College of Engineering
SPOTLIGHT AN UNSHAKEABLE FOCUS ON LEARNING
coen.boisestate.edu
FALL 2020
WELCOME FROM THE DEAN Dear Friends, When I last wrote to you, I was reflecting on the National Academy of Engineering’s 2004 report, The Engineer of 2020: Visions of Engineering in the New Century. What I wrote then carries even more weight today: “To solve problems that advance society and improve the human condition . . . . we must continue educating future engineers to be equally adaptable to the changes they will no doubt encounter during their careers.” Little did we know that our world would be immersed in a global pandemic a few months later. While the last seven months have resulted in radical shifts in the way we live and work, we are all adapting. Our faculty have transitioned to teaching in socially-distant classrooms, remotely, and through a variety of hybrid instructional modes. The College of Engineering recently raised $15,000 from nearly 250 gifts during Boise State’s Bronco Giving Day. In support of reducing barriers to learning remotely, these funds will provide scholarships for students to purchase needed networking equipment, audiovisual equipment, and digital devices. Even though these times have been challenging for everyone, we are united by a shared sense of purpose. Our inclusive community of educators and learners are responding to this pandemic with grace, resolve, and resilience. As you will learn in this issue of Spotlight, they are innovating in the classroom and the research labs. You’ll meet Dr. Jim Browning, whose research effort exemplifies the role collaborations and students have on solving complex problems. You will read about five College of Engineering faculty that received the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award. You’ll meet our Top 10 scholars. You’ll learn about our newest building, the Micron Center for Materials Research. And you will see many of the teaching, learning, and research achievements we’ve had over the past year. These stories are one of many reasons why I’m so proud of our students, staff, and faculty. In the face of the greatest challenge of our lifetimes, they have been nothing short of inspiring. With your health and safety in mind,
Front Cover – Left, Micron Center for Materials Research building. Center, Krishna Pakala, Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering. Right, undergraduate student applying design concepts to an engineering solution.
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JoAnn S. Lighty Dean and Professor College of Engineering
STAY CONNECTED BSUCOEN_Dean
NSF CAREER AWARDS
NSF CAREER Award-winning College of Engineering faculty. From the left, Clare Fitzpatrick, Mike Hurley, Cathie Olschanowsky, Elena Sherman, and Francesca Spezzano. Photos by Boise State Visual Services
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING NSF CAREER AWARD WINNERS The National Science Foundation (NSF) has given CAREER awards to five College of Engineering faculty members this year, marking Boise State University’s national standing in research with its highest number of award recipients in a single year. This prestigious annual grant honors early-career faculty from across the country who demonstrate excellence in research, teaching, and their integration. It provides funding of approximately $500,000 over 5 years to support specific research and educational outreach projects. The projects also offer exciting opportunities for undergraduate and graduate researchers to engage in cuttingedge research at Boise State, often with national and international research collaborators. Dr. Clare Fitzpatrick
Dr. Mike Hurley
Dr. Cathie Olschanowsky
Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering
Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering
Computer Science
Computational Modeling to Predict Subject-Specific Osteoarthritis Risk and Facilitate Treatment
Resolving the Origins of Microgalvanic Corrosion on Metal Surfaces
Compilation Processes to Enhance Dataflow Optimizations
Dr. Elena Sherman
Dr. Francesca Spezzano
Computer Science
Computer Science
Computing Program Invariants using Abstract Domains Search
Enhanced Analysis & Algorithms to Minimize the Spread of Misinformation in Social Networks
Since the college’s inception in 1997, College of Engineering faculty have earned a commanding 22 CAREER awards. The college is currently home to 18 awardees. For more information about the recipients, visit: coen.boisestate.edu/careerawards COEN Newsletter | Fall 2020
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COEN IN THE NEWS ENGINEERING IN FLIGHT: IGEM GRANT FUELS INDUSTRYCHANGING INFRASTRUCTURE INSPECTION TECHNOLOGY When engineers build transportation and energy infrastructure like roads, bridges, hydro-electric dams and wind turbines, they must also address maintenance issues to avoid public safety problems and ensure an enduring investment. Inspectors play an active role. However, some inspections are particularly hazardous, such as those with access only by rope. In addition, inspectors may not be able to identify some subsurface defects, with dangerous results i.e., a dam blows or a bridge collapses. Boise State College of Engineering faculty John Chiasson and Yang Lu are collaborating with the Boise-based company Pitch Aeronautics on a novel inspection approach that puts a new kind of precision drone into the
air. The Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) has awarded the team a $248,000 grant to complete this work over 18 months. Idaho provides these funds to its public research universities to support such partnerships, for research to commercialize innovations that benefit Idaho and beyond. The project is also an interdisciplinary effort between the Electrical and Computer Engineering and Civil Engineering departments. Pitch Aeronautics built a new kind of drone, one with unheard of precision and maneuverability, as well as the ability to touch surfaces to complete inspections. As co-founder Zach Adams explains, “Today’s drones have difficulty in flying close to structures because of the manner in which they move.” Unlike conventional drones, the company’s patented Cyclorotor maneuvers gracefully and swiftly to precise infrastructure locations, such as between the blades of a wind turbine. During the project period, the team will add a control system to guide the Cyclorotor (Chiasson) and a sensor to make the inspection (Lu). The active thermography sensor will sit neatly on the Cyclorotor as it finds infrastructure fissures and flaws and correlates surface temperature.
NEWS FROM ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE AND WORKPLACE LEARNING OPWL graduate student, Jazlyn Olmedo, received the Boise State Graduate Dean’s Fellowship for 2020–21. She says, “The Graduate Dean’s fellowship means the world to me as it enables me to further my education beyond my Bachelor’s in Business Administration with an HR [Human Resources] emphasis, where I was first in my family to graduate from college. I look forward to serving my community and making them proud, while using this opportunity to grow as a person, student, and future Instructional Designer/Developer.…. OPWL stood out to me as well because of their obvious support for their students as well as the valuable skills and experiences learned throughout the program.” Recently the department formed a robust Industry Advisory Board, with 11 leaders from industrial, government, and academic sectors. Board members hold leadership positions in regional, national, and international organizations such as Amazon, St. Luke’s Health System Strategy, U.S. Coast Guard, and University of Technology, Sydney, Australia. The board will provide feedback to the department on changing needs and trends in the workplace and offer recommendations for providing quality education to the 21st century workforce in instructional design, e-learning, and organizational performance improvement. Learn more about the board members at www.boisestate.edu/opwl/about-opwl/opwl-industry-advisoryboard/.
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$600K AWARD WILL FOSTER SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY DESIGN SKILLS IN UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING EDUCATION
To make our buildings and infrastructure more sustainable and resilient it’s best if students put these ideas to practical use across multiple courses and disciplines. This is the thinking of Noah Salzman, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, who has been awarded nearly $600,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to enhance engineering design skills for improved economic, ecological, and societal outcomes. Sustainable efforts are more responsive to community impact, public health and the environment, and resilient designs more durable as they resist damage and continue to function even under adverse conditions. In collaboration with co-investigators, work on the three-year grant will enable transformative curriculum development across five College of Engineering programs: Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Engineering Plus. Amy Moll, professor, materials science and engineering; Kirsten Davis, associate professor, construction
management; Don Plumlee, associate professor mechanical and biomedical engineering; Thad Welch, professor, electrical and computer engineering; and Bhaskar Chittoori, associate professor, civil engineering, make up the team of investigators. The project builds on a 2016 award led by Chittoori, who with Salzman and others, first implemented these ideas across a dozen Civil Engineering courses in the hope of modeling a broader effort for the college. That proven foundational work has paid off with this new opportunity for more expansive change. Students will be provided with hands-on experience, applying design concepts to their own engineering solutions. The team will develop a set of active learning modules that College of Engineering faculty can incorporate into existing upper- and lower-division department courses. To engage multidisciplinary aspects, the group will also develop a new project-based interdisciplinary junior-level engineering design course.
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THE POWER OF PEOPLE IN RESEARCH – A storm is approaching, dark clouds are forming, electrical charge is building between the clouds and Earth, out of nowhere there is a bright flash — a lightning strike! You’ve just experienced the power of plasma. Plasmas are the most abundant fundamental state of matter in the universe. The Earth is surrounded by plasma, from its ionosphere, stars, and the space between them. In fact, more than 99% of the matter in the visible universe is plasma, which is an energetic mixture of positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. On Earth, beyond lightning, we experience plasma in the form of the northern and southern lights, the sun, and any number of products that function through the generation of plasmas, such as fluorescent lights, arc lamps, and neon signs. The utility of plasmas goes beyond the light it generates. NASA is harnessing plasma sources as thrusters and rockets for space travel, the semiconductor industry utilizes plasmas for microelectronic device fabrication, and machine shops use plasmas to cut and weld metal parts. At Boise State, a multidisciplinary team of faculty and students are investigating the use of cold atmospheric pressure plasmas or CAPs to heal wounds and inactivate bacteria-containing biofilms. This team, assembled by Jim Browning, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, began working together through a Vertically Integrated Project on Plasma Medicine to investigate the use of CAPs for removing pathogens from tissue and biofilms from food and food processing equipment. “Just like lightning, CAPs form a plasma due to an extremely large voltage differential,” says Browning. “Unlike lightning, the voltage differential and environment in CAPs are tightly controlled so that the plasma that forms is near room temperature.” Cold atmospheric plasmas consist of highly reactive species, such as ionized compounds of oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen that can inactivate bacteria on skin, wounds, and infections without damaging the underlying tissue. “The added benefit of CAP is that its gas-like features enable complete coverage of the targeted surface,” explains Browning. “Bacteria in chronic wounds can be difficult to remove, and CAP may be a method to debride such wounds,” says collaborator Ken Cornell, professor of chemistry and biochemistry. “Bacteria and viruses on surfaces in hospitals and in food processing can spread disease, and CAP may be able to kill or remove these pathogens in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable manner,” he added. Browning’s journey into plasma medicine was born out of research on a micro-propulsion system for small satellites. 6 COEN Newsletter | Fall 2020
Photograph of the cold atmospheric pressure plasma test system operating in an exhaust hood by VIP students.
In collaboration with Don Plumlee, associate professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, they designed and built a miniature inductively coupled plasma source housed in low-temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) materials. “Both Dr. Plumlee and I recognized that the design flexibility and robustness of LTCCs made them an ideal platform for CAPs,” said Browning. “The problem was, neither of us had a background in biology. Through a mutual collaborator, I was able to connect with Dr. Cornell, who had experience in bacterial biofilms and wound healing using nitric oxide.” What started out as a few conversations over coffee on the medicinal potential of CAPs, soon became a full blown collaboration. Around the same time, Boise State’s College of Innovation and Design was launching the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) program. The VIP program originated at the Georgia Institute of Technology and has become nationally recognized for enabling authentic, project-based active learning experiences for undergraduate students through participation in research. The VIP program at Boise State, which is part of an international consortium of 40 universities funded in part by the Leona M. and Harry S. Helmsley Charitable Trust and the National Science Foundation, was exactly the crosspollination format Browning and Cornell needed to seed their ideas. Along with Julie Oxford, professor in biological sciences — Browning, Cornell, and Plumlee developed a Plasma Medicine VIP course. Five years later, they have had over 50 students go through their VIP course. The VIP classroom enables students across disciplines to come together — all with different levels of experience, education, and training — to make substantial contributions on long-term, large-scale research projects.
ADVANCING ACADEMIC INNOVATIONS “We have students from health sciences, chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical and biomedical engineering, and biological sciences participating in our VIP course,” says Browning. “It is because of these students, the work they have done in designing, building, and testing CAP devices, that we were able to get the preliminary results needed to successfully win multiple federally funded grants from the US Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health.” Former VIP student Kate Benfield came away with a deeper appreciation of how the interplay between the different sciences with engineering promotes innovative solutions to difficult problems. “It was intellectually stimulating to shift my mindset from engineering to computer science to biology. As a diverse team of students, we were able to learn from each other and make contributions to the project that none of us would have been able to do on our own,” said Benfield. Having earned her bachelors degree in mechanical engineering in 2019, Benfield attributes her time as a VIP student — from building CAP components, developing computer programs for CAP operation, performing cell cultures, to working with a team of students all focused on the same goal — as a defining compilation of experiences that led her to pursue a thesis-based master’s degree. “I never would have considered a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering as an option if it weren’t for this VIP course. It gave me the confidence to work in the lab and the experience to plan, execute, and analyze experiments with a critical eye,” said Benfield.
course since his sophomore year. “I have learned how to approach problems that don’t have easy answers. I’ve learned the importance and value of teamwork in solving these problems,” said Miller. While not in engineering, Miller describes his experience learning about engineering concepts as an important part of his education as he prepares for medical school. With a new appreciation for engineering, he attributes Browning’s patience, enthusiasm, and inclusiveness for making the VIP course a place where students can develop both as people and as researchers. JoAnn Lighty, dean for the College of Engineering, commends Browning and his colleagues for fostering an inclusive research community. “Their transdisciplinary Plasma Science VIP course serves as a beacon for the transformational power undergraduate research has on student success,” said Lighty. “It also serves as a catalyst for innovative approaches to solving complex problems.” The results are undeniable. Since starting the VIP course, Browning and team have taken their cold atmospheric plasma research from an initial concept to over $1,000,000 in external funding. “The combination of VIP student research leveraged with our traditional undergraduate and graduate research at Boise State University has led to many exciting developments,” said Browning. “With our VIP course, we have an opportunity to make a significant impact to food safety, wound healing, and virus mitigation in hospital settings.”
Browning sees the Plasma Science VIP course as an essential component to his research program. It has enabled broader collaborations, supported preliminary experiments, and served as an incubator for new research ideas — all which have led to tangible research products — such as publications, presentations, and a growing research program. “Equally important, the VIP course provides students the opportunity to conduct research, manage projects, develop as a team member, and gain transferable workplace skills that can only be learned by doing,” says Browning. Current VIP students Amanda White and Dalton Miller wholeheartedly agree with Browning’s assessment. White, a mechanical engineering undergraduate student, says “By working with this team over the last two-and-a-half years, I have had many valuable experiences that set me apart from other engineers, providing a launching pad for my desired career path.” Miller, an undergraduate student majoring in biochemistry, has been in the VIP Plasma Medicine
Photographs of a cold atmospheric pressure 8-element array showing (Left) the ceramic array structures with the plasma at the bottom reflecting in a mirror and (right) close up image of the array plasma discharges.
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STUDENT PROFILES BOISE STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TOP 10 SCHOLARS The Top Ten Scholars program enables students from across Boise State to demonstrate their academic excellence as well as the tremendous influence that mentoring faculty members have had on their success. This year the College of Engineering is proud to have four Top 10 Scholars. Students are nominated by their college deans and are subject to rigorous review by a selection committee. Nominees then are reviewed based on academic breadth of coursework, research, creative works and publications, presentations at professional meetings or conferences, and extracurricular community and campus service.
Kaelee A. Novich, Nampa, Idaho Degree: Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Future Plans: Novich plans to earn a doctorate in materials science and engineering with an emphasis in nuclear engineering and policy management at Boise State. Honored Faculty: Brian Jaques, assistant professor of materials science and engineering
Kendra Noneman, Eagle, Idaho Degree: Bachelor of Science in Materials Science and Engineering Future Plans: Noneman will pursue a doctorate in neural computation and machine learning at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She also has aspirations to compete in Olympic weightlifting competitions. Honored Faculty: Eric Jankowski, assistant professor of materials science and engineering
Tonglin (Tanya) Lu, China Degree: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Future Plans: Lu will be pursuing a doctorate in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Honored Faculty: Kris Campbell, professor of electrical and computer engineering
Daniele Moro, Avezzano, Italy Degree: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Future Plans: Moro will begin working full time at Google as a software engineer conducting machine learning research for YouTube and Stadia. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in machine learning in his free time, and eventually a doctorate in natural language processing. Honored Faculty: Kate Huebschmann, academic and fellowship advisor for the Honors College
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COEN IN THE NEWS PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL GRANT FUELS RESEARCH ON IMPACT OF EXERCISE ON AGING STEM CELLS There is little doubt that exercise is good for the body, but how does it affect people’s stem cells, particularly as they age? With this $1.4 million R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Gunes Uzer, an assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, is finding the answer. Stem cells are vital to human health because they are the only cells that generate new types of cells, such as those for bones, muscles and organs. Uzer is looking specifically at mesenchymal stem cells that comprise musculoskeletal system muscles, bones, fat, and cartilage. Uzer wants to examine “what aging does to those cells, structurally and signaling-wise, and also to understand what long-term physical activity means for those cells during the aging process.” This five-year R01 grant is one of the largest individual research investigator awards the agency offers. When we run, we engage our bodies in high magnitude, low-frequency events that subject our bones to mechanical signals (or vibrations) of 1–3 hertz. Contrast that to every day activity that constantly subjects bones to low-intensity 30–100 hertz vibrations.The latter also act on mesenchymal stem cells. However, as a person ages, musculoskeletal system changes including the decline in fast-acting muscles that help with balance also reduce the amount of mechanical information cells get. As a result, aging mesenchymal stem cells proliferate less and produce fewer bone cells, resulting in significant health problems for people like astronauts on long missions, or those with chronic disease or injured service personnel facing extended bed rest. Uzer hopes to overcome these limitations and counteract bone and muscle cell production losses. “Gunes Uzer winning this award is a significant milestone in Boise State University history and is validation of the work we have done as a department, college and university in building a nationally recognized research program in Biomedical Engineering,” said Don Plumlee, former (through June, 2020) mechanical and biomedical engineering department chair.
Gunes Uzer (right), assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, works with materials science graduate student Alexander Regner in lab, photo Patrick Sweeney.
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MCMR BUILDING
Boise State’s latest addition to its research and education facility enterprise is the Micron Center for Materials Research (MCMR) The 97,000 square foot building sets a new trajectory in world-class materials science research at Boise State by serving the needs of the Micron School of Materials Science and the quickly expanding research in materials across the campus. The MCMR opened this fall, and contains state-of-the-art teaching laboratories, a 250-seat lecture hall, two 80-seat classrooms, and breakout study spaces. Construction of the building was made possible, in part, by a $25 million gift from the Micron Technology Foundation. This is the largest single gift ever made to Boise State. The MCMR will enable Boise State researchers to better answer the call for a more broadly based, technically fluent workforce as well as meet the need for making materials that matter for many arenas, including manufacturing, cancer research, energy, space and aeronautics, and sensor and microelectronic device development. 10 COEN Newsletter | Fall 2020
INNOVATION A pandemic of kindness: Boise State donates face shields to Gorongosa National Park The relationship between Boise State and Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique has been strong in the best of times. Recently, these partners coordinated to fight COVID-19. On June 1st, the university donated 200 face shields to healthcare workers and educators in the park and surrounding communities. This contribution extends an effort that began in the spring with a collaboration between Amy Vecchione, head of Emerging Technologies and Experiential Learning at the Boise State Albertsons Library, manager Griff Allen and others at the college’s Engineering Innovation Studio, and Dick Sevier, a long-time College of Engineering staff member now with the Division of Research and Economic Development. Work began to 3D print face shield headbands by vetting open source models and prototyping. Regional individuals, companies, and libraries organized to contribute through a community 3D-printing effort. Boise State students from Mozambique are also directly involved. “It is true that a virus can spread around the world,” said Michel Sousa, who is pursuing a career in public health. “But an act of kindness will also spread. Boise State is helping us protect 200 caregivers in Mozambique who in turn will help tens of thousands of people.” Greg Carr, president of the Gorongosa Project and recipient of a 2015 Boise State honorary doctorate, says he is grateful for the support and delivered the masks in person. This philanthropist born in Idaho Falls says “We want our healthcare staff to be safe, wear masks and face shields, and observe social distance.” Carr’s foundation and the Mozambican government have partnered for over 20 years to jointly manage the Park and nearby human development. Together, their 21st century conservation model protects this 1,500 square mile wilderness where animals like lions, elephants, and water birds thrive in one of Africa’s greatest parks.
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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DEAN’S OFFICE
1910 UNIVERSITY DRIVE, BOISE ID 83725-2100
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT NO. 1
3010126002717006
FACULTY AWARDS
Industry Advisory Board
Kirsten Davis – Recipient of National Outstanding Teaching Award
The Industry Advisory Board provides counsel to the dean to support the longterm strategic objectives for the college. Current board members are:
Kirsten Davis, an associate professor of construction management, received the American Society for Engineering Education’s 2020 Outstanding Teaching Award. This national organization with individual, as well as institutional, and corporate members, is dedicated to the professional needs of engineering educators across all disciplines. The award recognizes outstanding classroom performance among teachers of engineering and engineering technology students. Awardees must make significant contributions to their profession and meet several criteria in the classroom. The award also serves as an incentive towards further significant teaching contributions. Davis is the third College of Engineering faculty member to earn this honor in the past five years.
Claire Xiong, Brian Jaques and Lan Li – Engineering faculty named CAES fellows College of Engineering faculty Claire Xiong, Brian Jaques and Lan Li have been named 2020 fellows of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES). CAES is a research-education partnership between Boise State, the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, the University of Wyoming, private industry, and the Idaho National Laboratory. CAES launched the fellows initiative in spring 2020 to provide recognition, resources and opportunities to members of the CAES community. Each of the six members of the inaugural cohort has exhibited impressive leadership: mentoring students, leading research projects and workshops, taking the initiative to create stronger bonds among consortium members and serving as champions for CAES to external communities. For more news please visit our website at: https://www.boisestate.edu/news/tag/college-of-engineering/
Mark Bowen, Jacobs Chris Brandt, Boise Cascade David Butzier, AECOM Chris Byrne, POWER Engineers Doug Dockter, Idaho Power Mark Durcan, Micron Technology, Inc. (retired) David Eagleton, ON Semiconductor Timothy Forhan, 3rdGear LLC Jim Gasaway, Kount Wayne Hammon, Idaho Associated General Contractors Dean Klein, Micron Technology, Inc. (retired) Tom Loutzenheiser, Sensata Elizabeth Marshall, Marshall GIS Timothy Morgan, Materials Testing & Inspection an ATLAS Company Lynn Russell, COEN Emeritus Professor Pat Shannon, COBE Emeritus Professor Linda Somerville, Micron Technology, Inc. John Smythe, Micron Technology, Inc. Maria Tindall, HP Inc. (retired) Marianne Walck, Idaho National Laboratory