IMG Seminar: A High Gain Circular Polarization Antenna using Metamaterial Slabs

Submitted by Yuan Rao on Mon, 09/20/2010 - 1:50pm
Event date: 
Wed, 09/22/2010 - 8:00pm to 8:30pm

Please note that this week's seminar is from 4PM (not 3PM) due to speaker's conflict.

Snacks and drinks will be served

Speaker: Cheolbok Kim

Abstract: Modern satellite communication systems often demand low-profile, wide bandwidth, high gain, and circular polarization antennas. For this applications, a high gain circular polarization antenna with metamaterial slabs has been proposed. Metamaterial slabs having periodic circular lattices have been used to focus beam while fan-shaped patches are added on the slabs to generate circular polarization. The proposed antenna has shown a good axial ratio at the resonant frequency band. It also has shown a simulated gain improvement and transmission gain improvement. In addition, the left/right handed polarization is simply controlled by turning over metamaterial slabs.

IMG Seminar: Spatially Controlled Electrospun Solid Gradient Aligned Nanofiber Tissue Scaffold for Guided Spiral Ganglion Neuron Culture

Submitted by John Griffin on Mon, 09/13/2010 - 10:27am
Event date: 
Wed, 09/15/2010 - 7:00pm to 7:30pm

Speaker: PitFee Jao

The direction of cell growth is associated with chemical, structural and/or mechanical properties of the substrate. Structurally, electrospun nanofibers provide a suitable environment for cell attachment and proliferation due to their similar physical dimension to that of the extracellular matrix. Furthermore, by modulating the topographical features of nanofibers, which include fiber diameter and orientation, cell growth and its related functions can be modified. Here, we demonstrate a solid gradient scaffold for directional growth of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs).

IMG Seminar: LabVIEW Programming: Reusable, Reliable, Readable

Submitted by John Griffin on Tue, 09/07/2010 - 9:30am
Event date: 
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 7:00pm to 7:30pm

This Wednesday, Jared Allen will be giving a seminar on the LabVIEW programming language. LabVIEW is a very useful tool for data acquisition, analysis, and control. This seminar will discuss different program architectures that can greatly increase performance and reliability. Some useful tips, shortcuts, and program features will be explained.

Note: Drinks and snacks will be provided.

IMG Seminar: An Input-powered AC/DC Converter with Zero Standby Power for Energy Harvesting Applications

Submitted by Yuan Rao on Mon, 08/30/2010 - 10:49am
Event date: 
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 7:00pm to 7:30pm

Energy harvesting techniques require more reliable power electronics. Conventional AC/DC converters in energy harvesting systems are normally self-powered by their load-sided energy storage elements. This feature makes the storage elements easily drained and the whole system may no longer be able to function. An input-powered AC/DC converter is proposed to eliminate the need for pre-charging the load and allows for infinitely long intervals from the energy harvester.

Note: Drinks and snacks will be served for Fall lMG seminars.

PIRE: Collaborations with France and Japan on Multiphase Fluid Science and Technologies

Submitted by Jessica Sockwell on Sun, 08/22/2010 - 9:31pm

Professors Lou Cattafesta (IMG), Ranga Narayanan, and Jason Butler of the University of Florida have been selected to lead an NSF Partnership for International Research and Education (PIRE) project focusing on the research of multi-phase flows with technological applications. Two US universities (The University of Florida and Florida State University) will work in collaboration with five French and five Japanese institutions to carry out this research. More information about this new and exciting project partnership can be found here. Congratulations, Dr. Cattafesta!

UF Researchers to be Involved in the FAA's Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation

Submitted by Jessica Sockwell on Sun, 08/22/2010 - 9:28pm

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected New Mexico State University (NMSU) to lead a partnership of colleges and universities throughout the country in its new Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation. The FAA press release describes the center as being a "partnership of academia, industry, and government, developed for the purpose of creating a world-class consortium that will address current and future challenges for commercial space transportation."

Dr. Lou Cattafesta of IMG is leading UF’s participation in this research endeavor as part of the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP), one of the institutions participating in this partnership. The FCAAP team, led by Farrukh Alvi at FSU, includes researchers from UF, FSU, UCF, and FIT. The FAA press release can be found here. 

IMG Welcomes New Faculty Member, YK Yoon

Submitted by PitFee Jao on Thu, 08/19/2010 - 2:40pm

IMG welcomes Professor YK Yoon as new faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Prof. Yoon joins IMG from the University of Buffalo, The State University of New York. He has achieved numerous awards for excellence including the NSF CAREER Award and the UB's Exceptional Scholar Young Investigator Award. His research interests include MEMS and nanotechnology, RF/Microwave, millimeter wave and terahertz system, Micro/nano-biomedical devices and bio molecule (drug/vaccine/gene) delivery, µ-TAS, lab-on-a-chip, wireless/wired sensors and actuators and Metamaterial and its RF application. Prof. Yoon is also the Director of the Multidisplinary Nano and Microsystems Laboratory at UF.