IME department loses a colleague and friend…Rex Hall

Rex E. Hall, associate professor of metals processing at Western Michigan University for 26 years, passed away on February 24, 2005, following a long illness.

Rex E. Hall (1927-2005)

 

Born November 13, 1927, in Ennis, Texas, the son of Samuel W. and Ethel L. (Powledge) Hall came to WMU in 1961 from Pittsburg, Kansas. He managed the machine shop in the Industrial Education Department (IED) until he retired in 1987.

IME Chair Paul Engelmann, who knew Hall as a professor and as a colleague and who served as Hall’s lab assistant in 1981-82, said Hall “forgot more about manufacturing processes than most people ever learn.”

Describing Hall as his “major professor in 11 years of college,” Engelmann said Hall’s expertise included sheet metal, press work, forging, casting, welding, powdered metallurgy, materials testing, art metal working and more.

“His [Hall’s] depth of understanding was breathtaking,” Engelmann said. “I gained more technical knowledge from him than from anyone else.”

According to IME professor Fred Sitkins – who managed the Mechanical Engineering machine shop during the same time period that Hall managed IED’s and who assumed responsibilities for a blended machine shop after Hall retired – Hall was affectionately referred to as “Mr. Machine Shop”.

“Most students and faculty agreed that Rex knew more about machining processes and techniques than anyone we had ever met in either education or industry,” Sitkins said. “Rex served as a mentor to all of us.”

Hall is also remembered for a style of humor that was honed in his native Texas and that “never failed to bring a smile when one was needed,” Sitkins said.

Engelmann said he couldn’t think about Hall without smiling at remembrances of his teaching style. Hall required students to “meticulously maintain tools” and he gave “hard as nails” tests. “Rex didn’t allow tool abuse, and when it was appropriate, he could yell at the top of his lungs.”

Sitkins said that Hall’s “influence continues today” and that many alumni have asked about Hall and have shared their admiration of him with comments like, “I learned more than just machining from Rex.”

With Hall’s “magnetic personality,” Sitkins said that Hall quickly bonded with students and colleagues alike. “Rex took pride in his unique way of remembering every student’s name especially the ones that were very difficult to pronounce.”

Hall continued to visit WMU until his final illness took him. Rex served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Martha (Gaskin) Hall, whom he married on December 26, 1951; their three children: Cathy L. (James) VanderMeer of Holland, MI, Elizabeth A. Eichelberg of Houston, TX, and Terry S. Graf of Dallas, TX; and five grandchildren.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of Rex – my friend, mentor, colleague, and counselor,” Sitkins said. “I am blessed to have known him. I'm also blessed to carry on his legacy in our department.”

Students earn prizes in new engineering graphics competition

Three engineering students who were enrolled in IME 142 Engineering Graphics during the Fall 2004 semester have won prizes in Engineering Graphics/CADKey Competition, a new competition organized by the program’s new lecturer.

At the first Engineering Graphics/CADKey Competition awards ceremony, (left to right): Slobodan Urdarevik, Andrew Hyder (third), Trent Kenworthy (second), Jim Vlieg (first), and Dr. Paul Engelmann

Receiving first prize was Jim Vlieg, a first-year mechanical engineering student from Kentwood. The honors student presented his winning entry at the awards ceremony.

Trent Kenworthy, an industrial engineering junior who transferred to WMU, earned second place. Based on his work experience, the Rose City native identified career interests in process engineering and advanced manufacturing engineering.

The third place winner was Andrew Hyder, a mechanical engineering freshman from Goodrich, who is interested in a career in management.

About 30 of the 330 students enrolled in IME 142 during fall semester competed for prizes.

IME Professor Slobodan Urdarevik, lead lecturer in the engineering graphics program for the last two years, initiated the competition to “generate excitement” about engineering graphics.

“I’m proud of the work they did,” Urdarevik said as he described the final decision as being “very close.”

All three winners are or will be teaching assistants (TAs) for IME 142 lab courses.

IME Chair Dr. Paul Engelmann congratulated the winners before about 100 students present at the ceremony, which took place during one of this semester’s IME 142 lectures.

“All of you are headed into disciplines that will require you to use graphics in your careers,” Engelmann said. “This competition allows us to give

students recognition for going above and beyond, and it gives those students a leg up on the competition when they talk to recruiters who want to know what they have done beyond the classroom.”

Each competitor was required to create a three-dimensional solid model of the part and a layout with a number of required views from what Urdarevik described as a “very complicated” drawing.

Urdarevik said that a similar competition is planned for this semester for the 188 students presently enrolled in IME 142.

At the first Engineering Graphics/CADKey Competition awards ceremony, Jim Vlieg (left) presents his first-place entry. Urdarevik is on the right..

All three winners received plaques acknowledging their accomplishments. The first-place winner also received a CADKey program and a $100 certificate. Second- and third-place winners also received certificates for $50 and $30 respectively.

Prizes for the competition were gifts from Kubotek, formerly known as CADKey; CIM Solutions, Grand Haven; Damon’s Grill, Kalamazoo; and Dr. Hook, Inc., Kalamazoo.

Urdarevik came to WMU from Humber College in Toronto where he taught for eight years. He earned his master’s in mechanical engineering at the University of Skopje in Macedonia.

WMU hosts IIE regional conference on post-graduation life

Over 100 student members of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) – from as far away as University of Louisville and Ohio University – traveled recently to the WMU Parkview Campus for “The World Beyond” Region IV Conference and Technical Paper Competition.

Emceeing the program was senior Renae Hoglen, who also served as the lead co-chair of the event, which focused on information and ideas about what industrial engineers can expect after graduation.

About 40 WMU students attended the event, which included an awards dinner at the Radisson.

IIE Region IV Conference Committee: (L-R) Advisor Tycho Fredericks, co-chairs Alana Dumasius, Renae Hoglen, Lindsay Tabbert, Erin Brown, and Advisor Steven Butts

WMU senior Sachet Shah presented a paper on hospital environmental services. Other technical papers were presented by students from University of Louisville, Purdue, Youngstown State University, and Wayne State University.

Judging of the papers was done by Dr. Harvey Wolfe, an IE professor from University of Pittsburgh, Larry Ellison, a consultant for Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, and Brian Hicks, from the Steelcase Supply Chain Management Department in Grand Rapids.

Wolfe presented information on the vast array of careers open to industrial engineers, and Dr. Teresa Bellinger, Senior Corporate Ergonomist for Haworth, Inc., explained the complexities of chair design.

Answering questions about their post-graduate lives was a panel of four WMU alumni: Courtney Miller (2004), an applications engineer at TRW Occupant Safety Systems, Washington, MI; Jason Hart (2001), a team leader of Stryker’s largest assembly team; Joe Seestadt (2000), Delphi Corp., who’s on special assignment at Ambrake Corp., Elizabethtown, KY; and Nikki Crocker (2004), who is seeking her master’s degree at WMU.

WMU alums answer questions about life after college, left to right: Courtney Miller, Nikki Crocker, Jason Hart, and Joe Seestadt

R. David Nelson, Global Supply Management VP for Delphi Corp., gave the keynote address, “What Does it Mean to be Lean?”

Morning breakout sessions provided attendees with three topic choices. IME professors Dr. Bob White spoke on “Life after Graduation” and Dr. Betsy Aller addressed “What to Do in an Interview.” Dr. Peter Parker, from the Department of Paper Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Imaging, offered “Engineering Ethics.”

Dr. Teresa Bellinger, Senior Corporate Ergonomist for Haworth, Inc., explains the complexities of chair design.

IME’s Drs. Steven Butt and Tycho Fredericks serve as advisors to the WMU IIE Chapter.