On the human cerebral cortex, sulcal and gyral curves snake across the surface in a Hydra-like array of sizes and configurations. Could mathematics be used to match those curves and fully automate the brain mapping procedure? To recognize patterns in an image with ambiguous regions, in which order should tests be performed, and when should…
Archive
Summer 2004
Plastics That Outstrip Paint Features
For ships, tanks, and planes, multifunctional appliqués offer a more sophisticated way to avoid corrosion—and maybe detection. Some people see things as they are and ask, “Why?” John Brupbacher sees things as they could be and asks, “Why paint?” That’s the question explored at the Whiting School’s Center for Multi-Functional Appliqué (CMFA). Appliqués are adhesive-backed…
3-D Waves in a 2.5-D Tank Features
Building a wide wave tank will give coastal engineer Robert A. “Tony” Dalrymple a dynamic tool for predicting the behavior of shorelines. From now on, you won’t have to travel “down the ocean” from the Homewood campus to hear the sound of pounding surf. In fact, the waves will be just a few blocks away…
JOHN BOSWELL WHITEHEAD: FIRST SPARK OF GENIUS Features
The founding principles of Engineering’s first dean still guide the Whiting School today. He was a man of power—in more ways than one. In the course of a professional career that literally spanned the first half of the 20th century, John Boswell Whitehead made enormous contributions to the field of electrical engineering. In an era…
At the Helm of Deep Sea Research Features
Master and commander of advanced oceanic robots, Louis L. Whitcomb has set his course on the most difficult challenge yet: how to probe the least accessible places on Earth. Move over, Captain Nemo. Louis L. Whitcomb and his fellow researchers at the Dynamical Systems and Control Laboratory (DSCL) are preparing to plumb new depths in…
A New Collaboration Guides Students in Finding Internships Making Waves
A Whiting School education is among the best in the nation. However, there is a growing recognition that students need more than classroom experiences. Education experts now believe that meaningful student internships are a valuable addition to the learning process. As a result, new criteria for evaluating engineering programs include good access to substantive internship…
Alumni Awards Alumni up front
2003 Distinguished Alumnus Award Theodore A. “Ted” Bickart ’57, ’60 PhD is considered a foremost authority on engineering education with expertise in international education. In 2000, Bickart retired as the 14th president of the Colorado School of Mines. He previously served as dean of Michigan State University’s College of Engineering. His 26 years at Syracuse…
Schooled in the Discipline of Success Alumni up front
Ask Yan Ke ’89 PhD, co-founder, vice president, and chief architect of NetScreen Technologies, Inc. what the most important lesson was that he learned while at the Whiting School of Engineering, and the computer scientist replies, “discipline.” Indeed, Ke learned this lesson well. He came to Baltimore after receiving his bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University…
Mastering the “Art” of Excellence Alumni up front
“I definitely have a lot of energy,” says Tara Johnson ’02, ’02 (Peabody) with a laugh. And it shows—at just 23, she has redefined the meaning of high performance. In just six years since beginning her academic career at the Johns Hopkins University, she has completed two undergraduate degrees with honors, won a major national…
Three New Bioengineering Concentrations back on campus
The Johns Hopkins Biomedical Engineering program has consistently ranked at the top of the nation’s programs in this emerging field that applies the techniques of engineering to the analysis and solution of problems in biology and medicine. Last fall, in an exciting new extension of this field, the Whiting School introduced the following three new…
New Offerings in Part-time Programs back on campus
MS Degree in Environmental Planning and Management degree: Recently approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, this new part-time option began this spring. It complements two existing MS degree programs offered in Part-time Programs in Engineering and Applied Science (PTE): an MS in Environmental Engineering and an MS in Environmental Engineering and Science. Graduate Certificate…
For Now and for Later the wider world
Profiles of three individuals who are putting their admiration into action to benefit the Whiting School Charitable gifts to the Whiting School of Engineering come in all shapes and sizes—and for all different reasons. But at the heart of each contribution is a strong admiration for the School and its devoted faculty and students who…
IBM and Hopkins: An Innovative Approach in Bioinformatics Connections
Computing power that used to fill a room can now fit in the palm of a hand. But not all of today’s computational challenges can be met by equipment that can fit in a hand, or even on a desktop. Those involving vast amounts of complex information require leadingedge supercomputers with extraordinary processing capabilities. Thanks…
The Robb Challenge Connections
Whiting School National Advisory Council member Dr. Walter L. Robb challenges donors to join him in funding graduate fellowships for engineering’s future leaders. Dr. Walter L. Robb has issued a challenge to Whiting School of Engineering alumni, leaders, and friends to join him in supporting graduate students at the School. Robb’s gift of $500,000 will…
Getting to the Heart of Cardiac Imaging Connections
A research discovery leads to a new lifesaving diagnostic tool—and a new company. Cardiologists have a problem. When they look at conventional images of the heart, they can’t see a true picture of the motion of the heart muscle. As a result, they cannot detect mechanical strain or deformation, one of the early warning signs…
Tiny Gateways with Enormous Potential Lab Notes
The molecular switches being created in Marc Ostermeier’s lab could one day target chemotherapy or sound a warning about anthrax. It sounds like the premise for the next blockbuster monster movie. Ensconced in his laboratory, a gifted young scientist employs the power of evolution to create new forms of biological material that will do his…
Golden Opportunities Lab Notes
In layers one atom thin, Jonah Erlebacher creates far more surface for catalysis, even for inert metals. Jonah Erlebacher is not an alchemist, but he does work with gold—at the nanometer level. His goal is to further both its applications and its value to engineers and scientists. A nanoporous gold could be coated with enzymes…
A Vote for Greater Information Security High Performers
As touch-screen voting systems come online, Aviel D. “Avi” Rubin has been warning of their vulnerabilities—and of threats to the Internet. For someone passionate about preserving the public’s privacy, Aviel D. “Avi” Rubin sure hasn’t had a low profile lately. In fact, the technical director of the Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute (ISI) could…
Illuminating Individuals Editor's Note
The 1893 Columbia Exposition in Chicago brilliantly show- cased how electricity was on the verge of transforming daily life. That same year, John Boswell Whitehead, the alumnus who would become the first dean of Engineering at Johns Hopkins, was studying applied electricity, fascinated by his era’s powerful possibilities. The impetus to innovate, which propelled Engineering…
Hybrid Venture Fuels Maryland’s Future Covers
Over the next 10 years, the Johns Hopkins University’s Montgomery County Campus (MCC) will expand to seven buildings. The third building opens this fall, doubling classroom space. The campus then will have 46 classrooms, 11 computer labs, a full-service library, a 285-seat auditorium, faculty and student lounges, an expanded bookstore, and a café. Located in…