Featured Stories
University of Hawaii Innovation, Astronomers Help Power NASA's Newest Space Telescope
MANOA, Hawaii, Aug. 29 -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus issued the following news release:
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VNR: UH innovation, astronomers help power NASA's newest space telescope
Set to launch on August 30, NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will begin a mission to capture sweeping views of the universe on a scale never before possible, studying billions of stars, distant galaxies, and worlds beyond our solar system. Decades of University of Hawaii innovation are set to launch with it.
"Roman is going to completely transform our view of our home galaxy, the Milky Way," said Dan Huber,
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MANOA, Hawaii, Aug. 29 -- The University of Hawaii Manoa campus issued the following news release:
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VNR: UH innovation, astronomers help power NASA's newest space telescope
Set to launch on August 30, NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will begin a mission to capture sweeping views of the universe on a scale never before possible, studying billions of stars, distant galaxies, and worlds beyond our solar system. Decades of University of Hawaii innovation are set to launch with it.
"Roman is going to completely transform our view of our home galaxy, the Milky Way," said Dan Huber,an astronomer at the Institute for Astronomy (IfA) at UH Manoa who will watch the launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida alongside several IfA colleagues.
UH's influence on the mission stretches from the telescope's technology to the science it will produce. Technology developed by IfA researchers sits at the heart of Roman's massive camera. UH astronomers helped shape how the telescope will study the Milky Way, are building tools to turn its images into usable science, and will lead projects exploring exploding stars, mysterious dimming stars, and the expansion of the universe.
This work builds on the international reputation of the IfA, one of the world's premier astronomy programs. UH researchers have helped advance astronomy from Hawaii for decades, including developing technology used on Maunakea, where astronomical research has consistently ranked among the world's most scientifically influential.
Mapping the Milky Way
Roman's mirror is the same size as that of its famous predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, but its huge camera has a field of view 100 times larger. Its infrared vision will allow astronomers to peer through dust and survey huge areas of the sky much more efficiently.
Huber co-chaired the committee that helped define one of Roman's three major surveys. Roman is expected to image more than 20 billion stars, providing an unprecedented look at the structure and history of the Milky Way. Huber will use tiny changes in stars' brightness, known as "starquakes," to help determine the masses and ages of stars near the center of our galaxy and uncover clues about how it formed.
UH eyes the universe
Five UH-led research programs were selected in the mission's first highly competitive round, bringing more than $1 million to UH researchers.
Two are led by Institute for Astronomy graduate students Cameron Pfeffer and Willem Hoogendam. Both will study supernovae--exploding stars used to measure vast distances across the universe.
"These students competed directly with senior researchers around the world and are among the few graduate students selected globally to lead Roman science programs," said IfA astronomer Chris Ashall, a co-principal investigator on both student projects.
UH Manoa physicist David Rubin is also helping build core software that will turn Roman's raw supernova images into precise measurements of the universe's expansion.
Earth Sciences Professor Eric Gaidos will lead another UH program searching Roman data for rare stars that mysteriously fade for months at a time. Astronomers think some of these events happen when clouds of dust pass in front of aging stars, possibly revealing dramatic events in their planetary systems.
UH Institute for Astronomy researcher Kartheik Iyer will lead a Roman science program examining how galaxies form and evolve.
"Looking at the Milky Way in the context of large populations of galaxies allows us to understand exactly how our own galaxy is unique," said Iyer, who recently joined IfA as an assistant professor. "That gives us perspective on how systems like our solar system and Earth fit into the larger landscape of the universe."
Hawaii technology in space
UH's connection to Roman began decades before launch.
Roman's wide-field camera contains 18 advanced infrared sensors descended from HAWAII detector technology developed by IfA researchers led by Klaus Hodapp and the late Don Hall. Early versions were tested on the UH 2.2-meter telescope on Maunakea in the 1990s.
Related UH News story: Ground-breaking UH-designed sensors aboard NASA's historic space telescope, December 20, 2021
The technology later reached the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. Roman's 300-million-pixel camera represents its most advanced generation yet.
"It's exciting to see UH contributing to Roman's supernova cosmology at every level, from that foundational pipeline to the individual science programs it will support," Rubin said.
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Original text here: http://www.uhm.hawaii.edu/news/article.php?aId=14768
Texas A&M Engineering: Aggieland Partners With Greece to Offer Dual Master's Degrees
COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 29 -- The Texas A&M University College of Engineering issued the following news:
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Aggieland partners with Greece to offer dual master's degrees
A new international joint program between Texas A&M University's Department of Biomedical Engineering and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece offers graduate students the opportunity to earn two master's degrees at once.
By James Cavin, Contributor
The Texas A&M University Department of Biomedical Engineering and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece have partnered to create an international dual
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 29 -- The Texas A&M University College of Engineering issued the following news:
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Aggieland partners with Greece to offer dual master's degrees
A new international joint program between Texas A&M University's Department of Biomedical Engineering and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece offers graduate students the opportunity to earn two master's degrees at once.
By James Cavin, Contributor
The Texas A&M University Department of Biomedical Engineering and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece have partnered to create an international dualmaster's degree program, offering graduate students the opportunity to earn two master's degrees at once. The 18-month program is designed to prepare students for medical device manufacturing careers in both the United States and European Union, with a special focus on reducing environmental impact through technological innovation and sustainable production practices.
"Of all the accomplishments our two institutions have achieved together, this dual master's program stands out as a particularly meaningful milestone," said Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M Engineering. "This partnership exemplifies the power of international collaboration to advance education, research and innovation. By preparing biomedical engineers to lead in an increasingly interconnected world, we are investing in solutions that will strengthen healthcare and improve lives both locally and globally."
The Design and Manufacturing of Sustainable Medical Devices program will award graduates a Master of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering degree from Texas A&M and a Master of Science in Design and Manufacturing of Sustainable Medical Devices degree from Aristotle's School of Mechanical Engineering. Students will spend time in-person at both universities, gaining valuable insights into regulation and production methods for both American and European markets. Graduates will be prepared for design, research and development, manufacturing, regulatory affairs and entrepreneurship across the international medical technology sector.
"This program captures the spirit of our partnership. It is interdisciplinary, internationally embedded and designed to educate scientists, practitioners and engineers who can respond to pressing global health challenges with technical excellence and social responsibility," said Dr. Kyriakos Anastasiadis, rector and professor at Aristotle. "It brings together complementary strengths, design methodology, advanced materials, manufacturing, testing and validation, while placing sustainability, safety and patient needs at the center. Most importantly, it creates a structured pathway for students to benefit from both academic ecosystems, faculty expertise and research infrastructures."
Students will begin their academic journey in the program with online summer classes from Texas A&M, followed by a fall semester on campus in College Station, Texas, where they will study U.S.-focused specialties, including risk-based development and testing of medical devices and advanced medical device manufacturing.
The spring semester will be spent in-person at Aristotle's campus in Thessaloniki, Greece, where students will be trained in EU-oriented studies, such as analysis and circular economy for medical devices and the EU regulatory framework.
After completing the spring semester in Thessaloniki, students will receive their master's degree from Texas A&M. The next summer and fall are devoted to writing a master's thesis with advisors from both universities. Upon completion, graduates will receive their master's degree from Aristotle.
The program is the latest collaboration between the schools. Since 2022, 330 Texas A&M Engineering students have studied at faculty-led programs in Thessaloniki, and Texas A&M has hosted dozens of Greek exchange and degree-seeking students. Thanks to these partnerships, Greece has become one of Texas A&M College of Engineering's top three global destinations.
"Our cooperation has delivered meaningful research outcomes. Joint publications, collaborative projects and shared expertise have advanced knowledge and supported innovation," said Anastasiadis. "Let us continue to invest in people, ideas and shared infrastructure, with the confidence that cooperation between our institutions will deliver enduring benefits for our students, researchers and our communities."
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Original text here: https://news.engineering.tamu.edu/news/2026/08/28/aggieland-partners-with-greece-to-offer-dual-masters-degrees/
N.C. State: Light-Powered Soft Robots Can Keep Jumping Forever
RALEIGH, North Carolina, Aug. 29 (TNSjou) -- North Carolina State University issued the following news release:
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Light-Powered Soft Robots Can Keep Jumping Forever
Researchers from North Carolina State University have created teardrop-shaped soft robots that leap upward or forward when exposed to infrared light - and will keep jumping as long as the light is present. The work demonstrates a new mechanism for self-resetting jumping behavior in soft robotics.
"This 'ring leaper' design is very simple," says Jie Yin, corresponding author of a paper on the work and a professor of mechanical
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RALEIGH, North Carolina, Aug. 29 (TNSjou) -- North Carolina State University issued the following news release:
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Light-Powered Soft Robots Can Keep Jumping Forever
Researchers from North Carolina State University have created teardrop-shaped soft robots that leap upward or forward when exposed to infrared light - and will keep jumping as long as the light is present. The work demonstrates a new mechanism for self-resetting jumping behavior in soft robotics.
"This 'ring leaper' design is very simple," says Jie Yin, corresponding author of a paper on the work and a professor of mechanicaland aerospace engineering at NC State. "We use torsion to store elastic energy and then release that energy all at once. And the nature of the design means that it does not need to be reset between jumps. It resets itself."
The robots are made of a liquid crystal elastomer ribbon shaped like a teardrop, with a thin aluminum tube shaped like a V at one end. When exposed to light from an infrared lamp, the surface of the ribbon contracts, causing the ribbon to rotate. The stiff V at one end of the robot prevents the ribbon from simply rolling in place, causing the ribbon to twist tighter and tighter. This stores energy until the twist reaches a critical point when the ribbon releases that energy, causing the V at one end of the teardrop to snap downward and strike the surface. This launches the teardrop into the air.
Having released the stored energy, the teardrop returns to its original shape. This process will keep repeating itself as long as the robot is exposed to the infrared light. Video of the robots can be found here: https://youtu.be/7dl-f9SbNEk.
"We found that we can control the nature of the robot's movement by making minor design changes," says Fangjie Qi, first author of the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at NC State. "If the V at one end of the teardrop is very wide - an angle of 120 degrees - the robot simply crawls forward. If you reduce the angle to 90 degrees, it jumps forward. And if you reduce the angle further to 50 degrees, the robot leaps vertically. In other words, a single geometric parameter determines whether it crawls, jumps forward, or leaps upward.
"We could also improve the robot's jumping distance by adding a small amount of weight to the rounded end of the teardrop," says Qi. "This changes the robot's center of mass and leads to a more powerful and stable forward motion - much like a swimmer leaning forward as they dive off the starting block."
In addition, the researchers found that the intensity of the infrared light plays an important role.
"It has to be strong enough to induce the jumping behavior, but not too strong - because that can cause the robot to jump erratically and in unpredictable directions," says Qi.
In proof-of-concept testing, the researchers found that the teardrop-shaped robots could leap across slopes, hurdles, and a wide variety of surfaces - including grass, sand, rocks and mulch.
"There are no immediate applications for this work, but it's a fundamental advance that is worth exploring for potential use in environmental navigation, swarm robotics, and unstructured terrain navigation," says Yin.
The paper, "A Self-Resetting Soft Ring for Autonomous, Continuous Leaping in Unstructured Environments," is published in PNAS. The paper was co-authored by Caizhi Zhou and Haoze Sun, both Ph.D. students at NC State; and Haitao Qing and Yaoye Hong, both Ph.D. graduates from NC State.
This work was done with support from the National Science Foundation under grants 2329674, 2445551 and 2527304.
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Note to Editors: The study abstract follows.
"A Self-Resetting Soft Ring for Autonomous, Continuous Leaping in Unstructured Environments"
Authors: Fangjie Qi, Caizhi Zhou, Haitao Qing, Haoze Sun, Yaoye Hong and Jie Yin, North Carolina State University
Published: Aug. 27, PNAS
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2607940123
Abstract: Continuous leaping is an effective locomotion strategy for traversing cluttered and unstructured environments. However, achieving autonomous continuous leaping in soft machines remains challenging because it requires recyclable energy storage and release, reliable self-resetting for relaunch, aerial stability, and adaptability across diverse terrains. Here, we report a self-resetting soft ring jumper capable of autonomous, continuous, and stable horizontal leaping under constant infrared illumination. The jumper consists of a photothermally responsive liquid crystal elastomer ring integrated with a rigid V-shaped tail. Under illumination, the soft ring self-twists to store elastic energy while simultaneously inducing out-of-plane bending of the tail through geometric constraints imposed by the rigid tail. Once a critical threshold is reached, snapping of the rotating rigid tail against the ground launches the ring into the air. During flight, the ring autonomously untwists to recover its original shape and self-resets, enabling repeated cycles of energy storage, release, and relaunch. The snapping mechanism and full leaping dynamics are captured by combined static and dynamic Cosserat-rod models. By tuning geometric asymmetry and the center of mass, the jumper transitions among crawling, directional leaping, and vertical jumping. Optimized designs achieve vertical jumps exceeding 80 body heights and directional leaps over 3 body lengths. Beyond controlled motion on flat surfaces, the jumper demonstrates resilient multimodal locomotion across slopes, parallel hurdles, water-land interfaces, and diverse natural terrains including grass, sand, rocks, mulch, and water surfaces. This work can find potential applications in environmental navigation, swarm robotics, and unstructured terrain navigation.
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Original text here: https://news.ncsu.edu/2026/08/soft-robots-jumping-forever/
Fielding Graduate University: Alum Marc Hanlan (ODC '17) Publishes High Performance Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century - Following the Trail of Data
SANTA BARBARA, California, Aug. 29 -- Fielding Graduate University issued the following news:
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Alum Marc Hanlan (ODC '17) publishes High Performance Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century: Following the Trail of Data
By Marie Sonnet
Dr. Marc Hanlan has written High Performance Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century (BookBaby, 2026) for scholar-practitioners who want to institute rapid-cycle solutions to 21st century problems. He describes a new, fully data-driven way to solve business, technical, and people problems, expanding and transforming a proven 100-year foundation. He presents an integrated
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SANTA BARBARA, California, Aug. 29 -- Fielding Graduate University issued the following news:
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Alum Marc Hanlan (ODC '17) publishes High Performance Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century: Following the Trail of Data
By Marie Sonnet
Dr. Marc Hanlan has written High Performance Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century (BookBaby, 2026) for scholar-practitioners who want to institute rapid-cycle solutions to 21st century problems. He describes a new, fully data-driven way to solve business, technical, and people problems, expanding and transforming a proven 100-year foundation. He presents an integratedset of new perspectives and tools to "follow the trail of data," based on the core principle that every problem leaves a trail of data to its solution. This approach begins with the "impact data" from the problem and follows that trail to the source to eliminate the problem, compared to other approaches that may focus on goals that do not solve the problem and tools that may not achieve the goals.
Hanlan briefly traces the history of the quality movement in the 20th century, including both the Lean philosophy-based approach and the statistical tools-based approach, Six Sigma. He then integrates whole-system data analysis to address today's needs for rapid, accurate, and real-world solutions.
Rather than presenting systems thinking, statistical, and qualitative tools as independent paths to the solution, Hanlan provides an integrated approach that incorporates 20 quantitative tools, 21 qualitative tools, 40 mixed-methods tools, and 47 activities. For example, he offers an ethnographic model for introducing qualitative inquiry methods into the daily working lives of people in sectors such as manufacturing, service, distribution, and healthcare.
Like the academics who introduced statistics to manufacturing's quality control movement 100 years ago, these tools and activities are presented in a way that allows the reader to apply them to solve today's problems within common constraints, such as funding. This model also offers scholar-practitioners ways to integrate their own ideas, theories, and perspectives into the daily activities of business and service, outside the Academy and its current challenges.
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High Performance Lean Six Sigma in the 21st Century: Following the Trail of Data is available on Amazon.
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Original text here: https://www.fielding.edu/alum-marc-hanlan-odc-17-publishes-high-performance-lean-six-sigma-in-the-21st-century-following-the-trail-of-data-2/
Catholic University of America: Pope Leo Appoints Patrick Kelly to Vatican Dicastery
WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 -- The Catholic University of America issued the following news:
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Pope Leo appoints Patrick Kelly to Vatican Dicastery
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus and a trustee of The Catholic University of America, as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. The Vatican announced the appointment on August 25.
As a member of the dicastery, Kelly will support the Church's mission on behalf of the laity, the family, and the sanctity of life.
Undertaking this new role, he draws on both his decades of leadership
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 29 -- The Catholic University of America issued the following news:
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Pope Leo appoints Patrick Kelly to Vatican Dicastery
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Patrick Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus and a trustee of The Catholic University of America, as a member of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. The Vatican announced the appointment on August 25.
As a member of the dicastery, Kelly will support the Church's mission on behalf of the laity, the family, and the sanctity of life.
Undertaking this new role, he draws on both his decades of leadershipexperience and his education.
Kelly earned his master's degree in theology on the Catholic University campus, attending the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.
He served 24 years in the United States Navy and currently leads the Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization, as Supreme Knight and CEO, a role he has held since 2021.
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Original text here: https://www.catholic.edu/all-stories/pope-leo-appoints-patrick-kelly-vatican-dicastery
Case Western Reserve University to Lead U.S. Department of Energy Project to Enhance Domestic Production of Rare-earth Elements Critical to Energy, Defense Industries
CLEVELAND, Ohio, Aug. 29 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Case Western Reserve University to lead U.S. Department of Energy project to enhance domestic production of rare-earth elements critical to energy, defense industries
CWRU team will apply its patented electrochemistry process for the first time to extract 'heavy' rare-earth metals
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Case Western Reserve University will lead a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) project aimed at advancing the United States' ability to produce key rare-earth metals used in magnets that help power everything from military
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CLEVELAND, Ohio, Aug. 29 -- Case Western Reserve University issued the following news:
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Case Western Reserve University to lead U.S. Department of Energy project to enhance domestic production of rare-earth elements critical to energy, defense industries
CWRU team will apply its patented electrochemistry process for the first time to extract 'heavy' rare-earth metals
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Case Western Reserve University will lead a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) project aimed at advancing the United States' ability to produce key rare-earth metals used in magnets that help power everything from militarydrones to electric vehicles.
The project is one of seven that the DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation awarded a combined $10 million to this week. Administered by the Critical Materials Innovation Hub, the CWRU project aims to develop breakthrough energy-efficient and low-cost technologies to enable domestic 'heavy' rare-earth metals production, safeguarding US national security.
Case Western Reserve's team is led by Rohan Akolkar, the Milton and Tamar Maltz Professor of Energy Innovation in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Case School of Engineering. His team will leverage the university's patented technology of molten salt electrolysis that he and his students invented a few years ago. In this process, they zap specimens with current to separate out precious ingredients like heavy rare-earth metals.
The team is tasked with taking specimens from domestically found minerals that contain small quantities of heavy rare-earth metals--and finding ways to extract dysprosium and terbium. These metals, in particular, are indispensable for making some of the strongest permanent magnets used in defense applications.
"This class of critical metals, called 'heavy' rare-earths, is presently produced overseas using rather antiquated chemical operations that are inefficient and hazardous," Akolkar said. "We want to change that completely, and establish new domestic manufacturing paradigms by harnessing the power of electrochemistry."
The project will bring together a team of university, national laboratory, and industry partners, including University of Arizona, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Ames National Lab, AML, Energy Fuels, MP Materials and Current Chemicals.
Rare-earth metals, such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium, are currently not produced in the United States. The conventional process to do so is extremely expensive and produces a large amount of waste, so the U.S. relies heavily on foreign suppliers. The resulting supply chain risk the U.S. faces is a national security threat due to the materials' importance to energy and defense applications.
"Prof. Akolkar's multi-sector team is leading the way in pioneering a highly efficient solution that will ultimately establish a secure supply chain for critical rare earth metals," Susan Hagness, Charles H. Phipps Dean of the Case School of Engineering, said. "This is one of the most pressing challenges today for manufacturing the energy technologies of tomorrow."
The project leverages strategic partnerships with industries across the supply chain--mining companies, metals manufacturers and downstream magnet manufacturers. This integration with industry is vital to the project's long-term success and its potential to directly impact U.S.'s critical metals manufacturing sector.
"These seven projects will leverage the Critical Materials Innovation Hub's strong foundation of expertise to address key technical challenges involving heavy rare earth elements, gallium, copper and other critical materials," U.S. DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said in a DOE release. "This work will unlock new production methods that strengthen domestic supply chains and ensure American manufacturers have access to the materials they need to compete and lead."
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Original text here: https://case.edu/news/case-western-reserve-university-lead-us-department-energy-project-enhance-domestic-production-rare-earth-elements-critical-energy-defense-industries
CalState-Channel Islands Joins National AI Research Effort Through DOE Genesis Mission Award
CAMARILLO, California, Aug. 29 -- California State University Channel Islands campus issued the following news release:
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CSUCI Joins National AI Research Effort Through DOE Genesis Mission Award
Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) is part of a research team selected for Phase I funding through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Genesis Mission, a national initiative that brings together artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and scientific research to accelerate discoveries in energy, national security and other critical fields.
CSUCI Associate Professor of Computer Science
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CAMARILLO, California, Aug. 29 -- California State University Channel Islands campus issued the following news release:
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CSUCI Joins National AI Research Effort Through DOE Genesis Mission Award
Cal State Channel Islands (CSUCI) is part of a research team selected for Phase I funding through the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Genesis Mission, a national initiative that brings together artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and scientific research to accelerate discoveries in energy, national security and other critical fields.
CSUCI Associate Professor of Computer ScienceScott Feister is serving as a co-investigator on the project, extending the University's growing role in artificial intelligence and high-performance scientific computing. The DOE announced the first Genesis Mission projects in July as part of a national portfolio designed to develop AI-enabled approaches for scientific discovery.
"It is especially exciting to win a place for CSUCI in a fiercely competitive grant sought after by our nation's greatest science institutions. Only 5% of applications were selected for funding," said Feister. "This honor is a testament to the strength of the research being done at CSUCI and the expertise of our faculty. We may be a small institution, but we're doing research that can make a meaningful contribution to some of the nation's most ambitious scientific and technological efforts."
CSUCI brings AI expertise to next-generation scientific research
The Genesis Mission is designed to connect advanced AI systems with supercomputers, scientific instruments and large-scale research data. DOE describes the effort as a national platform for accelerating scientific discovery by bringing together national laboratories, universities and industry.
For CSUCI, participation builds on a growing body of research in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, autonomous systems and scientific computing. Feister's research connects computer science with high-power laser physics and has included collaborations with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and other research institutions. His work has explored machine learning, automated control systems and the use of computing to make sophisticated scientific experiments faster and more capable.
The University has also been expanding opportunities for students to engage directly with advanced computing and AI. CSUCI students have participated in national high-performance computing competitions and research projects involving national laboratories, giving undergraduate students experience with technologies increasingly central to scientific and industrial innovation.
Project aims to make scientific experiments more intelligent and autonomous
Feister's Genesis Mission work will focus on applying AI and advanced computing to scientific experimentation, with an emphasis on making complex experiments more automated, responsive and efficient.
A key area of Feister's research is the development of AI-enabled control and autonomous laboratory systems for high-power laser experiments. These systems combine experimental data, machine learning and computer-controlled equipment so that researchers can analyze results rapidly and use those results to guide subsequent experiments. Recent collaborative research involving Feister demonstrated machine-learning control of laser-driven plasma states and identified autonomous experimentation as a pathway toward accelerating scientific discovery.
The broader Genesis Mission seeks to extend this kind of approach across scientific disciplines - pairing researchers with AI systems capable of helping analyze data, run simulations, generate hypotheses and guide experiments. DOE's Phase I awards support nine-month projects, with successful teams positioned to compete for larger Phase II awards.
For CSUCI, the project represents another opportunity to bring nationally significant research to Ventura County while giving students a direct connection to the rapidly developing field of AI for science.
"At CSUCI, students don't just use AI or learn about AI - they can work with their professors to become leaders at the cutting edge of AI, science, and technology," Feister said.
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Original text here: https://www.csuci.edu/news/releases/2026-genesis-grant.html
