Intracranial Neurostimulation for Epilepsy and Neuropsychiatric Conditions

Wednesday, October 7, 2026; 12:15 - 1:15 pm
W306 Millennium Science Complex
Speaker: Barbara Jobst from Geisel School of Medicine

Dr Jobst will be discussion stimulation devices used in epilepsy and present outcome data as well technical limitations for brain stimulation devices and brain computer interfaces. She will focus on practical messages for the neuroengineering community and she will discuss intracranial brain stimulation for seizures, memory and consciousness. Another focus will be measuring cognition and the effects of music with implanted brain stimulation devices.

https://psu.zoom.us/j/94639233394

Hosted by: Rebecca Benson,  rle4@psu.edu

Engineering Nanomembranes for Molecular and Ion Separations

Thursday, October 8, 2026; 10:35am
Capone Learning Auditorium (CBEB 001)
Speaker: Haiqing Lin from University of Buffalo

Polymeric membranes have emerged as an energy-efficient technology for carbon capture and ion separations, and they should have desirable sub-nm free volumes to achieve superior separation properties. Furthermore, these materials must be fabricated into nanofilm composite (NFC) membranes of < 100 nm using roll-to-roll processes, while the nanofilm properties can significantly deviate from their bulk properties. I will discuss two approaches to designing and fabricating such nanomembranes. First, polysiloxane-based membranes can be sequentially treated with oxygen plasma and atomic layer deposition (ALD), producing a few-nm amorphous zeolite layer and yielding superior H2/CO2 separation properties for precombustion carbon capture. Second, nanofiltration membranes can be surface-engineered to impart Mg2+-philic groups, thereby dramatically increasing the separation factor for Li+/Mg2+, a critical separation for lithium recovery from brines. The correlation between manufacturing, structure, and separation properties will be elucidated.

Dr. Haiqing Lin is a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. His research elucidates structure-property relationships of polymeric membranes for gas, liquid, and ion separations, with the end goal of addressing key challenges in energy and sustainability. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005 and then joined Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (MTR) as a Senior Research Scientist. He led the successful development of PolarisTM membranes for CO2 removal from syngas. In 2013, he began his career at the University at Buffalo as an assistant professor and was promoted to professor in 2021.

Dr. Lin has published nearly 180 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and he is a co-inventor of 10 US patents and patent applications. He was a recipient of the 2016 NSF CAREER Award and the 2025 AIChE Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology.

Hosted by: Angela Dixon,  adc12@psu.edu

AI-Assisted Mathematical Research with Lean: A Case Study in Language Generation in the Limit

Wednesday, October 7, 2026; 11:00am
W375 Westgate Building
Speaker: Dr. Peng Zhang from Rutgers University

Can formalization become a tool for mathematical research? I will discuss this question through my experience with AI-assisted Lean formalization. I will present GenLimitLib, a Lean 4 library for language generation in the limit, a young and rapidly developing research area in theoretical computer science. GenLimitLib organizes shared definitions, reusable proof components, and relationships across papers, providing a structured view of the literature. I will describe several mathematical findings that emerged from working with the library. I will also present LLM experiments showing that access to the library can improve AI-assisted Lean proof generation. The talk will be based on this paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.36663.

Prof. Peng Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and a graduate faculty member in Statistics at Rutgers University. Her research broadly encompasses algorithm design and data science, with specific interests in causal inference, experimental design, and numerical optimization. Before joining Rutgers, Dr. Zhang completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from Georgia Tech in 2018, where her work earned the College of Computing Dissertation Award. Her research is supported by an NSF CAREER Award and an Adobe Data Science Research Award.

Hosted by: Emmalia Lutz,  exr123@psu.edu

Breaking the Memory Wall with Optical Interconnects and In-Memory Computing

Wednesday, October 7, 2026; 3:35-4:25 pm
254 Health and Human Development
Speaker: Ning Li from

Abstract: The explosive growth of emerging applications in data analytics and high-performance computing is placing unprecedented demands on today’s computing systems. Consequently, hyperscale computing systems now face critical bottlenecks in data transfer rather than computational power. I will talk about two projects we are working on to address this challenge. In the first project, we are developing glass panel-enabled 3D optical interconnects to significantly increase bandwidth density and energy efficiency for panel-scale computing. We employ volumetric waveguides and 3D routing in glass to enhance the density of waveguides and optical components and eliminate the shoreline density limitations in planar photonics. In the second project, we are developing non-volatile memory devices for in-memory computing to greatly reduce the data shuffling between processors and memory. With numerous memory devices developed in recent years, there is a need for benchmarking their performance in the deep neural network computing. We developed such a comprehensive methodology for such benchmarking and found that electrochemical memory has great potential for high-performance large-scale analog in-memory computing.

BIO: Ning Li is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Materials Research Institute at The Pennsylvania State University. He was a research staff member at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center from 2010 to 2022. His research experience includes photonic components and links for communications and interconnects, heterogeneous integration of materials and devices for new applications, nonvolatile memories for in-memory computing. He was awarded more than 250 U.S. patents, many High Value Patent Awards, and multiple Master Inventor Awards. He published in scientific journals and conferences including Nature Photonics, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Optical Fiber Communication (OFC), etc. His work has been featured on Nature Research Highlight, Semiconductor Today, etc. He received his BS degree from Tsinghua University and PhD degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Hosted by: Lana Fulton,  lub18@psu.edu

2026 Thomas C. Kavanagh Memorial Structural Engineering Lecture

Tuesday, October 13, 2026; 5:00 pm
028 ECoRE Building
Speaker: Andrew Whittaker, Ph.D., P.E., S.E. from University at Buffalo

"Risk-informed, performance-based design of seismic isolation systems for nuclear power plants"

Abstract

Risk-informed pathways are being developed to support the design and licensing of next-generation nuclear power plants. This presentation describes one such pathway for implementing seismic base isolation. The methodology has evolved from a rigorous risk-based framework involving isolation-system-specific seismic displacement demand curves, fragility functions, and numerical integration of seismic risk, to a simplified closed-form procedure requiring displacement calculations only at an annual frequency of exceedance corresponding to the target performance goal (TPG). The resulting median displacement capacity, D50, provides the basis for prototype testing of seismic isolators and dampers.

The presentation begins with an overview of the nuclear regulatory framework relevant to risk-informed seismic design, followed by the derivation of displacement demand curves, development of isolation-system fragility functions, calculation of D50, and the associated prototype testing requirements for seismic isolation and energy dissipation devices.

Bio

Andrew Whittaker is a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo, and holds a Faculty Joint Appointment at the Idaho National Laboratory. He is a registered civil and structural engineer in the State of California. Whittaker’s undergraduate degree in civil engineering is from the University of Melbourne (1977) and his MS (1985) and PhD (1988) degrees are from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a Distinguished member of ASCE and a member of the US National Academy of Engineering.

Andrew Whittaker has contributed to the writing of ASCE standards, and ATC/FEMA guidelines for more than 30 years. He made significant contributions to the first generation of tools for performance-based earthquake engineering (FEMA 273, FEMA 274, FEMA 356, ASCE 41) and led the structural engineering team that developed the second generation of these tools (FEMA P-58). Whittaker served as Chair of the ASCE Nuclear Standards Committee from 2015 to 2026, and now co-chairs the ASCE 92 committee. He led Issue Team 11 in the current NEHRP cycle addressing risk targets for seismic isolation systems for buildings, with outcomes to inform ASCE/SEI 7-28.

https://www.cee.psu.edu/events/kavanagh/index.aspx

Hosted by: Jessica Wilson,  jrw412@psu.edu

Modern Applications of Quantitative Ultrasound for Medical Research

Wednesday, October 14, 2026; 3:35-4:25 pm
254 Health and Human Development
Speaker: JONATHAN MAMOU from University of Pitt

Presentation Abstract:

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is an active research field focused on obtaining quantitative tissue properties (i.e., system- and user-independent) from ultrasound data. Conventional ultrasound imaging is commonly used to visualize soft tissue morphology. During scanning, a gray-scale B-mode image is displayed on screen from which a trained clinician can evaluate tissue states. However, B-mode ultrasound image formation discards valuable information in the raw backscattered echo signal that encodes information about tissue microstructure. Therefore, microstructural changes in soft tissues that accompany disease processes, but do not directly affect tissue morphology, may not be visible in B-mode images. QUS methods use the raw ultrasound data to reconstruct parametric maps that are representative of tissue microstructure. In this talk, I will review conventional ultrasound imaging and QUS methods based on analyzing the backscatter coefficient and envelope statistics. I will present recent vivo QUS results from in vivo human studies in cancer, ophthalmology, and dermatology.

Dr. Jonathan Mamou graduated in 2000 from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications in Paris, France. In January 2001, he began his graduate studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in May 2002 and 2005, respectively. He previously was the Associate Research Director of the F. L. Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering at Riverside Research in New York, NY. He currently is a Professor of Electrical Engineering in the Department of Radiology of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, NY. Dr. Mamou also is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering of New York University. His fields of interest include theoretical aspects of ultrasound scattering, ultrasonic medical imaging, acoustic microscopy, ultrasound contrast agents, and biomedical image processing.

Hosted by: Lana Fulton,  lub18@psu.edu

Magnesium Oxychloride Cement: An Emerging Sustainable Building Alternative

Thursday, October 22, 2026; 10:35am
Capone Learning Auditorium (CBEB 001)
Speaker: Christopher Kitchens from Villanova University

ABSTRACT

Magnesium oxychloride (MOC), also known as Sorel cement, was discovered in 1867 but has recently re-emerged as a potential alternative to conventional Portland cement in residential and commercial construction. MOC offers greater compressive strength and elasticity than Portland cement, along with significant fire resistance. It also binds exceptionally well with many filler materials, enabling its use in lightweight, structurally robust building products. Furthermore, MOC is non-toxic, resistant to mold and mildew, and has a lower CO2 footprint than Portland cement. However, broader adoption remains constrained by challenges related to manufacturing control, water stability, and corrosion.

This seminar will examine the potential for MOC to transform the construction and building-products landscape, while addressing the technical barriers that currently limit its broader adoption. The discussion will cover the fundamentals of the formation and curing reactions, mechanisms of composite reinforcement for optimizing mechanical performance, and methods for enhancing water stability. Formation and curing kinetics of magnesium oxychloride 5-phase were monitored using time-resolved quantitative X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The reaction was characterized as a two-step process: dissolution of magnesium oxide into a gel state, followed by crystallization of magnesium oxychloride. We have also examined the reaction of MOC with CO2, which forms a protective, semi-insoluble chlorartinite layer on the surfaces of magnesium oxychloride crystals and improves water stability. To address corrosion concerns, we can model chloride-ion speciation within MOC and evaluate routes for mitigating potential metal corrosion.

We are also working with several manufacturers through the Magnesium Oxide Building Products Association (www.mgobpa.org) to develop testing standards that support commercial product quality and building-code approval. This work has advanced the commercialization of magnesium oxide building products, including the design and construction of a large-scale MOC manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas—the only such facility in North America. The seminar will trace this path from fundamental laboratory research to full-scale manufacturing and show how technical advances, standards development, and industry collaboration can enable a new sustainable alternative to conventional materials used in residential and commercial construction.

Chris Kitchens is Professor and Chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Villanova University. He received his B.S. in Chemistry from Appalachian State University in 1999 and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University in 2004 under the guidance of Prof. Christopher Roberts. Following a two-year postdoctoral appointment at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he joined the Chemical Engineering faculty at Clemson University, where he served from 2006 to 2022. During that time, he established a research group focused on advanced materials for applications in nanotechnology, renewable resources, green building products, and stimuli-responsive composites. His research interests include the synthesis, processing, and application of surface-modified nanomaterials for drug delivery and catalysis; the environmental fate of engineered nanomaterials; nanocomposites derived from renewable resources; and next-generation green cement building products. His group also employs tunable-fluid materials processing and neutron-scattering characterization techniques. Dr. Kitchens is active in education and outreach related to nanotechnology, green chemistry, and green engineering. He earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Clemson University in 2021 and subsequently completed a two-year industrial residency with MiTek Inc., where he worked on the development and manufacture of magnesium oxide cement products for the construction industry.

Hosted by: Angela Dixon,  adc12@psu.edu

Ferroelectric Polymers and Composites with High Piezoelectricity

Wednesday, October 21, 2026; 254 Health and Human Development Building
3:35 - 4:25 p.m.
Speaker: QING WANG from Penn State Materials Science and Engineering Dept.

Abstract: Ferroelectric polymers represented by poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers enable the development of flexible piezoelectric devices for a wide range of applications, including wearable electronics, human-machine interfaces, energy harvesting, soft robotics, and ultrasonic imaging. This talk will describe our recent efforts on the improvements of piezoelectric coefficients and elastic energy densities of PVDF-based ferroelectric polymers and composites. Inspired by the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), a critical concept in the design of high-performance piezoelectric ceramics, we establish the coexistence regions of the competing ferroelectric and relaxor properties in the P(VDF-TrFE) copolymers and reveal the crucial role of chain tacticity in driving the formation of the transition region. The copolymer with the morphotropic composition exhibits state-of-the-art piezoelectric coefficients. We employ an electro-thermal approach to drive the ferroelectric phase transition in PVDF-based percolative polymer nanocomposites. The actuators based on electro-thermal actuation outperform current polymer-based actuators in terms of concurrently enhanced actuation strain and elastic energy density that are triggered at a much lower electric field. In this regard, electro-thermal actuators based on ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites can bridge the gap between ferroelectric polymers and piezoelectric ceramics. This talk will discuss fundamental insights into the structural mechanisms that control piezoelectricity and actuations in ferroelectric polymers.

BIO: Prof. Qing Wang received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 2000. Prior to joining the faculty at Penn State in 2002, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University. Among other awards, he has received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, Rustum and Della Roy Innovation in Materials Research Award and Penn State Faculty Scholar Medal in Engineering. His research interests include the development of ferroelectric polymers, electroactive polymers, dielectric polymers and nanocomposites for energy harvesting and storage. Prof. Wang is a Fellow of AAAS and IEEE.

Hosted by: Lana Fulton,  lub18@psu.edu