Category: Students
UConn’s EuroTech Program Celebrates 30 Years Preparing Engineering Students for Global Careers
EuroTech students study abroad in Germany as part of the Baden-Württemberg Exchange Program, complete an internship, and graduate with dual degrees in engineering and German.
4 College of Engineering Students Named McNair Scholars
UConn’s McNair program equips first-generation and underrepresented undergraduate students with the tools needed to pursue a Ph.D.
Academy of Distinguished Engineers Nominations Now Open
2024 marks the 41st year that the College will induct new members into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
Combining Domain Expertise and Artificial Intelligence For Aerospace Manufacturing
UConn, Raytheon Technologies Research Center, Siemens Industry and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology recently secured $2 million in funding from the United States Department of Energy for its project titled “Control of Aerospace Manufacturing Variability Using Physics-Informed Artificial Intelligence.”
EPA Awards $5M Grant to Support UConn’s Technical Assistance for Brownfields Program
UConn assists communities encountering the challenges of assessment, cleanup, and revitalization at brownfield sites while protecting public health and promoting environmental justice.
$2.5M NSF S-STEM Grant to Support Students Majoring in Computing, Data Sciences
Dean Daniel Burkey will oversee a team that assists low-income and first-generation students majoring in computing and data science at UConn.
Dean Burkey Honored for Innovative Contributions in Computer-Based Chemical Engineering Education
Burkey’s computer game, “Contents Under Pressure,” teaches engineering students about chemical process safety and risk management skills.
UConn Elevating its School of Engineering to Become a College
By Stephanie Reitz, University Spokeperson UConn’s School of Engineering is being designated as a college and renamed to follow suit, reflecting its rapid growth and its importance in producing highly educated graduates who bolster Connecticut’s high-tech economy. The update to the UConn College of Engineering’s name will also include two internal changes: the Department of Computer […]
MSE Welcomes Alexander Dupuy to the Department
With 16 years of research experience in ceramic processing and synthesis, particularly using Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), Dupuy makes for an exciting addition to the department.
New Digital Design Center Aids U.S. Army Vehicle Production
The Digital Design Research, Analysis, and Manufacturing (D2REAM) Center aims to support advanced structural digital design and manufacturing, and discovery of novel metamaterials.
Schools of Nursing and Engineering Join Together For New Center
The Schools of Nursing and Engineering new Center will lead to fresh ideas and inventions to impact patients’ lives in a positive way.
Advancing Engineering Education Through Students and Industry
The Center for Advanced Engineering Education is a resource for individuals and employers to help achieve growth and development.
Zhou to Lead Clean Energy Engineering Efforts at UConn
As director of C2E2, Professor Zhou will provide guidance and contribute to the development of sustainable energy strategies and initiatives.
Resilient Extra-Terrestrial Habitats Research Launches New Era of Space Travel
Students can now run computer simulations and physical experiments to test the technology essential to the habitat’s operation and survival.
New Climate Center at UConn Will Support Weather Innovation, Energy Resilience Research
WISER’s research direction will focus on renewable energy, power outage management, electrical grid resilience, and climate change.
Building closer U.S. ties with UConn
senior executives from the two universities signed a memorandum of understanding to establish ongoing mutually-beneficial collaborative teaching and research projects.
Civil and Environmental Engineering Research Team Develops Alert System to Prevent Wrong-Way Drivers
The team used a predictive modeling software to create an optimal wrong-way rumble strip design.
UConn and Bridgeport Partner for Greener Schools
‘A great opportunity to strengthen our green energy and climate change research’ while supporting Connecticut communities.
Foundations of Engineering Class Participates in the “Marshmallow Challenge”
Students pair off to build a self-supporting tower in just 18 minutes, using only uncooked spaghetti, masking tape, and dental floss.
Ozkan to Lead Engineering Education and Experimental Learning Initiative at UConn
Assistant Professor Desen Ozkan will join the School of Engineering in August. She will develop a new graduate-level initiative that will explore engineering education theory, cultures, and research methodologies.
Courtney Commends UConn Crumbling Foundation Research
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney visited the University of Connecticut on Friday, July 7 to hear the latest on crumbling concrete foundation research conducted by the UConn School of Engineering.
NASA Astronauts Perform Life-Saving Nanomaterial Experiments for UConn’s Biomedical Engineering Researchers
Axiom Space and Eascra Biotech plan to create a manufacturing facility for therapeutic biomaterials in space.
Science 1 to Revolutionize Research, Innovation, Collaboration for Materials Science and Engineering
The recently-dedicated Science 1 building is home to the Institute of Materials Science (IMS) and the Materials Science and Engineering Department.
Connecticut’s Young Inventors Find Their Start in Storrs
The University of Connecticut Storrs campus hosted the Connecticut Invention Convention on June 10, connecting young inventors and entrepreneurs to a plethora of university resources.
UConn’s School of Engineering Aims to Help Impoverished Families Power Homes with Renewable Energy
Funded by a $700,000 clean energy grant, UConn’s IASE is designing a geothermal unit to heat an affordable housing complex.
UConn Triumphs with Fastest Formula SAE Car
During the Formula SAE intercollegiate competition in May, the student-run motorsport club placed in the top 10% of 120 teams.
Senior Design Project Becomes Budding Business for Bronen ’20
Jeremy Bronen ’20 (ENG) invented a toilet lift assist to help older adults and those with disabilities get a lift on and off the latrine.
Nine New Academy of Distinguished Engineers Inductees
New UConn Academy of Distinguished Engineers Inductees make advancements in submarines, aviation, cell therapy process and more.
McCutcheon Shares Membrane Technology Views With “Science”
The resulting paper – “Fixing the desalination membrane pipeline: Materials discovery alone has not translated into lower cost water treatment” – appears in the “Perspectives” section of the April 21 issue of the journal Science.
16 Students Inducted into Engineering Honor Society Tau Beta Pi
By Olivia Drake, Written Communications Specialist In high school, Justin Coe always had a knack for math and science. So, when he began thinking about college, the University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering became top-of-mind. Now a rising junior, Coe is pursuing a materials science and engineering major and minor in manufacturing. “At first, I […]
Student Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Pitch Day
Both courses end with a final pitch day, with guest judges. The judges at these events have the background and expertise to offer personalized feedback to the ventures that the students are working on.
Alumni Working at the Forefront of Jet Engine Technology
Vincent Ybanez has always been fascinated by the properties of different materials and how they can be used to solve complex problems. Now, as a key member of the Aftermarket and Sustainment Engineering team at Pratt and Whitney, he’s putting that expertise to work on some of the most cutting-edge engine technologies around.
Belimo Scholarship Offers Students A Warm Welcome Into Engineering
University leadership are celebrating a partnership between the UConn Foundation, the UConn School of Engineering and Belimo this week.
Two UConn-Affiliated Engineers Selected For The National Academy of Engineers
Thomas Prete and David Furrer were elected into the National Academy of Engineering in February. The pair were recognized in a celebratory reception in South Windsor on Thursday evening.
Recognizing Alum and NASA Public Servant Andrew Hoffman
UConn School of Engineering Alum Andrew Hoffman died March 24 at his home in East Windsor, Connecticut. He was 91, according to the family obituary.
Three Professors Selected For AAUP Awards
Three professors from the School of Engineering have been recognized for their achievements by the University of Connecticut chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
New Data Science and Engineering Major Leads to Booming Career Opportunities
The Computer Science and Engineering department will launch the Data Science and Engineering Bachelor of Science in the fall 2023 semester.
MSE Alum Uses 3D Printing to Create Patient-Specific Models
MSE alumnus Adam Wentworth (2011) is a senior engineer at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he utilizes his master’s degree in materials science and engineering (mse) to create patient-specific anatomic models and surgical guides.
A Grad’s Remarkable Journey From Peru to the United States
UConn Engineering graduate Ada Liz Gabancho-Soto is employed by the Connecticut Water Company as a Service Delivery Performance Systems Administrator, where her varied duties range from maintaining/expanding the company’s data storage and information systems, developing SQL reports on various topics, responding to data requests from internal departments, and serving as a specialist on the water information data management system.
Remembering Samuel Altschuler: Alum, Philanthropist, and Advisor
UConn Engineering alum Samuel Altschuler died at the age of 95 on February 5 at his home in Lexington, Mass.
Andres Godoy Wins Chateaubriand Fellowship
Graduate student Andres Godoy recently won the prestigious Chateaubriand Fellowship to study at the Université Grenoble Alpes in France.
First CyberLEAP Module Tackles Data Structures and Object-Oriented Design
CyberLEAP is an innovative path for non-computer scientists to break into the Computer Science industry.
University Budget Cuts “Would Be Devastating”
If approved, the budget would leave the university with a shortfall of $159.6 million next year and $197.1 million the following year, under the budget requests originally made by UConn and UConn Health.
Third Bridge Grant Program Supports Four UConn Startups
This year’s round of Third Bridge Grant awardees has developed innovative technologies focused on patenting, mobility, online education, and tick safety.
Laying a New Foundation Before Building Up
UConn’s first integrative studies student bridges passion for art, engineering in research and life.
Eight Engineering Students Chosen as McNair Scholars
The UConn McNair Scholars Program identified its next cohort of scholars last month, identifying eight engineering students that are leading the way in STEM fields.
Yaakov Bar-Shalom Earns IEEE Pioneer Award
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Professor Yaakov Bar-Shalom has been selected for the 2022 IEEE AESS Pioneer Award.
UConn Researcher’s Work Will Feature in International Space Station Mission
The low-gravity experiments could yield benefits across a wide range of health disciplines.
New Fuel Cell Gets New Look, Thanks to Student Design
The student design competition has helped spread awareness about the newly installed fuel cell at the Depot Campus
Class of 2022/2023 Academy of Distinguished Engineers – Nominate a Leader!
In 2023, we will mark our 40th year the School has inducted Distinguished Engineers into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers. Please assist us in identifying superb nominees for these awards; self-nominations are also welcome.
Happy Holidays From Your Colleagues at the School of Engineering
Wishing your health, joy, and peace this holiday season as you celebrate with your own beautiful, meaningful and magical customs.
State and Industry Leaders Address Grid Resiliency at UConn Engineering Conference
Article Originally Published on UConn Today Leaders from industry, along with policymakers and elected officials from the state and federal governments met with UConn engineers in Hartford on Monday, Oct. 24 to discuss New England’s electric grid and how it can be made more resilient over the next five years in the face of climate […]
NIH Trailblazer Awardee Developing Technology to Accelerate Organoid Development
Article Originally Published on UConn Today When scientists are testing out new drug treatments or trying to model a disease, they usually rely on human tissue samples from whatever kind of tissue they’re targeting. This method can be expensive, and samples are often difficult to come by. The development of a new technology known as […]
Faculty members provide top-notch Systems Research and Teaching
A system is only as good as its parts and ability to work in tandem. A group of faculty members focused on systems research in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has fine-tuned their collaboration to provide top-notch systems research and teaching.
Dr. Maria Chrysochoou 2022 Award Honoree at CT Science Center Gala
This year’s celebration highlighted the CT Science Center’s role in cultivating a STEM-Engaged community of students, families, teachers and professionals.
UConn Engineering Welcomes 12 New Faculty in 2022-2023
New faculty for this year come from all over the country, including Michigan State, University of California-Santa Cruz, and Penn State, and include a CAREER Award winner.
UConn Formula SAE Takes Top Ten Spot in National Competition
At the end of the Spring 2022 semester, the UConn Formula SAE team placed in the top ten of multiple different categories in the national Formula SAE Michigan competition held at the Michigan International Speedway.
New UConn Program Helps Non-Computer Scientists Break Into the Computer Science Industry
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering Professional Education Program and the Computer Science and Engineering Department announce the launch of a new program called CyberLEAP—an innovative path for non-computer scientists to break into the Computer Science industry.
UConn Engineering Inducts 10 New Members to the Academy of Distinguished Engineers
After postponing the 2021 induction ceremony for the University of Connecticut Academy of Distinguished Engineers because of the rise of COVID-19 cases, UConn Engineering celebrated the Academy Class of 2021 in a ceremony in the Student Union Ballroom on May 12.
UConn and Anglo Educational Services Launch London Master of Engineering Internship Program
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering and Anglo Educational Services in London have partnered to offer prospective students around the world the opportunity to pursue a Master of Engineering (MEng) in Data Science or Advanced Systems Engineering, combined with an international internship experience in London.
2022 Senior Design Winners Announced
For the first time since 2019, Senior Design Demonstration Day was held in person, with more than 270 teams presenting and over 100 organizations sponsoring those teams. From an on-campus brewery to a search and rescue drone, this year was one of the most innovative yet.
UConn Formula SAE Drives into the Future with Improved Car, Diverse Team
Hanging from the walls of a small building on the University of Connecticut’s Depot Campus are shells of former race cars. The smell of gasoline, metal, and fiberglass clings heavily to the air. Sitting front and center is a 480-pound small-scale version of a Formula 1 race car, with a Yamaha motorcycle engine, built by one of the most hands-on clubs on campus—UConn Formula SAE.
Senior Design Journey 2022: Saving Lives with an App, Part 2
A team of five CSE seniors are rounding the corner on Senior Design Demonstration Day, putting the finishing touches on a safety app with company sponsor ADT.
Senior Design Journey 2022: Holding Back the Flood Waters in Bridgeport, Part 2
In the quest to hold back the devastating flood waters in southern Bridgeport, four University of Connecticut Civil and Environmental Engineering students are rounding the corner on creating a flood wall design that could save residents and businesses that have been battered by strong storms in the past.
Female Volunteers Wanted for Mammography Research Study
Do you dread your annual mammogram? Are you tempted to avoid the whole uncomfortable ordeal? Do you wonder whether there will ever be “a better way”? Enroll in our study and help identify new opportunities to make mammograms a more comfortable procedure.
SAGE Announces 2022 Poster Competition Winners
On March 8, which was also International Women’s Day, 46 graduate University of Connecticut School of Engineering students took part in the 8th Annual Student Association of Graduate Engineers Poster Competition.
Inaugural Cohort of Pratt & Whitney Scholars Announced
The Scholars Program, designed for underrepresented minorities, will provide four cohorts of five students with $10,000 per year for four years; a summer internship opportunity at Pratt & Whitney after their sophomore year; a senior design project sponsored by Pratt & Whitney during their senior year; and professional development and mentorship opportunities.
Optimizing Energy Recovery From Wastewater Using Machine Learning
Properly disposing of biosolids in our water is essential in creating a sustainable water treatment system. Unfortunately, in the United States, and especially in New England, this process is prone to failures, leaving usable energy on the table.
How a Movement from a UConn Engineering Professor Shaped a Generation of Difference Makers
Katsouleas, currently a University of Connecticut faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics, picked up the phone during his first week as dean in 2008 and brought together engineering deans Yannis Yortsos at University of Southern California and Richard Miller at Olin College, and asked them a simple question: “Is our older educational pedagogy preparing our students to tackle the grand challenges of this next century?”
Connecticut Brownfields Initiative Evolves to Technical Assistance for Brownfields Program
After the successful awarding of the University of Connecticut as a regional Technical Assistance to Brownfields provider by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, UConn will now be offering its expertise and services to communities and organizations around New England, expanding the scope of the Connecticut Brownfields Initiative.
UConn Engineering Named #1 Public Online Graduate Program in New England in 2022 Rankings
In newly released rankings from U.S. News and World Report, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering’s online graduate programs rose 15 spots, resulting in an overall ranking of #47—positioning the school as the #1 public online graduate engineering program in New England.
Nominations Open for 2022 Academy of Distinguished Engineers
The UConn School of Engineering has opened up nominations for the Class of 2022 Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
Senior Design Journey 2022: Saving Lives with an App, Part 1
In response to the growing need for added safety on campus, five computer science and engineering students are working with ADT, the most trusted name in security, on their Senior Design project. Together, they are working on a new approach that could help provide a new safety response system on campus saving precious time.
Senior Design Journey 2022: Holding Back the Flood Waters in Bridgeport, Part 1
Living near an ocean or large body of water has consequences. Over the past 20 years, climate related disasters have jumped 83 percent and major floods have more than doubled, according to the United Nations. The south-end of Bridgeport is no stranger to these statistics, as they have seen financial and human implications to these storms first-hand. But, through a University of Connecticut Civil and Environmental Engineering Senior Design Project, four students are working to change that narrative through their work on a new flood wall.
Hackett Recognized for Unique Virtual Web Series With 2021 Meritorious Service Award
In October, Regina Hackett, communications coordinator for the UConn Training and Technical Assistance Center (T2), was honored by the New England chapter of the American Public Works Association with the 2021 Meritorious Service Award.
Katsouleas Named 2022 Optica Fellow
After a distinguished career of leadership and scholarship, Optica, an international society aimed at advancing optics and photonics worldwide, has named Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor Thomas C. Katsouleas a 2022 Fellow.
$3 Million Award Will Help Continue Successful Navy STEM Program at UConn and URI
Building on the success of the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island’s joint Naval Science and Technology Program (Navy STEM), the Department of Defense has awarded a $3 million grant that will continue and build on the program for the next three years.
Mary McCarthy Named “Woman of the Year” by CT Chapter of WTS
In October, Mary McCarthy, Director of Training at the Training and Technical Assistance Center (T2 Center) at UConn, was named a “Woman of the Year” awardee by the Connecticut chapter of WTS, an international organization that is helping to advance women in all fields of the transportation industry by providing mentorship, professional development, networking, education, recognition, leadership and much more.
Laurencin Named 2020 Henry Brown Awardee
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce that Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, a University Professor, UConn Engineering Professor, and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, has received the 2020 Henry Brown Award from the Minority Affairs 30th Anniversary Committee of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
JLLA Inducts 11 New Members
On Wednesday night, in the shadow of the Innovation Partnership Building, 11 graduate students joined the ranks of the most selective graduate society at the University of Connecticut School of Engineering—the John Lof Leadership Academy.
UConn Engineering Records Largest Female Freshman Class at Storrs in History
For the first time in the University of Connecticut School of Engineering’s history, over 30 percent of the freshman class at the main Storrs campus will be female—a crucial milestone on the road towards complete gender equity.
UConn Engineering Welcomes 13 New Faculty
Following an exponential increase in student enrollment, an investment in entrepreneurship-backed faculty, and an overall investment in new subject areas, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce that 13 new faculty have started in Fall 2021.
NSF Renews NELSAMP Alliance for Five Additional Years
The Northeast Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participants (NELSAMP) has more than tripled STEM students from underrepresented backgrounds across six major northeastern universities. To continue diversifying STEM, the National Science Foundation renewed the alliance for the next five years with the University of Connecticut at the helm.
Laurencin Honored with Top American Engineering Prize
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce that Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, a University Professor, UConn Engineering Professor, and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, has received the 2021 Hoover Medal, a prize jointly given by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers; American Society of Civil Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which administers it.
Governor Visits, Signs Cybersecurity Bill at UConn Tech Park
On July 15, Governor Ned Lamont visited the University of Connecticut and the UConn Tech Park, in order to meet with several UConn Engineering faculty and sign strong legislation to combat cybersecurity threats across the state.
UConn Engineering Adds New Robotics Major
The University of Connecticut Board of Trustees has approved a new undergraduate major in Robotics Engineering open to prospective and existing students starting in Fall 2022.
Laurencin Named Fellow of The American Ceramic Society
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce that Professor Cato T. Laurencin, a faculty member in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering departments has been named a fellow of The American Ceramic Society.
Dori-Hacohen joining UConn School of Engineering, transitions to CSO and Chair of Board of Startup
Dr. Shiri Dori-Hacohen will be joining the University of Connecticut School of Engineering in the Computer Science and Engineering Department starting August 2021 as a tenure-track assistant professor. She is currently the founder and CEO of Automated Controversy Detection, Inc. (AuCoDe), an AI-based startup that detects controversies and misinformation online and turns them into actionable intelligence. Dori-Hacohen founded AuCoDe in 2016, and the company has received over $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundation.
CEE Department Scores Two New Grants to Expand on Neurodiversity Programs
Two new grants from the National Science Foundation, totaling just shy of $1M, have been awarded to Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty Alexandra Hain and Arash Zaghi for work they will carry out in undergraduate research opportunities and new programs for graduate students, who both fall in the neurodiversity spectrum. The grants focus on the talents of students with ADHD and dyslexia in STEM fields.
And The Winners of Senior Design 2021 Are…….
Continuing for a second year in a virtual environment, the 2021 Senior Design Demonstration Day showcased a record-breaking 220-plus projects, 800-plus students, and over 120 industry partners.
Meet the 2021 Seniors: Jon-Marc McGregor, Chemical Engineering
Jon-Marc McGregor, a graduating 2021 senior, shares his thoughts about his time here at UConn Engineering.
Jang Named 2021 Distinguished Engineering Educator
By: Eli Freund, Editorial Communications Manager, UConn School of Engineering The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce that Civil and Environmental Associate Professor-in-Residence Shinae Jang is the recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Engineering Educator award for her outstanding teaching and pedagogical innovation at the undergraduate level. Dr. Jang, who is also the […]
Meet the 2021 Seniors: Zoe Coleman, Mechanical Engineering
Zoe Coleman, the 2021 commencement speaker, talks about her speech and her four years at UConn.
Senior Design Journey 2021: Using Lung Scans and Algorithms to Diagnose COVID-19, Part 2
A group of five University of Connecticut computer science students are on the precipice of completing a Senior Design project that could not only aid researchers studying lung disease—but could be a boon for diagnosticians when it comes to COVID-19.
Senior Design Journey 2021: Bringing More Lyman Orchards Pies to the Masses, Part 2
A team of University of Connecticut School of Engineering students are continuing their work with a business that has a deep connection to generations of families across Connecticut—using their skills to bring its bakery business to the next level.
New $1.5 Million Grant to Fund Creation of “Water Processes Library” for Researchers
A group of professors at the University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering, in partnership with two national researchers, have just received a $1.5 million grant from the National Alliance for Water Innovation to build an “open-source modeling and optimization library for water treatment processes,” in an effort to enable innovation and intensification of desalination processes through shared computational resources that support research on desalination of water and related water treatment technologies.
Rags to Riches: Alumnus Uses Education to Lift Himself from Poverty
By: Eli Freund, Editorial Communications Manager, UConn School of Engineering Growing up in Hyderabad, India, in a family of modest means, Vijay Raghavan ‘96 knew he wanted to change his life for the better. So, he made a plan. “I was an only child in a family of very modest means living paycheck to […]
CyberSEED Returns in Virtual Format
After a postponement last year, the annual CyberSEED event, hosted by Synchrony and The Connecticut Advanced Computing Center (CACC), is back on in a 100 percent virtual format.
Javidi Wins Emmett Leith Medal from The Optical Society
The UConn School of Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Bahram Javidi, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious OSA Emmett Leith Medal from The Optical Society (OSA).
Nominations Open for 2021 Academy of Distinguished Engineers
In 2021, we mark the 38th year that the School has inducted selected nominees into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers. We are asking for your help in identifying superb nominees for this honor.
Looking To The Netherlands As The Transportation “Gold Standard”
New research from graduate students and faculty members in the Transportation Technology & Society Research Group has identified the Netherlands as the gold standard when it comes to cutting down on pedestrian and cyclist fatalities—over 90 percent since the 1970s—by embracing a systems-based approach that has started to slowly gain traction in the United States.
Senior Design Journey 2021: Using Lung Scans and Algorithms to Diagnose COVID-19, Part 1
Ever since the introduction of IBM’s Watson, companies have been on a voracious quest to use computers and machine learning to help doctors and diagnosticians solve medical quandaries. For a team of five University of Connecticut computer science students, they’re looking to apply those same machine learning principles towards determining whether a patient has COVID-19 or other lung-damaging diseases.
School of Engineering to Launch New Multidisciplinary Major in Fall 2021
Starting in Fall 2021, prospective and existing University of Connecticut School of Engineering students will have a new major to choose from—Multidisciplinary Engineering—allowing for the unique opportunity to customize their degree to their future career preferences. UConn’s Multidisciplinary Engineering program will join a small group of other engineering schools around the country to offer this unique degree.
Senior Design Journey 2021: Bringing More Lyman Orchards Pies to the Masses, Part 1
Lyman Orchards, a fixture in Connecticut, has graced the tables of families with produce and baked goods for hundreds of years. But with growing popularity among consumers, and increased retail partnerships, Lyman finds themselves at the upper limits of their production capacity—and is calling on a group of UConn Engineering students to use their expertise to find creative solutions.
Thanksgiving Message From The Dean
Dear UConn Engineering Family: As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this year, I am thankful for the amazing staff, faculty, and students who make it such a wonderful place to work and learn, and I am honored and proud to be the dean of our school at this time in its history. We’ve made it to […]
Alumni Wins 2019 Meritorious Senior Professional Presidential Rank Award
After recently retiring from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, University of Connecticut School of Engineering alumni Steve Greineder (’82, ’87) won the 2019 Meritorious Senior Professional Presidential Rank Award.
USDA Grant to Fund Research in 3D Printing Novel Food Products from Sustainable Sources
Armed with a four-year, $470,000 grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, National Science Foundation (NSF) SHAP3D Center Site Director and Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering and Polymers Anson Ma—and his collaborator, Qian Yang, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering—are working on creating pulse-based food products with novel textures and customized nutritional profiles using machine learning and a specially designed 3D printer.
Remembering Brilliant Engineer, Art Lover, and Alumnus Bill Romanauskas
Romanauskas, William (“Bill”) Andrew. Born June 4, 1928, in Waterbury, and passed on September 5, 2020. Bill was a 1946 Graduate of Leavenworth Technical High School in Waterbury, and thereafter served honorably in the United States Navy from 1946 to 1948. Following his Navy service, Bill returned to Connecticut to get a degree in […]
UConn Engineering Virtually Inducts 2020 Academy of Distinguished Engineers Class
By: Eli Freund, Editorial Communications Manager, UConn School of Engineering For the first time in the event’s history, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering virtually inducted ten exemplary engineers during the annual Academy of Distinguished Engineers ceremony. Although virtual, the ceremony featured a close-knit and special atmosphere, where the ten inductees were able […]
New Invention From UConn Alumni Gives Elderly a Boost
By: Eli Freund, Editorial Communications Manager, UConn School of Engineering If you’re young and able-bodied, the bathroom is considered a relaxing space, where we go to refresh and rejuvenate. But for disabled and elderly people, the bathroom can be an accident waiting to happen. For the elderly, the bathroom is so dangerous that according […]
Engineering a Better Connecticut Scholarship Initiative
UConn Engineering is launching the Engineering a Better Connecticut Scholarship Initiative to create need-based scholarships for Connecticut students under-represented in the field of engineering. COVID-19 has made scholarships more important than ever, especially, for these young men and women. We want to do better for all our students. By supporting the Engineering a Better Connecticut Scholarship Initiative, you are making a difference and investing in […]
School of Engineering Welcomes 12 New Faculty
By: Eli Freund, Editorial Communications Manager, UConn School of Engineering The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce that 12 new faculty–including five new faculty members in the Computer Science and Engineering Department and one new faculty member in the brand-new Krenicki Arts and Engineering Institute–are starting this academic year. The new […]
A Welcome Message from Dean Kazem Kazerounian
Dear UConn Engineering community: Today, the first day of classes, we are on the precipice of a historic semester. While the world around us is increasingly changing, we must remain focused on getting through our semester healthy and successful. As I have communicated with you in past, we will engage in profound conversations and […]
Digging Into a More Cost-Effective Solar Technology
By: Eli Freund, Editorial Communications Manager, UConn School of Engineering Solar panel technology has seemingly boomed over the last 20 years, but when you dig into the numbers, only six percent of U.S. homes have panels installed on their roofs. The prevailing material used in solar cells is silicon, which is easy to manufacture […]
UConn Startup Snags Third Place in Largest Graduate-Level Student Pitch Competition
A startup with origins in the University of Connecticut School of Engineering was awarded third place in the Mercury Fund Elevator Pitch Competition category of the Rice Business Plan Competition, the world’s richest and largest graduate-level student startup event.
CT DOT and UConn Team Up on Driver Behavior Safety Analytics Tool
Building on the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s extensive amount of data, the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center and the CTDOT are teaming up to build a crucial driver behavioral safety analytics tool—thanks to a new $453,000 research grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation—that could strengthen data-driven countermeasures for crash prevention.
UConn Engineering Joins 30 Universities in Offering Boot Camp Scholarships for Underrepresented Groups
University of Connecticut School of Engineering, in partnership with 30 nonprofit universities across the country and our partner 2U, is expanding access to our boot camp courses in Coding through a $3 million Boot Camp Scholarship Fund.
UConn Engineering Department Head, Graduate Student Named Women of Innovation Finalists
Continuing on the success of the past several years, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering has two finalists in this year’s Women of Innovation Awards, an annual program presented by The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) and the Connecticut Technology Council (CTC), which recognizes outstanding women in STEM.
A Commitment from UConn Engineering
Dear UConn Engineering Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumni, The appalling death of George Floyd has again underscored the ugly reality of racial injustice in our country. This horrible event comes in the midst of a pandemic that is disproportionally affecting African-American, Latinx, and Indigenous communities, and prejudice against individuals of Muslim faith and Asian […]
UConn Engineering and Industry Align to Fight COVID-19
Throughout the past couple of months, UConn Engineering faculty, staff, and students have used their knowledge to aid the healthcare industry, the state of Connecticut, and local businesses as we look to eradicate COVID-19 and bring our economy back to life.
JLLA workshop goes virtual during the pandemic
The John Lof Leadership Academy (JLLA) is persisting with the Spring 2020 curriculum- Applying Your Leadership Philosophy– and hosting a second virtual workshop during the COVID-19 pandemic via Zoom. JLLA member I’jaaz Muhhamad planned the virtual workshop on May 15, focused on micromanagement in the context of mentorship. Five experienced women in leadership roles […]
JLLA responds to COVID-19 and holds first virtual workshop on conflict resolution
John Lof Leadership Academy (JLLA) goes virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic. During these difficult times, JLLA will be turning their Spring curriculum virtual using platforms such as Webex and Zoom. The group will be connecting members with training on conflict resolution, resource management, mentoring vs. micromanaging, and ethics vs. pragmatism. JLLA continues to work with […]
Santos Appointed Associate Director of EDOC, Assistant Professor-in-Residence in BME
Last week, Stephany Santos, a recent Ph.D. graduate in Biomedical Engineering, was appointed associate director of the Engineering Diversity and Outreach Center and made an assistant professor-in-residence in the Biomedical Engineering Department.
Alpay Named UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
The UConn School of Engineering is proud to announce that S. Pamir Alpay, Associate Dean for Research and Industrial Partnerships, has been named a Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, after a vote by the trustees last week. The award recognizes faculty who have achieved exceptional distinction in scholarship, teaching, and service while at the University of Connecticut and has been awarded annually since 1998.
Senior Design Journey 2020: Mapping the Opioid Crisis, Part 2
With Senior Design Demonstration Day cancelled, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, and with every student sent home, Senior Design groups faced obstacles in completing their project. But with obstacles comes opportunity and challenge, especially for engineering students.
One of those Senior Design groups, consisting of computer science students Mark Adanti, Solomon Poulose, Frances Yu, and Samson Weiner, is working on mapping the opioid crisis for Cigna.
A Message from Dean Kazerounian on Coronavirus Efforts (Update #2)
A message from Dean Kazerounian on the School’s Coronavirus efforts.
How Mapping COVID-19 Could Help Drug Companies
When the spread of COVID-19 started to affect the University of Connecticut, the state, and the country, Ranjan Srivastava, department head for Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, knew he had to spring into action.
Drawing on his previous work in mathematically modeling how the Hepatitis B virus spreads, Srivastava realized he could apply the principles of what he knew to the behavior of COVID-19, which could be useful to other researchers and drug companies.
UConn Research Team Developing Emergency Ventilator Prototype
Jeffrey McCutcheon, the Al Geib Professor of Environmental Engineering Research and Education at UConn, is usually busy this time of year studying subjects like membrane separations and filtration. But like many, the director of the Fraunhofer USA Center for Energy Innovation, located in the Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park, has seen the focus of his work change with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amidst COVID-19 Outbreak, UConn Researchers Working on Simple, Low-Cost CRISPR-based Diagnostic Test for Infectious Diseases
Researchers in the Department of Biomedical Engineering— a shared department in the schools of Dental Medicine, Medicine, and Engineering—have been working to develop a new, low-cost, CRISPR-based diagnostic platform to detect infectious diseases, including the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
UConn Biomedical Engineer Creates “Smart” Bandages to Heal Chronic Wounds
Chronic and non-healing wounds—one of the most devastating complications of diabetes and the leading cause of limb amputation—affects millions of Americans each year. Due to the complex nature of these wounds, proper clinical treatment has been limited.
Patented Smart Bearings for Bridge Safety
Bridges are a key part of any modern transportation network, but it can be difficult to monitor the safety and upkeep needs of these structures without precise data.
UConn President, Nine Faculty Inducted Into Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
Ten University of Connecticut faculty were announced as inductees into the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering for 2020, including UConn President Thomas C. Katsouleas.
A Message From Dean Kazerounian
A message from Dean Kazerounian on the School’s Coronavirus efforts.
Tissue Engineering Lab Provides BME Students with Invaluable Experience
Over the past two decades, tissue engineering has emerged as an exciting new area in biomedical engineering. For all BME undergraduate concentrations at UConn, there were corresponding lab components to provide hands-on experience to supplement the classroom instruction, except for tissue engineering. Syam Nukavarapu, associate professor of biomedical engineering — who is also a joint faculty member of Materials Science & Engineering and UConn Health — was recently tasked with developing a tissue engineering laboratory, which has started running this semester.
UConn T2 Center Provides a Training Hub For All 169 Towns and Cities
Just down the road from our Storrs campus resides the CT Training and Technical Assistance Center (T2 Center), an invaluable resource providing transportation-related training for all 169 towns and cities across the state.
John Lof Leadership Academy Leads Conflict Resolution Workshop
On January 14th, the conflict resolution committee, led by Anna Marie LaChance, worked with Katherine Kenyon from the Office of Institutional Equity at UConn. Kenyon led a two-hour training on the causes of conflict. The training focused on policy, student rights, and civility and incivility.
My Husky Valentine: Met at UConn
I started to date Claudia in the summer of 1956. I met her when she was a waitress at an ice cream shop where all my guy friends would stop for large scoops of ice cream before heading out for the beach area.
Senior Design Journey 2020: Taking Farming to the Next Level, Part 1
Three University of Connecticut mechanical engineering majors — Kylie Kearney, Justin Gallo, and Andrew Alaba — are working to build a small and efficient bean thresher that will increase the productivity and sellable product for local small farmer, Susan Mitchell, and her farm, Cloverleigh Farm.
JLLA Leads Personalized Public Speaking Workshop
On January 21st, John Lof Leadership Academy (JLLA) lead their second workshop of the year. During this workshop, all members tested their ability to communicate on research, motivation, general talks, and pitches. Members prepared a 3-minute talk on their selected topic. Finally, after each talk, Dr. Chrysochoou, Dr. Maric, and other JLLA members discussed areas […]
PHOTO GALLERY: First Annual Women in STEM Frontiers in Research Expo (WiSFiRE)
On January 31, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering held the Women in STEM Frontiers in Research Expo, also known as WiSFiRE, for the first time—bringing together, and celebrating some of the important research and journeys of female faculty in the School.
Senior Design Journey 2020: Rescuing Drones From the Ocean, Part 1
ThayerMahan, a Groton-based company, who works with government and industry partners to design, manufacture and operate systems that collect acoustic and electronic information on the world’s oceans, challenged a group of mechanical engineering students to launch and land an aerial vehicle from a moving ocean surveillance platform for their Senior Design project.
New UConn Research Center Provides Reliable Data, Realistic Simulations for Manufacturing Industry
The University of Connecticut recently launched the Center for Materials Processing Data (CMPD) with their university and industry collaborators. The center will provide the manufacturing industry with valuable data about how their materials will perform, eliminating much of the time and cost-intensive trial and error upon which the industry has relied for years.
Buzzing Through the Blood-Brain Barrier
UConn engineers have designed a non-toxic, biodegradable device that can help medication move from blood vessels into brain tissues —a route traditionally blocked by the body’s defense mechanisms. They describe their invention in the December 23 issue of PNAS.
Synchrony Digital Technology Center Dedicated; Gift to Connecticut Commitment Announced
The University of Connecticut and Synchrony celebrated the opening of the The Synchrony Digital Technology Center at UConn Stamford in a ceremony on Monday.
Engineering a New Learning Environment For Neurodiversity
Armed with a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s RED (Revolutionizing Engineering Departments) program, a group of faculty members are on a mission to transform the Civil and Environmental Engineering department into a safe and inclusive environment for students with cognitive differences that fall onto the neurodiversity spectrum.
Senior Design Journey 2020: Mapping the Opioid Crisis, Part 1
A group of four senior University of Connecticut computer science majors are working on a Senior Design project with Cigna to use data and analytics to address the opioid crisis head on.
John Lof Leadership Academy Inducts Second Cohort
The John Lof Leadership Academy (JLLA) inducted its most recent class on November 7th, 2019 during a formal ceremony held at the Innovation Partnership Building (IPB) lobby. The new class includes 15 graduate students from Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
Michel Appointed Synchrony Financial Chair for Cybersecurity
The UConn School of Engineering is pleased to announced the appointment of Laurent Michel, a professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department, as the next Synchrony Financial Chair for Cybersecurity. Michel’s appointment was approved by the UConn Board of Trustees during their meeting on December 11, 2019.
Alumnus Merges Engineering With Entrepreneurship In Roommate Pairing App
Abhi Namala ‘14 (mechanical engineering) is on a mission to not only help college students, but young professionals who are struggling to find like-minded roommates to live with.
UConn Cancer Treatment Startup Wins $500,000 Grant To Test Their Technology In Space
Encapsulate, an early-stage company founded by three graduate students at the University of Connecticut School of Engineering, was named last month as one of only two winners of the 2019 International Space Station U.S. Laboratory and Boeing “Technology in Space” Prize. Encapsulate receives $500,000 and the opportunity to conduct research projects onboard the International Space Station (ISS).
UConn Recognized as a Leader in Educating Women Engineers
The ranking reflects data from a survey of 135,205 women engineering student and professional subscribers of Woman Engineer magazine.
Beyond Senior Design: From Project to Patent
Every year, hundreds of students at the University of Connecticut School of Engineering work on their Senior Design projects, often with company sponsors advising them, directing them, and mentoring them towards an innovative idea. For most, the year-long project is about gaining crucial problem-solving and groupwork skills—but for some, like Matt Varney ’19 (mechanical engineering and German), the experience can end with a job at the sponsoring company. Even more rare though is when a project become a patented technology. For Varney, all of these are true of his story.
Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame Honors UConn Engineering Department Head and Alumni
The UConn School of Engineering is proud to announce that the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame will be honoring three women with strong ties to the School during their 2019 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, which will take place on November 4.
Faculty Q+A: Peters’ Important Collaborations with IBM
Dr. Thomas J. Peters, a professor of computer science and mathematics, who has been with the University of Connecticut for 30 years, has centered his research on computational topology, computer graphics, and scientific visualization, leading to some interesting collaborations. One of those collaborations, which has been going on for over a decade, has been with IBM, which has brought interesting results.
Dr. Cato Laurencin Wins the National Academy of Engineering 2019 Simon Ramo Founders Award
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has honored UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin for his extraordinary impact on the engineering profession.
Program is Fertile Ground for Student Innovation
Most days, Emily Yale is moving between the Castleman Building and the School of Business Building on the Storrs campus, learning and testing concepts about entrepreneurship. The University of Connecticut student is in the process of launching a startup, Land Maverick, and she is tapping the resources of the Schools of Engineering and Business.
Synchrony and UConn Engineering Join Forces to Host CyberSEED 2019
During National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Synchrony, a premier consumer financial services company, and The University of Connecticut School of Engineering are joining forces to sponsor CyberSEED 2019, a cyber wargame competition, on Saturday, October 19th from 9am to 5:30pm.
PHOTO GALLERY: UConn Officially Opens Altschuler Cybersecurity Lab
On Wednesday, October 16, the University of Connecticut officially launched Altschuler Cybersecurity Lab, UConn’s first cybersecurity lab dedicated to hands-on undergraduate education.
Nearly $500,000 in Scholarships Awarded to UConn Engineering Undergraduates
Thanks to the generosity of several individuals, companies, and organizations, nearly $500,000 in scholarships were awarded to 256 highly-talented UConn Engineering students during the 2019 Undergraduate Scholarship Ceremony on October 10.
New Benton Exhibit Helps Mechanical Engineering Professor Blend Art With Teaching
Art and science are two fields that appear to be worlds apart at first glance, but according to George Matheou, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, the intersection between the two are actually extremely important. This notion became the inspiration behind his art exhibit called Fluid Dynamics in Art and Nature at the William Benton Museum of Art.
Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center Presented Best Practices Award
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce that the Connecticut Department of Transportation, and the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center, led by Civil Engineering Professor Eric Jackson, has been presented with the Best Practices Award by the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals (ATSIP) at the 2019 Traffic Records Forum on August 4-7 in Austin, Texas for their CT Roadway Management System.
$5M Gift Launches Arts and Engineering Institute
While the Krenickis, who both graduated in 1984, have given generously across the university before, this gift honors their personal UConn story, uniting John’s major in mechanical engineering with Donna’s, in graphic design. The Krenickis met in the fall of their junior year. The couple has raised three children and carved out careers that have crossed industry, private equity, and the arts.
UConn Partners in $100M DOE Innovation Hub on Water Technologies
A research consortium including the University of Connecticut has been awarded a five-year, $100-million Energy-Water Desalination Hub to address water security issues in the United States.
‘Wake-up Call’: Drone Strikes in Saudi Arabia Show Urgency of UConn Research
Researchers at UConn’s Eversource Energy Center are working hand-in-hand with its namesake to build a drone detection system for the state’s major electrical provider.
UConn Engineering Welcomes Nine New Faculty
This Fall, a new group of seven talented researchers and educators will be joining UConn Engineering as full-time faculty, and will be hailing from as close as the University of Connecticut to as far as The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Shea Appointed President of National Local Technical Assistance Program Association
During the 2019 National LTAP-TTAP-NTTD Conference in August, Donna Shea, Director of the Connecticut Training and Technical Assistance Center at the Connecticut Transportation Institute, was installed as the President of National Local Technical Assistance Program Association.
Enhanced Tree Trimming Reduces Storm-Related Power Outages, UConn Study Finds
Enhanced tree trimming reduces the number of power outages during storms by 16 to 48 percent, according to a study from the Eversource Energy Center recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Electric Power Systems Research.
Four Engineering Faculty Receive NSF CAREER Awards in 2019
Four UConn Engineering professors received Faculty Early Career Development Awards from the National Science Foundation this year, one of the highest honors a junior science or engineering faculty member can receive.
Summer REU Students Immerse Themselves in Entrepreneurship
Each year, students from across the country apply to the National Science Foundation REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) program, gaining experience in a myriad of different subject areas. In the summer of 2019, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering hosted a select group of 10 engineering students, who hailed from UConn, as well as multiple other schools across the country, and tasked them with conceptualizing innovative entrepreneurial ventures.
Juggling Athletics and Engineering? It’s All About Balance for Botsis
For many in college, the prospect of adding the time and effort that comes with being a Division I athlete on top of homework, classes, and extra-curriculars seems like a daunting balancing act—but hundreds of University of Connecticut student-athletes go through this every year. Compound that balancing act with a challenging and demanding engineering curriculum, and the task might seem insurmountable. But for Chanell Botsis, a senior biomedical engineering student and UConn Track and Field athlete, the balancing act is neither insurmountable nor daunting.
Shor and Alpay Appointed Associate Deans For School of Engineering
The UConn School of Engineering is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Leslie Shor to the position of Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research and the creation of a new position—Associate Dean for Research and Industrial Partnerships—which will be filled by Dr. Pamir Alpay.
Summer Undergraduate Researcher Ian Sands ’20 (ENG)
During his summer vacation, Ian Sands (BME ’20) is researching nanoparticle drug delivery for the treatment of osteoarthritis in knee joints.
Common Steroid Could Soften Up Tumors for Chemo
A common drug used to alleviate side effects of cancer treatment may also make the treatment more successful if given beforehand, report a consortium of research institutions including the University of Connecticut.
Meet John and Sue, The Pioneers of the Internet at UConn
In a ceremony held at the end of June, in the Information Technologies Engineering Building, John Marshall stepped up to a computer, entered a short line of code, and shut down a server that served as the last known artifact linking the University of Connecticut to its earliest connections to the internet.
UConn’s New HuskyJet Brings 3D Printing to the Next Level
Adding on to the myriad of equipment and capabilities of the University of Connecticut’s Tech Park, the UConn National Science Foundation (NSF) SHAP3D site, and its site director, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Anson Ma, have acquired a state-of-the-art Pilot Scale industrial inkjet 3D-printer, appropriately named HuskyJet.
A Q+A with Kevin Musco, Alumnus of the Engineering for Human Rights Initiative
Launched in 2012, The Engineering for Human Rights Initiative between the School of Engineering and the UConn Human Rights Institute is an opportunity for engineering students to immerse themselves in the world of human rights, through research and classroom time, with a focus in risk management, climate resiliency, life-cycle analysis, impact assessment, and several other synergistic topic areas. Kevin Musco, who graduated from the School of Engineering in May, with a dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Human Rights, shared why he joined the program, and how a focus in human rights can help engineers.
Mechanical Engineering Keney Clock Tower Senior Design Project, Fox 61
Through a partnership with the City of Hartford and non-profit group Friends of Keney Park and Keney Park Sustainability Project, three UConn Engineering students revived an historic clock tower that had been dormant for years. Story by Jim Altman of Fox 61.
UConn Senior Design 2019: The Podcast
Over the course of a senior design project, students face many ups and downs. This podcast, produced by the UConn School of Engineering, dives into the journey, the group dynamics, and the emotions experienced during this year-long project.
A Q+A With Dr. Sarira Motaref, 2019 Distinguished Engineering Educator Awardee
In the inaugural year of it’s existence, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Educator Award has been awarded to Dr. Sarira Motaref, an associate professor-in-residence and assistant director of faculty development in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Since 2011, when she came to UConn as a postdoctoral researcher, Motaref has been beloved by the hundreds of students that she has interacted with. In this Q+A, Motaref talks about her background and her tricks of the trade when it comes to educating the next generation of engineers.
Nearly 95% of UConn Engineering Class of 2018 Employed or in Grad School
In a sign of a hot market for engineers, recent data from the University of Connecticut Center for Career Development reveals that 2018 UConn Engineering grads had a 92 percent positive career outcomes rate six months after graduation—over six percent higher than the national average.
When It Comes to Your Health, Sweat is the Magic Elixir
Using funding from The BioScience Pipeline program, Environmental Engineering Professor Baikun Li is designing a wearable health device that can sense many different physiological markers, including dehydration, potassium, sodium, and glucose levels. The source of all that information? Your sweat. The device will also be self-powered by the sweat itself, allowing the team to ditch traditional re-chargeable batteries.
Come Explore Engineering at the UConn School of Engineering This Summer
Throughout the summer, students in middle school and high school will get the unique chance to immerse themselves in the world of engineering through two interactive programs: Spark and Explore Engineering.
In Memoriam: Clement D. Zawodniak
Thanks to the encouragement and financial support of his sister Eleanor and her husband Fred Monti, Clem earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering with High Honors from the University of Connecticut (Class of 1952). Clem obtained a master’s degree from the University of Illinois (Class of 1953) and then served proudly in the United States Army during the Korean War.
And The 2019 Senior Design Winners Are….
Two hundred and thirty-six groups, consisting of over 800 seniors, stood proudly by projects ranging from an autonomous firefighting drone to a cloud-based smart storage system for a local aerospace manufacturer. The capstone projects, which were the culmination of a year’s-worth of work, are known as Senior Design, and are presented annually at Senior Design Demonstration Day.
2019 UConn Academy of Distinguished Engineers Inductees Speak About Road Blocks, Adversity
Flanked by former professors, close family and friends, and members of the engineering community, 13 accomplished engineers took to the stage for their formal induction into the University of Connecticut Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
Senior Design Journey 2019: Reimagining Wheelchair Design, Part 2
A UConn Senior Design team is testing a new type of wheelchair wheels called Rowheels, which use a pull motion to go forward. In a traditional wheelchair, the user pushes to go forward and pulls to go backward. In the new pull wheelchair, users do the complete opposite and pull to go forward and push to go backward.
UConn in Top 10 Worldwide for Biological Data Research Output
According to CSRankings, an organization which compiles a metrics-based rankings of the top computer science programs in the world, the University of Connecticut ranks among the top 10 when it comes to research output in the fields of bioinformatics and computational biology.
10% Discount Offered to Alumni Looking to Advance Their Education
The UConn School of Engineering Professional Education program announced that it has created a new alumni discount, a 10% reduction off of the program’s fees for alumni who do not have company sponsored tuition reimbursement policies.
Alumni News for April 2019
From moving up the career ladder, to awards, our alumni are making their mark on the world! Check out some of their recent notable achievements in this latest installment of UConn Engineering’s Alumni News.
Senior Design Journey 2019: Protecting The Elbows of Young Pitchers, Part 2
When you embark on a journey, sometimes the path is long and treacherous, and sometimes the path taken is smooth. For a team of four University of Connecticut biomedical engineering seniors, their journey to create a wearable pitch monitoring device with Connecticut Children’s Medical Center has been neither treacherous nor smooth.
Self-Driving Vehicle Technology Conference to be Held on April 23 at Rentschler Field
On Tuesday, April 23, from 9 a.m.-12:05 p.m., Greater Hartford AAA Allied Group and the UConn Transportation Safety Research Center will be holding a free and open to the public speaker series at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field, which will focus on the the world’s transition to autonomous vehicles.
UConn Engineering Announces Organizational Transformation of the Connecticut Transportation Institute
The UConn School of Engineering is pleased to announce changes in the Connecticut Transportation Institute that will position it for future growth, further support of economic development in the State of Connecticut, and a larger impact on the transportation industry.
John Lof Leadership Academy Visits Illing Middle School
By: Randi Mendes, UConn School of Engineering [metaslider id=29069] Run by graduate students from various departments within the University of Connecticut School of Engineering, the John Lof Leadership Academy aims to train its members to become leaders in their fields. The Academy provides training and workshops focused on leadership through the lens of the […]
An “Accidental Dean” Becomes a Transformative Leader
Kazem Kazerounian has served as the Dean of the UConn School of Engineering since 2012, overseeing a period of transformative growth. But, Kazerounian never envisioned becoming an administrator when he was hired as an assistant professor in 1984. Because of this, Kazerounian has evolved from a self-described “accidental dean” into a transformative leader.
2019 UConn Gives Event Scheduled for March 27-28
For 36 hours, on March 27-28, all of UConn Nation will come together like never before during UConn Gives to show their support for the University they love and the programs they are passionate about. Gifts can be made between 7 a.m. on March 27 and 7 p.m. on March 28.
Daneshmandi, Marshall, and Pardakhti Sweep Top Spots in 5th Annual SAGE Poster Competition
On March 15, over 70 University of Connecticut School of Engineering graduate students assembled to present their research at the 5th Annual Poster Competition, sponsored by the Student Association of Graduate Engineers. The competition resulted in an all-female sweep of the top three prizes.
Alumnus Q+A with Kevin Nolan, CEO of GE Appliances
Kevin Nolan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Appliances, a Haier company, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve people’s lives. The business employs 12,000 people. Nolan graduated from the UConn School of Engineering in 1989, and recently sat down for a Q+A session about his time as an undergraduate, and his career so far.
Engineering Alumni Brothers Create UConn’s First Cybersecurity Instructional Lab
In response to the growing field of cybersecurity, two University of Connecticut alumni brothers have donated $1 million to create a new cybersecurity curriculum and launch UConn’s first cybersecurity instructional lab.
Sung Named Combustion Institute Fellow
The UConn School of Engineering is proud to announce that Mechanical Engineering Professor Chih-Jen Sung has been recognized as one of the 2019 Class of Fellows for The Combustion Institute.
UConn-Sikorsky Team Engineers Autonomous Firefighting Drone
Working with mentors from Sikorsky, three University of Connecticut engineering seniors translated their classroom education to the field. Electrical engineering majors Kerry Jones and Joshua Steil, and computer engineering major Ryan Heilemann, collaborated to build and program an autonomous firefighting drone to battle blazes without a pilot’s guidance.
40 Under 40 Entrepreneur Uses Engineering Skills To Bring People Affordable Glasses
The daughter of an optometrist and a Farmington native, MSE alumna and Connecticut businesswoman Stephanie Higgins Bealing is using her materials science and engineering experience to push the gauntlet on the eyeglasses industry, winning her numerous awards, getting herself named as one of Connecticut’s 40 under 40, and netting her national recognition for her business, Replacement Lens Express.
Javidi Wins 2019 C.E.K. Mees Medal from The Optical Society
The UConn School of Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Bahram Javidi, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been awarded the prestigious C.E.K. Mees Medal from The Optical Society (OSA), which he will accept in June 2019.
Predicting the Future of Robotics
Research in robotics crosses many engineering disciplines, including electrical engineering. Because of this, some University of Connecticut electrical engineering professors are using their unique perspectives to advance robotics research.
Medical School Announces New Institute for Regenerative Engineering
As part of a synthesis of resources, Dr. Cato Laurencin announced the creation of the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering as a Type 2 Center in the SOM from the merger of the Institute for Regenerative Engineering (IRE) and the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) at UConn.
Olgac Awarded Honorary Doctorate from Czech Technical University
In recognition of his 35-plus years of high impact scholarly work and collaborations with Czech scientists, University of Connecticut Mechanical Engineering Professor Nejat Olgac was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Czech Technical University in Prague, in a ceremony taking place on January 29.
Senior Design Journey 2019: Protecting The Elbows of Young Pitchers, Part 1
When elbow overuse comes from pitching a baseball, something done with maximum effort in practices and games by youth pitchers, the risk for career-derailing injuries like ulnar collateral ligament tears—a crucial connector ligament which stabilizes the elbow—becomes a growing issue. Through that growing concern, UConn Biomedical Engineering seniors Tim Gutowski, Chris Imbriaco, Jenna Clum-Russell, and Jared Hill, with faculty advisor Dr. Matthew Solomito, have set out to build a device to mitigate that risk for youth, high school, and college pitchers, through a wearable wristband they’re creating for Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
BME Senior Design Project on WTNH News 8
Senior biomedical engineering majors Mitchell DuBuc, James Welch, and Alex Draper, under the advisement of Professor Krystyna Gielo-Perczak, put a new type of wheelchair wheel to the test which uses a pull rather than a push system. Story by Jocelyn Maminta of WTNH.
Alumni News for January 2019
Steven E. DeLisle (B.S. Mechanical Engineering/Materials Engineering, ’95; M.S. Computer Science & Engineering, ’98) joined Monster Worldwide Inc. as chief technology officer. He will be responsible for all aspects of the global technology organization, including infrastructure, business applications, security, product engineering and architecture. Previously, DeLisle led a global team of over 500 engineers in his […]
Rajasekaran Named Department Head of Computer Science and Engineering
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sanguthevar Rajasekaran – Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and United Technologies Corporation Chair Professor – as the next Department Head of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Department, effective February 1st, 2019. Rajasekaran will be taking over the role from Dr. Reda A. Ammar, who has been interim head since August 2018.
UConn Engineering Welcomes Two New Staff
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce the addition of Caitlin Krouse as Director of Alumni Relations, and Elizabeth Fongemie as Business Development and Marketing Associate for the School’s Professional Education program.
#ILookLikeAnEngineer: Susmitha Rayakota
1) Why did you decide to attend UConn Engineering? I moved to Connecticut right before the start of senior year of high school. Having just moved from the other side of the country, I knew I wanted to stay in-state and close to my family. I looked for colleges that cared for its students’ […]
New Department Head Q+A: Maria Chrysochoou, Civil and Environmental Engineering
At the start of the Spring 2019 semester, Dr. Maria Chrysochoou will take the reigns as head of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Before that, she answered some questions about her past experience, where she grew up, and her vision for the future of the department.
#ILookLikeAnEngineer: Stephany Santos
Stephany Santos, a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical engineering, shares her story in a new series called “#ILookLikeAnEngineer.”
From Undecided to Dean of Engineering at Michigan Tech
Dr. Janet Callahan, Dean of Engineering at Michigan Technological University, arrived at the University of Connecticut as a sophomore transfer student, undecided in major. A decade later, she had three degrees from UConn, and a clear career path.
Professor S. Pamir Alpay Elected ACerS Fellow
MSE Professor S. Pamir Alpay, who is also Executive Director of the Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park, has been elevated to Fellow status by the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), a great honor and distinguishment given to individuals who have impacted the ceramics engineering industry through scholarship and enterprise.
UConn, UMass Lowell, Georgia Tech to Collaborate with Industry on 3D Printing Research Supported by NSF
UConn, the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell), and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) announced a collaboration to establish SHAP3D, a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC), to address emerging challenges of additive manufacturing, also commonly referred to as 3D printing.
Senior Design Journey 2019: Reimagining Wheelchair Design, Part 1
Senior biomedical engineering majors Mitchell DuBuc, James Welch, and Alex Draper, under the advisement of Professor Krystyna Gielo-Perczak, are putting a new type of wheelchair wheel to the test. Rowheels and Numotion, two companies which design wheelchair wheels with a pull system, have passed laboratory tests and applications, but this Senior Design team is testing these wheels in real-life applications.
#ILookLikeAnEngineer: Jon-Marc McGregor
Jon-Marc McGregor, a sophomore chemical engineering major, shares his story in a new series called “#ILookLikeAnEngineer.”
#ILookLikeAnEngineer: Menna Elfouly
Menna Elfouly, a senior mechanical engineering major, shares her story in a new series called “#ILookLikeAnEngineer.”
Senior Design Resources: Departmental Leads
In each engineering department, there is at least one professor who works as the designated Senior Design lead. The position doesn’t come with any fanfare or reverence, yet this dedicated individual leads the department’s Senior Design course, collects all of the projects, distributes those projects, and guides the students through their journey from beginning to end.
#ILookLikeAnEngineer: Stephanie Kreitler
Stephanie Kreitler, a junior Civil Engineering major, shares her story in a new series called “#ILookLikeAnEngineer.”
Building a Research Career at UConn
Pierre Fils, a first-year graduate student on the Ph.D. track in structural engineering, got his start in research early-on by utilizing the connections available to UConn undergrads.
Male Fertility Test Developers Win Venture Competition
Through the Wolff New Venture Competition, a pair of biomedical engineering doctoral candidates won $20,000 to further develop an in-home device to measure male fertility.
UConn Rocketry Team Hopes to Reach New Heights
Reaching 30,000 feet may seem daunting, but for UConn’s rocketry team, this goal is just a rocket design away. Sam Hamilton IV, leader of the team, details how the small team of students are collaborating to design and build their very own rocket.
Over $550,000 in Scholarships Awarded to UConn Engineering Undergraduates
On October 10, the School of Engineering held their annual Undergraduate Scholarship Ceremony. This year, thanks to the generosity of many donors, the School was able to award over $550,000 to 308 students.
New GAANN Funding Will Allow UConn Engineering to Hire Up To 30 Additional Top-Quality Ph.D. Students
Following a nationally-competitive application process, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering successfully secured four multi-year Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) awards from the U.S. Department of Education, each for approximately $1 million. The number of awards given to the School represent around 5.5 percent of the total given across the country in 2018.
Innovation Partnership Building Officially Open
UConn is home to some of the most active and innovative researchers in the world. Across all of the University’s campuses, scholars, artists, and scientists are working on projects that will help our state, society, economy, and the world. That global commitment was demonstrated at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for UConn’s Innovation Partnership Building (IPB) on Discovery Drive in Storrs on September 20.
Senior Design Resources: The Machine Shop
As students begin to prepare for their Senior Design journey, the Machine Shop becomes an integral resource for them. Peter Glaude and George Assard from Engineering Technical Services explain how to best utilize this resource.
UConn Engineering Welcomes Twelve New Faculty, Increases Focus on Faculty Diversity
The UConn School of Engineering is proud to announce the hiring of twelve high-caliber faculty members since the spring 2018 semester. The new faculty members come from a variety of different backgrounds, including recent Ph.D. graduates and postdocs from institutions like Brown University, MIT, and Stanford, and veteran faculty from UConn Health Center, and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, one of the top engineering schools in the world. In addition, the School has put a strong emphasis on new faculty diversity.
A Cyborg Cockroach Could Someday Save Your Life
In a paper soon to be published in Proceedings of the Conference on Cognitive Computational Neuroscience, Philadelphia 2018, Dutta, and undergraduate Evan Faulkner, a junior working in his lab, report their creation of a microcircuit that they say allows more reliable and precise control of robotic insect motion.
Human Rights and the Supply Chain
A human rights class for engineering and social sciences students encourages complementary approaches to social and environmental sustainability in the supply chain for manufacturing businesses, addressing such issues as child labor and pollution.
Alumni News for August 2018
From moving up the career ladder, to awards, our alumni are making their mark on the world! Check out some of their recent notable achievements in this latest installment of UConn Engineering’s Alumni News.
UConn Engineering and Connecticut Innovations Bridge the Gap Between Entrepreneurial Success and Failure
Entrepreneurship is one of the riskiest professions an individual can embark on. Many take that journey alone, without a safety net, which often leads towards a tough journey ahead. That’s why support, knowledge, and mentorship are key factors in growing an entrepreneurial venture. Those key ingredients are baked into the way things are done in UConn Engineering’s two semester Experiential Technology I and II courses, which culminates in an opportunity for students in the class to apply for a “Third Bridge Grant.”
Senator Blumenthal Discusses Autonomous Vehicle Safety with UConn Engineering Professor Eric Jackson, UConn Officials
With a strong interest in autonomous vehicles and their safety, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) visited the Connecticut Transportation Research Safety Center at the University of Connecticut last week, to speak to Director and Engineering Professor Eric Jackson and other officials about the University’s role in advancing the technology.
Conquering Everest: A Life-Changing Trip to Nepal
During those three short months of summer vacation, college students spend their time doing a variety of things. Some may go out and get a summer job, some take on an internship, some may even take those months to relax and recharge for the new school year. Harrison Graham, an incoming sophomore Civil and Environmental major, did none of those things. That’s because Graham spent several weeks volunteering in Nepal, which culminated in a climb up to the basecamp of Mt. Everest.
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UConn Team to Be Featured on Season 3 of Entrepreneurship-Focused PBS Show
A four-person team, featuring University of Connecticut Engineering and Business students, will test their luck on the PBS show “Make48.”
Make48, a nationwide invention competition documentary series, captures the journey of brilliant young innovators looking to create the next great consumer product from scratch.
Alumni News for July 2018
From moving up the career ladder, to awards, our alumni are making their mark on the world! Check out some of their recent notable achievements in this latest installment of UConn Engineering’s Alumni News.
UConn Bridge Repair Could Save The Connecticut Taxpayer Millions of Dollars
Over the past few years, the application of ultra high-performance concrete has gained traction in structural engineering. This material has allowed UConn Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Arash Zaghi, and his Ph.D. students, Kevin McMullen, Alexandra Hain, and Dominic Kruszewski, the ability to develop an alternative bridge repair that could save millions of dollars, avoid large-scale shutdowns, and regain the original strength of a beam.
New UConn Driving Simulator Provides Data, Learnings for Transportation Industry
Hidden in a tucked-away side room in the Longley Building is a dark and cold space housing a full-sized 2014 Ford Fusion. Surrounding the car are six screens projecting a cityscape, not unlike the downtowns of the 169 towns and cities spread across Connecticut. While the car looks like a fully-functioning automobile, the intention of the car is not for transportation, but simulation.
New Engineering Program Aims to Attract the Most Talented Entrepreneurs to Connecticut
In a push to attract highly talented entrepreneurs from around the world to the state of Connecticut, UConn is launching a new Master’s of Engineering in Global Entrepreneurship, the first engineering-focused entrepreneurial graduate degree in the state.
Senior Design: Sponsoring the Future of Engineering
Every year, nearly 100 sponsors work with hundreds of UConn Engineering seniors on real-world engineering problems for their Senior Design project.
UConn Engineering Selects First Female Department Head in School’s 102-year History
The University of Connecticut School of Engineering is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Maria Chrysochoou, a talented scientist, teacher, and academic leader, to the position of department head for the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Dr. Chrysochoou, when she assumes her new role at the beginning of the Spring 2019 semester, will become the first female department head in the School’s 102-year history.
Beyond Senior Design: Bringing Hospital Communications into the Future
Hospitals are one of the busiest places that an individual can be in. Doctors and nurses are running around, often supervising many patients, and during hectic times caregivers are confronted with the task of prioritizing patient’s needs, which is a very complex process. But two former UConn Engineering students are looking to streamline patient-caregiver interactions through a device called YouCOMM.
UConn Engineering Announced as Partner Institution for $14.2M Regional Transportation Center
In a coalition of schools led by the University of Maine, the University of Connecticut School of Engineering will be a participant in the Region 1 University Transportation Center: Transportation Infrastructure Durability Center (TIDC), funded by a five-year $14.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
John Lof Leadership Academy Inducts First Cohort of Members
In a ceremony held on Tuesday, May 22, 29 graduate students were inducted in front of faculty, staff, and UConn Engineering leadership, into the John Lof Leadership Academy, a new exclusive society for UConn Engineering graduate students.
Chandy Appointed Department Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering
The UConn School of Engineering is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. John Chandy as the next department head of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, effective the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester. Dr. Chandy will be taking over the role from Dr. Rajeev Bansal, who has been department head since 2009.
DOE Grant Aims to Increase Resilience of Distributed Energy Resources
Professor Peng Zhang from the University of Connecticut Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has received nearly $400,000 from the Department of Energy to develop a computational method for studying and predicting how our nation’s power grids, with high penetration of distributed energy resources (DER), like solar energy, will respond to various conditions and situations.
Alumni News for May 2018
From moving up the career ladder, to awards, our alumni are making their mark on the world! Check out some of their recent notable achievements in this latest installment of UConn Engineering’s Alumni News.
UConn ASCE Teams Post Second Place Wins in Regional Competitions
Every spring, eighteen American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student conferences are held across the country with ambitious agendas including business meetings, professional/technical presentations, social activities, competitions, and awards banquets. At this year’s New England student conference, UConn came away with second place finishes in both the Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge competitions.
Five UConn Engineering Professors Received NSF CAREER Awards in 2018
In 2018, five UConn Engineering faculty were awarded Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grants from the National Science Foundation. The CAREER program awards these grants to exceptional junior faculty who exhibit outstanding skills in research and education, and show the potential to be academic leaders and role models. The amount of CAREER awards nearly doubled from 2017, when the school had three faculty members receive the coveted funds.
John Lof Leadership Academy to Officially Launch on May 22
On May 22, at the UConn Alumni Center, the UConn School of Engineering will officially launch the John Lof Leadership Academy and announce its first cohort of John Lof Fellows. Backed by the generous endowment from John Lof, a former UConn electrical and computer engineering professor of 35 years, this exclusive Academy will aim to continue the legacy of Dr. Lof, who wished to reward and cultivate a select group of future leaders and engineering trailblazers. The proceeds of the endowment will be used towards the direct support of the student members (in the form of grants and fellowships), as well as the corresponding Academy programs.
Annual LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) Poster Symposium
By: Randi Mendes, UConn School of Engineering Graduate School The Annual LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) poster presentation and the symposium was held on Friday, April 20th at UConn. Each spring, LSAMP BD Fellows present their research to other faculty and students. This event is an opportunity for BD Fellows to go through the […]
UConn Engineering Professor to Receive Honorary Degree from the Icahn School of Medicine
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, the University of Connecticut’s 8th University Professor in school history, and a tenured professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, the Materials Science and Engineering Department, and the Biomedical Engineering Department, will receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai on May 11, recognizing his impact and contributions to the medical field and his pioneering work in Regenerative Engineering.
Senior Design Demonstration Day: Providing Innovative Solutions to Technical Challenges
Two hundred and twenty-eight groups, consisting of nearly 800 seniors stood proudly by projects ranging from as small as a cyborg insect, to as large as an all-electric car, inside of Gampel Pavilion. The capstone projects, which were the culmination of a year’s-worth of work, are known as Senior Design, and are presented annually at Senior Design Demonstration Day.
Ten Accomplished Alumni Inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Engineers’ Class of 2018
The Academy, which has inducted 165 total members since its inception in 2003, honors School of Engineering alumni whose careers are characterized by their sustained and exemplary contributions to the engineering profession through research, practice, education, policy or service. Members are individuals who bring enduring honor to their alma mater as practitioners and as citizens.
WFSB Channel 3 Feature on Senior Design Demonstration Day
An overview of the 2018 UConn Engineering Senior Design Demonstration Day from WFSB Channel 3 News, and reporter David McKay.
UConn CSE Senior Develops Facial Recognition Security for Under $80
By: Amanda Wright, Communications Assistant, UConn School of Engineering A UConn Computer Science & Engineering senior, Trevor Phillips, has recently developed a way to create facial recognition security for under $80, using the technology found in a handicap door opening button. A facial recognition system is a computer application capable of identifying or verifying […]
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy Highlights Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster As “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer”
In one of his weekly “Murphy’s Monday Manufacturer” spotlights, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy highlighted the work of the Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster, a UConn School of Engineering program. QCIC provides research and development, financial, and other business resources to small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies in rural Tolland, Windham, and New London counties. QCIC, along with its sister program CMSC, are expected to help 280 small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies and add almost 2,500 jobs to the Connecticut economy.
A Celebration of NSBE and the 50th Anniversary of the H. Fred Simons African American Cultural Center
On Wednesday, April 18th the UConn chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers celebrated the 50th anniversary of the H. Fred Simons African American Cultural Center and reflected on their successful year.
Submarine Engineers Simulate Real-Time Conditions to Test Key Components
Existing laboratory test methods don’t allow submarine engineers to test how a motor will vibrate in real-world conditions on a ship at sea, so designers take the conservative approach to prepare for the worst. But a team of UConn engineers has developed a method to test vibrating, manufactured components, using actuators and shake tables, sensors, and mathematical formulas that can replicate the system-level, real-time conditions.
GE Night: The Annual Celebration of a Strong Public-Private Partnership
On a night aimed at showcasing one of UConn Engineering’s strongest public-private partnerships, 11 students presented updates on the research they have been working on, which was made possible through the $7.5 million investment from General Electric Industrial Solutions in 2012.
Remembering Dr. John Enderle, The Educator and The Nurturer
A loving husband, father, brother, friend, colleague and mentor, Dr. Enderle enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a professor and inspirational leader, admired for his unfailing dedication and support for students, a legacy honored by his family establishing the John Enderle Fund memorial scholarship.
Senior Design: Using Vibrational Therapy to Change the Outlook for Cerebral Palsy Patients (Part 2)
Entering the final stretch of their Senior Design journey, the biomedical engineering team of Brianna Perry, Morgan DaSilva, Brittany Morgan, and Katie Bradley are realizing the crushing realities of real-world results versus perfect-world expectations.
UConn Mechanical Engineering Student Accepted into NASA Program
This past semester, Marwan Ghellai transferred to the University of Connecticut from Manchester Community College. But, even though he’s brand new, he’s already had experience beyond the classroom, and beyond our world. Gellai, a sophomore in Mechanical Engineering, when he was still a student at MCC, was accepted into the NCAS (NASA Community College […]
Senior Design: Building The “Heart and Soul” of an Electric Car (Part 2)
With good intentions in mind, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Senior Design team of Daryl Biron, Ernesto Ortega-Hernandez, and Alain Tshipamba set out to build not only the powertrain of an electric car, but also realize their dream of seeing it race in the summer. With time ticking down, only one of those two goals seems likely.
School of Engineering 4th Annual Poster Competition
The Student Association of Graduate Engineers (SAGE) and the School of Engineering put on the 4th annual poster competition on March 9, 2018. There were 55 students, representing every department, who competed. The grand prize of the competition was $1000. The competition had two rounds. During the first round, each student competed within their department. Judges, […]
Navy STEM Program Hosts Speaker Dr. Robert Koch
The Navy STEM Program hosted distinguished speaker Dr. Robert Koch, P.E., U.S. Navy Senior Technologist in Undersea Tactical Stealth Systems at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), on Wednesday, February 28. Prior to his current assignment, Bob was the Head of the NUWC Division Newport Solid Mechanics and Design Branch, and also a Chief Research Scientist in […]
UConn Students Learn about NUWC Newport’s Cutting-Edge Programs During Tour
Amid a few humorous anecdotes and movie references, Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport Commanding Officer Capt. Michael Coughlin had some sage advice for the 30 or so University of Rhode Island and University of Connecticut engineering students who visited the Division on March 23. “Wherever you go to work, make sure the quality of […]
Javidi Wins Prestigious Award from The Optical Society
Dr. Bahram Javidi, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, is the 2018 winner of the prestigious Joseph Fraunhofer Award / Robert M. Burley Prize from The Optical Society. The award, given to one person in the country every year, was bestowed upon Javidi for his “seminal contributions to passive and active multi-dimensional imaging from nano- to micro- and macro-scales,” according to the award citation.
Reflecting on International Women’s Day
Reflecting on International Women’s Day, Dean Kazem Kazerounian recognizes the achievements of the talented female students, staff, and faculty, and lays out his vision for gender parity in the School of Engineering.
Alumni News for March 2018
From moving up the career ladder, to awards, our alumni are making their mark on the world! Check out some of their recent notable achievements in this latest installment of UConn Engineering’s Alumni News.
Giving Back to the Future of Engineering
For 36 hours, on April 4-5, all of UConn Nation will come together like never before during UConn Gives to show their support for the University they love and the programs they are passionate about. Gifts can be made between 12 a.m. on April 4 and 12 p.m. on April 5.
Dr. Keith Barker Receives Faculty of the Year Award
The UConn chapter of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society recently awarded Dr. Keith Barker, professor of computer science & engineering, the 2017-2018 Faculty of the Year Award. Every year, members are asked to nominate a professor that had a profound impact on their career at UConn. Professor Barker, commonly referred to as KB, was […]
The United Illuminating Company Joins CBI as a Founding Partner
The Connecticut Brownfields Initiative (CBI) recently announced the addition of The United Illuminating Company (UI) as a founding sponsor and partner. The partnership, which was finalized earlier this month, will bring financial, as well as experiential support to the students and faculty involved with the program.
New Advanced Manufacturing Program Aims to Develop The Next Generation of Engineering Leaders
In a nationally-competitive proposal process, UConn School of Engineering was one of only two schools in the country to receive funds to train the next generation of advanced manufacturing leaders. As a result of this funding, the School of Engineering will start a master’s-level Advanced Manufacturing for Energy Systems (AMES) program, with classes commencing in the fall 2018 semester.
Eight UConn Researchers Elected to Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering
Eight total UConn faculty members, including six engineering professors, were elected into the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering in 2018. Election into CASE is based on scientific and engineering distinction achieved through significant contributions in theory or applications.
Professor Alpay Named GE Professor in Advanced Manufacturing
By: Amanda Olavarria The UConn Board of Trustees recently appointed MSE Professor Pamir Alpay as the General Electric (GE) Endowed Professor in Advanced Manufacturing. He received his Ph.D. in 1999 from the University of Maryland. Dr. Alpay joined UConn’s Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) in 2001 and from 2013 to 2017 he served as the Head of […]
Dean Kazerounian Named a Distinguished Engineering Educator by The Engineers’ Council
During an awards ceremony held at the end of February, the School of Engineering’s Dean Kazem Kazerounian was presentedwith the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award by The Engineers’ Council, a national engineering organization based in California. According to the citation, Kazerounian received the award for his “significant contributions to engineering education, research, and industry/university engagement that respond to global trends in […]
Student-Athlete Strong: Matthew Dagenais
By Susan Twiss, University Communications UConn’s student-athletes are often lauded for their on-field or on-court achievements, but there’s an equally important – often unseen – dimension to the student-athlete. UConn Today’s Student-Athlete Strong series highlights the academic prowess of selected high-achieving student-athletes and provides an inside look at their lives beyond their sport. Matthew Dagenais ’19 […]
Senior Design: Building The “Heart and Soul” of an Electric Car (Part 1)
Four Senior Design teams, including an electrical and computer engineering team featuring seniors Daryl Biron; Ernesto Ortega-Hernandez; and Alain Tshipamba, are working to complete an all-electric car for a national competition in June. The portion of the car that Biron, Ortega-Hernandez, and Tshipamba are working on is the “heart and soul” of the vehicle—the powertrain.
Businesses, Engineering Schools Tap Overlooked Workforce: Women (Hartford Courant)
In this article for the Hartford Courant, reporter Stephen Singer looks at the efforts and programs UConn and others have designed to successfully increase the amount of female engineers in the workforce.
Engineering Her Future
UConn’s School of Engineering sets the national standard for closing the gender gap. Women make up 24.3 percent of UConn’s engineering graduates–tops among public institutions nationally. How does UConn do it? It’s all about programs and outreach for aspiring female engineers, some of which starts well before college.
Husky Mentor Network: Where Advice-Seeking Students Meet Helpful Alumni Advisors
UConn Husky Mentor Network, the newly introduced advising software platform, enables introductions to occur organically between advisors and advisees. It promotes mentoring relationships that fit the developmental needs of the student, and mentorship isn’t forced – it happens on its own terms.
Senior Design: Using Vibrational Therapy to Change the Outlook for Cerebral Palsy Patients (Part 1)
There have been several advancements in devices that aid individuals with Cerebral Palsy, but not enough devices that rehabilitate the patient. Four biomedical engineering students are looking to tackle that issue with their innovative Senior Design project.
Three Engineering Students Named 2018 University Scholars
The University of Connecticut recently released their list of 2018 University Scholars—and three of the 25 named are from the School of Engineering. The three students who received that designation were: Thomas Chessman, Eric Lepowsky, and Hetal Patel. The University Scholar Program is one of the most prestigious programs for undergraduates and is a great […]
New Navy STEM Class Hosts First Distinguished Speaker
The new Navy STEM Program hosted their first distinguished seminar speaker, Vice Admiral (Ret) Mike Connor, founder of ThayerMahan, on Wednesday, January 31, 2018. Recognized globally as one of the foremost authorities in undersea operations, Mike brings a wealth of experience. In his 35 year career, he rose to the rank of Vice Admiral […]
UConn Engineering Professor’s Research Influences Progressive Change in Hartford
After work from the Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission, parking mandates have been relaxed, and UConn Civil Engineering Professor Norman C. Garrick and his research have played a supporting role in those sweeping regulations.
Undersea Manufacturing Ecosystem Taking Shape In Groton (Hartford Courant)
The consortium is one of several efforts underway by the Thames River Innovation Place, which will receive up to $900,000 from the state next year. The transformation is centered in Groton and New London, where Electric Boat has several facilities, and McBride and Bronk said the consortium should help the Naval contractor maintain its […]
MSE Welcomes New Faculty Member Jasna Jankovic
Jankovic started as an assistant professor in the Materials Science and Engineering department in January 2018. She brings a wealth of knowledge to this position, having over 20 years of industry and research experience in various areas of engineering.
Looking Forward, Not Backwards In The New Year
Dean Kazem Kazerounian explains his vision and goals for the UConn School of Engineering in 2018.
UConn’s STEM Pipeline
A simple experiment involving a water bottle filled with nitrogen and a few bendable drinking straws may be all it takes to spark an interest in science, according to Phoebe Szarek. Which is why Szarek often demonstrated the “Hero’s Engine” when she visited high schools around the state as a delegate of the School of […]
Full Speed Ahead: Using Additive Manufacturing to Repair Ships at Sea
A team of UConn engineers has now developed a way for a ship’s crew to pinpoint the exact location of any mechanical trouble on board, leading to valuable time saved.
New Materials Testing Apparatus Could Mean Money, Time Saved for Manufacturers
Dr. Pettes’ invention could change the way manufacturers test materials in the hybrid and all-electric car industries.
Zhang and His Students Look To Advance Power Systems Into The Future
The lab’s most recent research, which focuses on national infrastructure, is looking to enhance the connectedness of the fractured U.S. grid system.
Tough Engineering Classes Forged These CEOS
The School of Engineering’s main classroom building produced an unusual number of CEOs from chemical engineering in the early ’80s.
Alumni News for January 2018
Three accomplished UConn School of Engineering alumni are moving up the career ladder at CTS Engines, Weston & Sampson, and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Remembering Charles Knapp, an Engineering Icon
Professor Emeritus Charles Harris Knapp, 86, passed away at home on Thanksgiving Day surrounded by his family and loving wife of 62 years, Charleen Gaudet Knapp. Over the course of his 40-year career at UConn, Dr. Knapp enriched and shaped the lives of innumerable students and inspired an imperishable legacy, The Charles H. Knapp Associate […]
UConn Grad Student Takes Home Gold at National Engineering Conference
A PhD candidate at the University of Connecticut has received the Materials Research Society’s (MRS) Gold Graduate Student Award for its fall 2017 meeting. “It’s a huge honor. MRS is an esteemed organization and this meeting is one of the biggest conferences in the world for researchers in the field,” Sypek said. “To even be […]
Brownfield Remediation gets Groundswell of Support from UConn
Connecticut’s municipalities are dotted by hundreds of brownfield sites with remnants of toxic chemicals and industrial waste from years of unregulated activity. Federal and state assistance is available for cleanup, but the expertise and resources for the intensive process to secure those funds are not. UConn’s new Connecticut Brownfields Initiative aims to bring much-needed […]
Philanthropist Peter J. Werth Commits $22.5 Million to Entrepreneurship and Innovation
The UConn Foundation has received a $22.5 million commitment from Peter J. Werth, ensuring a legacy of innovation and entrepreneurship for generations of students to come. “Peter’s transformative and historic commitment cements his legacy as a most generous friend to UConn,” said Josh Newton, President and CEO, UConn Foundation. “As a steadfast UConn supporter […]
UConn, faculty researcher issued patent for secure QR codes
UConn announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the university and Board of Trustees Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Bahram Javidi, PhD, a US patent for his technology, “Method and System for Verification and Authentication Using Optically Encoded QR Codes.” The original findings were published in IEEE Photonics Journal. Quick Response […]
Huey Named New Department Head of Materials Science and Engineering
The School of Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Bryan Huey has been promoted to department head of the Materials Science and Engineering Department, effective December 1, 2017. Dr. Huey will be taking over the role from Dr. S. Pamir Alpay, who has been department head since 2013. Huey is a professor of materials science and engineering, […]
For Professor McLaughlin, Annual Catapult/Trebuchet Competition Is Crucial to Students’ Futures
There are countless examples of simple tasks in life that have the perception of ease, but the appearance of simplicity is often merely a mirage. That mantra is one of the numerous themes of the annual catapult/trebuchet competitions that are run in ENGR 1000, the introductory class for School of Engineering undergraduate students. Taught […]
Alumni Updates and News
Alumni News Tara John (M.S. Electrical Engineering, ‘17) has joined Comcast Corporation as a technical research and development engineer working with Jim Fahrny, a Senior Fellow, conducting cybersecurity research. John moved to the U.S. from India to pursue graduate study performing research under the guidance of Charles H. Knapp Associate Professor Marten van Dijk’s Secure […]
Emeriti and Retired Faculty Family Celebrate the Spirit of Thanksgiving
On Sunday, November 5, 2017, UConn Engineering emeriti and retired faculty family gathered for an annual luncheon at the UConn Foundation Board Room. Old friends and colleagues warmly greeted one another with hugs and handshakes, smiles and backslaps. This is a group of people for whom the university has been a significant aspect of their […]
Professor Xinyu Zhao Awarded $450,000 Grant to Conduct Aeronautical Combustion Research
Dr. Xinyu Zhao, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was recently awarded a $450,000 Young Investigator Research Program grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. Zhao, who joined the university in 2015, is one of just 43 scientists and engineers selected to receive awards from a nationwide pool of 285 […]
Impressed by Engineering Students, Alum Establishes Scholarship
By: Grace Merritt, The UConn Foundation During a recent visit back to UConn’s School of Engineering, Russ St. John ’80 (ENGR) ’85 (MBA) met several remarkable students he supported with a scholarship donation. One in particular stood out. “I remember a young lady who said she wanted to help provide clean water in Latin America. […]
MSE’s Tyler Flanagan Discusses Nanomechanical Research
According to graduate student Tyler Flanagan, cold spray is more than just his current research topic, but an effective way to repair helicopter parts. These aluminum cold spray alloys shoot micrometer-sized particles over the speed of sound over a like material. During the impact with the substrate, it then sticks. Specifically, in his research Tyler […]
National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology Launched by Industry, Academia
Two of New England’s flagship universities and the United States Navy’s primary builder of submarines are at the helm of the new National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology. Located on the Connecticut coast, the new national institute was established to develop the personnel and knowledge to accelerate critical research and enhance U.S. dominance in submarine […]
Navy Using New UConn Software to Improve Navigation
Major research discoveries generate news headlines. But a research undertaking by one University of Connecticut engineering lab seeks to forestall some headlines of a different kind. The loss of life because of weather events, as happened on Oct. 1, 2015 when cargo ship El Faro sank with its 33-member crew in Hurricane Joaquin, is one […]
Researchers Discover Super-Elastic Shape-Memory Material
UConn materials science and engineering researcher Seok-Woo Lee and his colleagues have discovered super-elastic shape-memory properties in a material that could be applied for use as an actuator in the harshest of conditions, such as outer space, and might be the first in a whole new class of shape-memory materials. If you have ever had […]
UConn Hosts Inaugural Academic-Industry Symposium at the UConn Tech Park
Dozens of invited guests from state government and industry joined UConn administrators and faculty on Friday at the inaugural UConn Tech Park Symposium. The event served to celebrate the completion of the first phase of construction at the Innovation Partnership Building (IPB) and highlight the facility’s high-tech equipment and unique capabilities. Construction began on the […]
Portable Microscope Makes Field Diagnosis Possible
A portable holographic field microscope developed by UConn optical engineers could provide medical professionals with a fast and reliable new tool for the identification of diseased cells and other biological specimens. The device, featured in a recent paper published by Applied Optics, uses the latest in digital camera sensor technology, advanced optical engineering, computational algorithms, […]
New 3-D Fabrication Technique Could Deliver Multiple Doses of Vaccine in One Shot
A new 3-D fabrication technique invented by a UConn engineering professor could provide a safe and convenient way to deliver multiple doses of a drug over an extended period of time with a single injection. Other 3-D printing techniques have been limited for such applications because they rely on printable inks that are potentially toxic […]
Explosive Research: Eliminating ‘What Ifs?’ in Space Travel
UConn researchers are adapting methods for studying forces in earthly structures for use in spacecraft. Civil and environmental engineering professor Richard Christenson and his research group, in partnership with Pioneer Aerospace, are using a cyber-physical test method to study the reaction forces involved in launching the parachutes that help spacecrafts land on distant planets. They hope […]
Using Social Media to Take on Climate Change
On a typical Friday night, most graduate students would be thinking about their weekend plans to see friends and blow off steam. Instead two UConn Ph.D. candidates are devoting their downtime to tackling climate change one video at a time.
Congressional Delegation Lauds New Undersea Engineering Program
UConn students who pursue careers through the University’s new undersea engineering program will play a vital role in our national defense and have opportunities to work on some of the most sophisticated submarines in the world, three members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation said during a rare group visit to Storrs Friday.
Teaching Robots to Think
In a research building in the heart of UConn’s Storrs campus, assistant professor Ashwin Dani is teaching a life-size industrial robot how to think.
New Device for Testing Heart Health
UConn researchers from the Department of Mechanical Engineering have developed a device that tests an important indicator of heart health that is often ignored – blood viscosity. Blood can be a window into the health of your heart. Doctors are often on the lookout for some common signs that might point to an issue, like […]
Nine Engineering Faculty Recognized for their Inventions
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) established a UConn chapter on Friday, September 29, in an induction ceremony at The Lyceum in Hartford.
School of Engineering Hosts 3rd Annual Women in Engineering Event
The School of Engineering Undergraduate Program hosted the third annual Women in Engineering (WiE) Event on Thursday, September 28th, 2017 on the Storrs campus.
School of Engineering Hosts Scholarship Award Ceremony
The School of Engineering was proud to host our amazing undergraduate engineering scholarship recipients at the annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on 10/5/2017
Alumni News
Stay up to date with the School of Engineering alumni with their latest activities and learn what your fellow graduates are doing.
Alumna Janet Callahan Facilitates a Conversation About Student Success
MSE seminar speaker guest and alumna Janet Callahan, Ph.D., returned to UConn to give a seminar and also lead a discussion panel for senior MSE students in Associate Professor Rainer Hebert’s senior design class.
Donna Shea Selected for APWA 2017 Donald C. Stone Individual Award
University of Connecticut’s Technology Transfer Center Program Director, Donna Shea, Selected for APWA 2017 Donald C. Stone Individual Award
Computer Science Engineer Named Distinguished Professor
The Board of Trustees has named Sanguthevar Rajasekaran a University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, the highest honor that the institution bestows on its faculty.
Alumni News
Keep up to date with news from engineering alumni!
New Program Immerses Teens in STEM Challenges
Girls from junior high through high school sit at the pool’s edge, some dangling their feet in the water, all focused intently on operating underwater robots using the remote controls in their hands.
Engineering Alumna Named to Board of Trustees
Originally Published: August 22, 2017 – Kristen Cole – UConn Communications Jeanine Armstrong Gouin ’87 (ENG), an alumna who has demonstrated her dedication to furthering the mission of Connecticut’s flagship university for many years, was recently elected to the Board of Trustees. Gouin, of Cheshire, Connecticut, is one of two alumni trustees on the 21-member […]
UConn, URI Win Navy Grant for Undersea Engineering Program
Two of New England’s flagship universities are teaming up with the U.S. Navy to provide a new opportunity for engineering undergraduates considering careers in the Navy and undersea engineering.
When Less Oxygen Means Better Performance
Using a special milling process in an enclosed box filled with argon gas, UConn scientists, working in collaboration with researchers from North Carolina State University.
QCIC Forms Partnership Between Loos & Co. and UConn School of Engineering
QCIC, funded by the US Economic Development Administration (EDA), UConn, and Connecticut Innovations, enables business growth of small and medium-sized technology and manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in rural Tolland, Windham, and New London Counties.
Do YOUR How | Shar Govidian | TEDxUConn
Shar Govindan guides his audience through this inspiration roadmap and gives us compelling advice on how to successfully do your how now.
Global Warming is Increasing Rainfall Rates
The world is warming because humans are emitting heat-trapping greenhouse gases.
Metallurgy/MSE, Top 3rd Major With Highest Mid-Career Salary
The average mid-career salary for a Materials Science and Engineering major in 2016 was around $98,000. According to US News, Metallurgical Engineering ranks top 3rd in college majors that earned the highest salaries in 2016.
New Executive Director of the UConn Tech Park
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Dr. S. Pamir Alpay, to serve as new Executive Director of the Innovation Partnership Building at the UConn Tech Park.
UConn School of Engineering Announces UConn-ZEISS Partnership and Introduces New Microscopy Center
The UConn School of Engineering announced the launch of a new UConn-ZEISS Partnership with the opening of a new, state of the art laboratory.
Crash Database Developed at UConn Gets National Attention
An interactive public database that provides unprecedented levels of detail for thousands of Connecticut motor vehicle crashes is drawing the attention of other states interested in replicating the model. The database was built by UConn transportation engineers and information technology experts.
MSE Congratulates Haibo Yu as Graduate Student of the Year
Each year, the MSE faculty vote to recognize the cumulative efforts of a near-graduating Ph.D. student for Graduate Student of the Year. The Department extends its congratulations to Haibo Yu, a fifth-year Ph.D. student in Professor Mark Aindow’s group, who was voted Graduate Student of the Year for 2017 from a pool of outstanding candidates.
Two Engineering Faculty Members Receive New Award for Supporting Grad Students
The award recognizes faculty who help graduate students achieve a healthy work-life balance.
UConn Researcher Receives Second MURI Award
The research is aimed at understanding how insulators behave when exposed to high electric fields.
Senior Design Demonstration Day Highlights Undergraduate Research
Every year, engineering seniors spend the spring and fall semester at UConn designing senior projects, often working with industry partners.
Alumni News
Keep up with Engineering alumni! From across Connecticut to around the world, UConn Engineers are making their presence known.
Time Capsule Buried on the Grounds of the New Engineering and Science Building
The time capsule, which contains memorabilia from UConn Engineering and different technological innovations, will be opened in 100 years.
Four Engineering Faculty Receive Early Career Awards
Three of the awards are from the National Science Foundation and one is from the Office of Naval Research.
Academy of Distinguished Engineers Inductees for 2017
Each year, the School of Engineering honors exceptional engineering alumni and friends who have helped us in countless ways.
Successful Eurotech Program Prepares Global Engineers
The German language and engineering program is now serving as a model for new language-based, dual-major programs.
Size Matters for Drug Particles
An Engineering professor has uncovered new information about how particles behave in the bloodstream, which could lead to more effective cancer drugs.
Middle School Girls Multiply Their Options
A group of eighth grade girls recently came to UConn to explore STEM career at the Multiply Your Options conference.
Autonomous Vehicle Summit Brings UConn Officials, Experts Together
UConn researchers and leaders met with autonomous vehicle experts and highway specialists to discuss the future of driverless automobiles.
New Engineering and Science Building Nearing Completion
When UConn’s new Engineering and Science Building opens this fall, it will provide room for some of the university’s fastest growing research fields.
Alumni News
Stay up to date with UConn Engineering updates from around the country.
HackUConn 2017 Participants Create Allergy Solutions
More than 80 UConn Students came together at the hackathon to address problems associated with allergies and anaphylaxis.
Eurotech Prepares to Celebrate Twenty-Five Years, Expands to Other Languages
The Eurotech Program, which provides a degree in engineering and German, is preparing to expand to other cultures.
UConn Joins Hunt for New Materials
UConn researcher Rampi Ramprasad is working to identify new polymers as part of a new Toyota Research Institute $35 million initiative.
Taking the Wheel: The Rise of Self-Driving Cars
A UConn transportation safety engineer discusses the brave new world of driverless vehicles.
New UConn Startup Creates Faster, Cheaper Blood Test
A UConn startup could make the process of testing blood much more efficient with a handheld device that can give results in a matter of moments.
Accounting for Extreme Rainfall
A UConn scientist has confirmed that more intense rainstorms will likely continue as temperatures rise.
From Forest Labs to Rare Diseases: Philanthropic Grants Boost UConn’s Research Partnerships with Industries
Industry partnerships are funding researchers and grad students while leveraging UConn’s research capabilities like never before.
Honors Across Engineering
One engineering faculty member has been named a Distinguished Professor, and three others were recently inducted into CASE.
Alumni News
News and updates from UConn Alumni across the globe.
UConn Society of Women Engineers Hosts Regional Conference
The UConn Society of Women Engineers recently hosted a conference to help women advance in the STEM fields.
UConn Receives NSF Grant to Advance Soft Material Additive Manufacturing, Explores Partnerships
UConn was recently awarded an NSF grant to create a national research center that will expand the knowledge and use of soft material additive manufacturing.
UConn Receives NSF Award to Improve Power Grid Technology
UConn was recently awarded a National Science Foundation grant to create a new research center to develop advanced electrical power grid technologies.
For Caitlin Oswald ’09, it is Rocket Science
Can a girl help design jet engines? Caitlin Oswald, named one of the world’s most creative businesspeople by Fast Company’s magazine, answers that.
Engineering Senior Named Intern of the Year by the American Society for Engineering Education
Management and Engineering for Manufacturing senior Lindsey Gilson won the award at a recent American Society of Engineering Education conference.
To Speed Human Limb Growth UConn Joins Biomanufacturing Consortium
UConn has joined the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute to accelerate human limb growth by sharing its advanced human tissue and limb regeneration breakthrough technologies.
Engineering Grad Students Working To Improve Bridge Monitoring
A new company, created by a pair of UConn graduate students, is developing an innovative technique using sensors to monitor the performance of bridges.
Message To the Future: Items Needed for the Engineering Time Capsule
We’re putting a time capsule in a garden outside the new Engineering & Science Building and we’re looking for a few specific items.
Alumni News
Keep up with Engineering news from around the globe!
UConn Named to Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Institute
The initiative aims to increase small manufacturers’ use of robots by 500 percent. UConn researchers will focus on aerospace & shipbuilding robots.
Remembering Dr. Michael Howard
Dr. G. Michael Howard, 81, professor emeritus of chemical engineering, passed away on December 21, 2016.
New Material Promises Benefits to Deep Space Travel
A UConn researcher has developed a new shape memory material that can help send unmanned probes to distant star systems.
An Engineering Alumnus’ Journey From an Internment Camp to UConn
Engineering Alumnus Satoshi Oishi was forced into an internment camp as a teen during World War II, and later excelled at UConn.
New Monitor Can Detect Early Signs of Heart Disease
UConn biomedical engineering researchers are developing new heart monitors to improve early detection of an irregular heartbeat.
UConn Alumus Tells High School Students About His Engineering Journey
UConn Engineering alum Doug Shidler took part in a UConn recruiting event at North Haven High School.
Tackling the Science of Disaster
Just weeks before the Nov. 22 earthquake in Japan, UConn faculty and students from three different departments visited the country to explore the potential to create new opportunities for international research in disaster science.
Alumni News
Keep up with the latest UConn Engineering alumni news from around the globe.
A Promise Fulfilled: the Story of the Stern Family
A UConn Alum honored her parents by making a scholarship for women engineers.
Engineering Celebrates 100 Years With Gadget Guru Gala
Over 350 guests took part in the Gadget Guru Gala on November 11, celebrating 100 years of UConn Engineering.
UConn Engineering Was Top Choice for Navy Veteran
Veteran and current UConn student Thomas Underwood explains why he turned to the School of Engineering after six years of service.
ANSYS Offers Free Training for Engineering Students
ANSYS recently hosted a training seminar for their simulation software at UConn.
Alumni News
Alumni updates from around the country for the month of October.
Eversource Energy Center Celebrates First Year
The Eversource Energy Center highlighted its first year by showcasing the impressive research the center does to make the power grid more reliable.
Engineering Students Help Grant A Wish
UConn Engineering students helped Make-A-Wish Connecticut create a miniature Fenway Park for a Windsor kid facing a difficult disease.
UConn Engineering Reaches Out To High School Students With Second Annual Women In Engineering Day
The second annual Women in Engineering Day encouraged young women to explore STEM careers.
Cybersecurity Experts Come To UConn For CyberSEED
Cybersecurity experts from across the country journeyed to UConn for the third CyberSEED conference and competition.
UConn Establishes Synchrony Financial Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity
Stamford-based Synchrony Financial Pledges $2.2 million in philanthropic support across multiple programs.
UConn a Leader in Closing the Engineering Gender Gap
A recent report in The Washington Post says UConn saw the largest five-year gain in female engineering graduates among 90 public institutions nationally.
NSF Awards $3.5M to Support Diversity in STEM
Under UConn leadership, a higher education alliance dedicated to expanding diversity in the STEM fields recently received a grant of $3.5 million to increase its efforts.
When Push Comes to Shove: Size Matters for Particles in Bloodstream
A UConn Engineer’s study of particles in the bloodstream may help develop more effective cancer drugs.
New UConn Center Will Give Connecticut Manufacturers Access to Modeling Technology
UConn’s new Connecticut Manufacturing Simulation Center will share computer modeling expertise with small and medium-sized Connecticut manufacturers.
UConn Scientists Find Material’s Defects Improve Solar Cell Performance
Using a novel mapping technique developed at UConn, researchers have discovered new conductive properties in cadmium telluride.
2017 Academy of Distinguished Engineers Nominations
Every year, University of Connecticut Academy of Distinguished Engineers inducts a new class of remarkable engineers. This year
Award Scholarship Dinner Highlights the Impact Of Giving
The recent Engineering Award Scholarship Dinner emphasized how scholarships benefit students, as well as the impressive impact engineering can have on the planet.
Alumni News
Keep up with the latest UConn Engineering Alumni news from around the globe.
New Grant Will Support Biomedical Engineering Graduate Students
The University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering has secured a highly selective federal grant to attract graduate students who will specialize in medical devices for public health. The U.S. Department of Education recently notified the biomedical engineering department that it will receive a three-year grant totaling $879,000 as part of the Graduate Assistance in Areas […]
UConn Innovation Fund Accepting Applications
The new UConn Innovation fund is accepting applications to provide early-stage financial support to new businesses affiliated with UConn.
Three Engineering Faculty Selected For Prestigious Symposium
Three UConn faculty have been selected to take part in the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering Education symposium.
UConn Leaders Meet With Department Of Energy, Discuss Smart Manufacturing
UConn leadership recently met with the Department of Energy to discuss the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute.
NextGen Hall Welcomes First Students
The new NextGen Hall, which is over 50 percent engineering students, opened August 24 with a visit from Gov. Dannel Malloy.
New Partnership Brings High End Research Equipment to UConn
Anton Paar is providing UConn with a new high-end rheometer.
Hands On Experience A Benefit To STEM Teachers
STEM teachers from secondary schools and community colleges worked on research projects at UConn this summer, an experience that they will take back to their classes.
A Centennial Look Back: James D. Bowen
As we celebrate 100 years of engineering at UConn, we’d like to share the stories of alumni who have made the school great.
Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster Announces First Partner
the QCIC announced Loos & Co., Inc. as its first partner recently.
Keeping Connecticut’s Bridges Strong
The state’s bridges will benefit from a new repair method developed at UConn using ultra-high performance concrete.
Alumni News: August, 2016
Keep up with the latest UConn Engineering news from around the globe.
Novel Smart Materials Inspired by Sea Creatures
A suite of new materials developed in the lab of UConn researcher Luyi Sun can change their appearance and quickly revert to their original state, just like the squid and jellyfish that inspired them.
UConn Marks Construction Milestone for New Engineering Complex
UConn Engineering celebrated completion of the structural phase of the new Engineering & Science Building on July 21.
Framing UConn’s Future: Tech Park
The executive director of the UConn Tech Park, Radenka Maric, recently discussed the new building and what it means for the University and the state of Connecticut.
Fellowship Brings STEM Teachers Into Engineering Labs
The Joule Fellows Program brings high school and community college science teachers into engineering labs for hands on work.
UConn Joins National Smart Manufacturing Initiative
UConn has been named part of a new national coalition to coordinate research and development in smart manufacturing and energy efficiency, and will play a leading role in those efforts in Connecticut.
Engineering Alum’s Gift To Help Keep UConn Safe
An electrical engineering alum is donating an intelligent gunshot detection to UConn.
Alumni News
An update on our Engineering Alums from around the country.
Black Hats, Cyber Bots, Zombies, And You
the Comcast Center of Excellence for Security Innovation and other cyber-security labs at UConn are beating computer hackers at their own game.
Student Perspective: Q&A With Vincent Turnier
Engineering freshman Vincent Turnier discusses his path to UConn and his impressions so far.
Engineering Design Competition Offers Messy Fun For High Schoolers
Students from nine high schools were on UConn’s campus May 25 for the 6th Annual GK-12 Engineering Design Competition.
Innovation Partnership Building Marks Construction Milestone
UConn officials and others celebrated the completion of the structural phase of UConn’s new Innovation Partnership Building in Storrs.
White House Honors Dr. Cato Laurencin with National Medal of Technology and Innovation
UConn’s Dr. Cato Laurencin was honored on May 19 at the White House by President Barack Obama with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
New Partnership to Bring Innovative Storm Outage Prediction Technology to Utilities
UConn, Eversource Energy and Schneider Electric are combining storm outage prediction technology to create one, more precise and accurate model.
Preparing to Face a Hurricane
Connecticut’s hurricane preparedness could be organized in a more systematic and efficient manner, thanks to the combined efforts of UConn faculty, the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), and a graduate student with a passion for mitigating the damage of the storms.
McNair Scholar Pursues Path to STEM Success
Ornella Tempo is among the first students to become a McNair Scholar at UConn, and she represent exactly the type of individuals the program is designed to attract.
2016 Academy of Distinguished Engineers Inductees
Each year, the School of Engineering honors exceptional engineering alumni and friends who have helped us in countless ways.
Engineering Student named Goldwater Scholar
Cameron Flower, an engineering junior, is one of two Goldwater Scholars at UConn this year.
Are U.S. States Prepared to Manage Water in a Changing Climate?
UConn Assistant Professor Christine Kirchhoff studied water allocation and planning in five states.
Steel Bridge Club Headed To National Competition
The UConn Steel Bridge Club recently placed second in the American Society of Civil Engineers New England Regional Student Steel Bridge Competition. Because of that second place finish, they’ll be traveling to the national competition at Brigham Young University on May 27 and 28.
Distracted Driving a Crash Test in Behavior Modification
UConn expert says the majority of car crashes are caused by human error. She hopes her research will ultimately help modify drivers’ risk-taking behavior.
Senior Design Demonstration Day Preview
Every year, engineering seniors spend the spring and fall semester at UConn designing senior projects, often working with industry partners. A partner will provide an engineering problem for a group of students with a particular interest to work on. Over 170 teams of seniors will present their work on April 29 at Gampel Pavilion- visitors are welcome to attend!
HackUConn Lets Students Envision Tech For Smart Cities
The UConn Entrepreneurship and Innovation Society held its first hackathon, HackUConn 2016 Smart Cities, on April 1 and 2. The event allowed over twenty students to innovate over twenty-four hours by developing solutions to real problems in the topic area of Smart Cities.
Professor Cato T. Laurencin to Receive 2016 Connecticut Medal of Technology
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, a world-renowned physician-scientist in orthopaedic surgery, engineering, and materials science, has been named the 2016 recipient of the Connecticut Medal of Technology.
A Q and A with MSE Ph.D. Candidate Cain Hung
Material science and engineering Cain Hung analyzes additively manufactured aluminum alloys and the microstructure of 3-D printed parts. he answered a few questions.
UConn Led Travel Survey will give state decision makers updated information
A new travel study being conducted by UConn faculty will provide data for the state travel model, updating decades-old information.
Helping Hand: Student Designs Prosthetic Limb
Undergraduate Stephen Hawes used an IDEA grant to design a low-cost customizable prosthetic hand, using 3-D printing and open source software.
Questions And Answers with UConn Alum Dipayan Ghosh
UConn Alum Dipayan Ghosh discusses working at Facebook and privacy on the internet. He’ll be giving a talk on campus April 11.
Alumni News
An update on Alumni news and activities.
Boosting Business in the ‘Quiet Corner’
UConn is creating a center to connect small and medium-sized technology and manufacturing businesses in Eastern Connecticut with the University’s resources and outside partners.
Top UConn Interns Are Engineering Students
The top two UConn undergraduate interns from 2015 are both from the school of engineering.
Building a Better Mousetrap, From the Atoms Up
The Ramprasad Lab is employing machine learning to design new materials without having to pre-test each one.
UTAS Announces UConn Center For Advanced Materials
UTC Aerospace Systems has announced a materials engineering Center of Excellence opening for collaboration with UConn.
UConn professors Show Link Between More Parking Lots and Increased Driving
two UConn professors explore the link between parking and traffic congestion.
A Grateful Message To An Anonymous Donor
An anonymous donor has given UConn Engineering a very generous gift.
What’s at Stake for Apple in iPhone Legal Case
UConn Professor and Comcast Center co-director Laurent Michel discusses cyber security and the IPhone case.
Researchers Develop New Sensor to Detect Deadly Chemicals
A team of researchers at UConn, in collaboration with a Chongqing University professor, has developed a sensitive and affordable sensor that can detect organophosphates, which are used in pesticides and chemical weapons.
Aaron Gladstein on Staying Balanced
From marching on the UConn turf to community work in Israel, material science and engineering junior Aaron Gladstein stays busy.
Engineers Week!
February 21-27, 2016 marks Engineers Week. Take this time to step back and consider the amazing things engineers do for our society, and to watch the video below that highlights some of the impressive things going on at UConn Engineering.
Stanley Black & Decker donates to School of Engineering’s Bridge Program
Gift Gives Academic Support to Low-Income UConn Engineering Students.
Glastonbury Eighth Graders Pour It On During Concrete Day At UConn
Eighth-graders from Glastonbury spent a day exploring concrete engineering at UConn’s Storrs campus on February 2, 2016.
Improving the Water Supply in a Drought-Stricken Village
Three UConn engineering students are working in partnership with a village in Ethiopia to help improve the water supply.
Petit Family Foundation Supports Girls In STEM Conference
The Petit Family Foundation – dedicated to promoting STEM careers for young women – is helping eighth-grade girls learn from role models – top female UConn Engineering students and practicing engineers. Its $11,000 gift brings together girls with an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (the STEM fields) with women who can help them […]
Bringing Crash Reporting Into The 21st century
Connecticut is in the middle of a quiet revolution in the way it handles data from traffic crashes around the state, and UConn is at the forefront of the transition.
The Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center (CTSRC), part of the Connecticut Transportation Institute, has spent the past two years working in collaboration with the Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) in the development of an award-winning system for storing and analyzing Connecticut’s crash data.
UConn Becomes Founding Member of Flexible Electronics Institute
UConn has become a founding member of Nextflex, a flexible electronics manufacturing research institute that will spur national development in this emerging field. UConn will host a Nextflex Industry Workshop on February 18, 2016 to introduce Connecticut companies to the institute’s activities. Flexible electronics refers to a new generation of bendable and wearable electronic sensors […]
Using Advanced Chemistry to Combat Climate Change
The landmark Paris climate change agreement has put renewed focus on the need for advanced technologies to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world.
At UConn, William Mustain, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, is exploring new ways of capturing carbon dioxide emissions from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants that, if realized, would be a dramatic improvement over current methods.
The Many Opportunities For An MSE Undergrad
Undergraduate Amy Hernandez is in her final year at UConn, but she knows her Material Science and Engineering (MSE) education has provided her with a bright future head. “Material science and engineering is diverse and empowering; it is how we will adapt for the future and create novel technologies and improvements,” Amy said.
In Memoriam: Carroll Osborne Bennett. April 1, 1921 – Jan. 9, 2016
Carroll Osborne “C.O.” Bennett, A UConn Engineering professor for 23 years who coauthored one of the fundamental texts of chemical engineering, died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease on Jan. 9, 2016 at Paris, France.
UConn Students Show Middle Schoolers How Fun Engineering Is at Science Center
Vanessa DeJesus examined a human skull, slowly turning it over in her hands at the Connecticut Science Center on a recent November night. She was trying to figure out whether the skull was from a man or a woman based on clues a couple of biomedical engineering UConn students gave her.
Engineering Celebrates 100 years!
In 2016 we turn 100 years old. Join us in celebrating our ascent to leadership in industry-relevant education and research. From a modest beginning supporting agriculture, it has evolved into a superb program distinguished by an outstanding faculty, students and industry support.
What’s Happening @ UConn Engineering!
It is an exciting time here at UConn School of Engineering! This Fall 2015 new partnerships and collaborations are being formed with faculty; in addition we celebrate and honor the achievements of our faculty and students.
MSE Alumnus and Intel Intellectual Shan Zhong
Alumnus Shan Zhong studied materials science and engineering at UConn from 2003 to 2007 after graduating from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. His Masters thesis was on “Phase Transformation Characteristics and Dielectric Response of Multilayer Ferroelectrics.”
Lydie Louis Takes MSE Across the World
MSE postdoctorate Lydie Louis does not allow the summer break to stop her intellectual endeavors. This August, she participated in the Paris International School, France, on Advanced Computational Materials Science (PISACMS), where she received the PISACMS 2015 Best Poster Prize for the “Structural and Dielectric Properties of the Ruddlesden-Popper Ba2ZrO4 Structure from First-Principles.”
Researchers Tackling Flood Maps
Connecticut’s vital infrastructure will drown over the next few decades unless the state does something to stop it. And, the first step is improving flood maps, according to UConn’s Manos Anagnostou.
The Difference Between Laughing and Crying
When we hear the cry of a six-month-old baby, our ears promptly perk up. We look around, agitated, instinctively knowing there’s an infant in distress nearby. But how did we know the baby was upset? How did our brain decide that the cry wasn’t actually a shriek of happiness?
An Easy Test for Sickle Cell Disease
A team of UConn biomedical engineers, working with colleagues from Yale, MIT, and Harvard, has developed a simple, inexpensive, and quick technique for the diagnosis and monitoring of sickle cell disease that can be used in regions where advanced medical technology and training are scarce.
Researchers Aim to Regenerate Human Limbs by 2030
On Veteran’s Day the University of Connecticut announced the launch of its new grand research challenge: regeneration of a human knee within 7 years, and an entire limb within 15 years. This major international research undertaking, called The HEAL Project, stands for Hartford Engineering a Limb.
Celebrating 100 Years with Goal of 100 Scholarships
UConn’s School of Engineering is celebrating its centennial in a big way. The school, together with the UConn Foundation, has set a fundraising goal to establish 100 new scholarships.
Lee Langston Receives ASME Sawyer Award
Mechanical Engineering professor emeritus Lee Langston is the 2015 recipient of the R. Tom Sawyer Award presented by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Forty-three men from all over the world have received the award, which is a major industry honor.
Why Context and Context-Driven Decision Support Matters
Recently, El Faro, a cargo ship heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, foundered in the Atlantic Ocean off the Bahamas on October 5, 2015 due to Category 4 Hurricane Joaquin. Thirty three crew members remain missing. The captain cut south of the storm, due to the rare occurrence of such storm systems.
You Are invited! UConn Engineering 3rd Annual Industry Open House
Are you interested in collaborating with UConn Engineering faculty to explore new technologies for your company? If so, please join us for the third annual Industry Open House.
Climate Changing Connecticut
UConn Science Salon is a dynamic series of science programs featuring outstanding speakers, a fun happy hour, and a chance to make great connections. Our third salon highlights discussion regarding Climate Changing Connecticut.
UConn Joins Flexible Hybrid Electronics Research Consortium
The University of Connecticut is one of several leading public research universities that will support a new national manufacturing institute for flexible hybrid electronics, an emerging manufacturing field that is expected to revolutionize the electronics industry.
Securing Water Resources in Ethiopia
$4.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation will allow University of Connecticut researchers to collaborate with colleagues around the world in order to help local governments and communities in Ethiopia’s Blue Nile river basin.
Video: Eversource Energy Center at UConn
The Eversource Energy Center is a research lab dedicated to the development of advanced storm damage modeling technology to ensure the reliable delivery of power throughout Connecticut and New England.
Some Things Change, and Some Things Stay the Same
About 30 members of UConn Engineering legacy families attended the event. The freshman received pins with the School of Engineering logo and certificates. Their parents reminisced about their own experiences at UConn and marveled at how much the school has changed.
UConn Women in Engineering Day
UConn Engineering brought together female students, professors, industry leaders and close to 100 Connecticut high school students for a day focused on reducing the gender gap and empowering women in STEM fields.
UConn Breaks Ground for New Technology Park
The University of Connecticut broke ground for its new Technology Park Wednesday, marking a new era of public-private research partnership at UConn that is intended to drive Connecticut innovation and competitiveness in the state, region, and beyond.
Kathy Saint Enters the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame
Congratulations to our Industrial Advisory Board member, Kathy Saint, President of Schwerdtle Stamp Co. Inc., who has just been named one of the winners of the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame Leadership Awards for 2015.
Greg Gagne Returns from the Land Down Under
Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, leaping from the tallest bungy jump in the southern hemisphere, and playing with monkeys in the Ubud Monkey Forest—MSE student Greg Gagne had an interesting Spring semester.
Celebrate Submarine & Engineering Centennials at Electric Boat UConn Alumni Reception
Is it a coincidence that the University of Connecticut School of Engineering centennial and Connecticut’s Submarine Century perfectly align?
Alumni News
Stay in touch with the School of Engineering. Join our LinkedIn alumni group to share your latest activities and learn what your fellow graduates are doing. You may also send your news directly to Heidi Douglas, Director of Engineering Alumni Relations. We love hearing from you!
Seok-Woo Lee Makes Magic at UConn
Dr. Seok-Woo Lee believes materials science and engineering is “magically fun.” He says, “Materials science and engineering makes me feel like I become an alchemist who tries to make gold out of other materials.” The Pratt and Whitney Assistant Professor received both his bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering and master’s of science in […]
Angie Cheung Fuels Minds of the MSE Industrial Advisory Board
The Materials Science and Engineering Department gladly welcomes Angie Cheung as the newest member to the Industrial Advisory Board. She joins eight other industry partners in working to strengthen the visibility of the UConn Materials Science and Engineering Department at the university, state, and national level. Cheung obtained her bachelor’s degree in materials science and […]
Construction Begins on New Engineering and Science Building
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy joined UConn, state, and corporate leaders Wednesday in breaking ground for a new engineering and science building on UConn’s main campus in Storrs. The building will provide dedicated laboratory space for the University’s growing genomics, biomedical, chemical engineering, and cyber system research programs. The five-story, 118,000-square-foot structure, located at the north […]
Topping-out UConn’s Newest Residence Hall
A milestone in the construction of UConn’s newest residence hall was marked on Monday with a topping-out ceremony. As the first project begun under the auspices of the Next Generation Connecticut initiative, the event signified a milestone for the state as well. Known as the STEM Residence Hall for planning purposes, the building will be […]
Pratt & Whitney and Supplier Partners Celebrate Expansion of Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust Residential Facility for Girls
HYDERABAD, India, July 15, 2015 – Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), and its supplier partners today announced the expansion of the girls dormitory in cooperation with the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust (KGNMT) in Hyderabad, India. UTC, Pratt & Whitney and its supplier partners contributed more than $55,000 USD (34,90,000 […]
Alumni News
Stephanie Bealing (M.S. Materials Science & Engineering, ’06) and Jacquelynn Garofano (M.S., Ph.D. Materials Science & Engineering, ’09, ’12) are Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” 2015 award winners. The award recognizes outstanding young professionals in the Greater Hartford area who are excelling in their industries through their leadership roles. A senior research scientist at […]
#iLookLikeAnEngineer Campaign with a UConn Spin
Earlier this summer, Isis Wenger, a platform engineer at San Francisco-based OneLogin, launched the hashtag #iLookLikeAnEngineer in response to an unexpected backlash after appearing in an ad as part of her company’s recruiting campaign. Reacting to her photo in the ad, one person remarked, “I’m curious people with brains find this quote remotely plausible if […]
EUROTECH Program Alumni Reunion at Huskies Forever Weekend
More than twenty years ago, the dual degree EUROTECH program was launched at the UConn School of Engineering with the initial help of a grant. Designed to prepare students for a global career, graduates of the five year program receive bachelor degrees in German and Engineering from the Collage of Liberal Arts & Sciences and […]
UConn Faculty Member William Mustain Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award
UConn Faculty Member William Mustain Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award Professor William Mustain, a faculty member in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Connecticut has received a Fulbright Scholar Award to enable him to advance his research at the University of Surrey in the UK. The Fulbright Award is one of […]
Industry Open House: Save the Date!
Mark your calendars to attend UConn Engineering’s Annual Industry Open House on Thursday, November 5, 2015. The half-day event will feature an informal networking forum, during which visitors will have the opportunity to speak with more than 60 engineering faculty members and to view posters highlighting commercially promising research underway at UConn. For those who […]
Connecticut Urban and Transportation Film Festival
Transportation engineering students need to be able to communicate with a wide array of stakeholders because their work usually impacts and is impacted by the general public. This is especially true of transportation planning. Accordingly, through a grant from UConn’s Center for Transportation and Livability Studies (CTLS), two professors (Dr. Norman Garrick from Civil & Environmental […]
Work – and Play – Helps Launch Career Path
Five Engineering Graduate Students Awarded $3,000 Scholarships Getting good grades in a good major at a good school are important steps to launching a successful business career, but a key component that shouldn’t be overlooked is the importance of social interaction. Graduate students at the School of Engineering at the University of Connecticut who are […]
UConn Women in Engineering Symposium
Learn. Inspire. Empower. UConn Women in Engineering Symposium Thursday, September 24, 2015 2 – 3:30pm Student Union Theatre Storrs, Connecticut The numbers are troubling. In 1984, women represented 37% of all computer science graduates. Today, it’s just 18% (Girls Who Code). Girls and boys in kindergarten through 12th grade “do not significantly differ in their […]
UConn Electrical and Computer Engineering
The undergraduate ECE program at UConn endeavors to provide a firm foundation in fundamentals, while also giving students exposure to current technologies for design and implementation. It strives for a balance between theory, laboratory and design experience. For more information, contact: Rajeev Bansal Professor & Department Head Office: ITE Building 463 Phone: (860)486-3410 and 486-2878 […]
UConn Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering
The goal of the UConn Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program is to provide students the interdisciplinary training in biological and medical sciences, physical sciences, and engineering necessary to solve complex biomedical problems. Faculty members from engineering, biomedical sciences, materials sciences, chemistry, physics, medicine, and dental medicine from an interdisciplinary graduate degree program that spans the University […]
Alumni News
Alumni News Sandor Becz (Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, ’07) was appointed vice president of engineering at Hydroid, Inc., a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime and a leading manufacturer of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). In this role, he will lead all engineering activities at Hydroid, including research and development, new product development and engineering support. Becz joined Hydroid […]
Huskies Forever Weekend – Breakfast with the Dean
Reunite. Reminisce. Celebrate. Huskies Forever Weekend – Breakfast with the Dean Saturday, October 10, 2015 | 9-11am Information Technology Engineering (ITE) Building Lobby | Storrs Campus Join Dean Kazem Kazerouian for breakfast and a fun, informative program on Saturday, October 10. Kickoff Huskies Forever Weekend meeting the Dean, connecting with fellow alumni and learning what’s […]
Alumni News
Michael H. Betts (B.S. Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical Engineering, ’85) has been appointed chief technology officer at CÜR Media, Inc., developers of CÜR Music, a social mobile and web streaming music application. Prior to joining the company in 2012, he worked at Artbox LLC and Software Development Group LLC, whose major clients included […]
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 […]
Sikorsky Funds UConn Engineering Scholars
Through a new initiative by longtime partners Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and the University of Connecticut School of Engineering, Sikorsky will provide $67,000 in scholarships to selected UConn engineering students this fall.
5 Questions With Mei Wei
The Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education talks about how she became a professor and the importance of promoting science to women
Dr. A. Jon Goldberg New Interim Head of Biomedical Engineering at UConn Health
A. Jon Goldberg, a founding member of the UConn Health Board of Directors, is the new interim head of BME at UConn Health
Save the Date! SoE’s Scholarship Reception and Ceremony Is Coming
Exceptional Engineering students will be honored Sept. 16
IEEE Honors UConn Alum Marshall Greenspan
For his crucial contributions to radar technology, Marshall Greenspan receives an IEEE award
Bahram Javidi Wins Prestigious EPS Prize
The European Physical Society awards one of its most prestigious prizes to the Electrical and Computer Engineering professor
A New Use for Old Carpet
Richard Parnas, a Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering professor, is leading a team to find a better use for the 4 billion pounds of carpet that are discarded each year
UConn Research Team Among Finalists in 150th Anniversary North American Science Competition
A team put together by UConn’s Kan Fu (MSE) and Xiangcheng Sun (CBE) was named one of four finalists of the 150th Anniversary North American Science Competition
Three Generations of Engineering at UConn
Robert Valley Sr. began studying Engineering at UConn nearly 70 years ago; he has since been followed by his son, son-in-law and, now, his grandson
How UConn Researchers Are Fighting Against Counterfeit Computer Chips (Video)
UConn’s Center for Hardware Assurance, Security and Engineering (CHASE) is developing new ways to thwart computer chip counterfeiters
Helping Innovators Through The Legal Maze
UConn’s Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic can boast of one of its best years since its formation in 2007. Among other accomplishments since the fall 2014, the IP Law Clinic obtained five U.S. patents, 17 federal trademark registrations and filed five new patent applications, as well as seven federal trademark applications. The IP Law […]
Zoila Estefani Jurado Quiroga Delivers Inspiring Message To Fellow Engineering Grads
“I hope we can all measure our future successes by the individuals we, too, would come to inspire, help, and teach along the way.”
Caitlin Oswald ’09 Among “Most Creative People”
Caitlin Oswald, a School of Engineering alum, was recently named one of the 100 most creative people in the country by the magazine Fast Company.
Alumni News
John Andresakis, ’81; Paul Dul, ’88, James Kane, ’86; and Joe Rimiller ’01 and ’03 are all featured in this month’s Alumni News!
Student News: Women’s Center Honors Keisha Ashe
Keisha Ashe, who is currently pursuing a Chemical Engineering Ph.D., receives the 100 Years of Women Scholarship Award
Grant Will Fund Study On The Genetics Of Addiction
When it comes to diagnosing substance-related disorders, health care professionals are mostly limited to checking for behavioral and other clinical symptoms – crude tools for a complex condition. But a new study aims to find the genetic causes of those specific symptoms, which could lead to a more nuanced way of looking at addiction. […]
GK-12 Competition Gives High School Students A Leg To Stand On
Nine high school teams built and tested prosthetic legs as part of the latest GK-12 Design Challenge
UConn’s Formula SAE Race Car Has Its Best Year In Competition
The UConn car competed against 120 teams from 9 countries at the Michigan International Speedway in Michigan last week
In the News: Department of Homeland Security Features UConn’s Concrete Research
Some concrete results from UConn researchers
Engineering Commencement 2015: Watch the Video!
A lot of happy engineering graduates and their proud families gathered at the Gampel Pavilion for the 2015 School of Engineering Commencement
3-D Printing, Appetizers, and Drinks – All At The First UConn Science Salon
Eat, drink and talk about science! We’re launching UConn Science Salon
UConn Engineering In The News
Award-winning teachers, keynote speakers and karaoke singers! UConn engineers are pretty much everywhere in the news this week.
Ashwini Joshi ’17 (ENG): Who I Am Today
Ashwini Joshi ’17 reflects on her time at UConn
A Capitol Event, From Hexacopters To Liquid Nitrogen Marshmallows
They came for the ice cream, but stayed for the dazzling displays of technology at the State Capitol Building
Anson Ma Wins Arthur B. Metzner Early Career Award
Anson Ma wins the prestigious Arthur B. Metzner Early Career Award
Alumni News
James F. Byrnes, Jr ’73, Melissa Carserino ’11, Lin Lin ’04, Vincent S. Pitruzzello ’85, Ted M. Taccardi ’81 are all featured in this edition of Alumni News
New Journal Launches With Cato T. Laurencin As Its Editor-In-Chief
Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D is editor-in-chief of the new journal Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine
Priceline’s Founding CTO, Scott Case, Will Speak To SoE Grads
Priceline founder Timothy “Scott” Case is this year’s commencement speaker for Engineering graduates
Meet the 2015 Inductees of the Academy of Distinguished Engineers
The Academy of Distinguished Engineers welcomed seven new members
Our Annual Senior Design Round-Up, 2015
Future technologies – not basketball – were on display at Gampel Pavilion last week
Readers: Join the Discussion!
Got something to say? Momentum, the School of Engineering newsletter, now allows for reader comments!
Better (and Healthier) Ice Cream Through Engineering
Engineering a healthier ice cream option at the UConn Creamery
The Art Of The Science Presentation On Display At First SoE Grad Poster Contest
Communicating science is an art, as this poster contest shows
3D Printing Club Wows Judges at 2015 Brandeis Printathon
The UConn 3D printing club, 3DPC, won first place at Printathon 2015, a 24-hour 3D printing competition hosted at Brandeis University
UConn Researcher Using Silk To Treat Chronic Diseases
Dr. Kelly Burke is researching how silk can help treat chronic disesases
New Engineering-Business Joint Degree Now Available To Students
Starting this fall, students can work toward a combined Master’s in Business and Engineering
Student Presentations, and Honoring A UConn Alum’s Achievements At GE Night
GE’s Linda Jacobs shares a generous scholarship gift
Alumni News
David J. Arthur ’90, Karen Isherwood ’97, Jeffrey Lewis ’83, and Stephen P. O’Mahony ’92 are all featured in this issue’s Alumni News
Hacking For Health At The 2015 Patient Experience Hackathon
UConn and Yale team up to hash out some healthcare-improving ideas
Ellis Tech Takes Top Honors At Rube Goldberg Contest (With Video!)
Erasing a blackboard should be easy, right? Not if you’re taking part in UConn’s 2015 Rube Goldberg Regional Competition.
Paiyz Mikael Wins SoE’s Outstanding Senior Women Academic Achievement
Paiyz E. Mikael has been selected as the Outstanding Senior Women Academic Achievement Award for the School of Engineering
UConn Professor And Students Honored As “Women of Innovation”
UConn was well-represented at this year’s Women of Innovation of the Connecticut Technology Council
Senior Design Day Is Coming (with Video)
More than 130 student teams will present their engineering projects at Gampel Pavilion
Phone App To Monitor – And Help – People Suffering From Depression
Dr. Bing Wang’s work could turn the smart phone into a tool for monitoring depression
Faculty News
Awards, honors and panel selections for SoE faculty
Ask The Engineers: What Inspired You To Become An Engineer?
Got a question? SoE engineers have answers.
UConn-Yale Hackathon: Competing For Better Health Solutions
Students compete to hack a better way to healthcare
An Evening of Professional Networking for UConn Engineering Washington, DC Capital Area Alumni
Alumni are invited to come network in D.C.
C2E2 and CEI Host Discussion On Connecticut Energy Research
State environmental officials come to UConn to talk energy research
Danica Chin ’13 Named A 2015 STEP Award Emerging Leader
Alumnus Danica Chin has been named a 2015 STEP Award Emerging Leader
SoE Hosts Student Candidates From Around The U.S.
SoE hosts its first domestic graduate student recruiting event
SoE Career Fairs Have Been A Hit – And There’s More To Come
UConn engineering career fairs are bringing in big numbers
Hundreds Compete in 10th Annual Science Bowl
The Science Bowl brought hundreds of high school competitors to match their science wits
QR Codes Engineered into Cybersecurity Protection
Using those little black and white boxes to improve national security
Alumni News
Mark Aramli ’97, Richard Fu ’06, Kimberly Better Thompson ’96, and Joseph A. Wolanski ’13 are all featured in this issue’s Alumni News
Experts Talk Cybersecurity At CSI Panel Discussion
Donna Dodson of NIST was the featured speaker at CSI’s panel discussion on cybersecurity
Video: It’s National Engineers Week!
See what Engineering’s about at UConn
SoE, Congressman Working to Expand International Profile
Congressman Joe Courtney is working with SoE to elevate the School’s International profile
Four SoE Faculty Win NSF CAREER Awards
Four NSF CAREER awards in one year for SoE! Dongare, Wille, Vadas and Park receive the prestigious honor
Honors For Two CTI Staff Members
It was a big month for the Connecticut Transportation Institute
Faculty News
Ki Chon, Liisa Kuhn and Jinbo Bi all feature in this issue’s Faculty News
Three Engineering Faculty Members Named 2014 CASE Members
Drs. Shvartsman, Tehranipoor and Chon are SoE’s news CASE inductees
Student Entrepreneurship is on the Fast Track, University Leaders Say
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consortium takes off
Researchers Explore the Potential of Ultra-High-Strength Concrete To Repair Bridges
How super concrete can make our bridges safer
Cheerleader Takes Time Out from Lab for Super Bowl
Alyssa Merkle, a biomedical engineering major, maintains a 3.8 GPA while cheering for the Patriots
Building the Next Generation of Efficient Computers
UConn’s Brian Huey is helping create low-energy, highly efficient, instant-on computers
Researchers Look At Engineering Education For ADHD Students
People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), studies suggest, are more creative and more willing to take risks. A team of researchers say it’s those traits that are exactly what the field of engineering needs, but the traditional model of teaching is driving away potential pioneers in the field.
Of Interest to Entrepreneurial Engineers: Advice on Patents
UConn is sponsoring a daylong event on patents, innovations and how to grow your company.
Grad Student Spotlight: Erik Carboni
Erick Carboni, PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering, works on improving drug delivery
From the SoE Archives: Pioneering ME Prof. John N. Fitts
Yes, we’re “engineering the future,” but we also occasionally look back
UConn SoE In The News
UConn Engineering faculty, alumni and students all made the news
Alumni News
The Anthony W. DeSio and Delores J. DeSio Foundation has given the Computer Science Engineering funding for a new scholarship.
Faculty News
Dr. S. Pamir Alpay and Dr. Laurent Michel in the news
Ask the Engineers: Goals For 2015
You have questions, engineers have answers
New Scholarship for Center for Energy Innovation
Gift from German company helps UConn explore new avenues in clean energy.
Video: Engineering Week Preview
Engineering Week is on the way. This video tells you what to expect.
Ask the Engineers
Got a question for the engineers? Ask away!
VIDEO: See What’s Happening Here at the SoE!
An eye-catching video of the innovations and fun that happen here at SoE
Now Hear This! UConn Has a New Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consortium
Continuing its commitment to fostering new businesses, the University of Connecticut has established the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Consortium. It’s a collaborative initiative of the Schools of Engineering and Business, Office of the Provost, and Office of the Vice President for Research.
New Human Rights Minor Explores the Social Impact of Engineering
New track of courses for human rights minor explores social impacts of engineering
Student News
MSE seniors prove their geodesic bona fides, and CBE undergrads take top honors at AIChE’s poster competition
From the SoE Archives: Happy Dodranscentennial, Castleman Building!
“Engineering the Future” is the motto here, but it’s always a good idea to occasionally look back.
Energy and Environment Commissioner Visits C2E2
Robert Klee, commissioner of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), visited UConn’s Center for Clean Energy Engineering
Alumni News
Catch up with Craig W. Burdick ’01, Anthony M. Cavallaro ’11, Karl F. Frey ’83, Joel A. Henry ’06 and ’14 and Joel W. Long ’98 in this issue’s Alumni News!
Back on Earth, and Back on Campus: Astronaut Rick Mastracchio Talks About Life in Space
Astronaut and UConn alum Rick Mastracchio was on campus Tuesday to talk about his career and the particulars of everyday life on the Space Station.
Local Engineering Firm Launches Scholarship Initiative
Engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill launches a scholarship
UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering Celebrates Its First Year
UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering (UTC IASE) marked its one-year anniversary with an all-day conference featuring speakers and panel discussions
Eight Questions With: Joseph M. Kostoss (B.S., M.S. Mechanical Engineering, ’64, ‘65)
We talk to alumnus Joe Kostoss about how he got into engineering and working in South Korea.
The Sounds of Innovation: How UConn Research Is Resurrecting Antique Musical Instruments
An engineering, medical director and art historian team up to explore (what else?) the makeup of 18th- and 19th-century musical instruments.
New Collaboration to Create World-Class Microscopy Center
UConn and FEI Co. have signed an agreement to develop a cutting-edge center for microscopy and materials science research
Bioinformatics Researchers Develop Personalized Vaccines to Treat Cancer Patients Nov. 10
Ion Mandoio of the CSE Is a co-PI for research with the potential to dramatically change how we treat cancer in the future.
Kevin McLaughlin Wins Provost Award
Kevin McLaughlin received a 2014 Provost Award for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship
Dr. Ma and Artificial Kidney Covered on TV News
Dr. Anson Ma spoke to WTNH recently about his and his students’ work on creating an artificial kidney using 3D printing
Student News
MRS at Brookhaven, students win EPA grant and ECE Team wins IEEE Contest
Faculty News
Jeffrey McCutcheon, Yongku Cho win awards.
Second Industry Open House Brings Academia and Industry Together
The second annual Industry Open House took place this month and brought together Engineering faculty and industry leaders to discuss future collaborations.
Alumni News
John Krenicki, Wade Moore and Manuel A. Santos all make this issue’s Alumni News
Cybersecurity Contest Challenges Teams to Think Like a Hacker
Computer hackers descended upon UConn this past week, and for their efforts, came away with more than $100,000 in prize money.
First CyberSEED Event Combines Cybersecurity Competition and Discussion
More than 350 people attended the CyberSEED Cybersecurity, Education & Diversity Challenge, which combined expert talks and competitions
CyberSEED in the Media and Social Media
CyberSEED in the media
SoE Taking Nominations for the Academy of Distinguished Engineers
The School of Engineering is beginning the selection process for 2015 inductees to the Academy of Distinguished Engineers, the 32nd year the School has presented these awards Since 1983 the School has paid special tribute to exceptionally distinguished alumni whose career achievements are of an enduring seminal nature, and dedicated individuals who have made dramatic and enduring contributions to our School. The […]
UConn, Ethiopia Working Together To Solve Water Problems
When UConn formed a partnership with five Ethiopian universities, the goal was to develop new ideas to alleviate the serious water-related problems in that country. Just a few years later, those ideas are already forthcoming. At the Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources (EIWR) – a centerpiece of the UConn-Ethiopia partnership – one student’s final paper stood […]
Seminar Where Interpersonal Skills Are The Curriculum
We cordially invite you to participate in a very popular seminar and reception aimed at improving our future engineers’ professional, interpersonal and social skills.
GE Fellows Tour Facility, Hear About Life After School
The nine GE Fellows who toured the Plainville General Electric facility last week got a chance to see the concepts they study put into action.
CyberSEED: Two-Day Event Puts Cybersecurity On National Stage
The University of Connecticut, home to the nation’s foremost center on hardware security, and the Comcast Center of Excellence for Security Innovation (CSI) are sponsoring the first-ever CyberSEED Cybersecurity, Education & Diversity Challenge October 20-21, 2014. The CyberSEED conference brings together top information security professionals and business leaders to discuss emerging cybersecurity trends and formulate best […]
Alumni News
Keep up with the latest news on SoE Alumni!
UTC IASE Celebrates Its First Year
A hub for world-class research and project-based learning, the UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering Institute celebrates its first anniversary.
Second Annual Industry Open House Takes Place Nov. 5
The second annual Industry Open House – featuring “speed-dating” meetings between Engineering faculty and industry leaders – takes place Nov. 5.
Cato Laurencin Receives NIH Pioneer Award
Renowned surgeon-scientist Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, a , has won a National Institutes of Health Pioneer Award for his exceptionally creative research in regenerative engineering.
Huskies Forever Reunion Breakfast with Dean Kazem Kazerounian
Alumni: Come to the special breakfast during Huskies Forever Weekend and eat with Dean Kazerounian
CyberSEED: Cybersecurity, Education & Diversity Challenge Week Takes Place in October
The Comcast Center of Excellence for Security Innovation (CSI) is sponsoring the first-ever CyberSEED: Cybersecurity, Education & Diversity Challenge Week
Sandy Crosthwaite Retires After 22 Years
After 22 years of keeping the School of Engineering’s finances on track, Sandy Crosthwaite retired Sept. 25.
Student News
Awards from IEEE and CIE, and a UNCF/Merck Graduate Fellowship
Students, Sponsors Meet At Scholarship Awards Ceremony
Students met with their sponsors at the School of Engineering’s recent annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony.
Students, Faculty Learn the Benefits Of New ANSYS Software Partnership
UConn and simulation software giant ANSYS strike up a partnership that benefits students and industry.
University-Industry Partnerships Discussed at Aerospace & Defense International Trade Summit
UConn’s many collaborations with industry were discussed at the recent Aerospace & Defense International Trade Summit
Jay Leno Zips Around In UConn Formula SAE Car
Late-night comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno took to the campus roads in a car built by UConn Engineering students.
Alumni News
John W. Braccio ’82, Jacob “Jake” Friedman ’02, Udayarka Karra ’14, Matthew F. Tellier ’93 are all featured in this issue of Alumni News
Eight Questions With: Rich Twilley ’96 & ’04
Rich Twilley, ’96 & ’04, talks with Heidi Douglas in this issue’s “Eight Questions With…”
Faculty News
An IEEE award, a grant from the Hubbell Foundation and a short-term professor appointment
Tiny Heart Valve Has Big Potential for UConn Startup
From UConn Today An unlikely combination of biomedical engineering and meticulous sewing skills has led to an innovative heart valve replacement that could save countless lives. Its maker, Dura Biotech, is a UConn Technology Incubation Program (TIP) participant. Its CEO, Eric Sirois, received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at UConn earlier this year. This summer, […]
Joule Fellows Take Lab Lessons Back To The Classroom
UConn’s Joule Fellows – teachers from CT high schools – will take sophisticated engineering lessons back to their students.
Alumnus Govindan Giving Back To UConn
Sharavan Govindan’s sees his financial gift as a friendly challenge to his fellow alumni.
Older Cities May Be Good for Your Health
UConn researcher finds that older cities are compact and good for walking, and therefore, your health.
Alumni News
Catch up with alumni who are making news and spearheading innovation
Center for Energy Innovation Marks Its First Year
CEI progresses steadily toward its goal of advancing technologies related to energy storage and fuel cells.
Faculty News
Funding for new breast cancer technology and underwater monitoring and a study on the discovery of a new material.
Making Sense of Big Data: Project To Draw Insights From Genome
UConn’s Sanguthevar Rajasekaran is part of a research team developing ways to make sense of biological big data.
UConn’s Engineering Entrepreneurs Making Progress
An improved heart valve and a machine customized water are among UConn innovations.
Marten van Dijk Part of a Team of Researchers Securing Cloud Computing
Marten van Dijk (ECE) and other researchers working on security problems in cloud computing.
Meet the New Faculty For UConn Engineering
The new school year begins with an impressive group of new SoE hires.
Martha Poulter, ’88, Named Starwood Exec
Martha Poulter, ’88, becomes VP and information officer for hotel chain
UConn Receives Gift for Global Energy Sustainability Program
A recent gift from the Satell Family Foundation will support UConn’s new research partnership in sustainable energy with Technion–Israel Institute of Technology.
Alumni News
Catch up with Craig W. Ashmore ’85, William L. D’Agostino ’84, Bernard “Bernie” E. Gracy, Jr. ’85, Monica T. Mohtasham ’04 and Yingli Wen ’93 in this issue’s Alumni News.
Leslie Shor Named a DuPont Young Professor
DuPont names Dr. Leslie Shor, who specializes in recreating very small habitats, a 2014 Young Professor
Dr. Radenka Maric and Dr. Mark Aindow Get Fuel Cell Funding
The researchers are part of a major effort to bring down the costs of low-temperature fuel cells.
Appointments and Re-Appointments
The School of Engineering appoints two new department and re-appoints three other department heads.
Eight Questions With: Roland A. Boucher ’54
He developed the first solar-powered aircraft. He could fly before he could drive. He brewed his own beer before he could legally drink. Meet the remarkable Roland A. Boucher ’54.
Faculty News
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin named, and ACS Fellow, Rainer Hebert awarded contract and other faculty news.
UCONN SoE, ANSYS Forge Partnership With Software
Students at UConn’s School of Engineering will now have access to valuable ANSYS engineering software, thanks to a new partnership.
Student News
Ari Fischer ’15 is named a UDall Scholar and UConn races to a respectable finish in Michigan in this week’s student news.
Emeritus Professor of Engineering Marty Fox Passes Away
Emeritus Professor of Engineering Marty Fox Dies
Graduate Student Spotlight: Sapna Gupta
Sapna Gupta has achieved impressive feats that demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, and innovative thinking.
School of Engineering in the News
The UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering, a sewer plant internship, and two “40 Under 40” items all make the news.
School of Engineering Establishing Alumni Legacy Society
The UConn School of Engineering is pleased to announce the inception of the Engineering Alumni Legacy Society.
UConn Incubator Company Receives $5.5 Million for Research
Amastan LLC, a company in UConn’s Technology Incubator Program (TIP), has secured a $5.5 million investment in support of its ongoing development of high-end plasma technologies for the production and processing of nanomaterials.
Faculty News
Rainer Hebert wins innovation award, Mei Wei receives grant
NSF Bridge to the Doctorate Program Renewed
For the second time, UConn has received NSF funding for the LSAMP Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) program, which fellowships for underrepresented students pursuing Ph.D.s in STEM disciplines.
Student News
UConn’s concrete canoeists compete and Richard Pérez Moyet receives a fellowship
Zengmin Xia Named Woman of Innovation by the Connecticut Technology Council
For her work on the development of novel biomaterials for tissue repair and regeneration, the Connecticut Technology Council honors Zengmin Xia.
UConn Students to Help Build Time Capsule to Mars
UConn students majoring in materials science and engineering work on Mars time capsule.
Omer Khan Part Of Team Designing Faster Computer Chip
Omer Khan (ECE) is part of a team of researchers designing a faster and more efficient chip.
An Autonomous Quadcopter – Now There’s an IDEA!
With his IDEA grant, Rosse Gates ’16 (ENG) builds an autonomously controlled quadcopter – a helicopter powered by four rotors
GK-12 Program Utilizes Skills of Graduate Students at Engineering Design Challenge
Building a boat and proving its sea-worthiness was the latest challenge for students in the 2014 Engineering Design Challenge.
Work to Start Soon on New Engineering Complex
A busy site in the center of UConn’s flagship campus will be transformed in coming years, as the University moves forward with a project to build a state-of-the-art Engineering & Science Building.
Rohan Freeman Creates Scholarship For Minority Students In Engineering
Alumnus Rohan Freeman hopes to bolster minority representation in engineering with a new scholarship.
Alumni News
Robert R. Banning ’11, Anne Bartosewicz-Mele ’81, Richard P. Broderick ’81, John J. Legato ’86, Thomas W. Prete ’85 and Glenn T. Selby ’03 are all featured in this issue’s Alumni News
UConn Engineering Honors Fifteen
During a gala event on May 1st at the Storrs campus, the School of Engineering honored 15 exceptional alumni as 2014 inductees into the UConn Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
Human Rights Institute and Engineering Team to Offer Human Rights Minor
The impact of engineering policy and practice on individuals and societies has often been overlooked in engineering education. Yet, engineering technologies and applications — from the extraction and processing of natural resources and manufacture of high-tech electronics to chemical processing and pollution remediation — affect the health, culture, opportunities and well-being of humans in often profound ways.
A Commencement Speech from Space
It’s not unusual for commencement speakers to share their unique perspective on life with members of a graduating class.
CHASE Collaboration With Comcast Announced At National Conference
The announcement of a collaborative effort with Comcast and a workshop that brought together experts on cybersecurity made April a busy month for the Center for Hardware Assurance, Security and Engineering. The workshop, which took place April 9 and April 10, included talks on various security matters, including innovative technologies for hardware security, Trojan detection and prevention […]
UConn Researchers Go Beneath The Arctic Polar Cap
UConn’s UnderWater Sensor Network (UWSN) Lab is developing a wireless system to collect data under the rapidly melting Arctic polar cap. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation with a grant for $833,520.
Faculty News
Awards for Syam Nukavarapu and Barry Carter, a state appointment for Nicholas Lownes and the newest CASE Academy inductees
Alumni News
Career changes, honors and more news from UConn alumni
Student News
In Student News: Grads hear the importance of humanity in engineering; an honor for an underwater acoustician; and note-taking assistance for disabled students.
UConn and CL&P Team To Better Predict Storm Damage
New damage prediction modeling technology developed by a team of UConn environmental engineers is now able to provide CL&P customized information in advance of a storm to allow the company to better plan and prepare.
UConn to Co-Host Electric Boat Event
UConn will co-host General Dynamics Electric Boat’s “potential supplier summit” in June. The event, which takes place June 16 at the Avery Point campus, will allow suppliers to learn more about opportunities to work within the Electric Boat Supply chain. Small and mid-sized manufacturers will have an opportunity to learn about EB’s current needs, understand […]
MURI Grant To Improve the Security of Nanoscale Computer Devices
By Colin Poitras (UConn Today) The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $7.5 million grant to the University of Connecticut, University of Maryland, and Rice University to support research that will analyze and upgrade security protections for nanoscale computer hardware. UConn’s Center for Hardware Assurance, Security, and Engineering (CHASE), a national leader in computer […]
Joule Fellows Program Receives NSF Grant For RET Program
The Joule Fellows Program has received a National Science Foundation grant of $496,129 to develop a project designed to enhance engineering teaching in Connecticut high schools and, ultimately, address the ongoing decline in the number of U.S. citizens training to become engineers. For the project, entitled “RET in Engineering and Computer Science Site: The Joule Fellows: Teachers in Sustainable Technologies […]
MSE Professor Cato T. Laurencin Elected 2014 MRS Fellow
By Giorgina Paiella Congratulations to Dr. Cato Laurencin, who was recently selected as a Fellow of the Materials Research Society (MRS). The Materials Research Society is an organization comprised of materials researchers from academia, government, and industry. This global community of researchers aims to advance materials research worldwide through vibrant and diverse membership, collaboration among […]
$500K NSF Grant Awarded to Dr. Bing Wang, UConn Health Center
Dr. Bing Wang, an associate professor of Computer Science & Engineering, was awarded a grant for close to $500,000 for her project proposed to the National Science Foundation.
Faculty News
With NSF funding, the UnderWater Sensor Network Lab is developing a network in the Arctic, with colleagues from the University of Delaware who are interested in sea ice changes and ocean acoustics.
Faculty Spotlight: Prof. Kristina Wagstrom
Prof. Kristina Wagstrom, through work in her Computational Atmospheric Chemistry and Exposure Lab, strives to improve the science and functionality of computational approaches in air pollution.
Dipayan Ghosh: From UConn to the White House
This semester, Dipayan Ghosh (B.S. Electrical Engineering ’10) is interning at the White House, where he’s working on technology policy issues in the Executive Office of the President.
Alumni News
Stay in touch with the School of Engineering. Join our LinkedIn alumni group to share your latest activities and learn what your fellow graduates are doing. You may also send your news directly to Heidi Douglas, Director of Engineering Alumni Relations.
Alumni Invited to Tour Senior Design Day Exhibition on May 2nd
Do you remember your senior-year engineering project? Chances are, if you graduated ten or more years ago, today’s Senior Design, a two-semester course where student project teams solve real-life engineering problems for industry and government sponsors, is a far cry from your experience.
Multiply Your Options” Conference Immerses Middle School Girls In Science, Engineering
Multiply Your Options is a daylong conference for 8th grade girls that exposes them to female role models in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Our Safety Town for Children
On Sunday, March 23, Stamford Girl Scouts held its annual Family Partnership Fundraiser, and back by popular demand, we hosted our Powder Puff Derby at the Italian Center.
Student Spotlight: MSE Undergraduate Gabrielle Charno
Balancing rigorous academic work and an involved extracurricular life can be a difficult task for any college student. Excelling under these circumstances is an even rarer find.
UConn hosts 2014 Northeast Regional AIChE Conference
The Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering was the proud host of the 2014 Northeast Student Regional Conference for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers on April 4-5, 2014.
UConn, Comcast Launch Center for Security Innovation
UConn, home to the nation’s foremost center on hardware security, and Comcast today announced the establishment of a new Center of Excellence for Security Innovation (CSI) on the University’s main campus in Storrs.
Video: UConn Engineering Ambassadors Hovercraft
For more information regarding School of Engineering videos, please visit our YouTube channel
GE + UConn: Research Recipe for Success
Start with a tough engineering challenge, add in a healthy dose of curious and talented graduate students, then mix well with the new UConn Technology Park and industry-supported grant programs and you‘ll have all of the ingredients required for accelerated, collaborative discovery.
2014 Scholarship Awards Event: Change in Date
The School of Engineering’s annual scholarship awards event will take place early in the Fall 2014 semester, rather than the traditional spring semester date. The change to a fall event will enable more of our many generous donors and the exceptional students receiving scholarships to attend the event. Look for details in upcoming issues of Momentum!
Space Station astronauts talk with ABC News
International Space Station astronauts Mike Hopkins and Rick Mastracchio of NASA talked with the ABC News Digital On-Line Network about life and research in space during an in-flight interview Feb. 19
Credit Card Data Theft: Stopping the Hackers
In response to a massive security breach that threatened the personal and financial data of nearly one third of U.S. adults last year, retail giant Target is investing more than $100 million to prevent similar thefts by implementing advanced chip-based credit card technology at its point-of-sale terminals.
Women Engineers Conference Inspires a New Generation
Wintry weather failed to dampen spirits at the “Celebration of Women in Engineering,” a daylong conference exploring the challenges of women engineering the future held Tuesday, February 18 in conjunction with national Engineers Week.
Student Spotlight: MSE Undergraduate Doug Hendrix
A scanning electron microscope image of a 45 rpm vinyl record from Doug’s project in MSE 3056 investigating the storage density of analog vs. digital media.
MSE Establishes Strong Presence at EMA 2014 Conference
From January 22nd to the 24th, the fifth annual Electronic Materials and Applications (EMA) conference was held in Orlando, Florida. Jointly programmed by the Electronics Division and Basic Science Division of the American Ceramic Society, EMA focuses on electroceramic materials for electronic, magnetic, dielectric and optical components, devices, and systems.
Alumni News
Stay in touch with fellow UConn engineering alumni. Visit our Engineering LinkedIn alumni page and fill us in on your latest activities or learn what your college friends are doing nowadays!
Research Insight: Using Light to Control Neural Activity
Prof. Yongku Cho’s research ambition is to engineer light-activated proteins as a tool to manipulate brain circuit activity. He is currently equipping his laboratory here at UConn to build on his work recently published in Nature Methods. The research article, coauthored by Dr. Cho, his postdoctoral advisor Ed Boyden, and other colleagues, documents the group’s progress in controlling neural activity using novel light-activated ion channels.
UConn Extension 4-H Program in Litchfield County visits the Center for Clean Energy Engineering
Before watching the UConn women’s basketball team outshine Louisville, on February 9th a group from the UConn Extension 4-H Program in Litchfield County visited the Center for Clean Energy Engineering.
Engineering Startups Capture $10k Grant Funding
Secor Water, LLC and Dura Biotech, two student-led startup businesses based on technologies developed at UConn and nurtured through UConn Engineering’s Experiential Technology Entrepreneurship course, were awarded $10,000 grants from the inaugural CTNext Entrepreneur Innovation Awards(EIA) managed by Connecticut Innovations.
CHASE Workshop on Secure/Trustworthy Systems and Supply Chain Assurance
Save the Date: April 9 & 10, 2014, at the Rome Ballroom, University of Connecticut The paper by ECE faculty member Marten van Dijk, “AEGIS: architecture for tamper-evident and tamper-resistant processing,” has been selected for inclusion in the “25 years of International Conference on Supercomputing.” The selection committee considered 100 most cited papers out of approximately […]
Faculty & Staff Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Stanley Black & Decker Teams With UConn
Drs. Jiong Tang and Chengyu Cao are collaborating with engineers at global tool giant Stanley Black & Decker to create a methodology to analyze the precise mechanism of tools in two of the company’s product lines, impact wrenches and air hammers, as the key step in developing software capable of shortening the company’s new product development cycle and enhancing the product performance.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Larry Acquarulo, John Carrington, Lon Hultgren and George Kruk Philbrick .
Engineering Seniors Ply Skills for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Six Civil & Environmental Engineering seniors are applying their knowledge toward innovative potential design options for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in nearby Ashford, CT. The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp was founded in 1988 by the late Hollywood legend Paul Newman, who believed passionately that all children, including those who suffer from serious illnesses such as cancer and sickle cell disease, should have the opportunity to experience the “transformational spirit and friendships” associated with camp.
Dr. Lykotrafitis Receives NSF CAREER Award
Dr. George Lykotrafitis has been awarded a coveted NSF CAREER Award for research that may ultimately help researchers better understand how signals propagate in neurons and pathways, leading to epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
National Engineers Week Activities Planned
This year’s national Engineers Week will be celebrated February 16-22. UConn Engineering will host activities throughout the week to familiarize non-engineers with the enormous contributions engineers make to our everyday lives, from our cell phones and notebook devices to sustainable new energy technologies, personalized medicine and advanced manufacturing.
DuPont’s Mark Vergnano: From UConn to Global Leader
In January, Mark P. Vergnano (B.S. Chemical Engineering, ’80), Executive Vice President of DuPont, was named to become Chief Executive Officer of DuPont’s $8 billion Performance Chemicals segment, which will be spun off during the second quarter of 2015 as a stand-alone company.
UConn EWB Completes Nicaragua Roadway Project
During the holiday break between semesters, three members of the UConn chapter of Engineers Without Borders traveled to Nicaragua to complete the last phase of a long-percolating engineering project aimed at improving the lives of impoverished villagers by effecting permanent repairs to a road linking their rural village, La Prusia, to the large colonial city of Granada.
Secure Systems and Supply Chain: Focus of 2nd CHASE Workshop
The Center for Hardware Assurance, Security and Engineering (CHASE) will hold its second annual workshop on April 9-10, 2014 at the Storrs campus. Security professionals are encouraged to attend at no cost, according to CHASE Director Dr. Mark Tehranipoor, the Charles H. Knapp Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering.
Scholarship Honors Dr. Owen Devereux
A new scholarship fund has been established in memory of the late, beloved Owen F. Devereux, who led the Metallurgy Department at UConn from 1983-98 and served as a distinguished faculty member for over three decades. The Owen Devereux Scholarship in Materials Science & Engineering will be awarded to two exceptional undergraduate students each year.
‘Digital Alchemist’ Uses Computer to Design New Materials
Serge Nakhmanson describes himself as a ‘digital alchemist.’ A former scientist with the Argonne National Laboratory, he specializes in the computer-based design and discovery of advanced multifunctional materials.
UConn Engineering Projects Receive CTNext Funding
Two demonstration initiatives proposed by the School of Engineering, aimed at nurturing entrepreneurial businesses and invigorating the manufacturing sector throughout the state, will receive grant funding from Connecticut Innovations (CI). Overseeing the initiatives are Professor of Practice Dr. Hadi Bozorgmanesh and Senior Associate Dean Dr. Michael Accorsi, who is partnering with Vice President for Economic Development Dr. Mary Holz-Clause.
“Celebration of Women in Engineering” February 18th
A variety of activities are planned at UConn in recognition of the national Discover Engineers Week (February 16-22, 2014), including an all-school Engineering Career Fair and “Celebration of Women in Engineering” activities to be held on Tuesday, February 18th.
Alumni Notes
Read about upcoming alumni receptions in LA and San Francisco plus career highlights of astronaut Rick Mastracchio, Michelle Scherer, Christopher Shores and Mark Vergnano.
Dr. Ali Bazzi: Lightning Rod for Power and Energy Education
Dr. Ali Bazzi is leading UConn’s movement to reinvigorate and modernize power engineering education. An expert in power electronics, electric machines, and electric drives technologies that transform renewable energy into usable power for the commercial electric grid, Dr. Bazzi has established the Advanced Power Electronics & Electric Drives Lab …
Dr. Kazem Kazerounian Selected Engineering Dean
UConn Provost and Executive VP for Academic Affairs Mun Y. Choi announced the appointment of Dr. Kazem Kazerounian as Dean of the School of Engineering following a nationwide search.
Dr. Anson Ma Participates in US-Japan Faculty Exchange Program
Dr. Anson Ma recently participated as a delegate in a prestigious U.S.-Japan Young Scientist Exchange Program that allowed him to spend five intensive days visiting top Japanese universities and research centers, where he presented his research on the rheology and processing of nanofluids and met with fellow young researchers whose expertise may complement and extend his work.
Scholarship Reception: Save the Date!
Mark your calendars now to attend the School of Engineering’s annual Awards Reception and Ceremony, to be held April 1, 2014 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.
MTAP Enables Industry-Academic Alliances
Four small Connecticut companies are partnering with UConn engineering faculty members and staff to advance their manufacturing processes, thanks to a special program established by UConn’s Office of Economic Development called the Manufacturing Technical Assistance Program (MTAP).
Dr. Robert Gao Receives I&M Society’s 2013 Technical Award
Pratt & Whitney Endowed Chair Professor in Mechanical Engineering Dr. Robert X. Gao has been selected to receive the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society (I&M) 2013 Technical Award, one of just four awards presented yearly by the society.
UConn Engineering Industry Open House: VIDEO
On Friday, November 1, 2013, the UConn School of Engineering hosted its first-ever Industry Open House, which brought to campus more than 150 individuals from across the commercial and industrial spectrum. The event featured an exhibition component as well as one-on-one meetings.
Dr. Cato Laurencin Named to Prestigious Scientific Fellowship
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, a world-renowned physician scientist at the UConn Health Center and member of the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering faculty, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Joseph Daraio, Hatim Sharif, Robert Stadalius and Bernard van Leggelo!
Planning Tip: 25 Estate Documents You Should Have in One Place
To help you in your long-term planning, we are sharing a list of the 25 estate documents you should have in one place. This list will help you map out your long-term plans, ensure your family is cared for, and provide clear guidance on your intentions.
Dr. Peters Receives IBM Faculty Award
Dr. Thomas J. Peters, professor of Computer Science & Engineering, was presented an IBM Faculty Award for 2013-14, which entails a monetary component as well as continued preferred access to IBM researchers and research facilities, including the company’s supercomputers.
Dr. Lownes Receives Public Engagement Award
Dr. Nicholas Lownes was selected to receive one of just nine awards presented in conjunction with the 2013 Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Public Engagement. Dr. Lownes is the F.L. Castleman Associate Professor in Engineering Innovation in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department and serves as Director of the Center for Transportation and Livable Systems.
‘Twas the Night Before Finals: VIDEO
The UConn Engineering community — from students to faculty and staff — wish you and your loved ones a joyous and healthy holiday season. In celebration of the challenges of exam week, we are happy to share with you this light-hearted video message.
Dr. Shengli Zhou Honored
Dr. Shengli Zhou was elected a Fellow of the IEEE (the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) in recognition of his “contributions to wireless and underwater acoustic communications.” Dr. Zhou is co-director, with Dr. Jun-Hong Cui, of the Underwater Sensor Networks Lab at UConn and an expert in underwater acoustic communications and networking, multi-user and multi-carrier communications, space-time coding, adaptive modulation, and cross-layer designs for wireless systems.
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.
Season of Thanks
As the holiday season approaches, we in the UConn School of Engineering wish to express our deep appreciation to all of the people — alumni, students, our UConn community and industry friends — who stand at our side day in and day out, helping us to attain our highest aspirations.
UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering: VIDEO
On November 19th, UTC and UConn Engineering announced the founding of a new UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering at UConn. But, what is systems engineering, and how will this revolutionary approach change the engineering landscape? This video unveils the promise of systems engineering.
UTC $10 Million Investment Helps Launch Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering
The UConn School of Engineering, in partnership with United Technologies Corporation (UTC), launched the UTC Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering at UConn, thanks to $10 million in planned investments from UTC. The initial $7.5 million contribution is one of the largest corporate gifts in UConn’s history and represents a significant investment in educating the next generation of engineering leaders.
Student News
UConn Engineering students are inventing novel technologies, receiving awards and changing the world around them. Read about some of their latest activities you won’t want to miss.
Technology Transfer Center Launches Safety Circuit Rider Program
With funding from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Connecticut Technology Transfer (T2) Center at the University of Connecticut launched the Connecticut Safety Circuit Rider Program on November 1st. The T2 Center is an educational outreach program within the School of Engineering’s Connecticut Transportation Institute.
Faculty Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
UConn Magazine Launches App
UConn Magazine — the University’s twice-yearly alumni publication — is now delivering a new kind of experience to readers, with audiovisual storytelling made possible through the magazine’s free app for tablet devices.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Lake Barrett, David Giuffrida, Scott Tyler and a dedicated corps of Academy of Distinguished Engineers members who discussed their careers with undergraduate students as members of two panels.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like John Goehrke, Peter Millett, Hien Nguyen, Stephen Rupar, Ernesto Suarez and Rich Tehrani.
Dr. Quing Zhu Awarded $1.43M NIH Grant
Dr. Quing Zhu has received a four-year, $1.43 million grant from the National Institutes of Health in support of her research aimed at predicting the effectiveness of preoperative or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) used in treating advanced breast cancers.
New GAANN for UConn Engineering Team
Three Computer Science & Engineering faculty have received a highly competitive Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) three-year award of more than $805,000, which will support fellowships for graduate students pursuing research in “exascale computing.” Dr. Chun-Hsi (Vincent) Huang is the lead investigator on the grant.
Q-Bridge Reconstruction: Learning Experience
On September 26th, Dr. Arash E. Zaghi and nearly 30 students enrolled in his graduate-level Bridge Structures class traveled to New Haven for a presentation and tour of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, commonly called the “Q-Bridge,” which is undergoing a complete replacement under the I-95 New Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program.
Student News
Graduate student Jaime Angueira recently presented a TEDxUConn lecture, and members of the Material Advantage chapter at UConn toured Laser Joining Technologies. Read about their activities.
Jon Kaplan Receives SMART Scholarship
Biomedical Engineering senior Jonathan T. Kaplan was awarded a prestigious national Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship in August. He was one of just 150 recipients chosen from nearly 10,000 applicants, and Jon is UConn’s second student to receive a SMART scholarship. Materials Science & Engineering doctoral student Claire Weiss was a 2009 SMART recipient.
Nudging Users to Protect Their Computing Systems
We’ve all seen those little messages pop up on our computer screens: “A software update is available from XYZ. Click ‘Update’ to install.” Probably more often than not, we ignore them just as we ignored mother’s good advice to “Be sure to wear a coat to school;’it’s cold outside.” And, just as we shivered in sub-freezing temperatures wearing a t-shirt and jeans at the bus stop, when we ignore the software update messages, we’re likely to experience negative consequences.
“Accelerating Materials Property Predictions Using Machine Learning” Published in Scientific Reports
Professor Ramamurthy Ramprasad, postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ghanshyam Pilania, and doctoral candidate Chenchen Wang of Materials Science and Engineering, in conjunction with Professor Sanguthevar Rajasekaran (Computer Science and Engineering) and Dr. Xun Jiang (Ph.D. Statistics 2013), jointly collaborated on a research paper published online on September 30, 2013 in Scientific Reports, the open access journal of Nature.
First Annual Competition for CHASE
The Center for Hardware Assurance, Security and Engineering (CHASE) recently awarded funds to six teams to carry out cutting-edge security research. The funding pool was established by industry members of the CHASE Consortium, which seeks to contribute toward solving security challenges that are widespread across many industries.
Around Engineering: Real Engineers
On Thursday, November 14th, from 5-7 p.m., the School of Engineering will host “Real Engineers Shake Hands,” a professional networking seminar and reception. Alumni, friends and UConn Engineering students are invited to participate in this dynamic and exciting event.
HPC Center Keeps Researchers on Track
At UConn, many researchers employ parallel computational techniques to solve problems, and they are reliant upon UConn’s high performance computing (HPC) capabilities to carry out their work.
Multidisciplinary Team to Develop Smart Building HVAC Model
A team of researchers from the School of Engineering and the UConn Health Center has received $1.09 million in NSF funding in support of their research aimed at developing a scalable and universal model for fault detection, diagnosis and prognosis of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, systems in buildings of differing sizes and functionalities.
UConn Team Develops New Program for Visualizing DNA, Protein Sequences
A group of researchers and students from UConn – including computer science students – and Harvard Medical School have developed a new Web program that will help scientists visually analyze DNA and protein sequence patterns faster and more efficiently than ever before.
VIDEO: Summer Programs Excite Teachers, Students
Each summer the School of Engineering and the Engineering Diversity Program host a variety of learning and research experiences for prospective students as well as grade 5-12 teachers aimed at sparking interest in engineering education and careers.
Student News
Undergraduate students Daniel Violette and Rodney Sutherland received prestigious honors recently, the James A. Willett Educational Memorial Scholarship Award and Presidential Scholar Enrichment Award, respectively. Read about them here.
Alumni Reception: October 17 in Houston
Reconnect with friends old and new, network with professionals from the engineering and business communities and learn of the latest initiatives underway at your alma mater during the October 17th UConn alumni reception in Houston, Texas!
Ken Chang: Innovator in Films
If you’ve ever eaten a granola bar or driven a car with tinted windows, then you’ve unknowingly stumbled upon the work of UConn alumnus Ken Chang (M.S. Chemical Engineering, ’85).
Attention Industry: Learn How to Leverage UConn to Advantage
UConn Engineering is hosting its First Annual Industry Open House on Friday, November 1, 2013 to let industry in on the “Quiet Corner’s” best kept secret. For details and to register, please visit the event website.
Honor an Outstanding Engineer!
Do you know an exceptional UConn engineering alumnus or alumna, or an indispensable School of Engineering friend who deserves special recognition? Please nominate your candidate for UConn’s Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
Start of a Tradition: One Ton Sundae
Winter Weekend and its famous – or infamous – “one ton sundae” have been a UConn tradition for more than a generation. During Winter Weekend, students, faculty and staff unwind with a variety of fun activities gauged to chase away the winter blues and connect with friends.
Alumni Friends Reconnect with Dr. Donald Potter
How influential is any one faculty member in helping to shape the next generation of engineering leaders? In the case of Dr. Donald Potter, professor emeritus of Metallurgy and Materials Science, the answer was resoundingly clear when a tightly knit group of former graduate students returned to Storrs over the summer for a reunion with their beloved graduate school advisor and mentor.
Faculty Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Alumni News
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like William Foley, Lon Hultgren, Donna Rizzo and Brian Quillia.
UConn-Jackson Lab Team to Study Bone Health
With the objective of gaining insight into the role of specific genes on bone health, a multidisciplinary team of researchers from UConn Engineering, the UConn Health Center and colleagues at the Jackson Laboratory have received a new five-year, $3.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
Bioengineered ACL Developed by UConn Physician-Scientist Wins U.S. Patent
A bioengineered matrix for treatment of torn anterior cruciate ligaments invented by a UConn Health Center physician-scientist Dr. Cato T. Laurencin is now patented in the United States.
UConn Alum Returning to Orbit for Fourth Space Mission
NASA astronaut and UConn alumnus Rick Mastracchio ’82 (ENG) is making his fourth trip to the International Space Station in a few weeks. While the destination may be a familiar one, this mission marks the first time Mastracchio is flying aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to get there.
New Senior Design Website for Engineering
UConn Engineering has launched a new Senior Design website to serve as a resource and guide for companies that are interested in sponsoring senior design projects in any one of our programmatic units.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Ronald Goldblatt, Tom Martin, Pierre Dufilie, Clement Valerio and Chulwoo Park.
Around Engineering
Great things are always underway in the School of Engineering. Read about Engineering Advisory Board member Paul Adams, a Dominion Resources’ grant in support of a Grass Tech green energy project, and a visit by three distinguished researchers from Turkish universities.
Dr. Pu-Xian Gao Awarded a Humboldt Fellowship
Dr. Pu-Xian Gao, associate professor in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering and the Institute of Materials Science, has been awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship.
Systems Engineering Workshop: Advancing Development of Complex Products
UTC and UConn Engineering held a day-long workshop in late June to discuss how experts from industry and academia can come together to develop new engineering techniques that will make it easier to successfully build products and services that combine complex software, hardware and mechanical components.
Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center Director Named
Interim Dean of Engineering Kazem Kazerounian has named Dr. Rainer Hebert as Director of the recently established Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center (AMIC) at UConn. Dr. Hebert brings not only strong leadership skills to his new role but also expertise in additive manufacturing alloy development and process capabilities.
P&W Helps to Fund EWB-UConn Trip to Project Krushi Home
Pratt & Whitney recently donated $2,000 to help send four UConn students to Hyderabad, India in conjunction with the opening of the Project Krushi primary school in the village of Gowdavally on July 17. The primary school will be used to educate elementary-age children from nearby villages and the Association Saikorian’s Project Krushi, a home for children from difficult circumstances, who are housed
Industry Open House: Save the Date!
Mark your calendars to attend UConn Engineering’s First Annual Industry Open House on Friday, November 1, 2013. The half-day event will feature an informal networking forum, during which visitors will have the opportunity to speak with more than 60 engineering faculty members and to view posters highlighting commercially promising research underway at UConn.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Dennis Bushnell, Richard Mastracchio, Trent Molter, Morton Pearson and Jeffery Rotman!
Measuring the Sustainability of Urban Transportation Systems
A group of researchers in UConn’s departments of Geography and Civil & Environmental Engineering have developed and tested a new index that will measure the sustainability of complex urban transportation systems across the globe.
The index will allow policymakers, scientists and the public to understand not just how congested cities’ transportation systems are, but the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the system as a whole.
Alumnus Helped Popularize Mickey Mouse Watch
Across his long and storied career, alumnus Gordon Cooper played a leading role in helping major manufacturers grow their global operations. Among his career highlights was his contributions toward expanding the iconic Mickey Mouse watch line first introduced in 1933.
UConn Leads Major Educational Project for Future Internets
Dr. Bing Wang is leading a major educational effort in the Global Environment for Network Innovations (GENI) project, a virtual laboratory for at-scale networking experimentation where the highest minds unite to envision and create new possibilities for future internets. The goal of the project is to understand and use the GENI infrastructure for networking research and education through workshops, summer camps, and course curriculums.
REU Student Innovators Wow Business Community
UConn Engineering hosted five National Science Foundation-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates sites during the summer that enabled 43 undergraduates from across the nation to explore exciting research in engineering faculty laboratories. Among the REU programs was one that immerses students in both the research and entrepreneurial environments: Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship through Academic-Industrial Partnerships.
Grant to Advance Clean Coal Energy Efficiency
Dr. Pu-Xian Gao, an associate professor of Materials Science & Engineering, has received a $300,000 grant from the Department of Energy’s University Coal Research program in support of the research efforts to design and fabricate high temperature sensors based on the 3D nanowire assemblies.
New UConn Microgrid to Provide Power in Storm-related Outages
The University has received $2.14 million in state funding to create an independent microgrid energy system at its Depot Campus in Storrs. UConn’s microgrid will be supported by an existing 400kW fuel cell and a demonstration-scale 6.6 kW photovoltaic solar panel array located adjacent to the Center for Clean Energy Engineering. The microgrid is expected to be operational by June 2014.
Public-Private Partnership Advances Gas Turbine Materials Technology
Drs. Maurice Gell and Eric Jordan have developed a new process for making ceramic thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) that are used extensively in gas turbine engines. This Solution Precursor Plasma Spray (SPPS) process allows the deposition of higher temperature, lower thermal conductivity TBCs that will provide significant fuel savings for aircraft and land-based gas turbines.
Local Engineering Firm Supports Next Generation Through Scholarship
The Connecticut-based engineering firm of Milone & MacBroom, Inc. has created a civil engineering scholarship at UConn to help the next generation of engineers succeed. The firm has connections to the University going back more than three decades. Jeanine Armstrong Gouin ’87, vice president and managing director, has served on the School of Civil & Environmental Engineering advisory board for almost two decades.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Michael Cantor, Thomas Gaal, Carl Lawton, Louis Parrillo and Paul Scheihing!
Leveraging Opportunities Through University-Industry Collaboration
On June 19, 2013, over 40 participants attended a Manufacturers Roundtable meeting at the UConn-Greater Hartford Campus to learn how universities collaborate with Connecticut-based industry to work on advanced technology projects.
Faster, Better, Safer Jet Engines
From Igor Sikorsky’s first American helicopter to Pratt & Whitney’s latest engine for the nation’s new Joint Strike Fighter jet, Connecticut has a proud history of aviation science innovation. At UConn, researchers are doing their part by supplying Connecticut’s robust aerospace industry with innovative technologies to support a new generation of faster, more efficient, and more reliable aircraft demanded by commercial airlines and the U.S. military.
VIDEO: Capstone Design a Fulfilling Challenge for Seniors
Each year, all senior engineering students engage in capstone design courses. These provide hands-on learning opportunities and expose them to the challenges and satisfactions of solving real-world dilemmas, from the problem definition stage to prototype development. In the case of sponsored projects, teams work closely with the sponsoring company, which provides financial support, advising and the design challenge.
Faculty Honored
In the spring, the School of Engineering honored six faculty members for their dedication to exceptional graduate student advising, and to the supportive mentoring of junior faculty members by presenting them Outstanding Faculty Advisor Awards and Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Awards.
International Partnership Launches Innovative Energy Research Center at UConn
The Fraunhofer Center for Energy Innovation at UConn, a partnership between UConn, Fraunhofer USA, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, was officially launched by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on July 25, 2013 at the University’s Depot Campus.
Capstone Projects Excite High School Students
With the aim of answering the question “What do engineers do?” a group of 50 high school sophomores from the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering and Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science visited UConn on May 3 to explore UConn’s Senior Design Demonstration Day.
Recent Graduate to Present Senior Design Project to NASA Engineers
New UConn graduate Brian Coleman ’13 (ENG) recently completed a major accomplishment. And not just by graduating as an Honors Scholar with a strong GPA in the demanding biomedical engineering program. His senior design project – a robotic arm – so impressed director of undergraduate biomedical engineering Donald Peterson that he is arranging for Coleman to present it to a team of NASA engineers at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Student Entrepreneurs to be Profiled in Tolland
Nine motivated student innovators will discuss their industry-sponsored research on Thursday, July 25 as featured guests at this month’s Innovation Connection networking event, to be held at Nerac starting at 3:30 PM. The students are participating in a National Science Foundation-sponsored summer program, called Research Experience for Undergraduates, at UConn that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship through partnerships with commercial companies.
Science Radio Show Enlightens Listeners
Dr. Jeffrey McCutcheon is intent on bringing science, engineering and technology to a broader audience where preconceptions can be discussed openly and overturned. To that end, in April he launched a weekly, two-hour talk radio program on UConn’s noncommercial college and community radio station, WHUS, called Science Friction.
VIDEO: Engineering Ambassadors Show and Tell
The Engineering Ambassadors are the highly visible student representatives of UConn’s School of Engineering. This year, in honor of National Engineers Week, they hosted a series of hands-on demonstrations around campus to illustrate engineering in action.
Dr. William Mustain Receives DOE Early Career Research Program Award
Dr. William Mustain is the recipient of a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Early Career Award, which is one of the most competitive in the United States, with only 65 awarded annually. Dr. Mustain’s five-year, $800,000 award was presented by the Office of Basic Energy Science.
VIDEO: Understanding the Transportation/Human Interface
There is an important link between our communities and our transportation systems. At UConn, faculty members and students are exploring transportation engineering challenges through the Center for Transportation and Livable Systems (CTLS). They are exploring driver behavior, roadway construction and design, the intersect between highways and communities, and a myriad of other topics. Through their […]
VIDEO: Engineering Scholarships – Unlocking Opportunities
Generous scholarships enable hundreds of UConn Engineering students every year to gain a world-class education that might otherwise be unaffordable. Meet a few of our scholarship recipients in this video.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Mike Curtis, Joel Douglas, Andrew Gere, Michael McGinnis and Xingjian (Chris) Xue!
Smart Ocean Technology: Connect at Avery Point
Don’t miss out on today’s Innovation Connection networking event, which takes place at UConn’s Avery Point campus and features a discussion on “Smart Ocean Technology” followed by a cocktail reception.
Alumni Notes
What are UConn Engineering graduates up to? Read about the recent career highlights of alumni like Joshua Aferzon, Richard J. Colangelo, Jr., Michael Georgiopoulos, Margo Martin, Brian Timm and James Towey.
Faculty Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Friendly Competition Produces “Eggcelent Results
On May 30, UConn’s GK-12 program hosted the second annual Engineering Design Challenge Competition at the Storrs campus. The theme of this year’s competition was “Reverse Engineering Egg Crash Car.”
Engineering Welcomes 22 New Faculty
Following an especially ambitious recruiting year, the School of Engineering is excited to announce that 22 impressive new faculty members will join us for the fall 2013 and spring 2014 academic terms. It is the largest number of new hires in the history of UConn Engineering and reflects the dramatic growth in enrollments underpinned by UConn’s commitment to ensuring critical mass for strategic growth areas.
Legislature Approves Transformational $1.5B Investment in UConn
The Next Generation Connecticut initiative has received final legislative approval from the General Assembly, positioning UConn to ascend the ranks of the world’s elite research universities as its intellectual capital is put to work energizing the state’s innovation-based economy.
Dr. Robert Gao Awarded NSF GOALI
Dr. Robert X. Gao, the Pratt & Whitney Chair Professor (Mechanical Engineering), and colleagues have received a three-year National Science Foundation GOALI grant to support collaborative research aimed at improving spare parts inventory management in the aircraft industry.
Dr. George Bollas Receives ACS Award
Dr. George Bollas, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, is the recipient of a prestigious American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund Doctoral New Investigator Award.
Student Group Tours Millstone
In late April, seven enthusiastic undergraduate students, accompanied by John Bau, a Career Consultant embedded within the School of Engineering, enjoyed a rare opportunity to tour the Dominion Millstone Power Station, located in Waterford, CT, which is the largest electricity generation plant in New England.
Dr. Jeffrey McCutcheon Named a DuPont Young Professor
Assistant professor Jeffrey McCutcheon was selected a 2013 DuPont Young Professor. He is one of just 14 young professors, representing seven countries, to receive one of the three-year awards this year. The award will fund his ongoing research in the area of novel membranes for use in water filtration and energy storage.
Alumni Notes
Read about the exciting array of events planned in conjunction with Alumni Weekend (June 7-8), as well as recent career highlights of alumni like Keith Berger, Frederick Carlson, Michael Keefe and Edward J. Sarisley, Jr.
Around Engineering
Great things are always underway in the School of Engineering. Read about an upcoming Ice Cream Social in honor of Marty Wood, who is retiring after 25 years at UConn; the GK-12 Annual Design Challenge; a new Transportation Safety Research Center at UConn and the Materials Science & Engineering Department’s US News graduate school rankings…
GOALI Award for Interdisciplinary Team
Materials Science & Engineering professor Dr. Radenka Maric, in close collaboration with Industrial Advisory Board member Armand Halter and Dr. William Mustain, has received a prestigious $423,000 National Science Foundation GOALI award.
Student News
Eight engineering students won highly competitive Summer Undergraduate Research Fund Awards that will allow them to conduct scholarly research in faculty laboratories this summer. A total of 70 SURF grants were awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Research, across the entire university.
UConn Researchers Develop Some of the World’s Smallest Metallic Nanorods
Two graduate-level researchers in the School of Engineering have grown some of the world’s smallest metallic nanorods; a significant scientific breakthrough that their faculty advisor, Dr. Hanchen Huang, says is a testament to UConn’s robust graduate education programs.
VIDEO: Engineering Scholarships – Unlocking Opportunities
Generous scholarships enable hundreds of UConn Engineering students every year to gain a world-class education that might otherwise be unaffordable. Meet a few of our scholarship recipients in this video.
30th Anniversary for Invention Convention
On May 4, more than 600 young inventors converged on Gampel Pavilion, the home of UConn’s eight-time NCAA women’s basketball team, for the 30th annual state-wide Connecticut Invention Convention hosted by UConn’s School of Engineering.
Class of 2013 Celebrated
On May 4th, the School of Engineering honored the achievements of nearly 500 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students who were awarded their BS, MS and Ph.D. degrees after years of long nights, countless problem sets, design challenges and joyous “aha” moments when difficult formulas suddenly gain meaning. The events were celebrated before a packed audience of families, friends, faculty and officials assembled to cheer on the graduating engineers.
CASE Honors Four UConn Engineers
Three faculty members were inducted into the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering on May 22 during a gala event: Drs. Thomas Barber, Wilson K. S. Chiu and Mei Wei are among 33 new members who were elected in the 2013 class. In addition, alumnus Dr. Anthony DeMaria received the 2013 CASE Distinguished Service Award for his enduring contributions to the Academy as a charter member, fourth president and past-president.
UConn Engineering Honors Ten
During a gala event on May 2, the School of Engineering honored 10 exceptional alumni and friends as 2013 inductees into the UConn Academy of Distinguished Engineers. Nearly 100 attendees helped to honor the new inductees, each of whom spoke of the profound influence of UConn Engineering in shaping their careers.
Blasts from the Past
Share your photos from your years in the UConn School of Engineering. We’re assembling an online photo album showing scenes from laboratories, classrooms, dorms and campus activities that reflect UConn Engineering across the decades! Here, alumna Sharon Nunes shares a few of her faves.
VIDEO: Understanding the Transportation/Human Interface
At UConn, faculty and students are exploring transportation engineering challenges through the Center for Transportation and Livable Systems (CTLS). They are exploring driver behavior, roadway construction and design, the intersect between highways and communities, and a myriad of other topics.
Faculty Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Networking the World: Dr. Peter Luh to Receive Prestigious Engineering Award
Dr. Peter Luh has been selected to receive the IEEE RAS Pioneer Award for 2013 “for pioneering contributions to the development of near-optimal and efficient planning, scheduling, and coordination methodologies for manufacturing and power systems.”
Student News
UConn Engineering students are outstanding: academically excellent, engaged and accomplished. Read about some of their latest news, awards and honors.
Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center Opens at UConn
The University of Connecticut and Pratt & Whitney celebrated the opening of a new Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center at UConn, one of the most advanced additive manufacturing laboratories in the nation.
Whitcraft: Leveraging a Unique Talent Pipeline
Tucked away in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner is a company that has been serving the world’s leading aerospace companies for decades, Whitcraft, LLC. Among its valued employees are four UConn Engineering alumni, including Chad Chmura, a Junior Engineer who received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2012.
Innovators Feted
UConn Engineering was well represented during the Second Annual Celebration of Innovation, presented by the UConn Office of Economic Development on April 10th. The gala event afforded the innovation community an opportunity to network and to celebrate the achievements of some of its most outstanding members.
Zuba Awarded International Research Fellowship
Ph.D. candidate Michael Zuba was awarded a fellowship to continue his underwater network systems research in Taiwan for eight weeks this summer. He will be hosted by Dr. Tshi C. Yang, an expert in the underwater acoustics field, at National Sun Yat-sen University.
Alumni Notes
What are your UConn Engineering friends up to these days? Read what’s new in the careers of Michael Anderson and John Krenicki, Jr. Then share your career news with us, too!
Engineering Demos Shine at the Capitol
On April 11th, a dedicated team of students and faculty demonstrated and discussed innovative “home grown” engineering prototypes at the Connecticut State Capitol during a rally in support of Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed Next Generation Connecticut.
New Leadership Appointments in UConn Engineering
Interim Dean Kazem Kazerounian announced three new appointments in the School of Engineering leadership: Dr. Mei Wei has been named Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Education; Dr. Michael Accorsi will assume the role of Senior Associate Dean; and Dr. Daniel Burkey will assume the role of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Diversity.
Airbus Donates Flap Assembly to UConn for Research and Training
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has donated an aircraft flap assembly worth more than $774,000 to the University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering for use in its research laboratories and training classes.
CBE Students Receive Tanaka Fellowships
Ph.D. candidates Neil Spinner and Ying Liu have received John Tanaka Graduate Student Fellowship awards, which are presented to outstanding UConn graduate students who are members of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest honor society. The award was first given in 1993. It was established in honor of Dr. John Tanaka, emeritus professor of chemistry and former Director of the Honors Programs.
Dr. Barry Carter to Receive Distinguished Scientist Award
Dr. C. Barry Carter, professor of Materials Science & Engineering, will receive the Microscopy Society of America’s 2013 Distinguished Scientist Award for the Physical Sciences in recognition of his internationally acclaimed research and distinguished contributions in the field of microscopy.
Around Engineering
Doctoral candidates Lu Han and Paul Elliott have been competitively selected to represent UConn Engineering at the Universitas 21 Graduate Research Conference on Energy Systems, Policy and Solutions at University College Dublin, Ireland from June 19 – 22, 2013. Universitas 21 is an international network of 23 leading research-intensive universities, including UConn, located in 15 countries.
Engineering Women Shine at Women of Innovation Awards Night
UConn Engineering was well represented during the 2013 Women of Innovation Awards night on March 19th, with six outstanding women finalists among a total of 52 finalists spread across nine categories. Doctoral candidate Zhaohui Wang took home the Collegian Innovation and Leadership Award for her exceptional achievements in the area of underwater acoustic communications and networking.
Team Prepares for World Finals Competition in Russia
Under the leadership of CSE professor Ion Mandoiu, the University of Connecticut Programming Team won the recent Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) local and regional contests and is heading to St. Petersburg, Russia in June to compete in the 37th ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals!
High School Student Participates in Biomass Project
Since September, Donna Aranibar, a Glastonbury High School senior, has been traveling to UConn twice weekly to participate in research underway in the laboratory of Dr. George Bollas, assistant professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering.
Faculty News
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Hybrid Bike: Optimizing Pedal Power (VIDEO)
Junior Robert Herman (Mechanical Engineering) is a serial tinkerer. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, he converted a bicycle into a hybrid electric/pedal bike to manage the five miles of hilly terrain between his home in Coventry and the UConn campus.
Student Snap: Monica Smith
Initially uncertain of her college aspirations and commitment, today Monica Smith – a double major in German and Mechanical Engineering – is the picture of a successful engineer-to-be. After graduating from high school in 2007, Monica took part in the ACES program at UConn for her freshman year.
Best Oral Paper Award for Ph.D. Student
Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) doctoral candidate Jialan Zhang was recently awarded the Best Oral Paper Prize at the 22nd Connecticut Microelectronics and Optoelectronics Consortium.
Networking Event to Explore UConn/JAX Genomic Medicine Collaboration
On Thursday, March 21, the Innovation Connection will move to the UConn Health Center, where attendees will hear details of the unfolding UConn-Jackson Laboratory collaboration (Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine) along with information about UConn’s Technology Incubation Program.
Dr. Chrysochoou Receives Marie Curie Fellowship
Dr. Marisa Chrysochoou has been awarded a prestigious Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship that will embed her at the National Technical University of Athens for two years, where she will share her expertise on chromium contamination and specialized experimental techniques with an interdisciplinary team of colleagues who are investigating a large chromium plume in central Greece.
Michael Johnson: Master Multi-Tasker
Junior Michael Johnson is the archetype of a busy engineering student, parsing his time among academic, leadership and social commitments while pursuing dual degrees in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering.
NASA Grant Supports Satellite Data uses in Flood Modeling
Dr. Emmanouil Anagnostou, an internationally renowned expert in the area of hydrometeorology and precipitation remote sensing, was recently awarded a $360,000 grant from NASA to advance his research aimed at improving the use of satellite-derived rainfall data in hydrologic modeling of complex terrain basin floods.
UConn Engineering Hosts Science Bowl
On Saturday, March 9th, more than 500 students and coaches from across the Northeast region competed in the Northeast Regional High School Science Bowl at the UConn campus. A total of 48 teams representing 36 schools matched wits in a Jeopardy!-style quiz bowl covering a dizzying array of scientific minutia along with a model fuel cell car race.
UConn Hosts Rube Goldberg Contest
In February, UConn’s Engineering Ambassadors hosted eight high school teams from across Connecticut in a unique Rube Goldberg Machine Contest named after the late cartoonist Reuben Lucius Goldberg, who gained fame for his wacky illustrations of machines, designed in the most convoluted ways possible and intended to carry out simple tasks.
New McNair Scholar Adam Eichen Gains Inspiration from Obstacles
It was a traumatic accident his junior year of high school that inspired Adam Eichen to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. Today, the talented sophomore’s drive and determination to earn an advanced degree in his field have secured him a spot among the ranks of the newly established UConn McNair Scholars.
Student Entrepreneurs Visit Legislators
On March 5th, Professor of Practice Dr. Hadi Bozorgmanesh and 10 students enrolled in the two-semester Experiential Technology Entrepreneurship I and II class spent the day meeting with Connecticut Senator Donald Williams and Rep. Gregg Haddad, touring the legislative houses, and observing committee hearings on a variety of subjects. Read more about the Entrepreneurship class here.
Student Spotlight VIDEO: Milos Atz
Glastonbury, CT native Milos Atz, a junior studying Chemical Engineering at UConn, shows us inside his life as an undergraduate engineering student, from academic matters and his Honors research to career aspirations and his passion for freeskiing.
Commencement 2013: SWE CEO Betty Shanahan to Speak
The School of Engineering will celebrate undergraduate commencement on Saturday, May 11, 2013 in Gampel Pavilion, Storrs. A highlight will be guest speaker, Betty Shanahan, Executive Director and CEO of the national Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
First Large-Scale Open Testbed in the Nation for Underwater Networks
An interdisciplinary team of researchers from UConn and three partnering universities is developing a suite of open underwater network testbeds that will be demonstrated along the U.S. East, West and Gulf Coasts, where water quality data will be continuously collected and transmitted to on-shore labs.
USAID/HED Funding Renewed for Ethiopia Capacity Building Project
A multidisciplinary, multi-university project aimed at building a skilled workforce and educational capacity within Ethiopia’s universities in the area of sustainable water resource management has received over $1.35 million in additional funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development/Higher Education for Development to continue its work. Since its official inception in 2010, the project has received nearly $2.5 million in USAID-HED funding.
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.
UConn Professor’s Patented Technique Key to New Solar Power Technology
A novel fabrication technique developed by UConn engineering professor Brian Willis could provide the breakthrough technology scientists have been looking for to vastly improve today’s solar energy systems.
Spring Career Fair a Hit
On February 19th, in celebration of National Engineers Week, more than 60 employers and hundreds of UConn engineering students filled the Rome Commons Ballroom at the Storrs campus for the opportunity to meet, discuss career and internship opportunities and do their best to impress. The 2013 spring career fair was widely praised by employers and students alike for its organization and excellent attendance.
Engineering Welcomes Career Consultant
In late January, the School of Engineering welcomed John Bau, who joined UConn’s Department of Career Services as a Career Consultant embedded within the School of Engineering.
Alumni News
What are your UConn Engineering friends up to these days? Read what’s new in the careers of Arthur Baker, William Borghard and William Johnson. Then share your career news with us, too!
Next Generation Connecticut
On January 31, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, UConn President Susan Herbst, and other officials unveiled plan to invest $1.5 billion in UConn’s science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational programs over a decade. Dubbed Next Generation Connecticut, the plan will greatly expand educational opportunities, research, and innovation in the STEM disciplines through growth in student enrollment, faculty and facilities.
Faculty Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Continuing & Distance Engineering Education Expanded
The School of Engineering is proud to announce the formation of a new unit called, Continuing and Distance Engineering Education (CDEE). This unit will be responsible for the existing Master of Engineering program, which is currently offered in Groton, East Hartford, Windsor Locks and Farmington, and for continuing engineering education activities and programs at UConn’s regional campuses and corporate partners’ sites.
Student Team Proposes Rainwater Solution for South Campus
An interdisciplinary team of students has proposed an innovative solution to the problem of stormwater runoff from UConn’s South Campus dormitory complex in response to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency student competition, the Campus RainWorks Challenge.
XcellR8: Helping UConn Startups Succeed
Business startups emerging from UConn’s technology-fertile, highly inventive community have an important yet little-known ally located just minutes from campus: XcellR8.
Dr. Anson Ma Receives CAREER Award
Assistant Professor Anson Ma has received a National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) award, which will support his research involving the use of carbon nanotubes to stabilize emulsions. The $400,000, five-year grant is the 26th CAREER Award among current UConn engineering faculty.
Faculty Notes
Read about recent honors and activities of our engineering faculty, who are respected leaders in research, instruction, mentoring and professional societies.
Dr. Laurencin to Receive 2012 AAAS Mentor Award
The 2012 Mentor Award of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) will be presented to Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., “for his transformative impact and scientific contributions toward mentoring students in the field of biomedical engineering.”
Alumni News
What are your UConn Engineering friends up to these days? Read what’s new in the careers of Jackie Garofano, Marshall Greenspan, Metin Ozen and Benjamin Salsburg. Then share your career news with us, too!
Power Electronics Expert Ali Bazzi Joins UConn Faculty
UConn’s rapidly expanding power and energy research division received a boost recently with the hiring of Ali Bazzi, an expert engineer in advanced power electronics who comes to the University after a brief stint with the Delphi Corp., a global leader in electronic systems technologies.
Explore Commercial Opportunities in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
On Thursday, February 21, the Innovation Connection series will return to the UConn Storrs campus for an exclusive event. UConn researchers from the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department will discuss commercialization opportunities and their advancements in areas such as sustainable technologies, bio/nanosensing, materials characterization, filtration, biotech, polymer science and more.
Engineering Momentum
The UConn School of Engineering is growing, expanding, moving in new directions and building new energy for the future. With this idea in mind, we are reframing and renaming our electronic and print news to Momentum, to better reflect who we are at this time.
Dr. Ioulia Valla Awarded NSF Grant
Assistant Research Professor Dr. Ioulia Valla has been awarded a $190,000 grant from the Energy for Sustainability Division of the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research aimed at transforming waste tar compounds into valuable gases using a one-step catalytic process.
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.
New Appointments in Engineering
Interim Dean Kazem Kazerounian announced three new appointments in the School of Engineering: Dr. Dan Burkey will assume the role of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education & Diversity effective July 1; Dr. S. Pamir Alpay has been appointed Head of the new Materials Science & Engineering Department; and Dr. Doug Cooper has been appointed Head of the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department.
Conference on Counterfeit Electronics Addresses Growing National Concern
Some of the nation’s top experts in computer hardware security gathered in Storrs last week to discuss new ways to thwart a growing international counterfeit electronics industry. In a series of workshops on Jan. 28 and 29, engineers from Intel, Texas Instruments, Analog Devices, Honeywell, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and Connecticut-based SMT Corp., as well as other entities, discussed new tools for improving detection in the increasingly advanced – and profitable – world of counterfeit electronics.
UConn, State Officials Announce Launch of ‘Next Generation Connecticut’ Initiative
UConn and the State of Connecticut have unveiled a groundbreaking proposal to propel UConn to the forefront of high-tech research and academics while significantly enhancing the state’s economic development efforts for decades to come. Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, UConn President Susan Herbst, and other officials gathered January 31 to introduce Next Generation Connecticut, a plan to greatly
Course Spawns New Business Creation
“My philosophy is that entrepreneurship needs to be discovered, not taught,” remarks alumnus and Professor of Practice Dr. Hadi Bozorgmanesh, who debuted a new, results-oriented two-semester course last fall, Experiential Technology Entrepreneurship I and II.
Experiential Technology Entrepreneurship I and II: Company Profiles
A total of 10 companies are expected to emerge from the Experiential Technology Entrepreneurship I and II course. Four were launched in December, and six remain in the development stage.
UConn Engineering Dean Search Announced
The University of Connecticut has announced details concerning the search process for the Dean of the School of Engineering. One of the key goals for the Dean will be to develop a comprehensive strategic plan with clear over-arching goals and metrics, with input from faculty, staff, and students to guide the growth of the School of Engineering. Read more…
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.
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 […]
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.
Great Ticket Giveaway Official Contest Rules
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. 1. Eligibility ENTER TO WIN emagination Great Ticket Giveaway! (“Contest”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of […]
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.
Great Ticket Giveaway Official Contest Rules
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. 1. Eligibility ENTER TO WIN emagination Great Ticket Giveaway! (“Contest”) is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of […]
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.
Engineering Horizons Lectures
Engineering is a profession that is richly rewarding and broad in scope, encompassing a dizzying array of frontiers, from the nano-scale to vast infrastructure systems. In celebration of engineering, in late 2011 we launched a videotaped lecture series, Engineering Horizons, which is intended to inspire, delight and inform viewers about research and development here in UConn Engineering that touches society in enduring ways.
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.
Great Ticket Giveaway Official Contest Rules
The terms and conditions of the emagination Great Ticket Giveaway follow. It is important for entrants to read these rules in their entirety.
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.
Official Contest Rules: Great Ticket Giveaway
The terms and conditions of the emagination Great Ticket Giveaway follow. It is important for entrants to read these rules in their entirety.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
CTI Helps CT’s Paving Industry Go Green
The Connecticut Transportation Institute in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has developed a specification to use post consumer waste asphalt shingles in asphalt pavement. The Connecticut Department of Transportation is piloting this new specification on a construction project on Route 220 in Enfield, CT this coming summer.
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.
