Faculty News
Research:
Prof. Hyeong-Ah Choi (CS) has received a three-year, $140,000 NSF grant to work on "Collaborative Research: Spectrum Efficient Waveform Design with Application to Wireless Networks." This new grant will enhance synergistic activities in cognitive radio networks research supported through another NSF grant, "Collaborative Research: Integrated Dynamic Spectrum Access for Throughput, Delay, and Fairness Enhancement," which she and her CS colleague Prof. Xuizhen "Susan" Cheng recently received.
Publications:
Prof. Can Korman (EMSE) and his colleagues published the following paper in the Proceedings of the International Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC) 2012, New Orleans, LA: A. Afanasev, C. Korman, M. Poelker, Ken Surles-Law, V. Dudnikov, R.P. Johnson, "Raising Photoemission Efficiency with Surface Acoustic Waves".
Prof. Chunlei Liang (MAE) has co-authored a paper with GW colleagues from the Departments of Medicine and Radiology: Hetal H. Mehta, Brian G. Choi, Raman S. Dusaj, Amr Mohsen, Chunlei Liang, Jannet F. Lewis, Robert K. Zeman. "Validation of a Novel Method for Cardiac Output Estimation by CT Coronary Angiography," Advances in Computed Tomography, vol.1, no. 2, 2012.
Prof. Kausik Sarkar (MAE) has published the following papers: 1) Nahire R., Paul S., Scott M., Singh R., Muhonen W., Shabb J., Gange K., Srivastava D.K., Sarkar K., Mallik S. 2012. "Ultrasound enhanced matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Triggered Release of Contents from Echogenic Liposomes," Molecular Pharmaceutics, 9, 2554-2564; and 2) Paul S., Russakow D., Nandy T., Nahire R., Ambre A.H., Katti K., Mallik S., Sarkar K. 2012 "In vitro attenuation and nonlinear scattering measurement from Echogenic liposomes," Ultrasonics, 52, 962-969.
Prof. Lijie Grace Zhang (MAE) has published two papers in Tissue Engineering Part A and Annuals of Biomedical Engineering: 1) L. Sun, L. Zhang, H. Fenniri, T. Webster. "Bioactive Rosette Nanotube-Hydroxyapatite Nanocomposites Improve Osteoblast Functions," Tissue Engineering Part A, 2012, 18:1741-1750; and 2) N. Castro, S.A. Hacking, L. Zhang. "Recent Progress in Interfacial Tissue Engineering Approaches for Osteochondral Defects," Annuals of Biomedical Engineering, 2012, 40(8):1628-1640.
Conferences and Presentations:
Prof. Edward Della Torre (ECE) and his student Hatem Elbidweihy attended the Joint European Magnetic Symposium in Parma, Italy the week of September 9. There, they delivered the following papers: 1) H. Elbidweihy, C.D. Burgy, E. Della Torre, M. Wun-Fogle. "Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Magnetostriction in High Strength Steels;" and 2) V. Provenzano, E. Della Torre, L.H. Bennett. "The hysteretic behavior of Ni50Mn35In15 Heusler alloy near its first-order transition temperature."
Other News
The GW Institute for Biomedical Engineering (GWIBE) announces the call for proposals for this year's Interdisciplinary Research Fund. Faculty interested in receiving internal funding from GWIBE to conduct pilot research may apply until October 1, 2012.
Guest Vignette
Battery technology has not kept pace with the energy demands of portable electronics, particularly when size (i.e. volume) is paramount. Battery replacement or recharging can also be prohibitive in remote or hostile environments. However, untapped vibration energy exists in the environment of many devices, providing a virtually limitless source of energy that would not require manual recharging or battery replacement. Energy harvesting from these available sources can provide an interface for motion-powered portable electronics that do not require any field service while in operation. Moreover, it can extend the service lifetime of devices well past the fully charged lifetime of its batteries by continuously recharging them in the field.
The goal of Prof. Adam Wickenheiser's (MAE) research is to address the following fundamental problem: existing vibration-based energy harvesting devices are only efficient at scavenging vibrations at the discrete frequencies for which they are designed, mainly due to the resonant nature of the transducers. Prof. Wickenheiser's research program, sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency, is focused on creating novel mechanical structures and electrical interfaces to overcome these limitations. His design is a vibrating, cantilevered beam composed of piezoelectric layers that produces electricity when it is deformed. A passive magnet at the tip of the resonant beam transducer interacts with ferrous structures within the device's enclosure to 'pluck' the beam, exciting its resonant bending mode, which produces the maximum power. This plucking excites the resonant mode of the beam regardless of the frequency of the host's motion. This effect is similar to plucking a guitar string at different speeds: although more acoustic energy is produced, it is always predominantly at the same frequency (pitch).
This research will develop the theory and technique to design and produce efficient, compact energy harvesting systems that are insensitive to host excitation frequency. It is predicted to produce an order-of-magnitude increase in power density for broadband, low-frequency host vibrations. Prof. Wickenheiser's group will be able to reduce the size and mass of energy transducers by being able to design them for higher frequencies. Furthermore, the performance improvement of their design increases with increased randomness of the host's activity, making it ideal for unknown and time-varying environments. (Provided courtesy of Prof. Adam Wickenheiser of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
SEAS Events
MAE Seminar: "Secrets of Fish Swimming"
Prof. Chui-Jie Wu, Dean, School of Aeronautics & Astronautics, Dalian University of Technology, China
Wednesday, September 26
2:00 pm
736 Phillips Hall
Alumni Weekend: SEAS BBQ and SEH Site Tour
Saturday, September 29
3:00 - 6:00 pm
Tompkins Hall Front Lawn
Open to all SEAS faculty
GW Institute for Biomedical Engineering Seminar: "Biomaterials and Bioreactors in Bone Tissue Engineering"
Prof. John P. Fisher, University of Maryland, College Park
Monday, October 8
1:00 pm
736 Phillips Hall
MAE Seminar: "Turbulence Production by Nonbreaking Waves"
Ivan Savelyev, Research Physicist, Remote Sensing Division, US Naval Research Laboratory
Thursday, October 25
2:00 pm
736 Phillips Hall
Entrepreneurship and Other Events:
Alumni Weekend: Entrepreneurship Panel
Saturday, September 29
11:00 am
310 Marvin Center
Panel includes SEAS alumna Renee Lewis (MS '90)
GW Dolphin Tank: A Pitch-Practice Event
Monday, October 1
5:30 - 8:30 pm
151 Duques Hall
Thursday, October 11
5:00 - 7:00 pm
255 Duques Hall
2012 Election Forum: Energy Issues
Presenters: Staff members from both the Romney and Obama campaigns
Thursday, October 4
6:00 - 8:00 pm
1957 E Street, Room 602 (Lindner Family Commons)
Cost: $25/person