New on Full Circle
Research aims to ramp up resilience of critical engineered systems
National Science Foundation fellowship awards are supporting work by engineering doctoral student Daniel Eisenberg to better fortify public infrastructure. Read on Full Circle
Engineering doctoral student’s water research earns EPA support
ASU engineering doctoral student Mac Gifford is striving to help develop technologies to ensure reliable access to safe drinking water for small communities. Read on Full Circle
ASU engineering graduate refused to be statistic, powered up her career
Carrie Culp likes puzzles and she figured out a big one: how to make her life work. Read on Full Circle
In the news
No one should be afraid of synthetic biology-produced vanilla (Future Tense)
Innovations being made possible by advances in synthetic biology have raised questions about its impacts – particularly when it is used to produce or enhance foods. One aspect of debate focuses on definitions of “natural” biomaterials and “engineered” biomaterials. In a commentary in Future Tense (a collaboration of Slate magazine, the New American Foundation and ASU) Karmella Haynes, an assistant professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, addresses the issue. She points out how misguided arguments are leading to unfounded concerns about synthetic biology. Read online
ASU Jet Pack (Daily Planet)
ASU engineering graduate student Jason Kerestes, who works in the Polytechnic School’s Human Machine Integration Laboratory, has developed a prototype for a jet pack designed to enhance human physical capabilities. His work was featured on the Daily Planet program on Discovery Channel Canada, highlighted by a race between ASU students – one helped along by Kerestes’ jet pack. Watch the video.
Project Hieroglyph: Fighting society’s dystopian future (BBC News)
ASU’s Center for Science and the Imagination teamed prominent writers of science fiction and social critiques with engineers and scientists to produce the new book “Hieroglyph: Stories & Visions for a Better Future.” Among engineers who participated with writers were Brad Allenby and Keith Hjelmstad, professors in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. They were among the collaborators assigned to help produce stories and articles reflecting “techno-optimism” – a positive vision of the future based on viable potential science and engineering solutions – in contrast to the visions of future dystopian societies popularized in today’s books, movies and television shows. BBC News (British Broadcasting Company) is among major news outlets that have been reporting on the Hieroglyph project. Watch the video. Read the article. Read more about the Heiroglyph project. Listen to Hjelmstad talk about his collaboration with writer Neal Stephenson.
ASU sustainability scientists study climate change impacts, disease with NSF support (ASU news)
Thomas Seager, an associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, is one of several ASU sustainability scientists recently earning support for their research from the National Science Foundation. Seager is leading a team seeking to devise ways for society to more effectively respond to public crises situations. Read online
College Avenue Commons unveiled (ASU News, KTAR radio)
ASU hosted the official opening ceremony for its new mixed-used building, College Avenue Commons, the new home of the Del E. Webb School of Construction, part of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. The building – designed to also serve as a campus community center – includes an array of sustainable construction and engineering features. Read the ASU News report about the building. Read the text of the KTAR radio report on the opening ceremony.
Kickoff for FIRST robotics and STEM competition season (Arizona ABC 15 News)
The Nightingales robotics team from the Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies helped promote the 2014 Arizona FIRST Season Kickoff hosted by ASU’s Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering on September 6. The middle school students demonstrated the capability of their robot, Taco, on the local Channel 15 News morning show in Phoenix. The team was part of the event later that day at ASU that marked the start of the competitive season for thousands of young students throughout Arizona who participate in FIRST programs that put science, technology, engineering and math fundamentals into action through designing, building and programming robots. Watch the video
