News
June 24, 2025
Fedder Co-Authors Study on Precise Water-Repellent Surface Method
Professor Gary Fedder co-authored a study on a new aerosol jet printing method that rapidly creates superhydrophobic surfaces by using gelled droplets to form water-repellent textures for applications like cooling, water conservation, and environmental cleanup.
June 17, 2025
Peng Liu Recognized for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring
Professor Peng Liu has received the 2025 Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring for his outstanding support of graduate students in Pitt’s Department of Chemistry. His guidance has helped many students earn top honors and launch successful careers in academia and industry.
June 17, 2025
Transue Lab’s Molecular Magnetism Study
Professor Wesley Transue and his lab published their first paper in JACS, revealing new design principles for molecules that exhibit optically induced magnetization. Their findings, using tungsten-based molecules and a custom MCD instrument, could support future quantum technologies.
June 17, 2025
INSITES Launches Under Ohodnicki’s Leadership
Paul Ohodnicki, PhD, is helping to launch INSITES, a new consortium that advances infrastructure sensing through AI, machine learning, and digital twins. He sees it as a key step toward smarter systems, predictive monitoring, and workforce development.
June 17, 2025
Susan Fullerton Selected for Prestigious ELATES Leadership Program
Susan Fullerton, associate professor at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, has been selected for Drexel’s 2025–2026 ELATES leadership program, recognizing her work in research, mentorship, and education innovation. She will help advance personalized engineering education through cross-institutional collaboration.
May 21, 2025
Mostafa Bedewy Advances Nanotube Manufacturing
Mostafa Bedewy, a Pitt engineering professor, is leading an NSF-funded project to improve nanomanufacturing by studying how iron nanoparticles grow carbon nanotubes. His team uses advanced microscopy and machine learning to predict which particles act as “nano-seeds” to enable more efficient and scalable production of these high-performance materials.
April 30, 2025
Simranjeet Singh and Jyoti Katoch Advance Spintronics at CMU
Carnegie Mellon professors Simranjeet Singh and Jyoti Katoch developed a novel method to electrically read magnetic states using out-of-plane spin currents, advancing spintronic technology. Their two-layer system enables compact, energy-efficient data storage, with Katoch emphasizing the importance of atomically clean interfaces in detecting tunable signals.
April 30, 2025
Priscilla Prem Wins Big Idea Competition for Wave-Powered Submarine Tech
PhD student and U.S. Navy veteran Priscilla Prem, along with mentor Susan Fullerton, won the $25,000 grand prize in Pitt’s 2025 Big Idea Competition for their startup, Pittsburgh Coastal Energy. The company develops wave-powered generators to extend unmanned submarine range, with Fullerton’s mentorship playing a key role in Prem’s transition from researcher to clean energy innovator.
April 30, 2025
Tevis Jacobs Helps Validate Model to Prevent Slips on Oily Floors
Tevis Jacobs, a University of Pittsburgh professor, helped validate a model predicting shoe-floor friction on oily surfaces by analyzing floor textures at multiple scales. Collaborating with bioengineer Kurt Beschorner, their research, published in the Journal of Tribology, offers valuable insights to improve safety in slippery environments.
April 30, 2025
Sridhar Tayur on Quantum Science Transforming Healthcare
In the second episode of Where What If Becomes What's Next, Carnegie Mellon professor Sridhar Tayur explores how quantum science could transform medical diagnostics and treatments. He highlights how quantum computing and AI can enhance diagnostic speed and accuracy, using pneumonia as a key example, and drive innovation in patient care.
April 30, 2025
Elias Towe Receives John Bardeen Award at TMS Annual Meeting
Professor Elias Towe received the John Bardeen Award at the TMS Annual Meeting for his exceptional contributions and leadership in electronic and functional materials. The event also celebrated achievements by other Carnegie Mellon faculty, students, and alumni in materials science.
April 30, 2025
Peng Liu’s Latest Research Appears in "Nature"
Peng Liu, in collaboration with Gregory Fu, published a Nature paper introducing a photoinduced method to convert racemic alkyl halides into a single enantiomer. Computational work from Liu’s group revealed that halogen atom transfer is key to enantioselectivity, driven by steric and noncovalent interactions during catalyst-controlled induction.
April 30, 2025
"9 Steps to Take to Prepare for a Quantum Future"
Quantum computing is progressing quickly, with early applications appearing in sectors like pharma and finance. To stay competitive, organizations should upgrade to post-quantum encryption, develop cryptographic agility, explore potential use cases, invest in talent, and build strategic partnerships.
April 30, 2025
Xu Zhang’s Breakthrough in Programmable Infrared Technology
Xu Zhang co-developed an electrically programmable graphene transistor (Gr-FET) that allows precise control of mid-infrared wavelengths, enabling applications such as infrared camouflage, health monitoring, and security. His work advances scalable, programmable infrared technologies for future devices.
April 23, 2025