News

$2.5 million NSF grant to fund international collaboration on polymer research and education

Troy, N.Y. — Blocks of carbon nanotubes can be used to create effective and powerful pressure sensors, according to a new study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Troy, N.Y. — Professor Shekhar Garde, a rising star in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School of Engineering, was this week named the new head of the university’s Howard. P. Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Garde began his new post on Oct. 15.

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.