Three McCormick Faculty Participating in Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
Erica Hartmann, Emma Alexander, and Ryan Truby are three of 100 outstanding early career engineers selected
Northwestern Engineering’s Erica Hartmann, Emma Alexander, and Ryan Truby have been selected to participate in the Grainger Foundation Frontiers of Engineering 2024 Symposium, scheduled for September 11-14 at the National Academies' Beckman Center in Irvine, California.
Hartmann, Alexander, and Truby are three of 100 outstanding early career engineers who will meet for an intensive 2 1/2-day symposium to discuss cutting-edge developments in four areas:
- Water-Air-Surface Connections for Indoor Microbiology and Health
- Building the Future of AI
- Understanding and Engineering Connections Between the Gut and the Brain
- The Impending Revolution of Digital Twin
Hartmann, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering, is an event committee member and is co-chairing the session, “Water-Air-Surface Connections for Indoor Microbiology and Health.” Hartmann’s research focuses on understanding, at the molecular level, how microbial communities respond to anthropogenic chemicals. Hartmann then uses that information to influence real-world outcomes, especially by controlling the spread of undesirable traits such as antibiotic resistance.
Alexander, assistant professor of computer science, is an event participant. Alexander investigates low-level, bio-inspired, physics-based computer vision and reverse engineers principles of natural vision, contributing to the next generation of cameras and displays.
Truby, June and Ronald Brewer Junior Professor and assistant professor of materials science and engineering and mechanical engineering, is also an event participant. He aims to develop material systems whose forms and functionalities give soft devices and robots novel bioinspired actuation, perception, control, and power capabilities.