Faculty News
Publications:
The labs of Dr. Zhenyu Li (BME) and Dr. Emilia Entcheva (BME) have published collaborative work in Lab on a Chip, a premier journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry: L. Wei, W. Li, E. Entcheva, and Z. Li. “ Microfluidics-enabled 96-well perfusion system for high-throughput tissue engineering and long-term all-optical electrophysiology,” Lab on a Chip, September 21, 2020. This NIH-funded research was conducted by BME undergraduate student Wei Lai and PhD student Weizhen Li, who are co-first authors. An invention disclosure was filed with the GW Technology Commercialization Office prior to publication.
Dr. Xitong Liu (CEE) and his collaborators have published the following article: X. Liu, S. Shanbhag, T. V. Bartholomew, J. F. Whitacre, and M. S. Mauter. “Cost Comparison of Capacitive Deionization and Reverse Osmosis for Brackish Water Desalination,” ACS ES&T Engineering, October 1, 2020. This paper presents a direct cost comparison between an emerging technology and an established technology for brackish water desalination under similar case specifications and operating conditions.
Dr. Santiago Solares (MAE) and his students recently published the following journal paper: M. A. S. R. Saadi, B. Uluutku, C. H. Parvini, and S. D. Solares. “Soft sample deformation, damage and induced electromechanical property changes in contact- and tapping-mode atomic force microscopy,” Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties, Vol. 8, Number 4 (2020). Through experiments using several Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) modalities, viscoelastic parameter extraction, Raman spectroscopy and dynamic AFM simulation, the authors have shown that soft matter (eg. viscoelastic conductive polymers) responds more elastically in tapping-mode AFM measurements, due to the higher rate of mechanical deformation and shorter tip-sample interaction timescales. On the contrary, permanent sample deformation can readily occur with a duration on the timescale of contact-mode interactions.
Media Mentions:
Dr. David Broniatowski (EMSE) was quoted in the October 7 Vice article “The COVID-19 Vaccine Protest Movement Is Far Ahead of the Vaccine Itself” and the October 7 HealthDay article “’Anti-Vaxx' Movement Shifts Focus to Civil Liberties” about the study he led on the rise in Facebook groups that portray refusing to vaccinate as a civil right.
Conferences & Presentations:
Dr. Amir Aslani (ECE) attended the ASU+GSV 2020 Summit, which was held virtually September 29 - October 8. The summit site notes, “The dawn of the age of digital learning has created an awakening of ingenuity, innovation, and perseverance that cannot be defined by an individual, company, school, or technology. It is an ecosystem of heart, energy, and passion driven by purposeful changes.” The summit focused on many areas, mainly related to higher education online, perspectives on blended learning, and pedagogy for delivering engaging and effective experiences for students.
Upcoming SEAS Events
POSTPONED: 2020 SEAS Student R&D Showcase
Originally scheduled for Friday, October 23, the 2020 SEAS Student R&D Showcase is being postponed to a future date. More information will be provided as soon as a new date is set. Thank you to all SEAS students who have registered for the Showcase. Your application will remain valid, and you will not need to resubmit it.
ECE Distinguished Lecture Series: “Revisiting Exploration versus Exploitation: Adaptive Control and Multi-Armed Bandits”
Speaker: Dr. P.R. Kumar, Texas A&M University
Wednesday, October 14
10:00 – 11:00 am ET
Online event
Password: Kt3cesNPb73
This lecture will count as part of the department’s colloquium requirements.
BME Seminar: “Flexible, Hybrid Opto-Electro-Chemo Implants for Neural Interfaces”
Speaker: Dr. Wen Li, Michigan State University
Wednesday, December 2
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join via WebEx
Entrepreneurship News & Events
2020 Pitch George Applications are now open: The annual Pitch George Competition takes place each fall semester and allows student entrepreneurs from all GW schools to present their business ideas, get valuable feedback, and have the opportunity to win startup capital. Don't miss out on this opportunity to win cash prizes and the chance to advance to the Top 100 Round of the 2021 GW New Venture Competition in the spring semester. Applications are due by October 18 at 11:59 pm. This will be the first fully virtual Pitch George Competition. Apply to compete.
GW Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Events:
Workshop: Introduction to Lean Innovation
Friday, October 16
Friday, November 20
1:00 – 4:30 pm ET
Register
Do you hope to solve a global problem, start a new business, develop a new product, or simply have an idea? We're inviting the entire GW community to attend a half-day introductory virtual workshop to learn how savvy innovators start the process.
Jumpstart Bootcamp: Global Challenge Innovation
Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8
Saturday and Sunday, November 14 and 15
10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET on each of the four dates
Register
Students will discover and breakdown complex global problems, innovate new solutions, and design a business plan to launch a startup. This virtual event will feature four, two-hour interactive sessions. Guests who register for this event must attend all four sessions.
External Events
George Hacks: Kogan MakerWeek 2020
Sunday, October 11 – Saturday, October 17
Join George Hacks for a fully virtual, week-long set of activities, workshops, and challenges that you can participate in from the comfort of home!
DIY Activities
Participate in DIY activities led by our team on Sunday, October 11 and learn about some of the basic tech concepts that drive modern innovation. We have tried our best to tailor these activities so that you can build them from items you likely already have at home. If you don’t have all the materials at home to participate, fill out this form by 12:00 noon on Monday, October 5, to request specific components and we’ll ship them to you.
Interactive Workshops
George Hacks will offer three technical workshops, all of which are beginner- friendly (NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED). Attendees will be eligible to win prizes from drawings and challenges! Tentative dates and times are:
3D Modeling: Monday, October 12 at 2:00 pm
Circuits/Arduino: Friday, October 16 at 4:00 pm
Entrepreneurship: Saturday, October 17 at 10:00 am
Register for the workshops
WoWTalk ("What's Our Work") Seminar Series
Speakers:
- Dr. Ginger Ellington (Geography): “Mapping dynamic processes of land cover change in arid rangelands”
- Dr. Matt Kay (ECE): “Oh, brain, protect my heart! The powerful influence of the autonomic system”
- Dr. W. Andrew Barr (Anthropology): “Putting the human fossil record in context”
Wednesday, October 14
4:00 pm
Online event
All are invited to the WoWTalk Seminar Series. These short talks (15 minutes each) are designed to introduce faculty and students to current and exciting research projects, and to initiate discussion, collaborate, share expertise, and promote research performed at GW.
The GW Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service hosts GW Votes, a non-partisan coalition of students, faculty, and staff that promotes voter registration and participation among GW students. This fall, GW Votes is hosting a number of programs and initiatives leading up to the November 3rd elections. Visit GW Votes for more information.
GW Coders
Weekly, on Fridays
11:00 am
Complete this short form to learn more
GW Coders is a new community that brings together students and faculty to apply computational and data analytics skills in research. We will share coding experiences, learn some new skills, and build our professional networks. GW Coders is for everyone, from those just getting interested in coding to those who have years of experience; for undergraduate and graduate students; for faculty in any discipline; for others in the DC community who want to join us.
Office of Research Integrity Seminar: “Responsible Conduct of Research”
Weekly, on Thursday
12:00 – 1:30 pm
Online
Register
This fall 2020 seminar course is designed to develop and strengthen ethical problem-solving skills and foster sensitivity to ethical issues in the conduct of research. Registration is open to the entire campus community but will be capped at twenty participants. Please register early to secure your space. If you have questions about the seminar, please email the Office of Research Integrity.
Human Resources News
This week's HR Corner includes information related to the temporary suspension of employer base and matching contributions to retirement plans, changes to campus access, updates to GW's FY21 holiday schedule, and more. Please visit the HR Corner to read these updates.