TOP STORIES
June 3, 2008
University of Houston wind-power testing site gets the go-ahead
The University of Houston has completed an agreement with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to construct and operate a state-of-the-art wind turbine blade testing facility at Ingleside, Texas. More on this story.April 8, 2008
Winners of Awards for Excellence in Research & Scholarship named
Vice President for Research Don Birx has named this year's winners of the Awards for Exellence in Research & Scholarship. The winners are Demetre Economou, a professor of chemical engineering; Eric Bittner, an associate professor of chemistry; and Vincent Tam, an assistant professor of clinical sciences and administration.
ARTS & HUMAN ENRICHMENT
May 29, 2008
Veteran dramaturg joins UH School of Theatre & Dance faculty
World-renowned dramaturg Mark Bly will join the UH as a distinguished professor. He will teach dramaturgy and playwriting classes as part of the Alley Theatre and UH School of Theatre and Dance Master of Fine Arts Professional Training Program. More on this story.April 7, 2008
Creative Writing professor Hoagland wins $50,000 poetry prize
Tony Hoagland has received the Jackson Poetry Prize, awarded to an American poet who has published at least one book of recognized literary merit but has not yet received major national acclaim. More on this story.
Nov. 21, 2007
The art stars of tomorrow are ready to shine
December in Houston is usually marked by falling leaves and dropping temperatures. It’s also the month when Houstonians can observe bold new works by a collection of rising art stars during one of the city’s most anticipated exhibitions. More on this story.
Nov. 12, 2007
Map quest: Land, cartography, art explored in ‘You are Here’ symposium
Artists and researchers will explore the social, political and artistic implications of land, cartography and tactical media during “You Are Here,” a two-day symposium. More on this story.
BIO-MED SCIENCES & ENGINEERING
June 6, 2008
Engineering professors among select few to get state ARP funds
Six Cullen College of Engineering faculty members in May received grants totally more than $520,000 from the Norman Hackerman Advanced Research Program. More on this story.
May 29, 2008
Engineering professor Metcalfe to head NIH study section
Ralph W. Metcalfe, professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering and mathematics, has been appointed chair of the National Institutes of Health Cardiovascular Device Study Section. More on this story.
April 9, 2008
First do no harm? Professor takes opposite approach to treat asthma
One month of tough breathing may help asthma sufferers breathe more easily in the long run, according to research by the University of Houston’s Richard Bond, an associate professor of pharmacology. More on this story.
March 24, 2008
Simplifying manufacture of drugs, plastics earns chemist Daugulis top honor
Simplifying the process for forming compounds that can be used in many everyday products, such as pharmaceuticals and plastics, has earned University of Houston chemist Olafs Daugulis the coveted Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship. More on this story.
Feb. 26, 2008
UH’s health and human performance department ranked No. 1 in nation
According to the most recent Academic Analytics’ Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, an independent ranking of doctoral programs in research universities across the country, the University of Houston’s health and human performance department was ranked No. 1 among colleges and universities with health, physical education and recreation programs. “This confirms that our program is on the move,” said Charles Layne, professor and department chair. “Our faculty is involved in a variety of research projects with collaborators at the Texas Medical Center, NASA and other investigators around the world. These active research agendas provide valuable opportunities for our students to become involved in cutting-edge research.” More on this story.
Feb. 19, 2008
Researcher finds unexpected link between prenatal lead exposure and obesity
Scientists know exposure to low levels of lead can result in learning disabilities, hearing loss, language impairments and vision loss, but a newly discovered side effect may be adult-onset obesity in men, according to Donald Fox, a UH professor of vision sciences, biology and biochemistry, and pharmacology. More on this story.
Jan. 7, 2008
Eureka Genomics licenses genome analysis tools from the university
Personalized medicine, pathogen detection and next-generation sequencing should take great strides forward with the development of computational tools that can be used as building blocks (much like LEGOs®) for a variety of applications requiring advanced genomic sequence analysis. These computational tools, developed over six years, were recently licensed from the University of Houston by Houston-based Eureka Genomics on an exclusive worldwide basis. More on this story.
Nov. 15, 2007
Melatonin could hurt memory formation at night
What do you do when a naturally occurring hormone in your body turns against you? What do you do when that same hormone -- melatonin -- is a popular supplement you take to help you sleep? A University of Houston professor and his team of researchers may have some answers. More on this story.
Nov.15, 2007
Portable electricity, lifelike prosthetics among possible innovations
The technology that makes a cell phone vibrate is the same technology that provides more natural movements to prosthetic limbs. A University of Houston research team is working on recreating and enhancing this technological effect, which, if successful, could result in better prosthetic movements and also provide instant electrical power for soldiers and others through the simple act of walking. More on this story.
Nov. 12, 2007
Parallels between pumping blood, oil focus of conference
Much like moving oil through a pipeline, the heart must pump blood through the body. In a collaborative effort between Houston’s largest industries, an event bringing together petroleum, medical and imaging experts will explore potential crossover ideas and extract shared technologies useful to each industry. More on this story.
Nov. 12, 2007
Laser can spot illness before decompression symptoms appear
It may not rank among the top 10 causes of death, but decompression sickness can be fatal. Instead of waiting for symptoms to appear, a University of Houston professor is developing a laser-based system that can diagnose the sickness in a matter of seconds. More on this story.
Oct. 2, 2007
Imaging device to benefit patients of in vitro fertilization
Kirill Larin, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering with the UH Cullen College of Engineering, is developing an imaging device that could increase the success of in vitro fertilization. More on this story.
COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT & EDUCATION
July 29, 2008
Does the virtual world offer real results?
A $30,000 grant will fund a UH Department of Health and Human Performance study into whether or not the use of the Second Life virtual environment for academic purposes will benefit students. More on this story.
June 9, 2008
Study our storm tip sheet before you batten down the hatches
Forecasters expect six to nine hurricanes to form in the Atlantic this year, saying two to five of those could be major. Be prepared with advice from the University of Houston experts. More on this story.
April 7, 2008
Political scientist Murray honored for 40 years of insight and mentoring
On April 8, friends and colleagues of all political persuasions are to celebrate Richard Murray’s past four decades as a teacher, consultant and policy expert with the inception of a scholarship in his name, which is to be awarded annually to students who demonstrate commitment to policy and public service. More on this story.
April 3, 2008
UH’s African-American Studies Program honored by council
The National Council for Black Studies has issued its Sankore Award to the University of Houston’s African-American Studies Program in recognition of its contributions to the field. “We are proud to receive this award that is a testament to our dedicated and hardworking staff and faculty,” said James Conyers, the program’s director. More on this story.
Jan. 10, 2008
Online exhibit tells history of African-American doctors in the Houston area
"Here at Houston Negro Hospital, our beginning is humble, but through hard work will bear fruit for our race." With those words, Dr. J. Edward Perry began his tenure as director of Houston's first nonprofit hospital for African-American doctors and patients in 1947. It is an important story that is included in a new online exhibit created by the University of Houston’s Center for Public History and the Houston Medical Forum titled “To Bear Fruit for Our Race: A History of African American Physicians in Houston.” More on this story.
Dec. 7, 2007
Spellings announces $2.4 million grant for UH teacher education programs
The University of Houston has received a grant of up to $2.4 million to improve teacher education in math and science after a competition that included submissions from more than 50 U.S. universities. More on this story.
Nov. 27, 2007
NIH grant will fund drug-abuse research at UH
A center dedicated to building the multidisciplinary drug abuse research capacity of the University of Houston is the focus of a five-year, $2.3 million grant awarded to the Graduate College of Social Work’s Office of Drug and Social Policy Research. More on this story.
COMPLEX SYSTEMS/SPACE EXPLORATION
November 2007
Physicist’s research may improve flow on highways, Internet
Relieving congestion on networks ranging from city streets to the Internet to wireless communication could be as simple as finding the right routes, according to research from a UH physicist. More on this story.
ENERGY & NATURAL RESOURCES
June 3, 2008
University of Houston wind-power testing site gets the go-ahead
The University of Houston has completed an agreement with the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory to construct and operate a state-of-the-art wind turbine blade testing facility at Ingleside, Texas. More on this story.
April 10, 2008
Journey to the center of Earth: Discovery sheds light on mantle formation
Uncovering a rare, 2-billion-year-old window into Earth’s mantle, a University of Houston professor and his team have found our planet’s geological history is more complex than previously thought. More on this story.
March 6, 2008
State, university partner to reduce noxious air emissions
A University of Houston partnership that is helping Houston avoid the title of America’s smoggiest city soon will help reduce emissions all over the state thanks to an $8.8 million grant from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The Texas Diesel Testing and Research Center at UH intends to use the grant to purchase a portable emission testing system and a heavy-duty engine dynamometer, a machine that tests an engine outside of the vehicle. More on this story.
Feb. 18, 2008
Book analyzes impact of the region’s energy production, unchecked growth
Houston’s rise from a bayou trading post to the world’s energy capital is chronicled in Energy Metropolis: An Environmental History of Houston and the Gulf Coast, a new book by University of Houston history professors Martin V. Melosi and Joseph A. Pratt. The book analyzes the environmental impact of large-scale energy production and unchecked expansion. More on this story.
Feb. 5, 2008
College of Architecture gets $1 million for sustainable design programs
Creating an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient community starts small. It isn’t enough to design “green” buildings -- the building materials and components themselves need to reflect “green” vision. The University of Houston’s Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture is ready to forge that vision with industry partnerships and pioneering technology, all made possible by nearly $1 million in grants from the Houston Endowment and the Meadows Foundation. More on this story.
Dec.11, 2007
Antarctica research may shed light on polar ice breakdown
Julia Wellner is looking forward to her two-month-long, taxpayer-funded cruise, but there won’t be any poolside lounging, spa visits or blackjack tables. More on this story.
Nov.12, 2007
Parallels between pumping blood, oil focus of conference
Much like moving oil through a pipeline, the heart must pump blood through the body. In a collaborative effort between Houston’s largest industries, an event bringing together petroleum, medical and imaging experts will explore potential crossover ideas and extract shared technologies useful to each industry. More on this story.
Sept. 19, 2007
Using video-game technology to find oil, gas
What do video gaming and seismic exploration have in common? Both require demanding computer applications with the ability to process massive quantities of data rapidly. Using computer technology originally co-designed by IBM for video-game consoles, University of Houston seismic researchers are employing this extremely fast technology to more effectively target oil reserves. More on this story.
NANO-MATERIALS
July 8, 2008
Chemist wins young investigator award for materials research
Chemist Vassiliy Lubchenko, who studies the electronic structure of amorphous materials, such as glass, expensive porcelain and plastics, says cracking the mystery of such materials could pave the way for their use in affordable solar batteries and greatly expand the speed and capacity of computer memory. More on this story.
Nov.15, 2007
Portable electricity, lifelike prosthetics among possible innovations
The technology that makes a cell phone vibrate is the same technology that provides more natural movements to prosthetic limbs. A University of Houston research team is working on recreating and enhancing this technological effect, which, if successful, could result in better prosthetic movements and also provide instant electrical power for soldiers and others through the simple act of walking. More on this story.
Sept. 4, 2007
New technique produces small things in large quantities
Although relatively new to the market, LCD televisions soon may be obsolete, thanks to a new technique created by University of Houston professors. More on this story.
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