Posted on March 18, 2022 by Rory Dew

MARCH 18, 2022 – Zahra Rajabi , a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at UTSA’s Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (Klesse College), has received a Kokes Award from the North American Catalysis Society .

This award, valued at over $1000, will allow Rajabi to travel to attend the 27th North American Meeting of the Catalysis Society to be held in New York City, this May. There, Rajabi will present her experimental findings, recently accepted as a manuscript in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, on developing understanding of improved catalysts for the production and purification of hydrogen for use in biomedical applications (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant) and to power fuel cells for clean energy production. She is currently performing her research in the Heterogeneous Catalysis group led by Gary Jacobs , assistant professor of chemical engineering.

The Kokes Awards are sponsored by the North American Catalysis Society and administered by the North American Meetings (NAM) organization. The objective of the Richard J. Kokes Travel Award program is to encourage the participation of students in the biennial North American Meetings. The Kokes Award covers a portion of the lodging and conference registration costs. Students who want to apply for a Kokes Award should contact the NAM organization.

The North American Catalysis Society was founded in 1956 to promote and encourage the growth and development of the science of catalysis and those scientific disciplines ancillary thereto; to provide educational services to members and other interested individuals; to organize and participate in professional meetings of scientists; to report, discuss and exchange information and viewpoints in the field of catalysis; to serve as a central exchange for the several catalysis clubs concerning information on their activities; and to provide liaison with foreign catalysis societies, with the International Congress on Catalysis, and with other scientific organizations and individuals.

— Rory Dew