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The Future of Healing — cont’d.Unfortunately, the telecom glass optics when used in the brain arenot biocompatible, and eventually kills brain tissue. Silicon carbidecan be used as the vehicle for light.” The non-magnetic propertiesof small silicon carbide implants in the brain also have an additionalbenefit when used with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). “You canuse cubic silicon carbide while monitoring functional brain activity,”he explains. Current technology involves the rather Frankensteinianprocess of putting metal probes in and out of the brain while tryingto capture brain activity with MRI.Saddow brought on two more students to research how siliconcarbide can monitor important blood functions. Shamima Afroz,a joint PhD student with Asst. Professor Sylvia Thomas (EEDepartment), is not only working on silicon carbide’s glucose sensingabilities, but she is also investigating how silicon carbide can be usedas a radio frequency (RF) antenna to transmit information abouta patient’s blood-sugar levels. Alexandra Oliveros, a PhD studentand recipient of the USF Presidential PhD Fellowship, is workingon detecting the precursors for a myocardial infarction. This is allpossible because silicon carbide is not only compatible with tissueand blood, but thanks to its semi-conductive properties, it’s also“smart.”“I had dozens of X-rays when I was healing from my boneoperation,” recalls Saddow with a twinge of concern. “What if youcould make smart implants with silicon carbide that would informthe doctor that the bone graft using porous silicon carbide, was 60percent healed, and then 80 percent healed?” Tiny antennas couldtransmit information about the healing process. Silicon carbidedelivery systems could not only administer drugs, but transmit theirresults by monitoring specific blood markers. And if brain cells couldbe “trained” with light, could silicon carbide also be used as aninterface between a machine and human tissue?Message From The DeanDean John WiencekCollege of EngineeringWelcomes LakelandTechnology ProgramFlorida Senate Bill 1994 was signed into law byGovernor Rick Scott in April 2012. This billeffectively shut down USF Polytechnic in Lakeland,and took effect on July 1, 2012. However, the studentsattending this school will have until 2016 to completetheir degrees at the Lakeland campus. The school,formerly known as USF Polytechnic, is now technicallya part of the Tampa campus.All of the programs, including business, arts and sciences, and engineering have beencontinued there and are also in the process of being offered on the Tampa campus. TheTampa campus will be the beneficiary of all of the programs of the Lakeland school; noneof the other USF campuses are involved.How is this happening? An accredited university, such as USF, cannot shut down its doorslike a business. The process that enables students to complete their education at a giveninstitution is called a “teach-out.” Defined as a written agreement between accreditedinstitutions, it provides for an equitable treatment of students if one of those institutionsstops offering educational programs. The institution continues to teach currently enrolledstudents, but no longer admits new students to its program, and ceases to operate afterthe students have graduated. Here in Florida, this means that students have the choice tocomplete their education (under the auspices of USF Tampa) in Lakeland until 2016, orphysically transfer to the Tampa campus if they prefer. In effect, USF Tampa in Lakelandis an instructional site, similar to a classroom in Tampa, except located in Lakeland. Thereare certain restrictions, such as if a student withdraws or fails a course in the teach-outin Lakeland, he or she may be required to re-take the course at the Tampa campus.There are currently 127 undergraduate students and 23 graduate students enrolled atthe Lakeland campus in the Information Technology program. These students will have aThe answer is yes. The Defense Advanced Projects ResearchAgency (DARPA) has awarded Saddow’s group (and Weeber,College of Medicine, as Co-PI) with a $1.2 million research grant toexplore the biocompatibility of candidate neural implant materials.The Biocompatibility of Advanced Materials for Brain MachineInterfaces (BAMBI) project is the latest in funding for Saddow’ssilicon carbide group. The interdisciplinary group’s extensiveexpertise in biocompatibility will be leveraged to explore andexpedite new and promising materials. Saddow points out thatprior USF seed funding was critical to the success of the DARPAinitiative.The USF Center of Excellence for Biomolecular Identificationand Targeted Therapeutics (BITT) provided funding for the3C-SiC in vivo studies by Frewin. A USF College of Engineeringinterdisciplinary research grant, which was matched by the Collegeof Medicine, along with a Neuroscience Collaborative grant fromPresident Genshaft and other smaller grants were instrumental ingetting the research funded and recognized.Saddow just completed his first summer at the University of SanPaolo in San Carlos, Brazil with the Scientists Without Bordersproject. His commitment to expanding knowledge and researchacross institutions worldwide is evident. His new book, SiliconCarbide Biotechnology, explores the biomedical applications ofsilicon carbide. “There are many things that silicon carbide cando for millions of diabetics,” he muses. “Brain machine interfacesare sexy right now, but just think what we can do for glucosemonitoring or preventing heart attacks. That is where we willmake the biggest contribution.”enVision November 2012enVision is produced twice a year bythe College of Engineering at theUniversity of South Florida.EditorWritersPhotographyDesigned byJanet GillisMS Bus ‘00Janet DawaldTom EdringtonJanet GillisDesa PhiladelphiaDavid RamosMarcus RodriguezCollege of EngineeringChen WangRoger Cox, PE, ‘85Ryan WakefieldMission StatementThe mission of the College of Engineering at theUniversity of South Florida is to improve thequality of life in our community by providing a highquality education for our students and practicingprofessionals; by creating new knowledge andsolving real world problems via innovativeresearch; and by engaging in effective communityservice and outreach.To be added to our mailing list orfor more information, contact:Janet GillisCommunications and Marketing OfficerCollege of EngineeringUniversity of South Florida4202 E. Fowler Ave. ENB 118Tampa, FL 33620email: janetgillis@usf.edu2 enVision | April November 2011 2012continued on page 6
Civil Engineering Professor Rajan Sen NamedJefferson Science FellowProfessor Sen will serve as USF’s first Jefferson Science Fellow during the academic year2012-13 at the U.S. State DepartmentBy Janet GillisRajan Sen, PhD, PE professor of structural engineering, has beennamed University of South Florida’s first Jefferson Science Fellow.He is one of 12 Jefferson Science Fellows for 2012-2013 named bythe U.S. State Department. Sen, has held appointments in the Collegeof Engineering and the School of Architecture and Community Designas well as the inaugural Samuel and Julia Flom Endowed Chair, is thefirst professor at the University of South Florida to be appointed aJefferson Science Fellow.As JSF, Sen will advise the U.S. State Department on engineeringissues as they relate to international diplomacy and policy. He willserve in the State Department for one year, beginning August 13 andwill return to USF after the appointment ends, but remain availableto the U.S. Department of State to serve as a field expert for thefollowing five years.Established in 2003 after 9/11 and the anthrax attacks, the JSFprogram provides a vital link between policymaking social scientistsin the U.S. Department of State and senior scientists and engineersfrom prestigious universities across the United States. The programhelps bridge the worlds of science, technology and policymakingby providing a greater understanding and awareness of scientificknowledge to State Department officials on a wide array of issuessuch as biosecurity, climate change, food security, geography,space sciences and genetic evolution, according to a 2010 CarnegieCorporation report.“My interests lie in the areas of disaster mitigation and low-costhousing,” said Sen. “But, I will not know where I serve until I arrivein Washington, D.C. I will interview with different bureaus within theState Department and those interactions will determine where I amassigned.”After graduating first in his civil engineering class from the prestigiousIndian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, Sen completed a master’sdegree in structural engineering from the University of BritishColumbia. He spent a decade at the Department of Transportin London, working closely on the development of bridge designsoftware and the first load and resistance factor bridge design code,BS 5400. Following its publication, he left to pursue his doctoratein civil engineering at the State University of New York Buffalo.Publications from his dissertation on boundary elements are still incitation 25 years later.Fellow will provide great value to our government and to our globalpartners.”Sen has edited two books and authored over 200 publicationsincluding more than 80 journal papers. He has made more than 140presentations worldwide and was a NSF sponsored US delegate toconferences in Europe, Japan and India and an invited speaker for theUS Southern Command. He is a Fellow of the American ConcreteInstitute and the American Society of Civil Engineers, serves on FRPcommittees in Europe and US and is on the International AdvisoryBoard of India’s Fiber Reinforced Polymer Institute. He has chairedinternational conferences, and is the recipient of awards from USF,the Pre-stressed Concrete Institute and the American Institute ofArchitects for his contributions to teaching, research and service.“You get an international perspective of thecomplexities of the world through this uniqueexperience,” said Sen, “and I am committed tobringing this knowledge to students here at USF.”- Professor Rajan SenThe Jefferson Science Fellows Program is funded by the U.S. StateDepartment with additional support from participating universities.The program is endorsed by numerous professional scientific societiesand organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences, whichadministers the program.Each fellow receives a $50,000 stipend from the State Department forliving expenses for a full year. An additional $10,000 is available to eachfellow through the National Academies for travel associated with his/her assignment. Fellows also continue to receive salaries and benefitsfrom their home institutions.All Jefferson Fellowships are contingent upon awardees obtaining anofficial U.S. government security clearance.To learn more about the Jefferson Science Fellows Program, visithttp://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/Jefferson/index.htm.Under his leadership USF was among the first universities in the worldto explore the use of fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) for the repairand rehabilitation of civil infrastructure. He has made pioneeringcontributions on FRP durability, its application for strengthening steeland underwater pile repair. His research led to the construction ofFlorida’s first post-tensioned voided slab bridge in Miami and his workhas been featured in Steel Bridge News and Composites Technology. Hisresearch has been funded by Florida Dept. of Transportation, NationalScience Foundation, Transportation Research Board and the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers.The Dean of the USF College of Engineering, John Wiencek,supported Professor Sen’s nomination and was very pleased to hearof his selection. “Dr. Sen is well respected by students and facultyalike. He has a very sharp wit and is able to effectively analyze andcommunicate very sophisticated concepts. His ability to motivate andcommunicate was clearly demonstrated over the past few years as hementored our students in the Big Beam contest of the Precast/PrestressedConcrete Institute where the USF students have consistentlyplaced very high in the state and national competitions. Workingin the civil engineering field, Dr. Sen is acutely aware of the policyaspects of engineering solutions and the importance of communicatingwith the public. I am confident that his tenure as a Jefferson ScienceProf. Rajan SenenVision | November 2012 3
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