College awards and medallions presented at convocation

Dean Jonathan Wickert welcomed faculty and staff to the start of the new academic year at the college convocation on August 26. Following introductions of new faculty and staff, College of Engineering awards and medallions were presented.

The 2009 College of Engineering award recipients are Scott Chumbley, MSE, Superior Engineering Teacher Award; Matthew J. Helmers, ABE, Superior Engineering Extension Award; Zhiqun Lin, MSE, Young Engineering Faculty Research Award; Vitalij K. Pecharsky, MSE, David R. Boylan Eminent Faculty Research Award; and Kelly C. Strong, CCEE, Superior Engineering Advisor Award.

Eight faculty have recently been named to endowed professorships or chairs in the College of Engineering. Each recipient is presented a medallion in recognition of this honor. The recipients are Venkataramana Ajjarapu, ECpE, David C. Nicholas Professor of Electrical Engineering; Srinivas Aluru, ECpE, Ross Martin Mehl and Marylyne Munas Mehl Professorship of Computer Engineering; Theodore J. Heindel, ME, Bergles Professorship in Thermal Science; Valery Levitas, ME/AerE/MSE, Schafer 2050 Challenge Professorship; Surya Mallapragada, CBE, Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering; Gary Mirka, IMSE, John Ryder Professorship in Engineering; Ralph E. Napolitano, MSE, Alan and Julie Renken Professorship in Material Science Engineering; and James H. Oliver, ME, Larry and Pam Pithan Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Additional honors and awards are listed on the 2009 Faculty/Staff Honors and Awards page.

Rudolphi named AerE interim chair

Rudolphi

Professor Thomas J. Rudolphi has been named interim chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering. A member of the Iowa State faculty since 1979, Rudolphi served as AerE chair from 1996-2003. Rudolphi is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Society of Engineering Education, the American Academy of Mechanics, the Society of Engineering Science, the International Association for Boundary Element Methods, the International Society for Boundary Elements, and Sigma Xi. An open search for the chair position will begin this fall. Rudolphi succeeds Tom Shih, who was named head of aeronautics and astronautics at Purdue University.

Iowa State Fulbright Award winners announced

	Christianson

Two Iowa State University students have been awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarships for 2009-2010. Laura Christianson, PhD student in sustainable agriculture (Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering), will conduct research at Massey University in New Zealand for 10 months beginning in January. In her doctoral research that focuses on the design, operation, and performance of denitrifying drainage bioreactors, Christianson is working with ABE associate professors Alok Bhandari and Matthew Helmers. She chose New Zealand for her Fulbright work because, like in the Midwest, water quality has been impacted by agricultural industries. Christianson will partner with colleagues at Massey University to explore the effectiveness of woodchip bioreactors in New Zealand's agricultural settings.

Elise Regen, a PhD student in sustainable agriculture (Department of Sociology), has already begun her Fulbright work in Egypt. She is conducting research on rural Egyptian women’s livelihood strategies with livestock.

"Tour the World" Engineering Study and Work Abroad Fair is September 8

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to "Tour the World" Engineering Study and Work Abroad Fair in the Howe Hall atrium on Tuesday, September 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. This event, sponsored by Engineering International Programs and Services, is a chance to explore the diverse international study and work abroad opportunities available to engineering students. Iowa State faculty coordinators representing nearly 30 international partnerships will be present. In addition, students who have participated in these programs, along with international exchange students currently studying at Iowa State, will be on hand to talk about their experiences. It is an opportunity to learn firsthand just how valuable international experiences can be for students both personally and professionally.

Learn@Lunch--Proper care and feeding of the Iowa State University "Identity"

If you have ever asked any of these questions

How big can I make the Iowa State wordmark?

Is black and gold a color scheme that I should use?

How many fonts are too many?

Can I just use any photo that I find?

then you should attend this month's Learn@Lunch on Wednesday, September 16, noon-12:50 p.m., in 114 Marston Hall.

Designers from Engineering Communications will help you answer these and other questions that may arise when you are putting together your materials.

Summer Teaching and Research Excellence Award winners announced

Eight 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 Rahul Garg, ME; Sudha Anil Kumar Gathala, ECpE; Yuanhong Li, ME; Joseph Petrzelka, IMSE; Natarajan Viswanathan, ECpE; and Brandon Williams, AerE. The Teaching Excellence Award winners are Katie Henning, AerE; and Michael Rickers, IMSE.

E-Week 2009--Rising together we can…

For Jessica Tobelmann and Adam Weaver, the countdown is on. They are general co-chairs of Engineers' Week 2009, a celebration of engineering, which officially begins September 14. For the past year, they have overseen the efforts of five subcommittees and more than 50 committee members as activities, centered on the theme Rising Together We Can…, have transitioned from drawing board to reality. Major events include Senior Visitation Day, campus lunches, golf tournaments, career seminars, intramurals, charity ball, presentation--Failure is not an option--by Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise, and culminating with the Career Fair on September 22. (News release)

Course on technology, globalization, and culture invites participation

James Bernard, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering, and Mark Rectanus, professor of German and chair of world languages and cultures, have an impressive list of speakers onboard to give lectures for ME 484/ME/WLC 584, Technology, Globalization, and Culture. They have opened the course to public participation in an effort to build a community around the ideas generated by speakers, discussions, and books. Class sessions are generally 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in Alliant Energy-Lee Liu Auditorium, and live streaming is also available. For more information about the course, including a schedule of speakers, visit the Technology, Globalization, and Culture Web site. (News release)

Mark your calendars!

September 4--RSVP due for ISU vs. Iowa pre-game Iowa Bash

September 8--"Tour The World" Engineering Study & Work Abroad Fair, 5:30-7 p.m., Howe Hall Atrium

September 14--Senior Visitation Day, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Memorial Union

September 16--Learn@Lunch, Proper Care and Feeding of the Iowa State University "Identity," noon-12:50 p.m., 114 Marston

September 19--E-Week speaker Apollo 13 astronaut Fred Haise, "Failure is not an option," 7 p.m., CY Stephen Auditorium

September 22--Engineering Career Fair, noon-6 p.m., Hilton Coliseum

E-News is distributed by Engineering Communications.
If you have questions or news items to suggest, please contact Mary Jo Glanville at mglanvil@iastate.edu or call 515 294-8787.


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