University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering Fall 2007 emerging ENERGY SOLUTIONS DEAN’S MESSAGE CONTENTS A Time of Transition As we continue to move forward, the Cullen College of Engineering can take 4 College News Briefs pride in all that we’ve accomplished over the last decade. After nine years as dean of engineering, Raymond Flumerfelt recently stepped down from his leadership 8 EMERGING ENERGY SOLUTIONS position. We are pleased to have Joseph W. Tedesco, chair of the Department UH Cullen College of Engineering researchers are working to provide solutions to some of the biggest energy of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida, join us on Jan. 1, challenges that our nation and our world will face in the coming decades. From oil production to clean engines 2008 as the college’s sixth dean (learn more about him on page 4). to wind, research conducted by UH engineering professors may offer solutions to many of these problems. [ 10 ] Recoverable Resources Flumerfelt’s tenure as dean was very successful and his achievements are reflected [ 14 ] Cleaner Consumption clearly in the numbers. Under his leadership, external research expenditures [ 16 ] Going Green doubled; the number of Ph.D. students graduated in our college has also doubled since 1998; and our standards for undergraduates have increased. 18 Faculty & Staff Notes He led the creation and launch of many new programs and offices designed to ensure the success of our students, such as the Industrial Scholar Interns 22 Special Feature Program and the Engineering Career Center. To better meet community and Parameters is published biannually by the Making an Impact industry needs, he initiated various leadership and advisory boards throughout University of Houston Cullen College of Cullen College of Engineering’s fifth dean, Raymond Flumerfelt, steps down after nine years of leadership. Engineering, Office of Communications. the college that strengthen our ties to the Houston area. I speak for everyone 26 in our college in thanking him for his leadership and wishing him well in Director Student Profile—Courtney Bird Lindsay Lewis Engineering Trends: Graduate Student Works on New-Concept Shopping Development the future. A new trend in communities around the Houston area is the development of town centers that provide a Editor Incoming Dean Tedesco and I will stay in regular contact in the coming months Toby Weber thriving urban environment in their suburban locale, a regional destination for shopping, entertainment, to provide him with the information he will need to “hit the ground running” business and culture. University of Houston engineering graduate student Courtney Bird is on the forefront of Graphic Designer in January. This will require a period of reflection and self-study that will Harriet Yim this trend—her work contributed to the design of the new Pearland Town Center. enable us to best enunciate the strengths that exist within our college and the Contributing Editor 28 Student News challenges that lie before it. Angie Shortt We will continue our efforts to recruit high-quality undergraduate students Contributing Writers 30 Alumni Profile—Durga Agrawal, Brij Agrawal Krista Kuhl Common Causes to the college through outreach events, cooperative work with the university’s John Lienhard Honors College and by providing competitive scholarship packages. In Lisa Merkl Cullen College of Engineering alumni Durga and Brij Agrawal, along with relative Hari Agrawal, trace their success and generosity to their early years in India and the opportunities of the United States. addition, we will continue to emphasize our Ph.D. programs, while at the same Contributing Photographers time offering master’s level programs with wide appeal to the people of the John Kish IV Mark Lacy 34 Class Notes & Alumni News greater-Houston area. Steven Pinchback Pathik Shah Finally, we continue to make great strides in the area of research. We have Jeff Shaw 38 Last Word well-respected programs in numerous fields, including materials science, Thomas Shea On Energy Efficiency and Consumption Todd Spoth nanotechnology and energy—the last of which is the focus of this issue UH Professor Emeritus John Lienhard offers a historical perspective on energy via a past episode of his NPR pa·ram·e·ter of Parameters. Contact us: radio program, The Engines of Our Ingenuity. e e Pronunciation: p e -’ram- -t r Office of Communications Function: noun I am also pleased to announce that our college is leading the Lone Star Wind Cullen College of Engineering 40 Calendar Etymology: New Latin, from para- University of Houston + Greek metron measure Alliance, which was recently awarded funds from the State of Texas and the E316 Engineering Bldg 2 Date: 1656 Houston, Texas 77204-4009 U.S. Department of Energy to open one of only two large wind turbine blade Phone 713.743.4217 1: a. an arbitrary constant whose value characterizes testing facilities in the country (see page 5). Fax 713.743.8240 a member of a system (as a family of curves); also: E-mail [email protected] a quantity (as a mean or variance) that describes a I want to thank everyone in advance for assisting me during this transition www.egr.uh.edu statistical population b. an independent variable used to express the period as we look forward to welcoming Joseph Tedesco as our new dean Those wishing to reprint articles or coordinates of a variable point and functions of in January. photographs should contact the editor. Use them — compare PARAMETRIC EQUATION the credit line: Reprinted with permission of the University of Houston Cullen College of 2: any of a set of physical properties whose values Engineering. Clippings are appreciated. determine the characteristics or behavior of something <parameters of the atmosphere such Sincerely, The University of Houston provides equal treatment and as temperature, pressure and density> opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or Emerging Energy Solutions 3: something represented by a parameter: sexual orientation except where such distinction is required by law. This statement reflects compliance with Titles VI and As worldwide energy consumption continues to grow, natural resources a characteristic element; broadly: VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational like oil and gas will become increasingly more expensive to locate CHARACTERISTIC, ELEMENT, FACTOR Amendments of 1972, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the and retrieve, resulting in higher prices and a sometimes-inconsistent <political dissent as a parameter of modern life> Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and all other federal and state regulations. The University of Houston is the supply. UH Cullen College of Engineering researchers are developing 4: LIMIT, BOUNDARY — usually used in plural Frank J. “Fritz” Claydon doctoral degree-granting and largest university of the University the technologies that will prolong fossil fuel production and lower its <the parameters of science fiction> Interim Dean of Houston System, a public system of higher education that consumption, while developing cleaner and greener technologies that includes three other universities: UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown prove to be sustainable. Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and UH-Victoria. Parameters Fall 2007 2 3 University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering College News Briefs UH Names New Engineering Dean UH-Led Group Wins Wind Power Facility The University of Houston has “I am extremely proud and honored to have been selected as the sixth dean of the Cullen named Joseph W. Tedesco the College of Engineering,” said Tedesco. “I am sixth dean of the Cullen College tremendously impressed by the number of of Engineering. high-quality faculty in the Cullen College, and am excited by the prospect of collaborating A group led by the University of Houston Cullen This facility could also attract blade manufacturers to Texas in the The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2008. with the faculty to develop emerging research coming years, thereby acting as an economic growth engine for the state, opportunities and strengthen existing College of Engineering has won a major award noted Flumerfelt. “With this facility, we should be able to draw blade “I am delighted the Cullen College will benefit academic and research areas of excellence. I from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manufacturers to the region. That’s already starting to happen. We’ve from the leadership skills of Joe Tedesco,” look forward to the opportunity to enhance already been contacted by manufacturers about building the blades here.” said Don Foss, UH senior vice president for the national recognition and prestige of the create one of the world’s only facilities for testing academic affairs and provost. “He has a wealth Cullen College, as well as foster educational large-scale wind turbines. This award anchors A number of groups were vital to the success of the Lone Star Wind of positive experience in both the teaching and research alliances with the greater- Alliance’s proposal. The Texas Legislature pledged $5 million toward and the research domains, and has been a Houston community.” the college and the state as leaders in wind power the construction of the facility. Texas’ congressional delegation also highly effective leader of his department at research and production. strongly backed the effort, with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison championing the University of Florida. Consistent with our As a researcher, Tedesco has conducted dozens the effort. of investigations into the dynamic response The facility will be created through a partnership between the DOE’s emphasis on multidisciplinary work, he has The membership of the Lone Star Wind Alliance includes: the University of structures and materials to high-intensity, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the UH-led Lone Star Wind been a leader and participant in numerous of Houston; Texas General Land Office; Texas Workforce Commission; short-duration impulse loadings.