THE MAGAZINE OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AT LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

INNOVATIONSPRING 2012

Robotics engineering New bachelor’s degree meets growing need in American manufacturing Spring 2012 INNOVATION Volume 4 CONTENTS

1 From the Dean Published by the Office of Marketing and Public Affairs Demand for engineers is outstripping supply, and Lawrence Tech is and the College of Engineering, Lawrence Technological responding on several fronts. University, 21000 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075-1058; 248.204.2200 or 800.CALL.LTU, ext. 4; 2 Robotics engineering Fax 248.204.2318; [email protected]; www.ltu.edu. New bachelor’s degree addresses growing need in American Lewis N. Walker manufacturing.President of the University 5 Great expectations Nabil F. Grace, Michigan’s jobDean, College of Engineeringmarket is rebounding and looks promising for new engineers. 6 Building entrepreneurs University collaborationLewis G. Frasch prepares graduates to make a difference. Associate Dean, College of Engineering 8 Good sports Students supportElin Jensen a professor’s research to find ways to reduce knee injuries. Associate Dean, College of Engineering; 9 A leg up Innovation Magazine Coordinator Researchers explore a multifaceted approach for regenerating critical Vice President of Advancement: Stephen E. Brown ligament tissues. 10 Getting to Executivegreen Editor: Bruce J. Annett, Jr. ([email protected]) Demand for hybrid and electric vehicles drives new curriculum. Managing Editor: Eric Pope ([email protected]) 12 Robotics research Students utilizeProject Writer: Chris Mead mechatronics systems in search for cheaper unmanned vehicles. Design: NetWorks Design, Inc. 14 Student solutions Production Team: Anne Adamus, Deborah Faes, Industry-sponsored Sofia Lulgjuraj senior projects put students to work on real-world research. Photography: Steve Cantrell, Ken Cook, Sofia Lulgjuraj, 17 Company CollaborationJustin Munter, Eric Pope, Glenn Triest, and others ‘Real world’ problem solving enhances learning while aiding corporate partners. © 2012 by Lawrence Technological University. All rights reserved. Comments about the magazine, articles, or 18 Better bridgesletters may be sent to the Dean of Engineering. Send Five states supportaddress changes to (fax) 248.204.2207 or mktngpub@ research on alternative materials for highway bridges. ltu.edu. 20 Sound education Audio engineering technology students learn how to perform in a production studio. 22 In Brief 25 Faculty Achievements

27 Seed GrantsOn the cover: Lawrence Tech has launched a Bachelor 28 New Facultyof Science in Robotics Engineering, the first degree program of its kind in Michigan, and has opened a new 29 Student Achievementsrobotics lab to support it. Assistant Professor Giscard Kfoury, the director of the new degree program, and 32 Student Awards students examine some of the robots in the lab that can BackLawrence Cover: Techbe programmed. (Cover helpsphoto by Glenn Triest) develop a ‘smart’ glucose meter. From the Dean

It’s an exciting time to be an engineer! As Michigan, along with much of the country, recovers from the recession, Lawrence Tech’s College of Engineering is addressing a surging demand for qualified engineers through improvements to its faculty, technology, academic programs, and over the next few years, its facilities.

The demand for engineering talent in all specialties is outstripping supply in the United States as many companies embrace the next generation of technological advances and strive to compete more effectively in the global economy. Job prospects for our graduates have improved greatly (see page 5) thanks in large part to the renaissance of the auto industry.

In the past year we hired four new faculty members (see page 28), each of whom 2012 brings a strong portfolio of credentials, skills, and industry experience. They are committed to research AMERICA’S BEST that will increase knowledge in their chosen field, while also meeting our high expectations for teachers UNIVERSITIES and mentors in the classroom and laboratory. We have already hired two new faculty who will join us in U.S. News & World Report® the coming year.

We continue to add to the research equipment available to both our students and our faculty. In 2011, 2012 our biomedical engineering program was bolstered by the acquisition of the Detroit area’s first environ- BEST COLLEGES mental scanning electronic microscope. In our Center for Innovative Materials Research, we have added in the Midwest the ElectroPuls E10000 laser measurement system that has civil engineering, biomedical, and military Princeton Review® applications.

Lawrence Tech already has strong graduate-level programs in mechatronics and systems management. In 2011, we took the next step by instituting a bachelor’s degree in robotics engineering (cover story) in order to meet the growing needs of industry. A new robotics lab has been established to support this degree program.

Also in 2011, we made good progress in raising the $55 million needed to build an engineering, architecture, and life sciences complex to be named in honor of A. Alfred Taubman, who has been joined by his family in donating $1 million for planning and issuing a $10 million challenge grant (see page 23). Our existing Engineering Building will be renovated as part of the new complex.

For almost two decades Lawrence Tech has been cited in the top tier of its class, Best Universities- Masters-Midwest, by the U.S. News & World Report’s annual survey, “America’s Best Colleges.” In that survey, Lawrence Tech is also ranked among the best undergraduate engineering programs in the country. The Princeton Review has also included Lawrence Tech in an elite group of Midwestern colleges.

We are most appreciative of your support as we continue to strive for pre-eminence in engineering education.

Nabil F. Grace, PhD, PE Dean, College of Engineering

Lawrence Tech Innovation 1 ROBOTICSengineering

A t a time when automotive Robotics Laboratory companies and other manufacturers are Instructor Jim Kerns brings NEW BACHELOR’S reinventing themselves for the next round a wealth of experience of global competition, Lawrence Techno- gained in the automotive DEGREE ADDRESSES logical University has launched a Bach- industry to the task of help- elor of Science in Robotics Engineering ing students master both the GROWING NEED (BSRE). It’s a proactive initiative that mechanics and program- ming involved in robotics. recognizes the rapidly expanding demand IN AMERICAN for robotics engineers in the auto industry specifically and the manufacturing sector MANUFACTURING in general. The interdisciplinary degree program introduced in the fall of 2011 blends me- chanical engineering, electrical engineer- ing, and computer science with robotics. In keeping with Lawrence Tech’s motto of theory and practice, the curriculum gives students an avenue for hands-on implementation of the knowledge gained in the classroom.

2 Lawrence Tech Innovation Robotics engineering

The new degree program is designed to building remote-controlled machines and is an evolving discipline address the shortage of qualified robotics tethered robot arms. In order to meet the ‘ that goes beyond engineers both in Michigan and through- greater demands of 21st-century produc- out the country. Manufacturers seek tion, robotics engineers are called on to designing and building specialists in the field who will require a design new robots, develop new applica- minimum amount of on-the-job training. tions for robots, and conduct research to remote-controlled Lawrence Tech’s BSRE provides under- expand the functionality of new applica- machines and tethered graduates with crucial knowledge that tions. Of course, robotics engineers are cannot be obtained by studying mechani- also responsible for ongoing maintenance robot arms. cal, electrical, or computer engineering as of robots so that tight production sched- individual disciplines. ules can be met. Robotics has grown into a primary Greater demands have been placed on a mechanical system that makes’ up the engineering field in its own right, accord- the emerging field. Robotics engineers skeleton of the design. ing to Assistant Professor Giscard Kfoury, have to be well-versed in the world of Lawrence Tech also offers a master’s director of the new degree program. “This systems engineering and must possess degree in mechatronic systems, and interdisciplinary degree provides gradu- the versatility to design and build a “hu- both master’s and doctorate degrees in ates with the tools they will need to hit man-like” system, consisting of control engineering systems. Undergraduate stu- the ground running,” he said. algorithms that represent the brain of the dents in robotics benefit from the educa- Robotics engineering is an evolving product, sensing and actuating schemes tion infrastructure that has been built in discipline that goes beyond designing and that simulate the nerves and muscles, and those areas. The theoretical and practical knowledge gained in the BSRE program will equip the graduates to perform well in both of those fields. Lawrence Tech faculty bring a wealth of experience in industry back to the classroom. They understand the complex- ity of this rapidly developing field and are dedicated to helping students build the foundation they will need to either enter the manufacturing sector after graduation or move on to graduate studies. A new robotics lab dedicated to the support of the BSRE program has been established under the direction of Jim Kerns, a 36-year veteran of Ford Motor Co. (see page 28). The lab includes state-of-the-art measurement and data acquisition systems, along with vari- ous robotic kits and electromechanical components. In the near future it will be equipped to support research in robotics. Lawrence Tech also remains unique in Michigan and rare nationally by sup- plying all undergraduates with a laptop or tablet computer loaded with all the spe- cialized software programs they need for all their courses leading to a bachelor’s degree. For undergraduates in robotics en- gineering that includes CATIA and other software programs used in the industry. ®

The BIOLOID King Spider is cool enough to attract middle school and high school students to robotics programming and yet complex enough to challenge the programming abilities of college students.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 3 Robotics Engineering Other new degree programs RoboExpo brings Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering together robotics Technology Lawrence Tech’s new Bach- fans of all ages elor of Science in Biomedical Engineering Technology is the Lawrence Tech’s first RoboExpo in Septem- first of its kind in Michigan and ber 2011 connected academia, industry, and government sectors involved in robot- among the first nationally. It ics, and it also attracted students of differ- combines classical engineer- ent ages interested in the rapidly growing ing technology and the practi- field. cal applications of biomedical The event was organized by Professor technologies, with an added Ken Cook, chair of the Department of Engineering Technology, CJ Chung as a way to bring together the focus on project management and works with a student in the new bachelor’s degree program in different robotics initiatives at Lawrence network system administration. biomedical engineering technology. Tech. Chung is the founder of Robofest, an The rigorous curriculum pro- annual international competition for pro- vides a strong foundation in electronics, science, and math. Course work and labs gramming autonomous robots that attracts encompass biomedical control systems and circuitry, biotech electronics, more than a thousand contestants from embedded processors, imaging technologies, and the application of lasers and grades 5-12. electro-surgery. The one-day RoboExpo included an in- Biomedical engineering technologists develop, calibrate, and repair critical troduction to next year’s Robofest competi- medical instruments. tion, and five high school teams competed in what is believed to be the world’s first Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering hexapod robot sumo event. As technology advances and solutions become more complex, Lawrence Tech has Chung started RoboExpo to build new connections among people who are responded to the growing need for additional education by offering a PhD in Civil interested in robotics. “We want to bring Engineering. Candidates can choose to specialize in construction engineering and academia, industry, and government management, environmental and water resources engineering, geotechnical and together to share knowledge and resources, geoenvironmental engineering, or structural engineering and materials. promote R&D collaboration, and introduce Lawrence Tech’s exceptional hands-on opportunities for PhD candidates include new robotics products, services, and edu- pioneering applied research projects. They have the opportunity to work in cational programs,” Chung said. Lawrence Tech’s Center for Innovative Materials Research (CIMR), a major The keynote address was delivered by center for research, development, and testing of carbon fiber composites and other Mark Salamango, MSCS’06, co-founder new materials with defense and infrastructure applications. CIMR has been desig- and president of RobotTown Inc., a planned nated by the Michigan Department of Transportation as a Center of Excellence for robotics research consortium and educa- Sustainable Infrastructure and Structural Testing. tion center in Detroit. The next RoboExpo is planned for late September or early Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering October. The new Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering provides candidates with formalized exposure to advanced theory and practice. Doctoral candidates can specialize in thermo- fluids; solid mechanics, dynamics, and vibrations; manufacturing; automotive; or mechatronics. The steady stream of technological advances in engineering have made advanced degrees more and more important for professionals in the field. Some find that a master’s degree is no longer enough to keep pace with new knowledge and technologies. A doctoral degree at Lawrence Tech enables the professional to continue lifelong learning, while con- tributing to the profession through applied research.

Small robotic vehicles used for military missions were very popular at Lawrence Tech’s RoboExpo.

4 Lawrence Tech Innovation GREAT EXPECTATIONS Michigan’s job market is rebounding and looks promising for new engineers

espite widespread uncertainty about Dthe economy and high unemploy- ment, Lawrence Tech engineering gradu- Lawrence Tech automotive engineering graduate student Karthik Devaraj talks to a recruiter at a networking reception held at Lawrence Tech in April 2011. ates have good prospects in Michigan in large part because the automotive industry is growing again. increase in opportunities in aerospace. auto industry has become much smaller That was the personal experience of The trend that Pierce first saw devel- and the state’s economy has become more Karthik Devaraj, who earned a master’s oping in Michigan almost two years ago diversified, the auto industry still remains degree in automotive engineering from was confirmed by a report released by at the center of the state’s economy. Lawrence Tech in May 2011. He knew TechAmerica in October 2011 that “The auto industry still drives this that finding a job in the United States showed Michigan added more tech region,” Pierce said. “The recovery of the would be hard because of the extra time jobs than any other state between 2009 auto industry allows suppliers and many and expense required for companies that and 2010. Job gains in key sectors like other companies to remain in business want to hire foreign nationals. software and research and development here, and many of those companies are The native of India started his search have helped the state recover from hard diversifying into other areas like aero- more than a year ahead of graduation and economic times, according to the industry space.” saw the job market improve dramatically. group based in Washington, D.C. Engineers are in great demand again He had seven interviews prior to gradua- In September 2011, Newsweek/The because the auto industry must employ tion and started working in July at Hella Daily Beast ranked Michigan number one new technologies to gain competitive Corporate Center USA when a position as in job growth, and CNN and Bloomberg advantages in the global market and also a sales account manager opened up. have described Detroit as the next Silicon meet quality goals such as better fuel ef- “Companies are trying to hire every en- Valley. ficiency. But these companies have shed gineer they can find,” Devaraj said. “It’s Michigan’s large technology sector was thousands of engineering jobs during the still going to be hard for international largely overlooked during the recession past decade, and many of the engineers students, but for Americans it’s going to when the state’s unemployment rate rose who remain are approaching retirement be a piece of cake.” above 14 percent. But a 2011 survey by age. As director of Lawrence Tech’s Of- the Anderson Economic Group of East The result is a strong demand for newly fice of Career Services, Peg Pierce saw Lansing showed that southeast Michi- minted engineers with bachelor’s and a surge in hiring in technology-related gan was second only to Silicon Valley master’s degrees as the automakers and fields start in 2010 and grow stronger in terms of architecture and engineering their suppliers fill vacant positions and in 2011. When Lawrence Tech held its employment, coming out ahead of rec- create new ones. “This is a great time to annual technology jobs fair in conjunc- ognized tech centers like Boston, Seattle, work in the automotive industry because tion with nearby Oakland University in and Austin. the companies are reinventing the way September 2011, employer attendance Southeast Michigan had the highest they do everything,” Pierce said. was 74 percent higher than the previous concentration of technology jobs in the In recent years, some Lawrence Tech year, and the two universities had to turn Midwest, 13.7 percent of all jobs com- engineering students switched to the away employers for the first time. pared to the national average of 9.3 per- emerging field of biomedical engineering “The Big Three and Tier I suppliers cent. Michigan’s other technology center to find employment in the growing health were there, and there was also a nice based in Grand Rapids was second in the care sector, but they found jobs in the blend of industries and companies of dif- Midwest, followed by Minneapolis. automotive industry instead. ferent sizes. Almost all of them had actual For years, economists have warned “Safety issues and ergonomics have positions to fill,” Pierce said. that Michigan was too dependent on the created many opportunities for biomedi- Computer engineering, electrical engi- shrinking auto industry and faced eco- cal engineers in the automotive industry,” neering, and computer science were the nomic catastrophe if the state’s economy Pierce said. ® degrees most in demand, and there was an didn’t become more diversified. While the

Lawrence Tech Innovation 5 what they could do for their students in- dividually,” according to KEEN Program Director Timothy Kriewall. Kriewall emphasized that getting the universities to work collaboratively was a major goal for the Kern Family Founda- tion. “It will be increasingly difficult for schools to receive larger grants if they are not able to demonstrate alliances with other schools in the network,” he said. The Dynamic Compass Network began its interconnected program in earnest in In the summer of 2011 students from the six universities in the Dynamic Compass Network toured the Henry Ford in Dearborn while attending the Creativity, Innovation, and Ingenuity Summer Enrichment Program hosted by Lawrence Tech in partnership with the museum. At the far May 2011 when faculty from the institu- right are Lawrence Tech hosts Andrew Gerhart and Donald Carpenter. tions gathered for a week-long, problem- based learning workshop developed to enhance the undergraduate class- Building entrepreneurs room experience. The Network really showed University collaboration prepares graduates to make a difference its potential in August 2011 when 24 students tudents are going to need to be community, student collaboration, and from the six universities participated in more entrepreneurial minded. experiential learning. a week-long Creativity, Innovation, and “SEven if they are working The six universities will receive a total Ingenuity Summer Enrichment Program within a corporate context, they will need of $2.4 million in grants over three years hosted by Lawrence Tech in partnership to be more diligent at seeing opportuni- from the Kern Family Foundation and with the Henry Ford. The camp included ties not only for themselves but for their the DCN grant builds on the five-year, three days of instruction at Lawrence corporations.” $1.1 million grant Lawrence Tech was Tech and two days of touring and instruc- Those words from Donald Carpenter, awarded in 2009 from the Waukesha, tion at The Henry Ford in nearby Dear- associate professor of civil engineering Wis.–based foundation to further inte- born. Students learned about pioneers at Lawrence Tech, sum up the goal of the grate the entrepreneurial mindset effort. in American innovation and visited the Dynamic Compass Network, a collabora- Lawrence Tech has taken a lead in this Rouge F150 Assembly Plant. tion of six universities seeking creative initiative with several pilot projects in the Andrew Gerhart, associate professor ways to improve entrepreneurial educa- first year that provide benchmarks for the of mechanical engineering and a widely tion for undergraduate students. Dynamic Compass Network. Now that respected expert in thermodynamics and “This network is set up to help stu- the six universities are connected, active fluid mechanics, led the summer work- dents recognize opportunity, learn how participants, future funding for each uni- shop along with Carpenter. In 2010, Ger- to be critical thinkers and critical innova- versity depends on the success of all six, hart was named Michigan’s Professor of tors, and then to use that for the benefit Carpenter explained. the Year for excellence in undergraduate of their employers or for themselves if Each college must clearly demonstrate teaching and mentoring by the Carnegie they go out into their own businesses,” that the network provides “a unique ben- Foundation for the Advancement of said Carpenter, who serves as Lawrence efit to all of their students over and above Teaching and the Council for Advance- Tech’s project director for the three-year During a development program. workshop in May 2011, Lawrence Tech, Boston University, Lawrence Tech faculty work on Gonzaga University, Kettering University, their problem-based learning Saint Louis University, and Worcester strategies that have been added Polytechnic Institute are all members of to the curriculum as part of the Kern initiative on entrepreneur- the Kern Entrepreneurial Education Net- ial engineering education. From work (KEEN). They formed the Dynamic left to right are Filza Walters, Compass Network in October 2010 to Lewis Frasch, Andrew Gerhart, share innovative approaches to entrepre- Hiroshan Hettiarachchi, and neurial education in curricular innova- Eric Meyer. tion, faculty development, practitioners’

6 Lawrence Tech Innovation The Legends Entrepreneurial Student Awards In 2011, the Kern Family Foundation provided $15,000 to teams of students working on senior projects as part of its overall support of entrepreneurial engineering education at Lawrence Tech. The recipients were selected by a panel representing the LEGENDS, a group of Lawrence Tech alumni who have been business entrepreneurs.

Projects Funded – Spring and Fall 2011

Project Title: Design of Novel Ligament Tissue Engineering Scaffold for Use in a Cyclic Project Title: RABCO Infrared Grill Bioreactor Description: A unique grill for apartment dwellers with no propane or open fl ame Description: A ligament holder for growing tissue for treatment of knee injuries Students: Admad Bass, Frederick Red, Hussain Alessa Students: Megan Richardson-Frazzitta, Joseph Seta, Khoeung Chov Project Title: The Grout-Gater Project Title: Head-controlled Power Wheelchair Description: Great for cleaning tile fl oors Description: Head-controlled device to increase mobility of paraplegic/quadriplegic patients Students: Kevin Bartos, Douglas Hocking, Nader Al Olotaibi Students: Haider Abdulzahra, Jack DiGiovanni Project Title: Chair Booties Project Title: Takeoff and Landing (robotic plane) Description: Chair leg slip-ons that protect fl oors Description: New design for vertical takeoff and landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle Students: Jeffrey Scott, Gordon Merriweather

Students: Zeran Gu, Z. Wang Project Title: Traffi c Turbine Project Title: Iontophoresis Glove Description: A revolutionary “orange barrel fl asher” charged by wind and solar Description: A unique glove that can be used for the treatment of a skin condition known as Students: Christian Sodeiikat, Kevin Jammer hyperhidrosis. I-Shower Students: Brian Podczervinski Project Title: Description: The shower head for everyone with a digital clock, timer and fl ow meter Project Title: Hydro-Electric Test Students: Joan Brown, Lance Bowles, Andrew Bauer

Description: Hydro-electric test stand that can be used to explain the basic concepts of how a hydro-electric plant produces electricity Project Title: The Shingle Shucker A pneumatic-powered roof shingle removal device Students: Amy Tsang, Ian Williams, Garnett Davis, Erick Blank Description: Students: Nancy LaBelle, Matt Calahan, Rory Walters

Project Title: : VeriTEK – Car Rack Gutter Gizmo Description: The cartop carrier of the future Project Title: A unique product that cleans house gutters effi ciently Students: Collin Graw, Jack Larabee, Zakariya Abu Zaid Description: Students: Jason James, S. Sandoval, Ryan Morabito, A. Michailu Project Title: Controllable Pneumatic Suspension Solar Power Fountain Description: Controllable vibration damping device Project Title: An artistic solar or line-powered fountain Students: Oscar Tache, Erick Nickerson, Paul Wells Description: Students: Bipin Dhakal, Jason Murphy, Jacob Smith Project Title: Hidden Assets Description: A product that protects valuables in cars Students: Robert Ramirez, Paul Krupa ment and Support of Education. construction management, found the applying what they learned toward “When I heard about the program, summer program to be “very enlightening student challenge competitions at their in- I jumped at the opportunity to spend a and edifying,” particularly in its focus on stitution. The 2012 version of the summer week with Dr. Gerhart and a bunch of creativity and building an awareness of camp will be hosted by Boston Universi- open-minded engineering students from one’s capabilities. ty, whose students are also applying what around the country,” said Ben Bargman, a “It increased my awareness of the God- they have learned on their campus. senior majoring in mechanical engineer- given talents that I possess and developed As the program continues to build ing and one of four Lawrence Tech stu- a greater capacity in me to infl uence the momentum, the six Dynamic Compass dents participating in the summer session. world creatively,” she said. “Creativity Network universities will build on shared “The time spent in class was fun and is like a child. If nurtured and cultivated experiences and develop innovative engaging and really got everyone to think it will develop to its full potential. In a programming through synergistic interac- much more creatively by the end,” Barg- creative environment, it will fl ourish and tion. Over the course of the year, teams man said. “One of the most diffi cult parts exceed a person’s wildest dreams; if left of Lawrence Tech faculty will visit every was re-learning how to come up with idle and untapped, creativeness will be school in the network. The participating crazy, ridiculous ideas and not saying stifl ed.” universities also keep in regular commu- anything negative about anyone’s ideas Moore has continued her involvement nication through conference calls and on- until the judging step. We also partici- in the program and recently was named line meetings as they build upon common pated in team-building activities at the a student entrepreneurial ambassador for interests, including robotics, fi rst-year beginning that taught everyone about the the program and the Collegiate Entre- design experience, ethics, technological importance and diffi culties of good com- preneurs Organization (CEO) Club on entrepreneurship, and commercializa- munication. This really helped everyone Lawrence Tech’s campus. tion. The Kern Family Foundation will lower some walls and do a better job of The innovation camp prompted ad- promote this interaction through confer- working together throughout the week.” ditional activity at the other DCN schools ences, workshops, publications, and a Sylvia Moore, a junior majoring in with Saint Louis University students website. ®

Lawrence Tech Innovation 7 Lawrence Tech senior Samantha Hutson works with Assistant Professor Eric Meyer on her directed study in the biomechanics of the knee.

GOOD SPORTS ports-related injuries – typically to Sthe knee and ankle – represent an Students support a professor’s research estimated 10 to 19 percent of all injuries treated in emergency rooms. For some to find ways to reduce knee injuries athletes, such injuries can signal the end of a season or, in severe cases, even a severe sports injuries at those joints. to simulate dynamic experiments that career. ACLs are one of the most popular topics investigate various ligament sprain injury For half a century crash test dummies for research, but the injury mechanism mechanisms in cadaver knees. and computer simulations have been used remains beset by many unknowns and “Having a model that will function re- to save lives and prevent injuries in auto- therefore prevention strategies have had alistically like the knee joint is important mobile accidents. Using a newly devel- only limited success so far, Meyer noted. because it gives us all more knowledge on oped three-dimensional computer model “High ankle sprains have had only the different movements of the ligaments of the ankle, researchers at Lawrence limited attention, but there are high-pro- during an injury. That knowledge allows Tech are applying the same methods to file cases, such as Rob Gronkowski of the us to find solutions to prevent injury or understand and prevent sports injuries. New England Patriots in the AFC Cham- lessen the damage in the injury,” said “This type of simulation is very appeal- pionship game in January, that follow our Hutson, who is finishing up dual majors ing for modeling experiments because it hypothesis for why this injury happened,” in biomedical and electrical engineering. is relatively easy to make modifications he said. “A major factor that could be ad- Hutson said she would like to work in to the anatomy and geometry to investi- dressed through engineering is designing tissue engineering and help in the search gate many different questions about how the shoes or artificial surface to a certain for ways ameliorate knee injuries and certain motions/forces produce ligament injury threshold.” reduce the need for knee replacements. sprains in sports situations,” explained Two senior biomedical engineering Her directed study with Meyer should be lead researcher Eric Meyer, assistant pro- students are working on directed-study a step toward that career goal. fessor of biomedical engineering. projects related to this research. Brian Meyer will be presenting at a sports- “By applying these results through Figueiredo began the development of a injury conference in Dublin in September working with equipment manufacturers computational model of the whole human about different ways that his research and sports governing bodies, we hope to lower extremity last summer, by isolat- team has used a similar ankle model to turn the tide for serious knee and ankle ing the bones of the leg and foot from CT simulate many sports situations. The injuries in athletes, so that everyone can images and reconstructing them into a 3D team has built six subject-specific ankle increase their enjoyment of sports.” CAD model. models using this approach and has sub- The researchers are studying anterior Student Samantha Hutson is adding mitted a paper to the software developer cruciate ligament (ACL) tears in the knee realistic ligaments to the knee joint so Materalise for its MIMICS Innovation and high ankle sprains – two of the most that the researchers can use this model Awards. ®

8 Lawrence Tech Innovation mization of scaffolds for ligament regen- eration. It also provides useful reference for other researchers who might choose the materials for the regeneration of other A LEG UP tissues or organs,” Li said. Tristan Maerz, BSBmE’09, an engi- Researchers explore a multifaceted approach neer in the Department of Orthopaedic for regenerating critical ligament tissues Research at William Beaumont Hospital, first brought the idea for this research ach year an estimated 200,000 people folds, and mechanical and biochemical to Lawrence Tech. Beaumont is a major in the United States suffer painful stimulations. collaborator on the project. Joseph Corey, and potentially debilitating anterior The biomaterial scaffold is an artificial M.D., at the University of Michigan is E cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, and structure capable of supporting three- another collaborator. the number is growing annually. Such dimensional tissue formation. It pro- The research team is using a state-of- injuries are particularly common among vides a structure that mimics the in vivo the-art environmental scanning electron athletes and the elderly. microenvironment of the target tissue. microscope to study the mechanical The ACL connects the femur and tibia Cells are seeded into the scaffold, attach properties and microstructure of differ- in the knee and provides stabilization and proliferate, secrete growth factors, ent types of nanofiber scaffolds. It is also during motion, but surgery to replace the and form their own matrix. During this used to conduct various biochemical tests torn ligament can lead to complications process, the scaffold – usually made of to evaluate the interaction of the cells later in life. A process known as tissue biodegradable polymers – initially will with the polymeric nanofiber materials. engineering may be a better option, ac- provide mechanical support to the cells, The project started in January 2010, cording to Yawen Li, assistant professor and will gradually break down, until the when a team of three biomedical engi- of biomedical engineering. new tissue is formed and takes over the neering students took it on as their senior Li heads a research team that seeks mechanical load. design project. They successfully de- to regenerate ligament tissues using a “The knowledge we gain from this signed and fabricated a bioreactor before combination of cells, biomaterial scaf- study will help us in the design and opti- graduating in May 2011. Then the current team of Kheoung Chow, Joseph Seta, and Lawrence Tech Assistant Meagan Richardson-Frazzitta took over, Professor Yawen Li (second also as their senior design project. When from right) plans a test with they complete their project this May, the members of a student Li expects another team to continue the team, Joseph Seta, Meagan Richardson-Frazzitta, and study. Kheoung Chow. Richardson-Frazzitta is primarily in- volved in the cell-biomaterial interaction study, while Seta and Chow are focusing on the mechanical testing. “Understanding how the cells inter- act with these scaffolds, as well as how mechanical stimulation affects their behavior, will allow us to optimize our process to provide an ideal environment to encourage cell proliferation and the production of collagen. Results from this study will provide data necessary to move forward with ligament tissue engineer- ing using biodegradable scaffolds,” said Richardson-Frazzitta,” a biomedical engineering major. This student team was one of 16 that won funding support during 2011 from Lawrence Tech student the Kern Family Foundation as recipients Kheoung Chow prepares of the Legends Entrepreneurial Student the environmental scanning Awards. ® electron microscope for a test.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 9 GETTINGDemand for hybrid and electric TO vehicles drivesGREEN new curriculum

Lawrence Tech student research assistants Jesse Paldan and Wei Yao and Professor Vladimir Vantsevich discuss laboratory experiments for a new curriculum they are developing on hybrid-electric and hybrid-hydraulic vehicle engineering. nization dedicated to ensuring that the automotive industry has the trained work- ers it needs to grow and prosper in the Vantsevich said. “The problem is how to awrence Tech is playing a leading emerging “green economy.” educate undergraduate students in this Lrole in developing a Bachelor of Science “At MAGMA, we work together to area.” in Mechanical Engineering curriculum determine how to make vehicles more In response to industry’s requirements, focusing on hybrids and electric vehicles ‘green’ than they are today, and one education and training institutions such that will serve as a model for other col- approach is hybrid electric vehicles,” as Lawrence Tech support MAGMA by leges and universities seeking to turn developing learning opportunities that are out a new generation of engineers with a targeted, innovative, flexible, and have a knowledge-based mindset toward “green” strong focus on hands-on practical experi- vehicle development. At MAGMA, we work ence. Professor Vladimir Vantsevich of Law- Vantsevich said the project will expand rence Tech’s A. Leon Linton Department together to determine the existing undergraduate engineering of Mechanical Engineering is leading the ‘ curriculum to introduce students to the project in collaboration with Macomb how to make vehicles unique mechatronics design consider- Community College, which has re- more ‘green’ than ations involved in hybrid-electric, hybrid- ceived a grant from the National Science hydraulic, and fully electric vehicles. This Foundation to develop a new automotive they are today, and includes four modules for an existing engineering center. Two student research course, Introduction to Mechatronics, and assistants, Jesse Paldan and Wei Yao, are one approach is hybrid a new course, Introduction to Hybrid and helping him with core development. Electric Vehicle Engineering. Vantsevich represents Lawrence Tech electric vehicles. In the laboratory, students will use in the Michigan Academy for Green equipment from Festo, a German com- Mobility Alliance (MAGMA), an orga- ’ pany that specializes in automation 10 Lawrence Tech Innovation Introduction to Mechatronics will be a prerequisite course for graduate students in technology, and a robotic vehicle donated ‘ by National Instruments Corp., a firm that automotive engineering, mechatronic systems produces automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software. engineering, and mechanical engineering. The new curriculum targets junior and senior undergraduate students majoring in mechanical and electrical engineering. In public domain,” Vantsevich explained. eter with individual wheel control.’ The addition, the upgraded course, Introduc- “It will be accessible to others who want dynamometer is used to conduct industry tion to Mechatronics, will be a prerequi- to develop a similar course at their research in areas such as vehicle traction site course for graduate students in auto- institutions.” control, turn ability and ride stability, motive engineering, mechatronic systems The project is implemented in the new acceleration and braking, all-wheel-drive engineering, and mechanical engineering, 2,140-square-foot Mechatronic Systems driveline system performance, diagnostic who did not take courses on controls and Laboratory and the 2,900-square-foot testing, safety systems, fuel efficiency dynamics in their undergraduate study. Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory, which improvement, and emissions testing. “This new hybrid and electric vehicle houses Lawrence Tech’s unique four- The new course includes lab work on the engineering course will be placed in the wheel-drive vehicle chassis dynamom- dynamometer. ®

Lawrence Tech inks ‘green’ agreement with German institution awrence Tech has signed a three- industry in the United States should pro- tronics engineering, computer engineer- year agreement with Germany’s vide new opportunities for our German ing, software engineering, control engi- LThuringia Center for Innovation colleagues, and our German partner will neering, and systems design engineering. and Mobility to cooperate in the develop- provide access to European industry,” Lawrence Tech’s master’s program in ment of mechatronic vehicle systems and Vantsevich said. mechatronics, launched in 2006, con- other innovative technologies for “green” Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary centrates on conventional and unmanned mobility, such as hybrid and electric field of engineering that incorporates vehicle and industrial robot engineering. ground vehicles. aspects of mechanical engineering, elec- ® The two institutions agreed to explore programs to benefit researchers, students, and faculty in Germany and the United States, in keeping with their commitment to “mutual understanding for scientific and academic growth through transatlan- tic research activities and intercultural education.” The cooperation will begin with a work plan developed by Professor Vladimir Vantsevich, director of the Mechatronic Systems Laboratory at Lawrence Tech, and Klaus Augsburg, director of the Thuringia Innovation Center for Innova- tion and Mobility, which is associated with Ilmenau University of Technology in Germany. “Both partners, Lawrence Tech and Thuringia Center, can gain much from working together on the industrial appli- cations of mechatronics. Lawrence Tech’s Vladimir Vantsevich (L), director of the mechatronics program at Lawrence Tech, presents a document to be signed by Lawrence location at the center of the automotive Tech President Lewis Walker and Matthias Machnig, minister for economics of the German state of Thuringia.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 11 ROBOTICS RESEARCH and a very advanced student project at Students utilize the undergraduate level. He learned a lot in addition to his courses in the BSME mechatronics program,” said Vantsevich. Vantsevich is the faculty adviser to systems in search the Autonomous Vehicles and Robotic Systems Student Research Committee, for cheaper which is part of the Great Lakes Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle unmanned vehicles Systems International (AUVSI). The first AUVSI Student Research Committee in Michigan and perhaps the entire country Lawrence Tech student was made possible with help from co-ad- Zeran Gu tests his visers Bruce Legge, president of the Great unmanned aerial vehicle Lakes Chapter, and John Wilson, sales in the first-floor hall of the and engineering manager of National In- Engineering Building. struments, a strong supporter of Lawrence Tech’s mechatronics program. Gu’s “quad-copter” UAV is about one-half operated by remote control and about one-half controlled by an internal navigator. “It is equipped with a camera on board that provides real-time video transmissions. It senses distance from the ground. It also senses obstacles and can avoid them automatically. This is called obstacle avoidance,” Gu said. As the project continues, Gu’s next step is to add a GPS and compass sensor. After that, he plans to develop a “friendly” human interface on a computer to make operation easier. “The most important goal of this entrepreneurship project is to develop a

ome 20 companies around the versity’s Master of Science in Mechatron- Sworld manufacture unmanned aerial ic Systems Engineering degree program. vehicles or UAVs at an average cost of It is one of nearly 25 student projects $27,000 each. At Lawrence Tech, an related to autonomous vehicles and robot- With no pilot on undergraduate mechanical engineering ics currently in progress at Vantsevich’s board, UAVs can be student is developing a UAV model that, Mechatronic Systems Laboratory. ‘ if successful, could cost as little as $500. Gu’s project is financed by a $1,000 remote controlled – With no pilot on board, UAVs can be grant from Lawrence Tech’s Alumni remote controlled – flown by a pilot at a Fund, coordinated by Senior Lecturer flown by a pilot at ground control station – or can fly autono- Don Reimer, director of entrepreneurial a ground control mously based on pre-programmed flight programs in Lawrence Tech’s College plans or more complex dynamic automa- of Engineering. Last year Gu, who has station – or can fly tion systems. built 10 UAV models, received the Au- Zeran Gu, who will receive his tonomous Vehicles and Robotic Systems autonomously based bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineer- Outstanding Student Award from the on pre-programmed ing in May, launched his UAV project as University. a junior under the guidance of Professor “Zeran built the very first quad-copter flight plans. Vladimir Vantsevich, director of the Uni- at Lawrence Tech. It is a learning project

12 Lawrence Tech Innovation ’ cost-effective vehicle, not to make money a high technology.” ing students could use these vehicles to from it. Personally, I hope more students Military use of UAVs has grown expo- take pictures of buildings or terrain from will be interested in next generation of nentially in recent years, but there are a the air while meteorology students could aviation technology,” Gu said. “UAV is a variety of non-military uses as well. For use them to measure temperature, wind, high technology. Tomorrow, it will not be example, Gu said, architectural engineer- pressure, and humidity. ®

Students build 4x4 unmanned ground vehicle atthew Siero and Tim Wil- tronic systems at Lawrence Tech while and building a mechatronic system.” son are working on a 4x4 working fulltime as a mechanical engi- Siero, Wilson, and Chris Kopchick, Munmanned ground vehicle neer for DCS Corp. Wilson received his MBA’10, already have published a (UGV). The robotic vehicle is equipped master’s degree in mechatronic systems research paper based on a project they with sonar distance sensors, a three-axis in December and returned to campus did with Professor Valdimir Vantsevich accelerometer, a yaw sensor, and wheel to help finish the project they started in 2011. “In our current project, Tim and encoders. The robot features a National together last fall. I are implementing in hardware a novel Instrument sbRIO board that employs a “As a student, I am integrating both algorithm to control the vehicle dynamics newly developed code for the Labview the electronics and mechanics as well as and energy efficiency of the UGV. We do model-based controls of the robot’s writing the control software,” said Siero. this based on the optimal power distribu- motion. “This gives me an opportunity to learn the tions between the four independently Siero is pursuing a master’s in mecha- hardware and software side of designing driven wheels,” Siero said. ®

Professor Vladimir Vant- sevich discusses the wiring for an unmanned ground vehicle with Tim Wilson, MSMSE’11, and graduate student Matt Siero.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 13 Student solutions INDUSTRY-SPONSORED SENIOR PROJECTS PUT STUDENTS TO WORK ON REAL-WORLD RESEARCH

For 80 years Lawrence Tech engineering under- graduates have been pro- vided the opportunity to put into practice the theory they have learned in the class- room through senior proj- ects. Now that concept has been taken to the next level with the Industry-Spon- sored Projects Lab where students are no longer prac- ticing, but instead are con- tributing to the research and development needs of real companies.

This academic year two student teams Engineering seniors (L–R) Kyle Stopczynski, Deeyonna Gray, Filling a need in industry are working on automotive projects. One and Ahmad Al Hilal are analyzing data for Ford Motor Co. The Industry-Sponsored Projects Lab was team is working with Ford Motor Co. to prior to graduation. created two years ago by faculty of the A. gather data needed for modeling a new Leon Linton Department of Mechanical engine’s performance, while another team Engineering. The economic recession had has been asked to improve the design of a All Lawrence Tech engineering stu- reduced the research and development foldaway seat in a Chrysler minivan. dents are required to complete a capstone budgets in the manufacturing sector, and “This is really a once-in-a-lifetime project in their senior year in order to many companies in the metro Detroit area opportunity to work on a complex proj- graduate. By the time they are seniors, had more R&D projects than they could ect,” said Todd Wilmore, a member of these students have the technical exper- keep up with. the student team working with Magna tise to work on complex projects, and Lawrence Tech faculty saw a unique International Inc., the Tier I supplier that many have practical experience working opportunity to make it easier for com- manufactures the “Stow-n-Go” seat for as interns or employees of manufacturing panies to tap into the expertise, energy, Chrysler Group LLC. companies. and enthusiasm of top-notch faculty and The Industry-Sponsored Projects Lab is a logical outgrowth of Lawrence Tech’s long-standing “theory and practice” phi- The process begins when the business partner losophy. It also fi ts into the more recent identifi es a design project that requires emphasis on cultivating the entrepre- ‘ neurial mindset, which has become a conceptualization, engineering computations, major goal for undergraduate engineering programs. a fi nal design, prototyping, and testing. 14 Lawrence Tech Innovation ’ Todd Wilmore (R) discusses the measurements from a force gauge with his teammates on a industry- sponsored senior project, Dan Pniewski (kneeling) and Mike Hilligoss.

requires conceptualization, engineering that must be observed. computations, a final design, prototyp- “The students quickly realize that in ing, and testing. Then a cross-disciplinary a professional environment there are a team of three to five students tackles the series of ‘hard stops’ that must be met. project for one or two semesters. Working There are timelines and deadlines, bud- with a faculty mentor and with guidance gets, and specifications,” Fernandez said. from the an advisory board, the team “Industry demands can be pretty brutal at gives weekly status reports, formal oral times.” presentations, and a confidential final report documenting results. Building a better mousetrap The client company pays a nominal fee The student team working with Magna to cover expenses and provides a mentor on the “Stow-n-Go” seat for Chrysler and materials for its design project. The are stepping into the shoes of seasoned company retains ownership of any tech- product designers and engineers. An students in the College of Engineering nology that is developed and sets its own R&D team at Magna probably spent close while gaining access to Lawrence Tech’s confidentiality requirements. to a year taking the seat’s storage assem- high-tech testing and diagnostic facilities. bly from concept to production. Now that It’s a high-quality, cost-effective way to Stepping into the real world the Magna team has moved on to other conduct research or develop products. Of course, students acquire invaluable projects, the students have been given the The benefits are both practical and knowledge in the process. In many cases, task of finding a way to make the storage educational, according to Vernon Fernan- the lessons that have been taught in the process more user-friendly. dez, coordinator of the lab and associate classroom are reinforced through interac- Magna provided the students with the professor of mechanical engineering. tion with industry executives. full specifications for the seat. Their job “Companies benefit by participat- “It turns out that what their professors is to do computer modeling of proposed ing with academia, where new ideas are have been saying makes a lot of sense in changes using CATIA, buy test compo- born, and they benefit from getting their the real world. This is not an ivory tower. nents, and then modify them to fit in with projects completed,” Fernandez said. Yet there has to be a transition from the the new proposed design. “Students benefit by being able to work theoretical to the technical, and the indus- One of the first things the students on real-world projects and also by being try-sponsored projects are an excellent learned is that product design is a process exposed to professionals from industry way to accomplish that,” Fernandez said. of trial and error. More than once, they and working toward their standards. Law- Students quickly learn what is expected spent a couple of weeks on a proposed rence Tech benefits because its faculty is when communicating with engineers and modification only to discover that an working with industry on current projects managers in industry. They have to use unanticipated safety issue returned them and applications.” the correct technical terms and not fall to square one. The process begins when the business back on colloquial or imprecise language. “We learned that this wasn’t going to partner identifies a design project that Each company has its own set of rules be as simple as we originally thought. It’s

Lawrence Tech Innovation 15 Student solutions

quite complex because all the components sensor mounted right after the catalytic piece fails, then the whole enterprise can have to work in snychronization,” said converter. The goal is to obtain data on fail,” Fernandez said. “These projects team member Mike Hilligoss, a returning the heat of the exhaust under different help them understand how the world student who has a fulltime job working conditions and model the exhaust and works and why. They are learning why on interior trim for fire trucks. sensor response,” said student team mem- we are doing what we do, and that makes Working through failures is perhaps ber Kyle Stopczynski. them better engineers.” ® the most educational aspect of a senior “The students learn how their work project, according to Assistant Professor has a role in a global enterprise. If their Giscard Kfoury, the faculty advisor for the team working with Magna. “The students learn the most by trying out ideas and eliminating them. This is LAWRENCE TECH STUDENTS CO-DEVELOP their first real design project,” Kfoury said. PRODUCTS FOR VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM Filling the need for awrence Technological University in the resulting venture. The exact terms more data and Sargon Partners of Walled will be determined in a contract for each Manufacturing in the 21st century relies LLake, Mich., have a nonbinding product that will also include the role more and more on sophisticated com- agreement for commercializing new prod- and compensation for the students who puter programs that can model parts and ucts developed by students. developed the product. processes and predict their performance. The agreement came about in 2011 af- “We want the students to become the That approach has created the need for ter three student teams working on senior management team with equity in the com- more and more data. projects in the Department of Engineer- pany that developed the product,” said That’s the situation at Ford Motor Co. ing Technology co-developed products Jeff Golota, managing director of Sargon following the introduction of a new turbo- that Sargon deemed worthy of taking to Partners. “The students who developed charged V-6 engine model for the Taurus market. the product, understand the technology, SHO. Ford engineers need to assess the When Sargon identifies a student and are passionate about the product are performance of this new product and project with commercialization potential, the ideal team to take that product to investigate ways to make it perform more Lawrence Tech will provide commercial- market.” efficiently in the future. But even a global ization rights for a limited time period. The first product developed under the enterprise as large as Ford doesn’t always The University will also provide support- agreement was Super Squat, a safety have the manpower available for all the ing information for the product’s intel- device for athletes doing barbell squats research projects. Moreover, companies lectual property, including prototypes, for lower-body weight training. That like Ford like to provide opportunities for manufacturing plans, engineering designs, project was also the first to receive a students to research real-world problems University assistance, documentation, and $1,500 Professor George Schneider, Jr. to create better engineers who will be market research. Senior Project Award, which was created enthusiastic about advanced engineering In return, Lawrence Tech can expect to to bridge the gap between academia and research. receive a 5 percent royalty or equity stake industry. ® That’s a role Lawrence Tech students can play in a research project that tracks Super Squat is a safety universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO). device for weightlifters One measurement that the Ford engineers developed by Lawrence Tech students (L-R) Bahaa (Bill) want to track is the impact of exhaust Harp, Jonathan Reynolds, temperature and flow rate on the sensor’s and Keith Bohlinger. power consumption. One problem researchers must overcome is that the turbo makes it harder to keep track of heat losses. Ford engineers installed measuring equipment in the trunk of a Taurus SHO, and then it was up to the Lawrence Tech student team to collect the data. “We monitor data coming from a

16 Lawrence Tech Innovation Company Collaboration ‘Real world’ problem solving enhances learning while aiding corporate partners

ndependent contractor agreements Group, an Italian firm that specializes in Teoresi Inc. President and CEO Giuseppe Santangelo talks to I Lawrence Tech students who expressed an interest in doing between Lawrence Tech and global powertrain and infotainment technolo- corporations play an important role in the gies. research for his company. University’s innovative research work The research contract and joint teach- and engineering in the Master of Science ing with Teoresi is paying multiple divi- hicle engineering,” Vantsevich said. in Mechatronic Systems Engineering dends for the University, which is seeking Students working with Vantsevich are program. to extend its cooperative agreements with currently involved in four independent “Independent contractor agreements European companies, Vantsevich said. contractor agreements, including an have a very specific goal with specific Giuseppe Santangelo, president and engineering project to design and test a outcomes, which immediately go to a CEO of Teoresi Inc., donated his time prototype of a new robotic gripper and company’s engineering or contribute to to develop and deliver three lectures at a collaboration on heavy-duty vehicles the company’s research in novel direc- Lawrence Tech in February on spacecraft with a major OEM in Europe. Typically, tions,” explained Professor Vladimir dynamics and navigation control system such contracts involve non-disclosure Vantsevich, founder and director of the engineering topics, which is a new area agreements barring publication of specific mechatronics program and professor of for Lawrence Tech. The 14 students who details, Vantsevich noted. mechanical engineering. “By doing such took the course responded enthusiasti- Over the past three years, 15 research contract work with companies, we take cally to the presented material and will papers have been published by mecha- a responsibility and risk to deliver a real be eligible to participate in the Teoresi tronics students in scientific journals product.” research project. and proceedings of prestigious inter- In March, Lawrence Tech launched a Teoresi is also donating a software national conferences based on research project to develop original engineering product and hardware to the College of established and advised by Vantesvich at cognitive functions in the framework Engineering. “By establishing a collabo- Lawrence Tech’s Mechatronic Systems of Teoresi Inc.’s Cognitive Diagnostic ration with Teoresi, we are launching a Laboratory. ® Equipment (CODE). Based in Troy, new strategic direction in our research Teoresi Inc. is the U.S. branch of Teoresi and teaching – spacecraft and space ve-

Lawrence Tech Innovation 17 Dean of Engineering Nabil Grace (R) explains some of the uses for carbon fiber to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (L) and Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle, a Lawrence Tech graduate.

reinforced polymer materials. “The ultimate goal is to develop and construct a bridge superstructure system with a service life of 100 years requiring less maintenance and fewer repairs that tie up traffic,” Grace said. Many bridges built with side-by-side box beams are now reaching the end of their service life, primarily because of corrosion of the steel reinforcement caused by water contaminated with salt and chlorides used to improve winter driving conditions. The conventional grout material used between the beams also deteriorates in the numerous freeze- thaw cycles of winters in northern states. “Since the safety and mobility of the traveling public is a very important con- sideration when building or rehabilitating bridges, there is a need to develop a beam type that can be built using acceler- Better bridges ated bridge construction techniques,” Grace said. Five states support research on alternative The objectives of the study at Law- rence Tech’s CIMR include: materials for highway bridges • Develop a mathematical model of the proposed side-by-side decked bulb-T beam concrete bridge. L • Construct, test, and examine the con- awrence Technological Univer- Research (CIMR) to test the advantages structability of a half-scale decked bulb-T sity has received a three-year, $349,000 of a pre-stressed decked bulb-T beam beam bridge model with five transverse contract to evaluate alternative materials bridge design compared to side-by-side post-tensioned diaphragms and three and a new approach to building highway box beam bridges that have been widely control beams (two with CFCC and one bridges for the state transportation depart- used during the past 50 years in Michigan with steel). ments of Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other states. • Determine the optimum transverse and Iowa, in addition to the Michigan The decked bulb-T beam has a wider post-tensioning level and the adequacy of Department of Transportation, which is upper flange than the traditional I-beam. the number of transverse diaphragms in the lead agency for the research project. The upper flanges of adjacent beams do the bridge model. The study is testing noncorrosive not touch, and six inches of ultra-high- • Assess the suitability of the system for cables and ultra-high-strength concrete performance grout completes the connec- accelerated construction, part-width in a bridge design that is both easier to tion to form the deck surface. The lower construction, and bridge deployment. maintain and faster to construct because flanges of the I-beam are shorter, creating • Develop design recommendations for it doesn’t have a cast-in-place deck slab. a cavity between the beams that makes it the deployment of the decked bulb-T The project is supported by the pooled easier to inspect and repair the deck from beam bridge. fund of the Federal Highway Administra- underneath. The connection between ad- Since 1988, Grace has conducted more tion, and utilizes allocations from the five jacent beams is reinforced with two layers than two dozen studies for state and states. of non-corrosive carbon fiber composite federal agencies that have pointed to the Dean of Engineering Nabil Grace and cable (CCFC). long-term reliability of carbon fiber a research team that includes students The study will also compare alterna- reinforcement of concrete highway are conducting the study in Lawrence tive noncorrosive reinforcement materials bridges. ® Tech’s Center for Innovative Materials such as stainless steel and carbon fiber

18 Lawrence Tech Innovation Lawrence Tech Project Engineer Charles Elder describes the process for testing a pre-stressed decked bulb-T beam bridge (in the foreground) to an audience that included government officials and media representatives.

Michigan begins using carbon fiber for highway bridge reconstruction

Last year the Michigan Department of Transportation used a major renovation project on a Detroit freeway to experiment with carbon fiber in the reconstruction of a bridge, and the new approach will be re- peated this summer on a three-span bridge in the city of Jackson. The engineering specifications for using carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) Governor praises Lawrence Tech for materials in place of steel were developed at Lawrence Tech’s Center for Innovative innovative research on carbon fiber Materials Research (CIMR) Tech under the direction of Dean of Engineering Nabil M Grace. ichigan Gov. Rick Snyder “We are partnering with Lawrence chose Lawrence Tech’s Center of Technological University on this initiative in Innovative Materials Research which carbon fiber is used instead of steel (CIMR) as an appropriate setting to prevent corrosion while maintaining the same strength and durability,” said MDOT for a major address on the state’s Metro Region Engineer Tony Kratofil. infrastructure in October 2011. The Pembroke Avenue bridge in Detroit was rebuilt with CFRP materials replacing Media representatives, government offi- steel for three major components: cials, and industry leaders filled CIMR to • The transverse post-tensioning cables hear Snyder outline the problems caused that tie together the box beams of the by the $1.4 billion shortfall in infrastruc- bridge’s main supporting structure. ture investment identified by a bipartisan • Reinforcement of the bridge’s concrete legislative report. Possible solutions he deck slab. suggested included a streamlined gasoline • Reinforcement of the concrete barriers tax and higher vehicle registration fees. on each side of the road bed. Prior to the speech, Dean of Engineer- Grace’s research was first put to the test ing Nabil Grace gave Snyder a tour of in 2001 on a bridge to an industrial park CIMR to show him some of Lawrence a few miles from Lawrence Tech. One lane Tech’s groundbreaking research on in- Gov. Rick Snyder chose Lawrence Tech as an appropriate setting was constructed with steel and the other novative materials to replace steel rebar for his message about Michigan’s infrastructure. (Photo by John with CFRP materials. used to reinforce concrete in bridge Stormzand/South Oakland Eccentric) Every six months Lawrence Tech shares structures. ment to explore the possibility of locating performance data with state and federal of- Carbon fiber is more expensive than a plant in Michigan. ficials, and so far the CFRP components are steel, although the cost difference would In his speech at Lawrence Tech, performing as expected. be reduced if Tokyo Rope, the Japanese Snyder said Grace’s research on carbon A bridge with CFRP materials developed company that supplies carbon fiber rebar fiber could have a dramatic impact on at Lawrence Tech has also been built in to Lawrence Tech, builds a plant in the Michigan’s economy. “Dr. Grace and his Maine. ® United States. team have done truly wonderful research Grace accompanied Snyder on a trade … that hopefully will bring companies to mission to Japan earlier in the year, and Michigan and truly bring innovation to Snyder and Tokyo Rope signed an agree- transportation,” the governor said. ®

Lawrence Tech Innovation 19 SOUND EDUCATION Audio engineering technology students learn how to perform in a production studio S tudents in Lawrence Tech’s new Bachelor of Science in Audio Engineer- ing Technology program travel 20 miles from the Southfi eld campus to take many of their classes – and it’s well worth the commute. The academic theory courses are taken on the campus in Southfi eld, while the students strengthen the practical side with classes taken at an affi liate studio, Plymouth Rock Productions, a full-ser- vice audio/video production company in Plymouth, Mich. The production team’s client list includes the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, J. Walter Thompson, Ford Mo- tor Co., Aretha Franklin, and the popular music group 50 Cent Headrush, to name just a few. Lawrence Tech’s bachelor’s degree program provides students with many op- portunities in the audio fi eld because they gain both a strong science background Plymouth Rock Productions owner Motor Co. He is now the owner/operator and practical production experience, Chris Breest is on the industry advisory of his own company, GieseKustic, which according to Kenneth Cook, chair of the panel that helped develop the program, provides sound measurement/monitoring Department of Engineering Technology. and he applauds Lawrence Tech’s empha- consulting services. “While the students gain studio experi- sis on theory and practice. Students have multiple extracurricular ence and work with industry profession- “At the studio students immediately opportunities to develop their audio engi- als at Plymouth Rock Productions, they immerse themselves in the inter-workings neering skill sets by visiting real job sites learn the physics and electronics of what of a functional recording business, as well and obtaining internships. Lawrence Tech goes on inside all these instruments here as having an opportunity to make contacts students have worked at music publishing on campus,” Cook said. “This program is with real industry professionals,” Breest companies, recording studios, fi lm sets, in the right place at the right time for this said. “This makes the traditional class- and NVH facilities. These are unique industry.” room setting come to life in a way that is opportunities and experiences rarely not only educationally dynamic but also available at other universities, according highly inspirational for students.” to Cook. Lawrence Tech has made a concerted Brandon Wheeler, one of the 20 or so Students have multiple effort to bring instructors into the pro- students enrolled in the program, said the gram like Ben Blau, Rob Nelson, and experience has provided him with numer- extracurricular opportunities Dieter Giese, who all hold positions in the ous opportunities. ‘ fi eld of audio engineering and exhibit a “I started out by interning with Chris to develop their audio true passion for what they are teaching. Breest and learning the fundamentals be- A recording engineer since 1982 and an hind how most audio engineers work,” he engineering skill sets by instructor since 1990, Blau has authored said. “During this time I was also in the books about the audio recording indus- classroom learning the ways of electron- visiting real job sites and try. Nelson owns a business that teaches ics and also acoustical concepts that will music. Giese has more than 30 years later help me out in my career.” obtaining internships. of experience with acoustics and noise, As Wheeler progressed through the vibration, and harshness (NVH) as a program, he obtained a position at North product development engineer with Ford Star Media of Bloomfi eld Hills, where he

Lawrence Tech Innovation’ 20 Lawrence Tech student Aaron Glasius works on Avid Pro Tools HD9, a software program used in the production studio that is also loaded onto the personal computer of every student in the audio engineering technol- ogy program.

Audio engineering offers wide variety of opportunities

Instructor Ben Blau (R) of Lawrence Tech’s Bachelor of Science in Audio Plymouth Rock Productions Engineering Technology blends the concepts of points out some of the features classical audio engineering with modern-day of the Neve Custom Series 75 applications, including multimedia components, recording console to Lawrence digital technology, computers, and network Tech students Caitlin Carpenter systems, to give students a strong set of skills (L) and Alex Porchia. with which to enter the field. In addition to studying the music principles of sound, students in this degree program are exposed to the electronics of audio transmission through their Knowing how to play music helps students gain a better understanding of the principles of audio engi- study of hardware, fiber and wireless technolo- neering. Lawrence Tech students Tayler Peruski (L) and Rachel Sweet play the keyboard and the guitar, gies, as well as acoustics – the physics behind and instructor Rob Nelson is on the drums. the sound. From music to movies, from industrial to learned more about the music publishing of music that I need to know, such as environmental applications, audio engineers industry. He moved on to an internship as learning how to read and compose music. play an integral role in bringing arts and a transducer engineer at Harman Kardon, Also, I am getting experience with other entertainment, and even the sciences, to life. the pioneering company that helped cre- instruments. I played a bass guitar, drums, They combine creativity with their technical ate the high-fidelity audio industry. and piano all in one day!” she said. background to record, process, and ultimately “With the concepts and experiences “These classes will benefit me because create sound. from my previous terms at Lawrence knowing music production technology, I Audio engineering offers a growing Tech, I was able to confidently show my will be able to communicate and interact spectrum of employment choices because it is a passion and knowledge in the world of with other professionals in the field,” constantly changing field driven by advanc- ing technology. Employment prospects are audio,” Wheeler said. Sweet said. expected to grow even faster in the next few While there is a strong theoretical Another student, Rachel Sweet, said years. Broadcasting networks, multimedia she is “super excited” with the audio en- component to Lawrence Tech’s program, firms, recording studios, theater productions, gineering technology program and espe- it is the practical experiences that provide amusement parks, computer games, and film cially with the opportunity to study with students with a unique edge, Cook said. and video are some of the industries that hire Rob Nelson, who teaches music theory. ® audio engineers. ® “Rob is teaching me the fundamentals

Lawrence Tech Innovation 21 In Brief

Lawrence Tech President Lewis Lawrence Tech president Walker (L) is congratulated on honored for contributions to his Gold Award by American Institute of Architects Detroit engineering and science President Frank Arvan and Joseph Veryser, Lawrence Tech’s Lawrence Technological University President Lewis Walker university architect and past has been awarded the 2012 Gold Award by the Affiliate president of AIA Detroit. Council of the Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) for his many contributions to the field of science and engineering. He was nominated by the Detroit chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), both ESD affiliates. More opportunities in engineering and science Walker has served as president and CEO of Lawrence Tech After assuming the presidency in 2006, Walker continued to since 2006. He joined the university in 1994 as provost and pursue academic priorities that he had helped put in place as took on the additional role of executive vice president in 2003. provost and executive vice president – transportation design, He will be stepping down as president on June 30. sustainable architecture, emerging energy technologies, innova- Walker holds a PhD in electrical engineering from the tive materials, life sciences, and computer applications. University of Missouri-Columbia. As a registered professional The growth of degree and fast-track certificate programs engineer, he was a principal investigator of numerous research from the associate through doctoral level has been a hallmark contracts and helped develop systems to communicate with of Walker’s leadership. The number has jumped from 60 when deeply submerged submarines anywhere in the world. he became president to over 100 today. Many involve emerging In 1982, Walker became dean of engineering and profes- technologies in engineering and science. Some are the first in sor of electrical engineering at the University of Hartford and Michigan and among the first in the nation. The Detroit News later also served as special assistant to the president. He has called Lawrence Tech’s new robotics engineering degree “edu- organized and presented many short courses and seminars on cation innovation at its best.” power system protection and power system dispatch opera- Walker demonstrated his own leadership style in the fall of tions. He has published more than 50 technical papers and has 2008 when Lawrence Tech became the first university in the lectured in Europe, Asia, and South America. state to take a comprehensive approach for helping workers displaced by the economic crisis. He and his leadership team Emphasis on leadership and entrepreneurship quickly put together the “Recovery Starts Here” initiative that Upon becoming president, Walker quickly identified leader- benefitted many engineers whose jobs had been eliminated. ship education as one of his top priorities, putting Lawrence The centerpiece was the introduction of more than 35 “fast Tech in the vanguard of what has become a national trend. track” certificate programs designed to help displaced workers The University has taken a comprehensive approach to un- make a quick transition to new careers in emerging fields such dergraduate leadership education that helps Lawrence Tech as sustainability, alternative energy, and life sciences. students maximize their potential. Students receive instruction and fulfill leadership obliga- Cultivating the next generation of engineers tions in all four undergraduate years. They participate in Under Walker’s leadership, Lawrence Tech has played an active curricular and co-curricular activities to earn leadership tran- role in encouraging middle school and high school students to scripts through attendance in topical seminars, service activi- pursue their interest in science, technology, engineering, and ties that aid community charities, and student mentoring. math, the so-called STEM subjects. Lawrence Tech is the home The leadership program has reinforced another initiative of Robofest, an international competition in which students in the College of Engineering to cultivate the entrepreneur- in grades 4–12 program autonomous robots. Lawrence Tech’s ial mindset in undergraduate engineering programs. A $1.1 summer camps encourage hundreds of high school students to million grant from the Kern Family Foundation has helped develop their interest in STEM subjects that could lead to a col- Lawrence Tech pursue the ambitious goal of preparing engi- lege major and a promising career. neering students to be leaders with an entrepreneurial spirit In 2005, Walker played a leading role in the creation of and a global view. University High School (UHS), a unique partnership between The grant has enabled the University to add entrepreneurial Lawrence Tech and the Ferndale Public Schools. The public components to more than a dozen courses in the engineer- high school’s rigorous curriculum was designed by Lawrence ing curriculum, and a total of 30 courses will eventually be Tech faculty to prepare students for college, especially in the enhanced. STEM subjects. Many UHS students receive instruction from college faculty on the Lawrence Tech campus.

22 Lawrence Tech Innovation Leading the way on Mayo Clinic engineering the soccer field chair inaugurates Lawrence Mechanical engineer Tech lecture series majors Danny Reyes evin Bennet, chair of the engineering division at the Mayo and Chadd Scruggs K are co-captains of the Clinic in Rochester, Minn., discussed collaborative engineering Lawrence Tech soccer when he gave the first President’s Leadership Seminar at Law- team that will join the rence Tech in October 2011. Wolverine-Hoosier The President’s Leadership Seminar provides a forum for Athletic Conference leaders who can show that innovation results from collaboration in the fall. Last year among diverse disciplines and a desire to solve an important Lawrence Tech joined problem. It also relates to the areas of expertise and the academ- the National Associa- ic programs offered at Lawrence Tech. tion of Intercollegiate Since 1999, Bennet has led a Mayo Clinic division of 60 Athletics and is now individuals who seek to apply the skills of engineers and pro- adding more varsity athletic teams. In the photo above, Reyes grammers for the creation of (L) slips by a defender during a 2011 game. novel biomedical engineering systems, equipment, implant- Bonanno kicks off ables, and devices. Major ef- entrepreneurial lecture series forts include cardiac monitor- ing, paging systems, clinical Salvatore J. Bonanno, BSME’69, a former Chrysler ex- devices, surgical instruments, ecutive now involved in multiple business enterprises, was and a variety of other projects the first speaker in 2011–12 Entrepreneurial Lecture Series in support of cancer, genom- College Professor Filza Walters (L), director of sponsored by the Lawrence Tech chapter of the Collegiate ics, therapeutics, surgery, Lawrence Tech’s architectural engineering program, Entrepreneurs’ Organization and the Legends Entrepreneurial information technology, and talks with Kevin Bennet of the Mayo Clinic following Alumni Organization, WWJ Newsradio 950, and the Great infrastructure. his presentation at Lawrence Tech in October 2011. Lakes Innovation and Technology Report. The lecture series, which is part of the College of Engi- Taubman commits $11 million neering’s Lear Entrepreneurial Program, is designed to foster the University’s commitment to leadership through theory to new academic complex and practice, as well as create an entrepreneurial mindset. The speakers give Lawrence Tech students a greater aware- Prominent philanthropist and former student A. Alfred Taub- ness and understanding of entrepreneurship – and how it can man has committed $11 million to a $55 million construction project that will expand Lawrence Tech’s engineering facilities, benefit all of us. while also providing greater connectivity between engineering, Bonanno held many executive-level positions during a architecture, and biomedical academic programs. 30-year career at Chrysler Corporation. A turnaround special- A new building of more than 100,000 square feet will be the ist, he has been chairman of the board of two manufacturing centerpiece of the A. Alfred Taubman Engineering, Architecture companies. In 2000, he formed Bonanno Enterprises, LLC, and Life Sciences Complex. The existing Engineering Building an acquisition and consulting organization specializing in will be upgraded and integrated into the new building. Construc- manufacturing companies. tion is expected to begin in 2014. Lawrence Tech alumnus Salvatore Bonanno speaks to a student Taubman’s gift following his presentation in the is structured to Entrepreneurial Lecture Series in strengthen the September 2011. fund-raising efforts needed to com- plete the private financing. He is giving Lawrence Lawrence Tech President Lewis Walker accepts a check from A. Alfred Taubman representing an $11 million commitment for the Tech $1 million for construction of the A. Alfred Taubman Engineering, Architecture, and planning and de- Life Sciences Complex. velopment efforts

Lawrence Tech Innovation 23 In Brief

and has offered a $10 million challenge grant that must be The ElectroPuls measures the matched by $20 million in new contributions for the construc- performance of materials when tion of the building. subjected to pulling, twisting, “Lawrence Tech made a big difference in my life, as it has and repeated loads. An envi- for generations of young people working to build success- ronmental chamber can test the ful careers and fulfilling lives. I am immensely proud of my performance in dry heat up to Lawrence Tech affiliation,” said Taubman, who is best known 180°F or in sub-zero tempera- as a pioneer developer of shopping malls. tures. Grace said the instrument has military applications. It will be Higher Learning Commission used at Lawrence Tech to de- gives thumbs up to termine the ability of prototype materials to withstand bomb Lawrence Tech blasts and other high-intensity stresses. The instrument also ore online degree programs and three new doctorate-level M has applications for biomedical Dean of Engineering Nabil Grace examines the degree programs are the immediate changes at Lawrence engineering research currently ElectroPuls testing instrument with students Alan Technological University following its reaccreditation by the under way at Lawrence Tech. Killewald and Erisa Panajoti. Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for another 10 years. No conditions were placed on the University when the review process concluded in 2011. The University was given Lawrence Tech honors a clean bill of health following a decade in which the campus automotive industry legend was transformed and dozens of new degree and certificate programs were introduced. The dean’s conference room in the College of Engineering This year Lawrence Tech has been named in memory of Lewis Veraldi, BSME’68, the launched a new doctorate pioneering creator of the car team development approach that in program in mechanical en- 1986 introduced the original Ford Taurus that became America’s gineering and a PhD in civil top-selling car. engineering. A PhD program Veraldi earned his Lawrence Tech degree after taking evening in management should be classes for 18 years while working at Ford Motor Co. He was launched later this year. vice president of product and manufacturing engineering at Ford The HLC report also gives Lawrence Tech the authority to when ill health forced his retirement in 1989 at age 59. He died create new online degree programs without obtaining prior in 1990. approval from HLC. He was also a graduate of the Henry Ford Trade School, and “Lawrence Tech is a very different place than it was 10 its alumni association funded the creation of a plaque honoring years ago,” said Associate Provost Alan McCord, who led his accomplishments. the Lawrence Tech team that prepared for the reaccreditation Lawrence Tech was founded in 1932 in a building owned by process. “There has been great progress in the breadth of pro- Ford near its famous production plant in Highland Park. Many grams, the composition of the faculty, and the academic cli- early Lawrence Tech students were graduates of the Henry Ford mate. Due to the efforts of many people, we have maintained Trade School. the standards of the Higher Learning Commission while going “We share a mutual champion in Henry Ford, who was key through a period of significant growth.” to establishing both organiza- tions,” said Lawrence Tech CIMR adds new equipment Provost Maria Vaz. “Our steadfast commitment to the to aid research theory-and-practice approach to education advocated by Mr. Lawrence Tech’s Center for Innovative Materials Research Ford continues to distinguish (CIMR) has added another state-of-the-art testing instrument, the Lawrence Tech educational the Instron ElectroPuls E10000, which uses a laser to measure experiences of today.” the performance of materials under different stress factors and environmental conditions. The ElectroPuls E10000 is an all-electric system that doesn’t need hydraulic mechanisms or a cooling system. The laser measuring device is an attachment that makes the instrument both more accurate and easier to use. As currently Lawrence Tech President Emeritus Richard Mar- configured, the testing instrument has a retail value close to burger shares personal recollections about the late $400,000, according to Dean of Engineering Nabil Grace. Lewis Veraldi at an April 2011 ceremony.

24 Lawrence Tech Innovation Faculty Achievements

Jawad Named SAE Taraman provides leadership International Fellow in STEM education Professor Badih Jawad, chair of the A. Lawrence Tech Professor Khalil Tara- Leon Linton Department of Mechani- man completed his three-year tenure as cal Engineering at Lawrence Tech, has president of the Society of Manufacturing been named a 2010–11 SAE Interna- Engineers (SME) Education Foundation tional Fellow. Board of Directors at the end of 2011. Jawad joined the LTU faculty in “We have been honored to have had Dr. 1996 after teaching at several local Taraman as our president and thank him universities and working as a research for his leadership, insightful direction, and and product development engineer for reinforcing demeanor,” said Bart Aslin, Chrysler Corp. He created the Master Badih Jawad CEO of the SME Education Foundation. Khalil Taraman of Science in Mechanical Engineering, of which he is cur- “He’s our champion among manufacturing educators.” rently the director, and is leading the launch of the doctoral An SME member since 1970, Taraman joined the SME Edu- degree in mechanical engineering. cation Foundation Board in 1992. He was elected to a two-year Jawad has served as a faculty adviser to the Formula SAE term as president in 2009 and his term was extended by a year. and Supermileage car teams. In 2002, under his guidance, the According to Aslin, Taraman steadied the course of the SME LTU Formula SAE team won the very first Road and Track Education Foundation during the economic recession. He trophy for the fastest car in the competition. He is the adviser advanced its mission to transform manufacturing education, of the Lawrence Tech student chapter of the American Society change public perception of manufacturing, and direct funding of Mechanical Engineers and co-adviser of Lawrence Tech’s to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) SAE International student chapter. education to address the shortage of manufacturing and techni- SAE Fellow is the highest grade of membership bestowed cal talent in the United States. by SAE International. It recognizes outstanding engineering, His leadership impacted the funding of tech-based education scientific, and leadership accomplishments by an individual programs designed to motivate young people. that have resulted in meaningful advances in automotive, “His total commitment to manufacturing engineering educa- aerospace, and commercial vehicle technologies. tion, which spans more than 40 years, includes mentoring scores of young men and women and encouraging them to pursue via- Alwerfalli leads student ble careers in manufacturing, engineering, science, and technol- ogy. His international perspective on how education is delivered team to Italian machine in a global economy is highly regarded,” Aslin said. tool conference Taraman is a former dean of Lawrence Tech’s College of Engineering and is currently director of graduate programs for Lawrence Tech Professor Daw Alwerfalli and Professor Luis manufacturing systems engineering. Prior to coming to Law- Sanchez of the University of Colorado led a team of eight rence Tech in 1986, he taught at the University of Detroit Mercy students from Lawrence Tech, Purdue University, Texas A&M for 16 years and was a senior technical consultant to many com- University, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical Univer- panies, including Ford Motor Co. and General Electric. sity, and Kettering University that attended the 2011 Italian Taraman has two degrees from Ain Shams University in Machine Tool Technology Award Program held in Milan, Italy. Egypt, a master’s in mechanical engineering from the University Roger Harrison, a Chrysler employee and a Lawrence Tech of Wisconsin, and a PhD from Texas Tech University. graduate student in engineer- ing management, was among the recipients of the “Innova- tion in Technology” award for his patent, “Power Generating Trailer Invention Concept.” The patent was a result of his directed study, “Innovative Energy Management System,” with Alwerfalli in 2009. The trip included visits to Professor Daw Alwerfalli (L) and graduate student Milano Polytechnic Univer- Roger Harrison of Lawrence Tech join Luis Sanchez sity and Italian manufacturing of University of Colorado during a conference in companies such as Ferrari. Milan, Italy, in July 2011.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 25 Faculty Achievements

Cuper wins Marcum project. After Brown’s results were published at a 2008 confer- ence, Hettiarachchi extended the research and published a final customer service award paper in the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvirnmen- tal Engineering. Adjunct Professor Jerry Cuper, BSIM’74, of Lawrence The research covers the relationship between the energy Tech’s Department of Engineering Technology was awarded dissipation and the shear strength properties of soils during a the Mary Ann Marcum Customer Service Award for the standard penetration test (SPT). According to Hettiarachchi, 2011 fall semester. The award is named in honor of Mary previous equations used to solve this question were the result of Ann Marcum, MBA’92, who was director of the University’s curve fitting. continuing education program when she was killed in a tragic “The equations proposed by me are based on a rational expla- auto accident. nation (energy conservation) and they have produced consistent Cuper worked for more than 30 years at Ford Motor Co. in results,” Hettiarachchi said. engineering design, management, product planning, testing, and development. He also has been affiliated with Lawrence Tech for more than 30 years, working in the Office of Admis- Lawrence Tech gives high school sions and teaching. Five years ago he joined the Department students a college preview of Engineering Technology on a full-time basis as both a lecturer and advisor. During the fall semester Oxford High School students earned “Jerry’s passion, enthusiasm, and personalized attention two college credits when Lawrence Tech Associate Professor help students learn and meet their goals. He is always willing Robert Fletcher taught them Introduction to Engineering, a and available to assist in meeting student needs,” Lawrence course designed for first-year college students. Tech President Lewis Walker said. The problem-based course gives student teams 14 design- Cuper demonstrated his commitment to students by an- build projects that help them develop an understanding of the nouncing that he would give his $1,000 stipend to several basic engineering processes and principles. They include a students having trouble paying for their education. bamboo bridge, a solar oven, a chair made out of newspaper, Adjunct Professor Jerry and a machine to crush soda cans. Following the demonstration Cuper (L) is the latest of each project, Fletcher led the students in a critique of what winner of the Mary Ann went right, what went wrong, and why. The goal is to help these Marcum Customer Service students who are still early in their engineering education to start Award. To his right are Tammy Botzen and Kathy to think, approach problems, and work as engineers. Gilman, two administrative In the spring semester, Lawrence Tech is offering a mechani- assistants in the College of cal engineering graphics course. The high school students will Engineering who are previ- learn to design parts with computer-aided design (CAD) with ous winners of the award. the eventual goal of fabricating the parts on computer-numeri- cal-control (CNC) machines. Software product uses The courses at Oxford High School are part of Lawrence Tech’s commitment to encourage more students to continue equations from Lawrence taking science, Tech research technology, engi- neering, and math- Research by Associate Professor ematics (STEM) Hiroshan Hettiarachchi on a new way courses when they to estimate shear strength properties of get to college and soils has been included in the NovoSPT then pursue careers software by NovoTech Inc., a Canadian in related fields. geotechnical engineering software de- velopment company. The software has been used in more than 25 countries. The basis of the model was first Hiroshan Hettiarachchi Lawrence Tech Associate Professor Rob Fletcher discusses the results researched by Tim Brown, BSCvE’05, MSCvE’07, when he of a load-bearing test in an introductory engineering course he taught to high school students. was a graduate student. Hettiarachchi is director of the civil engineering graduate program and supervised the research

26 Lawrence Tech Innovation Seed Grants

Giscard Kfoury, assistant professor of mechanical engineer- Engineering professors win ing, will study the use of electroactive seed grants for research polymers as artificial muscles through experimental analysis, modeling, and During the past year five engineering faculty have taken control. One of the main areas of study in advantage of Lawrence Tech’s Faculty Research Seed Grant biomimetic robotic systems is the different program. The grants encourage, develop, and support faculty actuation and sensing techniques needed research and creative endeavors with the goal of subsequent to mimic biologically inspired motions. development of proposals for external funding. Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are of par- The typical seed grant is $3,000, and applications from pre- ticular interest as a viable option for artificial muscle actuation tenure faculty are given preference. of robotic systems. The purpose of Kfoury’s study is to conduct experimental studies on prototype samples of EAPs to inves- Selin Arslan, assistant professor of mechanical engineer- tigate the possibility of using such polymers as actuators for ing, received her grant to conduct compu- exoskeletons to assist paraplegics in gaining the ability to walk. tational analysis of evaporation in tailored The experimental work will provide information on stress-strain microchannel evaporators. Microchannels curves, power requirements, maximum deflections, and actua- show promising potential for imple- tion forces for different configurations of EAP samples. The data mentation in next-generation high-heat will also be used to formulate control-oriented electro-dynamic flux cooling schemes. While significant models of the different actuator configurations. Experiments will advances in microchannels can be found then be conducted to explore different control strategies. in the literature, little work is being done to develop microchannels with non-uniform cross sections Keith Kowalkowski, assistant professor in civil engi- that can evaporate fluid without the presence of the bubbles neering, used his research grant to study at the exit flow. The design and modeling approach, micro- structural steel connections subjected to fabrication process, and the full testing of the tailored micro- fire. A detailed literature review was used to evaporators were a part of Arslan’s PhD studies. The proposed determine the fire-testing needs of structural research combines mathematical modeling with engineering steel connections. Experimental investiga- design and evaluation of tailored microchannel evaporators. tions were performed in the fire/load-test- A deeper understanding of the two-phase flow in micron scale ing chamber in the Center for Innovative and temperature distribution in microchannels with non-uni- Materials Research to study the maximum form boundary conditions will be obtained, which will provide fire temperatures that bolted-and-welded connections could further guidance to the design and development of tailored sustain under various loads. Analytical investigations were per- microchannel evaporators. formed using the finite element program ABAQUS. Methods for analytically simulating the experimental investigations were Umasankar Kandaswamy, assistant professor of developed and validated using the results of the experimental electrical and computer engineering, plans testing. A research plan will be developed for investigating to replace traditional confocal microscopy several failure mechanisms of connections when subjected to with Lawrence Tech’s environmental fire loading. scanning electron microscope (ESEM) to collect preliminary data from live speci- Eric Meyer, assistant professor in the biomedical engineer- mens. In addition, part of the seed grant ing program, is studying anterior cruciate will be used to develop advanced real- ligament (ACL) microdamage induced time computational tools that will replace by single and cyclic subfailure loading. the existing slow and cumbersome methods for analyzing Injuries to the knee are among the most the imaged data. This project will help to bridge two fields of common sports injuries, but there is an science, engineering and health science, while making mutual ongoing debate about what loading mecha- advancements in both fields. He is working closely with nisms have the highest risk. The only previ- Assistant Professor Yawen Li and Arts and Sciences Dean ous study on the effect of cyclic subfailure Hsiao-Ping Moore to complete this multi-faceted project. stretches on the failure properties of the ACL applied purely Recent progress in the field of live-cell confocal micros- tensile strain, while Meyer’s experiment was designed to simu- copy, especially with the development of super-resolution late microdamage or undiagnosed partial tears that might occur techniques and bio-markers, has significantly helped scien- in sports involving frequent jump landings. His study employed tists break the long-standing barriers in understanding some a novel tibiofemoral compression loading mechanism to the fundamental working principles of the human brain and many knee joint to investigate microdamage accumulation on the ACL neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, and its effect on failure characteristics for subsequent loading on imaging with confocal microscopy is riddled with problems, the knee joint. The study used 12 porcine hind limbs from the particularly when the bio-markers move in and out of the Animal Science Department of Michigan State University. focal plane.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 27 New Faculty

Mena Bebawy Assistant Research Scientist, Jim Kerns Robotics Engineering Laboratory Center for Innovative Materials Research Instructor, Mechanical Engineering Mena Bebawy has participated in After nearly 36 years at Ford Motor various research projects address- Company, Jim Kerns has joined Lawrence ing problems in structural engineer- Tech to lead the new robotics engineering ing, such as cracking and durability laboratory. During his career at Ford, he of bridge systems, strengthening of worked primarily on powertrain controls defective structural elements with fiber – spanning the transition from mechanical reinforced polymer (FRP) materials, systems to modern computer controls. He and improving the performance of also has experience in diverse areas, such structural elements under both fire and as combustion analysis and active aero loading events. His current research Mena Bebawy control. Jim Kerns interest is to develop a fire-proof system for FRP materials. Kerns has been awarded more than 60 U.S. patents covering Bebawy uses his extensive background in finite-element various control system and diagnostic inventions. modeling and analysis in simulating the real performance of a Kerns received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineer- wide variety of full-scale structures. He combines the results ing from the University of Michigan, and his master’s degree from the experimental and numerical investigations to estab- in electronics and computer-controlled systems from Wayne lish a solid platform for design and evaluation guidelines that State University. He previously served on the adjunct faculty at enable engineers to optimize their designs and build sound Lawrence Tech, Wayne State University, and Henry Ford Com- structural systems with extended lifespans. munity College. Bebawy earned his PhD in structural engineering from the His background in controls and mechatronic systems will University of Windsor, where his research focused on devel- help him guide students in the new bachelor’s degree in robotics oping innovative techniques to protect the FRP-strengthened engineering. structural elements in fire events. He received his master’s degree in structural engineering from Lawrence Tech and his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Assiut University Jim O’Connor College Professor, Engineering in Egypt. Technology Umasankar Kandaswamy Jim O’Connor worked for General Motors Corp. for 18 years before deciding Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering to pursue his passion for teaching. After working in pre-engineering at Henry Ford After pursuing postdoctoral programs Community College for a year, he joined in computational neuroscience for three the Lawrence Tech faculty in 2011 as a years at Washington University in St. full-time college professor of engineering Louis, Umasankar Kandaswamy joined technology. Lawrence Tech in the fall of 2011. His GM assignments included exten- Jim O’Connor He received his PhD in electrical and sive testing of software used within vehicle modules, analysis of computer engineering in 2008 from electrical systems, and release responsibility for HVAC systems Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY. on all truck and luxury car programs. There he worked extensively on bench- He tested small DC motors for two years at Chrysler Corp. marking state-of-the-art color texture Umasankar Kandaswamy and spent three years at Uniroyal Tire Company, developing recognition algorithms, as well as developing an automated, custom instrumentation and control circuits used for measuring machine-learning-based image recognition algorithm. force and moment data on tires. During the postdoctoral program he found several key He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from areas in the field of computational biology where advanced/ Lawrence Tech in 1986, and a master’s degree in systems automated signal processing and computational tools could engineering from Oakland University in 1997. have a significant impact at both the biological data acquisi- He is a PhD candidate at Oakland University in systems tion stage and the processing stage. Currently he is pursuing engineering, specializing in intelligent feedback control systems. research on developing computational tools and devices that His research interests include adaptive control, neural networks, are efficient, interoperable, and also commercially viable. and parallel processing. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical and electron- ics engineering from the University of Madras in India and a master’s degree in signal processing from West Virginia University.

28 Lawrence Tech Innovation Student Achievements

Engineering students Graduate student wins teach English in China second honorable mention Civil engineering student Sarah Dare and biomedical engi- in photo contest neering student Olesya Motovylak joined a Lawrence Tech awrence Tech engineering graduate student Delia Radbata has group that taught American culture and English to seventh- L won an honorable mention for a second year in a row in the stu- graders in the Chinese city of Tongxiang about two hours dent photo contest sponsored by the American Institute of Steel outside Shanghai. Construction (AISC). Every year the Office of Leadership Programs offers Law- She chose the annual Labor Day walk across the Mackinac rence Tech students the opportunity to teach in China during Bridge in 2011 as an opportunity to represent the contest’s the summer break through a partnership with the Council on theme, “Celebrate the Visual Experience of Steel.” With a main China Exchange. span of 3,800 feet, the Mackinac Bridge is the third-longest sus- “The experience makes you more open to diversity and pension bridge in the United States and the 12th-longest in the gives you a greater appreciation of all the different places world. It was opened in 1957 to connect Michigan’s lower and around the world,” Motovylak said. “It gets you out of your upper peninsulas where Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan. bubble.” Radbata is pursuing a master’s degree in civil engineering At first Motovylak and Dare had a lot of trouble in com- and has been taking classes in structural engineering. She is a municating with their students. But they made changes to the structural steel detailer who prepares fabrication shop drawings PowerPoint lessons they had prepared and found other ways to for Hensen & Associates in Sterling Heights. “Working as a overcome the language barrier. structural steel detailer for more than six years, I became pas- “It improves your communication skills,” Motovylak said. sionate about steel structures, and I wanted to be more involved “At first I wasn’t comfortable with it, but it was fun.” in this field,” Radbata said. Lawrence Tech biomedi- cal engineering student Olesya Motovylak poses with some of her Chinese students.

New ESD scholarship award goes to architectural engineering major Architectural engineering major Rachel LaCasse is the first recipient of the $500 Gold Awardee Scholar- ship, which the Affiliate Council of the This photo of the Mackinac Bridge by Lawrence Tech graduate student Delia Radbata captures the beauty Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) of the open web trusses that help maintain the stability of the deck despite the strong wind patterns in the area. has established to honor the ESD Gold Award winner in the previous year. In 2011, that was Gordon V.R. Holness, chairman emeritus of Albert Kahn As- sociates. Rachel LaCasse LaCasse is president of the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) student chapter at Lawrence Tech. She has a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in politi- cal science and comparative religion. She decided to pursue a career in sustainable housing in Third World countries after living in South Africa for five months.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 29 Student Achievements

Shevenock wins NASA students from around the world to design, build, test, and fly a radio-controlled, heavy-lift, scale cargo airplane. Given a set of scholarship and internship constraints, the goal is to airlift the most weight possible. In the final flight round, Lawrence Tech’s plane had a payload Stephanie Shevenock, a mechanical of 26.5 lbs., one of the heaviest in the competition. But despite engineering major at Lawrence Tech, a perfect flight and landing, the results didn’t count because the is one of 25 students nationwide who plane exceeded the 200-foot takeoff limit by three feet. have won scholarships and summer The team had to add some last-minute reinforcement to the internships for the 2011–12 academic landing gear, which had started to bend as more payload was year from the National Aeronautics and added in the earlier rounds. Space Administration (NASA). “While the plane was certainly capable of achieving better Shevenock will receive $15,000 per than eighth place, the members of the team can be proud of the year to cover tuition costs for two years favorable impression they left with those involved in SAE Aero and a $10,000 stipend for an internship Stephanie Shevenock Design around the world,” Gerhart said. this summer with NASA. She will have the opportunity to work with NASA re- searchers on such projects as managing air traffic more Schuel named finalist for efficiently; reducing noise, fuel consumption, and emissions; ACI Student Fellowships and improving safety. Shevenock has been a member of Lawrence Tech’s SAE Civil engineering graduate student Aero Design teams that finished in the top 10 in national Brittany Schuel, BSCvE’11, has been competition for the past three years. She is captain of the selected as a finalist for the prestigious 2012 team and president of the Lawrence Tech chapter of fellowships offered by the American the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Last Concrete Institute. year she went to Washington, D.C., as a student lobbyist for As a research assistant in Lawrence Citizens for Space Exploration. Tech’s Center for Innovative Materials “NASA is Stephanie’s dream job and one of the key rea- Research, Schuel has worked on a range sons she is studying engineering,” said Associate Professor of projects related to concrete structures, Andrew Gerhart, Lawrence Tech’s SAE Aero Design faculty such as concrete bridges and the behavior Brittany Schuel adviser. of high-strength concrete subjected to fire. Through an internship with Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Hu- Lawrence Tech finishes in ber in Farmington Hills, Mich., she helped test and inspect road construction projects. She gained valuable knowledge about top 10 of SAE Aero Design concrete construction techniques while inspecting the recon- struction of a highway overpass, and she also learned about con- East Competition crete paving and standards for interstate construction projects. “Through these experiences, I realized how important it is to or the third year in a row, Lawrence Tech finished in the F supplement an education with experience in the field,” Schuel top 10 in the 2011 SAE Aero Design East Competition held said. in Marietta, Ga. It was one of a few teams to complete all six Schuel would like to pursue a career in bridge design after be- flight rounds and finished eighth overall. coming a licensed professional engineer and structural engineer. “Lawrence Tech was one of the few teams that went home She took the first step by passing the Fundamentals of Engineer- with an intact plane – no crashes!” said Associate Professor ing Exam in 2011. Andrew Gerhart, the faculty advisor. The SAE Aero Design competition challenges engineering Some members of Lawrence Tech wins community Lawrence Tech’s 2011 SAE master plan competition Aero Design team pose with their plane. They are n interdisciplinary, multicultural team of Lawrence Tech (L-R) Justin Hempel, Tom A Tiedt, Rob Baldwin, Phil students took first place in a competition to create a master plan Schupp, Bill Robertson, and for Chaldean Town, located along Seven Mile Road between team leader Ryan Fox. Woodward and John R in Detroit. The competition was spon- sored by the Michigan chapter of the Arab American Association of Engineers and Architects in the fall of 2011. The team of Timothy Truitt, Fadia Shuayto, Elizabeth Ka- minsky, Mark Dotar, Nameer Tillo, and Michael Paciero shared the first-place prize of $5,000 in scholarship money. Most of the

30 Lawrence Tech Innovation students are majoring in architectural engineering. Lawrence Tech recognized The first phase of the winning entry, Sabah Street, con- sisted of simple, inexpensive improvements, such as paint- for connecting engineering ing, landscaping and façade repairs to create continuity and a sense of place in Chaldean Town. The second phase involved education and practice the development of a major retail space built with Middle he Department of Civil Engineering has won $7,500 as one of Eastern features and businesses. T five finalists in a competition sponsored by the National Council The team proposed the development of two apartment of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) for con- complexes, a community park, and the utilization of vacant necting engineering education with practice. buildings and lots for the third phase, which would coincide During the 2010–11 academic year, two senior project student with the completion of a proposed light rail project. teams put their engineering education into practice by collabo- Lawrence Tech College rating with the nonprofit corporation Self Help Addiction Reha- Professors Nadia Shuayto bilitation (SHAR) of Detroit, which is promoting the redevelop- (L) and Filza Walters (R) ment of blighted property in Detroit through its RecoveryPark flank students Timothy master plan. Truitt, Elizabeth Kamin- The Project E student capstone team developed plans for sky, and Mark Dotar, members of the team rehabilitating an abandoned market as an equestrian center for that won the master plan the Detroit Police Department. The project involves the renova- competition for Chaldean tion and expansion of a local landmark, the Chene-Ferry Market, Town in Detroit. rehabilitation of 12 square blocks in Detroit’s Eastern Market neighborhood, and the environmental remediation of 46 acres. The Earth, Preservation, and Recovery team proposed using Lawrence Tech supports a closed Detroit Public School building as a vocational school for urban farming and sustainable living skills. The project Future City competition would redevelop the former Frederick Douglass High School on Detroit’s east side. A new addition would house laboratories and Faculty and students of Lawrence Tech’s architectural engi- a greenhouse. neering program took the lead role in establishing a special During the planning process, the student teams worked with award, Architectural Engineering of an Integrated, High Per- mentors in the civil engineering profession and made their final forming City, in support of the Future City regional competi- presentations to an industry advisory board. They also were in tion sponsored by the Engineering Society of Detroit. contact with industry practitioners and community organizers. The award was won by Team 3 from the Detroit Edison “These two teams gained knowledge about an underserved Public School Academy. Teams were judged on their efforts population in the Detroit area, and they saw how their skills as in energy savings, sustainable living practices, team work, engineers can be used for the benefit of society,” said Associate and integration of buildings systems, technology, and the Professor Donald Carpenter, who was a faculty adviser along environment. with Assistant Professor John Tocco. Faculty and students from the College of Engineering and the College of Architecture and Design also participated in The student team of (L-R) Neil planning the event and serving as judges. Ganshorn, Lindsay Hakala, and Kevin Brown proposed an equestrian center for the Detroit Police Department.

Lawrence Tech students (L-R) Jessica Howard, Bryan Dage, Eric Walker, and Michael Kapetansky proposed an urban agri- tech vocational school.

Posing with one of the winning teams at the Future City regional competition are architectural engineering freshman Chris Fazzalare (L) and on the right, admissions counselor Kimberly Light, College Professor Filza Walters, director of Lawrence Tech’s architectural engineering program, and civil engineering graduate student Mishi Joshi.

Lawrence Tech Innovation 31 Student Awards

Outstanding Member of a Outstanding Service Award Student Organization Biomedical Engineering: Erick Blank and Alternative Energy Group: Amy Tsang Allison Andre American Society of Civil Engineers: Neil Ganshorn Civil Engineering: Matthew Hawley American Society of Mechanical Engineers: Aaron Hanson Computer Engineering: Moses Thompson Chi Epsilon Honor Society: Jessica Stiles Electrical Engineering: Eric Lezon CEO: Zhaolong Wang Mechanical Engineering: Matthew Meyer Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society: Ryan Meganck Technology: Nancy LaBelle Institute of Electrical/Electronic Engineers: Matthew Lanting Architectural Engineering: Timothy Truitt National Society of Black Engineers: Jasmine Jones Paul Michel Award: Eric Kostesich Academic Excellence Award Pi Tau Sigma Honorary: Cassondra Whitlow Architectural Engineering: Francesca Montana Society of Automotive Engineers: Derek Remillong Biomedical Engineering, senior: Danielle Beski Tau Beta Pi Honor Society: Bryan Clinton Civil Engineering, senior: Brittany Schuel Society of Manufacturing Engineers: Eric Patrick Civil Engineering and Architecture, dual degree: Shasta Gibbs Architectural Engineering: Michael Paciero Computer Engineering, senior: Matthew Lanting Biomedical Engineering Society: Meagan Richardson- Electrical Engineering, senior: Ryan Meganck Frazzitta Engineering, junior: Michael Newton Autonomous Vehicles and Robotic Systems: Zeran Gu Engineering Technology, senior: Bahaa (Bill) Harp American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Stephanie Shevenock Mechanical Engineering, senior: Ryan Meganck Blue Devil Motorsports: Patrick McInally Outstanding Student Award Biomedical Engineering: Steven Maloney Civil Engineering: Michael Kapetansky Computer Engineering: Bradley Latowski Electrical Engineering: Daniel McGee Engineering Technology: Steven Alexander Mechanical Engineering: Amy Tsang

Meagan Richardson-Frazzitta is honored as the 2011 outstanding member of the Biomedical Engineering Society by Lawrence Tech President Lewis Walker, Dean of Engineering Nabil Grace, and A. Leon Linton Department of Mechanical Engineering Chair Badih Jawad. Chi Epsilon inducts new class The 2011 inductees to the Chi Epsilon national civil engineering honor society chapter at Lawrence Tech include (L-R back row) Kirk Steudle, BSCE’87, director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, and Ahmad Hamawi, Grant Beahlen, Erik Jonge- ward, Alan Killewald, Jake Bilinski, Matthew Hawley, Michael Kapetansky, Nicholas Brass, and Bryan Clinton, and (front row) Ashley Dragan, Jessica Stiles, Brittany Schuel, Heather Gendron, Carmelle Tremblay, Katrin Bosch, Shasta Gibbs, and Madison Vanderburg. Faculty adviser Edmund Yuen is second from the right in the front row.

32 Lawrence Tech Innovation Opportunities in Engineering at Lawrence Tech Contact Lawrence Tech’s College of Engineering Lawrence Technological University Master’s Degrees leadership: offers a wide range of engineering Architectural Engineering (combined programs at its campus in Southfield, bachelor’s and master’s program) Mich. For more information, contact Automotive Engineering Nabil F. Grace the Office of Admissions at Civil Engineering Dean 800.225.5588 or [email protected], Construction Engineering Management Director, Center for Innovative or visit ltu.edu/futurestudents. Electrical and Computer Engineering Materials Research Engineering in Manufacturing Systems 248.204.2556 Associate Degrees Engineering Management* [email protected] Communications Engineering Industrial Engineering* Technology Mechanical Engineering Lewis G. Frasch Construction Engineering Technology Mechatronic Systems Engineering Associate Dean Manufacturing Engineering Technology 248.204.2504 Mechanical Engineering Technology Doctoral Degrees [email protected] Civil Engineering Bachelor’s Degrees Engineering in Manufacturing Systems Elin Jensen Architectural Engineering (combined Mechanical Engineering Associate Dean, Graduate Studies bachelor’s and master’s program) and Research Audio Engineering Technology Undergraduate Certificates 248.204.2067 Biomedical Engineering Alternative Energy Engineering [email protected] Biomedical Engineering Technology Technology Civil Engineering Biochemical Engineering Edmund Yuen Computer Engineering Bioelectronics Chair, Department of Civil Engineering Construction Management Biomechanics 248.204.2523 Electrical Engineering Electrical Power Systems [email protected] Engineering Technology Embedded Systems Industrial Operations Engineering Philip Olivier Mechanical Engineering Graduate Certificates Chair, Department of Electrical and Robotics Engineering Aeronautical Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Power Systems 248.204.2543 Minors Energy and Environmental [email protected] Aeronautical Engineering Management Energy Engineering Energy Engineering Badih A. Jawad Manufacturing Systems Chair, A. Leon Linton Department of Manufacturing Systems for the Mechanical Engineering Defense Industry 248.204.2553 Sustainability [email protected] Telecommunications Engineering Kenneth J. Cook *Also offered online Chair, Department of Engineering Technology 248.204.2507 [email protected]

Elin Jensen Acting Director, Biomedical Engineering Program 248.204.2067 [email protected] Lawrence Technological University College of Engineering Filza H. Walters Director, Architectural Engineering 21000 West Ten Mile Road Program Southfield, MI 48075-1058 800.225.5588 248.204.2610 ltu.edu/engineering [email protected] www.ltu.edu Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 391 Royal Oak, MI College of Engineering

Lawrence Technological University 21000 West Ten Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075-1058 www.ltu.edu

Lawrence Tech helps develop a ‘smart’ glucose meter

F or nearly 26 million Americans living Lawrence Tech researchers are experimenting with a sensor that is only with diabetes, using a glucose meter to check three millimeters long to capture an individual’s glucose readings and then their blood sugar levels – often several times transmit the information to medical practitioners via a smart phone. a day – is as routine as brushing their teeth or taking a shower. tion to connect to a smart phone or tablet. Monitoring and tracking these levels and “One of the main missions of our various compiling the patient’s history are critical to companies is to bring health-care access to the proper control of diabetes, but the glucose the point where most people can get connect- tests are intrusive and cumbersome. Up until ed using a mobile device, such as an iPod, now there has been no direct connection with iPad, or any type of smart phone,” said physicians or other health-care professionals. Jesse Kessler, CEO of InteractiveMD InteractiveMD, a “telehealth” company (www.interactivemd.com). based in Boca Raton, Fla., wants to take this medical technology “The goal is to have a mobile diabetes application that can to the next level by developing a “smart” glucose monitor that not only take tests throughout the day intermittently but can also can be plugged into virtually any mobile communication device store that data on a website to give the users and their physicians to acquire, display, and transmit blood glucose levels. access to it,” he said. “This is taking it to a new level.” A Lawrence Tech student team led by Umasankar Kandaswa- The Lawrence Tech prototype is unique in that the monitor is my, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, small and easy to use, yet extraordinarily rich in features due to is working with InteractiveMD to develop a working prototype. the marriage with a smart mobile device. Launched in early February, the project’s first phase is slated for Using the smart phone app, consumers will be able to choose completion by early April. options to track their activity, see how their day-to-day activ- “The future of diagnostic medicine hugely depends on reli- ity impacts their blood glucose level, and share the data with a able and simple devices that are both interoperable and interac- medical professional. Consumers can also keep a log of their tive,” Kandaswamy said. “What we are trying to achieve is a daily meals, workouts, and other activities. device that provides maximum comfort and ease of use.” “These details become very useful for getting the proper care The glucose meter is a solar-powered device, which means from physicians,” Kandaswamy said. “Traditional diagnostic de- the user never has to worry about replacing its battery. Further- vices will give the user just one piece of information, but when more, because it uses an audio port to communicate with the we tie the diagnostic technology to the user’s smart phone, we smart phone, the user doesn’t need any special cord or base sta- get the whole enchilada.” ®