Research

CS PhD student is making waves in research and the open water

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:27:34 +0000

CS PhD student is making waves in research and the open water Alexander Jame… Wed, 07/09/2025 - 10:27

Corey Murphey is a fifth-year PhD student in the Department of Computer Science working to understand the spread of pathogens through these aerosols and limit the transmission of airborne, infectious diseases. But she's also an accomplished marathon open-water swimmer who recently took first-place in the SCAR Swim Challenge.

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Scientists develop method to build tiny custom microrobots

Susan Glairon — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:20:11 +0000

Scientists develop method to build tiny custom microrobots Susan Glairon Tue, 07/08/2025 - 08:20

The tiny particles could potentially help enhance drug distribution in human organs, improving the drug’s overall effectiveness or aid in removing pollutants from contaminated environments.

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Symposium advances structural engineering toward zero carbon

Susan Glairon — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 22:35:25 +0000

Symposium advances structural engineering toward zero carbon Susan Glairon Mon, 07/07/2025 - 16:35

Susan Glairon

The event, which drew 166 participants to 51�Թ��’s campus, marked an industry-wide step toward cutting emissions tied to building materials like steel and concrete.

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Andras Gyenis receives CAREER award to develop next-generation quantum processors

Charles Ferrer — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 16:30:02 +0000

Andras Gyenis receives CAREER award to develop next-generation quantum processors Charles Ferrer Wed, 06/25/2025 - 10:30

Andras Gyenis, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has earned a CAREER award through the National Science Foundation to design and build more robust superconducting qubits that could push the boundaries of quantum hardware.

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Wildfires threaten water quality for years after they burn

Susan Glairon — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:21:26 +0000

Wildfires threaten water quality for years after they burn Susan Glairon Mon, 06/23/2025 - 10:21

A new study published today in Nature Communications Earth & Environment is the first large-scale assessment of post-wildfire water quality. Ben Livneh, associate professor in civil, environmental and architectural engineering, was the principal investigator and co-author of the study.

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Mortenson Center innovations delivering clean water to more than five million worldwide

Susan Glairon — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 23:00:23 +0000

Mortenson Center innovations delivering clean water to more than five million worldwide Susan Glairon Fri, 06/20/2025 - 17:00

51�Թ��'s Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience is transforming global water access by treating clean water as a long-term service—not just a one-time infrastructure project.

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New discovery could make a risky heart failure treatment safer

Alexander James Servantez — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 18:58:38 +0000

New discovery could make a risky heart failure treatment safer Alexander Jame… Thu, 06/12/2025 - 12:58

Left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) designed to improve blood flow throughout the body can aid nearly 26 million people globally struggling with heart failure. But these implantable devices come with risks. New research by Assistant Professor Debanjan Mukherjee suggests that studying patient blood flow patterns could help determine who’s at risk of dangerous side effects from LVADs and lead to improvements that could make them safer.

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Quantum Scholar’s journey into the future of computing

Charles Ferrer — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:20:41 +0000

Quantum Scholar’s journey into the future of computing Charles Ferrer Mon, 06/09/2025 - 11:20

Arjun Dalwadi, a third-year electrical and computer engineering student, is immersing himself in all things quantum through the Quantum Scholars program and as an undergraduate researcher in the Gyenis Lab. Dalwadi is on the journey to make an impact for quantum computing.

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A life-saving mission

Hanna Nordwall — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 23:01:16 +0000

A life-saving mission Hanna Nordwall Fri, 06/06/2025 - 17:01

Susan Glairon

Construction Safety Research Alliance teams with industry to reduce job site injuries

The construction industry has long been one of the most hazardous sectors, with workers facing a high risk of injury.

Researchers at 51�Թ��’s Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) observed that while current safety systems have effectively reduced minor worker injuries over the past decade, the rate of serious injuries and fatalities has remained stagnant.

“This means that current safety systems are not as effective in reducing serious injuries and fatalities, a major issue for the industry,” said Elif Oguz Erkal, CSRA’s associate director of research and strategy.

CSRA is a nonprofit research organization established in 2018 by Professor Matthew Hallowell. It brings together industry leaders and academic experts to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities in the construction industry.

Its first project evaluated the validity of “total recordable incident rates,” the Occupational Safety and Health Administration metric used to track workplace injuries, from minor cuts to fatalities. The study found that these incident rates are highly random and not predictive of future safety performance or fatalities.

“Despite this, the industry often relies on these rates to claim, ‘I am safe,’ ” Erkal said. “We know low-severity injuries happen for different reasons than high severity.”

Research meets practice

CSRA is supported by donations from its 117 member companies, and research ideas are also proposed by industry members. Each project lasts about two years and is supported by a team of 25 industry professionals who meet in 51�Թ�� quarterly to collaborate. Projects are led by a principal investigator paired with a graduate student, whose dissertation is centered on the project.

“The establishment of CSRA marked a significant shift for these industries,” Erkal said. “For the first time, they have an academic research organization focused on real-world applicability, leveraging the expertise of their safety professionals to address challenges scientifically.”

Shifting the focus

Assessing the risk of serious injuries and fatalities is complex, Erkal explains, as fatalities are rare and often occur in hard-to-predict ways.

As part of its research, CSRA developed “high energy controlled assessments (HECA),” a monitoring metric that shifts focus from lagging indicators like injury rates to actionable prevention. HECA identifies both the types of life-threatening hazards present and the direct controls in place to mitigate them, even when someone makes a mistake.

This “energy-based safety” approach links injury severity to the magnitude of physical energy. For example, a heavier object higher off the ground poses a greater threat than a lighter, lower object. Controls could include a guard rail to prevent objects from falling.

“By systematically observing their operations, organizations can identify risk exposures within their systems — a significant shift in mindset,” Erkal said. “A decade ago, safety professionals would say, ‘we’re safe,’ simply because no injuries occurred that day. This perspective has evolved. Today, modern safety is defined by the presence of controls.”

‘Applicable and actionable’

CSRA’s research found that approximately 40 percent of high-energy hazards still lack adequate safeguards. In these cases, a single mistake could have fatal consequences.

HECA will help companies identify life-threatening hazards and prioritize their response, including determining where to acquire additional controls, where to focus training and other necessary actions, Erkal said.

The organization also continues to build its community of industry professionals and academics. It is committed to sharing knowledge through peer-reviewed publications, collaborative partnerships and its monthly Communities of Practice webinars, accessible to all who are interested.

“We are deeply committed to producing research that is both applicable and actionable,” Erkal said. “We want greater engagement from the industry groups to take our work, build on it and implement it.”

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Robots and chemistry isn’t just a fun combo. Bruns says it’s the future

Alexander James Servantez — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 22:30:26 +0000

Robots and chemistry isn’t just a fun combo. Bruns says it’s the future Alexander Jame… Fri, 06/06/2025 - 16:30

Assistant Professor Carson Bruns is leading the charge on an NSF-funded project that he and his team like to call "robochemistry." Their goal is to create robotic sidekicks that can assist chemists with burdensome or unsafe tasks that they may routinely encounter in a wet lab. But that's not all: this unique blend of bots and beakers can also inspire youth interest in science.

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