Dr. Francisco Cepeda received a $5,000 grant from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) with a $5,000 match from OU to study methane-derived carbon formation in closed-loop life-support systems. The project will create maps connecting reactor conditions and catalyst effects to carbon morphology and material value.

Additionally, Aiden Martin was selected for the Undergraduate Research Grant ($4,000) and the Scholarship Award ($500) for his strong academic performance, leadership in a student organization, and demonstrated interest in NASA and the MSGC.

In the E-Carbon Laboratory, adjunct to the School of Engineering and Computer Science Energy Lab, Francisco Cepeda, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is probing one of industry’s most pressing questions: how can hydrogen be produced cleanly, efficiently, and sustainably? The answer, he believes, lies in the subtleties of carbon formation during methane pyrolysis.

Continue reading at:  https://www.oakland.edu/oaklandengineer/research/2026/beyond-clean-energy/