January 12, 2023 A successful 2022: Highlights from the past year Written By: Adam Malecek For the UW-Madison College of Engineering, 2022 was a year full of extraordinary achievements and tremendous growth. We advanced scientific knowledge on many fronts, improved the quality of people’s lives through our engineering expertise and leadership, and delivered meaningful hands-on educational experiences to prepare our students for success. Here are some of our top stories from 2022. Research breakthroughs Some of our most significant research advances over the past year included: New lightweight super material can battle bullets, deflect space debris Researchers uncover how to 3D-print one of the strongest stainless steels Drying process could be key step in the development of life Making new metals with machine learning means molten salt can’t corrode Great Lakes tributary rivers play important role in bringing PFAS to the drinking water source of millions Listen up: Video conferencing software may be ‘listening’ even if you’re muted Not so precious: New discovery could replace expensive platinum in hydrogen fuel cells CRISPR-produced CAR T cells could better treat solid tumors “Recyclopedia” will bring researchers up to speed on plastic waste recycling Relevant research, impactful collaborations Data science and machine learning are poised to make a major impact on medical imaging, and we’re making key contributions in this area. Cement production is one of the biggest contributors to humanity’s carbon emissions, and we’re pioneering a process for making carbon-negative cement. Lennon Rodgers, who directs our makerspace, scanned a 15-foot, 1,200-year-old Native dugout canoe recovered from the waters of Madison's Lake Mendota. Our industrial engineers are figuring out how robot workers could become human helpers. An interdisciplinary research initiative has made significant progress in developing better technologies for detecting and preventing concussions. Learn More Outstanding faculty Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Dawei Feng and Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professors Dominic Gross and Bhuvana Krishnaswamy each earned prestigious National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards. Dawei Feng receives NSF CAREER Award to create new metal-organic hybrid materials With NSF CAREER Award, Dominic Gross will improve renewable energy grid integration Advanced sensor networks could help farmers micromanage their fields Continuing its growth trajectory, the college welcomed 19 new faculty members in the 2022-23 academic year. Chemical and Biological Engineering Assistant Professor Rose Cersonsky Chemical and Biological Engineering Assistant Professor Whitney Loo Civil and Environmental Engineering Assistant Professor Sikai Chen Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor Xiaopeng Li Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Jeremy Coulson Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Robert Jacobberger Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Pedro Morgado Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Eric Tervo Engineering Physics Assistant Professor Juliana Pacheco Duarte Industrial and Systems Engineering Assistant Professor Anthony McDonald Industrial and Systems Engineering Assistant Professor Hantang Qin Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Fang Liu Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Hyunseok Oh Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Eric Kazyak Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Ying Li Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Luca Mastropasqua Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Allison Mahvi Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Jinlong Wu Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Xiaobin Xiong Education and student achievements Nuclear engineering student crowned Miss America 2023 When people meet University of Wisconsin-Madison senior Grace Stanke, they’re often surprised to learn she’s a nuclear engineer. She doesn’t fit the stereotypical image in a field where men far… Read the article Making a difference: First-year engineers build wheelchair for paralyzed dog February 16, 2022 Industrial engineering undergrads get glimpse of real-world challenges in senior design March 7, 2022 Solar Little Free Libraries provide power to people who need it most May 23, 2022 College of Engineering in the news Our faculty members routinely share their expertise with journalists and the public. Among the hundreds of news outlets that featured us in 2022 were the following: Washington Post: PFAS Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor Christy Renucal Associated Press: nuclear fusion Engineering Physics Assistant Professor Stephanie Diem NPR: extreme weather events Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor Daniel Wright Science Channel's Black Files Declassified: Havana Syndrome Mechanical Engineering Professor Christian Franck BBC: video conferencing apps and privacy Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Kassem Fawaz Archaeology magazine: 1,200-year-old canoe discovery College makerspace director Lennon Rodgers Scientific American: zombie viruses Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor John Yin The Hill: ballot drop box regulations Industrial and Systems Engineering Professor Laura Albert Newsweek: climate change and hurricanes Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor Daniel Wright