Washington Engineer - January 2011 Video Message
Read Matt's message
Hi, I'm Matt O'Donnell, dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Washington.
I want to first say happy new year to everybody, and I also want to introduce you to some of our student teams and some of the fantastic work they've done in the last year.
I'll highlight three specific projects which recently got some international attention. The first is on a handheld, ultrasound device which will be deployed in sub-Saharan Africa. What's unique about this is that the device interface was designed by a set of undergraduate students to be specific to midwives. The device has gotten notoriety and has received some funding now from the Gates Foundation for deployment in Uganda.
A second project which has also gotten quite a bit of international exposure is for work in the genetically engineered machines competition, or IGem as it's called, which is a new competition just a few years old but which has quickly become one of the premiere engineering design competitions in the world. The University of Washington group won the award in the medicine and health category for a re-engineered enzyme which can attack the protective coating of the anthrax bacteria. Really, very exciting work that can lead to practical solutions in global health.
And finally, a group of undergraduates and graduate students have tackled an old problem but in a new way, and that is the idea of trying to disinfect water using light itself by maintaining the water in a closed environment such as a plastic water bottle. The technology that they've invented can tell you whether the water in the bottle is safe to drink. It is a very simple device but very powerful. It has won an international competition, it has received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation for deployment, and now, in fact, is being commercialized as we speak.
So, I would like you to read more about the accomplishments of our faculty and students in this issue. And thank you for reading Washington Engineer.