Sharon Weiss is one of four Vanderbilt faculty members who will discuss their research in seminars open to graduates, families and guests as part of the university’s Commencement Week activities May 8-10.
Weiss is an associate professor of electrical engineering and her research is primarily focused on the interaction of light with various nanostructured materials. Her seminar – Data at the Speed of Light – is 3:15-4:15 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in room 126, Wilson Hall. There will be an open Q&A session during the last 15 minutes of the session.
Also on Thursday the School of Engineering will hold its commencement reception and awards ceremony at 4 p.m. at the University Club for award recipients and their guests. The Founder’s Medalist, Banner Bearer, and summa cum laude graduates will be recognized as well as the recipients of departmental and memorial awards.
In her seminar Weiss will focus on new, emerging technology that uses light to diagnose diseases or to carry information at ultrafast speeds between integrated circuits.
“This technology, which is being investigated at Vanderbilt, has the potential to lead to sensors capable of simultaneous detection of small quantities of different chemical and biological molecules for early disease detection and new types of computer architectures that operate with light waves in addition to or instead of electricity to enable faster and broader bandwidth computations,” Weiss said.
Weiss has more than 80 publications, one patent issued and five patents pending. She is the recipient of a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, an Army Research Office Young Investigator Program award, and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).