Orientation begins June 3

The College of Engineering will host 11 summer orientation sessions beginning June 3. Orientation is a critical component both for recruitment and for transition preparation for the fall 2010 class. With more than 2,000 first-year students expected in the fall, many students and their families will participate in orientation during the next four weeks. Please help make this experience a positive one. If you see someone needing assistance, please offer to help or refer them to 110 Marston. The engineering orientation dates are June 3-4, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 14-15, 15-16, 17-18, 22-23, 23-24, 24-25, and 27-28. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: Cindy Spurlock, 294-1019, Neva Henderson, 294-3900, or Soonee Sill, 294-9285.

This month in INNOVATEonline…

Research in Bong Wie’s Asteroid Deflection Research Center blows by Bruce Willis in Busting Armageddon…ChemE alumnus Mike McBreen walks the walk for corporate social responsibility in A Mile in His Shoes…and two grad students in information assurance make a deal with Uncle Sam to become Defenders at the Digital Frontier…all new in INNOVATEonline!

Spring 2010 Teaching and Research Excellence Award winners announced

Ten engineering graduate students were recently recognized by the Iowa State University Graduate College for excellence in research or teaching. Recipients of the Research Excellence Awards are Basak Cinlar, CBE; Metwally Mohamed, CCEE; Melissa Ver Meer, MSE; and Micky Vincent, CCEE. The Teaching Excellence Award winners are John Carr, ECPE; Matthew Hawkins, AerE; Joseph Idziorek, ECpE; Sasha Kemmet, ECpE; Sergiy Markutsya, ME; and Jenna Pritchard, IMSE.

Team PrISUm prepares for 2010 race

Iowa State’s solar car team is busy preparing for the 2010 North American Solar Car Challenge. The race is scheduled to start on June 20 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and end June 26 in Naperville, Illinois. Check out the PrISUm Solar Car Team website to learn all about how the team designed and built the car, which is named Anthelion.

Lunabotics team competes at NASA

A team of Iowa State engineering students who took Multidisciplinary Design (ENGR 466/467) this past year participated in the inaugural NASA Lunabotics Mining Competition at Kennedy Space Center Astronaut Hall of Fame in Florida last week. The students’ task was to design and build a remote-controlled or autonomous excavator (lunabot) that could collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kg of lunar simulant within 15 minutes. Twenty-two teams from across the United States competed. (Lunabot news link)

Heindel to continue as ME interim chair

Dean Jonathan Wickert has announced that Professor Ted Heindel will continue as interim chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The search for the next permanent ME chair will begin in fall of 2011.

MSE grad wins silver award

Jun Wang (PhDMSE’09) received a silver award for his research and presentation at the Materials Research Society annual meeting in San Francisco. Wang, whose major professor was Zhiqun Lin, recently joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as a postdoc. Wang also received honorable mention as a nominee for the Iowa State Zaffarano Prize for Graduate Student Research. The prize recognizes superior performance in publishable research by an Iowa State graduate student.

Iowa State EAP offers wealth of resources

Do you have a question about childcare or eldercare? Are you worried about your financial situation? Would you like to work with a life coach? Iowa State’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) has partnered with Employee and Family Resources to provide resources and services to help you address the many issues facing individuals and families today. Access Employee and Family Resources through the EAP website and check out the many services and resources that are available to you.

Mini Baja Team looks forward to next year

Iowa State’s Mini Baja Team was doing well (ninth place) as it headed into the final and biggest event of the SAE Baja 2010 competition in Bellingham, Washington, May 22. But during that final race several problems occurred, including the rear shocks blowing out and the car being hit in the rear by another car. Consequently the team finished 46th in that race and in 28th place for the overall competition. Nevertheless, the team was pleased with the car’s performance and expects to build on that design for next year. (Mini baja news link)

TKDA celebrates centennial

A long-time sponsor of student activities for the College of Engineering is celebrating its centennial. TKDA, an employee-owned engineering, architecture, and planning firm based in St. Paul, Minnesota, has established a website featuring a timeline of the past 100 years. The timeline highlights many of TKDA’s projects and also chronicles the leadership throughout the last century. Over the years TKDA has sponsored the Iowa State student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ concrete canoe races and steel bridge competitions, as well as the Chi Epsilon student chapter. TKDA is also a familiar participant in the fall Engineering Career Fair.

E-News schedule

E-News is published once a month during summer. The next issue will be published on July 6, 2010. If you have news items or event dates to include, please send them to Mary Jo Glanville by June 28.

Mark your calendars!

June 14 and 24--Engineering--The 2050 Challenge Camp (8- to 10-year-olds)

June 17--Engineering--The 2050 Challenge Camp (10- to 12-year-olds)

July 5--University holiday, offices closed

July 7, 9, 13--Explore Engineering! Camp (6- to 9-year-olds)