Shuangquan Wang, a doctoral student in the department of electrical and computer engineering at NJIT, took first prize in a graduate poster contest that was part of the IEEE’s Global Telecommunication Conference, held in St. Louis, Mo. Wang’s poster highlighted his breakthrough research that could help improve the communication system known as multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO).  >>

Yeheskel Bar-Ness, PhD, a distinguished professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), was honored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) for his “outstanding, sustained and visionary contributions” to the institute’s publications and for founding the journal IEEE Communications Letters.” >>

Albert Scaglione, who after earning a mechanical engineering degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) changed careers and became one of the nation’s most prominent art dealers, was honored last night by NJIT for his generous donations to the university. >>

Edward Ritter, PhD, a professor in the department of chemical engineering at Villanova University, will discuss "Experimental Flow Tube and Computational Study on Unimolecular Hydrogen Fluoride Elimination" on Dec. 5, 2:45 p.m., Guttenberg Information Technologies Center, Rm. 3710. Contact: Robert Barat, 973-596-5605; barat@njit.edu. >>

Mun Choi, PhD, of Drexel University will discuss "New Observations of Droplet Combustion Behavior Under Microgravity Conditions" on Dec. 7, 11:30 a.m., Mechanical Engineering Center, Rm. 224. Contact: Edward Dreizin, 973-596-3327 or 973-596-5751; dreizin@njit.edu. >>

A nanoparticle commonly used in industry could have a damaging effect on plant life, according to a report by Daniel J. Watts, executive director of the York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science and Panasonic Chair in Sustainability at NJIT. "Before this study, there was an assumption that nanoparticles had no effect on plants,” said Watts. “This study makes the observation that seedlings can interact with nanoparticles such as alumina, which can have a harmful effect on seedlings and perhaps stunt the growth of plants.“ >>

A nanoparticle commonly used in industry could have a damaging effect on plant life, according to a report by an environmental scientist at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).The report, published in a recent issue of “Toxicology Letters,” shows that nanoparticles of alumina (aluminum oxide) slowed the growth of roots in five species of plants -- corn, cucumber, cabbage, carrot and soybean. Alumina nanoparticles are commonly used in scratch-resistant transparent coatings, sunscreen lotions that provide transparent-UV protection and environmental catalysts that reduce pollution, said Daniel J. Watts, PhD, the lead author of the study.“Before this study there was an assumption that nanoparticles had no effect on plants,” said Watts, executive director of the York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science and Panasonic Chair in Sustainability at NJIT. “This study makes the observation that seedlings can interact with nanoparticles such as alumina, which can have a harmful effect on seedlings and perhaps stunt the growth of plants.  “Other nanoparticles included in the study, such as silica, did not show this effect,” Watts added. He did the study with Ling Yang, a doctoral student who recently graduated from NJIT.The authors conducted the study by allowing seeds to germinate on wet filter paper in Petri dishes, after which they added known quantities of nano-sized alumina suspended in water. The control portion of the experiment was treated only with water, and the authors observed the experiment for seven days. During that time, they measured the differences in the growth of the plants’ roots, which were shown to be statistically significant. “We suppose that the surface characteristics of the nanoparticles played an important role in slowing the growth of the roots,” said Watts. “The smaller the particle, the larger is the total amount of surface area per unit weight. So the smaller you make the particles, the larger is the surface area, which we suspect is what contributes to the growth-slowing interaction between the seeds and the nanoparticles. The small size of the nanoparticles may be changed by the nanoparticles aggregating or clumping together.”But what is still not understood, said Watts, is the nature of the interaction between the nanoparticle and the root of the seed. “What is the mechanism of the interaction between the particle and the root? That we don’t know as yet,” he said. Nanoparticles can be deposited into air by exhaust systems, chimneys or smoke stacks, said Watts. The particles can also mix with rainwater and snow and gradually work their way into soil. It is difficult to take results from a lab experiment and conclude that is what happens in the real world, said Watts. “But we speculate that air deposits of nanoparticles or water transport of them are ways in which nanoparticles could mix with plant life,” he said. The York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science at NJIT conducts research programs to achieve an ecologically sustainable future by correcting environmental damage caused by past action, and improving current environmental technology and practice, while providing for the economic and equity needs of people in New Jersey and throughout the world.  The York Center has been developed from research and development programs that started in 1984 and involves researchers from most disciplines at the university. >>

Biomedical engineers at NJIT will use new technology to help children with cerebral palsy improve their movements, reduce stiffness in their joints and live fuller and more independent lives. “In a nation of technological riches, there is no better way for engineers to use their creative talents than to find new methods and devices that help children with cerebral palsy overcome their daily barriers,” said Richard Foulds, PhD, an associate professor in the biomedical engineering department. >>

"CORSIM-A Microscopic Traffic Simulation Model for Integrated Networks" is the topic of a lecture by Steven Chien, PhD, associate professor, department of civil and environmental engineering at NJIT, on Nov. 14, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., Colton Hall, Room 416. Contact: Professor Raj Khera, 973-596-2475; e-mail khera@njit.edu. >>

Richard Foulds, PhD, associate professor in the department of biomedical engineering at NJIT, will speak on the topic "Let Your Fingers do the Talking: The Kinematics of Sign Language" on Nov. 2, 11:30 a.m., Mechanical Engineering Center, Rm. 224. Contact: Dr. Edward Dreizin, (973) 596-3327/5751, dreizin@njit.edu. >>

Stephanie Farrell, PhD, a professor in the chemical engineering department at Rowan University, will discuss inductive teaching strategies for engineering courses on Oct. 31, 2:45 p.m., Guttenberg Information Technologies Center, Room 3710. >>

Dimitrios Zarkadas, Kearny, who received his doctorate in chemical engineering earlier this year from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), will receive an award Nov. 2, 2005, from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).  The organization will honor Zarkadas for a paper he wrote as a doctoral student about process development.  The presentation will take place at the organization’s annual meeting in Cincinnati. >>

Howard Kimmel, PhD, professor of chemical engineering and executive director of New Jersey Institute of Technology’s (NJIT) Center for Pre-College Programs, received the NJIT Foundation Overseers Public and Institute Service Award. >>

Duragmadhab Misra, PhD, professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), received an excellence in  teaching award during NJIT’s annual university convocation.   >>

Jacob Klapper, PhD, professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), received an excellence in  teaching award during NJIT’s annual university convocation. >>

Michael Hornsby, adjunct faculty member in the department of civil and environmental engineering, received an Excellence in teaching award during NJIT’s annual university convocation.  >>

Biomedical engineering pioneer Ronald Rockland, PhD, associate dean and associate professor at NJIT, will receive an award from the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research. The award is dedicated to improving human and animal health through biomedical research. Rockland will accept the honor at the organization’s research gala on Nov. 17. >>

William C. Van Buskirk, PhD, a distinguished professor at NJIT who helped pioneer the burgeoning field of biomedical reengineering, has been elected Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society. Van Buskirk was elected Fellow last week during the society’s awards ceremony held in Baltimore, Md. >>

New Jersey Institute of Technology’s (NJIT) annual fall festival, known as NJIT Day, will feature student engineering contests, an electronic game exhibition, a battle of the bands, a barbecue, men’s and women’s soccer games, athletic games, a kid’s zone, a chili cook-off, an art exhibit on Newark’s former Pabst Brewery, a dinner show with mentalist Robert Channing and other events.   >>

John Schuring, PhD and PE, is professor of civil and environmental engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). He holds several U.S. patents for developing methods of treating polluted soil. He is an expert in pile foundations, differential settlement of structures, and landslides. He has worked on engineering projects for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and the New Jersey Department of Transportation. >>

Treena Arinzeh, PhD, an adult stem cell researcher and Presidential Award winner from NJIT, is among an elite group of 88 young engineers attending the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering symposium, held Sept. 22-24 at the General Electric Global Research Center in Niskayuna, N.Y. >>

“Pumping the floodwater out of New Orleans is the most pressing environmental issue facing the city right now,” says Hsin-Neng Hsieh, PhD, PE, professor of civil and environmental engineering at NJIT. “There is just too much water and engineers can’t use existing waste treatment technologies until the water recedes." >>

“It appears that the levee failures in New Orleans were induced by subsurface seepage through the soils, not by overtopping,” said John Schuring, PhD and PE, professor of civil and environmental engineering at NJIT. “Given the fact that the levees were built and retrofitted many times over the years, and also given the fact that other weaknesses in the soil may exist, care must be taken when the city is dewatered to avoid another failure.” >>

More than 150 girls--fourth through eighth-graders--are launching rockets, designing rollercoasters and analyzing chocolate as part of NJIT's FEMME program, which offers six summer workshops in the fundamentals of aeronautical, biomedical and mechanical engineering. The FEMME program is designed to help girls overcome the gender gap in math, science and engineering. >>

John Schuring, PhD (at right), chairman of the civil and environmental engineering department at NJIT, was one of four individuals who were recognized for their work with the ACE Mentor Program at its fifth annual scholarship breakfast on June 9 at the Newark Club. The ACE Mentor Program is designed to help high school students become aware of college and career opportunities in the design and construction field. >>

A group of 12 students from NJIT will travel to Troy, Ohio, this weekend to race against 140 universities in a four-day mini-Baja car competition, set for June 16-19. The students designed and built two mini-Baja cars, which look like one-seat dune buggies. But the competition is less about money than about engineering, team work, and the love of building a car from scratch. “You not only learn how to design a car, but you also learn how to manufacture the car from the design," said Jonathan King (at left), who graduated in May with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering but has nonetheless stayed on his team. "That goes beyond theory and equations and is the real test of a good engineer.” >>

When he was 16, Sanmi Koyejo left his home and family in Lagos, Nigeria.Above all, his parents wanted him to get a good education, and they knew Nigerian colleges could not compete with their American counterparts. So, even though they’d miss him, they bid him farewell - hoping an American education would be his passport to success. >>

The complex and intricate world of plastics comes alive through the eyes of Marino Xanthos, PhD, a professor in the department of chemical engineering at NJIT.  Xanthos has spent a lifetime studying plastics—known in his world as polymers. The newest book edited and co-authored by Xanthos, Functional Fillers for Plastics (Wiley VCH), details not only the basics of the composition of plastics and how to alter, and then apply them, but how to fill and modify them. >>

Rivka Stone, a senior at Albert Dorman Honors College, will graduate from NJIT on May 26 with a perfect cumulative grade-point average of 4.0. In the fall, Stone, 21, will start medical school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She was accepted, on full scholarship, into the university’s accelerated MD/PhD program. A biomedical engineering major, she won an Outstanding Academic Achievement Award from NJIT's biomedical engineering department. >>

When Maria Karim graduated from Elizabeth High School at 18, she already had a baby boy. She was nonetheless determined to attend college. She applied and was accepted into the Educational Opportunity Program at NJIT, a program that helps minority students – both financially and academically – become engineers. Karim will not only graduate from NJIT on May 26 with a computer engineering degree: she will graduate at the top of her class. >>

Joga Rao, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at NJIT, recently received the Newark College of Engineering (NCE) Excellence in Teaching Award, given annually to a professor whose teaching has had a life-long impact on students. Rao received the award during the NCE Awards Banquet held on April 8 at Newark Airport’s Marriott Hotel. >>

Nine students from Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at NJIT will be honored for academic excellence during the NCE Awards Banquet on April 8, 2005, at the Newark Airport Marriott Hotel. The awards are given annually by NCE to students who not only excel academically but also contribute to their college in diverse and important ways. Shawn Chester (at left) was named Outstanding Senior, Department of Mechanical Engineering. >>

Colonel Ellen Pawlikowski, a U.S. Air Force communications expert, will receive an Outstanding Alumna Award from Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at NJIT during the college’s annual NCE Awards Banquet, scheduled for April 8, 2005, at the Newark Airport Marriott Hotel. Pawlikowski, who was recently confirmed for promotion to brigadier general, is the director of the Military Satellite Communications Joint Program Office, Space and Missile Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. >>

Anthony B. Donofrio, chief supply chain officer for Linens ‘n Things, will receive an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at New Jersey Institute of Technology.  Donofrio will receive the award during the college’s annual NCE Awards Banquet, scheduled for April 8, 2005, at the Newark Airport Marriott Hotel. >>

Michael J. Pappas, the designer of a knee implant known as the New Jersey Knee, will receive an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at NJIT during the college’s annual Awards Banquet, scheduled for April 8, 2005, at the Newark Airport Marriott Hotel. Pappas has built a successful design career on the foundation of a solid NCE education and is cited as a role model for current NCE students. >>

Paul Sarlo, an engineer, mayor and state senate leader, will receive an Outstanding Alumnus Award from Newark College of Engineering (NCE) at NJIT.  Sarlo will receive the award during the college’s annual NCE Awards Banquet, scheduled for April 8, 2005, at the Newark Airport Marriott Hotel. >>

Twenty-seven high schools from across the state will visit NJIT on March 14, 2005 to participate in the Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) competition, a one-day exam that tests teams of four to eight students on math, chemistry, physics, biology, and computer applications. >>

NJIT's Center for Pre-college Programs will sponsor summer workshops to encourage students--many of whom are girls and minorities--from post-fourth to post-11th grades to pursue education in science, math and engineering. The workshops run from four to six weeks, and begin either in late June or early July. Applications are due April 8 and can be obtained by calling 973-596-3550 or by visiting the center’s website.  >>

Gao Receives Cisco Systems Information Assurance Scholarship
Zhiqiang Gao, a PhD candidate in the department of computer engineering, is one of three Cisco Systems Information Assurance Scholarship winners ($2,500) for spring 2005, based on his essay, "Enhanced Probabilistic Packet Marking for IP Traceback. Zhiqiang is working under the mentorship of Professor Nirwan Ansari on topics related to network security.   >>

Students at the County College of Morris (CCM) who earn an associate degree in applied science can now transfer seamlessly to NJIT to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology. Marilyn Ayres, dean of CCM, and Robert English, chair of the engineering technology department at NJIT, signed a joint-admissions agreement recently at the CCM campus. “Over the years, many CCM graduates have gone on to become outstanding graduates of NJIT as well, and we think this articulation agreement will promote interest in the engineering technology programs at both institutions,”  said English. >>

Shawn Chester, a mechanical engineering major, has graduated from the Albert Dorman Honors College at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) with record of academic excellence and having done award-winning research. >>

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is hosting the second annual New Jersey Biomedical Engineering Showcase and Career Fair – an annual event that unites industry professionals and academics interested in the applied-life sciences.The theme of the showcase, scheduled for March 11 in the NJIT Campus Center, is “Creating Connections – Enhancing the Synergies between Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology.” The showcase will feature prominent keynote speakers from academia and industry, a panel discussion as well as a display of research projects by students. >>