Currents Magazine
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MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING MAGAZINE CurrentsVOLUME 3 • NUMBER 2 • WINTER 2004 from the dean ho are our students? One requirement of a contemporary workforce is the ability to cap- They are ambi- italize on the skills and talents of people from many cultures and Wtious, intelligent, backgrounds. Our industry partners expect that we will prepare our friendly, high-caliber individuals students for this aspect of their work life and set a climate that fosters who attend classes, do research, the success of each individual. To help us address this challenge and design products, participate in promote “inclusive classrooms,” College of Engineering faculty, staff, student organizations and com- and graduate student teaching assistants from every unit—academic petitions, assist with community and non-academic—recently participated in a “diversity in the class- outreach activities, speak at MSU commencement ceremonies, and room” presentation by the CRLT Players, a theatre troupe from the move on into highly successful careers. They are also athletes, musi- University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and cians, dancers, and photographers who take their talents seriously. Teaching. While entertaining, this interactive experience skillfully The College of Engineering is the fourth largest college on the MSU highlighted the challenges before each of us. campus. As of fall 2003, we had 4,301 students enrolled—3,690 under- Even though we are a big institution, we value each student as an grads and 611 graduate students. About 19 percent are women, and individual. Sometimes students preface an appointment with a profes- about 89 percent are Michigan residents. We also have 164 students sor by saying: “I’m sorry to bother you . I know you’re busy . .” The from nearly 40 countries outside the United States. faculty response is: “For the time you’re in my office asking a question, More than 10 percent of our students are in MSU’s Honors College you are my most important consideration.” and many more have grades that exceed the Honors College require- Nearly all faculty in the College of Engineering interact directly ments. Year after year, these outstanding students receive national with the students. Well over 100 of our undergrads participate with acclaim; they are selected as Rhodes Scholar nominees, Goldwater faculty members in research projects. And this past fall, Tom Wolff, Scholarship recipients, and winners of national and international associate dean of undergraduate studies, and I each taught a fresh- design competitions. man-level class. That first year is critical! Our dominance in many design competitions reflects well on MSU. Lyle C. Wilcox (Ph.D. electrical engineering ’63) recently wrote us a For the past two years, the university was ranked first among all pub- letter recalling his days as a student at MSU. He reflects on “how pow- lic institutions in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the qual- erful the early years of the engineering student are in charting a ity of our capstone experience—thanks in large part to the College of course of career success for decades ahead.” (Read his letter on page Engineering. As of spring semester 2004, each of our departments 44 of this issue.) within the college has a senior capstone course. Our Department of We are proud of our students here in the College of Engineering. Civil and Environmental Engineering begins its capstone course this Within this issue of Currents Magazine, you will find a sampling—not spring, while our Department of Mechanical Engineering is in its an all-inclusive list—of the activities and accomplishments of our ninth year of a very successful Design Day program. exceptional students. It is impossible to include every student worthy Due to our strong capstone design courses and our excellent co-op of recognition because even as this issue went to press, we were and internship programs, our students gain real-life experience and receiving notifications about students receiving scholarships, winning learn how to solve real-world problems. Once our students graduate, awards, and achieving outstanding successes. We think our students they are ready to step into the work force. Employers don’t have to are the brightest and the best. What do you think? spend valuable time bringing our graduates up to speed—they are “go o d to go.” Currents MAGAZINE VOLUME 3 • NUMBER 2 • WINTER 2004 Currents Magazine is published twice a year by features the Michigan State University College of Engineering for alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends. 7 Designing Women . and Men . of the College of Engineering DEAN Janie M. Fouke 15 Engineers of the Future EDITOR 21 Newly Renovated Library Cause Laura Luptowski Seeley for Celebration EDITORIAL ASSISTANT 22 Who Are Our Students? Lynn Anderson 28 Engineering Arts Students Set the PHOTOGRAPHY PACE in Virtual Competition Harley J. Seeley 30 MSU Establishes National Center COVER: Field hockey photo, lower right, provided by MSU Sports Information/John Gwillim. for Pavement Preservation LAYOUT/DESIGN 34 International Day in Engineering Sharp Des!gns, Inc. PRINTING Colonial Press, Inc. departments We welcome your comments and suggestions. 2 Department News & Research Please direct all correspondence to Editor, Currents Magazine, 3412 Engineering Building, 24 Development MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824 TEL 517 432·1303; FAX 517 355·2288 32 Student Awards & Accomplishments WEB http://www.egr.msu.edu/egr/ E-MAIL [email protected] 36 Faculty Awards & Accomplishments POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to 38 Meet Our New Faculty Currents Magazine, 3412 Engineering Building, MSU, East Lansing, MI 48824. 40 Class Notes & Obituaries Copyright © 2004 Michigan State University 44 Responses to “Looking Back” College of Engineering. All rights reserved. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity institution. michigan state university college of engineering 1 DEPARTMENT NEWS&RESEARCH or two years in a row, MSU has been ranked first among all public institutions in “ the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the quality of its capstone experience.* Whether they’re called a senior All of the departments in the College of Engineering now provide a capstone Fexperience. Some have been ongoing for many years, while one will be available for the first capstone or some other name, time in spring 2004. Following are summaries of the capstone courses within the college. these culminating experiences ask students nearing the end AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING/BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING build a prototype and test it. Other teams BE 487: Biosystems Design Project present documents that might be used to of their college years to create Individual or team design project selected in BE solicit bids from contractors. The projects are 485. Information expansion; development of alter- diverse, but they have a common theme: they a project of some sort that natives; and evaluation, selection, and completion all reflect “systems thinking” by requiring the of a design project. Spring semester. incorporation of all interconnected issues integrates and synthesizes what impacting the problem, including critical bio- In BE 487, the senior design capstone logical constraints. Each team has its own they’ve learned. The project might course, students work in teams on develop- technical faculty adviser(s), as well as an ment, evaluation, and selection of design industry sponsor who acts as an adviser on be a thesis, a performance, or alternatives and completion of a detailed technical matters. At the completion of the engineering design that was conceptualized work, projects are presented to a jury of an exhibit of artwork.” in the preceding course, BE 485. Some teams licensed professional engineers and engineer- U.S. News & World Report 2003 Biosystems Showcase Senior Design Group BACK ROW: Amanda Haleen, Lisa Lozier, Mike Laur, Jason Buhlman, Joshua Brood, Ian Radtke, Maureen Beck, Amy Silder. MIDDLE ROW: Corin Malzahn, Julie Rochowiak, Marisa Skillman, Elizabeth Vultaggio. FRONT ROW: *U.S. News & World Report: America’s Best Colleges, Julia Flajole, Jennifer 2003 Edition (Sept. 23, 2002), p. 113; U.S. News & World Morgan, Adam Eisele, Report: America’s Best Colleges, 2004 Edition (Sept. 1, 2003), p. 52. Nick Tipper. 2 CURRENTS MAGAZINE | winter 2004 Capstone Courses . at a Glance Biosystems Engineering Freshmen Get a “Taste” ing faculty for evaluation. The course was of Engineering Design taught by Professor John B. Gerrish (who recently retired) and Keith Tinsey. Professor apstone design experiences in Gary Van Ee, P.E., and Hope Croskey, P.E., Csenior-level engineering courses specialist, are the current instructors. require students to apply the basic At the end of spring semester, the stu- knowledge they have acquired over the dents truly get to “showcase” what they have course of their degree programs to a learned—during the annual Biosystems large-scale, comprehensive engineering Showcase, which includes a luncheon, design project. In contrast, a unique senior student design presentations, an “cornerstone” course in the biosystems opportunity for students to meet with engineering program is exposing stu- industry representatives, a reception, and a dents to the design process at the begin- Nancy Aitcheson Photo by dinner. The 2004 Biosystems Showcase is ning of the curriculum. This required Biosystems engineering students Janelle Clark and scheduled for April 22 at the Kellogg Center. course (BE 130), Engineering Design Shannon McGraw implement their “edible balance” Fundamentals for Biological Systems, is design in BE 130. taught by Bradley Marks, associate profes- CHEMICAL ENGINEERING & MATERIALS SCIENCE sor of biosystems engineering, and was after testing. The purpose of the assignment CHEMICAL ENGINEERING introduced four years ago in order to was for students to complete the entire CHE 433: Process Design and Optimization I improve student retention and to provide design process, including selection of design Applications of chemical engineering principles in design experiences across the entire curricu- criteria, brainstorming, design analysis and design calculations.