‘Forever’ No Longer

“Iron powder is commonly used for water treatment and wastewater treatment, because it’s cheap — it’s cheaper than activated carbon.”

Xiaoguang Meng, professor with Stevens’ School of Engineering and Science, on finding efficient and affordable ways to clean drinking water from “forever chemicals.” He added that the iron powder was 26 times more effective than activated carbon.
Environmental Science & Technology, March 19, 2025

Quantum Cornerstone

“Wave-particle duality is the cornerstone of quantum mechanics. Researchers have been working to quantify wave-particle duality for half a century, but this is the first complete framework to fully quantify wave-like and particle-like behaviors.”

Xiaofeng Qian, assistant professor with Stevens’ School of Engineering and Science, speaking about his groundbreaking approach that harnesses “waveness” and “particle-ness” of quantum objects to power innovative imaging technique.
Physical Review Research, July 8, 2025

Epilepsy Aid

“Large language models such as ChatGPT could be valuable tools for analyzing complex textual information, helping interpret seizure semiology descriptions and assist in accurately localizing the epileptogenic zones.”

Feng Liu, assistant professor at Stevens’ School of Engineering and Science, on his research into using AI to assist neurosurgeons and epileptologists with preparations for epileptic surgery.
Journal of Medical Internet Research, May 12, 2025

On Quiet Quitting

“Managers can take small steps like involving employees in decision-making, clarifying how their work connects to the bigger picture or giving them ownership over meaningful projects.”

Hyewon Oh, assistant professor at Stevens’ School of Business, speaking about reducing the quiet quitting phenomenon, in which employees limit their work efforts to the absolute minimum required because of perceived lack of control.
Human Resource Management, June 1, 2025