Chem professor's latest national grant furthers alternative energy research

August 8, 2018

Spider Pride

A Richmond education means access to top-notch research and the nationally recognized professors who lead it. Take chemistry professor Carol Parish. Known for her work in computational and theoretical chemistry, she’s no stranger to accolades and awards. Her latest National Science Foundation grant will help propel her classroom into the alternative energy arena.

The $310,000 grant will fund Parish’s project with undergraduate students throughout the next academic year as the team researches alternative sources of energy, such as oil sand and shale oil.

“The primary goal of this research project is to better understand the molecular behavior of asphaltenes, a molecular substance found in crude oil,” Parish said. “Specifically, we will be looking at results from high temperature decomposition and combustion reactions, which play important roles in astrochemistry, combustion chemistry, soot formation, and cancer antibiotics, to name a few.”

We are so proud of Dr. Parish and her unwavering commitment to her field. Congratulations for earning this impressive grant!