Research is booming at ECU

You might not know ECU is a world leader in the field of subcritical water chromatography. 

Yu “Frank” Yang, a professor in our Department of Chemistry since 1987, was the first to publish research on the subject. He’s shown subcritical water, which is at a high temperature and high pressure, can be a green solvent that can replace hazardous materials in chemical separations such as extraction and chromatography in the pharmaceutical industries and others. These industries employ hundreds of ECU graduates and thousands of eastern North Carolina residents. 

Professor Yang was the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Research Achievement Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity at ECU, and in April we honored him and a host of other faculty members for their research and creative achievements. 

Research at ECU has grown significantly in recent years, with sponsored awards reaching a record $82 million last year. And the university is making an intentional commitment to growing its research infrastructure. Research and creative activity align with our commitment to academic excellence, community engagement and regional impact and allow the university to fulfill its role as a generator of new knowledge and a driver of economic and societal development. 

The continued growth of our research and creative enterprise is vital, and we are committed to it — for our students, our faculty and our region. 

Philip Rogers, Ed.D.
Chancellor