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ME-EM
Alumni NewsBrief
June 2008
Vol. 4, No. 2.
Greetings from William (Bill) W. Predebon, Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering- Engineering Mechanics. For the latest news and information about our faculty, students, and staff please visit our web site at http://www.me.mtu.edu/.
Upcoming Events
The Department of Mechanical Engineering - Engineering Mechanics will again host a boat cruise on the Portage Canal during the Michigan Tech Annual Alumni Reunion. If you are making plans to attend the Reunion on August 6-8, 2008, please set aside Thursday August 7th from 1 - 4 p.m. for this fun event. We promise to have you back in time for the Pasty Picnic. This complimentary cruise is reserved for ME-EM alumni and their families. Refreshments will be served. Please contact us at (906) 487-2551 or kagoulet@mtu.edu to reserve room on the cruise.
Past Events
The MEEM Annual Alumni/SAE Reception was held at the 2008 SAE World Congress in Detroit, MI the week of April 13th, 2008.
Alumni and Friends Accomplishments & Awards
Katerina Aifantis ('02) was highlighted in the March 21st online edition of Science Magazine's Science Careers. Katerina earned her BS in Engineering at Michigan Tech at 19, went on to earn a MS degree from Cambridge and then became the youngest person to earn a Ph.D. in the Netherlands at 21.
Richard M. Lueptow (BSME '78), Professor, Co-Director, Master of Program Development Program, and Senior Associate Dean for Research, McCormick School at Northwestern University was highlighted for his research in the Northwestern Engineering Mechanical Engineering Spring 2008 newsletter. His research "has found application in unmanned probes exploring the moons of Saturn." Read the whole article at: http://www.mech.northwestern.edu/web/newsletter/spring08/depths.php
University News/Awards
Michigan Tech's College of Engineering ranked 77th overall out of 198 schools evaluated, up from 84th of 191 schools last year. That ranking was based on 2006 data and remained the same as last year's.
Michigan Tech was selected for the Federal Demonstration Partnership to Streamline Grants Administration as a member of a select group of research institutions and federal agencies in Phase 5 of the program. Phase 5 focuses on two themes: Maximize the time available for principal investigators and scientific staff to focus on research while reducing any unnecessary administrative burden and Increase the efficiency of administrative and compliance practices while reducing inefficient or redundant agency and institutional procedures and practices.
Since 2005, the Novi-based electricity-transmission company ITC Holdings Corp. has hired eight Michigan Tech graduates in its engineering group and another in its system planning group, a direct result of their having sponsored Senior Design projects here on campus. The Senior Design Program allows Michigan Tech seniors to advance their skills by working side-by-side with ITC engineers on semester-long projects. ITC, meanwhile, has the opportunity to look for potential employees among the group. "It's a great opportunity to have a connection with the school to recruit new engineers," said Jon Jipping, executive vice president and COO of ITC. "Beyond that, the primary purpose is for the educational value and exposure the students get." Since Michigan Tech is one of the few universities that offers an energy-conversion and power- systems program to engineering students, the partnership with ITC also helps to promote the power-engineering industry.
Michigan Tech is the nation's top Peace Corps Master's International program school with 33 graduate students currently serving two-year stints in the Peace Corps. The University of Washington ranks second, with 19 Peace Corps master's degree students currently serving overseas. Students in the program can earn an MS in conjunction with the US Peace Corps, combining academic study with supervised, practical field experience and research. After completing on-campus academic work, participating students serve two years with the US Peace Corps. They then return to campus for one additional semester following their Peace Corps tour, to complete their degree requirements. Michigan Tech joined the Peace Corps master's program in 1997. The University offers Peace Corps master's degrees in forestry, civil and environmental engineering, applied science education, mitigation of natural geological hazards, and rhetoric and technical communication. A new Peace Corps master's program has been developed in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics.
Michigan Tech was one of nine universities to receive the SAE Honeywell Outstanding Collegiate Branch awards. The awards are given for exemplary performance in the areas of membership and recruitment, technical meetings, networking opportunities, SAE Collegiate Design Series teams, and community service programs. Michigan Tech received the Award of Excellence.
Department Accomplishments
Michigan Tech's Department of Mechanical Engineering - Engineering Mechanic's graduate program was ranked 48th nationally in the April 7 issue of U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Graduate Schools. William W. Predebon, chair of the department, called his department's ranking "an important recognition by our peers of the quality and accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students."
Edmunds.com, a respected automotive Web site, ranked Michigan Tech's automotive engineering program as one of the top three in the nation. See more at: http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/125218/article.html.
Twenty-two faculty members from Chungju National University, Dankook University, Dongguk University, Hanbat National University, Jeonju University, Korean Polytechnic University, Seoul National University of Technology, Soongsil University, Sunchon National University, Sunmoon University and Youngdong University, all in Korea, visited the ME-EM department the week of April 21st. The main reason for the visit was to learn more about the department's Senior Design program. The visitors toured the department's Senior Design Day events on Tuesday, April 22, attended the Order of the Engineer ceremony and banquet, and met with the department's External Advisory Board. They also visited with other engineering departments within the college.
Faculty/Staff Awards/Accomplishments
Dr. Jason Blough (assistant professor, ME-EM), has been promoted to associate professor with tenure.
Dr. Jeffrey Naber (associate professor, ME-EM) has been granted tenure.
Dr. Roshan M. D'Souza (assistant professor, ME-EM) has been selected to receive the 2008 ASME Computers in Engineering Young Engineering Award. The award recognizes a promising young investigator who is making outstanding contributions to progress in the application of computers in engineering. Dr. D'Souza is being recognized for his Agent-Based Modeling Research.
Dr. Gregory Odegard (assistant professor, ME-EM) has received the Outstanding Graduate Mentor award from the Michigan Tech Graduate Student Council.
Dr. Mohan Rao (professor, ME-EM) has been named a Fulbright Scholar. His assignment will start May 1, 2009, at the Indian Institute of Science and will last approximately four months. Dr. Rao will teach a course on environmental noise pollution for scientists and engineers at the Indian Institute of Science and in local industries. His research will focus on traffic and industrial noise pollution in Bangalore, India, and he plans to co-organize a workshop on this topic. Fulbright Scholars serve as cultural ambassadors, and the program aims to foster mutual understanding and respect between the United States and other nations.
The following ME-EM employees were honored for 30 years of service at the May 16, 2008 Employee Service Recognition Dinner:
* Thomas R. Grimm, associate professor
* Paul M. Kilpela, research associate
* Sudhakar M. Pandit, professor
* William W. Predebon, professor and department chair
Current Contracts and Grants
Abdelkhalik, Ossama, (PI, ME-EM), "Autonomous Non-GPS Auto Navigation System", sponsor: University of Michigan, Michigan Universities Commercialization Initiative (MUCI), total award amount: $21,365.
Beard, John, (PI, ME-EM), "Electric Power Steering Rack Modeling", sponsor: Delphi Corporation, total award amount: $113,125.
Jayaraman, Gopal, (PI, ME-EM), "Enhanced Bio-Morphis Helmet", sponsor: NCIIA, total award amount: $15,500.
Komaravolu, V.C. Rao (KVC), (PI, ME-EM), sponsor: PACE, total award amount: 40 PACE/3Dconnexion SpaceNavigators.
Meng, Dennis (PI, MEEM), "Demulsification of Water-Oil Emulsion by Nano-Structured Surfaces", sponsor: American Chemical Society, total award amount: $50,000.
Michalek, Donna (PI, MEEM) & William W. Predebon (Co-PI, MEEM), "Engineering Equity Extension", sponsor: NAE CASEE, total award amount: $2,400.
Naber, Jeffery, (PI, ME-EM), "Combustion Feedback, Knock Analysis, and Tools for SI IC Engines", sponsor: Ford Motor Company, total award amount: $66,248.
Naber, Jeffrey (PI, ME-EM) and Jeffrey S. Allen, John E. Beard, Jason R. Blough, and Jeremy J. Worm, (Co-PI's, ME-EM), "REF-IE Proposal for Facility Funding for a Laboratory Building Focused on Alternative Energy Research at Michigan Tech," sponsor: Michigan Tech Research Excellence Fund - Infrastructure Enhancement grant, total award amount: $30,000. The funds will be used to support infrastructure improvements for the Alternative Energy Research Building (formally the Lahti Building), which was submitted under the Advance Power Systems Research Center.
Rao, Mohan, (PI, ME-EM), "Erosion Reduction by Air Entrainment Phase I", sponsor: South Florida Water Management District, total award amount: $49,916.
Rao, Mohan, (PI, ME-EM), "Test-Bench Assessment of the Uncertainty of Radial Velocities Measured by a Broad-band Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler", sponsor: South Florida Water Management District, total award amount: $60,161.
Thompson, Joseph (PI - ME-EM undergraduate), L. Brad King (Co-PI, ME-EM), "SNOES-Self Navigating Optics Emplacement System," sponsor: Michigan Space Grant Consortium, total award amount: $2,500.
Van Karsen, Charles D. (PI, ME-EM) Jason R. Blough, John K. Gershenson, Spandan Maiti, Michele H. Miller, "Enhancing Engineering Analysis and Creative Design with Tablet Technology", sponsor: HP, total award $83,720 in equipment, cash, and software.
Walters, David (PI, ME-EM undergraduate), L. Brad King (Co-PI, ME-EM), "Metal Nanotip Formation in Zero Gravity", sponsor: Michigan Space Grant Consortium, total award amount: $2,500.
Woon, Michael (PI, ME-EM undergraduate), Michigan Space Grant Consortium, total award amount: $2,500.
Worm, Jeremy, (PI, ME-EM), "Combustion Feedback, Knock Analysis, and Tools for SI IC Engines", sponsor: Ford Motor Company, total award amount: $66,248.
Worm, Jeremy, (Research Engineer/Grant Writer, ME-EM), "Development of an Undergraduate and Graduate Level IC Engines Teaching Laboratory and Associated Course Material", sponsor: PACE, total award amount: $9,100.
Zevelkink, Alex (PI, ME-EM undergraduate) and L. Brad King (Co-PI, ME-EM), "Fabrication and Testing of Regenerable Field Emitter Tips for Electric Propulsion", sponsor: Michigan Space Grant Consortium, award amount: $2,500.
Michigan Tech REF Mentoring Awards:
Chen, Bo (Assistant Professor, MEEM), "Establish Mentoring
Relationship with Dr. Tomizuka of the University of California
Berkeley's Department of Mechanical Engineering", total award
amount: $10,000.
Meng, Dennis Desheng (Assistant Professor, MEEM/MuSTI),
"Collaboration with UIUC on Innovative Micro Fuel Cells
Architectures", mentoring relationship with Dr. Mark A. Shannon,
total award amount: $10,000.
Shahbazian-Yassar, Reza (Assistant Professor, MEEM, "UIUC
Mentoring Program on Mechanics of Single Cell", mentoring
relationship with Dr. Taher Saif University of Illinois-Urbana
Champaign, total award amount: $10,000.
Faculty and Student Invention Disclosures
Dr. Craig Friedrich (professor ME-EM) and Dr. Paul Bergstrom have filed an invention disclosure, "Functionalized intramedullary nail for the intelligent orthopedic fracture implant system". Dr. Gopal Jayaraman (professor, ME-EM) and David Labyak (grad student ME-EM) have filed an invention disclosure for "Enhanced biomorphic helmet".
Robert Washeleski and Jason Makela, (grad students ME-EM) have filed an invention disclosure, "Transconductance microammeter with high I/O isolation".
Student Competitions and Team Awards
The Michigan Tech Aerospace Enterprise has completed its first year in the UNP Nanosat-5 competition. The team has participated in System Concept and Preliminary Design Reviews with the Air Force Research Lab, which showed considerable interest in the satellite. As part of the UNP-5 competition, reviewers from the AFRL, NASA and industry were on campus April 22nd to inspect the facilities, met with team members, and heard presentations about the project. The faculty advisor is Dr. L. Brad King (associate professor, ME-EM).
The SAE Baja Student Enterprise Team took a 12th Place Overall finish (out of 93 teams) at the Baja East Competition held in Cookeville, Tennessee May 1st - 3rd. Other finishes earned during the competition are: 1st Place in Sled Pull ($100 prize money and a plaque), 2nd in Acceleration, 10th in Suspension and Traction, 15th in Endurance, and 35th in Water Maneuverability. The team also placed 9th out of a field of 115 teams in the Baja Central competition that was held in Peoria Illinois, May 28th - May 30th. Other finishes earned during the competition include: 3rd place in acceleration, 3rd place in the Polaris Design Award, and 5th in endurance. The faculty advisor is Dr. Brett Hamlin (senior lecturer and assistant department chair, Engineering Fundamentals).
ME-EM Senior Design capstone team "Winrobo-automated Window Washing Robot," of the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, won fourth place in the CAD/CAM/CAE/PLM student competition at the Unigraphics Solutions Conference Connection Americas 2008. The team members are Mark Cihlar, Brad Howard, Nathaniel Kroodsma and Andrew Timmons, they were sponsored by professor Ed Lumsdaine as part of an NSF/NCIIA grant. The victory earned them an invitation for a poster presentation at the Unigraphics Solutions Users Conference held June 1-6, 2008, in Orlando, FL. Their faculty advisor is Dr. William J. Endres (associate professor, ME-EM).
Michigan Tech is the only university in Michigan selected to participate in a three-year international student vehicle redesign competition. The US Department of Energy, General Motors Corporation and Natural Resources Canada chose 17 teams from proposals submitted by colleges and universities in the US and Canada. A sequel to the four-year Challenge X competition, in which Michigan Tech anticipated, the new competition is called EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge. It will begin in fall 2008. Teams will re-engineer a Saturn Vue, using advanced propulsion systems and other clean-vehicle technologies to improve fuel economy and decrease emissions while retaining the vehicle's performance and consumer appeal. The faculty advisor is Dr. John Beard (associate professor, ME-EM).
Michigan Tech's Challenge X Enterprise team was highlighted in the SAE World Congress publication. Todd Cimermancic (BSME '08) was quoted in the article. Their advisor is Dr. John Beard (associate professor, ME-EM)
The SAE 2008 Clean Snowmobile Challenge held at Michigan Tech in March was highlighted in the May 2008 issue of the SAE International members' news magazine 'Update". Thomas W. Ryan II, 2008 SAE International President and David L. Schutt, incoming SAE International Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, attended the event and were pictured in the article. Jay Meldrum from Michigan Tech's Keweenaw Research Center and co-host of the event with the ME-EM department was quoted in the article.
The ME-EM Senior Design capstone team "Golf Enabling Devise for Disabled People" was featured for their golf enabler on local television. The ME-EM Department funded the project for the Dickenson Iron Intermediate School District. The Senior Design team adapted a golf bag into an automated golfer. Compressed air makes the golf enabler work with the help of two giant gears. A joystick is used to swing the club back. With the press of a big red button, the club hits the ball. The students also included a safety feature in the golf enabling device. The red button doesn't work unless a second button is pushed at the same time. The idea to design a device to enable people with severe limitations to golf was that of Dickinson Iron Intermediate School District teacher Steve Cavalieri. He was inspired by a student with severe cerebral palsy who had the desire to hit a golf ball. Cavalieri says he has four other students in wheelchairs who might want to hit the fairway. Members of the team were: Christopher Miller, team captain, Jason Fuller, Phillip Gable, Bryan Sebeck, and Kevin Moretti. The team's advisor was Dr. Michele Miller (associate professor, ME-EM).
The Michigan Tech Undergraduate Expo was held on April 19, 2008. The University's Undergraduate Research, Senior Design, and Enterprise programs competed for cash prizes. ME-EM Department results include:
Senior Design Category
1st Place: Title: Spare Tire Beaming Damper: team members: Brian Mlezziva, Erik Lundberg, Chris Isaacson, Stephen Riutta, Keith White; sponsor: Chrysler LLC; faculty advisor: Dr. John K. Gershenson (professor, ME-EM).
2nd Place: Title: Shear Test System of Biological Tissue; team members: Scott Garver, Kyle Larson, Christopher Moore, Kyle Pullen, and Tara Swanson; sponsor: Tammy Haut Donahue (associate professor, ME-EM), faculty advisor: Dr. Dennis D. Meng (assistant professor, ME-EM).
Honorable Mention: Title Gas Generation and Storage Facility; team members: Ravi Peketi, Ryan
Bartholomew, Chanty Gober, Sungjung Kim, and Clayton Tacey; sponsor; Jeremy Worm (research scientist/grant writer, ME-EM): faculty advisor: Dr. Olanreqaju Aluko (lecturer, ME-EM).
Honorable Mention: Title: Hose Assembly Machine Design; team members: Kenneth Abbott, Joshua Ehlers, Michael Lennon, Mitchell McDonald, Matthew Myers, and Charles Swan: sponsor: Anchor Coupling; faculty advisor: Dr. William J. Endres (associate professor, ME-EM).
Enterprise Poster Presentation
1st Place: Enterprise: Integrated Microsystems; team members: Lewis Sweet and Josh Lecker, Comp. Eng.; sponsors: NSF WIMS, Michigan Tech, V.I.O. Inc, and General Dynamics Land Systems, faculty advisors: Dr. Paul Bergstrom (ECE) and Dr. William J. Endres (associate professor, ME-EM).
Student Accomplishments/Awards
Christopher Anton (ME-EM PhD student) has been awarded a Summer Graduate School Finishing Fellowship. His advisor is Dr. Craig R. Friedrich (professor, ME-EM).
Todd Cimermancic (BSME '08) was featured in a May 5th article in the Daily Mining Gazette. Todd stated that he liked Michigan Tech because of its small campus and the community atmosphere. He also stated that another factor was the number of ways that a student can become involved.
Megan Killian (PhD student in Biomedical Engineering) has been awarded a $500 Biotechnology Research Center Travel Grant toward her poster presentation at the ASME Summer Bioengineering Conference that was held in Marco Island, FL, in June 2008. Her advisor is: Dr. Tammy Haut-Donahue (associate professor, ME-EM).
Jason Summerville (ME-EM PhD student) has been awarded a Graduate Dean's Finishing Fellowship. His advisor is Dr. L Brad King (associate professor, ME-EM).
Pavan Valavala (ME-EM PhD student) has been awarded the Summer Graduate School Finishing Fellowship. His advisor is Dr. Gregory M. Odegard (assistant professor, ME-EM).
Diego Villegas-Bermudez (ME-EM PhD student) has been awarded a Graduate Dean's Finishing Fellowship. His advisor is Dr. Tammy Haut Donahue (associate professor, ME-EM).
Recipients of Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) have been announced. The fellowships, funded by the vice president for research, provide up to $3,000 to support the recipient's summer research work with a faculty mentor. This year, 19 of the 35 applicants were funded. The ME-EM recipients are:
Logan Janka (Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering), "Bioactive
Coatings for the Prevention of Infection in Implantable
Biomaterials", his advisor is: Dr. Rupak Rajachar (assistant
professor, Biomedical Engineering).
Ryan Lemmens (Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics), "A
Comparative Study of the Power Efficiencies of Bubble Actuation
Methods", his advisor is Dr. Dennis Meng (assistant professor,
ME-EM).
James Peitzmeier (Mechanical Engineering), "Analysis of Integrated
Accumulators and Frame for Hybrid Hydraulic Vehicles", his advisor
is Dr. Mahesh Gupta (professor, ME-EM).
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William W. Predebon, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931-1295
Phone No.: 906-487-2551
Fax No.: 906-487-2822
E-mail: wwpredeb@mtu.edu
For more news and information about our faculty, students,and staff - please visit our web site news pages:: Department News -- Research News -- Alumni News -- Student News |
