Washington Engineer - October 2009

excerpt of illustration of coming Molecular Engineering building

Architects' rendition of the molecular engineering building. Construction is now underway.

In this issue:

Dean's Message
Research
Campus News
Coming Events
In the Media

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Dean's Message

Matt O'Donnell talks about this month's groundbreaking for the new Molecular Engineering building, which will be the largest low-vibration, low-electromagnetic interference lab space on the West Coast. More »

Research News

	Planet's nitrogen cycle overturned by 'tiny ammonia-eater of the seas' It's not every day you find clues to the planet's inner workings in aquarium scum. But UW civil engineers cultured archaea from a Seattle Aquarium tank, and research published in Nature shows the creature plays a central role in our planet’s nitrogen cycle.

	Nanoparticles cross blood-brain barrier to enable 'brain tumor painting' Materials scientists have developed fluorescent nanoparticles that can cross the blood-brain barrier to better identify brain tumors in mice. Technology Review \| Popular Science \| Gizmag

	Electrical circuit runs entirely off power in trees For the first time, researchers have run an electrical circuit entirely off power in trees. The findings suggest a new power source for wireless sensors—and a way to monitor tree health. EE Times \| MSNBC \| Scientific American

Campus News

	Molecular Engineering Building groundbreaking Last week the UW broke ground on a 5-story, LEED Silver-certified building that will provide a hub for molecular engineering. The building will house a research lab and ultra-sensitive ground contact lab, and support space for each. More about UW molecular engineering research »

	Lamborghini Lab dedication Celebrations last week recognized the Italian sports-car company’s support for UW research. The newly named Automobili Lamborghini Advanced Composite Structures Laboratory will study the composite materials used to build airplanes and high-performance cars. Media coverage: BusinessWeek story Seattle Times story and video

	New chair of Chemical Engineering Daniel Schwartz, Boeing-Sutter Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been named chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. The appointment is effective October 1.

	New Master of Aerospace Engineering in Composite Materials and Structures In partnership with Boeing, the UW’s Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics will offer a new Master’s program for recent graduates and engineering professionals who seek more expertise in the emerging field of composite materials.

Coming Events

	Engineering Xtreme Challenges Lecture Series Each fall, the College of Engineering partners with the UW Alumni Association to present a series of free lectures featuring our distinguished faculty and industry experts. All lectures will be held at 7 p.m. in Kane Hall. Lectures are free but seating is limited; registration is required. Register online or by calling (206) 543-0540. The Cyberspace Data Explosion: Boon or Black Hole? Wednesday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m. Magdalena Balazinska and Tadayoshi Kohno, Computer Science & Engineering Eye on the Universe: Final Mission to Hubble Wednesday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m. Gregory C. Johnson, NASA Astronaut, Hubble mission pilot, UW alumnus ('77) Energy Crisis, Smart Solutions Tuesday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m. Carl Imhoff, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Shwetak Patel, Electrical Engineering / Computer Science & Engineering
	CSE Distinguished Lecturer Series: ‘Rethinking Computing’ Thursday, Nov. 5, 4 p.m. Craig Mundie, Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Microsoft Corp. Kane Hall 120
	Professional Masters in Electrical Engineering: Information Session Nov. 3, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Electrical Engineering Building 303 Information session for the evening Professional Masters Program in Electrical Engineering.
	Save the Date! May 2-3, 2010 for the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenge Summit in Seattle Mark your calendar and plan to join us at the summit. Our challenge topics include Engineering Better Medicines and Engineering the Tools of Scientific Discovery.

In the Media

	Entire Cities Recreated from Flickr Photos New Scientist \| September 29, 2009

	Faster Printable Circuits Technology Review \| August 24, 2009

	EnerG2 Gets $21 Million Federal Grant Puget Sound Business Journal \| August 5, 2009