MSU’s Li awarded U.S. Department of Energy Faculty Explorer Award

Studio portrait of Gang Li. (photo by Grace Cockrell / © Mississippi State University)

Mississippi State’s Gang Li, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has been honored with the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions’ Faculty Explorer Award.

Li received the $4,000 award for his interest, ideas and materials promoting energy entrepreneurship at the collegiate level. He joins a group of ten national collegiate faculty members to receive the award, part of the OTT’s inaugural EnergyTech University Prize Faculty Track.

“We are deeply grateful for this recognition and the faith placed in us by the DOE. It solidifies our commitment to leveraging the rich resources and talent within Mississippi, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit among our students,” Li said. “Together, we can unlock new horizons in renewable energy, drive sustainable economic growth and secure a brighter, more resilient future for the people of Mississippi and beyond."

EnergyTech UP is a collegiate competition for students and faculty to grow clean energy entrepreneurship. Faculty members develop a proposal throughout three phases of competition, receive access to a mentor and resources from the DOE and create a plan to integrate their ideas into student activities.

Li’s work mainly focuses on system dynamics and control, mechatronics, and renewable energy. He has been published in several notable journals, such as the International Journal of Automotive Science and Technology, and has also served as a reviewer. In 2022, he received the Best Paper on Mechatronics award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Li received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and a visiting Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.