U News | Duke receives $30 million award to elevate research in computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
The Ohio Invention League's Honda State Finals brought together 170 student inventors from all over Ohio to the Convocation Center at Ohio University.
From Duke University:
Duke University has received a $30 million award from The Duke Endowment to elevate research in computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning via a historic faculty hiring initiative.
The Elevating Duke Computing program will fund the hiring and start-up costs for one senior, luminary faculty member, and four to seven mid-career faculty over the next five years. The effort is part of the University’s larger Duke Science and Technology initiative focused on bolstering the sciences and accelerating innovation at Duke by attracting, supporting, and retaining top faculty.
“Advances in computing are critical to solving today’s most complex and challenging problems, across all sectors,” said Duke President Vincent E. Price. “This award from The Duke Endowment will support the university’s work to drive knowledge and discovery and empower the next generation of leaders in computing.”
The first hires will find their homes in Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and the Pratt School of Engineering, the schools with the greatest concentration of computing research at Duke – specifically in the Departments of Computer Science in Trinity and Electrical and Computer Engineering in Pratt.
From Cornell University:
Cornell Tech, a graduate campus and research center of Cornell University on Roosevelt Island in Manhattan, has announced the newest cohort of 13 start-up companies that will enter its established Runway Start-up PostDoc program this September. The program is run by the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute on the Cornell Tech campus and will welcome its largest cohort since the annual program began in 2014.
The 13 teams include eight Ph.D. founders, selected from 358 applications received this year for the program, and five “Spinout” teams, which are made up of 2024 Cornell Tech graduates who each won a $100,000 Start-Up Award at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 academic year.
Founders who participate in the program come from various academic backgrounds and are focused on accelerating their young companies under the guidance of Cornell Tech faculty and advisors. To date, the program has launched more than 100 start-ups that have a valuation of more than $660 million and have created more than 500 new jobs in New York City.
From Washington University in St. Louis:
A powerhouse collaboration of universities and industry, led by the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, is embarking on a bold plan to transform manufacturing toward zero or negative emissions by converting carbon dioxide ultimately into environmentally friendly chemicals and products that create a circular economy.
The Carbon Utilization Redesign for Biomanufacturing-Empowered Decarbonization (CURB) Engineering Research Center (ERC) is funded by a five-year, $26 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The award — one of only four the NSF awarded nationwide in 2024 — supports convergent projects that include research, education, commercialization, workforce development, and diversity and inclusion that will lead to societal change.
“The vision of CURB is as a vibrant global research and innovation ecosystem that transforms U.S. manufacturing by capturing and leveraging carbon dioxide emissions and thereby decreasing the human ecological footprint,” said Aaron F. Bobick, Dean and the James M. McKelvey Professor in McKelvey Engineering. “For McKelvey Engineering to lead this research project represents the increased sophistication of the school’s research and its ability to support an activity of this scale and in alignment with our strategic priorities.”
From the University of Kansas:
The NSF also awarded $26 million to the University of Kansas (KU) to establish a new Gen-4 Engineering Research Center (ERC) — Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) — that will create a sustainable and circular refrigerant economy.
At the heart of EARTH’s work is reimagining the process for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems across the globe. EARTH will develop sustainable, accessible and equitable refrigerant technologies and practices through research, education and innovation that will improve quality of life and combat climate change.
KU is the lead institution and is joined by partners at the University of Notre Dame, University of Maryland, University of Hawaii, University of South Dakota, and Lehigh University.
From Ohio University:
The Ohio Invention League‘s Honda State Finals brought together 170 student inventors from all over Ohio to the Convocation Center at Ohio University for the event hosted by the University’s Center for Entrepreneurship. It was an opportunity to showcase the innovative problem-solving abilities of K-12 students.
The program is open to all K-12 students across the state. Students can participate through school programs, out-of-school programs, or the Independent Inventor Program. The League aims to foster students’ interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) by encouraging them to develop solutions to real-life problems they encounter.
From Pennsylvania State University:
Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank supports entrepreneurs by derisking their start-ups and helping them turn ideas into viable businesses. The LaunchBox services are at no cost and are accessible to Happy Valley community members, as well as Penn State faculty, staff, and students. Through recent support from the College Township Industrial Development Authority (CTIDA), Happy Valley LaunchBox is now able to reach more State College community entrepreneurs through an Idea TestLab program specifically designed to support them.
“At Happy Valley LaunchBox, we believe in empowering entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Whether you’re a current business owner looking for the next step, an industry expert ready to go out on your own, a student with a fresh idea, or a stay-at-home parent with a dream,” said Elizabeth Hay, Jack White Family Director of the Happy Valley LaunchBox. “Our approach, rooted in the lean start-up methodology, helps businesses quickly de-risk, find their ideal customers, and launch successfully. Through our accelerator programs, we aim to make entrepreneurship accessible to everyone, providing the tools, guidance, and support needed to turn ideas into businesses. We want to help you launch dreams into reality, no matter what background or industry.”
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