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Category: Momentum
2015 Rube Goldberg Contest at UConn
RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE CONTESTS® (RGMCs) are designed to encourage teamwork and out-of-the-box problem solving for students of all ages. This event highlights one of the many facets that encompasses what collaborating as engineers is all about. Encouraging teamwork to accomplish a unique goal is one of the many traits that these young engineers will take […]
Around Engineering
Exciting developments are always percolating within UConn Engineering. Read a few of the highlights here, from student awards and activities to alumni celebrations.
News from Materials Science & Engineering
In news from the MSE Department, Ghanshyam Pilania was presented the 2012 Outstanding Graduate Student Award, and members of the UConn Materials Advantage student chapter (UCMA) visited Bacon Academy high school to educate and inform integrated science students about materials science and engineering.
Energy Center Names Program Director
The School of Engineering welcomes Teresa Barber-Tournaud, who joined the Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2) at UConn as Program Director in December 2012. Ms. Barber-Tournaud comes to UConn with 20 years’ experience at UTC, where she held positions of increasing responsibility with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Hamilton Sundstrand (now UTC Aerospace Systems), UTC Research Center, UTC Industrial Lasers and the International Aero Engines consortium under Pratt & Whitney.
Alumni News
What are your UConn Engineering friends up to these days? Read what’s new in the careers of John Bean, Charles Croce, Rohan Freeman and James Towey. Then share your career news with us, too!
Innovators: Connect at CCSU in January
Innovators, mark your calendars for the first Innovation Connection networking event of 2013. On Thursday, January 24, Central Connecticut State University will host entrepreneurs and innovators from across the region for networking, thoughtful discussions and a glimpse inside ideas for transforming classroom ideas into commercially viable businesses. Don’t miss this exciting event!
Around Engineering
Exciting developments are always percolating within UConn Engineering. Read a few of the highlights here, from student awards and activities to alumni celebrations.
Student Entrepreneur Wins Big in State Competition
M.S. student Alicia Echevarria (Civil Engineering) secured two awards in the 2012-2013 Connecticut Collegiate Business Model Competition held in December: Best Written Executive Summary and Best Venture Business Plan. Her entrepreneurial entry centered on Advanced Column Solutions, LLC (ACS), a company newly founded by Echevarria and her thesis advisor, Dr. Arash Zaghi.
Ph.D. Students Excel in Heart Research
Qian Wang, a Ph.D. student in the laboratory of Dr. Wei Sun, received a American Heart Association fellowship, joining three fellow students – Thuy Pham, Eric Sirois and Caitlin Martin – to win a prestigious, highly competitive national pre-doctoral fellowship.
Around Engineering
Exciting developments are always percolating within UConn Engineering. Read a few of the highlights here, from student awards and activities to faculty honors.
Trustees Approve Formation of Two Departments
During its mid-November meeting, the UConn Board of Trustees approved the establishment of two new departments in the School of Engineering: Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) and Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (CBE). The departments will emerge as separate units from the current Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering effective July 1, 2013.
Alumnus Creates Scholarship for Structural Engineering, Helping the Next Generation
Keith Kesner (B.S. Civil Engineering,’92) knows firsthand how difficult it is for students to afford college. As an undergraduate, he worked multiple construction jobs over the course of a summer to pay for the coming year at UConn.
Student Snap: Kathryn Gosselin
“UConn’s a really up-and-coming university where we’re leaps and bounds ahead of where we were ten years ago and there’s just so much research money coming in and people are starting to look at UConn as a great engineering school,” says alumna and graduate student Kathryn Gosselin, a Ph.D. candidate working in the Optical Diagnostics Laboratory under the thoughtful guidance of Dr. Michael Renfro.
Alumni Notes
What are your UConn Engineering friends up to these days? Read what’s new in the careers of Thomas Benjamin, Shar Govindan, Jason Harmon and Chris Xue. Then share your career news with us, too!
Celebrating Women Engineers
On Friday, November 30th, UConn celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Women’s Center. In concert with the day’s events, the School of Engineering hosted a panel of four female engineering alumnae representing four decades of experience.
Faculty Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Student Contributes to Tumor Detection Device
Umar Alqasemi, a graduate student advised by Dr. Quing Zhu in UConn’s Optical and Ultrasound Imaging Laboratory, is working on technology that combines photo-acoustic imaging with ultrasound imaging to help physicians more accurately detect tumors.
Engineering Captures Top Environmental Honors
Dr. Allison MacKay, doctoral student Udayarka Karra, and UConn’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders – Nicaragua Team, along with undergraduate Nirav Patel and Ph.D. student Carlo Santoro, were honored recently during the 2010-2012 Environmental Leadership Awards ceremony.
UConn Student Wins Prestigious Marshall Scholarship
Ethan Butler, a 2012 chemical engineering graduate and past president of the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders, has received a prestigious Marshall Scholarship enabling him to spent the next two years in the UK pursuing his graduate studies at one, and possibly two, of Britain’s finest academic and research institutions.
UConn’s Nanoelectronics Lab: Building Community
Over the summer, UConn’s Nanoelectronics Lab, headed by Drs. Ali Gokirmak and Helena Silva, hosted two middle school teachers, Doug and Annie Perkins, and seven high school student who were participants in UConn’s Mentor Connection summer program. The two researchers and their graduate students involved the visitors in a variety of research projects involving electronics that expanded the reach of the UConn engineering community.
Enter to Win Free Football Tickets
Enter your name for a chance to win a pair of football tickets to the UConn Huskies vs. Cincinnati Bearcats football game on Saturday, December 1st. 1 Grand Prize: Two (2) tickets to the Huskies vs. Bearcats game in East Hartford, CT at Rentschler Field on December 1. Contest dates: November 15, 2012 12:00 AM […]
Drs. Shor & Gage Win Gates Grant
Two UConn professor, Drs. Leslie M. Shor (Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering) and Daniel J. Gage (Molecular & Cell Biology), have been awarded a Grand Challenges Explorations grant, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to conduct innovative global health and development research project intended to increase crop yields in developing countries through the expanded use of beneficial bacteria.
Alumni Notes
What are your UConn Engineering friends up to these days? Read what’s new in the careers of Peter Lewis, Michael Pazzani, Tom Prete and Robert Roche. Then share your career news with us, too!
UConn Partners with Penn State Altoona to Advance Solar Power Technology
UConn Engineering is partnering with Penn State Altoona in a collaborative research initiative, supported by a $650k NSF grant. The project is entitled “Electro-optical studies of nanoscale, geometrically asymmetric tunnel junctions for collection and rectification of light from infrared through visible”
Alumni Focus: Alex Bernier
“I have no hesitation in saying the education and experiences I received at UConn prepared me well for my career in engineering,” says UConn Engineering alumnus Alex Bernier (B.S. Civil Engineering, ’10) who continued for a master’s degree in Transportation and Urban Engineering.
offline!
Welcome to the inaugural edition of a new emagination column, offline! For our first article, we asked Rocco Ciesco (B.S.E.E. ‘76) what inspired him to form Vista Adventures, an entity mobilizing energetic, like-minded people for challenging physical pursuits with philanthropic outcomes.
UConn-ConnDOT Agreement Creates E-Crash Data Center
The Connecticut Transportation Institute and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) have inked an agreement that establishes the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center at UConn’s Depot Campus in Storrs, CT.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Anson Ma
Dr. Anson Ma has received an NSF EAGER grant for his research aimed at understanding how nanoparticles flow in the bloodstream, with the goal of determining whether nanoparticles can be employed to improve the delivery of cancer-fighting drugs to tumors while reducing the toxic side effects to normal tissues.
Materials Modeling Expert Avinash Dongare Joins UConn Faculty
As scientists across the country work to unlock the potential of new materials as part of President Obama’s Materials Genome Initiative, materials modeling experts like Avinash Dongare are in high demand.
Celebrating Women Engineers
Plan to attend a truly special panel discussion, “Women Engineers of the Past Half Century,” celebrating our more than 1,800 UConn Engineering alumnae, at the Storrs campus on November 30, 2012 from 2:00-3:30 p.m.
UConn Engineering: Your Grad School Home (VIDEO)
UConn Engineering graduate students enjoy an outstanding combination of academic excellence, student resources, a vibrant community, convenient access to major urban centers and outstanding financial support. We are pushing technological boundaries in new and inventive ways, in exciting areas like nanotechnology, sustainable engineering, alternative and grid energy, national security and resilient infrastructures, wireless and sensor network systems, bioinformatics, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
Enter to Win Free Football Tickets
Enter your name for a chance to win a pair of football tickets to the Friday, November 9 (8 p.m.) UConn Huskies football game at Rentschler Field, when UConn will play the Pittsburgh Panthers.
New Spectroscopic Device Provides Research Opportunities
Three UConn faculty members were recently awarded over $500,000 by the National Science Foundation for the purchase of a small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) instrument, which will enable researchers to resolve three-dimensional structures of molecules, down to the nanometer scale.
Students Start Ham Radio Club
Could you survive a zombie apocalypse? How would you know which way the nearest pocket of human civilization is and which way are zombie hunting grounds? Well, if you joined the newly formed ham radio club at UConn, you might have a chance.
Exploring Solar Energy at UConn
After a nearly 40-year hiatus from UConn, solar panels have returned to the School of Engineering with the installation over the summer of two new 3.3 kW panels at the Center for Clean Energy Engineering on UConn’s Depot Campus. The novel hybrid photovoltaic power system serves as a valuable testing apparatus enabling engineering faculty and students to explore a variety of research projects in PV energy production and transmission.
New Bioreactor Experiment Debuts in ChemE Senior Lab
This semester, seniors in the Chemical Engineering program are getting hands-on experience with elements of bioprocess engineering with a new experiment on cell culture and scale-up. Thanks to a generous donation of equipment from Alexion Pharmaceuticals, students are getting the chance to work with industry-standard equipment and learn about the challenges of working with live cell cultures.
Engineering Spirit in Abundance at Homecoming
At the Huskies football homecoming game at Rentschler Field on October 13th against Temple, the UConn Alumni Association sponsored a Spirit Village showcasing school and college-centric tents for alumni, students and families, and prospective students.
Smart Robotic Drones Advance Science
Dr. Chengyu Cao sees a day in the not-so-distant future when intelligent robots will be working alongside humans on a wide range of important tasks, from advancing science, to performing deep sea rescues, to monitoring our natural habitats. It’s a bold leap from the pre-programmed factory robots and remote-controlled drones we are most familiar with today.
Alumni Notes
What are your UConn Engineering friends up to these days? Read what’s new in the careers of Joel Becker, James Culmo, William D’Agostino, Peter Lewis and Jennifer Stockburger. Then share your career news with us, too!
Biomedical Engineering Department Approved
In late September, UConn’s Board of Trustees approved a plan to establish a formal Department of Biomedical Engineering. The new department will be jointly created, administered and sustained at the Storrs campus by the School of Engineering, the School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine at the UConn Health Center, Farmington.
Around Engineering
Exciting developments are always percolating within UConn Engineering. Read a few of the highlights here, from outstanding staff service awards to engaged students and pre-students who are making important contributions.
GE, UConn Collaborate on Advanced Technology Initiative [VIDEO]
GE will expand its longstanding relationship with UConn through a five-year, multimillion dollar investment intended to transform the state’s technology sector and spark breakthrough innovations in electrical distribution products. The financial support from GE’s Industrial Solutions business, creator of advanced technologies that protect and control the distribution of electricity, will bring together researchers from various academic disciplines and from the energy industry to conduct research and development (R&D) on core electrical-protection technologies, including circuit breakers.
Alumni Association Honors Two from Engineering
Professor Quing Zhu (ECE) and alumnus Faisal Hossain (Ph.D. ’04) were honored by the UConn Alumni Association with the 2012 Faculty Excellence in Research and Creativity (Sciences) award, and a Graduate of the Last Decade award, respectively, during a gala event on October 12th.
Horizons Video: Hearing and Sound Processing
How do we hear and interpret sound? Dr. Monty Escabi researches the hearing process to reveal how the brain processes and identifies real world sounds – such as speech, back-ground noise and animal vocalizations. Dr. Escabi touches upon novel alternatives to cochlear implants that may enable the hearing-impaired to have hearing-like sensation that more closely mimics real hearing.
emagination Great Ticket Giveaway!
Picture yourself at Rentschler Field on UConn Homecoming weekend, enjoying Huskies football alongside 40,000 other enthusiastic fans, and enter for a chance to win a pair of football tickets to the Homecoming game, Saturday, October 13th.
September Engineering Career Fair a Success
On Tuesday, September 25, UConn Engineering hosted the first of two autumn 2012 all-school career fairs. The event brought 60 prospective employers and professional program exhibitors – from small and large manufacturing businesses, biotech companies and construction firms to software companies and universities – to campus to recruit UConn engineering students for a variety of opportunities, from internships and co-ops to full-time employment.
FeelGood: Helping to End Hunger
FeelGood is a creative, student-led movement that raises money and awareness for the end of global hunger by running non-profit, on-campus grilled cheese delis, and there’s a UConn chapter now! Their motto: Hunger can be and must be ended in our lifetime.
Honor an Outstanding Engineer!
Know of an exceptional alumnus or friend of the School of Engineering who exemplifies the best qualities and ideals? Please nominate someone who deserves to be recognized! Each year, the School of Engineering celebrates a number of distinguished alumni and dedicated non-alumni who have made dramatic and enduring contributions.
Alumni Notes
Learn what your college friends are doing nowadays, including Michael Cantor, Erik Johnson, Alfred Kovalik and Roger Lawton. Visit our Engineering alumni website or our LinkedIn alumni page and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays!
Alumni Venture Targets Energy
Alumni Joel Douglas and Michael Curtis, who have collaborated for years on different ventures, recently merged two of their companies. Simplified Energy Solutions (SES) is now building expertise and momentum for bringing alternate energy technologies to the market.
New GAANNs in Engineering
The US Dept. of Education has funded three new 2012 Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need sites within the School of Engineering. These programs will provide $1.2 million for graduate student support in the areas of sustainable energy technologies, nano-scale materials and device behavior for energy generation and storage, and computer systems security.
Job Opening: Avery Point Campus
UConn Engineering invites applications for a nine-month non-tenure track faculty position at the Avery Point campus with teaching and advising responsibilities for graduate and undergraduate programs.
Honoring an Engineering Icon
UConn Emeritus Professor Charles H. Knapp grew up in Coventry, Conn., attended a one-room schoolhouse as a child, and, later in life, before he owned his own car, would hitchhike his way to Storrs for classes.
Engineering Partners in Genomics Institute
In early September, over 300 researchers from the UConn Storrs campus, the UCHC and JAX came together for a Genomics Symposium that included presentations and discussions, in a first step of the unfolding partnership
Faculty & Grad Student News
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty and graduate students, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Innovation & Technology Initiatives at UConn
Come to UConn on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 for our early autumn Innovation Connection event, featuring a panel discussion among top commercialization officials, industry and government leaders, with updates on opportunities in Connecticut for innovation and entrepreneurship.
emagination Great Ticket Giveaway!
Picture yourself at Rentschler Field on UConn Homecoming weekend, enjoying Huskies football alongside 40,000 other enthusiastic fans…enter for a chance to win a pair of football tickets!
Alumnus to Receive International Award
Alumnus Faisal Hossain has been selected to receive the prestigious 2012 Charles Falkenberg Award for contributions to the quality of life, economic opportunities and stewardship of the planet through the use of Earth science information and to the public awareness of the importance of understanding our planet.
Bridge Resilience: Aim of Researchers
Researchers are testing a new style of bridge column construction with an eye to developing next-generation columns capable of withstanding catastrophic events such as earthquakes, explosions and fires.
New Faculty Enhance Engineering Reach
The School of Engineering welcomes nine new faculty members who bring diverse expertise that will complement our research, academic and professional missions
Engineering Student Enjoys Best of Both Worlds in Eurotech Program
UConn Today profiled EUROTECH student Kimberly Sayre, who says that a chance encounter affirmed her academic path – and allowed her to pursue her dream.
Engineering Alum Leading Multinational Clean Energy Efforts
UConn Today recently profiled alumnus Zhongxue Gan, chief scientist for one of China’s largest renewable energy companies, ENN.
Dr. Yong Wang Makes Drug Delivery Breakthrough
Dr. Yong Wang and two colleagues have made innovative and invaluable improvements to the drug-loaded implantable hydrogels used for drug delivery
Alumni Notes
Learn what your college friends are doing nowadays, including Somnath Deb, Roshan Shrestha and William Wadsworth. Visit our Engineering alumni website or our LinkedIn alumni page and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays!
Grad Student News
During his exciting summer internship with Boeing, M.S. student Sherwin Li worked on simulation models for the 737 MAX, a new airplane project scheduled to be delivered in 2017.
Summer 2012: Diverse Research Opportunities for Students
Over the summer, UConn Engineering hosted nearly 50 students from across the U.S. in six different National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites.
Innovation Connection: Helping Businesses Grow
“Associating with the Innovation Connection is among the very best things we have done as a company,” said John Fantry, VP of nzymSys, Inc., of his experiences as an Innovation Connection participant.
Survey to Help Build Tech-Sector Jobs
The CT Technology Council is surveying recent engineering and computer science/engineering grads to learn where they find employment, what sources provide job leads, and what factors keep graduates in Connecticut or influence them to leave the state.
Alumni Notes
UConn engineering alumni Frank Bergonzi, John Krenicki, Michael McKeon, Jayne Morrow and Randall States are in the news! Read about their career strides, and share yours with us on our alumni news portal.
Software Donation Helps Ethiopia Study Water Resources
A leading geospatial software developer, Exelis Visual Information Solutions, is helping Ethiopian universities and researchers train a new generation of water resource professionals.
Growing Momentum: UConn to Hire 290 New Faculty
In June, UConn President Susan Herbst announced one of the most ambitious growth plans in U.S. higher education: the recruitment and hiring of 290 new faculty members.
Faculty & Graduate Student News
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty and graduate students, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Engineering Ambassadors: Engaging Middle Schoolers
Members of UConn’s UTC Engineering Ambassadors visited East Hartford Middle School in July to engage 60 middle school students participating in the summer (CPEP) camp.
Student Innovators to Showcase Projects: You’re Invited
Save the Date! On July 26, be sure to attend the inaugural iREU (innovative Research Experience for Undergrads) expo and innovators’ networking function at Nerac.
Faculty & Grad Student News
Our engineering faculty and graduate students are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies who regularly receive honors and awards. Read about some recent honors here.
Invention Convention: Insider’s View
The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) is one of the State’s enduring and quiet educational treasures: an experience that enlightens and delights students, educators and parents alike.
Alumni News
UConn engineering alumni Clifford Carter, Robert Cotton, Mark Renzulli and Peter Rogan are in the news! Read about their career strides, and share yours with us on our alumni news portal.
The Pocket Protector
In the 24th century, starship Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard need only utter four words to satisfy his jones for a cuppa. A hundred years earlier, in the original series, the “replicator” produced only food; by The Next Generation, it was capable of creating anything.
Materials Science Undergrad Labs Renovated
The Materials Science & Engineering undergraduate laboratories underwent $140,000 in renovations during 2012, thanks to strong financial support from the School of Engineering and the CMBE Department.
Alumnus Nick Polomoff: YouTube Star
Alumnus Nick Polomoff, a Senior Material Scientist at Material ConneXion, is featured in the company’s weekly video series, broadcast on YouTube.
Highlights from the Undergraduate Office
The Engineering Undergraduate Office oversees myriad outreach, educational and enrichment programs. Read about some of their exciting activities.
Commencement 2012: VIDEO
On Saturday, May 5th, the School of Engineering celebrated commencement 2012 with fanfare, tradition and a palpable air of excitement. Before thousands of proud family members, friends and faculty seated expectantly in Gampel Pavilion on an overcast morning, more than 400 engineering students strode…
VIDEO: Tracking Drugs in the Water Supply
Dr. Allison MacKay seeks to understand how common drugs, such as blood pressure-lowering medications, hormones and antibiotics, and other organic compounds enter the nation’s waterways, disperse and change over time.
2012 D.E. Crow Prize Winners Announced
Four teams of engineering students were honored recently with D.E. Crow Innovation Prizes in the spring. The competition was begun in 2011 by professor emeritus and former Senior Vice President of Pratt & Whitney’s Engineering organization, David E. Crow, and aims to help engineering students turn their entrepreneurial inspirations into a marketable product, by awarding seed funds to students with a strong idea and a sound business plan.
Joule Fellows Host Local Robotics Tournament
At Mansfield Middle School, local students are given the chance to go above and beyond the daily classroom routine. In mid-February, the school hosted its first ever all-New England Middle School Robotics Tournament, advised by math and science enrichment teacher, Doug Perkins.
Alumni News
Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni by visiting our website. Following are briefs covering recent activities of some graduates. We look forward to hearing your news!
Trade Summit in July
Interested in exploring innovation and international trade? Mark your calendar to attend the SBIR & Global Trade Summit, which will take place July 24-26 at Mohegan Sun.
Pratt & Whitney Engineering Extends Relationship with UConn
Pratt & Whitney made another generous annual gift to the University of Connecticut School of Engineering and the Mechanical Engineering Department aimed at further strengthening the collaboration with its Center of Excellence at UConn for engineering students and faculty.
Faculty Awarded Grants for Health Center Collaborations
Three research teams involving engineering faculty members have received $100,000 in two-year start-up grants under a competitive UConn grant program aimed at nurturing interdisciplinary research collaborations among faculty at the Storrs, UConn Health Center and regional campuses.
Faculty and Grad Student News
Our engineering faculty and graduate students are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies who regularly receive honors and awards. Read about some recent honors here.
Alumnus Illuminates the Mona Lisa
The highlight of UConn’s Alumni Weekend in Storrs was a presentation by alumnus Ralph Bernstein (B.S. Electrical Engineering ’56) on the use of digital image technology to reveal secrets of Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th century masterpiece, the Mona Lisa. Mr. Bernstein, an expert in digital imaging,
Dr. Bar-Shalom Receives 2012 CT Medal of Technology
Board of Trustees Distinguished Prof. Yaakov Bar-Shalom was awarded the 2012 Connecticut Medal of Technology for his groundbreaking contributions to the advancement of radar and sonar technology. Dr. Bar-Shalom’s work has served to strengthen the nation’s defenses and air transportation systems.
Alumnus Rich Tehrani Ponders UConn Engineering
UConn Computer Science & Engineering alumnus Rich Tehrani (’89), CEO and president of Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC), recently wrote in his blog about the value of a UConn engineering education.
Long Island Sound: Vital Resource
Please join us on Tuesday, June 19th at the beautiful UConn Avery Point campus for a panel discussion, tours and Innovation Connection networking event.
Alumni News
Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni by visiting our website. Following are briefs covering recent activities of some graduates. We look forward to hearing your news!
Director of Federal Energy Research Agency Tours UConn Engineering Facility
Dr. Arunava Majumdar, director of the nation’s only federal agency devoted to transformational energy research and development, toured UConn’s Center for Clean Energy Engineering on May 4.
Faculty News
Our engineering faculty members are respected leaders in research, instruction and professional societies who regularly receive honors and awards. Read about some recent honors here.
Three Engineering Faculty Elected to CASE
Three engineering faculty will be inducted into the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) on May 31, during a gala event to be held at the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs.
EWB Receives Competitive EPA Funding
The UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders has received $90,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to continue one of the chapter’s signature projects, aimed at permanently stabilizing a key travel artery linking an impoverished Nicaraguan village to a major city.
Making Mona Lisa Smile: Digital Imaging Reveals Hidden Truths
On June 1, from 3-5 p.m., alumnus Ralph Bernstein will discuss the NASA technology used to reveal the hidden story behind Leonardo da Vinci’s famed Mona Lisa.
Improving the Detection of Landmines
Ying Wang (Ph.D. ’12), working in conjunction with her advisor, associate professor Yu Lei, has developed a prototype portable sensing system that can be used to detect hidden explosives like landmines accurately, efficiently, and at little cost.
UConn Alumnus Excels as Life-Long Engineer
Brian Leshko (M.S., Structural Engineering ’90) recalls the moment he knew he wanted to be an engineer. “I remember misspelling the word ‘engineer’ in a spelling bee,” he says. “I looked up the proper spelling and definition and told my parents that, although I couldn’t spell ‘engineer’ correctly, one day I was going to be one.”
Seniors Showcase Design Skills (VIDEO)
The design innovations of over 400 engineering seniors were on display at Gampel Pavilion on April 27, 2012, just a week before the soon-to-be graduates strode across the same floor to receive their graduation certificates.
Student News
Our engineering students are outstanding: accomplished, actively engaged in worthwhile activities, and full of promise. Read about our Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship recipient and Outstanding Senior Women.
Team Works to Improve Agricultural Productivity
Drs. Leslie Shor (CMBE) and Dan Gage (MCB) recently received two grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The two cross-disciplinary projects focus on different aspects of microbial activity in soil, leading to a better understanding of soil microbial activity that could inform agricultural management techniques.
UConn Commissions Fuel Cell Power Plant
University officials, along with representatives of UTC Power and the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority, commissioned a new fuel cell power plant at UConn’s Depot Campus that will supply the campus with clean and efficient energy, cooling, and heating for years to come.
Students Engineer for Impact in Hartford’s Pope Park
On two Sundays in April, a dedicated group of UConn engineering students, led by Engineering Diversity Director Kevin McLaughlin, spent the day cleaning up Hartford’s Pope Park.
Green Technology Competition at Grasso Tech
On Tuesday, May 22, students at Ella T. Grasso Southeastern Technical High School will demonstrate their innovative, sustainable solutions using recycled materials and addressing real-world environmental issues. This inaugural competition is a special initiative of the UConn School of Engineering’s GK-12 Program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation.
Horizons Video: Detecting IC Trojans
Integrated circuits (ICs or “chips”) are the brains for virtually everything electronic, from cell phones, microwave ovens and automobiles to radars, computers and the Joint Strike Fighter jet. In this second Horizons video produced by the School of Engineering…
Ten Honored (VIDEO)
On April 3rd, the School of Engineering recognized 10 alumni and friends for their exceptional records of accomplishment in engineering. The Distinguished Engineering Service Awards honor individuals who have generously provided service, time and resources to the School of Engineering.
Faculty News
Our engineering faculty members are respected leaders in research, instruction and professional societies who regularly receive honors and awards. Read about some recent honors here.
Getting a Second Chance, and Giving Back for the Future
The worksite accident that nearly took the life of Michael Gargano ’03 BSEE, also brought him to UConn and turned that life around in new, unexpected directions. Today he donates to support the University as a way of showing his vision for the future of engineering.
Professors Remembered: Wallace W. (W2) Bowley
Perhaps it was Wally Bowley’s unorthodox, yet effective method of teaching that made him an iconic professor during his time at the University of Connecticut. Maybe it was the ten patents he held in the fields of engineering. Or, perhaps it was the countless lives he touched as a loving father and as a mentor to his students.
Seniors to Showcase Design Projects Friday in Gampel
Over 130 senior design projects will be displayed at Gampel Pavilion from 1-4 PM on Friday, April 27, 2012, when engineering students demonstrate projects of their own design, often sponsored by companies across the region.
School Honors Top Scholars (VIDEO)
On the evening of March 22nd, the School of Engineering celebrated the academic achievements of outstanding undergraduate and graduate students during the annual Awards Reception and Ceremony held at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
2012 Roadway Safety Poster Contest Winners Chosen
The CT Technology Transfer Center’s second annual Roadway Safety Poster Contest for Children gained momentum this year and was focused on the theme of “Every Life Counts in Connecticut.” Children across the state in grades kindergarten – 6th grade were asked to design posters with messages on how all road users can help to improve safety on our state’s transportation system.
Tech Forum to Showcase Student Research
What are engineering students researching and inventing in faculty labs? How can their research be used to improve your products, quality of life, economic impact?
Faculty News
Our engineering faculty members are respected leaders in research, instruction and professional societies who regularly receive honors and awards. Some recent laurels are described here.
You’re Invited!
On Thursday, April 26th, Sikorsky Research & Engineering will sponsor a singular Innovation Connection event that will include a presentation for high school students focusing on the X2 Technology demonstrator and how innovation helps helicopters reach record-breaking speeds.
Student News
Our engineering students are dedicated, motivated and academically outstanding. Many of them have received prestigious honors and awards, fellowships and other recognitions. Some recent awards are profiled here.
Dr. Gokirmak Receives CAREER Award
Dr. Ali Gokirmak, assistant professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, is a 2012 recipient of a coveted National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.
BRIDGE Program: 25 Years of Success
On March 21, the School of Engineering celebrated the 25th anniversary of the BRIDGE Program, an intensive, residential summer preparedness program for entering freshmen from populations traditionally underrepresented in engineering, who have been admitted for the fall term.
Cigna and UConn to Expand On-Campus Computer Science Internship Program
Cigna announced that it is teaming up with UConn to expand its On-campus Developers Internship Program for computer science and engineering students.
Peter McFadden: Teacher, Administrator, Friend
Dr. Peter W. McFadden has worn virtually every hat possible during his long and affectionate relationship with UConn: student, junior faculty member, professor, dean, Provost and Academic Vice President, chief fundraiser, “go to” problem solver and two-time alumnus.
Castleman Term Professors Named
The School of Engineering has named five outstanding faculty members as inaugural Castleman Term Professors in Engineering Innovation.
Students Find Opportunities at Engineering Career Fair
On February 21st, about 600 UConn students attended the School of Engineering career fair, exploring the myriad opportunities the event had to offer.
Engineering Sets Foundation for Entrepreneurial Success
As an electrical engineer struck with an entrepreneurial spirit, Robert Infantino has never limited himself to any amount of success, and doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
Originally from New York City, Infantino moved to Danbury, CT at age 15 with his family in hopes of improving on the rough lifestyle of the city. He attended Danbury Public High School, where he excelled in math, architecture and problem solving.
ARPA-E Director to Speak at Commencement 2012
A highlight of this year’s commencement ceremonies on May 5th will be guest speaker Arunava Majumdar, the nation’s first Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). He was appointed to the post in 2009 by President Barack Obama, and ARPA-E is the nation’s only agency devoted to transformational energy research and development.
Developing the Next Generation of Fuel Cells
UConn’s Center for Clean Energy Engineering has developed a new manufacturing process for fuel cells that could make highly efficient, fuel cell-powered vehicles a viable commercial option in the next 10 years and possibly sooner.
Professor Radenka Maric developed the breakthrough process, which significantly lowers production costs while maintaining maximum efficiency.
The Rules of the Game
How well can you play a game without knowing the rules? Albert Einstein, the father of modern physics, believed, “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
UConn GK-12 Team Receives Media Award
The National Science Foundation recognized UConn’s GK-12 program as the co-recipient of the Outstanding Media Award during a March GK-12 annual meeting in Washington, DC.
You’re Invited!
On Thursday, April 19, 2012, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the exciting arena of green chemistry. UConn’s Innovation Connection and the Chemical Innovations Institute are proud to host a Green Chemistry* Workshop, which will feature panel discussions and a range of interesting and informative events.
CMBE Professors Investigate Nano-Devices for Explosive Detection
Two faculty members in the Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering have begun a project that has the promise to transform the work and protect the lives of military and law enforcement personnel around the world. Associate professors Brian Willis and Yong Wang, working on a grant funded by the Office of Naval Research, are attempting to develop an electronic chemical sensing device that can identify the presence of explosives by sampling the vapor around an object.
Student News
At the School of Engineering, we are proud to showcase several of our engineering students from our various departments and programs.
Faculty & Staff News
At the School of Engineering, we are pleased to showcase the achievements of our engineering faculty from our various departments and programs.
New Grants Fund Student Research Opportunities
The School of Engineering received three new grants from the National Science Foundation that will enable undergraduate students from across the globe to engage in exciting summer research at the Storrs campus. The grants were provided by NSF’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which funds undergraduate summer research at designated university programs nationwide, affording students valuable exposure to the academic research environment and motivating them to consider graduate study in technical fields. Interested students are encouraged to apply now.
The Pocket Protector: Pocket Squares and Paparazzi
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences got it wrong. No, it’s not about Jean Dujardin beating out best buds George Clooney and Brad Pitt to win Best Actor by uttering just two words or missing the chance for an Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis double header for their fabulous performances in The Help.
UConn Helps Inaugurate Ethiopian Institute for Water Resources
The Ethiopian Institute for Water Resources (EIWR) was formally inaugurated during a ceremony at Addis Ababa University on February 15th, 2012. Officials from UConn, including Dean of Engineering Mun Y. Choi and Vice President for Research Suman Singha, as well as top officials from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Education, participated in the festivities.
BRIDGE Program to Celebrate 25 Years
The UConn School of Engineering is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the impactful BRIDGE Program with a special reception on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 at UConn. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the South Reading Room of the University’s iconic gold-domed Wilbur Cross Building.
It’s in the Mail!
Alumni – in early March, watch your mail for an update from Dean of Engineering Mun Y. Choi. We’ve used the annual dean’s fund appeal letter to give you an overview of several exciting developments underway at your alma mater, from news of the Tech Park to the new Engineering Building. Be sure to look for it.
Alums: Communications Pioneers
The University of Connecticut has produced more than a few “household names” in the sciences, engineering and innovation arenas, many of them visionaries whose contributions underpin today’s leading technologies. One of the University’s most renowned graduates is Daniel E. Noble (‘29), who is widely regarded as a pioneer in mobile communications and semiconductors.
Aeronautical Pioneer Igor Sikorsky Sr. Remembered by Sons
Brothers Nicholai Sikorsky and Igor Sikorsky Jr. recently visited the University of Connecticut to speak to the Management & Engineering for Manufacturing (MEM) class about their father, aeronautical pioneer Igor Sikorsky Sr.
Faculty & Graduate Student News
A number of our highly accomplished faculty members and graduate students have received accolades in the last few months. Read about their honors here.
Alumni Notes
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!
Sen. Lieberman Praises UConn Cybersecurity Labs
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman visited the Storrs campus Thursday to promote new legislation aimed at protecting the country’s vital infrastructure from crippling cyber attacks by terrorists, rogue individuals and hostile nation-states. Read more here: http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/02/sen-lieberman-praises-uconn-cybersecurity-labs/
Startup Weekend Storrs (VIDEO)
From the time Benjamin Franklin first conceived his famous stove, bifocals and countless other useful inventions, the U.S. has been hailed as the “land of opportunity,” a nation steeped in innovation and entrepreneurship, which have sustained the economy in even the toughest of times. In recent years, as American industry has struggled to remain competitive amid growing challenges from abroad, entrepreneurship has gained new respect as an economic engine.
Engineering Ambassadors Reach Out to Students
Over 100 children from the Windham School District in Connecticut, among the most underserved communities in the state, visited UConn Saturday, February 4th for a singular “Explore Science and Engineering Day” that immersed them in a range of fun learning activities aimed at expanding their awareness of STEM subjects.
National Engineers Week February 19-25
Join us for a variety of fun, inspiring and illuminating activities in celebration of National Engineers Week, which takes place February 19-25 this year. For full details, please consult the calendar appearing on our website at www.engr.uconn.edu.
Faculty & Staff News
Stay up to date with the latest School of Engineering faculty news and happenings
Cheney Students Blast Off [Video]
During the fall 2011 semester, Howell Cheney Technical High School freshmen explored a number of exciting engineering concepts with Chemical Engineering doctoral student Neil Spinner, including an egg drop (profiled last month) and a bottle rocket experiment.
UConn Alumnus Seeks to Make Greener Wastewater Treatment Plants
When one thinks of ways to ease climate change and develop sustainable fuels, using waste and sewage is probably not the first idea that comes to mind. For Dr. Kartik Chandran, a UConn alumnus (Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, ’99) and associate professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science, however, it is something he thinks about every day.
UConn to Receive USDOT Funding
In January, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it will award $77 million in grants to 22 University Transportation Centers (UTCs) to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges. UConn will receive a portion of the funding, as a member of a university consortium awarded $3.5 million under the program.
Video: Delaney & Carolyn Discuss Engineering
Freshman engineering students Delaney Turner (Biomedical Engineering) and Carolyn Williams (Environmental Engineering) met when the two attended the School of Engineering’s intensive summer BRIDGE program in 2011.
D.E. Crow Innovation Prize Competition Announced
The School of Engineering is pleased to announce, for the second consecutive year, the D.E. Crow Innovation Prize competition aimed at encouraging and rewarding creative ideas and entrepreneurship by UConn students. This “innovation stimulus” program is made possible through the generous support of Dr. David E. Crow, professor emeritus of Mechanical Engineering (ME).
Scholarship Reception: Save the Date!
Mark your calendars now to attend the School of Engineering’s annual Awards Reception and Ceremony, to be held on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
Don’t Wait to Graduate to Build a Business Empire!
Student innovators won’t want to miss the opportunity to compete in the inaugural Innovation Quest (iQ) contest at UConn.
Alumni News
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.
Honor a UConn Prof, Graduate or Friend
The UConn Alumni Association (UCAA) announced that applications are being accepted for the 2012 UCAA Faculty & Alumni Awards.
Dr. Amir Faghri Receives Coveted ASME Award
Amir Faghri, Ph.D., a professor of engineering at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and leading researcher in the field of advanced energy systems, has been honored jointly by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
Dr. Lykotrafitis Scores Journal Cover
A graphical image developed by Dr. George Lykotrafitis, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, appears on the cover of the January 4, 2012 issue of Biophysical Journal.
Professors Remembered – E. Russell Johnston, Jr.: Educator of Distinction
The role of teacher is almost certainly the most satisfying one embodied by any academic, and few UConn professors have equaled the impact of the late E. Russell Johnston Jr., who taught Civil Engineering at UConn for 26 years (1963-’89) and served as Department Head from 1972-77.
New Developments
There are new developments at the University of Connecticut and the School of Engineering. Dr. Peter J. Nicholls, who has served as Provost and Executive Vice President at UConn with great distinction for the last six years, will be stepping down from that position on May 31, 2012.
ManyMentors: Mentoring in the Modern Age
Keshia Ashe, a Chemical Engineering doctoral candidate in the Institute of Regenerative Engineering at the UConn Health Center (UCHC), and recent UConn Biology graduate Tiffany St. Bernard, intend to use video mentoring to foster a more aware, prepared, and confident generation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students.
Entrepreneur Eric Knight Joins Springboard
On December 16th, UConn alumnus, inventor and entrepreneur Eric Knight joined the Springboard Program at UConn as Manager and Entrepreneur in Residence.
Cheney Students Enjoy Engineering Lessons [Video included]
At Howell Cheney Technical High School in Manchester, CT, students enjoy a unique learning opportunity enabling them to explore engineering concepts and to apply these principles in often fun ways, thanks to a National Science Foundation-funded program that embeds engineering graduate students in selected classrooms.
Dr. Carter Elected AAAS Fellow
Dr. C. Barry Carter, Department Head of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering, has been named a 2011 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.
New Scholarship Honors Top K-12 Inventors
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering and the Connecticut Invention Convention have teamed up to launch a new scholarship initiative that will sponsor 25 lucky students as they take courses through UConn’s Early College Experience (ECE).
New Horizons Series Launched: VIDEO
Professor emeritus Lee Langston takes you inside UConn’s state-of-the-art, green cogeneration facility, which provides heating, cooling and power to the University of Connecticut campus. It’s the first in a new video series, Engineering Horizons, which we hope will inspire, delight and inform.
Early Intro to Engineering Set Course for Grad Student
Vincent Palumbo, a Ph.D. candidate in materials science and engineering at the University of Connecticut, has a special bond with the School of Engineering that first took root during his high school years.
Cities May be Trading Parking for People
When it comes to concentrated parking, the economic vitality and “livability” of urban centers may be compromised by too much of what many commuters consider a good thing.
New ChemE Laboratory Embraces Modernity
With finals just around the corner, the new chemical engineering laboratory has enjoyed a productive semester following its unveiling earlier this fall.
Businesses Asked to Complete Tech Park Survey
The University of Connecticut Tech Park, to be located at the Storrs campus and online in 2015, will focus on developing additive manufacturing techniques that will help the state’s aerospace, defense, bioscience/biotechnology, chemicals, consumer products, electronics and “green” sectors.
The Pocket Protector
“Over the meadows and through the palmettos to grandmother’s condo we go! The GPS points the track to carry us back through the white and drifting snow.” A holiday road trip to grandma’s condo in Miami isn’t what it used to be.
Scholarship Reception: Save the Date!
Mark your calendars now to attend the School of Engineering’s annual Awards Reception and Ceremony, to be held on Thursday, March 22, 2012 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
Entrepreneurs, Take Note: Competition to Award $25k Top Prize
The Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI) at UConn has announced the third annual university-wide business plan competition, open to all UConn students. The competition will award a total of $50,000 in prize money to the top three teams or individuals for exceptional business plans.
Editor’s Corner
Editor’s Corner profiles top journals edited by our faculty members. Today, we highlight the editorial contributions of Dr. Robert Gao, the Pratt & Whitney Endowed Chair in Mechanical Engineering.
Grants to Fund Tissue Regeneration Research
Dr. Mei Wei, a faculty member in the department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering and the Institute of Materials Science, has recently received two large grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) in collaboration with David Rowe, M.D., Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine & Skeletal Biology and a professor of Reconstructive Sciences in the School of Dental Medicine at the UCHC. This funding will allow her to expand upon her ongoing work in tissue regeneration and engineering.
Student News
Two Civil Engineering students have received generous scholarships from The MOLES, an association of professionals engaged in heavy construction based in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. Jillian Condiracci was awarded the $9,000 Memorial Scholarship, and Raymond Chan was awarded the $1,000 Education Committee Student Award. Jillian is president of the UConn Steel Bridge Club and secretary of the Concrete Canoe Association.
Dallas Alumni Enjoy Bridge Tour and Reception
In mid-November, the Schools of Engineering and Business co-hosted an alumni reception at Le Meridien Dallas by the Galleria. The reception drew 60 UConn engineering and business school graduates who were eager to meet with Engineering Dean Mun Y. Choi, Director of Engineering Alumni Relations Heidi Douglas, Development Director Donald Swinton and other personnel from the Storrs campus.
Study Targets Pharmaceutical Drug Impacts on Rivers
It has become customary for millions of Americans to consume both prescription and over-the-counter drugs with regularity. Unfortunately, this habit comes with adverse effects to our environment.
EPA Grant to Support EWB Work in Nicaragua
Dr. Marisa Chrysochoou, an assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and two undergraduate members of the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders, received $15,000 in funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to research indigenous solutions for stabilizing a chronically washed out roadway connecting the impoverished shantytown community of la Prusia, Nicaragua with the nearby historic city of Granada.
BRIDGE: Preparing for Academic Success
The legacy of the School of Engineering’s annual summer BRIDGE program, offered for accepted freshmen who are designated as underrepresented populations in engineering, is best understood through the lasting relationships BRIDGE students form among their peers and among their tutors.
Materials Science Teams Score Honors
Three interdisciplinary teams won honors at the Materials Science & Technology 2011 conference for their photographic images of a variety of natural and manufactured phenomena taken using electron and atomic force microscopes.
ROTC Cadet Palmer Receives Meritorious Achievement Award
In September, Mechanical Engineering senior and ROTC Cadet Douglas Palmer was awarded the Army Achievement Medal for Meritorious Achievement.
UConn’s smallTalk Top Pick at Preliminary Innovation Event
On October 20, a consortium of universities staged a first-ever multi-institutional student innovation poster competition on the campus of Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) in conjunction with the October Innovation Connection networking function.
Students Showcase Invention at National Conference
An Environmental Engineering senior design team has recently showcased their novel sensing device during the national conference of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis, MN. Jenabay Hupman, Bryan Toohey and Sean Buckley, along with their advisor, Dr. John Lane, found an exciting forum to display their new temperature measuring device.
Texas Prairie Hides Remnants of Supercollider
In the early 1990’s, 150 feet below ground in Waxahachie, Texas, the nation’s top engineers collaborated on a project of enormous scale: the construction of a superconducting super collider facility that would have exceeded the scope of CERN’s large hadron collider in Geneva, Switzerland.
Center Recognizes Members of Transportation Community
On October 27, 2011, the CT Technology Transfer Center (T2 Center) held a ceremony to honor individuals in Connecticut’s transportation community.
Welcome from Dean Choi
In a new video, Dean of Engineering Mun Choi welcomes members of the engineering community and highlights some of the features that distinguish UConn Engineering as a top educational destination and research leader.
Editor’s Corner
Editor’s Corner profiles top journals edited by our faculty members. Today, we highlight the editorial contributions of Dr. Amvrossios C. Bagtzoglou, Head of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, who serves as Associate Editor of the Open Environmental Engineering Journal and Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment and as a member of the Editorial Board of Environmental Forensics.
Students Capture Honors, Savor Learning Opportunities
Eleven undergraduate and graduate students from the Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering Department participated in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual meeting in Minneapolis, MN.
Alumni Notes
The Schools of Engineering and Business will hold an Alumni Reception in Dallas, TX on Tuesday, November 15th. Prior to the reception, at 3 p.m. 18 lucky alumni (the first 18 to respond) will have the opportunity to tour the elegant Mary Hunt Hill Bridge: contact Noreen Wall at (860) 486-5394 to reserve your spot.
Engineering Ambassadors Visit Magnet School
On September 2nd, 10 UConn engineering students kicked-off the new school year with science and technology classes at CREC Two Rivers Magnet Middle School in East Hartford, CT.
Engineering Grad Students Making a Difference in Tech School Classrooms
Technical High School students across Connecticut enjoyed a unique opportunity to explore engineering principles, get involved in hands-on technical projects and competitions, and interact with UConn engineering graduate students throughout the 2010-11 academic year, thanks to an NSF-sponsored program called Graduate STEM Fellows in K-12 Education.
Job Fair Signals Hiring on the Uptick
UConn engineering students came out in full force for this year’s annual career fair, held October 12th in UConn’s spacious Rome Ballroom.
The Pocket Protector
A ‘Stephen Hawking Moment’ — that’s what my longtime friend, über technical sales executive and UConn alumnus with bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and business called it.
Koerner Family Grad Fellows Selected
Five engineering doctoral students who aspire to careers in an academic setting have been selected to receive Koerner Family Fellowships, which confer $10,000 to each.
Alum Directs Emerging “Smart” Appliances
In the not-so-distant future, household appliances will have the ability to collectively manage their electricity usage through a communication network. At the forefront of this developing technology is UConn mechanical engineering alumnus Kevin Nolan (’89), who is vice president of technology for General Electric Appliances.
Celebrate Student Innovation (VIDEO included)
On Thursday, October 20, a consortium of universities will come together for a singular Innovation Connection networking event highlighting, and rewarding, the accomplishments of student innovators.
Faculty News
Stay up to date with the latest School of Engineering faculty news and happenings!
Engineering Awards – Please Nominate a Leader
Each year, the School of Engineering celebrates a number of distinguished alumni whose career achievements are exceptional in nature, and dedicated non-alumni who have made dramatic and enduring contributions to our School. Please nominate someone who deserves to be recognized! Those selected will be honored formally in the spring and inducted into the Academy of […]
Simplifying Production Methods in Chemotherapy Drugs
Approximately 1.5 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer in 2010, including 21,000 of Connecticut’s own citizens. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., accounting for one in four deaths.
The Pocket Protector
Welcome to the inaugural edition of a new emagination column, The Pocket Protector. Named for the formerly ubiquitous plastic sleeves designed to spare pocket shirts the ruin of runny pens and smudgy mechanical pencils, pocket protectors enjoyed their heyday in the 50s and 60s.
Timothy Fekete: Engineering Success
He entered college looking for a challenge. This year, he will be graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in mechanical engineering, professional internship experience, and presidential accolades of his engineering honors fraternity.
UConn Team to Study Digestive Community in Termites
The bane of many a homeowner, the dreaded termites, may gain new respect as a source of clean energy. An interdisciplinary team of researchers at UConn and CalTech has won a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to explore how communities of microbes found in the guts of termites interact to efficiently metabolize wood cellulose.
Students to Discuss Innovative Ideas
On Thursday, September 15th, five UConn students will discuss their entrepreneurial journeys and the range of UConn resources that helped them transform their great ideas into commercial products and processes.
Kim Danziger: Lessons Underpin Successful Career
It’s a common refrain among college students: “When will we ever have to use this in real life?” Kim Danziger (B.S. Civil Engineering, ’75) is a prime example of a UConn graduate who applied his engineering lessons often and to great advantage across his career.
New Faculty Join UConn Engineering
The School of Engineering is pleased to welcome 10 new faculty members for the fall 2011 and spring 2012 terms. Each brings significant experience in areas of strategic importance.
Alumni Notes
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.
Editor’s Corner
Editor’s Corner profiles top journals edited by our faculty members. Today, we highlight the editorial contributions of Dr. Nejat Olgac, professor of Mechanical Engineering, who serves on the Editorial Boards of the International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems (2006-present), the Journal of Vibration and Control (2005-present), and the Bulletin of Applied Mechanics (2010-present).
Editor’s Corner
Editor’s Corner profiles top journals edited by our faculty members. Today, we highlight the editorial contributions of Dr. Rajeev Bansal, Head of the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, who serves as Associate Editor and Editorial Board member on four scholarly journals.
The UConn Engineering “Brand”
In preparation for the 2011 holiday season, we’re planning to offer a high quality, custom necktie. We’ve designed a number of patterns, in various motifs and colors, but we need your votes to determine which one or two we’ll offer.
Entrepreneurial Youths to Speak
You asked for it! In a recent poll, attendees of Innovation Connection networking events asked for more activities centered on renewable energy themes, innovation success stories, and student involvement.
High Speed Computation Aids Bone Regeneration Research
Approximately 33,000 U.S. soldiers have been injured in Afghanistan and Iraq since the start of the “war on terrorism” in 2001. Many have suffered severe injuries involving broken, fractured and shattered bones.
Kylene Perras Joins Engineering in Alumni Development Role
The School of Engineering is very pleased to welcome UConn alumna Kylene A. Perras (’01) as Program Director of Leadership Giving. In this capacity, she will work closely with Donald Swinton, Assistant Director of Development, to foster closer and more enduring relations with engineering alumni.
Team Awarded DOE Grant for Hydrogen Gas Turbine Research
A team of UConn researchers is one of just nine selected nationwide by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop advanced technologies that will lead to cleaner, more efficient conversion of coal into electricity.
Trailblazing Technological and Racial Frontiers: Tilton L. Hughes
Across his 40-plus year career, which immersed him in some of the world’s most advanced technology companies, UConn engineering alumnus Tilton L. Hughes (B.S. Mechanical Engineering ’73) has learned some valuable lessons that he is happy to share with young engineers just starting out in their careers.
Professors Remembered: Taylor L. Booth
Dr. Taylor L. Booth (1933 – 1986) was a beloved teacher and mentor, a force nationally for computer education and the accreditation of computer science degree programs, a respected scholar and an influential partner in establishing centralized computing resources at UConn that today serve faculty researchers across the university’s campuses.
Alumnus Reflects on Career Spent with Submarines
Electric Boat submarine engineer and UConn alumnus Jessie Modzelewski was born and raised in Poland, also the birthplace of Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, considered to be the father of the modern nuclear submarine.
Engineering Earlier Ovarian Cancer Detection
Electrical Engineering professor Quing Zhu and UConn Health Center (UCHC) physician-researcher professor Molly Brewer, DVM, MD have received a $1.63 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to advance and test a novel hybrid imaging device for the accurate detection and characterization of ovarian cancer.
Faculty Honors & Awards
UConn’s Center for Voting Technology Research (VoTeR Center) and the Office of the Secretary of the State of Connecticut jointly applied for and won a competitive 2010 Voting System Pre-Election Logic and Accuracy Testing & Post-Election Audit Initiative grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
Students to Receive Intelligent Transportation Grants
Two teams involving Civil & Environmental Engineering students have been approved to proceed with research projects of interest to the Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of Connecticut. Both teams are advised by assistant professor Nicholas Lownes, Director of the Center for Transportation & Livable Systems.
Alumni Notes
Please keep us up to date on your career activities and let your fellow alumni know what you’ve been doing. It’s easy! Just fill out the brief online questionnaire on the UConn School of Engineering website here.
Editor’s Corner
Editor’s Corner is a new series in which we will profile top journals edited by our faculty members.
More success for T2 Center’s Public Works Academy
The Connecticut Transportation Institute’s Technology Transfer Center (T2 Center) completed another successful session of the Connecticut Public Works Academy — a program aimed at providing recently hired employees with education on core competencies integral to a successful career in public works.
Engineering for Impact: Pope Park Cleanup
A group of over 40 engineering students spent a spring Saturday cleaning up Hartford’s Pope Park and learning valuable lessons in collaborative team-work and community service.
Top HS Design Team Visits Engineering
The Center for Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2) hosted 12 student members of the Xavier High School Engineering Club, which recently won top honors in the 2011 Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) for their next-generation airplane wing designed to maximize fuel efficiency and enhance performance.
UConn ITE Team Wins Traffic Bowl
On March 24th, four UConn transportation engineering graduate students were named the winners of the Annual Northeastern District Collegiate Traffic Bowl, a Jeopardy! style trivia competition held at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) at Amherst.
Graduate Students Capture Honors, Enjoy Networking
Two graduate students in the Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering (CMBE), were honored recently at the national level.
UConn Hosts K-12 State Chess Championships
On May 21, 2011 a total of 36 students came to the UConn Storrs campus to compete in the Connecticut K-12 High School Chess Championships. This year fielded a diverse array of players, ranging from seasoned National Master Harry Wheeler to first-grader Tyrell Staples. Numerous other elementary and middle school students participated in the tournament to gain experience. In addition to Harry Wheeler, the tournament attracted two other National Masters, Alex Fikiet and Daniel Rozovsky.
Heidi Douglas Joins UConn Engineering
We are pleased to announce that Heidi Seifert Douglas has joined the School of Engineering in the capacity of Director of Engineering Alumni Relations.
Eli Dabora: UConn’s Combustion Pioneer
In response to the USSR’s successful 1957 launch of the Sputnik space capsule into orbit around the Earth, a year later the U.S. established its own space program under the newly-formed National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA).
Network! The Innovation Connection
Don’t miss the next Innovation Connection networking event on Thursday, May 26, 2011.
Center is Honored for Service to Public Works Community
The Connecticut Technology Transfer Center (T2 Center) was honored this week for their service to Connecticut’s Public Works Community.
Team to Sequence Poultry Viruses
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from UConn and Georgia State University received more than $400,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop computational methods enabling the characterization of genomic diversity of a particularly contagious avian bronchial virus.
Come to Alumni Weekend June 3-4!
Come back to UConn and celebrate Alumni Weekend next month with friends and family! Reconnect with school chums, rediscover the scenic and increasingly high-tech Storrs campus, slip off to the UConn Dairy Bar for a cool cone, and meet faculty and students.
Alumni Notes
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!
Researchers Study Protozoa Migration
Two UConn students are investigating the possibility that protozoa, single-cell organisms, communicate among themselves via chemical signaling. Grant Bouchillon, a Ph.D. student in Environmental Engineering, joined up with undergraduate Chemical Engineering senior Kristina Gillick earlier this year to investigate this intriguing scenario.
Tech Park Plans Unveiled at Design Demo Day
On Friday, April 29th, the School of Engineering held its first all-school senior design demonstration day, uniting all of the graduating seniors and their projects under one roof, in Gampel Pavilion at the Storrs campus.
CPTV Films in Dr. Parnas’ Biodiesel Lab
Dr. Richard Parnas, director of the University’s Biofuel Consortium, hosted a film crew from Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) in April.
Commencement Details
The School of Engineering will hold commencement ceremonies for graduating undergraduates on Sunday, May 8 in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. Graduate students will celebrate commencement on Saturday, May 8.
Entrepreneurship Gurus Engage Graduate Students
On April 8, three experts in innovation and entrepreneurship described different facets of the creative process and how technologies developed within the academic environment can be transformed into commercially successful products and processes.
Alumni Voices: Riza Murteza (Mechanical Engineering ’53)
After leaving Storrs, armed with his B.S. degree in 1953, alumnus Riza Murteza built an exciting and highly accomplished career that began with designing precision ball bearings in Bristol, CT.
May 14: Showtime for Young Inventors
On Saturday, May 14, 2011, UConn will welcome more than 650 young inventors who aspire to be the next Thomas Edison (lightbulb) or Mary Anderson (windshield wipers).
Industry/Academic Network Event This Week!
UConn is sponsoring an Innovation Connection function from 3-6 p.m. Thursday, April 21 at the Storrs campus, featuring a panel discussion on the topic of innovation followed by tours of the Chemistry Building and a networking event.
May Event: Driving Innovation Through University Resources
On May 25, 2011, UConn will host a special event for entrepreneurs, inventors, capital investors and other who are interested in technology commercialization and want to explore novel innovations emerging from the academic sector.
You’re Invited! Engineering Design Day April 29
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering will hold its all-school Senior Design Demonstration Day on Friday, April 29, 2011 from 1-4 p.m. in Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.
Automated Therapy: Gregory Breuer
Greg’s project focuses on one of the most pervasive neurological disorders: autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is no cure for autism, so the development of techniques to assess and manage autism is of the upmost importance
Engineering Energy for the Future: Michael Ignatowich
Michael has been involved in alternative energy projects since first arriving on campus. As a freshman, he joined the UConn chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE).
Expanding Horizons: Christopher Lee
Chris is a biomedical engineering major who strives to become either a doctor or work in the biomedical industry. Yet, it is the field of chemistry that has inspired him to explore and complete complex scientific research.
Equality in Engineering: Britta Kunkemoeller
Britta has a goal to get a Ph.D. in engineering, focusing on biological and medical applications. She is also, however, deeply interested in equality in the sciences and figuring out what social cues make things the way they are.
Engineering for Life: Ethan Butler
Major: Chemical Engineering Ethan has felt the need to reach out to and help others throughout his college career. He is currently president of the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders and is an intern with the UConn Office of Environmental Policy. Thus, it was natural for him to extend this inclination for service to […]
UConn Engineers Without Borders: Making a Difference
On February 24, about 30 people gathered at the Student Union to recognize and celebrate the important work performed in the last year by the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Members of EWB presented their current projects and described the ways in which they are attempting to change the lives of people in some of the most impoverished communities in the world.
Alumni Notes
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!
School Honors Eleven
The School of Engineering celebrated the accomplishments of 11 alumni and friends during a gala awards banquet held on March 15, 2011.
Bollas Receives CAREER Award
With $400,000 in support from the National Science Foundation’s Early Career Development (CAREER) program, Dr. Georgios Bollas intends to develop comprehensive simulation models that will improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of processes that convert fossil fuels into usable power while capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) byproducts.
Watch IBM's Watson Compete on Jeopardy!
On Wednesday, February 16, students, faculty and staff, and members of the general public are invited to watch IBM’s powerful Watson supercomputer compete onJeopardy!
Celebrating National Engineers Week 2011
The School of Engineering has planned an array of fun, inspiring and illuminating activities in celebration of National Engineers Week, which takes place February 20-26 this year. For full details, please consult the calendar appearing on our website at www.engr.uconn.edu.
Faculty Receive Honors
Last fall, two engineering faculty members were honored by leading professional societies in their fields of expertise.
Gao and Graduate Publish Wavelet Text
Dr. Robert Gao, the Pratt & Whitney Endowed Chair Professor in Mechanical Engineering, and Dr. Ruqiang Yan, a UMass-Amherst alumnus previously advised by Dr. Gao who is now a professor at the Southeast University in Chin, authored a new book titled Wavelets: Theory and Applications for Manufacturing.
Mechanical Engineering Professor Investigates Sickle Cell Disease
Until recently, the pairing of molecular biology and mechanical engineering would have been viewed as highly unusual. But thanks to an explosion of imaging and simulation techniques over the past few decades, there is an opportunity to view biology at the molecular and even nano-levels through the eyes of an engineer.
UConn Alumnus Works to Engineer Proteins
Alumnus Matthew DeLisa credits his UConn engineering professors with jump-starting his interest in chemical engineering and academic research.
Student Snap: David Sidoti
At Ponaganset High School in North Scituate, Rhode Island, David Sidoti’s 10th grade geometry teacher took notice of his exceptional skill in mathematics.
Student Snap: Sirjan Xhurxhi
UConn senior Sirjan Xhurxhi, who will graduate in May, is poised to begin a promising career at General Electric. He will participate in the company’s Edison Engineering Development Program, a prestigious opportunity for entry-level college graduates to combine job experience with graduate-level coursework.
Team to Explore Oral Inflammation Resulting from Cancer Chemotherapy
Dr. Ranjan Srivastava, associate professor of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering, is a co-investigator – with Dr. Patricia Diaz, a faculty member in the Skeletal, Craniofacial and Oral Biology graduate program at the UConn Health Center (UCHC).
Commencement 2011 to Feature Dr. Charles Vest
National Academy of Engineering (NAE) president Dr. Charles Vest will receive an honorary degree from UConn and deliver the keynote presentation during the School of Engineering’s Sunday, May 8, 2011 commencement ceremonies at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in Storrs.
CEE Student Honored
Civil & Environmental Engineering graduate student Alexander Bernier, who is advised by Dr. Adam Zofka, was recently honored by the Transportation & Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
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.
Article among Top Cited
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.
Alumni Notes
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.
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.
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.
Students Invest in Peers
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 Notes
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.
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.
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.
Bridging Disciplines
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.
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.”
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 Receive Honors
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.
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.
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.
Hogan, Williams Announce New Members of UConn’s Sustainable Energy Team
At the Legislative Office Building in Hartford on December 9, 2008, University of Connecticut President Michael Hogan – joined by Senate President Donald Williams – announced that the University of Connecticut has hired six top alternative energy researchers under the state’s 21st Century Jobs Act. Among the new energy leaders introduced was the new director […]
Dr. Tehranipoor to Receive IEEE Meritorious Service Award
Assistant professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) Mohammad Tehranipoor has been chosen to receive the 2008 IEEE Computer Society Meritorious Service Award. He was selected for his contributions toward effectively planning a number of IEEE workshops and symposia in 2007 and 2008. Dr. Tehranipoor initiated the IEEE International Workshop on Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust […]
Kiayias Research Targets Wireless Networks & Security
Dr. Aggelos Kiayias, assistant professor of Computer Science & Engineering, recently received three new grants from the National Science Foundation that will support research aimed at improving the security of data transmitted and stored electronically. The grants, which total more than $400,000, build upon Dr. Kiayias’ ongoing cyber-security research. One project focuses specifically on wireless […]
Sandra Crosthwaite Presented Outstanding Staff Service Award
We applaud Ms. Sandra Crosthwaite, Executive Assistant for the School of Engineering’s Dean’s office, who was presented the 2009 Outstanding Staff Service Award for her dedication and exceptional performance in carrying out her varied duties. Sandy began her career with UConn in 1992 and progressed through positions of increasing responsibility leading up to her current […]
Biofuels Research Nets Nearly $600K in State Funding
Dr. Richard Parnas, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering, and two colleagues at the University of Connecticut, have been awarded $598,000 from the State to expand their clean energy research program involving biofuels. Dr. Parnas, who directs the University’s Biofuel Consortium and is also a member of the Polymer […]
Alumni Profiles
Alumna Profile: Christine Sansevero Environmentalist As a child, Christine Sansevero ’95 (ENG) dreamed of becoming an astronaut. While studying civil and environmental engineering at UConn, however, she realized, “there’s a great deal of work to do right here on our own planet.” Since graduating from UConn, Sansevero has held a variety of positions at the […]
UConn Elected to Membership in National Consortium for Atmospheric Research
The University of Connecticut has been elected to membership in the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), a nonprofit consortium of North American universities and international affiliates committed to understanding the atmosphere and the interconnected processes that compose the Earth “system.” UConn’s eight-year membership, which enjoyed unanimous support from the consortium, begins in January 2009. […]
Engineering to Sponsor 2009 Connecticut State Chess Championship
The link between mastery in chess and skillful execution of engineering concepts has been scrutinized in various studies, particularly over the last decade. It is postulated that skillful chess play enhances creativity, concentration, critical thinking, reasoning skills, problem solving and even verbal skills – all skills that are equally applicable to engineering. In light of […]
Fall Engineering Career Fair Redux
The School of Engineering held its first all-school career fair over the course of two days, October 28 and 29, and two venues on the Storrs campus. The events attracted several hundred UConn engineering students, from sophomores through seniors and across all disciplines, who were interested in exploring summer and winter-break internships as well as […]
Student Profile: Allison Melch
Allison, who is enrolled in the EUROTECH program, will earn two degrees when she graduates in May ’11: a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.A. in German. She is contemplating a career in international pharmaceuticals and personal care products, with a possible interlude in the Peace Corps or a similar relief organization following graduation. […]
Dr. Hanchen Huang Accepts Professorship in Sustainable Energy
The School of Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Hanchen Huang has accepted the UConn School of Engineering Professorship in Sustainable Energy. Dr. Huang is currently a professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. He will join UConn as a faculty member in the Department […]
Entrepreneur, Engineer Now Heads International Anti-Malaria Campaign
As an entrepreneur, alumnus Timothy “Scott” Case (B.S. Computer Science & Engineering, ’92) built and fronted several innovative high tech companies that have since joined the pantheon of household names, among them priceline.com, the “Name Your Own Price” Internet service, for which he was a co-founding partner and Chief Technology Officer. He is credited with […]
Guiling Wang Lands NOAA Climate Grant
Dr. Guiling Wang, associate professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, was awarded more than $275,000 in funding by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct research aimed at identifying and understanding the interactions among soil moisture, vegetation and precipitation over North America. The research is expected to contribute toward NOAA’s Climate Prediction Program […]
Huey Lands Large Microscopy Development Award
Dr. Bryan Huey, assistant professor of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering, has received a $311,000 award from the National Science Foundation that will support his efforts to enhance the speed with which nano-scale surface properties can be mapped. The award, made under NSF’s Instrumentation for Materials Research (IMR) program, is two years in duration. Dr. […]
UConn Hosts First Materials Camp
Faculty and students from the department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering and the University’s Institute of Materials Science (IMS), along with industrial partners, hosted nearly 40 students and four teachers on Monday, October 20 for UConn’s first Materials Camp. The students hailed from the University High School for Science and Engineering, a Hartford magnet […]
Prabhakar Singh to Lead Center for Clean Energy Engineering
Dr. Prabhakar Singh has been selected Director of the Center for Clean Energy Engineering at the University of Connecticut following an international search. His faculty appointment as the UTC Chair Professor of Fuel Cell Technology will be in the Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering. Dr. Singh is currently with the Pacific Northwest National […]
School Names UTC Professors in Engineering Innovation
Dean of Engineering Mun Y. Choi recently announced the selection of four faculty members to receive the United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Professorship in Engineering Innovation award. The recipients include Drs. Emmanouil Anagnostou of Civil & Environmental Engineering; Jun-Hong Cui of Computer Science & Engineering; Shengli Zhou of Electrical & Computer Engineering; and K.S. Wilson Chiu […]
Alumnus John Krenicki an Energy Leader
Reliable, reasonably-priced energy has reemerged in the last year as among the greatest needs facing the nation, and aligned with it are complex questions about environmental degradation, global climate change, economic disparities and limited water resources. GE is among the industrial titans committed to developing an integrated approach to these challenges. In July 2008, GE […]
100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era
By Kristina Goodnough Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, vice president for health affairs at the UConn Health Center and dean of the medical school, has been named among “100 Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era” by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The recognition from the world’s leading organization for chemical engineering professionals acknowledges Laurencin’s work […]
Douglass Family Establishes Scholarship in Engineering
Alumnus Michael Douglass (B.S. Electrical Engineering, ’79) and his wife, Tamela Richards, recently donated $25,000 to the University of Connecticut to establish an undergraduate scholarship in electrical engineering. Mr. Douglass is employed by Dallas-based Texas Instruments, which matched their gift 100% to create a $50,000 endowment that will support the Richard and Helen Douglass Endowed […]
Paper Featured in Nature Physics
Doctoral candidate Mehdi DaneshPanah, along with his advisor, Dr. Bahram Javidi, UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and Dr. Edward A. Watson (Wright Patterson Air Force Base) have garnered high profile recognition for their research. A paper authored by the three was summarized in the journal, Nature Physics (Vol. 4, […]
UCMA Lands Major Chapter Awards
The UConn chapter of Material Advantage (UCMA) received two international awards at the 2008 Materials Science & Technology Conference & Exhibition in Pittsburgh. The honors included one of only five Chapter of Excellence Awards, along with the World Materials Day Award. Three UCMA officers attended the conference: senior Salay Stannard, UCMA president, and graduate students […]
Team Lands $750K for Biocomputing Research
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from UConn and the universities of Florida and Minnesota captured a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to conduct research involving molecular computing. The three-year project is led by principal investigator Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran, director of the Booth Engineering Center for Advanced Technology and the UTC Chair Professor of […]
Big Blue Goes Green Under Environmental Leader Nunes
Alumna Sharon Nunes (M.S., Ph.D., Materials Science, ’80, ’83) relishes her role as Vice President of Big Green Innovations in IBM’s Systems & Technology Group (STG). The initiative, unveiled in early 2007, positions IBM as a world leader in developing and propagating environmental conservation strategies and analytical techniques across the technology sector. Big Green Innovations […]
Dr. Wu Receives NSF Funding for Genomic Models
Assistant professor of Computer Science & Engineering Dr. Yufeng Wu and two collaborators from the University of California – Davis captured a three-year grant totaling $900,000 from the National Science Foundation to develop algorithms that will allow researchers to better understand the origin and manifestations of genomic traits and to develop more accurate biological models. […]
Transforming Engineers into Entrepreneurs
Marcian Hoff invented the world’s first microprocessor; John Bardeen co-invented the transistor; Seymour Cray, the father of supercomputing, co-founded Cray Research; Stephen Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer; Karlheinz Brandenberg co-developed the MP3 compression scheme. The role of engineers in fostering innovation and business startups is legendary. But starting a new business is among the riskiest paths […]
Team Completes Installation of Ethiopian Weather Stations
Dr. Mekonnen Gebremichael, assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and a team of UConn undergraduate and graduate students traveled to Ethiopia during summer 2008 to install weather stations in the Beressa watershed of the Blue Nile basin region, about 75 miles from the capital, Addis Ababa. It was Dr. Gebremichael’s second expedition to Ethiopia […]
Engineering to Host Fall Career Fair
The School of Engineering will host its first school-wide Career Fair on Tuesday, October 28th and Wednesday, October 29th, 2008. The Tuesday event will take place in the Rome Commons Ballroom, and the Wednesday fair will be held in the Student Union Ballroom. The fair hours are noon until 4:00 p.m. both days. “This is […]
Save the Date: Holiday Alumni Reception
Please join us at Hartford’s famed The Bushnell performing arts center for a delightful evening of networking, reminiscing with fellow UConn Engineering alumni, and catching up on activities of your alma mater. Meet Dean of Engineering Mun Y. Choi and faculty members from the School of Engineering. Enjoy the sounds and flavors of the season. […]
Ben Wilhite Captures NSF CAREER Award
Assistant professor of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering Benjamin Wilhite has received a National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) Award that will support his research aimed at improving the harvesting of hydrogen from green hydrocarbons (biofuels). The $400,000, five-year award is the third CAREER Award garnered by UConn engineering faculty in 2008 and the […]
NSF Funding to Improve Underwater Communications
A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the School of Engineering and UConn’s Marine Sciences department at the Avery Point campus has been awarded $500,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the development of instrumentation that will improve their scalable autonomous underwater sensor network system. The team, headed by principal investigator Dr. Jun-Hong Cui of […]
Visit Us During Fall Open House
On Sunday, September 21, the University of Connecticut will host thousands of prospective students and their families visiting campus to get acquainted with UConn and its spectrum of degree programs, residential options, study-abroad and other educational opportunities available to students. In conjunction with Open House, the School of Engineering will host introductory sessions, information booths, […]
Team Awarded $1 M for Electron Microscope
A multidisciplinary team of researchers has won a large Department of Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) award totaling $700,000 that will fund acquisition of a dual beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope (FIB/SEM). The specialized microscope will be equipped with a field-emission SEM column, a high-resolution gallium-ion FIB column, an array of different electron […]
Faculty Make a Difference with Mentor Connection
Over the summer, a number of engineering faculty members and associates hosted high school juniors and seniors from across the world, welcoming them into research labs and providing mentorship that may nurture future engineering leaders. The 12-year old summer program, called the UConn Mentor Connection (MC), brings 70-75 students to campus each year for a […]
Engineering to Host Fall Career Fair
The School of Engineering will host its first school-wide Career Fair on Tuesday, October 28th and Wednesday, October 29th, 2008. The Tuesday event will take place in the Rome Commons Ballroom, and the Wednesday fair will be held in the Student Union Ballroom. The fair hours are noon until 4:00 p.m. both days. “This is […]
Dr. Liu Receives Army Corps Award
Associate professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) Lanbo Liu received a Research & Development Achievement Award from the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) of the Army Corps of Engineers. The award was presented in June for Dr. Liu’s “significant contribution to the fundamental understanding of radio wave propagation in complex terrains.” Dr. Liu […]
Doctoral Students Capture Honors
Three doctoral students in engineering, Claire Weiss, Mehdi DaneshPanah and Bob Schulein, have received major honors in recognition of their scholarly achievements. Claire Weiss, a doctoral candidate advised by Dr. Pamir Alpay (Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering), won the Best Graduate Summer Research Award at the Summer Student Research Symposium held on August 7, 2008 […]
Freshman Class Size Leaps 29%
On August 25, the School of Engineering will welcome a freshman class of nearly 500 students – over 100 more students than matriculated in fall 2007. Marty Wood, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education, said “We are delighted to see such a large and highly qualified class of incoming students. These figures attest to the success […]
Alumni Among National Academies Members
The UConn School of Engineering has produced countless outstanding engineers during our century of engineering instruction. Among them are several individuals whose accomplishments warranted acceptance into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and National Academy of Sciences (NAS). We are delighted to introduce them to you below: Dennis M. Bushnell (B.S.E. Mechanical Engineering ’63) NAE […]
Nano-scale Instrument Aids in Transfer of Genetic Material
Dr. Nejat Olgac, professor of Mechanical Engineering and head of UConn’s Advanced Laboratory for Automation, Robotics & Manufacturing (ALARM), and his team are developing a microscopic device called the Ros-Drill© that can transfer genetic material into cells with greater accuracy and effectiveness than ever before achieved. This novel microinjection method – made possible through nanotechnology […]
Engineering Expands Study Abroad Opportunities
The School of Engineering was recently approved for membership in the Global Engineering Education Exchange (Global E3). Global E3 provides American students the opportunity to take for-credit college coursework at an overseas partner institution located in one of 17 participating countries, and for international students at partner campuses to study at participating institutions in the […]
GEM Membership Improves Graduate Diversity Recruiting
The School of Engineering has joined the national GEM Consortium, a 140-plus member organization that seeks to foster greater diversity among post-graduate educational and workplace populations within the so-called STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines. The GEM Consortium focuses specifically upon underrepresented groups, including African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanic Americans at the master’s […]
Students Find Internships Rewarding
Most UConn engineering students engage in internships during their undergraduate years that enrich their education and provide unparalleled opportunities for real-world experience. We recently invited students to discuss their internships: Nicholas Chokas (Computer Science & Engineering; Minor in Mathematics) of Manchester, CT, chose UConn Engineering “because I love technology, and with UConn being ranked the […]
UConn Engineering Graduate Students Pursue Cutting-Edge Research
Nearly 500 master’s and doctoral students pursue graduate studies within the School of Engineering’s five departments and 10 graduate programs. Our students represent diverse cultural traditions, backgrounds and interest areas; all of them are dedicated researchers with the energy and insight to advance important technological ideas. Read about some of them below. Jonathan P. Winterstein […]
Droplet Flame Extinguishment in Microgravity (FLEX)
Dean of Engineering Mun Y. Choi is an investigator on a NASA grant aimed at examining the burning behavior of isolated fuel droplets under microgravity conditions. This two-phased project is a collaborative effort involving researchers at NASA, UConn, the University of California – Davis, the University of California – San Diego, Cornell University and Princeton […]
Government-Industry-Academic Collaboration Improves Jet Engine Performance
Faculty from the Mechanical Engineering Department are conducting research that will improve flame stability in fighter jet afterburners, which are used to attain greater thrust during critical combat exchanges or during short-distance take-offs, such as those from an aircraft carrier. With approximately $200,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation, paired with personnel and equipment […]
New Engineering Building to be Built
Dean of Engineering Mun Y. Choi announced that a new Engineering building will be constructed on the Storrs campus by 2013. Steady growth in undergraduate enrollments, the need for expanded high-tech research space, and success in securing a number of high profile national research centers have heightened pressures on the School to expand. Preliminary designs […]
Melissa Jacques: Volunteerism, Leadership Lauded
Melissa Jacques: Volunteerism Emerges from Bridge Melissa, who hails from East Hartford and says she is a “proud Hornet Alumni,” is earning B.S. degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering. She was chosen a 2008 Outstanding Senior Women of Academic Achievement Award recipient. Why UConn? “I was attracted to UConn by the […]
Clinical & Translational Medicine
Faculty members across the University, including 10 Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) faculty members and researchers from the UConn Health Center, are collaborating on a novel initiative aimed at transforming the manner in which clinical and translational science research is conducted worldwide. Three years ago, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began its Clinical and […]
Student Team to Help Power Plant Improve Performance
Three engineering students, overseen by Chemical Engineering professor Douglas Cooper, began a research study over the summer aimed at helping the UConn power plant attain greater performance efficiencies. The team seeks to fine-tune plant operation with the goal of reducing the consumption of natural gas and fresh water while still meeting the electrical, heating and […]
Civil & Environmental Engineering News
Dr. Dipanjan Basu who joins the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department as an assistant professor. Dr. Basu earned his Ph.D. (’06) and M.S. from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, and a Master of Technology from India Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. His research expertise and interests lie in the modeling of boundary value problems pertaining […]
Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering
The Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering welcomes three new faculty members, all of whom will join the department in August. Dr. George A. Rossetti, Jr., who joins the department as an associate professor of materials science, brings expertise in structure-processing-property relations in electroceramic materials and their applications in dielectric, electromechanical and energy conversion […]
Mechanical Engineering – News
The Mechanical Engineering Department welcomes four new faculty members who will join the department in fall ’08. Dr. Robert Gao will join the department as the Pratt and Whitney Endowed Chair. He is currently a professor of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Gao has extensive experience in sensors and […]
Office of the Dean – Deanery News
The Office of the Dean is pleased to welcome four new professional staff members. Christopher P. Joliat joins the School as Director of Development. He previously was employed for 11 years as a fundraising professional with the Legion of Christ, an international Catholic not-for-profit organization. He began as a Director of Major Gifts and worked […]
Commencement 2008 Review
The School of Engineering congratulates its 450 graduating undergraduate and graduate students, who received their certificates during the May 10-11 weekend. On Saturday, May 10, the School feted 84 M.S. and 55 Ph.D. students who completed their degrees in August and December (’07) and in May 2008. On Sunday, May 11, the School honored 311 […]
Dr. Gebremichael Captures NASA Award
Dr. Mekonnen Gebremichael, assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE), was selected one of just 18 recipients nationwide to receive a NASA New Investigator Program (NIP) grant in Earth Sciences. Dr. Gebremichael’s winning proposal was among 78 submitted to the agency. This NIP award is only the second in UConn history: Dr. Gebremichael’s colleague, […]
Andrew Lysaght Admitted to Prestigious Harvard-MIT Ph.D. Program
Andrew C. Lysaght (B.S. ’06, M.S. ’08), who completed his accelerated master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in May, will soon begin his Ph.D. studies at the highly regarded Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology program at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. Fewer than 10 students worldwide are accepted each year into this […]
Dr. Javidi Receives Major Awards
Dr. Bahram Javidi, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, has been awarded two new major professional honors: the 2008 International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) Technology Achievement Award and the 2008 Fellow Award from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Dr. Javidi’s Guggenheim Fellow Award is presented for his work on real-time 3D optical imaging and […]
10 Faculty Approved for Tenure, Promotion
In April, Dean of Engineering Mun Y. Choi announced that the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees approved the tenure and promotion of 10 engineering faculty: Amvrossios Bagtzoglou – promoted to full professor in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department John Chandy – promoted to associate professor with tenure in the Electrical & Computer Engineering […]
Professors DeWolf and Jeffers Retiring
The School of Engineering will lose two of its most senior, esteemed faculty members in coming weeks, with the retirements of Civil & Environmental Engineering professor John DeWolf and Mechanical Engineering associate professor Robert Jeffers. During his 35 years at UConn, Dr. John DeWolf has educated hundreds of civil engineers and received numerous awards for […]
CIC Celebrates 25th Anniversary
The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday, May 3rd, when 550 students in grades K-8 came to UConn’s Gampel Pavilion to showcase their inventions. They were joined by more than 200 judges; exhibitors and volunteers; and thousands of teachers, family members and sponsors. This year marked the 10th consecutive year the […]
Connecticut Kids Explore Energy Future
On April 14th, nearly 90 middle school students interrupted their spring vacations to visit the UConn campus and explore a variety of alternative energy sources. The young people are participants in a novel program entitled Connecticut Kids Fueling the Future. The School of Engineering hosted the visit, which was organized by Tricia Bergman of the […]
Summit on America’s Energy Future
By Lee Langston Professor emeritus, Mechanical Engineering On March 13-14, 2008, the National Academies of Science & Engineering held a “Summit on America’s Energy Future” in Washington, D.C. This two-day meeting, featuring some 26 presentations, provided a critical overview of recent influential energy studies and initiatives. Given the present state of national and world-wide concerns […]
