Archives for 2010
Mechanical Engineering Senior Wins First Place in International Competition “In particular, he demonstrated an ability to focus on the important portions of the problem, to go beyond what was asked of the project, and to provide physical explanations for his analysis.” |
Some of the best advice Artur Ulatowski has ever been given came from his technical-education teacher in high school. |
It was his high school physics teacher who attracted him to engineering, and it was his hard work and dedication that led to his success at UConn. |
Student Snap: Gustavo K. Contreras Gustavo Contreras has one piece of advice for prospective engineers: “Don’t be afraid to try something, even if you aren’t sure you’re going to like it.” Hewing to this advice, Gustavo started life at UConn on a Biomedical Engineering path, which eventually led him to his current double major in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering. |
Seminars Prepare Graduate Students for Professional Careers In a seminar on presentation techniques, Dr. Carolyn Lin of the Department of Communication Sciences described how one can give an informative yet engaging lecture. |
Initiative Supports Unique Collaboration A new program leverages the resources — and resourcefulness — of private enterprise, State agencies, and the University of Connecticut to jump-start new technologies while offering students an unmatched opportunity for hands-on learning. |
When her strong math and science skills were revealed during her high school chemistry class, Joanne Burnham set her sights on a degree in electrical engineering. |
Chemical Engineer Awarded Grant to Improve Fuel Cell Technology The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Dr. William Mustain a three year, $480,000 grant to fund research on the development of non-carbon electrocatalyst supports. |
UConn Team Ensures Election Integrity With the help of a faculty team of UConn engineers, Connecticut voters can feel confident that their ballots will not be compromised due to faulty electronic technology. |
Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni. Visit http://www.engr.uconn.edu/alumni/ and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays! Some recent alumni news follows. |
Sustainable Energy: Focus of $2.5M DOE Support Equipped with a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), last spring the Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2) unveiled an innovative model for seeding advanced energy research at UConn, pairing academic with industry partners in order to spark long-term science-to-systems relationships that yield a diverse portfolio of green energy technologies. |
SHPE Chapter a Finalist to Host NASA Program The UConn chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) was named one of three finalists vying for the opportunity to host a NASA-sponsored Space Science Day (NSSD). |
Engineering’s Career Fair Indicates a Bright Future The Career Fair’s large turnout and buzz-filled air reflects an upward trend in the job market, a message that sends a positive outlook not only to UConn engineering students but also to the residents of Connecticut as well. |
Graduate and undergraduate students in Electrical & Computer Engineering and in Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering excelled in recent competitions, bringing pride to their departments and the entire School of Engineering. |
Improving Hartford's Wastewater Treatment Like many U.S. cities, Hartford has a water infrastructure that is aging. The city uses a combined sewer system that routes all rain and wastewater through the same drainage pipes. |
Alumnus Works to Advance Energy Applications Dr. Bryan Hirschorn credits UConn’s challenging curriculum and focus on critical thinking as laying the foundation for his success in the field of research and development. Dr. Hirschorn, a chemical engineer who graduated from UConn in 2003 with his bachelor’s degree, is developing the next generation of rechargeable battery technology in his current line of work. |
The late Jack Stephens, professor emeritus of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE), played a pivotal role in shaping Connecticut’s transportation-related governance and research infrastructure and was a well-known pavement expert, and at UConn – where he taught for nearly 40 years – he was widely regarded as a university treasure. As part of our Professors Remembered campaign, donors may contribute to the Jack E. Stephens Scholarship Fund in Civil Engineering here. |
A paper co-authored by UConn professor Dr. John Ivan of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Dominique Lord (Texas A&M) and Simon Washington (Berkeley), was the top-cited article published in the journal, Accident Analysis and Prevention during the last five years, with 68 citations. |
Detection of Food Pathogens Supported by NSF Grant The National Science Foundation has awarded a $400,000 collaborative grant to support Dr. Yu Lei of Chemical Engineering and two colleagues in the development of a superior device for the detection of pathogenic bacteria in food. The three-year research project will involve collaboration across three departments from two New England universities, allotting $300,000 in funds to UConn and $100,000 to UMass-Lowell. |
Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni. Visit http://www.engr.uconn.edu/alumni/ and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays! Some recent alumni news appears below. |
Alums & Friends Celebrate Autumn with Golf On Sunday, October 17th, a group of engineering alumni, Advisory Board members and faculty enjoyed a gorgeous autumn outing at the scenic and celebrated Lake of Isles golf course in North Stonington, CT. |
Sensors Target Plastics Industry What comes to mind when the word “plastic” is mentioned? Computer keyboards, cell phone cases, beverage bottles, or medical implants? The answer is, plastics are in all of them. |
Four CAREER Awards in 2010, 28 Total Since January 2010, four engineering faculty members have received prestigious National Science Foundation Early Career (CAREER) Development Awards in diverse research areas. With these new grants, CAREER awards in the UConn School of Engineering total 28. |
Engineering Lands $3.3M to Support Innovative Educational Program A faculty team that includes engineering professors Douglas Cooper, Kazem Kazerounian, Mun Y. Choi, Marty Wood along with Ruth Washington of Molecular & Cell Biology — has received $3.3 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for two novel integrated programs that enfold UConn graduate and undergraduate students, and technical high school students and their teachers in cross-cutting sustainable engineering research as well as college scholarships. |
Transportation Team Wows East Hampton Students In early September, a team from UConn’s Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department conducted a fun and educational learning activity for a group of 4th and 5th grade students at the East Hampton Public Library. |
UConn engineering students are recognized for their intellect, diverse talents, sense of fun and great time management skills. Over the summer, four current and former students revealed yet another distinguishing trait, extraordinary generosity, and a willingness to invest in their fellow students. |
Alumni updates from various former students from across time and disciplines. |
D.E. Crow Prize in Innovation and Entrepreneurship David (Ed) Crow, former senior vice president of UTC Pratt & Whitney and emeritus professor in residence at UConn, has established the D.E. Crow Prize. |
Max Villa: a Ph.D. candidate journeys across fields, country Max Villa (B.S., M.S., Ph.D. candidate) planned something special between finishing his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and starting his Ph.D. in Materials Science: a 4,300 mile, three month long cross country bike ride from Yorktown, VA to Astoria, OR. |
CT Technology Transfer Expo Combines Technology and Education On September 15, 2010, the Connecticut Transportation Institute’s Technology Transfer Center held its 9th annual Technology Transfer Expo at the Depot Campus in Storrs. |
Mechanical Engineering Collaborations Explored Mechanical Engineering professors Baki Cetegen (Head) and Jiong Tang visited Chongqing University, China recently to arrange collaborations. |
Engineering’s First Professor of Practice: David Gilbertson Engineering Dean Mun Y. Choi announced that David Gilbertson has been selected as its first Professor of Practice. Mr. Gilbertson, an expert in informatics, information security and management, joined UConn in early 2010 as UConn’s Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer. |
Engineering Welcomes New Faculty The School of Engineering is pleased to welcome eight new tenure-track faculty members for the fall term; the new faculty members bring expertise in various fields that complement and extend our core strengths. |
MURI Award to Develop Advanced Capacitors Three UConn faculty members are collaborating on a major, multi-institutional project that recently received over $7 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI). |
Four members of the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) traveled to Nicaragua this summer to lay the groundwork for a roadway reconstruction project aimed at providing a vital link between an impoverished shantytown and the colonial city of Granada. |
In Planning: Aviation Security for 2027 What happens when you put together top FBI, DHS, and TSA agents with professionals and students from the United States and the United Kingdom? First, the top minds in the field plot how to destroy a major international airport; next they work in teams trying to identify the research challenges that could prevent the destruction. |
Engineering Welcomes Commercialization Team UConn has launched a new initiative aimed at nurturing and accelerating the commercialization of innovations percolating in laboratories and offices across campus. |
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, vice president for health affairs and medical school dean, has been elected a fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society. |
Student Documents a New Path to His Dreams For many students, the road to a career in engineering entails hours upon hours spent in a lab, an internship, or stuck in a textbook. Junior Computer Science & Engineering student David Mittelman has set out to pursue a different educational path. |
Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni! Visit http://www.engr.uconn.edu/alumni/ and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays! |
Summer Conferences Afford Rare Experiences Over the summer, Mechanical Engineering associate professor Zbigniew Bzymek kept Storrs-bound colleagues informed of the breathtaking sites he visited while presenting scholarly papers at conferences in the United Arab Emirates and China. |
MURI Award to Develop Advanced Capacitors Three UConn faculty members are collaborating on a major, multi-institutional project that recently received over $7 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI). |
In Planning: Aviation Security for 2027 What happens when you put together top FBI, DHS, and TSA agents with professionals and students from the United States and the United Kingdom? First, the top minds in the field plot how to destroy a major international airport; next they work in teams trying to identify the research challenges that could prevent the destruction. |
Public Works Academy Educates 29 On June 9, 2010, the Connecticut Transportation Institute’s Technology Transfer Center (T2 Center) completed the first session of the Connecticut Public Works Academy. |
As an alumnus from George Washington University (GWU), Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Dr. Bahram Javidi (ECE) has been awarded the university’s highest honor – the Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award for 2009-2010. |
Mary McCarthy Wins Training Award Mary C. McCarthy, a training specialist with the Connecticut Transportation Institute’s Technology Transfer Center, received the 2010 Award of Excellence Innovative Approaches Award presented by the Connecticut Training & Development Network (CTDN). |
Stranded passengers may grumble, but the best course of action for commercial jetliners is to steer clear of volcanic ash clouds. |
The 2011 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges gave UConn a strong review and named engineering as among the university’s “strongest programs.” The guide contained a lengthy summary of the UConn campus, academics and research, student demographics, quality of life issues and overall performance. |
Veteran Journalist Don Swinton Joins Engineering Team The School of Engineering welcomed seasoned journalist and successful UConn fundraiser Donald Swinton to its development team. |
Student Design Leads to Pending Patent West Hartford-based Legrand/Wiremold has a lengthy history of product innovation and improvement. But like all companies, the firm’s new product development resources are not bottomless. Among the company’s popular products are Tele-Power® Poles – hollow metal units that encase and channel wires and cables from the ceiling down to desks and workstations in large open spaces. |
Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni! Visit http://www.engr.uconn.edu/alumni/ and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays! |
Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), the world’s leading university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and researchers from the University of Connecticut (UConn) and Duke University have found a new way to significantly improve the screening of small delay defects (SDDs) commonly found in semiconductors. |
In March, we invited students, alumni, faculty and staff to make their own YouTube videos of two minutes or less and to submit them for the School’s first YouTube contest. Various themes were suggested, including student or alumni testimonials, simple engineering lessons, research, senior design projects and student life. |
The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department introduces Dr. Peng Zhang, an assistant professor with a focus on 21st century power systems. He comes to the department as an international scholar armed with two doctoral degrees, a Ph.D. in power systems reliability from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and another in power systems simulation analysis from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. |
Better Catalyst to Reduce NOx Emissions A UConn team is developing a novel device aimed at improving the performance, durability and cost of automotive emission reduction equipment in both heavy- and light-duty vehicles. |
Sizzling Workshops — Joule and da Vinci for K-12 Teachers On Tuesday July 6th 2010 two summer programs for GK-12 teachers started at the School of Engineering. Joule Fellows — Teachers in Sustainable Energies Research Laboratories program (supported by NSF), and the da Vinci Project kicked off with a breakfast reception for 25 teachers. |
Egypt Visit Leverages Educational Ties In mid-May, Engineering Dean Mun Y. Choi, CSE Department Head Reda Ammar, and CSE Undergraduate Coordinator Robert McCartney visited Egypt to develop broader educational and research partnerships with a number of universities and research institutes. |
In 2002, as a response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, President Bush announced the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate “homeland security” efforts. The mission of the office and collaborative partners is to “prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism; minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States” (www.dhs.gov). |
Richard Christenson (CEE) and Jiong Tang (ME) both specialists in structural dynamics, control and monitoring, are joining forces to bridge structural health monitoring and structural control in a broader sense that can be leveraged to better improve the performance of each component. |
The Next Generation of Resilient Transportation Infrastructure UConn was among seven institutions designated as a National Transportation Security Center of Excellence (NTSCOE) in the Improving America’s Security Act of 2007. Dr. Michael Accorsi is the Director of the Center for Resilient Transportation Infrastructure and oversees the five projects that UConn is currently engaged in. |
In an effort to understand and protect our nation’s networks, Nicholas Lownes (CEE), Reda Ammar and Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran (CSE) have created a computer program that plays a game between a benevolent character, who wants to help people travel safely, and an evil character, who is trying to disrupt the network as much as possible. |
Building Blocks for American Infrastructure With expertise in laboratory characterization of infrastructure materials, modeling and construction, Drs. Adam Zofka and Michael Accorsi (CEE) and James Mahoney have teamed up to study a material that is one of the primary building blocks of American infrastructure — concrete. |
Strengthening the Foundations of Our Infrastructure The Department of Homeland Security has a chief interest in understanding and modeling soil responses to dynamic processes, levee systems, and explosions. To answer the call, UConn’s geotechnical team of Maria Chrysochoou, Dipanjan Basu, and Amvrossios Bagtzoglou went to work. |
New Materials for Protecting our Infrastructure In 2002, as a response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, President Bush announced the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate “homeland security” efforts. The mission of the office and collaborative partners is to “prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism.” |
Electrical & Computer Engineering Senior Design Day-2010 Senior Design Day was held Friday April 30, 2010 in Wilbur Cross. After months of blood, sweat and tears the Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) department teams were ready to display their projects. |
Clinical Trials Favorable for Novel Breast Cancer Detection Device A novel imaging device developed at the University of Connecticut is showing favorable results in an expanded clinical trial and could significantly reduce physicians’ reliance on breast biopsies. |
Craig Ashmore (’85), member of the Board of Trustees of the UConn Foundation shares his story of taking the career path less traveled – from Engineering to Executive VP of Planning and Development for Emerson Electric in St. Louis, MO. While not in the field, Mr. Ashmore clarifies that it was the analytical skills that he learned in his engineering classes that helped him excel. |
The School of Engineering will receive nearly $600,000 for an innovative scholarship program targeting students from the Connecticut Technical High School System (CTHSS). The five-year project will fund an estimated 20 scholarships of $6,500 each for students from economically disadvantaged families, with a particular focus on students who will be the first in their families to attend college and who are interested in careers in energy engineering. |
Sabbatical Research Targets Green Building Technology Dr. Peter Luh, the SNET Professor of Communications and Information Technologies, is spending his academic sabbatical leave contributing to the development of energy efficient, safe and secure buildings. As a Visiting Fellow in the Systems Department of United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), he serves on a project team associated with the Tsinghua-UTC Research Institute for Integrated Building Energy, Safety and Controls — a collaborative center linking researchers from UTRC and Tsinghua University in Beijing. |
2010 ASME Fuel Cell Conference Story As part of an ongoing commitment to providing leadership in education, research, and innovation of clean and efficient energy systems, the Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2) is pleased to highlight its sponsorship and participation in the Eighth International Fuel Cell Science, Engineering & Technology Conference hosted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. |
Governor Rell Announces Former UConn Start-Up Company to Expand Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced a company that improves the reliability of power cable systems will move into a larger facility and expand its operations in Connecticut. |
Economic Development Spurs Engineer/Lawyer Michael Cantor (Chemical & Materials Engineering ’80, and J.D. ’83) is clearly a booster for economic development in Connecticut. He serves on state and University boards promoting it. He is expanding his Hartford-based law firm with his partner, Phil Colburn II. And he is committed to the education of innovative UConn students. |
Gratitude Drives an Innovative, Inventive Mind to Give a Helping Hand Long before the iPad, the laptop and the personal computer, Dominick Pagano ’68 was computerizing instrumentation for the military. It was during the Vietnam War, and Pagano had just graduated from UConn with a degree in engineering. |
On Friday, June 4th, the School of Engineering hosted a special presentation by alumnus and NASA astronaut Richard Mastracchio, who was joined by two retired Hamilton Sundstrand engineers, Donald Rethke (aka “Dr. Flush”) and Richard Wilde. The all-star event took place before a rapt audience of more than 300 people of all ages that included alumni as well as eager school children. |
Pratt & Whitney Establishes Engineering Center of Excellence at the University of Connecticut Pratt & Whitney has established a Center of Excellence at the University of Connecticut (UConn) School of Engineering for research in the field of aviation propulsion systems. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company. |
Antibodies — the specialized proteins responsible for identifying and routing out disease — are the subject of a five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development grant awarded to Dr. Tai-Hsi Fan, an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering. |
Engineering has a New Website! After months of planning, reconfiguring and revamping our electronic home, the School of Engineering officially launched its new website (www.engr.uconn.edu) to coincide with the start of national Engineers Week. |
Robust Design Workshop to be Offered The Electrical & Computer Engineering department will team with UConn’s Center for Continuing Studies (CCS) to offer an intensive one-week residential workshop on Robust Design. The certificate program will take place at the Merlin D. Bishop Center on the Storrs campus from April 26-30, 2010. |
Spotlight on Faculty: Sung-Yeul Park In the fall of 2009, the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2) welcomed Dr. Sung-Yeul Park as an assistant professor. Dr. Park’s current research addresses vital issues pertaining to energy, including renewable energy power conditioning systems, utility grid integration, and energy storage, but this was not always his primary area of interest. |
Faculty Profile: Alexander Agrios Dr. Alexander Agrios wants to build a better solar cell. “Dye-sensitized solar cells offer a radically different way to collect solar energy compared to silicon-based solar cells — a major advantage being that they are produced using less expensive materials,” he says. |
UConn Named a Center of Excellence The University of Connecticut was named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research (CAE-R) during the spring. The designation, for the academic years 2010-2015, was announced by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. UConn is the first institution in Connecticut to receive the designation. |
Seniors Prove Mettle at Design Expo On Friday, April 30th, graduating seniors showcased the culminating projects of their undergraduate years in a once-yearly expo that draws visitors from across the region. This year, for the first time, Senior Design Demonstration day was staged in the venerable Wilbur Cross building. There, scores of student teams discussed their projects, demonstrated prototype models and enthused about the experience of solving real-world engineering challenges. |
Yong Wang Receives NSF CAREER Award Yong Wang, an assistant professor of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering, has received a prestigious National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to conduct research aimed at creating a new generation of tissue-like biomaterials using chemical and biomolecular engineering tools. |
UConn Named a Center of Excellence The University of Connecticut was named a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Research (CAE-R) during the spring. The designation, for the academic years 2010-2015, was announced by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. |
Reception Unites GK-12 Stakeholders The high-tech, sleek backdrop of UConn’s Graduate Business Learning Center on Constitution Plaza in Hartford proved the perfect stage for a Monday, May 10 reception uniting the key stakeholders in a pioneering new collaboration between UConn and the Connecticut Technical High School System. |
Retired Faculty Member Returns 30 Years of Benefits as a Gift During World War II, the U.S. government used a computer at MIT to calculate trajectories for battleship cannons. Get the trajectory wrong: the cannonball sank into the sea. Get it right, and an enemy ship exploded. |
Alumnus Tom Juros to Establish Scholarship The middle of the 20th century was a time of upheaval and change in the United States, and for civil engineering student Thomas Stanley Juros of Manchester, that change took place at a campus social event in 1959. |
SimplexGrinnell Supports Scholarships & Senior Design SimplexGrinnell, a subsidiary of Tyco International, is an industry leader in life-safety systems. The company is contributing $60,000 toward scholarships in the School of Engineering, along with $20,000 to support engineering senior design projects. |
Inventions Galore Grace Gampel Connecticut goes by many names — the Land of Steady Habits and the Nutmeg State among them — but it’s also well known as home to countless important inventors and inventions. |
Interdisciplinary Team Receives GAANN Award A team of faculty researchers, headed by UTC Chair Professor of Computer Science & Engineering Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, has secured a nearly $400,000 Department of Education Graduate Assistantship in Areas of National Need (GAANN) grant in the area of cloud computing. |
Astronaut Rick Mastracchio and Apollo Scientists to Highlight Alumni Weekend Waterbury native, UConn engineering alumnus and astronaut Rick Mastracchio will headline a special presentation, entitled NASA Space Explorations: Past and Present, which will take place at the Storrs campus from 3 – 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 4. |
Study: Street Design Affects Driving Speeds A 2009 report released by a team of UConn researchers concluded that drivers are more likely to reduce their speed when certain roadway design features are present than in response to speed limit signage. Based on a study conducted by a Civil & Environmental Engineering team of professors John Ivan and Norman Garrick along with graduate student Gilbert Hansen. |
Engineering Student Hones Financial Wizardry When sophomore Nishang Gupta (ME) was in the 9th grade, his father suggested a father-son activity — together, the two men began to invest money in the stock market. Through many tests and trials, what started as $30,000 tripled in size before Nishang had graduated from high school. This was just the motivation both men needed to stick with it. |
School Celebrates Student Scholars Over 280 undergraduate and graduate students were feted during the School of Engineering awards ceremony on April 19, 2010. The event, held at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, enfolded not only the award of merit scholarships to continuing undergraduate students, but also fellowship honors for top graduate students. |
Graduate Students Capture Honors The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are in the early stages of their graduate study. NSF awards the highly competitive fellowships based on the quality of students’ detailed application materials, academic record and references. |
The School of Engineering inducted seven accomplished alumni into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers and also feted a local entrepreneur during its annual awards banquet on Tuesday, April 27, 2010. The gala event capped a day in which the new inductees presented seminars on a range of technical and professional topics. |
Yufeng Wu Lands NSF CAREER Laurels Yufeng Wu, an assistant professor of Computer Science & Engineering, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to conduct research aimed at developing efficient algorithms that will enable accurate inferences to be made from massive data collected in population genomics studies. |
Connecticut is home to countless inventors, but the innovators drawing the highest praise–from the likes of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, CBS’s Cyberchase and ZOOM in recent years–are the pint-sized variety. On Saturday, May 1, 650 youthful inventors will file into Gampel Pavilion armed with display boards, inventor’s logs, and working models of inventions they designed and built. |
Industry-Educational Showcase Friday On Friday, April 30, the School of Engineering will host a sophisticated “show and tell” event that underscores the critical contributions of engineering to commercial industry, medicine, pharmaceuticals, energy and other economic drivers. Don’t miss this opportunity to see engineers in action! |
UConn School of Engineering Creates "Entrepreneur in Residence" Position The University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering has announced the hiring of a Connecticut business leader to assist the university in forging relationships with technology-related companies throughout the state. Robin Ann Bienemann will work with the university’s leadership to develop and implement strategies to connect these companies with the resources at UConn. |
Alum Scott Case Electrifies Students Before an audience of over 250 students, faculty, administrative staff and corporate visitors gathered in celebration of National Engineers Week, Mr. Case revealed his transformation from a computer engineering whiz to commercial innovator to international change agent. |
Engineering Lands $2.7 M to Support Innovative Educational Program A faculty team that includes Douglas Cooper (PI), professor of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering — and co-PIs Kazem Kazerounian, professor of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Dean for Research & Strategic Initiatives, Mun Y. Choi, Dean of Engineering and professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Ruth Washington, associate professor-in-residence of Molecular & Cell Biology |
Latest CAREER Award Focuses on Cyber-Aquatic Systems Dr. Lei Wang, assistant professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, has received a coveted National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for research aimed at enhancing the sustainability of cyber-aquatic systems used, for example, in marine ecosystem observation, pollution monitoring, coastline protection, disaster prevention, and national security surveillance. |
Undergraduate Commencement: Save the Date! The School of Engineering will hold commencement ceremonies for graduating undergraduates on Sunday, May 9 in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. |
Students pursue engineering for a host of reasons; for senior Lindsey Fink (Chemical Engineering) it was as a means to help people. Originally attracted to UConn because of the Honors Program and school spirit, Lindsey has participated in numerous UConn outreach activities. |
Bar-Shalom Reappointed as Klewin Professor Yaakov Bar-Shalom, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, has been reappointed to a second five-year term as the Marianne E. Klewin Professor in Engineering. |
Engineering Pennant Aboard Shuttle Discovery A pennant designed by a UConn engineering student accompanies Connecticut native and UConn engineering alumnus, astronaut Richard Mastracchio (Electrical Engineering/Computer Science ’82) aboard the space shuttle Discovery this week. |
George Bollas joined the Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering Department in January 2010, bringing a wealth of expertise in energy technologies. His position is associated with the Eminent Faculty Initiative in Sustainable Energy. |
Four UConn engineering faculty have been elected to membership in the prestigious Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE). They will be formally inducted during the Academy’s 35th annual meeting on May 20, 2010. |
Christenson Named a UTC Professor in Engineering Innovation Richard Christenson, an assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE), was named the United Technologies Corporation Professor in Engineering Innovation within the CEE department for his exceptional achievements in research, instruction and service. |
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) mission statement reads, “To increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.” Few students takes that statement more seriously and closer to heart than senior Melissa Jacques, advisor and former president of the UConn NSBE Chapter and founder of the society’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and Basket Delivery events. |
Two faculty members have been honored with distinguished chair faculty positions in the School of Engineering: Drs. Eric Jordan and Emmanouil Anagnostou. They were chosen based on the impact of their research contributions, national reputations and leadership in their areas of expertise. |
Outstanding engineering students will be feted during the School of Engineering’s annual awards ceremony on the evening of Monday, April 19. The presentation of scholarships will take place at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts beginning at 6:00 p.m. |
Have you received a promotion, honor or new assignment? Changed employers? Tied the knot with your college sweetheart? Spread the news! |
Engineering students often defy simple classification, media-fed stereotypes notwithstanding. Undergraduate student Shawna Smith (CMBE) is the very essence of the non-traditional student. |
On February 17th, the School of Engineering hosted its annual career fair in the Rome Commons Ballroom. The event attracted several hundred UConn engineering students, from freshmen through graduate students and across all disciplines, who were interested in exploring internships and co-ops as well as full-time career opportunities. |
Redefining Business-Academic Relations The School of Engineering has announced the formation of a new academic/business network, dubbed the Connection. According to Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives & Diversity, Kazem Kazerounian, the Connection will allow practicing engineers, businesses and entrepreneurs an avenue for liaison with the School of Engineering, as well as a forum facilitating peer networking. |
The School of Engineering invites undergraduate and graduate engineering students to make a video in one or more of the content areas described below. All qualifying entries will receive $50 and be linked (with your film credits!) to our website. |
UConn Co-organizes First International Water Conference in Ethiopia Unlike Vegas, what happens in Ethiopia doesn’t stay in the land-locked East African nation. Water and weather, for example, overreach Africa in profound ways. The nation’s major rivers, including the mighty Blue Nile originating in the Ethiopian highlands, are transboundary and sustain life in neighboring countries. |
The School of Engineering sadly notes the passing of three valued instructors, alumni and friends, Drs. E. Russell Johnston, Jr. and Farhad Nadim, and Mr. C. Roger Ferguson. |
Robust Design Workshop to be Offered The Electrical & Computer Engineering department will team with UConn’s Center for Continuing Studies (CCS) to offer an intensive one-week residential workshop on Robust Design. The certificate program will take place at the Merlin D. Bishop Center on the Storrs campus from April 26-30, 2010. |
Transportation Faculty, Students Network in D.C. Research universities and colleges such as UConn, which offer doctoral and master’s degree programs, invest considerable time and effort in recruiting top candidates to their graduate programs. Many top tier universities compete with UConn to offer enticing packages. One ongoing challenge is how effectively to promote UConn among prospective graduate students and foster a dialogue that leads to greater recruiting success. |
Biomedical Engineering Hosts Fifth Career Fair The Biomedical Engineering (BME) program held its fifth annual career fair at the UConn-Storrs campus on February 4, 2010. The UConn students of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society (EMBS) and the student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) hosted the event. |
That is the premise behind Dr. Horea Ilies’ new grant from the National Science Foundation. An assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Ilies has proposed a new way to define classes and families of skeletons that characterize, describe and manipulate geometry. |
Transportation Faculty, Students Network in D.C. Research universities and colleges such as UConn, which offer doctoral and master’s degree programs, invest considerable time and effort in recruiting top candidates to their graduate programs. Many top tier universities compete with UConn to offer enticing packages. One ongoing challenge is how effectively to promote UConn among prospective graduate students and foster a dialogue that leads to greater recruiting success. |
School to Host 2010 State Chess Championships The School of Engineering will once again host and sponsor the 2010 Connecticut State Chess Championships at the UConn campus in Storrs. The matches, in four different grade divisions. |
UConn Women Garner Women of Innovation Awards The School of Engineering was well represented among the Connecticut Technology Council’s 2010 Women of Innovation finalists and award recipients. The women were feted during a January 20 networking and awards event at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington. |
School Honors Exceptional Alumni and Friends The School of Engineering inducted six accomplished alumni into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers and also feted two other exceptional engineers during its annual awards banquet on December 10, 2009. The festive event, held at the University’s Alumni Center, capped a day in which the new inductees presented seminars on a range of technical topics, including waste water treatment, sustainable building design, combustion research, efficient energy production and shock-tolerant submarine design. |
Dr. Anthony J. DeMaria, Professor-in-Residence in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department, has been invited by the Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the founding partners of LaserFest to participate in a program and black tie reception in celebration of the now-indispensable laser. The event will take place February 12, 2010 in Washington, DC at the Kenneth E. Behring Center. |
Lanbo Liu Awarded a Fulbright Fellowship Dr. Lanbo Liu, an associate professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE), won a prestigious Fulbright Scholar grant in the fall (’09) to conduct research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim. He is among six UConn scholars to receive the honor during the 2009-10 academic year. |
School of Engineering Honors Staff Before 2009 drew to an end, the School of Engineering gave special recognitions to two esteemed staff members, Chris LaRosa and Mary McCarthy, during an all-school faculty meeting held December 3rd. |
Dr. Rajasekaran Named an AAAS Fellow Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, the UTC Chair Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). AAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world. |