Rajit Manohar, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been named associate dean for academic affairs for the Cornell NYC Tech campus. Manohar will serve as a half-time faculty member at Cornell Tech and half time at Cornell in Ithaca. 

American Mathematical Society names 20 fellows 

For their contributions to the field of mathematics, 20 Cornell faculty members have been elected to the inaugural class of fellows of the American Mathematical Society. The designation recognizes members who have "made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication and utilization of mathematics," according to the society. 

Renovation update

The College's facility master plan, including major renovations in Kimball and Upson Halls and new construction to support our expanding biomedical engineering program, has been approved by the University's Board of Trustees. The plan's approval allows the College to move forward on various projects, each requiring separate individual approvals and several years to complete.

Currently underway is the renovation of space in Weill Hall for a biomedical engineering student lab. The lab should be ready for use for the spring 2013 semester.

The design phase of the renovation of levels three and four in Kimball Hall to provide more wet lab space has begun. The design of environmental lab infrastructure on the second level of Hollister Hall is underway. Construction is expected to begin on Kimball in September 2013, with an estimated completion in mid-2014.

A project plan to allow site selection for new construction to support the proposed new biomedical engineering undergraduate program has also been approved. Three prospective sites will be identified, costs will be estimated and a recommended site will be chosen by early 2013. Site selection will provide more focus to the fundraising required for this project

Matt Pritchard, associate professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has been selected as one of four national EarthScope speakers for the 2012-13 academic year. Pritchard was also one of 15 people selected nationally to be a member of the Science Definition Team for NASA's Earth Deformation, Ecosystem Science, and the Dynamics of Ice-Radar (DESDynl-R) satellite mission scheduled to launch before the end of the decade. Pritchard's three-year membership on the team provides support for Cornell researchers looking at the optimization of the satellite mission.

Craig Fennie, assistant professor of applied and engineering physics, is part of a team that received a grant from the National Science Foundation to support the multi-agency, federal Materials Genome Initiative. Fennie is co-principal investigator for the project, "Multifunctional Interfacial Materials by Design."

Fennie's project is one of 22 to receive grants totaling $12 million from the NSF to support 14 distinct research areas intended to yield a range of new developments, including new lightweight yet rigid polymers; highly durable, multi-layered materials for aircraft engines and power plants; new data storage technology based on spin electronics; composites for converting heat to electricity; novel designer glasses; membranes that function as well as biological counterparts; new techniques to develop exceptionally hard coatings; and others.

Allen Ward has been appointed administrative assistant in the Department of Engineering Alumni Affairs and Development. Ward has been at Cornell University since 2004 and comes to Alumni Affairs after five years as an administrative assistant in Prospect Development for Alumni Affairs and Development. Before joining Cornell University, he held a variety of positions in sales, management, customer service, and data support at companies such as Sears Roebuck and Co., Best Buy, Yum! Brands, and his own company, Party on Pro Entertainment and DJ Service.

In his new role, Ward will be responsible for prospect research and management of the gift acknowledgement process, as well as gift reporting to the departments and schools.