Loh wins National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

Harrison Loh

Harrison “Henry” Loh, a doctoral student conducting research in materials science and engineering at West Virginia University, is the recipient of a 2019 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. The award will allow the Wheeling native to expand his research in the area of flexible technologies and devices.

Loh is currently studying graphene-based inks and their use in the fabrication of versatile and tunable chemical and gas sensors.

“One potential area of application for these devices would be in the natural gas industry, in order to provide low-cost sensing solutions to detect leaks of methane from the mining or storage of the gas,” said Loh, who has been a member of WVU’s Flexible Electronics and Sustainable Technologies lab group since his sophomore year. “Additionally, they could be employed to monitor negative environmental changes, such as methane contamination in local water sources.”

“Henry is highly conscientious and his work on 3D printable multifunctional materials and sensors is at the forefront of current research,” said Konstantinos Sierros, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace. “He is also a very active member of the WVU and local community with various educational and outreach activities.”

After earning degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering from WVU in 2017, Loh opted to enroll in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering’s direct track PhD program, which allows highly qualified students to bypass the master’s program.

“I anticipate completing my PhD around spring of 2022. After graduating, I intend on pursuing a post-doc position, possibly at a national research lab or at a university to continue working on my research.”

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships are extremely competitive and are used to support the most promising graduate students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Loh will receive $32,000 per year for three years to support his research as well as additional provisions to cover graduate school tuition.

---