TIhe MaQAZInE of ColORAdo Scl-lOol of MiNES — VoiuME 90 NuivibER 5 'Smcirt feet' help diabetics avoid surgery Alumni Events Calendar 5 Short Takes 8 Family Tree 13 Stones that fall from heaven Reunions 14 Space Station to help develop artificial bones Athletics 18 Visions of Africa For applied anything. Mines is best Learn by fishing People Watch 29 Students helping develop better heart valves In Memoriam 32 £ On the Move 33 I Alumni Notes & Quotes 42 Philanthropy at Mines J OoLol^ADO SCHOOL OF MINES Alumni Events MINES Mines is publislied quarterly by ihc Oilorndo School of Welcome to the new Mines magazine. September October November Mines and die CSM Alumni December Associtilion for iiiumni iind friends of the School. i ienver section ~7 Football: Mines of every month at West Denver /. 1 loliday parly 2 luncheon at ' at Fort Lewis thenookclifl" :)reakfast. 6:30 ClomnicMls anil siiggcstion.s This spring, Colorado School of Mines and the Colorado School of ^ 'Hie l-'elroieuni Merrick and College (Durango, Clountry t;iuh, 2730 . Sheraton Hotel, •jre welcome. 'I'hey miiy Cluh, .S:i3 ]7lhSt., Mines Alumni Association signed a historic agreement to jomtly produce Ctimpany, 24L-iO S. Colo.) Four Corners G iload. Call for Union Blvd., be directed to the phone I Jcnver. iieservation.s Peoria. Presentation section event TBA. information: John ewood, Colo, lUMiibcrs or ;iddress listed Mines magazine and to distribute it to aU alumni and friends of the School. required. (303) 273 on Cieograplhcal Howe (970) 2'12- aker: CSM 01 below. • 3293 3290. The new magazine you have in your hands is the result—a 48-page, Inlbrniation Systems, Golden Lunch 4903 or Del Ttilen lent body ' Bunch. An John I'refny,: four-color, quarterly publication that contains the most popular features I \'.^^) ii.m. (970) 236-1.118. president. $8 at informal alumni Interim President door. from each of its predecessors, Mines Magazine and Mines Today. O Grand Junction get-together at the (.iolorndo School of Minos Flomecoming We hope you like the new and improved coverage you are seeing in .section luncheon. Buffalo Rose, 1119 20 Michael VVat.scm, l')ireclor An informal aiurnni Washington St., this quarter's Mines. The changes include a redesigned and updated look, Golden, Colo., the CSM Aiumni Associiilioa get-together al noon O 1 lomecoming more articles, in-depth looks at alumni and their activities, and much more. second Thursday of the third 'Thursday game: Mines I,cali McN'cill, Co editor. of every month at every month, The change is more than skin deep. This joint publication of the CSM hosts Mesa Stale al Director of {:SM Ofiice 11:30 a.m. the hookclilf 1 ji.m. 'lailgate parly of Public Alhiirs Alumni Association and the Colorado School of Mines represents the (Country Ciub, at liroolcs Field, 2730 (.; Road. Call ^ Football: Mines Maureen Keller, tio editor interdependent relationship we have and our growing partnership. We • I !.:.30.a:m: for inlbrmation: hosts New (;SM Ahimni A.ssocf(Uion uiteiid to bring you the stories that you—our alumni and friends—care John Tlowe Mexico Highlands Soccer: Mines Contri!>uling Writers about from across the campus, as well as from alumni around the world. ('J7()) 242-1903 at 1 p.m. Tailgate 2V hostsDlJat Mi.sti Brady or Del Tolen party at Brooks Fioneor Field, 1 Although our partnership on Mines is new, the CSMAA and the School JefrDugyau (970) 236 1118. Field, 11:30 a.m. p.m. Tailgate pLU ly Marsha Konegni have always been partners on many issues and levels. For example, by at noon! Tickets: S2 O Grand Junction iJob Pearson O Z I'ootbali. Mines each for a group of Colorado law, the Board of Trustees must have a minimum of four ' section luncheon. Jo Marie Reeves ' hosts I't. iiays 20 or more, (lall An informal alumni Howard Stablclord members who are Mines alumni. One member of Mines' Board of Stale at I p.m. Tailgate Bob Pearson at get-together at noon Krys Strzelec Trustees serves as a member of the CSMAA Board of Directors. And party at Brooks (303) 273-3939. Jane 'i'aylor Fieki, 11:30 a.m. the third Thursday members of the CSiMAA Board and the School's Board of Trustees serve Fliotography on the Board of Directors of the CSM Foundation. These three groups all Doiij^las Biildwin Misti Brady work together, dependently and interdependentiy, for the good of Mines. CSIVIAA Mines Marbles KarlGehring Even as we make changes, our goal remains the same—to keep you Marsha Konegni : ORDER FORM Joe Lange connected to the School and each olher. We look forward to hearing from Ship to: Jane Taylor you about your magazine—Mines. Name Cover jihoto Karl Clchring .Atidress Vicki Cowart Frank Erisman John Trefny Grnphic Design CSMAA President CSM Board of CSM Interim City State Hmelene Ku.ssell Trustees President President Advertising & Design Telephone Printing Quantity Unit Frice 'Ibtal American Weh Mines marbles, the latest from the Miner's SlO/bag of 3 Mines marbles Pick, went on sale for the first time during Merchaniiise Total; Contact us by wriling lo Sales 'iiix: 7.3% (Colui-.K-iiioiily) MINI'S, i'.O, liox I4!() Reunion 2000. The marbles, each a spherical Postage & iiandling $ 1.30 Colden CO SOKIZ; or call triangle approximately 7/8 inch tall, come TOTAL (i>:ij';il)k- ID CSM.'\A) Mri-27^-yMA or five to a velour bag, four blue and one white. (KaO)'PK>-9488,cxr. 329^1 ii'liiri) fiimi ;i'Kt (."liccl; oi [iiont'y in\li'[ lii: They sell for $10 per bag plus $1.50 for between 8 a.m. and 'J p.m. CSMAA Mini'.^ M;ir[>li"s P.O. Ht'X i4l(n;i)li]i'i-;,(:o Him)?. shipping and handling. I I 4 ^'MfSmon IOOL 01 MINIS ^ '^'Mr^iiAliO SCHOOL 01 MINIS ^^^^^^^^ 'Smart feeti^ he p labetiics Although pam suppression is often the goal of medical these parameters can be used to predict the extent of potential attention, diabetics need to be able to feel their pain. ulceration. So a flexible sensor which fits inside the shoes or socks of The sensors can be linked to a handheld device, enabling the diabetes sufferers has been designed by researchers at Mines to patient to monitor a color map of temperature gradients on the prevent diabetes patients from developing ulcers and burns that foot. The information can also be transmitted automatically to a often lead to amputation. clinic, where medical staff can page the patient to alert them as The problem is extremely significant, according to Dr. Rahmat problems arise. Shoureshi, the G.A. Dobehnan Distinguished Professor of The research team is currently carrying out field trials with Engineering. Half of the amputations carried out in the United diabetes patients. States are due to diabetes. "Our long-term goal is a device cormected to part of a nerve A tragic complication for people with diabetes is a loss of blood that still works normally, which would send a signal to the brain," circulation to body extremities, such as the hands and feet. This Shoureshi said. "The bram would then react in a completely leads to numbness and lack of feeling in these areas. natural way, with the patient once again Teeling' the pain in his or Consequently patients don't realize if their feet are too close to a her foot." gas fire, for example, or if there is a small stone in their shoes that Shoureshi speculates that this technology could eventually be they are treadmg on all day long. Normally the brain would direct used for other conditions, too, such as lower-back pain. that the stone be removed immediately, but without any sensation And the military is even interested in combming it with the stone remains. Left undiscovered it can result in ulceration robotics to develop exoskeleton suits for soldiers that would eventually leading to amputation. enable them to jump higher and see farther! Shoureshi and research assistant Tim Romig '00 have worked with physicians at the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center to By Howard Stablefoi'd and Leah McNeill develop user-friendly sensors that measure temperature and pressure over the surface area of the sole of the foot. Changes in Large photo at left: Potential hot spots on a diabetic's foot are displayed on screen as sensors in his shoe send data to the computer. Insets: (Top) Dr. Rahmat Shom-eshi, left, and Tim Romig review data from the sensors. (Bottom) Sensors arc placed in the shoe of a patient tOR^;D"0"SCHO0L OF MINES during clinical trials. Shoirt Trefny named academics, research and the CSM Alumni Association, and technology and mathematics Teachers for his work in helping Marr receives Dr. Marr is one of only eight other friends of the School." education in 1997. determine the needs of future engineering educators from Interim President community. Wliile serving as Dow Outstanding He also received the graduates, leading to improve­ universities across the country vice president, he led a successful Accepting the appointment, Faculty Award Dr. John U. Treftiy, vice endeavor to reform the Mines Trefiiy said, "The School is in an Excellence in Science Teaching ment in K-12 science education. to receive this distinction, and president for academic affairs curriculum, an extensive effort excellent position for producing Award in 1992 from the Trefiiy served as head of the Chemical Engineering the only one from Colorado. and dean of faculty at Colorado which has been acknowledged leaders in science, engineering Colorado Association of Science CSM Department of Physics Assistant Professor David Marr He earned a B.S.