From UW Today: September 11, 2013
UW engineers get grant to make cookstoves 10 times cleaner for developing world
Nearly 500 million households roughly 3 billion people, or 42 percent of the world's population rely on burning materials such as wood, animal dung or coal in stoves for cooking and heating their homes. Often these stoves are crudely designed, and poor ventilation and damp wood can create a smoky, hazardous indoor environment day after day.
A recent study published in The Lancet estimates that 3.5 million people die each year as a result of indoor air pollution from open fires or rudimentary stoves in their homes. Read More
It was a banner year for the Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering (NME) program. The undergraduate track program started by Molecular Engineering & Sciences Associate Director for Education René Overney now has more than 120 students from across the College of Engineering in its ranks. This June, 27 of those students, having completed the NME curricular and research requirements, received degrees in engineering with a specialization in Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering. This was the largest class to graduate since the first NME cohort of 3 students graduated just 2 years ago. Read More
Regulating electron "˜spin' may be key to making organic solar cells competitive
Organic solar cells that convert light to electricity using carbon-based molecules have shown promise as a versatile energy source but have not been able to match the efficiency of their silicon-based counterparts.
Now, researchers have discovered a synthetic, high-performance polymer that behaves differently from other tested materials and could make inexpensive, highly efficient organic solar panels a reality.
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The polymer, created at the University of Washington and tested at the University of Cambridge in England, appears to improve efficiency by wringing electrical current from pathways that, in other materials, cause a loss of electrical charge. Read More
Each year, nearly 1,000 undergraduates pack Mary Gates Hall to present research talks and posters at the Annual UW Undergraduate Research Symposium. This year several rooms were dedicated to nanotechnology research, where 27 seniors in the Nanoscience and Molecular Engineering undergraduate option program showcased projects completed in UW research labs over the previous year.
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rom tailoring the surface properties of nanoparticles for biomedical applications to controlling nanowire morphology to improve the efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices, NME students made real contributions to challenging technical problems in UW research groups, while gaining valuable research experience to prepare them for future careers in industry and academia. Read More
This month the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Program awarded scholarships to 800 freshman and sophomores who declared majors in science and engineering. Sponsored through a public-private partnership between Boeing, Microsoft, and the State of Washington, the scholarships are intended to encourage more students to enter the STEM fields and help fill the more than 25,000 technical jobs that remain unfilled in Washington State. UW freshman David Coven was interviewed by King 5 News on May 22 in the Molecular Engineering & Sciences lab of his research advisor Christine Luscombe. Read More
University of Washington engineers have created a synthetic substance that fully resists the body's natural attack response to foreign objects. Medical devices such as artificial heart valves, prostheses and breast implants could be coated with this polymer to prevent the body from rejecting an implanted object.
Buddy Ratner recognized for contributions to field of biomaterials
The European Society for Biomaterials has chosen Buddy Ratner, a UW professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering, for the 2012 George Winter Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of biomaterials. The committee cited Ratner's excellence in research, his vision and his leading role in the promotion of biomaterials science worldwide. He will be honored at next year's society conference in Madrid, where he will present the award lecture. Read More
In a fitting tribute to our late colleague, mentor and friend, the School of Pharmacy is humbled to share that we have formally established the Sid Nelson Endowed Professorship in Drug Metabolism. The seeds for the professorship were sown in December 2011, after our much-loved professor of medicinal chemistry and dean emeritus passed away suddenly. Our community rallied together to honor Sid's life and contributions to the School by creating the Sid Nelson Memorial Fund. The memorial fund later became the Endowed Nelson Professorship "” a fund that we hope to eventually turn into a more substantial endowed fund in honor of Sid. Read More
Congratulations to MolES faculty member and Chemical Engineering professor Lilo Pozzo, who recently received the following three awards for her accomplishments in the areas of research, mentoring, and commercialization:
DOE Early Career Award, selected for the project “Neutron Scattering Investigation of the Relationship between Molecular Structure, Morphology and Dynamics in Conjugated Polymers.”
Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, nominated by student presenters and selected by a committee of faculty and staff at the Annual UW Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Grand Prize in the Environmental Innovation Challenge, as advisor of the interdisciplinary team “PolyDrop,” which developed additives that transform regular coatings into conductive coatings for use in carbon fiber composites in transportation industries. Read More
The University of Washington's Mary Lidstrom and David Kaplan are among the 84 new members and 21 foreign associates from 14 countries just announced by National Academy of Sciences. Members are named for their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research, according to the academy.
Lidstrom is vice provost for research and a professor of chemical engineering and microbiology. Her research focuses on developing environmentally friendly and economically viable alternatives to chemical fuels. Lidstrom was elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in 2011. Read More