Researchers in BYU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have found that small dams and other low-lying drop-offs have accounted for more than 440 deaths in the United States since the 1950s. With their new low-head dam database, BYU engineers hope to raise public awareness and to educate decision makers so remediation efforts to improve the safety of the dams can move forward.

Last week, the BYU Mars rover navigated the alien-like terrain at the Mars Desert Research Station on its way to a 2nd place finish at the University Rover Challenge, hosted by the Mars Society. The feat matched BYU’s highest finish in the competition, the world’s top planetary rover event for college students.

Utah continues to get praise as one of the best places to start a business, in part because of the great ideas coming out of BYU. According to a recent Entrepreneur article, in the last five years BYU grads started 60 companies and raised more than $17 million in funding.

BYU professor of electrical engineering Daniel Smalley and his colleagues are creating technology which will eventually be able to project screen-sized moving holograms for less than the cost of a high-end television set.  Read more about it in The Economist. 

Barry Lunt, former chair of the Information Technology program, has been named the new director of the School of Technology in the BYU Ira A. Fulton College. He will begin his term June 1, replacing Richard Fry.  Fry will return to teaching in the industrial design program. 

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the BYU Kinnect Dance Company have combined their skills to create a light and dance performance that is both entertaining and educational for elementary students.

Daniel Maynes, professor and chair of BYU's Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been elected to the position of Fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. 

Dozens of real-life applications of academic research make it into the marketplace every year from BYU. This year's crop includes a multi-user CAD software created by faculty inventors Greg Jensen and Ed Red, both from mechanical engineering. The software allows users from anywhere in the world to work together simultaneously on computer-aided design projects. 

At the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology convocation ceremonies on Friday, April 24 graduates were inspired by Gary Crocker, chairman of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals and president of Crocker Ventures, and his advice on finding true success in their careers.

It takes many engineering students five years to finish their course work and graduate. But Ryan Barrett, the university commencement speaker, managed to complete his mechanical engineering degree, the honors program, a Spanish Language certificate and a business minor in less than four years.