Senator Carl Levin visits College of Engineering

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., toured the College of Engineering's Smart Sensor and Integrated Microsystems laboratories (SSIM) November 22, and affirmed his support for the lab, which among many efforts, is developing technology to strengthen homeland security.

Before the tour on November 22, Wayne State President Irvin D. Reid presented Sen. Levin with a Champion of Science Award for his support of engineering research at Wayne State. The award comes via the Science Coalition, which recognizes U.S. senators and members of Congress for their support of science and engineering.

Levin, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Arms Services Committee, was led on the tour by Prof. Gregory Auner, the SSIM director, and College of Engineering Dean Ralph Kummler.

Wayne State's SSIM lab is developing bio-sensors for a plethora of uses, including pathogen monitors able to spontaneously detect pathogens in the air and contaminants in water. Among other projects SSIM researchers are pursuing are tactile and visual improvements in computer assisted robotic enhanced surgery, enhanced visual systems for astronauts operating the outside robotic arms on the International Space Station, and improvements to the technology used by surgeons in brain aneurisms coil placement surgery.