Virginia Tech researchers headline ICTAS Spring Seminar Series

Virginia Tech's Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) has announced its spring 2008 seminar series.

All talks will be held at Virginia Tech’s Corporate Research Center, Building XV, Room 2018. The talks are scheduled from 3:30 until 5 p.m. For information, contact Ann Craig at 231-2059.

Wednesday, Jan. 16: Roop Mahajan, the director of ICTAS and the James S. Tucker Professor of Engineering, will speak on “Building Bridges: Engineering for the People. Mahajan is an internationally known researcher with expertise ranging from nanotechnology to bio micro-electro-mechanical systems (Bio-MEMS).

Wednesday, Jan. 30: Jeffrey Reed, the Willis G. Worcester Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will address “The ICTAS Cognitive Network Test Bed at Virginia Tech”. Reed is an internationally known researcher in the areas of software and software defined radios.

Wednesday, Feb. 13: Judy Riffle, the director of the macromolecular science and engineering program and professor of organic polymer chemistry, and Nammalwar Sriranganathan, professor of bacteriology in the department of biomedical sciences and pathobiology, will talk about the “Design and Delivery of Antibiotics to Intracellular Bacteria”. Riffle is leading the ICTAS thrust area on nano-biomaterials for the delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents.” Among Sriranganathan’s interests are the targeted drug delivery for intracellular pathogens with the ultimate goal of designing and developing novel nanoparticle based drugs.

Wednesday, March 12: Michael Hochella, University Distinguished Professor of Geosciences, will talk about “Nanoscience, Nanotechnology, and the Environment”. Among his interests is elucidating the role that nanoscience and mineral surface geochemistry/biogeochemistry plays in major aspects of the earth sciences, including especially environmental issues and biogeochemical cycling of the elements.

Wednesday, April 9: Saied Mostaghimi, the H.E. and Elizabeth Alphin Professor of Biological Systems Engineering, and Paul Winistorfer, professor and head of the department of wood Science and forest products, will speak on “The Wide Horizon of Bio-based Materials Design and Processing Research at Virginia Tech”. Mostaghimi focuses on water resource engineering, nonpoint source pollution control, and water quality monitoring. Winistorfer has extensive experience in the field of wood composites, formerly directing a research program at the University of Tennessee that focused on density and densification of these products during manufacture.

Wednesday, April 23: David Dillard, the Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics, and Mike Ellis, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and a John R. Jones Fellow, will speak on “Advances in Materials and Processes for Sustainable Energy Systems”. Dillard specializes in studies dealing with fracture mechanics, viscoelasticity, fatigue, environmental degradation, durability predictions, and test method development. Ellis is the co-director of the Graduate Automotive Technology Education Center for Automotive Fuel Cells and director of the Energy Systems Laboratory at Virginia Tech.