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Electrical Engineering Student Wins Doctoral First Prize from DCCEAS |
Student Selected to Participate in Conference |
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In February 2005, Virginia Tech Ph.D. student Manisa Pipattanasomporn was awarded the 2005 Doctoral First Prize from the District of Columbia Council of Engineering and Architectural Societies (DCCEAS) for "Model for the Least-Cost Telecommunication Infrastructure in a Remote Area," related to her Ph.D. dissertation in the Electrical Engineering Department.
Manisa Pipattanasomporn
Pipattanasomporn received a certificate and an $800 prize during an awards banquet for her research paper, which
presented a methodology and necessary analytical tools for policy makers to evaluate possible telecom alternatives.
By
selecting a remote area of a developing country as a case study, she was
able to explore the possibility of extending the reach of the Internet
and to conceptualize pilot projects as building blocks for a nationwide
infrastructure. Her project was under the supervision of Dr.
Saifur Rahman, electrical engineering professor and director of the
Alexandria Research Institute.
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Pipattanasomporn is currently a post-doctoral fellow at ARI. Her fields of interest are renewable energy systems, critical infrastructure and distributed generation. For more information on her dissertation, please contact Pipattanasomporn at mpipatta@vt.edu. |
Ph.D. student Monica Mallini-Rourke was invited to attend the "e-ducation Without Borders" conference held in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates February 19-21, 2005.
Mallini-Rourke received honorable mention for her project entitled "One-Button ICT Applications Package for Global Access."
Monica Mallini-Rourke
The paper, co-authored ARI fellow, Manisa Pipattanasomporn, and under the supervision of Dr. Saifur Rahman, ARI director, proposes to develop an "appliance" that would provide rural dwellers (i.e., villagers) access to ICT applications like audio or video e-mail.
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The concept is unique because it emphasizes natural interfaces such as local languages, voice-driven menus, touch screens, and simplified operation ("one-button"), so it represents a revolution in ICT delivery to all people, including the uneducated and the disabled.
For more information on this project, contact Mallini-Rourke via email: mmallini@vt.edu. The "e-ducation Without Borders" conference is a biennial, high profile international student conference organized by students, for students. Students receive firsthand experience in organizing events while learning about the impact of e-learning on the global educational community. |
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Associate Professor to Serve on IEEE International Symposium Yue (Joseph) Wang, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, has been invited to serve on the Program Committee for the IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging. The conference will take place April 6-9, 2005 in Washington, DC.
Dr. Yue (Joseph) Wang
The biannual meeting is the only biomedical imaging conference co-sponsored by The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and National Institute of Health (NIH). |
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Partnership to Reduce Vulnerability to Seismic Hazards
Virginia Tech in collaboration with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has established a joint program called the Virginia Tech- BUET Partnership to Reduce Vulnerability to Seismic Hazards. The Virginia Tech team includes the Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE) and The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI).
The primary activities of the partnership includes: a human resources capability assessment in Bangladesh, training for professionals related to earthquake hazard reduction, development of tools and programs for seismic vulnerability assessment for buildings in urban areas, and establishment of regional and US institutional linkages for the National Center for Earthquake Engineering at BUET.
Dr. Saifur Rahman
The project is run by Dr. Saifur Rahman, director of the Alexandria Research Institute, who is the Principal Investigator of the project. The Co-PI is Dr. Fred Krimgold, director of Disaster Risk Reduction Program at ARI.
For more information regarding this project, please contact Dr. Rahman via email at: srahman@vt.edu. |
Director Provides Expertise in Chinese Broadcast Dr. Fred Krimgold, the director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Program at Alexandria Research Institute, recently participated in a live Chinese broadcast hosted by Voice of America.
Dr. Fred Krimgold The program regarded the tsunami that took place on December 26, 2004. When asked what could be done to minimize the magnitude of the ramifications of future disasters in the affected region, Krimgold stated that this could be obtained by carrying out detailed hazard assessments of coastal areas and by regulating development. Krimgold also stressed the importance of locating critical infrastructure in safe areas and limiting residential development in high hazard areas.
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Suite 400 P: (703) 518-8080 F: (703) 518-8085 |
Northern Virginia Center 7054 Haycock Road Falls Church, VA
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