Broader Impact
Our group collaborated with the Department of Public Relations at UA to convert scientific research results into vivid stories appropriate for the general public.
– Our recent paper about flexible, transparent electrodes has been converted to a story about shatter-proof touch screens and posted on the UA website. The news received numerous citations and spread nationally and even internationally within a few days. Also, the local Fox 8 news television station from Cleveland gave a short report and broadcast to ~3.5 million users in northeast Ohio (http://fox8.com/2014/06/10/smart-screen-local-university-says-new-technology-could-change-face-of-phones/). Many people were able to learn from this news story that touch screens are made from transparent electrodes.
– Dr. Zhu accepted an interview from WKSU-FM, a non-commercial educational radio station and the local affiliate for National Public Radio (NPR). He introduced 2D materials and their applications to the general public (http://www.wksu.org/news/story/43699)
Science Olympiad 2015
Dr. Zhu coached the session “Smart Film” in the Science Olympiad 2015. Many students from 4~6 grade in Akron have enrolled the program. Five topics have been introduced this year in a period of six weeks. These include:
• Touch Screen
• Organic Light-Emitting Diode
• Solar Cells
• Electrochromic Films
• Supercapacitors
The students learn the basis of those technologies and also fabricate their own devices in the classes!
Dr Zhu’s group teaching student various topics.
Students assembling batteries with the assistance from instructors.
Dr. Zhu’s group teaches students how devices work.
Images from 2014
NSF I-Corps Site Program
NSF I-Corps Site Program has picked up our project “High Performance Transparent Electrode”. The I-Corps team (Dr. Zhu, graduate student Tianda He and Dr. Victoria D. Scarborough from Sherwin-Williams Co.) is formed to help the conversion of research results to the commercial products. Our group is constantly trying to bring the state of art research results to the society within and beyond the university.
Transparent Electrode Research under NSF I-Corps Program. Video is here!
NSF I-Corps@Ohio
NSF I-Corps@Ohio has chosen our project “Transparent Conducting Coating”. The I-Corps team (Dr. Zhu, graduate student Yu-Ming Chen, undergraduate student Clinton Taubert, mentor Stuart Schaefer[Entrepreneur], and mentor Tim Fahey [Director of Team neo NorTech]) is formed to discover the value propositions, the customer segments and the product market fit in order to turn research into commercial products.
