tag:energy.nd.edu,2005:/news-events/newsNotre Dame Energy | News2024-03-22T09:35:00-04:00tag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1606902024-03-22T09:35:00-04:002024-03-22T09:36:01-04:00Notre Dame as a leading research university<p>The University of Notre Dame has experienced transformational growth in research over the past decade. The evidence is everywhere on campus, both in the talent of the faculty and the resources devoted to making Notre Dame a leading research institution.</p> <p>In this episode of <em>Notre Dame Stories</em>,…</p><p>The University of Notre Dame has experienced transformational growth in research over the past decade. The evidence is everywhere on campus, both in the talent of the faculty and the resources devoted to making Notre Dame a leading research institution.</p>
<p>In this episode of <em>Notre Dame Stories</em>, host Jenna Liberto talks to <a href="https://research.nd.edu/people/jeffrey-rhoads/">Vice President for Research Jeff Rhoads</a>, who shares his plans for expanding the University's impact globally.</p>
<p><a href="https://stories.nd.edu/podcasts/notre-dame-as-a-leading-research-university/?_gl=1*1ydtflq*_gcl_au*Nzc2Mjg2OTkuMTcwNDgxNjgxMQ.." class="btn">Watch now</a></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Office of Brand Content</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-as-a-leading-research-university/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 22, 2024</span>.</p>Office of Brand Contenttag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1607822024-03-22T07:37:00-04:002024-03-26T07:37:27-04:00Mark J. McCready elected fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/563141/300x/mccready_hero.jpg" alt="Mark J. McCready" width="300" height="167"></figure> <p>Notre Dame Engineering’s <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/mark-mccready/"><strong>Mark J. McCready</strong></a> has been elected a <strong>fellow</strong>…</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/563141/300x/mccready_hero.jpg" alt="Mark J. McCready" width="300" height="167"></figure>
<p>Notre Dame Engineering’s <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/mark-mccready/"><strong>Mark J. McCready</strong></a> has been elected a <strong>fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE),</strong> the organization’s highest level of membership. The honor recognizes McCready’s significant professional accomplishments and contributions in engineering.</p>
<p>McCready is the senior associate dean for research and faculty affairs and professor of<a href="http://cbe.nd.edu/"> <strong>chemical and biomolecular engineering</strong></a>. His research focuses on multiphase fluid mechanics and transport processes with applications to chemical process technologies and physiology.</p>
<p>His leadership, mentoring, and dedication to students has been recognized with multiple awards. In 2016, he received Notre Dame’s Joyce Award for outstanding undergraduate teaching. In 2021, he was chosen by his colleagues for the University’s Faculty Award in recognition of his teaching and research as well as his contributions to campus safety during the Covid pandemic.</p>
<p>From 1996-2012, McCready served as department chair. “Mark was a visionary chair who significantly contributed to the department and the chemical engineering community,” said <a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/william-schneider/">William Schneider</a><strong>,</strong> Dorini Family Chair in Energy Studies. “His research and teaching spans theory to practice—he’s really the consummate chemical engineer.”</p>
<p>AIChE is a leading organization for chemical engineering professionals, with more than 60,000 members from more than 110 countries. McCready will be formally recognized at the AIChE annual meeting, October 26 – 31, 2024, in San Diego.</p>
<p> </p>Karla Cruisetag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1607012024-03-21T10:42:00-04:002024-03-22T10:43:27-04:00Onyango Publishes Book on Participatory Design Thinking in Architecture and Urban Planning<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/316503/300x/john_onyango.jpg" alt="John Onyango" width="300" height="396"></figure> <p>Congratulations to Kellogg Faculty Fellow <a href="https://kellogg.nd.edu/john-onyango"><strong>John Onyango</strong></a>, whose new book <a href="https://actar.com/product/participatory-design-thinking-in-architecture-and-urban-planning/"></a>…</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/316503/300x/john_onyango.jpg" alt="John Onyango" width="300" height="396"></figure>
<p>Congratulations to Kellogg Faculty Fellow <a href="https://kellogg.nd.edu/john-onyango"><strong>John Onyango</strong></a>, whose new book <a href="https://actar.com/product/participatory-design-thinking-in-architecture-and-urban-planning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Participatory Design Thinking in Architecture and Urban Planning</em></a> was published last month by Actar Publishing.</p>
<p>The book documents social movements that led to the rise of alternative design methods exploring ways to inclucate a concern for larger social issues into the design process. Onyango critically examines both the methodologies used and their contributions to best practices in place-making. The book suggests universal application that may be incorporated in the use of the urban design laboratory model as a tool for educating future architects and urban designers.</p>
<p>Onyango is an associate professor of architecture who studies humane spaces and architectural designs that foster positive development outcomes and promote community engagement in those designs. His work focuses on sustainability and takes a holistic, interdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary approach to the creative practices at the building and urban design levels. Onyango's areas of expertise include architectural and building technology, the built environment and health, community building, and environmental psychology.</p>
<p>He holds a master of architecture degree from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD in architecture from the University of Glasgow.</p>Kellogg Institutetag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1606922024-03-21T09:39:00-04:002024-03-26T22:37:49-04:00Downes, Lechartre, and Mathews claim top honors in 2024 Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) finals<p>Three winners named in an evening focused on the importance of conveying why “your research matters”—in no more than three minutes.</p><figure class="image image-right" style="width: 400px;"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561526/400x/26_all_competitors_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="2024 competitors in the Shaheen 3MT finals: (L to R) Hoon Lee, Bow Wei Cynthia Chen, Henry Downes, O. Amandhi Mathews, Kurt Kohler, Liliya Chernysheva, Nicholas Herrud, Gowthami Mahendran, and Joséphine Lechartre." width="400" height="267">
<figcaption>2024 competitors in the Shaheen 3MT finals: (L to R) Hoon Lee, Bow Wei Cynthia Chen, Henry Downes, O. Amandhi Mathews, Kurt Kohler, Liliya Chernysheva, Nicholas Herrud, Gowthami Mahendran, and Joséphine Lechartre.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“Your Research Matters...Share it!” proclaimed the banners on the stage of the Graduate School’s 2024 <strong>Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT</strong><sup>®</sup><strong>) Finals Competition</strong>, held Wednesday evening, February 28, in Jordan Auditorium at the Mendoza College of Business.</p>
<p>Since 2016, Notre Dame has taken part in a competition that graduate schools around the world and their students have embraced since its founding at the University of Queensland in 2008. The event was co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development with support from the Colleges of Arts and Letters, Engineering, and Science; the Shaheen Family; Graduate Career Services; Graduate Student Government; Graduate Student Life; Hesburgh Libraries; Notre Dame Research; University Relations; and the University Writing Center.</p>
<p>“Your research <em>does</em> matter,” said <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/about/mary-ann-mcdowell/">Mary Ann McDowell</a>, professor of biological sciences and associate dean for professional development, as she extended a welcome to the contestants and the audience. “How to convey the essence of that research is one of the most important skills a researcher must develop,” she continued, whether it arises when sharing knowledge of a particular research problem to a colleague or to someone outside of the field.</p>
<p>“This is your moment!” she counseled. “Make it succinct—and make it fascinating!”</p>
<p>Nine graduate-student finalists rose to the challenge and came to the stage as storytellers—storytellers who had three minutes, and not a second more, to frame their research, its findings, and why both matter to the five judges and an audience that included faculty, administrators, and more than one hundred of their peers.</p>
<p>The judges announced two winners, and the audience chose a third:</p>
<div style="display: block; padding: 10px;">
<h3>Henry Downes, Economics</h3>
<p>Advisers: Kasey Buckles, Ph.D. and William Evans, Ph.D.<br>1st Place Winner: $2000</p>
<figure class="image image-left" style="width: 400px;"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561586/400x/4_hdownes_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Henry Downes, Ph.D. student in economics, was named 1st Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="400" height="267">
<figcaption>Henry Downes, Ph.D. student in economics, was named 1st Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the 20th century’s great puzzles is the question: What caused the U.S. Baby Boom?</p>
<p>Fifth-year graduate student <strong>Henry Downes’</strong> research explores a previously unexamined cause of fertility increases during that time—including the years before the U.S. entered World War II.</p>
<p>Using novel historical data, Downes discovered an important relationship between fertility increases during the Baby Boom and growth in union membership. Birth rates increased by about twice as much in counties with strong union growth relative to comparable counties with weak union growth, even accounting for many factors that might otherwise influence fertility. When there is stability in employment and confidence in earnings, workers who had steady, good-paying jobs married at younger ages, began having children sooner, and ultimately had larger families.</p>
<p>More fundamentally, his research highlights the central role played by labor market institutions in shaping family decisions and demographic outcomes. It suggests that America’s demographic challenges are unlikely to be solved without addressing economic precariousness in the labor market.</p>
</div>
<div style="display: block; padding: 10px;">
<h3>Joséphine Lechartre, Peace Studies and Political Science</h3>
<p>Adviser: Guillermo Trejo, Ph.D.<br>2nd Place Winner: $1500</p>
<figure class="image image-right" style="width: 400px;"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561505/400x/15_jlechart_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Joséphine Lechartre, Ph.D. student in peace studies and political science, was named 2nd Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="400" height="267">
<figcaption>Joséphine Lechartre, Ph.D. student in peace studies and political science, was named 2nd Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>How do the survival decisions that civilians make amidst genocide influence the emergence of new political cultures that drive political participation after the end of violence?</p>
<p>Using Guatemalan refugees who fled genocide and spent 14 years in refugee camps in Mexico as a case study, the research of sixth-year graduate student <strong>Joséphine Lecharte</strong> showed that refugees who became active participants in the administration of their camps developed strong democratic political cultures; whereas those who had only limited input in camp affairs did not, and experienced social dislocation.</p>
<p>Her findings have important consequences. Members of the first group of refugees are today highly active in democratic politics. Members of the second group have remained marginalized, with lagging economic development and levels of social dislocation that have led to a rise in criminality.</p>
</div>
<div style="display: block; padding: 10px;">
<h3>O. Amandhi Mathews, Biological Sciences</h3>
<p>Adviser: Cody J. Smith, Ph.D.<br>People’s Choice Award Winner: $1000</p>
<figure class="image image-left" style="width: 400px;"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561587/400x/6_omathews_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="O. Amandhi Mathews, Ph.D. student in biological sciences, was named People's Choice winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="400" height="267">
<figcaption>O. Amandhi Mathews, Ph.D. student in biological sciences, was named People's Choice winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The embryonic construction of the human nervous system requires neurons to navigate to a precise target at which they form connections to other neurons and make functional circuits. Neurons use a guidance system, a "neuronal GPS" third-year graduate student <strong>O. Amandhi Mathews</strong> calls it, to form these circuits. These primary circuits allow organisms to sense and respond to their environment and are thus critical for survival.</p>
<p>This process <em>must</em> happen accurately. Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders result from incorrect wiring within the nervous system. Our ability to treat such disorders depends on an in-depth understanding of the genetic blueprints that inform the neuronal GPS that helps neurons navigate accurately. Using zebrafish neurodevelopment as a model system, Mathews’ research investigates the role of the gene <em>svip</em> in neuronal navigation. Her goal with this study is to advance scientists’ understanding of the genetic and molecular pathways involved in neurodevelopment.</p>
</div>
<p>Other finalists in the competition were:</p>
<p><strong>Bo Wei Cynthia Chen</strong> (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering); <strong>Liliya Chernysheva</strong> (Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Science); <strong>Nicholas Herrud</strong> (History); <strong>Kurt Kohler</strong> (Biological Sciences); <strong>Hoon Lee</strong> (Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering); and <strong>Gowthami Mahendran</strong> (Chemistry and Biochemistry).</p>
<p>Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications <a href="https://www.nd.edu/about/leadership/council/pedro-ribeiro/">Pedro Ribeiro</a> was emcee of the evening.</p>
<p>Judges were:</p>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1">
<a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/about/michael-hildreth/"><strong>Michael Hildreth, Ph.D.</strong><strong><br></strong></a>Dean of the Graduate School; Associate Provost and Vice President for Graduate Studies; and Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy</li>
<li class="li1">
<a href="https://cee.vt.edu/people/faculty/jayachandran.html"><strong>Monica Arul Jayachandran, Ph.D.</strong><strong><br></strong></a>Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech University and winner of the <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/news/monica-arul-jayachandran-wins-the-2019-notre-dame-graduate-school-shaheen-3mt/">2019 Shaheen 3MT competition</a>
</li>
<li class="li1">
<a href="https://english.nd.edu/people/essaka-joshua/"><strong>Essaka Joshua, Ph.D</strong></a><strong>.<br></strong>Professor, Department of English and former Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Letters</li>
<li class="li1">
<a href="https://history.nd.edu/people/margaret-meserve/"><strong>Margaret Meserve, Ph.D.</strong><strong><br></strong></a>Glynn Family Honors Collegiate Professor of History and Vice President and Associate Provost for Academic Space and Support</li>
<li class="li1">
<a href="https://www.sbrchamber.com/aboutus/jeff-rea-bio/"><strong>Jeff Rea</strong><strong><br></strong></a>President and CEO, South Bend Regional Chamber of Commerce</li>
</ul>
<p>Downes will move on to the next round—the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) competition in Clayton, Missouri on April 5, 2024.</p>
<h2>2024 Shaheen 3MT<sup>®</sup> Finalist Presentation Videos</h2>
<p>To view videos of each competitor's presentation, click on the link below.</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Bo Wei Cynthia Chen</strong>, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: <a href="https://youtu.be/UO4vjdSvDr8">Cost of Natural Gas: Wasted Energy in Production</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Nicholas Herrud</strong>, History: <a href="https://youtu.be/htE1fKNviow">Ukrainian Identity through Borders and Memory in the Inter War Period</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Henry Downes</strong>, Economics: <a href="https://youtu.be/RaDr6d0OFas">Did Organized Labor Induce Labor? The Surprising Role of Unions in the American Baby Boom</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>O. Amandhi Mathews</strong>, Biological Sciences: <a href="https://youtu.be/mnGqJSIQkSA">The Neuronal GPS</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Hoon Lee</strong>, <strong> </strong>Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering: <a href="https://youtu.be/wqbQRVBhKz4">Electron Transport: What We Can Learn from Missing Data</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Liliya Chernysheva</strong>, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences: <a href="https://youtu.be/59u-9JDcs3U">The First Step to Cleaning Up Our Environment Is Analytics</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Gowthami Mahendran</strong>, Chemistry and Biochemistry: <a href="https://youtu.be/70TRW60GkF8">Giving Smooth Brain Babies a Shot at Life</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Joséphine Lechartre</strong>, Peace Studies and Political Science: <a href="https://youtu.be/C9G4qDg9omU">Collaborative Decision-Making: Learning Democratic Participation in Refugee Camps</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Kurt Kohler</strong>, Biological Sciences: <a href="https://youtu.be/KS6lY_DDn-c">Building a Homestead in the Catheterized Bladder: A Bacteria’s Survival Guide</a>
</li>
</ul>
<h2>Gallery</h2>
<p><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://energy.nd.edu/stylesheets/lb.css"><script src="https://energy.nd.edu/javascripts/lb.js?v=2023-05-17"></script><ul id="gallery-591" class="gallery-lb gallery-591" data-count="30"><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561585/fullsize/1_bchen8_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Bo Wei Cynthia Chen, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering" data-title="Bo Wei Cynthia Chen, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561585/300x300/1_bchen8_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Bo Wei Cynthia Chen, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561589/fullsize/2_nherrud_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Nicholas Herrud, History" data-title="Nicholas Herrud, History"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561589/300x300/2_nherrud_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Nicholas Herrud, History" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561590/fullsize/3_nherrud_2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Nicholas Herrud, History" data-title="Nicholas Herrud, History"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561590/300x300/3_nherrud_2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Nicholas Herrud, History" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561586/fullsize/4_hdownes_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Henry Downes, Economics" data-title="Henry Downes, Economics"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561586/300x300/4_hdownes_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Henry Downes, Economics" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561588/fullsize/5_audience_1_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561588/300x300/5_audience_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561587/fullsize/6_omathews_1_3mt_2024.jpg" title="O. Amandhi Mathews, Biological Sciences" data-title="O. Amandhi Mathews, Biological Sciences"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561587/300x300/6_omathews_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="O. Amandhi Mathews, Biological Sciences" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561522/fullsize/7_omathews_2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="O. Amandhi Mathews, Biological Sciences" data-title="O. Amandhi Mathews, Biological Sciences"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561522/300x300/7_omathews_2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="O. Amandhi Mathews, Biological Sciences" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561517/fullsize/8_hlee24_1_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Hoon Lee, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering" data-title="Hoon Lee, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561517/300x300/8_hlee24_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Hoon Lee, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561518/fullsize/9_hlee24_2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Hoon Lee, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering" data-title="Hoon Lee, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561518/300x300/9_hlee24_2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Hoon Lee, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561507/fullsize/10_lchernys_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Liliya Chernysheva, Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences" data-title="Liliya Chernysheva, Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561507/300x300/10_lchernys_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Liliya Chernysheva, Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561525/fullsize/11_judges_3mt_2024.jpg" title="2019 3MT winner Monica Arul Jayachandran '22 Ph.D., returned to campus as a judge for the 2024 competition." data-title="2019 3MT winner Monica Arul Jayachandran '22 Ph.D., returned to campus as a judge for the 2024 competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561525/300x300/11_judges_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="2019 3MT winner Monica Arul Jayachandran '22 Ph.D., returned to campus as a judge for the 2024 competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561523/fullsize/12_audience_2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561523/300x300/12_audience_2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561519/fullsize/13_gmahendr_1_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Gowthami Mahendran, Chemistry & Biochemistry" data-title="Gowthami Mahendran, Chemistry & Biochemistry"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561519/300x300/13_gmahendr_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Gowthami Mahendran, Chemistry & Biochemistry" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561502/fullsize/14_gmahendr_2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Gowthami Mahendran, Chemistry & Biochemistry" data-title="Gowthami Mahendran, Chemistry & Biochemistry"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561502/300x300/14_gmahendr_2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Gowthami Mahendran, Chemistry & Biochemistry" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561505/fullsize/15_jlechart_1_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Joséphine Lechartre, Peace Studies and Political Science" data-title="Joséphine Lechartre, Peace Studies and Political Science"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561505/300x300/15_jlechart_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Joséphine Lechartre, Peace Studies and Political Science" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561521/fullsize/16_jlechart_2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Joséphine Lechartre, Peace Studies and Political Science" data-title="Joséphine Lechartre, Peace Studies and Political Science"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561521/300x300/16_jlechart_2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Joséphine Lechartre, Peace Studies and Political Science" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561514/fullsize/17_kkohler3_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Kurt Kohler, Biological Sciences" data-title="Kurt Kohler, Biological Sciences"><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561514/300x300/17_kkohler3_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Kurt Kohler, Biological Sciences" width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561515/fullsize/18_audience_3_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561515/300x300/18_audience_3_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561504/fullsize/19_pribeir2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Emcee Pedro Ribeiro, the vice president of public affairs and communications, hosted the 2024 competition." data-title="Emcee Pedro Ribeiro, the vice president of public affairs and communications, hosted the 2024 competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561504/300x300/19_pribeir2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Emcee Pedro Ribeiro, the vice president of public affairs and communications, hosted the 2024 competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561513/fullsize/20_competitors_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Competitors confer while waiting for the competition results." data-title="Competitors confer while waiting for the competition results."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561513/300x300/20_competitors_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Competitors confer while waiting for the competition results." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561503/fullsize/21_banner_clock_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Students have three minutes and one slide to present their research at the 3MT competition." data-title="Students have three minutes and one slide to present their research at the 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561503/300x300/21_banner_clock_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Students have three minutes and one slide to present their research at the 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561511/fullsize/22_audience_4_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561511/300x300/22_audience_4_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Audience members at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561509/fullsize/23_peoples_choice_3mt_2024.jpg" title="O. Amandhi Mathews, Ph.D. student in biological sciences, was named People's Choice winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="O. Amandhi Mathews, Ph.D. student in biological sciences, was named People's Choice winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561509/300x300/23_peoples_choice_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="O. Amandhi Mathews, Ph.D. student in biological sciences, was named People's Choice winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561594/fullsize/24_2nd_place_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Joséphine Lechartre, Ph.D. student in peace studies and political science, was named 2nd Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="Joséphine Lechartre, Ph.D. student in peace studies and political science, was named 2nd Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561594/300x300/24_2nd_place_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Joséphine Lechartre, Ph.D. student in peace studies and political science, was named 2nd Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561510/fullsize/25_1st_place_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Henry Downes, Ph.D. student in economics, was named 1st Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="Henry Downes, Ph.D. student in economics, was named 1st Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561510/300x300/25_1st_place_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Henry Downes, Ph.D. student in economics, was named 1st Place winner in the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561526/fullsize/26_all_competitors_3mt_2024.jpg" title="2024 competitors in the Shaheen 3MT finals: (L to R) Hoon Lee, Bow Wei Cynthia Chen, Henry Downes, O. Amandhi Mathews, Kurt Kohler, Liliya Chernysheva, Nicholas Herrud, Gowthami Mahendran, and Joséphine Lechartre." data-title="2024 competitors in the Shaheen 3MT finals: (L to R) Hoon Lee, Bow Wei Cynthia Chen, Henry Downes, O. Amandhi Mathews, Kurt Kohler, Liliya Chernysheva, Nicholas Herrud, Gowthami Mahendran, and Joséphine Lechartre."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561526/300x300/26_all_competitors_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="2024 competitors in the Shaheen 3MT finals: (L to R) Hoon Lee, Bow Wei Cynthia Chen, Henry Downes, O. Amandhi Mathews, Kurt Kohler, Liliya Chernysheva, Nicholas Herrud, Gowthami Mahendran, and Joséphine Lechartre." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561506/fullsize/27_judges_reception_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Judges Prof. Essaka Joshua and Dean of the Graduate School Mike Hildreth enjoyed the reception following the competition." data-title="Judges Prof. Essaka Joshua and Dean of the Graduate School Mike Hildreth enjoyed the reception following the competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561506/300x300/27_judges_reception_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Judges Prof. Essaka Joshua and Dean of the Graduate School Mike Hildreth enjoyed the reception following the competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561508/fullsize/28_reception_1_3mt_2024.jpg" title="A reception outside Jordan Auditorium followed the competition." data-title="A reception outside Jordan Auditorium followed the competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561508/300x300/28_reception_1_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="A reception outside Jordan Auditorium followed the competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561512/fullsize/29_grad_careers_3mt_2024.jpg" title="Graduate Career Services team members Ryan Kristofek, Luna Rodriguez, and Thomas Meyers at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." data-title="Graduate Career Services team members Ryan Kristofek, Luna Rodriguez, and Thomas Meyers at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561512/300x300/29_grad_careers_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="Graduate Career Services team members Ryan Kristofek, Luna Rodriguez, and Thomas Meyers at the 2024 Shaheen 3MT competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li><li><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561524/fullsize/30_reception_2_3mt_2024.jpg" title="A reception outside Jordan Auditorium followed the competition." data-title="A reception outside Jordan Auditorium followed the competition."><img src="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/assets/561524/300x300/30_reception_2_3mt_2024.jpg" alt="A reception outside Jordan Auditorium followed the competition." width="300" height="300" loading="lazy"></a></li></ul><script>document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function(){var lightbox = new Lightbox({showCaptions: true,elements: document.querySelector(".gallery-591").querySelectorAll("a")});});</script></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Mary Hendriksen</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/news/downes-lechartre-and-mathews-claim-top-honors-in-2024-shaheen-three-minute-thesis-3mt-finals/">graduateschool.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 12, 2024</span>.</p>Mary Hendriksentag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1606932024-03-18T09:40:00-04:002024-03-22T09:42:22-04:00Electric vehicles take charge in campus motor pool<p>Across the country, electric vehicle (EV) adoption is rapidly becoming an investment for organizations and individuals alike looking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. At Notre Dame, Sustainability and Transportation Services have collaborated for the last year and a half to bring EVs to the University’s operational fleet.</p><p>Across the country, electric vehicle (EV) adoption is rapidly becoming an investment for organizations and individuals alike looking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. At Notre Dame, <a href="https://green.nd.edu/">Sustainability</a> and <a href="https://transportation.nd.edu/">Transportation Services</a> have collaborated for the last year and a half to bring EVs to the University’s operational fleet. Through this collaboration, <a href="https://transportation.nd.edu/services/vehicle-rental/electric-vehicle-rental/">four new EVs have been added to the motor pool</a>, which include a 2024 Chevy Blazer, a 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6, a 2023 Nissan Ariya, and a 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E. These vehicles are now available to rent for University-related business.</p>
<p><strong>EV rentals fully underway</strong></p>
<p>EV rentals have generated much excitement, and these new additions to the fleet have raised the attention of the campus community and visitors alike. “Donors and benefactors are excited to see that the University is purchasing electric vehicles,” Executive Driver <strong>Tony Travick</strong> says.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://ndworks.nd.edu/assets/562010/300x/mc_3.13.24_campus_evs_14.jpg" alt="Plugging in a university-owned electric vehicle, part of the rental fleet available for use by campus. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)" width="300" height="200">
<figcaption>Plugging in a university-owned electric <br>vehicle, part of the rental fleet available for <br>use by campus.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector in the United States, responsible for up to 28 percent of total emissions, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions,fuel%20combustion%20increased%20by%2019%25.">according to the EPA</a>. Transitioning away from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles has incredible potential for impact. Motor Pool Coordinator <strong>Donnetta McClellan</strong> is one of many staff members who are helping to carry out sustainable transportation initiatives at the University.</p>
<p>“Partnering with the University to become carbon neutral by adding electric vehicles to our motor pool is just one of the ways we can help reduce our carbon footprint both locally and globally,” McClellan says.</p>
<p><strong>It’s not always easy being green</strong></p>
<p>A transition to new technology isn’t always easy, but the University is committed to decarbonization. This includes identifying strategic opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our operational fleet. Transportation Services Manager <strong>Cory Thompson</strong> has been the boots on the ground, working to implement this initiative for Notre Dame. He and his team are managing the new fleet, conducting research and helping to educate campus motor pool renters with the most up-to-date information about operating and maintaining electric vehicles.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://ndworks.nd.edu/assets/562011/300x/mc_3.13.24_campus_evs_03.jpg" alt="The campus electric vehicle fleet, March 2024. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)" width="300" height="200">
<figcaption>Transportation Services Manager Cory Thompson <br>attaches a decal to one of the vehicles in the <br>campus electric vehicle fleet.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“The environment is very important to me,” Thompson says. “Being able to purchase electric vehicles to have as an option for a rental vehicle is a huge win. EVs are the future to help clean up some of our environmental woes in the world. I am very privileged to work with and have the support of the ND Sustainability team for guidance and support. This team effort, and the will to get it done, will have promising results for the future of our environment.”</p>
<p>In addition to the environmental benefits of decarbonization, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions is critical to improving human health. While the implementation of the Clean Air Act correlates with trends of improved ozone levels, over 119 million Americans are still living in areas with significant levels of air pollution. Unhealthy levels of ozone and particle pollution can cause respiratory illnesses and exacerbate their effects, <a href="https://www.lung.org/research/sota/key-findings">according to the American Lung Association</a>.</p>
<p>“In addition to lower greenhouse gas emissions, another result of electrifying our fleet includes a reduction in tailpipe emissions. This incrementally supports improved air quality — and a healthier environment for our campus community,” Senior Director of Sustainability Geory Kurtzhals says.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://ndworks.nd.edu/assets/562014/300x/mc_3.13.24_campus_evs_04.jpg" alt="The campus electric vehicle fleet, March 2024. (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)" width="300" height="200">
<figcaption>The campus electric vehicle fleet, March 2024.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As with any emerging technology, there will be challenges to overcome and many questions to answer. Whether it’s infrastructure challenges or learning new technology, the University is working to stay up-to-date with the changing EV market.</p>
<p>“Of course, we are only at the very beginning of this journey,” <strong>Brian Fremeau</strong>, senior director of operations, says. “Campus partnerships have been critical for us to get started on an ambitious and practical transition to electrifying the University vehicle fleet.”</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Olivia Farrington, Office of Sustainability; Photography by Senior University Photographer Matt Cashore</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://ndworks.nd.edu/news/electric-vehicles-take-charge-in-campus-motor-pool/">ndworks.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 18, 2024</span>.</p>Olivia Farrington, Office of Sustainability; Photography by Senior University Photographer Matt Cashoretag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1604402024-03-07T17:00:00-05:002024-03-07T19:42:45-05:00Women Lead 2024<div class="intro"> <p>As the University of Notre Dame celebrates International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, meet eight individuals who are accelerating progress in their respective fields and advancing the University’s mission as a leading research institution that is a means for good in the</p>
…</div><div class="intro">
<p>As the University of Notre Dame celebrates International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, meet eight individuals who are accelerating progress in their respective fields and advancing the University’s mission as a leading research institution that is a means for good in the world.</p>
</div>
<div class="section-profile profile-1">
<div class="profile ">
<div class="profile-titles"><a href="https://womenlead2024.nd.edu/" class="btn">Read their stories</a></div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Office of Brand Content</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/women-lead-2024/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">March 07, 2024</span>.</p>Office of Brand Contenttag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1602342024-02-28T10:52:00-05:002024-02-28T10:52:21-05:00AI among us: Social media users struggle to identify AI bots during political discourse<p>Researchers at the University of Notre Dame conducted a study using AI bots based on large language models and asked human and AI bot participants to engage in political discourse. Fifty-eight percent of the time, the participants could not identify who the AI bots were.</p><p>Artificial intelligence bots have already permeated social media. But can users tell who is human and who is not?</p>
<p>Researchers at the University of Notre Dame conducted a study using AI bots based on large language models — a type of AI developed for language understanding and text generation — and asked human and AI bot participants to engage in political discourse on a customized and self-hosted instance of Mastodon, a social networking platform.</p>
<p>The experiment was conducted in three rounds with each round lasting four days. After every round, human participants were asked to identify which accounts they believed were AI bots.</p>
<p>Fifty-eight percent of the time, the participants got it wrong.</p>
<p>“They knew they were interacting with both humans and AI bots and were tasked to identify each bot’s true nature, and less than half of their predictions were right,” said <a href="https://crc.nd.edu/about/people/paul-brenner/">Paul Brenner</a>, a faculty member and director in the <a href="https://crc.nd.edu/">Center for Research Computing</a> at Notre Dame and senior author of the study. “We know that if information is coming from another human participating in a conversation, the impact is stronger than an abstract comment or reference. These AI bots are more likely to be successful in spreading misinformation because we can’t detect them.”</p>
<p>The study used different LLM-based AI models for each round of the study: GPT-4 from OpenAI, Llama-2-Chat from Meta and Claude 2 from Anthropic. The AI bots were customized with 10 different personas that included realistic, varied personal profiles and perspectives on global politics.</p>
<p>The bots were directed to offer commentary on world events based on assigned characteristics, to comment concisely and to link global events to personal experiences. Each persona’s design was based on past human-assisted bot accounts that had been successful in spreading misinformation online.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/559889/x300/bj_3.5.19_paul_brenner_3545.jpg" alt="Man in blue dress shirt and brown suit jacket.">
<figcaption>Paul Brenner</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The researchers noted that when it came to identifying which accounts were AI bots, the specific LLM platform being used had little to no impact on participant predictions.</p>
<p>“We assumed that the Llama-2 model would be weaker because it is a smaller model, not necessarily as capable at answering deep questions or writing long articles. But it turns out that when you’re just chatting on social media, it’s fairly indistinguishable,” Brenner said. “That’s concerning because it’s an open-access platform that anyone can download and modify. And it will only get better.”</p>
<p>Two of the most successful and least detected personas were characterized as females spreading opinions on social media about politics who were organized and capable of strategic thinking. The personas were developed to make a “significant impact on society by spreading misinformation on social media.” For researchers, this indicates that AI bots asked to be good at spreading misinformation are also good at deceiving people regarding their true nature.</p>
<p>Although people have been able to create new social media accounts to spread misinformation with human-assisted bots, Brenner said that with LLM-based AI models, users can do this many times over in a way that is significantly cheaper and faster with refined accuracy for how they want to manipulate people.</p>
<p>To prevent AI from spreading misinformation online, Brenner believes it will require a three-pronged approach that includes education, nationwide legislation and social media account validation policies. As for future research, he aims to form a research team to evaluate the impact of LLM-based AI models on adolescent mental health and develop strategies to combat their effects.</p>
<p>Additionally, the research team is planning for larger evaluations and is looking for more participants for its next round of experiments. To participate, email <a href="mailto:llmsamongus-list@nd.edu">llmsamongus-list@nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p>The study “LLMs Among Us: Generative AI Participating in Digital Discourse” will be published and presented at the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence 2024 Spring Symposium hosted at Stanford University in March. In addition to Brenner, study co-authors from Notre Dame include Kristina Radivojevic, doctoral student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and lead author of the study, and Nicholas Clark, research fellow at the Center for Research Computing. Funding for this research is provided by the Center for Research Computing and AnalytiXIN.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact: </strong>Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, <a href="mailto:brandiwampler@nd.edu">brandiwampler@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brandi Wampler</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/ai-among-us-social-media-users-struggle-to-identify-ai-bots-during-political-discourse/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 27, 2024</span>.</p>Brandi Wamplertag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1602222024-02-27T16:59:00-05:002024-02-27T16:59:19-05:00Researchers use AI, Google Street View to predict household energy costs on large scale<p>An interdisciplinary team of experts from the University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with the University of Maryland and University of Utah, have found a way to use artificial intelligence to analyze a household’s passive design characteristics and predict its energy expenses with more than 74 percent accuracy. By combining their findings with demographic data including poverty levels, the researchers have created a comprehensive model for predicting energy burden across 1,402 census tracts and nearly 300,000 households in Chicago.</p><figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/559781/fullsize/ming_hu_energy_burden_of_chicago_households_1200b.jpg" alt="Two Google Street View images, one of a multi-story brick apartment building and one of a row of townhouses in Chicago with windows outlined in red, and window-to-wall ratio and shading measured and labeled by an AI program." width="1200" height="593">
<figcaption>Notre Dame researchers analyzed Google Street View images of residential buildings in Chicago to predict household energy expenses.</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>Low-income households in the United States are bearing an energy burden that is three times that of the average household, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.</p>
<p>In total, more than 46 million U.S. households carry a significant energy burden — meaning they pay more than 6 percent of their gross income for basic energy expenses such as cooling and heating their homes.</p>
<p>Passive design elements like natural ventilation can play a pivotal role in reducing energy consumption. By harnessing ambient energy sources like sunlight and wind, they can create a more comfortable environment at little or no cost. However, data on passive design is scarce, making it difficult to assess the energy savings on a large scale.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/559783/ming_hu_300.jpg" alt="Professor Ming Hu, associate dean for research, scholarship and creative work in the School of Architecture" width="300" height="366">
<figcaption>Ming Hu (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To address that need, an interdisciplinary team of experts from the University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with faculty at the University of Maryland and University of Utah, have found a way to use artificial intelligence to analyze a household’s passive design characteristics and predict its energy expenses with more than 74 percent accuracy.</p>
<p>By combining their findings with demographic data including poverty levels, the researchers have created a comprehensive model for predicting energy burden across 1,402 census tracts and nearly 300,000 households in the Chicago metropolitan area. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132323011538?dgcid=author">Their research</a> was published this month in the journal Building and Environment.</p>
<p>The results yield invaluable insights for policymakers and urban planners, said <a href="https://architecture.nd.edu/faculty/ming-hu/">Ming Hu</a>, associate dean for research, scholarship and creative work in the School of Architecture, allowing them to identify neighborhoods that are most vulnerable — and paving the way toward smart and sustainable cities.</p>
<p>“When families cannot afford air conditioning or heat, it can lead to dire health risks,” Hu said. “And these risks are only exacerbated by climate change, which is expected to increase both the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature events. There is an urgent and real need to find low-cost, low-tech solutions to help reduce energy burden and to help families prepare for and adapt to our changing climate.”</p>
<p>In addition to Hu, who is a concurrent associate professor in the College of Engineering, the Notre Dame research team includes <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/chaoli-wang/">Chaoli Wang</a>, a professor of computer science and engineering; Siyuan Yao, a doctoral student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Siavash Ghorbany, a doctoral student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Science; and <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/people/the-lucy-family-core-team/matthew-sisk/">Matthew Sisk</a>, an associate professor of the practice in the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/559784/matthew_sisk_300.jpg" alt="Matthew Sisk, an associate professor of the practice in the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society" width="300" height="366">
<figcaption>Matthew Sisk (Photo by Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Their research, which was funded by the Lucy Institute as part of the <a href="https://globalhealth.nd.edu/news-events/news/health-equity-data-lab-awards-inspire-data-science-innovations-at-notre-dame-in-addressing-healthcare-obstacles/">Health Equity Data Lab</a>, focused on three of the most influential factors in passive design: the size of windows in the dwelling, the types of windows (operable or fixed) and the percent of the building that has proper shading.</p>
<p>Using a convolutional neural network, the team analyzed Google Street View images of residential buildings in Chicago and then performed different machine learning methods to find the best prediction model. Their results show that passive design characteristics are associated with average energy burden and are essential for prediction models.</p>
<p>“The first step toward mitigating the energy burden for low-income families is to get a better understanding of the issue and to be able to measure and predict it,” Ghorbany said. “So, we asked, ‘What if we could use everyday tools and technologies like Google Street View, combined with the power of machine learning, to gather this information?’ We hope it will be a positive step toward energy justice in the United States.”</p>
<p>The resulting model is easily scalable and far more efficient than previous methods of energy auditing, which required researchers to go building by building through an area.</p>
<p>Over the next few months, the team will work with Notre Dame’s Center for Civic Innovation to evaluate residences in the local South Bend and Elkhart communities. Being able to use this model to quickly and efficiently get information to the organizations who can help local families is an exciting next step for this work, Sisk said.</p>
<p>“When you have an increased energy burden, where is that money being taken away from? Is it being taken from educational opportunities or nutritious food? Is it then contributing to that population becoming more disenfranchised as time goes on?” Sisk said. “When we look at systemic issues like poverty, there is no one thing that will fix it. But when there’s a thread we can pull, when there are actionable steps that can start to make it a little bit better, that’s really powerful.”</p>
<p>The researchers are also working toward including additional passive design characteristics in the analysis, such as insulation, cool roofs and green roofs. And eventually, they hope to scale the project up to evaluate and address energy burden disparities at the national level.</p>
<p>For Hu, the project is emblematic of the University’s commitments to both sustainability and helping a world in need.</p>
<p>“This is an issue of environmental justice. And this is what we do so well at Notre Dame — and what we should be doing,” she said. “We want to use advancements like AI and machine learning not just because they are cutting-edge technologies, but for the common good.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Contact: Carrie Gates, associate director of media relations, 574-993-9220 or <a href="mailto:c.gates@nd.edu">c.gates@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Carrie Gates</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/researchers-use-ai-google-street-view-to-predict-household-energy-costs-on-large-scale/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 26, 2024</span>.</p>Carrie Gatestag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1602002024-02-27T10:34:00-05:002024-02-27T10:34:16-05:00Graduate students to present research, compete for prize money in annual Three Minute Thesis competition<p>Nine University of Notre Dame graduate students will compete for $4,500 in prize money during the annual <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/graduate-training/research-communication/3mt/">Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition</a>. The competition will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 28) inside Jordan Auditorium at the Mendoza College of Business on campus. It is open to the public.</p><p>Nine University of Notre Dame graduate students will compete for $4,500 in prize money during the annual <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/graduate-training/research-communication/3mt/">Shaheen Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition</a>. The competition will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 28) inside Jordan Auditorium at the Mendoza College of Business on campus. It is open to the public.</p>
<p>Sponsored by the <a href="https://graduateschool.nd.edu/">Graduate School</a>, Graduate Student Government and the <a href="https://careerdevelopment.nd.edu/">Meruelo Family Center for Career Development</a>, 3MT is an academic competition that challenges graduate students to explain their research to a broad audience in three minutes or less, offering alumni, industry partners, various campus departments/institutes and the broader community the chance to learn about cutting-edge research at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>“3MT is a fantastic opportunity for graduate students across the University to convey their enthusiasm for their research and its impact on the world,” said Michael Hildreth, associate provost and vice president for graduate studies, professor of physics and astronomy and dean of the Graduate School. “I am always so impressed by the breadth of their studies and the excellence of their work. And, they are all so articulate. Everyone should come out to see this event.”</p>
<p><iframe width="1204" height="675" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rtiOPq5vPyA?si=GJvmvQKopJKpgTO2" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>
<p>This year’s finalists are Cynthia Chen (chemical and biomolecular engineering), Liliya Chernysheva (civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences), Henry Downes (economics), Nicholas Herrud (history), Kurt Kohler (biological sciences), Josephine Lechartre (peace studies and political science), Hoon Lee (aerospace and mechanical engineering), Gowthami Mahendran (chemistry and biochemistry), and Amandhi Mathews (biological sciences).</p>
<p>The judges are Monica Arul Jayachandran, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech; Jeff Rea, president and CEO of the South Bend Regional Chamber; Essaka Joshua, professor of English and former associate dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Notre Dame; Michael Hildreth, vice president and associate provost, dean of the Graduate School and professor of physics at Notre Dame; and K. Matthew Dames, the Edward H. Arnold Dean of Hesburgh Libraries at Notre Dame.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Erin Blasko</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/graduate-students-to-present-research-compete-for-prize-money-in-annual-three-minute-thesis-competition/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 27, 2024</span>.</p>Erin Blaskotag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1601992024-02-27T10:20:00-05:002024-02-27T10:35:33-05:00Paul Bohn named director of the University of Notre Dame Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative<figure class="image image-right"><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/paul-bohn/"><img src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/559888/300x/bohn_960x533.jpg" alt="Paul Bohn" width="300" height="167"></a></figure> <p><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/paul-bohn/">Paul Bohn</a>, the Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical…</p><figure class="image image-right"><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/paul-bohn/"><img src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/559888/300x/bohn_960x533.jpg" alt="Paul Bohn" width="300" height="167"></a></figure>
<p><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/paul-bohn/">Paul Bohn</a>, the Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame, has been named the inaugural director of the new <a href="https://strategicframework.nd.edu/initiatives/health-and-well-being/bioengineering-and-life-sciences-bels/">Bioengineering & Life Sciences (BELS) Initiative</a>.</p>
<p>A joint initiative of the College of Engineering and College of Science and a key priority in the University’s <a href="https://strategicframework.nd.edu/">strategic framework</a>, the BELS Initiative will advance human health and wellness through interdisciplinary biomedical research and training — from fundamental advances through detection, prevention and treatment of disease.</p>
<p>“Notre Dame is well-positioned to lead this transformative initiative and to spearhead discoveries that will directly improve human health, particularly for vulnerable and underserved populations,” said <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/patricia-culligan/">Patricia J. Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering</a>. “I can think of no better inaugural director than Paul Bohn, whose deep experience and expertise span across the life sciences and engineering.”</p>
<p>Bohn is an internationally known leader in the field of analytical chemistry. He has served as director of what is now the <a href="https://precisionhealth.nd.edu/">Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health</a> since 2008 and also directs the National Science Foundation-supported <a href="https://cbm.nd.edu/">Center for Bioanalytic Metrology</a>. His research focuses on molecular nanotechnology, personal health monitoring, and imaging of microbial communities. He is a fellow of the American Chemical Society, has authored or co-authored more than 300 publications and holds nine patents.</p>
<p>Bohn will work closely with an executive committee that includes Culligan; <a href="https://science.nd.edu/about/office-of-the-dean/santiago-schnell/">Santiago Schnell, the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science</a>; and <a href="https://research.nd.edu/people/jeffrey-rhoads/">Vice President of Research Jeffrey F. Rhoads</a> to direct significant new investments in infrastructure and instrumentation over the next decade; work with academic units across campus to recruit faculty scholars to advance research and training in bioengineering and life sciences disciplines; and implement cross-disciplinary graduate and postdoctoral training programs.</p>
<p>“I am excited about this initiative because we are going to be addressing problems that very few other academic institutions are trying to solve, including rare diseases and global health disparities, which align with our Catholic mission,” Schnell said. “We are trying to think strategically about how we can investigate biomedical problems by identifying the tools and technologies we can develop for better diagnostics and treatments anywhere around the world.”</p>
<p>More than 80 Notre Dame faculty and professionals are involved in bioengineering-related research and training in both of the colleges and in multiple dedicated institutes with thriving research portfolios. They study and build everything from engineering models of heart tissues to new drugs to treat cancer and diseases. The Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative will build on that strong foundation, facilitating the kind of collaborative, cutting-edge research that leads to impactful results.</p>
<p>“Instead of funding one idea from an individual researcher in a silo, now we are funding entire biomedical research projects as an enterprise,” Schnell said. “This kind of innovation doesn’t happen overnight. The work of the initiative — from identifying the specific research challenges to major breakthroughs — is a multiyear process. But over time, this University-wide effort will make Notre Dame a stronghold of world-changing biomedical research.”</p>
<p>Roughly <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/13-12-2017-world-bank-and-who-half-the-world-lacks-access-to-essential-health-services-100-million-still-pushed-into-extreme-poverty-because-of-health-expenses">half of the world’s population has limited access to essential health services</a>, because of distance, poverty or both. The BELS Initiative will pay particular attention to these marginalized groups, and undertake research that can have a broad impact outside of a traditional hospital or medical facility setting. Notre Dame researchers are uniquely positioned to work with medical professionals around the world to identify and tackle the challenges they face in the field.</p>
<p>“What excites me most about the Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative is that it will be a great program in the spirit of Notre Dame’s mission to be a powerful means for doing good in the world,” said Bohn, who earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Notre Dame in 1977 and his doctorate in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “This is an opportunity to work at the frontiers of biomedical research, and that’s exactly where Notre Dame should be.”</p>
<p>Speaking about Bohn’s service to the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health, Rhoads said, “Paul has been one of our most effective institute directors. Through his directorship of the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health, Paul used his exceptional, forward-looking leadership skills to grow the institute and help people produce their best work. Paul, thank you for your commitment to Notre Dame and its research mission. We cannot wait to see what you do next with BELS.”</p>
<p>An acting director of the Berthiaume Institute will be named in the coming weeks. To learn more, visit <a href="http://precisionhealth.nd.edu">precisionhealth.nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p>To learn more about the Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative, see <a href="https://strategicframework.nd.edu/BELS">strategicframework.nd.edu/BELS</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/paul-bohn-named-director-of-the-university-of-notre-dame-bioengineering-life-sciences-initiative/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 26, 2024</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1600072024-02-16T17:00:00-05:002024-02-17T14:02:03-05:00Notre Dame researchers to develop electronic nose for rapid disease detection<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/558722/ca_stacked_logo_rgb.png" alt="NSF Convergence Accelerator Logo" width="384" height="178"></figure> <p>The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator Program has <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2344028&HistoricalAwards=false">awarded</a>…</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/558722/ca_stacked_logo_rgb.png" alt="NSF Convergence Accelerator Logo" width="384" height="178"></figure>
<p>The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator Program has <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2344028&HistoricalAwards=false">awarded</a> $650,000 to the University of Notre Dame to support the development of an advanced electronic nose that researchers say could help prevent the next pandemic.</p>
<p>“Human health is linked with animal health, and we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic what can happen when a disease passes from animals to humans and continues to spread uncontained,” explained Nosang V. Myung, the Bernard Keating-Crawford Endowed Professor in the <a href="https://cbe.nd.edu">Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering</a>.</p>
<p>Myung, who also directs the micro- and nanoscale biomedical instrumentation theme at the <a href="https://precisionhealth.nd.edu">Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health</a>, will lead the development of the new technology. His team is one of 16 teams awarded under <a href="https://new.nsf.gov/news/nsf-spurs-technology-development-biological">Track L: Real-World Chemical Sensing Applications</a>.</p>
<p>Myung said the electronic nose will build on existing technologies developed in his lab at Notre Dame. It will complement conventional disease prevention and management approaches by adding real-time disease monitoring.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/558724/myung_lab_nsf_convergence_accelerator_prototype.jpg" alt="A researcher works with a prototype of the electronic nose in the Myung Lab" width="600" height="400">
<figcaption>A researcher works with a prototype of the electronic nose in the Myung Lab</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To build the device, Myung and his team of collaborators will develop new, high-sensitivity materials using nano-engineering processes. Still, Myung says the device will be portable and affordable, so it can be used on-site by farmers, packing plant inspectors, animal husbandry technicians, and others.</p>
<p>“The idea is to use data to make critical decisions quickly—to isolate or treat infected animals, for example—to minimize the spread of diseases,” Myung explained.</p>
<p>During the project’s first phase, Myung and his collaborators will equip the electronic nose to detect avian flu, which resulted in over 40 million animal deaths and over $2.5 billion in economic losses during a 2022 outbreak. The researchers will gather data from infected birds and healthy birds and will employ machine-learning techniques to train the electronic nose to distinguish between the two.</p>
<p>At the same time, <a href="https://ideacenter.nd.edu/about/meet-our-staff/emily-stoler/">Emily Stoler</a>, assistant director of risk assessment at Notre Dame’s <a href="https://ideacenter.nd.edu">IDEA Center</a>, will, together with Myung and his team, evaluate and pursue potential commercial opportunities associated with the electronic nose technology.</p>
<p>During the project’s second phase, the researchers will train the electronic nose to detect an array of other infections, both in animals and in humans. The end result will be a flexible monitoring system that can be taken to sites where infections are most likely to occur or spread.</p>
<p>Finally, the researchers will develop a user-friendly graphic interface that allows users to operate the device wirelessly using a smartphone and see results in real time.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://research.nd.edu/assets/558726/myung_lab_nsf_convergence_accelerator_prototype_2.jpg" alt="Components of the electronic nose technology" width="600" height="400">
<figcaption>Components of the electronic nose technology</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Although it has been two decades since a landmark experiment found that dogs were effective at using smell to detect human bladder cancer, the use of smell for disease diagnosis remains rare. Myung said the new device has the potential to show that smell is a valuable surveillance technique that can be affordable, accessible, and also highly sensitive. The team projects that the electronic nose will be capable of detecting smells at a sensitivity of one part per billion.</p>
<p>The academic collaborators who will join Myung in developing the electronic nose technology include:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<strong>Richard Bowen</strong>, a professor of reproductive biology and virology at Colorado State University. Bowen also directs the Animal Models Core of the Rocky Mountain Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease.</li>
<li>
<strong>Yamil Colón</strong>, assistant professor in Notre Dame’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Colón is an expert in computational materials discovery and design.</li>
<li>
<strong>Bruce Kimball</strong>, a chemical ecologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. Monell is an independent non-profit scientific institute dedicated to interdisciplinary basic research on taste and smell.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://www.myung-lab.com" class="btn btn-cta">To learn more, please visit myung-lab.com.</a></p>
<p><strong><br>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Brett Beasley / Writer and Editorial Program Manager<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>bbeasle1@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the NSF Convergence Accelerator:</strong></p>
<p>Launched in 2019, the NSF Convergence Accelerator builds upon basic research and discovery to accelerate solutions toward societal impact. The program funds teams to solve societal challenges through convergence research and innovation. To enhance its impact, the Accelerator also places teams together in cohorts, synergizing their work through facilitated collaboration.</p>
<p><strong>About Notre Dame Research:</strong></p>
<p>The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please see research.nd.edu or @UNDResearch.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Brett Beasley</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://research.nd.edu/news-and-events/news/notre-dame-researchers-to-develop-electronic-nose-for-rapid-disease-detection/">research.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 16, 2024</span>.</p>Brett Beasleytag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1599872024-02-16T09:55:00-05:002024-02-16T09:55:31-05:00From prison to employment: Solar partnership advances Notre Dame’s mission, values<p>When the University of Notre Dame breaks ground on a new solar project later this year, it will be a full-circle moment for Patrick Regan, whose company, Crossroads Solar, is supplying the panels for the project — and helping formerly incarcerated men and women transition from prison to employment in the process.</p><figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/558443/fullsize/bj_1.31.24_crossroads_solar_1216.jpg" alt="A man posing for a photo in front of two workers." width="1200" height="675">
<figcaption>President and Co-Founder Patrick Regan poses for a photo as technicians Keith Rich (left) and Chris Lazier work in the background at Crossroads Solar in South Bend. (Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When the University of Notre Dame breaks ground on a new solar project later this year, it will be a full-circle moment for Patrick Regan, whose company, Crossroads Solar, is supplying the panels for the project — and helping formerly incarcerated men and women transition from prison to employment in the process.</p>
<p>A former professor of political science and peace studies, Regan spent seven years at Notre Dame before leaving to start Crossroads with Marty Whalen, a Notre Dame alumnus and former career program manager in the <a href="https://al.nd.edu/">College of Arts and Letters</a>.</p>
<p>Based in South Bend, Crossroads provides jobs and life skills to formerly incarcerated individuals, both men and women, as part of its commitment to “people,” “planet” and “more than profit” — a twist on the traditional “three Ps” of corporate social responsibility.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/558438/bj_1.31.24_crossroads_solar_1215.jpg" alt="A man assembling a solar panel." width="600" height="338">
<figcaption>Keith Rich assembles solar panels at Crossroads Solar in South Bend. (Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In starting the business, Regan was inspired by two distinct experiences: working with incarcerated men as part of the <a href="https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/moreau-college-initiative/">Moreau College Initiative </a>(MCI), and researching climate change in his former role as director of the <a href="https://gain.nd.edu/">Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative</a>, an index that ranks countries based on their vulnerability to and readiness for climate change as part of the <a href="https://environmentalchange.nd.edu/">Environmental Change Initiative</a>.</p>
<p>Established in 2013, MCI is a collaboration between Notre Dame and Holy Cross College — with support from the Indiana Department of Correction and Bard Prison Initiative — that seeks to ensure incarcerated men in Indiana have access to a world-class liberal arts education. Part of the Notre Dame <a href="https://socialconcerns.nd.edu">Center for Social Concerns</a>’ newly formed <a href="https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/programs-education-prison/">Programs for Education in Prison </a>(ND-PEP), it draws men from across the state, allowing them to attend college while incarcerated and earn a bachelor’s and/or associate degree from Holy Cross.</p>
<p>On the faculty side, the initiative draws from both Holy Cross and Notre Dame. That includes Whalen from 2016 to 2020 and Regan from 2014 to present. Whalen got involved because of a friend, a former Notre Dame classmate, who spent time in prison.</p>
<p>“It’s huge, to be truthful. It’s validating for us,” Regan said of working with Notre Dame, where he was a tenured member of the faculty and an internationally recognized expert in the areas of international relations, conflict management and the politics of climate change before retirement. “Notre Dame is an institution I used to work for and liked, and it did the right thing and that’s huge.”</p>
<p>By “the right thing” he means supporting formerly incarcerated men and women along the path to re-entry — men and women like Noel Townsend, whose path to Crossroads originated with MCI.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“If you think about the University and its mission, it’s education, of course, but it’s also, ‘How do we promote the common good?’ And this falls in line with that.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Today, the former Riley High School student is the operations manager for Crossroads, responsible for profit and loss, design, quality control, supply chain management, shipping, receiving, maintenance and marketing.</p>
<p>He dreams of one day leading the enterprise.</p>
<p>“I definitely see the opportunity,” Townsend said, crediting Regan and Whalen for believing in him and his ability to serve in a leadership role within the company despite his background.</p>
<h2>A common good</h2>
<p>For Notre Dame, the project aligns with both the University’s newly adopted <a href="https://strategicframework.nd.edu">strategic framework</a>, which calls for continued investment in South Bend and the surrounding community, and its Catholic values, which place human dignity at the center of a just and moral society.</p>
<p>At the same time, it’s another step for the University along the path to carbon neutrality, a publicly stated goal by 2050.</p>
<p>Paul Kempf is the University’s assistant vice president for utilities and maintenance.</p>
<p>“It’s a great opportunity and a nice marriage” between Notre Dame and Crossroads, Kempf said of the project. “If you think about the University and its mission, it’s education, of course, but it’s also, ‘How do we promote the common good?’ And this falls in line with that.”</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/508578/933_solar_project_site.jpg" alt="933 Solar Project Site" width="600" height="338">
<figcaption>Site of the future West Campus Solar Project along Indiana 933. The property sits behind WNDU studios.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The project, comprising 2,316 panels, will generate about 1 megawatt of electricity, or enough to power about 750 homes. The panels will sit on what is now vacant land north of WNDU studios on Indiana 933. As a clean, renewable source of energy, the panels will reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 600 to 700 tons annually, the equivalent of removing as many as 137 passenger vehicles from the road.</p>
<p>Power from the project will flow directly to campus.</p>
<p>Notre Dame chose Crossroads at the recommendation of other local solar companies and after touring the company’s facilities on the city’s far northwest side. KFI, the project engineer, evaluated the manufacturing and quality control processes there and issued its official stamp of approval.</p>
<p>According to Kempf, Crossroads’ values aligning so closely with Notre Dame’s worked in the company’s favor, even as it was unable to match some of its more established competitors on price.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“We have people who have been in prison for 25 or 30 years; a couple went to prison out of high school,” Regan said. “So they have no employment history, no training. But we bring them in and train them and say, ‘Here’s an opportunity for you.’”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For Whalen, those values are what drew him to Notre Dame as a young man — and what lured him back to the University as an adult. A 1982 graduate in sociology, Whalen was among the first cohort of <a href="https://ili.nd.edu/">Inspired Leadership Initiative </a>fellows in 2018-19. The program, which is offered through the <a href="https://provost.nd.edu/">Office of the Provost</a>, helps professionals, many recently retired, “discover, discern and design” their next act.</p>
<p>“The overwhelming thing I feel is pride in my alma mater, pride that Notre Dame is walking the walk,” the former business owner said. “Notre Dame had an opportunity to make a difference (with Crossroads) and took it.”</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/558434/bj_1.31.24_crossroads_solar_1212.jpg" alt="A man assembling a solar panel." width="600" height="338">
<figcaption>Angelo Dove assembles solar panels at Crossroads Solar in South Bend. (Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Work on the project is expected to get underway later this spring or early summer. The panels are finished, stacked and ready for delivery in a storage area at Crossroads. The University already maintains one solar farm, a 145-kilowatt array next to its Kenmore Street Warehouse in South Bend. Coincidentally, that array sits directly behind Crossroads. The University is also a partner with Indiana Michigan Power in the St. Joseph Solar Farm, a 20-megawatt solar facility in nearby Granger, about 7 miles west of campus. Completed in 2021, the 58,000-panel project sits on land formerly owned and farmed by the Brothers of Holy Cross to feed students at Notre Dame.</p>
<p>But this project is unique in its combination of both environmental and social benefits.</p>
<p>“It’s Laudato Si’ in action,” Regan said, referring to Pope Francis’ encyclical on climate change, which frames climate change as a symptom of a larger problem — specifically, a “throwaway culture” that treats the poor and outcast as waste to be discarded and discounts the value of labor as a source of dignity and a tool for personal growth.</p>
<h2>‘An opportunity’</h2>
<p>MCI is located at Westville Correctional Facility in northwest Indiana, which is where Regan first became aware of the significance of job discrimination as a barrier to re-entry for former offenders — along with access to housing, health care and other critical supports and services.</p>
<p>As he recalled, he was in class, talking about the value of a college education in the job market, when a student interjected. “But professor,” the man said, “your people won’t hire us, your people on the outside.” That got Regan thinking.</p>
<p>“And I said, ‘Oh, I bet I can do something about that,’” he said.</p>
<p>He looked into logistics, but the work — picking and packing, mostly — was too low-skill for what he wanted to accomplish. Wind was too capital intensive. He finally settled on solar as an ideal space to invest and grow, with the aim of supporting former offenders along the path to re-entry. It helped that he had experience in the climate space from his time at Notre Dame.</p>
<figure class="image image-default"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/558440/fullsize/bj_1.31.24_crossroads_solar_1218.jpg" alt="Stacks of solar panels." width="1200" height="675">
<figcaption>Stacks of solar panels at Crossroads Solar in South Bend (Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Still, he started small. He purchased materials online and built two solar panels by hand in his basement, soldering the cells one by one. From there, he developed a business plan. He also started looking for help with the hiring process. As it turned out, Whalen was leading an internship program for MCI students at the time. The two met. Whalen suggested a broad-based approach to hiring, targeting MCI graduates as well as other former offenders. He also offered to invest in the business. Today, he is vice president, in charge of vision and strategy.</p>
<p>It was a key moment for Regan, who lacked the capital to start the business on his own.</p>
<p>“To be truthful, I didn’t have the money to start this thing,” Regan said. “I had an idea, but I didn’t have enough money that wasn’t retirement money, and I promised my wife I wouldn’t bankrupt us.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"The importance of Crossroads providing these opportunities and serving as an example to the wider business community cannot be overstated.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It was fortuitous for Whalen as well. He had been looking for a way to help former offenders based on his experience with MCI. Now he had one.</p>
<p>“When men would graduate from the MCI program, I followed a lot of them,” he said, “and I realized that, even with a college degree, life was very difficult for them. People wouldn’t hire them. There’s a stigma attached to them. And this is after I taught them and realized they were really good human beings who just made a mistake.”</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://leo.nd.edu/people/david-phillips/">David Phillips</a>, research professor of economics at the <a href="https://leo.nd.edu/">Wilson Sheehan Lab For Economic Opportunities </a>at Notre Dame, people returning to the community from incarceration face many barriers.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/558437/bj_1.31.24_crossroads_solar_1211.jpg" alt="A close-up of a person in blue, synthetic rubber gloves soldering a solar cell." width="600" height="338">
<figcaption>Angelo Dove solders a solar cell at Crossroads Solar in South Bend. (Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For example, Phillips said, “Sometimes public assistance programs exclude them categorically, and some professions bar people based on criminal record. The same social network that a person might use for support during a tough time like transitioning from prison might be the same social network that’s connected to prior illegal activity. Landlords and employers use record checks, which makes it harder to get housing and employment.”</p>
<p>Overcoming these barriers is not easy, he said.</p>
<p>Crossroads currently employs about 18 people, including three MCI graduates. All are former offenders, both men and women. That number is expected to grow over the coming year as supply chains rebalance and work ramps up on other projects, Regan said.</p>
<p>“We have people who have been in prison for 25 or 30 years; a couple went to prison out of high school,” Regan said. “So they have no employment history, no training. But we bring them in and train them and say, ‘Here’s an opportunity for you.’”</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://socialconcerns.nd.edu/michael-hebbeler-ma/">Mike Hebbeler</a>, program director for the Center for Social Concerns and managing director of ND-PEP, “Like college on the main campus, we provide MCI students with career guidance to discern and pursue their vocation while cultivating networks of employers on the outside essential for graduates to flourish. The importance of Crossroads providing these opportunities and serving as an example to the wider business community cannot be overstated.”</p>
<p>In Indiana, at least, men and women who leave prison return to incarceration within three years at a rate of about 30 percent, according to the Department of Correction, either because of a new conviction or a violation of post-release supervision. Men are more likely to return than women. The same is true for younger offenders compared with older offenders.</p>
<p>That said, offenders who participate in a work release program are about half as likely to return to prison as those who do not — demonstrating the value of employment as a scaffold to re-entry.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"We’re human beings. We have paid our debts to society; the judicial system has agreed that we have paid our debt to society and released us. Not that you shouldn’t look at people’s past, but you also just have to give people a chance.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“Good jobs matter a lot,” Phillips said. “One way to see this is to look at the job market when someone gets released. Some people are more lucky than others and get released during an economic boom; others get released during a recession. There are good studies showing that recidivism falls when people get released during moments when wage rates are rising or construction and manufacturing jobs are plentiful. Similarly, recidivism falls when states hike their minimum wage.”</p>
<p>That said, “the ‘good’ in ‘good job’ matters a lot. There are many examples of lighter-touch job search or training programs for people exiting prison that do not improve labor market outcomes,” Phillips said. “My sense of these programs is that people face so many barriers that we should not expect connecting someone to a dead-end job or a week of interview prep to do much.”</p>
<h2>‘It’s bigger than me’</h2>
<p>Crossroads leases about 50,000 square feet of space near the airport in South Bend — part of a larger, 150,000-square-foot building along Bendix Drive. It outgrew its original location, a former uniform factory downtown.</p>
<p>Inside, a state-of-the-art assembly line churns out hundreds of solar panels daily. The panels start off as large sheets of glass. A machine arranges pre-manufactured solar cells atop the glass. Workers wire the cells together and then send the panels along to be laminated. Finally, workers attach metal frames and external wiring to the panels and pack them for delivery.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/558439/bj_1.31.24_crossroads_solar_1214.jpg" alt="Two men assemble a solar panel." width="600" height="338">
<figcaption>Santino Morales (left) and Angelo Dove assemble solar panels at Crossroads Solar in South Bend. (Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Townsend, the operations manager, oversees it all from a small, wood-paneled office on the plant floor.</p>
<p>Needless to say, he brings a unique perspective to the job.</p>
<p>“Noel manages with grace,” Whalen said. “And I think that until you have been in the shoes of somebody who’s been incarcerated, you may not have the same level of grace that Noel has. That’s not to say that he doesn’t run a tight ship and hold people accountable, but he understands people are human and trying to do a good job, and that the nature of humanity is that sometimes we don’t measure up.”</p>
<p>Townsend knows about not measuring up.</p>
<p>A South Bend native, he was working as a quality control manager for a local RV company in 2010 when he was convicted of a felony drug offense and sentenced to 26 years in prison. It was his first offense, but because he was dealing and because the amount was more than 10 grams, the judge came down hard.</p>
<p>“I attribute it to just greed, maybe stupidity, immaturity,” Townsend said. “Just making bad decisions.”</p>
<p>With time off for good behavior, he spent nine years behind bars. Along the way, he enrolled in MCI and earned an associate degree to go with his two existing degrees: a bachelor’s in engineering from Purdue University and a master’s in business administration from Indiana University South Bend. Regan was one of his teachers.</p>
<p>A free man, he spent the next two years as a quality control engineer and then production manager for a local manufacturer — until Regan and Whalen lured him away to Crossroads.</p>
<figure class="image image-left"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/558441/bj_1.31.24_crossroads_solar_1217.jpg" alt="Two men assembling solar panels." width="600" height="338">
<figcaption>Technicians Keith Rich (left) and Chris Lazier install the frames on solar panels at Crossroads Solar in South Bend. (Barbara Johnston/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>That was in 2021.</p>
<p>“Career-wise, it’s been great,” Townsend said of the move.</p>
<p>He said he was attracted to the job by Regan and Whalen, of course, but also by the opportunity to improve the lives of former offenders like himself.</p>
<p>“What I experienced at the MCI program, and in prison in general through other programs, was that it’s bigger than me,” he said. “There are men and women out there that are coming home and struggling. It’s hard to find a job. The average non-felon has to knock on 10 doors before they get a job. A felon has to knock on 100 doors before we get a job that’s of the same level. So it’s challenging, and Crossroads helps fill the gap.”</p>
<p>Ultimately, he said, it’s about second chances.</p>
<p>“We’re human beings. We have paid our debts to society; the judicial system has agreed that we have paid our debt to society and released us. Not that you shouldn’t look at people’s past, but you also just have to give people a chance.”</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Erin Blasko</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/from-prison-to-employment-solar-partnership-advances-notre-dames-mission-values/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 15, 2024</span>.</p>Erin Blaskotag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1598362024-02-11T13:00:00-05:002024-02-11T13:59:21-05:00ND Energy Selects Nine Undergraduate Students to Receive Vincent P. Slatt Fellowships <figure class="image image-default"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/557895/750x/nde_2024_slatt_scholars_h_05.01.24.png" alt="Nde 2024 Slatt Scholars H 05"></figure> <p>The Center for Sustainable Energy (ND Energy) at the University of Notre Dame has selected nine undergraduate students from a pool…</p><figure class="image image-default"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/557895/750x/nde_2024_slatt_scholars_h_05.01.24.png" alt="Nde 2024 Slatt Scholars H 05"></figure>
<p>The Center for Sustainable Energy (ND Energy) at the University of Notre Dame has selected nine undergraduate students from a pool of outstanding applicants to each receive a <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id="><strong>Vincent P. Slatt Fellowship in Undergraduate Research in Energy Systems and Processes</strong></a>. These students represent a vibrant community of young scholars whose focus is on finding sustainable and practical solutions to today’s energy challenges through research and discovery.</p>
<p>Since 2006, 250 undergraduate students at Notre Dame and from minority-serving institutions have received Slatt Fellowships through the generosity of Christopher ’80 and Jeanine Slatt in honor of Vincent P. Slatt, Notre Dame Class of 1943. These students have contributed greatly to advancing energy-related research and other scholarly endeavors. Many of them have presented their research projects at national conferences and have either authored or co-authored journal articles, published in the top, peer-reviewed journals in the country.</p>
<p>Undergraduate students can apply for Slatt Fellowships twice annually – once in the fall for academic-year semester awards of up to $2,500 and in the spring for summer research awards of up to $8,500. Students interested in conducting full-time, energy-related research over a 10-week period this summer at Notre Dame can <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/summer-slatt-research/">apply for a summer Slatt Fellowship</a> now through February 28, 2024.</p>
<p>Below are the Slatt scholars selected from the fall pool of applicants for spring-semester and summer awards with a brief description of their research projects and statements on how this research experience supports their future career goals. Please join ND Energy in congratulating these outstanding students on this exceptional achievement.</p>
<h3>Spring-Semester Awards</h3>
<h4>Elliot Como ‘24</h4>
<p><strong><em>Crosslinking of PIM-1 with Macrocyclic Crosslinker for Physical Aging Resistance<br></em></strong>Polymer-based membranes for gas separations represent a great opportunity for reducing cost, energy usage, and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in chemical separation processes. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=elliott-como">This research project</a> aims to test different structures in PIM-1 Membranes to attempt to increase the useful life of the membrane.</p>
<p>Elliot will conduct his research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/ruilan-guo/">Ruilan Guo</a>, Frank M. Freimann Professor of Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He is majoring in chemical engineering with minors in engineering corporate practice and energy studies. After graduation, Elliot plans to work as an associate scientist at Proctor & Gamble where this research experience will help him meet the challenges of finding sustainable solutions.</p>
<h4>Sean Egan '25</h4>
<p><strong><em>Flow and Turbulence Characteristics at Hub Height for Offshore Wind Energy Production<br></em></strong>The purpose of <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=sean-egan">this research project</a> focuses on gaining a better understanding of the range of conditions (i.e. wind speeds and turbulence levels) expected for offshore wind turbines. This information is important for turbine designers to lower production costs and for making offshore wind a more reliable and clean energy solution, even under strong and variable wind conditions.</p>
<p>Sean will conduct his research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/david-richter/">David Richter</a>, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences. A major in mechanical engineering with a minor in energy studies, Sean is eager to experience research in a laboratory and gain additional knowledge about renewables before applying for internships and eventually industry jobs in the future.</p>
<h4>Matthew LaCapra ‘25</h4>
<p><strong><em>Diffusion of Methane and CO2 in CuBTC and IRMOF 1<br></em></strong><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=matthew-lacapra">This research project</a> focuses on studying chemicals called Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and using molecular dynamics programs and a machine learning model to find the rate at which carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases spread through them. This work is important for understanding how to capture greenhouse gases and decarbonize the energy industry.</p>
<p>Matthew will conduct his research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/yamil-j-colon/">Yamil J. Colón</a>, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. He is a chemical engineering major with minors in energy studies and bioengineering. Matthew intends to use his new skills in chemistry and computational processes and knowledge of machine learning to help get energy to more people, more efficiently and sustainably, in the future.</p>
<h4>Quinn Mackay '24</h4>
<p><strong><em>Heavy Metal Pollution, Water Quality, and Land Use Change Analysis along the Little East Arm Calumet Watershed<br></em></strong>Coal burning is notorious for emitting high levels of heavy metal pollution into the environment that poses significant threat to human and ecological populations. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=quinn-mackay">This research project</a> seeks to quantify the extent of heavy metal pollution in the East Little Calumet Watershed and, in collaboration with local nonprofit Shirley Heinze Land Trust, develop outreach-based education for citizens in the region.</p>
<p>Quinn will conduct his research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/jeremy-b-fein/">Jeremy Fein</a>, professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences. Quinn is an environmental science major with a concentration in earth sciences and a minor in energy studies. He is currently applying to graduate schools and wants to be involved in outreach-based science during and after his doctorate program. This project will give Quinn the experience necessary to advance his abilities in leading and directing research projects, while improving his skills to interact with members of various communities.</p>
<h4>Josiah Miller '25</h4>
<p><strong><em>Development of Thin Film Deposition for Hybrid Molybdenum and Tungsten Bronzes<br></em></strong><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=josiah-miller">This research project</a> aims to make thin films of hybrid bronzes for applications like batteries and solar panels to be more energy efficient through the installation of this material platform.</p>
<p>Josiah will conduct his research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/adam-jaffe/">Adam Jaffe</a>, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry. Josiah is majoring in chemistry with a minor in accounting and is passionate about finding innovative solutions to the problems caused by increased energy consumption. This research will provide an opportunity for him to contribute to new energy systems and solutions, which is what he hopes to do after completing graduate school.</p>
<h4>Gayoung (Bona) Park '25</h4>
<p><strong><em>Hydrostatic Pressure-Powered Underwater Soft Growing Robot with Steering and Buoyancy Control Mechanism<br></em></strong><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=gayoung-bona-park">This research project</a> focuses on developing an underwater soft-growing robot tailored for surveying delicate marine species such as coral reefs and mangroves. This project will prioritize manual operation via hydrostatic pressure, eschewing electronic components to enhance energy efficiency and ensure human safety.</p>
<p>Bona will conduct her research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/margaret-coad/">Margaret Coad</a>, assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering. She is majoring in mechanical engineering with a concentration in control and mechanical systems and a minor in energy studies. This research experience significantly aligns with her career aspirations, particularly in the field of marine/underwater robotics, as she plans to pursue graduate studies in this area. This project will also help Bona learn essential skills in project preparation, data analysis, and various other aspects critical to conducting meaningful research.</p>
<h4>Bennett Schmitt '25</h4>
<p><strong><em>Investigating Rare Earth Element Mineralization within Fenite Alteration Zones Using Isotopic Analysis<br></em></strong>Rare Earth Elements (REEs) play a critical role in the expansion of clean energy technology, specifically in the development of next generation energy storage devices. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=bennett-schmitt">This research project</a> seeks to investigate the mechanisms underlying the extreme REE enrichment observed in fenites—rocks that have been chemically altered by the intrusion of carbonatite (carbonate-rich) magma. By juxtaposing mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic investigations of fenites and their associated carbonatites, this project will provide novel insight into the elemental nature of these largely unexplored alteration zones, elucidate a path for more sustainable and efficient production of clean energy technologies, and advance energy storage capabilities.</p>
<p>Bennett will conduct his research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/antonio-simonetti/">Antonio Simonetti</a>, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences. Bennett is working on dual majors in environmental sciences and applied and computational mathematics and statistics with a minor in energy studies. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. and ultimately a career that employs geochemistry as an avenue for addressing the modern energy and climate crises. Through this research experience, he will build upon his developing laboratory and research skills and cultivate a strong foundation in geochemical and energy-related research that will allow him to effectuate an impactful future of study and work in this area.</p>
<h4>Katherine Zinkan '25</h4>
<p><strong><em>Polymers in Next-Generation Rechargeable Batteries<br></em></strong><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=katherine-zinkan">This research project</a> aims to improve the rechargeability of lithium-sulfur batteries – an energy storage system. Lithium-sulfur batteries are important to the future of energy and especially in utilizing energy storage for electric vehicles and enabling the transition away from fossil fuel powered vehicles.</p>
<p>Katherine will conduct her research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/jennifer-schaefer/">Jennifer Schaefer</a>, Sheehan Family Collegiate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Katherine is majoring in chemical engineering with a concentration in bioengineering and minors in energy studies, poverty studies, and engineering corporate practice. She is passionate about renewable energy and the energy transition, and especially wants to improve energy storage, as she hopes to work in this area after graduation. This research experience will help Katherine gain additional knowledge and understanding about the field, while improving her critical thinking skills and laboratory techniques.</p>
<h3>Summer Award</h3>
<p><strong><u> </u></strong></p>
<h4>Victor Williams '25</h4>
<p><strong><em>Ink-Jet Printing of CeO2 and Eu2O3 Thin Films for Nuclear Energy Applications and Nuclear Physics Measurements<br></em></strong><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/slatt-undergraduate/?id=victor-williams">This research project</a> aims to develop the capabilities of microdispensing ink jet printing to create uniform thin films of Eu2O3 and CeO2 for nuclear energy applications and nuclear physics measurements.</p>
<p>Victor will conduct his research project in the laboratory of <a href="https://physics.nd.edu/people/khachatur-manukyan/">Khachatur Manukyan</a>, associate research professor of physics and astronomy. Victor is pursuing dual majors in physics and music with a concentration in theory. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in physics or materials science. This full-time summer research experience will give Victor valuable hands-on experience and the ability to accomplish more in the laboratory, which will help him better prepare for the transition away from classwork to a greater focus on research when in graduate school.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong><br>About Student Research Fellowships in Sustainable Energy <br></strong>ND Energy offers competitive fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students to support advancements in <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy-related research</a> with <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/about/affiliated-faculty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ND Energy faculty affiliates</a> and to broaden the educational knowledge and research capabilities of students. This includes the <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/">Patrick ’90 and Jana Eilers Graduate Student Fellowship for Energy Related Research</a>, the <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/forgash-graduate/">John Forgash ’00 Fellowship for Solar Energy Research</a>, and the Vincent P. Slatt Fellowship for Undergraduate Research in Energy Systems and Processes.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>About ND Energy<br></strong>ND Energy is a University Center whose mission is to build a better world by creating new energy technologies and systems and educating individuals to help solve the most critical energy challenges facing the world today. For more information, please visit the ND Energy website at <a href="http://energy.nd.edu/">energy.nd.edu</a> or contact Barbara Villarosa, Business and Communications Program Director, at <a href="mailto:bvillaro@nd.edu">bvillaro@nd.edu</a> or 574-631-4776.</p>Barbara Villarosatag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1598412024-02-09T17:00:00-05:002024-02-11T17:33:02-05:00Four Notre Dame physicists receive Department of Energy grant to enhance understanding of superconductors<p>Four University of Notre Dame physics professors studying inversion symmetry breaking (ISB) in superconductors were jointly granted nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for their research. Their work will contribute to the search for better superconductors that can be used in quantum…</p><p>Four University of Notre Dame physics professors studying inversion symmetry breaking (ISB) in superconductors were jointly granted nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for their research. Their work will contribute to the search for better superconductors that can be used in quantum technologies.</p>
<p><a href="https://physics.nd.edu/people/badih-assaf/">Assistant Professors Badih Assaf</a>, <a href="https://physics.nd.edu/people/xiaolong-liu/">Xiaolong Liu</a>, and <a href="https://physics.nd.edu/people/yi-ting-hsu/">Yi-Ting Hsu</a>, along with Associate Research Professor <a href="https://physics.nd.edu/people/xinyu-liu/">Xinyu Liu</a>, will determine through experimental and theoretical methods how to tune and enhance Berry curvature in superconductors — materials that conduct electricity without any lost energy. Berry curvature is a twist in the quantum world that affects an electron’s behavior as it moves around or reacts to changes in its environment.</p>
<p>In order to do this, the researchers will synthesize and study materials that have a crystal structure that breaks inversion (up-and-down) symmetry.</p>
<p>Improved superconductors can allow for better energy transmission, faster electronics, more efficient transportation systems, improved medical imaging, and other benefits. Breaking the inversion symmetry will create a special type of superconductor that has a finite and large Berry curvature. Extremely rare in nature, this property may lead to the development of novel quantum electronic devices, Assaf said.</p>
<p>“Our project aims to reveal how the lack of symmetry, by atomic-level design, in superconductors can cause unconventional properties that may be beneficial to search for extremely rare unconventional superconductors that might be useful platforms for error-free quantum computers,” said Assaf, who, along with Xinyu Liu and Xiaolong Liu, is affiliated with <a href="https://nano.nd.edu/">NDNano.</a></p>
<p>Each researcher brings different strengths to the project. Hsu is an expert in symmetry analysis, which is a theoretical method of inferring the properties of a material from the geometric symmetries of its crystal structure. Assaf and Xinyu Liu can design and synthesize materials, and Xiaolong Liu will study these superconductors using atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscopy to extract information about their quantum mechanical electronic structure and their pairing symmetry.</p>
<p>The grant funds research through August 2026.</p>
<p><em>William McManus, Ph.D., contributed to this article.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Deanna Csomo Ferrell</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://science.nd.edu/news-and-media/news/four-notre-dame-physicists-receive-department-of-energy-grant-to-enhance-understanding-of-superconductors/">science.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 08, 2024</span>.</p>Deanna Csomo Ferrelltag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1596592024-02-02T09:49:00-05:002024-02-02T09:49:42-05:00Engineers unmask nanoplastics in oceans for the first time, revealing their true shapes and chemistry<p>Millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. The sun’s ultraviolet light and ocean turbulence break down these plastics into invisible nanoparticles that threaten marine ecosystems.</p>
<p>In a new study, engineers at the University of Notre Dame have presented clear images of nanoplastics in ocean water off the coasts of China, South Korea and the United States, and in the Gulf of Mexico. These tiny plastic particles, which originated from such consumer products as water bottles, food packaging and clothing, were found to have surprising diversity in shape and chemical composition.</p><figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/556185/tengfei.jpg" alt="Tengfei" width="300" height="300">
<figcaption>Tengfei Luo, Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (Photo by Matt Cashore/University of Notre Dame)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. The sun’s ultraviolet light and ocean turbulence break down these plastics into invisible nanoparticles that threaten marine ecosystems.</p>
<p>In a new study, engineers at the University of Notre Dame have presented clear images of nanoplastics in ocean water off the coasts of China, South Korea and the United States, and in the Gulf of Mexico. These tiny plastic particles, which originated from such consumer products as water bottles, food packaging and clothing, were found to have surprising diversity in shape and chemical composition.</p>
<p>The engineers’ research was published in <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adh1675">Science Advances</a><em>. </em></p>
<p>“Nanoplastics are potentially more toxic than larger plastic particles,” said <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/tengfei-luo/">Tengfei Luo</a>, the Dorini Family Professor of <a href="https://ame.nd.edu/">Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering</a> at the University of Notre Dame. “Their small size makes them better able to penetrate the tissues of living organisms.”</p>
<p>Previously, nanoplastic particles synthesized in laboratories had been used in toxicity studies to investigate their effect on marine life. <a href="https://monsterlab.nd.edu/">Luo’s team of researchers</a>, in collaboration with the lab of Wei Xu at Texas A&M, decided to search for actual nanoplastics in the world’s oceans, suspecting they might be significantly different from the lab-created versions, which are highly uniform in shape and composition. Any differences found may affect toxicity studies.</p>
<p>Nanoplastics are believed to exist at extremely low concentrations in the ocean. To find them in seawater, Luo’s team used a <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/news/notre-dame-experiment-is-in-route-to-space-station-could-lead-to-more-effective-early-cancer-screenings/">unique bubble deposition technique</a> that they had previously developed to find traces of DNA molecules for early detection of cancers.</p>
<p>The team mixed seawater samples with silver nanoparticles and heated the solution with a laser until a bubble formed. Variations in surface tension cause the nanoplastic particles to accumulate on the bubble’s exterior. The bubble shrinks, then vanishes, depositing the particles in one concentrated spot. Electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy are then used to reveal the nanoplastics’ shapes and chemistries.</p>
<p>Luo’s team found nanoplastics made of nylon, polystyrene and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) — plastic polymers used in food packaging, water bottles, clothing and fish nets — in these seawater samples. Some of the particles’ diverse shapes can be traced back to the different manufacturing techniques used to create them. Surprisingly, PET nanoparticles were found in water samples collected approximately 300 meters deep in the Gulf of Mexico, suggesting nanoplastic contamination is not restricted to the ocean surface.</p>
<p>Follow-up studies will focus on quantifying ocean nanoplastics, Luo said.</p>
<p>“The nanoplastics we found in the ocean were distinctively different from laboratory-synthesized ones,” Luo said. “Understanding the shape and chemistry of the actual nanoplastics is an essential first step in determining their toxicity and devising ways to mitigate it.”</p>
<p>In addition to Luo and Xu, other co-authors on this paper are Seunghyun Moon, Seongmin Kim, Qiushi Zhang and Renzheng Zhang at the University of Notre Dame, and Leisha Martin at Texas A&M.</p>
<p><em><strong>Contact: </strong>Jessica Sieff, associate director, media relations, 574-631-3933, <a href="mailto:jsieff@nd.edu">jsieff@nd.edu</a></em></p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Karla Cruise</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/engineers-unmask-nanoplastics-in-oceans-for-the-first-time-revealing-their-true-shapes-and-chemistry/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">February 01, 2024</span>.</p>Karla Cruisetag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1594672024-01-25T17:19:00-05:002024-01-28T14:00:42-05:00Eight Graduate Students Receive Fellowships from ND Energy to Advance Energy-related Research <figure class="image image-default"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/555329/1200x/nde_2024_graduate_student_fellows_h_02.29.24.png" alt="Nde 2024 Graduate Student Fellows H 02" width="1200" height="675"></figure> <p>The Center for Sustainable Energy (<a href="https://energy.nd.edu/">ND Energy</a>)…</p><figure class="image image-default"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/555329/1200x/nde_2024_graduate_student_fellows_h_02.29.24.png" alt="Nde 2024 Graduate Student Fellows H 02" width="1200" height="675"></figure>
<p>The Center for Sustainable Energy (<a href="https://energy.nd.edu/">ND Energy</a>) at the University of Notre Dame has selected eight exceptional graduate students from a pool of twenty-three outstanding applicants to receive fellowships to advance research in specific areas important to creating a cleaner, more sustainable energy future for all.</p>
<p>The <strong>Patrick ’90 and Jana Eilers Graduate Student Fellowship for Energy Related Research</strong> supports a broad range of energy-related topics and provides each student with an award of nearly $10,000 to advance their research. The <strong>John ’00 and Karla Forgash Graduate Student Fellowship for Solar Energy Research</strong> supports advancements in solar energy and awards $6,000 to a graduate student to support their research. Recipients of the Eilers and Forgash Fellowships become members of a distinguished research group within the ND Energy community and are provided opportunities to feature their research throughout the year at various events, including the annual ND Energy Research Symposium.</p>
<p>The 2024 Eilers and Forgash Fellows are listed below with their project titles and brief descriptions of their research projects.</p>
<h4>Eilers Fellows</h4>
<h5>Barnabas Agbodekhe<strong> <br></strong><em>Computational Investigation and Discovery of Novel Materials for the Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Phaseout of Hydrofluorocarbons</em>
</h5>
<p>The necessary phaseout of refrigerant mixtures that cause global warming requires the forebodingly energy-intensive separation of these mixtures into their components so they can be repurposed. There is also the need to design more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient replacement refrigerants. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/?id=barnabas-agbodekhe">This research project</a> seeks to investigate and discover novel materials to enable the energy-efficient recovery and replacement of environmentally harmful refrigerant mixtures by applying computational methods to enable the energy-efficient recovery and repurposing of harmful refrigerants and ensure the energy efficiency of future heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration systems, which currently consume 20-30% of electricity usage in U.S. households.</p>
<p>Barnabas is seeking a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is conducting his research in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/edward-maginn/">Edward Maginn</a>, Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Associate Vice President for Research, University of Notre Dame. Barnabas received his Master of Science in Advanced Chemical Engineering from the Imperial College in London and his Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from the University of Benin, Nigeria.</p>
<h5>Irina Gushchina<br><em>Chalcohalide Nanocrystals for Solar Energy Harvesting: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Applications</em>
</h5>
<p><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/?id=irina-gushchina">This research project</a> is devoted to synthesis of various novel chalcohalide nanocrystals and characterization of their optoelectronic properties to identify the best candidates for photocatalytic applications.</p>
<p>Irina is seeking a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering/Chemistry and Biochemistry and is conducting her research in the laboratory of <a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/masaru-kuno/">Masaru Kuno</a>, Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Irina received her Master of Science in Materials Science from Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Russia and her Bachelor of Science in Materials Science from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia.</p>
<h5>Etinosa Osaro<br><em>Development of a Universal Adsorption Model for Efficient Energy Applications: Simultaneous Exploration of Molecule and Material Space using Active Learning</em>
</h5>
<p><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/?id=etinosa-osaro">This research project</a> focuses on leveraging advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods to identify the most efficient materials for energy-related processes. By precisely predicting how gases interact with certain materials (Metal-Organic Frameworks or MOFs), this approach could significantly reduce energy consumption in chemical separation processes, paving the way for more sustainable and eco-friendly energy solutions.</p>
<p>Etinosa is seeking a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is conducting his research in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/yamil-j-colon/">Yamil Colón</a>, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Etinosa received his Bachelor of Science in Petroleum and Gas Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.</p>
<h5>Hope Otor<br><em>Elucidating Plasma-Catalytic Interactions for Nitrogen Fixation</em>
</h5>
<p>Nitrogen fixation via ammonia and nitrate fertilizer provides nutrients for plant growth and food production. However, the current industrial process incurs a significant energy penalty and CO<sub>2</sub> footprint. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/?id=hope-otor">This research project</a> aims to electrify and decarbonize the nitrogen fixation process via the use of plasma technologies.</p>
<p>Hope is seeking a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is conducting his research in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/jason-hicks/">Jason Hicks</a>, the Tony and Sarah Earley Professor of Energy and the Environment in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, College of Engineering. Hope received his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toledo, Ohio, and his Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering from Federal University of Technology Minna, Nigeria.</p>
<h5>Jonathan Ouimet<br><em>Diafiltration Cascades for Critical Mineral Separations to Support a Clean Energy Transition</em>
</h5>
<p><a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/?id=jonathan-ouimet">This research project</a> will establish fundamental insights on the transport of solute through membrane systems using salt concentrations that are relevant to lithium brines in the United States. The data, generated using high-throughput experimentation techniques, will enable current critical mineral processes to be improved and can be used to reverse engineer new membrane materials.</p>
<p>Jonathan is seeking a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is conducting his research in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/william-phillip/">William Phillip</a>, the Rooney Family Collegiate Chair of Engineering and Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Jonathan received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering with a concentration in Chemical Engineering from Miami University, Ohio.</p>
<h5>Gábor Szabó<br><em>Revealing the Role of Iodine Expulsion in Perovskite Solar Cells</em>
</h5>
<p>Perovskite solar cells have emerged as exciting candidates in solar energy conversion devices due to their high efficiency and low fabrication cost. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/?id=gabor-szabo">This research project</a> aims to understand the light-induced degradation processes in perovskite solar cells, which will help the community develop strategies to improve long-term stability (crucial for commercialization).</p>
<p>Gábor is seeking a Ph.D in Chemistry and is conducting his research in the laboratory of <a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/prashant-kamat/">Prashant Kamat</a>, the Rev. John A. Zahm Professor of Science in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Gábor received his Master of Science in Chemistry and his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Szeged, Hungary.</p>
<h5>Ke Wang<br><em>Bayesian Optimization of Additive Manufacturing for Thermoelectric Materials</em>
</h5>
<p>Thermoelectric (TE) generators (TEGs) are a promising technology for powering distributed sensor networks, biomedical devices, wearable electronics, and beyond. However, the efficiency of TEGs is limited by the TE materials and their manufacturing methods. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/eilers-graduate/?id=ke-wang">This research project</a> seeks to establish a paradigm shift from heuristic time- and resource-intensive Edisonian search to systematical data-driven optimization for TE materials and devices.</p>
<p>Ke is seeking a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and is conducting his research in the laboratory of <a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/alexander-dowling/">Alexander Dowling</a>, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Ke received his Master of Science in Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Notre Dame and his Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Sichuan University, China.</p>
<h4>Forgash Fellow</h4>
<h5>Wyatt Balliew<br><em>Quantum Dot Metal Complex Hybrids, a New Platform for Tunable Electro- and Photocatalysis</em>
</h5>
<p>Tuning metal redox potentials can affect their catalytic activities and efficiencies for desirable energy-relevant transformations like CO2 reduction. <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/forgash-graduate/?id=wyatt-balliew">This research project</a> will study how post-synthetic modification of the ancillary surface ligands of nanocrystal-coordination complex assemblies can be used to modulate the transition metal redox potentials via nanocrystal surface electric fields.</p>
<p>Wyatt is seeking a Ph.D. in Chemistry and is conducting his research in the laboratory of <a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/emily-tsui/">Emily Tsui</a>, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Wyatt received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Clemson University, South Carolina.<br><br></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>About Student Research Fellowships in Sustainable Energy <br></strong>ND Energy offers competitive <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/fellowships/">fellowships</a> to undergraduate and graduate students at Notre Dame to support advancements in <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy-related research</a> with <a href="https://energy.nd.edu/about/affiliated-faculty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ND Energy faculty affiliates</a> and to broaden the educational knowledge and research capabilities of students.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>About ND Energy<br></strong>ND Energy is a University Center whose mission is to build a better world by creating new energy technologies and systems and educating individuals to help solve the most critical energy challenges facing the world today. For more information, please visit the ND Energy website at <a href="http://energy.nd.edu/">energy.nd.edu</a> or contact Barbara Villarosa, Business and Communications Program Director, at <a href="mailto:bvillaro@nd.edu">bvillaro@nd.edu</a>.</p>Barbara Villarosatag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1591752024-01-12T17:00:00-05:002024-01-14T10:55:16-05:00Matthew Rosenberger receives NSF CAREER award to improve nanoscale imaging techniques<p><strong><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/matthew-rosenberger/">Matthew Rosenberger</a>,</strong> assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career faculty.</p><figure class="image image-default"><strong><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/matthew-rosenberger/"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/553766/fullsize/matthew_r._rosenberger_tw.jpg" alt="Matthew R"></a></strong></figure>
<p><strong><a href="https://engineering.nd.edu/faculty/matthew-rosenberger/"><br>Matthew Rosenberger</a>,</strong> assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at the University of Notre Dame, has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to early-career faculty.</p>
<p>Rosenberger’s research focuses on the analysis and manipulation of nanomaterials, particularly those that can be used in potentially transformative communications, computing, and sensing technologies.</p>
<p>His CAREER research project aims to develop innovative, cost-effective techniques for using the atomic force microscope — a nanoscale imaging tool — to better understand the mechanical, electronic and chemical properties of nanomaterials.</p>
<p>Rosenberger and his<strong> <a href="https://sites.nd.edu/rosenberger-group/">research group</a></strong> are particularly interested in using these techniques to identify materials suitable for the fabrication of quantum light emitters, a key component in next-generation technologies.</p>
<p>For the educational part of his CAREER project, Rosenberger will develop online and in-person tutorials on advanced functionalities of the atomic force microscope. He also will develop math and microscopy demonstrations for local middle- and high-school students to spark interest in science and engineering.</p>
<p>Rosenberger received his master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He completed his research training as a postdoctoral associate at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory before joining the Notre Dame faculty in 2021.</p>
<p> </p>Karla Cruisetag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1591782024-01-12T17:00:00-05:002024-01-14T11:07:43-05:00Adam Jaffe Receives NSF CAREER Award<figure class="image image-right noborder"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/553769/400x/fpjaffe.jpg" alt="Fpjaffe"></figure> <p><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/adam-jaffe/">Adam Jaffe</a>, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been selected to receive a National Science…</p><figure class="image image-right noborder"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/553769/400x/fpjaffe.jpg" alt="Fpjaffe"></figure>
<p><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/people/adam-jaffe/">Adam Jaffe</a>, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, has been selected to receive a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. This award is given to recognize outstanding research and its integration with education, and it is one of NSF’s most prestigious awards for junior faculty members.</p>
<p>Jaffe was chosen for his proposal entitled “Hybrid Bronzes: Mixed-Valence Hybrid Metal Oxides as a Tunable Material Platform.” Hybrid bronzes are bulk crystalline materials with alternating layers made with a high degree of synthetic control through mild self-assembly reactions. The first layer is a mixed-valence metal oxide sheet, which has tunable band gaps and charge carrier densities. The second layer is a molecular array with chemical reactivity, charge storage or transfer capabilities, and favorable light absorption properties. These materials will be thoroughly studied with an array of diffraction-based, spectroscopic, and electronic characterization techniques to determine how their atomic-level structure and composition influence charge transport within the material, and these relationships can then be used to design highly effective, application specific compounds. This is important for many renewable energy technologies, including solar cells, fuel cells, and batteries. Current methods of synthesizing stable and effective materials for these uses can be costly and challenging to direct. Jaffe plans to address these roadblocks with hybrid bronzes, which offer the possibility of highly tuned, air and water stable materials at a much lower cost. In addition to this research, Jaffe will develop a multi-faceted instructional video series called “Lab Hacks” to make STEM research and education accessible to a greater audience.</p>
<p>Jaffe joined the faculty at Notre Dame in 2021 after completing a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Stanford University and his A.B. in chemistry from Princeton University. Jaffe is also the recipient of the 2018 ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry Young Investigator Award, both the Stanford William S. Johnson and Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowships, and the Princeton Energy Grand Challenges Research Fellowship.</p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Rebecca Hicks</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://chemistry.nd.edu/news/adam-jaffe-receives-nsf-career-award/">chemistry.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">December 06, 2023</span>.</p>Rebecca Hickstag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1591382024-01-10T17:00:00-05:002024-01-10T17:08:11-05:00Ninth Annual Walk the Walk Week events to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day<p>The University of Notre Dame’s ninth annual <a href="https://walkthewalk.nd.edu/">Walk the Walk Week</a> will take place Jan. 15 (Monday) through Jan. 22 (Monday).</p><p>The University of Notre Dame’s ninth annual <a href="https://walkthewalk.nd.edu/">Walk the Walk Week</a> will take place Jan. 15 (Monday) through Jan. 22 (Monday). Walk the Walk Week, which begins on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will once again feature a series of over 25 events, exhibits and discussions designed to invite reflection about diversity and inclusion on the Notre Dame campus, locally and nationally.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/506376/adams.jpg" alt="Adams" width="250" height="300"></figure>
<p>Among the keynote events for the week is “Building a Legacy of Opportunity: A Conversation with Dr. Howard Adams” at 5 p.m. Jan. 17 (Wednesday) in the Dahnke Ballroom of Duncan Student Center.</p>
<p>From 1978 to 1995, Adams served as the inaugural executive director of the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science Inc. (GEM), originally headquartered at Notre Dame. Now a national consortium, GEM recruits underrepresented students looking to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in applied science and engineering, and matches their specific skills to the technical needs of GEM employer partners. GEM is credited with providing fellowships and internships that assisted over 3,000 students from underrepresented backgrounds to obtain advanced degrees in engineering and applied science.</p>
<p>Adams is a leading expert on developing individuals through mentoring and strategic career and life planning. Throughout his career, he has advised young adults from minority backgrounds on how to navigate higher education and build careers in both industry and academia.</p>
<p>In 1989, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to a U.S. congressional task force on women, minorities and the handicapped in science and technology. Adams received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in 1995 and the Golden Torch Award from the National Society of Black Engineers in 2002. Notre Dame awarded him an honorary degree at the 2023 University Commencement Ceremony. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Norfolk State University, a master’s degree from Virginia State University and a doctorate from Syracuse University.</p>
<p>At the Jan. 17 event, Adams will dialogue with three former GEM fellows and current leaders in higher education and business, including <a href="https://chairs.utdallas.edu/biographies/dr-stephanie-g-adams/">Stephanie G. Adams</a>, dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas; Notre Dame alumnus <a href="https://presafetech.com/about-us/">Robert V. Jones</a>, co-founder, president and CEO of PReSafe Technologies; and <a href="https://www.usf.edu/research-innovation/about-usfri/senior-vp.aspx">Sylvia Wilson Thomas</a>, vice president for research and innovation at the University of South Florida. They will discuss strategies to support and retain underrepresented students in STEM higher education programs, GEM’s impact on their personal development and careers, and advice for students navigating graduate school and industry careers in STEM fields.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><img src="https://news.nd.edu/assets/553296/salima_rockwell_300x300.jpg" alt="Salima Rockwell 300x300" width="300" height="300"></figure>
<p>The event is open to students, faculty and staff; <a href="https://go.nd.edu/WTWW24StudentDinner">registration is required to attend</a>.</p>
<p>Also on Jan. 17 at 8 p.m., University President <a href="https://president.nd.edu/about/">Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.</a>, will preside at the annual Candlelight Prayer Service in the Main Building Rotunda. Fighting Irish volleyball head coach <a href="https://fightingirish.com/coach/salima-rockwell/">Salima Rockwell </a>will deliver a keynote reflection and the Voices of Faith Gospel will provide music. The prayer service will conclude with a candlelight march to the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue.</p>
<p>All are invited to the prayer service and to a dessert reception that follows in the <a href="https://deicenter.nd.edu/">Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion</a> in LaFortune Student Center.</p>
<p>Additional events will be held throughout the week. A full list is available at <a href="https://walkthewalk.nd.edu/">walkthewalk.nd.edu</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p class="attribution">Originally published by <span class="rel-author">Notre Dame News</span> at <span class="rel-source"><a href="https://news.nd.edu/news/ninth-annual-walk-the-walk-week-events-to-mark-martin-luther-king-jr-day/">news.nd.edu</a></span> on <span class="rel-pubdate">January 10, 2024</span>.</p>Notre Dame Newstag:energy.nd.edu,2005:News/1591762024-01-09T17:00:00-05:002024-01-14T11:02:53-05:00Notre Dame expert Nitesh Chawla partners with Chile’s open data pioneers<figure class="image image-default"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/553767/fullsize/2016_land_o_lakes_071.jpg" alt="2016 Land O Lakes 071"></figure> <p>Through a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), data scientists at the University of Notre Dame are collaborating with researchers at…</p><figure class="image image-default"><img class="noborder" src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/553767/fullsize/2016_land_o_lakes_071.jpg" alt="2016 Land O Lakes 071"></figure>
<p>Through a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), data scientists at the University of Notre Dame are collaborating with researchers at Chile’s Data Observatory to pioneer a new approach to analyzing Earth and space—one that puts observation data directly into the hands of people who can use it to promote sustainability, prevent natural disasters, and prepare for the effects of climate change.</p>
<figure class="image image-right"><a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/people/the-lucy-family-core-team/nitesh-chawla/"><img src="https://energy.nd.edu/assets/241289/300x/nitesh_front_sm.jpg" alt="Nitesh Front Sm" width="300" height="253"></a></figure>
<p class="noborder"><a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/people/the-lucy-family-core-team/nitesh-chawla/">Nitesh Chawla</a>, founding director of the <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/">Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society</a>, and Frank M. Freimann Professor of <a href="https://cse.nd.edu/">Computer Science and Engineering</a>, recently traveled to Chile at the invitation of the Data Observatory’s top leadership, interim executive director Rodrigo Roa, and executive director Paula Diaz. An advanced open data platform, the Data Observatory is home to one of the world’s largest data collection centers, storing observations from almost 70% of the world’s telescopes. It was <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/publicsector/aws-and-chile-launch-the-data-observatory-project/">launched</a> in 2019 as an alliance between Amazon Web Services, Adolfo Ibáñez University, and the Chilean government to create an open-access platform of astronomical and ecological data for the scientific community, private industry, and the public.</p>
<p>“In Chile, information silos have historically prevented partnerships between public and private sectors, creating challenges for researchers,” said Diaz. “The Data Observatory is a novel concept in that it opens the doorway for researchers to access a variety of datasets to understand complex societal issues.”</p>
<p>Chawla’s trip to Chile included an on-camera <a href="https://www.futuro360.com/videos/nitesh-chawla-experto-en-inteligencia-artificial_20231107/">interview</a> with Paloma Ávila of CNN Chile’s <a href="https://www.futuro360.com/">Futuro 360</a> and a keynote address to an international audience of data scientists at the Data Observatory’s <a href="https://www.dodatascience.cl/">First Congress</a>.</p>
<p>During the keynote presentation, Chawla highlighted Notre Dame’s commitment to investing in data and computational science to address some of <a href="https://strategicframework.nd.edu/notre-dame-2033-a-strategic-framework/part-ii/c-science-and-engineering-for-a-world-in-need/">humanity’s most profound challenges</a>. “The central mission of our work at the University of Notre Dame within the Lucy Family Institute is to translate domain-informed and data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) innovations to solve society’s wicked problems,” he explained. Data and AI, he emphasized, “should not be for the privilege of a few people, but should be used as a tool to transform the quality of life of people with less resources.”</p>
<p>The work at the Data Observatory supports research projects that align with the United Nations’ <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">Sustainable Development Goals</a>, and identify challenges within the areas of climate change, fishing, natural disaster prevention, and land management that have the potential to shift governmental policy.</p>
<p>Chawla envisions collaborations with Notre Dame will position the Data Observatory as a thought leader in data ethics and the responsible use of AI not only in Chile but also across Latin America. “By fostering this partnership, we are not only identifying the problems that can disproportionately impact limited resource communities but are also inspiring impactful data innovations that address these challenges,” he said. He continued, “Our MOU reinforces our commitment to developing future collaborations on scientific and educational data science and AI projects in Chile, and enables an academic exchange of scholars for lectures, scholars, and conferences to share their knowledge.”</p>
<p>“This is, “walking the talk,” of being a global force for good,” Chawla says.</p>
<p>The Data Observatory is publicly available <a href="https://dataobservatory.net/about">online</a> in Spanish and English. For more information on data science research with the Lucy Family Institute, please visit the <a href="https://lucyinstitute.nd.edu/">website</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Contact:</strong></p>
<p>Christine Grashorn, Communications Specialist<br>Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame<br>cgrashor@nd.edu / 574.631.4856<br>research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch</p>
<p><strong>About the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society</strong></p>
<p>Guided by Notre Dame’s Mission, the Lucy Family Institute adventurously collaborates on advancing data-driven convergence research, translational solutions, and education to ethically address society’s wicked problems. As an innovative nexus of academia, industry, and the public, the Institute also fosters data science access to strengthen diverse and inclusive capacity building within communities. Our vision is to become the preeminent intellectual beacon, inspiring collaborative, equitable, and impactful data innovations as a global force for good.</p>Grashorn, Christine