|
|
Dean's Letter
• Feature Stories • Other
News • Media Watch • Archive
E-BULLETIN
UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
August 9, 2006
DEAN'S
LETTER
This summer at the School has been one of ongoing activity. When
UCLA's engineering students return to their studies this fall, not
only will they find our new engineering building appearing more
complete day by day, they also will see the brand new facility for
our Center for Embedded Networked Sensing, which will open September
20. We also have been focusing on making other key additions to
the School - adding some impressive new faculty to our family.
With aggressive recruitment efforts, I'm pleased to say we have
been able to add a number of diverse and accomplished researchers
and educators to our team. These are talented men and women who
bring a wide range of experience from a number of emerging fields,
including materials, nanostructures, genetics and disease, integrated
circuits, and nanophotonics, among others. You can read more about
our new faculty, below. I am so very delighted that these individuals
will be joining our School.
Over the last three years, we have recruited more than 20 exceptional
scholars across our seven departments, all of whom contribute new
collaborations and advances in interdisciplinary research.
You can read about two important collaborations in this month's
issue: one between engineering and medicine that has resulted in
advances in stem cell research; the other a partnership between
our Hydrogen Engineering Research Consortium (HERC) and Los Angeles
City government officials that could aid in changing for the better
the way the city disposes of its waste.
In order to continue to grow the School, provide the very best education
for our students, and address societal challenges with cutting-edge
research, it is essential that we continue to attract and retain
top-notch faculty who can engage in these kinds of important efforts.
In every sense, we continue to grow and shape our exceptional future.
Sincerely,
Vijay K. Dhir
Dean
FEATURE STORIES
UCLA Researchers Transform Stem Cells Found in Human Fat
Into Smooth Muscle Cells
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering
and Applied Science and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
have collaborated to transform adult stem cells taken from human
adipose - or fat tissue - into smooth muscle cells, which help the
normal function of a multitude of organs like the intestine, bladder
and arteries. To read more, click
here.
UCLA Engineering Partners With L.A. City on Conversion of
Waste Into Renewable Energy
The Hydrogen Engineering Research Consortium (HERC) at the UCLA
Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science partnered
with the Los Angeles Mayor's office as well as a broad spectrum
of Los Angeles city offices and officials to host the first-ever
Southern California Emerging Waste Technologies Forum on July 27.
The forum examined the issue of municipal solid waste and the growing
need to convert waste into renewable energy, clean fuels, chemicals
or other useful products. Collaborating on the event were UCLA Engineering,
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office, Councilman Greig Smith, State
Senator Richard Alarcon, the City Bureau of Sanitation and Environmental
Affairs Departments, and the County Department of Public Works,
among others. To read more, click
here.
OTHER NEWS
New Department Chairs for Bioengineering
and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Professors Timothy Deming and Adrienne Lavine have been appointed
as chairs of the Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering, respectively. To read more, click
here.
UCLA Engineering Adds Talented New Faculty
The strength of any great engineering program lies in its
people, and the educators and researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli
School of Engineering and Applied Science are vital to the School's
continued success. This fall, a number of talented individuals will
join our faculty. To read more about them, click
here.
Engineering Faculty and Staff Win Awards and Honors
Chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Jane
Chang has been selected to participate in the National
Academy of Engineering's Frontiers of Engineering program. The
event brings together engineers ages 30 to 45 who are performing
cutting-edge engineering research and technical work in a variety
of disciplines. Participants from industry, academia, and government
are nominated by fellow engineers or organizations.
The Water Technology Research (WaTeR) Center, led by chemical
and biomolecular engineering professor Yoram Cohen,
and the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at Ben-Gurion
University have received a grant from the Sol Leshin Program to
promote research collaboration and exchange of research scholars
between the two institutions.
The Automated Reasoning Group at UCLA, led by computer science
professor Adnan Darwiche, participated in the
Uncertainty in A.I. Conference in Boston, Mass. in July. The UCLA
team achieved an outstanding performance, being the only team
to solve all problem instances in the allotted time. The team
includes current and former graduate students of the Automated
Reasoning Group: David Allen, Mark Chavira, Arthur Choi, and Jinbo
Huang. The team was supported by computer science staff member,
Keith Cascio.
Bioengineering chair Timothy Deming has been
chosen to deliver a speech at the Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
in September 2006. The event brings together engineers ages 30
to 45 who are performing cutting-edge engineering research and
technical work in a variety of disciplines. Participants from
industry, academia, and government are nominated by fellow engineers
or organizations.
Electrical engineering professor Harold Fetterman,
with his colleagues Bill Steier and Larry Dalton, has been awarded
the 2006 IEEE LEOS William Streifer Scientific Achievement Award
for his seminal work with polymer photonic devices and materials.
Over the past decade, this group has revolutionized the field
of polymer photonics and established a technology base that is
on the brink of commercialization. Awarded annually, the Streifer
award is the highest award to be given by the Lasers and Electro-optics
Society of IEEE.
Eric Shen, a lecturer in civil and environmental
engineering on transportation engineering courses, was recently
appointed by the Transportation Research Board (a division of
the National Research Council), as a member of the Critical Transportation
Infrastructure Protection Committee (ABE40). The Committee develops
research topics and provides advices on policies relating to threats
posed by potential physical, chemical, biological, and cyber attacks
on critical transportation infrastructure in the United States.
Mechanical and aerospace engineering/civil and environmental engineering
lecturer Ted Shugar received a $1,000 Non Senate
Faculty Professional Development Award from UCLA.
Computer science professor Demetri Terzopoulos
has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. The
society is dedicated to the promotion of exceptional learning,
research and accomplishments in the arts, humanities and sciences.
Election to Fellowship in the Society is the highest academic
accolade available to scientists and scholars in that nation.
Electrical engineering assistant professor Mihaela van der
Schaar has received a Best Paper Award for her 2005 IEEE
Transactions paper on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology.
MEDIA
WATCH: UCLA ENGINEERING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
MIT Technology Review
Self-Powered
Silicon Laser Chips
A computer scientist at UCLA Engineering has transformed one power-hungry
component of a silicon laser into a generator of energy -- which
could help engineers trying to incorporate faster optical elements
into commercial processors.
ABC Science Online - Australia
Scientists
see the light, then capture it
Move over digital cameras. Imaging with special light-detecting
fibres may be on its way. "It's a completely new way of doing things,"
says Eli Yablonovitch, professor of electrical engineering at University
of California, Los Angeles.
Science Daily
Researchers
Transform Stem Cells Found In Human Fat Into Smooth Muscle Cells
Researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Henry
Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA today
announced they have transformed adult stem cells taken from human
adipose -- or fat tissue -- into smooth muscle cells, which help
the normal function of a multitude of organs like the intestine,
bladder and arteries. "We found that the cells did indeed function
just like smooth muscle," said UCLA Engineering professor Ben Wu.
"The new device allowed us to evaluate drug-induced changes in the
physical properties of smooth muscle at the cell level -- previously
we've needed tissue samples to observe this phenomena."
Fortune
A
Futurist's Vision of Where Quantum Computers Will Take Us
Quantum computing scientists are surprisingly bullish, for scientists.
"This is the most exciting time of my life, and I'm not young,"
says Eli Yablonovitch, professor of electrical engineering at UCLA.
MIT Technology Review
Wireless
Wonder Chip
"It's hard to predict a killer app until it's released in the marketplace,"
says Rajit Gadh, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
at UCLA Engineering and a specialist in RFID technology. But he's
encouraged by the capabilities of the HP chip and expects that one
of its most exciting applications will be for storing and sharing
digital media. "I think this is a very positive development for
the field of RFID," he says, "with the possibility of creating new
markets, such as media streaming content over passive RFID."
Discovery Channel
Scientists
Create Fiber Webs with Vision
A crisscrossing web of transparent, light-detecting fibers developed
by scientists senses the direction, intensity and phase of light
in three-dimensional space without any lenses, filters or detector
arrays typically used for the task. "It's a completely new way of
doing things," said Eli Yablonovitch, professor of electrical engineering
at University of California, Los Angeles.
San Gabriel Tribune [Link no longer available]
Dirty details due on earth removal
All construction projects face unexpected problems, according
to Scott Brandenberg, assistant professor at UCLA's Henry Samueli
School of Engineering and Applied Science, and big projects often
come with big-scale problems.
WBAL Channel 11 (Baltimore, MD) [Link no longer
available]
Aberdeen Considers Bay as Drinking Water Source
Under the proposal, Aberdeen would take up to 6 million
gallons a day from the Chesapeake and purify it using reverse osmosis
filtration at an unused pumping station at the Aberdeen Proving
Ground. Countries in the Middle East have used the technology for
30 years, turning sea water into fresh water for irrigation and
drinking, said Yoram Cohen, director of the UCLA Water Technology
Resource Center and a desalination expert.
The Associated Press [Article no longer available
online]
Maryland community considers bay as drinking water source
Short on water and facing significant population growth on the horizon, Aberdeen is considering tapping a bountiful source in its backyard: the Chesapeake Bay. Countries in the Middle East have used the technology for 30 years, turning sea water into fresh water for irrigation and drinking, said Yoram Cohen, director of the UCLA Water Technology Resource Center and a desalination expert. Large plants are being built in Singapore, Australia and Spain, and Israel recently opened one of the world's largest, Cohen said.
Etopia Media. Net
Bahram
Jalali at UCLA explains recent silicon photonics breakthrough
Bahram Jalali at UCLA Engineering has transformed one power-hungry
component of a silicon laser into a generator of energy - which
could help engineers trying to incorporate faster optical elements
into commercial processors.
KTLA 5 Evening News [Clip no longer available]
Beach Bacteria Sicken Over a Million Annually
Bacteria pollution at many Southern California beaches
is responsible for illnesses in up to 1.5 million swimmers and bathers
annually as well as tens of millions of dollars in healthcare and
other related costs, a new study shows. Previous studies have linked
health problems to contaminated surf at individual beaches, but
the report is the first to examine the health impacts at beaches
spanning 100 miles of waterfront from San Clemente to the Ventura
County line. Civil and environmental engineering professor Jennifer
Jay interviewed.
EE Times
DAC
names student design contest winners
Nine student design teams have been named as top finishers in
43rd Design Automation Conference (DAC)'s student design contest
and will each take a share of $26,000 in total prize money. In the
operational systems design category, the first place award was given
to Herwin Chan, Andres I. Vila Cadaso, Juthika Basak, Miguel Griot,
Wen-Yen Weng, Richard Wesel, B Jalali, Eli Yablonovitch and Ingrid
Verbauwhede of UCLA Engineering for the demonstration of uncoordinated
multiple access in optical communications.
Optics.org
Silicon
photonics solves its "fundamental problem"
Researchers at UCLA Engineering have overcome the key problem
associated with building silicon-based photonic devices on a computer
chip. While previous silicon amplifiers have required high power
levels - and generated large amounts of heat - the UCLA Engineering
device actually produces small amounts of electrical power.
---
The E-Bulletin is produced by the Office of External Affairs in
the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
and distributed on the second Wednesday of each month. To share
comments or a story you think our subscribers would like to read,
tell the E-Bulletin about it by emailing
us!
View past e-Bulletins:
|
|
