Grayson Bellamy has dedicated much of his academic career to developing his fire dynamics and engineering expertise with the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), part of UL Research Institutes. As the first doctoral student to receive a research fellowship from FSRI, Grayson has been setting and reaching milestones for both himself and the organization. Now, he will continue developing his expertise as he joins the FSRI team as a research engineer.
From intern, to fellow, to engineer
Grayson began an internship with FSRI in 2019, where he participated in several FSRI research projects, including developing display boards for the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA) and assisting with the Coordinated Fire Attack Study of garden-style apartments. After earning his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Georgia in 2020, Grayson was accepted into FSRI’s fellowship program and began his master’s studies the following fall.
Grayson’s research fellowship began in 2021 and focused on a fire-testing apparatus designed to test the thermal decomposition of materials in an inert environment. He worked on constructing and enhancing the Controlled Atmosphere Pyrolysis Apparatus (CAPA) - an instrument used to determine materials' thermal transport properties during thermal decomposition.
After earning his Master of Science in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) in 2022, Grayson was awarded another research fellowship to pursue a doctoral degree. Grayson decided to build upon his master’s work, and research for his Ph.D. fellowship is underway. He will defend his thesis titled “Oxidative Pyrolysis of Lignocellulosic Fuels” in Fall 2025, which highlights his research of developing a comprehensive material model for lignocellulosic fuels such as wood to understand the role oxygen plays in charring and late-stage decomposition.
“The doctoral fellowship has been an amazing opportunity to conduct my research while being integrated and mentored by a group of extremely talented researchers. Support from ULRI has allowed me to publish and present internationally, contribute to projects and papers outside my direct line of research, and provide me with the resources to grow my career and contribute to the organization.”
—Grayson Bellamy, FSRI research engineer
