Guneet Sethi's paper titled "An overview of dynamic compaction in powder metallurgy" will be published in an upcoming issue of the International Materials Reviews (IMR). Sethi, an Engineering Science and Mechanics doctoral candidate, co-authored the paper with Randall M. German. Look for the article in volume 53, issue number 4, pp. 219-234.

Congratulations Guneet on your success.

The BioNEMS group, led by Tony Jun Huang, James Henderson Assiatant Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, demonstrated a new class of plasmonic switches driven by light. The switches utilize the photoinduced phase transition of azobenzene-doped liquid crystals to alter the localized surface plasmon resonances of gold nanodisk arrays. These switches contribute to the emerging field of plasmonics, and will prove useful in applications such as high-density optical storage devices, optical filters, and plasmonic circuits. The other contributors include post-doctor, Vincent K. S. Hsiao, and two graduate students, Yuebing Zheng and Bala Krishna Juluri.

This research work "Light-Driven Plasmonic Switches Based on Au Nanodisk Arrays and Photoresponsive Liquid Crystals" has been published in the 17 Septembr 2008 issue of Advanced Materials (as the cover article).

Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Charles Godfrey Binder Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics; Carlo Pantano, director of the Materials Research Institute; and Raul J. Martin Palma, professor of applied physics, Madrid, have replicated the process of making butterfly wings. Their groundbreaking research opens the door for future research into smaller electronic circuitry and other photonic capabilities such as better solar energy concentrators.

Their research work has been published in the 25 August 2008 issue of Applied Physics Letters: "Biomimetization of butterfly wings by the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation technique for photonics" and an image of their work appears on the cover of the same issue.

Additional information can be found at Physics.Org:

Michael Motyka, graduate student in engineering science and mechanics, won a Research Excellence Award at the SPIE Optics and Photonics Meeting, August 2008 in San Diego, CA. Congratulations Michael on your accomplishment!

During the summer 2008, Dr. Clifford Lissenden, associate professor in engineering science and mechanics, hosted the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Short Course on the University Park Campus. Over 20 professionals attended the meeting which highlighted speakers, experiments, and discussions related to SHM methods and systems. To learn more on the Ben Franklin Center of Excellence in Structural Health Monitoring, please visit their website.

Dr. Eduard Ventsel, professor in engineering science and mechanics, delivered an invited lecture entitled “On one numerical method for the analysis of elastostatic problems.” The lecture was given at the 5th Scientific International Conference on Applied Mathematics in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, August 2008.

Chandrasekaran Venkatasubramanian, graduate student in engineering science and mechanics, presented a paper at the 2008 Ion Beam Modification of Materials (IBMM) meeting in Dresden, Germany. The paper was titled “Ion implantation studies on VOx films prepared by pulsed dc reactive sputtering.” Co-authors of the paper were Professors S. Ashok and Mark Horn. To learn more about the meeting, please visit their web site.

Professor Charles E. Bakis, Distinguished Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, has been elected Fellow of the International Institute for Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Composites in Construction - the IIFC. The aim of the Institute is to advance the understanding and the application of FRP composites in the civil infrastructure, in the service of the engineering profession and society. Fellows are senior members of the Institute who have achieved a position of high responsibility and have contributed significantly to the advancement of the field through research or practice, or both. Fellowship is by conferment by the Council based on proposals made by the Executive Committee of the Institute.

Professor Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Charles G. Binder Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, attended a Lunch with the Experts event at the Optics + Photonics meeting in August 2008. During the event, one of Akhlesh’s students, Michael Motyka was presented with a certificate from Newport Spectra-Physics Research Excellence Grant. To read more about Michael’s award, please visit their website.

James Moses, graduate student in engineering science and mechanics, received The American Society of Mechanical Engineer’s (ASME) Melvin R. Green Scholarship for the 2008-09 academic year. The scholarship is based on his excellent academic record and potential contribution to the field of engineering. Congratulations James!

Professor Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Charles G. Binder Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, has been recently featured in a Nanowerk article with his work in nanotechnology fabrication based on inorganic replicas of complex biotemplates. The article discusses the concepts of developing new ways to produce advanced materials. Dr. Lakhtakia, highlighting work on the eye of the fruit fly explains that “The exact imitation of biological structures by using equivelant processes to those used in nature is extremely difficult, since the mechanisms of formation of biological structures are tremendously complex.” To ready more about this article, please visit their website.

Ambuj Sharma, graduate student in engineering science and mechanics, under the advising of Dr. Charles E. Bakis, is to present a paper on “Electronically Modified Nanocomposites,” at the 23rd Technical Conference - American Society for Composites on September 8 - 11, 2008 in Memphis, TN. To read more about the conference, please visit their website.

Corey Cochrane, graduate student in engineering science and mechanics under the advising of Professor Patrick Lenahan will be presenting a talk on Silicaon Carbides at the at the European Conference on Silicon in Barcelona, Spain. The conference will be taking place from September 7 - 11, 2008.

To learn more about the conference, please visit their website.

Dr. Patrick Lenahan, distinguished professor in engineering science and mechanics, is scheduled to present a talk at the European Conference on Silicon in Barcelona, Spain from September 7 - 11, 2008.

To learn more about the conference please visit this website.

Congratulations to ESM Editorial Assistant Diane Bierly for taking first place, with her award winning raisin pie, in the baked products competition at the 2008 Centre County Grange Fair. In addition to culinary expertise, Diane is also an avid outdoors person, gardner and bird-watcher.

Dr. Corina Drapaca will teach a three-credit undergraduate course on the theoretical and computational aspects of the level set method and applications in imaging processing and mechanics spring semester 2009.

The course is offered as E SC 497A and will be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. To register for the course, use schedule code number 241468.

For additional information contact Dr. Drapaca at:
Office phone: (814) 867-2313
Office address: 307D EES BL
E-mail: csd12@psu.edu
Homepage: http://www.esm.psu.edu/drapaca