Category: Research
EPIC Welcomes Industry to BU
Companies like Apple and GE are bringing high-tech facilities back home from overseas. While a positive development, the problem is now there aren’t enough engineers trained in highly technological methods. The Engineering Product Innovation Center (EPIC) helps fill that void.
Funded through the University, ENG alumni and friends, and a $18.8M gift, the College of Engineering is transforming its curriculum so that all students, regardless of major, will graduate with a thorough understanding of how to develop new products, from concept and design through manufacturing and delivery. EPIC’s 15,000-square-foot space houses a computer-aided design (CAD) studio, demonstration areas, fabrication facilities, materials testing, and project management software. The facility has a flexible design and offers students supply chain management software, 3-D printers, robotics, laser processing, and around-the-clock digital access to the studio’s online resources.
“We’re hoping to set a standard for the training of engineers for the future manufacturing economy in this country,” says EPIC Director Gerry Fine, an ENG professor of the practice.
University Jumps in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Boston University jumps 10 positions, from 51 to 41, in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the nation’s colleges and universities, and now appears on a short list of “Up and Comers,” chosen for their “promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, student life, campus, or facilities.” The publication makes special note of BU’s robust undergraduate research program as well as its extensive study abroad opportunities, and it cites the undergraduate business and engineering programs as among the best.
State OKs NEIDL Research Levels
In March, the Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs gave approval for BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) to conduct research at Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) and Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4). The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) certificate clears the way for the issuance of final state permits for the project.
Association of American Universities
BU was invited to join the Association of American Universities (AAU), an elite organization of 61 other leading research universities in the United States and Canada. "Boston University’s admission to the AAU is first and foremost an acknowledgment of the quality and productivity of our outstanding faculty,” says Jean Morrison, University provost and chief academic officer.
BU to Establish Autism Center of Excellence
The National Institutes of Health announces an award of $10 million to establish an Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) at Boston University. The five-year grant will fund research devoted to the least probed aspects of the increasingly common disorder—autism spectrum disorder—which remains baffling for scientists. With the NIH funds, the BU center, which will marshal researchers from several fields to study autism and language, is the first federally designated center in the nation established to address the critical needs of this largely neglected end of the autism spectrum.
Green Light for Biosafety Lab
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announces a draft decision allowing researchers to conduct lower-level biosafety research in BU’s National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories (NEIDL) on the Medical Campus in Boston’s South End. The first research scheduled for the state-of-the-art facility are two projects involving nonpathogenic tuberculosis.
Global Urban Health Program Launched
The Center for Global Health & Development at BU launches a Global Urban Health program that will expand its research agenda addressing issues affecting global populations. The initiative, led by Professor Jonathon Simon, further establishes BU’s role as a major research university.
Rafik B. Hariri Institute
The Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering begins its mission of creating a community of scholars “who believe in the transformative potential of computational perspectives in research and education.” The institute was initiated in 2010 with Trustee Bahaa Hariri’s (SMG'90) pledge of $15 million for interdisciplinary collaboration.
New Residency in Addiction Medicine
BU is one of 10 institutions around the country to introduce an accredited residency program in addiction medicine.
Global Health Mission Expands
With a fresh $10 million funding commitment from President Robert A. Brown, a new name, and proven staying power in the battle to improve health in the world’s poorest communities, the Center for Global Health & Development at Boston University’s School of Public Health is poised to expand its mission and impact.
