Pitt Swanson School of Engineering

Engineering students at University of Pittsburgh, until recently, were offered little hands-on experience with electric vehicles of any type. So last year, when then-junior Nick Genco saw an opportunity for a club at Pitt dedicated to racing electric boats in the Promoting Electric Propulsion (PEP) for Small Craft competition held by the American Society of Naval Engineers, he jumped in. That was the summer of 2021. The race was the following May. Plenty of time, right?

Alessandro Fascetti and his colleagues are engaging in a National Science Foundation-backed effort to chronicle the reconstruction of the Fern Hollow Bridge. They use drones and lidar to capture data from the bridge, which is then used to create 3-d digital models. Using this information, the researchers hope to gain a deeper understanding of public infrastructure projects and develop best practices.

Picture electrified tractor trailers wirelessly charging their batteries as they cruise through central Pennsylvania. Imagine Pennsylvania Turnpike walls that not only reduce noise pollution but vehicle emission pollutants, too. This and more could soon become reality thanks to a research grant from Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to the University of Pittsburgh. At its Oct. 4 meeting, the commission approved a $2.5 million agreement with Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering to support four research projects aimed at bettering Pennsylvania’s roads.

"If materials are good at grabbing carbon dioxide, they're usually good at grabbing multiple gases," explained Katherine Hornbostel, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. "It's really hard to tune these materials to grab carbon dioxide but nothing else, and that's what this research is focused on."

ll road 43 stretches for miles to the south, but to the north new things are coming. “This stuff is on the cutting edge, and the turnpike is right there trying to make these innovations,” said Julie Vandenbossche, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Out in the trees, 14 miles will be built to connect 43 to the Parkway East in the final piece of the Mon Fayette Expressway. But the turnpike is partnering with researchers at Pitt to add new technology to this construction.

The Lagos State Government has assured of its commitment to collaborate with the University of Pittsburgh on implementation of the Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC).

Sarai studies at the University of Pittsburgh with a minor in bioengineering and a concentration in product development and manufacturing. Read on to learn more about her studies in industrial engineering!

“The level of CO2 in the air is so low, it’s hard to test before and after” its run through some new method, explained Katherine Hornbostel, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering. “You need very fine-tuned equipment to get accurate readings.” Ms. Hornbostel has been working on carbon capture, including direct air capture, for years, experimenting with different materials and their ability to absorb and release CO2.

"Until now, no one has been able to actually see the atomically resolved friction process with a clear-cut interface, so the relationship between the friction mechanisms and the interface hasn't been fully understood," stated Guofeng Wang, professor of mechanical engineering and materials science. "In this study, we were able to actually see the sliding pathway of interface atoms and the dynamic strain and stress evolution on the interface that has only previously been shown by simulations."

These challenges are all part of a much bigger project, one initiated in 2019 by Tevis Jacobs, associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, who received a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to prototype a unit that would help teach engineering concepts to elementary school students. Since first receiving the grant, Jacobs has partnered with Dillaman and Pitt School of Education associate professor Katrina Bartow Jacobs, Falk Lab School’s research coordinator, to implement the project.

A Falk Lab School teacher works with an engineer and a researcher to learn how best to teach engineering concepts to elementary students

Think about your priority list when you were a college freshman. Was “care for my new vintage clothing business” on the list? Probably not. But you aren’t Lucas Connell.

Gotz Veser, a professor at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, points out the downside of an “us versus them” framework — either being for a clean future or for fossil fuels. Hopefully people like these 20 are the front lines for more holistic, collaborative future dialog.

Meet Vidhya, a senior chemical engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh. During her time at college, she has completed internships, co-ops and undergraduate research.

Götz Veser, professor at the University of Pittsburgh, summed it up: “I see the ‘us versus them’ mindset — ‘you are either for a clean future or for fossil fuels’ — as the greatest obstacle for rapid progress. We need to decarbonize both fast and deep.”

Balazs, distinguished professor of chemical engineering at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering and adjunct professor in the chemistry department, has enjoyed a flurry of accolades in the past two years that complement an already impressive roster of recognition. On the heels of her election to the National Academy of Sciences, Balazs was named earlier this year to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). The first Pitt and Swanson faculty member to be accepted into both academies, Balazs will be inducted in early October along with 111 new NAE members and 22 international members at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

The goal of the partnership with Pitt is to educate the next generation of leaders about mechanisms to fundamentally shift from the “take, make, waste” linear economy to a circular economy where materials are reused and recycled. Students will learn how to mitigate these effects without sacrificing modern advancements made possible through high-tech materials.

Alcosan is preparing to deal with one of Pittsburgh's most intractable problems — massive stormwater runoff — and deliver cleaner water and rivers. But the tight time frame and scope of work is also a challenge.

A new study led by the University of Pittsburgh reveals the atomic-scale friction of a single tungsten asperity, or rougher edge, in real-time, using electron microscopy for the first time to demonstrate atomic motion. The research, conducted by two Swanson School of Engineering groups, was just published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

The University of Pittsburgh is developing a pool-type materials testing facility to accelerate advanced nuclear technologies.

Two Swanson School of Engineering programs that aim to foster University research on such transportation projects as the soundness of bridges, road safety and landslide prevention are now under the direction of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation veteran Joseph J. Szczur.

Carla Ng, an assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, said revised standards set this year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggest most public drinking water will have excessive levels of the chemical present.

“We always tell the story of Western Pennsylvania as a story of metal production — and it is — but the reality is that this economy was always built on innovation,” said Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. “At one time this was the materials science capital of the world. I like to believe we’re not creating a new future but reinventing and strengthening that core ability. As a university, that’s what we’re here for.”

Joe Szczur, a former Pennsylvania Department of Transportation district executive for Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties, will head the Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure and the Impactful Resilient Infrastructure Science and Engineering program.