School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy Catalyzing change for a better tomorrow
2017 Report The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University offers 25 undergraduate programs and 41 graduate programs in its six schools:
School of School of School of School for School of The Biological Computing, Electrical, Engineering Sustainable Polytechnic and Health Informatics, Computer of Matter, Engineering School Systems and Decision and Energy Transport and and the Built Engineering Systems Engineering Energy Environment Engineering
In the U.S., one in 72 graduating undergraduate engineers is a Sun Devil
Licenses and Options #3 Behind only Purdue and Carnegie Mellon $104M Research expenditures IP Disclosures FY2016-2017 Behind only Carnegie Mellon, Caltech #4 and Purdue
Startups Behind only Purdue, Carnegie Mellon 19 #4 and Stanford NSF CAREER awardees in the last Comparative data per $10 million in research expenditures, based on the three years Association of University Technology Managers annual report of top national engineering schools.
Lead institution on two and partner on two Lead institution on the Department of National Science Foundation Engineering Research Centers Homeland Security Center of Excellence Director’s letter.
Breaking boundaries to exemplify excellence
The School for Engineering of Matter, continues to attract top students from Research expenditures Transport and Energy continues to across the country. In 2016, five Flinn make transformational, technological Scholars chose to pursue degrees in our advancements to elevate Arizona school. Also, 21.4 percent of our students State University’s academic enterprise. are in Barrett, The Honors College. $19,195,543 Our faculty of esteemed engineers, 2017 Our faculty members strive to be at the entrepreneurs, scientists and teachers forefront of every intellectual revolution to enhance our national reputation for match our students’ talents and ambition $18,603,418 innovation through significant awards and 2016 to succeed. They are driven by a sincere achievements, from honorary doctorates commitment to elevate teaching, service and professional society awards to multiple and research. Professor Jim Middleton $18,047,126 2015 grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and Professor Kyle Squires, dean of the and the Department of Defense. Fulton Schools, both have received grants In addition, our junior faculty won highly from the NSF to improve education in 2014 $17,729,908 competitive and prestigious National mathematics and engineering. Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Our students exemplify excellence and Development (CAREER) Awards. This year, 2013 $15,884,332 bring in top honors and awards as well. Jay Oswald and Robert Wang secured Christopher Balzer, a chemical engineering CAREER funding to pursue impactful graduate, is the first student from ASU 2012 research on the rapid, computer-guided $15,602,696 to receive the prestigious Churchill design of better plastics and the creation Scholarship. Balzer and Kaleigh Johnson of phononic materials to manipulate the have also been named Goldwater Scholars transmission of sound and heat. Brent 0 5M 10M 15M 20M in 2016. Many of our talented students also Nannenga and Liping Wang received receive graduate research fellowships from grants from the Air Force Office of NASA, the NSF and the DOE. Our students Scientific Research Young Investigator are also involved in interdisciplinary Enrollment Research Program. They were two of 58 activities, such as the AZLoop team scientists and engineers from 41 research that competed in the second Hyperloop institutions in the nation who submitted competition sponsored by SpaceX. winning research proposals in 2016. As we move forward, we reflect on the Our school relies on interdisciplinary Master’s Doctoral generosity of our donors who help us leaders who break boundaries to produce 418 246 provide a lasting education with breadth research that improves quality of life for and depth while fueling new thinking, all. Professor Yongming Liu directs a knowledge and technology for challenges five-year project of $10 million funded by being faced by our state, nation and world. NASA’s Aeronautics University Leadership We invite you to invest in our school and Initiative. Liu’s team of experts — including partner with us as we foster discovery, faculty from the Ira A. Fulton Schools creativity and innovation — our influence of Engineering and collaborators from has no boundaries. Vanderbilt University, Southwest Research Bachelor’s Institute and Optimal Synthesis Inc. — will 3,249 improve aviation and drive the future of air traffic management. Lenore L. Dai The combination of our award-winning Professor of chemical engineering faculty, interdisciplinary research and Director of the School for Engineering nationally recognized undergraduate of Matter, Transport and Energy Total 3,913 and graduate programs — in aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering and solar energy engineering and commercialization —
3 SEMTE Report 2017
Welcome Research (continued) Degree programs
3 Director’s Letter 20 Designing a new class of 32 Aerospace engineering 2D materials Chemical engineering Faculty 21 Creating faster, more Materials science and engineering efficient turbines 5 Faculty excellence Mechanical engineering Solar energy engineering and CONFaculty spotlight Innovation -commercialization 22 Improving next-generation 6 Jay Oswald air traffic control with $10M Giving from NASA 7 Robert Wang 33 Professor's dedication 24 Spurring workforce development remembered in scholarship 8 Panagiotis Artemiadis on a grand scale 9 Candace Chan Fighting off troublesome frost Staff and ice 10 Marc Mignolet 34 Staff directory 25 Deploying advanced materials 11 Kiran Solanki for economic security and 35 Staff praised for stellar TENTShuman well-being contributions New faculty Andrea Brown honored for remarkable advising efforts 12 Kumar Ankit Scholarships Jeonglae Kim 26 Scholarship recipients Follow us on Christopher Muhich 27 Outstanding and social media distinguished graduates Raghavendra Murthy Facebook - SEMTE@ASU Twitter - @SEMTEatASU Arul Varman Students Join our group on LinkedIn Houlong Zhuang 28 ASU's first Churchill Scholarship awarded to chemical engineer Contributors Faculty expertise 29 Accomplished triathlete and 13 Faculty directory budding engineer has sight set Diane Boudreau on excellence Monique Clement Ken Fagan AZLoop team places among top at Research Hyperloop competition Elizabeth Farquhar Terry Grant 16 Addressing an urgent 30 Recent grad seeks to make a Jessica Hochreiter need for high-efficiency, difference through solar energy Joe Kullman renewable energy Student helps found Charrie Larkin 17 Shaking up the world of Microscopy Society of Charlie Leight proteins with engineering America Student Council Haley MacDonell Leslie Minton 18 Calculating a love of math 31 Working on the technology of tomorrow at NASA Scott Seckel Advancing first-generation Rose Serago college student success DNA clustering research earns Nora Skrodenis AIChE poster award 19 Revolutionary research aims to Amanda Stoneman detect Alzheimer’s more quickly Pete Zrioka 20 Promising potential treatment for autism Volunteer Join us at E2, Homecoming and other events throughout the year. Reconnect with alumni, learn about new research initiatives and meet our outstanding students. Faculty excellence
Jean Andino Kaushal Rege NSF CAREER Award winners promote Educator of the Year Award in Fellow, American Institute of Medical Higher Education, Society of Hispanic and Biological Engineers research at the frontiers of science and Professional Engineers technology while demonstrating community service through scientific leadership, Kiran Solanki education or community outreach. Panagiotis Artemiadis Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty
Sefaattin Tongay Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty are Spring Berman Top 5% Teaching Award; Scientist of associate or full professors who have a Office of Naval Research Young Investigator the Year for the Scientific and Technical combination of high research productivity, Award; Top 5% Teaching Award Research Council of Turkey; Young instructional load, student evaluations and Scientist Award from the Heroes of Science doctoral student mentoring. Association in Turkey; Fulton Outstanding Candace Chan Assistant Professor Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty; Scialog Fellow for Advanced Energy Storage Liping Wang Air Force Office of Scientific Research Werner Dahm Young Investigator Award Top 5% Teaching Award Robert Wang National Science Foundation Faculty Erica Forzani Early Career Development Award Fulton Entrepreneurial Professor (NSF CAREER Award)
Mary Laura Lind Thomas Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research Class of Influential Researchers
Yongming Liu NASA Aeronautics University Leadership Initiative
James Middleton Top 5% Teaching Award
Marc Mignolet Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty Jean Andino Andino, an associate professor of chemical engineering, won the 2017 Educator of the Year Award in Higher Brent Nannenga Education by the Society of Hispanic Professional Air Force Office of Scientific Research Engineers. She is committed to increasing the Young Investigator Award persistence of Latinx students in STEM disciplines. “I believe it is critically important to diversify the Jay Oswald engineering profession,” says Andino, who has become a constant presence in helping National Science Foundation Faculty students become professional engineers and pursue graduate school. Early Career Development Award (NSF CAREER Award)
5 Jay Oswald Jay Oswald, an associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, is supporting fundamental research on how materials structures at the molecular scale affect macroscopic physical properties of semi-crystalline plastics. This is part of a five-year, $500,000 National Science Foundation Early Career Development Award. The goal of Oswald’s research is to foster innovation in plastics manufacturing and shorten what is typically a 10 to 20-year development cycle for materials. Oswald’s interdisciplinary research group will develop new, computationally efficient models to advance the capabilities of plastics. These improved models will be relevant to many practical engineering problems, such as making cars safer or refining protective gear for police and military forces. Oswald will combine polymer science research with educational and outreach efforts to maintain a pipeline of highly trained engineers and scientists for the plastics industry. n
NSF CAREER Award winner Faculty spotlight.
Robert Wang Technological control over sound and heat In order to access this nanometer-scale has lagged far behind light. Robert Wang, assembly system, Wang uses colloidal an associate professor of aerospace and nanocrystals, which spontaneously assemble mechanical engineering, wants to bridge this into special structures called superlattices. gap by creating new, high-frequency These superlattices naturally possess the phononic crystals. periodic, alternating hard and soft materials that phononic crystals require in three dimensions. Researchers make phononic crystals with a periodic assembly of alternating hard and soft Wang earned a five-year, $562,500 National materials. These structures manipulate sound Science Foundation Early Career Development in kilohertz frequencies with millimeter-scale Award for his innovative use of colloidal objects. Creating these structures for heat is nanocrystals to address challenges in the challenging because it requires assembly with phononic crystal community. n nanometer-scale objects.
NSF CAREER Award winner
7 Panagiotis Artemiadis Panagiotis Artemiadis, an associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, is a leader in robotics. His research seeks to improve quality of life by developing and controlling autonomous systems that physically and cognitively interact with humans. The National Science Foundation recently awarded Artemiadis and two other scientists a $1 million grant to develop and test a smart robotic ankle capable of walking on several surfaces. This project will complement Artemiadis’ research on robotic devices that assist and augment human capabilities as well as provide motor rehabilitation therapy to impaired individuals. Artemiadis serves as the founder and director of the Human-Oriented Robotics and Control Laboratory. Recently, he was promoted to associate professor with tenure and received the Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty Award for his research productivity, classroom instruction and doctoral mentoring. n
Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty Faculty spotlight.
Candace Chan Candace Chan, an associate professor of Chan’s research involves finding more materials science and engineering, focuses stable, solid materials that are engineered to on laying the scientific foundations for maintain high ionic conductivity for batteries developing batteries and solar devices so the lithium ions can travel more efficiently for the next generation. between the electrodes. This will improve She received a 2016 National Science safety characteristics to avoid batteries Foundation Early Career Development Award overheating and catching fire. to research a ceramic replacement to the Recently, Chan was recognized as a Fulton flammable liquid electrolytes currently used Schools Exemplar Faculty for her dedication in batteries. As society relies on lithium ion to research excellence in nanostructured batteries for small, portable electronics, it materials for various applications, classroom has become increasingly important to find instruction and doctoral mentoring. n alternative materials.
Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty
9 Marc Mignolet Marc Mignolet, a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, is involved in three Air Force-funded projects in his primary area of expertise — the structural dynamics of aircraft. One project through the Collaborative Center for Structural Sciences focuses on developing new computational methods to predict the behavior of hypersonic vehicles, such as airplanes, missiles and spacecraft. These vehicles fly at about five to seven times the speed of sound in air, which cause large deformations and affect aerodynamics and heating. A second project, funded by a Multi-University Research Initiative grant, analyzes uncertain structures in hypersonic vehicles that result from manufacturing variability, lack of adequate material properties or geometry and unresolved physics to extend mathematical methods for more accurate predictions of behavior. Mignolet’s experiences in collaborative research combined with graduate student mentoring and serving as a graduate program chair in aerospace and mechanical engineering has earned him the Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty title. n
Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty Faculty spotlight.
Kiran Solanki Kiran Solanki, an associate professor of the results. Supported by a $635,000 grant aerospace and mechanical engineering, from the Office of Naval Research, Solanki is recently won a grant from the National Science also working with collaborators to improve the Foundation to research nanocrystalline performance and safety of the U.S. Navy’s aging alloys in metallic materials. This will help fleets to limit costs associated with corrosion. enhance rotating machinery and engine His team is studying joint degradation behavior components critical to the transportation, by combining electrochemical and materials/ defense and energy sectors. mechanical concepts. Solanki and colleagues from the Army Research Solanki has co-authored 50 journal articles, four Laboratory and the University of North Texas book chapters and 35 conference proceedings. created an innovative process to stabilize His research productivity and doctoral metals at the nano level. Nature, the highly mentoring have earned him the Fulton Schools recognized peer-reviewed journal, published Exemplar Faculty title. n
Fulton Schools Exemplar Faculty
11 New faculty Our interdisciplinary leaders catalyze change Our innovative and transformative faculty define the quality, success and reputation of our school. They strive to be at the forefront of every intellectual revolution and produce research that improves quality of life for all. This past year, we welcomed six new faculty to join our community of esteemed engineers, entrepreneurs, scientists and teachers who continuously push boundaries to elicit meaningful change.
Kumar Jeonglae Ankit Kim
Assistant Professor Assistant Professor PhD, Karlsruhe Institute of PhD, University of Illinois at Technology Urbana-Champaign Materials science and engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Christopher Raghavendra Arul Houlong Muhich Murthy Varman Zhuang
Assistant Professor Lecturer Assistant Professor Assistant Professor PhD, University of PhD, Arizona State University PhD, Washington PhD, Cornell University Colorado Boulder Aerospace and mechanical University in St. Louis Aerospace and mechanical Chemical engineering engineering Chemical engineering engineering
12 Faculty expertise.
Nikhilesh Chawla Ira A. Fulton Professor of Materials Science and Engineering PhD, University of Michigan Materials science and engineering
Kangping Chen Associate Professor PhD, University of Minnesota Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Peter Crozier Professor, Graduate Program Chair of Materials Science and Engineering PhD, University of Glasgow Materials science and engineering
Werner Dahm ASU Foundation Professor PhD, California Institute of Technology Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Lenore Dai Professor, School Director PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign James Adams Spring Berman Chemical engineering President’s Professor, Program Chair of Associate Professor Materials Science and Engineering PhD, University of Pennsylvania Shuguang Deng PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Aerospace and mechanical engineering Professor Materials science and engineering PhD, University of Cincinnati Luis Bocanegra Chemical engineering Ronald Adrian Professor of Practice Regents’ Professor, Ira A. Fulton Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical PhD, West Virginia University Sandwip Dey Engineering, Member of National Aerospace and mechanical engineering Professor Academy of Engineering PhD, Alfred University PhD, University of Cambridge Veronica Burrows Materials science and engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Associate Professor PhD, Princeton University Heather Emady Terry Alford Chemical engineering Assistant Professor Professor, Associate Director PhD, Purdue University PhD, Cornell University Chemical engineering Materials science and engineering Ronald Calhoun Associate Professor PhD, Stanford University Erica Forzani Jean Andino Aerospace and mechanical engineering Associate Professor, Fulton Associate Professor Entrepreneurial Professor PhD, California Institute of Technology Elizabeth Cantwell PhD, Cordoba National University Chemical engineering Chemical engineering Vice President for Research Development, Professor of Practice Kumar Ankit PhD, University of California, Berkeley Cody Friesen Assistant Professor Aerospace and mechanical engineering Associate Professor, Fulton Professor PhD, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology of Innovation Materials science and engineering PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Candace Chan Technology Associate Professor Materials science and engineering Panagiotis Artemiadis PhD, Stanford University Associate Professor Materials science and engineering PhD, National Technical University of Athens Aditi Chattopadhyay Aerospace and mechanical engineering Regents’ Professor, Ira A. Fulton Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Director of Adaptive Intelligent Materials and System Center PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology Aerospace and mechanical engineering
13 Faculty expertise.
Matthew Green Jerry Lin Qiong Nian Assistant Professor Regents’ Professor Assistant Professor PhD, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and PhD, Worcester Polytechnic Institute PhD, Purdue University State University Chemical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Mary Laura Lind Thomas David Nielsen Marcus Herrmann Associate Professor, Associate Professor, Program Chair of Associate Professor Graduate Program Chair of Chemical Engineering Chemical Engineering PhD, University of Technology Aachen PhD, Queen’s University at Kingston PhD, California Institute of Technology Aerospace and mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Chemical engineering Julianne Holloway Yongming Liu Jay Oswald Assistant Professor Associate Professor Professor PhD, Drexel University PhD, Northwestern University PhD, Vanderbilt University Chemical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Huei-Ping Huang Hamid Marvi Jay Patel Associate Professor Lecturer Assistant Professor PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana- PhD, Arizona State University Champaign PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology Aerospace and mechanical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Peet Hanqing Jiang James Middleton Matthew Associate Professor Professor Professor PhD, Stanford University PhD, Tsinghua University PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Aerospace and mechanical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Peet Yang Jiao Marc Mignolet Yulia Assistant Professor Assistant Professor Professor, Graduate Program Chair of Aerospace and PhD, Stanford University PhD, Princeton University Mechanical Engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Materials science and engineering PhD, Rice University Aerospace and mechanical engineering Peralta Jeonglae Kim Pedro Professor Assistant Professor Bin Mu PhD, University of Pennsylvania PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana- Assistant Professor Champaign Aerospace and mechanical engineering PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology Aerospace and mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Patrick Phelan Stephen Krause Professor Muhich Professor Christopher PhD, University of California at Assistant Professor Berkeley PhD, University of Michigan PhD, University of Colorado Boulder Aerospace and mechanical engineering Materials science and engineering Chemical engineering Rajagopalan Hyunglae Lee Jagannathan Murthy Associate Professor Assistant Professor Raghavendra Lecturer PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana- PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Champaign Technology PhD, Arizona State University Aerospace and mechanical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Raupp Taewoo Lee Brent Nannenga Gregory Assistant Professor ASU Foundation Professor, Director of Associate Professor MacroTechnology Works PhD, University of Washington PhD, University of Michigan PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chemical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Chemical engineering
Jian Li Nathan Newman Yi Ren Professor Lamonte H. Lawrence Professor in Solid State Science Assistant Professor PhD, University of Southern California PhD, Stanford University PhD, University of Michigan Materials science and engineering Materials science and engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering
14 Faculty expertise.
Arul Varman Assistant Professor PhD, Washington University in St. Louis Chemical engineering
Liping Wang Associate Professor PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Qing Hua Wang Assistant Professor PhD, Northwestern University Materials science and engineering
Robert Wang Associate Professor PhD, University of California at Berkeley Aerospace and mechanical engineering
Valana Wells Associate Professor, Program Chair of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering PhD, Stanford University Kaushal Rege Rakesh Singh Aerospace and mechanical engineering Professor Associate Research Professor PhD, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute PhD, Banaras Hindu University Sze Zheng Yong Chemical engineering Materials science and engineering Assistant Professor PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Daniel Rivera Kiran Solanki Technology Professor Associate Professor Aerospace and mechanical engineering PhD, California Institute of Technology PhD, Mississippi State University Chemical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering Houlong Zhuang Assistant Professor Konrad Rykaczewski Kyle Squires PhD, Cornell University Assistant Professor Professor, Dean of the Ira A. Fulton Aerospace and mechanical engineering PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology Schools of Engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering PhD, Stanford University Aerospace and mechanical engineering Jami Shah Professor Emeritus Timothy Takahashi PhD, Ohio State University Professor of Practice Aerospace and mechanical engineering PhD, University of Rochester Aerospace and mechanical engineering Abdelrahman Shuaib Professor of Practice Sefaattin Tongay PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison Assistant Professor Aerospace and mechanical engineering PhD, University of Florida Materials science and engineering Karl Sieradzki Professor César Torres PhD, Syracuse University Associate Professor Materials science and engineering PhD, Arizona State University Chemical engineering Michael Sierks Professor, Fulton Steven Trimble Entrepreneurial Professor Professor of Practice PhD, Iowa State University PhD, Union Institute & University Chemical engineering Aerospace and mechanical engineering
15 Research
Assistant Professor Liping Wang’s (third from right) Nano-Engineered Thermal Radiation Group engages a postdoctoral fellow, seven doctoral students including two visiting students from China and three undergraduates as part of the Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative. Photographer: Nora Skrodenis/ASU
Addressing an urgent need for high-efficiency, renewable energy
Liping Wang, an Currently, in thermophotovoltaic systems During the thermal radiation process, (systems that convert thermal energy to Wang’s nanowire metamaterials can interact associate professor of power), efficiency is very low. These systems with both the electric and magnetic fields, aerospace and mechanical commonly suffer from a loss of heat — which allows for improved control of light known as waste heat — rather than using propagation, absorption and emission with engineering, imagines an that heat to generate additional electricity. “both hands” of the wave. This can lead to energy sector enhanced greater energy efficiency and power input by A solution to the problem lies in designing improving the conversion of thermal energy by greater control over emitters and receivers made of materials into electricity. thermal radiation. that are near-perfectly efficient in their absorption of sunlight, meaning materials “We aim to engineer these novel materials He is designing and constructing a host of can selectively control thermal radiation and for developing high-efficiency renewable custom electromagnetic materials to make enhance radiative transport. By extension, energy sources, recuperating waste heat, it possible. this research could help create solar cells facilitating thermal managements and Wang’s endeavor is supported by a Young that produce more energy, more efficiently. mitigating climate change,” says Wang. Investigator Award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, totaling $360,000 Wang is developing game-changing Wasted energy over three years. nanoengineered materials that are nanowire- based metamaterials. About 60 percent of the total energy that is produced in U.S. is wasted in the form Game-changing These manufactured metamaterials are of heat during production, transportation Thermal radiation refers to the transfer of electromagnetic structures deliberately and storage. energy through electromagnetic waves engineered to offer a range of unique between objects. Improving thermal radiation electromagnetic properties, which are much “Recycling of such a huge amount of and its transport boasts improvements more difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in waste heat with highly efficient energy- in energy harvesting, as well as thermal naturally occurring materials or composites. conversion devices will undoubtedly reduce management, imaging and sensing — all of the amount of fuel consumption and which are essential in addressing the world’s “These metamaterials would provide much greenhouse gas emission by up to n urgent need for high-efficiency renewable more flexibility and tunability in materials 30 percent,” says Wang. energy sources and energy-saving materials. designed to achieve the best system performance,” says Wang.
16 Research.
Shaking up the world of proteins with engineering Proteins, as Brent Nannenga describes them, are “little machines inside life that make things happen.” They play many critical roles in all living Brent Nannenga organisms, acting as the building materials for cells, antibodies that guard against infection and disease, and messengers that ferry information Through this natural approach, there is the between cells, tissues and organs. possibility of dropping the engineered proteins Complex in nature, proteins are composed of into cells and transforming that cell into a amino acids strung together that fold into intricate nanomaterial factory. three-dimensional structures. These structures — “Biology in general is just very good at tangled tubes, spherical bundles, recurring spirals organizing things very specifically and precisely,” folded into themselves and more — determine he adds. “The promise of using protein-driven what exactly the proteins do. nanomaterial synthesis is environmentally Nannenga has embarked on two ambitious friendly and has the potential to be very projects to expand our knowledge of these specific and directed and controllable.” structures and put it to use. Using his engineering Conversely, Nannenga has received a background coupled with experience in structural five-year, $1.5 million research project grant biology, he aims to leverage the roles of existing from the National Institutes of Health to proteins for new purposes as well as designing focus on developing and refining tools to and constructing new proteins with novel characterize the structure of the G-protein, properties and functions. an important protein responsible for a range As a recipient of the 2017 Air Force Office of of physiological responses. Scientific Research Young Investigator Award, G-protein-coupled receptors, also known Nannenga is using directed protein synthesis to as GPCRs, are integral in many biological create inorganic nanomaterials in a more precise processes. They act as mailboxes for cells, and environmentally friendly manner with the taking in signals and mediating physiological added benefit of adding specific functions to responses to hormones, neurotransmitters the crafted nanomaterials. and environmental stimulants. Nanomaterials — materials with internal Because GPCRs regulate so many processes or surface structures in the nanoscale that within our bodies, they are targeted by drugs possess unique optical, mechanical or electronic that treat everything from hypertension and properties — are used for specialized coatings, asthma to allergies and acid reflux. enhancements in electronics and even hold promise for use in smart pharmaceuticals and Nannenga has partnered with collaborator Wei drug delivery systems. Liu, a structural biologist in ASU’s School of Molecular Sciences, to fully map the structure The physical and chemical techniques employed of GPCRs using an electron crystallography for the fabrication of these tiny, desirable technique. This has the potential to open a materials are costly, requiring toxic compounds new frontier of pharmaceuticals and additional and high temperatures. Conversely, biological protein characterization. n creation simply requires water, salt proteins and room temperature, says Nannenga.
17 Research
Gathering data to learn what best engages students
“Our work has a ‘rubber hits the road’ practicality… We are focusing on understanding and then changing the learning experiences of students to be more effective, inclusive and personally satisfying,” Middleton says. This is the first time secondary math classrooms will be studied so continuously at scale. Calculating Middleton and Jansen will mine the real experiences and interactions of more than 5,000 high school freshmen and sophomores in Arizona a love of math and Delaware. They will look at data collected over two years to see what makes for a successful Do you like math? By understanding these processes, classroom engagement experience. n they plan to help teachers to encourage Your decision rides on more students to engage deeply, your experiences in work hard, persist and become more the classroom. mathematically capable. Advancing first- “Mathematics itself is fairly neutral,” says Engagement = interactions + Jim Middleton, a professor of aerospace generation college and mechanical engineering. “There is strategies + tools + student success no reason to either love or hate organization mathematics outside the experiences we have in and out of school along with “The need for mathematics competencies Since 2011, enrollment of first-generation college the cultural attitudes.” is so dire, research needs to focus on students in the Fulton Schools has grown more When students’ enjoyment and areas that show the most promise of than 150 percent, bringing new ideas, perspectives understanding of math falters, so do the making positive change in students’ and experiences into engineering education. lives,” Middleton says. possibilities of STEM courses and career With the support of a two-year, $300,000 paths that require higher math in those Engagement-related variables, such as grant from the National Science Foundation, students' futures. interest and usefulness, are the strongest the Fulton Schools is looking to change that To keep math and STEM careers a predictors of learning, and the most pattern by developing and adapting a suite of possibility for all students, Middleton effective place to make a positive support systems and introductory programs to and Amanda Jansen, a professor of change is in the classroom. ensure first-generation student success and mathematics education at the University Determining whether students will like or broaden participation of underrepresented of Delaware, are studying what contributes dislike math comes down to the classroom groups in engineering. to positive student engagement and climate. Each classroom has a unique Fulton Schools Dean and Professor Kyle Squires therefore effective learning. personality based on its students, curricula, serves as the principal investigator on the effort, “These dynamics are not well understood, strategies for thinking about difficult called Engineers from Day One. Co-PIs include and as a consequence, mathematics problems and cultural attitudes that Vice President of Industry Partnerships at Maricopa Community Colleges Maria Reyes, Director of the curriculum and instruction in the U.S. is create a set of constraints on what is Fulton Schools Career Center Robin Hammond, not serving the majority of students well,” possible for students. Vice Dean of Academic and Student Affairs and Middleton says. “The big problem is we do not know This ASU-UD team is the first to research what teaching strategies and classroom moment-to-moment experiences of high organization patterns impact learners in school students studying mathematics ways that encourage long-term, positive over time as part of their three-year, engagement,” Middleton says. $1.3 million National Science Foundation- Middleton and Jansen plan to take into funded study. account different classroom climates “We recognized a lack of research that and their differences in engagement and could address, methodologically, how to mathematical performance to create investigate students’ experiences in the effective professional development moment to understand the nature of their for teachers. engagement with mathematics in a way that could reveal more general trends,” Jansen says. A group of first-generation students pose for a photo during their FSE 100 class. Photographer: Jessica Hochreiter/ASU 18 Research.
Professor Jim Collofello and Tooker Professor and Assistant Dean of Engineering Education Tirupalavanam Ganesh. “Inclusion is inherent to the DNA of ASU, and we’re very pleased to receive support from the National Science Foundation to continue the important work of drawing engineers from all backgrounds,” says Squires. ASU is one of 27 institutions to receive such an award — part of the Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Revolutionary Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science, known as the INCLUDES program. research aims to ASU is not embarking on this ambitious program alone. Engineers from Day One detect Alzheimer’s involves a range of partners, including the Michael Sierks Maricopa Community Colleges; K-12 school more quickly districts of Chandler, Mesa, Phoenix, Tempe and Tolleson; and industry partners Honeywell, Intel Sierks hopes to turn the current method of and Texas Instruments. The Helios Education A much simpler blood test diagnosis on its head. Instead of relying on Foundation will serve an advisory role. spots signs of the disease symptoms and brain imaging to diagnose the disease, he hopes to develop a much simpler Engineers from Day One involves 500 high as many as seven years test based on disease pathology. school students, 100 community college students working toward associate degrees prior to symptoms. “What we are hoping to do is test your blood and 200 ASU students enrolled in a four-year Currently, there is no single, accepted and tell you if you have Alzheimer’s disease engineering program. The project focuses test to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. The or another neurodegenerative disease pre- on developing engineering awareness and neurodegenerative disease is generally symptomatically,” says Sierks. an identity tied to the discipline, as well as identified by a combination of symptoms, The protein variants he is looking for aid in contextualizing engineering’s personal and cognitive analysis and brain imaging, but can this approach, as they show up very early — social relevance. only be conclusively diagnosed through a as many as seven years prior to symptoms biopsy or autopsy of brain tissue. associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Sierks “Inclusion and access are the two hallmarks likens it to catching a flu virus in its early of what ASU does,” says Ganesh. “We pride Michael Sierks, a professor of chemical stages — it may have begun replicating, but ourselves on how many students we include engineering, looks to change this issue. the virus has not yet taken hold and Instead of looking for the characteristic and how we help them be successful with the carrier is not sneezing or coughing. high-quality education. But it’s not enough plaques and tangles that plague a brain to include them, we also have to help them affected by Alzheimer’s disease, he is Sierks is not only looking to diagnose become successful.” searching through a patient’s blood for neurodegenerative diseases earlier, but also variants of the proteins that cause the put a fine point on which disease it is, as Through advancing the success and telltale signs of the disease. many of these diseases share symptoms. persistence of first-generation students, “What we are realizing is neurodegenerative researchers engaged in the study hope Plaques form between nerve cells due diseases are more like a spectrum, a rainbow to create a model for use elsewhere. The to accumulation and aggregation of beta of linked disorders,” says Sierks. “They are combined effort could serve as a resource amyloid, a protein that does not aggregate in a healthy brain. Likewise, neurofibrillary caused by misprocessing and misfolding of for the expansion of the programs, systems tangles — twisted fibers found in brain cells protein variants.” and mechanisms of Engineers from Day — are comprised mostly of a protein called Sierks is currently collaborating with One to include individuals from all walks of tau. Tau is a key component of microtubules, life in engineering. n Dr. Richard Caselli, a neurologist with Mayo which transport nutrients and other vital Clinic Scottsdale on the research, testing the substances around the neurons in healthy blood of Caselli’s patients, all with various brains. In a brain affected by Alzheimer’s, stages of Alzheimer’s disease. however, the tau protein aggregates, causing the microtubules to collapse and tangle. “I really think we are on the right track — every sample we analyze is very clearly While both beta amyloid and tau are normally diseased or not,” says Sierks. present in healthy people, the presence of specific disease-related variants of the Though staging and diagnosing proteins can signal a neurodegenerative neurodegenerative diseases is only half disease. These combinations, or protein the battle. Sierks is in the early stages of variants, can be measured as biomarkers establishing a company to explore therapy in a patient’s blood. and treatment technology that can be derived from the cutting-edge diagnostic With the support of a five-year, $1.7 million tools he is building. n award from the National Institutes of Health,
19 Research
A selection committee composed of university presidents, deans, professors and other leading academics chose Tongay based on the societal impact of his scientific discoveries, his educational contributions to ASU and the originality of his research at the intersection of photonics, wearable materials and technology. Tongay’s research group is designing a new class of 2D materials that can outperform traditional materials to address challenges in energy, flexible electronics and photovoltaics, photonics and optics. Improving 2D materials’ distinctive properties could lead to improvements in lighting technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), as well as batteries, cell phones, flexible electronics, biosensors and the photovoltaic cells used to convert sunlight “The results are very compelling,” says into energy. Promising James Adams, ASU President’s Professor of materials science and engineering and Tongay’s research imagines a future where one of the team leaders. “We completed clothes have embedded solar batteries, potential a Phase 1 trial demonstrating safety and devices can replicate an artificial efficacy but recommending such treatment photosynthesis and electronic circuits can treatment and bringing it to market requires Phase be twistable and foldable. 2 and Phase 3 trials.” Tongay was born and raised in Berlin but is for autism The ASU team is led by Adams, Rosa a Turkish citizen and his family is from Izmir, Krajmalnik-Brown and Dae-Wook Kang. Turkey. He was the only award recipient who The key to fighting autism Krajmalnik-Brown and Kang are represents a university outside of Turkey. might lie not in the mind, researchers at Biodesign Swette Center He said receiving the award despite working n but in the gut. for Environmental Biotechnology. overseas came as a real surprise. “It made me realize my native country has high A team led by ASU researchers is taking hopes for me and many researchers recognize a novel approach in the search for my ASU team’s highly innovative work,” says effective autism treatments by focusing Tongay. “It was an honor to represent ASU on improving the gut microbiome through from thousands of miles away.” n fecal microbial transplants. Designing Fecal microbial transplants involve the transfer of live gut bacteria from a healthy a new class donor to a recipient. The team — including collaborators from of 2D Northern Arizona University, Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota — materials completed a study involving 18 participants with autism spectrum disorders who ranged Sefaattin Tongay, an in age from 7 to 16 years old. The results assistant professor of were recently published in Microbiome. Participants underwent a 10-week treatment materials science and program involving antibiotics, a bowel cleanse engineering, has earned and daily fecal microbial transplants over a 2016 Young Scientist eight weeks. The treatment program showed long-term benefits, including an average Award from the Heroes 80 percent improvement of gastrointestinal of Science Association symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders and 20-25 percent improvement in (Bilim Kahramanlari Sefaattin Tongay (left) poses with the president autism behaviors, including improved social Derneği) in Turkey. of Bahcesehir University at the Heroes of skills and better sleep habits. Science Association’s award ceremony. Photographer: Özlem Mutlu Doğan
20 Research.
Associate professor Kiran Solanki (left) and doctoral student Mansa Rajagopalan work on a new process to stabilize metals at the nano level. Photographer: Jessica Hochreiter/ASU
aerospace, naval, civilian infrastructure and Using the new process, operating Creating energy sectors, was published in the highly temperatures can be increased, fuel recognized peer-reviewed journal Nature. efficiency boosted and the machine’s faster, more “This process is revolutionary,” says Kiran carbon footprint reduced. While no Solanki, an associate professor of aerospace one uses copper for load-bearing and mechanical engineering. applications like aircraft, “this technology efficient can apply to many other materials,” For the past half century, researchers have Solanki says. “Anything where you have turbines been working to make stronger materials. An a power conversion.” aircraft flies by its engine. To make an aircraft A new process to stabilize fly faster, the engine turbines need to spin Advances in materials nanotechnology — faster, or to produce more revolutions per manipulating matter on an atomic metals at the nano level minute. Nanocrystalline alloys are super- or molecular scale — made the has the potential to create strong, but when engines run fast and hot, process possible. eventually the metal becomes deformed “For the last 20 years they thought this faster, more efficient over time, or “creeps.” But the new process would never work,” Solanki says. results in an alloy that resists deformation. turbines, feasibly improving The rate at which creep occurred in the everything from war planes The process, invented by Solanki and alloy was six to eight orders of magnitude colleagues at the Army Research Laboratory lower than in most other nanocrystalline to dams to ship engines. and the University of North Texas, stabilized metals — a spectacular improvement A team of researchers including scientists a copper alloy at a micro level. in durability. from ASU created a process that resulted in “These materials can last in high “Now the question is, can we take this a super-strong nanocrystalline alloy, which temperatures,” Solanki says. “If they last process and apply it to other materials?” resists deformation over long-term use. longer, and the temperature is high, every Solanki says. n A paper about the breakthrough, which increment improves the efficiency of has tremendous implications for the the engine.”
21 Innovation
A five-year project, led by Yongming Liu, focuses on safely integrating the complex data sources that are driving the future of air traffic management systems. Graphic created by Pete Zrioka and Rose Serago/ASU Improving next-generation air traffic control with $10M from NASA
ASU is set to play a role Managing the interplay of in improving safe and data sources ASU’s project surrounds what Liu refers to efficient air travel across as the next-generation National Airspace the country’s blue — System, known as NextGen NAS. perhaps bluest in The National Airspace System covers the airspace, navigation facilities and airports of
Arizona — sky. the U.S. along with its associated information, ASU is among five university research teams regulations, policies, personnel and equipment. that were funded by NASA’s Aeronautics “NAS is in the process of undergoing a University Leadership Initiative to explore a change from radar-based technology to novel idea to improve aviation. A five-year surveillance systems-based operations project, led by Yongming Liu, focuses on within the next 10 years,” Liu says. safely integrating the complex data sources that are driving the future of air traffic This is due to a multitude of new and management systems. existing aviation data sources becoming The award-winning $10 million project available, such as the use of voice and data focuses on safely integrating the complex communications, live weather forecasting, data sources that are driving the future of air aircraft health data and GPS technology. traffic management systems. The availability of new technology and data Liu, the lead project investigator, sources promise the possibility of reducing is directing a diverse, multidisciplinary aviation gridlock in the sky and at airports, team that includes several faculty in cutting weather-related delays, and enabling ASU’s Fulton Schools, as well as air traffic controllers and pilots to see the collaborators from Vanderbilt University, same real-time display of air traffic for the Southwest Research Institute and Optimal first time. Synthesis Inc. Liu is a professor of Additionally, modernizing the nation’s complex aerospace and mechanical engineering. air transportation system will lead to more NASA expects the awards to “spur the efficient fuel usage by airlines, reduced nation’s leading universities to take a larger aircraft emissions and increased access to leadership role in advancing the revolutionary airports by the general aviation community. ideas needed to transform aviation and However, Liu and his collaborators foresee a further advance U.S. global leadership problem with the integration of the enormous in the aviation community,” says Jaiwon amount of information associated with the Shin, NASA’s associate administrator for move toward NextGen NAS. aeronautics, in a press release. “The myriad of information offered by various data sources requires appropriate representation and proper fusion
22 Innovation.
methodologies,” Liu says. “A critical issue Southwest Research Institute and Optimal surrounds the huge uncertainties arising Synthesis Inc. from a variety of information sources such “The team is incredibly well-positioned to as aeronautical instrumentation, environment, advance the state-of-the-art,” says Kyle intrinsic variabilities and human factors. Squires, dean of the Fulton Schools. Prognostics for the NAS must consider the uncertainties inherent in the system.” Squires said the team’s success in winning this award “highlights a key strength of the Fulton “Managing the interplay of these data sources Schools: the ability of our faculty to assemble requires complex system modeling to ensure into strong multi-disciplinary teams that award a safe transition to NextGen NAS operations,” sponsors recognized as providing the novel, says Liu, describing the drive behind his differentiated expertise crucial to addressing team’s proposal. their challenges.” “We are talking about a super complex human- In addition, the ASU-led team will partner with cyber-physical system that has never been fully University Leadership Initiative award recipients explored in the past.” — selected from among 83 initial proposals To this end, the team is addressing the and 20 final proposals — from the University urgent need to develop a system-wide of South Carolina, Texas A&M Engineering prognostics framework — a way to successfully Experiment Station, the University of Tennessee, fuse a lot of information — for the proactive Knoxville and Ohio State University. health management of the nation’s evolving “We are excited our team was successful airspace system. in convincing NASA that a multidisciplinary In part, their contributions will allow the aviation information fusion is valuable to the future of community to simulate, test and interrogate their missions and in ensuring aviation possible failure modes within the data sources. safety,” Liu says. n If successful, the proposed research will significantly advance the existing knowledge- base for the safety of future national air traffic service operations — enhancing the system resiliency and safety of the future of air travel in the country.
Crafting a diverse team In addition to tackling a compelling technical challenge, another goal of NASA’s University Leadership Initiative is to support university researchers who lead diverse, multi-disciplinary teams. ASU faculty working on the project include Aditi Chattopadhyay, Nancy Cooke, Pingbo Tang, Lei Ying, Jingrui He and Mary Niemcyzk — who represent five of the six Fulton Schools. This faculty mix, along with additional collaborators from Vanderbilt, is integral to the proposed project. Liu says “it requires a very diverse team” ranging from structural engineers and big data analysts, to image processors and psychologists, to computer scientists and applied statisticians. “We also seek for a smooth transition from academic research to field applications,” says Liu, explaining the importance of various disciplines as well as the involvement of the
23 Innovation
high-tech, “hands-on” additive manufacturing training modules and certifications using industry-relevant tools at ASU’s Flexible Electronics and Display Center and ASU’s Additive Manufacturing Facility; establishing internships, co-ops and apprenticeships settings; and creating certification programs in partnership with the Maricopa County Community College District. In total, more than 750 students are expected to participate in one or more components of this project over the two-year grant period. n
ASU President Michael Crow (second from left) accepts a $2 million check to kick off a medical technology workforce development initiation. Photographer: Charrie Larkin/ASU Spurring workforce development on a Fighting off troublesome grand scale frost and ice
The ASU Foundation “This investment will help us bring together experts from academic, Cold temperatures are will accept a $2 million industrial and entrepreneurial settings to a nagging threat to the grant from the Maricopa spur workforce development on a grand scale,” says Kyle Squires, dean of the performance of aircraft, County Industrial Fulton Schools. “This cross-disciplinary ships, turbines, engines Development Authority training program shares the Fulton Schools’ expertise, infrastructure and and other machines to fund a new workforce resources while promoting economic and technologies. growth in Maricopa County.” development project to Konrad Rykaczewski, an assistant professor accelerate innovation Wearable electronics and handheld of aerospace and mechanical engineering, and entrepreneurship in portable devices that provide on-demand has been working on alternatives to diagnostic information for patients and conventional, time-consuming and expensive Maricopa County. their health care providers only represent chemical, mechanical and thermal methods of the beginning of what is possible using preventing ice and frost buildup. Greg Raupp, professor of chemical MedTech, and why it is important to have engineering and director of ASU’s a highly skilled workforce that can meet His solution involves developing nano- MacroTechnology Works, will lead the these demands. engineered surfaces with properties that project to prepare existing, emerging and enable them to repel water, but also prevent MedTech combines biotechnology, future members of Maricopa County’s nucleation of frost, thus also keeping all nano/micro-technology, information workforce for jobs in the growing possible forms of ice from building up. fields of medical electronic technology technology and cognitive sciences to (MedTech) and additive manufacturing. deliver health care solutions that have Nucleation is a physical process in which a a profound positive impact on individual change of state — for example, from liquid to MedTech covers a wide array of fields, and public health. Additive manufacturing, solid — occurs in a substance around certain ranging from human health diagnostic the process by which many of these focal points, known as nuclei. technology, flexible electronics for health care solutions will come to life, is implantable and wearable applications to particularly useful for rapid prototyping Rykaczewski’s progress is detailed in an big data analytics and decision-making and low-volume parts manufacturing. article on the research and tech news website algorithms — all areas of expertise within Nanowerk. The article is based on a paper the Fulton Schools. Other components of the workforce by Rykaczewski and doctoral student Xiaoda development project include developing Sun published recently in the American Chemical Society journal ACS Nano.
24 Innovation.
The Nanowerk article describes in detail their work on a novel method involving Deploying advanced designs for coatings that prevent frost nucleation by altering water vapor concentration in the air just above the materials for economic coating. This is in contrast to the traditional approach of inhibiting nucleation that security and human relies on increasing energetic barriers with hydrophobic coatings. well-being Rykaczewski and Sun theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that optimizing Suppose you want to deep learning technologies, a branch of their bi-layer coatings with nanoscale artificial intelligence in which software features can prevent frost from forming in build something. You will learns to recognize patterns. temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius. need to choose the best “We want the machine to learn by itself what structural features influence a Rykaczewski has also been applying materials for the job. material property,” he says. aspects of this research to biological studies How do you find the right material? sponsored by the Biomimicry Center at ASU Generally, it takes a lot of trial and error — The computer will analyze images of in collaboration with the Desert Botanical a time-consuming and expensive process. different microstructures pixel by pixel. Gardens in Phoenix. Although you will probably find a material, Pulling data from Jiao’s simulations, the it might not be the best one. software will look for patterns in the images Those studies include an examination of that correlate with specific properties. the water storage and collection abilities That is why a group of researchers at ASU of cacti and a search for effective ways to is working to flip the process on its head. Once the team has identified the best solve the difficult problem of washing aphids Instead of making a material and finding structure, they will need to produce a off of kale. n out what it can do, they are starting from sample of the material and test it in the end — deciding what properties a the lab. Liu is an expert in mechanical material should have and designing it to structures who works with a variety of have those traits. tools to test and image materials. “We already have performance in mind. One major challenge the team faces So, we need to ask ourselves, what are is it may not be possible to reproduce the things you can change, what can you the ideal microstructure using current play with to give you this performance? manufacturing techniques. The thing we play with is the material “It is probably not possible at this stage to microstructure,” says Yang Jiao, an reproduce the design exactly,” Jiao says. assistant professor of materials science “We can produce something similar and and engineering. do the testing. We need to come up with Scientists can figure out the microstructure a microstructure with a certain tolerance of a material that already exists. Jiao of uncertainty.” develops computer simulations to analyze Although computational materials design microstructure and determine what is fairly new, it is a hot topic nationwide, properties it will have. spurred by the federal Materials Genome What he cannot do, yet, is go in reverse. Initiative. The multi-agency initiative The computer simulation can say, “This supports institutions in discovering, structure will give you this property, and manufacturing and deploying advanced that structure will give you that property.” materials for economic security and But it does not explain why. Researchers human well-being. do not know what specific characteristics ASU’s work is supported through a of a structure cause it to have the National Science Foundation Early- properties it does. Concept Grant for Exploratory Research, This is where experience from Jiao’s which funds early-stage work on colleagues, Yi “Max” Ren and Yongming potentially transformative ideas. Liu, comes into play. “There is a growing interest in this area because people realize it will change how Konrad Rykaczewski Ren, an assistant professor who studies design optimization, is developing software materials will be developed. It saves a lot to help the computer identify which of time and money. It will also bring a lot features of a microstructure are important of benefit to fundamental physics and n to specific properties. He is drawing on mathematics,” Liu says.
25 Scholarship recipients for 2017
Emily Agostino Morgan Delgado Hope Jehng Nikki Lopez Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Chemical engineering Mechanical engineering SMECA Scholarship Stephanie A. Lahti Memorial Elyse and Paul Johnson Maroon and Spring ’17 CIRC/METS Scholarship in Chemical Engineering Gold Leaders Scholarship (NAMU) Scholars Program Dylan Arnest Mechanical engineering Megan Dieu Jennifer Jones John Lyle Orbital Sciences Corporation — Chemical engineering Mechanical engineering Aerospace engineering (aeronautics) Women in STEM Scholarship Fulton Schools Study Abroad LaVeda Huitt Carpenter Native Scholarship (spring-summer ’17) American Scholarship Initiative SMECA Scholarship Destiny Barajas Aerospace engineering Kolbe Dumas Arminta Claire Jordan Cameron Mcallister (aeronautics) Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Nellie ‘Jean’ Randle Scholarship Tempe Union High School Fulton Schools Study Abroad Fulton Schools Study Abroad District Scholarship Scholarship (spring-summer ’17) Scholarship (spring-summer ’17) Javier Barraza Chemical engineering Nicolas Gomez Alvina Kam Tyler McDaniel Hermens Family Engineering Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Mechanical engineering Scholarship Spring ’17 CIRC/METS Fulton Schools Study Abroad Blowers Engineering Scholarship Scholars Program Scholarship (spring-summer ’17) Ryan Bernaud Sean Mcintyre Mechanical engineering Austin Goodrich Jazmin Kianpour Chemical engineering Blowers Engineering Scholarship Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering Blowers Engineering Scholarship (computational mechanics) (energy and environment) Hailey Boshell Scholarship for Merit in Boeing Scholarship, Marilyn and Matthew Meyer Aerospace and Mechanical James A. Schmidlin New Mechanical engineering American University Scholarship, Aerospace engineering (computational mechanics) (aeronautics) Jacob Graber SMECA Scholarship Boeing Scholarship Tempe Union High School District Materials science and Scholarship engineering, PhD Ryan Kiracofe Tracey Bovee Mechanical engineering Fulton Fellowship Corey Miles Materials science and engineering ASQ Ted Thal American Society Chemical engineering Ed Denison Memorial Technology Kenneth Greason for Quality Scholarship Award, Fulton Engineering Michael J. Konen Engineering Mechanical engineering (General) Scholarship Ashley Koss Scholarship W. L. Gore 4+1 Applied Project Mechanical engineering Kimberly Bui Scholarship Jack Miller Bill and Corinne Hochgraef Mechanical engineering Scholarship Aerospace engineering Jack Griffin (aeronautics) Richard R. Simari Memorial Aerospace engineering Scholarship Michael Kuntz Srinivasan Iyer Family New American (aeronautics) University Scholarship Mechanical engineering Mitzi Campos Tempe Union High School District Scholarship Edward E. Francisco Jr. Juan Morales Mechanical engineering Scholarship Mechanical engineering M. M. Lowry Memorial Scholarship Sue Han Tempe Union High School District Chemical engineering Yau-Fung Lam Cardenas Scholarship Armando Samuel E. Craig Memorial Aerospace engineering (aeronautics) Materials science and engineering Scholarship, Tom and JoAnn Philip Mulford Fulton Engineering (General) Prescott New American Dr. James W. Turnbow University Scholarship Memorial Scholarship Aerospace engineering Scholarship, Ira A. Fulton Schools (aeronautics) of Engineering Alumni Continuing Student Scholarship Daniel Hawkins Ashley Lear Fulton Schools Study Abroad Scholarship (spring-summer ’17) Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Neil Carroll Spring ’17 CIRC/METS Spring ’17 CIRC/METS Brittany Nez Mechanical engineering Scholars Program Scholars Program Aerospace engineering Spring ’17 CIRC/METS (aeronautics) Scholars Program Anna Hu Tonya Lee LaVeda Huitt Carpenter Native Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Jennifer Conner American Scholarship Initiative Boeing Scholarship Spring ’17 CIRC/METS Materials science and engineering Scholars Program Alexander Nie Craig and Barbara Barrett Ryian Hunter Mechanical engineering Scholarship, Fulton Engineering Aerospace engineering Wendy Lin (General) Scholarship Marilyn and James A. Schmidlin New (aeronautics) Chemical Engineering, PhD American University Scholarship Dylan DeBruin Blowers Engineering Scholarship Fulton Fellowship Chemical engineering Emily Nugent Aidan Jacobs Thomas Little Chemical engineering W. L. Gore 4+1 Applied Project Mechanical engineering Scholarship Materials science and engineering IM Flash Technologies Industrial SMECA Scholarship Fulton Engineering Scholarship (General) Scholarship
26 Outstanding and Parker Olszak Diana Serban John Tindell distinguished graduates Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Chemical engineering Charles Lemon Memorial Scholarship Spring ’17 CIRC/METS W. L. Gore 4+1 Applied Project Fall 2016 Scholars Program Scholarship Dylan Ottney Outstanding Graduates Aerospace engineering Adam Shipitofsky Tanguy Toulouse (aeronautics) Mechanical engineering Aerospace engineering Ian Mcfate (aeronautics) Dr. Lee P. Thompson Memorial Charles Lemon Memorial Scholarship Aerospace engineering Scholarship Blowers Engineering Scholarship Andrew Perez Levi Silverthorne Mechanical engineering Andrew Peavler Aerospace engineering Eric Trinh Mechanical engineering (aeronautics) Chemical engineering SMECA Scholarship Dr. James W. Turnbow Memorial Fulton Schools Study Abroad Fall 2016 Scholarship Scholarship (spring-summer ’17) Lucas Petersen Impact Awards Travis Skinner Andres Valenzuela Mechanical engineering Peter Harper Peter Stein Measurement Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Mechanical engineering Engineering Scholarship Dr. Lee P. Thompson Memorial Hermens Family Engineering Scholarship Scholarship Alexander Kim Preston Pierce Mechanical engineering Cameron Starostecki Bryan Vo Mechanical engineering Sara Mantlik Srinivasan Iyer Family New American Mechanical engineering Aerospace engineering Mechanical engineering (aeronautics) University Scholarship Marilyn and James A. Schmidlin New American University Scholarship Boeing Scholarship Dominic Podzemny Fall 2016 Mechanical engineering (energy Elias Sugarman Steven Wilson and environment) Materials science and engineering Aerospace engineering Dean's Dissertation Award (aeronautics) W. L. Gore 4+1 Applied Project Fulton Engineering (General) Yue Yang Scholarship Scholarship Spring ’17 CIRC/METS Mechanical engineering Scholars Program Emiliano Quinones Yumbla Vaasavi Sundar Mechanical engineering, PhD Mechanical engineering Benjamin Winsryg Spring 2017 Fulton Fellowship W. L. Gore 4+1 Applied Project Aerospace engineering (aeronautics) Outstanding Graduates Scholarship Wei Wei Robinson Blowers Engineering Scholarship Kaleigh Johnson Chemical engineering Doni Tapederi Alexander York Chemical engineering; IM Flash Technologies Industrial Mechanical engineering Fulton Schools; SEMTE Mechanical engineering Scholarship Theodore Allen Memorial Scholarship SMECA Scholarship Nathan London Javier Romero Philip Thomas Materials science and engineering Nathanael Zuniga Mechanical engineering Aerospace engineering Oremland (aeronautics) Mechanical engineering Joshua Tempe Union High School District Aerospace engineering Scholarship Fulton Schools Study Abroad Kenneth R. and Kathryn Scholarship (spring-summer ’17) Geiser Memorial Scholarship Sandy Polus Jacob Schichtel Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering Peter Stein Measurement Engineering Scholarship Spring 2017 Impact Awards Troy Buhr Mechanical engineering Building momentum for a bold future Melby Ann Thelakkaden Materials science and engineering Our students are powered by donor generosity. Philanthropy keeps a great education within reach and strengthens our learning community, building a diverse population of bright Fall 2017 students and advancing the pipeline of engineering talent. Our students are better poised Outstanding Graduates to lead revolutions in science and engineering as the next generation of engineers Brittany Nez — all thanks to our cherished donors. Aerospace engineering (aeronautics) Travis Skinner Mechanical engineering Your investments Fall 2017 Impact Award are truly invaluable. Gnyanesh Trivedi Mechanical engineering Students
ASU’s first Churchill Scholarship awarded to chemical engineer Christopher Balzer ongoing work with modeling metal-organic frameworks for carbon capture. became the first student “While alternative technologies are from ASU to ever receive developing, carbon-capture technology the prestigious Churchill can be implemented into current systems to ‘stop the bleeding’ in a way,” Scholarship. says Balzer. Christopher Balzer Since 1963, the Churchill Scholarship has Balzer's graduate research aligns been awarded to exceptional science and closely with his undergraduate research engineering students to fund graduate under Bin Mu, an assistant professor studies at the University of Cambridge. of chemical engineering. In fact, Balzer Balzer is also excited to study and live in the United Kingdom. Balzer graduated with a bachelor’s degree credits his extensive experience under in chemical engineering from the Fulton Mu as a factor in his success. “I have never studied abroad before,” says Schools in May 2017. In October, he traveled “It is clear that my research experience in Balzer. “With the breaks between terms to the United Kingdom to pursue his master’s Dr. Bin Mu’s lab has put me in the position being so long, I plan to travel to some of degree in advanced chemical engineering. to be competitive for a program like this,” the countries I have always wanted to go to — mostly to see historical sites and Scholars are chosen based on outstanding he says. “I’ve had incredible support along museums that I am interested in.” academic achievement, personal qualities the way, especially from doctoral student and a demonstrated interest in research. Mitchell Armstrong and Dr. Mu. They’ve After completing his studies at Cambridge, The Churchill Scholarship was established trusted me to take on my own projects Balzer plans on pursuing his doctoral to honor Winston Churchill’s vision of and work on a lot of different projects. Not degree at Cal Tech. n U.S.-U.K. scientific exchange with the goal many undergraduates get the chance to of advancing science and technology and present at several conferences, be a part of helping ensure the prosperity and security publications early on and even first-author of both nations. a publication. I would not have been able to do any of that without their help.” 2016-2017 Freshman Balzer, a student in Barrett, The Honors Flinn Scholars College at ASU, says he first heard about Balzer also credits support from internal ASU scholarships, as well as the Goldwater the opportunity from the Office of National The Flinn Scholarship Program provides an Scholarship Advisement at Barrett. ASU has Scholarship for allowing him to focus on unparalleled package for undergraduate been participating in the scholarship program his research and studies. Balzer was one of study at an Arizona public university for approximately 20 of Arizona’s highest- run by the Churchill Foundation for only the three ASU engineering students to receive achieving high school seniors each year. past four years. the Goldwater Scholarship in 2016, which recognizes excellence in science, math “I am the first but definitely not the last,” Martin Blair and engineering. Mechanical engineering Balzer says of receiving the scholarship. “It is Phoenix Union Bioscience an honor to be first, considering some of the Balzer is interested to see the difference in High School curriculum at Cambridge. great scholars who have applied from ASU in Cameron Carver the past few years. Someone had to be first, “While the core classes in the program are Mechanical engineering and I am happy I get the chance to represent mostly the same as they would be in the Sabino High School in Tucson ASU at Cambridge.” U.S., some of the electives focus more on Maeve Kennedy A component of the scholarship revolves the managerial and business aspects of Chemical engineering around research, which Balzer is no stranger chemical engineering, which is something Westwood High School to as a three-semester participant in the you do not really see in U.S. graduate Ivette Montes Parra Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative. At programs,” he says. “I am excited to get a Mechanical engineering Cambridge, he plans to work with professor new perspective from the classes as well Westwood High School as from the diverse instructors and David Fairen-Jimenez, who heads the Yisha Ng university’s Advanced Materials Research students at Cambridge.” Aerospace engineering Group. Balzer wants to contribute to Flagstaff High School
28 Students.
Accomplished triathlete and budding engineer has sights set on excellence
The Sun Devil women’s triathlon team started off their inaugural season in 2016 by winning a national championship. One of their newest members looks slated to follow that AZLoop team places performance by winning right out of the gate, both in the classroom and on the field. among top at Hyperloop
Freshman triathlete Rebecca Naughton, 18, has been racing competitively for six years. competition Cycling is her strongest event. Her weakest event is swimming. AZLoop — a team made up of students Kyle Squires, dean of the Ira A. Fulton from ASU, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Schools of Engineering, praised the University and Northern Arizona AZLoop's hard work. University — finished in the top eight at the second Hyperloop competition “What they created was indeed an sponsored by SpaceX. engineering feat, and the passion, energy, drive and commitment put forth The Hyperloop is a high-speed mode of transportation envisioned by by everyone was amazing,” Squires entrepreneur and SpaceX founder Elon says. “My hope is that this experience Musk. If it comes to fruition, the result empowers and inspires these students will be a pod traveling through a vacuum and others to continue to push the limits tube, without friction, at speeds up to on innovation.” n 700 mph. A trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco would take 35 minutes to The AZLoop team is one of 20 Rebecca Naughton travel the 350-mile distance. teams worldwide to make the cut for The AZLoop team ended up with a total the 2018 SpaceX Hyperloop Pod of 88 points, tying up with the top teams, Competition, which took place on “It is a different kind of challenge,” she says. all of whom had pods in competition last July 22. The competition focused “I am going to be spending a lot of time in year. With the knowledge their pod is on a single criterion — maximum the pool.” able to compete at the highest levels, speed. Additionally, all Pods had to AZLoop is champing at the bit for the be self-propelled. Naughton was a letter winner in swimming, next competition. cross country and track in high school in The team consisted of 62 (and counting) graduate and undergraduate Des Moines, Iowa. Coming into college, students majoring in engineering, she had won two duathlon national physics, mathematics, design championships, was named 2014 Duathlete and business. of the Year and was a three-time member Hassan Almousa, Alex Crawley and of Team USA at both world triathlon and Jasmine Dibazar, undergraduate duathlon championships. Outside of athletics, students in materials science and Naughton was a member of the National engineering, participated in the Honor Society and was on the Presidential AZLoop team as part of their capstone Honor Roll every semester. class. They were responsible for designing a lightweight chassis in line At ASU, she is majoring in mechanical with the AZLoop regulations. engineering. When told about everything engineering students have the opportunity to build (spacecraft, race cars, off-road Top photo: AZLoop team members pose with the pod for a group photo during the final round of buggies, Hyperloop) and asked what she the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition on the SpaceX facilities in Hawthorne, California. Photographer: Charlie Leight/ASU would like to build, Naughton says “a plane, a rocket or a bike.” n Bottom photo: The AZLoop competition pod sits on the 150-foot test track on the Polytechnic campus lab. Photographer: Ken Fagan/ASU
29 Students Student helps found Microscopy Society of America Student Council
Ethan Lawrence, a materials science and engineering doctoral student, studies the behavior of materials at the molecular level. Yet some of the most important things he’s learned are macro: networking and organizing Recent grad seeks to is how you get things done, and research means nothing if you cannot communicate it. make a difference A fourth-year doctoral student, Lawrence is a research assistant in the Electron Microscopy for Energy and the Environment Research Group. through solar energy He and doctoral students from universities across the country have founded the Microscopy While Brigitte Lim was The project’s goal is to minimize in-work Society of America Student Council. The poverty, urban unemployment and the council is helping build a community among the working on her applied number of youths who are not in school, upcoming researchers who are the profession’s project to promote employment or training. Solar N3E will help future leaders, he said. marginalized community members get the “One of the most important things I have learned employment in her home training they need to find employment in is that networking is how you get just about country of the Philippines the nation’s growing solar energy industry. anything done, whether it be funding for a through solar energy, After all their hard work, they didn’t grant or a finding job or research collaborators,” make it to the semifinal round of Geneva Lawrence says. “You can be the best scientist she stumbled upon an Challenge. However, the team won the in the world, but if you can’t make connections, opportunity to amplify her United Nations’ Sustainable Development your work will suffer.” project’s reach. Solutions Network (SDSN) Youth Prize. The Geneva Challenge partnered with the Lim, a recent graduate of the professional UN SDSN Youth Prize to award a special science master’s program in solar energy prize to three additional Geneva Challenge engineering and commercialization, heard teams for the first time in 2017. about the Geneva Challenge: Advancing Development Goals international contest. The Solar N3E project joined two other The competition’s theme was solving international teams’ projects to solve challenges of employment. employment challenges in North and South Africa that were recognized as As it was a group competition for part of the new prize. graduate students, Lim reached out to Ethan Lawrence (right) former colleagues Anna Gabrielle Alejo, After graduating, Lim will return home and begin working as a business developer at a graduate student at the Columbia Professor Peter Crozier is director of the Japan Solar. University Teacher’s College; Jerome Electron Microscopy for Energy and the Bactol, a candidate for a master’s in “I think working with Japan Solar is not bad Environment Research Group and Lawrence’s community development at the University for trying to implement my idea because advisor. He said starting and running an of the Philippines; and Jose Eos Trinidad, having this job helps me interact with organization develops important skills. a recent graduate who studied social competitors and the customers the solar “It is a great opportunity for students to learn sciences at the University of Chicago. industry serves,” Lim says. “I can immerse about how to get things done,” Crozier says. They created Solar N3E: Solar Network myself in the local industry, which makes for Energy Education and Employment, a the plan more feasible.” n Crozier explained his philosophy as a social enterprise to expand employment graduate advisor is to expose students to the opportunities in the Philippines through the management side of research — leading a solar industry. team, assembling resources, etc. — and the creativity of uncovering new knowledge. n
30 Students. Working on the technology of tomorrow at NASA Two engineering students with stars in their eyes spent the summer living the ultimate space lover’s dream: an internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. They built parts that will fly to Mars, glimpsed the goals and tech of tomorrow’s missions, celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Voyager mission, and viewed the solar eclipse from the DNA clustering research Pasadena, California, campus with thousands of others working to take humanity into the earns AIChE poster award solar system. Nathan Barba, a mechanical engineering Anikki Giessler, a AC conditions, and the second was to major, and Robert “RJ” Amzler, an aerospace look into the size, electrokinetic mobility engineering major, spent months at the chemical engineering and dielectrophoretic effects of DNA birthplace of NASA. JPL is the leading U.S. student, shared clusters. By observing these clusters, center for robotic exploration of the solar they could potentially lead to improved system, carrying out planetary, Earth science her research at the sorting efficiency, and therefore separate and space-based astronomy missions. American Institute of larger DNA fragments for new and Amzler worked on engineering the bit carousel Chemical Engineers emerging next-generation sequencing. subsystem for the Mars 2020 Rover, which This year, the competition included moves samples in and out of the rover. Interns poster sessions in 400 different posters. Giessler normally do not work on flight design. Even 2017. With one year of presented alongside other competitors though Amzler hasn’t finished earning his in a two-hour poster session so she bachelor’s degree, he has now worked on four presentation experience could meet with judges, who looked for missions that will fly. under her belt, she took the presenter’s knowledge of the field, A lot of people were working on the Europa their ability to visually and orally present mission. The mission is being planned for launch home one of the poster the data and their understanding of the in the 2020s, arriving in the Jupiter system after session awards. data and its significance. Winning the a journey of several years to investigate the AIChE poster session award meant Months prior, Giessler brainstormed with habitability of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa. excelling in all three categories. her research partner Gabe Salmon on Barba has always wanted to work at JPL. what to showcase. She submitted her Giessler’s winning poster concluded He did not know anyone there, but he attended poster to the “Separations” category that work on the topic she presented is its open house every summer and networked. for a second year, highlighting research ongoing. In the future, her research group He met his mentor, who sponsored his 14-week completed under Alexandra Ros, an hopes to automate tracking techniques internship this year. associate professor at ASU’s School of to accelerate the determination of the Barba got to sample a variety of projects. Molecular Sciences. electrokinetic mobility of DNA clusters, He worked in mission formulation, JPL’s wish which has so far only been done manually After consolidating her ideas and list for future missions. using imaging software. Additionally, they creating the poster, she traveled to continue to investigate how ionic strength He worked on a lander for an ocean planet. Minneapolis for the American Institute of impacts DNA clustering behavior. He helped engineer a sample collecting Chemical Engineers Conference, which subsystem called an adaptive caching assembly. was held Oct. 29–Nov. 3, 2017. “In my last semester here at ASU, I am He worked on the science for a future mission. working on finishing a publication of this He also engineered parts on the Mars helicopter. Her poster, titled “Dielectrophoretic research under Dr. Ros,” Giessler says. Response of Condensed DNA Clusters It is easy to get star-struck at a place like “I have also just finished applying to a in AC Fields,” had two main goals. JPL, so stay focused on execution, “but don’t few doctoral programs where I hope to The first was to investigate DNA forget to take it all in and live in the moment,” continue research on microfluidics.” n Barba says. n clustering behaviors at low frequency
31 Degree programs
Aerospace engineering Degrees offered: BSE, MS, PhD The aerospace engineering curriculum focuses on technological areas critical to the design and development of aerospace vehicles and systems. The aeronautics concentration emphasizes engineering and the design of aircraft, helicopters, missiles and other vehicles that fly through the atmosphere.
Chemical engineering Degrees offered: BSE, MS, PhD The undergraduate and graduate programs in chemical engineering focus on the study of matter and energy and their transformation into forms useful for society. Chemical engineers use chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering to convert raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms. They develop and produce a diverse range of products, including high-performance materials for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, electronic and environmental applications.
Materials Degrees offered: BSE, MS, PhD science and The Master of Science in materials science and engineering is engineering available on the Tempe campus or online through ASU Online. Materials science and engineering mixes chemistry and physics to understand the structure and properties of materials that comprise the world. Materials engineers are responsible for designing and developing advanced materials for a wide variety of engineering applications. Students learn about the design of materials and how to process them to improve their structure, properties and performance.
Mechanical engineering Degrees offered: BSE, MS, PhD Mechanical engineering encompasses a vast multitude of applications from the efficient conversion and transmission of energy and power to the design and implementation of nanoscale devices. Mechanical engineers design and develop products in all sectors of society, and they collaborate with other engineers and designers to produce systems and components for a large variety of applications.
Solar energy engineering and commercialization Degrees offered: PSM The professional science master’s program in solar energy engineering and commercialization is a relatively new type of graduate program aimed at students who desire both technical and nontechnical aspects to their graduate education. The program offers advanced, interdisciplinary education in solar energy technologies along with the business/policy/nontechnical aspects necessary for successful development and commercialization.
32 Giving.
Both she and Ted Allen grew up in Texas. Among Ted Allen’s close and long-time Professor’s She was “a ranch girl” near the small town colleagues was Dan Jankowski, who taught of Chillicothe and earned a degree in engineering at ASU for 40 years. They first library science in 1945 from the Texas met in 1964 when Jankowski interviewed for dedication State College for Women, now Texas a faculty position at the university. From then Woman’s University. on, Ted Allen provided him “support, advice and friendship” for decades, Jankowski says. remembered Ted Allen grew up in San Antonio and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree When Ted Allen suffered a heart attack, in scholarship in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M Jankowski took over one of his classes. University. After graduation, he was a faculty “That experience taught me a lot about Ted Allen was known for member at the University of Houston prior how much his students cared for him and to coming to ASU, where he joined the appreciated his approach to teaching his commitment during dean of the engineering college at the time, engineering,” Jankowski recalls. Lee P. Thompson. Ted Allen studied under 23 years as a professor Thompson at Texas A&M. The gift of the Allen scholarship, Sidney of mechanical engineering. Allen says, is a way Ted Allen can Ted Allen’s college studies were be remembered for the passion and Sidney Allen remembers when her late interrupted while he served in the U.S. Air commitment he brought to his profession, husband Theodore “Ted” Allen Jr. would run Force during World War II as a navigator of and a way for ASU to honor his legacy of into former students, some of whom he had a B25 aircraft. He frequently flew over the sharing by giving the gift of opportunity to Himalaya Mountains and around China, not seen in as long as a decade, and “he young aspiring engineers. n would still remember everything about them.” Burma and India. She recalls Ted Allen's “nine o’clock rule” Those places remained special to him during his teaching days in the Fulton throughout his life, Sidney Allen says. She Schools. “Ted would give out our home recalls he formed close friendships with Support our school phone number to his students and they could a number of students from the countries call him any time before 9 p.m.,” she says. where he spent time during the war. He We believe engineering is more than also became a collector of Asian and Students called frequently, and Sidney Allen a discipline — it is a mindset, a way of Tibetan books and coins and loved talking would often find her husband on the phone looking at the world to determine how to students about the history and culture helping students with homework. challenges can be met most efficiently, of that part of the world. sustainably, safely and in cost-effective During his 23 years as a professor of She and Ted Allen met during the war, on ways to maximize impact and benefit mechanical engineering at ASU, from 1959 a blind date in Roswell, New Mexico, where those we serve. As a partner in our to 1982, Ted Allen became known as an she worked as a high school librarian. They especially dedicated teacher who took mission, you will help support our married in 1947. personal interest in his students’ success. diverse faculty and students as they Sidney Allen attributes his success as a Away from the classroom, her husband find innovative and entrepreneurial teacher to his ability to “relate to people “wasn’t the typical mechanical engineer solutions to pressing concerns. whether he met them working on a farm or who liked to tinker with automobiles,” To make a donation of any amount, studying at a university.” she says. “He liked to spend his free time please call Margo Burdick, our shopping around at coin collector shops Ted Allen received the ASU Alumni school’s director of development, at or bookstores.” After the move to Arizona, Association’s Distinguished Teaching 480-727-7099. You can also mail Sidney Allen spent her time becoming Award for inspirational teaching and your gift to Ira A. Fulton Schools of “a professional volunteer.” guidance in 1981. Engineering Attn: Margo Burdick, P.O. An avid gardener, she has volunteered at Box 879309, Tempe, AZ 85287-9309. To honor Ted Allen’s exemplary dedication, Phoenix’s popular Desert Botanical Garden Sidney Allen and friends gave a gift to the for more than four decades, logging about Please make checks payable to the university in 1993 to establish the Theodore 8,000 service hours over the years. “ASU Foundation” with “School for Allen Memorial Scholarship for engineering Engineering of Matter, Transport and students, and she increased the original She became the botanical garden’s Energy” noted in the memo line. endowment with a planned gift in 2012. “unofficial desert tortoise expert,” an interest reflected at her home where 17 tortoises “This was something I really wanted to Your gift is greatly appreciated. and turtles roam amid her desert garden. do because Ted Allen was so passionate She also volunteered as a docent at the about teaching and about the engineering Scottsdale Historical Museum. program,” she says. “I love working with plants, but more than One engineering student receives the anything else I love working with people,” Theodore Allen Memorial Scholarship award she says. each academic year. Meeting the winner at the annual scholarship reception and talking Sidney Allen believes Ted Allen would have Thank about Ted Allen “is a big thing for me,” Sidney said the same about the reason he loved his Allen says. profession. When asked what he would have wanted to be remembered for, she answers, simply “being a teacher.” you. 33 Staff
Thank you for being the invisible
George Ahlers strength behind our endeavors Information Technology Manager Richard Hanley Fred Pena Robert Alford Engineer Associate Laboratory Manager Academic Success Specialist Kara Hjelmstad Shannon Pete Shahriar Anwar Research/Lab Assistant Business Operations Specialist Research Specialist *IMPACT Award Nominee Jarrett Johnson Elena Pollard Ebony Baker Business Operations Specialist Program Coordinator PRN Academic Success Specialist Dallas Kingsbury Sarah Prosory Susan Baldi Laboratory Manager Research Advancement Admin. Business Ops Specialist Sr. Mia Kroeger Christine Quintero *Staff Excellence Award Recipient Assistant Director Academic Services Academic Success Specialist *IMPACT Award Nominee Tiffany Le Stacie Rancano Andrea Brown Student Services Coordinator Assoc. Academic Success Specialist Academic Success Specialist *IMPACT Award Recipient Leonardo Leon Shabnam Rezai Business Operations Specialist Academic Success Specialist Leonard Bucholz Shop Manager Gayla Livengood Cara Rickard Department HR Specialist Assistant to Director Jessica Caruthers *IMPACT Award Nominee Academic Success Coordinator April MacCleary *IMPACT Award Nominee Research Advancement Manager Wesley Scruggs *Staff Excellence Award Recipient Business Operations Specialist Devon Coleman *IMPACT Award Nominee Program Coordinator Lexi Schulla Andre Magdelano Academic Success Specialist Karen Dada Machinist Sr. Program Manager Bruce Steele Lindy Mayled Laboratory Manager Danielle Daley Project Coordinator Research Advancement Administrator Molly Swindler *IMPACT Award Nominee Miranda Milovich Research Advancement Specialist Academic Success Specialist Samantha Gabriel Albert Thompson III Department HR Specialist Sr. Amy Newberg Tech Support Analyst Senior Student Services Coordinator Assoc. *IMPACT Award Nominee Amber Hall Research Advancement Admin Sr. Zachary Nothstine Dave Vega Student Services Coordinator Assoc. Academic Success Specialist Kelley Hall Research Advancement Admin Sr. Durella O’Donnell Tiffany Wingerson *IMPACT Award Nominee Administrative Assistant Academic Success Specialist *Staff Excellence Award Recipient Mariah Pacey Geoffrey Hamilton *IMPACT Award Nominee Academic Success Specialist Business Operations Manager Sr. *IMPACT Award Nominee Kelly Parish Academic Success Coordinator
34 Staff.
Staff praised for stellar contributions
The School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy created the Staff Excellence Awards to recognize exceptional employees who go above and beyond in making contributions to the school. This year, the leadership committee honored Tiffany Wingerson (left), April MacCleary (center) and Susan Baldi (left) for their unparalleled productivity and excellent customer service. Baldi’s nominations praised her as “one of the most efficient, productive and innovative” team members. MacCleary’s peers recognized her as an invaluable asset whose “performance and customer service are truly exceptional.” Colleagues, faculty and students commended Wingerson for pulling double-duty in her contributions to the school while maintaining a stellar level of professionalism and integrity. Each of these individuals have made a profound impact on the school and its community through leadership and a service-oriented mindset.
Andrea Brown honored for remarkable advising efforts
Andrea Brown, an academic success specialist, received an IMPACT Award for utilizing her strong technological skill set to identify systematic problems and develop online resources to make information more accessible for students and more efficient for advising teams. She also had three presentation proposals accepted in the last year. Brown was promoted into a position encompassing undergraduate and graduate advising as well as developing accelerated 4+1 programs. This accomplishment is noteworthy because Brown has only been in academic advising for three years. Before coming to ASU, she spent more than five years in financial aid. There was a steep learning curve, but she embraced the challenge by gaining an in-depth knowledge of undergraduate and graduate advising curriculum, process and policies. She has impacted the school, the Fulton Schools and the university significantly.
35 School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy
P.O. Box 876106 • Tempe, AZ 85287 semte.engineering.asu.edu