Grant to Help Further Study of Nanoscale Piezoelectric Effect
(August 26, 2008) Pradeep Sharma, Bill D. Cook associate professor of mechanical engineering, and co-investigator Ken White, professor of mechanical engineering, received a nearly $400,000 National Science Foundation grant to further research into super-charged piezoelectrics—materials that naturally generate electricity when placed under stress. The researchers will use the funds to try and pinpoint the material properties, found at the nanoscale, that create an increased electric charge when two non-piezoelectric materials are combined.

NSF Grant to Fund Cross Country Collaborations for UH Researchers
(August 26, 2008) Pradeep Sharma, Bill D. Cook associate professor of mechanical engineering, and Ramanan Krishnamoorti, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, received a $60,000 National Science Foundation grant to support research collaborations with Ecole Polytechnic in Tunisia and Bani Suef University in Egypt. Rice and Texas A&M Universities are involved in the partnership. The funds will primarily support travel for the professors and their graduate students.

Stuart Long Named Interim Dean of The Honors College
(August 26, 2008) Stuart Long, professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been named interim dean of the University of Houston Honors College, effective Sept. 1. He has been serving as the associate dean for undergraduate research and The Honors College since 2006.

Lecturer's Son Advances in First Olympic Heat, Falls Short in Quarterfinals
(August 21, 2008) Shola Nurudeen, a lecturer in the UH Department of Mechanical Engineering, watched her son, Selim, compete in the 110-meter high hurdles at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Representing his home country of Nigeria, Nurudeen ran a personal best in the preliminary heats, but did not advance to the finals.

Son of UH Engineering Lecturer to Compete in Olympic Games
(August 15, 2008) Mechanical engineering lecturer Shola Nurudeen's son, Selim, will compete in the 110-meter hurdles at the Olympic Games next week. Nurudeen will be representing his home country of Nigeria.

Engineering the Future of Transportation
(August 13, 2008) Peter Strasser, assistant professor of chemical engineering, along with collaborators at Stanford University and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, received a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy to provide continued support for their fuel cell catalyst research. The team is attempting to create a cheaper, more efficient polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell that could be used in electricity-powered vehicles.

Alumnus Establishes $1M Endowment for Engineering Faculty
(August 12, 2008) William C. Miller, Jr. (1955 BSPE) has established a $1 million endowment to support the academic and research activities of UH Cullen College of Engineering faculty. The William C. Miller Endowed Chair was established in honor of Charles V. Kirkpatrick, an emeritus professor and former dean who mentored Miller while he pursued his education in petroleum engineering. Miller has served as president of his own business, W.C. Miller Operating Company, for more than 40 years.

Professors to Develop Magnetic Field Sensor Technology
(July 30, 2008) Stanko Brankovic, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund a transformative concept using electrochemical nanofabrication that would allow the development of devices smaller than 10 nanometers. Brankovic and his team seek to develop novel magnetic field sensor technology key in the creation of a low-cost system to map magnetic objects quickly and accurately.

Energy Industry Leaders Commit $1.6M to UH Petroleum Program
(July 29, 2008) Devon Energy Corp. and Marathon Oil Corp. have committed major funding to the UH Cullen College of Engineering in support of its developing undergraduate program in petroleum engineering. Marathon pledged $600,000 in unrestricted funds to the program, while Devon pledged $1 million to support student scholarships, the renovation of a student research laboratory and other needs of the program. The new program is expected to be approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board this fall.

Engineering Researchers Part of Study on New Artificial Heart Technology
(July 7, 2008) Mechanical Engineering Professors Matthew Franchek and Ralph Metcalfe are working with area experts to create a continuous flow ventricular assist device that’s smaller and less costly than the pulsatile pumps used to date. Named on a $2.8 million National Institutes of Health grant, Franchek and Metcalfe will work alongside the lead investigator, Dr. O.H. “Bud” Frazier, chief of the Center for Cardiac Support and director of Surgical Research at the Texas Heart Institute, professors from Rice University, Texas Heart Institute physicians and MicroMed Technology, Inc.

Professors Develop Technologies to Aid Study of Nervous System
(July 2, 2008) UH Cullen College of Engineering professors have created an implantable single electrode cuff and a wireless telemetry system to better understand how certain neurons in locusts’ brains process sensory information. Electrical and Computer Engineering Professors Jack Wolfe and Richard Liu are working with Fabrizio Gabbiani, professor in the department of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine, on a $400,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop the technology in an effort to study the neurology of animals and insects.

BP Economist Speaks at College About Company's 2007 Energy Data
(July 1, 2008) Mark Finley, general manager of global energy markets and US Economics at BP, presented energy data from the company's 2007 Statistical Review of World Energy to University of Houston faculty and students on June 25. For the past 57 years, BP has published the review, which is regarded as one of the most authoritative publications on annual energy data used by industry, government and the general public.

WELCOME Program Nationally Recognized
(June 19, 2008) The UH Cullen College of Engineering's Women in Engineering Learning Community for Maximizing Excellence (WELCOME) has been nationally recognized as a model program for female students. The Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) named WELCOME the recipient of its 2008 Women in Engineering Initiative Award.

Engineering Professors Among Select Few to Recieve State ARP Funding
(June 6, 2008) Seven Cullen College of Engineering faculty members received grants totaling more than$520,000 from the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program last month. Of 1,925 pre-proposals from institutions that include the Texas A&M system and the University of Texas system, 121 were selected for funding. The University of Houston captured 21 of the two-year grants awarded—five of which were awarded to professors in the Cullen College of Engineering.

Professor Named Distinguished Member of National Engineering Society
(June 4, 2008) Jerry R. Rogers, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, will be inducted as a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers at the organization's 2008 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. this November. He was among 12 chosen for the honor this year, making him one of 565 engineers in the organization’s 156-year history to receive the title. Throughout his 40-year academic career, Rogers' research has focused on storm water management, urban growth planning, drainage engineering, water distribution and water resource systems.

Engineering Professor to Head NIH Study Section
(May 29, 2008) Ralph W. Metcalfe, professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering and mathematics, was appointed chair of the National Institutes of Health Cardiovascular Devices Study Section. At the study section’s upcoming meeting in Bethesda, Md. June 23, Metcalfe will head a group comprising 18 other experts—12 of whom are physicians and the remaining six consisting of engineers and scientists—from across the United States. The group will review more than 150 grant proposals related to cardiovascular devices submitted by small companies and universities.

Engineering Professor Helps Launch Libya Knowledge Transfer Program
(May 21, 2008) Hanadi S. Rifai, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Houston, and Rice University’s Herman Brown Professor of Engineering Philip B. Bedient, have developed a curriculum for a knowledge transfer program designed to assist Libyan engineers in modernizing their country’s infrastructure. The curricula is focused on improving out-of-date utility systems and promoting future urban planning in Libyan cities.

Engineering Organizations Present Professor with High Honors
(May 21, 2008) Kirill Larin, assistant professor of biomedical and mechanical engineering, has received two awards for achievements in his biomedical optics and imaging research. He received the 2008 Outstanding Young Scientist Award from the Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology in February and the Herbert Allen Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in April. In 2007, he received the U.S. Navy's Young Investigator Award.

Industrial Engineering Department Holds Annual Awards Banquet
(May 16, 2008) The UH Department of Industrial Engineering honored alumni, donors, faculty and students at its 2008 Awards Banquet on April 24. Industrial engineering alums Salah Turkmani, Patrick O’ Connor, Rex Walheim and Darshan Singh were honored with Distinguished Alumni Awards, while Brij and Sunita Agrawal, and Hari and Anjali Agrawal were given the IE Legacy Award for each establishing an endowed professorship within the department.

UH Students Win Regional Concrete Canoe Competition for Second Year
(May 16, 2008) A team of University of Houston engineering students paddled their way to a second consecutive first place win April 28 at the Texas/Mexico Regional Concrete Canoe Competition.The students beat out 11 teams competing at Texas’ Corpus Christi Bay for the title, earning the chance to compete in the 2008 National Concrete Canoe Competition in Montreal, Canada on June 19.

20th Annual Crawfish Boil Makes History
(May 14, 2008) The University of Houston/American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ annual Cajun Crawfish Boil fundraiser paid off big for students seeking scholarships in the Cullen College of Engineering. It is estimated that more than $150,000 was raised this year for undergraduate student scholarships, thanks to the addition of several event sponsors, including BP, the event underwriter.

Emeritus Professor, Former IE Chair Passes Away
(May 14, 2008) Scott T. Poage, emeritus professor and former chairman of the University of Houston Department of Industrial Engineering, passed away May 13, 2008 in Waco, Texas at the age of 76. He joined the department in 1968 and established its PhD program. His pioneering work in applications of mathematical optimization techniques in solving industrial engineering problems gained him an international reputation. He was a professional registered engineer in Texas for over 40 years.     

Engineering Professor Receives Top University Research Award
(May 14, 2008) Demetre J. Economou, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and associate chair of the department, was named a recipient of the University of Houston’s 2008 Excellence in Research and Scholarship Award. The award—which carries a $5,000 stipend—is given annually to individuals with a significant record of outstanding research, scholarship or creative activities in their field. Economou's research is focused on plasma science and technology, research that impacts everything from microchip manufacturing to plasma television panels.

UH Engineering Student Takes Home Top Regional Web Design Award
(May 13, 2008) Joshua Kovitz, a sophomore electrical engineering student, took home the first place award at the Region 5 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Student Branch Web Site Contest. As a first place winner, he will get a chance to compete in the international portion of the competition with students in six regions based in the U.S., as well as the four other international regions that include areas such as Asia, Africa and Europe.

Engineering Faculty Member Named Moores Professor
(May 9, 2008) Vincent M. Donnelly, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been named a recipient of the John and Rebecca Moores Professorship.
The Moores professorship is a five-year renewable award given to full-time, tenured faculty who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of teaching, service and research. He plans to use the $10,000 stipend to help further his research, which studies the problems associated with the continued miniaturization of microelectronic devices. 

Professor Receives Grant for Fuel Cell Catalyst Research
(May 2, 2008) Stanko R. Brankovic, assistant professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund to study a more efficient, cost effective way to produce platinum fuel cell catalysts. The grant is awarded to individuals whose research supports scientific education and fundamental research related to the petroleum field.

Engineering Faculty Recognized for Teaching, Research
(May 1, 2008) Dean Joseph Tedesco recognized UH Cullen College of Engineering faculty members for outstanding teaching and research during the 2007-2008 academic year at the college's Spring Faculty/Staff Meeting on April 29. Demetre Economou (ChBE) was honored with the Fluor Daniel Faculty Excellence Award, the highest award given by the college. Shankar Chellam (CEE) received the W.T. Kittinger Teaching Excellence Award, the college's most prestigious teaching honor, and Stuart Long (ECE) received the Career Teaching Award for excellence in teaching and service to students.

   ... of Faculty
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- National Academy of Engineering members from UH
- Engineering Leadership & Entrepreneurism Program
- Summer Camps for High School Students
- UH Diesel Vehicle Research and Testing Facility
- National Wind Turbine Research and Test Facility