News Briefs

 « Sep 2009 October 2009 Nov 2009 »

• EcoCAr Arrives At Georgia Tech

  October 22, 2009

  The wheels have arrived.
  
  Following months of planning and preparing, students at Georgia Tech have finally received the car they hope to convert into a fuel-efficient, green machine that is eco-friendly, stylish and performance savvy.
  
  EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge, along with its headline sponsors, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM), challenges 17 universities across the U.S. and Canada to redesign and reengineer a GM donated vehicle to further minimize fuel consumption and reduce emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance and consumer appeal. EcoCAR aims to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers by giving them the tools and experience necessary to secure a more energy-efficient future.
  

  

  EcoCAR

  As the student engineers from Georgia Tech embark on the second phase of the challenge, they will incorporate plug-in hybrid electric vehicle architecture powered by a lithium ion battery and fueled by ethanol into the vehicle. In the first phase of the competition, the team designed a virtual model of their vehicle using advanced software and computer modeling tools, which earned them keys to the vehicle so they could turn their cutting-edge simulations into reality. Now they have moved on to the physical stage of the competition which involves working under the hood of the vehicle and, ultimately, taking it on the road.
  
  “EcoCAR gives students hands-on design and engineering experience,” said Dr. David Taylor, the student advisor. Our students have worked hard this past year, and they are excited for the opportunity to integrate their designs into the vehicle.”
  
  EcoCAR is a three-year competition that builds on the 20-year history of DOE advanced vehicle technology competitions by giving engineering students the chance to design and build advanced vehicles that demonstrate leading-edge automotive technologies. GM provides vehicles, vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring and operational support. The DOE and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, provide competition management, team evaluation, technical and logistical support. Through this important partnership between government and industry, EcoCAR aims to inspire and support the next generation of scientists and engineers to unite around the common goal of sustainable mobility. Additional information about the EcoCAR competition and photos can be found online at:
  http://www.ecocarchallenge.org; http://www.green-garage.org; http://archive.ecocarphoto.com/c/ecocarphoto
  

  For more information Contact Don Fernandez (Phone: )

• Celebrate National Chemistry Week October 18-24

  October 20, 2009

  The Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society is promoting a wide array of activities to help everyone celebrate the importance of chemistry during this year’s National Chemistry Week, October 18-24. This year marks the 140th anniversary of Mendeleev’s Periodic Table, so this year’s theme, Chemistry—-It’s Elemental!, focuses on the elements. Information about how you can become involved in National Chemistry Week is available at www.acs.org/ncw.

  

  Local activities for National Chemistry Week include the following:
  
  October 20: Science Café at Fernbank Science Center from 6:30PM-8PM Joyce Palmer and David Gottfried from Georgia Tech’s Nanotechnology Research Center will lead a public discussion on “Nanotechnology: It’s Bigger Than You Think.” See http://www.fernbank.edu/ or contact Mary Breen at MARY_BREEN@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us for more details.
  
  October 21: Georgia Tech radio station WREK, 91.1 FM, will broadcast a special National Chemistry Week episode of “Inside the Black Box” with Professor Pete Ludovice on the topic, “Chemistry: What is it Good For?” The broadcast, which airs from noon - 1 PM, will feature a panel of chemists and questions from high school students participating live via teleconference.
  
  October 22: Georgia Tech will host students from three area high schools for chemistry demonstrations and talks with chemists.
  
  October 22: ChEmory, the undergraduate chemistry club at Emory University, will host a chemistry demonstration show at 5:30 pm in room 360 of the Atwood chemistry building. Contact Rachel Reiff at rreiff@emory.edu for more details.
  
  October 23: ChEmory will host a Mole Day event outside of the chemistry buildings at Emory University, beginning at 5:30PM This event will include chemistry-themed games, the dropping of a mole ball, and the presentation of the annual “periodic table of the cupcakes.” Contact Rachel Reiff at rreiff@emory.edu for more details.
  
  October 24: Fernbank Science Center will host hands-on chemistry activities from 11AM -4PM Hands-on science tables will demonstrate the properties of the elements, make liquids change colors, and more. Chemical Magic Shows at noon and 2 pm. Free and open to the public. See http://www.fernbank.edu/ or contact Mary Breen at MARY_BREEN@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us for more details.
  
  October 24: A Girl Scout Science event will be heldon the Southern Poly campus from 8AM- 2PM “The Case of the Kidnapped Cookies.” Volunteers are needed. Please contact JoAnn Arceneaux at JoAnn.Arceneaux@cytec.com for more details.
  

  For more information Contact David Terraso (Phone: 404-385-2966)

• Peterson Named to Noro-Moseley Advisory Board

  October 15, 2009

  Georgia Institute of Technology President G.P. “Bud” Peterson has joined the Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP) Advisory Board.

  

  Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson
  300 dpi Hi-Res Version (48.12 KB)

  He will serve along with eight other Advisory Board members including Emory University President Jim Wagner and Georgia Tech alumnus Thomas Noonan, former president and chief executive officer of Internet Security Systems.

  Established in 1983, NMP focuses on investing in early and early-growth stage companies. The Atlanta-based venture capital firm has funded more than 160 companies primarily in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.
  
  

  For more information Contact Lisa Grovenstein (Phone: 404-894-8835)

• Students Collect Donations For Flood Relief

  October 14, 2009

  The Georgia Tech Student Government Association, MOVE (Mobilizing Opportunities for Volunteer Experience) Georgia Tech, The President’s Council Governing Board, and the American Red Cross are collecting non-perishable food, clothes and money to assist victims of Georgia’s recent floods.
  
  Students, faculty and staff may drop off donations from 11AM to 1PM this Thursday and Friday on Skiles Walkway. Donations may also be made before Mock Rock on Thursday at 7PM in the Ferst Center for the Arts and before the Ramblin’ Reck Parade this Saturday at 8AM
  
  Students wanted to assist with flood relief when they learned that fellow Yellow Jackets were affected by the disaster. “When we heard Governor [Sonny] Perdue give the estimate for damage at $500 million, we quickly realized we had an obligation to do our part,” said Undergraduate Student Government member Corey Boone.
  
  For additional information, contact Andrea Fernandez at afernandez6@gatech.edu.

  For more information Contact Andrea Fernandez (Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx)

• Monthly Testing of Campus Warning System

  October 8, 2009

  To assure that Georgia Tech’s Warning System is in continuous operational condition, the Office of Emergency Preparedness will begin testing the system today at 11AM. All seven speaker stations will be tested simultaneously playing the following test message twice:
  
  “Testing 1-2-3-4, this is a test. Test out.”
  
  The normal siren and recorded test message will not be played at this time. The e-mail and voice mail alerts will also not be transmitted during this test.
  
  

  For more information Contact Lisa Grovenstein (Phone: 404-894-8835)

• Ga. Tech Professor Selected for NAE Symposium

  October 8, 2009

  A Georgia Institute of Technology faculty member has been selected to take part in the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium.

  

  Dirk Schaefer
  300 dpi Hi-Res Version (27.47 KB)

  Dr. Dirk Schaefer, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech’s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will join 48 of the nation’s brightest young engineering researchers and educators who have been selected to take part in the inaugural symposium.
  
  Schaefer, who works at Georgia Tech’s Savannah campus, was selected along with other top engineering faculty members in the first half of their careers who are developing and implementing innovative educational approaches in a variety of disciplines. They will gather in Herndon, Va., November 15-18 to share ideas and best practices to bring back to their home institutions.

  “I am proud that Dr. Schaefer is playing a strategic role in transforming engineering education,” said David Frost, director of Georgia Tech-Savannah. “We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber as part of our Savannah campus.”
  
  The participants were nominated by fellow engineers or deans and chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants. Schaefer, who joined Georgia Tech in 2006, has focused his research on the strategic design of engineering education including virtual learning environments and remotely/robotically controlled physical laboratory exercises for distance learning settings.

  For more information Contact Lisa Grovenstein (Phone: 404-894-8835)

• Georgia Tech Annual Security Report Released

  October 1, 2009

  In accordance with federal law, the Georgia Tech Police Department’s Annual Security Report is now available. This report provides statistics for the past three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, within off-campus buildings owned by the Institute, and on public property adjacent to campus. The report also documents institutional policies regarding campus security and other safety protocols.
  
  To view a copy of this report, visit
  http://www.police.gatech.edu/documents/brochure.pdf

  For more information Contact Ian Mayberry (Phone: )