Category: Uncategorized

Young Investigator Award Enables Researcher to Further Develop Deep-Sea Technology

Brennan Phillips testing system

By Neil Nachbar Brennan Phillips is always looking to push the envelope when it comes to deep-sea technology. In the past year, Phillips, an assistant professor of ocean engineering at the University of Rhode Island, created the most compact deep-sea system in the world that can provide a livestream video feed. His fiber optic reel […]

Continue reading "Young Investigator Award Enables Researcher to Further Develop Deep-Sea Technology" →

Keeping It Cool: URI Researcher Using Young Investigator Award to Study How to Prevent Heat Buildup in Electronics

heat diffusion

By Neil Nachbar Each year, electronic devices get smaller, lighter and more powerful. However, as integrated circuits and computer chips shrink in size, managing the heat they produce becomes a bigger challenge. Ashutosh Giri, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Rhode Island, is researching how to prevent heat buildup at the nanoscale in order […]

Continue reading "Keeping It Cool: URI Researcher Using Young Investigator Award to Study How to Prevent Heat Buildup in Electronics" →

Perseverance and Pride: URI Student Finds Support When He Needed It Most

Jeancarlos Nolasco

By Neil Nachbar Jeancarlos Nolasco has always been very independent. A first-generation college student, he navigated the college admission and financial aid process on his own.  However, even the most independent individuals need help once and a while. Nolasco, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rhode Island this spring, received support […]

Continue reading "Perseverance and Pride: URI Student Finds Support When He Needed It Most" →

SMART Scholarship Leads to Early Job Opportunity for URI Student

Griffin Melican

By Neil Nachbar Not many college students secure a job in their field more than two years before they graduate. Thanks to a prestigious scholarship from the U.S. Department of Defense, University of Rhode Island rising junior Griffin Melican has a job waiting for him when he graduates in 2023. Through the Department of Defense’s Science, […]

Continue reading "SMART Scholarship Leads to Early Job Opportunity for URI Student" →

Intern Uses Technology to Collaborate on URI Project from Puerto Rico

Adriana Munoz-Soto working remotely

By Neil Nachbar If there’s a positive outcome from remote learning during the last year, it’s that students and professors have become adept at sharing information and collaborating on projects while physically apart. Using several forms of communication, Adriana Muñoz-Soto is completing a yearlong internship with University of Rhode Island Assistant Professor Brennan Phillips while […]

Continue reading "Intern Uses Technology to Collaborate on URI Project from Puerto Rico" →

Sensors Developed at URI Can Identify Threats at the Molecular Level

Peter Ricci and Otto Gregory, Digital Dog Nose

By Neil Nachbar We are frequently reminded of how vulnerable our health and safety are to threats from nature or those who wish to harm us. New sensors developed by Professor Otto Gregory, of the College of Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, and chemical engineering doctoral student Peter Ricci, are so powerful that they […]

Continue reading "Sensors Developed at URI Can Identify Threats at the Molecular Level" →

NSF CAREER Award Will Help URI Professor Close the Clean Water Gap

Joe Goodwill

By Neil Nachbar When it comes to ensuring that a community has clean drinking water, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Urban and rural communities have different needs, different resources and face different challenges. Through a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Joseph Goodwill, assistant professor of environmental engineering at the University of Rhode Island, is […]

Continue reading "NSF CAREER Award Will Help URI Professor Close the Clean Water Gap" →

New Data Provides Clearer Picture of Historic Anak Krakatau Volcano Collapse

By Neil Nachbar The Anak Krakatau volcano flank collapse, triggered by an eruption on December 22, 2018 provided a deadly reminder of how vulnerable and unprepared we are when it comes to natural disasters.  The tsunami created by the flank collapse hit the coast of Indonesia with waves as tall as five meters, leaving 420 people dead and […]

Continue reading "New Data Provides Clearer Picture of Historic Anak Krakatau Volcano Collapse" →

Wobble Board Wins First Place for URI Team at Bioengineering Conference

drilling holes for wobble board

  By Neil Nachbar Recovering from an ankle injury can be a slow process, depending on the extent of the damage. However, if a physical therapists or doctors had more detailed, immediate feedback during the rehabilitation process, they could develop a more accurate assessment. A team of biomedical engineering students at the University of Rhode […]

Continue reading "Wobble Board Wins First Place for URI Team at Bioengineering Conference" →

Engineering Energy Fellows Spread Message of Sustainability

solar panels

For students who wish to pursue a career in sustainable energy, the University of Rhode Island’s Energy Fellows Program provides paid experiential learning opportunities.  Students are placed at a company, governmental agency or department at URI where they gain at least 600 hours of hands-on experience. In addition, energy fellows can receive up to six academic […]

Continue reading "Engineering Energy Fellows Spread Message of Sustainability" →

‘Hands-on’ Engineering Continues at URI During Pandemic

ELECOMP capstone project

By Neil Nachbar Seniors at the University of Rhode Island’s College of Engineering are required to do hands-on, collaborative projects that address a real-world challenge. Students in the senior capstone design program are assigned projects by companies that typically involve creating a new product, improving an existing product or developing a process for doing something […]

Continue reading "‘Hands-on’ Engineering Continues at URI During Pandemic" →

Dredging Operation Provides Hands-on Experience for URI Intern

Faith Leonard on cutter

By Neil Nachbar Most dredging operations take place without people really noticing. After all, they’re usually far away from public view and much of the work happens underwater. Faith Leonard, an ocean engineering major at the University of Rhode Island, had the rare opportunity to participate in a dredging operation while doing an internship on […]

Continue reading "Dredging Operation Provides Hands-on Experience for URI Intern" →

Alumnus Recalls Fond Memories in Video Produced by URI Civil Engineering Student

Louis Barone III and Natalie Wilcox

  By Neil Nachbar University of Rhode Island civil engineering alumnus Louis Barone recently took a trip down memory lane as he walked through The Fascitelli Center for Advanced Engineering for the first time, thanks to URI senior Natalie Wilcox. Wanting to enter a video contest coordinated by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), […]

Continue reading "Alumnus Recalls Fond Memories in Video Produced by URI Civil Engineering Student" →

Educating a New Generation of Engineers to Rebuild Puerto Rico’s Infrastructure

Alesandra C. Morales-Vélez

By Neil Nachbar In the past four years, Puerto Rico has been decimated by hurricanes and earthquakes. Within a two-week span in 2017, two major hurricanes left the Caribbean island without power, clean drinking water and very few passable roads. As Puerto Rico has tried to bounce back, it was devastated again by Mother Nature, in […]

Continue reading "Educating a New Generation of Engineers to Rebuild Puerto Rico’s Infrastructure" →

‘Smart Bandage’ Detects, and Could Prevent Infections

Smart Bandage

By Neil Nachbar Bandages are great for covering wounds, but they would be much more useful if they could also detect infections. By embedding nanosensors in the fibers of a bandage, University of Rhode Island Assistant Professor Daniel Roxbury and former URI graduate student Mohammad Moein Safaee have created a continuous, noninvasive way to detect and monitor […]

Continue reading "‘Smart Bandage’ Detects, and Could Prevent Infections" →

Applying New Technology to 100-Year-Old Company, Sky’s the Limit for URI Alumnus

Brian Bonk

By Neil Nachbar The path to success isn’t always a straight line. After Brian Bonk dropped out of high school, he wasn’t sure where the path even started – never mind where it would lead. After discussing his circumstances with an admissions counselor at the University of Rhode Island, Bonk was given an opportunity to enroll […]

Continue reading "Applying New Technology to 100-Year-Old Company, Sky’s the Limit for URI Alumnus" →

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Provides Research Challenges for URI Alumna

Meghan Quinn

Seeking challenging research opportunities, Meghan Quinn joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a geotechnical engineer almost a decade ago. The University of Rhode Island engineering alumna specializes in remote sensing and geographic information systems. Quinn has conducted research at remote locations throughout North America and Europe, but much of her work takes place at the Corps’ […]

Continue reading "U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Provides Research Challenges for URI Alumna" →

Interest in ‘Cool New Tech’ Leads to Career at Google for URI Engineering Alumnus

Kenny Sulaimon

As a youngster, Kenny Sulaimon was always intrigued by new technology. An insatiable curiosity for how things function would lead the Providence native to a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rhode Island in 2016 and on to a blossoming career at Google.  Q: What is your role at Google? A: I am a […]

Continue reading "Interest in ‘Cool New Tech’ Leads to Career at Google for URI Engineering Alumnus" →

Modern Technology Used Underwater by URI Alumnus to Make Informed Decisions

Nicholas Bragaia

As a coastal engineer, URI alumnus Nicholas Bragaia spends most of his time studying what takes place underwater. Bragaia, who graduated from URI in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering, works in Florida for the global, employee-owned company GHD. The Bloomfield, Connecticut native is also pursuing his master’s degree in civil and coastal […]

Continue reading "Modern Technology Used Underwater by URI Alumnus to Make Informed Decisions" →

Just Three Years After Graduating, URI Alumna Creates Her Own Engineering Firm

Stephanie Robat

Stephanie Robat knew she would start her own engineering firm some day. Just three years after completing her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering from the University of Rhode Island, she made her goal come to fruition. With husband and fellow URI alumnus Shane serving as vice president and the only other engineer, Robat established […]

Continue reading "Just Three Years After Graduating, URI Alumna Creates Her Own Engineering Firm" →