Research
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Computer science student receives Symantec Graduate Fellowship
Computer science graduate student Bo Li has been awarded a Symantec Research Labs Graduate Fellowship. She is one of three recipients nationwide of the prestigious fellowship. The SRL Graduate Fellowship provides up to $20,000 that may be used to cover one year of a doctoral student’s tuition fees and to… Read MoreApr. 6, 2015
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Engineer uses cotton candy to build artificial blood vessels
Vanderbilt University mechanical engineer Leon Bellan is working to create artificial human capillary blood vessels using cotton candy and gelatin. His goal is for researchers to use these man-made capillaries to help keep artificial organs and other tissues alive, which could dramatically impact the field of regenerative medicine. Vascular… Read MoreApr. 1, 2015
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Researchers seek answers to cancer, diabetic wounds in controlling gene networks
Kelsey Beavers, a Vanderbilt University Ph.D. candidate in interdisciplinary materials science, is exploring how inserting engineering into biological processes can lead to a healthier society. (Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt University) Behind the pathology for a variety of painful and deadly diseases lie genes that aren’t doing their jobs. They… Read MoreMar. 27, 2015
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Turning cellulose into biofuel: VU prof, grad student search for key on molecular level
Sonia Brady, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering, at work in the Lang Laboratory. (Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt University) Nature exquisitely engineered a way to produce fuel from organic matter. The answer to how lies in decaying leaves on the forest floor or a backyard compost pile and the… Read MoreMar. 20, 2015
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Mars rocket demo wows at Nashville school’s assembly
Montgomery Bell Academy students enjoy a demonstration of Vanderbilt Aerospace Club's 2014-2015 entry (far left) in NASA's Student Launch Competition. Vanderbilt students are (L-R) William Emfinger, Pranav Kumar, Conner Caldwell, Alex Goodman, Cameron Ridgewell, Fred Folz, Chris Lyne and Jacob Moore. A robotic arm moves directly over a Vanderbilt Aerospace… Read MoreMar. 19, 2015
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Engineering’s graduate program is No. 35 in ‘U.S. News’ 2016 rankings
The School of Engineering’s graduate program is No. 35 in annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The 2016 graduate program rankings were released today. The school, which tied with Yale University, ranks ahead of Boston University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and just behind the University of Colorado-Boulder. MIT… Read MoreMar. 10, 2015
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Sophisticated application of magnetic force enhances laparoscopic surgery
Pietro Valdastri is convinced that the clever application of magnetic force can make minimally invasive surgery easier and more effective. “In 2007, a team of University of Texas researchers did some basic experiments using magnets in laparoscopic surgery,” said Valdastri, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and director of Vanderbilt… Read MoreMar. 3, 2015
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Simulations predict health of composite materials from ‘birth to death’
R. Byron Pipes to deliver Hall Engineering Lecture March 30 A globally recognized polymer sciences researcher will deliver the John R. and Donna S. Hall Engineering Lecture March 30. R. Byron Pipes, Purdue University R. Byron Pipes, John Leighton Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Purdue University, will deliver a… Read MoreMar. 2, 2015
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Paralyzed by accident, grad student engineers his future with exoskeleton
Ph.D. student Andrew Ekelem, far left, and physical therapist Christina Durrough work with exoskeleton test subject Dustin Fleeman. (John Russell/Vanderbilt University) Andrew Ekelem sits in a wheelchair at the bottom of the fifth-floor stairwell at Olin Hall, laptop balanced on his thighs, quick keystrokes making tiny adjustments… Read MoreFeb. 26, 2015
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Environmental engineer visits home to help rice farmers overcome drought
Thushara Gunda, second from left, performing water tests in Sri Lanka. (Submitted photo) Thushara Gunda’s palm and fingertips remain bronzed with the stain of henna – applied the traditional Indian way and made to last for weeks. It’s a whimsical souvenir from a trip home. But her… Read MoreFeb. 17, 2015