Research News

John Albrecht has been named interim associate dean for research for the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. His appointment begins Sept.1, 2026. Albrecht has been a professor in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science since 2012. He has served as the executive director of the University Research Organization (URO) in the MSU Office of Research and Innovation since 2022 and will continue in the leadership role while serving as interim with the college.

“I am among those who think that science has great beauty.” That sentiment from Nobel Prize–winning scientist and trailblazer Marie Curie comes to life every day in the work of Michigan State University researchers who develop breakthroughs and technologies that create a better world.

For decades, silicon has been the foundation of modern electronics because it is abundant, relatively affordable and well suited to the precise control of electrical current that makes computer chips possible. But today’s most advanced systems, from AI hardware to high-power and quantum technologies, are pushing silicon harder than ever, demanding more speed, more power and operation in hotter, harsher environments. As those demands grow, heat has become a major bottleneck: silicon remains essential, but it does not move heat nearly as well as diamond, making it harder to keep next-generation devices cool, compact and reliable.

Michael Hickner is creating new materials at Michigan State University to improve energy and water technologies. As the Craig A. Rogerson Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering, he uses polymer science and materials to solve engineering problems by applying the tools of chemistry and chemical engineering.

Are we alone in the universe? Consider mysterious ”extraterrestrial” radio signals. Unexplained gases on other planets. Things mistaken for UFOs.

Xinyue Liu, an assistant professor in the Michigan State University Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, has received a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Aitor Aguirre doesn’t describe his work as futuristic. He describes it as necessary. For decades, scientists have relied on animal models to study heart disease, test drugs and understand how the human heart develops and fails. Those models have been invaluable, but they have limits. A mouse heart is not a human heart. Its electrical rhythms are different. Its physiology is different. Some of the most common human heart conditions simply do not unfold the same way in animals.

Every time we drive, we engage in a complex activity that involves our thinking, physical abilities, vehicle and road conditions. There’s a lot to pay attention to, and sometimes we get distracted.

Medical devices implanted in muscular tissue work wonders to relieve chronic pain, rehabilitate muscles and control prosthetic limbs. However, traditional materials used to make the devices are hard to see on X-rays and CT scans. A new material developed at the MSU Polymer Engineering Lab provides high contrast on medical imaging for intramuscular implants, making implanted devices easier to locate and monitor.

Experts in road safety know that electronic speed feedback signs are helpful in getting drivers to slow down in road construction sites and that can help saves lives. National research recorded 850 fatalities and 42,084 injuries in work zones in 2024.