Looking at pictures of the Moon, even from the historic “giant leap” photograph, it is easy to understand why scientists used to think of it as a big dust ball. However, “conventional wisdom” has been changing over the years. This is largely due to the information garnered from missions such as NASA’s 2009 Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (L-CROSS) lunar-impact probe, as well as new scanning technologies and more precise measurements, which have been facilitated by enhanced instrumentation and improved analytical detection limits, on samples returned to Earth following the Apollo missions.

In a paper published in the Feb. 17 issue of , researchers , postdoctoral research associate of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences at the University of Notre Dame; Anne H. Peslier, scientist at Jacobs Technology and manager of the electron microprobe at the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at Johnson Space Center; Youxue Zhang, the James R. O’Neil Collegiate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan; and , professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences at Notre Dame, show that they have detected significant amounts of water in the samples of the lunar highland upper crust obtained during the Apollo missions. The lunar highlands are thought to represent the original crust, crystallized from a mostly molten early Moon that is called the lunar magma ocean.

Their findings indicate that the early Moon was not only wet, but also the water that was there was not substantially lost during the Moon’s formation. This new evidence seems to contradict the predominant lunar formation theory — that the Moon was formed from debris generated during a giant impact between Earth and another planetary body, approximately the size of Mars. According to Hui, “the presence of water in the early Moon needs to be reconciled with the favored formation scenario that had been supported by the volatile elements and isotopes in the samples, such as zinc.”

As little as five years ago, no one had detected water in the samples returned from the Moon. The advancement of instrumentation, such as secondary ion mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, has made it possible to detect tiny, but measureable, amounts of water in the mineral grains from Apollo samples. “It’s not ‘liquid’ water that was measured during these studies but hydroxyl groups (developed from water that did exist in the lunar magma ocean) that was distributed within mineral grain,” says Hui. “We are able to detect those hydroxyl groups in the crystalline structure of the Apollo samples.”

The hydroxyl groups the team detected are evidence that the lunar interior contained significant water during the Moon’s early molten state, before the crust solidified, and that they may have played a key role in the development of lunar basalts. “The presence of water,” says Hui, “could imply a more prolonged solidification of the lunar magma ocean than the once popular anhydrous moon scenario suggests.”

Contact: Clive R. Neal, 574-631-8328, Clive.R.Neal.1@nd.edu

Joan F. Brennecke, the Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the University of Notre Dame Energy Center, has been chosen to receive the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award from the United States Department of Energy (DOE).

Presented by the secretary of energy, the Lawrence Award honors scientists and engineers at mid-career for their exceptional contributions in research and development supporting the DOE and its mission to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States. The award is given in each of the following categories: chemistry, materials research, environmental science and technology, life sciences (including medicine), nuclear technologies (fission and fusion), national security and non-proliferation and high-energy and nuclear physics.

Brennecke, who is being recognized for her work in environmental science and technology, and the other honorees each will receive a citation signed by the secretary, a gold medal bearing the likeness of Lawrence, and a $50,000 honorarium during a ceremony this spring.

Internationally known for her research in the development of solvents, specifically supercritical fluids and ionic liquids, Brennecke’s research interests also include thermodynamics, environmentally benign chemical processing, and carbon dioxide separation, storage and usage.

Throughout her career, Brennecke has received numerous awards for her research, as well as for her contributions in the classroom. Most recently, she was selected as the 2008 Julius Stieglitz Lecturer Award by the American Chemical Society (ACS). She also has received the 2007 John M. Prausnitz Award for outstanding achievement in applied chemical thermodynamics from the Conference on Properties and Phase Equilibria for Product and Process Design, the Professional Progress Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and the 2001 Ipatieff Prize from the ACS in recognition of her high-pressure studies of the local structure of supercritical fluid solutions and the effect of this local structure on the rates of homogeneous reactions. In 1991, the National Science Foundation honored her with the Presidential Young Investigator Award.

A member of AIChE, the ACS and the American Society for Engineering Education, Brennecke is past chair of the Council for Chemical Research and currently serves on the editorial board of the journal Green Chemistry.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Brennecke earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois. She has served as a Notre Dame faculty member since 1989.

Contact: Joan Brennecke, jfb@nd.edu

Joining AD&T are: Tanyel Kiziltepe, Bei Nie, Carlos Gartner, Lei Liu and Li Jing Cheng.

“These outstanding researchers bring cutting-edge expertise in cell biology, proteomics, lab-on-a-chip instrumentation, nanoparticle science and Terahertz device structures,” said Paul W. Bohn, the Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of AD&T. “They will help drive AD&T forward, immediately impacting both basic science and innovative technologies.”

With the assistance of the Mendoza College of Business, Innovation Park and the IrishAngels network, the researchers will develop and evaluate a project’s market and financial potential and overall business model. Technologies that demonstrate commercialization potential will advance to the development of strategies most appropriate for private investment, venture formation or licensing to established life science companies.

A biological scientist with experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Kiziltepe will focus her activities on targeted nanoparticle drug delivery, specifically designing nanoparticles encapsulating combinations of drugs that not only selectively target particular diseased cells but also release their drug content only after coming into contact with the target cell. In the last decade, single-drug delivery by nanoparticles has proven effective, with commercial products sales in the United States exceeding $5 billion. By using selective targeting strategies in conjunction with a drug “cocktail,” these nanoparticles will now be able to selectively bind with the different cells within the target area, aiding the therapeutic benefit. Precise timing of the drug content (and release) will greatly reduce systemic toxicity and accompanying side effects.

Kiziltepe earned her bachelor’s degree at Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey in 1998, and her doctorate in biochemistry/bioengineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2004. She pursued her postdoctoral degree in the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard University Medical 91��Ƶ and worked as a research scientist in the oncology division of Cerulean Pharma prior to joining the University.

Nie earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Science and Technology of China in 1995, his master’s degree from the Chinese Academy of Science in 2001 and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 2006, all in analytical chemistry. Prior to joining the AD&T team, he served as a senior scientist at Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp. and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Indiana University 91��Ƶ of Medicine.

Nie is working to develop a more effective system to detect and interpret biomarkers: the biomolecular endoscope. He is designing a multiple functionalized biochip that incorporates a biofluid transport, separation and molecular analysis system utilizing microfluidics and miniaturized mass spectrometry. In clinical use this type of integrated system could rapidly profile proteomic and matabolomic data from individuals and greatly benefit the emerging field of personalized medicine.

Using chemical tools to solve biological questions is Gartner’s focus. In AD&T he will be working to develop early assessment biomarkers for ovarian cancer. For many types of cancer — such as breast, cervical, colon and prostate — there are standardized screening tests that are sensitive enough to detect the disease in its early stages. To date, there is no such test for ovarian cancer. Gartner will be studying the proteins (biomarkers) released from ovarian cancer cells from women in stages I-IV of the disease in order to better understand the mechanism of disease progression. The goal of this project is to develop a biochip that can detect micro amounts of these proteins at an early stage to allow for more effective therapeutic interventions.

Gartner earned his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry at the University of Houston in 1984 and his doctorate in medicinal chemistry from the University of Washington in 2001. Prior to joining the Notre Dame faculty, he served as a research fellow in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical 91��Ƶ.

Most recently a research associate from the University of Virginia, Liu will be developing high sensitivity, cost-effective terahertz (THz) detectors for medical imaging and spectroscopy. Although similar to X-rays and other waves in the electromagnetic spectrum, THz “radiation” offers benefits for medical imaging beyond those in current screening methods. For example, patients receiving an X-ray mammogram are exposed to radioactive waves. Breast magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography do not use ionizing radiation, but the machines are bulkier and do not always provide the most accurate images. Liu will be working to develop better THz detectors, circuits and systems that can readily be used in devices for detection, imaging and diagnostics of biomolecules, DNAs and tumors.

Liu earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Nanjing University in China in 1998 and 2001, respectively, and his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Virginia in 2007.

A postdoctoral research fellow at the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, Cheng is scheduled to join AD&T in January. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electronics engineering at the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan in 1998 and 2000, respectively, and a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2008.

Working with biologists and medical researchers at Notre Dame, Cheng will be developing a nanocolloid platform for massively parallel molecular detection of invasive species, agricultural pests, lymphatic filariasis, malaria control and drug screening. In short, he will be designing a molecular-level test, similar to a DNA probe that can target specific biomarkers, peptides, proteins or metabolites with a picomolar (10-12) sensitivity that can be used in developing nations for infectious disease control, as well as in the field for environmental monitoring and personalized health care.

Other areas being explored in AD&T include microcybernetics (human cells arranged in structures that allow for simulation with drugs, toxins or other factors and the immediate monitoring of the cellular response), advanced genomics (diagnostic sensing modalities to identify disease agents, invasive species or harmful pathogens) and engineered cartilage lubrication (the development of nanomaterials for artificial joint lubrication or tissue replacement).

“Each of these projects reflect the University’s focus on research and support its mission to serve the common good,” said Kirk Reinbold, managing director of AD&T.

Contact: Kirk Reinbold, managing director of the Advanced Diagnostics & Therapeutics initiative, 574-631-1470, kreinbol@nd.edu

The University of Notre Dame Energy Center has joined the Indiana Consortium for Research in Energy Systems and Policy (CRESP). The center joins founding partners Indiana University, Purdue University and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis in this multidisciplinary organization designed to promote energy focused collaborative investigations and educational opportunities among faculty and researchers at the partner universities.

“We are pleased to commit to membership in CRESP and serve as the coordinator for the efforts of faculty and researchers from across the University and with partner institutions as we tackle the technical, economic and ethical issues related to energy production and its use in the 21st century,” said Joan F. Brennecke, Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the Notre Dame Energy Center.

CRESP’s goals include facilitating the formation of multi-institution research teams, securing funding for those teams and conducting research that targets solutions to energy issues. The consortium’s scope encompasses both renewable and fossil energy, specifically focusing on issues relevant to the economies of Midwestern states, particularly Indiana, where about 96 percent of the state’s electricity is generated in facilities fueled by coal. The state also is a large producer of renewable energy resources, such as ethanol and biodiesel from corn and soybeans.

Each university partner offers a different strength for CRESP, from electric vehicles and battery technology to global warming. The Notre Dame Energy Center provides expertise in the development of CO2 separation for cleaner fossil fuel utilization, the safe storage and use of nuclear fuel by-products, and the creation of new solar energy technologies.

Kirk A. Reinbold has been named managing director of the Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics (AD&T) Initiative at the University of Notre Dame.

Created last year, the AD&T designs micro-sensing devices for personalized health care and environmental monitoring. Working on the nanoscale, researchers from chemical and biomolecular engineering, computer science and engineering, electrical engineering, biological sciences, and chemistry and biochemistry are developing miniaturized systems that can capture and detect a few distinct molecules in order to provide physicians and scientists with more accurate information for medical diagnoses or environmental assessments.

In this newly created position, Reinbold serves as the chief operating officer of the AD&T and is responsible for managing the activities of the initiative, including the development of relationships with foundations, government agencies and university and commercial partners, including large companies and start-up ventures. He oversees complex multi-investigator proposals from development through funding dispersal, as well as the activities of 24 principal investigators and numerous other researchers and support staff.

The addition of a managing director was critical to the initiative, according to Paul W. Bohn, Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the AD&T.

“In filling this pivotal position we are very pleased to have found Kirk Reinbold,” Bohn said. “He brings just the right experience and skills to help the AD&T forge crucial connections to partners in Indiana and the rest of the U.S.”

“Kirk Reinbold is a key piece of the exciting AD&T initiative,” said Robert J. Bernhard, vice president for research. “He will help us translate Notre Dame discoveries to practice, as well as play a role in helping interested external parties connect to the correct places within AD&T.”

Reinbold previously served on the Scientific Advisory Board of a telehealth company that develops at-home monitoring systems and on the board of directors for a land conservation trust. He also served as senior consultant and medical science liaison for MedTech Solutions, where his duties included developing and managing intellectual property and providing technology assessment and early-stage business development strategies to both investors and entrepreneurs.

Reinbold holds several patents for inventions related to neurological impairment rehabilitation, osteoarthritis management and sports performance monitoring. He is a senior scholar at Thomas Jefferson University 91��Ƶ of Population Health, a member of the Aerospace Medical Association and serves on the Physical Sciences Technology Advisory Committee of Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

A graduate of the University of Rochester, Reinbold earned his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina and his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.

Edward L. Bensman has been named the director of engineering and science computing at the University of Notre Dame.

In this newly created position, Bensman will serve as manager of a team supporting technology systems and services for the Colleges of Engineering and Science, outlining an operational strategy for the responsible design, development and maintenance of the technology systems in the multi-tiered environments within the colleges.

As computing and communications are becoming increasingly diverse and mobile with an expectation of rapid access, minimal interruptions to service and increased computing power are particularly important, according to Bensman, who says the key issue will be “to support the academic and research computing agendas of the Colleges of Engineering and Science — so that we are agile and able to adapt to changing environments and needs of faculty and students.”

In addition to his management responsibilities, Bensman will oversee the installation configuration, modification and maintenance of operating system software on desktop, bench top and cluster computing systems in the colleges to ensure optimum performance and data integrity. The establishment of policies on system use and services, as well as the development of a comprehensive library of all supporting documentation, also fall under his purview.

Bensman will act as a liaison with other University technology groups such as the Office of Information Technologies and the Notre Dame Center for Research Computing, where he previously served as a high-performance computing engineer.

Prior to joining the University, Bensman served as program manager at Raytheon Company, as assistant director of the Computer Systems Division at the Air Force Climatology Center, and as chief of the Applied Technology Division at the Air Force Weather Agency.

Bensman is a member of the American Meteorological Society, Air Weather Association, National Weather Association and serves on the executive committee of the Weather Coalition.

A graduate of Purdue University in atmospheric science, Bensman received his master’s degree in climatology and doctorate in physical meteorology from Florida State University.

Wolfgang Porod, Frank M. Freimann Professor of Electrical Engineering and director of the at the University of Notre Dame, has been named a Han Fischer Senior Fellow by the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at the Technische Universität München (TUM).

Researchers in the IAS-TUM oversee projects from engineering, science and the humanities. Fellowships are awarded based on the academic record of the honorees with regard to innovation and the promise of major academic or technological breakthrough. The Hans Fischer Senior Fellowship is named in honor of the TUM professor, who was awarded the 1930 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his pioneering efforts in hemoglobin.

Porod, like other senior fellows, is expected to pursue research activities consistent with the institution’s motto “High Risk, High Reward,” as the IAS is concerned with impact on advanced research fields in the long run, supporting top-level research without the burden of bureaucratic requirements. An expert in the area of nanoelectronics and quantum devices, he will continue to exploit new physical phenomena at the nanoscale for novel information processing devices and systems during his tenure at IAS.

A faculty member since 1986, Porod is the co-inventor of the Quantum-dot-Cellular Automata (QCA), a transistorless approach to computing. His research focuses on solid-state physics and its application to electronics; device reliability, degradation and breakdown; quantum devices and architectures for nanoelectronics; and the limits imposed by the laws of physics on computation.

Porod is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has authored more than 300 publications and presentations. He serves on the advisory and program committees of several international conferences and is a reviewer of proposals to the National Science Foundation, NASA and several technical journals. In addition, he is active in several professional societies and serves as a speaker in IEEE Distinguished Lecturer programs.

Porod earned master’s and doctoral degrees in theoretical physics from the Universität Graz (Austria). Prior to joining the Notre Dame faculty, he served as senior research analyst for the Center for Solid State Electronics Research at Arizona State University.

The IAS program promotes top-level research in the Excellence Initiative by the German federal and state governments. Fellows receive a stipend, an additional budget for research expenses and support for two doctoral students for three years.

James L. Merz, the University of Notre Dame’s Frank M. Freimann Professor of Electrical Engineering, has been named a fellow of the Materials Research Society (MRS). He was cited for his “outstanding achievements in electronic materials, particularly compound semiconductors… and for intellectual leadership in advancing materials research in the U.S. and internationally.”

The Materials Research Society is a nonprofit association of more than 14,000 scientists, researchers and engineers engaged in interdisciplinary research on materials of technological importance. A lifetime appointment, election as a fellow in the MRS is limited to less than .2 percent of the membership of the society each year (approximately 30 researchers).

Merz, an internationally recognized scholar in the field of optoelectronic materials and devices, previously served the University as interim dean of the College of Engineering and vice president for graduate studies and research. A Notre Dame alumnus, he returned to the University in 1994 to direct a team of researchers investigating Quantum Cellular Automata, a transistorless approach to computing sometimes called Notre Dame logic.

Prior to his return, Merz served as professor of electrical engineering, professor of materials and director of the Center for Quantized Electronic Structures (QUEST) at the University of California at Santa Barbara. In addition to directing QUEST, a National Science Foundation (NSF) science and technology center, he also chaired the national council of directors of the NSF science and technology centers. He has published more than 400 papers and holds five patents.

Merz is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers; and he is a member of the Society for Values in Higher Education. He also is the recipient of an Alexander von Humboldt Research Award in recognition of lifetime achievements in science and engineering and an honorary doctorate from Linköping University if Sweden.

Merz was graduated from Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1959 and attended the University of Göttingen in Germany as a Fulbright Fellow immediately thereafter. He attended Harvard University as both a Woodrow Wilson and Danforth Fellow, earning his master’s degree in 1961 and doctorate in 1967.

Vijay Gupta and Huili (Grace) Xing, assistant professors in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, have been named 2009 National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development (CAREER) Award recipients. The award is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to young faculty in engineering and science.

A faculty member since 2008, Gupta’s research focuses on the systematic and verifiably correct design of cyber-physical systems, such as cooperative multi-agent systems, networked control systems and sensor networks.

His CAREER project, titled"Scalable and Optimal Co-design of Control and Communication Protocols in Cyber-physical Systems,"explores the next generation of engineering systems composed of multiple complex dynamical systems interacting across communication networks. The project proposes a scalable and efficient approach for designing the communication and control algorithms for such systems. Applications for the algorithms and protocols that will be developed during the course of the project include advanced automotive systems, tele-medicine, energy conservation, environmental monitoring, traffic control and distributed robotics.

Gupta’s project also includes the development of a new interdisciplinarygraduate course, new projects for the department’s senior thesis project course and a high school outreach program to motivate students, particularly minorities and women, to pursue engineering as a career.

Gupta earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and master’s and doctoral degrees, also in electrical engineering, from the California Institute of Technology.

�ݾ��Բ�’s expertise is in the design, fabrication and characterization of semiconductors, nanostructures and devices for applications, including high-speed high-power electronics, energy-efficient electronics and IR/THz photodetectors.

Her CAREER project, titled"Graphene and Graphene Nanoribbon Optoelectronic Properties and Devices,"focuses on developing and demonstrating a series of optoelectronic device concepts (primarily photodetectors) based on graphene and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) and then using those devices as vehicles to extract the optoelectronic properties of graphene and GNRs.Still in its infancy, the research will deepen the understanding of electron excitation-relaxation dynamics, minority carrier lifetime, external electrostatic gating and wave guiding, and dielectric effects, all of which are important for graphene-enabled applications, such as tunable photodetectors, THz emitters, biosensors and other devices yet to be invented.

The educational component of �ݾ��Բ�’s project involves undergraduate students and middle school teachers and studentsespecially young girlsvia Notre Dame’s"Expanding Your Horizons"workshops, the participation of female students from Saint Mary’s College in the dual-degree program in engineering, and a summer research opportunities program for women faculty from the college.

A member of the Materials Research Society, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Electrochemical Society and American Society for Engineering Education, Xing joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2004. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Peking University, a master’s degree in material science from Lehigh University and a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The CAREER program, which was established by the NSF in 1995, recognizes and supports junior faculty who exhibit a commitment to stimulating research while also providing educational opportunities for students.

TopicID: 31568

Clive Neal, professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, is sailing the deep blue sea from Feb. 4 through March 5. His trip is not a pleasure cruise, but a unique journey that is part of a significant moment for the world of ocean research.

Neal is sailing aboard the JOIDES Resolution, a riserless drilling vessel operated by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program for scientific exploration of the ocean floor. The Resolution left a Singapore shipyard in January for initial sea trials after being completely refurbished and modernized.

In his role as a member of the redesign task force and now chair of the readiness assessment team, Neal leads the group of scientists responsible for determining if the Resolution is ready to resume international operations.

The team is putting the ship’s drilling, coring, logging and science systems through vigorous testing during additional sea trials on the Ontong Java Peninsula, a huge undersea plateau located in the Pacific Ocean, lying north of the Solomon Islands.

Once the Resolution is certified, it will travel to Honolulu for its first expedition: the Pacific Equatorial Age Transect. During this first project, in which they will target eight different sites within a 3-degree latitudinal window, the researchers hope toobtain a sedimentary archive for time periods immediately after the Paleocene/Eocene boundary event through the Miocene period (from 34 million to 5 million years ago).

The JOIDES Resolution began operations in 1978 as an oil exploration vessel. After being converted for scientific research in 1985, it became part of the Ocean Drilling Program (now the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program), where it continued its efforts through 2005. In addition to a crew of 65, a typical ship’s compliment consists of up to 50 scientists and technicians.

The ship was named for the HMS Resolution, which sailed under the command of Capt. James Cook more than 200 years ago, exploring the Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic region.

In addition to Neal, the team includes R. Mark Leckie, University of Massachusetts; Kathleen Marsaglia, California State University at Northridge; Kitty L. Milliken, University of Texas; Kristen St. John, James Madison University; and Roy Wilkes, University of Hawaii.

A faculty member since 1990, Neal is a member of the Mineralogical Society of America, Geological Society of America, Geochemical Society, American Geophysical Union, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and National Association of Geoscience Teachers. He also recently was appointed by NASA to the agency’s Lunar Science Institute.

Prior to joining the Notre Dame faculty, Neal served as a visiting scientist at the Johnson Space Center, a Fulbright and research associate at the University of Tennessee, and as a lecturer at the University of East Anglia.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Leicester in 1982 and a doctorate in geology and geochemistry from the University of Leeds in 1986.

_ Contact: Clive Neal, professor of civil engineering and geological sciences,_ " jrs_neal@ship.iop.tamu.edu ":mailto:jrs_neal@ship.iop.tamu.edu

TopicID: 31527

Patrick M. Murphy, most recently program manager in charge of electric power systems research for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been named managing director of the Notre Dame Energy Center. He will assume his new position April 6.

“With his experience in operations and research supporting energy technologies, Patrick Murphy is an exciting addition to our team,”said center director and Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Joan F. Brennecke.

Murphy’s main responsibilities will be to coordinate efforts in energy related research at Notre Dame, to develop a University-wide vision and plan relating to energy research, to organize and support competitive proposals from faculty within the center, and to serve as a liaison with government officials on energy policies and issues.

Murphy has more than 15 years of experience as a research and development manager. Most recently, he directed efforts in the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency to provide more resilient electric power systems, including new grid architectures, backup distributed systems, demand management and alternative energy sources.

Prior to his work with the DHS, Murphy was an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he was responsible for coordinating research efforts with national and federal laboratories for various government clients, specifically regarding projects to prevent chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats; assessing risks and vulnerabilities; and determining the potential impacts of possible attacks. He served also as the lead business developer for the company’s modeling, simulation, war gaming and analysis team as it worked to identify and exploit systems engineering and modeling and simulation opportunities.

Before launching his civilian career, Murphy served in multiple positions as U.S. army intelligence officer, responsible for intelligence databases on Bosnian factions, for the impact of threat capabilities and for information on the effects of weather and terrain on operations.

Murphy was graduated from Notre Dame with a dual degree in electrical engineering and government in 1992. He earned a master’s degree in international affairsfrom George Washington University in 2000 and is currently pursuing a doctorate in operations research there.

Since its establishment in 2005, the Notre Dame Energy Center has been working to develop new technologies to meet the global energy challenge. Housed in the College of Engineering, the center focuses on five areas of expertise: energy efficiency, safe nuclear waste storage, clean coal utilization, renewable resources, and carbon dioxide separation and storage. The center also is committed to playing key roles in energy education and literacy, the development of energy policy, and the exploration of the ethical implications associated with energy.

More information regarding energy research at Notre Dame can be found at: .

TopicID: 31347

Eric J. Jumper, professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has been appointed to a new National Research Council (of the National Academies) study committee. His term on the Materials Needs and R&D Strategy for Future Military Aerospace Propulsion Systems committee begins in January.

National security demands that the United States continue to improve its surveillance and interception capabilities, which requires aerospace propulsion to move toward the development of high Mach manned and unmanned vehicles. In light of this, the goals of the committee are to address the challenge of developing new materials for these vehicles and to determine appropriate directions that will allow the United States to maintain a leading edge in propulsion technology.

Among the propulsion systems to be reviewed by the committee are air breathing and self-contained fuel/oxidizer systems. (Air breathing systems take the oxygen needed for engine combustion from the atmosphere through which the vehicle is traveling instead of from an onboard tank).

In addition, the committee will investigate opportunities to advance corrosion research, including materials degradation and mitigation. It will address fuel efficiency challenges at subsonic and supersonic levels and is charged with identifying the impact of current non-U.S. investments and reviewing timetables for the evolution of new materials.

The committee includes researchers from the Air Force Systems for Integrated Defense Systems; California Institute of Technology; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Mississippi State University; Missouri University of Science and Technology; NASA Ames Research Center; Rolls-Royce, North America; Science Applications International Corp.; Worcester Polytechnic Institute; the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the University of Dayton.

Jumper previously served on an NRC committee for hypersonics and access to space. His research encompasses aero-optics, aircraft turbine (jet) engines and aircraft wake dynamics. His work at Notre Dame has led to a number of breakthrough advances in knowledge and technology. Using a new wavefront sensing instrument developed at Notre Dame, he made the first time-resolved wavefront measurements for laser propagation through a Mach 0.8 free shear layer. His expertise in military acquisition and procurement, government technical program management, aerospace engineering and space science, physics, thermodynamics, propulsion and combustion, orbital mechanics, aerodynamics, reentry heating and thermal protection materials, surface chemistry, and aero-optics adds to the scope of the committee.

A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1989, Jumper previously served as chief of the Laser Devices Division at the Air Force Weapons Laboratory and professor at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the American Society for Engineering Education, and was named outstanding alumnus of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of New Mexico in 1997. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from New Mexico, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wyoming and a doctorate in fluid dynamics and laser physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

TopicID: 30766

Daniel J. Costello Jr., Leonard Bettex Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has been named the winner of the 2009 Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

IEEE, the leading professional association for the advancement of technology, with a membership of more than 375,000, publishes 144 transactions, journals and magazines. The Fink Prize is presented for the most outstanding survey, review or tutorial paper published among all of these materials.

Costello’s prize-winning paper, titled"Channel Coding: The Road to Channel Capacity,"appeared in the June 2007 issue of the Proceedings of IEEE. Co-authored by G. David Forney of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the paper describes the 60-year trajectory of research into making digital communications more robust and efficient through the controlled introduction of redundancy. Channel coding is used in every existing digital communication system, including cell phones, cable modems, DSL lines and satellite systems.

Throughout his career, Costello has made sustained and profound contributions to the research described in the article. His research, which is supported by the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Motorola Communications, focuses on digital communications, with special emphasis on coding theory, information theory, communications networks and bandwidth efficient communication.

Costello was graduated from Seattle University and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Notre Dame in 1966 and 1969, respectively. After several years as a faculty member at the Illinois Institute of Technology, he returned to the University as a member of the electrical engineering faculty in 1985. He served as department chair from 1989 to 1998.

Costello is a fellow of the IEEE and has served as a member of the Information Theory Society board of governors. He also has served as associate editor for the IEEE Transactions on Communications and IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. Among the many honors in his career, he has received the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Prize, the Third Millennium Medal and the Seattle University Centennial Alumni Award.

TopicID: 30607

The University of Notre Dame’s Vikas Tomar, assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, and Huili (Grace) Xing, assistant professor of electrical engineering, are two of the 39 engineers and scientists selected by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFSOR) as part of the 2008 Young Investigator Program (YIP).

The program, which is only open to engineers and scientists at U.S. research institutions who have received a doctoral degree within the last five years, recognizes those who"show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research."This year’s YIP honorees will share approximately $12.1 million for research efforts over the next three years as outlined in their winning proposals.

As in previous years, competition for the award was very competitive. The ASFOR received 210 proposals encompassing a broad range of areas, including aerospace, chemical and materials sciences, physics and electronics, mathematics, information technologies, and life sciences.

Tomar, who joined the University in 2006, is investigating nanoscale thermal conduction and mechanical strength correlation in high-temperature ceramics as part of his efforts in the YIP. It coincides well with his work in the department’s Multiphysics Laboratory, where he is studying advanced ceramic matrix composites for use in energy plants. High-temperature ceramics that can work in extreme environmentsradiation or corrosionwould significantly benefit the coal industry and the development of nuclear power. For example, a simple increase in operating temperature (made possible through new high-temperature ceramics) can result in increased energy efficiency.

Although not part of his YIP research, Tomar also is studying biomaterials such as bone issue and biosensors. In one project, he is analyzing the structure-property relationships for bone tissue in different chemical environments to determine how different drugs affect the properties (including strength) of bone tissue.

In another research effort using molecular analyses, he is focusing on understanding the fundamental mechanisms that control biofunctional materials in extreme environments, such as a highly radioactive environment or sensitive physiological environment (a diseased part of the human body).

�ݾ��Բ�’s YIP focuses on the quantum limits of nitride RF high-electron mobility transistors. Through experimental and theoretical approaches, she is investigating the physical origins of the upper limit of speed and power-handling capabilities in gallium-nitride based semiconductor transistors in order to advance the development of the next generation radio frequency applications.

Similar electronic devices, featuring reduced size and lower energy consumption, have already been employed in cell phone base stations. Xing envisions that high-electron mobility transistors could replace bulky power adapters with millimeter size chips, deployed in hybrid engines in automobiles, efficient terahertz (Thz) emitters and a host of other applications.

�ݾ��Բ�’s project aligns with her interests in nitride semiconductors and electronic and optoelectronic devices. Her current research activities in this area include the integration of heterogeneous materials using direct wafer bonding, development of high energy efficiency green light emitting diodes for solid state lighting, as well as ultraviolet and infrared emitters, and Thz detection technologies for medical applications.

In addition to the nitride semiconductor family, Xing is working with a variety of electronic materials including III-V, II-VI compound semiconductors and graphene. Together with her colleagues in the newly established Midwest Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery (MIND), she is searching for the next switch to replace current silicon transistors (silicon metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors) in future computer chips. She has explored photo detectors amenable to inexpensive and large-scale fabrication using chemically synthesized CdSe (cadmium selenide) nanowires, especially their polarization sensitivity.

Xing has served as a faulty member since 2004.

TopicID: 30588

Patricia A. Maurice, professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, has been appointed associate dean for research within the College of Engineering, effective, Jan. 1, 2009.

Although she will continue to teach and conduct research, Maurice’s primary responsibilities will be to identify strategic issues and directions in research while promoting graduate programs to increase their national visibility. She also will coordinate existing external partnerships and assist faculty in the college in the development of new industry and government relationships and the expansion of funding opportunities for multidisciplinary projects.

A Notre Dame faculty member since 2000, Maurice studies microbial, trace metal and organic interactions with mineral surfaces from the atomic scale up to the scale of entire watersheds, such as the Lake Erie basin or portions of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. She also examines how extreme climates affect ecosystems. Her research encompasses the hydrology and biochemistry of freshwater wetlands and mineral-water interactions, the remediation of metal contamination and global climate changes.

Most recently, Maurice served as director for the University’s Center for Environmental Science and Technology. The author of the forthcoming book"Environmental Surfaces and Interfaces from the Nanoscale to the Global Scale,"she also is a member of the American Geophysical Union, Geochemical Society, Mineralogical Society of America, Clay Minerals Society, and American Chemical Society.

Maurice follows Peter M. Kogge, Ted H. McCourtney Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, who had served as associate dean for research since 2001. An expert in advanced computer architectures, author of two books and holder of 20 patents, Kogge is an IBM fellow as well as a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He was graduated from Notre Dame in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.

TopicID: 30549

Robert M. Dunn, most recently the director of the Integrated Engineering and Business Practices Program in the University of Notre Dames College of Engineering, has been named the managing director of the Center for Nano Science and Technology (NDnano) and the recently established Midwest Institute of Nanoelectronics Discovery (MIND).

In this new role, Dunn will serve as both an advocate of the organizations and a facilitator for them, working closely with faculty, staff and industry and government partners as the research activities in these centers continue to grow. He also will coordinate outreach and commercialization efforts, including the development of an industrial affiliates network, and assist the transition from his previous position by helping to identify and train a new director of the colleges business practices program.

Prior to joining the University in 2001, Dunn served as vice president of corporate manufacturing staff at IBM. During his 30-year tenure at IBM, his responsibilities progressed from those of design engineer to the manager of major product development programs for IBMs midrange processors. He subsequently served as technical assistant to the president of the Systems Technology division in Endicott, N.Y., and as manager of the packaging, development and product quality assurance division.

After an assignment as director of the Systems Technology Laboratory in Austin, Texas, Dunn returned to Endicott to assume responsibility for more than 2,000 employees in technology development and manufacturing. He managed the start-up of an IBM facility in Dublin, Ireland, which housed multiple business units and approximately 1,200 employees. He also served as vice president and site location manager of the corporations Poughkeepsie, N.Y., site, a facility composed of 15 major divisions and 6,000 employees.

Dunn graduated from Notre Dame with a bachelors degree in engineering science in 1965. He earned a masters degree in engineering mechanics from Pennsylvania State University in 1967 and a doctorate in aeronautical engineering from the University of Illinois in 1972.

NDnano explores the fundamental concepts of nanoscience in order to develop unique engineering applications using nanoprinciples. Established in 1999, the center is composed of a multidisciplinary team of researchers from electrical engineering, chemical engineering, computer science and engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry and physics.

Established in March, MIND is a research consortium designed to discover and develop the next nanoscale logic device, which will be the basic building block of future computers. The consortium includes Purdue University, the University of Illinois, Pennsylvania State University, the University of Michigan, Argonne National Laboratory, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.

TopicID: 29288

In support of its mission to pursue the development of abundant and inexpensive energy sources that do not harm the environment, the University of Notre Dames Energy Center has announced that three projects pursuing novel concepts in clean energy will be supported through the centers new Seed Fund program.

According to Joan F. Brennecke, center director and Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the Seed Fund program sponsors early-stage research related to energy production, delivery and use.

The challenge for us all is to find solutions to energy that are clean, economically feasible and renewable for the long term,Brennecke said.The Energy Center, and these seed fund projects, actively address that challenge.

The first project,Toward Simulating Chemical and Photochemical Reactions for Clean Energy: Methodologies for the Solid-Aqueous Interface,is led by Steven A. Corcelli, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry.Corcelli and collaboratorsKathie E. Newman, professor of physics, and William F. Schneider, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineeringare addressing the modern energy infrastructure, which is built around the extraction and refining of fossil fuels through gas-solid chemical reactions. They are working to contribute to a new set of chemical transformations, processes and materials by developing accurate and computationally efficient models that will predict chemical reactions at the solid-aqueous interface, a need highlighted in a recent report sponsored by the American Chemical Society, Department of Energy and National Science Foundation. Specifically, they will be studying the structure and reactivity of transition metal oxides in water as it relates to converting light into chemical energy.

Prashant V. Kamat, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Paul J. McGinn, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, are working to advance the fundamental understanding of solar hydrogen production. Offering huge potential as a plentiful source of clean, economical and transportable stored energy (fuel cells), the solar production of hydrogen from water-oxide mixed-phase systems does not yet offer efficient and environmentally safe conversion methods. This is what Kamat and McGinn are exploring.

During the course of the project, they will evaluate candidate oxide catalysts and methods, review photocatalytic properties and techniques and identify the best catalyst compositions in a photocatalyst membrane assembly for use in a fuel cell.

The third funded proposal,Graded Quantum Dot/Nanowire Heteroassemblies for Photovoltaic Applications,investigates the use of semiconductor nanostructures for solar energy conversion, with the ultimate goal of growing conductive substrates for a new generation of solar cells. Masaru K. Kuno, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Kamat are working to develop a new paradigm for the creation of low-cost, high-efficiency solar energy conversion from photovoltaics made of low-dimensional materials.

Since it was established in 2005, the Notre Dame Energy Center has been working to develop new technologies to meet the global energy challenge. Housed in the College of Engineering, the center focuses on five areas of expertise: energy efficiency, safe nuclear waste storage, clean coal utilization, renewable resources and carbon dioxide separation and storage. The center is also committed to playing key roles in energy education and literacy, the development of energy policy and the exploration of the ethical implications associated with energy.

For more information regarding energy research at Notre Dame, visit .

TopicID: 28886

The University of Notre Dame and the Notre Dame Energy Center will host engineers, scientists and state and national leaders responsible for formulating and implementing energy policy July 7 (Monday) at a conference in McKenna Hall. The event will focus on the future of energy research, its effect on society and the potential it bears for transformative change across Indiana and the nation.

Energy, Citizens, and Economic Transformation for Indiana and Americaalso will explore Indianas position in the world of energy, as well as the opportunities offered via developing and new technologieswhether in advanced storage concepts, non-traditional and renewable power generation techniques, or methods to manage the carbon footprint.

Indiana is on the brink,said Joan F. Brennecke, Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the Notre Dame Energy Center.We are already a leader in clean coal technologies and biofuels. What is equally as exciting is the fact that the state is poised to make contributions in more efficient vehicles, energy storage, emerging solar technologies, and utilizing wind resources. This conference represents a step toward creating active partnerships among universities, industry and policymakers across the Midwestand the countryas we address ways to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy while balancing affordability and sustainability.

Featured presenters include keynote speaker Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., as well as Michelle V. Buchanan, associate laboratory director for physical sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Patricia M. Dehmer, deputy director of the Office of Science for the U.S. Department of Energy; Jay P. Gore, director of the Discovery Park Energy Center at Purdue University; Paul J. Mitchell, policy director for economic development, workforce and energy for the state of Indiana; Hratch G. Semerjian, president and executive director of the Council for Chemical Research; and Vinod K. Sikka, director of product development at Ross Technology-Oak Ridge. Brennecke also will present a talk.

Topics will cover a range of subjects including the challenges and opportunities in basic energy research, the economic impact of investments in basic research, and the link between energy, the economy, security and the environment.

The experience will close with a panel discussion featuring Paul W. Bohn, Notre Dames Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and professor of chemistry and biochemistry [moderator]; David Brenner, director of Innovation Park at Notre Dame; Joseph B. Hornett, senior vice president, treasurer and chief operating officer of the Purdue Research Foundation; Brennecke; Dehmer; Semerjian and Sikka.

The conference is free but registration is required. For more information and a conference schedule, visit .

TopicID: 28488

Joan F. Brennecke,Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the University of Notre Dames Energy Center, has been named the 2008 Julius Stieglitz Lecturer by the Chicago section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the University of Chicago.

The award, presented since 1940 in honor of Stieglitz, is the highest ACS section award given. This years lecture is scheduled for Nov. 19 at the University of Chicago.

As the 2008 lecturer, Brennecke joins the list of lecturers that includes 13 Nobel Laureates and more than 35 members of the National Academy of Sciences, including Linus Pauling, Robert B. Woodward, Herbert C. Brown and George Whitesides. She is the first chemical engineer to be honored.

A faculty member since 1989, Brennecke is internationally known for her research in the development of solvents, specifically supercritical fluids and ionic liquids. Her research interests include supercritical fluid technology, ionic liquids, thermodynamics, environmentally benign chemical processing, and carbon dioxide separation, storage and usage.

Brennecke has received numerous awards for her research, as well as for her contributions in the classroom. Most recently, she was presented with the 2007 John M. Prausnitz Award for outstanding achievement in applied chemical thermodynamics by the Conference on Properties and Phase Equilibria for Product and Process Design. In 2006 she received the Professional Progress Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

She also received the 2001 Ipatieff Prize from the ACS in recognition of her high-pressure studies of the local structure of supercritical fluid solutions and the effect of this local structure on the rates of homogeneous reactions. In 1991, the National Science Foundation honored her with the Presidential Young Investigator Award.

Brennecke is a member of AIChE, the ACS and the American Society for Engineering Education. She is past chair of the Council for Chemical Research and currently serves on the editorial board of the journal Green Chemistry.

A graduate of the University of Texas, Brennecke received her masters and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois.

Stieglitz was a U.S. chemist who interpreted the behavior and structure of organic compounds in the light of valence theory and applied the methods of physical chemistry to organic chemistry.

TopicID: 28047

Yahya C. Kurama, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences at the University of Notre Dame, is leading a project to develop an innovative building system that is economical to construct and earthquake resistant.

The research, which is being conducted in Notre Dames Concrete Structures Laboratory by Kurama and graduate student Brian J. Smith, focuses on the development of hybrid precast concrete wall systems that combine mild steel reinforcement with high-strength post-tensioning steel to withstand excessive lateral forces with minimal damage. In short, such a system would beself-centeringto a building, returning to a plumb position after an earthquake.

Traditionally, precast concrete has offered high-quality, cost-effective production in less time than other materials. However, the use of precast concrete buildings in earthquake-prone areas of the United States has been limited due to the uncertainty about their performance during seismic events. The building codes currently used for precast structures are based on cast-in-place reinforced concrete buildings, essentially eliminating the advantages inherent in precast construction. For this reason, the key deliverables from the Notre Dame project will be code validation of the new system and the development of a design procedure document for adoption and commercial application in seismic regions.

Our goal is to provide sound evidence of how such a system would act during a seismic event,Kurama said.This information can then be actively pursued by practicing engineers and precast producers in pioneering commercial applications and developing construction codes.

Funding for the project comes from the Charles Pankow Foundation and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute. An advisory panelconsisting of Walter Korkosz, The Consulting Engineers Group, Inc.; Ken Baur, High Concrete Structures, Inc.; David Dieter, Mid-State Precast, L.P.; S.K. Ghosh, S.K. Ghosh Associates, Inc.; and Neil Hawkins, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Illinoisprovides additional guidance. The three-year project began in January.

More information is available at .

_ Contact: Yahya C. Kurama, associate professor of civil engineering and geological sciences, 574-631-8377,_ " ykurama@nd.edu ":mailto:ykurama@nd.edu

TopicID: 27710