Faculty Mentor of the Week Jeffrey Seay College of Engineering, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Dr. Jeffrey Seay is a PJC Board of Trustees Engineering Professor and a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the UK College of Engineering's Paducah campus. Dr. Seay's research interests include biofuels, computer-aided process engineering, energy conversion, environmental sciences, green engineering, process design and safety, sustainability, and transport processes and molecular modeling.
In the last year, Dr. Seay has mentored eight undergraduate students and one graduate student and explained, "Undergraduates are involved in every aspect of my research work, from experiments to data analysis to field work in locations around the world. I have been able to take students on research trips, as well as to conferences around the world to present their findings." This past summer, Dr. Seay took a team of students (UKATS: University of Kentucky Appropriate Technology and Sustainability) to Uganda for a sustainability research project. Their mission is to combine the principles of Sustainability and Green Chemistry to develop appropriate technologies that meet the challenges encountered by the developing world. As an undergraduate research mentor, Dr. Seay enjoys seeing the students' contributions, "I really love it when I student comes in with a totally new idea and asks if I think it will work. My favorite answer is “let’s try it and see!”. Sometimes an off the wall idea turns into something really amazing."
When considering an undergraduate student for his research team, Dr. Seay appreciates curiosity and passion - "I'm not really looking for a specific skillset, but rather a passion for learning and discovery." He enjoys working with undergraduates and encourages students to "Find a faculty member whose research you find interesting, then ask to get involved. It’s just that simple." Dr. Seay continued, "I think all mentors like working with interested students, so if you want to get involved, don’t wait. You ask and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the response!"
Thank you Dr. Jeffrey Seay for your unwavering support of undergraduate research at the University of Kentucky. We are pleased to recognize your dedication this week as our Faculty Mentor of the Week.
Dr. Jeffrey Seay - College of Engineering, Chemical and Materials Engineering