News from Research and Sponsored Programs: Four faculty and staff members awarded

External Grants Received

Public Allies of Metropolitan Detroit Program
Tracy Hall, Office of Metropolitan Impact, received a two-year award of $180,000 from the McGregor Foundation to further strengthen our ties to the community and to improve the quality of life for all of Metropolitan Detroit. This will be accomplished through a regional infusion of civic engagement strategies and a sustained commitment toward developing the intellectual, professional, and leadership competencies and capabilities of our citizenry to propel the metropolitan region forward.

Dispersion of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles for Fabrication of Bioactive Scaffolds
Gargi Ghosh, Mechanical Engineering, received a $40,000 award from Advanced Technologies of Michigan, Inc. (ATOM) to use “star” polymers to disperse nanoparticles within a scaffold and characterize the scaffold properties. This research is part of a larger program to develop an alternative bone regeneration strategy for osteoporosis and bone defects. This grant was matched with $40,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation under the Small Company Innovation Program (SCIP). This was one of two Dearborn winners under the SCIP program.

Nanotechnology and Nano-Scale Photonics Applications
Ya Sha Yi, Electrical and Computer Engineering, received an award of $99,668 from Demetra Energia SRL to invent a topology of nanowires to capture and manipulate sunlight and its path to improve the light absorption in glass surfaces featuring a modified Fresnel lens.

Quantitative Measure of Gear Shift Quality for Up-Shift
Sang-Hwan Kim, Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering, received a $42,354 award from Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation to analyze the effects of mechanical changes on the driver’s perception of gear shifting quality.