Awards & Honors
Congratulations to Dr. Zhenyu Li, the winner of the 2019 Hegarty Award for Faculty Innovation. This $10,000 prize recognizes a faculty member who had an exceptional year in innovation.
Dr. Li’s research group develops cutting-edge enabling technology for personalized medicine, ranging from lab-on-chip microfluidic platforms for single cells and tissues to point-of-care, cloud-based wearable devices. His contributions to this broad field are original, sophisticated solutions and have been recognized through patents and large extramural grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the FDA, and over the 2018-2019 year, Dr. Li contributed as a principal investigator or key co-investigator to attracting over $5 million in extramural grants to GW.
The Hegarty Award for Faculty Innovation was established by the SEAS National Advisory Council chair Aran Hegarty and his wife Fritz Partlow.
Faculty News
Publications:
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) invited Dr. Dianne Martin (professor emeritus, CS) to write an article on cybersecurity ethics for its Fall 2019 issue of The Bridge. The Fall issue is a special issue devoted to cybersecurity, and Dr. Martin’s article is titled “EES Perspective When White Hats Wear Black Hats: The Ethics of Cybersecurity.” Extra copies of the magazine are available to policymakers, cybersecurity experts, and other interested parties by contacting Penelope Gibbs at the NAE Program Office.
Media Mentions:
WUSA-CBS9 quoted Dr. Samer Hamdar (CEE) in the October 6 article “Gas station ditches gas and goes electric; A sign of the future?”
In the article “4D Bioprinting Smart Constructs for the Heart,” the IEEE Spectrum quoted Dr. Lijie Grace Zhang (MAE) about a joing grant that she and Dr. John Fisher (University of Maryland) have to study 4D bioprinting of smart constructs for the heart.
Conferences & Presentations:
Dr. Payman Dehghanian (ECE and 11 members of his GW Smart Grid Lab attended the 2019 IEEE Industry Application Society Annual Meeting, which was held September 30 – October 5 in Baltimore, MD. The lab members presented five papers at the conference: 1) S. Wang, P. Dehghanian, L. Li, and B. Wang. “A Machine Learning Approach to Detection of Geomagnetically-Induced Currents in Power Grids;” 2) Z. Yang, P. Dehghanian, and M. Nazemi. “Enhancing Seismic Resilience of Electric Power Distribution Systems with Mobile Power Sources;” 3) B. Wang, P. Dehghanian, D. Hu, S. Wang, and F. Wang. “Adaptive Operation Strategies for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations;” 4) F. Wang, B. Xiang, K. Li, J. Lai, and P. Dehghanian. “Day-ahead Forecast of Aggregated Loads for Smart Households under Incentive-based Demand Response Programs;” and 5) S. Wang, L. Li, and P. Dehghanian, “Power Grid Online Surveillance through PMU-Embedded Convolutional Neural Networks.”
Dr. Igor Efimov (BME) recently gave the following presentations: 1) “Computational approaches to transcription-function relationship in the human heart,” Leducq Foundation RHYTHM Network 2019 Meeting, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (October 10); 2) “First in man trial of low energy multistage electrotherapy of AF,” Venice Arrhythmia 2019, Venice, Italy (October 5); 3) “Arrhythmogenic Remodeling of Human Heart,” Imperial College London, UK (October 2); and 4) “Bioinformatics of Heart Disease” and “Digital Cardiology,” both at the Russian National Congress of Cardiology, Ekaterinburg, Russia (September 26).
On October 7, Dr. John Helveston (EMSE) gave an invited presentation at the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. The talk was on his paper published earlier this year in Research Policy, titled “Institutional Complementarities: The Origins of Experimentation in China’s Plug-in Electric Vehicle Industry.” On October 30, Dr. Helveston will participate on a panel discussion titled “China’s Impact on the Solar Industry: Lessons for the Future of Clean Energy.” The panel will be hosted by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), and will be held at the ITIF office (700 K Street NW, Suite 600) from 10:00 to 11:30 am.
On September 26, Dr. Kausik Sarkar (MAE) gave the invited lecture “Bubbles & Sound in Diagnostic Imaging, Therapeutics and Tissue Engineering: Pressure Dependent Subharmonic to Collapsing Jet and Acoustic Streaming” at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Department of Mechanical Engineering.
On October 10, Dr. Volker Sorger (ECE) gave an invited talk at the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona. The title of his talk was “Heterogeneous Photonics for Next-generation Optoelectronics and Analog Processors.”
Other News:
Dr. Payman Dehghanian (ECE) has been selected as an Organizing Committee member of the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) Innovative Smart Grid Technologies North America (ISGT-NA) Conference. He will serve as the local outreach liaison for the ISGT-NA 2020, which will be held February 17-20, 2020 in Washington, DC.
The US Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 10,440,535 to Dr. Ekundayo Shittu (EMSE) and his former student Connor Roberts for “System and Method for Asset-Agnostic Wireless Monitoring and Predictive Maintenance of Deployed Assets.” Their invention monitors medical equipment and provides alerts and recommendations for medical equipment management. This device can improve patient care and decrease the number of deaths by reducing medical device failures. Mr. Jerry Comanescu of GW’s Technology Commercialization Office worked with Dr. Shittu and Mr. Roberts to obtain the patent.
SEAS Events Re-cap
On October 10, Dean John Lach inducted four honorees into the GW Engineering Hall of Fame. The 2019 inductees include the former SEAS dean Dr. David Dolling, and SEAS alumni Dr. Davinder Anand, Ms. Aicha Evans, and Mr. Richard Spires. Brief bios of the four inductees are available on the SEAS website.
Left to right: Mr. Richard Spires, Dr. Davinder Anand, Dean John Lach, Dr. David Dolling, Ms. Aicha Evans
In addition to the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, this year’s celebration paid special tribute to Dr. Dolling and his decade of leadership at SEAS. The tribute included the surprise announcement of a $380,000 endowed scholarship for women engineering students created in Dr. Dolling’s name and a video overview of his legacy. He also was presented with a GW lapel pin that SEAS alumna and NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor took aboard the International Space Station on her six-month mission in 2018. A GW Today article on the Hall of Fame ceremony provides more details.
Dr. David Dolling and the 2019 David S. Dolling Endowed Scholarship in Engineering recipient, Ms. Siobhan Whittle, MAE junior
Upcoming SEAS Events
Special Topic Lecture: “Introduction to High Speed and Hypersonic Testing”
Guest Speaker: Mr. Dan Marren, Director of the White Oak Site of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex and the Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9
Tuesday, October 15
4:00 pm
1957 E Street, NW, Room B16
Mr. Marren has 30+ years in hypersonic testing and managing test programs for the U.S. Navy, Missile Defense Agency, and other government agencies. His lecture will introduce the concept of hypersonic flight and describe the critical physics that is encountered in this unique and formidable speed regime. Principles of test design for hypersonics will be discussed, as well as examples of the typical test capability types. This lecture is a special topic lecture for MAE 6291-11: Hypersonics, and it is open to the public.
Women in Engineering Career Toolkit Series: The SEAS Center for Women in Engineering is presenting sessions to help SEAS students and recent alumnae gain the skills they need to launch their career. The sessions are open to all SEAS students, but are geared particularly to women students. All workshops will be held in SEH, Room 2000 and begin at 4:45 pm. Visit the Center for Women in Engineering site for more details.
Job & Internship Search Strategies – Wednesday, October 16
Register
Entrepreneurship – Wednesday, October 23
Register
Resume Writing – Wednesday, November 6
Register
Cover Letter & Professional References – Wednesday, November 13
Register
CSPRI Talk: “The Journey to Rational Cybersecurity”
Speaker: Dan Blum, Security Architects Partners
Thursday, October 17
12:00 noon (An informal lunch will be served)
SEH, B1220
Please RSVP for lunch.
The intent of this and future Cyber Security and Privacy Research Institute (CSPRI) lunches is to give GW faculty and students glimpses of the vibrant security and privacy private sector in the Washington, DC region and to promote dialog and debate regarding breakthrough initiatives. The potential for support for research or conference papers on related topics will be part of the discussion.
Lecture: “Can AR/VR Enrich Everyday Human Life?”
Speaker: Cezara Windrem, AARP Innovation Labs
Thursday, October 17
4:30 – 6:00 pm
SEH, B1270
This is a special topic lecture for CSCI 6907: Augmented and Virtual Reality. To attend, please RSVP by October 16.
Panel Discussion: “Science Unscripted: Origins of the Internet”
Thursday, October 17
5:00 – 7:00 pm (Doors open at 5:00; panel begins at 5:30; reception follows at 7:00)
MPA Building, Jack Morton Auditorium
RSVP
Join us for an evening of conversation with the architects of the Internet, Vint Cerf, Radia Perlman, and Steve Crocker. This event is hosted by the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation and is open to the general public. Dr. Shelly Heller (CS) will moderate the discussion. More information
Save the Date: SEAS Student R&D Showcase
Friday, October 25
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
SEH, First Floor and B1 Level
SEAS has moved its annual Student R&D Showcase from February to October. Please visit the SEAS Student R&D Showcase web page to find deadlines and the event schedule, prize information, and AccelerateGW I-Corps Site Program grants information. Showcase participants can nominate themselves for an AccelerateGW I-Corps Grant on the R&D Showcase Application site.
BME Seminar: “Bubbles and Sound for Diagnostic Imaging, Therapeutics and Tissue Engineering: Pressure Dependent Subharmonic to Collapsing Jet and Acoustic Streaming”
Speaker: Dr. Kausik Sarkar (BME)
Wednesday, October 30
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
SEH, B1270
4th Annual BME Day: “Innovation in Biomedical Engineering”
Monday, November 4
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
SEH, B1 Level
Register
BME DAY will showcase faculty and student research projects, highlight the collaborative nature of the biomedical engineering field, and raise awareness of biomedical engineering at GW and in the Washington, DC region. The day will consist of student poster sessions, a moderated panel discussion on how to land a job within the biomedical engineering field, and selected talks from GW’s BME faculty and invited guest speakers. The entire SEAS community, including alumni, is invited.
GW Innovation Center Workshop: “Design Think Your Project”
Workshop Lead: Dr. Erica Wortham, Co-director, GW Innovation Center
Tuesday, November 5
6:00 – 7:30 pm
GWIC, Tompkins Hall M06
Design Think Your Project covers the basics of human centered design, a collaborative problem solving method that prioritizes people’s lived experiences. Bringing users into the discovery phase and design of your project fosters more innovative solutions. Starting with understandings gathered through empathy, the workshop introduces hands-on techniques, such as rapid prototyping, and emphasizes how to creatively reframe problems.
GW AIAA Student Branch Event
Speaker: Mr. Keith Zuegel, Director of Government Relations at the Air Force Association
Tuesday, November 5
7:00 pm
SEH, B1220
RSVP-Students
RSVP-Non-students
The GW branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics will host Mr. Keith Zuegel, who will be on campus to talk about the role of space in upcoming conflicts. Admission is free and food will be provided.
BME Seminar: “Physical Biology at Semiconductor-enabled Biointerfaces”
Speaker: Dr. Bozhi Tian, The University of Chicago
Wednesday, December 11
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
SEH, B1270
Human Resources News
In this month's HR Corner, SEAS HR Manager Marion Flythe-Inman shares new information on:
- Open Enrollment 2020, and
- GW Culture Training sessions.
The HR Corner is a web page for SEAS staff that contains HR-related news, information, and events. Marion encourages staff to visit the page to find information on GW's new time off and leave guide, events and trainings, SEAS employment opportunities, and much more.
Entrepreneurship News & Events
Make-A-Thing Open Studio @ GW Innovation Center
Fridays throughout the semester
1:00 – 6:00 pm
Tompkins Hall, M06
The studio is open to the GW community. Please email the GW Innovation Center if you are interested in participating in the studio.
Where Do I Start? Webinar
Tuesday, October 15
5:30 – 7:00 pm
Webinar Room
Register
Do you have a business or social enterprise idea, but don’t know where to start? Are you interested in getting feedback on your idea and getting guidance on how to move your idea forward? Join the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship for a webinar on how you can take your business, idea, or startup to the next level. Plus find and learn about all the great resources GW has to offer for innovators, entrepreneurs, and impact leaders.
Social Innovation Fireside Chat
Tuesday, October 15
6:00 – 7:00 pm
Gelman Library, First Floor (Churchill Library)
Register
Erin McGeoy, founder and CEO of Last Call and nominee for DC's 2019 Inno Under 25, will be the guest. Konstantin Mitic, co-founder of George Hacks and directing fellow of GW Innovation Center, will moderate the chat.
External Events
Panel Discussion: “Partnering with Government Contractors in Pursuit of Cross-Disciplinary Research Opportunities”
Thursday, October 17
3:00 – 4:00 pm (Reception to follow)
SEH, B1220
RSVP
Increasingly, government contractors are teaming with academia on complex cross-disciplinary research projects. GW faculty are well-suited to join these teams as principal investigators and subject matter experts. In turn, faculty make valuable professional connections and build skills and expertise that will benefit their own academic and research programs. Panelists, including leading government contractors and GW researchers, will discuss lessons learned from recent collaborations, provide tips for working with government contractors and consultants, and explain how their organizations partner on large research proposals. This event is organized by the Office of Industry and Corporate Research within the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Announcements
Never underestimate the potential of your research. If you have an exciting research proposal or positive preliminary results, or if you aren't sure whether or not you have a patentable invention, GW’s Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) would love to hear from you. TCO is available to discuss your ideas and to help protect your intellectual property rights and those of the university. TCO promotes and facilitates the transfer of GW innovations for the benefit of the university community and the public while leveraging GW resources by partnering with industry experts and entrepreneurs.
Dissertation Defenses
Student Name: Hongfa Xue
Dissertation Title: “Learn2Reason: Joint Statistical and Formal Learning Approach to Improve the Robustness and Time-to-solution for Software Security”
Advisor: Dr. Guru Venkataramani (ECE)
Wednesday, October 16
8:00 – 10:00 am
SEH, 5605
Student Name: Hua Wu
Dissertation Title: “Apollo End-to-end Verifiable Internet Voting with Recovery from Vote Manipulation”
Advisor: Dr. Poorvi Vora (CS) – Presiding: Dr. Rachelle Heller (CS)
Wednesday, October 16
1:00 – 3:30 pm
SEH, 2990
Student Name: Kazem Qazanfari
Dissertation Title: “Methods of Enriching Domain Knowledge with Universal Semantics for Higher Text Mining Performance”
Advisor: Dr. Abdu Youssef (CS) - Presiding: Dr. Hyeong-Ah Choi (CS)
Thursday, October 31
12:00 – 2:30 pm
SEH, 2000