InterdisciplinaryResearch in the Realmof the Very Small

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Why Nano-Micro-Bio?10

CHARLES V. SCHAEFER, JR. SCHOOL OF ENGINEERINGCHARLES V. SCHAEFER, JR. SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

IN THE REALM OF THE VERY SMALL

SSOE

15 In the Shop:A Short History of Machining atStevens

SPRING 2005 ISSUEVOLUME 3

22 Olympic Sailing in 2012

MULTISCALE ENGINEERING

This issue of InFocus is dedicated to the efforts of pioneering faculty

and students at the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering who

are making enormous contributions and are creating new knowledge

in the frontiers of multiscale engineering.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I have often wondered how our world of science

and technology would have been shaped if the

early Egyptians and Greeks were able to make

direct observations at the atomic level. In reality, it

wasn’t until the late 15th century that the father-son

team of Hans and Zacharias Janssen constructed

and put into production the first compound micro-

scope. The magnification power of those micro-

scopes ranged from 3x to 9x but that was enough to

open our eyes into a new world. The first scientific

treatise of the study of ‘minute bodies’ was written

by Robert Hook in 1665, in his book, Micrographia.

An explosion in discoveries and scientific advances

has taken place since. Yet it was not until 1959 when

the genius of Nobel Prize winner Richard P. Feynman

captured our imagination with the historic lecture

“Plenty of Room at the Bottom.” Feynman opened

the door that takes us from observation to the realm

of intervention, design and engineering at the

atomic level. The term nanotechnology has been

coined to capture that leap. Still in its infancy, nan-

otechnology provides an immensely fertile ground

for engineering innovation. As a better under-

standing of properties, interactions and behavior

of materials at the nanoscale emerges, the need

for design, manufacturing and mass production of engi-

neered systems across multiple length-scales becomes

prevalent. The emergence of complex biological functions,

from the cell level to macroscale physiological behavior,

has created another frontier of multiscale engineering.

This issue of InFocus is dedicated to the efforts of pioneer-

ing faculty and students at the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr.

School of Engineering who are making enormous contribu-

tions and are creating new knowledge in the frontiers of

multiscale engineering. Research in carbon nanotubes,

piezoelectric fibers, nanomaterials, enabled photonic

sensors, nanopowders for environmental applications,

microchemical reactors and nanobiomedical applications

are a sample of the exciting work carried out in our labora-

tories. There is no doubt that engineering in the future will

be dominated by diminishing length and time-scales and

that we will be increasingly challenged by systems integra-

tion and complexity. We will be there to provide the solu-

tions and launch the technologies that meet and overcome

those challenges.

As always please do not hesitate to contact me.

My Best Regards,

DEANGEORGE P.KORFIATIS

SPRING 2005 ISSUE VOLUME 3

C H A R L E S V. S C H A E F E R , J R . S C H O O L O F E N G I N E E R I N G

Interdisciplinary Research

in the Realm of the Very Small:Interdisciplinary Research in Nanosensors

An Engineering Evolution: MEMS and Nanotechnology

Revolutionizing Chemical Synthesis

Microchemical Systems Enable Real-World Solutions

Application of Nanomaterials to Water Treatment

Next-Generation Composite Materials:Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Polymers

“Hundreds of Tiny Hands:”The Making of Nano-Manipulation Tools

Engineering the Nano-Bio-Interface

Why Nano-Micro-Bio?

SSoE Heritage

Dr. Cardinal Warde ‘69, Microsystems Entrepreneur

Stephen T. Boswell ‘89 and ‘91, An Entrepreneurial Civic Leader

In the Shop: A Short History of Machining at Stevens

SSoE Students

Luce Scholars

Shotmeyer Scholar

InnertCHILL: Overclocking Made Easy

The HeliOS Project

Peter Krsko: Micro-Voyager

SSoE Faculty

Generating Intellectual Property

New Arrivals

Faculty News

Olympic Sailing in 2012

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10

131415

16

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CONTENTSFEATURES

INFOCUS

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dean George P. Korfiatis

CONSULTING Patrick A. BerzinskiEDITORS Pamela Krieger

MANAGING EDITOR Christine del Rosario

CONTRIBUTORS Patrick A. BerzinskiDr. Ronald BesserDr. Leslie BrunellDr. Henry DuDr. Frank FisherSteven HakusaDr. Adeniyi LawalDr. Woo LeeDr. Matthew LiberaDr. Xiaoguang MengRoberta McAlmonDr. Yong ShiDr. Zhenqi Zhu

PHOTOGRAPHERS Meagen HenningPeter KrskoChristine del Rosario

Special thanks to the Stevens Alumni Association

EXECUTIVEADMINISTRATOR Marta Cimillo

GRAPHIC DESIGN KMG Graphic Design Studio

www.soe.stevens.edu© 2005 Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering

INFOCUSSSOE

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Those words appeared in a 1999 report, Nanotechnology: Shaping the World Atom byAtom, by the National Science and Technology Council. Indeed, technologies designedto build complex structures, molecule by molecule, have allowed scientists to createnew structural materials 50 times stronger than steel of the same weight, making pos-sible the construction of a Cadillac weighing 100 pounds, according to Ralph Merkle ofthe Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. It could also, Merkle said in an article in MIT’sTechnology Review, "give us surgical instruments of such precision and deftness thatthey could operate on the cells and even molecules from which we are made."

A bold new world of science and engineering has opened up, and it has only justbegun to hint at the benefits it will yield to humankind.

Well prior to the US Nanotechnology Initiative of 2001, engineers and scientists atStevens Institute of Technology were performing distinguished and highly recognizedfunded research in the fields of nanotechnology and microtechnology; and since 2001,with growing federal support in funding and new faculty added to strengthen work ininterdisciplinary focus areas, greater strides are being made each year. ■

INTERDISCIPLINARYRESEARCH In the Realm

of the Very Small

"Nanotechnology stands out as a likely launchpad to a new technological era, because it focuseson perhaps the final engineering scales people

have yet to master."

InterdisciplinaryResearch inNanosensors

Dr. Henry Du

AN ENGINEERINGEVOLUTION: MEMS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY

Dr. Yong Shi

REVOLUTIONIZINGCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS

Dr. Adeniyi Lawal

MICROCHEMICALSYSTEMS ENABLEREAL-WORLD SOLUTIONS

Dr. Ronald Besser

APPLICATION OFNANOMATERIALS TOWATER TREATMENT

Dr. Xiaoguang Meng

NEXT-GENERATIONCOMPOSITE MATERIALS: CARBONNANOTUBE-REIN-FORCED POLYMERs

Dr. Frank Fisher

“HUNDREDS OF TINYHANDS” THE MAKINGOF NANO-MANIPU-LATION TOOLS

Dr. Zhenqi Zhu

Engineering theNano-Bio-Interface

Dr. Matthew R. Libera

WHY NANO-MICRO-BIO?

Dr. Woo Lee

3

In the evolution of micro-electro-mechani-cal systems (MEMS) design and modelingand the fabrication of nanomaterials, Dr.

Yong Shi develops radio frequency (RF)MEMS switches and nanopiezoelectricfibers for nanoscale sensors, actuators,and devices.

Breakthrough Technology:

RF MEMS Switches

RF switches are devices that provide ashort circuit or open circuit in the RFtransmission line. RF switches (millimeterwave frequencies 0.1 to 100 GHz) areused in satellites, radar and wireless com-munications. While MEMS technology hasbeen extremely successful in developingacceleration sensors for automobileairbags, inkjet printers, blood pressuremonitors, and digital video projectionsystems, the incorporation of MEMS intothe micro/millimeter RF wave system hasstarted a new technological revolution.

Different types of MEMS switches have

evolved since the first one was developedby Petersen in 1979. The contact configu-ration can be either vertical or lateral;direct metal-metal contact or of a capaci-tive type. The actuators used for theseswitches are typically electrostatic, ther-mal-electric, electro-magnetic and piezo-electric. However, they will not be viable

in the market unless their life cycle andpower handing capacity are dramaticallyincreased and costs are reduced. Dr. Shi’s

goal is to increase the life cycle (to over100 billion cycles) and power capacity (tomore than 100mW)of an RF switchused for radar andother instrumenta-tion systems. Hedeveloped a novelMEMS switchshown in Figure 1and has alreadydemonstrated thatby using the modu-lated contact sur-faces shown in Figure 2, the life cycle ofthe MEMS switch can be significantlyincreased while maintaining low contactresistance. RF MEMS switches provideextreme performance advantages such aslower insertion loss and higher isolationover solid-state switches like p-i-n diodes.Further investigations are being conduct-ed in system design and optimization;modeling of the friction and wear of the

An Engineering Evolution: MEMS and Nanotechnology

Dr. Henry Du and his research team havepioneered work on the integration of pho-tonic crystal fibers (PCFs) with nanoscaletechnologies that will potentially lead torobust chemical and biological sensingdevices. The National Science Foundationrecently granted Du’s team $1.3 million topursue their multidisciplinary project.Using molecular and nanoscale surfacemodification, state-of-the-art laser tech-niques, and computer simulation, theirresearch seeks to enhance the prospects ofPCF sensors, sensor arrays, and sensornetworks for diverse applications such asremote and dynamic environmental monitoring, manufacturing process safety,medical diagnosis, early warning of biological and chemical warfare, andhomeland defense.

"Through basic and applied research," saidDu, "the optically robust PCFs with surface-functionalized, axially-aligned air holes areexpected to achieve a quantum leap inchemical and biological detection capabili-ty over conventional fiber-optic sensortechnology."

PCF sensors enabled by nanotechnologyalso have the potential to be a powerfulresearch platform for in-situ fundamentalstudies of surface chemistry and chemi-cal/biological interactions in microchemicaland microbiological systems. Specifically,

PCFs are fabricated via a modified sol-gelmethod for optical fibers with the aid of asimulation-based design for optimum light-analyte interactions. Nanoscale surface functionalization is conducted following two strategies:

1. Surface attachment of Ag nanoparticlesmediated by 3 mercaptopropy-ltrimethoxysilane self-assembled monolay-er (SAM) for chemical sensing of NOx, CO,and SO2, where surface-enhanced Ramanscattering (SERS) canbe exploited for highsensitivity and molec-ular specificity; and

2. Surface binding ofbiospecific recognitionentities for biologicalsensing using the following recognitionpairs: biotin/avidin,cholera toxin/anti-cholera toxin andorganophosphoroushydrolase (OPH)/paraoxon, where SERSmay also be exploited.

Then, the surface-functionalized air holesare filled with analytes in order to evaluatethe sensing capabilities of PCFs. Surfacefunctionalization studies employ varioussurface-sensitive analytical techniques with

a range of state-of-the-art laser techniquesused for taking measurements.Furthermore, experimental studies augmented by computer simulation takeinto account the effects of surface function-alization, analyte medium, and biospecificinteractions on the optical characteristics of PCFs.

In view of the challenges faced by thenation, the interdisciplinary team of

academic and industrial researchers alsoinvolves postdoctoral fellows, graduatestudents, and several undergraduate/high-school summer research scholars, thusaffording them training in chemical andbiological sensing and monitoring - a priority area of federal R&D. ■

Interdisciplinary Research in Nanosensors

Prof. Rainer Martini (Faculty Fellow), Prof. Du (PI), Prof.Svetlana Sukhishvili

(Co-PI), Prof. Hong-Liang Cui (Co-PI), Prof. Kurt Becker (Faculty Fellow), Prof.

Christos Christodoulatos (Co-PI), and Prof. Xiaoguang Meng.The project is

conducted in collaboration with OFS Laboratories, a world leader in fiber

optic research.

Figure 1. MEMS switch concept

Figure 2. Microfabricated

MEMS switch

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN THE REALM OF THE VERY SMALL

continued on next page

The Sensor Group

Dr.Yong Shi ‘s Research Group

Revolutionizing Chemical Synthesisby Dr. Adeniyi Lawal

undulated contact surface;thin film piezoelectric actuator

optimization; device integra-tion; and packaging.

The Building Blocks:

Nano-Piezoelectric Fibers

One-dimensional nanostructuressuch as nanotubes, nanowires and

nanofibers have great potential aseither building blocks for micro/nano

devices or as functional materials formicroscale electronics, photonics, and

sensing and actuation applications.Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT), an impor-

tant piezoelectric material, is used forboth actuators and sensors at the

macroscale. PZT nanofibers provide thecapability to make active fiber compos-ites (AFC) and nanoscale devices.

Dr. Shi’s research develops nanofiberswith diameters from 6 micrometers to 50nanometers using electrospinning. Fiberswith a diameter of about 200 nm havealready been developed as shown inFigure 3, where the nanofibers are dis-tributed arbitrarily. SEM, TEM and X-raydiffraction are used to characterize thenanofibers and their crystal structures.Different approaches are being exploredto fabricate well-aligned or uniformly dis-tributed PZT nanofibers. Some alignednanofibers are shown in Figure 4. Dr. Shiuses MEMS-based microfabrication

technologies to assist the development ofthe nanofibers in designing the test samples, depositing and patterning theelectrodes, and also releasing thenanofibers from the substrate.

Ultimately, Dr. Shi’s nanofiber and MEMSresearch seeks to evolve and expand thecapabilities of current technologies intoincreasingly smaller nanodevices. ■

Figure 3. Arbitrarily

distributed nano-piezo-

electric fibers

Figure 4. Aligned

nano-piezoelectric

fibers

At the New Jersey Center for Micro-Chemical Systems (NJCMCS), we are cur-rently demonstrating two novel microreac-tor-based process intensification conceptsfor on-demand, on-site, energy-efficient,and cost-effective chemical production.Both projects are funded by the DOE-OITto develop and deliver advanced technolo-gies that increase energy efficiency,improve environmental performance, andboost productivity.

Microchannel Reactors Revolutionize the

Production of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

In September 2002, we partnered with FMC(one of the largest producers of H2O2 withmore than 12% of the world market) todevelop a microchannel reactor system foron-site production of hydrogen peroxide.

Today, we have successfully designed andevaluated a laboratory microreactor sys-tem for the controlled, direct combinationof H2 and O2 in various compositions -including explosive regimes. The reactionis extremely fast with a residence time thatis almost two orders of magnitude lessthan that of macroreactors. The directcombination concept is possible withmicrochannel reactors because they pos-sess extremely high surface to volumeratios by virtue of their small transversedimensions, and consequently exhibitenhanced heat and mass transfer rates.The enhanced heat transfer enables rapidwall quenching of free radicals which inconventional-size reactors lead to runawaythermal conditions and explosion.

Another achievement is the production ofH2O2 in concentrations of significant commercial interest with acid (~1.5 wt%,exceeding the 1 wt% requirement of the

project) and without acid (~1500ppm) atmoderate pressure and temperature condi-tions using our in-house formulated cata-lyst. The 1.5 wt% concentration finds directcommercial application in environmentalremediation, while the 1500ppm concen-tration can be used as a biocide.

Catalytic Hydrogenation

of Nitroanisole to Anisidine

In September 2003, we partnered withBristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), one of theworld’s largest pharmaceutical companiesto design and evaluate a microchannelreactor system for the multiphase catalytichydrogenation of a model pharmaceuticalcompound, nitroanisole to anisidine.Hydrogenation reactions are ubiquitous,accounting for 10-20% of all reactions inthe pharmaceutical industry.

We have screened over eight different cat-alysts and have identified the right cata-lyst/support for the model hydrogenationreaction. Also, an extensive investigationof the effects of various processing condi-tions on the activity of the selected catalyst in terms of conversion, yield, andselectivity has been carried out in themicroreactor system. Similar experimentsare currently being undertaken in a semi-batch reactor system at the NewBrunswick facility of BMS. Preliminaryresults indicate that the mass transfer efficiency of the microreactor system istwo orders of magnitude higher than thatof the semi-batch reactor system.

The significant reduction of heat and masstransfer resistances in microchannel reac-tor systems enables the realization of fastintrinsic kinetics (millisecond reactions)which suppresses side reactions, leading to

high yield and a reduced need for energyintensive separation/purification steps.

The microreactor-based productionapproach, if successfully demonstrated,will replace the existing energy inefficient,

cost ineffective, environmentally detrimen-tal, and inherently dangerous slurry semi-batch reactor-based catalytic hydrogena-tion manufacturing practice. The primarychallenge is the development of paradigm-changing design and hardware integrationmethodologies for auxiliary equipmentand plant infrastructure that will enablemany aspects of the microchannel reactortechnology. The next phase of the projectwill involve a real-world pharmaceuticalmolecule patented by BMS.

Articles were written about the two projects inChemical Engineering Progress, EurekAlert,Jersey Journal, Small Times News, and theChemical and Engineering News. Stevens fac-ulty team members are the PI, Dr. AdeniyiLawal, assisted by two Co-PIs, Drs. Woo Leeand Ronald Besser, and Dr. Suphan Koven.Drs. Emmanuel Dada and Dalbir Sethi of FMC,and Don Kientzler and Dr. San Kiang of BMSprovide technical guidance from industrial perspectives. ■

(From left to right) Ms. Sunitha Tadepalli (Ph.D.

student), Prof. Adeniyi Lawal, Dr. Raghu Halder

(Research Associate), and Yury Voloshin (Ph.D.

student).

4

An Engineering Evolution...continued from page 3

5

Prof. Besser’s

research teamfocuses onthe funda-mentals ofchemical reac-tion withinthe confined

geometries of microchemical systems.Their work is approached holistically bybringing together tools from different disciplines that can be applied in variousfields including energy, pharmaceuticals,and chemicals. Microfabrication is used tocreate precisely defined structures inwhich chemicals and reactions can bestudied. Testing methods involve couplingthese small reactors to the external worldto control and sample their output withchromatographs and mass spectrometers.The data gathered is mathematically modeled to both understand the observa-tions and to predict behavior. The resultscontribute to the growing knowledge baseneeded to evolve microchemical systemsinto devices that can ultimately benefitsociety.

Recently completed work focused on areaction that eliminates a poison from thehydrogen gas used for fuel cells. When

hydrogen is harvested from hydrocarbonslike methanol or diesel fuel, carbonmonoxide, a poison to both humans andfuel cells, is produced. Besser’s groupinvestigated a novel microchemicalapproach to removing this poison. Thisstep is especially important for proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cellswhich are the front runners for broadcommercialization of the technology.They are also exploring other new initia-tives for fuel cell energy, for example, theprocessing of military diesel fuels thatwill significantly lighten the load oftomorrow’s foot soldiers as well as bringdistributed electrical power to large Navy vessels.

The team’s work in processing pharma-ceutical chemicals involves the develop-ment of a new reactor microchip conceptwhich can circumvent problems existingin current industry-wide reactor technolo-gy. In this new approach, miniaturizationaffords the possibility of creating an inti-mate mixture of liquid and gaseous react-ing chemicals, while at the same time effi-ciently extracting the heat generated bythe process. The chip can be used withcommercial catalysts already available,and is a tool that pharmaceutical compa-

nies can use to screen catalysts from vari-ous vendors for a particular synthesisstep being developed for manufacturing.

Prof. Besser’s background is in the devel-opment of materials, processes anddevices. His expertise has been leveragedin developing microchemical systemsusing many of the same techniquesexploited in MEMS technology. He andhis students collaborate heavily withmicrosystems experts at Lucent Bell Labs,

NJIT, and the Cornell NanofabricationFacility (CNF), where Dr. Besser serves asa member of the CNF User Committee. ■

Microchemical Systems Enable Real-World SolutionsDr. Ronald Besser’s Research Team

Nanotechnology offers great potential inadvancing scientific discovery and tech-nological development. The federal gov-ernment is spending more than $1 billionon nanotechnology, making it the largestpublic-funded science initiative since thespace race. Various nanomaterials such asnanoparticles, nanotubes, and nanowireshave been developed to create sensitiveanalytical sensors, miniature medicaldevices, electrical components, andmachinery. In addition, nanomaterialswith at least one dimension in thenanometer range (10-9m) may possesssuperior physicochemical properties suchas high conductivity and hardness; fasci-nating optical phenomena; excellent cat-alytic activity for chemical reactions; and

enormous adsorption capacity for chemi-cals and pollutants.

In 2002, researchers at the Center forEnvironmental Systems developed ananocrystalline titanium dioxide with ahigh adsorption capacity for arsenic, lead,and other heavy metals (Figure 1).Titanium dioxides are widely used as pig-

ment in paints, paper,plastics, sun blocklotion, and toothpaste. However, thecommercial pigmentis not effective for theremoval of heavymetals.Nanocrystalline titani-um dioxide is pro-duced by the hydroly-sis of titanium insolutions under con-trolled pH, tempera-

ture, and time. The crystalline size andspecific surface area of the material isabout 6 nm and 330 m2/g, respectively.This high surface density of functionalgroups strongly binds arsenic and heavy

metals. The material is also an active pho-tocatalyst. In the presence of dissolvedoxygen and with UV-light irradiation, thefollowing are generated at the titaniumdioxide surface: hydroxyl radicals, super-oxide ions, and hydrogen peroxide. Thesehighly reactive chemical species destroyorganic pollutants and kill bacteria.

Currently, a patent pending nanocrys-talline titanium dioxide is marketed byHydroglobe, Inc., a company founded byStevens in 2000 and acquired by GraverTechnologies in 2004. Because nanocrys-talline titanium dioxide enables the effective removal of lead and other heavymetals, it was used to develop a faucetmount filter (Figure 2) available at Target,Wal-Mart, and other stores. DOWChemical has also licensed the patent anddeveloped a new adsorbent with thematerial.

In the near future, more water treatmentproducts will be made of nanocrystallinetitanium dioxide as the drive to fulfill thepromise of nanotechnology continues. ■

Application of NanomAtErials to Water Treatmentby Dr. Xiaoguang Meng

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN THE REALM OF THE VERY SMALL

Prof. Besser (center) with students Shaun

McGovern (left) and Woo Cheol Shinn (right).

Figure 1. Scanning electron microscop-

ic image of aggregates of TiO2 particles.

Figure 2. Faucet

mount filter that

uses TiO2

adsorbent.

6

Dr. Frank Fisher’s primaryresearch area is the mechanical

modeling of polymer nanocom-posites with a focus on carbon

nanotube-reinforced polymers(NRPs). Since their discovery in

the early 1990s, carbon nanotubes(CNTs) have excited scientists and

engineers with their wide range ofunusual physical properties. These

properties are a direct result of thenear-perfect microstructure of the

CNTs, which at the atomic scale canbe thought of as an hexagonal sheet of

carbon atoms rolled into a seamless,quasi-one-dimensional cylindricalshape. Besides their extremely smallsize (single-walled carbon nanotubescan have diameters on the order of 1nm, or 1*10-9 m, 100,000 times smallerthan the diameter of a human hair), car-bon nanotubes are half as dense as alu-minum, have tensile strengths 20 timesthat of high strength steel alloys, havecurrent carrying capacities 1,000 timesthat of copper, and transmit heat twiceas well as pure diamond. Given theseunparalleled physical properties, CNTsoffer the potential to create a new typeof composite material with extraordi-nary properties. However, thenanoscale interaction mechanismsbetween the CNTs and the surroundingpolymer must be understood and cou-pled to the micro/macroscale mechani-cal response of the material.

One aspect of this work is the develop-ment of enhanced modeling methodsand corresponding experimental tech-niques to describe the effectivemechanical behavior of these systems.For example, due to the extremelysmall size of the embedded nanotubes,a polymer interphase region forms inthese systems with mechanical proper-ties that are different from the proper-ties of the bulk polymer matrix (seeFigure 1, left). Due to the extremelylarge surface area of the embeddednanotubes, this interphase region cancomprise a significant portion of thevolume fraction of the composite andsignificantly influence the overallmechanical properties of the composite.However, because of the extremelysmall size of this interphase region,experimental characterization is exceed-ingly difficult. Thus, to quantify the

change in propertiesof this non-bulk inter-phase region, wehave developed acoupled experimental-modeling techniqueto characterize thechanges in the relaxation processesof the nanocompositeresponse due to theproperties of the non-bulk polymerinterphase (Figure 1,center). The existenceof this interphaseregion has recentlybeen verified via highresolution scanningelectron microscopy(SEM) images of the fracture surface ofa CNT-polycarbonate fracture surface(Figure 1, right). Working in conjunctionwith colleagues in chemistry and mate-rials science, one important applicationof these modeling techniques is toquantify how different processing meth-ods influence the size and properties ofthis interphase region. For example,tethering short polymer chains covalent-ly to the surface of the nanotube prior

to composite fabrication has beenshown to alter the size and properties ofthis interphase region.

Another project investigates alternativemethods of enhancing the load-transfermechanisms in these nanocompositematerial systems. With collaborators atthe University of North Carolina-Charlotte, the team is looking to exploita novel template-based method to fabri-

cate bone-shaped carbon nanotubes asshown in Figure 2. The highly uniformgeometry of these nanostructures(length, inner and outer diameters, wallthickness) can be controlled via appro-priate manipulation of the template fab-rication and carbon deposition process-es. Enhanced load-transfer for thesebone-shaped inclusions is anticipatedthrough mechanical interlocking withthe polymer matrix at the widenedends. ■

Next-generation composite materials:

nanotube-reinforced polymers

Figure 1. (left) Three-phase model of NRP accounting for the presence of a non-bulk polymer

interphase region. (center) Relaxation spectra for MWNT-PC samples showing additional, long-

timescale relaxation processes that are due to the mechanical behavior of the non-bulk poly-

mer interphase. (right) High-resolution SEM imaging of a CNT-polycarbonate fracture surface.

Kon Chol Lee, Gaurav Mago, Dr. Frank Fisher, Vinod Challa, and Arif

Shaikh

Figure 2. High magnification TEM images of a

bone-shaped templated carbon nanotube. The

outer stem and end diameters are ~40 and ~70

nm, respectively. The wall thickness is ~10 nm.

The length of the T-CNT is ~5 µm.

Dr. Frank Fisher’s Research Group

7

True realization of nanotechnologyrequires nanoscale components/struc-tures to be inexpensively assembled intofunctional systems; nanoscale manipula-tion is one of the key enabling technolo-gies in this vision.

The power and capacity of manipulationtools in changing our world were high-lighted in 230 B.C. by Archimedes, aGreek mathematician, engineer, andphysicist: "Give me a lever long enoughand a place to stand, and I will move theworld." Tool searching and developmentcontinues today as scientists and engi-neers demand manipulation tools smallenough to extend their arms into thenanoscale world. Such small-enoughmanipulation tools are what Feynmanfirst challenged in 1959 with his "hundreds of tiny hands" vision of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology will enable one tounderstand, measure, manipulate, andmanufacture at the atomic and molecu-lar levels creating materials, devices,and systems with fundamentally newfunctions and properties. A great break-through in nanotechnology came withthe inventions of the scanning tunnelingmicroscope in 1982 and the atomic forcemicroscope in 1986. These revolutionaryinventions opened the nanoworld to sci-entists and engineers. However, the rela-tively large-size mechanical nanoposi-tioning systems employed in scanningprobe microscopes and optical micro-scopes are too massive to be used inparallel operation in the nanoworld. Bio-inspired by the motion mechanismsfound in cilia and flagella, the goal ofresearch by Associate Professor Zhenqi

Zhu, of Mechanical Engineering, and hiscolleagues from several departments, isto develop and demonstrate a disruptivedesign methodology based on a mono-lithic jointless Stewart platform to yieldfully three-dimensional, six degree-of-freedom, surface-independent jointlessmanipulation capability in free spacewith nanometer resolution and accuracy.Now, US patent pending (FlexibleParallel Manipulator for Nano-, Meso-, orMacro-positioning with Multi-degrees ofFreedom), this device approach will leadto nanomanipulation tools with trulyscalable device sizes (spanning severalorders of magnitude from micro- tonanolevel), and yield the nanometer

resolution and accuracy required fornumerous nanotechnology applications.These can be incorporated into massively parallel, independentlyaddressable nanomanipulation tools(truly realizing Feynman’s ‘hundreds oftiny hands’ vision).

To successfully develop such a disrup-tive methodology for nanomanipulatordevice design, the research teamaddresses three major challenges: (1)Design and analysis of a new class ofnanomanipulator based on a monolithicjointless Stewart platform approach toyield nanometer positioning resolutionwith a unique combination of fully-flexi-ble 6 DOFs and truly scalable devicesize. The focus of the design will be onmanufacturability of the device(s) utiliz-

ing existing MEMs-based fabricationtechniques. (2) Fabrication and perform-ance evaluation of 6-DOFs microscalenanomanipulator devices, including theoretical, computational, and experi-mental study of the nanomanipulatorswith integrated actuators and sensors. (3) Demonstration of device use in (a)"full device" 6-DOF inspection underSPM probes; (b) "real device" 6-DOF in-situ scanning with nanomanipulatedoptical fiber based sensors; (c) massively-parallel, coordinated flexiblenanoautomation.

This research effort is complementedwith an educational and outreach pro-gram with a strong support from CIESEto introduce K-12 and undergraduatestudents to topics in nanotechnology. ■

"Hundreds of tiny hands:" The making of

nano-manipulation tools Dr. Zhenqi Zhu’s Research Team

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN THE REALM OF THE VERY SMALL

The jointless nanomanipulator (a & b), US patent pending featuring friction- and backlash-free 6-DOF

motion. (c) Photograph of initial macroscale prototype. (d) High resolution image of cilia. (e,f) Models

of motion mechanism of a segment of a cilium or flagellum.

State-of-the-art, bottom-up nanomanipulation/design. (a) Atom by atom positioning on surface (Eigler

of IBM, 1990); (b) Singling out a DNA using optical tweezers (Chu of Stanford, 1992); (c) Path planning

for automatic atomic positioning (Requicha of USC, 1999); (d) Molecular lift design (Balzani, 2003); (e)

Biped DNA walker (Sherman and Sherman of NYU, 2004)

A group of

nanomanipulators

8

Libera’s research centers on thedevelopment, implementation, andapplication of advanced electron-opti-cal techniques for the measurementand control of microstructure and mor-phology in engineering materials athigh resolution. A main theme of hisresearch concentrates on the study ofpolymers and polymeric biomaterialssuch as hydrogels using such tech-niques as electron holography and elec-tron energy-loss spectroscopy. One ofhis group’s recent innovations has beenthe development of new methods tomap the spatial distribution of water insynthetic materials for health and per-sonal care applications using advancedmethods of cryo-electron microscopy. Itis important to understand such prob-lems, for example, as how bioerodablepolymer tissue-engineering scaffoldsdegrade in the human body.

Over the past few years, Libera’s grouphas been using electron microscopesnot only as materials-characterizationtools but also as materials-processingtools. High energy electrons can modifythe structure and properties of poly-mers, and because electrons can befocused by a microscope into fineprobes with nanoscale dimensions,electron microscopes can be used topattern polymers into nanostructures.These properties have been exploited inthe practice of electron beam lithogra-phy, which has been essential to thesemiconductor device community forseveral decades. Libera and his stu-dents have pushed this technology inan entirely new direction by applying itto polymers of interest because of theway in which they interact with physio-logical systems involving proteins, cells,and tissues.

The central idea is to create biospecificsurfaces – surfaces which interact withphysiological systems in very controlledways. "People have been working inthis area in different ways for severaldecades," Libera explains, "but new

tools and new ways of thinking basedon nanotechnology are opening radical-ly different pathways to achieve suc-cess. We certainly see this in our work."

Polymeric materials have been increas-ingly utilized at surfaces and interfacesfor a variety of biomedical applicationsincluding tissue-engineering matrices,implants with biocompatible surfaces,drug delivery, and biosensors. Due tothe chemical diversity of polymericmaterials, both biological and synthetic,researchers can fine tune the desiredphysical properties of surfaces anddesign bioactive interfaces from amolecular perspective. Understandingthe complex interactions between bio-material surfaces and their environmentis critical to improving healthcare tech-nologies related to implants, devices,and future innovations in these areas.

Significantly, Libera’s team is aggres-sively investigating the properties ofhydrogels, the kinds of polymeric mate-rials that form the basis for everydaysoft contact lenses and other commonbiomedical applications.

"We have used focused electron-beamcross-linking to create nanosized hydro-gels," says Libera, "and this provides uswith a new method with which to bringthe attractive biocompatibility associat-ed with macroscopic hydrogels into thenano length-scale regime."

Using thin films of polyethylene glycol(PEG) films on silicon and glass sub-strates, Libera, working with Ph.D. can-

didate Peter Krsko, generated nanohy-drogels with lateral dimensions of order200 nanometers – about 500 timessmaller than the diameter of a humanhair - which can swell by a factor of fiveor more, depending on the radiativedose of electrons.

"These things are like little sponges,"explains Krsko, "and we can controlhow spongy they are by controllinghow we irradiate them in the SEM. One of the really cool things we foundis that we can control whether or notvarious types of proteins bind to theselittle nanosponges."

With the focused electron beam, high-density arrays of such nanohydrogelscan be flexibly patterned onto siliconsurfaces. Significantly, the aminegroups remain functional after e-beamexposure, and the research shows thatthey can be used covalently to bind pro-teins and other molecules.

"We use bovine serum albumin to

Engineering the Nano-Bio-InterfaceDr. Matthew R. Libera’s Research Group

Figure 1. A 7x7 array of PEG nanohydrogels

surface patterned into an area 5 microns by 5

microns in size. Imaged dry (top) and in water

(bottom).

Chemical, Biomedical and Materials Engineering Professor

Matthew R. Libera leads the Microstructure Research Group and

is Director of the Electron-Optics Laboratory at Stevens. Using

powerful transmission and scanning electron microscopes Libera,

his colleagues, and his students have graphically demonstrated

the possibilities that flow from engineering materials in the micro

and nano worlds.

Figure 2. GFP transfected mouse neuron following a cell-adhesive path patterned onto a surface

using functional nanohydrogel technology.

9

amplify the number of amine groups,"says Krsko, "and we further demonstratethat different proteins can be covalentlybound to different hydrogel pads on thesame substrate to create multifunctionalsurfaces useful in emerging bio/pro-teomic and sensor technologies."

"There is a lot of student interest in thisstuff," says Libera. "When I talk about itin my undergraduate materials class, Ialways find students – very good stu-dents – appearing at my office door latertrying to find out more about it."Indeed, one such interaction has led to asenior design project of patterninghydrogels for possible application tonerve regeneration in spinal cord injury."Our NIH collaborator on this is so excit-ed he has invited one of my undergradresearch students – Jen Sipics - to workin his lab in Bethesda this summer."

Another student – Ali Saaem – joined thegroup after taking Libera’s MaterialsProcessing course. "This guy is an EEmajor. He came in and reconstructedthe computer interface to our SEM andelevated the entire level of e-beam pat-terning capabilities. Now, I think we’ve

got him really interested in the biologi-cal problems the group is pursuing,"comments Libera.

Libera’s work on nanohydrogels holdsimplications for the eventual productionof the next generation of protein microarrays, which can be used to establish the function of various genesthat become active during cancer, disease, and aging processes.

Because hydrogels mimic many of thephysiological conditions of the body,proteins bound to them retain their bio-logical function far better than whenbound to a hard substrate as is done incurrent protein and DNA microarraytechnology. Furthermore, the nanosize ofthe hydrogels made in Libera’s labmeans that 10,000 times more proteinscan be probed in a single experimentand much less of each protein needs tobe used each time. Pushing this sametechnology one step further, nano- andmicrohydrogels can be used to controlwhether and where cells adhere to sur-faces. "This has been one of our targetsfor a long time," says Libera, "and now

our work is really being helped a lot bythe rapid growth of the new biomedicalengineering program at Stevens."

Nanopad arrays consist of protein-adhe-sive regions separated by non-adhesiveregions. The adhesive regions are created by lithographically patterning a

hydrophobic polymer to which control-lable amounts of fibronectin is adsorbed.Fibronectin is one of several proteinsthat signals cellsto adhere to sur-faces. The physi-ological effect ofnanopad arrayvariations isbeing assessedusing cell cultureof fibroblasts andmonitoring theirexpression ofextracellularmatrix. Relatedexperiments arebeing developed tostudy neuron growth relevant to spinalcord injury.

Physics Department Head Kurt Becker

comments: "Years ago, there was a sci-ence-fiction movie called FantasticVoyage, where people were shrunk tomicro-sizes, injected into a person’sblood stream, and then traveled aroundthe body to repair some damage. That’s

exactly what [Stevens researchers] arenow doing in biomedical engineering.They’re trying to use nanotechnology tofabricate devices that can be insertedinto the human body."

"There’s an awful lot of potential forcompanies that are able to get sufficientpatent protection for innovations thatthey have made in nanotechnology,"says Assistant Professor of MechanicalEngineering Frank Fisher, commentingon the commercial potentialities of cur-rent-day nanotechnology research."We’re talking about instruments andcapabilities that would have a very significant economic impact for thosecompanies and those entities that make

these developments. That’s why we’reseeing the US make a strong push as faras investing in nanotechnology, becausethe real large payouts aren’t necessarilygoing to be within the next one to threeyears; it’s a longer time frame of investment." ■

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN THE REALM OF THE VERY SMALL

Libera’s work on nanohydrogels holds implications for the eventu-al production of the next generation of protein microarrays, whichcan be used to establish the function of various genes that becomeactive during cancer, disease, and aging processes.

Figure 3. The adhesion of Stapphyloccocus Epidermidis bacteria to synthetic

surfaces can be controlled using functional hydrogels on surfaces, a cell-

repulsive hydrogel pad (left) and a cell-adhesive hydrogel pad (right).

Chandra Valmikinathan (Master's), and Ph.D. candidates Merih Sengonul, Sergey Yakovlev, and

Alioscka Sousa are members of Dr. Libra’s team.

10

When Dean Korfiatis decided to high-light "nano-micro-bio" activities in thisissue of SSOE InFocus, I thought that itwould be a timely forum for me to sharemy latest view of this very broad inter-disciplinary research area. My interestin making "very small things" startedwhen I was given a chance to studychemical vapor deposition (CVD) for myPh.D. degree in chemical engineeringunder the interdisciplinary supervisionof Prof. Jack Lackey, a ceramist, andProf. Pradeep Agrawal, a chemical engi-neer, at Georgia Tech.

CVD is a coating technique widely usedfor making semiconductor, solid statelaser, and photonic devices as well asaerospace structures, synthetic diamondfilms and carbon nanotubes. In thismethod, we mix gaseous chemicals in a

reactor and let them react preferentiallyon the substrate surface. Subsequently,small clusters of atoms produced fromthe decomposed gaseous species nucle-ate and grow on the surface, and areassembled into a solid thin-film struc-ture. For example, as part of my Ph.D.work, I produced my first nanostructuredmaterial, a self-lubricating nanocompos-ite coating that contained hard AlNwhiskers (2 nm wide and 1 µm long) in asoft BN matrix phase from a gaseousmixture of AlCl3, BCl3, and NH3.

What Is Nanoscale Science and

Engineering?

To a large extent, my Ph.D. researchexemplifies the National ScienceFoundation’s broad definition ofNanoscale Science and Engineering: "thefundamental understanding and result-

ing technology advances arising fromthe exploitation of new physical, chemi-cal, and biological properties of systemsthat are intermediate in size, betweenisolated atoms and molecules and bulkmaterials, where the transitional proper-ties between the two limits can be con-trolled." The nanoscale covers "a frac-tion of nanometer to about 100 nm."This newly emerged nanoscale scienceand engineering perspective did notobviously exist, although I was practic-ing it.

WHY NANO-MICRO-BIO?

Various of those microdevices havebeen tailored to accomplish work onthe nanoscale, where engineeredarrangements of individual atoms arenow becoming a reality.

Some methods necessary to buildstructures consisting of large numbers

of precisely arranged atoms includemolecular self-assembly, in whichmolecular building blocks assemblethemselves in pre-designed ways.Using this technique, researchers havecreated carbon nanotubes with diame-ters of about one ten-thousandth of a

human hair that can be used as minia-ture structural materials, electroniccomponents and drug delivery systems.

Scientists also depend on such tools asScanning Tunneling Microscopes andScanning Probe Microscopes to buildimages on surfaces, manipulate atomsinto miniature structures, or analyzethe identities of atoms and moleculesone atom at a time.

"When you come from basic physics,

what you like to do is understand

things on the smallest possible scale,

which for all these applications is the

atomic or the molecular level," says Dr.

Kurt Becker, who works in the field of

microplasmas. "That level is typically

in the realm of about a nanometer. So

from the science perspective, you take

it apart, step-by-step, until you reach

the nanoscale; and then, of course,

once you understand it, you put every-

thing back layer by layer, and go back

into the micro- and macroscale." ■

US PatentOn October 26, 2004, US Patent#6,808,760 was issued to Woo Y. Lee;Yi-Feng Su; Limin He; and Justin

Daniel Meyer; titled, A Method forpreparing .alpha.-dialuminum trioxidenanotemplates.

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCHIn the Realm

of the Very Small

In the popular mind, and sometimes in popular science writing, nano- andmicrotechnology are often used interchangeably to describe very different

phenomena. Professor Frank Fisher explains the distinction.

"The most straightforward difference is the feature size," says Fisher.

"Microtechnology typically refers to feature sizes on the order of one micron,

whereas nanotechnology refers to feature sizes on the order of a nanometer.

To put that into perspective: The width of a human hair is about 100 microns. In

nanotechnology, on the other hand, we’re interested in exploiting novel phenome-

na that happen on the nanoscale. So it’s a distinction between miniaturization ver-

sus taking advantage of novel properties that are available below the microscale."

"The first direction that we went, as we started looking at microdevices, really

evolved from microchip technology," says Associate Dean of Engineering Keith

Sheppard. "The techniques that were developed to create different layers on the

surface of silicon, particularly for chips, which typically involve adding layers or

etching layers or changing the properties of surfaces – those same technologies

have then been directed to making devices."

continued on next page

Recent Reflections and Revelations by Dr. Woo Y. Lee

By Patrick A.Berzinski

As I have continued my CVD research atUnited Technologies Research Center, OakRidge National Laboratory and Stevensfor the past 15 years, I have encounteredsome fascinating nanoscale phenomena.

For example, recently graduated Ph.D.candidate, Dr. Hao Li, in my researchgroup observed that tetragonal ZrO2 (t-ZrO2) grains of about 35 nm in radiusundergo martensitic transformation tomonoclinic ZrO2 (m-ZrO2) at a tempera-ture of 1100ºC, when the t-ZrO2 grainsgrow to be larger than this critical sizedue to the thermodynamic reason sum-marized in Figure 1a. We discovered thatthis size-dependent phase transformationcauses delamination within the ZrO2 coat-ing near the coating/substrate interface,and consequently provides a unique weakinterface mechanism which can be usedto produce damage-tolerant fiber-rein-forced ceramic matrix composites. In

another example, a graduate student, Dr.

Yi-Feng Su, observed that α-Al2O3 (sap-phire) grains present in a thin-film formcan grow laterally, abnormally, andincredibly at temperatures about 950ºCbelow the melting point of α-Al2O3, aslong as the film is thinner than 100 nm(Figure 2b). We also demonstrated thatthe abnormally grown α-Al2O3 filmincreases the oxidation life of a singlecrystal Ni-based superalloy used inadvanced gas turbines by five-times.These examples show how nanoscalephenomena can provide enabling building blocks for making useful multi-scale structures that are relevant to thehuman scale.

"Nano-Micro" Integration

About 4 years ago, I initiated a newresearch effort in microreactors for sever-al reasons. First, after receiving mytenure, I wanted to expand my researchhorizon beyond CVD. Second, I was intel-lectually driven by the recognition ofcomplex surface-fluidic interactions that

are present in microreactors (just like inCVD) because of their high surface-to-vol-ume ratios and the technological need tocontrol these interactions for rationalmicroreactor design. Third, as I justbecame Chair of the newly mergedDepartment of Chemical and MaterialsEngineering, I envisioned that microreac-tors could provide a common engineeringplatform for synergistically integratingindividual faculty research interests andmotivations. Fourth, I foresaw that wewere able to compete in some majorfunding opportunities due to the strongpresence of chemical, defense, pharma-ceutical and microsystems industries inour region and their growing interests inthe emerging microreactor technology.

Through collaborative work with my col-leagues, Professors Ronald Besser,Suphan Koven and Adeniyi Lawal, andwith strong support from our partnerorganizations such as ARDEC-Picatinny,Bristol-Myers Squibb, FMC, Lucent-BellLabs and Sarnoff, this effort has grownfrom a small internal seed project to theestablishment of the New Jersey Centerfor MicroChemical Systems(www.stevens.edu/njcmcs). My contribu-tion to this team effort is to explore newways to design, control, and make "verysmall" surface structures as an integralpart of fabricating "small" microreactors.For example, Mr. Honwei Qiu, a Ph.D.candidate, in my research group, is inves-tigating self-assembly infiltration methodsto deposit a layer of close-packed micros-pheres (Figure 2a) as a potential means ofintegrating catalyst particles into microre-actors with help from Professor Svetlana

Sukhishvili and her expertise in polyelec-trolytes. Mr. Haibao Chen, another Ph.D.candidate, is experimenting with 3-dimen-sional cellular structures (Figures 2b and2c) which can be directly infiltrated as net-

11

Mr. Justin Meyer, a Ph.D. candidate and a

co-inventor of the nanotemplate patent

Figure 1. Two examples of nanoscale behavior: (a) critical particle radius below which

t-ZrO2 phase can be stabilized due to the lower surface energy of t-ZrO2 over that of

m-ZrO2 as a function of deposition temperature and (b) abnormal grain growth rate of

α-Al2O3 as a function of film thickness at 1100ºC. Research sponsored by the National

Science Foundation and the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

Figure 2. Self-assembled structures for multiscale integration with microreactors: (a) asingle layer of 500 nm SiO2 spheres electrostatically attached to an Si surface usingpolyelectrolytes, (b) interconnected cellular structure formed from an inverse template ofself-assembled and partially sintered 15 µm polystryne spheres infiltrated into an Simicroreactor, and (c) the skeleton phase of the cellular structure consisting of partiallysintered 500 nm SiO2 spheres. Research sponsored by the New Jersey Commission onScience and Technology, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Department of Energy.

continued on next page

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH IN THE REALM OF THE VERY SMALL

a b

a b c

ing this article, our graduate students are traveling toNewark to learn how to grow Staphylococcus epidermidisbacteria in Prof. Kaplan’s laboratory.

I am very excited by this interdisciplinary collaborativeeffort. As our region is the center of the global health careeconomy, I look forward to developing extensive researchand educational collaborations that leverage the excitinginitiatives we are engaged in at Stevens as we push outthe "nano-micro-bio" frontier. I can be reached at:wlee@stevens.edu. ■

12

shape structural elements into microreactors using poly-meric and ceramic microspheres as key building blocks.

With my collaborators, we are evaluating these new struc-tures for controlling and improving microreactor perform-

ance for miniaturized chemical, fuel cell, and pharmaceuticalsystem applications.

Importance of Bio in "Nano-Micro-Bio"

I admit that I was somewhat skeptical about the relevance ofnanotechnology, based on my initial estimate of the potential

return on the federal government’s investment in nanotechnolo-gy. This view has changed over the past several years, as I read

about human physiology, cell biology, and biological transportphenomena in conjunction with the implementation of our new

Biomedical Engineering program. From my recent understandingof cells (as super-intelligent nanostructure factories) and proteins(as ultimate nanostructures), I began to see some exciting integra-tion points that may link my past, current, and future researchactivities. Also, through my participation in various workshops

sponsored by theNational Academies, theKeck Foundation, theNational ScienceFoundation, and theNational Institute ofHealth, I was profoundlyinfluenced by someremarkable progressbeing made in the bio-medical research com-munity with emergingmicrosystem and nan-otechnology tools.

As my view was drastically evolving, I came across an interesting"nano-micro-bio" research topic last October: microbial infectionsof implanted medical devices which constitute an ever increasingthreat to human health with significant clinical and economic con-sequences. In most infections, bacteria attach to the surfaces ofindwelling medical devices (such as intravascular catheters, cere-brospinal fluid shunts, aortofemoral grafts, intraocular lenses, pros-thetic cardiac valves, cardiac pacemakers, and prosthetic joints) byforming adherent and cooperative communities known as biofilms.Bacteria in a biofilm are well protected from host defenses andantibiotics, making most biofilm infections difficult to treat withconventional antibiotics which have been developed assuming theplanktonic state of bacteria. I have become interested in the topicbecause of similar issues at a methodological level betweenbiofilms and the "physical" thin-films of my previous research,while recognizing the greater complexity of biofilms due to the "living" aspects of microorganism communities.

Prof. Matt Libera, who has a somewhat different scientific perspec-tive, Prof. Jeff Kaplan, a microbiologist at the University ofMedicine and Dentistry– NJ, and I are working on a long-term planto design and build microreactors with 3-dimensional nanoscalesurface elements and patterns that will: (1) emulate physiologicallyrelevant micro-environments and (2) increase the predictive capa-bility of "in vitro" investigations of cell-material and cell-cell inter-actions in reference to "in vivo" and clinical studies. We foreseethat this type of new "in vitro" microreactors can be instrumental inthe rapid development of rational therapeutic delivery strategiesfor treating a variety of infectious and other diseases. As I am writ-

...nano-micro-bio continued

Mr. Haibiao Chen, Dr. Lee’s Ph.D. candidate

Mr. Hongwei Qiu, a Ph.D. candidate in Lee's group

Dr. Lucie Bednarova, and Dr.Yi-Feng Su, co-inventor of the nanotem-

plate are both Dr. Lee’s Postdoctoral Research Associates

He is a co-inventor of the microchannelspatial light modulator, membrane-mir-ror light shutters based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), anoptical bistable device, and charge-transfer plate spatial light modulators.

Warde grew up on the small Caribbeanisland of Barbados. His parentsdemanded excellence in school butgave him lots of freedom and supportto engage his inquisitive mind outsidethe classroom. By age 16, he had con-verted his father's unused carpenter'sshop into a chemistry and physics labo-ratory, and with high school friends, helaunched homemade rockets (with miceaboard) from the beach near his home.Fortunately, he says, none escapedearth's gravity and most of the micewere freed when the rockets crashed.

After high school, Warde boarded aplane for the United States. He receiveda bachelor's degree in physics fromStevens in 1969, where he was also amember of the varsity soccer team. Hispassion for physics continued at YaleUniversity where he earned his Master’sand Ph.D. degrees in 1971 and 1974.

While at Yale, Warde invented a newinterferometer that worked at nearabsolute zero temperature in order tomeasure the refractive index and thick-ness of solid oxygen films. This experi-ence stimulated his keen interest inoptics and optical engineering. After

Yale, he joined MIT’s faculty of ElectricalEngineering and Computer Science asan Assistant Professor.

At MIT, Warde's interest shifted towardengineering the applications of optics.He became involved with other facultyin the development of devices forenhancing the performance of opticalatmospheric (wireless) communicationsystems to improve communicationperformance in inclement weather, andphotorefractive materials for real-timeholography and optical computing. Todate, he has published over a hundredtechnical papers on optical materials,devices and systems.

Today, Warde's research is focused ondeveloping the optical neural-networkco-processors that are expected toendow the next generation of PCs withrudimentary brain-like processing;transparent liquid-crystal microdisplaysfor display eyeglasses and novel cellu-lar phones; membrane-mirror-basedspatial light modulators for opticalswitching and projection displays; andspectro-polarimetric imaging sensorsfor remote-sensing applications.

Warde is also an entrepreneur. In 1982,he founded Optron Systems, Inc., acompany that develops electro-opticand MEMS displays, light shutters andmodulators for optical signal process-ing systems. Later, he co-foundedRadiant Images, Inc., which manufac-

tures transparent liquid-crys-tal microdisplays for digitalcamera viewfinders, portabletelecommunications devices,and display eyeglasses.

Dr. Warde is also dedicated toworking with Caribbean gov-ernments and organizations tohelp stimulate economic devel-opment. He lectures through-out the Caribbean at scientificand government meetings onthe role of technology and edu-cation reform. Also, for the lastdecade, Warde has mentoredstudents in the NetworkProgram of the New EnglandBoard of Higher Education,whose mission is to motivateand encourage minority youthto consider majoring in sci-ence and engineering and topursue careers in thesefields. He has received anumber of awards and hon-ors, including theRenaissance Science andEngineering Award fromStevens in 1996, and cur-rently serves on Stevens’Board of Trustees. ■

DR. CARDINAL WARDE ’69:MICROSYSTEMS ENTREPRENEUR

Dr. Cardinal Warde, a professor of electrical engineering at MIT, is consid-

ered one of the world's leading experts on materials, devices and systems

for optical information processing. Warde holds ten key patents on spatial

light modulators, displays, and optical information processing systems.

Dr. Cardinal Warde

By Patrick A. Berzinski

13

SSOEHERITAGE

Coach Singer, Cardinal Warde (bottom row center) and the

1968 Soccer Team, the Tech Booters.

Cardinal Warde, 1969

STEPHEN T. BOSWELL ’89 AND ’91STEPHEN T. BOSWELL ’89 AND ’91AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CIVIC LEADER

by Roberta McAlmon

Dr. Boswell, a highlysuccessful entrepre-

neur, is an alumnusand trustee of

Stevens. He has pur-sued an illustrious

career in business,assuming leadershiproles in entrepreneurialendeavors that bringcredit to himself and theInstitute. And his generosi-ty to Stevens and the com-munity-at-large has beenenormous. He has dedicatedhis ingenuity and leadershipto advancing the educationof our students and develop-ing environmental technolo-gies that benefit our society.

Stephen Boswell began hiscareer as President and CEO ofBoswell Engineering. Under hisdirection, the firm designed andengineered the construction ofhundreds of miles of roads,highways and bridges through-out the northeastern UnitedStates. Dr. Boswell has alsoauthored numerous environmen-tal impact statements and wet-lands reports. His doctoralresearch proposed a novelmethod for removing volatileorganic chemical contaminantsand radon from groundwater.Since 1993, he has served as anadvisory board member toStevens’ Center forEnvironmental Systems.

For many years, Dr. Boswell hasalso shared his knowledge, timeand experience with Stevens’Civil Engineering Department.His dedication to the studentshas been extraordinary and hismentoring - invaluable. BoswellEngineering was one of thefirst industry sponsors of asenior design project. Thecompany has also been veryactive in the CooperativeEducation Program and hasemployed many of Stevens’graduates. In appreciation of

their support and through gifts madein their honor, the Stephen and Karen

Boswell Scholarship Fund was recent-ly established to support the educa-tional aspirations of Stevens’ CivilEngineering majors.

Over the years, his generous andpublic-spirited endeavors include, thedonation of engineering services forthe construction of school play-grounds, public parks and the expan-sion of facilities at Stevens.

In addition, Boswell has receivednumerous awards including: theAmerican Council of EngineeringCompanies’ Community Service

Award; the American Society of CivilEngineers’ North Jersey BranchService to the People Award; and theNJ Society of Professional Engineers’Engineer of the Year Award.

In recognition of his many years ofpublic service in civil and environ-mental engineering, his entrepreneur-ial accomplishments, his community-minded efforts to improve the qualityof life for his neighbors and the pub-lic, and his distinguished service toStevens, Dr. Boswell recentlyreceived the 2004 Charles V. Schaefer,

Jr. Entrepreneur Award. This award ispresented to individuals like Dr. Boswell who embody Schaefer’sentrepreneurial and leadership spirit.

Dr. Boswell resides in Wyckoff, N.J.,with his wife Karen and their daugh-ter, Kristen, who is pursuing an engi-neering degree at Duke University

–––––––––––––––---------------------------------------–––––––-

Roberta McAlmon is a writer living in Convent Station, N.J.

In recognition of his many years of public service in civil andenvironmental engineering, his entrepreneurial accomplish-ments, his community-minded efforts to improve the qualityof life for his neighbors and the public, and his distinguishedservice to Stevens, Dr. Boswell recently received the 2004 Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. Entrepreneur Award.

SSOEHERITAGE

14

Following the appearance in 2004 of theLiam Neeson film "Kinsey," with its portrayalof Stevens Institute of Technology in theearly 20th century, some note was taken ofAlfred S. Kinsey (father of the famous AlfredC.), who was employed for many years as a"professor of shop practice." It can be saidthat the elder Kinsey, whose son spent several years at Stevens before moving onto other disciplines, established a traditionof hands-on machining at the Institute thatcontinues to this day.

Kinsey began working at Stevens at the ageof 15 in 1886 as a machinist’s helper. Aftergraduating from Cooper Union in 1890, heworked in the Department of Tests for 18years, and obtained his teaching position inshop practice under Professor David S.

Jacobus. More remarkably, in 1908 heexpanded and modernized the course onshop practice in the then-new CarnegieMechanical Laboratory. He also wrote acomplete textbook in shop practice for engi-neering students that was used by theyoung Alexander Calder, a 1919 Stevensgraduate, and by several generations offreshmen. Among the machining disciplinescovered in the text were pattern-making inmetal, founding and casting, lathing, punching and heavy-duty drilling.

After Kinsey retired in 1941, machiningbecame gradually less central to the fresh-

man curriculum, and "the shop" was decen-tralized into five or six separate shops, eachserving a different academic department.

Still, on a recent visit to Stevens, award-win-ning author Richard Reeves recalled hisindoctrination in the late 1950s into numer-ous machining skills, including, notably,glass-blowing. (Asked if he had preservedany examples of his student work, Reeveswas quick to respond: "Of course not!")

By the early 1990s, when Dr. Arthur Shapiro

served as Stevens’ provost, the variousmachine shops had become fairly neglectedfacilities, run mostly by octogenarians usingancient equipment. "For a school this size,"said Shapiro, "having five or six shopsseemed a little inefficient and they took up alot of scarce space." In 1992, the decisionwas made to recentralize all of the shopsback into one location as the InstituteMachine Shop in the basement of theBurchard Building, directed by George

Wohlrab. "The Institute Machine Shop’s mission," says Wohlrab, "is to enrich Stevenswith a high-precision manufacturing capabil-ity focused mainly on academic tasks. It wasalso designed to provide students with ashort, but fundamental, background of whata machine shop can do and how to use itsresources."

Since 1993, the success of the MachineShop’s academic programs has broughtmany customers to its doors. Today, students from many departments are trainedby George Wohlrab and Joe Vaspol. Coursesin Senior Design and Design III in the Schoolof Engineering, in the New York Universityexchange program, and in the PhysicsDepartment SKIL Program use the excellentfacilities found in the Institute Shop. "Georgeand Joe are two of the great problem-solvers," said Shapiro, who is also a sculptorof note in the Calder tradition. "Though mystudio is off-campus, I still like to drop bythe shop frequently to discuss technicalideas and possibilities."

Damien Marianucci ’03 and a graduate stu-dent in Physics, said, "Over the summer of2004, I worked alongside George and Joe todesign and construct a vacuum chamber toreevaluate Rutherford’s ScatteringExperiment, as a project for the PhysicsDepartment commissioned by Stevensalumnus and writer, Richard Reeves.

I learned skills that were invaluable and thatset me apart from others in my field."

Senior Mechanical Engineering studentKeith Yzquierdo attests: "Standing back andlooking at something you have created,knowing that its dimensions are within 0.001inches of those specified – the feeling ofaccomplishment is unparalleled."

First-year Electrical Engineering student Kyle

Mulligan sums up the experience of manystudents: "Mr. Wohlrab said that working inthe machine shop would give me vital experience that I could take with me throughany career I pursued. What I have learnedhas been exceptional. Each day I pick up anew skill or learn a better way of doingsomething…I am going out for Co-op in thefall and my experience in the Machine Shopwill give me an edge over others."

A tradition begun early in the last centurycontinues to enrich the educational experi-ence and to serve the broader community atthe beginning of the new century. ■

In the Shop:A SHORT HISTORY OF MACHINING AT STEVENS

By Patrick A. Berzinski

15

Joe Vaspol

George Wohlrab and Dr. Lucie Bednarova

Through the generous support of the ClareBoothe Luce Program, two undergraduatewomen at Stevens have achieved anesteemed designation as Clare Boothe LuceScholars. These merit-based scholarships areawarded through a competitive selectionprocess to outstanding engineering majorsinterested in academic careers. "These schol-arships will help these accomplished youngwomen complete their last two years ofundergraduate studies and encourage theirparticipation in research and graduate school,"said Susan Metz, Executive Director ofStevens’ Lore-El Center for Women inEngineering and Science. "Stevens is mostinterested in new scholarships for engineeringstudents, since engineering continues to bethe field with the greatest under-representa-tion of women."

One of the two Luce Scholars is Tracey Ryan, aresident of Westfield, N.J. In her junior year,she is studying biomedical engineering andmaintains a 3.69 average. Tracey will bereceiving both a Bachelor of Engineeringdegree and a Master’s degree in EngineeringManagement with a Graduate Certificate inPharmaceutical Manufacturing Practices infour years – a highly notable accomplishment.Tracey plans to pursue a doctorate and getinvolved in biomedical engineering research.She explains, "My main goal in life is simplyto help others. If I can contribute to medicallyhelping just one individual, my life will havebeen a success."

On campus, she is involved in a plethora ofactivities. These include: the ScholarsProgram; the Biomedical Engineering Society,as the chapter’s first President; the Phi SigmaSigma International Sorority; the Society ofWomen Engineers; the International Society ofPharmaceutical Engineers; the AmbassadorsClub; Peer Mentoring; and representative tothe Association of Independent Colleges andUniversities of New Jersey.

Jennifer Kurucz resides in Port Reading, N.J.She has a 3.67 average and is majoring inComputer Engineering. Jennifer participates inthe Stevens Co-operative Education Programand is going into her fourth year at Stevens.She has worked for Colgate Palmolive onthree consecutive Co-op assignments, demon-strating how much the company values hertalents. Recently, she completed an assign-ment with United Parcel Service and will bereturning there in the summer. "By workingfor UPS, I have grown both technically andprofessionally and have experienced anotherside of engineering," said Jennifer.

At one time, Jennifer was interested in joininga sorority, but when the one she chose turnedher down, she decided to devote all of herextra time to the Society of HispanicProfessional Engineers. Although she is not aLatina, she finds the warmth, community, anddiversity of this organization enormously satisfying and has been an active student volunteer for their Eastern and NationalConferences. ■

Tracey Ryan and JenniferKurucz (top)

LUCE SCHOLARS:LUCE SCHOLARS: TRACEY RYAN AND JENNIFER KURUCZ

In December, Lisa Ditto, a Civil Engineering senior, receivedthe Henry J. Shotmeyer Scholarship. This scholarship isawarded to selected Civil Engineering undergraduate stu-dents based on academic merit, financial need, and accom-plishments in Civil Engineering.

Lisa’s many awards include: the 2004 Moles' ScholarshipAward, Edwin A. Stevens Society Honorary MembershipAward; Henry J. Shotmeyer Scholarship; ACECScholarship; Construction Industry Advancement ProgramScholarship Award; Terminal Construction Scholarship;Edwin A. Stevens Scholarship; and Women inEngineering Scholarship.

Consistently on the Dean’s List, Lisa is also a TeachingAssistant and has interned at Port Authority of NY/NJ,URS Corporation, and Langan Engineering &Environmental Services. She is also involved in severalcampus activities including: Delta Phi Epsilon

International Sorority, ChiEpsilon (National CivilEngineering Honor Society),Tau Beta Pi (NationalEngineering Honor Society),Gear & Triangle Society, andthe Senior Week PlanningCommittee.

Currently, Lisa is working onher senior design project withfellow team members James

DeMarco, James Myers, andAdam Yoda. They are workingon the design of an inlet structure for their sponsor, the DukeFarms Foundation. This structure will control flow into theDead River from its main water source, the Raritan River.During moderate to heavy storms, the area experiences

Shotmeyer Scholar: Lisa DittoBy Dr. Leslie Brunell

SSOESTUDENTSINFOCUS

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Annual Event - Senior Design Day April 27, 2005 • Noon to 2pmSchaefer Athletic Center - Canavan Arena

This annual event gives the senior undergraduate engineering students anopportunity to showcase their design projects to the Stevens community, sponsors, and the general public.

significant flooding due to the substantial amount of debris at the face of the cul-vert opening. The students’ project will prevent debris from entering the DeadRiver thereby eliminating the blockages at the downstream historical culvert.

Without an existing control structure or topographic data, the team surveyed thearea, created a model of the existing conditions of the Dead River and developedtwo designs for the inlet structure. During their December presentation, DukeFarms chose one of the two designs and this spring semester, the students willbe designing, from scratch, a stone arch culvert with a debris barrier that will alsoserve as a walkway, allowing pedestrian and vehicle passage.

In May, Lisa will be graduating with a Bachelor's of Engineering, and is currentlypursuing a Master’s of Civil Engineering. ■

InnertCHILL:Overclocking made easyThe InnertCHILL System Cooler is anambitious student-created and -runresearch and design project, initiallydeveloped to satisfy the Senior Designrequirements for students enrolled in theSchool of Engineering. However, since itsinception, it has turned into much more."The basic idea is to create a new type ofcooling system for personal computers,implementing a chilled, electrically inertliquid, spraying through jet impingementheads at the major heat producing ele-ments of a common computer," saysProject Leader Matthew Swartout. "Weintend for it to be stable, safe, and able towork with any commercial off-the-shelfproduct available on the market," saysBusiness Plan Director Tim Alexander.

The project, advised by Professors Hamid

Hadim from Mechanical Engineering,Nader Mohamed from Electrical andComputer Engineering, and Bernard

Skown from Business and Technology,and sponsored by 3M Corporation, cameto fruition with a working prototype at theend of the spring 2005 school semester.

Swartout is a USAF cadet in his fourthyear at Stevens studying ElectricalEngineering, with a continuing interest incommercial computer hardware, modifi-cations, cooling methods and overclock-

ing. He gained experience in develop-mental engineering through work atScience Applications InternationalCorporation in his freshman and sopho-more years. Matthew is currently an editor at a popular computer hardware website.

Alexander is in his fifth year as aBusiness & Technology major. His expert-ise lies in project management, market-ing, and market research. Tim has builtvarious connections in the entertainmentindustry, and has strengthened his man-agement skills by creating a successfulconcert production organization on cam-pus as well as producing various fund-raisers and comedy events. He hasinterned at Muze, Inc., and worked as anAgent Assistant at the CentralEntertainment Group, both located inNew York City.

Other members of the InnertCHILL project team include Peter Micchelli

(Electronics), a fifth year student studyingElectrical Engineering; Andrew Dullas

and Dan Furey (Mechanics), students intheir fourth year studying MechanicalEngineering; and John-Paul Kosmyna

(Software), a fifth year student studyingComputer Science. ■

The HeliOSProjectFor their senior design project, nine studentsadvised by Professor

Bruce McNair in theElectrical andComputer EngineeringDepartment at Stevensand Professor Ken

Perlin of New YorkUniversity, are design-ing a system to enablean electric radio controlled helicopter to hoverautonomously. The goal of the system is toavoid the use of GPS for position reference,which will allow the system to operate in areasthat most other autonomous systems cannot.To accomplish this, the system uses on-boardcameras and machine-learning algorithms inaddition to the traditional suite of analog sen-sors. The design team hopes to achieve stable

hover by Design Day;they see their work asa cornerstone uponwhich future studentscan build. They havealso started a "RemoteControlled Flight Club"advised by McNair

through the Stevens SGA, and they fly microRC helicopters in Walker Gymnasium everyFriday afternoon. A groupof underclassmen havealready expressed interest intaking over the project andthe club next year.Ultimately, the team wouldlike to see the project compete in theInternational Aerial Robotics Competition inwhich some of the premier engineering schoolsin the country participate.

The HeliOS Project Members:

Sensor System TeamSteven HakusaWilliam LemChristian PullaKarl Schmidt

Guidance & Control Team

Oliver KennedyRayad KhanEton KwokJason PoulosHesham Wahbah

Working withProfessor Matthew

Libera, graduate stu-dent Peter Krsko’s

main research interestis the patterning of

bioactive hydrogels onsurfaces in order to care-

fully control the interac-tions between synthetic

materials and physiologicalsystems. Together, they havea patent pending entitled"Patterned Polymer Micro-geland Method of FormingSame."

"Patterning of biological moleculeson micro- and nano-scales isincreasingly essential to high-throughput proteomic arrays,biosensor, and studies of cell adhe-sion," says Krsko. "Knowledge ofcell-material interaction mecha-nisms and a better understandingof extra-cellular and intra-cellularphenomena during the adhesion ofcells on biomaterials will help inthe development of new biocom-patible materials."

Various methods have been devel-oped to place the molecules onthe surface directly or indirectly."Electron-beam patterning hasbeen traditionally used in the ICindustry," says Krsko, "butbecause of its high resolution,ability to generate arbitrary pat-tern and to chemically modifythe irradiated material, I use it

to control surface structure and chem-istry at length-scales ranging acrossboth the nano- and microscales. “Thebiologically relevant polymers can beused as resins and subsequently astemplates for adsorption and covalentbinding of proteins and directed cellgrowth.”

"Besides serving as a technique for sci-entific research," he says, "it can alsobe used for producing creative micro-and nano-masterpieces." Peter tinkerswith all of the instruments in their laband uniquely uses the scanning elec-tron microscope to create a micro-stencil which controls the adhesion ofproteins and living cells that becomethe "paint" of the resulting image.Besides just looking at small things, hecreates small images - the smalleststencil art in the world. Krsko’s work inthe micro- and nanophotography ofinsects has been exhibited in DeBaunAuditorium and the New BrunswickPublic Library.

Peter Krsko started at Stevens in 1998and received a B.S. and M.S. inApplied Physics. While working in Dr.Libera's Lab, the research became sointeresting that he decided to stay forhis Ph.D. studies.

PETER KRSKO:MICRO-VOYAGER

SSOESTUDENTSINFOCUS

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"What else could I say? I really enjoy this researchbecause it's truly interdisciplinary work. I don't studyjust one science field…there are problems to figure outand I learn everything that I need to achieve the solu-tion…physics, polymer chemistry and cell biology."

An example of patterned protein on glass surface. Our technology allowsus to transform any grey scale image (A) into a surface with controlled distribution of protein (B). Various shades of green correspond to differentconcentrations of protein.

HydroGlobe, a Technogenesis® environmentaltechnology company incubated at Stevens,which produces patented products for the

removal of heavy metals from water, including lead and arsenic has been acquired byGraver Technologies, a leading manufacturer of filtration and separation products.

HydroGlobe was founded in 2000 by three professors based on research conducted atthe Center for Environmental Systems (CES), directed by Dr. Christos Christodoulatos.The other founders include Dr. George P. Korfiatis (CES founding director and Dean ofthe Schaefer School of Engineering) and Dr. Xiaoguang Meng, CES Director ofTechnical and Academic Development.

"This is a validation of our philosophy at Stevens, real-world solutions can be foundfor major real-world problems through technology innovation," said StevensPresident Harold J. Raveché. "The Technogenesis philosophy holds that innovation isthe key to enriching the marketplace and creating new kinds of employment…this isexactly what we are seeing with the acquisition of HydroGlobe."

Jon K. Miller joins the Center for Maritime Systems as a Research Associate. Miller's major research inter-ests include coastal processes, storm response, shoreline modeling, and remote sensing. Miller received a2003 Fulbright Fellowship to continue his doctoral research on large-scale shoreline changes at the Universityof Queensland, Australia. Miller earned his doctorate and master's degree in Coastal Engineering from theUniversity of Florida, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from Stevens.

Yinian Zhu received his B.Sc. degree in physical chemistry from Zhongshan University, China, and his M.Phil.& D.Phil. degrees in electrical and electronics engineering from Rand Afrikaans University, South Africa. He iscurrently working as a post-doctoral Research Associate in the Department of Chemical, Biomedical, andMaterials Engineering at Stevens. From 1982 to 1987, he was a teaching assistant and lecturer with WuhanUniversity of Technology, China and from 1987 to 1997, he was a senior research engineer with ShanghaiElectric Cable Research Institute, China. Zhu was also a visiting research engineer with the Laboratory forLightwave Technology at Brown University. His research interests are primarily in fiber Bragg gratings, long-period gratings, photonic crystal fibers, and rare earths doped optical fibers, as well as their applications insensing systems and optical fiber communications.

Brian J. Sauser joins the Department of Systems Engineering and Engineering Management as a ResearchAssistant Professor. Sauser earned his doctorate in Technology Management at Stevens and a Master ofScience degree in Bioresource Engineering at Rutgers University. He has also received advanced training inTechnology Assessment, as well as in Commercialization and Marketing Technologies, at the Robert C. ByrdNational Technology Transfer Center. He also participated in the NASA Advanced Project ManagementTraining Program at the NASA Academy of Program and Project Learning.

John T. Boardman is an accomplished senior executive in academic and management consultancy with prac-tical experience in functional management and consulting projects. He joins SSoE as a Distinguished ServiceProfessor. Boardman also has broad experience in corporate-level academic policy making, innovation management, fiscal management, and decision-making. He is an experienced consultant and acclaimedexpert in collaborative project design and management. He has planned and led numerous large-scale academic/industry collaborative RTD initiatives. He successfully initiated and nurtured the establishment ofan entirely new School of Systems Engineering at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Boardman holds a doctoral degree from University of Liverpool, UK.

On October 5, 2004, US Patent #6,801,131 was awarded to Dr. Dimitri Donskoy and Dr. Nikolay Sedunov for a"device and method for detecting insects in structures," utilizing a plurality of transceivers, each of which gener-ates separate and distinct microwave signals and receives separate and distinct signals reflected from a structurebeing tested.

On November 16, 2004, US Patent #6,818,193 was awarded to Dr. Christos Christodoulatos; Dr. George P. Korfiatis;Richard Crowe; Dr. Erich E. Kunhardt; Plasmasol Corporation; and Stevens Institute of Technology for a "Segmentedelectrode capillary discharge, non-thermal plasma apparatus and process for promoting chemical reactions."

GENERATING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTYFACULTYINFOCUS

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SSOE NEW ARRIVALS

CES-HydroGlobe Prize

The three co-inventors of the patented technologythat goes into the HydroGlobe/Graver products(and now also a home filter product) have estab-lished a new prize for entrepreneurial juniors andseniors at Stevens. The award has been endowedby Professors Christodoulatos, Korfiatis andMeng, with proceeds from the sale of theTechnogenesis company that they founded.

The annual award will be given to a student orstudent team that presents an idea or inventionjudged to have a high probability of commercialapplication. Finalists will be determined by acommittee consisting of the founding donors, oneStevens Trustee (Jerald M. Wigdortz ’69) and onefaculty member from the School of TechnologyManagement (Dr. Audrey Curtis) and the Schoolof Sciences and Arts (Dr. Kurt Becker).

From IP to the Marketplace: HydroGlobe

The Design & Manufacturing Institute (DMI) integrates intelligent product design, materials processing, and manufacturing expertise with modern software and embedded technologies fordefense and commercial applications. DMI’s researchers are focusing on systems-level researchdealing with complex military and commercial systems with embedded intelligence, humaninteraction and command and control functions. "DMI is working on a spectrum of technologieswith applications to military systems," said Dr. Kishore Pochiraju. "We are collaborating with thePicatinny Arsenal and the Air Force Research Laboratory in developing intelligent electromechan-ical systems and engineered material systems." DMI is working with Picatinny on developingintegration methodologies for complex, intelligent and interactive systems; with the Air ForceResearch Laboratory, Penn State and Boeing under the MEANS (Materials Engineering forAffordable New Systems) Program on the design of lightweight structural materials for hightemperature applications and with Marotta Controls, a NJ valve manufacturing company, ondeveloping lightweight and affordable valve bodies for highly corrosive environments seen incommercial and US Navy applications. ■

Stevens Instrumental in Lightweight Armor Development

for Operation Iraqi Freedom

The Design and Manufacturing Institute’s team of engineers and scientists worked with the US Army ArmamentResearch, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) in the rapid design and development of a lightweightarmor protection system for the Stryker Armored Vehicle. DMI’s work was instrumental in the evaluation and selection of material systems and integrated product and process design for the lightweight armor system."This armor system provides soldiers with critical protection not currently available on Stryker vehicles," saidDMI’s Lead Project Engineer, Mr.Thomas Kiel, "Advanced lightweight material developments along with rapidsystems engineering and prototyping have enabled the Stevens/ARDEC team to provide a technologicallyadvanced system within a significantly compressed timeframe."

Building a Future of Complex, Intelligent and Interactive Systems

• $50,000 from the AT&T Foundation to support "Research & Innovation inEngineering Education (RIEE): Creating an Environment of Excellence in Teaching &Learning at Stevens." Dr. Ken Bain, author of "What the Best College Teachers Do,"kicked off the RIEE AT&T Distinguished Speaker Series in January, attended by 75Stevens faculty.

• $254,996 in four grants from the NJ Department of Education and school districtpartners to improve mathematics achievement in Piscataway, Passaic, and Elizabeththrough teacher professional development programs and classroom support in theuse of technology-based curriculum materials in middle school mathematics.

• $81,548 from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for curricu-lum development and online/face-to-face teacher training for the CT Air Quality/Clean School Bus project.

"We have seen dramatic increases in students’ science achievement scores—averag-ing 10% growth sustained over three years—in those schools that worked withStevens in the (NJ High Technology Workforce) program. In fact, in 2004, sciencescores increased by almost 10% district-wide and by 20% in the participating schools.This demonstrates the value and impact of the CIESE training. As teachers becamemore facile with their computer skills and their ability to integrate real time projectsinto their teaching, the impact has, over time, added value." - Dr. Gayle W. Griffin,Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Newark Public Schools ■

The Stevens Data Visualizer was developed by Dov Kruger, Dr. Anne Pence, Joe Kilroy,

Steven Anastos and Elena Zagari at Stevens’ Center for Maritime Systems to display 4-dimensional computer-modeled results and realtime data for the NYHOPS (the New YorkHarbor Observation and Protection System – www.stevens.edu/maritimeforecast) andCMN (Coastal Monitoring Network) projects, under the direction of Professor Alan

Blumberg. In the future, they hope to add support for meteorological data, surroundingterrain and flybys, allowing the user to visualize data in the harbor in its real context. ■

CIESE, the Center for Innovation in Engineering & ScienceEducation, adds to their list of achievements:

Modeling an America's Cup Racer

A member of Stevens'Ocean Engineering fac-ulty is evaluating someof the computationaltools that will help theBMW Oracle (BOR) Teamperfect a winning vesseldesign for the 2007America's Cup race.

That faculty member is Professor Len Imas,a native of Forest Hills, Queens, who holdsa doctorate from MIT. Working in Stevens'Davidson Laboratory, Imas is an expert innumerical analysis of marine craft aero-hydrodynamics. He supports the BOR Teamby researching and assisting with the selec-tion of numerical simulation and visualiza-tion tools which may be used for evaluat-ing the team's IACC yacht concepts.

With the BOR Team's design well under-way, the excitement is mounting on allfronts. Prof. Imas is uniquely poised tooffer insights into the precise preparationsfor the America's Cup competition, as wellas into the advanced modeling technologythat helps create Cup-winning vessels - theoriginal of which, the yacht America,belonged to and was piloted by membersof the Stevens family in the 1850s. ■

FACULTY NEWS

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Stryker Armored Vehicle

High Temperature Space Applications

Rapid Composite Molding

FACULTY NEWSStevens Hosts Third Annual Conference

on Systems Engineering (SE) Research

On March 23-25,the SchaeferSchool ofEngineering, in

cooperation with the University of SouthernCalifornia, presented this year's conferencefocused on secure, intelligent network-cen-tric systems, andagile deploymentand developmentin the aerospace,defense, finance,banking, IT,telecommunica-tions, pharmaceutical, and healthcaredomains. Also, acting as a conferenceorganizer was the Air Force Center for SE ofthe Air Force Institute of Technology. Dr. Rashmi Jain, Chair of the TechnicalProgram, said, "Our objective was to providepractitioners and researchers in academia,

industry, and governmenta common platform topresent, discuss and influ-ence SE research with theintent to enhance SE practice and education."

Day One kicked off withremarks from Co-Chair Dr.

Dinesh Verma, Associate Dean and Dr. George P. Korfiatis, Dean of Engineering.The conference featured three keynoteaddresses by experts in the field of SE: Mr. Mark Schaeffer, Principal Deputy,Defense Systems, OSD (AT&L), and Directorof Systems Engineering, US Department ofDefense; Dr. John Boardman, DistinguishedService Professor, Stevens;and Mr. Kelly Miller, ChiefSystems Engineer, NationalSecurity Agency.

Original research paperswere delivered throughoutthe three-day conferenceaddressing the conception, design and architecting, development, modeling andsimulating, production, operation and sup-port of these systems; definition of metrics ofperformance and improvement methods;assessment and mitigation of risks; definitionof critical success factors; and best practices.

Dr. Rashmi Jain, StevensAssociate Professor, wasappointed Head ofResearch and Educationfor the InternationalCouncil on SystemsEngineering (INCOSE),comprised of more than5,000 members worldwide, and more than

40 Advisory Board members from govern-ment, industry, and academia. In this newrole, Dr. Jain will identify major educationand research initiatives such as: becoming aparticipating body for ABET Accreditation ofSE programs; forming an SE curriculumcommittee; creating a meaningful researchstrategy and an agenda for INCOSE; and creating a repository of SE research and educational resources. In this capacity, shewill also participate on the Academic Councilof INCOSE.

31st Annual Northeast Bioengineering

Conference Hosted by Stevens

The Spinal Cord Injury and Repair confer-ence was held at Stevens on April 2-3, 2005.Speakers presented an overview of the sub-ject, research at the cellular and molecularbiology level and clinical research on emerg-ing regenerative and prosthetic therapies.The conference included poster sessions andtalks in all areas of Biomedical Engineering.

Among the speakers: Dr. Noami Kleitman,Program Director, Extramural ResearchProgram, NIH, National Institute ofNeurological Diseases, Topic: Scientific andProgrammatic Overview of Spinal CordInjury; Dr. Herbert M. Geller, Head,Developmental Neurobiology, NIH; NationalHeart, Lung and Blood Institute, Topic: NeuralDevelopment and Regeneration after SCI;and Dr. P. Hunter Peckham, ExecutiveDirector, Cleveland Functional StimulationCenter at MetroHealth Medical Center andThe Louis Stokes Cleveland Department ofVeterans Affairs Medical Center andProfessor of Biomedical Engineering andOrthopedics at Case Western ReserveUniversity, Topic: Neural Prostheses

Dr.Yu-Dong Yao and histeam in collaboration withJackson State Universitywere awarded anUndergraduate ResearchProgram funded by theNational ScienceFoundation (NSF) where undergraduate students research and design integrated testbeds to develop software-defined radio andfrequency transmitters and receivers. Theirresearch aims to increase spectrum utiliza-tion significantly for both military and commercial applications. The projectincludes mentorship by experienced electri-cal engineering and computer science facultyincluding Co-PIs (Professor Bruce McNair

and Dr.Yan Meng), weekly presentations,seminars, and other professional develop-ment opportunities during a ten-week summer program at Stevens.

Drs.Yu-Dong Yao, Hong Man andYan Meng

are investigating the remote detection anddiagnosis of prostate cancer through Internetand wireless networks to provide prostatecancer screenings to men in rural and devel-oping countries. Funded by the US Army

Medical Research and Material Command,

they are taking advantage of the explosivedevelopment of telecommunications infra-structures and information processing technologies to develop techniques thatreduce the costs of telepathology throughcomputer-aided detection and diagnosis. By examining the roles of pathology,telepathology, medical imaging and therequirements of Internet and wireless systems in telepathology and teleconsulta-tion, they hope to provide significantadvances in the early detection of prostate cancer.

Stevens Forges Alliance in Ireland

On December 7, 2004 a cooperative agreement between Stevens and theInstitute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) inDublin, Ireland was signed by Dr. Tim

Creedon, Director of ITT and Dr. George P.

Korfiatis, Dean of Engineering at Stevens.The agreement leverages the strengths ofboth organizations towards the developmentof an educational initiative in the form of anInternational Center for PharmaceuticalEducation which will deliver technical education to the pharmaceutical/ health careindustry worldwide; including the delivery of online courses with remote/virtual experiments and joint faculty/studentsexchanges. ■Dr. Rashmi Jain

Scott Zederbaum, a Senior AccountManager for Tektronix, donated a $70KWCA380 real-time spectrum analyzer tothe Electrical andComputerEngineeringDepartment.Professor McNair

explained, "Thisdevice is a research tool that will also beused in education to examine RadioFrequency (RF) signals in the timedomain, the frequency domain, and alsoprovides the capability of exploring theinternal structure of cellular, PCS andother signals."

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Mr. Mark Schaeffer

Mr. Kelly Miller

Dr.Yu-Dong Yao

INFOCUSCharles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of EngineeringStevens Institute of TechnologyCastle Point on HudsonHoboken, N.J. 07030

Phone 201.216.5263 Fax 201.216.8909

www.soe.stevens.edu

SSSOE

Last year, the International Olympic

Committee (IOC) announced its

selection of five Candidate Cities for

the 2012 Games: London, Madrid,

Moscow, New York and Paris. NYC2012,

a committee started in 1994, leads

New York's quest for the Olympics.

To help win the bid, NYC2012’s planfor Olympic Sailing was designed toprovide the best possible conditionsfor Olympic and Paralympic Sailors.They worked with numerous expertsto acquire detailed meteorological andcurrent data to select a preliminarylocation for the Olympic Regatta. Aproposed Olympic Marina (modeledon the one in Sydney, Australia) wouldbe located off Breezy Point, a short 34-minute ferry ride from the proposed site of the Olympic Village.Olympic Class racing has never beenconducted in this area, so extensive

regional dataregarding theproposed sitewas integral towinning theOlympic bid.

Among theexperts soughtby NYC2012 wasDr. Alan F.

Blumberg of theCenter for

Maritime Systems (CMS) and theDepartment of Civil, Environmentaland Ocean Engineering. Dr. Blumbergis one of the world’s most respectedand experienced oceanographers withhis own Olympic sailing experience.During the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta,he assisted yachting teams by provid-ing regional wind, current, and waterlevel forecasting services at theSavannah, GA sailing area. Today, Dr.Blumberg leads the CMS’s UrbanOcean Observatory that maintains ahost of in-situ sensors and networkedcomputers with estuarine and coastalocean forecasting models, which auto-matically monitor and predict weatherand water conditions in the NY/NJHarbor and adjacent coastal areas(www.stevens.edu/maritimeforecast).

Dr. Blumberg visited the potential sailing venue off Rockaway, NY withthe IOC Evaluation Commission,answering questions on wind and current patterns and variabilities. Hebelieves that, "having the Games inthe NY area will enable Stevens toshine by using the accumulatedknowledge and experience of ourdiverse faculty in many different areas,from secure communications, to sen-sor development and network design,to information dissemination technology, and port security." ■

Olympic Sailing in 2012On July 6, 2005, the 117 membersof the IOC from 79 countries willvote on the host city for the 2012Games. For more informationplease contact:Joshua Jackson

Project Planning CoordinatorNYC20121 Liberty Plaza, 33rd FloorNew York, NY 10006http://www.nyc2012.com/

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