Department News 2008

• MSE Profs Win NSF Funding
  
  MSE faculty members Michael Bockstaller, Michael McHenry, and Elias Towe--working in collaboration with researchers at the Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, and Philosophy--have been awarded $200,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation ( NSF).
  
  The grant will be used to establish an Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Program in Nanotechnology (IUPN) at Carnegie Mellon University. The primary goals of IUPN are to establish an integrated training program for undergraduate students that will engage them in the study of nanoscience and engineering.
  
  IUPN will facilitate a cross-disciplinary education in the fundamental aspects of nanotechnology that appeals to students with diverse backgrounds and interests, as well as provide an experimental infrastructure that will support existing educational activities on campus in the area of nanotechnology. The program will also stimulate students to engage in research in the area of nanoscience and promote longer-term relationships between students and involved researchers.
  
  IUPN will offer a research fellowship program that will provide students with monetary support for pursuing independent nanotechnology-related research projects across the Carnegie Mellon campus. More information on the application process for participation in this fellowship program will be publicized soon.
  
  
• Laughlin Elected TMS Fellow, March 2008
  
  Professor David E. Laughlin, the ALCOA Professor of Physical Metallurgy in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected "Fellow of the TMS Society" and was inducted at its annual meeting in March of 2008. »more
  
  

• Pistorius Joins MSE, August 2008
  
  On August 1st, Dr. P. Chris Pistorius joined the MSE Faculty as a full Professor. Professor Pistorius who received his doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge in 1994 conducts research in the area of metals processing and will work with the Center for Iron and Steelmaking Research (CISR). Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, Chris was a full Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering where most recently he held the post of Department Head (2002- departure).
  
  Pistorius has recently become a member of the Editorial Board of Corrosion Engineering Science and Technology (CEST) with an initial appointment of 3 years.

• McHentry's Research on WEB TV, July 2008
  
  The magnetic nanoparticle research of Professor Michael E. McHenry, materials science and engineering professor, is currently available on the Engineering TV Web site. Other episodes featuring McHenry include topics such as cut-core transformers, radio-frequency plasma torch synthesis and ferrofluids. »more
  

• Professor Islam Recognized, November 2008
  
  Professor Mohammad Islam (Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemical Engineering) has been invited to participate in the National Academy of Sciences Kavli Frontiers of Science symposia. Since 1989, the Academy has organized annual symposia on Frontiers of Science. These symposia bring together some of the very best young scientists to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields in a format that encourages informal collective as well as one-on-one discussions among participants. The Frontiers of Science symposia have become a major instrument in bringing together the best young researchers—the next generation of leaders--in the natural sciences and engineering fields, in the United States and around the world. The symposium will be held November 6-8, 2008 at the Academy's Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, California.
  
  Professor Mohammad Islam has also received the five year, $500,000 CAREER Award from NSF and he has been named as a Sloan Research Fellowship recipient. According to Sloan's web site, "These awards are intended to enhance the careers of the very best young faculty members in specified fields of science."