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Fall 2015 edition of launch The UAH College of Engineering publication of research, scholarship, education and service.
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launch
COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE
Go Innovate●Learn Integrity●Be Inspiring
Fall 2015
CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS & ARTICLES
4 Energy Storage and Conversion
5 Improving Bridge Safety
5 Cybersecurity
6 Faculty Highlights
7 Tech Trek/BEST
8 New Faculty
10 Student Highlights
12 Student, Staff, Alumni Honors
14 At a Glance
ON THE COVER
CME Prof. Yu Lei’s research on In Situ Characterization
under Reaction Conditions
launch Engineering at UAH | Fall 2015
EDITOR:
Jennifer English
PHOTOGRAPHER:
Michael Mercier
●●●
DEAN OF ENGINEERING
Shankar Mahalingam
ASSOCIATE DEAN
GRADUATE EDUCATION & RESEARCH
Michael Anderson
ASSOCIATE DEAN
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Jennifer English
●●●
ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CHAIRS
CHEMICAL & MATERIALS (CME)
Krishnan Chittur
CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL (CEE)
Shankar Mahalingam
ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER (ECE)
Ravi Gorur
INDUSTRIAL & SYSTEMS (ISEEM)
Paul Collopy
MECHANICAL & AEROSPACE (MAE)
D. Keith Hollingsworth
●●●
launch
The College of Engineering (COE) at UAH publishes news and information on current
research, academic programs, and student achievements. To reproduce material contained
in this newsletter, please contact the COE Dean’s Office at:
Birgit A. Gatlin, Administrative Assistant to the Dean
UAH College of Engineering
301 Sparkman Drive, EB 102
Huntsville, Alabama 35899
Telephone: (256) 824.6474 Email: birgit.gatlin@uah.edu
CHARGER GIVING
Friends and alumni can assist our mission by providing financial support and resources that
will contribute to the College’s strategic research and educational goals. Consider giving to
support both undergraduate and graduate student scholarships, to fund faculty
endowments, and to enhance research and educational facilities and programs.
To learn more about giving options, please contact the Dean of Engineering, Prof. Shankar
Mahalingam at shankar.mahalingam@uah.edu or 256.824.6474, or the Vice-President for
Advancement, Mr. Robert Lyon at robert.lyon@uah.edu or 256.824.6501.
BECOME A CHARGER
Faculty: The College of Engineering (COE) has several open tenure-track faculty positions.
For more information, go to www.uah.edu/eng and go to Faculty Search. UAH is an
affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.
Graduate Students: The COE offers MSE and PhD degrees in a broad range of engineering
disciplines. College faculty lead strong research programs to support student research
projects. For more information on graduate programs, go to www.uah.edu/eng.
Undergraduate Students: The COE offers the BS degree in 8 ABET-accredited programs:
Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial & Systems, Mechanical, and
Optical Engineering. Undergraduate students have numerous hands-on opportunities
including nationally recognized engineering teams, undergraduate research, and
cooperative education and internship programs. For more information go to www.uah.edu/
eng/departments/undergraduate-engineering.
Page 2
LETTER FROM THE DEAN Once again, a concerted effort to recruit undergraduate students led by UAH’s Office of Admissions has resulted in
a 6.3% increase in enrollment in 2015. Our first-time full-time engineering freshmen numbers increased by 37%
following a 23% increase from 2014. In 2016, we expect undergraduate enrollment in the College of Engineering to
surpass 2000 for the first time in UAH’s history. Our graduate enrollment, although slightly down, is healthy with 520
students pursuing masters and PhD degrees in engineering. UAH awarded 336 BS, 125 MSE/MS, and 18 PhD degrees in
engineering this past year. This is a reflection of the dedication of our college faculty and staff to student success.
We are particularly delighted to welcome several outstanding faculty members to our College in the areas of
systems engineering, outdoor insulators for large electric power systems, antenna theory and design, cybersecurity for
industrial systems, friction stir welding and additive manufacturing. They are profiled in this edition of launch.
UAH alumni Daniel Schumacher (PhD, Sys Eng, 2005) and Krista Walton (BSE CHE, 2000) received the UAH Alumni
of Achievement Award. Johnny Stephenson (BSE ISE, 1987) was named Director of NASA MSFC’s Office of Strategic
Analysis and Communications, John Honeycutt (BSE ME, 1990) was appointed Manager of the Space Launch System at
NASA MSFC, William Emrich (PhD ME, 2003) was named the 2015 National Engineer of the Year by the AIAA, and J. N.
Reddy (PhD ME, 1974) was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering in 2015. Some of our more
recent alumni have had success including Erin Looney (BSME, 2015) started her graduate studies at MIT, and Shreyas
Bidadi (PhD ME, 2015) received a prestigious Marie Curie postdoctoral fellowship. Their achievements are a great source
of pride for our faculty, and their success serves as an inspiration for our students.
Earlier this year, our concrete
canoe team placed third in the
Southeastern Regional competition
held in Chattanooga, TN. The AIAA
Region II Student Conference
continues to see an increase in the
number of UAH students participating
(10 presentations in 2015), and our
Space Hardware Club’s membership
continues to skyrocket with 120 plus
members, representing 10 degree programs, 8 project teams, and 46 ballooning missions. Their one month initiation
project is an outstanding example of real world projects that enables member students (freshmen) to learn about
electrical design, embedded system programming, 3D manufacturing, and program management.
Our faculty research activities continue to attract national attention. George Nelson received the very prestigious
National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award in support of his research on batteries operating under elevated
temperatures. Yu Lei received a 2015 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Award from Oakridge Associated Universities in
support of his research on catalysts. Farbod Fahimi led a second group of 10 students from around the United States in
an NSF funded Unmanned Systems Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in the summer of 2015. David
Coe is leading a research effort funded by the National Security Agency (NSA) that will help integrate cybersecurity into
the design process for products that are a part of the Internet of Things.
These are just a few examples of the amazing activities and accomplishments of our faculty, current and former
students. I hope you will enjoy reading our fifth Annual College of Engineering Newsletter. I am grateful to our supporters
both within and beyond UAH. Our accomplishments are a direct result of their support of our students, faculty, and staff.
Best regards,
Shankar Mahalingam
Dean and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
December 2015
UAH's 2015 Engineering freshmen working on their one-month project sponsored by the Space Hardware
Club. Junior and senior club members serve as project mentors.
Page 3
NSF CAREER Award recipient and MAE Professor George Nelson seeks to understand
degradation in lithium-ion batteries operating under elevated temperature conditions. This goal
will be achieved by comparing the performance and reliability of battery electrodes with
ordered and irregular microstructure based on electrochemical measurements and direct
observation of 3D microstructure using x-ray nanotomography. The nanotomography
measurements will include imaging electrode samples under operational conditions and at
elevated temperatures. Insights from this CAREER research will advance battery performance
and reliability. Improved performance and reliability will in turn extend the range and lifetime
of hybrid and electric vehicles, realizing significant savings to consumers while reducing
negative environmental impacts.
Prof. Nelson leads the Multi-scale Transport
and Energy Conversion (MTEC) research
group which focuses energy storage and
conversion. Research projects address a
diverse set of energy storage and
conversion devices including: batteries, fuel
cells, and thermoelectric materials.
Prof. Nelson and his group seek to
understand how multi-scale geometry
affects the flow of mass, charge, and
energy. Their work focuses on observing the
structure of batteries and fuel cells using x-
ray and neutron imaging techniques, as well
as the design and implementation of in situ
imaging experiments. In situ imaging
allows investigators to observe key energy
materials under operational conditions, and sheds new light on the physical
behavior of these systems. These imaging studies are complemented with
computer modeling and benchtop experiments.
Advancing energy storage technology is an inherently multiscale and
multidisciplinary problem. The 3D image data obtained, and the insights gained
from its analysis, will enable future engineers to design batteries, fuel cells, and
other energy conversion devices with higher performance and enhanced
reliability.
Prof. Nelson joined the MAE Department at UAH in 2012 and received the NSF
Career Award in 2015. Dr. Nelson received his BS (2003), MS (2006), and PhD
(2009) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Prior to his
appointment at UAH , he worked as Assistant Research professor at the University
of Connecticut. For more information about Prof. Nelson and his research, visit
mtec.uah.edu or email Prof. Nelson at george.nelson@uah.edu.
NSF CAREER: Energy Storage and Conversion Devices
Cross-sections of x-ray nanotomography
data for Li-ion battery materials. This 3D
image data enables characterization of key
materials and computer simulation of
physical processes in real battery structures
Prof. G. Nelson
MAE Department
MAE students van Zandt (l) and Looney (r)
prepare an enzymatic battery test cell for in
situ neutron imaging
A sample containing battery
cathode materials is checked
and aligned (l) prior to nanoto-
mography using an x-ray micro-
scope (r) (Photo Credit: Logan
Ausderau, MAE Graduate Stu-
dent)
Page 4
Improving Alabama Bridge Safety Horizontally curved highway bridges are commonly built throughout
the country where the roadway or surrounding terrain requires curved
geometry and long spans. Unlike a straight girder bridge, the
geometrical nature of a horizontally curved bridge causes torsion in
the girders which can lead to substantial warping and increased shear
stresses. The interaction between the warping/shear stress and the
flexural stress makes curved steel girders prone to lateral-torsional
buckling and other stability issues. Professor Hongyu Zhou and his
research team are investigating the stability performance of
horizontally curved I-girders during construction. This research is
sponsored the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT).
Specifically, all phases of construction including girder transport,
lifting, as well as concrete deck placement are studied in conjunction
with various load combinations. Combined numerical study and field
tests on the SR-203 Pea River Bridge in Coffee County, Alabama are
being carried out, and the results will provide important guidance for
ensuring the safety of curved highway bridge construction.
Professor Zhou conducts his research in the recently completed UAH
Structural Hazard Mitigation and Intelligent Materials (SHM&IM)
Laboratory). This laboratory is supported by the College of
Engineering and the UAH Research Infrastructural Fund (RIF).
The equipment consists of several MTS servo-hydraulic test
systems, and a self-reacting structural loading frame that was
constructed in the Olin B. King Technology Hall. This versatile
loading frame is equipped with high capacity servo-hydraulic
actuators that can be readily assembled into different
configurations to suit the tests of full-scale wall units, girders,
and large-size structural assemblies. “We are excited to be able
to offer large-scale structural test capabilities at UAH.” says
Professor Zhou. For more information, contact Prof. Zhou at
hongyu.zhou@uah.edu or 256.824.5029.
Structural Analysis of curved steel girders.
ECE Professors David Coe, Jeff Kulick, and Aleksandar
Milenkovic are teaming with CS Professors Letha Etzkorn and
Sun-il Kim on a one year NSA grant to develop a lightweight
virtualization architecture that can be used to build cybersecurity
into systems that are part of the Internet of Things (IOT). The
proposed architecture will move the inclusion of cybersecurity
features into the design process of the product. This research will
leverage Profs. Kulick’s and Coe’s research on safety-critical
systems, a domain where safety analysis must be infused throughout the system design and development process
rather than layered on afterwards as security is currently practiced. This research also builds upon Prof. Milenkovic's
work in embedded systems, hardware-software co-design, and secure processing. "While finding flaws and repairing
them will continue to be an important focus in cybersecurity research, this work focuses on an architectural approach to
building security into the system at the outset," says Prof. Coe, the project's principal investigator. For more information,
contact Prof. Coe at david.coe@uah.edu or 256.824.3583.
Prof. D. Coe
ECE Department
Prof. J. Kulick
ECE Department
Prof. A. Milenkovic
ECE Department
NSA Funds Cybersecurity for IOT
Prof. Zhou and CEE student working in SHM&IM Laboratory
Page 5
Faculty News & Highlights
ECE Prof Emil Jovanov has
developed a smart water bottle
which advanced to the final
round in Alabama Launchpad
Start-Up Competition. Launchpad
promotes and rewards high-
growth, innovative startups from
across Alabama that are new,
innovative ventures in the seed or early-growth
stages, or existing businesses moving into a new
high-growth market. Currently in the patent
application process, the smart water bottle has
electronic sensors to make it easy for users and
medical personnel to track the amount of fluids
consumed in a day. The information is automatically
transmitted via the cloud to a smartphone or care
facility network. For more information, contact Prof.
Jovanov at emil.jovanov@uah.edu.
Prof. E. Jovanov,
ECE Department
Launchpad Invention Work Continues
College of Engineering Dean and MAE
Prof. Shankar Mahalingam, has been
elected Fellow of the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science. The AAAS council selects
members whose efforts on behalf of
the advancement of science or its
applications are scientifically or
socially distinguished. Dean Mahalingam is the second AAAS
fellow at UAH and the first in the College of Engineering.
Dean Mahalingam was cited "for distinguished contributions
to the field of combustion using laboratory scale experiments
and computational models leading to improved
understanding of wildland fire behavior, and for service in
administration."
MAE Prof. Kader Frendi was elected Fellow
of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME). Prof. Frendi’s research
uses detailed computational simulations to
study acoustically active unsteady flows of
the type found in aeronautical and
aerospace applications. He is also an
Associate Editor of the Journal of
Propulsion and Power and an Associate
Fellow of the AIAA.
MAE Profs. Keith Hollingsworth, Phil Ligrani, and Jason
Cassibry were elected as Associate Fellows of the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The grade
of Associate Fellow is awarded to those “who have
accomplished or been in charge of important engineering or
scientific work, or have done original work of outstanding
merit, or have otherwise made outstanding contributions to
the arts, sciences, or technology of aeronautics or
astronautics.”
Dean & Prof. S. Mahalingam
MAE Department
Engineering Faculty Honored by
Professional Societies
Prof. K. Frendi
MAE Department
Prof. K. Hollingsworth
MAE Department Prof. P. Ligrani
MAE Department
Prof. J. Cassibry
MAE Department
Governor Recognizes ISEEM Professor ISEEM Prof. Phil Farrington was
recognized by Alabama Governor,
Robert Bentley for his service on the
Alabama Robotic Technology Park (RTP)
Executive Board. The RTP is a
collaboration between the state of
Alabama, Alabama Community College
System, AIDT, and robotics industry
leaders across the nation. Prof. Farrington joined the
board in 2011 and has served as Vice Chair (2012) and
Chair (2013). Contact Prof. Farrington at
phillip.farrington@uah.edu.
Prof. P. Farrington
ISEEM Department
Engineering Outreach
CME Prof. Yu Lei received a 2015
Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Award
b y Oa k R id ge Assoc ia te d
Universities (OZRAU). The proposal
titled “Atomistic Design of High-
Performance Bimetallic Epoxidation
Catalysts” was selected for the
$5000 award by ORAU and is
related to an on-going NSF-funded project on
epoxidation catalysts. For more information, contact
Prof. Lei at yu.lei@uah.edu.
CME Prof wins Powe Award from ORAU
Prof. Y. Lei
CME Department
To learn more about MAE Department research, visit the
department’s webpage at uah.edu/mae
Page 6
Engineering Outreach
Tech Trek 2015—”Standing on the Shoulders”
Tech Trek, sponsored by AAUW-Huntsville branch and
UAH, returned for another successful week—June 21-27,
2015. Tech Trek immerses young women in a world that
empowers and encourages them to think of themselves
as future scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and
computer specialists. The theme of the 2015 Tech Trek
program was “Standing on the Shoulders”, which honored
the female scientists and engineers who have paved the
way for young women in STEM fields. At Tech Trek,
campers participated in core classes as well as
workshops and field trips. The campers learned, worked, and lived
together for one week on the UAH campus. The Tech Trek camp director is
ECE Professor Rhonda Gaede.
Sixty-four (up 33% from last year) rising-8th graders from 41 schools
spanning 14 counties across Alabama came to Tech Trek 2015. The
campers were selected via a thorough interview process from a pool of over
150 participants who were nominated by science/math teachers. These
young women came from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
where an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) was their common bond.
The students participated in one of four core curriculum options: (1) App-
Inventor, (2) Robotics, (3) Energy, or (4) Cybersecurity (new this year). The
students also toured the U.S. Space and Rocket Center as well as local
engineering/technology companies, PPG Aerospace and the Hudson-Alpha
Center for Biotechnology. The highlight of the week was Professional
Women’s Night, where the students meet with female STEM professionals
who serve as mentors and role models. This year’s event was sponsored by
Lockheed Martin.
To ensure that a family finances do not limit participation, the cost of
attending Tech Trek is only $50 per family. With the actual cost per
camper being approximately $800, Tech Trek relies on donations. Major
sponsors for the 2015 Tech Trek program include the UAH President’s
office, the Colleges of Engineering and Science, PPG Aerospace, the
Verizon Foundation, the Fishman-Curry Foundation, Lockheed Martin, and
Jacobs Technology.
“I also learned that if someone tells you
that you cant do something you just do it
and show them you can.”
BEST Experience: Raising Interest in Engineering for High School Students
Prof. Rhonda Gaede,
ECE Department
The BEST Experience (Be an Engineering Student) is a week-long residential
program that gives high-school students a taste of what being an engineering
student at UAH is all about. Students will go to engineering classes, perform
hands-on experiments in engineering labs, participate in UAH student life
activities, work on project teams, and tour engineering companies. In June
2015, forty rising high-school juniors and seniors from all over the country took
part in BEST Experience classes including water treatment, energy-harvesting,
LEAN manufacturing, airplane design and structural analysis. The students also
visited Dynetics and Northrop Grumman.
Page 7
L. Dale Thomas joined the Industrial and Systems Engineering and
Engineering Management Department as a Professor and Eminent Scholar
in Systems Engineering. Dr. Thomas earned his BS in Industrial and Systems
Engineering from UAH in 1981, his MS in Industrial Engineering from North
Carolina State University in 1983, and his PhD in Systems Engineering from
UAH in 1988.
Prof. Thomas came to UAH after a 32-year career with NASA. He most
recently served as the Associate Center Director (Technical) for the NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville. Prior to that, he served as
the NASA Constellation Program Manager which involved responsibilities at
all 10 NASA field centers as well as four prime contractors. In the 90s, Prof.
Thomas led systems engineering and integration for the International Space
Station.
At UAH, Thomas will be working with other faculty members in the ISEEM Department and the College of Engineering, and the
other colleges within the university to establish a vigorous and nationally recognized systems engineering research program.
"Systems engineering is inherently interdisciplinary, and to make any real progress will require the efforts of experts in several
fields," Thomas noted. "The focus of the systems engineering research program will be systems engineering theory, both from
a scientific and a practical perspective." Thomas noted that other engineering disciplines anchor themselves in the laws of
Newton, Ohm, Maxwell, and Bernoulli to name a few, and build a rich basis of principles upon this foundation. "Systems
engineering lacks such a foundation of laws, and as such is overly reliant upon principles derived from best-practice."
NASA Leader is Eminent Scholar in Systems Engineering
Prof. Dale Thomas
Ravi Gorur joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at UAH as Professor
and Chair. Prof. Gorur graduated with a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering from the University of
Windsor, Canada in 1986. He joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at
Arizona State University in 1987 as an assistant professor, became a full professor in 1995,
Director of Undergraduate Studies in 2006 and Chair of the Electrical Engineering Program
in 2010.
Prof. Gorur has supervised numerous research projects sponsored by the government,
utilities and industry in the field of electrical insulation and has coauthored a textbook and
over 200 papers in IEEE transactions and conferences on the subject of outdoor insulators.
During May 2013-May 2014, he was on an IPA (Intergovernment Personnel Act) assignment
at the US Department of Energy where he served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of The
Power Systems Engineering R & D division in the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy
Reliability, where he was responsible for research in three major areas: smart grid, energy
storage and cyber security for energy delivery systems. Prof. Gorur is a IEEE Fellow for contributions in the field of polymeric
materials for outdoor insulation. In 2011, he received the Claude de Tourreil life time achievement award for contributions to
the field of outdoor insulators.
Maria Z. A. Pour joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department as Assistant
Professor. Prof. Pour received her PhD and MSc degrees from The University of Manitoba in 2012
and 2006, respectively, and her BSc degree from Sharif University of Technology in 1997, all in
Electrical Engineering. Prior to joining UAH, she was a Research Associate and Assistant Director
with the Antenna Laboratory at The University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Prof. Pour research interests are in the areas of antennas, applied electromagnetics and remote
sensing. In particular, her research is focused on antenna theory, design and analysis. This
includes reflector antennas and feeds, phased array antennas, wideband and UWB antennas,
virtual aperture antennas, multi-mode antennas, dual-polarized dual-band antennas for remote
sensing, and antenna measurement techniques. In addition, she has a keen interest in computational electromagnetics and
engineering conductors for antenna miniaturization and microwave components.
Prof. Maria Pour
Prof. Ravi Gorur
New Faculty
Page 8
Founding Director of Cybersecurity Research Center Tommy Morris joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department as Associate
Professor and he serves as the founding director of the UAH Center for Cybersecurity
Research and Education (CCRE). Prof. Morris came to UAH from Mississippi State
University where he served as Associate Director of the Distributed Analytics and Security
Institute and Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also served
as director of the MSU Critical Infrastructure Protection Center (CIPC) and as a member of
the MSU Center for Computer Security Research (CCSR).
Prof. Morris received his PhD in Computer Engineering in 2008 from Southern Methodist
University in Dallas, TX with a research emphasis in cyber security. His primary research
interests include cyber security for industrial control systems and electric utilities and
power system protective relaying. His recent research outcomes include vulnerability and
exploit taxonomies, intrusion detection systems, virtual test beds, and a relay setting
automation program used by a top 20 investor owned utility.
Prof. Morris has authored more than 40 peer reviewed research conference and journal
articles in these areas. Dr. Morris’s research projects are funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of
Homeland Security, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, NASA, the US Army Corps of Engineers Engineering Research
Development Center (ERDC), Pacific Gas and Electric Corporation, and Entergy Corporation. Prior to his academic career,
Prof. Morris worked at Texas Instruments (TI) for 17 years in multiple roles including circuit design and verification
engineer, applications engineer, team leader, and program manager.
Judy Schneider joined the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department as
Professor. She obtained her BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from the
University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1977 and was employed for 16 years in the
design, fabrication and testing of prototype devices for Aerospace and BioMedical
applications. After this industrial experience, she earned her MS and PhD degrees
from the University of California at Davis in 1993 and 1996, respectively.
Following completion of graduate school, she was employed as a Post-Doctoral
Researcher at Sandia Laboratories in Livermore, CA and at the Max Planck
Institute for Powder Metallurgy in Stuttgart, GE. Dr. Schneider began her
academic career at Mississippi State University in the Mechanical Engineering
Dept. where she most recently held the Coleman and Whiteside Professorship.
In the fall of 2015, Judy was inducted into the 2015 class of ASM International Fellows in addition to joining the Acta
Board of Governors. She has been recognized by TMS with the Structural Materials Division Distinguished Service Award.
Her interest in advanced manufacturing techniques and the education of future engineers is reflected in her membership
in ASM International, TMS, SAMPE, and ASEE. Dr. Schneider has published 36 journal manuscripts, 2 book chapters, and
over 120 conference proceedings and technical reports. She has graduated 3 PhD students and 24 MS students.
Judy has established an active research program in friction stir welding and additive manufacturing at UAH Her research
thrust is the correlation of the environmental effects, such as temperature and strain rate, on the mechanical
performance of structural materials. Much of her research centers on characterization of the microstructual evolution
during either the processing or service life of the material. This area of research focuses on how materials can be
fabricated to produce suitable microstructures for specific structural applications. Her approach is to design experiments
which decouple the predicted events to quantify the deformation conditions and correlate this with the microstructural
evolution and material behavior. To achieve this goal, experiments are designed to decouple the physical events to verify
and validate the analytical treatment of the process.
Prof. Tommy Morris
Prof. Judy Schneider
Page 9
UAH Senior Design Team
Engineering Student Highlights
The AIAA 66TH AIAA REGION II STUDENT CONFERENCE was held
April 9-10, 2015 in Savannah, GA. This year, 24 UAH students
attended along with 185 students from other southeastern
universities. There was a total of 66 undergraduate and graduate
student papers and presentations. MAE students competed with 10
presentations and were advised by Dr. Brian Landrum, Dr. Francis
Wessling, and Dr. Jason Cassibry. UAH winners were as follows:
3rd Place in Region—Freshman/Sophomore Open Category:
Ashley Scharfenberg (AE freshman) and Cody Chittenden (ME
sophomore), “Upward and Onward: History and Designs of Vertical
Take-Off and Landing Systems.”
2nd Place in Region—Undergraduate:
Adam Bower (AE Junior), “How Communication Data Rate Requirements Drive Satellite Subsystem Design,”
2nd Place in Region—Team Design
Markus Murdy and Ethan Hopping (AE seniors), “High Powered Composite Payload Fairing Rocket,“
UAH Students Shine at AIAA Regional Conference
Taylan Topcu, a Systems Engineering Master’s student, presented a paper titled “Commercial and
Government Value Functions for Electric Vehicle System Design” at the Institute of Industrial
Engineers Annual Conference and Expo in Nashville in June 2015. Under the advisement of
ISEEM Department Assistant Professor, Bryan Mesmer, Topcu's paper examines the complex
engineered system of electric vehicles using value-driven design, looks at the system attributes
important in forming value functions for the vehicle, and forms some novel consumer,
commercial, and government-oriented functions.
Graduate Research Assistants Anyama Tettey and Jeffrey Dyas are assisting ISEEM Professor and
Chair Paul Collopy with an NSF-funded research project to investigate the feasibility of
constructing and validating a theory of systems engineering based on control theory. UAH’S
microgrid system, located at the UAH Charger Energy Lab, is being used to test and validate the
control model. Anyama and Jeff have collected data on batteries, solar panels, wind generators,
and fueled generators to gain further understanding of the microgrid system, and to help
determine values to be controlled in the system model, which will, in turn, give a better
illustration of the design life cycle. Anyama and Jeff won a $1,600 scholarship for their
presentation, "Life Cycle Cost Model on Microgrid" at the RAM VIII Training Summit, and in
October 2015, delivered a poster presentation at the 8th Wernher von Braun Memorial
Symposium. In both appearances, they presented findings supporting a three-fold impact to a
microgrid control system: reliability, self-sustainment, and reduced emissions.
ISEEM Graduate Students Present their Research
UAH AIAA Students
Jeffrey Dyas, ISEEM
Anyama Tettey, ISEEM
Taylon Topcu, ISEEM
Page 10
The 2015 ASCE Southeast Regional Conference was held in Chattanooga,
Tennessee in March. The UAH Concrete Canoe Team entered their canoe named
PHOENIX. They came in third place behind the University of Florida and the
University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez. The 2016 UAH Concrete Canoe team is
already hard at work for this year’s competition season.
Also hard at work is the relatively new UAH Steel Bridge Team. The 2016
competition season will be only the third time that UAH has fielded a Steel
Bridge effort.
UAH Concrete Canoe Team and Bridge Team
InSPIRESS
UAH ASCE Teams:
Clockwise from upper right: Concrete Canoe Team working on PHOENIX, Team in PHOENIX during Competition in TN, Steel Bridge Team
In 2015, the UAH Space Hardware Club (UAH) sent three CanSat teams to
Burkett, Texas for the annual competition. Facing tough national and
international competition, Team Ground Pounder placed 2nd overall and
1st among U.S. teams. Team SunStreaker placed 10th overall and 6th
among U.S. teams, and Team SkyHammer placed 11th overall and 7th
among U.S. teams.
SHC was also award the Most Outstanding Engineering Student
Organization for demonstrating a commitment to education within the
university, to STEM outreach in the community, to scholarly excellence,
and to enriching their members' through activities and competitions. The
Space Hardware Club (SHC) focuses on the design and development of
flight hardware used in High Altitude Ballooning and Orbital Satellites.
The Club is currently represented by several different academic majors
including engineering, math, and physics.
Further, SHC members enjoy returning the experiences of payload
development back to younger generations. SHC loves getting younger
students excited about science, math, engineering, and technology. This
year, members will work with a local middle school class to incorporate
their ideas into a high altitude ballooning mission. The classroom will
then participate in the launch operations of the experiment.
SHC wins big at 2015 CanSat
UAH Space Hardware Club members at the 2015 competition
Team Ground Pounder—Second Place Overall
Page 11
As part of the day-long celebration for the 2015 UAH Honors Day, the College of Engineering hosted an individual
ceremony for our top performing UAH students, held in the Charger Union Theater. In addition to honoring the very top
students and all students that made the Deans List, the College also recognized outstanding COE faculty and staff, and
the top Engineering student organization.
Ms. Erin Looney was awarded the Most Outstanding College of
Engineering Student for 2015. A Huntsville native, Erin is a double
major in Mechanical Engineering and History. Erin has tackled
problems as an intern at General Electric in Decatur and at Ball
Aerospace in Colorado. At Ball Aerospace, she did thermal system
analysis for the James Webb Space Telescope and the Geostationary
Environment Monitoring System satellites. She was also an
undergraduate research assistant with MAE Professor George Nelson
is his energy research program. Under Prof. Nelson’s direction, she
worked on electrochemical testing and neutron imaging of bio-
batteries from CFDRC, a local engineering company. In that time she
contributed significantly to efforts on in-operando neutron imaging of
bio-battery electrodes using experimental facilities at Oak Ridge
National Lab. Erin was a member of the UAH Honors College and a member of Tau Beta Pi, Pi Tau Sigma, and Phi
Alpha Theta honor societies. She was a PASS leader with the Student Success Center and a member of the UAH rowing
club.
In May 2015, Erin graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a BA in History. She was
recruited by several prestigious graduate programs and decided to accept an offer from MIT to pursue her graduate
studies.
Top Engineering Student Goes to MIT
Student, Staff, and Alumni Honors
From (l) to (r): Provost Christine Curtis, Erin Looney, Prof.
George Nelson, and Prof. Keith Hollingsworth
Faculty and Staff recognized on Honors Day
Top Row (l) to (r): Outstanding
Teaching Award—Dr. Christina Car-
men, Outstanding Staff Award—Mr.
Steve Collins, and Outstanding Fac-
ulty Research Award—Prof. George
Nelson
Bottom Row (l) to (r): Outstanding
Staff Award—Mr. Jacob Kerstiens
and Outstanding Service Award—Dr.
Rhonda Gaede
Page 12
Dr. William Emrich, MAE Department alumnus and
part-time MAE lecturer was named the 2015 National
Engineer of the Year for the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
Dr. Emrich is an engineer at NASA's Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Al, and teaches a graduate
-level fission propulsion course at UAH. Dr. Emrich is
the project manager for NASA’s megawatt-class
Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environment
Simulator. The AIAA award recognizes his work
conceiving, designing and bringing the simulator to
operational status. Nuclear thermal rockets have the
potential to provide high thrust at efficiencies at least
twice that of today's best chemical engines. They
may power vehicles traveling to Mars and other
destinations in the solar system. Dr. Emrich’s
simulator allows realistic, non-nuclear testing of nuclear rocket fuel elements by simultaneously reproducing the power,
flow, and temperature conditions that the fuel element would encounter during actual nuclear engine operation.
Only one such award is made each year. At a ceremony at Huntsville City Hall, Mayor Battle presented Dr. Emrich with a
proclamation declaring Monday, July 27, 2015 to be Dr. William Emrich Day to commemorate the AIAA award. Mayor
Battle observed that "Dr. Emrich's research in nuclear fuels may even enable people to travel to distant worlds
unreachable with today's chemical rocket engines. No surprise to us that this groundbreaking research is happening in
the Rocket City." Dr. Emrich received his PhD from the MAE Department after completing an MS degree in nuclear
engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia
Institute of Technology.
Dr. Emrich is congratulated by Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle
MAE Alumnus is AIAA Engineer of the Year
William (Randy) Gaillard graduated cum laude with a BS in Optical Engineering in 2010. That same
year, he began his graduate studies at UAH with the goal of earning both an MS and PhD in Electrical
Engineering. In 2014, Randy received a Graduate Research Scholars award which provides funding to
support graduate research. Randy’s research includes the development of a microfluidic reactor for
oligonucleotide synthesis. Oligonucleotides (oligos) are commercially available short DNA or RNA
molecules with a wide range of functions in genetic testing, antisense therapy, artificial gene
synthesis, DNA amplification, DNA sequencing, as molecular probes, and in forensics. The impact of
this work is to reduce the production cost of oligos for research and commercial applications by a
factor of 50. The result of this research effort is a reusable glass micro reactor and a commercialized
tabletop workstation capable of generating 100-200 pmols of high purity customer specified oligos required to
synthesize short chain DNA, complex transmembrane proteins, site specific proteins, and user generated proteins not
otherwise found in nature. Randy is advised by ECE Professor Robert Lindquist and Dr. John Williams. This work is also
supported by UAH and Oblique Bio Inc., Huntsville, Alabama.
Randy presented his research at the 2015 Science and Technology Open House in Montgomery, Al where he was
awarded $600 and a 3rd place finish in the poster competition.
Alumni Spotlight: Randy Gaillard
Randy Gaillard, ECE
Page 13
UAH College of Engineering—At A Glance
Enrollment Fall 2015
Bachelor of Science
Aerospace Engineering (BSAE)
Chemical Engineering (BSCHE)
Civil Engineering (BSCE)
Computer Engineering (BSCPE)
Electrical Engineering (BSEE)
Industrial & Sys Engineering (BSISE)
Mechanical Engineering (BSME)
Optical Engineering (BSOPE)
Master of Science in Engineering
(MSE)
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial & Systems Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Master of Science in Software
Engineering (MSSE)
Master of Science in Operations
Research (MSOR)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Industrial & Systems Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Interdisciplinary Degrees
MS in Cybersecurity
PhD in Biotechnology
MS and PhD in Material Science
MS and PhD in Modeling and
Simulation
PhD in Optical Science and
Engineering
Degrees and Majors
Degrees Awarded 2014-2015
College of Engineering Advisory Board
Page 14
College of Engineering Advisory Board
Dr. Richard Amos
President, Chief Operating Officer
Colsa Corportation
Mr. Kevin Campbell
Vice-President
Northrop Grumman Corportation
Dr. William Craig
Director of Software Engineering
AMRDEC
Dr. Patti Dare
Chief Operating Officer
Davidson Technologies
Dr. Jan Davis
Deputy General Manager
Jacobs ESTS Group
Dr. Chance Glenn
Dean, College of Engineering, Technology, and Physical
Sciences
Alabama A&M University
Mr. Sami Habchi
Executive Vice President
CFD Research Corporation
Mr. Steven S. Hill
Co-Founder and President/CEO
Aegis Technologies
Mr. Todd Hutto
U.S. Army Value Engineering Manager,
Continuous Process Improvement Division
AMCOL-MC
Mr. Greg Lester
President
Dynetics, Inc
Mr. Garry Lyles
SLS Chief Engineer
NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
Mr. Steven Noojin
Director of Engineering
The Boeing Company
Dr. Roy Rice
Chief Engineer
Teledyne Brown
Mr. Boyce Ross
Director of Engineering
US Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville
Dr. Kevin Schneider
Chief Technology Officer
Adtran
Dr. Louis Weiner
President
Delta Research
We would like to extend a sincere thank you to each of our EAB members for their service.
College of Engineering Student Organizations
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Engineers Without Borders
IEEE
Institute of Industrial Engineers
Moonbuggy Club
National Society of Black Engineers
Optical Society of America
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Society of Military Engineers
Society of Women Engineers
Space Hardware Club
Tau Beta Pi
Page 15
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Huntsville, AL 35899
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