Clemson University - Graduate School

News

RSS Page: < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 >

Clemson, nine other South Carolina schools to lead groundbreaking research in organ replacement

Monday, July 27, 2009

CLEMSON - Clemson University today joins nine other South Carolina higher education institutions in a research program that offers new hope for the thousands of individuals whose lives are threatened by organ failure and who wait in vain for too-few available transplant organs. More than 100,000 people are on the waiting list for organ transplants.

A $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) creates a statewide alliance in the field of tissue biofabrication, which could lead to the ability to produce human organs. The award is one of the largest in the state's history.

Clemson University Vice President for Research and Economic Development Chris Przirembel said the opportunity for South Carolina researchers to work together on such a life-affirming research project is unprecedented.

'The scope of this research initiative is truly impressive, and all of South Carolina can be proud that the National Science Foundation has chosen the research community of our state for this focus,' Przirembel said. 'Obviously NSF saw in South Carolina a willingness to collaborate and an emerging, high-potential body of research expertise. The ultimate benefit of this research project will be to improve the health and quality of life for all South Carolinians and others, and we eagerly await the outcomes.'

Przirembel said the resulting intellectual property could be the basis for new start-up companies that would be part of the emerging biomedical-device cluster in the state, creating a wide range of jobs at every level, from technicians to researchers.

Clemson's role in the research project totals $750,000 over the five-year grant period. Principal investigator Larry Dooley will lead the Clemson research team, which will target three junior faculty members to work with faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina to develop a critical mass of in-state research expertise in tissue biofabrication. Yong Huang, mechanical engineering assistant professor, will serve as leader of the research thrust to build a three-dimensional 'vascular tree,' the first crucial step in the process of fabricating complete organs. Clemson Computing and Information Technology also will play a significant role in the cyber-infrastructure necessary for collaboration among the institutions.

The research alliance is managed by the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and Institutional Development Awards (IDeA), two federal-state-university partnerships designed to increase research capacity and competitiveness for federal research and development funds. In addition to Clemson, the alliance includes the state's two other research universities, the Medical University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina, as well as Claflin University, Furman University, South Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina-Beaufort, Voorhees College, Denmark Technical College and Greenville Technical College. The South Carolina Research Authority will serve as fiscal agent of the award.

Esin Gulari, dean of Clemson's College of Engineering and Science and a member of the National Science Board, the governing body for NSF, said the grant will undoubtedly boost South Carolina's national research profile to new heights.

'Activities from this project will lead to a vanguard position in a new science and technology field that is truly global,' she said.

Details of the comprehensive project include:
* Expansion of a current Medical University of South Carolina bioprinting program into a statewide Advanced Tissue Biofabrication center
* Recruitment of 22 new faculty members with expertise not currently available in South Carolina
* Creation of a global e-community to facilitate the development of sophisticated databases in vascular technology
* Establishment of national and international academic industrial collaborations and the integration of statewide initiatives for workforce development, education and communication to the general public
* Integration of the alliance's research with K-12 education to build South Carolina's future high-tech workforce.

Educational innovations include development of e-textbooks and new curricula. New graduate-degree programs and postdoctoral- and graduate-research training are planned across the state. Training opportunities for South Carolina's reporters and journalism students will enable in-depth reporting of scientific achievements and will enhance science literacy statewide.

The NSF award will connect regional, national and international cyber-networks and support collaborative e-communities for education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Other activities will bridge South Carolina's minority-serving programs and integrate with the science, education, communication and sustainability plans of the project.

Top

Clemson, nine other South Carolina schools to lead groundbreaking research in organ replacement

Monday, July 27, 2009

'Activities from this project will lead to a vanguard position in a new science and technology field that is truly global,' she said.

Top

Metromont gift names Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate Development

Monday, July 27, 2009

Metromont Corp. President and CEO Rick Pennell Friday honored his father — as well as a long-term family commitment to the development industry — with a gift to Clemson University that names the Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate Development. The $2.5 million gift will support the center’s activities with students, faculty and professionals as they seek better ways to build more sustainable communities. The Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate Development is a joint venture between Clemson’s College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities and the College of Business and Behavioral Science, a relationship that mirrors the complex nature of real estate development. “We are grateful to the Pennell family for the dedication they show to their industry now and the commitment they make to the future,” said Clemson University President James F. Barker. “This gift will have a tremendous impact on our efforts to produce the next generation of innovators and leaders in real estate design, construction and development.” Rick Pennell said it was the center’s blend of disciplines, from building arts to finance, that inspired the gift. (See the related article for more information.) “It intrigued me that the program has students from architecture, landscape architecture and business, and marries them in a unique curriculum,” he said. “The center touches on everything we do at Metromont.” Pennell said the center brings together students from various disciplines, just as real estate development brings together various professions in the working world. Metromont serves those professionals with a business based on precast concrete. The Greenville-based company has projects that range from parking structures and thermal-efficient wall systems for schools, office buildings and dormitories, to affordable hurricane-resistant housing in New Orleans. “Metromont is clearly a leader in an industry that is vital to helping make a difference in building better and more sustainable communities,' said center Director Elaine Worzala. 'The work that this company does in helping us build better and greener buildings is exactly the type of thing we want the center to be involved in.” Metromont was founded in 1925 by Captain J. Roy Pennell. Richard H. “Dick” Pennell Sr. (Clemson Class of 1950) now serves as chairman of the board for Metromont Corp., and Richard H. “Rick” Pennell Jr., president and CEO, is the third generation to run the company. Metromont’s construction expertise spans from schools, office buildings and parking decks to industrial plants and stadiums. The company has completed more than 50 stadiums, including seven for the NFL, 15 sports arenas and more than 650 parking decks. The company has plants in Greenville; Atlanta; Richmond, Va.; Charlotte, N.C.; and Nashville, Tenn. The Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate Development seeks to complement Clemson University’s academic programming by providing research and outreach opportunities that will enhance the real estate profession. For more information about the Richard H. Pennell Center for Real Estate Development, go to http://www.clemson.edu/caah/pla/cred/.

Top

DOE funds Clemson University clean energy research

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Clemson University associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering David Bruce will participate in a multi-university Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) funded with $12.5 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Center for Atomic-Level Catalyst Design (CALCD) is focused on the development of new catalysts for the production of clean fuels and chemicals from renewable sources.

David Bruce“The scientific research efforts of CALCD, combined with those of 45 other new EFRCs, are focused on the development of lower-cost renewable fuels that can be produced in the U.S.,” said Bruce. “The ultimate goal is to develop new environmentally friendly reaction processes that will help to decrease the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.”

Bruce said that most renewable fuels now must be subsidized by government entities to be cost-competitive with fossil fuels. The materials that will be developed by the catalyst design center will enable renewable fuels to be produced at a lower cost and allow more of the feedstock to be converted into usable fuel and chemical products, which will further reduce the carbon footprint of new production processes.

Bruce will receive $714,000 for five years to use advanced computational methods to provide the molecular insights needed for collaborators on the project to prepare catalyst materials that are optimally suited to convert cellulose and other waste organic materials into renewable liquid fuels and bio-derived chemicals.

“Using state-of-the-art simulation and material-characterization methods, we plan to develop the next generation of catalysts and reaction processes that are needed to efficiently produce the bio-derived fuels of tomorrow,” said Bruce. “We expect to make significant discoveries in the coming years given the exceptional computational facilities at Clemson. The Palmetto high performance computer system and Internet 2 connectivity at Clemson will greatly enhance our abilities to model these reaction systems and interact with the other center investigators.”

The Center for Atomic-Level Catalyst Design, located at Louisiana State University, is a collaborative effort that includes 21 investigators from nine institutions in the United States and Europe. Bruce will serve as its coordinator for all simulation efforts. James Goodwin, a professor in the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Clemson, will serve as a consultant to the project for one year.

Top

Chemistry Professor Recognized for Best Paper

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Dr. Julia Brumaghim, an associate professor of chemistry at Clemson, was recognized for the Best Paper for a Young Investigator by the Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry in its most recent Young Investigator Special issue.

Dr. Brumaghim’s paper, “Metal Specificity in DNA Damage Prevention by Sulfer Antioxidants,” is available for reading at Science Direct.

The 2008 Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry Young Investigator Special Issue focuses on “Inorganic Biochemistry – The Next Generation”.

Dr. Brumaghim first became interested in research chemistry as an undergraduate after conducting undergraduate research in the laboratories of Professors George Whitesides and Andrew Barron at Harvard, and Richard Eisenberg at the University of Rochester, primarily in synthetic inorganic chemistry. During graduate school at the University of Illinois, she worked with Professor Greg Girolami to synthesize and characterize air- and moisture-sensitive osmium complexes containing the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligand.

Seeking to focus on biological applications of inorganic chemistry, Dr. Brumaghim then began an NIH postdocotoral fellowship with Professor Ken Raymond in the Chemistry Department at the University of California at Berkeley. Having assiduously avoided water and oxygen during most of her graduate tenure, she now performed much of her work in water. Using Ga(III) to mimic Fe(III), Dr. Brumaghim synthesized and resolved chiral Ga(III) hydroxamate complexes. Drawing on her graduate training in organometallic catalysis, she also studied the incorporation of chiral phosphonium cations and ruthenium catalysts into the Raymond supramolecular assemblies.

To gain more experience working with DNA, Dr. Brumaghim accepted a second postdoctoral research position with Professor Stuart Linn in the Molecular and Cellular Biology department at Berkeley. There she studied the effects of iron coordination on oxidative DNA damage and determined sites for iron localization and reduction rates for the biological reductants NAD(P)H.

As a chemistry professor at Clemson University, Dr. Brumaghim's work focuses on the biological applications of inorganic chemistry, using a wide range of techniques to determine mechanisms of antioxidant activity and prevention of metal-mediated DNA damage.

Top

CU-ICAR buildings noted for outstanding sustainable design

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Clemson University has been recognized for its commitment to sustainable development with the U.S. Green Building Council’s award of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for two buildings on the campus of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville. Innovation Place and AutoParkInnovation Place, which houses the CU-ICAR partnership offices, and its adjacent AutoPark, with parking for 1,200 vehicles, received LEED-NC Gold certification for new construction. The Innovation Place facility also contains the Carolina First Gallery and St. Francis VRUM Fitness Center. The Innovation Place and AutoPark project was designed by Greenville architects Neal Prince and Partners with the Smith Group. In addition to being the first Clemson University building to achieve Gold status for new construction, the Innovation Place/AutoPark project also is the first state-funded LEED-NC Gold project and the first LEED-NC Gold building in the city of Greenville. The Innovation Place project also has been recognized by the South Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects with a 2009 Special Citation for Design Excellence. The state-of-the-art Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center received LEED-NC Silver certification. Designed by Atlanta-based Facility Group, the 90,000-square-foot facility houses Clemson’s unique graduate program in automotive engineering. Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering CenterLEED certification is based on a rating system that evaluates new construction on an extensive checklist of criteria, such as sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation and design process. As part of the certification process, Clemson purchased 1.3 kWh of wind-energy renewable energy certificates from Greenville-based Sky-energy. The certificates offset more than 1,787,452 pounds of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, that are emitted by fossil fuel plants. This purchase supports the university’s sustainable and green building policy. “President Barker has made LEED certification a priority for Clemson University, and the CU-ICAR campus is pleased that these two buildings reflect the university’s commitment to sustainable development,” said Bob Geolas, CU-ICAR executive director. “We will pursue these principles as we continue to develop the campus.” The Timken Building was CU-ICAR’s first construction project to receive LEED certification, in April 2008, and BMW received Wildlife and Industry Together (W.A.I.T.) certification from the South Carolina Wildlife Federation for its Information Technology Research Center for its features of a wildlife viewing area, nature trails and a W.A.I.T. garden. Clemson adopted a Sustainable Building Policy in 2005 to demonstrate the university’s commitment to environmental, economic and social stewardship; to yield cost savings through reduced operating costs; to provide healthy environments for students, faculty, staff and visitors; and to contribute to the university’s goals of protecting, conserving and enhancing the region’s and the state’s environmental resources.

Top

Graduate Dean Appointed to National Communications Committee

Monday, June 15, 2009

Sean D. Williams, associate dean of the Graduate School and associate professor of English, was recently appointed to serve as a member of the Technical and Scientific Communications Committee for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). His three-year term will begin after the 2009 Annual Convention scheduled for November 19-24, in Philadelphia. In today’s rapidly changing world, there is a growing need for technical and scientific writers who can communicate clearly and succinctly to professionals and lay persons. Unfortunately, teaching at all levels has not kept up with this need, concentrating instead on the traditional forms of creative and informational writing. NCTE should be leading the movement to increase teachers’ interest and skill in teaching technical and scientific writing. The charge of this committee is to play a prominent role in increasing our professional community’s awareness and skill in teaching technical and scientific communication by • holding an open committee meeting and presenting awards at the annual NCTE convention, • recommending experts in the field who could author NCTE publications, develop online courses or digital learning experiences, and/or speak at the annual convention, and • suggesting opportunities to collaborate with other professional or scholarly organizations on the generation or dissemination of information about technical and scientific communication to teachers of all disciplines. The National Council of Teachers of English, with 40,000 individual and institutional members worldwide, is dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. For more information, please visit www.ncte.org.

Top

Management Prof Earns Society's Lifetime Achievement Award

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

Aleda Roth, the Burlington Industries Distinguished Professor in Supply Chain Management at Clemson University, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Production and Operations Management Society’s College of Service Operations. Aleda RothRoth is only the third professor to receive the award, which is given to a person who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to and leadership in service operations and through research, publications and other means has contributed to the intellectual growth of the supply chain-management field. Roth is an internationally recognized scholar in service-operations strategy. She has co-founded major research initiatives, such as the International Service Study with faculty at London Business School and the University of Southern California and the World Class Banking Study with the Bank Administration Institute. Her research productivity in leading academic journals in the area of service operations is ranked seventh worldwide; and in terms of overall productivity she ranks in the top 1 percent. Roth came to Clemson in 2006 from Arizona State University, where she held the W.P. Carey Chair in Supply Chain Management. Previously, she worked at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC-Chapel Hill, she was the Mary Farley Lee Distinguished Professor of Operations Management and chairwoman of the Global Supply Chain Management Concentration in the MBA program. She also has held faculty appointments at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Boston University’s School of Management.

Top

Clemson Scientists Evaluation Soils for Holding Earth's Surplus Carbon

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Soils play a vital role in dealing with the environmental impacts of rising atmospheric carbon levels — primarily carbon dioxide — from natural and human activities. Clemson University soil scientists are studying soil types, ranking them on their ability to hold carbon and preventing it from returning to the atmosphere for eons. The Earth’s carbon budget — its balance between carbon used for plant growth and excess carbon stored — is a dynamic process. As carbon is released through fossil-fuel burning and changing land use, scientists are seeking a more accurate understanding of carbon storage and cycling. The Earth holds carbon in what scientists call pools: reservoirs of carbon stocks stored in and on the Earth and oceans as organic and inorganic matter. Simplistically, organic carbon compounds are connected to plants or animals while inorganic carbon compounds are often linked to minerals or rocks. Soil is second only to the oceans as a carbon sink: pools into which more carbon flows in than out. Soil scientists have a better picture of soil organic carbon — soil containing decaying plant and animal matter — than soil inorganic carbon. Scientists are now studying soil inorganic carbon, theorizing it may be a key area for forming and holding carbon, preventing it from returning to the atmosphere for eons. A team of Experiment Station scientists from Clemson University and Virginia Tech analyzed the 12 major soil groups in the continental United States, ranking them for their potential ability to form new soil inorganic carbon based on average annual atmospheric wet deposition of calcium, or the amount of ionic calcium present in rainfall. The results were first presented at the Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting in November 2007 in New Orleans and recently have been published in the May-June 2009 issue of the Soil Science Society of America Journal. The study evaluated average annual atmospheric wet deposition of ionic calcium from 1994 to 2003 in the continental United States by soil order using spatial analysis of ionic calcium wet deposition data obtained from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and the State Soil Geographic Database from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Using geographic information system (GIS) software, spatial data layers were developed and averaged to create a final iconic calciu wet deposition map layer. The total deposition per soil order was calculated by combining the final average ionic calcium wet deposition map layer with the generalized soil order data layer. Results from the study revealed that the total wet deposition of ionic calcium was 8.6 × 108 kilograms, which would be equivalent to the maximum theoretical formation of 2.6 × 108 kilograms of carbon as soil inorganic calcium, barring losses due to competitive processes, such as plant uptake, erosion and deep leaching. The soil orders receiving the highest area-normalized total wet deposition of ionic calcium were Alfisols and Mollisols, non-arid soils that typically are associated with the “bread-basket” regions of the United States. Research team member Elena Mikhailova, a soil scientist at Clemson who originally conceived the research approach, stated, “Formation of new carbonate minerals in soils — what scientists call pedogenic carbonates — represent a pathway by which atmospheric (carbon dioxide) can be sequestered. Maps of potential (soil inorganic carbon) formation and storage based on wet (ionic calcium) deposition can aid in understanding terrestrial ecosystem inorganic carbon dynamics and the way it can be manipulated to decrease (carbon dioxide) concentrations in the atmosphere.” The research is part of an ongoing project at Clemson to study soil carbon, particularly inorganic carbon stocks, and its role in the global carbon budget. Studies will measure, profile and identify the soil carbon characteristics and regional distribution to understand conditions and develop predictive models for future soil inorganic carbon research.

Top

Medford Named Teacher of Honor

Monday, May 25, 2009

Dr. Lienne Federico Medford, Associate Professor of Education at Clemson University and director of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Middle Grades, has been named a Teacher of Honor by Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society for education scholars. To earn this recognition, Dr. Medford, who is also Director of the Master of Arts (MAT) in Teaching Middle Grades Program at Clemson, had to meet rigorous criteria that include being highly qualified as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act, participating in ongoing professional development and continuing education, serving in leadership roles, and publishing in education journals. In the last nine years, Dr. Medford has participated in a wide range of professional pursuits that contributed to achieving this honor, not the least of which was introducing the MAT program for career changers at Clemson. Through this program, developed to relieve the shortage of highly qualified middle level teachers in South Carolina, Dr. Medford annually recruits and trains 40 teacher candidates who have come from careers outside of education. In this role, she 'spends countless hours mentoring and advising students,' observed graduate assistant Mary Helen Landmesser.

'Dr. Medford inspires her students to be agents of positive change in their schools. She teaches about best practices by using them,' Landmesser said. Dr. Bill Fisk, Chair of Teacher Education in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson offered a similar description in his comment, 'Dr. Lienne Medford is a wonderful teacher and has worked tirelessly to establish, coordinate, and operate our highly successful Middle Grades MAT program.

Her role and teaching practices earned her the College of Education's Award for Outstanding Graduate Advising and Mentoring and Clemson University's Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching. While directing the MAT program, Dr. Medford also has served on various committees and advisory boards, published articles in educational journals, and presented workshops at education conferences. The common threads throughout many of these activities are her support of teacher education students and her dedication to middle level education.

Most recently, Dr. Medford served on the Program Review Team for the South Carolina Department of Education and the National Education Association's Online Professional Development Programs Advisory Committee. In December, her university awarded her the Ralph D. Elliott Award for Outstanding Service to Off-Campus, Distance, and Continuing Education.

Her articles published on the subjects of entering the teaching profession, preparing for teaching certification, and preventing bullying in schools further evidence her dedication to promoting and supporting excellence in education and the students she serves. 'Great teachers change lives by inspiring students to recognize their gifts and to learn how to use them to pursue a worthy dream. Lienne Medford is one such teacher,' said Kappa Delta Pi International President Dr. Pamela Kramer Ertel.

For more information on Kappa Delta Pi or the Teacher of Honor award, contact Kelly M. Skinner, Director of Membership and Marketing, at 800-284-3167 or kellys@kdp.orq. Detailed information about Teacher of Honor is available on the KDP Web site (www.kdp.orq) at www.kdp.org/recognition/teacherofhonor.php.

For more information about Clemson's MAT programs, visit http://www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/MiddleEd/.

Top

Grad School Names New International Admissions Coordinator

Monday, May 25, 2009

The Graduate Admissions Office has announced that it has hired Kathleen Costello as an international admissions coordinator. Costello joins Clemson University after serving at Montclair State University for 13 years where she worked extensively with international students as advisor to the international student organization and in language partner programs. She possesses a graduate degree in Applied Linguistics. Currently, she will be facilitating the admissions process for all international graduate applicants. Her contact information can be found on the Graduate School’s website here .

Top

CU Hydrogeophysicist and Graduate Student Featured in "Earth"

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Stephen Moysey, a hydrogeophysicist at Clemson University in South Carolina, and graduate student Dan Matz are featured in a recent article in 'Earth' magazine. Read the article at http://www.earthmagazine.org/earth/article/216-7d9-5-8.

Top

Clemson Mech Eng Professor Named NSF CAREER Award Winner

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Clemson University assistant professor of mechanical engineering Lin Ma has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to study the science of turbulent combustion, the mode of combustion in many practical energy-generating devices. The project focuses on the study of turbulence-chemistry interactions using advanced laser-imaging techniques. Lin MaThe grant, totaling $400,000, will fund the project, “CAREER: Resolving Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction Using Novel Laser Diagnostics.” The project aims to understand the complicated physics of turbulent combustion, which will contribute to the solution of pressing global issues of energy security and environmental sustainability. “The complexity of chemical reactions in turbulent flows represents a longstanding scientific problem with significant practical applications, most notably, the burning of fossil fuels with maximum efficiency and minimum pollution,” said Ma. “It is a challenging problem in that neither turbulence nor chemistry is completely understood, yet their interactions cover an incredibly wide spectrum of real-world devices. I believe the research proposed will result in effective tools to resolve such interactions to a new level and the insights we obtain will help improve these devices.” The devices, said Ma, can range from the simple, such as barbecue grills, to the complicated, such as industry boilers, power plants and aircraft engines. Ma joined Clemson in 2006. His teaching and research interests are in the general areas of thermal-fluid sciences. He uses advanced laser diagnostics extensively in his research to address both scientific and industrial challenges, ranging from obtaining a fundamental understanding of combustion chemistry to improving the efficiency of engines. Ma received a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of the early career-development activities of teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education in the context of the missions of their organizations. The award description states the activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of integrated contributions to research and education.

Top

Teaching, Learning & Technology in Higher Education - Tablet PCs at Clemson

Monday, May 18, 2009

Clemson Digital Production Arts graduate students recently produced a video for Hewlett-Packard documenting the use of tablet PCs in the classroom. For more information and to watch the video, follow this link

Top

Teaching, Learning & Technology in Higher Education - Tablet PCs at Clemson

Monday, May 18, 2009

Top

Teaching, Learning & Technology in Higher Education - Tablet PCs at Clemson

Monday, May 18, 2009

Top

Biosystems engineering Student Garners NSF Fellowship

Monday, May 18, 2009

Clemson University student Mary Katherine Watson of Summerville, a graduate student in biosystems engineering, received a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is a $30,000-per-year stipend and $1,000 research travel allowance. Nominees for the award are chosen based on grade-point average, Graduate Records Examination scores, a personal statement, previous research experience, a proposed plan for future research and letters of recommendation from faculty. “I am excited to have received an NSF graduate fellowship and I am confident that undergraduate and graduate research in biosystems engineering at Clemson University has prepared me to continue my graduate education,” said Watson. Watson completed undergraduate and graduate-level research in biosystems engineering at Clemson with associate professor Caye M. Drapcho. She also participated in SC-LIFE undergraduate research and departmental honors research in biosystems engineering to prepare her for graduate research.

Top

Clemson Scientist Gets $222,000 to Reduce Risk from Food Grown with Compost

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Clemson University food safety researcher Xiuping Jiang has been awarded $222,000 to reduce illness-causing bacteria from getting into farms and gardens through manure used as fertilizer.

A teaspoon of fertile soil can have as many as 1 billion bacteria. Some bacteria are harmful to humans, causing gut-wrenching sickness and even death among the very young, very old or very weak. By raising temperatures and using other approaches, Jiang has been lowering bacterial counts in compost.

The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California in Davis is funding the research by Jiang, an associate professor in Clemson's food science and human nutrition department. The microbiologist works on microbial safety, the control and source of food pathogens. Pathogens are microorganisms that cause disease. Some pathogens, including salmonella and E. coli (Escherichia coli 0157:H7), have been linked to using manure.

The research goals for Jiang and her colleagues Jinkyung Kim in food science and Feng Luo in the computer sciences department are to:

* understand how human pathogens react to heat in compost,

* use biological controls to reduce pathogen re-growth in compost,

* develop a sensitive pathogen detection method and

* apply mathematical modeling to simulate the effect of heat on pathogen growth.

The relationship between livestock production, manure management and human health has been in the news. Organic and commercial vegetable growers are using fresh and composted animal feces — manure — as fertilizer and soil enrichment for farms, gardens, nurseries and greenhouses. Livestock and poultry manure naturally contain a wide range of bacteria as well as viruses and protozoa. Some cause illnesses: E. coli is most common in cattle manure; salmonella is most common in poultry manure. Food-related sicknesses have been linked to E. coli and salmonella on apples, lettuce, spinach, cantaloupe and sprouts. Root crops and leafy vegetables have a greater risk of infection from manure application to soil.

Composting often is used to reduce the spread of pathogens before mixing into the soil, but it must be done correctly. Bacteria are survivors, some lasting more than year under the right conditions. For example, E. coli survives cold temperatures and tolerates acidic, salty and dry conditions. Fortunately, it is easily destroyed by heat, provided temperature and duration are sufficient.

Jiang’s research team also is studying biological controls, such as other bacteria in the compost that can grow more rapidly and out-compete harmful pathogens for nutrients. Additionally, the researchers are devising an improved ways to find harmful bacteria, enabling farmers and growers to more confidently identify and count pathogen populations in manure-based compost.

There are many sources of contamination beyond improperly composted manure, including poor water quality, transmission from inadequately sanitized equipment and improper hygiene by people handling produce during processing and serving.

The consequences of food-borne illnesses can be severe, though healthy people tend to endure diarrhea, cramps and perhaps a fever. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention speculates that 76 million cases of food-borne disease occur each year in the United States. Most cases are mild and cause symptoms for a day or two and go unreported. Some cases are more serious, and the CDC estimates that there are 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths related to food-borne diseases yearly.

The Center for Produce Safety at the University of California Davis has announced the launch of a $1 million research effort to enhance the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. The new research program focuses on the 'field to fork' research needs of the entire produce supply chain, from the soil and water in the fields to storage practices in retail and food service outlets.

Top

Researchers Study the Human Factor in Spread of Pandemic Illness

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Industrial engineers Sandra Garrett of Clemson University and Barrett Caldwell of Purdue University have proposed a new system to warn of an impending pandemic by monitoring signals in human behavior. The system could result in using a simple icon on a television screen to warn of future phases of an outbreak of an illness such as the flu.

Researchers agree it is extremely difficult to identify a pandemic event before it is under way and spreading from person to person, yet the timeliness of this early detection is critical for an effective response and disaster-mitigation strategy. History and computer-generated simulations show that the speed in which a response strategy is initiated, even more than the specific strategy itself, will have the largest influence in reducing the overall impact of a pandemic. Given the importance of rapid response, identifying the specific event phases and the triggers that indicate a need for action is essential.

'We know that delays in identification are critical,' Garrett said. 'Once any significant number of cases are identified, especially in high-transit areas, the pandemic spread is virtually impossible to control. We have proposed a system that monitors what humans are doing leading up to a pandemic to increase the likelihood of early detection.'

Garrett said the system would monitor such activities as an increase in flu-related medicine purchases or a spike in Internet use for certain types of flu-related information. These early indicators are important to notice since the spread of influenza can occur before someone begins to show symptoms of being sick and before they seek medical attention. Since a pandemic does not occur at a single point in time, but rather evolves, it is often difficult to detect an outbreak from physician or local health-department reports of an increase in flu cases.

'Understanding these phases might be a way to overcome a fundamental hurdle in controlling a pandemic,' said Caldwell. 'Conventional approaches require public-health officials to know when certain events leading to pandemic begin. The problem is it’s often too late to do much about it.'

The researchers say planning for an illness can start at an earlier phase so that policymakers, government officials and the public can react sooner to control it. They envision a system that uses icons on television screens similar to those used for weather advisories warning about the phases of the illness and appropriate public responses.

Garrett said there is much that the general population can do to prepare for a pandemic outbreak such as the flu, but many people do not fully understand influenza, what they can do to prepare and how to appropriately respond during a severe outbreak.

'The more we can do to educate our community, the better,' said Garrett. 'The social impact of a panicking populace can be just as hazardous as the virus, for example, the worried healthy folks flooding emergency rooms, using up valuable medical resources and possibly becoming exposed to the virus while there.'

Garrett said that the basic underlying research is not limited to pandemic influenza scenarios, but could also be used in many other types of disasters, such as hurricanes or winter storms.

'It’s about communication,' Garrett said. 'The more we know and the sooner that we know, the better for everyone.'

It also is critical to keep the information fresh with clearly identified frequent updates about the event. She said that when people are not given updated information, they begin to make assumptions that often are incorrect, which leads to discounting some of the information that is available.

The research by Garrett and Caldwell on the 'Human Factors Aspects of Planning and Response to Pandemic Events' will be presented in a research paper June 2 at the Industrial Engineering Research Conference in Miami.

They also have collaborated with health officials and hospitals in the test state of Indiana to determine the feasibility of an alternative-care system that may require activation once a pandemic illness reaches a local area. The study looks at how authorities react, what facilities are available that may be needed to care for pandemic patients and how to communicate timely information between authorities and their planning partners and to the general public. The Indiana State Department of Health funded the research.

Top

DPA Students Win Award at Charleston International Film Festival

Monday, May 11, 2009

Two DPA students were the winners of the 'Audience Choice Award' at the recent Charleston International Film Festival. Trae Murray and Ashley Triplett were recognized for their computer animation, 'Schildermenneke.' 'Schildermenneke,' the Dutch nickname for Vincent van Gogh and roughly translated as 'Little Painter Fellow,' brings several van Gogh paintings to life in an impressionist-style computer animation, which is available for viewing athttp://fx.clemson.edu/theater_vanGogh.html.

Top

Clemson University Donates Computers for Workforce Training in North Charleston

Monday, May 11, 2009

The Clemson University Restoration Institute's Healthy Communities focus area and the Clemson Institute for Economic and Community Development have donated 15 computers to the city of North Charleston for a computer training lab in the city's Chicora Cherokee neighborhood.

The Gussie Greene Technology Center will be used for workforce development skills to create opportunities for neighborhood residents.

Comcast Cable in Charleston provided a year's free high-speed Internet access and cable installation. The computer science department at the College of Charleston provided additional equipment and students helped install the machines.

The Charleston Linux Users Group donated the man hours to install software and develop computer management and Web site monitoring systems.

Community leaders expressed a need to improve the technical capabilities of the local population, said Harry Crissy, Clemson regional community and economic development agent for Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.

Clemson University and the College of Charleston will use the center as a classroom to help local residents develop computer skills.

'Modern technology moves so fast,' Crissy said. 'This project is designed to help residents of the Chicora Cherokee neighborhood become more marketable to potential employers.'

Gussie Greene Community Center is at 2012 Success St. in North Charleston. If successful, the pilot program could spread to other communities in the three-county region, Crissy said.

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey said the computer lab provides many with the opportunity to establish and expand important skills that will enable them to gain meaningful employment.

'In an age where information prevails, becoming computer literate and technologically savvy is invaluable,' Summey said. 'I am very grateful for the many contributors to this project, and I am confident that the entire community will benefit from their generous deeds.'

Collaborators in the project are:

Clemson University Restoration Institute
Clemson University Institute for Economic and Community Development at the Sandhill Research and Education Center, Columbia
Comcast Cable
City of North Charleston
North Charleston Mitigation Agreement Commission
Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities
College of Charleston computer science department
Charleston Linux Users Group
Free Linux Personal Computer Group

Top

Clemson Faculty Member Elected ACerS Fellow

Monday, May 11, 2009

John Ballato, associate vice president for research and economic development at Clemson University and a professor in the College of Materials Science and Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS).

Founded in 1898, the American Ceramic Society serves the informational, educational and professional needs of the international ceramics community. Ceramics usually are described in simple terms as any inorganic, nonmetallic materials, and can include glass. Ceramics today encompasses many fields, including aerospace, optical materials, medicine and electronics.

John BallatoBallato is director of the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) at Clemson. His research interests include the optical properties of materials and fiber fabrication.

COMSET is an interdisciplinary research unit of the College of Engineering and Science. Faculty members with common interests are able to collaborate to develop advanced materials that exhibit a value-added interaction with light. COMSET has received $42 million for sponsored research.

To be elected as Fellow to ACerS, nominees must be 35 years or older, members of ACerS for at least five years continuously and been proven qualified for elevation to the grade of Fellow by their contributions to the ceramics arts and sciences and shown broad scholarship in the industry or outstanding service to ACerS.

Ballato earned a bachelor's degree in ceramic science and engineering in 1993 and a Ph.D. in ceramic and materials engineering in 1997 from Rutgers University. He joined Clemson University’s department of ceramic and materials engineering in 1997. He has published more than 160 archival scientific papers, holds 25 U.S. and foreign patents, given more than 125 lectures and colloquia and co-organized 25 national and international conferences.

Awards Ballato has received include the 1997 ACerS Kreidl Award; the 2001 Clemson University Byar’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching; the 2003 Minerals, Metals and Materials Society’s Robert Lansing Hardy Award in recognition of exceptional promise for a successful career in materials science; the 2004 ACerS Robert L. Coble Award in recognition of the nation’s outstanding young ceramic scientists; and the 2004 National Institute of Ceramic Engineers Schwartswalder-PACE Award in recognition of the nation’s outstanding young ceramic engineer whose achievements have been significant to the ceramics field and general welfare of the American people.

Top

Conference Raises Awareness and Sparks Collaboration across Disciplines

Monday, May 04, 2009

Earlier this year Clemson hosted a national-level conference — CI Days — designed to explore innovative ways to integrate information technology into teaching, research and outreach programs. Nearly 350 faculty members, graduate students, information technology staff and state research partners came together for three days with national agencies and providers of cyberinfrastructure resources and services. The outcome was new working alliances to develop and deploy a strong cyberinfrastructure at Clemson and throughout the state.

The conference was co-sponsored by several Clemson University divisions and a number of key corporate partners including Dell, Apple, SUN and Cisco. The effort also was supported by a national collaboration of computing and networking agencies including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and EDUCAUSE.

Top

Technology Developed by Student-Driven Project Allows Fans to Enjoy Football in Whole New Dimension

Monday, May 04, 2009

iTiger is the start of a campuswide emphasis toward a new generation of wireless technology integration. A student-driven effort in application design and development, infrastructure, project management and game-day logistics, the project brings together the School of Computing in the College of Engineering and Science, Clemson Computing and Information Technology, and Clemson Athletics. The uncommon collaboration of this trio could eventually bring instant replay, game-day statistics, memorabilia and e-concessions to the fingertips of football fans sitting in the stands of Memorial Stadium using their own hand-held digital devices.

Other possibilities for iTiger’s use within the stadium include instantly accessing public safety officials, interacting with other fans, submitting questions to the coach’s show, and ordering and paying for concessions for pickup or delivery.

'We’re looking at how the stadium of the future may eventually operate and how other even larger forums in our environment have the potential to operate. We’re taking a social networking application and applying it to a sport venue. We hope to eventually use this application on a campuswide scope and, perhaps someday, citywide and beyond,' says Jim Bottum, vice provost for computing and information technology.

Top

Clemson Hosts Virtual Collaborative Glass Class for 10 Institutions

Monday, May 04, 2009

At a meeting of the Glass Division of the American Ceramic Society, university faculty lamented how, individually, they didn’t have enough enrollment to teach advanced glass classes. From that discussion was born a virtual collaborative class with enrollments from 10 institutions — Alfred University, Clemson University, Coe College, Iowa State University, Missouri S&T, UC Davis, University of Florida, Penn State, Michigan and University of Arizona — plus the National Science Foundation and the International Materials Institute for New Functionality in Glass.

Clemson materials science and engineering professor Eric Skaar offered to host the virtual class using Clemson’s Adobe Connect Web conferencing technology, which provides an array of tools such as screen and document sharing, chat, whiteboards and surveys — a virtual environment very similar to the offerings of a traditional classroom. Each university provided a lecturer. Instructors found that collaborating across institutions for projects was not only feasible but in some cases preferred by students because of the collaborative environment.

The faculty has taught the course twice with about 40 students in each section and is in the process of publishing its experiences through the American Society for Engineering Education. Skaar has also collaborated with researchers from the Savannah River Site to teach sections of Materials Processing (CME 319) virtually using Adobe Connect.

Top

Massive Computing Infrastructure Offers Engineering Simulation Capabilities with Speed and Simplicity

Monday, May 04, 2009

Design development and modification are among the most competitive and most expensive aspects of the automotive industry. The Clemson University Computational Center for Mobility Systems (CU-CCMS) provides computational modeling that can significantly reduce both the time and cost associated with design modification.

In addition to the unique and validated engineering simulation methods of its industry-focused approach, CU-CCMS offers clients a high-performance computing system that is among the top 10 most powerful computers at any American university and among the top 20 computers at any university center worldwide. CU-CCMS and Clemson Computing and Information Technology partnered with Sun Microsystems and Voltaire to build the system that performs more than 27 trillion mathematical computations per second.

Top

Open Parks Grid Creates Communication Backbone for Park and Protected Area Management

Monday, May 04, 2009

A visionary plan is under way to create an international computing network to support the diverse groups of people who manage parks, from local to international. The Open Parks Grid can also benefit those who conduct environmental research, conservation and education programs related to parks, and those who make policy decisions about park lands.

Design and deployment of social networking tools will foster the creation of a network community for consortium members. The grid will gather and disseminate the best available science about parks and protected areas, including data on climate change, ecosystem composition, endangered species and park visitation patterns. The project is being beta tested at four national parks in the southeastern United States: Congaree National Park, Cowpens National Battlefield, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Augusta Canal National Heritage Area.

The interdisciplinary team’s efforts support environmental conservation through shared resources and target cyberinfrastructure challenges of data fusion and data mining that go well beyond park management

Top

Greenville Company Donates Robot to CU-ICAR Graduate Program

Monday, May 04, 2009

Greenville-based Automation Engineering Corp. has donated a KUKA six-axis robot valued at $15,500 to the Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). The robot will be used in research and education by students studying factory automation in the automotive engineering graduate program.

The robot can be used for a wide variety of manufacturing projects, such as welding cars on an assembly line, painting or moving parts from one position to another. Students have specified, purchased and installed supporting hardware, learned the KUKA programming language and are able to manipulate the robot in a variety of tasks.

Automotion Engineering (AEC) also provides engineering support and consultation to the students, enhancing the value of the robot as a teaching tool, said mechanical engineering professor Laine Mears.

'The hardware and support provides hands-on learning in conjunction with the academic automation concepts taught in class, showing students that automating a task requires more than just programming, but a deeper understanding of design, control and safety issues,' Mears said.

The corporation has provided support for CU-ICAR in the past, including a $100,000 gift to fund graduate fellowships.

'AEC has been interested in CU-ICAR since it was first announced,' said Gary Foster, president of Automation Engineering. 'We knew that this would be an engine to drive engineering and technology in the Upstate, and we knew that we wanted to be part of it. Collaboration between industry and academics is a very powerful tool. We expect CU-ICAR to produce excellent engineers and technical leaders and we’re excited to be part of that future.'

Top

Graduate Student Receives Recognition for Summer Orientation Work

Monday, May 04, 2009

Amy Gray of Chester, Va., a first-year graduate student at Clemson University, received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award at the Region VI annual conference of the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) in Oxford, Miss.

Gray, who is working toward a Masters of Education in student affairs, is a graduate assistant in the Office of New Student and Sophomore Programs in Clemson’s Division of Student Affairs. She implemented a new recruitment process for student orientation leaders for summer 2009, receiving 130 applications for 25 spots, an increase over the 60 or 70 applications per year in the past. Gray implemented a new leadership models for orientation leaders, creating new job responsibilities and more leadership opportunities for returning leaders.

'Amy’s passion and interest to help people makes her a great leader, not only within our office but among our orientation ambassadors as well. Her integrity, loyalty, spirit and work ethic represent the elite and finest of Clemson’s graduate students. Amy’s willingness to do or try anything at anytime will enable her to be successful in the future,' said Rebecca Atkinson, associate director for new student and sophomore programs.

Gray has helped coordinate and implement a new program for new students called Clemson Connect, a series of activities and programs that all new students are required to participate in four days before classes begin each fall semester. Gray also serves as one of the first members of Clemson’s Retention Intervention Team, a program that identifies academically at-risk students to help them stay on track in school. Gray advises the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and supervises undergraduate student interns.

'It came as a surprise, as I was unaware my supervisor had nominated me for the award. It really meant so much to be honored with this award considering I am only a first year graduate student and there are so many incredible orientation programs in the southern region. It was really nice to be recognized for all of the hard work our entire office had been doing over the 2008-2009 school year,' said Gray.

NODA exists to provide education, leadership and professional development in the fields of college student orientation, transition and retention. Nominees for the Outstanding Graduate Student Award are considered based on the complexity of the organization and the tasks performed, the level of the impact the nominee’s performance has had on various areas of the institution, the amount of time invested in orientation and the amount of time that was planned or spontaneous and the effectiveness of the nominee in the field of orientation, transition and retention services.

Top

Next-Generation High-Performance Computing Cluster Enhances Research Productivity

Friday, May 01, 2009

Researchers need vast and flexible computing capabilities to conduct their research, collaborate, store and analyze huge amounts of data. Part of the solution is the Palmetto Cluster, a shared supercomputer cooperatively developed by faculty and Clemson Computing and Information Technology, which moved Clemson into the top 100 computing sites in the world and makes the University more competitive in research productivity.

The research enabled by the Palmetto Cluster runs the gamut from cross-layer protocol design of wireless communication networks to simulations in molecular dynamics to human developmental studies.

Economics professor Paul Wilson says, 'The new cluster allows me to undertake data- and computationally intensive projects that would have been otherwise impossible.'

The system is both innovative and cost-effective because it’s based on a 'condominium cluster' concept that uses small computer arrays assembled into larger units, much like a condominium complex. Faculty 'owners' provide a significant percentage of the funding for the compute nodes while the University provides the rest of the nodes plus the infrastructure to build the cluster. The cluster can be provisioned, configured and managed as faculty and research needs dictate.

Top

24/7 Network Monitoring Helps Find and Fix Problems before Users are Affected

Friday, May 01, 2009

On a wall full of vivid, large-screen flat displays, colorful graphics show the status of systems and networks and verify that the Internet connection is up and running. The University’s new state-of-the-art Network Operations Center enables comprehensive monitoring of the network and computing systems used by Clemson and its affiliated organizations.

Located in the Information Technology Center at the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center, the operations center uses real-time diagnostics and other leading-edge technologies to manage and operate local, state, regional and national networks and Clemson University computing resources. This monitoring helps ensure reliable and available services by diagnosing and correcting problems — often even before they have a chance to impact users.

By building strong cyberinfrastructure, Clemson is attracting top faculty, enriching students’ educational experience and helping South Carolina increase information technology capacity for economic development.

Top

Clemson Digital Production Arts Graduates Help Win Oscar

Friday, May 01, 2009

Digital production arts is synonymous with innovation at Clemson, and graduates are heading to Hollywood to prove it. Dozens of technically savvy, artistically talented graduates have been tapped to work on major film productions that feature animation and special effects –– some of which have garnered Oscar nods.

'The Golden Compass' snagged an Oscar in 2008 for visual effects and featured numerous Clemson digital artists on the project, including Rachel Drews. 'My degree in digital production arts at Clemson gave me the technical and production knowledge base, as well as the connection to the people in the VFX industry,' she says.

With 3,000 square feet of studio space for major motion picture quality animation and effects, including video editing and sound booths, Clemson’s digital arts program features state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure that is the envy of many Hollywood studios. The program offers a master of fine arts in digital production arts, and graduates are frequently hired for major motion picture animation jobs at studios located in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and Hollywood.

Top

Architecture Students Harness Unused Computer Capacity to Create 3-D Renderings

Friday, May 01, 2009

Creating three-dimensional architectural renderings from blueprints requires a tremendous amount of computing power. Or, lacking that, a paper bag with a 'Do Not Disturb' message to place over the computer while the machine labors away at the task.

Clemson architecture students creating 3-D renderings of their designs no longer need the bag. They can harness the unused capacity of hundreds of machines in student computer labs across campus and do the job in a fraction of the time.

'Because every frame of the rendering is an independent calculation, it’s possible to distribute the individual frame calculations across a large number of processors at once,' says Jill Gemmill, Clemson’s executive director of cyberinfrastructure technology integration. 'Then when all the frames get done, it all gets pulled back together and the student can download the end results.'

With a High-Throughput Computing system known as Condor, Clemson Computing and Information Technology created a pool of 750 machines, which can execute more than 2,200 jobs simultaneously, using student computer labs. Condor software also has been installed on the Palmetto Cluster, the campus supercomputer, to take full advantage of its 772 nodes, each of which has eight processors.

While a few other universities are making use of the Condor system’s capabilities, only Clemson has a user interface designed specifically for architecture students.

Top

Clemson Leads Cyberinfrastructure Alliances

Friday, May 01, 2009

As the University expands and strengthens its own cyberinfrastructure, it’s playing a leading role for the state and higher education.

Clemson initiated the development of the South Carolina Computing Consortium (SC3), a coalition of five major research institutions in the state including the University of South Carolina, the Medical University of South Carolina, Hollings Marine Laboratory and Savannah River National Laboratory. The consortium was developed to enable and advance cyberinfrastructure-related research, education and economic development in South Carolina.

Clemson’s lead in SC3 helped South Carolina participate for the first time in the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking and Storage in 2007 and again in 2008, during which the group highlighted the computational research efforts of South Carolina's major research institutions. The 20-year-old conference is the premier venue in supercomputing with more than 10,000 attendees from academia, industry and government agencies.

Top

Key IT Investments Propel Clemson toward Top 20

Friday, May 01, 2009

Clemson Computing and Information Technology is playing a leading role in creating an environment in which great things can happen — on campus and around the world — by expanding and strengthening the University’s cyberinfrastructure. Rebuilding Clemson’s computer network, connecting it to national and international networks, providing a world-class data center and a state-of-the-art network operations center, developing experienced support staff and fostering partnerships are all part of a comprehensive plan for collaboration and innovation.

Clemson’s IT enhancement efforts were featured in the cover story for STORAGE magazine (January 2008). Contributing writer Alan Radding interviewed Jim Bottum, vice provost for computing and information technology; CTO Jim Pepin, who came from the University of Southern California, and Mike Cannon, data storage architect and manager, who came from NASA, about key investments in cyberinfrastructure that are establishing Clemson as a national leader in education, research, high performance computing and innovation.

'The charge given to me when I came to Clemson was to build a world-class cyberinfrastructure to help move Clemson to the top 20,' says Bottum. 'The campuswide support for our bold and comprehensive initiative has been exciting and gratifying.'

Top

Clemson Management Information Systems Program Recognized for Research Productivity

Friday, May 01, 2009

The management information systems program at Clemson University is one of the most productive in the world, according to a paper published in 'Communications of the Association for Information Systems.' The program’s Ph.D. students received recognition as they are ranked first in productivity, along with the University of British Columbia and the University of Arizona, in the top six journals between 2003 and 2007.

Varun Grover, the William S. Lee Professor of Information Systems at Clemson, was ranked fourth among 3,404 published information systems researchers in the world based on the number of publications in the top six information systems journals. 'The management information systems program is one of the strongest in the College of Business and Behavioral Science,' said college Dean Claude Lilly. 'The level of productivity among the students, faculty members and Dr. Grover is quite impressive given the fact it is a relatively new program that started in 2003.'

In rankings of the top three, six and nine information systems journals, Grover was ranked among the top five researchers. This is the sixth study in the past 10 years that has ranked Grover among the top five researchers based on publications in major journals.

A ranking of information systems faculty as a group at each institution also places Clemson's among the top faculties in the world. The Clemson faculty is ranked in the top 20 when listing productivity in the top nine journals, among the top 10 in a rank of the top six journals and among the top 20 on the list of top three journals. They are ranked first, with the University of British Columbia and Case Western Reserve University, in publications per faculty.

'The success of Clemson’s information systems program is a result of Grover’s determination to guide it in the right direction and the commitment of the high level students recruited each year,' said Lilly.

'This is a testament to the role a senior scholar and endowed chair can play in building Ph.D. programs and research,' said Sri V. Sridharan, chairman of the management department.

Grover is honored by the attention his work garners, but credits his fellow professors in the program, as well as the students, with making it a success.

'It is nice for our program to be recognized. We have a great group of faculty who challenge, probe and push our doctoral students, but ultimately create a positive, nurturing atmosphere for research. It is hard work, but it seems to be paying off,' Grover said.

The information published in the journal was provided by University of Texas at San Antonio professors Jan Guynes Clark, John Warren and Yoris A. Au. Their study examines the leading information systems researchers and their universities. The authors reviewed publications from nine leading information systems journals from 2003 to 2007, during which time 3,404 researchers contributed 2,155 published articles from 610 universities in 48 countries.

Top

Clemson and Collaborators Receive $1.1 Million to Improve Durability of Concrete Infrastructure Materials

Friday, April 10, 2009

Researchers from Clemson University, in collaboration with Purdue University and PSI Inc., have received a four-year $1.1 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration to better understand the challenges facing the durability of concrete infrastructure and to develop new test methods to address them.

Clemson associate professor of civil engineering Prasad Rangaraju says the research could have a widespread effect on how various agencies build or rebuild concrete infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, with a potential to save millions or even billions of dollars down the line.

'Here at Clemson we will study alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in concrete,' said Rangaraju. 'This is a durability problem that arises due to incompatibility between ingredients that make up concrete. How the ingredients in concrete interact with each other, as well as with the environment they serve in, determines a lot about how long materials will last in the elements. Improper selection of raw materials that are used in concrete can result in ASR distress.'

Rangaraju says that once the alkali-silica reaction affects a concrete structure, it is difficult to repair the concrete and it can cost several million dollars in the process. As part of the research study, Rangaraju and his graduate students aim to develop a better test method than existing procedures to evaluate ingredients in concrete material to minimize or even prevent the occurrence of alkali-silica reaction distress in concrete construction.

Top

Digital Production Arts Film Screening

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Graduate Students in Clemson's Digital Production Arts program will be screening their most recent projects on Tuesday, April 14th in the Lee Hall Auditorium.

Projects include student productions from 2008 and 2009, a student/faculty project funded by a film grant from the SC Film Commission, and a special student produced stereioscopic (3D) experience (3D glass will be provided).

Doors open at 6:30, screening begins at 7:00.

After the screening, their will be a brief intermission followed by a Q&A session for those interested.

Top

Digital Production Arts Film Screening

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Graduate Students in Clemson's Digital Production Arts program will be screening their most recent projects on Tuesday, April 14th in the Lee Hall Auditorium.

Doors open at 6:30, screening begins at 7:00.

After the screening, their will be a brief intermission followed by a Q&A session for those interested.

Top

Five Clemson Alumni Receive Distinguished Service Award

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

The Clemson Alumni Association has presented five alumni the Distinguished Service Award, the university’s highest alumni honor.

The Alumni Association annually recognizes alumni who demonstrate a dedication to enhancing the value of the university for future generations; service to church, community, profession and public service; and personal accomplishments that serve as a model for present and future Clemson students.

This year’s award recipients are:

* Harry Frampton III of Vail, Colo., Class of 1967, a resort developer who has been a leader in the cultural development of his community.

* Dr. Eddie Robinson of Columbia, Class of 1979, a veterinarian who mentors children and serves on state commissions.

* Neil C. Robinson Jr. of Charleston, Class of 1966, an attorney and advocate for children’s education in the Lowcountry.

* Ken Smith of Greer, Class of 1981, senior vice president for Fluor Corp. who has helped build partnerships between his company and Clemson engineering programs.

* Jane Sosebee of Clemson, Class of 1978, an AT&T executive who has helped Clemson connect with the telecommunications giant.

Top

Clemson Benefits from Biotech Leader Monsanto’s Gift to Texas A&M

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Clemson University will share in the bounty of cotton genetic information donated by the Monsanto Co. The St. Louis-based biotechnology leader announced a gift of 5,000 molecular markers to Texas AgriLife Research of the Texas A&M System. The gift will help scientists map the cotton genome, a pathway to new products for consumers and profits for the industry.

Cotton Marker Database (CMD) Web site, hosted by the Clemson University Genomics Institute — CUGI for short — will receive copies of the genetic information given to Texas AgriLife Research. The Clemson-maintained database, supported by the trade organization Cotton Inc., offers centralized access to all publicly available major types of cotton molecular markers. CUGI provides Web hosting, access and data storage for the Cotton Marker Database project.

'The Cotton Marker Database project has been funded by Cotton Inc. through Clemson University since 2004,' said Anna Blenda, leader of the Cotton Marker Database project and research assistant professor in the genetics and biochemistry department. 'Through those years Clemson received $320,000 of grant money from Cotton Inc. for the development and maintenance of the CMD. According to a 2008 survey, CMD was the most-used cotton database among cotton researchers surveyed. Release of the Monsanto cotton marker data to the public sources, including the Clemson-based Cotton Marker Database, will have tremendous benefit for the research community.'

Another genetic research resource is the federal Cotton Genome Database (CottonDB). Started in 1995, CottonDB is located at College Station, Texas, and directed by Richard Percy of the USDA Agricultural Research Service. CottonDB contains genomic, genetic and taxonomic information for cotton. The database helps cotton researchers access large amounts of cotton biological and descriptive data. The Monsanto gift opens new doors to scientific discoveries that ultimately will move from laboratory bench to crop rows.

'Farmers are looking for ways to increase productivity on their farms to meet growing demand for food, feed and fiber,' said John Purcell, global cotton technology lead for Monsanto. 'Last year, we announced a challenge to double production by 2030, using 2000 as the base. We think that’s possible through our research and by working with others in the industry through efforts like this. This donation of molecular markers is an active component of realizing vision and will help us achieve that goal.'

A molecular marker is 'a way to tag genetic traits for fast access the next time, much like you could mark a useful tip in a cookbook and highlight it,' Purcell said. 'Molecular markers work the same way. Monsanto researchers have found areas of the cotton genome that, for example, have disease-resistance or high yield potential. Adding markers helps researchers easily find these and other specific traits where and when they need them. Markers let us screen a lot of cotton varieties in the lab before even going to the field. This saves a lot of time and money.'

Transgenic cotton is developed in the lab and tightly controlled field studies using genetic material from another variety. The best-known example is cotton biotechnologically engineered to resist certain insects or herbicides. In 2008, 94 percent of the U.S. upland crop was planted in transgenic varieties resistant to worms, herbicides or both.

Globally, China is the largest grower, averaging approximately 36 million bales of cotton. India is second, with a 23 million bales average. The U.S. ranks third, averaging 17 million bales.

Cotton is grown in 17 states, ranging from Virginia to California, covering more than 12 million acres. Texas is the top U.S. upland cotton producer, averaging more than six million bales of cotton per year, according to National Cotton Council data. South Carolina ranks 13th nationally, generating approximately $80 million in cotton revenue in 2008. The U.S. cotton industry accounts for more than $25 billion in products and services annually and more than 400,000 jobs.

Aside from fabric uses, cotton is processed as food and fuel from cottonseed accompanying the fiber. More than nine billion pounds of whole cottonseed and cottonseed meal are used in feed for livestock, dairy cattle and poultry. More than 154 million gallons of cottonseed oil are used for food products, ranging from margarine to salad dressing.

Research is leading to new uses of cottonseed. Clemson biosystems engineer Terry Walker recently received $12,000 from Cotton Inc. to research using cottonseed oil as a diesel substitute. At Texas A&M, plant biotechnologist Keerti Rathore and his colleagues have created a new cotton variety that has no gossypol in the seed. Cotton plants produce gossypol to retard reproduction in insects that eat cotton bolls and seeds, but the compound also reduces reproduction and potassium levels in mammals. Removing gossypol holds promise to increase cotton’s potential as a global food resource.

Top

Clemson Dedicates Building for Packaging Design and Graphics Institute

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Clemson University Tuesday dedicated the Harris A. Smith Building, home to the Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics, where students and researchers will study not only how packaging is designed and manufactured but also how products will be perceived, marketed and consumed in the future.

It is the only university program in the country that will bring together packaging science, graphic communication, the materials, environmental science, manufacturing, marketing and psychology disciplines to study packaging methods, said Chip Tonkin, the institute’s director.

The institute initially will focus on four areas:

* Designing environmentally sustainable packages;

* Developing electronic films that can be printed on packages to create displays, track shipments or apply environmental or biological sensors;

* Testing the impact of package design on consumer attention, buying patterns, use and disposal in its consumer experience lab; and

* Integrating the multiple steps in package design and construction into a single workflow.

'We think in these four areas we can make a name for ourselves,' Tonkin said. 'Nobody has really looked at packaging as a core competency.'

The 28,000-square-foot building is named for Harris A. Smith of Atlanta, former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Smith Container Corp., founded by the Smith family in 1907. He sold the company a few years ago and saw an opportunity to create a global center for packaging innovation by investing in Clemson.

Accompanied by members of his family, Smith said, 'We thank Clemson University for giving us the opportunity 102 years later to remain actively engaged in an industry that has seen three generations of family involvement.'

Smith made gifts and pledges of $3.7 million and Sonoco Products Co. of Hartsville $2.5 million for the construction of the building and to launch the packaging institute. Most of the money to pay for the $7 million structure was donated. Other donors gave equipment that will be used to train students and help industry partners research packaging methods, technology and design.

Tonkin said the goal is to make the institute self-supporting with revenue streams from faculty research, assistantships, intellectual property and industry fees and contributions.

Clemson President James F. Barker said the packaging design and graphics communications programs deliver about 100 highly sought-after graduates to good jobs in the industry every year.

'The facility we dedicate today is for and about these students,' he said. 'It is about innovation. And it is about the true collaboration that exists among our industry partners, our outstanding faculty and our students.'

Top

Speaker to Address Roles of the Government and Church in Society

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Dr. Brent Nelson, professor of political science at Furman University, will speak on 'The Roles of Government and Church in Modern Society' on April 1 at 12:15 p.m. in Tillman Hall, Room 103.

Top

Clemson Literary Festival Set for April 2-4

Monday, March 30, 2009

The 2009 Clemson Literary Festival begins Thursday, April 2, welcoming novelists, poets and short story authors from throughout the South to the Clemson campus and city for three days of readings, discussions, book fairs and family events.

More than 20 writers will participate in the festival, including George Singleton, author of 'We Are These People' and 'The Half-Mammals of Dixie,' as well as Greenville-based authors Mindy Friddle, Ashley Warlick and Claire Bateman. This year’s Richard J. Calhoun Reader is Doris Betts, author of nine books, including 'Souls Raised from the Dead,' 'Heading West' and 'The Sharp Teeth of Love.'

'There is a real hunger for this kind of event, not just among Clemson students, but among residents of Clemson and the surrounding area,' said Adam Million, festival organizer and lecturer of English. 'People are eager to participate in creative endeavors — and with the art of the spoken word.'

Readings are scheduled at various Clemson locations, including Abernathy Waterfront Park, 356 Bar and Sushi Restaurant, Overtime and TD’s.

'The downtown readings were a huge hit for us last year, lots of fun,' Million said. 'Bringing people together to hear fine authors reading aloud from their own work goes to the very meaning of what a great university should be.'

For a complete schedule of readings and other events, click here.

Serious gaming fans (as well as those who want to know what serious gaming is all about) can catch the panel discussion 'From Second Life to World of Warcraft: The Convergence of Writing and Literature with Gaming and Virtual Worlds,' at 3 p.m., Thursday, April 2, in the McKissick Theatre of Clemson’s Hendrix Student Center.

Family day is Saturday, April 4, at The Arts Center of Clemson. Cartoonist and children’s author Kate Salley Palmer and children’s book illustrator Tatjana Mai Wyss will spend the morning with kids and parents. Events include art workshops for those 3 years old and older and creative writing workshops for those 6 and up. Parents and adults are welcome; no pre-registration is necessary. Palmer speaks at 10; workshops begin at 10:30; Wyss speaks at 11:30.

Also for kids, from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, 'Read-a-Rama — Science Fun' is scheduled at The Arts Center. Kids are invited to enter artwork made entirely of recycled materials for a chance to win a prize. Pre-registration is required by April 2. To learn more, click here.

All events are free and open to the public.

A book fair in the Hendrix Student Center from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday will feature works by the visiting writers as well as Clemson authors Keith Morris, Ron Moran, John Warner and others. Current and recent issues of The South Carolina Review also will be for sale. Since 1968, the Review has published fiction, poetry, interviews, unpublished letters, manuscripts, essays and reviews from well-known and aspiring scholars and writers, including Iris Murdoch, Walker Percy, Joyce Carol Oates, Josephine Humphreys and James Dickey.

Principal sponsor for the 2009 Clemson Literary Festival is the Rutland Institute for Ethics in connection with this year’s Presidential Colloquium 'Principles and Perspectives in Progress.' The aim of the Presidential Colloquium, now in its ninth year, is to provide opportunities for Clemson University students and faculty, as well as members of the community, to come together to explore important issues.

For questions about family day call Michelle H. Martin at 656-3879. For general festival questions, contact Adam Million, festival organizer, by phone at 656-5411 or e-mail at million@clemson.edu.

Top

Clemson Bioengineering Professor Receives 2009 Governor’s Award

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Clemson professor and chairwoman of bioengineering Martine LaBerge is the recipient of the 2009 Governor’s Award for Scientific Awareness.

Martine LaBergeThe award was established in 1985 by the Drug Science Foundation to honor individuals or teams in South Carolina whose achievements and contributions to science merit special recognition and promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity around the state.

LaBerge’s research interests include the evaluation and characterization of natural and artificial surfaces used in the design of implants for orthopedic and vascular applications. She has established a highly productive research program at Clemson University that focuses on the friction, lubrication and wear of artificial knee joints. She has more than 200 technical publications.

LaBerge has started the development of many programs in South Carolina that have served as platforms to increase awareness among the scientific community as well as the public. She served is a board member and former president for the Society for Biomaterials. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, a title bestowed by the world’s leading societies in the field of biomaterials. She has received the Outstanding Woman Faculty Award from Clemson’s President’s Commission on the Status of Women, the Murray Stokely Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Faculty Mentoring Award in the College of Engineering and Science.

Since 2005, the Governor’s Awards for Scientific Awareness has been under the joint sponsorship of companies including the Dewees Development Corp., Harbor Watch of Charleston, Roche Carolina Inc., MeadWestvaco and Michelin North America.

An honorarium of $1,000 will be presented to the recipients at a special awards ceremony held in the spring in conjunction with the South Carolina Academy of Science’s annual meeting.

Top

Clemson Chemistry Professor Receives 2009 Governor’s Award

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Clemson University chemistry professor Dennis Smith is the recipient of the 2009 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.

Dennis SmithThe award was established in 1985 by the Drug Science Foundation to honor individuals or teams whose achievements and contributions to science merit special recognition and promote wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina.

Smith’s research interests include structure-property relationships and application of polymeric materials and composites. Much of his research is in the field of photonics, the backbone of the Internet-driven technology revolution, and the study of light to process information.

Smith is the co-founder and associate director of Clemson’s Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) and the chairman of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Polymer Chemistry. He also co-founded Tetramer Technologies LLC in 2001 to commercialize research conducted at Clemson.

Smith received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 3M Pre-Tenured Faculty Award, Clemson University Award for Faculty Achievement in the Sciences, Cottrell Scholar of Research Corp., Clemson University board of trustees Award for Faculty Excellence and Missouri State University 2007 Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Most recently, Smith received the 2008 Charles H. Stone Award as outstanding chemist in the southeastern United States.

Since 2005, the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Science has been under the joint sponsorship of companies including the Dewees Development Corp., Harbor Watch of Charleston, Roche Carolina Inc., MeadWestvaco and Michelin North America.

An honorarium of $1,000 will be presented to the recipients at a special awards ceremony held in the spring in conjunction with the South Carolina Academy of Science’s annual meeting.

Top

Clemson Peach Experts Help Fruit Growers Fight Fungus

Monday, March 23, 2009

Imagine the well-known Carolina Peachoid covered in rust, then shrunken and gooey. The Gaffney orangey-yellow I-85 icon — a water tower resembling a giant peach — would look a lot like a real peach with brown rot. Clemson University peach specialists are helping Southeastern growers control the destructive fungus.

Brown rot (Monilinia fructicola) is a hardy survivalist, adapting to control efforts. The pathogen at specific locations has developed resistance to some fungicides, according to reports from South Carolina. The situation poses a big problem for South Carolina and Georgia, which behind California rank second and third in U.S. peach production. The two states account for 25 percent of the nation’s fresh peaches, selling about $60 million worth of peaches a year.

'The chemicals that are being used these days to control brown rot are site-specific chemicals,' said Clemson plant pathologist Guido Schnabel, the South Carolina state specialist for fruit diseases. 'That means they attack the fungus at one particular place. So the fungus has a fairly easy way to produce resistance against those chemicals.'

Schnabel and colleagues A. Amiri, Phil Brannen and Harald Scherm (the latter two are from the University of Georgia) have come up with new a weapon to battle brown rot. It was tested in 2008 and is ready for use this growing season.

'We’ve developed a kit that will enable growers to determine the resistance profile in their respective areas,' said Schnabel. 'What we do is we go to the grower’s’ site. We collect samples, and within three days, using that kit, we can determine what kind of resistance profile the grower has in their respective area. So right off the bat a grower starts out with the correct sprays and uses the correct chemicals knowing what resistance profile they have.'

Besides saving the growers money and helping the environment by using fewer chemicals, the work by Schnabel and colleagues has more far-reaching benefit.

'The research and techniques can be used for other stone-fruit crops because this is a disease that not only affects peaches, it also affects nectarines and cherries and plum,' said Schnabel.

The American South has long been linked to peaches, but they originated in China, where they have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years. The Spanish brought the peach to the New World in the 1500s, where Franciscan Monks propagated it along the South Carolina coast. It wasn’t until the 1850s that South Carolina began growing peaches commercially. In 1984, South Carolina growers harvested the record peach crop of 480,000 tons. Today, crop yield is about a fourth of the record harvest, owing to drought, disease, increased costs and decreased demands.

Top

Clemson Digital Production Arts Graduates Help Win Oscar

Monday, March 23, 2009

Graduates of Clemson University’s digital production arts program (DPA) are part of a team that won the Oscar for visual effects for the movie 'The Golden Compass.'

The digital artists who graduated from Clemson and worked on the movie are: Rachel Drews, ’06; Marc Bryant, ’99; Wil Whaley, ’99; Josh Tomlinson, ’02; and student Mikki Rose.

Clemson digital artists worked on the movie with Rhythm and Hues’ visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer, who received the 2008 Academy Award for Achievement in Visual Effects for 'The Golden Compass.'

'It is a great honor to be a part of the team that won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects for ‘The Golden Compass,’ Drews said. 'I am only one of many, many visual effects artists who worked on the film from Rhythm and Hues, and I am pleased to already be working with the best in the industry. My degree in digital production arts at Clemson gave me the technical and production knowledge base, as well as the connection to the people in the VFX industry.'

Several other Clemson alumni also work for Rhythm and Hues in Los Angeles.

Clemson’s digital production arts program is housed in McAdams Hall. With its $3 million in computer equipment and infrastructure, it is much like many Hollywood facilities.

The Master of Fine Arts in Digital Production Arts (DPA) at Clemson University is a professional degree program aimed at producing technically savvy, artistically talented graduates who are sought after by the growing electronic arts industry, particularly by those companies engaged in special effects within the entertainment and commercial video, film and gaming industries.

Digital Production Arts comprises approximately 30 graduate students and faculty from multiple disciplines in the university. Graduate students in the program are often offered major motion picture animation jobs in places across the country, including New York, Atlanta, San Francisco and Hollywood and in such studios as Rhythm and Hues, among others.

Top

Restoration Institute, Savannah River National Laboratory Partner to Develop Bioenergy

Monday, March 23, 2009

In a move that will advance development of alternative energy in South Carolina, the state’s leading bioenergy researchers have teamed to study how South Carolina’s agricultural resources can help reduce the state’s and nation’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Clemson University Restoration InstituteThe Clemson University Restoration Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory are founding members of the S.C. BioEnergy Research Collaborative, which was formed last year.

Savannah River National LaboratoryThis new agreement will enhance the exchange of ideas and the development and use of new technologies. As part of the agreement, the Restoration Institute and the laboratory will:

* Research crop development and harvesting, including switchgrass, sweet sorghum and pine;

* Study emerging energy alternatives, such as algae; and

* Research crop-processing techniques to yield viable energy and chemical products, including ethanol, biodiesel and energy briquettes.

A member of the laboratory’s research team will be housed at the Restoration Institute in North Charleston to help promote the free exchange of ideas and advance technical developments.

Savannah River National Laboratory is bringing its environmental and biological research and development capabilities to the effort, said Tom French, its Bioenergy Programs manager. This includes its expertise in microbial and enzyme technologies to break down chemical compounds.

The laboratory is playing a lead role in research into the pretreatment of plant matter prior to fermentation and in the discovery of effective new cellulose enzymes.

'We’re combining the national lab’s unique expertise with the Restoration Institute’s significant research capabilities in a program that will benefit the entire state,' French said.

The collaborative’s other partners are:

* South Carolina State University’s James E. Clyburn University Transportation Center

* Dyadic International (USA) Inc., a global biotechnology development company

* Fagen Engineering LLC, a full-service biofuels and alternative energy-systems design company

* The Spinx Co. Inc., one of the East Coast’s largest ethanol distributors

The Clyburn Transportation Center is developing transportation models for how to efficiently bring raw material to the plant and distribute the ethanol to the marketplace.

The private partners — Dyadic, Fagen and Spinx — represent key sectors of the alternative fuels industry. Together, their expertise will advance research and development of the pilot plant and the cellulose-to-ethanol process and clear avenues for rapid commercialization of the final product.

In October, the parties announced plans to build a biofuels pilot plant at the Restoration Institute. The $14 million plant will be used to investigate commercial bioethanol production using feedstocks available in South Carolina.

The project has the potential not only to enhance South Carolina’s reputation as a leading alternative-energy researcher, but also boost Palmetto State agriculture, said Karl Kelly, director of corporate operations at the Restoration Institute.

The pilot plant will allow researchers to 'scale up' new biofuel technologies, a crucial step between small laboratory experiments and full-scale production, he said.

'It’s a project that addresses the entire process, from the field to the production of ethanol,' Kelly said. 'We’ll look for gaps in the technology and fill them.'

Initial funding was provided by a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The collaborative is actively seeking funding for construction of the plant, which will take about 12 months to build.

'All of this work is to develop a process, and to do that we need a pilot plant,' Kelly said.

In addition to the public-private partners, the intent is that students will visit the Restoration Institute to work at the pilot plant as part of their studies.

The entire senior class of Clemson chemical engineering professor Charles Gooding is working on a project to design a switchgrass-to-ethanol plant. Thirty-four students are looking at alternatives to the process, which could prove useful to the plant design, Gooding said.

Future students, too, could benefit from the facility, Gooding said.

'There could be interaction with the entire class,' he said. 'We like to do things that are real-world projects.'

Top

Students Worldwide Can Learn in Unique Virtual Clemson Classroom

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Tough economic times are not keeping an unusual group of Clemson University graduate students out of the classroom. In fact, they are benefiting from the convenience and camaraderie of a global classroom experience.

The Master of Engineering with a concentration in Capital Projects Supply Chain and Logistics offered in the department of industrial engineering is a first-of-its-kind online graduate program that has working professionals from around the world and across the spectrum of disciplines sitting in a virtual classroom any time of the day or night that fits their schedule.

'The degree is unique in that it focuses on the logistics of capital projects engineering and construction, combining theory with practice to broaden student understanding of the entire project supply chain and life cycle,' said Bill Ferrell, professor of industrial engineering and associate dean of the graduate school.

Capital projects generally are defined as new construction, expansion, renovation or replacement of an existing facility or facilities and infrastructure. Land, engineering, architectural planning and services needed to complete the project all are part of the cycle. The program represents and explores the various roles and interests in the execution of capital projects, including owners, contractors, suppliers and subcontractors.

The Clemson graduate program is meant for students who are full-time professionals, such as Randy Rogers, a project materials manager with Foster Wheeler USA Corp. Rogers lives in Tulsa, Okla., but travels to Chicago, Houston and overseas regularly.

'The fact that we can learn these skill sets and pursue an invaluable master's degree while continuing to chase careers that take us all over the globe is simply amazing,' said Rogers.

The program, offered by industrial engineering, was developed in collaboration with the departments of civil engineering, management, and the Graduate School at Clemson, as well as with owners, contractors and suppliers such as Fluor Corp., Chevron and Mobil.

'Fluor Corporation recognizes the immense value supply chain management brings to capital projects,' said Jim Scotti, senior vice president and chief procurement officer of Fluor. 'We are pleased to be able to partner with the state of South Carolina to establish what is a truly unique master’s degree program for working engineers and supply chain professionals.'

'This program brings real value to industry professionals and companies because it gives students a broad perspective of the complex supply chain problems associated with capital projects and provides practical solutions for those problems,' said Clemson civil engineer Steve Sanders, who is an instructor in the program as well as director of the Clemson Industry Cooperative Alliance.

'The interdisciplinary nature of the supply chain is highlighted by the enormous expertise that has gone into developing the course content for working professionals,' said Anand Gramopadhye, the industrial engineering department chairman. He said this type of program eventually may be extended to other fields.

'I'm very pleased with the very positive response this program is getting. Bill Ferrell has done a trememdous job in organizing a very ambitious program' said Bruce Rafert, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School. 'We are looking at several other possibilities for deployment in the near future'.

All classes are offered online through web-based delivery with no residency requirement. Lectures can be downloaded to a desktop, iPod or mobile device for viewing. The courses are self-paced and accessible on the web, so students can continue their education regardless of their location worldwide. For more information, go to http://www.clemson.edu/ces/departments/ie/.

Top

Page: < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 >