1644667_School of Engineering Academic Newsletter (2021-22)

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2021-22 Academic Newsletter


T A B L E of C O N T E N T S

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DEAN'S MESSAGE

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Engineering

Dr. Mark Horstemeyer

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INDUSTRIAL & SYSTEMS

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CIVIL

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MECHANICAL

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COMPUTER

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ONLINE

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ELECTRICAL

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GRADUATE

Engineering Engineering Engineering

Engineering Programs

Engineering


Dr. Mark Horstemeyer Dean LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING’S GROWTH New space, new equipment, record number of students To support our new civil engineering program, Liberty University invested $2.3 million to remodel 30,000 square feet of the Hudgins Building. This new space also supports our clubs and competition teams with dedicated areas for students to design, manufacture, and experiment. Complete with civil engineering labs, a state-of-the-art computer lab, a machine shop, and equipment for soils, asphalt, concrete, steel, hydraulics, and structures, the Hudgins building will continue to foster the progress of God-inspired ideas. Scan to learn about Clubs and Competition Teams

We now have over 1,029 students — over 100% growth in the last 18 months. We have approximately 80 graduate students and 950 residential and online undergraduate students. Additionally, we developed a Creationeering course for high school freshman, which has garnered 36 students so far. Please join me in thanking God for His goodness to us! Sincerely,

Scan to view sample course.

Dr. Anita Satterlee Online Dean ONLINE PROGRAM MILESTONES Liberty University’s online engineering program is completing its second academic year of offering courses. The program offers students around the world undergraduate degrees in civil engineering and industrial engineering technology as well as a graduate degree in engineering management — with plans to expand undergraduate and graduate offerings in the future. From its inception, the program has been a leader in adopting online engineering education and has experienced solid growth. This year also marks a milestone as we welcome our first graduates from the M.S. in Engineering Management program. Sincerely,

School of Engineering

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CIVIL Engineering

PROGRAM FEATURES: 1. Construction engineering 2. Geotechnical engineering

COMPETITION TEAMS:

3. Structural engineering

► Concrete Canoe (Sponsored by Lynchburg Ready Mix Concrete Company)

4. Transportation engineering

State-of-the-art civil engineering RESEARCH LABORATORIES: ◊ Asphalt and Concrete Labs ◊ Geotechnical and Soils Labs ◊ Hydraulics Lab

► Steel Bridge (Sponsored by Piedmont Steel) ► Theme Park Engineering CLUBS: ► American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) (Sponsored by Hurt & Proffitt and Wiley|Wilson) ► Creationeering

◊ Structural Labs ◊ Surveying Lab

RESEARCH:

◊ Transportation Labs

Dr. Kalehiwot Manahiloh: • Geotechnical engineering related to the characterization of Biochar amended fat clays • Modeling and simulation of soil mechanics

The Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering program began Fall 2019 with an initial enrollment of 12 residential students. The combined residential and online programs have now grown to 319 students.

Dr. Songsu Son: • Developing environmentally friendly and cost-effective materials for roads • Assessing the impact of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) into transportation systems and infrastructure • Researching the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in underdeveloped countries

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CIVIL ENGINEERING TESTIMONIALS My experience with the civil engineering program and the professors has been fantastic. As a lab tech in the engineering school, I have had the opportunity to be the team lead at our civil engineering facility. I am also a co-captain in the Concrete Canoe Club. Experiences like these have developed my leadership skills in ways that I might not have found at other universities. I thank God for bringing me to this program. Jarred Preston When I started performing research with Dr. Son, I had a mild interest in transportation infrastructure. Dr. Son has done an excellent job using his influence to bring innovative resources and equipment to help with both the development of the program and the furtherance of academic research here in the civil engineering department. The opportunity to conduct this level of research has driven me to further my study of transportation engineering, and I am excited to see the results. Connor Rothermel

School of Engineering

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COMPUTER Engineering

PROGRAM FEATURES: 1. Embedded operating systems 2. Software COMPETITION TEAMS: ► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula Car ► Vanguard Mars Rover ► VEX Robotics CLUBS: ► Creationeering ► High Performance Computing

3. Real-time operating systems 4. Computer architecture

State-of-the-art computer engineering RESEARCH LABORATORIES: ◊ High-Performance Computing Lab ◊ Robotics Lab

► Kaggle ► Robotics RESEARCH: Dr. Feng Wang: • Analysis of hardware trojan attacks • Artificial Intelligence (AI) modeling to detect network anomalies • Robotics 5

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering program began Fall 2007 with an initial enrollment of 7 residential students. The residential program has now grown to 55 students.


COMPUTER ENGINEERING TESTIMONIALS My experience studying computer engineering has been wonderful. All the faculty, professors, and students are extremely supportive. I currently perform research in robotics, and I will be interning at Los Alamos National Laboratory during the summer. I am so thankful for all the experience I have been able to garner in such a short amount of time! Christa Collins Pursuing a computer engineering degree has been one of the most exciting developments of my life! It has had its challenges, but I have grown in my ability to solve problems and work with others. Joining the High-Performance Computing Club has been a worthwhile experience, too, as it has brought me close to people with similar interests and allowed me to gain practical skills outside the classroom. Samuel Miller

School of Engineering

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ELECTRICAL Engineering PROGRAM FEATURES: 1. Signal processing 2. Electromagnetism 3. Power systems 4. Cyberphysical systems

COMPETITION TEAMS: ► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Vehicle ► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula Car ► Vanguard Mars Rover

State-of-the-art electrical engineering RESEARCH LABORATORIES: ◊ Electronic Materials Lab

► VEX Robotics CLUBS: ► Creationeering

◊ Electromagnetism Lab

► Renewable Energy

◊ Signal Processing Lab

► Robotics RESEARCH: Dr. Kyung Bae:

The Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering program began Fall 2007 with an initial enrollment of 26 residential students. The residential program has now grown to 73 students.

• Signal Processing • Wireless Communications • Robotics Dr. Young-Man Kim: • Energy/Power Systems • Sensors and Networks • Robotics Dr. Carl Pettiford: • Electromagnetism • Electronic Materials • Cyberphysical Systems

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JOURNEY OF A LIBERTY ENGINEER As a high schooler, I met an engineer who works at BWX Technologies (BWXT), a worldwide supplier of nuclear components and fuel. That initial meeting planted a desire to one day work as an engineer there. During my freshman year as an electrical engineering student, I became a lab tech. The four years spent working in that position allowed me to experience many leadership growth opportunities, including becoming a supervisor and leading two teams. As a sophomore, I obtained a summer internship at BWXT, which continued until my senior year. That internship led to a full-time job working for the company as a systems engineer. When I was younger, I did not want to be a leader, but now I am striving to be the best Christian leader I can, wherever God places me. I plan to continue to hone my leadership skills through the online master’s degree program in engineering management. Justin Stitt / Electrical Engineering / 2022 / Systems Engineer at BWX Technologies

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING TESTIMONIALS I'm glad I chose Liberty for many reasons, but most importantly I was able to pursue my academics rigorously while not leaving my faith behind. Many of my friends who chose to attend other institutions were taught that their faith held them back from pursuing excellence in academics. Liberty taught me that my faith can fuel my excellence in engineering. The engineering faculty challenged me to aim higher and, through their teaching excellence, equipped me to do my very best. In my last couple of years at LU, I performed research on the weekends with an engineering professor who was working on a patent. I was able to put this on my résumé while job searching after graduation. The work I did on the patent, along with the complexity of classroom projects, impressed my future employer, Boeing Aerospace Company.

I joined the electrical engineering program in the fall semester of 2021. Only a month into my studies, I was sure this was where I was meant to be. The professors are kind and willing to build meaningful relationships with the students. The students are helpful, intelligent, and extremely willing to grow alongside one another. I am thoroughly impressed with the education and community here at the School of Engineering. Luke Steiner

Upon graduation I began working at Boeing as a Digital Signal Processing Engineer. I felt more than equipped to take on the work given to me, and I owe that to the vast resources I was able to take advantage of at Liberty. I was ahead of the game by having already learned state-of-the-art programming languages and systems. This allowed me to advance quickly in my career.

I have really enjoyed my experience in the electrical engineering program here at Liberty! Each of my professors has made sure I understand well the material to be learned. Any time I've needed help on a certain topic in class, they are always glad to help, and I have found it easy to talk to them.

Stephen Jacobsen / Electrical Engineer / 2015 / Boeing

Daniel Furnary

School of Engineering

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INDUSTRIAL & SYSTEMS Engineering The Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering program began Fall 2007 with an initial enrollment of 8 residential students. The residential program has now grown to 45 students.

PROGRAM FEATURES: 1. Systems Development 2. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

State-of-the-art industrial and systems engineering RESEARCH LABORATORIES: ◊ Ergonomics Lab ◊ High Performance Computing Lab

3. Quantitative Decision Analysis 4. Operational Systems Analysis

COMPETITION TEAMS:

CLUBS:

► American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Human Powered Vehicle Challenge

► American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)

► Liberty University Rocketry Competition

► Creationeering

► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Vehicle

► Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)

► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula Car

► Liberty University Rocketry

► Vanguard Mars Rover ► VEX Robotics

► Robotics RESEARCH: Prof. Robert Rich: • Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence • Systems Analysis Dr. Diana Schwerha: • Ergonomics • Six Sigma

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INDUSTRIAL & SYSTEMS ENGINEERING TESTIMONIALS Following graduation in 2013, I commissioned into the United States Air Force and attended pilot training. I am currently a C-17 pilot, carrying troops and supplies in support of our troops worldwide. My next assignment will be flying the T-1A Jayhawk trainer aircraft and instructing the next generation of Air Force pilots. While shifting from an engineering undergraduate to an aviation career isn't traditional, my degree has given me the background to understand the technical side of my profession. For example, the Human Factors class was an excellent background for the Air Force Aviation Safety Mishap Investigation course, for which I was selected. Understanding the design of systems helps me to be aware of the potential for dangerous mishaps in my field. For my engineering capstone project, I had the opportunity to design a parking ramp for Liberty's School of Aeronautics. Getting handson experience with real-world aviation operations was a highlight of my college career and an excellent introduction to my future profession.

The industrial and systems engineering (ISE) major is preparing me in a wonderful way to affirm and promote a biblical worldview as I enter the world of business and engineering full time. The faculty members have been encouraging teachers and mentors who have critically challenged me. The diverse student body and superb facilities create a wonderful environment where I can grow and thrive. Elizabeth Wiese / ISE / 2023 The community at Liberty University’s School of Engineering has been an encouragement for me during my many studies. Especially as an industrial engineer, I have encountered such a welcoming and caring atmosphere from the professors and fellow students. Everyone is here to help and support you emotionally, academically, and spiritually. Rozani Theron / ISE / 2023

I am currently furthering my educational foundation by pursuing my MBA online through Liberty University. The industrial and systems engineering curriculum is an outstanding foundation for branching into the business world, both academically and practically. Liberty University School of Engineering offers the opportunity for personal, spiritual, and professional growth. If I could go back in time, I'd choose Liberty's School of Engineering again in a heartbeat! Daniel Bruce / Industrial Systems Engineer / 2013 / U.S. Air Force School of Engineering

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MECHANICAL Engineering The Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering program began Fall 2014 with an initial enrollment of 26 residential students. The residential program has now grown to 381 students.

State-of-the-art mechanical engineering RESEARCH LABORATORIES:

PROGRAM FEATURES:

◊ Materials Processing Lab

1. Solid Mechanics

◊ Materials Characterization Lab

2. Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics

◊ Solid Mechanics Lab

3. Materials Science and Engineering

◊ Fluid Mechanics Lab

4. Mechatronics

◊ Mechatronics Lab

COMPETITION TEAMS:

RESEARCH:

► American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Human Powered Vehicle Challenge

Dr. Mark Atwater:

Dr. Hector Medina:

• Materials Science and Engineering

• Mechatronics

• Solid Mechanics

• Energy Systems

Dr. John Baumgardner:

Dr. Ola-Lekan Shobayo:

• High Performance Computing

• Computational Fluid Dynamics

• Geophysics

• Heat Transfer

Dr. Heechen Cho:

Dr. Wayne Strasser:

• Finite Element Analysis

• Computational Fluid Dynamics

• Numerical Methods

• High Performance Computing

Dr. Mark Horstemeyer:

Dr. Nate Werner:

► American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

• Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME)

• Fluid Dynamics

► Creationeering

• Bio-inspired Design

Dr. Ephraim Zegeye:

► Liberty University Rocketry

Dr. Marcos Lugo:

• Polymer Composites

► Robotics

• Fatigue

• Biomaterials

► Liberty University Rocketry Competition ► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Vehicle ► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula Car ► Theme Park Engineering ► Vanguard Mars Rover ► VEX Robotics CLUBS:

• Fracture

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• Bio-inspired Design


FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE PENTAGON In the summer of my junior year (2021), I had the privilege of interning in the Pentagon through Air Force ROTC (AFROTC) and Arnold Air Society (AAS). I worked in the Public Affairs Office for both the Space Force and the Air Force. During this time, I applied my critical thinking and engineering skills to highly analytical documents for both branches, where I summarized, briefed, and conducted meetings. Through this experience, I gained professional mentorship from active-duty Air Force officers, insight into how our military and government cooperate, and the privilege of being coined by General John Raymond. I anticipate commissioning as a second lieutenant in May of 2022 as an acquisitions officer. Allison Criss / Mechanical Engineering/ 2022

BEING A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT AT LIBERTY … » gave me the tools necessary to learn everything I needed academically, in addition to supporting and encouraging me in my faith. » provided the opportunity to do my own research with Dr. Medina on the topic of metacognition, which gave me experience in academic writing. » opened the door for me to work as a lab technician and learn how to proficiently use a variety of equipment, lead a team of students, and work with professors outside of their classroom. » gave me the chance to lead the Baja competition team and the experience of moving a project from a schematic design to completion. » provided me with the opportunity to gain experience managing a project from both the engineering and business side, while working collaboratively with students from a variety of departments in the school. » allowed me to study under professors who encouraged me and helped me secure internships all four years of college. » prepared me to not only get the job I wanted when I graduated but also excel at it. » taught me to defend my faith and learn how to be a light in any industry into which I wanted to go. Alex Satagaj / Mechanical Engineering / 2020 / Engineering Consultant at WSP

School of Engineering

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ONLINE Programs

PROGRAM FEATURES: 1. Civil Engineering Bachelor of Science Degree 2. Industrial Engineering Technology Bachelor of Science Degree 3. Engineering Management Master of Science Degree

The online engineering program began Fall 2020 with an initial enrollment of 239 undergraduate students, which has now grown to 328 students. The online graduate program began with two students and has now grown to 70 students.

COMPETITION TEAMS:

CLUBS:

► American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Concrete Canoe

► American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

► American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Steel Bridge

► American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)

► American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Human Powered Vehicle Challenge

► Creationeering

► Liberty University Rocketry Competition ► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Vehicle ► Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Formula Car

► Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) ► Liberty University Rocketry ► Robotics

► Theme Park Engineering ► Vanguard Mars Rover ► VEX Robotics

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Scan here to see the LUOA online engineering course for high school students


RESIDENTIAL GRADUATE Engineering The Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering programs began January 2020 with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). An initial enrollment of five residential students has now grown to about 100 residential and online students.

PROGRAM FEATURES: 1. High Performance Computing 2. Computational Fluid Dynamics 3. Chemistry-Process-Structure-PropertyPerformance-Recycling Sequence Analysis 4. Multiscale Modeling Design Optimization

State-of-the-art engineering RESEARCH LABORATORIES: ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊

Asphalt and Concrete Labs Electromagnetism Lab Electronic Materials Lab Ergonomics Lab Fluid Mechanics Lab Geotechnical and Soils Labs High Performance Computing Lab Hydraulics Lab Materials Characterization Lab Materials Processing Lab Mechatronics Lab Robotics Lab Signal Processing Lab Solid Mechanics Lab Structural Labs Surveying Lab Transportation Labs

RESEARCH: Dr. Mark Atwater: • Materials Science and Engineering • Solid Mechanics Dr. Kyung Bae: • Signal Processing • Wireless Communications • Robotics Dr. John Baumgardner: • High Performance Computing • Geophysics Dr. Heechen Cho: • Finite Element Analysis • Numerical Methods Dr. Mark Horstemeyer: • Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) • Bio-inspired Design Dr. Young-Man Kim: • Energy/Power Systems • Sensors and Networks • Robotics Dr. Marcos Lugo: • Fatigue • Fracture Dr. Kalehiwot Manahiloh: • Geotechnical Engineering Related to the Characterization of Biochar Amended Fat Clays • Modeling and Simulation of Soil Mechanics Dr. Hector Medina: • Mechatronics • Energy Systems Dr. Carl Pettiford: • Electromagnetism • Electronic Materials • Cyberphysical Systems Prof. Robert Rich: • Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence • Systems Analysis Dr. Diana Schwerha: • Ergonomics • Six Sigma Dr. Ola-Lekan Shobayo: • Computational Fluid Dynamics • Heat Transfer Dr. Songsu Son: • Developing Environmentally Friendly and Cost-Effective Materials for Roads • Assessing the Impact of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) Into Transportation Systems and Infrastructure • Researching the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in Underdeveloped Countries Dr. Wayne Strasser: • Computational Fluid Dynamics • High Performance Computing Dr. Feng Wang: • Analysis of Hardware Trojan Attacks • Artificial Intelligence (AI) Modeling to Detect Network Anomalies • Robotics Dr. Nate Werner: • Fluid Dynamics • Bio-inspired Design Dr. Ephraim Zegeye: • Polymer Composites • Biomaterials

School of Engineering

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GRADUATE TESTIMONIALS My time at Liberty University’s Engineering Graduate School has proven to be a rewarding challenge. The process of investigating, planning, and executing my own research has allowed me to develop communication, organization, and proactivity on a large project scale. Beyond the practical and intellectual skills gained, I’m very grateful for the relationships I’ve made. The guidance from my advisor and other professors has been significant in my growth. Daniel Kenney Human trafficking has seen drastic growth with the rise of the internet. With millions of advertisements circulating each day, it is vital to have an automated method to identify trafficking ads. My research uses graph neural networks to determine whether given advertisements are likely to be linked to human trafficking. This is accomplished by training the computer to recognize common words and symbols in trafficking advertisements and then inferring correlations between sets of words.

My Liberty Engineering Graduate School experience was a wild ride that not only gave me expertise in my research area but also taught me valuable skills I didn’t know I needed. The knowledge gains and publications that result from graduate level courses and research are great, but the true value of the program comes from the process that refines and changes a student over time. It is difficult to see the change happening in the moment, while in the midst of challenging courses and the struggle of shaping and communicating research. However, looking back now, I can see clearly that the graduate process has made me more proactive, increased my technical confidence, taught humility, improved my oral and written communication, broadened my perspective as an engineer, and deepened my faith. Jared Darius / Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering 2019 / Master of Science in Engineering 2021 / Aeronautical Engineer / Sikorsky Helicopters of Lockheed Martin

Bethany Matsick / Ph.D. Engineering Student / Gold medalist at USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships.

 Liberty.edu/Engineering 

(434) 592-7150 |  se@liberty.edu Facebook @LibertyUEngineering

Training Champions for Christ since 1971


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