VIDEO: University of Houston Breaks Ground on Multidisciplinary Research and Engineering Building

The University of Houston broke ground on the new Multidisciplinary Research and Engineering Building (MREB) on Oct. 6. Construction on the MREB will begin this month, with completion scheduled for summer 2016. Two major gifts for the MREB were announced at the groundbreaking ceremony. The Mehta Family Foundation provided support to establish the Mehta Family Engineering Research Center on the ground floor of the MREB (read more about this gift here). Shell Oil Company contributed $3.5 million in support of the MREB and other educational initiatives at UH (read more about this gift here).

Watch the full video from the groundbreaking ceremony here.

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PHOTOS: 12th Annual Civil Engineering Luncheon
Hundreds of civil and environmental engineers gathered for lunch in Houston this month to celebrate one thing they all have in common: a civil engineering degree from the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering. The 12th annual civil and environmental engineering alumni luncheon took place on Oct. 21 at the HESS Club. The luncheon serves as an opportunity for UH’s civil and environmental engineering alumni to reconnect, catch up, and support the Cullen College's department of civil and environmental engineering. Photos from this year’s luncheon can be viewed here.

UH Researcher Wins $1.5 Million Federal Solar Energy Award
A professor at the UH Cullen College of Engineering is trying a novel approach to create high efficiency, low cost solar cells in an effort to bring the cost down to that of traditional electricity sources. Venkat Selvamanickam, M.D. Anderson Chair professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Applied Research Hub at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH, received a $1,499,994 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative to produce high efficiency, inexpensive thin film photovoltaics. Read more.

Filtration Research Ramps Up as Sources for Quality Water Worsen
The United States Bureau of Reclamation awarded Shankar Chellam, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the UH Cullen College of Engineering, $150,000 to find more efficient, less expensive ways to remove contaminants and salt from brackish surface water. The City of Houston, Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District and the University of Houston matched the grant with a combined $50,000 in-kind contribution. Read more.

University of Houston Receives IEEE Milestone in Engineering and Computing Award
On Nov. 17, the University of Houston will receive an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Milestone Award in Electrical Engineering and Computing as the site of the discovery of high temperature superconductivity (above 77 K). Read more.

UH Engineering Majors Ranked 15th in U.S. for Earning Potential
Continuing a theme of national excellence, the University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering was recently ranked in the top 20 schools by salary potential for engineering majors by PayScale.com. Read more.

Research Aims for Better Understanding of Microvascular Diseases
New technologies being developed by a Cullen College professor to produce three-dimensional models of tissue and whole organ microstructures offer the promise of better diagnosis and treatment for a variety of diseases. David Mayerich, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, received a $984,505 grant from the National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine to focus on large-scale reconstruction of microvascular networks. Read more.

Professor Earns Grant to Continue Fighting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Mike Nikolaou, chemical and biomolecular engineering professor, and Vincent Tam, pharmacy professor, remain players in the relentless cat-and-mouse game played between bacteria and antibiotics with a $519,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health. The game began almost four generations ago with Sir Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin. In his laboratory, Fleming noticed that penicillin killed most bacterial strains, but some strains became resistant when penicillin concentrations were insufficient to kill them. Prolonged exposure had actually educated the bacteria to resist. Read more.