On March 3, IIT announced the creation of the Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research (WISER), funded by IIT Trustee Ralph Wanger's gift of $5 million in 2007. IIT has a longstanding history of leadership in the areas of energy research and study; now, WISER and IIT, working together with other universities, will be in a position to play a significant role in national and international efforts toward sustainable energy research, education and development for the future.

Read more about WISER on the Armour College of Engineering website.

The Office of Multicultural Student Services (OMSS) has been on IIT's Main Campus for several decades and has assisted in the development of hundreds of students from various minority populations. These students have many different stories — triumphs and struggles endured during their time at IIT; many of these stories are inspiring and uplifting.

Kevin Smith, executive director of OMSS, wanted an outlet for current students and alumni to share these stories and to offer advice and encouragement for students walking in their footsteps. Voices of Diversity (VOD) was born from this vision. Issued three times a year, the newsletter will focus on providing tips, insight, alumni profiles, job information, events, and other issues as they affect the IIT community, from the perspectives of those who sat in your seats.

Click here for the Spring 2008 edition of Voices of Diversity.

On March 8th at 9:30 pm, IIT physics professor Jeff Terry took control of a Global-Rent-A-Scope (GRAS) telescope located near Cloudcroft, NM from Chicago, IL using his Apple iPhone. Using the iPhone's Safari web browser, Terry positioned the telescope to view the Orion Nebula (M42) and used the telescope's mounted camera to collect images of the celestial object, marking the first time that an iPhone has been used for this purpose.

Professor Terry has long searched for ways to make active astronomy more accessible to students, including the student astronomers that he works with in the IIT Society of Physics Students.

Terry's image capture of the M42 is shown here. To view the full press release, click here.

Now entering its sixth year since inception, Armour College of Engineering's Biomedical Engineering department boasts an award-winning faculty, joint curriculum opportunities with the University of Chicago in computational neuroscience and neural engineering, and of course its own Bachelor of Science-granting biomedical engineering program that prepares students for careers in industry, research and medicine.

BME's Bachelor of Science has three areas of specialization: Neural Engineering, Medical Imaging, and Cell Tissue Engineering. The interdisciplinary nature of biomedical engineering combines the study of mechanical, materials, electrical and chemical engineering with the chemical, physical and biological sciences toward a better understanding of human physiological processes, the advancement of medical treatment, biotechnology, and improved health-care delivery.