Faculty News
Research:
GW has awarded two grants to Dr. Payman Dehghanian (ECE). He received a $15,000 GW University Facilitating Fund grant to work on the project “Resilience of the Nation’s Power Grid to Cyber Attacks” and a $37,500 GW Cross-Disciplinary Research Fund (CDRF) grant for the project “Effective Management of Endogenous Uncertainties in Large-Scale Power Grids.” He will work in collaboration with Dr. Miguel Lejeune (Department of Decision Sciences) on the CDRF project.
Dr. Anne-Laure Papa (BME) has been awarded a Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program grant. This three-year, $775,167 award will allow her research group to pursue a novel approach of using ex-vivo modified platelets to target circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream. These circulating tumor cells represent the “seeds” for future metastatic spread, and targeting them could lead to new therapeutic avenues in delaying metastasis.
Dr. Volker Sorger (ECE) has been awarded athree-year, $1.1 million grant from the National Security Agency/Army Research Office for the project “Fourier Optics Multiplication Accelerator for Convolutional Neural Networks and Cryptographic Applications. The research team includes Dr. Tarek El-Ghazawi (ECE) as co-principal investigator, and ECE research professors Dr. Mario Miscuglio and Dr. Yousra Alkabani. The team’s aim is to develop an ultra-fast photonic multiplier processor that can revolutionize applications such as public key cryptography, which is an encryption technique and key algorithm for secure data communication. The team will pioneer and build a processing system that, when scaled up, can handle up to 1 Peta operation (1 million x 1 billion operations) per second while requiring just a fraction of the power used by current systems. This grant brings the team’s four-year total funding in photonic computing to approximately $8 million.
Publications:
Dr. Michael Keidar (MAE) and his graduate students and collaborators have published the following recent papers: 1) L. Lin, D. Yan, E. Gjika, J. H. Sherman, and M. Keidar. “Atmospheric plasma meets cell: plasma tailoring by living cells,” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2019, 11, 34, pp.30621-30630; 2) D. Zolotuchin, L. Lin, E. Gjika, and M. Keidar. “ Continuous-wave electric field in 3D collagen gel during cold atmospheric plasma treatment,” Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2019, e1900129; and 3) S. Hurley, D. Zolotuchin, and M. Keidar. “Advancing the Micro-Cathode Arc Thruster: Effect of the Ablative Anode," AIAA Journal of Propulsion and Power, 2019, 35 (5), 917-921.
The book Hysteresis & Neural Memory, which is co-authored by Dr. Can Korman (associate dean and ECE professor) and Isaak Mayergoyz (University of Maryland), has been published by World Scientific. The work is a compilation of some of the hysteresis modeling they have worked on and their more recent and current efforts to explore the application of hysteresis models to the modeling and understanding of neural memory and action potentials. The book is also available on Amazon.
Dr. Luyao Lu (BME) and his Ph.D. students Zhiyuan Chen and Sofian Obaid have published the following article: Z. Chen, S. N. Obaid, and L. Lu. “Recent advances in organic optoelectronic devices for biomedical applications,” Optical Materials Express, 2019, 9, 3843-3856.
Dr. Ekundayo Shittu (EMSE) has published the following paper with his former graduate student Bruno Kamdem: E. Shittu, B. Kamdem, and C. Weigelt. “Heterogeneities in energy technological learning: Evidence from the U.S. electricity industry,” Energy Policy, Vol. 132, pp. 1034-1049.
Dr. Mona Zaghloul (ECE), her Ph.D. student Yangyang Zhao, and Dr. Yigal Lilach (GW Nanofabrication and Imaging Center) won the Myril B. Reed Best paper award for their paper, “Design and Fabrication of a Plasmonic Gas Sensor,” at the IEEE International Midwest Symposium on Circuits and Systems (MWSCAS) 2018. The award is given each year for the best paper presented at the previous MWSCAS, and it is based strictly on the voting on all papers and posters presented at the MWSCAS. The IEEE MWSCAS is designated as the flagship conference of the Circuits and Systems Society for the IEEE Regions 1-7.
Conferences & Presentations:
Dr. Hurriyet Ok (professorial lecturer, CS) will give a presentation titled “AR-ECDIS: A Mobile Maritime Navigation Assistance System” at the Mixed/Augmented/Virtual Reality Innovation Conference (MAVRIC), to be held September 17 in Washington, DC. The MAVRIC conference is the first in the DC region that brings together the governmental decision-makers, corporate and independent developers, and researchers pushing the boundaries of the possible in augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality. The conference features speakers and attendees from the fields of XR (“cross reality”) for healthcare, simulation and training, advanced research in the technology and design of interactive experiences, education, data analysis, and cyber security.
Drs. Kim Roddis (CEE) and Amir Aslani (ECE) attended a week-long Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) workshop that took place August 12-15 in Milwaukee, WI. They were participants in the Innovating Curriculum with Entrepreneurial (ICE) Mindset workshop. They will be working on developing ICE cards and running the workshop concepts in their classes over the next academic year.
Dr. Volker Sorger (ECE) gave invited talks at the SPIE Optics and Photonics Conference, held August 11-15 in San Diego, CA. The talks were titled “Engineering ENZ materials: from wavelength-size modulators to Star-Trek shielding” (Invited Paper), and “Advances in photonic neural networks” (Invited Paper).
Other News
The Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET will send an evaluation team to SEAS for an on-site visit Sunday, September 15 – Tuesday, September 17. Six engineering programs in five SEAS departments are seeking reaccreditation in the 2019-2020 cycle: biomedical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and systems engineering. The computer science program in SEAS will seek reaccreditation in the 2022-2023 cycle by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Upcoming SEAS Events
Special Topic Lecture: “Current status of hypersonic flight and the upcoming hypersonic cruise missile threat”
Guest Speaker: Dr. Mark Lewis, Director of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Science and Technology Policy Institute
Tuesday, September 3
3:30 pm
1957 E Street NW, Room B16
Dr. Lewis is the director of the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Science and Technology Policy Institute. Previously, he served as the Willis Young, Jr. Professor and Chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Maryland. From 2004 to 2008, he was the chief scientist of the U.S. Air Force. From 2010 to 2011, he was president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Dr. Lewis also served as a member of the Air Staff and principal scientific adviser to the Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Air Force, where he provided assessments on a wide range of scientific and technical issues affecting the Air Force mission. This lecture is a special topic lecture for MAE 6291-11: Hypersonics, and it is open to the public.
4th Annual Women in STEM Breakfast
Wednesday, September 4
9:00 – 10:45 am
1957 E Street, City View Room
Register (registration deadline is August 30)
The SEAS Office of Graduate Admissions & Student Services and the GW Center for Women in Engineering invite all graduate students, faculty, staff, and alumni to attend the 4th Annual Women in STEM Breakfast! This event is a great opportunity for current graduate students to connect with fellow students and meet SEAS faculty, staff, and alumni. The event includes remarks from SEAS leadership and a conversation between Dr. Rachelle Heller and the new dean of SEAS, Dr. John Lach.
GW Innovation Center Workshop: “Design Think Your Project”
Workshop Lead: Dr. Erica Wortham, Co-director, GW Innovation Center
Tuesday, September 17 and 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.
EEMI: Department of Energy Clean Energy Talk
Tuesday, September 24
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
SEH, Lehman Auditorium
Register
GW’s Environmental and Energy Management Institute (EEMI) is sponsoring a Department of Energy Clean Energy Talk. These “talks” feature experts designing advanced technology, advocating for a clean energy future, and changing the way we think about energy systems. Lunch will be provided. Participation is free, and registration is encouraged. Visit our registration page to learn more about the speakers.
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.
Human Resources News
In this month's HR Corner, SEAS HR Manager Marion Flythe-Inman welcomes GW's new vice president and chief people officer Dana Bradley, and she shares new information on:
- historical sick time data collection,
- SkillSurvey Reference Checks, and
- new job opportunities at SEAS.
The HR Corner is a new 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
Register for GW’s Pitch George Competition: GW’s “elevator pitch” competition takes place each fall semester and allows young entrepreneurs to present their business ideas, get valuable feedback on the viability of their business concepts, and win startup capital. It offers networking opportunities with experienced entrepreneurs. The top five finalists of the competition will receive automatic entrance into the second round at the 2020 GW New Venture Competition.
Registration deadlines: Saturday, September 21, at midnight (Early Registration) and Sunday, September 29, at midnight (Final Registration)
Information sessions: Learn more about the Pitch George competition on:
Wednesday, September 4 | 5:30 – 6:30 pm | Duques Hall, Room 353
Wednesday, September 11 | 5:30 – 6:30 pm | Duques Hall, Room 353
Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship: I-Corps Information Session
Wednesday, September 11
12:00 – 1:00 pm (Free sandwiches will be provided)
1922 F Street, Room 208
RSVP
The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) is a Lean Startup boot-camp sponsored by the NSF to promote innovation and entrepreneurship at universities. These programs have significant funding opportunities and are free and open to all GW faculty, students, and post-docs. The information session will cover program and funding opportunities. Learn more about I-Corps at GW.
Human Centered Design Workshop
Wednesday, September 11
5:45 – 7:45 pm
Gelman Library, Room 219
Register
This experiential and interactive workshop exposes students to the tools, tactics, and frameworks used by innovators, entrepreneurs, and designers to empathize with populations they seek to serve, define problem sets, and come up with innovative solutions.
Pitch-A-Palooza
Thursday, September 19
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Funger Hall, Room 108
Register
Do you have an idea? A problem that needs solving? Follow your innovative itch to the GW PITCH-A-PALOOZA. Join the GW Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and your classmates to hear and vote for your favorite ideas. Did we mention we have pizza? There’s that too.
SEED SPOT Bootcamp
Saturday, September 28
10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Gelman Library, Rooms 301-302
Registration link not yet available
This one-day Launch Camp provides entrepreneurs and individuals who are considering starting a venture a safe space to explore and launch their idea. Throughout the program, you will have access to mentors, content experts, SEED SPOT’s curriculum, and a network of supporters.
Lemelson-MIT Student Prize: This national invention competition recognizes students at any U.S. college or university who have tested prototypes of technology-based inventions in healthcare, food/water and agriculture, transportation and mobility, or consumer devices. In each of the four categories, graduate students are awarded $15,000 and undergraduate teams are awarded $10,000. The initial application deadline is September 27. See complete details about the application process and eligibility requirements.
Announcements
STEM Ice Cream Social
Tuesday, September 10
4:00 – 5:00 pm
SEH, First Floor
Meet and network with recruiters and employees from Deloitte, Raytheon, SmithGroup, Cvent, Capco, Alarm.com, and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine. Learn about their jobs and internships - and enjoy some free ice cream! This event is sponsored by the Center for Career Services.
Tachyon III Accelerator: Tachyon is an accelerator for startups utilizing blockchain and Web 3.0 technologies. Tachyon III is a full-time, on-location program bringing 8-12 teams together in New York City from November 2019 through February 2020. Teams will be provided funding, office space, one on one mentorship, and programming around business and blockchain specific issues, culminating in an investor day and post-program fundraising support. There is an investment of $150,000 per team. Applications for Tachyon III close at midnight Eastern time on September 16. Please email Tachyon with any questions.