ERC - EARTH

Name: ERC - EARTH
Address: LEEP2 Engineering Complex 1536 W 15th Street, Lawrence, KS, 66045, US
Telephone: +17858646719

Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub, funded by NSF, will impact the engineering and scientific communities, the HVACR industry, and society.

07/15/2026

Last week, National Science Foundation (NSF) representatives visited the team and research facilities of NSF ERC EARTH at The University of Kansas. Hosted by EARTH director Mark Shiflett (pictured left), both Bert Chandler and Dana Denick enjoyed two days of tours and discussions about NSF EARTH’s research accomplishments, education and workforce development programs, innovation ecosystem activities, partnerships, facilities, and the collaborative culture that drives EARTH's success.

Day 1 of their visit began with an overview of the Engineering Research Center (ERC) and included strategic discussions. Day 2 showcased the various research underway and included visits with research teams, as well as tours of facilities.

Read more about this insightful and productive visit with the key representatives here: https://erc-earth.ku.edu/news/article/nsf-program-directors-visit-erc-earth-at-the-university-of-kansas

07/14/2026

Congratulations to NSF ERC EARTH members Icorium and Hudson Technologies on the announcement of their preliminary agreement to commercialize Icorium's patented extractive distillation technology for refrigerant reclamation.

This milestone is an important step in bringing innovative, sustainable HVACR technologies from research to commercial deployment. The collaboration aims to combine Icorium's advanced separation technology with Hudson Technologies' expertise as one of the nation's leading refrigerant reclaimers.

To read more: https://erc-earth.ku.edu/news/article/earth-members-partner-to-commercialize-breakthrough-refrigerant-separation-technology

07/13/2026

We hope you can join NSF ERC EARTH TOMORROW (Tues, July 14) at 2pm CT (3pm ET) for this insightful webinar to hear guest speaker John Libby, Sales Engineer at Air2O, who will will discuss practical approaches to sustainable cooling, including:

- Energy-efficient HVAC solutions for mission-critical facilities
- Indirect evaporative cooling technologies
- Advanced heat recovery strategies
- High-efficiency thermal management systems
- Addressing energy use, water stewardship, and sustainability challenges

John Libby works with consulting engineers, contractors, and end users to develop energy-efficient thermal management solutions for mission-critical facilities, including data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and industrial applications. His work focuses on improving reliability and performance while reducing environmental impact.

As cooling demands grow alongside increased energy and water constraints, facilities face mounting challenges related to sustainability and resilience. Effective thermal management is essential to meeting these operational and environmental goals.

Drawing on his experience as a U.S. Navy Submarine Force veteran and his role at Air2O, John Libby will highlight proven technologies and real-world applications that support a more resilient and sustainable built environment. Bring your questions for our live Q&A!

Learn more and register to join:
https://erc-earth.ku.edu/july-sustainable-thermal-management-high-demand-cooling

06/25/2026

Join NSF ERC EARTH for a presentation featuring John Libby, Sales Engineer at Air2O. John Libby works with consulting engineers, contractors, and end users to develop energy-efficient thermal management solutions for mission-critical facilities, including data centers, semiconductor manufacturing, and industrial applications. His work focuses on improving reliability and performance while reducing environmental impact.

As cooling demands grow alongside increased energy and water constraints, facilities face mounting challenges related to sustainability and resilience. Effective thermal management is essential to meeting these operational and environmental goals.

In this talk, John will discuss practical approaches to sustainable cooling, including:

- Energy-efficient HVAC solutions for mission-critical facilities
- Indirect evaporative cooling technologies
- Advanced heat recovery strategies
- High-efficiency thermal management systems
- Addressing energy use, water stewardship, and sustainability challenges

Drawing on his experience as a U.S. Navy Submarine Force veteran and his role at Air2O, John Libby will highlight proven technologies and real-world applications that support a more resilient and sustainable built environment. Bring your questions for our live Q&A!

Learn more and register to join: https://erc-earth.ku.edu/july-sustainable-thermal-management-high-demand-cooling

06/23/2026

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Directorate (ENG), Dr. Don Millard (dark shirt) recently visited the The University of Kansas to engage with the NSF ERC - EARTH team and see firsthand the impact of its work in next-generation refrigeration and workforce development.

During his visit, Dr. Millard toured key NSF EARTH research and collaboration spaces, as well as laboratory facilities where researchers are developing next-generation refrigerant technologies. He also met with center leadership, faculty, and students to discuss ongoing projects, workforce development programs, and NSF EARTH’s broader impact across partner institutions.

As he spoke with faculty, students, and researchers, Dr. Millard continually encouraged applying for NSF funding opportunities, especially for institutions in EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) states. These grants are critical pathways for expanding research capacity and driving innovation, which enhances EARTH’s role in supporting and elevating research competitiveness across its partner network.

Dr. Millard’s visit sparked valuable conversations around scaling innovation, strengthening workforce pathways, and expanding the impact of NSF EARTH’s research. The engagement reinforced alignment between EARTH’s mission and NSF priorities while highlighting opportunities for continued growth in research, education, and technology translation.

We thank you for your kind words and your time in visiting us at KU, Dr. Millard. And we look forward to our continued partnership with the NSF.

06/04/2026

Curious how AI is reshaping energy demand and what we can do about it?

Join .erc.earth for an engaging talk with Dr. Xu Han, Assistant Professor at the University of , on the future of sustainable data center cooling. As AI continues to grow, so does the need for smarter, more efficient thermal management solutions.

Discover how cutting-edge approaches like model-based optimization, rapid airflow analysis, and flexible data center operations can boost efficiency and support a more resilient power grid. Don’t miss this chance to explore the technology behind next generation AI infrastructure. Be sure to bring your questions for the live Q&A! Click the link in our bio to register!

🗓️ Tuesday, June 23rd
⏰ 1:00–2:00 PM CT
📍 Zoom (link in bio to register)

06/03/2026

🎉👏🎓 Congratulations to Dr. Montana Carlozo on an incredible achievement! She successfully defended her thesis, “Property Predictions Using Machine Learning and Optimization Enhanced Molecular Simulation,”. She was able to combine elements of process systems engineering and optimization with molecular modeling and simulation to make great advances in her field. We’re so proud of her academic milestone and especially grateful for the leadership she demonstrated as president of NSF ERC EARTH's highly active Student Leadership Council! Congratulations Montana! We look forward to your continued success! 🎉

05/20/2026

We are proud to congratulate Professor Ana Rita C. Morais, department of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Kansas, who has been awarded a prestigious NSF CAREER Award. This highly competitive honor recognizes her exceptional promise as both a researcher and educator, and it supports faculty who are poised to become leaders in their fields. This marks a major milestone in her early faculty career. 🎉🎉

For NSF ERC EARTH, Ana is co-lead for Research Thrust 1: Reclaim and Repurpose, which is tasked with developing technology-driven solutions that better regulate the refrigerant supply chain, as well as cheaply and efficiently separate and repurpose existing HFCs for new applications.

To learn more about Ana’s research and this significant award, please read: https://lnkd.in/gm8V6viy

05/18/2026

We hope you can join us TOMORROW at 2pm CT (3pm ET) for this insightful webinar. Our guest speaker, Christopher Jones, will explore:

- Why climate models point to large‑scale carbon dioxide removal to limit warming below 2°C
- The challenges of separating CO₂ from ultra‑dilute ambient air
- Design and performance of porous oxide‑supported amine materials for DAC
- How customized air/solid contactors and integrated process design reduce costs and accelerate scalable deployment

NSF ERC EARTH is proud to host this webinar series each month. To learn more about tomorrow’s installment and register click the link in our bio!

05/15/2026

EARTH faculty award alert! 🎉 Congratulations to Jennifer Schaefer on receiving the University of Notre Dame College of Engineering’s 2026 Outstanding Research Mentoring Award for faculty! 🎉

Jennifer serves as the Sheehan Family Collegiate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and is the deputy director and co-primary investigator of .erc.earth

Join us in congratulating Jennifer on this well-deserved honor! Learn more about her inspiring work by visiting: https://engineering.nd.edu/news/jennifer-schaefer-and-longwen-li-receive-2026-research-mentoring-awards/

Address

LEEP2 Engineering Complex 1536 W 15th Street
Lawrence, KS
66045

Telephone

+17858646719

Website

https://erc-earth.ku.edu/

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