December, 2014
Q&A: Vanderbilt alumna is GDOT’s first female chief engineer
Dec. 31, 2014—A Vanderbilt University School of Engineering alumna is the first female chief engineer for Georgia’s transportation department. Meg Bryson Pirkle earned her Vanderbilt bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1989 and went to work for Georgia Department of Transportation’s planning department the same year, later earning her master’s in civil engineering from Georgia Tech. She’s currently...
VUSE Year in Review: 8 big accomplishments that made 2014 great
Dec. 29, 2014—Month after month in 2014, School of Engineering students, professors and alumni grabbed attention for earning grants and awards, opening new labs and businesses and winning competitions. It was tough, but we narrowed the countless accomplishments down to eight of our favorites. SOFTWARE INSTITUTE TAPPED FOR ‘INTERNET OF THINGS’ CONSORTIUM A new group called the Industrial...
Team designs potential solution for ‘India’s dangerous walk to the toilet’
Dec. 19, 2014—A diverse team of engineering students horrified by violent attacks on Indian women taking long trips to toilets came up with a safe alternative. Their project won first place in the School of Engineering’s Senior Design class – and it has the potential to change lives in nations where plumbing is considered a luxury. Biomedical...
Webster earns IEEE Early Career Award for his pioneering robotics work
Dec. 10, 2014—A Vanderbilt University researcher credited with pioneering work in robotics has earned one of electrical engineering’s highest honors, being recognized for innovations involving flexible, minimally invasive surgical robots. Robert Webster, associate professor of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, otolaryngology, neurological surgery and urologic surgery, will collect his Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Robotics and Automation...
Pantelides elected electrical engineering association fellow
Dec. 10, 2014—Sokrates Pantelides (Joe Howell / Vanderbilt) Sokrates Pantelides is one of a select group of members of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers who have been elevated to IEEE Fellow in recognition of their accomplishments in the field of electrical engineering. Pantelides, who is University Distinguished Professor of Physics and Engineering, was cited “for...
Engineering, NROTC provide Vanderbilt undergrad challenging ways to serve
Dec. 9, 2014—It’s just a typical Wednesday, but mechanical engineering senior and Naval ROTC Midshipman William Bearden arrives for an interview in a pressed suit, red tie and black patent leather shoes polished to a mirror shine. If you ever see him wearing jeans, he jokes, the day is not going well. If he’s in jogging pants,...
Former Redskins linebacker and ME grad to be honored as Vanderbilt legend at SEC event
Dec. 5, 2014—Former standout linebacker Jonathan Goff will be saluted as Vanderbilt’s legend as part of Southeastern Conference Championship activities this weekend in Atlanta. A product of St. John’s Preparatory School in Lynn, Mass., Goff was a two-time all-conference middle linebacker for Bobby Johnson-guided Vanderbilt squads. He earned four letters from 2004-07. Goff graduated in 2007 with...
Aerospace Club works on simulated Mars sample recovery vehicle for NASA competition
Dec. 4, 2014—The Vanderbilt Aerospace Club, defending champions in the NASA Student Launch (NASA SL) Challenge for the past two years, is tackling the agency’s all-new 2014-15 design challenge. The rocket team is working on an earth-simulated Mars Sample Recovery Vehicle, which includes an Automated Ground Support Equipment Robot (AGSE) that autonomously places an encapsulated soil sample...