by Ira Morrison

This breakthrough in accurately predicting protein crystallization propensity is vital for developing drugs and understanding diseases

To the average person, knowing how a protein wiggles might not seem that exciting or pertinent, but then again, most people aren’t fascinated by the natural movements and fluctuations of proteins and their functional properties. If, however, you were interested in designing new drugs, better understanding how diseases can be eradicated or enhancing biotechnology for industrial and therapeutic applications, you might be on the edge of your seat waiting to see what a new study on protein sequencing and crystallization has to offer.

An article about that study, authored by Anna Tarakanova, assistant professor in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering at UConn’s College of Engineering, has just appeared in a prominent monthly scientific journal, Matter, which focuses on the general field of materials science. The study examines how the natural movements and fluctuations of proteins – the protein’s “wiggles” – can help predict their functional properties. Tarakanova was assisted by Mohammad Madani, a Mechanical Engineering graduate student and first author of the study.

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by Ira Morrison

Stephany Santos, named to the newly established Vergnano Endowed Chair for Inclusion, sees her role as helping students build successful engineering futures, no matter the challenges

Stephany Santos, the new Vergnano Endowed Chair for Inclusion at UConn’s College of Engineering, feels like she’s been preparing for this role since she set foot on UConn’s campus in 2008, as an undergraduate preparing to study mechanical engineering.

Prior to her first summer at UConn, she was a participant in the BRIDGE program, which is a transitionary preparation program designed to support the success of incoming first-year students that are underrepresented in engineering.

The BRIDGE program, then run out of the Engineering Diversity Program led by Kevin McLaughlin, became a hallmark of her identity and purpose as an engineering student and leader at UConn, says Santos ’12 (ENG) ’20 Ph.D. She volunteered for every program offered by the Engineering Diversity Program, from Multiply Your Options, a program designed to inspire 8^th-grade girls to think about STEM, to the Northeast Regional Science Bowl, the largest regional competition in the country for high school students competing quiz-bowl-style in STEM questions.

During this period Santos also helped found UConn’s student organization Engineering Ambassadors. This is an organization that supports K-12 teachers and education systems by broadening understanding and access to engineering, and by exploring how engineers can change the world for good. These programs, Santos explains, are foundational in creating confidence academically, connections psychosocially and inspiration professionally.

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by Olivia Drake – UConn College of Engineering

By participating in the mission, College of Engineering’s Jason Lee contributed to NASA’s efforts to study how future astronauts may react to isolation and confinement during deep-space journey.

Jason Lee’s lifelong aspiration to explore outer space became a reality—without ever needing to leave planet Earth.

For 45 days, Lee, associate professor-in-residence in the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Engineering, lived in NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) habitat at Johnson Space Center, participating in a simulated journey to Mars.

There, he and three other crew members operated in a constrained environment, completing mission-critical tasks, conducting repairs, viewing Martian landscapes through virtual reality, and making communication attempts with Mission Control.

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Prof. David Pierce has been elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), one of the highest honors awarded by the organization. This prestigious recognition celebrates Dr. Pierce’s significant contributions to the field of mechanical engineering, acknowledging years of dedicated research, innovative teaching, and impactful advancements within the discipline. As a Fellow, Prof. Pierce joins an elite group of professionals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements and leadership in mechanical engineering, further enhancing the visibility and impact of their work on a global scale.

 

Prof. Julián Norato has been honored as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The Fellow grade of membership recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession and to ASME. The recognition was announced at the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences held in Washington D.C. in August, 2024.

by Matt Engelhardt

Through millions in coveted grants, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are recognizing how impactful Thanh Nguyen’s research is to the field of biomedical engineering.

Nguyen, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering, has already established himself as one of the top-funded researchers at UConn. The NIH is adding to that success by awarding Nguyen four R01 grants totaling more than $9.5 million, with $7.5 million going to UConn researchers.

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Dr. Xu received the 2024 ASME Design Automation Young Investigator Award in recognition of his research at the intersection of Microstructure Material Design, design for Additive Manufacturing, Design of Mixed Stochasticity Structural Systems, and Uncertainty Quantification.

This award is presented annually to honor an exceptional young investigator making significant contributions in design automation, with a focus on areas such as design representation, optimization, evaluation, and integration. The award was given at the ASME Design Automation Conference, held from August 25-28, 2024, in Washington, DC. The conference gathers international experts in the field of design automation each year.