In the Zotlight 2007
Samueli School faculty, staff, and students are frequently recognized with honors of distinction. We are pleased to announce and congratulate the following noteworthy achievements for 2007.
Awards, grants and other honors can be sent to eknapp@uci.edu to be considered for publication.
DECEMBER 2007
UC Irvine engineer awarded $2.1 million for stem cell research
Grant brings total CIRM funding for UCI to $19.6 million
A UC Irvine engineer was awarded $2.1 million from the state to support a study on the effect of embryonic stem cells on heart disease.
Andrew Putnam, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering and materials science, is one of 22 scientists statewide to receive a New Faculty Award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state agency tasked with distributing funds for stem cell research. In all on Wednesday, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, which governs CIRM, awarded more than $54 million in New Faculty Awards, which support promising young scientists embarking on stem cell research. Read more >>
NOVEMBER 2007
UC Irvine Hydrology Center Named Joint Winner of UNESCO’s 2007 Great Man-Made River International Water Prize
Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing is first institution to be awarded prize
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has named the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) at UC Irvine and the National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Sustainability of Semi-arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) at the University of Arizona joint winners of the 2007 Great Man-Made River International Water Prize.
The prize recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions in advancing the assessment, development, management and use of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas, such as ground and surface water availability and usage in areas subject to drought and desertification.
The two centers were recognized “for their action in strengthening the capacity to manage the water resources of arid and semi-arid areas around the globe through a network of international and regional cooperation.” Read more >>
OCTOBER 2007
Eight UC Irvine professors elected AAAS fellows
American Association for the Advancement of Science honors contributions to research
The American Association for the Advancement of Science has announced eight UC Irvine faculty members among the newly elected fellows. Four of the new UCI AAAS fellows are from the Department of Chemistry.
UCI’s new AAAS fellows include Jean-Luc Gaudiot, chair and professor of electrical engineering and computer science, for distinguished contributions to the design and analysis of highly efficient multiprocessor and memory system architectures. Read more >>
MAE Graduate Student Awarded Amelia Earhart Fellowship
Arezoo Motavalizadeh Ardekani receives $6,000 fellowship from Zonta International
Fourth-year mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate student, Arezoo Motavalizadeh Ardekani, has been awarded an Amelia Earhart Fellowship from Zonta International, a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women worldwide through service and advocacy. Ardekani, a student studying in Professor and Department Chair Roger Rangel’s multiphase heat transfer and fluid dynamics laboratory, will receive $6,000 to continue her research in particle interaction and collision processes.
The fellowship was established in 1938 in honor of Amelia Earhart, famed pilot and Zonta club member, and is granted annually to women pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace-related sciences and engineering. Read more >>
UC Irvine receives $2.18 million to explore nano advancements in DNA sequencing
Research is part of initiative to significantly cut health care costs, improve diagnostic possibilities
UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering has been awarded $2.18 million to blend traditional DNA sequencing techniques with cutting-edge nanotechnology to develop a faster and less costly method of analysis. The goal is to make DNA sequencing feasible as a routine part of health care.
If implemented, widespread DNA analysis could provide doctors with more resources to predict disease, prevent potential illness and better customize prescription medication to complement patients’ specific health and treatment needs.
UC Irvine’s three-year grant was awarded as part of a $15 million initiative by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) to support the development of innovative technologies with the potential to drastically reduce the cost of DNA sequencing.
H. Kumar Wickramasinghe, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and the Henry Samueli endowed chair, who is leading this research at UC Irvine, will work with Robert K. Moyzis, a professor in UC Irvine’s Department of Biological Chemistry and human genomics coordinator for the Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, to integrate nanotechnology with a Nobel Prize-winning DNA sequencing method developed in 1975 by Frederick Sanger. Read more >>
SEPTEMBER 2007
UCI receives $5 million from Edwards Lifesciences to establish cardiovascular technology research center
Department of Biomedical Engineering partners with Edwards Lifesciences to drive cardiovascular innovation
UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering has received a $5 million gift from Edwards Lifesciences Corporation to establish a center focused on researching and developing the next generation of cardiovascular devices.
The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology will promote interaction and collaboration among students, faculty members and experts by incorporating both undergraduate and graduate programs related to heart and vascular diseases. The programs will be directed by UCI’s Department of Biomedical Engineering, and will involve a variety of other disciplines, including students from the Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, the Beckman Laser Institute, and UCI’s Schools of Medicine, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences. Read more >>
AUGUST 2007
CEE Distinguished Professor Elected Member of International Academy of Astronautics
Professor Soroosh Sorooshian one of 49 members from 22 countries elected in 2007
Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D., director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing and distinguished professor of civil and environmental engineering and Earth system science, has been elected a member of the prestigious International Academy of Astronautics (IAA).
The IAA, an international honorary society founded in 1960, is involved in numerous activities designed to expand the field of astronautics. Members work closely with national and international space agencies, industry, and the academic community to help shape policy and encourage collaboration through studies, position papers, conferences, and publications. Read more >>
EECS Graduate Student Receives Prominent Scholarship Award for Conference Paper
Deyi Pi to be recognized at the IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference 2007
Electrical engineering and computer science Ph.D. student, Deyi Pi, will present a paper and be given an Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)/CICC student scholarship award to attend and participate in the upcoming Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC) 2007 September 16-19 in San Jose, Calif.
The paper, "A Synthesis-based Bandwidth Enhancing Technique for CML Buffers/Amplifiers," co-authored with Byung-Kwan Chun, an electrical engineering and computer science graduate student, and Pi’s faculty advisor, Payam Heydari, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, was one of the highest rated student papers among 450 submissions to the conference, which qualified Pi to receive the student scholarship award. New in 2007, the award demonstrates AMD's and CICC's support for the engineers of tomorrow. Read more >>
EECS Professor Hamid Jafarkhani recognized as an ISI Highly Cited Researcher
Professor highlighted for exceptional citation count in the field of computer science
Hamid Jafarkhani, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering and computer science, deputy director of the Center for Pervasive Communications and Computing, and a California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology academic affiliate at the University of California, Irvine, has been selected as an Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Highly Cited Researcher. Jafarkhani will appear on Thomson Scientific’s ISIHighlyCited.com in recognition of his exceptional citation count in the field of Computer Science, and contributions to this field as shown by the high number of citations his publications have received from fellow scientists and researchers.
Thomson Scientific's http://isihighlycited.com is a public website dedicated to featuring the world’s most highly cited authors in numerous fields and disciplines. Thomson Scientific reports that less than one half of one percent of publishing authors fulfill the criteria set for inclusion on the list and website, and the site currently highlights more than 5,000 profiles in 21 categories. Read more >>
JULY 2007
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Recent Grad Honored for Research
Linh Dinh receives Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research
Linh Dinh, a 2007 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and materials science, was given the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research in Engineering at UC Irvine’s 2007 Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Dinh and her research team members presented “Processing of Nanocrystalline Nickel Using Pulsed Electrodeposition,” a project focused on the design of a pulsed current electrodeposition unit, which can be utilized in producing nanostructured materials. Dinh was nominated for the Chancellor’s Award by her advisor, Farghalli Mohamed, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering and materials science. Read more >>
UC Irvine to test and analyze new plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
Study will measure effect on air quality and electricity demand
The Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine will evaluate a prototype Toyota plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV, as part of a nearly $3 million research effort to determine how the widespread use of such technology would affect air quality and the demand for electricity in California.
PHEVs are plugged in to electrical outlets to charge onboard batteries that allow them to operate on electricity longer than today’s hybrid vehicles.
UC Irvine will receive $1.4 million over two years under a $25 million statewide program designed to develop alternative fuel projects that reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The Incentive Program for Alternative Fuels, authorized under Assembly Bill 1811, is administered by the California Air Resources Board and the California Energy Commission. Toyota will contribute the PHEV prototype and engineering support during the study.
“This affords the state a tremendous opportunity to better understand this emerging vehicle technology, and we are excited to be a part of this effort,” said APEP Director Scott Samuelsen, professor of mechanical, aerospace and environmental engineering in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering. Read more >>
Aerospace Engineering Student Honored for Design/Build/Fly Project, Also Known for Stopping Goals
Mat Garcia named American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerospace Student of the Year in Orange County
If he’s not in the research lab, the best place to look for Mat Garcia is in the pool at the Crawford Athletic Complex. Garcia not only excels in the classroom as a fifth-year aerospace engineering student, but also tends goal for UC Irvine’s NCAA Division I men’s water polo team.
Garcia was recently named the 2007 Orange County Aerospace Student of the Year by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Orange County Section, recognized for his leadership exhibited in the student AIAA branch at UC Irvine and his role as student chief engineer of UC Irvine's entry in the AIAA annual Design/Build/Fly competition - sponsored by the Raytheon, Cessna, and the AIAA organization - for the last two years. Garcia is also a former Big West Scholar-Athlete who earned Mountain Pacific Sports Federation All-Academic honors. Read more >>
CEE Student Peter Esh Awarded J. Thomas Miles Memorial Scholarship
Esh presented scholarship by civil and environmental engineering group
Peter Esh, a senior civil and environmental engineering student, has been awarded the $2,000 J. Thomas Miles Memorial Scholarship, and was honored at the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Affiliates Winter Quarterly Meeting. Esh currently works at Fluor, an engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance services company in Irvine, where he works with other engineers developing computer-aided design (CAD) drawings, assisting with piping and instrumentation diagrams and other functions in Fluor’s Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle power plant and Marathon project groups.
Created in 2005, the J. Thomas Miles Memorial Scholarship is a joint award sponsored by the CEE Affiliates and the Society of American Military Engineers, and is awarded based on academic achievement, work experience, and involvement in extra-curricular activities. Read more >>
Professor Chin C. Lee Recognized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Lee given 2007 IEEE Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Society Exceptional Technical Achievement Award
Chin C. Lee, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of the Materials and Manufacturing Technology graduate concentration, was presented the Exceptional Technical Achievement Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology Society (CPMT). The award is given to recognize an individual or group of individuals for exceptional technical achievement in the fields encompassed by the CPMT Society; Lee was honored for his outstanding pioneering contributions in fluxless soldering and bonding technology. Read more >>
Engineering Faculty Garner Campus-Wide Awards
Bernard Choi and Michael Green honored for teaching excellence
The Senate Council on Student Experience (CSE) and the Division of Undergraduate Education honored faculty and graduate students for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at the 14th annual “Celebration of Teaching” event on May 31, 2007. In addition to campus-wide awards for outstanding faculty, each dean recognized a Senate faculty member for teaching excellence. The Henry Samueli School of Engineering professor recognized was Michael Green, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science.
Bernard Choi, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical engineering, was also recently honored and recognized for his exceptional contributions in education. For the eleventh consecutive year, eighteen students and faculty members, one from each school, were commended for their creativity and outstanding contributions to undergraduate research with the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, sponsored by Chancellor Michael V. Drake, M.D., at this year’s Undergraduate Research Symposium in May. Choi was selected as The Henry Samueli School of Engineering recipient of the 2007 Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research for the distinguished fostering of undergraduate research. Read more >>
JUNE 2007
Andrew Putnam Awarded NSF Early Career Development Award
Five-year grant to enable further study of tissue engineering and capillary vessel growth
Andrew Putnam, Ph.D., assistant professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering and materials science at the University of California, Irvine, has been honored by the National Science Foundation with a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award and a $400,000 grant. Putnam was recognized for his research with tissue engineering and capillary bed growth, specifically, “Defining the Biomechanical Role of the Extracellular Matrix in Capillary Morphogenesis: An Interdisciplinary Plan Integrating Research and Education.” Read more >>
Orange County Engineering Council Recognizes UC Irvine Engineering at Annual Awards Banquet
Engineering faculty, student and, alumni honored for engineering accomplishments and contributions
The Orange County Engineering Council (OCEC), a non-profit umbrella organization established in 1962 to promote and improve the image of engineers and scientists as professionals, while recognizing the work they accomplish locally and nationally, honored five UC Irvine alumni, one current engineering student, and one Henry Samueli School of Engineering faculty member, at their 2007 annual awards banquet.
Ayman S. Mosallam, a professor in residence in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, was given the Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, and Jeremy Roth was named an Outstanding Engineering Student. UC Irvine alumni Hazel Vilchez, Lawrence Esguerra, Dianne M. Kam and Roger Chung received the Young Engineer Award, and Nam Chiang was given the Outstanding Engineering Merit Award. Another Samueli School faculty member and recognized nanotechnology pioneer, Professor H. Kumar Wickramasinghe, served as the event’s keynote speaker. Read more >>
Engineering Student Poster Winners Announced at Annual Samueli School Awards Banquet
Eight engineering students recognized for outstanding research project posters
On May 15, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering recognized eight student recipients of the 2007 Fariborz Maseeh Best Student Research Poster competition. Awards given in the “All Research Areas” category were presented to a biomedical graduate engineering team, Xiaofang Chen, Cyrus Ghajar, Craig Griffith, and Anna Aledia; a chemical engineering and materials science graduate student, Kevin Olson; and mechanical and aerospace engineering undergraduate student David Beerer.
In the “Energy and the Environment” category, reflecting the symposium’s focused theme, Behnaz Khakbaz, a civil and environmental engineering student, and Marc Carerras-Sospedra, a mechanical and aerospace engineering student, were honored. Read more >>
Samueli School Honors Outstanding Faculty at Annual Awards Banquet
Selected engineering professors received Fariborz Maseeh best teaching and research awards
Three outstanding faculty members were recognized for their numerous contributions in teaching and research at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering’s annual awards banquet, held on May 15, at the Engineering Plaza on campus. The banquet took place following the first day of the 6th annual “California: Prosperity Through Technology” industry research symposium, themed “energy and the environment.”
Michael Green, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, received the Fariborz Maseeh Best Teaching award, and Maria Feng, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Hamid Jafarkhani, Ph.D., professor of electrical engineering and computer science and deputy director of the Center for Pervasive Communications and Computing, were each honored with the Fariborz Maseeh Best Faculty Research award. Read more >>
MAY 2007
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Professor Joins Elite Group with IEEE Award
Payam Heydari, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and a Calit2 academic affiliate at UC Irvine, has won this year’s prestigious Guillemin-Cauer Award from the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society.
Heydari is also the recipient of the 2005 IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Darlington Award, which puts him in an elite group of only seven researchers who, in the 40-year history of the awards, have received both.
Heydari was recognized for his paper “Model-Order Reduction Using Variational Balanced Truncation with Spectral Shaping,” which was published in the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems, Vol. 53, April 2006. Read more >>
Professor James Earthman Appointed Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
James Earthman, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering and materials science and biomedical engineering, has been appointed associate vice chancellor for research by Susan V. Bryant, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research. Earthman will undertake a variety of projects for the Office of Research, with a special emphasis in the areas of research development and organized research. He will be chairing the Research Advisory Committee and working with faculty interested in forming new centers and institutes. Read more >>
UC Irvine students, alumni win prestigious scholarships
Scholarships will fund diverse research projects at top U.S. universities, abroad
Fifteen UC Irvine affiliates – 11 undergraduates, two alumni and two graduate students – won 16 of the nation’s most competitive academic awards this year. The scholarships will support these exceptional students’ advanced work in diverse disciplines – from cultural studies in Ecuador to nanotechnology research – at top-ranked research universities.
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship: Satoru Emori, Allison Zemek
The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Program awards more than 300 scholarships annually to college students with outstanding potential who intend to pursue careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. The scholarship covers costs up to $7,500 a year.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship: Danielle Issa, Jung Park, Joy Trujillo
The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides stipends for outstanding students at or near the beginning of their graduate studies in science or engineering. The fellowship provides support for three years of graduate study. Winners are chosen for their potential to contribute to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. The seven fellowships awarded to UC Irvine affiliates are the most the campus has received in one year. Read more >>
Chemical Engineering Major Named HENAAC Scholar of the Week
Cesar Ruiz, a chemical engineering student at UC Irvine, was selected as the HENAAC Scholar of the Week at the end of February, and was featured on www.henaac.org. The Scholar of the Week program highlights outstanding Hispanic students majoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics who share the goal of contributing to the Hispanic community by developing role models for future generations. Read more >>
UC Irvine is NCAA Men's Volleyball Division One National Champion!
Anteaters win first volleyball title
UC Irvine defeated IPFW, 3-1 (30-24, 24-30, 30-23, 30-28) to win its first men's volleyball national title at St. John Arena Saturday.
It is UCI's first national championship since the men's water polo team took the crown in 1989. The Anteaters end the season 29-5 overall, the most wins in school history and the most in the country this year. IPFW ends the year 23-8.
The UCI team was led by senior all-American middle blocker David Smith, a civil and environmental engineering major. Read more >>
Beckman Laser Institute director elected SPIE fellow
International Society for Optical Engineering names UC Irvine’s Bruce J. Tromberg as one of 56 honorees
Bruce J. Tromberg, director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic at UC Irvine, is among 56 new fellows of The International Society for Optical Engineering honored for significant scientific and technical contributions in biomedical optics.
“The annual recognition of fellows provides an opportunity for us to acknowledge outstanding members for their service to the general optics community,” said Brian Culshaw, president of the society, also known as SPIE. Since the society’s inception in 1955, 480 members have become fellows.
Tromberg has made major contributions to the field of biomedical optics including tissue optical spectroscopy, frequency-domain photon migration, non-linear microscopy and photodynamic therapy. Read more >>
Professor Ayman Mosallam Honored for Contributions to Education and Research
Ayman Mosallam, professor in residence of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Structural Engineering Testing Hall, was presented the 2007 Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty of the Year award by the Engineering Student Council, the official student government for The Henry Samueli School of Engineering. Mosallam was chosen from student nominations based on his outstanding teaching records, as well as exceeding students’ expectations.
Mosallam also received an Outstanding Research award at the 14th International Conference on Composites/Nano Engineering in recognition of his pioneering contributions and research achievement in the area of advanced composites in construction. The ICCE conference is one the largest technical conferences worldwide in the area of advanced composite engineering, and was held in Boulder, CO., in July. Read more >>
APRIL 2007
Professor Zhongping Chen Elected as Fellow of the Optical Society of America
Zhongping Chen, professor of biomedical engineering and electrical engineering and computer science, was recently named a new Fellow of the Optical Society of America. This prestigious honor is given to only ten percent of the OSA membership, and is dedicated to members who have served with distinction in the advancement of optics.
Chen was honored specifically for his pioneering contributions to the development of functional optical coherence tomography (F-OCT), including Doppler, polarization-sensitive, phase-resolved and second-harmonic OCT. F-OCT is a non-invasive imaging modality that provides three-dimensional imaging of tissue structure and physiology with micrometer resolution. The tomographic imaging technologies developed in Chen’s OCT Laboratory at UC Irvine have various clinical applications, including diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases, diabetic retinopathy, and gastrointenstinal, respiratory, and urogenital cancers. Read more >>
EECS Graduate Student Presents at International IEEE Conference
Jesper Eklund, a fourth-year graduate student, recently presented a paper titled, “Spherical Rubidium Vapor Cells Fabricated by Micro Glass Blowing,” at the 20th annual Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering International Conference on Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) 2007, in Kobe, Japan.
Eklund’s paper was one of only 43 submissions - from 611 received - selected for an oral presentation, which he gave to more than 600 conference attendees. His presentation demonstrated glass blowing on a micro-scale, which is intended to advance the development of a nuclear magnetic resonance gyroscope - a precision instrument for measuring the rotational motion of a structure or vehicle. Read more >>
MAE Undergrad Coordinates Live Radio Link with Astronaut
“NA1SS, this is K6UCI, do you copy?” Matt Bennett, an undergraduate mechanical and aerospace engineering student, asked over the radio.
“Loud and clear! How about me?” Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria replied. Bennett and his team breathed a sigh of relief as the Mission Viejo High School students quietly cheered. They had established radio contact with Lopez-Alegria, an astronaut currently on the International Space Station.
Bennett, along with his team of 11 UCI Satellite Project and K6UCI Amateur Radio Club members, and 20 students from Mission Viejo High School, connected with Lopez-Alegria for seven minutes while the ISS was in orbit and “visible” in the Orange County sky. Read more >>
Dr. Brian Wong Named One of Orange County’s Top Doctors
Accomplishments recognized by Orange Coast magazine
Brian Wong, M.D., Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering, otolaryngology and surgery, and an investigator at the Beckman Laser Institute, was recently named among the “Top Doctors in Orange County” as published in Orange Coast magazine’s January 2007 issue.
Physicians on the “Top Doctors” listing are chosen on an annual basis by a selection committee who review nominations for the Orange County Medical Association’s Physicians of Excellence program. Nominees must meet at least seven criteria, including demonstrated physician leadership, involvement in physician education, and possession of unique skills within the field of nomination. Read more >>
MARCH 2007
A New IEEE Fellow Named Among UC Irvine Engineers
Harut Barsamian recognized for contributions to computer architecture, dynamic microprogramming, and associative search algorithms
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers recently named Harut Barsamian, an adjunct professor in electrical engineering and computer science, an IEEE Life Fellow, recognized for his outstanding contributions to computer architecture, dynamic microprogramming, and associative search algorithms. Read more >>
New Director Appointed to Lead UCI Division
G.P. Li, a UCI engineering professor, has been named director of the UC Irvine division of Calit2, effective April 1, 2007, replacing Albert Yee, who is returning to his research and teaching activities.
Li, who is a professor of electrical engineering and computer science; biomedical engineering; and chemical engineering and materials science, is also director of the Integrated Nanosystems Research Facility, which is dedicated to the development of small-scale systems, and he leads the LifeChips graduate program, focused on micro- and nanotechnology in the life sciences. Read more >>
FEBRUARY 2007
UCI celebrates grand opening of hydrogen fueling station
First of its kind in Orange County, the facility is acclaimed as a foothold to future
UC Irvine today celebrated the grand opening of its automobile hydrogen fueling station – the first of its kind in Orange County, and the first in California capable of dispensing hydrogen at 700 bar, or 10,000 pounds per square inch, which in some cases can nearly double a vehicle’s driving range.
Automakers Toyota, Nissan, Honda, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler are expected to use the station to fuel demonstration vehicles that are not yet commercially available. The station provides the newest in fueling technology to meet the demands of the vehicle development programs.
“The world looks to California as the testing ground for next-generation automobile technologies. The shift to a hydrogen economy is not an incremental change to society, but rather a dramatic and fundamental shift in the way that individuals will operate their vehicles in the future,” said Scott Samuelsen, director of UCI’s National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC). “UCI has played an integral role in leading this transformation, and we are excited to be taking an important next step with the opening of this state-of-the-art hydrogen refueling station.” Read more >>
UCI Views Heavenly Images of Earth
Jenks explains the interface to visitors
The picture just got a lot brighter on Calit2@UCI’s HIPerWall.
A groundbreaking software program developed by Calit2-affiliated postdoctoral researcher Sung-Jin Kim allows satellite imagery, maps, terrain and three-dimensional buildings from Google Earth to be displayed interactively on the HIPerWall.
The software’s complex algorithms provide an interface that translates Google Earth images from a laptop to the 50-panel, grid-based display. Now researchers can view the imagery at a 200-million pixel resolution.
Jenks and Kim zoom in on an image.
The 23 x 9-ft. HIPerWall in Calit2’s Center of GRAVITY (Graphics, Visualization and Imaging Technology) at UCI could previously display terrain images only if they were stitched together offline, producing a static image. This approach – which was used with before-and-after pictures from Hurricane Katrina – was tremendously time-consuming and of limited benefit due to its fixed properties.
Stephen Jenks, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and Kim, his postdoc, had been discussing the possibility of developing a program that could display real-time satellite imagery. It was in conversations with Google that the company suggested utilizing an existing interface in its already widely-used program. Read more >>
UC Irvine Establishes Center to Study Small-Scale Fluidic Behavior
Micro/Nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus Center receives $7.2 million over three years to advance science believed key to unlocking vast array of new technologies
With the support of $7.2 million over three years, UC Irvine has created a center for the study of micro- and nano-fluidics – the science and technology of preparing and handling small amounts of fluids on microchips.
The Micro/Nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus Center (MF3) brings together 17 leading micro- and nano-fluidics professors from 10 universities nationwide to advance the basic science and applications of a field seen as key to creating a vast array of new technologies. With scientists representing the disciplines of biomedical, mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as chemistry, research is expected to apply to areas such as health care, electronics, and environmental and food monitoring.
In health care, MF3 may be critical to creating new instruments that directly interact with the human body in ways not currently possible, leading to future consumer products such as point-of-care diagnostic machines for detecting disease. The center also will work to create advanced health monitoring devices that provide patients continuous and proactive assistance in managing their health.
“The promise of fluidics technology is broad and exciting,” said Abraham Lee, principal investigator of MF3 and professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical and aerospace engineering at UCI. “In the health sciences, it can allow for the automated collection of fluid samples, such as water or blood; or the separation and detection of biological components such as cells, proteins or DNA; and chemicals such as toxins or pollutants. In a field like heat management, fluidics can facilitate the more efficient transport of fluids.” Read more >>
UC Irvine engineering dean elected to National Academy of Engineering
Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos recognized for outstanding contributions in electrical engineering research, practice, education
Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos, dean of UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the most prestigious professional lifetime distinctions awarded to an engineer.
Alexopoulos is one of 64 new members and nine foreign associates to join this distinguished group of scholars, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to “microwave circuits, antennas and structures for low observable technologies, and for contributions in engineering education.” Read more >>
Low-pitch treatment alleviates ringing sound of tinnitus
UCI researchers find novel approach for hearing therapy
For those who pumped up the volume one too many times, UC Irvine researchers may have found a treatment for the hearing damage loud music can cause.
Fan-Gang Zeng and colleagues have identified an effective way to treat the symptoms of tinnitus, a form of hearing damage typically marked by high-pitched ringing that torments more than 60 million Americans. A low-pitched sound, the researchers discovered, applied by a simple MP3 player suppressed and provided temporary relief from the high-pitch ringing tone associated with the disorder.
Tinnitus is caused by injury, infection or the repeated bombast of loud sound, and can appear in one or both ears. It’s no coincidence that many rock musicians, and their fans, suffer from it. Although known for its high-pitched ringing, tinnitus is an internal noise that varies in its pitch and frequency. Some treatments exist, but none are consistently effective.
Zeng presented his study Feb. 13 at the Middle Winter Research Conference for Otolaryngology in Denver. Read more >>