Join us for a talk with Justin Notestein (Chemical Engineering) and Ana Kuzmanic (School of Communication) titled "Visualizing the Invisible."

Abstract

Costume design and chemical product design do not, at first blush, have much in common. However, professors Ana Kuzmanic and Justin Notestein have learned through discussion and the beginnings of a collaboration that they share a similar design framework. Design for performance and design for chemical products communicate abstract ideas in comprehensible formats. Both seek to make invisible functions visible, whether that’s expressing an emotion, making visible an inner transformation, replicating the taste of a food, or catalyzing a chemical reaction.

In giving tangible form to these invisible functions, designers need to overcome preconceived notions, incompletely articulated or mutually contradictory needs, and a variety of external constraints (e.g., thermodynamics or the needs of the actor being clothed). As in many areas of design, the best work is driven by curiosity, where “what if” questions lead from inspiration to a multitude of ideas for innovation. The right questions allow us to see limitations as possibilities.

In this talk, Kuzmanic and Notestein will compare several case studies highlighting classroom and professional (laboratory research or stage performance) experiences. They will also discuss commonalities in their sources of inspiration and design processes, and advocate for the need for spaces — both physical and metaphorical — where art and engineering can intersect on a deeper level.

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VentureCat is Northwestern’s annual student startup competition and celebrates the University’s most promising student founders.

The program culminates in a pitch competition in which more than $300,000 in non-dilutive prize money is distributed to student ventures. The program and non-dilutive prize money awarded to student ventures is made possible by generous sponsorship from the Levy Institute, Lanny and Sharon Martin and Exelon.

Join us on Wednesday, May 25 at 6 PM CT for the Public Showcase where we will feature the six finalist teams and their pitches. You will vote to award our audience favorite prize and we will announce our finals prize winners–including the grand prize of $150,000.

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The 2022 lecture will honor the accomplishments of Stephen H. Davis, Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, who passed away at age 82 on November 12, 2021. Professor Davis's contributions to fluid mechanics and materials science are well known, and the event will celebrate his life and research.

The keynote lecture will be delivered by Grae Worster, professor of fluid dynamics at the University of Cambridge. Northwestern Engineering professors Michael J. Miksis and Peter W. Voorhees will also deliver remarks.

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Grae Worster

Professor of Fluid Dynamics, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge

Worster's lecture, "The Dynamics of Super-absorbent Hydrogels," will outline how he and his colleagues developed a new mathematical approach to model super-absorbent hydrogels, allowing for strongly nonlinear swelling while remaining linear in deviatoric strains, in effect treating hydrogels as instantaneously incompressible and linear elastic materials. Worster will describe this model and illustrate its features by solving simple examples of swelling spheres and transpiration through cylinders, and by analyzing different instabilities that can arise during swelling and drying. Worster will also introduce a hypothesis for a potential role of hydrogels in pumping water up very tall trees.

Memorial Day (no classes)

Held in a webinar-style format, these information sessions offer a wonderful opportunity to hear more about the program's distinctive features and curriculum - as well as giving us ample time to answer any questions you might have.

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McCormick School of Engineering PhD Hooding and Master’s Degree Recognition Ceremony

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McCormick School of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation

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Congratulations, class of 2022! Let’s celebrate your accomplishments at Northwestern! This is our chance to say “see you later!” as you embark on your next chapter. Stop by with friends and fam, check out our photo booth, and grab a snack!

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