Our New School: Bridging the Boundaries in STEM...effective advocate for STEM disciplines in the State of Connecticut. By investing heavily in STEM research, education, and the development

INFOTECH ACADEMIC 2013 – 2014www.set.ccsu.edu

This has set the foundation for the new school to be a reality.”

Our new school organizational structure combining all STEM disciplines into one school will facilitate a leadership role for CCSU in educating students in STEM within the State of Connecticut, and it will allow for a more streamlined approach amongst cognate and relevant disciplines. Educating in STEM is intended to be responsive to the needs of industry and to the evolution of technology. Our new school must be focused on bridging the boundaries between disciplines. Narrow undergraduate specialization in a single discipline is no longer the only path to success, and a professional degree, in itself, is no longer sufficient to ensure a productive career. We must give more attention to disciplinary interfaces where, increasingly, exciting and important discoveries are being made. This new school will facilitate the creation of new educational models to address the needs of the workforce and the creation of strategic partnerships with area corporations and organizations; vital for building effective educational incubators of training and innovation.

As one of only two public schools that offers undergraduate engineering programs and the only school with a wide variety of engineering technology and technology management programs, our new school is properly positioned to be an effective advocate for STEM disciplines in the State of Connecticut. By investing heavily in STEM research, education, and the development of a skilled STEM workforce, we will prepare our students for the challenges and opportunities in our rapidly changing world.

University Dedicates the Anthony & Helen G. Bichum Engineering Laboratory

CCSU celebrated the dedication of the Anthony and Helen G. Bichum Engineering Laboratory building on October 18, 2013. The building houses several labs, including controls, energy, aerospace, and environmental and water resources labs. The event included the unveiling of a plaque that will

Academic 2013 - 2014vol. 23 no. 1

editor: Nancy Kraczkowsky, School of Engineering & Technology, Associate Dean

design/layout:Nana Poku, CEGT Department, Faculty

CCSU is a University of the Connecticut State University system and an AA/EO institution.

The world is rapidly changing, p r e s e n t i n g numerous career o p p o r t u n i t i e s for students with degrees in the STEM fields. The current shortage of students educated in STEM limits our state’s ability to compete and to take a position of leadership. A workforce educated in STEM will be a key driver of the

economy over the next century as STEM is becoming the universal language of the global marketplace. STEM education grows out of the idea that the boundaries between science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are permeable. Moreover, it asserts that its four disciplines are interdependent. CCSU must maintain a vision for the role of education in preparing students for the 21st century workforce and become a key player in the region by widening the education funnel, so more students enter these critical disciplines. As we look into the future, 75 % of jobs will be in STEM. Not just STEM careers, but components of STEM in every job. Technology as a “global knowledge economy” is the future.

On June 28, 2013, CCSU welcomed Dr. Faris Malhas, the new dean for the School of Engineering and Technology. Tasked with the creation of a new STEM-based school that would include all of the engineering, sciences, computing, mathematics, and technology programs, Dr. Malhas campaigned to bring all relevant departments together into a new school by July 1st 2014. Reflecting on his time since he arrived at CCSU, Dr. Malhas said:

“I never cease to be impressed and pleased with the quality of our academic programs, faculty, students, and their accomplishments. Add to that the great support from the professional and civic communities within the Greater Hartford region. In addition my predecessor, Dr. Zdzislaw Kremens was successful in creating an amazingly positive environment in the School, exhibited by the harmony amongst departments and faculty.

Bichum Lab dedication continued on page 5

Our New School: Bridging the Boundaries in STEM

2 | Central Connecticut State University School of Engineering & Technology

James Mulrooneyappointed new Associate Dean in the School of Engineering and Technology

Camille Westfall graduated from CCSU in 1991 with a B.S. degree in Technology Education and in 1995 with a M.S. degree, also in Technology Education. In addition, she has an Educational Leadership Certification, which she earned from SCSU in 1999.

Camille’s first year teaching was spent at Schaghticoke Middle School in New Milford, CT. She has spent the past twenty years at the Middle School of Plainville in Plainville, CT. She teaches students from grades six to eight. Camille’s curriculum encompasses everything from Manufacturing to Transportation, with an emphasis on activities that promote problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration.

In addition to her regular classroom duties, Camille has mentored numerous beginning teachers and student teachers. She has also been an adjunct faculty member at CCSU and an Executive Board member of the Connecticut Technology Education and Engineering Association (CTEEA). In 1996 Camille started a Technology Student Association (TSA) and in 1998, a Lego League team at her school; both clubs are still thriving.

Over a twenty-one year teaching career, Camille has touched the lives of many people. When asked to describe Camille, her colleagues use words such as passionate, insightful, dedicated, flexible, and enthusiastic. Her students would add that she is a teacher that cares about everyone, that she is fair, and that she makes learning interesting and fun.

Camille has won many awards over the years including Teacher of the Year and Program of the Year from the International Technology Education and Engineering Association (ITEEA), and Excellence in Service, the Harry Baker, and the Abbott White awards from CTEEA.

The School of Engineering and Technology is pleased to welcome Dr. James Mulrooney as its new associate dean. Jim brings to his new position nearly 15 years in academia. Prior to his appointment as associate dean, Jim served for the past six years as the chair of the department of Biomolecular Sciences. Prior to his full-time appointment at CCSU, Jim was adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University, Wesleyan University and Manchester Community College.

Jim received a BA from the University of Connecticut, a MA in Biology from Central Connecticut State University and a PhD in Biology from Wesleyan University. His area of research focuses on the molecular mechanism of migration and adhesion in early development. The focus of his responsibilities for the School of Engineering and Technology will be in the areas of academic and student affairs and working with Connecticut Community Colleges to provide seamless transition from the community colleges to CCSU. We are pleased to welcome Jim to his new role in our school and look forward to working with him.

On May 3, 2013, at the annual School of Engineering and Technology Student Recognition Reception, Elizabeth Chatis, BS Technology and Engineering Education ’13 and Legairre Radden, B.S. Biomolecular Sciences ’13 were each presented with the Dean’s Citation Award. The School of Engineering and Technology Dean’s Citation Award is designed to recognize students who have made significant contributions to the School of Engineering and Technology through leadership, academic success and/or significant volunteer contribution to other students within the school.

2013 Outstanding Alumni2013 Dean’s Citation Awards

Provost Lovitt presents Dean’s Citation Award to Elizabeth Chatis.

Legairre Radden receiving the Dean’s Citation Award.

INFOTECH ACADEMIC 2013 – 2014 | 3

Graduate students David Artus (right) and Theodore Szmurlo (left) traveled to New Orleans in December to present their work at the 2013 American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) annual meeting. The ASCB is attended by Ph.D. candidates and experts in cell biology from around the globe. David and Theo, working with Dr. James Mulrooney,

New FacultyDr. Reza Ghodsi, P.Eng. joined CCSU’s

Department of Engineering as an Associate Professor in August 2013. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Sharif University, an MSc in Mechanical Engineering (Manufacturing) from the University of Calgary and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Manufacturing) from The University of British

Columbia. Dr. Ghodsi has years of industrial and academic work experience. His research areas include: advanced manufacturing, operations research, data-mining in health-care, optimization, and sustainable energy technologies. He teaches: Manufacturing Processes, CAD/CAM, Statics, Mechanics of Materials, Industrial Systems Design, Operations Research, Engineering Economics, Soft-computing, Discrete-Event-simulation, and Operations Research.

Dr. Talat Salama, PE, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Manufacturing and Construction Management. Before joining CCSU in August 2013, he was an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Salama earned his PhD in Structural Engineering from Rutgers University and he earned his MS in

Construction Engineering from the American University in Cairo. His expertise and research interests include Structural Health Monitoring of bridges using Non-Destructive Testing, and rehabilitation, retrofitting and strengthening of structures.

Dr. Uma Balaji has several years of teaching and research experience including many years in industry prior to joining CCSU as an Associate Professor in Fall 2013. She received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of Victoria, Canada in 1997. Her research work is in the design of waveguide components such as filters and polarizers for satellite applications. She has also worked

in the area of RF Power Amplifiers and Electromagnetic Compatibility both in industry and with students. She is a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). She received the University Grants award from IEEE EMC society in 2010 to teach Electromagnetic Compatibility at SUNY Farmingdale. Many students mentored by her took winning position in various contests organized by IEEE. She was the Chair of the Affinity group - IEEE Women in Engineering of Long Island Section in 2012 and 2013.

Dr. Namhun Lee earned a Ph.D. in Built Environment (Specialized in Construction Management) from the University of Washington in 2009 and worked at East Carolina University as a tenure-track assistant professor for four years. He joined CCSU as a tenure-track assistant professor in August 2013. Since then, he has been teaching Construction Graphics/Quantity Take-Off,

Building Construction Systems, Heavy/Highway Construction Estimating, Building Construction Estimating, and Construction Project Management at CCSU. Dr. Lee’s main research areas include: 1) Information Visualization and Decision Support Systems, 2) Building Information Modeling and Information and Communication Technology for Construction Management, and 3) Interactive Learning Systems Using Games and Simulations.

Dr. Cairn Ely joined CCSU’s Department of Engineering as an Assistant Professor in August 2013. He teaches Hydraulic Engineering, Hydrology, Environmental Engineering and other engineering courses. Dr. Ely gained his doctorate at UConn as a member of the GAANN Environmental Biotechnology program. He researches the treatment of polluted soil by studying the impact of

contaminants on microbial populations and plant roots. Dr. Ely has co-authored several journal articles and presented his research at conferences around the country. He is a reviewer for the International Journal of Phytoremediation and Environmental Pollution.

presented their work entitled E-Cadherin is required for directed migration of parietal endoderm1. Their work examines the role of E-cadherin, a cell-cell adhesion protein, in the migration and organization of parietal endoderm cells which ultimately give rise to the yolk sac during early embryonic development. Employing modern, small interfering RNA (siRNA) techniques, David and Theo “knocked down” the expression of E-cadherin in these cells and determined how the parietal tissue was altered. Their results suggest that E-Cadherin plays a pivotal role in directed migration and formation of the parietal yolk sac. David and Theo are currently working towards earning their Master’s degree in Biomolecular Sciences.

1. D. Artus, T. Szmurlo and J. P. Mulrooney, (2013) E-Cadherin is Required for Directed Migration of Parietal Endoderm, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 24, 2138.

Biomolecular Science Students Present at National Conference


Supermileage Vehicle Team Wins Two First Place Awards

2013 BEST Robotics Competition Held at CCSUThe 8th Connecticut BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology)

robotics competition was held successfully at Alumni Hall of CCSU student center on Sunday, Nov. 3rd, 2013. BEST robotics competition started in 1993 with one hub and 14 participating high schools and middle schools. By 2012, there are 46 hubs nationwide and the number of participating teams reached 875. CCSU has participated as Connecticut BEST Robotics hub since 2006. Dr. Ravindra Thamma, Dr. Daniel Kirby and Dr. Haoyu Wang of Department of Manufacturing and Construction Management are working together in recruiting schools, ordering materials, running kick off training and the competition. This year’s theme was Gatekeeper, which required the team to design and build a robot that can mock the assembly of a CPU (central processing unit). Each team had 6 weeks to design the robot which needs

to finish the job in three minutes.Teams were challenged to be innovative in robot design, operating strategy, programming, sensor applications, etc. A kit was provided to each team free of charge. The kit of consumable and returnable materials includes everything they needed to build the robot.

About 350 students from the participating schools and their family members and supporters gathered at the competition. More and more schools from around the Northeast attend the CCSU BEST Robotics competition because it is low-cost, entertaining, and educational. It wouldn’t be possible to run the competition without the great help from our volunteers who are faculty, staff, students, and professionals from outside of the university. All faculty, staff, and students of CCSU are invited to get involved in this outstanding volunteer opportunity, or even to attend the competition. We are looking forward to seeing you there in this year’s game on November 2nd, 2014.

BMS Continues Its Outreach ProgramsThe faculty and students of the Biomolecular Sciences department

(BMS) continue to provide supplemental science laboratories in the Great Explorations program funded by the University of Connecticut Health Center and the Partners in Science program. The Great Explorations program provides after-school experiences in both biology and chemistry at ten Hartford middle schools. Workshops that involve students in discovery of the workings of the circulatory system, muscles and bones, and senses culminate in a fetal pig dissection at each of the schools and are followed by two chemistry workshops that expose students to the principle of acid/base and the structure of polymers. Approximately 180 students are involved each year from the ten participating schools and the program has run consecutively for ten years. Partners in Science is an outgrowth of a coalition of school districts that currently includes Meriden and Southington middle school students who come to CCSU for Saturday morning labs in the sciences.

The CCSU Multi-powered Vehicle Team competed in the 33rd annual International Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Competition on June 6th and 7th and came away with two prestigious awards for the 2013 event. “Most visually appealing vehicle” voted on by the student participants and “1st place newcomer award” for highest mileage from a first year participant.

Students from the departments of Biomolecular Science and Technology and Engineering Education collaborated on the project and included Charles Hart, Jeff Carpenter, Justin Hucul, Patrick Carbone, and Dan Napierski. Associate Professor of Technology and Engineering Education David Sianez advised the students throughout the 12 month design and construction process. The event consisted of twenty-eight collegiate teams and was held in Marshall, Michigan on a 1.5 mile oval track.


CCSU’s Commercial Building Team Places Second in Regional Competition

The CCSU Construction Management majors who participated in the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) student competition in November 2013 managed to create an award-winning construction proposal. Each year, the ASC competition challenges student teams to create a proposal, complete with construction timeline, material requirements, and costs, in one of three categories—commercial building, heavy civil, and design/build—during a very compressed 2-day timeline. Teams arrive late on Thursday and receive construction documents Friday morning from an actual construction project, previously completed by one of the judging companies. They then work around the clock on Friday to analyze and specify job requirements, formulate a construction timeline, and produce a detailed proposal, without internet access or assistance from their faculty advisor. The final proposals are presented on Saturday morning, with first place teams winning $2,000.

CCSU’s commercial building team took on this challenging project and were rewarded with second place in a field of more than 15 teams, including students from schools like RIT and Drexel University. The CCSU team— Ian Rogers, Sean East, Anthony Diana, Kristen Cortigiano, Mike Fallat, Doug Hess, and—was mentored by Professor of Manufacturing and Construction Management Raymond Perreault.

This year’s project, the renovation of a Syracuse University dormitory building with heavy repairs, MEP systems replacement and asbestos removal, was actually completed at a cost of $3.5 million. The CCSU team came up with project costs of $3.7 million. Cortigiano, leader of CCSU’s commercial building team, described the experience as “challenging, realistic, and intense.” This was the senior Construction Management major’s second year at the competition, and she felt that gave the group an edge. “From last year, I knew what the judges would look for on presentation day, so that helped. But I also think this year’s team was way more invested in the competition.” Cortigiano continued, “Everyone dug right in and really worked hard to come up with the best information to base our proposal on.” It’s obvious that their dedication paid off.

Students who also competed at the ASC student competition: Design-Build group, led by Associate Professor Linda Reeder: Nicholas Centore, Nicholas Chmura, Michael King, Chris Martello, Henry Nickerson, and Michael Schaller. Heavy Civil group, led by Professor Edward Sarisley: Steve Dayton, Jason Mikulski, Brendan Sampieri, John Swaney and Greg Taylor.

be installed in the building, a tour of the labs, and a demonstration of a drone multicopter. Speakers included Vice President of Institutional Advancement Chris Galligan, President Jack Miller, and Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology Faris Malhas, as well as friends of the Bichums, Paul Gianaris ’70 and Diane Abraham. Honored guests included Dean Emeritus of the School of Engineering and Technology Zdzislaw Kremens and President Emeritus Richard Judd.

The son of Russian immigrants, Anthony Bichum was a lifelong resident of New Britain. A man with no more than an elementary school education, Bichum amassed considerable wealth during his lifetime through long-term investing, and became one of CCSU’s most generous benefactors. The Bichums endowed several scholarships at the University as well as donating funds for the new laboratory building.

Bichum continued from page 1

Bichum Plaque Unveiling From left to right: Paul Gianaris, Dr. Zdzislaw Kremens, Diane Abraham and Dr. Faris Malhas

Tour of Aerospace Laboratory – Wind Tunnel and K-Max Twin Rotor


The School of Engineering and Technology – Student Services Center“One stop-shop for student success”

The fall of 2013 saw major changes in the SET–Student Services Center (SSC) with the intention of providing students in our school with a single location for many of the services that they need. We began by relocating Diane Hunter, Career Services Coordinator, to the center. In November, Justine Gamache joined the center as the new Advising and Student Support Specialist. The center expanded its services to include more tutors and more hours–the center is now open, with tutoring available, on Saturdays! In addition the center strengthened its collaboration with the Learning Center on campus to provide training to our student-staff and to assist in certifying our tutors. The center provides computers complete with all the software found in our laboratories, tables for study and tutoring, drop-in academic and career advising and is now the fi rst point of contact for students transferring into the school from other institutions. The center is open daily Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 8:30pm, Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 3:00 pm to provide students with a one-stop shop for all their needs towards success!

SSC and Career Services

On Thursday, March 27, 2014, the Engineering Department and the Manufacturing & Construction Management Department hosted a spring Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction Management Career Fair. There were 65 companies and approximately 200 students in attendance. The event was coordinated by the center’s Career Service Coordinator, Diane Hunter. The Engineering, Manufacturing and Construction Management Career Fair is held every fall and spring. The next event will be on October 30, 2014. Coming this fall the center will expand its career fair offerings to include an Information Technology and Digital Printing & Graphic Technology Career fair to support students in the Computer, Electronics & Graphic Technology Department and the Computer Science

Department. The date for this event is set for Wednesday, November 12, 2014. The center plans to expand its career fair offerings to meet the needs of all our programs in the School of Engineering and Technology.

SSC Tutors Earn CRLA Certifi cation

The College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) is an international organization focused on learning and promoting student success. One of their many roles is the training and certifi cation of tutors. The CCSU Learning Center serves as the coordinator for CRLA tutor training on campus. CRLA certifi cation is a mark of a quality tutor and is nationally recognized at nearly all academic institutions. Six tutors in the SSC began CRLA training this fall and earned their CRLA certifi cation by the spring 2013 semester. These six students have set a new standard for the quality of tutoring in our center. Congratulations to Jason Bisaillon, Patryk Deptula, David “Rick” Findley, Cody L’Heureux, Juan Murillo, and Jeffrey Weston—Job well done! The center would also like to recognize the amazing work by our graduate assistant, Rachael Pelletti, who coordinated the tutor-training and supervised the tutors; without her work this accomplishment would not have been possible—thank you Rachael!

SSC Welcomes Justine GamacheThe Student Services Center is pleased

to welcome Justine Gamache as its new Advising and Student Support Specialist. Justine brings to this new position 13 years of experience on our campus. Prior to her appointment Justine spent the last seven years as an academic advisor in the Center for Advising and Career Exploration. In addition she has worked in the offi ce of Recruitment and Admissions. Justine is an alumnus of CCSU with a BS in Education and a MS in Educational Technology. In addition to her roles in advising and student support, Justine will also be assisting the school in maintaining our website. We are pleased to welcome Justine to the center and look forward to working with her.


Construction Management Awards Dinner 2013

CCSU’s Civil Engineering program is now accredited by EAC of ABET, Inc.

The annual Construction Management awards dinner was held in the Alumni hall of the Student Center on May 9, 2013. Dr. Ray Perreault Jr. served as the Master of Ceremonies. The Dr. Stuart Bennettalumni award was presented to two deserving construction management alumni. Mike Daversa of Manafort Brothers and Ken Woodward of Associated Construction were the 2013 recipients. The annual CCSU Construction Industry award was given to Alexandria Roe who is a renowned architect in Connecticut. Susan Labas, of van Zelm Engineers, presented the award on behalf of the Construction Management Industrial Advisory Board to Alexandria.

The Construction Management Industrial Advisory Board members select the recipients for all the construction management awards. There were over one hundred alumni and professionals in

In August 2013, the CCSU School of Engineering and Technology was notifi ed the Civil Engineering (CE) program

had been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, Inc. (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). Attaining EAC of ABET accreditation was a goal of the Civil Engineering program when the fi rst students were admitted to the CE program in 2009. The fi rst CE program graduates were in May 2012. Accreditation was based on a year-long assessment of program objectives, curriculum, faculty, facilities, institutional support, and the ability of students to meet expected learning outcomes. Accreditation required that CE program faculty prepare a detailed program self-study, submit student performance documentation, and participate in discussions with an ABET accreditation visiting team. Department of Engineering faculty members Dr. Clifford Anderson, Dr. Swamy Basim, and Dr. Bin Zhou lead the CCSU initial accreditation team. CCSU’s CE

attendance. The proceeds generated from this event support a student scholarship. Laura Marchese of the CCSU Institutional Advancement offi ce was responsible for orchestrating many facets of this event.

Photo Caption » Ken Woodward (left)

Dr. Ray Perreault Jr. (right)

program accreditation was granted starting in August 2011, and all CE program graduates are EAC of ABET accredited program graduates. Connecticut regulations for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors includes ABET accreditation when considering qualifi cations for licensing as a professional engineer.

Accreditation of the CE program is an on-going process designed to maintain the quality of civil engineering instruction at CCSU. CE student performance is evaluated throughout program courses,

Alexandra Roe (left), Susan Labas (right)

Mike Daversa (left), Dr. Stuart Bennett (right)

and attainment of expected learning outcomes is measured at all student levels. Performance reporting is conducted annually, with detailed reporting completed on three to six year cycles. The CE Industrial Advisory Board and engineering faculty use the on-going evaluations when considering program improvements. The CE program is pleased to join the CCSU Mechanical Engineering program in attaining EAC of ABET accreditation. EAC of ABET, Inc. accreditation demonstrates CCSU’s commitment to engineering program excellence.

Dr. Clifford Anderson and students in Introduction to Engineering Surveying course.


The CCSU Moonbuggy Team wins Technology Challenge Award representing CCSU and Connecticut at NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge in Huntsville, Alabama

The Annual NASA Great Moonbuggy Race was traditionally hosted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. It had strict rules and requirements for design, fabrication and assembly of Moonbuggy vehicles. The culmination of the event was Moonbuggy performance tests and races.

This year, as usual, the event was sponsored by corporate leaders in the aerospace industry such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Jacobs ESSSA Group and others. In 2014 NASA updated rules and requirements for Moonbuggy vehicles and announced the new name of the international competition – “NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge”. Like former NASA Great Moonbuggy Race, NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge included the design, fabrication, assembly, and performance tests of Moonbuggy vehicles that must satisfy numerous design and operational constraints e.g., should be human-powered, fold to fit into a 5’x5’x5’ cube (which replaced former 4’x4’x4’ cube requirement), reassemble quickly from the cube, turn in a radius of 15 feet or less, etc. The most challenging among new 2014 requirements was the restriction to use wheels with inflated (pneumatic) tires and tires that contain a chamber for inflation but are not inflated.

During the past 5 years SE&T students under the supervision of Dr. V. Naoumov have built, improved and raced two

Moonbuggy vehicles and successfully participated in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 NASA Great Moonbuggy Races. On April 10-12 2014 97 teams from American universities, colleges and high schools, as well as teams from foreign countries such as India, Russia, Germany and Mexico, participated in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge competition on the grounds of U. S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. CCSU team presented the improved Moonbuggy Vehicle-II equipped with new wheels, fenders, new pedal towers and gear boxes. CCSU was represented by ME students: Daniel Ray (team leader), Josiah Roberts, Amanda Haraghey, Jacqueline Alexandra, Coraizaca Macancela, Michael Russell, Tom Frost, Brian Ventura, and Nhan Nguyen. Students that also participated in the improvement of Moonbuggy vehicle were Alex Brown, David Kiely and Zeeshan Shamim. CCSU is the only university team from the State of Connecticut.

The event included Technology Challenge Design Competition sponsored by Jacobs ESSSA Group which required applying engineering skills to develop mobility devices, such as rovers, simulate the extension to astronauts’ range and carrying capabilities as they explore other worlds. The goal of the Technology Challenge Competition was to involve students in hands-on

engineering experiences related to NASA’s mission of exploration and discovery, and focus them on creativity, ingenuity and effectiveness as they design and build a particular component technology of a rover. This year Technology Challenge was concentrated on lunar vehicle Wheel Design and Fabrication. CCSU team won the Technology Challenge Award and received a plaque and a prize of $1000.00.

From left to right: Foreground: M. Russell.

Background: T. Frost, B. Ventura, A. Haraghey, J. Roberts, J.A.C. Macancela, Dr. V. Naoumov, Nhan Nguyen, Daniel Ray.

From left to right: Foreground: N. Nguyen, J. Roberts, M. Russell.

Background: A. Haraghey, B. Ventura, T. Frost, D. Ray, J.A.C. Macancela, Dr. V. Naoumov.

From left to right: M. Russell, B. Ventura (front), A. Brown (back)

and J. Roberts


Redi Nasto, Robert Adamczyk and Professor Alfred Gates are working on the development of drone technology capable of flying autonomously in poor weather conditions involving rain, snow and 20 mph winds. In the photo Dr. Gates and Mr. Nasto are standing behind their proof of concept quadcopter drone which is hovering in place autonomously. The second photo displays the proof of concept quadcopter hovering in snow showers. The aircraft has successfully flown in 20 mph winds and heavy snow conditions. A major problem with flying battery powered drone aircraft is the exposure of the onboard electronics to rain and snow. Drone aircraft will have many applications in the future that involve flight in poor weather. For example, search and rescue and

property inspection after hurricanes where there is no time to wait until the weather clears.

The next phase of Mr. Nasto’s and Mr. Adamczyk’s projects are to develop a production ready prototype aircraft that will be able to fly for extended periods of time in rain, snow and high winds. Mr. Adamczyk’s project has a major focus on developing a thermoformed weather tight body that is designed to fit the XAircraft X-650, currently one of the most popular quadcopter airframes on the drone market. Using four new body components and low cost parts that are currently available, Mr. Nasto has been focused on the development of a mid-sized, all-weather hexcopter, capable of flights in poor weather conditions. Both projects involve design, manufacturing, programming, engineering analysis and flight testing.

National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) ProgramA National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI)

program, funded by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), was successfully implemented in the summer of 2013 for the first time in Connecticut. The focus of the pilot program is to provide local high school students with opportunities to learn what transportation is, why transportation is important, and how they can work as proud transportation planners/engineers in the future. A wide range of transportation modes were introduced through a variety of activities, including lectures and hands-on labs led by professors in the School of Engineering and Technology, presentations by transportation professionals from both private and public sectors, and field trips to Waterbury-Oxford airport and Rocky Hill – Glastonbury ferry.

Dr. Bin (Brenda) Zhou is the principal investigator (PI) and director for this program. She coordinated with participating professors, including Drs. Clifford Anderson, Swamy Basim, John Wei, Alfred Gates and Jacob Kovel, to develop a series of transportation curriculum activities. Seven speakers were invited to campus to present their real-life projects and share their perspectives on various aspects of transportation. One CCSU civil engineering student was hired to monitor lab activities. Sixteen high school students from central Connecticut finished the program.

This program was further enriched by a warm opening luncheon at CCSU and an enjoyable graduation ceremony at Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT). At the opening luncheon, student participants were cordially greeted by Dean Malhas. Other speakers include: Larry Hall, director of CCSU’s recruitment and admissions, Wilma Tynes, assistant director of TRiO at CCSU, and Sharon Okoye, director of TRAC at CTDOT. On the last day, student participants visited CTDOT, where they toured highway operations center, observed photolog vehicle and traffic monitoring demonstrations, and listened to inspiring presentations by CTDOT’s bureau chiefs, planners and engineers. Commissioner Redeker and Division Administrator of CT FHWA, Amy-Jackson Grove, presented graduation diplomas and stipend checks to student participants. Several parents, grandparents, and/or relatives attended this graduation ceremony to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these teenagers.

This successful program has landed CCSU a renewal of the grant for year 2014 with an increase in funding. We look forward to another exciting opportunity to serve local communities, to promote college education in transportation, and to enhance CCSU’s educational mission and visibility.

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems All Weather Technology Development


Upon recommendation of the CCSU Department of Engineering and the Hartford Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Dr. Nidal Al-Masoud was presented the 2014 ASME “Distinguished Engineer of the Year” award. The awards event sponsored by Pratt & Whitney and Belcan Engineering Group was hosted by Aaron Danenberg a CCSU alumnus of the mechanical engineering program who is now Chair of the ASME Hartford Section. Presented annually, this tribute acknowledges exemplary achievement and professionalism in the field of engineering.

Dr. Nidal Al-Masoud Receiving Award from Presenter Dr. Peter Baumann. (Photo courtesy of ASME Hartford Section)

Dr. Al-Masoud has a distinguished record of dedicated service within the Engineering Department at Central Connecticut State University. His vision, careful planning, and development work with colleagues led to the initiation of the Mechanical Engineering program at CCSU, the first baccalaureate engineering program in the ConnSCU system. From the program’s inception by feasibility study, through the application and assessment work necessary to achieve licensure and national accreditation, he led the way serving as program coordinator. The program graduates now fulfill critical technical workforce needs throughout the State of Connecticut. To compliment these efforts, Dr. Al-Masoud also remodeled and developed new engineering laboratories focusing on fluids, dynamics, and controls and his well-appreciated mentoring style and collaboration with fellow faculty members has resulted in numerous publications.

For the students, in 2004 he established the CCSU Student Chapter of ASME, where he continues to act as faculty advisor and has, over the years, organized several CCSU events: two ASME Student Paper Nights and an ASME District Student Professional Development Conference. He served on the Board of Directors of the Hartford Section of ASME from 2006-2012 and remains the principal liaison for CCSU by being active on their scholarship committee.

We certainly want to congratulate him on this well-deserved award.

Dr. Nidal Al-Masoud Receives ASME “Distinguished Engineer of the Year” Award

Energy Laboratory Control Systems LaboratoryBichum Engineering Laboratory Building

In Fall 2013 Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Technology students started their laboratory exercises in the new Bichum Laboratory Building. Energy Laboratory was the first to open its doors to ME and ET students for ME 370 Instrumentation and ET 361 Engineering Technology Instrumentation laboratory courses. Comfortable and fully equipped laboratory room can accommodate up to 20 students conducting six different laboratory exercises at the same time: study of the operation and response of thermocouples; measuring temperatures using different devices such as glass thermometers, bimetallic thermometers, thermocouples; using strain gages for measuring strain, stresses, forces and pressures; employing rotameters, differential manometers, venturi meters and orifice plates for measuring fluid flow rates; collecting and processing experimental data using National Instruments and Omega data acquisition system. In the nearest future several new laboratory exercises will be designed and offered to students in instrumentation classes.

Control engineering has played and will continue to play a pivotal role in the development and advancement of modern civilization. Control systems applications range from simple kitchen appliances to the space shuttle and Mars rover operation. Perhaps one of the most exciting fields in the application of control systems in consumer products is the automotive industry. Almost all luxury options in modern vehicles are based on using control systems to enhance safety and to provide a better driving experience. A typical modern car has more than a 100 control systems on board such as adaptive cruise control, active suspension systems, blind-spot warning system, magic body control, and intelligent climate control. The application of control theory is not limited to engineering; it has been successfully used in social, biological and economical fields.

The mission of the Control Systems Laboratory (CSL) is to enhance the quality of undergraduate education in the modeling and control of dynamic systems. It provides hands-on learning opportunities to enhance understanding of the abstract mathematical concepts that are covered in lectures.

The experimental setups in the laboratory provide additional insight to several courses currently taught in the Mechanical Engineering Program in the areas of modeling, vibration, and control of dynamic systems, in addition to basic principles of data acquisition and signal processing. Currently, ten stations of five different experimental plants are used in the Lab. State-of-the-art equipment was purchased from Educational Control Products, California, which has supplied equipment to 400 other institutions worldwide. The test plants include: translational system, rotational system, industrial emulator, inverted pendulum, and moment


Every semester since fall 2010 Mechanical Engineering students under the supervision of Dr. Viatcheslav Naoumov work on the project “Research on the Combustion of Bio-Derived Fuels in Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engine”. Long term goal of the project is the investigation of combustion of non-toxic and non-explosive bio-derived fuels such as paraffin, bee’s wax and lard with different oxidizers using small-scale Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engine, instrumentation system and test fixture designed, built and assembled by engineering students. By the beginning of 2013/14 academic year research teams performed more than 40 tests, published three student/faculty research papers and presented research results at numerous Conferences of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).

In fall 2013 test equipment was moved to the Bichum Engineering Laboratory Building and installed in the new HPRE Laboratory, designed and erected for the project. Starting from Fall 2013, students under the leadership of ME senior student Piotr Skomin, performed the research on the combustion of paraffin with aluminum powder which was commonly used as a high-energy additive in Solid Propellant Rocket technique. New findings on the thermoaerochemistry of the combustion of paraffin/aluminum fuels and results of the research of the combustion of pure paraffin and bee’s wax were published in two new student/faculty papers presented at the major event of the international aerospace community - AIAA SciTech 52nd Aerospace Sciences Meeting held on January 13-17, 2014 in National Harbor, Maryland.

Research on the Combustion of Bio-Derived Rocket Fuels with Aluminum Powder

gyroscope system. Each device consists of an electromechanical system and a full complement of control hardware and software. The versatile and reconfigurable nature of each apparatus makes it possible to support introductory through advanced level courses in modeling and control, as well as undergraduate and graduate research projects in virtually any topic in control systems.

The experimental capabilities available in the laboratory represent a wide spectrum of practical applications encountered in many areas of mechanical and aerospace engineering. The devices can be configured to study identification and control of linear or nonlinear, stable or unstable systems using classical and modern control theories in both time and frequency domains. These include dynamic model building, rigid body control, flexible drive shafts, gearing, and belts. Practical limitations like backlash in gear systems, drive saturation, disturbance rejection can be fully addressed. The user interface to the system supports a broad range of trajectory generation (inputs), data acquisition for system identification and control. Basic and advanced control strategies are built-in to the software in both continuous and discrete time, with the option of importing user defined control algorithms.

Dr. Nidal Al-Masoud and ME Students in the new Control Systems Laboratory

Spring 2014 Hybrid Propellant Rocket Engine team. From left to right: Piotr Skomin (Team Leader), Patryk Deptula, Sean Urquhart, Huy Nguyen, Scott Werkheiser, and Victoria Calhoun.


Students in the Engineering and Engineering Technology programs are conducting whirl testing of an advanced helicopter rotor system using different rotor shaft bevel gears. Figure 1 presents a CCSU counter-rotating twin rotor helicopter mounted on a test stand during the tie down test in laboratory room NC118. Visible are the key helicopter mechanical components, electrical wiring, data acquisition systems and instrumentation test parameters. The counter-rotating rotor blade tests will be remotely controlled and conducted by varying engine throttle positions and blade root end pitch angles to obtain rotor power to lift ratio. Rotor rpm and blade pitch settings are separately controlled as two independent test parameters. Five senior students from the Engineering Department—J. Sean McGuinness, Jeff Weston, Lukasz Sudyka, Matt McPartland and Ahmed Gomaa—are actively participating in this interesting and challenging research project. The advisers are Engineering Department professors Dr. John Wei and Dr. Al Gates.

One reason for choosing this type of rotor testing is the attractiveness of the intermeshing rotor configuration to rotor researchers. Because the intermeshing rotor configuration has an inherent high lift to power ratio, it can produce higher lift by using a single engine and transmission system to spin two counter-rotating main rotor blades. Such an arrangement eliminates the need for a tail rotor since the two main rotor blade sets counteract each other.

Another goal of this project is to research the relationship between rotor shaft tilt angles in affecting rotor thrust, power required and helicopter twin rotor clearances during flight. Normally, the higher the rotor shaft angle tilting outward, the more rotor lift reduction there will be. This is due to the cosine effect of the total vertical lift force vector tilting sideways. On the other hand, the rotor to rotor clearance or rotor to hub clearance is increased due to higher rotor shaft outward tilting. A larger rotor shaft tilting will result in a better maneuver flight envelope. This is an important tradeoff design parameter

for students to study.By using a static test stand equipped

with load cells that measure lift as shown in Figure 1, data can be collected as each change is made. As the angle between the rotor blades is varied, a test is conducted and the corresponding data recorded. Several sets of bevel gears are designed and manufactured using 3D printing.

Another interesting design approach which can be used to enhance the helicopter flight envelope is to trim down the blade root end trailing edge area. All blades have been modified in order to allow for a higher angle of pitch before interference occurs. Since the blade root end area is reduced, the yielding stress and destructive testing of the blades will be done in order to ensure the modified blades will hold up to service on the helicopter. The confirmation of the structural integrity of these components will allow the team to focus on the collection of lift, power and torque data for the various test runs.

This project will build on the existing remote controlled K-MAX model helicopter that was constructed using an intermeshing rotor blade design. The goal of this project is also to integrate new instrumentation onto the blades of the existing K-MAX model helicopter, which will allow analytical testing to be performed. The new instrumentation permits much more thorough experimentation on the aircraft and will provide the ability to accurately monitor the blade habits through every stage of flight. To determine whether the flight abilities of the helicopter are influenced by the shaft angles, test flights will be conducted after the completion of the whirl test.

K-Max Twin Rotor Whirl Testing Project

Fig. 1: CCSU Twin Rotor Test in Room NC118

SE&T students at Jefferson Valve in Bueno Aires Argentina during course abroad to Chile and

Argentina.

SE&T students in Stuttgart, Germany during course abroad over Spring break 2014. They

visited the Production facilities of BMW, Mercedes, Doppelmayr, and Liebherr.

SE&T students visited Hyundai Steel, Automotive and their R&D facilities Seoul, South Korea during

Thanksgiving break 2013.

School of Engineering & Technology – Courses Abroad


Dr. Talat Salama as PI, Adrian Guedes and Nicholas Burns as student Co-PIs were awarded in fall 2013 the Faculty-Student Research Grant on Testing the Effect of Fly-Ash on Concrete Bridges Strength. This research is testing the potential increase in strength of concrete, due to the addition of the admixture fly-ash, which would improve workability of the fresh concrete and reduce water content, hence increasing strength and increasing durability by resistance to freeze and thaw. These enhanced concrete properties would be very beneficial to new and deficient bridges undergoing rehabilitation and strengthening.

Cracking has been observed in many concrete bridge components, such as slabs, girders, piers and abutments. Such cracking threatens to allow penetration of chlorides and other harmful materials within the concrete, especially in cold regions of the US, leading to potential reinforcement corrosion. These degradation mechanisms can lead to severe deterioration, increased maintenance costs, and decreased service lives of bridge components. It is estimated that an investment of at least $930 billion is needed in the next five years to alleviate the problems associated with bridges and roads. Concrete strength and durability by enhanced mixture design is a major solution to this problem.

Testing the Effect of Fly-Ash on Concrete Bridges Strength

Dr. Salama, Nick and Adrian testing concrete cylinders at the construction materials testing laboratory.

A firefighter robot is being developed by Daniel Rodowicz, a Computer Engineering Technology student, under the support of Dr. Xiaobing Hou. It’s always dangerous for a firefighter to enter a burning building. The project will develop a robotic firefighter and the idea originated from the Trinity Firefighting Home Robot Contest. The robot will be tested in a maze built to simulate a house with a fire. The robot will be able to reliably perform multiple actions including navigating through hallways, locating a flame, and then extinguishing it. All of these actions require input from the robot’s surrounding environment using a multitude of sensors. Through the research on all the components required, and the demonstration of the robot, the project can be expanded into a product that can be used in the real world that will allow people or organizations to have such a robot on standby in their own residence waiting to be deployed should a fire ignite.

Development of Robotic Firefighter

Under the support of the Dean’s Student-Faculty Research Fund and advising of Dr. Shuju Wu, Computer Engineering Technology undergraduate students Eric Johnson and Jose Ramirez in the Department of Computer Electronics and Graphics Technology are working on their senior capstone project titled SmartCam and SmartPod. The objective of this project is to provide both professional and amateur photographers and filmmakers the capability and flexibility of remotely controlling Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) devices to create great pieces of art. A smartphone application called SmartCam communicates with the SmartPod which in turn controls the DSLR device in desired angles for optimal picture positioning, resolution, and quality. This project involves mobile phone application development, hardware design and wireless communications. Once fully developed, the project will allow smartphone users to control a DSLR device to specific positions and angles to help capture the always sought after, “perfect” shot.

Innovative Remote-Controlled DSLR SmartPod


The School of Engineering and Technology (SE &T) now offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Digital Printing & Graphics Technology. The new program covers digital pre-media, cloud color management, digital printing, graphic management information systems, SCM/RFID and post-press operations, as well as science and analytical mathematics and supplemental computer-related courses. The program laboratory recently acquired new equipment and instruments, including a Konica-Minolta C6000 bizHub Digital Color Press with Creo IC-307 Print Controller/Front-end platform, an Epson 7900 Spectro-Proofer with CGS-ORIS ColorTuner Front-end platform, an Epson 11000XL Graphic Arts Scanner with SilverFast scanning software and a X-Rite i1iO Scanning Table with EyeOne Pro 2 Spectrophotometer. Combined with the software applications, the new equipment/devices allows students to complete their laboratory activities and gain up-to-date technical competencies in graphics technology and imaging. The staff of the new degree program successfully sought industry support from multiple national and international corporations. Electronics for Imaging (EFI) Metrix, Fujifilm, X-Rite, ICS Remote Director, CGS-ORIS and GMG, among others, donated multiple copies of software for SE &T’s Digital Printing & Graphics Technology Laboratory. As a result of advancements in technology, the industry is in a constant state of change, which requires a more educated, skilled and technically competent workforce. Thanks in large part to newly acquired equipment by the school and the software donations, the graduates of the SE &T’s new program will be well prepared for the workplace.

This issue of the INFOTECH Newsletter was produced by SE & T students as a practical application and cost effective use of the newly installed equipment.

CCSU students have partnered with a nonprofit agency to benefit the disadvantaged and disabled. Working with Chariots of Hope, a nonprofit located in Bloomfield, students from Michele Dischino’s Introduction to Engineering course and members of the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (the on-campus club for Technology and Engineering Education majors) are refurbishing wheelchairs that are being donated to individuals who would otherwise have no means of obtaining them. Each wheelchair is different, so the students have to determine what needs to be done to make each chair functional. Some chairs have missing parts, and all of them need cleaning and general refurbishment. It’s a problem-solving project in a socially meaningful and hands-on way.

The effort has received two small awards thus far: $1000 from the Connecticut Chapter of the Awesome Foundation and $500 from a local philanthropist who made a donation to the CCSU’s Institute for Technology & Business Development (ITBD) where the wheelchairs are now housed. The project is still in its infancy and hopes to add collaborators both on- and off-campus. For instance, a partnership between this project and the New Britain YWCA’s STRIVE Program, which provides free youth development activities for girls ages 11 to 14, was recently established. Through this collaboration, students from New Britain’s middle schools will work alongside CCSU students to refurbish wheelchairs for those in need. Discussions have also been held with faculty from CCSU’s Nursing Program, who would like to get their students involved as well. Development of a business plan is currently underway and a name for the project has been selected, CCSU C.A.R.E.S. (Collaboration for Assistive Resources, Equipment and Services), in the hopes of expanding its mission to include other ways to assist individuals in need. For more information about the project, contact Dr. Dischino at [email protected] or 860-832-1857.

Digital Printing & Graphics Technology StudentsLearn the Latest Professional Print Processes

Students Use Their Engineering Skills to Solve Real-World ProblemsLearn the Latest While Helping Those in Need

Quam Adetona (student) working on the newly acquired Konica-Minolta C6000 bizHub Digital Color Press.


Dr. Vasko believes in the importance of giving back, for he was awarded an engineering scholarship for the undergraduate degree he earned at Lehigh University. As a college-scholarship recipient, he recognized the importance of maintaining a high-level GPA and feels very fortunate, because the financial support helped set him on the path to a distinguished engineering career for more than three decades at

United Technologies Corporation (UTC). His dedication to his field and his desire to help others have culminated in his decision to assist exceptional CCSU students whose academic performance merits a scholarship.

After retiring from UTC, Dr. Vasko joined the CCSU Department of Engineering, in the fall of 2008. He had begun his UTC career as an analytical engineer at Hamilton Standard before transferring to the UTC Research Center Applied Mechanics Group, where he was a specialist in nonlinear structural analyses utilizing the finite-element method. In 1997, he transferred to Pratt & Whitney, where his primary responsibility was the design and analysis of jet-

engine components for bird-strike and containment. In 2002, he was named a Pratt & Whitney Fellow in Computational Structural Mechanics. He holds a PhD in ME from the University of Connecticut, an MSME from RPI, and a BSME from Lehigh University. In 2004, he received a NASA award as a member of the Jet Engine Containment Concepts and Blade-Out Simulation Team. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Connecticut, and he is a member of the board for the Connecticut Society of Professional Engineers. His research interests include advanced finite-element techniques with both aerospace and manufacturing applications. At CCSU, he has taught courses in the finite-element method, as well as in aerospace structures and materials, and he was a finalist for the 2013 Excellence in Teaching Award.

The School of Engineering & Technology is most grateful to Dr. Vasko for his generous gift to endow the Thomas J. Vasko Scholarship. The first Thomas J. Vasko Scholarships will be awarded in the fall of 2015 for full-time, matriculated CCSU undergraduate students majoring in engineering. Applicants should demonstrate financial need and have earned a 3.0 GPA or higher. If you would like more information, please contact, Associate Dean, Dr. James Mulrooney, in the Dean’s Office.

KBE Building Corporation endows CCSU Veteran’s Construction Management Scholarshipin honor of Mr. Kenneth J. Russo Director of Preconstruction at KBE Building Corp.

On Veteran’s Day 2013, KBE Building Corporation endowed a CCSU scholarship for individuals who are active or honorably discharged from any branch of the United States Armed Forces, including the Connecticut National Guard. Students must be enrolled in CCSU’s Construction Management Program. The scholarship was named in honor of Kenneth J. Russo who has more than 45 years of experience in the construction industry, beginning with his six years in the Navy SEABEES. As an active supporter of CCSU’s Construction Management program, he has served on the CCSU Construction Management Industrial Advisory Board for many years, including two years as chairman. Mr. Russo has also been a guest lecturer in graduate level courses, coordinated various guest speakers for the Construction Management Student Club, and actively participated in the Regional Students’ Competition.

The endowment was given through KBE Building Corporation “50 Ways to Make a Difference”. Each year, the firm focuses on a key need of the community and the 2013 focus was on military personnel and their families.

Thomas J. Vasko Scholarship Fund

Left to right, CCSU Professor of Manufacturing and Construction Management Raymond Perrault, KBE Director of Marketing - Jonelle Lawhorn, KBE Director of Preconstruction - Ken Russo, CCSU Major Gifts Associate - Laura Marchese and KBE Senior Vice President and Owner - Simon Etzel

Since 2011 TRUMPF, Inc. has provided the opportunity for CCSU Engineering and Manufacturing Students to pursue full semester co-op experiences and student scholarships. This program is offered to students pursuing a degree program in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering Technology and Mechanical Engineering Technology, junior or senior year standing, a 3.0 GPA or better, and knowledge in the field.

This program has been exceptionally successful in providing valuable real world experience and preparing students for their careers, including a student being offered a position at TRUMPF. All experiences have been at TRUMPF Inc. located in Farmington, CT. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please contact the SE & T Student Services Center, Career Services Coordinator, Diane Hunter at 860.832.1863.

TRUMPF Inc. Offers Cooperative Education and Scholarship Program for CCSU Students


The new MS in STEM Education for Certified Teachers will prepare certified teachers in the trans-disciplinary areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Courses are aligned with National and/or CT state content standards in each discipline: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and the Common Core for Mathematics and Language Arts. It does not lead to CT state teacher certification or cross-endorsement.

In line with the STEM philosophy, courses will integrate the STEM disciplines and provide teachers with the skills necessary to move away from the traditional way of teaching discrete subjects towards a more comprehensive way of addressing the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines for use in the classroom to prepare students for 21st century college skills and career readiness.

The MS STEM Education Program is for certified teachers who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. For more detailed information about the program and specific Admissions requirements, please visit the websites www.ccsu.edu/stem or www.ccsu.edu/grad or contact Marsha Bednarski at 860-832-2943 or James DeLaura at 860-832-1850.

Master’s of Science in STEM Education Beginning Fall 2014

CCSU Professor Presents Drone Technology and FAA Regulations at Yale University

Justin Hucul Collaborates with Jim Quinn

Alfred Gates professor of engineering at CCSU made a presentation about Small Unmanned Aerials Systems, SUAS, technology and the federal Aviation Administration, FAA, regulations of manned aircraft and provided his opinion on how they will address the commercialization of SUAS at Yale University on April 15, 2014. The lecture addressed using remote control model aircraft as drones and the required components that make up the aircraft. He discussed applications of drone aircraft once the FAA makes a ruling on civilian commercialization of drones anticipated in 2015.

Multicopter aircraft have potential to be used for commercial operations for photography of real-estate weddings and other events. Currently, being compensated to fly remote control or drone aircraft violates the FAA regulations. Other applications of multicopters are building and bridge inspection, environmental air and water sampling. The farming industry would use them for crop monitoring and property management. A very important application for drone aircraft will be a first response for search and rescue. Drone aircraft can be used to evaluate hurricane and other natural disaster damaged areas. Drone aircraft can be programmed to fly in a grid like pattern with a thermal imaging camera at an extremely low cost compared with manned fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. Also they will fly in a more accurate pattern and in weather conditions than manned aircraft would be unable to fly in. Gates and his students are working on modifying multicopters to fly in rain and snow. He will be testing the aircraft with a thermal imaging system this summer to determine the reliability and accuracy of his systems.

In the seminar at Yale, Gates covered the required electronics for autonomous flight and the process of developing drone aircraft. Additionally Dr. Gates presented some of the regulations for manned aircraft and related it to what he expects with the commercialization of drone aircraft. Gates displayed several muticopter aircraft, a ground control station and a remote control airplane modified to fly autonomously.

This summer Dr. Gates will offer a short continuing education course at CCSU on drone aircraft and anticipated business opportunities followed by an extended course that will include the students learning how to fly multicopter, build and repair multicopters, the FAA regulations in detail, technology now and in the future and drone applications. Also the students will build and fly their own multicopters provided to them as a part of the course with a video system.

Senior Technology and Engineering Education major Justin Hucul collaborated with Lead Engineer Jim Quinn of Orange County Chopper to create a 140 teeth sprocket for use in the CCSU Supermileage vehicle. Justin used MasterCam software to generate the CAD model and then cut out the sprocket on a CNC waterjet machine from 3/16 inch aluminum plate. He will be competing in the 2014 SAE Supermileage competition on June 5th and 6th in Marshall, Michigan.

Giving to the School of Engineering and Technology

Every gift means something to the success of our students….

Have you ever thought about making a gift or leaving a legacy to the School of Engineering and Technology at CCSU? If you would like to learn more about these opportunities, please visit www.ccsu.edu/giving or contact the Deans Office at 860.832.1800.

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Our New School: Bridging the Boundaries in STEM...effective advocate for STEM disciplines in the State of Connecticut. By investing heavily in STEM research, education, and the development