Table of Contents IMPACT | VOL. 3 | ISSUE 1
6
12
MAKING ART FROM MATH
LINGUISTIC GEOMETRY
NEWS + EVENTS 2
STUDENT SOCIETY 9
Faculty Profile
Headlines and milestones from the past year
Society of Women Engineers at CU Denver
TAM VU 15 Google + Research: supporting research in
Alumni Profile
KAREN MAESTAS 5 2014 Outstanding Woman in Engineering
AWARDS 10
capacitive touchscreen communication
2013–14 National Science Foundation Student Profile
CAREER Award recipients
RACHELLE WALTER 16 Feature
MAKING ART FROM MATH 6 Associate Professor Ellen Gethner uses
RESEARCH 11
Medicine + Engineering: research
New efficient simulations improve design of
opportunities abound in the new
zinc-anode batteries
undergraduate bioengineering program
Feature
UPCOMING EVENTS 17
math and science to create art
LINGUISTIC GEOMETRY 12
Important dates over the next year
Professor Boris Stilman’s theory of linguistic geometry could change modern warfare
DEAN Marc Ingber
E DITO R IA L R EV I EW Laura High
COV ER I L LUSTRATI ON Bryan Leister
E DITO R IA L M A NAG E ME NT Erica Lefeave
DE SIG N A ND PRODUC TI ON Anabliss Design + Brand Strategy
PH OTOGRAPH Y Glenn Asakawa, Michael Ensminger Photography
W R IT IN G Erica Lefeave
ABOUT Impact is published annually by the University of Colorado Denver College of Engineering and Applied Science for college alumni and friends. Send correspondence to Erica Lefeave, CU Denver College of Engineering and Applied Science, Campus Box 104, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364.
DEAN’S NOTE s I begin my fifth year as dean, the College of Engineering and Applied Science has accelerated an already impressive growth pattern in its educational and research programs. Student credit hours have shown an average annual increase of more than 12 percent during the last four years. Research awards have increased five-fold over the same four-year period. But beyond the dollar figures, college faculty
prepare graduates for in-demand careers in
experiential learning and research
have received some prestigious awards,
an array of relevant fields.
opportunities.
including three National Science Foundation
In this issue of Impact, we focus on one of
I hope you enjoy this issue of Impact
CAREER awards, two National Institutes
the college's fastest growing areas—information
and learning more about the incredible
of Health Research Development Awards and
technology, a subject that affects all of our
work that’s taking place in engineering
two Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
lives. Information technology is pervasive in
at the University of Colorado Denver.
Awards, among many others.
today's world especially with the advent of
The college launched four innovative
smart phones and tablets. Our students are
certificate programs in the fall, including
being prepared to take leadership roles in
certificates in software engineering, computer
meeting the information technology demands
forensics, computer science for high school
of business, health care, government, education
teachers and computer graphics and visual
and entertainment.
effects. The digital arts certificate,
Faculty and students across the college
Kind regards,
Marc Ingber, Dean
in collaboration with the College of Arts
are performing cutting-edge research in
College of Engineering and Applied Science
& Media, prepares students to excel in a
several IT-related fields. Current research
University of Colorado Denver
multitude of industries including feature film,
spans communications, programming
broadcast, scientific visualization, medical
languages, bioinformatics, modeling and
imaging and engineering. The other three
simulation, signal processing, networking,
certificate programs are offered this fall at the
embedded systems, and human-computer
University of Colorado's new South Denver
interactions. Highlighted projects include
facility, providing greater accessibility in this
high-performance computing; distributed,
rapidly growing region of the Front Range.
wearable and remote computing;
We’ve also launched three new
algorithms; artificial intelligence;
professional graduate programs: construction
computer graphics; and more. We are
engineering and management, geomatics
partnering with many local companies
engineering and motorsports engineering. All
and government agencies in these
of these new programs are designed to meet
endeavors, providing both graduate and
the needs of our ever-changing society and to
undergraduate students with quality
NEWS AND EVENTS
Maxworth receives IEEE Life Member Graduate Study Fellowship PhD student Ashanthi Maxworth has been awarded the IEEE Life Member Graduate Study Fellowship in Electrical Engineering, which carries a $10,000 per year stipend. Maxworth completed her bachelor’s degree at the University of Moratuwa, which is the top technical university in Sri Lanka. She joined CU Denver in spring 2013 and currently is pursuing her PhD in engineering and applied science under Assistant Professor Mark Golkowski.
AWARDS
COMPETITIONS
Mechanical engineering students place first at 2014 Shell Eco-marathon Americas In April, eight mechanical engineering students competed at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Houston. The CU Denver team was awarded first place in the hydrogen fuel cell prototype category when its vehicle achieved 1,259 miles per gallon. Team members Cole Booth, Kurtis Calkins, Scott Davis, Ben Johnson, Jeremy Johnson, John McGee, Alfredo Saracho and Alysha Yinger spent eight months designing and manufacturing the vehicle, called Archetype, which is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and is made of carbon fiber. This is the second consecutive year that the CU Denver team has won first place in the hydrogen fuel cell prototype category. In 2013 the team won with a vehicle that achieved a maximum of 1,823 miles per gallon.
Engineering students receive NSF Bridge to Doctorate Awards Five engineering graduate students have been selected to participate in the National Science Foundation’s Bridge to Doctorate Program. The recipients are: Madia Stein, bioengineering; Alejandro Henao, civil engineering; Henok Ghebrechristos, computer science and engineering; David Ramirez, mechanical engineering; and Cindy Munoz, mechanical engineering. The award includes a $30,000 stipend, plus $10,000 toward tuition and fees for the first two years.
Karunanithi and Rorrer receive faculty awards Arunprakash Karunanithi, associate professor of civil engineering, and Ronald Rorrer, associate professor of mechanical engineering, were honored as recipients of CU Denver faculty excellence awards by Provost Roderick Nairn at the CU Denver Celebration of Faculty Excellence event in September. Karunanithi received the Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Activities Award in recognition of his contributions in research and his collaborative involvement with students in his research. Rorrer received the Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Award in recognition of his contributions to CU Denver faculty and his colleagues’ high regard.
2
COMPETITIONS
Students compete at Cornell Cup USA In May, five electrical engineering students, Samir Hashem, Thanh Bui, Michael Bourquin, Anthony Supino and Shraddha Shakya,
Shandas and Yakacki receive Technology Transfer Awards
Li named assistant dean of international education
Robin Shandas, chair and professor of
Chengyu Li, professor of civil engineering, has
bioengineering, and Christopher Yakacki,
been named assistant dean of international
assistant professor of mechanical engineering,
education. This is an important position
both received CU Denver | Anschutz
as the college continues to develop several
Technology Transfer Awards. Yakacki was
collaborations with international universities.
awarded New Inventor of the Year, and
Li was instrumental in the development
EndoShape Inc., a company based on
of the 3 + 1 + 1 program with three Chinese
work by Shandas, was awarded the CU
universities. The college also has partnerships
Denver | Anschutz Company of the Year.
with institutions in Spain and Italy.
competed in the third annual Cornell Cup USA at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Their project, Remote Emergency Biometric System (REBs), is a mobile biomonitoring system that collects and transfers vital-signs data wirelessly, enabling remote monitoring for a large number of patients in emergency scenarios. Members of team REBs effectively demonstrated their design problem and solution in formal presentations and fielded questions from the official judges. This is the second year that CU Denver students have competed in the Cornell Cup under the guidance of Assistant Professor Dan Connors.
Bioscience 2 building breaks ground In April, the university and the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority broke ground on a medical research incubator building, Bioscience 2, at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The 112,000 square-foot building is being built on the 184-acre Fitzsimons Life Science District. Once complete, the four-story building will house the bioengineering programs on the first and parts of the second floors. The building is scheduled to open in August 2015.
S P OTLIG HT
Altholz receives CU Denver undergraduate research grant Jacob Altholz, an undergraduate student in bioengineering, received a CU Denver Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) grant for academic year 2014–15. For his research experience Altholz is working in Associate Research Professor Richard Weir’s lab helping to design and construct a new functioning finger prosthetic. His goal is to simplify existing prostheses, allowing for a more natural range of motion. This project is part of Weir’s larger goal of developing fully functioning and comprehensive upper-limb prostheses. UROP funds approximately 30 projects each year in all fields of study. It is hoped that through this program students will receive a deeper understanding of methodologies in all aspects of research.
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NEW P ROG RA M S
New Faces FARNOUSH BANAEI-KASHANI Farnoush Banaei-Kashani comes to the college from the University of Southern California and joins the Department of Computer Science and Engineering as an assistant professor. His research focuses on fundamental and applied data management with a special interest in data-driven decision-making systems, i.e., systems that automate the
College launches three new graduate programs This fall the college launched three new
process of decision-making based on data.
HEIDI BROTHERS
professional graduate degree programs, which culminate with the Master of
Heidi Brothers joins the college as a clinical teaching track
Engineering degree: construction engineering
assistant professor in civil engineering, specifically the
and management (CEM), geomatics
construction engineering and management program. Most
engineering, and motorsports engineering.
recently, Brothers taught civil engineering technology at
The CEM program was developed with
Metropolitan State University of Denver. She has 28 years
support from an advisory board of industry
of experience in areas including sustainable design, civil and
professionals that identified a need for
environmental engineering, environmental management,
managers in the construction industry.
teaching, research and more.
The program is backed by the accredited CU Denver Business School and the College of Architecture and Planning. More information is available at engineering.ucdenver.edu/cem.
CAROLINE CLEVENGER
The geomatics engineering program provides broad-based expertise and cutting-
Caroline Clevenger joins the college as assistant director of
edge skills that span the growing geospatial
construction engineering and management and associate
field and helps alleviate the shortage of
professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. Before
well-educated geospatial professionals. It is
coming to CU Denver, she was an assistant professor in
one of just a handful of geomatics programs
the Department of Construction Management at Colorado
in the country, and is administered by
State University. Clevenger’s research interests include
acclaimed industry professionals. Learn
sustainability, energy efficient buildings, project delivery
more about this program at engineering.
process improvement and building information modeling.
ucdenver.edu/geomatics. The motorsports engineering program provides a rigorous education in mechanical engineering with a focus on motorsports
STEPHEN GEDNEY
and in-depth exposure to the design–build process. The goal of the program is to
Stephen Gedney joins the Department of Electrical
graduate engineers who have had the
Engineering as professor and department chair. Since 1991
opportunity to work with state-of-the-art
he’s been with the University of Kentucky, most recently as
equipment on comprehensive mechanical
a professor in electrical and computer engineering. Gedney’s
engineering projects. More information
research interests include computational electromagnetics,
is available at engineering.ucdenver.edu/
electromagnetic scattering, microwave circuit device
motorsports.
modeling, parallel computational methods and parasitic extraction of mixed signal systems.
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ALUMNI PROFILE
ENGINEERING+LEADERSHIP Maestas named 2014 Outstanding Woman in Engineering
he American Council of Engineering Companies of Colorado named Karen Maestas, MS civil engineering 2001, the 2014 Outstanding Woman in Engineering. This prestigious award recognizes an outstanding woman in a leadership position for achievements in the engineering profession and for being a visible role model for young engineers. “Engineering is a challenging profession,
Maestas, a senior project manager at URS
“Solving problems is something I love to do,
Corporation, manages a complex portfolio
and throughout my career, I have certainly
and it takes dedication and perseverance to successfully complete your engineering
of mine reclamation projects that has grown
dealt with many challenging situations. Being
annually from approximately $500,000 in
involved in successful environmental cleanups
education. Be confident, and listen carefully
2007 to more than $8 million in 2013. These
is one of the most gratifying parts of my job.
to your mentors along the way—they have
projects involve numerous state and federal
It’s amazing to see technology in action.”
a lot to teach you about the real world
requirements and a host of technical and implementation challenges. Using her expert technical abilities, management and communication skills
As an active community member, she also speaks out to promote math and science
of engineering. “Your success as an engineer often comes
education to students ranging from
down to how well you understand the
elementary school to higher education.
problem at hand, and whether you can
and a thorough understanding of business
communicate clearly and effectively
operations, Maestas leads a large and
to bring the right technical solution.
diverse technical team that provides a wide range of turnkey services for these multistate mine sites. Her ability to lead multiple, concurrent and interconnected technical projects and to communicate effectively about complex technical subjects in a way that is accessible to the public are hallmarks of her career.
“Engineering is a rewarding profession, and I encourage women to wholeheartedly pursue their dreams!”
Under her leadership, URS has been working with a university to test a biological treatment method to address
“I’ve had great mentors over the years,
elevated sulfate levels present in acid rock
both men and women. When I graduated
drainage at a mine site. Maestas’ team is
from college more than 20 years ago, about
also experimenting with spent brewer’s
one in five engineers was a woman, and
grain, ordinarily a waste product of beer
that has not really changed much in the last
production, as a carbon source, which is
two decades.”
a promising “green” alternative for mine water cleanup. “It is such an honor to be recognized as outstanding in my profession,” Maestas says.
This is something she hopes will change. Leading by example, Maestas encourages women to pursue careers in engineering and science. She offers these words of advice. Karen Maestas, MS 2001, encourages young women across the state to pursue careers in engineering and science.
Engineering is a rewarding profession, and I encourage women to wholeheartedly pursue their dreams!”
FEATURE STORY
T
he interplay among math, science and art may not be clear to many, but for Ellen Gethner, associate professor of computer science and engineering, finding ways to use math and science to create artwork is a passion. Inspired by a demonstration in her high school geometry class, she has been applying mathematical foundations to artwork for decades—from algorithms inspired by M.C. Escher’s mathematical work to translating music to a computerized visual interpretation. “My geometry teacher colored a small square piece of paper with an M.C. Escher-like drawing and then he took four small, square mirrors, and stood them upright and perpendicular to one another around the drawing,” Gethner explains. “When looking at the reflection of the mirrors playing off of one another, you get an instant infinite and beautiful tiling of the plane, also known as a wallpaper pattern. That simple example combines math and physics to produce a stunning piece of artwork.”
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T H E M AT H OF M .C. ES CHER Stemming from that high school geometry demonstration, Gethner has great interest in the mathematics of M.C. Escher’s work. It’s said that Escher worked to understand many mathematical principles only to use them in his artwork. One such project involved creating a pattern inside of a square tile that could then be rotated and reflected to create an infinite wallpaper pattern from that single tile. According to Gethner, his idea was to overlay a number of polygons in a square, call the resulting pattern the motif, make four copies of the motif, and then add four copies of the motif to a larger square made up of four squares in a grid.
MAKING ART FROM MATH “Before placing each of the motifs in the larger two-by-two grid, you are allowed to rotate and/
hand investigation to try to count the number
theory—that upon input of a given motif in a
of different patterns arising from a two-by-two
square tile, one can always find a finite colored
or reflect each one,” she explains. “By doing so,
tile and, according to Gethner, he came pretty
you can create many ‘different’ square tiles. If
close to the right answer.
you then tile the plane with this single square
“The combination of computer science and
“prototile” that, upon vertical and horizontal translations, yields a colored wallpaper pattern in which ribbons are colored uniformly and
tile, you have a large variety of infinite wallpaper
math are central to the role of automation
patterns made from one motif.”
and efficiency this work requires,” she
“This again gave rise to a method, albeit
says. “I wrote several papers that gave the
much more complicated, for producing the
Escher had an application for his initial tiling
overlapping ribbons are colored differently.
question—he wanted the ability to produce
mathematics behind and a formula for the
infinite from the finite. It was an exciting
many different wallpaper patterns from either
exact number of wallpaper patterns arising
discovery and nice interweaving of different
one (rotations only) or two (rotations and
from using a single motif (rotated and/or
areas of mathematics and computer science
reflections) templates, so he was looking for
reflected) n2 times in an n-by-n grid square.”
that led to the solution,” she says. “With the
a cost effective way to manufacture many in the design. The tricky part was to determine
PR O D U C IN G T H E IN F IN IT E FR OM T H E F IN IT E
the number of patterns, which have come to be
Through her research, Gethner has also shown—
known as “ribbons.” Escher did a laborious by-
using algorithms, graph theory and number
patterns as well as give the consumer some say
algorithmic solution in hand, we wanted to use it to color some of Escher’s interesting motifs as well as design our own.” What she has found, however, is that any pattern that requires five or more colors is Cont’d on next page >
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difficult to make visually appealing without
“We are learning about frequency of both
some depth of knowledge of what it takes
sound and colors and working toward a
to make attractive color combinations. This
usable method to match and then display
challenge led to some of her current work
them,” she says. “We have a way to go on
of making art with music. “While some of this research may be seen to be subjective, there are scientific properties of
this part and are both working to learn more
its sound; all of these factors will play into the final artistic creation. “The idea is that harmonious sounds should look good on the screen, and dissonance should look bad,” says Gethner. “A lot of this is very subjective, as it should be
about sound and color.” For their first attempt, Steinmetz and
since we are trying to create art. The point is
sound and light that are of interest and of help
Gethner are encoding sound and color
to be imaginative in transforming from one
to us,” she says.
using the frequency, which is challenging.
domain to another: The sky is the limit.”
Determining frequency of individual musical
To better help with this project, Gethner
CREATING ART FR O M M US I C
notes involves being able to sample the sound
is taking piano lessons, through which she
Using the natural numerical encoding of both
in real time and then converting it to artwork
discovered an interesting puzzle. A C-major
sound and color, Gethner is working with
to be displayed on a computer screen.
scale has a somewhat positive cheery sound
Shannon Steinmetz, a master’s student in the
Steinmetz devised a method to retrieve
while an A-minor scale (or any minor scale)
integrated sciences program at CU Denver,
sound during a live performance and then
is a bit sad and contemplative. The exact same
to create artwork from music. The goal of
convert it by way of a discrete Fourier
set of notes is played in increasing order in
the project, according to Steinmetz, “…is to
transform—a mathematical function that
both scales; the only difference is the note
construct a mathematical model that can
transforms signals between time domain
from which it begins. “Since our ultimate goal
provide an analytic mapping between repeated
and frequency domain—to a sine wave.
is to create artwork that reflects the music
harmonic and/or dissonant melodies, and
On said wave, the higher the amplitude the
being played, we need to be able to detect the
patterns of visually pleasing or displeasing color.”
louder the note and the shorter the period
difference between major and minor,” she says.
In other words, they’re working to find a way to
the higher the pitch. As an experiment,
convey the mood of the music through art.
using the time domain, Steinmetz created
is that unlike proving mathematical theorems,
a visualization in which each note played
which are either true or false, is that opinion
So, how does one determine the numerical
“One of the fun aspects of this project for me
encoding of color and sound? This question
is represented as an arc traced over a swath
and experiment play a big role in the outcome
is the heart of the research project, and once
of three-dimensional space. Each arc has
of how the result is automated by way of an
answered, the solution can be applied to
a starting and ending angle based on the
algorithm,” says Gethner. “This kind of work
other areas of Gethner’s research.
changes in amplitude, and a radius that is
has much more of an artistic flavor.”
dependent on the amplitude of the main signal. The resulting visualization is a set of geometric shapes that collaborate to
The point is to be imaginative in transforming from one domain to another.”
form conic slices describing an interval of the signal. Colors are constructed by converting the signal information into red, green and blue values using amplitude, previous amplitude and signal-to-noise ratio, respectively. Ultimately, Gethner and Steinmetz want to leverage the discrete Fourier transform and frequency mappings to color a shape according to the frequency of
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT. 8
Ellen Gethner, associate professor of computer science and engineering, finds ways to use mathematical functions to create works of art.
ST U DENT S O C I E T Y
Making an impression: Society of Women Engineers at CU Denver rewarding, and to encourage them to pursue degrees in these areas,” she says. “SWE was one avenue that allowed this link between young girls and college students.” SWE faculty advisor, Maryam Darbeheshti, hopes that the work of groups like SWE will help continue to shrink the statistical minority of women in the engineering and STEM fields. “It’s important to empower young women to pursue futures in STEM,” she says. “The
F
students in SWE are energetic, smart and OUR YEARS AGO, THE CU DENVER
“The biggest accomplishment of our chapter
full of new ideas. I’m extremely proud of this
is increasing our membership and outreach,”
group of students and excited to see what the
chapter emerged from dormancy. Since then,
says Chelsea Starr, chapter president and a
future brings.”
membership has more than tripled and the
senior in mechanical engineering. “One of
group continues to gain momentum. Already
the biggest obstacles that we have had to
her sights are set on the big picture and the
this year, they are part of two college NSF
overcome is the lack of participation.”
future of the organization. “I hope to leave CU
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
CAREER grant proposals and a STEM proposal
When Starr joined SWE as a freshman,
Although Starr graduates next May, she
Denver with valuable leadership qualities and
with the CU Denver Mathematical and
she was motivated by the networking
experience, as well as satisfaction knowing
Statistical Sciences Department, and they
opportunities with female engineers in
that our SWE chapter continues to grow.”
are mentoring students at area high schools,
the workplace and the opportunity to help
including an all-female team of high school
increase awareness about STEM fields through
students who will compete at the 2015 Shell
K-12 outreach. “It is important to tell today’s
Eco-Marathon Americas in Detroit.
high school students why STEM fields are so
For more information about the organization, visit societyofwomenengineers.swe.org.
N EW P ROG RA M
Computer science partners with the College of Arts & Media to offer innovative new certificate program
T
HE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER
the driving force of the program for the
animation and visual effects. Those who
Science and Engineering has teamed
college. “Through this program, students will
complete the program will be prepared
up with the Digital Animation Center (DAC)
learn how the fundamentals of computer
for opportunities at animation studios,
in the College of Arts & Media to offer a
science and computer graphics techniques
computer game development companies and
new undergraduate certificate program in
are applied and how they are becoming an
multimedia industries.
computer graphics and visual effects. The
enabling technology for modern computer
new program blends the technical side of
animation,” he says.
computer science with the artistic side of
According to Choi, this is a unique program
Certificate completion requires students to take core courses from their home department, three courses from the other
the DAC to foster a synergistic partnership
that fosters innovative education intersected
program, and then complete the joint capstone
between the two programs.
by both art and engineering. Students will
courses during the final two semesters.
Min-Hyung Choi, associate professor of computer science and engineering, is
be trained in project-oriented environments for producing technically advanced computer
9
AWARDS
2013–2014 National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipients Assistant Professor of Electrical
burden. Furthermore, with the prevalence
Engineering Mark Golkowski received
of interconnected electronics, ground-based
a 2013 National Science Foundation
electrical and communication systems
CAREER Award. Golkowski’s CAREER award
are more vulnerable to detrimental space
project, “Whistler Mode Wave Propagation,
weather events than ever before.
Amplification and Coupling,” is a five-
Through his CAREER program, Golkowski
year investigation of electromagnetic
will provide exposure for a diverse audience
wave propagation in the near-Earth space
to advanced research and will use novel
environment. The research involves ground-
numerical tools to improve engineering and
based observations of low frequency waves
mathematics instruction. He was motivated
in Alaska, special laboratory experiments
by two well-documented deterrents to science
performed at the Naval Research
and engineering career paths: insufficient
Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and
mathematical proficiency and a perceived
theoretical simulations performed at the
lack of instruction in applicable, real-world
University of Colorado Denver.
skills in college-level curricula. Unfortunately,
The space environment enveloping the
these impediments tend to be most prevalent for underrepresented minorities. From his
Assistant Professor
hosts a rich array of physical processes
teaching experience, Golkowski also knows
Department of Mechanical Engineering
as well as billions of dollars worth of
that electromagnetic waves are a prime
spacecraft assets. Golkowski sees the
example of key engineering and science
scientific discoveries of the CAREER
material that is notoriously intimidating to
project as significantly enhancing current
potential students.
understanding of magnetospheric physics,
Golkowski’s CAREER project seeks to
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Christopher Yakacki received a 2014 National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Yakacki’s CAREER award
including the large-scale energy dynamics
address these issues by leveraging the
project, “A Two-Stage Processing Approach
known as space weather. Space weather
current popularity of mobile smartphones
to Shape-Switching Liquid-Crystalline
effects are a leading limitation to spacecraft
among students and youth. Golkowski
Elastomers for Biomedical Applications,” is a
lifetime and thus a significant economic
and his research assistants will work with
five-year investigation into the development
CU Denver senior design instructors to
of a reaction mechanism to tailor and
develop a special smartphone application
manufacture liquid-crystalline elastomers
that allows students to make recordings of
(LCEs) for biomedical applications.
electromagnetic waves and also visualize
MARK GOLKOWSKI, PHD Assistant Professor Department of Electrical Engineering
10
CHRISTOPHER YAKACKI, PHD
Earth (the near-Earth space environment)
LCEs are a class of smart polymers that
key aspects of electromagnetic phenomena.
can repeatedly change shape and optical
This application will allow students to
properties in response to a stimulus, such as
improve their understanding of math and
heat or light. Traditionally, LCEs have been
science and to record and examine the low-
difficult to synthesize and manufacture for
frequency waves that are the primary topic of
applications such as biomedical devices.
Golkowski’s research. Through this application,
This CAREER award is to investigate a new
the project will provide a much-needed bridge
approach and reaction mechanism to
between a dominant mobile culture and the
tailor and manufacture these materials
underrepresented education and career paths
for biomedical applications, specifically
necessary to create and sustain it.
shape-changing biomedical devices.
Golkowski obtained his BS degree
Shape-changing biomedical devices
from Cornell University and his MS and
promote minimally invasive surgery. Devices
PhD degrees in electrical engineering from
can be compacted to a small size, inserted
Stanford University. He joined the Department
through a small incision, and deployed once
of Electrical Engineering in 2010.
inside the body. Many medical devices
RE S E A RC H
New simulation methods help improve design of zinc-anode batteries
Z
INC-ANODE BATTERIES HAVE BEEN STUDIED AS A LOW- COST,
long-cycle life system for grid-scale energy storage. Kannan Premnath, assistant
are left in place permanently, however,
professor of mechanical engineering, is involved in the development and application
some devices need to be adjusted over
of efficient methods for the simulation of electrodeposition phenomena in these
time or even removed. LCEs offer the
batteries to help improve their design and operating conditions.
opportunity to have the device return to
“Energy storage represents a critical component in the redistribution and use of both
its compacted shape for easier removal.
conventional and renewable sources of energy for different applications,” he says. “It is
Because of the soft nature of the material
important to develop new technologies that are reliable and cost-effective with minimal
and its unique optical properties, Yakacki
negative influence on the environment.”
will use this award to continue his work with Dr. Malik Kahook and the
In zinc-anode batteries, the electrodeposition and dissolution of an electrode occurs during charging
Department of Ophthalmology in the
and discharging cycles, respectively. The
University of Colorado School of Medicine
electrodeposition often results in the formation of
to develop new ophthalmic LCE devices. Yakacki’s CAREER award will also
pointed needle-like structures on the electrodes known as dendrites, which are undesirable because their
serve to create summer workshops
growth over time impedes the performance of batteries.
for local high school students, which
“The mechanism of electrodeposition is complicated
will give them a hands-on experience
because the morphology of the deposits depends
in how smart polymers can be used
strongly on the operating parameters like the applied
in biomedical applications. Using this
voltage and electrolyte concentration,” says
new technology, Yakacki will apply his
Premnath. “Thus, it is crucially important
teaching and industry experience to
to understand the complex underlying
design and develop interference devices
processes involved in the electrodeposition
for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears,
phenomena using modeling and
which also illustrates how the fields
simulations. We have developed algorithms
of mechanical engineering, materials
to make computations for these
science, and bioengineering can combine.
simulations more efficient.”
He hopes to show that engineering isn’t a confined area of study, and that although
This research, which is in collaboration with the City University of New York
there are individual degree programs,
Energy Institute, involves state-of-the-art
engineers often solve problems using
modeling and simulation methods and their
an interdisciplinary approach. Through
implementation on large parallel computer
this endeavor, Yakacki wants to give
clusters. These physics-based simulations
students a better look at how a college
provide a fundamental understanding of
education can lead to unique, real-world
the various multiscale flow and interfacial
opportunities and experiences.
processes in these batteries, which
Yakacki received his BS, MS, and PhD in
offer valuable insights for their design
mechanical engineering from the University
and improvements. By developing more
of Colorado Boulder. He joined the
efficient methods, Premnath and his fellow
Department of Mechanical Engineering
researchers will enable faster simulations
in 2012.
of large-scale problems under different parametric conditions. “The new method resulted in several orders of improvements in computational efficiency while delivering accurate physical results that matched well with recent measurement data thereby demonstrating its predictive capabilities,” he says.
11
FEAT U RE STO RY
LINGUISTIC GEOMETRY FROM FIGHTING WARS TO COMPUTING THEM
12
W H AT IF CO N V E N T IO N A L armed forces were equipped with a tool that changed the way wars were fought forever? What if every military unit had something like an animated X-ray into the future that showed all enemy activities and how best to protect against them? And what if these predictions were updated in real time? Take it a step further and imagine a future without missiles or nuclear warheads and with limited conventional weapons. What if the outcome of wars was decided without actual fighting but by computers instead? According to Department of Computer Science and Engineering Professor Boris Stilman and his theory of linguistic geometry (LG), it’s not a question of what if; it’s a question of when.
The goal of the project was… in other words, to mathematically replicate human thinking.”
“Currently, little by little, the U.S. Army
Stilman’s research on new game theory
Putting LG to the test
is adopting our LG software to global
started in 1972 in Moscow. For 16 years he
The Defense Advanced Research Projects
intelligence systems in stationary and
was involved in the advanced research project
Agency (DARPA) is the primary research agency
mobile command posts around the world,
PIONEER led by former world chess champion
at the U.S. Department of Defense and is
to command and control systems inside
Mikhail Botvinnik and funded by the (former)
one of the main defense research agencies
thousands of infantry assault vehicles, and
U.S.S.R. State Committee for Science and
in the world. It funds the development of
even to soldiers’ handhelds,” Stilman says.
Technology. The goal of the project was to
technologies that may lead to revolutionary
discover and mathematically formalize the
improvements in warfighting and to
visionary software will start saving lives of
methodology used by the most advanced
technology in general. In 1999, a series of LG-
American soldiers and, maybe, start changing
chess experts in solving chess problems; in
focused proposals to DARPA yielded a success
the course of wars around the world.”
other words, to mathematically replicate
for Stilman. As part of the team led by the
LG is a type of game theory discovered by
human thinking. Over the course of the project,
Rockwell Science Center, he received a grant
“In a couple of years, or even sooner, this
Stilman that allows people to solve classes
Stilman developed the theoretical foundations
to develop the LG-based command and control
of adversarial games of practical scale and
of a new approach that showed its power far
system for the Joint Force Air Component
complexity. It is ideally suited for problems
beyond the initial chess problem. This became
Commander project of the U.S. Air Force. It was
that can be represented as abstract board
the basis for the development of LG.
through this project that Stilman and his team—
games, for example, military decision
In 1991, Stilman joined the Department
aids, intelligent control of unmanned
of Computer Science and Engineering at the
other universities and STILMAN—developed the
vehicles, simulation-based acquisition,
University of Colorado Denver, and in 1999, he
first full-scale software prototype of the
high-level sensor fusion, cyberwar, robotic
founded STILMAN Advanced Strategies to lead
LG defense application.
manufacturing and more. The advantage of
the development of LG applications and to test
LG is that it provides extraordinarily fast and
and transition them for use in society. STILMAN
scalable algorithms to find the best strategies
was founded with the encouragement and
for concurrent multi-agent systems. Unlike
approval of the CU Denver administration.
other gaming approaches, the LG algorithms permit modeling a truly intelligent enemy. LG
including members from CU Denver, several
“Our work with STILMAN was openly encouraged,” says Stilman. “STILMAN
is applicable to the non-zero-sum games and
founders have always believed that
to the games with incomplete information,
a collaborative relationship with the
for example, imperfect sensors, weather and
university is mutually beneficial.”
enemy deception.
PRO F E S S OR B O R IS S T I L M A N 13
the U.S. Army simulation package OneSAF.
What’s next?
The two teams were housed in different
Historically, LG was developed by generalizing
rooms, and the Red team didn’t know
experiences of advanced chess players. Fifteen
whether it was fighting with a RAID-assisted
years of successfully applying LG to a highly
Blue commander or a human-assisted Blue
diverse set of modern military operations has
commander. In all the experiments the RAID-
led Stilman and his team of researchers to
assisted Blue team outperformed the human-
believe that LG is something more fundamental
assisted Blue team and consistently defeated
than yet another mathematical model of
the Red team.
efficient wargaming.
“After each simulated fight, DARPA
“I suggested that LG is a mathematical model
requested the Red commander to answer the
of human thinking about armed conflict
question, ‘With whom have you just fought,
resolution, a warfighting model at the level
humans or RAID?’” says Stilman. “In 44
of superintelligence,” he says. “To explain its
development and testing of LG applications
percent of the cases, the Red commander was
chess-related heritage, we should recall that
and technology transfer didn’t happen
wrong. In a sense, RAID successfully passed
the game of chess was originally invented
until 2004 when STILMAN was awarded
the informal Turing Test of whether it is true
1,500 years ago as a gaming model of ancient
the DARPA real-time adversarial intelligence
artificial intelligence.” He cautions, however,
wars. To formally prove this hypothesis we
However, significant progress in the
and decision-making (RAID) project, a highly ambitious project in artificial intelligence aimed at developing automated tools to perform predictive analysis of enemy behavior, actions and intentions. It was time to apply LG technology to complex military operations and to test its advantages. For the RAID project, DARPA chose one of the most difficult types of operations— Military Operations in Urban Terrain— similar to those conducted by the U.S. Army in Iraq. Though the smallest entity on the team, STILMAN was responsible for
The game of chess was originally invented 1,500 years ago as a gaming model of ancient wars.
the key item: an LG-based “brain” behind the software oracle RAID that predicts the future for human adversarial teams Blue
should have demonstrated the power of LG
tool, RAID must be applied properly.
on ancient wars that happened before the
“Military advisors to DARPA see great
game of chess had yet to be invented. So far,
oracle estimates enemy courses of action
opportunities in RAID, but also warn
we demonstrated this theoretically on major
and suggests the best responses for the Blue
about the need for appropriate use.”
battles of Alexander the Great, Hannibal,
and Red. As part of such prediction, this
team against the actions of the Red team insurgents in real time.
After 30 projects over the last 15 years, Stilman believes a transition to
and Julius Caesar.” So, perhaps in the not-so-distant future,
Over the course of the project, DARPA
the LG technology is finally happening.
the U.S. armed forces will be able to better
and the U.S. Army tested RAID software in
A growing number of applications of LG
predict the strategies of their enemies, and
six experiments, some of which lasted more
have passed comprehensive testing and
modern society will have access to “what-if”
than a month. In each experiment—following
are currently being applied in real-world
analysis of historic battles, all because of the
recommendations provided by RAID—the
command and control systems in the
mathematical models contained in LG, and
Blue team, simulating the U.S. Army, fought
United States.
a scientist’s initial interest in strategies used
the Red team of insurgents. Both teams used
14
that like any technology, weapon or
in the game of chess.
FACULTY PROFILE
GOOGLE+RESEARCH
Supporting research in capacitive touchscreen communication s society relies more and more on smartphones, tablets and other post-PC devices, traditional methods for identifying and authenticating users are becoming cumbersome and time-consuming. Tam Vu, assistant professor in computer science and engineering, is addressing this problem through his research project One Ring to Rule Them All. The project aims to provide a ubiquitous
“Existing technologies often fail on one
practice. We are currently working closely
of the two requirements, if not both,”
with our sponsor contact at Google to move
authentication through a novel communication
he explains. “Our proposed method of
the project forward.”
technique called capacitive touchscreen
authentication is unique and timely. It
communication. Vu received a one-year Google
makes use of the popular touch screens and
completing his PhD at the WINLAB/Department
Research Award to help support his efforts,
touch surfaces as a communication medium,
of Computer Science at Rutgers University in
the first Google Award for CU Denver, and the
eliminating the need to use the legacy wireless
New Jersey. He currently heads the Mobile and
fourth for the University of Colorado system.
communication that is known to be prone to
Networked Systems lab, where they work on
eavesdropping.”
various aspects of mobile systems and wireless
solution for user identification and
Vu joined the college in fall 2013 after
networks including mobile healthcare, mobile communications, mobile context discovery, mobile-centric Internet architecture and
“Our initial invention… was well received by both academic and industrial audiences.”
This new method uses the universal “Our initial invention of the technology had shown a very promising result and
capacitive touchscreens found in today’s electronic devices as receivers for decoding
was well received by both academic and
identification and authentication information
industrial audiences,” says Vu. “These initial
transmitted from custom-designed, wearable
outcomes encouraged us to apply for the
hardware tokens, such as a ring or a watch.
awards from Google.”
The goal is to unify all forms of authentication
The capacitive touchscreen communication technology has the ability to change the way society uses smartphones and other portable devices. According to Vu, the maturity of mobile personal and smart devices creates a strong need for authentication methods that are both secure and convenient.
tokens, including credit cards, SIM cards and car keys into a single, wearable ring. “I am so humbled to have been chosen for this award knowing that there were many qualified proposals submitted,” says Vu. “The funds will go far in helping us push our technology to security and privacy protection
Tam Vu, assistant professor of computer science and engineering, received a one-year Google award to fund his research in capacitive touchscreen communication.
mobile system security and privacy. Outside of work, Vu enjoys photographing coffee shops around the city, watching TED® talks and hanging out with friends and family.
STUDENT PROFILE
MEDICINE+ENGINEERING
Research opportunities abound in new undergraduate bioengineering program ver since she was a kid, Rachelle Walter has wavered between pursuing a career in the medical field and studying engineering. When she came across the new undergraduate bioengineering program at CU Denver, she thought it was a perfect match. Now that she’s completed her first year, she’s
understand more about the early stages of
certain she made the right choice. The course
development in Type I and Type II Diabetes and
work is challenging, but Walter knows you have
could potentially lead to therapeutic targets to
to work hard to get what you want—it’s a lesson
inhibit or delay their development.
she learned from watching her father, and one
“With diabetes, you have an accomplishable
she appreciates every day. As she begins her
goal,” she says. “This disease doesn’t change
second year in the program, Walter is doing all
over time, which is really awesome to get into.”
she can to make sure her dreams become a reality. “I really like the program in that it’s new and
In addition to the research award, Walter also received a travel grant to the 2015 APS
that it’s smaller,” she says. “They’re teaching
annual Experimental Biology meeting in Boston
us material from industry ... Knowing we’ll be
to present her research data.
prepared is really awesome.” This past summer Walter participated in the prestigious American Physiological Society (APS)
Walter applied to the APS fellowship program with the hopes of gaining hands-on research experience and the opportunity to decide
Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship
whether she enjoyed it. Ultimately, she wants
program, which funds undergraduate students
to continue into either the National Institutes of
to do research for a 10-week period. The program
Health Medical Scientist Training Program or the MD/PhD bioengineering program. And although her eye is on graduate programs, she wants to
“I want to help people and to make a difference.”
become fluent in German and to learn about law. “My back-up plan is to become a patent lawyer,” she says. “I don’t want to have just one path planned because things can change.” Regardless of the path she chooses, Walter
is designed to introduce students to a scientific
knows her hard work will pay off. “My greatest
research career in which each student works
inspiration is my dad,” she says. “He led by
on his or her own research question in an
example and showed me that if you try hard
established APS investigator laboratory. Walter
and put your mind to it, you can accomplish
worked with Richard Benninger, assistant
anything. He taught me to be how I am today.”
professor in bioengineering, and post-doctoral
For now, her experiences in the bioengineering
researcher Nikki Farnsworth, to investigate pro-
program have made her more confident in her
inflammatory cytokine induced changes in gap
current path. “I want to help people and to
junction coupling in the pancreatic islet and to
make a difference. I can’t wait to gain more
determine a potential mechanism for overcoming
knowledge about research and also contribute
these changes. This study will help researchers
to the advancement of medicine.”
UPCOMING EVENTS
CE L E B R AT E
Commencement Celebrations
What’s your story? We’ve shared some of our stories, and now
DECEMBER 13, 2014 | COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER MAY 16, 2015 | AURARIA CAMPUS
we want to hear from you. Tell us about the
Each semester, graduating students participate in commencement ceremonies to mark
to Erica Lefeave at erica.lefeave@ucdenver.
the completion of their degree and a new beginning for what comes next. Everyone
edu or at CU Denver College of Engineering
is invited to attend and to congratulate our newest class of alumni. Find additional
and Applied Science, Campus Box 104,
details at ucdenver.edu/commencement.
P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364.
impact you’re making by sending an update
Get involved We’re always looking for ways to build stronger connections with our alumni, our partners and the community. If you want to get involved with the college— as a mentor, a volunteer or through internships—contact the Office of the Dean at 303-556-2870.
Support your college Give a scholarship, send a student team to an engineering competition or support cutting-edge research. Your gift makes a tremendous impact at the college. For more information on how you can help, contact Noelle DeLage at noelle.delage@ucdenver.edu
CO MP E T E
or 303-315-2026.
Fall and Spring Senior Design Competitions DECEMBER 12, 2014 AND MAY 15, 2015 | AURARIA CAMPUS
1,000 More campaign
Come see our students’ finest work as they present their senior design projects to a
This year, CU Denver
panel of industry judges and compete for cash prizes. Visit engineering.ucdenver.edu/
launched 1,000 More,
seniordesign in early December and in early May for information about the showcased
a campaign to foster
projects and event timing and location.
student success and provide financial support for 1,000 additional CU Denver students every year, and to triple private support for scholarships by 2020. Both
C E L E B R AT E
Year-End Celebration 2015
need-based and merit-based scholarships are priorities during 1,000 More, as are scholarships for international students,
MAY 15, 2015 | NINTH STREET PARK AURARIA CAMPUS
study abroad opportunities, transfer
Join faculty, staff, students and alumni for sun, BBQ,
Learn more about the campaign
conversation and fun as the college hosts its fourth
and how you can contribute at
annual Year-End Celebration. Visit engineering.
ucdenver.edu/1000more.
students and graduate students.
ucdenver.edu/celebration this spring for details.
17
NO NP RO FIT O RGANIZATIO N U.S. P O STAGE
PAID
DENVER, C O P ERM IT NO . 8 3 1
College of Engineering and Applied Science Campus Box 104 P.O. Box 173364 Denver, CO 80217-3364
VISIT US 1200 Larimer Street, Suite 3024 Denver, Colorado 80204 Tel: 303.556.2870 FIND US ONLINE engineering.ucdenver.edu
ABOUT: Information technology is a subject that affects all of our lives, especially with the advent of smart phones and tablets. Our students are prepared to meet the IT demands of business, health care, government, education and entertainment.
Cert no. SW-COC-001530