October 6, 2009



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Research & News »
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Classes just started back up a couple of weeks ago, leading to innumerable conversations about summers (well spent, we hope). We’ve rounded up some of the best Stanford Engineering stories about the summer for you. Scores of undergraduates, for example, stayed on campus to conduct fascinating research projects. Check out the video. Meanwhile, a trio of computer science alumni sold their company, Friendfeed, to Facebook. Greg Deierlein, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, spent his summer in Japan shake-testing a new earthquake-resistant building design.

And now on to fall, including a cascade of news, resources and events below. Don’t miss the October 24 celebration at reunion homecoming of automotive innovation as envisioned in the partnership between the School of Engineering and Volkswagen.

Highlights

Capturing Coal’s Carbon

Mechanical engineers designed a power plant that could keep coal-burning emissions out of the air.



New Online Timeline

The history of the school is beautifully presented in a newly revised version of our timeline.


Ask the Expert

Advances in chemistry and materials led to major developments in painting since the Renaissance.



Research & News

Research Feature: Gene Sequencing

Professor Stephen Quake sequenced his genome at a much lower cost and with a much smaller team than anyone has reported before for a full human sequence.

Students claim altitude record

Aeronautics and Astronautics students designed and built a one-pound, battery-driven airplane that flew itself to an altitude of more than 7,000 feet, apparently establishing a world record. (Story includes video).

Sensor detects toxins, TNT

A sensitive new disposable chip made with carbon nanotubes can quickly detect very low concentrations of the explosive trinitrotoluene and a close chemical cousin of the dreaded toxic nerve agent sarin in water samples.

Google gift remembers Motwani

Aided by a $2.5 million gift from Google, Stanford Engineering created an endowed chair in memory of Rajeev Motwani, a computer science professor known for his research, his attention to his students, and his deep connections to Silicon Valley.

Puzzle: Sukoku in 3D

Courtesy of Sukoku champion (and bioengineering postdoc) Thomas Snyder, we bring you a 3D version of the popular Sudoku puzzle as our tribute to a recent advance in making three-dimensional integrated circuits.

Engineering Newsroom

Follow news about Stanford Engineering, including coverage of research and students in the media.

 

The News Ticker

Japan’s new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, is a triple alumnus of the school from the mid ‘70s with Masters degrees in electrical engineering and operations research, and a PhD in OR as well… Four professors in the school won major awards from the National Institutes of Health… Nuclear arms expert Siegfried Hecker, an MS&E professor, won the U.S. Govt.’s Fermi awardFour doctoral students won highly competitive Intel Fellowships to recognize and support their research… The Siebel Scholars Foundation honored 15 Stanford bioengineering, computer science, and business students with awards to help fund their final year of graduate study. Also in bioengineering, Professor Paul Yock and colleagues published a new textbook about biodesign, the process of creating innovative medical devices… And in sports news, through five games of the football season, engineering major and star running back Toby Gerhart has amassed 8 touchdowns and 650 yards.


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Memory of the Month:
The Loma Prieta Earthquake

Professor Emeritus Haresh Shah recalls the first few hours after the quake that shook Stanford back in 1989.

Got memories and pictures? E-mail them to us.

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Professional/Career Development

Alumni Job Board

Thinking about a new job or just curious to see who's hiring? Please consider our Alumni Job Board, which is an online, searchable database of jobs posted by companies interested in hiring Stanford Engineering alumni. Alumni can set up automatic e-mail notification of new job postings, apply for jobs online, and even search for positions posted specifically by Stanford affiliated companies. The service is free and can be accessed using your SAA username and password.

Do you work for a company that is interested in posting job openings on the Alumni Job Board? Register for a free posting account at: http://soe.stanford.edu/companies/job_board.html

Stanford Engineering Everywhere

Free online courses. Users can access ten complete CS and EE courses online for free through this program offered by Stanford Engineering.

Stanford Center For Professional Development (SCPD)


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Events & Networking

Commemorating Loma Prieta

October 15, 7-9 pm
Memorial Auditorium, Stanford
October 17, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake. A panel of experts will reflect on what happened in 1989, the likely impact of future Bay Area earthquakes, progress in earthquake science and engineering, earthquake preparedness, and how the Bay Area can become more earthquake resilient. The event is free and open to the public.

Reunion Homecoming

October 22-25
Stanford
Come back to campus for a wonderful weekend of events and activities including a roundtable discussion on the economy, moderated by Charlie Rose. Engineering highlights include robotic car expert Sebastian Thrun on a Friday panel discussion about “life-changing technologies;” a Saturday celebration of the Automotive Innovation Facility, and the school’s research partnership with Volkswagen (see below); and stimulating classes without quizzes throughout the weekend.

Driving Innovation: The Future of the Automobile

October 24
Stanford
See Junior, the driverless car, and witness the unveiling of the newest autonomous vehicle in the Stanford/Volkswagen partnership. Professors Sebastian Thrun, Chris Gerdes and Cliff Nass, their students and Volkswagen executives and researchers will be on hand to talk about the future of driving and to answer questions. Plenty of free parking nearby and a free shuttle service to the event will be available from 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm with pickup at the Arrillaga Alumni Center. At the end of the event, a shuttle will depart to the Arrillaga Alumni Center in time for the football game. To attend, please register at www.etouches.com/vail2009

Energy Seminar: Solar technology

Wednesday November 4, 4:15 pm
Building 420 (Jordan Hall), Room 40
Mike McGehee, director of the Center for Advanced Molecular Photovoltaics, and a materials science and engineering associate professor, will provide an overview of solar energy technologies.

Save the date: Entrepreneurship Week 2010

February 22-28, 2010
Stanford University
The weeklong celebration of entrepreneurship will return to campus, promising to deliver exciting ideas, speakers, events, and contests like those that have made the event an annual global phenomenon.

Local alumni clubs

Almost no matter where you live, there are other Stanford alumni nearby. Find your local club and find out about upcoming events near you.

Other Events

Check out more events in lifelong learning geared towards engineers as well as all events posted on the online events calendar.

Stanford on iTunes

If you haven't tried Stanford on iTunes recently, a lot of new tracks have been added, including faculty lectures, interviews, events, sports, and music.

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Stanford Engineering eNews is an e-mail news bulletin created by the SoE Alumni Relations team to provide our alumni with news and information about their school. Visit our Web site at:http://soe.stanford.edu/alumni/. Contact us at engineering-alumni@stanford.edu. You can also update your contact information.

Writing/editing: David Orenstein, Design: Barbara McCain, Production: Steve Stanghellini

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