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Faculty news and notes
Clemson Bioengineering leader
captures inaugural research fund prize
Karen Burg, one of Clemson University’s leading
researchers in bioengineering, received the AO (Arbeitsgemeinschaft
für Osteosynthesefragen) Research Foundation’s inaugural
research fund prize for her work in tissue-engineered bone replacement
systems.
“This is a prestigious international award, not only for Dr.
Burg, but also for Clemson,” said Martine LaBerge, bioengineering
professor and department chair. “The AO Foundation is recognized
worldwide for its pioneering work and training in osteosynthesis.
All orthopaedic and maxillofacial surgeons in the world look upon
AO for innovation in their practice.”
Clemson research is conducted in close collaboration with surgeons
and focuses on clinically relevant solutions. Burg’s, recognized
research involved the development of a composite tissue-engineered
replacement system, designed for application to bone defects in
order to promote tissue repair.
“The general concept of tissue engineering involves taking
a small number of healthy cells from a patient and allowing them
to multiply in a laboratory environment,” Burg said. “The
cells are then combined with absorbable biomaterials – allowing
the cells to develop – before they are implanted into a patient.
The cells then grow and form healthy tissue.”
“If designed properly,” Burg said, “the biomaterials
will serve as a temporary template and are gradually absorbed by
the body.”
“By using one’s own cells, the body will recognize the
cells and not attempt to reject them,” she said. “The
body will attempt to incorporate them and return the injured tissue
to its natural, original shape. The composite in our AO-ASIF-sponsored
research was comprised of stem cells, bone graft and absorbable
polyester beads. We researched different methods of processing these
biomaterials and assessed how stem cells behaved when grown on different
combinations of the various biomaterials.”
DesMarteau recognized with Moissan Prize
Clemson University chemistry professor Darryl D. DesMarteau
has been awarded the prestigious 2006 Moissan Prize for his achievements
in fluorine chemistry.
 The
distinguished international prize represents the highest global
recognition in the field of fluorine chemistry and is awarded every
three years at the International Symposium on Fluorine Chemistry
(ISFC).
“This is really a lifetime achievement award, a pinnacle in
a great career,” said Clemson chemistry professor Dennis Smith,
a collaborator of DesMarteau’s and fellow researcher in fluorine
materials. “This is particularly an honor since it was awarded
on the centennial of Moissan’s Nobel Prize.”
Fluorine chemistry has vital applications in modern agriculture,
pharmaceuticals, refrigeration, plastics, and many areas of technology.
It is used in the production of such products as electrical wire
sheathing, gas tank lining, Teflon, automotive seals, and in many
other places where extreme chemical, heat, and friction resistance
is needed.
DesMarteau’s recent research has focused on developing membranes
for fuel cells, a technology that currently provides energy for
the space shuttle and is being developed for automobiles and stationary
power plants.
“This is also real recognition for South Carolina, Clemson,
and our department of chemistry. Not many colleges work with basic
fluorine because it is so reactive and dangerous. Clemson is one
of the few, and we are highly unique in our expertise,” Smith
said.
Jacobs receives Fulbright Scholarship
 David
P. Jacobs, professor of computer science, traveled to Brazil
this Fall as a Fulbright Scholar. He was lecturing and doing algorithmic
research at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, in Porto
Alegre.
The U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program sends 800 scholars and professionals
each year to more than 150 countries, where they lecture or conduct
research in a wide variety of academic and professional fields.
Since the program’s inception, more than 43,600 U.S. faculty
and professionals have received scholarships to engage in such activities
abroad.
ACerS Fellows selected from the School
of Materials Science and Engineering
Due to their achievements, service, and contributions to the ceramic
arts, sciences, and industry, Kathleen Richardson and
Burt Lee have been named Fellows of the American
Ceramics Society.
Kathleen Richardson (left) is currently professor and director of
the School of Materials Science and Engineering here at Clemson.
Richardson’s research includes numerous programs related to
infrared glasses and their photo-structural changes and stability.
She has also conducted research on ion-exchange strengthened laser
glass, passive and active liquid crystal-based optics, and sol gel-derived
materials. Richardson has authored more than 85 refereed publications,
proceedings, and book chapters. She holds 3 patents, is vice president
of the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers (NICE), and has organized
and chaired numerous domestic and international meetings within
her discipline.
Burt Lee (right) is a Clemson professor who has been a member of
the faculty since 1986. Lee’s primary research field is fine
particle synthesis, surface modification, and functional ceramic-polymer
composites. He has received several awards including a Fulbright
Scholar Award, the Clemson Board of Trustee Faculty Excellence Award,
and the Lady Davis Fellow award. Lee has published more than 170
technical papers and holds several U.S. patents.
Clemson researcher receives Air Force award
The Air Force Office of Scientific Research has awarded Clemson
University researcher Jian Luo approximately $300,000
as part of its new Young Investigator Research Program. Luo and
20 other scientists and engineers will share an estimated $6.3 million
in grants as part of the program.
Luo, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering,
is studying nanometer-thick, quasi-liquid films that can critically
impact the fabrication and high-temperature performance of aerospace
materials.
The Young Investigator Research Program is open to scientists and
engineers at research institutions across the United States. Those
selected receive the grants over a three-year period. Major areas
of interest to the Air Force include aerospace and materials sciences,
chemistry and life sciences, mathematics and information sciences,
and physics and electronics.
Luo’s research was done in collaboration with V.K. Gupta and
D.H. Yoon at Clemson University and H.M. Meyer of the High Temperature
Materials Laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The initial
results of this research have been published in Applied Physics
Letters (vol. 87, 231902, 2005).
After earning his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from MIT, Luo worked with
Lucent and OFS. In 2003, he joined the Clemson faculty as an assistant
professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering. He
is affiliated with COMSET, the Center for Optical Materials Science
and Engineering Technologies at Clemson. Luo also received a National
Science Foundation CAREER award in 2005, which is the NSF’s
young investigator program, for research on analogous phenomena
on the surfaces of oxide materials.
Figiola and Fadel elected to Fellow grade
in ASME
 Richard
Figliola and George Fadel have been elevated
to the highest elected grade of membership in the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The Fellow Grade designates exceptional
engineering achievements and contributions to the profession of
engineering.
Figliola (left) serves at the national level for ASME on PTC 19.1
- The National Standards Committee on Test Uncertainty, and on the
Heat Transfer Division’s Education Committee. A twenty-six
year member of the mechanical engineering faculty, Figliola’s
research includes aerodynamics and heat transfer, biofluid mechanics,
and systems integration by energy design.
 Fadel
(right) joined the mechanical engineering department in 1992. Previously
he worked in Europe and the Middle East developing and using large
simulation codes. The co-director and founder of the Clemson Research
in Engineering Design and Optimization Laboratory (CREDO), Fadel
is also a member of the Design Society, and Toastmasters. His research
includes design methodology and automation, optimization, CAD, and
IT issues in design.
Lee headed to NSF
 Cindy
Lee, associate professor in environmental engineering and
science is serving as director for the environmental sustainability
program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental,
and Transport Systems (CBET) at the National Science Foundation.
Environmental sustainability is a new program and Lee has been selected
to develop and manage it from the ground up. The goal is promoting
sustainable engineered systems that are compatible with sustaining
natural systems, which provide ecological services vital for human
survival. Lee joins Luis Echegoyen, department chair and professor
of chemistry at Clemson who is serving as chemistry division director
with the National Science Foundation.
Elzerman Elected to CEDD Executive Committee
 Alan
Elzerman, director of Clemson University’s School
of the Environment, has been elected to the executive committee
of the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD).
Elzerman has been a representative on the council, a professional
association of academic environmental leaders, since 2001. More
than 130 colleges and universities belong to CEDD, which has a goal
of improving environmental programs.
PHYS 122 recognized as a best practices
course
 The
Center for Educational Policy Research (CEPR) has conducted a national
study of physics courses to aid in the redesign of College Board
Advanced Placement courses. Of the 139 courses reviewed, Amy
Pope’s 122 course was designated as a best practices
course overall and was given further review which resulted in certain
elements being designated as “exemplary.”
Examining top courses nominated from an assortment of institutions,
CEPR’s panel of experts determined the critical components
of best practices that could be introduced in AP courses. The College
Board is in the process of developing new AP course descriptions,
exam specifications, and professional support and advancement for
the AP instructors. Ultimately, these AP courses will represent
the best college physics courses.
Pope received her B.S. from Clemson in 1998 and her Ph.D. from Clemson
in 2002. She has conducted research on thermoelectric properties
of quasicrystalline materials and courses.
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