Author: ecr_bmj801

Smart Energy for Efficient Space

Kristen Cetin, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, is harnessing smart energy technologies to enhance building performance and occupant comfort. “We’re combining the power of sensors, automation, the internet of things and modeling to create data-driven, real-time energy efficiency strategies for the built environment,” said Cetin.

Robotic plant measurements

Robotic Plant Measurements Roll Toward Data-Driven Agriculture

“We combine intelligent robotics and sensing technologies to improve both the throughput and the quality of plant measurements, a core need in the growing fi eld of predictive plant phenomics,” said Tang, an associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering. In plant sciences, genomic and environmental data is already abundant and reliable. Tang’s autonomous robotic … Continue reading Robotic Plant Measurements Roll Toward Data-Driven Agriculture

Model Future: Optimized Electric Power System Planning

Renewable energy offers promise for cleaner, cheaper electricity, but the variability in its production levels introduces new levels of uncertainly into the electric power system. Sarah Ryan, Joseph Walkup Professor in Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, is developing new stochastic optimization techniques to help electric system operators effectively plan for deeper integration of renewables.

Namrata Vaswani

Data Recovery Tools for the Big Data Age

Big data holds big potential for solving pressing problems of our time – but big data also brings the significant challenge of working with high dimensional data sets. Namrata Vaswani , professor of electrical and computer engineering, is developing novel algorithms for high-dimensional data recovery. Her algorithms can recover data from noisy or distorted measurements … Continue reading Data Recovery Tools for the Big Data Age

Better Ceramics

Cleaner, Greener Technologies Xiaoli Tan is creating new materials needed to solve international sustainability and environmental challenges. Tan, professor of materials science and engineering, is an expert in designing, creating and measuring new compositions of functional oxide ceramics, materials widely used in electronics. “Our goal is to establish the interrelationships between materials’ composition, microstructure, and … Continue reading Better Ceramics

Manimaran Govindarasu, left, and Sourabh Bhattacharya

Game Theory

To quantify threats of power grid cyberattacks Threat levels for cyberattacks on the power grid are usually labeled high, medium or low. That’s too qualitative and too subjective for Cyclone Engineers. Current assessments are inadequate to account for dynamic and uncertain adversaries and the complexity of the computer controls and networks that support the grid. … Continue reading Game Theory

Data-Driven Modeling

For a smart, resilient grid Zhaoyu Wang, Harpole-Pentair assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, is using data-driven science and machine learning to bring real-time modeling to electric power systems – and to enhance system resilience in severe weather events. Real-time, grid-wide monitoring Wang’s team is customizing machine learning algorithms currently used in photo processing … Continue reading Data-Driven Modeling

Boosting diversity in engineering with evidence-based strategies

IINSPIRE LSAMP: Thriving in STEM Disciplines Iowa State leads the $5 million Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Iowa-Illinois-Nebraska STEM Partnership for Research and Education (IINSPIRE) project that aims to increase the number and improve the experience of underrepresented students completing STEM degrees in the Midwest. IINSPIRE offers students evidence- based academic, professional and … Continue reading Boosting diversity in engineering with evidence-based strategies

Advancing biorenewables processing for a sustainable, agriculture-powered future

Cyclone Engineer Robert Brown is pioneering the use of thermochemical processes to efficiently and inexpensively turn biomass into biofuels and biobased chemicals. Brown, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering, has built a nation-leading research program in scaling biomass processing discoveries from the bench to pilot and demonstration scales. He directs Iowa State’s Bioeconomy Institute, which researches … Continue reading Advancing biorenewables processing for a sustainable, agriculture-powered future

Frank Peters, third from left, an associate professor, was recently named to the C. G. “Turk” and Joyce A. Therkildsen Professorship in Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

Philanthropy jump-starts research innovation

More than 50 named professors and chair positions “Philanthropy propels early-stage, innovative research at Iowa State, making discoveries possible that simply wouldn’t have happened without donors’ gifts,” said Sarah Rajala, James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering. “The outstanding level of support from our donors also helps us attract the best faculty to … Continue reading Philanthropy jump-starts research innovation

2018 NSF CAREER Award Winners

Alice Alipour Assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering “Resiliency of Electric Power Networks Under Wind Loads and Aging Effects through Risk-Informed Design and Assessment Strategies” Alipour will use a systems approach to create new design methodologies for electric power networks that will increase power grid resiliency in hurricanes, blizzards and other severe storms. … Continue reading 2018 NSF CAREER Award Winners