A University of Rochester electrochemist has received the Research Award of the Battery Division of the Electrochemical Society for pioneering work developing new types of batteries.
Jacob Jorne, professor of chemical engineering in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, will receive the award at the society's annual meeting Monday, Oct. 16 in Orlando, Fla. The society will present Jorne with a scroll and a cash award.
Jorne's work was key in the development of flow batteries, which are continually fed with fuel and can be used in electric cars and for storage of energy in power plants. Jorne's research also proved important in the development of alkali metal batteries, such as lithium batteries, which are rapidly gaining commercial importance. Among Jorne's other interests is "cold fusion" -- Jorne is currently conducting experiments checking for neutrons and other products of a nuclear reaction in an electrochemical cell.
"Jacob is an absolutely first-rate researcher," said John Friedly, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. "This award recognizes his productivity over many years in research on batteries and other energy sources."
A native of Israel, Jorne received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. After earning his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, he taught at Wayne State University before joining the University of Rochester in 1982.
Jorne was named chemical engineer of the year by the Detroit section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 1979. He has published more than 60 technical papers, holds three patents, and serves as a consultant to the energy industry.
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