SLU School of Science and Engineering

🚨 Calling Alums of aviation, engineering, chemistry, computer science, physics and earth and atmospheric sciences programs! 🚨
Get the latest news of all things SSE! Join SLU's School of Science and Engineering Dean Gregory Triplett, Ph.D., for a Virtual Town Hall from 6-7 p.m. CT on Thursday, September 12.
Register now: https://loom.ly/YArBEMs

🌟 SSE Faculty Spotlight 🌟

Congratulations to Dana Marmolejo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering, who has been named a KEEN Engineering Unleashed Fellow for 2024! The designation as an Engineering Unleashed Fellow recognizes leadership in undergraduate engineering education. Dr. Marmolejo has been an ambassador of excellence for SLU engineering and is distinguished both through a Fellows Project and through interactions with the greater Engineering Unleashed community.

This year, thirty-one individuals from twenty-seven higher education institutions across the country have been named 2024 Engineering Unleashed Fellows. Congratulations to all the Fellows: https://loom.ly/ffphCtA

Open Source with SLU (OSS), a pioneering software engineering lab at Saint Louis University, has received a $654,610 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to continue advancing open scholarship and developing open-source software. Kate Holdener, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, and Daniel Shown, OSS Program Director, run Open Source. Read more about the work of OSS: https://loom.ly/wiBulqk

🌟 SSE Researcher Spotlight 🌟

Congratulations to Co-Investigators Steven Buckner, Ph.D. (Chemistry), Paul Jellis, Ph.D. (Chemistry), and Silviya Zustiak, Ph.D. (Biomedical Engineering), who were awarded a Mid-America Transplant Society grant for $300k for their project titled “The Use of Nanocomposite Materials Tagged with Deferoxamine to facilitate Iron Chelation and Mitigation of Ferroptosis and Ischemia Reperfusion Injury of Livers Using Novel Normothermic Machine Perfusion.” This project is a collaboration with PI Mustafa Nazal, MD and Co-PI Ajay Jain, MD from SLU School of Medicine. We cannot wait to see what amazing research comes from this award!

Learn more about their research: https://loom.ly/X_KaWBc, https://loom.ly/UQz5TqQ, https://loom.ly/Zy-FdAE

Orhun Aydin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental and Geospatial Sciences, was mentioned in the St. Louis Business Journal as Saint Louis University received a federal grant to combat regional heat island effects.

Check it out:

SLU to combat regional heat island effect with Department of Energy grant - St. Louis Business Journal The goal is to to build regional resilience to heat islands, where high urban density causes higher temperatures in cities than the surrounding countryside.

🌟 SSE Researcher Spotlight 🌟

Congratulations to Jamie Neely, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry, who along with lead PI Dr. Sergey Korolev in Biochemistry and other SLU collaborators, was awarded an NSF grant for almost $744k for Acquisition of XtaLAB Synergy-R Single Crystal Diffractometer. We cannot wait to see what amazing research comes from this award!

Learn more about Dr. Neely and her research: https://www.slu.edu/science-and-engineering/academics/chemistry/faculty/neely-jamie.php and https://www.neelygroup.org/

Happy New (Academic) Year! 🎉

Welcome, new SSE Billikens, and welcome back to our returning students! Over the past few days, our first-year students have dived into campus life with SSE Orientation, Cookies and Conversations with their Academic Departments, and the First Year Experience Mentoring Mixer. We’re excited for what’s shaping up to be an amazing year ahead!

🌟 SSE Researcher Spotlight 🌟

Congratulations to Orhun Aydin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Geospatial Science, who was awarded a DoE grant for almost $965k for his project titled Advancing Development and Climate-Resilient Adaptation Practices via Community-Driven Urban Transformation in Saint Louis, MO (ADAPT-STL). The project will establish a DoE Climate Resilience Center in Saint Louis, MO. We cannot wait to see what amazing research comes from this award!

Learn more about this project (project one under Project Descriptions): https://loom.ly/7ustCW8

📣 Calling All Aviation, Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, and Earth, Environmental, and Geospatial Science Alums!

The new school year means an opportunity for you to serve as a mentor to our current SSE students. 🎓 Share your experiences, offer guidance, and make a lasting impact on the next generation of innovators. Sign up today and help shape the future of your field!

Register: https://loom.ly/Fn6Aqk4

🌟 SSE Researcher Spotlight 🌟

Congratulations to Alex Reiter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, who was awarded an NIH R03 grant for over $300k for his project Noninvasive Assessment of In Vivo Tissue Loads Following Treatment of Volumetric Muscle loss. We cannot wait to see what amazing research comes from this project!

Learn more about Dr. Reiter and his research: https://loom.ly/vocszO0 and https://loom.ly/1FRopN0

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Min Hyung Choi, Ph.D., as the incoming Department Chair of Computer Science!

Read more: https://www.slu.edu/science-and-engineering/news/2024/computer-science-chair.php

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Linda M. Warren, Ph.D., as the incoming Chair of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geospatial Science (formerly known as Earth and Atmospheric Sciences)!

Read more: https://www.slu.edu/science-and-engineering/news/2024/earth-environmental-and-geospatial-science.php

🌟 SSE Researcher Spotlight 🌟

Congratulations to David Wisbey, Ph.D. and Irma Kuljanishvili, Ph.D. of the Physics department, who along with Washington University collaborator Dr. Kater Murch, were awarded an NSF grant for almost $800k. Their project Microwave Resonator Probes of Quantum Materials for Advancing Qubit Platforms will study new quantum materials and device architectures to advance research in quantum science and technology and expand educational activates in the St. Louis region. We cannot wait to see the amazing research comes from this project!

Learn more about Drs. Wisbey and Kuljanishvili and their research: https://loom.ly/BTbF0mw and https://loom.ly/bOraDvk

🎉 Exciting news, Billikens! Homecoming and Family Weekend Registration is officially OPEN. Don’t miss out on a weekend packed with events, especially the SSE Open House on Friday, September 27th!

Register now: https://loom.ly/8NIkx6Y

We are thrilled to share that Professor and Department Chair Alexei Demchenko, Ph.D., from SSE's Department of Chemistry is the recipient of the prestigious 2024 American Chemistry Society Midwest Award!

This award recognizes, annually, an outstanding scientist's contributions to the advancement of pure or applied chemistry or chemical education. Congratulations to Professor Demchenko! He will be honored at the Midwest Regional Meeting of the ACS in October.

Read more: https://loom.ly/cKMojOc

📅 Save the Date: Registration for Homecoming and Family Weekend opens August 1! We're gearing up for an incredible weekend filled with fun, laughter and cherished memories.

🌍♻️ Join Us for the Hard to Recycle Fair this Saturday! ♻️🌍

Got items you don't know how to recycle? We've got you covered! Bring your hard-to-recycle items like electronics, medical equipment, furniture, and more. Our expert team, led by Dr. Orhun Aydin (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), will ensure they are properly recycled, keeping our environment clean and green. The first 100 attendees will receive a scoop of Italian ice, too!

Find more information about the event: https://loom.ly/ASDj5PY

At AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI today? Don't forget the Alumni and Industry Reception is TONIGHT at 5:30pm at the Saint Louis University exhibit (in the Aviation Gateway Park, Site #38). Join for refreshments with friends old and new, updates on our aviation programs, and a chance to win your own Garmin watch in our raffle!

Our SSE STEM Immersion Experience, hosted in partnership with SLU's iScore, is embarking on Day 2 of the camp week today! In addition to hands-on learning with our science, engineering and aviation programs this week, campers are also learning about college readiness and career opportunities. What a great way to spend this week in July! ⚙️

🌟 SSE Researcher Spotlight 🌟

Congratulations to Scott Martin, Ph.D., Associate Dean and Professor of Chemistry, who was selected for a five-year award from the NIH for the project, “From single molecule to microfluidic 3D tissue platforms: novel multiscale tools to investigate hyper-stimulated immune cells in the circulation." Dr. Martin serves as a PI on this collaborative grant with P*s Dr. Dana Spence of Michigan State University and Dr. Lane Baker of Texas A&M University. We are excited to see what amazing research comes from this award!

Learn more about Dr. Martin and his research: https://loom.ly/Jmz-bQQ

AIRVENTURE 2024! ✈️
Our aviation faculty, staff, and students will be at AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI this week! Stop by our exhibit ( #38) beginning tomorrow and say hello. Plan to join us on Wednesday for the Alumni and Industry Reception at 5:30pm, too!

Are you attending Homecoming and Family Weekend this September? Don't forget to order your shirt by July 31 to ensure it's delivered before the weekend's festivities. Purchases made after July 31 will be available for pickup only on campus during Homecoming and Family Weekend: https://loom.ly/Ka0kByY 👕💙

🌟SSE Student Spotlight🌟

Meet Steven Skaggs. He completed both a B.S. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Steven worked as a high school science teacher before joining the Bracher Lab group in the summer of 2020. Steven's research focuses on Organic Humidity and Organic Deliquescence which utilizes UV-Vis Spectroscopy and FT-IR for quantification. In the future, Steven would like to teach science either at the community college or high school level.

Faster than the speed of light? Associate Professor of Physics, Ian Redmount, Ph.D., has presented a new theory about dark matter particles, their faster-than-the-speed-of-light movement, and potential answers to the mysteries of our universe. Check out this exciting new theory! https://loom.ly/VqNQCz0

Dark matter may consist of particles that travel faster than light speed Scientists propose that tachyons, faster-than-light particles, might shape the universe. They suggest new model called "inflected expansion."

Saint Louis University's 2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend is around the corner! To make sure you don't miss any announcements, update your contact information by visiting alumni.slu.edu/stayconnected.

🌟SSE Faculty Spotlight🌟

Dr. Alex Reiter is an Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department. His research interests are in orthopedic soft tissue biomechanics, and he currently teaches Human Movement Biomechanics. He completed postdoctoral training in the Neuromuscular Biomechanics Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned his Ph.D. and B.S in mechanical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and the United States Military Academy, respectively. Prior to his career in academic research, he served on active-duty as an officer in the U.S. Army, and he continues to serve part-time in the Reserve as the military intelligence lead for an engineering training organization.

🌟SSE Faculty Spotlight🌟

Madi Babaiasl, Ph.D., is currently a Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Robotics and Autonomous Systems at Saint Louis University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, specializing in Robotics, from Washington State University, where she conducted research on steerable needles used in medical procedures, resulting in a patented technology. Her current research interests at SLU are at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, control theory, artificial intelligence, game development, psychology, physical therapy, and education to develop a safe and efficient human-robot interaction for assistive and rehabilitation robots, human intention detection and developing better ways to improve robotics, mechatronics, and AI education. Speaking of education, she has a dedicated YouTube channel for robotics and mechatronics learning called Mecharithm.

We 💙 summer camp season!
Our Engineering Summer Academy, presented in partnership with SLU's iScore, is already halfway done this week! High school campers from across the country have enjoyed learning about civil, aerospace and mechanical engineering the past several days, with biomedical, computer and electrical engineering modules still ahead!

Did you spend Independence Day wondering about the science behind fireworks? 🎆 Associate Professor of Chemistry Paul Bracher, Ph. D., visited Fox 2 News with a colorful demo to teach viewers about the elements used in fireworks and his research! Check it out: https://loom.ly/8gPWqLI

The Science of Fireworks Paul Bracher from the SLU Department of Chemistry explains the science of fireworks