Physicians and scientists aren’t the only ones trying to unlock the mysteries of disease and solve the energy crisis. Engineers are also on the case.

Two assistant professors at the College of Engineering recently received the National Science Foundation prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) awards, which recognize up-and-coming faculty-scholars who demonstrate outstanding potential for scientific contributions to society. Zhenhua Jiang and Xiaodong Cai, both in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will receive $400,000 each.

Jiang’s award will fund research on a microgrid that enables alternative and renewable energy sources to be integrated into the existing energy infrastructure. Doing so efficiently and reliably requires advanced decision and game theory, computational intelligence, machine learning technologies, and other complex strategies, which Jiang also will use to enhance his curricula. Adding sustainable-power microgrids to electric grids, he says, will benefit consumers, utilities, and the environment with more robust and efficient power.

Cai’s award will aid his work on a computational tool to analyze and simulate gene networks. Current technology allows insight on gene function only in single cells. Cai’s computational approach employs stochastic modeling to address the randomness of gene expression. These methods, Cai says, might help scientists design drugs, synthesize gene circuits, and investigate diseases like cancer.

Jiang and Cai join ranks with Manohar N. Murthi, UM’s first engineering faculty member to win a CAREER award. He was recognized in 2004 for VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) framework and methods, with applications that include emergencies and distance learning.