Designed specifically for faculty interested in exploring entrepreneurship as a path to market for their research, the Veale Faculty Fellowship program welcomes eight fellows this year, four from the Case School of Engineering: 

• Changyong "Chase" Cao, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Christine Duval, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Ya-Ting Liao, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Valentin Rodionov, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Discover the project they’ll be focused on, what innovation means to them and what gets them excited about the crossroads of research and entrepreneurship. 

Changyong "Chase" Cao

Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Tell me a little bit about the project you'll be working on as a fellow.

As a Veale Faculty Fellow, I'll work on wearable electronics and energy harvesters for personalized healthcare, smart packaging, and ocean sensing. For example, with support from a Department of Energy (DOE) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) award, we are developing novel self-powered smart buoys for ocean sensing and monitoring for various marine applications. 

Can you share what "innovation" means to you?

To me, innovation is not just about creating something new. It also includes improving and transforming existing methods, technologies, or ideas to solve grand challenges in ways that were previously inconceivable. It's the intersection of creativity and functionality, driven by a desire for impactful change. Our slogan is “Better life through innovations.” 

What excites you about the crossroads of entrepreneurship and research?

The crossroads of entrepreneurship and research is particularly exhilarating because it translates groundbreaking findings from the lab to real-world applications. While research pushes the boundaries of what we know, entrepreneurship ensures that these innovations reach and benefit society at large. Together, they form a powerful combination that has the potential to revolutionize industries and improve countless lives. I like application-driven research very much; I will be very happy to see what I invent can generate significant impacts in our real life. This absolutely needs the push of entrepreneurship.  

Christine Duval

Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Tell me a little bit about the project you'll be working on as a fellow.

I'm working on two projects as a fellow. In the first project, we developed a technology to streamline the manufacturing process for isotopes used in nuclear medicine. Our specialty filters can reduce radionuclide purification times from days to minutes which increases the overall efficiency of the process. The second project is also related to advanced manufacturing. We have been prototyping equipment at ThinkBox that can be used to extract metals in mining or metal recycling processes. This equipment is compact and will only use 50% of the space that traditional equipment uses. This is helpful for reducing capital expenditures when building a new plant. I applied to the Veale Faculty Fellows Program to learn how to move these projects from the lab to real processes.

Can you share what "innovation" means to you?

To me, innovation is all about thinking creatively to solve an important problem.

What excites you about the crossroads of entrepreneurship and research?

As chemical engineers, we constantly talk about how fundamental engineering principles can be used to understand complex systems or design improved processes. Moving technology to market really is the cherry on top of the engineering design process. Being involved with entrepreneurship puts you in the driver's seat to enact change in your industry and make tangible improvements. For us, it's chemical and manufacturing processes in areas like medicine, sustainability, and energy.

Ya-Ting Liao

Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Tell me a little bit about the project you'll be working on as a fellow.

I have a project sponsored by Underwriters Laboratories (UL). In this collaboration, we develop a test setup/procedure to characterize fire and toxicity hazards of Lithium-ion batteries through comprehensive in-situ measurements of gas release during battery thermal runaway process. I am exploring the possibility of commercializing this idea. 

Can you share what "innovation" means to you?

To me, innovation means creating new and better solutions to existing problems. 

What excites you about the crossroads of entrepreneurship and research?

Just a week into the Veale fellowship program, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that entrepreneurship and research actually overlap in many ways. They both involve identifying gaps and opportunities, proposing ideas/solutions, pitching your ideas to customers or sponsors, and forming a winning team. For me, the most exciting thing about entrepreneurship is that our research can make a more direct impact on a broader audience through commercialization. 

Valentin Rodionov

Assistant Professor
Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Tell me a little bit about the project you'll be working on as a fellow.

My project as a fellow involves developing a streamlined chemical inventory system for efficient and safe access to chemicals within extensive chemical libraries.

Can you share what "innovation" means to you?

"Innovation" to me means creating novel solutions that improve existing processes or introduce groundbreaking concepts, ultimately enhancing efficiency, effectiveness, or understanding.

What excites you about the crossroads of entrepreneurship and research?

The blend of entrepreneurship and research excites me as it offers an opportunity to transform innovative ideas into practical solutions, bridging the gap between scientific advancements and real-world applications within the realm of chemical management.