Faculty News
Research Grants & Patents:
Prof. Stephen Hsu (MAE) received a two-year, $400,000 DOE grant to work on fuel economy improvement through surface technology and weight reduction for cars and trucks. The objective of the project is to translate his previous laboratory results into practice in engines. Several patents are being applied for through GW.
U.S. Patent 7,899,263, "Method and apparatus for processing analytical-form compression noise in images with known statistics," was granted to Prof. Murray Loew (ECE), and his former doctoral student, Dunling Li, on March 1.
Media Mentions:
Profs. Joe Barbera and Greg Shaw (ESME) appeared recently on Danger Zone, a satellite radio program aired throughout the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and the Middle East, to provide their views on the evolution of the emergency management and homeland security professions, and to discuss the educational opportunities in those disciplines available through the EMSE department. The radio program is scheduled to air in the U.S. on April 17 at 10:00 am and 10:00 pm, and to repeat on April 23 at the same times. It is broadcast on XM Channel 135 and Sirius Channel 140.
Papers:
Prof. Pinhas Ben Tzi (MAE) published the following paper: Bai, S., Ben-Tzvi, P., Zhou, Q., Huang, X., "Variable Structure Controller Design for Linear Systems with Bounded Inputs," International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems, Vol. 9, Issue 2, pp. 228-236, April 2011.
The paper "Modeling static and dynamic thermography of the human breast under elastic deformation," by Li Jiang (recent ECE doctoral graduate), Dr. Wang Zhan (University of California, San Francisco), and Prof. Murray Loew (ECE), was published in Physics in Medicine and Biology, Vol. 56, No. 1, 2011, doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/56/1/012
Drs. John Delaney and Suzanne Lomax (National Gallery of Art) and Prof. Murray Loew (ECE) are the authors of the paper "Instrument development and analysis tools for standoff identification and mapping of pigments and binders in paintings," which was presented by Dr. Delaney at the American Chemical Society National Meeting in Anaheim, CA, in March.
Profs. Thomas Mazzuchi and Johan van Dorp (EMSE) published the paper "A Bayesian expert judgment model to determine lifetime distributions for maintenance optimisation" in Structure and Infrastructure Engineering: Maintenance, Management, Life-Cycle Design and Performance.
Prof. David J. Nagel (ECE) published the article "Scientific Overview of ICCF-16" in Infinite Energy magazine, Issue 96, pages 9-19 (March and April 2011)
Conferences & Presentations:
Prof. Philippe Bardet (MAE) participated in a panel discussion, "After the Earthquake and Tsunami: Japan's Nuclear, Economic, and Political Challenges," organized by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at GW's Elliott School of International Affairs. His talk covered the nuclear crisis in Japan.
Prof. Pinhas Ben-Tzvi (MAE) was invited to participate as a member of the Technical Program Committee for the 2011 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics and Automation (IEEE ICMA 2011). The conference will be held in Beijing, August 7-10.
Prof. Stephen Hsu (MAE) attended the first World Materials Perspective Summit on Materials for Energy, held March 30-31 in Nancy, France. There, he gave an invited talk on nanomaterials for energy applications. The conference was sponsored by Materalia France in collaboration with the International Energy Agency headquartered in Paris, France.
Prof. Baoxia Mi (CEE) and her student Yaolin Liu presented their work, "Effects of Membrane Surface Reconditioning by Organic Macromolecules on Gypsum Scaling of Forward Osmosis Membranes," at the American Water Works Association Membrane Technology Conference in Long Beach, CA, March 28-31.
Prof. Michael Stankosky (EMSE) was the principal speaker on April 5 for the global webinar series Knowledge Management in the 21st Century. The series, hosted by GW's Institute for Knowledge & Innovation and Kent State University, aims to identify and grow consensus on the field's body of knowledge, competencies, roles, and curriculum. GW will host a seminar in the series on May 5 and 6.
Student News
"Literature review: a representation of how future knowledge workers are shaping the twenty-first century workplace," an article by Diana Acsente (EMSE - doctoral candidate), has been selected for inclusion in Emerald Reading ListAssist. Reading ListAssist is a peer-reviewed reading list that has been compiled by faculty experts and is a service provided to all Emerald subscribers.
Damon Conover (ECE - doctoral candidate) has been awarded the ARCS scholarship. The ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation provides scholarships to academically outstanding students pursuing degrees in science, medicine and engineering. Scholars are selected by representatives of the 52 U.S. academic institutions that the foundation supports, based on strict criteria and recommendations from departmental advisers and faculty.
Gregory Keefe (EMSE - graduate certificate candidate) received the Marvin C. Beasley Memorial Scholarship from the American Society for Industrial Security - National Capital Chapter, which is awarded annually to a GW student.
Amanda Knight (EMSE - MS candidate) received the first annual Margie Barba Memorial Scholarship for students studying emergency management and business continuity from the Mid-Atlantic Association of Contingency Managers.
The American Society of Civil Engineers - National Capital Section (ASCE/NCS) will award scholarships on April 19 to Claire Powers, Emily Alexander, and William Henry (CEE - BS candidates).
Other News
Carrie Speranza, who holds an MS in crisis emergency and risk management from SEAS, has been elected the treasurer of the Virginia Emergency Management Association.
Guest Vignette
Everyone's saying it: "There's an app for that!" Now, thanks to the efforts of EMSE student Ahadu Tilahun, GW can say it too.
Ahadu is in ESME's five-year combined BS/MS in systems engineering program and works part time in the Office of Academic Technologies, where he developed the official GW Mobile iPhone app. If you haven't already downloaded it, check it out - it's pretty cool! It features a clean interface with buttons to access information on courses, maps, calendars, Gelman Library, the GW Hatchet, contacts, alerts, GW Today, emergency information, athletics, and feedback. The app is a convenient central repository for what you need to know while on the go.
But Ahadu is more than just a talented developer. He also led his systems engineering design team to win ESME's Best Senior Design of the Year (2010) award. Their project, "Haiti Earthquake Emergency Response System," is an operations research-based approach intended to aid decision-makers in natural disaster situations. He is currently spending what free time he has turning this senior design idea into a mobile app, just for fun.
Ahadu is a systems engineer for the future. Please join us in congratulating Ahadu on his many accomplishments as he prepares for the ultimate celebration this spring: graduation.
(Provided courtesy of Prof. Julie Ryan, chair of the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering)
Upcoming Events
Please join us as we celebrate the third annual SEAS Faculty Excellence Awards
Thursday, April 21
3:00 - 5:00 pm
308 Marvin Center
Honorees
Professor Azim Eskandarian (CEE), Distinguished Researcher Award
Professor Rumana Riffat (CEE), Distinguished Teacher Award
Professor Matthew Kay (ECE), Outstanding Young Researcher Award
SEAS Events:
MAE/GWIBE Seminar Series: Engineering Feedback Control Systems in Microbes
Mary J. Dunlop, University of Vermont
Thursday, April 14
1:00 - 2:00 pm
640 Phillips Hall
MAE Seminar: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami Aftermath: Nuclear Power Plant Safety and Research Issues
Philippe Bardet and Ken Chong, MAE
Thursday, April 14
4:00 - 5:30 pm
403 Marvin Center
Pelton Senior Design Competition & SEAS Senior-Alumni BBQ
Wednesday, May 11
5:00 - 8:00 pm
Grand Ballroom, Marvin Center
Entrepreneurship Events:
Follow GW Office of Entrepreneurship activities on: Facebook: GW Office of Entrepreneurship, Twitter: GWInnovate, and www.gwu.edu/entrepreneurship.
BYOB (Be Your Own Boss): Different Generations of Success
Monday, April 11
9:00 pm
651 Duques
$50K BizPlanComp: Finals
Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15
Duques, 6th Floor
Entrepreneur Office Hours in Old Main
Friday, April 22
1:00 - 2:00 pm
102 Old Main
SEAS Seminar on Entrepreneurship: "Building Your Early Stage Startup Team"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
6:00 - 8:30 pm
108 Funger Hall [Please note the room change for this seminar]
Academic Success Events:
Ethical Research Standards: Doing Research the Right Way
Wednesday, April 27
3:30 - 5:30 pm
402 Marvin Center