News

Troy, N.Y. — Xi-Cheng Zhang, the J. Erik Jonsson ’22 Distinguished Professor of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a team of researchers are the first to image biological tissue using single pulses of terahertz (THz or T-ray) radiation. This single-pulse approach will improve diagnostic time from hours or days, down to minutes or seconds. The technique could one day lead to computerized medical diagnoses right in the physician’s office.

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer has received a $400,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to organize a Community Outreach Partnership Center in the City of Troy. The goal of the Center, in partnership with the City of Troy, is to revitalize Troy’s neighborhoods and infrastructure, promote the use of technology in math and science education, and to bridge the “digital divide” through job and technology training.

Troy, N.Y. — Heidi Jo Newberg, associate professor of physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Brian Yanny, an astrophysicist at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, who are leading a team of researchers with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), announced today they have identified new star structures in the halo of the Milky Way that could alter the standard model of the galaxy. The research also has implications for how the Milky Way was formed.

Troy, N.Y. — The Troy Architectural Program (TAP) has earned an Empire Award for working with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on the university’s Neighborhood Renewal Initiatives plan. The first-time award, issued by the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), has honored 10 neighborhood and rural preservation companies assisting local communities in promoting and facilitating affordable housing and neighborhood development across New York state.

Gift will be matched with additional $7 million from Rensselaer

Initiative Features New Buildings for Biotechnology and Electronic Arts Troy, N.Y. — A plan for new construction that totals $255 million has been approved by the Board of Trustees of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The plan calls for building a center for biotechnology and interdisciplinary studies, a center for electronic media and performing arts, a parking garage, a boiler plant, a chiller plant, and for related improvements to campus landscaping and infrastructure.

Troy, N.Y. — David Spooner, acting chair and professor of computer science, has been named associate dean for information technology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. Spooner’s research in database systems put him in the forefront of information technology even before it was recognized as a separate discipline.

Troy, N.Y. — Frances Bronet, associate professor of architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and long-time Troy resident, has been chosen as the 2001 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching New York Professor of the Year. The award, part of the U.S. Professor of the Year Program, is being announced today in Washington, D.C., by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Troy, N.Y. — Gordon Winston, an expert on college and university business practices, will speak at a public lecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Friday, Nov. 16, at 3:45 p.m. in room 337 of the Darrin Communications Center. Winston’s lecture, “The Awkward Economics of Higher Education,” will explore the reasons why running a university is different from running a business or a charity.

Troy, N.Y. — Kenneth Connor has been named chair of the department of electrical, computer, and systems engineering (ECSE) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has recently been serving as acting department chair.