The Michigan Engineer News Center

ChE Student – Honors and Awards

August 27, 2020
Congratulations to all of our students who have earned recognition in 2020| Short Read

Graduate Students

José Díaz – 2020 NSF GRF winners
Tobias Dwyer – 2020 NSF GRF winners
Anna Kopp – 2020 NSF GRF winners
Jacob Saldinger – 2020 NSF GRF winners
José Díaz – NDSEG Fellowship
Carolina Espinoza – NDSEG Fellowship

Jacques Esterhuizen – 2020 J. Robert Beyster Computational Innovation Graduate Fellows Program
Saman Moniri – Chemical Engineering Towner Prize
Cailin Buchanan and Zach Bergquist – Dow Sustainability 2020 Doctoral Fellows
Steven Chavez – Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship Award
Kizito Ifeanyi Madu – Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship Award
Niloufar Salehi – Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship Award
M. LaRue Felder – Cellular Biotechnology Training Program
Reagan Hairston – Microfluidics in Biomedical Sciences Training Program
Nna-Emeka Onukwugha – Microfluidics in Biomedical Sciences Training Program

Undergraduate Students

Alex King – 2020 NSF GRF winners
Kevin Turaczy – 2020 NSF GRF winners
Jacob Florian  – 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholarship

Akira Nishii – Arlen Hellwarth Award (student leader who has made valuable contributions to the College, University and/or community)
Jacob Florian – Henry Ford II Prize (outstanding junior who has demonstrated academic excellence)
Nathan Ng – Distinguished Leadership Award, Undergraduate
Nathan Ng – Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Award
Nathan Ng – Maurice J. Sinnott Prize (outstanding ChE senior in academics and leadership)
Ryen O’Meara – Clifton S. Goddin Prize (outstanding ChE junior in academics and leadership)

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More than $5M to improve solar storm forecasts

U-Michigan researchers play lead roles in national effort funded by NSF, NASA. | Medium Read

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By reflecting nearly all the light they can’t turn into electricity, they help pave the way for storing renewable energy as heat. | Medium Read
Myofibroblasts can be seen accumulating in the 3d lung connective tissue model even in soft conditions mimicking a healthy lung. Image is stained for cytoskeleton (blue), cell nuclei (yellow), and a marker for myofibroblast activation (alpha-smooth muscle actin, red). Credit: Baker Lab.

New treatments for deadly lung disease could be revealed by 3D modeling

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Research News
an example of the erasing message

Burn after reading

A self-erasing chip for security and anti-counterfeit tech. | Medium Read

Chemistry and energy: Machine learning to understand catalyst interactions | Medium Read

Coordination and collaboration are critical to U.S. leadership in plasma science: a Q&A with the Plasma 2020 Decadal Study co-chair | Medium Read

$1.8M DARPA project aims to protect cars, trucks and spacecraft from hackers | Medium Read
Campus & Community
Lissa MacVean, a lecturer in civil and environmental engineering, teaches her graduate course outside. Photo by Joseph Xu

Caution and connection in in-person classes during COVID-19

Faculty members and students share their perspectives. | Medium Read

How a COVID-19 app built at U-Michigan is helping businesses stay open | Medium Read

New associate deans of academic affairs and research named | Short Read

Emergency fund fills in gaps for students during pandemic | Medium Read
Faculty Perspectives

School bus safety during the COVID-19 pandemic: 8 recommendations

In The Conversation, Capecelatro offers suggestions like keeping windows open, shorter trips and below half-capacity seating on public buses. | Short Read

The pandemic has revealed the cracks in US manufacturing: Here’s how to fix them | Short Read

Advanced mobility is about more than technology. Our workforce should reflect that. | Short Read

Before we put $100 billion in AI | Short Read
In the News
The New York Times August 31, 2020
Humans take a step closer to ‘flying cars’
Professor of Aerospace Engineering Ella Atkins tells New York Times that eVTOL machines will have mixed applications, being more efficient than helicopters but less efficient than cars.
National Public Radio September 23, 2020
Politics and climate change science clash as west coast wildfires rage
Professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Ricky Rood is interviewed WEMU.
The New York Times August 31, 2020
Looking to reopen, colleges become labs for coronavirus tests and tracking apps
Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Krista Wigginton tells New York Times that universities are working to find new tools to help them track and curb the spread of COVID-19 on campuses.
Detroit News August 14, 2020
Detroit-to-Ann Arbor self-driving vehicle corridor aims for national leadership
University of Michigan, the state and industry partners' connected corridor initiative is highlighted in Detroit News.
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