Staff Promotions

Jamie Snider, of industrial engineering, will work in the Operations Management Program effective Monday, May 11. During the week of May 4th, she will split her time between industrial engineering and operations management. This arrangement will allow for a smooth transition of duties.

Faculty and Staff Awards and Honors:

Janet Bowlin, accountant for chemical engineering, was recently re-elected to the Board of Directors of the Arkansas State Employees Association, representing District 1, which includes Washington, Benton, Carroll and Madison counties.  This new term begins July 1 and runs for 3 years.

Jamie Hestekin, assistant professor of chemical engineering, received the Faculty Gold Medal award during the university’s National and State Awards Ceremony on April 27. Faculty Gold Medals are awarded to members of the university faculty who demonstrate a commitment to investing their expertise and intellectual vigor in their student’s scholastic ambitions and goals. The faculty members mentored students who won state and nationally competitive honors in the past academic year, including scholarships, fellowships, competitions and research grants.

Jason Howard, secretary I, has earned his Human Resources Certificate.  The series of four workshops cover human resource issues related to all stages of employment on campus including prospective employees, new hires, current employees and the termination or retirement of employees. He received a certificate of achievement and a resource manual of Human Resource processes and procedures.

Alan Mantooth, professor of electrical engineering and executive director of the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission, received the William D. and Margaret A. Brown Faculty and Staff Excellence Award—Faculty Division at the AAEE Banquet in April.

Scott Mason, associate professor of industrial engineering, received the Faculty Gold Medal award during the univeristy’s National and State Awards Ceremony on April 27. Faculty Gold Medals are awarded to  members of the university faculty who demonstrate a commitment to investing their expertise and intellectual vigor in their student’s scholastic ambitions and goals. The faculty members mentored students who won state and nationally competitive honors in the past academic year, including scholarships, fellowships, competitions and research grants.

Jenn Miller, administrative assistant I, has completed her degree requirements for the M.A. in English and successfully defended her thesis.  Her thesis was titled “Writing Engineers: Discipline-Specific Freshman Composition”.

Joe Rencis , department head of mechanical engineering, was named a Fellow of the American Society of Engineering Education.  The Grade of Fellow is recognition of outstanding contributions to engineering education.

Shannon Servoss, assistant professor of chemical engineering, was awarded a $12,500 grant from the Women’s Giving Circle to fund her research proposal titled, Early Diagnosis of Breast Cancer:  Development of Synthetic, Peptoid-Based Affinity Reagents.

 

George Tatge, master scientific research technologist for electrical engineering, was awarded the William D. and Margaret A. Brown Faculty and Staff Excellence Award—Staff Division at the AAEE Banquet in April.

Steve Tung, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been named as the Twenty-First Century Professorship in Mechanical Engineering.  This three-year appointment carries a $.5 million endowment.

Stacy Williams, research assistant professor, will sing the National Anthem and the Alma Mater at the College of Engineering Commencement on May 9.

Min Zou, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been appointed to the Twenty-First Century Professorship in Mechanical Engineering.  This three-year appointment carries a $.5 million endowment.

2008-2009 College of Engineering Faculty Awards

Biological & Agricultural Engineering:	Outstanding Teacher: Julie Carrier Outstanding Researcher: Kaiming Ye Outstanding Service to Students: Thomas Costello
Chemical Engineering:	Outstanding Teacher: Shannon Servoss Outstanding Researcher: Greg Thoma Outstanding Service to Students: Jamie Hestekin
Civil Engineering:	Outstanding Teacher: Thomas Soerens Outstanding Researcher: Panneer Selvam Outstanding Service to Students: Jack Buffington
Computer Science and Computer Engineering:	Outstanding Teacher: Jia Di Outstanding Researcher: Brajendra Panda Outstanding Service to Students: Craig Thompson
Electrical Engineering:	Outstanding Teacher: Magda El-Shenawee Outstanding Researcher: Vijay Varadan Outstanding Service to Students: Roy McCann
Industrial Engineering:	Outstanding Teacher: Scott Mason Outstanding Researcher: Russ Meller Outstanding Service to Students: Heather Nachtmann
Mechanical Engineering:	Outstanding Teacher: Ajay Malshe Outstanding Researcher: Darin Nutter Outstanding Service to Students: Adam Huang

Staff Awards

Connie Howard, Secretary II in electrical engineering, was recognized as the Employee of the Semester and 2009 Employee of the Year.

Student Awards and Honors:

Mattie Bookhout, junior in industrial engineering, was recently elected as Associated Student Government president. The ASG at the University of Arkansas is a student-led organization that acts as an organized  voice for all students and strives to effectively represent them in the University's policy and decision making while promoting citizenship on campus and in the greater community.

Jenna Jannings, biological and agricultural engineering senior, has been named as that 2008-2009 Outstanding RSO Member of the Year in the Professional category.  Jannings received this honor because she inspires others, accomplishes goals, goes the extra mile for the organization and its members, and is considered by others to be a person of integrity.

Colin Paul, a junior honors chemical engineering and physics major, was awarded 1st place for his paper presentation at the Mid-America AIChE Regional Meeting in Columbia, Missouri.  His first-place finish grants him the privilege to present at the AIChE National Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. as the Mid-America representative in the AIChE National Paper Competition.  This is one of the most prestigious undergraduate honors in AIChE.

Annette Porter, civil engineering senior, has been named as the College of Engineering Outstanding Senior for this academic year. Annette will present the Greetings from the Undergraduates at the College of Engineering Commencement on May 9.  Annette has received a Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship and will remain at the University of Arkansas as she pursues her graduate studies.

Husein Rokadia, doctoral student in mechanical engineering, received an honorable mention for his poster titled, Molecular Dynamics Simulation to Study DNA+CNT Hybrid Nanostructures. His advisor is Steve Tung, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

Balaji Srinivasan, doctoral student in mechanical engineering, won 1st place at the AAME Graduate Research Symposium for his poster titled, A Micro Total Analysis System for the Detection of Avian Influenza Virus. His advisor is Steve Tung, associate professor of mechanical engineering.

Sachin Terdalkar, mechanical engineering doctoral candidate, won 2nd place for Excellent Scholarship in Graduate Physical Sciences at the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Arkansas Academy of Science at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark. His advisors are Joseph Rencis, department head of mechanical engineering, and Sulin Zhang, of Penn State.

News

Chemical Engineering Receives Departmental Gold Medal

The College of Engineering’s Ralph E. Martin department of chemical engineering received the 2009 Departmental Gold Medal from the University of Arkansas.

The Departmental Gold Medal is awarded to one department that demonstrates a well-rounded investment in student success, usually demonstrated by excellent mentorship on the part of several faculty members.

This year, chemical engineering students won diverse honors, including a best conference paper; a spot as the U.S. delegate to a major youth camp; an honorable mention for the Goldwater Scholarship, which ranks among the nation’s top undergraduate science scholarships; four National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates; an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, which is among the most prestigious graduate fellowship in the country for scientists and engineers not sponsored by a specific institution; and two State Undergraduate Research Fellowships awarded by the state of Arkansas.

Departmental representatives also co-authored the proposal to establish RISE internships on the University of Arkansas campus through the German Academic Exchange and mentored the successful student teams in the People, Prosperity, and Planet Student Design Competition sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

College of Engineering Volunteers Needed for Graduation Day

The College of Engineering needs your help.  We need 25 volunteers to assist with the college graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 9, 2009 in Barnhill Arena.  If you are available to help on this special day for our engineering graduates, please contact me as soon as possible.  Volunteers will begin at 2 p.m. that day and will end at approx 3:30 p.m. after the ceremony starts. 

Staff Council - Bylaws Amendments

The College of Engineering Staff Council has posted the suggested bylaws amendments on the Staff Council website. Please take a few minutes to review the proposed changes and respond if you have suggestions or comments. After reviewing all suggestions and comments there will be a call to vote. All suggestions or comments should be sent to Susan Huskey, the Bylaws Committee Chair.

Please click here to download bylaws amendments Spring 2009 .

Civil Engineering Students Tie with Each Other For First Place in State Competition

Civil engineering students tied with each other for first place in their two divisions at the Annual Arkansas Water Environment Federation & American Water Works Association Student Presentation Competition in Hot Springs this April. 

Ashley Pifer and Josh Durham tied for first place in the Wastewater category.  Ashley’s presentation was titled Municipal Biosolids Drying Options.  Josh’s presentation was titled Toxic Impact of Commercial Biocides on Industrial Wastewater Treatment Systems.  They received $350 each for their achievements.

Annette Porter and Charles Cullen tied for first place in the Drinking Water category.  Annette’s presentation is titled Treatment of Wastewater for Direct Reuse in Cloudcroft, NM.  Charles’ presentation is titled A Review of Low-Cost Treatment Technologies to Help Meet Pending SDWA Regulations in Small Communities.  They received $300 for their achievements.

The students were provided free admission to the conference, free hotel accommodations, and received their awards at the WEF/AWWA luncheon in front of more than 400 attendees.

NCREPT Files Disclosure for Multilevel Inductorless Boost Inverter

Art Barnes, electrical engineering research assistant, and Juan Balda, electrical engineering professor, have produced an invention disclosure for a multilevel inductorless boost inverter with the university for marketing purposes.  The multilevel inductorless boost inverter is a novel power converter topology that is used to produce a higher ac voltage from a single dc voltage source. This topology has potential applications in battery-based energy storage systems for interconnecting them to the power grid and electric propulsion when using battery voltages from 200 V to 400 V and the propulsion electric motor is rated from 600 V to 900 V.
 The topology provides a number of benefits over existing solutions. It provides voltage sharing across switches, improves harmonic quality, eliminates the space, weight, and temperature limitations of magnetic components, and can operate over a wide range of load power factors. Additionally, it can be constructed in a modular fashion from off-the-shelf integrated power modules (IPM’s). The topology has been tested in simulation using Matlab/Simulink™ and its SimPowerSystems Simulink Toolbox. A single-phase dc-dc prototype is currently under construction using IPM’s with a TI digital signal processor (DSP) for control.  

ECAP Gains First Endowed Scholarship

ECAP’s first endowed scholarship will be called the Carol Schubert Gattis Scholarship for Diversity.  Karl Schubert, and his wife, June Maple Schubert, chose to name the scholarship in honor of Karl’s sister, Carol Gattis, director of recruitment, retention, honors and diversity.  The scholarship was announced at the Chemical Engineering Banquet in April.  Karl is a member of the Chemical Engineering Academy and was recently voted-in as a member of the College’s Advisory Council.  Karl and June are both alumni of the University of Arkansas. Karl earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering.  June earned her bachelor’s degree in education.

Fifteenth International Meeting on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming

The Fifteenth International Meeting on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming will be held in Fayetteville, Arkansas, from June 8-12, 2009. 

The International Meeting on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming is a forum where scientists with different backgrounds, yet sharing a common interest in biomolecular computing, meet and present their latest results. Continuing this tradition, the 15th International Meeting on DNA computing and Molecular Programming, under the auspices of the International Society for Nanoscale Science, Computation and Engineering, will focus on the current experimental and theoretical results with the greatest impact.

LOCATION
The meeting will be held at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR.
Fayetteville is located in the Ozark Mountains in a area with wooded mountains, fast-flowing, clear streams, and abundant waterfalls. Fayetteville itself has a vibrant entertainment district adjacent to the University.

EVENTS
Included in the price of registration are a reception at George's Majestic Lounge in the entertainment district with some local, honky-tonk music; a tour of local art and architecture, including structures designed by the noted architect Fay Jones, the Crystal Bridges museum of American Art, and the home of the first Wal-mart; and a banquet.

REGISTRATION
Click here to complete registration.
Regular: $220
Student: $100

Fant’s Class Takes Field Trip for Hands-On Experience with Working Wind Turbine

Earnest Fant’s Renewable Energy class took a field trip in April to Delta Group Electronics to see a NEG Micon 100 kW wind turbine that was installed in 2002 at the industrial park in Prairie Grove, Ark.

Rudy Timmerman has been updating the controls and transformer for the wind turbine to repair damage caused by a lighting strike.

Students got to see the 50 feet diameter wind turbine turn at 44 revolutions per minutes (rpm), but a sensor indicated that the 100 kw generator was not rotating 1200 rpm to begin co-generating with the electrical utility.  The disk brake had to be applied to stop the 5000-pound rotor and blades from rotating.  The blades were at a complete stop within three seconds. The brake dust coming from the nacelle was a sight that many of the students will not forget.

Fant is an associate professor in industrial engineering.

Chemical Engineers Meet with the Mourot Family

The Mourot family, of the University of Arkansas chemical engineers, met with students from the student chapter of AIChE on Thursday, April 16, to deliver the message that the chemical engineering profession is quite diverse and chemical engineers can do anything.  The family was represented by Mike Mourot (BSChE, 1976, MSChE, 1977; representing The Sinclair Group, Ltd.), his son Joshua Mourot (BSChE, 2003; finishing medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch), Joshua's wife Rebecca (Buckmaster) Mourot (BSChE, 2004; representing Dow Chemical) and Mike's second son Jordan Mourot (BSChE, 2006; representing S&B Engineers and Constructors).  Several other family members were also present, including UA chemical engineering graduate Melissa Buckmaster (BSChE, 2008 of Trinity Consulting) and sister of Rebecca Mourot. 

College of Engineering Triples the Number of Carver REU Program Offers

The College of Engineering has tripled the number of Carver REU program offers this year compared to our highest previous years.  Engineering faculty have extended 16 offers to underrepresented students.

The following faculty are participating:

Shannon Servoss – CHEG – 4 students
Matt Gordon – ME – 3 students
Jia Di – CSCE – 2 students
Nebil Buyurgan & Justin Chimka – INEG - 2 students
Roy McCann – ELEG - 1 student
Christa Hestekin – CHEG – 1 student
Keith Roper – CHEG – 1 student
Kevin Hall – CVEG – 1 student
T. A. Walton – ELEG – 1 student
Jamie Hestekin – CHEG – 1 student

NCREPT Center to Sponsor Carver REU Student

The National Center for Reliable Power Transmission will sponsor Andre’ Cook, a mechanical engineering freshman, as part of the Carver Program.  Andre’s work will focus on strengthening the new center’s Personnel Safety Program.

Andre’s home is San Antonio, Texas, where he graduated in the top 10% of his class.  He is an INROADS Scholar and a Silas Hunt Scholar.  In addition, Andre’ has worked as a community volunteer in a San Antonio hospital and with Habitat for Humanity. Andre’s primary coach will be T.A. Walton, NCREPT Managing Director.

NSF Program Director Offers Information Regarding BRIGE Funding Opportunities

Omnia El-Hakim, National Science Foundation program director, recently presented information regarding NSF funding opportunities through 'Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering (BRIGE)' opportunities.  Her PowerPoint presentation is available on the electrical engineering department’s web site.

El-Hakim has an established record of leadership in community service and academia. She served as Assistant Dean for Diversity of the College of Engineering at Colorado State University from 2003-2006. During the past 13 years, she has led a consortium of universities, community and four-year colleges, and tribal Nations as Principal Investigator and Director of the Colorado Alliance for Minority Participation (CO-AMP), as well as several other diversity programs.

El-Hakim obtained her doctoral degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University.

Academy of Chemical Engineers Meet with AIChE Student Chapter

Members of the University of Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers met with eight AIChE Student Chapter members on Friday, April 17. 

Academy members gave sage advice on academics and careers in chemical engineering.  Academy members in attendance were Mike Burns (BSChE, 1964, retired from Genentech), Steve Cousins (BSChE, 1978, currently with Lion Oil), Dr. Bruce Eldridge (BSChE, 1980, MSChE, 1981, currently with the University of Texas), Becky Keogh (BSChE, 1979, currently with CH2M Hill), James Langley (BSChE, 1975, currently a private consultant), Ralph Martin (BSChE, 1958, MSChE, 1960, retired from PetroFac), Mike Mourot (BSChE, 1976, MSChE, 1977, currently with The Sinclair Group, Ltd.) and Dr. Karl Schubert (BSChE, 1975, PhD, 1983, currently with Lifetouch).

Internship Scholarship Opportunities Announced

Attention all College of Engineering Juniors and Seniors:

The engineering intern program for technology based companies in Arkansas is accepting applications for Summer 2009 intern scholarships. The program offers at least 6 new scholarships. If you plan to work this summer for an Arkansas-based company that hires University of Arkansas engineers after graduation, the program offers the opportunity to receive two $1000 scholarships while gaining valuable on-the-job engineering and business-related experience with the company. In this program, the student works full time during a summer or CO-OP term or works 20 to 25 hours/week for an Arkansas company while attending school. The scholarship is in addition to pay received from the employer. Based upon evaluations by intern and company after Summer 2009, a second $1000 scholarship may be granted for another term before graduation.

There are two ways to apply:

1. If you are already working for a participating company, you may apply with the support of the company.
2. If you are already working for a technology-based company that is not aware of the program, you may ask them to participate and support your application. Forward the link below to your supervisor so he/she can get information about the program.

 Applicants should have a GPA of at least 2.8.

Further information for students/employers and an application can be downloaded at program director Rick Couvillion's website, or you may send a request by email to Couvillion. Despite the dates given on the application, applications are due May 18, 2009, and awards will be made a week later. If you have any questions, please contact Couvillion.

Testing of Solid State Fault Current Limiters at NCREPT

The National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission is working on the development of Fault Current Limiters (FCLs). These devices will provide electric utilities with a tool for the protection of the power grid in a more efficient, “smarter” manner.

In order to demonstrate the performance of these devices, testing procedures have to be developed.  Those procedures are precisely what this project is attempting to complete.
NCREPT’s new testing facility lends itself very nicely to this objective. The diagram below shows the setup that will be used for the tests. Simulation and small scale prototype results have shown that this setup limits the effects of FCL operation (FCL will open of one of the three phases while at rated power flow) on the functioning of the facility.

Future steps will focus on the full scale implementation, and setup evaluation tests will be performed using a medium voltage circuit breaker to mimic the FCL. -- Diogenes Molina, MSEE Candidate

Arkansas Academy of Computing Inducts Five New Members

The Arkansas Academy of Computing inducted five new members at the Fourth Annual Academy Banquet held in Fayetteville, Ark., bringing the total number of inductees to about 94.

Kyle D. Parker, Susan C. Norton, Dr. Larry Morell, Dr. Bill Hardgrave and Prakash Jalihal were honored in April.  The Arkansas Academy of Computing recognizes persons who have made significant contributions to computing.  The Academy supports educational institutions in Arkansas. The Academy is providing five scholarships this year to students enrolled in computing degree programs.

Call for Applications: Summer 2009 Human Resources Certificate Program

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2009 Human Resources Certificate Program.

The Human Resources Certificate Program is a series of four workshops covering human resources-related transactions for each stage of employment at the University of Arkansas, including the prospective employee, the new hire, the current employee, and the terminating or retiring employee. Participants who complete the program will receive a certificate of achievement and a resource manual of human resources processes and procedures.

Dates: June 3, 10, 17 and 25, 2009
Time: 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Administration Bldg., Room 410
Fee: $50 per person.

To request additional program information, including an application for participation, please
click here or call 575-4432.

IRS Tax Publication to Help You Adjust for the Make Work Pay Credit

Help is available to clarify how the Make Work Pay Credit may change your tax withholding.  IRS Publication 919, How Do I Adjust My Tax Withholding, for use in 2009, has been released and includes a worksheet to assist with the new tables and the Make Work Pay Credit.    Click here to view the publication.

Calendar

Saturday, May 9	Engineering Commencement Ceremony Arrive by 2:45 p.m. at Barnhill Arena.  Enter through the lower-level south entrance.  Contact Gary Gunderman or call 575-3053 for more information.
May 27-31	Solar Splash— The World Championship of Intercollegiate Solar Boating Lake Fayetteville  Click here for more information.
June 8-12	Fifteenth International Meeting on DNA Computing and Molecular Programming Fayetteville, Arkansas Click here to complete registration. Regular: $220 Student: $100