COMPUTER MEMORY, MRI TECHNOLOGY BENEFIT
FROM STUDENT RESEARCH AT UH
Three Grad Students Win Honors, Prize Money at Recent Competition
HOUSTON, Jan. 28, 2005 – Furthering research in computer
memory storage devices, magnetic resonance imaging technology and
advanced electronics, University of Houston students in science
and engineering showcased their original research in a recent campus
competition.
Three UH graduate students won top honors and prize money at the
biannual UH Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials
(TcSAM) Student Symposium. The symposium series highlights the original
research efforts of undergraduate and graduate students working
in TcSAM, which is a NASA Research Partnership Center located on
the UH campus. It is the largest multidisciplinary university superconductivity
and related materials research effort in the United States.
Ten students competed, each giving a 15-minute presentation, followed
by a brief question and answer period. A faculty panel judged each
presenter on originality and quality of research, quality of presentation
and skillful use of visual aids.
“The symposium provides an opportunity for TcSAM students
to hone their presentation skills and highlight their hard work
and research results to an audience of their peers and mentors,”
said Alex Ignatiev, director of TcSAM and professor of physics,
chemistry and electrical and computer engineering. “Successfully
communicating your research to the public and your colleagues is
an important step in developing as a scientist.”
The winners included two students from the College of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics and one student from the Cullen College of Engineering.
First place and $200 went to Clarina R. de la Cruz, a graduate student
in physics; second place and $100 went to Chong Wang, also a graduate
student in physics; and third place and $50 went to Lian Xue, a
graduate student in electrical engineering.
“The work I presented contributes to the understanding of
the magnetodielectric effect that has potential technological applications
in the development of novel memory storage devices,” said
de la Cruz, whose project leader was Paul C.W. Chu, the TLL Temple
Chair of Science, physics professor and founding director of TcSAM.
Led by Wei-Kan Chu, the Robert A. Welch professor of physics at
UH, Wang said, “My work involved growth and characterization
of high temperature superconductor thin films that have applications
in advanced electronics and high sensitivity sensors.”
Xue, whose project leader was Jarek Wosik, a research professor
in the electrical and computer engineering department, presented
research that focused on improvement of the signal-to-noise ratio
in parallel imaging obtained by implementation of high-temperature
superconductors in the design of MRI receiving probes. While it
is known that this application has great potential, her research
holds promise to improve MRI sensitivity.
TcSAM has more than 260 faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate
and undergraduate students. The mission of TcSAM’s members
is to create and develop high-temperature superconducting and advanced
materials, as well as further their fundamental understanding of
the field, advance new terrestrial and space applications based
on these materials, and disseminate fundamental and applied knowledge
through extensive education and outreach programs.
Strong collaborations with industry and national laboratories promote
the commercialization of TcSAM research results through the TcSAM
Industrial Consortium, offering intellectual property review and
licensing, collaborative and contract research activities, a resident
professional program, access to equipment and facilities, consulting
services and graduate student access for future employment opportunities.
For more information about TcSAM, visit http://www.tcsam.uh.edu/.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
To receive UH science news via e-mail, visit www.uh.edu/admin/media/sciencelist.html.
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
|