News

Nanomaterials expert Ganpati Ramanath, the John Tod Horton ’52 Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been named a fellow of the Materials Research Society (MRS) “for developing creative approaches to realize new nanomaterials via chemically directed nanostructure synthesis and assembly and for tailoring interfaces in electronics and energy applications using molecular nanolayers.”

Michael “Miki” Amitay, the James L. Decker ’45 Endowed Chair in Aerospace Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has received a grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to study the phenomenon of flow separation on aircraft wings, which could lead to improved aerodynamic performance in future-generation air vehicles.

Carolina Motter Catarino, a graduate student in chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been awarded £10,000 from the Lush Prize, which is a collaboration between cosmetics company Lush and research organization Ethical Consumer. As the largest prize fund for the complete replacement of animal experiments, it funds projects working to end animal research in toxicology (chemical testing).

Structural engineering expert Michael O’Rourke, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has received the 2017 NCSEA James M. Delahay Award from the Board of Directors of the National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA).

Meng Wang, assistant professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has won a Young Investigator Program (YIP) award from the Army Research Office (ARO).

A major byproduct in the papermaking industry is lignosulfonate, a sulfonated carbon waste material, which is typically combusted on site, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere after sulfur has been captured for reuse. Now researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a method to use this cheap and abundant paper biomass to build a rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery. Such a battery could be used to power big data centers as well as provide a cheaper energy-storage option for microgrids and the traditional electric grid.

[The Jefferson Project at Lake George is conducting ongoing research into how human activities may be affecting the lake. This guest blog by Matt Schuler, a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Jefferson Project Director Rick Relyea, summarizes recent research published in the journal Oikos. The Jefferson Project is a collaboration between Rensselaer, IBM […]

Rechargeable lithium-ion, the dominant battery technology for portable electronics, is increasingly becoming the battery of choice for electric-vehicle and electric-grid energy-storage applications. In a lithium-ion battery, the cathode (positive electrode) is a lithium metal oxide while the anode (negative electrode) is graphite. But researchers are looking for ways to replace graphite with lithium metal as the anode to boost the battery’s energy density.

Four innovative leaders from the worlds of music, international security, genomic science, and manufacturing will address graduates at the 2018 Commencement Ceremony at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on May 19, 2018.

 A record total of 20,377 high school students have filed applications to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this fall, according to numbers released by the Rensselaer Office of Admissions. This year’s total represents an increase of 5 percent over last year’s numbers.