From the skies over Ukraine to the southern U.S. border, drones are transforming the nature of global conflict and domestic security. Unauthorized unmanned aerial systems, and efforts to detect, track, identify and mitigate them, shape homeland security operations daily.

Dr. Hanim Ecem Diktas, a postdoctoral researcher in Pennington Biomedical’s Ingestive Behavior, Weight Management and Health Promotion Laboratory, has been named the Center’s Outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow for 2025. Nominated by Dr. Corby Martin and Dr. John Apolzan, Dr. Diktas has quickly distinguished herself through a strong record of scholarly achievement, including 11 peer-reviewed publications, 22 abstracts and poster presentations, and service as a peer reviewer for five scientific journals.

Her research focuses on understanding children’s eating behaviors in real-world settings and leveraging innovative, technology-based tools to support healthier outcomes for families. In the following Q&A, Dr. Diktas shares insights into her academic journey, her current work and her advice for those pursuing a career in research.

Hole structures in advanced components are common sites of fatigue crack initiation. A new hole-strengthening method, Hertz contact rotation expansion processing (HCR-EP), improves surface integrity in Inconel 718 superalloy while avoiding the trade-offs of conventional techniques. Interrupted fatigue tests reveal that compressive residual stress relaxation is the dominant factor governing fatigue life improvement under high-temperature service conditions.

Ten high-frequency “Kuma Sonic” bear deterrent devices were installed in April 2026 in Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its gassho-style farmhouses. The initiative follows a sharp rise in bear sightings, which nearly quadrupled in one year, alongside growing tourism. Developed by T.M.WORKS and studied by Okayama University of Science, the devices aim to prevent human–bear encounters by emitting sound unpleasant to bears. The installation is part of a broader strategy including habitat management and public safety measures.

Using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance transportation safety. Revolutionizing data centers to shape a sustainable AI future. Here are just a few ways Maryland is engineering the future of AI.

If it wasn’t for a typo, Dr. William Schpero, a health economist and an assistant professor in population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, may have taken a very different career path.

When University of Pittsburgh students Sebastian Shaffer and Jacob Wendt joined the Panther Amateur Radio Club, they were excited to fix ham radios, work on the antenna atop Benedum Hall, and connect with operators from as far away as Australia. This year, they had the unique opportunity to track the Orion space capsule during the Artemis II mission. 

After nearly 40 years of service and 4,726 firings, called “shots,” Sandia National Laboratories’ Saturn accelerator, one of the nation’s brightest X-ray generators, received redesigned switches, a new core section and a reengineered X-ray source.

University of Texas at Arlington President Jennifer Cowley highlighted workforce development, community collaboration and research excellence during the annual State of Higher Education luncheon last Thursday at College Park Center.