Spring/Summer 2021

Apr 28, 2021

Engineering education close to home

The College of Engineering’s teaching programs extend beyond just NC State’s campus in Raleigh. Students from the Mountains to the Piedmont to the Coast can start their undergraduate degree at a different North Carolina college or university and complete it in Raleigh. Or they can complete their entire coursework closer to home in a site-based program. And with Engineering Online, students can earn their master’s degree in engineering or computer science from anywhere in the world. 

Apr 28, 2021

The right space

“The opening of Fitts-Woolard Hall represents a tremendous step forward in reaching our full potential,” said Louis Martin-Vega, engineering dean. “We are getting much closer to completing a vision for the College.” 

Apr 28, 2021

Endless possibilities

At the College of Engineering, faculty members in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) are growing a rich portfolio of CRISPR-focused technologies by introducing novel CRISPR-Cas reagents, using CRISPR techniques to engineer new organisms and developing new bioprocesses to mass manufacture CRISPR products in anticipation of a slew of clinical approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Apr 28, 2021

Study reveals extent of privacy vulnerabilities with Amazon’s Alexa

A recent study outlines a range of privacy concerns related to the programs users interact with when using Amazon’s voice-activated assistant, Alexa. Issues range from misleading privacy policies to the ability of third parties to change the code of their programs after receiving Amazon approval. 

Apr 28, 2021

Understanding and controlling materials’ antiviral properties can lead to better PPE

In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the College of Engineering and the College of Sciences began meeting weekly to figure out how they could contribute to slowing the spread of the virus and protecting frontline workers. Their immediate solution? Work on developing an antiviral coating that could be integrated into personal protective equipment (PPE) or applied to surfaces to inactivate SARS-Cov-2 and other viruses. 

Apr 28, 2021

Dean Martin-Vega elected to National Academy of Engineering

Louis Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. 

Apr 28, 2021

Reduced heat leakage improves wearable health device

he harvesters use heat energy from the human body to power wearable technologies — think of smart watches that measure your heart rate, blood oxygen, glucose and other health parameters — that never need to have their batteries recharged. 

Apr 28, 2021

NC State ranks in top 10 for online master’s engineering programs (again)

The 2021 U.S. News & World Report list of Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs ranked NC State’s Engineering Online as the sixth best program nationally. It’s the fourth straight year in which the program has landed in the top 10. 

Apr 28, 2021

Artificial Chemist 2.0: Quantum dot R&D in less than an hour

A new technology, called Artificial Chemist 2.0, allows users to go from requesting a custom quantum dot to completing the relevant R&D and beginning manufacturing in less than an hour. The tech is completely autonomous, and uses artificial intelligence (AI) and automated robotic systems to perform multi-step chemical synthesis and analysis.