Weaver

Professor of Mechanical Engineering Jonathan Weaver was awarded the 2009 Outstanding Faculty member and Network Contributor by the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network in January 2010. He was recognized for his extensive contributions to the KEEN network of 20 private universities, especially for his development and open sharing of a dozen digital entrepreneurship case studies.

Henold

Kenneth Henold, associate dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Engineering & Science and professor of Chemistry, will retire at the conclusion of the academic year. Henold joined the University in 1969 and taught introductory chemistry for science and engineering students as well as non-science students. He also taught graduate level inorganic chemistry courses. He has published texts and study guides for general chemistry and has been active in the local and national chapters of the American Chemical Society. He has also spent several years as UDM's vice president of Student Affairs. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Toledo and a Ph.D. from Wayne State University.

Academic work

E&S faculty contributed the following scholarly work (articles, publications and presentations):

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. Benvenuto also presented  "When Is 'Too Dangerous' Too Dangerous? Presenting Chemical Phenomena Safely," to the Michigan Science Teachers Association in March.

Mechanical Engineering Associate Professors Nihad Dukhan and Nassif Rayess co-authored the article, "Characterization of Aluminum Foam-Polypropylene Interpenetrating Phase Composites: Flexural Test Results" in Mechanics of Materials.

Utpal Dutta, professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, was quoted in the Dec. 21 Detroit News article, "New traffic lights too cool," about LED traffic lights that are so energy efficient that they don't generate enough heat to melt off snow or ice.

Dean of the College of Engineering & Science Leo Hanifin, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Darrell Kleinke and Assistant Professor of Nursing Molly McClelland are featured in a segment of the TV show, A Wider World, broadcast in November on PBS stations around the country.  The subject of the segment was the student engineering design projects made to help disabled people.  See the segment on YouTube.

Hanifin was also quoted in the Nov. 1 Crain's Detroit Business article, "Light-rail funding hits possible snag: Matching-funds provision opposed."  Find out more about UDM's connections to a Detroit light-rail project in the Spring 2009 Impact article, "UDM helps plan light-rail transit project."

An interview with Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Richard Hill is currently featured on a Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) web site.  The interview focuses on Hill's talk, "Diagnostics design for developmental vehicles," presented at the SAE 2010 World Congress, April 13 at Cobo Hall.  You can find a link to the interview on the SAE Media Channel site, under "Take 5 with the Experts."

Architecture Engineering Professor Alan Hoback's article, "Transit As Part of the Equation, Revisited," was published in the Transportation Research Record—Journal of the Transportation Research Board, National Academy of Sciences. He also co-presented "Link Between Transit Spending and Personal Income" at the 51st Transportation Research Forum, Washington D.C., in March.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Darrell Kleinke, co-presented "Small Manufacturing Companies are Still Viable Industry Partners," Proceedings, at the ASEE 2010 North Central Sectional Conference and "Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Overcome Physical Disabilities" at the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters, both in March.

Mechanical Engineering Professors Mostafa Mehrabi and Jonathan Weaver coauthored the article, "Design of a Stable Controller for Accurate Path Tracking of Automated Guided Vehicles Systems," in the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology. Mehrabi also published  "Dynamic Characterization of Intelligent Vehicles Systems: Theory and Experiment," in the SAE International Journal.

Electrical & Computer Engineering Professors Mark Paulik, Mohan Krishnan and Chaomin Luo co-authored the articles, "A Path Planning Algorithm for Lane-Following-Based Autonomous Mobile Robot Navigation," and "An Enhanced Dynamic Delaunay Triangulation-Based Path Planning Algorithm For Autonomous Mobile Robot Navigation."

Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Kirstie Plantenberg authored Graphics Essentials 4th Ed. with Independent Learning DVD, SDC, 2010.

Mechanical Engineering Professors Nassif Rayess and Nihad Dukhan co-presented "Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Foam Polymer Multifunctional Hybrid Materials" and "Preliminary NVH Characterization of Metal Foam-Polymer Interpenetrating Phase Composites" at the ASME IMECE in November.

Mechanical Engineering Professors Nassif Rayess, Jonathan Weaver and Darrell Kleinke presented "'The Odd Couple' of Engineering and Entrepreneurship: Playing at a University Near You" at the ASEE 2010 North Central Sectional Conference in March.

Chemistry/Biochemistry Professor Shulamith Schlick co-authored the articles,  "Ranking the Stability of Perfluorinated Membranes Used in Fuel Cells to Attack by Hydroxyl Radicals, and the Effect of Ce(III): A Competitive Kinetics Approach Based on Spin Trapping ESR;" and "Ce(III) as a Stabilizer of Perfluorinated Membranes Used in Fuel Cells: In Situ Detection of Early Events in the ESR Resonator;"  "Noncooperative Segmental Motion and Hindered Hydrogen Bonding of Poly(ethylene oxide) Intercalated in Layered Silicates: Deductions Revealed by Simulating ESR Spectra of Spin Labeled PEO, and by XRD, DSC, and TGA Measurements;"  "ESR Detection of Early Events in the Fragmentation of Perfluorinated Model Compounds and Relevance to the Stability of Polymeric Membranes Used in Fuel Cells;" and  "FTIR Study of Perfluorinated Ionomer Membranes and Model Compounds." She also made the following presentations: "Degradation of Fuel Cell Membranes Using ESR Methods: In Situ and Ex Situ Experiments," and "Polymer Degradation and Stabilization by ESR and ESR Imaging Methods: From Heterophasic Polymers to Ionomer Membranes Used in Fuel Cells."

Schlick also received a grant from the National Science Foundation to investigate the stability of fuel cell membranes, research needed for the nation's possible movement to the "hydrogen economy."

Associate Professor of Biology Mary Tracy-Bee was recognized for her recently published book, Human Anatomy: A Workbook Approach, at the "Meet the Author" program at the American Association of Anatomists conference, April 24-28 in Anaheim, Calif.

Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry Prasad Venugopal gave the invited lecture, "The realities in Afghanistan and Pakistan," at a meeting of the Oakland County Pax Christi group, Feb. 5.

Mechanical Engineering Professors Jonathan Weaver and Nassif Rayess presented "Technical Entrepreneurship Case Studies for Incorporation into Technical Undergraduate Classes" at NCIIA 2010 in March.