Muses Spring 1999-Cover Story-Ones to watch


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Ones to watch

Each year the National Science Foundation selects about 325 faculty nationwide to receive prestigious Faculty Early Career Development Awards. The highly competitive grants are presented to young faculty who show exceptional promise, including these ISU engineering awardees of 1995-99.

Srinivas Garimella, ME, is the most recent awardee. In his research, a fundamental understanding of binary-fluid absorption heat and mass transfer in miniaturized components will be obtained for the development of absorption heat pumps, which are environmentally sound and energy-efficient alternatives to CFC-based, ozone-depleting, space-conditioning systems. His research is expected to convert thermodynamically attractive absorption heat pump concepts into practically feasible systems for residential space conditioning, and for a variety of other thermal intensive applications.

Hsiu Han, ECpE, conducts research on electromagnetic fields and waves and their applications in nondestructive evaluation. He recently worked with CCE Associate Professor Edward Jaselskis to develop an asphalt pavement quality sensor useful for measuring asphalt density during the paving process. The sensor uses a balanced, dual-microwave signal to produce accurate density measurements in real time. The technology helps ensure that the asphalt mix is compacted precisely for the conditions at the time, thus increasing its life span.

Edward Lee, ECpE, researches in the area of very large scale integration design and analog/digital integrated circuits. At the core of his NSF-funded research is an investigation of the design and implementation of a field-programmable mixed analog and digital array (FPMA), an integrated circuit (IC chip) that can be programmed to realize a given mixed-signal circuit. Unlike existing technology, the FPMA IC provides the capability of instant prototyping of both analog and digital circuits, a requirement of many systems and devices, particularly in the medical field.

Ivan Maldonado, ME, is developing perturbation theory and neural network hybrid techniques to solve very large systems of diffusion-like partial differential equations. The ultimate goal is faster differential equation solvers than conventional iterative techniques, yet more accurate and robust than perturbation-based methods. Such techniques are in great demand for nuclear fuel optimization problems.

James McCalley, ECpE, specializes in security assessment and control of large electric power systems. His research applied probabilistic risk assessment techniques for assessing the strength and safety of the bulk electric transmission network. These techniques will be used in operating high-voltage electric power systems in a more economical, but safer, manner. The project, which is being continued with industry funding, will extend the technology to detect low-probability, high-consequence events before they occur. Such events typically result in large-scale, widespread power blackouts.

Joshua Otaigbe, MSE and ChemE, researches in polymer engineering, and is investigating glassy phosphate polymers, a type of glass-plastic that could improve the performance of products ranging from batteries to lasers. Otaigbe is studying phosphate glass and polymer materials, exploring both the basic glass properties and how to optimize the combined properties of the mixtures.

Murti Salapaka, ECpE, conducts research in the areas of control systems and atomic force microscopy. Atomic force microscopes (AFMs) have revolutionized microscopy. AFMs monitor activity in RNA strands, detect device failures in the silicon industry, and in the future could make images of the electronic structure on individual atoms. Salapaka’s research will lead to faster operating speeds, better resolutions, and a better understanding of AFM dynamics.

Judy Vance, ME, researches virtual reality applications. Her research focuses on using virtual reality techniques to improve product design, including the design of spatial mechanisms. She is also developing techniques that use virtual reality to visualize fluid dynamic results and perform virtual design evaluations on digital product models.