News
Invest in education, people and the future, say Xerox and Amazon execs
July 01, 2007
A failure to invest in science and engineering education could have dire consequences in today's global economy, said corporate leaders from Xerox Corp. and Amazon.com in separate April addresses at Princeton.
Frontiers of health: Following the map
July 01, 2007
Mona Singh doesn't use the maps in her office to get from point A to point B -- she uses them to find meaning hidden in biological data, which may help advance the understanding of disease at the genetic level.
Dean's Message - Frontiers of Health
July 01, 2007
Focus on fundamentals yields broad societal benefits Why is an aerospace engineer who developed control systems for a lunar module investigating the genetics of cancer? How did an expert in statistical finance come to identify genes involved in childhood tumors? In part, these unexpected combinations reflect the interdisciplinary approach that is increasingly common in academics: Solving complex problems often requires collaborations among people with different perspectives. At Princeton, ther
Smits returns as mechanical and aerospace chair
July 01, 2007
Alexander Smits will become chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as of July 1, returning to the position he held from 1998 to 2004.
Frontiers of health: New spin on heart valves
July 01, 2007
In a roundabout way, propellers advanced Julie Young's latest project—a new and improved heart valve replacement. "The blades of a propeller look very much like the leaflets in a mechanical heart valve," said Young, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, who studied propellers for her Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin. "The same principles apply on a much smaller scale."
Frontiers of health: Sight for sore eyes
July 01, 2007
Szymon Suckewer needs eye surgery, but he's not going under the knife just yet -- he'd rather wait until no knife is necessary. Having recently developed an incision-free eye surgery technique, he's confident that will soon be an option.
Frontiers of health: Killer proteins
July 01, 2007
Powerful proteins that are able to kill bacteria and viruses already exist in nature, but Kyle Vanderlick wants to make them even stronger. The chair of the chemical engineering department, Vanderlick conducts research on antimicrobial peptides -- short proteins that destroy disease-causing bugs by breaking down the membranes that surround them. The work, done in collaboration with biologists at the University of California, Irvine, could ultimately lead to the development of powerful new mic
Frontiers of health: Detecting disease
July 01, 2007
Medical devices that require nothing more than a single breath to instantaneously detect a number of ailments, including diabetes and kidney disease, are just what the doctor ordered. And, they are exactly what researchers are developing as part of the Center for Mid- Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment (MIRTHE). Claire Gmachl
Quest for ancient coins inspires a book and a course
July 01, 2007
Computer scientist Ken Steiglitz is happy to admit that he is an eBay addict. For starters, his pre-dawn "grazing" on the popular Internet trading site has yielded a trove of ancient bronze coins to add to his personal collection. Even more, he has discovered a wealth of information to advance the field of auction theory, which lies at the intersection of computer science, economics, mathematics and psychology.
Frontiers of health: Taking the scenic route
July 01, 2007
It might seem easy to visually distinguish between a kitchen and a beach, but Fei Fei Li recognizes the inherent complexity in telling sink from sand. Her research to understand the brain processes involved may ultimately enhance treatments for visual impairments and brain damage.