IN THE NEWS

FOX News - "Brain Trust" Protection in Alabama. Alabama's Next Big Industry-Biotechnology. (WBRC– TV Fox Affiliate Channel 6, Birmingham, AL, Rick Journey Reporting, Reported at 9pm - November 28, 2007 and Online; Also featured on Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Webpage- AU Engineering and Economic Development)       

Co-OP at Auburn 2008. (Auburn University Co-OP Program, December 2007)

Planning for Business. (The Huntsville Times, Print and Online December 1, 2007)

ClearCast Podcast with Dr. Byrne -Conversations with Technology Innovators and Entrepreneurs. (Interview with David Karabinos, ClearCast, November 26, 2007)  Innovation Conversations is a podcast series sponsored by PointClear featuring entrepreneurs and executives who successfully use technology to innovate their business models, give them competitive advantage, and create exceptional value for their customers and shareholders.

Byrne Receives Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Award. (Auburn Engineering E-Newsletter, December 2007; AU Report, November 12, 2007)

Zhang Receives Second Place Research Award at 2007 AIChE Meeting. (COE News, November 27, 2007)

AU Honors Professors at Formal Ceremony. (Opelika-Auburn News, October 19, 2007))

Auburn to Honor Faculty for Top Achievements. (AU Report, October 15, 2007; AU Daily, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, October 17, 2007)

Five Faculty Honored for Teaching Prowess. (Auburn Magazine, 14 (2):7, Fall 2007)

Venkatesh Wins 2007 Harry Merriwether Fellowship. (COE News October 26, 2007) The university-wide fellowship, awarded to four graduate students each year, was given to the University by an anonymous donor in favor of Harry Merriwether, an outstanding graduate of Auburn University, Class of 1943. The fellowship distinguishes graduate scholarship and research excellence, is awarded for one academic year, and carries a $2,000 stipend.

Technology Transfer Office Helps Launch Four Start-up Companies. (AU Report, September 3, 2007)

Contact Lens Drug Delivery System Business Plan Wins $100,000. (Auburn Engineering E-Newsletter, August 2007)

AU Announces Four Engineering-Based Start Ups. (Auburn Engineering E-Newsletter, August 2007)

AU Engineering Develops Technology for New Start-up Companies. (AU Top News Feature, August 24-30, 2007; AU Main Webpage; AU Daily, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, August 31, 2007))

Contact Lens Drug Delivery Wins Prize. (The Birmingham News, Front Page of Money Section, Print and Online, July 10, 2007. Also featured on Samuel Ginn College of Engineering Webpage))

TIGERs Camps Scheduled for June and July. Drug Delivery Experiments From The Byrne Lab Featuring Asa Vaughan and Maryam Ali (Auburn Engineering Magazine, 17(1):23, Spring 2007)

Auburn Team Wins Lauchpad, Plants 'Seed'. (Opelika-Auburn News, Print and Online, May 27, 2007))

AU's OcuMedic Takes Grand Prize at 2007 Launchpad Competition. (AU Top News Feature, May 24, 2007; AU Main Webpage May 24-31, 2007; AU Daily, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, May 24, 2007)

Auburn Team Takes First Place and $100,000 Prize at Business Plan Competition. (Alabama Launchpad, May 24, 2007)

Alabama Lauchpad Enters Final Round. (Opelika-Auburn News, Print and Online, May 19, 2007))

'Lauchpad' Lures University Entrepreneurs. (Birmingham Business Journal, May 11, 2007)

Two Auburn Teams Reach Business Plan Competition Finals. (AU Daily, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, May 2, 2007; Campus Connection May 7, 2007)

Drug Delivery Systems Get Smart. (Biotechnology Update, Chemical Engineering Progress, 14, May 2007)

Chemical Engineering Students Compete in Regional Conference. (COE News April 30, 2007)

UAH Teams Dominate State in Business Plan Competition. (UAH News News, April 23, 2007)

Siddarth Venkatesh Named Outstanding International Graduate Student of the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering. (April 18, 2007) Sid was chosen from all the individual department winners this year and received a plaque for the Outstanding International Graduate Student Award from the College of Engineering.

Siddarth Venkatesh Named Outstanding International Graduate Student of the Department of Chemical Engineering. (April 18, 2007) Sid received the Outstanding International Graduate Student Award from the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Shondra Pass and Jishnu Saha Win Second Place in Regional Poster Competition at 2007 AIChE Southern Regional Conference. (March 31, 2007) Shondra was awarded a Second Place Prize for her poster presentation of her research entitled "Therapeutic Contact Lenses for Anti-histamines: Transport of Ketotifen Fumarate Through Biomimetic Hydrogels" at the 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineer's (AIChE) Southern Regional Meeting, which took place at the University of South Carolina on March 30-April 1, 2007.

Jeney Zhang Wins Section Third Place in Regional Paper Competition at 2007 AIChE Southern Regional Conference. (March 31, 2007) Jeney was awarded a Third Place Prize for her podium presentation for her research entitled "Bandage Contact Lenses for Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Therapeutics" at the 2007 American Institute of Chemical Engineer's (AIChE) Southern Regional Meeting, which took place at the University of South Carolina on March 30-April 1, 2007.

Maryam Ali Receives Society For Biomaterials STAR Award Honorable Mention. (March 21, 2007) The award is based on her abstract entitled "Therapeutic Contact Lenses: In-vitro Release via Experimental Physiological Ocular Tear Flow Model" and recognizes outstanding research work by graduate students. The STARs present a major opportunity to recognize research excellence and develop future leaders within the Society of Biomaterials.

Asa Vaughan Places Second in Engineering Category for Podium Presentation at the 17th Annual Auburn University Graduate Student Council Research Forum. (March 17, 2007) The Graduate Research Forum is a multi-disciplinary forum open campus wide sponsored by the Auburn Graduate Student Council and Sigma Xi.

The University of Texas Licenses Drug Delivery Technology to Newly Formed Mimetic Solutions, LLC. (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, March 7, 2007)

Sizemore Wins First Place Research Award at Annual AIChE Conference (COE News November 16, 2006; AU Daily, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, November 30, 2006) Parker took home top honors in the National Student Paper Competition at the annual AIChE meeting in San Francisco. He represented the Southeast Region against all first place competitors who won their respective regional competitions in the Spring. His presentation was entitled "Extending Relief for Allergic Conjunctivitis via Therapeutic Contact Lenses Based on Configurational Biomimetic Imprinting."

Sid Venkatesh Wins Fall 2005 McLeod Outstanding Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Teaching Award (Auburn Engineering E-Newsletter, May 2006, COE News April 25, 2006) The award is given to the best graduate teaching assistant each semester and is based on excellence in instruction, teaching effectiveness, impact on undergraduate students intellectual and professional development, as well as other criteria. The McLeod award was implemented this year by a gift from chemical engineering alumnus, Dr. Chandler McLeod, to recognize and motivate outstanding teaching achievement by graduate students within the department of chemical engineering.

Venkatesh Wins 2006-2007 National Academy of Sciences Grant-in-Aid of Research Administered by Sigma Xi (April 20, 2006)

RyAnne Noss Awarded a 2006-2007 Alliant Tech Systems, Inc. ATK Scholarship. (April 20, 2006)

Allison Collins Wins a 2006-2007 Undergraduate Competitive Research Fellowship. (April 20, 2006) There are 20 year-long fellowships awarded each year. The fellowship consists of a stipend of $4,400 over the course of the fellowship year, project funds of $1,400, and $200 in travel funds.

Asa Vaughan Wins Summer 2005 McLeod Outstanding Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Teaching Award (Auburn Engineering E-Newsletter, May 2006, COE News April 25, 2006) The award is given to the best graduate teaching assistant each semester and is based on excellence in instruction, teaching effectiveness, impact on undergraduate students intellectual and professional development, as well as other criteria. The McLeod award was implemented this year by a gift from chemical engineering alumnus, Dr. Chandler McLeod, to recognize and motivate outstanding teaching achievement by graduate students within the department of chemical engineering.

CBS News - Contact Lens Curing Allergies? (WRBL – TV CBS Affiliate Channel 3, Columbus, GA, Susanna Avery Reporting, Reported at 6pm (Nielsen Audience: 15,048) and 11pm (Nielsen Audience: 9,632) - April 11, 2006 and Online) 

New Technology: Research Focuses on Delivering Antibiotics in Contact Lenses. (Opelika-Auburn News Front Page, April 11, 2006- Front Page Print and Online)

Contact Port: Loaded Lenses Deliver Meds Directly Into Eyes. (Auburn Magazine, 13 (1):13, Spring 2006)

Revolutionizing Medication Distribution to the Eye – Into The Lab…The Power of New Ideas. (Auburn Engineering, 16(1):8-9, Spring 2006)

Engineering Faculty Garner Coveted NSF Awards. (Auburn Engineering E-Newsletter, May 2006)

Student, College Have Impressive Showing at AICHE Conference. (Auburn Engineering E-Newsletter, May 2006)

AU Research Focused on Using the Contact Lens for Drug Delivery. (AU Commons, May 2006)

AU Research Focused on Using the Contact Lens for Drug Delivery. (AU Daily, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, April, 5, 2006)

AU Research Focused on Using the Contact Lens for Drug Delivery. (AU Top News, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, Main AU Webpage, April 3, 2006)

Auburn Engineering Research Leads to Medical Uses for Contact Lenses. (AU Report, March 27, 2006)

Professor Byrne Wins 2006 William F. Walker Superior Teaching Award. (March 17, 2006) The Superior Walker Award is the highest teaching award in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and recognizes excellence in teaching. Auburn alumnus Fred Birdsong and his wife Mary Lou endowed the teaching awards to recognize and motivate outsanding teaching achievement by faculty involved in the instruction of engineering students. It was renamed in 2000 in honor of former Auburn University President and Dean William F. Walker and provides a $10,000 honorarium.

Efe Sahinoglu Wins Pumphrey Outstanding Pre-Engineering Student Award. (March 17, 2006) The Pumphrey award is awarded from the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering to undergraduate students with 4.0 G.PA.'s in the pre-engineering curriculum.

Asa Vaughan Places First in Section for Podium Presentation at the 16th Annual Auburn University Graduate Student Council Research Forum. (March 16, 2006) The Graduate Research Forum is a multi-disciplinary forum open campus wide sponsored by the Auburn Graduate Student Council and Sigma Xi. Asa's presentation in Section 7 was entitled "Optimizing Recognition Characteristics of Biomimetic Polymer Gels by Polymerization Reaction Analysis."

RyAnne Noss Places Third in Section for Podium Presentation at the 16th Annual Auburn University Graduate Student Council Research Forum. (March 16, 2006) The Graduate Research Forum is a multi-disciplinary forum open campus wide sponsored by the Auburn Graduate Student Council and Sigma Xi. RyAnne's presentation in Section 1 was entitled "The Rational Design of Intelligent Biomimetic Polymeric Networks for Biomolecular Diagnostics."

Parker Sizemore Wins 2006 Omega Chi Epsilon Award. (March 16, 2006) The Omega Chi Epsilon Award has been awarded to chemical engineering students by individual chapters since 1974. In a desire to recognize outstanding individuals in the field of chemical engineering, the Auburn chapter gives out this award to a chemical engineering student nominated by faculty or staff of the Auburn Chemical Engineering Department. The criteria are three-fold: (i) the student promotes investigation and innovation in chemical engineering, (ii) the student provides service to the chemical engineering department, and (iii) the student encourages comradeship among chemical engineers.

Students, College Have Impressive Showing at AIChE Conference. (AU COE News, March 27, 2006)

Parker Sizemore Wins Overall First Place in Regional Paper Competition at 2006 AIChE Southern Regional Conference. (March 11, 2006) At the regional meeting, all first place podium presenters within each section (see below) were eligible for this award. Parker took home top honors of all podium participants at the meeting. He will participate in the National competition at the Fall 2006 AIChE meeting in San Francisco, CA.

Parker Sizemore Wins Section First Place in Regional Paper Competition at 2006 AIChE Southern Regional Conference. (March 11, 2006) Parker was awarded a First Place Prize for his podium presentation in Section B for his research entitled "Biomimetic Recognitive Hydrogels for the Treatment of Allergic Rhinoconjunctivitis" at the  2006 American Institute of Chemical Engineer's (AIChE) Southern Regional Meeting, which took place at Mississippi State University on March 10-12, 2006.

AU Research Focused on Using the Contact Lens for Effective Drug Delivery. (AU Research News, February-March, 2006)

Auburn Professors Receive National Science Foundation Funds For Undergraduate Research Program. (AU COE News - February 15, 2006)

RyAnne Noss Wins a 2006-2007 Army Ranger Memorial Foundation Scholarship. (January 2006) Fifteen competitive scholarships are given each year. Ranger Memorial Foundation Scholarships are not need-based and are awarded on the academic strengths of each applicant. They are given to active-duty Ranger qualified soldiers serving in a Ranger unit or by family affiliation to an active or past Ranger (child under age 22, current wife, or widow of a deceased ranger). The family affiliation requirement is open to qualified applicants Army-wide(undergraduate or graduate).

Engineering Students Receive National Awards at AIChE Meeting. (AU College of Engineering E-Newsletter - December 2005)

Two AU Engineering Students Honored with National AICHE Awards. (AU Top News, AU Office of Communications and Marketing, Main AU Webpage, December 5, 2005).

Two Engineering Students Honored With National AIChE Awards. (AU News - December 2005)

Engineering Students Receive National Awards at AIChE Meeting. (AU COE News - November 17, 2005)

Sizemore Wins a First Place Prize in the Food, Pharmaceutical, and Biotechnology Undergraduate National Student Poster Competition at the 2005 AIChE Meeting. (November 2, 2005) Parker was awarded a First Place Prize for his research entitled "Polymerization Reaction Analysis to Enhance Loading of Hydrogels for Ocular Drug Delivery" in the Food, Pharmaceutical, and Biotechnology Undergraduate Student Poster Competition Session of the 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineer's (AIChE) National Meeting.

BMES Recognizes Chemical Engineering Senior for Outstanding Biomedical Engineering Research. (AU  COE News - October 2005)

Sizemore Selected as a 2005 Biomedical Engineering Society Undergraduate Student Award Winner for Outstanding Biomedical Engineering Research. (Biomedical Engineering Society Bulletin, October 2005) Only five national awards are presented each year. Parker submitted a 3-page extended abstract (Summary, Objective, Description, Results Analysis and Evaluation, Discussion, and References) for his project entitled "Biomimetic Development for Extended Drug Release Contact Lenses to Treat Allergic Conjunctivitis."

M. Byrne Wins ORAU Junior Faculty Enhancement Award. (Opelika-Auburn News Front Page, June 10, 2005)

Paper Selected as One of the Hottest Papers by Web of Science Over the Period March 2005 to June 2005. J.Z. Hilt and M.E. Byrne. Configurational Biomimesis in Drug Delivery: Molecular Imprinting of Biologically Significant Molecules. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 56(11), 1599-1620, 2004.

RyAnne Noss Wins a 2005-2006 Army Ranger Memorial Foundation Scholarship. (January 2005) Fifteen competitive scholarships are given each year. Ranger Memorial Foundation Scholarships are not need-based and are awarded on the academic strengths of each applicant. They are given to active-duty Ranger qualified soldiers serving in a Ranger unit or by family affiliation to an active or past Ranger (child under age 22, current wife, or widow of a deceased ranger). The family affiliation requirement is open to qualified applicants Army-wide.

Cover of the AIChE Journal, March 2004.

Cover of the AIChE Journal, December 2003.

Imprinted Gels. (In the News, Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 20(10), vi-vii, 2001)

A Glucose Sensor and Insulin Dispenser. (Research and Development Update-Controlling Biomedical Processes, Chemical Engineering Progress, 97(10),16-17, October 2001)

Imprinted Gels Have Medical Promise. (Medical Materials Update, October, 2001)

Chemical Engineers Developing Biological Sensors for Diabetes. (Biotechnology Newswatch, September 17, 2001)

'Smart Gels' Studied For Glucose Detection. (Medical Industry Today, September 5, 2001)

Biomimetics Breakthrough. (Graduating Engineer and Computing Careers, Grad News and Notes, Winter 2002)