engineering Dean’s Message...... 2 Alumni inducted...... 3 RoMeLa dominates RoboCup...... 4 Department heads appointed...... 6 SEB gets Rolls-Royce engine...... 8 inside COLLEGE OF ENGINEERINGnews SPRING 2013 Robotic jellyfish could roam the seas, oceans ollege of Engineering researchers are continu- jellyfish skin and is placed over the robotic body. When ity, [or to] monitor sharks,” said Alex Villanueva of St- ing to work on a multi-university, nationwide moving, the robots look weirdly alive. Jacques, New-Brunswick, , a doctoral student Cproject for the U.S. Navy that one day will put In both cases, the jellyfish must be able to operate working under Priya. life-like autonomous robot jellyfish in waters around on their own for months or the world. Several sizes of the RoboJelly are under longer at a time as engi- various phases of development, some the size of neers likely won’t be able a man’s hand, while another – publicly debuted in to capture and repair the spring 2013 – is more than five-foot wide. robots, or replace power The main focus of the program is to understand sources, Priya said. That is the fundamentals of propulsion mechanisms utilized one of the many challenges by nature, said Shashank Priya, professor of me- facing development of the chanical engineering and lead on the proj- jellyfish as they progress. ect. The robot jellyfish would have several uses once Priya added that, in addition put into the waters: Conducting surveillance, cleaning to a range of sizes, jellyfish oil spills, and monitoring the environment. display a wide variety of The idea for a robotic jellyfish did not originate shapes and colors, and are at Virginia Tech, but rather the U.S. Naval Undersea able to move on their own Warfare Center and the Office of Naval Research. vertically, but depend upon Virginia Tech, is teaming with four U.S. universities on ocean currents for horizontal the multi-year, $5 million project. The project: build the movement. jellyfish body models, integrating fluid mechanics and Several more years developing control systems. of work remain before any The smaller jellyfish are tested inside a 600-gal- models are released for lon tank for movement and energy self-creation and reconnaissance, be it with usage, as they are being tested for self-powering cameras, sensors, or other autonomous operation, using hydrogen, naturally devices. Other uses abound. Left to right, robotic jellyfish research team members Alex Villanueva of St-Jacques, New- abundant in water, as a “fuel.” The larger model, “The robots could be used Brunswick, Canada, and a doctoral student; Kenneth Marut of Washington, D.C, and Tyler named “Cyro,” requires a swimming pool for full tests, to study aquatic life, map Michael of Lexington, N.C., of Lexington, N.C., both master’s students. All three students and is operated by electric batteries built into the ro- ocean floors, monitor ocean are in the mechanical engineering program under Shashank Priya. botic creature. A thick silicone layer mimics the sleek currents, monitor water qual- Students use 3D printers to make Luttrell elected to National research models, tools, and totems Academy of Engineering he National Academy of Engineering in February 2013 se- f you dream it, we can build it.” That’s dolph Hall. Its inventory is infinite. You create lected Gerald “Jerry” H. Luttrell, the E. Morgan Massey Christopher Williams, assistant pro- the product, from scratch, or rather plastics. TProfessor of Mining and Minerals Engineering, as one of its Ifessor with both the Department of In 3D. In minutes. 69 new members. Mechanical Engineering and Department of DreamVendor is a set of four 3D print- Luttrell’s nomination was based on his advancement of separa- Engineering Education, tipping his hat, with ers that can create any physical shape that tion technologies for the mineral and coal industries, pioneering new tongue in cheek, to the sports drama “Field a user designs using software, with the con- fields of technology in the environmentally of Dreams.” tent prep-provided on an SD card inserted clean processing of mined materials. These He’s talking about his DREAMS – that’s into the machine. A few buttons pushed, technologies allow mining firms to now recov- Design, Research, and Education for Addi- and – voila! – instant manufacturing at one’s er much of the valuable materials previously tive Manufacturing Systems – Laboratory, fingertips. The only rule: The object has to gone to waste because they lacked appropri- dedicated to exploring the field of additive be smaller than a baseball. The device uses ate separation technologies. manufacturing, or 3D printing. More specifi- a form of melted plastic, the same material Election to the academy is among the cally, the DreamVendor, a high-tech vending used to make Legos, in a process similar to highest professional distinctions accorded machine located near the main lobby of Ran- using a hot glue gun. to an engineer. Only 14 other Virginia Tech Williams said any innovative idea a stu- College of Engineering faculty members dent has for an invention, object, or tool can previously have received the honor. (Luttrell Luttrell be made ready as a prototype within minutes. himself is a dedicated Hokie, earning his The public-access machine is one of a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in mining and minerals kind, with no other known university having engineering, all from Virginia Tech.) such a set up. Luttrell has 18 patents, many of which are in commercial use. The printers are kit-built from a company His patents address three important industrial problems in mining: called MakerBot, with new software added by fine particle flotation, coarse particle flotation, and fine particle de- Williams’ students to make usage easier, and watering. Luttrell recently developed a new computer program for stacked inside a glass-and-metal case. optimizing mineral and coal processing plants. Funding for part of the set-up came from Luttrell co-invented the Microcel column flotation technology the Virginia Tech Student Engineers’ Council. with Roe Hoan Yoon, a fellow NAE member and Virginia Tech Uni- (See story on page five.) versity Distinguished Professor in mining. This technology is rapidly “We were very surprised at how quickly becoming an industry standard, and is one of the current best-sell- the community grasped some of the more ing flotation columns. Australian coal company BHPB-Mitsui Alliance complex concepts of additive manufacturing,” is using the technology for all of its new plants. said Amy Elliott of Fayetteville, Tenn., a doc- Luttrell’s HydroFloat coarse particle flotation system is used toral student in mechanical engineering who commercially in the phosphate and potash industries, while his works in the lab. StackCell fine particle flotation system is now being applied within The DreamVendor represents only a the coal and industrial minerals industries. He also commercialized sliver of the work undertaken by the group the hyperbaric centrifuge technology that is being marketed suc- of about 10 graduate and undergraduate cessfully by U.S. centrifuge company Decanter. students. In a lab one floor below, several Luttrell also has developed a computer program that can be high-end machines can print 3D objects far used to optimize the design of minerals and coal processing plants. larger and from such materials as polymers, In 2012 alone, he conducted more than 25 workshops, training 750- metals, ceramics, and even bio-materials and plus coal preparation plant employees. nano-composites.

(Left to right) Assistant Professor Christopher Williams and master’s student Amy Elliott at the DreamVendor in Randolph Hall. engineering news C O L L E G E N O T E S Dean’s Message Signature Engineering Building progresses; college continues to grow programs, national stature As the economy continues to thaw in most sectors the building, see page 8. As well, record for the college, and a substantial jump from 2010 from the near-frozen state it sat in for several years, our we have a 24/7 live webcam cap- when federal stimulus-funded research projects jumped College of Engineering continues to expand like never turing the construction process. It our base to $137 million. In 2102, we received no such before. And our horizon only grows brighter. can be viewed at www.eng.vt.edu/ stimulus funding. Near the intersection of Prices Fork Road and signaturebuilding/livecam.) None of this would be possible without the help Stanger Street, on the north side of the Virginia Tech Out toward the Virginia Tech of our outstanding alumni and corporate support, es- campus, our $100 million Signature Engineering Build- Corporate Research Campus, our pecially in the face of shrinking state financial support. ing is halfway through its construction and roughly a Center for Space Science and En- The efforts of several present and past members of the year away from opening. For in-progress photographs of gineering Research, the new home College of Engineering Advisory Board during the past of Space@VT, opened in six or so years helped spur the Signature Engineering July. Toward the shore, in Building into the reality it is today, as we spoke time and Hampton, Va., the National Benson time again to the Virginia General Assembly and Gov- Institute of Aerospace Re- ernor’s Office. We emphasized engineering as a core search and Innovation Laboratories opened in driver in the well-being and future enhancement of the the spring. Overseen by the institute, Virginia state’s economy, and our college as the engine behind Tech owns the facility, which now houses the that drive. Bruel & Kaejer Laboratory for Aerospace Vibra- This past January, our alumni again joined us in tion and Acoustics, run by Christopher Fuller, Richmond for Hokie Day at the General Assembly, and the Samuel Langley Distinguished Professor of I am confident we demonstrated the great contribution Engineering, and the Vessel Dynamics Lab run our College of Engineering makes to the state’s future. by Leigh McCue-Weil, associate professor of Speaking of engines and to return to the Signature Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. Engineering Building, I would be remised if I did not We’re not through growing. A building dedi- single out alumnus Phil Burkholder, Rolls-Royce’s cated to propulsion research is under construc- executive vice president for engineering and technol- tion at the Corporate Research Center, with the ogy, for helping us secure a Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 jet Virginia Tech Board of Visitors giving its blessing engine for the atrium of the new structure. The massive on the $3.5 million structure this past fall. It also 15,000-pound engine hangs 15 feet above the floor in would be placed in Phase II of the Corporate Re- the building, installed this past summer by a team of search Center. In the future, the college hopes to engineers that included David Childress of construction expand its offices and classroom space by reno- company Gilbane Inc. vating and expanding other buildings on campus. Childress, by the way, also is an alumnus of our We are not just expanding the college’s civil engineering program and is another example of reach in brick and mortar. The State Council how our alumni remain a backbone of support, a perfect for Higher Education for Virginia is considering example of the past helping us herald, literally, into the approval of a master’s and doctoral degree in future. nuclear engineering, with a start target date of On page 3, you can read how the college honored fall 2013. As well, the Virginia Tech-Wake For- Burkholder with a Distinguished Service Award. And on est University School of Biomedical Engineering this page and page 8, you can see photos of the engine and Sciences added a minor starting this past as it is being installed, and read about our plans to make January, building on the master’s and doctoral the engine a learning tool for our students for years to programs we already have. Our class sizes also come. continue to grow, with the entering class of 2010 Let me assure you, these photos – great and thrill- being particularly large. Our fall 2012 undergrad- ing as they are – do not do the site of the engine hang- uate enrollment was just more than 6,800, nearly ing in our new lobby justice. It must be seen in person, a quarter larger than the 5,500 numbers we saw and I encourage all of you to visit Blacksburg once the in the 2005 and 2006 academic years. building opens in spring 2014, and experience the lobby Monetarily, we also are growing stron- for yourself. Then tour the rest of the facility, and see ger than ever. In the 2012 academic year, we how we at the College of Engineering are continuing to Engineers carefully raised the Rolls-Royce engine into place. reached $141 million in new research awards, a Invent the Future.

U.S. News ranks college’s graduate, undergraduate, online courses as best Richard C. Benson The College of Engineering the ninth. Environmental ranked 13th; For only the second time, Dean, College of Engineering third consecutive year ranked 24th aerospace 15th; mechanical, 17th; the magazine also ranked online- among the nation’s best engineer- and computer and electrical engi- only programs, with the college at ing schools for graduate studies, neering (listed separately) at 19th. 13th in the nation for Best Online according to U.S. News and World In the September 2012 “Ameri- Graduate Engineering Programs. engineering Report’s America’s Best Graduate ca’s Best Colleges 2013,” looking at The listing made it the only such Schools 2014 survey released in the undergraduate level, U.S. News engineering program ranked from March. ranked the College 16th overall in Virginia. The university’s Master Among public universities, it the nation, and sixth among public of Information Technology degree news Dean, College of Engineering: Richard Benson institutions. Among programs: En- program – offered by the College of ranked in the top 15. For programs Editor / Writer: Steven Mackay and departments: industrial and gineering science and mechanics Engineering and the Pamplin Col- Contributing Writers: Lynn Nystrom, Lindsey Haugh systems engineering as well as civil ranked 5th; civil ranked ninth and lege of Business – ranked third in Designer: David Simpkins engineering each ranked seventh, environmental 12th; industrial and the nation. The online IT program Photographers: Steven Mackay, Peter Means, John McCormick, Mark Umansky, Logan Wallace with biological/agricultural engineer- systems was at 10th; aerospace at entails both the Departments of Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, ing – also part of the College of Ag- 13th; mechanical at 15th; and elec- Computer Science and Electrical students, or applicants on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual riculture and Life Sciences – ranking trical and computer each at 17th. and Computer Engineering. orientation, disability, age, veteran status, national origin, religion, or political affiliation. Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equity and Inclusion. Virginia Tech College of Engineering Tax-wise support for the College of Engineering 3046 Torgersen Hall (0217), Virginia Tech If your taxes are now higher, choosing the right This reduces the effective cost of your gift when com- Blacksburg, Va. 24061 asset for your gift to the College of Engineering may pared to a gift of cash. (540) 231-6641 • www.eng.vt.edu offer you even more tax savings than in the past. Do- Learn more about supporting the College of En- Twitter: www.twitter.com/VTEngineering nations of appreciated assets, such as securities and gineering with a tax-wise gift. Phone Erin Edwards Facebook: facebook.com/ real estate you have owned for a year or more, typi- at (540) 231-4066 or e-mail [email protected] or visit VirginiaTechCollegeofEngineering cally bypass capital gains and ordinary income taxes. www.givingto.vt.edu. RSS: www.vtnews.vt.edu

2 • ENGINEERING NEWS 2013 • VISIT WWW.ENG.VT.EDU FOR THESE STORIES AND MORE engineering news A L U M N I N O T E S Smith was College honors new academy members, devoted to outstanding young alumnus for 2012 work, home C.W. “Bill” Smith, Alumni Dis- Virginia Tech’s College of Engineer- tinguished Professor Emeritus of ing inducted seven new members into its Engineering Science and Mechanics Academy of Engineering Excellence, an and a member of the Academy of En- elite group that now consists of only 112 gineering Excellence at Virginia Tech, people out of its more than 58,000 living died July 30, 2012. alumni. Born in Christiansburg, Smith This year marked the 13th anniver- lived in the same home his grand- sary of the academy. father built in 1905 and where he The 2012 academy inductees were: was raised. The 1929 stock market Raymond Curry Jr., civil engineer- crash and subsequent Great Depres- ing, 1954. Founder of SMC Concrete sion forced the sale of the home, but Construction Inc. and Curry Development Smith was able to purchase back the Inc., he has built office and apartment landmark building in 1948. He contin- sectors, townhouses, single-family hous- ued to live there until his health failed. es, retail centers, and industrial parks. While attending Virginia Tech as Thomas Digges Jr., metallurgical an engineering student, he gained ex- Left to right: Richard C. Benson, dean of the College of Engineering, Hobart engineering, 1960. Worked at Newport perience during his senior year teach- Weaver, Maurizio Porfiri, Larry Marshall, Norris Mitchell, Marvin Johnson, News Shipbuilding, the Naval Research ing mathematics, and upon gradua- Thomas Digges Jr., Raymond Curry Jr., and Samuel Shrader. Laboratory, and at Texas Instruments tion accepted a job teaching in the before starting family-owned Virginia engineering mechanics department Semiconductor. neering, 1958. Hired by Douglas Aircraft AT&T, working on projects as diverse Smith pursued his master’s degree Marvin Johnson, electrical engi- (now McDonnell Douglas), he started as developing an anti-aircraft missile and became a full time instructor in neering, 1964. Began his career with working on aircraft development and then system, he was hired as vice president 1948. When Smith earned his gradu- , but joined small busi- moved to its space division. Later he of marketing and sales for Methode ate degree in 1950, he was promoted ness, Lawless Detroit Diesel in 1973, and moved to think tank Research Analysis Electronics. There he grew annual sales to assistant pro- later Associated Diesel. In 1995 he was Corp. and then Science Applications In- ten-fold. fessor, teaching named president of the latter, now Asso- ternational Corp., now called SAIC. The 2012 Outstanding Young Alum- five classes. His ciated Power. Samuel Shrader, mining engineer- nus is Maurizio Porfiri, engineering salary: $200 per Larry Marshall, aerospace engi- ing, 1963. Sustained 30-year career with mechanics, master’s, 2000, doctorate, month. neering, 1966, and engineering science Consol Energy starting in 1963, and by 2006. An associate professor at Poly- He attend- and mechanics, 1974. Spent 30 years 1970 was promoted to regional industrial technic Institute of New York, Popular ed short courses with DuPont and retired as one of its Fel- engineer. He was promoted to lead sev- Science named him as one of its Brilliant at MIT and at lows, one of a dozen out of the 60,000 eral Consol subsidiaries, retiring as se- 10 in 2012. The honor came in the wake the University of employees worldwide. He later launched nior vice president of its Eastern Region. of his research in designing robots that Denver (Colo- Verdex Technologies. Hobart Weaver, mechanical engi- could engage and regulate the collective rado) Research Norris Mitchell, aerospace engi- neering, 1950. After a long career with behavior of fish shoals. Institute. Smith He was later part of the then-groundbreaking U.S. Department of Defense 1969 College honors alumni for efforts Themis grant on composites and ad- vanced materials, a project that cata- pulted Virginia Tech into the major in industry, philanthropy research sector. The College of Engineering in 2012 honored Phil Burk- Loring launched in 1956 the engineering firm Joseph R. Smith’s research of fracture me- holder, a 1986 honors graduate of the Department of Me- Loring & Associates Inc., with the company now boasting of- chanics is known “worldwide,” as are chanical Engineering, with its Distinguished Service Award; fices in Washington, D.C., New York, and Princeton, N.J. his contributions to the discipline of and Joseph R. Loring, a 1947 graduate of the Department of His firm designed the electrical systems for the twin photoelasticity. Electrical Engineering, with its Distinguished Alumnus Award. 110-story towers comprising the World Trade Center in New In 1977, Virginia Tech presented As well, the Virginia Tech honored Loring York, then the world’s tallest building. Smith with its Alumni Award for Excel- with its University Alumni Distinguished Other landmarks his company has lence in Research, and he also was Achievement Award. helped in construction or renovation named a Fellow by the Society for Burkholder joined Rolls-Royce in efforts: The Federal Parliament House Experimental Mechanics. In 1986, he 1986 after his graduation, and has since atop Capitol Hill in the city of Canberra, received NASA’s Langley Research contributed to the propulsion system so- Australia, the U.S. Supreme Court Build- Center Scientific Achievement Award. lutions for its aircraft, such as the Cessna ing in Washington, D.C., and the King More Fellowships followed: The Citation, the Global Hawk, and the F-35 Fahd Airport in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. American Academy of Mechanics in Lightning II. He has four patented inven- During work on the U.S. Supreme 1991 and American Society of Me- tions and is a Fellow of the Royal Aero- Court Building, the renovation project re- chanical Engineers in 1996. The Soci- nautical Society, and has served on the quired that work be completed while the ety for Experimental Mechanics made College of Engineering Advisory Board Burkholder Loring building was occupied. Loring described him an honorary member in 2002. from 2008 to 2012. this project as one of the most challeng- His classroom efforts also re- Burkholder was instrumental in the donation of a ing of his career. ceived acclaim: In 1991, he received 14,000-pound Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 jet engine delivered Loring and his wife, Sheila Johnston, are members of the statewide Dan Pletta Engineering from England and now hanging in the under-construction the Virginia Tech’s Ut Prosim Society. He has served on the Educator of the Year Award from the Signature Engineering Building. When the building opens in advisory boards of the Bradley Department of Electrical and Virginia Schools of Engineering. He the spring of 2014, the engine – more than nine feet in width Computer Engineering and the College of Engineering. He served as unofficial advisor to nearly – will serve as a modern engineering marvel inspiring genera- is a member of the College’s Committee of 100, and the Col- 20 Department of Engineering Sci- tions of talented students to pursue careers in science and in lege’s Academy of Engineering Excellence. ence and Mechanics seniors each engineering, and as a centerpiece of art for the atrium. It now Among many scholarships and other philanthropy efforts year, directed some 50 graduate-level hangs the structure’s main entrance. he has spearheaded at Virginia Tech, he has funded the Lor- students, and helped establish a With Burkholder’s help, Rolls-Royce also is making a ing Professorship, currently held by Saifur Rahman, profes- foreign-exchange program with Lo- significant investment in the Commonwealth of Virginia, based sor of electrical and computer engineering. monosov Moscow State University. on the state’s substantial success in higher education. Rolls- “Joseph Loring’s exemplary career is a testament to his In 1992, Smith retired but re- Royce, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia have es- personal drive and skill as an engineer and as a business- tained his status as an Alumni Dis- tablished two research partnerships: the Commonwealth Cen- man, and to the solid start his education at Virginia Tech gave tinguished Professor Emeritus. He ter for Advanced Manufacturing in Petersburg, Va., and the him on the road to success,” said Richard C. Benson, dean continued to come to the office, and Commonwealth Center for Aerospace Propulsion Systems, of the College of Engineering. “We can be proud to count him retained his research laboratory for with centers in Charlottesville and Blacksburg. among our outstanding alumni.” another decade.

VISIT WWW.ENG.VT.EDU FOR THESE STORIES AND MORE • ENGINEERING NEWS 2013 • 3 engineering news S T U D E N T N O T E S RoMeLa dominates robot soccer competition, will design robot for disaster relief missions Virginia Tech’s Robotics Adult Size class with the five- inside Mexico’s World Trade most difficult task: use a power and Mechanisms Laboratory foot humanoid robot CHARLI-2 Center. Added Jack Newton, tool and break through a con- (RoMeLa) had another banner and the Kid Size class with the a senior in mechanical engi- crete wall. All these tasks must 2012, dominating RoboCup’s miniature-humanoid-robots neering, and member of Team be completed under a set time international humanoid robot DARwIn-OP. The second team CHARLI: “It’s amazing. Actually, limit. soccer competition for a second was a joint effort of Virginia Tech I’m kind of speechless.” Virginia Tech will receive $4 time. The group also signed undergraduate and graduate An earlier incarnation of million for the project. on for the U.S. Department of students and their counterparts CHARLI-2 won the Louis Vuit- The robot currently is in the Defense-sponsored DARPA from the University of Pennsyl- ton Cup at RoboCup 2011 in build stage, with tests on arms Robotics Challenge, where the vania’s College of Engineering Istanbul, Turkey, bringing it to and hands already underway. team will design and build a hu- in Philadelphia. Blacksburg, Va., and to the Its name: T.H.O.R. – short for manoid robot for intense disas- “This is two in a row,” said for the first time. Tactical Hazardous Operations ter relief missions. an excited RoMeLa founder/di- The tournament also marked Robot. Hong describes it as At the June 2012 Mexico rector Dennis Hong as he and the second year that RoMeLa being “light, agile, and resilient City-hosted RoboCup, RoMeLa his students cheered and posed used and won with the DARwIn- with perception, planning, and took first place finishes in the for photos after the finale match OP humanoid robots. human interface technology In fall 2012, RoMeLa took that infers a human operator’s A rendering of Virginia on the lead of an international intent.” Tech’s DARPA Robotics team in developing a humanoid Joining Hong from Virginia Challenge robot THOR, robot for intense disaster relief Tech is Craig Woolsey, associ- short for Tactical Hazardous as part of the Robotics Chal- ate professor of aerospace and Operations Robot. lenge pitched by the Defense ocean engineering, and director Advanced Research Projects of the Virginia Center for Au- THOR will be partially Agency (DARPA). Hong calls tonomous Systems. J.K. Han, based on efforts on another ro- the effort the “greatest chal- a former doctoral student of bot being developed at RoMeLa lenge of my career.” Hong’s who developed the first called SAFFiR, or Shipboard The task is massive: the incarnation of CHARLI, also will Autonomous Fire-Fighting adult-sized robot must be de- work on the project. Robot. Designed for the U.S. signed to enter a vehicle, drive THOR team collabora- Navy, the humanoid robot will it, and then exit the vehicle, tors include: The University of eventually fight fires aboard walk over rubble, clear objects Pennsylvania’s robotics lab; naval ships. On SAFFiR, Hong blocking a door, open the door, ROBOTIS, a Korean-based is teaming with fellow mechani- and enter a building. The robot robotics company that co-devel- cal engineering professor Brian then must visually and audibly oped an open-platform version Lattimer and his EXTREME The combined winning Team CHARLI and Team DARwIn at RoboCup locate and shut off a leaking of the DARwIn-OP ’bots; and Lab, the latter which is develop- 2012 in Mexico City, both headed by mechanical engineering’s valve, connect a hose or con- Harris Corp., an international ing the heat/ fire-sensing and Dennis Hong (far left, standing). Team DARwIn includes University nector, climb an industrial lad- communications and informa- suppression tasks of the robot. of Pennsylvania engineering students, as well as those from Virginia der and traverse an industrial tion company headquartered in That project, like THOR, also is Tech’s College of Engineering. walkway. The final and possibly Melbourne, Fla. a multi-year mission.

Hokie electric motorcycle team holds own against professionals A team of College of Engineering first “zero toxic emissions” motorcycle forward electric vehicle technology,” Jr. Advanced undergraduate students roared into race series, was indeed thrilling and full said John Marshall, a senior majoring Engineering the world of self-built electric-powered of prizes. It also was historic: BOLT was in mechanical engineering. He was the Laboratory. motorcycle racing, winning or placing and remains the only university student- team’s leader during the 2012 year, and Mechanical En- near the top in several races throughout led team in the entire competition, going remains so in 2012. “If we come home at gineering Asso- the United States in 2012 as part of the up against professional bike-building the end of the day with some trophies it ciate Professor North American TTXGP eGrandPrIx’s teams such as MotoCzysz and others is just icing on the cake. That being said Saied Taheri competition. from across North America. this is a race team and we are out there is the faculty Virginia Tech’s BOLT – that’s short “It is definitely a thrill, but most im- to win, every stop will be pulled out in adviser. This for Battery Operated Land Transporta- portantly we are just happy to be able order to achieve this.” is the second tion – showing in the field, the world’s to participate in the TTXGP and help The team had the chance to com- electric mo- pete in a world finale at Day- torcycle team tona International Speedway effort overseen in fall 2012, but deferred par- by Taheri, him- ticipating as the bike could self once a mo- not reach expected race- torcycle sports track speeds of international participant and Student members of competitors. (One important enthusiast. the 2011-2012 BOLT note: The bike is not piloted team take the bike A new bike -- during races by a student for a test run at the also using the for insurance reasons, but Virginia Tech Trans- body of a Hon- by Matt Kent, an engineer portation Institute’s da CBR600RR at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Smart Road. – for the 2013 Co. and professional racer, year already and others. Students on the is in the construction stages at the Ware team, however, either own Lab. personal street or race bikes. Among the many sponsors of the As well, they have piloted team who donated equipment or financial the BOLT bike in various test support are: Areva Group North America, runs on the track.) Boeing, Dow-Kokam, Dunlop, General Mo- The 385-pound bike – a tors, Kollmorgen, Lockheed Martin, Pen- The 2013 BOLT team, numbering more than 30 2009 Honda CBR600RR – is ske, Solutia and a dozen others. Virginia and encompassing students throughout the completely electric powered, Tech’s Student Engineers’ Council (see university, poses for photos inside the Joseph F. and was designed, built, story, page five) also has donated several Ware Jr. Advanced Engineering Laboratory. and painted by students thousand dollars to the project during the inside the Joseph F. Ware past few years, as has the Ware Lab.

4 • ENGINEERING NEWS 2013 • VISIT WWW.ENG.VT.EDU FOR THESE STORIES AND MORE engineering news S T U D E N T N O T E S

company pays a fee to attend the job fair, based on Virginia Tech Student sponsorship level and overall participation. With the revenue generated by the career fair, the Engineers’ Council SEC’s executive group makes requests for proposals from engineering faculty and students on how to best spend the proceeds, while still making sure a portion wins best in nation is placed within one of the endowments held by the The National Association of Engineering Student . Councils honored the engineering students of Virginia “The students who make up our council dedicate Tech as having the nation’s best and most philanthrop- most of their free time to the Student Engineers’ Coun- More than 5,000 engineering students attend the Virginia ic Student Engineers’ Council in the nation for 2012. cil because we all believe that what we are doing is Tech Student Engineers’ annual Council Engineering Among many accolades, Virginia Tech Student making an incredible impact on so many people. Our Expo, a two-day job fair attracting more than 200 Engineers’ Council (SEC) was cited for its allocation devotion to the council is outstanding and never takes companies seeking interns and future employees. of more than $100,000 to the university’s College of a break,” said Jeremy Codiroli of Chesterfield, Va., Engineering in 2011, as well as more than $1 million the 2011-12 chairman of the council, and an industrial of three annual scholarships, also from endowed ac- in the past 10 years. This money was used for various and systems engineering major. counts. engineering projects including: partially funding more Among the activities the members of the council In addition to Codiroli, the other executive mem- than 30 engineering organizations such as the inter- have also conducted are: the underwriting of commu- bers of the 2011-2012 council included: Paul Asbury, nationally award winning hybrid electric vehicle team; nity service projects; planning of an outreach program Ben Clark, Ben Codiroli, Ross Cooper, Matthew the outdoor-terrain motorsport team; and the Baja and to collect school supplies for low-income kindergar- Donaldson, Ben Drew, Alexander Dunlevy, Brian Formula Society of Automotive Engineers’ teams. ten through 12th grade students; organization of a Keller, Allan Kirchoff, Alek Leckszas, John Lohr, To fund these and other programs, the SEC spon- campus-wide Engineers’ Week celebration; develop- Wes Matson, Dustin Moore, Dan Morton, Kevin sors and organizes one of the largest career fairs in ment of an annual Leadership in Engineering confer- Peterson, and Ashley Taylor. Lynn Nystrom of the the nation, attracting some 250 companies each year ence; distribution of schedule planners to freshmen to College of Engineering has served as the SEC faculty to the campus to recruit its engineering students. Each help with their campus orientation; and the awarding adviser for 33 years. Students’ experiments hitch ride on NASA rocket into space A team of engineering students space in September 2012, when NASA Wallops Flight Facility, off the coast of eter CubeSat -- or a miniature box-like watched their experiments blast into launched a 40-foot-long rocket from its Virginia, for an estimated 15-minute flight. satellite -- instrument, both built by Hokie The launch students. The payload also tested two in- was part of NASA’s ertial measurement units as tech demos RockSat program, an and environmental validation for future educational project navigation technologies. designed to provide “Launches at NASA Wallops are a students with hands- sight to see,” said team leader Stephen on experience in Noel of Christiansburg, Va., and a mas- designing, fabricating, ter’s student in aerospace engineering testing, and conduct- who at Wallops. “A launch is even more ing experiments for significant and exciting when you have a space flight. The piece of hardware or an experiment flying student team was onboard.” tasked with designing Months after the launch, Noel said, a payload and power “The majority of our instruments success- system to support fully collected data during the flight, and several experimental some of these technologies will be used projects, including on future CubeSat missions [and] the RockSat-X team includes (left to right) engineering students Stephen Noel of Christiansburg, Va., an optical nitric oxide team of undergraduate students gained and a first-year master’s student; Robbie Robertson of Fairfax, Va., and a doctoral student, and sensor and an ap- some very valuable experience.” More underclassmen Diwas Thapa of Kathmandu, Nepal; Brian McCarthy of Vienna, Va.; Ryan Hatton erture vacuum seal similar projects are planned for Wallops of Blairstown, N.J.; Jason Duane of Gainesville, Va.; and Mark Godine of Lynchburg College, Va. release mechanism with Virginia Tech students, including a Not pictured is team member Rob Boone. for the Space Barom- launch expected in summer or fall 2013.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Ashwin For the third consecutive year, a nautics Foundation’s 2011–2012 Devita McCullough of Colo- civil engineering took first place, Aji, of team of computer science doc- Undergraduate Team Space nial Heights, Va., and Andrew while Armen Adekristi of civil Blacksburg, toral students won first place in Transportation Design Competi- Wickersham of Blacksburg, are engineering, took second place. a doctoral the Institute of Electrical and Elec- tion. Members were: Nicole the College of Engineering’s first Both are from Blacksburg. candidate tronics Engineers Symposium’s Heersema of Mountainside, N.J.; Rolls Royce Doctoral Fellows. Ismail Zohdy of Cairo, Egypt, a in computer 3D User Interfaces contest. The Tommy Hertz of Fairfax, Va.; McCullough is a doctoral student doctoral student in civil engineer- science, team, also won the “People’s Tom Kasmer of Belmont, N.C.; in industrial and systems engi- ing won the Best Scientific Paper received one Choice” award as voted by confer- Maria Rye of Oakton, Va.; Matt neering, and previously earned a Award for North America at the of 12 fellow- ence attendees. Members were: Shepherd of Annandale, Va.; master’s degree in biological sys- Intelligent Transportation Society ships award- Felipe Bacim of Porto Alegre, Matt Smith of Virginia Beach, Va.; tems engineering at Virginia Tech. World Congress in Vienna, Aus- Aji ed worldwide Brazil; Eric Ragan of Pittsburgh; Bryan Undercoffer of Lexington, Wickersham is a doctoral student tria. The paper focused on auton- for 2012-13 Siroberto Scerbo of Elizabeth Va.; and Greg Wheeler of Chesa- in mechanical engineering. omous vehicles and intersection by global tech company NVIDIA. City, N.C.; and Cheryl Stinson of peake, Va. , controls. The $25,000 fellowship will be Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Satyavrata Samavedi of Madras, , a used in Aji’s research, aimed The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team Donté Elam of Midlothian, Va., a chemical engineering at researching and developing of Virginia Tech received a GM junior majoring in chemical engi- doctoral student, was next-generation supercomputing car in summer 2012 as part of neering, won the 30-Day Sprint awarded a David W. techniques. the EcoCAR 2: Plugging in to competition sponsored by the and Lillian Francis Re- the Future campaign. The goal: Reza Arghandeh of Blacksburg, office of Virginia Gov. Bob Mc- search Fellowship from re-engineer a stock vehicle into a a doctoral candidate in electri- Donnell. The winning entry was the Virginia Tech Gradu- AOE team more efficient vehicle while main- cal and computer engineering, selected from among 1,300 ideas ate School. taining consumer acceptability. was awarded the Association of submitted by state employees to Virginia Tech took the top two Now on its second year of the Energy Engineers Scholarship help increase the state govern- Min Li, a computer science doctor- slots at the second Student Com- competition, the team is tasked Award in fall 2012. He also won ment efficiency. al candidate, received an IBM Fel- petition on Cold-Formed Steel with integrating year-one designs best student paper at the Ameri- lowship, a worldwide program that A Department of Aerospace and Design. The 2102 challenge: into a functional vehicle. Virginia can Society of Mechanical Engi- honors doctoral students interest- Ocean Engineering student team design an open section shape for Tech’s previous HEVT group won neering Power 2012 Conference’s ed in solving problems of innova- won first place in the American a 48-inch-long cold-formed steel the first EcoCAR Challenge in 20th International Conference on tion. Li, of Blacksburg, researches Institute of Aeronautics and Astro- truss member. of June 2011. Nuclear Engineering. cloud computing systems. Matthew Wilde

VISIT WWW.ENG.VT.EDU FOR THESE STORIES AND MORE • ENGINEERING NEWS 2013 • 5 engineering news F A C U L T Y A C H I E V E M E N T S Midkiff named vice president for information technology and chief information officer Bradley Department of Electrical conclude at the end of the spring 2013 CIO. With his extensive academic back- to the research and Computer Engineering head Scott semester. ground, he can address university com- endeavor. In F. Midkiff was named as the university’s “Professor Midkiff is a recognized puting, telecommunications, and network addition, we vice president for information technology authority on wireless networks, mobile needs from multiple standpoints.” have already and chief information officer in October systems, and pervasive computing,” said Midkiff added: “Information technol- demonstrated 2012. Paul Plassman, professor in the university President Charles Steger. “He ogy has never been more important to the important ECE, was named interim head of the is eminently qualified and has the vision an organization than now, especially a linkage between department until a full-time replacement to serve as the university’s next vice research university. High performance information is found. The search is expected to president for information technology and computing is fundamental and essential technology and the learning- teaching envi- College names two department heads, three searches underway ronment.” Midkiff ar- Two departments within the Col- Early Career Award for Scientists and rived at Virginia Midkiff lege of Engineering recently named Engineers (PECASE), was named Tech in 1986 new leaders, while three others – En- head of the Department of Mechanical and has developed and taught under- gineering Science and Mechanics, Engineering during summer 2012 as graduate and graduate courses in net- Electrical and Computer Engineering, well. He takes over the position from working, wireless networks and mobile and Chemical Engineering – are now Ken Ball, who left for George Mason systems, network applications, and tele- searching for new heads. University. communications. He was appointed head Eric Paterson, an expert in Parker was executive dean at the of the Bradley department in 2009. computational fluid dynamics, was University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Early in his career, Midkiff worked named head of the Department of Tong University Joint Institute. Before at the legendary Bell Laboratories from Aerospace and Ocean Engineering that, he was at Ohio State University, 1979 to 1982 and was a visiting research in summer 2012, taking over a posi- where he directed its Dynamics and associate at Carnegie Mellon University tion held by Chris Hall, who left the Vibration Laboratory and received Paterson Parker from 1985 to 1986. From September college in summer 2011 for a position many awards for the excellence of his 2006 until September 2009, he was on at the University of New Mexico. teaching and research on the dynamics and vibration of high- special assignment as a program director Patterson previously was at Pennsylvania State Univer- speed mechanical systems. at the National Science Foundation be- sity’s Applied Research Lab, the chief scientist of the computa- In other changes: Engineering Science and Mechanics’ fore returning to Virginia Tech as depart- tional mechanics division of the Applied Research Lab, and a Ishwar Puri is leaving for a position at McMaster University in ment head. professor of mechanical engineering. His research has focused Ontario, Canada. An interim head has not yet been named. In While at the NSF he helped lead on ship and submarine hydrodynamics, cardiovascular fluid chemical engineering, department head John Walz left for the efforts to expand research into cyber- dynamics and heart-assist devices, and explosives trace detec- University of Kentucky, with professor David Cox now serving physical systems to improve the design tion. as interim head. A replacement for electrical and computer engi- of engineered systems with embedded Robert G. Parker, a past recipient of the Presidential neering head Scott Midkiff also is underway. (See story above.) computing and networking. Engineering faculty win NSF CAREER awards for research Two College of Engineering assistant professors the inter-hemispheric magnetic Additive Manufacturing, received the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early conjugacy of ionospheric ir- or 3D printing, entails creating Career Development Program (CAREER) award during regularities and plasma con- objects by depositing or forming the past year. vection. material one cross-sectional Joseph Baker, assistant professor and Steven O. The College of Engineer- layer at a time. Due to the Lane Junior Faculty Fellow of Electrical and Computer ing has a longtime relationship layer-by-layer fabrication ap- Engineering, will use his five-year $480,000 award to with the international Super- proach, this technology allows study inter-hemispheric space weather connections, spe- DARN collaboration, operating complex shapes and designs cifically possible similar perturbations in the northern and five SuperDARN radars in that cannot be fabricated by southern ionospheres. Canada and the United States, traditional manufacturing tech- Space weather refers to dynamics in the near-Earth and is involved in ongoing ef- niques. However, no current space environment that can have serious impacts on forts to build several more such process has effectively used technological systems such as satellites, electrical power installations. copper as a material. grids, and communication networks, said Baker. Many Christopher Williams, The new approach Baker Williams of these influences are manifested in the “ionosphere,” also an assistant professor in would involve 3D printing of the electrically charged component of the Earth’s upper the departments of mechanical engineering and engi- a nanoparticle-filled binder into a bed of copper oxide atmosphere. neering education, will use his award – also for five years powder, followed by a headed chemical process to con- Baker will use simultaneous measurements from and for $480,000 – to further research into the burgeon- vert the printed part to metallic copper. The proposed the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, or SuperDARN ing field of 3D additive manufacturing. (See story, page research could result in the future fabrication of copper for short, radars in both the hemispheres to investigate 1.) Here, Williams will be working with copper materials. cellular materials, and find uses in a number of goods.

Researchers break puzzle on why flu more prevalent in winter, rain Linsey Marr, associate regions, trends lean toward rainy seasons. center, as well as three cross-country flights. Findings professor of civil and envi- Marr and Yang found the viability of the flu A virus showed the average concentration was 16,000 viruses ronmental engineering, and was highest when the relative humidity was either close per cubic meter of air, and the majority of the viruses her doctoral student, Wan to 100 percent or below 50 percent. The results in hu- were associated with fine particles, less than 2.5 mi- Yang, working with Elanku- man mucus may help explain influenza’s seasonality in crometers, which can remain suspended for hours. maran Subbiah, virologist different regions. “We added flu viruses to droplets of Possible explanations for the seasonality of the flu with the Virginia-Maryland simulated respiratory fluid and to actual human mucus have been investigated, such as the return of children Regional College of Vet- and then measured what fraction survived after expo- to school, people spending more time indoors in the erinary Medicine, have sure to low, medium, and high relative humidities,” said winter, and lower light levels that affect the immune measured the influenza A Marr. system, but there is no agreement on them, said Marr. virus survival rate at various At low humidity, respiratory droplets completely The researchers found humidity could explain Marr levels of humidity. evaporate and the virus survives well under dry condi- the seasonality of influenza by controlling the ability of Their study presents tions. But at moderate humidity, the droplets only partially viruses to remain infectious while they are in droplets for the first time a relationship between the influenza A evaporate, leaving the virus exposed to higher levels of or aerosols. The viruses survived best at low humid- virus viability in human mucus and varying humidities, chemicals in the fluid and compromising the virus’ ability ity, such as those found indoors in the winter, and at from 17 percent to 100 percent. The study is based to infect cells. extremely high humidity. Humidity affects the composi- on the fact that influenza has distinct transmission In a past study also led by the trio, researchers col- tion of the fluid, namely the concentrations of salts and patterns around the world. In temperate regions, its lected samples from a health care center waiting room, proteins in respiratory droplets, and this affects the occurrence peaks during winter, while in some tropical two toddlers’ rooms, and one babies’ area of a day care survival rates of the flu virus.

6 • ENGINEERING NEWS 2013 • VISIT WWW.ENG.VT.EDU FOR THESE STORIES AND MORE engineering news F A C U L T Y A C H I E V E M E N T S Devenport teams with GE on wind turbine project Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineer- economical as other forms of fossil fuel based energy ing’s William Devenport is taking part in a multi- production without any subsidies,” the research team group effort to manufacture wind turbine blades wrote in their proposal to the energy department. comprised of fabric stretched across a frame rather This new manufacturing method addresses chal- than rigid fiberglass blades. The hoped payoff: much lenges with the current technology that is looking to larger wind turbines with higher efficiency and lower produce longer blades, often exceeding 120 meters, costs. in order to increase power output. The majority of the The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced current wind turbines have rotor diameters of 50 to 100 Research Project Agency, the National Renewable meters. The longer blades create multiple problems: Energy Laboratory, and GE are collaborating on the transportation requirements, stiffness of material, and $3.7 million project, along with Virginia Tech’s Deven- equipment needs. Plus weight. port, professor of aerospace engineering, and Aure- The use of wind blades would need to grow by lien Borgoltz, a research scientist with the college. some 50 percent to achieve a national goal of having These planned blades would be manufactured in the U.S. rely on wind power for 20 percent of its energy sections and assembled on site, enabling construc- needs. Devenport’s expertise would be used to test the tion costs far less than currently demanded. The aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of the new blades, us- reduced cost “represents a significant step toward ing the Stability Wind Tunnel, located behind Randolph making onshore wind energy production even more Hall.

FACULTY HIGHLIGHTS

Jaime Camelio and Kimberly Ellis, as- winner. As well, the Virginia Tech Board for construction workers. Rahman, the Joseph Loring Professor sociate professors of industrial and sys- of Visitors appointed him the W.S. “Pete” of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors named tems engineering, are part of a $1 million- White Chair for Innovation in Engineering with its Divisional Professional Leadership the following professorships: John C. grant National Science Foundation-funded Education. Award. Little was appointed the Charles E. Via team to optimize laboratory processes The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors named Jr. Professor of Civil and Environmental Jeffrey Reed, professor of electrical and used in making custom DNA. Srinath Ekkad, professor of mechanical Engineering; Padma Rajagopalan was computer engineering, was awarded the The Virginia Tech Faculty Entrepreneur engineering, as the Commonwealth Pro- awarded the Robert H. Hord Jr. Chemical Wireless Innovation Forum’s 2012 Forum Hall of Fame inducted Richard Claus, the fessor for Aerospace Propulsion Systems Engineering Fellowship; and Peter Rim International Achievement Award for his Willis G. Worcester Emeritus Professor of at Virginia Tech. was reappointed the Joseph H. Collie Pro- contributions to new radio technologies. electrical and computer engineering; Fred fessor of Chemical Engineering. Wu Feng, associate Eli Tilevich, associate professor of com- Lee, a University Distinguished Professor professor of comput- Todd Lowe, assistant professor of aero- puter science, received one of 10 awards and director of the Center for Power Elec- er engineering, was space engineering, and Wing Ng of me- worldwide from the Microsoft Research tronics Systems; and Arvid Myklebust, awarded $6 million chanical engineering, are working on a Software Engineering Innovation Founda- professor emeritus of mechanical engi- by the U.S. Air Force multi-year, $600,000 U.S. Office of Naval tion for his research work on mobile de- neering, among its first class of honorees to use supercomput- Research project to reduce the deafening vices and platforms. in April 2012. ers to boost speeds noise created by fighter jets while in flight. Michael von Spa- The Virginia Tech in the test simula- The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors named kovsky, profes- Board of Visitors tions of unmanned Y.A. Liu, the Frank C. Vilbrandt Professor sor of mechanical honored William Feng Micro-Air Vehicles. of Chemical Engineering, an Alumni Dis- engineering, and Davis of computer He also is part of a $2 million National tinguished Professor. Charles E. Smith, a engineering, John Science Foundation/National Institutes of postdoctoral associ- Novak of civil and Health-funded study to develop quicker The American ate with biomedical environmental engi- large-scale data analytics efforts. Society of Naval engineering, jointly neering, and Hanif Engineers honored The National Science Foundation and won the American Sherali of industrial Leigh McCue-Weil, the Office of Naval Research are funding von Spakovsky Society of Mechani- Davis and systems engi- associate professor research work by Thomas Hou, profes- cal Engineers’ Edward F. Obert Award for neering, all as professors emeritus at its of aerospace and sor of electrical and computer engineer- a breakthrough research paper on intrin- March 2013 meeting. ocean engineering, ing, Wenjing Lou, associate professor of sic quantum thermodynamics. with its Rosenblatt The American Society of Civil Engineers computer science, Young Naval Engi- Jules White of presented its 2012 Hans Albert Einstein and Hanif Sherali, McCue-Weil neer Award. electrical and com- Award to Panos Diplas, professor of civil professor of indus- puter engineering and environmental engineering. He also trial and systems Kathleen Meehan, associate professor of co-developed an app was part of a team to win the 2012 Karl engineering, to boost electrical and computer engineering, was that allows users to Emil Hilgard Hydraulic Prize from ASCE. spectrum sharing one of four professors nationally named see 4D images of among frequency air by Analog Devices Inc. as a strategic ad- Stefan Duma, head of the Virginia any building, prod- space for cognitive vocate to its ADI University Program. Tech–Wake Forest University School of uct, street scene, or radios. Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, is Walter O’Brien, the J. Bernard Jones object. The tech was expanding his groundbreaking research Sherali Sunghwan Jung, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, was White licensed to the in- of testing football helmets to reduce the assistant professor of engineering sci- awarded the Industrial Gas Turbine Insti- vestment firm Allied Minds Inc., and won a number of concussions into the sports of ence and mechanics, will lead a National tute’s Aircraft Engine Technology Award at 2013 Design and Engineering Award from hockey, baseball, and lacrosse. Science Foundation-funded study of how the 2012 American Society of Mechanical the Consumer Electronics Association, water-running lizard’s dart across water Engineers Turbo Expo. among other honors. The Virginia Tech Student Engineers’ surfaces, and how dogs and cats drink. Council selected Preston Durrill, adjunct Shashank Priya, professor of mechanical Deborah Young- Jake Socha and Pavlos Vlachos, both professor of the chemical engineering, as engineering, received a five-year Turner Corbett, assistant of the college, also are working on the its 2012 recipient of the Sporn Award for Fellowship as voted by Virginia Tech professor of civil research. Excellence in Engineering Education. Board of Visitors. and environmental Michael Karmis, the Stonie Barker Chair engineering, gar- Marc Edwards, the Charles P. Lunsford The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation awarded of Mining and Minerals Engineering, re- nered national media Professor of Civil and Environmental En- $250,000 to Amy Pruden, associate ceived the first Gunter Fettweis Award coverage for her gineering, was awarded the Institute of professor of civil and environmental from the international Society of Mining work on Prevention Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Carl engineering, to study the effects of pipe Professors. through Design, or Barus Award for Outstanding Service in material, water flow, and chemistry on Young-Corbett PtD, a new research the Public Interest. Brian Kleiner, director of the Myers–Law- the building plumbing microbiome. Her field of construction work safety measures, son School of Construction, has been multi-university team includes fellow CEE The State Council of Higher Education for following her publication in the Journal of awarded a $1 million, five-year grant by professor Marc Edwards. Virginia named Stephen Edwards, asso- Civil Engineering and Management. the National Institute of Safety and Health ciate professor of computer science, as a The Institute of Electrical and Electronics to study how the U.S. construction can 2013 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award Engineers’ U.S. chapter honored Saifur reduce work-related injuries and deaths

VISIT WWW.ENG.VT.EDU FOR THESE STORIES AND MORE • ENGINEERING NEWS 2013 • 7 engineering Non-Profit Org. engineering U.S. Postage news PAID Blacksburg, VA news 24060 Permit No. 28 Published Spring Semester Virginia Tech College of Engineering 3046 Torgersen Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 www.eng.vt.edu

N E W S R O U N D - U P

Rolls-Royce The Signature Engineering Building captured at dusk in February 2013. donates a jet engine to serve as centerpiece Construction on Signature Engineering Building continues with early 2014 opening eyed

When the Signature Engineering Building opens in early 2014, students, fac- ulty, staff, and all visitors will have a unique centerpiece hanging inside the atrium of the $100 million structure – a massive Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 jet engine. The engine arrived at the Signature Engineering Building this past August, and was installed over the entrance atrium several months later by engineers from Rolls-Royce, Gilbane Construction Co. – the contractor for the Signature Engineering Building The building is being constructed around the en- containing information on engine design and advanced – and others. The lifting process, and bolting the engine gine, which will remain in a protective cover until the manufacturing to inform and excite students about ca- into its place, took more than two days. It now hangs structure opens in spring 2014. Rolls-Royce plans to reers in engineering. suspended 15 feet above the floor. outfit the lobby of the building with interactive kiosks “We hope our Trent 1000 engine, a modern engi- neering marvel, will serve as a symbol of excellence Engineers carefully lifted the Trent 1000, weighing roughly 15,000 pounds, into place inside the atrium of the and inspire generations of talented students to pursue Signature Engineering Building. careers in science and engineering,” said Phil Burk- holder, Rolls-Royce’s executive vice president for engi- neering and technology and an alumnus of the College of Engineering. (See story on Burkholder, page 3.) Rolls-Royce calls the Trent 1000 “the cleanest, quietest, lightest, and most fuel-efficient jet engine in aviation service today.” Additional interesting factoids: The blade tip travels at more than 900 mph --faster than the speed of sound, and each high-pressure turbine blade produces more than 800 horsepower, equal to a NASCAR engine. “Rolls-Royce is making a significant investment in Virginia based on the Commonwealth’s substantial success in higher education,” said Richard C. Benson, dean of the College of Engineering. “Its partnership with the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech is innovative, allowing collaboration on a variety of fronts in engineer- ing. Our long-standing activities in advanced manufac- turing enable our engineering faculty and students to move quickly into research projects that Rolls-Royce will find interesting. And the display of the Rolls-Royce engine in our new state-of-the-art academic building will serve as an inspiration to tomorrow’s leaders in the en- gineering field.”

8 • ENGINEERINGTAILGATES: NEWS 2013 Engineering• VISIT WWW.ENG.VT.EDU is a Contact FOR THESE Sport. STORIES For information AND MORE on 2013 pre-game tailgates for alumni, visit www.eng.vt.edu/alumni