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August 25, 2017

Dimitrios Peroulis is one of five faculty selected as fellows for Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Academic Leadership Program

The Office of the Provost has selected five faculty members to participate in the Big Ten Academic Alliance, Academic Leadership Program during the 2017-18 academic year. The Big Ten Academic Alliance is a consortium of the Big Ten member universities. The Big Ten Academic Alliance-ALP is designed to develop the leadership and managerial skills of faculty who have demonstrated exceptional ability and administrative promise. It is specifically oriented to the challenges of academic administration of major research universities and to the preparation of faculty members to meet those challenges.

August 22, 2017

Purdue researchers explore new chapter of physics

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Interactions between light and matter are a fundamental unit of modern physics, but recently researchers have started to look beyond the standard textbook interactions. Alexandra Boltasseva is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University. For years, she’s been working with optical metamaterials (artificially engineered materials containing nanostructures which give them unique visual properties) to create nanotweezers, metasurfaces and other tiny objects. Now, she’s exploring an entirely new chapter of physics.

August 10, 2017

New solid lubricant shown to reduce friction and wear on steel surfaces

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Researchers have created a new type of non-liquid lubricant that has been shown to reduce friction and wear significantly under the extreme conditions found in various applications, from air compressors to missile systems. The new liquid-free composite is made from a slurry of a material called graphene, zinc oxide, and the polymer polyvinylidene difluoride. Graphene is an extremely thin layer of carbon that has many potential technological applications, including lubrication. “It has superior thermal conductivity, high strength and provides ultralow friction,” said Vilas Pol, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Purdue University.

New CubeSat propulsion system uses water as propellant

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A new type of micropropulsion system for miniature satellites called CubeSats uses an innovative design of tiny nozzles that release precise bursts of water vapor to maneuver the spacecraft. Low-cost “microsatellites” and “nanosatellites” far smaller than conventional spacecraft, have become increasingly prevalent. Thousands of the miniature satellites might be launched to perform a variety of tasks, from high-resolution imaging and internet services, to disaster response, environmental monitoring and military surveillance.

Rickus named associate vice provost for teaching and learning

Jenna Rickus, professor and associate department head of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, has been named associate vice provost for teaching and learning, effective Aug. 14. In this new role, she will provide leadership to the campus in undergraduate education with specific oversight of undergraduate advising, career opportunities, student success programs and exploratory studies. She also will be responsible for some areas of governance including academic appeals. Rickus will report directly to Frank Dooley, senior vice provost.

NSF announces funding for Purdue food, energy program

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A Purdue University-led program training students on producing sustainable food and electricity for populations through solar energy received a National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Award. The NSF announced the $2.5 million award for Purdue and Rakesh Agrawal, the program’s principal investigator and Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering. Florida A&M University is partnering on the program.

Purdue research team aims to improve food safety and health care around the world

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Brighter days are ahead as a team of researchers applies the use of light and other technologies to better the world’s health care, food safety, and biosecurity systems. Yong Chen, a Purdue University professor of physics and astronomy and electrical and computer engineering and the director of the Purdue Quantum Center, is leading a multidisciplinary team based in Purdue’s Discovery Park to explore new ways to use photonics science and technologies for such applications.

JEOL Introduces World’s Fastest Direct Write E-Beam Tool – Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, to be first US installation

May 16, 2017 (Peabody, Mass.) -- Since 1967, JEOL has been the industry leader in Electron Beam Lithography design and manufacturing. Now the company enters its 51st year in this field with the introduction of a new high throughput spot beam direct write system, the JBX-8100FS.

Concept could sustainably meet human resource needs of ‘full earth’

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A new concept proposes to provide food, energy and water resources for the world’s growing population by combining systems that simultaneously use different parts of sunlight’s spectrum to produce crops, generate electricity, collect heat and purify water.

Novel innovation could allow bullets to disintegrate after designated distance, help prevent collateral damage

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Stray-bullet shootings are an often-overlooked consequence of gunfire that can cause severe injury or death to bystanders, or collateral damage victims in the military. A novel technology being developed at Purdue University could help prevent these incidents. A research group led by Ernesto Marinero, a professor of materials engineering and electrical and computer engineering has developed novel materials and fabrication that could allow a bullet to become non-lethal and disintegrate after a designated distance. The technology was built out of a need for a safer bullet that will significantly reduce collateral damage and injury in law enforcement, military and civilian sectors.