eDragon Notes - Drexel Engineering
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August 2012
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EVENTS

 

Keyspot Volunteer Community Outreach Opportunity

September 8 - 9, 2012

 

2012 Welcome Party for Freshmen and Transfers

September 21, 2012

 

2012-2013 Academic Year Convocation

October 2, 2012

DEAN'S MESSAGE 
  
The Labor Day celebration is right around the corner and Drexel Engineering is excited and deserving of this break after the successful academic year our students, faculty and professional staff dedicated their time to. Grant award news is coming in and we even had Dr. Youngmoo Kim walk the red carpet at the Philadelphia Geek Awards and win Scientist of the Year for his work in the community. News of this great accomplishment was timed with Mira Olson, receiving the Outstanding Teaching in Award in Environmental Engineering and Science from McGraw/Hill AEESP. While we were winning awards at the national and local levels, we had students abroad in Thailand redefining the way Thai farmers approach rural agriculture to make their jobs easier. Drexel Engineering is leaving their mark everywhere. The stories of achievement here are a preview of the many triumphs you'll see coming from the College. This is just the beginning of our success story as we prepare for the start of the 2012 - 2013 academic year. Enjoy the holiday break and we look forward to having everyone come back refreshed to continue writing the story of success for the College of Engineering.

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

Drexel Engineering students can take advantage of the study abroad program, an exciting opportunity sponsored by both Drexel's Study Abroad Office and Engineering, to take engineering classes while being immersed in the culture of a different country. Read more.



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Dr. Youngmoo Kim Named Scientist of the Year 

Youngmoo Kim Philly Geek AwardsDr. Youngmoo Kim, associate professor of the Electrical & Computer Engineering 

department and assistant dean of engineering for media technologies, was named Scientist of the Year at the Philadelphia Geek Awards on August 17 at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Kim was nominated along with two other professors in the Scientist of the Year category. He won the award for his notable work in the community in addition to his outstanding achievements in the sciences. Kim has been an active leader for the Philadelphia Science Festival hosting the Philly Robotics Expo for K-12 schools, employing a humanoid robot to successfully throw out the first pitch at a Philadelphia Phillies game and revealing the Science of Music by organizing a unique concert event combining a world-class jazz ensemble with visualizations driven by the musical performance. Read more.

 


Drexel Engineers Add Arms and Hands to UAVs  

Hubo Hand Drexel Engineers are currently experimenting with adding dexterous limbs to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as those used by the military for surveillance and reconnaissance. The team, led by Dr. Paul Oh, professor of the Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics department, will examine the reaction forces and torques associated with applying robotic arms to UAVs furthering his work in the Drexel Autonomous Systems Laboratory. As part of a three-year $649,999 National Science Foundation grant, the project could be a step toward the use of UAVs for emergency response and search and rescue scenarios, charging the group with challenges such as developing a system that would allow the UAV to interact with objects without upsetting its own stability. Read more.

 


Students Develop Weeding Technology for Thai Farmers

Thai HarvestA group of Drexel Engineering students participating in the "Thai Harvest Initiative," are working to redefine the way Thai farmers approach rural agriculture by developing a prototype tool designed to make cutting weeds easier. As in order to successfully grow rice, the farmers must cut numerous weeds every day for months each year. The team's design is a custom metal blade attached to a sliding mechanism on a PVC pipe that can be made inexpensively using local parts. A single stabbing motion allows the farmers to chop the weeds from a standing position; the once back-breaking task of stooping to chop weeds is now accomplished with relative comfort. During the 2012-2013 year Thai Harvest plans to make improvements to their rice planter based on suggestions from the farmers and to develop sustainable solutions to improve water quality in the region of 30,000. Read more.

 


Mira Olson Receives Award for Outstanding Teaching

Mira OlsenDr. Mira Olson, assistant professor in the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering (CAEE) department, has been selected to receive the McGraw-Hill/AEESP Award for Outstanding Teaching in Environmental Engineering & Science. The award is given by the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Foundation and is sponsored by McGraw-Hill. The award is given annually to recognize a professor who makes outstanding contributions to teaching environmental engineering at both their home institution and beyond. Dr. Olson is known for fostering lively interaction amongst students through her use of innovative classroom demonstrations and activities and for her involvement in community outreach and extra-curricular activities. Read more.  


Engineers Research Wireless Networks on Microchips 

Drexel engineers recently earned a National Science Foundation grant to develop wireless networks on microchips. A team led by Dr. Baris Taskin, associate professor of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department and lead researcher on this project, is working to design a hybrid network-on-chip that uses both antennas and wired interconnections to optimize communication speed and allow the chip to be used in new and sophisticated platforms. The new chip will also use reconfigurable antenna technology developed at Drexel by Dr. Kapil Dandekar, who is Taskin's collaborator in the research. A fully functional proof of concept could be finalized within the next five years, while successfully demonstrating the concept of wireless on-chip networking could open doors for using the technique in multi-core processors and to improve 3D chip design. Read more.

 


Please contact the editor,
Elizabeth Brachelli, with
any questions or for more information about
Drexel's College of Engineering.

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