Four Missouri S&T faculty members have been awarded seed funding for two interdisciplinary projects related to S&T’s Smart Living signature area. The awards were selected from 13 proposals from 11 departments and 29 faculty members. Smart Living co-directors Dr. Bruce McMillin and Dr. Nancy Stone selected the winning proposals in consultation with the associate deans of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business and the College of Engineering and Computing.

The recipients and their projects are:

• Chenglin Wu, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, and Dr. Denise Baker, assistant professor of psychological science, received $33,000 in seed funding for a proposal titled “Human-Centered Origami and Kirigami Structures for Environmental Lighting.”

Their research is aimed at identifying key human-centered design principles for origami or kirigami structures used for building interiors and envelopes, specifically those that filter light in living and working spaces. Wu and Baker will examine the psychological and physiopsychological impact that different folding and cutting patterns have on fatigue, mood, alertness, memory and cognition. This project will lay the groundwork for an in-depth understanding for human-centered design of origami and kirigami structures.

• S.N. Balakrishnan, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, and Dr. Devin Burns, assistant professor of psychological science, received $35,000 in seed funding for a proposal titled “Quantum Modeling of Decision Making in Smart Living.”

The researchers seek to develop quantum cognition models for use in smart living settings, determine situations capable of producing divergent results according to quantum and classical models, gather empirical data about such decisions, and abstract that model for analysis and development of suitable procedures to help enhance living in a smart living environment.

Smart Living is one of four signature areas at Missouri S&T. These areas are designed to address critical national research and educational needs in areas of excellence at Missouri S&T. For more information about the Smart Living seed funding program, contact McMillin at ff@mst.edu.