As the end of the year approaches and the Vermont landscape dons its winter blanket, we reflect on an exciting and eventful fall semester that brought inspiring stories of success from our students, faculty, and staff.
From our dynamic new research partnerships forged with the launch of the Center for Resilient Energy & Autonomous Technologies in Engineering (CREATE) to a new generation of STEM leaders emerging from an interdisciplinary learning environment that promotes hands-on experience in solving real-world challenges, CEMS is poised to continue its upward trajectory in education, research, and outreach.
Over the past five years, the research funding for the college has grown over fivefold, and PhD student numbers have increased by more than 50%. This remarkable growth creates an abundance of research opportunities and program growth in the form of new certificates and minor degrees.
I hope you enjoy this glimpse into our busy semester here at the college. I wish you the very best for the upcoming holiday season.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Mandar Dewoolkar, Acting Dean
College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
In the News
Luis Duffault Espinosa Receives NSF CAREER Award
As more industrial and autonomous robots come online for an increasingly diverse array of applications, ensuring adequate safety protections exist for the humans who share their workspaces is a growing concern. Luis Duffaut Espinosa, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, was recently awarded a prestigious CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop advanced control systems using a data-driven approach to establish safety-control laws while continuing to optimize and guarantee performance.
UVM Receives $2.7 Million in Funding to Advance Rural Climate Resiliency Research
Recent events in Vermont and across the country have demonstrated the impact that climate change is having on our water systems—especially in rural areas. To improve water quality and develop and fortify community-based infrastructure, the University of Vermont and several partner institutions across the country have been awarded $6 million as part of a $77.8 investment by the National Science Foundation to build climate resilience capacity through its Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
Department of Mathematics and Statistics Associate Professor and applied biostatistician Abigail Crocker and Sociology Professor Kathy Fox have spent the last five years researching the Vermont carceral system as a lead project for the University of Vermont Justice Research Initiative. Funded by the Urban Institute, the Vermont effort is part of the Prison Research and Innovation Network (PRIN)—a multi-state effort to improve prison conditions and test innovations in reform through partnerships with corrections departments.
Nic Fiorentino Invested as the Inaugural Karl and Mary Fessenden Professor in Biomedical Engineering
This fall, University Leaders joined the CEMS community to celebrate the investiture of Dr. Nic Fiorentino as the Inaugural Karl and Mary Fessenden Professor in Biomedical Engineering. An associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering with a secondary appointment in Biomedical Engineering, Dr. Fiorentino is a leading biomechanist whose research is at the forefront of musculoskeletal biomechanics, with additional expertise in orthopaedics, and imaging.
Electrical Engineering Ph.D. student Soheyl Faghir Hagh has received honors at two recent conferences for his presentation on the innovative research drone technology being pioneered by electrical engineering professor Tian Xia and mechanical engineering professor Dryver Huston along with Hagh and other colleagues at Xia’s High-Performance Circuits and Systems (HP-CAS) Laboratory with collaboration from UVM's Spatial Analysis Laboratory (SAL). The drones being developed will provide real-time water monitoring and analysis capabilities by deploying sensors and a unique sampling apparatus that is submerged remotely at test sites by the drone via a tether.
The Barrett Foundation Provides Engineering Research Pathways in Environmental Stewardship
For more than 20 years, the Barrett Foundation has served as a research catalyst at the University of Vermont, providing funding for both undergraduate and graduate students to pursue their research interests in environmental stewardship. At the same time, the convergence of funding, student research, and faculty expertise has provided unique engineering support for communities and natural environments in Vermont and across the nation.
Josh Bongard and Chris Danforth Named 2024-2025 University Scholars
Department of Computer Science Professor Joshua Bongard and Department of Mathematics and Statistics Professor Chris Danforth were named the 2024-2025 University Scholars in Basic and Applied Sciences. Dr. Bongard is an internationally recognized expert in machine science and artificial intelligence, with its application to evolutionary robotics. Dr. Danforth is an internationally recognized expert in extensive data analysis and complex systems. His research develops algorithms to predict and understand the intersection between human behavior and social media.
Student Innovation on Display at the 2024 Computer Science Fair
The annual Computer Science Fair descended on the Davis Center once more this December, filling the Grand Maple Ballroom with over 70 unique projects competing for top honors in 5 different categories. The scope and breadth of this year's innovative projects spanned a diverse and exciting range of applications, including weather research, game design, household devices, music, and much more.
Browns River Middle School Eighth Graders Explore Physics and Chemistry During Annual Field Trip
Browns River Middle School has a long tradition of visiting UVM during each December to provide students an opportunity to participate in exciting science demonstrations and experience STEM in a college setting. This year, 48 students joined physics professor Luke Donforth for demonstrations highlighting forces, properties of matter, and unexpected occurrences followed by a session led by lab technician Travis Verret in a Chemistry lab.
The UVM STEM Ambassadors hosted their Fall STEM Showcase for 80 young scientists and engineers in grades 3-9. There were five different workshops taught by UVM students studying Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math and trained to deliver experiential activities to Vermont youth. This year’s theme revolved around Flight, and workshops included the biology of flight, astronaut boot camp, breaking the sound barrier, communication codes, and even creating their own weather in a jar.
GlobalFoundries Supports CEMS Students with New Scholarship Program
This week, the UVM Foundation announced an exciting and generous new scholarship program established by local semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries (GF). As part of GF’s ongoing commitment to developing workforce talent in semiconductor design and manufacturing in the region, the GlobalFoundries Scholarship will support students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs in physics, or electrical, mechanical, biomedical, or environmental engineering.
Mohsen Ghasemizade, a PhD student in Computer Science was named the Inaugural Recipient of the RL Chernoff Fellowship in Computer Science. A privacy policy enthusiast with a background in NLP, machine learning, and data analytics, Ghasemizade is interested in leveraging data and AI to find practical solutions and insights on uncovering patterns in complex datasets, particularly in social media behavior and network security.
This December, Biomedical Engineering hosted its first annual Design Evening featuring poster presentations from students sharing their final capstone projects as well as new project pitches from students in the Design 3 class who will integrate the feedback they received into their own capstone projects next fall.
Biobe's Winning Pitch
Following an impressive pitch, Burlington start-up Biobe took home the Grand Prize this year at LaunchVT’s 2024 Demo Night! The young company, which is dedicated to developing digital health solutions to support families and providers navigating early childhood mental healthcare, features a talented team with close connections to UVM and CEMS. Biobe CEO Bryn Loftness is a doctoral student in UVM’s Complex Systems and Data Science program. She celebrates here with co-founder Nick Cheney, Associate Professor in Computer Science.
Net Zero Energy Award
Peggy O'Neill-Vivanco, the Director of Vermont Clean Cities and Communities, was honored with the 2024 Net Zero Energy Award from the Burlington Electric Department for her ongoing leadership in pursuing low-carbon solutions and sustainable transportation in Vermont.
BETA Founder Kyle Clark
This fall, BETA Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark visited UVM and gave an inspiring presentation about his engineering and entrepreneurial journey in establishing one of the most innovative and successful companies in the nation, developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and support industries.
Mike Rosen Retires
CEMS faculty, staff, and students gathered for the retirement party of research engineer and former interim director of the Center for Biomedical Innovation, Mike Rosen. A biomedical engineer in academia and research-oriented medical centers, Rosen has played an essential role in the growth of the center and the launch of many center projects and collaborations.
CEMS First-year Seminar Provides Pathway to Success
An impressive display of STEM innovation filled the Davis Center’s Grand Maple ballroom this month as 80 teams of CEMS students presented collaborative presentations for their first-year seminar (CEMS 1500) projects. A required civic learning course, the seminar introduces students to campus resources, opportunities, and skills pertinent to CEMS degrees. Campus partners propose the projects to address an emerging issue or need and introduce students to the team-based interdisciplinary work that they will encounter later in upper-level courses. Since launching the college-wide course in Fall 2020, CEMS first and second year retention rates have stabilized near 90%.
The College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences relies on philanthropic support to help our create transformational programs like the one mentioned above. Please consider making a gift you find meaningful to help UVM continue to impact lives and affect change in the world.
