Pratt School of Engineering

www.pratt.duke.edu

By the numbers:

• 95 tenured faculty
• 77 postdoctoral fellows
• 975 undergraduate students
• 425 graduate students

Highlights:

• The school broke ground April 21 on the Duke Smart House—a 4,500-square-foot undergraduate live-in engineering research lab.
• New blood vessels can be grown from people's own cells, Laura Niklason, associate professor of biomedical engineering, demonstrated in the June 18, 2005, Lancet, a finding that could benefit adults with cardiovascular disease.
• Warren M. Grill, associate professor of biomedical engineering, won more than $2 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Paralyzed Veterans of America to develop a bladder pacemaker for people with spinal cord injuries.

A biomedical engineering team led by Professor Stephen Smith conducted the first high-speed, real-time, three-dimensional ultrasound imaging scans of the brain, which could make it easier to determine the risk of a stroke and to evaluate partially obstructed blood vessels after a stroke.

Duke engineers are developing a new tool for micron/nano-scale manufacturing—tiny, reusable stamps with enzymes or proteins bound to the raised features as "ink." The technique offers the potential to create complex, multi-layered structures. Professors Rob Clark and Eric Toone lead the team, which included graduate students Matt Johannes, Briana Vogen, and Phil Snyder.

The Pratt School of Engineering buys a new Bell JetRanger helicopter, giving the university and nation a new research platform. The aircraft carries sensors that help scientists study environmental phenomena such as the effects of carbon dioxide emissions from cars and factories.

Awards and recognition:

• Leslie Collins, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Teaching and Research
• Laurence Bohs, assistant research professor, Lois and John L. Imhoff Distinguished Teaching Award
• Donald Bliss, associate professor of mechanical engineering, Klein Family Distinguished Teaching Award
• Michael Gustafson, lecturer of electrical and computer engineering, Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising
• Ashutosh Chilkoti, associate professor biomedical engineering, Stansell Family Distinguished Research Award; recognized by Science as a Top Principal Investigator for postdoctoral mentoring
• Monty Reichert, professor of biomedical engineering, Catalyst for Institutional Change Award of the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network; Duke University Graduate School's Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Faculty and staff appointments:

• Aura Gimm, assistant professor of the practice, biomedical engineering
• Robert Malkin, professor of the practice, biomedical engineering
• Nirmala Ramanujan, visiting associate professor, biomedical engineering
• Jing Dong Tian, assistant professor, biomedical engineering
• Rebecca Willett, assistant professor, electrical and computer engineering
• Ben Yellen, assistant professor, mechanical engineering and materials science
• Lingchong You, assistant professor, biomedical engineering
• Pei Zhong, associate professor, mechanical engineering and materials science