Chemical engineering professor recognized as one of top young researchers

Chemical engineering professor recognized as one of top
young researchers
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BY JADE BOYD
Rice News Staff

Michael Wong,
assistant professor of chemical engineering, was recently
recognized as one of the nation’s top young engineering
researchers by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Wong was chosen
as one of just 30 young engineers from the United States
to attend NAE’s Japan-America Frontiers of Engineering
symposium in Tokyo in October. The three-day event brings
together about 60 engineers ages 30 to 45 who are performing
leading-edge research and technical work.

The participants
come from industry, academia and government, with half the
invitees coming from the United States and half from Japan.

Wong was one
of just eight U.S. participants nominated directly by the
symposium’s organizers.

Wong’s research
interests lie in the creation and development of nanomate-rials
for applications in chemicals processing, environmental
remediation, encapsulation and delivery and other industries.
Wong’s research includes investigation of heterogeneous
acid catalysts that can make hydrocarbon processing and
petroleum refining more efficient and environmentally friendly,
as well as research into the surface chemistry and adsorption
properties of nanoparticle-based porous materials with tunable
pore sizes, high-surface areas and other characteristics
that are attractive to process-dependent industries.