Igniting innovation: A record-breaking year of groundbreaking research

Opportunities abound for Broncos to gain hands-on experience in their chosen field. Western's expert faculty are landing unprecedented investments in potentially world-changing projects, giving students unparalleled opportunities to make an impact and prepare for the future.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—From optimizing rocket propulsion systems and advancing wound-healing technology to cultivating critical employment pipelines and pioneering training methods to improve student achievement, research and innovation at Western is surging to record levels.

“It’s about our faculty being at the forefront of discovery and also integrating that into their instruction, as well as providing students with research experiences,” Dr. Remzi Seker, vice president for research and innovation, says.

The Office of Research and Innovation drew in $59.6 million in total awards for fiscal year 2024, up 42% over the previous year, which was also a record-breaking year.

“I would like to say we’re punching above our weight class,” says Seker. “I attribute that to us building on our strengths and matching our strengths with the opportunities that exist out there.”

Western is positioning itself as a leader in critical areas such as battery development, concussion prevention, PFAS mitigation and artificial intelligence—an intentional focus on forging new frontiers of science with potential global impact.

But the research has more immediate implications as well. Undergraduate students have the opportunity to work alongside Western’s world-class experts to develop critical skills and participate in expanding the frontiers of knowledge.

“Our North Star is experiential learning, so none of these research opportunities would be as meaningful if we did not also include undergraduate students in these experiences and provide them with opportunities,” Seker says. “Students are able to work on these projects and learn about the cutting edge of technology, about what’s coming down the road, and are better positioned to have very competitive career opportunities waiting for them.” 

New depths of knowledge

As hurricanes explode into monster storms in mere hours and drought plunges tributaries feeding the Amazon River to record-low levels, the impacts of climate change on the world are intensifying—so are efforts to slow those changes. And a team of students and researchers at Western is on the leading edge.

“The work we are doing now will have important uses and implications as we move forward in looking for solutions to the climate crisis,” says Alex Kominek, an undergraduate geochemistry student.

He and his colleagues are digging into a new layer of climate science: carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). The goal is to develop technology to remove atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide from the air and blast it underground where it can be safely stored, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and aiding global efforts to mitigate climate change. 

“By capturing and storing carbon, it addresses one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and offers a way to achieve net-zero goals while continuing industrial activities that are hard to decarbonize,” says Gabe Fox, an undergraduate hydrogeology student. 

“To be able to contribute to making a real difference for the future in mitigating emissions is both a privilege and a responsibility,” adds Max Copus, a geoscience master’s student.

Dr. Mert Atilhan, associate professor of chemical engineering, and Dr. Autumn Haagsma, director of the Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education at WMU and assistant director of the Michigan Geological Survey, are helming the initiative, known as Project Clean MI, leading a cross-disciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students in collaboration with top researchers and industry leaders to tackle cutting-edge research. 

“This project will integrate the geology, engineering and societal considerations, giving students a well-rounded experience and practice on working with team members of diverse disciplines,” says Haagsma. 

Atilhan adds students will receive training in both engineering and geology labs, “gaining firsthand exposure to world-class research in carbon dioxide capture materials and storage in saline aquifers.”

Through their work, students not only contribute to novel research to discover new pathways to a more sustainable future, they will also graduate with sought-after skills that few of their peers have been able to develop.

“The experience I have gained at Western through research has been transformative in providing me with opportunities to be used for my future,” says Copus. “CCUS research has allowed me to work with different subject experts, participate in a wide range of geological subjects, present to an array of audiences in various forms and network with experts in the field for potential collaboration or future career opportunities.”

Project Clean MI is just one of several CCUS-related projects underway at Western, which have drawn in more than $12 million in funding altogether.

A pipeline for the future

The sounds of metal clanking and wheels whizzing fill the courts in the Student Recreation Center. Fierce games of wheelchair basketball and hockey have students digging deep to master new skills.

“It’s been fun, but it’s really hard! I did not expect it to be that hard,” says Jenny Valdez, a pre-occupational therapy student.

It’s not just a workout; it’s an extension of Western’s research and creative scholarship enterprise that reaches beyond laboratory discoveries and technological innovations. Valdez and other students in the Health Careers Opportunity Program—part of a five-year, $3.2 million federal grant backed by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration—are experiencing firsthand the mobility barriers individuals with disabilities face every day.

“On the surface, it might look like a sports program, but it’s truly an equity program. And we’re just trying to make sure that we have access to the same or comparable opportunities as the able-bodied population,” says Piotr Pasik, an international athlete who founded Michigan State University’s Adaptive Sports and Recreation Club who came to Western for a session with students in the program. 

Pasik, who has cerebral palsy, says programs like this give students opportunities to explore a variety of occupational therapy career paths they may have never considered otherwise.

“Wheelchair sports is … something that can really work hand in hand with occupational therapy. It allows people to play different sports and do different activities that also help them develop transferable independent living skills,” he says. 

The Health Careers Opportunity Program, led by Dr. Maureen Mickus, professor of occupational therapy, and Dr. Nancy Hock, chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy, aims to prepare a diverse, culturally sensitive and skilled occupational therapy workforce.

“The demand for this profession is incredible,” Mickus says. 

This training grant specifically provides support to economically and educationally disadvantaged students who are interested in occupational therapy. A cohort of 25 undergraduate and graduate occupational therapy students as well as pre-occupational students receive academic, professional and financial assistance throughout the school year. In addition, a six-week exploratory summer program for both high school and undergraduate students is offered to spur interest in the field.

“Throughout this whole (summer) program, it solidified what I want to do. I’m really excited and really happy that I actually did get to participate,” says Valdez, emphasizing the impact participating in assessments and other hands-on experiences had on her career trajectory. “This really opened up a whole new door for me.”

Science friction

In a darkened lab space just outside the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, an ultraviolet light illuminates Willem Miret’s face as he carefully paints around a 3D-printed residential structure.

“It’s the latest advancement in image-based pressure distribution,” the undergraduate aerospace engineering student says. 

The high-tech substance, known as global luminescent oil-film (GLOF), is an optically based skin friction meter with the ability to observe surface shear and pressure distribution at a high resolution and accuracy. During extreme weather events, it could revolutionize efforts to improve aerodynamic efficiency and infrastructure fortification—and it can only be found at Western. 

“I’ve had five months experience working on this hands on, which has been an incredible experience,” says Miret. “I’m one of only a few who’ve had the opportunity to do this.”

In addition to advancing GLOF research, Miret is also turning the physics of toroidal blade mechanics on its side. He’s exploring whether the turbine blades, which are typically positioned horizontally to lift vehicles into the air, could be applied vertically to increase turbine efficiency and maximize wind energy as part of the Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition.

“It’s his senior design project, and he could end up graduating with a patent,” says Brian Montgomery, director of the Bronco Construction Research Center. 

In just the past year, the center has filed four provisional patents through WMU’s Office of Research and Innovation.

“The stuff we’re doing here is really cutting edge. Major, global companies and government organizations are calling us up interested in our technology,” Montgomery says.

“Western shocks me. This is the second time I’ve thought to myself, ‘Wow, I cannot believe I am doing this!’” adds Miret. “I feel very, very lucky to be here.” ■