As part of the College of Engineering’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, we are presenting a Speaker Series, with renowned speakers each month.  Information about each lecture is presented below. Most lectures are presented in Nedderman Hall, Room 100, preceded by a wine and cheese reception in The Rady Room, 601 Nedderman Hall.  Please note special circumstances and times on the December and February lectures.  To RSVP for one or more of these events, click on one of the RSVP buttons beneath each speaker’s information

October 21, 2009 5 p.m. Reception, 6 p.m. Lecture
Dr. Xingde Li
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering and Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Johns Hopkins University

“Emerging Endomicroscopy and Nano-biophotonics Technologies Towards Noninvasive Visualization of Pathology in situ”
Lecture will include the recent development of ultrathin (~0.5-2 mm in diameter) fiber-optic endomicroscopy technologies, which are instrumental for translating high-resolution noninvasive optical imaging to clinical practice, in particular for early disease diagnosis and guidance of interventions in internal organs in vivo. We will also discuss effective and fast-track approaches for developing optical contrast agents based on fluorescent polymeric nanocapsules using only FDA approved materials, to enable optical molecular imaging in clinic. In addition, exemplary applications of biophotonic imaging technologies will be illustrated.
 RSVP
November 18, 2009 5 p.m. Reception, 6 p.m. Lecture

Dr. Chris Greer
Assistant Director, Information Technology, R&D Office of Science and Technology Policy
White House Office of Science & Technology

“Engineering and Science in Five Dimensions"
The digital dimension consists of network connectivity that can lower conventional barriers to participation and interaction of time and place; computational capacity and capability to expand the possible and extend the conceivable; and information discovery, integration, and analysis capabilities to drive innovation. The emergence and continuing evolution of this powerful new dimension is reshaping science, just as it is recasting business, government, education, and many other aspects of human activity worldwide. To lead in the emerging global digital information society, the nation must fully embrace the digital dimension – expanding access, extending
capabilities, and building on the potential of this exciting new environment.
RSVP
December 11, 2009

NOTE: This month’s speakers will be presenting in conjunction with the Materials Science and Engineering Symposium.  Dr. Searson’s keynote lecture will be at 9 a.m. and Dr. Morris’s keynote lecture will be at 2 p.m.  See the Symposium’s website for more information and to RSVP for the lectures and Symposium:  www.uta.edu/mse


Dr. J.W. Morris
Professor of Metallurgy
University of California-Berkeley

The one problem in mechanical behavior that can be solved from first principles is the limit of strength, the upper limit of stress at which a solid becomes elastically unstable and can no longer support any mechanical load. While we are (quite properly) taught to focus on crystal defects as the keys to the mechanical behavior of most solids, research on behavior at the limit of strength has shown that a variety of phenomena that are ordinarily attributed to dislocations or cracks are, in fact, inherent in the limit of strength. These particularly include the differences in patterns of deformation and fracture between bcc and fcc metals, and the fact that the former have an inherent ductile-brittle transition while the latter do not. Experimentally, ultimate strength governs the limit of hardness observed in nanoindentation, and limits the achievable toughness in high strength steels. Of particular interest is a new class of structural materials, “Gum Metals”, which are high strength, superelastic bcc alloys that fail at ultimate strength and deform by nondislocation mechanisms that resemble those suggested for amorphous metals much more closely than those found in conventional crystalline solids.
RSVP
Dr. Peter Searson
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Johns Hopkins University

The Dynamics of Cell Detachment
The controlled release of molecules or nanoparticle conjugates is an important tool for a wide range of applications in science and engineering.  Here we demonstrate electrochemically programmed release of biomolecules and nanoparticles on patterned electrodes.  This technique exploits the reductive desorption of self-assembled monolayers and allows both spatially-controlled release and regeneration of small molecules (e.g. drugs), biopolymers (e.g. peptides, proteins, DNA), protein assemblies (e.g. viruses), and nanoparticles (e.g. particle-DNA conjugates).  We show how programmed release is being used to gain new insight into cell de-adhesion.
January 20, 2010    5 p.m. Reception, 6 p.m. Lecture

Dr. Ben Streetman
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Dula D. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin

“The Semiconductor Revolution”
The technological changes brought about by the invention of the transistor in 1947 and the integrated circuit in 1959 are revolutionary.  No event in human history has brought so much change in so short a time, and the societal effects are profound.  In this talk we will explore how semiconductor devices work and how they underlie much of what we consider to be the modern world.
RSVP
February 15, 2010 8 p.m

NOTE: This month’s speaker is in conjunction with the Maverick Speaker Series.  Lecture will take place at Texas Hall, on the UT Arlington campus. Tickets will be available via UTA Tickets approximately one month prior to the lecture.

Dr. Sally Ride
Professor of Physics, Former Astronaut,
First American Woman in Space
University of California-San Diego
“Leadership and America’s Future in Space”
March 8, 2010 5 p.m. Reception, 6 p.m. Lecture

Dr. John A. White
Distinguished Professor of Industrial
Engineering and Chancellor Emeritus
The University of Arkansas

“The World is _________”
Science and engineering issues and challenges are presented and their implications for engineering educators are discussed. The globalization of S&E and the worldwide economic crisis are presenting engineering educators with new opportunities. How they react will have long ranging implications for the nation. Several ideas are shared regarding appropriate reactions.
RSVP
April 14, 2010 5 p.m. Reception, 6 p.m. Lecture

Dr. Patricia Galloway
Chief Executive Officer
Pegasus Global-Holdings, Inc.

“The 21st Century Engineer”
In the 21st century, an ever-increasing need will emerge for a holistic breed of engineer – one who can work across borders, cultural boundaries, and social contexts and who can work effectively with nonengineers. As the trend toward a more global and more knowledge-based society continues, the practice of engineering must be changed, and this change must be accomplished through engineering education reform. The engineering curriculum can no longer remain as is has for essentially the past 40 years. The subjects of globalization, diversity, world cultures and languages, communication, leadership, and ethics must constitute a core component of the overall engineering education just a physics and math do. In the 21st century the success of engineers and firms will be measured against how well they can adapt to new conditions and technologies. It will be these fundamental capacities that will enable the 21st-century engineer to work effectively and to succeed.
RSVP

May 5, 2010 5 p.m. Reception, 6 p.m. Lecture
Dr. David A. Peters
Washington University in St. Louis
McDonnell Douglas Professor of
Engineering, Department of Mechanical,
Aerospace & Structural Engineering

“Boomers, Bloomers, and Zoomers: A Personal Perspective on the Space Race”
This is the story of how the people of the United States, the US Aerospace Industry, and American Universities forged a partnership that began in 19th-century, agricultural America and ended in the placement of a man on the moon.  It is the story of how the Space Race molded the culture of an entire generation of Americans in terms of how they were educated, where they worked, and how they viewed technology and engineering.  The presentation uses the personal histories of the speaker, of Washington University in St. Louis, and of the McDonnell Douglas Corporation (as examples of how the partnership unfolded), and the speaker weaves the three narratives together into the story  of Boomers, Bloomers, and Zoomers.
RSVP