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Does our universe have a mirror anti-universe and could it reveal dark matter? – Syfy

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

Its one of those things you think about at 2 a.m. after a Twilight Zone marathon. Is there such a thing as a mirror universe, and, if there is, what would we see in the mirror?

This goes beyond just a mirror universe try an anti-universe. A new theory suggests the universe we live in has a sort of anti-universe running backwards in time, and it only gets weirder from there, because its existence could mean something floating around in this universe would make it possible to detect dark matter. That something is a subatomic particle known as a neutrino. What makes this particular (hypothetical) type of neutrino so intriguing is that it supposedly behaves like dark matter, and if it can be detected, minds will be blown.

The thought that actual experiments could determine the existence of matter we cannot see or feel seems unreal, but physicist Latham Boyle went there. There is a sort of symmetry in the universe that might mean there has to be an opposite mirror image. Boyle, of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, Canada, led a study, soon to be published in Annals of Physics, which explains how that symmetry can be used to illuminate dark matter.

In our theory, the Big Bang is a kind of exotic mirror, he told SYFY WIRE. In an ordinary mirror, it is as if the world on the other side has one of its spatial directions reversed, whereas with the Big Bang, it is as if the world on the other side has its time direction reversed.

So time is turned on its head instead of space. This is what happens when you take the concept of CPT symmetry and go beyond just applying it to forces and fields and instead apply it to the entire universe. CPT symmetry stands for charge, parity (equality) and time reversal. When you reverse charge theoretically, you have antimatter instead of matter. Then you have time and space. Reversing parity is what flips the direction of space, and obviously, reversing time makes it run backwards. Having a mirror universe keeps CPT symmetry together.

If the Big Bang is a mirror, then we are on one side. The aftermath of the explosion that is thought to have birthed the universe would be asymmetrical if there was no reflection. Seeing the universe as an object in itself, instead of a mashup of different forces and fields that each have their own interactions, gives it an anti-universe under CPT symmetry. It can only achieve symmetry when it has its own opposite in which time runs backwards. If this is reality, then what is defined as a vacuum state, void of particles, leads us to seeing dark matter.

An observer like us, long after the Big Bang, defines one type of vacuum state, Boyle said. The fields of nature are actually in a different vacuum state. Because these two states are different, we interpret the universe as being full of a certain non-zero density of these particles.

These fields, which are in the CPT-symmetric vacuum state, include the field of that bizarre theoretical particle, the right-handed neutrino. It is thought to be different from every other particle because there is no other force it interacts with besides gravity. This is how dark matter behaves. It is invisible, intangible, inaudible, in-everything else, but its gravitational force can explain phenomena such as galactic collisions. If Einsteins theory of gravity joins forces with quantum mechanics, it is possible for individual observers to see different vacuum states.

Here is where dark matter could be revealed. The Big Bang is seen as having one vacuum state, while fields, including the right-handed neutrino field, have another. If we existed in the same vacuum state as right-handed neutrinos, space would be devoid of these particles. However, because we exist in the Big Bang vacuum state, that means particles in all other fields have to exist, meaning the right-handed neutrino must exist. That would also mean that it is out there behaving like dark matter. Suddenly dark matter has particles that can be detected.

Our predictions can be tested observationally, said Boyle. If the theory does not pass these tests, it will be ruled out. If a value that is measured does not agree with the value we have predicted, then our theory is not correct.

Of course, this means and vice versa. The theory that he and his team came up with predicts things such as the lightest neutrino masses, which is something that is actually being measured and may have an answer within a few years. It also predicts that there were no primordial gravitational waves. If gravitational waves from the beginning of time are found, as opposed to those that later resulted from black holes or neutron stars crashing into each other, that would also disprove it. Prove the theory right and youve got a way to see dark matter.

This will really give you something to think about in the middle of the night, no SYFY marathon required.

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Does our universe have a mirror anti-universe and could it reveal dark matter? - Syfy

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Blue Devil of the Week: Making the Invisible Visible through Imaging – Duke Today

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

Name:Ehsan Samei

Position:Duke HealthChief Imaging Physicist; Duke University Professor of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, and Electrical and Computer Engineering

Years at Duke:22

What he does at Duke:Whether its an X-ray, a CT scan, an MRI, an ultrasound or a mammogram, medical imaging is at the heart of patient care.Duke's roughly 500 imaging machines see around 700,000 to 800,000 patients per year. In addition to technologists and radiologists, Duke has around a dozen imaging physicists overseeing the use of these machines and ensuring that, across the entire health system, the technology and techniques are creating the most useful and accurate images. As the Chief Imaging Physicist, Dr. Ehsan Samei leads this group.

Samei also spearheads research in medical imaging, seeing how existing technology can be used to see things in new ways. And as the principal investigator of theCenter for Virtual Imaging Trials, which was created in 2021, hes exploring the capabilities of using virtual patients and virtual machines to speed up the development of potential medical breakthroughs.

The crux of the problem, both in the clinical domain and the research domain, is that imaging is an approximation, not reality, said Samei, who received the2022 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Awardfrom the International Organization for Medical Physics. Its never a perfect rendition of reality, but an approximation. So the question Im working on is, how much of an approximation is it, and can we make a better one?

What he loves about Duke:Samei is grateful to have a strong network of colleagues who combine innovative ideas with the collaborative and hard-working spirits needed to push those ideas forward.

What attracted me to Duke is that there are so many brilliant people here, Samei said. I feel that what makes programs and universities worthwhile isnt the project, but the brilliance of the people who actually do the project.

Most memorable day at work:In 2021, Duke became one of the few facilities in the world to acquire a Photon-Counting CT Scanner. For Samei, who had been advocating for Duke to add one, the chance to finally use it tohelp patientswas a thrill. He recalls seeing images with a level of clarity and detail that hed previously been unable to see. And when those images were able to help doctors diagnose patients vexing health problems, it validated the efforts put into bringing the technology to Duke.

You can talk about photon counting and quantum mechanics and all of that stuff, but it only matters when you actually care for the individual and solve their problem, Samei said.

When hes not working, he likes to:Classical music, from such iconic composers as Bach, Schubert and Brahms, is one of Sameis passions. He cherishes opportunities to see live performances, and chances to perform himself. Growing up in Iran, Samei began playing the flute, one of the few instruments small enough to play discreetly in a country where music was banned. More recently, hes enjoyed playing alongside other musicians in semi-professional ensembles.

I used to play a lot more, but now I just dont have the time, Samei said.

Something unique in his workspace:On a shelf inhis office in Hock Plaza, Samei has what looks like a framed record. But a closer look reveals images of bones set within the disc. The item is whats known as abone record.Made in Soviet-era Russia, where western music was strictly banned, these bootleg records often of jazz or early rock n roll were pressed on discarded X-ray slides. A friend gave one to Samei as a gift.

This embodies many of my interests, Samei said. There's medical imaging in there. It has music. And I grew up in Iran during the Islamic revolution when music was banned, so I know that music in itself is an act of resistance.

Lesson learned during the pandemic:Samei gained an appreciation for the periods of time that exist between tasks, meetings and events that define a day. Prior to the pandemic, when offices were full of people and most interactions were in person, these times were when colleagues could chat, or when minds were allowed to wander.

Its amazing how much life happens in the margins, Samei said. On the days when youre going from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting, those margins are gone and your brain doesnt have a chance to recalibrate.

Something most people dont know about him:Samei is an avid runner and has completed five marathons. One of those was the 2013 Boston Marathon, which was remembered for terrorist attack that claimed three lives near the finish line. Samei had completed the course and left the area roughly 45 minutes before the homemade bombs were detonated.

Thankfully my family decided not to accompany me, Samei said. I was incredibly grateful for that.

Is there a colleague at Duke who has an intriguing job or goes above and beyond to make a difference?Nominate that personfor Blue Devil of the Week.

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With ‘Everything Everywhere,’ Daniels escape genre trap to make the multiverse meaningful – Cambridge Day

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

Daniels Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, directors of Everything Everywhere All at Once at The Liberty hotel in Boston. (Photo: Tom Meek)

Around the same time as Sunday nights slap felt round the world that of Will Smith hitting Chris Rock at the Oscars something equally thought-provoking but far less violent was taking place at MIT: Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the filmmaking team known as Daniels, were showing their latest, Everything Everywhere All at Once, to a lecture series audience. If their gonzo, Gondry-esque flatulence flick Swiss Army Man (2016) was rooted in scatological surreality, Everything Everywhere is an absurdist multiverse overload propelled by family values, film references within film references and butt plugs. The plot has something to do with an immigrant laundry operator (Michelle Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians) battling a jacked-up IRS auditor (Jamie Lee Curtis, in a devilishly funny turn) in a wildly generic office suite (think the office wars in Time Bandits) with segues into other planes of reality. In one, Yeohs imperiled heroine is a famous martial-arts action star (art imitating life); in another, shes in a relationship with Curtis auditor in a universe where everyones fingers are floppy hot dogs. If you thought Swiss Army Man really went to some far-out places, be ready to go to infinity and beyond, literally. Theres a lot that comes at you, and a bit of cranium calisthenics required of the view, but a multitasking Yeoh holds the universe, her family and the film together. (Read Sarah Vincents review here.)

The multiverse concept became a mainstream staple last year with Spider-Man: No Way Home, when Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) tore the fabric of the universe and Spider-Men (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, alongside Tom Holland as the current Spidey) and their affiliated villains (Goblin, Sandman, Doctor Octopus and more) all pour into the present. Kwan said in our interview that they had started writing Everything Everywhere in 2016, before any of that other stuff came out, but laments that because of Spider-Ham in the 2018 animated change-up, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we had to cut the talking pig.

The Daniels looked at scientific theories around the principles driving a multiverse, Kwan said namely the cosmological, which is more about inflation and infinite space, versus quantum physics, which is more about superposition. Scheinert clarified: Were not smart enough to read science papers, but we do pop science.

Its easy to tell by their seamless interaction that the filmmakers have a rare dynamic, like with the Safdie and Coen brothers, in which egos and personas arent a barrier, but a point of collaborative confluence. The pair met at Emerson, graduating in 09, and kicked around Cambridge and Somerville too Kwan in Central Square and Scheinert in Davis before moving to Los Angeles, where they did varying TV and music video work before Swiss Army Man.

Everything Everywhere has been universally tagged as a sci-fi action comedy, but thats reductive compared with what it really digs into. Im bummed when science fiction doesnt explore how these big ideas make me feel but just use it as a plot point, Scheinert said. Swiss Army Man explored loneliness and personal delusion as a means of coping, and Everything Everywhere, while on the surface being about saving the universe, is about making a connection in the chaos of the world. How do you find each other in the noise of modern life? Kwan says. How do you find each other and truly see each other, when theres so many things trying to pull us away from each other?

At the core of that is Yeohs matron trying to rebuild strained relations with her husband (Ke Huy Quan, Indiana Jones, The Goonies), daughter (Stephanie Hsu, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and father (James Hong, most famous as the baddie in Big Trouble in Little China, but whose credits go back to the 1960s TV show Dragnet and as a voice in the 1956 Godzilla: King of the Monsters) that manifest themselves in various ways in the varying multiverses. Scheinert calls it a maximalist family drama.

Whats next for The Daniels is up in the air; Kwan, who has a young child, has some illustrated childrens books coming out through the publishing arm of A24 Films, which distributed Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere.

When asked about that slap and the Oscars in general, Scheinert and Kwan suggested it was a phenomenon weirder than what a Daniels films deal with: I watched a little bit of it in the hotel bar. The couple next to me had seen none of the movies and they kept asking me questions that I knew the answers to, but I got tired and went to bed. Scheinert said it was great to see Curtis there and enjoys the pageantry, but added, I dont think art needs prizes. Perhaps if Daniels had directed the Oscars ceremony, they could have ripped open the multiverse and scripted a different course. For now Hollywood is stained with the ignominy of that moment, while their film opens Friday at the Landmark Kendall Square Cinema.

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With 'Everything Everywhere,' Daniels escape genre trap to make the multiverse meaningful - Cambridge Day

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‘Don’t think you can’t do it’: Women in engineering at BART on their triumphs and challenges – Mass Transit Magazine

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is highlighting three women engineers stories about how they got to BART and why they do what they do.

When Phoebe Cheng was little, she loved stories. She found that reading and storytelling could transport her to faraway places, help her stand in someone elses shoes and shed light on why things are the way they are. In school, Cheng discovered new passions this time for math, physics and computers. These three subjects, she found, could solve even the most inscrutable puzzles. And engineering combined all three of them.

Today, Cheng is the group manager of Civil, Structural, Track Engineering and Construction Engineering Services at BART, where shes worked for more than three years. Prior to joining BART, Cheng worked in private consulting, leaping from one large project bridges, tunnels, nuclear power plants to the next. As her career progressed, and Cheng found herself rising into management positions, she found her passion for storytelling was reignited.

Not only do you have to be good technically as an engineer, she said, but you have to communicate what youre doing.

An engineers ability to communicate effectively is essential to illustrate why certain things need to be certain ways, Cheng says. Its like an act of translation: taking complex information and data and transforming it into something digestible, something everyone can understand.

Engineering encompasses everything I like, Cheng said.

Cheng is one of the many women in engineering at BART. As Womens History Month comes to a close, the agency celebrates their contributions to BART and the transportation sector.

As a woman, coming to BART was incredible, Cheng said. I was encouraged when I started to see so many women in leadership roles. The diversity in this organization is really remarkable.

Danielle Kirchmeyer joined BART as an engineer in 2017 prior to transitioning to the mechanical engineering department where she works on emergency ventilation systems and fire life safety. She knew she wanted to be an engineer from a young age.

I really liked to solve problems, Kirchmeyer said. I remember things breaking down as a kid, like our VCR, and I really wanted to know how to fix it.

But the road to engineering wasnt an easy one. Kirchmeyer had trouble with math as a child. In elementary school, she signed up for math tutoring when multiplication proved especially difficult. Though the path was often challenging, she persisted.

I just wanted to keep doing it and reinforce my understanding, she said.

Kirchmeyer says engineering is an incredibly rewarding profession, especially working for a transit organization like BART. As an engineer, she says peoples lives can be literally on the line.

Theres a lot of risk in our hands, she said. And we have to be thoughtful stewards of that.

Kirchmeyer remembers one incident while working as a lifeguard in high school. Two young girls were drowning at the same time, and Kirchmeyer leapt into the pool to rescue them. She pulled them from the water in the nick of time. The life-saving experience made a lasting impression, underscoring the gravity of her stewardship.

It has to do with lives, she said. And I think that its neat that what I do as an engineer is related in a wayIm protecting peoples well-being.

Rachel Russell is in the big ideas business. As a project manager in BARTs Strategic Engineering department, Russell says her work revolves around bringing people together and shepherding a concept from ideation to completion to adoption.

Its about bringing the right players to the table, she said of project management.

If the general manager has an idea and it lands on Russells desk, she sees it through from start to finish. Often, that involves thinking outside the box, Russell says, and ensuring that every party involved has what it needs for success.

Russell didnt always know she wanted to be a project manager, especially in engineering. After studying at UC Berkeley, Russell worked in environmental management with a focus on environmental justice. At BART, where she has worked for 10 years, the work seemed like a natural continuation of her previous efforts.

Its all about creating access, she said. What we do is help people and try to make the system better for them. Thats what I do every day.

Because shes not an engineer but works in an engineering department, Russell thinks she brings a totally different perspective to the table, one that looks at the complete picture with dexterity and creativity.

Thinking holistically and not specifically at an engineering discipline thats something Ive been able to bring, she said.

The lack of female representation in engineering spaces has created some uncomfortable situations for the female BART engineers at times. Cheng remembers attending engineering conferences with her all-male team. Rather than addressing Cheng, fellow attendees would instead pose their questions to her employees.

Theyd go up to the men to ask questions even though Im the manager, she said with a laugh. My colleagues would all say, Shes the manager, go to her! Thats happened a few times

But Cheng has learned to take such missteps in stride. People have unconscious biases, she says, and I dont take it badlyI accept it as the way humans are.

At BART, the engineers work speaks for itself. Kirchmeyer said she doesnt focus on the differences so much, but gravitates to the knowledgeable folks, regardless of their genders.

Still, she always gets excited when women join the team. In the mechanical engineering group, for example, shes one of three women out of 14 people.

You have to let it go and not think about gender, she said. If you do, you might feel insecure or self-conscious.

Of course, being a female engineer also has its benefits. Women bring different perspectives, priorities and attitudes to their teams, which fosters creativity and agility, Cheng says.

Diversity generates more holistic solutions and results in better products, services and morale, Cheng said.

Russell agrees. Though people sometimes make assumptions about her, she tries not to let it overshadow her triumphs and successes.

People assume that because youre not an engineer, you shouldnt be doing this work, she said. But we all have opinions and voices that propel the work forward.

One of the biggest lessons Russell said shes learned in her career is to never sell yourself short.

Dont think you cant do it, she said. Always apply, always go through the process, and let them tell you no. You might be the perfect fit.

At the end of the day, being an engineer is simply so much fun, Cheng said. She encourages women of all ages and backgrounds to explore the field.

To any woman whos interested in engineering, I want to shout, Go for it! she said. The most important thing is to feel free to ask for help, even from people you dont know. People are surprisingly generous.

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Viewpoint: Oklahoma regional universities are prepared to meet demand for engineers – Oklahoman.com

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

Connie Reilly| Guest Columnist

Regional University System of Oklahoma regents recently toured Tinker Air Force Bases Air Logistics Complex. Over 26,000 mostly civilian employees use cutting-edge technology to ensure that military aviation units are ready to safeguard national security. Engineers, mechanics and technicians are in high demand at Tinker and in the private sector as aerospace in Oklahoma rapidly expands.

Aerospace is the second-largest industry in Oklahoma, and aerospace engineers need an engineering degree from an accredited university. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Oklahoma needs a minimum of 3,000 new engineers annually over the next nineyears to keep up with workforce demands. Currently, Oklahomas accredited engineering programs graduate 1,500 students per year, and half of those graduates leave the state, forcing Tinker and others to recruit out of state. Oklahoma ranks in the bottom 20 in engineers per capita.

More:Viewpoint: Why Oklahoma is a prime location for STEM training

RUSO is dedicated to ensuring students from any part of the state have their opportunity to get an engineering degree. Eighty percent of Oklahomas population lives in a county that is within 25 miles of one of RUSOs locations. Our universities are more accessible to students. Were smaller. Were less expensive our academic service fees are only one-third of what other universities charge. And for rural students who want to stay close to home, our universities provide a quality, comprehensive education.We align our degrees to reflect the needs of business. We are expanding opportunities for students to become engineers, not to compete with, but to complete the number and kinds of engineering options available.

Northeastern has been approved to begin offering a mechanical engineering degree this fall. East Central is starting the approval process. UCO has the third-largest engineering program in the state and is advocating for additional funding to grow its program. Southwestern is aligning its current engineering technology and physics programs with aerospace industry leaders and has launched an aerospace and defense workforceinitiative. Northwestern has an undergraduate pre-engineering program. Southeasterns acclaimed Aviation Sciences Institute partners with Tinker and is expanding its operations in Durant infusing state-of-the-art aircraft and simulation equipment that rivals schools nationwide.

RUSO is exploring opportunities to connect all Oklahomans with the opportunity to pursue engineering credentials to fill the need across the state. Other educational institutions, including CareerTech, community colleges and research universities have a role in preparing Oklahomans to meet the demand for engineering talent. We are working to partner with all Oklahoma educational institutions to meet this critical workforce need while keeping costs low.

Regional universities power Oklahomas workforce, with a history of up to 92% of our graduates employed in the state after graduation. We intend to prepare the workforce to power our booming aviation and aerospace industries. RUSO is a quality, affordable option for engineering and other STEM majors. Our regional universities are ready to prepare students to achieve their full potential and to ensure more Oklahomans are qualified for engineering jobs in Oklahoma.

Connie Reilly is chair of the Regional University System of Oklahomas Board of Regents.

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Gl E. Kremer named to lead University of Dayton School of Engineering – University of Dayton – News Home

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

Gl E. Kremer, a distinguished researcher, teacher and skilled university administrator, has been named the new dean for the University of Dayton School of Engineering, starting Aug. 1.

Kremer, Wilkinson Professor in Interdisciplinary Engineering in the Iowa State University Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering and senior director of presidential projects in the Office of the President, brings an extensive track record in collaborative sponsored research, engineering program development, advancing diversity and inclusion, and fundraising.

Paul Benson, University of Dayton provost and executive vice president of academic affairs, said Kremer emerged as the top candidate in a highly competitive national search process that attracted many talented academic engineering leaders and innovators.

"We found in Dr. Kremer's candidacy an abiding dedication to students' holistic education and success, deep passion for first-rate, interdisciplinary research and innovation, and a robust commitment to inclusive excellence and equity in university life," Benson said.

"I have found her to be an especially thoughtful, bright and insightful person, motivated by values that naturally resonate with UD's mission and strategic vision. Her colleagues attest that she is an extremely hard worker, a ready collaborator and a highly effective team builder. I have great enthusiasm for the experience and aspiration she will bring to our School of Engineering, which is already rich in talent and expertise."

In her current position, Kremer reports directly to the president of Iowa State, and oversees a $52 million engineering building project. While chair of the industrial and manufacturing systems engineering department, she led successful efforts to increase research productivity and industrial support, and raised more than $42 million for the new building, professorships and student scholarships.

In previous positions, she was a program director/officer for the National Science Foundation, served as a Fulbright Scholar to Ireland, held faculty positions at the Pennsylvania State University and Gebze Technical University in Turkey, and was appointed as a National Research Council-US AFRL Summer Faculty Fellow in the Human Effectiveness Directorate.

"My conversations and interactions with members of the University of Dayton community have left me with a very good impression of UD," Kremer said. "I am honored by UDs selection of me to become a part of the UD leadership team. I look forward to working to move the School of Engineering to new heights in all facets of its mission through a collective vision and collaborative spirit."

Kremer earned a doctorate in engineering management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly University of Missouri-Rolla); master's and bachelor's degrees in industrial engineering from Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey, and a masters in business, specializing in production management, from Istanbul University.

Her research accomplishments focus on applied decision sciences and operations research for product and design systems, and other research interests include sustainability, system complexity, design creativity, and engineering education. Read more about her here.

As dean, Kremer will oversee more than 1,900 undergraduate and 576 graduate students, programs that offer nine undergraduate majors in engineering and engineering technology, 14 master's level programs and five Ph.D. programs. The school includes six departments: chemical and materials engineering; civil and environmental engineering and engineering mechanics; electrical and computer engineering; electro-optics and photonics; engineering management, systems, and technology; and mechanical and aerospace engineering. The School of Engineering is tied for first place nationally for graduate engineering at Catholic universities in the most recent US News & World Report rankings.

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Gl E. Kremer named to lead University of Dayton School of Engineering - University of Dayton - News Home

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New York is pouring money into UB engineering. Will it drive WNY tech? – Buffalo News

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

University at Buffalo Dean of Engineering Kemper Lewis grew up in a suburb of Dallas never having heard of his future career.

There were no engineers in my family, so when my high school counselor noted that I was strong in math and science and said I should consider being an engineer, I knew I didnt want to drive a train, he said. Seriously, thats how much I didnt know about what engineers do.

Lewis now oversees a major expansion at UB's engineering school a $102 million project that could have a major impact on the Buffalo Niagara economy and UB.

The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week.

The new facility will give UB a new calling card in the intense competition to attract the best and the brightest engineering and science students a battle that pits UB against well-known and established engineering schools like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institution, Clarkson University and Cornell University.

Kemper Lewis, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at UB, in his office in Davis Hall.

That could raise UB's profile in the engineering world and turn it into more of a magnet for those highly coveted science and math-oriented students.

And it comes at a time when UB's engineering and science school is expanding rapidly. The school's undergraduate enrollment is up 60% over the past decade, while the number of graduate students has more than doubled. Last fall, the engineering and science school enrolled close to 5,000 undergraduates a near record during Covid and a high of 2,621 graduate students.

This new building is not only about education, but about regional impact and talent retention, Lewis said.

The stakes are high for the Buffalo Niagara region.

Engineers are part of the lifeblood of any local economy and if UB succeeds in expanding and building its profile as an engineering school, it will give the region's businesses the first look at the next generation of engineering talent. And a ready supply of engineering talent is a big selling point for companies like Moog Inc., which relies on engineers to develop and design cutting-edge products.

Many of Buffalo's new startups also were founded by or employ engineers. As Buffalo startup guru John Gavigan notes, "If the startup community's job is attracting and building new companies, they wont continue to do it unless they know they can get the talent."

The demand for engineers will only increase. A March report by the Brookings Institute found that 14 of the 16 fastest-growing industries of the future are industries in the so-called STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Every one of the top 25 degrees, ranked by pay and demand, are in the STEM subjects. And by 2025, Brookings predicts that there will be 3.5 million STEM jobs open in the United States.

Sophomore Sam Nelson works on his project for the Design, Build, Fly Club in a lab space in Furnas Hall.

Lewis, 52, has been imagining a student-centered building since becoming dean of UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2020.

That wish became a plan on Jan. 5, when Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in her State of the State address that UB and Stony Brook would be designated as flagships of the SUNY system, with plans to build them into world-class research institutions positioned to bring in $1 billion each in research funding by 2030.

As a first step, Hochul said SUNY will strengthen both universities engineering schools, with new $100 million buildings at each, to meet rising demand for engineers and tech professionals nationally and across the Buffalo Niagara region.

SUNY will cover two-thirds of each project and the universities will need to come up with the other third. That amounts to state support of $68 million for UBs new building and $34 million for UB to raise.

Barbara and Jack Davis Hall on UB's North Campus in Amherst.

For Lewis, the governors backing means he gets to shape a new UB landmark that he envisions as a collaborative hub, an engineering think tank and the first building on campus dedicated to the student experience.

He views it as a building that will help the engineering school expand in more ways than square feet.

Constructing a beacon of technology and talent will help UB elevate itself as a prestigious engineering school, recruit more researchers from around the globe and apply that talent and those innovations into the region's workforce and tech development, Lewis said.

The new building, which UB hopes to open in time for the fall semester of 2025, will be a 140,000- to 150,000-square-foot addition to its North Campus engineering school, whose six existing halls are already serving new and expanded programs to meet the areas tech surge and the resulting enrollment bulges, Lewis said.

UB is expanding its aerospace engineering program the only one in the SUNY system and launched new masters degree programs in data science and artificial intelligence that are growing incredibly fast, Lewis said.

Two years ago, we had 96 students enrolled in data sciences and four in the new AI program," he noted. "This year, we have 360 masters students in data sciences and 40 in AI.

A series of parking lots west of Ketter Hall, lower right, one potential site for a new building dedicated to the growing School of Engineering and Applied Sciences on UB's North Campus in Amherst.

UB recently merged two institutes for these fields the Artificial Intelligence Institute and the Institute for Computational and Data Science to form the UB Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

Lewis envisions the new building helping in other ways, too.

Research:The engineering and sciences school currently brings in 25% of UBs $426 million in research grants, mostly from the National Science Foundation. Thats expected to increase with early phase research projects poised to receive more funding in future phases, said UB Vice President for Research and Economic Development Venu Govindaraju.

Collaboration: The new digs will provide design and maker space and a home for the 40-plus engineering clubs now scattered as far as the South Campus. Currently, clubs that build everything from robotic vehicles to concrete canoes for national competitions have to find classroom space to work on their projects, Lewis said.

That will result in more team-building, ideas and successes in high-level competitions that put engineering schools on the map.

Education: The engineering schools newest department, the 4-year-old Department of Engineering Education, will also live in the new building along with classroom space for future engineering teachers.

Since many education professors also teach classes for first- and second-year students in core subjects like mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, supporting those students at the foundational level is critical to retention, Lewis said. Graduating top engineers means not just recruiting good students, but supporting them to succeed early on, he said.

Partnerships: Lewis and other UB leaders will be reaching out to industry partners that have a stake in the new building, including those that already support the school's professorships, programs and competitions as well as its startup and entrepreneurial assistance programs.

Barbara and Jack Davis Hall on UB's North Campus.

Lewis, who has served as the school's first Moog Professor of Innovation in a three-year, $1.3 million partnership with the motion-control systems giant, knows the value of higher education collaborating with industry.

We want to partner with our regional private and public stakeholders to expose our students to the incredible emerging opportunities they have to continue their influence on the world right here in Western New York, Lewis said.

Those partners include Moog, ACV Auctions, Safran, National Grid, ValueCentric, U&S Services, Unifrax, Tapecon, Linde, Tesla, Amazon, M&T, Curbell, SoPark and others.

Design and sustainability

While Lewis doesn't know what it will look like, since the design phase is just starting, he said the new HQ has to show a flair for design and sustainability, two important facets of engineering's future. All of the school's existing buildings except for Davis Hall were built prior to the early 1980s and look it.

Many of our buildings are pretty brutalistic in design, Lewis said. I want the new building to be beautiful and also inviting. I want there to be a level of activity all day, every day, going on in that building that sends a message to potential students coming in with their families to look at, What kinds of things will I be doing if I come to UB and study engineering or computer science?

In other words, the building Lewis gets to help build will answer the question he had in high school: What do engineers do?

Now I recognize that engineers solve problems and help people not only technical problems, but environmental, medical and societal, Lewis said. Im committed to making sure the next generation of engineers and computer scientists recognize early how much impact they can have on the world with their gifts and talents in math and the sciences."

A view through a lobby window as a researcher works inside a clean room in Barbara and Jack Davis Hall on UB's North Campus in Amherst.

A look back at UB's Engineering Buildings

Bell Hall (1974) 72,020 square feet Houses the departments of Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Industrial Engineering with research space for designing tools, objects and work environments. Lawrence D. Bell (1894-1956) developed the Bell Helicopter and founded Bell Aerosystems.

Furnas Hall (1977) 110,496 square feet Houses the departments of Chemical Engineering and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering with space for systems design research and an interaction computation lab. Clifford C. Furnas (1900-1969) was a chemical engineer, metallurgist, aviation researcher and Olympic athlete as well as a former UB chancellor and president.

Jarvis Hall (1981) 59,614square feet Houses classrooms and academic research including an Electronics Tinkering Lab. Gregory Jarvis (1944-1986) was a 1967 graduate of UB's electrical engineering program who lost his life with six other crew members on the space shuttle Challenger. The Engineering East building was named for him in 1987.

Ketter Hall (1981) 44,716square feet Houses the Civil Engineering Department, including one of only 11 earthquake simulators in the world. Robert L. Ketter (1928-1989) became the first head of the department in 1958.

Bonner Hall (1982) 65,264square feet Houses SEAS administrative offices, classroom and lab/research space for all engineering departments. William R. Bonner (1899-1980) was an English professor at UB from 1922 until his retirement in 1968.

Davis Hall (2012) 146,824square feet Houses the departments of Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering as well as SEAS current Office of the Dean. Jack and Barbara Davis are the UB engineering alum and his wife who gave $5 million for the facility.

Future Hall, Name TBD (2025-ish) approximately 150,000 square feet Will be a home base and gathering place with research, design and maker space for SEAS 40-plus student engineering clubs; and house the SEAS Department of Engineering Education, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, the offices of undergraduate and graduate education and the new Office of the Dean.

Title: Dean, UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences since 2020

Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and math from Duke University; masters degree and doctorate in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech. MBA from UB.

Career: Became UB professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in 1996. Has been principal or co-principal investigator on research grants totaling $18 million-plus.

Why UB?There was something different about UB. I had never been to Buffalo, but I sensed from my first visit to campus during an interview, that there was something special happening here. I am a person of faith and I know my steps were being directed. I can look back now with enormous gratitude for the opportunity I have had to be part of the history making movement here at UB.

Must-read local business coverage that exposes the trends, connects the dots and contextualizes the impact to Buffalo's economy.

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New York is pouring money into UB engineering. Will it drive WNY tech? - Buffalo News

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Five College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology seniors receive top honors from the OSU Alumni Association – Oklahoma State University

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

Thursday, March 31, 2022

Five seniors from the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology have been named 2021-2022 Outstanding Seniors by the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association.

The Outstanding Seniors award recognizes seniors who show excellence through academic achievement; campus and community involvement; academic, athletic or extracurricular honors or awards; scholarships; and work ethic during their time at OSU.

The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology 2021-22 honorees are:

Alexis Vance, Overland Park, Kansas chemical, mechanical and aerospace engineering

Zachary Hall, Arlington, Texas fire protection and safety engineering technology

Aarushi Singh, Tulsa, Oklahoma computer engineering

Taylor Stoll, Woodward, Oklahoma mechanical engineering

Dawson Haworth, Fairview, Oklahoma mechanical and aerospace engineering

The OSU Alumni Association Student Awards Selection Committee met with 48 Seniors of Significance selected in the fall of 2021, choosing 19 as this years Oustanding Seniors.

Photos of this years recipients can be downloaded here: Outstanding Seniors 2021-2022.

A private, limited-capacity reception honoring the Outstanding Seniors will be held April 7 at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater.

For more information about the OSU Alumni Associations student awards program, visit ORANGECONNECTION.org/studentawards or contact Shelby Roberts.

The Oklahoma State University Alumni Association serves more than 260,000 alumni, students and friends with programs for Cowboys of all ages. Through the Alumni Association, Cowboys get involved with the OSU family, stay informed of alumni and campus news, give back to support university initiatives and show their pride in Americas Brightest Orange.

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Five College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology seniors receive top honors from the OSU Alumni Association - Oklahoma State University

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UCF Recognized for Academic Excellence and Advancing Professional Careers in Engineering, Research and Innovation – UCF

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

UCF is one of the best universities in the nation for students looking to continue their education and advance their careers in a wide range of professional areas, including emergency and crisis management, high-tech research and the engineering fields.

Take it from U.S. News & World Reports 2023 Best Graduate Schools Rankings, which are based on in-depth reputational and statistical surveys from more than 800 institutions. Located in one of the nations major metropolitan cities, UCF is close to a host of internship and job opportunities with many of the nations most successful companies.

The rankings are the latest acknowledgement of UCFs dedication to academic excellence, commitment toadvancing the professional careers of students and an institutional priority for making significant societal contributions. Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report recognized UCF as one of the top 10 universities in the nation for Online Bachelors Programs. Last fall, the publication named UCF a national leader in innovation and social mobility.Taken as a whole, the rankings show UCF is the place to be for those looking to take their professional careers to the next level.

In the annual rankings, announced today, UCFs Master of Emergency and Crisis Management program placed No. 3 in the nation, ranking among the top ten in the country for the fifth consecutive year. UCF was No. 12 for Atomic/ Molecular/ Optical Physics. Four areas of study within public administration ranked among the top 40 in the country.Nine UCF engineering programs were in the top 50 among public institutions and in the top 100 among all institutions, both public and private. Overall, nearly 40 programs at UCF were rated among the top 150 within their respective fields.

Placing third in the nation, the Master of Emergency and Crisis Management program is the universitys highest-ranking program. The program has been UCFs top-ranked graduate program each of the last four years. The fifth consecutive year that it has placed in the top 10, UCFs program is the only one in Florida to place in the top 10 in this category for 2023.

Earning an average annual salary of around $75,000, the demand for emergency management practitioners is expected to grow 4% through 2029. UCFs program prepares its students, both those working in the industry as well as those looking to break into it, to secure management roles in prominent local and national entities. These include the City of Orlando, Lockheed Martin, the National Military Command Center, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Seminole County Office of Emergency Management.

Program leadership says UCF prepares its students to meet the employment demand like few other universities. UCF focuses on a whole community approach for all phases of emergency management while emphasizing ethical and culturally competent leadership in public service.

The ever-increasing number of man-made and natural disasters necessitates the need for professional emergency management practitioners to guide our nations communities through times of tragedy and distress. Qian Hu, emergency management program director

The ever-increasing number of man-made and natural disasters necessitates the need for professional emergency management practitioners to guide our nations communities through times of tragedy and distress, says Qian Hu, program director and an associate professor within UCFs School of Public Administration. For nearly 20 years, UCF has been training individuals to meet the demands of threats to our homeland. At UCF, our students receive an innovative, hands-on experience that qualifies them to be crisis management leaders anywhereacross the globe.

In addition to the graduate program in Emergency and Crisis Management, the following academic areas within UCFs School of Public Administration were ranked within the top 40 of their respective fields:

Signaling the strength of interdisciplinary research at UCF, the university placed No. 12 in the Atomic/Molecular/Optical (AMO) Physics category. The ranking recognizes the high quality of collaborative education and research conducted through UCFs Department of Physics as well as through the CREOL, the College of Optics and Photonics. In placing 12th, UCF finished in a statistical tie with such notable private research universities as the University of Chicago, Duke and Princeton.

UCFs steady and ongoing investments in AMO physics and laser sciences, both in the Department of Physics and at CREOL, allow our students to work and collaborate on interdisciplinary research at the cutting edge of these fields. Zenghu Chang, Pegasus Professor of Physics and Optics and Photonics

Earlier this year, Michael Chini, a UCF physics professor, led a UCF team that developed the worlds first optical oscilloscope, an instrument that can measure the electric field of light, based on all-solid-state materials. A research team led by Physics professor Li Fang was awarded an almost $2 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to develop a first-of-its-kind infrared laser system. A team of physics and CREOL professors earned UCF an invitation to join LaserNetUS, a U.S. Department of Energy consortium of the nations most prominent laser facilities. Recently ficonTEC, a German-based global leader in photonics manufacturing, partnered with UCF to establish a Central Florida location and provide CREOL student and faculty researchers access to sophisticated industry production tools through a new lab in the college.

UCFs steady and ongoing investments in AMO physics and laser sciences, both in the Department of Physics and at CREOL, allow our students to work and collaborate on interdisciplinary research at the cutting edge of these fields, says Zenghu Chang, a Pegasus Professor of Physics and Optics and Photonics

Overall, 2021 was a banner year for UCF research endeavors. From innovative jet propulsion systems to explorations on office-space behaviors, UCF research endeavors focused on work that battled threats and sought out opportunities to advance society. An internationally recognized space pioneer, UCF conducts innovative applied research, including more than 12 projects related to NASAs Artemis mission. Last year, UCF ranked 25th among public universities for producing patents and 60th in the world, according to the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.

Among engineering programs, UCFs College of Engineering and Computer Science ranked No. 43 across public institutions and No. 73 overall. The university placed ahead of several other Florida institutions, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, the University of Miami and the University of South Florida.

Nine individual engineering programs and areas were ranked within the top 50 among public institutions. They were all ranked in the top 100 among both public and private institutions. The Computer Science program saw the colleges biggest one-year national leap, rising 13 spaces to No. 69, overall.

Across the UCF community, a wide range of other academic programs and areas were recognized within the nations top 150 of their respective fields. They were:

No. 16 Medical Schools, with the Most Graduates Practicing in Health Professional Shortage Areas

No. 121 Medicals Schools, with the Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas

No. 131 Overall Geology

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UCF Recognized for Academic Excellence and Advancing Professional Careers in Engineering, Research and Innovation - UCF

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Companies with highly-rated engineering teams, according to employees – Business Insider

April 3, 2022 | Author: admin

The latest group of rankings from workplace culture site Comparably highlights where employees are happiest with their specific team. That's based on questions workers answered on Comparably, such as those about compensation and company benefits. Comparably published the companies with the best teams in marketing, engineering, and a few others.

These rankings were based on employee responses from March 2021 and March 2022. Employee responses were all anonymous. Only ratings from workers in engineering teams were used to develop the engineering department ranking.

Based on this method, UiPath ranked at the top of the engineering team ranking. This company also ranked 19th on this year's Global Company Culture list from Comparably and ranked 25th on this year's list of large companies with the Best Company Outlook.

The above locations, industries, and employee quotes all come from the workplace culture site and were shared with Insider. The full engineering team list can be found on Comparably.

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Companies with highly-rated engineering teams, according to employees - Business Insider

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