Computational Mechanics Research Laboratory (CMRL)
Director: Professor Somnath Ghosh
Departments of Civil & Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore Maryland
The Computational Mechanics Research Laboratory (CMRL) at Johns Hopkins University is seeking outstanding applicants for Ph.D. in Engineering, with emphasis on Computational Engineering & Sciences. The position will provide financial support in the form of full tuition and a stipend. Candidates can be from various fields of Engineering & Sciences, including Mechanical, Civil, Aerospace, Materials Science & Engineering, Physics, etc.
Focus areas of research at CMRL includes (i) Data-Driven Modeling, Machine Learning and AI, (ii) Multiple length/time scale and multiphysics modeling, (iii) Uncertainty Quantification, (iv) Additive Manufacturing & Materials processing (v) Mechanical-electro-magnetic problems antenna and sensor applications, (vi) Fatigue and failure modeling of metallic materials, (vii) Multiple scale damage modeling of composite materials, (viii) Atomistic simulations of polymeric and metallic materials, (ix) Novel computational model development, etc. Please refer to the CMRL website at https://cmrl.jhu.edu/ for more details.
Ph.D. Candidates must have a strong background and interest in computational solid mechanics, physical sciences and mathematics and computational engineering & sciences. Interest in computational modeling and code development is necessary. The researchers will be working with Prof. Somnath Ghosh at Johns Hopkins University on a variety of projects funded by government and industry.
Interested applicants should contact: Prof. Somnath Ghosh E-mail: sghosh20@jhu.edu Departments of Civil & Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University 203 Latrobe, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218
Examining Committee: Professor Steven A. Gabriel, Chair, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Professor Dinesh Manocha, Dean’s Representative, Dept. of Computer Science Professor Jin-Oh Hahn, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Professor Shapour Azarm, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering Professor Jeffrey Herrmann, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Abstract: Deep neural networks are naturally “black boxes”, offering little insight into how or why they make decisions. These limitations diminish the adoption likelihood of such systems for important tasks and as trusted teammates. We employ introspective techniques to abstract machine activation patterns into human-interpretable strategies and identify relationships between environmental conditions (why), strategies (how), and performance (result) on both a deep reinforcement learning two-dimensional pursuit game application and image-based deep supervised learning obstacle recognition application. Pursuit-evasion games have been studied for decades under perfect information and analytically-derived policies for static environments. We incorporate uncertainty in a target’s position via simulated measurements and demonstrate a novel continuous deep reinforcement learning approach against speed-advantaged targets. The resulting approach was tested under many scenarios and performance exceeded that of a baseline course-aligned strategy. We manually observed separation of learned pursuit behaviors into strategy groups and manually hypothesized environmental conditions that affected performance. These manual observations motivated automation and abstraction of conditions, performance and strategy relationships. Next, we found that deep network activation patterns could be abstracted into human-interpretable strategies for two separate deep learning approaches. We characterized machine commitment by the introduction of a novel measure and revealed significant correlations between machine commitment, strategies, environmental conditions, and task performance. As such, we motivated online exploitation of machine behavior estimation for competency-aware intelligent systems. And finally, we realized online prediction capabilities for conditions, strategies, and performance. Our competency-aware machine learning approach is easily portable to new applications due to its Bayesian nonparametric foundation, wherein all inputs are compactly transformed into the same compact data representation. In particular, image data is transformed into a probability distribution over features extracted from the data. The resulting transformation forms a common representation for comparing two images, possibly from different types of sensors. By uncovering relationships between environmental conditions (why), machine strategies (how), & performance (result) and by giving rise to online estimation of machine competency, we increase transparency and trust in machine learning systems, contributing to the overarching explainable artificial intelligence initiative.
The Schlumberger Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports science and technology education. Recognizing the link between science, technology, and socio-economic development, as well as the key role of education in realizing individual potential, the Schlumberger Foundation flagship program is Faculty for the Future.
About Faculty for the Future
The program’s long-term goal is to accelerate gender equality in STEM by generating conditions that result in more women pursuing scientific careers through alleviating some of the barriers they encounter when enrolling in STEM disciplines. The program is committed to gender parity in science in the interests of sustainable development and recognizes that full access to and participation in a STEM curriculum is essential for the empowerment of women and girls. By accelerating gender equality in STEM, the talent and capacities of these women can be developed for the benefit of their local communities, regions and nations.
The program awards fellowships for advanced research in STEM at leading research institutes abroad. Faculty for the Future Fellows are expected to return to their home countries upon completion of their studies to contribute to the economic, social and technological advancement of their home regions by strengthening the STEM teaching and research faculties of their home institutions as well as through their leadership in science-based entrepreneurship. They are also expected to contribute to the public sector where their newly acquired technical and scientific skills can help provide evidence-based support for STEM policy making, including topics of gender representation.
This program acts as a catalyst for these women to further tap into their potential. Through heightened motivation, sharpened self-awareness and a lasting passion for science they in turn capture the imagination of other women and girls around them to regard scientific pursuits as a necessary means towards advancement and growth.
Since its launch in 2004, 739 women from 82 countries have received Faculty for the Future fellowships for PhD and Post-Doctorate STEM research programs. Through interactive online tools and in-person meetings, the program provides a platform for these women to take joint action in identifying and unravelling the impediments that are holding back equal opportunities in STEM education and careers in their local communities and home countries.
Apply
Applications will be received online at www.fftf.slb.com until November 9th, 2020. Any questions should be directed to Eve Millon (emillon@slb.com).
Hongik University has openings for faculty positions and would like to invite applications from any interested members of your department/college for the Fall Semester starting from September 1, 2020. As one of the major private universities in Korea, Hongik University strives to be a link between academia and industry, and to provide service for the benefit of wider society. For detailed information in English, please visit us online and click “Foreign applicant” on the website. A link with information about available faculty positions and the application process will be open throughout the application period, by May 13th.
To access position listings and the application, click here.
The DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, University of California, Berkeley, seeks applications for one faculty position. The position is at the tenure-track, Assistant Professor level in the areas of Energy Science and Micro/Nanoscale Sensors and Systems.
Topics of specialization within these areas include but are not limited to: Energy Science: combustion and primary energy conversion processes, design of energy systems, alternative energy technologies, energy efficient processes with basis in thermodynamics and heat transfer. Fundamental study of energy transfer in materials, devices and systems. Study of transport phenomena in advanced materials processing and manufacturing. Sustainability and climate change resilience (e.g., alternative energy technologies, efficient, sustainable and resilient water, food and energy production and distribution). Scalable surface and nanoscale engineering to improve the efficiency of large-scale thermal energy storage, CO2 sequestration and mitigation, and direct energy conversion processes such as solar-thermal power and oxyfuel combustion, the development of optimized hybrid energy conversion systems, as well as novel ultra-efficient active and passive energy conversion and energy storage systems. Micro/Nanoscale Systems Engineering: nanoscale engineering or engineering science in one of the fields of micro/nanoscale mechanics, materials, heat transfer, dynamics, materials processing and manufacturing, and device and system design along with the appropriate analytical and computational capabilities. Development of smart and inexpensive environmental monitoring and pollution protection/mitigation, disaster prevention, safety and security systems. Novel nanoscale sensing and actuation for application in smart and personalized healthcare, health diagnosis, monitoring and maintenance and human assistance, rehabilitation and exercise technologies. Integrated low-cost gyroscopes, accelerometers, force and pressure sensors, novel bio-sensing techniques at the cellular and sub-cellular levels and non-invasive micro-surgery techniques; nanostructured biosystems, including artificial organs and drug test models; advanced and affordable point-of-care devices/systems to assist diagnostics for health monitoring, evaluation of disease status and treatments, and clinical interventions in centralized and decentralized locations.
We seek candidates with exceptional promise in research, teaching and service, who will proactively contribute to our department’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We may consider possible joint appointments with other UC Berkeley departments or College of Engineering-affiliated institutes.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values in the College of Engineering. Our excellence can only be fully realized by faculty, students, and staff who share our commitment to these values. Successful candidates for our faculty positions will have to demonstrate evidence of a commitment to equity and inclusion. Financial and in-kind resources are available to pursue activities that help accelerate our efforts to achieve our equity and inclusion goals, with the full backing of the College. Examples of ongoing programming at the College are available at: https://engineering.berkeley.edu/diversity
Basic Qualifications: Applicants must have a Ph.D. (or equivalent international degree), or be enrolled in a Ph.D. or equivalent international degree granting program at the time of application.
All applicants must submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, statement of research, statement of teaching, one required publication, and two optional publications. In addition, please provide a statement on past experience or future plans to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, including information about your understanding of these issues, your record of activities to date, and your specific plans and goals for advancing equity and inclusion if hired as a Berkeley faculty member (guidelines to support applicants in writing effective statements that demonstrate commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, can be found at: https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity/support-faculty-candidates).
Please provide names and contact information of three professional references who will send letters of recommendation. Recommenders providing letters of reference should submit them as early as possible, preferably by February 18, 2019. Candidates are responsible for asking their references to upload the letters as part of the online application process. All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential letter-writers, including those who may provide letters via third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the University of California, Berkeley statement of confidentiality http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html) prior to submitting their letters.
The deadline to apply is February 18, 2019 and applications received after the deadline will not be considered. The expected start date of the successful candidate is July 1, 2019.
The department is committed to addressing the family needs of faculty, including dual career couples and single parents. For more information please visit: http://ofew.berkeley.edu/new-faculty. To learn more about the department please visit https://www.me.berkeley.edu/.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.
TENURE TRACK POSITION IN AEROSPACE STRUCTURES AND ADVANCED MATERIALS
Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
The Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM) seeks to fill one tenure-track faculty position in Aerospace Structures and Advanced Materials (ASAM). Researchers engaged in the development of innovative experimental methods are particularly encouraged to apply, but applications are invited in all areas of the mechanics of solids. Current research in the AEM department includes the development of nanoscale mechanics (molecular dynamics, lattice statics, quasicontinuum method, applied quantum mechanics) and continuum mechanics (phase transformations, phase field models, micromagnetics, stability and bifurcation) for the understanding and discovery of advanced materials and structures. The AEM department has close ties with on-campus multidisciplinary centers, and convenient access to outstanding shared experimental and computational facilities, such as the Minnesota Nano Center, the Characterization Facility, the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, and the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute. Information about the department is available at http://www.aem.umn.edu/
Applicants must have an earned doctorate in a related field by the date of appointment. The successful candidate is expected to have the potential to conduct vigorous and significant research programs and the ability to collaborate with researchers with a wide range of viewpoints from around the world. This candidate will participate in all aspects of the Department’s mission, including (I) teaching undergraduate and graduate courses to a diverse group of students in aerospace engineering and mechanics; (II) participating in service activities for the department, university, broader scientific community, and society; and (III) supervising undergraduate and graduate students and developing an independent, externally-funded, research program.
The intent is to hire at the assistant professor rank. However, exceptional applicants may be considered for higher rank and tenure depending upon experience and qualifications. It is anticipated that the appointment will begin fall 2019.
The AEM department is committed to the goal of achieving a diverse faculty as a way to maximize the impact of its teaching and research mission. The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about equity & diversity at UMN, visit diversity.umn.edu.
Application Deadline: The initial screening of applications will begin on December 1, 2018; applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.[gview file=”https://wordpress.umd.edu/grad/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/09/UMN-AEM-StructuresAndMaterials-2018.pdf”]
A two-story metal track will soon allow a crane to hoist and move projects weighing up to three tons down the length of the University of Maryland’s newest academic building.
At the same time, millions of dollars of brand-new equipment will soon allow students to conduct science on a nano scale.
It’s an example of projects — both massive and miniature — that will be able to take place inside the new 184,000-square-foot A. James Clark Hall, which will house UMd.’s bioengineering program. The $168 million building will be dedicated Friday.
Currently, those programs are scattered throughout half a dozen different sites on campus, said John Fisher, chairman of the bioengineering department at the A. James Clark School of Engineering.
“Ultimately where innovation and ideas come from is from folks talking to one another and traditionally in laboratory spaces, you have your little lab, you go in and do your little thing,” Fisher said. “The whole point of this space is to break down barriers.”
The building was designed by Ballinger and constructed by Clark Construction Group. The late contracting titan Jim Clark made a $15 million donation to support the design and construction of the hall and had contributed millions to the school since the early 1990s. Clark, a Maryland engineering alum who built Bethesda-based Clark Construction into one of the nation’s real estate powerhouses, passed away in March 2015.
Last month, UMd. announced it received a $219.5 million donation from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation. Officials said the building was already well under construction before they learned of the gift. But they expect students studying in the building and some new endowed faculty positions will be beneficiaries of the Clark donation. They also expect future engineering buildings and programs will be supported by the gift.
The University of Maryland’s entry into a competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy that challenges collegiate teams from around the world to design and build energy-efficient, solar-powered houses took second place overall and was the top design from the United States.
UMD’s entry into the 2017 Solar Decathlon, resilient Adaptive Climate Technology (reACT), seeks to improve sustainability in four ways and includes a hydroponic garden, “living walls” within its courtyard, modular living elements, predictive automation, and design elements that simplify future upgrades to the house. Designed by an interdisciplinary team of students, the prototype house beat nine other collegiate teams from around the globe. UMD has placed in the top two each time it has competed in this international competition in the last 10 years (2007, 2011, 2017), with a first place win for its WaterShed house in 2011.
The two-year process—which spans from concept drawings to the construction of a physical house—culminates in a 10-contest competition lasting nine days, this year in Denver. Competitions included evaluations of each home’s performance, design, sustainability, and market appeal. This is the first year that teams are eligible for cash prizes; UMD will bring home $225,000.
“This prestigious competition engages students from across the country and internationally to develop the skills and knowledge to become the next generation of energy experts,” said Linda Silverman, director of Solar Decathlon.
reACT intertwines Indigenous knowledge systems with western scientific thinking to create a structure that represents both thought processes. Team Maryland worked closely with the Nanticoke Indian Tribe, who, for millennia, have harvested the resources of the Delmarva Peninsula while minimizing waste and impact. With the goal of creating a space for First Americans to be self-sustaining and revive their traditional ways, reACT incorporates modern advances to provide the best atmosphere for growth.
“From the crops grown to the herbs and spices used as medicines in the hydroponics system, this will allow natives to live away from their traditional lands and still be able to utilize the knowledge passed down from generation to generation. To be able to utilize every drop of water collected and not waste this sacred resource is a huge plus for our people,” said Kyle Harmon, Nanticoke Councilman and reACT mentor.
reACT went beyond the solar-powered requirements of Solar Decathlon, capitalizing on the talents of UMD students to devise innovative features:
Modular construction: kit-of-parts allows endless design configuration in size, climate, and budget.
A mechanical core: high-performance, interactive, and environmentally sensitive automated system.
A GreenCourt: a marriage of a greenhouse and a courtyard; the social heart of the house.
Gardens and food production: plants support each other creating food webs.
A solar attic: uses the sun to heat water, dry clothes, and even cook food.
UMD’s winning team includes students from the A. James Clark School of Engineering, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, College of Education, and programs in several other disciplines campus-wide.
The only Solar Decathlon entry in the D.C.–Maryland–Virginia region, reACT is the university’s fifth entry in the history of the Solar Decathlon competition. reACT will return to UMD where it will continue to be used as a research and education center, showcasing projects with regional industry and professional stakeholders.
Source: A. James Clark School of Engineering, News story.
College Park, Md. — Engineers at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering have created a novel technological solution to the pressing global challenge of water scarcity by creating a suite of solar steam generation devices that are at once efficient, easily accessible, environmentally friendly, biodegradable, and extremely low cost.
Inspired by the process by which water is carried through trees from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves, the UMD research team created several new ways in which water can be transported through wood, purifying it for safe use. Energy from the sun and a block of wood smaller than an adult’s hand are the only components needed to heat water to its steaming point in these devices.
The global crisis of water scarcity is a pressing global challenge, and the situation is far worse in developing countries, where safe water is difficult to secure for 1 billion people.
“Cost and manufacturing are key challenges in using the solar-steam technology for seawater desalination and for the first time, wood-based structures can potentially provide solutions,” said Liangbing Hu, UMD associate professor of materials science and engineering and the leader of the projects. Hu is interested in scaling up these devices for commercial use, which includes designing ways to easily manufacture the devices and bring down their cost. The team is racing other research groups to invent a successful solar steam generation device that is cost efficient and easy to use. He is also a member of the University of Maryland Energy Research Center and the Maryland NanoCenter, where the devices were studied closely.
The team is trying out a few twists on the basic idea of using a darkened surface on the wood to heat the water, then pulling it through the wood’s natural porous structures.
Picture a bowl of unpurified water sitting in a sunny spot. On top of it floats a small block of wood about two inches by two inches. The side of the block facing up is darkened, to catch the sun’s rays. As the sun heats the wood, the water below is drawn up through the wood’s natural channels. The hot dark surface evaporates the water, which can be condensed and distilled off. The salt or other contaminants are too heavy to evaporate, so they stay below.
One design, as published in the journal Advanced Materials, uses carbon nanotubes — tiny, naturally dark structures grown in a lab — to coat one side of the wood and heat the water inside. Another, described in the journal Advanced Energy Materials, uses metal nanoparticles to achieve the same results. Both of these designs are very efficient, but come with a higher cost to produce.
Another innovative design involves carbonizing — essentially, burning — the top layer of wood to create a dark surface. The team tried this with the natural wood’s channels oriented up-and-down, just as they would be inside the tree (described in another paper, published today in Advanced Materials).
By the same measure used to test solar cells’ efficiency, the team measured how efficient the solar steam generation devices are. The most efficient device was the burned-top wood, with 87% efficiency at ten suns of light. It was also the least expensive to produce, coming in at only $1 per square meter.
Professor Siddhartha Das of UMD’s mechanical engineering department and his team studied the flow of water through the wood. Prof. Bao Yang, also of UMD’s mechanical engineering department, and his team contributed on thermal related measurement. A team from University of Wisconsin-Madison, headed by professor Zongfu Yu of the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, studied the light trapping in treated wood.
Though they may not best the efficiency or cost lists, the other devices also have their advantages. The carbon nanotube-topped version is also flexible, because the component that makes wood stiff, lignin, was removed. It could be rolled into a tube. The device coated with metal nanoparticles showed a self-cleaning aspect when it was placed in salt water. During the day, the salt was too heavy to evaporate and was left behind. During the simulated night (12 hours without sunlight) the salt dissolved off the wet surface.
Photos of the wood’s surface before and after any darkening agent was added were produced in the Advanced Imging and Microscopy (AIM) Lab, part of the Maryland Nanocenter, which is headquartered in College Park.
“Highly Flexible and Efficient Solar Steam Generation Device”
The University of Maryland announced today a transformative investment of $219,486,000 from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. Building Together: An Investment for Maryland will increase college access and affordability, inspire the next generation of engineering leaders, and spark innovations that tackle today’s most daunting problems.
This investment, the largest in UMD history and among the largest to a public research institution in the 21st century, will propel UMD and the A. James Clark School of Engineering to the forefront of education and research by establishing and funding an array of need-based scholarships, graduate fellowships, distinguished faculty chairs, and operational and capital projects.
“This investment is historic in scope and transformational in impact, and I do not say this lightly,” UMD President Wallace D. Loh said. “Access to higher education is essential, if we are to solve urgent national problems. Creating this path for the most promising students in engineering and other fields may well prove to be Mr. Clark’s greatest legacy.”
“Without question, my dad loved the University of Maryland,” said Courtney Clark Pastrick, board chair of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. “College Park was instrumental in educating and equipping him as an engineer and successful businessman. However, his legacy is in his community engagement and generosity. Our family and the Foundation look forward to seeing the impact of this gift in the decades to come.”
“Thousands of University of Maryland students already wake up in dorms or study in academic halls that bear the mark of the Clark name,” said Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. “Today, the Clark spirit of generosity is on full display yet again. With this new investment in STEM education, the Clark family and the Clark Foundation are ensuring that this university continues to be a national and global leader, where the next fearless idea is developed.”
The gift was announced at an event today with Loh, Pastrick, Governor Hogan, Mrs. Alice B. Clark, Clark Foundation President Joe Del Guercio, Maryland Speaker of the House Michael Busch, and Chancellor of the University System of Maryland Robert Caret. More than 150 students who have received previous scholarships from the Clark Foundation were also in attendance.
Increasing College Access & Affordability
Access to an affordable college education to promising students has guided the Clark family’s longstanding investments. New scholarships and fellowships made possible by this donation build on the Foundation’s—and Mr. Clark’s—fundamental belief in connecting effort with opportunity, by helping those who demonstrate determination and perseverance.
The Clark Challenge for Maryland Promise, a campus-wide scholarship matching program that engages the philanthropic community, aims to generate a $100 million fund to support students with financial need. In partnership with the university, the Clark Challenge grant will catalyze support from alumni and friends to ensure an education for high-performing students with the greatest need.
Building Together: An Investment for Maryland will also help expand the Clark Opportunity Transfer Scholarship Program, which supports transfer students from Maryland community colleges to pursue their engineering education at UMD. The investment will also support high-performing undergraduate engineering students with financial need with the launch of the A. James Clark Scholars Program, the Foundation’s signature academic program combining engineering, business, leadership and community service. At the University of Maryland, A. James Clark Scholars will also participate in the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges Scholars Program, charging students to solve some of engineering’s greatest challenges in the 21st century, from sequestering carbon to reverse-engineering the brain.
Building the Next Generation of Engineering Leaders
“This investment will transform the university, and especially engineering,” said Clark School Dean and Farvardin Professor of Engineering Darryll J. Pines. “For today’s engineering students, this gift promises not only to open doors to a world-class engineering education, but also to inspire hearts and empower minds through the example set by Mr. Clark. By learning about the industry leader and philanthropist, students will feel driven to develop solutions to help people lead better lives.”
The investment will fuel innovation that paves the way for engineering excellence at UMD by expanding the Clark School’s innovative research through programs, facilities and by recruiting promising students and faculty. The investment will also substantially increase the number of graduate fellows through the establishment of the Clark Doctoral Fellows Program.
Solving Today’s Problems
Building Together: An Investment for Maryland will also enable UMD to support faculty working in the interdisciplinary fields that are critical to the knowledge-based economy of the future, such as data analytics, neuroscience, virtual and augmented reality, and cybersecurity.
Funded by the Foundation, five Clark Leadership Chairs with shared appointments in colleges across campus will conduct important cross-cutting research on emerging issues that are most pressing to the future of our global society. The Foundation will also establish eight Clark Distinguished Chairs, faculty positions that directly address the most critical research areas set forth by the 2020 Strategic Plan for the Clark School.
To learn more about Building Together: An Investment for Maryland, visit buildingtogether.umd.edu.
What People Are Saying About This Transformative Investment
“For generations, public universities like the University of Maryland have opened doors to students with high potential and promise,” said Joe Del Guercio, president and CEO of the Foundation. “We know that cost remains a barrier for too many students especially first-generation college students. The Clark Foundation is committed to ensuring that college is both accessible and affordable; as a result, need-based aid and financial support to students are a cornerstone of this investment.”
“One of the most important contributions to the quality, stature, and impact of a major university is its faculty. The Clark Leadership Chairs will make it possible to attract and retain the very best people in critically important fields such as neuroscience, virtual reality, cybersecurity, and big data—fields that are key to solving our greatest societal issues,” said Mary Ann Rankin, Senior Vice President and Provost of UMD. “The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation’s investment in Clark Leadership Chairs will catapult the university forward in these critically important fields, while touching programs across the entire university.”
Building Together: An Investment for Maryland Programs
The Clark Challenge for Maryland Promise: Gifts from other donors in support of this new program will provide need-based scholarships to hundreds of students every year from all majors. If fully matched, this program aims to generate a $100 million fund to support students with financial need.
A. JamesClark Scholars Program: A new program providing scholarships to 40 high-performing engineering undergraduates. Reflecting the Clarks’ commitment to the local community, priority will be given to in-state students.
Clark Opportunity Transfer Scholars Program: The endowment of a pilot program which will provide need-based scholarships to 40 engineering majors coming from Maryland community colleges.
Clark Distinguished Chairs: The creation of eight faculty chairs for stellar engineering researchers that directly address engineering’s most critical research areas, such as additive and advanced manufacturing, autonomy and robotics, and energy and sustainability.
Clark Leadership Chairs: The establishment and endowment of five faculty chairs throughout the campus in interdisciplinary fields that are critical to the knowledge-based economy of the future, such as data analytics, neuroscience, virtual and augmented reality, and cybersecurity.
Clark Doctoral Fellows Program: An endowment supporting 30 additional first-year doctoral fellowships, allowing the Clark school to increase research productivity and graduate more outstanding Ph.Ds every year.
New engineering building: A new space that secures the university’s stronghold in engineering innovation by helping recruit and retain world-class faculty and facilitating collaborations between disciplines with institutional and business partners.
IDEA Factory: An expansion of the Clark School’s signature Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building which will foster innovation with new cutting-edge labs, start-up space, and areas dedicated to cross-disciplinary research.
Mpact: The 125th Anniversary Fearless Ideas Mpact Challenge is the A. James Clark School of Engineering’s “moonshot” engineering program to spur innovative engineering research solutions. Commemorating the school’s 125th Anniversary in 2019, this program provides funding for Clark School teams to develop solutions to engineering problems and innovations in engineering research that have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people.
Source: A. James Clark School of Engineering, News Story
