In the Media

Cost of Upgrade Will Be a Factor in Reconstruction Baltimore Bridge, Says Professor Gongkang Fu

The Baltimore Banner

Illinois Institute of Technology Engineering Professor Gongkang Fu questioned whether it would be feasible to design a bridge to withstand the type of allision, a moving object striking a stationary object, that occurred between the Dali and the Key Bridge, given how costly such fortification would likely be. “That doesn’t mean that we shy away from our responsibilities as bridge engineers,” Fu said. “We can improve, but I don’t think it’s going to be feasible to prevent that kind of thing from happening.”

Engineering Professor Gongkang Fu Explains the First Steps of Rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge

USA Today

Illinois Institute of Technology engineering professor Gongkang Fu said the first step to rebuilding will be to assess the foundational pieces of the bridge underwater. “The pieces we don't see ... are more expensive than the pieces we see, normally,” Fu said.

CPS Launches Fast Track to STEM Master’s Degrees With Illinois Tech

Chicago Sun-Times

Chicago Public Schools juniors and seniors could trim two years off the time it takes to earn a college degree in a new dual-enrollment program with City Colleges of Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology. The Runway 606 program, starting this fall, will allow any CPS student with a 2.5 GPA to apply for dual enrollment with City Colleges of Chicago and a pathway to earn a technology-based degree at Illinois Institute of Technology.

High Schoolers Can Fast-Track Into Careers in Cybersecurity Through New Partnership by CPS, Illinois Tech, City Colleges

Chicago Tribune

“Technology is infused in every part of our society,” Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi said. “So if a student or a learner is not equipped with technology, then obviously the society, the community, the city, the state and the nation suffers. This is a very small step for us, but hopefully, it will be a giant leap for Chicago.”

Illinois Tech Cybersecurity Expert Maurice Dawson Discusses Proposed TikTok Ban

Illinois Public Media

“What’s occurring is a form of information warfare, controlling information that gets in and out,” said Maurice Dawson, assistant professor of cybersecurity at Illinois Tech. “As we ban this app in this country, realize that in China all Western apps are banned, so there’s no Facebook, Instagram, none of that stuff. That’s something many Americans don’t realize.”

Chicago Architect, IIT Professor Wins Commission to Build Memorial to Fallen Journalists in Washington

Chicago Tribune

“The design attempts to cast the visitor in the role of investigative journalist,” Professor John Ronan said. “So visitors will navigate through these layered glass elements to reach a place of remembrance at the heart of the site that honors those journalists who have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of truth.”

Chicago-Kent Law Professor Carolyn Shapiro: Bring Chicago Home Is a Legal Ballot Measure

Chicago Tribune

The Bring Chicago Home ballot measure just survived a legal challenge — and unless the Illinois Supreme Court orders otherwise, the question will remain on the ballot and the Chicago Board of Elections will count each vote cast on March 19. The measure itself is straightforward, if wordy. It restructures the real estate transfer tax from a flat tax to a progressive tax in order to raise funds to address homelessness. And because part of that restructuring involves increasing the transfer tax on high-priced real estate, the Illinois Municipal Code requires voter approval, which is what Bring Chicago Home is seeking.

IIT Architecture Professor John Ronan Selected to Design First National Memorial in D.C. Dedicated to Fallen Journalists

WTTW

“It deals with what I think is a global issue, freedom of the press, not just an American issue,” Professor John Ronan said. “The role of the journalist has never been more important, and the ideals of a free press never more consequential than it is today.”

Professor Cindy Hood: AT&T Outage Speaks to Reliance on Cellular Carriers

CBS2 Chicago

“When you look at the breadth of this kind of outage, it really kind of in my mind points to some kind of software problem. You have to be concerned about the security aspects of that as well,” said Cindy Hood, a wireless communication and networks expert at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Even with service being restored, Hood said there are likely to be some changes following the incident. “This kind of outage will always trigger some kind of oversight.”

Assistant Mark Roman Miller Reveals What Apple's New Vision Pro Headset Might Do to Our Brain

Scientific American

Mark Roman Miller, an assistant professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, sees augmented reality devices as extraordinary tools, but he warns that they also carry enormous potential for counterproductive distraction. He says he “treats his smartphone like his shoes” by leaving it at the door when he comes home. Augmented and mixed-reality devices could further exacerbate the problem of divided attention that many smartphone users already encounter, he says.