Enrico Milletti ’19 Receives Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts</h1> <article> <h1>Enrico Milletti ’19 Receives Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts</h1> <p>anagy — Tue, 28 May 2019 15:08:09 +0000</p> <span>Enrico Milletti ’19 Receives Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts</span> <span><span>anagy</span></span> <span><time datetime="2019-05-28T11:08:09-04:00" title="Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 11:08">Tue, 05/28/2019 - 11:08</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Enrico Milletti ’19, a visual arts major in the <a href="/engineering">3-2 Engineering</a> program, has been selected for the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts.</p> <p>The Louis Sudler Prize is an endowed fund that rewards exceptional achievement in the creative and performing arts. The $1,000 prize is awarded annually on the basis of faculty recommendation to one graduating senior who has created or performed with distinction in dance, theatre, creative writing, music performance or composition, photography, or the visual arts. The award alternates between the college and Conservatory of Music, with odd years selected by the studio art division of the Department of Art.</p> <p>Following graduation, Milletti will work at Material Connexion in NYC, a company that specializes in materials research that supports sustainability and environmental responsibility. He plans to enroll in a graduate program to study mechanical engineering, and he says he will use the award funding to continue making art while he is in engineering school.</p> <p>“I am interested in mechanical engineering because it is very hands-on and concerned with design thinking, just like my current work in studio art,” says Milletti, who is from Hillsborough, California. “I hope to one day consolidate my arts and engineering skills and pursue a career in product design.”</p> <p>For his senior thesis work in studio art, Milletti worked within installation and sculpture, primarily with concrete and adobe. “This mold-making/sculptural work was built off of great apprenticeships and learning experiences that I have shared with two people, my advisor and teacher Professor of Art <a href="/nanette-yannuzzi">Nanette Yannuzzi-Macias</a> and designer Aaron Jones from Galanter & Jones in San Francisco.”</p> <p>Milletti came to 91ֱ�� as a <a href="/undergraduate-research/programs/strong">STRONG</a> scholar in the lab of Professor of Physics <a href="/stephen-fitzgerald">Stephen FitzGerald.</a> “Though I have since strayed from the STEM research path, those skills in critical thinking and adaptability in research have definitely proven invaluable,” he says.</p> <p>Most recently Milletti was a research assistant for Assistant Professor of Islamic Art History <a href="https://rice.academia.edu/FarshidEmami">Farshid Emami</a>. He says his work with Emami has informed his professional interests in architecture and design, and he hopes to retain these passions for years to come.</p> <p>Outside of his studies, Milletti was treasurer for the 91ֱ�� Photo Co-op for two years.</p> <p>“I want to thank all of those who have mentored and guided me up until now, including Nanette Yannuzzi-Macias and my design mentors, Aaron Jones and Kit Halvorsen. I would not be able to produce the work that I do if it were not for their endless sources of knowledge and compassion for others who want to learn and grow.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2019-05-29T12:00:00Z">Wed, 05/29/2019 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Amanda Nagy</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2363">Academics & Research</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2367">Science & Math</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2377">Arts & Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24611">Engineering, 3-2</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/stephen-fitzgerald" hreflang="und">Stephen FitzGerald</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art" hreflang="und">Studio Art</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Enrico Milletti '19, winner of the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Charlie Rinehart Jones</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Inventor Jay Whitacre '94 Earns Lemelson-MIT Science Prize</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:02:04 +0000</p> <span>Inventor Jay Whitacre '94 Earns Lemelson-MIT Science Prize</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:02:04-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:02">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:02</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Jay Whitacre ’94, entrepreneur, inventor, and professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering, has just received the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for the Aqueous Hybrid Ion battery, which has the potential to revolutionize the way sustainable energy is stored. The innovative battery uses abundant, inexpensive resources such as water, sodium, and carbon to store excess energy, enabling sustainable energy to be used for around-the-clock consumption even when neither the sun is shining nor the wind blowing. The company Whitacre founded, Aquion Energy, has commercialized the Aqueous Hybrid Ion battery for installations at locations in Australia, California, Germany, Hawaii, Malaysia, and the Philippines.</p> <p>The annual Lemelson-MIT Prize honors outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Whitacre says he plans to contribute a significant amount of the prize money to develop a fellowship for graduate students to pursue innovative energy initiatives.</p> <p>“We are proud to recognize Jay Whitacre as this year’s Lemelson-MIT Prize winner,” said Joshua Schuler, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program. “Jay is passionate about sharing his experiences with young people and is intent on inspiring them to cultivate an interest in STEM and invention. He personifies the mission of Lemelson-MIT through his commitment to mentorship, his desire to solve some of our world’s greatest problems and his ability to commercialize his technologies.”</p> <p>While at 91ֱ��, the Westerville, Ohio, native majored in physics and says his time at 91ֱ�� influenced and inspired the work he does today.</p> <p>"I owe 91ֱ�� a lot. It was, and is, a hotbed of creativity and has an inspiring, dynamic, free- thinking student body. Earning a degree in physics at 91ֱ�� changed me in many ways, and a key concept I gained is that learning and knowing specific facts and figures is not nearly as powerful as being able to synthesize solutions using foundational input placed in the right context. Solving problems with this mindset has allowed me to change fields and explore unusual problems multiple times in my career. John Scofield was my primary mentor—he let me run free in his labs while researching thin film solar cells, and much of my interest and passion for energy technologies stems from those days."</p> <p>Scofield, a professor of physics, says Whitacre was “the quintessential self-starter. Words like ‘you can't do that’ or ‘it can't be done’ just wouldn't dissuade him—they made him more determined to prove he could do it—whatever ‘it’ was.”</p> <p>After 91ֱ��, Whitacre received a PhD from University of Michigan. He went on to work at the California Institute of Technology’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he led research efforts to understand and improve materials for space and terrestrial use. While at Caltech, he was also first cognizant engineer in charge of designing the thermal battery-based system that powered the descent and landing phase of the Mars rover Curiosity’s mission in 2012.</p> <p>Today, Whitacre is a professor of engineering and public policy and materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, a position that allows him to share ideas and results with many diverse communities, including academia, the energy startup community, and the wider Pittsburgh community. In addition, he holds the title of chief technology officer at Aquion Energy. Through his involvement at Aquion, he has worked with several programs designed to increase student accessibility to STEM fields, including the Summer Engineering Experience for Girls (SEE), the “Tour your Future” program, and the SUCCEED program, which works with STEM-inclined high school students in the Pittsburgh area.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2015-09-15T12:00:00Z">Tue, 09/15/2015 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kasey Cheydleur</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2367">Science & Math</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24611">Engineering, 3-2</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25411">Physics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/physics-and-astronomy" hreflang="und">Physics and Astronomy</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">the Lemelson-MIT program</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Keep Talking</h1> <p>Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 18:03:59 +0000</p> <span>Keep Talking</span> <span><span>Anonymous (not verified)</span></span> <span><time datetime="2016-11-07T13:03:59-05:00" title="Monday, November 7, 2016 - 13:03">Mon, 11/07/2016 - 13:03</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>It can be a nightmare for some. Give a public presentation with thousands of dollars on the line.</p> <p>But on February 1, that's exactly what 91ֱ�� students and alumni did in this year's LaunchU Pitch Competition. In front of a panel of potential investors, the <a href="/node/120226">LaunchU</a> participants outlined their business plans, explaining why they were worthwhile, profitable endeavors worth backing financially. While all of the competition's participants received feedback, only one entrant received the $15,000 LaunchU Accelerator Venture Development Award.</p> <p>This year's winner was Cole Hershkowitz ’11, cofounder of Chai Energy, an app that tracks energy use in homes in real time, which he plans to launch next year.</p> <p>The competition is the final phase of 91ֱ��'s LaunchU experience, which helps prepare 91ֱ�� students and alumni launch their entrepreneurial ideas. It begins in January with a series of workshops that cover everything from business model development to branding strategies to raising finances. It continues with the LaunchU Accelerator, which provides participants with faculty and alumni mentors and helps prepare them to pitch their business ideas. LaunchU is part of 91ֱ��'s Creativity and & Leadership Project, an initiative to provide support to students and alums in their entrepreneurial endeavors.</p> <p>Hershkowitz, who began working with energy monitoring systems while at Cal Tech, where he went as part of 91ֱ��’s 3-2 engineering program, says he benefitted from the interaction with other entrepreneurs. "There is so much to learn when so many existing entrepreneurs are brought together," he says. "We met a lot of great mentors through the program."</p> <p>"This is a tremendous example of the action and impact that 91ֱ�� students and alumni can have when they apply their creativity and focus to bettering the world," says Conservatory Dean Andrea Kalyn, who founded the program.</p> <p>Though Hershkowitz and Chai Energy were the winners of the competition's main prize, they were not the only group to receive recognition from the LaunchU panel. Current students Henry Harboe ’15, Thomas Kreek ’16, and Prakash Paudel ’15, won the $1,500 Ignition prize to further develop LumenEd, a plan to create a portable hybrid of a projector, PC, and speaker system to be used in underserved parts of India.</p> <p>LaunchU also awarded Gabriel Simon ’17 the $1,000 MindCamp Scholarship for his Candid Music project, which provides support to musicians with everything from production to videography to graphic design.</p> <p>According to Dean Ginsberg, program associate at with the Creativity and & Leadership Project, participating in LaunchU at any level can be a formative experience for a young entrepreneur. "The educational process alone is incredibly valuable," he says. "When you add the networking opportunities it's over the top. 91ֱ�� has an amazing alumni base and everybody who comes back for the pitch competition weekend is not only a leader in their field but also used to live in Dascomb."</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2014-05-22T12:00:00Z">Thu, 05/22/2014 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">James Helmsworth</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2379">Student Life</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2406">Innovation and Impact</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2395">Entrepreneurship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3238">LaunchU</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=24611">Engineering, 3-2</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Hershkowitz’s presentation at the Pitch Competition.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Mika Johnson</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>