The Circuit: Spring 2021

Spring 2021

Connect with us on social networking sites by using #CMUECE

Spring 2021 www.ece.cmu.edu

FEATURE 18 Preparing the Chip Workforce of the Future

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CAMPUS NEWS

RESEARCH

ACADEMICS

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Welcome from the Department Head

10 A Universal Port for the Brain

16 Academic Services Center Delivers

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Professorships Announced

12 Sensing Tire Wear

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Fanti and Lucia Each Receive a Sloan

14 The Future of Medicine: Targeted

18 Preparing the Chip Workforce of

Research Fellowship

Drug Delivery

for ECE the Future

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STUDENTS

ALUMNI

EDITOR

WRITERS

Krista Burns

Madison Brewer

20 Student Turns Old Polaroid Into New

26 Alumni Creates “Dynamic”

DESIGNER

Dan Carroll

Debra Vieira

Bruce Gerson

Digital Camera

22 Apple Scholars

COVID Solution

28 Making History Possible

24 Goldwater Scholar

Jason Maderer Akarsh Prabhakara Tina Tuminella

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Inquiries concerning the application of and compliance with this statement should be directed to the vice president for campus affairs, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, telephone 412-268-2056.

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Produced by Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, May, 2021.

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Welcome Message from the Department Head Dear Alumni and Friends, As we are now one full year into the global pandemic that has significantly shifted our daily lives, I write to you with a grateful heart for those who went above and beyond to make sure our students had the best educational experience that we could provide. This includes faculty, staff, and alumni who have graciously given their time and resources to the electrical and computer engineering department. I am hopeful for the future and excited to welcome the next class of students this fall.

I’m also looking forward to many positive changes happening in our department. In order to stay current with emerging technologies, we continue to evolve the ECE curriculum so that our students will graduate with the skills needed for today’s workforce. This includes new courses for entrepreneurial engineering projects with actual investors starting in the fall of this year. The department has joined with industry partners to facilitate more real-world project experiences in the classroom, as well as incentives for students to choose curriculum concentrations that align with commercial needs.

Throughout this past year, our faculty and students continued to push the boundaries in research. You will find many of their projects and initiatives outlined in this magazine.

I also want to congratulate our recent ECE graduates. While their last year at Carnegie Mellon was impacted by the ongoing pandemic, I am proud that they finished their degrees in these extraordinary times.

I hope that you enjoy these updates from ECE, and I look forward to seeing you on campus soon.

Sincerely,

Larry Pileggi Tanoto Professor and Department Head Electrical and Computer Engineering

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2022 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT GRADUATE PROGRAM RANKINGS

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

2021 U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM RANKINGS

COMPUTER ENGINEERING ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

C AM P U S N E W S

COMPUTER ENGINEERING

PROFESSORSHIPS ANNOUNCED The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has announced the most recent faculty members to receive a professorship. As the highest academic award a university can bestow on a faculty member, professorships are reserved for those who show continued contributions in their field.

Professorships are established to support a particular faculty member or a field of research, both of which are critical to maintain world-class quality education and research. Contributions are used to help faculty members pursue a specific field of study, provide funding for graduate student involvement, purchase equipment, or travel to share their research.

SHAWN BLANTON // Joseph F. and Nancy Keithley Professorship Joseph Keithley earned a B.S. (1937) and an M.S. (1938) in Electrical Engineering from MIT. In 1946 he founded Keithley Instruments, which has become a world leader in the design and manufacturer of high-precision equipment for the electronics and medical industries. A believer in investing in the future of technology by fostering relationships between academia and industry, Keithley was a longtime friend of the Department of Electrical and 4

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Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

C AM P U S N E W S

MAYSAM CHAMANZAR //

FRANZ FRANCHETTI //

Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker

Kavčić-Moura Professorship

Career Development Professorship

The Kavčić-Moura Professorship honors inventors

William Strecker and his wife, Nancy

José M. F. Moura and Aleksandar Kavčić, whose

generously endowed Carnegie Mellon

scientific research and technological innovations

University with the Dr. William D. and Nancy

have had a transformative impact on the computing

W. Strecker Career Professorship. Through

industry for more than a decade and a half.

the professorship, they hope to further the university’s excellence by supporting the most exceptional professors early in their careers.

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PULKIT GROVER //

GIANLUCA PIAZZA //

Angel Jordan Career Development Professorship

STMicroelectronics Professorship

The Department of Electrical and Computer

STMicroelectronics established the STMicroelectronics

Engineering created the Angel Jordan Career

Professorship in Engineering in 2000 to

Professorship to honor and celebrate the undeniable

support a faculty member in the College of

impact that Angel Jordan (former electrical and

Engineering, working in microelectronics.

computer engineering professor, College of Engineering Dean, and University Provost) has had on Carnegie Mellon University and the College of Engineering. Throughout his career, Angel Jordan helped transform Carnegie Mellon University into a 6

world-class educational and research institution.

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C AM P U S N E W S

VYAS SEKAR //

CARLEE JOE-WONG //

Tan Family Professorship

Robert E. Doherty Career Development Professorship

The Tan Family Professorship was made

The Robert E. Doherty Career Development

possible by the generous donation from Lip-Bu

Professorship in Engineering was proudly named

Tan and his wife, Ysa Loo. Tan has been the

to honor the history of Carnegie Mellon University

CEO of Cadence since 2009 and joined the

and the College of Engineering. Robert Doherty was

company’s board of directors in 2004. Tan and

an electrical engineer and the third president of

Loo previously endowed a graduate student

the Carnegie Institute of Technology, which is now

fellowship in the Department of Electrical and

the Carnegie Mellon College of Engineering, serving

Computer Engineering. The couple’s two sons,

from 1936 to 1950. His service to the university is

Andrew and Elliott, both received their master’s

recognized, in part, through the naming of Robert

degrees from the College of Engineering.

E. Doherty Career Development Professorship.

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Giulia Fanti

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Brandon Lucia

Giulia Fanti and Brandon Lucia are recipients of

sharing. Her research interests span the algorithmic

the 2021 Sloan Research Fellowship. They are

and theoretical foundations of the distributed systems,

among the 128 North American researchers

machine learning, and privacy-enhancing technologies.

honored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Lucia, the Sathaye Family Foundation Career

The fellowships, awarded annually since 1955,

Development Associate Professor of Electrical and

honor early career scholars whose achievements

Computer Engineering, specializes in programming

put them among the very best scientific minds

languages, software and hardware computer systems,

working today. Winners receive a two-year,

and computer architecture. His lab is defining the area of

$75,000 fellowship to further their research.

intermittent computing on batteryless, energy-harvesting

“A Sloan Research Fellow is a rising star, plain and simple,” says Adam F. Falk, president of the Alfred P.

devices, as well as designing reliable, low-latency, highthroughput parallel cloud and edge computing systems.

Sloan Foundation. “To receive a Fellowship is to be told

“Giulia and Brandon are both more than deserving of

by the scientific community that your achievements as a

this distinguished honor of a Sloan Research Fellowship,”

young scholar are already driving the research frontier.”

says Larry Pileggi, department head of electrical and

Fanti, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering with a courtesy appointment in the Computer Science Department, focuses on the security and privacy implications of data transparency and

C AM P U S N E W S

FANTI AND LUCIA EACH RECEIVE A SLOAN FELLOWSHIP

computer engineering. “They are already recognized as stars in their respective research communities and I am honored to have them as members of our ECE department and CMU community.”

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A UNIVERSAL PORT FOR THE BRAIN Maysam Chamanzar and collaborators have received a

“Our smart dura is designed to have embedded

National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant to create

functional elements for closed-loop electrical and

a dural smart port that will allow direct access to the

optical recording and stimulation from the surface

brain using optical and electrical stimulation, as well as

of the brain. Therefore, it can be a viable solution for

recording. Chamanzar describes the smart dura implant

chronic, long-term interfacing with the brain for a whole

as a “universal port into the brain.”

range of applications from brain-machine interfacing

The device represents the successor to current artificial dura, small ports that replace the connective tissue (dura)

Maysam Chamanzar

stimulation pattern can be adaptively adjusted based on the feedback from local recordings or the behavioral readout.”

surrounding the brain,

In creating a less invasive implant, the researchers will

providing access to the organ.

design an effective and minimally-invasive smart dura

Artificial dura may be removed

that can be implanted through the skull, interacting

for short periods of time to

with the surface of the brain without penetrating and

place electrodes that allow

disturbing its sensitive tissue. This five-year NIH-funded

for stimulation and recording,

project will bring the smart dura into reality and utilize

though not without risk for

artificial intelligence to potentially provide significant aid

infection or the regrowth of dura tissue, potentially

to those suffering the effects of neurological disorders or

obstructing the port. To prevent this, the team’s

mental illness.

smart dura will utilize a biocompatible material with both optical and electrical recording and stimulation capabilities permanently integrated into the port itself.

This would minimize the risk of dura growing back, as well as any need for regular exposure of the brain tissue beneath.

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to designing new therapeutics,” says Chamanzar. “The

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Chamanzar concludes, “In terms of clinical relevance, I think the smart dura is closer to being approved for humans compared to penetrating electrodes, especially for patterned electrical stimulation and recording.”

Professor Elias Towe is a co-investigator on the project.

RE S E ARC H

“In terms of clinical relevance, I think the smart dura is closer to being approved for humans compared to penetrating electrodes, especially for patterned electrical stimulation and recording.”

— Maysam Chamanzar

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SENSING TIRE WEAR Has your car ever lost traction with the road during

at the tire to measure

inclement weather? When car tires wear out, they

wear. This technology

pose a huge safety threat to vehicles and drivers.

is similar to the radar

Although the lifespan of a tire depends on many

used in air traffic control

factors, like the type of vehicle, driver habits, road

towers and aircrafts.

conditions, and tire brand, drivers are encouraged to change their tires when the tread wears out.

their work at ACM MobiSys

It was during a visit to Bridgestone Americas Technical

2020, winning Best Paper

Center in Akron, Ohio that researchers from Carnegie

Honorable Mention and

Mellon University, Akarsh Prabhakara, Vaibhav Singh,

the Best Demo awards.

Swarun Kumar, and Anthony Rowe, came across this interesting problem – How can we measure and monitor tire wear? Today, every car has tire pressure sensors. But what if they also had tire wear sensors? This would increase safety on the road, save drivers money, and ultimately, save lives.

“Wear measurement today is either done manually with a coin, or using full resolution laser scans,” said Akarsh Prabhakara, Ph.D. student in electrical and computer engineering. “Neither of these techniques provide a convenient solution to mount on a car and to deal with different kinds of debris that may stick in the tire over time. Designing a wear sensor is challenging.”

Swarun Kumar

“Millimeter wave radars are common in vehicles today,” said Prabhakara. “It’s used for collision avoidance, cruise control, and other such features. Our system repurposes these radars for tire wear sensing.”

The radar data is processed using a technique called Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar. This technique exploits the natural rotation of the tire and boosts the resolution of commodity radars to be able to measure millimeter changes in tire wear. This technology also includes special metallic structures stuck in the groove serving as markers and ensuring that the radar still receives important reflections even when dust, snow, or similar debris gets accumulated in the

They started working on this problem in October 2018

grooves. In addition to tire wear sensing, their system

in collaboration with Bridgestone. After experimenting

also tackles another important problem – detecting

with different technologies, their solution uses a radar device mounted in the tire well that emits radio waves

Anthony Rowe

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Recently, they presented

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and localizing harmful, foreign objects, like nails.

“This technology provides a sensing infrastructure which can measure tire wear accurately, without embedding any sort of electronics in the tire and being resilient to debris,” said Prabhakara.

“Our ultimate goal is to save lives.”

RE S E ARC H

A radar device mounted in the tire well that emits radio waves at the tire to measure wear.

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THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE: TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY

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Many current medical procedures are invasive and

therapeutic drugs could be inserted directly into the

often require lengthy patient recovery. With today’s

cancerous cells, leaving the rest of the patient’s body

nanotechnology, it is becoming possible to develop

largely untouched by harsh drugs.

devices that are small enough to adhere to a human cell, creating a noninvasive medical interface.

“Currently, only a small percentage of the drug actually reaches the locations it is meant to be,” said Zheng.

Siyang Zheng, associate professor of biomedical

“We want to deliver the drug to its targeted location

engineering and electrical and computer engineering,

while minimizing its off-targeting effects. While these

and his lab are fabricating devices at micrometer and

technologies can work for different cancer types, currently

nanometer scale and synthesizing nanomaterials for

we are mainly working on pancreatic cancer, lung cancer,

critical medical applications.

and brain cancers.”

“I believe micro and nano engineering will be critical

In another research project, his research team is

for the advance of engineering and medicine,” said

developing liquid biopsy technologies for cancer diagnosis.

Zheng. “Many of our projects aim to solve critical

Using a conventional read-out

medical challenges.”

system, healthcare providers

the functioning units of the human body. They are measured at micrometer to nanometer in scale, respectively. Zheng is developing micro/ nanotechnology that will be able to interface with human cells. For size comparison, the average human hair is about 60,000 – 100,000 nanometers wide.

Developed in Carnegie Mellon’s Claire & John Bertucci Nanotechnology Laboratory and the Biomedical Engineering Collaboratory, these microdevices and materials are meant to perform non-invasive

often fail to monitor the patient’s response to therapy

RE S E ARC H

Cells, and macromolecules inside the cells, are

during treatment or to detect cancer recurrence. While this technology will not provide a real-time diagnosis and will still require sample processing and analysis in vitro, Zheng hopes to eventually develop

Siyang Zheng

nanomaterial integrated microdevices for discovery and real-time diagnosis.

diagnoses for cancer or infectious diseases or

An interdisciplinary approach, this technology merges

formulate and deliver therapy drugs to targeted

material devices with biomedicine. While clinical

locations.

collaboration has a few challenges to overcome, like

In one research project, Zheng’s group is developing nanomaterials to deliver therapeutic reagents into cells. “They won’t replace chemotherapy, targeted

translating this research into medical practice and clinical trials, Zheng aims for such technologies to mature in 5-10 years.

therapy, or immunotherapy,” said Zheng. “But

This micro/nanotechnology is far-reaching. From

hopefully make them work much better.”

developing biopsy technology for noninvasive cancer

Current cancer therapy is often a systematic treatment, meaning the drugs circulate throughout a patient’s entire body in order to impact cancerous cells. By using this innovative nanotechnology,

diagnosis to designing nanomaterials for cancer therapeutics, Zheng hopes to create a solution for many invasive medical procedures that medical professionals and patience experience every day.

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ACADEMIC SERVICES CENTER DELIVERS FOR ECE More than 500 electrical and computer engineering

and Valeria McCrary; facilities coordinator Andrew

students studying remotely last fall had all the materials

Bolla; Kimmy Nguyen and Charissa Murray of the ECE

and tools they needed for their core lab courses, thanks

department head’s office; administrative coordinator

to a team effort that delivered on time to 12 countries on

Chloë Mattingly; and a host of student teaching

five continents.

assistants and helpers.

“We never expected to become a logistics shipping

Hagerty worked with instructors and teaching assistants

powerhouse,” said Megan Oliver, manager of the

over the summer to determine the materials needed

Academic Services Center for the Electrical and Computer

for nine lab courses, including the large Introduction to

Engineering Department. “It was unlike anything we’ve

Electrical and Computer Engineering class for nearly 150

ever had to do.”

first-year students, and Electronic Devices and Analog

Oliver, who became manager last January, and lab technician Quinn Hagerty led the massive undertaking along with service center coordinators Lyz Prelich-Knight

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Circuits for more than 90 students. Both of these courses have multiple lab assignments throughout the semester, and in one case a single week’s lab required 23 different items.

Oliver said while the work grew tedious at times, it was

together and ship them or get them ready for pickup,”

fun.

Oliver said.

“It was the first time back on campus for many of us,”

Hagerty said once inventories were set in August, it

she said. “We came in every day for two straight weeks

took him about a week and a half to order the bulk of

and just plugged away and got it done. It was nice to see

the items he needed for the kits — from resistors and

people in person, and we were excited for the students

capacitors, to wire cutters and jumper wires, to breakout

to get the kits we put together.”

boards and breadboards. Some items he knew would be used he ordered in mid-July to avoid any stocking issues.

Two hundred lab kits were shipped via UPS and about 300 kits were assembled in tote bags for pickup at an

“I actually had to get my PCard limit increased twice in

outdoor tent on Frew Street near Hamerschlag Drive.

one week to complete orders,” said Hagerty, who last

Oliver managed the student lists for shipping and pickup.

spring gathered and sent lab materials to nearly 40

Students signed up for pickup times to avoid too many

student teams so they could complete their work when

students being there at once.

CMU transitioned to remote learning.

“Getting all the boxes to first-year students in 18-100,

With ECE’s loading dock closed due to the pandemic,

the Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering

Hagerty received the purchased materials at his home

course, was a big moment for us. We filled two UPS

garage and transported them to campus — it took him

trucks,” she said.

seven trips in his Chevy Traverse. He set up assembly lines for the different lab kits in various rooms in Hamerschlag Hall.

“We were wearing masks and we were spread out and using different rooms,” Oliver said. “Lab kits were being made in one room, toolboxes in another. We also had to assemble the shipping boxes themselves, and we staged

AC AD E M IC S

“We had three weeks to purchase it all, put them

Oliver said she has received positive feedback from students and professors.

“People came together and answered the call at the last minute when we realized the scope of what we had to do,” she said. “This was the ultimate test of collaboration and teamwork.”

them in another area.”

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PREPARING THE CHIP WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE “The idea is that the students in the class become trained in integrated circuit design, companies have more students to recruit for such jobs, and our Ph.D. research mission is advanced by the systems that are supported by these chips.”

— Larry Pileggi

T

he field of electrical and computer engineering is

broad and encompasses all aspects of software and hardware engineering. Due to this breadth, students often find that they must choose between a career in software or hardware engineering. Over the past decade, it has become apparent that many students are choosing to focus on software due to the lower barrier to entry and the phenomenal career opportunities in areas of growth such as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. As a university, it is our job to provide opportunities for students to find a path to hardware engineering if that is their true calling.

But the challenge is daunting. While virtually no high school students or only a select few college undergrads are qualified to design integrated circuits, software internships are plentiful for undergraduates and high 18

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school seniors which establishes an early interest in the

The above images are layout captures of chips created by CMU Electrical and Computer Engineering students. field for them. Teenagers are able to work in industry

an integrated circuit. To achieve this requires actually

to add value to real software products, which solidifies

making the chips.

contrast, before learning to design an integrated circuit, a student must first take several courses before they will have sufficient background to even participate in the design of a chip.

“Industry partners are providing funding for the fabrication of CMU’s Very Large-Scale Integrated (VLSI) Circuit course, and the design projects in the course support some of our Ph.D. student research,” said Pileggi. “The idea is that the students in the class become

“The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

trained in integrated circuit design, companies have

at Carnegie Mellon University has shown industry

more students to recruit for such jobs, and our Ph.D.

partners the trends that are occurring at all major

research mission is advanced by the systems that are

universities regarding the decline in students who

supported by these chips.”

choose hardware design as their specialty,” said Larry Pileggi, department head of electrical and computer engineering. “And specifically, the trends for students who specialize in integrated circuit design.”

To address this trend, and to encourage students to focus on the hardware track, Carnegie Mellon University established an initiative with industry partners whereby they fund scholarships and fellowships for students who follow the path of a hardware concentration.

Companies recognize that providing a financial incentive toward hardware design is needed to give students the opportunity to consider that option. Additionally, the

After one academic year of scholarships and a reinvigorated VLSI design course, the department saw an immediate spike in the number of students choosing the integrated circuit design and hardware concentration for their curriculum specialty.

“Our primary industry partner is so pleased with this initiative that they are expanding this offering to other universities,” said Pileggi. “The department is further exploring the access to materials for this course to be shared with selected institutions, most schools that would otherwise not offer such courses.”

industry partners share tangible demonstrations of what

Carnegie Mellon University offers a broad and highly

such careers look like, and what exciting opportunities

flexible ECE degree program that is structured to

await them.

provide students with the smallest set of constraints

Students crave the satisfaction of making something, which is part of the allure of writing a software program.

And the maker movement is alive and well at Carnegie Mellon in general, but the ECE department wanted to establish the same level of gratification with creating

AC AD E M IC S

their commitment to a software engineering career. In

with a rich and comprehensive view of the profession.

While graduates are well-rounded and trained in both specialties, this new initiative showcases the hardware engineering opportunities and will ultimately strengthen domestic IC design workforce.

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Like any aspiring do-it-yourselfer, Sam Zeloof

the bottom right-hand corner. Now his pictures

knew the idea in his head might not exactly match

of today look like photos out of the 1980s, all

the finished product. But Zeloof is an aspiring

without the need to touch them up in post-

engineer who’s not afraid to try something new,

production. The digital images can be exported

and a quarantine is a fine time to try new things.

using a WiFi and Bluetooth chip Zeloof installed

So he did.

“It started as a distraction project, something to keep me occupied when I was stuck at home this summer with my parents,” said Zeloof, a junior studying electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon

when he cut open the camera.

Zeloof said his quarantine project is another example of Carnegie Mellon’s culture of encouraging students to tinker with and invent technology.

University. “I thought it would take a weekend. It

“I dove right into the camera and could have

took two weeks, but I did it.”

made some fatal mistakes. Fortunately, I didn’t.

Zeloof used modern technology to turn a Polaroid instant camera, a machine created decades before the 21-year-old was born, into a working digital camera. When he snaps the shutter

STUDENTS

STUDENT TURNS OLD POLAROID INTO NEW DIGITAL CAMERA

It took a bit longer than I thought, but it looks like a regular Polaroid. People love it, and so do I,” he said. “I’m very happy with the way it turned out.”

button, the Polaroid slowly prints a blackand-white image on white thermal paper — the same kind used for store receipts.

The image is also stored twice on a memory card Zeloof embedded in the camera. The first pic is smartphonequality. The second looks like a vintage Polaroid print with a date stamp added to

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APPLE SCHOLARS PHD FELLOWSHIPS McKenzie van der Hagen

McKenzie is working on novel computer architectures that would allow low-power IoT devices to participate in encrypted computing at the edge.

Nathan Serafin Nathan is seeking architectural innovation to improve the efficiency of systems that harvest power from their environment and operate intermittently.

Graham Gobieski

Graham is working to develop new computer architectures for efficient AI and Machine Learning.

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Apple is committed to supporting the academic research community and its invaluable contributions to the world. The following Carnegie Mellon Electrical and Computer Engineering students have received fellowships to support their research.

Image source: Apple.com

Anna Li

Tarana Laroia

Anna is dedicated to hardware, with particular interest

Tarana focuses on analog circuits and photonics which

in logic design and computer architecture.

gives her skills she is exercising in her research on

STUDENTS

MASTERS FELLOWSHIPS

medical devices.

Ryan Oh

Deanyone Su

Ryan is pushing the limits of physics in order to

Deanyone is hoping to deliver reasonable

pursue fast and efficient silicon to meet the ever-

computational ability at unparalleled energy efficiency

growing demands of mobile and autonomous vehicle

through the use of new and developing memory

applications.

technologies.

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GOLDWATER SCHOLAR Esther Bedoyan, a junior majoring in electrical and computer engineering and biomedical engineering with a minor in Chinese studies, has received the prestigious 2021 Barry Goldwater Scholarship to encourage her pursuit of a research career.

The award, given by the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, recognizes second- and third-year college students intending to pursue research careers in mathematics, engineering and the natural sciences, and provides up to $7,500 for tuition, mandatory fees, books, room and board.

“I’m very grateful to receive this scholarship,” Bedoyan said. “Ever since pursuing fascinating research projects nestled in the intersection of ECE and BME at Carnegie Mellon, the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, and Case Western Reserve University, I’ve been inspired to pursue a Ph.D. in device sciences research. My experience at CMU also showed me that I really enjoy learning, whether through classes or hands-on research. I am excited to continue exploring my curiosities and passions through graduate school and beyond. This scholarship award has given me further encouragement and inspiration to pursue my goals and continue my career in research.”

Since the fall of 2020, Bedoyan has been conducting research in Dr. Maysam Chamanzar’s lab focusing on developing an adaptive frequency domain filtering technique that removes electrical interference from electrophysiology data.

“I’ve had a lot of fun with this project. I’ve been able to independently develop this filtering technique and test its performance on real electrophysiology recordings collected from neural organoids and present my findings at multiple conferences and poster presentations,” Bedoyan said.

Upon graduation, she plans on completing the Integrated Masters Bachelor Program at CMU, then pursuing a Ph.D. “I look forward to continuing to expand my understanding of modern micro and nano devices, especially as they relate to biomedical applications, and directing an independent Ph.D. project focused on my own research interests.”

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PAG E 03

FALL 2018 // CARNEGIE MELLON ENGINEERING //

ALUMNI CREATES “DYNAMIC” COVID SOLUTION In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, important

that focuses on flexible electronic payment cards.

research is seeking to fight the virus. We know that

Dynamics Inc. has since become a global leader in flexible

the novel coronavirus can spread through the air, but

electronic technology.

even with advanced filtering systems, coronavirus particles may still infect others in the room. Mitigating the virus once it’s in the air poses a challenge for researchers.

Their device, called Nanowave Air, has been featured in multiple outlets, including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, VentureBeat, AP News, and Pittsburgh local news. Even before the pandemic, Mullen and Dynamics Inc. were

CMU alumnus Jeff Mullen, founder and CEO of

researching ultraviolet light to make electronics more

Dynamics Inc., has created a device that can

flexible. They quickly realized their UV research could be

inactivate coronavirus particles in the air using

used to fight the novel coronavirus.

ultraviolet light. Mullen graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s of science in electrical and computer engineering, then returned for a master’s degree from the Tepper School of Business. While pursuing his MBA, Mullen founded Dynamics Inc., a company

“When the pandemic hit, back in March, we came together as a team, and we said, ‘How can we help?’” Mullen said.

“The original concept wasn’t about anything other than do we have any technology capabilities that could really make an impact?”

Nanowave Air uses ultraviolet light to inactivate the virus—that is, it damages the virus until it can no longer replicate. In May, Dynamics was the first to demonstrate inactivation using UV light. Then, they performed a series of experiments to figure out the best way to fight the virus.

These experiments involved surfaces, liquids, and the air we breathe. In general, UV light is relatively weak. A long exposure is required to inactivate the virus, so it is usually only used for surfaces.

“People didn’t think that UV would have any impact on the COVID-19 virus, and if it did, it would be very small and minimal,” Mullen said. “We learned how to operate in different ways and we got to the point where we were inactivating in fractions of a second, in thousands of a second.”

The team was able to pull a structure from a product already in development as a starting point for Nanowave Air. The electronics are mechanically contorted in the

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device—an artifact of their flexible electronics research—to

across from each other at a meeting. In addition, the

causing sunburns and eye damage, it is completely

device has been used in homes where family members

contained within the device. Nanowave Air can kill 99

have tested positive.

percent of the virus in less than two thousandths of a second, and it can inactivate an entire room in only 75 minutes. Mullen said it can blast the inactivated air 11 feet across the room. This helps air circulate around the room, so infected air can better reach the Nanowave Air and become safe again.

The Nanowave Air is already in use to protect the public during the pandemic. Businesses using the device range from coffee shops and yoga studies to hospitals and assisted living facilities. Presbyterian SeniorCare Network has placed the device in employee break rooms to mitigate spread in an area where people take off their

Nanowave Air went under meticulous tests to prove its

masks to eat, and St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh has

effectiveness, Mullen said. Leading UV light researcher

devices in their emergency rooms.

Elias Towe, a CMU professor of materials science and engineering and electrical and computer engineering, reviewed their work and gave it his seal of approval.

Now, Mullen says the device is capable of also inactivating the common cold, the flu, staphylococcus, and other pathogens. This, however, is not the extent

“We’re looking for experts to really validate the designs

of Dynamics’ plans. Mullen and his team plan to make

and the size, and one of the people we asked was Elias

it bigger—possibly even making it integrate with HVAC

Towe,” Mullen said. “We wanted these products to go

systems—so more air can be inactivated in less time.

through the most rigorous testing that we could find in the United States.”

“Dynamics is looking forward to constantly testing with pathogens in order to provide new types of devices now

The Nanowave Technology underwent over 120

that we’ve unlocked some critical understandings and

experiments against the COVID-19 virus, a majority of

how to provide a disruptive technology solution,” Mullen

which were at the National Institute of Allergies and

said. “Long-term, these devices are about wellness and

Infectious Diseases’ Biodefense Laboratory Network.

safety, and protecting those around you is important to

There are, of course, many ways to use the device.

AL U M N I

intensify the light. Though UV light can be dangerous,

protecting your broader community.”

One can provide a person with a constant stream of inactivated air. This can be used in situations that require mask removal, like dentistry work. The device could also create a “shield” of inactivated air between people sitting

27

MAKING HISTORY POSSIBLE “Don’t quit your day job” is common advice often said in jest, but for two Carnegie Mellon alumni — Brigadier General Robert Bowie, better known in CMU circles as just Bowie, and U.S. Senate staffer Vincent “Vince” Brown — the thought would never cross their minds. Both men work on Capitol Hill and were proud to help plan the 59th Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2021.

Clearly, it was not just another average day at work for Bowie and Vince as they assisted the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which has been responsible for the planning and execution of these momentous occasions at the U.S. Capitol since 1901.

28

THE CI RCUIT

POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE

“It went extremely smoothly. There was concern about

For Bowie, a West Baltimore native and 1989 graduate

security, and we were focused,” Bowie says. “We were

of CMU’s College of Engineering, January 20, 2021, was

representing democracy to the world, and the eyes were

his fourth time playing a leadership role in a presidential

watching. It had to be tight. It was a no-fail mission, and

inauguration. This year, as Deputy Commanding General

we had to show that, despite those challenges, we have

— Inauguration, Bowie was tasked with organizing all the

civilian leadership with military support.”

military logistics of the ceremony on that day.

As a special senior service representative, Bowie played

Bowie’s title is deputy director, Joint Staff, but his job,

an operational role — he was the first to salute President

as he phrases it, “is leadership.” Currently, he is on an

Joseph Biden on his first Presidential Pass and Review

active duty, eight-month special assignment, which

at the Capitol. This year was also personally special to

included ceremonial support for the inauguration. Every

Bowie because, for the first time, he was able to attend

itinerary planned that day — from the parade to the

the swearing-in ceremony with his wife, Sue, on the west

swearing-in to the Lincoln Memorial lighting ceremony

side of the Capitol.

— required military support. In the 10 days leading up to Inauguration Day, Bowie’s team of 800 relied on 2,000 additional people to make the day run efficiently.

“I’m proud to serve, and I’m glad I’m American,” Bowie says of his experience at the Inauguration Day ceremonies this year.

AL U M N I

“We don’t give an oath to a person, but rather an idea that everyone is equal and everyone has an opportunity.

Those are very important words. That’s what makes us different and unique, and we had to do it right.”

— Brigadier General Robert Bowie

General Bowie was the first to salute President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

29

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