CEEE’s Jan Muehlbauer Honored With Faculty Service Award

Jan Muehlbauer, a senior faculty specialist with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE), has been honored with the 2026 Faculty Service Award from the university’s A. James Clark School of Engineering. He was recognized at the Clark School’s annual faculty and staff awards ceremony on May 13 for two decades of outstanding service to the school, the Department of Mechanical Engineering and CEEE.

Muehlbauer manages the Daikin Energy Innovation Laboratory, a 3,600-square-foot state-of-the-art facility, where CEEE researchers are developing efficient, sustainable heating and cooling solutions. He oversaw the lab’s creation in 2019 and continues to manage updates, focusing on state-of-the-art upgrades and ensuring personnel safety.

As lab manager, Muehlbauer leads with a hands-on, creative and practical approach. He guides CEEE’s student researchers in planning their research projects and helps them navigate unexpected challenges – building the skills they need to excel in industry.

“For over 20 years, Jan has been essential to CEEE’s success,” says CEEE Director and Research Professor Vikrant C. Aute. “His creativity, rigor in experimental design and steadfast approach to problem-solving have led to seven patents and supported countless projects. Just as important, he’s a generous mentor — he takes time to teach our students how to design experiments, prioritize safety, troubleshoot setbacks, and turn ideas into working prototypes.”

Muehlbauer’s path to CEEE began as an undergraduate at the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, when he visited UMD through a research exchange program. He soon connected with former CEEE Director Reinhard Radermacher, who encouraged him to return to Maryland for graduate studies. Muehlbauer took his advice, and pursued a master’s degree in thermo-fluid sciences. Upon graduating in 2006, he joined the CEEE faculty.

Published May 14, 2026