UH Cullen College of Engineering

EAA To Honor 2006 Recipients of the Distinguished Engineering Awards
Join us on Friday June 2, 2006 at the Four Seasons Hotel to honor
recipients of the 2006 EAA Distinguished Engineering Awards. Michael A.
Ervin (1966 BSChE, 1969 MSChE, 1970 PhD ChE) and Michael J. Piwetz (1973
BSChE) will receive the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award, Bryan P.
Kennedy (1996 BSCE) will receive the Distinguished Young Engineering
Alumnus Award and Larry C. Witte will receive the Roger Eichhorn
Leadership Service Award. Chemical Engineering professor Ernest J.
Henley will receive the Abraham E. Dukler Distinguished Engineering
Faculty Award. Read more…

Nanomagnetics Research Utilized for Medical Technology Development
A tabletop system capable of screening tens of thousands of drug candidates in an hour and a tool that can provide a foolproof cancer diagnosis with miniscule quantities of tissue obtained through non-invasive means are just two possible outcomes of nanomagnetics research being conducted by a team of professors with the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering. The research team, which has received more than $1 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Alliance for NanoHealth, is led by Dmitri Litvinov, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. Richard Willson, professor of chemical engineering and biochemical and biophysical sciences, and John Wolfe, professor of electrical and computer engineering, serve as co-investigators for the project. Read more…

State Grants Engineering Researchers Nearly $500k

Professors at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering received grants collectively totaling almost half a million dollars from the state of Texas’ Advanced Research Program. The program, which was founded in 1987, employs a competitive peer-reviewed system to fund the scientific and engineering research projects of faculty members at Texas higher education institutions. Receiving five awards, the college measures up well against other engineering programs in the state, including The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. Read more…

Physicians and Engineers Pool Resources to Prevent Stroke

Ralph Metcalfe, professor of mechanical engineering and deputy director of the UH biomedical engineering program, and his graduate student, Aishwarya Mantha, are working on a new tool to improve brain aneurysm treatment. Metcalfe and Mantha are working with physicians and scientists at the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI) to determine which brain aneurysms are at highest risk of rupture and could cause a stroke. Read more…

Programs for Women Addressing Shortage of Female Engineers

UH Cullen College of Engineering is addressing the shortage of female engineers through the continued development of a couple of programs aimed to recruit and retain female students to the field of engineering. GRADE (Girls Reaching and Demonstrating Excellence) Camp is specifically designed for high school females entering the 9th through 12 grades in the fall. The college will host four, one-week camps, giving girls the opportunity to learn engineering principles, interact with professionals in the field, and design and construct an autonomous robot. The college also offers a newly designed program for female engineering students called WELCOME (Women in Engineering Learning Community for Maximizing Excellence). The program offers a unique community for female students pursing degrees in engineering, several professional development activities and seminars, and an interactive mentoring program. Read more…

Engineering Graduate Student Takes First Place in Poster Competition

Liang Xu, a chemical engineering Ph.D. student, took first place in the poster presentation competition at a recent symposium, Frontiers in Materials Research: Applications of Thermal Analysis and Rheology, held in Dallas last month. Xu's poster outlined research into layered silicate nanofillers that are used to strengthen block copolymers, which are nano-scale objects that have multiple applications, ranging from semiconductors to fuel cells. According to Xu, silicate nanofillers could absorb the stress of impact to the easily damaged block copolymers.Read more…

Barrera Honored with Staff Excellence Award

Cullen College of Engineering Business Administrator Dorothy Barrera has been recognized with the 2006 University of Houston Staff Excellence Award. A 20-year employee of UH, Barrera's nomination was supported by several staff members from across the university who applauded her outstanding leadership, professionalism and great sense of humor. In addition to her responsibilities at the college, she serves on the University System Fringe Benefits Committee, the University Compensation Committee and the University Staff Human Resources Advisory Committee. Read more…

Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards Dinner
Friday, June 2
Four Seasons Hotel, Downtown Houston

4th Annual Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Luncheon
Tuesday, June 20, 12 p.m.
HESS Club