ISU College of Engineering

College of Engineering E-News

Distinguished lecture today!

University of Iowa Professor Krishnan B. Chandran will present “Simulation of artificial heart valve dynamics using a fluid-structure interaction computational analysis” on Thursday, April 5, at 11 a.m. in 1213 Hoover Hall. This presentation is part of the Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored each year by the Colleges of Engineering at Iowa State and the University of Iowa. A reception will precede the lecture at 10:30 a.m.

Chandran is the Lowell G. Battershell Professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Iowa. In his lecture, he will discuss the development of an experimentally validated simulation of mechanical and bioprosthetic valve dynamics and the future direction of such research.

Marston Club and Patent Dinner, April 19

The 2007 Marston Club and Patent Dinner on April 19 will celebrate 150 years of engineering education at Iowa State, recognize faculty members who received patents in 2006, and honor the three Professional Progress in Engineering Award (PPEA) recipients.

The PPEA recipients are Charles F. Campbell, BSEE’88, MSEE’91, PhDEE’93, engineering fellow at TriQuint Semiconductor in Richardson, Texas; Vamsi Chadalavada, MSEE’91, PhDEE’94, senior vice president of market and systems solutions for Independent System Operator-New England; and Lawrence Margulies, PhDMSE’99, senior scientist at Risø National Laboratory in Denmark.

The dinner is $35 per person and will be at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. Please RSVP by Thursday, April 12.

Reception planned for Ted Okiishi

Please join us as we honor friend and colleague Ted Okiishi, associate dean for research and outreach and professor of mechanical engineering, as he retires from the College of Engineering. The reception will be in the Howe Hall Atrium on Wednesday, May 2, 2-4 p.m. Ted and his wife, Rae, will be on hand to greet well-wishers. A brief program will begin at approximately 2:30 p.m.

VRAC to unveil C6 upgrades

The Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC) will unveil its improved virtual reality room on April 26 (schedule of events). The demonstrations will show off the room’s new abilities to produce virtual reality at the world’s highest resolution. (News release)

Student entrepreneurs compete

David Lantz

Tyler Rasmussen

Seniors David Lantz, aerospace and materials science and engineering, and Tyler Rasmussen, mechanical engineering, were among 20 students from across Iowa who participated in the Pappajohn New Venture Business Plan Competition last week. Twelve teams of one to three students each were selected for the state competition by winning their regional competition. Lantz and Rasmussen presented their plan to produce and market a shot counter they invented for use with airsoft guns. These guns, which fire plastic BBs, are used in a variety of recreational activities such as battle simulations.

Although the students didn’t win the $5,000 prize, Rasmussen reports the experience was positive, and they are moving forward with their business plan. They have a provisional patent on the shot counter and plan to have the final version ready for manufacture by August.

Visitors at Tech Day

AerE alum and former Lockheed Martin CEO Vance Coffman and his wife, Arlene, pose with Cy at the Lockheed Martin Tech Day on March 20. The exhibit, which highlighted Lockheed Martin career opportunities, followed the installation ceremony for Bong Wie as the first endowed Vance D. Coffman Faculty Chair in Aerospace Engineering.


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