Mentions

2024

October

Michalek discusses ride-hailing discrimination
Associated Press

EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek spoke with the Associated Press about racial discrimination in ride-hailing technology. “The technology is mitigating a social issue, which is pretty rare,” Michalek explains. “Discrimination is having little effect on average wait times, at least in part because these apps are able to quickly rematch when somebody cancels. Whereas with taxis, it was a very hard problem to solve.”

Jayan discusses solid-state batteries
MSN

MechE’s Reeja Jayan spoke with MSN about the potential of solid-state batteries being used in electric vehicles. “Cons currently include higher manufacturing costs associated with the way the solid electrolyte is made and pressurized into the cells,” Jayan explains.

September

Zhang delivers two keynotes in Eurpoe

MechE’s Jessica Zhang recently delivered keynote lectures in two workshops in Europe. She presented her latest research, “Generative Manufacturing: AI + IGA, Digital Twins and Reduced Order Modeling for Applications in Additive Manufacturing" in “MAThematical CHallenges to and from new technologiES (MATCHES),” in Rome, Italy on September 5-6, 2024. She also talked about “Investigating Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Innovative IGA, Dynamic Domain Expansion, Local Refinement and Deep Learning” in “Finite Elements for Cell and Tissue Morphogenesis” in Fréjus (French Riviera), France on September 9-13, 2024.

Webster-Wood quoted on a new mushroom based biohybrid robot
CNN

MechE’s Vickie Webster-Wood was quoted by CNN about a new robot developed by researchers at Cornell University that uses a mushroom’s mycelium in its hardware, allowing the robot to respond to the environment. In regards to fungi, Webster-Wood says, “If they are more robust to environmental conditions this could make them an excellent candidate for biohybrid robots for applications in agriculture and marine monitoring or exploration.”

Tucker discusses deepfakes
Medium

CMU-Africa DIrector Conrad Tucker spoke with Medium about his work and strategies for the public to protect themselves against deepfakes and disinformation. “Policies need to be established to protect users so that they can be confident that the content they are consuming can be trusted,” Tucker says.

Congratulations to our Andy Award Nominees
Carnegie Mellon University

Congratulations to the following College of Engineering Andy Award Nominees. Cheer them on at the event on Tuesday, October 15 in McConomy Auditorium.

Commitment to Excellence: Rookie

• Amber Dworek (INI)
• Eric Mrock (MechE)
• Patricia Musiime (CMU-Africa)
• Geena Provenzano (CEE)
• Lauren Smith (College Offices)

Commitment to Excellent: Veteran

• Melissa Brown (MechE)
• Andrea Cohen (College Offices)
• Allison McLachlan (CEE)
• Kristyn Williams (MechE)
• Emma Zink (III)

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Jessica Tomko (ECE)

Commitment to Students

• Jeannette Daly (ECE)
• Mika Inamahoro (CMU-Africa)
• Jennifer Spirer (College Offices)
• Ed Wojciechowski (MechE)

Innovative and Creative Contributions

• Brian Belowich (CEE)
• Monica Submit (CMU-Africa)
• Anthony Talotta (MSE)

Spirit

• Abraham Darriel (CMU-Africa)
• Christa Jones (INI)
• Melissa Ritchie (CEE)

Teamwork and Collaboration (Standing Teams)

• CMU-Africa Student Induction Program: Jacqueline Bangirana, Nancy Biwott, Gikundiro Buki, Nick Carney, Abraham Darriel, Reginald Donkor, Gisele Gihozo, Mika Inamahoro, Rosine Kamahoro, Lucy-Anna Kelly, Sandra Malaika, Ines Manzi, Mugire Flavia Mugwaneza, Irene Munene, Johnson Nziza, Marie-Ange Rukundo, and Monica Sumbi.
• Chemical Engineering Academic Team: Maria Barnes, Heather Costello, Chelsea Lee, Nora Sieworiek

August

CMU’s Safety21 leads inaugural Future of Transportation Summit
Carnegie Mellon University

Transportation safety experts from CMU’s Safety21 partnered with the DOT’s University Transportation Centers to lead the inaugural Future of Transportation Summit in Washington, D.C., from August 13th to 15th. CMU faculty showcased their research and innovations to improve transportation safety.

Michalek speaks about autonomous grocery delivery
SupplyChainBrain

MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek spoke about a recent survey on how customers prefer to have their groceries delivered. He found that most customers do not care whether or not their groceries are delivered by an autonomous vehicle, such as a driverless car, a sidewalk robot, or a drone. A sizeable minority are willing to “compromise” if it means that their groceries are delivered quickly. Michalek also spoke about current concerns with autonomous grocery delivery, as it it currently most feasible in urban areas where it may contribute to traffic congestion.

Zhao weighs in on whether AI will be able to act without human oversight
Forbes

MechE’s Ding Zhao spoke with Forbes about the need for humans to oversee AI in higher order AI applications. “For personal entertainment on a small scale, we have likely built a certain level of confidence,” he said. “The key is to clarify liability—who should be responsible for decisions, the user or the machine—the enterprise behind the technologies?"

Zhao demonstrates LocoMan at landslide site
Carnegie Mellon University

The dog-like robot, already known for helping around the house, can climb steep hillsides and use its paws to place sensors on difficult terrain, making landslide monitoring safer for humans.

Zhao quoted on humanoid robots for retail
PYMNTS

MechE's Ding Zhao was quoted in an article by PYMNTS about the most effective ways to automate industry.

July

Zhang receives IACM Fellows Award
IACM

MechE’s Jessica Zhang received the International Association for Computational Mechanics (IACM) Fellows Award during the the 16th World Congress on Computational Mechanics and 4th Pan American Congress on Computational Mechanics in Vancouver, Canada from July 21-26, 2024. Conferred every two years, the IACM Fellows Award recognizes up to eight individuals with a distinguished record of research accomplishment and publication in areas of computational mechanics and demonstrated support of the IACM through membership and participation in the Association, its meetings, and activities.

McComb investigates potential application of Large Language Models in material selection
Autodesk

MechE’s Christopher McComb recently investigated the potential application of Large Language Models (LLMs) in material selection. His paper analyzes the responses obtained by prompting several LLMs to rate the appropriateness of various materials in certain design scenarios. McComb’s team found that, compared to ratings by human experts, the LLMs tended to overestimate the appropriateness of most materials, with less variance across different scenarios. The paper underscores current challenges in the direct application of LLMs for highly nuanced tasks, while highlighting specific areas of improvement and demonstrating the potential ability of LLMs to provide accurate assistance in material selection.

Faculty award winners announced

Congratulations to the 2024 faculty award winners who represent six departments across the College of Engineering. The recipients were recognized for their achievements as researchers and educators. The winners include: Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award: Jon Peha (EPP); David P. Casasent Outstanding Research Award: Gregory Lowry (CEE); Distinguished Professor of Engineering: Lorenz Biegler (ChemE); George Tallman Ladd Research Award: Amanda Krause (MSE) and Akshitha Sriraman (ECE); Outstanding Mentoring Award: Alan McGaughey (MechE); Outstanding Service Award: Jonathan Malen (MechE); and Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research: Carl Laird (ChemE).

Weber weighs in on first Neuralink clinical trial
Scientific American

MechE’s Doug Weber was asked about brain-computer interfaces and Neuralink’s first human trial. He compared recording neuron activity to trying to record two people talking in a crowded stadium, and on plans to improve the second trial’s performance by implanting it a bit deeper into the brain, said: “It’s a strategy worth testing, assuming it doesn’t change the safety profile.”

Weber comments on a new paralysis treatment
Axios

MechE’s Doug Weber was asked by Axios to comment on a treatment for spinal cord injuries resulting in arm and hand paralysis. The treatment was developed by a team from the University of Washington, and it has shown in clinical trials that it can improve patients’ ability to move and complete tasks with their hands, which they previously could not do. Weber said, “It is noteworthy that this study tested 60 people, which is a fairly large sample of people having a range of motor deficits due to spinal cord injury.”

Sullivan quoted on household product safety
Daily Mail

MechE’s Ryan Sullivan was quoted in the Daily Mail about the safety of household cleaning products like air fresheners. “To a chemist ‘really clean’ would actually be no scent because the scent is caused by a chemical,” Sullivan first told the Washington Post. “Truly clean means very low levels of chemicals.”

May

Presto quoted on inequality of air pollution exposure
The Guardian

MechE’s Albert Presto was quoted by the Guardian on how people of color are historically more likely to be exposed to harmful air pollution. “People of color are more likely to be living near an industrial area or highway, and therefore have higher exposure.

Whitefoot quoted on the MPG Illusion in the US
Vox

EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Vox on the EU’s more transparent gas measurements in comparison to the US. The EU’s liters per 100 kilometer driven method being “directly related to energy use and directly related to emissions” providing researchers with more precise data on fuel economy.

Michalek quoted on the pros and cons of electric cars
Living Planet Podcast

EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted on the Living Planet podcast on how the electricity source that electric cars use can greatly alter their environmental benefits. Michalek compares electric cars using renewable energy sources and electric cars using energy sources from coal-fired power plants.

Michalek quoted on Tesla Supercharger adapters
The Atlantic

EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted on the potential benefits of adapters for Tesla Superchargers. The company’s Superchargers, which charge electric vehicles (EVs) much more quickly than other chargers, are being expanded to be compatible with non-Tesla EVs through the use of adapters. Michalek tells The Atlantic that, if implemented successfully, these adapters could help drivers feel more assured that their EVs could make long road trips, potentially helping to boost EV sales.

April

Whitefoot quoted on labor involved in electric vehicle production
NBC News

MechE/EPP’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in NBC News on the amount of labor involved in electric vehicle production. Amid arguments that a nationwide transition to electric vehicles would result in mass job losses, Whitefoot’s recent study found that electric vehicle production would actually lead to an increase in working hours required to manufacture automobiles. The idea that electric vehicles require less labor “has to do with this really simplistic view that if you have fewer parts, you have less labor,” said Whitefoot. “And that is just not the case.”

Tucker speaks on Africa’s adoption of AI regulations with Communications of the ACM
Communications of the ACM

CMU-Africa Director Conrad Tucker speaks on Africa’s adoption of AI regulations with Communications of the ACM. With the increasing usage of programs such as ChatGPT, governments all over the world are figuring out how to regulate AI so that users can interact with them safely. Tucker describes the current state of AI there as “quite fragmented,” varying in “different perspectives and policies across African countries.”

Sullivan shares thoughts on fragrance products in Yahoo
Yahoo

MechE’s Ryan Sullivan shares his thoughts on fragrance products in Yahoo. Currently, the industry lacks regulations for companies to disclose the ingredients in their products, potentially exposing consumers to harmful chemicals when lighting a candle or spritzing a room with room spray. “Products can contain dozens of chemicals, and all it shows up as is one word on the ingredient list: fragrance,” he says. This story was also covered in The Guardian.

March

Michalek quoted in article on the affordability of electric vehicles
BBC

MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted in the BBC on the past and future of electric vehicles, saying: “Before Tesla, most people’s experiences with an EV would be a golf cart or something….There was a sense of it being a small, slow vehicle where you have to compromise a lot.” Despite this early perception, electric vehicles quickly became a status symbol due to their high prices, though this is changing as well due to cheaper options becoming available.

CMU Engineering partnered with Penguins, Covestro in annual “Rethink the Rink” event
Pittsburgh Business Times

Over spring break, 16 CMU students met in groups to collaborate on projects to “rethink the rink” and improve the safety of hockey. This was the seventh annual instance of this event, which has arisen out of a partnership between CMU, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Covestro.

Michalek quoted on the environmental impact of electric vehicles
Daily Mail

MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek was quoted in a recent article from the Daily Mail. The article discussed possible adverse effects of electric vehicles on the environment, such as tire treads wearing out more quickly due to the weight of the vehicle battery. Michalek said that the “critical factor” in the vehicles’ environmental impact was the use of coal: “If you’ve got electric cars in Pittsburgh that are being plugged in at night and leading nearby coal plants to burn more coal to charge them, then the climate benefits won’t be as great, and you can even get more air pollution.”

Zhao quoted on the applications of humanoid robots
Popular Science

MechE’s Ding Zhao was quoted in an article in Popular Science at the end of February. The article discussed advances in technology for human-shaped robots, particularly those created by the robotics company Figure. Figure has announced a partnership with OpenAI it hopes will allow its robots to be able to understand and process human speech, which will make them more useful in workspaces such as warehouses. Speaking on these robots capabilities, Zhao called these robots’ possible implementations the “billion-dollar question” and said: “Generally speaking, we are still exploring the capabilities of humanoid robots, how effectively we can collect data and train them, and how to ensure their safety when they interact with the physical world.”

Majidi explains how robots can help with understanding ancient creatures
Ars Technica

MechE’s Carmel Majidi explains how robots, built to mimic the traits revealed by ancient fossils, can help with understanding extinct creatures. Together with PhD student Richard Desatnik, Majidi led the construction of a robot likeness of pleurocystitid, an ancient relative of starfish, to understand how it might have moved on the sea bed. Majidi tells Ars Technica that this technology will help scientists gain a much fuller picture of evolutionary history than what they could glean from living organisms alone. “We can begin to learn from the 99 percent of species that once roamed the earth instead of just the 1 percent,” he says.

Three new professorships in Mechanical Engineering

Three new professorships were announced in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Burak Kara has been named a George Tallman and Florence Barrett Ladd Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Carmel Majidi has been named the Clarence H. Adamson Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Jon Malen has been named the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Zhang featured in Celebrating Women at SIAM
SIAM

MechE’s Jessica Zhang was featured by SIAM in celebrating Women’s History Month, for her contributions to the applied mathematics and computational science field.

Michalek fact-checks claims about a supposed ban on gas-powered cars
FactCheck.org

EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek responded to two recent advertisements. These advertisements claim that proposed regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation seek to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles. He agreed that these claims are exaggerated, and clarified: “[T]he new standards are not a ban on gasoline vehicles, and I don’t think anyone expects automakers to stop making gasoline vehicles in response to these standards.” Instead, these regulations would increase the number of electric vehicles, and he noted that automakers would still be able to produce some gas-powered vehicles.

February

Whitefoot quoted on electric vehicle tax credits
Fox Business

EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Fox Business on the updated federal policy surrounding tax credits awarded for purchases of new or used electric vehicles. According to the IRS, electric vehicles assembled outside of North America will no longer qualify for the tax credit, an effort to reduce reliance on international manufacturers. Thus far, only 13 electric vehicles qualify for credit. “I do expect that this [list] will increase over time,” Whitefoot said. “That’s because it’s going to take time for automakers to set up the domestic battery and mineral supply chains necessary to meet the tax credit requirements—which are still relatively new.”

LeDuc and Majidi’s new soft robot highlighted in PopSci
PopSci

MechE’s Philip LeDuc and Carmel Majidi have developed a new soft robot inspired by a prehistoric sea creature, which was featured in Popular Science. Pleurocystitids, a precursor to the present-day invertebrates, had tail-like structures that allowed them to move underwater easily.

LeDuc, Ozdoganlar, and Yang featured in Interesting Engineering
Interesting Engineering

MechE’s Philip LeDuc, Burak Ozdoganlar, and Feimo Yang have developed a new tissue engineering technique that may alleviate the organ transplantation crisis. The work was featured in Interesting Engineering. “What makes our method different from other kinds of 3D printing is that instead of letting the water completely freeze while we’re printing, we let it maintain a liquid phase on top,” said Yang, who hopes that the versatility of the 3D-printed blood vessels will have further applications beyond the immediate organ transplant issue.

Jayan quoted on temperature and battery-powered vehicles charging
Wards Auto

MechE’s Reeja Jayan shares her thoughts on how temperature affects battery-powered vehicles’ ability to change in Wards Auto. The cold can make batteries charge less effectively. “If you have limited charging stations, as we have in the U.S., you can imagine how this becomes bad quickly,” she says. Experts hope that with the growing EV industry, this solution will be solved and more charging stations will begin to appear.

Whitefoot talks electric vehicle tax credits
CNET

EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot spoke to CNET about adding to the list of electric vehicles that qualify for a federal tax credit worth thousands of dollars. “I do expect this [list] will increase over time,” Whitefoot said, noting that improvements in battery and mineral supply chains could help.

January

Sullivan weighs in on water microdroplet chemistry
Chemistry World

MechE’s Ryan Sullivan spoke with Chemistry World about the contentious topic of water microdroplet chemistry, which has inspired mixed feelings among researchers in the field. Sullivan, for his part, is more skeptical. “Many physical atmosphere chemists who I regard as very careful experimentalists…do not think that this idea that oxidants are spontaneously being produced in microdroplets is real—they are quite convinced it’s contamination or some sort of artifact,” said Sullivan.

2023

December

Michalek discusses his research on EV adoption in rural communities
The Verge

EPP/MechE’s Jeremy Michalek discusses his research on EV adoption in rural communities in The Verge. “If electric vehicles are offered as ubiquitously as gasoline vehicles, and if their technology goes where we think it’s going to go, then we would expect roughly half of people to prefer an electric over a gasoline for both cars and SUVs,” he says. Michalek’s extensive work in EVs and their integration into our current society is also mentioned in MSN, The Wall Street Journal, and CNET.

Halilaj speaks on the benefits of using AI for biomechanical analyses
Medscape

MechE’s Eni Hallilaj speaks on the benefits of using AI for biomechanical analyses in Medscape. Especially for “highly heterogeneous conditions that we have not been able to fully characterize through traditional studies with limited patients,” the app allows for the possibility of having hundreds or even thousands involved in studies. “The opportunities here are endless,” Hallilaj says.

CMU-Africa researchers published in Science Robotics
Science Robotics

CMU-Africa's Conrad Tucker, David Vernon, Adedayo Akinade (MS ECE '24), Yohannes Haile (MS ECE '23), Natasha Mutangana (MS EAI '24) were published in Science Robotics, as a Focus article, for their work with culturally sensitive robotics. The article was featured in the magazine's special issue on robotics and AI in the Global South. In the piece, the researchers discuss how embedding culturally sensitive body, hand, and facial gestures in social robots will make them more acceptable in Africa.

Webster-Wood talks with Nature about biohybrid robots
Nature

MechE’s Victoria Webster-Wood talks with Nature about biohybrid robots. “A biohybrid is really any robot that combines both biological materials and synthetic materials,” she says. These machines have many potential applications including search and rescue following earthquakes.

November

Taylor featured in PittsburghInno
PittsburghInno

MechE’s Rebecca Taylor was featured in PittsburghInno for being named the first Ansys Career Development Chair in the College of Engineering. The Ansys endowment she received will go toward educating mechanical engineering students using Ansys software. “Using Ansys software in my lab and classroom will help prepare my students to use self-assembly as a powerful tool for advanced manufacturing,” Taylor says. The announcement was also covered in the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Zhang presents at ASME IMECE
ASME IMECE

MechE’s Jessica Zhang presented at the ASME IMECE: CONCAM Distinguished Lectures on Computational Mechanics, which was held in New Orleans, LA on October 29 - November 2. She talked about her research on modeling traffic jam and growth process of neurons using isogeomtric analysis and physics-informed neural network.

October

Michalek comments on Trump’s claims about the electric car industry
PolitiFact

MechE/EPP/CEE’s Jeremy Michalek comments on Trump’s claims about the electric car industry in PolitiFact. Trump says that the car industry will be leaving the United States, but Michalek believes this assertion is “substanceless.” He goes on to say that “there are likely to be complex effects of this shift, but all automobiles are already produced with a mix of systems and components produced across a global supply chain, so this really isn’t new.”

Majidi talks about shape-shifting robots
BuiltIn

MechE’s Carmel Majidi talks to BuiltIn about shape-shifting robots. “This technology introduces new capabilities to achieve robotic functions at the small scale in hard-to-reach places,” he says. “Because of its shape-shifting properties and response to external stimuli, it can be operated remotely and controlled to move within otherwise hard to reach parts, such as those within the body.”

Haidar quoted in Popular Science
Popular Science

MechE’s Diana Haidar was quoted in Popular Science talking about 3D printing, which has been an increasingly popular method of manufacturing since the 1980s. “Mass manufacturing methods, almost all of them are quite fixed. You can only remake the exact same parts over and over again. But people also want custom parts. That’s where 3D printing has a niche,” she says.

2023 Engineering Andy Award winners
The Piper

The annual Andy Awards ceremony was held on October 18, 2023 where two Engineering staff members and one committee were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the university:

• Leia Delabahan: Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Justin Dawber: Innovative & Creative Solutions
• Mechanical Engineering DEI Committee: Gabi Cryster, Annie Harder, Eva Mergner, and Yanika Reid: Teamwork and Collaboration - Standing Team

A huge congratulations to them and the other winners!

Tucker’s research mentioned at Senate hearing

MechE/CMU-Africa’s Conrad Tucker, along with other collaborators from the RAND Corporation and the Challenger Center, were cited for their work during the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee hearing titled “AI and the Future of our Elections.” They were recognized for their research in nefarious uses of AI and provided a baseline for future studies and solutions.

Jayan comments on battery technology in the crashed Venice bus
AP News

MechE’s Reeja Jayan comments on battery technology in the crashed Venice bus in AP News. While the Italian’s transport minister is questioning the spread of electric vehicles in the midst of this catastrophe, experts say that the battery chemistry used actually makes it less prone to fires. “In batteries that use nickel or cobalt, oxygen can be released if the temperature gets too hot, fueling a fire. But in a lithium-iron-phosphate battery, there is a strong bond between oxygen and phosphorus, keeping the oxygen in place,” she says.

Michalek discusses America’s shift to electric vehicles
The Atlantic

MechE/EPP’s Jeremy Michalek talks to The Atlantic about America’s shift to electric vehicles. Because electric cars are easier to assemble than their gasoline counterparts, autoworkers are worried about their jobs and wages. “Jobs at gasoline engine manufacturing plants will shift to jobs at electric motor and battery plants,” Michalek says.

2023 Engineering Faculty Awards announced
CMU College of Engineering

The 2023 Engineering Faculty Awards highlight faculty members who have shown outstanding educational, research, and service efforts. Congratulations to the awaredees.

• Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award: Jimmy Zhu and Greg Kesden (ECE)
• David P. Casasent Outstanding Research Award: Gianluca Piazza (ECE)
• George Tallman Ladd Research Award: Eni Halilaj (MechE), Destenie Nock (CEE/EPP)
• Outstanding Mentoring Award: Burcu Akinci (CEE)
• Outstanding Service Award: Tim Brown (CMU-Africa/EPP)
• Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research: Marios Savvides (ECE)
• Philip and Marsha Dowd Fellowship: Yuejie Chi (ECE), Amir Barati Farimani and Burak Kara (MechE)

Whitefoot comments on green cars in MSN
MSN

MechE/EPP’s Kate Whitefoot comments on the future of green vehicles in MSN. “Moving heavy vehicles like school buses, construction equipment, and big trucks to electrification will definitely be slower. That’s where improving the efficiency of internal combustion engines will be important,” she says.