2014–2015
ANNUAL REPORT
FROM THE CHAIR I am proud to present this annual report summarizing our accomplishments during the 2014-15 academic year. The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering has continued to build upon its outstanding reputation, thereby increasing the value of each degree we award and each degree previously awarded. Our strength is our people, our community, and our culture. We are fortunate to have an exceptional balance of senior and junior faculty members. The fact that the Woodruff School led the College of Engineering in new sponsored research programs in 2014-15 reflects the steep professional trajectories of our younger faculty members, as well as the sustained excellence of our senior faculty members. We continue to innovate in our education programs. The growth of our design-build-innovate stem in our undergraduate program has been enriched by the Woodruff School’s participation in the College’s CREATE-X program. Further, we have launched a revision of our instructional laboratory program to enhance the integration of embedded systems within our students’ learning experience. As this Annual Report goes to press, we just learned that our undergraduate mechanical engineering program has risen to #2 among all ME programs by U.S. News & World Report (for the 2015-16 academic year) and that we are the top ranked ME program among public institutions. This is tremendous recognition of the dedication and quality of our people. None of this would be possible without you. We are grateful for your generous support. Together, we will continue to move the Woodruff School forward! Best Regards, Bill Wepfer Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair and Professor
ABOUT THE WOODRUFF SCHOOL The first degree offered at the Georgia School of Technology, as the Institute was called at its inception in 1888, was the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Today, the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering offers:
3 bachelor of science programs 6 master of science programs 2 doctor of philosophy programs
RANKINGS, U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT
2
undergraduate students
813
graduate students
439 MS
+
374 Ph.D.
446 women 304 international
AUTOMATION/MECHATRONICS
Bioengineering CAE and Design Fluid Mechanics
511 231 BS Degrees
FY15 NEW SPONSORED RESEARCH AWARDS
$41.1
Heat Transfer, Combustion & Energy Systems
MILLION
MS Degrees
number of full-time, tenure-track faculty
Mechanics of Materials
Medical Physics Micro & Nano Engineering
Nuclear & Radiological Engineering
Tribology FINANCES
26 research faculty academic professionals
20 senior faculty with endowed or distinguished chairs 32 faculty with NSF Early CAREER Awards 4 National Academy of Engineering members who hold emeritus or adjunct appointments
65 staff members
FY15 Expenditures
35 adjunct appointments 7
61
Ph.D. Degrees
Manufacturing
FACULTY
97 +
No.
DEGREES AWARDED, 2014-2015
142 distance learning 137 women 266 international
Acoustics/Dynamics
5
No.
national ranking of national ranking of national ranking of ME undergraduate program ME graduate program, NRE graduate program, U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, released Fall 2015 released Spring 2015 released Spring 2015
ENROLLMENT, FALL 2014
2,260
5
No.
GTRC $698,033 GT Foundation $4,800,972
Sponsored Research $31,545,464
Other $116,173 State $27,516,054
STUDENTS InVenture Prize Winners Scott Schroer (mechanical engineering undergraduate student) with Will Sweet (business administration) and Alex Roe (computer science), invented the FlameTech Grill Defender, a safety device for gas grills that alerts users when gas levels have reached an unsafe threshold. They won the 2015 InVenture Prize, which includes a $20,000 prize and a free U.S. patent filing by Georgia Tech’s Office of Technology Licensing.
NEUP Fellowship Katherine Scott, an ME PhD student advised by Laurence Jacobs, was the sole student from Georgia Tech to receive a Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) Fellowship.
All-ACC Academic Team Woodruff School undergraduate students Teegan and Annika Van Gunst of the Georgia Tech volleyball team were named to the 2015 All-ACC Academic team. To be eligible for consideration, a studentathlete must have earned a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a 3.00 cumulative average during her academic career. The Van Gunst twins both hold 4.0 cumulative GPAs.
2014-2015 AWARDS & PROMOTIONS
FACULTY Alexander Alexeev – 2014 Frontier of Engineering Education, NAE Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb – Defense Threat Reduction Agency Grant; 2015 Georgia Tech Leadership Fellow Bert Bras – Georgia Power Professor of Excellence Award Laureut Capolungo – Promoted to Associate Professor Baratunde Cola – 2014 Frontier of Engineering Education, NAE; Promoted to Associate Professor Ken Cunefare – ASME Fellow Levent Degertekin – Carl Hellmuth Hertz Ultrasonic Achievement Award, IEEE IUS Society James Dixon - Promoted to Associate Professor Alper Erturk – Woodruff School Faculty Teaching Fellow; 2015 Gary Anderson Early Achievement Award, ASME; 2014 IEN Seed Grant Recipient Craig Forest – White House BRAIN Initiative Award; Woodruff Faculty Fellow Katherine Fu – 2015 Early Career Engineer of the Year, ASME Atlanta Caroline Genzale – Young Investigator Award, ARO; Class of 1969 Teaching Fellow, Georgia Tech; SAE Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, SAE International Rudy Gleason – US-AID Ethiopia Award; Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant Bob Guldberg – Georgia Bio Community Award Tequila Harris – Fellow, 2015 Class of Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering
RESEARCH ME Shines at CES For the third year in a row, research being done by faculty and students in the Woodruff School were highlighted by Ford CEO Mark Fields in his keynote address at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Two projects led by Bert Bras, “Parking Spotter” and “Remote Repositioning,” were signaled out by Ford as part of their 25 global mobility experiments that can change tomorrow’s transportation ecosystem.
ORNL Super User If such a designation existed, Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb would be on the fast track to becoming an Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) “super user.” Her research on nanoscale materials has taken her all across the ORNL campus, from scanning probe and electron microscopes at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences to neutron reflectometry at the Spallation Neutron Source and radiation equipment in the Materials Science and Technology Division.
Unseen Machines Identifying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with crop disease can help farmers take quick action against pathogens. Peter Hesketh is working to develop another microsystem-based sensor platform, a portable gas chromatograph (GC) that detects VOCs in the air in real time to provide an early diagnostic capability that would let farmers take corrective action far sooner than traditional approaches that rely on visual inspection.
Looking inside human coronary arteries can be facilitated by both the power and tiny profile of MEMS technology. Levent Degertekin is developing minute systems that can be mounted on a catheter used to find blockages in arteries.
Asegun Henry – 2015 Inspirational Young Faculty Award, Lockheed Peter Hesketh – Senior Division Outstanding Achievement Award, Engineering Consulting Services; Senior Division Outstanding Achievement Award, Electrochemical Society; Innovation Corps Award, NSF David Hu – Pineapple Science Prize of Physics Surya Kalidindi – TMS Fellow; 2015 GT-FIRE Award; Denning Global Engagement Seed Fund Recipient Tony Kim – Seed Grant Award, Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center; Cart Award for AD Research Class 2015 Satish Kumar –Young Investigator Award, DARPA; Promoted to Associate Professor; Young Faculty Award, Sigma Xi Michael Leamy – ASME Fellow Seung Woo Lee – 2014 Samsung Global Research Outreach Recipient Julie Linsey – 2015 GT-FIRE Award; Promoted to Associate Professor Shreyes Melkote – Swanson Fellow Chris Paredis – Outstanding Service Award, INCOSE Olivier Pierron – 2015 Hesburgh Award Teaching Fellow Raghu Pucha – 2015 Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award, Georgia Tech CETL Karim Sabra – Medwin Prize in Acoustical Oceanography Suresh Sitaraman – Distinguished Alumnus Award, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Todd Sulchek – 2015 GT-FIRE Award Susan Thomas – Best Poster Award, Frontiers in Bioengineering Symposium; Seed Grant Award, Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center; Career Catalyst Research Grant, Susan G. Komen Foundation Tris Utschig – Curriculum
Parallel Targets Susan Thomas and Brandon Dixon are using a targeted drug delivery technology to treat lymphatic filariasis, encapsulating high amounts of nitric oxide (NO) into nanoparticles, which are injected into interstitial tissues, such as the skin, and then taken up by lymphatics. This research may offer new hope for the estimated 120 million infected with lymphatic filariasis, a painful disease that often leads to lymphedema, and the billion people identified at risk for infection.
“The potential of solar energy is amazing,” said Peter Loutzenhiser whose research team is collaborating on the design of a new thermochemical storage system: a three-year, $3.5 million project funded by the DOE’s SunShot Initiative and led by Sandia National Laboratories.
Power Up Researchers have made significant strides in new energy generation technologies. Yet, before renewable sources can make a significant contribution to our energy supply, similar strides will be needed in energy storage, making it the new holy grail.
Among ARPA-E awardees is Asegun Henry. He is developing technology for a new type of concentrated solar power (CSP) plant that could increase efficiency by more than 50 percent over current facilities.
Samuel Graham is developing composite materials to capture and store waste heat generated by electric motors and electronics. In a project with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Graham’s research team has developed a high thermal conductivity and high thermal storage capacity material by integrating phase change materials with expanded graphite nanoplatelet foams.
Innovation Award, Georgia Tech CETL Yan Wang – Promoted to Associate Professor Bill Wepfer – 2015 Edwin F. Church Medal, ASME Shannon Yee – Young Investigator Award, Air Force Office of Scientific Research Zhuomin Zhang – 2015 Heat Transfer Memorial Award, ASME Lei Zhu – Promoted to Associate Professor Ting Zhu – ASME Fellow; Promoted to (Full) Professor STAFF Denna Cummings – Promoted to Administrative Supervisor Lisa Salter – Promoted to Administrative Supervisor STUDENTS Muhammad Akbar – Research Initiative Award, NSF Shantonio Birch – NSF Graduate Fellow Daniel Budenstein – 1st Place, Air Products Undergraduate Research Symposium Hagan Bush – NSF Graduate Fellow Aida Yoguely Cortes-Pena – NASA Video Contest Winner Samuel Cruz – NSF Graduate Fellow Alex Grady – Ultimate Haier Achievement Award Andrew Grice – Finalist, 2014 ANS Student Design Competition Kristopher Hernandez – NASA Video Contest Winner Man Prakash Gupta – Best PhD Thesis, 2015 Sigma Xi Research Award Kam Yu Lee – Finalist, 2014 ANS Student Design Competition Alexander Limia – NSF Graduate Fellow Adrienne Little – ARPA-E Fellow Stephanie Locks – William Randolph Hearst Fellow Alireza Madavifar - Innovation Corps Award, NSF Jessica Maddocks – Finalist, 2014 ANS Student Design Competition Allison Mahvi – Fellow, Sam Nunn Security Program Kathryn H. Matlack – Best Ph.D. Thesis, 2015 Sigma Xi Research
ALUMNI World Technology Award Winner David Frakes, MSME ’02, wins 2014 World Technology Award for his work in designing simulations of endovascular treatments capable of predicting surgical outcomes. Frakes is trying to achieve better outcomes for patients who suffer from neurovascular disease.
Digital Health Startup Leader GE Ventures and Stanford Health Care have announced the launch of Evidation Health, an independent digital health company focused on validating real-world clinical and economic evidence for digital health products and platforms. “Our company has the core capabilities to make precision digital medicine a reality. We envision a digital health-enabled future where clinical interventions can be customized and concentrated in ways that maximize clinical and economic benefit for payers, providers and, most importantly, patients,” said Evidation Health CEO Deborah Kilpatrick, MSME ‘94, PhDME ‘96.
Coca-Cola Freestyle Winning Formula Of the six engineers who created the original Coca-Cola Freestyle touchscreen machine, one was Woodruff School alumnus Gregg Carpenter, BSME ‘85, global program director of engineering. The micro-dosing and dispensing technology used by the machine’s dispensing nozzle itself boasts three patents, says another ME alum, Marc Katz, BSME ’94, Coca-Cola Freestyle VP of global operations.
Award Svetoslav Nikolov – Best Undergraduate Thesis, 2015 Sigma Xi Research Award Greg Peacock – Finalist, 2014 ANS Student Design Competition Kevin Reeves – Finalist, 2014 ANS Student Design Competition Paul Rose, Jr. – INMM Student Paper Award Scott Schroer – 2015 Inventure Prize Winner Katherine Scott – Fellow, Nuclear Energy University Program Max Stockslager – 3rd Place, Air Products Undergraduate Research Symposium; NSF Graduate Fellow Christine Taylor – 2014 Hutchins Grant, Surface Mount Technology Association Eric Tervo – NSF Graduate Fellow David Torello – 1st prize, 2014 QNDE Poster Competition Annika Van Gunst – All-ACC Academic Team Teegan Van Gunst – All-ACC Academic Team Grant Veve – Mr. Georgia Tech Toby Xu – Best Student Email Paper Award, IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium Luke Yates – NSF Graduate Fellow Su Yu – communications@ 2nd Place, Air Products Undergraduate Research Symposium ALUMNI David Frakes – 2014 World me.gatech.edu to keep Technology Award Deborah Kilpatrick – Among 23 Most Powerful Women Engineers, Business Insider us informed of your Calvin Mackie – 2015 Dr. Asa G. Hilliard Model of Excellence Award, The College Board accomplishments!
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NEW FACULTY
ADVISORY BOARD Mr. David P. Adams III, BME ‘86 President, Adams Capital, Inc. Mr. Thomas G. Arlotto, BME ‘82 Vice President, Maestro Strategies LLC
Aaron Ames Associate Professor began July 2015
Denis Dorohzkin
Academic Professional
began July 2015
Katherine Fu Assistant Professor began Nov. 2014
Dr. Farshad Ali Karimi-Azad, BME ‘82 President & CEO, Toshiba America Energy Systems Corporation Dr. Rebeccah Brown MSME ‘00, Ph.D. ME ‘03 Vice President, Product Development, Quality Assurance & Regulatory Affairs MiMedx Group, Inc. Mr. Keith Chambless, BME ‘80 President, GeoFields, Inc.
Frank Hammond Assistant Professor began Apr. 2015
Marta Hatzell Assistant Professor began Aug. 2015
Matthew McDowell Assistant Professor began Aug. 2015
Mr. Ralph Cleveland, BME ‘86 Global Head of Customer Operations American International Group Mr. Stanley W. Connally, Jr., BME ‘93 President & CEO, Gulf Power Mr. James Dullum, BME ‘74 Senior Partner, Fieldstone Equity
Cassandra Telenko Assistant Professor began Jan. 2015
Michael Varenberg Assistant Professor began Oct. 2014
Levi Wood Assistant Professor began Aug. 2015
NEW STAFF Aaron Young Assistant Professor begins 2016
Kyana Giddens, Admin. Professional, began March 2015; Olivia Kulisz, Academic Advisor, began Aug. 2015; Nathaniel Mauldin, Mechanical Specialist, began Jan. 2015; Lynette McLeod, Admin. Supervisor, began Feb. 2015; Ginny Wiggins, Financial Admin., began Jan. 2015
Dr. Johney Green, Jr. MSME ‘93, Ph.D. ME ‘00 Director, Energy & Transportation Science Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Mr. Barry Holden, BME ‘70 President Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc. Mr. Dennis W. Kelly, BME ‘76 Director Smithsonian National Zoological Park Mr. Nelson McRay, BME ‘85, MSME ‘87 Global Program Manager, Global Nonwovens Division Kimberly-Clark Corporation Dr. Matthew P. Miller MSME ‘90, Ph.D. ME ‘93 Professor, Cornell University
Mr. Blake Moret, BME ‘85 Senior Vice President Control Products & Solutions Rockwell Automation Ms. Emily Muhlberger BME ‘04, MBA ‘09 VP, Program Manager-Global Wealth & Investment Management Bank of America, Charlotte, NC Mr. Floyd R. Nation, BME ‘68 Law Office of Floyd R. Nation Mr. Brian C. Palmer, BME ‘81 President & CEO Measurement & Control, GE Energy Mr. Carl Ring, BME ‘78 Chairman, Ring Container Technologies Dr. Finis Southworth Chief Technology Officer, AREVA Inc. Ms. Stella M. Sudderth, BME ‘80 Owner, MRU, Inc. Dr. Karen Thole Department Head The Pennsylvania State University Dr. Lindsey Thornhill BME ‘84, MSME ‘86, Ph.D. ME ‘96 Vice President Integrated Solutions for Systems Mr. Manny Walters, BME ‘92 Lead Recruiter, Phillips 66 Mr. Nils Young, BME ‘68 Founder & Director DBS Manufacturing, Atlanta Dr. John F. Zino, Ph.D. NE ‘99 Manager, Stability & Radiological Nuclear Analysis COE, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC
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Editors: Jeffrey Donnell, Candler Hobbs, Melissa Zbeeb
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Copyright 2015 by The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Contributors: TJ Becker, Jerry Grillo, Morgan McCorkle, Jasmine Pennic, Rick Robinson, Roger Slavens, Melissa Zbeeb Photography: Candler Hobbs, Gary Meek Design: Sarah Collins Printing: AlphaGraphics