Alumni COVID-19 Response

The Coronavirus Pandemic
Impact on Engineering Innovation

T

he coronavirus pandemic is making the impact of engineering innovation evident and the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science is answering this challenge. Student and faculty engineers and computer scientists quickly pivoted to defending dissertations and teaching online, creatively designing personal protective equipment to fill health care needs and adeptly analyzing data to better understand COVID-19 and its impact at micro and macro levels.

Computer Science Alumnus Creates COVID-19 Visualization Millions Access The 91-DIVOC tool, created by Dr. Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider BS’05, MS’06, was inspired by the UT Dallas mascot and effectively communicates pandemic data.

UT Dallas Team 3D Prints Crucial Personal Protective Equipment Part	Professor Using Gold Nanoparticles to Faster Recognize Infectious Diseases
The team, which mobilized in the UTDesign® Studio, is part of an informal collaboration of experts increasing the supply of ventilators and protective equipment.	Research surrounding Dr. Zhenpeng Qin’s idea has received $2.5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health and $293,000 from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Alumni Create Part to Convert Snorkel Gear into Safety Equipment	Professor Earns Grant to Facilitate Safe Sharing of COVID-19 Patient Data
James Griffin BS’18 was part of a team that 3D-printed a valve attachment in the UTDesign® Studio, resulting in a mask that replicates the functionality of an N95 mask.	The National Science Foundation grant, co-awarded to cybersecurity expert Dr. Murat Kantarcioglu, supports creation of software that helps protect patient data.