Institute of Technology's premier event is April 11
There's still time to register for the 2007 Science & Technology Banquet on Wednesday, April 11, at the Hilton Minneapolis. The Institute of Technology's annual premier event is a fundraiser, a social event, and a business networking opportunity for alumni, faculty, staff, students, and corporate friends in the Minnesota business community.
This year’s featured speaker is Lee Lynd, professor of engineering at Dartmouth College, and chief scientific officer, co-founder, and director of Mascoma Corporation who will present "Anticipating the Bioenergy Revolution." Lynd has been recognized for his efforts to promote balance between technological progress and preservation of the natural and human environments, and for outstanding contributions to the field of biotechnology for fuels and chemicals.
The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m., and the program at 7:30 p.m. Also speaking at the banquet are E. Thomas Sullivan, senior vice president and provost, Steven L. Crouch, Institute of Technology dean, and Dawn Spanhake, Institute of Technology Alumni Society president.
Sponsored by the Institute of Technology Alumni Society with generous support from Cargill and Schwegman, Lundberg, Woessner & Kluth, PA, banquet proceeds benefit Institute of Technology undergraduate scholarships. More than $50,000 has been raised for student scholarships in the past three years.
The conference will feature two days of technical sessions, including topics such as medical electronics, surgical robotics, medical imaging, dental devices and cardiovascular engineering.
Conference attendees will have an opportunity to hear several keynote presenters including Dean Kamen, entrepreneur and inventor of the Segway, and John Najarian, transplant surgeon and pioneer. They’ll also be able to view a surgical procedure that will be broadcast live via videoconference from the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview and interact with industry professionals at the scientific poster session where graduate students will showcase their biomedical engineering-related research. Register online by April 6. More...
Minnesota Cup competition seeks innovative business ideas
The third annual Minnesota Cup competition is seeking the newest, most innovative business ideas from anyone in Minnesota. The top prize includes $25,000 in seed capital and professional services to help bring the idea to fruition. A student award of $5,000 is also given as part of the competition.
The contest has drawn more than 600 entries each year for the past two years. This year’s entry deadline is May 25, 2007.
Institute of Technology alumni have won the top prize in the first two Minnesota Cup competitions. John Berger (ME ’84, MBA ’93) and David Emmons (ME ’84) won in 2005 for their invention, Arcswitch, a new low-cost optical switch and attenuator. In 2006, Troy Achterkirch (ME ’94), Steve Smith (ME ’94, M.S. MOT ’04), and Andy Vander Woude (M.S. MOT ’04) were part of the VAST Enterprises team that has created an alternative to the traditional paver using 99 percent recycled materials.
Primary sponsors of the Minnesota Cup competition are Wells Fargo and the University of Minnesota, including the Institute of Technology. More…
Wireless Cities Conference to focus on the impact of municipal wireless networks
The two-day conference brings together educators, researchers, project coordinators, funders, community activists and policy-makers to discuss the implications of wireless communities —identifying opportunities and considering the obstacles critical to realizing innovative and effective use of regional wireless networks.
Institute of Technology hosts “Rebuilding After Katrina” in Public Lecture Series
Institute of Technology alumnus Craig Johnson (M.S. CivE ’79) will present “Rebuilding After Katrina” on May 16, at 7 p.m., in Coffman Memorial Union Theater. The presentation is part of the Institute of Technology’s ongoing public lecture series featuring distinguished leaders on topics related to science and technology.
Johnson’s lecture will discuss rebuilding the hurricane protection system in New Orleans and restoring the public's trust in the city's infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina. A panel of Institute of Technology faculty and alumni who have been involved in hurricane protection and recovery following Katrina will answer questions from the audience after his presentation.
Free and open to the public, this event is sponsored by the Institute of Technology Alumni Society. A cookies and coffee reception is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. prior to the lecture. For more information call 612-626-8282. More...
Institute of Technology professor to lead multi-university research team
A team of nine scholars from six universities has been awarded a grant of $6 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Richard Kiehl, an Institute of Technology electrical and computer engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, will lead the effort to exploit precise biological assembly techniques for the study of quantum physics in nanoparticle arrays.
Kiehl has wide-ranging experience in investigating the potential of novel fabrication techniques, physical structures and architectures for electronics. He has assembled a multidisciplinary team to develop biological strategies combining DNA, proteins and peptides with chemical synthesis techniques to construct arrays of nanoparticles and to systematically characterize the resulting quantum electronic systems. This research will produce a fundamental understanding of quantum electronic systems that could impact future electronics.
The grant was awarded by the Army Research Office and is one of 36 grants recently awarded under the highly competitive DoD Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI). More...
Famed chimpanzee researcher visits the University
Jane Goodall, famed chimpanzee researcher, visited the University of Minnesota on March 20 to learn more about the interdisciplinary work of University ecologists and computer scientists on chimpanzee data, which is being conducted through the University of Minnesota's Jane Goodall Institute's Center for Primate Studies (JGI-CPS).
As part of the University project, computer science professors Shashi Shekhar and Jaideep Srivastava and other University researchers have been analyzing and digitally organizing more than 46 years of data collected by Goodall and her colleagues at Gombe National Park in Tanzania. The computer science researchers are studying the data for patterns in everything from female grouping habits, to male aggression mating habits relating to the Simian Immune Deficiency Virus (SIV cpz). More...
Honors
Assistant professor Alptekin Aksan (mechanical engineering) has been granted an NSF Career Award for his proposal entitled "Room Temperature Stabilization of Cellular Factories by Confinement: A Thermodynamic Approach."
Four Institute of Technology faculty have been named recipients of the 2007 Distinguished McKnight University Professorship, which recognizes and rewards outstanding mid-career faculty.
They are honored with the title Distinguished McKnight University Professor, which they hold for as long as they remain at the University. They are:
Professor Gary J. Balas (aerospace engineering and mechanics) Development and Application of Robust Feedback Control to Complex Systems
Professor Uwe Kortshagen (mechanical engineering) Cold Gas and Hot Electrons: Plasma Research for Microelectronics and Energy Technologies
Professor Nikos Papanikolopoulos (computer science and engineering) Robots and Vision-Based Algorithms—Breaking New Frontiers.
Professor Saif Benjaafar (mechanical Engineering) has been elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), which recognizes outstanding leaders of the profession who have made significant, nationally recognized contributions to industrial engineering. Since 1950, only 250 members have been awarded this honor. The Council of Fellows represents many of the most prominent members of the industrial engineering profession. Professor Benjaafar will be formally recognized as a Fellow at the IIE National Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. on May 20.
Professor Graham Candler (aerospace engineering and mechanics) recently received the prestigious 2007 Thermophysics Award from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the professional society of the aerospace engineering field. This award recognizes the foremost leaders in the field of thermophysics—the study of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
Computer science and engineering (CSE) doctoral student Kelly Cannon has been selected to receive Google’s prestigious Anita Borg Scholarship, which supports women in computing, technology, and leadership. Cannon has been active in the robotics research area and has been the driving force behind the computer science and engineering department’s Kids Tech Camp held each summer. The award includes a $10,000 scholarship and covers the costs of attending two Google networking events. Another CSE doctoral student, Shana Watters, received the Anita Borg Scholarship in 2006.
Three Institute of Technology faculty members have been named recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award, the University’s most prestigious award for excellence in teaching. They will be honored at the Distinguished Teaching Awards Ceremony from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Monday, April 23 at the McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak Street S.E., Minneapolis. Professor Thomas Hoye (chemistry) and professor Ned Mohan (electrical and computer engineering) received a Morse-Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Award for their outstanding contributions to undergraduate education. Professor Bruce Wollenberg (electrical engineering and computer engineering) received a Graduate-Professional Teaching Award for outstanding contributions to post baccalaureate, graduate and professional education.
Professor Robert O. Pepin (physics and astronomy) was recently named a fellow of the Geochemical Society and European Association for Geochemistry, recognizing outstanding scientists who have, over the years, made a major contribution to the field of geochemistry. The number of Fellows elected each year is limited to less than 1 percent of the membership of the combined societies and is typically significantly fewer. Pepin will be honored along with the other new Fellows at the Goldschmidt Conference in Cologne, Germany in August.
Haifeng Qian (EE Ph.D. ’06) received the 2006 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Outstanding Ph.D. Dissertation Award in Electronic Design Automation for his dissertation, "Stochastic and Hybrid Linear Equation Solvers and their Applications in VLSI Design Automation." Qian is a research staff member at IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center.
Associate professor Rajesh Rajamani (mechanical engineering) has won the 2007 O. Hugo Schuck Award for the paper, "Algorithms for Real-Time Estimation of Individual Wheel Tire-Road Friction Coefficients," with Damrongrit Piyabongkarn, Jae Y. Lew, and John A. Grogg. The award will be presented during the 2007 ACC Awards Luncheon to be held on July 12 during the 2007 American Control Conference at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
Institute of Technology alumni Liuqing Yang (EE M.S. ’02, Ph.D.’04) and Shengli Zhou (EE Ph.D. ’02) have been selected as winners in the 2007 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program. This award recognizes the best researchers who are supported by the Office of Naval Research. Only 33 winners were selected from 214 submitted proposals. Yang is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. Zhou is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut. Both were advised by Professor Georgios Giannakis during their time at the University of Minnesota.
Media watch
Minnesota's geology reveals road signs to diamond riches
An exhaustive study by University of Minnesota geology researchers and an Australian mining company discovered geological markers across Minnesota similar to those in Canada that have led to huge diamond strikes over the past 10 years. March 2: University of Minnesota News Release, Diamonds.net, Pioneer Press, KTTC TV Rochester
Scientists turn algae into silicon
David Norris (chemical engineering and materials science) writes a commentary about a breakthrough by scientists who say they have found a way to convert the delicate exoskeleton of single-cell algae into silicon, the gold standard of electronics. March 8: Nature, ABC Science - Australia; March 12:Chemical and Engineering News
U gamers go to war
The U.S. military recently announced that the University of Minnesota is in line to receive perhaps millions of dollars.
March 9: Pioneer Press
U student team programs its way to Tokyo
A team of University of Minnesota computer science students competed in the World Finals of the Association of Computer Machinery's International Collegiate Programming Contest. March 9:Minnesota Daily
Ethanol sources expand
The federal government recently awarded $385 million in grants aimed at jumpstarting ethanol production from nontraditional sources. According to Lanny Schmidt (chemical engineering and materials science), biomass feedstocks don't easily give up their starches, so more expensive steps are needed to ferment cellulose in high-pressure chambers that have limited amounts of oxygen, March 9: Akron Beacon Journal-Ohio
Bruce Wollenberg: Engineering serves people, not things
Bruce Wollenberg (electrical and computer engineering) writes a commentary about how the work of engineers improves our lives. March 11: Star Tribune
Pocket-sized PCR machine
Kevin Dorfman (chemical engineering and materials science) comments on a recent report about scientists in the U.S. being one step closer to designing a miniaturized, portable PCR machine that could be used for applications such as point-of-care diagnostics. March 19: Chemistry World - UK
U of M to lead six-university effort to use biology to advance quantum physics and electronics
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded a team of nine scholars from six universities a grant of $6 million over five years to exploit precise biological assembly techniques for the study of quantum physics in nanoparticle arrays. Leading the effort is electrical and computer engineering professor Richard Kiehl of the University of Minnesota. March 19: University of Minnesota News Release; March 20: Photonics - Massachusetts; March 21:Science Daily; March 26: Nanotechwire
U program exposes Black girls to science and engineering
The Institute of Technology’s Academic Programs for Excellence in Engineering and Science (APEXES) hosted 60 girls from the Minneapolis Afrocentric charter school Harvest Prep Academy in February in honor of Black History Month and National Engineers Week.
March 21: Spokesman Recorder
Can you live without a computer for a day?
Thomas Misa, the director of the University’s Charles Babbage Institute, says computers and personal technologies like cell phones and iPods have become unavoidable. March 23: Minnesota Daily
Pothole season arrives
Mihai Marasteanu (civil engineering) says this past winter’s abundance of freeze-thaw cycles are to blame for the pothole outbreak. March 26: Minnesota Moment
U's plan for biomedical facilities one step closer
to reality
The Senate Capital Investment Committee approved a bill that would allow the U to build six new biomedical research laboratories over 10 years. March 26: Pioneer Press
Math and Science Fun Fair is a success
University's Institute of Technology Center for Educational Programs (ITCEP) hosted the Math and Science Fun Fair for third- through seventh-grade students in an effort to expose them to science and its possibilities. March 26: Minnesota Daily
Events
MHTA Spring Conference
April 10: Entitled “Next Generation Everything,” this Minnesota High Tech Association conference will address some of today’s hot issues in the technology and business community and how they impact our daily lives as business leaders and as individuals. For more information and to register, visit www.mhta.org, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Minneapolis Hyatt Regency.
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 present "Anticipating the Bioenergy Revolution" at the Institute of Technology's annual gala. Proceeds benefit Institute of Technology undergraduate scholarships. Register now. Reception, 5:30 p.m.; Dinner, 6:30 p.m.; Program, 7:30 p.m., Hilton Minneapolis.
Energy Seminar Series
April 11, 2007: Dr. Aldo Steinfeld,
professor, Paul Scherrer Institute, Solar Technology Laboratory, Switzerland, will present "Advances in the Thermochemical Production of Solar Fuels." Co-Sponsored by the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment. 4 p.m.; 2-690 Moos Health Sciences Tower.
Bioinformatics Symposium: Building Bridges
April 12-13: Hosted by the Digital Technology Center, this two-day symposium includes tutorials, speakers, a poster session, and lunch. The symposium supports the field of Bioinformatics and its University of Minnesota Graduate Program. Free. Register online. Digital Technology Center, Walter Library.
"Doing Breakfast with the Nordic Countries"
April 16: Four U.S. Ambassadors are coming to the Twin Cities to talk about business opportunities for Minnesota companies in the Nordic countries. The Minnesota International Center and the U.S. Department of Commerce will host a business breakfast where they will discuss trade, investment, and research opportunities as well as regulatory, market access, and policy issues. Former Vice President Walter Mondale will moderate. Registration7:30 a.m.; Program 8:00 a.m. Call 612-625-4421 for more information.
Wireless Cities Conference…Communities of Interests
April 16-17: This Wireless Cities conference brings 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. Register online. 402 Walter Library.
Design of Medical Devices Conference
April 17-19: Sponsored by the University of Minnesota's Biomedical Engineering Institute, Institute of Technology, Academic Health Center, Office of the President, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the conference includes two days of technical/clinical sessions and the one-day 4th Annual President's 21st Century Interdisciplinary Conference. Register online. Radisson University Hotel.
April 25: Entitled “U.S.-German Opportunities for Cooperation in Biofuels and Biomass” and presented by the German American Chamber of Commerce, the objective of this conference is to open a dialog for partnership between two of the world’s leading countries in developing and implementing new bioenergy technologies. Innovative German companies will present their technologies. Opportunities for creating cooperations here in the U.S. will be discussed. Leading speakers from both the U.S. and Germany will share their knowledge and experiences. Registration
will be capped at the first 120 participants. For more information
and to register, visit www.gaccom.org. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis campus.
Minnesota’s Weather History: Stats, Stories and Future Scenarios
April 27: Learn fascinating facts and figures about Minnesota’s complex weather in a lively, engaging talk with one of the state’s most popular science scholars. Meteorologist, climatologist, and University professor Mark Seeley is well known as a commentator on Minnesota Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” He will share stats, stories and future scenarios about Minnesota weather based on his recently published book, "Minnesota Weather Almanac." Copies of his book will be available for sale and signing at the event. Sponsored by University Libraries. Free and open to the public. 3 p.m., Great Hall, 2nd Floor, Walter Library.
Data Mining Reception and Research Project Reviews
April 27: Held in conjunction with the SIAM Data Mining 2007 Conference, attendees may view posters on specific commercial University of Minnesota data mining research projects, and interact with data mining experts from around the country. Register online. 6:30-8:30 p.m.Radisson University Hotel.
Looking ahead
Institute of Technology Commencement
May 4: The Institute of Technology holds one undergraduate commencement each year. This event will begin with a faculty procession leading the graduates into Northrop Memorial Auditorium and will conclude with the presentation of degree candidates. Faculty, graduates, and honored guests will hear remarks from the dean, a student from the graduating class, and a commencement address delivered by Rich Kruger (ME ’81), Executive Vice President, Exxon Mobil Production Company. 7-9 p.m, Northrop Auditorium.
Institute of Technology Dean's Club Reception
May 8: The Dean's Club recognizes donors who support the Institute of Technology with annual gifts of $1,000 and above. A reception to celebrate Dean's Club members will take place prior to the UMAA Annual Celebration. Discounted dinner and program tickets for the UMAA Annual Celebration for Dean's Club members are available through the Institute of Technology. To RSVP for the Dean's Club Reception and/or purchase tickets, please contact Liz Stadther at stadt001@umn.edu or 612-626-1802. Reception, 4 p.m., Club Room, Williams Arena.
UMAA 2007 Annual Celebration featuring Tony Dungy
May 8: Tony Dungy, University of Minnesota alumnus and head coach of the world-champion Indianapolis Colts, will be the keynote speaker at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Annual Celebration. The event is sponsored by UMAA, TCF Bank and Mortenson. For ticket information, contact Sara Beyer at sbeyer@umn.edu or 612-626-8282. Registration, 5:30 p.m.; Dinner, 6 p.m.; Program, 8:00 p.m., Mariucci Arena.
Public Forum on Institute for the Advancement of Science and Engineering
May 10: University of Minnesota
Office of the Senior Vice President
for Academic Affairs and Provost is sponsoring a Public Forum. Join the Institute’s Advisory Committee in a discussion of its vision for the future of science and engineering at the University, and share your ideas on this new, interdisciplinary Institute. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-520 Moos Tower. Interactive live broadcast available. Learn more.
Fifth Annual Intelligent Storage Workshop
May 15-16: The DTC Intelligent, Storage Consortium
(DISC) is hosting the Fifth
Intelligent Storage Workshop (ISW5). This year the workshop
will continue its focus on applications and architectures for intelligent
(object-based) storage but will also add presentations on storage
and high performance computing. Fee charged. Register
online. 402Walter
Library.
Public Lecture Series -"Rebuilding After Katrina"
May 16: Institute of Technology alumnus Craig Johnson (M.S. CivE '79) vice president, Stanley Consultants, and senior project manager, Task Force Guardian, will discuss rebuilding the hurricane protection system in New Orleans and restoring the public's trust in the city's infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina. Reception, 6:30 p.m.; Lecture, 7:30 p.m., Free and open to the public.Coffman Memorial Union Theater.
There's still time to register for the 
This year’s featured speaker is Lee Lynd, professor of engineering at Dartmouth College, and chief scientific officer, co-founder, and director of Mascoma Corporation who will present "Anticipating the Bioenergy Revolution." Lynd has been recognized for his efforts to promote balance between technological progress and preservation of the natural and human environments, and for outstanding contributions to the field of biotechnology for fuels and chemicals.