In The News: Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering

Professional Builder

Should builders view net zero energy as a standard instead of an aspiration? As populations age, will future homeowners rely more on voice-controlled devices to manage systems like heating, cooling, and lighting? Can modular, flexible design and construction provide answers to suburban neighborhoods that are facing growing densities? Will precast concrete emerge as the building material of choice for housing construction in a world increasingly threatened by the ravages of climate change?

Vox

The devastating Amtrak Cascades train 501 derailment Monday happened while the train was racing at about 80 miles per hour — far above the speed limit of 30 miles per hour, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday. The train cars lurched off the tracks, spilling onto and dangling above the interstate below. At least three people were killed and dozens more injured.

Las Vegas Sun

San Diego native Jacqueline Phan passed on opportunities to study in California so she could contribute to biochemistry research here in Las Vegas.

The Stem Cell Podcast

A team of researchers from the University of Nevada Las Vegas have developed a device they hilarious call the “Tooth Cracker 5000” to extract 80 percent of the stem cells a pulp contains from a wisdom tooth.

Tech Crunch

Hailey Dawson is already a veteran of tossing the ceremonial first pitch at the ripe old age of seven. She’s got two Major League games under her belt and is about to add a third, with her biggest audience yet, as she kicks off Game 4 of the World Series in Houston.

TCT Magazine

In search of someone to help print a hand for Hailey, Engineers at UNLV’s Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering took on the project using Stratasys Fortus 250mc 3D printer. By 2015, Hailey was throwing her first opening pitch at a UNLV Rebels baseball game, which quickly led to an MLB game.

Las Vegas Review Journal

Late in the afternoon in early October, the Dawson family gathered to watch son Zach’s baseball game.

Digital Trends

Stem cells are a crucial part of modern medicine and can be used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions. Now researchers at University of Nevada, Las Vegas have discovered a new way of harvesting these all-important biological cells by (get ready to wince!) extracting them from the root pulp inside every tooth.

ZDNet

Mom couldn't find a company to create a robotic hand for her daughter, so she came up with a novel solution.

Las Vegas Sun

Building a house with no prior experience is tough enough, but imagine constructing one knowing that you would soon have to split it into multiple parts and transport it out of state. That is just part of the challenge that 30 UNLV students face as they prepare for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2017 competition next month. The winning school takes home $300,000.

Reno Gazette-Journal

A group of Nevada researchers plans to take solar eclipse viewing to new heights. They’re launching a balloon outfitted with cameras to the edge of space just as the eclipse shadow rolls over eastern Oregon and Idaho. The idea is to capture unique images from the first total solar eclipse viewable from the contiguous United States since 1979.

Las Vegas Sun

A gender gap persists in science, technology, engineering and math, a problem that researchers say could begin to be understood and then solved through research. U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., has introduced two pieces of legislation to address the issue. The Building Blocks of STEM and Code Like a Girl acts both seek to fund research into early childhood STEM education.