Fall 2013

CORNELL ENGINEERING MAGAZINE

MATERIALS DESIGNER Fennie named MacArthur Fellow 12 CORNELL ENGINEERING CORNELL ENGINEERING MAGAZINE CONTENTS FALL 2013 GIFTS& FEATURES

APPARELAVAILABLE AT WWW.ENGINEERING.CORNELL.EDU/GEAR

Message From Cornell NYC Tech: Dan Huttenlocher and Cathy 10 Dove share the latest.

Class of ’17: Stats for this year’s 16 incoming class.

Materials Designer: Using first principles, MacArthur “genius” Craig Fennie and collaborators 12 create new materials from the ground up. Aerial Mastery: By Chris Dawson Cornell students take first in autonomous aircraft 18 competition. By Chris Dawson

DEPARTMENTS

NEWS PEOPLE HOMETOWN HERO aking t ake ense M I M S : T. Michael A Young Engineer Advocates Duncan for Sustainable Engineering. 24 By Bridget Meeds 2 28 31

CORNELL ENGINEERING 1 NEWS

Shattering records: Thinnest glass in Guinness book Electric vest to knead away stress To communicate with the Three Cornell students have of electrical and computer unnaturally and chronically elevated Nanosatellite CUSat satellite in orbit, the team developed a garment—embedded engineering. The team, working levels of cortisol,” Gaeta said, citing launches from configured ground stations in with piezoelectric cells and tiny with Amit Lal, professor of one estimated cost of job stress in California Ithaca, the Marshall Islands, motors—that gently massages electrical and computer the United States at $300 billion Colorado Springs, Colo., and the back and shoulders, mimicking engineering, and Huiju Park, annually. After eight years of planning, Redondo Beach, Calif. a human touch. assistant professor of fiber The initial impulse for developing submitting, winning, When the CUSat team won “It’s like someone stroking science and apparel design, filed the vest came from Mary Maida, you really lightly, like a mother for a patent for the technology. a molecular neuroscientist building and waiting, Cornell the Nanosat-4 competition in soothing a kid who just woke up The body produces cortisol whose company, the Medingen University’s CUSat—a 2007, the project was slated for from a nightmare,” said Marina under stress. Prolonged release Group in Rochester, N.Y., seeks nanosatellite designed and launch in June 2008 from the built by engineering students Gaeta ’14, a biology and society of cortisol is linked to serious to foster medical innovations. SpaceX launch complex in the student. Gaeta developed the health problems, including Maida approached Lal, Gaeta, to help calibrate global Marshall Islands. But then the functional apparel with fiber obesity, depression, heart and Hosseinzadegan to make a positioning systems (GPS) launch was postponed to late science and apparel design disease, hypertension, and a stress-reducing prototype: a store- with pinpoint accuracy— 2011/early 2012, and postponed student Eric Beaudette ’16 and compromised immune system. bought vest to which they adhered launched Sept. 29 from again. Hadi Hosseinzadegan, Ph.D. ’13, “We find that in our modern actuators and tiny motors. Vandenberg Air Force Base, — Blaine Friedlander a graduate student in the field way of life a lot of people have Melding form and function into an Lompoc, Calif. attractive piece of clothing, however, PROVIDED The satellite—which weighs required the expertise of Park and about 90 pounds—was Beaudette. “Functional apparel launched on a SpaceX Falcon design incorporates the latest 9 rocket. Once in space, the technologies into layers of fabric to satellite moved into low orbit provide more convenient function Graduate student Pinshane Huang and Professor David A. Muller with a model that depicts the atomic structure of to help calibrate GPS accuracy and a comfortable interface,” Park glass. They were the first to directly image the world’s thinnest sheet of glass. to within 3 millimeters. said. With that precision, future Beaudette and Park created At just a molecule thick, it’s a graphene, a two-dimensional arrangement of atoms in glass. space missions can perform another prototype using a combination of elastic and rigid new record: The world’s thinnest sheet of carbon atoms in a “This is the work that, when improved close-proximity fabrics to better accommodate sheet of glass, a serendipitous chicken wire crystal formation, I look back at my career, I will spacecraft-to-spacecraft discovery by scientists at Cornell on copper foils in a quartz be most proud of,” Muller said. body movement and a wide range maneuvers. and Germany’s University of furnace. They noticed some “It’s the first time that anyone of sizes. A built-in neoprene panel The satellite uses algorithms Ulm, is recorded for posterity “muck” on the graphene, and has been able to see the muffles motor noise and acts as developed by Mark Psiaki, in the Guinness Book of World upon further inspection, found it arrangement of atoms in a glass.” a buffer against chafing from professor of mechanical and Records. to be composed of the elements What’s more, two-dimensional technical parts. aerospace engineering, and The “pane” of glass, so of everyday glass—silicon and glass could someday find a use “This unique design approach Shan Mohiuddin, Ph.D. ’10 AE. ensured a better fit to different body impossibly thin that its oxygen. in transistors, by providing a “It’s a very exciting and busy types,” Park said. individual silicon and oxygen They concluded that an air defect-free, ultra-thin material time for the team. We’ve been Last spring, the team’s invention atoms are clearly visible via leak had caused the copper that could improve, for example, performing weekly mission earned one of two $10,000 electron microscopy, was to react with the quartz, also the performance of processors in Innovation Awards from Cornell’s identified in the lab of David A. made of silicon and oxygen. This computers and smartphones. rehearsals for the past year and a half,” Paul Jackson ’15, School of Electrical and Computer Muller, professor of applied and produced the glass layer on the The paper, “Direct Imaging of Engineering. engineering physics and co- would-be pure graphene. a Two-Dimensional Silica Glass the Cornell team’s student project manager, said before With the prize money, director of the Kavli Institute at Besides its sheer novelty, on Graphene,” was published in Hosseinzadegan is working on the launch. Cornell for Nanoscale Science. Muller continued, the Nano Letters on Jan. 23, 2012, with a flexible circuit that will join In 2007 the U.S. Air Force The work that describes direct work answers an 80-year- first authors Pinshane Huang, more smoothly with the fabric of imaging of this thin glass was old question about the a Cornell graduate student, and and the American Institute of the vest, into which Beaudette is published in January 2012 in fundamental structure of Simon Kurash, a University of Aeronautics and Astronautics incorporating Lycra spandex for a Nano Letters, and the Guinness glass. Scientists, with no way to Ulm graduate student. It includes chose CUSat—from among better fit. records officials took note. They directly see it, had struggled to collaborators from the University 11 entries—as the winner of Gaeta, meanwhile, will test the published the achievement in understand it: It behaves like a of Ulm, Germany; the Max Planck its Nanosatellite Program’s vest’s physiological effects through early September for inclusion solid but was thought to look institute for Solid State Research Nanosat-4 competition. human trials this fall. in the 2014 book, and the more like a liquid. in Germany; University of Vienna; Since 2005, more than 200 “We’re marketing the vest as a breakthrough is featured in Now, the Cornell scientists University of Helsinki; and Aalto engineering students have piece of clothing that doesn’t look the publication’s 21st Century have produced a picture of an University in Finland. worked on the project. like a medical device and can just Science spread. individual molecule of glass, The work at Cornell was The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s be worn anywhere,” Beaudette said. Just two atoms in thickness, and they found it strikingly funded by the National Science primary payload was the “And with our small company we’re looking at adding these piezoelectric making it literally two- resembles a diagram drawn in Foundation through the Cornell Canadian Space Agency’s cells to other products, as well.” dimensional, the glass was an 1932 by W.H. Zachariasen—a Center for Materials Research. Cassiope digital broadcast CUSat nanosatellite launched Sept. 29 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, Calif. — Blaine Friedlander accidental discovery, Muller said. longstanding theoretical — Anne Ju satellite. The scientists had been making representation of the

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$1.5 million NSF grant helps nanoparticle manufacturing As Robinson explained, including the widely used droplet sitting on top, and frequencies correspond to the The researchers also observed interested in understanding “The properties of colloidal semiconductor cadmium a 50-micron-square metal shape of a drop of a specific that some of the droplets how droplets on surfaces quantum dots can be tuned selenide. mesh, like a window screen, size. take on multiple shapes when move in low gravity. And in by changing their size and Hanrath, co-principal underneath. A light is shined The researchers created vibrated with a single driving high-resolution printing, composition, and the field has investigator, analogized through the mesh holes, and a detailed table of droplet frequency—akin to physicists the spread of a drop as it really come a long way over the research goals with the deflection of the drop’s surface shapes according to frequency, observing two different energy touches a surface will dictate the years to learn how to tailor development of polymers refracts the light, which is seen as well as comparing these states simultaneously in an image resolution. The surface those properties to be ideal and plastics 50 years ago. as a deformation of the mesh results to previous theoretical excited molecule. chemistry of the roller, printer for energy applications. We’re Transforming polymers from a and captured by a high-speed predictions involving the “Without the high-speed and ink will have profound really on the forefront of this bench-scale scientific discovery camera. dynamics of oscillating imaging, we wouldn’t have effects on the technology. technology. The problem is to a multibillion dollar industry The researchers mechanically droplets. Classical theories been able to see the drops The study, “Substrate that there hasn’t been a way involved “several interesting oscillated the drops at varying don’t capture the dynamics exhibiting these kinds of mixed Constraint Modifies the to make a massive amount of chemical engineering frequencies, and observed and entirely, but new predictions, behaviors,” Daniel said. Rayleigh Spectrum of particles that are all exactly challenges,” Hanrath noted. recorded their movements. The made by collaborators Steen The detailed, clear table of Vibrating Sessile Drops,” Tobias Hanrath Richard Robinson the same size and composition. “We’re excited about the oscillation can be likened to and Bostwick take into account oscillating drop modes should was supported by NASA, the Making large quantities Hanrath, associate professor Scalable methods to prospect of applying similar when a violin string is plucked; the physical effect of the solid lend insight into further National Science Foundation of reliable, inexpensive of chemical and biomolecular manufacture nanoparticles concepts to develop methods certain natural frequencies substrate in contact with the fundamental studies, as well as and Xerox Corp. nanoparticles for batteries, engineering, have been could really change the for the scalable production of correspond to a given length droplet and match the images a host of applications, Daniel — Anne Ju solar cells, catalysts, and awarded a four-year Nanoscale landscape.” high-quality nanoparticles to of string, the same way certain in the photo album. said. For example, NASA is other energy applications has Interdisciplinary Research Team The key to their project enable the deployment and proven challenging due to grant through the foundation’s will be the use of a reactive commercialization of emerging Imperfect graphene renders ‘electrical highways’ manufacturing limits. A Cornell Scalable Nanomanufacturing precursor that had previously nanotechnologies,” Hanrath PROVIDED LAB / MULLER They showed that instead of solitons and how they fit into research team is working to Program. only been limited to said. flat sheets of repeating carbon the bilayer graphene picture that improve such processes with Their goal is to improve large- aqueous-phase synthesis of The grant, which runs through atoms arranged like chicken wire, McEuen’s collaboration studied. a $1.5 million National Science scale, solution-phase synthesis nanomaterials. Their method 2017, also covers outreach and when graphene grows layers, it “Ideally, we would like to control Foundation grant to support of high-quality nanoparticles— could potentially benefit the education activities, including a ripples, like wall-to-wall carpet graphene,” Kim said. “We would scalable nanomanufacturing in particular metal sulfides— application of semiconductors K-12 education program to work exceeding room dimensions. like to get rid of the solitons, or and device integration. and demonstrate their and semi-metal colloidal with high school teachers to These ripples, called solitons, are maybe we would want to make a Richard Robinson, assistant integration into devices nanocrystals by providing enhance nanoscience curricula. like electrical highways that allow well-controlled, one-dimensional professor of materials science including battery electrodes a nontoxic alternative to — Anne Ju electrons to shoot from one end electrical highway but not have and engineering, and Tobias and solar photovoltaics. metal chalcogenide systems, of the sheet to the other. The so many of them. If we figure out rest of the non-rippled graphene, how to control graphene, control ‘Photo album’ shows dances of droplets when stacked, is semiconducting. where the solitons are, we can PROVIDED / CHUN-TI CHANG Previously, theorists had open up new ways of controlling The splash from rain hitting experiments, which involved predicted that bilayer bilayer graphene.” a windowpane or printer a high-speed, high-resolution graphene would be uniformly The paper led by McEuen, ink hitting paper all comes camera. Paul Steen, professor Three dark field-transmission electron microscopy images of bilayer semiconducting when stacked “Strain Solitons and Topological graphene are overlaid with colors to show diffraction angles. The lines are down to tiny droplets hitting of chemical and biomolecular and staggered—the way a sheet Defects in Bilayer Graphene,” soliton boundaries. a surface, and what each of engineering, and his former of billiard balls would stack if included work by graduate those droplets does. Cornell student, Josh Bostwick, led the Just an atom thick, 200 times On the experiment side, a the balls (atoms) were nestled in students Jonathan Alden, Wei researchers have produced theoretical portion of the study. stronger than steel, and a near- research group has imaged the in-between spaces. But the Tsen, and Pinshane Huang. It was a high-resolution “photo “What is really special about perfect conductor, graphene’s and analyzed the structure and theory didn’t pan out, and the supported by the Air Force Office album” of more than 30 this study is the high-quality future in electronics is all but behavior of graphene sheets Cornell researchers now contend of Scientific Research and the certain. But to make this carbon shapes an oscillated drop of imaging we were able to stacked one on top of the other, it is because of the solitons. National Science Foundation. supermaterial useful, it needs to called bilayer graphene. The water can take. The results, a capture of these oscillating “People thought graphene was The paper led by Kim, be a semiconductor—a material group, publishing online June 24 fundamental insight into how droplets,” Daniel said. “We perfectly stacked everywhere, “Topological Edge States at a Tilt that can switch between in Proceedings of the National but in truth it has these funny Boundary in Gated Multilayer droplets behave, could have created an imaging platform insulating and conducting states, Academy of Sciences, includes structural solitons that give rise Graphene,” included work applications in everything from where we could look at the which forms the basis for all Paul McEuen, the Goldwin Smith to electronic, one-dimensional by postdoctoral associate inkjet printing to microfluidics. drop from the top, to enable us electronics today. Professor of Physics and co- channels,” McEuen said. “All these Abolhassan Vaezi, graduate Combining experiment and Susan Daniel, assistant to see the characteristic shapes director of the Kavli Institute at complexities were hiding.” student Darryl Ngai, and Yufeng theory, Cornell researchers have professor of chemical and better than anyone has before.” Cornell for Nanoscale Science; A separate research group Liang and Li Yang of Washington moved a step closer to making biomolecular engineering, The imaging platform, David A. Muller, professor of led by Eun-Ah Kim, assistant University. Their work was also graphene a useful, controllable led the study, published in which Chang has named the applied and engineering physics professor of physics, published a supported by the National material. They showed that and Kavli co-director; and Jiwoong paper the same week in Physical Science Foundation, including an Physical Review E, Aug. 9. “Omniview” because of the when grown in stacked layers, Park, associate professor of First author Chun-Ti Chang, different angles at which graphene produces some Review X that describes the NSF CAREER grant. chemistry and chemical biology Selected images from the “photo album” of oscillating modes of a a Cornell graduate student, the droplet can be observed, specific defects that influence its mathematics and theory behind — Anne Ju and Kavli member. droplet of water. designed and performed the consists of a glass slide, the conductivity. the electrical properties of the

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CUAUV wins RoboSub competition Cornell named a mentoring center PROVIDED / CUAUV PROVIDED / by Sloan Foundation investigators are: Zehnder; Sara Hernandez, director of Diversity Cornell has been awarded dean for diversity and faculty Programs in Engineering; WIESNER a three-year, $1.2 million development in the College of Marjolein van der Meulen, grant to become one of three Engineering. associate dean for research and new University Centers of Cornell’s program, managed graduate studies and professor Exemplary Mentoring, the by Diversity Programs in of mechanical and aerospace Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Engineering, will provide three engineering; and Avery announced July 31. years of stipend support and August, professor and chair of The new partnership, which additional support for research microbiology and immunology includes Georgia Institute of and professional development in the College of Veterinary Technology and Pennsylvania to 27 new, underrepresented, Medicine. State University, was initiated minority Ph.D. students in — Anne Ju through the foundation’s engineering and applied life Minority Ph.D. Program. The science fields. program cited universities with Cornell was chosen based on a proven record of educating such criteria as its historical Versatile polymer Team leader Markus Burkardt ’14 helps a volunteer Navy diver get Ragnarök underrepresented minority success recruiting and Film synthesis out of the water at the 16th RoboSub competition. graduate students in science, mentoring doctoral students method invented With their submarine, Ragnarök, The competition, in its technology, engineering, from underrepresented the Cornell Autonomous sixteenth year, requires student and math. These universities minorities; the quality of its Forming perfect porous Underwater Vehicle project team engineers to design and build will be expected to expand, departments and programs polymer films is not enough; strengthen, and institutionalize won first place for the second an autonomous underwater constituting the center; the they need both large and minority recruitment, quality, breadth, and creativity consecutive year at the RoboSub vehicle that can navigate small pores, and the process mentoring, educational of planned future activities; and Structural hierarchy in the synthesized polymeric scaffolds ranging from millimeter to nanometer length scales. student competition, which took through an obstacle course. of making them needs to be support, and professional the strength of its institutional simple, versatile, and repeatable. The chains at the bottom right show the individual block copolymer chains forming the nanostructures. place in San Diego July 22-28. It Tasks include firing torpedoes development. commitment to furthering Creatively combining already was the team’s fifth win since at targets and manipulating assembled from a series of block block, is swollen with the small that the calcite infiltrated the entire The University Center of education for underrepresented established techniques, Cornell copolymers, which are large molecule additive, which is structure, small and large pores, 2003. and retrieving small objects. Exemplary Mentoring at minorities in the natural and materials researchers have The prize for first place at Cornell’s was the only team out molecules comprising “blocks” of immiscible—doesn’t mix—with thus demonstrating transport of Cornell has many programs physical sciences, mathematics, devised a so-called hierarchical repeating units. the other block of the polymer. calcite precursors through the the competition, hosted by of 31 to complete all the tasks planned, including recruitment and engineering. porous polymer film synthesis Researchers have made such When the additive was porous structure. the Association for Unmanned required in the finals. and outreach efforts, a one- The University Centers method that may help make porous materials before, Wiesner washed away, for example with Researchers including Vehicle Systems International Made up entirely of on-one mentoring program of Exemplary Mentoring these materials useful for said, but the methods usually water, what remained was a David A.Muller, professor of Foundation and the Office of undergraduates, the team has for minority scholars, a three- represents a change in applications ranging from involve post-processing; for continuous pattern of porosities applied and engineering physics Naval Research, netted $8,000. students from three colleges day leadership development the direction of the Sloan catalysis to bioengineering. example, once the polymer is on two lengths scales—tens of and co-director of the Kavli The students also won a Best and 10 engineering majors. training program, and a Foundation’s Minority Ph.D. The research team was led by made, the pores need to be microns, and tens of nanometers. Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Paper Award, which came with an — Anne Ju year-long series of seminars, program. Founded in 1995, Ulrich Wiesner, the Spencer T. etched into the material. “It’s about as simple as it gets,” Science, and his student Robert additional $500. workshops, lunches, and the program initially focused Olin Professor of Engineering, With their new method, the Wiesner said. The researchers Hovden contributed tomography PROVIDED / CUAUV social events that provide on support at the individual and the experiments were researchers achieved dual tried the method with multiple to characterize the nanoporous professional development mentor or department level, completed by graduate porosity by evaporating a diblock and even triblock structure of the polymers. The advice and opportunities to providing scholarships to student Hiroaki Sai, first author solvent from a mixture of a block polymers, and contend that the researchers also used nanoscale minority students. students in more than 60 on a paper reporting the copolymer with a small molecule method can be generalized for computer tomography to quantify “We are very proud and graduate programs across the results online in the journal additive that is chemically making many versions of this the network of micron-sized pores grateful to be recognized by country. Science, Aug. 2. The research similar to one of the blocks. highly sought-after material. connected throughout the samples. the Sloan Foundation. This Each center will receive collaboration drew on the The two components form two What’s more, they were able to The paper, “Hierarchical Porous new award recognizes the administrative support through expertise of other Cornell coexisting phases, like water and easily tune the nanostructure Polymer Scaffolds from Block institutional commitment to the National Action Council scientists in materials growth oil, with a continuous interface of the resulting polymer by Copolymers,” included co-authors diversity, allows us to expand for Minorities in Engineering. and characterization. between them separated by tens adjusting the temperature Kwan Wee Tan, Kahyun Hur, Yi the successful Cornell Sloan Students supported through The hierarchically structured of microns. This method of phase at which the original organic Jiang, Mark Riccio, Veit Elser, and Scholars program beyond these programs will also have polymers are porous at both separation is known as spinodal solvent was evaporated. Sol Gruner, the John L. Wetherill the College of Engineering, the opportunity to participate micron- and nano-length scales. decomposition. Once made, the material had to Professor of Physics. and gives Cornell the in the Southern Regional This provides both high flux, One of the two phases rich be tested for utility. Lara Estroff, The research was supported by opportunity to play a larger Education Board’s Institute which means materials can in the block copolymer then associate professor of materials the National Science Foundation role in national efforts to on Teaching and Mentoring, flow through it efficiently, as phase-separates on the tens science and engineering, and her through use of facilities at the diversify the research and the largest professional well as high surface area— of nanometers scale into two student Emily Asenath-Smith Cornell Center for Materials leadership ranks of academia, development conference for both important, for example, domains formed by the two helped the scientists grow calcite Research. One of the tasks for Ragnarök was to shoot torpedoes through the quadrant industry, and government,” minority scholars. in rapid catalytic conversions. blocks of the copolymer. One of crystals on the porous polymers. — Anne Ju of a screen with a specified color. said Alan Zehnder, associate Cornell’s Sloan grant principal The materials were self- the blocks, a polyethylene oxide Electron microscopy confirmed

6 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 7 NEWS

Device mimics cancer cell environment BEUM JUN KIM PROVIDED / BEUM JUN whether cancer cells are The miniature vibrational energy sentinels. While other scientists past, we are creating self- and soil science; and Elizabeth CORNELL borrowing a similar strategy,” harvesters convert the motion gather information on bird reliant systems. They gather Fisher, professor of mechanical Wu said. of a bird’s body into electrical behavior and the impact of power from their environs engineering. ENGINEERING In related experiments, Wu power. Ephrahim Garcia, Cornell environment, his lab focuses on to perform their mission The students developed MAGAZINE hopes to use real tumor cells professor of mechanical and making that data possible. indefinitely.” pyrolysis cookstoves, a low- from human patients in the aerospace engineering, runs the Says Garcia: “Unlike — Blaine Friedlander oxygen environment, to reduce device, not just cultured cell lab and he delves into dynamics engineering systems of the fuel needed, decrease indoor ISSN 1081-3977 lines. They are also continuing and controls, sensors, and air pollution and diminish Volume 18, Number 2 Fall 2013 to use the microfluidic device to actuators that involve smart Two student teams win coveted EPA prize greenhouse gas emissions. PROVIDED / E.P.A. look not only at biomarkers for materials. Resultant biochar can be added Cornell Engineering Magazine is published metastasis, but also the physical “You can’t put a 9-volt to soil as a soil-amendment or by the Cornell University forces that cells use to move battery on a bird, so you need fertilizer to reduce synthetic College of Engineering through the body. a lightweight energy source,” fertilizer usage and pollution, Dean The first author of the paper, says Michael Shafer, who got his to sequester carbon, and to Lance Collins The chemotaxis microfluidic device placed on a microscope. titled “Cooperative Roles of doctoral degree in August and Joseph Silbert Dean improve soil health for crop of Engineering Fully understanding how The researchers also looked SDF-1a and EGF Gradients on began a new job as an assistant growth. cancer metastasizes, or moves at epidermal growth factor Tumor Cell Migration Revealed professor at Northern Arizona Associate Dean The other winning project, for Administration from one place to another (EGF), which is found in blood. by a Robust 3D Microfluidic University. “AguaClara Stacked Rapid Sand JoAnne Williams in the body, will save many Using the device, they found Model,” is B.J. Kim, a research Shafer is testing his system of Filtration—A Robust Filtration Executive Editor lives. Cornell bioengineers that SDF-1alpha attracts breast associate in Wu’s lab. The work removable backpacks and power Process for Sustainable Drinking Dawn S. McWilliams are examining a critical step tumor cells in a way similar to was a collaboration with Melody sources on homing pigeons, Water Infrastructure,” featured Director in the metastatic process immune cells, but the addition Swartz, a cancer researcher which weigh about 300 grams. Engineering Marketing Nadia Shebaro ’15, Rachel Proske and Communications using a microfluidic device of EGF to this mix canceled this at Swiss Federal Institute of The birds can carry only about M.Eng. ’13, Kristopher LePan, Editor that mimics the cancer cell attraction. The results indicate Technology in Lausanne. 4 percent of their mass—or M.Eng. ’13, and Mihir Gupta — Anne Ju Robert B. Emro microenvironment. that in real cancer, different about 12 grams (less than one M.Eng. ’13. Paul Charles, Cornell Assistant Director Published online July 15 in signaling proteins work tablespoon of water)—without technologist, helped to fabricate Engineering Marketing and Communications PLOS One, a research group led cooperatively, so understanding Birds’ good vibrations disrupting their natural flight the filter. Their faculty advisers by Mingming Wu, associate these behaviors could be dynamics. are Monroe Weber-Shirk, Graphic Designer power mini backpacks Robert Kurcoba professor of biological and starting points for cancer Much like human-made senior lecturer in engineering, Communication Specialist II

environmental engineering, therapy, Wu said. PROVIDED SHAFER / MICHAEL aircraft, birds employ and Leonard Lion, professor Engineering Marketing and Communications has uncovered insights into The device consists of micron- aerodynamics and balance. They of engineering. The stacked how certain chemicals secreted scale channels patterned have a center of gravity and roll rapid sand filter is an efficient, Printer by the body’s immune system into a hard surface. The control—like the roll and pitch of From left, Dorisel Torres, Marie Zwetsloot and Rachel Hestrin show jars of Cayuga Press inexpensive and fully hydraulic Cortland, N.Y. affect how breast cancer cells researchers place cancer cells an aircraft. If the ornithological biomass fuel and biochar at the annual National Sustainable Design Expo. unit process for municipal-scale metastasize. Their device is a into one channel and add the backpack weighs too much, water treatment. Already, it is Photography Two Cornell student teams—a health, the environment, All photos by University 3-D recreation of the chemical chemokines into adjacent birds cannot maneuver back to a sustainable alternative for Photography unless cookstove fuel/biochar group encourage economic growth signaling cascade that can channels. an upright position—and fall to developing-world communities otherwise indicated and the AguaClara water and use natural resources potentially lead to metastasis. The setup is a bit like studying the ground. where conventional water Editorial and filtration project—won the efficiently. The researchers looked at a fish in a fish tank rather than Despite the light weight, treatment technology fails. Business Offices U.S. Environmental Protection The winning project, 247 Carpenter Hall a malignant breast cancer the ocean—isolating one or the tiny backpacks condense AguaClara develops gravity- Agency’s prestigious People, “Pyrolytic Cook Stoves and Ithaca, NY 14853-2201 cell line and studied two two factors and observing engineering brilliance, as they powered, electricity-free, phone 607 255-3981 Prosperity and the Planet Award Biochar Production in Kenya: fax 607 255-9606 particular chemicals involved them specifically, rather than feature a microcontroller, an sustainable water treatment A pigeon with a Cornell mini backpack. June 19. With about 45 teams A Whole Systems Approach e-mail cornell_engr_mag@ in cell migration, which is a being mired in confounding accelerometer, a memory plants, scalable to fit the needs cornell.edu As Earth warms, birds may in the competition, Cornell was to Sustainable Energy, step in the metastatic process. environmental factors, Wu said. module, a wireless receiver, and and size of any community. be changing their migratory the only school with two of the Environmental Health and Visit Cornell Engineering A chemokine, or signaling The researchers are interested a piezoelectric device that serves AguaClara developed plants that Magazine online at patterns. But to obtain avian seven winning teams. Human Prosperity,” featured protein, called SDF-1alpha, is in chemokines known to to transduce the harvested now operate in eight Honduran www.engineering.cornell.edu/ data, scientists need in-flight The competition was held in graduate students Dorisel magazine highly expressed in lymph be involved in the immune energy into electric power. The communities, serving more than tracking sensors—and those April at the annual National Torres, Marie Zwetsloot, Rachel nodes as well as other common response, because cancer harvester gathers up to 300 30,000 people. Each treatment © 2013 Cornell Engineering Magazine sensors need energy. Sustainable Design Expo in Hestrin and David Guerena, Printed on recycled paper. breast cancer metastasis researchers suspect that microwatts, enough juice to plant delivers water quality Cornell’s Laboratory for Washington, D.C. Each winning all in the field of crop and soil sites, including the lung, liver, metastasis uses some of the power the microcontrollers. that exceeds World Health 11/13 ML 40M Intelligent Machine Systems is team now qualifies to receive science; and Jennifer Davis and bone marrow. Called a same molecular signals to Garcia explains that like Organization guidelines. developing an ultra-lightweight ’13 and Tedman Hsu, M.Eng. chemoattractant, it is a chemical allow cancer cells to move and canaries in the coal mine, birds a grant of up to $90,000 to — Blaine Friedlander that typically attracts immune invade other parts of the body. energy source for small outfitted with these systems further develop their design. ’13, of engineering. Their cells to move toward it. “We are trying to understand backpacks packed with sensors. could serve as environmental Student projects were faculty advisers are Johannes designed to protect people’s Lehmann, professor of crop

8 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 9 CATHY DOVE Vice President of Cornell Tech following two semesters on the Cornell NYC Tech campus. that allows maximum flexibility for all of the activities that They will graduate in May 2015 with a deep understanding take place on campus—from lectures to cocktail parties, of how technology is changing the way business works, private study sessions to hackathons. DAN HUTTENLOCHER and as leaders ready to start innovative businesses and The final piece of the puzzle is Cornell Tech’s commitment Dean and Vice Provost of Cornell Tech transformitive organizations. to the community, consistent with the university’s role Work is also moving forward on plans for the permanent as New York’s land grant institution. The campus will be campus, set to break ground in early 2014 and open its doors playing a major role in the city, and we are focused especially on Roosevelt Island in 2017. We completed the public review on innovating K-12 tech education, including adoption of process for the campus in the spring, and were grateful for the local public school on Roosevelt Island and partnering the overwhelming support of the entire city and especially with several middle schools across the city as well as our new neighbors on Roosevelt Island. The future campus some of the outstanding organizations in NYC who are of Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island will be an innovative, committed to improving education for the 1 million New York FROM sustainable academic campus made up of a combination schoolchildren. MESSAGE of academic space, corporate research and development This has been an extremely exciting time, not just for CORNELL NYCTECH facilities, possibly an executive education center/hotel, and Cornell Tech but for the entire Cornell community. Cornell housing. Overall, over two million square feet of new space Tech is truly a graduate school like no other, designed At Cornell NYC Tech, we have been working non- Texas, Israel, China and everywhere in between. They will be located in a series of architecturally dynamic buildings. to engage our rapidly evolving global society and ready stop since winning New York City’s applied science bid are a highly talented, entrepreneurial and diverse group For the signature academic building, being designed by by students, faculty, and partners who want to change the to rethink graduate tech education and build a new of students, and they have already begun interacting Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis, world. As we continue to build this campus and curriculum sustainable campus in the heart of the city. with industry. We look forward to sharing news of their we are aspiring to “net-zero” energy usage. from scratch, we will be back with periodic updates on our It’s hard to believe that less than two years ago innovative projects and work at the end of the semester. We have also partnered with Forest City Ratner Companies, progress. If you want up-to-the-minute campus news follow Cornell Tech didn’t exist. On December 19, 2011, New Earlier this year we announced two new degrees the developer of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, to build the Cornell Tech on Twitter @cornell_tech. York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg selected Cornell that will launch in the fall of 2014—a one-year first corporate co-location building, with design by innovative and our academic partner—Technion-Israel Institute MBA in partnership with the Johnson School, and a architectural firm WEISS/MANFREDI. The corporate co- of Technology—as the winner of the city’s applied groundbreaking two-year program that offers students location building will be located next to the flagship sciences campus competition. Since then, we have both Cornell and Technion degrees. The dual degree academic building and will provide space for industry—from made enormous strides in building an innovative program will be offered by the Joan and Irwin Jacobs start-ups to well-established tech companies—to be located new academic program and planning our campus on Technion-Cornell Innovation Institute (JTCII), named in on our campus ensuring frequent and deep connections Roosevelt Island. honor of a $133 million gift from Joan and Irwin Jacobs. between industry, students, and faculty. Cornell Tech is designed to address two significant The Jacobses are both Cornell alumni who have a long In the meantime, our temporary campus in Chelsea was issues slowing innovation and economic development in history of supporting Cornell and Technion, and the JTCII redesigned over the summer by award-winning architect New York and around the country. The first issue is that is a key component of Cornell Tech. This degree program David Rockwell, and features an innovative open approach the enormous growth of New York’s tech sector is being will allow students to specialize in applied information- held back by a shortage of top-level tech talent. The based sciences in one of three hubs focused around second, broader challenge is that the way we innovate leading New York City industries—Connective Media, and commercialize research ideas in this country is Healthier Life and the Built Environment. The first area of changing, and universities and companies both need specialization will be in Connective Media and is slated to adapt to remain at the forefront of technology to begin in the fall of 2014. We recently announced at innovation. It is time for new thinking about how an event with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and several industry and academia work together. Cornell Tech will industry partners that applications for the Connective help to reduce that friction. Media program are now open. We’re off to a flying start. Just over a year after winning Additionally, the Johnson MBA at Cornell Tech, which the competition, Cornell Tech welcomed its first students is currently accepting applications, will fuse business, (our “beta class”) in January 2013 to a temporary campus technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in a fast- in space donated by Google in its Chelsea headquarters. paced, hands-on learning environment. The one-year For our first fall semester, we have approximately 30 MBA degree program is for those with a degree in science students on campus, including Ph.D. students and those or technology, as well as relevant work experience, enrolled in our one-year Masters of Engineering in who want to enhance their business knowledge and computer science. Some of the Masters students have who desire leadership opportunities in the digital come to Cornell Tech straight from their undergraduate economy. Students learn in the vibrant center of New colleges, while others have spent time working in York City’s global tech ecosystem, following a summer different industries, including defense, government and session in Ithaca, New York. The first class begins venture capital. The new students hail from California, the program in May 2014 in Ithaca, and spends the

10 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 11 MATERIALS DESIGNER Using first principles, MacArthur ‘genius’ Craig Fennie and collaborators create new materials from the ground up. By Chris Dawson

Craig Fennie is deeply skeptical of the word “genius,” irrespective of their properties. They’ll say, ‘Hey, let’s figure out especially when applied to him. “I have always hated the word,” how to make these things and then see what happens.’” Fennie he says, while sitting cross-legged and shoeless on a couch in and his collaborators have turned that approach on its head, his office. “I have always hated standardized tests. I have done starting with a property in mind, they work out a model, which badly compared to how people thought I should do on them.” they then combine with quantum mechanical simulations to Presumably, the selection committee, president, and board of search for a real material with that property. “We are trying to directors of the MacArthur Foundation did not look at Fennie’s move away from serendipity and into a more rational approach.” SAT or GRE scores before giving him a 2013 MacArthur Fellowship, Fennie uses this approach to identify previously unknown known as the “genius award.” materials that should, if his calculations are correct, have “When you look at my life I don’t really know how I am here. desirable optical, magnetic, and electrical properties. He works I feel so lucky—I feel like I need to give something back,” says with others in the College of Engineering to then build these Fennie, clearly still trying to make sense of his award. materials, atom by atom. Listening to Fennie talk about his work, MacArthur Fellows represent an eclectic mix of fields. it quickly becomes apparent that he always uses the plural “we” This year’s roster of 24 winners includes a jazz musician, an instead of the singular “I.” immigration lawyer, a paleobotonist, a medieval historian, a “We are looking at things in a physics-y way. We have had choreographer, a neuroscientist, a photographer, and several to learn a lot of chemistry, but we can do this,” says Fennie. “We writers. The thread that ties this diverse group together and have been incredibly lucky—we have had more than one success “When you look at my life I don’t runs through the work of all the winners is extraordinary lately.” creativity. The MacArthur Foundation seeks out individuals who There are six Ph. D. students, eight post-doctoral fellows, and really know how I am here. I feel “actively make something or find something new, or connect the at least six faculty collaborators in Fennie’s lab group at Cornell. so lucky—I feel like I need to give seemingly unconnected in significant ways.” Fennie’s work fits “Cornell Engineering is phenomenal. Some of the best scientists this description perfectly. in the world are here,” says Fennie. “It is strong across the board something back.” Fennie, a materials scientist and assistant professor in the in physical sciences and engineering like nowhere else. It covers School of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell, was cited the full spectrum of engineering from purely fundamental and a for his work combining theoretical physics with solid state bit abstract to fully functional and practical.” chemistry. Sit with Fennie for even just ten minutes and you start This breadth of expertise makes Fennie’s work possible. to catch glimpses of a creative fire. “Professor Darrell Schlom is the grower and Professor David A. His work is a ground-breaking combination of deeply Muller is his eyes. Darrell makes just about everything I have theoretical physics and completely practical solid state chemistry. worked on, while David, using his powerful electron microscopes, “Physicists love to find the simplest model that describes is able to see where Darrell is putting the atoms. I could not the properties of known materials,” says Fennie. “Solid-state do what I do without them,” says Fennie. “We really need to chemists, often driven by intuition, discover new materials push the field’s current understanding of fundamental solid

12 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 13 The MacArthur Foundation stresses the point that when they grant a fellowship they are not honoring past achievements, but instead investing in future creative work. Their strategy statement makes this clear: “The MacArthur Fellows Program is intended to encourage people of outstanding talent to pursue their own creative, intellectual, and professional inclinations. They may use their fellowship to advance their expertise, engage in bold new work, or, if they wish, to change fields or alter the direction of their careers.” Some of the materials Fennie and his collaborators have created may end up as the basis for a new way of storing Fennie confers with postdoctoral researchers (from l. to r.) Priyamvada Jadaun, Sung Gu Kang, and Jiangang He. digital information. Others may be the foundation for a new generation of solar collectors that can more efficiently harvest state chemistry to build the materials we want to build at photons from the sun and turn them into a power source here the atomic scale, and with Darrell and David we are creating on Earth. Beyond these admittedly very useful and exciting that knowledge.” Fennie also credits Dave Lifka of the Cornell applications, Fennie is clearly thrilled by the more fundamental Center for Advanced Computing with making his work possible. repercussions his work may have. “We are creating new “Without them I would go nuts...I need lots of computing power, materials based on a ‘first principles’ approach and this is but don’t want to spend brainpower on that problem. They different than it has been done before,” says Fennie “This is a allow me to focus on what I love, understanding the physics and Fennie’s work is a ground-breaking combination of deeply theoretical new way of approaching things.” physics and completely practical solid state chemistry. chemistry of real materials. ” In the end, whether he sees himself as a genius or not Throughout the conversation about being named a genius, Fennie became that guy who was succeeding. His dissertation seems totally irrelevant to Fennie. “If I can’t have it all, I don’t Fennie’s responses evince a genuine bemused humility. “My won the Richard H. Plano Prize from Rutgers and he received the want any of it. I need to be doing what I love,” says Fennie. “I parents did not go to college. None of us are really sure how I Nicholas Metropolis Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship from have always done what I have loved to do, and when I wasn’t, got here,” says Fennie while shaking his head. “I was always the Argonne National Laboratory. He came to Cornell in 2008 and I made changes. I am in the best place now; I love what I am person who people thought was going to do great things, but I shortly after won a Young Investigator Award from the Army doing here and I am going to be at Cornell for a long time.” never followed through. It wasn’t until my late twenties that I Research Office Materials Science Program, a Faculty Early Career started to follow through.” Fennie studied electrical engineering Development Award from the National at Villanova University in Philadelphia. Rather than go into Science Foundation, and a Presidential PROVIDED /MACARTHUR FOUNDATION industry or apply to graduate school, Fennie took a different Early Career Award for Scientists and route to genius. He became a bouncer. Engineers. It became clear to Fennie that “After college, I worked at a club in Philly called Maui. I was a he had found his passion. bouncer there and I loved it.” The word ‘bouncer’ may not seem Or, to be more accurate, he had in keeping with the stereotype of a physicist, but then when found another passion. The first passion you look at Craig Fennie you think, ‘Yeah. This guy really could Fennie found was punk music. “I was be a bouncer.’ He is barrel-chested with big biceps straining about 13 when I heard the Ramones the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt. “I grew up in Philly, first in a for the first time and was hooked ever tough working class neighborhood and then in another, slightly since. Despite growing up on the East better, part of town. I was a power-lifter in high school and in Coast my taste has mostly been for college.” Many people from Philadelphia have a very strong “California punk/hardcore” bands like accent that is immediately recognizable to someone familiar The Descendents, then later NOFX and with the area. Fennie shows no evidence of this way of speaking. Pennywise, and most recently the Aussie “I worked really hard to get rid of my Philly accent,” says Fennie, band Frenzal Rhomb,” says Fennie. “The showing the only trace of pride he let out in the entire one-hour biggest influence by a long shot has conversation. After four years checking ID’s and keeping a bit of always been Bad Religion, in my mind order in Maui, Fennie started to look for something different. the best band ever!” Fennie is aware A former adviser from Villanova got Fennie involved in a that the lead singer of Bad Religion, small engineering company, where he worked for three years Greg Graffin, is a lecturer in Cornell’s and became interested in learning more about physics. “I took a The crystal structure of an atomically thin superlattice Department of Ecology and Evolutionary composed of two perovskites. Advances in growth techniques few classes at Rutgers as a non-matriculated student,” explains Biology, but he denies this is why he allow for the synthesis of such materials that do not otherwise Fennie. “By the time I was in my third class, the professor asked decided to come to Cornell. For a while, appear in nature. Fennie and his group are particularly if I wanted to work for her.” At the same time, Fennie made a big Fennie himself played guitar in a punk interested in understanding how the composition, symmetry, change in his life and stopped drinking. “I would not be where I geometry, and topology of crystalline motifs influence the band. He says that after-hours the interplay among the active degrees-of-freedom, how this am today if I hadn’t quit drinking before getting my life straight hallway near his office often echoes subsequently manifests itself in the macroscopic properties, and and heading to Rutgers for grad school,” says Fennie. with the strains of punk music played if this interplay can be controlled so as to produce “designer” At Rutgers, things started to click. Rather than being that at near-maximum volume. Fennie with collaborator Darrell Schlom, in the lab where Schlom makes the materials Fennie properties and functionalities. guy who everybody thought was going to succeed someday, designs.

14 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 15 CLASS OF ’17 BY THE NUMBERS 5%

10.5k 10,084 APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ORIGINS 10k 9,474 9.5k APPLICATIONS 20 9k 8,446 19 8,416 APPLICATIONS 18 8.5k APPLICATIONS 8k 17 16 7.5k 15 7k 14 6.5k 13 6k 12 5.5k 11 5k 10 4.5k 9 8 4k 7 3.5k 6 3k 5 2.5k 4 United Arab Bangladesh 2k 3 Hong Kong ADMIT RATE Singapore Kingdom

ADMIT RATE Emirates Vietnam Republic Pakistan of Koreaof Bahrain ADMIT RATE Canada Nigeria United Bolivia Turkey Kenya

2 China 1.5k ADMIT RATE Japan 22% 21% India 1k 18% 15% 1 2010 2011 2012 2013 2013 URM URM URM URM

5% 10% 15% 13% 14% 15% 20% * * 16% URM URM * RM* 25% URM U HIGHLIGHTS 30% FEMALE FEMALE FEMALE 35% FEMALE 40% 37% 37% 45% 43% 43% Cornell Engineering received a record number of applications this year 50% (10,084)–more than at any time in the college’s history. 55%

60% Early decision application volume increased by 18% this year and 36% of 65% the enrolling class were offered admission in early decision. SAT scores improved again this year. 70% 75% 80% Legacies represent 14% of the incoming class, which mirrors 85% last year’s class. 90% Thirty-nine states are represented in the first-year class, including Hawaii, Alabama,Louisiana, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont. The majority of enrolling students hail from New York, New Jersey, California, and Florida. *underrepresented minority

Compiled 9/24/13 SMC: (Source - OAR various reports)

16 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 17 PROVIDED /CUAIR

By Chris Dawson

CORNELLAUTONOMOUS STUDENTS AIRCRAFT TAKECOMPETITION FIRST IN AERIALMASTERY

Hyperion, the 2012-2013 competition aircraft, on a taxiway at the competition at the Patuxent Naval Air Station in Maryland.

The judges at this year’s Student Unmanned Air Systems right into the ground. Despite the crash, Cornell was named the Competition certainly had a flair for the dramatic. Each year, the winner of that first competition. three-day competition ends with an awards dinner attended by After recounting the first place crash of CUAir in 2003, the all of the teams, parents, and judges. This year, that meant 35 judge went on to announce that the second place finisher in teams sitting around tables at the Patuxent Naval Air Station in 2013 was…North Carolina State. As the words were leaving his Maryland enjoying a buffet dinner, and waiting to be called to mouth, members of CUAir knew that they were the winners. “It the podium for their awards. The judges started with the team was kind of a nail-biter,” says electrical sub-team leader Joel Heck that came in thirty-fifth. Then they called up the team that came ’14 EE. “It was very exciting.” in thirty-fourth. And so on. And so on. And so on. The win came as vindication for Phill Tischler ’13 CS. Under Eventually, there were two teams that had not yet been his leadership, the team decided to ditch the kit-built planes honored: North Carolina State and Cornell Engineering’s CUAir they had been using and instead design and build a custom team. Rather than put an end to the tension, the judge at the composite aircraft of their own. “It was a great victory not podium took a few moments to give a short history lesson. just for the team members, but also for everyone involved— He recalled the very first competition in 2003. Just two teams our sponsors, the Cornell community, and friends and family. entered that year: North Carolina State and Cornell. NC State’s Without their support, we would not be where we are today,” plane was unable to fly autonomously. Cornell’s plane flew— he says. “We have been working hard all year to achieve this CUAir members Cory Pomerantz ’14 ME, Alex Toy ’14 ME, Stephanie Schneider ’ 14 ME, Derek Faust ’ 15 ME, and Sam Rosenstein ’ 17 EE at work in the Experiential Learning Lab in the basement of Upson Hall.

18 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 19 into the ground, totaling the aircraft. As a result neither team one in the water and the other in the air,” he says. completed the course, and we won for having a better journal After winning the inaugural event in 2003, CUAir suffered paper/technical design and entry.” through an eight-year drought, not once finishing in the top Ironically, for a team that creates and flies autonomous three. Tischler was on the team in some of the lean years and vehicles, that first CUAir team was not autonomous. It was he was part of the group that finally put everything together. a branch of the Cornell team competing in the association’s In 2012 the Aeolus II, a plane Tischler worked on as the software autonomous submarine competition. As a high school student, team leader, took first in mission and second overall at Patuxent. Schulze had competed against Cornell’s underwater team and so Then, by taking the systems that had performed so well in he joined them when he got to Ithaca as a freshman. When the Aeolus II and putting them in a self-built plane, named Hyperion, association launched the Unmanned Air Systems competition CUAir finally managed to reclaim the crown in 2013. Hyperion that same year, Schulze convinced team captain James Buescher found all ten targets—four better than the next best entrant, ’03 ME and team adviser Kevin Kornegay to launch an unmanned was the only system to image a target located off to the side air vehicle for the competition. “The first year was really run as in the no-fly zone, and was one of only a handful of vehicles to CU Autonomous Underwater Vehicle team running two robots, connect to the Wi-Fi signal successfully.

Stephanie Schneider ’ 14 ME working on an autopilot and camera test platform; the CAD on the computer is from a section of wing of the new competition aircraft. monumental feat, and I have no doubt the team will only engineering, and math skills outside of the classroom. The improve in coming years.” association has awarded more than $1.3 million in prize money For the Student Unmanned Air Competition, remote control over the years. For their first-place showing in June, CUAir systems are turned off, leaving the model-sized aircraft to brought home $7,450. autonomously locate, identify, and classify targets on the ground Back in 2003, the year of their crash victory, Cornell’s team using their own on-board imaging systems. They must connect took home a first prize of $3,000. Karl Schulze ’05 CS, a founding to a directional Wi-Fi network and obtain mission data. member of the CUAir team in 2002, remembers it this way: “The The competition in Patuxent is organized by the Association first competition was actually a disaster, it was the first year the for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International. According to competition was run, and there were only two teams,” he says. its website, this non-profit organization exists “to advance “We ran the first test flight as a remote control plane so that the unmanned and robotics community through education, we could capture aerial images to tune our vision algorithms. advocacy, and leadership.” Their sponsored competitions Shortly after takeoff the plane flew through a radar beam they give students opportunities to participate in hands-on had either forgotten (or not realized they needed) to turn off, and Cory Pomerantz ’14 ME works on CUAir’s autopilot test platform in the Experiential Learning Lab in the basement of Upson Hall. robotics activities so they can apply their science, technology, lost all remote control reception. The plane promptly nose dived

20 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 21 PROVIDED / CUAIR Despite the intense competition for talented undergraduates he has separated the plane into its constituent parts. “Last year among Cornell Engineering’s 20 project teams, CUAir has more the airframe was mostly designed by a senior for a senior design than 30 members this year. All the teams give young engineers project. Other airframe members were involved, especially with meaningful experience as part of a collaborative effort to the fuselage,” he says. “This year the design has been broken up See Hyperion soar at: http://www.cornell.edu/video/soaring- address and solve tough engineering problems. Student teams and assigned to sophomores and juniors. One team is working cuair-wins-unmanned-air-systems-competition work to provide clean water for communities in the Global on the wings, others are working on the body and the tail. It’s a South; to design, test, and build a Mars Rover; to design, build, great way to get younger team members involved with some and test genetically engineered machines; and to design, build, real responsibility. and race concrete canoes, among other challenges. In the teams, “Rather than toss out the winning design and start from students take leadership roles and learn both basic and high scratch, says Heck, “We will make some tweaks this year. Our

level engineering concepts and skills. They also learn about goal is to improve our infrastructure and our design process.” PROVIDED /CUAIR effective communication, collaboration, and compromise. Members of CUAir don’t learn just from each other. Both To join CUAir, students apply, interview, and then wait to Heck and Tischler value the opportunity the competition in hear if they have made the cut. Those who are accepted join Maryland gives them to see the designs other teams come up one of five sub-teams; Airframe, Software, Electrical, Autopilot, with. “Even though we came in first this year, NC State really or Business. In practice, the members of CUAir take a systems had a great design and we had a lot of questions for them,” approach to the design of their aircraft since all systems must says Heck. Tischler says that as team lead he encouraged team work together to accomplish the mission. Toward this end, members to get out and talk to the other teams to learn from mechanical engineers, aerospace engineers, electrical engineers, them as well as to share some of what CUAir has learned over computer engineers, and chemical engineers all work together. the years.

Heck is in his fourth year with CUAir. “I applied to join CUAir Heck has some clear ideas about where CUAir will go next, Hyperion, the 2012-2013 competition aircraft, flying during competition. because at the time it was one of the smaller teams. I had high but he is a bit reluctant to tell other teams just what is coming. interest in aviation and aircraft, so my decision was driven by my “Over the past 11 years we have continually been building up interest,” he says. “You can take your project team work and get and we have finally understood the winning formula,” he says. class credit for it, but I don’t. I do it because I love it.” “So now it’s a matter of doing it. We will experiment with other Heck says that this year’s plane “will look similar to last year’s, things off to the side and then bring them in as we perfect but we want to make it fifteen pounds lighter.” He is a firm them. The future looks good.” believer in learning by doing, so in the redesign of the airframe PROVIDED /CUAIR PROVIDED /CUAIR

(l. to r.) Udit Gupta ’16 EE, Joel Heck ’14 EE, Sam Fischer ’13 ME, Alex Toy ’14 ME, and Derek Faust ’15 ME during a test flight at the Ithaca Radio Control Society field.

Cornell University Unmanned Air Systems

First row: (l. to r.) Daniel Sperling ’15 CS, John Steidley ’15 CS, Joel Heck ’14 EE, Alex Toy ’14 ME. Second row: Scott Schlacter ’13 ME, Cory Pomerantz ’14 ME, Sam Fischer ’13 ME, Derek Faust ’15 ME, Phill Tischler ’13 CS, Matt Lordahl ’13 ME, Michael Romanko ’13 ME, Ivan Qiu ’14 ME. Hyperion about to take off for a test flight at the Ithaca Radio Control Society field.

22 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 23 MAKING IT MAKE SENSE By Bridget Meeds A young engineer advocates

When an engineer uses the term “matriarch” to describe her enthusiasm for sustainable infrastructure began with her nature, you know you’re not talking to a typical nuts and supportive family. bolts person. And when she elaborates on her philosophy of Ojetayo was born in Ghana, and her family immigrated to for sustainable engineering. creating a built environment that flexes with the weather Maryland when she was nine. Her mother, a financial analyst, and land, rather than trying to control them, you know you’re and her father, an informatics pharmacist, recognized her math in the presence of someone who is working in a shifted and science talent early on. paradigm. They fostered her interest and encouraged her to attend Abena Sackey Ojetayo ’07, M. Eng. ’09 is that person. Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md., a science and And that paradigm—one which prioritizes sustainable technology magnet school. Her teachers suggested she consider infrastructure that allows humans to live in concert with engineering. It appealed to her, especially because during their environment—is informing the path of her already family visits back to Ghana, she witnessed the need for vital remarkable career. infrastructure. Ojetayo, who was named to the 2013 list of New Faces of “I went into engineering thinking ‘How do I use this to solve Civil Engineering by the American Society of Civil Engineers problems?’” says Ojetayo. “I wasn’t wild about equations. I just and was singled out as a “Notable Black in Energy” by the wanted to learn how to get things built and elevate people’s U.S. Black Engineering & Information Technology Magazine living conditions.” in 2012, is a senior project coordinator in the Energy and She first visited Cornell during a Diversity Hosting Weekend, Environmental Engineering section of Cornell University and even though the weather was unusually awful for Ithaca, Facilities Engineering. she knew it was the place for her. “I went to visit MIT and I She provides project management support for Cornell was seriously considering Carnegie Mellon, but they both felt NYC Tech’s Roosevelt Island campus, as well as helps to narrow,” says Ojetayo. “I wanted the flexibility to be able to also monitor Cornell’s progress toward meeting the goals of take hotel classes if I wanted to, which I did.” its 2009 Climate Action Plan. Her path to this position and Classes she particularly enjoyed in the College of Engineering

24 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 25 included Jery Stedinger’s risk analysis and management course; In the conventional model, services like a water treatment plant “We are continuing to support a number of really interesting Another key action is intensive energy conservation work being Frank Wayno’s course on creativity, innovation, and leadership; are centralized. In a distributed system, smaller systems are built initiatives with the project,” says her supervisor in Facilities done on campus, such as weather-proofing leaky old windows in and Francis Vanek’s class in civil infrastructure systems. Vanek in scattered nodes, encouraging development to grow organically Engineering, Steve Beyers M.S. ’85 ME. “Abena is the go-to staff Rockefeller Hall. “The energy management group is identifying remembers Ojetayo as bright, energetic, and already thinking big around them, up to a locally manageable load. member for coordinating with student research teams, getting opportunities to conserve and use energy better within buildings ideas. “This is how nature works,” she says. “It doesn’t concentrate all its grant monies, and keeping things organized.” across campus and implementing these measures” Ojetayo says. resources in one place. It’s incredibly resilient in that way.” “We need, more and more, the kind of engineer Abena Another of Ojetayo’s projects is helping to monitor Cornell’s “We’ve seen tremendous decrease in the energy use. This is one As the project in Nigeria wound down, Ojetayo returned to the represents, one who works at innovating and implementing green progress toward meeting targets for its Climate Action Plan. The program that works.” United States and decided to rejoin Cornell. She was thrilled to technologies,” says Vanek. “How we build and power buildings and plan’s ultimate goal is to have the entire campus in Ithaca be The Snyder Hill Solar Farm is another important component of learn energy and sustainability at the Cornell Tech campus would transportation systems needs to change. The hundred-year-old carbon-neutral by 2050. the plan. This array of 6,766 solar photovoltaic panels on a 10-acre be one of the primary responsibilities in her new job. technology we’re using is not meant for the new environmental site owned by Cornell, adjacent to the Ithaca Tompkins Regional realities we have now.” Airport, will produce about one percent of Cornell’s electricity when When Ojetayo finished her bachelor’s degree, she took a position it is completed in winter 2014. It will reduce carbon pollution by an as the assistant director of Diversity Programs in Engineering, estimated 730 tons per year. where she worked with underrepresented students to facilitate One aspect of the plan Ojetayo is especially excited about is their success. There, her problem-solving abilities were appreciated. the prospect of an enhanced geothermal system hybridized with “Abena is extremely sharp and that mental acuity extended from a biogas facility, a project in the concept stage. The system is a quick witty retort when kidding around in the office to coming being developed by facilities staff and faculty in the Colleges of up with creative solutions to problems that we encountered in our Engineering and Agriculture and Life Sciences. The biomass-to- daily operations,” says Richard Allmendinger, former associate dean biogas facility, dubbed Cornell University Renewable Bioenergy for Diversity and Faculty Development. Initiative (CURBI), would feature demonstration-scale research While working with Diversity Programs in Engineering, she projects. earned her M. Eng. through the employee degree program. In “CURBI is a neat partnership with several benefits across January 2010, Ojetayo left Ithaca to join the Dr. Aloy & Gesare Chife stakeholders,” says Ojetayo. “In addition to being used for research, Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Nigeria. The foundation the facility would also generate a significant amount of energy was backing the development of a master plan for the Anam New that can be used by facilities immediately.” Together with the City Project, a sustainable city. Ojetayo served as the infrastructure existing lake source cooling system, these actions could allow project manager. Cornell to heat and cool the campus using only natural, renewable One of the challenges of the project was that the location was resources and stored heat energy from the earth. in a flood zone. “In this project, we didn’t want to fight the land,” All in all, Ojetayo feels optimistic about the climate plan’s she says. “Our challenge was to build a city that can adapt to yearly progress and thrilled to be working on it. “I was never the type who floods.” really wanted to just crunch numbers,” she says. “I’m really more Her team studied Dutch cities and decided to design streets energized when I get to translate a vision into actionable plans and that could also serve as canals—open to wheeled vehicles in dry make it make sense for other people.” weather and boats during the flood season. This project greatly Part of making it make sense for other people is sharing her influenced her thinking on sustainable engineering. vision. And as she talks about that vision, Ojetayo is not shy about “What’s happening in developing nations is really cool and using language that might seem unexpected from an engineer’s underrated,” Ojetayo says. “We can learn a lot by studying that kind lips. “We don’t want to fight the matriarch,” she says, laughing. “We of low-impact living, which shows respect for nature. Living your Ojetayo works with her supervisor, Steve Beyers, on Cornell NYC Tech site development. have to stop building structures that are so firm and rigid, that are life around the natural cycle, rather than forcing it the other way, is Cornell’s first significant step was its 2010 decision to phase an assertion of our power as humans. Time and time again, nature Her initial work focused on site-development planning, including the way we need to go.” out the on-campus coal burning power plant. The new combined wins, so we really have to start adapting.” environmental impact assessments such as flood risks. Currently, “[In her work in Africa,] Abena has seen and witnessed firsthand, heating and power plant burns natural gas. Before it was brought When Ojetayo speaks of the matriarch, she is not only using she’s supporting efforts to develop innovative energy systems for and in a much broader sense than many traditional engineers, how on-line, the university burned about 60,000 tons of coal per year. a metaphor but also drawing on personal experience—she and the first academic building on the campus, which is planned to be humans interact with the world,” says Allmendinger. “She’s seen This move, supplemented by cleaner grid-purchased electricity and her husband Olorunfunmi Ojetayo ILR ’08, are the new parents of net-zero. The campus site needs to produce all the energy needed the impact that it has on our planet and in particular on the people other energy equipment upgrades, reduced Cornell’s greenhouse Oluwatimilehin. With Timi’s birth, the intellectual imperative to to power the building on an annual basis, including solar and most at risk in our world.” gas emissions by more than 20 percent between fiscal years 2010 build a sustainable future became real for her. She wants to build a geothermal technology. As the Cornell Tech project management Ojetayo’s design for Anam employed distributed systems, a and 2012. balanced, healthy world in which her son can grow and thrive. concept which she thinks is central to sustainable infrastructure. team in New York grows, Ojetayo’s role is evolving.

26 FALL 2013 CORNELL ENGINEERING 27 PEOPLE of Information and Intelligent Galileo and Cassini spacecraft Macdonald is a graduate of the Systems at the National Science For heavenly observations, and clarifying Georgia Institute of Technology Foundation. He also has held radiance, Burns wins the role of magnetic fields and and has completed two master’s visiting positions at Bar-Ilan Brouwer Award resonance dynamics. Beyond degrees—in civil engineering University, Carnegie Mellon his scientific achievements, and economics. Macdonald was University, the University of Citing research that has Burns edited the texts Planetary previously an engineer designing Zurich, and from 2010 to 2011 transformed our scientific view Satellites (1977) and Satellites high voltage transmission lines at the Massachusetts Institute of the heavens, the American (1986), and was the editor of by computer optimization and of Technology’s Center for Astronomical Society (Division Icarus for almost 20 years. a senior pricing and structuring Collective Intelligence in the of Dynamical Astronomy) will At Cornell, Burns has served as analyst for Dominion Power in Sloan School of Management. give Joseph A. Burns, Ph.D. ’66 chair of Theoretical and Applied Richmond, Va. Most recently As dean, Hirsh is responsible ME, the Irving P. Church Professor Mechanics (1987-1992), vice she was a professor in the for moving CIS’s research and of Engineering and professor provost for physical sciences and Department of Construction education programs forward of astronomy, the prestigious engineering (2002-2007). He is Management at East Carolina in reputation, distinction, and 2013 Dirk Brouwer Award. The currently dean of the university University. Her Ph.D. in civil influence. Among his duties is to presentation will take place in faculty (2012-present). engineering with an emphasis partner in the development of Philadelphia in May 2014. on construction management Haym Hirsh Julius Lucks The society cited Burns’ the Cornell Tech initiative in New Cornell Engineering was awarded by the University Hod Lipson testifies before Congress April 24. fundamental contributions York City, seeking collaborative under the institute’s “High Risk hires student team of Alabama in early August. Haym Hirsh named in planetary dynamics opportunities and creating High Reward” grant program. director “Professor Macdonald brings broader impact on new business dean of CIS and exceptional record of In ‘last lecture’ strong bonds between university The grant will support Lucks’ both industry and academic models, new ways to improve elements at both campuses. scientific achievement. With Rebecca Macdonald has experience to the leadership of education, new intellectual Schneider advises Haym Hirsh, former professor lab’s studies of the dynamic When his appointment was Victor Safronov in 1973, Burns been named the first Swanson our student project teams. We property, and safety issues, as ‘give it your all’ and chair of computer science at functional states of RNAs across announced in April, Hirsh said he wrote a seminal paper that Director of Engineering have more than 600 students well as positive and negative Rutgers University, was named the genome, and how RNA looked forward to joining one of quantified how collisions affect Student Project Teams. The involved in our project teams environmental impacts.” Imagine you are a bright young Cornell’s dean of Computing molecules fold inside cells. the world’s most distinguished the rotational properties of position was made possible by and are excited to have attracted 3-D printing tools can remove engineering student. Your cell and Information Science (CIS), Lucks calls RNA “life’s master universities for computing asteroids. a generous endowment from someone with her combination barriers for any size enterprise, phone rings: “Tell me, what could effective July 1. molecule”—it can store and research and education. He was Burns’ 1979 paper, “Radiation John A. Swanson ’61, M.Eng. ’63. of credentials to be the first according to Lipson, who recently NASA do for you?” says a voice. Hirsh was selected following encode information like DNA, particularly drawn to Cornell’s Forces on Small Particles in the Macdonald will be responsible Swanson Director of Engineering co-authored with Melba Kurman In his hypothetical “Last an extensive national search, and but can play more complex roles Faculty of Computing and Solar System,” illuminated the for leading the project teams Student Project Teams,” said the book Fabricated: The New Lecture” April 30, David Schneider, he succeeds Dan Huttenlocher, like those of proteins. Information Science with its importance of radiation forces program that provides Lance Collins, the Joseph Silbert World of 3D Printing. lecturer in systems engineering, who was appointed vice provost “We now know that [RNA] three departments—computer in the dynamics of small bodies, opportunities for students across Dean of Engineering. “The technology allows large shared anecdotes like this in and founding dean of the is critical to life’s most basic science, information science, and changed the understanding all engineering and related corporations to innovate faster, an overview of his career as a Cornell NYC Tech campus in processes and, in fact, plays huge and statistical science—and of the motion of interplanetary disciplines to participate in Hod Lipson briefs and medium corporations Disney screenwriter, teacher at February 2012. Hirsh will head roles in regulating, maintaining, engagement with all of dust and asteroids. This work is hands-on interdisciplinary design, Congress on 3-D can use it to integrate into Columbia and Cornell universities, Cornell’s college-level unit that and defending the genomes Cornell’s colleges, representing the foundation for the Yarkovsky development, and construction. printing the supply chain with smaller an engineer for NASA, national includes three departments and of all organisms,” Lucks said. an organizational model that and YORP effects that explain Students utilize their technical investment,” he said. “The competition founder for Intel, more than 80 affiliated faculty, “The problem is we don’t know “reflects an appreciation of the rotation and shapes of small, knowledge, creativity, Hod Lipson, associate professor technology also reduces the video game designer for the following the interim leadership exactly how RNA does all of this.” how computing is transforming cosmic bodies. It remains the entrepreneurial, and leadership of mechanical and aerospace upfront cost of starting new National Science Foundation, and of Eva Tardos, professor and Lucks, a James C. and Rebecca Q. all areas of scholarship and second-most highly cited paper skills to engage in national and engineering, briefed Congress businesses, allowing people lead adviser for student project senior associate dean of CIS. Morgan Sesquicentennial Faculty education.” in the journal Icarus, with more international competitions and on the impact of 3-D printing to ‘scale up from one’ without teams such as Cornell University “We are very pleased that Fellow, was also named a 2013 “Cornell is recognized than 900 citations to date. service projects. Macdonald will technology on manufacturing quitting their day job.” Sustainable Design. Haym Hirsh, a proven leader, Sloan Research Fellow. internationally for rethinking The society said that he “made work closely with an advisory April 24. While the Unites States Schneider, who wears Hawaiian researcher and educator, and an Awarded annually by the the academic ‘org chart’ in a way impressive contributions to the group of faculty to determine Lipson spoke at the National appears to lead in some areas of shirts to be more approachable, enthusiastic computer science Sloan Foundation, the two-year that facilitates wide-ranging interpretations of planetary strategic direction and provide Network for Manufacturing the technology, Lipson warned welcomes being questioned by visionary, is coming to Cornell,” fellowships support fundamental collaborations,” Hirsh said. ring-structures” about Jupiter much needed management Innovation congressional that the rest of the world is his students and lives by the Provost Kent Fuchs said. “We look research by early-career scientists Hirsh received a Ph.D. and and Saturn using Voyager, support to the teams. briefing hosted by the American catching up. “Europe is leading motto, “It’s nice to be important, forward to having him lead our and scholars. Lucks was among M.S. in computer science from Society of Mechanical Engineers, in metal 3-D printing, and but it’s more important to be innovative Faculty of Computing 126 researchers recognized for Stanford University in 1989 and the Association of Public and according to Wohlers Associates, nice.” and Information Science, and distinguished performance and 1985, respectively, and a B.S. in Land Grant Universities, and Rep. the Chinese government He said he had a life-changing we welcome him and his family potential. mathematics and computer Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Rep. Tom is investing $242 million in conversation with Mark León, a to Ithaca. I also want to extend Lucks is leading the science from the University of Reed (R-N.Y.), co-chairs of the developing the technology, as director at NASA’s Ames Research our deepest gratitude to Dan development of new California, Los Angeles, in 1983. House Manufacturing Caucus. well as in seeding 100 ‘hacker Center, who got Schneider in Huttenlocher for his forward- technologies to measure the Lipson said the rapidly growing spaces’ to provide public access touch with David Lavery, program looking leadership of CIS, and three-dimensional shapes of Lucks is NIH ‘New technology is affecting almost to the technology,” he said. executive of NASA planetary solar to Eva Tardos, who has expertly RNA, and to elucidate how RNA Innovator, Sloan every field, from aerospace and To stay ahead, according to exploration. “Yeah, the sun. He’s in shepherded our CIS program as folding may be influencing gene Fellow’ medicine to art and architecture, Lipson, the United States must charge of that,” joked Schneider. its interim leader.” expression in eukaryotic systems. and even food and fashion. invest in the technology’s Together they created the NASA Hirsh is an expert in artificial The work could be important Julius Lucks, assistant professor “Though the 3-D printing future. “We need to develop Robotics Alliance Cadets Program intelligence and data mining, to the study of human health of chemical and biomolecular market was only $2 billion in new printing technologies, new to modernize engineering with a focus on questions that by increasing understanding of engineering, has been named 2012 compared to over $2 trillion materials, and new design tools, curricula. integrally involve both people how RNAs are folding, and mis- a 2013 “New Innovator” by the of traditional manufacturing in as well as explore new business Schneider, M.S. ’05 ME, Ph.D. ’07, and computers. folding, in cells, and how this National Institutes of Health. The the U.S., the market share of 3-D models that take advantage also created an educational robot From 2006 to 2010, Hirsh might contribute to disease. award is accompanied by a five- printing is growing rapidly,” said of the technology’s unique to function as a “super-textbook” served as director of the Division year, $1.5 million research grant Joseph A. Burns Rebecca Macdonald Lipson. “The technology also has capabilities,” he said. for students, and his students

28 FALLFALL 20132013 CORNELLCORNELL ENGINEERINGENGINEERING 29 PEOPLE She will use the award to HOMETOWN finance her sabbatical next year, when she’ll go to Paris to study aerosols’ indirect effects on biogeochemistry with French colleagues, she said. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation awarded fellowships to 175 scholars, artists and scientists chosen from nearly 3,000 applicants. Often characterized as “midcareer” awards, Guggenheim HERO fellowships are intended for people who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability David Schneider in the arts. drove one of these “ModBots” determination and hard work are the past to natural forces that around at the lecture. He also key to further one’s career. change the climate and how Five grad students talked about founding the G*TA “Make the most out of any they are likely to respond in the named space task allocation algorithm, the opportunity that you have. Really future. Much of her work focuses technology fellows fastest problem-solving system seek to find ways that you can on mineral aerosols, which are FOLLOWING HIS PASSION of its kind. “I was willing to look contribute, ways you can gain an excellent example of an Five Cornell graduate students Professor T. Michael Duncan at new ways of using the same experience. Look for it; don’t earth system process: They both – Daniel Cellucci, Nicholas T. Michael Duncan in his office with students. information,” Schneider said. “I expect somebody else to offer respond to climate and force Cheney, Brian Koopman, Ethan found that to be a real source of you that opportunity or let you climate to change. She has also Ritz and Jason Yosinski – and It’s nine o’clock on a Friday morning and T. of the award, which he also won in 1997 and other way around. (“We’ve been flipping 61 other graduate students innovation.” know that the opportunity even studied fire, the carbon cycle, and, Michael Duncan is standing at the front of 2008. And that’s just the latest in a long line the classroom from the beginning,” he says, around the nation have been As a 22-year-old, Schneider exists. … [Also,] give every job your more recently, understanding his Olin Hall classroom, pouring himself a of awards that includes the Tien Prize for “since before it had a name.”) selected as Space Technology developed the most popular very best. Even if it’s demeaning, natural emissions of methane cup of coffee. “Some of you have noticed that Teaching Excellence (1994), the Paramount Other advances followed: He established Research Fellows by the freshman engineering course people will recognize the value and nitrous oxide. I use a variety of mugs, including this one, Professor Award (1995), the Mr. and Mrs. a new focus on design, which he calls “the at Columbia based around toys. in that.” One of the strands that pulls her National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). which was given to me earlier this semester Richard F. Tucker ’50 Excellence in Teaching ultimate purpose of engineering,” beginning Since then, he has made five Concluding, Schneider said: work together is the interaction by two students from last year’s class,” says Award (2000), the Outstanding Faculty with the first assignment of the semester. of different components of the Cornell and Georgia Institute of sustainability-based video games “You’re the only person who holds the, Raymond G. Thorpe Teaching Professor Award for the College of Engineering (2001), He created a form to help students identify that teach computer science for yourself back. Look at all these earth system and how they Technology had more students of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellowship their learning styles, and built a system for middle schoolers and helped different things I got to do, just modify climate. An example is her chosen than any other institution; launching into his lecture, though it’s a little (2005), the James M. and Marsha D. creating teams of complementary learners. found the Cornell Cup USA because I put myself out there, recent paper in the journal Science both had five. too early to tell exactly what he’s going to McCormick Award for Excellence in Advising To formalize his approach, he co-wrote presented by Intel, a national you know—positive attitude each identifying aerosol-carbon cycle Students were chosen for innovative embedded systems time. If you’re going to do it, give (biogeochemistry) interactions showing “significant potential teach. Then, as the mug warms, its outside First Year Students (2006 and 2010), and the Chemical Engineering Design and Analysis: competition. it your all.” as a source of significant climate to contribute to NASA’s goal of becomes transparent, and an image appears. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement An Introduction (Cambridge University Press Schneider said carefully “Last Lectures” is a series forcing. Mahowald pointed out creating innovative new space It’s a flow sheet for this class, Intro to of Teaching’s New York Professor of the Year 1998), which is widely used around the weighed risk-taking with back- sponsored by Mortar Board, a that aerosols related to human technologies for our Nation’s Chemical Engineering, with freshmen (2007). world. He instituted twice-weekly calculation up plans and not allowing national senior honor society. activity reduced carbon dioxide science, exploration and economic entering on the left side, following the “Honestly, I didn’t expect to win,” says sessions, led by a staff of undergrad teaching your own inhibitions to hold — Natalie O’Toole ’16 concentrations and also offset the future.” arrows through a chemical reactor in the Duncan, referring to the 2013 award from Tau assistants, and has increasingly focused his you back are two traits that emissions of carbon dioxide. The fellows will conduct center, and emerging on the right with a set Beta Pi, though he could have been talking lectures on doing whatever it takes to teach helped him advance his career. Three win innovative space technology of lifelong learning skills that lead to either about any of them. “So it truly came as a freshmen to think like engineers. To prove his point, he started up Guggenheims research on their respective chemical engineering or another major. shock, and because it’s chosen by students, “When I’m standing in front of the room, a lively audience chant of “to campuses, at NASA centers and “This is an ‘interest’ separator, which is how that’s the greatest honor I could have. When it really is a performance,” says Duncan, at nonprofit U.S. research and be enthusiastic you must act For their prior achievement this class works,” says Duncan, coming to I started here at Cornell, I thought I’d be who also serves as associate director of the development laboratories. enthusiastic” from the Hugh and exceptional promise, three the heart of his approach. “What are you teaching skills students wouldn’t appreciate department, reviewing his lecture. “That’s NASA’s Space Technology O’Brian Youth Foundation, gave a Cornell faculty members have interested in? The key is to follow your until much later, like the times I’d sat in what I was doing with the coffee cup, and if Research Grants Program Seinfeld impersonation, and even been awarded Guggenheim interests, not your grades. Don’t choose a class and thought, ‘This is just a waste of you looked at my notes, you’d see they have fellowships. challenges academia to examine donned a flannel shirt to sing path on the basis of four years of study, but time.’ Then years later, I’d go, ‘Boom! That stage directions. I’m visualizing what’s going They are Brian Crane, professor the theoretical feasibility of ideas “I’m a lumberjack and I’m OK” in on the forty-year career that comes after it. was a great class! I should have paid more to be on the screen, where I’m going to stand, an English accent to the crowded of chemistry and chemical and approaches that are critical Follow your passion.” attention.’ That’s what I was hoping for.” what I’m going to write on the board. There’s lecture hall. “[This] shows how biology; Gary Evans, the to making science, space travel That’s pure Duncan, who’s been following After finishing his doctorate at Caltech in a fine balance between just standing at the dedicated I am to wanting my Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor and exploration more effective, his passion for teaching freshmen for the 1980, Duncan spent ten years as a researcher podium and doing too much. But you’ve got students to actually learn,” he of Human Ecology; and Natalie affordable and sustainable. The said. Mahowald, associate professor of program is part of NASA’s Space past 22 years. That’s why his office is piled at Bell Labs before arriving in Ithaca in 1990. to engage the whole class, and that takes a At Disney, Schneider worked atmospheric sciences. Technology Mission Directorate, with presents from past classes, including Intro to Chemical Engineering was the little performance—which is fine, as long as his way up from crowd control Mahowald, a Cornell faculty which is dedicated to innovating, the coffee mug, a rhinestone-studded French first course he’d ever taught, so he began you’re performing your truest self.” to production assistant and member since 2007, studies developing, testing and flying curve, and a logo T-shirt that reads “America by reading as much as he could about the — Kenny Berkowitz eventually became a screenwriter. natural feedbacks in the climate hardware for use in NASA’s future runs on Duncan.” That’s why he was named ways people learn, searching for the optimal missions. 2013 Tau Beta Pi Professor of the Year, making approach, and quickly deciding to use his But he emphasized that system, how they responded in Natalie Mahowald him the first three-time winner in the history lectures to supplement homework, not the

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