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July 11, 2012 Issue 120, Volume 77
Barnes donates large sum to College of Optometry Alumni shows his appreciation via $5 million gift to his alma mater; research center to be built with state-of-the-art facilities Alexandra Doyle
THE DAILY COUGAR Douglas Barnes, who earned his UH doctorate in optometry in 1975, pledged to donate $5 million to the UH College of Optometry in order to aid development of the new Health and Biomedical Sciences Building. As a result of the Texas Research Incentive Program, Barnes’ donation may be matched by the State of Texas. “I hope our gift helps advance the profession of optometry to a higher level, as well as lift the educational process at the University of Houston,” Barnes said on UHCO’s alumni profile website. Barnes’ desire to donate to the college stems from his gratitude for being accepted into the program. “With this investment, I wanted to show our appreciation for the College of Optometry for accepting me and educating me years ago,” he said. BARNES continues on page 3
J. Davis Armistead Building will not be the only building for optometry students to use after the Health and Biomedical Sciences Building is built. The first two floors will be named after Douglas and Molly Barnes. | Hendrick Rosemond/The Daily Cougar
CORRECTIONS
RESEARCH
In the July 3 issue of The Daily Cougar, the page 4 column, “UH fails to justify rising cost of housing,” suggested that residents of Calhoun Lofts would pay more than other on-campus housing buildings during next year’s rate increase. This is incorrect, and all building will equally increase five percent, whether to a semesterly payment or a monthly one. The column indicated that the Lofts would use the increased rate on exclusive improvements. The increase is actually “necessary to maintain and operate the building,” said Don Yackley, executive director of Residential Life and Housing in an email to The Daily Cougar. — Cougar News Staff
College of Technology goes for a loop Student-led research team creates a device that will improve safety for endoscopic procedures Ashley Anderson
THE DAILY COUGAR Two University of Houston College of Technology Engineering undergraduate students developed improvements to current endoscopy technology. Amir Ali and Zainab Kassem developed the iLoop, an endoscopic procedural device that will be safer and easier for the patient and the doctor by allowing the doctor to externally trace the endoscope while it navigates the upper digestive tract. An endoscope is a long flexible tube mounted with a camera and a light and is inserted for diagnostic purposes into a hollow organ such as the esophagus.
The students participated in the Manufacturing Division of American Society for Engineering Education and Society of Manufacturing Engineers third annual Design and Manufacturing competition, said Mequanint Moges, associate professor and undergraduate program director of computer engineering technology at the College of Technology. The students were asked to develop a medically and environmentally safe endoscopic device addressing the need for the detection of loop formations while the endoscope is inside of the patient. “Our objective was to create a system that would be able trace the orientation of the endoscope while it was inside a patient, along with (creating) a graphical user
interface for the operators to help them visualize potential loop formation,” Ali said. With enhanced sensing capability, the iLoop addressed a need of safety by avoiding the contact with organs if the endoscope should form a loop. “I feel like this is a great step into tomorrow’s medicine,” Kassem said. “It will not only help with cancer detections, but it will also be able to help with a variety of patients.” While it increases safety standards, the iLoop also improves performance for current endoscopic devices by giving a better visual representation of the endoscope while inside LOOP continues on page 3