“During construction, pieces are still coming together, so there is definitely some vulnerability,” says John Schuring, in response to the parking deck collapse in Atlantic City. “Also, the loading on the structure is unpredictable during construction.” A multi-story structure such as a parking deck also relies on the strength of concrete cured just days earlier. “Sometimes,” he adds, those strengths may be overestimated because the concrete is not fully cured.” >>

To help detect and study genetic changes in cells more quickly and efficiently, Timothy Chang, Ph.D., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) was recently awarded a three-year, $640,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. >>

Veronica Pellizzi, a Verizon vice president, received a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award during the annual Fall Awards ceremony held on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Pellizzi graduated from NJIT in 1984 with a B.S. in chemical engineering. >>

George Yohrling, president of Curtiss-Wright Controls, received a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award during the annual Fall Awards ceremony held on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). >>

Something plastic, something new, is always cooking in Marinos Xanthos’ first floor polymer engineering laboratory at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). Xanthos, a chemical engineering professor who has directed since 1988 the Polymer Processing Institute at NJIT, is best known for developing energy efficient manufacturing methods with low environmental impact. >>

Thomas R. Blake, a noted mechanical engineer, has been named dean of the Newark College of Engineering (NCE), New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). As dean, Blake will have overall responsible for NCE, which has seven engineering programs, two interdisciplinary programs, more than 3,500 students and 160 professors. Founded in 1919, NCE is one of the region’s premier engineering schools. About one in four professional engineers in New Jersey is an NCE graduate, and some 25,000 of the college’s alumni work in every region of the world, often as chief executive officers or presidents of large engineering firms. >>

Drugs, food, cosmetics, ceramics, electronics, and specialty chemicals--these products and others are all made up of particles. Making those particles smaller can drastically and significantly affect the properties of such products, sometimes resulting in unique "added value" both to the particles and the end product.   Kicking off the first of an eight-lecture series sponsored by NJIT's mechanical engineering department, Prof. Rajesh N. Dave will speak on that topic September 24, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Mechanical Engineering Center, Rm 224.  The title of his address is "Synthesis and Processing of Engineered Particulates."   As the director of the New Jersey Center for Engineered Particulates at NJIT, Dave is an expert on engineered particulates. The center's research is focused on producing three types of such engineered particulates. These are coated particles that have a layered or ordered structure, "designer" particles with controlled size or structure, and composite particles with a homogeneous structure.   A major focus of Dave's talk will be coated particles. Materials with relatively large particle size form a core, making them "host" particles. These "host" particles can then be mechanically coated with "guest" particles, of fine submicron size. No liquid of any kind, either solvents, binders, or water, is needed. Dave will review a number of different devices used to achieve dry particle coating, giving examples to illustrate how this approach can create materials with novel or enhanced properties. Using supercritical-fluid-based techniques, particles as small as 20 nanometers can be coated. Finally, Dave will discuss discrete-element-method-based modeling of these processes.   Dave received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay and his master's and doctorate degrees from Utah State University. His NJIT research is supported through federal, state, and industrial awards totaling more than $7 million. >>

Symeon Papavassiliou, Ph.D., an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), won the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Early Career Development Award to develop software tools and network architecture to better manage wireless and wired networks. >>

The FEMME summer program (Women in Engineering and Technology Initiative), which helps girls overcome the gender gap in math, science and engineering, will end with a rocket launch. Fifth-grade girls, who studied the fundamentals of aeronautical engineering, will launch model rockets they assembled in class. Other Femme classes will display projects they designed such as roller coasters, bridges and artificial bones. >>

Deran Hanesian, Ph.D., of Nutley, was recently honored with a prestigious award from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Washington, D.C., for developing a laboratory that teaches the scientific method to students of all ages and capabilities. >>

The FEMME program (Women in Engineering and Technology Initiative) helps girls overcome the gender gap in math, science and engineering. Elementary school girls perform as well as boys in math and science, yet fall behind them during middle school and high school. To redress that imbalance, 120 girls – fourth through eighth graders – will come to New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) campus to study aeronautical, biomedical and mechanical engineering. >>

Cynthia Camacho, of Belleville, a senior in the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), was recently named outstanding senior in the NCE department of biomedical engineering. >>

Swatee Singh, of New Providence, a senior in the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), was recently named Outstanding Senior in the NCE department of electrical and computer engineering. >>

Bernard Koplik, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), recently received the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) Excellence in Teaching Award, given annually to a professor whose teaching has had a positive impact on students. >>

Rocco Ciccolini, a senior at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) who grew up in Newark and is the first member of his family to attend college, was named the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) Outstanding Senior of the Year. >>

David Kristol, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), recently received the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) Outstanding Advisor Award, given annually to a professor whose advising has had an immense and positive impact on students. >>

Robert Barat, Ph.D., an associate professor in chemical engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), recently received the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) Innovation in Engineering Education award, given annually to a professor who has demonstrated exemplary achievements in educational innovation. >>

The Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) recently honored three outstanding alumni at the school's annual NCE Awards Banquet at the Newark Airport Marriott. >>

High-school teams from across the state competed in a robot-design competition hosted by New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The contest was part of the annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference, whose keynote speaker was a NASA astronaut. >>

Treena Livingston Arinzeh, Ph.D., an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), won the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) most prestigious honor for outstanding young researchers. >>

Students in the class of David Washington, Ph.D., an assistant professor of engineering technology at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), recently visited a New Jersey quarry known to be the largest producer of granite in the United States. >>

Mengchu Zhou, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), was recently elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his contributions to Petri nets and their applications. >>

Twelve students at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) recently received scholarships from the Construction Industry Advancement Program of New Jersey (CIAP), based in Edison. >>