News

Troy, N.Y.— A leading expert in Web research, Deborah L. McGuinness, joins Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as an endowed chair of the Tetherless World Research Constellation. One of the creators of the Web language that is ushering in the next generation of the World Wide Web — the OWL Web Ontology Language — McGuinness is widely known in her field. She joins the senior constellation chair, James A. Hendler. Together the two top Web gurus make Rensselaer a leader in Web research.

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been counted among the 60 “most forward-thinking design schools” in the world, according to BusinessWeek magazine’s second annual survey of the best design schools around the globe. The ranking appears in the publication’s Oct. 15 issue.

Researchers win $1.2M DOT grant to develop methods for shifting truck deliveries to off-hours Troy, N.Y. — Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have won a competitive $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to identify the perfect combination of technology and financial incentives that could help alleviate daytime traffic congestion and boost economic growth in New York City.

New technology enables real-time diagnostics and on-site repair Troy, N.Y. — Adding even a small amount of carbon nanotubes can go a long way toward enhancing the strength, integrity, and safety of plastic materials widely used in engineering applications, according to a new study. 

Sensational Knowledge uncovers the process and nuances of learning nihon buyo, a traditional Japanese dance form.

“Cutting edge” nanomaterial could be used in hydrogen storage Troy, N.Y. — Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a razor-like material that is truly on the “cutting edge” of nanotechnology. Called nanoblades, these first-of-their-kind magnesium nanomaterials challenge conventional wisdom about nanostructure growth, and could have applications in energy storage and fuel cell technology. The discovery is detailed in the September 2007 issue of the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.

Troy, N.Y. — Eleven senior faculty members, representing the five schools of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, have been appointed to a committee that will review the university’s faculty governance system. The Faculty Governance Review Committee, announced by Provost Robert Palazzo in a letter to the faculty Sept. 21, will be chaired by Jacob Fish, the Rosalind and John J. Redfern Jr. ’33 Professor of Engineering.

Troy, N.Y. — A group of computer scientists, mathematicians, and biologists from around the world have developed a computer algorithm that can help trace the genetic ancestry of thousands of individuals in minutes, without any prior knowledge of their background. The team’s findings will be published in the September 2007 edition of the journal PLoS Genetics.

Professor Jonathan Dordick honored by the American Chemical Society Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute had an impressive showing at the 234th American Chemical Society Meeting held in late August in Boston, Mass. Along with professor Jonathan S. Dordick winning a pair of major awards, nearly 60 faculty, researchers, and students presented papers and research findings on diverse topics ranging from proteomics to bioinformatics and the design of functional nanostructure materials.

Troy, N.Y. — Geochemists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are challenging commonly held ideas about how gases are expelled from the Earth. Their theory, which is described in the Sept. 20 issue of the journal Nature, could change the way scientists view the formation of Earth’s atmosphere and those of our distant neighbors, Mars and Venus. Their data throw into doubt the timing and mechanism of atmospheric formation on terrestrial planets.