James Im's smile is so warm it could melt ice, an ironic coincidence since he loves to study how things melt and freeze. He studies thin films and his hope is to put a computer on a transparency. This young scientist with an impish grin and a sense of humor to match calls his research "beating silicon with silicon" or, translated into more pedestrian terms, putting silicon-based transistors on inexpensive and transparent glass (SiO₂) or plastic substrates and not on Si wafers as has been done previously. More ...

IN THIS ISSUE: NEW INSIGHTS Howard Vreeland '46 creates a curriculum to help blind youngsters. A DESIGNING STUDENT Jennifer Yu '03 designs drumsticks. CIRCUITS FOR HS STUDENTS Electrical Engineering's Yannis Tsividis teaches Bronx High seniors at SEAS. HONOR ROLL OF DONORS The Honor Roll of Donors for the year ending June 30, 2000, recognizes our outstanding alumni, corporations, and friends. CHEMICAL REACTIONS Chemical Engineering's new Chair, Jeffrey Koberstein, discusses departmental changes. SCRATCHITI ERASER Shane Hong creates the "sratchiti buster." ALUMNI BRIEFS REUNION REGISTRATION FORM

REWARDING GOOD TEACHING ASSISTANTS Awards for excellent teaching assistants have been instituted as one way to improve the quality of the undergraduate educational experience. SEAS HOSTS ROBOT COMPETITION AND ITS FOUNDER Dean Kamen, inventor of "It," presided over his FIRST Foundation's robot competition and will speak at the ALumni Association dinner on November 15. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS DINNER Engineering's Henry Michel '49 and Nobel Laureate Leon Lederman receive the Pupin Medal; Vittorio Castelli '58 receives the Egleston Award.