In this Issue... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ME Grad a TIME Magazine “Math Innovator”
In the Sep. 12, 2005 issue of TIME magazine, ME graduate Dr. Pingsha
Dong was featured in a special section on math innovators. He received
this honor for his groundbreaking work in determining metal fatigue. The
system he developed, Verity™, is, as the TIME writer stated,
“revolutionizing the field.”...(Full story)
Wei Li Earns PECASE Honor
Wei Li (PhD ME '99), assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Washington, Seattle, has been awarded a prestigious 2004 Presidential
Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)...(full story)
Charles M. Vest Honored with Alumni Society Medal
Charles M. Vest earned the 2004 Alumni Society Medal for his distinguished four-decade career in teaching and higher education administration. Most
recently Vest served as the 15th president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He stepped down in December 2004 after a 14-year tenure. He is
also a member of the mechanical engineering faculty at MIT with research interests in the areas of thermal sciences, lasers and coherent optics...
(full story)
Alumni Society Merit Award Winner
Timothy M. Manganello, who earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in ME in 1972 and '75 respectively, has
won the 2005 Alumni Society Merit Award from the department for outstanding professional achievement. Manganello
has been the chairman and chief executive officer of BorgWarner Inc., since 2003. The company, founded in 1880,
designs and produces advanced powertrain components and systems....(full story)
Alumni Receive Faculty Appointments
ME alumni have been appointed to faculty positions at prestigious institutions around the country, and the world. Recruited for their achievements in
theoretical as well as experimental research and industry experience, they now have the opportunity to educate the next generation of engineers...(full story)
John R. (Chip) Keough Wins 2004 Alumni Society Merit Award
John R. (Chip) Keough (BSE ME and BSE MM ‘77) has earned an Alumni Society Merit Award from the department of Materials Science and Engineering
for his exceptional professional accomplishments. Keough is the chief executive officer and owner of Applied Process, Inc., a heat treating facility specializing
in the Austempering process...(full story)
Mahmoud Hussein Wins National Award, Accepts Position at Cambridge
Mahmoud I. Hussein (PhD, 2004) received the top prize in the 17th annual Robert J. Melosh Medal competition for the Best Student Paper on Finite
Element Analysis at a ceremony at Rensselaer in April 2005. The competition is sponsored by Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at
Duke University, the Scientific Computation Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Elsevier. It is endorsed by the International Association
for Computational Mechanics...(full story)
Charles S. Hutchins Wins Distinguished Service Award
Whether it's traveling to Australia for a 3,000-km World Solar Challenge race or calling fellow alumni to inspire their support of the ME department, the
college or the university in some way, Charles S. Hutchins doesn't think twice...(full story)
Jianmin Gu Shares Prestigious Award, Receives Promotion
Dr. Jianmin Gu will likely remember the first part of 2005 as an exciting time in his professional life. First, he was a member of a team at Ford Motor
Company that received the 2004 SAE Henry Ford II Distinguished Award for Excellence in Automotive Engineering...(full story)
EAB Welcomes Perspectives from Industry Professionals
The External Advisory Board for Mechanical Engineering is designed to provide insights from industry professionals to help guide the department’s efforts
to prepare students for careers in the field. The most recent additions to the EAB, Paul Nuyen, Dr. Alan Woodliff and Ashok Nayak, are welcome
contributors to the continual improvement process for ME...(full story)
ME Student’s Work a Smash Hit
Sometimes a baseball’s for studying. Velocity. Resistance to air pressure. The mechanics of throwing.
The properties of a curve ball tossed from 60’6”. And sometimes it’s just for playing with. That was
the approach of recent MSME graduate Chris Joseph...(Full story)
James R. Barber Named Thurnau Professor
James R. Barber, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
has been named a 2005 Arthur F. Thurnau Professor. This prestigious professorship recognizes and rewards faculty for outstanding
contributions to undergraduate education...(full story)
Goldstein elected to the National Academy of Engineering
Professor Steven Goldstein has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the highest professional recognition to
be bestowed upon an engineer. Membership in the academy honors engineers for their contributions to engineering research,
practice or education...(full story)
Two New Faculty Join ME
Nikolas Chronis has been appointed Assistant Professor. He will join the department in
fall 2006. Angela Violi has been appointed Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
She will assume the position in January 2006...(full story)
Teamwork Leads to Outstanding Achievement
ME Associate Professors Huei Peng and Anna Stefanopoulou have earned 2004-2005 Outstanding Achievement Awards.
Working as a strong team, the two established the Fuel Cell Control Systems Laboratory in 2001, with support from the National Science
Foundation and the U-M Automotive Research Center. The 2.5kW PEM (proton exchange membrane) laboratory is unusual among academic
institutions, and the insights gained from experiments have advanced the understanding of PEM fuel cell technology and control both on campus
and internationally...(full story)
Bullets to Bamboo Slide Rules to Computers: 40 Years of Meeting Challenges For Mechanical Engineering Senior Supervisor Lynn Buege, marking his 40th anniversary at the University of Michigan will likely be spent doing what he’s done every other day: solving problems and helping faculty and students achieve their goals. That’s no mean feat, considering the breadth of research at ME, but Buege has spent most of his life meeting challenges....(full story)
Brei Tours State with Michigan Road Scholars Program
This spring Associate Professor Diann Brei boarded a bus with 23 colleagues representing more than a dozen U-M departments,
schools and campuses. The group was bound for a five-day tour of the state of Michigan as part of the university's Michigan
Road Scholars Program...(full story)
Fluid Dynamics You would be hard-pressed to find a professor who spends more time in and around the water than David Dowling. Dowling's research spans a variety of topics in acoustics and fluid mechanics, and when he's not working, his favorite recreational activity is swimming ...(full story)
Prized Professor
ME Associate Professor Anna Stefanopoulou has earned the 2005 Henry Russel Award. This coveted award has been bestowed
by the University of Michigan since 1926 and is conferred annually in recognition of "distinguished scholarship and conspicuous
ability as a teacher." The award is one of the highest honors the University grants to faculty with less than six
years' tenure. The distinction carries with it a financial award of $1,200...(full story)
Faculty Promotions
Eleven faculty received promotions effective September 2005.
(Full story)
Meet Smriti Isaac, Graduate Admissions Coordinator
Since Smriti, also known as Simmi, Isaac joined the ME department in December 2004, she has had a full plate. The new graduate
admissions coordinator in the Academic Services Office came on board right in the midst of the fall 2005 application review process,
which she coordinated before moving on to host two different groups of prospective students in the spring, and is at present working
to develop the fall orientation program for approximately 160 new students...(full story)
Staff Excellence Recognized at ME
Once again, a member of the ME staff has been recognized for exceptional service to the College of Engineering. In May 2005,
Technical Services Supervisor Steve Erskine received an Excellence in Staff Service Award from former College of Engineering
Dean Steven Director...(full story)
New Summer Exchange Program Receives Funding
ME ProfessorVolker Sick and colleague Frank Behrendt, a professor in the Institute of Energy Engineering at Technische
Universität Berlin, have received funding to develop a summer program for students. The grant comes from Deutscher Akademischer
Austausch Dienst (DAAD), or the German Academic Exchange Service, which promotes German universities to promising
international students and faculty...(full story)
Cats and dogs and birds, oh my…
It all started with a calico cat named Pizza Pie. Then came Petie, and a lifelong love affair with animals had begun for ME Undergraduate Student
Advisor Susan Gow...(full story)
Inspiring Girls to Learn About Science
Associate Professor Dawn Tilbury has helped inspire girls in grades five through eight to explore the world of science by participating
in two Sally Ride Science Festivals. The objective of the festivals is to increase the number of girls who have a foundation for and
interest in further education in science, math and engineering...(full story)
MLK Symposium Panel Celebrates Diversity
As part of the annual Martin Luther King Symposium, held in March 2005, five local writers, including three from the Mechanical
Engineering Department, took part in a panel discussion, “Contemporary Authors: A Complex Community.” These writers,
representing fantasy, historical and romance novels, short fiction, poetry and children’s books genres, addressed the writing
process and the power of words to communicate ideas...(full story)
From Lab to Museum
A design concept developed by Graduate Student Mohammed Shalaby and Associate Professor Kazuhiro Saitou will soon make its way into a museum
exhibition at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. The exhibit, entitled "Green by Design," focuses on designing products, buildings and
cities to be sustainable right from their very start...(full story)
'New and Improved' Course Sparks 'New and Improved' Cell Phone Designs
At the end of the winter semester, students in the newly redesigned ME495, ME’s Senior Laboratory,
had done more than earn their grades. The class of 113 used a code developed as a Ph.D. thesis
project, to improve cell phone battery design. Students were asked to survey UM undergraduates
on cell phone usage, and then improve the power supplies for four commercially available cell phones,
creating smaller and lower-cost systems...(full story)
Four Decades at U–M… and Still Going Strong
At a time when people are moving around more than ever, working for one organization for over 40 years is quite an accomplishment.
Since the day she was hired, January 18, 1965, Arlene Schneider has continued to find challenges and new areas to explore,
and she has no intention of slowing down...(full story)
Not a Typical Day: Defense Science Study Group Teaches Through Experience
It's not everyday that Associate Professor Dawn Tilbury travels in a KC-135 with an F-14 Tomcat escort. Or
that she rides in an armored vehicle at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina or jumps from a 34-foot tower at Fort Bragg. For a participant
in the Defense Science Study Group, however, such unusual experiences are the norm, she has come to learn...(full story)
Mountain Ascent an Uplifting Experience
The classic question: why climb a mountain? For Assistant Research Scientist Stani Bohac, the answer is
equally classic: “I love challenges,” he said. That’s why he and a team of eight other climbers, including
Mechanical Engineering PhD students Jonathan Hagena and Alex Knafl, made an ascent of Mt. Rainier in
Ashford, Washington last July...(full story)
Professor Christophe Pierre Named Dean at McGill University
Christophe Pierre, formerly the Stephen P. Timoshenko Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has joined the faculty of
McGill University in Montreal as dean of the faculty of engineering and professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering...
(full story)
Sun-sational! U-M Team Wins Solar Car Race
Of course, driving from Austin, Texas to Calgary, Alberta is a snap if you have the time and money for fuel. It’s more
of a challenge if you’re counting on the sun for fuel, as did the solar-powered cars in the 2005 North American Solar
Challenge (NASC). But it really helps if you have Momentum...(full story)
On or Off the Road, SAE Leaves Its Mark
The membership of the Society of Automotive Engineers numbers more than 84,000,
comprised of engineers, entrepreneurs, executives, educators and students from
nearly 100 countries. They represent a variety of disciplines but share a strong
interest in the design and operation of self-propelled vehicles used on land, sea
and in the air. The University of Michigan student chapter, MSAE, and its MRacing
Formula SAE and Mini Baja® racing teams are no exception...(Full story)
ME Students Reflect the Spirit of Giving
The MLK Spirit Awards are presented annually to North Campus students whose leadership and service has
exemplified the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Again this year, three ME students received this prestigious
honor in April 2005 at a ceremony in Pierpont Commons...(full story)
Increasing AWAREness
When a half-dozen students from ME 589, EcoDesign and Manufacturing, and ME 450, the capstone
design and manufacturing course, headed to an awards ceremony held at the National Academy of
Sciences in May, little did they suspect that they would take home the P3 Award, given by the
Environmental Protection Agency to the winner of its sustainable design competition. The term 'P3'
represents the three components of sustainability: people, prosperity and the planet...(Full story)
BLUElab Wins 2005 Elaine Harden Award
For a student-run organization just three years old, BLUElab (Better Living Using
Engineering) has already been recognized for having had an impact. This year the group
earned the 2005 Elaine Harden Award, which honors engineering student societies that
best exemplify leadership and service...(Full story)
Energy + Commitment + ME education = Outstanding Students
In the 26th year of the University of Michigan’s Michigan Leadership Awards, two ME students, Jason
Moscetti and Christopher Worrel, received recognition as Outstanding New Members in April 2005. The
two were recognized for their work with the M-Racing Team and Habitat for Humanity, respectively. The
Outstanding New Member Award recognizes students who have exhibited enthusiasm and initiative,
and who have provided formal or informal leadership and service to the University of Michigan community...
(Full story)
Vernon Newhouse Named GEM Award Winner
For the third consecutive year, a University of Michigan student has received the prestigious GEM Black Engineer of
the Year Student Leadership Award. Masters recipient Vernon Newhouse received the recognition for his outstanding
leadership in engineering and his continuing dedication to education for young minorities...(Full story)
NSF Recognizes ME Students
Again in 2005, ME students have been recognized for their academic achievements with Graduate Research Fellowships
from the National Science Foundation. The Graduate Research Fellowship program provides three years of support for
graduate study leading to research-based masters or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are at the early
stages of their graduate study...(Full story)
Outstanding Student Leader Recognized
Each year, the Office of Student Activities and Leadership presents its annual Michigan Leadership Awards to recognize
outstanding University students, faculty and organizations for their accomplishments in both academic and extracurricular
endeavors, and for their contributions to the vitality of the University of Michigan. The awards have been tailored to
recognize the true spirit of leadership at the University of Michigan that values integrity, initiative, stewardship reciprocity,
and respect. This year, thanks to his exemplary record of achievement in and out of the classroom, ME alumnus Daniel
Tan received an Outstanding Student Leader honor...(Full story)
Quito Project Offers Engineering Insights and More
Two Mechanical Engineering alumni recently participated in the Quito Project, which
offered valuable lessons in engineering--and life. Lucy (Heejung) Hong and Jack
Hsu, who each earned a bachelor's degree in the spring of 2005, joined
nearly two dozen University of Michigan students in the interdisciplinary and
international initiative...(Full story)