No images? Click here
Vibrations
The Newsletter for the EAS Community
Message from the Chair
2023 is here! For me, the holiday break was a time to experience and marvel at advancing technology. Like many of you, I had a chance to play with Open AI Chat GPT and put it through its paces with both perfunctory and profound questions. I found it to be a great resource for augmenting a typical Google search type approach to learning about new subjects, and I did ask it to write a high school-level 5-paragraph essay (I’d say it would receive a B- or C+, overall). I was by turn surprised, truly impressed,
and mildly disappointed by the aspect of what it could do, but the impact of Open AI Chat and other recent AI tools on our broader conversation about education, learning, and knowledge is clearly evident and is a harbinger of more powerful AI tools to come.
I also want to offer hearty congratulations to Tom Hou, Charles Lee Powell Professor of Applied and Computational Mathematics, who received word over the holidays that he is the recipient of the 2023 Ralph E. Kleinman Prize of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) for his “highly original and pioneering research contributions positioned at the meeting point between analytical and computational approaches to partial differential equations with multiscale or singular behavior.”
Harry Atwater
Otis Booth Leadership Chair, Division of Engineering and Applied Science
Selected Upcoming Events
January 5, 2023, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar: Dynamics of Acoustically Coupled Combustion Instabilities
Location: Gates-Thomas 135
January 6, 2023, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
GALCIT Colloquium: Multifunctional Origami Robots
Location: Guggenheim 133 (Lees-Kubota Lecture Hall)
January 10 and 11, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Red Cross Blood Drive
Location: San Pasqual Walk
January 11, 2023, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Materials Science Research Lecture: Kwabena Bediako, Assistant Professor, UC Berkeley
Location: Noyes 147 (J. Holmes Sturdivant Lecture Hall)
January 12, 2023, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Medical Engineering Distinguished Seminar Series, Professor Michael Kolios
Location: Annenberg 105
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Events
January 5, 2023, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Coffee & Tea with CCID (No reservation required)
Location: San Pasqual Walkway
January 12, 2023, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
STEMinar: UnDocuSTEM- Highlighting Undocumented Identity in STEM
Location: Online
Spotlight On Our People
Gabrielle Weise
Administrative Assistant, Electrical Engineering
Gabrielle Weise joins Caltech as a new Administrative Assistant in the EAS-EE department. Prior to coming to campus, Gabrielle worked in luxury real estate marketing as well as guest relations at the Natural History Museum. She has also worked as a freelance copywriter and social media manager for small businesses and brands. On the weekends you can find Gabrielle roller skating, solving crosswords, painting, reading, watching anime and walking her dog. She loves to travel and counts Mexico, Morocco, and The Philippines as her favorite destinations so far. Gabrielle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Tian Xie
Graduate Student, Applied Physics and Materials Science
I’m a fourth-year PhD candidate in Applied Physics, advised by Professor Andrei Faraon. My research is focused on building quantum networks using rare-earth ion doped crystals. Specifically, I’m working on developing on-chip quantum transducers between the microwave and optical domains; this merges superconducting qubits with an optical quantum network that is much less lossy and noisy than microwave frequencies at room temperature. Prior to joining Caltech, I received my BS in Physics from Tsinghua University in Beijing. In my free time, I like to explore the San Gabriel area for delicious Chinese food, play board games, poker, and badminton.
We'd like to feature you!
EAS News Highlights
(L to R) Sergio Pellegrino, Harry Atwater, and Ali Hajimiri; the principal investigators of the Space Solar Power Project.
Calls for Nomination & Funding Opportunities
Caltech’s Office of Foundation Relations maintains an online database and email subscription service of primarily non-federal funding opportunities as a resource for the Caltech community. Opportunities include calls for proposals released by private foundations, public charities, associations, corporations, internal Caltech opportunities and federal limited opportunities.
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation - Matter-to-Life Grant (Faculty)
Sloan's new Matter-to-Life program aims to sharpen our scientific understanding of life by supporting curiosity-driven research falling within three focus areas: Building Life, Principles of Life, and Signs of Life. These areas define a broad scientific scope for understanding the physical principles and mechanisms governing living systems, while also highlighting an openness to exploring life broadly conceived by instantiating the distinctive functions of living systems in entities built using various matter platforms. The program will also support scientific meetings that promote information exchange, the development of collaborations, and self-organizing. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Total Award: $50,000 to $2,500,000
Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellowship for Medical Research
The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research offers three-year postdoctoral fellowships for research into the causes and treatment of cancer. The Fund has increasingly focused its resources on the funding of three-year postdoctoral Fellowships, supporting Fellows selected by its Board of Scientific Advisers from among the best young scientists at what is often a critical stage in their careers. Total Award: $184,800. Postdoctoral applicants should have no more than 18 months of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the deadline for submitting applications. Deadline: February 1, 2023, 9:00 am PST.
New Horizons DEI Fund
The EAS Division is pleased to solicit small-scale proposals for new initiatives to support diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts by members of the EAS division. Short proposals (1 page with a budget) can be submitted to dei.eas@caltech.edu on a rolling basis and will be reviewed by members of the EAS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. The committee is interested in new projects, such as seeding a new program that supports or impacts the EAS community or exploring a new outreach effort that engages EAS members in the local Pasadena community.
Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program
Established by President Rosenbaum to support a more diverse and inclusive postdoctoral community at Caltech, this program prioritizes new postdocs who are not yet on campus. Fellows are selected through a competitive review process and will receive up to $80,000 in funding (up to $40,000/year for two years for stipend and benefits). The remainder of their funding is to be provided by some combination of advisor or other support, including external fellowships. Apply by Friday, January 20, 2023, 1 pm PST. Questions about the PPFP may be directed to ppfp@caltech.edu
RSI Ideation Grants Program
The RSI Ideation Grants program helps Caltech innovators further the development and real-world application of their climate-tech technologies. These ideation grants are geared towards faculty, students, and post-doctoral researchers developing technologies and creating new ventures addressing climate change. Grants range from $5,000 - $15,000, and cover both projects and companies. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis but funding is limited and candidates are encouraged to apply early. Learn more about the program and find application forms here.
COVID Updates: Visit together.caltech.edu for the latest communications from the Institute.
- As of October 3, 2022, masking is voluntary in all indoor settings, with the exception of instructional spaces. Students in instructional spaces must wear N95 masks, however instructors may elect to remove their masks. If you have been exposed to a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, you must wear a high quality mask (surgical mask, N95, KN95, or KF94 respirator) in any indoor space on campus for 10 days after exposure. Read the full update.
- Voluntary surveillance testing is available to all (more info).
- Masks at no charge are available to persons with a Caltech ID at the Bookstore.
Division of Engineering and Applied Science
