News


Mon, 08/03/2026

NSF EARTH Undergraduate Researcher Marina Johnson Receives Prestigious IIAR Founders Scholarship

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) is proud to celebrate Marina Johnson, an undergraduate researcher at the University of Kansas (KU), for receiving the highly competitive International Institute of All-Natural Refrigeration (IIAR) Founders Scholarship. ...

Mon, 08/03/2026

Rising heat, humidity threatens cheaper AI data center cooling methods

Reliable operation of data centers has become essential to nearly all sectors of modern society, including healthcare, education, government services, power grid operation, banking, defense and disaster relief. New research published in Scientific Reports and led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa atmospheric scientists revealed that future climate conditions may...

Wed, 07/29/2026

NSF Research Centers Collaborate to Unveil Refrigerant Selection Framework for Next-Generation Organ Cryopreservation

During an organ transplant procedure, there are only a few hours of time that donated tissue can remain viable between the donor and the recipient. As a result of this short window of time, it is estimated that nearly 20 percent of donated organs go unused, as suitable recipients are...

Tue, 07/14/2026

NSF Program Directors visit ERC EARTH at the University of Kansas

Representatives from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) recently visited the NSF Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence. Dana Denick, program director for NSF Engineering Research Centers, and Bert Chandler, program director for NSF CBET-Catalysis, spent two days...

Thu, 07/09/2026

NSF EARTH Members Partner to Commercialize Breakthrough Refrigerant Separation Technology

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) proudly congratulates NSF EARTH industry members Icorium and Hudson Technologies on announcing a preliminary agreement to commercialize Icorium's patented extractive distillation technology for refrigerant reclamation. ...

Mon, 06/29/2026

Dr. Mark Shiflett Reaches 12,000 Career Citations

Dr. Mark B. Shiflett, Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering at the University of Kansas, has reached an extraordinary academic milestone of 12,000 career citations on Google Scholar, reflecting the impact and continued influence of his research in sustainable engineering and chemical sciences.
Wed, 06/24/2026

WISE Researcher Contributes to New Book Advancing Sustainable Carbon Capture Technologies

WISE is pleased to announce the publication of Thermal Plasma-coupled Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage: Unlocking the Potential of Thermal Plasma, a new book co-edited by WISE researcher Dr. Apoorva Ranjekar. The book brings together contributions from experts examining emerging approaches to carbon management, waste valorization and clean energy production.
Thu, 06/18/2026

Graduate Research Advances Sustainable Refrigerant Separation Through Machine Learning and Molecular Simulation

As industries around the world work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, researchers are searching for innovative ways to replace or recycle compounds that contribute to the atmospheric impact of emissions. One recent doctoral thesis has helped advance that effort by combining machine learning, optimization, and molecular simulation to improve the...

Wed, 06/17/2026

EARTH Researchers Publish New Review on Sustainable Cooling

Researchers from the NSF Engineering Research Center, Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH), headquartered at the University of Kansas, have published a new article in the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering outlining a comprehensive roadmap for sustainable refrigerant technologies.
Tue, 06/09/2026

A Dual Approach to Heat Resistance: New NSF Study Reshapes Home Defense via PCM Walls and Natural Ventilation

Extreme heat can trigger health concerns for many people. Dangerous and prolonged heat waves often induce area-wide power outages as energy use soars from the significant demands for relief using traditional air conditioning systems. Recently published research in Science and Technology for the Built Environment studied how the make-up of...

Tue, 05/26/2026

Transforming Inks to Solid-State Coolers: High-Performance Silver Selenide and the Future of Thermoelectric Cooling

Today’s refrigerants come with a host of issues including leakage, emissions concerns, flammability, limited reclamation of used refrigerants, and many more challenges. However, a recent study published in Materials Horizons found promising options for next-generation cooling using thermoelectric technology, which has no moving parts, no gaseous refrigerants, and thus zero...

Mon, 05/18/2026

Engineering professor charts unexpected career path from thermodynamics to whiskey barrels

Chris Depcik, University of Kansas professor of mechanical engineering, has created a solution to help distillers better predict how spirits mature inside a barrel.

Media Contacts

Mark Shiflett

Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH)

302-494-7505

Tiffany Oquendo

Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH)

785-864-2429