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School of Engineering, University of Connecticut www.engr.uconn.edu Summer 2006

Wilson Chiu Receives ASMEBergles-Rohsenow YoungInvestigator Awardsee page 7

Engineering Goes to School: the Galileo Projectsee page 10

Engineering Faculty Garner NSF CAREER Awardssee page 15

A Lesson in Fun for140 Young Womensee page 9

Also In this Issue:

Photo courtesy of Cloe Poisson, The Hartford Courant

During the summer, a national search was launched for a new permanent

Dean for the School of Engineering. The search committee includes faculty, students, alumniand industry representatives, and will beassisted by a higher education executivesearch firm, Korn/Ferry International. We anticipate that by this time next year, the new dean will be installed.

Meanwhile, I have been appointed InterimDean to lead the School of Engineering duringthis transition. During my 30 years on theUConn faculty, I have served more than 10years in administrative capacities, mostrecently as Head of the Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering (CEE) Department, but previouslyas an Associate Dean for the School, and asInterim Head of CEE. I have served on severaluniversity-wide committees and also servednationally on the executive committee of the civil engineering department heads’ council elected as the North East regional representative.

My primary area of technical expertise, for more than two decades, has been on theprogressive collapse of structural systems,which I have been studying with NationalScience Foundation funding. I have a passionfor both teaching and research—I enjoy being in the classroom and working with mygraduate students. However, I also enjoyadministration and leadership—strategic planning, consensus-building, working withstakeholders and constituents, managingresources, decision-making, and advocating—so I feel very fortunate to be called to theseresponsibilities at this important juncture ofthe School’s history.

During this transition, as our professionand educational institutions reflect upon the

2 FRONTIERS SUMMER 2006

Erling Smith, Ph.D., P.E.Interim Dean, School of Engineering Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Dean’s Welcome

The Engineer of 2020

In its groundbreaking 2004 report, The Engineer of 2020: Visions of

Engineering in the New Century,* the National Academy of Engineeringnoted that, to enhance the nation’s economic productivity and improve thequality of life worldwide, engineeringeducation in the United States mustanticipate and adapt to the dramaticchanges of engineering practice expectedin the coming decades. Technologiesdeveloped by engineers have helpedlengthen the human life span, enabledpeople to communicate nearly instanta-neously anywhere on Earth, and createdtremendous wealth and economicgrowth. The report projects that the next several decades will offer moreopportunities for engineers, with excitingpossibilities expected from nanotechnol-ogy, information technology, and bioengineering.

The report’s authors envisioned vari-ous scenarios, such as new breakthroughsin biotechnology, natural disasters triggered by climate change, and globalconflicts driven by an imbalance inresources among nations, which couldaffect the world in 2020 in dramaticways. By then, they concluded, engineersmust be prepared to accommodate newsocial, economic, legal, and political constraints when planning projects.

In a companion report, Educating the Engineering of 2020: Adapting

*National Academies PressContinued on page 4

Engineering Education to the NewCentury,* the National Academy ofEngineering recommended that engineering programs endorse researchinto engineering education as a valued andrewarded activity for engineering faculty and develop new standards forfaculty qualifications; teach students how to be lifelong learners; introduceinterdisciplinary learning and explore the use of engineering case studies of successes and failures as learning tools;negotiate agreements with two-year colleges for transfer of engineering creditsto four-year institutions; encouragedomestic students to earn advanceddegrees; and foster greater public technological literacy and understandingof engineering, and help to improve science/math/engineering/technology(SMET) education throughout the K-12 levels.

Industry, educators and researchersmust work together to adopt a newvision for the future that ensures engineers are broadly and continually educated, become leaders in the publicand private sectors, and represent all segments of society—and that they arecapable of acquiring new knowledgequickly, adapting and engaging emergingproblems, and informing public policy.

IN THIS ISSUE

SUMMER 2006 FRONTIERS 3

Dean’s Welcome 2

The Engineer of 2020 2

UConn Steel Bridge Team Captures Regional Crown 4

John DeWolf Named 2006 University Teaching Fellow 5

Promotion & Tenure Decisions Advance Seven 5

School Hosts Northeast Regional Science Bowl 6

New Heads in Two Departments 7

Wilson Chiu Receives ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award 7

Friends Organize Lipsky Colloquium to Honor 40+ Year Career 8

Engineering Students Fêted 8

New England Scholars 8

A Lesson in Fun for 140 Young Women 9

Engineering Goes to School: the Galileo Project 10

New Diagnostic Machine for Connecticut Transportation Institute 12

In Memoriam: Spyridon Boikos 12

Focus on Alumni: Mark Vergnano 13

UConn’s Fuel Cell Center Hosts Secretary of Energy 14

Engineering Faculty Garner NSF CAREER Awards 15

School Honors Distinguished Alumni and Scholars 16

Seniors Demo Senior Design Projects 19

Faculty News 20

Young Inventors Redefine Their Environment 22

Alumni News 23

Engineering Sponsors Chess Match, Engineering Scholarships 24

Interim DeanErling Smith

Associate DeansA.F.M. Anwar, Research and Graduate EducationJohn C. Bennett, Jr., Academic Affairs

Assistant DeanMarcelle Wood, Undergraduate Education

Director of Development William Kissick, Jr.

Writer/EditorNan R. Cooper

Graphic Designer/IllustratorChris LaRosa

Photo CreditsChris LaRosa, University Communications, Sue Marie Lipsky, Cloe Poisson, Liang Pei, A. John DaDalt, Noreen Slater, Roy Slater, and Jim Lussier

Frontiers is published twice yearly by the Office of the Dean, School of Engineering at the University of Connecticut.

261 Glenbrook Road, Unit 2237Storrs, Connecticut 06269-2237Telephone: (860) 486-2221

Published for the alumni, faculty, students,corporate supporters, and friends of the School of Engineering at the University ofConnecticut. Suggestions are welcome.Send correspondence and address corrections to the Editor at the above address or e-mail to [email protected]

UNIVERSITY OFCONNECTICUTSCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

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The UConn Steel Bridge team captured top honors in the 2006 New England RegionalStudent Steel Bridge Competition held March 4th at the University of Maine, Orono.

The team, made up of members of the student chapter of the American Society of CivilEngineers (ASCE), beat out 10 other New England engineering schools to claim the championship. In so doing, the group earned a spot in the national competition in Salt Lake City that took place in May.

In addition to taking first place, the team garnered two additional first-place awards forstructural efficiency and stiffness. The categories on which entries were judged includedaesthetics, construction speed, construction economy (a cost-based calculation), lightness,stiffness, structural efficiency and overall performance.

Members of the winning team are: Benjamin Cote, Adam Frosino, George Ives, Erin Wilkinson, Alison Galasso, Ken-Taro Plude, Ethan Cote, Kyle Halvordson, Kelly McCartney, Chris Wall, Dan Veronesi, Brian Kinsley, Ben Szymanski, Mathew Henion,Ryan Scrittorale and Nick Keenan. The regional competition pitted UConn against teamsfrom the universities of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, Northeastern University,Norwich University, Tufts, Merrimack College and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

The competition simulated a full-scale bridge scenario; all entries were made of steel,had to span a mock river and hold up under a weight of 2,500 pounds. Most bridges wereabout 20 to 25 feet long.

Advising the group, and committing countless hours to the venture, was School ofEngineering alumnus (B.S. Civil Engineering, M.S. Structural Engineering, ‘83, ‘86) Michael Culmo, a professional engineer and director of transportation for CME Associatesof Woodstock.

UConn Steel Bridge Team Captures Regional Crown

changing role of engineers in the globalsociety, it is vital that our School examineits part and begin thinking anew, exploringdifferent modes, building consensus, pressing in new directions and seeking newcollaborations—all the while continuing todo those things at which we excel. In TheEngineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering inthe New Century, the National Academy ofEngineering highlights the changing needsof society and projects how the engineeringprofession can not only remain relevant butalso assume greater leadership in steeringthe nation’s future. The report proposes specific ways in which to properly train and educate the engineer of the future andto expand our educational focus to conveytechnological literacy to the greater non-engineering community while advancing the leading edge of technology. Such anevolution demands that industry, theresearch community and educational institutions coordinate efforts.

We in the School of Engineering are fortunate to have national caliber faculty,excellent support staff, and engaged alumni. We attract the highest qualitystudents. We continue to broaden anddiversify our student pool through severaloutreach programs. We work hard to ensurestudent success and graduation.

The abilities and creativity of our Schoolof Engineering alumni and faculty are thebackbone and driving force of Connecticut’sadvanced technology economy. In the following pages you will see a sampling ofour many activities. Our achievements reston the individual and collective efforts offaculty, staff, students and alumni, togetherwith industrial and public-sector engage-ment and partnership. Certainly, I encourageyou to contact me if you wish to have adeeper involvement in the success of theSchool: there are many opportunities forimpact. If you have achievements that you would like to share, please contact us.

In closing, the success and contributionsof the School will continue in the technolog-ical advances we make and the humanresources we develop for Connecticut. I lookforward to yet another productive year inthe School.

Erling Smith, Ph.D., P.E.Interim Dean, School of Engineering Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering

Dean’s Welcome continued from page 2


Professor of Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering John DeWolf was named

one of four 2006-07 University of ConnecticutTeaching Fellows. The award was formallyannounced at a gala banquet in April 2006. Up to four Teaching Fellows are honored eachyear by the University’s Institute for Teachingand Learning, and only four Engineering facultyhave previously received the award since itsinception in 1993.

Dr. DeWolf was delighted by the Universitylaurel, which honored his novel teachingapproach, contributions as a textbook co-author and support to students as a faculty

advisor. As a teacher, he said, “I strive to makemy students enthusiastic about structural engineering. I know that if I can get them tothink critically about structures, they will focuson what is most important, and through thisthey will feel how structures behave.”

Among the most innovative coursesoffered students under the First YearExperience (FYE) program is one developed by Dr. DeWolf, which centers on gothic cathe-drals. As design subjects, gothic cathedralshold great complexity and mystery, makingthem well suited to the FYE format. Dr.DeWolf comments that gothic cathedrals were built prior to the two key components of

modern structural engineering: calculus andengineering mechanics. He asserts, “The earlycathedrals were magnificent structural engineering accomplishments. The cathedralbuilders sought to have large open spaces,requiring both large spans and high ceilingswith lots of windows for light. They requiredgreat insight, and it is fun to introduce students to engineering ideas using theseexamples.”

“If I can help my students become enthusiastic about what they do,” he says, “I can help them become engineers. Throughreal examples, I encourage students to explore

why the engineer followed specific paths, I encourage them to explore how constructioninfluences the actual design and I encouragethem to learn how to critically evaluatedesigns. It is in the evaluation of alternativesthat one fully appreciates the art of engineer-ing, and it is at this level that one truly findsdesign exciting.”

Writing is another novel element Dr. DeWolf has introduced in his civil engineer-ing classes. In his Steel Design course, heexplains, “I have been using written assign-ments as a way to further develop conceptsrelated to structural design.” The idea behindthis approach, he says, is to introduce studentsto real structures, help them examine how

structures behave, and use short back-of-the-envelop calculations to focus on key elementsin the structural design.

Dr. DeWolf is co-author, with E.R. Johnstonand the late F.P. Beer, on the widely acclaimedMechanics of Materials (3rd and 4th editions),which is used by engineering students atCarnegie Mellon University, Georgia Instituteof Technology, the University of Illinois, theUniversity of Michigan, Purdue University, the University of Wisconsin and RogerWilliams University

Dr. DeWolf was previously presented theC.R. Klewin Award for Excellence in Teaching(1995, 1999, 2000 and 2004) and the 2005Educator Career Teaching Award from theAmerican Institute of Steel Construction. The latter award is presented to just one collegiate educator yearly and entails a$20,000 grant over two years. It is meant tobring national recognition and confer seedmoney for establishment of new instructionalprograms in steel education. He is a memberof the State of Connecticut Board of Examinersfor Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

John DeWolf Named 2006 University Teaching Fellow

“ ”It is in the evaluation of alternatives that one fullyappreciates the art of engineering, and it is at thislevel that one truly finds design exciting.

Mark Aindow (University of Liverpool),Associate Professor in the Chemical, Materials& Biomolecular Engineering Department, wasawarded promotion to the rank of full Professor

Amvrossios Bagtzoglou (University ofCalifornia – Irvine), Associate Professor in the Civil & Environmental EngineeringDepartment, was awarded permanent academic tenure

Can Erkey (Texas A&M), Associate Professorin the Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular

Engineering Department, was awarded promotion to the rank of full Professor

Monty Escabi (University of California –Berkeley and San Francisco), AssistantProfessor in the Electrical & ComputerEngineering Department, was awarded permanent academic tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor

Allison MacKay (MIT), Assistant Professor in the Civil & Environmental EngineeringDepartment, was awarded permanent academic

tenure and promotion to the rank of Associate Professor

Richard Parnas (UCLA), Associate Professor in the Chemical, Materials & BiomolecularEngineering Department, was awarded permanent academic tenure

Alexander Shvartsman (Brown University),Associate Professor in the Computer Science &Engineering Department, was awarded promotion to the rank of full Professor

Promotion & Tenure Decisions Advance SevenThe School of Engineering is pleased to announce the following promotions:


Exhilaration and tension were the dominantemotions as more than 200 high school stu-

dents representing 31 teams from Connecticut,Rhode Island and New Hampshire participated inthe Northeast Regional Science Bowl, whichtook place March 18th in Storrs. The School ofEngineering organized and hosted the day-longevent, with sponsorship from the College ofLiberal Arts & Sciences and SUBWAY®. The stu-dents converged on campus for the mainJeopardy! style competition, and 14 teams participated in a model fuel cell car race.

Kevin McLaughlin, Director of theEngineering Diversity Program; Marty Wood,Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education; anda host of faculty, staff and more than 100 stu-dent volunteers from the School of Engineeringensured the program proceeded flawlessly.

The four-member teams, hailing primarily from Connecticut, were joined by sevenRhode Island teams and the 2005 championship(northeast) team from New Hampshire.Throughout the day, teams competed in gameshow-style quizzes. Each round pitted two teamsin a game of wits and speed, with contestantspressing a buzzer for the opportunity to correctlyanswer up to 25 math, engineering and science-based questions. During the morning, all teamscompeted five times. The top 16 teams from themorning rounds competed against each otherduring the afternoon double elimination champi-onship while the other teams competed againsteach other in a “wild card” round-robin tourna-ment for fun.

By late afternoon, three teams emerged atthe top. First-place honors went to the team fromEdwin O. Smith High School in Storrs, whoseteam members were Kyle Shin (captain), AndrewYang, Atif Rakin and Ian Campbell. Yan Zhouwas team alternate. The win was particularlypoignant for the University community: Kyle Shinis the son of Computer Science & Engineeringprofessor Dong-Guk Shin; Atif Rakin is the son of Electrical & Computer Engineering professorMehdi Anwar; and Andrew Yang is the son ofinternationally renowned cloning researcher, professor Xiangzhong “Jerry” Yang of Animal Sciences.

Second-place honors were awarded to the team from Cheshire High School, whosemembers included Sarah Esty (captain), RadhikaNakrani, Monica Liu and James Zhang, with Nathaniel Parsons serving as alternate. A Cranston West High School team from

Warwick, RI took third-place honors. Team members were Patrick Hanly (captain), AmudhaPanneerselvam, Nicole Slaughter and KevinVincent, with Devin Blau serving as alternate.

The model fuel cell car race took place in the afternoon, concurrent with the Science Bowl,and culminated in a late afternoon race for thechampionship. Teams assembled their vehicles inadvance, using parts provided by the School ofEngineering. While some entries failed to leavethe finish line—due primarily to excess weightrelative to power generation—about half successfully maneuvered at least partway downthe 10-meter race track.

First place went to Hamden High School’sDavid Moroniti and Jeffrey Lipton; second placewent to Rachael Zickefoose and Hardeep Singhof Crosby High School, Waterbury, CT; andJonathan Wickliff of South Windsor High School took third place.

During a post-lunch hour, participantsenjoyed a number of activities, including a visitto the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center andvarious demonstrations and hands-on activitieshosted by faculty from several engineering andscience programs. Attendees also were treatedto a presentation by famed UConn professor oftheoretical physics Dr. Ronald Mallett, whosediscoveries led to his design of a theoretical timemachine that bends laser light into a circle, effectively warping space-time.

Winning teams received award trophies, and all participants received a commemorativeScience Bowl T-shirt. In addition, 19 members of the first, second and third-place science bowland fuel cell car teams were awarded renewablescholarship certificates to UConn’s School ofEngineering. The scholarships ranged from$2,000/student/year to $250/student/year.

The winning E.O. Smith team from Storrswent on to the national competition inWashington, DC in late April, where they competed against 64 other teams at the nationalScience Bowl championship. The team placedsecond in the Department of Energy’s NationalScience Bowl Hydrogen Fuel Cell Model Car“speed race” challenge, and after a few earlylosses battled back to place in the top 32 teamsin the Science Bowl.

School Hosts Northeast Regional Science Bowl

Phot

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New Heads inTwo Departments


In early summer, the School ofEngineering welcomed new Department

Heads in two departments. Erling Smith,formerly Head of Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering, and Robert Magnusson, formerly Head of Electrical & ComputerEngineering, each elected to return to regular academic duties.

Following an intra-departmentalsearch, Michael Accorsi was appointedHead of the Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering Department. Dr. Accorsiearned his Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics

at NorthwesternUniversity,Evanston, IL. Dr. Accorsi began his career atUConn in 1986and currently hasa joint appoint-

ment with the Mechanical EngineeringDepartment. He performs research in thegeneral area of computational solidmechanics with specific application tocomposite materials, structural acoustics,and recently, parachute mechanics. This research has been supported by theArmy Research Office, the Air ForceOffice of Scientific Research, the Office ofNaval Research, and NASA, as well as byvarious industries. Dr. Accorsi received the Commander’s Educational Award forExcellence from the U.S. Army SoldierSystems Command in 1998 for hisresearch on parachutes. He is co-inventoron one U.S. patent.

Peter Luh, the SNET Professor ofCommunications and InformationTechnologies, was appointed Head of

the Electrical & ComputerEngineeringDepartment following aninternal search.Dr. Luh served asDirector of the

Booth Engineering Center for AdvancedTechnology (BECAT) from 1997-2004. At the University level, he played a key role in winning support from theNational Science Foundation to link

Continued on page 12

Dr. Wilson K.S. Chiu, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering,

was awarded the 2006 ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer for “research in computa-tional and experimental heat transfer, particularly chemical vapor deposition systems.” The award recognizes youngengineers who are committed to pursuingresearch in heat transfer, with the poten-tial to make significant contributions tothe field.

Dr. Chiu joined the University ofConnecticut in 1999 after completing hisPh.D. at Rutgers University. During hisseven years at UConn, he has established a reputation for excellence in heat transfer,mass transfer, and chemical reactions usedfor the chemical vapor deposition (CVD)synthesis and processing of nanostructuredmaterials. In 2001, he was awarded a pres-tigious NSF Early Career Development(CAREER) Award and an Office of NavalResearch (ONR) Young InvestigatorAward. In 2005, he received a three-yearArmy Research Office (ARO) YoungInvestigator Award for his work in thearea of optimization of solid oxide fuelcells (SOFCs) for field use by Army personnel. He has garnered more than$1.7 million in external funding fromNSF, ONR, ARO and industry.

Dr. Chiu’s research into heat transferin reactive flow systems holds importantpromise for applications involving chemi-cal vapor deposition, such as manufactureof thin films and semiconductors, small-scale devices, photonics, fuel cellsand photo-voltaics. In particular, his workhas focused on reactive flow systems forphotonics, fuel cells and semiconductorapplications. His three-year ONR YoungInvestigator Award supports research intothe development of optical fibers used in underwater acoustic arrays that can survive in the harsh conditions of theocean environment. The Naval Undersea

Warfare Center works with Dr. Chiu onthis project. His NSF CAREER awardsupports his research into enhanced coatings for optical fibers that will be used primarily in telecommunications and sensing. He is co-inventor on U.S. patentfilings for a laser-induced chemical vapordeposition coating method and for carbon nanotube synthesis using anopen-air direct laser-writing method.

Dr. Chiu has published 33 journalpapers and 57 conference articles andabstracts; and he has three U.S. patentspending. In addition to his federal honors,Dr. Chiu has received the Department ofMechanical Engineering OutstandingFaculty Award (2004), the School of Engineering Outstanding Junior Faculty Award (2002) and a U.S.Navy/ASEE Summer Faculty ResearchFellowship (2001).

Established by the ASME HeatTransfer Division in 2003, with the firstawards announced in 2004, the Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award wasfunded through the efforts of ArthurBergles and Warren Rohsenow, who arewell known for their accomplishments in heat transfer research and for theirmentoring of young researchers.

Wilson Chiu Receives ASMEBergles-Rohsenow YoungInvestigator Award

Friends Organize Lipsky Colloquiumto Honor 40+ Year Career


On May 8, 2006, the School of Engineeringsponsored a colloquium on Queueing

Theory and Interdisciplinary Perspectives inhonor of Dr. Lester Lipsky, emeritus professorof Computer Science & Engineering. The program celebrated Dr. Lipsky’s distinguishedcareer and included presentations by friends,mentors and former students, primarily on thetopic of queueing theory.

Among the speakers were professor ImadAntonios of Southern Connecticut StateUniversity, professor Søren Asmussen ofAarhus University (Denmark), Drs. Jeff Buzenand Yiping Ding of BMC Software, professorMicheal Conneely of the National University ofIreland, professor Pierre Fiorini of theUniversity of Southern Maine, Dr. ManfredJobmann and professor Eike Jessen ofTechnische Universität Muenchen (Germany),professor George Nagy of RensselaerPolytechnic Institute, professor Hans PeterSchwefel of Aalborg University (Denmark);

professor Sharad Seth of the University ofNebraska and professor Aby Tehranipour ofEastern Michigan University.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree inMechanical Engineering from City College ofNew York, Dr. Lipsky spent three years atUnited Technologies Corporation’s NuclearEngine Laboratory. He then earned his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from the University ofConnecticut in 1965. Dr. Lipsky spent one post-doctoral year at the National Bureau ofStandards, Washington, DC (now the NationalInstitute of Standards and Technology), andtwo years at the University of London beforejoining the Department of Computer Science atthe University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in 1968.He remained there until 1987, when hereturned to UConn and joined the ComputerScience & Engineering (CSE) Department.

Dr. Lipsky’s research interests include theanalytical modelling of the performance ofcomputer systems and networks, theoretical

atomic physics, and theoretical aspects ofqueueing theory, particularly non-steady state phenomena, using a linear-algebraic formulation. He is the author of the 1992 book, Queueing Theory: A Linear AlgebraicApproach, published by McMillan andCompany, New York. The second, expanded,edition will be published by Springer in spring2007. Now an emeritus professor (2005), Dr. Lipsky remains an active member of theCSE faculty.

Sixty-three engineering students were honored for academic merit during the

University of Connecticut’s Scholars Day onApril 4th. . The afternoon event, which tookplace in the Jorgensen Center for thePerforming Arts, recognized students whoseperformance during 2005 earned them plauditsas Babbidge Scholars and New EnglandScholars.

To qualify for the title of Babbidge Scholar,a student must earn a 4.0 GPA based on atleast 12 calculable credits each semester forboth spring and fall semesters. BabbidgeScholars from the School of Engineering were:

Engineering Students Fêted

To earn the title of New England Scholar, a studentmust earn a 3.7 or higher GPA based on at least 12calculable credits each semester for both the springand fall terms. Fifty-four engineering students qualified for the distinction:

Stephen AmbrogioBruce BassiPhilip BatistaAlison BierceviczJustin BillardAparna BoddapatiJennifer BrunoChristopher BrunquellBeth CheneyMichael DelfantiMariusz DudaChristine EndicottChristopher FaganDaniel FainJoshua FaustmanAdam FrosinoMichael Gemmell

Justin GiorlandoKevin GolebieskiKristen HaldemanMichelle HamrinTristan HeinmillerBrendan KruegerMatthew KyprianidesBrian LaskoAndrew LysaghtAshley MartinGayende MartinPaul McCulloughEmanuel MerullaAlejandro MesaEric MigianoSzymon Olesiak

Joshua PinnolisBenjamin PortsEmily PribanicSan QuachMatthew RanandoAdam RauwerdinkRicardo Rhone

Donville RileyDaniel RoehrigAndrea RyanPaul RyvkinRaj ShawMatthew ShapiroJoshua SherwoodCorey SickingerAndres TeranKevin TylerNathaniel VacantiBoris VaismanChristopher WallJeffrey Wroten

Matthew BenedictMatthew CrowleyAlon DaganPawel HermanEmily Heuer

Gregory MagoonDaniel RoehrigRobert WakefieldJason White

New EnglandScholars

Photo courtesy of Sue Marie Lipsky


SoEEvents

On April 7th, over 140 female eighth-grade students from 15 area middle

schools learned the answers to these andother burning questions—along with animportant lesson: applying scientific, technological, engineering and math(STEM) principles to everyday items is funand fulfilling. The girls were on campus forthe annual Multiply Your Options (MYO),a one-day workshop begun by the Schoolof Engineering in 1994 to introduce young women to engineering and scientificprinciples at a time when they are begin-ning to think seriously about college andcareer options.

National Science Foundation statisticsindicate that women remain underrepre-sented in the nation’s science and engineering workforce, comprising just25%. Yet time and again, studies of elementary school students suggest thatgirls are on par with boys in terms of inter-est and performance in math and science.Sadly, many fewer female students remaininterested by the eighth grade. MYO targetsthis very age group and presents STEMsubjects in an engaging manner, withfemale practitioners as workshop leaders.

The 2006 MYO began with studentsand their teachers engaged in a day ofhands-on, problem solving workshops presented by female engineering and science students and practitioners. The workshops blended solid learning,question-and-answer sessions, and a genuine educational experience while maintaining an undercurrent of fun and excitement.

In one workshop, participants learnedthe fundamental elements of a battery andassembled their own unit using a lemon,copper and nickel rods, wire and a voltmeter. In another, the girls blendedbaking ingredients: cocoa, nuts, oatmeal,sugar, butter and other ingredients to make

A Lesson in Fun for 140 Young Women How do you make a battery from a lemon and two metal rods?

Are magnetism and electricity related?Can vehicles be powered by chemical reactions?

an asphalt-like mixture that shared manyproperties with the asphalt used in surfacingand repairing roadways. Propulsion was thesubject of another workshop, during whichstudents assembled race cars from plasticwater bottles, model wheels, Legos®, electrical tape and corks; poured vinegarand then baking soda into the bottle andquickly placed the worthy vehicles on a flat surface. Fueled by the explosive carbondioxide produced by a chemical reaction,the vehicles were propelled quickly as theircorks and fluids were expelled behind themas “exhaust.”

Other workshops included the greensquare game, an exercise in reducing materi-als waste during production of an industrialwidget; an electricity/magnetism workshopthat introduced students to the relationshipbetween these two physical phenomena; and a chemical rainbow lab in which students examined chemical reactions andobserved the tell-tale color changes that distinguish these reactions.

During the afternoon, attendees engagedin Tool Clues, a deductive game in whichfemale role models offered hints about theiroccupations and the students attempted to correctly deduce their careers. Pfizer electron microscopist Gretchen Beckius,placed career clues in paper bags; each student team inspected the contents of every bag before posing one questionintended to shed further light on the mystery occupation. The groups were unan-imous in correctly deducing Ms. Beckius’occupation, which involves studying thecharacteristics and effects of certain diseasestates so that Pfizer can design safe andeffective pharmaceutical solutions. OtherTool Clues groups followed the same formula, with similar success.

MYO is an outreach initiative of theEngineering Diversity Program and is overseen by director Kevin McLaughlin.Commenting on the importance of MYO,

Mr. McLaughlin said “As the nation’s competitiveness in math, science and engineering has plummeted in recent years,programs such as MYO offer young womensuccessful role models for pursuing theireducation in these very subject areas.”

Participating students hailed fromAshford, Brooklyn, Columbia, Coventry,Ellington, East Hampton, East Hartford,Hebron, Mansfield, Plantsville, Somers,Tolland, Vernon and Willington.

“The primary purpose of Multiply Your Options,” said Marty Wood, AssistantDean for Undergraduate Education, “is toenlighten students, with female-led hands-on projects, on how important high schoolmathematics and science courses are inopening so many opportunities. To becomeoutstanding scientists, mathematicians orengineers, students must have a passion formath and science and a ‘gatekeeper’ whoenables them to experience, first-hand, the various professions open to women.”


On June 13, 14 seniors from Somers HighSchool brought three electric cars to Lime

Rock Park in Lakeville, CT for an endurancerace in which they competed against 15 othervehicles for the top laurels in the ConnecticutElectrathon Challenge. Unlike some contenders, the Somers team both designedand built their vehicles, which are battery-powered and—by Electrathon Americarules—limited to two batteries from a specificlist, with each vehicle carrying a total driver’sweight of 180 lbs. The Electrathon Challenge,executed on a closed 1/4 mile track, confers tophonors to the team whose vehicle travels thegreatest distance around the track within onehour’s time. The race features three competi-tive classes: novice, composite and classic,and the team registered entries in both thecomposite and classic divisions, earning sec-ond-place laurels in the composite race withtheir newest entry, which completed 112 lapsand also won “best in show” plaudits.

The opportunity to compete in theConnecticut Electrathon Challenge is the cul-minating activity of a two-semester “Researchand Development” course at Somers HighSchool. In October 2005, UConn MechanicalEngineering M.S. graduate student PeterBohnenkamp was embedded in the class as a so-called “Galileo Fellow” introducingengineering concepts into the curriculum. It’s part of an innovative School of Engineering

Engineering Goes to School: the Galileo Project

outreach program begun in 2002 with $1.5 million in support from the NationalScience Foundation. The Galileo Project is atwo-pronged program that exposes high school students to engineering fundamentals whileintroducing engineering graduate students to classroom instruction. Now in its fourthyear, the program has garnered a total of $1.8 million in grants and amassed an impressive record of successes. Dr. KazemKazerounian, professor of MechanicalEngineering, is principal investigator on theprogram. His collaborator until spring ’06 wasRobert Vieth, former director of the School ofEngineering’s da Vinci Project.

As the in-class Galileo Fellow, Mr. Bohnenkamp worked weekly with the instructor, Roy Slater, to teach thestudents basic engineering principlesand techniques, including force,torque, free-body diagram-ming, stress, strain,material properties,energy and efficien-cy. After learningthe core principles,the class designed theirelectric car on paper andthen discussed the correlationbetween their design and the engineering concepts they learned in class. Next, the classtook their design from mere concept to solidity,using techniques such as welding, casting,

and composite layering to construct their vehicle body of primarily carbon fiber, with therear composed of tubular aluminum and thefront fashioned of cast magnesium alloy.

Commenting on the challenge to engagehigh school students in engineering subjects,Mr. Bohnenkamp said “I learned a lot abouthow to use hands-on learning to allow engi-neering concepts to really sink in…I did someclassroom-style teaching in October andNovember, but very few students really took towhat I was teaching. But most of them madeconnections to my classroom lessons as soonas I pointed things out on a physical piece inthe shop.”

Photos courtesy of Jim Lussier, Noreen Slater, and Roy Slater


The Somers High teacher, Mr. Slater, has been pleased with the Galileo Projectexperience in his classroom, which he said has benefited his students in numerous ways.“It provides our seniors the opportunity to putinto practical use all of their experiences with-in technical education, provides each studentthe opportunity to experience their field ofconcentration under real-world conditions, and brings the world of engineering to the stu-dents from design through development. Italso empowers students to function as a teamwith a task and deadline procedures, chal-lenges them to select and experience newtechnologies and processes, brings their academic learning (math, science, etc.) to alevel of understanding through application,and – finally – challenges them to becomeindependent lifelong learners. Having Mr. Bohnenkamp in the class room brought a critical and exciting element to the engineering process as students attacked their design with greater insight into the problems that needed to be addressed than

previous classes.”

Project Scope

The Galileo Project was conceived as a meansto enhance the number of high school studentsenrolling in engineering programs at UConn. As the U.S. seeks to increase the number ofgraduating engineers to meet industry demand,educators are looking for ways to entice morepre-college students to pursue an engineeringeducation. The Galileo Project is a collabora-tive effort of the School of Engineering and theNeag School of Education; seven Connecticutschool districts; the Connecticut Academy forEducation in Mathematics, Science andTechnology; the Greater Hartford Academy forMath and Science; and local industry.

Now in its fourth year, the Galileo Projecthas trained approximately 10 graduate fellowsyearly and involved 1,400 students primarily ingrades 9-12. Each Galileo Fellow spends 8-12hours weekly in the classrooms of participatingschools/classes assisting teachers with devel-opment of engineering lesson plans and mod-ules that use and teach engineering principles.The participating schools include BloomfieldHigh, Bolton High, Lyman Memorial High(Lebanon), Manchester High, Montville High,E.O. Smith High in Storrs, Somers High andStafford Middle School.

The modules cover subjects such as designof a crane, a remote manipulator, or a calcula-tor using (Microsoft) Visual Basic; surveying as a mathematics application; Scrabble®

statistics; and an engineer’s view of the solar

system. At Stafford Middle School, the GalileoFellow worked with an eighth grade scienceteacher to develop and deliver a unit on bridgebuilding that culminated in each student build-ing a model bridge from toothpicks and glue.Two of the participating school districts developed pre-engineering courses, based onmodules developed by the Galileo Fellows,which were successfully piloted in spring2005. The Somers school district also lever-aged its participation in the Galileo Project towin an $18,000 grant from the ConnecticutDEP to study the Scantic River Watershed.

The program has met with impressive success. “Anecdotally, we are hearing that students exposed to the Galileo Project are gaining an appreciation of the role of engineers in society, a better understanding of how engineers solve problems, and greaterinterest in engineering as a career,” said Dr. Kazerounian.

The Galileo Project investigators andFellows also conducted several studies toassess engineering creativity andtechnical/engineering literacy included in state curriculum standards. The first study concluded that identifying and removing barriers to creativity in engineering curriculumwill produce exceptional, rather than merelycompetent, engineers. The second study con-cluded that many states include engineeringeducation frameworks in their standards, and employ the term “technology,” but fail toidentify the context of engineering concepts as relating to science disciplines. The GalileoProject may just be the elixir necessary tobridge this gap.


Heavy traffic, foul weather and road composition all influence the durability

and life of an asphalt road surface. With itscombination of temperature extremes andweather types, Connecticut is designated a“moist and cold” climate—meaning stateroads are subjected to greater environmentaldistresses in a shorter period of time thanmany states. The Connecticut TransportationInstitute (CTI), a center affiliated with theSchool of Engineering, has received a powerfulnew tool in its quest to ensure long-lastingand safe Connecticut roadways, an asphaltpavement analyzer (APA). The APA allowsresearchers to rapidly test the durability ofalternative roadway surfaces.

Developed by Pavement Technology Inc. of Georgia, the APA unit uses a loaded wheeltester to evaluate the deformation of asphaltsurfaces that results from wheel rutting, cracking, and exposure to moisture. Purchaseof the APA was made possible by a substan-tial grant from the Connecticut Department ofTransportation and the Federal HighwayAdministration, plus additional matching funds from CTI and the office of the Dean ofEngineering. More than 35 states are equippedwith APA units.

According to James Mahoney, ProgramDirector and head research engineer with theConnecticut Advanced Pavement Laboratory(CAP Lab) at CTI, the asphalt pavement analyz-er will be used to conduct research as well asto test alternative asphalt aggregate mixesdeveloped by commercial consultancies

New Diagnostic Machine forConnecticut Transportation Institute

throughout the state. The mechanical portionof the unit is linked to an automated dataacquisition system that collects rutting depthmeasurements continuously throughout theduration of the test. Two types of tests may beconducted within the unit’s environmentallycontrolled chamber: dry specimen and wetspecimen, in which samples are immersed inwater. Wet road conditions cause the waterpressure in roadways to increase as trafficmoves over the asphalt pavement, resulting inbreakage of aggregate-asphalt bond within the asphalt pavement and producing greaterdeterioration of the roadways, according to Mr. Mahoney. The APA unit features a control-lable wheel load and contact pressure (up to200 psi) to simulate actual road conditions.

The APA allows researchers to glean valuable performance data within hours thataccurately simulates actual traffic and weatherconditions. The regular dry deformation test,for example, takes just 21/4 hours to complete8,000 cycles. Both cold and hot asphalt mixesmay be tested.

Mr. Mahoney expects to inaugurate thenew APA shortly after performing special calibrations to ensure the machine accurately simulates Connecticut temperature, weather and traffic conditions. To submit asphalt samples for testing on the APA, or to learn more about the CAP Lab, please call Mr. Mahoney at (860) 486-9299 or by email at [email protected].

SOEResearch

The School of Engineering was saddened by the untimely death of Spyridon

Boikos, 29, a graduate student in theEnvironmental Engineering Program, who was killed in an auto accident on January 23rd.

Mr. Boikos, a native of Corfu, Greece,came to the U.S. to pursue his graduate studies under professor EmmanouilAnagnostou, whose work in foul weather prediction has earned him internationalacclaim. Mr. Boikos, who was just one year into his doctoral program at UConn,was working in the area of land surfacemodeling, atmospheric interactions andhydrology and was a graduate research assistant. Dr. Anagnostou said Mr. Boikoswas working on a fellowship proposal toNASA at the time of his death.

In MemoriamSpyridon Boikos

New Heads continued from page 7

UConn with the Internet II network. In addition, he currently is FoundingEditor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions onAutomation Science and Engineering(T-ASE, launched in 2004), AssociateEditor of Discrete Event Dynamic Systems,Associate Editor of IEE Transactions onDesign and Manufacturing, and AssociateEditor of ACTA Automatica Sinica. He is a Fellow of IEEE, a member of theCouncil of the Connecticut Academy ofScience & Engineering; and formerlyTechnical/Associate Editor (1990-94),Editor (1995-1999) and Editor-in-Chief(1999-2003) of IEEE Transactions onRobotics and Automation. His areas ofexpertise include planning, scheduling, and coordination of design, manufacturingand service activities; schedule and bid optimization and load/price forecasting for power systems; and decision makingunder uncertain, fuzzy, or distributed environments. Dr. Luh received his Ph.D.in Applied Mathematics from HarvardUniversity. He has received several professional service awards, including theDistinguished Service Award presented bythe IEEE Robotics and Automation Society.

The School of Engineering welcomesDrs. Accorsi and Luh to their new positionsand wishes to thank Erling Smith andRobert Magnusson for their departmentalleadership.

Photos courtesy of A. John DaDalt

For alumnus Mark Vergnano, who hasbuilt an enviable 26-year career with

chemical giant E.I. DuPont de NemoursCo., Inc., his UConn ChemicalEngineering education honed his analyticalacumen and helped him succeed in a career blending engineering and businessleadership. “I believe that an engineeringbackground gave me the advantage toapproach problems in a very logical anddisciplined way,” he remarked.

In June 2006, he was named GroupVice President of DuPont Safety &Protection after serving as Vice Presidentand General Manager of DuPont BuildingInnovations since October 2005. DuPontSafety and Protection is a $5.2 billion revenue business for DuPont and one of the fastest growing and most profitable setsof businesses in the company. It consists of five strategic business units: DuPontAdvanced Fiber Systems, DuPontNonwovens, DuPont Building Innovations,DuPont Chemical Solutions and DuPontSafety Resources. As Group Vice President,he oversees all aspects of the businessincluding sales, marketing, technology, and operations at facilities located at 29 different sites throughout four continents.In his management position, Mr. Vergnanono longer practices engineering on a dailybasis; nonetheless, he finds that the disciplined approach he learned as an engineer helps him solve complex strategic business issues.

Since 1980, when he first joinedDuPont, Mr. Vergnano has moved fivetimes and served in positions of increasingmanagerial authority. After earning his B.S.in Chemical Engineering, he began working as a process engineer in the formerFibers Department of DuPont located inRichmond, VA. He was involved in manufacturing and technical assignmentsfor the Kevlar® and Tyvek® products while also earning his MBA through anexecutive program offered by VirginiaCommonwealth University. Over the next decade, Mr. Vergnano and his wife,Betsy (formerly Elizabeth Reddington,CLAS ‘81), relocated to Wilmington, DEand then to Geneva, Switzerland, where

Mr. Vergnano served as marketing managerfor Typar® carpet backings.

“My assignment in Switzerland was oneof the highlights of my career from both apersonal and professional perspective,” hesaid. Switzerland afforded the Vergnanos anidyllic place to raise children and to exploreall of Europe. From a business perspective,Mr. Vergnano observed, “It was great learning how different both business andengineering practices are in Europe versusthe U.S. Europe is not a homogeneousregion…Each country has its own culture,including its own business and technologyculture. It is important to understand theunique aspects of each country’s culture tosucceed in business within that country.”

During his years in Switzerland, he wasappointed European regional business manager with responsibility for all businessactivities for the Tyvek, Typar and Sontara®

products. In 1996, the Vergnanos returnedto the U.S., where Mr. Vergnano progressedthrough administrative roles overseeingglobal business for the Teflon® fiber,Nomex® and Tyvek/Typar products. He was appointed Vice President andGeneral Manager of DuPontNonwovens in 2003 and thenappointed Vice President andGeneral Manager of DuPontBuilding Innovations in 2005.

Mr. Vergnano has enjoyed hisyears with the chemicals giant.“DuPont is a science company. I have alwayshad an interest in, andfascination with science,so developing solutionsto our customers’ greatest issues based on science is a very exciting and energizing occupation,”he explained.

The Safety and Protection division ishome to some of the DuPont’s strongestbrands, including Kevlar®, Nomex®, Tyvek®,Corian® and Zodiaq®. The division has a wide range of business applications,including cleaning and disinfecting solutions for human and animal health;personal protective equipment for bothindustrial protection and first responders—including police, fire personnel, EMTs, military and hazardous materials teams;building and architectural products target-ing the building envelope and buildinginteriors; life protection for civilian andmilitary uses; industrial products, consumersafety products and safety consulting.

Though his high profile engineeringcareer has given Mr. Vergnano a sense offulfillment and commitment, when heentered UConn, he was enrolled as a liberalarts and sciences major. After a semester of boredom and unease about his future—and the grades to reflect these sentiments—he contemplated switching to engineeringbut was worried that mediocre gradeswould prevent the switch. “During thattime I was invited to play basketball in theField House at lunch each day with a group of guys I had recently met. One wasan experienced regular with a mean hookshot. The player turned out to be G. Michael Howard, [formerly] Associate

Focus on Alumni:Mark Vergnano


Mark Vergnano is picturedwith a ‘kitchen counter of the future’ made of DuPontCorian® and designed by the renowned architect, Zaha Hadid.



Dean of Engineering and professor ofChemical Engineering. After hearing mydesire to transfer schools, Dean Howardinvited me to his office and said he wouldallow me to take the engineering curricu-lum in my second semester: if I was able to maintain a 3.5 GPA for the semester, he would admit me to the School ofEngineering for my sophomore year. To this day I remain extremely grateful to Dean Howard.”

His years at UConn hold fond memories for Mr. Vergnano. Despite theUniversity’s large size, he was able to find“small pockets” that made the college

Focus on Alumni continued from page 13

experience feel more intimate. He recalledthat his graduating class in ChemicalEngineering had just 40 students, and“everyone in the class knew each other very well, which provided the ability todevelop great relationships and friendships.”Two fellow students in his college studygroup, Ray Gansley and Chris Siemer (bothB.S. Chemical Engineering ’80), remain hisclosest friends. Importantly, it was atUConn that he met his wife, Betsy, duringa fortuitous football game. The couple hastwo teenage daughters: Elise, an economicsmajor at Franklin and Marshall College,and Haley, a high school senior.

Mr. Vergnano was inducted into theUConn School of Engineering’s Academyof Distinguished Engineers in 2005 andserves on the Board of Directors for theDelaware Council for Economic Education,a non-profit outreach group that educatesK-12 students in the intricacies of businessand economics. This year, Mr. and Mrs. Vergnano will be establishing theVergnano/Reddington Family Scholarshipto be awarded to an incoming ChemicalEngineering student to the University.

On the morning of June 2, the ConnecticutGlobal Fuel Cell Center (CGFCC) hosted U.S.Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, UnderSecretary of Science Dr. Raymond Orbach, and U.S. Congressman (CT) Rob Simmons.Founded in 2001 and operated by the School ofEngineering, the CGFCC is the largest university-based hub for fuel cell research,design and development in the nation.Secretary Bodman toured the center to gain an understanding of fuel cell related activitieswithin the state and to highlight hydrogen as a fuel source for the future. The visit to UConnwas arranged by former Dean of Engineering,Dr. Amir Faghri, United Technologies EndowedChair Professor in Thermal-Fluids Engineering.Dr. Faghri welcomed Secretary Bodman andoffered opening remarks at the commencementof the visit.

During his two-hour visit, SecretaryBodman—joined by Congressman Simmons and Under Secretary Orbach— toured theCGFCC, met with representatives fromConnecticut’s leading fuel cell companies and CGFCC personnel, and announced a new$34.6 million federal initiative to support energy efficiency enhancements in offices andresidences nationwide. The state of Connecticutis slated to receive $514,000 under theDepartment of Energy initiative.

Amid tight security and the pervasive presence of Secret Service agents throughoutthe event, the visit was well attended byUniversity officials, members of the media, fuel cell business leaders and faculty. SecretaryBodman and Congressman Simmons also met—and presented a Congressional Certificate ofMerit—to sixth grader Kyle Hoyt of Durham, ayoung inventor who won honors at the 2006Connecticut Invention Convention for his innovative design of a mini solar heater.

During an invitation-only roundtable discus-sion, Secretary Bodman spoke with officialsfrom the CGFCC, CL&P, FuelCell Energy, UTCPower, Distributed Energy Systems Corp. andthe Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. CGFCCDirector Kenneth Reifsnider, the Pratt &Whitney Chair Professor in Design & Reliability,said Secretary Bodman was uncompromising ininforming Connecticut’s fuel cell companies and

researchers that he expected them to quicklyrefocus their efforts away from pure researchand into applications. A chemical engineer by training, Secretary Bodman expressed impatience as he charged the roundtable participants to quickly transform their fuel cellknow-how into practical use in consumer andindustrial products. He alluded to various factors that demand more immediate action by alternative energy companies, includingglobal warming and the continued rise in fossil fuel costs.

During his press conference remarks,Secretary Bodman expressed optimism that the nation’s economy will continue to improvedespite rising energy costs. He commented thatthe U.S. is becoming less dependent on oil andfossil fuels than it once was, but that the U.S.must find ways to develop alternative sourcesof energy, including fuel cells.

Dr. Faghri, Dr. Reifsnider and CGFCCAssociate Director Tricia Bergman hosted theevent and participated in the tour and round-table discussion. Secretary Bodman viewed anumber of fuel cell-related demonstrations andposter presentations by CGFCC faculty duringhis tour. He was keenly interested in under-standing the core technology underlying each demonstration, and in learning the technological barriers to widespread applica-tion, according to Dr. Reifsnider. Among thedemonstrations and posters presented duringSecretary Bodman’s visit were:

• Hydrogen storage for PEM fuel cells—Leon Shaw, a professor in the Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering Department

UConn’s Fuel Cell Center Hosts Secretary of Energy

Pictured from left to right, U.S. Congressman Rob Simmons, Kyle Hoyt, and U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman. Continued on page 21


Engineering Faculty Garner NSF CAREER Awards

SoEFaculty

Two engineering faculty memberswere selected to receive the National

Science Foundation (NSF) Early CareerDevelopment (CAREER) Award in 2006:assistant professor of Computer Science & Engineering Ion Mandoiu and assistantprofessor of Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering Jeong-Ho Kim.

Dr. Mandoiu was awarded a five-year$554,500 National Science FoundationEarly Career Development (CAREER)award for his research into methods forquickly processing high volumes of genomic diversity data.

The 13-year Human Genome Project,completed in 2003, produced a blueprint of the DNA present in the cells of eachhuman. Genomics research focuses on variations that occur between individuals,with the objective of understanding howthese variations determine elusive traitssuch as susceptibility to diabetes,Parkinson’s disease and other disorders and diseases.

Human cells contain two copies of eachchromosome, with the exception of sexchromosomes. Humans inherit one member of each chromosome pair fromtheir fathers and the second from theirmothers. But with each new generation, the chromosomes are altered in a processknown as recombination, in which mem-bers of each chromosome pair unite andexchange pieces. The result is a hybridchromosome containing pieces from bothmembers of a chromosome pair, and thishybrid chromosome is passed on to thenext generation. The same process is repeated over the course of many genera-tions, producing genetic variants that are catalogued in the InternationalHapMap Project.

Genomic diversity analyses of large-scalecontrol and population studies hold prom-ise for clarifying the genetic basis of diseasesusceptibility and uncovering the pattern ofhistorical population migrations. However,many technological and computationalchallenges must be overcome beforeresearchers can begin such substantial studies. Dr. Mandoiu will focus on

solving two major challenges in the puzzle:(a) development of accurate, economicalmethods for rapid genotyping, and (b) development of computational methodsfor analyzing the genetic sequences of different individuals to discover those geneslinked with disease susceptibility and individual responses to medications andenvironmental factors.

He anticipates that the research will lead to decreased data collection costs inlarge-scale association studies, permittingresearchers to conduct a greater number of studies at lower cost. Dr. Mandoiu alsoforesees that his CAREER research willenable additional applications of genomictechnologies, such as genomics-based point-of-care medical diagnosis and large-scale species identification. He commentsthat the direct beneficiary of his rapid genotyping methodology will be the biotechindustry, which manufactures and commer-cializes genotyping assays. In addition, hesays, “Biomedical researchers from academicinstitutions and pharmaceutical companieswould indirectly benefit from reducedgenotyping costs by being able to conductlarger/more genomic variability studieswithin the same budget. These studies are expected to have a broad impact on human health.” Possible long-term benefits may include customized medicaltreatments and gene therapies to modifyfaulty chromosomes.

After earning his Ph.D. from theGeorgia Institute for Technology in 2000, Dr. Mandoiu conducted post-doctoralresearch and was a Research Scientist at the University of California at Los Angelesand at San Diego. He joined the Universityof Connecticut in 2003.

Dr. Jeong-Ho Kim, assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, wasawarded a five-year, $400,000 CAREERaward to conduct modeling and experi-ments in functionally graded solid oxidefuel cells. The focus of his research is toimprove the performance of solid oxide fuelcells (SOFCs) by applying the concept offunctionally graded materials (FGMs).

Fuel cells are increasingly seen as afuture solution to the nation’s energydependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels.SOFCs are particularly promising, thanksto their high power density, fuel flexibility,and potential for generating electricity andheat for industry and auxiliary power invehicles. Despite their many advantages,says Dr. Kim, the power output of SOFCscan be hampered by interfacial delamina-tion. “This condition results from residualstresses produced when the cell components—anode, electrolyte, and cathode—ther-mally expand at different rates, and alsofrom thermal stresses generated duringoperational thermal cycling,” he explains.

The Department of Energy, through itsSolid-state Energy Conversion Alliance(SECA) program, sets a required SOFCservice life of more than 40,000 hours withhundreds of thermal cycles for stationarysystems, and 5,000 hours with 3,000 ther-mal cycles for transportation systems. Dr. Kim seeks to overcome the factors thatlimit SOFC performance so these fuel cellscan meet the stringent SECA standards.His CAREER research pivots on developing functionally graded electrodes


Pictured above, Ion Mandoiu and Jeong-Ho Kim


Eleven outstanding alumni were inductedinto the Academy of Distinguished

Engineers on the evening of April 20, during the School of Engineering’s annual banquet and awards ceremony. As in previ-ous years, the event took place in RomeHall on the UConn campus, where nearly700 alumni, corporate friends, faculty, and scholarship awardees and their parentsconvened. University of ConnecticutProvost Peter Nicholls welcomed guests and presented opening remarks.

Former Dean Amir Faghri, joined byProvost Nicholls, presented the newAcademy inductees with commemorative,engraved plaques and medallions bearingthe Academy seal. In addition, during theevening the School awarded more than$600,000 in academic merit scholarships tocontinuing students and offered another$866,000 to entering engineering students.The scholarships are funded by corporatefriends and generous alumni.

Corporate sponsors who contributedmoney and time toward the School ofEngineering were recognized, includingAccenture, Aetna Information Services,Alstom Power, the American ScrewCompany, ASML, AT&T Connecticut, the Barden Foundation, Inc., BayerCorporation, Canberra Industries, CantorColburn LLP, the Connecticut Associationof Street and Highway Officials,Connecticut Innovations – Clean EnergyFund, Connecticut Association of Street &Highway Officials, Inc. (CASHO), DapcoIndustries, Demsey ManufacturingCompany, Dominion Nuclear Connecticut,Electric Boat Corporation, Ensign-BickfordFoundation, Fuss & O’Neill, Inc., GeneralElectric Advanced Materials, GE Consumer& Industrial, Gilbane Building Company,LDE Foundation, Lenard Engineering,Northeast Utilities, O&G Industries, PitneyBowes, The Moles, The Stanley Works,

School Honors Distinguished Alumni and Scholars

Northeast Utilities Corporation, PitneyBowes, Inc., Pratt & Whitney, RogersCorporation, Sikorsky Aircraft, TravelersInsurance/Citigroup, TRUMPF, UnileverHome and Personal Care, UnitedTechnologies Corporation, UTC Power,Westinghouse Electric Company, andYankee Gas Services Company.

Other sponsors included the ASMInternational Hartford Chapter and ASMInternational Southern ConnecticutChapter, American Society of MechanicalEngineers – Hartford Section, EngineeringAlumni Society, and Plant Engineers’Association.

New inductees to the Academy ofDistinguished Engineers included the following individuals.

Derek J.Blazensky(B.S. ComputerScience &Engineering, ‘81)

Derek Blazensky is a founder

and General Partner of Cardinal VentureCapital, a $125 million private equity fund that invests in early stage softwarecompanies. Prior to forming Cardinal, Mr. Blazensky managed venture investmentsfor Adobe Ventures.

Before Adobe Ventures, Mr. Blazenskywas a marketing director at Adobe Systems.Earlier in his career, he held engineeringpositions at Teknowledge Inc., an early pioneer of artificial intelligence, and GridSystems, developer of the first laptop computer. He serves on the Board ofDirectors of three private California companies: GuardianEdge Technologies,Nimblefish Technologies and Telcontar.

Timothy Scott Case(B.S. ComputerScience &Engineering, ‘92)

Timothy “Scott”Case is co-founder

of priceline.com, the “Name Your OwnPrice” Internet service. As Chief TechnologyOfficer, he was responsible for building thetechnology that enabled priceline.com’shyper-growth. Moving beyond technology,he successfully launched severalpriceline.com businesses, includingPriceline for Gasoline, by far the firm’sfastest growing business. At the WalkerDigital Invention Laboratory, Mr. Casehelped build a portfolio of intellectualproperty, and he is a named inventor ondozens of U.S. patents, including theunderlying portfolio for priceline.com.During his final year at UConn, Mr. Caseco-founded Precision Training Software, a software company that developed theworld’s first PC-based simulated flightinstructor and photo-realistic flight simulator.

Mr. Case currently serves as theChairman of Network for Good, a nationalnonprofit that has distributed $86 millionto 20,000 nonprofits. Network for Goodprovides online fundraising and communi-cations services to over 4,000 nonprofitorganizations.

Bassel Daoud(B.S., M.S.MechanicalEngineering, ‘83, ‘85)

Bassel Daoud, P.E.,is a Consulting

Member of Technical Staff at LucentTechnologies Corporation. He holds thedistinction of being the fourth most prolificinventor in the world in 2000, with 270U.S. patents, according to a press releaseprepared by Lucent. He joined Lucent/BellLabs in 1986 as a Member of TechnicalStaff and has held positions of increasingresponsibility. In October 2005, Mr. Daoud was named a Bell LabsFellow—the company’s highest honor—



for “pioneering and implementing innova-tive design and manufacturing principlesfor cost reduction optimization which hasresulted in him being awarded the highestnumber of patents in the history of BellLabs and the fourth highest in the world(2000). For developing cost reduction business processes and tools that deliveredphenomenal margin improvements.”

In his current position, he coordinatesthe cost-reduction efforts of the cross-func-tional Network Solutions Group’s Mobilityteam, comprising members of the R&Ddesign group, product management andsupply chain network groups.

Anthony “Tony”W. DeSio(B.S. ElectricalEngineering, ‘57)

Tony DeSio is theco-founder andformer Chairman,

President, and CEO of Mail Boxes Etc.®

(currently known as The UPS STORE). He launched the company’s franchisingbusiness in 1980 and built the companyfrom a single store into the world’s largestnon-food franchise with almost 4,000stores in 30 countries at the time of hisretirement in 1998.

Earlier in his career, he was an aerospaceexecutive with Hughes Research andDevelopment Labs, Lockheed Martin, GE, and Western Union. He held severalkey management positions with LockheedMissiles & Space Company during the initial stages of the U.S. Space Explorationprogram. In 1971, he was nominated toparticipate in the President’s ExecutiveInterchange Program and served for twoyears as a staff assistant to the Aeronauticsand Space Counsel in the Executive Officeof the President.

Mr. DeSio has received an outstandingachievement award from the President ofthe United States (1972), and Entrepreneurof the Year awards from the InternationalFranchise Association (1996), Inc. magazine(1989), and Franchise Times magazine(2001).

Stephen N. Heath(B.S. MechanicalEngineering, ‘73)

Stephen Heath was most recentlyPresident of Pratt& Whitney’s

Commercial Engines business. He wasresponsible for the company’s world-wideCommercial Engines operations, includingoverseeing a fleet of 15,000 engines, new and developmental engine program initiatives, customer and technical support,sales and marketing, new and serviceablespare part sales, and the airplane manufac-turer liaison offices located in Toulouse,France and Seattle, WA.

Mr. Heath progressed through a varietyof leadership positions since joining thecompany in 1973, including President ofInternational Aero Engines (IAE), a jointventure company with which Pratt &Whitney is a leading partner, which produces the V2500 engine for the AirbusA320 family of aircraft. Prior to this currentassignment, he was Vice President ofCommercial Engines Programs. Mr. Heathalso has served as Vice President ofCustomer Service, Vice President ofMarketing and Sales, and Director of Pratt’sV2500 program. He serves on the Board ofDirectors of IAE; the Engine Alliance (EA),another joint venture company with Pratt &Whitney; and the P&W Institute ofCollaborative Engineering (PWICE).

G. MichaelHoward(Ph.D., ChemicalEngineering ’67)

Dr. G. MichaelHoward, professoremeritus, has been

a driving force within the University ofConnecticut since 1961, when he joined thenewly-formed Chemical EngineeringDepartment as a faculty member.

During his career, Dr. Howard was respon-sible for introducing many new courses and curriculum innovations in the departmentand the School. As an administrator, heserved as Associate Dean of Engineering forundergraduate programs (‘74-‘88); ActingDepartment Head; long-term member ofthe University Senate and its executive committee; and member and chair of theUniversity Athletic Advisory Committee.He received the Outstanding Teacher Awardfrom the University Student Governmentand, twice, the Rogers OutstandingTeaching Award in Chemical Engineering.

Nationally, Dr. Howard chaired theAmerican Institute of Chemical Engineers(AIChE) National Program Committee onEducation and the Liaison Committeebetween AIChE and the ASEE ChemicalEngineering Division. He remains active inteaching the senior lab course and advisingstudents. In his honor, colleagues and for-mer students established the Mike HowardEducational Excellence Fund in ChemicalEngineering.

John Lenard (M.S. CivilEngineering, ‘61)

John Lenard is the founder andformer President of Lenard

Engineering, Inc., a consulting civil engineering firm headquartered in Storrs,CT with offices in Winsted, CT andAuburn, MA. Prior to establishing LenardEngineering, Inc. he managed international

projects for TAMS and Hydrotechnic Corp.in New York City. He served as President ofthe Connecticut chapter of the AmericanSociety of Civil Engineers (ASCE) from1979-80. Mr. Lenard received a Dipl. Ing.degree from the Budapest Institute ofTechnology. He taught at the University ofNew Haven and was an adjunct instructorin the University of Connecticut’s CivilEngineering Department. Mr. Lenard is aDiplomate of the American Academy ofEnvironmental Engineers.

He is the recipient of numerous awards,including the Benjamin Wright Award fromthe Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers;the Edmund Friedman professional recog-nition award from ASCE; and the CivilEngineering Alumni Award, the Civil &Environmental Engineering Senior ProjectAward, and the Distinguished ServiceAward from the University of ConnecticutSchool of Engineering. He established theJohn Lenard Endowed Scholarship.

Tom A. Martin(M.S., Ph.D.ElectricalEngineering, ‘71, ‘74)

Dr. Tom Martin is co-founder,

President and Chairman of the Board ofPhonon Corp., a manufacturer of high performance surface acoustic wave (SAW)devices and subsystems for the military and space electronics marketplaces. TheSimsbury, CT company did $10 million insales in 2005. He is responsible for strategicdirection and business development andremains actively involved in engineeringand marketing aspects of the operation.Before co-founding Phonon Corp. in 1982,he was Vice President and TechnicalDirector of NAPCO Division of ThermoElectron Corporation and, prior to that,Vice President and Technical Director of Andersen Laboratories Division ofAndersen Group, Inc. At Andersen, he played a major role in building the company’s ultrasonic device business.

He has published six scholarly archivaljournal publications and holds two U.S.patents. Dr. Martin serves on the Industrial

Advisory Board of the ConnecticutMicroelectronics/OptoelectronicsConsortium and the Department ofElectrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut.

Sharon L. Nunes(M.S., Ph.D.Materials Science,‘80, ‘83)

Dr. Sharon Nunesis Vice President of Business

Development and Productivity in IBM’sSystems & Technology Group (STG). In this role, she works with technical andbusiness leaders in STG to identify opportunities for revenue growth throughexternal relationships, including venturecapital companies and IBM business part-ners. She was previously Vice President ofTechnology, working with IBM’s Chairmanand the senior executive team to set thetechnical agenda for the company. Earlier,Dr. Nunes was the Vice President ofEmerging Business at IBM’s Thomas J.Watson Research Center in YorktownHeights, NY. Dr. Nunes was responsiblefor the launch of IBM’s ComputationalBiology Center in 1997 and played a key role in developing IBM’s businessopportunities in the Life Sciences market.

She is a member of the AdvisoryCouncil of the Whitaker BiomedicalEngineering Institute at Johns HopkinsUniversity in Baltimore, MD and a memberof the Board of Directors for the Center forSecurity Technologies at WashingtonUniversity in St. Louis. She was a NationalAcademy of Engineering (NAE) “Frontiersof Engineering” fellow in 2000 and hasbeen a member of the NAE “Engineer of2020” advisory board.

Mark P. Sarkisian(B.S. CivilEngineering, ‘83)

Mark P. Sarkisian,PE, SE, is a struc-tural engineeringpartner with

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, one ofthe world’s leading architectural/engineeringdesign firms. His career has focused

on developing innovative structural engineering solutions for building projects.His work includes the United StatesEmbassy, Beijing; the NBC Tower, Chicago;The Cathedral of Christ the Light,Oakland; and the Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai– currently the fourth tallest building inthe world. Mr. Sarkisian also holds a U.S. patent for The Pin-Fuse JointTM, a structural seismic device for buildingframes. He is licensed to practice civil/struc-tural engineering in 14 states.

Douglas C. Shidler(B.S. ElectricalEngineering, ‘83)

Douglas C. Shidleris Vice President,BLACK HAWKPrograms at

Sikorsky Aircraft, a position that he hasheld since 2002. He is responsible for alldomestic and international ongoing Armyand Air Force programs, including theupgrade version of the BLACK HAWK.Mr. Shidler led a successful developmentprogram that culminated in a commitmentby the U.S. Army to procure over 1200new UH-60M BLACK HAWKS over thenext 15 to 20 years. Annual BLACKHAWK production is expected to increaseto levels up to 100 aircraft per year by2008, representing revenues of approxi-mately $1 billion per year for Sikorsky. Mr. Shidler has been with Sikorsky Aircraftfor 22 years and joined them immediatelyafter graduating from the University ofConnecticut School of Engineering.

In addition to his work at Sikorsky, Mr. Shidler is a co-founder and mentor forthe Cheshire High School FIRST Roboticsprogram. The program is developed toencourage high school students to pursue atechnical field, as well as to learn to designand develop in a team environment.


More than other occupations, engineeringis the art and science of problem solving.

Every day, engineers combine theories withconcrete know-how to develop new products,refine and improve existing ones, and over-come challenges. The metamorphosis from asmart student to a confident, successful engi-neer is a process that 1,600 undergraduatesundergo every four years. The peak experiencefor most engineering students is the culminat-ing senior design experience.

The Senior Design course is generally atwo-semester capstone course that providesstudents hands-on learning trials and exposesthem to the challenges and satisfactions ofsolving real-world dilemmas, from the problemdefinition stage to prototype development. Ittypically begins in the fall, when seniors aregiven an array of potential design projectsfrom which to choose. Team members conferwith a participating corporate consultant andfaculty advisors, affording them a uniquelearning opportunity to thoroughly examineand solve genuine manufacturing problems,develop performance-enhancements or solveergonomic challenges. The 2006 design proj-ects involved a significant amount of analysisusing appropriate software programs.

On April 28, dozens of teams from thedepartments of Mechanical Engineering,Electrical & Computer Engineering, ComputerScience & Engineering, and the BiomedicalEngineering Program participated in the annual

Seniors Demo SeniorDesign Projects

Senior Design Expo, where they demonstratedand discussed their designprojects and delivered oralpresentations. With activi-ties centered in four engineering buildings, the expo drew a large number of attendeesincluding fellow students, faculty, industry representatives and proud parents.

Twenty-five teams participated in theMechanical Engineering (ME) design competi-tion, including one interdisciplinary team thatincluded Electrical Engineering seniors. Theprojects are judged by a panel of practitionersfrom industry. For the first time, pharmaceuti-cal giant GlaxoSmithKline, sponsored a projectinvolving development of an apparatus that will help the firm better understand howmedications are dissolved and absorbed withinthe human body. Such interdisciplinaryresearch projects involving the pharmaceuticaland medical firms are expected to grow infuture years.

In the ME design competition, winningteams receive awards of $1,500, $1,000 and $500. This year, the top-winning team of Kevin Kearon and Arkadiusz Szablowski,sponsored by the Siemon Company andadvised by Randy Below (Vice President,Industrial & OEM Sales), developed a cableassembly process that documents alternativeconfigurations possible during assembly, provides continuity and transmission testing,and packages the final product in a way that assures the cable remains untwisted.

The cable is used in telecommunications. The team of John Duge, Thomas Mealy andMario Varvatsis placed second for their projectinvolving development of a pressurized thrustbearing test stand for Electric Boat (EB). EBengineers Dawn Barasso and Stewart Pieladvised the team in designing and building atest stand to test the performance of thrustbearings under extreme pressure. The stand’sresults will be compared against performancepredictions made by EB modeling software.

Third-place honors went to ChristopherFernald, Raed Gadelsayed and Jeffrey Malash,who studied the effect of outlet nozzle geome-try on air gauge measurement sensitivity forsponsor ASML, a lithography developer. Thecompany sought a more accurate air gauge,which is used in the production of computerchips from blank silicon wafers. ASML engi-neers Steve Roux and Jim Walsh consultedwith the team, which used FLUENT softwareto model the fluid dynamics behavior.

Ten Electrical & Computer Engineeringteams demonstrated their projects, including a number of company-sponsoredprojects. The Phonon Ultrasonic Bonder devel-oped for the Phonon Corp. by Steven LaBarre,Eric Carlson and Thomas Carignan, is a calibration product that lets the user attainoptimal wire bonds on products that do notexhibit normal wire bonding conditions. Theteam of Manny Merulla, Peter Lofaro andChristopher Mouta designed an automatedwideband antenna testing system forMegaWave Corp., a maker of radio telecom-munications antennas. With the objective ofeliminating vibrations in motors for QualtechVibration Sensor, the team of Wellicor Sorsor,Ernesto Suarez and Filmson Alexanderdesigned an accelerometer-based circuit boardto measure vibrations, a device to measurewhere the vibration occurs, and a system fordetermining the nature of the counterweight tocounteract the vibration.

The Biomedical Engineering program hosted 13 teams whose projects targeteddevices to improve the lives of handicapped



During the spring, six faculty members were inducted into theConnecticut Academy for Science& Engineering (CASE): associateprofessor Eric Donkor, professorKrishna Pattipati, and professorGeoff Taylor—all of Electrical &Computer Engineering; professorLeon Shaw of the Chemical,Materials & BiomolecularEngineering Department; professorand Department Head RedaAmmar of Computer Science &Engineering; and DistinguishedProfessor of Engineering andDepartment Head RangaPitchumani of MechanicalEngineering. CASE identifies andstudies issues and technologicaladvances of concern toConnecticut residents and provides unbiased, expert adviceon science- and technology-relatedissues to state government andother Connecticut institutions.

Rajeev Bansal, professor ofElectrical & Computer Engineering,is editor of a newly published 400-page text, Fundamentals of

Engineering Electromagnetics, ISBN: 0-8493-7360-3. The book contains selected chaptersextracted from the 2005 Handbook ofEngineering Electromagnetics, also edited byDr. Bansal. The Fundamentals text provides amore focused view for specialists in areas such as medicine, communications and remotesensing who need to understand and applyelectromagnetic principles but who lack fundamental training in this area. Both textsare published by CRC Press.

A paper co-authored by DougCooper, professor of Chemical,Materials & BiomolecularEngineering, was selected to

receive one of three “Best Paper” awards atthe ISA Expo 2005 conference. The conferencewas held October 25-27, 2005 in Chicago. Dr. Cooper’s paper, co-authored with doctoralstudent Jeffrey Arbogast and Robert Rice,Ph.D., was entitled “A Review of Model basedTuning Methods for PID Controllers” and was presented in the Automation & ControlDivision track.

Professor of Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering John DeWolf waselected to a one-year term asChair of the Senate Executive

Committee effective July 1. The 10-membercommittee organizes and coordinates the business of the Senate and its committees. In addition, the fourth edition of a text that Dr. DeWolf co-authored with F.P. Beer and E.R.Johnston, Mechanics of Materials, has beentranslated into Italian. The Italian-languagefourth edition, published by McGraw-Hill, will be available during 2006.

Professor of Electrical & ComputerEngineering John Enderle, whodirects the School’s BiomedicalEngineering program, was award-

ed one of two AAUP (American Association ofUniversity Professors) 2006 Excellence Awardsin Service. The award was presented at theState Capitol in Hartford on April 26.

Gerald L. Engel, the LeonhardtProfessor of Computer Science & Engineering at the UConnStamford campus, was named

a CSAB Fellow in June 2006. CSAB is theComputing Sciences Accreditation Board, the agency that accredits computer science,software engineering, information systems andinformation technology academic programs.

Amir Faghri, United TechnologiesEndowed Chair Professor inThermal-Fluids Engineering and formerly Dean of the School

of Engineering, has co-authored (with YuenZhang) a new 1,012-page textbook,Transport Phenomena inMultiphase Systems. The 2006book is published by Elsevierand may be purchased under ISBN: 1-12-370610-6.

Assistant professor of MechanicalEngineering Horea Ilies wasawarded a $320,000 grant by theNational Science Foundation to

conduct research in “constrained geometricmorphing of product families of mechanicaldesigns.” In addition, he serves as an invitedassociate editor for the new ASME Journal ofMedical Devices, which will debut in fall ‘06.

Associate professor of Civil &Environmental EngineeringJohn Ivan, P.E., was interviewedby WTIC-AM 1080, the Ray &

Diane Show. Dr. Ivan was interviewed concerning traffic problems on Rt. 44 in Avon,the site of several fatal multi-vehicle accidents.Dr. Ivan expressed his expert opinion that theroad was originally designed to handle low volume, high-speed rural traffic but that—due to intensive development on AvonMountain—now carries a significant volume of low-speed suburban traffic.

Allison MacKay, associate professor of Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering, was an invited speaker at the 2006 Gordon

Research Conference on EnvironmentalSciences (Water) June 25-30 in Holderness,NH. Her talk focused on the link between lab and field studies in determining the environmental fate of pollutants.

Ramesh Malla, associate professor Civil & EnvironmentalEngineering, served as the GeneralChair of the Earth & Space 2006

conference, which took place March 5-8 inHouston, TX.

Assistant professor of ComputerScience & Engineering IonMandoiu was appointed to theeditorial board of the International

Journal of Bioinformatics Research andApplications in May 2006. In addition, Dr. Mandoiu and two co-investigators, MazharKhan (UConn Department of Pathobiology andVeterinary Science) and Bhaskar DasGupta(University of Illinois at Chicago) were awardeda three-year, National Science Foundationgrant of $400,000 to develop bioinformaticstools that enable large-scale species identification using a recent genomic technology called DNA barcoding.

Dr. Mandoiu is the co-inventor (with A.B.Kahng, C. Albrecht and A. Zelikovsky) of apatent for “Floorplan Evaluation, GlobalRouting, and Buffer Insertion for IntegratedCircuits,” U.S. Patent No. 7,062,743, whichwas awarded in June 2006.

FacultyNews



An international symposium entitled “Fatigueand Fracture of Traditional and AdvancedMaterials” co-sponsored by ASM Internationaland The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society(TMS) was held in March 2006 in San Antonio,TX in honor of emeritus professor Arthur J.McEvily’s 80th birthday to highlight his seminal contributions to theoretical and experi-mental aspects of fatigue and fracture over thelast 50 years. In conjunction with this honoraryevent, an endowed student-scholarship named“Arthur J. McEvily Scholarship” has beenestablished at the University of Connecticut.This fund will benefit academically talentedundergraduate students from the MaterialScience & Engineering program.

Doctoral student Lance E. Miller was awarded a prestigious 2006-07 IBM DoctoralFellowship and a summer internship with IBM’sCambridge, MA location, where he will workon the IBM Blue Gene L class architecturesupercomputer. Mr. Miller is earning dual doctoral degrees in Computer Science &Engineering (advised by Dr. Thomas Peters)and math (advised by Dr. Eugene Spiegel).

UTC Professor of ComputerScience & Engineering (CSE)Sanguthevar Rajasekaran,along with assistant professor ofCSE Chun-Hsi Huang and othercolleagues from the ComputerScience & Engineering; Genetics &Developmental Biology; Molecular,

Microbial and Structural Biology; andNeuroscience departments at the University of Connecticut, have developed a new websitetool, the Minimotif Miner, which allowsresearchers to search a given protein for hun-dreds of amino acid motifs that may be associ-ated with diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease. The site (http://mnm.engr.uconn.edu)was profiled in the Netwatch portion ofScience magazine (Feb. 17, 2006), and themethodology is described in the March 2006issue of Nature Methods.

Professor of Chemical, Materials &Biomolecular Engineering Leon Shaw—along with professor of MechanicalEngineering Eric Jordan, Research SpecialistMaury Gell, T.D. Xiao and X. Jiang—were

awarded a U.S. patent for theirwork involving “Duplex Coatingsand Bulk Materials, and Methodsof Manufacture, Thereof,” U.S.Patent No. 6,974,640, issuedDecember 13, 2005. Dr. Shaw alsowas elected a Fellow of the WorldAcademy of Materials andManufacturing Engineering(AMME) in November 2005, whichbestows Fellow status on usually1-3 researchers per country annual-

ly for exceptional scientific achievements inmaterials and manufacturing engineering.

Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. presented Dr. Shaw and his former graduate students,Drs. X. Li and J. Wang, a “Highly CommendedAward 2006” for their paper, “Optimization ofthe Cross-Section Geometry of Laser-DensifiedDental Porcelain Bodies for Rapid PrototypingProcesses” which appeared in RapidPrototyping Journal.

Bob Weiss, professor ofChemical, Materials &Biomolecular Engineering, was named a Fellow of the

American Chemical Society’s Division ofPolymeric Materials: Science & Engineering(PMSE). He is one of just five individualsinducted in 2006.

The School of Engineering sadlyreports that professor emeritus ofCivil Engineering Wilbur J.Widmer passed away April 2nd.

He served on the faculty from 1948 until hisretirement in 1988 and also contributed histime to the World Health Organization asSanitary Engineer and Consultant in Pakistan,Brazil and Egypt. He is survived by his widow,Pearl Gilmore Widmer and three sons.

Carlos Carvallo, a graduate student in the BME program, was awarded a BestPaper/Poster Award at the 32nd NortheastBioengineering Conference for his presentationentitled “Design, Implementation andValidation of a Quality Assurance Process forMedical Displays.” The paper was presented at Lafayette College, Easton, PA.

and on providing SOFC design guide-lines, permitting fast start-up times andlonger service and thermal cycle life. Dr. Kim explains that his “investigationswill address three-dimensional transientthermal fracture analysis of functionallygraded SOFCs using cohesive zone models and interaction integrals alongwith microstructure-based stochasticfracture modeling and coupled thermo-mechanical sensitivity analysis.” This research is expected to improve the electrochemical and mechanical performance of SOFCs.

The results of Dr. Kim’s CAREERresearch will be introduced to highschool students participating in theresidential Engineering 2000 summerprogram—as well as high school science, math and technology teachersparticipating in the residential da VinciProject. Dr. Kim joined the Civil &Environmental Engineering Departmentin January 2004 after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Kim hasdeveloped strong research expertise innumerical modeling and simulation forfunctionally graded materials (FGMs).

NSF CAREER continued from page 15

• Air passive 25 watt PEM fuel cell—Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Department Head of Mechanical Engineering Ranga Pitchumani

• Membrane durability lab for PEM fuel cells—Pratt & Whitney Chair Professor in Design & Reliability Kenneth Reifsnider

• Tubular solid oxide fuel cell—design technician Peter Menard

• Direct methanol fuel cell—United Technologies Endowed Chair Professor in Thermal-Fluids Engineering Amir Faghri

• Poster presentations by Monty Shaw, a professor in the Chemical, Materials & Biomolecular Engineering Department, and professor of Chemistry Steven Suib

Secretary Bodman also viewed a number of ongoing research and demonstration projects that currently reside within theCGFCC and are operated by FuelCell Energy,GenCell, UTC Power and Distributed EnergySystems Corp.

Secretary of Energy continued from page 14


On Saturday, April 29, over 550 youthfulinventors demonstrated that an inventive

mind can change the world. The young people,students in grades K through 8, were competingin the annual Connecticut Invention Convention(CIC) at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. Now in its23rd year, the Connecticut event is one of thelongest continuously operating invention competitions in the nation. The 2006 CIC washosted and co-sponsored by the UConn Schoolof Engineering.

Among the inventions illuminating the 2006 convention were:

An answer to that nagging problem of missingsocks in the laundry: Sock-netic, invented byfourth grader Emily Barker of the Polk School in Oakville, CT. This device uses two magnetsenveloped in plastic strips to clip matchingsocks together during their voyage through thedryer. The Auto Dog Groomer, created by fourthgrader Ashley Lynn Perry of the Cook HillSchool, Wallingford, combines a battery powered screwdriver and a round hair brush toquickly detangle and brush a beloved pet’s fur.The Bookbag 3000, invented by sixth grade student DaVaune Carr of Thomas Edison MiddleSchool in Meriden, solves the vexing problemfaced by school children everywhere: gettingcaught in the rain without an umbrella.DaVaune developed a school backpack-umbrellacombo that ensures every child is prepared forfoul weather.

The Anti-Arthritic Car Starter, developed by Collin Sembler, a sixth grader at Our Lady ofMercy School. Collin wanted to help his grand-mother, who has severe arthritis, start her carwithout pain. He developed an extender thatuses an L-shaped piece of wood to hold the

key. A person could use the extender to insertthe key in the ignition without reaching aroundthe steering wheel, thereby avoiding the painfulwrist-turn normally associated with insertingthe key in the ignition. The Power Shade,developed by seventh grader Rachel Teti ofTorrington Middle School, allows elderly andhandicapped people to close their windowshades from a distance. Rachel’s unit included a Nintendo remote control device and an automotive motor to lower and raise a windowshade from up to 63 feet away.

“These young inventors are our future, and the Connecticut Invention Convention is aninsurance policy on our future competitivenessas a nation,” commented the School ofEngineering’s Assistant Dean of UndergraduateEducation, Marty Wood.

The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC)is the culminating competition where childrenwho won top honors in their school contests viefor top state laurels. A number of these youngThomas Edisons have appeared on the TonightShow with Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres, PBS’sZOOM, and the Martha Stewart Show. CIC was conceived as a fun way to entice children to apply critical, creative thinking in both recognizing and solving everyday problems. Each year, the process begins at 95 participating schools, where students areencouraged to identify a vexing problem theyencounter regularly. The children then considerpossible solutions, select one and refine it intoa working prototype. On the path to discovery,the young inventors also document the scientific process by which they developed their solution.

“Applying their intellect and creativity to achallenge, children demonstrate they can trans-form concepts into real problem solutions,” said

Charlie Baumgartner, CIC president andNPI Purchasing Program Manager, GEConsumer & Industrial. “It is the mostgratifying experience imaginable, forthe children themselves, of course, but also for the adults involved in making this happen: the teachers, parents and judges.”

Paul Martin, Senior Vice President ofSikorsky Aircraft, delivered openingremarks on the theme “Invention is theKey to Your Future.” He opened his

Young Inventors Redefine Their Environment

remarks by quoting author and child-rearingiconoclast Joseph Chilton Pearce, who said “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear ofbeing wrong.” Mr. Martin went on to inform theaudience that countless visionaries, who revo-lutionized the world with their technologicalbreakthroughs, failed to accurately predict thepublic’s acceptance of innovation. He quoted anumber of technology leaders whose predic-tions were far off the mark, for example, “There is no reason anyone would want to own a computer in their home,” attributed toKen Olson, former president, chairman andfounder of Digital Equipment Corporation; and“No flying machine will ever fly from New Yorkto Paris,” attributed to Orville Wright, co-inven-tor with his brother, Wilbur, of the world’s firstsuccessful airplane.

“The nation’s quality of life depends on ourexpertise in science and engineering,” he com-mented. Yet, he cautioned, the nation is fallingbehind technologically: 67% of college studentsin Singapore are studying engineering versus15% of American college students, and Japangraduates twice as many engineers as does theU.S. The U.S., he said, graduates twice asmany lawyers as engineers. Yet it is engineers,Mr. Martin suggested, who will move thenation forward technologically and ensure our national defense and health.

Dr. Ramesh Malla, associate professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, is a member of the CIC Board of Directors andserved as the Convention Coordinator at UConn.

The “EDDY” award winning ConnecticutInvention Convention is produced each year,courtesy of local teachers and the volunteerefforts by the many generous School ofEngineering exhibitors, the organization’s governing board, and more than 150 judges. CIC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit program underwrit-ten by grants and in-kind support from commu-nity, educational institutions, businesses andcharitable organizations, including the UConnSchool of Engineering, United TechnologiesCorporation, GE Consumer & Industrial, CL&PEnergy Efficiency Team, AT&T Connecticut, The Stanley Works, Connecticut Space GrantCollege Consortium, Microsoft and theConnecticut Center for Science & Exploration.

For details on this year’s award winners,pictures of the event, sponsorship opportuni-ties, steps for implementing the CIC curriculum in your school, and judging, visit www.CTInventionConvention.org.

AlumniNews

Mark Allyn, Jr. (B.S., M.S. Civil Engineering,‘96, ‘98), P.E., was promoted to Project Managerwith BVH Integrated Services, Inc., Bloomfield,CT. He is a member of the American Institute ofSteel Construction and the Precast PrestressedConcrete Institute.

Stephen Altschuler (B.S. ElectricalEngineering, ‘54), president of the Altek Co.,was presented the Northwest ConnecticutChamber of Commerce “Business Leader”award in recognition of his success in running“a small business in a community and regionthat is needing jobs,” according to the group’spresident. Mr. Altschuler was a 2004 inducteeto the University of Connecticut’s Academy ofDistinguished Engineers.

G. Clifford Carter(M.S., Ph.D. ElectricalEngineering, ‘72, ‘76), wasawarded the prestigiousIEEE USA Harry DiamondAward for exceptional pro-fessional achievements incoherence and time delay

estimation, which have provided the militarywith innovative solutions to the most challeng-ing signal processing systems issues. Dr. Cartercurrently works in the Signal ProcessingAlgorithm Development Branch of the NavalUndersea Warfare Center.

Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Ph.D. (B.S.E.Mechanical Engineering, ‘73), who flew sevenshuttle missions as a NASA astronaut, leftNASA in July to form his own rocket company,Ed Astra Rocket Company with a goal of continuing development of the VASIMR engine.Dr. Chang-Diaz serves as Chairman of the Board and CEO. He is a 2003 inductee to theUniversity of Connecticut’s Academy ofDistinguished Engineers.

Biao Chen (Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, ‘99),assistant professor of electrical engineering andcomputer science at Syracuse University, won a National Science Foundation FacultyEarly Career Development (CAREER) Award to conduct research in signal processing and communications.

Mary Fazio (M.S., Biomedical Engineering, ‘06)received the ACCE (American Society of ClinicalEngineering) Best Student Paper Award for2006. Ms. Fazio was presented the award during the ACCE Annual Membership Meetingheld in June.

Douglas C. Shidler (B.S., ElectricalEngineering, ‘83), who was elected to UConn’sAcademy of Distinguished Engineers in spring 2006, recently was appointed the Vice President for Marine Corps Programs with Sikorsky Aircraft.

The School of Engineering is saddened to report the passing of two valued alumni:Stanley Bockstein (B.S., M.S. MechanicalEngineering, ‘55, ‘59), and Frank Zimmerman(B.S. Mechanical Engineering, ’45). Mr. Bockstein passed away on January 2, 2006and leaves behind his widow, Sylvia Bockstein.He was retired at the time of his death, following a career with General Dynamics. Mr. Zimmerman, who was profiled in a fall 1999 issue of Frontiers, died March 6, 2006. He worked in sales and marketing at the FordMotor Co. for nearly 32 years, primarily inDearborn, MI. After retiring in 1977, he movedto Hilton Head, SC and was a founding directorof Sea Pines Associates.


Class of '56 alumni of the School ofEngineering attended a June 2 receptionat the Storrs campus. Among thoseattending the event were (left to right):Clive D. Barnsbee (B.S.), Edward W.Chase III (B.S.), Stuart E. Gadbois (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.), Val C. Buonaiuto(B.S.), William E. Cramer (B.S.), Mario Casarella (B.S., M.S., Ph.D.) and Sarah Casarella. All majored inMechanical Engineering.

individuals, improve diagnostic techniquesand improve medical treatment. Three projects were sponsored by the RehabilitationEngineering Research Center (RERC) onAccessible Medical Instrumentation. Theteam of David Price, Matthew Bularzik and Michael Rivera developed a “gPodAccessible Blood Glucose Meter” to communicate diabetic blood glucose resultsvisually and audibly, thereby ensuring thathearing- or vision-impaired diabetics can easily, accurately learn their blood glucoselevels. The problem of patients forgetting orunable to take their medication on a regularbasis was attacked by Kevin Villani, EvaMarie Suarez and Jackie Masse. The teamdeveloped an automated medicine dispensing(AMD) device that may be used by those whohave limited mobility or are vision impaired tomechanically dispense pills and even pill segments on a timed basis. Another RERC-sponsored team, comprising members AshleyReeners, Bhavin Patel, Christen Thomsen andAndrew Harris, developed a positioning apparatus that adjusts a disabled patient tothe proper position for imaging procedures.

In a national RERC on Accessible MedicalInstrumentation Senior Design Competition,these same Biomedical Engineering programteams took honors among a total of 22teams. The overall winner, which also tooktop honors in the Accessible MedicationDispensing Device competition, was the teamof Jackie Masse, Eva Marie Suarez and Kevin Villani. In the Accessible Blood GlucoseMonitor Interface area, the UConn team ofMatthew Bularzik, David Price and MichaelRivera took top honors for their unit. And theteam of Andrew Harris, Bhavin Patel, AshleyReeners and Christen Thomsen won a second-place tie in the Patient PositioningAid area.

Sponsoring organizations for the 2006 senior design projects included Pratt & Whitney, Pitney Bowes, RogersCorporation, Hamilton Sundstrand, Gerber Technology, Electric Boat, The SiemonCompany, Westinghouse Electric, Unilever,Otis Elevator, ASML, OSIM International Ltd.,Miracle Industries, Pioneer Aerospace,Sikorsky, GlaxoSmithKline, WiremoldLegrand, D. Flannigan, DDS, the U.S. ArmyResearch Office, the National ScienceFoundation, Quantum Leap Technology, theRehabilitation Engineering Research Centeron Accessible Medical Instrumentation,Phonon Corp., MegaWave Corp., NUWCNPT,GE, and Qualtech Systems.

Senior Design continued from page 19

Non-Profit Org.US Postage Paid

Permit 3Storrs, CT 06269

261 Glenbrook Road, Unit 2237Storrs, CT 06269-2237


The University of Connecticut was namedthe Chess College of the Year by the

U.S. Chess Federation in June. Among thecritical factors considered by the CollegeChess Committee in awarding the honor toUConn is a new School of Engineeringscholarship program for top high schoolchess players.

Numerous studies have concluded that playing chess enhances creativity, concentration, critical thinking, reasoningskills, problem solving and even verbal skills(Dr. Robert Ferguson, Johan Christiaen and others). These skills are also importantfor success in engineering education andpractice. With this link in mind, the Schoolof Engineering will sponsor a high schoolchess tournament the weekend ofSeptember 23-24, 2006. The tournamentwill take place in the F.L. Castleman

Building on the UConn-Storrs campusfrom 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdayand Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

The tournament is open to studentsenrolled in grades 9-12 and offers sectionsfor open and reserve competition. Top per-formers in the open competition are eligibleto receive renewable scholarships to theUConn School of Engineering plus tro-phies. The scholarships are redeemable onlyto individuals who meet the School ofEngineering’s admittance criteria, enroll inthe UConn School of Engineering, and maintain a 3.4 GPA as a full-time student. The top six competitors in thereserve play will receive trophies.

The first-place winner in the open competition will receive a $2,000 annual scholarship to the UConn School ofEngineering, renewable for four years.

Engineering Sponsors Chess Match, Engineering Scholarships

The second-place winner will garner a$1,000 annual scholarship to the UConnSchool of Engineering, renewable for fouryears. The third-place player in open competition will receive a $500 annualscholarship to the UConn School ofEngineering, renewable for four years.

Prior to September 9, the fee to participate in the open competition is $45, and participation in the reserve competition is $40.

For additional details, contact Tom Hartmayer (860-989-5394 or via e-mail at [email protected].

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