Student Receives Department of Energy Fellowship

Dylan Boylan, a mechanical engineering doctoral student in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at The University of Texas at Dallas, has received a U.S. Department of Energy Innovation in Buildings (IBUILD) Graduate Research Fellowship.

The fellowship, managed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, is designed to strengthen the pool of graduate student scholars who are equipped for research-intensive careers in fields that support the technologies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, or building decarbonization. The fellowship provides financial support for students to conduct innovative research at their home institutions.

Boylan is a researcher in the Bioinspired Thermal Fluid laboratory of Dr. Xianming (Simon) Dai, lab principal investigator and associate professor of mechanical engineering.

“Dylan’s outstanding achievements in heat transfer and building energy have earned him this prestigious fellowship,” Dai said. “With support from the Department of Energy, he aims to create an innovative and affordable technology for low-income families residing in humid regions.”

As part of the fellowship, Boylan is developing slippery surface coatings to improve the efficiency of dehumidification in buildings. He said the coating, which removes condensate quickly, is vital for improving condensation heat transfer, thus reducing energy consumption during the dehumidification process. The proposed scalable and durable coatings can be applied to thermal energy systems to improve energy efficiency.

“In regions like Dallas, where hot and humid conditions are common, maintaining specific temperature and humidity levels in buildings is a significant energy challenge,” said Boylan, who is also a recipient of the Excellence in Education Fellowship at UT Dallas. “My ultimate goal is to make these coatings high-performing heat transfer-wise, user-friendly, and suitable for retrofitting in existing building systems. This is particularly vital in economically disadvantaged areas where frequent equipment replacements may not be feasible.”