January 22-28, 2018

Newsletter

January 22, 2018

Faculty News
Publications:
Dr. Joost Santos (EMSE) co-authored the “Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves: 2017 Interim Report,” which was released to the public on January 11 by the National Institute of Building Sciences. The Institute's project team looked at the results of 23 years of federally funded mitigation grants provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Economic Development Administration, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and it that found mitigation funding can save the nation $6 in future disaster costs for every $1 spent on hazard mitigation. (Press release)

 

Dr. Volker Sorger (ECE) has published the following paper: Z. Ma, R. Hemnani, L. Bartels. R. Agarwal, and V. J. Sorger. “2D Materials in Electro-optic Modulation: energy efficiency, electrostatics, mode overlap, material transfer and integration,” Applied Physics A, 124: 126 (2018).

 

Conferences & Presentations:
On January 16, Joe Cascio, Esq. (EMSE) delivered his yearly lecture on environmental management systems to this year's class at the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy. The Eisenhower School is part of the National Defense University, tasked with preparing selected military officers and civilians for senior national security positions dealing with the resource component of national power. The college conducts postgraduate, executive-level courses of study, and associated research, awarding a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy to its graduates. Special emphasis is placed on material acquisition, joint logistics, and their integration into national security strategy.

 

Dr. Tianshu Li (CEE) presented the talk “Enhanced heterogeneous ice nucleation by special surface geometry” at the 14th International Conference on the Physics and Chemistry of Ice, held January 7-12 in Zurich, Switzerland.

 

Other News:
On January 11, the Indian Space Research Organization launched a PSLV-C40 rocket with a set of micro cathode arc thrusters onboard as part of its CANYVAL-X mission. The thrusters were developed by Dr. Michael Keidar (MAE) and his research team. CANYVAL-X is a collaborative project among NASA, Yonsei University (China), and GW. The purpose of CANYVAL-X is to perform engineering experiments of precision formation flying techniques onboard CubeSats. NASA provided a fine sun sensor, systems engineering consultation, and GNC algorithms for precision formation flying experiments. GW provided the set of micro cathode arc thrusters, and Yonsei University built the spacecraft bus and performed I&T with the software. More information about the mission is available on this LinkedIn post and this NASA factsheet.

 

Nanotechnology journal has selected the article “Integrating three-dimensional printing and nanotechnology for musculoskeletal regeneration” to appear in its “Highlights of 2017” issue. Being featured among the best research of 2017 published in a prestigious journal is a significant honor for Dr. Margaret Nowicki, the lead author and a recent Ph.D. graduate. Dr. Nowicki was advised by Dr. Lijie “Grace” Zhang (MAE) and Dr. Michael Plesniak (MAE). The paper citation is: M. Nowicki, N. J. Castro, R. Rao, M. Plesniak, and L. G. Zhang. “Integrating three-dimensional printing and nanotechnology for musculoskeletal regeneration,” Nanotechnology, Vol. 28, No. 38.

 

Other News

US News Logo

The U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2018 rankings of online programs. The SEAS online graduate engineering programs in systems engineering, cybersecurity policy and compliance, and engineering management are ranked #26 in the nation in the report.

 

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) CyberCorps Scholarship for Service (SFS) program recently announced its inaugural class of SFS Hall of Fame recipients. Mischel Kwon, a graduate of the joint SFS program at GW and Marymount University, is one of three SFS graduates named to the Hall of Fame. The SFS Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who are making outstanding contributions to cybersecurity. After graduating from the CyberCorps program, Mischel taught a cybersecurity course at GW for several years as an adjunct faculty member.

 

Job announcement: ECE Graduate Research Assistant - Solar Power Research
The ECE department seeks a graduate research assistant to assist in the development of photovoltaic module construction methods, using both CAD modeling and experimentation with practical assembly methods, to achieve a precise, robust and repeatable optical alignment of the solar panel components. The candidate will also assist in analyzing data collected from assembled solar panels, measured in both laboratory and outdoor environments, and comparing these to model predictions of panel performance. The candidate will require strong analytical and communication skills. Experience with CAD modeling software such as SolidWorks is highly desirable. Basic knowledge of different photovoltaic technologies, photovoltaic characterization methods and basic geometric optics is also highly desirable. No US work authorization is required for the position. For a full position description and to apply, please see the position posting on Handshake.

 

SEAS Events
MAE Seminar: “Multi-Scale Modeling of Nonequilibrium Gas and Plasma with Applications to Hypersonics and Space Propulsion”
Speaker: Dr. Iain Boyd, University of Michigan
Thursday, January 25
2:00 – 3:00 pm
SEH, B1220

 

MAE Seminar: “Coupling between Geometry and Mechanics in Locomotion and Embryogenesis”
Speaker: Dr. Jerzy Blawzdziewicz, Texas Tech University
Monday, January 29
2:00 – 3:00 pm
SEH, B1220

 

MAE Seminar: “Study of Interfacial Phenomena for Applications in the Development of Ceramic Materials and Biotechnologies”
Speaker: Dr. Tao Wei, Howard University
Thursday, February 8
2:00 – 3:00 pm
SEH, B1220

 

MAE Seminar: “Routing Problems Arising in Space Exploration”
Speaker: Dr. Jaemyung Ahn, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Tuesday, February 13
2:00 – 3:00 pm
SEH, 2000

 

MAE Seminar: “Towards Greener Aviation with Python at Petascale”
Speaker: Dr. Freddie Witherden, Stanford University
Thursday, February 22
2:00 – 3:00 pm
SEH, B1220

 

Entrepreneurship News & Events
2018 GW New Venture Competition
Apply to Compete
Submit your concept or idea for your startup, business, or social enterprise by January 31. Compete for the chance to win up to $300,000 in total prizes. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to get funding for your idea!

 

Office Hours for 2018 New Venture Competition Submissions
Monday, January 22 – Friday, January 26
3:00 – 8:00 pm
GW Innovation Center
The deadline to submit your application to compete in the 2018 GW New Venture Competition is January 31. Come to office hours to get your questions answered and get help from the directors of the competition.

 

Workshop: “Designing Solutions to Social Challenges”
Thursday, January 25
5:45 – 7:30 pm
District House, B117
Register
Social entrepreneurs and innovators around the world are tackling some of the most complex and challenging social problems of our time. These innovators use the human-centered design and design thinking methods to provide impactful solutions in the US and across the globe.
This experiential workshop exposes those in the nonprofit and social impact sectors to the tools and tactics used by those innovators and entrepreneurs. Join us to learn more!

 

Workshop: "The Business Model Canvas: Does your innovation create, deliver, and capture value?”
Tuesday, February 6
5:30 – 7:00 pm
GW Innovation Center
Register
This hands-on workshop will include a brief overview of the business model canvas, the current state-of-the-art form specifying the nine key elements of a startup venture. Instructors will then hold individual advising sessions to help students create a canvas or improve the canvas for their particular startup idea.

 

George Hacks: Medical Hackathon
Saturday & Sunday, March 24-25
Registration opens in early February
George Hacks is a new student-led, 24-hour innovation competition at GW that is open to students from for all majors and is breaking from traditional hackathons meant for computer science majors. Pitches will address needs for patients battling cancer, medical and social innovation solutions for the aging community, and more! 100 participants will participate in teams of four that will compete for prizes! Please email [email protected] to receive registration information, to apply to be part of the student organization next year, or to volunteer for our inaugural event in March. For additional information, visit the georgehacks.org website. This event is sponsored by SEAS and GW’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

 

Research Events
NCURA Region II Professional Development Workshop: “Hot Topics in Research Compliance”
Tuesday, January 23
9:00 am – 4:30 pm (breakfast served at 8:30 am)
Marvin Center, 302
More information and to RSVP
A review of case studies, constructed using real life scenarios, serve as the core of this workshop. A registration fee of $175.00 includes electronic workshop materials, continental breakfast, and lunch.

 

Faculty Research Salon: “Virtual/Augmented Reality”
Tuesday, January 23
12:30 – 2:00 pm
Gelman Library, Faculty Lounge (B05) (Faculty ID card swipe access required)
More information
Register online

 

Post-Award Management Training Series: "We Have Been Awarded! Now What?”
Tuesday, February 13
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Marvin Center, 307
More information
Register online

 

Dissertation Defenses
Student Name: Azrah Anparasan
Dissertation Title: “Humanitarian Cargo Transportation: Modeling Realistic Network Topographies and Decentralized Planning Scenarios”
Advisor: Dr. Erica Gralla (EMSE)
Monday, January 22
12:00 – 2:00 pm
SEH, 2000