Hasan Al Babaa, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, published the research paper "Elastic Lattices Inspired by Ulam-Warburton Cellular Automaton" in Extreme Mechanics Letters. The article introduces a new class of aperiodic lattices based on computer science algorithms, demonstrating how complex growth patterns can lead to unique vibrational properties and localized energy modes in mechanical structures.
Ann M. Anderson, the Agnes S. MacDonald Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Mary K. Carroll '86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry, published a paper "Innovative Glazing Systems Composed of Photovoltaic Cells and Monolithic Aerogel Layers: Electrical and Thermal Experimental Characterization and Simulation Analysis" in the peer-reviewed journal Energy & Buildings. This is the most recent publication from a longstanding collaboration with Professors Cinzia Buratti and Elisa Belloni of the University of Perugia (Italy). Co-authors include two University of Perugia students — Bianca Frizzi and Tommaso Pierini — who conducted research in Union's Aerogel Lab in 2024 through the Erasmus+ program between the two institutions.
Mary K. Carroll '86, the Dwane W. Crichton Professor of Chemistry, completed a three-year term in the American Chemical Society (ACS) presidential succession in December 2025. She remains active in ACS. For 2026, she has been appointed as an associate to the ACS Committee on Membership Affairs (MAC) and as a consultant to the newly formed ACS Committee on the Advancement of LGBTQ+ Chemists (CALC).
Pravini S. Fernando, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, delivered two invited talks earlier this year. On Jan. 6, 2026, she presented “Beyond the Majority Rules Principle: Asymmetric Packing in TPT-T Conjugated Polymer Leading to Homochiral Films” at the Center for Complex Particle Systems (COMPASS) All-Hands Meeting. On Feb. 18, 2026, she spoke at Binghamton University’s materials science and engineering department, presenting “How Processing Shapes Structure and Function in Sustainable Polymer Electronics.”
Tommaso Gazzarri, professor of classics, has edited a new issue of LAS (Lucius Annaeus Seneca: International Journal of Senecan Studies). Gazzarri co-founded LAS in 2021 in collaboration with the Department of Classics at Sapienza University of Rome, which is regularly ranked first in the world for classical studies. Following an external evaluation conducted in May 2024 under European Union protocols for assessing scholarly publications, the journal was officially classified on March 4, 2025, by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) as a Class A journal, the highest ranking within the European academic evaluation system.
Megan E. Welsh, associate librarian and director of research & engagement, has been elected to the Atla Board of Directors for a three-year term. Atla, formerly known as the American Theological Library Association, is a global professional membership association that connects librarians and information professionals and provides access to religious studies and theological resources.
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