ITems | December 2006

2007 Science and Technology Banquet to feature keynote speaker Lee Lynd

Professor Lee Lynd

Lee Lynd a professor at Dartmouth College and chief scientific officer, co-founder, and director of Mascoma Corporation, will be the keynote speaker at the 2007 Science & Technology Banquet, on Wed., April 11, in Minneapolis. Time and location will be announced in January, and online registration will be available in February.

Mascoma Corporation is one of the leading research companies in developing low-cost renewable fuels.

The Institute of Technology's premier annual event, the Science & Technology Banquet is a fundraiser, a social event, and a business networking opportunity for alumni, faculty, staff, students, and corporate friends in the Minnesota business community. Banquet proceeds benefit the Institute of Technology Alumni Scholarship Fund. More...

U takes next steps in expanding Rochester presence

University President Robert Bruininks announced in November that the University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) is being designated as an official campus of the University system.

In addition, Bruininks outlined other significant enhancements to UMR, including UMR's position as a major hub of the new statewide Center for Allied and Health Programs, designed to meet future state workforce needs. The center will include an undergraduate program in medical technology/clinical lab science and a master's degree program in occupational therapy. Work also has begun on creating the Center for Bioinformatics and quantitative studies in the life sciences to meet critical research needs.

Bruininks announced that UMR's Academic and Corporate Relations Center is now serving as a "front door" to the University for businesses and other organizations in Rochester and southeastern Minnesota interested in technology transfer and the commercial potential of research in biomedical technology, renewable energy, nanotechnology and other areas of discovery. More...

Institute of Technology student named Rhodes Scholar

Katie N. Lee, 2007 Rhodes Scholar

Katie N. Lee, an honors senior at the University of Minnesota majoring in chemistry and biochemistry, has been named one of 32 U.S. Rhodes Scholars for 2007. The scholarships, which are the oldest and best known award for international study, cover two to three years of degree courses at Oxford University. A total of 85 scholars were named worldwide.

Lee is completing a degree in chemistry from the Institute of Technology and a degree in biochemistry from the College of Biological Sciences. She plans to earn a doctoral degree in biochemistry at Oxford and to pursue a career in academic medicine as a physician scientist. More...

Academic and Corporate Relations Center and Web site open "front door" to business

The University of Minnesota recently announced the launch of the Academic and Corporate Relations Center (ACRC) Web site. The site offers easy access to the University's vast array of resources of interest to business and industry. The ACRC was created based on feedback and input from business leaders around the state.

ACRC's services include concierge services that offer businesses a one-stop shop for information and contacts within the University, relationship managers who work with businesses to connect them to University resources, the newly-launched Web site, and periodic workshops and events. More…

Hudleston to step down from role as associate dean

Peter Hudleston

Peter Hudleston has decided to step down from his role as the Institute of Technology's associate dean for student affairs. He will return full time to the faculty in the Department of Geology and Geophysics in August 2007.

Hudleston has served as associate dean for 12 years and has had a major influence on maintaining the quality of the Institute of Technology's undergraduate programs.

"Peter has been a strong advocate for our students and has represented the college in a variety of forums throughout the state and around the country," said Institute of Technology Dean Steven Crouch. "I thank him for the many contributions he has made to the college during his tenure as associate dean.

Crouch will appoint a committee early next year to search for Hudleston's successor. A new associate dean is expected to start work late next summer.

IT receives award for top gift contributions

The Institute of Technology recently received a "Top Producer Award" given to the college with alumni and friends contributing the highest gift total during the University's Promise of Tomorrow Scholarship Drive.

A record 44,860 University of Minnesota alumni and friends made gifts and pledges during the three years of the scholarship Drive, helping achieve the $150 million goal. During the scholarship drive, $37 million was raised for graduate student fellowships, including an anonymous gift of $10 million for fellowships in the Institute of Technology. More…

College giving to Community Fund Drive tops $108,000

Overall participation in giving to the University’s Community Fund Drive from Institute of Technology employees topped $108,000 this fall, a slight increase from last year and the second-largest dollar amount raised by any unit within the University. Across the entire Twin Cities campus, about 30.5 percent of the faculty and staff contributed more than $1.17 million, the second highest amount ever.

"I am proud to lead a college with so many employees who care deeply about supporting the charities that serve our community," said Institute of Technology Dean Steven Crouch.
More...

Trails of tiny particles leave physicists beaming

Soudan Underground Laboratory

According to the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records, the world's most powerful beam of neutrinos is the one that zips underground from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory outside Chicago to a 5,000-ton detector in the Soudan Underground Laboratory, a unique physics laboratory located in northern Minnesota and operated by the School of Physics and Astronomy.

Neutrinos (Italian for "little neutral ones") are subatomic particles that may hold the key to the origins of the neutrons, protons, and electrons that form the world we see. They have been under investigation for years, and a team of University physics professors are playing a key role in the most precise experiment to capture their essence. More...

U researchers advance narrow commuter vehicle concept

Current narrow vehicle model

A research team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering is developing and refining a prototype narrow commuter vehicle. Their current edition is a three-wheeled model that is a little more than three feet wide, with a driver-protective roll cage that seats one. The vehicle would take up less than half the space of a standard automobile and could potentially be driven two abreast in a normal lane of traffic. Researchers hope this concept may someday help alleviate traffic congestion.

While other prototype narrow vehicles have been developed over the years, and some universities and companies in Europe are actively working on the concept, the University of Minnesota is unique in its research in the United States. More...

Honors

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has awarded the distinction of Fellow to the following Institute of Technology faculty members for their efforts toward advancing science applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished:

Professor Wayne Gladfelter (chemistry) received the honor for his scientific research involving a cluster-based approach to inorganic chemistry, resulting in the elucidation of important homogeneous catalytic reactions, the implementation of new precursors for chemical vapor deposition, and discovery of new nanomaterials.

Professor Vipin Kumar (computer science and engineering) was named as Fellow for his distinguished contributions to the field of high-performance computing and data mining.

Distinguished McKnight University Professor William Tolman (chemistry) was recognized for his distinguished contributions to the field of bioinorganic chemistry, particularly for the synthesis and characterization of models of novel copper active sites in proteins.

Professor Ed Cussler (chemical engineering and materials science) received the 2006 Gerhold Award. The award recognizes an individual's outstanding contribution in research, development, or in the application of chemical separations technology.

Professors Zhi-Quan (Tom) Luo (electrical and computer engineering) and Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos (computer science and engineering) were recently named Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) fellows, effective Jan. 1, 2007. Professor Luo was recognized for his contributions to modern optimization and its applications in signal processing and digital communications. Professor Papanikolopoulos received the honor for his contributions to distributed robotics and the creation of the miniature Scout robot. Each year the IEEE recommends a select group of recipients for one of the Institute's most prestigious honors.

Professor Michael Semmens (civil engineering) was named a 2006-2007 Fulbright Scholar. He will be spending the year conducting research abroad.

Professor Shashi Shekhar (computer science and engineering) was selected as the recipient of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society's Technical Achievement Award for contributions to spatial databases. The annual award is presented for outstanding and innovative contributions to the fields of computer and information science and engineering or computer technology.

Media watch

Small star created major dust

Observations with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, led by University of Minnesota astrophysicists, have found cosmic dust deep within an ancient pack of stars called a globular cluster. Nov. 1: Astronomy Magazine; Nov. 10: Discovery Channel.

Process turns soy oil into hydrogen

Lanny Schmidt (chemical engineering) and his team of researches have discovered a clean, quick and relatively easy way to transform soybean oil into high-value gases that could be used to power fuel cells and other future energy sources. Nov. 3: Pioneer Press (St. Paul);Monsters and Critics; Nov. 6: MN Daily.

Driven to Discover

Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos (computer science and engineering) and U graduate student Kelly Cannon discussed the University of Minnesota's new marketing campaign, Driven to Discover, and showed off robots designed by Papanikolopoulos and his students that are now being used in search and resue missions. Nov. 4: KARE-TV News (Minneapolis-St. Paul).

Alums create local jobs

Civil engineering alumna Susan Rani was featured in a story about a recently released University survey that reveals the economic benefits reaped from University alumni worldwide. Nov. 7: MN Daily.

'U' promotes user-friendly technology

Joseph Konstan (computer science and engineering), a specialist in human-computer interaction at the U who has worked to make Web sites more usable, shared his thoughts about technology usability. Nov. 14: MN Daily; Nov. 15: Pioneer Press (St. Paul).

PS3 or Wii? It's time to get in line

John Riedl (computer science and engineering) believes video games are the next step in an entertainment revolution that began with movies and progressed to television. Nov. 15: Star Tribune (Minneapolis).

Make way for plastics made from corn

A local company has developed a way to create plastics from corn kernels instead of using petroleum-based ingredients. Dr. Shri Ramaswamy (bioproducts and biosystems engineering) is leading a research group at the University of Minnesota in hopes of helping extend the shelf life of corn-based plastics. Nov. 15: WCCO-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul).

Mercury retrograde

Andrew Helton (astronomy) discussed mercury retrograde. Nov. 17: WCCO-AM (Minneapolis-St. Paul).

Institute of Technology student named Rhodes Scholar

Katie N. Lee, who is majoring in chemistry at the Institute of Technology has been selected as a 2007 Rhodes Scholar. Oct. 20: Pioneer Press (St. Paul); Star Tribune (Minneapolis); WCCO-TV (Minneapolis-St. Paul); Nov. 21: MN Daily.

Events

Tenth Annual Freight and Logistics Symposium

December 1: This year's symposium, "Greening the Supply Chain: Environmental Innovations in Freight Transportation," will focus on environmental innovations in freight transportation. Larry Lair, general manager of 3M’s Traffic Safety Systems Division, will make the keynote presentation, focusing on how 3M’s small changes in packaging methods and freight transport have had major impact on the environment. Fee charged. Registration online. 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Four Points Sheraton, Minneapolis.

Fifth Annual LifeScience Alley Conference and Expo

December 6: Leaders from the Midwest and beyond will share best practices and expertise across the diverse life sciences industry. Attendees represent the agricultural and industrial biotechnology and renewable energy, medical device, health care, pharmaceutical, and biopharma sectors. Agenda includes juried poster session showcasing University of Minnesota Biomedical Engineering Institute and BioTechnology Institute graduate students and faculty research projects. Fee Charged. Registration options. 7:45 a.m.–6 p.m. RiverCentre, St. Paul.

56th Annual Concrete Conference

December 7: Performance, durability, restoration, repair, innovation, and research continue to be important topics for those involved in concrete construction. Conference presenters include practicing engineers, engineering faculty, and consultants who will offer information on current technology and practice. Fee charged. Registration online. 7:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Continuing Education and Conference Center.

Cafe Scientifique: Comet Dust and Wind from the Sun

December 12: U of M physics and astronomy professor Bob Pepin tells how he examines comet dust and particles from the sun that have been collected by NASA's Stardust and Genesis missions. Donation suggested. 6–8 p.m., Varsity Theater.

Looking ahead

Science & Technology Banquet

April 11: Lee Lynd, professor of engineering at Dartmouth College and chief scientific officer, co-founder, and director of Mascoma Corporation will be the keynote speaker at the Institute of Technology's annual gala, sponsored by the Institute of Technology Alumni Society. Registration opening in February 2007. Event location and time to be announced.

Wireless Cities Conference ... Communities of Interests

April 16–17: Wireless Cities will bring together educators, researchers, project coordinators, funders, community activists and policy-makers to discuss the implications of wireless communities. Sponsored by The University of Minnesota Digital Media Center, Digital Technology Center, Institute for New Media Studies, the Metropolitan Design Center, and Digital Watershed. Registration opening in December 2006.