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SoE, Congressman Working to Expand International Profile
Congressman Joe Courtney is working with SoE to elevate the School’s International profile
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
Researchers Explore the Potential of Ultra-High-Strength Concrete To Repair Bridges
How super concrete can make our bridges safer
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.
UConn SoE In The News
UConn Engineering faculty, alumni and students all made the news
Faculty News
Dr. S. Pamir Alpay and Dr. Laurent Michel in the news
New Scholarship for Center for Energy Innovation
Gift from German company helps UConn explore new avenues in clean energy.
VIDEO: See What’s Happening Here at the SoE!
An eye-catching video of the innovations and fun that happen here at SoE
Student News
MSE seniors prove their geodesic bona fides, and CBE undergrads take top honors at AIChE’s poster competition
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
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
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
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.
Center for Energy Innovation Marks Its First Year
CEI progresses steadily toward its goal of advancing technologies related to energy storage and fuel cells.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Entrepreneur Eric Knight Joins Springboard
On December 16th, UConn alumnus, inventor and entrepreneur Eric Knight joined the Springboard Program at UConn as Manager and Entrepreneur in Residence.
Quing Zhu Awarded $500,000 for Breast Cancer Research
Annually, more than 200,000 American women are diagnosed with breast cancer. It is the fifth leading cause of death among American women, killing over 40,000 yearly. Dr. Quing Zhu, associate professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, is a leading researcher in breast cancer diagnosis using novel techniques for detection. Dr. Zhu was recently awarded $500,000 […]
Two Departments Merge: Chemical, Materials And Biomolecular Engineering Results
As an outgrowth of the School of Engineering’s Strategic Plan, Dean of Engineering Amir Faghri officially announced that the departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering will be merged to form a new Department of Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering. The effective date of July 1, 2006 was selected to ensure proper planning […]
Engineering Faculty Garner NSF CAREER Awards
Two engineering faculty members were selected to receive the National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development (CAREER) Award in 2006: assistant professor of Computer Science & Engineering Ion Mandoiu and assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Jeong-Ho Kim. Dr. Mandoiu was awarded a five-year $554,500 National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) award for […]
GE Advanced Materials Establishes $500,000 Scholarship For African American Engineering Students
In early April, the School of Engineering received a cash endowment of $500,000 for establishment of the GE Advanced Materials Endowed Scholar Program Fund, focusing on African American students. GE Advanced Materials, based in Pittsfield, MA, is a world leader in providing material solutions through engineering thermoplastics, silicon products and technology platforms, and fused quartz […]
