Researchers at the University of Kentucky play a pivotal role in finding solutions to meet the needs of the Commonwealth and the nation.
Much of that work to advance science is done with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
John Balk, Ph.D., is director of UK's Materials Science Research Priority Area and the associate vice president for research development and support. He is also the William T. Bryan Professor of Materials Engineering in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering.
Balk's research focuses on developing and understanding advanced materials - mainly metals, alloys and ceramics - that are used in technology, energy and industry. His work explores how the structure of these materials affects their strength, toughness and performance, especially for demanding uses such as next-generation energy systems and sensors.
"Federal dollars also support our Electron Microscopy Center, which is absolutely fundamental to materials research. We're also able to train our students on how to use the important tools housed here," said Balk. "Together - with this level of support and our industry partnerships - we are working to solve a variety of material challenges in Kentucky and the country."
Balk and other members of our research community shared the importance of this federally funded research at UK. Learn more about the impactful work done in this video series from Research Communications.
Research in the news:
- DOE funds UK research on critical materials for commercial fusion energy
- Materials Science Research Priority Area to seed innovation, fuel industry solutions
- UK awarded $14 million U.S. NSF grant to launch world-class cultural heritage lab
