Researchers are using AI to change agricultural research, and the results may reach your plate. Bedrich Benes, professor and associate head of computer science, is working with a team of researchers on a three-year project sponsored by $2 million from the National Science Foundation. The team is working to develop computer models of crops that will allow for the exploration of possible scenarios and the discovery of genes that control plant shape and function, which can lead to better crops that will be more efficient in the current climate and adapt to possibly changing climate.
Which is more difficult: slaloming down a ski slope at 50 miles an hour, or designing a rocket to travel 1,000 miles an hour? William Flaherty, a Purdue mechanical engineering student, has done both. Flaherty, an Olympic slalom skier, is also a member of Purdue Space Program, the country’s largest chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. These ambitious undergraduates design, build and launch liquid-propellant rockets, solid rockets, hybrid rockets, satellites and more — all on their own time.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy would like to recognize Mark (Physics and Astronomy), our senior research analyst, for his outstanding contributions. His services are truly invaluable, and many of our research efforts would not be possible without his expertise. Mark is consistently prompt, responsive and incredibly helpful. He has a remarkable ability to devise clever solutions to even the most challenging computational problems. His dedication and innovative approach are deeply appreciated by all of us. — Danny Milisavljevic and Gabor Csathy (both Physics and Astronomy)
