Shuang Cui

Shuang Cui is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, affiliated with the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. She holds the distinction of being a Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor Fellow. Her research focuses on advanced thermal energy storage materials, intelligent soft materials, nanoscale heat transfer, and grid-interactive building systems. Dr. Cui also serves as Joint Faculty at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) since 2022, extending her work on renewable energy solutions.

Education: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (UC San Diego, 2018), M.S. in Thermal Engineering (Wuhan University, 2013), and B.S. in Energy Systems (Wuhan University, 2011).

Research Interests: Her lab develops novel materials for energy-efficient buildings, including phase change materials, thermo-responsive desiccants, and additive-manufactured thermal systems. She integrates machine learning for materials design and explores nanoscale phenomena in energy conversion. Her work bridges fundamental science with practical applications, such as moisture control, thermal diodes, and radiative cooling.

Awards: Recognized with UTD's 2024 ROAR Award, Broader Impact Award, and NREL's Key Contributor Award. She was highlighted in the Department of Energy's Women @ Energy initiative and participated in global symposiums on clean energy and women in engineering.

Grants & Advising: Advised a DOE Jump into STEM Competition finalist team. Her research is supported by grants such as the ECO-CBET program. She collaborates across academia and industry to advance sustainable building technologies.

Labs & Teams: Leads a multidisciplinary team at UTD and NREL, focusing on materials innovation for decarbonized energy systems. Her work emphasizes translational research for real-world impact.