collaborative grant by the Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program of the National Science Foundation to explore ways to directly convert waste carbon dioxide into pure liquid fuels.
Last year, Wang was named to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s annual class of Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering and received a five-year, $875,000 grant for research. He was selected as a 2021 Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow, which comes with a two-year grant of $75,000.