Mitchell Spearrin, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has received a National Science Foundation CAREER award, the agency’s highest honor for faculty members at the start of their research and teaching careers.
The five-year, $550,000 grant will support his research using spectroscopy to understand the chemistry and physics of combustion at high pressures. Knowledge learned from the studies could be applied to the next-generation of ultra-clean and efficient engines in vehicles from cars, to airplanes and space-bound rockets.
Spearrin, who began teaching in the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science in 2016, focuses his research on spectroscopy and optical sensors, including laser absorption and fluorescence.