In 2011, Wichita State University vowed to double the number of engineering grants as part of the state’s University Engineering Initiative Act.
One year ahead of schedule, the College of Engineering has surpassed its goal.
Tag: Engineering
FAU Awarded U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant to Improve Learning and Operation of AI Systems
Researchers will develop new theory and methods to curate training data sets for artificial intelligence (AI) learning and screen real-time operational data for AI field deployment. They will develop technology to identify faulty, unusual and irregular information for AI learning and operations that rely on data, and will provide critical alerts to troubleshoot a problem before it occurs. This data-quality evaluation technology is being developed for a number of industries ranging from the military to cybersecurity to medical diagnostics.
UCI materials scientists discover design secrets of nearly indestructible insect
Irvine, Calif., Oct. 21, 2020 – With one of the more awe-inspiring names in the animal kingdom, the diabolical ironclad beetle is one formidable insect. Birds, lizards and rodents frequently try to make a meal of it but seldom succeed. Run over it with a car, and the critter lives on. The beetle’s survival depends on two key factors: its ability to convincingly play dead and an exoskeleton that’s one of the toughest, most crush-resistant structures known to exist in the biological world.
Lily the barn owl reveals how birds fly in gusty winds
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions – findings that could inform the development of bio-inspired small-scale aircraft.
Grant supports development of efficient offshore wind farms
A new interdisciplinary Cornell University research project is designed to unlock the power of wind energy by optimizing the spacing between wind turbines and wind turbine arrays to maximize power production.
$3M Department of Defense award to support UIC STEM research program
A multidisciplinary research team from the University of Illinois Chicago has been awarded a $3 million, three-year U.S. Department of Defense award to establish an undergraduate research mentoring program in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, areas with a focus on engaging undergraduate student veterans and minority students.
Researchers create hand-held device for patients to read levels of cancer biomarker in their own blood
Researchers at McMaster and Brock universities have created the prototype for a hand-held device to measure a biomarker for cancer, paving the way for home-based cancer monitoring and to improve access to diagnostic testing.
Plant-Based Spray Could be Used in N95 Masks and Energy Devices
Engineers have invented a way to spray extremely thin wires made of a plant-based material that could be used in N95 mask filters, devices that harvest energy for electricity, and potentially the creation of human organs. The method involves spraying methylcellulose, a renewable plastic material derived from plant cellulose, on 3D-printed and other objects ranging from electronics to plants, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Materials Horizons.
Computational Biologist Thomas Norman of Sloan Kettering Institute Honored with Distinguished NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
Computational biologist Thomas Norman, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s (MSK) Sloan Kettering Institute (SKI) has been named one of 53 recipients of the prestigious 2020 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s New Innovator Award. As part of the award, Dr. Norman will receive $1.5 million in direct costs upfront in the first year of a five-year award.
FAU Receives $5.3 Million NIH Grant to Detect Cognitive Change in Older Drivers
Testing a readily and rapidly available, discreet in-vehicle sensing system could provide the first step toward future widespread, low-cost early warnings of cognitive change in older drivers. The use of an advanced, multimodal approach involves the development of novel driving sensors and integration of data from a battery of cognitive function tests, eye tracking and driving behaviors and factors. These in-vehicle technologies could help detect abnormal driving behavior that may be attributed to cognitive impairment.
Material scientists learn how to make liquid crystal shape-shift
A new 3D-printing method will make it easier to manufacture and control the shape of soft robots, artificial muscles and wearable devices. By controlling the printing temperature of liquid crystal elastomer, researchers have shown they can control the material’s stiffness and ability to contract.
Nathan Moody of Los Alamos National Laboratory to share in 2021 IEEE particle accelerator award
Nathan Moody of Los Alamos National Laboratory is a co-winner of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS) 2021 Particle Accelerator Science and Technology (PAST) Award.
University of Kentucky Researchers Awarded NSF Grant to Engineer Better Mental Health Solutions
From the limited data currently available, Wilson, Hammer and Usher found that engineering students aren’t necessarily more likely to have a mental health concern, but they are significantly less likely to seek help than non-engineering college students. This treatment gap became the basis for their National Science Foundation (NSF) grant proposal titled, “Development of a Survey Instrument to Identify Mental Health Related Help-Seeking Beliefs in Engineering Students.”
MTU engineer makes open-source, 3D printed tools for COVID-19
There is a desperate need for low-cost hardware to deal with COVID-19 all over the world. Today, with the evolution of digital manufacturing technologies such as 3D printers and circuit milling systems, humanity can share designs with others who can…
Power Player: Engineering professor researches how to keep America’s lights on
Ning Zhou from Binghamton University, State University of New York received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to provide a 21st-century vision for power systems.
2020 Blavatnik Regional Awards for Young Scientists Honorees Announced during National Postdoc Appreciation Week
The winning postdoctoral researchers include a neuroscientist improving memory formation and recall, an astrophysicist illuminating dark matter, and a biochemist refining gene-editing technologies
Master’s Degree in Artificial Intelligence Now Within Reach of Low-income Students
The accelerated five-year bachelor’s degree in science and master’s degree in AI program is designed to adapt curricular and co-curricular support to enable students to complete their degrees in AI, autonomous systems or machine learning, which are critically important to advance America’s global competitiveness and national security. With this grant, FAU will recruit and train talented and diverse students who are economically disadvantaged and provide them with a unique opportunity to pursue graduate education in a burgeoning field.
Soft robots, origami combine for potential way to deliver medical treatments
Researchers have found a way to send tiny, soft robots into humans, potentially opening the door for less invasive surgeries and ways to deliver treatments for conditions ranging from colon polyps to stomach cancer to aortic artery blockages.
Algorithm boosts efficiency, nutrition for food bank ops
Cornell University systems engineers examined data from a busy New York state food bank and, using a new algorithm, found ways to better allocate food and elevate nutrition in the process.
UCI is ranked among nation’s top 10 public universities for sixth year in a row
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 14, 2020 — The University of California, Irvine has been ranked eighth among the nation’s public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 list of “Best Colleges,” released today. This is the sixth consecutive year in which UCI has placed in the top 10. UCI placed 35th among all American universities – public and private – and rose to second in the subcategory of social mobility, which takes into account the graduation rate of students awarded Pell Grants.
Missouri S&T research symposium highlights state’s manufacturing capabilities
Missouri University of Science and Technology brought together university researchers, industry experts and government leaders Thursday, Sept. 3, for a research symposium that highlighted the state’s manufacturing capabilities.
Cornell College engineering major becomes ABET accredited
Cornell College has become recognized for its high-quality engineering program as it secures ABET accreditation for the bachelor of science in engineering (B.S.E.) following an intensive multi-year review process.
New Device Can Measure Toxic Lead Within Minutes
Rutgers researchers have created a miniature device for measuring trace levels of toxic lead in sediments at the bottom of harbors, rivers and other waterways within minutes – far faster than currently available laboratory-based tests, which take days. The affordable lab-on-a-chip device could also allow municipalities, water companies, universities, K-12 schools, daycares and homeowners to easily and swiftly test their water supplies. The research is published in the IEEE Sensors Journal.
2021 Hertz Fellowship Application Now Open
The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation today announced that it is accepting applications for the 2021 Hertz Fellowship awards. The Hertz Fellowship provides financial and lifelong professional support for graduate students in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Egemen Kolemen wins 2020 Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award
Egemen Kolemen, Princeton University assistant professor and PPPL physicist, wins prestigious Fusion Power Associates award.
Talented 12: Chemical & Engineering News announces its 2020 rising stars in chemistry
Chemical & Engineering News, the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, unveiled its annual “Talented 12” list of early-career researchers in the chemical sciences who are fearlessly tackling difficult global problems.
Natalie Roe Named Berkeley Lab’s Associate Director for Physical Sciences
Natalie Roe, who joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) as a postdoctoral fellow in 1989 and has served as Physics Division director since 2012, has been named the Lab’s Associate Laboratory Director (ALD) for the Physical Sciences Area. Her appointment was approved by the University of California. The announcement follows an international search.
FAU’s ‘Fantastic Four’ Researchers Receive Prestigious NSF CAREER Awards
Four FAU researchers have received the coveted NSF Early Career (CAREER) award for research to develop a low-cost, disposable point-of-care platform to detect current and emerging infectious diseases; for a cognitive screening tool for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease using wearables and a smartphone; for mathematical tools and new ways of coding to enhance cybersecurity; and to better understand how marine animals tune, or dynamically adjust their movements using their skin and skeletons.
Randomness theory could hold key to internet security
In a new paper, Cornell Tech researchers identified a problem that holds the key to whether all encryption can be broken – as well as a surprising connection to a mathematical concept that aims to define and measure randomness.
USDA funds study of dairy cattle’s environmental footprint
A new open-source computer model being developed by a Cornell University-led interdisciplinary team will simulate production and quantify the environmental effects of management decisions made on dairy farms.
Tackling COVID-19 with Optimism and Ingenuity
Joe Stetter is an optimist, inventor, entrepreneur, and owner of two small businesses that stayed open through the lockdown. KWJ Engineering and Spec Sensors manufacture essential health and safety sensors with medical and industrial applications. In our series, The ECS Community Adapts and Advances, Joe shares the challenges of doing business “not as usual”, and reports on a research collaboration he mobilized to improve PPE sterilization for COVID-19 frontline workers.
GETTING READY FOR THE CHALLENGE
The CSU is preparing students to be effective and resilient crisis responders for the Golden State.
‘Blinking” Crystals May Convert CO2 into Fuels
Imagine tiny crystals that “blink” like fireflies and can convert carbon dioxide, a key cause of climate change, into fuels. A Rutgers-led team has created ultra-small titanium dioxide crystals that exhibit unusual “blinking” behavior and may help to produce methane and other fuels, according to a study in the journal Angewandte Chemie. The crystals, also known as nanoparticles, stay charged for a long time and could benefit efforts to develop quantum computers.
Big Data Analytics Enables Scientists to Model COVID-19 Spread
Researchers will use big data analytics techniques to develop computational models to predict the spread of COVID-19. They will utilize forward simulation from a given patient and the propagation of the infection into the community; and backward simulation tracing a number of verified infections to a possible patient “zero.” The project also will provide quick and automatic contact tracing and leverages the researchers’ prior experience in modeling Ebola spread.
Harmful Microbes Found on Sewer Pipe Walls
Can antibiotic-resistant bacteria escape from sewers into waterways and cause a disease outbreak? A new Rutgers study, published in the journal Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, examined the microbe-laden “biofilms” that cling to sewer walls, and even built a simulated sewer to study the germs that survive within.
UC San Diego Receives $1.6 Million to Better Prepare Young Adults for Engineering and Technical Careers
Longtime University of California San Diego supporter Buzz Woolley has pledged $1.6 million over the next three years to fund an innovative new initiative that will significantly expand the region’s engineering and technical workforce.
New method measures temperature within 3D objects
University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers have made it possible to remotely determine the temperature beneath the surface of certain materials using a new technique they call depth thermography. The method may be useful in applications where traditional temperature probes won’t work, like monitoring semiconductor performance or next-generation nuclear reactors.
The Electrochemical Society and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. Announce 2020-2021 Fellowship Winners for Projects in Green Energy Technology
Prof. Dr. Shoji Hall, Prof. Dr. Piran Ravichandran Kidambi, and Dr. Haegyeom Kim have been awarded the 2020-2021 ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowships. Through this, ECS and Toyota aim to promote innovative and unconventional technologies borne from electrochemical research. The fellowship encourages young professors and scholars to pursue innovative electrochemical research in green energy technology.
Computer Vision Technology Helps Analyze Michigan Dam Collapse
New Brunswick, N.J. (June 26, 2020) – Rutgers engineers have created a 3D model of last month’s devastating break in the Edenville Dam in Michigan, using the emerging technology of computer vision to analyze a smartphone video posted on social…
URI engineering professor helping ALS patients use their brains to communicate
KINGSTON, R.I. – June 25, 2020 – Doug Sawyer was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, 11 years ago. His only muscles that still function are those that control eye movement.Despite his disability, Sawyer still works as an engineer from his home, designing electronics for Hayward Industries.
Biomedical researchers get closer to why eczema happens
A new study from Binghamton University, State University of New York may help to peel back the layers of unhealthy skin — at least metaphorically speaking — and get closer to a cure.
Academic Achievement isn’t the Reason There are More Men than Women Majoring in Physics, Engineering and Computer Science
While some STEM majors have a one-to-one male-to-female ratio, physics, engineering and computer science (PECS) majors consistently have some of the largest gender imbalances among U.S. college majors – with about four men to every woman in the major. In a new study published today in the peer-reviewed research journal, Science, NYU researchers find that this disparity is not caused by higher math or science achievement among men. On the contrary, the scholars found that men with very low high-school GPAs in math and science and very low SAT math scores were choosing these math-intensive majors just as often as women with much higher math and science achievement.
$345K NSF grant to fund research to modify paper electronics to make them stretchable
A three-year, $345,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will fund research at Binghamton University, State University of New York that seeks to modify paper’s mechanical properties while still retaining its advantages.
With a ‘catch-and-release’ process, researchers advance graphene electronics
A team of researchers has found a versatile method for the construction of high-quality vdW heterostructures using a dual-function polymeric film with a thickness of below five nanometers to promote the exfoliation of monolayer graphene.
Materials Research Society and The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Announce 2020-2021 Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow
The Materials Research Society (MRS) and The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) have selected Megan Malara, The Ohio State University, as the 2020-2021 MRS/TMS Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. Malara will serve a one-year term working as a special legislative assistant on the staff of a member of Congress or congressional committee.
Project investigating fever-related data as early indicator of COVID-19 outbreaks
Nebraska engineer Fadi Alsaleem believes putting a smart thermometer to the ear could mean putting an ear to the ground for future COVID-19 outbreaks and the consequences of relaxing social distancing.
New technique for engineering living materials and patterns
Engineered living materials (ELMs) is a new class of materials that exploit the properties of living organisms
Food science professor’s ‘instant ice cream’ gains patent
One moment, you have a bowl of creamy chocolate liquid. Then, in an instant, it’s ice cream. Forget hocus-pocus: This is physics, engineering and a new Cornell University patent.
UCI scientists engineer human cells with squid-like transparency
Irvine, Calif., June 2, 2020 — Octopuses, squids and other sea creatures can perform a disappearing act by using specialized tissues in their bodies to manipulate the transmission and reflection of light, and now researchers at the University of California, Irvine have engineered human cells to have similar transparent abilities.
Living Walls: University Researchers Develop Green Tech for Treating Wastewater from Microbreweries
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) researchers received a patent for green wall technology that will provide craft breweries cost-effective and sustainable options for wastewater treatment. The team found a way to make the common Pothos and recycled glass an environmental solution to support the growing microbrewery trend in the region.