Faculty & Research
College Introduces Cellular Engineering Course in Response to Industry Demand
Offered by the Chemical Engineering Department, this new course provides undergraduates with a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving field of gene therapy, which is ripe with job opportunities.
Moeness Amin Shares Expertise in China
Dr. Moeness Amin, director of Villanova’s Center for Advanced Communications, traveled to China to share his internationally renowned expertise in the field of radar. He spoke at two universities and delivered a plenary at the Institution of Electronics and Technology (IET) Radar conference.
New Facility Gives Villanova Leading Edge in Nano-Manufacturing
Some of the biggest ideas in the College of Engineering are being pursued in a facility dedicated to the world’s smallest materials. The new Nano-Manufacturing Lab is enabling frontline research in mechanical engineering, materials science, thermal science and more. The goal is to realize a state-of-art capability to engineer nanomaterials and nanostructures, and push nanomaterials toward real applications.
Villanova ES2 Research Center Exploring Solutions to Reduce Carbon Footprint of Data Centers
Villanova’s Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems (ES2), under the leadership of Dr. Aaron Wemhoff, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, is exploring the balance of economics, location, and environmental burden on data centers to develop strategies for minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Villanova, MLB Team Eye Virtual Reality Training for Batters and Catchers │SportTechie.com, Nov. 8, 2018
The Villanova Wildcat baseball team will begin using a new virtual reality training system designed by Dr. Mark Jupina, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The VR system matches batters and catchers against some of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, but it’s intended use stretches far beyond just a virtual batting machine.
Newly Patented Smart Brain Presents Ground-Breaking Opportunities to Study Brain Biomechanics
Dr. Qianhong Wu, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Cellular Biomechanics and Sports Science Laboratory, has been awarded a patent for his biomimetic model of the brain and skull. Mimicking the human head, this “smart brain” allows researchers to quantify the motion of brain matter during exposure to impact.
Moeness Amin Awarded Best Paper in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems
Dr. Moeness Amin, director of Villanova’s Center for Advanced Communications, has been selected to receive the Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society’s M. Barry Carlton Award for “Multipath Exploitation in Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging Using Sparse Reconstruction,” which appeared in IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems.
Villanova’s CAVE gives baseball team chance to hit one off Justin Verlander │ Global Sport Matters, Sept. 10, 2018
More buzz for Villanova Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Dr. Mark Jupina's virtual reality batting practice tool, PITCHvr.
Professors’ Novel Research Methods Rank Roadway Risk Factors
Drs. Seri Park and Virginia Smith in the Department of Civil Engineering published “Exploring Spatial Relationship between Roadway Safety and Wet Condition Risk Factors Based on Systemic Safety Analysis Approach” in the August 2018 issue of the Journal of Infrastructure Systems. Their findings revealed correlations that may be used to identify areas of high crash risk in existing roadway infrastructure and thus improve safety countermeasures.
U.S. Navy Supports Faculty Research for Networks of Autonomous Vehicles
Drs. Hashem Ashrafuion and Sergey Nersesov have been awarded a three-year, $336,043 grant from the Office of Naval Research for “Robust Control of Networks of Heterogeneous Nonholonomic Vehicles in Uncertain Environments.” Their work will benefit coordinated shipboard landings, collaborative missions involving surface and underwater marine and air vehicles, and formation flying for ensembles of heterogeneous unmanned air vehicles.
NSF Grant Supports Faculty Research on Contaminants’ Migration
Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Kristin Sample-Lord, PhD, has received a National Science Foundation grant to advance the understanding of coupled thermal-hydraulic-chemical behavior of bentonite, a high-swelling clay, which is critical to addressing the challenges of growing energy demand and environmental protection.
Robert Caverly Named Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Publication
Professor Robert Caverly, PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering, was named editor-in-chief of the IEEE Microwave Magazine. The publication has a circulation of approximately 10,000 and is part of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society's (MTT-S) suite of publications.
Baseball goes high-tech on Villlanova's campus │6ABC, Philadelphia, May 14, 2018
Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Mark Jupina’s work on PITCHvr—a virtual pitch recognition tool for batters—is featured in this network TV report.
Taking a swing at virtual reality: How Villanova baseball is using tech to improve at the plate │Philadelphia Inquirer, May 10, 2018
More publicity for ECE Professor Mark Jupina’s virtual reality batting practice tool—PITCHvr—for baseball players.
Dr. Aaron Wemhoff Named ASME Fellow
Aaron Wemhoff, PhD, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Multiscale Systems Analysis Laboratory and the Villanova University site of the Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems, is part of a select group to be named Fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Why It's Almost Impossible for Fastballs to Get Any Faster │ Wired, April 12, 2018
Using the University’s virtual reality CAVE, Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Mark Jupina has developed a virtual hitting simulator—PITCHvr — that's teaching batters how to read an incoming pitch.
Center for Advanced Communications Director Moeness Amin Receives IEEE Publication Award
His article on radar communications, which appeared in the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine, was recognized as advocating for new ideas and promoting debate.
PhD Student and Faculty Present Research at Transportation Engineering Conference
Drs. Leslie McCarthy and Seri Park from the Civil and Environmental Engineering department presented their research on roadway safety data collection at the Transportation Research Board conference. PhD student Sean Coffey shared his dissertation research on the effectiveness of part-time shoulder use.
Performance of pipe with recycled HDPE resin │Civil + Structural Engineer, Jan. 1, 2018
Research conducted by Villanova Civil Engineering PhD graduate Michael Pluimer and Associate Professor Dr. Leslie McCarthy, has been featured in numerous civil engineering industry publications including Civil + Structural Engineer.