McKelvey School of Engineering

The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has announced the eight winners of the 2014 University Research Strategic Alliance (URSA) grants. The URSA program aims to encourage new groups of investigators working on new research or using new approaches to solve problems.

A research team including Elijah Thimsen, PhD, assistant professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, has developed a technique to increase the performance and electrical conductivity of thin films used to print solar cells from inks.

Rajan Chakrabarty, PhD, assistant professor of environmental engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science, has received a three-year grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to study the climatic effects of carbon-containing aerosols emitted from peat fires.

Samuel Achilefu, PhD, of the School of Medicine has won the St. Louis Award for 2014 for his work in creating cancer-visualizing glasses, which were used in surgeries for first time last year. He is the 87th person honored with the annual award since it was established in 1931.

Spencer Lake, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, has received a one-year, $19,919 grant from the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons to study the causes of stiffness and tightening, or contracture, of the joint after an injury to the elbow, called post-traumatic joint stiffness.

Lihong Wang, PhD, continues to build on his groundbreaking technology that allows light deep inside living tissue during imaging and therapy. In the Jan. 5 issue of Nature Communications, Wang, the Gene K. Beare Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, reveals for the first time a new technique that focuses diffuse light inside a dynamic scattering medium containing living tissue.

Shankar Sastry, PhD, professor of engineering, has been awarded the Hind Rattan Award from the NRI Welfare Society of India. The award recognizes nonresident Indians who have made exceptional contributions to society.

In 2014, Washington University continued to play a major role in the St. Louis community while students and alumni made their mark on campus. Among the stories were the debut of the $80 million Lofts of Washington University, a continued investment in Cortex, the innovation district, and two unforgettable alumni.

This year, Washington University researchers advanced our understanding of schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease, and developed devices to help surgeons see cancer cell and scientists to capture new vistas through the world’s fastest 2-D camera.

​​Alexander Cox, a recent graduate of the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, was named the 2014 Air Force Cadet of the Year at a Dec. 5 ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. He is the 15th recipient of the award.