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