College of Engineering - News Articles

First Doctoral Graduate in the Department of Engineering Education

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

The Department of Engineering Education, the newest department in the College of Engineering, conferred a PhD in Engineering Education on Shaobo Huang, the program’s first graduate student. Her dissertation was on the predictive modeling and analysis of student academic performance in an Engineering Dynamics course.

A native of Penglai, China, Dr. Huang began her doctoral studies and graduate research assistantship in the summer of 2009 under the direction of Dr. Ning Fang, Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Education. Dr. Fang has mentored Huang throughout her doctoral studies. He says that “Daisy (Shaobo) has been a diligent student during her study at USU. She learned how to quickly adapt to the new environment, and learned how to do engineering education research as compared with engineering research. I was impressed with her passion for engineering education as well as the efforts that she made in helping students learn better in foundational engineering courses.”

“We are extremely pleased with the quality of students in our graduate program and Daisy is an excellent example,” says Kurt Becker, Department Head of the Department of Engineering Education. “She is top notch. Our program continues to grow; we currently have 12 PhD students in the program. Four of these students will be graduating in the coming year.”

Dr. Huang is enthusiastic about her chosen profession. “Three years of experience in [the] EED [department] leads me on the way to realizing my dream: become a professor in Engineering Education and help students be better prepared for their careers in Engineering.” She now works as a postdoctoral fellow for the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) while she pursues faculty positions in the United States.

Class 1000 Cleanroom 1st for Engineering

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

Dr. Cui's Bio-Nano Research Group will use the clean room to conduct research. The room is located in the Sant Innovation Building Room 304. for more information

Professor Yue Cui received her B.Eng degree with a 3-year undergraduate study (one year ahead of schedule) from Harbin Institute of Technology, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, and received her Ph.D degree from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with a 3-year PhD study. After which, she performed a 1-year postdoctoral research at University of Pennylvania, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and a 2-year postdoctoral research at Princeton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Yui Cui, Assistant Professor

Department: Biological Engineering

Email: yue.cui@usu.edu

Location: Biological Engineering Department 402T

Office Phone: 435-797-9276

Biological Engineering Department
Utah State University
4105 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-4105

"Smart Wi-Fi" Technology receives TCIP Grant

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

A team of four USU PhD students led by Dr. Bedri Cetiner, Associate Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, which is developing “Smart Wi-Fi” technology, received an important grant from the Technology Commercialization & Innovation Program (TCIP). The technology is “a high-gain intelligent antenna array to be used for mobile cellular and Wi-Fi applications” with three main advantages over the current systems: (1) It will require a smaller number of base stations and access points to cover a given service area, which provides a significant cost reduction; (2) The battery life of wireless hand-held devices will be extended many times over; and (3) The antenna array will provide higher gain and significantly better pattern agility with smaller size than existing arrays. The existing antenna array solutions are either too costly or size prohibitive for commercial wireless systems.

The TCIP, operated by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development, helps top notch university-developed programs enter into commercial markets every year, thereby creating competitive cutting-edge technology jobs in Utah. The program began in 1986 and has helped numerous promising technologies establish commercial viability. This year, grants were given to 19 applicants from across the state.

Dr. Cetiner explains that “this grant will help us to further develop our novel smart antenna technologies for prototypes with the ultimate goal of commercializing them. In particular, we are planning to develop strategic partnerships with wireless companies in achieving the goal of commercialization and creating high-paying engineering jobs in the state of Utah.”

He had this to say about the project’s future: “We envision using our smart Wi-Fi technology to develop our city of Logan into the group of cities called smart cities. In a smart city, in addition to offering internet and email access for anyone with a Wi-Fi device, our intelligent mesh network will be able to provide video surveillance and emergency communications for the city’s police department, firefighters, medical personnel and other public servants. Receiving the TCIP grant is an important step towards fulfilling the research team’s goals.

Written by David Williams,david.williams@usu.edu

Contact Information:

Bedri Cetiner

Associate Professor

Email: bedri.cetiner@usu.edu

Location: EL 251

Office Phone: (435) 797-3320

The College of Engineering Welcomes Dr. Craig Adams

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

The College of Engineering is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Craig Adams as Department Head in Civil & Environmental Engineering beginning July 2, 2012. Dr. Adams received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, an M.S. in Environmental Health Engineering, and a PhD in Environmental Health Engineering from the University of Kansas, where he has served as Department Chair and J.L. Constant Distinguished Professor since 2008.

His research and publications focus on developing sustainable technologies for the control of emerging contaminants in drinking water and wastewater, including algal toxins, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disrupting chemicals, disinfection byproducts, and heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, fluoride). In addition to conducting research on water treatment approaches for developed and developing nations, his research group develops new analytical methods and fundamental chemical models to identify new compounds of interest and to predict their behavior.

His research and professional service has been recognized with numerous awards from leading engineering societies, including the ASCE State-of-the-Art Civil Engineering Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Service to the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors. The American Society of Civil Engineers has also awarded him the ASCE Rudolph Hering Medal, which is awarded for “the most valuable contribution to the increase of knowledge in, and to the advancement of, the environmental branch of the engineering profession”.

When asked about his new position at USU, Dr. Adams said: “It is an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to USU, which is known for outstanding academics and leading research. I am eager to begin working with the excellent faculty and staff in Civil and Environmental Engineering on our key missions of educating USU undergraduate and graduate engineering students, and developing innovative solutions to our society’s infrastructure issues. I am also looking forward to initiating research collaborations with my new colleagues at USU and in the Utah Water Research Laboratory”.

The faculty, staff, and students in the College of Engineering look forward to working with Dr. Adams. He will be an important asset to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Written By: David Williams, david.williams@usu.edu

Utah State University researchers awarded graduate fellowships & research grants

Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

Utah State University, researchers will receive $690,000 to conduct experiments that generate data on natural convection through a fuel assembly. The data will be used to validate the computational models being developed for nuclear safety and design.

Through the Integrated University Program, the Department is also awarding two Utah State University students $310,000 in graduate fellowships, in addition to a summer internship at a DOE National Laboratory. Four students will also receive $5,000 each in scholarship awards. With the support of this program, the students will receive financial support to pursue a degree in the nuclear field and gain the skills and experiences they need to succeed in a nuclear science and engineering career. The selected students will study a breadth of critical nuclear energy issues, from fuel cycle sustainability to reactor efficiency and design. Read more: Utah Policy

Nuclear Spent Fuel Natural Convection

Contact Information:

Barton Smith PI
Robert Spall Co-Pi
Heng Ban

Congratulations Graduates

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

Photos of graduation, students, faculty family and friends, courtesy of Chris Spall, Graduate Academic Advisor MAE

For information or a copy of a photo contact: Kathy Rigby

Ascending Aggies win Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRF) Challenge

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

The Utah State University "Ascending Aggies" win first place at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Design Challenge the challenge was held April 20, 2012 at Wright -Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

The Student Team consisted of Steven Daniels, Val Callisaya, Tyson Burtenshaw, Keith Bates, TJ Morton, Garrett Vaughan, Rhet Astle, Bobby Johnson, Marc Ortega, Trevor Park, James Robbins, Michael Deakin, Daniel Aguirre, Alyssa Wahlin, and Jordan Stott

View AFRL official press release here

J. Steven Hansen, Advisor

Research Professor

MAE Department: Faculty

Email: steve.hansen@usu.edu

Research Areas: Design, Systems Engineering

Rocket Team places 1st in vehicle design at competition

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

The students vied to see whose rocket could come closest to the 1-mile altitude goal and safely return its on board science payload to Earth. Fifty-one teams took part, though two faced mechanical or technical issues and did not launch.

Ten preliminary awards were presented, and the grand prize -- $5,000 from ATK Aerospace Group in Salt Lake City, Utah -- will be awarded May 18 after final post-flight analysis and review are complete.

This is the fifth year ATK has sponsored Student Launch Projects. View full NASA article

Team Members

College of Engineering Valedictorian

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 MST

Brock Wiberg’s love of aircraft from a young age developed in him an interest in the mechanics of flight vehicles and as well as anything else that can be taken apart. He traveled around Europe with his father after high school graduation, attended the Paris International Air show, and toured the massive Airbus A380 fuselage assembly plant in Hamburg, Germany. When asked about pursuing an engineering degree, Brock said, “I didn’t choose my major, my major chose me.”

Brock was an officer in the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society and organized a booth for the 2011 Pi-Day fundraiser which raised several hundred dollars for the Bulgarian orphanage where he volunteered during his mission for the LDS Church. During his time in the College of Engineering, he also organized weekly instruction sessions for students to enhance their skills in the use of engineering software packages.

Two weeks ago, Brock competed with USU’s Chimaera Rocket Team in the NASA University Student Launch Initiative competition in Toney, Ala. He was the Aerospace Systems Lead on the team and oversaw development of the energy management system that controls the rocket’s peak altitude to within one percent of one mile. As part of the rocket team, he participated extensively in outreach events for K-12 students. Of particular note are the outreach activities for 850 elementary and middle school students from the Navajo Nation. These events included presentations on the fundamentals of rocketry and aviation, as well as hands-on activities such as water bottle rocket launches.

In addition to being the College of Engineering Valedictorian, Brock was selected as the Outstanding Senior in the College of Engineering by a committee of professional engineers. He is the recipient of a prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and will attend graduate school at the University of Illinois in the fall.

USU researcher Steven Folkman

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 MST

The Utah State University Buried Structures Laboratory has published a comprehensive study on “Water Main Break Rates for the United States and Canada.” The Buried Structures Laboratory is one of two locations in the United States that has a large-scale testing facility for pipe materials and structures.

Complete Utah State Today article here

Steven Folkman is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. His research interests involve structural analysis using finite element methods, structural dynamics, design of spacecraft structures, and analysis of buried structures. He is associated with USU's Space Dynamics Laboratory where he has had an active role in the design and analysis of a number of payloads.

Dr. Folkman is also involved with USU's Buried Structures Laboratory where his interests involve soil/structure interaction, finite element modeling and testing. The buried structures laboratory is recognized as one of three laboratories in the United States for performing tests on buried pipes.

Steve L. Folkman

Associate Professor

MAE Department: Faculty

Email: steven.folkman@usu.edu

Location: EL 141B

Office Phone: 435-797-2879

Webpage: http://www.neng.usu.edu/mae/faculty/stevef/

Research Areas: Structures