New Fund for Innovation Winners Announced
May 16, 2008
The Fund for Innovation in Engineering Research is designed to introduce LSU faculty to new research opportunities. The ultimate goal is to encourage a more rigorous and enhanced learning experience for both faculty and students. The idea was first presented in September 2007 to a tremendous response as a total of 37 faculty members presented proposals, with five recipients selected. This spring, four more proposals were funded. Each selected faculty member receives $20,000 to fund their research initiatives.
“Seed” money for this fund has been provided by the family of Harry J. Longwell, through the Longwell Family Foundation, in an effort to effectively initiate the program, help launch research projects, and allow engineering researchers to build a case for more substantial funding. Spring 2008 recipients are:
Ayman M. Okeil, PhD, PE, Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) and Hsiao-Chun Wu PhD, from Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) were selected for their proposal titled, Nondestructive Imaging of Highly Stressed Zones Using Phased Array Ultrasonic Signals. They propose to use new technology to create a special ultrasonic testing system to identify high stress zones in structures. Motivated by the recent failures of civil infrastructure, such as the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, as well as other far less publicized system failures, their ultimate goal is to help ensure safe transportation and production systems.
A Micro-Cytometer for On-Chip, Label-Free Detection of Cell Health is proposed by W. Todd Monroe, PhD, PE, of the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department. The goal of this study is to “combine molecular and microscale engineering methods to design and test a device capable of detecting the health status of single cells from a patient or laboratory sample.” Along with his proposal, Monroe also presented a diagram of a chip that “will assess cells as they flow through a microchannel near sensing microelectrodes.” Monroe’s device would aid the study of cell viability and benefit studies in oncology, gerontology, immunology and recombinant biotechnology.
The proposal entitled Intelligent Design of Tissue Scaffolds, presented by associate professors James E. Henry, PhD, and Karsten E. Thompson, PhD, both of Chemical Engineering, is a plan to test possible new protein polymers that may be used as scaffolds to help regenerate damaged bones. This award will allow the researchers to quantify the scaffold structure as a function of preparation methods. According to Henry and Thompson, the natural polymer could be more cost effective and benign than the ceramic and metal bone supplements used currently.
Assistant Professor Jin-Woo Choi, PhD, ECE, proposed Nanowire Networks for Bioelectronic Sensor Application. His research explores conductive polymer-based nanowire networks for bioelectronic sensor applications with a goal of developing flexible bioelectrodes. The resulting techniques would have application in implantable biomedical microdevices and smart biomedical sensor systems.
Michele Barbato, PhD, from CEE, proposed A Probabilistic Performance-Based Approach for Wind Borne Debris Hazard Mitigation. He plans to create a new, probabilistic model for Wind-Borne Debris (WBD), and a new methodology incorporating probabilistic demand analysis to estimate stresses in building envelopes subjected to WBD impact. This research may eventually lead to design changes that will decrease the effect of wind borne debris damage in areas prone to hurricanes and/or tornadoes.
For a descriptive list of the first award recipients of the Fund for Innovation in Engineering Research, please visit http://www.lsu.edu/highlights/2008/01/funding.html.
Article by Kaylia Fontenot for the College of Engineering, 225-578-5706, mlavall@lsu.edu
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