Dr. Ana Morais Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Award
The Wonderful Institute of Sustainable Engineering is proud to congratulate Dr. Ana Morais on receiving the highly competitive National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award—one of the most prestigious honors for early-career faculty. This award recognizes scholars who demonstrate exceptional promise as both researchers and educators, highlighting Dr. Morais’ impactful contributions to sustainable engineering and her dedication to advancing knowledge and education.
The five-year NSF CAREER grant will support Dr. Morais’ innovative research program focused on understanding how subcritical and supercritical CO₂-containing media influence the catalytic conversion of structurally diverse polypropylene (PP) substrates. Her work will systematically explore how CO₂ alters the thermophysical properties of plastics and how these changes affect reaction kinetics, pathways, product selectivity, and coke formation within catalyst systems. This research represents an important step toward developing more efficient technologies to reduce plastic waste—an area of growing global importance and a key priority within the institute.
Beyond the laboratory, Dr. Morais’ project reflects a strong commitment to education and community engagement. The award will also fund hands-on learning experiences for middle school students across Kansas, designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution while inspiring the next generation to pursue science and engineering. This integration of research and education exemplifies the spirit of the NSF CAREER Award and aligns closely with the institute’s mission to foster sustainable solutions through innovation and outreach.
As Deputy Director of the Wonderful Institute of Sustainable Engineering, Dr. Morais continues to advance cutting-edge research while mentoring students and building connections between science and society. Her work not only strengthens the institute’s leadership in sustainability but also contributes to broader efforts to address critical environmental challenges.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the National Science Foundation for its continued support of pioneering research and education. With this award, Dr. Morais is poised to make lasting contributions to sustainable engineering, and we look forward to the many exciting achievements that lie ahead.