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Washington Engineer - April 2010

In this issue:

 

NAE Grand Challenge poster image


Dean's Message

Dean Matt O’Donnell talks about next week's National Academy of Engineering Seattle Grand Challenges Summit. Play video »

  Starting image of Dean Matt O'Donnell

Research News

Luis Ceze photo Conquering the chaos in modern, multiprocessor computers UW computer scientist Luis Ceze has found a way to tame multiprocessor computers, which behave in wildly unpredictable ways even as they become widespread in the industry.
UW's biodegradable scaffold, cut into dime-sized slice 3-D scaffold provides clean, biodegradable structure for stem cell growth A material derived from crustacean shell and algae supports the growth of new stem cells, offering a possible replacement to today's Petri dishes lined with animal byproducts.
Life Sciences Discovery Fund logo New Washington Molecular Imaging and Therapy Center A $5 million grant from the Life Sciences Discovery Fund establishes a UW center that will combine ultrasound imaging and molecular tools to more accurately image tumors and enhance drug delivery to diseased tissues.

Campus News

photo, Dennis Lettenmaier Dennis Lettenmaier elected to National Academy of Engineering
Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering Dennis Lettenmaier, a hydrologist and UW alumnus, received the honor. Stealth aircraft designer Dick Sherrer (BS ’42) was also elected this year.
showing the VitroBrick Students compete in Environmental Innovation Challenge
Mechanical engineering students won the $10,000 grand prize for using recycled glass to make water-permeable bricks. Engineers were also part of the Triangle Energy team that won $5,000 for technology that converts solid biomass into a gas. Watch video highlighting student posters, presentations and speakers.

Shwetak Patel UW energy- and water-sensing startup acquired by Belkin
Zensi, a research startup from the UW and Georgia Tech that uses simple technology to monitor electricity and water use in the home, was acquired this month by Belkin International Inc.
Jesse Burk-Rafel in lab National awards for UW engineering students and faculty
A prestigious Luce Scholarship for bioengineering senior Jesse Burk-Rafel, NSF CAREER awards for Georg Seelig, Julie Kientz and Charlotte Lee, and Sloan Research Fellowships for Luis Ceze and Christine Luscombe.

Coming Events

NAE Summit Series logo NAE Grand Challenges Summit
May 2-3, 2010
UW campus and WA State Convention & Trade Center

Students, professionals and academics to discuss the coming challenges in engineering. Seattle’s summit features leading thinkers from UW, MIT, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, PATH, GE, and (formerly) NASA. Join us.
Diamond Awards logo Diamond Awards
May 7, 2010
UW campus

The 2010 honorees include Pixar chief scientist Loren Carpenter (MS ’76), titanium-alloy pioneer James Williams (PhD ’68) and Engineers Without Borders faculty adviser Susan Bolton.

In the Media

Lamborghini sportscar. Photo by Towle Tompkins for The New York Times

Italian Model Goes on a High-Carbon Diet
The New York Times | April 15, 2010

The UW's Automobili Lamborghini Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory is developing lightweight composites to improve performance.

chip with built-in lasers

An Express Lane from Camera to Computer
The New York Times | March 12, 2010

Intel will introduce its Light Peak fiber optic link in a bid to replace the cables that connect computers with digital cameras, music players, and other devices.

MicroGREEN logo

America’s Most Promising Startups: MicroGREEN
BusinessWeek | March 30, 2010

Krishna Nadella (ME, PhD ’09 and MS ’02) is the co-founder and VP of Technology of MicroGREEN, a company that adds air to plastic to reduce materials cost.