USD ENGINEERING 2012 Final7.Pdf
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FALL 2012 engineer UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY STUDENT-ATHLETES ARE USD HELPING WOMEN ALI ALMATROUK IS ONE TAU BETA PI INSTALLED SHIFTING THE PARADIGM CLOSE THE GENDER GAP IMPRESSIVE ALUMNUS director’s letter FALL 2012 engineer UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO Outstanding in Their Field engineering news class notes Celebrating the many achievements of USD’s Engineering program 2 / Prestigious Milestone 14 / Get caught up on what National honor society Tau Beta Pi is installed at engineering alumni have I am excited to present our third issue of But these three stories offer just a few of the ways the USD engi- USD, bringing the university’s engineering programs been doing since graduation. USD Engineer. With each issue, engineering neers stand out in their studies, work and communities. Many other another significant step forward. at USD has continued to grow. Last year, stories, as well as news from the latest graduating class and more 17 / Introducing the proud for the first time, we crossed the mark for than 60 alumni, help to complete the picture. I hope you enjoy 3 / Shining Stars Class of 2012. more than 300 students. This fall, we’ve set catching up on the accomplishments of your colleagues, and I look Faculty members Thomas Schubert and Susan Lord are yet another record, and welcome more forward to being able to include news from you next year. recognized at nation’s top engineering education conference. than 350 new and returning aspiring engi- 2 engineering neers to our program. In May, we celebrated Of course, as the ranks of our students and alumni continue to 4 / Exercises in Ingenuity Kathleen Kramer, PhD the commencement of 44 freshly minted grow, it becomes more difficult to maintain the close relationships Director of Engineering Programs Capstones give engineering students room to stretch their USD engineers. And, as the number of students and alumni grows, that enrich our programs and are of great value to our faculty and [email protected] creativity while providing eye-catching displays for all. so too does the diversity of their accomplishments, both inside and staff. For several years, we’ve maintained the University of San Diego magazine staff outside the classroom. Engineering Alumni LinkedIn group, and we encourage you to join Julene Snyder us there, even if you aren’t an engineering alumnus. And last spring, faculty notes Editor / Senior Director, The first feature story in this issue highlights the achievements of we began hosting engineering social events at USD’s O’Toole’s University Publications our engineering student-athletes. While it’s unusual for students lounge on campus, and will be adding more alumni events 6 / Engineering faculty achievements include Barbara Ferguson majoring in engineering to participate in NCAA athletics at most throughout the year. The first of these will be an inaugural Home- research, industry honors and much more. Senior Creative Director, schools, at USD, it’s much more common. This story reveals how coming and Family Weekend event on Sat., Oct. 13. We hope to 4 University Publications their athletic pursuits complement their engineering studies, helping see you there. to make them complete engineers who can succeed both technically student profiles Chika Sasaki Left Tree Design and professionally. Finally, feel free to send me or my “friend,” USD Engr, a Facebook 8 / On the Ball friend request (https://www.facebook.com/usd.engr), because any Engineering student-athletes are shifting the paradigm by writers Another story recognizes the academic accomplishment of our friend of USD Engineering is a friend of mine. proving that they can achieve success in disparate arenas. Ryan T. Blystone outstanding students by chronicling the installation of a new chapter Karen Gross of Tau Beta Pi at USD. Tau Beta Pi is the first and most distinguished Steve Murray Mike Sauer engineering honor society. Its values of distinguished scholarship, feature story exemplary character and the desire to foster a liberal culture reso- 10 / Breaking Barriers contact nate strongly with USD engineering’s mission. The formation of a Helping women close the engineering gender gap is University of San Diego USD chapter is a milestone event that gives national recognition to 8 Engineering Programs a passion for ranks of female faculty, scientists the caliber of our programs and the quality of our students. Loma Hall, Room 230 and researchers across the country. 5998 Alcalá Park Kathleen Kramer, PhD San Diego, CA 92110-2492 While our current students impress us with their achievements on Director of Engineering Programs campus, some of our alumni are applying their engineering back- alumni profile ground to accomplishments well beyond engineering. Ali Alma- www.sandiego.edu/engineering trouk ’07 (EE) is one such alum. He has been applying himself to a 12 / Impressive Impresario [0912/1750] variety of international and entrepreneurial activities, and I am Ali Almatrouk ’07 (EE) applies the lessons he learned pleased to be able to share his story. at USD to his Kuwaiti-based businesses. 12 usd engineer fall 2012 1 exemplary character.” News of the programs’ chapter acceptance was particularly Prestigious Milestone pleasing for Barbara Kanneman, wife of the late Thomas Kanneman, National honor society Tau Beta Pi installed at USD the USD engineering program’s founding director. Barbara made a by Ryan T. Blystone generous gift to the engineering news he year was 1991. USD’s mechanical engineering — have and most prestigious of engineer- program to help pave the way for first graduating class of been added, graduated classes ing national honor societies. USD’s chapter and honor her T engineering students — and achieved ABET accreditation. “This recognition from Tau Beta husband, who came to USD in 1986 consisting, in its entirety, of five Supremely creative students have Pi is a very important milestone in and was a Tau Beta Pi member. electrical engineers, who all come up with ideas ranging from the development of our distin- “I’m just really pleased that this followed a unique dual-degree robots to sustainability, all the guished engineering programs,” has finally happened,” she says. “It’s (BA/BS) curriculum taught by a while embracing interdisciplinary says USD’s Director of Engineering something I know that Tom always small-but-dedicated group of projects that have impacted Programs Kathleen Kramer. “It’s an wanted to see happen at USD. He faculty members — proudly communities around the globe. excellent fit with our emphasis on belonged to several honor went forth into the wider world. And in late February of 2012, development of the whole person, societies and it was important to To say the program has been on USD’s engineering programs took or what I call ‘the complete see the students at USD honored a growth spurt since would be another significant step forward as engineer.’ Tau Beta Pi has a strong for their achievements.” an understatement. current students and alumni interest in promoting the liberal Kramer says the petition process Case in point: Two major participated in the official USD culture with schools of engineer- to get chapter approval began disciplines — industrial and chapter installation for Tau Beta Pi, ing, and emphasizes both in 2010 after the program met systems engineering along with the oldest (established in 1885) distinguished scholarship and several mandatory eligibility requirements, including commu- nity service. “Our service project this year NICK ABADILLA was the FIRST Lego League Tournament at Escondido Charter High School in November,” Kramer says. “We served nearly 160 Shining Stars students, ages 9-13, who were discovering engineering through USD faculty members recognized for stellar work an engineering challenge on food safety.” at nation’s top engineering education conference In October 2011, Petitioning by Davis Jones ’14 President Joseph Ellis ‘12 and he USD Department of professional community, so being industrial and systems engineering Electrical Engineering Professor Engineering garnered an recognized in such a forum by so program and the mechanical and Faculty Advisor Susan Lord T impressive pair of acco- many colleagues was very engineering program, as the presented USD’s case for final lades last June, as faculty members meaningful.” accomplishments he’s most approval to the Tau Beta Pi Thomas Schubert and Susan Lord The prestigious award is named in proud of. Executive Council. Mechanical (pictured above) were honored at honor of William Elgin Wickenden, “Basically, what I have done is to Engineering major Jessica Buckley the American Society of Engineering whom ASEE describes as an “engi- dedicate my efforts as an engi- was elected the first student Education (ASEE) conference and neer, educator, philosopher, neering professor to creating an president of the new chapter of exposition in San Antonio, Texas. administrator and humanitarian.” environment conducive for young Tau Beta Pi, California Alpha Epsilon. Lord’s collaborative research Schubert, who co-founded the adults to grow into engineering The initiation featured students paper titled “Race, Gender, and engineering program in 1987, professionals,” he says. “To me, that and alumni, a mix that Kramer Measures of Success in Engineer- received the Robert G. Quinn means putting the welfare of the welcomed. “We’re extremely happy ing Education” won this year’s Award for “outstanding, sustained students and the quality of my engineering that so many of our finest alumni William Elgin Wickenden Award, contributions in providing and courses above all else.” were a part of this. We definitely which recognizes the highest stan- promoting excellence in experi- Both professors’ accomplish- Society President of Tau Beta Pi look forward to more alumni dards of scholarly research among mentation and laboratory instruc- ments are reflective of a surging Larry A. Simonson, initiations in the future.” the 29 articles published in the tion.” Among his numerous career program that continues its rise USD Tau Beta Pi Student Chapter Journal of Engineering Education highlights, he cites developing toward national prominence.