Vikrant C. Aute Appointed CEEE Director

Research Professor Vikrant C. Aute has been appointed director of CEEE, effective May 1, 2025. Aute is a familiar face to the CEEE community, as he has been an integral part of the center for nearly 25 years.

Aute served as CEEE co-director (2019-2025) and is an internationally recognized expert whose translational scholarship and research has revolutionized the development of heat exchangers and heat pump systems. He plans to build upon CEEE’s role as a leader in HVAC&R innovation.

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Reinhard Radermacher Honored Posthumously

We’re honored to share the news of the posthumous selection of former CEEE Director Reinhard Radermacher for two special recognitions that celebrate his lifetime of scholarship and innovation in sustainable energy conversion systems.

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Yunho Hwang to Receive UMD Provost's Award

CEEE Co-Director Yunho Hwang has been named a recipient of the University of Maryland’s 2025 Provost's Excellence Award for Professional Track Faculty. The prestigious award recognizes his many contributions to sustainable HVAC&R technologies.

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Het Mevada Awarded

Distinguished Graduate Endowed Fellowship

Het Mevada, whose research focuses on climate-friendly solid-state cooling, received a one year-scholarship in recognition of his academic achievements. The fellowship was established by former CEEE Director Reinhard Radermacher to encourage the innovation of next-generation heating and cooling technologies.

CEEE Students Win ASHRAE Scholarships for UMD Students

Congratulations to Mylena Menezes, Aditya Ramnarayan and Brian O'Malley on each receiving the ASHRAE National Capital Chapter UMD Endowed Scholarship in recognition of their dedication to developing HVAC&R technologies and their involvement in the UMD ASHRAE chapter.

TPTPR Plenary Speakers to Discuss Path Forward to Lower-GWP Refrigerants

Come network and collaborate with our distinguished plenary speakers at the 7th IIR Conference on Thermophysical Properties and Transfer Processes of Refrigerants, June 15-18, 2025, at University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA. Find out the latest research updates. The registration deadline is Friday, June 6.

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Join Us for a Tour of UMD's Energy Engineering Labs During TPTPR 2025

Get an up-close look at the laboratories where University of Maryland researchers are developing the next generation of eco-friendly HVAC&R technologies. See where our engineers are developing elastocaloric cooling prototypes, additively manufactured heat exchangers, phase change materials and other innovations.

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Congratulations, Graduates!

We celebrated two new CEEE Ph.D.s at the Spring 2025 Commencement. Zhengda Yao, pictured with his advisor Michael Ohadi, and Cheng-Yi Lee, with advisor Yunho Hwang, were officially hooded.

Congratulations also to two staff members on their UMD graduations. Faculty assistant Shwe Htet Htet Aung completed her Master of Engineering in December and was recognized at the A. James Clark School of Engineering's May ceremony, and program manager Leanne Poteet earned a Graduate Certificate of Professional Studies in Multimedia Journalism.

Student Spotlight

Zhengda Yao Presents Highly Compact Supercritical CO2 Heat Exchanger

We're excited to announce that Zhengda Yao defended his Ph.D. dissertation this spring. He

presented a highly compact supercritical CO₂ heat exchanger for extreme environments, such as power generation systems and aerospace.

Student Spotlight

Vijay Meruva Develops Modeling Methodologies to Facilitate Transition to Low- GWP Refrigerants

Congratulations to Vijay Meruva on defending his master's thesis. His research addresses the pressing need for heating, cooling and refrigeration technology optimized for the use of refrigerants with a low global warming potential (GWP).

JUNE

11

Interim Consortium Meetings

CEEE consortium members are invited to attend our first online Interim Consortium Meetings. Join us virtually for brief research updates. If your company is a consortium member, please check your email for details. For more information, contact Program Manager Leanne Poteet.

JUNE

15-18

7th IIR Conference on Thermophysical Properties and Transfer Processes of Refrigerants

CEEE will host this globally important conference. Online registration deadline is June 6.

JUNE

22

Maryland @ ASHRAE

Are you traveling to Phoenix for the 2025 ASHRAE Annual Conference? If so, please join CEEE for dinner on Sunday, June 22. If you haven't received an email invitation, contact Program Manager Leanne Poteet.

SEPTEMBER

8-10

Fall Consortium Meetings

CEEE Sponsors: Mark your calendars for the Fall 2025 Consortium Meetings. These research updates are open to consortium members only. Details available online.

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