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College of Engineering E-News
August 1, 2008

Camp season winds down

Over the last eight weeks, about 175 aspiring young engineers have participated in Iowa State Engineering Kids (ISEK) camps. The camps, which introduce students to technology and engineering activities, are targeted to specific grade levels: Beginner--grades 3-6; Intermediate--grades 5-8; Give Me More--grades 5-8; and Explore--ages 6-9. Thanks to a great response in previous years, multiple sessions of the Beginner and Explore camps were offered this year, according to Camille Sloan Schroeder, director of precollegiate programs for the college. A FIRST LEGO League (FLL) camp is planned for August 15-16. It will give FLL members the opportunity to work on their robotics skills and get a head start on the upcoming FLL season.

Engineering faculty and staff play a big role in making the hands-on activities a success. “We have champions in the college that help us each year, including Dr. Larry Genalo (MSE professor) and his ‘Cool Stuff Demo,’ Bill Rickard (AerE lab mechanics technology) and the tornado simulator, HCI graduate student Brandon Newendorp showcasing virtual reality, and Dr. Mani Mina (ECpE senior lecturer) and his ‘Tesla Coil Demo’ to name a few,” says Schroeder.

Schroeder, who is assisted by Kim Gleen, program assistant, has six students on her summer camp staff. They are Carl Bauer, ME; Megan Lamb, MSE; Laura Miller, ME; Brandon Newendorp, HCI; Beth Ohnemus, dietetics; and Nick Skripsy, ME.


Undergrads to display research posters on August 1

REU students discuss their research at the 2007 research symposium.

Ten weeks ago, 21 undergraduates from across North America arrived at Iowa State to participate in Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs in the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) and Materials and Science Engineering (MSE). Funded through NSF grants, REU gives students the opportunity to participate in a challenging research experience with a goal of helping them determine if they want to pursue graduate studies and a possible career in research.

This is the third year for the CBE program, which has 15 participants conducting research in the areas of biological materials and processes (BioMaP). Six students are participating in the first year of the MSE program, which is focused on non-equilibrium materials (NEMat).

The BioMaP and NEMat students, along with 60 other students from across campus, will present research posters and technical demonstrations on Friday, August 1, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Howe Hall atrium. Faculty and staff are invited to view the posters and visit with the students.

Brumm named director of assessment
Tom Brumm, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, has been named director of assessment effective August 16. In this role, Brumm will lead and facilitate college-level activities to promote and assess student learning. He replaces Steve Mickelson, who is now director of Iowa State’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. (News release)


Reilly to lead Bioengineering Minor Program
Peter Reilly, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and professor of chemical and biological engineering, has been named director of the Bioengineering Minor Program effective at the beginning of this academic year. As director, Reilly will provide leadership for curriculum development and oversee implementation of this new interdisciplinary program. Maneesha Aluru, assistant scientist in genetics, development, and cell biology, will serve as program coordinator.

Reilly will also chair the bioengineering minor supervisory committee. The committee members are Ashraf Bastawros, associate professor, aerospace engineering; Larry Genalo, professor, materials science and engineering; Tae Hyun Kim, assistant professor, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Gary Mirka, professor and chair, industrial and manufacturing systems engineering; Santosh Pandey, assistant professor, electrical and computer engineering; Pranav Shrotriya, assistant professor, mechanical engineering; and Hans van Leeuwen, professor, civil, construction, and environmental engineering.


Mina receives ASEE Best Paper Award

Mani Mina, director of the Engineering Studies Minor Program and senior lecturer in electrical and computer engineering, has been selected as a 2008 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Best Paper Award winner. The paper, “A Guided Tour of the Future of Education,” was presented at the 2008 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition held in June. Mina and his two co-authors, Eugene Ritz and Chris Collins from the University of Cincinnati, will be honored at the 2009 ASEE conference to be held in Austin, Texas, next June.


Engineering professors win Best IT Innovation Award

Manimaran Govindarasu, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Sri Sritharan, associate professor of civil, construction, and environmental engineering, recently won the Best IT Innovation Award at the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation’s 6th Annual Meeting held in Portland, Oregon. The award names their real-time system visualization tool (RSVtool) as the best new IT technique or product developed during the past year. (News release)


Mark your calendars!

Saturday, August 9--Summer 2008 Iowa State University graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremony, 9:30 a.m., Hilton Coliseum

Monday, August 25--Fall semester classes start

Wednesday, August 27--College of Engineering fall convocation, 3:10 p.m., Alliant Energy-Lee Liu Auditorium, Howe Hall

Saturday, September 6--Annual College of Engineering tailgate prior to the Iowa State versus Kent State football game
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