LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE | Spring/Summer 2011 Building for the future: New engineering research facilities energize both faculty and students NAIA membership rejuvenates interest in athletics | Charting a green future for Southwest Detroit A conversation with Dean Glen LeRoy | KCP initiatives enhance the college experience Alumni News & Notes | 2010 Donor Honor Roll, and more! Spring/Summer 2011 Volume XXIX, Number 2 Published by Lawrence Technological University, Office of Marketing and Public Affairs, 21000 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075-1058; LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 248.204.2200 or 800.CALL.LTU, ext. 4 Fax 248.204.2318 email: [email protected] Lewis N. Walker TABLE OF CONTENTS President Stephen E. Brown Vice President of University Advancement Editor: Bruce J. Annett, Jr. ([email protected]) Managing Editor: Eric Pope ([email protected]) Design: NetWorks Design, Inc. Writers: Bruce J. Annett, Jr.; Diana Jacokes; Chris Mead; Eric Pope Editorial Support: Deborah Faes, Dino Hernandez, Sofia Lulgjuraj, Chris Mead, Mary Randazzo Building for the future – Good sports – Alumni News – Photography: Bruce J. Annett, Jr.; New research facilities Lawrence Tech Recent graduate Steve Cantrell; Ken Cook; Gary Duncan; Tracy McGhee; Justin Munter; 1 attract a dynamic faculty 12 joins the National 24 plays key role in Eric Pope; Rick Smith; and others. and talented students. Association of Intercollegiate GM’s hybrid vehicles; gradu- © 2011 Lawrence Technological Athletics and adds varsity ate certificate program speeds University. All rights reserved. Bylined teams. a career transition; College articles reflect the author’s views and not necessarily either the opinions or of Engineering honors an the policies of the University. Comments automotive industry legend; about the Magazine, articles, or letters two television reality shows may be sent to the editor. Send address changes to the postal, fax, or email showcase work of alumni; and addresses noted above. more! On the cover: Assistant Professor Keith Kowalkowski discusses an innovative Alumni Notes – fiber reinforced composite speci- men with research assistant Stephen Moves, advance- Downing and student Marinna Plinka in ments, and other front of Lawrence Tech’s new MTS high- 30 force test system, which can be used Glen LeRoy – news from Lawrence Tech and The dean for a number of material property tests. discusses the College of DIT alumni near and far. An environmental chamber can be used Architecture and Design On Campus – to subject specimens to temperatures 6 ranging from -200°F to 200°F. and his vision for the future. State-funded KCP Donor Honor Roll initiatives enhance 2010 – Lawrence Correction: On page 14 of the Winter/ 14 Fall 2010 issue, we misidentified a the college experience; job Tech recognizes the 35 member of the SAE Aero team. Second prospects brighten for engi- generous support of its donors. from the right is Christopher Campbell, not Steve Musselman, a team member neering graduates; Detroit who wasn’t in the photo. art gallery showcases student work; Army Corps of engi- Notice of non-discriminatory policy: Lawrence Technological University neers partners with Lawrence adheres and conforms to all federal, Tech; and more! state, and local civil rights regulations, statutes, and ordinances. No person, student, faculty, or staff member will knowingly be discriminated against relative to the above statutes. Lawrence Tech is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Sustainable urbanism – 10 Lawrence Tech helps chart a green future for Southwest Detroit. Building for the future ean Nabil Grace and the faculty of the College of Engineering are on a quest for pre-eminence, and one key to success will Dbe the addition of cutting-edge research facilities. While the College’s proposed five-year strategic plan sets lofty goals that will require millions of New engineering dollars in investment, individual professors are already making a difference by bringing research facilities new technologies to the Lawrence Tech attract a dynamic campus. faculty and talented students. Nabil Grace (center) discusses Lawrence Tech’s new MTS high-force test system with University Advancement’s Mark Brucki and Congressman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in the Center for Innovative Materials Research at Lawrence Tech. L AWRENCE TECH MAGAZINE 1 Building CONTINUED New research facilities are needed to Undergraduate and graduate students have been very involved in Grace’s own research activities on innovative materials, such maintain the College of Engineering’s strong as carbon-fiber reinforced polymers. “I know from personal experience that exciting and innovative research projects that are national reputation and its ability to attract a of national interest attract the best students,” he said. dynamic faculty as well as talented and quali- The College of Engineering’s current drive to improve its research and teaching facilities got started with the construction fied students who have the potential to become of the Center for Innovative Materials Research (CIMR) under Grace’s leadership as chair of the Department of Civil Engineer- leaders in their profession. ing. Dedicated in 2008, it was built through an $11 million co- operative research agreement with the Army Research Labora- “Students can’t be expected to reach their potential unless tory (ARL) that also involved the U.S. Army’s Tank Automotive they are exposed to innovative educational programs, and to Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in do that we must give them nearby Warren. experience with cutting-edge The Army’s investment has research that excites their in- ‘Students can’t be expected to led to ongoing testing of com- terest and meets their needs,” ponents, and several research Grace said. “We want their reach their potential unless they are projects are currently under time at Lawrence Tech to be a exposed to innovative educational way for TARDEC. Many life-changing experience.” programs, and to do that we of the other investigations A new building for the conducted at CIMR center College of Engineering is the must give them experience with on Grace’s own research on centerpiece of Grace’s five- cutting-edge research.’ long-lasting, corrosion-free year plan, and that vision is materials and designs for high- much closer to reality now that way bridges, which has been A. Alfred Taubman has committed $11 million to the cause. (See supported by federal and state transportation departments, the story on back cover.) Michigan Economic Development Corp., the National Science But Grace and the engineering faculty are not standing still Foundation, and other sources. while waiting for the new building. During the past year Law- rence Tech has added an impressive array of research equip- Adding new research capabilities ment that will improve instruction and research opportunities CIMR has been equipped with state-of-the-art, full-scale test- in civil engineering, biomedical engineering, mechatronics, and ing and research equipment, and the latest addition is the MTS mechanical engineering. Model 311 Four Post Load Frame, a high-force test system that can be used for a number of material property tests. High- force mechanical testing is critical for determining the performance and durabil- ity properties of large, high- strength candidate materials, components, and sub-assem- blies across a diverse array of industries. “Finding and using proper testing equipment to fulfill this Students Stacy Kaiser and Erick Blanck receive instruction from Assistant Professor Yawen Li on how to operate Lawrence Tech’s new environmental scanning electron microscope. 2 S PRING/SUMMER 2011 Students Tim Mullins and Brian Figueiredo and Assistant Professor Eric Meyer moni- tor data generated by the movements of Bill Slesinski in Lawrence Tech’s Experimental Biomechanics Laboratory. need is challenging because required test applications can range Grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the widely from simple, static strength characterization to complex, National Science Foundation will cover part of the $400,000 dynamic life studies,” Grace said. “Lawrence Tech’s new system investment, which will include an environmental chamber pur- is uniquely suited for the tremendous demands of high-force, chased separately. high-velocity tension and compression, and high-frequency The ElectroPuls system will provide a new method for fatigue testing with exposure to various environmental condi- measuring the test results. Instead of recording readings from tions.” sensors attached to the test materials, a state-of-the-art laser There are military applications for the new equipment, and video sensor will measure strains without any contact with the ARL and TARDEC provided partial funding as part of a com- prehensive two-year research investigation examining a variety of advanced state-of-the-art lightweight, high-strength materials. The Army’s investment has led to The tests not only evaluate the strength of the materials them- selves, but also the manufacturing process that is required to ongoing testing of components, and fabricate the materials. several research projects are The MTS machine can be used for a variety of academic, currently under way for TARDEC. industrial, and research applications. It provides another oppor- tunity for Lawrence Tech students to participate in sophisticated research projects and it is also an effective teaching tool, accord- test specimens. The system is totally electric, so there