News
Tue, 08/12/2025
Ivy Tech professors amp up their AC game at Notre Dame
From discovering novel ways to purify and reuse chemicals to creating sensors that will make cooling systems safer and more cost-efficient, teams of researchers have been working together this summer to modernize a sector many take for granted: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration industry.
Indeed, HVACR is essential to every aspect of modern life. To move it forward, two professors from Ivy Tech, a community college with 45 locations in Indiana, spent a large part of
Wed, 07/23/2025
“There’s a lot of math in HVAC”
Johnson County Community College professors worked at a KU engineering lab this summer to deepen their knowledge of the principles underlying heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR)
If your AC unit goes out in the middle of the summer, you call a repair company.
The technician’s job is to fix the problem as soon as possible, so you can be comfortable. No theoretical conversation required.
But this summer, two professors from Johnson County Community College’s Heat
Wed, 07/02/2025
Kevin Turner Passes Preliminary Exam with Insightful Presentation on Refrigerant Flammability
Kevin Turner, a Graduate Student working in the Shiflett Research Group, has successfully passed his preliminary examination, marking a major milestone in his academic journey. His presentation, titled "Refrigerant Flammability Metrics, Methodologies, and Modeling," showcased a deep understanding of critical safety and performance factors in refrigerant technologies. ...
Mon, 05/12/2025
Jide Wintoki to be next dean of the School of Business
The University of Kansas has selected Jide Wintoki, Capitol Federal Professor of Finance, as the next dean of the KU School of Business. Wintoki first joined the school in 2008, and he currently serves as its associate dean of graduate programs. He will begin his new role July 1.
Fri, 05/09/2025
KU celebrates undergraduate research, announces presentation winners
More than 130 undergraduate students participated in the 28th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, which featured Jayhawks' original mentored scholarship as well as artists’ talks and creative displays from many disciplines.
Mon, 04/28/2025
KU announces new 2025-2029 Self Graduate Fellows
Twenty doctoral students have been selected to receive the University of Kansas’ prestigious Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year. This is the largest cohort in the program's history. The total value of the four-year doctoral fellowship exceeds $225,000.
Thu, 04/17/2025
University of Kansas Receives $26M for Refrigerant Research
The University of Kansas (KU) is leading a new Gen-4 Engineering Research Center (ERC) funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) called the Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH). EARTH is headed by Foundation Distinguished Professor Mark Shiflett from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the KU School of...
Mon, 02/24/2025
Way cool: KU leads planet-protecting research on refrigerants
A new federally funded center, directed by School of Engineering professor Mark Shiflett, seeks to boost the Kansas economy while driving a heating and cooling revolution. As kickoff celebrations go, the launch of a research center dedicated to refrigerant technology might seem anything but cool. Refrigerants, the chemical compounds that...
Tue, 02/11/2025
Research yields eco-friendly way to separate, recycle refrigerants tied to climate crisis
Investigators based at the University of Kansas report using membranes — amorphous fluorinated polymers — that efficiently isolate complex refrigerant mixtures. Solutions for dealing responsibly with complex gases in existing equipment destined for landfills around the world are badly needed, according to researchers.
Thu, 11/07/2024
From Microsoft to Walmart, new KU research center on refrigerants is attracting strong interest from businesses
If you could have just one statistic to understand how good it is to be in the air-conditioning industry, it might be this one: About 3 billion people live in the hottest regions of the world, but currently only about 8% of them have air conditioning.
As new middle-class economies emerge in places like China, India, Africa and elsewhere, the industry estimates it will need to produce the equivalent of five air conditioners every second for the next 25 years to keep up with demand.
Fri, 10/25/2024
Meet Barnabas Agbodekhe and Hear About His Experience as a Grad Student at FOMMS 2024
Barnabas Agbodekhe's experience in the Maginn Research Group, led by Dr. Edward Maginn, and his work on new refrigerant discovery at the University of Notre Dame were featured in his lightning talk and poster presentations at the 2024 Foundation of Molecular Modeling and Simulation (FOMMS) conference.
Tue, 10/01/2024
Chancellor Girod visits with Mark Shiflett, Foundation Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
Chancellor Girod visits with Mark Shiflett, Foundation Distinguished Professor in the Department of Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, to discuss his work to develop sustainable refrigerant technologies and practices that will improve quality of life and combat climate change.