Spotlight on Students
Fall 2010

Departments: BME | ChE | CEE | CS | ECE | MSE | MAE | SIE | School Highlights

Biomedical Engineering (BME)
Jeneva A. Laib (’11) was named a 2010 Beckman Scholar. The Beckman Scholars Program promotes and funds exceptional undergraduate researchers in chemistry, biochemistry, and the biological and medical sciences.

Joseph C. Burns (’06, ’14) received a National Institutes of Health NRSA fellowship to support his work identifying the reasons why humans cannot regenerate hair cells, which are vital for sensing sound and gravity.

Kelly E. Anderson (’11) was a 2010 Science and Technology Policy Intern serving in the office of U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello (Va.)

Lesley A. Luginbill (’12) was a 2010 Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the NIH/NIAIDS/Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Hannah R. Meredith (’12) was a 2010 Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the Wilson International Center for Scholars, Science and Technology Innovation Program.

Frank W. “Will” Mauldin (’14) placed 2nd in the inaugural U.Va. Cup, a competition for U.Va.’s best entrepreneurial concept. He received a $10K prize to develop Rheo Logic, which uses ultrasound-based technology to make high-accuracy, in-line measurements to detail the structural properties of pharmaceutical products, foods and beverages to improve the safety of consumer products.

James B. Muller (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the National Academy of Sciences/Board on Life Science.

Christine V. Nikas (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the NSF Director’s Office.

Lauren A. White (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving in Buenos Aires, Pan American Health Organization/Institute of Epidemiological Studies.

Chemical Engineering (ChE)
Russell T. Baird (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving in the office of  U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (Md.).

Scott R. Horton (’11) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the Department of Energy Buildings Program.

Lauren E. Kaufmann (’11) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the National Capital Parks and Planning Commission.

Kelly M. Laustsen (’11) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the U.S. EPA Office of Science Policy, Office of Research & Development.

Holly M. Mull (’11) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the NIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.

Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Celine J. Heckel-Jones (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving in Paris, with the French Ministry of National Education.

Thomas B. Ruff (’11) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving the Virginia Governor’s Liaison Office in Washington, D.C.

The University of Virginia Center for Transportation Studies partnered with the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Office of Operations Research and Development to create an advanced transportation engineering internship program. Five CEE students participated in the inaugural internship program in summer 2010: Julie Evans (’11), Svetoslav N.  Neov (’11), Christina N. Thurber (’11), Nina W. Ruhter (’12), and Corbin Skerrit, Jr. (’11). The students were selected based on transcripts, resumes, and a two-page statement of the student’s interest in transportation and in the topics to be addressed in the program. The appointment involved a full-time, paid position for the summer at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. READ MORE.

Benjamin G. Popovich (’12), Kristen M. Cannatelli (’10), Assistant Professor Joanna C. Curran, Michael James Downey (Coll ’11), Tina Tang (’12), Tang H. Park (’12), presented a poster based on their research on the site of the upcoming Meadow Creek River Restoration project at the Virginia American Water Works Association (AWWA) conference. Using the restoration project in Charlottesville as a case study, they presented information on channel banks, restoration design, water quality, and sediment transport within, upstream and downstream of the project area.

Computer Science (CS)
Vidyabhushan Mohan (’10, ’14) gave an invited talk at the IBM T.J. Watson Non-Volatile Memory Workshop, September 2010.

Tamin I. Sookoor (’10, ’14) was awarded the Department of Defence’s SMART graduate fellowship.

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
Katie M. Dove (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the National Science and Technology Council, in the Office of Science & Technology Policy, White House.

Materials Science Engineering (MSE) and Engineering Physics
Tomohiro Aburada (’09, ’11) presented Ph.D. research at the 2010 Gordon Research Conference.

Lei Chen (’14) placed first for her research at the National Association of Corrosion Engineers conference.

Ryan B. Comes (’13) was awarded a 2010 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship by the Department of Defense.

Andrew C. King (’14) placed second for his research at the National Association of Corrosion Engineers conference.

Graduate student Christopher W. Petz (’14) received the inaugural Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf Outstanding Citizen award for his ongoing efforts contributing to the academic, educational and outreach goals of the department.

Graduate student Matthew A. Steiner (’13) was recognized with the 2010 Fred D. Rosi Award for his outstanding contributions to the academic and educational goals of the department.

Areeque M. Tasneem (’11) was honored with a scholarship in support of his research efforts from the MSE department.

Greg E. Troyer (’13), who attends the University through the distance-learning PRODUCED in Virginia program, was recognized by the department for his distinguished academic record and was awarded a research scholarship.

Jack R. Valentine (’12) is a Rodman Scholar and a member of the University’s honor council. He was honored by the department for his academic achievements.

Jenifer S. Warner (’11) presented her research at the 2010 Gordon Reseach Seminar on Aqueous Corrosion, which preceded the Gordon Research Conference.

The MSE Student Chapter of the Materials Research Society was one of 15 university chapters nationwide to be awarded a $6,000 grant for the NOVA Program “Making Stuff” by the Public Broadcasting System. The program NOVA will air a four-part series on materials science between November 2010 and February 2011. The chapters' challenge was to come up with outreach efforts to market these shows.

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)
Michael S. Backhus (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving in the NASA Science Mission Directorate.

Daniel H.  Rice (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with NASA International Space Station/Space Operations Mission.

Bahar Sharafi (’12) and Assistant Professor Silvia Blemker received the Journal of Biomechanics Award at the American Society of Biomechanics meeting. This award, sponsored by Elsevier Science Ltd., publishers of the Journal of Biomechanics, recognizes substantive and conceptually novel mechanics approaches explaining how biological systems function.

Systems and Information Engineering (SIE)
Sara A. Hoffberg (’11) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving with the Afterschool Alliance.

Raymond Lee (’12) was a Science and Technology Policy Intern serving in the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (Va.).

School Highlights
Dean’s Ambassadors serve at the invitation of the dean and assist the dean on a variety of issues within the School. The 2010–2011 Dean’s Ambassadors are Devon J. Caldwell (CE ’12), Ryan W. Engels (CS ’11), Alessandra C. Grasso (Engr Sci with minor in Biology ’12), Michael A. Gude (SE ’11), Kirstin K. Hughes (SE ’12), Borna Kazerooni (Engr Sci ’11), Ian McClenney (ChE ’11), Jillian C. Mezzanotte (SE ’11), Ellen A. Minzenmayer (SE ’11), Carolyn L. Mulvey (BME ’11), Katherine M. Raber (SE ’12), Christopher M. Reilly (SE ’11), Alex Russomanno (ME ’11).