Mentions

2025

May

Akinci recognized as ASCE Distinguished Member
ASCE Civil Engineering Source

CEE Head Burcu Akinci has been elected by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as one of its distinguished members for her work in construction information and computing systems. She was chosen for the valuable information her research provides the field, as well as for her participation in the industry and in rigorous academic and mentorship involvements.

Hibshi quoted on the ILOVEYOU email phishing scam
History.com

INI’s Hanan Hibshi was quoted by History.com on the lessons learned from the May 2000 email phishing scam ILOVEYOU. This computer worm reached more 45 million computers in 24 hours, causing worldwide damage. “All I need is for one user to make the wrong decision,” Hibhsi said. ILOVEYOU “was a lesson to everyone that we shouldn’t trust things on the internet … and I think that was a lesson that we learned hands-on.”

Brumley discusses Google’s rise compared to search engine rivals
CNN

CyLab/ECE’s David Brumley spoke with CNN about Google’s rise as an internet giant amidst the company’s potential impending breakup. According to Brumely, Google competitors like Yahoo and Ask Jeeves organized search results by topic in “a file folder” manner, while Google ranked results by importance—an approach that contributed to the search engine’s rise in popularity.

Cranor discusses passkey security
CNET

CyLab Director Lorrie Cranor was quoted by CNET about Microsoft’s move to using passkeys instead of passwords for all new accounts. “From a security perspective, it is great to see them being pushed out to consumers, but I do have some concerns about their usability, especially in cases where consumers have multiple devices or lose or upgrade a device,” Cranor said. “Shared accounts and devices may also be problematic.”

Cranor quoted on iris-scanning technology
The Washington Post

CyLab Director Lorrie Cranor was quoted by The Washington Post about World’s iris-scanning, “proof of human” technology, which launched in six U.S. storefronts last week. While World is working to create a network of unique World IDs to distinguish between humans and robots, Cranor questioned why an iris scan was necessary. “Now I have features from the scan of my iris encrypted and stored on my phone, but if somebody else gets access to my phone or if a robot takes over my phone, does that mean that they can demonstrate that they’re human or maybe even me?” Cranor said.

Haritos Tsamitis receives Robert E. Doherty Award
Carnegie Mellon University

INI Director Dena Haritos Tsamitis received the 2025 Robert E. Doherty Award for Sustained Contributions to Excellence in Education. Haritos Tsamitis was recognized for her commitment to advancing cybersecurity education while fostering global partnerships and creating a supportive community within the INI. As the architect behind one of the country’s first graduate-level information security degrees, Haritos Tsamitis’ contributions have helped shape the next generation of information security and technology professions.

CMU named Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity

Through INI Director Dena Haritos Tsamitis’ leadership and contributions from INI’s Patrick Tague and Hanan Hibshi, Carnegie Mellon University has been re-designated as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity for Cyber research and Cyber operations. This program, managed by the National Security Agency, recognizes colleges and universities that uphold the highest standards for cybersecurity education and academic excellence. “These national designations not only certify the INI’s security curriculum, but place CMU among the top institutions developing the security engineering workforce and allow our students and faculty to participate in critical national scholarship programs, research efforts, and community building,” said Haritos Tsamitis.

April

Dickey named a Fellow by the Materials Research Society
Department of Materials Science & Engineering

MSE Head Elizabeth Dickey was named a 2025 Fellow of the Materials Research Society’s (MRS)  for her research in understanding microstructure and properties of materials used in energy and electronic applications. She aims to identify new materials for these purposes that will be more efficient and sustainable than current options. “I am honored to earn this recognition from MRS and to be included among colleagues who share a commitment to advancing materials discoveries and building a community of dedicated researchers,” Dickey said.

AMD donated heterogeneous accelerated compute cluster to Pittsburgh region
Electrical and Computer Engineering

To support high performance computing research, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has donated a heterogeneous accelerated compute cluster to the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC), giving students from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh access to servers equipped with the latest software.

Teach Me in 10 episode features Rosalyn Abbott
Technology Networks

BME’s Rosalyn Abbott is exploring how lab-grown meat can replicate the taste, texture, and nutritional value of traditional animal products—without the animal. Technology Networks’ latest “Teach Me in 10” segment spotlights how Abbott’s lab is using 3D printing and cellular engineering to enhance fat content and structure in cultivated meat, aiming to make these products more affordable, sustainable, and scalable.

Adams contextualizes Pittsburgh’s air quality score in recent report
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

EPP Head Peter Adams spoke with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Pittsburgh’s failing grade in this year’s American Lung Association report on national air quality. The report tracks the amount of fine particulates in the air and compares that to the air quality standard and to other locations around the country. The Pittsburgh area ranked the 12th worst in terms of air quality. However, Adams argues that these results do not reflect the air quality experienced in most of Allegheny County, and that because particulates travel through the air, these results are more symptomatic of the regional air quality of the northeast rather than being specific to Pittsburgh. “The idea that PM 2.5 is a city problem is inconsistent with the science. The entire northeast sort of sits in the same soup of pollution. This is very much a regional problem and not a city problem,” he said.

Cranor quoted on access to data in cases of theft
The Washington Post

CyLab Director Lorrie Cranor was quoted by the Washington Post about how the owners of stolen Apple products cannot regain access to their data. “You do have to provide a variety of information to sign up for an Apple account, and people could be required to provide things like police reports to show that they reported their phones stolen,” Cranor says. “I find it odd that Apple is fighting this without explaining their rationale.”

Digital transformation in advanced manufacturing: Insights from Prof. Gary Fedder
Siemens

Siemens calls MFI's Gary Fedder a reliable partner, practical innovator, and a visionary who inspires and guides the development of cutting-edge products and processes that will help to fully digitize and automate manufacturing in the future.

Vernon authors piece on robotics in Africa
Science Robotics

CMU-Africa’s David Vernon authored a piece in Science Robotics, covering the current landscape of robotics in Africa, with deployment in agriculture and educational sectors. Robotics research and development is also consistently expanding.

CMU-Africa's Digital Experience Center highlighted
IGIHE Network

Carnegie Mellon University Africa’s Digital Experience Center, recently launched through the Upanzi Network, was featured by the IGIHE Network and BiometricUpdate.com. The Center will serve as a hub for collaboration and innovation, fostering the development of new digital public infrastructure and goods in Africa. “Rather than Africa just being consumers, we are now creators and contribute to the glocal ecosystem of open-source projects and open-source software,” says CMU-Africa Director Conrad Tucker.

CMU alum Thai-Tang featured in AARP
AARP

MechE alum Hau Thai-Tang’s life and career were covered in AARP. Thai-Tang discusses his experience as a Vietnamese immigrant, his passion for cars, and his time as a designer for Ford. “We had a lot of people who helped us,” Thai-Tang says. “Teachers, parents, coworkers, people who were sympathetic, recognizing that we came with nothing and were trying to build a future for ourselves.

Cranor discusses Gmail cybersecurity
Dark Reading

CyLab Director Lorrie Cranor spoke with Dark Reading about the importance of securing one’s devices and accounts, regardless of encryption protections companies like Gmail install in their software. “While Gmail uses encryption in transit, if supported by the recipient’s server, it is not currently end-to-end encrypted, which means that there is the potential of exposing that sensitive data on both Google’s servers and the recipient’s servers,” Cranor explains.

Muller and Dennin quoted on fire smoke health risks
Phys.org

EPP’s Nicholas Muller and EPP Ph.D. student Luke Dennin were quoted in Phys.org on their research regarding the health effects of exposure to fine particulate matter produced by smoke from wildfires and prescribed burns. Their study, also co-authored by EPP/CEE’s Destenie Nock, EPP postdoctoral researcher Medinat Akindele, and EPP Head Peter Adams, revealed that such exposure caused more than $200 billion of health damages associated with 20,000 premature deaths in the United States in 2017. Smoke exposure was also positively correlated with measures of social vulnerability. “Our work reveals the extraordinary and disproportionate effects of the growing threat of fire smoke,” says Dennin, who led the study.

Samaras shares excitement for upcoming World Innovation Summit
Future Travel Experience

Scott Institute Director Costa Samaras was quoted in Future Travel Experience on CMU’s contributions to clean energy in the air transport sector ahead of the FTE World Innovation Summit, which will be hosted in Pittsburgh in May. “Pittsburgh International Airport has been a global leader in energy innovation and resilience. We’re proud to collaborate to help translate the latest research into practice for sustainable aviation fuel technology pathways, energy resilience, and more,” Samaras says.

Muller quoted on lax air emission regulation
Bloomberg Law

EPP’s Nicholas Muller spoke to Bloomberg Law about the Trump administration’s reconsideration of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, which requires fuel and gas suppliers to disclose their emissions. Dissolution of the program could create a significant setback for emission reduction, according to Muller. “We had very clear evidence with very, very good data about how these programs were influencing firm behavior,” he says.

Sioshansi quoted on Ohio's energy grid needs
WFMJ

EPP’s Ramteen Sioshansi provided insight on how emissions will impact extreme weather events for a feature in WFMJ’s 21 News, debating the ideal balance of renewable and fossil fuel energy sources for Ohio’s electrical grid. Should the emissions issue not be addressed, Sioshansi says, “We’re going to see those patterns become more extreme and more frequent.”

ETIM hosts event on innovation and AI

ETIM hosted a networking and panel event on Innovation and AI: Challenges and Opportunities. The session was hosted by EPP/ETIM’s Phil Yu and Kristen Kailer, with Mark DeSantis moderating a panel featuring Chris Martin (BNY Mellon), Brian Beyer (Hellbender), and Andy Rape (Leaficient). A key takeaway from the discussion was how AI can effectively tackle both simple and complex problems, recognizing issues like trustworthiness must be considered. There were 16 companies in attendance, including Accenture, ATI, PPG, SAP, and Westinghouse.

Cranor quoted on the importance of appropriate security of government communications
POLITICO

CyLab Director Lorrie Cranor was quoted in POLITICO on government officials’ alleged recent flaunting of communication security protocols. National security advisor Mike Waltz has been under fire for a myriad of alleged violations, such as discussing sensitive issues on non-governmental channels such as Gmail and Signal, as well as accidentally adding a journalist to a sensitive Signal chat. These discussions have been condemned for violating government records acts, as well as for their security risks. Cranor was quoted on the necessity of keeping government communications secure against attackers. “Communication systems approved for government officials meet security requirements and government records management requirements. Attackers frequently target government officials and attempt to gain access to their messages as well as break into their accounts so that they can impersonate them. So, appropriate security is important.”

Cranor quoted on Signal group chat
The Wall Street Journal

CyLab Director Lorrie Cranor was quoted in The Wall Street Journal about how employees often prioritize convenience over security at work. “We see this pattern all the time, where users just want to get their job done and their view is that somebody else should be worrying about the security part,” said Cranor.

Four College of Engineering students awarded George Washington Prize
Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering (YouTube)

In honor of their academic excellence and leadership roles across campus, four students of Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering have been awarded this year’s George Washington Prize.

Linda Liu (ChemE/BME) studies surfactant interactions, and plans to attend medical school to become a doctor after pursuing research. Sam Chen (CEE) is an experienced teacher and teaching assistant, and in his research, he simulates pedestrian behaviors using fluid mechanics. He hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in computational mechanics to improve infrastructure sustainability. Sophie Clarke (MechE/BME) focuses on cellular and molecular mechanics to improve organ transplants and lab-grown organs, and she hopes to continue her research with a Ph.D. Katie Eisenman (MSE/EPP) won the first place prize; she investigates hydrogen as a clean fuel source and has done research at several other affiliated laboratories across the U.S. and in the U.K. She also hopes to pursue a PhD to continue her work in characterizing and applying ceramics in energy technology.

Many congratulations to all of our winners!

March

Allstot elected AAAS Fellow
Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE’s David Allstot has been elected a 2024 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is among the 471 scientists, engineers, and innovators who are being recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. Allstot’s research focuses on analog, mixed-signal, and radio frequency integrated circuits. His impact on the mix-node integrated circuits and systems field has transformed the semiconductor industry.

De Graef recognized as distinguished scientist

MSE’s Marc De Graef was selected by the Microscopy Society of America (MSA) as the 2025 recipient of the Society’s Distinguished Scientist Award in the physical sciences. “MSA is an organization that is integral to advancing innovation in microscopy,” said De Graef. “I am grateful to receive this honor and to join a group of esteemed colleagues who have previously been conferred with this award.”

Kainerstorfer and Krause featured in profile about women in STEM

BME’s Jana Kainerstorfer and MSE’s Amanda Krause were featured in a CMU profile that highlights accomplished women in STEM fields. “Engineering is a way for me to leverage my strength in math to make meaningful contributions. It’s a way to solve puzzles, and I enjoy that,” said Krause.

Gomes’ predictive platform for biocatalysts spotlighted
Chemical & Engineering News

ChemE’s Gabe Gomes and Alison Narayan at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor have created Catnip, a machine learning web app that was featured in Chemical & Engineering News. The platform predicts which enzymes might work to catalyze reactions on particular molecules to aid chemists in organic synthesis.

Tkacik and Samaras quoted on CMU Energy Week
Blue Sky News

The Scott Institute’s Daniel Tkacik and Costa Samaras were quoted in Blue Sky News about CMU Energy Week, which takes place from March 25-27. “Energy Week was started to provide a time and a place for universities, for all the industry in the area, and all the government and nonprofit and NGOs to get together and coalesce around a single energy challenge that we face today,” said Tkacik.

Zhang receives awards from the SIAM International Meshing Roundtable conference
SIAM International Meshing Roundtable conference

MechE’s Jessica Zhang and her group received two awards from the SIAM International Meshing Roundtable conference held on March 3-6, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. Zhang was awarded the International Meshing Roundtable Fellow, and the paper coauthored with her Ph.D. student Hua Tong, entitled “Fast and Robust Hexahedral Mesh Optimization via Augmented Lagrangian, L-BFGS and Line Search,” received the Best Student Paper award.

CMU’s Manufacturing Futures Institute to participate in local workforce development
Next Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon University’s Manufacturing Futures Institute has joined forceswith local nonprofit Prototype PGH and New Century Careers to launch Step On Up: Maker to Manufacturer, a six-month workforce development program that will provide training in 3D modeling, computer-aided design and manufacturing, screen printing, lathe and mill operation, and more.

Sioshansi discusses the cost of nuclear power
WESA

ECE/EPP’s Ramteen Sioshansi spoke with WESA about the benefits and drawbacks of using nuclear power. “When you compare the cost of supplying customers using nuclear and you compare it to other electricity generation technology, it’s very difficult to justify that cost economically,” Sioshansi explains. This story was picked up by NPR’s Here and Now.

Zhang selected as 2025 AWM-SIAM Kovalevsky Lecturer
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics

MechE’s Jessica Zhang has been selected as the 2025 AWM-SIAM Kovalevsky Lecturer from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in recognition of her work in computational geometry and finite element methods. Zhang has advanced meshing techniques that enable precise simulations in complex domains that appear in medical imaging and biological modeling.

Tucker calls for African researchers to invest in artificial intelligence
The Toyin Falola Interviews

CMU-Africa’s Conrad Tucker was joined by a panel of other artificial intelligence (AI) specialists on a recent edition of the Toyin Falola Interviews, where they called for African political and scientific leadership to invest in AI technology and infrastructure so that they do not rely on foreign AI advances. Tucker stressed the importance of educating the next generation of AI researchers. “AI is accelerating how students acquire complex skills. It is also transforming fields like engineering design and product development. From aircraft to automobiles and computers, AI is revolutionizing how ideas are conceptualized and tested through predictive modeling,” he said. “If we do not train our students to compete globally, Africa will once again find itself as a passive consumer of technology developed elsewhere. The future of AI in Africa begins with education.”

Nock highlights energy assistance program
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

CEE/EPP’s Destenie Nock published a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about Peoples Energy Analytics, an organization that helps connect people with assistance programs to cover home energy costs. “By analyzing energy usage patterns, billing trends, and temperature fluctuations, we partner with utility companies to identify struggling households and connect them with help,” said Nock.

Samaras quoted on carbon dioxide emissions
Politico

CEE’s Costa Samaras spoke to Politico about why carbon dioxide emissions are increasing, despite renewable power sources surpassing coal in 2024. Gas generation is growing due to increased electricity demands for data centers and offsets the reduced emissions from coal. “If all we do is build more natural gas, our emissions are not going to go down. They might stay flat as they did last year,” explained Samaras. “Sooner or later, we’re going to run out of coal to displace.”

Karplus quoted on EU energy plan
Canary Media

EPP’s Valerie Karplus was quoted in Canary Media about how Europe’s efforts to strengthen and decarbonize its energy supply could motivate other countries to follow their example. “The Europeans have been and will continue to be pioneers,” said Karplus. “They’re focused on the process. To the extent that any system or any new measures provide a stronger incentive for countries with high-pollution-intensive value chains to clean up, that’s a win.”

Scheffler quoted on data protection and access
CNN

CyLab/EPP’s Sarah Scheffler was quoted by CNN about data protection, in response to Apple users losing access to Advanced Data Protection. “One of the very few ways to make sure that your data can’t be leaked if a company is breached is to make sure that the company (itself) doesn’t have it,” Scheffler explains.

February

Niepa appointed to USNC/IUPAC

ChemE/BME’s Tagbo Niepa was appointed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as a Member of the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (USNC/IUPAC). USNC/IUPAC encourages cooperative international activities that promote the advancement of the chemical sciences, arrange scientific meetings in the U.S., and involve U.S. researchers with international issues.

Zhao demonstrates autonomous vehicle research
CMU

MechE’s Ding Zhao demonstrated a new project used to evaluate the safety of autonomous vehicles for vulnerable road users when U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Mill 19. In 2021, a self-driving car failed to recognize a visually impaired athlete at the Paralympic Games. “Now we are working with University of Southern California, Stanford and University of California San Diego to try to prepare for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics,” explained Zhao. “So this will be used to assess all self-driving cars used in the Olympics in the U.S.”

Fedder explains that automation must deliver a return on investment for manufacturers
SME Media: Advanced Manufacturing

Manufacturing Futures Institute director Gary Fedder says companies know their pain points, “But they need to have some de-risking, some assurance of, ‘Okay, if I’m going to invest in this vendor to do this, I have some assurance I’m going to get what I want out of it.’”

Michalek discusses federal EV charger freeze
WIRED

MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted in WIRED on the recent federal government freeze on infrastructure for electric vehicles. “The freeze does really have an impact on how much infrastructure gets to roll out,” says Michalek. “It puts some players in a bad spot where they’ve already invested.”

Harper quoted on EV charger spending freeze
Politico

CEE’s Corey Harper was quoted in Politico, Axios, and government technology about the Trump administration’s spending freeze on EV chargers. “We already have big gaps in coverage in a lot of states, especially the rural states,” explained Harper. “If this funding doesn’t go through or gets slowed down then the driving experience for a lot of Americans that have EVs or want to purchase EVs is going to be vastly different.”

CMU faculty to present at SXSW

MechE’s Jon Cagan and Chris McComb, BME’s Keith Cook and Rosalyn Abbott, and BME/MSE’s Adam Feinberg are leading sessions at SXSW 2025. Cagan and McComb’s sessopm, called “Empowering learners to collaborate with AI,” will prepare students to use forthcoming AI technology in the classroom. Cook, Abbott, and Feinberg’s session, called “Bioengineering Approaches to Solve the US Organ Shortage,” will highlight an ongoing partnership between CMU and Mayo Clinic that researches ways to repair dysfunctional organs or create new ones from scratch. The offerings are on March 6th and 7th.

Chen named Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society
IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society

ECE’s Vanessa Chen has been named the 2025-26 Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society. The Solid-State Circuits Society Distinguished Lecturer (SSCS DL) Program provides experts in the Society’s areas of interest to speak at chapter meetings and regional seminars. Chosen lecturers, who serve for overlapping two-year terms, are deeply knowledgeable and excellent communicators. Chen’s talks will focus on AI-enhanced RF/mixed-signal circuits, high-speed ADCs, and secure IoT.

Michalek discusses Trump’s counter to Biden’s electric vehicle policy
Politifact

MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted in Politifact about an executive order set to overturn the Biden administration’s federal electric vehicle sales goals. “Weakening the rules may have some effect on the speed of the electric vehicle transition, but it takes about five years to design and build a new vehicle—longer than a presidential term,” said Michalek.

Combemale quoted on decline in U.S. manufacturing jobs
Marketplace

EPP’s Christophe Combemale was quoted in Marketplace about how manufacturing labor in the U.S. has been declining since the mid-2000s in favor of service professions. “That’s been the story of the U.S. labor market and occupational employment since the mid-2000s,” explained Combemale. “The overall share of U.S. manufacturing has been declining pretty consistently for decades.”

Grossmann named Foreign Academic

ChemE’s Ignacio Grossmann was selected as a Foreign Academic of the Chemical and Physical Sciences Section of the Royal Academy of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences of Spain.

Gueye receives Cybersecurity Excellence Award

CMU-Africa’s Assane Gueye received the Cybersecurity Excellence Award in the category of Academia at the 2025 African Cybersecurity Summit, which is co-hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco, through the General Directorate of Information Systems Security (DGSSI), in collaboration with Smart Africa.

Joshi named 2025 Goldsmith Lecturer
IEEE Information Theory Society

ECE’s Gauri Joshi has been named the 2025 Goldsmith Lecturer by the IEEE Information Theory Society. As the recipient, Joshi will deliver the Goldsmith Lecture at one of the Society’s Schools of Information Theory, held for the benefit of students and postdoctoral researchers. Joshi has shown continued early career excellence via her research and technical contributions to information theory and its applications.

January

Rollett quoted on 3D printing for heat exchangers
Additive Manufacturing Media

MSE’s Tony Rollett was featured on Additive Manufacturing Media, where he explained how 3D printing is being used to produce heat exchangers for solar energy. “The lifetimes expected of these kinds of units is at least 10,000 hours, preferably even longer than that if you can do it,” said Rollet. “For these conditions of service, there’s no other way to do it. As far as I know, 3D printing is the only way to make these kinds of heat exchangers that will function for long times.”

Second INI alumna inducted into SFS
CMU

Information Networking Institute (INI) alumna Elizabeth Schweinsberg was inducted into the Scholarship for Service Hall of Fame (SFS). SFS awards one honoree each year to celebrate their contributions to national security through federal service and industry leadership. This is the second year in a row that an INI graduate has been selected for this award.

Whitehead speaks about the future of chemical engineering research
Nature Chemical Engineering

ChemE’s Kathryn Whitehead was quoted in Nature Magazine in a piece celebrating the first anniversary of Nature Chemical Engineering. The magazine spoke with 40 chemical engineering researchers, including Whitehead, about their predictions for the future of the field and what excites them the most. Whitehead talked about using nanoparticle chemistry to help deliver RNA treatments, which are currently used to treat liver disease, to other organs that are currently more difficult to target. “We and others are now uncovering the chemical mechanisms that control delivery and are expanding the nanoparticle formulation space, which we hope will enable treatment of any human disease, no matter its location,” she said.

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.