SEAS News
Dean John Lach recently sat for an interview with GW Today. During the interview he discussed, among other topics, his role as dean of SEAS and how SEAS is supporting high-impact and cross-collaborative research and enhancing the student experience. Read the interview in “Q & A: SEAS Dean Shares His Vision for the School.”
Faculty News
Research:
Dr. David Broniatowski (EMSE) is co-principal investigator on a one-year, $50,000 grant from the Social Sciences Research Council titled “Identifying Best Practices to Prevent Misinformation on Facebook.” The principal investigator is Dr. Ethan Porter in GW's School of Media and Public Affairs.
Dr. Payman Dehghanian (ECE) and his colleagues, Dr. Miguel Lejeune (GW Business School) and Dr. Hana Akselrod (GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences), have received a 2020 Duke Energy Innovation Fund grant of $31,000 for their project, “Community-in-the-Loop Decision Support for Resilience against Wildfire.” They will work with the leadership team at Sustainable GW to accomplish the project goals and the envisioned milestones. Dr. Dehghanian is the lead principal investigator on the project.
Dr. Chung Hyuk Park (BME) has received an International Collaborative Research and Development Project grant, titled “Development of an Autonomous Omni-directional Mobile Robot with High Accurate Localization Based on IMU-Aided Multi-Sensor Fusion in Indoor/Outdoor Environment” and funded by the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. It is a two-year contracted project in collaboration with Han Sung Well Tech Co., Nsquare Co., and Chungbuk National University (Korea). GW’s share of the project budget is approximately $135,000.
Publications:
Dr. Andrew Cutler (MAE) and his collaborators have published the following paper: A.D. Cutler, K. Rein, S. Roy, P.M. Danehy, N. Jiang, “100-kHz Interferometric Rayleigh Scattering for multi-parameter flow measurements,” Optics Express, Vol. 28, Issue 3, pp. 3025-3040 (2020).
Dr. Payman Dehghanian (ECE), in collaboration with his colleagues at Macquarie University and University of New South Wales in Australia and the University of British Columbia in Canada, has published the following journal article: P. Jamborsalamati, M. J. Hossain, S. Taghizadeh, A. Sadu, G. Konstantinou, M. Manbachi, and P. Dehghanian. “Enhancing Power Grid Resilience through An IEC61850-based EV-Assisted Load Restoration,” IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp. 1799-1810, March 2020.
Dr. Ahmed Louri (ECE) and his doctoral student Yuechen Chen have published the following paper: Y. Chen and A. Louri. “An Approximate Communication Framework for Network-on-Chips,” IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, pp (99):1-1, January 2020. IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems is a top journal for the presentation of research results on parallel and distributed computing systems. This paper introduces a hardware-software co-design to reduce the latency and power consumption of on-chip interconnect by approximating communication traffic while meeting applications’ requirements on data accuracy. This research is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
Dr. Chung Hyuk Park (BME), along with his doctoral student Baijun Xie and his former postdoctoral researcher Jonathan Kim, has published a journal article in Applied Sciences as part of the “Special Issue Digital Audio Effects.” The article citation is: B. Xie, J. C. Kim, and C. H. Park. “Musical Emotion Recognition with Spectral Feature Extraction Based on a Sinusoidal Model with Model-Based and Deep-Learning Approaches,” Applied Sciences, 2020, 10(3), 902.
Conferences and Presentations:
On January 22, Dr. Kathryn Schunke (research assistant professor, BME) gave an invited talk at the Keystone Symposia conference “Hypoxia: Molecules, Mechanisms and Disease.” The title of her talk was “Regulation of HIF-1 by Chromatin Reader, PRKCBP1.” The three 2019 Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine also spoke at the conference, which was held January 19-23 in Keystone, CO.
Other News:
Dr. Michael Plesniak (MAE) is on sabbatical in the Graduate Aeronautical Laboratory (GALCIT) at Caltech in Pasadena, CA.
Student News
Last weekend nearly 100 students from GW and other local universities participated in the Third Annual George Hacks Medical Solutions Hackathon. Responding to challenges presented to them by partnering health care organizations in this 24-hour hackathon, students developed working prototypes such as apps, devices, systems processes, and business models to solve real-world challenges facing the medical community. SEAS students placed very well in the hackathon. More details about the hackathon and a full list of winners are available in the GW Today article, “George Hacks Hosts Third Annual Medical Solutions Hackathon.”
SEAS Events Re-cap
The GW Baja Team recently had the opportunity to present their 2018-2019 vehicle at the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Government and Industry Meetup, held in Washington, DC at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. In the two-day event, the student team talked with industry professionals about the design and manufacturing processes involved in making the Baja car each year. In addition, they attended technical talks about the newest technologies in the automotive industry and got a sneak peek at the cars of the 2020 Washington Autoshow. The team looks forward to this event every year, as a great time to learn more about the automotive industry and network with potential employers. The team is pictured above with the car they designed, manufactured, and raced in the competition last year.
SEAS Computing Facility
Raspberry Pi Workshop
Saturday, February 8
1:00 – 4:00 pm
SEH 1300/1400/1450
Register
Join SEAS Computing Facility for an introductory workshop on Raspberry Pi, where you will learn how to integrate multiple sensors—such as humidity/temperature sensors and ultrasonic range sensors—into a larger project. Absolutely no experience with Raspberry Pi is necessary, and all equipment will be provided. SEAS CF staff will be on hand to lead the workshop and provide hands-on guidance.
MATLAB Workshops: The SEAS Computing Facility (SEASCF) will hold five MATLAB workshops this semester. The workshops will be held in Tompkins 406 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm on the following dates:
- Sunday, February 9: Programming Basics II
- Sunday, February 23: Figures & 3D Plotting
- Sunday, March 1: Linear Equation & ODE Solving
- Sunday, March 8: Image Processing and Toolboxes
MATLAB Office Hours: SEAS CF will also hold MATLAB open office hours throughout the Spring semester in Tompkins 406. Office hours are: Sundays (2:00 – 4:00 pm), Tuesdays (6:00 – 10:00 pm), and Fridays (1:00 – 5:00 pm). Please email us to schedule a tutoring appointment. The workshops and tutoring will be hosted by SEAS senior Emilie Lemieux. MATLAB and many other helpful programs are available to be downloaded onto any personal computer. For a complete list of applications, please visit the SEAS Computing Facility website.
Upcoming SEAS Events
BME Seminar: “Designing Robots for Human Interaction”
Speaker: Dr. Bilge Mutlu, University of Wisconsin—Madison
Wednesday, February 5
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
SEH, B1270
WOW Talk XVI
Wednesday, February 5
4:00 pm (Refreshments to follow)
SEH, B1220
RSVP
Join our speakers for the next installment of the WOW (“What’s Our Work”) Talk lecture series:
- Dr. Chung Hyuk Park (BME): “From Social Robots for Children to Therapeutic Robotic Assistance”
- Dr. Jimmy Saw (Biology): “Exploring the Hidden Microbial Diversity in Extreme Habitats”
- Axel Schmidt (Physics): “Why Do Protons and Neutrons Change Shape When We Put Them in Nuclei?”
Workshop: “Examining Community Solar Programs to Understand the Role of Policies on Accessibility and Investment”
Friday, February 7
9:00 am – 5:45 pm
SEH, B1270
A group of select stakeholders in the community solar ecosystem including scholars, industry experts, owners, users, financial entities or lenders, utilities, municipal people, and local government representatives will gather at SEAS to understand the future of community solar projects (CSP). Our goal is to collaboratively arrive at factors that inform policy development through a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding CSP adoption. This workshop will provide the guidelines regarding the development of appropriate interventions for future CSPs.
CS Lecture: “From Football Field to Battlefield: Accelerated Training in Mixed Reality”
Speaker: Jordan Higgins, U.Group
Thursday, February 13
3:30 – 4:30 pm
Corcoran Hall, Room 103 (725 21st Street, NW)
This is a special topic lecture for the CSCI 6907 Augmented and Virtual Reality course. To attend, please RSVP to Dr. Hurriyet Ok by February 12.
CS Lecture: “Blockchain Technologies and Applications Concept, Initiatives, Status, Problems, and Potential Solutions”
Speaker: Dr. Sead Muftic, CEO, BIX® System Corporation
Wednesday, February 19
4:30 – 6:00 pm
SEH, B1270
This is a special topic lecture for the CSCI 6548: E-Commerce Security course. To attend, please RSVP to Dr. Hurriyet Ok by February 18.
Women in Engineering Panel: “The World Beyond College: What it's Really Like to Be a Female Engineer”
Wednesday, February 19
6:00 – 8:00 pm
SEH, Lehman Auditorium
RSVP
What is it really like to be a female engineer once you graduate? You’ll have a wonderful opportunity to learn all about it from our panel of experts, who will describe the challenges and opportunities in their careers, as well as a personal reflection on what it takes to succeed. Come and enjoy an engaging discussion with plenty of time allowed for your own questions and a networking reception following the one-hour panel discussion. Read about our panelists. Contact WiE if you have any questions.
BME Seminar: “iPSC-Derived Engineered Micro-Heart Muscle to Study the Relationship between Cardiomyopathy-Genotypes, Mechanical Loading and Arrhythmia”
Speaker: Dr. Nathaniel Huebsch, Washington University in St. Louis
Wednesday, March 11
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Marvin Center, Room 301
Entrepreneurship News & Events
2020 GW New Venture Competition: Applications are due Wednesday, February 5 at 1:00 pm. Apply
2020 GW NVC Round 2 Workshop: Developing a feasibility analysis that will get you through to the next round of the NVC
Tuesday, February 11
5:30 – 7:00 pm
GW I+E Lab (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 7th Floor)
Register
As part of the 2020 GW New Venture Competition, this workshop will help teams develop a feasibility analysis suited to the track they are competing in (Technology Ventures, Social Ventures, or New Ventures). Teams that are moving forward to the second round of the 2020 GW New Venture Competition and looking for help with their application should attend this workshop. The Feasibility Analysis is a critical part of the round two submission to the competition.
Pitch’n in the Kitchen: Pitch | Listen | Connect
Wednesday, February 12
5:00 – 6:30 pm
GW I+E Lab (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 7th Floor)
Register
Do you have an idea? Want to talk through your idea or technology with the community of entrepreneurs at GW? Need a co-founder or a teammate? Pitch'n in the Kitchen is right for you. It’s a casual, intimate pitch event at which you can pitch your idea (no matter the stage) to your fellow peers and professional entrepreneurs from around campus in an actual open kitchen. Why a kitchen? That's the place where things get made and new ideas are discovered.
2020 GW NVC Mentor Mingle
Thursday, February 13
6:00 – 8:00 pm
GW I+E Lab (2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, 7th Floor)
Register
Do you want guidance on how to get your startup up and running? Want to connect with former and current investors who can mentor you on your pitch? Want to find a mentor to help you in the 2020 GW New Venture Competition? Join us for an evening of networking and matching with mentors who can help guide you in your business journey.
External Events
Save the Date: GW Research Showcase
Tuesday, April 7
Charles E. Smith Center (600 22nd Street, NW)
The abstract submission form is open, and the deadline to apply is Monday, March 2. Find out more about the showcase.
Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policymaking Project
Friday, February 7
8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Jacob Burns Moot Court Room (2000 H Street, NW)
More information/register
The project will introduce students to innovative problem-solving by examining specific policy implementation challenges in the area of environmentally sustainable government procurement and by providing a methodology for addressing problems through hands-on instruction, customer discovery, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. This project is open to all GW students.
Attend “Silent Sky” Play at Ford’s Theater: The SEAS Center for Women in Engineering (WiE) has secured special $23 tickets for GW students interested in attending “Silent Sky,” a play about Henrietta Leavitt, American astronomer, to be performed Saturday, February 8 at 2:00 pm. After the show, Ford’s Theater director will host a brief “talk-back” about how she came to direct the show. Contact WiE for discounted ticket information.
Dissertation Defenses
Student Name: Yurong Chen
Dissertation Title: “Zero-Day Defense: Discovering and Removing Vulnerabilities Through Program Customization and Fuzzing”
Advisor: Dr. Tian Lan (ECE)
Monday, February 10
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
SEH, 5990
Human Resources News
Please visit this week's HR Corner, where HR manager Marion Flythe-Inman shares the most recent GW HR news and updates regarding:
- Enhanced tuition benefits for faculty and staff
- The performance management schedule
- SEAS staffing updates
- New SEAS employment opportunities
- Benefits reminders