Agonafer Receives Top Presidential Honor for Cooling Research

Damena Agonafer, Clark Faculty Fellow and associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers.

Agonafer’s award, announced on January 13, is in recognition of research he is conducting on two-phase cooling systems for electronics. Specifically, Agonafer is studying the fundamental limits of evaporative cooling for high-powered electronic systems.. Understanding these mechanisms can aid in developing more efficient and less environmentally impactful approaches to component cooling, with applications that range from data centers to electric vehicles. His work in this area has been supported by a National Science Foundation CAREER Award that he received in 2019.

“It’s humbling to be recognized by the White House for the contributions I’ve been able to make in the area of heat transfer and thermal management,” Agonafer said. “In addition to the research itself, I’ve been able to undertake significant education and outreach efforts through my NSF CAREER Award, including programs aimed at providing educational opportunities to underrepresented students.”

A member of the UMD mechanical engineering faculty since 2022, Agonafer pursues a wide range of research at the intersection of engineering, energy, and sustainability, including as a faculty affiliate of the Center for Risk and Reliability and the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute. He is UMD site lead for the newly-launched, multi-institutional Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technolo gy Hub, a $26 million, NSF-funded Gen-4 Engineering Research Center focused on reining in the environmental costs of refrigeration technologies.

Other UMD mechanical engineering faculty members who have received the PECASE include Professor and Department Chair Harry Dankowicz, Wilson H. Elkins Professor and Associate Chair of Research & Administration Don DeVoe, and Professor Elisabeth Smela.

Published January 17, 2025