SPRING 2019 Tiny Devices, Boundless Ideas Making Alexa From Classmates to Playmates Letter from the Vice Provost for Research WHEN I ENTERED POMONA COLLEGE, are exploring new resources to support our I was surprised that there were questions scholarly activity. We are engaged with our my professors could not answer. During my undergraduate students in planning to involve elementary and high school education, all them more in research—at their request! questions posed had answers, and we learned to express those answers clearly on our exams. “Discover. Create. Solve.” is our university’s new But in college I was exposed to the frontier of tagline. This is what excites us about research knowledge, where some questions did not yet at Illinois Tech. While we must learn from what have answers. As an undergraduate student, I has already been discovered, created, and spent two summers working alongside faculty solved, we are keen to jump in and discover, and other students discovering answers to create, and solve for ourselves. It is our passion questions at the frontier. It so excited me that I as faculty, and a passion that we are passing on pursued a doctorate at Massachusetts Institute to our students. of Technology, where I learned to pose my own questions as well as answer some of them. This If you have not visited Illinois Tech lately, I is why I have relished an academic career, and hope you will do so to become familiar with especially my past 14 years at Illinois Institute the exciting research that we are doing. In the of Technology. meantime, enjoy learning from these pages what some in the Illinois Tech family have As the vice provost for research since October been up to in research—from improving upon 2018, I have the privilege to work with faculty, Amazon Alexa to ensuring water quality. students, and staff at Illinois Tech to build the foundation for the future growth of Sincerely, our research enterprise. Our university has recently reorganized and strengthened our administrative support for research. We are building new research collaborations across disciplinary boundaries, which makes it possible Fred J. Hickernell for us to solve important problems that are outside the scope of a single discipline. We are partnering with outside organizations to leverage our expertise for greater impact. We MAGAZINE Vice President for External Affairs Jess Goode Spring 2019 Managing Editor Marcia Faye Director of Content Chelsea Kalberloh Jackson Contributors Emily Ayshford Olivia Dimmer Steve Hendershot Robin Hunt Scott Lewis Casey Moffitt Kristin Baird Rattini Rebecca Scherer Andrew Wyder Art Direction and Design Scott Benbrook Web Edition Brian Bailey Adrian Cabrera Abbey Vargas Illinois Tech Magazine is published twice a year by the 18 20 Office of Marketing and Communications. © 2019 Illinois Tech Magazine is printed on FSC-certified recycled paper. Read it, share it, recycle it. Features Send Letters to Illinois Tech Magazine Office of Marketing and Communications 10 Inspired early on 18 Susan Blessing Departments 10 West 35th Street, 13th Floor Chicago, IL 60616 by the boundless (PHYS ’82) is helping horizons of science young women aspire to 2 On Campus or email [email protected] fiction and the promise chart new directions in 6 Philanthropy News Send alumni news to [email protected] of artificial intelligence, the STEM disciplines as 7 Athletics Rohit Prasad (M.S. EE director of Florida State Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, 8 Research Briefs is a private, technology-focused research university. ’99) rose to become University’s Women Based in the global metropolis of Chicago, Illinois Tech 24 Alumni News is the only university of its kind in the city. It offers vice president and in Math, Science & undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, head scientist for Engineering program. 36 Rewind science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law. Amazon Alexa. 20 The secret behind One of 21 institutions that comprise the Association of the career success of Independent Technological Universities (AITU), Illinois 14 After years Tech provides an exceptional education centered on working with the Sam Unsicker (DSGN active learning, and its graduates lead the state and much State Department’s ’87) and Hiram Johnson of the nation in economic prosperity. At Illinois Tech students are empowered to discover, create, and solve, Afghanistan police (DSGN ’89) is that and thus uniquely prepared to succeed in professions program, Angelic they never grow up. that require technological sophistication, an innovative Young (LAW ’01) now mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit. 22 Through her work trains this country’s at Children’s National Mission Statement law enforcement in To provide distinctive and relevant education in an Health System, Paige managing implicit bias— environment of scientific, technological, and professional Mass (BME ’17) is knowledge creation and innovation and gaining public trust. engineering innovations Armour College of Engineering in pediatric cardiology. Chicago-Kent College of Law 16 Water, water, College of Architecture everywhere…so long College of Science as it’s clean. Charles On The Cover: Institute of Design Paige Mass (BME ’17) Lewis College of Human Sciences Haas (BIOL ’73, M.S. examines a model of School of Applied Technology Stuart School of Business ENVE ’74) wanted to a child’s heart at the ensure water’s safety Sheikh Zayed Institute ADA Statement and invented the for Pediatric Surgical Illinois Institute of Technology provides qualified Innovation, part of the individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to field of quantitative Children’s National participate in university activities, programs, and services. microbiological Read Illinois Tech Health System in Such individuals with disabilities requiring an risk assessment. accommodation should call the activity, program, or Magazine online at Washington, D.C. service director. For further information about Illinois magazine.iit.edu Photo: Mike Olliver Tech’s resources, contact the Illinois Tech Center for Disability Resources at [email protected]. Letters Rock On Donald Lucas (CHEM ’72) wants to get a weight off his chest through this admission: “I would like to confess my role in the burying of the rock between the chemistry building and The Commons. (I assume the statute of limitations has passed.) I read your story about rumors about IIT (“IIT Urban Legends,” fall 2004), and want to correct the record. We used our IIT training A standing-room-only crowd listened to benefactor Ed Kaplan (ME ’65) speak at the Ed Kaplan and realized that there was no way Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship grand opening evening gala. we could move it with any campus equipment. I then posed the idea that Kaplan Institute Grand Opening we bury it instead. A decision was made to have a small group dig a pit The Illinois Tech community and haven’t been invented yet, trained next to the rock, have it topple in, and the City of Chicago came together to use technologies that we are just then cover it with dirt. Apparently, it on Mies Campus to celebrate the now creating, in order to address was going well when the rock started grand opening of the long-awaited problems that we do not yet know toppling into the adjacent pit. My Ed Kaplan Family Institute for are going to be problems,” said roommate was in the pit digging, and Innovation and Tech Entrepreneur- Howard Tullman, University Professor he barely escaped. Early the next ship on October 25, 2018. “Pepper,” and executive director of the Kaplan morning, I arrived in Wishnick Hall to a semi-humanoid robot, was in the Institute. “In this building the creative watch everyone’s reaction. I espe- crowd, as well as Chicago Mayor and imaginative ideas of the school’s cially enjoyed the athletic director’s Rahm Emanuel, who, along with students and faculty will become reaction, as I was a member of the namesake benefactors Ed Kaplan meaningful innovations for baseball team.” (ME ’65) and his wife, Carol, and our city, region, other dignitaries helped to and beyond.” Here a Rabbit, There a Rabbit cut the ceremonial ribbon opening Bernice E. Grunig (M.S. DSGN ’69) the institute. attended what is now the Sayre “The Kaplan Institute’s focus is to Language Academy and Steinmetz turn out highly qualified, instantly College Prep with Hugh Hefner, who, employable students for jobs that as founder of Playboy magazine, provided comments about the late Carol and Ed Kaplan with Pepper Art Paul (Institute of Design attendee) for “Mr. Entertainment,” in the spring TRANSITIONS 2009 issue of IIT Magazine. Paul, Playboy’s first art director, who The university welcomes two new members to passed away in 2018, was well known the Illinois Institute of Technology Board of Trustees: for having created the bowtie rabbit Victoria L. Noonan (LAW ’84), Managing Principal, Chicago Market head logo that came to symbolize the Leader, Cushman & Wakefield magazine. Grunig says that classmate Eric G. Vassilatos, Co-Owner, Skybox Capital Hefner, “a real character,” himself drew rabbit head doodles during his Illinois Tech congratulates the following individuals elementary school days. on their new roles at the university: Vice President for Enrollment Michael Gosz, Illinois Tech Magazine who is also named senior vice provost 10 West 35th Street, 13th Floor Professor Fred J. Hickernell, who is also named vice provost for research Chicago, IL 60616 Distinguished Professor Patrick Whitney, to active professor emeritus Email: [email protected] 2 SPRING 2019 Keating Sports Center The Spark That Shines Lighting System and Nanogrid This one-building grid is powered by solar Transformative Technology panels, storage batteries, and a hybrid Grows Ever Brighter AC-DC electrical system. Wind Turbines Units on campus and at the Grand Ridge wind farm outside Chicago provide renewable energy.