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INNOVATIONS
| VOL. 3, ISSUE 1
OCTOBER 2009 |
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 DEAN'S CORNER
A note from Dean Rafael L. Bras, Sc.D.
We are continually advancing engineering education and research at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine, and in that spirit, I am pleased to share the School's updated mission statement with you:
Our mission is to educate students, at all levels, to be
the best engineers and leaders in the nation and world by engaging them
in a stimulating community dedicated to the discovery of knowledge,
creation of new technologies, and service to society.
The emphasis is on education, in the broadest sense. Read More >>
Photo - L. Barry Hetherington
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ENGINEERING RESEARCH IN REVIEW
Using Toys to Make High-Tech Diagnostic Chips
 Toys don't usually inspire high-tech innovation, but Michelle Khine's childhood favorite did just that.
The UC Irvine assistant professor in biomedical engineering drew upon the hours she spent playing with Shrinky Dinks - thin plastic sheets that can be colored with paint or ink and then shrunk with heat - to solve a problem in her research on how chemical cues affect cell activity.
The work earned Khine a spot on Technology Review's 2009 "TR35," an annual list of 35 innovators under 35 in business and technology worldwide. Technology Review is published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Read More>> Story - Erin Knapp, Engineering Communications
Photo - Dave Lauridsen, Photographer UCI Awarded $2 Million to Become Living Laboratory for Sustainable Energy Practices
 The UC Irvine campus will become a living renewable energy laboratory under a statewide program designed to make electricity generation and transportation safer, cleaner and more affordable for Californians.
The Advanced Power & Energy Program at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering has been awarded $2 million over three years to create a roadmap for a cost-effective and reliable energy infrastructure that maximizes use of renewable resources such as solar photovoltaics, wind and biomass fuels while improving transportation, waste management and energy efficiency in buildings. Lessons learned at UCI will help communities establish their own flexible, secure and climate-neutral energy infrastructures.
Read More>>
Story - Jennifer Fitzenberger, University Communications
Photo - Daniel A. Anderson, University Communications
Watching Over the Water System - UCI Engineers Design Sensors to Monitor Pipes After Earthquakes, Other Disasters
 After a big earthquake, it's key to keep the water system afloat. Water is necessary for life, and it fights the fires that often accompany such disasters.
UC Irvine engineers plan to outfit the local water system with sensors that will alert officials when and where pipes crack or break, hastening repair - thanks to nearly $5.7 million over three years from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and several local water groups.
"When an earthquake occurs and infrastructure systems fail, continued service of the water network is most critical," says Masanobu Shinozuka, Ph.D., lead project investigator and civil & environmental engineering chair. "Before anything happens, I'd like to have a pipe monitoring system in place to let us know when and where damage occurs. It could minimize misery and save lives."
Read More>> Story - Jennifer Fitzenberger, University Communications
Photo - Daniel A. Anderson, University Communications
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SAMUELI SCHOOL NEWS
Samueli School Appoints Four New Department Chairs, Welcomes Seven New Assistant Professors
 The Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering welcome new leadership.
Read More>>
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering is also pleased to welcome seven new assistant professors to the school and UC Irvine. Read More>>
Story - Erin Knapp, Engineering Communications
Photo - Paul Kennedy, Photographer
UC Irvine Names Founding Director of The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology
 UC Irvine's Henry Samueli School of Engineering has named Steven C. George, M.D., Ph.D., as the founding director of The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology. George, who was formally The William J. Link Chair and Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at UC Irvine, began this new position on July 1, and will spearhead the development of a strategic plan to lead the center's initiatives in cardiovascular research and training.
Read More>> Story - Christy Boyer, Engineering Communications
Photo - Erin Knapp, Engineering Communications
Atlantis Program Grant Awarded to Samueli School to Establish Transatlantic Master's Program
 The Henry Samueli School of Engineering has been named a recipient of a 2009 European Union-United States Atlantis Program grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). The grant will establish a transatlantic master's program in "Micro/Nanotechnology Materials, Components and their Applications." In addition to UC Irvine, two European universities are also participating in the program: Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille (USTL) in France; and Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUD) in Germany.
Read More >> Story - Erin Knapp, Engineering Communications
Photo - Paul Kennedy, Photographer
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ALUMNI
Dr. John J. Tracy Honored as 2009 Engineering Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumnus
 As the 2009 Lauds and Laurels Distinguished Alumnus for The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, John J. Tracy, Ph.D., is an excellent role model for students and fellow alumni, and was recognized for his dedicated service to the School and UC Irvine, including his role on the Engineering Advisory Board (EAB) and his many contributions to enhancing the quality of engineering education and career opportunities for students.
Read More>> Story - Christy Boyer, Engineering Communications
NEWS AND EVENTS
To learn more about engineering alumni news, events, and opportunities please visit http://www.eng.uci.edu/alumninews or contact Asli Ozguz, assistant director of development, at (949) 824-8546 or aozguz@uci.edu.
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
Setting the Standard
 Not many middle school students read complicated books about cutting-edge science research and treatment, but Charles Xue did just that when he read about using viruses as a tool to deliver drugs. That book changed how the 12-year-old Xue viewed science and its impact on society.
When Xue enrolled as a freshman biomedical engineering student in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at UC Irvine, he began conducting research in the lab of Young Jik Kwon, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering. Xue is searching for a more accurate measurement of the effectiveness of gene delivery mechanisms - or vectors - in gene and cell research, and presented a poster paper at the 2009 American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) Annual Meeting. Xue was listed as the first author, which is quite a triumph for a college freshman.
Read More>>
Story and Photo - Erin Knapp, Engineering Communications Engineering the Future of Leadership
Meet the Engineering Student Council
(ESC), a talented group of student leaders in The Henry Samueli School
of Engineering who represent and advocate for the undergraduate
engineering student body. ESC not only has a strong presence in the
Samueli School and on the UC Irvine campus, but also works diligently
"behind the scenes," coordinating the annual campus celebration of
National Engineers Week (E-Week), the popular EngiTECH Career Fair with
local industry, managing the Discover Research and Industry programs,
holding fun student events such as "E-Prom," and even organizing
student-faculty coffee breaks to promote open dialogue in a more
informal atmosphere.
Read More>>
Story and Photo - Christy Boyer, Engineering Communications
ChEMS Graduate Student Receives Prominent NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award  Shehreen Dheda, a second-year materials science and engineering Ph.D. student in the laboratory of Professor Farghalli Mohamed, Ph.D., was awarded a prestigious fellowship of $30,000 per year, for three years, from the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Read More>> Story and Photo - Erin Knapp, Engineering Communications A Monumental Step for UC Irvine's Tau Beta Pi Chapter
 The UC Irvine Tau Beta Pi Chapter celebrated a milestone five years in the making with the installation of the Tau Beta Pi Bent monument in the Engineering Gateway Plaza. Installed after an extensive process involving the Tau Beta Pi national headquarters, the University of California, and UC Irvine campus officials, the monument is a significant step in the UC Irvine chapter's history.
Read More>> Story and Photo - Erin Knapp, Engineering Communications Identifying a Killer
 When Mary Amasia first studied methods to detect and treat anthrax, one problem became apparent: determining whether someone was infected by the lethal bacteria took too long.
Anthrax, an emerging bioterrorism threat, can kill a person within days. Current detection tests require at least 24 hours to produce results.
Amasia, a chemical engineering doctoral student at UC Irvine, is developing a prototype system to identify anthrax in one hour.
Read More >> Story - Tom Vasich, University Communications
Photo - Daniel A. Anderson, University Communications
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IN THE ZOTLIGHTThe Samueli School is pleased to feature faculty, staff, and student accomplishments, prominent honors, and
prestigious recognitions.
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GIVING
 The Henry Samueli School of Engineering is one of the nation's fastest growing engineering schools, attracting talented faculty and students from across the country and around the world.
There are many opportunities for making named or other gifts to the School, including endowments, fellowships, scholarships, research program support, and equipment.
For more information, please contact Pamela Gesme Miller, assistant dean of development and external relations, at (949) 824-6563 or millerp@uci.edu.
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Photo - Paul Kennedy, Photographer
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