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Yu selected for NAE meeting
Prof. Michael Yu is part of a select group chosen to participate in the 2009 U.S. Frontiers in Engineering meeting, sponsored by the National Academy of Engineering and to be held in Irvine, CA Sept. 10-12, 2009. This annual meeting brings together some of the brightest young engineers in the nation to discuss recent advances in research in a variety of cross-disciplinary fields. Participation is by invitation only, after a competitive nomination and selection process.
You can learn more at the Frontiers in Engineering website.
Erlebacher guest editor for MRS Bulletin
Jonah Erlebacher is the guest editor (along with R. Seshadri) for the August, 2009 issue of the MRS Bulletin. The topic of this issue is "Hard Materials with Tunable Porosity" and you can check it out here.
Organic semiconductors in the news
A recent issue of the Johns Hopkins Engineering magazine features a description of Prof. Howard Katz's research on organic semiconductors. You can read the article here.
Searson featured in “Great Ideas” podcast
Prof. Peter Searson, co-director of the Institute for Nano-Bio Technology, describes his research on cell motility (and its implications for cancer therapies) in a Johns Hopkins Great Ideas podcast. You can find the podcast here (scroll down to the entry for May 2009).
Katz opens ICMAT 2009 conference
Professor Howard E. Katz, Chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) had the honor of joining in the opening of the 2009 International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies in Singapore in June. The conference was organized by the Materials Research Society of Singapore and endorsed by the International Union of Materials Research Societies, of which Katz is the current President. This is the fifth in a series of such conferences in Singapore, and has established a tradition as a major scientific platform, featuring over a dozen Nobel Laureates as plenary lecturers, including three at the present conference. Over 1800 delegates presented their results at twenty-three technical symposia, including invited and keynote talks by Katz.
The photograph shows the ceremonial opening of the meeting. From left to righ: Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Education and Second Minister for Defence, Singapore; the conference chair, Professor B.V.R. Chowdari of the National University of Singapore; and Professor Katz.
Ma, Hemker elected ASM Fellows
Professors Evan Ma and Kevin Hemker (Mechanical Engineering, secondary appointment in MSE) have been elected Fellows of ASM International. Prof. Ma is honored for "significant contributions in the study of processing, structure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline and amorphous metals and alloys" and Prof. Hemker for "research contributions in the understanding of deformation mechanisms, in intermetallic systems and micro-scale mechanical testing". The fellowships will be conferred at the MS&T '09 conference in October in Pittsburgh.
Michael Yu wins PECASE award
Prof. Michael Yu has be selected for a highly prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). This award recognizes some of the most promising young scientists and engineers nationally; this year, there were just 67 winners nationwide. Prof. Yu was nominated by the National Science Foundation for his innovative work on collagen modification.
JHU press release
White House press release
New training program in modelling complex systems
The Materials Science and Engineering Department is a participant in the new Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) in Modeling Complex Systems. This IGERT is designed to provide students with the opportunity to pursue graduate studies developing scientific approaches to coupling multi-physics models at different scales. Graduate students in this program bring new computational methods to bear on complex scientific problems that require a multi-disciplinary approach. Problems include those on the boundary of materials and mechanics and those that involve coupling information from materials and biology. Students interested in this program should apply through the Materials Science and Engineering Department or other participating departments. Consult the IGERT website (http://igert.jhu.edu) for more information regarding the program. Applicants for the program must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Contact Michael Falk if you have questions about participating in the IGERT in Modeling Complex Systems while pursuing your Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering.
Erlebacher named Croft faculty scholar
From Dean Nicholas Jones:
It is my pleasure to announce that Jonah Erlebacher has been named the first L. Gordon Croft Investment Management Faculty Scholar.
This named award is given to a senior assistant professor or associate professor who exhibits exceptional achievement in their area of expertise. For Jonah, the award recognizes his research in nanostructured materials, mesoporous metals, mesoporousnanocomposites, and computational materials science. His research has a wide range of applications, including energy generation and electronic device processing. He is also an authoritative lecturer on energy issues related to materials science.
Faculty Scholar status is awarded for a three-year term to provide select faculty with flexible financial support to promote their innovative research, teaching activities, and entrepreneurial thinking.
L. Gordon Croft '56, made a generous gift to establish this award. A leader in the investment field and founder of Baltimore-based Croft Leominster Investment Management, Croft has a long history of dedication to Hopkins. The Croft-Leominster Foundation has supported scholarships at Johns Hopkins and other colleges and universities. At the Whiting School of Engineering, Croft established the Frederick S. Billig L. Gordon Croft Endowed Lectureship in honor of his friend, Frederick S. Billig '55. Croft's generosity and ongoing support of the university were recognized when he received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association in 2006.
What really sank the Titanic?
Jennifer Hooper McCarty has published a new book describing her studies of the microstructure and mechanical properties of the rivets used on HMS Titanic, and the role that substandard rivets make have played in the disaster. Dr. MCarty's research was begun as a Ph.D. student under Prof. Tim Weihs, and was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tim Foecke from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Jennifer Hooper McCarty on the Colbert Report
CSI: Titanic (home page for What Really Sank the Titanic)
New York Times article
Howard Katz named MRS Fellow
Professor Howard E. Katz was named one of 34 Inaugural Fellows of the Materials Research Society (MRS). 
This honor was given "For introducing multifunctional organic materials into electronic and optical devices including transistors and electro-optic modulators; for innovation in materials synthesis; and for serving the materials community through society leadership, editorship, and government outreach." Howard has been an MRS board member from 2000 to 2005 and will assume the Presidency of the International Union of Materials Research Societies in 2009. He is also a regular leader of Congressional Visit Days and is an Associate Editor of the MRS Journal of Materials Research. The official presentation of Howard's award will take place at the 2008 Spring Meeting of the MRS in San Francisco on Wednesday, March 26. For more information, visit: www.mrs.org.
Peter Searson named to endowed professorship
Peter Searson, professor of Materials Science and Engineering and the director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Nanobiotechnology, has been named the inaugural Joseph R. and Lynn C. Reynolds Professor in the Whiting School.
Peter joined the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 1990, having received his PhD in 1982 from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. His research interests include the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials, electrodeposition and patterning, and applications for nanotechnology in biology and medicine. Peter led the launch of the Johns Hopkins University's Institute for Nanobiotechnology in 2006 and currently serves as the Institute's director.
Joseph Reynolds earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins in 1969. He is the founder and CEO of RTI Consulting LLP, founded FTI Consulting Inc., is a university trustee, and is the current chair of the National Advisory Council. In making the gift of this professorship, Mr. Reynolds' vision was to give the Dean and the school flexibility to select a recipient from any department within the Whiting School.
From left to right: Provost Kristina Johnson, Lynn Reynolds, Prof. Chia-Ling Chien, Prof. Peter Searson, Joseph Reynolds, and Dean Nicholas Jones.
Hai-Quan Mao wins NSF CAREER award
Hai-Quan Mao has won a prestigious NSF CAREER award for his research into how topological 
and chemical cues influence neural stem cell adhesion onto polymer nanofibers. Understanding these cues could lead to the ability to manipulate neural stem cell behavior, offering the potential for new treatments for degenerative diseases and traumatic injuries.