The College of Engineering, Physics, and Computing at The Catholic University of America has received new internal funding for seven faculty-led projects through the University’s Innovation Fund. This support includes twelve CEPC faculty members across five departments, highlighting the College’s leadership in research and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Administered by the Office of the Provost, the University Innovation Fund is designed to stimulate high-impact research and innovation by providing researchers with access to additional marketplace funding. These seed grants support a range of early-stage activities essential to advancing novel ideas, including prototype development, regulatory compliance, feasibility analyses, and legal and intellectual property review.
Last year, faculty in the College received significant support through the first round of Innovation Fund awards. This second round builds on that momentum, reinforcing the College’s continued commitment to advancing innovative solutions and shaping the future through cutting-edge research.
Funded Faculty Projects
Below is the full list of recipients from the second round of Innovation Fund awards:
Title: SPARK - Summer Practicum in AI Reskilling
PIs: John Choy (Biology), Richard Kelly (Computer Science), Edward Trudeau (Computer Science)
Title: Physics-Constrained Real-Time AI for Streaming Data: A Production Pipeline for Next-Generation Nuclear Physics Experiments
PIs: Tanja Horn (Physics) and Dominick Rizk (Computer Science)
Title: Addressing Materials and Technical Hurdles in Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) with Electrofabricated Chitosan Membranes
PIs: Xiaolong Luo (Mechanical Engineering), Chuan-Fu Lin (Mechanical Engineering), Santiago Solares (Mechanical Engineering), and John Philip (Physics)
Title: Mapping Black Catholic DC: A Legacy of Faith, Education, and Social Justice Activism
PIs: Chy McGhee (Education), Joshua Samuels (Anthropology), Hannah Chesterton (Sociology), Rona Frederick (Education), and Otto Wilson (Biomedical Engineering)
Title: A Deep Learning Modeling of Optical Memory for Video-rate Imaging Through Opaque Scattering Media
PIs: George Nehmetallah (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Christopher Raub (Biomedical Engineering), and Dominick Rizk (Computer Science)
Title: New Approach for Generating Non-Trivial Qubits for Topological Quantum Computing
PIs: John Philip (Physics), Daniel Sierra-Sosa (Computer Science), and Subhadeep Datta (Physics)
Title: A Proof-of-Concept Study and Prototype Design of a Wearable Wireless Device to Monitor Breast Milk Expression to Improve Breastfeeding Rates
PIs: Rebecca Robert (Nursing), Alessandro Vato (Biomedical Engineering), and Christopher Raub (Biomedical Engineering)
These projects reflect a strong interdisciplinary approach, underscoring the collaborative spirit and scholarly excellence of our faculty. By working across disciplines, they strengthen individual research efforts while expanding the broader impact of innovation at the University.
Individuals, corporations, organizations, and alumni who wish to support the Innovation Fund and help advance groundbreaking research at Catholic University are encouraged to contact William Roth, Associate Vice President for University Advancement, at rothw@cua.edu.