Missouri University of Science and Technology Scholars' Mine Missouri S&T Magazine Special Collections Missouri S&T Magazine Fall/Winter 2018 Missouri S&T Marketing and Communications Department Miner Alumni Association Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/alumni-magazine Recommended Citation Missouri S&T Marketing and Communications Department and Miner Alumni Association, "Missouri S&T Magazine Fall/Winter 2018" (2018). Missouri S&T Magazine. 10. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/alumni-magazine/10 This Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars' Mine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Missouri S&T Magazine by an authorized administrator of Scholars' Mine. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MISSOURI S&T MAGAZINE MISSOURI S&T MAGAZINE FALL/WINTER 2018 VOL. 92 NO. 3 MENTORS, LEADERS, MENTORS, LEADERS, GUIDES MENTORS, GUIDES A LOOK AT THE NEW FACES OF LEARNING AT MISSOURI S&T. MAKING TORNADO ALLEY SAFER 4 FALL/WINTER 2018 VOL. 92 NO. 3 2018 VOL. FALL/WINTER HOW MANY BLASTS CAN A MINE SEAL TAKE? 18 FC_FW 2018.indd 1 11/13/18 3:45 PM Wishing you the BEST-EVER holiday season A lot has changed since the first St. Pat’s celebration in 1908, but the patron saint of engineers remains a steadfast symbol of tradition, pride and revelry by more than 60,000 Miner alumni. As you consider your year-end giving decisions, we hope you’ll remember the Miner Alumni Association. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference — and make memories — for Miners today, tomorrow and for generations to come. mineralumni.com/give and a little Miner mischief. FW18_Section1_V2.indd 1 11/13/18 3:47 PM AROUND THE PUCK Making tornado alley safer 4 Grace Yan uses small-scale tornado simulators to mimic a twister. An eye for business 6 Tim Schreffl hopes to use his education and love of sports to land a job with a major sports brand. To improve nuclear energy, 10 look inside the fuel pins Joseph Graham uses gamma radiation to see through spent nuclear fuel. 50 years of teaching excellence 13 Gerald Cohen and Gary Long joined the S&T faculty in 1968 and are still educating Miners. Homecoming: Minerfest 2018 14 Check out a few of the scenes from S&T’s 2018 Homecoming celebration. How many blasts can 18 a mine seal take? Kyle Perry is building a giant cannon to blast debris at concrete mine seals. Inspired to scholarship 21 Four faculty members influenced Nicholas Villanueva, Hist’06, to pursue an academic career. FEATURES Mentors, leaders, guides 22 These new S&T faculty are productive and passionate about teaching. See how they’ve made a home at S&T. BEYOND THE PUCK Come together 36 Catch a glimpse of alumni events at sections across the country. Class notes 37 Find out what your former classmates are up to. Rock-and-roll grandpa earns Ph.D. 41 Mike Lusher, CE’96, MS CE’04, PhD CE’18, goes from Def Leppard roadie to civil engineer. Memorials 45 We remember our CORRECTION classmates and friends. The obituary ofJoseph Davis, MS CE’69, that ran in the Summer 2018 issue of the magazine Keeping civil in the family incorrectly included a photo of Jimmy L. Davis, ME’70, who is not deceased. We apologize for 48 Steve, CE’87, MS EMgt’94; Tom, CE’88; the error. Joseph Davis’ correct obituary appears on page 47. and Bob, CE’63, Sieckhaus. MISSOURI S&T MAGAZINE 1 FW18_Section1_V2.indd 1 11/13/18 3:48 PM 8,607 MAGAZINE Students enrolled for the fall semester at Missouri S&T. Classes started Aug. 20. Missouri S&T Magazine is written, edited and designed by the staff of the Missouri S&T Marketing and Communications Department Percentage of first- Missouri S&T’s ranking among and the Miner Alumni Association. year freshmen who engineering3 programs nationwide, 3 CHANCELLOR receive scholarships according to College Factual. This and financial aid. is the fifth consecutive year S&T Christopher G. Maples has achieved a No. 3 ranking. VICE CHANCELLOR FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Joan Nesbitt MINER ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Stephen W. Rector, PetE’72, MS PetE’73 EDITORS Nancy Hatch (Alumni) MISSOURI S&T BY THE NUMBERS Mary Helen Stoltz, Engl’95 (News & Features) ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITORS Maridel Allinder Andrew Careaga Peter Ehrhard Sarah Potter ASSOCIATE ALUMNI EDITORS Logan Campbell Melanie Keeney, Hist’06, MBA’12 DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Jake Otto Lindsay Stanford Lishia Stevens STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER $530,000 Sam O’Keefe Royalty income Missouri S&T received from CONTRIBUTORS patents on commercialized inventions and Terry Barner Delia Croessmann products during last fiscal year. Mindy Limback Alan Scher Zagier Missouri S&T Magazine (ISSN 1084-6948) is issued three Employers recruiting times per year (April, August, December) in the interest of the graduates and former students of the Missouri School of Mines at the Fall Career and Metallurgy, the University of Missouri-Rolla and Missouri Fair, held on campus University of Science and Technology. Missouri S&T Magazine is Sept. 25 — a new record. published by the Miner Alumni Association, Missouri S&T, 1100 N. 331 Pine St., Rolla, MO 65409-0650. Missouri S&T Magazine is printed by LSC Communications, Liberty, Mo. Covers are printed on 114 lb. — 7 pt. Sterling White; interior pages are printed on 60 lb. Sterling White. Missouri S&T Magazine is printed using soy-based ink. Send letters to: News & features: Darlene Ramsay Phone: 573-341-4328 Miner Alumni Association Fax: 573-341-6157 1100 N. Pine St. Email: [email protected] Percentage of first-generation Rolla, MO 65409-0650 magazine.mst.edu college19 students enrolled Last year the Miners appeared in a post-season bowl Phone: 800-JO-MINER at Missouri S&T during game before this season. The Miners played in the Fax: 573-341-4706 the fall semester. Mineral Water Bowl on Dec. 1, 2018. Email: [email protected] 2 AROUND THE PUCK FALL/WINTER 2018 FW18_Section1_V2.indd 2 11/14/18 8:57 AM “Favorite class: Music Appreciation.” “My favorite class Ken Bowles, EE’66 was Nuclear Union, Mo. Chemistry taught “Any class that Dr. Al Spreng (professor by Dr. (Bill) Webb. Q&A It piqued my interest in the nuclear emeritus of geology industry. As a graduate student, and geophysics) taught! half of my courses were in nuclear BEST CLASS EVER engineering. That spurred my 36- He was a great teacher and mentor — as well as a year career at Bettis Atomic Power friend later in life.” What was your Laboratory working on engineering Gail Davidge Kettenbrink, GGph’67 aspects of the nuclear power plants on favorite class? Tipton, Iowa submarines and aircraft carriers.” As part of his research for the Ron Mitchell, ChE’63, MS ChE’64, S&T sesquicentennial history PhD ChE’70 Tallmadge, Ohio book, Larry Gragg, Curators’ “My favorite class was Distinguished Teaching Professor emeritus of history Mineral Processing taught by and political science, asked Prof. (Ken) Clifford. “Favorite class? Two you to share memories of This subject helped me to advance my career actually — Geology 55 your favorite class. Here are a from a mining engineer to plant manager, chief few of your answers. mining engineer in charge of quarries in the USA, and 56, Earth Science I Mexico and Nova Scotia, Canada, as well as UAE, Turkey, Oman, West Africa, Bulgaria, Iran and and II, taught by Dr. (Tom) more countries. Excellent class. I hope the school continues to offer these classes.” Beveridge (MinE’42).” “My favorite Bahram Shajary, MinE’77 John R. Walker, Econ’77 class was Orange, Calif. Russellville, Ark. Advanced “Digital “Definitely, my favorite class during Structure computer lab my stay at UMR was Metallurgy as well as Thermodynamics, taught by Dr. Design. Control Fred Kisslinger (ChE’42). Never used it in my 31 years with MoDOT, A really great experience and very useful knowledge in but it still was very interesting and Systems I.” my professional life.” reinforced my previous training in bridge David G. Sizemore, EE’71 Juan F. Mojica, MetE’74, MS Phys’74, PhD Phys’75 design as well as engineering statics. It was San Diego Monterrey, N.L. Mexico Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy when I started and University of Missouri- Rolla when I graduated. It was a very good investment for me, and I had a great career thanks to the many professors who taught “One of my favorites was the Witches and me the fundamentals. By the grace of God, I made it through the school and enjoyed a Witchcraft class with Dr. (Larry) Gragg. reasonably good lifestyle. I am now retired He knew how to challenge and help you understand the research and material. I also really and enjoying this career. Go Miners!” enjoyed German classes with Dr. (Gerald) Cohen, he was a fun and interesting professor.” Marvin D. Phillips, CE’70 Adam Smith, Hist’10 Jefferson City, Mo. LeSueur, Minn. MISSOURI S&T MAGAZINE 3 FW18_Section1_V2.indd 3 11/13/18 3:48 PM MAKING TORNADO ALLEY SAFER In prospect theory, researchers have found that people are more willing Growing up in northeast China, Guirong to endure certain-but-smaller financial losses than take the lesser risk of losing a larger amount all at once, Yan explains. So, in that scenario, paying “Grace” Yan didn’t see many tornados an annual $5,000 insurance premium over 30 years for a total of $150,000 is still preferable to a one-time loss of the same amount, she says.