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College of Engineering Research |
Overview of Research
Active involvement in scholarly research is essential to provide quality education at both the undergraduate and graduate level. As a result, the faculty within the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering are deeply involved in funded research programs as individual principal investigators or through collaborative research centers.
The research activities of the faculty and student have a wide range, from the removal of perchlorate pollutants from groundwater to the development of new oxygen sensors using the latest nanotechnology equipment. The Information Sciences Research Institute (ISRI), for example, is directed by Dr. Tom Nartker and Dr. Kazem Taghva, both professors in the School of Computer Science. Their research center employs over 13 graduate and undergraduate students to develop leading edge software for the rapid searching of text and pictures in electronic media. Their software is used by a number of private and government agencies for automated recognition of documents. ISRI is continuing their work to extend their software to additional languages and the topics studied by the students working for the Institute often serve as the basis for their masters theses and doctoral dissertations in Computer Science.
The Transportation Research Center (TRC), housed in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, also is involved in cutting-edge technology that includes optimal traffic routing, traffic surveillance, pavements, and airport design. Research funding received from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Nevada DOT, the Regional Transportation Commission, and local city and county governments provide support for graduate student assistantships and opportunities for students and faculty to present the results of their work at international conferences.
The TRC is led by Dr. Shashi Nambisan, Dr. Mohamed Kaseko, and Dr. S. Pulugurtha. With an additional four professional staff members, the Center employs over 30 graduate and undergraduate students to assist with research. These students use the product of their work with the TRC towards completion of their masters degrees in civil engineering or transportation, and in the doctoral program in civil engineering. The TRC provides an excellent example of the important, interactive role research plays in graduate engineering education.
The faculty and students within the college work in many exciting areas, including:
- Alterative energy ranging from hydrogen production from nuclear reactors to Stirling engines for the capture of solar power.
- Pulsed power device research to study the behavior of plastics in high-voltage applications.
- Computational modeling of airflow in metropolitan areas and the resulting contaminant transport in accidental or intentional releases.
- Network security using advanced software tools.
- Transport of ammonium perchlorate and nitrates from contaminated sites into drinking water supplies.
- Radiation shielding analysis for structures used for long-term habitation in space.
- The development of novel outdoor water displays through entertainment engineering.
Please check individual department and research center webpages for additional information on active research projects and for opportunities for student involvement.
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Professional Research |
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Graduate Student Involvement in Research |
Graduate-level education in Engineering and in Computer Science at UNLV is greatly enhanced by active participation in research. An undergraduate degree provides a broad background in the student's chosen field. The masters degree allows a student to specialize in some aspect of their field to gain additional expertise. By becoming involved in a research project, students gain knowledge in the development of new technology or software and help to further human knowledge to solve practical problems. For the doctoral degree, a student must demonstrate the capability of conducting creative and unique research to extend the state-of-the-art.
The faculty at UNLV are strongly encouraged to write research proposals and to engage students in their research. Funded research under the direction of a faculty member may be used to purchase equipment, software, and access to facilities to allow them and their students to complete their project. Funded research is also used to employ qualified graduate students as research assistants. Funded research projects often forms the basis for a student's masters thesis or doctoral dissertation and may result in publications that can benefit a student throughout their career. Prospective graduate students should seek information about the kinds of research conducted by the faculty and contact individual faculty members about possible involvement in their projects. Faculty or department webpages are an excellent way to find information about their areas of research work. Directly contact the faculty through e-mail or on the phone to obtain information about potential graduate assistantships and the current availability of research funding.
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Undergraduate Research Opportunities |
| Undergraduate engineering students at UNLV are encouraged to get involved in research projects usually reserved for graduate students. Our undergraduate students actively participate in projects ranging from the development of solar energy to water quality issues in the Las Vegas area. Many of the undergraduate research opportunities are paid positions which not only enrich our students� educational experience but help them finance their education. |
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