NAVY, UH TEAM UP TO DETECT BIOLOGICAL
AGENTS, LAND MINES
NSF Grant Establishes Nanomagnetics Research Program
in Collaboration with Naval Research Labs
HOUSTON, Feb. 14, 2006 – Detecting biological agents, developing
land mine discovery techniques and improving computer memory durability
are among the projects in which some University of Houston engineering
students will be involved through the National Science Foundation-Navy
Civilian Service Fellowship Program.
Through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the Nanoscale
Interdisciplinary Research Team at UH’s Cullen College of
Engineering is collaborating with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
and the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division to provide opportunities
for a group of students in the electrical and computer engineering
department to participate in joint research programs to study and
develop technologies in the area of nanomagnetics.
Nanomagnetics looks at magnetic materials at the near-atomic level,
encompassing devices and systems made of magnetic building blocks
invisible to the naked eye.
To date, graduate students Barry Craver, Ariel Ruiz and Darren Smith
were selected by the department to participate in the program. These
students are pursuing research at UH during the academic year and
will be interning throughout the summer at the U.S. Naval Research
Laboratory in Washington, D.C., or the Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division in China Lake, Calif. A mentor will be working
with each student throughout their internships at these sites as
part of this professional development program.
“Not only is this a great opportunity for the students, who
may potentially receive job offers from these labs, but the collaboration
also allows the college and university to work closely with Navy
research and development centers,” said Dmitri Litvinov, associate
professor of electrical and computer engineering at UH and principal
investigator for the project. “We’ve placed three highly
qualified students in the program who specialize in the designated
research areas so far, and the prestige of this program will help
us with our recruitment efforts.”
Litvinov, along with Jack Wolfe, UH professor of electrical and
computer engineering, pursued the program offered by NSF in an effort
to expand collaborative research ventures with the U.S. Naval Research
Laboratory, one of the top research organizations in the nation.
The research will be conducted at the Center for Nanomagnetic Systems
at UH led by Litvinov as part of the Nanoscale Interdisciplinary
Research Team.
Totaling more than $226,000 in direct costs, the NSF grant will
support the fellowship and tuition-related costs for the students.
The research will focus on the development of device structures,
including nanomagnetic biosensors, magnetic random access memory
(MRAM) and ultra-sensitive magnetic sensors for detecting land mines.
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is interested in development
of the nanomagnetic biosensors that can be utilized for detection
of biological warfare agents, such as anthrax, as well as for civilian
applications, such as food and water safety monitoring. The lab
also is interested in the development of low-power, non-volatile
computer memory that can withstand the effects of ionizing radiation
and severe electromagnetic pulses, the by-products of nuclear explosion.
The third project, in collaboration with the Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division, will focus on the development of a new high-sensitivity
technique to improve land mine detection for U.S. military personnel
while on foreign soil.
“The opportunity to work in collaboration with the naval
laboratories is substantial,” said Raymond Flumerfelt, dean
of the Cullen College of Engineering. “The students and faculty
members will benefit greatly from these joint research endeavors
and play a significant role in developing technology that will ultimately
have great impact.”
Employing nanomagnetics has the potential to power the information
age far beyond the roadmaps of the data storage and semiconductor
industries.
In addition to the research and educational benefits such a program
provides participants, the Navy has scheduled biannual NSF-Navy
Civilian Service Leadership symposia to help students with professional
development.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Cullen College of Engineering
UH Cullen College of Engineering has produced five U.S. astronauts,
ten members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs
that have ranked in the top ten nationally. With more than 2,600
students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate
degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical
and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers
specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering
and telecommunications.
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For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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