RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SWANSON SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING - FALL 2020
“Bad times have a scientific value. These are occasions that a good learner would not miss.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson - American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet (1803-1882)
Dear friends,
Time is indeed relative – the past few months since my May newsletter seem to have both crawled by and jumped at lightspeed. During that time, Pitt and the Swanson School, like so many other institutions, dedicated our time, care and diligence to restart research safely. As we developed mitigation plans to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, we combined expertise in logistics, epidemiology, supply chains, and more to reopen research labs that had been sidelined by the onset of coronavirus quarantines.
Highlighting this issue is our 2019-2020 cohort of NSF CAREER Award winners – T.K. Kozai, Sangyeop Lee, Jason Shoemaker, and Feng Xiong. They are among 15 young faculty who have captured this competitive award over the past five years, and I am very proud of what they represent as the next generation of outstanding research at the Swanson School.
The story, “How the Swanson School is Moving Research Forward in the New Normal” embodies the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson in that we have certainly fleshed out many discoveries of value as a result of the otherwise “bad times” of the pandemic. These times have encouraged engineers and researchers to reimagine how their expertise might be used to find solutions to previously undefined problems. In this issue you will find investigations by faculty representing all of our departments who are focused on the biological, mechanical, pedagogical, and even therapeutic responses to this crisis.
In closing, I want to share my condolences for those of you who have lost family, friends, or colleagues from Covid-19. Adapting our research and teaching to this crisis has been a physical and mental challenge for many – the death of loved ones during a pandemic has proven to create additional stress that requires tremendous support in a time where physical connections are limited. I hope your memories provide you solace for your heart, as well as the passion to continue in their spirit.
Sincerely,
David A. Vorp, PhD
Associate Dean for Research, Swanson School of Engineering
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FEATURE STORY: Four Pitt Engineering Researchers Receive NSF CAREER Awards in 2019-2020 Funding Cycle
The Swanson School closed out 2020 with four faculty winning NSF CAREER awards - bringing the total to 15 CAREER awards received by Swanson School faculty since 2016.
This year's recipients include:
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Takashi D-Y Kozai, assistant professor of bioengineering
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Sangyeop Lee, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science
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Jason Shoemaker, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering
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Feng Xiong, PhD, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering
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How the Swanson School is Moving Research Forward in the New Normal
When COVID-19 arrived in the U.S., universities were left with a difficult situation. Classes can be moved online, but labs—particularly ones that use living things like animals or cells—could not fully operate remotely or be put on hold easily. Like many institutions, the University of Pittsburgh ramped down its research to continue only the most essential work. Now, as it starts to ramp research back up, the University is helping researchers balance the risks.
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Partnering with the Carnegie Science Center to Show the Role of Filters in Stopping the Spread of SARS-CoV-2
Because the novel coronavirus spreads through the air, experts continue to recommend outdoor activities over remaining indoors. However, the right air filter can make indoor air safer and help prevent the spread of the virus. Melissa Bilec, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, explains how these filters work in a new exhibit at Carnegie Science Center, which employs the HEPA filters that help keep the air clean.
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