Students who are interested in showcasing their research work in this spring's College of Engineering Research Symposium must submit their research abstracts by Friday, Nov. 20. The annual symposium will be held on April 1, 2010, at The Nittany Lion Inn. Sponsored by the Engineering Graduate Student Council, the event allows undergraduate and graduate students in the sciences and engineering to show off their work to peers, faculty and industry representatives. More information on the symposium can be found online at http://cers.engr.psu.edu. (more)
John Regan, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Raymond Regan, professor emeritus of civil engineering, are among 11 Penn State faculty members who were named Fulbright award recipients for the 2009-10 academic year. (more)
The Engineering Leadership Development Minor (ELDM) was recently recognized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as an example of global good practice in engineering leadership education. In a white paper released by MIT titled "Engineering leadership education: A snapshot review of international good practice," Penn State's ELDM led the list of four case study examples highlighted in the report.
The report cited the ELDM as a good example of a "program with a strong focus on global engineering leadership." The case study provided an overview and the program structure and focus of the minor. (more)
A team of Penn State faculty has developed a Web site that it hopes will serve as the basis for a global faculty learning community and change the way hydrology is taught in higher education. (more)
Sensors, communications devices and imaging equipment that use a prism and a special form of light -- a surface plasmon-polariton -- may incorporate multiple channels or redundant applications if manufacturers use sculptured thin films. "Everyone uses surface plasmon resonance sensors. They are a multi billion-dollar industry worldwide," said Akhlesh Lakhtakia, the Charles Godfrey Binder (Endowed) professor of engineering science and mechanics, Penn State. "This type of sensor provides a fairly quick way to see what you have. It can tell you the concentration of chemicals, but in order to test for more than one chemical today, manufacturers have to use more than one sensor." (more)
Buzby Networks, Penn State's entry to the 2009 Idea to Product (I2P) Global Competition, took third place and a $2,500 prize in the contest's Technology Entrepreneurship Society Global Championship round. The I2P Global Competition was held Oct. 30 to 31 at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. (more)
Bill Dowell, director of research at seating and furniture company Herman Miller Inc., will lead an interdisciplinary design seminarfrom 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Lipcon Auditorium in the Palmer Art Museum on Penn State's University Park campus. The presentation will focus on a range of topics, including the design and development process at Herman Miller, research into the arts of daily living and the office of the future. (more)
The annual Transportation and Engineering Safety Conference (TESC) will take place Dec. 9-11 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. This year's TESC will focus on "serving the practitioner" and will feature professional workshops, sessions and a transportation technology exhibition. Industry professionals from around the country will present on pressing transportation issues and will incorporate interactive discussions into each presentation. (more)
The College of Engineering's alumni group has renamed itself as the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society (PSEAS) and is seeking graduates to take part in the group's many activities. The PSEAS, formerly the Penn State Engineering Society, provides its members with access to Penn State alumni directories and career planning services. Members of PSEAS work closely with deans, students, faculty and staff on many initiatives, such as mentoring and providing professional career guidance to students or joining a committee. They also can join an Affiliate Program Group (APG) to promote the activities and programs of their academic department. (more)
The first American artist to paint an abstract painting was civil engineer Manierre Dawson (1887-1969). His profession, far from a deterrent to his creativity, was his primary source of inspiration, especially during the formative years of his career. "Manierre Dawson: Engineer/Artist," an exhibit, traces the evolution of his work and shows how elements of his paintings leading up to and including his first abstractions and his conception of abstract art itself are directly related to his civil engineering training. The exhibit is the result of 10 years of research by Penn State alumnus Randy Ploog and is on display through Jan. 8, in the Diversity Studies Room at 109 Pattee Library. (more)
