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The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s (CCI) Northern Virginia Node recently awarded a $75,000 grant to Supriyo Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) College of Engineering, to develop an ultra-subwavelength microwave polarization switch for secure communication. The one-year grant comes through the Cyber Acceleration, Translation and Advanced Prototyping for University Linked Technology (CATAPULT) Fund. It supports Bandyopadhyay’s project, “An ultra-subwavelength microwave polarization switch for secure communication,” which develops a nanomagnet-based antenna integrated with a piezoelectric component. This system can switch the polarization of electromagnetic beams at specific microwave frequencies to enable secret communication between two points without traditional encryption methods. “Secret communication sheds the need for encryption,” Bandyopadhyay said. “Any cryptography can be broken, but this scheme does not use cryptography for secret communication and does not suffer from this vulnerability. It is also entirely based on hardware and cannot be hacked.” The technology offers significant benefits for banking, healthcare and government communications where data security is critical because a hardware-based approach makes it immune to software hacking. Another result of the research is antenna miniaturization, with antenna sizes several orders of magnitude smaller than the radiated wavelength. This addresses limitations in algorithms, physical size and power requirements that current secure communication systems face. Bandyopadhyay is collaborating with two researchers from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech and Erdem Topsakal, Ph.D., senior associate dean for strategic initiatives and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at VCU. Students involved in the project will be trained in antenna engineering, microwaves and communication engineering, gaining skills increasingly vital in today’s connected world.
Nibir Dhar, Ph.D., director of the Convergence Lab Initiative and professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was recently appointed to the Virginia Microelectronics Center endowed chair. This position gives Dhar the opportunity to shape future scientists and engineers, as well as pursue breakthrough research at the College of Engineering. “It’s more than an academic role,” said Dhar. “It’s about preparing students for complex problems they’ll solve in industry and defense.” Dhar teaches semiconductor and infrared device courses while researching next-generation materials for real-world applications. He also explores AI’s ability to improve human-machine interactions. With his accomplished background and experience at national defense labs, Dhar bridges classroom theory with practical engineering challenges his students will face in their careers. “It feels incredible to be recognized this way. Virginia Commonwealth University truly values faculty who pour themselves into student success and university growth. What really drives me is knowing I’m helping build the next generation of problem-solvers. That’s where the real satisfaction comes from.” said Dhar. This promotion encourages Dhar to make bigger strides for research development that will transform both teaching methods and how technology advances in military and commercial sectors.
First AI-powered Smart Care Home system to improve quality of residential care
Partnership between Lee Mount Healthcare and Aston University will develop and integrate a bespoke AI system into a care home setting to elevate the quality of care for residents By automating administrative tasks and monitoring health metrics in real time, the smart system will support decision making and empower care workers to focus more on people The project will position Lee Mount Healthcare as a pioneer of AI in the care sector and opening the door for more care homes to embrace technology. Aston University is partnering with dementia care provider Lee Mount Healthcare to create the first ‘Smart Care Home’ system incorporating artificial intelligence. The project will use machine learning to develop an intelligent system that can automate routine tasks and compliance reporting. It will also draw on multiple sources of resident data – including health metrics, care needs and personal preferences – to inform high-quality care decisions, create individualised care plans and provide easy access to updates for residents’ next of kin. There are nearly 17,000 care homes in the UK looking after just under half a million residents, and these numbers are expected to rise in the next two decades. Over half of social care providers still retain manual and paper-based approaches to care management, offering significant opportunity to harness the benefits of AI to enhance efficiency and care quality. The Smart Care Home system will allow for better care to be provided at lower cost, freeing up staff from administrative tasks so they can spend more time with residents. Manjinder Boo Dhiman, director of Lee Mount Healthcare, said: “As a company, we’ve always focused on innovation and breaking barriers, and this KTP builds on many years of progress towards digitisation. We hope by taking the next step into AI, we’ll also help to improve the image of the care sector and overcome stereotypes, to show that we are forward thinking and can attract the best talent.” Dr Roberto Alamino, lecturer in Applied AI & Robotics with the School of Computer Science and Digital Technologies at Aston University said: “The challenges of this KTP are both technical and human in nature. For practical applications of machine learning, it’s important to establish a common language between us as researchers and the users of the technology we are developing. We need to fully understand the problems they face so we can find feasible, practical solutions. For specialist AI expertise to develop the smart system, LMH is partnering with the Aston Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Application (ACAIRA) at Aston University, of which Dr Alamino is a member. ACAIRA is recognised internationally for high-quality research and teaching in computer science and artificial intelligence (AI) and is part of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. The Centre’s aim is to develop AI-based solutions to address critical social, health, and environmental challenges, delivering transformational change with industry partners at regional, national and international levels. The project is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership. (KTP). Funded by Innovate UK, KTPs are collaborations between a business, a university and a highly qualified research associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is a sector leading KTP provider, ranked first for project quality, and joint first for the volume of active projects. For more information on the KTP visit the webpage.
A Virginia Commonwealth University researcher has developed an alternative method of producing semiconductor materials that is environmentally friendly. Semiconductors are crucial to modern electronics and displays, but they are constructed from toxic solvents. They also are created at high temperatures and pressures, resulting in both environmental damage and high production costs. The new technique has been introduced by Leah Spangler, Ph.D., assistant professor in the VCU College of Engineering’s Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering, and Michael Hecht, a professor of chemistry at Princeton University. It demonstrates an alternative method to produce semiconductor materials called quantum dots using proteins at room temperature in water, resulting in a more environmentally friendly synthesis method. “This research uses de novo proteins, which are not taken from natural organisms but instead made by design for specific purposes,” Spangler said. “Therefore, this work shows that protein design can be leveraged to control material properties, creating an exciting new direction to explore for future research.” This work builds on natural examples of proteins creating materials, known as biomineralization. But this is the first example that uses de novo proteins made by design to control the synthesis of quantum dots. The study, “De Novo Proteins Template the Formation of Semiconductor Quantum Dots,” was published in the journal ACS Central Science. The work is related to a recent Department of Defense grant to Spangler to test an eco-friendly approach for separating rare earth elements into a refined final product using de novo proteins.
Power Shift: How CMU Is Leading America’s Energy Evolution
Carnegie Mellon University, long known for its prowess in computer science and engineering, is now emerging as a key innovator within America’s energy landscape. As AI models grow more powerful, so too does their appetite for energy, straining an aging and outdated grid and prompting urgent questions about infrastructure, security and access. From reimagining AI data centers to modernizing and securing the electric grid, CMU researchers are working on practical solutions to pressing challenges in how the U.S. produces, moves and secures energy. Learn what CMU experts have to say about their Work That Matters.
Expert Insights: Navigating Tariffs in a Time of Global Disruption
As global headlines swirl with shifting tariff regulations, U.S. businesses are navigating uncertain waters. With new trade actions impacting industries from automotive to renewable energy, the ripple effects are being felt across supply chains, labor markets, and even insurance models. In this conversation, J.S. Held experts Peter Davis, Timothy Gillihan, Andrea Korney, and Robert Strahle unpack how tariffs are shaping decision-making across industries and where organizations can spot opportunities amid the volatility. Highlights: • Industries most likely to experience tariff impacts • Potential disruptions in manufacturing processes • Supply chain and quality concerns • Expected changes coming in the insurance, reinsurance, and construction markets • The importance of strategic tariff engineering • Guidance for dealing with uncertainty and a rapidly changing business environment Looking to connect with Peter Davis and Andrea Korney? Click on their profile cards to arrange an interview or get deeper insights. For any other media inquiries - contact : Kristi L. Stathis, J.S. Held +1 786 833 4864 Kristi.Stathis@JSHeld.com
DARPA awards VCU $4.875 million for development of modular drug manufacturing platform
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding a $13M grant for a Rutgers University and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) partnership through the EQUIP-A-Pharma program, with $4.175 million to James Ferri, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Chemical and Life Science Engineering at VCU, to develop a modular manufacturing platform for sterile liquid drug products. The 24-month grant supports Ferri’s project, “Modular Manufacturing of Sterile Liquid Drug Products,” which develops a continuous manufacturing platform capable of producing highly potent drug substances such as albuterol sulfate and bupivacaine hydrochloride. These drug substances are for use in sterile liquid products, where compliance with purity of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and impurity profiles are characterized and controlled in real time throughout the manufacturing process. “This work enables agile continuous manufacturing of drug substance and end-to-end drug product manufacturing of several highly potent drug substances with real time quality control,” Ferri said. “The combination of dynamic modular operation and real-time quality control will increase the supply of critical medicines in the United States.” Drug shortages continue to receive national attention, with albuterol sulfate and bupivacaine hydrochloride both appearing on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration drug shortage list within the past year. The project develops technologies that enable distributed manufacturing approaches to essential medicines currently in shortage in the United States. The platform incorporates several innovative features including continuous flow synthesis for improved process performance, online spectroscopy for real-time quality control, and modular unit operations that can be rapidly configured for different drug products. Key technologies include heterogeneous catalytic flow reactors, in-line purification systems and advanced process analytical technologies. The continuous manufacturing approach offers significant advantages over traditional batch manufacturing, including improved process control, reduced waste and the ability to produce medicines closer to the point of care. The modular design enables rapid deployment and flexible manufacturing of multiple drug products using the same platform. Ferri is collaborating with researchers from Rutgers University on the project, which began in August 2024. The platform is designed to fit within a standard shipping container, enabling distributed manufacturing capabilities. The research directly addresses national security concerns about pharmaceutical supply chain vulnerabilities while advancing the field of continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing. Students involved in the project gain experience in cutting-edge manufacturing technologies that are increasingly important in addressing global health challenges.
LSU AgCenter Research Enables Better Flood Protection for Homes
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released its new standard for flood-resistant design and construction, ASCE/SEI 24-24, which provides new minimum requirements that can be adopted for all structures subject to building codes and floodplain management regulations. The new elevation standard was directly supported by LSU research and should help reduce flood risk and make flood insurance more affordable. “Without the research by the LSU AgCenter, the advancements made to the elevation requirements would not have been possible,” said Manny Perotin, co-chair of the Association of State Floodplain Managers’ Nonstructural Floodproofing Committee, who helped update the standard. “Dr. Carol Friedland’s research shows there are better ways to protect communities from flooding than adding one foot of additional freeboard.” The research team, led by Friedland, an engineer, professor, and director of LSU AgCenter’s LaHouse, showed how previous standards were failing to protect some homeowners. They mapped the impact of moving from a standard based on a fixed freeboard amount to being based on real risk in every census tract in the U.S. In response to these findings, they developed a free online tool to help builders, planners, managers, and engineers calculate the elevation required under the new standards. “Many on the committee said it would be too hard to do these complex calculations,” said Adam Reeder, principal at the engineering and construction firm CDMSmith, who helped lead the elevation working group for the new ASCE 24 elevation standards. “But the LSU AgCenter’s years of research in this area and the development of the tool makes calculations and implementation simple. This allowed the new elevation standard to get passed.” Flooding, the biggest risk to homes in Louisiana, continues to threaten investments and opportunities to build generational wealth. On top of flood losses, residents see insurance premiums increase without resources to help them make informed decisions and potentially lower costs. In response to this problem, Friedland is working on developing a whole suite of tools together with more than 130 partners as part of a statewide Disaster Resilience Initiative. When presenting to policy makers and various organizations, Friedland often starts by asking what percentage of buildings they want to flood in their community in the next 50 years. “Of course, we all want this number to be zero,” Friedland said. “But we have been building and designing so 40% will flood. People have a hard time believing this, but it’s the reality of how past standards did not adequately address flood risk.” Designing to the 100-year elevation means a building has a 0.99 chance of not flooding in any given year. But when you run that probability over a period of 50 years (0.99 x 0.99 x 0.99… 50 times, or 0.99 ^ 50), the number you end up with is a 60.5% chance of not flooding in 50 years. This means a 39.5% chance of flooding at least once. “We’ve been building to the 100-year elevation while wanting the protection of building to the 500-year elevation, which is a 10% chance of flooding in 50 years,” Friedland said. “Now, with the higher ASCE standard, we can finally get to 10% instead of 40%.” As the AgCenter’s research led to guidelines, then to this new standard, Friedland has also been providing testimony to the International Code Council to turn the stronger standard into code. In May, Friedland helped lead a workshop at the Association of State Floodplain Managers’ national conference, held in New Orleans. There, she educated floodplain managers about the new standard while demonstrating LSU’s web-based calculation tool, which was designed for professionals, while her team also develops personalized decision-making tools such as Flood Safe Home for residents. At the conference, Friedland received the 2025 John R. Sheaffer Award for Excellence in Floodproofing. More than two-thirds of the cost of natural hazards in Louisiana comes from flooding, according to LSU AgCenter research in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for the State Hazard Mitigation Plan. That cost was recently estimated to rise to $3.6 billion by 2050. “Historically, we have lived with almost a 40% chance of flooding over 50 years, which in most people’s opinion is too high—and the number could be even higher,” Reeder said. “Most building owners don’t understand the risk they are living with, and it only becomes apparent after a flood. The work done by the LSU AgCenter is critical in improving resilience in communities that can’t afford to be devastated by flooding.” “This may be the most significant upgrade in the nation’s flood loss reduction standards since the creation of the National Flood Insurance Program minimums in 1973, and it could not come at a better time as annual flood losses in the country now average more than $45 billion per year,” said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers. In addition to LaHouse’s work to prevent flooding, Friedland’s team is also working to increase energy efficiency in homes to help residents save money on utility bills. Their HEROES program, an acronym for home energy resilience outreach, education, and support, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and has already reached 140,000 people in Louisiana. Article originally posted here.
Neutrons by the trillions: Using computational physics to understand nuclear reactors
Zeyun Wu, Ph.D., associate professor in the mechanical and nuclear engineering department at VCU Engineering, is reshaping the future of nuclear power. Nuclear reactors are among the most complex engineered systems on earth, with different physical processes interacting simultaneously across various scales. Even the world's most powerful computers cannot simulate every detail of an operating reactor at once. With a background in computational reactor physics, Wu’s research develops modeling and simulation techniques crucial to understanding next-generation nuclear reactors. By creating these advanced tools, his research eliminates the need for costly physical experimentation while ensuring the safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability of future nuclear power plants. Wu's research focuses on understanding reactor behavior through two aspects: multi-physics and multi-scale modeling. The multi-physics approach integrates various physical phenomena, such as nuclear physics reactions, fluid dynamics, heat transfer and structural mechanics, into a unified simulation framework. The multi-scale modeling technique addresses the vast range of physical scales involved, from subatomic neutron interactions to meter-sized reactor components. Wu’s research can simulate the complex phenomena within reactors at different scales. These models, developed using advanced numerical methods, help predict reactor behavior under various conditions. One of the models Wu uses tracks neutron behavior, a fundamental aspect to understand nuclear reactions. His simulations track trillions of neutrons as they move through various reactor materials, cause fission events and generate power. "What drives power is actually the neutron," explained Wu. "Once an atom splits, along with the nuclear energy release, lots of neutrons come out. We're talking about 1012 to 1013 neutrons per second. Our code tracks each neutron to understand where it comes from and where it goes." By understanding neutron distribution across space, time and energy domains, Wu's team can predict power distribution throughout the reactor core. This helps identify potential hotspots – areas of heightened thermal activity that could pose safety challenges. Beyond neutron behavior, Wu's research also explores how cooling fluids interact with neutrons and carry away thermal energy, a field known as thermal hydraulics, because how the reactor components are cooled significantly affects the neutron behavior as well. This also explains why the multi-physics modeling becomes essential for nuclear reactor simulations. Wu founded the Computational Applied Reactor Physics Laboratory (CARPL) to continue his research in nuclear reactor modeling and simulation. Undergraduate and master’s students learn to use established nuclear simulation codes to analyze reactor problems – skills highly valued in the industry and national labs. Ph.D. students build on theoretical foundations to deepen their understanding, enhance existing models, and develop new ones. “My area of research has been continually evolving for the past 60 years or so,” said Wu. “Most of the codes we use have been developed by national labs, like Oak Ridge National Lab, but these codes aren’t perfect. National labs hire Ph.D. level students with this niche to identify deficits in the code, correct errors and even add new functions and improve them.” Looking forward, Wu hopes his research will have a real-world impact on the upcoming shift in nuclear power in America. Over the next 20 to 30 years, the nation's approximately 90 light-water-cooled nuclear reactors reach the end of their operational lifetimes. Light water refers to ordinary water (H₂O), used in most existing reactors to both cool the system and slow down neutrons to sustain the nuclear reaction. To replace them, experts are looking toward advanced, non-light-water-cooled reactors, such as the Molten Uranium Breeder Reactor (MUBR) shown in the figure. Computational methods and tools like Wu’s research lab developed will be essential to their development and implementation. Non-light-water cooled reactors offer significant advantages over the older designs. Some can operate at higher temperatures while others produce substantially less nuclear waste, addressing one of the industry's persistent challenges. "Unlike traditional water reactors, where we have decades of operational experience and established analysis tools, these new designs present unique challenges," explained Wu. "Companies like Dominion employ large teams of analysts who use well-tested computational tools to maintain their existing reactors, but those same tools aren't calibrated for these next-generation reactors. Our research is developing the computational methods and simulations these advanced reactors will need. When these new reactors come online, the methodologies we're creating now can be quickly converted into production-level nuclear codes, providing immediate practical value to industry.”
Can AI save our oyster reefs? A team of scientists put it to the test
With global oyster populations having declined by more than 85% from historical levels, restoring and monitoring these critical ecosystems is more urgent than ever. But traditional monitoring methods aren’t cutting it. A team of researchers that included the University of Delaware's Art Trembanis have taken a new approach, testing an AI model designed to recognize live oysters from underwater images. The findings? The AI model, called ODYSSEE, was faster than human experts and non-expert annotators, processing in just 40 seconds what took humans up to 4.5 hours. But it wasn’t yet as accurate. In fact, the tool misidentified more live oysters than both groups of human annotators. Still, the team found that ODYSEE has real potential to monitor reefs in real time. Why does this matter? As climate change, pollution and overharvesting continue to pressure coastal environments, more precise and non-invasive monitoring tools like ODYSSEE could become essential to restoration efforts and environmental policy. Trembanis can discuss this new tool and its ability to identify live oysters without disturbing the reef. His expertise in oceanography, engineering and robotics expertise was key to the team's work. The results, published in the journal Frontiers, offer both caution and hope in the race to improve ocean monitoring with emerging technologies. To set up an interview with Trembanis, visit his profile and click on the contact button.
