天美影院

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The latest news from the UW

Tag: College of Engineering

July 19, 2023

Researchers put a new twist on graphite

A team led by researchers at the 天美影院 reports that it is possible to imbue graphite 鈥� the bulk, 3D material found in No. 2 pencils 鈥� with physical properties similar to graphite鈥檚 2D counterpart, graphene. Not only was this breakthrough unexpected, the team also believes its approach could be used to test whether similar types of bulk materials can also take on 2D-like properties. If so, 2D sheets won鈥檛 be the only source for scientists to fuel technological revolutions. Bulk, 3D materials could be just as useful.

June 27, 2023

Researchers make a quantum computing leap with a magnetic twist

This artistic depiction shows electron fractionalization 鈥� in which strongly interacting charges can 鈥渇ractionalize鈥� into three parts 鈥� in the fractional quantum anomalous Hall phase.

A team led by scientists and engineers at the 天美影院 has announced a significant advancement in developing fault-tolerant qubits for quantum computing. In a pair of papers published June 14 in Nature and June 22 in Science, they report that, in experiments with flakes of semiconductor materials 鈥� each only a single layer of atoms thick 鈥� they detected signatures of 鈥渇ractional quantum anomalous Hall鈥� (FQAH) states. The team鈥檚 discoveries mark a first and promising step in constructing a type of fault-tolerant qubit because FQAH states can host anyons 鈥� strange 鈥渜uasiparticles鈥� that have only a fraction of an electron鈥檚 charge. Some types of anyons can be used to make what are called 鈥渢opologically protected鈥� qubits, which are stable against any small, local disturbances.

June 5, 2023

Faculty/staff honors: Psychology professor elected to esteemed educational science association, Dean of Social Work receives lifetime achievement award and more

Recent recognition of the 天美影院 includes the election of Andrew Meltzoff to the National Academy of Education, a lifetime achievement award for Dean of the School of Social Work Edwina Uehara and Ed Kolodziej selected as a Frontiers Planet Prize finalist.

February 17, 2023

Video: Lummi Nation School students visit 天美影院to talk to International Space Station astronaut

Astronaut Josh Cassada holding a microphone and floating in the International Space Station.

Students from the Lummi Nation School visited the 天美影院 in earlh February for a real-time Q&A with astronaut Josh Cassada aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Cassada helped do space research on a plant science experiment the students sent to the ISS.

February 15, 2023

天美影院computer scientist and mathematician named Sloan Fellows

two head shots, a woman and a man

Two 天美影院 faculty members have been awarded early-career fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellows, announced Feb. 15, are Leilani Battle, an assistant professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and聽Jonathan J. Zhu, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics.

February 8, 2023

Q&A: 天美影院researcher discusses future of quantum research

Kai-Mei Fu headshot

Scientists at the 天美影院 are pursuing multiple quantum research projects spanning from creating materials with never-before-seen physical properties to studying the 鈥渜uantum bits鈥� 鈥� or qubits (pronounced “kyu-bits”) 鈥� that make quantum computing possible. 天美影院News sat down with Professor Kai-Mei Fu, one of the leaders in quantum research on campus, to talk about the potential of quantum R&D, and why it鈥檚 so important.

January 23, 2023

Q&A: How AI can help people be more empathetic about mental health

A team led by researchers at the 天美影院 studied how artificial intelligence could help people on the platform TalkLife, where people give each other mental health support. The researchers developed an AI system that suggested changes to participants’ responses to make them more empathetic. The best responses resulted from a collaboration between AI and people.

December 5, 2022

New blood test can detect 鈥榯oxic鈥� protein years before Alzheimer鈥檚 symptoms emerge, study shows

stylized image of the human brain

Researchers at the 天美影院 have detected “toxic” small aggregates of a particular protein in the blood of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as in individuals who showed no signs of cognitive impairment at the time the blood sample was taken, but who developed it at a later date. This blood test picks up oligomers — or small, misfolded aggregates — of the amyloid beta protein, which scientists believe triggers the development of Alzheimer’s.

October 17, 2022

Q&A: UnlockedMaps provides real-time accessibility information for urban rail transit in six metro areas

A screenshot of a map of Chicago. Rail stations are shown as green (accessible), yellow (elevator outage) or orange (not accessible) circles

天美影院researchers developed UnlockedMaps, a web-based map that allows users to see in real time how accessible rail transit stations are in six metro areas. UnlockedMaps shows which stations are accessible and which ones are experiencing elevator outages.

October 13, 2022

Video: Finding 鈥� and keeping 鈥� the perfect fit for a prosthetic leg

天美影院 Professor Joan Sanders and her team are creating a new type of prosthetic leg: one that automatically adjusts its fit throughout the day. Their latest prototype detects in real time how well the prosthesis socket and amputation site are fitting and responds by automatically changing the size of the socket, without the need for adjustments to padding or user action.

October 12, 2022

UW’s Yejin Choi wins MacArthur Foundation ‘genius grant’

a person stands in front of a stairwell

Yejin Choi, 天美影院 professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, has received a “genius grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Choi uses natural language processing to develop artificial intelligence systems that have the ability to reason and can understand the implied meanings in human language.

September 26, 2022

天美影院joins industry-academia alliance to accelerate research in neuroscience

An image of neurons under a microscope

The 天美影院 has joined the Alliance for Therapies in Neuroscience (ATN), a long-term research partnership between academia and industry geared to transform the fight against brain diseases and disorders of the central nervous system. Launched in 2021 by the University of California, San Francisco, UC Berkeley, Genentech 鈥� a member of the Roche group 鈥� and Roche Holding AG, the ATN seeks to accelerate the development of new therapies for a broad range of brain and central nervous system conditions.

September 19, 2022

A smartphone’s camera and flash could help people measure blood oxygen levels at home

A hand holding a cellphone with one finger over the flash and the camera. The flash is shining through the finger and glowing red.

In a proof-of-principle study, 天美影院 and University of California San Diego researchers have shown that smartphones are capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70%. This is the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure, as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

September 15, 2022

天美影院breaks ground on $102 million Interdisciplinary Engineering Building

groundbreaking

Wearing purple hard hats and using gold-plated shovels, officials from the 天美影院 broke ground Thursday on a new, $102 million Interdisciplinary Engineering Building to be constructed along Stevens Way east of the Husky Union Building. Once complete, the state-of-the-art 70,000-square-foot building will be an example of a student-focused learning facility backed by both public and private investments. The project aims to fuel economic growth and create a pipeline of future, local engineering talent.

August 4, 2022

天美影院to construct new Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, expanding contemporary educational spaces for students

building exterior

The 天美影院 will break ground this fall on a new, $90 million Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, thanks in part to a $10 million donation from Boeing. Once complete, the state-of-the-art building will be a leading example of a student-focused learning facility backed by both public and private investments. The state of Washington has also dedicated $50 million to support the project that aims to fuel economic growth and create a pipeline of future, local engineering talent.

July 14, 2022

天美影院professor鈥檚 new book and course on sexual harassment in engineering seek to disrupt culture of silence

Denise Wilson, a 天美影院 professor of electrical and computer engineering, is working to end the prevalence of sexual harassment in engineering. She and her colleague Jennifer VanAntwerp of Calvin University are co-authors of 鈥淪ex, Gender, and Engineering: Harassment at Work and in School,鈥� published in April by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

May 26, 2022

With EcoCAR, 天美影院students experience post-COVID camaraderie under the hood of a hybrid vehicle

students standing with a car with logos on it

With the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge, 天美影院students modified a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer to use electrification, advanced propulsion systems and automated vehicle technology. It鈥檚 an opportunity for students 鈥� across four years 鈥� to take a car from design to a consumer-ready product.

May 11, 2022

Faculty/staff honors in STEM mentoring, applied mathematics and Inuit languages

Recent recognition of the聽 includes the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring for Joyce Yen, the election of J. Nathan Kutz as a Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics fellow and the recognition of Alexina Kublu with the 2022 Inuit Language Recognition Award.