News
June 12, 2013 | UW Today
Silicon-based nanoparticles could make LEDs cheaper, greener to produce
LumiSands, a startup based on UW technology, has created a silicon-based material that can be substituted for expensive rare-earth elements as a means to soften LED lighting. The company started as a graduate student project for CEO Chang-Ching Tu, who received his doctorate in electrical engineering at the UW and just completed a stint as a postdoctoral researcher in materials science and engineering.
June 11, 2013 | UW Today
New tasks become as simple as waving a hand with brain-computer interfaces
UW researchers have shown that using a brain-computer interface – electrodes placed directly on the brain and linked to a computer – patients learned to control a robotic arm or a prosthetic limb. CSE professor Rajesh Rao and BioE PhD student Jeremiah Wander, collaborating with Jeffrey Ojemann, professor of neurological surgery, found the action could become second nature and could improve communication and daily life for a person who is paralyzed or has lost the ability to speak from a stroke or neurodegenerative disease.
June 4, 2013 | UW Today
Wi-Fi signals enable gesture recognition throughout entire home
CSE and EE researchers in Shwetak Patel's lab have developed gesture-recognition technology that could enable users to control their electronics and household appliances from any room in the home with a simple gesture. They've have shown it's possible to leverage Wi-Fi signals around us to detect specific movements without needing sensors on the human body or cameras.
May 29, 2013 | UW Today
UW to host student steel bridge competition this weekend
On May 31 and June 1, the UW hosts the 2013 National Student Steel Bridge Competition. Forty-nine finalist teams and about 600 people will converge on campus for the largest club event in the nation for civil engineering undergraduates. Many of the student designs will be steel truss structures similar to the I-5 bridge over the Skagit River that collapsed May 23.
See also: event page on the CEE website
May 24, 2013 | GeekWire
Meet the clean water startup that just won 1st place in the UW biz plan competition
GeekWire introduces Pure Blue Technologies, grand prize winner in this year's UW Business Plan Competition. The company is developing a system that uses visible light photo disinfection technology to process contaminated water -- for example, water used in the oil and gas industry -- and make it available for beneficial reuse. The team includes members from four UW Engineering departments and other disciplines.
See also: Foster Unplugged
May 21 2013 | LiveScience
Sounds Of The Sea: Stones Clanging
PhD student Christopher Bassett's research on the noise in Admiralty Inlet of Puget Sound shows that the clacking of pebbles in the seabed, moved by the current, produces a cacaphony that drowns out other ocean noises. Bassett says his study is the first to show that currents are capable of regularly moving round objects the size of those seabed pebbles.
See also: InsideScience |
Physics Central
May 14, 2013 | UW Today
Engineered biomaterial could improve success of medical implants
Expensive, state-of-the-art medical devices and surgeries often are thwarted by the body’s natural response to attack something in the tissue that appears foreign. Now, University of Washington engineers have demonstrated in mice a way to prevent this sort of response. Their findings were published online this week in the journal Nature Biotechnology. BioE and ChemE professor Buddy Ratner and Shaoyi Jiang, professor in ChemE, are co-authors.
May 08, 2013 | Greenroads Foundation
Greenroads Selected as a White House Champion of Change
Greenroads, a nonprofit that grew out of research at the UW Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, has been chosen as a White House Champion of Change for Transportation Technology Solutions. The honor recognizes Greenroad's unique ratings system designed to certify sustainable roadway and transportation projects.
May 8, 2013 | UW Today
New 'academic redshirt' program to support undergraduate STEM education
The University of Washington in collaboration with Washington State University is developing an "academic redshirt" program that will bring dozens of low-income Washington state high school graduates to the two universities to study engineering in a five-year bachelor's program.
May 6, 2013 | UW Today
New device can extract human DNA with full genetic data in minutes
Mechanical Engineering associate professor Jae-Hyun Chang and NanoFacture, a Bellevue Wash. company, have created a device that can extract human DNA from fluid samples in a simpler, more efficient and environmentally friendly way than conventional methods. The hand-held device can clean four separate human fluid samples at once, but the technology can be scaled up to prepare 96 samples at a time, which is standard for large-scale handling.
May 1, 2013 | UW Today
National Academy of Sciences selects Mary Lidstrom, David Kaplan
Mary Lidstrom, a UW professor of chemical engineering and microbiology and vice provost for research, is among the 84 new members announced by National Academy of Sciences. Lidstrom's research focuses on developing environmentally friendly and economically viable alternatives to chemical fuels. Also elected was UW physics professor David Kaplan.
April 29, 2013 | UW Today
Susan Eggers elected to American Academy of Arts & Sciences
UW professor emeritus of computer science and engineering Susan Eggers has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, as a member of the Class of 2013. Eggers is co-inventor of a computer processing technology that makes more efficient use of a chip's computing power. The technology changed industry standards and was adopted by Intel, IBM and others.
April 29, 2013 | UW Today
Grocery delivery service is greener than driving to the store
Anne Goodchild, associate professor in CEE has found that using a grocery delivery service can cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least half when compared with individual household trips to the store. The research was funded by the Oregon DOT and published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Forum.
April 23, 2013 | UW Today
Robots, solar-powered cars at Engineering Discovery Days, April 26-27
Engineering Discovery Days is Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 on the University of Washington Seattle campus. Explore engineering through demonstrations and interactive displays, presentations for high school students, a scavenger hunt and more. From old favorites including the glowing pickle and homemade silly putty, to new exhibits like wool dying and game demonstrations from the Center for Game Science, the event is an engineering smorgasbord.
April 22, 2013 | UW Today
Professor of computer science and engineering remembered through UW scholarship fund
Computer science & engineering professor David Notkin passed away on April 22, 2013. At UW since 1984, David served as department chair of CSE from 2001 to 2006 and was recently associate dean of research and graduate studies in the College of Engineering. Earlier this year, the David Notkin Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Computer Science & Engineering was established at the UW in his honor. David will be remembered as a gifted mentor and world leader in software engineering.
April 15, 2013
High glucose levels could impair ferroelectricity in connective tissues
ME Professor Jiangyu Li and researchers at Boston University have discovered that high glucose levels could impair ferroelectricity in the body's connective tissues. "This could be associated with aging and diabetes, which I think gives more importance to the phenomenon," said Li.
Read more: Physical Review Letters
April 12, 2013 | UW Today
New device could cut costs on household products, pharmaceuticals
UW researchers have found a way to thicken soap products like shampoo and dishwashing detergent using a microfluidic device instead of by adding surfactants. Amy Shen, a UW associate professor of mechanical engineering, is the lead author of a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She notes the technique's money-saving potential. See also: paper abstract
April 4, 2013 | UW Today
Rocket powered by nuclear fusion could send humans to Mars
UW researchers and scientists at a Redmond-based space-propulsion company are building components of a fusion-powered rocket aimed to clear many of the hurdles that block deep space travel. The project is funded by NASA and led by John Slough, a UW research associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics. See also: NBC News and many articles In the Media
March 26, 2013 | UW Today
Gene therapy may aid failing hearts
Interdisciplinary research between UW bioengineers and researches at UW Medicine suggests safe and effective gene therapy to treat patients whose hearts have been weakened by heart attacks and other heart conditions. Michael Regnier, UW professor and vice chair of bioengineering, and Charles Murry, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Biology, led the study that showed a sustained improvement in heart muscle function. See also: PNAS article
March 19, 2013 | UW Today
Tenfold boost in ability to pinpoint proteins in cancer cells
A team of UW bioengineers has developed a new method for color-coding cells that allows them to illuminate 100 biomarkers, a ten-time increase from the current research standard, to help analyze individual cells from cultures or tissue biopsies. "Discovering this process is an unprecedented breakthrough for the field," said corresponding author Xiaohu Gao, associate professor in BioE. See also: Nature Communications article
March 13, 2013 | National Academy of Engineering
Vest Scholarships Program Announced; UW One of Eight Participating U.S. Universities
In 2010, UW Engineering partnered with the National Academy of Engineering to host the Seattle Grand Challenges Summit, with a focus on Engineering Better Medicines and Engineering the Tools of Scientific Discovery. Today we announce our participation in the Vest Scholarship Program to advance graduate-level research and collaboration addressing the Grand Challenges.
February 26, 2013 | UW Today
Michael B. Bragg selected as dean of UW College of Engineering
Michael B. Bragg, professor and interim dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been selected as dean of the University of Washington College of Engineering, effective July 15, 2013. Bragg is a renowned expert in aerospace engineering, a champion of diversity, and has received university-level recognition for his teaching and advising. See also: Seattle Times
February 20, 2013 | The Daily
Rehabilitation through re-wiring
The future of rehabilitation therapy for victims of stroke or spinal-cord injury may lie in a small computer chip -- called a neurochip -- being developed by the Washington National Primate Research Center and Brian Otis, a UW associate professor of electrical engineering.
February 20, 2013 | UW Department of Electrical Engineering
UW EE and Agilent Technologies collaborate on new high-tech RF and microwave teaching laboratory
Agilent Technologies Inc. and the University of Washington will work together to create a new RF and microwave teaching laboratory and curriculum using the industry's latest test equipment. The lab will help students gain important hands-on test and design experience. See also: Agilent press release
February 19, 2013 | UW Today
James Carothers Receives 2013 Sloan Fellowship
James Carothers, an assistant professor in chemical engineering, is one of three UW faculty to receive a 2013 Sloan Fellowship. Carothers' research focuses on developing design platforms for engineering functionally-complex RNA-based control systems. These systems process cellular information and program the expression of large numbers of genes, enabling increased understanding of fundamental biological processes and applications to meet the demands for renewable chemicals and new therapies.
February 12, 2013 | Human Centered Design & Engineering
A Go Go Games Studios video game for children with autism and Feedback Sandwich, a "non-awkward way to ask for constructive feedback," are this year's winners of the Shobe Prize, established by Matt Shobe (MS HCDE 1996).
February 6, 2013 | Engineering News-Record
MolES Building wins a "Best of the Best 2012" award in national competition
The Molecular Engineering & Sciences Building has taken top honors in the Higher Education/Research category in a national competition sponsored by Engineering News-Record. Of nearly 1,000 project entries at the regional level, 169 advanced to the national level, where industry judges selected 19 projects as the "Best of the Best" based on teamwork, success in overcoming challenges, innovation, and quality.
February 6, 2013 | The Seattle Times
Sally Jewell, BSME '78, Nominated by President Obama to Lead Interior
Chosen for her background in engineering and leadership of a company regularly listed as a "best company to work for," Sally Jewell was nominated by President Barack Obama for Secretary of the Interior. If confirmed, Jewell, now president and CEO of REI and a UW regent, will take over a department steeped in controversy over the regulation of oil and gas and will be the steward of hundreds of millions of acres of public lands.
January 30, 2013 | The Herald Business Journal
PUD tackles green energy storage dilemma
Power from the sun, wind, and waves is not continuous and is challenging to store in large amounts. A new project launched by the Snohomish County PUD aims to meet that challenge in partnership with industry and researchers at the University of Washington. The solution may lie in 1 megawatt, plug-and-play battery systems. Daniel Kirschen, a UW professor of electrical engineering, is quoted.
January 29, 2013 | UW Today
Pioneer of human values in technology design to give University Faculty Lecture
Batya Friedman, a UW Information School professor and director of the Value Sensitive Design Research Lab, will give the University Faculty Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, in Room 130 of Kane Hall. The lecture is entitled "The Shape of Being: Technology Design, Human Values, and the Future." Friedman is an adjunct professor in two CoE departments: Computer Science & Engineering and Human Centered Design & Engineering.
January 24, 2013 | UW Today
Organic ferroelectric molecule shows promise for memory chips, sensors
Researchers at UW and Southeast University in China have discovered a remarkable molecule that shows promise as an organic alternative to today’s silicon-based semiconductors. Cheap, flexible, and nontoxic, the molecule is well suited to a wide range of applications in memory, sensing and low-cost energy storage. Findings are published this week in the journal Science.
See also: Chemical & Engineering News | Xconomy | King5 news
January 9, 2013 | UW Today
EE professor Vikram Jandhyala to co-lead joint computing institute, tackle big data
The deluge of data coming from countless electronic devices will be harnessed to take on the most pressing problems facing science and society at a new computational institute in Seattle. The new institute will be located on UW's campus and led by co-directors Vikram Jandhyala (UW electrical engineering chair and Applied Computational Engineering Lab Director) and PNNL Fellow Moe Khaleel. See also: PNNL announcement
January 7, 2013 | UW Today
Judith Ramey appointed interim dean of UW College of Engineering
Judith Ramey, professor and former chair in the UW's Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE), this month steps into the role of Frank & Julie Jungers Interim Dean of the University of Washington's College of Engineering. Ramey joined the UW as a faculty member in 1983 and led her department from 1997 until 2008.
January 3, 2013 | Seattle Times
Noisy ships, ferries create racket below Puget Sound
Recent work by University of Washington researchers shows noise in some Puget Sound shipping channels regularly meets or exceeds levels the federal government suggests may be harmful to marine life. Article quotes Christopher Bassett, PhD student in mechanical engineering. See also: YouTube video
January 1, 2013 | Seattle Times
UW grants degree to late student undaunted by terminal cancer
The University of Washington has granted a rare posthumous degree to Nolan Roquet, a student who died from bone cancer. Nolan started at UW in 2006. After being fitted with a prosthesis following a partial leg amputation due to bone cancer, he began studies in mechanical engineering and very nearly completed all required credits.
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