Fine Fellows: DoN HBCU/MI Program Honors Winners at Distinguished Fellows Symposium

Designing stronger, harder microprocessors; creating more effective fuel injectors for naval platforms; incorporating machine learning and artificial intelligence in additive manufacturing.

These are just some of the innovative research areas discussed during academic presentations at the recent Distinguished Fellows Symposium held at Office of Naval Research (ONR) headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

The event — hosted by the Department of the Navy’s (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) Program, located at ONR — highlighted research efforts by nine HBCU/MI professors who recently won fellowships from the Distinguished Fellows Program.

Launched in 2021, the Distinguished Fellows Program is a joint effort between the DoN HBCU/MI Program and the United States Department of Defense (DoD) HBCU/MI Program and Outreach, within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (Research, Technology and Laboratories).  

The Distinguished Fellows Program provides professors (all selected from HBCU/MIs) with faculty release time for three years — enabling them to focus exclusively on naval-relevant research, write academic papers and abstracts, engage with naval scientists and engineers, and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants’ proposals are judged on naval relevance, technical merit and project implementation, student engagement strategy and personnel qualifications.

“We are proud to help support these outstanding professors in pursuing research high in technical merit and naval relevance,” said Evelyn Kent, director of the DoD HBCU/MI Program and Outreach. “By strengthening and expanding the research capabilities of the Distinguished Fellows and the institutions where they teach, we are bolstering our nation’s military competitiveness for the future.”    

Although HBCU/MIs represent less than 2% of U.S. higher education learning institutions, they produce 25% of African-American STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) graduates, said Anthony Smith, Sr. , director of the DoN HBCU/MI Program.

The DoN HBCU/MI Program provides avenues for HBCU/MI faculty and students to collaborate with scientists and engineers at naval labs and warfare centers, on projects of mutual interest. These include student internships as well as summer faculty fellowship research experiences at naval warfare centers and labs. Additionally, faculty can participate in one-semester to full-year-long sabbaticals under the ONR Summer Faculty Research Program and the ONR Sabbatical Leave Program, respectively.

The Distinguished Fellows Program plays a crucial role in such efforts by addressing a common problem facing HBCI/MI faculty: large course loads. On average, professors teach anywhere from three to five classes per semester — leaving little time for research and producing academic papers.

Contrast this with professors at larger colleges and universities, who often teach half as many courses and have more availability for research. In fact, many institutions have faculty and principal investigators solely devoted to research.

The Distinguished Fellows Program addresses this situation. Besides the faculty release time, each Fellow receives funding for buying new laboratory equipment and paying stipends to graduate students assisting in research.

“In the long term, the HBCU/MIs where these professors teach will build capacity in a meaningful way,” said Smith. “The professors will be able to produce innovative research resulting from the collaborative relationships they build with naval scientists and engineers — and well as from the new lab equipment. They win, the universities win and the Department of the Navy wins.”

The winning professors who presented at the Distinguished Fellows Symposium included:

• Dr. Ashfaq Adnan , professor of mechanical engineering, University of Texas-Arlington

• Dr. Kareem Ahmed , associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, University of Central Florida

• Dr. Marcus Alfred , associate professor of physics, Howard University

• Dr. Daniel Limbrick , associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, North Carolina A&T State University

• Dr. Vilupanur Ravi , professor of chemical and materials engineering, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

• Dr. Jian Sheng , professor of mechanical engineering, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

• Dr. Nigel Shepherd , associate professor of materials science and engineering, University of North Texas

• Dr. Amir Shirkhodaie , professor of mechanical and manufacturing engineering, Tennessee State University

• Dr. Victoria Volkis , professor of chemistry, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

“The Distinguished Fellows Program is a unique and valuable way the Department of the Navy, overall, and the Office of Naval Research, in particular, are strengthening investments in HBCU/MIs,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus. “These efforts will enhance the academic research at these institutions, create new collaboration and partnerships, and cultivate new innovations that will help the Sailors and Marines we have the privilege of serving.”

Learn more about the DoN HBCU/MI Program at https://www.nre.navy.mil/education-outreach/hbcu-mi-historically-black-colleges.