College of Engineering
SPOTLIGHT AN UNSHAKEABLE FOCUS ON LEARNING
coen.boisestate.edu
FALL 2018
WELCOME FROM THE DEAN My arrival at Boise State University coincided with a significant university and community milestone—the College of Engineering’s 20th anniversary. Local and regional events provided me a platform to quickly learn about the rich history and outstanding leadership that has helped shape our college and our community. One year later, as I reflect on our progress and prepare for our future, I am reminded of our successes and our potential. What I find most exciting is that our students and faculty are competing with the very best. Last year alone, the National Science Foundation (NSF) honored teaching, learning, and research at the College of Engineering when it named three COEN students as Graduate Research Fellows, and honored three faculty as CAREER awardees. In addition, our faculty secured over $6 million in external funding, which is a direct reflection of our growing research programs and Boise State’s commitment to being a metropolitan research university of distinction. As we move forward, I am working on finalizing our strategic plan centered around an “Unshakeable Focus on Learning” and our values of Innovation; Integrity; and Inclusion and Diversity. Through this process, I am committed to enhancing existing programs, building new programs, and establishing partnerships aligned with the needs of the 21st century workforce. Within this newsletter and upcoming newsletters, I look forward to updating you on our progress and the many accomplishments of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni. I invite members of the Boise State University family to share in our commitment in educating tomorrow’s leaders by making a gift toward the construction of the Micron Center for Materials Research building. Your contribution will have a long lasting impact on the College and the people it serves.
Front Cover: Jerry Fails, Casey Kennington, Katherine Landau Wright, and Sole Pera Michele Armstrong, photo.
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JoAnn S. Lighty Dean and Professor College of Engineering
STAY CONNECTED BSUCOEN_Dean
NSF CAREER AWARDS
Pictured from left to right: Dr. Elton Graugnard, Dr. Michael Ekstrand, Dr. Kurtis Cantley
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING NSF CAREER AWARD WINNERS The National Science Foundation (NSF) has presented CAREER awards to three College of Engineering faculty members this year. This prestigious annual grant honors 450 faculty from across the country. The award provides approximately $500,000 over five years to early-career faculty who demonstrate leadership potential in both research and education to support research and outreach efforts. Dr. Elton Graugnard
Dr. Michael Ekstrand
Dr. Kurtis Cantley
Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering
Computer Science
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Atomic Layer Deposition for Scalable Manufacturing of Atomic-Layered Transition Metal Dichalcogenides
User-Based Simulation Methods for Quantifying Sources of Error and Bias in Recommender Systems
Spiking Neural Circuits and Networks with Temporally Dynamic Learning
College of Engineering faculty have received 15 CAREER awards since the college’s inception in 1997, and is currently home to 11 awardees. For more information about the recipients visit: coen.boisestate.edu/careerawards COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018
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RESEARCH RESEARCH TEAM GETS $1.2 MILLION NSF GRANT FOR WORK ON CHILD ADAPTIVE SEARCH TOOL use the web every day. However, given design limitations of major search engines, children are unlikely to locate content matching interests and reading levels. Early experiences with the Web affect attitudes and abilities, and eventually how children use data when adults. Therefore, work may ultimately serve millions by enabling children to locate information online and develop life skills crucial in an information-rich world.
From left: Casey Kennington, Katherine Landau Wright, Sole Pera, Jerry Fails
The National Science Foundation awarded $1.2 million to a Boise State University research team to develop an internet search user interface tailored to children from 6–11 years old. Over four-years, researchers will develop their Child Adaptive Search Tool (CAST) using an interactive and adaptive approach to better engage and enable children to find internet resources that match their search intent. Worldwide trends indicate that within a few years, half of all 5-year olds will
“Children face many challenges when searching online that go beyond just ‘safe-search’ and keeping them away from adult content. We view children as emergent searchers who face challenges spelling and forming an appropriate query, analyzing search results and selecting the best option. No current search engine adapts to children’s specific needs,” said Fails, principal investigator of the project. “CAST will not only adapt and help them find useful results, but it will also provide scaffolding for emergent searchers so they learn to search as they search and are able to find and use appropriate internet resources.” This research would not be possible without the contributions of an interdisciplinary team and partnership with local schools. It includes faculty from the Department of Computer Science and from the Department of Literacy, Language, and Culture. Together, researchers will collaborate with students and teachers to improve student search engine capability by integrating expertise in human-computer interaction, information retrieval, natural language processing, and education.
USDA PILOT PROJECT USES PLASMA TO REDUCE CONTAMINATION IN FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY A transdisciplinary research team led by Jim Browning, professor and chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department, has received USDA pilot funding that will use plasma to reduce microbial biofilms that build up on food processing equipment and surfaces. These biofilms serve as reservoirs for contamination by potentially serious food-borne pathogens and undesirable products in foodstuffs that reduce palatability and shelf-life. Consequently, the food processing industry suffers losses in product sales, increased product recalls, and increased processing costs associated with downtime required to clean and sanitize equipment. Research team members include Ken Cornell, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Julia Oxford, Biological Sciences, and Don Plumlee, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering. Sam Minnich, School of Food Science, from the University of Idaho is also collaborating on the research. Over the next 16 months, the research team will develop a demonstration device that may lead to future phase II funding and partnerships with Idaho food processors. 4 COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY FULBRIGHT GRADUATE AWARDED $3.5 MILLION TO STUDENT JOINS BOISE RESEARCH STORING DATA ON DNA STATE WITH A MISSION: Federal and state agencies have recently CLEANING WATER
awarded Boise State researchers a total of $3.5 million to advance efforts that will lead the nation in using DNA to store massive amounts of digital information. Their Nucleic Acid Memory (NAM) technology harnesses DNA to reliably store information well beyond predicted lifetimes of traditional memory materials that make up hard drives, solid-state drives and magnetic tape. Team member Elton Graugnard says, “this investment recognizes the exciting research happening here in establishing an entirely new form of data storage.” Further, funding strengthens Idaho’s reputation as an innovation hub for memory.
“With estimates that global memory demand will exceed projected silicon supply in 2040, NAM is attractive because a bucket of DNA can archive our entire recorded history.” – Will Hughes Team members first described NAM viability for archival memory in an article published in the scientific journal, Nature Materials. Authored by Will Hughes and Reza Zadegan of Boise State, George Church of Harvard University, Gurtej Sandhu of Micron Technology and Victor Zhirnov of the Semiconductor Research Corporation, the article outlined technology promise and challenges, and laid the foundation for current Boise State research. “The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the emergence of big data for scientific, financial, governmental and genetic analytics is creating an information storage crisis,” said Hughes, director of the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering and lead principle investigator. “With estimates that global memory demand will exceed projected silicon supply in 2040, NAM is attractive because a bucket of DNA can archive our entire recorded history.” The National Science Foundation awarded the team $1.5 million. Using an additional $2 million award from the Higher Education Research Council Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission, the research team will establish a world-class NAM Institute in Boise. With Hughes serving as the director, the institute will bring together the infrastructure, resources and expertise needed to pioneer NAM technologies and educate a future NAM workforce.
With a Fullbright scholarship in hand, it comes as no surprise that Naqsh Mansoor is intelligent, curious and driven. So it may be surprising to learn that when she received the scholarship in her native country of Pakistan to pursue graduate studies, that she chose Boise State University over a host of educational options around the world. It speaks well to faculty strengths and university capabilities that Mansoor chose to begin her master’s degree last fall here in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering. She is studying environmental materials and currently working to develop new and sophisticated water filtration systems. Mansoor is a graduate research assistant in the Advanced Nanomaterials and Manufacturing Laboratory under the direction of faculty members David Estrada and Harish Subbaraman.
“We’ve had Boise State students who’ve been awarded Fulbrights in the past, but I believe Naqsh is one of the few Fulbright recipients who’s chosen to come to Boise State to complete her studies.” – David Estrada COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018 5
CYBER-SECURITY BOISE STATE LAUNCHES CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS SECURITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS make sense of incoming data, and physical components that activate in response either automatically or with human intervention.
Boise State has introduced new research and educational offerings that will enable faculty and students to anticipate and mitigate cyber-physical system vulnerabilities that threaten public safety. At one time, critical infrastructure, manufacturing, medical devices, amusement park rides, and safety systems were physically isolated from the Internet and accompanying cyber threats. Today, governments and industry are increasingly developing integrated cyber-physical systems that connect physical equipment directly to the Internet. However, real-time, interconnection of physical and virtual environments warrants enhanced awareness and proactive security approaches to protect from remote targeting by adversaries. The Promise. Nowadays, when we look at a watch to check blood pressure or hit the brake to respond to a car’s alert about a road hazard, we’re engaging with increasingly integrated networking, computing, and control systems. These “smart” cyber-physical systems offer functional advantages that help us to be safer and more productive as they use sensors to gather information in the environment, processors to 6 COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018
The Problem. Unfortunately, as such amazing technological advances become increasingly ubiquitous, so do unintentional faults or people and organizations out to cause harm; malicious agents who prowl the Internet to wreak havoc over weaknesses in virtual systems are now finding ways to use computing entry points to infiltrate cyber-physical systems as well. As a result, an Internet-based attack can disrupt the operational integrity of physical systems, placing systems we may use or essential infrastructure such as electric grids or processing and manufacturing equipment in the hands of adversaries. These are real risks. Further, the public finds itself increasingly uncertain about trusting the security of products and services and the companies behind them, and organizations are losing revenue and suffering legal consequences. In addition, there is a workplace shortage of people with the capability to address cyber-physical systems threats, and strong demand for talent to help organizations. For instance, ISACA, a non-profit information security advocacy group, predicts a global shortage next year of two million cyber security professionals, including those focusing on cyberphysical systems threats in particular. The Response. Here in Idaho, the state, Idaho National Laboratory, and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies—a multi-institutional state partnership – have been particularly instrumental in bringing cyber-physical security needs into focus, especially at state universities. In addition to an existing cybersecurity minor for undergraduates and a cybersecurity emphasis in the Computer Science department doctoral program, Boise State University has just launched several major cyber-
physical systems security initiatives. These include putting in place educational offerings for students as well as comprehensive laboratory capabilities and a state-of-the-art testbed for our faculty to address important research questions and collaborate with industry on specific cyber-physical problems. Research questions are addressing areas such as local industry cybersecurity assessments, power grid cascading failure, and resiliency to cyber threats. The College of Engineering and its Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) lead an inter-departmental effort to prepare students to work in this emerging domain and help engineers, computer scientists and others design security solutions tailored to the cyber-physical environment. A new certificate series will educate undergraduate students about how to advance cyber-physical system security. The ECE department has begun offering four distinct cyber-physical system certificates in: (1) Software, (2) Hardware and Firmware, (3) Power Systems, and (4) Industrial Processes. With tracks constructed for students studying mathematics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or computer science, a common introductory course provides foundational knowledge in cyber-physical systems. In combination with two courses from one of the four concentration areas and a one course from a different concentration, students will gain cyber awareness and valued skill set in the contemporary workforce.
Sin Ming Loo, ECE professor and director of the Cyber Lab for Industrial Control Systems (CLICS), leads a small group of faculty to teach the first course in the certificate series this fall. Faculty will include Liljana Babinkostova and Marion Sheepers in mathematics; Hao Chen in electrical and computer engineering; Hoda Mehrpouyan in computer science; John Stubban and David Becker of Engineering. The diverse expertise of this faculty team will provide students with a rich understanding of the complexity that security issues in the cyber-physical systems domain can present. “Since the first course is an introduction to cyberphysical systems security, we’re going to take a look at all things cyber-physical,” said Loo. The curriculum includes a variety of topics, including cryptography, industrial controls, smart grids, vehicle controller area networks, hacking, threat modeling and more. “I think a student with even a little interest in this area should sign up,” Loo said, “because you just never know where this path could lead.” Learn more at the Cyber-Physical Systems Security on the Boise State University website at http://coen.boisestate.edu/cps2/
COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018 7
STUDENT PROFILES FOUR BOISE STATE STUDENTS SELECTED FOR NSF GRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
BOISE STATE AGC STUDENT CHAPTER 3RD PLACE IN NATIONAL CONTEST Boise State Construction Management’s student chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) was awarded third place in the 2017 Outstanding Student Chapter Contest. In February 2018, the Boise State AGC student chapter officers (shown below) shared their year’s activities and student involvement at the AGC National Conference in New Orleans, LA, and received their certificate.
From left: Andres Correa Hernandez, Travis Steiner-Leach, Alondra Perez Photo inset: Katherine Hollar
This spring, the National Science Foundation (NSF) selected four Boise State students to participate in the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program, while another two Boise State students received honorable mentions from the prestigious program. The NSF received more than 12,000 applications for the 2018 competition and selected only 2,000 students nationally to receive a graduate fellowship. Another 1,459 individuals received honorable mention recognitions. The program is open to undergraduate juniors and seniors who wish to pursue graduate research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. Awardees include Travis Lewis Steiner-Leach studying geosciences, as well as, COEN students Alondra B. Perez and Andres Correa Hernandez studying materials science and engineering and Katherine Hollar studying mechanical engineering. Honorable mentions went to Riccardo Torsi in materials science and engineering and Anh Huynh in biophysics.
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From Left to Right: Rich Wiseman, Skylar Huschka, Jeremy Snow, Jon Adams, Brianna Erwin, and Hunter Morrison
Over the 2016-2017 school year, 117 AGC student chapter members worked on five community projects including making Happy Wheels Carts for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Idaho and a structure for Intermountain Bird Observatory. Every year there are Boise State Construction Management students participating in projects and AGC club sponsored activities like sporting clay shoots, golf tournaments, and ski trips. Students are proud members of the Associated General Contractors of America.
ALUMNI NEWS SAVE THE DATE!
THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING ALUMNI CHAPTER invites all graduates and friends of the
college to join our chapter. We seek to serve Boise State by assisting with recruitment to the COEN, networking with current students and creating alumni connections. Established in August 2017, the chapter is dedicated to Service, Scholarship, and Social activities and events, including: • • • • •
COEN Homecoming BBQ Engineering & Science Festival Senior Design Showcase Happy Hour Social Speed Networking, and Mentoring students
Please become an active member by Opting-In alumni.boisestate.edu/groups/chapters/
STAY CONNECTED Boise State College of Engineering facebook.com/boisestateengineering/
Alumni Tailgate When: November 3 Where: 1375 University Drive COEN Patio Time: TBD College of Engineering Alumni are invited to join Dean JoAnn Lighty and friends for the annual COEN Alumni Tailgate. RSVP or questions, contact laburusa@boisestate.edu
COENEngineering
twitter.com/COENEngineering
ALUMNI NOTES
Boise State College of Engineering Related Blogs
We want to stay in touch. Please send your updates to Leandra Aburusa-Lete laburusa@boisestate.edu
coen.boisestate.edu/blogs/
COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018 9
Computer Science 238 With an unshakeable focus on learning, we empower all to thinkand critically and solve Science Engineering 715 complex challenges. Micron School of Materials
We excel through: • Inclusion and Diversity • Innovation • Integrity
AT a GLANCE
ENROLLMENT FALL 2018
2614
Electrical and 116
Computer Engineering General Engineering
Construction Management
283 Undergraduate students 55 †Graduate Students
238 Electrical and Computer Engineering
Organizational
FACULTYPerformance AND RESEARCH STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS: 2 and Workplace Learning†
283
188 FULL TIME
Undergraduate students †Graduate Students
FACULTY BOISE STATE
757
FACULTY AND RESEARCH
FULL TIME FACULTY Number of undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking
students enrolled (headcount by major/not minors) BOISE STATE
1716
OVER In-state
COEN
663
Junior
Computer Science Computer Science
RESEARCH LABS
SER Square fe AND Compute
Bois BACHELOR DEGREES: Mate
HONORS & AWARDS HONORS & AWARDS SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS Cent W
542 542
AWARDS AWARDS *
Science andand Engineering Science Engineering
Organizational Performance and Workplace Lear
Computer Science
Freshman
238 238
93
2nd degree Electrical andand Electrical
Computer Computer Engineering Engineering
Construction Management
General General Electrical and Computer Engineering Engineering Engineering
GRADUATE DEGREES:B1 15 15 SINCE 1997 SINCE 1997
NUMBER OF Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering 55 55 Engineering Mechanical and GRADUATEBiomedical Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL) STUDENTS: 446 Graduate Degrees granted in 2017 Organizational Organizational
283 283
Performance andand Performance Workplace Learning† Workplace Learning†
188 188
TOP TEN TOP TEN
SCHOLARS SCHOLARS =**10 graduate
Undergraduate students Undergraduate students †Graduate Students †Graduate Students
AND RESEARCH * FACULTY The CAREER award is AND the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious program in support of junior faculty FACULTY RESEARCH who effectively integrate outstanding research and education within the context of their organization’s mission. **The Top Ten Scholars Awards are presented by the Alumni Association to graduating seniors that are recognized for their exceptional academic success. FULL TIME FULL TIME
FACULTY FACULTY 10 COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018 BOISE STATE BOISE STATE
Idah
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Civil Engineering
Construction Construction 473 Management Management
Ener
Micron School of Materials Science = and 100Engineer underg AND DEPARTMENTS WITHIN COEN: 7 Micron School of Materials Micron School of Materials Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering
116116
Sophomore
182 Intern 35 Count
Mechanical andand Square Civil Engineering Mechanical feet of Teaching, Research, Supe Biomedical Engineering Biomedical Engineering Computer Science and Computer Labs and Office Space CAREER Construction Management CAREER Bachelor Degrees granted in 2017
Senior SCHOOLS
478 715 715
Out-of-state
OVER 299,000
CivilCivil Engineering Engineering
232 232 475
57898 {
Undergraduate and graduate studentsOVER
SPACE ON CAMPUS
ENROLLMENT PER SCHOOL AND DEPARTMENT ENROLLMENT PER SCHOOL AND DEPARTMENT
3 RESE
102
SPACE ON CAMPUS
757 102 = 1000 degree-seeking students
ENROLLMENT BY ACADEMIC LEVEL
O
COEN
COEN COEN
57 57
OVER OVER
1999 31 31 SINCE 1999 SINCE
INTERDISCIPLINARY BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY MICRON CENTER FOR MATERIALS RESEARCH Designed as a space to solve society’s biggest challenges, the three-story, 97,000 square foot Micron Center for Materials Research building will feature 40+ laboratory spaces, two 80-seat classrooms and a 250-seat lecture hall. Thanks to the generosity of the Micron Foundation, this state-of the-art research/educational facility synthesizes the physical, chemical, biological, and engineering sciences together – positioning the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering for national prominence. With the groundbreaking in April 2018, the building is now 25% completed with an expected occupancy date of Fall 2020. Looking to the future, we invite you to support our academic and research missions by making a philanthropic gift to the Micron Center for Materials Research. Your gift will impact the future of our students, as well as enhance the growth of high-tech, science and engineering-related industries and economic development in the region. A gift of $5000 or more affords the opportunity to name an office, laboratory, classroom, or conference room as one of our proud contributors. Gifts of $1000 and above will place you, with other esteemed donors, in the President’s Club giving society. Please visit give.boisestate.edu/materials-research and join us in creating a legacy of excellence in education and research. Watch the building progress (slide show) http://dwpwebcams.com/bsu/slideshow.htm WE CREATE MATERIALS THAT MATTER AT BOISE STATE. THESE MATERIALS, AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THEM, BRING NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION TO OUR CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY.
COEN Newsletter | Fall 2018 11
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DEAN’S OFFICE
1910 UNIVERSITY DRIVE, BOISE ID 83725-2100
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT NO. 1
3010126002717006
COEN NEWS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE.
The Department of Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL) is celebrating 30 Years of Excellence. Thirty years ago, the program started with one full-time faculty member and approximately 50 students, both oncampus and through distance learning. Today, the OPWL department has eight full-time faculty members and three staff members, supporting an active student body of nearly 200 students as well as nearly 1000 graduates from around the world.
Advisory Council The Advisory Council participates in the decision-making process regarding engineering programs at Boise State University. Current council members are: Yvette Barrios, HP, Inc. Mark Bowen, CH2M Hill David Butzier, AECOM Chris Byrne, POWER Engineers Archie Clemins, Caribou Technologies Matt Daum, HP, Inc. Doug Dockter, Idaho Power Marc Durcan, Micron Technology, Inc. (retired) Tim Forhan, Sanctuary Wealth Jim Gasaway, Keynetics Cece Gassner, Boise State University Wayne Hammon, Idaho Associated General Contractors Dean Klein, Micron Technology, Inc. (retired) Tom Loutzenheiser, Preco Electronics Elizabeth Marshall, Marshall GIS Tim Morgan, Materials Testing & Inspection an ATLAS Company Jim Nottingham, HP, Inc. Lynn Russell, COEN Emeritus Professor Pat Shannon, COBE Emeritus Professor Alden Sutherland, AmerisourceBergen