Dr. Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Charles Godfrey Binder Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, along with collaborators around the world has studied the eyes of the peacock mantis shrimp in relation to resulting in their ability to see circularly polarized light. Dr. Lakhtakia has looked at these eyes in a bid to build a better waveplate. These waveplates are optical devices that alter the polarization state of light that travel through them. This information is important as Lakhtakia notes “optical systems code different information on light of different polarization states.” To read more about this research, please visit this web site.
*Source: msnbc.com

Brian Kiraly, graduate researcher in Engineering Science and Mechanics, has been selected to receive the prestigious NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship (NSTRF). His proposal was entitled “Utilizing Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance in Metallic Nanostructures for Highly Sensitive Biosensing.” Brian is an advisee of Professor Tony Huang in Engineering Science.

Dr. Joseph Cusumano, Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, has been selected as a member of the Schreyer Honors College Distinguished Honors Faculty Program beginning fall 2011. This program and group of Distinguished Honors Faculty are selected to submit applications outlining the types of activities they would like to introduce to the Schreyer Honors College representing breadth of research and academic pursuits.

Dr. Edward Ventsel, Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, was notified this semester that his paper entitled “An approximate solution of hypersingular integral equations,’ was the third most successful IMACS 2011 paper published in Applied Numerical Mathematics. For this reason, IMACS conferred to Dr. Ventsel 3rd IMACS 2011 Most Successful Papers Award and to nominate him for IMACS Honor Member 2011. Congratulations!

Dr. Patrick Lenahan, Distinguished Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, is scheduled to give an invited talk, chair a session and attend the Electronic Materials Conference in Santa Barbara, California June 24. To learn more about the conference please visit their web site.

Rukan Shao, undergraduate student in Engineering Science and Mechanics, under the faculty mentor Professor Corina Drapaca will attend the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematic in Vancouver, BC, Canada in July. Rukan’s presentation is entitled “A study of neuronal volume change with the Wilson-C model.” To learn more about ICIAM, please visit their web site.

Kathryn Barber, spring 2011 graduate in Engineering Science and Mechanics, will travel to Vancouver, BC, Canada, in July to the 7th International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics. While at the conference Kathryn will present her talk on “A multiscale triphasic biomechanical model for brain tumors.” To learn more about ICIAM, please visit their web site.

This fall semester, Kevin Forgie, undergraduate student in Engineering Science and Mechanics, will be traveling and studying abroad by taking fifteen credits in Spanish liberal arts, in Alicante, Spain. Kevin will be studying advanced Spanish, liberal arts program with the company CIEE. This program is tailored to students who want total immersion into the Spanish language and culture. While in Spain, Kevin will be living with a host family and taking classes at La Universidad de Alicante.

Min Pack, graduate student in Engineering Science and Mechanics is travelling to Arusha, Tanzania to present as a humanitarian engineer on Affordable Greenhouses early this summer. Last year, Min traveled to Kenya with an eDesign Penn State group to construct an affordable greenhouse in that region. As a result of the Kenya construction, Min was able to assist local farmers with alternative and inexpensive alternates of growing crops.

On Saturday, May 28, nearly 200 members of the Curwensville Alumni Association gathered to celebrate the 124th anniversary of the association. The evening highlighted a keynote speaker, engineering science and mechanics alumnus, James Matlack (BS ’84). His presentation included three points which were ‘Never forget who you are,’ ‘Never forget where you came from,’ and ‘Never forget you can do anything you want too.’ These topics were further defined through a student’s school years shape them into the adult person they are, he encouraged the audience to recall the great and lowly experiences of their school years, nothing those incidents will stay with a person and define who they are and who they will become. And finally, he said no matter the career a graduate chooses, if they have enough desire, audacity and motivation they can achieve any goal. Closing his talk, James quoted Walt Disney, “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.” The evening included the Class of 2011 in the audience and 12 students were presented with two thousand dollar scholarships provided by the generous financial contributions through the years in honor or in memory of graduates of Curwensville Area High School.