Accomplishments of CE Professor Honored With International Symposium
(November 17, 2009) The American Concrete Institute and the American Association of Civil Engineers jointly honored the structural engineering research contributions of Thomas T.C. Hsu, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Civil Engineering, with a symposium in New Orleans, La. Nov. 8-10. The four-part symposium titled, “Thomas T.C. Hsu Symposium on Shear and Torsion in Concrete Structures” included 32 presentations from researchers around the world. Houston Mayor Bill White also recognized Hsu's accomplishments by naming Nov. 8 Dr. Thomas T.C. Hsu Day in the city.

UH Researcher Recognized for Technical Achievements
(November 11, 2009) For contributions to the development and commercialization of second-generation high temperature superconducting wire, Venkat Selvamanickam, M.D. Anderson Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston, has been honored with a 2009 Wire & Cable Technology International Technical Achievement Award. Before joining UH in 2008, Selvamanickam led a 40 member research team at SuperPower Inc. to scale up second-generation high temperature superconducting wire from inch-long segments utilized in research equipment to mile-long lengths commercially available around the world today.

A Bright Green Future: Researchers Work to Turn Algae Into Crude Oil
(November 4, 2009) Researchers from the Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center have taken on a new project intended to expand the center’s clean air focus. They are examining glass beakers filled with samples of a slimy green substance most find growing in ponds, swamps and even dirty swimming pools. It’s a mixture of algae and other aquatic biomasses, and these researchers think it has the potential to be the next conventional oil alternative.

UH Engineers Part of New DOE Center Focused on Plasma Science
(November 2, 2009) Two engineers at the University of Houston have been awarded grant funding to conduct research as part of a new U.S. Department of Energy supported Center on Plasma Science. The center, led by researchers at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, will join Demetre Economou and Vincent Donnelly, both professors of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UH, with close to 20 scientists from universities and national laboratories across the country. Together, these researchers plan to pick apart the science behind plasmas in an effort to make them more efficient.

Professor Travels to UK to Celebrate Civil Engineering Achievements
(October 26, 2009) Jerry Rogers, associate professor of civil engineering, was among a select few to be present at a wreath laying ceremony this month for a famed London train and bridge engineer. The ceremony, marking the 150th anniversary of Robert Stephenson’s death, was held at Westminster Abbey. A distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Rogers made the trip to the United Kingdom to research several famous civil engineers from the area for a book being produced by ASCE members detailing the lives and careers of those well known to the field.

Professor to Develop Novel Networking Technology to Speed Data Transfers
(October 22, 2009) With two National Science Foundation grants totaling more than $890,000, Yuhua Chen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is developing a multimode switching platform to make possible the transfer of all types of data over the Internet using one piece of technology. Currently, three separate network switching modes exist, each of which are optimized to route either small data files such as text or voice, or larger files such as high-definition (HD) video. Chen is working to integrate all three existing switching modes into a single, cost-effective platform, which should ultimately speed the transfer of data.

UH Granted $2.5 Million to Test Retrofit Devices That Clean Diesel Exhaust
(October 21, 2009) The Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center at the University of Houston has been awarded two grants totaling more than $2.5 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to test two separate exhaust retrofit systems designed to reduce harmful emissions from diesel vehicles. Created by Midwest-based companies Truck Emission Control Technologies Inc.’s (TECT) and Tinnerman/Shadowood, diesel researchers will test their two retrofit systems’ ability to reduce smog-causing Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emissions on 35 vehicles. Each will be monitored throughout the 15-month study in order to provide real-world performance data to the EPA.

UH Diesel Center Finishes Expansion Doubling Size, Capabilities
(October 13, 2009) The Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center at the University of Houston recently finished an expansion doubling its size and increasing its means to research and test retrofit devices that reduce the amount of harmful pollutants emitted from heavy-duty diesel engine exhaust. The expansion, funded with a grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, cost more than $9 million and took roughly a year to complete. Located in what is now the University of Houston Energy Research Park, the diesel center occupies 12,000 square feet housing more office and functional laboratory space as well as advanced emission testing equipment.

UH Researchers Nab New NIH Grant to Construct, Test Cancer Tool
(October 12, 2009) A team of University of Houston researchers is among a select few to be awarded a competitive grant from the National Institutes of Health to create a technology that more efficiently identifies the presence of cancer in even the smallest of body fluid samples. The researchers will use the $1 million grant not only to construct, but also to test their biosensor’s ability to spot cancer protein biomarkers for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia—a blood and bone marrow cancer. The device will use magnetic nanotechnology to locate these biomarkers, which are elevated in patients with the disease, on a single molecule level.

University Opens State-of-the-Art Clean Room
(September 28, 2009) A new research facility, packed with state-of-the-art equipment, has been created at the University of Houston to enable scientists to manipulate materials at the nanoscale in an environment virtually free from dust and other contaminants that can interfere with their results. Dubbed the University of Houston Nanofabrication Facility, the laboratory is located on the first floor of the Science and Engineering Research Center and is now open for business.

Former ECE Professor, Department Chair Passes Away
(September 28, 2009) Wallace “Wally” Anderson, former chair of the UH Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, died September 22 at the age of 87. During his 39 years with UH, Anderson was instrumental in growing the deparment not only by helping increase the number of faculty, but also the amount of research being conducted. He joined UH in 1969 as a full professor and served as chair of the department from 1972-1977 and again from 1996-1998. Up until his 2008 retirement, he taught classes on solid-state physics, electromagnetics, statistical estimation theory, communication theory, applied mathematics, quantum mechanics and stochastic processes—a course he developed that is still being taught today.

Partnership to Boost Education, Research Overseas
(September 22, 2009) The Qatar National Research Fund recently awarded UH engineering researchers two separate grants totaling $2.4 million to collaborate with researchers in that country not only to advance science research, but also education. The first grant will fund research to explore ways of eliminating harmful pollutants from vehicle exhaust without sacrificing fuel efficiency. The second grant will fund research into structural health monitoring, whereas researchers will measure the vibration response of objects to not only detect potential damage, but also the extent.

Lucrative Lessons: Engineering Pegged as Degree With Highest Starting Salary
(September 22, 2009) Based on recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 12 of the top 15 degrees garnering high starting salaries for college graduates are in engineering. In fact, four of the five top spots are held by an engineering discipline and include petroleum, chemical, mining and computer engineering.

Founding Chair Named to Department of Biomedical Engineering
(September 15, 2009) Metin Akay, professor and former interim chair at Arizona State University’s Harrington Department of Bioengineering, has been appointed to lead the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering’s new Department of Biomedical Engineering. He plans to develop new academic and research fields that include biomedical imaging, neural and cognitive engineering and genomics and proteomics science and engineering. Plans are also underway to enhance the program’s offerings with a Ph.D. option in addition to existing bachelor’s and master’s degree tracks.

College Research Expenditures See Increase, Set Record
(September 15, 2009) Research grant and contract expenditures by University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering faculty reached more than $21 million in fiscal year 2009, the largest ever on record. Up some 50 percent from the previous fiscal year’s total, primarily the federal government—the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy—supported the research. The increase represents a three-year rise in expenditures at the college—going from a consistent $11.5 million during 2005 to 2007 to $14.4 million in 2008 and now $21,889,978 million.

NSF Grant to Fund Programs Boosting Interest, Pursuit of STEM Fields
(August 27, 2009) The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of Houston a five-year, $2 million grant to support programs for recruiting and retaining students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The second grant the Cullen College has received through NSF’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP), the funding will support six initiatives at the Cullen College including a summer camp for upper-level high school students as well as research opportunities for incoming college freshman.

SPE Section Pledges First Professorship in Petroleum Engineering
(August 27, 2009) In support of the University of Houston’s expanding petroleum engineering program, the Society of Petroleum Engineers Gulf Coast Section has committed $250,000 to establish a professorship. The first of its kind for the program, the SPE-Gulf Coast Section College Endowed Professorship in Petroleum Engineering will support efforts to broaden course offerings, enhance community outreach and spearhead new research by a Cullen College of Engineering faculty member.

UH Alumnus to Lead Spacewalks on 128th Space Shuttle Flight
(August 17, 2009) UH Cullen College of Engineering alumnus Danny Olivas (1993 MSME) will be aboard NASA shuttle Discovery when it launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida this month. Bound for the International Space Station, the crew of the STS-128 mission will be spending 13 days in outer space to replace an ammonia tank used to move excess heat from inside the space station to radiators outside as well as retrieve a large pallet of science experiments from outside the station's Columbus Laboratory to bring back to Earth.

NIH to Fund UH Study on Visual Perception
(August 5, 2009) Haluk Ogmen, professor of electrical and computer engineering, is collaborating with Harold Bedell from the UH College of Optometry on a two-year, $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study visual perception. The researchers have developed a series of psychophysical experiments to pinpoint exactly how the objects we see are represented in higher levels of the brain.

College Faculty Establish Houston Chapter of Professional Group
(August 4, 2009) Faculty at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering recently established a chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Nanotechnology Council for the Houston area. Spearheaded by Dmitri Litvinov, professor of electrical and computer engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering, the chapter will bring together area nanotechnology experts every month to present their state-of-the-art research and discuss current developments in the field.

UH Camp Designed to Open Girls' Eyes to Science and Engineering
(July 28, 2009) With a love for building things, math and science, several hundred middle and high school girls attended the Cullen College's Girls Reaching and Demonstrating Excellence (GRADE) Camp, a weeklong day camp aimed at introducing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields to girls. Centered on discovery, the camp provides girls with a full agenda of hands-on activities, including constructing speakers out of Styrofoam plates and magnets, collecting and analyzing water samples from a pond and programming Lego Mindstorm robots to autonomously navigate a maze.

ECE Researcher Unraveling the Secrets of Explosives
(July 24, 2009) Qingkai Yu, a research assistant professor of electrical engineering, is developing minuscule thermo-sensors that would allow, for the first time, the ability to closely monitor temperature when a bomb explodes. Recordings from these sensors, detailing exactly how the temperature evolves with time during an explosion, are expected to be key in building a device capable of more efficiently countering the effects of chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.

Engineering Researcher Set to Improve on TxDOT Road Maintenance Device
(July 17, 2009) For the last 10 years, Professor Richard Liu has been working with the Texas Department of Transportation to improve driver safety by revolutionizing the way road wear is tested on some 80,000 centerline miles of highway across Texas. TxDOT recently renewed their interagency contract with Liu, providing up to $300,000 to support the maintenance and further development of his vehicle-mounted laser devices, which provide data on road conditions to TxDOT crews.

Texas Hurricane Center to Host Public Conference in August
(July 16, 2009) The Texas Hurricane Center for Innovative Technology will host a daylong conference next month at the University of Houston to address storm preparedness, loss mitigation, rapid recovery and lessons learned. The conference is slated for Aug. 7 at the UH Hilton Hotel and Convention Center and is open to the public. Four panel discussions will cover insurance, transportation, power grids and utilities, and rapid recovery and debris management. Exhibitors from Texas universities and companies will present research findings, new technologies and other relevant materials throughout the day.

Chair Selected to Participate in NAE Symposium
(July 8, 2009) Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Dow Chair Professor and chair of the UH Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, will be among a select group of 88 researchers convening in California this September for the National Academy of Engineering’s 15th Annual U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium. He was chosen from roughly 240 applicants, each nominated by organizations or fellow engineers, to attend the prestigious event.

Team Investigates Hurricane Ike's Effects on Waterways
(July 7, 2009) A long-term environmental research project being conducted at the University of Houston may offer important information about the effects of Hurricane Ike on pollution levels and help regulators determine whether existing fish-consumption advisories remain appropriate. Hanadi Rifai, professor of civil and environmental engineering, has studied pollution in Houston-area bodies of water in partnership with both state and federal authorities since 2001. Her research team is now collecting fresh samples from Galveston Bay to determine pollution levels and sources of such contaminants.

Youngster's Engineering Aspirations Realized at UH
(July 2, 2009) Logan Craft, a 10-year-old from Baytown, toured the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering recently after penning a handwritten letter directly to the UH system president expressing interest in the mechanical engineering program. Craft wrote the letter during college week at his elementary school just prior to the summer break. He said he hoped to learn more about UH, which he has pegged as his first choice university.

UH Researchers Part of $1.25 Million SSPEED Center Study on Ike
(July 1, 2009) Hanadi Rifai, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Thomas Colbert, an associate professor from UH’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, were awarded roughly $150,000 to look at urban planning and redevelopment of the Gulf coastline as well as practices industry can adopt to better protect critical infrastructure in the Greater Houston area. The funding is part of a larger two-year, $1.25 million grant from the Houston Endowment given to researchers from the Rice-based center for Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED).

UH Study to Focus on Reducing Pollutants in Vehicle Exhaust
(June 23, 2009) A study led by researchers at UH Cullen College of Engineering is centered on cleaning up our air by replacing a component in vehicle exhaust systems with a piece of technology that could get rid of more than 80 percent of the smog-causing toxin known at NOx, or nitrogen oxide. With a roughly $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program, Professor Michael Harold and his team will partner with researchers from the University of Kentucky, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Ford Motor Company and the chemical company BASF to further study the feasibility of this technology.

UH Diesel Testing Center Teams with TxDOT to Reduce Emissions
(June 16, 2009) The UH Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to test a system designed to reduce emissions produced by construction vehicles. Engineering researchers will supervise the installation of Nett Technologies' BlueMAX™ selective catalytic reduction system on five TxDOT nonroad vehicles and then test and analyze its ability to reduce emissions, which will provide the EPA with real-world performance data.

BP Economist Explains Volatility in the Energy Market
(June 16, 2009) Mark Finley, general manager of global energy markets and U.S. Economics for BP America, said that a period of strong economic growth followed by a rapidly-developing recession that spread quickly from the U.S. around the globe caused world energy markets to experience dramatic volatility in 2008. Finley shared data from BP's Statistical Review of World Energy in a lecture last Monday to Cullen College faculty, staff and students.

Researchers to Redesign Key Material Used in Electronics, Solar Device
(June 16, 2009) Two researchers in the college's department of electrical and computer engineering have received a $348,645 National Science Foundation grant to restructure silicon at the nanoscale. Throughout the three years, the two will redesign this material into a hexagonal structure, believed to be key to allowing solar devices to capture more rays, especially infrared, from the sun and converting them into electricity.

Saying Goodbye to the Y: Alumnus, Son of Professor Shares his Memories
(June 15, 2009) Scott Prengle (1981 BSEE, 1984 MSEE)—son of William Prengle, one of three chemical engineering department founders—recalls the significance of the Y-Building during the early years of the college's existence. He spent many days in the facility as a child and then later as a UH engineering student. The metal structure, pegged to be demolished soon, housed the first dean's office, faculty offices and laboratories and, to this day, still provides space for research and student organizations.

UH’S Leadership in Creation of Ship Channel Security District Commended
(June 10, 2009) The University of Houston is being credited with playing a pivotal role in the creation of the Houston Ship Channel Security District, which was approved unanimously by Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday morning and was publicly announced at a news conference today. The development of the security district, a public-private partnership that will fund enhancements to security technology, infrastructure and processes along the ship channel.

Speakers Honor Achievements of Alumni, University at Awards Dinner
(June 10, 2009) Four Cullen College alumni were honored Friday at the Engineering Alumni Association's Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards banquet. Accomplishments by Gabriel Cuadra (1988 BSChE), Michael Harold (1985 Ph.D. ChE), Duane Germenis (1983 BSME), and Daniel Wong (1983 BSCE, 1985 MSCE, 1988 Ph.D. CE) were celebrated along with recent accomplishments of the college and university.

Senior Projects Pack Benefit, Fun
(June 10, 2009) All courses at the Cullen College provide benefit, but none is quite like senior capstone design. Intended to challenge students to apply their engineering education to a project that has real-world benefit, students this spring tackled everything from a laser guitar to a device that may one day assist children who suffer from ADHD.

ExxonMobil Foundation Gives UH $386K
(June 9, 2009) ExxonMobil Foundation presented a check to UH President Renu Khator for $385,891 from its Educational Matching Gift Program—a program that matches donor gifts up to $7,500 on a 3-to-1 basis to colleges and universities with which ExxonMobil employees and retirees are affiliated. ExxonMobil Foundation funds support math and science programs nationwide as well as college programs for women and minorities pursuing engineering.

Preserving History: Professors' efforts inspire staff member to start endowment in their honor
(May 26, 2009) In honor of Joseph R. Crump, H. William Prengle and Abraham E. Dukler—who launched the UH Department of Chemical Engineering in the early 1950s—an endowment has been established to support undergraduate students studying chemical and biomolecular engineering. Sharon Gates, an advising assistant for the department, started the endowment to honor the legacy of the three professors and their contributions to chemical engineering at UH.

Grant Supports High-Tech Training at UH
(May 21, 2009) The University of Houston has received a $300,000 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to bolster its efforts to recruit and retain historically underrepresented students in its engineering programs. The grant, part of the Texas Youth in Technology Strategic Workforce Development initiative, is supported by U.S. Department of Labor funds and is meant to spur job-growth that aligns with Texas Gov. Rick Perry's statewide industry cluster initiative.

College Holds Annual Spring Commencement Ceremony
(May 18, 2009) On May 15, some 113 undergraduates and 100 graduate students participated in the UH Cullen College of Engineering spring commencement ceremony. Four Cullen College graduates—Tony Kim, Anne Schneider, Michael Fernandez and Drew Nolen—share their excitement about graduating from the University of Houston.

ECE Professor Featured in Popular Magazine
(May 18, 2009) Neuroscience research being conducted by Bhavin Sheth, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, was recently featured in an issue of The Economist. The article spotlights Sheth’s work with London researcher Joydeep Bhattacharya and Austria researcher Simone Sandkuhler on insight. Characterized as the clear and often sudden understanding of a complex situation or problem, the study by the three suggests insight occurs much earlier than most thought—as much as eight seconds before we are consciously aware we have solved the problem.

Alumni to be Honored at Annual Dinner
(May 14, 2009) Four University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering alumni will be recognized next month at the 2009 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards Dinner. Established in 1987, the awards dinner recognizes alumni, faculty and friends of the college and the Engineering Alumni Association. At this year’s event, four alumni will be honored not only for their contributions within the community, but also to the engineering profession. Gabriel W. Cuadra (1988 BSChE) and Daniel O. Wong (1983 BSCE, 1985 MSCE, 1988 Ph.D. CE) will be honored with Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards; Duane Germenis (1983 BSME) will receive the Roger Eichhorn Leadership Award; and Michael P. Harold (1985 Ph.D. ChE) is the recipient of the Abraham E. Dukler Distinguished Engineering Faculty Award.

Faculty Recognized for Teaching, Research
(May 8, 2009) Dean Joseph Tedesco recognized UH Cullen College of Engineering faculty members for outstanding teaching and research during the 2008-2009 academic year at the college's spring Faculty/Staff Meeting. Richard Willson (ChBE) was honored with the Fluor Daniel Faculty Excellence Award, the highest award given by the college. Ovidiu Crisan (ECE) received the W.T. Kittinger Teaching Excellence Award, the college's most prestigious teaching honor. Leang Shieh (ECE) and Larry Witte (ME) were named co-recipients of the Career Teaching Award for excellence in teaching and service to students.

Using Auto Industry Tool for Tumor Therapy
(May 6, 2009) An effort is under way at the University of Houston to use technologies with origins in the automobile industry to develop new tools that will help doctors and technicians better plan radiation therapy for patients with head and neck cancer. Ali Kamrani, associate professor of industrial engineering, is teaming up with Lei Dong, associate professor and deputy research director of radiation physics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, to develop predictive models of tumors that will hopefully increase the accuracy of radiation therapy.

ChE Professor Captures Top University Honor
(April 23, 2009) Demetre Economou, John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was named the 31st recipient of the Esther Farfel Award. The highest honor given by the University of Houston, it is a symbol of overall career excellence. An internationally known researcher, Economou is a leader in atomic layer etching and has developed a promising nanofabrication technique expected to give researchers the ability to mass-produce nanotech devices. As an educator, he has gone above and beyond to help his students succeed during his 23-year career at UH.

Longtime ECE Professor Presented Inaugural University Honor
(April 23, 2009) Stuart Long, professor of electrical and computer engineering and university-wide associate dean for undergraduate research and The Honors College, has received the inaugural University of Houston Teaching Excellence: Career Award. Long has served the Cullen College of Engineering for more than 35 years as an educator, administrator and researcher. Over the last decade, he has been an investigator on more than 11 external grants totaling more than $6 million to promote the STEM fields to high school students as well as advance undergraduate research.

Civil Professor Receives UH Teaching Excellence Award
(April 23, 2009) K.H. Wang, professor of civil and environmental engineering, received a University of Houston Teaching Excellence Award at the 31st Annual University of Houston Faculty Awards Ceremony. For nearly two decades, Wang has devoted countless hours to daily preparation for his courses and juggled large class loads with volunteer work and administrative duties, such as directing the civil engineering graduate program, where he is responsible for all admissions and advising.

UH Robotics Teams Make History at Regional Competition
(April 23, 2009) UH Cullen College of Engineering robotics teams took first and third place at the 2009 IEEE Region 5 Technical, Professional and Student Conference robotics competition, marking the first time UH has grabbed two spots in the top three. Members from each team have toiled the last six months conceptualizing, designing, building and programming their robots for the annual competition.

UH Team Excels in Regional Circuit Design Competition
(April 22, 2009) A duo from the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering relied on problem solving skills and classroom instruction to secure the first place title at a regional circuit design competition last weekend. John Hemmick and Osaid Shamsi, both seniors in the college’s department of electrical and computer engineering, were pitted against 10 teams in the nonstop, seven-hour competition challenging them to design and build a solar-powered battery charger at the 2009 IEEE Region 5 Technical, Professional and Student Conference.

Team Aims to Protect Public Water Supply
(April 21, 2009) As municipalities across the United States reduce their dependence on groundwater sources to mitigate environmental impacts like subsidence and flooding, there is a growing need for better purification processes to keep contaminants found in surface water sources out of the public tap. Shankar Chellam, professor of civil and environmental engineering, is studying how contaminants are removed by membrane filters, how they clog filter pores and how the water flow is subsequently affected. He and his research team are developing pretreatment methods to improve membrane performance.

College Unveils New Undergraduate Lab Space
(April 14, 2009) The University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering has opened a laboratory devoted to enhancing undergraduate education through hands-on instruction in bioanalytics. The Biomedical Engineering Bioanalytics Undergraduate Laboratory, which officially opened in the fall, allows students to learn biophysical laws governing cell behavior to better understand how RNA, DNA and protein are regulated.

Multi-Million Dollar NSF Grant to Fund Science Enrichment Program
(April 7, 2009) UH engineering researchers have received a nearly $3 million grant to support Innovations in Nanotechnology and NanoSciences, a program intended to address a lack of proficiency in the sciences among middle and high school students. UH graduate students will work with area science teachers to help them discover new, innovative ways of articulating complex topics to their students.
Read UH Press Release

Study by UH Researchers Could Help Diabetics Better Monitor Glucose Levels
(March 23, 2009) A device being developed by a team of researchers from the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering could make it unnecessary for more than 23 million diabetics to submit to daily finger pricks to test glucose levels in their blood. The researchers received a three-year, nearly $400,000 National Science Foundation grant this month to explore the development of the implantable device, designed to use optical sensing to continuously monitor glucose levels.

NSF Grant to Fund Center Focused on Electromagnetic Compatibility Research
(March 17, 2009) UH and the Missouri University of Science and Technology are
launching the Center for Electromagnetic Compatibility. Funded with a five-year,
$600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and $300,000 in added yearly
support from industry, the center will work to reduce electromagnetic interference
in electronic devices.

UH to Provide Technical Training in International Partnership
(March 16, 2009) The University of Houston has signed a memorandum of understanding with an Angolan university intended to boost technical training and reduce the southwestern African nation’s dependence on foreign technical expertise. UH will collaborate with faculty at the University Agostinho Neto (UAN), as well as a host of international oil firms to improve training, mainly connected to oil and gas, enabling more Angolan students to populate open positions in the oil-rich nation.

IEEE Hosts 30th Annual Chili Cook Off
(March 13, 2009) The University of Houston Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) student chapter held its 30th Annual Chili Cook Off March 12. Fueled by the support of seven corporate sponsors, the cook off provided students an opportunity for informal interaction with the companies present as well as helped to raise money for scholarships and the activities of the organization.

Undergraduate Students Construct Lab Instrument
(March 10, 2009) Undergraduate biomedical engineering students Arjun Vasan and Basilios Sideris demonstrate how to operate the lab instrument they developed over the course of the last year. Designed to allow scientists to better understand how radiation from low-level lasers affects cellular processes, the tool was repurposed from a 1970s era XY plotter.

Nanoengineering Minor Planned For Fall 2009 Start, Info Session Scheduled
(March 4, 2009) The University of Houston Provost’s Office is expected to approve the launch of a nanoengineering (NEMO) minor centered on preparing students for careers in the rapidly growing field of nanoscience and technology. A relatively new field of engineering, nanoengineering is responsible for helping produce hundreds of consumer products and applications including everything from computer hardware and cosmetics to cancer treatments and environmentally friendly paints. Based in the Cullen College of Engineering, the undergraduate course offerings will introduce students to nanotechnology, which works to develop materials and devices on an extremely small scale.

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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