Dear Friends,

I have more great news to report:

Times Higher Education has just published its world university rankings, with Princeton ranked third among engineering schools. The top five engineering schools are Caltech, MIT, Princeton, UC-Berkeley, and Stanford (in that order).

In other great news: a record-size class joined Princeton Engineering this fall. The opening freshman enrollment is 333, nearly 25 percent more than the previous record in the fall of 2009, and represents a quarter of the Princeton Class of 2015.

Did you know that the 50th anniversary of the building of the EQuad is coming up next year? If you have ideas on how to commemorate this occasion, please write to me.

Keep up with Princeton Engineering on Facebook and Twitter. And don't miss alumni news at the bottom of this newsletter.

Dean H. Vincent Poor *77
Michael Henry Strater University Professor of Electrical Engineering

Undergraduate summer work on robotic fish

David Clifton '12 and David Heinz '12 spent the summer working in the lab of Naomi Ehrich Leonard '85 on underwater autonomous vehicles. In this video they discuss their research -- ranging from testing MATLAB code to working in the machine shop -- on a test robot called "the beluga."

Craig Arnold puts the squeeze on batteries

Most everyone has dealt with the frustration of fading battery capacity. The short life of lithium-ion batteries, which now power our cell phones and laptops, also has limited their use in electric cars. Craig Arnold has found a surprising link between battery life and the day-to-day physical forces acting on an overlooked battery component.

Lectures on skyscraper engineering

Princeton Engineering's lecture libraries now include a collection of interviews by undergraduates with three giants of structural engineering -- Bill Baker, Leslie Robertson, and Guy Nordenson -- as a well as a lecture by David Billington '50 on Fazlur Khan. These experts hold forth on everything from design inspiration and sustainability to cultural differences in building.

EWB finishes library in Ghana

Faculty News

Emily Carter spoke at a federal energy summit (above) and also explained how quantum mechanics can help solve the energy crisis...

The BBC reported that a "miniature magic carpet" has taken flight in the research lab of James Sturm '79... Rob Socolow examined lessons learned in climate change in an essay for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and Climate Central... NASA awarded Yiguang Ju a certificate of appreciation for oustanding contributions to space missions... The National posted a video interview with Rebecca Fiebrink *11 on the subject of computer science and music...

Paul Prucnal is developing a "photonic neuron" that can transmit information a billion times faster (yes, you read that correctly, a billion times faster) than a human neuron... Sanjeev Kulkarni has taken over the helm of the Keller Center...Chemical Engineeering Education ran a lovely profile of Pablo Debenedetti ...

In memoriam: Stuart Schwartz, a leader in electrical engineering is dead at age 72...

Alumni News

Michael Keaton '11 has co-invented SwoopTEXT... The Wall Street Journal ran a major profile of Jeff Bezos '86... The WSJ also featured iSuppli, founded by Derek Lidow '73, the James Wei Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship... Paul Maeder '75 helped launch an inventors walk of fame...

Brian Kernighan *69 has a new book out called D is for Digital... NPR interviewed Alex Halderman '03 *09 about Telex, a new software he is developing that may help Internet users circumvent censorship in countries like China... Fast Company featured a video interview with Smule's Ge Wang *08 ...

Kyle Meng '05 published a cover article in Nature magazine... Nature Middle East published an interview with David Keyes ‘78 on the role of KAUST... Ashley Thrall *10 joined Notre Dame as an assistant professor...

O Magazine interviewed Lisa Jackson *86... Grantland featured Taylor Fedun ’11, who broke his leg playing hockey for the Edmonton Oilers...

Kenneth Kuo *71 received the 2011 AIAA Wyld Propulsion Award... Forbes magazine showcased algorithms developed by Warren Powell '77... Alice Gast *84 was PAW Tiger of the Week... Chicago Business featured Philip Nevels '03.

Dave Hitz '86 gave his "best advice" to CNNMoney... Frank Moss '71 explained on MSN how small business are innovating with big data... William Fung '70 founded an economic research institute in Hong Kong... CNBC featured Lee Iacocca *46... In memoriam: Union Pacific Railroad CEO John C. Kenefick '43...