APU ALUMNI DINH KHANG HY

Shortly after graduating from APU, Dinh Khang Hy received a full scholarship and pursued his bachelor’s degree at Roger Williams University (RWU).

Equipped with prior knowledge from APU, he scored well on the math and science placement exams and in turn, was introduced to his undergraduate advisor who encouraged him to explore the field of applied math.

Over the course of four years, Khang Hy developed strong analytical, and problem-solving skills and fostered a passion for applied science and technology. In his senior year of college, together with his three fellow students, they designed a Piezoelectric Carpet System, capable of converting energy output from human footsteps to usable electrical energy for various applications such as illuminating LED lights on a jet bridge. Their four-member team received first place in the 2015 ACRP Design Competition sponsored by the FAA. In that same year, he was awarded the RWU President’s Core Value Medallion for his applied math research with his professor on a novel design for spacecraft’s fuselage. Khang Hy graduated RWU double majoring in Math and Mechanical Engineering with Honors and Capstone Thesis with Distinction. He also received a full funding package from Tufts University to pursue a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Dinh Khang Hy shared about his time at APU : “At APU, you are encouraged to challenge yourself and explore subjects beyond the core requirements. Thanks to Dr. Binh Tran’s broad view on multifaceted education, I was fortunate to participate in a pioneer program introducing students to various courses and after-school programs ranging from advanced math and science, creative writing to intercultural-focus activities. All of which, unbeknownst to me at the time, contributed to shaping a solid foundation, pivotal to my future career.”

Currently, Khang Hy is completing the final year of my PhD at Tufts University. He is investigating the mass transport of supercritical carbon dioxide drying of aerogel. Aerogels, also known as the world’s lightest solid, are mesoporous materials that have unique properties such as extremely low bulk density and thermal conductivity best known for applications involving thermal insulation or lightweight plastic replacement.

His research focuses on modeling the drying kinetics analytically and measuring empirical data of the drying fluid properties to minimize cost and optimize energy consumption. After graduation, he is planning to secure a postdoc or research position to continue his work on aerogel