This year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research winners are:

J. Todd Hastings: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

J. Todd Hastings’ diverse research areas, which span from nano‐fabrication techniques to medical sensor technologies, have made him an outstanding faculty member who demonstrates excellence in his research.

Hastings is the recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER Award as well as a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award. He has secured over $4.2 million dollars in funded projects as principal investigator. Hastings has led 13 awards as principal investigator and collaborated on many others. His recent Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) grant on Development of an Electron‐Beam based Instrument to Study Nanoscale Processes in Liquids has the goal to construct and validate an entirely new instrument that enables imaging and fabrication of nanostructures using electron‐beams in liquids. This $1.2 million research project will permit new investigations into nano-fabrication with new materials that could not be used in previous methods, and the new technique aims for lower cost, more stable and less toxic reactants. The technique has the opportunity to create new devices that will impact energy, communication, computing and medicine.

Hastings’ research also reaches into the medical arena. His research into intraocular pressure sensors for glaucoma patients has developed a simple sensor that can be implanted into the eye, which can be read externally to provide accurate pressure readings. This result of this research will help patients monitor and control their glaucoma, a disease that is the number one cause of irreversible blindness.

J. Zach Hilt: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

Since arriving at the University of Kentucky in 2004, Zach Hilt, William T. Bryan Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, has established a thriving and highly-active research program oriented towards the rational design and development of innovative biomaterials and nanocomposites with applications for remote actuation, drug delivery and as biosensors. A highly valued and energetic collaborator, Hilt has forged substantive interactions with faculty in biomedical engineering, chemistry, medicine and pharmaceutical sciences, and has played a leading role in a number of multi-investigator interdisciplinary research efforts, including the National Science Foundation supported Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs.

The focus of Hilt’s research is the intelligent design and novel application of biomaterials and nanocomposites based on hydrogel systems. He has completed an extensive series of studies focused on the formulation of hydrogel nanocomposites tailored for remote actuation via inclusion of magnetic nanoparticles. These materials can be activated via application of an external magnetic field, leading to controlled outcomes specific to drug delivery, enzymatic activity and microfluidic valve and sensor actuation. Hilt has supported his activities through a diverse base of external funding, including a recent commercialization grant from Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation.

While making important contributions to graduate research at UK, Hilt has also been a leading advocate in the college for undergraduate research. Since joining the UK faculty, he has served as research advisor to 58 undergraduate students on formal research projects.

Ruigang Yang: Department of Computer Science

In just under 10 years since arriving at the University of Kentucky, Ruigang Yang has amassed a sterling record of research productivity and impact and become one of the top young leaders in the field of 3D modeling and sensing.

Professor Yang’s research is concentrated on the acquisition and visualization of real-world objects and events, namely graphics and vision. His recent contributions include a method to separate bounced light and remove inter-reflections in photometric setups, an image-based reconstruction framework to derive models of water streams from real scenes captured by stereoscopic video and a new method for real-time formatting (identification and separation of foreground/background as in the “green screen” used by weather forecasters). Professor Yang’s most recent NSF grant is based on a framework his group developed to estimate body pose configurations from a single depth map, which achieves significantly higher accuracy than previous state-of-the-art methods. He is considered a key contributor to the success of the Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments (Vis Center) and, according to Google Scholar, his work has been cited more than 3,000 times.

In the past three years, Professor Yang has been awarded three new NSF grants as the Primary Investigator for a total of $2.3 million, one of which was a highly competitive Major Research Infrastructure grant of $1 million. He is also a Co-PI on three other grants that total $2.5 million. In the nearly 10 years he has been at UK, Professor Yang has averaged approximately $470,000/year in new funding as PI.

Dibakar Bhattacharyya: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

For nearly half a century, Dibakar “DB” Bhattacharyya, University Alumni Professor of Chemical Engineering, has produced outstanding research achievements in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. As a result, he is internationally known as a chemical engineering educator and researcher as well as a recognized leader in the field of membrane science.

In his recent work, DB has extended his fundamental membrane research to develop new functionalized membranes and nanostructured materials for enzyme catalysis, ultra-high capacity metal capture and other environmental and bio-based applications. He has focused on the integration of knowledge from the life sciences to create novel membranes with stimuli-responsive properties, and has exploited nanosynthesis approaches for the generation of unique layer-by-layer assemblies for enzyme immobilization in membrane structures. In addition, DB has been a pioneer in the application of green synthesis techniques for membrane functionalization, leading to new membrane supports for a range of water remediation applications. During his fall 2012 sabbatical DB was in residence at Sepro Membranes, Inc. in Oceanside, Calif., leading translational efforts to incorporate his recent discoveries into membrane modules for industrial water treatment.

DB´s high research productivity is evident in a number of core metrics. He has procured approximately $2 million in direct research funding over the last five years, and has been an integral member of a number of important multi-disciplinary efforts. Without question, Dibakar Bhattacharyya has sustained excellence in research that has and will continue to have lasting impact on the field of membrane science.

David Puleo: Center for Biomedical Engineering

David Puleo, director of the University of Kentucky Center for Biomedical Engineering, is an internationally recognized authority in biomedical engineering. He is a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and has served as assistant and associate editor as well as on the editorial boards of several international journals.

Puleo’s research endeavors have made contributions in cutting-edge areas of cell-biomaterial interactions, biomaterials engineering and cellular/molecular engineering. Much of his work involves novel chemical and topographical modification of biomaterial surfaces and controlled release of chemical compounds to induce cell functions pertinent to new tissue formation. Applications of his research include promoting bone formation around orthopedic and dental implants, healing of large, infected bone defects, augmentation of alveolar bone and regeneration of growth plate.

In addition to serving as principal investigator of numerous grants, Puleo has exhibited a high capacity for bringing researchers from a variety of disciplines to win grant awards from funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation and industry partners. He has supervised and co-supervised more than 40 Ph.D. and master’s graduate students, five medical students, five orthopedic surgery residents during their research rotations and more than 30 undergraduate students. In 2010 and 2013 Puleo received the Faculty Teaching Award from the Center for Biomedical Engineering.

Colleagues and collaborators endorse Puleo’s research as of the highest caliber, characterized by innovative approaches, meticulous execution and an ability to recognize key questions and problems, redirect his work and explore new challenging research areas.

This year’s Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service winners are:

Donald Colliver: Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Donald Colliver has dedicated the majority of his career to service roles within the engineering profession as well as within the University of Kentucky College of Engineering.

Colliver currently serves as associate director of the Kentucky Industrial Assessment Center (KIAC) as well as associate director of UK’s Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky (PEIK). Colliver has been instrumental in arranging and performing industrial energy assessments for KIAC and passes his knowledge on to students working with him. With PEIK, Colliver was solely responsible for developing the Engineering Experiences course in which PEIK interns were exposed to power and energy industries through weekly tours.

Colliver has been a member of the National Engineers Week Steering Committee since 2002 and also contributes service to the Commonwealth as a member of the Technical Working Group for the Kentucky Climate Action Plan Council. Since 2009, he has served as a board member of the Kentucky Center for Renewable Energy Research and Environmental Stewardship, to which he was appointed by Governor Steve Beshear as the representative from higher education.

One of Colliver’s most significant service activities occurred in 2008-2010 when he served as faculty advisor for the UK team entry in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon. His responsibilities included spearheading the team, writing the application, raising funds, forming the team and overseeing construction. The team’s effort was rewarded with a top 10 finish in the 2009 competition. He has reprised his role as faculty advisor for the 2013 UK Solar Decathlon Team.

David Silverstein: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

David Silverstein joined the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering as an assistant professor at the Paducah Campus in 1999. During his time at Paducah, Silverstein has been a leader in university and professional service; this service, along with his numerous scholarly accomplishments, has been a key factor in establishing the national profile of the Paducah program. In 2012, he was named director of the Paducah Campus.

Upon his arrival, Silverstein was tasked with building an independent student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) for the Paducah Campus. From the beginning, Silverstein established a tradition of professional dedication and outreach among the Paducah students that has led to the chapter receiving an Outstanding Student Chapter Award 11 years in a row—every year since its inception. In recognition of his outstanding achievements as chapter advisor, Silverstein received the national AIChE Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award in 2009.

Silverstein’s professional service record encompasses sustained and important contributions to the educational programming activities of the AIChE and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). In AIChE, he has occupied a number of leadership roles that ultimately led to the establishment of the AIChE Education Division in 2009. Starting in 2003, Silverstein served as vice chair and chair of the Undergraduate Education Committee, vice chair and chair of the Education Group, and finally as founding chair of the Education Division (2009-2011). In 2011, he was the recipient of the national Herb Epstein Award for outstanding service in technical programming.

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The following winners were announced during the presentation of awards that followed Mr. Polston’s keynote address:

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Frank Woeste Award: Kaitlyn Braun

Outstanding BAE Junior: Matt Fogle

Outstanding BAE Senior: Zeb Vance

Outstanding BAE Teacher: Czarena Crofcheck

Chemical Engineering

AIChE Outstanding Senior Member: Nick Winquist

AIChE Outstanding Junior Member: Lindsay Gray

Omega Chi Epsilon Outstanding Senior Member: David Spencer

Outstanding Junior: Brianna Smith

Outstanding Senior: David Spencer

Outstanding Teacher: Doug Kalika

Civil Engineering

Outstanding Junior: Admin Husic

Outstanding Senior: Allie Perkins

Outstanding University Scholar: Davis Huston

Outstanding Graduate Student: Gabe Dadi

Outstanding Faculty: Brad Davis

College of Engineering Awards

Lou Takacs Engineering Cooperative Education Award: Paul Varnado

College of Engineering Alumni Association Awards

Engineering Alumni Association Leadership Scholarship: Alex Wade

Engineering Alumni Association Senior Leadership Award: Kathryn Gardner

Computer Science

Outstanding Academic Performance: Bradley Elliot/Alex Williams

ACM Outstanding Teacher: Judy Goldsmith

ACM Outstanding Teaching Assistant: R. Paul Mihail/Ismail Abumuhfouz

Thaddeus B. Curtz Memorial Scholarship: Ting Gu

Graduate Center for Biomedical Engineering

Outstanding Teacher: David Puleo

Outstanding Graduate Student: Ran Cheng

Electrical and Computer Engineering

H. Alex Romanowitz Memorial Award: Chris Garnick

Outstanding ECE Senior: Matt Davis

Outstanding ECE Teacher: Stephen Gedney

Robert L. Cosgriff Award: Jason Rexroat

Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding ECE Junior: Charlie Miles

Eta Kappa Nu Outstanding ECE Graduate Student Award: Sean Hamlet

Materials Engineering

ASM International Bluegrass Chapter Scholarships: Wilson Rice, Amber Gay

Outstanding Junior: Cory Parker

Outstanding Senior: William Martin

Outstanding Teacher: Fuqian Yang

Mechanical Engineering

ASME Bluegrass Section Outstanding Scholar: Robert Burgess

Pi Tau Sigma Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Sophomore: Andrew Casciato

Outstanding Junior: Andrew Wilder

Outstanding Senior: Tyler Flynn

Outstanding Graduate Student: Xin Hua

ASME Outstanding Faculty Award: Jesse Hoagg

Outstanding Teaching Award – Lecturer Series: Christine Goble

Mining Engineering

Outstanding Junior: Austin Brock

Outstanding Senior: David Norton

Outstanding Teacher: G.T. Lineberry

Henry Mason Lutes Award for Excellence in Engineering Education: Judy Goldsmith

Tau Beta Pi Awards

Most Outstanding Senior: Adrianne Shearer

Most Outstanding Graduate Student: Stacy Schal

Most Outstanding Staff: Robyn Morefield

Most Outstanding Professor: Jimmy Fox

Outstanding Teacher in Paducah: Jeff Seay

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Professor Zach Hilt commended Kruse and Spencer for their hard work and influence.

“Anastasia and David are outstanding individuals who have excelled in everything that they have done at UK, and these fellowships are a nice recognition of their great accomplishments. They both are top students in their courses and tend to set the curve for their classmates. They have excelled in research, and it has been a pleasure to advise both of them through their research as undergraduates and now as a graduate student for Anastasia.”

In addition to their outstanding academic work, Kruse and Spencer have served as UK AIChE student chapter president—Anastasia in 2011-2012 and David in 2012-2013. Spencer has played a key role in planning the AIChE Southern Regional Conference to be hosted by UK on April 5th-7th, 2013.

For further information about these prestigious fellowships, please see the NSF GRFP website (http://www.nsfgrfp.org).

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A few of the members who have helped plan the conference (left to right): Lindsay Gray (fundraising chair); Emily Rhodus (registration chair); Nickolas Winquist (conference chair); David Spencer (AIChE president); Sean Whitfield (poster competition chair); Ashley McClean (banquet chair)

The southern conference is the largest regional conference among AIChE’s student chapters and between 350-400 students from 25 universities are expected to attend the event, with participants traveling from Louisiana, Florida and even Puerto Rico.

Although the conference kicks off Friday, April 5, the bulk of the activities will take place on Saturday. The highly anticipated Chem-E Car competition will be held at Alumni Gym on the UK campus. Teams will be required to produce a chemical reaction that will move their car a predetermined distance. Extensive precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the participants. The winners will advance to the Chem-E Car competition at the national AIChE conference in San Francisco next November. In addition to the Chem-E Car contest, Chem-E Jeopardy and a paper competition will also give contestants an opportunity to compete at the national conference. A poster competition will also be held on Saturday.

Saturday will feature a Futures Fair, where chemical engineering companies will be on hand to discuss potential future employment with attendees. Students are encouraged to submit their resumes beforehand in order to take advantage of the networking opportunities available with industry representatives.

UK’s AIChE student chapter has a long legacy of excellence, having recently received the distinction of Outstanding Chapter for the 25^th straight year—the longest such streak of any student chapter in the nation. Chapter president David Spencer says the bar is high.

“Hosting a regional conference like this is expected of Outstanding Chapters, which is why we are looking forward to hearing about the great research others are doing and seeing participants have fun,” he said.

“We have received a lot of guidance and support from Dr. [Zach] Hilt, Dr. [Dibakar] Bhattacharyya and Dr. [Douglass] Kalika,” added conference chair Nickolas Winquist. “Additionally, Chelsea Hansing, Libby Weir, Nancy Miller, Betty Hickey, Lisa Atkinson and Mary McBeath have been invaluable in helping us with everything from tracking accounts to handling logistics.”

Over the weekend, schools will bid to host the conference that will take place two years from now. Next year’s conference will be held in Puerto Rico.

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The MRS Fellows Program was established in 2008, and the 2013 class brings the total number of MRS Fellows to 179 internationally.  Dr. Cheng will be formally recognized at the Spring MRS Meeting this April in San Francisco.

More information on the MRS Fellows Program is available at:

http://www.mrs.org/current-mrs-fellows/

More information on Dr. Cheng’s research is available at:

http://www.engr.uky.edu/news/2012/04/y-t-cheng-bringing-gm-innovation-to-uk-classrooms/

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Q: Tell us about your primary areas of research.

C.P.: I’m a computational scientist primarily working with molecular modeling. It’s all about understanding how atoms and molecules move around and interact with each other and understanding how these interactions might affect molecular structure. I usually work on enzymes, which are proteins that break down substrates by cleaving bonds to make products. Understanding how the protein recognizes its substrate is a big part of my research.

Q: Can your research be applied to larger engineering problems?

C.P. One of the big projects I have going has been carried over from my time at the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, involving enzymes for biofuels. Specifically, we are looking at a model system called chitinase—enzymes quite similar to those used to degrade switchgrass, corn stover and other non-food based feedstocks. The biofuels industry is greatly interested in those enzymes, but they are inherently slow, working on the order of hours or days. That’s too slow for an efficient process so we want to modify the enzymes to increase the rate at which they act on their substrates. There is more to it, but the big picture is that we are looking at making enzymes faster for biofuels.

Q: How does your work utilize the new $2.6 million supercomputer cluster installed in December?

C.P.: Everything I do requires the use of supercomputers. I don’t do wet lab experiments anymore, although I did have a chance to get my hands dirty again as a process engineer for URS Energy and Construction. From a computational and experimental perspective, we examine the molecular level mechanisms occurring and predict mutations that might actually make them faster, or at the very least understand them. Then, experimental collaborators produce them and test them, feeding back information to help us understand how to make the predictions better. The supercomputer’s hardware, unlike anything available for home use, enables us to produce results in hours instead of months or years.

What I am doing is still a very new field. It doesn’t sound new in that we’ve been doing molecular modeling of protein systems since the 80s, but then you could model only hundreds of atoms at one time. Now, we’re up to hundreds of thousands and some researchers examine million atom systems. Even so, a million atom system is still very small relative to the length scales we interact with daily; we’re also limited by time scale, currently around hundreds of nanoseconds. As a field, atomistic molecular modeling is in its infancy. We’re still learning and, at the same time, trying to produce fundamental insights that are valuable for experimentalists.

Q: You mentioned that you were a process engineer for URS Energy and Construction for three years. What made you decide to leave industry for a career in academia?

Well, as engineers, we’re trained to build things and design solutions.  After receiving my Ph.D., I thought I wanted to do something more hands-on. Because my background was in computational modeling, I had never really had the wet lab experience. So as a process engineer, I tried the opposite end of the modeling scale and pursued designing full-scale industrial facilities. After a while, I found that there were limited opportunities for me to express creativity. As a process engineer, you build things the way you’ve always built them—according to tight, specific guidelines. Of course, that is the safe way to design processes.  I felt I needed to get back to something where I had an opportunity to focus on what I was interested in, follow my curiosity, namely computational modeling.

Q: How do you like Lexington?

It’s a great city. It’s a great environment and there are a lot of sights. Because I’ve been busy getting started as an assistant professor, I have only been able to see Red River Gorge. But since I have arrived here, everyone has been friendly and the food is very good!

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