Left: New MEAM Chair, Professor A. Galip Ulsoy, center, is introduced by Anna L. Babbitt, administrative associate II, far left, to members of the Fall ’98 Mechanical Engineering Student Leader Board (MESLB). Front, l–r: Myles Miller, Stacey Durham, Ulsoy, Pete Lazarevski, Yeh-Won Hwang. Back row, l–r: Babbitt, Nathan Stott, Tim Jacobs, Mari Endo, Fred Barrigan, Mike McGuire.

MEAM undergraduates will be an important focus for the Department’s new chair, A. Galip Ulsoy, the William Clay Ford Professor of Manufacturing. From seeking the valuable input and advice of members of the Mechanical Engineering Student Leader Board (MESLB) to further developing the undergraduate curriculum, Ulsoy plans to continue to reach out to MEAM’s students and to build and strengthen MEAM’s undergraduate program. Right: Professor Ulsoy, left, serves up fun and flapjacks at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Faculty-Staff-Student Pancake Breakfast in December. “The MESLB has provided a lot of good input and advice, especially in the area of curriculum reform. The group has proposed many changes which have had a positive impact on the program. There is also an MESLB representative on the Department’s Planning Committee, which has provided strong student input.

“Through Departmental surveys, we know this student input works,” he says. “The level of student satisfaction has gone up dramatically in the past five years. I’m confident that this is because we’re involving undergraduates and using their feedback to make curriculum improvements.” Ulsoy also supports MEAM’s student professional organizations and societies. “These groups provide rich learning opportunities. Students gain practical experience in mechanical engineering as well as in community outreach and teamwork– all skills they will need once they enter the world of work. They bring to life some of MEAM’s important core values.” Left: Professor Ulsoy gives a “thumbs up” to F98 officers of Unified Minorities in Mechanical Engineering (UMME) at its Student-Faculty-Staff Mixer in October. Front row, l–r: Jason Morris; Ulsoy; Anna L. Babbitt, MEAM administrative associate II; Myles Miller, president; Professor Elijah Kannatey-Asibu, Jr., UMME faculty adviser. Back row, l–r: Daniel Cook; Kristy Downing; Kalonji Gordon; Craig Williams.