Nontraditional civil engineering major wins Spring 2008 AutoCAD title

A nontraditional civil engineering student who moved to Kalamazoo a year ago won first place in the 2008 Spring AutoCAD Contest, an event that challenges more than 300 students each semester to put the skills they learned in their IME 1420 Engineering Graphics course to work.

Bradley Gerbasich, who transferred to WMU from the University of Toledo, was honored by Slobodan Urdarevik, the lead lecturer for IME 1420, before an audience of students eligible to compete in the 2008 Fall AutoCAD Contest.

“I take great pride in this challenging competition,” Urdarevik said. “The awards from the prior semester are presented just before the next competition to motivate the next group to compete.”

Gerbasich spent 13 years in Toledo managing National Amusements, a large movie complex. After moving to Kalamazoo, he decided to enroll at WMU. Although he has technically earned enough credits to be a senior, he anticipates that completing the requirements for a civil engineering degree will take at least a couple more years.

Currently working as a co-op technician with SME [Soil and Material Engineers] in the Business, Technology, and Research (BTR), Gerbasich is involved in material testing of concrete, asphalt, and soil. His future goals probably involve “something in either geo-technical or structural engineering,” he said.

Gerbasich’s background in drafting includes high school classes and a college AutoCAD class taken about 10 years ago. “A lot has changed since then,” he said.

Kimberly Harms, a sophomore majoring in industrial and entrepreneurial engineering, won second place in the competition. The self-described “100 percent Kalamazoo” native had no prior experience in drafting. “I didn’t have any classes in this,” she said.

Urdarevik described Harms as “the hardest working student” in the Spring class. “She is only the second female to win an award in this competition,” he said.

Harms expressed her appreciation for the Kalamazoo Promise for enabling her to come directly to WMU. She was very busy with classes her first year but is now becoming involved with professional organizations like the Institute of Industrial Engineers and considering an internship next semester.

Harms’ primary career interest is in hospital work. “I’m really interested in work related to hospital efficiency studies,” she said. “I like being involved and don’t see myself as sitting at a desk.”

Justin Hamlin, an electrical engineering major, won third place. The South Haven native transferred to WMU from Lake Michigan College, where he took pre-engineering classes.

Hamlin is a member of Engineers Without Borders and will start a co-op at Palisades Nuclear Plant in January. His previous drafting experience includes one drafting class at South Haven High School.

In a short address to the students, Dr. Paul Engelmann, chair of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME), encouraged students to take part in the competition. “Winning an award in this competition will look good on your resume and significantly enhance your ability to be hired,” he said.

All winners received gift cards from Best Buy and engraved plaques donated by Dr. Hooks, Inc., a Kalamazoo-based business that specializes in awards.

For the competition, students create both a two-dimensional AutoCAD drawing and a 3D-solid model of a complicated part. They must show all dimensions and symbols needed for manufacturing.

Urdarevik began offering drawing competitions when he came to WMU in Fall 2004. For more information, contact him at slobodan.urdarevik@wmich.edu

CEAS students and RoboBronco join the cast of feature-film Cherry

Numerous students – mostly from the CEAS – pulled all-nighters on a Saturday night to pretend they were engineering students in Cherry, a feature-length movie filmed in Kalamazoo. Actor Kyle Gallner has the leading role as an engineering student in his first year at an elite college engineering program. WMU’s Parkview Campus, with its high-tech facilities, provided an excellent backdrop for the story line.

Between 3 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 15, and 8 a.m. on Sun., Nov. 16, CEAS students starred as extras for the film’s classroom scenes. The long night included multiple takes of CEAS students sitting in a real Parkview lecture hall pretending to be students in a fictional classroom. Bright lights, huge camera setups, and an abundance of electronic gadgetry filled more of the lecture hall space than the students.

In between takes, the students waited in the Extras Holding area, the DENSO cafeteria.

 

"Being in the movie was crazy and fun," said Kendall Vasilnek, a civil engineering senior and film extra who added that filming took longer and required more people than she had initially thought it would.

Several faculty and staff members also stayed most of the night. Dr. Paul Engelmann, chair of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, and Courtney Rawlings, a graduate assistant in manufacturing engineering, oversaw the filming that took place in the CEAS Plastics Lab.

Dr. Tarun Gupta, IME professor, and Srinivas Ghattamaneni, a graduate assistant in industrial engineering, supervised RoboBronco as the robot made its acting debut. Other participants included Dr. Karlis Kaugars, CEAS computer-aided engineering director (CAE); Chuck Overberger, CAE technician; and Tammy Bergman, CEAS office associate.

Cherry’s screenwriter and director is Jeff Fine, who said that the movie is being shot in Michigan because of the state’s new tax incentives for filmmakers.

Five honored with 2008 CEAS Dean Awards for outstanding work

Five CEAS faculty and staff members won 2008 CEAS Faculty and Staff Awards. WMU Provost Tim Greene, who initiated the annual awards two years ago when he was the CEAS dean, presented this year’s awards to Dr. Peter Parker and Dr. Margaret Joyce, Dept. of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Imaging (PCI) professors; Slobodan Urdarevik, Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) faculty specialist II; Dr. Zijiang James Yang, Dept. of Computer Science (CS) assistant professor, and Abraham Poot, the CEAS technical specialist for IME and MAE.

“Every year we recognize another set of faculty and staff who are truly outstanding," Greene said.

Parker, the 2008 CEAS Outstanding Educator, has been teaching WMU chemical engineering classes since 1997. He is an advisor to the chemical engineering program, and he incorporates WMU’s “designation as student-centered” into both teaching and advising. His teaching methods evolve from combining new techniques with those that withstood “the test of time.” Parker’s background includes a University of Rochester BS in chemical engineering, a University of Pittsburgh MBA, and University of Michigan MSE and Ph.D. in chemical engineering. His research interests are process modeling and simulation, tissue manufacturing, and engineering ethics. He’s a longtime member of the Faculty Senate, chairs the Academic Information and Technology Council, and is a member of WMU's Ethic Center advisory board.

Winning the 2008 CEAS Outstanding New Educator, Urdarevik, IME 1420 Engineering Graphics lead instructor, teaches three mass lecture sessions of up to 120 students and coordinates up to 14 student teaching assistants (TAs). His credentials include two U.S. patents and three U.S. patents pending for his teaching strategies.

Each semester Urdarevik coordinates a design competition for the more than 300 students enrolled in IME 1420 and an annual Best TA competition. He is an official reviewer of several graphics text books. Before coming to WMU in 2003, he taught at Humber College in Toronto. He has a mechanical engineering master’s degree from the University of Skopje in Macedonia.

Joyce, the 2008 CEAS Outstanding Researcher, has assumed major roles in securing over one million dollars in external funding through grants and contracts for diverse projects that include bolstering homeland security through use of RFID-radio frequency identification and developing a new coating measurement system in the foundry industry. A recognized leader in the coating industry, she is widely published and has coordinated many conferences. With 10 other CEAS faculty, she recently started CAPE [Center for Advancement of Printed Electronics] for multidisciplinary research.

Yang, whose primary research interest is computer system reliability, won the 2008 CEAS Outstanding New Researcher. He was recently awarded a $400,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for research on multithreaded program verification. He has also been awarded five other external research grants since 2003. Yang’s papers have been published in top computer science journals and conferences, and he recently won the prestigious 2008 ACM TODAES Best Paper Award. The IEEE senior member is an inventor with five U.S. patents and five patents pending. Yang came to WMU in 2003 after earning a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Winning the 2008 CEAS Outstanding Staff Award, Poot, the IME\MAE lab coordinator, supports computer and electrical equipment design, assembly, and maintenance. Since 2001, Poot has served as project adviser of the WMU Sunseeker Solar Car teams, which have placed in several North American Solar Challenge competitions and have won both design and sportsmanship awards. For his support in many areas, including tribology, thermal systems, aerodynamics, biomechanics, foundry, and automotive laboratories, Poot was recently honored with the 2008 WMU Distinguished Service Award.

The winners of this year’s awards were selected by a committee of last year’s winners from nominations made by faculty, administrators, and emeriti. These five 2008 award winners will serve as the selection committee for those who win next year’s awards.

Tues., Dec. 2, conference to showcase 42 senior engineering projects

The 43^rd Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects – set for Tues., Dec. 2 – features 36 projects presented by 99 seniors from five CEAS departments. The event is free and open to the public; parking is available.

The 25-minute presentations are scheduled to begin between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Parkview Campus. All sessions begin exactly on the hour and half hour. No projects are presented during the lunch break from 12 to 1 p.m.

The Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) is offering two concurrent sessions for 14 projects completed by 35 students: 8 presentations from 9 to 2 in D-109 and 6 from 9 to noon in D-206.

The Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) has scheduled 8 projects by 24 students from 9 to 2 in D-201.

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is presenting 7 projects by 22 students from 9 to 1:30 in D-208.

From the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE), 11 students are offering 3 presentations between 9:30 and 11 in D-115.

Four presentations by 9 students in the Department of Computer Science (CS) are scheduled at 9 and 11 in D-204/5.

Sponsors for this semester’s projects include the following: AC Foundry, Decco Software, Diagnostic Systems, Associates, Eaton Corporation, eInternet Design, Fantom Racing, FEMA Corporation, Frank’s Shoe Parlor, Kelen Sales Consulting, LLC, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Stryker Medical, and Whirlpool Corporation.

About 30 faculty and administrators are serving as advisers for one or more projects. Professors chairing the various sessions are Dr. Hobo Cai (CCE), Dr. John Kapenga (CS), Dr. John Gesink (ECE), Dr. Betsy Aller (IME), Drs. Rameshwar Sharma and Pnina Ari-Gur (MAE), and Drs. Claudia Fajardo and Christopher Cho (MAE).

A complete schedule of project presentations is available at http://www.wmich.edu/engineer/senior-design-conference.htm For more information about the conference. call Tamara Beraman at (269) 276-3248.

Innovative IEE degree offers students unique opportunities

Over the past year, the CEAS industrial engineering (IE) program has been innovatively transformed into a new undergraduate degree in Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering (IEE).

“The new IEE curriculum is fundamentally consistent with traditional IE programs with an added emphasis,” said Dr. Azim Houshyar, a professor in the IME department. “The new IEE curriculum emphasizes instruction in how to take a new concept from inception to introduction in the marketplace.”

In 2006 Houshyar and Dr. Bob White, another IME professor, began pulling together ideas to offset what Houshyar described as a “national problem” of decreasing demand for industrial engineers. “The problems of the economy and the changing perception of industrial engineers as quality or reliability engineers led us to study ways to blend engineering with business to reflect what our engineers are doing in the workplace.”

Houshyar and White teamed up with industrial engineering faculty that included Drs. Steven Butt, Tycho Fredericks, Leonard Lamberson, and Tarun Gupta to complete an extensive curriculum overhaul. Using input from the advisory board, faculty, and employers, they revised the traditional IE curriculum to create a new undergraduate degree in Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering (IEE) that is consistent with traditional IE programs.

The team focused on the goals and objectives of what the engineering students would need in the world of work. “Our graduates will fill a gap in current engineering education and will be best-fitted to the requirements of new global enterprises,” Houshyar said.

Curricular changes include three new capstone courses in entrepreneurial engineering. Entrepreneurial I, taught by White, focuses on the financial aspects. The second course is team taught by Butt, Fredericks, Houshyar, and White. It involves hands-on product design and development.

In a third course to be offered for the first time next year, Houshyar will focus on supply chain. “It will examine the marketing aspects such as how a product is marketed and where to find suppliers, manufacturers, and buyers,” he said. “The beauty of this is that our students are actually creating products that they will have to manufacture, price, and market.”

Part of the new IEE program requires students to choose from three foreign study options “They can actually do foreign study, participate in an internship, or take a course in globalization,” Houshyar said.

With the new IEE, students can also obtain a minor in any field. They are not limited to engineering.

Students who were enrolled in IE were allowed to graduate with an IE degree or to transfer into the new program. “The majority chose to transfer to the new program,” Houshyar said. “By next fall all our students will be in the IEE program.”

Future plans include a call for expanding the IEE program to the master’s level. A recent curricular change enables undergraduates to take up to 12 hours of 500­level coursework that can be applied to both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. It enables students to earn both in five years. It can be presently applied toward a master’s IE degree and in the future to one in IEE.

For more information on the IEE program, email azim.houshyar@wmich.edu or bob.white@wmich.edu

WMU Formula SAE team competes, wins exhibition competition

WMU’s Formula SAE (FSAE) team designed and built a car that was entered in the 2008 Formula SAE® competition held last spring at the Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich. The WMU entry placed 63 in a field of 105 international competitors and earned praise for many components.

Also, the FSAE team won first place in the Student Exhibit Competition held at Cobo Hall in Detroit in conjunction with the SAE 2008 World Congress. The competition, sponsored by Eaton Corporation, required that the Congress theme, “A Climate for Change” be incorporated into the exhibit.

Exhibit judging included a formal 10-minute presentation by two team members and informal discussion with the judges. Five FSAE team members displayed the FSAE project, competed for prizes, and networked with manufacturers, suppliers, and alumni.

“It is a great joy for me and an honor for our FSAE Team to win this prestigious award,” said Dr. Parviz Merati, MAE chair and professor.

Dr. Claudia Fajardo, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) and one of the SAE advisers, praised the entire FSAE team and especially the five – all enrolled in MAE programs – who represented WMU at the competition: Sarah Gerbig, Brian Doorlag, Geoffrey Van Gemert, Michael Nienhuis and Kyle Schmidt. “The competition is one of the most exciting activities of the Congress,” she said. “The students showcase the technical merit of the Formula SAE vehicle design and the project’s business and teamwork aspects.”

Gerbig and Doorlag created a two-part presentation with both business and engineering aspects. In the “Re-fueling for Future Generations,” Gerbig presented the organizational and leadership changes the WMU team made this year to improve efficiency and effectiveness. In "Changing Gears," Doorlag discussed design changes the team made to the differential to simplify it and to reduce its weight and cost.

Other universities that competed included Michigan Tech, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Toledo, and Central Michigan University.

“Overall, the 2008 SAE World Congress was a great experience for everyone involved,” Gerbig said. “It was a great opportunity for students who attended to network with hundreds of OEMs and automotive suppliers, along with several other universities’ groups.”

Others who contributed to the FSAE project are MAE faculty members Dr. Bade Shrestha, a co­adviser, and Dr. Richard Hathaway, who provided technical advice. Tom Sutton, an instructor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, assisted in the testing stages.

This fall, the SAE organizational meeting attracted more than 65 students. Membership is open to anyone interested in cars, and no previous experience is required. This year’s major activity involves the design and development of a Formula car to represent WMU at the 2009 Formula SAE® competition.

The SAE student chapter meets every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the F-115 study lounge area at Parkview. Those interested in attending a meeting should email the team at wmuformularacing@gmail.com

SAE information is available on the official Web site at http://www.rso.wmich.edu/sae

IME course offers PMI training to students and professionals

Dr. Betsy Aller (with a PMI certificate) and IME 6140 students; most are working toward the 35 PDUs needed to take the PMP exam

WMU is completing its first year as a registered education provider (REP) for the Project Management Institute (PMI), “the world’s leading not-for-profit association for the project management profession,” according to its Web site at http://www.pmi.org

Three faculty members in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) – Dr. Larry Mallak, Dr. Betsy Aller, and Dr. David Lyth – are actively involved in the delivery of courses and/or training offering professional development units (PDUs).

“Being a REP allows us to offer PDUs for students and professionals who wish to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam,” said Mallak, who was acknowledged for completing the paperwork to secure REP certification.

Mallak said that project management is an essential skill set in industry today. The increasing complexity of work and the need for integration of skilled workers to produce work that’s on time and that meets specifications requires more technical professionals to hold PMP credentials.

IME 6140 Project Management provides an effective means for local employers to send their employees for project management training. Students in WMU’s program get more than the typical training offered by other providers.

“They get the academic foundation for the project management content and preparation for the PMP exam,” Mallak said. “The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) is now a required text in the course and is the basis for the PMP exam material.”

By taking IME 6140 and paying an administrative fee, those students interested in earning PMI certification can garner the necessary 35 PDUs needed to take the PMP exam. “We are the only university in Michigan that’s licensed to deliver the training and offer those PDUs,” Mallak said.

According to Mallak, getting PMP certification has become an important element of a professional portfolio. “There’s been a huge growth in the demand for PMPs,” he said. “There’s also been a substantial increase in the number of people taking the exam.”

WMU’s REP status was awarded last January for the calendar year, and Mallak said that plans call for the license to be renewed on an annual basis. As a REP, WMU is licensed to award PDUs not only in IME 6140 coursework, but also in shorter training courses offered to local industry and online. These courses must be approved by PMI.

“They provide additional opportunities for West Michigan employees to have ready access to high quality training while obtaining credits toward their PMP credential or toward their PMP renewal,” Mallak said. “To retain their PMP status, those with PMP credentials must earn a minimum number of PDUs.”

According to Dr. Paul Engelmann, the IME Chair, the advantage to having certification is that training is available locally. “We can now offer short courses so local industry won’t have to send their people to Chicago to be trained,” he said. “And for a small fee, our students who take IME 6140 can get those credits as part of their master’s or doctoral work.”

For more information about PMI, email larry.mallak@wmich.edu or betsy.aller@wmich.edu

“Aspire to a Career” connects job-seekers to more than 80 employers

More than 80 employers are coming next week to the 2008 Engineering and Applied Sciences [EAS] Career Fair. It’s set for Thurs., Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Parkview event is free and open to the public, with no pre-registration required to attend.

Heather Highhouse, assistant director for Career and Student Employment Services (CSES) and career advisor for the CEAS, is coordinating the event. The theme of this year’s engineering career fair is “Aspire to a Career,” which she said is a way to focus on the CEAS spire that serves as a beacon in front of the Parkview Campus. The spire is featured on the 2008 career fair tabloid.

Representatives from many sectors of the economy offer opportunities to students, alum, and others. Some areas include manufacturing, aeronautical, aviation, service, health care, medical, mechanical, civil, energy, construction, distribution, chemical, paper, electrical and electronic, computer, food, governmental and military.

“We have an excellent balance of employers participating in this year’s career fair,” Highhouse said.

Highhouse has also partnered with the advising office to provide this year’s fair with a student/information area for name tags, maps, tabloids, and information.

Eaton Corp. is sponsoring this year’s fair. According to its Web site, Eaton is a diversified power management company and global technology leader in electrical systems, hydraulics, aerospace technology for commercial and military use, and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems. It has 81,000 employees, sells to customers in 150 countries, and had $13 billion in sales in 2007.

More than 120 students attended the Engineer Your Career 2008
Workshop to prepare for the "Aspire to a Career" Engineering
and Applied Sciences Career Fair on Thurs., Sept. 25, at Parkview

To prepare students for the fair, Eaton sponsored "Engineer your Career," a four-hour event that attracted over 120 students last week.  The event included a resume workshop, a fashion show of successful professional attire provided by Macy's and a planel with tips for success.

Professionals from Eaton, Whirlpool Corp., Consumers Energy, and the Department of Labor and Economic Growth provided perspectives on networking, interviewing, etiquette, and the economic outlook. “This was one of the best resources to help students prepare for the fair,” Highhouse said.

Eaton has been consistently supportive of CEAS students, projects, and programs. “We really appreciate all that Eaton has done for us,” Highhouse said.

Students who are looking for positions are encouraged to dress appropriately professional and to bring copies of their resumes.

Assistance in resume preparation is available during drop-in office hours in the Advising Suite at Parkview: MW -12 to 2 p.m. and TR – 11:30-1:30 p.m. Additional hours are available on the main campus. Students can also call (269) 276-3241 to schedule an appointment.

Job seekers should prepare for the EAS career fair by reviewing the list of employers and researching those of interest ahead of time. All employers registered are identified on the Web site. Employers have until the day before the event to sign up. As employers register, they are added to the Web site in real-time. To view registered employers and/or to register as an employer, go to

 http://wmich.erecruiting.com/st/cf_registered_employers?fhnd=3219

Highhouse, who is coordinating the annual event for the first time, credited several student organizations and student assistants for their support: Nicole Maggio, graduate assistant, Joe Mydosh, peer educator, and Matt Smith, co-op assistant. For more info, call (269) 387-2745 or go to www.broncojobs.wmich.educareer

CEAS students collect nursing data for Bronson study

Six years ago Drs. Tycho Fredericks and Steven Butt, industrial engineering faculty in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, received two grants to provide quantifiable data about nursing care activities of the Bronson Methodist Hospital nursing staff.

At the time approximately 17 WMU students used palm pilots to collect data on the time nurses spent with patients in two areas – a surgical intensive care unit and a general medical unit – based on the level of care required by the patients. The collected data assisted Bronson with strategic decisions and will be used to develop innovative scheduling and facility design models for hospitals.

The study, “Determining the Relationship Between Patient Acuity, Time Standards, and Productivity,” was funded by two grants, one from the Bronson Healthcare Group and another from Bronson Research Fund.

“After Bronson moved into its new building in 2000, we started collecting data on nurses working in the new single patient rooms in the general medical unit,” Butt said. “Once we collected and analyzed data for that study, we completed similar research on the surgical intensive care unit where they have a very different type of patient.”

This summer, Stephanie Means, a doctorial research associate, is directing another extension of the study that started in 2006 and runs to the end of this year. It is focused on Bronson’s neonatal unit. “The old neonatal unit had a typical open ward layout with five nurseries with 8­10 patients each,” she said. “When Bronson moved into the new North Campus pavilion, mother and baby shared a single room, so we’re looking at the difference between the two different setups – neonatal ward and single patient room – in terms of care and impact on nurses and patients.”

Four industrial engineering students – Carlee McClintic, Amanda Glick, Ashley Hoverkamp, and Yenni Chen – are collecting information about the amount of time nurses spend with patients based on the level of care required. Assisting the group is Sarah Meade.

“What’s unique and important about the work is that the students are using actual continuous direct observation,” Means said. “We are tracking nursing activities.”

Means described continuous direct observation as “a hybrid of work sampling and time study.” The students use palm pilots that contain all the activities that the nurses perform. They follow the nurses all day and record everything the nurses do and the paths they take.

“It’s like a big data recording drive,” Means said. “We collect information on everything the nurses do directly with the baby and everything they do indirectly, which includes filling out charts and forms and performing unit activities.”

Nurses also wear pedometers to track the distance they travel and heart rate monitors to measure energy expenditure and to determine which activities cause spikes. “We capture everything they do,” Means said.

In the past, researchers have done random time sampling by checking every 5 minutes or so, and they’ve done studies with either or both independent observers and self-reporting by the nurses. “What makes this research special is the continuous direct observation,” Means said. “It’s labor intensive because we’re often capturing data 7 days a week for 24 hours a day.”

The data collected in the most recent study will also be compared with the data collected in the two earlier research studies. “We may find something from our early analysis, and we may have to collect more data,” Means said. “We will have a lot of data to study and analyze.”

The research team plans to write papers on the discoveries made. “The team will do a paper to compare and contrast what we’ve learned here with the previous two studies,” Means said.

Eventually Means hopes that the results can be used to “make life simpler and less stressful for the nurses.”

“We may be able to standardize some activities, and streamline some procedures,” she said. “We’re also looking at the built environment for future building projects.”

For more info, e-mail tycho.fredericks@wmich.edu

HECO provides students first-hand SOP writing experience

This summer’s IME 3160 Report Preparation class gained real-world work experience writing standard operating procedures (SOP).

Students in the course taught by Thomas Swartz wrote SOPs for HECO, Inc. Industrial Groups. Headquartered in Kalamazoo, HECO is a repair and sales organization that has served the motor needs of more than 1500 companies for nearly half a century. Started as the Hatfield Electric Co. by Terrell Hatfield in 1959, HECO now has more than 50 employees working a two-shift operation.

According to Todd Hatfield, vice president of engineering and repair, the company has been trying to update its SOPs for some time, but something more important always “put them on the backburner.”

A plan to have the 16 IME 3160 students work in groups of four and write SOPs was developed by Hatfield; Justin Hatfield, HECO’s equipment management specialist; and Swartz, who coordinates the CEAS technical communication program. Each group wrote one shop-floor SOP.

The students – all industrial engineering (IE), electrical engineering (EE), and engineering management (UEM) majors –also proposed improvements to the SOP template and process.

“We generally write textbook scenarios in class,” Swartz said. “With the SOP project, HECO offered the students a real work-related writing experience.”

HECO provided a SOP template for use as a starting point. “We were encouraged to be creative in the SOP design,” said Jason LaDuke, a UEM junior whose group wrote the SOP “Disassembly of a Standard AC Motor.”

The assignment challenged the students, whose first goal was to meet with support groups of HECO personnel who actually do the processes featured in the SOPs. “We had to learn how to disassemble an electric motor before we could write about it,” LaDuke said.

The students communicated with the support groups via phone and email, and they worked together on line and off to develop SOPs. “Much of our work was planning, writing instructions, and letting everyone in the group and at HECO review them as we went along,” said IE senior Yenni Chen.

According to Justin Hatfield the HECO support groups were “impressed with the questions the students asked.” The SOPs need to be further tested by those not familiar with the SOP processes.

Each group presented its SOP and proposed template and other recommendations in an oral presentation to an audience that included both Hatfields. “I think everyone did a good job,” Todd Hatfield said. “I was impressed with their ideas and their proposals.”

After examining the details, Todd Hatfield said that some student work appeared to be very high quality and that he would consider employing some of the students to write additional SOPs.

Swartz said the successful collaboration between HECO and the students may be repeated in the future. For more information, contact thomas.swartz@wmich.edu

Sunseeker team wins sportsmanship award and more at 2008 NASC

Last week the CEAS offered a welcome lunch and ceremony for the 14-member WMU Sunseeker team that won the Sportsmanship Award at 2008 North American Solar Challenge (NASC), an intercollegiate 2,400-mile race from Texas to Calgary, Canada.

 
2008 Sunseeker Team (L-R): Front: Edmund Tan, Lyth Alobiedat, Nicholas Killoran, Alex Hoksema (in driver's seat), Brendan Hill, David Ludens, and Abraham Poot; Back: John Kapenga, Paul Engelmann, Kevin Kalchik, Adrian Sargent, Dan Gore, Madeline McAuley, Ian Smith, Steve Mohney, and Chris Rocker

For this year’s Sunseeker team, the road to the 2008 NASC was fraught with obstacles in funding, material procurement, and design and development. In the final months, the team worked day and night – sometimes camping out in study areas at the Parkview Campus – to complete the WMU entry unveiled last month.

A seemingly final blow came from a wind burst that destroyed a solar panel array during qualification trials and eliminated the vehicle from this year’s competition. However, the wind didn’t eliminate the team, who were invited to join teams that qualified for the race. They put their skills to work and gained a wealth of experience.

While the Sunseeker advisors and three team members drove and displayed Sunseeker at the race checkpoints, 10 WMU students joined the teams of the University of Michigan, Iowa State University, Northwestern and Waterloo universities, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Alex Hoeksema, a junior in electrical engineering, worked with the Iowa State team. “Even though we couldn’t race, we could help everyone else,” he said. He helped fix a brake problem that almost eliminated the Iowa team. “They had to re-qualify because the brakes failed before they reached the first stop,” he said. “Their callipers were the same kind that we use, so I was able to get our team to give them a hand getting parts and meeting the deadline to get back in the race.“

According to Hoeksema, one value of the competition is the mutual support of its competitors. “All the teams helped each other every night of the race,” he said.

2008 Sunseeker Team enjoys welcome-home
luncheon and award ceremony

The WMU students gained an abundance of hands-on experience. “You learn a lot in the classroom, but trouble shooting and solving problems in the field gave me an education you can’t get in a classroom,” Hoeksema said. “I put what I learned to work.”

Dr. Paul Engelmann, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) chair and a member of the Sunseeker team, called this year’s team “the very best of what the college has to offer.” He said the team had – through no fault of its own – met obstacles at every turn. “Lesser teams would have given this up many times, and no one would have blamed them for quitting,” he said. “But this team persisted and thrived and won the sportsmanship award.”

David Ludens, Madeline McAuley, and
Kevin Kalchik with 2008 Sunseeker

Abraham Poot, engineering lab coordinator for both IME and the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) and a Sunseeker advisor, said that the team is “fired up” for next year’s solar competitions. “The team plans to fix this car and take it to the Formula Sun track race next May in Texas,” he said. “They would also like to re-build a car for the World Solar Challenge in Australia set for the third week in October 2009.”

Hoeksema and Nicholas Killoran, a mechanical engineering junior, will serve as next year’s project leaders. This year’s project leader, David Ludens, who earned his bachelor’s in aeronautical engineering this spring, will be in constant communication with the new team. “There is no way I could write down everything I’ve learned from this project.” he said.

For more information on Sunseeker and its future endeavors, check out www.wmich.edu/sunseeker

Paper coating techniques may improve metal casting quality

The Department of Defense (DoD) needs lighter equipment to be able to move quickly. One way to make lighter equipment is to produce lighter castings, which means producing castings with thinner walls.

The goal of a multi-year DoD research grant overseen by the American Metalcasting Consortium is to develop the data on coatings that could lead to improved castings.

The principal investigators (PIs) of the grant research are Dr. Sam Ramrattan, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME), and Dr. Margaret Joyce, Department of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Imaging (PCI). Assisting the two professors is IME graduate student Adil Abdelwahab.

Ramrattan, a metal casting specialist, and Joyce, whose expertise includes paper coatings, are pooling their talents to evaluate how potential coatings used in the paper industry could improve the casting process.

“Multiple industries are seeking coating to add value to their products,” Joyce said. “The basic components of foundry and paper coatings are similar. We have much to learn from each other’s industries.”

Coating paper is a well developed science; however, coating is relatively new in metal casting. “We can’t use the types of coatings, but we can use similar coating control techniques in metal casting and we’re coming up with alternative testing techniques, several of which we have borrowed from the paper industry,” Ramrattan said.

When hot molten metal is poured into a sand mold, the heat causes the mold to expand, which leads to cracks and defects in the product. The heat can also dislodge grains of sand, which end up in parts where they are not wanted. “The defects can be extremely harmful if the part is a block or a coated head in an engine,” Ramrattan said.

To offset these problems, the research team is testing refractory coatings as interfacial barriers between the mold wall and the metal. “Having the right coating can lead to a smoother casting with a better surface finish,” Ramrattan said. “It can also prevent sand from getting into the metal and eliminate cracking.”

In addition to finding the right environmentally-acceptable coating and determining the right amount to use to produce a quality casting is finding a way to be sure that the quality of the coating remains consistent throughout repeated use. Because the sand used in casting is recycled, particles in the coatings can settle out as the coating is reused.

“A control mechanism is needed to make sure the particles are not settling out, to maintain consistent coatings quality throughout the process,” Ramrattan said.

According to Ramrattan, the current testing gauges in the casting industry are not designed for coatings used in the paper industry, but controlled tests measuring rheological characteristics in the paper industry show potential in the development of instruments for casting. “We are developing testing techniques and instruments for sand casting that included modified permeability and mold quality index tests,” Ramrattan said.

Other research discoveries are related to the optimal dip time for refractory molds, data related to the effect of coating deposits that can affect the permeability of the dipped mold, which indirectly affects the casting quality, surface finish, dimensional properties, and other qualities.

Ramrattan said the first-year findings were officially reported to the DoD Logistics Department in June. “This is year-to-year work, and everyone seemed satisfied with our findings,” he said. “We are continuing our search for a means to improve coating and to reduce defects.”

For more information on this project, contact Ramrattan at sam.ramrattan@wmich.edu or Joyce at margaret.joyce@wmich.edu

Changing of the guard in the CEAS dean’s office set for Aug. 1

On Aug. 1, Dr. Tim Greene, who has served as CEAS dean since April 2005, assumes the position as WMU provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Last week, WMU announced that Dr. Dan Litynski – a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who has served as CEAS dean, WMU provost, and interim WMU president – will serve as CEAS dean for 11 months while a 15-member WMU team searches for a new CEAS dean.

Litynski was CEAS Dean from 1999-2002, a period of increased CEAS student enrollment, new programs and accreditations, the conception and construction stages of the new 270-acre CEAS Parkview Campus, and the early development of the Business, Technology, and Research Park. He recently spent three years at the National Science Foundation as program director for physics and director of the Division of Undergraduate Education.

A retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, Litynski has spent over 25 years researching and teaching more than 20 courses in electrical engineering, optics, and physics. His research specialties are lasers, photonics, and electro-optics. Before coming to WMU, he was professor in and later head of the Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

His education includes Ph.D. and BS degrees in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), and a MS in optics from the University of Rochester. He is also a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces of the National Defense University.

Litynski is looking forward to serving as dean, and then he plans to return to the faculty next July. “This is a wonderful opportunity to serve our great college and faculty once again and help during the transition,” he said.

Greene, who was selected as WMU’s provost last spring, credited the CEAS community for his promotion. “I am now the provost because of the excellent contributions of the CEAS faculty, staff, and students,” he said. “One of the reasons I was promoted was because I got credit for the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of so many here at the college.”

WMU’s CEAS DEAN Search Committee and Schedule:
Chair Joseph Reish, (Dean of the Libraries); Margaret Joyce (PCI), Massood Atashbar (ECE), Ajay Gupta (CS), Betsy Aller (IME), Koorosh Naghshineh (MAE), Jun Oh (CCE), Paul Englemann (IME Chair), Don Nelson (CS Chair), Sue Ketchum (Staff), Pat Resetar (Staff), Carl Roberts (EBOV/alum), Bob Miller (WMU), Sarah Gerbig (MAE undergraduate), and a graduate student to be determined

A tentative schedule…
September 1st – Publish advertisements for CEAS dean
October 15th - Begin screening candidates
December – Conduct airport interviews
December 20th – Announce on-campus candidates
January / February – Conduct on-campus interviews
March 31st – Announce a new CEAS dean
July 1st – Welcome the new CEAS dean

Everyone is encouraged to nominate candidates whose identities will remain confidential until announcement of the final list in December. Interviews will be open and everyone is also encouraged to provide input regarding the final selection. The CEAS Executive Committee is preparing an announcement that will be submitted to several publications and posted on the Web. Detailed information and application procedures are available at www.wmich.edu/hr/careers-at-wmu.htm

Before coming to WMU, Greene was assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at the University of Alabama where he had served as Dean of Engineering from 1999 to 2004. His experience includes heading up the School of Industrial Engineering and Management and being associate dean of research at Oklahoma State University and serving on the faculty at Virginia Tech. He has MS and Ph.D. degrees in industrial engineering and a BS in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Purdue.

Greene encouraged the CEAS community to get involved in the process of selecting a new dean.
“I’m challenging them to think of the characteristics they want in the next dean and to seek and encourage good faculty to apply for the position,” he said. “One of the reasons I came here is the strong encouragement I received from the faculty, and I hope they will do the same for the next candidates.”

High school students enjoy hands-on metal-casting workshop

In June at the 2008 Metal-casting Workshop, Dr. Sam Ramrattan, an IME professor, shared the tools of the metal-casting trade with nine high school students. This year’s students came from Mesick, Saginaw, and Saline, Mich.; Brook Park and Defiance, Ohio; Stroudsburg, Penn.; and Trinidad, West Indies.

Ramrattan, a technical advisor to the American Foundrymen's Society and a Key Professor for the Foundry Educational Foundation, held classes and lab work in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Parkview Campus Metal Casting Laboratory.

“Dr. Sam,” as he is known at the college, has hosted a weeklong metal-casting workshop every summer for the last nine years. This year’s hands-on event was similar to the previous ones.

The course is a balance of lecture topics on metal casting history, methods, and trends; networking; and hands-on metal casting. Students examined metal casting from several perspectives: manufacturing (molding, melting, filling, and finishing), engineering, quality, purchasing, marketing, and sales. They also explored the use of computers, math, and science in metal casting.

In addition to their lab and course work, the students learned about WMU programs and requirements from administrators and met with a panel of industrial professionals and the Foundry Educational Foundation. (FEF) to review career opportunities in metal casting.

The workshop included visits to area foundries to see real-world technology. This year’s attendees toured A.C. Foundry, Battle Creek, MI, and Contech’s die casting facilities in Dowagiac, MI. They also enjoyed activities in the Kalamazoo / Portage metro area.

Students who attended the program were selected on the basis of aptitude for math and science and were sponsored by various chapters of the American Foundry Society (AFS) and the North American Die Casting Association (NADCA). There was no cost to the students, who stayed in WMU dorms and enjoyed campus life.

WMU’s metal-casting program is over 100 years old. Its most recent accreditation was when Ramrattan joined the faculty in 1992. Metal casting is presently an option in all IME undergraduate programs. For more information, contact Dr. Sam at sam.ramrattan@wmich.edu

WMU’s Sunseeker races for a place in the sun in 2008 NASC

The WMU 2008 Sunseeker solar car team headed to Texas last week to compete with 23 other teams in the 2008 North American Solar Challenge (NASC). The 14-member team will spend a week qualifying for the biennial, cross-country, international, intercollegiate 2,400-mile race set for July 13-22, 2008, from Texas to Calgary, Canada.

The Sunseeker team designed and built this year’s entry using state-of-the-art technology. Team captain David Ludens, who graduated in April, said this year’s car is lighter, has improved motor controllers, and features a “brand-new generation of batteries.” The car also has improved aerodynamics, and the driver’s seat has been adjusted to allow the driver to sit up to drive.

Unveiled in a ceremony in front of the CEAS Parkview Campus the day before the team left for Texas, the 2008 car is different from past entries. The new Sunseeker is white and has front-wheel drive. Although it still has four wheels, the back ones are about one foot apart so that the car functions as a three-wheeled vehicle. The second rear wheel adds stability and safety.

This year’s team advisors are Abraham Poot, engineering lab coordinator for both Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, and John Kapenga, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science.

The 2008 NASC is sponsored by Toyota and Crowder College. The race has stops and checkpoints in seven US and five Canadian cities: Plano (just north of Dallas), Texas [start of the race]; McAlester, Okla.; Neosho, Mo.; Topeka, Kan,; Omaha, Neb.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Fargo, N.D.; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Brandon, Manitoba; Regina, Saskatchewan; Medicine Hat, Alberta; and Calgary, Alberta [the finish line].

Eight American solar challenges have been held since 1990. In 2005 WMU’s solar car entry finished in sixth place and won the competition’s “Aesthetics” award.

2008 Sunseeker Tech Specs: The 2008 Sunseeker vehicle weighs 240 Kg; it’s five meters long, 1.8 meters wide and 1.2 meters high. Its motors include 2 CSIRO hub motors, 4.5 KW each, and front wheel drive. Its solar cells feature Emcore triple junction gallium arsenide with a peak output of 1500 W. The vehicle’s 29 Kg Battery pack consists of 520 Lithium Polymer cells with 5.3 KWhr capacity. The chassis features a chromemoly roll cage with carbon fiber bottom shell and fiberglass array shell. The car has a dual hydraulic braking system with Hayes four-wheel disks. It has four G.H. Craft carbon fiber wheels with Bridgestone Ecopia 2.5 x 14 tires.

CEAS hosts Agile Manufacturing Conference on July 16 - 18

The 2008 International Conference on Agile Manufacturing is set for Wed., July 16, to Fri., July 18, at Western Michigan University’s Parkview Campus, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Sponsored by the International Society of Agile Manufacturers (ISAM), the conference will focus on the latest advances in agile manufacturing methods and business processes.

“This conference provides an excellent opportunity for industrial practitioners, academic researchers, and engineering and business graduate students to update their understanding of agile methods from the design, manufacture, and business process perspectives,” said Dr. Pavel Ikonomov, conference chair and assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.

“This conference will encourage both academia and industry to get involved in the free exchange of ideas and to discuss the challenges of agile methodologies,” he said. “The conference will also encourage future collaboration among the members of these groups.”

Ikonomov is looking for “speakers, papers, and participants” in all areas of agile manufacturing. “I know that many with valuable experience do not like to write full papers,” he said. “For this conference, I want everyone to be fully involved.”

Dr. Pavel Ikonomov

According to Ikonomov, the conference will be preceded by a day of interactive workshops to allow delegates to get a deeper understanding of the fundamentals and recent significant advances in agile methodologies.

The conference begins with an opening reception and includes workshops, tutorials, panels, exhibits, technical sessions, and tours. Dinners and other social activities allow for informal networking. Sponsorship opportunities are available for industrial partners.

Topics for the conference include but are not limited to lean manufacturing, flexible manufacturing, rapid and functional full-scale prototyping, reverse engineering, concurrent engineering and PLM, quality assurance and six sigma, and reverse engineering verification and applications.

Other related topics of interest include agile business processes, supply chain management and development, new product development and design, and agility in remote production. Additional topics include empirical methods for assessing lean and agile processes, cross-disciplinary aspects of agility, agile software development, micro/nano manufac­turing, and research and applications in the automotive industry.

Those who are interested in making a presentation should contact Ikonomov as soon as possible, and preferably before Wed., June 25.

For more conference information, check out

http://www.wmich.edu/ime/icam2008/

Serving Hotdogs and Jobs at the 2nd Annual Co-op Cookout

CEAS students devoured more than 500 hotdogs during the 2^nd Annual Co-op Cookout, a three-hour opportunity for students, career advisers, and employers to meet informally.

Fred Sitkins, CEAS director of co-operative education, coordinated the event, held on the Parkview Campus front lawn. Post Battle Creek and Parker Aerospace donated the hotdogs and accompaniments respectively.

Sitkins attributed the cookout’s success to the “excellent support” provided by CEAS Career & Student Employment Services staff and administration, and to ASME, NSBE, Tau Beta Pi, and Theta Tau volunteers.

The picnic-style eating fest followed a “Co-op Spring Info Session” by Parker, which offered students an afternoon of information on the company and its employment opportunities. Similar information sessions had been offered by Post Battle Creek, Stryker, and Eaton Galesburg for the three weeks preceding the cookout.

Each week, one company spent one afternoon at the CEAS campus. The company’s representatives set up a table-top display in the Parkview lobby in the early afternoon, accepted resumes and met informally for a couple of hours with students.

Then, at about 4:30 p.m., company reps provided a two-hour presentation highlighting the company’s history, products, processes, innovations, goals, and employment expectations. The presentation ended with a Q and A session.

Sitkins said the weekly spring events had been so enthusiastically received that he plans to continue them this fall in a format similar to this spring’s. About 25 to 45 students are expected to attend each event.

“We’re encouraging business and industry reps to connect with engineering and technology students for potential internships, co-ops, and full-time employment,” Sitkins said.

Employers interested in learning more about the fall session program or in scheduling a fall information session should contact Sitkins at fred.sitkins@wmich.edu or Heather Highhouse, CEAS career advisor, at heather.highhouse@wmich.edu

 

CEAS Showcases Special Projects at First WMU Day

CEAS students, faculty, and administrators were among the roughly 800 who participated in the first WMU Day held in Lansing on the lawn of Michigan’s Capitol. All WMU colleges showcased projects on the lawn of Michigan’s Capitol in Lansing. Among the CEAS displays were a concrete canoe, a life-sized robot, a solar car, a Formula race car, a hydraulic bike and chair research.

 

Dr. Tarun Gupta, a professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME), and a team brought RoboBronco, a six-foot tall robot with a friendly horse face. Gupta mentored a robotic team of area high school students who call themselves the Quantum Ninjas, in the FIRST competition.

WMU’s Sunseeker solar car team, with advisors Abraham Poot and John Kapenga, brought its 2005 entry for up-close examination. The team is preparing its current entry for next month’s 2008 North American Solar Challenge (NASC), a biennial, cross-country, international, intercollegiate 2,400-mile race from Dallas, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Sunseeker is designed and built by students from all academic disciplines.

The Bronco entourage was welcomed by several area legislators, including Rep. Lorence Wenke, who praised the WMU supporters for what he described as a unique and “impressive” presentation.

Industrial Engineering Major is IME’s 2008 Presidential Scholar

Benjamin L. Smith, of Athens, MI, was the recipient of the Presidential Scholar Award in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Western Michigan University.

As a Presidential Scholar, Smith, whose GPA is 3.95, achieved WMU’s highest academic award. He is the top 2008 graduating scholar of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering.

“I am honored to receive such a prestigious award,” he said. “However, the credit really belongs to my classmates, my professors and staff members, and especially my parents for their support and guidance over the past four years.”

The award was presented at the 28th Annual Presidential Scholars Convocation, hosted by WMU President John Dunn. For the event, Smith was joined by IME’s Dr. Bob White, who was Smith’s choice as the most supportive faculty member. “Dr. White’s style of teaching and challenging course work have truly prepared me for the professional environment,” Smith said. “I’ve learned that data are not always perfect and answers are not always in the back of textbooks. We must simply do the best with what we’re presented and be able to effectively communicate our results with the appropriate justifications.”

In April, Smith, a Lee Honors College scholar, earned a BS in Engineering: Industrial.

During his time at WMU, Smith completed internships at DENSO Manufacturing Michigan and Albion Industries, and he served WMU as a research associate and as a teaching assistant.

Smith has been active in numerous professional organizations, including the Institute of Industrial Engineers, American Society of Engineering Management, and APICS-the Association for Operations Management. He also is a member of the Alpha Pi Mu and Tau Beta Pi engineering honor societies and participates in various volunteering activities.

Five Inducted into 2007 Alumni Excellence Academy

Kalamazoo’s Park Club was the setting for the inauguration ceremony of five new members inducted into the 2007 Alumni Excellence Academy last month. WMU President John Dunn joined the CEAS Executive Committee and CEAS Dean Tim Greene in honoring the recipients, who have impressive credentials.

Dr. Nick Triantafillopoulos (BSE `81 and MS `85, Paper Engineering), Director of Technology for Performance Chemicals at OMNOVA Solutions, Inc. and one of the company’s two Fellows, also serves on the OMNOVA Foundation board – which distributes $1.1 million annually in education grants, and the TAPPI Coating and Graphic Arts Steering Council.

A world recognized expert in coating process technologies and rheology, Triantafillopoulos has won OMNOVA’s Eagle of Excellence chairman’s award. An author of numerous books and papers, he selected WMU for its paper science and engineering program.

Rod Smith (MS `81, Computer Science), an IBM Fellow and Vice President of Internet Emerging Technologies, IBM Software Group, is a recognized technical leader in the industry. His team’s techno­logical innovations and cross-industry collaborations have enabled the rapid adoption of technologies such as Web Services, XML, Linux, Java and most recently, Ajax and Do-it-yourself application platforms.

Smith enjoys a sustained record of achievements in the software business with his ability to identify key emerging technologies. Companies that have sought his expertise include O’Reilly, JP Morgan Chase, Disney, Reuters, CNN/Turner, AMEX, and Lockheed Martin. Smith has earned many awards including IBM’s Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Design Excellence Award.

Dr. Arvon (Arv) Byle (BS `61 and MS `63, Industrial Education), a WMU professor in the Department of Paper and Printing Science and Engineering, retired in 1996. In addition to teaching, he had served as department chair for eight years. An expert in rotogravure and flexographic packaging and publication printing, he served on many committees, provided consulting services, traveled abroad as an industry/education advocate, and served students in various capacities.

Byle loved classroom teaching. He also recruited students nationally for WMU. In 1995, he won WMU’s Distinguished Service Award, and when he retired, a Medallion Scholarship was awarded in his name.

Fred Lawrence (BS `70, Electrical Engineering), a venture partner for Shepherd Ventures and California Capital, the chair of Silicon Systems and Ceyx Technologies, and the director for Avaax, is a member

of the Board of Directors for the San Diego State University Business School and the Florida Council of 100. He started his career telecommunications at AT&T, where he worked while attending college.

Lawrence has also served as CEO, Sprint’s Florida Telephone Operations; president, Transmission Group of ADC Telecommunications; CEO, ComStream; and CEO, Adaptive Broadband Corp.

Curt Shaneour (BS `59, Aviation Maintenance), president/CEO of the Shane Group in Hillsdale, MI, is a charter member of the Presidents’ Forum for the Center for Entrepreneurship at Eastern Michigan University. The four-year US Air Force veteran is presently president of the Hillsdale County Industrial Development Commission and the former mayor of Hillsdale.

Shaneour has been recognized by Omicron Delta Kappa (academic and leadership fraternity) and the State of Michigan Legislature and has won the Hillsdale Community Service Award and the Hillsdale College “Charger Award.” His charitable interests include the Hillsdale Junior Achievement and the Hillsdale Chamber of Commerce.

The Alumni Excellence winners were selected by the CEAS Executive Committee from nominations submitted by alumni, administrators, and faculty. More information on the awards and the 2008 nominations is available at http://www.wmich.edu/engineer/alumni.htm

** CEAS finance analyst Laura Decker prepared the induction ceremony program used for information featured in this e-News.

CEAS Directs Engineering Sessions for KAMSC Students

About 130 high school students from the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC) held classes for two days last semester at WMU’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ Parkview Campus. Several CEAS faculty provided the KAMSC juniors and seniors with sessions on a variety of topics related to engineering and applied sciences.

Dr. Osama Abudayyeh, CEAS associate dean, and Scot Conant, CEAS student outreach and recruitment coordinator, arranged the event with Dr. John Goudie, director of KAMSC research. The activity was the first of what could become an ongoing event. “The students were very happy with the sessions,” Abudayyeh said.

Dr. Brad Bazuin, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), lectured on recent research on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), the automatic identification method that stores data and retrieves it remotely. Drs. Frank Severance, Damon Miller, John Gesink, and Raghe Gejji, all ECE faculty, coordinated sessions that provided an activity in which student built and tested an electronic coin tosser.

Dr. Dean Johnson (ECE) led a session on iPod Deconstruction and  Dr. Janos Grantner (ECE) presented a session on digital logic.

Dr. Jan Pekarovic - Department of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Imaging (PCI) - offered sessions on paper testing. Other PCI-directed sessions included fiber microscopy by Dr. Matt Stoops and thermo response by Dr. Harold Hladky.

Dr. Pavel Ikonomov, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) demonstrated the CNC machine, and Slobodan Urdarevik (IME) presented sessions on 3D Solid Modeling in AutoCAD.

Dr. Karlis Kaugars, CAE director, introduced games programming.

Dr. Jun-Seok Oh, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE), directed sessions in the Intelligent Transportation in Civil Engineering. Dr. Hubo Cai (CCE) offered an activity in rapid global positioning.

Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (MAE) faculty provided several sessions. Dr. Parviz Merati and MAE grad student Charles Davis presented fluid measurements with pulse lasers, and Dr. Koorosh Naghshineh demonstrated concepts in the Noise and Vibration lab. Dr. Murali Ghantasala participated in sessions in the Micro/Nano Technology lab.

Abudayyeh is looking forward to future exchanges with KAMSC. “Since this one involved juniors and seniors, we would have to either do younger students next year or wait two years and invite juniors and seniors again,” he said. For more information, email osama.abudayyeh@wmich.edu

IME Honors the 2008 Top Scholars at Clausing Luncheon

IME’s top graduate and undergraduate students were honored this month at the annual Student Recognition Luncheon provided by Clausing Industrial Inc., which has been supporting IME programs for 55 years.

IME Departmental Outstanding Undergraduate Students
(L to R ): Jason Klein (MFT), James Vlieg (EGR), Courtney Rawlings (EGR), Shannon Bowerson (IEN), Michael Sell (UEM), with IME Chair Paul Engelmann and Dean Tim Greene. Absent: Robert Barden (EGR)

Dr. David Lyth, IME professor, emceed the ceremony honoring IME’s top students in all programs: under-graduate: engineering graphics and design (EGR), industrial engineering (IEN), manufacturing technology (MFT), and engineering management (UEM) and graduate – Ph.D. in industrial engineering and master’s – industrial engineering (IENM), engineering management (ENMN), manufacturing (MNEM), and operations research (OPRN).

IME Departmental Outstanding Graduate Students
(L to R ): IME Chair Paul Engelmann, Elizabeth Evans (OPRN), Michael Hoonhorst (IENM), Jay Morrison and William Crocker (ENMN), Jai Thomas (IE Ph.D.), Dean Tim Greene, and Adil Abdelwahab (MNEM).

CEAS Dean Tim Greene and IME Chair Paul Engelmann assisted in the presentation of awards in a ceremony that included paying tribute to the officers and IME advisors of seven student societies and three IME student honor societies. Engelmann referred to the award winners and society officers as “future leaders” and encouraged them to use their gifts to improve that future.

Presidential Scholar: Benjamin Smith (third from left) is IME’s 2008 top scholar. With the IEN major are (from left) IME Chair Paul Engelmann, Dr. Bob White, and Dean Tim Greene. White was Smith’s choice as outstanding faculty member.

IME Dean’s Outstanding Students with Faculty Choices
From left Dr. Sam Ramrattan (MFT), Jason Klein (MFT), Dr. Bob White (IEN), Ashley Bazzana (IEN), IME Chair Paul Engelmann, Mr. Joe Petro (UEM), Dr. Mitch Keil (EGR), Brad Tudor (EGR), and Dean Tim Greene. Absent: Matt Spenceley (UEM)

The event was organized by Tom Swartz, who chairs the Scholarship and Awards Committee. Klaz Welch and Mary Fosburg and the IME office were acknowledged for their support in organizing the luncheon.

WMU Chapter Wins an Award at Regional IIE Conference

Attending the regional IIE Conference were (left to right): Row 1 David Treier, Ben Smith, Krisana Gutierrez, and Aarti Valsadia; Row 2: Ella Lambrix; Row 3: Wen Ken Loh, Yenni Chen, Alisha Hankins, Mariam Ouazar, and Prachi Chandrana; Row 4: Eric Drzerwicki, Rob Cookingham, Bryan Dopkins, Shannon Bowerson, and Ashley Bazanna; Row 5: Evan Maltas, Dr. Steven Butt, Matt Pridgeon, and Dr. Tycho Fredericks

 

Last month, 17 industrial engineering students - all members of WMU’s IIE chapter who ranged from freshmen to seniors - attended the Great Lakes Region IV Institute of Industrial Engineers Conference (IIE) at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.

Yenni Chen, an IE sophomore, won third place in a competition to determine the best technique to sort a deck of cards and place them in order. “Yenni did an incredible job using our IE skills to come up with the best procedure to sort the cards,” said Shannon Bowerson, an IE senior who serves as IIE president. For her accomplishment, Chen received a check from the University of Louisville Student Chapter.

The group also heard several speakers and technical paper presentations and toured the Louisville Slugger factory. “We all received a free Louisville Slugger bat and a group picture with the giant bat in front of the factory,” Bowerson said.

The other IE students who attended the regional conference include Ashley Bazanna, Prachi Chandrana, Rob Cookingham, Bryan Dopkins, Eric Drzerwicki, Krisana Gutierrez, Alisha Hankins, Ella Lambrix, Wen Ken Loh, Evan Maltas, Mariam Ouazar, Matt Pridgeon, Ben Smith, David Treier, and Aarti Valsadia.

Accompanying the students were Dr. Steven Butt and Dr. Tycho Fredericks, professors in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) who serve as advisors to the WMU IE Chapter. “We really appreciate everything they [advisors] do for us,” Bowerson said.

WMU’s IIE chapter toured Louisville Slugger factory, where
everyone received a bat and this photo

“We also appreciate and want to thank the IME department and the Dean [Dr. Tim Greene] for their generosity and the support that allowed us to attend this conference,” Bowerson said.

IME Night Showcases Programs with Facts, Fun, and Food

To showcase IME’s four undergraduate programs, the IME department held its second annual IME Night. IME students and professors provided lots of pizza in an informal setting to discuss and answer questions about industrial and entrepreneurial engineering (IEE), manufacturing engineering technology (MFT), engineering management technology (UEM), and engineering graphics and design technology (EGR).

Ilgin Acar (right), IE Ph.D. student, reviews chair research with Case Bonebrake, who came to IME Night to explore options and who won the
door prize, a WMU chair.

Slobodan Urdarevik, IME faculty, coordinated the event. Activities included games, lab tours, research displays, and networking opportunities with faculty, students, and representatives of two area companies Enhancing the fun was a variety of pizza, soda, and treats.

 

Torrey Cook (left), associate human resource manager for General Foods’ Post Cereal, talks to Wes Moon, an undecided CEAS student. Post is a major
contributor to WMU and CEAS.

Torrey Cook, an associate human resource manager for General Foods’ Post Cereals, and Anton Lorentz III, a technology team leader from Parker Hannifin Corp., the Parker Aerospace Group, The Hydraulics System Division, discussed what engineers do in the workplace. Cook also answered questions of presently enrolled IME students about resumes and life after graduation.

As Trent Kenworthy (left), an IME teaching assistant majoring in IE,
looks on, IME professor Dr. Tarun Gupta (second from left) explains a
robot to two undecided students who attended IME Night. The robot
was designed and built by a team of area high school students for the
2008 FIRST regional competition next month.

IME students and faculty set up tables to showcase IME programs, products, and organizations and to answer questions. Ongoing chair research being done by IME’s Human Performance Institute was displayed so that participants could examine a chair used to produce computerized images of the pressure points a person exerts when he or she sits. Furthermore, some Parkview Campus engineering labs were open for guided tours and demonstrations

IME faculty Dr. Tarun Gupta (left) and Slobodan Urdarevik, discuss
IME programs with Kevin Megee (right), an undecided CEAS engineering student. Urdarevik coordinated IME Night.

Urdarevik credited the IME professors, staff, and students for the event’s success. Special thanks were offered to Troy Place, who emailed over 160 invitations, Fred Sitkins, who invited the corporate representatives, and the IME office staff: Klaz Welch, Mary Fosburg, Marji VanHoorelbeke, and John Jacobs for their efforts in procuring food and preparing publicity materials. “Many contributed to this event,” Urdarevik said.