In the Media

The State Press

Members of the ASU Solar Devils club will be involved in a competition for cars powered by the sun that have been built by students. As many as 12 students will be making the trip to the event, including four to drive the car and others to help make any needed repairs. The car made by the club’s students will have more about 250 solar cells for charging the vehicle’s batteries. The team will also be installing brake lights, a horn and a radio for communications. The team includes not only automotive engineering students but those in civil engineering, biomedical engineering and even business majors. The challenge isn’t speed-based, says Fulton Schools mechanical engineering student Boris Gershkovich, but more about the sustainability of the vehicle.

The State Press

The first hybrid rocket project researched and developed by ASU students is nearing completion and will  be soon be entered in the international student Rocket Engineering Competition by The ASU student chapter of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space — Rocketry Division. Chapter President Michael Bravo, a Fulton Schools aerospace engineering student, says this is first time a student has ever flown a hybrid rocket or any rocket with any kind of liquid propellant or oxidizer. Fulton Schools aerospace engineering students Ava Prechel and Logan Price are among team members preparing for the June competition. About 20 students in all are involved. The team’s goals are to be one of top 10 overall in the competition, but as high as the top three in the hybrid rocket competition.

KTAR News – Phoenix

The city of Phoenix is set to launch a strategic effort to make its greater metropolitan region a national hub for quantum computing to cement a place on the leading edge of the biosciences and semiconductor industries. The endeavor is to be led by Sethuraman Panchanathan, the former director of the National Science Foundation, or NFS, whose previous positions included executive president and chief research and innovation officer for ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise organization and director of the university’s Center for Cognitive Ubiquitous Computing. He is currently the University Professor of Technology and Innovation in the Fulton Schools. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego says Panchanathan’s leadership at ASU and the NSF have helped to shape the U.S. innovation agenda and he is prepared to do the same for Phoenix. See also: ASU’s Panchanathan to lead Phoenix Quantum Strategy, ASU News.

ASU News

The Fulton Schools was well represented at a recent international hackathon giving students the opportunity to tackle challenges in fostering global sustainability through the use of satellite data. Among the hackers were Vishal Lakshmi, a Fulton Schools data science, analytics and engineering graduate student, and Vishva Doshi, an information technology graduate student in the Fulton Schools. Lakshmi and Doshi teamed with another student in the SpaceHACK for Sustainability competition, earning first place for a project addressing the challenges posed by climate misinformation. Doshi notes the competition enabled students to learn about working with multi-source satellite data and how to translate raw geospatial data into meaningful insights. More than 60 teams from many counties joined the competition, including those from Ecuador, France, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Indonesia, Ghana, Spain and India. ASU was among the host institutions.

Fox 10 News Phoenix

Having grown up playfully building various things with LEGO sets eventually helped to spark an interest in engineering in brothers Zach and Jake Okun. That interest has since evolved into a passion that led them to their current studies in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools. Today their pursuits range from projects to expand the capabilities of robotics, wearable exoskeletons and additive manufacturing, as well as participate in research in those areas. Sharing both schoolwork and professional ambitions gives them opportunities to support each other in their academic journeys while also being motivated by a spirit of brotherly competition.

Forbes

Zachary Holman, the Fulton Schools’ vice dean for innovation, notes how a plethora of increasingly diverse skills among ASU’s faculty members has been helping to generate valuable knowledge and research progress that are producing technological progress leading to significant workforce growth in Arizona and beyond. One example is the work of Mariana Bertoni, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. Her work has aided development of next-generation chip manufacturing processes that she’s now scaling through a startup she co-founded and now leads as chief technology officer. It’s among other examples of research and knowledge generation at ASU that are creating economic engines and a growing number of ventures driving commercial innovation in aerospace, semiconductors and other prominent high-tech sectors. See also: 4 Ways Arizona’s Innovation Ecosystem Is Accelerating AI Growth In the U.S., Forbes. The article was also posted on the NEWSBREAK and MSN news websites.

Morning Overview

Recent studies have demonstrated that solar cells can be shaped into curved mirrors that can generate electricity as well as high temperature heat from a piece of small hardware. Called the PVMirror concept, it involves coating photovoltaic modules with wavelength-selective filters that can bend the modules into parabolic troughs so that part of the solar spectrum produces power while also concentrating thermal energy to power steam turbines or industrial processes. Fulton Schools Vice Dean for Research Innovation Zachary Holman has contributed to development of the PV Mirror. Further development is needed and various challenges must be overcome, but experts see the potential for significant progress. Details about earlier ASU solar energy research projects that that help to birth the PV Mirror concept were reported in a Fulton Schools’ Engineering News article in 2016.

The State Press

ASU students, alumni and industry professionals were drawn to the recent Venture Devils Demo Day, at which entrepreneurs showcase their business expertise and insights. The event came on the 10th anniversary of the eSeed Challenge, which over the years has led to funding for about 800 student entrepreneurs over the past decade, according to Professor Brent Sebold, director of Entrepreneurship + Innovation for the Fulton Schools. Professor Joy Griffin, the Fulton Schools director of venture development is helping to provide students business networking and entrepreneurship opportunities. Engineering science student Charlotte Moenich, for instance, is now the founder of a startup using 3D-printed buildable robots and a web-based learning platform to make STEM education accessible in underserved communities. Moenich received $4,000 in funding at Demo Day.

National Today

Eric Weissmann, a graduate research associate in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools is leading work to develop bio-inspired actuators that are poised to advance robotic technology through a newly developed type of air-powered muscle technology. It’s made of a helical anisotropically reinforced polymer, or HARP, material that resembles coiled pasta tubes, with a design that provides flexibility and lightweight construction and enables it to operate almost silently. Compared to traditional motors, the HARP actuators require much lower pressure to achieve powerful contractions and expansions, enabling robots to lift up to 100 times their own weight. Weissman says the technology opens up a new world of possibilities for robotics.

KJZZ News (NPR)

The rapid advance and fast-growing use of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology and the realistic imagery it can produce are making it increasingly difficult know how much of online content is real or fraudulent. Yezhou “YZ” Yang, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, is now developing a mechanism to decode the computer models being used to generate AI images. Yang is working on techniques to develop what are called fingerprints that could indicate where AI images are used. He is also looking into development of what is being called machine unlearning, a technique that focuses on removing specific and potentially harmful information from AI-generated media.

KTAR News – Phoenix

ASU is planning to train some of the next generation of medical professionals at its planned health campus in downtown Phoenix. The Fulton Schools will be among major contributors to pursuits at the campus by helping to provide the new school’s educational curriculum and having a role in leading its research pursuits. The new John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering on the site will give students opportunities to earn both a medical degree and an engineering degree through programs blending medicine, technology, engineering and the humanities. The medical schools’ emphasis on technology development is likely to provide Fulton Schools researchers with roles in projects aimed at making breakthroughs in early cancer detection and wearable health diagnosis technology. See also: ASU Breaks Ground on New Downtown Phoenix Health Campus, National Today (Phoenix Today) and ‘At the edge of the future’: ASU breaks ground for better health outcomes for Arizona, ASU News.

3TV/CBS 5 News – Phoenix

Through his expertise in computing and computer vision, Yezhou “YZ” Yang, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, has developed a technique providing digital fingerprint systems that can trace content generated by AI back to its original source. This decoding process can detect if an image is AI-generated, along with the model that produced the image,and also possibly reveal the user who requested the image. Through seeing tiny bits of change of the pixel values, it decodes hidden information that are put in images. Yang’s model creates images with a distinctive pattern that people can perceive. Arizona state lawmakers are now advancing a bill that would require AI toolmakers to add such invisible watermarks. Yang’s research extends beyond deepfake detection. He’s helping the Maricopa County Department of Transportation to develop technology that could revolutionize traffic safety by predicting crashes before they happen. See also: ASU researcher develops invisible watermark system to detect AI deepfakes, KOLD-13 News (Tucson)

Fox 10 News Phoenix

Artificial intelligence, or AI, can be helpful in some ways when it comes to seeking advice on mental health issues, but it should not be used as a substitute or alternative to consulting with mental health professionals, says Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. AI chatbots are in some ways trained to be appealing and to put users at ease, but that is not always the most effective approach when it comes to mental health situations, Kambhampati emphasizes. Some types of AI “have been trained to make you happy,” and to be reassuring, which could often fall short of providing people what they most need, he says. It’s OK to start with AI, but then it’s time to seek help from medical professionals. See also: Experts warn about relying on AI for mental health evaluations, Fox 10 News-Phoenix.

Arizona Republic

More than a dozen graduate degree programs offered by Arizona universities have made it onto the top 10 nationally in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, including several at ASU. More that 20 ASU programs made it onto the list overall, including the Fulton Schools’ environmental engineering graduate degree program. ASU’s environmental law and environmental policy and management graduate programs also made the national list. Industrial, manufacturing and systems engineering programs are ranked at 19. ASU’s graduate education programs overall ranked at number 19 nationally.

Smart Cities Dive

Current tools for monitoring microplastics that might pose public health risks are not optimally equipped to detect those potential dangers and could possibly produce misleading and unreliable information. Rolf Halden, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of the Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, explains why current analytical methods cannot be relied on to fully detect the smallest and most potentially dangerous particles in water supplies. Halden says public utilities should develop advanced monitoring methods capable of more reliably exposing the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics.

ASU News

ASU faculty researchers and students are testing the performance and resilience of today’s semiconductor technologies under some of the most challenging conditions. The university’s Extreme Environments Science and Technology Center serves the Southwest Advanced Prototyping, or SWAP, Hub, part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Microelectronics Commons, which is helping government and industry partners design technologies that are reliable in demanding circumstances. Hugh Barnaby, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, leads the SWAP Hub’s extreme environment reliability efforts, one of the facilities providing Fulton Schools students such as  Jerome Neuendank and Tyler Kirby hands-on experience and skills that will enhance their career opportunities.

KJZZ News (NPR)

Stronger, lighter and more versatile robots may be on the horizon if research by ASU mechanical engineering graduate student Eric Weissman and Jiefeng Sun, an assistant professor at the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, continues to achieve its aspirations. Through the work they are leading at ASU’s Robotic Actuators & Dynamics Lab, Wiessman and Sun are striving to enable make robots, more powerful, more complex and safer to operate. The robots are being designed to operate in adverse conditions, lift objects that are many times their own weight and bend themselves into different shapes so they can be effective on confined or clutters spaces. See also: US scientists make air-powered muscles that help robots lift 100x their weight, yahoo!tech; US Scientists Develop Air-Powered Robotic Muscles, US Scientists Develop Air-Powered Robotic Muscles, Let’s Data Science

3TV/CBS 5 News – Phoenix

Nancy Cooke, a human systems engineering professor in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, points to the potential dangers of relying on use of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology in military combat situation. Cooke points to AI’s unreliability of AI, citing a incident that led to missile strike on a school in Iran. She emphasized the need for AI to be a reliable teammate, not simply a proficient autonomous decision-maker, and she criticized one project for combining multiple systems without proper testing and safeguards. She also warned about the risks of AI escalating nuclear war and the importance of incorporating human intelligence in AI applications, such as drone usage in Ukraine. Cooke contends a lack of AI testing and safeguards can make these systems prone to errors and increasing the risk of causing disasters.

ASU News

A recent two-day event at ASU’s Tempe and Polytechnic campuses gave students interested in aerospace careers opportunities to hear from and network with prominent figures in the industry. Aerospace on Campus, presented by the Wings Club global society of aviation professionals and supported by the Fulton Schools, was particularly relevant to students in the university’s aeronautical management technology degree program. Students learned that the aerospace industry has important roles for not only aeronautical engineers, but for those in mechanical engineering and aeronautical management technology and one of the fastest growing areas in aviation, unmanned aerial systems, which focuses on drone operations, remote sensing, data collection and analysis. American Airlines Chief Operating Officer David Seymour told students they were fortunate to have the facilities and capabilities ASU offers to prepare them for a variety of careers both in and related to aviation.
 

ASU News

Fulton Schools students will be among those sharing the spotlight at the upcoming first-ever AZ Tech Week, with events around the state giving students opportunities to showcase their technology-related endeavors. Sponsored by the Arizona Commerce Authority, it will include more than 300 events at various locations. Among the attractions will be an ASU Drone Studio exhibition in one of the Fulton Schools’ facilities and an ASU DEVSPACE Demo Day pitch competition at the Engineering Center on ASU’s Tempe campus. In addition, a “Refurb-a-thon” will feature students recycling used computers to provide them to people in need of computing technology. To attend Tech Week events will require downloading the Partiful to apply for entry to each of the showcase and demo sessions.

ASU News

Robotics technologies are poised to become equipped with an expanding range of capabilities and more resilience and versatility that will boost their usefulness across many innovative science and engineering endeavors as well as numerous industrial operations. A recent research paper detailing this progress and its many potential impacts was coauthored by Jiefeng Sun, an assistant professor at the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools. Mechanical engineering doctoral student Eric Weissman, who works in Sun’s Robotic Actuators & Dynamics Lab at ASU was the research paper’s lead author. Along with fellow mechanical engineering doctor students Jiahe Wang and Rohan Khatavkar, Sun and Weissman are working to apply robotic applications for bio-inspired muscles that could help achieve advances in agriculture, health care, surgery and even space exploration. The article is also published in Interesting Engineering.

The Traveler

Since completing work in 2025 for a master’s degree in data science analytics through a program in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, Bhavya Pandya has put his education to work helping airlines keep flights on schedule and predict potential technical aviation-related problems more promptly. As a data scientist employed by GRAero and assigned to Envoy Air, a regional carrier in the American Airlines Group portfolio, Pandya is combining aviation-related theory, knowledge and applications especially in work reflecting a shift from retrospective analysis to predictive and preventative tools that is reshaping how airlines view their data — moving from forecasting and long-term planning to providing real-time recommendations that can narrow the window between detecting risks and taking  actions to mitigate them. That means Panda’s expertise is growing in importance in the aviation and air travel industries.

KQED (NPR) News

Carbonization helps give beer flavor and aroma. But carbonization achieved with today’s air capture technology can not only enhance the imbibing experience but also avoid the environmentally detrimental results of traditional carbon dioxide production. Klaus Lackner, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and founding director of ASU’s Center for Negative Carbon Emissions, talks about the economic and environmental benefits that can spring from more brewers adopting direct air capture to carbonate their beverages.

Tech Xplore

Nasir Amad, an infrastructure researcher with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is leading work to ensure communities can be prepared to face the devastating impacts of cascading infrastructure failures. He recently ran more than 100,000 unique simulations to assess the likelihood of cascading grid failures in the infrastructure of modern U.S. cities. That approach enabled realistically simulating infrastructure vulnerabilities even when detailed data was scarce, says Mikhail Chester, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Ahmad, Chester and their colleagues hope to expand efforts for testing their infrastructure protection strategies across other cities.

The State Press

A fear of the unknown is casting doubt on the future of computer science as a stable career choice, says Professor Kevin Gary, associate director of student affairs in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. Recent enrollment at ASU of new students in computer science and software engineering degree programs has dipped by more than 1,000 students in the recent years. Some students and faculty members say artificial intelligence technology, or AI, has planted a seed of uncertainty in students about the prospects of a computer science career. Others point out that AI is on path to impact many career fields, so faculty members say the answer is not avoiding change but learning how to adapt to it.

Time Magazine

A “more is better” mentality can become a problem when something better used or ingested in moderation is touted as something recommended for frequent or constant use. One instance is the growing intake of super-high fiber foods touted to supposedly aid disease prevention, gut health and digestion. The old-school approach of strategic moderation is moving by the wayside. Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and an engineer who directs Arizona State’s Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, is among experts warning about overuse through popular trends such as fibermaxxing, proteinmaxxing and sleepmaxxing, which can present health risks. Krajmalnik-Brown and other experts offer some healthier alternatives.

AZ Big Media

Desert trees, shrubs and cactus plants provide attractive landscapes along the roadsides of many miles of freeways throughout the greater Phoenix metro region. The Arizona Department of Transportation and ASU are now partnering to study how much water is needed to irrigate those expansive freeway landscapes to keep the plant life health while also conserving water. Experts in the Fulton Schools and the university’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory will be collaborating on the effort. Led by the director of water conservation innovation for the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, the project will focus on increasing efficiency in water conservation, which should translate into significant gains in water saving throughout Phoenix and surrounding areas. The work will also provide ASU students hands-on experience in water systems ecology, infrastructure and even related public policy, particularly students in engineering, conservation, landscape architecture, construction management and data science.

Fox 10 News Phoenix

Amazon’s autonomous vehicle rideshare company is bringing more self-driving automobile technology to the Phoenix area. It is among a growing number of driverless car operations making the metro region a hotspot for cutting edge automotive technology. YZ Yang, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, notes that the amount of talent and expertise being produced by the region’s educational institutions, including ASU, has been helping to set the stage for the increasing development and deployment of autonomous vehicle operations. Yang and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego also note that community support for accommodating autonomous vehicles has helped pave the for acceptance of the self-driving technology in the growing metropolitan area.

ASU News

ASU is continuing to support U.S. Department of Defense national security priorities through the expertise of its faculty researchers. A recent event on the ASU Tempe campus, “Research to Readiness: Showcasing ASU Expertise in Partnership with the DOD,” brought together experts in various fields at the university whose work is helping to support the defense department through the improving the nation’s military resources, readiness and resilience. Among those involved in such projects are faculty members in two of the Fulton Schools, Jamie Gorman,  a professor of human systems engineering in The Polytechnic School and director of the Center for Human, Artificial Intelligence and Robot Teaming, whose expertise includes mechanical engineering and wearable robotics, and Thomas Sugar, a professor in School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, whose works includes improving wearable robotics and exoskeletons.

ASU News

An airborne survey of recent snowfall over northeastern Arizona revealed that the recent drier and warmer than usual winter in the region resulted in most of the snow earlier this year melting by mid-March. That snow feeds the Salt River Project’s network of reservoirs, providing water to more 2.5 million people in the Phoenix metro area. Thus, the early snow melt resulted in a significant drop in water availability from that region. Enrique Vivoni, a Professor of Hydrosystems Engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of ASU’s Center for Hydrologic Innovations affiliated with the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, is among experts playing a key role in seeking to translate measurements of snow melt from airplane flights into more accurate forecasts from Salt River Project’s snowfall to provide better water availability assessments to guide water supply management for Phoenix area cities. See an updated article: Winter heat caused rapid snowmelt in Salt River system, KZZ News (NPR- Phoenix

The State Press

A major thrust of the activities of the Rossum Rumblers Robotics Club at ASU is creating robots for a variety of competitions. Members are currently designing and developing robots for the 2026 VEX Robotics Championship in St. Louis. Among those involved are club members Enzo Muggler, Reinert Webb and Alessandro Marcolini, robotics engineering students in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools. They are taking on challenges to implement new robotics software and hardware strategies to prepare for the competitive events at the championship. The team qualified for the world championship by running a recent skills challenge event at a local high school competition and scoring points in both autonomous and robotic driver skill runs while earning the highest judged award among other university teams that competed. A brief related summary report is posted on the National Today news website.

ASU News

The recent “Transforming Water, West” conference at ASU brought together researchers, technology leaders, entrepreneurs, policy makers and investors to explore potential solutions to the growing water challenges in the western U.S. Among them were Professors Bruce Rittmann and Paul Westerhoff, both professors School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Rittmann, who is also director of ASU’s Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology talked about possibilities of using wastewater systems as resource factories from which to recover energy, nutrients and reusable water. Westerhoff focused on overcoming inefficiencies in infrastructural systems that cause biocorrosion and contaminants that pose serious threats to human health. See related news story: What experts say it will take to solve West’s water problems AZ Big Media

BBC Science Focus

One scientific method proven effective in losing fat is simply eating less food than needed to fuel your body each day. But recent scientific findings indicate it’s almost impossible to accurately count calorie intake. In fact, experts think the definition of what a calorie actually is may take some serious rethinking. Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, a professor in the  School in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools and director of ASU’s Center for Health Through Microbiomes, says all calories are not the same, and that depending on what you eat and how many microbes are thriving in your gut, different amounts of the calories in your food may actually be converted into energy rather than fat. Other ASU experts offer related dietary insights.

The State Press

Concerns about how current population growth in the U.S. Southwest will present major challenges in the region to maintain an adequate supply of water was a major thrust of the recent Transforming Waster West conference at ASU’s Walton Center for Planetary Health. Experts foresee the possibility of a critical situation if solutions are not enacted soon. The conference’s keynote speaker, Bruce Rittman, a professor in the School in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools and director of ASU’s Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, helped to define the problems the challenges present as well as offering potential solutions.

The State Press

Researchers at ASU are collaborating with public agencies, industry partners and government leaders in communities throughout the greater Phoenix area through the Southwest Pavement Technology Consortium to help ensure the region’s growing transportation and roadway infrastructure is adequately maintained. The effects of extreme heat in area that puts a serious strain on that infrastructure is among the major challenges the consortium faces. Hazan Ozer, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, talks about the strategies and networking consortium members are using to share information, exchange ideas and devise solutions to enable preserving and improving the performance of road pavements.

Tech Briefs

A robotic “second hand” is being developed at ASU to provide an endoscopic surgery platform for improving medical treatment for colorectal cancer. The project team is led by Hamid Marvi, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools. The treatment is reducing the time needed for the treatment as well as reducing muscle damage during the procedure. After two years of testing the prototype of the platform is now fully operational and Marvi foresees the project moving on to pre-clinical testing by next year in preparation for applying for approval from a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ASU News

ASU and the nation of Thailand are showing how international partnerships can spark productive evolution of the growing semiconductor industry. As part of an expansive strategy to fulfill that aspiration, ASU is working with partners in Thailand on faculty and curriculum development, with a focus on expanding workforce training pathways for engineers, technicians and early-career professionals. The collaboration is aiming at developing a model for national semiconductor capacity-building that can be adapted beyond Southeast Asia, says Jeffrey Goss, an ASU associate vice provost, executive director of Global Outreach and Extended Education and an assistant dean in the Fulton Schools.

ASU News

Many stretches of open land along Phoenix-area freeways feature scenically enhanced environments with desert trees, shrubs and cactuses, but those landscapes across thousands of acres are requiring a lot of water. The Arizona Department Transportation is now partnering with ASU to look at how to sustain those environs as water demand rises across 250 miles of landscaped and irrigated freeways in metro Phoenix. To find ways to use less water while keeping plant life healthy, the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative project based at ASU will work with experts in the Fulton Schools to support the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Landscape Water Use Efficiency Project. Some students in conservation, landscape architecture, engineering, construction management and data science programs are already assisting in those efforts.

The State Press

ASU’s Sun Devil Rocketry team is enabling Fulton Schools students to put what they are learning into a multi-year, hands-on projects with the potential to contribute to progress in aerospace engineering. Team members recently took major steps in a multi-year project to develop a liquid rocket that would enable higher degree of operational control in rocketry operations. Aerospace engineering students Aron Magnus and Bria Erimli and mechanical engineering student Thomas Booska provide details on projects that promise to contribute to refinements and other improvements in the design, electronics, control systems, engine technology, acceleration and launching systems of rockets.

ASU News

King’s College London, the University of New South Wales and ASU are strategic partners in Security & Defence PLus, which focuses on identifying and helping to seek solutions to global challenges. The partnership’s recent panel discussion, “Emerging Voices Series: Strategy, Security and Defense,” took place at ASU and focused on defining pathways to developing leadership, education and research partnerships to give universities platforms from which to effectively pursue and achieve the partnership’s goals. Among participants were Fulton Schools leaders, faculty members and students, including Hannah Kerner, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, and Nadya Bliss, executive director of ASU’s Advanced Capabilities for National Security Institute and a professor of practice in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, as well as Myke Cohen, a human systems engineering doctoral student.

ASU News

Students aspiring to make bold moves in their careers are finding the skills to help them achieve their goals through ASU master’s degrees programs. Among them are Fulton Schools students Coben Bourguet in industrial engineering, Ammon Hall and Zachary Goode in manufacturing engineering, and Sunny Amatya in systems engineering. In this article first featured in the spring 2026 issue of ASU Thrive magazine, they and other ASU students point to the wide range of flexible, industry-aligned degree programs and opportunities for internships that offer pathways tailored to help students pursue nearly all of their professional goals.
 

Psychology Today

Despite scientific advances in understanding autism, there are still gaps in establishing solidly verifiable evidence for effective methods of treatment for people with the affliction, particularly children. But studies by ASU researchers, including Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of ASU’s Center for Health Through Microbiomes, show probiotic supplements have a positive effect on reducing the distress caused by autism. They have established the certainty of the causal connection between human gut health and autism affliction, especially in children, and shown that probiotic supplements reduce gastric distress and significantly ease autism symptoms.

ASU News

When the quality of health care and the people who help to advance and maintain it is the topic, it’s not typically engineers who first come to mind. But that is the field of expertise increasingly viewed as crucial to overcoming the challenges of boosting medical services to adequately meet the health needs of the growing U.S. populace — including the need for more medical education. In an extensive interview, Heather Clark, director of the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, goes into extensive detail about why engineering and the quality of health care are today more inextricably intertwined.

ASU News

Copper has recently been added to the U.S. critical minerals list as one of the minerals that are most vital to life in America. ASU is partnering with the metals company Freeport-McMoRan to develop advanced technologies to make domestic copper mining more efficient. Among those involved are Yuri Korobeinikov, a metals expert and assistant research professor in the  School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, and Wenlong Zhang, an associate professor of manufacturing engineering and the research director in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks. Both schools are a part of the Fulton Schools. Zhang will work with Binil Starly, director of the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, to integrate robotics and AI in into project.

Frontiers in Science

Across the world more than half of wastewater is not being treated. The result is a significant and growing threat to water resources, vital ecosystems and wildlife. In this commentary, Bruce Rittmann, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, and Cesar Torres, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, both part of the Fulton Schools, give details on the recent advances in wastewater technologies, such as microbial electrochemical technologies, and the new and improved wastewater treatment options those advancements are making possible. The advances could provide business models for wastewater treatments that would enable automated energy, nutrient, and water recovery to be implemented by industries and by municipalities.

The State Press

ASU’s Police Department will put three electric vehicles into service as part of an effort to cut down on the expense using of gasoline powered vehicles. The department hopes to achieve significant savings without experiencing drawbacks in the performance of its public safety duties. Bhavik Bakshi, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, also sees the benefit of reducing environmentally harmful greenhouse gas emissions by cutting down on gasoline use. Still, there will be challenges to ensure electric vehicles can eventually be recycled in ways that ensure they and their batteries don’t end up in landfills where they could be environmentally detrimental.
 

The State Press

As artificial intelligence, or AI, technology becomes better at mimicking reality in images and video, it is also becoming more difficult to discern deceptive AI creations. University professors and other experts in artificial intelligence technology offer guidance to students on recognizing when and where AI is being used and when to be wary of it. Nancy Cooke, a human systems engineering professor in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, explains the misconceptions that lead people to think of AI like it is human, but those human-like features can lead to misconceptions that AI will truly understand and empathize with its users.
 

ASU News

Stephanie Forrest’s contributions to computation in biology, such as modeling of immunological processes and evolutionary diseases, as well as cybersecurity and software engineering, have earned her ASU’s highest faculty honor. The director of ASU’s Biodesign Center for Biocomputation, Security and Society, Forrest is now an ASU Regents Professor, a title recognizing national and international distinction and significant contributions to various fields of expertise and to ASU’s mission. A faculty member in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, Forrest’s accomplishments also include work as a U.S. Department of State senior science advisor for cyber policy.

ASU News

Professors Treavor Boyer, Paul Westerhoff and Bruce Rittman, professors in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, are seeking ways to ensure the U.S. will have a secure and affordable supply of phosphate in the future. Phosphate is valuable in agriculture as a key ingredient in fertilizers but growing global demand and unpredictable trade policies have increased prices for fertilizer, putting financial pressure on U.S. farmers to stay in business. To find solutions, Boyer is looking at capturing phosphate from water use in bathrooms, Westerhoff is exploring capturing valuable materials from waste materials and Rittmann is working with bacteria that can produce methane to provide natural gas.

NVIDIA

The new the NVIDIA DGX Spark desktop supercomputer is enabling a variety of creative new uses of artificial intelligence, including some at ASU. The supercomputer’s enhanced performance enables local deployment of large AI applications, from clinical report evaluators to robotics perception systems. At the same time, it keeps sensitive data on site and shortening iteration loops for reuse by researchers and learners. A team at ASU led by Yezhou Yang, associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, is using DGX Spark to power advanced perception and robotics research, AI‑enabled, search-and-rescue robotic dogs and tools to assist visually impaired users.

ASU News

Fulton Schools faculty members are continuing to help keep ASU among universities where research is leading to technologies that are earning U.S. patent awards. Among the leading patent awardees are Hamid Marvi, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, and Yezhou Yang, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence. Both schools are part of the Fulton Schools. Together, Marvi and Yang are advancing the abilities of robotic technologies in ways that combine robotics and artificial intelligence to improve humans’ lives. The advances are particularly helping to improve medical care, especially in cases in which precise and intricate surgical techniques are required.

ASU News

The National Academy of Inventors’ Top 100 Worldwide Universities list places ASU 9^th in the world for a third consecutive year. Helping to maintain that ranking was the work of Shane Johnson, a research scientist in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, along with Jake Okun and Thomas Sugar, both faculty members in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks. Both schools are part of the Fulton Schools. Johnson developed a way to find the optimal growth conditions for group of alloys that play a role in producing valuable semiconductor materials. Sugar and Okun developed a wearable assistive device for people who struggle with movement due to lower limb weakness.

National Public Radio/The 1A org/ WAMU 88.5 American University

The disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, mother of a popular “Today” television program host, is capturing national attention as the FBI continues an investigation. Law enforcement officials note that a doorbell camera had been removed from Guthrie’s home and later the director of the FBI reported the video from the camera was recovered but did provide any other details. The situation is sparking questions about privacy rights and other legal technicality issues regarding release of any data on the camera footage. Jaron Mink, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, comments on various factors that could make it difficult to recover or access the camera data. A related report comes from ABC News 15 Arizona.

ABC 15 News Arizona

New semiconductor plants and expanding data centers are among the types of businesses sparking an industrial boom in Arizona. But with that trend come challenges to deal with the contaminated industrial wastewater produced these kinds of operations. Research Associate Professor Shahnawaz Sinha and Associate Professor Tiezheng Tong in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, whose expertise includes water quality research, industrial water treatment, water purification and related pursuits, comment on various options such as use of advanced membrane filtration technology and mobile water recycling systems that could be used to help overcome the problem.

ASU News

A special agreement between ASU and the U.S. Army Installation Management Command will allow Army installations across the country to tap into the university’s innovative work for use in energy services. Ryan Milcarek, assistant director of ASU’s Energy Efficiency Center and an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, will play a leading role in carrying out the project objectives under the agreement. Milcarek and others at ASU hope to see expanded use the energy expertise of the university’s faculty and researchers become a model that can be applied to aiding other Army bases around the country in securely and sustainably meeting their energy needs.

The State Press

The stellar performance of an ASU iGEM team that last year was among the most successful of competitors in an annual international competition hosted for more than two decades by the iGem Foundation bodes well for chances for future accomplishments. The team’s advisor, Benjamin Bartelle, a professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, says students also got opportunities to present projects to a private technology licensing group ASU uses to manage patents. Among the standouts have been Nicole Salazar, the 2025 iGEM team’s leader, computer science student Michelle Kim and mechanical engineering student Ryan Crane. An upcoming “Idea Bowl,” will give students opportunities to form teams to develop projects for the 2026 season.

Arizona Digital Free Press

Miesha Stoute, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer systems engineering from ASU through her studies in the Fulton Schools, is the new chair of the Arizona Science Center’s 2026 Galaxy Gala, the center’s annual funding event supporting science education, innovation and access to technology, engineering and mathematics programs in Arizona. The center’s president lauds Stoute’s leadership, vision and dedication to science, technology, engineering and math education. Stoute, who is also president of Universal Laser Systems Inc., a global manufacturer of laser material processing technology, says she sees her role as helping to inspire and prepare the next generation of thinkers, creators, and leaders.  

ASU News

Dozens of ASU researchers will participate in the upcoming American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting at the Phoenix Convention Center. Among them will be Fulton Schools faculty members who will give presentations and lead discussions about their most recent work. Among them will be Trevor Boyer, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment and Jennifer Bekki, a professor in The Polytechnic School, A panel of experts will examine Boyer’s to work quantify the environmental benefits of replacing conventionally mined phosphorus fertilizer with urine-derived phosphorus fertilizer when producing beef and plant-based burgers. Bekki will be co-presenter at workshop focusing on factors that shape the experiences of disabled people in navigating the ableism embedded in higher education. Mindy Kimball, Alexander Mobley and Marion Acevedo Rios will co-lead a session on microgrids.

ASU News

Eric Davis is among those who have demonstrated that the ASU Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program provides a clear path to career readiness. The scholarship offers years of need-based funding, staff support, mentorship and exclusive curriculum. Davis entered the foster care system at age 5. Later the directors of a group home in which he lived urged him to attend an event about the Pulliam program and apply for a scholarship. He went on to graduate from the Fulton Schools with an engineering management bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in industrial engineering. He recently completed officer’s training school through the Virginia National Guard and now provides management for government projects.

The State Press

ASU’s football stadium was nearly packed recently with about 600 young students from local Arizona schools and 160 volunteers for the fourth annual STEM “Game Day” event. The focus was on introducing middle school students to engineering — including how engineers play a role in putting on big events like ASU Sun Devil game days. Fulton Schools civil engineering graduate Zachary Lambros, who led the event hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona, said the gathering was about a shortage of engineers and showing youngsters a career in the field is attainable. Among volunteers for the event was Esther Low, a Fulton Schools biomedical engineering student, who noted that an introduction to STEM fields at a young age led to her passion for engineering.

The State Press

Making autonomous systems more capable, more trustworthy and better able to cooperate with humans efficiently and safely in everyday environments is the goal of research led by Siddharth Srivastava, a professor the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. A major thrust of the work in his Autonomous Agents and Intelligent Robots laboratory involves expanding the abilities of AI systems, including robots and digital assistants, to reuse knowledge to complete various tasks, rather than having to relearn knowledge for each individual task. That’s part of a broader endeavor to develop autonomous AI systems capable of performing tasks reliably and safely in real-world settings. Undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students are involved in the work.

KJZZ News (NPR)

In a NASA funded project led by Pooyan Fazli, an assistant professor in The GAME School, and Hasti Seifi, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, involves development of augmented reality glasses to enable people to see the details of various medical procedures in real time. The technology could be especially useful to people in rural areas, other remote areas and even in space. Fazli and Seifi are working with ASU’s nursing school to develop the technology through the use of medical manikins. They hope to also collaborate with community health centers and hospitals as their work progresses. They foresee the technology enabling family caregivers and others to help people when professional medical care is not readily accessible.

Insurance News Net Magazine

Presenters at a recent Microsoft AI Skills Fest reported that a large percentage of organizations today are not confident that they are able to adequately detect or prevent loss of their sensitive data. In addition, most corporate data collections remain unclassified, ungoverned and unprotected. As a result, corporations and institutions are accelerating their adoption of AI to strengthen defenses against data breaches. Hasan Davulcu, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, who teaches AI governance, explainable AI and the responsible deployment of intelligent systems, offers potential solutions to various aspects of the situation. 

MSN

Among the new generation of biomedical entrepreneurs applying recent research discoveries to developing new technologies to improve human health is Jessica Weaver, an associate professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. She is advancing cell therapy innovation through her startup, ImmunoShield Therapeutics, a company that is developing a hydrogel-based cell-encapsulation platform designed to protect transplanted therapeutic cells from being rejected by the human immune system. Weaver is being assisted by Fulton Schools biomedical engineering postdoctoral researcher Matthew Becker. Collaborations with ASU’s Skysong Innovations and the Fulton Schools’ Venture Devils program are helping to navigate early-stage development and patenting of the technologies.
See also: Engineering-driven startups at ASU advance biomedical innovation, News Medical

ASU News

ASU researchers are exploring the use of DNA nanostructures as carriers of digital information as a way to improve the storage of increasingly accumulating data and to help secure the information from unintended access. Chao Wang, an associate professor in the ASU’s School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, is among leaders of the effort. Wang explains how the project brings together DNA nanotechnology, super-resolution optical imaging, high-speed electronic readouts and machine learning to better understand the function of DNA nanostructures. Wang says the work also brings together semiconductor technology and biology for applications of advanced biosensing in programmable nanodevices.

KJZZ News (NPR)

Facing drought conditions and a decrease in allocation of water from the Colorado River, Arizonans are being challenged to find ways to effectively boost water conservation. Among those exploring solutions are Associate Professor Tiezcheng Tong and Associate Research Professor Shahnawaz Sinha in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. They are pursuing possibilities for treating briny wastewater produced by manufacturing and industrial processes in ways that will remove salt, making it suitable for a variety of uses. One system being developed would turn the brine into fresh water while also reducing water pollution and extracting usable salt. The system would also be mobile.

Fox 10 News Phoenix

ASU has expanded its research facilities with the opening of a new interdisciplinary science and technology center for research and education that is part of the School School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools.The center offers advanced manufacturing facilities and state-of-the-art equipment for hands-on training in manufacturing engineering, robotics engineering, and related areas. Students benefit from practical experience with industrial robots and technologies widely used in manufacturing operations. The facilities enable hands-on training that helps to provide students theoretical knowledge as well as experience in the use of industry-standard equipment, preparing them to become qualified for employment in manufacturing and robotics industries.

US News & World Report

That stature of some of ASU’s online bachelor’s and master’s degree programs as among the best in the U.S. was bolstered by inclusion of several Fulton Schools programs in rankings by the US News & World Report national magazine. Those included the first-ever appearance in the rankings of the master’s degree program in information technology. Fulton Schools online engineering programs ranked at 16th overall, with electrical engineering and engineering management programs ranking second in the nation and industrial engineering ranking third, ahead of similar programs at some of the most prestigious universities in the country.

The State Press

ASU plans to add Advanced Technology fees for students starting next fall. It will help pay for artificial intelligence tools and related systems and digital experiences to help advance students’ education in the skills necessary for them to work in many of today’s evolving major industries. Kasim Selcuk Candan, a professor at the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, notes that these new technologies will provide students access to educational resources that can adapt to their individual learning styles. Most importantly, these efforts are seen as a way ASU can help fulfill its responsibility to prepare students for the world of the future.

Arizona Republic

Experts are touting the air around us as a promising source of the additional supply of water the world increasingly needs. At the recent International Atmospheric Water Harvesting Summit at ASU, Paul Westerhoff, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, pointed to the sky as a place from which to harvest water to drink. Both researchers and entrepreneurs discussed possibilities of “drinking from the air” to provide water for people, for agriculture and military forces. Westerhoff and others point to the possibilities of creating water on demand around the world and enjoying water without threatening contaminants often found in ground water.

The New York Times

A prominent computer scientist recognized as a leading artificial intelligence expert who helped to develop technology to create chatbots says many tech companies are on a disturbing path to creating more intelligent machines. Yan LeCun contends today’s A.I. systems are making more mistakes as they are used to take on more complex tasks. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, agrees today’s A.I. technologies don’t always provide a path to true intelligence, but says they are still useful in many positive ways, though he adds that producers and users of A.I. systems must be vigilant about the potential shortcomings of these technologies.

The State Press

Students in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools, are working with the Los Alamos National Laboratory through a partnership that is enabling them and other ASU engineering students to engage in research on national projects. Students’ work is supporting the national laboratory’s evolving progress in manufacturing and materials processing pursuits. They’re also participating in production of materials for nuclear reactor energy and medical applications. Students majoring in computer science, electrical systems engineering and other engineering fields also say the hands-on experiences are clearly enhancing both their education and research skills.

Fox 10 News Phoenix

ASU and the Salt River Project utility company are partnering to use NASA-developed aircraft technology to measure mountain snowpacks in a project aimed at gathering data to aid efforts to improve water management in the greater Phoenix area. Enrique Vivoni, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, is involved in the project to improve predictions about the water coming into reservoirs, which will help officials manage water use more effectively. Other ASU researchers, as well as students, will contribute by analyzing results of the snow mapping enabled by the aircraft.
See also: ASU, SRP project takes flight to improve water supply forecasting, ASU News and in AZ Big Media.

KJZZ News (NPR)

Raghu Nandivada’s, who earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Fulton Schools, has started the company called Padma Agrobotics. The company is working with farmers to bring technology powered by artificial intelligence, or AI, into agricultural operations. The president of the Arizona Farm Bureau reports the agriculture community is embracing the new automation. One of the robots acts as a mobile scarecrow. Other machines pull weeds from the ground with their mechanical arms. The technology is helping farmers cope with labor shortages and higher expenses. Read more in a post on this page dated January 8 linking to an article on ASU News and other news sites.

ASU News

ASU engineering students are being trained to also be entrepreneurs, says biomedical engineer David Brafman, associate director of academic excellence in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. Those students have an example to follow in Jessica Weaver, an associate professor in the school whose startup venture is contributing to a growing wave of engineering-driven health care innovations. Her company, ImmunoShield Therapeutics, is developing technology to avoid the immune system from rejecting transplanted therapeutics cells. The venture is among others giving graduate and undergraduate students opportunities to work with faculty members on research to develop promising health care and medical advances.

ASU News

A device created by the late Nongjian Tao, an electrical engineering professor in the Fulton Schools and former director of ASU’s Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, spurred more extensive research that enabled the use  of molecular electronics, nanoelectronics, chemical and biological sensors, and wireless devices to monitor human health. Erika Forzani, a research professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, worked with Tao to develop the Mindset Medical app. The device has made remote sensing easier, enabling people to monitor and measure their vital signs on a mobile device. Forzani notes Tao’s creativity in adapting modern technological advances to help pave the way for mobile health care.

Hanoi Times

Jeffrey Goss, executive director of the Fulton Schools’ Office of Global Partnerships and Extended Education, is helping to strengthen ASU’s international connections to leaders in Vietnam. Such efforts are also aiding the U.S. overall in developing more productive partnerships with the southeast Asian country, which will also help both ASU and the U.S. benefit from a stronger role in the continuing growth of the robust international semiconductor industry. Goss sees involvement in Vietnam’s growing efforts to train its workforce, promote research and strengthen its national intellectual capacity in the semiconductor sector also bolstering ASU’s stature as an institution with a significant and positive international impact.

The State Press

Arizona Board of Regents Grant Invests In Research with Defense, Commercial Uses

Faculty: Saeed Zeinolabedinzadeh (ECEE) Ayan Mallik (PTS-Polytechnic School)
Funding for research at ASU that is expected to provide technological advances designed to benefit U.S. national defense endeavors will support the work of two Fulton Schools’ faculty members. Ayan Mallik, a professor at The Polytechnic School is developing a more efficient and quickly acting drone charging system that will operate more efficiently and keeps drones airborne for longer periods of time. Saeed Zeinolabedinzadeh, a professor at ASU’s School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, will develop more precise positioning, navigation and timing systems that operate where global positioning and navigation system cannot.

ASU News

New construction and enhancements of exisiting facilities in the recent year continue shape ASU’s built environment in ways that support the university’s learning, research and community engagement aspirations. Among projects that most extensively reflect those objectives is the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building, or ISTB 12, on ASU’s Polytechnic campus. The building is home to the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools, and serves as the hub for robotics, manufacturing and engineering education at ASU. ISTB12 now supports more than 100 classes and 10,000 student users each year in an environment designed to cultivate collaboration among students, faculty and industry partners.

ASU News

A challenge from his mother to make a robot that could remove weeds to help his family of farmers boost their harvests sparked Raghu Nandivada’s interest in engineering education. Only a little more than half a decade later, Nandivada was earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the Fulton Schools and going to work in the semiconductor industry. He went on to start the Padma AgRobotics company that today is developing smart products for agriculture and helping to advance the industry with innovative robotic tools and the use of artificial intelligence. Agricultural automation is helping farmers stay in business today as U.S. farm owners are struggling to retain workers. The article is also posted on Farms.com and on the Precision Farming Dealer website.

ASU News

In an article also featured in a recent edition of ASU Thrive magazine, the contributions of Medhi Nikkhah, a professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering , and Justin Ryan, a recent Fulton Schools biomedical engineering doctoral graduate, are noted in the development of a breakthrough that aids the work of surgeons using 3D printed heart models. For more than a decade, Nikkhah has been working on cardiac regeneration and disease modeling to develop engineered heart tissues that can help repair damage from heart attacks. Ryan, now leading the 3D Innovations Lab at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, says the breakthrough enables physicians to essentially hold patients’ heart in their hand before operating.

Chandler Independent

Jeremy Abbott, who earned a master’s degree from the Fulton Schools in environmental and resource management with a concentration on water resources, is the new director of Public Works and Utilities for the city of Chandler. He comes to the job with more than 25 years of experience in municipal leadership, civil engineering and water resources management, having also earned the stature of registered professional engineer, certified water and wastewater operator and a certified public manager. Previously, Abbot earned a degree in environmental engineering and public affairs and later was Chandler’s assistant public works and water resources director, overseeing more than 300 employees and optimizing a $1.4 billion water and wastewater infrastructure capital improvement program.

KTAR News – Phoenix

Over the past year ASU continued on a path that has helped it achieve an all-time high of $1 billion in research funding for the 2024 fiscal year. That pace has now placed the university at 37^th nationwide among all research institutions and 21^st among public universities. The boost in national research institution rankings is due to a significant degree to ASU having recently placed first nationwide for engineering research expenditures, putting it ahead of ahead of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Arizona. Overall, ASU has for the first time surpassed $1 billion in annual research funding and ranks sixth in industrial and manufacturing engineering research expenditures as well as in civil engineering research expenditures.

See also: Research expenditures ranking underscores ASU’s dramatic growth in high-impact science, ASU News
Arizona State University Surpasses $1 Billion In Research Spending, Cementing Its Role As A National Science Leader, The Ritz Herald (RH Newsroom)

Asia Nikkei

The Arizona Commerce Authority reports that at least 25,000 new jobs will be created by the expanding semiconductor manufacturing operations in the state. Intel and TSMC have built two of the world’s largest semiconductor chipmaking operations in Arizona, which have drawn more than $200 billion in investments from major chipmakers and suppliers. Kyle Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools, comments on how ASU’s educational offerings in the high-tech realm are contributing to supporting workforce development and production of talent that are essential to the growth and success of these major chip manufacturers. The Fulton Schools is also providing companies a source for recruitment of skilled international students.

Morning AgClips

Led by Elham Fini, an associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, a research team is developing an algae-based asphalt binder to make roads more durable in cold climates. The binder can help protect drivers and pedestrians from the potential hazards that arise when ice and snow damaged paved surfaces. The algae-derived compounds show promise for improving moisture resistance and enabling self-healing in asphalt, potentially extending pavement life and creating more sustainable, resilient and environmentally responsive roadways.

Newsweek

PlasticList, a database showing many popular highly processed food items sold at major dining chains in the U.S. contain high levels of chemicals commonly found in products that have contact with plastics during production, packaging or delivering processes. Studies show chemical in these plastics can leach into food products and cause harm to human health. Rolf Halden, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and the director of ASU’s Biodesign Center for Environmental Health Engineering, is among experts warning of an array of harmful impacts these plastics can have on the health of humans and animals.

Peoria Times

Having recently been awarded a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering through the  School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of Fulton Schools, Kavya Walia now aims to earn a graduate degree in the field through the Fulton Schools’ accelerated master’s program in environmental engineering and deepen her focus on water quality and environmental remediation. Her undergraduate education included an internship involving work on water treatment system projects. She hopes to work in consulting and remediation and pursue efforts to expand clean water access in low-income communities. Walia credits her undergraduate experiences for giving her the confidence and connections needed to excel in her profession.

CPG (Click Petróleo e Gas)

Researchers are developing new ways to make paving materials such as asphalt more resilient and less detrimental to the environment. Among them is Elham Fini, an associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Fini’s work is contributing to efforts to reduce global dependence on oil for the production of essential road materials. Her team is also developing materials to improve moisture resistance, provide more elasticity and self-repair to extend the time pavement can maintain structural toughness. Among solutions is an asphalt reinforced with microalgae oil that significantly reduces pavement deformation in extreme cold and decreases harmful emissions.

See also: Strengthening asphalt roads with a unique green ingredient, the microbiologist
Algae-based asphalt binder strengthens roads for cold climates, PHYS.ORG

ASU News

One of the world’s leading universities for science and engineering education and research , ETH Zurich, in Switzerland, has recognized ASU Regents Professor Alexandra Navrotsky for innovative and impactful contributions to materials science and geophysics research. As a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, and in ASU’s School of Molecular Sciences, Navrotsky has helped to drive progress that has had many beneficial impacts. Her research is credited for important insights into how materials store and release energy and behave under extreme conditions and how those properties can be applied to challenges in energy, Earth and planetary sciences, and advanced materials design.

The State Press

Students will learn from leading scientists and engineers with expertise in data science, analytics, cognition, reasoning, perception, decision making, statistical learning and related areas in a new artificial intelligence, or AI, doctoral degree program in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. School Director and Professor Ross Maciejewski details what the program will offer to provide not only knowledge about AI and the skills to use it productively but also to prepare students to perform research to advance AI. Professor Siddharth Srivastava, chair for the AI program’s doctoral and master’s degree programs, says the goal is to equip students with the expertise to develop the next generation of more reliable, resilient, effective AI technology.

ASU News

Four Fulton Schools students make up one of only two ASU student teams selected to compete in the Global AI Challenge after being finalists in the Arizona AI Challenge. Team captain Stevie Cervantes is a computer systems engineering student and members Chandler Farrington, Journey Hancock and Dvir Hamu are computer science students in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. Their team was one of 20 participating in the Arizona AI Challenge, in which students developed AI-enabled tools to help people with neurodiversity. The team, named Capstone because they competed while working on their engineering capstone projects, is refining their AI assistant in an effort to win seed funding at the upcoming Global AI Challenge.

AZO Build

A recently developed bio-based asphalt binder made from algae boosts the durability of pavement in freezing weather and at the same time reduces hazardous carbon emissions. The binder is the work of a research team led by Elham Fini, an associate professor a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Guided by Fini’s expertise in bio-based and bio-inspired materials, adhesives and sealants for use in construction, the team devised ways to use algae-derived compounds to help improve asphalt’s moisture resistance, flexibility, and self-healing ability to extend pavement life and cut environmentally harmful emissions.

Phoenix Business Journal

Fulton Schools researchers and colleagues in ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Research Technology Office of Knowledge Enterprise, will be part of a team working with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop new applications for advanced microreactor technologies to enhance the abilities of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence, or AI. ASU and its partners will help provide tools and systems to position the U.S. as a leader in advanced AI technology. Among key goals are advances in energy applications needed for AI data center enhancements. Meeting fast-growing AI nuclear power requirements is now seen as a national priority.

3TV/CBS 5 News – Phoenix

Chao Wang, an associate professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, and his research team are developing a blood test administered through what is described as a rapid electronic detection tool that uses nano-particles to function as biomarkers for detecting infectious and/or chronic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, COVID, Ebola and Lyme  disease. Wang foresees the test tool being ready for public use within three years and being affordable and deployed to underserved communities. Details of the research leading to development of the new test have been reported in an ACS Publications article.

The Washington Post

It’s been taking a while for significant progress in the development of solar energy technologies and systems for homes to show promise in meeting challenges of being optimally efficient, reasonably affordable and acceptable from an aesthetic point of view. Zachary Holman, Fulton Schools vice dean for research and innovation, is among experts now reporting continuing advances toward achieving those goals. Holman, who is also a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, points to how the expense of systems involving photovoltaics is moderating. Other experts note lower costs, including falling solar cell prices, and easier installation.

Science News

The Chinese company DeepSeek has touted one of its newest Large Language Models as a breakthrough in elevating the reasoning abilities of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology. The company implied that making AI model improvements could be done with inexpensive hardware rather than massive computing infrastructure or the best computer chips. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, assesses the validity of those claims, saying DeepSeek’s claims are a bit premature and that a full comprehension of the inner workings of the reasoning capabilities of AI model has yet to be achieved. Until then, he warns that an over-reliance on AI’s reasoning capacity could be risky.

Planetizen

Excerpted from “The Unfinished Metropolis,” a new book exploring how America’s favorite things to build — including freeways, single-family homes, malls, and downtown office towers — are keeping us stuck in the past. Mikhail Chester, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, comments on how he and colleagues looked at the number of parking spaces across the country and the extremely expansive amount of space they are taking up. At least one city has as many as 10 parking spaces for every car within its boundaries — a prime example of what the book’s author reports as one grim reality of American urbanism.

ASU News

Fulton Schools researchers are among members of a team of ASU experts involved in a national effort to develop new applications for advanced microreactor technologies. Microreactors provide a reliable energy source for growing demands of AI and high-performance computing, which will help to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the AI sphere. Achieving that goal will be essential to U.S. national security and global leadership stature in the high technology realm. Researchers in ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Research Technology Office of Knowledge Enterprise are part of team.

Arizona Sonoran News/Arizona Daily Star/Tucson.Com

A new ASU school set to open in 2026 will offer students the opportunity to earn a combined Doctor of Medicine and medical engineering degree. The programs are designed to provide a curriculum that will give future physicians the ability to work with advanced medical technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, or AI, says Professor Heather Clark, director of the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, and ASU’s senior associate dean for engineering integration. The school will provide students training to that will enable them to use AI to help make a range of future medical and health care advances, Clark says. The new state-of-the-art medical school building is set to open in downtown Phoenix in 2028.

The New York Times

ASU has five times the number of engineering students it had 15 years, a jump that to a significant degree has been spurred by the semiconductor industry boom. That growth is reflected locally by the growth of the Taiwan Semiconductor’s Manufacturing Company, a global leader in the industry that along with other companies has invested billions of dollars to establish new operations in the U.S., including in Arizona. The company’s expansive hub in Phoenix is under construction across more than a thousand acres. Such projects, however, are highlighting the challenges of undertaking such exceedingly pricey and large-scale microchip factory projects. Still, advances being made by the semiconductor industry and the robust expansion plans are portending growing career opportunities for engineering students in Arizona and elsewhere. The article was also published in the Seattle Times. 

The New York Times

Investments are being made to finance construction of factories for dozens of companies in the Phoenix area that supply the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and other semiconductor chip makers. To be successful, many local people will need to be effectively educated to perform the necessary skilled factory work. That will require retraining people who have old-school thinking about manufacturing, says Binil Starly, director of the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools. ASU students are already learning to operate fully functioning modern semiconductor fabrication facilities, Starly says. In addition, the Maricopa County Community College system, from which many students transfer to ASU, is expected to create programs to help fill the semiconductor industry’s talent pipeline.

ASU News

Engineering and related high-tech talent found at the Fulton Schools and elsewhere at ASU has been integral in preparing the EnduroSat satellite company to soon launch its advanced satellites. Two former ASU affiliates, Stan Herasimenka and Mikhail Reginevich, one of whom earned a doctoral degree in electrical and electronics engineering in the Fulton Schools, have started the company. They also started the Solestial company while still in school. At ASU, they utilized resources at the Engineering Research Center and MacroTechnology Works to do work that helped them form the foundation for EnduroSAT. Many of Solestial’s employees are ASU graduates. Herasimenka and Reginevich now hope to see their new company revolutionize energy output in outer space.

ASU News

Among four ASU faculty members recently bestowed with the prestigious title of Regents Professor, recognizing their contributions to groundbreaking work in various professional fields, is Stephanie Forrest, a professor of computer science in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools and director of ASU’s Biodesign Center for Biocomputation, Security and Society. Forrest is credited for contributing to decades of groundbreaking research in computer science, biology and security, as well  as pioneering accomplishments in computational immunology that essentially transformed the computer security field. Her work has been especially noted as a model to guide ASU’s aspirations to provide research that best serves society’s needs.

The State Press

A collaboration of the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and experts connected to ASU’s Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations, or CTF, organization, aims to find ways to more effectively anticipate cybersecurity risks and devise stronger defenses against cyberattacks. Fulton Schools Professor Gail-Joon Ahn, founding director of ASU’s Security Engineering for Future Computing lab, and Associate Professor Adam Doupé, director of CTF, are among leaders of projects that will also enable students to be involved in research. Arvind Sriram Raj, a Fulton Schools computer science doctoral student and researcher in Ahn’s lab, says researchers plan to alert computer programming developers about problems so they can help find ways to better fend off cyberattacks. 

AZ Big Media

The expanding operations of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, in Arizona are boosting the state’s economic outlook. ASU’s significant output of new engineering talent that has been contributing significantly to boosting state’s semiconductor ecosystem is recognized as providing a key wellspring of talent needed to fulfill the company’s aspirations for continued robust growth. In an extensive interview about the company’s strategy for the future, the president of TSMC Arizona notes that ASU, with the largest enrollment of engineering students among U.S. universities, is a major source of the expertise the company will continue to rely on to meet the constant challenges of the global semiconductor industry.

Premium Times

Among the 20 winners of the 2025 global Digital Green Talent Award is Adesola Adegoke (pictured at right), a graduate research associate in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. The award program is an annual initiative of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to recognize outstanding young researchers whose work is applying innovations in digitalization to advance environmental sustainability. Adegoke is being recognized for his research on the use of fungi, specifically Mycelium, to enhance sustainable environmental efforts. He is focusing on ways to reduce the significant amount of harmful global carbon dioxide emissions produced by current construction industry practices.

Arizona Republic

Brad Allenby, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, whose expertise includes geopolitics, the implications of emerging military technologies and military ethics, has cast doubt on the legality of any punishment of Arizona’s Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, a U.S. Navy veteran, for his statements about the rights of members of the military to refuse to obey illegal orders. On social media, President Donald Trump has accused Kelly of seditious behavior and said the federal government might recall Kelly to active duty so he could be tried in a military court. The debate over this issue was also explored in an earlier Arizona Republic article in which Allenby is also quoted.

Robotics & Automation News

Pipelines that transport natural gas, crude oil and refined fuels are critical to keeping modern society running productively. But as underground infrastructure ages, it poses serious dangers. These threats are being addressed through work powered by artificial intelligence, or AI, technology, and soft, flexible inspection robots capable of navigating pipes to understand how pipelines fail and other technologies to help anticipate problems before they occur. Contributors include Fulton Schools faculty members Yongming Liu in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Hai Yan in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence and Wenlong Zhang, in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, along with Hanna Breetz, an associate professor in ASU’s School of Sustainability.

WRAL News

A new Semiconductor Ecosystem Master Class developed by Fulton Schools educators is providing 21 faculty and professionals in Thailand an intensive overview of design, fabrication, packaging, testing, and global supply chain strategies being used in the semiconductor industry. It is equipping teachers with knowledge to bring that expertise to Thai institutions. The ASU and Kingdom of Thailand partnership aims to foster a robust ecosystem for microelectronics education, research, and workforce training promising to bring thousands of highly skilled engineers and technicians into the global talent pool. The ASU-Thailand semiconductor workforce development collaboration is expected to also be catalyst for future innovation in artificial intelligence and advanced electronics.

See also: ASU and Thailand advance semiconductor collaboration through workforce development initiatives, ASU News

ASU News

The Engineering & Design Institute London (or TEDI-London), co-created by ASU four years ago, has set the stage for ASU London, which will incorporate TEDI-London’s project-based engineering programs alongside new offerings of related degrees. Students will study within the global culture of London, guided by U.K.-based faculty in collaboration with faculty from the Fulton Schools, as well as ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business. Collaborations will offer engineering and business students opportunities to engage in entrepreneurial endeavors to help fulfill ASU’s commitment to preparing students for careers as global citizens who can bridge cultural perspectives, work across borders and contribute solutions to major societal challenges.

See also: ASU London’ campus launches; now enrolling for fall 2026, Arizona Family (Channel 3 CBS News-Arizona)
Updated report: Arizona State University launches independent program overseas in London (Channel 3 CBS News-Arizona)
ASU launches new London institution, available to students across the globe, Arizona Republic
ASU launches ASU London offering 2 international degrees, KJZZ News (NPR)
Arizona State University launches ASU London, bringing global reputation for innovation to the UK, London Post
Arizona State University launches ASU London, THE PIE (London)
ASU expands global reach with ASU London, set to open in Fall 2026, The State Press
ASU launches ASU London as U.K.-accredited institution offering dual-degree pathways, ETIH (Ed Tech Innovation Hub)

ASU News

Experts in the Fulton Schools are collaborating with peers in ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory to help communities in three Arizona counties develop collaborations to provide secure and sustainable groundwater supplies to ensure a stable future for these vital resources. Community leaders, researchers, industry representatives, environmental and hydrology experts and others joined in a workshop in the Arizona town of Patagonia to examine water security challenges and potential long-term solutions with leaders of local groups focused on the resource management, restoration and conservation. 

ASU News

Opportunities in the field of forensic science are projected to see a significant spike in the next decade. With the expected growth in employment already beginning to emerge, ASU has opened a school that will focus on education in the use of the expanding applications of forensics in many fields. The new School of Interdisciplinary Forensics plans to partner with other ASU schools and colleges, including the Fulton Schools, which will focus on educating students in designing and validating analytical instruments, digital imaging systems and AI-enabled forensic tools.

The State Press

Researchers are seeking ways to enable distinguishing between human speech and AI-generated speech –– especially when not knowing the difference can pose serious danger. Among those efforts is work led by Visar Berisha, the Fulton Schools associate dean of research and commercialization, involving utilization of radar and microphone sensing to enable discerning between human speech and voices created by AI. A presentation on the project was made at the recent Proof of Presence: Grounding Media in the Human Body in the Age of AI seminar. Finding a solution is necessary to diminish serious threats posed by AI deepfakes to financial information, corporate security and related fraudulent activities that can affect even media communications and the arts.

Investing.com

AirJoule Technologies Corporation, an atmospheric renewable energy and water harvesting technology company, recently won a competition sponsored by the Net Zero Innovation Hub for Data Centers, a consortium founded by Google, Microsoft and other major tech companies. The achievement is seen as validating Airjoule’s technology as a promising tool for ensuring the sustainability of data center operations. Airjoule’s new system has been delivered to ASU’s Global Center for Water Technology, a leading atmospheric water harvesting research institution directed by Paul Westerhoff, a professor in School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. The center will conduct research on AirJoule’s performance and potential applications for industrial operations in the Southwest. 

The State Press

Students in ASU’s Theme Park Engineering and Design Club are applying what they’ve been learning in their classes in ventures such as a Ride Engineering Competition that has drawn more than 220 students from 21 universities. Vidhi Dharnidharka, a mechanical engineering student in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, manages the club’s funding and travel expenses and helps to secure materials and equipment. Fellow mechanical engineering student Arial Antonini notes how club members learned new skills as they designed the team’s roller coaster for the competition. Such opportunities outside the classroom are providing students hands-on technical education as well as experience in developing and managing creative collaborative efforts.

Think your VPN keeps you safe? Think again

AZ Big Media

Hundreds of millions of people rely on a virtual private network, or VPN, app to guard their data, but there’s cause for concern about breaches of the defenses set up to protect users’ data on the app. Benjamin Mixon-Baca, a computer science doctoral student in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering  has helped to expose ways information on the app can be revealed and shared. His paper, coauthored by Jedidiah Crandall, a Fulton Schools associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Jeffrey Knockel of Citizen Lab, details those security failures. Mixon-Baca applied skills he learned in school’s doctoral program to expose the threat to VPNs, Crandall says. An earlier version was posted on Full Circle, the Fulton Schools’ website news page. 

ASU News

At the recent Manufacturing Day event, Professor Binil Starly, director of the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, gave high school students a primer on the manufacturing field and the career opportunities it could provide for future engineers and others in STEM fields. The event was presented by Access ASU, ASU Career Services, the Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Arizona Department of Education on ASU’s Polytechnic campus, which has a new state-of-the-art manufacturing hub. Starly took the students on a tour of the facility, the ISTB12 building, where ASU students are working on complex manufacturing projects and taking interdisciplinary science courses.

ASU News

Fulton Schools students Megan Duncan and Tamara Grujicic have been nominated for a prestigious postgraduate award for science, mathematics and engineering studies. They are among only 16 graduates from U.S. universities selected for the scholarship that funds a year of master’s studies engineering, the sciences and mathematics at the prestigious University of Cambridge in England. Duncan, a student in the Fulton Schools materials science and engineering program, plans to pursue an advanced degree in materials science and metallurgy. Grujicic, a student in the computer science program, will pursue an advanced degree in her field. The director of the organization announcing the scholarship awards describes Duncan and Grujicic as outstanding scholars who can be expected to drive innovation.      

The State Press

Sai Prakash Maddineni and Yujian Huang, graduate students in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, and research assistants in ASU’s Semiconductor Device Research Laboratory, are using artificial intelligence, or AI, machine learning and resistive random access memory, or RRAM, technologies to help develop ways of advancing semiconductor manufacturing and brain-inspired computing. The lab is also working to understand how similarities between the human synapse and RRAM technologies can be implemented into neuromorphic computing, which is inspired by human brain functions. They foresee the research leading to environmental benefits, bolstering the computer industry and reducing resource consumption, among other advances.

WRAL News

ASU is noted for progress in developing and graduating a strong pipeline of talented students prepared to meet a growing demand for new engineers and technicians in the resurgent and fast-evolving semiconductor industry in the U.S. Arizona overall is credited for being a prime example of how a collaborative ecosystem of government, industry, and academia can bring transformative change in major industries. The state is seen as playing a major role in the resurgence of American semiconductor manufacturing, providing a pivotal moment in the nation’s industrial history. After decades of offshoring operations, there’s an evolving trend of bringing semiconductor chip fabrication back to the U.S.

See also: Greater Phoenix Intelligence Report: Semiconductors: Where the Action Is, SITE SELECTION
ASU is noted for rising to the rank of the university with the a largest engineering school in the U.S. and partnering with a major industry organization to expand access to high-impact, on-demand training for the global semiconductor workforce.

ABC News 15 Arizona

The profuse sweating people experience in conditions of extreme heat — such as in Arizona’s desert climate — may be uncomfortable, but the salty sweat is a sign that nature’s way is at work to help protect our skin from those persistently hot conditions. The report links to a recent ASU News article looking at work led by Konrad Rykaczewski, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, that explores  the biology of perspiration. One of the main goals for this research is to eventually find ways to help the human body be more comfortable on those 110-degree days. A wearable “heat suit” has been developed to aid the project.

The State Press

The power of the photon is being applied to accelerate artificial intelligence, or AI, modeling as well as advanced infrared detection in research at the ScopeX Lab, directed by Jiaqi Gu, an assistant professor in the  School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, and by the Yao Group, led by Yu Yao, an associate professor in the school. Researchers are demonstrating how the power of light can boost infrared sensing capabilities to see wavelengths undetectable to the human eye. The endeavor is expected to pave the way for improvements in medical imaging and diagnosis, as well as for detection of defects on surface of materials.

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News

Combining expertise in genetics, synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and related fields, a team of ASU researchers has developed a new way to build more effective and reliable living systems that can be used to create more stable cell factories and develop new medical applications. Their progress provides a new design principle for researchers to ensure engineered cells work more consistently, says Xiaojun Tian, an associate professor in the in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. For the project, Tian teamed with David Nielsen, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, and  Wenwei Zheng, an associate professor in ASU’s School of Applied Sciences and Art.

Semiconductor Engineering

Robotics and artificial intelligence, or AI, advances are expanding possibilities to boost the beneficial capabilities of science and engineering and the technologies they help to create. At the same time, experts warn that ways are needed to prevent accidents caused by  machines equipped with AI from developing built-in biases, especially if those biases impact humans negatively. Those challenges are being addressed by Ransalu Senanayake (pictured), an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of ASU’s Laboratory for Learning Evaluation and Naturalization of Systems. He says such smart technologies can be vulnerable to a kind of hallucination we must learn to guard ourselves against.

SSBCrack News

A news outlet focusing on defense, geopolitics, military affairs, science and technology issues reports on a study coauthored by Professor Stephanie Forrest and Assistant Professor Joshua J. Daymude in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, along with University of Michigan political scientist Robert Axelrod. They have developed a mathematical model illuminating decisions faced by individuals on whether to express dissent or remain silent when faced with potential retribution from authoritarian leaders. Their study presents a framework to understand variables influencing self-censorship and dissent in an era characterized by advanced surveillance technologies and social media.

Science

Advances in the capabilities of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology are being made by leaps and bounds, resulting in hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in development of AI tools. At the same time, experts warn that AI is not flawless. In fact, they say AI technologies are falling prey to certain kinds of high-tech hallucinations. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and other leading AI researchers talk about the complicated challenge of fixing the problem while still maintaining AI’s value. Some say the solution lies in a big change in how AI is trained.

ASU News

The Tributary company, launched by Enrique Vivoni, a professor of hydro systems engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, is helping communities measure water benefits provided by forest management. Vivoni, director of ASU’s Center for Hydrologic Innovations, is teaming with Zhaocheng Wang, a research scientist in the same school, and Josh Cederstrom, a graduate associate in ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, to make rigorous science useful for water utilities and systems managers. The goal is to translate science knowledge, discoveries and engineering advances into guidelines to help water systems managers fulfill their mission to maintain healthy water environments.

ASU News

Colleges and universities typically put engineering programs focused on manufacturing within mechanical engineering or industrial engineering programs. But ASU and the Fulton Schools gave that branch of engineering an equal place in the spotlight with the establishment several years ago of the ASU Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 on the ASU Polytechnic campus. That project convinced Binil Starly to become director of the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, headquartered on the campus. The building is now home to a new campus learning and innovation space designed to serve both students and the local community. ASU President Michael Crow says the facility will help give Arizona one of the most advanced manufacturing schools.

Daily Independent (Cronkite News)

While artificial intelligence, or AI, technology is raising hopes that it can improve health care, research raises concern about AI’s abilities to provide accurate diagnoses of patients’ conditions and provide the best treatment options, says Bradley Greger, an associate professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. AI is helping medical professionals more speedily wade through the vast data that provides them a framework for making health care decisions, but the technology can sometimes also present the risk of inherent biases that could misguide treatment, Greger says. He and other experts stress that human insight is crucial in assessing what AI produces.

AZ Big Media

Ventures springing from work led by two Fulton Schools faculty members are among award finalists for the upcoming 2025 Governor’s Celebration of Innovation, which honors Arizona’s leading innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Crystal Sonic, Inc., which sprung from work led by Mariana Bertoni, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering and director of Defect Lab at ASU, is a finalist for the spinout award. Enkoat, which emerged from the lab of Narayan Neithalath, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, is also a finalist for the award. Both ventures are nominated for the Innovator of the Year award in the Small Company category. Read more about Crystal Sonic and Enkoat. 

Popular Science

A growing need to prevent water scarcity already threatening many communities around the world, including in the United States, has spurred researchers to focus on developing solutions to current water shortages and preventing their proliferation into severe crises. One such endeavor is decribed in a recent research paper co-authored by Claire Cropper, a graduate research associate in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and Lee Voth-Gaeddert, a research professor in ASU’s Biodesign Institute. Their work is noted in this article about development of a 3D-printing device developed to help overcome water insecurity. More about their endeavors is detailed in an earlier ASU News article.

Newsweek

Recent data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency raises concerns about the harm that could be caused by contaminants being found in drinking water systems in many states. According to the agency’s data, carcinogenic chemicals — substances known or suspected to cause cancer — are in water that millions of people are drinking. Paul Westerhoff, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, says various water utilities throughout the country have different water sampling practices and states have different reporting requirements, both of which could hamper maintaining timely and accurate data and instituting needed water safety regulatory efforts.

ASU News

ASU and the Applied Materials company officially opened the $270 million Materials-to-Fab Center facility in the MacroTechnology Works at the ASU Research Park. Seth Tongay, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, noting the center is designed to keep great ideas from stalling, says the new center will ensure new discoveries will result in impactful manufacturing technologies. ASU’s record of propelling innovation in advanced materials engineering and the Fulton Schools, with the largest number of engineering students in any school in the nation, are seen as valuable contributors to boosting the future of materials-to-fab innovation.

See also: Applied Materials, ASU open $270M East Valley chip research center, Phoenix Business Journal

ASU News

A decade ago, Associate Professor Laura Hosman challenged her engineering students to create a device to provide a solar-powered library small enough to fit into a backpack. Made of recycled material, the device provides a Wi-Fi hot spot that needs no electricity or internet connection for users to download content to a smartphone, tablet or laptop. More than 600 of the devices have been deployed. Hosman, whose faculty appointments include a position in the The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, and technology adviser Bruce Baikie, an ASU adjunct faculty member, codirect SolarSPell, which is working with numerous libraries and people in Arizona, Ethiopia, on the Hopi Reservation and with Peace Corps volunteers, among others, using SolarSpell to curate vast amounts of information customized for each group.

See also: This library device created by ASU professors, students named one of TIME’s 2025 Best Inventions, KJZZ News

Newsweek

Research continues to raise alarm about the impacts of the microplastics to which many people have become widely exposed. The tiny plastic particles that are in the air, water, food and many common materials and objects are more prevalent than ever. The nearly continuous exposure to microplastics is a growing and potentially serious risk to human health, say experts such as Rolf Halden, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Halden, director of ASU’s Biodesign Institute Center for Environmental Health Engineering, stresses the need for public education to inform people how to reduce their exposure to the threatening microparticles.

KJZZ News (NPR)

Using artificial intelligence, or AI, technology, effective ways for people to protect themselves from extreme heat have been developed by a team of researchers led by Hua Wei, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. Among them is a shade routing tool that works somewhat like Google Maps. Instead of simply providing a map to the best route from one place to another, it enables mapping a route that will provide the most shade. Another tool is DeepShade, which can predict where shade might provide protection in specific locales. There are plans to collaborate with state government agencies in Arizona to test these shade finding tools.

Cronkite News (Arizona PBS)

Health care services are clearly benefiting from the use of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology. But at the same time, some notable drawbacks are emerging that point to AI systems’ current shortcomings. These systems are helping to overcome some bureaucratic drawbacks on the business side of operations and giving patients more time with health care providers. On the downside, research has found that AI can have biases when analyzing conditions to diagnosis patients’ conditions. Bradley Greger, an associate professor in the the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, talks about the complicated technical factors that can lead to “super-biased AI.” Researchers are working on ways to overcome the inbred bias factor.

See also: AI reshapes health care but adopts bias, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)

Nature

How long before one of the most coveted awards in science is given to an accomplishment by artificial intelligence or AI, technology? Some are skeptical but many foresee it as almost inevitable that AI will be credited for making science and engineering breakthroughs. Others say AI has limitations that inhibit it from being the sole creator of original technological advances. Subbarao Kampbhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, says the life experiences of human researchers are critical to the creative process. He and others contend the lack of real-world experience will make it difficult for AI to pose the creative questions and gain the worldly insights that spark true innovation.

Surface Transportation Innovations

A section of the article cites two decades of data from five transportation surveys compiled by Professor Steve Polzin, Research Assistant Professor Irfan Batur and Professor and Director Ram Pendyala in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. The data offered them a look at how commuting and transit ridership and other road travel habits in the U.S. have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of those changes. Their study details the trends that evolved during the pandemic and that still impact today’s road travel scenarios and points the way to potential solutions to many current automobile transportation challenges across the country.

AP News

The National Football League is putting environmental sustainability on the list of it major goals. Teams of the major sports organization are undertaking projects to equip stadiums and faculties with solar power systems and use recycled or recyclable materials for everything from cups to trophies. Tony Lamana, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of the Fulton Schools, says sustainability must involve not only making sports facilities more environmentally friendly, but also how teams influence fans’ habits in ways that enhance the going green trend. The new NFL Green program aims to help produce a “green legacy” in the communities where teams play.

Versions of the article have also been published or broadcasted across the country by the Associated Press, MSN, The Washington Times. Yahoo! News, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NBC (Philadelphia), NBC4 Los Angeles, SF Gate, WKYC, WJBF, WHYY, Independent UK, WWLP (Massachusetts) 2News (Nevada), Winnipeg Free Press, Bozeman Daily Chronicle (Montana), KGET TV 17 (Bakerfield, California, WBOC CBS TV (Salisbury, Maryland), Imperial Valley Press (El Centro, California), Ottumwa Courier (Idaho), Temple Daily Telegram, Texas, and the trade journal Waste Advantage Magazine

ASU News

ASU will be well represented in the upcoming largest microelectronics trade show in North American, soon to be held in Phoenix. ASU President Michael will give a keynote address while a discussion about how fabrication labs could benefit from the of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology and robots will be led by Binil Starly, director of the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools. Fulton Schools Dean Kyle Squires foresees an opportunity to introduce the broader microelectronics community to ASU’s ongoing contributions to advances in semiconductor technology, workforce development, research and innovation. Starly says ASU also has the opportunity to highlight that it has become one of the largest producers of talent for the industry.

American Journal of Transportation

Lauded as a trailblazer in sustainable materials in transportation and pioneer in the use of bio-based and bio-inspired binders as renewable alternatives to petroleum products, Elham Fini has also authored a widely used textbook and has had more than 230 publications reporting on her work, some of which has been covered by major news media outlets. Those and related accomplishments have put Fini, an associate professor in Del E. Webb School of Construction, within the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, among recent winners of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Foundation’s Women Leaders in Transportation Design & Construction Awards.

The State Press

A supercomputer named Sol is an extremely valuable tool for ASU researchers. It’s computing abilities are more powerful and faster and its data storage is more vast that those of the majority of computers. Gail-Joon Ahn, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and founding director of ASU’S Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations, and Ananta Soneji, a doctoral student in the school, explain the value of Sol’s capabilities and why ASU should become proactive in taking on the challenging task of maintaining the security of the high-performing system.

ASU News

Jesus Chavez (second from right in photo), the Fulton Schools coordinator senior for student success and engagement, was among the Latino speakers with ASU connections who recently shared their professional and personal experiences with about 100 local junior high school students at the ASU Chandler Innovation Center. Chavez drew on his experiences growing up in the East Valley as a first-generation son of Mexican immigrants before eventually earning a doctoral degree in engineering education and systems design at ASU. He spoke to students about gaining an understanding of how to best prepare themselves to benefit from higher education and the career opportunities it offers.

Technology Networks

High-tech advances are opening new possibilities to enable people to beat the heat as temperatures in many places continue to climb. An article first published on the Fulton Schools website, details research led by Hua Wei, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, that helps to provide ways to cope with the rising trend of extreme heat, especially in urban areas. Wei and his research team are developing new artificial intelligence, or AI, tools to predict and map the movement of shade. The DeepShade AI system produces maps giving detailed guidance to routes providing the most shade.

Arizona Horizon (PBS)

Robotic dogs that can help people in risky environments have been designed by Fulton Schools engineering teams. One is named SPARK-E (at lower left in photo), another is Unitree GO2. They are equipped with LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), remote sensing technology, voice interface capabilities and artificial intelligence cameras. The high-tech tools and devices enable the “robodogs” to adapt to various environments to take on tasks in precarious situations. Ransalu Senanayake, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, is interviewed about the robodogs’ array of capabilities to deal with potentially dangerous circumstances. Read more in a previous post below linking to a recent article in Tech Briefs, dated September 22.

The Indian Eye

For contributing to advances in machine learning and related systems, Vidya Chhabria has been awarded a Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award. An assistant professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, Chhabria’s research focuses on computer-aided design for large-scale integration. She is among more than 50 assistant professors at U.S. universities selected by a group of Google engineers and researchers to receive the award. Professor Stephen Phillips, director of the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, notes the impact of such awards can benefit students who will be motivated to learn from a teacher who is shaping the future of machine learning.

Philadelphia Today

Philadelphia is among major U.S. cities seeing its neighborhoods’ temperatures heat up to uncomfortable levels due in part to their surface materials. In response, the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability is testing a reflective pavement in one of its more prominent city parks. Kamil Kaloush, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, explains how roads, parking lots and other large paved surfaces absorb daytime heat and reemit it into the atmosphere at night. Kaloush points to newly developed “cool pavements” that reflect the sun’s energy rather than absorb it. Philadelphia leaders see it as a promising defense against rising heat.

Tech Briefs

Dogs have long had the reputation as one of the animals that can be most helpful to humans. Now a quadrupedal robot known as a Robodog is poised to serve people in myriad ways. Using artificial intelligence, engineers have helped to design a four-legged robot that can perform some of the most useful and challenging tasks. Equipped with advanced artificial intelligence cameras, LiDAR and a voice interface, it is learning to aid search-and-rescue missions and guide visually impaired people through complex environments. A research team led by Ransalu Senanayake, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools, is making progress on maximizing the robodog’s capabilities. 

ASU News

Along with its overall ranking of ASU as the most innovative U.S. university for more than a decade, the US News & World Report’s latest list of top colleges also pointed to the Fulton Schools as one of the main reasons for placing the university in the top spot. The Fulton School’s education and research in microelectronics, civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and computer engineering are cited among reasons for the high ranking. In addition, the Fulton School’s undergraduate engineering programs overall are ranked among the top 20 in the U.S. Rankings, based on a survey of college presidents, provosts and admissions deans, and their choices of the institutions making the most innovative advances in multiple areas.

See also: ASU is again the most innovative university, AXIOS Phoenix
ASU maintains its title as US News’ most innovative university, ABC15 Arizona
ASU maintains its title as US News’ most innovative university, Phoenix Business Journal

KSMU (Ozarks Public Radio)

A vehicle in a city in Missouri recently went airborne after driving on a street that had buckled in the summer heat. The incident reflects a growing trend of roads and other public infrastructure being threatened by the impacts of climate change, particularly rising temperatures, says Mikhail Chester, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering. Such dangerous heat-related incidents are likely to increase until more infrastructure is designed specifically to withstand the intense heat and the stress it inflicts on roads, bridges, sidewalks and public power and other utility systems.

Technical.ly

A Las Vegas-based startup venture is developing new technology to harvest water from the air, based in part on what it is learning about the capabilities of a small tree frog species in Australia. WAVR Technologies is designing a system that copies these amphibians’ process of hydrating themselves by absorbing water through their skin. Paul Westerhoff, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, who leads WAVR’s water working group, says the new system would help overcome environmental challenges urban areas are facing as they try to grow their economies while their populations and their need for water resources are also rapidly increasing.

WHYY News (Philadelphia)

Conventional paved surfaces trap atmospheric heat, particularly in cities because of their many paved streets, highways and parking lots. That is making the urban heat island effect more intense in busy metropolitan areas such as Philadelphia. Combined with climate change impacts, cities are experiencing even more intense urban heat. Kamil Kaloush, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, talks about the “cool pavement” materials developed to help mitigate city heat. The article reports on the cooling street pavements being used in Phoenix that are lowering surface temperatures — but not doing as quite as well at cooling the surrounding air.

Phoenix Business Journal

ASU is among the leading universities at the forefront of weaving the abilities of the expanding realm of quantum computing into the spectrum of advanced science and engineering research. Funded and powered by ASU, along with the state of Arizona and industry partners, the university’s Quantum Collaborative is extending the reach of the field across network communications, sensing, computing, simulation and cybersecurity — and educating the future quantum workforce. Students are being introduced to endeavors that explore the use of quantum computing to solve real-world problems in logistics, finance, energy optimization and other fields. By working across disciplines, they’re tackling major physics, engineering, math and even business challenges.

Inside Climate News

An extensive analysis warns that water in the Colorado River basin’s reservoirs is being depleted at rates threatening to result in severe problems unless urgent federal actions are taken to cut down dramatically on the current level of use of the river’s water. Margaret Garcia, an associate professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, says an analysis of the situation clearly confirms the severity of the situation. Garcia notes the already extremely dry conditions in the river basin reservoirs. To achieve better water security in the future, she says, those reservoirs must at the least be able to better generate hydro power and to store substantially more water.  

The State Press

Techiepalooza is designed to help students ASU students get involved in work seeking to help launch the next waves of tech innovation. The Fulton Schools’ Entrepreneurship and Innovation program, directed by Brent Sebold, recently held another of its gatherings designed to help students generate ideas and build project teams. Sponsored by the Honeywell-ASU Innovation Hub and Hool Coury Law, the event opened the way for students to access other ASU entrepreneurship opportunities such as Venture Devils and SkySong. Sebold says the E+I program is showing students that entrepreneurship is a team sport and Techiepalooza  is helping students to embark onto entrepreneurial journeys with each other.

KJZZ News (NPR)

ASU’s West Valley campus has seen student enrollment jump by more than 15 percent in the past two years. More than 500 students are now housed in campus residences. Some of the increase is attributed to the boost in engineering students. The campus is home to the School of Integrated Engineering, the newest of the Fulton Schools. Some of its curriculum is especially relevant to the booming semiconductor industry, and as a result the school has begun building a promising productive connection between ASU and the international Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s expanding West Valley operations.

CBC News

In a video recording of an edition of Quirks & Quarks, Konrad Rykaczewski, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, explores the biology of perspiration from inside a full-body, tube filled suit than enables observing the way water emerges from human sweat glands. The suit runs hot water around his body, which increases his body temperature. His research team focused infrared cameras on his forehead to get a macroscopic look at the pattern of sweat formation. The experiment has been detailed in a report published in Journal of Royal Society Interface.

See also: Sweat Science — This research really was 90% perspiration, Quirks and Quarks with Bob McDonald, CBC Listen

Bangkok Post

ASU is expanding its international outreach through new collaborations with Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and Mahanakorn University of Technology. An ASU delegation led recently by Jeffrey Goss, the Fulton Schools associate vice provost for Southeast Asia programs, explored further joint endeavors within Thailand’s semiconductor industry ecosystem. Goss, who also helps to lead ASU’s STEM education engagement efforts, says such international partnerships are strengthening academic excellence, workforce development and innovation for all those involved. The delegation also visited the newly opened Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 12 on ASU’s Polytechnic campus, home to the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools.

AZ Big Media

Efforts ASU has led or contributed to have been major factors in the growing economic impact of the semiconductor industry’s growth in Arizona. Some of that progress has been achieved through the skills of Fulton Schools’ graduates and collaborations with the schools’ faculty researchers and leadership. Zachary Holman, the Fulton Schools’ vice dean for research and innovation, points to partnerships between ASU and semiconductor industry leaders that have been spurring industry progress, such as the investment to create the Materials-to-Fab Center at the ASU Research Park in Tempe. More than a dozen companies, from startups to multinational tech giants, have taken up residence at the park and invested in its expansion. 

The State Press

Students who want to pursue careers in national security and government intelligence at a time when federal support for that pursuit is lacking could instead find help through a new ASU Intelligence Community Fellow program formed by the Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence. Fulton Schools computer systems engineering student Aysha Viene says the new program is now crucial to maintaining national security in the future, as well as the safety and privacy of citizens, and she is committed to using skills she is learning at ASU to help ensure those U.S. security protections.

ZDNet

Large Language Models, or LLMs, a type of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology capable of understanding and translating vast amounts of text data, don’t quite live up to claims of their comprehensive and superior reasoning power. Pushback against such a declaration has come from ASU researchers, including Chengshuai Zhao, a graduate research associate in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. Zhao and his colleagues have published a research paper making the case that while AI is a sophisticated and useful form of structured pattern matching, it is not a mechanism for genuine logical inference — or, in other words, vastly superior reasoning powers.

People Matters (India)

The largest private engineering consultancy in India is enlisting the expertise of Fulton Schools’ leadership, faculty members and researchers to boost its efforts to strengthen the capabilities of the country’s semiconductor industry, as well as significantly advance its electronics manufacturing sector. A main thrust of the collaboration is to prepare the next generation of engineers to lead efforts to produce semiconductor breakthroughs, says Kyle Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools. Michael Kozicki, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, says the focus will go beyond gaining technical knowledge to learning how to foster a vibrant culture of high-tech innovation.

See also: Tata Group’s New Semiconductor Partnership, Construction World
Tata Consulting Engineers, Arizona State University to jointly develop semicon workforce, ET Telecom
Industry leaders laud India’s semiconductor momentum at Semicon 2025, The Tribune (India)
Industry Leaders laud India’s semiconductor momentum at Semicon 2025, ANI News (South Africa)
How Tata Consulting Engineers is strengthening semiconductor workforce development. HrKatha
“Historic” Day for India’s Semiconductor Industry,’ Business leaders hail first Made-in-India chip ‘Vikram’ ANI News (South Africa)
Tata Consulting Engineers and Arizona State University Join Forces to Develop Semiconductor Workforce, The Realty Today
India’s Chip Ambitions Get a Boost as TCE and ASU Launch Semiconductor Talent Programme, Infrastructure Today (India)
Tata Consulting Engineers, ASU join hands for Semiconductor talent, BW People
Consulting engineers  Partnership with Arizona State University to enhance semicondustro development workforce development, Telecom Economic Times
Tata Consulting Engineers and Arizona State University Partner to Strengthen Semiconductor Workforce Development. CXO Today

The State Press

Through the Fulton Schools Engineering Projects in Community Service, or EPICS,  program, students are putting to use the skills they are learning at ASU to aid projects that are serving communities in Arizona, throughout the U.S. and even in other countries. EPICS faculty member Daniel Frank, a Fulton Schools academic and student affairs instructor and Fulton Schools computer science student Balamurali Ravipalli and others describe EPICS endeavors such as a Monkey Enrichment project, and a project using artificial intelligence to develop ways for farmers in Canada to improve their operations through eco-friendly practices and making 3D printed tactile maps to help people with visual impairments.

The New York Times

Grok, an AI-powered chatbot developed by Elon’s Musk’s company, was heralded as being unbiased in its truth-seeking and therefore able to remain politically neutral. An analysis of thousands of Grok’s responses, however, has found its answers lean significantly toward politically conservative viewpoints. It reflects a trend of chatbots stoking ongoing battles over political issues. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, is among experts who point to the complexities involved in the use of AI within a highly charged, politically biased environment.

Informed Infrastructure

Experiencing the stress a desert climate can put on roads, bridges, railways and other infrastructure is motivating engineers to explore ways to effectively fortify materials to make built environments more resilient. Professors Barzin Mobasher and Narayanan Neithalath in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, have been helping to lead such projects. Through research and testing in ASU’s structural mechanics and infrastructure materials laboratories, they have been contributing to finding solutions, some of which not only strengthen public facilities but also ease the strain from the physical stress faced by many workers, as well as often also saving money on infrastructure projects. 

KJZZ News (NPR)

A human-shaped manikin designed and built to mimic the human body’s thermal regulation capability in various environments has been a major tool in research aimed at getting a better understanding of how people react to heating and cooling methods. Work led by Konrad Rykaczewski, an associate professor associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, uses the manikin name ANDI to reveal in detail what the changes in humans’ core temperatures and skin temperatures look like in different climatological conditions. A primary goal is to gain knowledge of ways to protect people in extreme heat.

AP News

Turning off air conditioning units while your away from home can save money and energy. It can also cause mold problems in houses in humid environments and lead to wear and tear on air conditioning systems that requires frequent repairs. That’s one reason experts recommend simply setting the air conditioning up a few degrees when leaving the house. Patrick Phelan, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, suggests using “smart thermostats” equipped with sensors that can monitor a house’s occupancy and raise the temperature when no one is home to conserve energy and lower temperatures when people return.

Navajo-Hopi Observer

Fulton Schools researchers are working to help residents in the remote rural community on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona establish a reliable source of energy. The project is led by Kristen Parrish, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. The Hopi community is facing energy challenges like those in small towns across the U.S., Parrish says. With a multimillion-dollar U.S. Department of Energy grant, the project will adapt an existing fossil fuel-based infrastructure to provide more sustainable and reliable energy. 

San Francisco Examiner

Their ability to reason is on par with humans’ reasoning powers. That’s a claim made about OpenAI’s new CPT-5’s reasoning and problem-solving capabilities. But in a new research paper, some experts in artificial intelligence claim that assertion is erroneous. Chengshuai Zhao, a computer science student in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the school, present their case for why CPT-5 does not quite qualify as a master of sophisticated reasoning. Kambhampati describes CPT-5 as a producer of “jagged intelligence,” referring to its ability to answer complex problems if those problems are in its training data, but if not then it fails to accurately answer extremely simple questions.

The Cool Down

Recent research breakthroughs have set the stage for solar energy panels to be less expensive to make and to operate more efficiently. Now, in the latest advance, the panels can also be made to perform in a more environmentally friendly way. Developed by ASU researchers and the SolarCycle company, the system opens a path to manufacturing new solar panels using recycled materials that produce solar energy at peak performance levels that are more sustainable and scalable. Zachary Holman, Fulton Schools vice dean for research and innovation, says the project has gone beyond successful verification of the basic effectiveness of the process in the laboratory to verifying it can be fully and effectively integrated into solar energy industry operations.

See also: Solar Cycle, Arizona State University develop solar panel made with 50% recycled solar glass, Solar Power World 

ASU News

The growing reputation of ASU’s West Valley campus as a center for hands-on learning and an active student-centered community has recently been bolstered by a 15 percent student enrollment increase over the past two years. With recent enrollees from 40 U.S. states and 71 countries, the number of students overall has jumped to more than 5,400. New and innovative Fulton Schools’ undergraduate and graduate courses and degree programs have contributed significantly to attracting more students to the campus. Those include a new engineering science degree program with a concentration on business, as well as another engineering science program with a focus on microelectronics.

ASU News

ASU’s state-of-the-art research facilities are credited with helping to produce technological advances that have aided the rise of today’s semiconductor industry. ASU students are being prepared to contribute to future progress. Among them is Taylor Gowdy, a 2024 ASU graduate who earned her degree through the mechanical engineering systems program in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools. Many courses Gowdy took provided hands-on, project-based learning, giving her experience that helped her to get hired by the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s Arizona operations, where she works as an equipment engineer. ASU’s many world-class researchers have been a key factor in drawing the thriving company to the Phoenix area, says Zak Holman, Fulton Schools vice dean for research and innovation. The booming semiconductor sector is now expected to produce more jobs and economic benefits extending beyond the tech manufacturing industry. 

ASU News

Learning career skills that provide both immediate and long-term to value to students is among the major attractions of degree programs in many of ASU’s schools and colleges. The Fulton Schools has a place on the list of the top eight schools and colleges that are leading the way in fulfilling the mission to prepare students to excel in their chosen professions. One student earning an engineering master’s degree emphasizes that the education provided in the field has led to valuable insights into ways technological advancements are shaping not only industries but societies. Overall, students are saying there are graduating with a feeling of confidence about their readiness to contribute to the world at large.

Hoodline-Phoenix

Use of advancing virtual reality technology is proving its ability to boost student engagement and improve higher education, especially in engineering and science fields. This is being demonstrated at ASU, specifically at its Polytechnic campus, home to The Polytechnic School, one of the Fulton Schools, where the ability of virtual reality to help visualize scientific concepts is aiding instruction in engineering, along with medicine, biological science and even the arts. The various learning methods that virtual reality technology make possible — visual, auditory, kinesthetic, solitary, social, verbal and logical — enables class instruction to match students’ various individual learning styles, teachers say.

SBS News

Describing his interdisciplinary research project intertwining computer science and biology, Ted Pavlic, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, explains how artificial intelligence, or AI, systems can suffer from “catastrophic forgetting.” In this podcast from an Australian news outlet, he describes a current drawback of AI systems that can learn to perform new tasks but then later forget how to do them when they need to focus instead on a learning a different task. In an effort overcome that drawback, Pavlic has been examining the workings of the brains of sleeping bees, which could contribute to knowledge on how to create more memory-efficient AI technology.

Tempe Independent

A civil engineering student in School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, will soon be selected to receive a scholarship from the Terracon company for the 2025-2026 school year at Arizona State University. The support comes from a new $50,000 endowment from the employee-owned company with more than 180 locations across the U.S. that is led by engineers and scientists specializing primarily in environmental consulting services in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and facility engineering. (Access to the article requires acquiring an account with the Wrangler News Daily Independent news service.)

Arizona Republic

The Colorado River, a major source of Arizona’s water supply, is expected to remain in a water shortage condition through 2026, presenting a major challenge for the state in facing potential serious drought situations. Enrique Vivoni, a professor of in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and the director of the Center for Hydrologic Innovations, explains that much of the problem stems from dry soils soaking up precipitation during a long dry spell. Predictions show another year of only a small amount of water runoff from the reservoir system could pull the situation into a catastrophic condition.

ASU News

Along with the W. P. Carey School of Business, Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, and the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, the Fulton Schools is among ASU schools and colleges getting involved in new international partnerships that are helping young students in more than 30 counties earn college credits. The effort is part of a broader endeavor involving a collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations and a partnership with International Baccalaureate, through which ASU is contributing to efforts to provide educational opportunities to high school students in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East through online college education programs.

ASU News

For the coming fall semester, ASU is projected to enroll more first-year students than ever in the university’s history — close to 43,000 of them. Among the major areas of studies many new students have selected are mechanical engineering and computer science, fields that are the focus of two Fulton Schools degree programs. Beyond new students from around the U.S., ASU is projected to see enrollment of 14,600 international students this fall semester. An annual overall enrollment of more than 194,000 ASU students, including 43,00 graduate students over the past year, is a historically high mark for the university.

The New Yorker

A research paper by the director of the Data Mining and Research Lab by Huan Liu, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and several of his colleagues looks at artificial intelligence, or AI, and its impressive capabilities — as well as how impactful progress on the promising evolution of the technology might be close to reaching an end point. The focus is on the performance of Large Language Models, or LLMs, and questions about whether some of their powers of reasoning are being overblown.  AI Chain-of-Thought reasoning capabilities are also explored in highly technical detail and called into question, noting how and why they can fail.

Today's Medical Developments

Wenlong Zhang, an associate professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools, is co-director and a principal investigator for the new Center for Digital Twins in Manufacturing, an ASU and University of Michigan collaboration pursuing ways to optimize manufacturing processes through advances in digital twin technologies. Those advances can enable engineers to better monitor, analyze and improve performance of these technologies to boost precision in manufacturing them. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the center is expected to help achieve advances in smart manufacturing while also educating students in the use of digital twin technology, enabling them to help the U.S. remain competitive in the global economy. Zhang says the project reflects Arizona’s expanding role in advanced manufacturing.

AZ Big Media

Climate change combined with a growing demand for water has led to a dwindling amount of water for seven western states, including Arizona, as well as 30 Native American tribes that depend on Colorado River water. Arizona could face losing a significant part of its water supply, creating a big need water reuse, such as turning wastewater into drinkable water. Enrique Vivoni, a professor of in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and the director of the Center for Hydrologic Innovations, describes various steps Arizona could take to help maintain adequate water supplies. A change in water rights is also expected also present some challenges to various regions and communities. 

See also: Arizona’s declining share of Colorado River likely to hold steady for a year, Arizona Republic, Arizona Republic
Vivoni tells Central Arizona Project board member that dry soils are soaking up precipitation before it can reach the Colorado River, reducing the flow of water 

Preparing for a drier future on the Colorado River basin, ASU News
Vivoni is quoted

H20 Radio:This Week in Water

In a segment of a regular news update on water issues around the world, Paul Westerhoff, a professor in the  School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, voices concern about a shortage of adequate water supplies to sustain the increasingly critical semiconductor manufacturing industry in the U.S. Some semiconductor fabrication facilities use tens of millions of gallons a day, raising serious doubt about the ability of many of fabrication operations to maintain their production in water-stressed regions such as Arizona. Westerhoff and his colleagues are researching water-reuse technologies that could help to adequately maintain the operations of fabrication facilities. 

Energy Reports-European Energy News

A study by ASU researchers and SOLARCYCLE shows solar energy panels made from recycled glass perform as well as those made from other new materials, a discovery  expected to boost the solar energy industry. The work involved Fulton Schools researchers testing solar panel prototypes made from both new and recycled glass. Fulton Schools Vice Dean for Research and Innovation Zachary Holman says the project demonstrates that solar energy panels can be built in ways that make them more sustainable without a sacrifice of a loss in the overall energy-generating performance of the panels. That development is seen as providing a big step to a promising future for renewable energy opportunities.

See also: Solarcycle produces recycled glass test module with ‘peak performance, PV Tech 

Recycled glass gives solar panels high-performance, makes them work like new, Interesting Engineering

This 50% recycled glass solar panel panel perform like brand new, Electreck

Manufacturing Dive

A booming U.S. semiconductor chip market is intensifyingdemand on the industry to provide more highly purified water for use in chip manufacturing processes, as well as raising a more pressing need for water conservation. Paul Westerhoff, an ASU Regents Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, gives details of various processes and systems that chip manufacturers can use to achieve sustainable water conservation. He describes what Intel and other manufacturers can do to purify their water and use wastewater for productive purposes while also improving purification processes and protecting communities by reducing possibilities of pollution.

ASU News

A mobile temperature-measuring tool owned by ASU Associate Professor Ariane Middel, a faculty member in ASU’s new The GAME School who has affiliations with the Fulton Schools, has been instrumental in recent research aimed at helping to find safe ways for young students to stay healthy and active in hotter climates such as those of much of Arizona. The team involved in the project is working with the Arizona Department of Health Services and Arizona Department of Education to develop a tool kit designed to help guide efforts to assist people in coping with hot outdoor environments and contribute information for a HeatReady Schools initiative. Middel’s affiliations also include one with ASU’s Urban Climate Research Center and the SHaDE Lab.

See also:  What are urban heat islands and what causes them?, Spectrum News (Ariane Middel is interviewed)

ASU News

ASU researchers are contributing to an intensive evaluation of the effectiveness of team training techniques and related practices used by the U.S. Marine Corps. The goal is to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with optimal methods to assess team dynamics, performance and mission readiness of the nation’s military forces. Jamie Gorman, a professor in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of ASU’s Center for Human, Artificial Intelligence, and Robot Teaming, is leading one of the efforts to help meet the project’s key goals. Gorman says the project is designed to maximize the resilience of U.S. military forces’ operations in undertaking today’s increasingly complex defense challenges. 

ABC 15 News Arizona

A manikin weighing 1,000 pounds, due to being equipped with a variety of sensing devices, is a new high-tech tool developed and being used by an ASU research team to understand how ambient heat impacts the human body. Led by Konrad Rykaczewski, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, the team’s engineers and scientists (pictured with the robot/manikin) have been gathering data in a quest to design and develop tools and methods to protect human health during times of excessively high temperatures as much of the planet continues to experience more frequent sizzling temperatures.

KJZZ News (NPR)

A new partnership involving Arizona State University and a semiconductor manufacturing association aims to expand access to on-demand training in semiconductor technology. ASU is collaborating with SEMI, an industry association, to provide high-quality learning experiences to university students and early-career professionals. Octavio Heredia, a director of Global Outreach and Extended Education at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU, says the students will learn all about the semiconductor industry and the manufacturing process. “I think the state of Arizona has become a critical ecosystem in the semiconductor microelectronic space from education, from research and advancing the industry in general,” Heredia says.

See also: SEMI, Arizona State University to Deliver Semiconductor Engineering, ink world magazine

ASU News

Progress in work to develop cell-based therapies that can help treat diseases such as Type 1 diabetes has brought a prestigious Fulbright Scholar award to Jessica Weaver, an associate professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. In a collaboration with researchers at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, known for its expertise in engineering vasculature, Weaver’s team will be integrating lab-engineered vasculature from that lab with her lab’s computationally optimized cell therapy devices. The goal is to improve oxygen delivery to encapsulated cells to help improve the effectiveness of clinical treatments to fight disease.

Today News 24

Sweat gets a bad rap as an off-putting bodily substance, but without sweat and its evaporation that helps to chill human skin in hot weather we would experience more discomfort in that and similar conditions, says Konrad Rykaczewski, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools. Rykaczewski, a materials and thermal engineer, is among researchers studying the mechanics of sweat and it affects to help develop more effective cooling technology. He and other experts are examining sweat from is its micro to macro scales to gain an understanding of various ways people could better protect themselves from dangers of overheating and related health threats.

Popular Science

Advances in artificial intelligence, or AI, technology could one day birth “brains” for humanoid robots that could enable them to more productively interact with humans in workplaces, homes and elsewhere, including in table tennis matches, researchers say. Those at DeepMind research laboratory foresee an evolution from the clunky metal robots of limited abilities long portrayed on television shows and movies to smarter and more human-like assistants. Heni Ben Amor, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, recently co-authored an article in IEEE Spectrum expressing optimism about development of increasingly capable robotic machines that will operate more effectively in the real world.

See also: DeepMind’s Quest for Self-Improving Table Tennis Agents, IEEE Spectrum, July 21
Heni Ben Amor co-wrote the article with Pannag Sanketi, a senior staff engineer and tech-lead manager on the robotics team at Google DeepMind, about how robots can learn new skills by challenging each other.

Science News

Sweat is not commonly thought of in a positive way but it’s actually a good thing, says Konrad Rykaczewski, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools. It’s the evaporation of sweat that chills human skin, giving it some protection against heat. So, studying sweat can aid scientists and engineers in designing and developing more effective technologies to help keep people cool, he says. Rykaczewski is working with colleagues to investigate possibilities for high-tech solutions that would alleviate or mitigate some impacts of extreme heat.

See also: Like AC for the Outdoors, The Atlantic (July 22)
To survive a heating planet, humans need shade ­­– a lot of it.
Associate Professor Ariane Middel, director of ASU’s Sensable Heatscapes and Digital Environments, or SHaDE, Lab, who has affiliations with the Fulton Schools, talks about using shade to help overcome the global environmental challenge of rising heat. (Signing up for one-year subscription or a one-month free trial subscription is necessary to access the full article.)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Use of public transportation in many communities is dropping by almost 50 percent when temperatures rise to uncomfortable levels, according to a recent study co-authored by researchers at University of Texas at Austin and University of Washington, as well as Ram Pendyala, director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and faculty members in the school Steven Polzin, Mikhail Chester, Irfan Batur and Victor Alhassan. The article looks at the recent impacts of heat on ridership in 11 major cities and details the steep declines in use of buses and rail transit uses when heat rises to extreme levels. Officials are exploring solutions, but riders say they are experiencing increasing frustration.

'Horizon' (PBS)

Madeline Andrews, an assistant professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, is interviewed about her research involving reprogramming blood or skin cells into brain cells to study neurological disorders. Her lab is using induced pluripotent stem cells to investigate how cells change over time, particularly in healthy development and disease states. The focus is on glucose metabolism, because 20 to 25% of glucose consumed is used by the brain. Andrews wants to understand how glucose intolerance and other nutrients impact brain function and communication. Future research will examine these processes in patients with disorders such as autism and Alzheimer’s.

PPC Land

Recent research casts some doubt on the touted capabilities of Large Language Models, or LLMs — a type of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology that uses deep learning to generate and manipulate human language. It enables text generation, summarization,  translation and related results. But new studies led by Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and former president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, cast some doubt on claims about the extent of the performance of LLMs.  He and others are showing that effective use of LLMS will require a more thorough understanding of these systems and verification of their actual abilities.

Securities.io

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is now enabling robust new advances in the materials science world. Combined with the abilities of high-performance computing and hybrid cloud technologies, AI is helping materials scientists accelerate discoveries of new materials and improve predictive modeling of their properties. Peter Crozier, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, explains how blending of AI with electron microscopy to enable more advanced visualization of materials’ dynamics at the atomic level could open pathways to advances in areas such as electronics, industrial materials and pharmaceuticals.

AZPM PBS (National Public Radio)

People continue to die from heat-related health issues in Arizona’s hotter regions, says Ariane Middel, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools.  Middel, who uses various metrics to track extreme heat that go beyond simply air temperature, says more research is needed to understand the long-term impacts of extreme heat and air pollution. She points out that towns and cities often do not have sufficient resources to adequately shield people from high summer temperatures and says more cooperative connections between communities are needed to help provide better protection from extreme hot weather.

Arizona PBS

A new device is capable of analyzing the human metabolism in a way that provides data enabling physicians to develop personalized care plans for people to reduce their body weight. Called Breezing, the device developed by Erica Forzani, a professor in the the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, analyzes the body’s oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. It has been approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. and by the European Union. The venture is also seeking expansion of such official approvals to help people in other countries address obesity.

I Visited a Secret Brain Implant Company and Got a Glimpse of Our Cyborg Future

PCMag

A visit to the New York City headquarters of Synchron, a major Neuralink competitor, provides an intriguing look at the booming potential of brain-computer interface technology. An expert in the field, Bradley Greger, an associate professor in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, shares his view of the potential benefits and risks of this fast-evolving high-tech advancement. Greger cautions about the expected hype of the potential benefits of these interface capabilities as companies attempt to move it quickly into the marketplace. He and other academics see its potential to provide much of benefit but are also cautious about the possibly serious consequences if such systems become in some ways invasive.

See also: Elon Musk’s Neuralink Aims to Implant 10 Times More Brain Chips in 2025, Observer

Maven’s Notebook (California Water News Central)

Improving the health of soils also helps to improve water conservation. Among current projects contributing to advances in these areas is a collaboration between ASU researchers and a Phoenix-based soil health company. The project is using live, native microalgae to enrich soil is enabling farmers to achieve greater water use efficiency, increase crop yields and reduce negative environmental impacts. There’s a strong potential for the project to have a large-scale impact, says Enrique Vivoni, Fulton Professor of Hydrosystems Engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton and the director of ASU’s Center for Hydrologic Innovations. Researchers’ goal is to see the effort to maintain better soil health result in significant increases in water conservation in agricultural uses.

See also: New algae system helps Arizona farmers grow better crops with less water, ASU News

Michigan News (University of Michigan)

ASU and the University of Michigan are teaming up to invite industrial partners to help produce innovations through the new Center for Digital Twins in Manufacturing. The goal is for the center to become an Industry-University Cooperative Research Center funded by the National Science Foundation. Leaders and faculty members of the universities plan to meet with industry representatives to discuss the center’s operations, vision and goals. Wenlong Zhang, an associate professor of robotics and manufacturing systems in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools, says the meeting will be enable potential industry partners to understand the value of becoming members and helping to shape research projects.

See also: U-M, ASU Lead Efforts to Create Center for Digital Twins in Manufacturing, ExecutiveGov

Times of India

As a result of its innovation-driven approach to education, ASU has emerged as one of the top choices among students aspiring to careers in growing and increasingly creative areas such as computer science. The university’s expanding offerings include a computer science education program focusing on applications of related emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, data science and human systems engineering into the computer science field. The program in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, is becoming known for its high-quality competitive curricula, active career support for students and connections to top-tier employers.

Brighter Side of the News

Its complex symptoms have long made it difficult to accurately diagnose and treat autism. Today, with promising new insights derived from examining the role of the human gut and the gut-brain connection in the development of autism, researchers are making strides in tracking autism’s onset and progression. Among them are recent fecal microbiota transplant studies by researchers such as Professor Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of ASU’s Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes. They are revealing with the help of computational biology more about the gut-brain connection and the potential for new autism therapies.

University Magazine

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is among organizations validating the beneficial impacts of the magazine’s 2025 rankings of the best college aerospace engineering degree programs in the U.S. The aerospace engineering program in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, is especially noted for the education it is providing to students in design thinking and prototyping, systems testing, solar-powered flight and electrical propulsion systems in the aerospace and aeronautics realm. Particularly noted is that the degree program’s industry board of directors ensures the curriculum aligns with the emerging priorities of job markets in the fields that employ aerospace engineering experts.

KJZZ-The Show (NPR)

Applying his expertise in robotics and machine learning, Heni Ben Amor, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, teamed earlier this year with Google DeepMind to develop a robot that can play ping pong. Now Ben Amor and his research collaborators have a new project called Rosey the Robot — named after of the robotic maid on the popular TV cartoon show “The Jetsons,” which first aired in the 1960s. The new Rosie is a prototype for advanced artificial intelligence, or AI, technology that could become increasing capable of cooperating with humans to ably perform household chores and possibly more complex tasks as further tech advances are made. See also a previous post on this page dated May 12 linking to related previous news articles.

The Atlantic

Experts are offering an expansive range of assessments on where artificial technology, or AI, is headed — for better or worse — in the near future. Among them is Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and past president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. The article reports on his and other experts’ outlook on the future of AI and challenges to realizing its potential in positive and productive ways. (Accessing the full article requires purchasing a subscription or accepting a free temporary trial subscription.) 

Futurism

Following up on an earlier report in The New York Times (see the post below on this page dated July 4), this article continues to raise concerns about authors of articles in science journals using artificial intelligence to write about their scientific research and what that research is discovering. Concern about the trend and it potential impacts is growing. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and past president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, is among experts who talk about the complicated issues and questions this trend could raise for the science world and its credibility.

The New York Times

There’s growing debate in the science world about when it is appropriate or inappropriate to write research papers with help from artificial intelligence, or AI, technology. Many words frequently used by ChatGPT, a conversational AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that’s designed to understand and generate human-like text responses, are showing up in research publications. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the he School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and past president of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, says there’s still lot of ambiguity in the science community about impacts of AI-generated content in reports on science and technology advances.  

Science

Technological advances that are improving the effectiveness of atmospheric water harvesting systems are expected to help many of the more than two billion people in the world who lack access to clean water. The latest progress in this area is poised to improve on the technologies in use today that require a lot of energy use, can be costly and have limited geographic reach. Cody Friesen, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, and an atmospheric water harvesting pioneer, says that with further refinements of advanced technologies for atmospheric water harvesting the costs for delivery of water could be significantly lowered.

San Francisco Examiner

Artificial intelligence, or AI, technology has progressed to the point that smarter-than-human systems will soon be available, say some AI industry leaders such as Open AI CEO Sam Altman. But authors of recent research papers are saying AI technology still sometimes falls short in its abilities reason at certain levels of complexity. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, is among the experts who assert that human are still demonstrably more broadly intelligent than AI systems in many ways.

Space Daily

A mission to position carbon as a valuable resource rather than a waste product that degrades the environment is being undertaken by the New Carbon Economy Consortium. At it’s annual meeting, the consortium has been involving leaders of industry, universities, national laboratories and nongovernmental organizations in promoting collaboration to develop large-scale carbon capture strategies. Klaus Lackner, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and founding director of ASU’s Center for Negative Carbon Emissions, sees the effort as an opportunity to shift away from environmental degradation to transforming carbon in the atmosphere into a beneficial resource.

ROUTE FIFTY

Improved self-driving automobiles and other related and ongoing advances in automotive engineering and technologies, including sensors, data systems and monitoring technology, are promising to make new automobiles and new traffic monitoring systems safer and more efficient. Yezhou Yang, an associate professor for in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, points to examples and rising expectations of progress that should enable making automotive travel more manageable through better systems to control traffic flow, reduce risks, employ computer-vison technologies, promote public trust in autonomous vehicles and otherwise help ensure a more predictable travel environment and driving experience.

ASU News

Members of the Fulton Schools’s Next Level Devils student organization are getting hands-on training at ASU’s Interplanetary Lab workspace in pursuit of careers that could provide opportunities to help NASA fulfill its intriguing space exploration ambitions. Project teams are producing prototypes to guide development of new technologies and systems to achieve those goals and providing students valuable experience in using cutting-edge technologies such as machine learning and advanced manufacturing systems. Students say they’re also learning to persevere when progress doesn’t come easy. Gearing up for the next NASA challenge in the fall, the team is looking for new members to help it fulfill its sky-high aspirations.

ASU News

Fulton Schools researchers are contributing to deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s as part of efforts at ASU to better diagnosis, treat and perhaps also prevent the debilitating disease. Researchers in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, for instance, are aiding work on advances in brain scans and positron emission tomography imaging techniques that can improve detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Fulton Schools engineers are also working with ASU’s Biodesign Institute to train doctoral students to help develop new artificial intelligence, or AI, to that can help people who have the disease. Fulton Schools graduate students are also getting opportunities to assist in the research projects.

The Carolina Journal

Artificial intelligence, or AI, technology has already made its way into public transit in some notable ways. Some experts say it’s only the start of the inevitable widespread evolutionary transformation of the transportation environment throughout the U.S. More kinds of autonomous vehicles are certain. Quoted from a recent study, Steven Polzin, a research professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director the TOMNET University Transportation Center, talks about what recent transit investment and ridership data indicates — or does not indicate — regarding adaptation of the latest technological advances across the overall transportation environment.

ASU News

ASU researchers find economically disadvantaged U.S. populations are most at risk of lack of access to water resources. A research paper documenting the problem has been coauthored Claire Cropper, a graduate research associate in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Her work on rural Alaskan communities facing depleted water resources shows the technological, engineering, economic and governmental complexities making it difficult to overcome the problem. Cropper notes solutions might be derived from the Arizona Governor’s Office focus on statewide water security that led to the Arizona Water Initiative, which identifies technology innovations and policy changes that could improve water security.

ASU News

The role of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering, directed by Mikhail Chester, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, is to help provide a basis for understanding, designing and managing the complex integrated built, human and natural systems shaping the planet in modern times. Chester’s recent book, co-written with Braden Allenby, a Fulton Schools Lincoln Professor of Ethics and Engineering, looks at how to best take on complex challenges of creating new infrastructure to strengthen the resilience of today’s built environment to ensure robust and sustainable energy, transportation and environmental management systems into the future.

VentureBeat

Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor of computer science in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, give his perspective on recent issues in the realms of human-aware artificial intelligence, or AI, systems and related developments in “reasoning” technologies. He weighs in on issues arising as businesses integrate large language models, or LLMs, into exceedingly complex, mission-critical systems, which has sparked debate over how much of the internal workings of such models should be exposed, noting how some trends reflected in these developments have dangerous implications. Those concerns reflect growing caution about the evolving workings of ever-more powerful and complicated reasoning models and increasing access to them.

Arizona Republic

Algae blooms that can be harmful to the health of humans and even deadly for pets are increasing in Arizona lakes due to warming temperatures and nutrient buildup. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has requested that people report suspicious algae sightings through the department’s app. As dryer and hotter conditions become more frequent and intense in the state’s desert region the dangerous blooms are expected to become more common and their impacts more severe, says Taylor Weiss, an assistant professor of environmental and resource management in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, and a researcher with the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation.

ASU News

ASU has become one of the leading U.S. universities among those with a growing global appeal — including among students seeking degrees and careers in engineering. Shashwat Srivastava, who earned a master’s degree in industrial engineering from the Fulton Schools, is among those who say ASU became their choice after they learned not only of the quality of its academic programs but also its support for international students, including ASU organizations such as Indian Students Association. Fulton Schools Dean Kyle Squires notes at least several recent engineering graduates from India who have becomes leaders in their fields in both the U.S. and India.

Chemical & Engineering News

Resilient carbon fiber–reinforced polymers, or CFRPs, perform well in many useful applications, including aircraft, shipping containers, natural gas storage tanks, wind turbines and sporting goods. The problem is manufacturing the polymers is expensive and produces greenhouse gas emissions that have negative environmental impacts. Now a new method using acetic acid to break down polymers looks like it can help alleviate that threat and enable safer recycling of these materials. Bhavik Bakshi, a chemical and biomolecular engineer and professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, agrees this method makes CFRP recycling easier but says other recycling methods being developed might be more effective.

3D Printing Industry

Led by Professor Aviral Shrivastava and Assistant Professor Ashif Iquebal in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, ASU researchers are seeking to solve long-standing metal 3D printing challenges by reliably predicting the internal structure and strength of printed components. They want to develop an AI-driven system capable of forecasting how a metal’s microstructure will evolve during the printing process. Aerospace, defense and energy industries in particular stand to benefit from the project that aims to significantly improve the performance of metal components. Researchers say the achievement could also potentially birth a new era of high-precision manufacturing. The National Science Foundation is funding the project.

See also: ASU researchers use AI to improve metal 3D printing accuracy and speed, Australian Manufacturing, June 17

ASU researchers enhance 316L stainless steel 3D printing with AI, VoxelMatters, June 14
ASU’s efforts are not only accelerating advanced manufacturing but also weaving AI directly into engineering education and industry applications.

Artificial Intelligence’s Evolution, AZ Family News, June 12
Ross Maciejewski, director of the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, discusses the latest advances in AI technology

The New York Times

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, says the company will develop a Superintelligence Lab to create technology more powerful than today’s artificial intelligence. The announcement is raising questions about what superintelligence actually is and what its impacts could be on the high-tech industry and the world at large. Some say it could help overcome many societal challenges. Others express concern about harm it could do to humanity. Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, notes that scientists and engineers are not yet close to creating superintelligence and the term is — at least for now — more of a branding and advertising term.

ASU News

ASU is ranked highly in a recent Digital Leaders in Higher Education survey on what U.S. universities are doing to educate the next generation of leaders in the rapidly evolving fields of digital and artificial intelligence, or AI, technologies. ASU’s overall position in the poll was bolstered by the ranking of its computer science degree program, which placed fourth — ahead of such other leading universities as UCLA, Purdue and the University of Washington. The School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, is home to ASU’s computer science program. ASU was also ranked highly in the categories of data science, AI and business analytics, digital transformation management and digital entrepreneurship.

ASU News

Fulton Schools engineering, sustainability and hydrology researchers and other experts are major contributors to the work of Impact Water — Arizona, part of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative’s mission to ensure the state a reliable water supply in the midst of challenges presented by climate change and other factors. As a part of that effort, the Fulton Schools is aiding multiple projects to provide municipalities and communities the knowledge and tools necessary to ensure they have adequate and resilient water supplies well into the future. Those endeavors include expanding access to water education, supporting community-driven solutions and strengthening local capacity to address current problems and prevent future hardships.

ASU News

Learning about the value of engineering and technology innovation through the careers of her father, an electrical engineer, and other family members, as well as her professional colleagues, Lu Baird was inspired to help make a difference in the world through science and engineering. Through ASU’s Biodesign Institute, she created the $1.7 million Baird Family Biodesign Support Fund. She is also supporting the next generation of engineers through the Baird Family STEM Scholarship. Most recently, she has updated the Baird family living trust to include $100,000 for each of the 16 ASU Biodesign Institute research centers, where Fulton Schools faculty members and students are frequently involved in a variety of projects.

3TV/CBS 5 News – Phoenix

Major electric vehicle make Lucid has acquired sites that significantly expand its Arizona operations, giving the company a wider capacity for advanced manufacturing activities, development of related innovative products and improved testing of new components and systems. Steven Polzin, a research professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director the TOMNET University Transportation Center, says the electric vehicle industry is facing a lot of challenges, but sees Lucid and other leaders in the field developing more economically viable products and improved manufacturing and benefiting from its ability to provide more products that help protect the environment more than fossil fueled automobiles.

ASU News

Growing industries in Arizona and across the U.S. have an increasing need for clean water but keeping up with the demand for products these industries produce involves processes that create a lot of brine, a salty waste byproduct that can become an environmental problem. Shahnawaz Sinha, an associate research professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, is partnering with the Nestlé company to bolster the resilience of Arizona’s water resources by removing salt from water containing brine through a process that also extracts fresh water. Sinha foresees the project creating a way to sustainably manage waste byproducts while also extracting commercially viable materials from the process.

See also: ASU: Squeezing every last drop out of desalination wastewater, Mavens Notebook, July 16

Bloomberg

Washington D.C.’s road pavements could be put to a test of their structural resilience by the U.S. Army’s 250^th anniversary celebration parade, which will feature a procession in the nations’ capitol city of large military combat vehicles and heavy artillery weaponry, along with almost 7,000 marching soldiers. By one estimate, damage that might be done could cost millions of dollars to repair. Kamil Kaloush, the FORTA Professor of Pavement Engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, says damage might be only minimal, given that military tanks are built to distribute their weight across multiple wheels, which reduces the stress on the ground. But he adds that heavy, slow-moving vehicles combined with high summer temperatures might still cause some widespread damage.

The Guardian

A recently published research paper casts doubt on claims about the abilities of a new generation of artificial intelligence, or AI, technology. The paper by the Apple company raises the warning that large reasoning models, or LLMS, are not proving to be capable of consistently reasoning reliably. The research paper reinforces claims previously made by Subbarao Kambhampati, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. He observed that people tend to assume these AI systems do something resembling steps humans might take when solving a challenging problem, but he shows these LLMs have the same kinds of problems Apple documented in its paper.

See related articles in which Kamhampati is quoted :
Apple Is Pushing AI Into More of Its Products—but Still Lacks a State-of-the-Art Model WIRED, June 9
Meta Is Building a Superintelligence Lab. What Is That? The New York Times, June 13

ASU News

Development of technology that uses bacteria to remove contaminants from water and recover valuable metals that would otherwise go to waste is among the most potentially impactful goals of ASU’s Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, directed by Bruce Rittmann, a  professor  the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Rittmann, whose work has been recognized by the Internation Water Association, is focused on using tiny organisms to solve water challenges and ways to use bacteria to benefit both human health and provide economic benefits to society. Research progress so far also promises to open paths to progress in protecting various environments, preventing more kinds of diseases and boosting extraction of valuable materials.

ASU News

Gaurav Gondane (pictured at left) was among ASU Library student employees recently given an ASU spring 2025 Tomalee Doan LibAid for Student Success Award. Gondane, who earned a master’s degree in computer science from the Fulton Schools this spring, was credited with strengthening the library’s connections with students and producing social media content for the library’s Instagram account. He also helped to organize library tours for international students who had recently arrived in the United States. Gondane plans to pursue additional certifications and professional development as he begins his career and to also volunteer as an alumni mentor for ASU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service.

ASU News

Fulton Schools students are part of ASU’s Engineering Projects in Community Service, or EPICS, team of students who have helped bring books and videos to educate students in the African country of Kenya. Electrical engineering student Will Reinhart is chief operations manager of the team that travelled to Kenya to install a digital library they had worked on for three years. The library provides class curriculum and more than 300 books and videos in both English and Kiswahili, a language common to several regions in Africa. Reinhart says it is “really amazing” that as an undergraduate student he had an opportunity “to make an impact on the other side of the world.”

India Education Diary

Sethuraman Panchanathan, former Fulton Schools professor and recent National Science Foundation, or NSF, director, has been awarded one of India’s most prestigious honors. India’s president presented Panchanathan the award that expresses the country’s gratitude for excellence in the fields of art, education, industry, science, medicine, social service and public affairs. Before his years as NSF leader, Panchanathan was named Foundation Chair in Computing and Informatics in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. He will now return to ASU as University Professor for Technology and Innovation. In accepting this latest award, Panchanathan said the honor “really epitomizes the contributions of many people — including my colleagues from the NSF and ASU.”

The article is also publisheds on ASU News.

ASU News

Eight of this year’s 20 winners of the prestigious Arizona-based Flinn Foundation Scholarship have chosen to attend ASU, beginning in the fall semester. Three of the high-achieving recent high school graduates are enrolling in Fulton Schools engineering degree programs. Each will also be part of ASU’s Barrett, The Honors College. Rati Tabatadze is enrolled in the electrical engineering program. Eliut Gonzalez is enrolled in the aerospace engineering program and Alejandro Zayas Abril is enrolled in the biomedical engineering program. Tabatadze, who wants to be a software engineer, will also study data science in The College of Liberals Arts and Sciences. Each will also receive funding for study abroad experiences.

HealthDigest

What’s the harm in putting a Styrofoam container in the microwave? Styrofoam, which is made of expanded polystyrene, is primarily derived from a chemical called a styrene monomer, or simply styrene. Although it has long been used to make a wide variety of commercial products, it’s not completely harmless to humans. When food is stored in a Styrofoam container, small quantities can be transferred to food. Microwaving speeds up that process. Rolf Halden, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, explains that the heat can generate more free chemical building blocks, and also accelerate the movement of chemicals out of the plastic and into food.

Interesting Engineering

The gasoline used by the vast majority of vehicles worldwide continues to be among the most valuable resources for fueling mobility. The downside is the carbon dioxide emissions from gasoline-powered vehicles that produce air pollution and are accelerating the environmental threat of climate change. The costs of developing the infrastructure and systems to replace gasoline with alternative fuels and electric-powered vehicles is steep, but New York-based fuels company Aircela is claiming it has found a solution that uses the direct air-capture technology developed in large part by Klaus Lackner, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Lackner joined Aircela’s recent demonstration of his machine’s carbon-capture process to deliver a cleaner fuel.

ASU Thrive magazine

Advances in robotics and have set the stage for advances that help improve the effectiveness of many engineering endeavors. Where the impact of modern robots has been less dramatic is in helping people with some of the simple domestic tasks of everyday life. In a recent edition of ASU Thrive magazine, Siddharth Srivastava, an associate professor of computer science and engineering in the School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of Engineering and director of the Autonomous Agents and Intelligent Robots Lab, talks about the challenges of developing robotics with the ability to perform these types of tasks. Other Fulton Schools researchers talk about their progress in designing robots to perform many other similarly useful functions.

Fox 10 News Phoenix

U.S. airports are facing critical shortages of air traffic controllers. The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, is poised to help fill these vital positions with increasingly well-trained personnel. The school’s air traffic management and aviation program is using a state-of-the-art facility that simulates operations at one of Phoenix Sky Harbor airport’s largest and busiest terminals. Along with knowledge of the air travel industry and airport business management practices, students are learning about the rules of working under Federal Aviation Administration management and related requirements. This summer, the program is planning to acquire new technologies to further enhance the education students will be receiving to prepare them for careers in the industry. The report was picked up by yahoo! news.

Civil Engineering Source

ASU researchers are collaborating with the Maricopa County Department of Transportation to finds ways to shorten the time needed to build and repair roads from efforts that often take weeks to complete to work that may require only a weekend of labor. Barzin Mobasher, a professor of civil and environmental engineering the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, is leading an effort to educate and train the county transportation department’s road construction leaders in the use of a new ultra-high-performance concrete that he and his ASU colleagues have developed to make roadways and bridges not only more structurally resilient but also significantly less costly to install than standard road materials.

KJZZ News (NPR)

Ariane Middel, an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton schools, and director of The Shade Lab at ASU, was one of the go-to experts for a recent radio show interview on the critical need for refuge from the often extremely hot, sunny outdoor environments of Arizona’s desert regions — especially in the most densely developed urban areas such as Phoenix. Her research team’s work includes creating heat maps that can be used to pinpoint places most in need of more shade in the metro area. Middel points out the threatening impacts of extreme heat on both human physical and psychological health. She also identifies her favorite shade tree on ASU’s Tempe campus.

University Magazine

Along with Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Princeton University, Cornell University and other prestigious institutions of higher education, ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering is among the 25 engineering education and research institutions selected as the most advanced in America for their contributions to pioneering breakthroughs in engineering, technology, life sciences and related fields. The Fulton Schools are specifically lauded for start-of-the-art research laboratories, forward-thinking curricula and industry partnerships. ASU is ranked seventh overall on the list, which particularly notes the Fulton Schools’ experiential learning opportunities in semiconductor research, microelectronics and space technologies, renewable energy and sustainable urban development.

ASU News

A gaming platform venture developed by Sandul Gangodagamage, a sophomore computer science student in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence of Fulton Schools, part of the Fulton Schools, and business law major in ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business, won first prize at the inaugural ASU Inferno Invitational Startup Cup competition sponsored by the Fulton Schools and ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute. Gangodagamage’s winning Legions Platform, a multiplayer gaming platform, can be accessed with slow internet speeds. The competition brought together entrepreneurial teams from ASU, Northern Arizona University, the University of Arizona, Grand Canyon University and Estrella Mountain Community College. Each team gave a five-minute pitch to judges. Gangodagamage’s venture already has 12 million users around the world. He plans to use the prize money to expand marketing for his business.

Wrangler News Independent

More than 70 Arizona college students have recently won scholarships from the Desert Financial Foundation. The scholarship winners include four ASU engineering students who are focusing their studies on areas such as bioinformatics, chemical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, and civil, environmental and sustainable engineering. All of them are pursuing doctoral degrees in their engineering fields. In addition to their academic performance, the Desert Financial Foundation scholarship winners are also selected for the commitment they have also demonstrated to community volunteerism in addition to a commitment to higher education.

Phoenix Business Journal

ASU researchers will help the Cargill Bioindustrial company in its pursuit of technological advances that promise to boost U.S. semiconductor industry operations. The university’s research and workforce development programs are seen as major sources of new engineering and science talent that will contribute to advances in manufacturing engineering and the performance of advanced materials. A leader of ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise says the university’s training of the next generation of engineers and scientists can also be expected to especially help to achieve innovations that boost the semiconductor industry’s important lab-to-fab ecosystem.

See also: Cargill, ASU Partner to Advance Semiconductor Material Innovation, BISinfotech, May 28

AXIOS

Some of the infrastructure of Phoenix is at risk of widespread crumbling that would put roads, buildings, bridges and dams at risk. Researchers have found the city is sinking sufficiently to cause that kind of serious damage through actions such as extensive groundwater pumping. Fulton Schools Professor Edward Kavazanjian, a geotechnical engineer in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, points to actions such as cities pumping treated wastewater back into aquifers and parts of the state that have few restrictions on pumping groundwater because they are not in groundwater management districts. Without such guardrails, experts warn the resulting sinking will amount to a slow-moving disaster.

Washington Times

Looming funding cuts to bus and rail transportation systems and services across much of the U.S. are one factor being pointed to in predictions of a dramatic drop in public transit services. With multi-million-dollar budget deficits in many parts of the country and waning funding support from President Donald Trump’s administration, public transit overall could be facing a major downward spiral, says Steven Polzin, a research professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director the TOMNET University Transportation Center. Polzin talks about factors discouraging ridership and sees more challenges coming.

Phoenix Business Journal

Aram Chavez, an assistant professor in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, has drawn on his expertise in technology, entrepreneurship and management  to help produce a tool capable of boosting the ability of artificial intelligence, or AI, systems to better understand, process and store information, as well as reduce data storage costs. Working with mathematicians and programmers, the startup named Morphos.AI, was launched in 2023 with a team of co-founders. Chavez now plans to now hire more engineers and ramp up efforts to commercialize the company’s main product, called Green Vector AI. There’s also working being done to develop a tech tool to enable businesses to deploy Morphos technology with only a click of a button.

KJZZ News (NPR)

Many students, faculty and staff members depend on the Tempe Streetcar service to stay on schedule on its route through downtown Tempe and ASU Tempe campus. But the system’s reliability has been sporadic, and data about the Streetcar’s estimated time of arrival at various locations is frequently inconsistent. Now a team of Fulton Schools engineering students — Veraj Patel, Abraham Duran, Landon Hack and Gerald Bowers — is devising a way to help prevent the Streetcar from being delayed. They’ve developed a real-time tracking device, an app, a user interface and a website to enable viewing of the streetcar’s location and are working on implementing these technologies. Read more and see the video “Tempe Streetcar Tracker.”

KJZZ News (NPR)

Without water management that makes sustainability a priority, the future of the city of Hermosillo will be bleak, say an urban water management experts. Meteorologists and hydrologists agree with the outlook for dire consequences expressed by Enrique Vivoni, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of ASU’s Center for Hydrologic Innovations,. Two recent seasons during which the city has had little precipitation has substantially worsened the potential for danger, Vivoni warns, saying multiple steps must be put in motion soon to prevent a more threatening situation. A spokesperson with a local water utility says efforts are underway to plan and take preventative actions.

KJZZ News (NPR)

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, human-robot interaction, robot vision and automatic motor skills acquisition are among the areas of expertise of Hani Ben Amor, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. His recent work includes helping to create an AI athlete — a robot that is more autonomous than other kinds of robots and is demonstrating an ability to win at table tennis over many humans. Amor says that skill raises the possibility of developing such robots that are capable of helping humans with important endeavors such as search and rescue operations and the development of prosthetic devices for humans.

See also: ASU Researcher Creates AI Athlete That’s Here to Help Humanity, Newswise, May 13

ABC News 15 Arizona

Clayton Burkhardt is graduating from ASU with a bachelor’s degree earned in the Fulton Schools electrical engineering program. He now plans to pursue a master’s degree in engineering with a mission to help improve magnetic resonance imaging, known as MRI, and other medical imaging technologies that helped to diagnose and treat his life-threatening cancer. Burkhardt was piloting a U.S. military helicopter in Germany during a training mission when he was overcome by a debilitating feeling, which turned out to be an effect from a malignant brain tumor, which hindered his speech. He relearned to communicate, then returned to his online studies at ASU, which he had begun while in the military. He now wants to write book about his story.

See also: U.S. Veteran Overcomes Brain Tumor to Graduate from Arizona State University with Engineering Degree, Hoodline-Phoenix

MarketPlace

Data from the Association of International Educators shows a growing dip in enrollment of international students in postgraduate programs at U.S. universities and colleges. Visa revocations under President Trump’s administration of students who are not U.S. citizens are apparently a cause of the decline. Many of these students in science, technology and engineering fields have been hired for jobs or had interviews with tech companies, notes Trevor Thornton, a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. The situation is especially disturbing to foreign students who are in the early years of their college education in the U.S., he says.

KGUN 9 News-Tucson

ASU engineering students were among the competitors in the recent SAE International Design Competition in Marana, Arizona, which gave teams of college students from across the U.S. — as well as Mexico, Canada and Brazil — the opportunity to showcase the high-performance off-road recreational vehicles they designed and built. These competitions simulate real-world engineering design projects and their related challenges. Students’ vehicles are put to the test to see if they can survive severely rough terrain. Organizers say the event gives students a look at all of the aspects of engineering skills involved in the automotive industry.

Arizona Horizon (PBS)

Hundreds of billions of pounds of plastic are being produced each year around the world and only a small percentage of it is getting recycled. That sets the stage for people to be more exposed to plastics waste that can have harmful effects on human health — particularly plastics made with the chemical called BPA. Matthew Green, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, discusses safer and more sustainable alternatives being developed by ASU researchers, including plant-based plastic materials suitable for use in water filtration and medical devices in which BPA-based plastics might otherwise be used.

ASU News

Breezing, a device that analyzes peoples’ breath to reveal information about their metabolism, is improving how people can lose weight and overcome obesity. The new technology was developed by Erica Forzani, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, and a late colleague, Professor NJ Tao. Already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the device recently earned the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation certification. Breezing provides health care professionals the data they need to help patients overcome weight loss challenges by adjusting diet and physical activity as the body changes. The technology is also an effective tool for use in bariatric surgery, endocrinology, family medicine and nutrition.

ABC News 15 Arizona/MSN News

Drones that make deliveries, a navigation algorithm for self-driving cars, using heat from a hydrogen fuel cell to keep food warm, small robotic vehicles that clean debris off roadways. These are some of the projects featured during a recent event at which ASU students exhibited and demonstrated designs and models of potential new technologies they’ve been developing. The projects gave students hands-on basic training in conducting research, reinventing older technologies, mapping paths to innovation, exploring ideas for new tools and systems and using their skills to serve the public good.

ASU News

Ryan Abernathy didn’t make it through college on his first try, but various ASU programs — including an industry partnership and ASU’s Earned Admission program — gave him a second chance and he eventually earned a degree through the Fulton Schools’ information technology program. He would become a technical specialist for IBM, the major multinational technology company known for its advanced computing and related technologies and services. Abernathy’s success reflects the Fulton Schools’ efforts to design flexible degree programs to serve students “at any stage of life,” says Kyle Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools.

The State Press

The MechanicalTree is among the well-known technologies designed to help counter threats posed by an atmosphere in which carbon dioxide emitted from various industrial operations and vehicles that burn fossil fuels can be captured and rendered less harmful. The technology was developed based largely on work by Fulton Schools Professor Klaus Lackner, founding director of ASU’s Center for Negative Carbon Emissions. Earlier this year, ASU was awarded a large grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help build a carbon capture hub in the Southwest with an industry partner, Carbon Collect. Despite its capabilities, however, there are critics who contend that carbon capture technology does not adequately protect the environment.

ASU News

Many ASU students are taking the time and making the effort to step beyond their schoolwork and pursue real-world learning experiences by getting involved in community service projects and related volunteer ventures. Among them is Hassonil Jones, who is pursuing a degree in chemical engineering in the School for the Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools. Through the school’s Summer Research Initiative program, Jones is exploring possibilities of an alternative for lithium-ion batteries, which have a history of exploding. The project is part of his work to help overcome sustainability challenges through the Fulton Schools’ Grand Challenge Scholars Program.

KTAR News – Phoenix

Artificial intelligence and chatbot technologies that feature computer programs designed to simulate conversation with humans  are becoming a more prevalent way for customer service and data centers to communicate with the public. These high-tech systems are performing their basic functions adequately, but they are also requiring tens of millions of dollars in electricity costs. Yezhou Yang, (pictured) an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, talks about the outlook for resolving the problem, which can also have a detrimental impact on other public services, such as water supplies. These challenges are continuing to grow in Arizona.

ASU News

Some of the most accomplished ASU students are among the record number of more than 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students who will be awarded their degrees in May, including about 4,700 Fulton Schools students. Among them is Omkaar Shenoy, who has earned a degree in part through the computer science program in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools. Shenoy has already been hired by the Aramark company as a data engineer who will analyze food supplies and build dashboards to monitor inventory. He credits ASU for enabling him to build skills in coding, media and science and “to explore my creative side,” all of which has helped to provide him a “launchpad to start my career strong.”

ASU News

Some of the ASU researchers seeking solutions to the most pressing environmental and societal challenges are studying the lives of bugs in pursuit of their goals. Among them is Ted Pavlic, an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of the  Bringing Ecology and Engineering Together Lab. Researchers on his team see possibilities for advances in nanomedicine and the use of nanobots being combined to provide applications in therapies cancer and other diseases. By studying ants’ various abilities, Pavlic and his colleagues have also designed decentralized systems for meeting the lighting and heating demands of smart buildings.

Live Science

Airplanes and spacecraft are among things that can be built to be more structurally resilient by using a recently developed copper alloy. Kiran Solanki, a professor in the the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, helped to create the new alloy. He explains how its chemical characteristics give it a combination of physical properties that enable materials to withstand very high stress from pressure and heat. That ability could open paths for industry and the military to create new materials to strengthen hypersonic and high-performance turbine engines. For more news of this advance, see previous posts on this page dated April 12 and March 28.

See also: New copper alloy achieves unprecedented high-temperature performance, Recycling Today, April 25

ASU News

ASU’s Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions efforts have been crucial to successful demonstrations of new technology that increases the reliability and reducing the cost of electricity almost anywhere where microgrids are being used. That progress could help to make power grids more reliable and expand use and production of clean energy. Among contributors to the work is Arnel Garcesa, who will graduate this spring after earning a doctoral degree in the systems engineering program of The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools. The new Adaptive Control of Energy Systems was developed by ASU’s Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions, directed by Nathan Johnson, an associate professor in The Polytechnic School.

ASU News

Of the almost 600 billion pounds of plastic waste  produced each year, less than 15 percent is being recycled and exposure to much of this waste threatens human health, especially plastics that contain BPA, a chemical that can interfere with the body’s hormones and increase the risk of heart disease, cancer and infertility. Researchers are seeking safer and more sustainable alternatives by developing plant-based plastic materials suitable for use in water filtration and medical devices. Matthew Green, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, is among researchers trying to find ways to use natural products that could replace petroleum-based materials and reduce health risks.

ASU News

Research led by Anamitra Pal, an associate professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, is focused on developing and deploying monitoring systems to help protect electric power systems in the U.S. It’s one of many ASU science and engineering projects promising to help the U.S. and the world save and protect vital infrastructure. Pal has led development of the Wildlife Awareness and Risk Management System to deploy wireless sensors that monitor the environment around power transmission systems in remote locations.

PV Magazine

A large portable canopy designed to track the movement of the sun and maximize the capture of solar energy is being developed through a collaboration of ASU and Cornell University researchers. Development of the canopy, called HelioSkin, emerged from a research partnership of Mariana Bertoni,  a professor in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, and leader of ASU’s Defect Engineering for Energy Conversion Technologies lab, and Jenny Sabin, an architectural designer at Cornell University. They began by combining computational design, digital fabrication and 3D printing to create photovoltaic panel assemblies that boost sunlight absorption to generate energy.

ASU News

Advances in medical diagnostics are playing a major role in many significant health care innovations. Much of this progress involves contributions from engineers. Among them is Erica Forzani, an associate professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, and deputy director of ASU’s Biodesign Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors. She and her colleagues have developed Breezing, a handheld device into which people can breathe and instantly get vital information about their metabolic rates. An advanced version, called Breezing Pro, is  being used in research, fitness and sports training and health management.

Environmental Health News

Much of the critical infrastructure the U.S. relies on for electrical power is falling victim to the impacts of climate change, especially rising heat that is stressing electricity distribution grids and inhibiting power delivery. Mikhail Chester, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, and director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering, warns that the onslaught of climate change is happening too quickly to allow for adequate re-engineering of the nation’s energy distribution networks. The problem could pose threats to public safety, economic stability and various critical community services, while reinforcing power infrastructure could be costly.

The State Press

Members of ASU’s student chapters of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers and American Society of Mechanical Engineers pitched ideas for projects and business ventures at the recent Shark Tank event. Judges from the Honeywell and Education at Work companies evaluated students’ ideas, rendering decisions on whether they would invest in what students proposed. One team created an automated laser power bed fusion to automatically move and deposit metal powder. Another team presented a device for measuring heat, designed to work with operations using non-oxides. The event is meant to give students an idea of what is takes to achieve innovations.

SciTech Daily

Teaming with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and researchers at Lehigh University and Louisiana State University, Kiran Solanki, a professor in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, part of the Fulton Schools, has developed a new copper nanocrystalline alloy that has groundbreaking level resistance to coarsening and deformation, including at melting point temperatures. The material is now among the superalloys that are in demand for many engineering, high-tech and industrial applications that require materials that are exceptionally resilient, highly corrosion resistant and stable at high temperatures. See a previous post, dated March 28, linking to other reports on this advance in alloy strength.

See also: New engineered copper alloy could improve reliability of high-performance electrical systems, Notebook Check, April 15

Innovation & Technology Today

The city of Mesa, Arizona, has emerged as a growing hub for technology companies involved in cutting-edge endeavors. Among reasons the area has been seeing the rise in its attraction as a high-tech innovation environment are the impacts of research and education programs at ASU’s Polytechnic campus and its interdisciplinary programs in the sciences, engineering, technology and manufacturing. The campus in Mesa is home to the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks and The Polytechnic School, both parts of Fulton Schools. The two schools’ educational offerings and research pursuits are geared to cultivating a workforce trained to meet the evolving demands of growing sectors of advanced high-tech industries.

Newsweek

A 1-year-old boy whose mother saw something powdery and gray on his shirt discovered he had eaten some of the ashes from her deceased father’s cremation. Quoted from a previous interview, Rolf Halden, a professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools and director of the Center for Environmental Health Engineering at ASU’s Biodesign Institute, says cremation mineralizes the body and produces ashes that contain carbon but are not a serious health threat, unless the deceased’s teeth contained heavy metals. Learning her son was safe, the mother says she laughed about this incident, because her father “definitely would have wanted me to laugh about it.”

The State Press

A 3D-printed artificial blood vessel with the strength and flexibility of real blood vessels has been developed in part through the work of Yuxiang Zhu, who recently earned a doctoral degree in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, part of the Fulton Schools. The achievement helps to provide a printed vascular graft with a flower-mimicking design that overcomes the drawback of existing grafts that cannot fully replicate how our blood vessels respond to movement and stress. Safer and more effective cardiovascular disease treatments and fewer bypass surgery failure rates are expected to result for the achievement. The project’s long-term goal is to see the grafts move from laboratory development to use in medical clinics.

ASU News

Nancy Gonzales, ASU’s executive vice president and university provost, says the recent U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of the leading college graduate degree programs show the broad scope of academic excellence to be found at ASU’s various schools and colleges. The Fulton Schools reflect that trend. Graduate education fine-tunes the skills needed by business executives, policy makers, legal professionals, educators and engineers, Gonzales says. Among the ASU graduate programs that placed in the top 20 in the nation in these latest rankings are the Fulton Schools’ environmental engineering program and the industrial/manufacturing systems program.

ASU News

Krishnendu Chakrabarty, the Fulton Professor of Microelectronics in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools, has  won a major award for developing quality assurance testing to improve the reliability and function of data servers. The award from the Open Compute Project Foundation acknowledges collaborations between foundries and university researchers to develop innovative data center design solutions, which can help the health care, security and finances and related industries successfully manage vast amounts of confidential user data. The new method is a breakthrough in the use of large language models that will have widespread impacts, says Chakrabarti’s ASU colleague Farshad Firouzi, an electrical engineering research scientist.

ASU News

A rapidly growing population, persistent drought and outdated water supply infrastructure are among big challenges facing Arizona in ensuring clean, affordable and reliable water supplies. ASU’s Water Institute recently hosted the national Rethinking Water West conference to explore potential solutions to a variety of water-related issues throughout the U.S. Southwest. The Water Institute’s director stressed the need to fund and develop systems to deliver water security efficiently and affordably using cutting-edge water monitoring, prediction and management tools. Rujie Zeng, an assistant professor in ASU’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, discussed about how artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies could help produce robust and adaptable tools and systems to aid the cause.

The State Press

Frustration seems all too frequent when it comes to peoples’ driving experiences on increasingly busy roadways in the greater Phoenix area, as well as much of Arizona. The ASU student’s commentary notes that one major cause of the annoying situation is that the state has some of the nation’s roadways on which drivers most frequently and recklessly exceed speed limits. Steve Polzin, a research professor at the TOMNET University Transportation Center in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools, points to a variety of factors at the root of a persistent driving safety problem.

The State Press

Fulton Schools researchers are aiding industry in developing more resilient electronic technologies to withstand the challenging environments of outer space. The ASU Center for Semiconductor Microelectronics, founded by Krishnendu Chakrabarty, is leading the collaborative efforts to provide compact, low-cost and low-power-use devices that function reliably in space. The work involves applications of advanced microelectronics in spacecraft, satellites and various related electronic devices. Chakrabarty is a Fulton Professor of Microelectronics in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Fulton Schools. His colleague in the school, Professor Hugh Barnaby, provides microelectronics radiation testing expertise for the researcher endeavors. Graduate and postdoctoral students also are getting opportunities to contribute to projects.

Fox 10 News Phoenix

Golden algae, which can present an environmental threat to lakes and rivers, has recently been detected in some Arizona lakes. The presence of golden algae’s blooms, which are often toxic, has been confirmed in the state’s popular Canyon Lake and Saguaro Lake, where increasing fish deaths are being reported. Tayor Weiss, an assistant professor of environmental and resource management in The Polytechnic School, part of the Fulton Schools, says it could be only a matter of time before people and pets are threatened. Weiss and others warn the infestations can spread widely, especially where lakes and rivers are connected.

ASU News

ASU has been expanding its engineering programs and repurposing its high-tech research facilities, which have been helping to attract large semiconductor industry investments of billions of dollars into Arizona. The university’s research is also helping Arizona become a global leader in microelectronics. As one example, Sarma Vrudhula, a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Fulton Schools, has been designing new microchips and systems that are helping to bring about the next phase of the AI revolution. His work in this area recently brought him a $2 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation. 

Independent Premium

Years of violent and destructive conflict have left Gaza a dramatically war-torn region. Now there is talk of rebuilding, but that is seen as a complicated, long-range political challenge. Restoration would also require undertaking formidable reconstruction and extensive related engineering ventures, says Mikhail Chester, a professor and urban geography expert in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, part of the Fulton Schools. Chester, who is also director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering, gives his perspective on the time, effort, investment and commitment it would take to adequately rebuild Gaza.