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.

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.'

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.'

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.'

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/.

Twelve Master of Business Administration students will travel to Duke University March 27-29 to compete in the 21st annual Duke MBA Games, which raise money for Special Olympics North Carolina.

Along with Clemson and Duke, schools competing include the University of Chicago, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, the University of Michigan and Vanderbilt University.

Building on the leadership and teamwork skills developed in the classroom, MBA candidates will team up with several special olympians to compete. The weekend’s events also will include networking and socializing opportunities in the Durham, N.C., area.

The Clemson MBA Student Association is trying to beat last year’s fundraising total of nearly $3,000. That was the most raised by any of the participating schools. To sponsor the MBA students, go to http://www.firstgiving.com/clemson09.

For information about the Clemson MBA, go to www.clemson.edu/mba or e-mail MBA@clemson.edu.

Scientists most recently launched a salvo of four rockets over Alaska to study turbulence in the upper atmosphere. The launches took place at Poker Flat Research Range north of Fairbanks as part of a NASA sounding rocket campaign.

Associate professor of physics and astronomy Gerald Lehmacher is the principal investigator for the experiment and was assisted by graduate students Shelton Simmons and Liyu Guo.

'After six days of cloudy and snowy weather, we had perfect conditions with a clear, moonless night sky over interior Alaska,' said Lehmacher. 'We needed excellent viewing conditions from three camera sites to photograph the luminescent trails the payloads produced in the upper atmosphere.'

The rockets were 35-foot, two-stage Terrier Orions. They released trimethyl aluminum that creates a glowing vapor trail nearly 87 miles up. Sensitive cameras on the ground track the trails. From that Lehmacher and his team can analyze upper-atmospheric winds by tracking how the vapor trails form, billow, disperse and diffuse. Two of the rockets had an additional deployable payload with instrumentation to measure electron density and neutral temperature and turbulence.

The instrumented sections are a collaboration of Clemson with Penn State University and the Leibniz-Institute for Atmospheric Physics in Germany. The University of Alaska assisted in the study with ground-based laser radar and other optical instruments. The project is sponsored by a NASA grant for three years.

In January, Clemson physicists traveled to Norway to carry out a joint experiment with Japanese scientists to study atmospheric winds and circulation from heating created by electrical currents associated with Northern Lights displays. The measurements were made with instruments flown on a Japanese S-310 rocket launched from the Andoya Rocket Range in northern Norway, as well as a suite of sensitive radar and camera instruments on the ground.

The experiment was a collaboration between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the department of physics and astronomy at Clemson. Professor Miguel Larsen was the investigator responsible for the wind measurement aboard the instrumented rocket and was assisted by three undergraduate students, Lucas Hurd, Matt Jenkins and Matt Henderson.

Science as Art at Clemson uses visual representations of science and technology to provide a connection between scientists, artists and the general public. This event has challenged Clemson University students, faculty and staff to produce and share images from laboratories, workspaces and learning environments.

Entries should convey a significant or captivating scientific concept or event, but do not have to be research-based. Individuals or teams can submit entries. Multidisciplinary collaboration is encouraged in this event to see how different areas of study relate to one another. Categories for entries include photographs, illustrations and electronic media, including video and explanatory graphics. There will also be a category for high school entries. Winners in each category will receive gift certificates from local businesses.

'Several things make this a great event for Clemson. First, it truly embodies the idea of ‘One Clemson’, crossing every discipline and college and providing a real opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration and discussion,' said Lisa Benson, assistant professor for the department of engineering and science education and organizer of the Science as Art competition. 'Second, it promotes scientific literacy, and communicating what we do is so important to our missions of education, service and research. Third, not many universities have programs like this; it is unique for a university like Clemson,'

All entries will be displayed in the lobby of R.M. Cooper Library from April 1 through mid-May. Entries will be judged by a panel of artists and scientists from the community, based on visual impact, effective communication, freshness and originality. A People’s Choice Award will be given based on a campuswide poll of all entries. A 'Meet the Artist' reception and exhibit will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, at the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory in Anderson County. Entry forms are on the College of Engineering and Science Web site. Entries must be submitted electronically.

'Students are encouraged to submit entries. Entries do not need to be sophisticated or only research-based. We are looking for all kinds of interesting images and entries, as long as they are communicating something from a scientific standpoint as well as being visually appealing,' said Benson.

Sponsors for Science as Art 2009 include the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films, the Clemson University Research Foundation, the department of engineering and science education and Clemson’s chapter of the Scientific Research Society, Sigma Xi.

Their work may help the nation achieve energy self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability.

Geologist Jim Castle and environmental toxicologist John Rodgers are developing constructed wetland systems to treat the contaminated water for reuse. The research funding includes $689,500 from the U.S. Department of Energy and $120,000 from Chevron of Houston, Texas.

The treatment of produced water is a major cost of obtaining oil and gas. The water contains salts, oil and grease and chemical additives used in drilling and well operations. Wells may start out producing little water, but eventually many produce more water than oil. In 1993, for instance, 1.09 trillion gallons of produced water were generated — enough water to flow over Niagara Falls for nine days, according to a U.S. Geological Survey fact sheet.

Department of Energy experts say that 'co-produced water comprises 98 percent of all waste generated by U.S. oil and natural gas operations. Handling and disposal of this water is the single greatest environmental impediment to natural gas and oil exploration and production.'

Environmentalists have referred to wetlands as nature's kidneys. Much interest has developed in using constructed wetlands to remove contaminants from water. Current approaches for treating produced water are costly, especially considering the amount of water produced and energy requirements, and some cannot meet new water-quality standards. The cost of treatment using constructed wetland systems has proven to be consistently lower than alternative technologies for treatment, Castle said.

Castle, a professor in the environmental engineering and earth sciences department, and Rodgers, a professor in forestry and natural resources, have developed similar constructed wetlands for the energy industry, such as treating water used in coal-burning power facilities.

'Development of low-cost methods to handle the large volumes of produced water has the potential to increase oil and gas production in existing areas and to open new areas,' said Rodgers. 'Constructed wetlands can be an effective and low-cost method of treating the produced waters that also allow the water to be reused.'

In addition to reducing environmental risks, constructed wetland treatment systems generate treated water reusable for many purposes, including irrigation, livestock watering, cooling-tower water, municipal water use, domestic use, treated sewage discharge dilution and support of critical aquatic life and wildlife.

Constructed wetlands typically have four parts: the liner, distribution media, plants and an underdrain system. The liner keeps the contaminated water in and groundwater out of the system. The distribution system spreads the wastewater across the wetland. Plants used often are cattails, but other species include bulrushes, reeds and sedges. Plants need to grow and flourish in the system for it to operate at maximum efficiency. The underdrain system moves treated water out of the wetland and controls the level.

The details of the study managed by the Innovative Pavement Research Foundation with funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can be viewed at www.iprf.org/reports

Based on technology invented by Clemson civil engineer Prasad Rangaraju, South Dakota transportation research scientist Daniel Johnston and a team of FMC Lithium researchers, the company has developed a lithium-modified potassium acetate deicer called LithMelt. The Clemson University Research Foundation licensed the technology to the FMC Corp., Lithium Division. Laboratory studies and field trials have shown that LithMelt deicer is as effective as other deicers without any damaging impact on concrete pavement and the environment.

'We have looked at problems of crumbling airfield pavements for years now and the FAA is determined to slow or halt the deterioration, which can cost millions,' said Rangaraju. 'In addition, accidents due to icing on roads, bridges, airport runways and other surfaces can cause serious injury, even fatalities. We believe this technology will go a long way toward alleviating needless suffering. There are also cost-savings for agencies through reduced maintenance and increased service life of the infrastructure. Ultimately, the impact of this deicer in improving the safety of operations on airfield pavements is most exciting to our team.'

From its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., FMC Lithium serves markets including pool-water treatment, air treatment, construction, energy, fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, glass and ceramics, greases and lubricants and polymers. Information is available at www.fmclithium.com. FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC) is a diversified chemical company serving agricultural, industrial and consumer markets globally for more than a century with innovative solutions, applications and quality products.

'Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture is the largest academic organization and composed of landscape architecture programs in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand,' Nassar said. 'It is an honor to receive the award this year. It speaks to the great academic environment we have at Clemson.'

The award applauded Nassar’s teaching efforts in establishing an international cross-cultural partnership between landscape architecture students at Clemson University and architecture students at Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. Since 2006, students and faculty from both schools have worked on service-learning projects to provide design solutions for urban sprawl at some of the world’s greatest sites of antiquities, including the urban edge of the Giza plateau near the Great Pyramids and along the Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor, Egypt.

The projects have resulted in several visits between the students, both in Clemson and in Egypt, as well as presentations of their work to the prime minister of Egypt, Ahmed Nazif, and the governor of the Supreme Council of Luxor, Samir Farag. The Egyptian government, meanwhile, is putting some of those proposals to work.

The award also highlighted Nassar’s research on international education, multiculturalism, cultural and historical landscapes in 19th century and contemporary Cairo, and the effects of globalization on landscape change.

Nassar is an assistant professor in the Clemson University planning and landscape architecture department. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture and a doctorate in history of landscape architecture from Ain Shams University and Master of Landscape Design from Pennsylvania State University. Originally from Egypt, Nassar brings her broad international understanding of design and culture into her research and teaching.

Clemson is one of 68 public and 51 private institutions selected to receive a 2008 community engagement classification from the foundation in the areas of Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships. It joins 76 other institutions that were selected in 2006 — the only other year of selections — out of 4,391 accredited colleges and universities in the nation.

Clemson’s classification for Curricular Engagement and Outreach and Partnerships demonstrates a substantial commitment to both areas as part of the university’s mission. Curricular Engagement focuses on service-learning and community-based research to engage faculty and students in addressing community needs as part of the student learning experience. The focus of Outreach and Partnerships is to share knowledge and resources and engage in mutually beneficial collaborations locally, nationally and globally to improve quality of life and advance economic development.

'The Carnegie classification speaks to the importance of Clemson’s academic and public service programs in advancing economic and intellectual development in South Carolina,' said Clemson President James F. Barker.

'It has never been more important to our state for Clemson to invest in community engagement of students and faculty, in outreach to citizens in economically distressed areas and in partnerships to leverage our scarce resources for economic and intellectual development,' he said. 'These activities represent hope for South Carolina’s people and for their future and are perhaps the wisest investments we can make as a higher education institution and as a state.'

To learn more about Clemson’s Service Alliance, visit www.clemson.edu/servicealliance. Information on the 2008 Carnegie Foundation Classification for Community Engagement can be found at www.carnegiefoundation.org.

The Milky WayGamma rays, the light of energy a thousand times more powerful than X-rays created by antimatter and normal matter coming together, are seen coming from the disk of our galaxy, roughly from where we see the glow of the Milky Way under a dark sky, but mostly from the direction of the center of the galaxy in the Southern hemisphere.

'We're not surprised to see this emission from the Milky Way's disk,' said Mark Leising, Clemson University astronomy professor and principal investigator in the study. 'We know that massive stars explode as supernovae there, fusing new elements from lighter ones. Such explosions long ago made the oxygen and iron in our blood and the calcium in our bones, along with most other heavy elements. Some of these elements are radioactive and produce antimatter positrons when they decay.

'What is surprising is how bright this emission is from the center of the galaxy,' he said. 'It is not coming just from the very center, where a black hole lurks that is two million times the Sun's mass, but from a region a few thousand light-years across surrounding the center.'

Leising adds the supernova explosions do not occur there, so something else must be making the antimatter. One explanation, he said, involves black holes, collapsed stars of five to 10 solar masses, pulling matter from close companion stars. Another involves the decay of exotic 'dark matter' particles. Dark matter is the name given to something out there that is so far detected only by its gravitational pull on normal matter.

In collaboration with colleagues from Germany, France and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Leising and Clemson students hope to unravel this mystery by combining information from a number of NASA and European Space Agency satellites.

Leising said students have to study many topics in physics and become experts in computational and statistical techniques to do this type work. Leising also notes that such technical advances inevitably lead to spinoff benefits.

'Development of these detectors and analysis techniques aided in the development of PET (positron emission tomography) scanners, in which patients ingest radioactive elements that decay and emit antimatter. We are doing much the same thing, except that we have to sit back 25,000 light years to measure the gamma rays,' he said.

Wind turbinesIn the Charleston area alone, an additional 1.5 gigawatts of electricity will be needed to power a population boom that is expected to see 1 million people move to the region by 2025, living in 440,000 new homes.

Elizabeth Colbert-Busch, director of business development for the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston, told the ninth annual ThinkTEC Innovation Summit in North Charleston that South Carolina stands to benefit from wind power as a natural energy resource.

A growing coastal population will strain existing electricity resources, pushing demand for new sources, she said. Further, relatively shallow offshore waters are ideal for wind-farm construction and Charleston's state-of-the-art cargo port will help the flow of construction supplies.

By 2030, one-fifth of electricity generated nationwide is forecast to come from coastal or offshore wind farms, according to U.S. Department of Energy estimates. South Carolina utility Santee Cooper has committed to generating 40 percent of its power from non-greenhouse gas and biomass sources by 2020.

'If you do the math, wind power could generate more than 20,000 new jobs in South Carolina by 2030,' Colbert-Busch said. 'The opportunities for this state are enormous.'

In hard numbers, the economic impact of wind power represents 22 jobs per megawatt, she said. One gigawatt equals 1,000 megawatts.

Gene Eidson, restoration ecology director at the Restoration Institute, told the summit that these population shifts and corresponding energy demands will require careful management of our natural resources.

The Clemson scientist heads an innovative project called the Intelligent River, which deploys a network of sensors and probes along the Savannah River that transmit information wirelessly to a central database.

Data, such as temperature, humidity and dissolved oxygen, can be viewed via the Internet, allowing scientists to manage the river in real time. It means the thousands of homes, businesses and marine life that rely on the river will receive the quantity and quality of water they need.

Put simply, our watersheds are at risk, Eidson said. If ignored, our natural resources will not be able to cope with the demand.

'We're at the point where we need to revolutionize how we manage our water resources,' Eidson said. 'Not a slow evolution.'

The day-long ThinkTEC summit at Trident Technical College concluded Wednesday.

For more information about the Intelligent River visit www.intelligentriver.org.

'The goal is to help rising seventh-grade students acquire the computer and cognitive skills they will need in order to imagine careers in science or math,' said Sean Williams, associate dean of the graduate school, associate professor of English and co-principal investigator. 'Generally speaking, American students are not interested in careers in science, technology, engineering or math, otherwise known as STEM. Yet the need is great — and growing — for students to choose these careers.

'Seventh-graders, on the other hand, are pretty open-minded, not yet jaded,' said Williams. 'We’re using 3-D virtual worlds to entice them, open their eyes to the possibilities, while they are still young.'

Williams is collaborating with two other Clemson professors: Debi Switzer, professor of education, and Ken Weaver, a lecturer in Clemson’s School of Computing. The three-year grant award is worth just more than $450,000 for the Clemson researchers.

The project, begun in October 2008, will be fully implemented in June of 2009 with workshops that immerse the seventh-graders in 3-D virtual-world software, teaching them how to create virtual worlds and how to interact with others in a virtual society.

'The obstacles we encounter in the real world — problems of distance, scale and time — all disappear in a virtual-world setting,' said Williams. 'You can walk through molecules and examine them from the inside. You can visualize data, look at the spatial relationships. Being able to do anything you can imagine in a fake world helps you do things more imaginatively in the real world. Imagination is, after all, a cognitive skill.'

'These students are already good at gaming,' Williams said. 'They’re already good at socializing electronically. This program builds on those skills, developing social aptitude and critical-thinking skills. You have to learn to be social to succeed in a virtual world, and you have to think critically in order to conceive of objects and relationships that don’t exist yet.'

In the second part of the summer workshops, students will be joined by their upcoming teachers in science and math. 'They’ll get a chance to practice what they’ve learned,' said Williams, 'by teaching their teachers.'

Williams, Switzer and Weaver will participate in implementing the project in middle schools in Oconee and Pickens counties, as the students and teachers who participate in their pilot study will go on to mentor and inspire others to explore STEM careers through the use of 3-D virtual-reality software.

The relationship between Clemson and Appalachian State was established in 2007 as the Carolina Virtual Worlds Consortium for the purpose of securing funding that will drive research in virtual-world technologies, practices and implementation, particularly those focused on education and training. The consortium currently consists of Clemson, Appalachian State University and public schools in Davie County, N.C.

Murphy sees CUGI as a significant resource in the rapidly evolving field of genomics-oriented research. CUGI is involved in the development and distribution of genomic tools and services for the life science community. It also performs research that focuses on the discovery and analysis of genes: lengths of DNA that provide the building instructions for proteins in microbes, plants, animals and humans.

Murphy joined the Clemson faculty in July 2008 after serving as a professor at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. His expertise is in the area of veterinary medical genetics with a particular interest in dogs.

Man’s best friend also is a genetic relative. Research reveals that for 75 percent of known human genes there are corresponding dog genes. There are 24,567 human genes of which 18,473 have canine counterparts.

Dogs have been domesticated for more than 10,000 years. Scientists’ and dog breeders’ knowledge of canine medical problems is comprehensive, second only to knowledge about human ailments. Research has found 360 genetic diseases affecting both dogs and humans.

For example, Great Danes suffer from the same type of heart disease affecting humans. In addition, many breeds are prone to genetic disorders, including cancer, blindness, cataracts, epilepsy, hip dysplasia and deafness.

The current aims of Murphy’s laboratory include understanding the genetics underlying hereditary diseases of the heart, kidney, pancreas, skin and musculoskeletal system; the role of cholesterol in canine development and diseases; and the genetics of aging because there are widely differing life spans across breeds.

'Our research also serves as models for study of certain human hereditary diseases as well as aging in humans,' said Murphy, whose lab has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Canine Health Foundation, private foundations, dog-breed clubs and industrial sources.

'One disease that occurs in the human and the dog is a fatal renal disease known as hereditary nephropathy,' he said. 'People, if they don’t have a renal transplant, die by the time they’re 15 years of age or so. Dogs die by the time they’re 2. We’ve identified the gene that causes this in the English cocker spaniel, and through funding from the NIH we’re developing gene therapy. We hope to correct the disease in the dog, and if that works then we’ll go onto human trials. And if we can do it in humans then they won’t need renal transplants.'

The keynote speaker is Rutgers University evolutionary geneticist Jody Hey. His lecture, 'Darwin, Sex and Evolution: Using DNA to Discover the Origin of Species,' will be delivered at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 11, at Tillman Auditorium.

Hey studies evolutionary genetics with a focus on how genetic divergence leads to differences between populations and the origin of new species. He has worked on human origins and the spread of human populations around the world.

This year’s Darwin Week Festival (pdf) celebrates the 200th birth of Darwin as well as the 150th anniversary of his influential book, 'The Origin of Species,' which outlined the role of natural selection as an agent of evolutionary change.

'These events are designed to highlight the achievements of Charles Darwin and teach the university community and public about the relevance and importance of evolution to our society,' said Michael Childress, assistant professor of biological sciences and one of the event organizers. 'Darwin was a simple man who changed forever the way we view life on Earth.'

The Darwin Week Festival begins at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, with Ben Stein’s movie 'Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.' The film will be screened at the McKissick Theatre in the Hendrix Student Center with a discussion moderated by Jerry Waldvogel, professor of biological sciences, and Kelly Smith, associate professor of philosophy and Lemon Fellow in the Robert C. Rutland Institute for Ethics.

'From Darwin to Dayton & Dover,' a history of the evolution-teaching dispute is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 13 in room 100, Hardin Hall. The public lecture is by Edward Larson of Pepperdine University. Clemson’s Waldvogel will lecture at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 14 in room 100, Hardin Hall, on the role of higher education in the evolution-religion controversy.

Other events include a Darwin Day Exhibition and 'Ask a Scientist' panel, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Feb. 12, in the atrium of the Hendrix Student Center and a research seminar led by Jody Hey at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in room 100, Brackett Hall.

The Darwin Week Festival is organized by the Clemson University Department of Biological Sciences, the BioSci Club and the Biological Sciences Graduate Student Association.

The field of women's studies focuses on the role of women in all facets of human endeavor. This multi-disciplinary field examines women's lives and accomplishments in the context of history, sociology, psychology, medicine, economics, law, and politics and highlights women's creativity in art, music, and literature.

Any graduate student working on projects (research and/or creative) related to women is invited to submit a brief proposal about their research for consideration.

The forum is planned for the afternoon of Friday, March 27, and will showcase presentations of graduate student work. The forum welcomes all presentation formats. These can include papers to be read, PowerPoint presentations, web sites, postershows and original artwork. Please review the following parameters and, if interested, submit a one-page (maximum) abstract describing your project.

Submissions

Submit all abstracts in electronic format to Linda Tindal at ltindal@clemson.edu . Submission deadline is March 6, 2009.

Parameters*

1. There will be a ten-minute time limit for oral presentations.

2. An easel will be provided for poster presentations.

3. Visual presentations may also be in digital format.

* For oral presentations that utilize digital format, ten-minute limit will apply.

* For visual presentations, such as artwork, web sites, etc., a ten-minute limit is recommended, but not required. Oral presentations of at least five minutes, and no longer than ten-minutes are required to explain the project.

* Parameters may be revised as submissions are received. All applicants will receive a copy of any revisions to parameters.

Judging of Presentations

A panel of Clemson University faculty will review all abstracts and select the projects to be presented at the forum.

In addition, a separate panel of Clemson University faculty will judge the presentations at the forum, and will choose both a 1st Place winner and a 2nd Place winner for the following awards:

1st Place - $200.00

2nd Place - $100.00

Imtiaz HaqueImtiaz Haque will be responsible for building industrial partnerships and guiding a team of faculty members to advance the academic program of the 250-acre state-of-the-art automotive and motorsports research campus. The 90,000-square-foot Campbell center houses the teaching and research facilities for the university’s unique master’s and doctoral degree programs in automotive engineering.

Esin Gulari, dean of the College of Engineering and Science, said Haque’s experience, leadership and international reputation in mechanical and automotive engineering are invaluable to the future of CU-ICAR.

'We are very pleased that professor Haque has agreed to serve in this capacity,' said Gulari. 'He totally embraces the mission and goals of CU-ICAR. His commitment to the program, his energy and his passion for educating the next generation of leaders in automotive engineering will serve Clemson and the profession well.'

Haque has been a member of the Clemson University mechanical engineering faculty since 1982 and served as department chairman for the past six-and-a-half years. During that tenure, he led the department in significant growth, including the addition of the master’s and doctoral degree programs in automotive engineering offered at the Campbell center.

'I am very excited to have this opportunity,' Haque said. 'As executive director of the Campbell center, I look forward to continuing to nurture the program to its fullest potential. We have an incredible team of faculty, staff and students at CU-ICAR led by four extremely talented endowed chairs; the best research facilities and equipment in the nation under one roof; committed industry partners; and burgeoning interest on the part of potential students and partners. We must take advantage of this unique set of opportunities to fulfill CU-ICAR’s goal of being the premier automotive and motorsports education and research program in the world.'

A longtime member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Automotive Engineers, Haque recently received the designation of ASME Fellow in recognition of significant engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.

In the coming years, our world will continue to face economical, environmental and energy related problems. How is Engineering and Engineering Technology Education responding to the needs of our society and the world? This will be the theme for an exhilarating and thought provoking weekend of professional workshops, presentations, and discussions at the University of Bridgeport.

The ASEE Northeast Section is soliciting faculty papers, student papers and student posters which address the various challenges and paradigms in this technological world through research and instructional programs in Engineering and Engineering Technology education. There are three conference tracks:

1. Regular/ faculty papers

2. Student papers

3. Student posters

The deadline for abstract submission is February 27th, 2009.

Prospective authors are invited to submit their abstracts online in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format through the conference website at http://www.asee2009conference.org

Suggested conference topics are listed below. Other innovations in course and laboratory experiences and assessments are also most welcome for submission:

• Chemical and Biological Engineering
• Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Engineering Technology/ Community Colleges
• Industrial, Automation and Manufacturing Engineering
• Engineering Technology and Community Colleges
• Innovations In Engineering Education
• First Year Experiences
• K-12 Education (Engineering Curriculum Integration)
• Mechanical Engineering
• Computer Science and Information Technology
• Women in Engineering and Computer Science
• Robotics
• Service Learning
• Sustainability
• Design Projects
• Engineering and Technology in the Liberal Arts
• Systems Engineering
• Globalization
• Ethics
• Diversity In Engineering
• Multidisciplinary Research

Paper and Other Proposal Submissions

Prospective authors are invited to submit their abstracts online in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format through the website of the conference at http://www.asee2009conference.org. Proposals for special sessions, tutorials, worskshops and exhibitions are also weclcome. Please check the conference website regarding instructions for these proposal submissions.

Important Dates:

Abstracts due 27th February, 2009

Acceptance notification 6th March, 2009

Final manuscript & Registration due 20th March, 2009

Clemson students, faculty and staff are once again invited to submit original works to Science as Art 2009. Entries can be produced by individuals or teams; multi-disciplinary collaboration is encouraged. While images need not be research-based, they should convey a significant or captivating scientific concept or event. Categories for entries include photographs, illustrations, electronic media (interactive and non-interactive, including video), and explanatory graphics. Winners in each category will be awarded gift certificates to local merchants.

The deadline for submitting an entry to Science as Art 2009 is March 6, 2009. Entries will be judged by a panel of artists and scientists from the community, based on visual impact, effective communication, and freshness and originality. A 'People’s Choice' award will be given based on a campus-wide poll of the entries.

A 'Meet the Artist' reception and exhibit will be held on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. at the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory in Pendleton. Directions and map can be found on the Science as Art web site: http://www.clemson.edu/ese/cp/saa/meet.php. Artists and judges will be present. Refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

All entries will be displayed in the library from the beginning of April through graduation, and winners in five categories will be honored at the Sigma Xi spring banquet on Thursday, April 16. Once again, this year’s event will include a category for high school entries.

For entry forms and more information, go to the Department of Engineering and Science Education website, http://www.clemson.edu/ese/cp/saa/, or contact Lisa Benson (lbenson@clemson.edu).

Sponsors for this event include the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films, the Clemson University Research Foundation, the Department of Engineering and Science Education, and the Clemson chapter of Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society.

The primary aim of the research is to discover how places can be designed and preserved to maximize both sense of place and quality of life. The Charleston neighborhood south of Broad Street is historic; the I’On development is new but designed using traditional urban patterns and architectural styles.

'Until recently, the investigation of subjective values associated with urban design and historic preservation has been a taboo subject, too closely associated with creating a false sense of history,' said Clemson’s Jeremy Wells. 'Critics of new urbanism complain that nostalgic design is backwards, regressive and fake, while practitioners of historic preservation largely overlook the impact of social and cultural values in determining historical significance.'

Can places that follow time-tested urban design patterns mean a higher quality of life for residents? What is the role of physical age in fostering emotional attachment to urban neighborhoods?

'Unfortunately, the answers to these questions, which are fundamental to why we design and preserve places, are still largely lacking,' Wells said. This research study is designed to give planners, urban designers and historic preservationists better tools to understand how residents value new and old urban neighborhoods.

In the next few weeks, Wells will be gathering data for his study using an online survey questionnaire at www.neighborhoodstudy.com. Residents of the two neighborhoods are invited to participate in the confidential survey, which will not ask for any personal identifiers. The results of the study will be released to local homeowners associations and the cities of Mount Pleasant and Charleston.

Wells entered Clemson’s Ph.D. program in planning, design and the built environment in the fall of 2006 with a background in historic preservation and downtown revitalization. His initial goal was to develop a better understanding of the relationship between sociocultural values and historical significance, but later broadened his interests to include how neo-traditional design can be used to maximize sense of place. An earlier pilot study conducted by Wells indicated that landscape-design elements play as significant a role, if not more, as buildings do in how people become attached to place.

In the article 'Graduate Real Estate Programs: An Analysis of the Past and Present and Trends for the Future,' Margot Weinstein, president and chief financial officer of MW Leadership Consultants LLC and vice president of the Kingston Group Inc., and Elaine Worzala, director of Clemson’s Center for Real Estate Development, examined four up-and-coming real estate graduate programs at Clemson, DePaul University, John Hopkins University and Roosevelt University.

Clemson’s Master of Real Estate Development program, established in 2004, is unique in several aspects. The program is a joint project between the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities and the College of Business and Behavioral Science, making it Clemson’s only graduate program connecting development design and business. Students take courses in law, finance, management, architecture, construction science and city and regional planning. The two-year program also requires a summer internship providing practical experience for the students to bring to their second year of education.

'The program’s network to professionals, hands-on experience and multidisciplinary approach make it one of the strongest programs in the country,' Worzala said. 'It is still relatively new, and at this point there are no official rankings of real estate-development programs. However, we certainly lead the list for the programs in the Southeast region and we are working hard on building our national reputation.'

Allison is director of Clemson’s graduate program in architecture and health. He also is director of a new project establishing the Center of Economic Excellence (CoEE) in Health Facilities Design and Testing.

'There is no debate that David has had a tremendous impact on the health-care design profession over the last 25 years,' the HEALTHCARE DESIGN story says. 'As an architect, David is passionate in his role as an educator, not only to his students in the graduate architecture program in healthcare studies at Clemson University, but to his professional colleagues nationally.'

The magazine says Allison is a 'visionary leader using an interdisciplinary approach to research the impact the built environment has on patients, families and staff.'

Allison was nominated for the honor by Kathy L. Bell of The S/L/A/M Collaborative, an architecture, engineering and planning firm with offices in Atlanta, Boston and Glastonbury, Conn. Bell is a Clemson alumna, though not a former student of Allison’s.

As director of Graduate Studies in Health + Architecture at Clemson, Allison leads one of only three professional degree programs in the nation with a concentration in the design of health-care architecture.

The CoEE in Health Facilities Design and Testing will conduct design-research projects using experts from a variety of disciplines ranging from architecture, psychology, materials science and computer science.

Healthcare Design published the 'Twenty Who Are Making a Difference' in the December issue, which can be viewed online now at www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com.

The enemies are bacteria and other food-borne microbes that cause illnesses. The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded food safety specialist Angela Fraser, an associate professor in the Clemson Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, a three-year grant for improving the food handling, hygiene and sanitation in child-care settings in North and South Carolina.

'We need to be increasingly aware of an invisible enemy — bacteria and viruses — which can be on our food, hands and on surfaces in the places we eat out or spend time,' said Fraser. 'Bacteria and viruses can lead to serious illnesses, especially for the very young or old. Child-care centers present an excellent opportunity to fight back. Child-care workers and food-safety educators are a great team to work with and we look forward to supporting efforts to keep our kids safe from food-related illnesses.'

The risk of food-borne sickness is a significant public health problem. Illnesses include nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, gastroenteritis, fever, headache or fatigue. Most people recover within days, but some food-borne illness can cause long-term health problems or even death for babies, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, sick people and those with weak immune systems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as 5,000 deaths and 76 million illnesses each year are directly linked to food-borne pathogens.

Infants and children 5 years old and younger are at greater risk of contracting a severe food-borne illness than other population groups, according to Fraser. Her research plan notes that children cared for outside the home are more likely to experience diarrheal disease than those cared for in their family home. In the United States, 11.6 million (63 percent) of the 18.5 million children who are under 5 were reported to be in some type of regular child-care arrangement.

Fraser will be working with food-safety experts Sheryl Cates of the Research Triangle Institute in Durham, N.C., and Lee-Ann Jaykus of N.C. State University in Raleigh. They are gathering information from 100 licensed child-care facilities in the Carolinas. Researchers will observe food-handling, hygiene and sanitation practices of child-care workers and take samples from child-care workers’ hands and surfaces for specific pathogens and levels of microbes.

The information will be used to develop training for educators who provide food-safety training to child-care workers. The teaching materials will be developed, delivered, evaluated and disseminated via the FightBAC! Web site — fightbac.org — created by the Partnership for Food Safety Education.

The partnership brings together representatives from industry associations, professional societies in food science, nutrition and health consumer groups and federal agencies to educate the public about safe food-handling practices needed to keep food safe from bacteria and prevent food-borne illness.

For more information contact: Ms. Marisa Moazen, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, P.O. Box 117, MS-36, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, Phone (865) 241-6958, Email: info@rise.orau.org.

The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) announce a prestigious research-based exchange program that will provide opportunities for American graduate students to conduct research in India and for American institutions to host Indian graduate students and faculty in the U.S.

The India-U.S. Research Exchange Program (REP) includes two unique elements. The first is the Research Internship in Science and Engineering (RISE), which offers paid internships in India for U.S. graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and medical disciplines. The second is the opportunity for U.S. academic institutions, industrial facilities, and research laboratories to network with Indian institutions and access global talent by hosting Indian doctoral students or faculty members.

The American graduate students selected to participate in RISE will have the opportunity to live and work in India, gain practical experience, and advance their understanding of the future of science, engineering, medicine, and technology. Students will work closely with international teams and get the chance to build lifelong networks of academic and professional contacts.

Internship locations in India include top national laboratories, federal research centers, academic research institutes, and private research and development laboratories. Internships provide mutual cultural and professional enrichment for both the interns and their Indian host institutions.

Student interns in RISE receive a monthly stipend, accommodations, and airfare to and from India. Internships can range from a minimum of 3 months to a maximum of 6 months.

U.S. students participating in the prestigious RISE program will have the opportunity to gain invaluable perspective into the world of international research, as well as to develop lasting research partnerships with leading Indian researchers and institutions.

The RISE internship program is open to graduate students studying a science, engineering, medical, or technology discipline at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the United States. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

The application deadline for the RISE internship program is February 12. For application guidelines and format, please visit http://rise.orau.org.

Institutions interested in hosting an Indian researcher should contact our office for more information.

For more information contact: Ms. Marisa Moazen, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, P.O. Box 117, MS-36, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, Phone (865) 241-6958, Email: info@rise.orau.org.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear from professional speakers, tour plants of local companies, compete in industrial engineering activities and network with professionals and potential employers.

The conference will draw between 200 and 250 students from Clemson University, Eastern Carolina University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina State University, South Carolina State University, Tennessee Tech University, University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech University and West Virginia University.

The career fair will be held on Friday, Feb. 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Madren Center. Companies interested in participating should contact Kevin Taaffe at (864) 656-0291 or (864) 908-6836 or Danielle Lanigan at dlaniga@clemson.edu.

Students will also have the opportunity to tour local plants, including the Thomas Creek Brewery in Greenville, the Walgreens Distribution Center in Anderson, the Taylor Made Adidas Golf factory in Westminster and the BMW Manufacturing Plant in Greer, the only BMW plant in the United States.

Other activities will include a technical paper competition and a competition for the best chapter at the conference. Evening social events are also scheduled.

The theme of the conference is 'Sustaining Our World Through IE Innovation.'

The Charles H. Stone award is given annually by the ACS Carolina-Piedmont Local Section to the most outstanding chemist in the southeastern United States. It recognizes chemists for contributions to the field through activities in the scientific community, public outreach, education and research.

'As only the third Clemson chemist to win this award after professors Shiou-Jyh Hwu and Darryl DesMarteau, it's an honor to be included in this group and help the recognition of Clemson chemistry. It is also personally satisfying my Ph.D. research advisor, professor Ken Wagener of the University of Florida, won the award in addition to his Ph.D. advisor, the late professor George Butler of the University of Florida and pioneer in polymer chemistry, who was the first recipient,' said Smith.

Smith’s research interests include synthesis, mechanism, structure/property relationships and application of polymeric materials and composites.

Smith is the cofounder and associate director of Clemson’s Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) and the chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of Polymer Chemistry. He also cofounded Tetramer Technologies LLC in 2001 to commercialize research done at Clemson.

Smith received a B.S. degree from Missouri State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida. He worked as a Rhone Poulenc Graduate research fellow in Lyon, France, and a Dow Chemical postdoctoral fellow in Rheinmuenster, Germany. Smith joined the Dow Chemical Company Central Research Laboratory as senior research chemist and was promoted to project leader. He joined Clemson University in 1998.

Because CU-ICAR fills the gap between basic research and commercial application of automotive technologies, DiMora Motorcar challenged it to assess suspension-technology options for the Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan. A team of students, under faculty supervision, accepted that challenge last semester.

'This kind of project provides our students invaluable real-world experience, and the quick turnaround time and results show they were up to the challenge,' said Steve Hung, associate professor of mechanical engineering and team faculty leader.

Based in Palm Springs, Calif., DiMora Motorcar crafts automobiles designed to exceed expectations for safety, performance, technology, ecology, beauty, comfort and luxury. It reveals the design, production and testing of its automobiles via the Internet so that people around the world can learn from and participate in the process.

'DiMora Motorcar is about showcasing new technologies,' said Carl Flesher, CU-ICAR director of Global Business Development. 'CU-ICAR is about developing the methods and people to make showcase technologies ready for the automotive original-equipment manufacturer market.'

Road conditions vary greatly, so experts agree an automobile’s suspension is crucial to a safe and smooth ride. An effective suspension system will maximize the mechanical grip between the tires and the road’s surface, enhance steering stability and provide a comfortable ride for the occupants. The Natalia sedan has to thrive in all road environments, including bad weather, so the suspension must be compatible with all-wheel drive and have the ability to clear common road obstacles. On the other hand, the vehicle also must be controllable at speeds above 240 mph, so body response to driver input and road excitations must be well controlled across a broad speed range. A unique design-driven requirement is the use of 275/40R24 tires.

Using numerous advanced digital design and verification processes, preliminary DiMora Motorcar vehicle parameters and computer-aided-design for the Natalia, the CU-ICAR graduate team generated a solution that includes short-long arm architectures for both front and rear suspensions, titanium control arms and wheel carriers, and combination air spring and damper units.

The concept design services the requirement for all-wheel drive, minimizes suspension weight and allows for rear-wheel steering to enhance directional stability at high speeds as well as maneuverability at low speeds. The concept design also will help DiMora Motorcar package other vehicle systems that yield the right levels of performance without significant changes to the suspension system.

'This was our first opportunity to test the ability of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research to tackle a difficult engineering problem that is critical to meeting the performance parameters we have set for the Natalia,' noted DiMora Motorcar Founder Alfred DiMora. 'The designs they produced are excellent. We were already impressed by CU-ICAR’s facilities, equipment and staff. Now we know that the graduate students working here are outstanding as well. We look forward to a long and productive association with Clemson University.'

About CU-ICAR

Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is a 250-acre advanced-technology research campus where university, industry and government organizations collaborate. Offering the nation’s only Ph.D. program in automotive engineering, the master’s and doctoral programs are among the most exceptional in the country due to the world-class faculty, industry involvement in curriculum development and more than $40 million of research facilities and equipment.

Successful automotive-technology application requires availability of methods that span design-development integration of technologies to parts, systems and vehicles; manufacturing and supply integration of processes from material sourcing through part creation, assembly and delivery; and concurrent engineering integration of design and development with manufacturing and supply. CU-ICAR conducts research that provides value by addressing the need for these integration methods.

CU-ICAR is a place for entrepreneurial collaboration and partnership between the university, industry and government to quickly address market needs together in ways that facilitate economic growth. To learn more about CU-ICAR, visit http://www.cu-icar.com/.

About DiMora Motorcar

The founder, CEO and driving force behind DiMora Motorcar is Alfred DiMora, who produced two of America's finest luxury automobiles, the Clenet (as owner) and the Sceptre (as co-founder). When President Reagan declared 1986 the Centennial Year of the Gasoline-Powered Automobile, DiMora's Clenet was selected as the Official Centennial Car. As a result, he and the Clenet were honored at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Michigan. He also founded Starbridge Systems Inc., where he developed the world's fastest FPGA supercomputer. Using his technological and automotive backgrounds, Alfred DiMora blends the two worlds together to create this new experience in automotive history: the Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan. For more information, please visit http://www.dimoramotorcar.com/.

In her research, Miller conducts life-cycle assessments. Everything from computers to cups of coffee have a beginning, middle and end. She identifies the life-cycle steps, ranging from raw materials through disposing or recycling, then she evaluates a product’s cumulative impact on the environment. Life-cycle assessments provide industry and public leaders with 'cradle to grave' analyses of how products and processes affect the environment.

Miller currently is analyzing switchgrass, a hardy perennial grass that shows a lot of promise as a biofuel. Biofuels are plants that can be processed into ethanol and other energy alternatives. To be a realistic option to fossil fuel, a biofuel needs to provide a net energy gain, environmental benefits, be economically competitive and be producible in large quantities without reducing food supply.

Clemson researchers say non-food plants, such as switchgrass and some sorghum varieties, which can grow on marginal lands and need less fertilizers and pesticides, offer advantages for bio-based energy, more so than food crops like corn and soybeans.

Researchers at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence and on campus are finding ways to unlock the energy stored in plant materials. Miller’s role is to figure out if switchgrass as a fuel produces a net benefit to the environment after all its costs are identified and evaluated.

The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is among the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty members who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.

Clemson’s graduate program in architecture is ranked 11th nationally and the planning and landscape architecture program is 12th among undergraduate programs.

DesignIntelligence also ranked Clemson a 'World Class School of Architecture with High Distinction.'

Clemson’s landscape architecture program is the youngest to be ranked in the top 15. The program was established in 1988 and was fully accredited for the first time in 1996. It had 115 undergraduate students in the 2006-2007 academic year, with the number of alumni reaching 162 this year.

'Entering the DesignIntelligence rankings for the first time at the 12th spot is a real accomplishment for our young program,' said Umit Yilmaz, director of landscape architecture. 'I am proud of the achievement of our program and our students as we continue to pursue excellence in landscape architecture education.'

Landscape architecture students experience a wide variety of off-campus and study-abroad opportunities, international collaboration and studio projects. Clemson’s landscape architecture program is the only one of its kind in South Carolina.

Graduate students in the architecture program take advantage of Clemson’s 'fluid campus' to develop a broad understanding of the discipline. In addition to the main campus at Clemson, students also pursue studies in permanent programs in Charleston; Barcelona, Spain; and Genoa, Italy.

'The rankings are generated through an extensive survey of architectural firms around the country that employ the graduates from all U.S. schools of architecture and, as such, they reflect the quality of graduates from all schools. Being ranked among public universities is a great position to be in and a testimony on the quality of our program,' said Jose Caban, professor and interim chairman of the Clemson University School of Architecture.

The Design Futures Council began its ranking of accredited architecture, landscape architecture and interior design programs in its journal, DesignIntellegence, a decade ago. This ranking has since become the established ranking system for design programs across the United States.

Teams already are signing up, and this year’s competition will feature an international squad from Brazil. Teams from North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, West Virginia, Alabama, New Jersey and Missouri also will compete.

'The College of Engineering and Science at Clemson is delighted to host this event once again,' said Dean Esin Gulari. 'The dedication, enthusiasm and fun that the participants have in the name of engineering and science is truly inspirational.'

Teams will receive their marching orders for the competition at a kickoff event at the Madren Center Jan. 3. Kits are handed out with a specific assignment to build a robot no heavier than 120 pounds that can complete a task in a certain amount of time. The teams have six weeks to assemble their robots and ship them back to FIRST for the regional competition. Teams are judged not only on point accumulation, but also on design, team spirit, professionalism and perseverance.

Regional events lead to an international competition April 16-18 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. More than 35,000 high school students participate on more than 1,600 teams in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands and England.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, developer of the first portable insulin pump and the first portable kidney dialysis machine, to 'create a world where science and technology are celebrated, where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.'

For more information on the competition, go to the FIRST website at: www.usfirst.org, FIRST Robotics Competition or http://www.ces.clemson.edu/main/FRC/index.html

Clemson is a nationally recognized research university where approximately 5,500 students are enrolled in engineering and science undergraduate and graduate courses. There are 350 faculty members in the College of Engineering and Science. Connect to http://www.clemson.edu/ces for more information.

Lanham is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota. Fellows receive specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with conservation professionals and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each fellow will receive $10,000 for a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy and contributing to greater environmental health.

For his fellowship, Lanham will contact, educate and provide technical support for African-American rural landowners across South Carolina, learning firsthand how a significant but underserved population of potential conservationists value and manage their property.

In a project called 'The Color of the Land,' he will provide technical assistance and record the stories of the unique relationships people of color have to the land. Lanham also will help them develop strategies to implement sustainable timber and wildlife management practices. His ultimate goal is to introduce the landowners to sustainable means of natural resources management that will help them improve soil, water and wildlife resources on their properties and ultimately those downstream.

While his project will help maintain rural landscapes that are diverse ethnically and ecologically, he also aims to define the conservation ethic and preserve the land legacy that has helped sustain generations of rural African-American landowners.

'Drew is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,' said Audubon President John Flicker. 'Each of our TogetherGreen Fellows demonstrates exceptional environmental understanding and commitment, combined with tremendous potential to inspire and lead others. Together, they represent the talented and diverse leadership the environmental community will need to tackle the huge challenges and opportunities confronting us now and in the years to come.'

'The TogetherGreen Fellowship is significant in that it allows me to focus my time and talents on an issue that is heartfelt and personal to me,' said Lanham, a wildlife ecology professor. 'By serving both people and wildlife, I hope to elicit outcomes that help strengthen the human-nature bond and move us to a conservation ethic in the best tradition of Aldo Leopold. I am honored and humbled to have been selected from such a diverse and well-qualified pool of candidates.'

An Edgefield native, Lanham, received both a Ph.D. in Forest Resources and a Master of Science in Zoology from Clemson University.

Landowners interested in participating in the project can call Lanham at 864-656-7294 or by e-mail at lanhamj@clemson.edu. There is no cost to participate.

A complete list of the 2008 TogetherGreen fellows can be found at www.TogetherGreen.org. The TogetherGreen initiative and grants programs are funded by a $20 million Toyota gift to Audubon, the largest in the conservation group’s history.

About Audubon

Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment. Its national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education and advocacy programs engage millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world. Visit Audubon online at www.audubon.org.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and operates 10 manufacturing plants, with another under construction in Mississippi. Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Through its corporate initiatives, manufacturing operations and philanthropy, Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. In 2007, Toyota contributed more than $56 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S. For more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.

The Frederick W. Lanchester prize was awarded to Adams and colleague professor Hanif Sherali of Virginia Tech for the best contribution to operations research and the management sciences published in English. They developed a mathematical methodology called 'Reformulation-Linearization Technique.' It is used to reformulate a difficult problem and perform a mathematical transformation called linearization. The technique makes previously difficult, unapproachable problems easier to solve.

The criteria for receiving this award includes the extent to which the contribution advances the state of the art of operations research and the management sciences, the originality of the idea or methods, the new areas of application it opens up, the degree to which existing theory or method is unified or simplified, the clarity and excellence of the exposition and the degree to which the contribution provides value for future application or improved practice.

The Frederick W. Lanchester Prize includes a commemorative medallion and $5,000 cash. It was presented to Adams and Sherali at the INFORMS national meeting in Washington, D.C., in October.

INFORMS

Established in 1995, INFORMS is the largest professional society in the world for those in the field of operations research. It serves the scientific and professional needs of educators, investigators, scientists, students, managers and consultants, as well as the organizations they serve, by publishing scholarly journals that describe the latest operations-research methods and applications. It also publishes a membership magazine with news from the field. INFORMS organizes national and international conferences for academics and professionals. It serves as the focal point for operations-research professionals, allowing them to communicate with each other and other professional societies.

Nikon recognizes Clemson as a top-tier research university in the Southeast, capable of bringing together its science and technology with industry needs and applications. Nikon plans to take advantage of the diverse research capabilities at Clemson to develop new products and applications, as well as establish the facility as a premier training facility in these top crossover instrumentation uses.

'Nikon chose to provide this donation to Clemson University’s biological sciences department because of Clemson’s unique commitment and blending of biological and material science imaging studies,' said Stan Schwartz, vice president of product and marketing at Nikon Instruments Inc. 'Today’s microscopy tools allow for multi-modality imaging techniques to complement each other. Whether the specimens to observe are large or small, transparent or opaque, the interchangeability and compatibility of the optical instrumentation and analysis software will provide for superb crossover applications to be conducted.'

'The donation by Nikon dramatically expands microscopy capability and enhances the development of new imaging techniques on campus,' said Hap Wheeler, chairman of the biological sciences department. 'Combined with another partnership in the university’s electron microscope facility, Clemson is positioned to be a leader in advanced-imaging analysis. This is an excellent example of a public-private collaboration that will benefit Clemson students, facilitate state-of-the-art research and generate economic growth in the state, region and global economy.'

Andrew Mount, Ph.D., was instrumental in developing the project in collaboration with Nikon and will lead a six-member research group at the facility.

The microscope package is valued at $620,000, toward which Nikon made an in-kind donation. Clemson University entities supporting the center with funds include the Office of Research and Economic Development; Public Service Activities; the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences; the biological sciences department and individual research faculty members.

Townes was joined by his wife, Frances, and together they unveiled the sign for the Charles H. Townes Laboratories for Optical Science and Engineering located at the Advanced Materials Research Laboratory in the Clemson University Advanced Materials Center. Townes is most well known for his research that led to the development of the laser, for which he received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1964. (See Charles H. Townes' biography.)

Charles H. Townes'It is an honor to return to Clemson to see the establishment of the Townes Laboratories,' he said. 'Facilities such as these enable future generations of students who have a dream to go beyond science as we know it today.'

The dedication follows the 2005 creation of the Townes Fellows program, a joint effort by Clemson and Furman universities to bring Furman undergraduates to Clemson to conduct optics research with the COMSET (Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies) program.

Clemson has major initiatives in optical materials, bio-optics and laser technology while Furman is renowned for strong undergraduate programs in physics and chemistry. This premier program in the United States is comprised of research and educational initiatives centered on optical sciences and engineering. The first student to participate in the program now is a graduate student at Clemson.

A native of Greenville, Townes received his undergraduate degrees in literature and physics from Furman. He received the Nobel Prize for physics in 1964 for his research on the maser (microwave amplification by stimulation emission of radiation), which led to the invention of the laser, one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the 20th Century. Lasers are used in nearly all aspects of life today, including fiberoptics communications, laser processing in the manufacture of automobiles and many other commercial products, ophthalmology, medicine, defense and space applications.

Townes has received numerous international accolades over his career. Chris Przirembel, Clemson’s vice president for research and economic development, noted that Clemson was among the first to acknowledge Townes’ achievements with an honorary degree in 1963 when he delivered the commencement address (pdf).

'The Nobel Prize Committee followed our lead in 1964 by awarding Dr. Townes that most impressive and well-deserved award,' he joked.

On a more serious note, Przirembel added: 'What an honor it is to have the name and the inspiration of Dr. Townes associated with this laboratory complex and with this program. I can think of no greater example for our students and faculty to follow as they pursue the future of optical science and engineering. His contribution to the world of optics is inestimable, and his personal examples of the pursuit of science and of a life well-lived are unmatched.'

Townes has continued an informal connection with Clemson over the years. He returned to the university in February 2000 to deliver the Godfrey Distinguished Lectures in Astrophysics. And two Clemson faculty members, Przirembel and Caron St. John, director of the Arthur M. Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, received the Charles H. Townes Individual Achievement Award from InnoVision, an Upstate organization that promotes excellence and leadership in technology.

John Ballato, COMSET director and associate vice president for research and economic development, spearheaded the move to name the laboratories for Townes. He said the association is powerful.

'Dr. Townes has spent his distinguished career committed to educating future generations,' said Ballato. 'We are deeply grateful that his name will be associated with our program as a daily reminder of what has been and can be achieved. Dr. Townes is the first to remind students that they too possess the ability to make the next great discovery.'

In addition to being a Nobel Prize laureate, Townes also is a Templeton Prize recipient for contributions to the understanding of religion.

'A lot will be happening in the next 50 years,' Townes said. 'We will be modifying humans and our genetics. We need to ask, 'do we want to do that?; ask how and why. It will bring responsibilities. Let's see us use those new powers well.'

Since 1967, Townes has been a professor of physics at the University of California at Berkeley, where he and Mrs. Townes live.

This year the program, housed in the College of Business and Behavioral Science, appears seventh on the top-10 list of most-competitive students, which is based on student assessment of how competitive classmates are, how heavy the workload is and the perceived academic pressure.

'The Clemson MBA program has given me the skills I need to bridge the communication between R&D and the business world,' said Joanna Isbill, a dual-degree student working on a master's in bioengineering as well as an MBA. 'I have been taught how to understand very technical concepts, but, perhaps even more importantly, the Clemson MBA program has taught me how to present these technical concepts to a business audience.

'I feel like the Clemson MBA program has provided me with high-level skills that I can carry with me throughout my career.'

Caron St. John, associate dean for graduate programs and research in the College of Business and Behavioral Science, is pleased to see the program appear on this particular top-10 list.

'We are very fortunate to have dedicated and competitive students in the MBA program,' St. John said. 'This recognition also speaks to the quality and rigor of the courses offered by our faculty.'

Academics, student life and admissions in the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson are outlined in a two-page article in the best business schools guide. In the profile, Princeton Review editors wrote, 'Native South Carolinians seeking the MBA will have a hard time beating the ratio of value to quality that they’ll find at Clemson University. Thanks to lower in-state tuition costs, Palmetto State residents can earn a highly regarded business degree for a small fraction of what their peers elsewhere in the country spend.'

Pig heart valveAortic valves taken from pigs are used in thousands of human heart valve replacement surgeries annually, but they have a high rate of failure due to degeneration and calcification. It is estimated more than 50 percent fail within five to 15 years of implantation. Vyavahare’s goal is to extend the biological durability of BHVs beyond 20 years.

'We’ve identified a problem where viscoelasticity is lost during tissue fixation and after implantation, and maintaining the structural integrity of the tissue matrix in the processed tissue is essential for these types of implants to work,' said Vyavahare. 'Our recent studies show that the chemical linking of neomycin to tissue, an inhibitor of the enzymes that degrade the tissue matrix, lead to significantly better stabilization of the valve tissue.'

Vyavahare says improvements in durability will allow surgeons to implant the valves in the younger patient population.

Vyavahare and his group at Clemson have studied the problem of calcification in arteries and heart valves for nine years. The long-term fatigue damage study funded by NIH is unprecedented in the BHV field. The Clemson group has collaborations with the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota.

Agronomist James Frederick said the burgeoning bio-energy industry could present a tremendous opportunity for South Carolina growers.Transportation costs associated with importing large quantities of sugar cane from Brazil or corn and soybeans from the Midwest into the state would be cost-prohibitive, said agronomist James Frederick, who studies the science and technology of utilizing plants for food and fuel, among other applications.

'It has to be a locally grown crop to be economically viable,' Frederick said.

In opening the 2008 South Carolina Bio-Energy Summit Sept. 18 at the Clemson University Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Frederick asked which of the locally grown feedstocks displayed on the stage were suitable for biofuels production.

Among them were corn, soybeans and wood chips, and the answer was 'all of them,' Frederick said, because biofuels likely will come from a combination of numerous crops.

The summit highlighted the diversity of feedstocks that can be produced in South Carolina for bio-energy. Industry and government leaders discussed the latest research and the future of bio-energy in the state.

The day-long event, which included a field trip to the center’s switchgrass fields, was attended by more than 130 people.

Sen. Hugh Leatherman, whose district includes Darlington and Florence counties, said the biofuels industry could provide significant economic development opportunities for South Carolina.

Bruce Fortnum, interim director of the Pee Dee research center, discusses the center’s switchgrass research during a conference field trip at the Pee Dee research center.Research to determine the best crops for biofuels production and how the state can make the most of its resources must continue, he said.

Those sentiments were underscored by John Clark, director of the S.C. Energy Office in Columbia.

Clark said that South Carolina ranks fifth in the nation for the amount of electricity used per capita. The majority of energy use in the state is in transportation fuels and industrial consumption, he said.

While the state relies heavily on nuclear power to generate electricity, it also uses a large amount of coal, and South Carolina doesn’t produce coal, Clark said.

'Biomass turns that on its head,' Clark said.

The state is home to corn, soybeans, switchgrass and a host of other crops that can be used for alternative fuels.

'Biofuels are good in every way,' Clark said. 'They’re good for energy, good for the environment and they’re good for the economy of South Carolina.'

More than 1.5 percent of transportation fuels sold in South Carolina are from biofuels, Clark said.

'And we have to keep that moving,' he said.

For more information about Clemson’s switchgrass research, visit http://agroecology.clemson.edu/switchgrass/sg.htm

Richard PakRichard Pak, an assistant professor of psychology, has received a $50,000 gift from Google to study how older adults navigate the Web and what Web site design features make searches easier. The grant will fund an extension of his research on aging and technology.

'The study of cognitive aging is all about finding out how our minds change as we get older. The results from decades of research are that some things get worse but also that some things improve with age,' Pak said. 'For example, our ability to solve abstract problems might get worse as we get older. However, at the same time, other things get better as we get older. Just by virtue of being alive longer, we ‘know’ more information.'

Pak said one example is seen in a well-known finding in the cognitive aging literature. That finding is that older adults, those age 60 and over, have better verbal abilities and general knowledge than younger adults between 18 and 27.

Pak’s recently published paper, 'Designing an information search interface for younger and older adults,' compiled his research into how these strengths might be applied to Web navigation.

'The findings are that when you take a Web site and organize it hierarchically — like how you might organize your documents on your computer with folders within folders — older adults are much slower and make more errors when they are searching for information compared to younger adults,' Pak said. 'We think that this is the case because the situation does not allow older adults to use their greater knowledge toward the situation. However, when you take that same Web site and organize it around keywords or concepts instead of folders, older adults are able to bring their wealth of general knowledge to the situation and perform almost equivalently to younger adults in the task.'

That is, older adults seem to perform better using so-called 'tag-based sites,' which are Web sites that organize their information around frequently used keywords. Pak said that while tag-based sites are still relatively new, several popular sites use tags. These include Amazon.com, Gmail.com, and the photo sharing Web site Flickr.com.

Pak said that future research into the topics of older adults’ Web use will combine objective measures, such as bringing participants into the lab to observe how many navigation errors they make, with subjective measures such as interviews and focus groups aimed at determining why older adults have trouble with technology.

'Of course, this research couldn’t happen without the willingness of older adults from the community. When we have new studies, we call our list of older adults from the area and they are always more than happy to come in to do a study,' Pak said.

Ultimately, he hopes that his work will help make Web navigation a better experience for participants like these.

'While my results are a bit far from direct application and more research is needed, eventually I’d like to figure out how to design an information-retrieval interface that is usable for people of all ages,' Pak said. 'Accessing information online is rapidly moving from convenience to necessity and if we don’t tackle issues of access, the existing digital divide will only get greater.'

In announcing the award, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford said, 'This is a testament to your hard work and outstanding talent as an educator and researcher. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to further scientific research in South Carolina and throughout the world.'

Tritt has received international attention for his study of thermoelectric energy. He says that energy now lost from hot engines could save billions of dollars if it could be captured and converted into electricity. He will be a keynote speaker at the Automotive Industry's Global Powertrain Conference in Chicago in October.

'Thermoelectric energy conversion is a solid-state technology that is environmentally friendly. One of the more promising down-to-earth applications lies in waste-heat recovery in cars and trucks,' said Tritt.

Tritt maintains that more than 60 percent of the energy that goes into an automotive combustion cycle is lost, primarily to waste heat through the exhaust or radiator system.

Clemson research focuses on developing higher-efficiency thermoelectric materials that could increase savings significantly. Research into the electrical and thermal properties of new materials could reduce the world's reliance on fossil fuels and has shown promise with two classes of materials: low-dimensional systems for enhanced electrical properties and increased phonon scattering that leads to inherently low thermal conductivity.

Tritt heads up the Department of Energy's Center of Excellence in Thermoelectric Materials Research at Clemson, one of the leading laboratories for thermoelectric materials in the world. The national center focuses on the next generation of thermoelectric materials for power conversion and refrigeration. Researchers in physics, materials science and chemistry screen promising new classes of materials in order to achieve higher-performance thermoelectric materials. DOE has renewed the program with $1.5 million a year in research funding for the next three years. He also has a contract with the Air Force for work on thermoelectric materials development.

The Governor's Award for Excellence in Science honors an individual or team in the state whose achievements and contributions to science in South Carolina merit special recognition and promotes wider awareness of the quality and extent of scientific activity in South Carolina. Earlier this year, Tritt received the Clemson Alumni Award for Research and the College of Engineering and Science Award for Achievement in the Sciences.

Clemson is No. 2 among national public universities in the 'up and coming' category as 'a college that has recently made striking improvements or innovations--a school everyone should be watching,' according to the magazine.

'It is truly great news for Clemson that we are now ranked No. 22 among national public universities and second on a new list of 'up and coming' institutions,' said Clemson President James F. Barker. 'What this means to our students and alumni is that their Clemson degree is more valuable now than ever. For faculty and staff it means we will continue to recruit great students and be even more competitive for grants and so forth.

'What it means to all of us is that Clemson can work together to achieve anything,' Barker added. 'We set our sights very high, and we are close to making our vision a reality. For that I have to thank all parts of the Clemson family.'

The No. 22 ranking is the university's highest ranking to date. Last year, Clemson was No. 27 among the 164 public, doctoral-granting institutions in the country. The climb in the rank is attributed to improvement in a number of areas at Clemson: the graduation rate has gone up from 75 percent to 78 percent; the freshman retention rate is up from 88 percent to 90 percent; and alumni giving increased from 27 percent to 28 percent. The university has more classes with fewer than 20 students and more freshmen--52 percent--in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.

Clemson's 'Writing Across the Curriculum' initiative once again was singled out. Colleges cited in the 'Writing in the Disciplines' category make writing a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.

Clemson's undergraduate engineering program ranked No. 51 among those at all universities, up from 57 last year.

U.S.News & World Report rankings are based on statistical measures, such as student SAT scores, graduation rates and faculty salaries, as well as a subjective measure of academic reputation. The list of public doctoral-granting institutions ranks universities across the country that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

America's Best Colleges 2009 will be published in the U.S.News & World Report magazine to be on newsstands Monday, Aug. 26.

Clemson is No. 2 among national public universities in the 'up and coming' category as 'a college that has recently made striking improvements or innovations--a school everyone should be watching,' according to the magazine.

'It is truly great news for Clemson that we are now ranked No. 22 among national public universities and second on a new list of 'up and coming' institutions,' said Clemson President James F. Barker. 'What this means to our students and alumni is that their Clemson degree is more valuable now than ever. For faculty and staff it means we will continue to recruit great students and be even more competitive for grants and so forth.

'What it means to all of us is that Clemson can work together to achieve anything,' Barker added. 'We set our sights very high, and we are close to making our vision a reality. For that I have to thank all parts of the Clemson family.'

The No. 22 ranking is the university's highest ranking to date. Last year, Clemson was No. 27 among the 164 public, doctoral-granting institutions in the country. The climb in the rank is attributed to improvement in a number of areas at Clemson: the graduation rate has gone up from 75 percent to 78 percent; the freshman retention rate is up from 88 percent to 90 percent; and alumni giving increased from 27 percent to 28 percent. The university has more classes with fewer than 20 students and more freshmen--52 percent--in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes.

Clemson's 'Writing Across the Curriculum' initiative once again was singled out. Colleges cited in the 'Writing in the Disciplines' category make writing a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.

Clemson's undergraduate engineering program ranked No. 51 among those at all universities, up from 57 last year.

U.S.News & World Report rankings are based on statistical measures, such as student SAT scores, graduation rates and faculty salaries, as well as a subjective measure of academic reputation. The list of public doctoral-granting institutions ranks universities across the country that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

America's Best Colleges 2009 will be published in the U.S.News & World Report magazine to be on newsstands Monday, Aug. 26.

The U.S. NRC Nuclear Education Fellowship Grant is for $398,932, awarded to scientists Timothy DeVol, Robert Fjeld and Brian Powell.

'Because of a renewed interest in nuclear power in this country and the world, this grant will be used for funding graduate students who will become the next-generation nuclear workforce, specifically in radioactive waste disposal, radiochemistry and the environmental aspects of nuclear power generation,' said DeVol. 'Expertise in these areas is a critical issue because of attrition as well as possible expansion of the nuclear power industry. Nuclear power is one part of an integrated approach to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and strive toward energy security.'

The NRC awarded a second grant of $125,151 for nuclear education and curriculum development with a goal of understanding and protecting the public and the environment from the harmful effects of radiation.

'The Nuclear Education and Curriculum Development Grant that we received last year was used to update much needed radiation-detection and measurement equipment for the teaching laboratories,' said DeVol. 'This year, we'll be developing a new course as well as expanding another course with advanced portable radiation spectroscopy systems that will be purchased with the grant. Grants like these keep our students at the cutting edge of technology but with a fundamental understanding of the underlying principles.'

The Nuclear Environmental Engineering and Science (NEES) program is a graduate-only academic program established in the 1980s within the department of environmental engineering and earth sciences at Clemson. It is a combination of classroom and laboratory instruction and research. The NEES program focuses on the environmental aspects of nuclear technologies, including environmental health physics, radioactive waste processing, environmental risk assessment, environmental radioactivity, radiation detection and measurement, environmental radiochemistry and environmental remediation.

For additional details, go to www.ces.clemson.edu/eees/programareas.htm.