University of New Haven
TCoE
Trends
Newsletter of the Tagliatela College of Engineering,
University of New Haven
Fall 2024
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Gains Momentum with New Chair
Coveted and intensely competitive, a National Science Foundation Early CAREER Grant award represents a coup for any faculty member. For Dr. Ganesh Balasubramanian, the new chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, it’s been one coup after another. NSF grants have been par for the course for him since 2014, funding him continually in several one-to-five year projects.
The proven scholar received his Early CAREER Grant — amounting to almost $684,000 — while he was at Lehigh University. He was able to pack up $261,000 of it and take it with him when he moved to the University of New Haven in July 2024.
The grant is funding the project “Surface Engineering by Predictive Laser Deposition of Multi-Principal Element Alloys.” These are not your grandparents’ alloys. Carbon steel, with which we are all familiar, is a simple, straightforward mix of iron alloyed with 0.01% to 1% carbon. The alloys Balasumbramanian is working with — Multi-Principal Element Alloys (MPEAs) — are a new class of materials generally comprising five or more metals in near-equal proportions. MPEAs possess superior mechanical strength and hardness, potentially giving them hero status in manufacturing components such as turbine blades, aerospace parts, and medical implants.
Complications set in, however, with the 3D printing of MPEA parts. Each of the metals has its own unique atomic structure and melting point. When the laser power of a 3D printer impinges on the metal powders, unpredictability is the byproduct. Five different metals equals five different timetables for melting, subsequent fusion, recrystallization, and solidifying. Defects in the finished part can result.
Balasubramanian and his team are addressing the problem by establishing a framework that will set parameters for select alloys to produce defect-free parts. Undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral scholars all have a role in the project, performing work that ranges from experimental synthesis and property measurements to modeling and AI-guided investigation.
With his arrival at the University of New Haven, Balasubramanian became the third NSF Early CAREER Grant recipient in the Tagliatela College of Engineering. A sweetener aided in his recruitment — a recently endowed professorship at UNewHaven, the Lambrakis Professorship, honoring the former Professor, Chair, and Dean of Engineering Konstantine C. Lambrakis.
Student News
Huan Gu, assistant professor of chemical engineering, wants to throw a chemical monkey wrench into that process in the form of an enzyme that would activate the anti-fouling capabilities of enzyme-responsive materials. Thanks to a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, she can pursue that goal with a lot more intensity.
The would-be hero enzyme is chitinase and the enzyme-responsive material that Gu has in mind is a novel polyolefin compound (N-hydroxethyl 5-Norbornene 2,3-dicarboxymide), a type of thermoplastic.
Her research will explore the relationship between the properties of polyolefin surfaces, such as hydrophobicity (being repelled by water), its texture, and its performance in inhibiting bacterial adhesion.
Faculty News
The project lays the ground work for achieving Gu’s long-term research goal of yielding coatings with active, enduring, and efficient anti-fouling properties that could be used in renewable energy installations like offshore wind farms. In addition, the coatings would have the potential to retrofit existing power plants.
Working with Gu will be an interdisciplinary group of undergraduate and graduate students that she will train in materials and surface engineering. The grant will also help her introduce high school students to biomaterials through a summer camp.
The specific NSF grant Gu was awarded is the LEAPS-MPS, short for Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Its aim is to further the careers of pre-tenure faculty in those fields.
Said Gu about the project: “Its success could have a significant impact on society by substantially lowering the financial burden of biofouling in energy facilities, such as Connecticut’s forthcoming offshore wind farm Revolution Wind.
“And even beyond the advances in anti-fouling science, the insights we gain from the project will be instrumental in developing innovative, biodegradable, and programmable plastics to address the issue of plastic waste.” Already, preliminary data indicate that chitinase effectively breaks down the newly designed polyolefin, which could replace the traditional, non-biodegradable plastics that are ubiquitous in our lives.
That would be a win-win when it comes to our dependence on plastics. In other words, we would still use them for everything they’re worth — and then make them disappear when we can’t stand seeing them anymore.
The Biofouling by Biofilms and the Billions they Cost Us
While most terms beginning with “bio” connote something having a positive impact — or at least a benign one — on the environment, “biofouling” isn’t one of them.
As anyone could surmise, biofouling is gross. It occurs when biofilms formed by bacteria and algae attach themselves to surfaces — typically wet ones — and give the microorganisms therein a chance to eat through that surface. Two surfaces where that process is phenomenally destructive? The surfaces of wind turbines in wind farms and the various metal surfaces in power plants. Biofouling costs power plants $50 billion every year through biofilms causing corrosive rust or through stealing electrons from metal for “food.” Yum.
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As attractive as the professorship was, another factor weighed heavily in Balasubramanian’s decision to come: the fact that faculty involvement in research doesn’t keep students on the sidelines. “I have the opportunity to integrate the student-centric learning that is already in place at UNewHaven into my research,” he said.
There’s a term for that: forward momentum. With Dr. Balasubramanian at the helm, it looks to be unstoppable.
Just as important, the training in technical skills and concepts that students receive is guided by a direct endgame application. All of it is inspired by the potential for actual use in the real world.”
Civil Engineering Faculty Member Scores the University’s First Grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation
With the kind of humanoid robot that Dr. Li envisions, onsite space exploration would no longer be an either/or proposition — either send a robot or send an astronaut. They would blast off together.
Human beings would continue to experience the wonder of exploring the final frontier up close and personal — but with their humanoid teammate shouldering some of the risk inherent in the enterprise.
Slide 3 of 3
Astronauts would remotely control the humanoid robots in space, demonstrating gestures to them so that they could execute missions. This way, astronauts could stay safely inside the space capsule while their humanoid underlings are engaging in hazardous duty.
Until very recently, the only human-robot interaction in the space program consisted of humans on earth controlling robots in space. That has had its upside. Unmanned spacecraft using conventional robots have been cost effective and have returned to Earth with a goldmine of photos and data. But when it comes to installing, maintaining, aligning, and repairing complex scientific instruments in space or conducting field exploration, human experience and the ability to make judgment calls have no robotic equal. We still need astronauts.
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Now, thanks to a $10,000 NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium (CTSCG) Faculty Research Grant awarded to Dr. Cheryl Li of the University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, astronauts may eventually have some new “hands” on deck to help them out.
The goal of Dr. Li’s project — “Skeleton Tracking for Space Explorations” — is to develop an advanced skeleton-tracking algorithm that will employ in-depth cameras to observe and analyze the movement of human joints. Specialized software could then translate that data to make the joints in a humanoid skeleton — a robot — and track its movement in real time.
Slide 1 of 3
Robots are doing a lot of the jobs humans used to do, and their résumé keeps getting longer. However, their stiff, jerky motions cannot compete with the precise, subtle movements of human hands, fingers, and other joints, such as wrists, elbows, shoulders, and knees. This limited dexterity makes them unqualified to perform many tasks, and not just on planet Earth. There are tasks involving exploration in outer space that typically require an astronaut to perform successfully but which often involve dangerous, volatile environments and unwanted exposure to high levels of radiation and low gravity.
That’s one giant step for astronaut safety in space
See More
NASA Grant Funds Research on Robots with Human Dexterity
The program addresses the growing demand for professionals with advanced skills in construction management. It pulls in students from all disciplines, even outside of engineering.
A passionate researcher as well, she transmits that enthusiasm to the students she recruits to work with her. One of her current projects is Automated Construction Inspection and Visualization, with a specific emphasis on integrating tools such as Uncrewed Aerial Systems. The project’s aim is to enhance efficiency, safety, and accuracy on a construction site.
From 2022 to 2023, Dr. Reihaneh Samsami played a pivotal role in the development of the M.S. in Construction Management. After a brief stint in another institution, she has returned to the University of New Haven as the inaugural recipient of the Tagliatela Family Professorship in Civil Engineering and to the position of coordinator for the slightly renamed program, the M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management. As someone who helped structure the program from the ground floor, she has the insight needed to build it up, out, and on budget.
More Reinforcement Built into M.S. in Construction Engineering & Management
The Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) has lauded Byungik Chang for his dedication to students and for his outstanding success in attracting new ones to the field. The Society bestowed their prestigious President’s Award on the popular professor and chair of the University of New Haven’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The CSCE took special note of Chang’s tireless work with professional organizations, which keeps him at the forefront of the latest trends, innovations, and best practices — knowledge that he turns immediately to his students’ advantage and their pre-professional development.
Being All That: Civil Engineering Professor Earns Recognition as Role Model, Mentor, and Champion
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Chang motivated graduate students to create a new student chapter of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE. He himself served as the chair of the Connecticut chapter of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute. He has spent countless hours on activities and initiatives in the organizations, always with the ultimate end of using these opportunities to inspire students, witness their growth, and advise them on a career path.
His dedication and energy spoke loudly to the ASCE’s Region I Awards Committee, which chose him as the recipient of the 2024 Region I Faculty Advisor Award in honor of his exceptional contribution to the student chapter.
Working within these organizations also gives Chang access to a vast network of industry professionals and experts, which he mines for collaborative opportunities, guest speakers, and ideas for workshops and seminars.
These activities expose students to real-world insights and experiences that enrich their learning and broaden their perspectives,” he said.
They are fortunate that all the while that’s happening, they also are being exposed to a truly remarkable teacher.
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Nagasree Garapati Assistant Prof., Chemical Engineering Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access and Belonging
Forty Percent of University’s Faculty Excellence Awards Go to TCoE Faculty
Huan Gu Assistant Prof., Chemical Engineering Excellence in Recruiting, Advising, or Retention
Chong Qiu Associate Prof., Chemistry Excellence in Experiential Education
Hao Sun Assistant Prof., Chemistry Excellence in Research
The outstanding students of the Robotics team that helped raise the Mars bar for exploratory vehicles were: Eric Parker, Aidan Stoner, Marc Santacapita, Shaunessy Reynolds (B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering); Joseph Marcello (B.S. in Mechanical Engineering); Xenia Sitterer (B.S. in Cybersecurity & Networks); Ryan Marren (B.A. in Music and Sound Recording); and Akash Deshapathi (Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science). Their faculty advisor was Dr. Shayok Mukhopadhyay, associate professor of electrical engineering.
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The UNewHaven team also won something else — extra attention from the judges. The UNewHaven Rover was the only one that swapped out traditional wheels for flexible tank treads, which gave the vehicle greater contact with the surface and enabled it to float over particulates and climb over obstacles instead of repeatedly and “mindlessly” bumping against them or just giving up. This ability did not escape the judges, who praised the vehicle’s unstoppable character.
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In the competition’s version of an after-party — post-event fun and games — the University’s Mars Rover overpowered the reigning champion in the Tug-of-War. The Rover from Missouri University of Science and Technology had held the title since 2017, but if there had been a giant mud puddle in the middle of this tug-of-war, their Rover would have landed in it. Fortunately, for them and their vehicle, mud puddles are rather scarce in the desert.
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In our last issue, we shared the exciting news that our Robotics Team had been chosen as one of 38 finalists out of the 102 teams from 15 countries that applied to the competition. The teams faced off to see who could improve on the current NASA-designed Mars Rover vehicle.
The Challenge was held in Utah at the Mars Desert Research Station from May 29 to June 1.
Out of the 38 finalists, the UNewHaven team came in 24th, beating out such notables as Cornell University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Toronto.
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University's Mars Rover Overpowering the Reigning Champion in Tug of War
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Where We Landed in the Mars Society University Rover Challenge
UNew Haven Students First Out of the Gate with Brand New Scholarship
This was the first year that the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers offered its GEO-CT Geotechnical Scholarship, and three University of New Haven civil engineering students were among the first to win one.
The scholarship targets Connecticut students who are studying geotechnical engineering or a related field. Master’s students Ashok Gyawali and Gabriella Zint, and junior Emilia Wypasek each took home the prize.
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The 70th Anniversary Conference of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) turned out to be an exhilarating event for Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Kagya Amoako and eight of his master’s degree students. Their paper “Platelet Aggregation Is Influenced by Nitric Oxide Loaded Liposome Nanoparticle Formulation” received the ASAIO’s Top Bioengineering Abstract Award, and a second paper “Total Knee Replacement Ring Drug Delivery System” received the Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award for Most Innovative Technologies at the May event in Baltimore.
The jubilant student-authors are: Sara Makin, Chika Okwuogori, Betelihem Fre, Jonathan Ogboli, Oluwanifemi Olagunju, Pooja Rongala, Frank West, and Amir Mokhammad.
Student Papers Make Headlines
at ASAIO Conference
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The visit was the first step in an ambitious potential collaboration between the two universities: the launching of 3+1 undergraduate programs — a B.S .in Computer Science, a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and a B.S. in Engineering. Collaborations between Chinese and U.S. universities have become one way to boost undergraduate student enrollment in the U.S.
If all goes according to plan, students would spend their first three years at XUPT, with UNewHaven faculty teaching them there in the summers, and their last year at the University of New Haven.
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Last July, the University of New Haven welcomed sixteen students from Xi’an University of Posts and Telecommunications (XUPT) in Xi’an, China, one of the world’s four most ancient capitals and the acknowledged birthplace of Chinese civilization.
Despite the lure of Long Island Sound and its beaches just minutes away, the group spent ten days immersed in engineering sessions, hands-on projects, and visits to local engineering companies to discover more about the American approach to engineering education and its increasingly prevalent end result — the marriage of hands-on learning, entrepreneurship and business acumen with engineering expertise.
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A Collaboration with Xi’an University Kicks Off with a Summer Camp and a Lunch Date with Dr. Henry C. Lee
A Send-Off for the Scrapbook
Because we couldn’t send the group back to China without at least one truly memorable meal, the group enjoyed a bit of high-level socializing at a lunch hosted by their fellow countryman, renowned forensic scientist and Professor Emeritus Henry C. Lee, the founder of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science on the University of New Haven campus.
The Institute serves as a go-to resource for professional forensic investigators and police, teachers, and students. It houses a crime-scene center, high-tech forensic room, a crisis management center, three classrooms, and state-of-the-art virtual instruction and touch screen technology to bring in-depth information in the field of forensic science to students around the world.
Dr. Henry Lee is a “rock star” in China, and spending time with him left an indelible mark on the visiting students.
However, there’s a decided learning curve in designing them to be efficient and, so far, most designers are still bogged down at the bottom of it. Shetty has identified the big thing that is retarding their progress: not understanding the impact of watershed size. His research toward developing a sizing calculator will leverage the correlation between watershed size and soil moisture levels to develop a comprehensive understanding of the best bioswale size, number, and placement for a given urban space.
A lack of clarity on those specs has long plagued city planners and land managers. With Shetty’s sizing calculator, there would be a lot less stress on them as well as on the environment.
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When it comes to research grants, the CT DOT has fixed its gaze almost exclusively on the University of Connecticut for quite some time. The recent proposal from University of New Haven Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Nandan Shetty, however, succeeded in attracting their attention and holding it.
Shetty’s project, titled “Bioswale Sizing Calculator to Optimize Placement,” which was estimated to cost $161,382, was approved by the agency last summer. Bioswales are channels designed to handle the runoff from storm water, removing pollution at the same time through the use of vegetation, mulch and soil. They typically are installed along streets and around parking lots.
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The 2% Solution
Compared to the national average, UNewHaven awards engineering degrees to two percent fewer women. Here’s how we’re solving the shortfall.
MORE News
You have to reach them in middle school. By the time they’re in high school, your window of opportunity is halfway, if not all the way, closed.
What happens to schoolgirls that they tend to shy away or downright dislike mathematics and the sciences?
One thing we know: Girls’ fear, disdain, or just sheer indifference to math and the sciences is a peculiarity of Western culture. Take a look at the stats for women engineers in the workforce around the world:
In 2022:
40%
40%
30%
17%
of engineers in China were women.
of engineers in Russia were women.
of engineers in India were women.
of engineers in the U.S. were women.
Yes, countries in the West are coming in dead last in that group, and not by a small amount.
Deciding to be even more self-critical, we looked at the 2022 graduation numbers. In the U.S., women represented 22% of those who received engineering degrees. At UNewHaven, they comprised only 20%. Ouch.
That two percent gap rankled. Especially since the women who did enter engineering programs at the University had proven themselves to be both extremely talented and blessed with an abundance of leadership ability. We knew there were more candidates like them out there — we just had to find them.
Stephanie Gillespie, Associate Dean of TCoE, worked with the development team that helped shape the WIE proposal. She knew from her own personal history how much impact a program of this type can have. “Without a similar initiative I experienced as a young woman during a high school summer camp, I would not have chosen engineering as a career path, “she recalls.
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In addition to the Outreach program, the WIE works with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut to host an on-campus engineering day for 15 girls. It also supported Sikorsky’s engineering design challenge on campus and the Vex Robotics Competition. VEX Robotics is a program for elementary through university students. Guinness World Records named the Competition it the largest robotics competition in the world.
Leah Austin, the WIE’s program coordinator, finds even more venues through diligent networking. ReadyCT and Junior Achievement of Southern CT have both requested speaking visits to spread the message of girl power in engineering.
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The initiative kicked off its efforts by funding a program coordinator, who organized the University’s first Engineering Outreach program. This year, the WIE partnered with 23 high schools and middle schools in the area, organizing visits and talks on engineering that reached 400 students. Female engineering students also play their part, serving as ambassadors from the University to help fire the imagination and ambition of female students for engineering careers. Though they’re not quite a peer group, the student ambassadors relate easily and quickly to their slightly younger audience.
Open Houses on campus follow, where students experience a day-long immersion in what a college engineering program looks and feels like. They meet with professors, tour the various labs, and engage in a small hands-on project in the University’s Makerspace.
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Enter Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering David Harding, his wife Lisa, and the Harding “Women in Engineering Initiative (WIE),” a program funded by the couple that provides financial support to help recruit female engineering students to the University.
Launched in 2023, the WIE has hit its stride this year and has a significant presence in the community as well as inside the University.
Awakening Sleeping Giants
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These programs help girls see that career path and to know that, while they still may be a minority in the classroom, there is support and community.”
The WIE may be leading the charge to recruit more female students into engineering programs, but help is coming through on another front as well. Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Nagasree Garapati has brought in reinforcements in the form of the grant “Youth Empowerment in STEM“ funded by the Alan Alda (yes, the MASH star) Center’s Women in STEM Leadership Program. The Program fosters the success of underrepresented students in STEM fields.
Garapati also visited nine local New Haven public schools, where she spoke to students about their prospects in engineering and spearheaded a hands-on project for students in which they helped design a separation device to segregate particles of different size from each other while minimizing cost. The particles? A breakfast blend of different cereals, with Rice Krispies being separated successfully from the mix.
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All told, the efforts of the WIE alone reached over 750 students in 2024, with 20% of the incoming first-year female students having attended at least one WIE event — a start that program coordinator Leah Austin finds quite encouraging.
Can the 2% gap in female recruitment at UNewHaven withstand the 100% effort of the University to recruit them? Give us another year or so. But we’re betting it can’t.
Prognostication
The Tagliatela College of Engineering has been ranked in the top tier of undergraduate engineering programs nationwide by U.S. News & World Report.
300 Boston Post Road, West Haven, CT 06516
203.932.7168 | www.newhaven.edu/engineering
TAGLIATELA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
University of New Haven
Dr. Ganesh Balasubramanian
Colleges and Schools
5
Faculty Excellence Awards
10
Go to TCoE Professors
4
The numbers tell the story: TCoE faculty are performing very strongly at the university.
Here are the talented and dedicated faculty who raised the College’s profile several notches last May:
University of New Haven
TCoE
Trends
Newsletter of the Tagliatela College of Engineering,
University of New Haven
Fall 2024
University of New Haven
TCoE
Trends
Newsletter of the Tagliatela College of Engineering,
University of New Haven
Fall 2024
As attractive as the professorship was, another factor weighed heavily in Balasubramanian’s decision to come: the fact that faculty involvement in research doesn’t keep students on the sidelines. “I have the opportunity to integrate the student-centric learning that is already in place at UNewHaven into my research,” he said.
There’s a term for that: forward momentum. With Dr. Balasubramanian at the helm, it looks to be unstoppable.
Said Gu about the project: “Its success could have a significant impact on society by substantially lowering the financial burden of biofouling in energy facilities, such as Connecticut’s forthcoming offshore wind farm Revolution Wind.
“And even beyond the advances in anti-fouling science, the insights we gain from the project will be instrumental in developing innovative, biodegradable, and programmable plastics to address the issue of plastic waste.” Already, preliminary data indicate that chitinase effectively breaks down the newly designed polyolefin, which could replace the traditional, non-biodegradable plastics that are ubiquitous in our lives.
That would be a win-win when it comes to our dependence on plastics. In other words, we would still use them for everything they’re worth — and then make them disappear when we can’t stand seeing them anymore.
Slide 3 of 3
The project lays the ground work for achieving Gu’s long-term research goal of yielding coatings with active, enduring, and efficient anti-fouling properties that could be used in renewable energy installations like offshore wind farms. In addition, the coatings would have the potential to retrofit existing power plants.
Working with Gu will be an interdisciplinary group of undergraduate and graduate students that she will train in materials and surface engineering. The grant will also help her introduce high school students to biomaterials through a summer camp.
The specific NSF grant Gu was awarded is the LEAPS-MPS, short for Launching Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Its aim is to further the careers of pre-tenure faculty in those fields.
Slide 2 of 3
Huan Gu, assistant professor of chemical engineering, wants to throw a chemical monkey wrench into that process in the form of an enzyme that would activate the anti-fouling capabilities of enzyme-responsive materials. Thanks to a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, she can pursue that goal with a lot more intensity.
The would-be hero enzyme is chitinase and the enzyme-responsive material that Gu has in mind is a novel polyolefin compound (N-hydroxethyl 5-Norbornene 2,3-dicarboxymide), a type of thermoplastic.
Her research will explore the relationship between the properties of polyolefin surfaces, such as hydrophobicity (being repelled by water), its texture, and its performance in inhibiting bacterial adhesion.
Slide 1 of 3
While most terms beginning with “bio” connote something having a positive impact — or at least a benign one — on the environment, “biofouling” isn’t one of them.
As anyone could surmise, biofouling is gross. It occurs when biofilms formed by bacteria and algae attach themselves to surfaces — typically wet ones — and give the microorganisms therein a chance to eat through that surface. Two surfaces where that process is phenomenally destructive? The surfaces of wind turbines in wind farms and the various metal surfaces in power plants. Biofouling costs power plants $50 billion every year through biofilms causing corrosive rust or through stealing electrons from metal for “food.” Yum.
The Biofouling by Biofilms and the Billions they Cost Us
See More
Civil Engineering Faculty Member Scores the University’s First Grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation
However, there’s a decided learning curve in designing them to be efficient and, so far, most designers are still bogged down at the bottom of it. Shetty has identified the big thing that is retarding their progress: not understanding the impact of watershed size. His research toward developing a sizing calculator will leverage the correlation between watershed size and soil moisture levels to develop a comprehensive understanding of the best bioswale size, number, and placement for a given urban space.
A lack of clarity on those specs has long plagued city planners and land managers. With Shetty’s sizing calculator, there would be a lot less stress on them as well as on the environment.
2 of 2
When it comes to research grants, the CT DOT has fixed its gaze almost exclusively on the University of Connecticut for quite some time. The recent proposal from University of New Haven Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Nandan Shetty, however, succeeded in attracting their attention and holding it.
Shetty’s project, titled “Bioswale Sizing Calculator to Optimize Placement,” which was estimated to cost $161,382, was approved by the agency last summer. Bioswales are channels designed to handle the runoff from storm water, removing pollution at the same time through the use of vegetation, mulch and soil. They typically are installed along streets and around parking lots.
1 of 2
See More
With the kind of humanoid robot that Dr. Li envisions, onsite space exploration would no longer be an either/or proposition — either send a robot or send an astronaut. They would blast off together.
Human beings would continue to experience the wonder of exploring the final frontier up close and personal — but with their humanoid teammate shouldering some of the risk inherent in the enterprise.
Slide 3 of 3
Astronauts would remotely control the humanoid robots in space, demonstrating gestures to them so that they could execute missions. This way, astronauts could stay safely inside the space capsule while their humanoid underlings are engaging in hazardous duty.
Until very recently, the only human-robot interaction in the space program consisted of humans on earth controlling robots in space. That has had its upside. Unmanned spacecraft using conventional robots have been cost effective and have returned to Earth with a goldmine of photos and data. But when it comes to installing, maintaining, aligning, and repairing complex scientific instruments in space or conducting field exploration, human experience and the ability to make judgment calls have no robotic equal. We still need astronauts.
Slide 2 of 3
Now, thanks to a $10,000 NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium (CTSCG) Faculty Research Grant awarded to Dr. Cheryl Li of the University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, astronauts may eventually have some new “hands” on deck to help them out.
The goal of Dr. Li’s project — “Skeleton Tracking for Space Explorations” — is to develop an advanced skeleton-tracking algorithm that will employ in-depth cameras to observe and analyze the movement of human joints. Specialized software could then translate that data to make the joints in a humanoid skeleton — a robot — and track its movement in real time.
Slide 1 of 3
Robots are doing a lot of the jobs humans used to do, and their résumé keeps getting longer. However, their stiff, jerky motions cannot compete with the precise, subtle movements of human hands, fingers, and other joints, such as wrists, elbows, shoulders, and knees. This limited dexterity makes them unqualified to perform many tasks, and not just on planet Earth. There are tasks involving exploration in outer space that typically require an astronaut to perform successfully but which often involve dangerous, volatile environments and unwanted exposure to high levels of radiation and low gravity.
That’s one giant step for astronaut safety in space
See More
NASA Grant Funds Research on Robots with Human Dexterity
From 2022 to 2023, Dr. Reihaneh Samsami played a pivotal role in the development of the M.S. in Construction Management. After a brief stint in another institution, she has returned to the University of New Haven as the inaugural recipient of the Tagliatela Family Professorship in Civil Engineering and to the position of coordinator for the slightly renamed program, the M.S. in Construction Engineering and Management. As someone who helped structure the program from the ground floor, she has the insight needed to build it up, out, and on budget.
The program addresses the growing demand for professionals with advanced skills in construction management. It pulls in students from all disciplines, even outside of engineering.
A passionate researcher as well, she transmits that enthusiasm to the students she recruits to work with her. One of her current projects is Automated Construction Inspection and Visualization, with a specific emphasis on integrating tools such as Uncrewed Aerial Systems. The project’s aim is to enhance efficiency, safety, and accuracy on a construction site.
More Reinforcement Built into M.S. in Construction Engineering & Management
They are fortunate that all the while that’s happening, they also are being exposed to a truly remarkable teacher.
These activities expose students to real-world insights and experiences that enrich their learning and broaden their perspectives,” he said.
Working within these organizations also gives Chang access to a vast network of industry professionals and experts, which he mines for collaborative opportunities, guest speakers, and ideas for workshops and seminars.
3 of 3
Chang motivated graduate students to create a new student chapter of the Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE. He himself served as the chair of the Connecticut chapter of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute. He has spent countless hours on activities and initiatives in the organizations, always with the ultimate end of using these opportunities to inspire students, witness their growth, and advise them on a career path.
His dedication and energy spoke loudly to the ASCE’s Region I Awards Committee, which chose him as the recipient of the 2024 Region I Faculty Advisor Award in honor of his exceptional contribution to the student chapter.
2 of 3
The Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) has lauded Byungik Chang for his dedication to students and for his outstanding success in attracting new ones to the field. The Society bestowed their prestigious President’s Award on the popular professor and chair of the University of New Haven’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
The CSCE took special note of Chang’s tireless work with professional organizations, which keeps him at the forefront of the latest trends, innovations, and best practices — knowledge that he turns immediately to his students’ advantage and their pre-professional development.
1 of 3
See More
Being All That: Civil Engineering Professor Earns Recognition as Role Model, Mentor, and Champion
Nagasree Garapati Assistant Prof., Chemical Engineering Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access and Belonging
Huan Gu Assistant Prof., Chemical Engineering Excellence in Recruiting, Advising, or Retention
Chong Qiu Associate Prof., Chemistry Excellence in Experiential Education
Hao Sun Assistant Prof., Chemistry Excellence in Research
The numbers tell the story: TCoE faculty are performing very strongly at the university.
Here are the talented and dedicated faculty who raised the College’s profile several notches last May:
Colleges and Schools
5
Faculty Excellence Awards
10
Go to TCoE Professors
4
Forty Percent of University’s Faculty Excellence Awards Go to TCoE Faculty
The outstanding students of the Robotics team that helped raise the Mars bar for exploratory vehicles were: Eric Parker, Aidan Stoner, Marc Santacapita, Shaunessy Reynolds (B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering); Joseph Marcello (B.S. in Mechanical Engineering); Xenia Sitterer (B.S. in Cybersecurity & Networks); Ryan Marren (B.A. in Music and Sound Recording); and Akash Deshapathi (Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science). Their faculty advisor was Dr. Shayok Mukhopadhyay, associate professor of electrical engineering.
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The UNewHaven team also won something else — extra attention from the judges. The UNewHaven Rover was the only one that swapped out traditional wheels for flexible tank treads, which gave the vehicle greater contact with the surface and enabled it to float over particulates and climb over obstacles instead of repeatedly and “mindlessly” bumping against them or just giving up. This ability did not escape the judges, who praised the vehicle’s unstoppable character.
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In the competition’s version of an after-party — post-event fun and games — the University’s Mars Rover overpowered the reigning champion in the Tug-of-War. The Rover from Missouri University of Science and Technology had held the title since 2017, but if there had been a giant mud puddle in the middle of this tug-of-war, their Rover would have landed in it. Fortunately, for them and their vehicle, mud puddles are rather scarce in the desert.
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In our last issue, we shared the exciting news that our Robotics Team had been chosen as one of 38 finalists out of the 102 teams from 15 countries that applied to the competition. The teams faced off to see who could improve on the current NASA-designed Mars Rover vehicle.
The Challenge was held in Utah at the Mars Desert Research Station from May 29 to June 1.
Out of the 38 finalists, the UNewHaven team came in 24th, beating out such notables as Cornell University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Toronto.
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University's Mars Rover Overpowering the Reigning Champion in Tug of War
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Where We Landed in the Mars Society University Rover Challenge
This was the first year that the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers offered its GEO-CT Geotechnical Scholarship, and three University of New Haven civil engineering students were among the first to win one.
The scholarship targets Connecticut students who are studying geotechnical engineering or a related field. Master’s students Ashok Gyawali and Gabriella Zint, and junior Emilia Wypasek each took home the prize.
UNew Haven Students First Out of the Gate with Brand New Scholarship
The 70th Anniversary Conference of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) turned out to be an exhilarating event for Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Kagya Amoako and eight of his master’s degree students. Their paper “Platelet Aggregation Is Influenced by Nitric Oxide Loaded Liposome Nanoparticle Formulation” received the ASAIO’s Top Bioengineering Abstract Award, and a second paper “Total Knee Replacement Ring Drug Delivery System” received the Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award for Most Innovative Technologies at the May event in Baltimore.
The jubilant student-authors are: Sara Makin, Chika Okwuogori, Betelihem Fre, Jonathan Ogboli, Oluwanifemi Olagunju, Pooja Rongala, Frank West, and Amir Mokhammad.
Student Papers Make Headlines
at ASAIO Conference
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A Send-Off for the Scrapbook
Because we couldn’t send the group back to China without at least one truly memorable meal, the group enjoyed a bit of high-level socializing at a lunch hosted by their fellow countryman, renowned forensic scientist and Professor Emeritus Henry C. Lee, the founder of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science on the University of New Haven campus.
The Institute serves as a go-to resource for professional forensic investigators and police, teachers, and students. It houses a crime-scene center, high-tech forensic room, a crisis management center, three classrooms, and state-of-the-art virtual instruction and touch screen technology to bring in-depth information in the field of forensic science to students around the world. Dr. Henry Lee is a “rock star” in China, and spending time with him left an indelible mark on the visiting students.
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The visit was the first step in an ambitious potential collaboration between the two universities: the launching of 3+1 undergraduate programs — a B.S .in Computer Science, a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and a B.S. in Engineering. Collaborations between Chinese and U.S. universities have become one way to boost undergraduate student enrollment in the U.S.
If all goes according to plan, students would spend their first three years at XUPT, with UNewHaven faculty teaching them there in the summers, and their last year at the University of New Haven.
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Last July, the University of New Haven welcomed sixteen students from Xi’an University of Posts and Telecommunications (XUPT) in Xi’an, China, one of the world’s four most ancient capitals and the acknowledged birthplace of Chinese civilization.
Despite the lure of Long Island Sound and its beaches just minutes away, the group spent ten days immersed in engineering sessions, hands-on projects, and visits to local engineering companies to discover more about the American approach to engineering education and its increasingly prevalent end result — the marriage of hands-on learning, entrepreneurship and business acumen with engineering expertise.
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A Collaboration with Xi’an University Kicks Off with a Summer Camp and a Lunch Date with Dr. Henry C. Lee
All told, the efforts of the WIE alone reached over 750 students in 2024, with 20% of the incoming first-year female students having attended at least one WIE event — a start that program coordinator Leah Austin finds quite encouraging.
Can the 2% gap in female recruitment at UNewHaven withstand the 100% effort of the University to recruit them? Give us another year or so. But we’re betting it can’t.
Prognostication
The WIE may be leading the charge to recruit more female students into engineering programs, but help is coming through on another front as well. Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Nagasree Garapati has brought in reinforcements in the form of the grant “Youth Empowerment in STEM“ funded by the Alan Alda (yes, the MASH star) Center’s Women in STEM Leadership Program. The Program fosters the success of underrepresented students in STEM fields.
Garapati also visited nine local New Haven public schools, where she spoke to students about their prospects in engineering and spearheaded a hands-on project for students in which they helped design a separation device to segregate particles of different size from each other while minimizing cost. The particles? A breakfast blend of different cereals, with Rice Krispies being separated successfully from the mix.
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Stephanie Gillespie, Associate Dean of TCoE, worked with the development team that helped shape the WIE proposal. She knew from her own personal history how much impact a program of this type can have. “Without a similar initiative I experienced as a young woman during a high school summer camp, I would not have chosen engineering as a career path, “ she recalls.
These programs help girls see that career path and to know that, while they still may be a minority in the classroom, there is support and community.”
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In addition to the Outreach program, the WIE works with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut to host an on-campus engineering day for 15 girls. It also hosted Sikorsky’s engineering design challenge on campus and the Vex Robotics Competition. VEX Robotics is a program for elementary through university students. Guinness World Records named the Competition it the largest robotics competition in the world.
Leah Austin, the WIE’s program coordinator, finds even more venues through diligent networking. ReadyCT and Junior Achievement of Southern CT have both requested speaking visits to spread the message of girl power in engineering.
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The initiative kicked off its efforts by funding a program coordinator, who organized the University’s first Engineering Outreach program. This year, the WIE partnered with 23 high schools and middle schools in the area, organizing visits and talks on engineering that reached 400 students. Female engineering students also play their part, serving as ambassadors from the University to help fire the imagination and ambition of female students for engineering careers. Though they’re not quite a peer group, the student ambassadors relate easily and quickly to their slightly younger audience.
Open Houses on campus follow, where students experience a day-long immersion in what a college engineering program looks and feels like. They meet with professors, tour the various labs, and engage in a small hands-on project in the University’s Makerspace.
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Enter Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering David Harding, his wife Lisa, and the Harding “Women in Engineering Initiative (WIE),” a program funded by the couple that provides financial support to help recruit female engineering students to the University.
Launched in 2023, the WIE has hit its stride this year and has a significant presence in the community as well as inside the University.
Awakening Sleeping Giants
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Deciding to be even more self-critical, we looked at the 2022 graduation numbers. In the U.S., women represented 22% of those who received engineering degrees. At UNewHaven, they comprised only 20%. Ouch.
That two percent gap rankled. Especially since the women who did enter engineering programs at the University had proven themselves to be both extremely talented and blessed with an abundance of leadership ability. We knew there were more candidates like them out there — we just had to find them.
Yes, countries in the West are coming in dead last in that group, and not by a small amount.
17%
of engineers in the
U.S. were women.
of engineers in India
were women.
30%
of engineers in Russia
were women.
40%
of engineers in China were women.
40%
One thing we know: Girls’ fear, disdain, or just sheer indifference to math and the sciences is a peculiarity of Western culture. Take a look at the stats for women engineers in the workforce around the world:
In 2022:
What happens to schoolgirls that they tend to shy away or downright dislike mathematics and the sciences?
You have to reach them in middle school. By the time they’re in high school, your window of opportunity is halfway, if not all the way, closed.
The 2% Solution
Compared to the national average, UNewHaven awards engineering degrees to two percent fewer women. Here’s how we’re solving the shortfall.
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