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Washington Engineer - July 2011

In this issue:

  • Dean's Message
  • Research - NSF-Funded Center for Neural Engineering; Wireless Heart Pumps; Energy-Efficient Programming
  • Campus News - Welcome to President Michael Young; Race and Gender in Engineering Education; Kyoto Prize for John Cahn
  • Events - Animation Premiere by Deaf Computing Academy; Chemical Engineering Young Scientist Seminar Series
  • In the Media

Dean's Message

Dean Matt O’Donnell talks about the UW’s new Engineering Research Center in Sensorimotor Neural Engineering and welcomes new UW President Michael Young. Play video »

Research

graphic of gridlines on human head outline with circuits behind UW will lead $18.5 million effort to create mind-machine interface
The National Science Foundation established a new Engineering Research Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering at the UW. The interdisciplinary center will combine neuroscience and robotics to develop new rehabilitation technologies.
IEEE Spectrum | Seattle PI | Puget Sound Business Journal
 
illustration of room layout with wireless power transmitters Wireless power could cut cord for patients with implanted heart pumps
A new system to send electricity over short distances can reliably power a mechanical heart pump. The system could lower the chance of infection and improve the quality of life for patients.
Technology Review | Economist | MSNBC
 
Code green: Energy-efficient programming to curb computers’ power use
Computer programmers can get help going green with EnerJ, a new system for substantially reducing a program's energy consumption.
Engadget | GeekWire | Gizmag

Campus News

photo of Michael Young Michael K. Young begins role as UW president
Michael Young took the presidency at the beginning of July. He joins the UW from the University of Utah, where his leadership made the campus a model for technology commercialization.
UWTV welcome interview
 
Center for Workforce Development logo Race matters when recruiting, retaining undergraduate women engineers
A UW study finds that women of different ethnicities report distinct challenges in undergraduate engineering programs. Understanding these trends could help attract and retain more female students.
 
Kyoto Prize logo Materials scientist John Cahn awarded international Kyoto Prize
John Cahn, a UW affiliate professor of Materials Science & Engineering and Physics, was awarded the Kyoto Prize in advanced technology. The award recognizes Cahn’s descriptions of alloyed materials.
 

Events

a screen shot from Quest for the Holy Cheese animation Community Premiere: UW Summer Academy for Advancing Deaf & Hard of Hearing in Computing
Friday, August 19, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30)
Electrical Engineering Building 125
Participants will screen their short animated films. Dessert social in the Allen Center to follow.
 
Chemical Engineering Distinguished Young Scientist Seminar Series
Mondays at 4 p.m. through end of August
Physics Astronomy Auditorium A102
Eight early-career, accomplished chemical engineers from around the country were invited to present their research in this inaugural seminar series.
 

In the Media

brain illustration Feedback loops are changing what people do
Wired | July 2011
The magazine's July cover story argues that feedback loops are profoundly effective tools for changing behavior. Electrical engineering and computer scientist Shwetak Patel's home energy sensors provide an example.
 
view of the Cervélo with model rider New two-wheeled professional tool slices through air
Wired.com | June 29, 2011
A new racing bike used for the first time in this summer’s Tour de France underwent aerodynamic tests in the UW's Kirsten Wind Tunnel. Engineers compared the bicycle's performance against older designs and competitors' models.
 
Rajesh Rao gestures during his TED talk A Rosetta Stone for the Indus script
TED Talks | June 28, 2011
Rajesh Rao is fascinated by the “mother of all crossword puzzles”: How to decipher the 4,000-year-old Indus script. In a TED talk, he describes how he’s using computers to help solve the mystery.