Three assistant professors in the College of Arts and Sciences have received 2012 National Science Foundation CAREER awards, a highly competitive research grant given to the nation’s most outstanding young researchers.

They are Kenneth L. Knappenberger Jr. of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; M. Elizabeth Stroupe of the Department of Biological Science; and Zhenghao Zhang of the Department of Computer Science.

"The NSF CAREER awards are tremendous honors for these individuals," says Sam Huckaba, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "They are examples of the very high quality of research activity occurring amongst our junior faculty members."

Knappenberger’s research group builds new instruments capable of measuring things in the nanometer range. Such instruments enable scientists “to gain new insights into materials by being able to measure things that were previously not measurable,” Knappenberger says.

Stroupe’s research also involves sophisticated technology, including Florida State’s rare Titan Krios electron microscope, which allows researchers to see three-dimensional images of things as small as individual proteins.

“Specifically, we are interested in a protein molecule called sulfite reductase, which is involved in transforming the element sulfur into the form that can be used by organisms to build molecules and create energy,” Stroupe says.

Zhang’s research aims to design a new kind of wireless network to make use of airwaves freed up when analog televisions were converted to digital transmission. This newly available bandwidth is usually referred to as “white space” in the radio spectrum, and the new network, called “White-Cover,” is expected to provide similar data services as the current cellular phone networks but at a much lower cost.

“The White-Cover network designed in this project provides a better alternative to the current technologies for the TV white space,” Zhang says. “The expected results of this project include the protocols and algorithms optimized for the unique features of White-Cover.” Zhang will also make the source code available freely online.

Knappenberger’s award totals $600,000 over five years; Stroupe’s award totals $997,000 over five years; and Zhang’s award totals $450,883 over five years.

To read more, go to http://news.fsu.edu/More-FSU-News/Two-researchers-receive-prestigious-National-Science-Foundation-CAREER-awards