University Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering Ramani Narayan
Compostable dog poop bags aren't panning out. "Biodegradability is the most used and abused term," said Ramani Narayan. The word carries little regulatory oversight and leaves customers thinking their purchase has a smaller impact on the environment than it does.Story featured in Discover Magazine.
CNN tapped the expertise of Ramani Narayan in a national news story on Sept. 10, 2020 - asking for his critical comments on plastic waste research at Stanford University. Narayan discussed the research findings and said the solution is in "harnessing the ecosystem to help you manage the waste."Story featured in CNN.
MSU Mobility
Auto Beat Daily Senior Editor Steve Plumb provided national media coverage on MSU's Nov. 19, 2020, webinar: Accelerating the first/last mile for autonomous mobility. The event included panelists from Ford, Bosch, the U.S. Army and MSU - sharing their views on autonomy, electrification, and education.Story featured in AutoBeat Online.
MSU will assemble mobility experts from industry, government and its academic colleges and units to host an automotive industry virtual forum, "Accelerating the first/last mile for autonomous mobility," at 1 p.m., Nov. 19. Among the speakers are MSU President Stanley, University Distinguished Professor Satish Udpa and Associate Dean John Verboncoeur.Story featured inMSUToday,State News,WLNS TV 6 Lansing.
University Distinguished Professor Anil Jain
Tracking individual bears, cows, lemurs and other animals is important in research and conservation of the species. Anil Jain, a computer science professor at MSU, knows this better than most: He and his colleagues studied how facial-recognition software could be used to identify lemurs, golden monkeys, and chimpanzees. Story featured inCNN,CBS TV 62 Detroit,KITV 4 Honolulu,WNEM TV5 Saginaw,WSMV TV 4 Nashville, TN.
Two dozen other media
MSU biometrics researchers have proposed a way to remove the bias from facial recognition performance between demographic groups. A paper jointly written by PhD student Sixue Gong, and Professors Xiaoming Liu and Anil K. Jain, all of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, was presented at the European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV) 2020. Story featured in BioMetric Update.
MSU researchers are testing liquid nanofoam as a way to make football helmets safer for athletes, even after taking big hits. Assistant Professor Weiyi Lu of civil and environmental engineering says when a normal football helmet withstands an impact that is bad enough to give the player a concussion, some of its safety features can be damaged, making it unsafe for future use. Story featured in dBusiness Detroit,EurekAlert,MSUToday,New Atlas,Phys.org,WLNS TV 6 Lansing.
The Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering at MSU and Leica Microsystems, Inc., have combined efforts to establish the MSU IQ Leica Microsystems Center of Excellence. Story featured in Cadillac News,dBusiness Detroit,Novus Light Technologies,PR NewsWire,Science Advisory Board,Tech Century.
Irene Xagoraraki, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, got a head start in detecting the COVID-19 virus in human sewage in the Detroit area. That research is now crucial in Michigan and why she is sharing $1.3 million in grant money. Story featured in City of Detroit,Detroit Free Press,Fox TV 47 Lansing,WILX TV 10 Lansing,WLNS TV 6 Lansing,Holland Sentinel.
Biomedical acoustics - Collaborative research including Robert McGough, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, and student researcher Luke Wiseman is featured on the September cover of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. Story featured in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
Are PFAS a concern in solar panels? Annick Anctil in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering said: "PFAS is not customarily used in solar panels because safer, effective alternatives have already been developed and commercialized. Moreover, no studies have shown the presence of leaching of PFAS from PV panels - either while they are in active use or at the end of their life (e.g., in a landfill)." Story featured in Yankee Institute.
MSU students put mechanical engineering expertise to work with a therapy car for McLaren's new hospital in Lansing. Story featured in Lansing State Journal.
When Narendra Das was at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, he spent over a decade researching and developing satellites that help measure soil moisture. Now, he will have the opportunity to teach the next generation of scientists about the applications of remote sensing tools in MSU's departments of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) and Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Story featured in Pasadena Now.
Professor Guowei Wei, of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his research team are using machine learning to hunt for COVID-19 therapies. Story featured in HealthITAnalytics,MSUToday.
Tim Gates, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is quoted in the Detroit Free Press on traffic safety in the days of working remotely. He said there may be less traffic on the roads these days, but there's more opportunity to travel at higher speeds - part of the reason why Michigan has recorded more deaths year-to-date than in 2019. Story featured in Detroit Free Press.
How much damage do heavy trucks do to our roads? Professor Karim Chatti, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, helps answer that question for Inside Science. "The damage due to cars, for practical purposes when we are designing pavements, is basically zero." Story featured in Inside Science.
MSU has partnered with four other universities in the Midwest to develop a national model for undergraduate curriculum in quantum technologies, an emerging field. Andrew Christlieb, MSU Foundation Professor and CMSE chair, is one of the technology leaders for the project. Story featured in dBusiness Detroit,MSUToday.
With a nearly $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, MSU researchers are using nanoscopic particles to turn the body's own cells into weapons that cancer won't see coming. "We are developing a precision "Trojan Horse' nanotherapy that treats breast cancer without the typical side effects," said Bryan Smith, associate professor of biomedical engineering and director of the Translational NanoImmunoEngineering Lab. Story featured in dBusiness Detroit,DE24 News,MSUToday,News Medical.net,New Zealand Online News.
Discouraging cell phone use by drivers - A current state study is using new strategies to combat dangers during driving. "Distracted driving, and cell phone use specifically, continue to be significant traffic safety concerns nationwide," said Peter Savolainen, MSU Foundation Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Story featured in Cedar Springs Post,Leader Publications (Cassopolis),Michigan.gov,WLNS TV 6 Lansing,WXYZ TV 7 Detroit.
Retired MSU Vice President and Professor Emeritus Percy Pierre will serve in yet another national leadership role — as chair of the National Academy of Engineering Racial Justice and Equity Committee. Story featured in MSUToday.
New video demonstrates mask effectiveness. The video project was a collaboration between WKAR Public Media and the College of Engineering. "It is important for the public to understand the personal protection provided by wearing face masks," said James Klausner, chairperson of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Story featured in MSUToday,PBS WKAR.
Fire season is once again in full swing, with over 37,000 wildfires already burning in 2020. Early detection is the key to battling these blazes. A prototype currently being perfected by a team at MSU uses wind for power and includes two sensors that measure carbon monoxide and temperature. Study leader and mechanical engineer Changyong Cao says the device will "generate electricity from the slightest swinging of tree branches." Story featured in Yahoo News.
Lamp Endowed Chair John Dorgan and his research team are developing new styrene-free bio renewable resins with broad applicability in the construction of countertops, bathroom fixtures, windmill blades, and boats. Harshal Bambhania, a PhD student in chemical engineering, is helping advance the "Drop-in-bowl" prototype to modernize vanity and kitchen counters. Story featured in dBusiness Detroit.
CHEMS Research Professor Ray Boeman, director of the IACMI Vehicles Scale-Up Facility (SURF) in Detroit's Corktown, is featured in "Composites Manufacturing Magazine" - the flagship media for the world's largest composites industry trade group. See: "The Technology Behind Bigger Innovation." Story featured in Composites Manufacturing Magazine.
Engineers from MSU have secured $3.4 million in grants to develop diamond implants that could let doctors diagnose and treat Parkinson's disease earlier. Erin Purcell (electrical engineering and biomedical engineering) and Wen Li (electrical engineering) have secured $3.4 million in grants to develop diamond implants that could let doctors diagnose and treat Parkinson's disease earlier. Story featured in dBusiness Detroit,Eurek Alert!,Grainger Institute, U-Wisconsin-Madison,MSUToday,News-Medical.net,Parkinson's News Today.
Students
Mechanical engineering senior and Spartan football player Dominique Long has been named a national semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy - known as the Academic Heisman. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, he maintains a 3.61 GPA. Story featured in Detroit Free Press,Sports Illustrated,The State News.
Ryan Koschay, a junior in mechanical engineering, helped answer the call for personal protective equipment for health care workers during the health crisis. He spent 15 weeks 3D printing 1,200 face shields and masks. It was something he could do to better our community. Story featured in MSU video.
Alumni
Alumni update - Thomas B. Okray will become the executive vice president and chief financial officer for the power management company Eaton Corp., effective April 1, 2021. He is a 1985 graduate in chemical engineering. Story featured in BusinessWire.
Damon L. Garrett was promoted to president at Metro Consulting Associates in Plymouth. A founding member of MCA, he has 20 years of experience in civil engineering, executive leadership, and project management. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1997. Story featured in dBusiness Detroit.