CENTRAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING academichighlights FALL 2018

CSE NEWS COLUMN What’s new in CSE The College of Science and Engineering continues to change to keep up with the needs of our students and faculty. In July, the board of trustees approved designating two divisions of the college — Engineering and Informatics, and Mathematics and Natural Sciences — as part of the university- wide organizational review. This designation highlights the range of expertise and opportunities in CSE and will help promote our outstanding academic programs. A new Department of Statistics, Actuarial and Data Science will be created as part of this initiative. Other new opportunities for students include the graduate program in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology that debuted last ; the new facility in physics, where perfect crystals can be grown; and the chance to learn to use drones for scientific research. Mussel- What hasn’t changed is our focus on student and faculty success. In the pages that follow, you can strengthening read about research on pressing topics such as the health of the Kalamazoo and the research frequency of severe storms in Michigan, along CMU team assesses health of Kalamazoo with advances in technology to improve vehicles, watershed by testing condition of mollusks computer accessibility, and fuel cells. These projects are just a few of the many ways that CSE Ask University biology faculty member faculty provide opportunities for students to Daelyn Woolnough why she studies freshwater mussels, and engage in work that builds their skills and she brings up canaries. knowledge and prepares them for great careers “They are kind of like the canary in the coal mine,” she while also benefitting communities in Michigan explained. “If you start to see them declining, we start to see and beyond. the decline in water quality. Then, we see a decline of higher CSE Director of Development level organisms, like fish, being affected.” Robert Lake, who joined Preventing that decline is the mission she and her team CMU last fall, would love of students worked on this summer in the to discuss CSE with Kalamazoo watershed, a large portion of which was you. You can contact devastated by an oil spill in 2010. him at 989-774-3773 or robert.lake@ Bolstering the project is a three-year, $499,000 cmich.edu. • grant from the Community Recreational Foundation. CMU also is partnering with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on the research. “This is really going to help the conservation of mussels across the state of Michigan and the Great Lakes,” said Woolnough, who also is a faculty member of CMU’s Institute for Great Lakes Research. Streamside education Among the summer student researchers were Megan Malish, from Mount Pleasant, Michigan, who is pursuing a CMU, an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight (see http://www.cmich.edu/ocrie). Produced by University Communications and printed by CMU Printing Services. UComm 9975-14,700 (9/18) 2 master’s degree in conservation biology, a program distinct The lab, a converted among Michigan universities, Woolnough said. trailer, also served as a roving classroom. Teams took Upon graduation, Malish wants to continue research on it into surrounding communities how human activity impacts the environment and share to show how mussels clean and that knowledge with the public. streams and why it is important for a community to guard “I would like to work someplace like a natural history against contaminants that could enter the waters and kill museum where you have research going on but you also the mussels. have that outreach aspect, where you engage and teach the CMU, along with the Michigan DNR, were to develop public,” she said. Michigan’s first mussel hatchery as part of the project. Joining her on the river was Grace Henderson, from “We will use a portion of an existing MDNR fisheries research Brighton, Michigan, who majored in biology and minored in station in Saline to house and reproduce mussels to natural resources. eventually increase the numbers or to add diversity to the She previously did mussel surveys in the Grand River near Kalamazoo River,” Woolnough said. Lyons, Michigan, and her own independent project on the Mussels’ importance Chippewa River. Mussels are important because they remove contaminants “I’ve lived in Michigan my entire life, fishing and swimming from water as they filter it for food. The more mussels there in its lakes and rivers as a child. It seemed natural that in my are, the better the water quality. college career I’d be involved in the conservation of that Also, the more diverse the variety of species, the better the resource for the next generation to enjoy.” long-term health of the stream or river, because each She plans to pursue a master’s degree in conservation. species filters different things, she explained. Also, if an environmental event harms one species, the others will Unique to this study continue to do their work. And it’s a big job. Woolnough has researched mussels with students at a number of sites over the years, including the Grand River in “Mussels can filter up to a swimming pool of water within a Michigan and the Maumee River basin that connects to couple of days, depending on how many mussels are in the Lake Erie. bottom of the river,” Woolnough said. But this year’s research is unique in that the team had a She was expecting to find species in the river that they’ve mobile, stream-side lab to enable on-site experiments. never found before, aided by the funding that allowed her to pay eight students to test at 100 sites this summer. By Team members were able to test water to see whether contrast, a much smaller team in 2012 worked at nine sites, mussels from one site could survive in another, which would where they found 17 live species, she said. • help in diversifying populations, Woolnough said.

3 More frequent severe storms? Senior’s meteorology research predicts increase in Michigan

Emily Tinney’s senior research project Eyes on the storm “My now-deceased grandpa always has good news for future Michigan wanted to have a CMU granddaughter Tinney’s interest in weather began in severe storm chasers, not-so-good news or grandson,” she said. “He never went childhood. for builders. to CMU, he had no ties to CMU, but he “A lot of meteorologists will tell you of a just wanted someone to be a Chippewa. The Central Michigan University defining moment that got them And we still don’t know why.” meteorology major from Haslett, interested in the weather,” she said. Michigan, has determined through Tinney was impressed that CMU’s computer models that there could be a Her moment came while visiting her undergraduate meteorology program is 35 percent increase in the frequency of uncle, who repaired cars and had a the only one in Michigan that meets all the most intense storms in Michigan. number of them on his Eaton County the requirements set by the American property. A tornado had come through Meteorological Society and National “Knowing this will help us to prepare by the area in the 1970s and threw cars Weather Service. But she wanted to look building our infrastructure better and everywhere. around. taking steps to protect our agriculture from more damaging storms,” said “As a kid, I would walk through the She considered nearby Michigan State Tinney, who compared storm data from woods and see trees growing through University, in addition to other large 1990-2005 to 2085-2100. the cars. It was the coolest thing. It was universities around the state and amazing to me that weather could make country, but their size just didn’t feel “No one has looked at how the change that happen.” right to her. in weather patterns will impact Michigan in the future from a life-and- After that, whenever young Tinney After Tinney’s two visits to campus and property standpoint.” heard tornado sirens, she would try to winning a full-ride Centralis scholarship, dash outside to see the approaching her grandfather got his wish. She presented her findings on April 24 at storm, she said. the state Capitol during CMU’s 17th Benefits of ‘small’ annual Capitol Scholars event, which Destined for CMU? “As a CMU student, you don’t feel like showcases CMU student research Her interest in weather gathered you’re so tiny in a big place, but it’s large projects to the public and recognizes strength through her high school years enough that you have many how they advance the understanding of and became the focus of her college opportunities to learn. It’s big enough science and technology. searches. Her grandfather had his own that you can meet lots of different choice in mind.

4 Geology exam comes to CMU Status as Michigan’s only test site could boost CMU graduates and program Becoming the first and only location in Michigan where budding geologists can take a national exam required for licensing could help Central Michigan University’s own geology students. Administering the Fundamentals of Geology Exam here will allow CMU’s geology program to use it as an assessment tool to help determine how well students are prepared in eight fundamental content areas and improve on the program’s 85 percent placement rate in jobs and graduate schools, said people, but having the small Honors Program inside the larger Lawrence Lemke, chair of the Department of Earth university is great. and Atmospheric Sciences. “Plus, the small size of the Department of Earth and The National Association of State Boards of Geology Atmospheric Sciences allows you to make really good has approved CMU to be the only location in one-on-one connections with the professors and be involved Michigan where geology majors can take the exam in their research projects. They are always available, and that — a step toward becoming licensed. CMU seniors has been a huge help.” are encouraged to take the exam in their final semester or soon after graduation. Her faculty adviser, John Allen, agrees the student-faculty relationship is an advantage. Before now, geology students and unlicensed geology graduates in Michigan had to travel to “There’s a real personal aspect here,” he said. “The professors Indiana or Illinois to take the test, adding travel and are approachable and know the students. I know what all my lodging costs to examination fees that can run students’ problems are, and they know that if something hundreds of dollars. happens I can help them. It’s a more tailored experience.” Those barriers blocked many students and Plus, undergraduates have opportunities to get involved in geologists, especially those in mid- to upper research, he emphasized. Michigan, Lemke said. “At the larger universities, you are one of 160 students. Here, For example, he said that while CMU graduates you are one of 30 or so students.” about 15 geology students per year, only 10 of them But the program is growing. The introductory class has risen over five years have taken the exam. from 20 students to the mid-30s in just a few years, he said. “The number of students who will be able to take While Tinney will attend graduate school this fall at the the exam will increase dramatically,” he said. University of Oklahoma, considered one of the top A license gives the holder a leg up on competitors meteorology schools in the country, she is confident that she in the job market, said Adam Heft, president of the will maintain the close friendships she has made at CMU. Michigan chapter of the American Institute of “We always say that we are a big meteorology family.” • Professional Geologists. The tests are offered in October and March. •

5 In case you’ve ever wondered, “On the other hand, when you are salamanders have personality. Not so talking about a threatened species and much that they can do TV you know something about their Salamanders commercials, but some are aggressive, personalities, you might be able to with others are not. predict how successful they are going to be in recovering and if there is Central Michigan University biology something you can do about that. personality graduate student Shaundon Moore knows that from previous studies. “This is an untapped aspect of Biology graduate What he wanted to find out with his conservation research.” student finds CMU the CMU research was if their personalities Learning through teaching perfect habitat for affected the surrounding ecosystem. Moore’s study not only gave him his research Amphibians are an important part of research experience, it also gave him our ecosystem, said Moore’s faculty experience in teaching and supervising advisor and fellow herpetologist others. He had three undergraduate Kirsten Nicholson, and the ones he is seniors help him with various aspects studying, though prevalent in of the study: Michigan, have not been studied much. • Pamela Baldwin tried to determine the intelligence of salamanders by “He’s had a lot of brilliant ideas looking testing whether they can learn to at the behavior of salamanders,” she associate a rock with a reward. said of Moore. • Jacob Horsley tested whether head Specifically, Moore tested to see if the size and shape determine behavior. more assertive red-backed salamanders in Michigan are reducing • Chloe Bates researched whether forest habitats by eating large predation influences coloration in amounts of prey — such as insects, the species. worms, spiders and slugs — that “The collaboration with them has normally would break down leaf litter, helped me become a better mentor,” rotting logs, mushrooms and the like. Moore said. “I’m fortunate to have That breakdown adds nutrients to the them in the lab.” soil, supporting trees, plants and valuable organisms. Choosing Central “Basically, we’re trying to figure out if Moore feels fortunate to be at Central. these aggressive personalities have a When the Atlanta, Georgia, resident greater effect on the branch of the was looking for a graduate school, animal kingdom under them than CMU’s affordable tuition and less-aggressive salamanders,” opportunities to develop as a biologist Moore said. caught his attention. Evidence from his research The new Biosciences Building helped shows that may be the case, seal the deal, he said. Nicholson said. “After I saw what was going on here, I Conservation felt there was really room for me to For a broader perspective, grow, to learn about a variety of personality might say a lot different fields from a variety of about the success of professors,” he said. invasive species and the “In this new building, I can literally just success of threatened species, walk down the hall and be in a Nicholson explained. different field of science and talk with If you know the animal is very bold professors and students. I feel like I’ve and it’s an invasive species, that gotten a lot of help just by taking a could be a big problem that you have walk — it has really helped me grow.” • to counteract, she said.

6 Racing to engineering leadership Baja race team president is CMU’s first winner of statewide SAE honor

When recent mechanical engineering graduate and current Beyond the race Ford Motor Co. employee Ian Eickholdt looks back at his But it’s not just about the race, it’s the grades — and where accomplishments at Central Michigan University, he credits the combination can take a student. the support and mentoring he received from faculty and staff. SAE requires student members to have at least a 2.5 grade point average, soon to be increased to 2.75, Ritter said, “From early on, I had professors like Ben Ritter and Daniel adding that most students maintain at least a 3.0. Chen who genuinely cared about my education,” Eickholdt said. “No one person can achieve his full potential on his “If you want to work at a company like Ford, GM, Continental own. I was very fortunate.” or BorgWarner, you have to have a 3.0 or they won’t look at your résumé,” said Eickholdt, of Rochester Hills, Michigan. Eickholdt’s successes include being chosen CMU’s Society “That’s how competitive it is.” of Automotive Engineers president, being president of CMU’s Baja racing team, winning CMU’s first SAE Rumbaugh He kept his GPA above a 3.5. Outstanding Student Leader award in 2017 and graduating While automakers want good students, they also want them in May with a job at Ford waiting for him. to be well-rounded good thinkers, Ritter said. Rough road GM and Ford executives are not just in their offices It’s not an easy road for a student to balance classes, be an reviewing résumés, they are out recruiting at events like the SAE leader and build off-road racing vehicles. formula car competitions at Michigan International Speedway or hosting engine plant meet and greets, Ritter “It’s a huge time commitment,” Eickholdt said, adding that and Eickholdt said. he would sometimes put in 30 hours a week working on the vehicles. “But I wanted to do something that was more “We’re meeting very high-level people, making those hands-on in addition to coursework.” connections and networking that the average student wouldn’t have the opportunity to do,” Eickholdt said. The students don’t just do all the engineering, design and welding on the vehicles, they also perform cost analyses Automakers’ view and put together a sales presentation where they propose a Daniel Nicholson, GM vice president of global propulsion startup company that could build at least 4,000 of these systems, recognizes the value of being involved in SAE. vehicles a year. “Individuals who are engaged in SAE and who are interested “It’s a lot more in-depth than just engineering,” Eickholdt in moving the industry forward through developing said. “It’s like we’re essentially starting a business.” standards, teamwork and collaboration are valuable to The CMU Baja team has been growing in its success, more and the industry,” Nicholson said. consistently placing in the top 10 against such schools as Ford’s Gary Johnson, vice president of manufacturing, North the University of Michigan and the Rochester (N.Y.) Institute America, also supports SAE and Eickholdt in particular. of Technology — and beating them in some aspects of the Johnson had met Eickholdt during previous visits to CMU. competition, he said. “The fact that Ian represented the entire team at CMU, and now has won the Rumbaugh award, makes it incredibly special that he will represent both CMU and Ford in the future. Our manufacturing team at Ford is proud of him.” •

7 CMU student gets Physics competitive fellowship Physics major devotes years to lab takes reaching coveted goal Reed Kolany, a physics major at Central Michigan University, certainly isn’t one to stand around and wait for opportunity. quantum Back when he was a CMU freshman, the Naperville, Illinois, resident decided he wanted to be a medical physicist. Not leap long after, he set his sights on a highly competitive fellowship offered by the American Association of Physicists New space allows in Medicine. students to help He knew that as a freshman he’d likely be turned down. create new So Kolany decided to “build his résumé” like fine materials for masonry and wait to take his biggest swing as super-fast an upperclassman. electronics And so, it happened. By the middle of his junior year the fellowship was his. Kolany was one of seven students in the country to land one. “Things worked out in my favor,” Kolany said. -based assignment He was placed for 10 weeks — June to mid-August — at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He spent the summer working with the center’s medical physicists on cases of incidental radiation hitting metastasized parts of the brain — that is, cancers that arrive from other areas of the body. Central Michigan University physics Kolany and the team studied a type of radiation treatment faculty member Junjie Yang likens that involved very high doses. himself to a farmer. “The radiation gives a very concentrated dose to the tumor, But instead of growing food, he is but it’s not perfect, so there’s some incidental radiation,” growing materials to power next- Kolany said. “We were looking to see if that incidental generation electronics and industry irradiation was preventing further tumors from growing.” — and to empower CMU students to be the next leaders in those fields. And that would be a good thing, right? Specifically, Yang is growing crystals “Yeah,” said Kolany, “If that’s true, it would be great.” from atoms, using physics and No answers yet chemistry. His immediate goal is to create crystals that would be used to Scientists don’t expect any answers for a while, Kolany said. replace the current silicon wafers in “It was a wonderful experience,” he said. “I was able to see computers and other electronics, the whole workflow: how a patient comes in needing making them much faster with greater treatment and how the process works. memory. “It was definitely interesting to watch and see if it was His dream is to grow new materials something I wanted to do.” • that would enable the control of both their electric and magnetic properties and operate at room temperature.

888 Physics lab takes quantum leap

“That would be a breakthrough,” said Christopher Tycner, That means today’s CMU students can be involved in physics chair. He believes CMU is on the right path. cutting-edge research. Phoenix Jones, a senior from majoring in physics, is one of them. CMU hired Yang nearly a year ago to do this innovative research and gave him the resources to create a new lab in Jones wanted to be involved in research and development the Dow Science Complex. He put the finishing touches on and joined the lab after hearing Yang lecture on materials the lab this summer. science and learning about his lab. Part of the lab is used to grow crystals with no “He’s given me a lot of experience that I can take into my imperfections and whose atoms align perfectly so the future,” Jones said. “Realistically, I want to use all the things energy flow remains constant. Another part tests them I’ve learned to do in his lab to get a job, and I have no doubt under extreme temperatures and pressure, such as minus I will.” 456 degrees Fahrenheit and 145 tons per square inch. Tycner agrees. If it passes the quality tests here, the sample is taken to a “For a student to be involved in potentially breakthrough national lab, such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak research in materials science is an extraordinary Ridge, Tennessee, to test it for flaws with a neutron beam. opportunity,” Tycner said. “Yang’s students will have the “The future belongs to those who can grow materials that experience that will open doors for them in industry.” don’t exist in nature, and CMU is on the leading edge,” Yang also is a member of CMU’s research-intensive Tycner said. “Think next-generation memory chips, sensors interdisciplinary science of advanced materials program and circuits.” involving physics, chemistry and engineering. Computer chip maker Intel has hired students from the program right out of CMU, Tycner said. •

999 CMU faculty member joined a global team looking for climate data beneath the ocean

It didn’t take long for Natalia Zakharova The data will “help us understand other active and ancient to launch into research after joining rift zones around the world,” said co-chief scientist Donna the earth and atmospheric sciences Shillington, of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of faculty in August 2017. Columbia University, in a news release. At the end of January, the Central From Russia to CMU Michigan University assistant professor Zakharova’s specialty is geophysics, which means she uses joined 33 scientists from around the physics to understand the Earth’s past. Her main interests world to study one of the most are in energy resources, environmental protection and seismically active areas in Europe: a climate change solutions. 5-million-year-old rift in the Gulf of Corinth. She was born in Russia and did her undergraduate and master’s work at Moscow State University. She received her The expedition drilled deep into the Ph.D. at Columbia University in New York, where she also did “young” rift for sediment cores that tell postdoctoral research. the geologic history of the area, such as faulting, landscape evolution, While her experience at Columbia was rewarding, she earthquake activity and climate yearned to do more than research. fluctuations. Zakharova brought some “I wanted to work in an academic environment where I core samples back to CMU, where she could combine research with very good teaching. At CMU, I has been creating a lab that she and get both components. students will use to study the conditions under which rocks break “I also wanted to work in a smaller department where there and rifts form. would be a more collegial atmosphere. I loved the people here when I interviewed, and the joint emphasis on research “I really appreciate the support of the and teaching and the potential for growth seemed to be a department.” Zakharova said of the really good fit.” opportunity to join the International Ocean Discovery Program expedition She said she hopes that her experience on the expedition conducted by the European will open the door for CMU graduate students to participate Consortium for Ocean Research in the future. Drilling. “Natalia’s participation in the Gulf of Corinth expedition is Part of Zakharova’s role on the exciting for CMU geology students and faculty alike,” said expedition was to study the cores on Lawrence Lemke, chair of the Department of Earth and land at the University of Bremen in Atmospheric Sciences. Germany and integrate the new data “CMU geology students have already benefited from her with other data sets on the gulf. ability to explain quantitative concepts in her classes, and they are eager to take her geophysics class in the fall.” •

10 Computer with a key difference Faculty-student team creates system for people with physical disabilities When you walk into any coffee shop, “It doesn’t matter what the person’s Later, when Morelli saw the computer college library or office, you see fingers hand looks like or how it functions, as built by Hewlett-Packard called HP flying across computer keyboards. long as it’s in view of the camera. Any Sprout, with a touch pad in place of a person can use the system as long as standard keyboard, the idea of an But what if you don’t have fingers, or they can move their finger, hand or accessible keyboard came back to him. can’t use the ones you have? How do arm to the letter they want,” Ripke said. He contacted HP, and it lent him some you communicate? How do you fit in? Sprouts. Growth of an idea That’s the issue Central Michigan He sketched out a plan and gave it to University computer science faculty In the late 1990s at Purdue University, his undergraduate student at the time, member Tony Morelli and graduate Morelli was part of a service-learning Brad Wojcik, to implement it for his assistant Taylor Ripke, of McBain, senior project that was to address senior project. Wojcik programmed Michigan, are tackling. They’re refining human, community and the first version of the system, a computer system that has a environmental needs. He knew people conducted a study where people projected image in place of a keyboard whose children with motor would try it using a finger and fist, and and a monitor that doubles as a impairments wanted to use got good results, Morelli said. camera. computers, and his project group decided to try to help. Changing hands Morelli demonstrated the system at an assistive technology conference and He found a computer touchpad and Morelli chose Ripke to help advance trade show in the spring at California experimented. They used the ending the project because of his expertise in State University, Northridge. of a nursery rhyme as a signal for a computer vision. child to push a green button on the How it works Now the team is thinking of other ways pad to continue, and he substituted a the interactive technology can be The “keyboard” is a flat pad onto which green sheet of paper for the button. used, perhaps including people who a few isolated characters and The idea was that once the child are visually impaired by adding sound, commands are projected — not the learned to hit the sheet of paper, it Ripke said. entire alphabet. By moving a finger, would be cut in half, and the child hand or the end of an arm, the user would learn to hit smaller and smaller Morelli and Ripke would like to chooses characters, tabs and spaces. targets as steps on the way toward develop a system for elementary When the user indicates the empty using a keyboard. school classroom use. space between two of the projected “We didn’t quite get that far,” he said. “The technology is very new,” Ripke letters, say A and G, the letters within said. “We are just beginning to explore that range will appear and can be But the idea of helping people with its capabilities.” • selected. disabilities who couldn’t use a keyboard stuck in his head. The computer’s camera sees the choices and adds them to the screen as the user “types.”

11 12 Drone class targets opportunity New course prepares students for FAA certification, in-demand jobs

Commercial drone use keeps climbing, Megan Miller, majoring in geography: researches and maps biodiversity, the and many companies are looking for geographic information sciences, took number of species in a given area and candidates with the skills and Heumann’s class because she is their relative abundance. certifications to take them to the next looking to the future. “What we’ve been working on is trying level. “With the growing use of UASs in to create models that can predict Central Michigan University is on a everything from agriculture to search indicators of biodiversity and mapping trajectory to help students fill that and rescue, we as students are bound those in such a way that you can look need. to find where they play a part in our at an image that we created with the future careers,” said Miller, from drone and identify areas of high and Benjamin Heumann, a faculty member Pewamo, Michigan. low biodiversity for conservation in geography and environmental purposes,” he said. studies, has designed and taught a “This class makes us more marketable new course — Drones: Theory, for drone-thriving industries ahead.” As a master’s student at CMU, he heard Application and Society — on about Heumann’s background and Academic research regulations for drone use and talked with him about using drones for opportunities for skilled pilots. Drone use also has been a great help his mapping. to academic researchers, Heumann “We are doing everything involved in “They’ve been a very useful tool,” Gross said, citing geology students who use drone operation except the actual said. them for mapping deposits and mine flying,” he said. “The goal is to prepare modeling, meteorology students who “I think drones are going to become students to operate drones in the use them to collect atmospheric increasingly used in remote mapping commercial environment and to think samples, engineering students who and other scientific research because about them more professionally.” use them for surveying and the technology is developing and the Soaring opportunities infrastructure inspections, and cost is decreasing. I think there are a lot journalism and cinematic arts students. of opportunities for drones to help While drone-like vehicles have been in answer questions that previously use, mainly by the military, for 100 He said the interest in his first class was people have fumbled with.” • years, commercial use has skyrocketed so high he had to find a larger room to since Amazon announced in 2013 that accommodate the numbers. it was testing the use of drones for John Gross, an earth and delivery. ecosystem sciences Drone permits approved by the doctoral student Federal Aviation Administration have from Brighton, increased from just two in 2014 to Michigan, 3,100 in 2016 and keep climbing, fueled by clarified and relaxed FAA rules. “Now anyone can take an FAA test for safe UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) commercial operations,” Heumann said. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International predicts that by 2025 the commercial drone industry will create more than 100,000 jobs in the U.S., from commercial businesses like real estate to sports broadcasting.

13 New degree crosses boundaries Departments, college team up for biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology program Biochemistry, cellular biology and student research partners for faculty, particularly in the molecular biology happen on a small College of Medicine. scale, but bringing them together for a Because med students are in a professional program and new Central Michigan University not a traditional graduate school, Karp explained, they don’t graduate degree program took some have the same research obligations. big-picture thinking. “Those students are there to learn to be medical doctors. Specifically, it took months of Some of them do a little bit of research, but that’s not their collaboration by CMU’s departments primary role there,” she said, “whereas medical school of biology, chemistry and faculty are expected to be not only teaching those med biochemistry, and the College of students but actively engaged in research. Medicine, said Xantha Karp, associate professor of biology. Karp chairs the “There’s a real need for graduate students who can do a committee administering the new research-based thesis in their labs,” and the BCMB program postgraduate program. calls for exactly that. “Our program is somewhat special Meanwhile, a lot of undergraduates want to “get to that next in Michigan in that it brings career stage” by earning a master’s degree or Ph.D. at CMU, together multiple departments Karp said. within a single program,” Karp The program’s research emphasis and in-demand subject said of the program that started matter tee up a number of career possibilities, according to last fall. Karp. For Ph.D. students, options include biomedical “Bringing together faculty and positions in academia, government labs and private students from biology, companies; education; consulting firms; nonprofit biochemistry and medicine organizations; and more. The master’s degree program results in outstanding prepares students for biotech jobs or entry into professional opportunities for students to study schools in health professions, including medicine. and investigate important questions And the job outlook is good. in basic biomedical science,” said Jane Matty, acting dean of the College of “In Michigan and nationally,” Karp said, “employment Science and Engineering, which predictions for careers in the life sciences show a projected houses the chemistry and biology increase over the next eight years ranging from 4.5 percent departments. to 19 percent.” “The program was created to take Strong selling points advantage of CMU’s broad expertise in The BCMB webpage casts a wide net for candidates, biomedical sciences and our excellent promoting the opportunity to “conduct high-impact, laboratory facilities to train new original research with award-winning faculty mentors in scientists for exciting careers,” she said. state-of-the-art facilities, all while residing in the beautiful Two birds with one stone (and affordable) state of Michigan.” The new biochemistry, cellular and The message goes to the heart of CMU’s identity: molecular biology program targets big enough to matter, small enough that each two pressing needs: postgraduate student matters. • options for life-science students, and

14 Driving for a better fuel cell DOE grants power the work of an international team of CMU researchers

When Yazan Maswadeh, of Jordan, grants from the U.S. Department of extreme temperatures and are too decided to pursue his Ph.D., he didn’t Energy. costly for the average person. search the web for universities, he Nonetheless, federal agencies, the Petkov, originally from Bulgaria, leads looked for researchers who were doing Army and many companies — the team. He is joined by Joseph work in his field of crystallography. including IBM, 3M, GM, GE — are Ausmus, a physics master’s degree spending big money to try to perfect “I was seeking high-level research. student from Iowa, and physics fuel cells. And they need to be tested. There are very few people in the world postdoctoral researcher Jorge who are conducting this kind of Vargas-Tellez, from Mexico. A student The CMU team research.” from China is expected to join them That’s where Petkov and his team of this fall. That’s how he found Valeri Petkov, a chemists and engineers come in. faculty member in Central Michigan Why fuel cells Collaborators from industry and University’s physics department. academia give them the latest fuel The United States and other countries cells so they can identify problems and “His research areas interested me,” are looking for cleaner and more offer potential solutions. Precious or Maswadeh said. “So I just sent him an efficient power sources to replace fossil rare metals — such as palladium, email saying that I am a student from fuels. platinum, gold and iridium — are Jordan who has just finished my “The biggest challenge,” Petkov said, “is needed to accelerate the sluggish master’s degree in physics and my to come up with an energy supply that chemical reactions inside the cells but research interest is in atomic structural is all around us, is portable, doesn’t are too expensive, Petkov said. So they analysis. If you have a Ph.D. position, I need special investments into grids, are testing alternative materials. would be a valuable component to and that anybody can use to power your research.” The team does much of its research their car, house or business.” near Chicago at the Argonne National Petkov interviewed Maswadeh online Fuel cells are very efficient, about 70 Laboratory, which provides the type and encouraged him to apply to CMU. percent compared to 26 percent for of X-rays needed to test the alternative “I did not have prior knowledge about gasoline in cars. They don’t pollute and materials as they function inside CMU or where it was located. But I their hydrogen “fuel” is abundant. the cells. thought ‘I’ll apply to this university.’” Indeed, there already are 31 hydrogen Maswadeh is using his knowledge to fueling stations in California to keep Now as a doctoral student in the analyze the microstructure of the cars with fuel cell “engines” rolling. And science of advanced materials program materials down to the atomic level to while it can take hours to charge a fully in CMU’s College of Science and see if an answer lies there. electric car, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles Engineering, Maswadeh is part of an can fill up in about three to five “For now, this is a hot topic,” Petkov international team of CMU researchers minutes — just a bit longer than it takes said. “There’s a feeling in the air that working to identify the weak points in to fuel a car or truck with gasoline. they can finally make it work in a few fuel cells and give feedback to other more years.” • researchers to improve them. The But they have their problems, Petkov research is being funded by another said, particularly in cars. He noted that $238,000 in a seven-year string of currently they cannot operate in

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DeJong named Teacher of the Year Michigan Science Teachers Association notes his leadership, passion, role modeling

It’s good that ice storms can’t stop Brian learns his students’ names and uses a lot Rooted DeJong. of hands-on examples to make lessons That passion for teaching has deep roots relevant. in the DeJong family. His father was a In 2007, he drove to Central Michigan mechanical engineering professor, his University through such a storm to Andrew Ruby, a student who nominated mother was a principal, his two sisters and interview for a job as an assistant him for the award, said DeJong makes a brother are teachers, and another professor of engineering. When he learning fun and always puts his students brother is an engineer. arrived, he discovered classes were first, whether it’s giving extra attention to canceled. someone struggling or missing a meeting “I was brought up thinking like an to stay after class to make sure students engineer,” he said. “I like math, research “There was like me and three professors understand a concept. and solving problems. I also have always on campus,” he said with a laugh. “I loved liked teaching and helping people. the campus, but I went away thinking Terry Lerch, director of the School of ‘they don’t want me.’” Engineering and Technology and one of “I guess the apple doesn’t fall far several colleagues who endorsed him, from the tree.” But they did, and 11 years later the noted DeJong’s emphasis on hands-on now-associate professor of engineering DeJong is the first winner in the School of learning, including: was honored March 2 as the Michigan Engineering and Technology. Science Teachers Association’s 2018 • Creating a Lego robot king of the hill More than a job College Science Teacher of the Year. competition. It wasn’t just landing a job that motivated He was chosen for modeling best • Coordinating the designing, building DeJong to drive those icy roads to CMU in teaching practices, inspiring students, and racing of cardboard boats across 2007. It was about making a positive demonstrating innovative teaching Rose Ponds each year before CMU’s difference. strategies, being an excellent role model homecoming football game. “I knew that in coming to Central I could for students and teachers, demonstrating He also teaches engineering summer get in on the ground floor and help design leadership, and exhibiting a passion for camps for K-12 students. the curriculum. I’ve done a lot of that.” science and teaching. “Teaching is my passion,” DeJong said. “I Among his accomplishments are Making an impression love seeing students excited to learn and redesigning the freshman engineering DeJong has made an impression on his seeing the lightbulb go on when they course and creating the junior-level colleagues and students alike. They say he realize they have grasped a concept.” mechatronics course. In addition, he sets high standards but is fair, quickly coordinates the mechanical engineering program. •