With the first U.S. offshore wind farm just miles away from campus, URI is on the international forefront of oceanographic research and the development of renewable energy technology.
Engineering faculty have helped create a successful model for regulating coastal waters for uses such as renewable energy. Our research teams are developing linear electric generators that convert the motion of waves to electricity using smart circuits to capture the electricity and store it efficiently. New solar energy technologies on the horizon–panels that can be embedded in asphalt–would allow utility companies to turn highways into power plants.
Connecting all the dots requires coordinated research to build the nation’s “smart grid” backed by computers that can react in milliseconds to a sudden loss or spike in demand and manage electricity usage.
Professor Nassersharif Discusses Nuclear Fusion Discovery - URI Professor Bahram Nassersharif discusses the U.S. Department of Energy’s announcement that fusion ignition has been achieved. Last year, Nassersharif’s students worked with NASA on a project involving nuclear thermal propulsion.
Maryland Native Drawn to RI for Ocean Engineering, Stayed Due to Blue Economy - When Edgewater, Maryland native Maeve Story was deciding where to study ocean engineering, she confidently selected URI. She didn’t realize was how fast Rhode Island’s blue economy was growing and the career opportunities that awaited her.
Funding Helps Marine Energy Companies Partner with URI Ocean Engineering - URI has one of the best ocean engineering programs in the country, according to College Factual. Thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, companies have an added incentive to take advantage of the ocean engineering program’s equipment and expertise.
Faculty
Professor & Associate Dean of Research
Civil and Environmental Engineering
401.874.2784 – craver@uri.edu
Today, the energy we produce is sufficient but if the country is to grow we need a mix of energies that are affordable, economical, sustainable and not harmful to the environment.
Distinguished Engineering Professor Bahram Nassersharif