3/04/2010

Draper Engineer Chosen for Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Advisory Council Diversity Subcommittee

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Antonio de la Serna, a senior member of the technical staff at Draper Laboratory, has been chosen to serve on the Governor’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Advisory Council’s Diversity Subcommittee: Improving the Achievement Gap and Pursuing Additional STEM Opportunities for Women and Minorities.

The diversity subcommittee will begin its work this month and provide recommendations by June 30 for the governor, cabinet members, and legislators. De la Serna also serves as vice president for educational outreach at the Latino STEM Alliance, which nominated him for the diversity panel and partners with Draper to address math and science education for urban youth through after-school programs, scholarships and mentorships.

The Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, which met for the first time on Jan. 28, brings together advocates from the public and private sectors to improve understanding of the importance of these disciplines to students’ classroom achievement and better prepare them for the workplace.

The council will work to increase the number of STEM programs in Massachusetts schools, advise the governor on the development of a five-year STEM Plan, and contribute recommendations to a campaign to boost state-wide public support for the STEM disciplines.

“The STEM Advisory Council is bringing together members of the public and private sector, dedicated to investing in STEM education across the Commonwealth,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray, who chairs the council.  “Members of the Council will be great partners as we continue to promote STEM education and encourage our students, who are the future leaders of the Commonwealth’s innovation economy, to study science, technology, engineering, and math.”

For more information about the council, please visit: http://www.mass.gov/governor/stem

2/24/2010

National Academy of Inventors Includes Draper Personnel as Charter Members

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- The National Academy of Inventors has included four Draper Laboratory staff members in its inaugural group.

The Academy (www.academyofinventors.org), which is based at the University of South Florida and was launched in January 2010, is intended to recognize innovative research and development leaders, foster collaboration amongst organizations in the field, and encourage further breakthroughs.

The Academy hopes to facilitate industry research contracts and interaction with companies and organizations that can positively impact university communities. The Academy’s mission also includes mentoring students and highlighting member inventions that benefit society.

The inaugural members from Draper are: Len Polizzotto, Ph.D., Draper vice president for strategic business development and marketing; Shankar Sundaram, Ph.D., director for the Draper Bioengineering Center at USF; Phil Hipol, engineering group leader at the Bioengineering Center; and Joe Cuiffi, Ph.D., principal investigator at the Bioengineering Center.

Membership is open to inventors who hold at least one patent and belong to a university community (i.e. faculty, staff, alumni, or affiliates). The inventors must join through a university chapter.

2/2/2010

Draper Board of Directors Elects Len Polizzotto as VP of Strategic Business Development & Marketing

CAMBRIDGE, MA -- The Draper Board of Directors elected Dr. Len Polizzotto as Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Business Development at its recent meeting. President & CEO Jim Shields said, “The election of Polizzotto to Vice President recognizes the success he has demonstrated in leading the Laboratory’s expansion of business operations into new areas and the development of strategic collaborations with government, industry, and academic partners across the United States.

“Len brings a unique marketing perspective to his leadership role. His depth of experience in working with government and industry sponsors, in academia, and his consumer product background have enabled him to efficiently lead the Lab into new opportunities.”

Polizzotto joined the Laboratory almost three years ago as a principal director to lead new strategic business development initiatives and direct marketing functions. Since then, he also has been assisting the vice presidents for programs and strategic systems with growing critical opportunities for business development in established areas.

At Draper, Polizzotto conceived and established the Lab’s successful partnership with the State of Florida that resulted in the Biomedical Systems Center at the University of South Florida and the MCM Fabrication Center in St. Petersburg. He also has led the Draper Energy Initiative, which the Laboratory anticipates growing into a new program office over the next several years. He has introduced the Laboratory to several new sponsors for our Special Operations Program Office, supported the development of the Center for Soldier Innovation with the Natick Soldier Systems Center, and assisted with the strategy for major opportunities including the U.S. Navy’s SSBN Navigation Upgrade Program.

Before joining the Laboratory, Polizzotto was Corporate Vice President for Business Development at SRI International, a world leader in contract R&D services, for six years, which followed a 25-year career at the Polaroid Corporation, concluding with the assignment of Corporate Vice President for New Business Development.

Polizzotto directed the Center for the Globalization of Technology at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, between corporate experiences, leading the university’s efforts to form partnerships with corporations in applying new technology for business development. As a Professor of Practice in the Electrical Engineering Department, he established a new course on business and technology and advised more than 50 undergraduate students. In the past eight years, he found one and led another high tech startup, both in the biomedical area. He holds 10 patents, is the author of numerous articles on human color perception, digital imaging, and microphotography. He is a founding member of the newly-launched National Academy of Inventors.

1/29/2010

Draper Laboratory to Host Panel Discussion on “Smart Medical Devices" Feb. 8

Draper Laboratory will host a panel discussion on “Smart Medical Devices” on February 8th from 6:00-8:30 p.m at 1 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA.

The event, which is co-sponsored with the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Boston Industry Chapter, will examine the current status and future of smart medical devices, which have already begun to contribute to a revolution in healthcare and diagnostics.
The expert panel features:

• Dale Larson, Director of the Biomedical Systems Group, Draper Laboratory
• Edward Kerslake, Vice President, Corporate Technology Development, Boston Scientific
• Dr. David Rattner, Chief of the Division of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital

Please register at:
http://web.memberclicks.com/mc/community/eventdetails.do?eventId=254109&orgId=bes&recurringId=0

Directions:
http://draper.com/directions/directions.html
Parking is available in the Technology Square garage across from the Draper visitor entrance. It is the second garage entrance on the right from the Broadway entrance to Tech Square.

12/30/2009

Article on BioMEMS by Dr. Jeff Borenstein Republished in Edited Form in Medical Design’s December 2009 Issue

An edited version of the paper “BioMEMS Technologies for Regenerative Medicine” by Dr. Jeff Borenstein published by the Materials Research Society, Warrendale, PA (MRS Symposium Proceedings Vol. 1139, #1139-GG02-01), has been published in the December 2009 issue of Medical Design under the title“BioMEMS evolution is promising advancements in regenerative medicine and implantable devices.”

http://medicaldesign.com/engineering-prototyping/research-development/biomems-evolution-advancement-20091201/

12/30/2009

Two Articles by Todd Jackson on MK-6 Work Published in Evaluation Engineering in September, October 2009 Issues

Two articles by Todd Jackson on MK-6 work were published in Evaluation Engineering in the September and October 2009 issues:

http://www.evaluationengineering.com/features/2009_september/0909_aerospace.aspx

http://www.evaluationengineering.com/features/2009_october/1009_aerospace.aspx

12/21/2009

President Jim Shields Elected as Fellow for 2010 by AIAA

President Jim Shields has been elected as a Fellow by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). AIAA Fellows are recognized as "persons of distinction in aeronautics or astronautics, and shall have made notable valuable contributions to the arts, sciences, or technology thereof." Shields will be presented with a certificate and pin at the AIAA Fellows Dinner on May 11, 2010, in Virginia and also will be recognized at the black-tie Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala on May 12 in Washington, D.C.

Shields is one of 30 Fellows elected for 2010. No more than one Fellow for each 1,000 voting AIAA members is elected each year. Shields joined AIAA in 1976 and is a member of the New England Section. He become an Associate Fellow in 2003.

12/10/2009

Draper Laboratory Presented with Above and Beyond Award from ESGR on Dec. 2, 2009

President Jim Shields (fourth from left) holds the Above and Beyond Award certificate presented to Draper Laboratory by Massachusetts Committee Area Chair John Pelose, (third from left) for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). Steve Conroy (fifth from left), a U.S. Marine Corps reservist who returned to his job at Draper Lab after a one-year deployment, nominated his supervisor, Eric Grant, for a Patriotic Employer Award through ESGR; Mass. ESGR nominated Draper Lab for the Above & Beyond Award. Representing the National Guard members among Draper employees at the event was Tom Robertson (second from left). Pelose was accompanied by Mass. ESGR Director of Awards Program Roger Fortin (left) and Program Support Representative David St. Germain (right).

Draper Laboratory Presented with Above and Beyond Award from ESGR on Dec. 2, 2009

Draper Laboratory has received the Above and Beyond Award from the Massachusetts Committee of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), which is part of the Department of Defense. It was presented Dec. 2, 2009, and accepted for the Laboratory by President Jim Shields. The certificate reads, “presented on behalf of the men and women of the National Guard and Reserve forces, for outstanding service and continuing support to the national defense.” The Above and Beyond Award recognizes employers at the state and local level that have gone above and beyond the legal requirements (notably Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994) for granting leave and providing support for military duty by their employees.

Draper was nominated for the award by Mass. ESGR following a nomination of Eric Grant for a Patriotic Employer Award by Steven Conroy, who has been in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves for the past three and one-half years and a Draper employee since 2005, initially as a student.  Deployed in May 2008, Conroy was sent to Iraq. After a one-year military leave he returned to work at Draper on June 1, 2009.

In response to high rates of activation for military reservists currently resulting from U.S. military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq, Draper has implemented a temporary military leave policy to augment its regular policy. In addition to continuing all benefits, the Laboratory provides military personnel the difference between their military pay and Draper salary.

ESGR works through a nationwide network of volunteers and a small, paid support staff to inform and educate hundreds of thousands of Reserve Component members and their employers about their rights and responsibilities, as well as best practices. Reserve components (all National Guard members and Reserve forces from all branches of the military combined) make up approximately 48 percent of total available U.S. military personnel. ESGR activities include recognizing employers that have policies supporting or encouraging participation in the National Guard and Reserve.

For more information about ESGR, visit www.esgr.mil.

11/11/2009

Jackson, Barton, Henry, Jenkins, Milenkovic, and Thrasher Honored by NASA JSC Orion Project Vehicle Integration Office Nov. 3, 2009

At the Orion Vehicle System Performance and Analysis All-Hands meeting held at NASA Johnson Space Center on Nov. 3, 2009, several Draper employees were recognized for their work on the guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) subsystem for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle.  Each recipient was given a certificate and a model of the Orion vehicle. Draper Program Manager Ray Barrington congratulated them and expressed his own appreciation for their accomplishments:  “Congratulations to all who were recognized. Thanks for your hard work, your quality product, and service to this very important customer.”

Mark Jackson was one of only three NASA team recipients of an Orion Project Special Commendation. The citation for his award reads, “Orion Project Management gratefully acknowledges the extraordinary contributions made to the Orion Project Development and Integration.”

Gregg Barton, Joel Henry, Scott Jenkins, Zoran Milenkovic, and Stephen Thrasher each received the Orion Project Office – Vehicle Integration Office Exceptional Contribution Award. Milenkovic’s citation reads, “For exemplary performance in the design and analysis of GN&C subsystem for the Orion Project.” Barton, Henry, Jenkins, and Thrasher each received a certificate that reads, “In recognition of the exceptional contributions which enabled the successful development of GN&C subsystem for the Orion Project.” The certificates were signed by Howard Hu, Manager, Vehicle Systems Performance & Analysis, and by John M. Curry, Manager, Vehicle Integration and Design Office.

Draper has 20 staff members in Houston and Cambridge who support the Orion design and development. Orion is the next-generation crew vehicle that NASA is developing to carry humans to explore the solar system. The first crewed flight of Orion is targeted for 2015.

11/09/2009

Draper Artifacts on Exhibit at Smithsonian Museum Nov. 6, 2009 – Summer 2011

The Smithsonian Institution exhibit called Hot Spots of Invention at the National Museum of American History, which features Draper artifacts, opened Nov. 6, 2009, and is scheduled to run through summer 2011. The exhibit highlights how three laboratories at MIT during World War II helped make Cambridge into a dynamic place of invention. Doc Draper’s lab at MIT is represented in the exhibit, including display of Doc’s shoebox gunsight, a design used in antiaircraft guns aboard naval ships to shoot down attack aircraft. Additionally, Draper Laboratory’s replica of the Draper Prize medal that was taken into space by astronaut and former Draper Fellow Col. Ken Cameron will be on display in the exhibit. There is no fee to visit the exhibit.

In conjunction with the opening of the Hot Spots of Invention exhibit, a symposium was held Nov. 6-7 organized into three themes:  Places, People, and Spaces. Dr. Bradford Parkinson, 2003 Draper Prize corecipient (with Ivan Getting) for development of the Global Positioning System, gave the keynote address, entitled “Tracing the Origins of GPS,” on Nov. 6, which was free and open to the public. Parkinson is now a member emeritus of the Draper Corporation, but previously has served on Draper’s Board of Directors. The keynote was preceded by a private dedication reception at which Draper President Jim Shields was a speaker.

As part of the symposium’s People section, Dr. Leslie Berlin spoke Nov. 7 about Dr. Robert Noyce, corecipient (with Jack Kilby) of the 1989 Draper Prize, awarded for invention of the monolithic integrated circuit. Draper is a sponsor of the symposium and the exhibit, along with the Lemelson Foundation. The symposium was free and open to the public.

For more information

Smithsonian press release: 
http://newsdesk.si.edu/releases/mah_spots_of_invention_release.htm

exhibit:  
http://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1406

11/04/2009

Jimmy Jang Recognized by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for Work on Area 1

Jiann-Woei “Jimmy” Jang (GCD6) received a Certificate of Recognition from the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in October 2009 “For outstanding analysis in developing viable load relief flight algorithms to reduce aerodynamic loads experienced by the Ares 1 launch vehicle.”  The certificate was signed by NASA MSFC Center Director Robert Lightfoot and NASA’s Acting Ares Project Manager Teresa Vanhooser.

The certificate presented to Jang included the following description:  “The Ares I Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GN&C) team and the Loads & Dynamics team worked together in September-November 2008 on a complex, short-turnaround study to assess options for reducing vehicle aerodynamics loads on the vehicle. These loads drive mass into the design of the Ares I elements and Orion and are a driving requirement for the overall Constellation Program. The Ares System Requirements Document has several requirements from the Constellation Program to enable capabilities for Day-of-Launch Wind Biasing and In-Flight Load Relief Algorithms that had not been fully addressed by the Ares I Preliminary Design Review in August 2008. For the PDR + 90 Days Checkpoint meeting in November, the GN&C and Loads team assessed these options and combinations of these options to reduce aerodynamic loads and angles of attack during ascent. The team presented their results and recommendations to the Constellation Program Manager and Ares Project Manager and were acknowledged for the quality and quantity of relevant information presented to decision makers.”

Manned Space Systems Group Leader Naz Bedrossian said, “We’re extremely proud of Jimmy’s contribution to the Ares I team effort and his recognition by our MSFC customer.”  Ares I Program Manager Pete Paceley commented, “Jimmy’s contributions to the Ares I launch vehicle control system design are another example of the exceptional technical value that we provide to our NASA sponsor.”

11/02/2009

Draper Holds Opening Dedications in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla.

On Monday Oct 26, Draper hosted two opening dedications at its new sites in St. Petersburg and Tampa, Fla. The St. Petersburg Multichip Module (MCM) Facility held its dedication in the morning, and the Draper Bioengineering Center at USF in Tampa held theirs that same afternoon.

Draper first announced its decision to expand to Florida in July of 2008, and spent the last year building out space and hiring staff. This work included the purchase of a building in St. Petersburg to house its MCM facility.  Both centers are now up and running and ahead of schedule in terms of hiring. Currently, there are 19 full-time employees in the MCM facility, and the Bioengineering Center has 10. In addition to work in Bioengineering and MCM’s in Florida, Draper is partnering with Progress Energy Florida on work in sensors to improve coal plant efficiency, and smart grid technology. 

The theme of both events centered on the benefits of partnership and team work in bringing Draper to the Tampa Bay area.  Draper Strategic Development Principal Director and MC for both events, Len Polizzotto, stated “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when a diverse group of individuals come together to work toward a common goal.” Draper received incentive funding from the State of Florida, both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, and the city of St. Petersburg for these facilities.

Speakers at the St. Petersburg dedication included Progress Energy Florida CEO Vincent Dolan (not pictured), Congressman Bill Young, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, City Council Chair Jeff Danner, Pinellas County Commissioner Calvin Harris, USF President Judy Genshaft, Pinellas County economic development director Mike Meidel, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership chief Peter Betzer, and Draper CEO James Shields.

St. Petersburg Ribbon Cutting

Left to right: Draper Strategic Business Development Principal Director and event MC Len Polizzotto, Harris, Genshaft, Danner, Young, Meidel, Shields, Betzer, Baker, Director of MCM Facility John Burns.

Speakers at the Bioengineering Center dedication in Tampa included county Commissioner Chair Ken Hagan, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, USF President Judy Genshaft, USF Vice President for Research & Innovation Karen Holbrook, President of the Tampa Bay Partnership Stuart Rogel, Chairman of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. Mark House, and Draper CEO James Shields.

Draper Bioengineering Center at USF Ribbon Cutting

Left to Right: Bioengineering  Center  Operations Manager Phil Hipol, Rogel, House, Holbrook, Shields, Genshaft, Polizzotto, Hagan, Iorio, Bioengineering Center Director Shankar Sundaram

10/07/2009

Recipients of 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics are all Past Draper Prize Recipients

2006 Draper Prize recipients George Smith and Willard Boyle are sharing the 2009 Nobel Prize with 1999 Draper Prize recipient Charles Kao, “for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor" and "for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication,” respectively.

More information: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2009/index.html

9/25/2009

Draper Named to 2009 List of Largest Charitable Contributors by Boston Business Journal

Draper Laboratory was ranked 65 in a list of the Area’s Largest Corporate Charitable Contributors at the Boston Business Journal’s Corporate Citizenship Summit on September 11, 2009. This acknowledgement was given in recognition of the more than $169,000 that was given to non-profit agencies and organization in Cambridge and the Greater Boston area through community grants, sponsorships, and in-kind support.

9/16/2009

Video of Lisa Freed Talking about Cardic Tissue Engineering Funding & Work Posted by NHLBI

A video of Lisa E. Freed, M.D., Ph.D., talking about her cardiac tissue engineering scaffold funding and work has been posted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) on its website. She received a grant administered by the NHLBI Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Advanced Technologies and Surgery Branch, through the FY 2009 Recovery Act. Freed is a senior scientist at Draper Laboratory and is an Affiliated Research Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The video can be viewed at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/recovery/researchers/index.php?id=49; the page also has a link to a transcript of the video’s audio.

7/2/2009

Draper Engineers Profiled in Discovery Channel Online’s “Cool Tech Job” Feature

Jim Bickford's Cool Tech Job
Mechanical engineer involved in a wide range of technical research from energy to space.
http://dsc.discovery.com/technology/q-and-a/cool-tech-jobs-bickford.html

Tye Brady's Cool Tech Job
Leading a team of engineers planning the next moon missions.
http://dsc.discovery.com/technology/q-and-a/cool-tech-jobs-brady.html

James Hsaio's Cool Tech Job
Hsiao develops micro-electro-mechanical systems, which are tiny mechanical devices with microscopic moving parts built onto semiconductor chips.
http://dsc.discovery.com/technology/q-and-a/cool-tech-jobs-hsiao.html

6/25/2009

2009 Draper Prize Recipient Dr. Robert Dennard Presented with IEEE Medal of Honor for Inventing DRAM

2009 Draper Prize Recipient Dr. Robert Dennard will be presented with the IEEE Medal of Honor for inventing DRAM in LA on June 25 at 6:00 p.m. PDT. IEEE will broadcast its Honors Program live on the Web through IEEE.tv.

For more information, visit
http://www.ieee.org/web/membership/IEEEtv/about.html

6/11/2009

Draper Joins with MIT to Celebrate Apollo 40th

Draper is joining with MIT to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo Moon Landing through the Giant Leaps Event taking place June 10-12.  Events include a symposium and tour, and a special exhibition at the MIT Museum of rare Apollo artifacts, including the Apollo Guidance, Navigation and Control system lent by Draper Laboratory in its first ever public-showing.

For more information, visit
http://apollo40.mit.edu/index.html and http://web.mit.edu/museum/

6/03/2009

Vice President for Programs Darryl Sargent Honored as Fellow by AIAA on May 12-13, 2009

Vice President for Programs Darryl Sargent was honored at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellows Dinner on May 12, 2009, in Virginia and at the Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala in Washington, D.C., on May 13 for his election as a Fellow of the AIAA. On May 12 he was presented with a pin and a certificate that reads, “In recognition of professional distinction and notable and valuable contributions made to the arts, sciences, and technology of aeronautics and astronautics, the Officers and Directors of the Institute declare that Darryl Sargent has been elected to the grade of Fellow.”

5/31/2009

Heather Clark Describes 'Nano Tattoo' for Diabetics on Earth & Sky Radio Series

Click here to view article

5/28/2009

Avram Tetewsky Named to 50 GNSS Leaders to Watch List by GPS World Magazine

Click here to view article

5/21/2009

Draper Cuts Ribbon on New Huntsville, Ala. Facility

Click here to view article

5/21/2009

Work on Micro- and Nanofabrication for Tissue Engineering by Jeff Borenstein, Draper Team Cited in ACS Nano

Work by a Draper team led by Dr. Jeff Borenstein, director of Draper's Biomedical Engineering Center, was cited by Dr. Robert Langer in an article entitled "A Conversation with Robert Langer:  Pioneering Biomedical Scientist and Engineer" published in ACS Nano in April 2009 by the American Chemical Society. Dr. Langer highlighted how Draper has provided key innovations in nanostructured scaffolds that have enabled critical advances towards the realization of vascularized tissues.  Draper's development of micro- and nanofabrication techniques to enable formation of blood vessels in lab-grown tissues has been performed independently and through collaborative projects with Dr. Langer and others and has been funded by Draper internal research and development.  Such vascularized tissue could be used to grow replacement organs or to build organ-assist devices in the future.

5/1/2009

Work in Tissue Engineering by Jeff Borenstein, Lisa Freed, and Draper Tissue Scaffold Team Cited in May Scientific American

The development of microfluidic polymer scaffolds and nanopatterned surfaces for growing tissue and building artificial organ assist devices that was performed by a Draper team led by Dr. Jeff Borenstein, director of Draper’s Biomedical Engineering Center, is cited in the May 2009 issue of Scientific American magazine. The article cites Lisa Freed’s work in cardiac tissue engineering reported in Nature Materials in 2008 when she was at MIT; she has joined Draper Laboratory’s technical staff.

View article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-grow-new-organs

4/7/2009

High School Biomedical Summer Internship Announced for Cambridge Residents

The Draper Laboratory High School Summer Internship program is soliciting applications from high school students that are Cambridge residents interested in participating in an 8 week paid summer research internship. The internship provides an opportunity for students to work with mentor scientists on a research project studying in vivo glucose monitoring with fluorescent nanoparticle sensors while obtaining professional experience in support of academic preparation for a career in engineering or related science.

Please refer to the 2009 Internship Guidelines and the 2009 Internship Application.

Completed applications must be received at the Lab no later than Friday, April 24, 2009..

4/6/2009

Phil Hattis Presents AIAA Position on Using Aerospace Technology to Monitor Climate Change

Draper Technical Staff Member Phil Hattis participated in an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) press conference held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on March 17.

As the AIAA’s national Vice President for Public Policy, Hattis was responsible for leading the AIAA position formulation and press conference presentation for using and advancing aerospace technology to monitor and mitigate Global Climate Change (GCC).

GCC is an area of great current interest to Hattis. He recently has been heading a team of Draper staff to explore how Laboratory capabilities can facilitate more comprehensive and effective monitoring of GCC.

Additional topics covered in the AIAA press conference included assuring a future US aerospace workforce that is both highly capable and sufficient in number,  and addressing the key energy and environmental issues facing global aviation. Other participants included George Muellner (the AIAA President), Robert Dickman (The AIAA Executive Director); Prof Mark Lewis (Univ. of Maryland, formerly Air Force Chief Scientist), and Carol Cash (Chair of the AIAA Public Policy Committee’s Aeronautics Subcommittee). This press conference is the third annual event of its kind.

3/12/2009

Astronaut Greg Chamitoff Visits Draper Laboratory

NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff visited Draper Laboratory on March 12 to discuss the six months he spent in space on the International Space Station Expedition 17-18, June - Nov. 2008. He spoke about his extensive preparation for the long-duration mission, showed clips from the expedition, and formally returned to the Laboratory a Draper-developed MEMS gyroscope that he took with him into orbit. Chamitoff performed his Ph.D. thesis work at Draper from 1985-1992 as part of the Draper Fellows program .

Following his presentation about the mission, Chamitoff was briefed on the Laboratory’s current space systems programs, had an opportunity to fly the Lunar Lander simulation Draper is developing for NASA, and met with current Draper Fellows.

3/2/2009

Heather Clark's Development of a Glucose Monitor Featured on WBZ TV and Other Local CBS Affiliates

View video: http://wbztv.com/video/?id=73524@wbz.dayport.com

View article: http://wbztv.com/local/tattoo.sensor.diabetics.2.946132.html

2/25/2009

Jose Trevejo’s editorial , “Global Health: Medical tests for poor countries need to be properly field-tested, ” featured in Technology Review

View full story: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22127/

2/18/2009

Dennard Receives 2009 Draper Prize

Robert H. Dennard was awarded the 2009  Charles Stark Draper Prize "for his invention and contributions to the development of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM),” on February 17, 2009 in Washington, D.C.

DRAM is used universally in computers and other data processing and communication systems. It is a form of computer memory that puts bits of data into capacitors – energy-storage devices within a miniaturized electronic circuit – and periodically recharges the capacitors so that the information in them is not lost.  His one-transistor design was a vast improvement over the six-transistor cell in use at that time.  Dennard’s ability to use only a single metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor – a device that conducts electricity, amplifying the charge as the electricity is passed along – allowed his memory cell to be much smaller and simpler in design than its predecessor.

In addition, Dennard and associates developed the set of consistent scaling principles for miniaturizing MOS transistors and the integrated circuits using them, which are the basis for today’s electronic microprocessor and DRAM chips.  In the early 1970s the industry was concerned with how far MOS transistors could be miniaturized without affecting their switching ability.  Dennard’s IBM group introduced a theory – called constant-field scaling – which addressed these issues.  This scaling allowed for computers to run faster on significantly less energy and thus be less costly to operate and is a major driver of the industry.  His 1974 paper on MOS transistor scaling is universally referenced and has been reprinted as a “Classic Paper” in the Proceedings of the IEEE. 

The availability of cheap, high-density memory that has come about due to the invention of the DRAM cell has enabled tremendous growth in computing over the past 40 years.  The DRAM market is estimated to have totaled $420 billion in sales through 2008.

After earning B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in 1958, Dennard spent his entire professional career in various positions at IBM, including the prestigious title of IBM Fellow beginning in 1979.  He was elected to the NAE in 1984.

2/12/2009

New Educational Website Celebrates the Accomplishments of Engineer

Cambridge, Mass. --- To coincide with the 20th Anniversary of the Draper Prize, Draper Laboratory, in conjunction with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), has developed a new website for students and adults to learn about the impact engineers have had on our daily lives, and to celebrate the accomplishments of the 32 engineers who have been awarded “Engineering’s Nobel” since 1989.

The website, www.draperprize.org, will bring visitors through several scenes of “daily life” and highlight the Draper Prize-winning engineering technologies that help a person through his or her ordinary day. These technologies include GPS, the Internet, the Personal Computer, and Satellite Communications. The site also will educate visitors about the history and background of the prize, and provide information about the Prize’s namesake, Dr. Charles Stark Draper.

“Many of today’s greatest engineering innovations are so commonplace that they are taken for granted.  The Draper Prize and its accompanying website celebrate the technological advances that have dramatically affected how we live.  We hope that recognizing these achievements will inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists to continue to explore and innovate,” said Jim Shields, President and CEO of Draper Lab.

One of the world's preeminent awards for engineering achievement, The Charles Stark Draper Prize was established by the NAE and endowed by Draper Laboratory to recognize innovative engineering achievements that have led to important benefits and significant improvement in the well being and freedom of humanity.

1/26/2009

Heather Clark's Development of a Nanosensor for Glucose Monitoring Featured in Technology Review

Heather Clark's development of a Nanosensor for glucose monitoring is featured in Technology Review, "The Glucose Monitoring Tatoo", Medgadget.com, and The Boston Globe.

View full story: Technology Review

View full story: Medgadget.com

View full story: The Boston Globe

1/05/2009

Inventor of Dynamic Random Access Memory to Receive 2009 Draper Prize

WASHINGTON — The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced today that  Robert H. Dennard will receive the Charles Stark Draper Prize "for his invention and contributions to the development of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), used universally in computers and other data processing and communication systems." Robert Dennard’s invention of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) using one-transistor cells paved the way for the worldwide explosion of computing. 

The Charles Stark Draper Prize is a $500,000 annual award that honors engineers whose accomplishments have significantly benefited society. It is engineering’s highest honor and considered the Nobel Prize of engineering.

DRAM is a form of computer memory that puts bits of data into capacitors – energy-storage devices within a miniaturized electronic circuit – and periodically recharges the capacitors so that the information in them is not lost.  His one-transistor design was a vast improvement over the six-transistor cell in use at that time.  Dennard’s ability to use only a single metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor – a device that conducts electricity, amplifying the charge as the electricity is passed along – allowed his memory cell to be much smaller and simpler in design than its predecessor.

In addition, Dennard and associates developed the set of consistent scaling principles for miniaturizing MOS transistors and the integrated circuits using them, which are the basis for today’s electronic microprocessor and DRAM chips.  In the early 1970s the industry was concerned with how far MOS transistors could be miniaturized without affecting their switching ability.  Dennard’s IBM group introduced a theory – called constant-field scaling – which addressed these issues.  This scaling allowed for computers to run faster on significantly less energy and thus be less costly to operate and is a major driver of the industry.  His 1974 paper on MOS transistor scaling is universally referenced and has been reprinted as a “Classic Paper” in the Proceedings of the IEEE. 

The availability of cheap, high-density memory that has come about due to the invention of the DRAM cell has enabled tremendous growth in computing over the past 40 years.  The DRAM market is estimated to have totaled $420 billion in sales through 2008.

After earning B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from Southern Methodist University and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University in 1958, Dennard spent his entire professional career in various positions at IBM, including the prestigious title of IBM Fellow beginning in 1979.  He was elected to the NAE in 1984.