UDM professor selected to participate in Engineering Education Symposium

UDM Mechanical Engineering Chair Jonathan Weaver (pictured), with 48 of the nation's brightest young engineering researchers and educators, participated in the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) first Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium on Nov. 15-18 in Herndon, Va.

The event gathered Engineering faculty members in the first half of their careers who are developing and implementing innovative educational approaches in a variety of disciplines in order to share ideas, learn from research and best practice in education, and leave with a charter to bring about improvement in their home institution. The participants were nominated by fellow engineers or deans and chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants.

According to NAE President Charles M. Vest, "We intend for FOEE to become a major force in identifying, recognizing, and promulgating advances and innovations in order to build a strong intellectual infrastructure and commitment to 21st-century engineering education."

The program will focus on effective ways to ensure that students learn the engineering fundamentals, the expanding knowledge base of new technology, and the skills necessary to be an effective engineer or engineering researcher.

Promotions and tenure

The following College faculty were awarded promotion and/or tenure, effective Aug. 16.

• Abhijit Dasgupta, Math & Computer Science, granted tenure and promoted to associate professor
• Mostafa Mehrabi, Mechanical Engineering, promoted to associate professor
• Sandra Yost, CSJ, Electrical & Computer Engineering, promoted to full professor

New faculty

The following faculty recently joined the E&S faculty:

• Kendra Evans, assistant professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Chaomin Luo, assistant professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Gary Hillebrand, lecturer, Physics
• Sarah Isaksen, lecturer, Math & Computer Science
• Utayba Mohammad, instructor, Electrical & Computer Engineering

Faculty notes

Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Nizar Al-Holou with two ECE students, Khaldoun Albarazzi and Baraa Alyusuf, worked on the MIOH-UTC project, "New approach to enhance and evaluate the performance of VII and ITS communication systems." (See project page.) Both students gave poster presentations on the project at the annual meeting of the Michigan Intelligent Transportation Society, May 12-13 in Novi.

Associate Professor of Biology Stokes Baker has been invited to give the seminar presentation, "Epifluorescent photography of whole plants expressing green fluorescent protein: uses in teaching and research," to the Environmental and Plant Biology Department of Ohio University.

Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry Mark Benvenuto, graduate student Meghann Mouyianis, and undergraduate student Danielle Garshott gave the presentation, "Chemistry, math, archaeology and global warming effects in the Amazon," at the Michigan Alliance for Environmental & Outdoor Education's 21st annual conference, Oct. 9 in Dearborn.

E&S Associate Dean and Professor of Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering Shuvra Das authored the book, Mechatronics Modeling and Simulation Using Bond Graphs, which was published earlier this year by CRC Press. Das was also quoted in the Nov. 2, 2009 edition of The Detroit Auto Scene on UDM's Technology Day for high school students. Many students question a career in engineering due to the downturn in the auto industry. But Das stresses that there is a bright future for engineers nationally, and events like Technology Day is one way to interest students in engineering, technology and the sciences for future innovation.

Elizabeth Roberts-Kirchhoff, associate professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry, completed a "half-ironman" race at the 2009 Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Triathlon, Aug. 1 in Benton Harbor. The "70.3" designation is the total race distance in miles, which includes a 1.2-mile swim in Lake Michigan, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run.

The National Science Foundation has selected Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry Shulamith Schlick's research project on "Morphological and Spatial Aspects in Polymer Degradation: From Heterophasic Polymers to Proton Exchange Membranes Used in Fuel Cells" to include on its new Science and Innovation web site, which highlights the outcomes of NSF-funded projects form across the nation and around the world. The web site will be featured on research.gov. (Download project PowerPoint document.) Schlick also presented the invited lecture, "Degradation of fuel cell membranes using ESR methods: in situ and ex situ experiments," at the 238th ACS National Meeting, Aug. 19 in Washington, DC.

Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Sandra Yost, CSJ (Congregation of St. Joseph), celebrated her jubilee as a religious sister (25 years). She attended a special Mass and dinner for religious jubilarians hosted by the Archdiocese of Detroit at St. John's Center, May 27. Yost also celebrated her jubilee in June with her congregation and UDM President Gerard L. Stockhausen, S.J. See the Michigan Catholic article on 2009 jubilarians or the Sisters of St. Joseph article on Yost's jubilee.