Tulin Mangir, professor of electrical engineering at CSULB, and Chuhee Kwon, associate professor of physics and astronomy, received a $294,000 award from the Army Research Office for a project titled “Assessing the Integrity and Interconnect Issues for Nano-scale Structures and Devices.”

The purpose of the award is to study the integration and interconnect issues for nano-scale structures and devices. Their work will focus on further miniaturization of computer, communications and sensor circuits and has broad implications for sensors, security and next-generation integrated circuit technology. Nano-scale science is a bridge between life sciences, physical sciences and engineering.

Kwon’s research will explore, study and characterize thin films and Mangir will examine uses of nano-tubes both as passive and active components in future circuits.

A new Center for Education in Proteomic Analysis (CEPA)—the first of its type in the California State University system—is being established at CSULB with a $500,000 grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Proteins perform essential roles in all biological processes, and proteomics is the study of some or all of the thousands of different proteins contained within an organism, tissue or cell. Through proteomic analysis, scientists seek to understand how function correlates with the complete protein composition of a biological system under normal or diseased states.

CEPA will provide students and faculty throughout the CSU system with access to a state-of-the-art proteomics facility for both research and instruction. It is part of CSULB’s Institute for Integrated Research on Materials, Environment and Society, an interdisciplinary research center.

TThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded a $97,000 grant to two CSULB faculty members to train Southern California pre-service health professionals for bioterrorism and emergency preparedness.

Veronica Acosta-Deprez, associate professor of health science, and Sarath Gunatilake, professor of health science, will use the funds to create a three-tiered curriculum designed to train Cal State Long Beach students and community members in disaster preparedness. The grant, issued through HHS’ Health Resources Services Administration, is renewable for two additional years.

Gunatilake said he and Acosta-Deprez would work with four departments in the College of Health and Human Services—health science, health care administration, professional studies and nursing—to develop the curriculum.

A group of Southern California researchers, including Kevin M. Kelley, CSULB associate professor of biological sciences, is demonstrating that some males of particular fish species in local ocean waters contain abnormal levels of female hormones including human contraceptive estrogen and egg proteins, a condition called intersex. It’s suspected that sewage effluent from wastewater treatment plants is contributing to the situation.

Kelley recently received a $100,000 grant from the USC Sea Grant program for a project in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) to further study this issue. The two agencies are providing additional support through use of their boats and staff experts.

The two-year study, part of a series of related projects involving several Southern California universities and public sanitation and water quality agencies, will investigate sex hormone levels in two species, hornyhead turbot and Pacific sanddab.

Professor Ken James of electrical engineering and computer engineering and computer science received $831,239 from the United States Office of Naval Research’s Defense Logistic Agency for a project titled “DIMS: Distributed Inventory Management System,” relating to seaport capacity and security issues.

DIMS addresses seamless cargo and equipment tracking based on advanced commercial information management systems. James is technical coordinator of the Center for the Commercial Deployment of Transportation Technologies (CCDoTT), a research and development center dealing with maritime-related transportation for both commercial and military interests.