VUSE Media Spotlight 2014 Archive
VUSE Media Spotlight Archives
2014 | 2013 | 2012
May 30, 2014
NASA.gov: NASA names winners in 2013-14 Student Launch Challenge; Vanderbilt repeats, takes top prize
For the second year in a row, the Aerospace Club from Vanderbilt University earned first prize in NASA’s Student Launch challenge. The educational project tasks student teams to design, build and test-fly sophisticated, reusable rockets capable of carrying working science payloads to a predicted altitude and returning them safely to Earth.
May 27, 2014
Gizmag (Australia): Structural supercapacitors could make batteries and power cords obsolete
Researchers led by Cary Pint, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, have created a structural supercapacitor that could eventually make batteries and power cords obsolete. The structural supercapacitor could make it possible to store energy directly in structural materials, allowing them to deliver power long-term while surviving the real-life mechanical stresses they’re bound to experience. The story was also reported by the Times of India.
May 20, 2014
RedOrbit: Your next smartphone case or electric vehicle body may be a battery
According to a new study published in the journal Nano Letters, engineers at Vanderbilt University led by Cary Pint, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, have developed small, grey wafers that could be the forerunner of a new type of battery strong enough to be built right into the chassis of a cell phone or car.The research was also featured on Phys.Org.
May 13, 2014
Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Solar cells from blackberry juice
Students from Northwest High School recently learned how to squeeze electricity from a blackberry. During an April 24 educational outreach program sponsored by theVanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE), the students learned to make solar cells out of blackberry juice and measure the electrical power produced by the juice. Sandra Rosenthal, the Jack and Pamela Egan Professor of Chemistry and director of VINSE, is quoted.
April 30, 2014
United Press International: Grad student creates world’s smallest nanowires
A Vanderbilt doctoral student has found a way to construct the world’s thinnest nanowire—at just three atoms wide—using a finely focused beam of electrons. Junhao Lin, who has been conducting his research as a visiting scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Sokrates Pantelides, University Distinguished Professor of Physics and Engineering, are quoted. The story was also reported in the Times of India, NASA Tech Briefs, Christian Science Monitor, Design and Trend, and Time.
Voice of America: New device may help remove blood clots from brain
Researchers at Vanderbilt University are developing a new type of robotic needle designed to remove blood clots in the brain. It hasn’t yet been used in the operating room. But in simulated surgery, it’s been able to remove 90 percent of the blood clots. The device could potentially save many lives. Robert Webster, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Kyle Weaver, assistant professor of neurological surgery, are quoted.
April 29, 2014
Nashville Post: Vanderbilt sets May groundbreaking for $109M engineering facility
Vanderbilt University officials announced that the Board of Trust has approved the construction of a $109 million Engineering and Science Building. School of Engineering Dean Philippe Fauchet is quoted.
April 23, 2014
Scientific American: Video: Micro-organs to shape future of personalized medicine
Researchers at Vanderbilt University are developing an artificial liver as part of a larger system of synthetic organs being built to test drugs. If successful, the technology will not only change the way drugs are developed and tested, but also provide doctors with a way to personalize treatment for patients with conditions like heart disease and cancer. John Wikswo, Gordon A. Cain University Professor, and John McLean, Stevenson Associate Professor of Chemistry, are interviewed.
CNBC: A $15 trillion dream of GE-Silicon Valley hybrid
Welcome to the starting gate of the industrial Internet of Things, the third wave of the digital/Internet revolution that has many economists, equity analysts and technology consultants giddy about what it could do not only for the global economy but also for industrial stocks. Vanderbilt is mentioned as a member of the Industrial Internet Consortium, the nonprofit founded in March to help set engineering standards for connecting large industrial assets.
April 22, 2014
The Tennessean: Vanderbilt students solve problems on Design Day
A device to prevent teens from using cell phones while driving was one of more than 60 products created by seniors at Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering during the past year to address real-world problems. The products were presented Monday at the school’s Design Day. Cynthia Paschal, associate dean of the School of Engineering, is quoted.
April 18, 2014
Reuters (United Kingdom): Micro-organs to shape the future of personalized medicine
Vanderbilt University researchers are developing an artificial liver as part of a larger system of synthetic organs called micro-organs that are being built to test drugs. If successful, the technology may provide doctors with a way to personalize treatment for patients. Lead researchers John Wikswo, Gordon A. Cain University Professor, and John McLean, associate professor of chemistry, are quoted. The story was also posted on Yahoo! News and on AOL News.
April 11, 2014
Reuters: Video: Business: Brain clots meet their match with robot needle
Vanderbilt University researchers have designed a highly sophisticated robot needle to navigate through the brain to reach and remove potentially fatal blood clots, leaving the surrounding tissue intact. Robert Webster, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Kyle Weaver, assistant professor of neurological surgery, are interviewed. A related story was posted by Euronews.
April 7, 2014
Slate: What does the “Internet of things” mean for corporate secrecy?
Last week, a new group called the Industrial Internet Consortium, made up of several technology companies and Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems, announced its plans to create engineering standards for the Internet of Things—the connection of smartphones, routers, thermostats, sensors and other objects to the Internet and one another. But that need for interoperability and connection may conflict with manufacturers’ desire to keep their intellectual property locked down.
The Tennessean: England’s Prince Harry gives boost to local company
Rhoades Car, a Hendersonville firm that makes a unique four-wheeled bicycle, received a burst of international attention recently when England’s Prince Harry took one of the vehicles for a spin through the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London. Joel Barnett, associate professor of the practice of mechanical engineering, is helping Rhoades Car make a lighter-weight model, built with carbon fiber developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
April 3, 2014
The Tennessean: Vanderbilt bionic devices stride toward market approval
A robotic exoskeleton and prosthetic leg developed by Michael Goldfarb, H. Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Vanderbilt Center for Intelligent Mechatronics, will soon enter clinical trials.
The Tennessean: InvisionHeart lands $100K from AOL founder Steve Case
Executives of InvisionHeart, a Nashville startup, pitched their business to Silicon Valley investors at Google today and walked away with a $100,000 equity investment from AOL founder Steve Case. InvisionHeart was created by Susan Eagle, associate professor of anesthesiology, and Franz Baudenbacher, associate professor of biomedical engineering.
March 31, 2014
Worcester (Mass.) Telegram and Gazette: Wearable robots help put paralyzed people in motion
Argo Medical Technologies Inc. in Marlboro, Mass., is one of several companies developing a wearable exoskeleton for people with paralysis. An exoskeleton designed by Michael Goldfarb, H. Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and licensed by Parker-Hannifin is also mentioned.
March 26, 2014
CNN.com: Ten visionary women
School of Engineering alumna Kimberly Bryant used her experience at Vanderbilt to develop a computer science curriculum specifically aimed at girls of color.
March 20, 2014
History Today: The new drones club
A Vanderbilt University team has developed mapping drones that work with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software in a bid to make new discoveries by aerial mapping. Julie Adams, associate professor of computer science and associate professor of computer engineering, and Steve Wernke, associate professor of anthropology, are noted.
Nashville Scene: Michael Goldfarb: “Minimizing Physical Disability With Robotic Arms, Legs and Exoskeletons”
Michael Goldfarb, H. Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering, is set to speak in the final Chancellor’s Lecture of this academic year on March 25. The event is free and open to the public.
March 19, 2014
Ebony: Black Girls Code’s Kim Bryant talks bits and bytes
In this Q&A with Vanderbilt alumna Kim Bryant, BE’89, founder of Black Girls Code, she mentions that her first introduction to computers and computer programming came during her freshman year at Vanderbilt. Bryant spoke at Vanderbilt’s National Engineers Week activities at the School of Engineering on Feb. 20.
ReadWrite: Augmented reality may be coming to a car windshield near you
Imagine your car’s entire windshield working like Google Glass. Instead of peering through dust and grime to see the boring real world of traffic, you would see cars and key road features deeply integrated with data—colorfully highlighted and annotated for greater safety, convenience and enjoyment. Jules White, assistant professor of computer science and computer engineering, is quoted.
March 14, 2014
Nashville Business Journal: From student to business owner in three days
Nashville’s Entrepreneur Center and Vanderbilt University will co-host a unique startup accelerator program aimed at involving students in entrepreneurial endeavors where some graduate school students from Vanderbilt’s schools of engineering and business will participate. Vanderbilt junior Jiten Dajee is quoted.
WTVF, Channel 5, and WZTV, Channel 17, reported on the delivery of a massive Sikorsky helicopter to the MetroCenter-based Laboratory of Systems Integrity and Reliability headed up by Doug Adams, Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Adams and his team are developing warning sensors and systems for large machines like aircraft, cars and wind turbines. Video was provided by Vanderbilt News and Communications.
March 11, 2014
U.S. News and World Report: Best Graduate Schools
Vanderbilt’s schools of business, education, law and medicine were all selected as exceptional programs based on expert opinions and statistical indicators measuring the quality of each school’s faculty, research and students. Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering and departments of biological sciences, chemistry and mathematics were also ranked.
GigaOM: This superthin material could help us put displays in our clothes and windshields
Three teams of international researchers have created super-thin LEDs that are strong, efficient and flexible enough to be easily integrated into clothing and super portable electronics. Kirill Bolotin, assistant professor of physics and electrical engineering, is quoted.
March 10, 2014
Midwest Energy News: Is coal ash safe to use on roads?
Coal ash, the residue from burning coal to generate electricity, is abundant, and cheap. And it’s one way that at least some Midwestern communities provide traction on snowy and icy roads. But experts are concerned about the effects of the ash when it washes into nearby soil and water. David Kosson, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor of Engineering, is quoted.
VentureBeat: How these social robots are helping autistic kids
Robotics experts are testing a fluffy blue robot called Romibo at schools around the country to see if it can help children with autism develop better social skills. A robot with similar functions developed at Vanderbilt by Nilanjan Sarkar, professor of mechanical engineering, is mentioned.
February 21, 2014
Futurity: Baby hearts need rhythm to grow the right way
A Vanderbilt research team has taken an important step toward the goal of growing replacement heart valves from a patient’s own cells. The team determined that the mechanical forces generated by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of cardiac muscle cells play an active role in the initial stage of a baby’s heart valve formation. W. David Merryman, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Joey Barnett, professor of pharmacology, and graduate student Mary Kathryn Sewell-Loftin are quoted.
The Tennessean: Program helps girls crack the career code
Vanderbilt University graduate Kimberly Bryant founded a program called the Black Girl Code in 2011 to expose and nurture young African-American and Latino girls in computer coding and Web design.
The Tennnessean: Students enhance learning with Betty’s Brain software
Vanderbilt University computer engineers have developed a software system called Betty’s Brain for use in local classrooms to help students learn and master more complex concepts while educators can assess their comprehension in real time.
February 20, 2014
Red Orbit: Rhythm needed by babies’ hearts to develop correctly
A new study has suggested that baby hearts need rhythm to develop correctly, even before they have blood to pump. W. David Merryman, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Joey Barnett, professor of pharmacology, and graduate student Mary Kathryn Sewell-Loftin reported that they have determined that the mechanical forces generated by the rhythmic expansion and contraction of cardiac muscle cells play an active role in the initial stage of heart valve formation.
February 13, 2014
FoxNews.com: Researchers work to secure military smartphones
Soldiers in Afghanistan are experimenting with smartphones engineered to better protect operational datas designed by scientists at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems, or ISIS. Vanderbilt experts and researchers are working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, on a program called Transformative Apps, an effort designed to develop a family of military-relevant software applications, or apps. Douglas Schmidt, professor of computer science, is quoted.
February 7, 2014
DefenseTech: Vanderbilt works to secure military smartphones
Soldiers in Afghanistan are experimenting with smartphones engineered by scientists at Vanderbilt University’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems (ISIS), to better protect operational data.
January 28, 2014
Washington Post: U-Md. and Johns Hopkins offer specialized sequences of online courses via Coursera
Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, two of Coursera’s partners, are among the first to offer specialty sequences of courses. U. Maryland is teaming with Vanderbilt University on a three-course sequence in mobile cloud computing with Android, with certificates available for $196.
January 22, 2014
Chronicle of Higher Education: Coursera will offer certificates for sequences of MOOCs
Coursera announced on Tuesday that it planned to give certificates to students who take sequences of MOOCs from its university partners. The new program, called Specializations, will include certificates in data science, mobile-app development and cybersecurity. One of the sequences comprising three MOOCs, on building apps for the Android operating system, is from Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland at College Park. Douglas Schmidt, professor of computer science, was quoted in the story that appeared in TechCrunch. The story was also reported in Forbes, Inc. and numerous other technical websites.
January 14, 2014
National Public Radio: Skunk Bear: Hummingbird animation
NPR’s new science Tumblr blog features an animation simulating the air currents surrounding a hummingbird’s wings, created by Haoxing Liu, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.
January 13, 2014
Gizmodo: How Vanderbilt’s secret software lab is saving America
On a quiet street just off of Nashville’s historic Music Row, a dedicated team of more than 100 researchers at Vanderbilt’s Institute for Software Integrated Systems (ISIS) are developing software systems that may very well revolutionize the modern world.Doug Schmidt, associate chair of computer science and engineering, is interviewed.
Forbes: 30 under 30
Five Vanderbilt alumni—including the co-founder of an alternative energy company, the co-inventor of a portable exoskeleton that helps paraplegics to walk, the director of luxury accessories for a leading U.S. auction house, a national leader in improving higher education attainability and a jewelry designer to the stars—have been named to Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30.” The story was also reported by the Nashville Post.
New York Times: Light-bulb moments for a nonprofit
As chief executive of a nonprofit organization called D-Rev, Vanderbilt School of Engineering alumna Krista Donaldson had a mission: to design first-rate medical equipment better suited to developing countries, then license it to for-profit distributors in those areas. Garrett Spiegel, D-Rev product manager and Vanderbilt biomedical engineering alumnus is also mentioned.