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2025

January

Upanzi Network’s digital ID hackathons open in new parts of Africa
BiometricUpdate.com

CMU-Africa’s Upanzi Network, along with MOSIP, is launching the second round of its digital ID hackathon in northern, southern, and western Africa. This competition helps high school and university students across the continent create more robust digital public infrastructure by developing new ways to utilize digital IDs. As MOSIP’s blog post explains, “The key value proposition for adopting open-source digital public goods is the promise of technology independence, making vendor lock-in a phenomenon of the past. However, if the adopting nations have no capacity to deploy, maintain, and govern these digital systems effectively, there will still remain an effective vendor lock-in.” Eastern Africa’s first round of the competition has already concluded, with four projects chosen to be developed.

2024 staff award winners

Congratulations to our 2024 staff award winners:

Rookie Award: Kaitlyn Stossel, Admissions Officer, Integrated Innovation Institute
Burritt Education Award: Wendy Kua, Finance and Research Administrator, Mechanical Engineering; Angela Pusateri, Senior Business Assistant, Materials Science and Engineering
Innovation Award: Kaitlyn Landram, Communications Manager, College of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
DEIB Award: Brittany Jade Reyes Bristoll, Senior Academic Advisor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Spirit Award: Mika Inamahoro, Student Services Officer, CMU-Africa
Continuous Excellence: Stacy Marshall, Facilities and Events Manager, CMU Silicon Valley
Inspirational Leadership Award: Emma Zink, Director of Operations, Integrated Innovation Institute

Whitefoot quoted on electric vehicle adoption in the U.S.
Electric Apparatus

EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Electrical Apparatus about the increased use of electric vehicles in the U.S. by 2030. “We conducted a study that showed that about 50% of new car and SUV buyers in the U.S. would purchase a fully electric vehicle by 2030 if they had a 300-mile range, were as widely available as conventional gasoline vehicles, and prices fall as expected by 2030,” said Whitefoot.

Rajkumar speaks about the persistence of robotaxis in cities
Popular Science

ECE’s Raj Rajkumar spoke with Popular Science about the growth of driverless taxis in cities. In 2024, they became feasible options for people looking to navigate cities, and they have become seemingly an accepted method of transportation in areas where they operate. Even though their proliferation may seem sudden, according to Rajkumar, automated vehicles have come a long way over the years, and companies like Waymo have found success by making slow but steady progress, developing the technology one step at a time. “The [2007] competition showed [driverless technology] was actually feasible,” he said. “It made this singular point that autonomous vehicles are only a question of when and not a question of if anymore.”

Nock quoted on utility assistance pilot program
WESA

CEE/EPP’s Destenie Nock was quoted by WESA about how Peoples Energy Analytics and Peoples Natural Gas use data algorithms to identify households eligible for utility assistance programs. “A lot of times, when people don’t sign up for these programs, it’s because they’re not aware that they even qualify. And also they’re not aware of the full benefit that they may receive from these programs,” said Nock.

Beuth 3D prints critical component of nuclear power plant for Westinghouse
AM Media

MechE’s Jack Beuth was featured on AM Media’s Cool Parts Show demonstrating how spacer grids comprising 38 separate pieces that are stamped, joined, and welded can now be additively manufactured using the laser powder bed fusion process.

Kainerstorfer promoted to SPIE Fellow
SPIE

BME’s Jana Kainerstorfer is part of the 2025 class of Fellows in SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. Fellows are Members of the Society who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. At CMU, Kainerstorfer is the primary investigator of the Biophotonics Lab in the department of biomedical engineering, which focuses on optical imaging for clinical applications. She also leads the Body, Brain, Behavior: Advancing Neurotechnology for Peak Performance, Health, and Wellbeing moonshot project, with a large team of collaborators working to develop engineering solutions that aim to measure and optimize human cognitive performance, relevant for the healthy brain, as well as neural health conditions. More than 1,800 SPIE members have become Fellows since SPIE’s inception in 1955, including ECE’s Vijayakumar Bhagavatula.

Whitefoot discusses digital twin technology
IBM

EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot was featured in IBM’s Think newsletter, where she discussed how digital twin technology can help reduce climate change. “I am watching developments in digital twins to support sustainable and resilient manufacturing, materials innovations for electric vehicle batteries that improve range and battery life, electrified automated vehicles and an expanding EV charging infrastructure,” said Whitefoot. “There have been large investments in these areas, and we are likely to see exciting new roll-outs of these innovations.”

Whitacre quoted on Cybertruck explosion
Newsweek

MSE’s Jay Whitacre spoke to Newsweek about the mechanics of the Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas. He noted, “My understanding of ‘containing the explosion’ is that the sides of the truck did not blow out, and so all the explosive force went vertically as opposed to in all directions, thus partially containing the blast.”

Upanzi Network featured for Digital ID Hackathon initiative
mosip16.9

CMU-Africa’s Upanzi Network was featured in mosip16.9 for their Digital ID Hackathon. The hackathons are part of a larger initiative to increase the technical capacity of participants, promote innovation, and foster the next generation of thinkers in the field of digital identity. The Upanzi Network is co-directed by CMU-Africa’s Assane Gueye and ECE’s Giulia Fanti.

2024

December

Koopman receives Industry Legend Award

ECE’s Phil Koopman received the Industry Legend Award at Cars of the Future’s 2024 Self-Driving Industry Awards. The ceremony celebrated excellence in automated mobility in the UK and internationally.

Zhao quoted on robot dogs
bullitin

MechE’s Ding Zhao was quoted in bullitin about how robot dogs are more likely to be used than humanoid robots because of their versatility and affordability. “For many applications, they represent the most practical and scalable robotic form,” said Zhao.

Fakhreddine named rising star in engineering and science
American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists

CEE’s Sarah Fakhreddine was named one of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists 40 under 40 Rising Stars in Engineering and Science. Fakhreddine’s research focuses on solving water quality and quantity issues.

Nock named a 2024 Science Defender
Union of Concerned Scientists

CEE/EPP’s Destenie Nock was named a 2024 Science Defender by the Union of Concerned Scientists. The title is bestowed annually on “individuals and groups who use science to improve the world and help people, including those who have taken a stand to protect science and scientists from political or other interference.” Nock was selected for her ongoing work in affordable energy and energy justice as both a researcher and a startup founder.

Grover and Weber awarded research funding to study female pain
Pitt CTSI

ECE’s Pulkit Grover and MechE’s Doug Weber won $50,000 for research from a contest by Pitt CTSI, Magee Women’s Research Institute, and the Magee-Womens Summit. The Women’s Pain research challenge offers three $50,000 awards to be used for researching pain primarily experienced by women.

Samaras quoted on Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act
NPR

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras spoke to NPR about Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act. “A law like Washington State’s law gives a model, gives results, and gives quantifiable benefits to say to other states and other institutions that are thinking about this that it both works and that voters approve of it,” said Samaras.

Zhang receives 2025 ASME Van C. Mow Medal
ASME

MechE’s Jessica Zhang was recently selected to receive the 2025 ASME Van C. Mow Medal, which is bestowed upon an individual who has demonstrated meritorious contributions to the field of bioengineering through research, education, professional development, leadership in the development of the profession, mentorship to young bioengineers, and with service to the bioengineering community. Zhang was selected “for pioneering contributions to developing novel algorithms of image-based geometric modeling, isogeometric analysis, multiphysics and data-driven modeling to simulate neuron material transport, traffic regulation and growth, cardiovascular systems, as well as leadership in the computational bioengineering profession.”

Gomes quoted on ChatGPT
Nature

ChemE’s Gabe Gomes was quoted in Nature about how large language models like ChatGPT can help overcome language barriers in scientific writing. “It democratizes writing and it helps folks that have English as a second language,” said Gomes.

Zhang awarded AWM-SIAM Sonia Kovalevsky Lecture Prize
AWM and SIAM

MechE’s Jessica Zhang was recently awarded the prestigious 2025 AWM-SIAM Sonia Kovalevsky Lecture Prize, which is awarded annually by the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and SIAM to highlight significant contributions of women to applied or computational mathematics. The lecture is normally given at the SIAM Annual Meeting. The citation from the award selection committee notes, “Dr. Yongjie Jessica Zhang is a distinguished scholar renowned for her pioneering work in computational geometry and finite element methods, with profound impacts across biomedical and engineering applications. As a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, she has advanced meshing techniques that enable precise simulations in complex domains that appear in medical imaging and biological modeling. Dr. Zhang’s innovative research on isogeometric analysis has set new standards in numerical accuracy and computational efficiency. Her numerous publications, leadership roles, and accolades, including her status as a fellow of several scientific societies, underscore her dedication to advancing the field and inspiring the next generation of computational scientists.”

Marom uses machine learning for semiconductor research
Mellon College of Science

MSE’s Noa Marom used machine learning to identify potential crystallizable organic semiconductor materials. Using machine learning allowed her to narrow the pool of candidates from several hundred thousand to 44.

CMU researchers land grant funds for exosome research
Charles E. Kaufman Foundation

BME’s Phil Campbell and Charlie Ren will be co-investigators on a recently announced grant from the Charles E. Kaufman Foundation. The Foundation recently announced $2 million in grants for faculty at Pennsylvania institutions conducting innovative, fundamental scientific research in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. Campell and Ren will collaborate with Mellon College of Science’s Luisa Hiller, who will lead of the funded projects. The group’s research seeks to understand the immune consequences of the uptake of extracellular vesicles from the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae by mammalian cells.

Gomes part of red teaming for Amazon AI models

ChemE’s Gabe Gomes contributed to the red teaming efforts for Amazon’s new family of foundation models, called Nova. The Gomes Group tested the models’ capabilities in chemistry and chemical compounds. Their non-automated evaluations explored aggregation attack vulnerabilities through purchasing and remote chemical mixing scenarios. The Gomes Group also conducted automated evaluations using two distinct datasets of hazardous and common chemicals.

Niepa honored as Rising Star of Mechanical Engineering

ChemE/BME’s Tagbo Niepa received a Rising Star of Mechanical Engineering award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The award honors early-career researchers recognized through prestigious awards such as NSF CAREER, ONR YIP, AFOSR YIP, DARPA YFA, and NIH New Innovator Awards. Niepa has received the NSF CAREER award and the NIH New Innovator Award to support unconventional approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research.

November

Gomes quoted on large language models
Chemistry World

ChemE’s Gabe Gomes spoke to Chemistry World about the potential of using large language models instead of humans to answer chemistry questions. “This is incredibly well thought out and well-done work,” said Gomes. “I believe strongly that the way forward for making the models more powerful and capable is by having proper reasoning in them. But if we cannot measure that, we will keep seeing mirages that they seem to be improving when they are not.”

Qian quoted on New York congestion pricing
Smart Cities Dive

CEE’s Sean Qian was quoted in Smart Cities Dive about how New York City congestion pricing could disproportionately affect different groups based on their access to public transportation. “Certain groups will feel the impact of [congestion pricing] more than others, raising considerable equity concerns,” said Qian. “It may be worthwhile to explore ways to equitably allocate [congestion pricing] revenue to support various communities,” he said.

Chase featured in PNAS Journal Club
PNAS

Research from BME’s Steve Chase was recently highlighted in PNAS Journal Club. Chase and his Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition colleagues are exploring why people “choke” under pressure and what exactly happens in the brain when they do.

Whitefoot quoted on EV metrics
Fast Company

EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Fast Company about why EV manufacturers emphasize certain metrics like range in their advertising. “If you can advertise that EVs do have longer range, like up to 300 miles, then consumers are much more willing to purchase EVs and value them equally to gasoline vehicles,” said Whitefoot.

Michalek quoted on rideshare economics
Marketplace

EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek spoke on Marketplace about how commuters are increasingly using rideshare instead of owning a car. “Because people work hybrid, work from home some of the days of the week, that changes the economics,” said Michalek.

Tang quoted on how AI can improve flight schedules
Fast Company

CEE’s Pingbo Tang was quoted in Fast Company about Odysee, a new AI tool used to optimize efficiency and revenue when creating flight schedules. “This is a very reasonable solution for Alaska Airlines,” said Tang.

Koopman discusses Tesla Cybercab
Business Insider

ECE’s Phil Koopman spoke to Business Insider about how Tesla will need to gain permission from the federal government to sell its Cybercab. Shortly after, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it will probe the ability of Tesla’s software engineering controls to detect and respond appropriately to reduced visibility conditions.

Allen named to Women of Excellence Awards Class of 2024
New Business Courier

Alaine Allen, associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the College of Engineering, was named to the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Women of Excellence Awards Class of 2024. This award recognizes women who inspire others through their vision and leadership, exceptional achievements, and participation in community service. An awards celebration is planned for December 12, at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown Hotel.

Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. student receives $49k grant award
National Institutes of Health

BME’s Dhruv Bhattaram, a second-year Ph.D. student, received $49k from the National Institutes of Health to advance his research, which centers around the development and application of lung epithelial organoids called apical-out airway organoids (AoAOs). Bhattaram has been part of BME’s Charlie Ren’s Engineered Morphogenesis Group since spring 2023. As principal investigator on the NIH project, he will partner with ChemE’s Coty Jen, MechE’s Amir Barati Farimani, and University of Pittsburgh’s Kong Chen to present AoAOs as a next-generation theragnostic platform targeted towards airway health and cilia pathophysiology.

Test bed builds up robotics research at Carnegie Mellon
Modern Machine Shop

Manufacturing Futures Institute researchers use a robotic test bed where AMRs deliver Lego bricks to robot arms for assembly to study AI, multirobot collaboration, assembly, safety, and more.

October

Samaras quoted on nuclear energy
floodlight

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras was quoted by floodlight about increased interest in nuclear energy as domestic electricity needs increase. “There’s never been more activity and excitement for advanced nuclear in the United States,” Samaras says.

Samaras quoted on how electric vehicles can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The Public's Radio

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras spoke on The Public’s Radio about the importance of transitioning to electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “The transportation sector, how we move around, how we get our things delivered, is the largest portion of US greenhouse gas emissions right now,” Samaras explained.

Samaras quoted on greenhouse gas emissions
Scientific American

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras spoke to Scientific American about how Kamala Harris’ proposed policy to incentivize building affordable housing could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “There’s a lot of the greenhouse gas emissions in the economy that are wrapped up in where people live,” Samaras says.

Samaras presents on the future of clean energy
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras visited the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to engage on questions about new energy technologies and the decarbonization of industry in the United States in a session called Leaping Ahead: U.S. Innovation and the Future of Clean Energy.

Karplus quoted on nuclear energy for AI
The Hill

EPP’s Valerie Karplus was quoted by The Hill on major technology companies using nuclear energy in order to power their AI systems while being conscious of the environment. “Nuclear energy is really emerging back on the scene in a big way and in part because we’re now talking about a world where we’re going to see load growth, and we haven’t seen that in over a decade, about two decades actually,” explains Karplus.

Bockstaller quoted on flame retardants
Live Science

MSE’s Michael Bockstaller spoke with Live Science regarding a recent study that detected high levels of flame retardants in some toys, kitchen utensils, and other household items made from recycled black plastic. Bockstaller noted, “The impact of these materials depends on the type of chemical, concentration, type of exposure, and individual circumstance.”

Krause awarded Robert L. Coble Award
American Ceramics Society

MSE’s Amanda Krause was awarded the Robert L. Coble Award for Young Scholars by the American Ceramics Society. The award recognizes an outstanding scientist who is conducting research in academia, in industry or at a government-funded laboratory.

CMU-Africa students develop spaceborne AI algorithm
Space in Africa

CMU-Africa students participated in a collaborative project, STAR.VISION, as reported by Space in Africa. Under the mentorship of Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) engineers, students developed algorithms for the project’s inaugural AI Algorithm Rideshare Programme 1.0.

Samaras discusses drone deliveries
NBC News

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras spoke with NBC News about the advancement in drone delivery technology. “I think after what has been about a decade of a slow start, drone delivery seems to be accelerating both in its technological capabilities as well as the policy and regulatory environment in the United States,” Samaras says.

Michalek discusses ride-hailing discrimination
Associated Press

EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek spoke with the Associated Press about racial discrimination in ride-hailing technology. “The technology is mitigating a social issue, which is pretty rare,” Michalek explains. “Discrimination is having little effect on average wait times, at least in part because these apps are able to quickly rematch when somebody cancels. Whereas with taxis, it was a very hard problem to solve.”

Samaras quoted on nuclear power
Yahoo! News

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras was quoted by Yahoo! News about nuclear power being a source of electricity for the U.S. “There’s never been more activity and excitement for advanced nuclear in the United States,” Samaras explains.

Karplus quoted on the uncertainties and potentials of green hydrogen
Axios

EPP’s Valerie Karplus was quoted in Axios on “green hydrogen,” which refers to hydrogen that is created by splitting water molecules with renewable electricity rather than the more usual way of heating carbon dioxide. A new Harvard study has cast some doubt on green hydrogen’s viability due to its cost to distribute and manufacture. However, the study doesn’t discredit green hydrogen as an idea. Karplus noted, “If we look longer term, the potential for both technological innovation and clever business models to bring down some of those costs is enormous.”

Kurchin receives Simons Foundation award
Materials Science and Engineering

MSE’s Rachel Kurchin received the Scientific Software Research Faculty Award from the Simons Foundation’s Mathematics and Physical Sciences division. “This award is exciting for me, both personally and professionally, as it shows that funders are beginning to recognize the importance of sustained work on building and maintaining scientific software,” Kurchin explains.

Chase team discovers why people choke under pressure in high-stakes situations
Scientific American

BME’s Steve Chase and a team of collaborators from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, studied what happens in people’s brains as they “choke” in high-stakes situations. By investigating the brain activity of rhesus macaques while the monkeys completed certain tasks, the researchers isolated a certain population of neurons in the monkeys’ motor cortices. These neurons’ activity decreased when the researchers presented the monkeys with rare opportunities to win a large reward, which resulted in the monkeys failing to succeed. This work was also covered in New Atlas, where Chase said, “Now that we understand a little bit about how the brain is failing under these high reward situations, we want to try and correct it. One way to do this would be to design techniques that leverage our combined brain-computer interface (BCI) experience to encourage the brain not to do those things and ultimately, rescue the behavior.”

Koopman weighs in on the viability of robotaxis as a sustainable business model
Yahoo!Finance

ECE’s Phil Koopman recommends caution for investors excited about robotaxis expanding their scope into new cities. Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, recently partnered with Uber to offer driverless taxi rides in Atlanta and Austin, which will begin early next year. Koopman notes, “The question is what kind of growing pains they'll have as they start operating in new cities.” He also expects that, while these companies are confident that the technology is safe, there will be “more surprises,” saying, “the reality is nobody knows how this will turn out.”

Jayan discusses solid-state batteries
MSN

MechE’s Reeja Jayan spoke with MSN about the potential of solid-state batteries being used in electric vehicles. “Cons currently include higher manufacturing costs associated with the way the solid electrolyte is made and pressurized into the cells,” Jayan explains.

Carley discusses how misinformation can spread
Associated Press

CyLab’s Kathleen Carley was quoted by the Associated Press about the dangers of misinformation, particularly pertaining to false claims of election fraud and how that may impact overseas voters. “Laying the groundwork for a conspiracy theory means that you need to weave many claims together,” Carley explained. “In that sense, this story about UOCAVA lays the groundwork for, and would help substantiate, a conspiracy theory around Democrats stealing the election.”

Spotte-Smith quoted on AI ethics
Nature

ChemE’s Evan Spotte-Smith spoke with Nature regarding the ethics of AI, specifically pertaining to intellectual property. “Removing peoples’ names from their work can be really damaging, especially for early-career scientists or people working in places in the global south,” Spotte-Smith explained.

Donahue discusses chemical detectors in regards to 2023 train derailment
Associated Press

ChemE and EPP’s Neil Donahue spoke with the Associated Press about last year’s East Palestine train derailment in Ohio. He discussed how it is customary to report chemical levels that exceed chemical detectors and their reliability.

Samaras and Chester quoted climate change challenging public infrastructure limits
ASCE Civil Engineering Source

CEE’s Costa Samaras, along with CEE undergraduate alumnus Mikhail Chester, were quoted in an article by the American Society of Civil Engineers on the effects of rising temperatures on civil infrastructure. Engineers will have to determine how to strengthen current infrastructure, such as road networks, electricity systems, coastal levees, and more, to deal with environmental systems they were not originally designed to withstand, or else determine if compensating those affected would be more worth it than undertaking massive projects. Regardless, engineers must act as conditions worsen even in cooler locations. “You start adding all of this up, and you’re losing 5%-10% or more of the amount of electricity you thought you were going to have – all on a day when people need it to be safe from extreme heat,” Samaras said.

CMU hosts high schoolers for National Manufacturing Day
Several Outlets

The Manufacturing Futures Institute hosted more than 100 high school students in honor of National Manufacturing Day, as reported by CBS News, PittsburghInno, and WESA. Throughout the day, students participated in a number of hands-on robotic activities.

September

CMU startup tapped to help plan the electric grid of the future
Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE Head Larry Pileggi’s startup, Pearl Street Technologies, was recently named Startup of the Year by MerCom Capital Group at RE+. Pearl Street Technologies, co-founded by Pileggi, will help Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) speed up interconnection studies.

Koopman weighs in on the safety of autonomous vehicles
TheNationalDesk.com

ECE’s Phil Koopman spoke of his skepticism in robotaxi company Waymo’s assertion that 85% fewer car crashes have been reported in areas where autonomous vehicles are present than in areas where they are not. “Most of those 70 million miles had a safety driver. So, if something goes wrong, there was a person to stop the bad thing from happening. The number of miles without a safety driver to intervene is much less…[The vehicle] has no intelligence. It doesn’t think like a person. It just is trained. And when it hits something it hasn’t been trained on, it just guesses. And sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong.”

Koopman discusses the road-readiness and safety of Tesla’s autonomous vehicle capabilities
AP

ECE’s Phil Koopman spoke with AP about questions and doubts surrounding how prepared Tesla’s autonomous vehicles are to deal with real-world situations. The vehicles are equipped with AI-assisted “Full Self-Driving” software to control the car, while passengers are meant to supervise the vehicle’s performance. Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that “Full Self-Driving” vehicles will operate more safely that human drivers by the end of this year or next year, but some experts are still not convinced; Koopman believes it will take years for the technology to become that advanced. “Machine learning has no common sense and learns narrowly from a huge number of examples,” he said. “If the computer driver gets into a situation it has not been taught about, it is prone to crashing.”

Koopman speaks about the future for autonomous vehicles
The New York Times

ECE’s Phil Koopman spoke with The New York Times about how Alphabet’s robot taxi service Waymo has been expanding, and what the future may hold in store for it. He said that even though Waymo currently has the trust of the public in places where it operates, such as in San Francisco and Phoenix, that trust is not guaranteed, especially when it comes to safety: “Waymo has not had the big crash yet,” he said. “I don’t know if they will have a big, embarrassing, problematic crash, and based upon the data, they don’t know, either.”

Lightman meets with regional leaders about safety in healthcare
PGH Biz Times

Metro21’s Karen Lightman attended a gathering of researchers, healthcare workers, entrepreneurs, and government leaders from southwestern Pennsylvania to discuss ways to improve safety in healthcare. One of the themes the meeting was making sure that data are available that are accurate and comprehensive in order to improve transparency around safety. “Data can play a really important role, where using AI to move the data that without bias can shine a light where it’s been dark,” she said. “That transparency is really critical because that will hold people accountable.”

Niepa comments on synthetic polymer that mimics barnacles
Chemical & Engineering News

ChemE’s Tagbo Niepa was quoted by Chemical & Engineering News about a recent study that developed a synthetic polymer that can mimic the ways in which barnacles clean surfaces. Niepa explained the potential benefits this development could provide, explaining, “you can think about a way of cleaning a catheter, for instance, that is fully infected with bacteria.”

Zhang delivers two keynotes in Eurpoe

MechE’s Jessica Zhang recently delivered keynote lectures in two workshops in Europe. She presented her latest research, “Generative Manufacturing: AI + IGA, Digital Twins and Reduced Order Modeling for Applications in Additive Manufacturing" in “MAThematical CHallenges to and from new technologiES (MATCHES),” in Rome, Italy on September 5-6, 2024. She also talked about “Investigating Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Innovative IGA, Dynamic Domain Expansion, Local Refinement and Deep Learning” in “Finite Elements for Cell and Tissue Morphogenesis” in Fréjus (French Riviera), France on September 9-13, 2024.

Apt discusses smart meters in Pennsylvania
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

EPP’s Jay Apt was quoted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the new smart meters replacing old parking meters in Pennsylvania. “People used to have to go out and look for streetlights that are out or other indications, but now it has greatly decreased the time it takes to restore power,” he said.

Brumley discusses social security number breach and cybersecurity
Time

ECE’s David Brumley spoke with Time about the hack in April that resulted in SSN data from the NPD being leaked. “We are not talking about a startup here,” Brumley said. “Looking forward, we have to have higher standards for the custodians of our data.”

Webster-Wood quoted on a new mushroom based biohybrid robot
CNN

MechE’s Vickie Webster-Wood was quoted by CNN about a new robot developed by researchers at Cornell University that uses a mushroom’s mycelium in its hardware, allowing the robot to respond to the environment. In regards to fungi, Webster-Wood says, “If they are more robust to environmental conditions this could make them an excellent candidate for biohybrid robots for applications in agriculture and marine monitoring or exploration.”

Combemale discusses study on EV powertrains
The Guardian

EPP’s Christophe Combemale spoke with the Guardian about his study investigating the labor time of EV powertrain production processes and the impact that might have on the upcoming election. “We can say very strongly at the moment the evidence suggests it takes as many or perhaps more labor hours to produce [an EV powertrain],” Combemale explains.

Gomes work featured in The New Yorker
The New Yorker

ChemE’s Gabe Gomes’ work with large language model Coscientist was mentioned in a The New Yorker story about how scientists discover and develop new medicines to combat antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, along with how these scientists integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into this process.

Tucker discusses deepfakes
Medium

CMU-Africa Director Conrad Tucker spoke with Medium about his work and strategies for the public to protect themselves against deepfakes and disinformation. “Policies need to be established to protect users so that they can be confident that the content they are consuming can be trusted,” Tucker says.

Congratulations to our Andy Award Nominees
Carnegie Mellon University

Congratulations to the following College of Engineering Andy Award Nominees. Cheer them on at the event on Tuesday, October 15 in McConomy Auditorium.

Commitment to Excellence: Rookie

Amber Dworek (INI)
Eric Mrock (MechE)
Patricia Musiime (CMU-Africa)
Geena Provenzano (CEE)
Lauren Smith (College Offices)

Commitment to Excellent: Veteran

Melissa Brown (MechE)
Andrea Cohen (College Offices)
Allison McLachlan (CEE)
Kristyn Williams (MechE)
Emma Zink (III)

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Jessica Tomko (ECE)

Commitment to Students

Jeannette Daly (ECE)
Mika Inamahoro (CMU-Africa)
Jennifer Spirer (College Offices)
Ed Wojciechowski (MechE)

Innovative and Creative Contributions

Brian Belowich (CEE)
Monica Submit (CMU-Africa)
Anthony Talotta (MSE)

Spirit

Abraham Darriel (CMU-Africa)
Christa Jones (INI)
Melissa Ritchie (CEE)

Teamwork and Collaboration (Standing Teams)

CMU-Africa Student Induction Program: Jacqueline Bangirana, Nancy Biwott, Gikundiro Buki, Nick Carney, Abraham Darriel, Reginald Donkor, Gisele Gihozo, Mika Inamahoro, Rosine Kamahoro, Lucy-Anna Kelly, Sandra Malaika, Ines Manzi, Mugire Flavia Mugwaneza, Irene Munene, Johnson Nziza, Marie-Ange Rukundo, and Monica Sumbi.
Chemical Engineering Academic Team: Maria Barnes, Heather Costello, Chelsea Lee, Nora Sieworiek

Sioshansi quoted on battery energy
Marketplace

EPP’s Ramteen Sioshansi spoke with Marketplace about using battery energy as an alternative, sustainable source of energy. Sioshansi specifically discussed how batteries currently cannot completely replace fossil fuels. “The handful of hours when the wind and solar is not producing enough, well, we still have gas generators that can basically fill that gap,” he said.

August

Jen interviewed on particle research
Department of Energy

ChemE’s Coty Jen spoke with the Department of Energy about her research on atmospheric nucleation driven by sulfuric acid. Jen specifically covers the recent testing her research team conducted on a device they built that measures the precursor gasses in seed-particle formation.

Donahue quoted on air purifiers for pets
U.S. News

ChemE and EPP’s Neil Donahue was quoted by U.S. News on the benefits of HEPA air purifiers for pets. “HEPA air filters are extremely effective at removing fine particles. This includes pet dander, viruses like COVID, smoke particles from cooking, and dust of all sorts,” he says.

CMU’s Safety21 leads inaugural Future of Transportation Summit
Carnegie Mellon University

Transportation safety experts from CMU’s Safety21 partnered with the DOT’s University Transportation Centers to lead the inaugural Future of Transportation Summit in Washington, D.C., from August 13th to 15th. CMU faculty showcased their research and innovations to improve transportation safety.

Michalek speaks about autonomous grocery delivery
SupplyChainBrain

MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek spoke about a recent survey on how customers prefer to have their groceries delivered. He found that most customers do not care whether or not their groceries are delivered by an autonomous vehicle, such as a driverless car, a sidewalk robot, or a drone. A sizeable minority are willing to “compromise” if it means that their groceries are delivered quickly. Michalek also spoke about current concerns with autonomous grocery delivery, as it it currently most feasible in urban areas where it may contribute to traffic congestion.

Abbott discusses pros, cons of lab-grown meat
Eating Well

As interest rises in meat alternatives, BME’s Rosalyn Abbott was tapped to discuss the safety, sustainability, and innate challenges associated with the trend. “Future generations will want to know where their meat is coming from and will feel empowered by choosing options that protect animals and our environment,” she said. In her lab, Abbott is co-leading a project to produce meat without sacrificing an animal.

Zhao weighs in on whether AI will be able to act without human oversight
Forbes

MechE’s Ding Zhao spoke with Forbes about the need for humans to oversee AI in higher order AI applications. “For personal entertainment on a small scale, we have likely built a certain level of confidence,” he said. “The key is to clarify liability—who should be responsible for decisions, the user or the machine—the enterprise behind the technologies?"

Fanti and Sowon suggest improving the way governments regulate technology
Atlantic Council

ECE/CyLab’s Giulia Fanti and CyLab’s Karen Sowon were among the co-authors of an article in Atlantic Council suggesting ways in which governments could more effectively regulate new technologies while avoiding setbacks. They detail efforts of governments around the world that have had unintended consequences affecting millions of people, and argue that these consequences may have been avoided had policymakers had approached the problems like products designers do, and balanced security, privacy, and usability.

Zhao demonstrates LocoMan at landslide site
Carnegie Mellon University

The dog-like robot, already known for helping around the house, can climb steep hillsides and use its paws to place sensors on difficult terrain, making landslide monitoring safer for humans.

CMU preparing industry and students for future of AM with AI
Additive Manufacturing Media

Work underway at Carnegie Mellon is helping industrial additive manufacturers achieve success today, while applying artificial intelligence to designing AM alloys, optimizing AM parameters, lowering AM’s skills barrier and addressing a fundamental AM problem—spatter.

Zhao quoted on humanoid robots for retail
PYMNTS

MechE's Ding Zhao was quoted in an article by PYMNTS about the most effective ways to automate industry.

Chase lends insight to Olympic athletes folding under pressure
Washington Post

BME’s Steve Chase weighed in on the phenomenon of choking under pressure in the latest “Brain Matters” column in The Washington Post, drawing from ongoing collaborative research he’s part of with University of Pittsburgh’s Aaron Batista.

July

Zhang receives IACM Fellows Award
IACM

MechE’s Jessica Zhang received the International Association for Computational Mechanics (IACM) Fellows Award during the the 16th World Congress on Computational Mechanics and 4th Pan American Congress on Computational Mechanics in Vancouver, Canada from July 21-26, 2024. Conferred every two years, the IACM Fellows Award recognizes up to eight individuals with a distinguished record of research accomplishment and publication in areas of computational mechanics and demonstrated support of the IACM through membership and participation in the Association, its meetings, and activities.

McComb investigates potential application of Large Language Models in material selection
Autodesk

MechE’s Christopher McComb recently investigated the potential application of Large Language Models (LLMs) in material selection. His paper analyzes the responses obtained by prompting several LLMs to rate the appropriateness of various materials in certain design scenarios. McComb’s team found that, compared to ratings by human experts, the LLMs tended to overestimate the appropriateness of most materials, with less variance across different scenarios. The paper underscores current challenges in the direct application of LLMs for highly nuanced tasks, while highlighting specific areas of improvement and demonstrating the potential ability of LLMs to provide accurate assistance in material selection.

Abbott mentioned in biomedical engineering career piece
Healthcare Degree

BME’s Rosalyn Abbott was consulted as a subject matter expert for Healthcare Degree's spotlight on careers in biomedical engineering. Asked if there was something she wished the general public understood about the field, she responded, “Biomedical engineering is a unique field where engineers from many different disciplines come together to solve health-related problems. In the same field, you can have biomedical engineers designing biomaterials to develop better implants, testing the strength of tissues using biomechanics, growing cells to engineer tissues, and working on brain-computer interfaces for improved prosthetics. There’s something for everyone.”

Fanti receives Angel Jordan professorship
Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering

ECE’s Giulia Fanti has been named the new Angel Jordan Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. She researches how to design systems that can cooperate even if there is no trust, such as in privacy in social networks. She is also a co-founder of CyLab-Africa.

Faculty award winners announced

Congratulations to the 2024 faculty award winners who represent six departments across the College of Engineering. The recipients were recognized for their achievements as researchers and educators. The winners include: Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award: Jon Peha (EPP); David P. Casasent Outstanding Research Award: Gregory Lowry (CEE); Distinguished Professor of Engineering: Lorenz Biegler (ChemE); George Tallman Ladd Research Award: Amanda Krause (MSE) and Akshitha Sriraman (ECE); Outstanding Mentoring Award: Alan McGaughey (MechE); Outstanding Service Award: Jonathan Malen (MechE); and Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research: Carl Laird (ChemE).

Jaramillo weighs in on the rules surrounding hydrogen production
Heatmap

EPP’s Paulina Jaramillo spoke with Heatmap about the Treasury Department’s proposed “three pillars” rules around tax credits for hydrogen production in the U.S. A group of senators cited a CMU analysis, led by Jaramillo, in a letter criticizing the proposed rules for artificially hindering the environmental benefits of green hydrogen. Jaramillo argued that the Treasury should subsidize electrolytic hydrogen regardless of how it’s powered. “We need to deploy this infrastructure,” Jaramillo said. “We need to deploy it now so it’s available later.”

Sioshansi quoted on durability of the national power grid
Marketplace

EPP’s Ramteen Sioshansi was quoted in Marketplace on the durability of the national power grid. Hurricane Beryl recently left hundreds of thousands of Texans without power for multiple days. Experts warn that the country’s decades-old power infrastructure will be more vulnerable to storm damage as global temperatures continue to rise. “At the end of the day, someone has to pay for these types of investments to make electricity supply more reliable,” Sioshansi said. “And so, there’s always this trade-off.”

Seven Engineering faculty awarded grants from Scott Institute
Carnegie Mellon University

Seven faculty from the College of Engineering received funding from this year’s Scott Institute Seed Grants to pursue projects advancing dacarbonization research and energy equity. This year’s winners include: CEE’s Gerald Wang, researching plastics decarbonization; MSE’s Paul Salvador and Mohammad Islam, researching carbon dioxide air capture with aerogels; EPP’s Ramteen Sioshansi and Granger Morgan, researching mitigating electric supply disruptions; ChemE/EPP’s Neil Donahue, upgrading an equipment’s ability to detect particles at low temperatures; and MSE’s Mohadeseh Taheri-Mousavi, repairing an induction furnace melter to study the effects of hydrogen on metal alloys.

Taheri-Mousavi receives Scott Institute Seed Grant
Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation

MSE’s Mohadeseh Taheri-Mousavi was featured by the Scott Institute for research that was awarded one of this year’s Scott Institute Seed Grants. She will study the interactions between hydrogen atoms with high-strength metallic alloys; these interactions are called hydrogen embrittlement and they reduce the service life of the alloys. “This research is important because the production of metals contributes a significant portion of CO₂ emissions, e.g., about 28% of industrial emissions just come from steels and aluminum productions,” said Taheri-Mousavi. “Even if we optimized everything in the production process, we still wouldn’t be able to hit the 2050 CO₂ goal. The only way to achieve this goal is by reducing metal production, and H embrittlement is a hurdle as it is the most critical life limiting factor of high-strength metals.”

Grossmann receives honorary doctorate from Argentina’s Universidad Nacional del Sur
Universidad Nacional del Sur (in Spanish)

ChemE’s Ignacio Grossmann was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Universidad Nacional del Sur in recognition of his 30-plus years of collaboration with that institution. “It is a privilege to receive this title, I am deeply grateful for it but above all for having a close relationship with groups in this country since 1982,” he said. “The reason for the success of this very fruitful relationship in the last 30 years has undoubtedly been the great talent that are the professors, researchers and scholarship holders of the Universidad Nacional del Sur. And not only talent, but also motivation, technical preparation and high scientific quality. It has truly been a huge pleasure for me to work together.” This is his ninth honorary doctorate.

Lucia’s company named a startup to watch
Pittsburgh Business Times

ECE’s Brandon Lucia is the co-founder and CEO of Efficient Computer Corp., which was recently recognized as one of 10 Pittsburgh-area startups to watch in 2024 by Pittsburgh Business Times. They have developed a general-purpose computer processor chip, which is 100 times more energy-efficient than other leading processors. “Efficient’s Fabric architecture enables significantly more energy-efficient chips, bringing computing capabilities to use cases that were previously impossible due to limited energy availability,” Lucia said. “Transforming these use cases with Efficient’s category-defining technology is exciting, but what is even more compelling are the uses that haven’t been imagined yet and are only now becoming possible with the availability of our technology.”

Weber weighs in on first Neuralink clinical trial
Scientific American

MechE’s Doug Weber was asked about brain-computer interfaces and Neuralink’s first human trial. He compared recording neuron activity to trying to record two people talking in a crowded stadium, and on plans to improve the second trial’s performance by implanting it a bit deeper into the brain, said: “It’s a strategy worth testing, assuming it doesn’t change the safety profile.”

Samaras speaks about green infrastructure opportunities in the region
Pittsburgh Business Times

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras spoke at a PNC Brunch & Learn and Networking Event about opportunities for the region as a result of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. He expects western Pennsylvania to benefit from the legislation, which uses “carrot” or reward-based incentives to lead to sustainable changes. Samaras expects that “no place in the country” is better poised to benefit, and, speaking about Pittsburgh’s ability to incorporate green infrastructure, said, “Twenty years ago, green buildings were exotic. Now, they’re just commonplace.”

Weber comments on a new paralysis treatment
Axios

MechE’s Doug Weber was asked by Axios to comment on a treatment for spinal cord injuries resulting in arm and hand paralysis. The treatment was developed by a team from the University of Washington, and it has shown in clinical trials that it can improve patients’ ability to move and complete tasks with their hands, which they previously could not do. Weber said, “It is noteworthy that this study tested 60 people, which is a fairly large sample of people having a range of motor deficits due to spinal cord injury.”

Koopman comments on the role of current driver monitoring systems in prevention of road fatalities
Bloomberg

ECE’s Phil Koopman comments on the role of current driver monitoring systems (DMS) in the prevention of road fatalities. Some of these systems include features such as eye trackers and steering wheel sensors to detect signs of impaired driving. However, Koopman explains to Bloomberg that, while the U.S. and the U.K. once had similar road fatality rates, the U.K.’s rate is now less than half of that of the U.S., indicating that technology is neither the sole cause nor the perfect solution for road fatalities.

Carley discusses new tools designed to curb the spread of disinformation online
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CyLab/EPP’s Kathleen Carley spoke with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the need to improve detection of inaccurate or misleading content online. In recent years, digital spaces have seen a significant increase in the spread of disinformation and the use of deepfake technology. New detection tools such as Trustnet and MUSE aim to help users spot inaccurate information, but the process still depends on the trustworthiness of intermediate messengers. “There has been an increased use of deepfakes and disinformation in every election this year around the world,” Carley said. “It’s not only a U.S. problem.”

Whitacre featured for entrepreneurial endeavors
NPR

MSE’s Jay Whitacre was featured on “Midwest Moxie” on NPR affiliate WUWM 89.7, as he spoke about his entrepreneurial endeavors, most recently with Stratus Materials.

Akinci quoted on the use of drones for utility inspections
WESA

CEE Head Burcu Akinci was quoted in WESA on the use of robots to conduct utility inspections. Duquesne Light Company’s new Skydio drone, for example, uses high-resolution cameras and thermal sensors to detect signs of damage that would be difficult for humans to catch, making it easier to keep workers safe in the field and prevent power outages before they happen. With drones, “you get this bird’s eye view with data and imagery,” Akinci said. “And data that is very difficult to get in any other way.”

Koopman discusses the safety of robotaxis
Market Watch

ECE’s Phil Koopman was quoted by Market Watch on the safety of robotaxis, specifically mentioning how there is currently not enough data on robotaxis to guarantee public safety. “In the U.S. human drivers might see one fatality per 100 million vehicle miles. Companies who have a small fraction of that number of miles—7.1 million in the latest Waymo study—are nowhere near knowing how fatalities will turn out,” Koopman stated.

Sullivan quoted on household product safety
Daily Mail

MechE’s Ryan Sullivan was quoted in the Daily Mail about the safety of household cleaning products like air fresheners. “To a chemist ‘really clean’ would actually be no scent because the scent is caused by a chemical,” Sullivan first told the Washington Post. “Truly clean means very low levels of chemicals.”

Koopman quoted on AI’s role in autonomous vehicle development
Axios

ECE’s Phil Koopman spoke to Axios about AI’s role in the development of autonomous vehicles. “Learning-based AVs can be taught driving skills more quickly, but the black-box nature of machine learning-based behavior makes it more difficult to validate safety,” Koopman told the outlet.

Whitacre’s start-up reaches notable milestone
Green Car Congress

The company announced that its LXMO-containing pouch cells surpassed 1,000 full depth-of-discharge cycles while maintaining greater than 80% of their initial capacity, a common goal across the EV battery industry. “The Stratus team looks forward to building upon these strong technical results as we improve, commercialize, and scale production in the coming quarters,” said Whitacre.