More Progress Faster

SPRING 2006

Having access to world-class biologists and medical researchers at the same university can be an enormous advantage for an THE MAGAZINE OF THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING engineer who studies the mechanical behavior of bones and cartilage.

“Of all the institutions I’ve seen, Boston University is by far the most collegial and exciting,” says Elise Morgan. “A lot of people here are doing work related to what I do, and we’re able to leverage each other’s scientific expertise in tackling problems— like bone fractures and arthritis—that have such a tremendous impact on people’s lives. Through collaboration we’re making more progress faster. There is a true sense of camaraderie because we know we’re working to make the University even better.”

To learn more visit: ELISE MORGAN PhD, University of California, Berkeley www.bu.edu/eng Assistant Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Engineering a Better Military NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID 44 Cummington Street BOSTON MA Boston, MA 02215 PERMIT NO. 1839 Nerd Girls: A Woman’s Place

Looking Back, Looking Forward Study-Abroad Goes Global 4 Cover Story: ENGINEERING A BETTER MILITARY Boston is where it all started for United States military engineers, and the ROTC at Boston University has kept the tradition alive since 1919. In this issue, we look at four young ENG alums who were part of the ROTC and are now in the Army. Meet Rachel Sullivan (’99), Scott Brown (’98), Dan Caunt (’00) and James Tuohy (’03). Whether they’re clearing mines or helping medevac injured soldiers, each has a 8 unique vantage on history in the making. page 4 Features: A WOMAN’S PLACE Karen Panetta (’85), a professor of engineering at Tufts University, heads up a team she calls Nerd Girls—women engineers who not only build solar cars 12 from scratch but also prove to young girls that nerds can be pretty cool. page 8 LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD Q&A with Provost David Campbell page 12

THE BEST OF THE BRIGHTEST Senior Design Projects: Innovations from the Undergraduates page 16

16 News: College Opens Study-Abroad Program in Mexico page 3

Graduate Programs Jump Into U.S. News & World Report ’s Top 50 page 3 Faculty News & Research Reports: James Collins’ vibrating insoles; MAGAZINE SPRING 2006 Srikanth Gopalan wins Technology Investigation Award; M. Selim Ünlü’s measure of microarray conformation; J. Gregory McDaniel’s fellowship Editor: Michael Seele in the Acoustical Society of America; Leo Felsen appreciation page 18 Staff Writer: Chhavi Sachdev College of Engineering Cohosts FIRST Robotics Competition page 22 roceeds from this event go to the Excellence in Engineering Fund, which directly supports Contributing Writers: Stu Hutson, College Expands Collaborative “Bench-to-Bedside” Research Efforts page 23 Ryan Olson, Kira Edler, Chris Berdik Pstudents through summer fellowships and book awards, and sponsors student professional First Science Bowl at the College of Engineering page 24 organizations for conferences, competitions and seminars. Design and Production: Boston University MFG’s Bifano Takes Photonics Center Helm page 25 Creative Services The Robots Are Here: MFG Hosts “From Hollywood to Homes” Seminar page 26 Photography: Boston University Full Golf Package Includes: 18 holes, golf cart, G Photo Services, except where indicated. light lunch, raffle, silent auction and dinner Don’t Golf? No problem! Learn how at our golf Departments: clinic or enjoy a game of tennis. The BU College of Engineering Magazine is G Cost for full package: $175/golfer; $700/foursome produced for the alumni and friends of the From the Dean: Thinking Globally page 2 Non-Golfing Package: Cost: $50/per person Boston University College of Engineering. Passings page 27 G Please direct any questions or comments to: G Young Alumni Discount: Included: Golf clinic, tennis courts and driving Michael Seele, Boston University College of Class Notes page 28 Class of 1997–2001: $100/golfer; $400/foursome range, raffle, silent auction and dinner Engineering, 44 Cummington Street, Spring Alumni Events page 31 Class of 2002–2006: $50/golfer; $200/foursome Boston, MA 02215. Phone: 617-353-2800, Alumni Giving page 32 fax: 617-353-5929, e-mail: [email protected], website: www.bu.edu/eng. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information contact Davi Axinn at [email protected] or 617-358-0500. COVER: Scott Brown (’98) straps into his Blackhawk helicopter as he prepares to launch on a Boston University’s policies provide for equal opportunity medevac mission in Iraq. Inset: Karen Panetta (’85) in the cockpit of the solar-powered car her and affirmative action in employment and admission to Nerd Girls team is working on. To register and learn more about the event, visit: www.ltsevent.com/bostonnorth/bueng/home.html all programs of the University.

0506 815190 1 Thinking Globally College Opens Study-Abroad Graduate Programs Jump Into U.S. News & ’s Top 50 By Solomon R. Eisenberg, Dean ad interim Program in Mexico World Report The College of Engineering has risen in the ranks. By Michael Seele U.S. News & World Report has rated the College’s graduate pro- ith the emergence of the global economy and its grams 42nd in the nation—a jump impact on engineering, there has been a good With demand exceeding supply in the College of Engineering’s study-abroad proof 10 places over last year’s ranking. deal of hand-wringing about the durability of The annual report, “America’s Best America’s leadership position in science and gram in Dresden, Germany, the College opened a similar program in Guadalajara, Graduate Schools 2007,” also ranked the technology.W Globalization and the “flattening world” have indeed Mexico, this spring and is in discussions to open a third program in Israel. College for the strength of its specializa- presented American engineers with new challenges, and we need tions. The Department of Biomedical to pay careful attention to how we educate coming generations in Engineering moved out of a tie with MIT order to maintain our edge as a global technology leader. Started in 2001, the program at the Technical University of Dresden was among the into sole possession of seventh place, its At first glance, engineering graduation statistics paint a worri- first in the nation to offer a foreign study program specifically for engineering students and third consecutive year in the top 10. some picture of the future: 70,000 engineering graduates per year designed to allow students to participate seamlessly. An almost instant success, it quickly “The College of Engineering has in the United States; 350,000 in India; and a staggering 600,000 Our goal in developing these programs is to expose students reached maximum capacity as many students are attracted by the opportunity to spend the been working to steadily improve the in China. But scratch the surface and you find—as a recent to technology centers around the world, get them out of their spring semester of their sophomore year in a foreign country. educational experience of its students Duke University study did—that the Indian and Chinese figures comfort zones, and introduce them to other cultures and people The German program begins before the start of the semester. Students get an intensive and the quality of its research and faculty, include huge proportions of graduates from 2- and 3-year proof different perspectives. Virtually all students who participate in course in the language and culture of the country, quickly enabling them to get around, go and this jump in the ranking validates grams. Students earning these “sub-baccalaureate” degrees are these study-abroad programs return transformed. In the class- shopping and explore German society. After a short break—which many students use to these efforts,” said Solomon R. Eisenberg, more like technicians than engineers; their training equips them room and in social settings, students returning from semesters travel around Germany and Europe—students begin coursework, all of it in English. The dean of the College. “The quality to be highly adept at performing specified tasks but does not abroad share their experiences with others, thus allowing a wider courses are functionally equivalent to those their peers take back at BU. As a result, students ad interim of our graduate students has been rising address the more creative problem-solving aspects we tend to worldview to creep into the consciousness of all students. move directly into their junior-level courses when they return to Boston and their gradua- and external funding that supports our associate with engineers. While we work to introduce our students to other cultures, tions are not delayed. faculty’s research is at record levels. This The greatest advantages American engineering graduates we must also enhance the breadth and depth of the education we The unique program has attracted students from other engineering schools—including most recent ranking is evidence that we have over their Indian and Chinese contemporaries are the benefit offer at home. Students often experience their engineering educa- Brown, Tulane and Vanderbilt Universities—who have studied in Dresden through BU. are on the right track.” of growing up in a pluralistic and democratic society, and the tion as a series of discrete and unrelated courses. Professors and Within the last few years, it became obvious that more programs were needed. Other departments earned recogni- breadth of their education. While technical competence is emerg- students focus on each course with defined expectations implicit “Our students realize that they will need a broad background to succeed as engineers in tion, as well: In computer engineering, ing as a worldwide commodity, engineering students at schools for both parties. While this may be an efficient way for a profes- an increasingly global society,” said ENG Dean ad interim Solomon Eisenberg, who also the College tied with Dartmouth at 52nd like Boston University are also exposed to the arts, humanities, sor to teach a course and for a student to get a good grade, it heads Undergraduate Programs at the College. “They understand that engineers who have place and it ranked 51st for electrical/ social sciences and writing, and they graduate as educated and encourages narrow thinking and fails to create the connections exposure to a foreign culture and a different perspective will have a competitive advantage, electronics engineering and mechanical well-rounded professionals. When engineers are challenged by between ideas so important to creative thinking in the real world. and that study-abroad experience is something employers and graduate schools increasingly engineering. large, complex problems, the narrowly trained technician is at a We need to take each of the disciplines and courses we teach value. It gives our students another asset for competing in the global economy.” “While we don’t place too much severe disadvantage; the engineer with the broader perspective and out of their silos and find new ways to integrate the material. Eisenberg noted that the College wanted to expand its offerings in view of the increas- emphasis on the rankings, the ability to innovate and think outside of the box will be far Integrating the curriculum and getting students to think about ingly global nature of the economy. Accordingly, the College began a program at the U.S. News they are nonetheless used by prospective better suited to meet these challenges. the connections between courses and disciplines encourages the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Guadalajara, Mexico, this year and is close to finalizing plans students when deciding which university As the economy expands globally, engineers increasingly work broader thinking that is at a premium in the modern world and for a third program in Tel Aviv, Israel, next spring. The College is also exploring the possi- to attend,” said Eisenberg. “Breaking into in multinational and multicultural teams. Hence, it is becoming in the economy of the future. Technical competence alone no bility of adding future sites in Turkey, India and China. the top 50 is especially welcome because ever more important that engineering students in the United longer distinguishes American engineers—that’s something that Boston University’s strong international presence and wide variety of international the printed edition of this ranking sold States be educated to compete in the global economy. One way all engineers everywhere have. What does distinguish American programs aid the College of Engineering, according to Eisenberg. “BU is one of the coun- on newsstands includes only the top 50 we’re doing this at Boston University is by developing study- engineers is their ability to see both the forest and the trees. At try’s leading international universities and Photo courtesy Undergraduate Programs schools.” abroad programs specifically for engineers; in fact, we were among Boston University, we want our engineers to be critical thinkers has an established international programs Last year, the College’s graduate the first to make such programs available. All students can incor- with highly developed quantitative abilities, and superior commu- infrastructure, which has been tremendous- programs ranked 52nd in the survey. porate this experience seamlessly into their respective degree pro- nication, social and intercultural skills. ly helpful in facilitating these programs Boston University now joins Harvard and grams without additional cost or time. Our first program at the Of course, these qualities are also useful in just about any designed for our engineering students.” I MIT as the only Massachusetts engineer- Technical University of Dresden, Germany, started six years ago field of human endeavor. Our graduates today are working not ing programs in the U.S. News top 50. and has been tremendously successful. This year, we opened a just in engineering, but in law, business, finance, government and From left to right: Sophomores Stephanie similar program at the Tecnologico de Monterrey in Guadalajara, a host of other professions; we expect that to be true of our future Sczylvian, Sarah Steinberg, Natalie Brill, — Chhavi Sachdev Mexico, an important operational base for many multinational graduates as well. Whether they pursue careers in engineering or Andrea Fiaschetti and Justin Sacco enjoying some free time in Dresden. firms. A third program, at Tel Aviv University in Israel, is slated elsewhere, training our graduates for the global economy will reap to start next year. dividends for many years to come. I

2 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 3 Engineering a Better Since then, engineers have played a The Civil Approach “It was very motivating to see the pos- to the States in February of 2004. That crucial role in military activities, from civil RACHEL SULLIVAN (’99) grew up in itive impact of what I was doing, not only November he was back in Iraq, where he projects (like the construction and opera- Leavenworth, Kansas, about 30 miles from a reconstruction standpoint, but spent the next 12 months in the town of Military tion of dams) to combat engineering. In northwest of Kansas City. She decided to [also] from a lifesaving standpoint,” she Taji, about 20 miles north of Baghdad. the modern military, engineers fill many attend BU largely on the strength of its says of her experience, “It felt good.” Asked about his time overseas, Brown roles; they build bridges, demolish all engineering program and studied for four Sullivan stayed in Iraq for just over a recalls one particularly harrowing adven- BUOYED BY ROTC SCHOLARSHIPS AND A COMMITMENT TO THE manner of structures and hold jobs at the years thanks to an ROTC scholarship. year, coming back to the States in March ture that happened last June: ARMY, ENG ALUMS ARE WORKING TO BE ALL THEY CAN BE. forefront of public consciousness today— She left Boston University with a degree of 2004. Within a few months, the Army “It was a bad weather day, with a reconstruction. in aerospace engineering. moved her back to her hometown and low ceiling and limited visibility,” he says. By Ryan Olson Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps In February 2003, Rachel was she now works at Fort Leavenworth as A medevac call came in for a U.S. soldier (ROTC) programs across the country play deployed to the northern Iraqi province an operations officer involved in the train- with an abdominal wound, and Brown’s an integral part in providing the U.S. mili- of Erbil, where she spent the majority ing and evaluation of units deployed unit headed to downtown Baghdad. tary with officers. Each year, a number of of her time helping the reconstruction overseas. “En route, I’m talking with the Engineers have long formed a critical component of the United States dedicated students participate in Boston efforts. When asked about the link between ground unit,” he recalls. The severity of University’s Army ROTC program, known BU and her time overseas, one of the the call escalated quickly, changing from military. The history of one of the nation’s most prominent engineer- “I found that I was almost able to do as the Charles River Battalion. Almost every more engineering in civil affairs,” she says. classes Sullivan remembers particularly one soldier to two, and from an abdomi- ing groups, The Army Corps of Engineers, dates back to 1775. That class includes students from the College of nal wound to a set of amputees. One Engineering. solider had lost both of his legs, while year, the fledgling Continental Congress appointed Colonel Richard For ENG students intent on serving Caunt believes his BU education prepared him the other lost both legs and an arm. Gridley of Boston as the first Chief Engineer. Gridley directed the con- their country, the requirements of a BU for the challenges he faced in the military. It took Brown’s unit about four min- education and a commitment to the mili- utes to reach the injured men, at which struction of fortifications at Breed’s Hill—the site of the famed Battle tary often result in a demanding four years. point the soldiers were loaded aboard the of Bunker Hill—as well as at Dorchester Heights, which proved crucial But if the experiences of four young ENG She spent time working with the well is AM 310, Instrumentation and helicopter and taken to the hospital. alums are any indication, BU did an out- Theory of Experiments. While the triple amputee didn’t survive, in repelling the British. In 1802 a corps of engineers was stationed at Office of Reconstruction and Humani- standing job of preparing them for the chal- tarian Assistance—the forerunner to Iraq’s “It was the process I took away,” she the second injured soldier did. West Point, constituting the nation’s lenges they faced after leaving Coalition Provisional Authority—helping says. “Having that background helped me Brown’s unit was featured in the Boston. Whether helping people look at a situation and prioritize. Being October 2005 issue of Popular Mechanics very first military academy. to examine many different types of struc- abroad or on U.S. soil, the combi- tures, from schools and bridges to power able to approach it with a sound decision- in an article titled “Birds of Mercy.” nation of these two worlds has systems. making process…helped me look at Over the course of his second tour, he proven to be just what they’ve “So much of the country was in such things from outside the military,” a per- estimates his unit evacuated more than needed to succeed. spective that helped her perform her 4,000 people. Photo courtesy Dan Caunt disrepair,” she says. “The electrical power systems had not been kept up for job more effectively. “It’s humbling to know that we Clockwise from left: Dan Caunt (’00) in decades.” brought a lot of people home that would n Flying High w a Blackhawk helicopter on his way to o not have made it,” Brown says.

r She still remembers learning a terrify- B

t Basra; Scott Brown (’98), left, with the t SCOTT BROWN (’98) grew up in When asked about how his experi- o ing fact in the middle of 2003: Iraq is one c staff sergeant in charge of working on S

y Rhode Island and went to high school ences at BU helped him become the per- s the 12 Blackhawks in his unit; Rachel of the most heavily mined countries in the e t r son he is today, he remembers the skills u Sullivan (’99) briefs two other soldiers world. in Providence. o c

o in preparation for a convoy in Mosul he learned in the classroom. t For nearly a year, Sullivan worked “I knew in high school that I was o

h five days after the city’s liberation. P closely with many different organizations, going into some branch of the armed “Math, problem solving…certainly including mine-risk education groups and services,” he says. Thanks to the Army helped out. As far as ROTC, all the the agencies directly responsible for clear- ROTC, he was able to come to Boston contacts I made, the officer[s] who taught ing mines. to study mechanical engineering. As he us…it was very helpful.” recalls, literally a week after graduating She recalls poignant “handover cere- Computerized Communication monies” designed to officially give control he was in San Antonio for officer basic of specific areas back to Iraqis. In many training. DAN CAUNT (’00) grew up in Medway, n a v

i “I knew I wanted to fly,” Brown says. Massachusetts, about 30 miles southwest

l cases, by the time ceremonies took place, l u S

l repairs and new construction were already He entered the medical service corps— of Boston. When he was younger, he e h c

a under way. Seeing the faces of farmers the group responsible for flying medevac did well in math and science. R y

s missions into dangerous areas to rescue “My first computer was a Tandy

e once again able to farm their land, or peo- t r u

o ple able to walk through their backyards the wounded. In early 2003 he became a TRS80,” Caunt says. He did BASIC pro- c o t

o and not be afraid, gave her a real sense of Blackhawk helicopter pilot. gramming and whatever else he could on h P purpose. After a nine-month tour in the north- it, having learned a great deal from his ern Iraqi city of Mosul, Brown came back father, a computer engineer. He left BU

4 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 5 n a v

i Setting Priorities Worthwhile l l u S l e JAMES TUOHY ROTC Benefits Military, Engineering Students h (’03) grew up in Striving for success in a world-class c a

R Wyckoff, New Jersey, about 30 miles engineering program while working to y s e t

r northwest of New York City. After Tuohy meet the demands of a commitment By Chhavi Sachdev u o c graduated from BU with a degree in elec- to the armed services often results in o t o h

P trical engineering, the Army sent him to a hectic schedules, doubts and frustration. t Boston University, the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Like him, Midshipman Sara Thomas (’06) averaged 20 credits number of different places, including Ft. In addition to their academic responsi- Rachel Sullivan with students at the Ian Rimell is “a win-win situation,” according to Richard Lally, the per semester. “The requirements for the programs don’t overlap Leavenworth for combat engineer train- bilities, ROTC students typically gather School for Girls in the town of Hatra. Rimell, a A assistant dean of administration at the College of and it’s very difficult. You have to keep it in the back of your mind friend of Sullivan’s who sold scrap metal from ing, Ft. Irwin, California, for desert for a few hours each week for classroom Engineering. Lally, who retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Army, that you chose this course,” said the senior from rural Iowa, whose disarmed ordnance to help fund Hatra’s recon- warfare training, and finally to Ft. Stewart instruction and drill exercises. Once each struction, was killed in an ambush in 2003. was chairman of the Army ROTC program and a professor of mili- capstone AME project was a satellite designed to deploy a tether in Savannah, Georgia. semester, everyone leaves campus for out- tary science at BU from 1995–2000. for NASA’s Space Elevator Challenge. In January 2005, Tuohy went to door training. The ROTC was started after World War I to create a cadre of It is hard work, said Captain Bob Holland, the Commanding with a degree in computer engineering Kuwait as a combat engineer. Shortly The ROTC also offers optional trained officers. In return, the military provided financial assistance Officer of the Boston University-MIT Naval ROTC Consortium. ROTC and entered the Army signal corps. thereafter, his unit traveled north to opportunities. The Ranger Challenge, a to students and promised graduating cadets a job. Through ROTC, members are more active in public and community service than the Caunt’s first assignment was in Samarra in Iraq, about 60 miles north competition involving other New England the forces get smart, educated officers and raise their profile in average college student; they run blood drives, regularly clean up Mannheim, Germany, near Frankfurt. of Baghdad. colleges, includes contests in weapons the diverse population that is the University; in return, the University the river, visit nursing homes and help in shelters. He stayed there for three years, helping to During his time in Iraq, one of assembly, land navigation and marks- produces graduates who are trained to be leaders as well as team BU is very attractive to many students who get ROTC scholar- provide phone, Internet and videoconfer- Tuohy’s jobs involved keeping roads safe manship. players. ships. “The overall diversity at BU makes them more adaptable and encing support for many different types for military units traveling north to Tikrit. “They didn’t always complement each “Their education will serve them well in any field,” Lally said. accepting of people from other backgrounds,” said Holland. of military units, from infantry to armor. This often meant dealing with improvised other,” Sullivan says of ENG and ROTC. Boston University is one of only about 20 schools that offer According to Cadet Nicholas Robinson (’06) of the Air Force In January of 2004 he went to Kuwait explosive devices, weapons often hidden Sometimes, she said, it felt like she was ROTC programs in all three branches of the armed forces. The Army, ROTC, BU has high-caliber students and faculty in both the ENG and for a year, performing similar support by enemy forces in all manner of places. living two lives. But, if anything, that was Navy and Air Force each have an ROTC department at BU, governed ROTC programs. “I picked BU because of my major. We have one of roles for local units and others in Iraq and One particular project he remembers only because both pushed her to do her by the Division of Military Education. the top ROTC programs in the country, organization- and event-wise,” Afghanistan. entailed building a protective earthen best. Since its inception in 1919, the program has operated at Boston he said. Thinking back to his time as an berm around the entire city of Samarra, “To do well at the College of University, excepting the period between 1970 and 1981 when it Konowicz, who was also accepted to the Naval Academy, chose undergraduate, Caunt believes his BU a safety precaution designed to reduce Engineering with ROTC, you really moved to Northeastern University following campus protests against BU largely for its biomedical engineering program and its culturally education prepared him for the challenges the number of access points to the city. have to learn how to budget your time,” the Vietnam War. vibrant location. he faced in the military. Much like Sullivan, Tuohy also Tuohy says. “The College of Engineering Currently, there are nine ENG students in the Army ROTC, 25 Many students would probably not have been able to afford “It was good to have the engineering spent time working on civil engineering is tough; you have to work hard to do in the Navy ROTC (which includes the Marine Corps), and 16 in the college without the ROTC’s financial help. background,” he says. “The learning curve projects. well there.” Air Force program. “The number varies from year to year,” said Air In the fall, Thomas will join a Surface Nuclear community as wasn’t as steep for me as opposed to others Tuohy returned to the U.S. in January. There were times where Sullivan Force Captain Sara C. Zakrzewski. “We had a large number of fresh- an officer with a sub-specialty in nuclear power and could then be who didn’t study it. I felt like I was ahead Scheduled to leave active duty in May wasn’t sure she’d made the right decision. men engineering students this year due to the strong engineering pro- assigned to a surface ship. of the game when it came to doing my 2007, he is thinking about going back to “I struggled with it when I was a gram here at BU and also due to the Air Force’s need for engineers; Robinson, an AME major, will be stationed as a navigator, job there.” school, perhaps to get an MBA. When it junior at BU,” she says, remembering how 70 percent of AFROTC scholarships are given to technical majors.” guiding planes and operating defensive and weapons systems on Now Caunt is back at BU working comes time to submit applications, he friends would be interviewing for intern- At one time, the Army even had a special scholarship for engi- an air crew. towards a master’s degree in computer believes his military experience will be a ships while she faced training exercises. neering majors. Konowicz will probably be attached to the air wing on a carrier science; he started in the fall of 2005 and strong asset. “One side of me was kind of jealous,” “In the past, the Army particularly looked for people with techni- after flight training. Eventually, he would like to return to the medical is scheduled to finish in May 2007. The “It will help me out for the rest of my she says. “On the other side, I knew I had cal degrees,” said Lally. Even if that is no longer the case, “the Army field. “The Navy has a lot of opportunities,” he said. “I’m not going military is paying for this degree, too. life,” Tuohy says. “I think at such a young a job when I graduated— an exciting job needs people who can think analytically, manage their time and to let my degree go to waste.” “I’ve gotten used to selling myself for age it’s almost impossible to get a job that that allowed me to get out of the office.” come up with quick solutions.” If he had to do it over, he’d still do both ENG and ROTC: “You do scholarship money,” he says, laughing. gives you as much leadership experience Moments of doubt aside, the alums But balancing coursework and the ROTC is a challenge, Lally lose sleep, but it’s worth it.” “I’m not any richer than I was in under- as the military.” speak highly of both worlds. observed. “Engineering has a pretty rigorous curriculum, what with grad.” This time the money is coming The demands of a schedule stuffed “I think [BU] has a really strong pro- Drew Konowicz Nicholas Robinson Sara Thomas lab requirements and problem sets,” he said. from the U.S. Department of Defense. with ENG and ROTC obligations have gram,” Caunt says, referring to both ENG Attrition rates reflect the rigors: The Navy ROTC class of ’06 In all likelihood, Caunt will work in helped Tuohy appreciate the importance and the ROTC program. “It’s hard to get started out with 51 freshmen from the University; only 38 graduated. Washington, D.C., when he graduates of time management skills. He recalls actual military experience while in college.

Drew Konowicz (’06), from Monroe Township, New Jersey, v from BU for the second time. e that at one point in Iraq he was responsi- Nothing really prepares you for active d h

attended Boston University on a three-year Navy ROTC scholarship. c “Before I was in the military I had a ble for 26 soldiers and some $5 million duty before you graduate.” Nonetheless, S i

As a lieutenant commander in the reserves, the 22-year-old has been v been to one other country—Canada,” a worth of equipment. he feels both programs do a good job of h in charge of four divisions and the battalion’s administration. For h C

Caunt says. Thanks to the Army, he can :

“If you don’t prioritize and stay on top preparing participants for whatever they s o

his senior project, the BME major worked on a robust algorithm for t o add 25 nations to that count. of it, things can get out of hand,” he says. might do next in life. h medical imaging under professors Hernan Jara and Osamu Sakai P “I would do it again,” Brown says of at the Boston Medical Center, even publishing a paper. his decision. “There is no question in my mind.” I

6 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 7 The Drive System others work on adapting a frame for the KAREN PANETTA (’85) decided to start car’s 16-foot-long chassis—a long, flat, Nerd Girls four years ago. After teaching almost cockroach-like structure designed computer and engineering courses at Tufts to mix aerodynamics with plenty of hori- University for nearly six years, she had zontal surface area for solar cells. become frustrated at the low number of The scheme was meant to mimic the women enrolled in her courses and even real-life skills of teamwork and coopera- more dismayed at how they interacted in tion Panetta had observed in her 11 years class. as a computer engineer. “My undergradu- “The girls tended to be quiet; just ate work at Boston University focused happy to let the guys be the active mem- on real application and teamwork. No bers of the class,” she said. “The number one could get through the program on of girls I saw in my classes was the same their own,” she said. Upon entering the number that I saw sitting around me 15 work force, however, she was surprised to years ago at BU. I wanted to start a pro- find that many newbie engineers lacked gram that would draw young women in, these skills and failed because of it. She let them find out what engineering really was determined to give her students, Karen Panetta with the Nerd Girls’ solar-powered especially the often-overlooked women, racing car. is and that it doesn’t mean that you have to be a grease monkey or a social outcast.” better preparation. Some of this year’s nearly 20 Nerd The north tower, officially called the So, Panetta purchased a used solar Girls hope to enter a vehicle into the Cape Anne Light Station, is perched atop racing car from the University of 2007 American Solar Challenge, a gruel- craggy Thacher Island off the coast of Massachusetts, Lowell, and gathered a Rockport, Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest and most historic light houses “I wanted to start a program that would draw on the American coastline. Built in 1771 to ward ships away from the razor-sharp young women in, let them find out what engineer- reef that lies 500 feet out to sea, it pro- ing really is and that it doesn’t mean that you gressed from candlelight, to whale oil, to lard oil, to kerosene, and—finally—to have to be a grease monkey or a social outcast.” electricity in the early 1900s. But moder- nity did not bring reliability. The tower’s A Woman’s Place ing 2,500 mile race from Austin, Texas, juice is pumped in via an underwater group of six female engineering students to Calgary, Alberta—and they don’t mind power cable strung between Rockport and to start rebuilding it. This first car, how- working hard to advance that goal. KAREN PANETTA (’85) AND HER NERD GIRLS SHINE IN SOLAR CAR the island. Virtually every winter, at least ever, was only to be a learner vehicle. “All in all, I’d say the average Nerd one major nor’easter churns the ocean With her encouragement, the next year’s AND LIGHTHOUSE PROJECTS Girl puts in about eight hours a week,” enough to snap the cable, leaving the team decided to start building its own said Torri Bydlon, a senior electrical engi- north tower—and her sister lighthouse on car from the pavement up. By Stu Hutson neering major. “But that’s the point. the south end of the island—dark. “This is a major project, one that is This is working to figure out the details These days, the south tower is operat- passed off from one team to another,” of a real car with real problems —it’s the They’re here to take out Tinkerbelle. ed by the Coast Guard and powered by a Panetta said. “Each year’s team wants hands-on experience you don’t get in the self-sustaining electrical unit, but the Cape to make their own adjustments so the classroom. There’s trial and error instead The rickety metal steps crick and pang under the petite weight of fashion- Anne light hasn’t been officially used since car itself is developing a little slowly. But of a grade.” the 1980s and the Coast Guard stopped that’s the idea. Our main goal isn’t to able sneakers and pink backpacks. A blown light has left most of the spiral And most importantly, Bydlon repairing the cable two years ago. Still, the race this thing, it’s to learn how to be said, it’s a reinforcement of success that climb inside the 165-foot-tall tower in shadows, so the girls fumble a bit on tower is a Rockport landmark, and so a better engineers.” a t t women in engineering don’t often receive. e The complexity of the project grew their way. But to get to the island, they’ve already crossed choppy waters in n group of conservationists known as the a P from year to year as more women—and According to Bydlon, for various reasons n Thacher Island Association installed the e an eight-foot-wide aluminum boat and dodged the masses of Herring and r

a men always seem to be the most active K 20-watt Tinkerbelle. some men—joined. Panetta crafted them y

s and participatory in class; the professional e

Great Black-backed gulls in the throes of nesting season. It’s at the top of t into groups that would tend to specific

r “It’s a sad excuse for a light, we know,” u

o world seems to be dominated by “the c said Paul St. Germain, the head of the problems associated with building the car. the old north tower, though, that the girls meet their real adversary— o t

o guys” who naturally relate better to other h association. “But that’s what these Nerd Some of the girls focus on the electrical Tinkerbelle, a car’s tiny brake light jury-rigged to a dry cell battery. P guys. The Nerd Girls trek to the Cape Anne Light Girls are here to fix.” schematics for the car’s sensor systems, Station off Rockport, Mass., for an encounter with Tinkerbelle.

8 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 9 Several times a semester, the Nerd New Light Girls go on outreach programs where they The replacement for Tinkerbelle is a self- take their solar car to local high schools, sufficient light system designed for ocean junior highs and middle schools. When buoys. The girls adapted it and its solar talking to a co-ed group, the result is panels. If all goes well, it should soak up almost always the same, Panetta said— enough sunlight during the day to power the boys rush forward to the car and its rows of LEDs with enough lumens to immediately begin asking questions about be seen for eight nautical miles. To mimic how it runs; the girls hang back until firelight and to distinguish it from other “they see that the guys in their class are official Coast Guard lights, the lamp will chatting and are interested in the girls, have to be fitted with an amber color and that these girls aren’t what they think wash. of as mechanics.” As for the darkened stairs, the girls Often, Panetta will ask a class of have designed another array of solar cells younger students to draw a picture of to power a series of eight compact fluores- what they think an engineer looks like. cent bulbs. For the two-story lighthouse- Inevitably, she says, it’s a picture of a keeper’s house, the team is working on a garage mechanic with a wrench. The main series of photovoltaic panels that will be point of the outreach programs is to break mounted into concrete foundations on this image and show that engineering is a one side of the house. As with the other Panetta with the Nerd Girls and the vehicle some call “The Cockroach.” tool of a craftsman and thinker, and that systems, it’s a complex balance of circuits, women who do these jobs can be every amperages, inverter calibrations, fault type of woman there is. detection and a thousand other minute The Society of Women Engineers professor—but somehow her demeanor “Over the years, I’ve had a Nerd Girl details. states that while other fields have gone pulls it off. who danced the Nutcracker, a top-ranked The team hopes to install the replace- Nerd Girls: The Reality Show far to balance the scales between male “She dresses up for classes,” says tennis player; girls of every type,” Panetta ment for Tinkerbelle and the tower lights and female, women comprise only 10 Allison Bedwinik, last year’s project leader. said. “And of course, we even have Nerd this spring. Solar panels for the house and percent of the engineering workforce— “But the rest of the time Karen dresses Girl guys.” This year there are two men, other structures will follow. In fact, there ver its relatively short life span, Nerd Girls has received a lot of outside a drop from 11.1 percent in 1998. On seems to be no end to projects available attention. Articles in the Boston Globe, Newsweek and Elle have all O told the story of this group of girls who are changing sexist stereotypes average, women entering the engineering from the 50-acre dot of land. Panetta workforce make $8,000 less per year “Young women need to see that they don’t have to plans to eventually bring more chemical by simply doing what they do best—and now that story may be coming to than their male counterparts. make the choice between being feminine and being and environmental students in to adapt television. This might explain, in Panetta’s the filtration system of a 100-year-old, Karen Johnson is a Los Angeles-based film producer best known for the philosophy, why the American Society an engineer. Karen’s a walking example of that.” 35,000-gallon cistern so that it will pro- 2004 independent film Double Dare, a documentary that follows the trials and for Engineering Education reports that duce drinkable water. She also plans to tribulations of two Hollywood stunt women. Jeanie Epper, who doubled for 50 percent of medical and law students have a team investigate whether wave Lynda Carter during the Wonder Woman television series, takes Zoe Bell—a rela- are females while women comprise only like she is: outgoing and full of energy. I who were drawn to the program by the power could be used to generate electricity tive newcomer to Hollywood—under her wing. Bell had doubled for Lucy 20 percent of engineering students. don’t think she could pull off something engineering challenges they can’t find on the island and possibly provide enough Lawless during the filming of Xena: Warrior Princess. like Nerd Girls otherwise.” elsewhere. to build additional houses for the tourist Johnson’s work follows a theme of displaying strong women in feature- Hello Kitty Much of Panetta’s personality seems Numerous studies show that girls season. length films. For Nerd Girls, she is developing the groundwork for a television “The real name of Nerd Girls is the shaped around the idea of unbending usually lose interest in math and science at “Next year, we’ll do even more and series along the lines of The Real World. ‘Breaking the Stigmas and Stereotypes of stereotypes. Just as she would like to an early age unless otherwise encouraged. bring in more girls from other engineering “Everything that you see on TV today seems to be superficiality competing Women in Engineering’ project,” Panetta change her students’ views of what a pro- “The car is an important part, but it’s fields,” Panetta said. The growth seems to against superficiality,” Johnson said. “What attracted me to this group was that says. “You’re not supposed to call yourself fessor can offer, she’s challenging misim- amazing to see Karen as she relates to girls be contagious—she’s been contacted by they are a bunch of real girls working together to break superficiality. They show a ‘nerd’ because that discourages educa- pressions that steer young girls away from from tweens to late teens,” said Karen dozens of other universities interested in you can be an A-student and a cheerleader. But, maybe more importantly, they tion. And you’re not supposed to say ‘girl’ engineering. Johnson, who is in the process of produc- starting their own version of Nerd Girls. show that you don’t have to be either.” because that’s demeaning to women.” “When I was young, my father told ing a television series based on Panetta’s “I’m not going to stop until I change the Using film shot as the girls worked on Thacher Island last summer, Johnson Leaning back in her office chair, me, ‘You’re going to have to become an work [see accompanying story]. “Young stereotype of women in engineering across has created a short preview trailer she is using to market her idea to both the Panetta is wearing a foot-wide ‘Hello engineer; that’s the only way you’re going women need to see that they don’t have to the nation.” I Discovery Channel and MTV. Kitty’ face on her t-shirt. With the pom- to be able to afford all of your clothes,’” make the choice between being feminine “I show it to people, and they compliment me on my casting and wardrobe poms on her boots, you’d expect to see she says. “I knew that I could be a girl and and being an engineer. Karen’s a walking choices,” she says. “But these are the real girls. They have such strong charis- the outfit on a student rather than a an engineer, but most young girls don’t example of that.” ma just being themselves.” get that impression.” —S.H.

10 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 11 BUE: When you arrived at BU in had a large number of strong individual BUE: What do you think the next dean 2000, you introduced yourself partly programs—which we have been trying to can build on? by saying, “It’s a great time to be a foster—and we have built some more. nerd.” Do you think that is still true? In terms of weaknesses, our most DKC: The College is really poised for the glaring were our contact with alumni and next level. I don’t foresee a large expan- Looking Back, DKC: Yes, I do. America’s future— our low philanthropic base. I made both sion in size, so I think the College can economically and politically—in the a real focus of my work and I think that now work on really trying to invest in its world will hinge on our ability to inno- we have been quite successful in changing faculty and students more on a per capita Looking Ahead vate in technology, and the nerds are that. basis and build in excellence. the innovators. The College is trying to develop pro- The one aspect of that I might change BUE: What are you most proud of grams across disciplines even more to in emphasis, however, is the idea of a nerd from your tenure as dean? pursue projects like the Coulter grant, not being engaged and so often in her which is a translational grant to take corner just doing her little thing. That’s DKC: Overall, the great number of faculty things from biomedical benchtops to the not something we want our engineers to hires we made and the quality of students bedside in Boston Medical Center. We AFTER MOVING FROM THE ENG DEAN’S OFFICE TO THE PROVOST’S SUITE, be; we want them to be socially engaged has made a huge difference to the College. are going to work on that kind of thing. and to make a difference. That’s essential We have some outstanding young faculty I think the change in leadership in the DAVID CAMPBELL REFLECTS ON THE PAST AND LOOKS TO THE FUTURE if we are going to have engineering con- who are going to be with us for a good, Photonics Center [see story on page 25] tribute to the American economy, to the long time and who will help take the gives us a huge opportunity to really inte- world’s economy. Being aware of sophisti- College to a still higher level. Of course, grate not just our photonics, but also a DAVID K. CAMPBELL joined the College of Engineering as dean cated and quantitative reasoning is very we are very proud of our major grant suc- lot of our electrical and computer engi- in 2000. A theoretical physicist specializing in nonlinear phenom- important but the ability to reach out cesses, in particular the Whitaker grant neering programs more fully with that and the recent Coulter grant [see story center—and that’s a great opportunity ena and condensed-matter physics, he had previously served as a and communicate is also a very important skill that we try to teach our students. So on page 23], but also a large number of for the new dean. professor and department chairman at the University of Illinois maybe being not the conventional nerd, multi-university grants from the NSF and The new strategic planning process and as director of the Center for Nonlinear Studies at the Los but the math and science and engineering other agencies. Because of our expertise, President Brown has initiated means that whiz is still a good thing to be. we have been the leader among peer insti- the College has done a lot of thinking Alamos National Laboratory. In 2004, he added the title provost tutions in getting these multi-institutional about where it is and where it wants to ad interim to his portfolio and managed the affairs of the College BUE: In 2000, what did you see as grants. go, and from what I’ve seen, that’s been the strengths and weaknesses of the of Engineering as well as the academic programs, personnel, Of course, we are obviously all very very carefully carried out with a lot of College of Engineering and how did pleased with the Life Science and faculty input. Obviously, you don’t want resources and support services of the University. you go about setting a direction for Engineering Building, and particularly to present a new dean with a determined the College? proud of our new W. Bradford Ingalls road map, but what they’ve done is pre- In September 2005, Boston University President Engineering Resource Center, a wonderful sent an understanding of what the oppor- DKC: new facility for our students that was very tunities are and I think it’s a very exciting Robert A. Brown named Campbell permanent When I arrived here, I thought that the College had among its greatest generously donated by Brad Ingalls, who time. provost. Campbell relinquished his deanship and strengths a real sense of collegiality and made a lasting contribution to the BUE: Now that you’re the provost, a search for his successor was launched. As the purpose. It was four departments, six College. degree programs and many centers—but One of the things that was probably you have to balance the needs of University’s chief academic officer, Campbell one College. People really worked hard below most people’s radar screen was the many schools, colleges, institutes directly supervises 14 schools and colleges on the across any interdepartmental barriers; College pulling together in our prepara- and centers. What sort of an advantage does a science and engineering Charles River Campus, 12 centers and institutes, in fact, there were almost no barriers to tions for the ABET accreditation review doing things collaboratively in an inter- we had a couple of years ago. It really background give you for managing and several administrative offices. He found time disciplinary way. The Whitaker Founda- required us to scrub and polish the entire that job? to sit with BU Engineering Magazine Editor Michael tion Leadership Award we received in ship of state, so to speak, and all faculty 2001 allowed us to capitalize on that. In participated enthusiastically and positively. DKC: I see this from two levels. I see it Seele to reflect on his five years as dean and addition to people we hired in biomedical We had an absolutely great review and got from my own experience, but I also see it assess the current engineering landscape and the engineering under the grant, we also hired wonderful grades. from observing President Brown—he is a future of the College of Engineering. people in aerospace and mechanical and real master, having been provost for seven in manufacturing engineering. I think we years at MIT before he came here.

12 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 13 I think being able to think quantita- as I’ve mentioned, we’ve won these grants BUE: Readers of this magazine will and the training. I think what’s extremely learners so that when a particular skill set So, the example I gave of the Ingalls tively and make quantitative metrics and we’re well-tied into our medical cen- recall your “Ecology of Technology” important is to make sure that the people or technology becomes dated or is out- Engineering Resource Center is a perfect that enable you to assess the value of ter, so we’re really poised to make a huge essays from 2003–04, in which you who are now saying all the right words sourced, they’re ready to leap to the next one. We really needed to create a study programs—the excellence of programs— difference and certainly be in the top five, argued that America’s dominance follow through with the right deeds. So, technology. area for our students that was high quality, is extremely important. The ability to look maybe even the number-one department in technology was threatened by the in that area I would say there has been We’ve seen many examples—among interactive, completely wireless, and at the data, not be swept away by rhetoric, in the country. But we’re not the college deterioration of the infrastructure some progress. our faculty, among our alumni and offered access to the Internet and out- and synthesize hard facts simply with a of biomedical engineering. that supports it. You cited things The restrictions on foreign scholars among our friends—of people reinventing standing video and audio. It was not sort of back-of-the-envelope calculation is We have a large number of other like poor K–12 science and math and visitors originally were extremely themselves. I think the idea that one something that the University, out of its extremely helpful. I wouldn’t say by any excellent efforts that really are also ready education, post-9/11 immigration cumbersome. Over the past two years, goes to one company and stays there for unrestricted funds, could afford to build means that it’s essential, but if you can’t to come into their own; I think probably restrictions on foreign scholars and through the lobbying of various organi- 40 years—the way my father who was a for us. And so, thanks to the gift of Brad analyze things quantitatively, you’re going one of the most important is in the area researchers, and insufficient sup- zations and with the recognition by chemical engineer at Proctor & Gamble and his wife, Joan, and some matching to have a pretty hard time following, for of photonics. We have the opportunity to port for fundamental and applied Congress that we really were inhibiting did—is just not the way of the future. But money from Alan Leventhal, the chair- example, budgetary matters, or really fully realize the promise of the Photonics research in science and engineering. ourselves, those restrictions have been that doesn’t necessarily mean that the jobs man of the Board of Trustees, we were deciding what the tuition discount rate Center and to move up to be on par with What’s changed? eased. That threat has been substantially of the future will be less secure. You just able to make this resource available to our means and what it should be, and how some of the leading academic centers alleviated. have to be lighter on your feet, willing to students. It would not have happened you compare with your peers. So there’s So there have been some real improve- be a lifelong learner and develop skill sets without philanthropy. So that’s extremely no question that being able to think “I think the Boston University College of Engineering ments. We’ll see whether the words of that allow you to stay ahead of the curve important to us. quantitatively is helpful. the politicians are matched by their deeds, in innovation. Just as important as their fiscal sup- At the same time, you have to recog- is always going to stay focused on a limited number but they’re saying the right words now. port is the involvement of our alumni nize that not everything can be reduced of activities and never try to be a completely full- BUE: Earlier, you touched on the in telling the story of Boston University, to numbers and metrics; there are lots BUE: American engineers every- College’s renewed effort to engage getting back to the College, seeing our of intangibles. I think one of the most service College, because it’s better to do a few where—including a number of our its alumni; there has been an encour- students, coming and speaking to the important intangibles overall for the things well than a whole lot of things not so well.” alumni—have been affected by the aging response. Donations are up, students about their experiences, helping whole campus is morale and the sense outsourcing trends of recent years alumni event attendance is up, people us recruit outstanding new students and of what is going on. In that respect, I’m which have sent their jobs to Asia are reconnecting with their alma just generally becoming more involved in and elsewhere. What do you see as delighted with the way President Brown in photonics and optics in the country. DKC: Well, I think the biggest thing that’s mater. At this point in the College’s the College. We want to give something is open, stresses the need for transparency I think that’s a realistic goal for us. changed is that there is a serious awareness the brightest hope for the future evolution, how important is alumni of value to our alums so that they want in trying to clarify how the University Also, in nanotech and nanoscience, that what was written in that article is of American engineers? involvement? to come back. Their time, commitment, works, gives a view of where we’re going, we have great emerging strengths in right. I was not the only person writing energy—as well as with their financial DKC: and tries to build a consensus. That’s a several departments. I see new opportuni- about these things at that time, but gradu- I think we have to stay ahead of DKC: Alumni involvement is the key to support—are extremely valuable to us. people skill that he has and that’s some- ties in our Manufacturing Engineering ally the awareness has crept through the the curve. We cannot hold back the tides our future. If you look at a crass business I think that as we build a tighter net- thing that I certainly want to emulate. Department with fuel cell work, aspects entire population. President Bush has of globalization; it’s a fact. I grew up in model of a college, the total income from work of engineering alums, we’ll see the of green manufacturing and environmen- said he will propose doubling the hard California, so I’ll push the surf metaphor our undergraduate tuition is not going to value to everyone increase. I mean in BUE: Looking at the landscape of tally friendly extraction of ores. There are science budget, particularly for funding and say we’re out there riding the big be going up very much. We may expand terms of references, in terms of internships engineering education today, what a lot of opportunities going forward for science and math education. We can’t lead waves. As surfers know, if you don’t stay the College in terms of number of under- through companies, in terms of hiring, do you see as opportunities that hold some sort of push in environmental engi- in innovation if we don’t have the brains ahead of the wave you’re going to get graduates somewhat, and we certainly in terms of all sorts of things. So just net- the most promise for the Boston neering that makes us leaders there. wiped out. So, we have to stay ahead in will be expanding in terms of graduate working our alums more tightly—getting University College of Engineering? That’s not an exhaustive list, but I terms of innovation. This means we students, but the total number of dollars them more involved—is something we think we’re starting to see national interest need to train our students to be lifelong coming in from tuition is going to be really want to do. It is the one part of the DKC: I think the Boston University in many of our more focused programs, limited. The research funding that we get equation where we have historically not College of Engineering is always going particularly in graduate students who are from the federal government has contin- devoted as much attention as we should to stay focused on a limited number of recognizing our excellence and choosing ued to go up but that money is restricted. have and so it’s the one area where we activities and never try to be a completely us over other schools. As for potential It supports our faculty in the summers, have the most to gain by enhancing our full-service College, because it’s better undergraduates, our beacons of pays for our graduate students and creates interactions. I to do a few things well than a whole lot excellence will help us recruit new knowledge, but it won’t allow us of things not so well. And we are quite very high-quality students. I think to undertake programs such as poised to do a few things well. we’re in very good shape to remain a the creation of a new building The most obvious is our biomedical midsized but increasingly excellent or center. area, where we already have one of the College of Engineering. top-ranked programs in the country. And

14 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 15 only takes about 6 minutes to calibrate would have no horizontal tail. “We’ve mistakes that mostly stemmed from bad The Best of the Brightest the brain, including the active training changed the design to put a canard in planning. as well as data processing; in one scan, the front to make the plane more fuel- The students evaluated Raytheon’s THIS YEAR’S SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTS YIELD INNOVATIVE IDEAS it computes what normally takes up to efficient,” said Seth Cohen. existing methods and came up with a 12 fMRI scans. Another innovation the plane would similar flowchart of structured steps for By Chhavi Sachdev As a time-saving and smart device, feature is a set of vertical ‘rudderlets’—a the development teams. Their process it’s sure to have applications in the near combination of winglet and rudder. Each lets development teams choose from eight future, said Bower, who will start a com- wing has a split rudder—which opens up different kinds of projects depending ENG undergraduates get to have some fun with their senior design project. New York City’s park authorities to pre- bined MD-PhD program at Boston somewhat like a book—to control drag. on the production cycle and type of tech- Every year features a few innovative, useful and just plain clever projects. sent SmarTrash at the annual fleet show University in the fall. The plane would be made of alu- nology used. on May 17. minum alloy and have two Williams Each of the eight choices details the Here are four from the Class of 2006 that showcase the creativity and ded- AME FJ44-1 jet engines. It would measure 25 succession of steps along with problems ication the College fosters. BME feet in wingspan, about 23 feet from nose that could arise, plus checklists, informa- SPATEN: Very Light Jet to tip, and about 5 feet in diameter. Its tion and tools to help solve them, said Breaking Boundaries: Analogue fuel tank capacity is 1,900 pounds (rough- Monica Arias. Their biggest challenge v e d

or an Internet connection. Brain-Computer Interface Using fMRI h

Photo: Michael Seele c ly 278 gallons) of jet fuel. In contrast, a was making the process general enough a S

A park the size of the Boston i

v Boeing 747 carries 450 passengers, mea- to apply to a broad range of products a

Paul Bower’s work may someday help h Common has trash cans h sures over 240 feet from nose to tail with but narrow enough to be useful. In most C :

people with physical disabilities operate o positioned about 100 feet t

o a wingspan of 224 feet 9 inches, and can cases, the forms and tests the students h

computer interfaces using only their P apart, well within the mote’s fly a maximum of 8,000 nautical miles— recommended already existed within thoughts. His project, “a brain-computer 300-foot range. say from New York to Hong Kong—using Raytheon—but nobody followed them interface that allows users to move a cur- At headquarters, park 411,255 pounds or 60,125 gallons of fuel. or knew when to implement them, said sor in a two-dimensional plane using employees would look at a While big passenger jets have their Arias. thoughts as directional commands,” is Web page displaying a satellite photo- place, smaller planes mean shorter lines more robust than anything else out there graph of the park superimposed with col- Clockwise: Aurel Mihai, Kyle Parker, John Ottander, and faster security checks at closer subur- today, he said. ored trash can icons indicating the posi- Carl Russell, Seth Cohen and Thomas Ahern ban airports, said the team. Air taxi, Students: Joseph D’Errico, Vyas Venkataraman, Working in collaboration with Seung- Yaniv Ophir. Andrew Hagedorn is not pictured. tion of each receptacle in the park. The anyone? green cans don’t need emptying, but the Schik Yoo, a radiologist at Brigham and When Team Six-Pack was looking for v

Women’s Hospital, Bower used fMRI, or a suitable project, it came across the e

yellow ones are nearly full, their contents d

ECE h

MFG c

functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, American Institute of Aeronautics and a

within 10 to 15 centimeters of the top. S i v

SmarTrash to do three things. First, the subject’s Astronautics student design competition. a Red means the can is overflowing and Raytheon: Process Proofing Project h h

brain was calibrated C Photo: Chhavi Sachdev Uninterested in the undergraduate con- :

needs immediate attention. o t

By sending surveys to park authorities o to identify the areas test, they decided to tackle the graduate When companies design products for h

By pinpointing the location of the P nationwide, the SmarTrash team learned cans that need attention, employees can used in mechanical challenge even though they couldn’t customers, they follow a set procedure— that it takes upward of $100,000 every take the most efficient route in emptying and verbal tasks. Lying enter it. Their object: to design a Fast but after the prototype is approved, most year to empty trash barrels in a typical them. This would leave more time for in an MRI machine, and Efficient Air Taxi (FEAT) that could companies proceed by trial and error. To public park. other tasks such as landscaping, which the subject trained carry four passengers 1,000 nautical miles, help smooth the steps between making It’s not surprising, then, that the team the students’ survey indicated is often the program to recog- roughly the distance between New York five prototypes and manufacturing 50,000 Students: Christina Rodriguez, Monica Arias, had an overwhelmingly positive response Samuel Davenport performed by the same workers who nize his brain patterns, and Chicago. products, Raytheon’s Integrated Defense to its project, a monitoring system that empty the trash. either by imagining a “Our mission was to create a plane Systems approached the Department would indicate when a can is full. An innovation that the team intro- Some park officials are already inter- physical activity (such that could utilize smaller airports that of Manufacturing—and three seniors The students devised a system that Student: Paul Bower duced was a database of “Subject ested in what the technology promises. At as moving an arm) or are not used as much and travel quickly stepped in to make it all more efficient. rigs every trash can lid with a planar sen- Matter Experts.” For instance, explained Roeding Park, a 150-acre area in Fresno, thinking words in a sequence (Bower’s between them,” said Kyle Parker. “There are a lot of changes between sor, an infrared depth sensor, two solar- Davenport, if a product uses a new type California, the Parks Department spends example was mentally reciting “Engine, To target the on-demand air-taxi mar- making one prototype and the production powered batteries, and a small wireless of adhesive, the team could find some- $183,519 a year on trash removal. engine, number nine …”) ket, their plane would have to be com- line where there is no hands-on engineer- device—or mote—that communicates body in the directory with expertise in Southland Park in Lexington, Kentucky, Next, Bower’s algorithm calculates the pact. At smaller airports landing strips ing knowledge,” said Sam Davenport. with a base station every two minutes the area of adhesives who could proof said 100 locations cost $250,000 a year. best “regions of interest” in the brain that average about 3,000 feet, which is part of “It can cost the company a lot of time through a mesh network. the process ahead of time. The SmarTrash units would cost a lit- are activated during these tasks. Finally, the reason only Cessnas and private jets and effort to refine a project.” Often, The trash cans talk to each other, Response at Raytheon has been over- tle over $100 each, a fraction of the cost based on that activity, it translates the sub- service them; a Boeing 747 needs about products are not tested until they come explained Yaniv Ophir, and relay signals whelmingly positive. The teams liked their of the typical park trash can. “The author- ject’s next thoughts, whether verbal or 8,000 feet to take off and land safely. off the assembly line. from can to can until they can be picked process tool and the manager of manufac- ities should be able to save money imme- motor, into mouse actions. There are already jets that fulfill these While the design stage was working up by the base station, which could be turing process engineering at Raytheon, diately,” said Ophir. Besides its application in helping dis- stipulations of size and distance—such well, the students found that the develop- housed on a pole or in a parking garage Andover, will present the final report at a Toward the end of their final semester, abled people maneuver a computer inter- as the Eclipse 500—but they follow a ment cycle was rife with delays and nearby—anywhere with either WiFi company-wide conference this summer. I TeamX received a formal invitation from face, the algorithm itself is important. It conventional design. The SPATEN plane

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Vibrating Insoles Improve Balance in McDaniel Elected ASA Fellow

Diabetics, Stroke Patients ssociate Professor J. Gregory McDaniel’s work on structural acoustics has yielded him fellowship in A the prestigious Acoustical Society of America. The ics had an abnormally high threshold for neuron stimula- society recently elevated McDaniel from member to fellow, tion. Regardless of the cause, Collins’ team found that intro- a distinction accorded to only 12 percent of the ASA’s ducing the vibrations’ “white noise” increased the subjects’ 7,000 members. use of sensory information transmitted through their feet The letter notifying him of his election as a fellow “for and improved their balance. contributions to structural acoustics” came as a surprise The researchers used viscoelastic silicone gel insoles to McDaniel, who was not aware he had been nominated. fitted with three quarter-sized vibration pads located under Some of McDaniel’s projects have involved the interaction the heel and forefoot. Researchers conducted 10 tests on between sound and underwater structures, structural each subject; half the tests using a low-frequency vibration vibration and automotive brake squeal. that could not be felt by the subject and half without vibra- “Personally, I’m happy my research in structural tions. Subjects were not told when the vibrations were acoustics has been recognized as a body of work,” said Associate Professor J. Gregory McDaniel applied. Visual markers were placed on the subjects and McDaniel, who has been a member of the AME faculty video cameras recorded the markers’ movement, or sway. since 1996. “The department has long recognized the quality of When the vibrating insoles were activated, the subjects’ AME Chairman Professor John Baillieul said Greg’s work,” he said. “His election as an ASA fellow sway was, in general, reduced. The study found that the McDaniel’s ASA honor is the latest addition to the depart- shows that his research is recognized internationally.” I larger the patient’s baseline sway, the greater the reduction ment faculty’s growing list of accolades. — Michael Seele achieved by the vibrations. “These findings have implications for people with impaired balance control who are at increased risk for falls Appreciation: Professor Leopold B. Felsen Professor James Collins that can result in debilitating injuries,” said Collins. “We have designed and constructed insoles for in-shoe use and professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering Engineering and a life fellow of ending imperceptible vibrations through the feet of are planning to use them in the next round of studies inves- at ENG for 11 years, Leo Felsen passed away on the Institute of Electrical and diabetics and stroke patients significantly improves tigating locomotion and other activities.” A September 24 at age 81. Electronics Engineers, which S their balance, according to a study coauthored by Collins coauthored the paper, “Noise-Enhanced Balance Dr. Felsen made significant contributions to the field of awarded him its Heinrich Hertz BME Professor James Collins and published in the Control in Patients with Diabetes and Patients with Stroke,” electromagnetics. His discoveries underlie the technology in Medal for his theories advanc- American Neurological Association’s Annals of Neurology. with nine researchers from Harvard Medical School, every cell phone and Radiation and Scattering of Waves, the ing the study of electromagnetic The study’s results have implications for reducing the risk Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Joslin Diabetes Center, 1972 book he coauthored, is a standard text in the field. waves. In 2003, he won the of falls for these patients. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and other health His pioneering work found application in other fields—such IEEE Electromagnetics Award. Collins said the results are similar to those obtained care and research organizations. as optics and geophysics—which previously were thought Dr. Felsen also was known during a prior study of healthy elderly people and are the Separately, Collins recently was named to Scientific to be unrelated. for his poetry, some of which first to observe balance improvement in diabetics and American magazine’s list of the top 50 leaders in science Dr. Felsen fled his native Germany for New York City in was related to his work. In tribute to his lifework, the IEEE stroke patients using this method. and technology for 2005. In 2003, he received a MacArthur 1940. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, put out a call for poems to be published in the June issue The subjects in the study were evenly divided between Fellowship in recognition of his groundbreaking research he earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in of its magazine, and also scheduled a special session at electrical engineering at the Polytechnic University of New the annual IEEE Symposium on Antennas and Propagation stroke patients and people with diabetic neuropathy. In the into biodynamics.I case of stroke, the patient’s ability to process information — Michael Seele York. He stayed on as a lecturer and became dean of engi- Society in July. A special issue in his memory will appear transmitted by foot neurons was impaired, while the diabet- neering in 1974. In 1994, he joined the ENG faculty at BU. in the next IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation. The author of more than 300 research papers, Dr. Felsen is survived by a son and a daughter. I Dr. Felsen was a member of the National Academy of

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Green Manufacturing Lab Wins Technology Interdisciplinary Team Studies DNA’s Investigation Award Attachment to Microarrays

n a few years, Americans could start driving cars that nder the auspices of Boston University’s interdisci- and what happened to DNA when one strand was longer don’t belch nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, carbon plinary engineering programs, a team of researchers or shorter than the other. I monoxide and other pollutants. Instead of fossil-fuel Uhas developed a new application to more precisely “Our research shows that locating a fluorescent label burning, internal-combustion engines, fuel cells would sit measurender the the auspices location of of Boston a fluorescent University’s label interdisciplinary in a DNA layer. attachedattached toto aa certaincertain positionposition withinwithin aa DNADNA chainchain offersoffers highly under the hoods and produce electricity with only heat and Accordingengineering to the programs, study, published a team of in researchers a recent issue has ofdevel- accuratehighly accurate information information about the about shape the ofshape DNA ofmolecules DNA mole- bound to Uoped a new application to more precisely measure the the surface of a microarray,” said Ünlü. water as by-products. The fuel cells themselves are ready, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the new cules bound to the surface of a microarray,” said Ünlü. says Srikanth Gopalan (MFG), an assistant professor who, locationtechnique of a fluorescent provides label insight in ainto DNA the layer. shape According of DNA moleculesto the TheThe projectproject mightmight notnot havehave comecome aboutabout withoutwithout BostonBoston as the head of the Green Manufacturing Lab, researches study, attachedpublished to in surfaces a recent such issue as of microarrays Proceedings used of the in Nationalgenomics University’sUniversity’s encouragement.encouragement. “Biologists“Biologists wouldwould notnot knowknow about environmentally benign power generation technologies. Academyresear of Sciences,ch. the new technique provides insight into the technicalabout tec problemshnical problems and engineers and engineer often sdoof notten knowdo no ttheknow biologi- What’s lacking is the high-purity hydrogen the cells need shape of DNAKnowing molecules how DNA attac moleculeshed to surfaces, conform such to microarryas microar- calthe pr biologicaloblems,” problems,”said Ünlü, whosesaid Ünlü, lab haswhose researchers lab has from ECE, to make electricity. Assistant Professor Srikanth Gopalan rays usedsurfaces in genomics may significantly research. improve the efficiency of DNA BMEresearchers and the fromPhysics ECE, Department. BME, and the Physics Department. That’s why devising a cheaper and more efficient way Knowinghybridization—the how DNA molecules process of conform combining to microarry complementary, surfaces AdditionalAdditional studystudy investigatorsinvestigators includeinclude CharlesCharles R.R. Cantor,Cantor, pro- to produce pure hydrogen is one of the main focuses of 100 degrees Celsius) and for that reason are the most may significantlysingle strands improve of DNA the into efficiency the familiar of DNA double hybridization helix. Better — fessorprofessor of biomedical of biomedical engineering engineering and andco-director co-director of the of Centerthe for Gopalan’s lab. For two years, he has been working under likely candidates for powering cars and other vehicles in the processcontrol of of combining microarray complementary, technology could single-strands help it cross of over DNA AdvancedCenter for Biotechnology Advanced Biotechnology at BU, Anna at K. BU, Swan, Anna associate K. Swan, profes- a Department of Energy program, seeking to make large the future. His lab is also researching solid oxide fuel cells, into theint familiaro clinical double-helix. research, said Better study control coauthor of microarray M. Selim technol-Ünlü, sorassociat of electricale professor and comof electricalputer engineering, and computer and engineering,Lev Moiseev, amounts of hydrogen free of impurities such as carbon which, while powerful, are probably not the best option ogy couldan electrical help it crossover and computer into clinical engineering research, professor said study with co- a electricaland Lev Moiseev,and computer electrical engineering and computer research engineering associate. for a car’s engine block because they reach tempera- monoxide, particulates and sulfur. This February—in a author M. Selim Ünlü, an electrical and computer engineering — Kira Edler and Chhavi Sachdev joint appointment in the Physics Department. research associate. I boost that may help speed Gopalan’s research to market— tures as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius. Solid oxide cells, professor with a joint appointment in the Physics Department. The technique, called spectral self-interference fluores- — Kira Edler and Chhavi Sachdev his lab received a $25,000 Technology Investigation Award, says Gopalan, are better suited for powering houses and The technique, called spectral self-interference fluores- buildings. cence microscopy (SSFM), pinpoints the location of a one of five given out by the Massachusetts Technology cence microscopy (SSFM), pinpoints the location of a fluorescent Transfer Center (MTTC). Almost everywhere power is needed, fuel cells appear to fluorescent marker attached to a DNA strand. marker attached to a DNA strand. “Although a number of other The money will help Gopalan and his corporate part- be on the cusp of becoming a commercial reality; Gopalan “Although a number of other methods have been used methods have been used to determine the structure of the DNA ners, CTP Hydrogen of Westborough and Air Products and estimates that one of the major car manufacturers may to determine the structure of the DNA layer, they are not layer, they are not very sensitive to variations in the shape of DNA Chemicals, Inc., of Allentown, Pennsylvania, perfect their introduce a commercial fuel-cell car in about five years. Last very sensitive to variations in the shape of DNA molecules,” molecules,” said Bennett Goldberg, professor of physics and patent-pending hydrogen production process, in which a year, MTTC held a clean-energy conference where Gopalan said Bennett Goldberg, professor of physics and study co- study co-author. “Our group has developed SSFM to determine dense ceramic membrane conducts the oxygen out of high- presented his work to other researchers and corporate exec- author. “Our group has developed SSFM to determine the the precise measurement of the location of a fluorescent label rel- temperature steam, leaving a stream of pure hydrogen. utives. Abi Barrow, director of the MTTC, clearly liked what precise measurement of the location of a fluorescent label ative to the microarray surface.” “What we have now are lab prototypes,” says Gopalan. he saw. relative to the microarray surface.” “We’re looking to demonstrate a beta-scale system—which is “There’s a huge interest in clean energy,” says Barrow. Their measurTheir measurementement capability capability is within is within0.2 nanome 0.2 nanometers,ters, something between the lab and actual scale—within a year.” “People are beginning to see that fuel cells are going to be which whichis smaller is smaller than 1 than silicon 1 siliconatom, atom,said Ünlü. said AÜnlü. base A pair base of pair A fuel cell consists of two electrodes of opposite charges commercially available and they need to find ways to supply DNA isof approximately DNA is approximately 3 angstrom, 3 angstrom—or or 0.3 nm, wide.0.3 nm—wide. sandwiched around an electrolyte catalyst. Hydrogen is fed the hydrogen those fuel cells will need.” Using SSFM,Using SSFM, the team the esteamtimat esedtimat theed shape the shapeof coiled of coiledsingle- to one electrode while oxygen is fed to another. The catalyst For Gopalan, the market pressures for fuel-cell develop- strandedsingle-stranded DNA — whether DNA—whether it was standing it was straight, standing bending straight, from separates the hydrogen into electrons that flow through an ment coincide with environmental imperatives. the top,bending or looping from around the top, the or base. looping They around could the also base. estimate They the external circuit (electricity) and protons that migrate to the “The energy crisis in a global sense is becoming worse averagecould tilt of also hybridized estimate DNA the averageof different tilt oflengths hybridized — double- DNA of dif- oxygen and produce water and heat. with every passing day,” he says. “We need a way to utilize strandedferent DNA lengths; is generally double-stranded stiffer and straighterDNA is generally than single-strand- stiffer and Gopalan’s hydrogen production system is geared toward our fossil energy resources more efficiently and reduce ed DNA.straighter Based onthan their single-stranded measures, they DNA. could Based also on gauge their themea- what are known as proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel emissions.” amount of hybridization, and what happened to DNA when one I sures, they could also gauge the amount of hybridization Professor M. Selim Ünlü cells, which operate at a relatively low temperature (80 to — Chris Berdik strand was longer or shorter than the other. “Our research shows that locating a fluorescent label

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College of Engineering Cohosts FIRST Robotics BME Expands Collaborative “Bench-to- Competition for High School Students Bedside” Research Efforts

Boston’s largest two-day robotics event engages students By Michael Seele in science and engineering he Biomedical Engineering Department has won a By Chhavi Sachdev major translational research grant and formed a part- T nership with the Boston University School of Medicine to accelerate innovation and deliver new technologies to t first, the blaring rock music and the high schoolers patients. in team colors waving banners and chanting made In November, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation awarded A it seem like an ordinary sporting event. But the BME a $2.9 million Translational Research Partnership songs being played included “Mr. Robotso” and the athletes Award to facilitate joint efforts between BU’s biomedical scoring baskets and goals on the floor were robots that engineers, medical researchers and the Coulter Foundation the kids built for the FIRST Robotics Competition held at in order to develop promising new technologies and move Boston University’s Agganis Arena on March 24 and 25. them to clinical application. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and “The Coulter Foundation conducted a rigorous review Technology) was started in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen and we are gratified to have the quality of our basic and to foster interest in science and technology among kids. applied research programs recognized with this award,” The College of Engineering cosponsored the Northeast The BU Academy team works on its robot at the competition. said BME chairman Professor Kenneth Lutchen. “It will regional FIRST event this year—the first time it was held advance our efforts to bring promising innovations from in Boston—and ENG students volunteered and mentored to the College’s robotics resources and the expertise of its the laboratory to the patient.” Professor Ken Lutchen some of the teams. undergraduates, some of whom had participated in FIRST Of the 63 institutions that applied nationally, the BU “An event like FIRST is good for the community,” said during high school. The BU Academy squad didn’t make it Biomedical Engineering Department was one of only nine for Integration of Medicine & Innovative Technology (CIMIT), Solomon R. Eisenberg, dean of the College. “One to Atlanta, but did win the sportsmanship award for offering ad interim chosen to receive the award. based at Harvard Medical School. Other CIMIT institutions of the biggest problems in the U.S. education system is that some coaching to several rookie teams. Through this award, the Coulter Foundation will form include Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and students opt out of science and technology careers before The competition was also notable for the entry of three a working partnership with BU’s Biomedical Engineering Women’s Hospital, MIT, Draper Laboratory, Partners they know what they’re about. The career path does not have all-girl teams, a FIRST first. “We are committed to not just Department to promote, develop and support translational HealthCare, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and prominent individuals and is not perceived as cool or sexy, closing the gap between the number of engineers that are research through such activities as funding promising Boston Children’s Hospital. but is thought of as nerdy, geeky and to be avoided—FIRST needed, but closing the gap between the number of men and research projects, increasing and supporting effective collab- “BU is very pleased to join CIMIT as a full member and has helped to change that.” women engineers,” said FIRST Regional Director Brad Lauer. orations between biomedical engineers and clinicians, we look forward to working with clinicians and engineers at Over 1,000 high school students on 44 teams—most “We are showing the girls that this is not dorky.” increasing awareness of the importance of moving promising the outstanding institutions that comprise CIMIT to acceler- local, but some from as far away as Brazil—had six weeks Eisenberg agreed: “For the country to dominate in technologies to clinical application, and developing and ate the development and implementation of advances that to design and build robots to play a basketball-like game science and technology, students at all levels should be supporting sustainable programs and processes that will will improve patient care,” said Lutchen. “CIMIT’s objectives involving the machines shooting and rolling Nerf basketballs pushed to acknowledge that science is fun and can be increase, enhance and accelerate this movement. The parallel our increased focus on translational research.” at targets. The robots played offense and defense in the creative.” goal of this partnership is to focus on outcomes that will To further capitalize on opportunities for collaboration game. The top six teams advanced to the national champi- The team that took home the gold at the Boston regional improve patient care. with BU, BME and the School of Medicine have each onship in Atlanta and the chance to compete for $7 million championship wasn’t exactly a collection of rocket scientists, Separately, BME has joined a consortium of clinicians, assigned a faculty “site miner” to identify and foster opportu- in scholarships. but it was close—the students from Cocoa Beach, Florida, scientists and engineers that aims to solve complex nities for collaboration between engineers and clinicians. The College of Engineering sponsored several teams, worked with mentors from NASA and had access to the medical problems using new technologies. BME and the The BME site miner is Associate Professor Mark Grinstaff; including Boston University Academy, giving the team access agency’s prototype lab. I Boston Medical Center are now members of the Center Professor George O’Connor represents the Medical School. I

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First Science Bowl at the College of MFG’s Bifano Takes Photonics Center Helm

Engineering By Michael Seele

By Kira Edler & Chhavi Sachdev hen the call came from University President Robert Brown asking if he would accept the interim direc- W torship of the Photonics Center, Professor Thomas cientists and engineers of the future competed for Bifano already had a pretty good idea what he could do. a spot in a prestigious national science competition Bifano had helped write the proposal that created the center S when, for the first time, Boston University hosted more than a decade earlier and was intimately familiar with the Massachusetts regional qualifications for the National the center’s role as a technology incubator, academic Science Bowl at the Photonics Center on February 18. resource and home to a variety of researchers. He knew Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the where the center had been and—as a member of the Professor Thomas Bifano Science Bowl is a prominent educational event during which Photonics Advisory Committee—had some ideas about where it should be going. The center has served as an incubator for small start-up teams of high school students are quizzed on their knowl- Competition was stiff at the Science Bowl. edge of all branches of science. Thirty-six teams of 260 stu- In February, President Brown was looking for a temporary companies with promising technology but without the exper- dents from 27 Massachusetts schools vied for an invitation The Boston University Science Bowl was largely spon- director following the retirement of Donald Fraser and Bifano tise to convert it into a product. Some technologies developed to the national finals in Washington, D.C. sored by Merck Research Laboratories-Boston; many Merck accepted the offer. While a search is conducted for a perma- at BU have also used the center as a launching point to “It is an honor for the University to be chosen as a employees served as volunteer moderators and judges at nent director, Bifano has already set about the job of adding a bring products out to the marketplace or to government regional site by the Department of Energy,” said Ashmita the competition. new cohesiveness to the Photonics Center’s work and bring- application. Bifano’s own research is one such example. His Randhawa, a sophomore biomedical engineering major “My Merck colleagues and I are excited to join Boston ing academics closer to the center’s core. deformable mirror technology—used to improve resolution in and one of the BU student coordinators. University and participate in this event which promotes the “My plans will focus on integrating the four missions of advanced telescopes, microscopes and ophthalmoscopes—is Aimed at encouraging involvement in science and math, study of science,” said Mark T. Goulet, executive director of the Photonics Center: commercial incubation; defense and now being produced by Boston Micromachines Corporation, the Science Bowl offers students who excel in these areas a Medicinal Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories-Boston. government-sponsored photonics technology development; of which he serves as chief technology officer. challenging yet fun forum for their talent. Teams participate “As a student I had the chance to compete in a similar academic scholarship; and educational enrichment for Historically, each of the center’s faculty researchers in a round-robin format and are asked questions about event that gave my friends and me a unique opportunity to Boston University students,” he said. “I will work toward cre- has worked in a figurative vacuum and Bifano would like to chemistry, biology, physics, astronomy, earth science, gener- participate in a fun team competition that challenged our ating a shared vision and mutual support among these mis- change that. “We all have something to gain from close al science and mathematics. Each year, the winning team academic interests.” sions, with the goal of enhancing our reputation as a national collaboration,” he said. “I’d like to create an environment from each of the 70 regional tournaments—like the one at “All of the questions asked in the Science Bowl—supplied center of excellence in this exciting field.” that facilitates communication and collaboration.” BU—qualifies for a trip to the finals where they join approxi- by the Department of Energy—made you think out of the box While the Photonics Center is not formally a part of the One way to do that would be to identify areas of strength mately 12,000 other students from across the country to and were very math- and science-driven,” said coordinator College of Engineering, 16 of 28 BU faculty members who among a number of researchers and bring their combined compete for prizes, such as a monetary award for their Patel. have labs there are engineers—including Bifano, who is also expertise to bear on an issue. Bioimaging and biosensors are school and scientific research trips. According to the student organizers, this event united chairman of the Manufacturing Engineering Department. The two potential areas, Bifano said. At BU, the competition was very stiff. Only 8 teams more than 100 staff from various programs and groups in center was established in 1994 to conduct basic research in He’s also planning to form an external advisory board advance to the finals, explained student coordinator Ishan the University. photonics and produce military and commercial applications. representing all of the center’s constituencies—companies, Patel, a sophomore chemistry major. The first five teams The organizers are confident that BU will be hosting The center’s impressive nine-story building—which houses the military, leading researchers and academics—to help were clear winners, but the rest of the 10 teams were tied the Science Bowl again in 2007. equipment and facilities shared by a number of researchers— the center stay on the cutting edge while better serving with identical 3-1-0 records. To determine the last three “We hope to get even more participation from the state’s opened three years later. An optical fiber draw tower, an undergraduate and graduate students. places, they held an 8-team double-elimination playoff; the high schools and the University’s departments, faculty, optical processing facility, a sophisticated optical metrology “Students benefit from the mentorship of faculty mem- winner was decided with tie-breaker questions. administration and students,” said Randhawa. “This event laboratory and an integrated optoelectronics packaging lab bers who are leaders in their fields, hands-on experience with The overall winner was the Lincoln Sudbury High School also wouldn’t be where it was without the great volunteer are just some of the center’s special features. The Photonics state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment and the opportu- Team 1. The Phillips Academy Team 1 placed second and help from engineering—it would be great to get alumni to Center’s leading academic experts and dedicated staff nity to work collaboratively on the research and development also make it a valuable resource for students, faculty and of new photonics technologies,” he said. Lexington High School Team 1 came in third. volunteer,” she added. I I affiliated companies. — Kira Edler contributed to this story.

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The Robots Are Here Passings

Once the stuff of science fiction, JOHN B. ROACH (ENG ’48), 79, on April 29, 2005. JOHN GRIECO (DGE ’56, ENG ’59), on February 1. A B-25 pilot with the famed Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, Mr. Grieco, a fomer vice president of sales and marketing at PMX robots are making a real impact Mr. Roach attended the New England Aircraft School and became an Industries, received the College’s Distinguished Award for Service to ENG alumnus when the school was purchased by BU in 1951. During Alma Mater in 2003. The award honors alumni who have worked to By Chhavi Sachdev his flying career, he qualified in over 45 different types of aircraft and enhance the stature of the College of Engineering through their volun- retired from the Air Force Reserves as a colonel in 1985. tary association with the University. He also worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, retiring in Photonics Center Deputy Director Glenn Thoren explains the features RUSSELL E. TEMPERLEY (ENG ’57), on October 15, 2005. 1983 as deputy director of the New England Region. utside of Hollywood and science fiction, robots of the REDOWL sniper detection robot at the “From Hollywood to ROBERT T. REARDON (ENG ’58), on December 21, 2005. used to be confined to shop floors. Within the last Homes: Robots for Today” conference. W. BRADFORD INGALLS (ENG ’51, SMG ’54), 75, on January 18. O year, however, robots have become visible in battle- An active alumnus, Mr. Ingalls and his wife made a large donation ANTHONY J. TRIMARCHI (ENG ’58), 72, on November 3, 2005. fields, hospitals and even doing chores around the house. Stephen P. Welby, director of the Tactical Technology that facilitated construction of the College’s student resource center This shift was one reason the Department of Manufacturing Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that bears his name. “It was a project that appealed to me because LEONARD S. PHILLIPS (ENG ’59), on February 17, 2005. I think that helping the students is where it’s at,” Mr. Ingalls said as Engineering chose to focus its biannual seminar on robotics (DARPA), pointed out that PackBots are already in use DOMENICO A. TORRISI (ENG ’61), on September 26, 2005. the College prepared to open the W. Bradford Ingalls Engineering trends. and REDOWL (Robot Enhanced Detection Outpost with Resource Center in September of 2005. “I wanted to help current JOHN A. OLSEN (ENG ’63), on December 7, 2004. The event, “From Hollywood to Homes: Robots for Lasers) units developed by Boston University Engineering students, help attract new students and help the College produce a Today,” drew 150 industry leaders, academic researchers, professors David Mountain and Allyn Hubbard are sched- better product.” R. BARRY RICKARD (ENG ’63), on September 30, 2005. students and venture capitalists. The daylong seminar— uled to be scouting and identifying snipers in Iraq by Mr. Ingalls was among the first to receive a Boston University engi- ROBERT L. HARRIS (ENG ’64), on November 29, 2005. the spring installment of the department’s “Emerging September. neering degree when the University acquired the school Mr. Ingalls CHARLES W. HARDING (ENG ’65), on April 9, 2005. Technologies and Best Industry Practices Seminar” series— “Robots are giving their lives in service for country,” had been attending just as he completed degree requirements. While attending school part time, he worked a classified day job developing was held at the Photonics Center on March 31. Welby said. “They are not just about doing dull, dirty, GING S. LEE (ENG ’70), 47, on September 28, 2005. heat-resistant tiles to protect space vehicles during reentry. A similar Recipient of a BS in systems engineering, Mr. Lee was an active Keynote speaker Colin Angle—cofounder and chief dangerous work or taking people out of the cockpit; they design is still used on the space shuttle. After graduation, he briefly member of the College of Engineering Alumni Board. executive officer of Burlington-based iRobot—kicked off the are about what we can do differently with an aircraft.” taught project engineering in what was then called the College of He started his career as a member of the technical staff at the talks, closely followed by two of his company’s long-necked Industrial Technology. The same paradigm shift can be applied to health care. Bell Labs Systems Response Group, working on the US SAFEGUARD Mr. Ingalls had a highly successful career in engineering and was PackBot military robots. Angle pointed out that as baby boomers age and health antiballistic missile program. Concurrently, he earned a master’s a licensed pilot. “Robots today are concretely making a difference care costs rise, both the quality of care and number of degree in operations research at Columbia University in 1972. He is survived by his wife, Joan. and directly providing value in people’s lives,” said Angle, trained nurses are dropping. Robots could help the elderly He moved back to Boston early in his 28-year term at Bell whose company started as a spin-off from MIT’s Artifical stay in their own homes with some measure of indepen- CHARLES H. RAYCHARD (ENG ’51), on June 7, 2005. Systems, taking early retirement in 1997. For a year, Lee worked for MathWorks as an Information Systems Manager and subsequently Intelligence lab and is now worth $142 million. iRobot has dence—doctors could pay remote home visits and house- became a good clinical practice and computer systems validation sold 1.5 million Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaners hold robots could help with chores and monitor residents. auditor at PAREXEL. as well as 300 PackBots that are deployed in Iraq, provid- Applications in computer-assisted surgery and hospital Mr. Lee received the College’s Distinguished Award for Service ing the military with real-time video, sounds and sensor administration will continue to grow, several seminar parti- to Alma Mater in 2003. The award honors alumni who have worked readings. cipants said. Panelist Deb Theobald, chairman and CEO to enhance the stature of the College of Engineering through their While robots have been hyped before—the ’70s saw an of Vecna Technologies, Inc., a start-up that makes—among voluntary association with the University. autonomous vacuum cleaner fail—success has generally other things—interactive kiosks for hospitals, warned, “In CHRIS NOEL (ENG ’82), 45, on January 29. been limited to the toy market in the United States. 10 years, we might not be importing Odysseys from Honda, JOHN V. BIANCO (ENG ’84), 43, on November 17, 2005. Investors today, however, are heartened by iRobot’s success. but nurses. It’s important that we start getting funded so A former member of the College of Engineering Alumni Board, “Money is coming around,” said Dan Kara, president we can be the competition.” Mr. Bianco was an active alumnus. of Robotics Trends, Inc. The toy market alone is worth $50 While robotics technology and opportunities for practi- A specialist in intellectual property law, Mr. Bianco was million, he said, and the worldwide robotics market could cal use are growing, seminar speakers said reliability and a partner in the Fish & Neave IP Group at the law firm Ropes & Gray. reach $7.9 billion by 2010, according to Japan Robotics affordability are challenges researchers and industry must He is survived by his wife, Grace Curley, and two daughters. Association. address if the market for robots is to grow significantly. I CHRISTINE MICHELLE MAYNE (ENG ’94), on October 10, 2005. I Angle predicted that the biggest areas of growth would be in warfare and health care. W. Bradford Ingalls

26 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 27 CLASS NOTES CLASS NOTES

1969 1985 JEFF LINCOLN (AME) behalf of my company, Northrop Grumman. 1995 DEREK WIEBENSON (BME) St. Augustine, Florida I’m in the unique position of being one of five Chicago, Illinois DAVID HOLLOWELL (MFG) AL JAMES (AME) CHRISTOPHER J. MILLER (AME) civilians attending a military institute. Lisa Newark, Delaware Wilmington, Massachusetts I’m working at Naval Station Mayport, in charge Sydney, Australia I have just passed my 10th anniversary work- of aviation readiness, force protection and (formerly Jensen, CLA/SED ’91), our two daugh- ing at Aksys Ltd. in the Chicago suburbs. We At the 2005 AIA national convention David Hello to the engineering class of 1985. I would Adding to my current 14 film projects and counter-narco terrorism for the 13 ships of ters, Haley and Jenna, and I are enjoying our make hemodialysis machines so patients with was recognized by the American Institute of like to give a shout-out to my “homeboys”: screen credits and 2 video game credits in Destroyer Squadron 14. My wife Lisa works new locale; it’s a definite change from our hurri- kidney failure can treat the condition at home Architects with honorary membership—the Brian Johnson, Paul Faustin, Lance Batson and Los Angeles, I am in Australia for my next movie in treasury services for Wachovia Bank. We cane-ravaged hometown of Ocean Springs, instead of traveling to clinics three times a highest honor afforded by the AIA to a non- Matthew Murphy. Get back in touch with me at project. Having completed work as a lighting recently built a new home in St. John’s County, Mississippi. E-mail me at [email protected]. week (remember the Kidney Center near West architect—in recognition of his contributions to [email protected], where I’m working technical director for The Chronicles of Narnia: Florida. E-mail me at [email protected]. Campus?). Remarkably, this little start-up com- campus architecture both at Boston University as a senior project engineer. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, my next 1992 pany has actually changed the dialysis market- and the University of Delaware. He was also production takes me Down Under to work on 1990 CRAIG HUFFNAGLE (ECE) place. In 2004, I married Sarah Klipfel of appointed to the newly restructured Boston 1986 productions at Animal Logic Studios, where I Stafford, Virginia Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is getting her University Alumni Council (BUAC) in 2005, a CHRIS SYVERTSEN (MFG) will be responsible for the effects for all three STEVE RYAN (MFG) master’s in Urban Planning at the University 40-member council with representatives from Madison, Connecticut I married Eshale (Byrum) on Oct. 31, 2005. Matrix films, Moulin Rouge, The House of Seven Latrobe, Pennsylvania of Illinois. We live in downtown Chicago and each of the University’s Schools and Colleges. Chris Syvertsen is the general manager of I am still in the Navy and was promoted to Daggers, and award-winning Cartoon Network I have taken a position with ABB as the total miss the hills and the ocean. E-mail me at You can e-mail David at [email protected]. Unicast Development Company in New Haven, lieutenant commander in 2002. I just trans- spots. quality manager for high-voltage products in [email protected]. Connecticut, which manufactures ceramics ferred from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania. To all the guys DAN TOLLIN (BME) 1977 for a proprietary precision casting process that 25 in Guam to the Pentagon. E-mail me at I played baseball with and all the guys at Aurora, Colorado it markets worldwide. Chris lives in Madison [email protected]. RON HOPKINS (BME) Lambda Chi Alpha, I wish you the best and with his wife, Melinda, and three children, After grad school at Oxford and a stint as a Pembroke Pines, Florida hope to hear from you soon! Contact Steve at JACQUI (HAZARD) O’KEEFE (BME) Erick, Emily and Elise. E-mail Chris at post-doc and research faculty at Wisconsin, I am working in the medical device industry— San Francisco, California [email protected]. I have moved to the University of Colorado specifically cardiology—and have lived in the [email protected]. I’m living in San Francisco with my husband Medical School as an assistant professor of Ft. Lauderdale area for almost 14 years. I’ve WILLIAM SHAMPINE (ECE) 1991 Mark and 3-year-old daughter, Chloe. After physiology and biophysics. I recently received been working in this industry for 25-plus years. Syracuse, New York a 10-year stint in biotech as a process engineer, a five-year grant from the National Institutes My oldest graduated from college last year Bill Shampine received certification as a PMI SHEILA (NOWAK) DOOLEY (ECE) I am happily ensconced at Macy’s, working in of Health to study the development of the with a degree in business/MIS and a minor in project management professional. He is Indiana the corporate training and development depart- auditory nervous system. You can e-mail me music; my youngest is a sophomore studying employed as a senior project manager in the Sheila married Randy Dooley in Las Vegas on ment. I’d love to hear from any BME class- at professional services organization of Hand [email protected]. for a dual criminal justice/pre-law degree and May 27, 2005. She moved to the Indianapolis mates. E-mail me at [email protected]. is also a member of a mock-trial team. I just Held Products in Skaneateles Falls, New York. area in September 2005 and started a MARC UBALDINO (BME) celebrated my 24th wedding anniversary; the new job as a business analyst with ASAP 1993 Maynard, Massachusetts wedding was at BU’s Chapel. I have two 1987 1996 Automation in November 2005. VINAY CHANDRA (ECE) Marc married Jennifer L. Cooper (SSW ’03) in Boston Terriers, Sally and Gabby. I try to follow QUEENIE (TAN) KOMORI (ECE) 2003. They live in Maynard and are expecting a JOHANNA FIFI (BME) ODED LOEBL (AME) Atlanta, Georgia BU’s hockey team, but it is difficult getting any Honolulu, Hawaii baby in June 2006. Marc still works at MITRE Washington, D.C. news “down here.” Hope everyone is well. Israel Vinay and Nandini Chandra are happy to Aloha from Hawaii! I am married and have one after 11 years, and Jennifer works locally in I’m doing a stroke fellowship at the National After flight testing in the air force, I went announce the birth of their second daughter, THOMAS ROKOWSKI (AME) little girl, age 4. I am working for Hawaiian philanthropy education. E-mail them at Institutes of Health after finishing my from aeromechanics to biomechanics. I Gauri, on March 8, 2005. Like their first daugh- North Brunswick, New Jersey Electric Company in Honolulu. I’ve also been [email protected]. residency in Philadelphia. E-mail me at have worked as a project manager for ter, Venya, Gauri was born in Bangalore, India, busy working on several school programs at I am a technical solutions architect for SAP various start-up companies. I am married where she could be closer to grandparents JENNIFER WARE (BME) [email protected]. various grade levels to promote engineering America, a long way from my aerospace engi- with two boys, ages 1 and 3. E-mail me at and family. Vinay is currently spending his time Essex, Massachusetts and foster interest in this field. I completed my neering degree. I have worked for SAP for nine between Bangalore and Atlanta, growing 1 997 master’s degree in information systems and [email protected]. I work for New England Biolabs in Ipswich, years now and have been in the computer Resourcis, an executive recruiting business in KRISTA BOTSFORD (AME) passed my EE license exam. I’d love to hear Massachusetts. I worked in research for a para- ALAN MOK (ECE) the United States and Asia. He would love to Burlington, Massachusetts software business for over 20 years in many sitology/DNA sequencing lab for several years from former classmates. I can be reached by Hong Kong hear from old classmates and friends. Write roles, including systems administration, com- and have switched gears to be a product man- Krista left IBM in May 2005 to join Cooper e-mail at [email protected]. to him at puter software retail district manager, and Alan works in software outsourcing services, IT [email protected]. ager for molecular biology products. I have Perkins, an engineering design firm in system technical consultant. Contact me at & Telecom consulting and project management 1 988 KENNETH RICCI (AME) been there for 10 years now! I got married this Burlington, Massachusetts. Shortly after [email protected] or [email protected]. services, recruitment and talent management summer to David Hough, in Newport, Rhode starting, she and the partners spun off a sub- COMMANDER MIKE COLMAN (ECE) Orlando, Florida services, and China market strategy services. Island. BU alums in attendance were Ann sidiary based on environmental compliance Arlington, Virginia I recently completed my master’s degree in 1 9 79 Contact him at [email protected]. Capela Zovein (ENG ’95), Jamshaud Zovein for electronics products, which she is now mechanical engineering at UCF. I transferred STEPHANIE TERCYAK (BME) I am currently stationed with Multi-National (ENG ’95), Betty Mattica (ENG ’95), Adam responsible for running.The business is focused HENRY D. NGUYEN (AME) from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Engineering New Britain, Connecticut Forces, Iraq, as the deputy secretariat for on the European Union’s RoHS directive but Pacific Grove, California Malhoit (ENG ’95), Yee Chen Tjie (ENG ’96) and strategy, plans and assessments. I am working Services into a senior mechanical engineer Stephanie is deputy manager of requirements Mehul Ganatra (ENG ’96). I would love to hear will expand into China and the U.S. markets Hello from sunny California. I’m enrolled at role at Walt Disney World Ride and Show at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad until the end from my fellow ENG ’95 or ENG ’96 alumni at when their legislation is final. She now lives and verification for the Joint Strike Force engine Engineering in January. I would love to hear of August 2006. Feel free to e-mail me at Naval Postgraduate School for an 18-month in Merrimack, New Hampshire; and yes— program at Pratt & Whitney. You can e-mail from any former classmates; they may e-mail [email protected]. [email protected]. graduate program in systems engineering on she is still racing cars. E-mail her at Stepanie at [email protected]. me at [email protected]. [email protected].

28 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 29 CLASS NOTES SPRING ALUMNI EVENTS

Photos: ENG alumni relations office MATTHEW J. CAVANAGH (AME) (JOSE) RICARDO PINEDA (MFG) SHANE MIGLIORE (BME) Cleveland, Ohio Tampa, Florida Atlanta, Georgia I recently earned my JD, magna cum laude, Since 1999, I have been an exclusive agent Shane Migliore married Bobbi-Jo Munson from Case Western Reserve University for Allstate. I started from scratch with only in June 2005 in North Palm Beach, Florida. School of Law. I am working as an associate one office and within five years had grown The bridal party included Thomas DiCicco at the law firm of Baker & Hostetler, LLP so much that I opened a satellite office in (ENG ’01). Other alumni attending included in Cleveland. I also am engaged to be southern Tampa. The business is booming, Elizabeth Abbate Hyman (COM ’00), Eric married in April of next year. E-mail me at especially the workplace area (health and Hyman (ENG ’00), Nadeen Chahine (ENG ’01) [email protected]. voluntary benefits); my office has a leading and Mahima Santhanam (ENG ’01). Shane team of benefit specialists (bilingual) who received an MS in electrical engineering from PRATIK SHARMA (BME) travel nationwide. On a personal note, I just Georgia Tech in 2004 and is currently pursu- Atlanta, Georgia became a grandfather for the first time and ing a PhD. Pratik Sharma recently launched Atyant want to send off a quick hello to my fellow Mike Bufano (’95), Paul Bierden (’92), Carl Smith (’95) and Capital, an India-focused hedge fund, with his alumni. 2002 Dave Susich (LAW ’93) enjoy the reception prior to the BU vs. partners Vedant Mimani and Rahul Saroagi. Maine hockey game, January 13. YOAV SHAPIRA (ECE) VINCENT LAURIA (ECE) Palo Alto, California 1998 Brookline, Massachusetts Yoav married Allison Shapira (formerly Vincent recently moved to the San Francisco KAREN FREEMAN (ECE) area from New York City. He joined a small Somerville, Massachusetts Greenspan, CAS ’99) in April 2005 in Sarasota, Florida. Among the wedding guests start-up creating one of the first location- Most of my career has been spent in the con- aware IM client applications, Meetro.com. were Paul Norgaard (ENG ’99), Caleb Randall Sirarpi Heghinian-Walzer (’79, ’82), Jay Hancock (’99), David sulting world working as a software engineer Prior to joining Meetro, Vincent was a consul- (ENG ’99), Peter Zwinakis (ENG ’99), David Lancia (’02, ’04) and Viktor Vajda (’02, ’04) with their ice for various companies in the greater Boston Galpern (SAR ’00) and Robyn Galpern (for- tant in IBM’s Business Consulting Services, sculpture at Winterfest, January 21. area, where I keep running into fellow BU merly Feldstein, SAR ’00). Yoav and Allison where he had the fortune to help shape how alumni. I took a break and spent a year work- live in the Boston area and welcome contact IBM was approaching social networking as ing for an exciting start-up and I got to revisit an emerging—and in some cases—disruptive from fellow Terriers at [email protected]. some of my EE days a bit. In between exten- technology. He spends much of his time sive work-related travel, I reside in Somerville, following the trend of social software and its Massachusetts, enjoying Anna’s burritos cultural impact on society. Outside of work, rather than the Burrito Max kind. he has taken on a number of adventures, including live webcamming a tour of the SERGIO TORTORA (MFG) southern United States, backpacking across David Hotchkiss (’04), Julie Perreault (’96, ’99, ’04), Sean Hardeo (’00) and Songeeta Palchaudhuri (’03) at the Backpacks to Briefcase alumni Norwalk, Connecticut Europe and taking the helm of an open cock- panel, February 22. Hi! Well, I’ve been pretty busy since graduat- pit biplane. Visit his website at http://vinnie.net ing in 1998. I entered the GE Operations or e-mail him at [email protected]. Management Leadership Program (OMLP) at GE Aircraft Engines in Lynn, Massachusetts. Since then I entered the Six Sigma program 2001 and have been a black belt at GE Capital and ECE Professor Selim Ünlü, Nicholas Lippis III and Kenneth Lutchen, a master black belt here at NBC Universal. DARO CASTRO (MFG) BME chairman, at the Annual Fund Leadership Giving Societies’ member appreciation cocktail reception, January 20. Currently, I manage both the Six Sigma and Durham, North Carolina project management programs for NBC-TV Daro is currently working for GE Aviation’s Operations and Production Services. I am jet engine assembly plant in Durham, North also a GE OMLP campus recruiter. I met Carolina. Recently, he became the quality my wife Michelle (COM ’98) at BU, and we leader for the GE portion of the GP7200 got married at Marsh Chapel in 2002. We’ve engine assembly; the engine that will be been happily married, living in Norwalk, used on the Airbus A380, the largest airplane Connecticut, and just had our first child— in history. The engine is being built as part What Are You Doing? Alexa Nicolina was born on Sept. 21, 2005. of a joint venture between GE and Pratt & Send your Classnotes Whitney. This past semester he started work- 1999 ing on his MBA at Elon University in Elon, submissions to IRAD BEN-GAL (MFG) North Carolina. [email protected]. Tel Aviv, Israel Eric Biagiotti (CAS ’06), Gavin Gray (’05) and Rebekah Gensure Irad is a professor of industrial engineering The Rollo Tomasi Quartet at the Annual Fund Leadership Giving (’05) at the hockey reception, January 13. Societies’ member appreciation cocktail reception on January 20. at Tel Aviv University.

30 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE www.bu.edu/eng 31 ALUMNI GIVING Your Support Makes Graham Robert Houtchens, ENG ’07 Donor List TEGAN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP FUND AWARD “The Biomedical the Difference Engineering program The College of Engineering is proud to David K. Campbell Richard John Mendes has both challenged and honor and recognize the Annual Fund Stephen Michael Campbell Professor Theodore D. Moustakas inspired me. It demands Leadership Giving Society members, Deborah H. Caplan Karen A. Allen Panetta deep mathematical and a distinguished group of contributors Jason P. Colacchio Kathleen B. Pellegrino Boston University attracts talented physical understanding who year after year help the College William H. Colwill Glenn Jeffrey Riedman and provides insight into prepare young people for success. Gregory J. Courand Binoy K. Singh engineering students who will be cutting-edge develop- David Dean Mr. and Mrs. Sam L. Thanavaro ments. The Tegan Family PRESIDENT’S ASSOCIATES Solomon Eisenberg Francis J. Troise Scholarship Fund helped Marsha K. Adolphsen Tahsin Mark Ergin Gordon R. Walsh the leaders of tomorrow, yet financ- to ease financial stress Mr. and Mrs. Charles Nelson Finkel John E. Welch and allowed me to concen- DEAN’S CIRCLE Kerry Corrigan Foley Janice K. Zika ing college today is a challenge trate my time on academics, rather than on how to Frederic A. Bourke Jr. Patrick J. Foley fund my education.” Bettina Briz Himes Janet A. Allen Fraser Membership in the College of for many of them. Without alumni Richard A. Fuller Engineering Annual Fund Leadership LEADERSHIP CIRCLE Jay Brian Hancock Giving Societies recognizes donations Mr. and Mrs. James F. Bopp support, these students might not William T. Hathaway IV of $1,000 or more made without Michelle Young Chan, ENG ’06 Jesus Chao Yue-shun E. Ho restriction to the College. David E. Hollowell EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING BOOK AWARD Mark N. Horenstein be able to fulfill their dreams. Kathleen A. Hollowell Robert H. Howland President’s Associates are those “A great education can be Daniel C. Maneval Kent W. Hughes members who have donated $10,000 a financial burden, but Carl L. Myers Jr. plus; Dean’s Circle members are those David H. Johnson thanks to the Excellence in who gave $5,000 plus; the Leadership Karen Elizabeth Kullas Engineering Book Award, BENEFACTOR CIRCLE Circle is composed of those members Ging S. Lee I was able to purchase all Charles E. Bascom who donated $25,000 plus; and in Ronald D. Levy of the books and supplies Joseph M. Basile the Benefactor Circle are members Nicholas J. Lippis III I needed for my courses. Jeffrey I. Braverman who donated $1,000 plus. Roger M. McDowell The Book Award helped Stanley Bretner me out tremendously and Julie S. Melzak All society levels offer a variety of bene- Mr. and Mrs. Richard Campana encouraged me to never fits, including recognition in University stop learning; the possibi- and College publications and exclusive Ensure that the best engineers of lities are endless.” invitations to events. tomorrow enjoy the same opportunities Where Are You? We hope you will consider joining us. these students have. As a member of a Society, you will Christina Rodriguez, ENG ’06 Send your e-mail address to be part of a vital support system in BU’s pursuit of excellence. Through SUMMER TERM ALUMNI RESEARCH SCHOLARS (STARS) [email protected] to receive Please Support the College of your vision and generosity, you will also “STARS allowed me to the College’s quarterly be an inspiration to others. Visit this Engineering Annual Fund. spend the summer working website to join today: http://www.bu.edu/ e-newsletter and invitations in a high-tech lab learning alumni/giving/annualfund/societies/. For to special events. more information, please contact To make a gift, use the enclosed envelope, sophisticated processes. Davi Axinn at 617-358-0500 or My housing was paid for, allowing me to remain in [email protected]. visit www.bu.edu/alumni/giving/annualfund/, Boston for the summer, or contact your alumni officer at which would not have been 617-358-0500. possible without STARS. I am really grateful to have been a part of it.”

32 BU ENGINEERING MAGAZINE