Engineering Nanoscience Small Scale, Huge Potential

A Camera that Powers Itself

Internet of Things: Next Steps

Ky Harlin BS’08: Data + Growth at Condé Nast SENIOR DESIGN EXPO engineering.columbia.edu/web /newsletter/expo Seniors from all nine Engineering departments showcased their innovative capstone projects at the School’s Senior Design Expo last spring. (Photo by Timothy Lee Photographers)

­ | 1 facebook.com/CUSEAS

twitter.com/CUSEAS

instagram.com/CUSEAS

youtube.com/ColumbiaSEAS

Dean of the School Columbia Engineering is published Opposite page: Mary C. Boyce twice a year by: Dean Mary C. Boyce (Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

Executive Director of Communications Columbia University Margaret R. Kelly in the City of New York The Fu Foundation School of Editor Engineering and Applied Science Melanie A. Farmer 500 West 120th Street Room 510, MC 4714 Writers New York, NY 10027 Jesse Adams, Jennifer Ernst Beaudry, Amy Biemiller, Timothy P. Cross, Comments, suggestions, or address Jessica Driscoll, Holly Evarts, changes may be e-mailed to and Elaine Rooney [email protected] or sent to our address above. Photography Eileen Barroso, Michael Dames, For the latest news and updates Timothy Lee Photographers, about Columbia Engineering, visit and Jeffrey Schifman engineering.columbia.edu.

Design & Art Direction Columbia Creative

Contributors Kim Martineau, Jane Nisselson, Jack Reilly, and David Simpson

Cover: Assistant Professor Nanfang Yu’s research expertise is in nanophotonics and optoelectronic devices. In a collaborative project with Professor Michael Weinstein, he is exploring a planar device for robust transport of guided optical waves. Illustrated in this research image is the intensity of light reflected from a nanostructured silicon membrane that supports two closely spaced optical resonances. (Image courtesy of Adam Overvig)

2 | he first day of the fall semester marks a new beginning for clean rooms, and creating an electron microscopy lab with a students and faculty alike, and, at Columbia Engineering, new transmission electron microscope as part of a set of shared T many exciting changes have taken place over the past year, facilities with Arts and Sciences. paving the way for great advancements in research, education, In addition to renovated spaces for research, transformations and innovation. to education and common spaces have also been a priority. Last year we initiated a series of faculty discussion forums Students were greeted by a fresh, sleek campus-level entry to focused around highly interdisciplinary research themes that cut Mudd, and a modern, inviting student space, Carleton Commons, across our School, many of which also leverage incredible collab- with areas for quiet study, tables to work or eat together, and orations with our sister schools. We have discussed research comfortable seating for relaxing between classes or activities. initiatives that address society’s grand challenges and those that Carleton Commons is open 24 hours a day and is well used, both push disciplinary frontiers. Not surprisingly, these fields intersect day and night! See details of all our new renovations on page 48. and all spur discovery of novel areas of research. Also in this issue you’ll get to know some of the many inno- Our faculty and students are concentrating on global challenges vations coming from our faculty, students, and alumni. Shree including water, energy, climate, mobility, human health, and K. Nayar, T. C. Chang Professor of Computer Science, a serial communications, and, on the frontiers of sensing and imaging, inventor, has developed a self-powered video camera (page data science, computation-based engineering science, and 24). Alums Ky Harlin of Condé Nast and Shahram Ebadollahi of advanced materials and devices. These research endeavors IBM Watson Health both use big data to achieve their different advance fundamental knowledge that will impact society at all business objectives (pages 36–38); and students like Jason levels—truly transcending disciplines and transforming lives. Kang (page 26), Ritish Patnaik, Riley Spahn, and Jessica Valarezo The research focus of this issue, starting on page 6, showcases (pages 32–35) epitomize the spirit and inventiveness of today’s our work in nanoscience and nanoengineering—a field of advanced Columbia Engineering students. materials and devices where the line between a material and a We are proud to share these stories with you so that you device is often absent. Columbia is recognized worldwide as one can see for yourself the remarkable institution that is Columbia of the leaders in the development of nanoscience. Manipulating Engineering today. materials at the atomic and molecular levels will provide new ways to fabricate macroscale products with innovative applications that will impact medicine, energy, water, computing, and much more. To support the research endeavors of our faculty, including 15 new faculty (page 40) and four more joining in January, we Mary Cunningham Boyce have committed significant resources to outfitting new laborato- Dean of Engineering ries, renovating current laboratories, expanding and renovating Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor

­ | 3 CONTENTS

6 20 24

RESEARCH INNOVATION EDUCATION

6 ENGINEERING NANOSCIENCE 22 VENTURE COMPETITION 26 STUDENT RESEARCH Advanced new materials, SEAS STARTUPS FORGE AHEAD RE AL-World RESEARCH nanophotonics, optical Winners of this year’s Columbia Venture EXPERIENCE A PLUS waves, and more Competition are busy taking their startup The School’s new Summer@SEAS Find out how our faculty and their ventures to the next level. program and how students are working collaborators are continuing to push with Ugandan partners on low-cost, research boundaries in the burgeoning, 24 The Eternal Camera biomedical devices multidisciplinary field of nanoscience. A NEW CAMERA THAT James Hone + Colin Nuckolls (p. 8); 30 Internet of Things Keren Bergman + Michal Lipson + Alex POWERS ITSELF! Gaeta (p. 10); Michael Weinstein + Computer Science Professor Shree K. NEXT STEPS IN IoT Nanfang Yu (p. 12); Chris Marianetti Nayar and his team have invented a Prepping students for a future where (p. 14); Sanat Kumar + Christopher prototype video camera that is the first Internet connectivity for devices is a given Durning (p. 16); Aron Pinczuk + to be fully self-powered. Shalom Wind (p. 18) 32 STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS Ritish Patnaik, senior (p. 32); 20 FACULTY Q&A Riley Spahn, PhD student (p. 33); Katayun Barmak Jessica Valarezo and Girls Who A pioneering materials scientist, Code (p. 34) Katayun Barmak is focused on finding new, better, more advanced materials.

4 | FALL 2015 | Volume 57, No. 1

26 36 51

ALUMNI NEWS DEPARTMENTS

36 BIG DATA GROWTH 40 FACULTY NEWS 55 CEAA/CEYA Ky Harlin BS’08 WelcomE AND Promotions Alumni Association MESSAGE As vice president of growth and data science at Condé Nast, Ky Harlin is 45 SEAS IN BRAZIL 55 Class Notes putting into practice what he learned as an applied mathematics major at SEAS. NEW Innovation HuB IN Rio UPDATES FROM undergradUATE ALUMNI 38 REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTH 46 SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH 61 PROGRAM Notes SHAHRAM EBADOLLAHI SEAS COLEADS NEW LIVABLE MS’99, PHD’05 CITIES RESEARCH PROJECT UPDATES FROM Shahram Ebadollahi is vice president gradUATE ALUMNI of innovation and chief science officer 47 NAE REGIONAL Symposium of IBM Watson Health, the tech 65 in memoriam giant’s business unit dedicated to 48 RESHAPING SEAS Joseph F. Traub computational health. Pioneering computer scientist and founder 49 of the Computer Science Department 39 REUNION 2015 Commencement 2015 WELCOME BACK, ALUMNI! 50 68 DONOR SPOTLIGHT More than 300 alumni returned to Entrepreneurship Night New York for Columbia Engineering William and Harriet Lembeck to Reunion Weekend, held May 28 to 31. 51 SPOT NEWS Roundup endow professorship

­ | 5 RESEARCH

6 | James Hone + Colin Nuckolls engineering.columbia.edu/web /newsletter/honenuckolls

olumbia has been at the fore- move through molecules; of what graphene, Engineering front of nanoscience research a material we pioneered here, is and how for more than 15 years, and, it works; and established basic knowledge with the University’s launch about carbon nanotubes. Our discoveries Faculty Lead Cof the Columbia Nano Initiative (CNI), have fostered important research around activity on this front is accelerating. As the world, and that’s really come about Nanoscience James T. Yardley, CNI’s acting executive because of the collaborative environment director, puts it, “When I came here in we’ve created here at Columbia.” 2000 and walked up and down the hall- The complexities of nanoscience, Discoveries ways, you’d hardly see anybody. But now manipulating individual atoms and when you walk up and down the halls, molecules, make for a perfect intersec- you see people arguing with each other, tion of disciplines. The rules change holding samples, animated in discussion.” at the nanoscale; materials, electrons, Working with colleagues Keren Bergman, chemicals—all behave differently. Shared James Hone, Colin Nuckolls, Ken Shepard, equipment, such as the state-of-the-art Latha Venkataraman, and many others, transmission electron microscope, and Yardley has been instrumental in leading expanded facilities like the Nanofabrication nanoscience at Columbia, and he sees Clean Room, which is almost doubling this burgeoning field bringing together in size, are reinforcing partnerships, as investigators in an exciting new way. is Columbia’s new $15 million, multiyear “At Columbia, we’ve really pioneered NSF Materials Research Science and the concept of interdisciplinary research, Engineering Center (MRSEC). of getting more than the sum of the parts Here, Columbia Engineering spotlights by bringing together physicists, engineers, just a few of our professors whose work and chemists to do collaborative research,” is advancing the field of nanoscience and, he says. “We’ve revolutionized the funda- in many ways, pushing boundaries far mental understanding of how electrons beyond the nanoscale.

­ | 7 RESEARCH

James Hone + Colin Nuckolls CollABORATING to create novel maTERIALS on the nanoscale

Higgins Professor of Chemistry, are director and associate director, respectively, of Columbia University’s new Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), supported by a $15 million, six-year grant from the National Science Foundation. Their goal is to learn about the properties of atoms and molecules and then determine how to assemble these nanoscale building blocks into materials and structures that will define the next generation of medicine, electronics, energy production, and consumer products. “Nanoscience is a special area in which many disciplines meet because of the complexity of the science,” says Nuckolls, who concentrates his research Led by Young Duck Kim, a postdoc in the f someone wagers there is nothing on creating new materials using chemi- Hone Lab, a team of scientists from Columbia, new under the sun, it would be best cally designed superatoms. These highly Seoul National University, and Korea Research to first consult with James Hone and complex designer elements are expected Institute of Standards and Science have recently Colin Nuckolls before taking the bet. to have unprecedented levels of func- demonstrated—for the first time—an on-chip visible light source using graphene. They IAfter all, their combined focus is to create tionality. “Our MRSEC has preliminary attached small strips of graphene to metal new materials on the nanoscale that have results that are already quite exciting, electrodes, suspended the strips above the the potential to solve some of the world’s which demonstrate that these elements substrate, and passed a current through the most persistent problems. have the potential for interplay between filaments to cause them to heat up, essentially creating the world’s thinnest light bulb. Hone, Wang Fong-Jen Professor of thermal, magnetic, and electrical conduc- (Image provided by Young Duck Kim) Mechanical Engineering, and Nuckolls, tivity,” he says.

8 | “ Much of our work in nanoscience is like Darwin stepping onto the Galapagos Islands. There is something new, something never before seen, happening all the time.” —James Hone, Wang Fong-Jen Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Graphene incorporated into nanomechanical device via nanofabrication by the Hone Research Group. (Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

While Nuckolls works on designing helps illustrate the potential for the mate- new superatoms, Hone focuses on thinning rial as part of next-generation circuitry. known materials to the ultimate limit— “Colin and I worked together to couple like graphene, an atomically thin form of carbon nanotubes and DNA and made graphite that is a single atomic layer of circuits,” says Hone. That work forged carbon atoms. This two-dimensional mate- both literal and figurative connections rial is stronger than a diamond and better between chemistry, physics, materials able to conduct electricity and heat than science, and biology, which holds prom- any known material. In the MRSEC, Hone ise for a new generation of integrated and colleagues are stacking it and other multifunctional sensors and devices. 2D materials to create heterostructures, That potential for discovery—and which helps him learn how to control Columbia Engineering’s reputation as the properties of these nanomaterials to a collaborative environment—attracts create interfaces that exhibit entirely new interest from outside the University. James Hone (left) and Colin Nuckolls, pictured in electronic phenomena. “If you want to tackle big questions— the Hone Lab. (Photo by Eileen Barroso) “Our work in the MRSEC is examining and nanoscience is full of big questions, material in an atomically thin layer, which then you need to work in groups across exposes new properties we have never disciplines,” says Hone. “Here, we wel- “At Columbia, there is a watercooler seen before. Much of our work in nano- come collaboration.” effect in which we all talk to each other science is like Darwin stepping onto the Researchers from a number of institu- about problems we are working on,” Galapagos Islands,” says Hone. “There is tions of higher education, including City explains Nuckolls. “That give-and-take something new, something never before College of New York, Harvard University, results in important insight and better seen, happening all the time.” Barnard College, Stanford University, and understanding among all of us about Collaboration between Hone and the University of the Virgin Islands, are these new materials.” Nuckolls has resulted in some interesting part of the MRSEC investigations. So too science that not only helps further insight are the Brookhaven National Laboratory, By Amy Biemiller into the chemistry of graphene, but also IBM, and DuPont.

­ | 9 RESEARCH

Bergman + Lipson + Gaeta engineering.columbia.edu/web /newsletter/photonics

Nanophotonic switch demonstrated in a high-performance embedded computing system. (Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

Opposite page, bottom: A chip being examined with several fabri- cated nanophotonic comb lasers. (Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

fter almost a decade of long- distance collaborations, Keren Keren Bergman + Bergman, Michal Lipson, and Alex Gaeta are working togetherA in one place, here at Columbia Michal Lipson + Engineering. Lipson and Gaeta joined the School this summer as the Eugene Higgins Professor in Electrical Engineering (EE) and the David M. Rickey Professor of Alex Gaeta Applied Physics and of Materials Science, respectively. And now, together with Combing through Streams of Light Bergman, who is the Charles Batchelor

10 | to high bandwidth communications that connect data centers and their thousands of servers at very high speeds. “Measuring time is essential to almost everything in our lives,” says Gaeta, a pioneer of laser physics, the field that underlies nanophotonics. “We can use these combs to precisely measure frequency and thus measure time extraordinarily accurately. And if you can measure time accurately, you can mea- sure distance with very high precision.” Frequency combs are expected to generate all kinds of critical real-world applications, from vastly improved GPS positioning to predicting earthquakes and volcanoes, from sensing chemical agents Professor and EE chair, the trio is set to to detecting oil and gas underground. “ The emerging field break new ground in nanophotonics, or, Gaeta and Lipson have been able to of nanophotonics as Lipson, a preeminent leader in nano- control the dimensions of their devices, is revolutionizing photonic fabrication, puts it, “optics on “controlling them exquisitely well—to a a very, very small scale.” nanometer precision—so that these opti- telecommunications, “The emerging field of nanophotonics cal processes can occur really efficiently,” computation, is revolutionizing telecommunications, Gaeta adds. Bergman brings her expertise and sensing.” computation, and sensing,” notes in large-scale optical network systems. Bergman, who specializes in optical And it’s only the beginning. —Keren Bergman, interconnection networks for advanced “Only 15 years ago, the optical com- Charles Batchelor Professor computing systems. “This is a very strong ponents we were making, whether they of Electrical Engineering area at SEAS, and the arrival of Michal were clocks or sensors, were all really and Alex will greatly broaden our research big,” says Bergman. impact—I’m really excited that their labs Lipson adds, “And now, with nanotech- are practically next door to mine and our nology, we can fit the optics onto a chip.” students can work together.” “It’s really cool that these innovations One of their primary foci is on develop- at the nanoscale enable you to do things ing frequency combs, light sources that for real life that were never possible before generate multiple colors—or frequencies— at the macroscopic scale,” Bergman that are spaced to extraordinary precision concludes. “We’re very lucky to be and can be visualized like the teeth of a working in such a transformative field comb. Frequency combs can be used to at the right time—and now we can do measure light colors to very high preci- it together.” sion over a broad frequency range, over an octave of spectrum, which enables By Holly Evarts a direct link from microwave to optical frequencies; their “teeth” are used to perform ultraprecision measurements in time or frequency in a similar fashion to atomic clocks. The combs can also be used in sensing devices that can, for Pictured above, from left to right: instance, rapidly detect explosives or Keren Bergman, Michal Lipson, and drugs from 30 meters away or be applied Alex Gaeta. (Photos by Eileen Barroso)

­ | 11 Nanfang Yu (left) and RESEARCH Michael Weinstein in Yu’s optics lab. (Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

Michael Weinstein + Nanfang Yu Smooth Surfing of Optical Waves

olitary ocean waves ridden by Weinstein, who has a joint appoint- surfers eventually break, but ment as a professor of mathematics in there are optical waves that travel the Department of Mathematics, and along interfaces and are able to James Lee-Thorp, his student, Sglide smoothly around and through rough recently obtained mathe- environments without distortion. matical results on the This unusual class of optical waves existence and is the focus of an ongoing collaboration properties between Michael Weinstein, professor of applied mathematics, and Nanfang Yu, assistant professor of applied physics.

Illustrated here is the intensity of light reflected from a nanostructured silicon membrane that supports two closely spaced optical resonances. (Research images courtesy of Adam Overvig)

12 | Reflection spectra of bonding and antibonding perturbation resonances in a symmetry broken periodic silicon nanostructure with varying height.

of “topologically protected edge states’’ “This is an exciting collaboration “ This is an exciting in structures whose material spatial varia- between mathematical theory and collaboration between tions have special symmetries. According experiment,” said Weinstein. “Mathe- to Weinstein, “An edge state manifests maticians and physicists naturally come mathematical theory and itself as a surface wave propagating along at questions from different angles, so experiment. Mathematicians a structured surface between two distinct one is always learning and also being media. What is remarkable is that these challenged to communicate one’s and physicists naturally guided waves do not spread out or decay own perspective.” come at questions from in amplitude, even in the presence of Added Yu, “Weinstein’s group predict- different angles, so one strong perturbations.” ed the existence of a robust guided Yu pointed out that “this robustness is optical wave in a nonobvious structure, is always learning and a highly desirable feature for information which physicists and engineers in the also being challenged transfer in ‘optical integrated circuits,’ photonics community would be very to communicate one’s and it is very compelling for us as device unlikely to invent or study otherwise.” physicists to investigate physical realiza- “Nanfang Yu and his student Adam own perspective.” tions of these robust edge states.” Overvig are outstanding device physicists —Michael Weinstein, Telecommunication relies on reliable and experimentalists in photonics. They Professor of Applied Mathematics transfer of light from one location to have the expertise to design and realize and Professor of Mathematics another. On a chip, this is impeded by novel device functionalities by choosing factors such as inaccuracy of device the right materials systems, and a device geometry due to fabrication errors, architecture that is feasible for nanofabri- varying operation conditions of the chip, cation,” said Weinstein. Together, the and defects introduced to the chip while two research groups have a very broad it is in use. Yu and Weinstein remark that toolset to demonstrate and explore is closely related to “topological the optical edge states they are studying modes of robust energy transport, and insulators,” a field of intense fundamental promise to have fewer issues of this to develop mathematical and experi- and applied scientific activity. Their sort, and therefore offer an improved mental approaches that can be used well collaborative effort is supported by the platform and can serve as a fundamental beyond the current problems. National Science Foundation, the Air building block with which to create Weinstein and Yu’s research on optical Force Office of Scientific Research, and robust on-chip photonic devices. “topologically protected” edge states the Simons Foundation.

­ | 13 RESEARCH

subatomic particles. The core equation in quantum mechanics is the Schrödinger equation. “In terms of materials science and chemistry, the Schrödinger equation holds all the information that we need, but the secrets are locked away inside. We work to apply sophisticated mathe- matical formalisms, which are amenable to reasonable approximations, and work to develop new approaches when our existing methodologies break down,” explains Marianetti. It is these computational approaches that allow researchers to model outcomes of experiments with atomic particles—a job that would be prohibitive if one solely Research images provided by Chris he first-principles theory of relied on experimental trial and error. Marianetti; Top right: Chris Marianetti materials science continues a These mathematical descriptions help (Photo by Eileen Barroso) great tradition that emerged in researchers understand how to control the aftermath of the quantum the structure of matter and evaluate hun- Trevolution nearly 90 years ago. In 1929, dreds of possible material combinations Nobel Laureate Paul Dirac keenly noted, to find the most promising. in essence, that the mathematical laws of “We can now predict many aspects physics necessary to describe all of ma- of materials properties for systems terials science were completely known, spanning the entire periodic table,” but the solution of these equations was says Marianetti. impossibly difficult. One such material is graphene—a Applying physics and mathematics to single layer of bonded carbon atoms one solve difficult equations is what brought million times thinner than paper, which electronics to our landscape. Much of could replace silicon. Marianetti and his today’s commonly used technology was group used quantum mechanics to demon- developed based on preliminary under- strate that straining this material should standing of how electrons move through induce a novel phase transition, which various materials under different condi- would cause graphene to mechanically tions. That theoretical science combined break. Strain is a way to engineer the with heroic experimental efforts made properties of graphene, so understanding it possible, by the mid-20th century, to its limits is very practical. harness the behavior of electrons in mate- rials to create the modern computer. In the realm of nanotechnology, theorists like Chris Marianetti, associ- ate professor of materials science and applied physics and applied mathemat- ics, are particularly important in helping understand how the subatomic world “ We can now predict works in complex scenarios. To better many aspects of materials understand and explain what happens properties for systems on the nanoscale, theorists use quantum mechanics, the mathematical description spanning the entire of the motion and interaction of periodic table.”

14 | Chris Marianetti Theory unlocks the secrets at the nanoscale

“This phase transition has not yet been understanding the behavior of noncon- observed, so it is still a bit of a mystery. ventional material and nanostructures of Several colleagues not connected to our multifunction oxides, metals, and semi- original work have proposed hypotheses conductors to accelerate innovations in on the absence of this transition, and analog, logic, and memory devices. five years out we are still searching for Theory, as exploratory engineering, what we believe is the dominant reason. bookends the science of nanotechnol- We believe we are close to unraveling ogy. Theorists help other scientists and this mystery, and ultimately experiment engineers predict new possible com- will prove us right or wrong; that is part binations of atoms and molecules and, of what makes this game so fun. I like to once combinations have been made, say that physics is an art, with a sense test those new materials to explain what of right and wrong.” is happening on the nanoscale. Theory Marianetti’s research has also enhanced magnifies experimental capability, and understanding about the solid-state researchers like Marianetti are learning properties of plutonium, the radioactive to create functional materials and element which is used in radioisotope devices via assembly and manipulation thermoelectric generators, fuels in some at the nanoscale. types of nuclear reactors, and was used “Theoretical and computational develop- in creating many existing weapons in the ments help us understand how materials world’s nuclear stockpile. He was the first behave under all sorts of conditions,” he to predict the temperature dependence says. “This understanding will enable us to of the magnetic properties of the mate- design new materials at the atomic scale rial, which is relevant to safe storage of and work with experimentalists to realize weapons and ensuring the Nuclear Test novel phenomena and functionality.” Ban Treaty far into the future. Research underway in his lab also focuses on By Amy Biemiller

­ | 15 RESEARCH

Above: The nanoparticles ometimes separating things, comprising novel gas instead of mixing them, is the separation membranes are characterized by laser goal in chemical engineering. But light scattering. some systems prove difficult to Sseparate, as is the case when trying to Pictured top right: remove salt from water, or contaminants Christopher Durning (left) and Sanat Kumar from natural gas (such as CO2 or other (Photos by Jeffrey flammable impurities). Membranes are Schifman) an effective way to remove contaminants from liquids or gases. They can act like filters to “screen” the objectionable component out, and provide a purified fluid. But it is a challenge to produce an effective membrane for a given applica- tion. In some cases the substance to be extracted is molecularly too small and easily passes through, or perhaps it is chemically too harsh and degrades the membrane. What is needed is a system that can be highly selective in separating components; tough enough to withstand extreme pH, oxidation, or elevated tem- peratures; and still “porous” enough to allow the gas or liquid product to come through fast enough. About a year ago, a single conversa-

Gas mixtures mimicking tion between two chemical engineering contaminated natural researchers about the problems designing gas are prepared such a system for a very important reproducibly in order application resulted in an idea proving to assess membrane performance. to be a viable solution. Sanat K. Kumar,

16 | Below: Sensitive photon detector on laser light scattering unit used to characterize the key building blocks of novel gas separation membranes. Sanat Kumar + Christopher Durning P arTNERING to Develop Highly Selective Membrane Technology

professor and chair of the Department of faster than the native polymer membrane,” The duo’s research has Chemical Engineering, and Christopher J. explains Durning. “It’s as if the presence of Durning, professor of chemical engineer- the nanoparticles that are decorated with great potential for well- ing, are creating “designer” nanoparticle chemically attached polymers open path- gas purification, an membranes that can screen out very ways for transport of certain chemicals.” important technology that specific components of a gas mixture. The duo’s research has great potential “I have been working on polymer and for well-gas purification, an important can meet the increased nanoparticle design, and Chris has been technology that can meet the increased global demand for high- working on membranes for gas and water global demand for high-purity natural gas. purity natural gas. purification, for a long time,” explains “Well gas must be purified to remove Kumar. “It was the case of the right dangerous contaminants, such as explo- people talking to each other at the right sive condensable hydrocarbons, water, time about a shared challenge. That and corrosive sulfurous compounds,” conversation resulted in us being able explains Durning. “Advanced membranes to take some fundamental science and have been identified as a strategic new platform technology and adapt it to a technology that can enable more effective specific application.” gas purification than current methods.” What Kumar and Durning have been The researchers have filed for a patent able to do is control the structure and and are talking to others in the technology dynamics of nanoparticle-polymer field about commercializing their solution. assemblies by combining the two in a “This underscores what scientific very specific way, and add the under- investigation is all about,” says Kumar. standing emerging from this work to a “You adapt an idea to a new application, growing knowledge of how gas separation and new physics emerge,” he says. “But I membranes work. This combination has would never have thought to apply this to resulted in a new class of gas separation membranes, until I had that conversation membranes that can potentially over- with Chris.” come the performance limitations of the best current membrane systems. By Amy Biemiller “The designer nanoparticle membranes let certain chemical species pass through

­ | 17 RESEARCH

Aron Pinczuk + Shalom Wind Artificial Graphene—Better than the Real Thing?

orking at the cutting edge of physics at the nanoscale, Aron Pinczuk and Shalom Wind are developingW new ways to access quantum PhD candidate Diego mechanical phenomena by manipulating Scarabelli handles matter at nanoscale dimensions. One of samples in the ultraclean laboratory housing the areas they are especially interested the Nanobeam nB4. A in is artificial graphene, a material that glimpse of the artificial is now attracting more and more graphene pattern can be attention because researchers believe seen on the screen at right. (Photos by it will have more versatile properties Jeffrey Schifman) than the real thing.

18 | and organized them in a honeycomb lattice, mimicking the graphene crystal structure. Once the quantum dots were placed close enough to each other that they could share electrons, they displayed the electronic signature of graphene. This artificial graphene has several advantages over natural graphene; for instance, researchers can design variations into the honeycomb lattice to modulate electronic behavior. And because the spacing between the quantum dots is much larger than the interatomic spacing in natural graphene, researchers will be able to observe even more surprising quantum phenomena with the applica- tion of a magnetic field. Above, from right to left: The Artificial Graphene has highly unusual electronic “It will be easier to make observa- Graphene team: Diego Scarabelli, properties: its electrons can travel great tions with the artificial graphene we’ve Yuliya Kuznetsova, Sheng Wang, distances before they are scattered, developed,” Pinczuk notes. “Potential Shalom Wind, and Aron Pinczuk. making the material an outstanding applications include new types of elec- Above, right: The Nanobeam nB4 conductor. In addition, the way atoms tronic switches, novel photodetectors electron beam lithography system, are arranged in graphene causes them and transistors with superior properties, shown here, uses a finely focused to behave as if they are relativistic parti- and even perhaps new ways of storing beam of electrons to “write” nanoscale patterns that define the cles that have zero mass and can move information based on novel quantum artificial graphene lattice. The nB4 close to the speed of light, fueling hopes mechanical states. And we’ve created a is one of the critical tools within the for hyperfast electronics and more. new materials base to explore intriguing Columbia Nano Initiative that enable “These properties are very exciting quantum physics.” leading-edge nanoscience research. because they can lead to the observation He and Wind are now working on the of exotic quantum mechanical states,” next generation of artificial graphene says Pinczuk, professor of applied devices, which will have more closely physics and physics, who uses optical spaced lattices, making it easier to methods to examine nanostructures. observe electronic states. They will “But accessing these states in natural use the devices for experiments at high graphene is challenging, because magnetic fields as well as transport handling single atomic layers entails experiments, where they measure current extremely complex operations.” through the artificial graphene lattice. “This is a rapidly expanding area of While researchers have been trying “This is an exciting time for those of us research,” says Wind, adjunct professor to create artificial graphene in semicon- working in nanoscience,” Wind adds. and senior research scientist in the ductors, until now they have been unable “As our ability to structure matter at Department of Applied Physics and to reach the small dimensions required increasingly small dimensions continues Applied Mathematics. “We are uncov- to create an interconnected electronic to improve, we’ll be able to observe newer ering new phenomena that couldn’t be lattice. The Columbia Engineering team’s and more exotic phenomena and create accessed before. As we explore novel latest breakthrough has been to recreate, materials, like artificial graphene, that device concepts by engineering the for the first time, the electronic structure we’ve only been able to dream about.” artificial graphene in different ways, of graphene in an engineered semicon- we can unlock the potential to expand ductor. Using the tools of conventional By Holly Evarts frontiers in quantum mechanics, with chip technology, they made quantum potential applications in advanced opto- dots—instead of carbon atoms—in a electronics and data processing.” gallium arsenide-based semiconductor

­ | 19 RESEARCH

Barmak stands in the atayun Barmak is aiming to newly constructed define structure-property Electron Microscopy (EM) Laboratory relationships of metals in located on the first engineered high-tech systems floor of Havemeyer Klike data storage, integrated circuits, and Hall. (Photo by advanced permanent magnets. As an Jeffrey Schifman) experimental materials scientist, Barmak spends the majority of her time in the lab, peering into electron microscopes to study the very minute, nanometric-scale structure of materials, with the hope of finding the link between their struc- ture—for example, the three-dimensional arrangement of the nanocrystals—and their properties, whether it’s electrical conductivity or magnetic hardness. “I’m very interested in basic studies that explore the relations between how you make a material, what its structure is, and then, how it behaves. Is it a good or poor conductor of electricity, and so on,” explains Barmak, the Philips Electronics Professor in Applied Mathematics and Applied Physics. “I find it very exciting because I like to work on that edge of science where I can see the application. I want to know that the science will be used; I’m interested in the underlying science of the material that goes into building even just a small part of an engineered system.” Before joining Columbia Engineering in 2011, Barmak was on the faculty at Car- negie Mellon University, where she rose to full professor in just three years. She was one of the first materials scientists q&a ever to successfully map the crystallo- graphic orientation of polycrystalline KYUNATA structures on the nanoscale for statisti- cally significant populations. An exciting BARMAK research feat at the time—four years ago—when high throughput crystal orien- tation mapping methods at the nanoscale were not available. But now the technique is readily available, making it possible, for example, to see how metallic elements like copper can be tailored to be even bet- ter nanoscale electrical conductors. Shortly after the fourth of July holiday, Barmak talked to Columbia Engineering

20 | magazine about her ongoing work in mind is completely engaged in trying to to measure and verify. We’re beginning to metals on the nanoscale, setting up learn the steps, keep to the music, keep get glimpses of what we can do. the School’s new electron microscopy to the time. It’s physically and mentally lab, and her previous life in the so fully engrossing that you come out What is the end goal? performing arts. of class exhausted but also refreshed. To find new or better materials—there’s I miss it terribly. It was the best thing. always newer and better defined by some How did you get your start So initially I wanted to become a ballet figure of merit. Hopefully, the new is in metallurgy? dancer. Now, I look back on the insanity better. [Laughs] I went to Cambridge as an undergraduate of that. I grew up in Iran, but at the time and started in natural sciences to give me of rapid growth and modernization. The This academic year, faculty, some flexibility in the choice of classes. country had a ballet company that I could students, and researchers I had to pick a last class. I had only been join. And we had dancers and teachers across Columbia will have in England for two years. To me, English from all over the world. It was just this access to the School’s new was still a second language, although I phenomenal pocket of time where we Electron MICROSCOPY (EM) Lab IN spoke it very well, so I was trying to avoid thought we were dancing on the world Havemeyer. This is significant. any classes where essay assignments stage . . . but then my parents thought It has been exciting (and, at times, were involved. Ironically, all I do now is this was absolutely not the career for me. exasperating) constructing this new write, and I was trying to avoid writing. [Laughs] And in retrospect, it was a very central facility for not only our faculty and There was only one class without essays lucky thing I didn’t do it. students, but for other Columbia mem- and it was Crystals. We started to do a bers and alumni. I am looking forward to lot of visible light microscopy of crystals, You’re currently doing a lot the creativity we’re going to get out of and the images were beautiful. What you of research on the nanoscale. its use, the world-class science that will can see in the microscope, those images, What is the materials science come out of it from researchers using the just grabbed me. I spent a lot of my time field like now? instrument and who are doing exciting collecting images, analyzing images, It’s an exciting time. It’s exciting because work here. I think we’ll be blown away! extracting information from images. now our instrumentation and our com- And, I love art. I love the visual arts, the puting power are beginning to match our By Melanie A. Farmer performing arts, and painting. For me, the desires. The computing power that wraps images were beautiful, appealing in their around every instrument is making things own right; but also what kept my interest so much better and enabling new science. Pictured above, from left to right: Bright-field was the information content extracted In materials, for me, it’s a very exciting transmission electron micrograph of stained mouse lung tissue; bright-field transmission from those images. The images led to time because we do not yet have the electron micrograph of an aluminum film; the science. full predictive theories in materials that crystal orientation map of a copper film. will allow us to design a material for an (Images courtesy of Katayun Barmak) The performing arts were engineered system in a computer, then go actually a big part of your and make it and have it behave the way life at one point. we wanted. But we’re getting there. Some I wanted to be a ballet dancer. I started of what [Associate Professor] Chris at age 8. In the end, I did ballet on and off Marianetti and others do—computing for 25 years. I danced in graduate school materials from the principles of quantum and afterwards. I danced with chamber mechanics—and some of the materials ballet companies. In a dance class, your and properties predicted we’re now able

­ | 21 INNOVATION

Venture Competition Winners Moving Ahead

hree emerging startups born at Columbia Engineering are taking their business to the next level thanks to wins at the annual Columbia Venture Competition. Held T at the School last April, the event brought together students and alumni from SEAS and other schools to vie for $250,000 in seed funding—among one of the largest and most competitive university-based startup competitions in the United States. This year, teams participated in specific, topic-related tracks, two of which were sponsored by the Engineering School: Technology Challenge, focusing on software and hardware startups in multiple sectors; and Global Technology Challenge, aimed at health, environ- mental, and disaster relief ventures with a global sustainability component. Neopenda, a health technology startup founded by Teresa Cauvel, Rebecca Peyser, and Sona Shah, took third place in the Global Technology Challenge track. The three biomedical engineering graduate students took home $10,000 for their concept: a hat or headband containing a small circuit that measures heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and blood oxygen saturation in critically ill infants and sends the data to a centralized monitoring device. Their winnings will fund a trip, possibly to Uganda, to put early prototypes of their design in the hands of doctors and nurses to gather feedback and help refine the product for optimum use in low-resource medical settings. “In many places where there’s a really horrible nurse-to-baby ratio, where there might be 30 or 60 babies for each nurse, a lot of babies die because the nurses don’t recognize when something is going wrong,” Shah said. “And we want to try to prevent that from happening.” Going through the Venture Competition at such an early stage for Neopenda—the Top, from left to right: Teresa idea was born in early January during a biomedical design class—has helped shape the Cauvel, Sona Shah, and Rebecca company from the start, Shah said. “It was an awesome experience to learn about the Peyser; Bottom: Chris Cleveland business side,” Shah remarked. Since the competition, the team has added Columbia Opposite page: Neovel rendering; MBA student Jonathan Lichtinger to flesh out the logistics. ”Apart from having an idea, Adam Hurst (left) and we’re learning that having a solid business plan is just as important.” Nick Petrone Nick Petrone PhD’14 and Adam Hurst PhD’15 won first place in the Technology Challenge track, as well as $25,000, for their company, Neovel. This venture, which grew out of Petrone’s work with graphene at Columbia, is developing flexible, wearable display screens made out of the 2D material. (Neovel also won a $25,000 cFUND Ignition Grant in 2014; Petrone and Hurst deferred it until January of this year in order to complete their PhDs.) “Initially we’ll probably focus on active camouflage for soldiers in the field for the military, as well as heads-up displays on vehicle windshields,” Hurst said. “We’d also like to transition the technology to wearables, where there are a number of ways we could really transform the user experience.” Two-year-old Pixm, founded by computer science MS student Chris Cleveland, won third place and $10,000 in the Technology Challenge track for its work in building technology that combats phishing attacks and fake web page attacks.

22 | “What we’re trying to do is make software that can detect fraudulent websites by The School’s annual identifying visual elements of the real web pages and cross-check domain addresses,” he said. “And while there are many crappy phishing attacks, there are more and more Columbia Venture sophisticated attacks and very compelling pages. It’s a big problem for the private sec- Competition brought tor, costing more than $10 billion a year, so timing is on our side.” together students and Cleveland said he found the Venture Competition invaluable—and not only for the $10,000 in prize money, which he’s using toward two full-time summer interns as well alumni from SEAS as computing infrastructure. and other schools to “It was a great way to get focused and get feedback. There are three different rounds, vie for $250,000 in and we got very useful feedback in each round,” he remarked. “And it really forces you to focus on marketing. I found it really fun—stressful fun, but really fun.” seed funding—among And it is paying off. Pixm, which was born out of a computer vision class at Columbia one of the largest Engineering, has already been contacted by two security firms, as well as a handful of and most competitive other groups, without having invested anything yet into marketing. “It helped us get our message out into the world,” Cleveland said. university-based startup The School’s dedication to incubating startup culture in New York City and in competitions in the support of its alums doesn’t end there. Both Neovel and Pixm have won space in Columbia’s year-old Startup Lab, cofound- U nited States. ed and cosponsored by the Engineering School, which offers dedicated office space in the WeWork Soho West building on Varick Street. As part of WeWork, which brings startups and entrepreneurs together in a shared office environment, the teams get desks and access to conference rooms, kitchens, and office services, as well as an open work space that encourages collaboration and cross-pollination across the different ventures through get-togethers, guest speakers, and more. They also get a big break on costs, with Columbia paying 75 percent of the normal monthly space fee. “There are lawyers, venture capitalists; different alumni with different backgrounds spend time talking at the Lab, and it’s very, very useful—you can really leverage the network,” Pixm’s Cleveland said. “And you’re around other Columbia students and alums, and it’s really a great community. You’re fighting similar battles, and it’s cool to be able to trade war stories.” And the Neovel team, which also uses space at the School’s clean room to manu- facture, agrees. “I have to be honest, as a hardware company, we have some different needs [from other startups], but being able to work out of Columbia’s clean room provides that, so it’s been great working out of the Startup Lab along with people from the business school and the law school,” Petrone said. “For the daily operation of the business, it’s been a huge support to be in that diverse environment.”

By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry

­ | 23 INNOVATION

(Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

24 | The Eternal Camera engineering.columbia.edu /web/newsletter/eternalcamera

(Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

ccording to computer scientist same components. At the heart of any Shree Nayar and his team Shree K. Nayar, “we are in the mid- digital camera is an image sensor, a chip have invented a prototype dle of a digital imaging revolution.” with millions of pixels. The key enabling And, his latest innovation—a self-powering device in a pixel is the photodiode, video camera that is the camera—is a driving force. A research team which produces an electric current when first to be fully self-powered. led by Nayar has invented a prototype video exposed to light. This mechanism enables camera that is the first to be fully self-pow- each pixel to measure the intensity of light ered—it can produce an image each second, falling on it. The same photodiode is also Nayar notes that the image sensor indefinitely, of a well-lit indoor scene. They used in solar panels to convert incident could use a rechargeable battery and designed a pixel that can not only measure light to electric power. The photodiode charge it via its harvesting capability, “but incident light but also convert the incident in a camera pixel is used in the photo- we took an extreme approach to demon- light into electric power. conductive mode, while in a solar cell it strate that the sensor is indeed truly Nayar, who directs the Computer Vision is used in the photovoltaic mode. self-powered and used just a capacitor Laboratory at Columbia Engineering, Nayar, working with research engineer to store the harvested energy.” notes that in the last year alone, approx- Daniel Sims BS’14 and consultant Mikhail “A few different designs for image imately two billion cameras of various Fridberg of ADSP Consulting, used off-the- sensors that can harvest energy have types were sold worldwide. “I think we shelf components to fabricate an image been proposed in the past. However, our have just seen the tip of the iceberg. sensor with 30x40 pixels. In his prototype prototype is the first demonstration of Digital imaging is expected to enable camera, which is housed in a 3D printed a fully self-powered video camera,” he many emerging fields including wearable body, each pixel’s photodiode is always continues. “And, even though we’ve used devices, sensor networks, smart environ- operated in the photovoltaic mode. off-the-shelf components to demonstrate ments, personalized medicine, and the The pixel design is very simple and our design, our sensor architecture easily Internet of Things. A camera that can uses just two transistors. During each lends itself to a compact solid-state function as an untethered device forever, image capture cycle, the pixels are used imaging chip. We believe our results are without any external power supply, first to record and read out the image and a significant step forward in developing would be incredibly useful.” then to harvest energy and charge the an entirely new generation of cameras A leader in computational imaging, sensor’s power supply—the image sensor that can function for a very long dura- Nayar realized that although digital continuously toggles between image cap- tion—ideally, forever—without being cameras and solar panels have different ture and power harvesting modes. When externally powered.” The research was purposes—one measures light while the camera is not used to capture images, funded by Office of Naval Research. the other converts light to power—both it can be used to generate power for other are constructed from essentially the devices, such as a phone or a watch. By Holly Evarts

­ | 25 EDUCATION

A Culture of Real-World Research

ast year, Jason Kang, a biomedical engineer- ing junior, was thoroughly distracted from his studies—in a good way. He and two classmates undertook a research design challenge at the School to develop low-cost, Ltechnology-driven solutions for issues related to the Ebola crisis. While the pressure to balance his classes, homework, and tests with research was intense, Kang never doubted the benefit: he was in the midst of an important investigation to better protect health care workers at high risk of infection. “The ability to apply theory to practice is an incredibly important learning tool,” says Leora Brovman, associate dean for Undergraduate Student Affairs. “Columbia Engineering students have always had opportunities to work with faculty and graduate students on research— during the school year and over the summer—which prepares them to engage effectively in professional environments postgraduation.” Research opportunities for undergraduate engineering students are expected in academia. Lab experiences with faculty research mentors and project teams offer students a peek into the culture of research and a real-world look at engineering careers. They can also inspire a deeper connection to engineering as a way to solve problems that affect people. Two years ago, the School made a commitment to support even more hands-on research opportunities for

26 | Katherine Jin ‘16CC and Jason Kang ‘16SEAS hard at work in Carleton Lab, testing their product, Highlight, a colored powdered additive that, combined with bleach, allows health workers to see that a surface has been fully decontaminated of infectious diseases. (Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

­ | 27 EDUCATION

Over the last year, BME undergraduate and graduate students, providing matching funds to departments and principal investigators to hire students for the summer. Senior Lecturer Aaron The School’s new Summer@SEAS research program—a 10-week series of faculty Kyle and his students research seminars, lab visits, scientific workshops, student exchanges, and cultural have begun working outings—provided students with opportunities to learn about others’ rich and diverse research experiences. closely with the Uganda “Summer opportunities are as extensive and diverse as our faculty’s research,” says Industrial Research Brovman. “There are projects in every department, in various institutes, and in Institute (UIRI) to create cross-disciplinary areas.” Approximately 150 students were engaged in research at SEAS over the summer. innovative devices “Doing research over a concentrated period of time, without interruption from other that align well with the responsibilities, allows students to really have an immersive experience,” notes Brovman. Ugandan infrastructure— Scientists with a Social Conscience ensuring they can be Kang, now a senior, stayed local this summer to continue the research he began during manufactured and sold the School’s Ebola Design Challenge last fall. His team—which includes Katherine Jin ’16CC and Kevin Tyan ’16CC—developed an sustainably within innovative solution to the problem of ineffective decontamination processes threatening the country. health care workers’ lives. The team strives to perfect Highlight, a colored powdered additive that, combined with bleach, allows workers to see that a surface has been fully decontaminated. “We were vetted and supported by professors, infectious diseases experts, first responders, and field workers during the challenge,” Kang explains. “We spent a lot of time testing different formulations to achieve our current formula. Now, we’re con- ducting research to validate Highlight against a variety of environmental factors and field-testing to assess its ease-of-use and efficacy.” From the time he started at Columbia, Kang had a strong interest in developing technologies that could improve global health. He also serves as the vice president of engineering at Jibon Health Technologies, a Columbia Engineering graduate–founded company that makes a device to manage postpartum hemorrhage. “Hands-on training is extremely important because it allows you to better understand the material you’re working with, what you should be looking for, and what needs to be done next,” says Kang. “Columbia has been immensely helpful in helping us promote our project and connecting us with partner organizations. It is one of the best places to pursue entrepreneurship with a social impact.”

The Fire Department of the City of New York has incorporated Highlight into their decontamination protocol. (Photo courtesy of FDNY)

28 | Aaron Kyle, senior lecturer in biomedical engineering and Kang’s adviser for Highlight, knows firsthand the value of getting students involved in research. His two-semester biomedical senior design course emphasizes socially conscious research. For the last few years, the class has worked with Mulago Hospital in Uganda and the Columbia Medical Center to develop low-cost neonatal care devices that satisfy the specific needs and constraints of the country. Through this partnership, Kyle’s students have developed neonatal transport units that stabilize babies and help maintain their body temperature on the way to the hospital; portable, low-cost phototherapy units that can be placed over the crib or under the bodies of jaundiced infants to treat excess bilirubin before it progresses to dangerous hyperbilirubinemia; and vital-sign-monitoring mats that can measure babies’ breathing, heart rate, and temperature without the need for expensive equipment. Over the last year, Kyle and his students have begun working closely with the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) to create innovative devices that align well with the Ugandan infrastructure—ensuring they can be manufactured and sold sustainably within the country. Neonatal care will continue to be the focus, and Kyle recently secured funding from VentureWell—a nonprofit education network—that will allow him and his students to travel to Uganda next June to see the country’s needs and test their devices firsthand. As of July, Kyle already had 50 students enrolled in his fall senior design course, and some already had jump-started their projects with calls and Skype sessions with Ugandan partners. “If we help save or improve the life of even one baby, then we’ve made a huge impact,” says Kyle. “I think our students have an altruistic spirit. They want to use their engineering skills to help people, and they’re excited to do something impactful.”

By Jessica Driscoll

“ Hands-on training is extremely important because it allows you to better understand the material you’re working with, what you should be looking for, and what needs to be done next.” —Jason Kang ’16SEAS

Far left: the Special Care Baby Unit at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, where Aaron Kyle and his students have traveled to test their low-cost neonatal care devices. Left: a Ugandan mother using a student-designed neonatal transport unit. (Photos courtesy of Aaron Kyle)

­ | 29 EDUCATION

A smart vent used in the Internet of Things graduate course. (Photos by Jeffrey Schifman)

Taking the Next Step in

olumbia Engineering is preparing connectivity for devices is a given. “Having students for the digitally connected this allows us to prepare our students and give C world with new classes that give them a comprehensive skill set,” Jiang said. hands-on preparation in the Internet The Internet of Things (IoT), we know, of Things. is shorthand to describe the network of For the first time this summer session, physical items that can connect to each the School offered Internet of Things, a other, to different networks, and to the graduate course taught by Zoran Kostic, cloud. And it covers a huge variety of associate professor of professional prac- applications—from consumer devices, like tice in electrical engineering. And this Nest thermostats or sensors in cars that fall, new faculty member Xiaofan (Fred) monitor air pressure and engine function, Jiang, assistant professor of electrical to the ways cities like New York are using engineering and a member of Columbia’s mobile air pollution monitors. Data Science Institute, is teaching a The course of the same name trains Sensor device used in Internet of graduate and senior-level undergraduate students in three domains: programming Things graduate course. course focused on the same topic. of sensors and sensor data acquisition, Both professors agree, it’s all part of pre- processing of sensor data in gateways and paring students for a future where Internet hubs, and cloud data analytics and interac-

30 | One student team’s Raspberry Pi toy car that can navigate indoors on its own using Bluetooth low energy and artificial neural network.

tion with IoT devices. It is organized into reality,” he said. “Looking forward to one discipline, it will be useful to be to give students the bigger perspective when we have all these things that need exposed to how it fits into the system.” on current and future uses—through to be radically connected to the cloud, we “Before, we’d think of preparing students lecturers and guest speakers from the need students who are well equipped to to enter a big company like Intel or field, but also through firsthand experi- tackle these problems.” Microsoft, where they’d be a small piece ence, as they program their own devices And that represents a sea change for engi- of a larger group,” Jiang said. “We are in and work with each other and teaching neering majors, Jiang and Kostic agreed, as the middle of a maker movement—it’s a staff to create their own projects using they increasingly need to know not only how different mindset, that anyone can proto- the devices. Students in the class, Kostic to create devices, but also how they interact type a project quickly. With this class, said, “are really well prepared to build and how they fit into the bigger picture. students go a step beyond and learn very sophisticated software.” “Many of the courses taught at univer- about the principles behind building a Jiang’s class follows a similar format. sities are focused on particular, specific scalable, energy-conscious, and interop- Students are taught the top-to-bottom things,” Kostic said. “This course is about erable Internet-scale system. This class process of putting together an IoT sys- knowing all of the things together you’d has the potential to empower students tem as well as working on independent need to build a system and teaching to think more independently and be con- projects that use the knowledge. “It’s students to be versed in architectural fident in creating their own startups.” beneficial for students because skills. When you go into the job market, they’ll gain the skill set to turn an idea even for people who are specialized in By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry

­ | 31 STUDENTS

Ritish Patnaik Biomedical Engineering, Senior

(Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

here has been one clear consistency through Last fall, Patnaik participated in the Ebola Design Challenge, Ritish Patnaik’s goals as they evolve: better the the student and faculty competition initiated by the deans of world through science. Initially fascinated with Columbia Engineering and the Mailman School of Public Health. biology, Patnaik identified medical research as It was started in an effort to mobilize the Columbia community a vehicle for affecting change. In high school to create practical solutions to the Ebola crisis. The dedicated he pursued his interests with summers in stem teams worked nonstop to find viable results to help those cell and cancer research. But he felt something was missing: affected, and the experience only furthered Patnaik’s belief in T“I realized that the natural sciences was not the right fit for me the importance of a nurturing faculty: “One thing that I really ap- because it lacked the creative ‘builder’s mentality’ that I really preciated about the Ebola Design Challenge was the cooperation desire in my career.” Patnaik then discovered biomedical engi- between faculty and student teams. I was delighted to see the neering as the perfect solution, an obvious conduit to make an support that Dean Boyce, Professor Sia, Professor Massimino, impact while enabling him to have a hands-on approach. and Professor Kyle provided our team in a moment’s notice.” Patnaik formulated what he describes as three core profes- Patnaik understands that the components of his goals— sional tenets as an adolescent. He wanted to work on and direct mentoring students and conducting effective research—are cutting-edge medical technology with the aim of reducing human very much intertwined. He details with thoughtfulness a future suffering; to cultivate a younger generation’s enthusiasm for of not only creating additional medical devices for low-resource science and engineering; and to live a fruitful and well-rounded settings but also embedding a passion for creating health life. He identified academia as the right path and is studying to technology in future generations. “By exposing my students to eventually become a research professor. the process of creating medical devices, I hope to inspire them Now a senior, Patnaik is working with Associate Professor to pursue a career in biomedical engineering and create clinical Sam Sia. In his research with Professor Sia and MD-PhD student innovations that change the world,” he says. Tiffany Guo, Patnaik designed a point-of-care diagnostic device “Biomedical Engineering professors have the unique opportu- that provides rapid, low-cost anemia and HIV testing for preg- nity to teach their graduate and undergraduate students about nant women living in low-resource areas. The device’s design entrepreneurship, intelligent biodesign, and core principles of and preliminary testing results were recently published in the academic research while being supported by larger biotechs and journal Lab on a Chip. research agencies through partnerships and funding,” Patnaik also notes with characteristic collaborative spirit. Patnaik is armed with a sense of clarity that is doubtlessly one In his research with Professor Sam Sia and MD-PhD of his great strengths, allowing him to envision simple, tangible student Tiffany Guo, Patnaik designed a point-of-care solutions to complex problems and act on their execution. He also possesses an innate altruism. And one senses his future diagnostic device that provides rapid, low-cost students will not resist his infectious enthusiasm. anemia and HIV testing for pregnant women living in low-resource areas. By Elaine Rooney

32 | (Photo by Jeffrey Schifman)

Riley Spahn Computer Science, PhD student

iley Spahn approaches Spahn builds different transparency tools to help users his research in computer science with a key tenet of learn how applications services use their data, as well as engineering in mind: the importance of building— tools for programmers to manage data in a transparent, rnamely, creating foundations for future responsible way. His work couldn’t be timelier, as the research within his field of study. “It is important to build tools that serve as fears over digital privacy continue to bubble. building blocks so more people can study data and security,” he says. Currently a PhD student, Spahn is focused on the discrimination. I think that it’s going to be As for what he’ll ultimately do profes- increasingly critical field of privacy. very important for us to develop practical sionally, Spahn feels a pull into academia Spahn obtained his undergraduate techniques for handling personal data.” but is characteristically practical in degree from Auburn University, where he Practicality and responsibility seem to pacing his decision, remarking, “I’m far initially set out to study chemical engineer- be an innate part of Spahn’s focus and enough out from graduation that I don’t ing but quickly changed his mind after one doubtlessly inform his efforts. “I’ve built a have any solid plans.” computing class. He was partly drawn to modified version of the Android operat- Though he’s open minded about his SEAS because of the work of Assistant ing system, called Pebbles, that tracks own career, he possesses a powerful Professor Roxana Geambasu. “She had a related data and can expose that to users, enthusiasm for the future of the field: “I history of doing exciting and novel systems allowing them to see how applications think there are a lot of exciting opportu- and privacy research,” he remarks. are managing their data,” he says. nities to take advantage of data to learn Spahn joined Columbia with Geambasu And his efforts have not gone unno- about larger trends within our society, as a faculty adviser and has wasted no time ticed. Recently he was one of just fifteen such as in medicine. One example is in contributing to her exciting research. students to receive a North American Google’s effort to track flu trends across In his work with her and Professor Gail Google PhD Fellowship for his work. With the country. We could use such large- Kaiser, he builds different transparency the bigger picture in mind, Spahn grasps scale data to inform policy makers and tools to help users learn how applica- the significance of the honor. help direct research direction.” tions services use their data, as well as “I’m very happy that my research is Spahn is already making important tools for programmers to manage data receiving recognition, and I think that our contributions to his field, and it’s obvious in a transparent, responsible way. Their research group brings a useful systems that his professional future, whatever it work couldn’t be timelier, as the fears point of view to privacy work,” he says. may entail, is bright. over digital privacy continue to bubble, “In addition to my own research, I think an issue of which Spahn is of course cog- that it’s equally important for privacy in By Elaine Rooney nizant: “With large-scale data collection general to receive recognition, attention, comes the potential for drastic abuse and and funding.”

­ | 33 STUDENTS

Opposite Page: Jessica Valarezo, left, and Lauren O’Connor (Columbia College) (Photos by Jeffrey Schifman)

hen senior “The girls I’ve taught are getting into their top schools Jessica Valarezo first encountered and starting clubs at their own schools—they are in turn Girls Who Code, becoming advocates for computer science among the national non- profit dedicated women, which is spreading incredibly fast.” to educating young girls about computer scienceW and programming, she thought about the impact it would have had on friend and Columbia College computer direct exposure to higher education,” her in high school. Like many other girls, science major Lauren O’Connor. In 2014 Valarezo says. she felt intimidated by computer science. the pair served as teaching assistants Valarezo chose Columbia Engineering, “I was not interested by a pass/fail com- for the Girls Who Code Summer Program like many of her fellow students, because puter science class,” she admits. “At the and felt enlivened by the young girls who of the invaluable core curriculum. “In high time, I was terrified of CS.” Fortunately, learned so quickly and had so much school I wanted to have the liberty of taking Valarezo decided to give engineering a enthusiasm. When the director men- political science, ethnic studies, and chance in college. She benefited from an tioned an interest in starting chapters language courses while in undergrad,” invigorating summer experience she had at colleges, Valarezo and O’Connor she says. And it seems fitting. In seeking at MIT, and an older sister who studied jumped at the chance. a diverse learning environment, Valarezo biomedical engineering and shared her “We thought, ‘why not?’ Columbia’s is able to tune into a social conscious- love of STEM. And now, Valarezo is beautiful, grand campus would be the ness that has no doubt motivated her paying it forward. ideal location to have a club, combined to start the Girls Who Code chapter. In February, she cofounded Columbia’s with Columbia students as teachers The results have been tangible. As first-ever Girls Who Code chapter with who would provide the students with O’Connor attests, sometimes all it takes

34 | Women Who Inspire Girls Who Code

Jessica Valarezo Computer Science, Senior Girls Who Code Chapter CoFounder

is exposure. “I think I connect so person- she says. “Students who have taken a CS Last spring, two Columbia ally with Girls Who Code because before class in high school are much more likely I took my first computer science class, to indicate interest in computer science undergraduates started I never would have considered it as a as a major. Because of this barrier, along the University’s first- major,” she says. And the effects are with the shortage of relatable female role cyclical. “The girls I’ve taught are getting models, women will continue to pursue ever chapter of Girls into their top schools and starting clubs other career paths.” Who Code—the national at their own schools—they are in turn Though Valarezo is adept in her assess- becoming advocates for computer ment, she and O’Connor are taking action nonprofit dedicated to science among women, which is spread- and providing solutions, serving as role teaching young girls ing incredibly fast,” Valarezo adds. models to young girls to whom they also With the headiness of success, including provide the exposure they identify as crucial. about computer science speakers from Google and Goldman As for the future of Girls Who Code at and programming. Sachs, and a couple of Valarezo’s students Columbia, it’s as bright as the cofounders’ from last summer with a final project enthusiasm. The hope is to expand: that went viral, resulting in interviews two classrooms this coming year, new with Time and CNN, Valarezo remains speakers, more events, and one can mindful and focused; there is still much only imagine exponential growth in the to be done. “I believe some of the gender years to come. disparity can be attributed to the lack of familiarity with computer science coming By Elaine Rooney into college and facing an intimidating introductory computer science course,”

­ | 35 ALUMNI

y Harlin BS’08 is using what publications still drive the majority of As vice president of growth he learned at Columbia their business in terms of revenue,” he Engineering to bring Condé said. “However, we know that ultimately, and data science at Condé Nast into the future. people are going to spend the majority Nast, Ky Harlin is charged KAs vice president of growth and data of their time consuming content digitally. science since March, Harlin is charged My function is basically to help us use with both collecting data with both collecting data about site data to grow that audience.” about site visitors and visitors and analyzing it for trends and And to do it, Harlin is relying not only insights that can help the venerable on his years at Internet news media king analyzing it for trends and publication giant grow its burgeoning BuzzFeed—he’s putting into practice insights that can help the digital business. That includes analyzing what he learned as an applied mathe- data to make sure publications are matics major at SEAS. venerable publication tailoring their posts to channels like “I think my generation, going into college, giant grow its burgeoning Facebook or Twitter where they’ll be was told by people who are four to five best received, advising on the kinds of years older, ‘You don’t use anything you digital business. stories that are driving visitors to the learned at school in a real job.’ But I feel site (and the ones that keep them there), totally the opposite. What I did at Columbia and even working with the magazines’ was perfectly suited to what I do.” online presences to tweak their presenta- Harlin first encountered data science tion to maximize each user’s experience. via a guest speaker in the applied “Condé Nast has all these incredible mathematics majors’ seminar. This led brands that people know and trust to research in medical imaging at Invicro, and are authoritative, but their print a company that provides imaging services

Ky Harlin BS’08 From BuzzFeed to Condé Nast, and All the Data in Between

36 | to pharmaceutical companies, after gradu- “ I think my generation, going into college, was told by ation. Associate Professor Chris Wiggins— now also the chief data scientist at the people who are four to five years older, ‘You don’t use New York Times—teaches the applied anything you learned at school in a real job.’ But I feel math seminar and later connected Harlin with a consulting opportunity at BuzzFeed. totally the opposite. What I did at Columbia was And working at BuzzFeed gave Harlin a perfectly suited to what I do.” front-row seat to the uses of data science. “When I started at BuzzFeed, [founder] Jonah Peretti was very visionary. He realized that data was going to be huge “They’re two very different compa- And it’s paying off. Harlin said Condé in the future,” Harlin said. “Tech compa- nies. BuzzFeed was born on the web, Nast’s Comscore numbers—the industry nies were doing it, but not many media and, in a sense, that made what I do standard for measurement of web traffic companies. I was the first guy there much simpler, because they were data—have started showing growth: doing it, so I learned it through trial creating content with a digital focus “Good stuff is happening. Three of the and error.” in mind from the beginning,” he said. first four months since I joined have been It’s that hands-on experience that Condé “But the two companies are ultimately our biggest in history.” Nast wanted to tap. In his position—the trying to do the same thing. While first of its kind at the publisher—Harlin Condé Nast has built its company By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry reports to EVP and Chief Digital Officer and brands through print magazines, Fred Santarpia as part of a newly formed we still employ a lot of the same digital division that signals the company’s strategies in terms of growing our focus on driving their online business. digital presence.”

Ky Harlin at the Condé Nast tech campus in Manhattan. (Photo by Timothy Lee Photographers)

­ | 37 ALUMNI

he world is looking at a new era in care records and information for both Shahram wellness and health care, accord- physician and patient use. T ing to Shahram Ebadollahi MS’99, His research at Columbia led to Ebadollahi PhD’05—and as the VP of innovation Ebadollahi being recruited by IBM after and chief science officer of IBM Watson graduation. Between 2005 and 2014, he MS ’99, PhD’05 Health, he’s helping lead the charge to worked on the Health Care Transforma- make health care smarter, faster, and tion project, defining strategy and set- Revolutionizing more efficient around the world. ting research objectives. He also started Health Announced in April, the new business and led the Health Informatics research unit from Armonk, New York–based IBM across IBM global labs. Last year, he was is dedicated to what Ebadollahi called instrumental in the formation of what “Computational Health”: collecting and would become IBM Watson Health. curating the ever-increasing amounts Ebadollahi says the possibilities for of health data being generated through the unit are huge—whether it’s using clinical trials, studies, patient information, data and cognitive computing to help and even user-generated health infor- clinicians and patients to personalize and mation from tech wearables like FitBit or improve their interactions, or creating Apple Watch. cloud-based technology platforms for use And more importantly, he remarked, by biomedical companies to better man- it will use that data to chart insights age disparate, regulated data. In addition, and connections—and then take those the unit has partnered with companies insights to create solutions and drive including Apple, CVS Health, Medtronic, improvements that help doctors, and Johnson & Johnson, and through its insurers, and researchers transform network of partners could be involved how they work. in creating new solutions for use across “Health care is at an inflection point,” health care and life sciences. Ebadollahi said. “Health care costs are And, he added, not just for the United unsustainable, data is becoming increas- States. “This will be global,” he noted. ingly available through digital devices, “The issues in many countries, especially and new technologies like cloud comput- emerging markets, may be different, such ing are giving us scale and the opportu- as access to health care.” nity to do advanced analytics. There’s a Furthermore, while it is very early days, meaningful way we can work with that Ebadollahi said expectations are high. “As trove of available data to help research- I talk to more and more people out there, ers, heath care professionals, and payers there is a tremendous amount of interest improve the delivery, efficiency, and in what we’re doing, and a lot of expec- outcomes across health care.” tations,” he remarked. “Our CEO Ginni Ebadollahi’s background in the field goes Rometty called [the impact we can have back to his time at Columbia Engineering. on health care] ‘the moonshot of our gen- After getting his MS in electrical engineer- eration’—so the biggest challenge will be ing, he began his PhD research focusing how fast we can execute.” on signal and image and multimedia Ebadollahi credits his time at Columbia Opposite Page, clockwise content analysis and retrieval under for putting him on the path he’s on today. from top right: Reunion Shih-Fu Chang, Richard Dicker Professor “Working on PERSIVAL was the project attendees at State 48 for the of Telecommunications, director of the that applied my background in electrical annual Young Alumni Party; celebrating the Golden Lions Digital Video and Multimedia Lab, and engineering to the domain of medicine,” at the Russian Tea Room; senior vice dean of the Engineering he said. “A lot of the know-how and do- CEAA Awards Ceremony in School. Ebadollahi’s work was part of main expertise comes directly from that.” Low Rotunda; departmental a Columbia Health Care Digital Library luncheon held in Casa Italiana (Photos by Timothy Project called PERSIVAL, designed to By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry Lee Photographers) pull together disparate sources of health

38 | Welcome Back, SEAS Alumni!

More than 300 alumni returned to New York for Columbia nine departments. In the afternoon, Mechanical Engineering Engineering Reunion Weekend, May 28 to 31. This included an Professor Sunil Agrawal discussed his research in using robots to amazing turnout from the Class of 2010, which was celebrating aid in physical therapy and rehabilitation. its fifth reunion; 139 classmates attended Reunion Weekend, In the evening, the School, the College, and Barnard cohosted nearly one third of the class. Reunion provides an opportunity the annual Young Alumni Party at State 48 in midtown Manhat- for alumni to connect with old classmates as well as with friends tan. Dean Boyce joined the Class of 1965 as they were inducted from the College, Barnard, and the School of General Studies, into the School’s Golden Lions Society (for alumni who gradu- which also celebrated their reunions over the weekend. ated at least 50 years ago) at a dinner at the Russian Tea Room. Festivities kicked off on Thursday, May 28, when 280 alumni, Meanwhile, other classes met for multischool receptions on their guests, and administrators gathered in Low Rotunda for campus and around Manhattan. the annual Alumni Welcome Dinner sponsored by the Columbia Boyce hosted the School’s annual Dean’s Day breakfast on Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA). The annual event also Saturday morning. Outgoing CEAA President Hitoshi Tanaka led serves as the CEAA’s awards ceremony. the nearly 100 assembled guests in the annual toast to CEAA This year, the CEAA honored three distinguished Columbians: benefactor C. P. Davis. The dean presented an overview of events Richard Axel ’67CC, Nobel laureate, neuroscientist, and Univer- at the School during the past year and showed a video from the sity Professor, with the Michael I. Pupin Medal; Donald E. Ross MakeCU spring hackathon. ’52CC, BS’53, a mechanical and electrical engineering leader, Later that morning Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechan- with the Thomas Egleston Medal; and Ehud Geller BS’70, a pio- ics Professor Patricia Culligan discussed “Greening New York neering biotech entrepreneur, with the Samuel Johnson Medal. City to Promote Sustainability” as the Society of Columbia Grad- Dean Mary C. Boyce praised the three honorees as represent- uates Great Teacher Lecture. At lunch, the Society of Columbia ing “the best that Columbia has to offer.” She said, “Their contri- Graduates honored Culligan and Brent Stockwell, professor of bi- butions to their professions and to society at large demonstrate ological sciences and chemistry, with the Great Teacher Awards. the positive impact that science, technology, and engineering Following an afternoon of lectures, films, receptions, tours, and have in today’s world.” a wine tasting, alumni gathered for class dinners before coming On Friday, reunion-goers chose from a set of morning lectures, together on Low Plaza for the annual Starlight Reception on including one given by Mike Massimino BS’84, a former NASA Saturday night. astronaut and now a professor of professional practice at SEAS, For information on Reunion Weekend 2016, for graduates of who talked about his two space missions to repair the Hubble classes ending in “1” or “6,” alumni should visit the Columbia Space Telescope. The departmental luncheon in Casa Italiana Engineering alumni website in the coming months! gave alumni a chance to hear from Dean Boyce, view a video from the School’s second Senior Design Expo, and meet with By Timothy P. Cross faculty members and fellow alumni from each of the School’s

­ | 39 NEWS

FACULTY NEWS

N ew FaCES at SEAS

Shipra Agrawal Paul S. Blaer Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering Lecturer in Discipline, Computer Science and Operations Research PhD, Columbia University, 2008; Postdoc Research Fellow, Microsoft Research India, MPhil, 2004; MS, 2002; BA, 2000 2011–2013; PhD, Stanford University, 2011; Paul S. Blaer is director of Computing Research ME, Indian Institute of Science, India, 2004; Facilities in the Department of Computer BE, M.B.M. Engineering College, India, 2002 Science and has previously taught undergrad- Shipra Agrawal specializes in several areas of uate courses. His primary research interests optimization and learning including data-driven are in mobile robotics, computer science optimization under partial, uncertain, or online education, 3D vision, and mobile computing, inputs and related topics. She also works with particularly view planning and automated prediction markets and game theory and will data acquisition for 3D modeling of complex also be a part of Columbia’s Data Science sites. This year, he will teach Introduction to Institute. A former researcher at Microsoft, Computer Science and Data Structures. IBM, Bell Labs, and Yahoo, Agrawal will teach Deterministic Models and a PhD course on Sequential Decision Making in the spring. Antonius “Ton” Dieker Associate Professor, Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Alexandr Andoni PhD, University of Amsterdam, 2006; Associate Professor, Computer Science MS, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 2002 PhD, MIT, 2009; MEng, 2005; BS, 2004 Antonius “Ton” Dieker’s research focuses on Alexandr Andoni explores the algorithmic computer simulation techniques and design foundations of massive data. As a theoretical of service systems. His honors include the computer scientist, he uses and develops Goldstine Fellowship from IBM Research, an tools from areas such as sublinear algorithms, NSF CAREER Award, and the Erlang Prize from high-dimensional computational geometry, the Applied Probability Society of INFORMS. metric embeddings, and machine learning. He joins Columbia from Georgia Tech, after He plans to teach a class on Algorithmic spending a year at SEAS as a visiting professor. Techniques for Massive Data, and, more gen- He also serves on the editorial boards of erally, theoretical computer science classes, Operations Research and Mathematics of in particular on all things algorithmic. Operations Research journals. Dieker taught a PhD-level course on sampling methods and is teaching probability and statistics this fall.

40 | Adam Elmachtoub Hod Lipson Assistant Professor, Industrial Engineering Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Operations Research PhD, Technion, Israel, 1998; BS, 1989 Postdoc Researcher, IBM T.J. Watson Research Hod Lipson works in the general fields of Center, 2014–2015; PhD, MIT, 2014; robotics and additive manufacturing. He has BS, Cornell University, 2009 pioneered methods for robots to self-replicate Adam Elmachtoub concentrates in supply as well as to self-model and reprogram chain and revenue management, drug devel- themselves in the context of damage recovery opment, and sports analytics. Elmachtoub or change in environment. Most recently at is a part of Columbia’s Data Science Institute Cornell University, Lipson’s work on self-aware and teaches business analytics and and self-replicating robots, food printing, and operations management. bio-printing has received widespread media coverage, including in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR. He is the coauthor of the recent book Fabricated: The Alexander Gaeta New World of 3D Printing. In the spring, he David M. Rickey Professor of Applied Physics plans to teach Digital Manufacturing. and of Materials Science PhD, University of Rochester, 1991; MS, 1985; BS, 1983 Alexander Gaeta’s research focuses on nano- Michal Lipson photonics, ultrafast nonlinear optics, nonlinear Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering propagation in fibers and bulk media, non- PhD, Technion, Israel, 1998; MS, 1994; BS, 1992 classical light fields, and stimulated scattering Michal Lipson’s research focuses on the phys- processes. A fellow of the Optical Society of ics and applications of optical nanostructures America and of the American Physical Society, with dimensions significantly smaller than the Gaeta was most recently at Cornell University, wavelength of light including silicon photonics, where he was the Samuel B. Eckert Professor high-performance optoelectronic devices, of Engineering. He plans to teach courses in optomechanics, and novel on-chip nanopho- the applied physics curriculum. tonic devices. Most recently, Lipson was a member of the faculty at Cornell University, where she was the Given Foundation Professor of Engineering. Her honors and awards include Xiaofan “Fred” Jiang a MacArthur Fellow, Blavatnik Award, IBM Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering Faculty Award, and NSF Early Career Award. PhD, University of California at Berkeley, 2010; MS, 2007; BS, 2004

Fred Jiang’s expertise includes cyber physical Vincent Quenneville-Bélair systems and data analytics, smart and Chu Assistant Professor, Applied Mathematics sustainable buildings, mobile and wearable PhD, University of Minnesota, 2015; systems for health and fitness, and environ- BS, McGill University, 2008 mental monitoring and control. A former senior researcher at Intel Labs China, he also Vincent Quenneville-Bélair’s research interests will serve as a faculty member of Columbia’s are in numerical analysis and scientific com- Data Science Institute. Jiang plans to teach putation with applications to physics and wave both undergraduate and graduate courses propagation. In particular, he currently studies in electrical engineering and computer gravitational waves through the design and engineering this year. analysis of new mixed finite elements using the Finite Element Exterior Calculus framework. He is teaching a graduate course in partial differential equations.

­ | 41 NEWS

Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi Eugene Wu Lecturer in Discipline, Computer Science Assistant Professor, Computer Science PhD, University of Orléans, France, 2003; PhD, MIT, 2014; MS, 2010; BS, University of MS, 1999; Dipl. Ing., University of Sciences and California at Berkeley, 2004 Technology Houari Boumediene, Algeria, 1996 Eugene Wu investigates technologies that Ansaf Salleb-Aouissi’s research interests lie in help users play with their data, integrating machine learning and data science, including techniques from specialties including core frequent patterns mining, rule learning, and database optimization, data provenance, and action recommendation in addition to recent visualization to improve the interface between work in crowd sourcing, medical informatics, users and data. He is teaching Data Science and educational data mining. She was and Introduction to Databases and plans to previously an associate research scientist also teach graduate topics at the intersection at Columbia’s Center for Computational of databases, visualization, and interaction. Learning Systems and an adjunct professor with Computer Science and the Data Science Institute. Ansaf will be developing new data Yuan Yang science courses in the Data Science Institute Assistant Professor, Applied Physics and teaching discrete mathematics in the and Applied Mathematics Department of Computer Science. Postdoc Associate, MIT, 2012–2015; PhD, Stanford University, 2012; MS, 2010; BS, Peking University, China, 2007 James T. Teherani Yuan Yang’s research interests include elec- Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering trochemical materials and devices, thermal Postdoc Researcher, MIT, 2015; PhD, 2015; SM, energy harvesting, and improving thermal 2010; BS, University of Texas at Austin, 2008 management. In his postdoctoral research at James T. Teherani’s research interests span MIT, he focused on thermal management the study of fundamental material properties and waste heat recovery. to the optimization of real-world electronic devices, focusing on 2D semiconductors, graphene, and tunneling transistors. He is Ngai Yin Yip teaching both undergraduate and graduate Assistant Professor, Earth and courses in electrical engineering, including Environmental Engineering Semiconductor Electronic Devices. PhD, Yale University, 2014; MS and MPh, 2011; BEng, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 2004 Ngai Yin Yip pursues research in cutting-edge technologies for the sustainable production of water and energy, focusing on pioneering membrane-based processes for desalination, wastewater reclamation, salinity-gradient energy, and waste-heat conversion. He received the CH2M Hill/AEESP Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award in 2014 for his thesis on osmotically-driven membrane processes and ion-exchange membrane processes. Yip is co- instructing A Better Planet by Design in the fall.

42 | PROMOTION TO TENURE

Chris Marianetti | Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics Using theoretical and computational methodologies, Associate Professor Chris Marianetti predicts various materials properties that have potential applications for energy storage or conversion, such as battery cathodes, nuclear reactor fuels, thermoelectrics, and hydrogen storage materials. Marianetti’s research group uses a broad range of theories and techniques, including classical molecular dynamics, density functional theory, and dynamical mean-field theory. He was awarded an NSF CAREER Award and DARPA Young Faculty Award. Marianetti joined Columbia Engineering in 2008 after serving as a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Arvind Narayanaswamy | Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Arvind Narayanaswamy and his research group focus on theoretical and experimental investigations of nanoscale and microscale effects in thermo-fluid transport phenomena. Their goal is to use these fundamental studies to improve energy conversion and electronics cooling applications. Current projects include investigations of near-field enhancement of thermal radiative transfer, temperature variation of van der Waals and Casimir forces, far-field emission control using periodic structures, thermal metrology using bimaterial cantilevers, and resonance frequency characteristics of bimaterial cantilevers. Narayanaswamy is involved in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Physical Society.

Simha Sethumadhavan | Computer Science Associate Professor Simha Sethumadhavan is a leading researcher in hardware security and computer architecture. He directs the Computer Architecture and Security Technologies Lab (CASTL), and his group is focused on making computers better by improving their security with hardware enhancements and making them more energy-efficient through novel microarchitectures and program characterization techniques. He has been recognized with an Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2013), NSF CAREER Award (2011), and two IEEE Micro “top pick” awards (2004, 2013). He is a founder of a hardware security startup, Chip Scan, and serves on the Downloadable Security Technical Advisory Committee at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

Huiming Yin | Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Associate Professor Huiming Yin specializes in the multiscale/physics characterization of civil engineering materials and structures with experimental, analytical, and numerical methods. His research interests are interdisciplinary and range from structures and materials to innovative construction technologies and test methods. Prior to joining Columbia Engineering in 2008, Yin was a civil engineer with the California Department of Transportation. He is a recipient of an NSF CAREER Award and a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, The International Association for Computational Mechanics, and the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics.

­ | 43 NEWS

PROMOTION TO FULL PROFESSOR

Scott Banta | Chemical Engineering Scott Banta’s research focuses on applying protein engineering and metabolic engineering tools to solve challenging problems in bioengineering, with a focus on bioenergy. Banta and his research group are working to engineer new features in proteins and peptides including the engineering of protein/nanomaterial interfaces, enzymatic biomaterials, bioelectrochemistry, and stimulus-responsive proteins. The group is also interested in bioelectrochemical systems for bioenergy conversions including biofuel cells and electrofuel systems. He is the past chair of the Biochemical Technology (BIOT) division of the American Chemical Society.

PROMOTION TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Xi Chen | Computer Science Xi Chen specializes in algorithmic game theory / economics and complexity theory. He examines algorithmic issues related to some of the most classic and fundamental models and solution concepts in game theory and economics. He earned both his BS in physics/mathematics and PhD in computer science from Tsinghua University, in 2003 and 2007, respectively. Before joining SEAS in 2011, he was a postdoctoral researcher at IAS, Princeton University, and USC. He received an NSF CAREER Award, a Sloan research fellowship, and a Presburger Award by the European Association for Theoretical Computer Science (EATCS).

Vineet Goyal | Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Vineet Goyal is interested in the design of efficient and robust data-driven algorithms for large-scale dynamic optimization problems with applications in energy markets and revenue management problems. His research has been continually supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and industry. He received the NSF CAREER Award and the IBM Faculty Award in 2014 and a Google Faculty Research Award in 2013. Goyal received his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008 and spent two years as a postdoctoral associate at the Operations Research Center at MIT before coming to Columbia in 2010.

Francesco Volpe | Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics Francesco Volpe specializes in magnetically confined tokamak and stellarator plasmas, with emphasis on microwave heating and magnetohydrodynamic stabilization. Volpe joined Columbia Engineering in January 2012. From 2009 to 2011, he was an assistant professor of engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A recipient of a Department of Energy Early Career Award and of the Otto Hahn Medal (thesis prize of the Max Planck Society, Germany), Volpe did his postdoctoral research at General Atomics in San Diego, California; has authored or coauthored more than 50 journal articles; and is a member of various national and international committees.

44 | Brazil Partnership Debuts New Rio Innovation Hub

olumbia University, led by the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Top left, from left to right: Merit Janow, Rio Mayor the city of Rio de Janeiro are partnering on a new innovation center that will spur Eduardo Paes, Mary C. Boyce, John Coatsworth, and Thomas Trebat. Top right: Following the technological growth and research advances in critical areas such as sustainability, announcement, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes (left) data science, advanced materials, smart cities, and precision medicine. The new Rio in conversation with Rit Aggarwala, adjunct Columbia University Innovation Hub—also in partnership with Columbia Global Centers; professor at SIPA who specializes in cities, the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA); the Graduate School of Architecture, environmental programs, and transportation. (Photos by Lynn Saville) Planning and Preservation (GSAPP); the Mailman School of Public Health; and other University schools—will be headquartered in “the Marvelous City” of Rio and will be a place for exciting new collaborations between University faculty, researchers, and students, and key Brazilian public sector and industry leaders, scholars, students, and researchers. “This is going to bring new, innovative, technology-based solutions to critical issues facing cities and to transform lives both locally and globally using truly interdisciplinary approaches,” said Dean Mary C. Boyce at a special ceremony held in the spring, marking the launch of the innovation hub. While the official opening of the hub is slated for July 2016 in Rio, a number of activities are planned to kick-start the collaboration. This includes design challenges on topics of interest to the citizens of Rio and to university collaborators in New York City and Rio. At the spring ceremony on campus, Boyce credited University Provost John Coatsworth for spearheading talks with Rio, dating back six years ago, to collaborate on such a venture. She added, “I’m really excited about our new colleagues and how this partnership is really going to expand our impact not only here at Columbia but also the impact of faculty and students from our Rio university partners.” Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes attended the celebration and echoed Boyce’s enthusiasm about this latest Columbia-Brazil partnership. Columbia established a Global Center in Rio in 2013. “Innovation is what Columbia does best, and to promote that in Rio has been a priority for us,” said Paes. “The creation of an innovation hub in partnership with the Rio de Janeiro Federal University will stimulate the development of applied sciences in the city. . . . To be a global city, Rio needs to be connected to state-of-the-art scientific research done in major institutions around the world such as Columbia.” At the ceremony, hosted at SIPA, Paes and Coatsworth signed an agreement to establish the innovation hub. Also in attendance were Shih-Fu Chang, senior vice dean of the Engineering School and the Richard Dicker Professor of Telecommunications; Thomas Trebat, director of the Rio Global Center; and Merit Janow, dean of SIPA.

By Melanie A. Farmer

­ | 45 NEWS

The Big City Scaled Down for Patricia Culligan, co-principal Sustainability investigator of the new NSF research project focused on C olUMBIA to colead urban infrastructure $12 million livable cities (Photo by Jeffrey research project Schifman)

wo-thirds of people on the planet will live in cities by develop a framework for change based on new technologies and 2050, but few cities are prepared for the coming popula- trends already underway, including district energy systems, com- T tion boom. A $12 million research project sponsored by munity solar energy, light-rail, bike share systems, and urban farms. the National Science Foundation (NSF) will explore a new model Cities to be analyzed include, among others, New York, for urban infrastructure—the roads, pipes, and grids that move Minneapolis–St. Paul, Detroit, and Atlanta, as well as cities in around people, food, water, and energy—to make cities cleaner, India with minimal infrastructure. The researchers, in collab- healthier, and more enjoyable places to live. oration with their partners, will focus on developing practical A consortium of cities, companies, and universities, led by solutions that can be scaled and immediately put into action. Columbia University, University of Minnesota, and Georgia Institute In New York City, Columbia has worked with City Hall, property of Technology, will form a Sustainability Research Network owners, and local community groups to measure the impact of (www.sustainablehealthycities.org) to carry out the research, titled city initiatives to green the urban landscape by planting more trees “Integrated Urban Infrastructure Solutions for Environmentally and vegetation, including on rooftops and roadways. Trees and Sustainable, Healthy, and Livable Cities.” The lead investigator plants absorb rain and snow, reducing the amount of stormwater of the project is Anu Ramaswami at University of Minnesota. runoff that sewage treatment plants need to process. They also By 2045, cities will be home to 6 billion people, the United cool the air, helping to bring down temperatures on hot days. Nations estimates, creating an unprecedented demand for In addition to measuring the benefits of green infrastructure, food, water, energy, transportation, and housing. Columbia researchers are studying the psychological factors that Columbia’s role in the Sustainability Research Network will lead communities to care for city-planted trees and vegetation in be to look at the potential for designated cities to scale various their midst, protecting the public’s investment. Initial results of the sustainability solutions, be it planting rooftop farms or rewiring ongoing research highlight the importance of involving neighbors buildings for solar energy. How much capacity is there, and how in the stewardship of green infrastructure. big are the benefits? The Columbia researchers involved include The shift to a city with local and decentralized services will Engineering faculty: Patricia Culligan, professor of civil engineering require technology—sensors to pull in data from solar panels, and engineering mechanics and deputy director of Columbia’s weather stations, and so on—and systems to analyze it, make Data Science Institute; Upmanu Lall, Alan and Carol Silberstein decisions, and coordinate with other systems. “The Internet of Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering and of Civil Things, where sensors talk to sensors and make decisions without Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, who heads the Columbia any human involvement, is going to be key for the city of the future,” Water Center; and Vijay Modi, professor of mechanical engineering, said Culligan. “Sensors on green roofs will tell sensors controlling who directs Columbia’s Sustainable Engineering Lab. irrigation when plants are thirsty and need to be watered.” By studying the infrastructure of cities in the United States and She added, “Big data and data science will be central to all of this.” India, the Sustainability Research Network will identify the best mix of local and regional systems to meet city dwellers’ needs. The team By Kim Martineau will also explore the community attitudes and public policies that allow cities to evolve and adapt. Over the next four years, it will

46 | NAE SYMPOSIUM The Engineering In Medicine

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) how the rise of sophisticated data analytics is held its Northeastern Regional Symposium this advancing knowledge and treatments on both spring at Columbia Engineering, showcasing the individual and public health scales. the groundbreaking research of some of the Illustrating the importance of imaging in University’s leading engineers and scientists human health, Elisa E. Konofagou, professor on “The Engineering in Medicine.” of biomedical engineering and of radiology, The daylong event, held in the Low Rotunda, and Elizabeth Hillman, associate professor highlighted Columbia’s novel research initia- of biomedical engineering and of radiology, tives to advance health informatics, engineer discussed their research in new elasticity better medicines, and reverse-engineer the imaging techniques and therapeutic ultra- human brain. The symposium concentrated sound methods, and advanced in vivo optical on four key areas: data science and health, imaging techniques, respectively. Andrew imaging and health, regenerative medicine, F. Laine, professor and chair of biomedical and neuroengineering. engineering and a professor of radiology, led “By its nature, engineering is a profession a discussion on how groundbreaking imaging whose mission is to seek creative solutions techniques enable more precisely tailored to societal problems, local and global, big and treatments for a variety of ailments. small,” said Dean Mary C. Boyce, introducing Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering proceedings and highlighting collaborations were at the center of presentations delivered by between Columbia Engineering, the Columbia Biomedical Engineering Professor Helen H. Lu; University Medical Center (CUMC), and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic, Mikati Foundation other schools. “Columbia Engineering is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and proud of its leadership and partnership roles Medical Sciences; and Matthew Bacchetta, in supporting the University’s multidisciplinary associate professor of surgery. initiatives in medicine and human health An in-depth look at the cutting edge of neuro- through the institutes and initiatives that science was provided by Paul Sajda, professor of cut across the University.” biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, After remarks from NAE President C. D. and radiology; Kenneth Shepard, Lau Family Mote Jr., examining the “grand challenges” Professor of Electrical Engineering and professor facing researchers, Lee Goldman, Columbia’s of biomedical engineering; and Joshua Jacobs, executive vice president for health and bio- assistant professor of biomedical engineering. From top to bottom: Biomedical medical sciences and CUMC’s dean of the In individual talks and then a Q&A moderated Engineering Associate Professor faculties of health sciences and medicine, by Sajda, they addressed innovative research Elizabeth Hillman, who specializes in 2D and 3D optical imaging; gave the opening address. He discussed the including reverse-engineering cortical networks Lee Goldman, executive vice rich history of bioengineering and biomedical underlying perceptual and cognitive processes, president for health and engineering over the past century and the interfacing advanced integrated circuits with biomedical sciences at CUMC; promise of emerging fields of research, including biological systems for a variety of applica- the NAE regional symposium focused on data science and tissue engineering, microfluidics, nanoinstru- tions, and charting the neural basis for human health, imaging and health, mentation, and bioinformatics. navigation and memory using recordings regenerative medicine, and Chemical Engineering Professor Jingyue Ju from surgically implanted electrodes in the neuroengineering. (Photos by joined Noémie Elhadad, associate professor of brains of epilepsy patients. Timothy Lee Photographers) biomedical informatics, and Andrea Califano, “Engineering is about transforming lives,” professor and chair of chemical systems biology Boyce said. “Grand societal challenges and director of the Sulzberger Columbia provide a focus and a framework for research Genome Center, to discuss how using data bringing a public visibility to the importance impacts their work. Computer Science Professor and impact of engineering and the applied Kathleen McKeown, director of Columbia’s sciences in shaping our world for the better.” Data Science Institute, moderated a Q&A on

­ | 47 NEWS

RESHAPING SEAS School Opens New Student Commons, More Renovations Underway

hose returning to campus this fall got a welcome surprise: classrooms, was also under construction over the better part of a strikingly renovated lobby entrance into Mudd (campus the summer. The renovated classrooms opened in time for the T level, fourth floor); an aesthetically modern new student start of classes. space, Carleton Commons; and the newly opened Blue Java Café. To provide state-of-the-art facilities for research that increasingly The former space housing the Carleton Lounge and cafeteria requires a contamination-free, controlled environment, an expan- have been transformed into a beautifully reimagined space, sion of the clean room on the 10th floor of the Schapiro Center comprising 2,800 square feet, with seating for 160 and areas for Engineering and Physical Science Research (CEPSR) is well for casual meetings, individual and group work, and quiet study. underway. Operated by the newly formed Columbia Nano Initiative The versatile space can easily be reconfigured for special events. (CNI), the CEPSR clean room is being fully renovated and expanded Adjacent to the Commons is Blue Java Café, a contemporary from 3,000 to 4,000 square feet and will provide faculty, students, coffee bar that offers sandwiches, soups, pastries, salads, and and researchers the necessary state-of-the-art instrumentation even homemade cookies. and facilities to accommodate interdisciplinary nanotechnology On May 1, 2015, Dean Mary C. Boyce presided over a special research. It is scheduled for completion by March 2016. ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Carleton Commons. Up and running in nearby Havemeyer Hall is the School’s new “The need for top-quality student space is among our most Electron Microscopy (EM) Laboratory, in partnership with Arts urgent,” said Boyce. “These student spaces are places where we & Sciences, as part of CNI. Instrument acquisition and laboratory foster all the student creativity and energy outside of our courses renovations were directed by Katayun Barmak, the Philips and our classrooms. In a remarkably short period of time, we Electronics Professor of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics. have transformed the former Carleton Lounge, the primary The EM Lab includes one transmission electron microscope (TEM), student space at the Engineering School, into an entirely different a precession electron diffraction system for phase and crystal experience for our students.” orientation mapping in the TEM, one scanning electron micro- The ceremony recognized the contributions of a group of scope, and a suite of sample preparation instruments. Columbia parents—including Kaveepan and Supanavit Also included in the many upgrades and construction projects, Eiamsakulrat P’17CC, ’18 and Mehmet Nazif and Zeynep Gunal from small to large scale, are departmental lab spaces and facilities P’07, ‘10, ‘12, ‘18—who made leadership gifts that helped make within applied physics and applied mathematics (APAM), the renovation possible. “Your generosity highlights the vital biomedical engineering (BME), chemical engineering (ChemE), role that parents and families play in our Columbia Engineering computer science (CS), mechanical engineering (MechE), and community,” Boyce added. electrical engineering (EE). This summer, renovations to BME and Over the busy summer, the School also completed construc- EE teaching labs were completed, and additional projects currently tion of the Data Science Institute’s (DSI) main office space for underway include build-out and renovations for optics research its faculty, researchers, students, and staff. Located on Mudd’s labs in the basement of Engineering Terrace and in CEPSR for APAM fourth floor, the new space comprises 8,400 square feet, includ- and EE, as well as wet labs upgrades in Engineering Terrace for BME. ing faculty offices, conference rooms, and open areas for research These enhancements of SEAS spaces are just the beginning of collaboration and meetings; the Engineering Library, which was a program of renovations, construction, and facilities upgrades, formerly housed in that space, is now at the Northwest Corner underscoring the School’s mission to provide its talented student Building. Additional DSI spaces in the Northwest Corner Building, body and faculty with the facilities and resources they need to consisting of faculty offices, labs, and conference rooms on the reach their full potential. 10th and 14th floors, were completed by September. In addition, the fifth floor of Mudd, which consists of DSI offices and two By Melanie A. Farmer

1 2 3 4

48 | 5 6

CONGRATULATIONS ,

Class of 2015 Embarks on New Journeys

“ The impact of engineering has never faculty awardS WERE PRESENTED AS FOLLOWS: been more visible. Society looks to Distinguished Faculty Teaching Awards James Hone, Wang Fong-Jen Professor of Mechanical Engineering engineering for solutions to the many Shree K. Nayar, T. C. Chang Professor of Computer Science challenges facing our world—whether Edward and Carole Kim Award for Faculty Involvement energy, water, air, the environment, food Martha A. Kim, Associate Professor of Computer Science security, privacy, health, or medicine. Janette and Armen Avanessians Diversity Award Helen H. Lu, Professor of Biomedical Engineering engineering is now recognized as a Rodriguez Family Junior Faculty Development Award foundational degree that prepares you Christine P. Hendon, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering for any career, for any future.” —Dean Mary C. Boyce “ Following your passion is a very ‘me’ centered view of the world, and when you go through life, what you’ll find is what you take out Opposite page: [1] Transmission Electron Microscope; [2] Carleton of the world over time . . . is much less important than what you Commons study space; [3] new hallway displays; [4] Carleton Commons student space (Photos 1 and 2 by Jeffrey Schifman; Photos 3 and 4 by put into the world. My recommendation would be: follow your Timothy Lee Photographers) contribution. Find the thing that you’re great at, put that into the Above: [5] Class Day Speaker Ben Horowitz ‘88CC, cofounder of VC firm world, contribute to others, help the world be better—that is the Andreessen Horowitz; [6] Dean Mary C. Boyce (Photos by Eileen Barroso) thing to follow.” —Ben Horowitz ’88CC, Class Day Speaker

­ | 49 NEWS

From left to right: Dean Mary C. Boyce, David Aronoff, Ben Fried ’88CC, and Professor Salvatore J. Stolfo (Photo by Michael DiVito)

NYC Entrepreneurship Night Talks Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity was the headline topic at Columbia Engineering’s After a lively Q&A, the evening continued with a session NYC Entrepreneurship Night, where students, alumni, and faculty featuring demos from some of the many entrepreneurial ventures also got a glimpse at some of the exciting new startups from from the Columbia Engineering community. Two of them, Allure Columbia entrepreneurs. The event, cosponsored by Columbia Security Technology Inc. and Red Balloon Security Inc., bring Engineering and the Columbia Alumni Association, was held advances from Stolfo’s lab to the cybersecurity marketplace. Stolfo on March 12 at the AXA Event & Production Center in cofounded Allure with Angelos D. Keromytis, associate professor Midtown Manhattan. of computer science and director of the Network Security Lab, After an introduction from Richard Witten, trustee emeritus who is currently on leave working with the Information Innovation and special adviser to the President of Columbia University, Office at DARPA, part of the U.S. Department of Defense. Red Dean Mary C. Boyce moderated a wide-ranging conversation Balloon was cofounded by Stolfo and PhD candidate Ang Cui. on cybersecurity with three technology leaders: David Aronoff, Other demos spanned a broad range of market applications. general partner at Flybridge Capital Partners and a renowned Columbia Startup Lab member OnTarget, cofounded by Niran tech investor; Ben Fried ’88CC, chief information officer at Google Shrestha MS’13, offers real-time project analytics for construction. and a member of Columbia Engineering’s Board of Visitors; and With expertise in natural language processing from SEAS PhD Salvatore J. Stolfo, professor of computer science and head of the candidates Bob Coyne BS’80, MS’09 and Daniel Bauer MPhil’13, Columbia University Intrusion Detection Systems Lab. WordsEye (also part of the Columbia Startup Lab) empowers “Nothing recorded on a computer can ever truly be safe or truly users to generate three-dimensional scenes based on simple de- be private,” said Stolfo. scriptions, like next-generation emojis. Text IQ aims to accelerate Aronoff drew a distinction between the often conflated notions legal work with state-of-the-art natural language processing tech- of security and privacy. “There’s some element of voluntarism niques, while startup KISI expands access control management of to private information,” he said. “The security side is much more physical space with a cloud-based app. straightforward than privacy, which is more amorphous.” Others who demonstrated their innovative plans included The speakers argued that protecting the firmware or software Kinnos Inc., a startup cofounded by biomedical engineering of the embedded devices making up the emerging “Internet of senior Jason Kang and partners Katherine Jin and Kevin Tyan Things,” as household items become increasingly computerized, is from Columbia College; and deCervo, cofounded by postdoctor- a key challenge moving forward. al research scientist Jason Sherwin and PhD candidate Jordan “The Internet of Things is the next great frontier in cybersecurity,” Muraskin BS’07, MS’11, MPhil’14, with Paul Sajda, professor of said Fried, who studied under Stolfo as a student at Columbia. “De- biomedical engineering, of electrical engineering, and of radiology, vices are too cheap to have good security at the rate we’re moving.” as an adviser. Kinnos has been widely acclaimed for its innovative, The speakers discussed innovative responses to online security low-cost powdered bleach additive that aids in decontamination threats in the age of ubiquitous mobile devices, ranging from con- of infectious diseases, including Ebola. The company deCervo inte- tinuous identity verification based on behavioral patterns to hiding grates brain imaging and big-data algorithms to better understand sensitive information in a thicket of obfuscating junk data. They decision making in crucial moments. agreed that, in addition to the technical challenge of devising novel “Nights like these tap into the strong entrepreneurial spirit of defenses against online adversaries, users themselves must learn Columbia students and alumni from around the world,” Boyce said. to prioritize data security. “People are one of the more fundamental problems with cyber- By Jesse Adams security,” Stolfo said. “People often see it as an obstacle to getting their work done.”

50 | Right: Vice President Joseph Biden (Photo by Brandon Vick, University of Rochester)

SPOT NEWS ROUNDUP

COOL ANTS Biden Announces New York Nanfang Yu, assistant professor of applied physics, has helped solve a long- Photonics Innovation Hub standing evolutionary mystery in discovering how Saharan silver ants keep Columbia Engineering Professors Keren cool in one of the hottest, least hospitable environments on planet Earth. Bergman, Michal Lipson, and Alex Gaeta Along with colleagues at the University of Zürich and the University of are a part of a new integrated photonics Washington, Yu demonstrated that the ants (Cataglyphis bombycina) are manufacturing innovation hub in Rochester, able to use their dense arrays of uniquely shaped hairs—which form dis- NY, announced by Vice President Joseph tinctive silver coats that give the ants the appearance of mercury droplets Biden on July 27. The American Institute flowing across the sands—to manipulate electromagnetic waves over a for Manufacturing Integrated Photonics broad range from the solar spectrum to the thermal radiation spectrum (AIM Photonics), a consortium of 124 to reduce body temperature. The African ants are thus able to forage for companies, nonprofits, and schools, food in the Sahara Desert under the harsh midday sun, maintaining body captured the largest federal investment to temperatures below approximately 128˚F even as surface temperatures date under the administration’s National climb to as high as 158˚F. Network for Manufacturing Innovation, Yu’s group, including his PhD students Norman Nan Shi and Cheng-Chia totaling over $610 million. Columbia Tsai, used optical and infrared spectroscopy, thermodynamic measure- is among the eight universities, which ments, full-wave simulations, and heat-transfer modeling to explore how include SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s the ants achieve passive cooling by reflecting visible and near-infrared light, Colleges of Nanoscale Science and where solar radiation culminates, and offloading excess heat in the form of Engineering, MIT, UC Santa Barbara, mid-infrared thermal radiation. University of Rochester, Rochester In addition to illuminating how evolution has shaped exquisitely adapted Institute of Technology, University of structures to control infrared light—a topic not yet well understood—the Arizona, and UC Davis. research, Yu anticipates, will advance novel flat optical components, or Bergman, the Columbia lead for AIM “metasurfaces,” that exhibit optimal cooling properties for thermoregu- Photonics, hailed the launch of the first lation, with applications including cooling surfaces for buildings, vehicles, U.S.-based manufacturing institute and clothing. His group is presently extending their research to other dedicated to integrated photonics. organisms living in extreme environments. “AIM Photonics will encompass the Yu, Shi, and Tsai designed and conducted all experimental work at complete infrastructural ecosystem for Columbia Engineering and at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Center for fostering the growth of a new domestic Functional Nanomaterials. Their research, published in Science magazine, industry propelled by the unique capabili- was supported by the National Science Foundation and the Air Force Office ties of integrated photonics to manipulate, of Scientific Research. transport, and control light at the chip scale,” said Bergman, “which will then catalyze the integration of powerful photonic capabilities in a multitude of industrial and military applications.” The project highlights the research of the Columbia Nano Initiative, an interdisciplinary collective that advances The ants’ silvery appearance innovation at the nanoscale. Columbia’s is created by a dense array expertise in optically interconnected of uniquely shaped hairs. embedded computing via terabit-scale The hair coating helps integrated photonics promises to spark reduce body temperature substantially. (Photo a range of domestic manufacturing courtesy of Nanfang Yu) opportunities.

­ | 51 Graphene Gets Bright Extreme Multitasking: A Step Closer to a Single- An international research team led by Wireless Radio Edition Molecule Device Young Duck Kim, a postdoctoral research In a major advance for radio frequency Under the direction of Latha Venkataraman, scientist in Mechanical Engineering data capacity that was long thought to associate professor of applied physics, Professor James Hone’s group, has be impossible, Columbia Engineering researchers have designed a new tech- pioneered what is essentially the world’s researchers have developed a technology nique to create single-molecule diodes thinnest lightbulb. In June, they demon- enabling simultaneous transmission that perform 50 times better than all prior strated for the first time an on-chip and reception at the same frequency designs and are the first that may have visible light source with a filament made in wireless radios. broad real-world technological applica- of graphene, an atomically thin and The research team, consisting of tions for nanoscale devices. perfectly crystalline form of carbon. Electrical Engineering Associate Professor Constructing a device where the active Creating light in small structures on Harish Krishnaswamy, director of the elements are only a single molecule has chips’ surfaces is key to developing fully Columbia High-Speed and Mm-wave IC long been a “holy grail” of nanoscience, integrated “photonic” circuits that utilize (CoSMIC) Lab, and PhD student Jin Zhou, representing the ultimate limit of functional light in place of electronic currents, but developed full-duplex radio integrated miniaturization that can be achieved for an scientists have struggled with embedding circuits (ICs) that can be implemented in electronic device. Scientists have under- incandescent lights onto chips because nanoscale complementary metal-oxide stood for decades that single molecules extreme heat tends to damage chip com- semiconductors (CMOS) to effectively attached to metal electrodes can be made ponents. But because graphene becomes double frequency spectrum resources to act as a variety of circuit elements, a poorer conductor of heat as it gets hot, and vastly enhance the data capacity of from resistors and switches to transistors it can reach extremely high temperatures network infrastructure strained by the and diodes, but previous designs have while confining thermal energy sufficiently increasing profusion of wireless devices. suffered from low current flows and a lack to avoid such damage. This technology, which the research of balance between flows for the “on” and Researchers attached small strips of team expects could be integrated into “off” directions. graphene to metal electrodes, suspended smartphones, tablets, and cellular and Venkataraman and her collaborators, the strips above the substrate, and passed WiFi base stations, could help address including PhD student Brian Cappozi, a current through the filaments to make one of the most fundamental challenges Columbia Assistant Professor of Chemistry them glow brightly at temperatures above in the age of Big Data: the pressing short- Luis Campos, and Professor Jeffrey Neaton 2500˚C. The graphene emitted light bright age of frequency spectrum to support the at UC Berkeley, developed an elegant enough to be visible with the naked eye. continuing expansion of data transmitted method for creating necessarily asymmet- Kim, Hone, and their collaborators from wirelessly. The most vexing challenge rical environments by surrounding active institutions across the United States and the team was able to overcome with molecules with an ionic solution and using South Korea expect that their research full-duplex technology was canceling the gold metal electrodes of various sizes to will advance graphene-based on-chip transmitter’s echo, or self-interference. contact the molecules. Their technique optical communications and help create The researchers presented their work at is easy to implement and applicable to transparent, atomically thin displays. They the prestigious International Solid-State nanoscale devices of all types, including are presently working on integrating these Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San those made with graphene. novel devices into flexible substrates. Francisco on February 25. The researchers are now investigating the fundamental physics underlying their discovery and how to optimize current flows to maximize the molecular diodes’ charge-transport properties. Their paper, “Single-Molecule Diodes with High On-Off Ratios through Environmental Control,” was published in Nature Nanotechnology.

52 | Speech and the Brain Print the Rainbow Students Win Qualcomm Nima Mesgarani, assistant professor A new computational technique is Innovation Fellowship of electrical engineering, won a major advancing the art and science of 3D Electrical Engineering PhD students research project grant this spring from the printing in color, thanks to Assistant Jelena Marasevic and Jin Zhou received National Institute of Deafness and Other Professor of Computer Science Changxi a Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship Communication Disorders (NIDCD-NIH) Zheng and collaborators at China’s for their proposal to increase wireless to support groundbreaking research on Zhejiang University. throughput in WiFi and cellular networks. how the brain analyzes speech. The research team designed a compu- They are one of just eight winning teams He is slated to receive $2 million over tational model that predicts and accounts from a pool of 146 proposals that will five years to support innovative, inter- for color film distortion during hydro- receive $100,000 and mentorship from disciplinary work with colleagues at the graphic printing, widely used in industry Qualcomm engineers over the next year Columbia University Medical Center to transfer color inks on thin films to the to support their ongoing collaborative (CUMC) recording highly detailed views of variegated surfaces of manufactured 3D research to enhance upload and down- neural activity from electrodes surgically objects. The printing involves placing a load speeds and enable more flexible implanted in cortices of epilepsy patients chemically softened polyvinyl alcohol use of wireless technology. as part of their clinical evaluations. film with printed color patterns on top The students, advised by Associate Mesgarani’s team uses a combination of of water, and slowly dipping an object so Professors Harish Krishnaswamy and invasive and noninvasive methods to study that the film wraps around and adheres to Gil Zussman, won for “Realizing the cortical mechanisms and transformations the object’s surface. The new technique Full-duplex Potential of OFDM-based involved in speech perception with high has enabled the most precise alignment Networks: From Circuits to MAC Layer,” spatiotemporal resolution, advancing between objects and the patterned films spanning the wide array of research they understanding of how brains internally ever attained, unlocking unprecedented have done in full-duplex communication, represent and follow voices of speakers versatility in 3D printing. which enables simultaneous transmis- and linking neural response characteristics Zheng, a codirector of the Columbia sion and reception in wireless radios at and their dynamic properties. Computer Graphics Group, built upon the same frequency. The team is developing a detailed previous work on fluid and viscous sheet Marasevic’s research concentrates on neurobiological model of the cortical func- simulation to develop the new method for optimization techniques and algorithms tions underlying robust speech perception modeling and mapping color film stretch. to maximize the potential of full-duplex that should help researchers analyze how He and collaborators developed and tested technology, while Zhou’s work focuses on these processes are impaired in commu- an innovative multi-immersion printing innovative complementary metal-oxide nication disorders like dyslexia, aphasia, process that allows fine color printing on semiconductor (CMOS) radio design to and language-learning delay. The research a variety of objects through multiple dips cancel out self-interference, or the trans- promises to revolutionize disciplines includ- precisely calculated to achieve detailed mitter’s echo. Their nontraditional work ing neurolinguistics and speech engineering, textures and surface decorations. aims to make full-duplex communication as well as speech prostheses. The system is inexpensive, works for a a reality in both WiFi and small-cell-based Mesgarani, a member of Columbia variety of surface geometries and materi- LTE cellular networks, a major advance in University’s Neurobiology and Behavior als, and promises to be convenient for wireless applications. Program, was also recently named a Pew personal use. Zheng expects the system This was the fourth straight year that a Scholar by The Pew Charitable Trusts. may be used for precise, personalized team from Columbia Engineering has won Mesgarani will receive funding over the printing on products including toys and the highly competitive fellowship from next four years in support of his research in consumer goods. Qualcomm, one of the world’s largest neurophysiology, linguistics, and compu- wireless telecommunications companies. tational modeling to advance biologically inspired speech-recognition programs.

­ | 53 MAKECU engineering.columbia.edu/web /newsletter/makecu

Engineering Your Style What a Hack! As consumers seek to seamlessly What is a hack? That was the question integrate technology into their lives, animating the first annual MAKECU wearable devices are an expanding spring hardware hackathon, held over field for engineers and entrepreneurs. an intense 24 hours on campus from Columbia Engineering graduate students February 28 to March 1. showcased their own innovative designs A new initiative for undergraduates this spring in the School’s first annual launched by Columbia Engineering’s “Engineering Your Style” competition. student chapter of the Institute for From an initial field of 20, five student Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), teams received $500 to develop MAKECU aims to expand Columbia’s prototypes in Columbia Engineering’s maker culture and inspire the next Makerspace between October and generation of Columbia engineers. February. On April 16, they pitched their Teams of two to four hackers, or At the wearable tech design ideas and demonstrated their proposals makers, from Columbia and other schools challenge, graduate students to judges including Electrical Engineering including CUNY and the University of showcased their one-of-a- Professor John Kymissis, entrepreneur Maryland, had access to mentors, work- kind prototypes like this one— Adam Rapp BS’04, and Theanne Schiros, shops, Columbia Engineering’s Makerspace, Guide—a customizable device with applications who teaches at Columbia and the a standard circuits laboratory bench, and ranging from navigation to Fashion Institute of Technology. Judges equipment including power supplies, an emergency notifications. weighed each team’s marketability, Arduino, oscilloscopes, and 3D printers, innovation, and readiness to pursue as well as unmodified hardware they commercial applications. brought themselves. After a keynote The competition was just too close to speech from Tom Igoe, cofounder of call, and two teams shared first place: the open-source electronic prototyping Guide, a low-power customizable device platform Arduino, groups creatively with almost limitless potential applications, repurposed everyday components in from mechanical engineering students pursuit of ideas as diverse and ambitious Dhruv Nair and Vaibhav Paraashar; and as their imaginations. Stride, an innovative insole for shoes with Projects included Fruitbox Hero, sensors to track gait and initiate vibrations which made instruments of bananas and to correct wearers’ steps and prevent oranges; Simon Says Move, a gesture- injuries in real time, from electrical based memory game; Conduct II, a engineering students Omar Kiyani and light-sensitive statistical notes generator; Arvind Srinivasan. Don’t Push My Buttons, a glove with an The other contenders comprised a embedded keyboard to help deaf people device to help people who rely on sign communicate; and CU_Later, a gesture- language to communicate in emergency controlled wheelchair. situations, a portable EEG headset to After 20 hours of furious brainstorm- analyze brainwaves, and a brain-computer ing, prototyping, and testing, the projects interface that lets users play video games were evaluated by experts from Arduino, with their minds. littleBits, Ardent Cell Technology, Altium, and Makerbot.

54 | DEPARTMENTS

CLASS NOTES: UNDERGRADUATE ALUMNI

Dear Fellow Columbia Engineers: 1945 Class Correspondent: Gloria Reinish he Columbia Engineering alumni community enters the fall 2015 semester [email protected] with positive momentum. We are still abuzz from the wildly successful Blue and White Gala hosted by Columbia Engineering Young Alumni (CEYA) in March and the conclusion of our School’s yearlong 150th 1951 Tanniversary celebration, capped last November by a gala at the Cathedral of St. John Class Correspondent: the Divine. We saw record attendance at both of these events, reflecting the lifelong Ted Borri bonds so many of us share with our School and with each other as Columbia engineers. [email protected] It is the mission of CEYA and the Columbia Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA) to promote these bonds, and we look to sustain the high levels of interest in the Robert A. Heller MS’53, PhD’58, Columbia Engineering alumni community this coming year through our continuing professor emeritus at Virginia celebrations and networking events. Tech, and coauthor Deborah J. Oakley have completed the Dean Mary C. Boyce and faculty representatives have spent time this summer manuscript of the fourth edition of traveling in East Asia and Europe, meeting with Columbians and updating them Salvadori’s Structure in Architecture: on the School’s progress. The global network of Columbia engineers continues to The Building of Buildings. The impress and inspire with commitment to our School. Wherever you are based, we book is a tribute to the late Civil encourage you as Columbia engineers to stay connected through our programmed Engineering Professor Mario G. events and to let us know if you would like to be more involved in CEAA, CEYA, Salvadori, author (with Heller) and the Columbia Alumni Association (CAA). of the earlier editions. The books We warmly and enthusiastically welcome the newest members of our Columbia have enjoyed worldwide popularity Engineering alumni community, the SEAS class of 2015, and also our future and have been translated into colleagues, the class of 2019, who just arrived at Morningside. We look forward 10 languages. The new, updated to seeing many of you at our scheduled events this semester as we continue to and expanded edition will be support Dean Boyce and her vision for Columbia Engineering in the year ahead. published by Pearson Education Inc. in January 2016. Stay tuned through our websites myceaa.org and ceya.engineering.columbia.edu!

1953 Class Correspondent: Don Ross Professor Emeritus Rene B. Testa Jessica Aspis [email protected] MS’60, EngScD’63 BS’08, ’13BUS President President John Ragusa writes, “After Columbia Engineering Alumni Association Columbia Engineering Young Alumni graduation in 1953, I tried to stay out of the draft and got a job with the Corps of Engineers in New York . . . Unfortunately the army found me, took me out of the Marine Reserve that I had joined, and drafted me, as the Korean War had not “treatyed” out. After Basic, I got sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as my hearing tests apparently aced the Morse Code . . . I graduated as a bona fide radio technician, got sent

­ | 55 CLASS NOTES

to Panama, and spent my Army Corporation, a subway contractor MIT. On the Columbia University the first time I’d felt free to tell the career in the jungles protecting in New York City. In 1964 he campus, my granddaughter story of how, as the “hidden-hand” the Panama Canal and keeping became a project manager with Blythe Drucker is currently behind the scenes at Xerox Palo communication gear operative. I the Kiewit Company, and in 1968 participating in an enrichment Alto Research Center and at married my wife, Edith Edwards, joined the J.F. White Contracting program at Barnard.” MIT, I’d created, demonstrated, one week after I was released from Co. in Boston as vice president and widely propagated via the the Army, and we will be married and general manager. In 1970 he ARPANET the innovations that 60 years in January. I worked for became president and served in 1959 triggered the VLSI chip design M W Kellog Co., an engineering/ that position until 1998. He pres- Class Correspondent: revolution in Silicon Valley in the construction company, specializing ently works as a senior consultant Betsey Altman ’80s and ’90s. Since 2012, major in designing oil refineries, chemical and also as an arbitrator for the [email protected] recognitions have begun coming plants, etc. I then spent 30 years American Arbitration Association, my way, including election to the at IBM as a systems engineer in addition to serving as a Hall of Fellows at the Computer and marketing manager . . . Our member of the Dispute Review 1960 History Museum in 2014 and four children blessed us with Board Foundation helping Bob Nelson MS’61 was recently being awarded the James Clerk 10 beautiful grandchildren. Not review and adjudicate construc- elected an honorary member Maxwell Medal by the IEEE and all was happiness, as we lost a tion issues. He spends summers of the Arkansas Academy of the Royal Society of Edinburgh grandchild in an ATV accident, a on Cape Cod and winters in Civil Engineers. Nelson retired in 2015. This spring I also had the handsome boy of 12. I designed Naples, FL, with his wife of 60 as senior vice president of AFCO honor of presenting the Steinmetz and built my house, which we years, Maureen, enjoying time Steel, for whom he worked Memorial Lecture at Union College, eventually sold. In retirement, with his family of five children summers while at Columbia. He on the occasion of the 150th I’ve pursued a genealogy hobby and grandchildren. had served as chair of the AISC anniversary of Charles Proteus and spent 10 years as a volunteer Nuclear Design Specification Steinmetz’s birth. It was a for the Service Corps of Retired Committee. Bob has lived in wonderful moment of closure Executives, helping people with 1956 Little Rock, AR, all during and to participate in so honoring their businesses . . . It feels like it Class Correspondent: after his professional career. He Steinmetz, for he’s long been was just yesterday at Columbia.” Lou Hemmerdinger is still active in local civic and an inspiration and powerful role [email protected] church activities. model in my own work.” Andy Levine ’61CC and his 1955 William Epstein ’55CC writes, 1962 wife, Toby, have been living full- Class Correspondent: “My granddaughter, Rebecca Class Correspondent: time in the Berkshires since he Leo Cirino Brunsberg, has been accepted by Marshal (Mickey) Greenblatt retired from Compaq Computer [email protected] Columbia Engineering and will [email protected] (formerly Digital Equipment, start at SEAS this fall. She is the now HP) in 2001. He writes, “We Leo Cirino writes, “Please send seventh member of my family, Lynn Conway MS’63 writes, “I love it here except for winter. me information about yourselves including myself, to attend so enjoyed attending our Class of So our big news is that we’ve so that I can post what our Columbia: my son, Eric Epstein ’62 50th reunion in 2012. What recently purchased a modest classmates are doing. I have been ’83CC, my brother Ira Epstein, a trip down memory lane that condo in Bonita Springs, on the active over the past five years my brother-in-law Jeffrey was! Life’s been good since then. west coast of Florida, about starting the Westport Electric Rosenstock, my niece Susannah My husband, Charlie, and I are 20 miles South of Fort Meyers Car Club. The club has been well Rosenstock, and my daughter-in- especially enjoying enhancing and adjacent to Naples. We received by my community, and law Michele Shapiro.” our 23-acre “nature preserve” in predicted many years ago that membership continues to grow. rural Michigan, just to the west of we’d NEVER spend winters in Having an engineering back- Ann Arbor. We’ve been together Florida, so we’ve rationalized that ground in power and energy helps 1958 for 27 years now! Though retired the purchase is for our Welsh with understanding the technol- Robert Drucker writes, “I was as professor emerita of EECS at springer spaniel, Rufus, who can ogy of electric car designs. You fortunate to escape the last weeks the University of Michigan, I also now accompany us in our new, can see what the club is doing of a rough winter in cruising the enjoy hanging out with young dog-friendly community (his at westportelectriccarclub.com. Caribbean. The highlight of June students and researchers there. 13 years are equivalent to my Please keep us updated.” was attending my granddaughter In 2012 I finally wrote a career 74!). Before long, we may even Philip Bonanno MS’64, ’54CC Moriah Albert’s graduation cum reminiscence about my research become Florida residents, while has spent his entire career in laude from Boston University. in VLSI microelectronics design remaining snowbirds for the the heavy construction industry. Nearby, my grandson Brian Albert during the 1970s. Published in a foreseeable future.” He started as a field engineer in BS’10 (Chemical Engineering), special issue of the IEEE Solid- 1955 with the Arthur A. Johnson continues his doctorate work at State Circuits Magazine, it was

56 | 1963 address if you would like your at the Massachusetts Institute of 1976 Class Correspondents: fellow Columbians to contact you.” Technology. I still find the work 40th Reunion Chuck Cole highly stimulating, particularly To take an active role in your [email protected] given the chance to contribute to Class Reunion activities, please Mark Herman 1964 alternative energy and environ- contact Star Sawyer at ss3858@ [email protected] Class Correspondent: mental technologies such as fuel columbia.edu or 212-851-2402. Tom Magnani cells, solar-assisted hydrogen Mark Herman writes, “Ronnie [email protected] production and emission, and Bob McDonald has been pro- and I have a new granddaughter, health-monitoring sensors. moted to professor of marketing who is about 11 months old as I I continue as editor-in-chief of at the Rawls College of Business, write this. Charley, now 11, loves 1965 the Journal of Electroceramics Texas Tech University. being an older sister. Our two Harvey Rubin writes, “Our class and take over as president of grandsons in Massachusetts celebrated its 50th reunion the International Society of Solid are almost adults. We like being year this past May . . . It was State Ionics. I look forward to 1978 near our son Dan, a veterinarian, great to see each other and our 50th reunion next year.” Class Correspondents: and our two granddaughters, to be together again, and our Larry Chung in Nashville. Our other son, Ry, induction into the Golden Lions [email protected] a playwright-director-novelist, was a special treat. Quite a few 1968 Peter Luccarelli lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, of us came up to the podium that Howard Landsman was one [email protected] where his wife is a research Friday evening to recall things we of 24 recipients of the 2015 professor of astrophysics at the experienced more than 50 years Jazz Hero award from the Jazz University of Edinburgh. Visiting ago . . . Several classmates also Journalists Association (JAA), a 1979 the two of them is a good excuse expressed an interest in a 55th nonprofit organization of media Class Correspondent: for European trips. Nashville is reunion. Let us all be in shape professionals. This award is Stewart Levy a return to big-city living, after to attend it. I can volunteer now presented annually by the JJA [email protected] being in a small town in Michigan to help organize it, but let’s hear to recognize individuals and for 23 years. Nashville’s nick- from others of you as the time organizations that have made name is Music City, not only approaches. We still have nearly a noteworthy, positive impact 1981 because it is the country music five years to prepare . . . My on the jazz scene in their local 35th Reunion center of the United States, but wife, Connie, and I have moved communities. To take an active role in your because everyone, including from our home of 36 years in Class Reunion activities, please us, seems to be in the music New Jersey to New York City, a contact Star Sawyer at ss3858@ business, and not necessarily the plan that has been in motion for 1969 columbia.edu or 212-851-2402. country music business. Our own around five years . . . Now the Class Correspondent: music business is opera and choral boxes are being emptied and Ron Mangione Class Correspondent: translation, and we are still at discarded, and we are adjust- [email protected] James Reda it. By the time you read this, we ing to our new home, which [email protected] will have had a performance of a happens to be in the Columbia choral work in England. Also, our neighborhood. Send an e-mail to 1971 book on Translating for Singing [email protected] if you 45th Reunion 1982 will be published in England at are coming to town.” To take an active role in your Class Correspondent: the end of this year or the begin- Class Reunion activities, please Dan Libby ning of next. I look forward to contact Jack Reilly at jr2813@ [email protected] receiving news from you, about 1966 columbia.edu or 212-851-0734. anything you deem interesting: 50th Reunion your career, your retirement, To take an active role in your Alvin Roth, Craig and Susan 1984 your solution to the problems of Class Reunion activities, please McCaw Professor of Economics Daniel Smith is working as chief the world. Everything will either contact Jack Reilly at jr2813@ at Stanford, has published a new marketing officer at Outsell be printed exactly as I receive columbia.edu or 212-851-0734. book, Who Gets What—and Why: Corp and was recently accepted it, or, if I change it in any way, The New Economics of Matchmak- into the Eastern Association of will be submitted to you for your Harry L. Tuller MS’66, ing and Market Design (Houghton Intercollegiate Football Officials. approval before I send it to the EngScD’73 writes, “I am cele- Mifflin Harcourt, 2015). editor of this magazine. Please brating my 40th year as a faculty include your current e-mail member in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering

­ | 57 CLASS NOTES

1986 sensing technology such as laser 1997 businesses I have seen by one 30th Reunion scanning into water-tight models Jonathan Speier wed last May of own, Nai Nan Ko. Over the To take an active role in your appropriate for computational in Florida with a number of past year, Nai has turned one of Class Reunion activities, please modeling. The same solutions Columbia graduates from the his passions into a business. As contact Star Sawyer at ss3858@ were found to be cross-applicable Class of ’97 in attendance. a licensed pilot, Nai has taken columbia.edu or 212-851-2402. for 3D printed models. The hub me for a spin on one of his Cirrus is available for both academic SR aircrafts. Now, he has an collaboration and commercial 2000 aircraft rental company called 1988 work and currently boasts a staff Class Correspondent: JetKo, based in Massachusetts, Class Correspondents: of four full-time technicians. Daisy Chow that allows pilots, both general Caryn Frick [email protected] and commercial, to experience [email protected] “low and slow”—the romance David Shofi 1992 of flying. Such a cool business! [email protected] Class Correspondent: 2001 Best of luck on growing your Janneth Ignacio Marcelo 15th Reunion business, Nai!” [email protected] To take an active role in your 1989 Class Reunion activities, please Class Correspondent: contact Beth Manchester at 2005 Shreosee Roy 1993 [email protected] or Class Correspondent: [email protected] Class Correspondent: 212-854-4472. Devang Doshi Herbert Kreyszig [email protected] [email protected] Class Correspondent: 1990 Catherine Marcinkevage 2006 Class Correspondent: [email protected] 10th Reunion Laura Cordani Christopher 1994 To take an active role in your [email protected] Aaron Wininger writes, “I’m Kevin W. Tung writes, ”I have Class Reunion activities, coming up on a decade in joined Interplay Ventures as a please contact Jack Reilly at Shanghai. I’m currently a partner venture partner in Q2 2015. I will [email protected] or 1991 and Shanghai representative for be building and investing in IT 212-851-0734. 25th Reunion Perkins Coie’s Shanghai office, companies at the firm.” To take an active role in your where I practice patent law. I Class Correspondent: Class Reunion activities, please help U.S. and Chinese companies Nick Jennings contact Star Sawyer at ss3858@ develop their international intel- 2002 [email protected] columbia.edu or 212-851-2402. lectual property strategies and Class Correspondent: build global patent portfolios. John Morris Karen Ceberek writes, “I Class Correspondent: My daughter Carol just turned [email protected] spent nine years working for Radhi Majmudar 10 and has an interest in the Schiavone Construction Co. LLC [email protected] sciences and math. Maybe SEAS as a field engineer, superintendent, class of ’26?” 2003 proposal writer, and claims Debra F. Laefer ’89CC has Class Correspondent: administrator on major heavy brought 3D printing to Ireland Amar Doshi civil infrastructure projects, by launching the country’s first 1996 [email protected] such as NYCDEP City Water full-service, commercial-level 20th Reunion Tunnel No. 3, NYCDEP Croton 3D printing hub, U3D. Housed To take an active role in your Water Treatment Plant—Offsite at the University College Dublin, Class Reunion activities, please 2004 Facilities, MTACC Northern Blvd. where she teaches in the School contact Star Sawyer at Class Correspondent: Crossing, and NYCDEP BT-1 of Civil Engineering, U3D offers [email protected] or Eric Rhee Construction of Shafts 5B and scan-to-print services, 3D 212-851-2402. [email protected] 6B. At night, I completed my MS printing classes, and all major 3D in civil engineering at the Newark printing technologies including Class Correspondent: Eric Rhee writes, “It’s been College of Engineering from metal printing. The endeavor is Enrico Marini Fichera a great year for Columbia 2007 until 2012 at NJIT. Greg an outgrowth of her European [email protected] Engineering entrepreneurs in and I had our baby girl on June 9, Research Council (ERC)–funded 2015. The one update I am 2014, and named her Giovanna research that developed mech- excited to share is the story of Marie. I recently started work anisms to auto-convert remote one of the most interesting with Railroad Construction

58 | Company, Inc., as an estimator. Mario Augustine Avila writes, with various companies, and is Columbia community here in I’ve attached a recent photo of “Even though I am no longer accompanying Royal Central to New York!” my daughter.” affiliated with the company, I am Prague Quadrennial 2015 as part happy to write that my former of the educational component, company Hyliion won first SpaceLab. Hearkening back to 2012 2007 place and $25K in the Columbia her roots, Catherine will also be Class Correspondents: Class Correspondent: Venture Competition last April. producing a new science produc- Rebecca Frauzem Tamsin Davies Hyliion is working on creating tion (currently in development) [email protected] [email protected] a new type of auxiliary power that focuses on the performative Hannah Cui unit for tractor-trailers. This win elements of the laws of physics [email protected] Ryan Weed, a USAF pilot and came on the heels of coming in for Science in the Spotlight, part physicist, is working to develop third place in the Rice Business of Edinburgh International Science David C. Mills Jr. writes, “On the world’s first antimatter rocket. Plan Competition. In Houston, we Festival in 2016. June 9, I started a new job as a In a former nuclear fallout shelter won $82K in cash from organi- Matthew Hayto writes, “I’d purchasing manager with Great a few blocks away from Lawrence zations such as the Department love to share the progress that Performances, a catering company Livermore National Laboratory of Energy, Shell Technology we’ve made with Taproot+ since that was rated by Zagat to be in California, Ryan’s company Ventures, and the Wells Fargo its launch in October. Taproot+ the number one in the city. Also, Positron Dynamics is harnessing Cleantech Fund. I am transitioning is a matchmaking service for the one-year anniversary of my the incredible energy density away from my company but am nonprofits and professionals in marriage was June 21. Quite a of positrons (anti-electrons) to exploring new opportunities in various industries who want to big month!” produce a propulsion unit that is the California area.” give their skills pro bono and is 1,000 times more efficient than linked to the Taproot Foundation, state-of-the-art ion thrusters; it is which has been facilitating pro 2013 an engine that promises to allow 2011 bono since 2001. We launched Class Correspondent: spacecraft to travel faster and 5th Reunion in October 2014 and have since Mary Byers farther than ever before, making it To take an active role in your received 800 nonprofit projects, [email protected] possible for humans to become a Class Reunion activities, please have a pool of 4,000 professionals truly interstellar species. Weed is contact Beth Manchester at who want to volunteer, and have a Wired 2015 Innovation Fellow. [email protected] or directly facilitated almost $1.5 2014 212-854-4472. million in pro bono service. I joined Class Correspondent: the Taproot Foundation in 2014 Victoria Nneji 2008 Class Correspondent: and am head of product for [email protected] Class Correspondent: Justin Merced Taproot+. I encourage SEAS alumni Amy Lin [email protected] to check out taprootplus.org to seas2008.engineeringnews@ volunteer for a short project (or 2015 gmail.com Catherine Fowles is currently post one, if you’re with a registered This summer, Anthony Gong is completing her MFA in creative U.S. nonprofit).” living in Massachusetts, applying Mike Karp writes, “My startup producing at the Royal Central Michael Weng was wed this to jobs, watching the Cavaliers- spinning out of the first Cornell School of Speech and Drama in summer on July 4 to Alison Warriors NBA series, and Tech MBA class recently pre- London after a successful career Hard ‘12CC, ‘16TC in Groton, CT. playing basketball. sented at Columbia’s Future of off-Broadway as a general He writes, “We got married on Innovation. We’re building the manager, stage manager, and the day of the first hurricane of world’s first emotion tracking actress, which led her to theatrical the East Coast season but are wearable for dogs, which allows producing. In London, she cofound- convinced it was good luck, as we Save the Date! pet parents to make decisions ed a company called Backstage were surrounded by wonderful Reunion: that fundamentally improve the Forward (www.backstageforward friends and family. After honey- June 2-5, 2016 life of their dogs. Find us at .co.uk), which focuses on the mooning in France, we moved @dogstarlife or dogstar.life. We artistic integrity of backstage back to New York City and are Dean’s Day: are launching a kickstarter.” work and champions theatre now living on the Upper West June 4, 2016 stage managers, technicians, and Side. Ali started a master’s designers. The company aims to program at Teachers College in 2010 produce its inaugural production Nutrition, Public Health, and Class Correspondent: in Fall 2015. She specializes in Public Policy, and I continue to Heather Lee site-specific theatre, both in work for Adobe Systems. We’re [email protected] producing and stage managing excited to reconnect with the

­ | 59 CLASS NOTES

5 9 Alumni Host SEAS Students at WTC Transport Hub

Civil engineering alumni and former classmates Lee-En Chung BS’88 of Ivy Ventures and Doug Taylor BS’88 of Otis Elevator Company hosted six civil 6 10 1 engineering students for a jobsite tour of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in April. The site, featuring an “Oculus” design with a distinctive wing-like appearance, is larger than Grand Central Terminal and will be a 11 2 key portal for lower Manhattan when complete. The visit allowed 3 the students to appreciate the importance and complexity of elevator/escalator design and construction as it relates to the 7 project as a whole. Both Chung and Taylor have been in the construction industry for more than 25 years. Chung, former president of Columbia Alumni in Sarasota (2008– 2014), has been mentoring civil 4 8 12 engineering students—four grad- uated in May—and wanted the students to witness a landmark construction site. Taylor, manager at UTC Building & Industrial Systems, parent company of Otis Elevator, agreed: “I fondly remember visiting a construction site during my senior year, and it was a great learning experience. [1] Robert A. Heller BS’51, MS’53, PhD’58 completed the manuscript of the fourth edition of Salvadori’s I hope that other SEAS alumni Structure in Architecture: The Building of Buildings. [2] Lynn Conway BS’62, MS’63. [3] Alvin Roth BS’71 has make the time and effort to orga- published a new book, Who Gets What—and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design. nize similar tours for our students.” [4] Daniel Smith BS’84. [5] Alumni Host SEAS Students at WTC Transport Hub (see sidebar, right). [6] 3D Hao Pham BS’15, a civil printed star in stainless steel. Debra F. Laefer ’89CC, BS’91 launched Ireland’s first full-service, commercial- engineering major, headed up the level 3D printing hub, U3D. [7] Jonathan Speier BS’97 wed last May in Florida with a number of Columbia ASCE student chapter at Columbia graduates from the Class of ’97 in attendance. Pictured from left to right: Allegra Blackburn-Dwyer ’00BC, John O’Neill ’97CC, Amir Arison ’00CC, Felice Belle BS’97, Daniel Evans ‘97CC, Maya Arison Speier ‘01BUS, and said, “The WTC Hub site Jonathan Speier BS’97, Andre Avzaradel BS’97, Carter Turrell Celente ’97CC, Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio visit was an amazing experience. ’97CC, Kristian Concepcion BS’97, Anna Remet King ’99CC. [8] Kevin W. Tung BS’01. [9] Nai Nan Ko Rarely do we get to see the con- BS’04 now has an aircraft rental company called JetKo. [10] Karen Ceberek BS’06 had her baby girl, Giovanna struction of a multibillion-dollar Marie, on June 9, 2014. [11] Catherine Fowles BS’11. [12] Michael Weng’s BS’11 wedding: (back row, left to project, so we were very excited right) Ivy Fortmeyer ‘11CC, Samuel Beck ‘11CC, Louise Beck (née Stewart) ‘11CC, Kate Offerdahl ‘14CC, MIA ‘15, and learned a lot from the visit. Brianna Morgan ‘12CC, Alex Lew ‘12CC, Nate Levick BS’12. (second to last row, left to right): Ayo Alston-Moore Big thanks to Ms. Lee-En Chung, ‘11CC, Markrete Krikorian ‘11CC (hidden), Paul Lerner ‘11CC, Jenna Lauter ‘13BC. (next row down, left to right— Mr. Douglas Taylor, and Otis for starting in the center): Zoe Lubitz ‘11CC, Kelly Sinn ‘11BC, Eugene Yao BS’11, Molly Conley ‘10CC (front row, left making this visit possible.” to right): Aviva Hamavid ‘13BC, Katie Hamm ‘12CC, ‘16JD, Alyss Vavricka ‘12BC, Ali Hard ‘12CC, ‘16TC, Michael Weng BS’11, Nikki Lugo BS’12, Melissa Bermudez ‘12CC, Carolyn Bykowski BS’11 (née Popplewell).

60 | PROGRAM NOTES: CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PWC (Professional Women well as Professors Smyth, Ratay, Yue Kuo MS’78, EngScD’80 in Construction). We are a full- Tirolo, and others who provided GRADUATE has received the prestigious service Union Contractor with a the academic foundation for my ALUMNI Gordon E. Moore Medal for 13,000-square-foot fabrication exam success. With licensure in Outstanding Achievement in Solid shop in East Williamsburg, and our hand, I am now enjoying addi- State Science and Technology Labor force has been widely recog- tional promotion opportunities APPLIED PHYSICS AND from the Electrochemical Society nized on many public projects here with the U.S. Army Corps of APPLIED MATHEMATICS (ECS) for his groundbreaking for exceptional workmanship Engineers in Norfolk, VA.” Yitao Chen MS’15 writes, “I will interdisciplinary research in nano and attention to detail. We are soon be a PhD student at Johns and microelectronics, particularly thrilled to have been involved in COMPUTER SCIENCE Hopkins University, majoring in in the complicated relationship the Transportation HUB, Croton Dragomir Radev MS’96, mechanical engineering in the among device performance, Water Treatment Plant, 63rd MPhil’97, PhD’99, a visiting Whiting School of Engineering. material properties, and fabrication street subway, 7 line, and much professor at Columbia and a My future academic and research processes. The Gordon E. Moore more. We take great pride in University of Michigan computer adviser is an energetic young Medal was named after the Intel our work and are committed to science professor, serves as assistant professor. I am sure that cofounder who is famous for devel- helping young, tenacious engi- program chair for the North he is an excellent researcher, and oping “Moore’s Law,” the discovery neers prosper. Recently we hired American Computational I feel very glad to have the chance that the number of transistors on a wonderful new 2015 Columbia Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO), to work with him. Looking back to a silicon chip would double every University grad. Over the years, an annual competition to identify my PhD application, it was unfor- 18 months. Yue currently holds the I have taught individual lectures high school and middle school gettable. I can be contacted via Dow Professorship at Texas A&M about construction management students with linguistic talent e-mail at [email protected].” University School of Chemical and engineering and spoken while acquainting them with the Bahram Jalali MS’86, Engineering. He has established about women and minorities in field of computational linguistics. MPhil’87, PhD’89 received the the Thin Film Nano & Micro- construction at campus events. NACLO is filled with puzzles and Achievement Medal from the electronics Research Laboratory I am always eager to motivate concepts seemingly unrelated Institution of Engineering and dedicated to solid-state research young minds at Columbia and to language or computational Technology in the UK for his and education. Among his many remain open to helping any of linguistics. The whole point is “Pioneering Contributions to honors, Yue has also been awarded those who contact me through to expose the fun, challenging Silicon Photonics and High ECS’s Electronics and Photonics LinkedIn. Many students have aspects of language to students Throughput Instrumentation Division Award and the ECS visited our ongoing projects, too, before they graduate high school and Their Application to Cancer Fellowship Award. He has authored to get a better handle on what a and encourage them to pursue Detection.” Bahram is the many papers and edited many contractor’s role is. I look forward computational linguistics at the Northrop-Grumman Endowed journals, including the Journal of to bidding on work on campus university level. Radev is one of Chair in Optoelectronics and the Electrochemical Society from and using my professional the cofounders of NACLO and Professor of Electrical Engineering 2003 to 2012. achievement and association head coach for the U.S. national at UCLA, with joint appointments with United Structure Solution teams. He is a recipient of the in the Biomedical Engineering CIVIL ENGINEERING AND to help with construction on Linguistics, Language and the Department and in the UCLA ENGINEERING MECHANICS campus, too! Please visit www Public Award from the Linguistic David Geffen School of Medicine, Amy Moselhi MS’06 writes, .unitedstructuresolution.com, Society of America. and a member of Columbia “Since graduating, I have worked where I proudly have Columbia Darshana Umakanth MS ’14 Engineering’s Board of Visitors. on heavy civil construction Alumni Association listed in writes, “I’ve been working at He is a Fellow of IEEE, the Optical projects in New York City. At our affiliations! Hulu in Santa Monica, CA, for Society of America (OSA), the Tully Construction, I managed a Matthew Scanlon MS’13 over a year now as a software American Physical Society (APS), portfolio in excess of $100 million writes, “I’m pleased to report that developer. I work on the Content and SPIE. He is the recipient of as the project manager of the I passed the Civil Engineering PE Platform team, which is primarily the R. W. Wood Prize from the East Side River Parks Project and exam this spring to become a responsible for ingesting and Optical Society of America for many more. After eight years at licensed civil/structural engineer. transcoding all the content that the invention and demonstration Tully I moved to United Structure Having already obtained architec- needs to go on the site. I work of the first silicon laser, the Solution Inc. as their chief tural licensure several years ago, I with really cool cutting-edge, Aron Kressel Award from the executive officer in March, a very am now one of a very few nation- front-end technologies like IEEE Photonics Society, and exciting opportunity to lead a ally that can legally practice both React.js by Facebook and back- the Distinguished Engineering minority MWBE/DBE firm that architecture and engineering. I end tech such as Python. Santa Achievement Award from specializes in high-end architec- credit the excellent instruction in Monica has been great so far; I’m the Engineers Council. tural and ornamental iron work. the Civil Engineering Department, soaking up the sun and learning In June, we became members of particularly Professor Meyer, as to love the L.A. lifestyle! Fun fact:

­ | 61 PROGRAM NOTES

I work with a fellow Lion (Hang Also, I produced a step-by-step ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING entertainment specials for such Qian) who graduated with me research plan for a yearlong John Arroyo MS’06 writes, entertainers as Barbra Streisand, from Columbia last year with thesis research project on “My software company, Arroyo Bob Hope, and Liza Minnelli, the same degree (MS in CS). energy sources in Tajikistan. I Labs (arroyolabs.com), turns and awards shows including the However, we didn’t know would like to thank my adviser three this summer. We are Emmy Awards and the Grammy each other until we started Professor Nickolas J. Themelis moving into a new office space Awards. With more than 300 working together!” for his guidance, advice, and his and getting more recognition in lighting credits to his name, Seamus Carroll BS’82 writes, support throughout my life in the enterprise, eCommerce, and he has won seven Primetime “My wife, Marie Wieck MS’83, Columbia University and during startup communities.” Emmy Awards and received 23 was recently inducted into the the research process of this thesis. Neraj Bobra MS’15 relocated Emmy nods. In 2012, he was the Women in Technology Hall of I feel honored to have been to San Francisco to work as an first lighting designer and only Fame for her more than 30 years able to know him and to work algorithm engineer at a wearable the third designer overall to be in a variety of technical and closely with him. I really enjoyed device startup called Misfit inducted into the Academy of executive roles in IBM’s hard- my program, and it was a great Wearables, where he works Television Arts & Sciences Hall ware, software, and services experience for me. I met many on algorithm and firmware of Fame. divisions. In January she was friends and amazing professors development. Thomas Joseph Re MS’95 named general manager of during my studies, learned new Jian Chen MS’11 is currently completed his radiology residency Middleware, overseeing digital technologies and skills in energy, pursuing a PhD in engineering at the University of Milan in platform software for today’s and graduated my program at Jesus College, University of July 2014 and is now finishing emerging enterprise workloads.” successfully. My parents are Cambridge, UK. He recently a research fellowship in pedi- Fengwei Zhang MS’10 has very proud of me. I am very glad married Shruti Bhutada, a 2010 atric neuroradiology at Boston joined Wayne State University for the amazing opportunity graduate of Columbia Teachers Children’s Hospital of Harvard as a tenure-track assistant to pursue my MS degree at an College. The couple wed in Medical School. His interests professor in the Department amazing Ivy League University. Cambridge. include technology applications of Computer Science this fall. Currently, I am exploring oppor- Daniel Clark MS’14 writes, in medicine. More information about tunities in the environmental “Since graduating in February Fengwei can be found on her and energy areas.” of 2014, I have been living and INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING home page, fengwei.me. Vikas V. Gupta MS’94, working in New York City. I am AND OPERATIONS RESEARCH Howard Zhu MS’02 is now an EngScD’97 writes, “I head the a research engineer at the Child Ritvik Singh MS’04 writes, “After executive director at MSCI’s Hong hedge fund/equities arm of a Mind Institute and have been working in finance as a deriva- Kong office, where his responsi- leading asset management firm primarily developing software tives trader for the last 10 years, I bilities include expanding MSCI’s from India. We were ranked as to process and analyze neuro- recently started PsyInnovations, Analytics business across Asia the top-performing hedge fund imaging datasets. I’ve also been a digital mental health startup and the Pacific region. (out of more than 11,000 hedge researching techniques in signal based in New York. My cofounders funds worldwide) in long-bias processing, machine learning, are also Columbia alums: Navya EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL equities across the world for 2014 cloud computing, statistical anal- Singh (MA’08, Teachers College) ENGINEERING by Preqin, the top rating agency ysis, and algorithm optimization and Stan Miroshnikov MS’04 Shahnoza Boboeva MS’15 for hedge fund intelligence.” to enhance our understanding (Computer Science). PsyInnova- writes, “I am from Tajikistan, Alan Shapiro MS’14 writes, of the functional connectivity of tions is bringing evidence-based Central Asia, and concentrated “Since graduating, I moved to the human brain.” therapy to anyone with a smart in sustainable energy. During my Vancouver, Canada, and accepted William M. Klages MS’48 will phone, overcoming the barriers studies, I did my masters thesis a job with PGL Environmental be inducted into the Rensselaer of stigma, access, and cost. We on the “Current State of Waste Consultants. In the past year, I Polytechnic Institute Alumni Hall are currently in beta version for Management in Tajikistan and have been involved in conducting of Fame on November 2, 2015. our first app, wayForward, which Potential for a Waste-to-Energy environmental impact assess- He is an award-winning lighting helps users overcome anxiety.” Plant in Khujand City.” Through ments for proposed pipeline designer who has been asso- Yan Zhang MS’08 writes, “I my research I have analyzed and mining projects as well as ciated with some of the most moved back to Sydney, Australia, existing energy sources and contaminated site investigations honored productions in television after graduation in May 2008 current state of waste man- across western Canada. I con- history. His career started in and am currently working as a agement in Khujand and the tinue my involvement in science theatrical lighting with NBC, and derivatives analyst in Perennial potential of the plant for energy communication and water ultimately he lighted landmark Investment Partners. Our fund, and material recovery from policy research.” shows of early TV starring Perennial Value Wealth Defender solid wastes using background legendary actors Milton Berle, Australian Share Trust, recently research on renewable energy Sid Caesar, and Perry Como. won the 2015 retirement product and waste-to-energy theory. He lighted many acclaimed innovation award by Money

62 | Management, and also has recent- ly been listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ticker: WDE).” Hanxiao Zheng MS’15 writes, “As a Columbia Engineering student, I am obsessed with everything here in the Mudd 1 6 11 14 building and every moment in the past one and a half years. With passion and contribution, I finally made it through the academic path and end with my dream diploma. Now I am an Accenture senior analyst and ready to start 2 7 12 my career. I would love to bring my value back to the school and help more students like me.”

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING Ryan Cooper MS’10, MPhil’12, PhD’14 writes, “After I got my PhD I moved to East Tennessee 3 8 15 to work as a postdoctoral research assistant in the Material Science and Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The laboratory is a fed- erally owned facility managed by UT-Batelle. Originally, the lab was 4 9 built as part of the Manhattan Project. The material science program has since grown into a multitude of projects that build on the Department of Energy initiatives for energy, environ- mental, and security issues. My research involves funding from 5 10 13 the Department of Energy and collaborations with Cummins Inc., Fiat Chrysler Automotive, Nemak, APPLIED PHYSICS AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS: ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING: and GE. I have been combining [1] Bahram Jalali MS’86, MPhil’87, PhD’89 [8] Jian Chen MS’11 recently married Shruti Bhutada experimental and numerical ’10TC; [9] Daniel Clark MS’14; [10] William M. work investigating ceramics and CHEMICAL ENGINEERING: Klages MS’48; [11] Thomas Joseph Re MS’95 metals to reduce emissions and [2] Yue Kuo MS’78, EngScD’80 increase efficiency of automobiles INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND and coal power plants. I am also CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING MECHANICS: OPERATIONS RESEARCH: the Professional Development [3] Amy Moselhi MS’06 [12] Yan Zhang MS’08; [13] Hanxiao Zheng MS’15 Chair of the Oak Ridge Postdoc Association. This position has COMPUTER SCIENCE: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: [4] Darshana Umakanth MS ’14; [5] Marie Wieck [14] Anurag Mathur MS’07, MPhil’11, PhD’12 involved preparing postdocs and MS’83; [6] Howard Zhu MS’02 is part of a team of UC Berkeley bioengineers other young professionals for who developed the first human “heart-on-a-chip.” scientific careers with workshops EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING: The system could one day replace animal and seminars, and I organized the [7] Shahnoza Boboeva MS’15 models for drug safety screening. first ORNL postdoc career fair in [15] Ryan Cooper MS’10, MPhil’12, PhD’14 over five years. We hosted other

­ | 63 PROGRAM NOTES

national laboratories, industries, and universities with over 160 job seekers. It has been a fantastic experience to work with a number of talented scientists across national laboratories and industries creating lasting impacts in energy use and emission reduction.” Anurag Mathur MS’07, MPhil’11, PhD’12, currently work- ing as a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Fellow in the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley, has developed the first human “heart-on-a-chip,” which can be used for drug screening and disease modeling applications. Anurag was supervised by SEAS Professors James Hone and Michael Sheetz as a PhD student, and the “heart-on-a-chip” break- through was published in March in the journal Scientific Reports. Wilbur Shapiro MS’59 writes, “After an engineering career spanning some 54 years, I retired in 2005 at the age of 75. Since then, I have written several fiction books. My latest book is called Oil-Free. The book details an engineer’s struggle to develop an oil-free piston engine. The book should be of interest to engineering students, and it is available on Amazon. Columbia has a distinguished history in the field of tribology (friction and wear, bearings and seals) with eminent Professors Harold Elrod, Vittorio Castelli, and Dudley Fuller. I would love to see Columbia return to that technology.”

64 | IN MEMORIAM

Joseph F. Traub, Computer Science Department Founder and Longtime SEAS Professor

Joseph F. Traub, 83, a pioneering computer scientist and founder of Columbia’s Computer Science Department, died on August 24, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Traub was among the first to fully grasp the potential of computers and spent his career exploring new algorithmic methods while building and strengthening institutions that promoted computer science. Traub, Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor of Computer Science, was most known for his work on optimal algorithms and computational complexity of continuous problems. In collaboration with Henryk Woźniakowski, now professor emeritus of computer science, Traub created the field of information-based complexity, where the goal is to understand the cost of solving problems when information is partial, contaminated, or priced. Understanding the role of information about a problem was a unifying theme of Traub’s research. He contributed many significant new algorithms—including the Jenkins-Traub algorithm for polynomial zeros, the Kung-Traub algorithm for comparing the expansion of an algebraic function, and the Shaw-Traub algorithm to increase computational speed—and wrote or edited 10 monographs and 120 papers in the fields of computer science, mathematics, physics, computational finance, and quantum computing. Dean Mary C. Boyce said, “Joe’s contributions to Columbia’s Computer Science Department have been instrumental in establishing the strong foundation of excellence of our Computer Science Department today, enabling our ongoing frontier leadership in this field. He will be sorely missed by all of us at Columbia and by the computer science community across the globe.” Traub attended Bronx High School of Science and City College of New York before entering Columbia University in 1954, where he earned his PhD in 1959 under the Committee of Applied Mathematics at Columbia. After graduation, Traub joined Bell Labs, where he began his work on computational complexity. In 1971, he was appointed chair of the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University; under his direction, the department grew from fewer than 10 faculty members to 50 to become one of the top computer science depart- ments in the country. In 1979, at the invitation of Engineering Dean Peter Likens, Traub returned to his alma mater to become founding chair of Columbia’s Computer Science Department. Because of his reputation and contacts, he was able to raise funds for the new department and attract top faculty and students. Within a year, the department was awarding BS, MS, and PhD degrees. Traub chaired the department for 10 years, and, in 1982, he oversaw the construction of the Computer Science Building. In 1985, he became the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Complexity, a position he held at the time of his death. He founded also the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board of the National Academies, serving as chair from 1986 until 1992, and again in 2005 and 2009. His numerous awards and honors included election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1985, the 1991 Emanuel R. Piore Gold Medal from IEEE, and the 1992 Distinguished Service Award from the Computer Research Association (CRA). He was a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), and the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS). In 2012, his 80th birthday was commemorated by a symposium at Davis Auditorium to celebrate his research and contributions to computer science. At the time of his death, he also was an external professor at the Santa Fe Institute and played a variety of roles over the years, often organizing workshops to bring together those working in science and math. He is survived by his wife, Pamela McCorduck, and two daughters, Claudia Traub-Cooper and Hillary Spector.

­ | 65 IN MEMORIAM

ALUMNI the Alumni Federation Medal 2005 According to his obituary, “His for his service to the University. Edward “Ed” James Alfano family, his loving wife, and his 1961 He is survived by his wife, BS’05 of Southampton, NJ, died many friends will miss his ready Devoted alumnus and retired Belle, and his children, Stephen May 25, 2015, after a fatal fall wit, his forgiving disposition, engineering professor Daniel and Barbara. in a rock-climbing accident. He his fierce loyalty, and his thirst Dicker EngScD’61, who taught at Health care businessman and was 31. Ed graduated from high to savor every hour before that Stony Brook University for many philanthropist Stanley Dicker school near the top of his class, eternal silence.” Ed is survived by years, passed away on April 4, EngScD’61, a University benefactor then went on to pursue an his wife, Waenyod; his parents, 2015, in Jericho, NY. and longtime, loyal supporter of engineering degree at SEAS, Ronald and Marge Alfano; Daniel received a BS from Columbia Engineering, passed where he majored in chemical brother and sister Mark Alfano City College, ME from New York away peacefully on April 15, 2015, engineering. He graduated and Shelley Berad; brothers-in- University, and EngScD from at his home in Kings Point, NY. magna cum laude in 2005. law Pinrath and Makutchai; and Columbia, all in civil engineering Stanley received his BS “Ed was a close friend, and I am Waenyod’s parents, Kanok and and engineering mechanics. from Brooklyn Polytechnic and deeply saddened by his death,” Chaloeylakana Wongtrangan. After graduation, he worked in his EngScD from Columbia said Edward Leonard, longtime New York City, including a stint Engineering, both in mechanical professor of chemical engineering 2014 at C.L. Bogert and at Praeger- engineering. He began his long, at SEAS. “He was a very broad Spencer I. Omuemu BS’14 Kavanagh Engineers, where he successful career in the health gauge, thoughtful, energetic, and of New York City, formerly of did structural engineering for the care industry shortly after gradu- morally good person.” Blackstone and Framingham, Sprain River Parkway, the Brooklyn- ation from Columbia. By the time Shortly after graduating from MA, died suddenly on March Queens Expressway, and the of his death, Stanley owned and Columbia, Ed worked as a con- 1, 2015. He was 23. After Cleveland subway. operated two nursing homes, a sultant at the Monitor Group and graduating in 2014 from SEAS, An expert in boundary value health homecare business, an subsequently at Extera Partners. where he majored in biomedical problems of solids and fluids adult day care center, and an In 2007, Ed and his brother, Mark, engineering, Spencer worked at and the aeroelastic analysis of ambulatory surgical care center. cofounded Lumina Prep, an online Blackrock Financial in New York suspension bridges, Daniel joined Stanley credited Columbia educational company. The startup City. According to his obituary, SUNY–Stony Brook as a professor with helping launch his career. enjoyed some success, including Spencer had a passion for the of engineering and applied math- “When I became a graduate pro bono contributions to several Big Brother/Sister organization, ematics. He received the Norman student, I had a family with two local charities whose mission was which he held dear to him. Medal and the Arthur Wellington young daughters that I needed to to improve the educational pros- He did volunteer work in New Prize from the American Society support,” he said. “SEAS helped pects of low-income students. Orleans and Argentina, loved of Civil Engineers for his analyses me find a position as a research Ed soon returned to school, to cook, and held a black belt of the 1940 collapse of the Tacoma engineer at Columbia, which earning both his MS and MBA in mixed martial arts. Born in Narrows Bridge and the 1967 allowed me to complete my from MIT in 2013. Natick, MA, Spencer was the collapse of the “Silver Bridge” doctoral studies.” He met wife, Waenyod beloved son of Mercy Morgan over the Ohio River. His philanthropy combined Wongtrangan, in 2008, and and cherished nephew of Kate In 1969, Daniel was elected a his interests in engineering and they wed on August 4, 2013, in Morgan. He leaves siblings fellow of the New York Academy health care. In 1996, he endowed Bangkok. They shared the same Stephanie, Sylvester, and of Sciences. He was a visiting the Stanley Dicker Professorship adventurous spirit and love for Sophia. He also leaves his research fellow at Harvard and in Biomedical Engineering at travel. After graduating from father, Sylvester Omuemu Sr., MIT and visiting professor at Columbia, held by Van C. Mow, MIT, Ed joined McKinsey & Co. and many beloved aunts, Imperial College of Technology founding chair of the Department as a consultant. While there, uncles, cousins, extended in London and the University of of Biomedical Engineering. He he spearheaded an effort to family, and friends. the West Indies in Barbados. later established two scholarships reform internal conflict-of- At Columbia Engineering, for undergraduates majoring in interest and disclosure policies Daniel was a singularly devoted biomedical engineering in honor and practices. He also worked alumnus. Over the years, he was of his father and mother, the on teams in Texas, the United a class agent for the Engineering Jack Dicker Scholarship and the Kingdom, Indonesia, Thailand, Fund, a member of the Leadership Freda Dicker Scholarship. Korea, and elsewhere. In 2015, Gifts Committee, president of the Stanley is survived by his his efforts were recognized with Columbia Engineering Alumni wife, Eileen Shapins; daughters a promotion to engagement Association, and chair of the Marcia Trupin and Meryl Dicker; manager. Around this time, Ed CEAA executive committee and stepdaughter, Lisa Lawrence, and Waenyod began to consider the Egleston Medal Selection and her husband, Jon; and settling down in Bangkok, where Committee. In 1994, he received four grandchildren. they planned to raise a family.

66 | OTHER DEATHS REPORTED Robert L. Simis BS’54 John B. Campbell BS’55 We also have learned of the Harold Goldwasser MS’55 passing of the following alumni: Dr. Robert B. Ash BS’56, MS’57, PhD’60, ’55CC V. Hamilton Baillard BS’25, ’23CC Dr. Frank P. Kuhl Jr. BS’57 Charles J. Frehner BS’32, Bruce Scott BS’57 ChE’33, ’31CC Richard W. Bossert, PhD Cleveland R. Horne Jr. MS’38 BS’59, ’58CC Allan L. Tarr MS’38 Frederick G. Simpson BS’59 William O. Jewett Jr. MS’39 Dr. Joseph C. Wyman EngScD’59 Charles H. Doersam Jr. BS’42, Shelby T. Brewer BS’60, ’59CC MS’44, ’42CC David M. Mandelbaum MS’60 Francis A. Brandt BS’43 William C. Abbott MS’61 Dr. Gilbert M. Turner BS’43, Pablo G. Bechteler MS’63 ’43CC Thomas H. Becker MS’64, Seymour F. Rappoport BS’44, PhD’68 MS’51 Joseph P. Napolitano MS’64 George Sege BS’44, MS’47 Kenneth Brayer MS’65 Thomas Sege BS’44, MS’48 Kenneth S. C. Fung EngScD’65 Warren L. Serenbetz BS’44, Dr. Benjamin F. Logan Jr. MS’49 EngScD’65 I. Meyer Pincus, Esq. BS’45, Thomas L. Dutton BS’67 ’49LAW Dr. Aristides C. Fronistas MS’73 August E. Sapega BS’46, MS’51 Eugenia M. Flatow MS’75 Barnet R. Adelman BS’47, MS’48 Terence W. Murphy MS’75 Roger W. A. LeGassie BS’47 Franco A. Colalillo MS’79 ’48CC Mark P. Pettigrew MS’79 Victor J. Magistrale BS’47 Alice Christensen MS’83 Irwin R. Schneider, USN MS’47 Dr. Rakesh Bali MS’89, Fiorino Dipaolo BS’48 PhD’95BUS Morton H. Dorenfeld BS’48, Andrew Gabriel Merey BS’92 MS’50 Charles Egidio Bettinelli Jr. Varne M. Kimmick BS’48 BS’98, ’98CC Leon Lipson BS’48 Sergio Coutinho de Biasi MS’08 George H. Snyder BS’48 Rustam Salari MS’08, ’04CC Bernard J. Yokelson BS’48 Dr. Stanley W. Dziuban MS’49, PhD’55 Bob Gresl BS’49, MS’54 Howard E. Lustig BS’49, MS’51, PhD’56 Robert G. McCoy MS’49 William J. Herbert BS’50 Ralph A. Hess BS’50 John Q. McQuillan BS’50 William E. Thomas BS’50, MS’51 Dr. Raphael R. Thelwell BS’51 Dr. James J. Kauzlarich MS’52 Samuel Schalkowsky BS’52 Chichang Hsu BS’53, ’52CC Elliot J. Brebner BS’54, MS’59, ’53CC Dr. Mitchell Litt BS’54, MS’56, EngScD’61, ’53CC

­ | 67 DONOR SPOTLIGHT William and Harriet Lembeck to Endow Mechanical Engineering Professorship Bill and Harriet Lembeck

n an inspiring act of generosity, William BS’53, ’52CC he says. “There was really no bioengineering then, and it was and Harriet Lembeck have made a $2 million bequest difficult to find a school that taught something like that. Our only intention to endow the William Lembeck Career model was The Six Million Dollar Man.” Development Chair in Mechanical Engineering. This He even hired a young Gerard Ateshian BS’86, MS’87, PhD’91— new professorship will support a tenure-track junior now the Andrew Walz Professor of Mechanical Engineering, faculty member. department chair, and professor of biomedical engineering—as Bill Lembeck, who attended Brooklyn Tech, graduated from a temporary worker for one summer, encouraging the young Ithe College in 1952 and the Engineering School in 1953 with a engineer to stay on at Columbia. He credits his friendship with degree in mechanical engineering. He remembers being friends Ateshian as a major reason he remains connected to the School. with celebrated New York Times editor Max Frankel ’52CC; TV In 1989, Lembeck left NYU to become director of operations at pioneers Roone Arledge ’52CC and Lawrence Grossman ’52CC; Hypobaric Systems, from which he retired in 2010. Over the course and engineer Donald Ross BS’53, ’52CC. He then completed of his long career, he was awarded four patents for his inventions. postgraduate work in aeronautical engineering at Princeton. Nowadays, he spends his time consulting and working with his While still an undergraduate, Lembeck, who describes himself wife, Harriet, who has spent her career as a wine and spirits educa- as “essentially a machine designer,” started a vitamin dropper tor. Mrs. Lembeck leads the renowned New York City–based Wine business with his father. He invented the machines used in his & Spirits Program and has taught spirits classes since the 1970s. original enterprise, which gradually developed into a thriving She was wine director of the New School for 15 years, authored glass-decorating business that used equipment of his own design. two editions of Grossman’s Guide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits, and At 40, he sold his company and joined New York University has been a judge at wine competitions around the world. Medical Center as a senior research scientist. He taught the fun- Mr. Lembeck has been a longtime leadership donor to the damentals of mechanics to medical students and worked on the University, especially to Columbia Engineering. He is a past design of prosthetic limbs and hands. Lembeck was addressing a member of the School’s Board of Visitors and a past chair of the worldwide problem; while there were new possibilities because Egleston Medal Committee. In addition to their support of the of the invention of smaller motors and batteries, the field was School, the Lembecks contribute to Bryn Mawr College (Harriet’s still nascent. “It is easy to forget how difficult it was at the time,” alma mater), the Salk Institute, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Career development professorships, including the Lembeck Professorship, are designed to support young tenure-track faculty members as they establish themselves as leaders in their Career development professorships, fields. The chairs help the School recruit and retain the best and brightest young faculty. including the Lembeck Professorship, Lembeck believes this objective is the “best way to make are designed to support young tenure- a gift.” He says, “The talented people that you recruit make a track faculty members as they establish department stronger.” themselves as leaders in their fields. By Timothy P. Cross

68 |

Mail Code 4714 500 West 120th Street New York, NY 10027

Newly renovated Carleton Commons Join Us! (Photo by Timothy Reunion Weekend Lee Photographers) June 2–5, 2016