Alan Uy, a PhD student in our research group, passed the ChBE Department Research Aptitude Exam (RAE) this week, clearing the way for Alan to focus on his thesis research. Alan received his BS and MS in ChE from Maryland; his MS thesis research Systems Engineering-Based Model Development: Application to Predictive Simulation of a Net-zero Home was vital to the success of our 2017 Solar Decathlon house automation system, work that is currently being continued by new MSSE student Akanksha Bhat. Alan’s current PhD research is supported by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and combines modeling and reactor development work for Atomic Layer Deposition of thin films for optical telescope applications.