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E-BULLETIN
UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
January 14, 2009
DEAN'S
LETTER
As we all know, these
are extremely difficult economic times for everyone. Here at the
UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science,
although we anticipate there will be some decline in the level
of funding, we don’t know yet what our budget from the state
will be. What we do know is that we remain fully committed to
offering the very best engineering education possible and conducting
innovative research.
It is during
these tough times that support from our industry partners and
alumni is even more valuable. And I would like to thank all of
them for their continued contributions to our education, research
and service efforts.
Support can
come in many forms. For example, a few weeks ago, Cisco Systems
selected UCLA Engineering as one of the few schools across the
country to receive one of its TelePresence units. This new technology
can make multiple users on opposite ends of the planet appear
as if they are virtually in the same room, much the way that Hollywood
has portrayed communications over great distances. This system,
now available for use in Boelter Hall, will allow our faculty
and researchers to easily connect with colleagues at other institutions.
Further, corporations and universities now also have another resource
to interview our students for potential jobs or graduate studies.
Resources
like this are invaluable, both as a way to enhance our mission,
and as a way to deal with our economic set back, allowing us to
save on travel expenditures. Also, I want to emphasize that this
Cisco TelePresence unit is a resource that is available to all
of the UCLA community, not just UCLA Engineering.
This very
generous in-kind donation is just one example of how our industry
partners and alumni help the school. While we know that times
are difficult for everyone, we want to thank all of our constituents
for their continued support.
Sincerely,
Vijay K. Dhir
Dean
FEATURE
STORIES
UCLA
Engineering researchers make major advance in creating higher-density
biofuels
Researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and
Applied Science have successfully pushed nature beyond its limits
by genetically modifying Escherichia coli, a bacterium
often associated with food poisoning, to produce unusually long-chain
alcohols essential in the creation of biofuels. The new method
was developed by James Liao, Chancellor's Professor
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
Bacteria
engineered to produce important class of antibiotic, anticancer
drugs
Researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering
and Applied Science have taken a major step forward in the field
of metabolic engineering, successfully using the bacterium Escherichia
coli to synthesize a class of natural products known bacterial
aromatic polyketides, which include important antibiotic and anticancer
drugs. The research group is led by Yi Tang,
associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering.
Cell
phones using lens-free imaging promise to improve health monitoring
Cell phones have already revolutionized the way people
around the world communicate and do business. Thanks to advances
being made at UCLA, they are about to do the same thing for medicine.
In the lab of UCLA electrical engineering professor Aydogan
Ozcan, a prototype cell phone has been constructed that
is capable of monitoring the condition of HIV and malaria patients,
as well as testing water quality in undeveloped areas or disaster
sites.
OTHER NEWS
Professor Adnan
Darwiche has been named chair of the Computer Science
Department. Darwiche directs the Automated Reasoning Group. His
research interests include probabilistic and logical reasoning
and its applications.
In December, three affiliated faculty members were named Fellows
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They
are: UCLA Chancellor Emeritus Albert Carnesale,
who holds appointments in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering, and in the School of Public Affairs; Alan
C. Kay president of Viewpoints Research Institute and
an adjunct professor of computer science; and Xiang Zhang,
professor of mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley and adjunct
professor at UCLA of mechanical and aerospace engineering who
is the director of the National Science Foundation Nanoscale Science
and Engineering Center.
The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
has received a Cisco TelePresence system. For information on how
to request use of the system, click
here.
MEDIA
WATCH: UCLA ENGINEERING IN THE NEWS
Popular
Mechanics
Scientists
Create a New Biofuel From E. Coli
First there was ethanol. Then there was butanol. Now there's an
alcohol biofuel poised to put both to shame. Using new tricks
of the trade, scientists at UCLA have synthesized an alcohol molecule
that has as many carbon atoms as a molecule of gasoline. It releases
as much energy per gallon and can be dropped right into the tank.
CALENDAR
January 15
Jon
Postel Distinguished Lecture Series
"Transactional Boosting: A Methodology for Highly-Concurrent
Transactional Objects"
Maurice Herlihy, Brown University
4:15 p.m., 3400 Boelter Hall
January 21
Center for Excellence in Engineering and Diversity
CEED
Corporate Roundtable
6 p.m., Covel Commons
January 26
Electrical
Engineering Seminar Series
"Future Directions in Mixed-Signal IC Design"
Boris Murmann, Stanford University
1 p.m., 54-134 Engineering IV
Society of Women Engineers
Evening with Industry
6 p.m., Covel Commons
January 27
Jon
Postel Distinguished Lecture Series
"100 Million Years of the Evolutionary History of the Human
Genome"
David Haussler, UC Santa Cruz
4:15 p.m., 3400 Boelter Hall
February 2
Electrical
Engineering Seminar Series
"Controlled Mobility in Sensor Networks"
Rajesh Gupta, UC San Diego
February 3
Leonard Kleinrock Special Lecture
"My Work and My Life"
4:15 p.m., 3400 Boelter Hall
February 12
Engineering
for Life Enrichment
A mini-symposium in conjunction with the 2009 National Academy
of Engineering meeting
1:30 p.m., CNSI building auditorium
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