MNE News 2014 by Penn State Mechanical & Nuclear Engineering

MNE News Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering

College of Engineering

Department News

Message from the Department Head Dear Friends, We design things, we re-design things and then we build things. That’s what many engineers do and that’s what we teach our students to do. This issue of MNE News highlights the things our students have built and the opportunities we give our students to experience hands-on learning in our program. Whether our students are developing an award-winning hybrid electric vehicle, creating innovative solutions with stateof-the-art laboratory equipment or partnering with industry on innovative research and technology, our department offers a world-class education packed with hands-on learning opportunities and comprehensive technical teaching. We’re fortunate to have the facilities and infrastructure that provide our students with these opportunities through the internationally recognized Penn State Learning Factory. And the support we have received from industry and alumni alike has been instrumental in making sure that we have good facilities for our students. This past summer, Naren and Judy Gursahaney provided our Department with a $1 million unrestricted gift to support our programs. In this issue, you will read about the impact that their gift has made in helping us to purchase a stateof-the-art 3D printer. The new cadre of students that we are educating are prepared to enter the workforce with new ideas on what may be possible. This spring, we officially launched our online MSME degree program, which accompanies our online nuclear engineering master’s degree program. We’re excited to bring these online programs to qualified students so that they can continue to learn while they work and we can continue to serve the professions.

from the best. We just learned that Dr. Hosam Fathy and Dr. Tak Sing Wong were awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation’s CAREER award. This award is among the most prestigious that junior faculty members can achieve. This summer, Dr. Donghai Wang was successful in leading a team of researchers from the University of Texas, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, and Argonne National Lab in winning a $3 million grant from DOE’s Vehicle Technology Office to develop highperformance batteries for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Dr. Karen Thole

Finally, join with us in welcoming Dr. Amr Elnashai, our new dean, to the College of Engineering. Although Dean Elnashai has been here only a short time, we can already feel his energy permeate throughout the College. In his first few days of the job, he took time to meet with us during our winter retreat. At that retreat, he gave an inspiring talk about his initiatives and positive impressions of Penn State’s College of Engineering. We look forward to working with him to make great things happen. Please enjoy this issue of MNE News and remember to watch our website for the latest news (www.mne.psu.edu).

Based on the most recent successes of our newest faculty, our students will continue to have many opportunities to learn

Administrative Contacts Dr. Karen A. Thole Department Head 814-865-2519 kthole@psu.edu Dr. Arthur T. Motta Chair, Nuclear Engineering Program 814-865-0036 atm2@psu.edu Dr. Martin W. Trethewey Professor-in-Charge of MNE Undergraduate Programs 814-863-1503 mtrethewey@psu.edu Dr. Dan Haworth Professor-in-Charge of MNE Graduate Programs 814-863-6269 dch12@psu.edu

Send address changes to: Dianne Crust Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering The Pennsylvania State University 132 Reber Building University Park, PA 16802-1412 Editors Rachel Baker (rub30@psu.edu) Dr. Karen Thole (kthole@psu.edu) Writers Michael Alley Rachel Baker Susan Bohna Curtis Chan

Photo Contributors Rachel Baker Brian Cai Curtis Chan Lauren Johnson John Lamancusa Annemarie Mountz Zoubeida Ounaies Catherine Perego

Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. U.Ed. ENG 14-27

Contents 2

Message from the Department Head

College of Engineering Welcomes New Dean

6-11

Alumni News

Gursahaney Fund for Excellence Enriches Learning

2013 Outstanding Alumni Awards

Online Degrees from the MNE Department

12-17

Student News

Penn State Hosts 2014 ANS Student Conference

ME Students Present Designs at Showcase

Penn State Develops Jute Biocomposite Vehicle Body

“It’s All About M.E.” Engages Women in Engineering

17-23

Department News

18-19

National Science Foundation CAREER Awards

17-22

Recent Faculty Research Grants and Awards

Recent Department Faculty Retirements

College of Engineering Welcomes New Dean As of January, Amr Salah Elnashai is now serving as the new dean in the College of Engineering. Dean Elnashai, formerly the head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, succeeds David N. Wormley, who announced his retirement in 2013 after more than two decades as dean. “Penn State engineering is a premier college of national and international acclaim, and it is a huge honor for me to work with the faculty and staff to further its march of excellence,” Dr. Elnashai said. “Leaving the University of Illinois is not easy; joining the Penn State family is an event that my family and I very much look forward to.” At Illinois, Dr. Elnashai was also the Bill and Elaine Hall Endowed Professor and director of hybrid simulation at the National Science Foundation’s Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulations (NEES) laboratory, where research is conducted on infrastructure design and construction to minimize damage from earthquakes. As head of the civil and environmental engineering department, he oversaw 69 faculty, 50 employees, 1,330 students and an annual budget of $38 million, including $22 million in research expenditure, during the most recent fiscal year. The size of the faculty increased during Dr. Elnashai’s tenure as head by 30 percent, and the diversity of the faculty increased by 80 percent. The department at Illinois also grew its research budget from $17 million to the current $22 million. A fellow of the British Royal Academy of Engineering as well as the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Structural Engineers, Dr. Elnashai is the founder and coeditor of the Journal of Earthquake Engineering, which has been published for 16 years. Dr. Elnashai’s technical interests are multi-resolution distributed analytical simulations, network Dr. Amr Elnashai is the new dean of the College of Engineering. analysis, large-scale hybrid testing, and field investigations of the response of complex networks and structures to earthquakes. He has produced more than 250 research publications, comprising 145 refereed journal papers and many conference papers, lectures, research reports, two books, several book chapters, magazine articles and earthquake field investigation reports. At Illinois, Dr. Elnashai also served as director of the NSF’s multi-institution, interdisciplinary Mid-America Earthquake Center and the NEES laboratory, as well as director and chairman of the Council on Global Engineering Initiatives at the College of Engineering. Before coming to Illinois, he was professor of earthquake engineering and head of division at Imperial College London from 1985 to 2001. Since 1997, Dr. Elnashai has been a visiting professor at Britain’s University of Surrey, and held other visiting professor appointments at the likes of University of Tokyo, University of Southern California and the European School for Advanced Studies in Reduction of Seismic Risk in Italy. As an educator, he designed and delivered courses such as structural earthquake engineering, structural dynamics, and bridge and building performance. At Imperial, Dr. Elnashai designed, launched and ran the master course in earthquake engineering that was the first in Europe. He has contributed to major projects for international companies and agencies such as the World Bank; GlaxoWellcome (currently GlaxoSmithKline); Shell International; AstraZeneca; British Nuclear Fuels; Greek, Italian, Indonesian, Pakistani, Hong Kong and Turkish government organizations; and the National Geographic Society. Dr. Elnashai has recently completed research projects for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, state emergency management agencies, the U.S. Agency for International Development and Istanbul Municipality. He has given interviews to media outlets such as CNN, BBC, Sky News, The Weather Channel and The Guardian (U.K.). “The breadth of his expertise and international reputation will further Penn State’s position at the forefront of engineering

education,” said University President Rodney Erickson. “Dr. Elnashai has worldwide connections that vastly increase the potential for collaboration with institutions of higher education, government entities and private industry, preparing our students for an increasingly global landscape.” Dr. Elnashai obtained a bachelor of science degree from Cairo University and his master of science degree and doctorate from Imperial College London (U.K.), where he received multiple honors for his work, including the Unwin Prize for the best doctoral thesis in civil and mechanical engineering. Dr. Elnashai’s hobbies include scuba diving and reading about history, the history of painting and movie making.

New Faculty Bring Specialty Experience to MNE Dr. Reuben Kraft is the Shuman Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State. He leads the University’s Computational Biometrics Group, which researches multiphysics, multiscale computational mechanics and methods; problems at the interface of biology and multiscale mechanics; and biodynamics of humans in extreme environments. Prior to joining Penn State, Dr. Kraft served as the lead researcher of computational biomechanics at The Johns Hopkins University, from which he received his master’s and doctorate. He participated in the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Faculty Research Participation Program at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in 2013, and is a 2011 recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Dr. Jacqueline O’Connor directs the Reacting Flow Dynamics Laboratory and, as an assistant professor in mechanical and nuclear engineering, teaches undergraduate-level thermodynamics and graduate-level combustion. Previously, she was a post-doctoral researcher at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA, in the engine combustion department within the Combustion Research Facility. Her research at Sandia focused on using laser diagnostic techniques to understand fluid-chemical interactions in heavy-duty diesel engines for the mitigation of pollutants. Dr. O’Connor was a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow from 2006 to 2009. Her research interests are in combustion and fuels, hydrodynamic instability, acoustics, and high-speed diagnostics.

Dr. Stephen Lynch has expertise in applications of convective heat transfer and aerodynamics for gas turbine engines. His work has utilized state-of-the-art experimental diagnostics, supported by computations. An assistant professor in mechanical engineering, he is involved in the Experimental and Computational Convection Lab, which investigates turbulent flow and heat transfer of modern turbine airfoils. His research interests include high speed aerodynamics and heat transfer in turbines, interaction of main gas path and secondary flows, advanced airfoil cooling schemes (film and internal channel cooling), three-dimensional boundary layers, and development of advanced fluid and heat transfer diagnostic tools.

Dr. Paris von Lockette’s work is rooted in the structure property relationships of elastomers and elastomer composites. He has received funding from the National Science Foundation for research including piezoelectric-rubber composites for vibration isolation and control, for X-ray tomography and diffraction systems to study the micromechanics of magneto-active composites and, most recently, to examine multi-field active materials for origami engineering. The associate professor of mechanical engineering has decades of experience in the fabrication, computational simulation, and optical and mechanical testing of polymeric composites. Recent work involves the study and optimization of magneto-active elastomers for advanced vibration isolation, controls, actuation, and origami applications.

Alumni News

Letter from the PSMES President As a Penn State ME alumnus, I look back at the progress and growth of the MNE department over the last 6 years with a tremendous sense of pride. The enrollment of ME students in our bachelor’s programs are at record levels; in fact, it is the most popular major selected in the University by undergraduate students. The department has created partnerships with several world-renowned universities that allow undergraduates to participate in design projects with international teams. The opportunity for MNE students to earn dual degrees during their studies has never been greater. We are truly a world-class program.

William McQuade

In 2008, the Penn State Mechanical Engineering Society (PSMES) was formed by a group of alumni that wanted to a give back to the department that has made them successful. Our efforts have been a “hands-on approach” where we directly interact and support students through mentoring relationships, networking activities, and provide training and advice for their future careers.

The keystone of these efforts has been our mentoring program, in which mechanical engineering alumni are paired with junior and senior mechanical engineering students who volunteer for the program. We also provide students with opportunities to network with alumni in their preferred industries through tailgates, professional development programs in partnership with ASME, and through a LinkedIn forum for students to discuss issues and ask questions. PSMES members tell me often tell me how rewarding their efforts are. They feel like they are making a difference in the lives of students at a critical time and feel like they are connected to the MNE department and all of the good things happening in it. We are always looking for new society members to participate and enhance our efforts. If you would like to participate or are interested in learning more, please visit our website at www.mne.psu.edu/alumni/PSMES or contact me at PSMESPresident@mne.psu.edu. For the Glory, Bill McQuade, PSMES President

Letter from the PSNES President For the Glory … Penn State ANS! The Penn State American Nuclear Society (ANS) was selected to host the 2014 ANS Student Conference, held April 3-6, 2014. This selection is a testament to the energy and commitment of the students. Attendance is expected to reach 600 students and more than 100 professional attendees. Conference attendees will spend the weekend in State College taking part in various technical tours and workshops, presenting research, and listening to leaders in the industry discuss hot button topics. The conference will also include a career fair, several opportunities to visit local points of interest, and networking opportunities. This annual conference is by far the largest national gathering of students in nuclear engineering and sciences. Jim Stavely

The theme for the 2014 ANS Student Conference is “iNuc: Innovations in Nuclear Technology.” The focus of this conference will be on recent additions and improvements in the nuclear energy industry. The conference will highlight young minds, new ideas and a fresh take on what this industry needs to continue moving forward.

The Penn State Nuclear Engineering Society (PSNES) is helping by “beating the bushes” for sponsors, panelists, judges, and contributors. This conference is a great way to show off Penn State; our university, our students, and our alumni. Please take the opportunity to support our students in their preparation and execution of the conference. The conference website includes all the necessary contact information (meetings.ans.org/student2014). PSNES is looking at ways for alumni to easily make individual contributions to support the conference and will post the information on the PSNES website (www.mne.psu.edu/alumni/PSNES). I will be on campus for the conference, both to support the students and to learn, and I hope that I will see many of you there as well! PSNES’s LinkedIn Group is up and running! Please join us and contribute to the discussions and interactions. It is another way to network with students and alumni. We have a goal of reaching 100,000 members, and you can help us get closer. Jim Stavely, PSNES President

Alumni News

Making Connections Through Contributions Hello, everyone! I’m Dr. Susan Bohna, the new director of major gifts with the College of Engineering. I have met so many wonderful supporters of the college and I am thoroughly impressed with the generosity and affection they have for the university. I have close to 20 years of experience in higher education and the development field. I received my doctorate degree from West Virginia University and my dissertation and research have been in fundraising with regard to first-generation alumni. My primary responsibility with the college is as a fundraiser, but this title also entails many other roles. I enjoy meeting graduates to hear their journeys of how they came to Penn State, their experiences at the university and most importantly if they are interested in becoming more involved with the department, whether it is service as a board member or becoming a mentor to current students. The most enjoyable part of my job is facilitating the wishes of anyone who would like to give back to the university, whether in the form of time, talent or treasure. I look forward to assisting those that are considering a gift to MNE to ensure that every student has the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of the wonderful engineers who came before them.

Dr. Susan Bohna

If you are considering a contribution of any size—whether large or small, a one time or multi-year pledge—or possibly including Penn State in your estate plans, please call me so that I can assist you in fulfilling your wishes. You will be making a lasting impression for students and future engineers. Dr. Susan Bohna Director of Major Gifts, College of Engineering seb40@psu.edu (814) 865-7378

Be Involved There are many hands-on opportunities for you to get involved and support our future mechanical and nuclear engineers. Here are a few ideas: •

Join the PSMES or PSNES alumni society: Mechanical Engineering: www.mne.psu.edu/Alumni/PSMES/ Nuclear Engineering: www.mne.psu.edu/Alumni/PSNES/

•

Become an industry sponsor of a Learning Center project (page 9)

•

Nominate an exceptional ME graduate for the PSMES Outstanding Early Career Engineering Award (page 10)

•

Consider advancing your career while maximizing your time with an online master’s degree (page 11)

•

Get all the latest news: MNE Department Website: www.mne.psu.edu Collee of Engineering Newswire: newswire.psu.edu

•

Connect with us on social media: Facebook: www.facebook.com/PSUMechEng LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2593655

•

Make a donation to support students in their education, research and future careers:: www.givenow.psu.edu/

Make a difference today. Give back. For the future.

Tom Cap, Penn State alumnus and turbine airfoil structures manager at Pratt & Whitney, speaks to students and faculty.

Alumni News

Gursahaney Fund for Excellence Enriches Learning A $1 million gift to the College of Engineering will help to enrich the educational experience of students in mechanical and nuclear engineering. The gift, the Naren and Judith Gursahaney Fund for Excellence in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, was established by mechanical engineering alumnus Naren Gursahaney and his wife Judy of Boca Raton, FL. Naren Gursahaney is the CEO and a director of The ADT Corporation, a leading provider of home and small business electronic security, automation and alarm monitoring services in North America. The Gursahaney Fund is designed to give the mechanical and nuclear engineering department the ability to enhance existing programs and pursue new initiatives that will positively impact engineering students. “Needs and opportunities change over time, so this endowment is meant to be flexible, to stand the test of time. We wanted this gift to be relevant years from now,” Gursahaney explained. The endowed fund provides annual resources that the department head can direct toward areas such as student research opportunities, innovative research or educational projects and travel expenses for students or faculty to attend conferences. Dr. Karen Thole, head of the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, said the Gursahaney Fund will allow her to invest in education and co-curricular activities, such as undergraduate research, global experiences and technology in the classroom. “The flexibility of this major gift is key. It allows us to take advantage of opportunities to enrich our students’ educational experiences and make sure our curricula stays relevant,” she stated.

Boca Raton, Fla., couple Naren and Judy Gursahaney have created an endowment in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering to enhance student education.

Gursahaney said he’s been impressed with the department’s efforts over the past few years, including the Engineering Ambassadors program and partnerships with foreign universities. “Karen has a lot of wonderful ideas. But good ideas need money to make them reality. That’s why Judy and I decided to create the fund.” He continued, “I want to make sure that the program continues to produce very well-rounded engineers. Ultimately, I want Penn State to train students who will succeed after graduation.” The new fund is the couple’s second major gift to Penn State. The Gursahaneys established the Naren and Judith Gursahaney Trustee Scholarship in the College of Engineering in 2008. Before his appointment at ADT, Gursahaney was president of Tyco Security Solutions, the largest segment of Tyco International. His extensive experience in enhancing the operational efficiency of multi-billion dollar organizations brought him there in 2003 to launch and lead a companywide operational excellence initiative. He then served as president of Tyco Engineered Products and Services, a $7 billion division, and its flow control business. Prior to joining Tyco, Gursahaney spent ten years in leadership roles at General Electric, including general management, marketing, business development and information technology. He was president of GE Medical Systems Asia, chief information officer of GE Medical Systems and vice president of service for GE Medical Systems Asia. Before General Electric, Gursahaney served four years with Booz Allen & Hamilton, a leading global consulting firm.

Alumni News

He began his career as an engineer with Westinghouse Electric in the U.S. and Israel, where he worked on the company’s F-16 coproduction program. In addition to his bachelor’s, Gursahaney holds an M.B.A. in general management from the Darden School at the University of Virginia. At Penn State, Gursahaney serves on several advisory boards, including one in the mechanical and nuclear engineering department. In 2009, he was honored with the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award from the College of Engineering, the College’s highest honor. In May, he served as the commencement speaker for the College’s spring graduation ceremony. The Gursahaneys have two children, Kayla and Phillip. Kayla will enter her third year studying at Penn State’s University Park campus in August. The Naren and Judith Gursahaney Family Fund for Excellence in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering will help Penn State reach its goals in For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. This initiative is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America. The University is engaging Penn State’s alumni and friends as partners in achieving six key objectives: ensuring student access and opportunity, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, building faculty strength and capacity, fostering discovery and creativity and sustaining the University’s tradition of quality. The campaign’s top priority is keeping a Penn State degree affordable for students and families. The For the Future campaign is the most ambitious effort of its kind in Penn State’s history, with the goal of securing $2 billion by 2014.

Giving in Action A portion of the gift from the Gursahaneys was contributed toward the purchase of a 3-D printer that can be used to print objects requiring both flexible and rigid materials, up to 14 material properties, in a single build. It is the first printer of its kind at the University Park campus. The Objet260 Connex (at left) will be used by students working on projects in the Bernard M. Gordon Learning Factory, ranging from first-year Introduction to Engineering Design to capstone design for seniors. Students build prototypes using computer-aided design software then upload their designs into the printer’s software, where it is translated into the 3-D element built by the printer. Students have used the machine to create models for research with real-world applications. The Learning Factory is a state-of-the-art facility that supports the capstone design program at the College of Engineering. The 6,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility sees continuous use throughout the year by more than 1,000 engineering students enrolled in courses and participating in research projects requiring access to hands-on manufacturing facilities.

Mechanical engineering senior Elisa Paul of Greensburg, PA, shows off a tissue scaffold she designed and printed using Solidworks and a 3-D printer at the Learning Factory. The work, part of her honors thesis, is a collaboration between the colleges of Engineering and Medicine.

The Learning Factory provides a unique opportunity for industry sponsors to partner with Penn State to help educate the next generation of world-class engineers and solve real-world engineering problems. During the 2012-13 academic year, the Learning Factory completed a record 174 projects for nearly 100 different sponsors with more than 750 engineering students from University Park participating. Read more about opportunity in the Learning Center at lf.psu.edu.

Alumni News

2013 Outstanding Alumni Awards The highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering, the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award recognizes graduates who have reached exceptional professional achievements of quality and significance. View the full list of recipients at http://bit.ly/MqUoNa.

The 2013 Outstanding Alumni: James Tusar (middle left) and Bob Rugh (middle right) alongside Dr. Arthur C. Motta and Dr. Karen A. Thole, head of department, stand outside the Penn State Reber building in April 2013.

Robert C. Rugh (‘75 ME) Entrepreneur Outstanding Mechanical Engineer

A 37-plus year career spanning numerous operations management, services, and sales assignments in the nuclear, fossil, and wind power industries taught Robert Rugh a valuable lesson he often shares with others: “You may plan your career path, but when life throws you a curve, you need to be flexible, be willing to give up what you are for what you could become, be willing to walk through doors that open for you.” After graduation, Rugh began a 20-year career at Westinghouse, working his way from engineer to plant manager to division national sales manager, and eventually services integration manager. Today, Rugh is a consultant in the wind power industry who considering starting a company focused on solar power applications for commercial and residential use.

James Tusar (‘84 NucE) Boiling Water Reactor Design Manager, Nuclear Fuels Department Exelon Generation Outstanding Nuclear Engineer Overseeing six reactors and $500 million in nuclear fuel requirements annually is all in a day’s work for James Tusar. As the boiling water reactor design manager for Exelon’s nuclear fuels department, Tusar is responsible for six reactors across Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey. Responsible for facilities in Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, his team handles everything from design to operation to refueling support, predicting how a core will operate and evaluating different scenarios using 3-D simulation software. Tusar is proud of his safety record, having won seven Top Industry Practice Awards from the Nuclear Engineering Institute.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: PSMES Outstanding Early Career Mechanical Engineering Award The PSMES Outstanding Early Career Mechanical Engineering Award is intended to recognize ME graduates who have demonstrated exemplary contributions in the engineering profession. The award publicizes highachieving ME alumni who are no more than 10 years since terminal degree, with the goal of strongly affiliating them with the Department and preparing them for future volunteer leadership roles at Penn State. Those contribution attributes include (but are not limited to): technical or research advancements; leadership contributions; academic achievements; and community and humanitarian contributions. Any alumnus may nominate candidates. Nominations will close Oct. 1. Learn more at http://bit.ly/MeRUAh.

Alumni News

Online Degrees from the MNE Department Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Penn State presents a new opportunity for the professional mechanical engineer: a master’s of science in mechanical engineering (MSME), in a fully online format. This unique format offers convenience and flexibility for busy adult students balancing work, family and educational commitments. The 32-credit program provides the opportunity to gain advanced knowledge of research, analysis, and design in mechanical engineering.

groundbreaking, future-changing research.

Earning the MSME through online delivery allows students to set a flexible schedule that accommodates their busy lives, learning from locations that are convenient to them. The course content comprises far more than a textbook on a screen; it is reinforced and enhanced by interaction with students and faculty. Penn State has some of the top mechanical engineering faculty in the country—and in the world— providing graduate students with the resources to be an integral part of

The online MSME courses are designed to illustrate classroom theory through problem-based learning. Examples are frequently derived from the faculty members’ own research, giving unique, practical insight into the elements important to research. As students gain new skills and confidence through the program, they find themselves constructively influencing their work environment. The master of science in mechanical engineering degree from Penn State will keep you at the forefront of innovation with its valuable professional opportunities. Additionally, the MSME program provides professional growth opportunities beyond the degree itself. Online students can choose to participate in a mentoring program in collaboration with the Penn State Mechanical Engineering Society, the alumni organization. The mentoring program was designed to provide helpful career advice and networking opportunities to students and professionals. Continuing one’s education in today’s world of rapidly changing technology is more important than ever. This degree is the key to enriching your professional opportunities, opening the door to career advancement and the esteem of holding an advanced degree in a critically important and innovative field.

Master of Engineering in Nuclear Engineering Penn State’s nuclear engineering graduate program has long been recognized by alumni and employers, and has been ranked fifth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. For the last 15 years, Penn State has been a pioneer in offering a very successful online master of engineering program, giving an opportunity for interested students to take graduate-level nuclear engineering courses via an online format. Geared toward the adult learner, these classes allow a flexible course schedule while providing a variety of mainstream technology tools that allow students to interact easily with classmates and instructors. Students in the online program receive the same education as a student in the classroom, from the same experienced faculty. The online professional master’s program format provides the flexibility to learn at times and from locations that are most convenient to those balancing workplace and personal responsibilities. As 35 percent of the nation’s nuclear power plant workforce reaches retirement age, the demand for nuclear engineers is on the rise. The construction of new nuclear plants and the license renewal of most of the nation’s existing plants ensures the continued need for engineers and others in the nuclear industry. The increasing number of professional opportunities appearing across a variety of industries make now an ideal time to further your education and increase your marketable skills. A master of engineering in nuclear engineering from Penn State will provide students with advanced skills for excellent job performance. The knowledge earned with this degree applies broadly to a number of industries, including medicine, manufacturing, agriculture and security. Any nuclear engineer seeking a strategy for career advancement will find a path to success with Penn State.

Student News

Penn State Hosts 2014 ANS Student Conference The Penn State student section of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) hosted the 2014 ANS Student Conference. This annual conference was held at the Penn State University Park campus on April 3-6, 2014, bringing together students, faculty and professionals from industry and universities nationwide. The conference theme, “iNuc: Innovations in Nuclear Technology,” was selected by the Penn State students to inspire, encourage and change thinking in the nuclear industry. The conference focused on giving students the chance to present their research, in addition to providing professional development and meaningful networking opportunities. Plenary lectures from prominent industry and academia leaders and discussion forums among experts highlighted current topics of interest to the nuclear power industry such as SMR technology, advances in fusion and the impact of nuclear accidents on the industry. Attendees also had the opportunity to tour the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant as well as Penn State’s Breazeale Nuclear Reactor and the various stateof-the-art labs that make the Penn State nuclear engineering program one of the nation’s leaders. Penn State welcomed more than 600 students and 150 industry professionals at the conference. The students of the Penn State ANS section have found past ANS Student Conferences to be a rewarding and educational experience, and were very excited to provide the same opportunity to their peers this April. The Penn State ANS student section counts nearly 100 members who are very active in social and academic activities, including hosting Boy Scout Nuclear Merit Badge Days, organizing networking opportunities with nuclear industry professionals, hosting reactor tours for families and interested guests, and participating in the Penn State Dance Marathon.

Advanced Vehicle Team Named Year Two Winner Three-year competition engineers vehicles with positive environmental impact The Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team is steering its way toward victory in EcoCAR2: Plugging In to the Future, a three-year competition managed by Argonne National Laboratory and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, GM and 30 other government and industry leaders. The goal is to reengineer a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu to reduce its environmental impact while still maintaining GM’s standard engineering design methods, procedures and safety aspects. In May, Penn State was named the overall winner of Year Two after impressing inspectors and judges with its series plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The team was the first to pass safety and technical inspections, on-road safety evaluation as well as run all the competition dynamic events. The car was evaluated on reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions as well as performance, utility and safety.

Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team poses with the awardIn October, Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team winning vehicle at the EcoCAR2 Year Two competition in May showcased its award-winning vehicle along with the 11 2013. awards won at the Year Two Competition. Team members discussed their design work and reasons why alternative fuel vehicles are a viable option. Penn State’s Advanced Vehicle Team is now in the final year of the EcoCAR2 competition, which includes 15 other North American teams. The team will defend its title next summer in the culminating round of this three-year competition.

Student News

ME Students Present Designs at Showcase The winners of the fall Engineering Design Showcase were announced Dec. 12 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The event was the culmination of a semester-long effort by students to solve real-world problems posed by industry sponsors. Participants included first-year students through seniors across a number of engineering disciplines. Two projects received the Lockheed Martin Design Award: “Bicycle for Disabled Person with Brachial Plexopathy” for the Central Pennsylvania Spinal Cord Injury Support Group by Abdulla Al-Naemi, Alexandra Blanarik, Andrew Kesterholt and Jonathan Rhone, advised by Dr. Matt Parkinson, associate professor of engineering design; and “Pure Step” for MMEH LLCC by Bradley Calaman, Hanzhen Lin, William Nuss, Zachary Rutstein and Nicholas Wells, advised by Mike Erdman, the Walter L. Robb director of the engineering leadership development program.

ME Senior Leads THON For senior mechanical engineer Ryan Patrick, helping to fight childhood cancer is one unexpected outcome of his major. Patrick was the 2013-2014 executive director of the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON), Penn State’s year-long fundraising and awareness campaign engaged in the fight to cure pediatric cancer. Thanks to THON, the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the Four Diamonds Fund can recruit world-class talent to continue innovative research benefiting children worldwide, raising $13,343,517 for 2014. The rigors of mechanical engineering studies may seem worlds away from the responsibilities of planning a multimillion dollar fundraiser, but to Patrick, they are rooted in the Ryan Patrick, 2013-2014 executive director of THON, has fun with a same skills. Managing THON provides him with the opportunity friend at Harvest Day. to apply the problem-solving strategies and the analytical mindset that he has developed during the four-year academic program. He says that Penn State offers a “strong and valuable degree,” and that every mechanical engineering class has made him a better problem solver – an invaluable skill when managing an organization that involves more than 15,000 people. As a sophomore member of Beta Theta Pi, Patrick joined his brothers in fundraising for the organization. Almost immediately, he stepped up as the fraternity’s THON chair. He says, “It was an experience I hadn’t had yet – and I loved it.” He found that being involved in THON allowed him to put into practice the team aspects of his engineering labs and design classes. His studies continued to enhance his analytical skills, and he saw more ways in which his leadership could help THON to achieve its fundraising goals.

THON 2014 raised $13,343,517 in support of families of children with cancer.

Patrick oversaw the operations of the organization’s 14 committees and their directors in planning and executing a successful year of events, culminating in the 2014 THON Weekend. Patrick also worked to facilitate greater participant safety during fundraising drives.

Student News

Penn State Develops Jute Biocomposite Vehicle Body A team of Penn State mechanical engineering students have become the first in the world to create a one-piece VARTM biocomposite (burlap) body vehicle. Over the course of one semester, four students worked together to design, test and build a one-piece, micro-car body made from a sustainable composite material. Guided by Leland Engel, capstone course instructor, and Dr. Thomas Juska, Applied Research Lab (ARL) faculty adviser, the team determined that burlap, or jute fabric, qualified for several reasons: as a cellulose fiber, it grows quickly and is widely available, making it sustainable; jute is inexpensive, at onetenth the cost of standard carbon fiber; and it was the easiest to handle to shape the vehicle’s difficult curves. At a fraction of the cost of an entire carbon fiber body, jute provides a natural sustainable option for exploring commercial applications. Mechanical Engineering students Ryan Cary, Mark Joseph, Nathan Marcus and Aaron Placke created the one-piece biocomposite body.

The most challenging aspect of the project came early—the team needed a costly male mold in order to proceed. With the assistance of Dr. Patricia Gruber, ARL assistant director, the team was able to obtain the mold.

“This project would not have been possible without Dr. Gruber,” said Juska. He also credits Dr. Tom Donnellan, ARL Materials and Manufacturing Office head, and Dr. Kevin Koudela, ARL Composite Materials Division head, as instrumental to the project’s success. In addition to the jute fabric, the vehicle body is comprised of carbon fabric and Matline core material. The team laid the layers of dry material in the mold, then used a vacuum pump and hose to push resin through the vehicle with atmospheric pressure (a process called VARTM, or vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding). This allowed them to create a unique one-piece body. The team would like to see future students develop a vehicle body comprised entirely of jute, as well as obtain a female mold for future bio-composite micro-cars. Having both a male and female mold, which is typically used for composite car bodies such as the Corvette, would allow teams to create a more finished product than they are able to make using a more inexpensive male mold, and would significantly reduce finishing time. In April, the spring semester team will accompany the vehicle to Houston to participate in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas competition against more than 100 teams of students.

“It’s All About M.E.” Engages Women in Engineering The shortage of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers has garnered a lot of recent media coverage; Penn State is not merely talking about it, but is taking action. “It’s All About M.E.” focuses on attracting women to the mechanical engineering field by demonstrating that it is a dynamic and innovative field through one-on-one connections. It is run by students in the Engineering Ambassador program. Comprised of junior and senior women in mechanical engineering and guided by Melissa Marshall, first- and secondyear women are invited to events to speak with upperclass women in mechanical engineering, tour Penn State laboratories and gain a greater understanding of the experiences, challenges and opportunities that await women in mechanical engineering. “It’s about the personal connections,” says Lola Buonomo, a mechanical engineering major who leads many of the organization’s efforts. Those efforts are paying off; the department has seen an increase in women declaring a mechanical engineering major, rising to 15 percent, after just the first year of the recruitment program.

Student News

UTREE Students Grow by Teaching Others Penn State’s UTREE program, which stands for Undergraduate Teaching and Research Experiences in Engineering, prepares talented undergraduate engineers for their next stage of their career—be it graduate school or industry. UTREE’s mission is to use communication to foster professional skills of all students in the College of Engineering. UTREE accomplishes this mission through the research, teaching, and service of its 20 members. Sponsored by the Leonhard Center for the Enhancement of Engineering Education, the UTREE program is perhaps best known for teaching—from leading classroom discussions on teamwork with first-year engineering design students, to helping run workshops on research presentations to graduate students. In teaching presentation skills, UTREE advocates drawing best practices from strong engineering and science presenters such as Steve Jobs and Cheryl Hayashi, a biologist at University of California, Riverside and a TED presenter. UTREE relies on a series of instructional videos written and produced by students in the group. “Actually, upper-level students are in position to teach this subject more effectively than faculty are,” said Michael Alley, the UTREE faculty mentor. “If a faculty member tells a classroom of first-year students that their teams will face problems, the students politely nod their heads. However, if upper-level students say the same thing, the class will take the advice as gospel.” The requests for UTREE students to teach have increased significantly in its first three years, from five per semester the first year to now more than 30 requests per semester.

“The main reason that our students’ teaching has been so successful,” said Alley, “is that we have such strong students.” Another major activity of UTREE is running the Leonhard Center speaking contest. Through instructor evaluations and semi-final rounds, this contest selects eight excellent speakers from the hundreds of engineering students who take CAS 100, a required effective speaking course, each semester. Speakers are challenged to give a ten-minute talk that presents an engineering solution to a societal problem. Mimi Overbaugh, a mechanical engineering junior who won the inaugural contest in Jan. 2013, says the beauty of the contest is that the final rounds are held at the beginning of the following semester. “That way, the CAS students from the next semester can see the level of presentations that they should strive for,” she said. Three mechanical engineers-- Matt Ciarrocca, Jay Hauseman, and Rachel Perini—were winners of the most recent contest, held in February. View winning speeches at http://bit.ly/1cQjl9L The UTREE experience extends beyond Penn State. In May, six UTREE mentors delivered workshops on slide design in the Boston area to medical researchers at UMass Medical School and engineering graduate students at Northeastern University (pictured, above). About 75 medical researchers from UMass Medical School and 40 Northeastern graduate students from all disciplines of engineering attended. According to recent alumnus Mike Houser, who now works for Boeing, the trip was an “excellent experience for all of us as it provided a new and unique challenge presenting to grad students, medical students, and even doctors.”

Spring 2014 Leonhard Center Speaking Contest Winners 1ST PLACE: Rachel Perini (ME), “Improving Current Methods of Hip Replacements” 2ND PLACE: Alison Willie (CE), “Eliminating Crab Ghost Pots with Biodegradable Cull Panels” AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS: Matt Ciarrocca (ME), “Ineffective Bulletproof Vests”; Jay Hauseman (ME), “Nuclear Safety and Thorium Reactors”

Student News

Banquet Honors Outstanding Student Achievements The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering held its spring Senior Recognition Reception and Banquet to honor its outstanding mechanical and nuclear engineering seniors, awarding five students for their exceptional achievements. The guest speaker was Steven I. Glusman, Penn State alumnus and engineer at Boeing. Glusman shared the lessons he has gleaned during his career: have fun; get involved in challenges; stay involved in the community; explore the opportunities around you; and seek balance in your life. Dr. Karen Thole and Dr. Arthur Motta presented the awards to students with notable accomplishments: Daniel Abercrombie was the recipient of the John Brennan Excellence in Nuclear Engineering Award. A senior in Nuclear Engineering and Physics and a Schreyer scholar, Abercrombie was an active member of the Penn State chapter of ANS. He enjoyed participating in outreach events, including teaching nuclear science to Boy Scounts and the students of the Westinghouse Science Honors Institute. Also, as technical chair for the 2014 ANS National Student Conference, he coordinated the review of student abstracts. Currently conducting research with the CMS experiment at CERN, Abercrombie plans to blend his specialized knowledge from nuclear engineering and physics to continue working in experimental particle physics during his graduate studies. Junior Kelsa Benensky, recipient of the Dr. John P. Karidis Department Head’s Award for Research Achievement in Mechanical Engineering, studies Dr. Arthur Motta (left) presents the both mechanical and nuclear engineering. As a 2013 participant in the Penn Boeing Outstanding Junior Award to nuclear State Toshiba-Westinghouse Undergraduate Fellows Program, Benensky engineering student Daniel Abercrombie. conducted an independent research project characterizing the historic solid core nuclear thermal propulsion fuel forms of the United States and former Soviet Union. This research was summarized in a report which serves as a reference compendium for students and young professionals and is planned to be used for student intern training at the Center for Space Nuclear Research in Idaho Falls. Her success led to a presentation at the 2014 Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space Conference, as well as undergraduate research in Dr. Asok Ray’s Electromechanical Laboratory. Benensky is also involved with the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and co-founded and furthered ChangeUP, an organization focused on addressing the needs of diversity change of assignment students. Catherine Perego was the recipient of the Penn State Nuclear Engineering Society’s (PSNES) Leadership and Service Award. Perego has been very involved in the American Nuclear Society in Penn State, and served two years as ANS section president. She coordinated all club activities, organized information sessions with industry partners, directed outreach efforts, oversaw social events and represented the club as a dancer at THON 2013. Perego was also a co-chair for the 2014 ANS National Student Conference. She played an integral role in bringing this national event to Penn State, with the belief that the event would be a valuable opportunity to highlight the new developments and noteworthy research in the nuclear engineering program at Penn State. Senior Ryan Patrick was the recipient of the Thomas Briggs Hunter Memorial Award for Student Leadership in Mechanical Engineering. As the executive director for THON 2014, Patrick oversaw the efforts of more than 15,000 student volunteers as they fundraised and generated awareness of pediatric cancer. Coupled with experiences found in the classroom, in past THON experiences and as a former Engineering Ambassador, Patrick led the year’s efforts and helped to raise $13,343,517.33 for the Four Diamonds Fund.

Department award recipients, from left: Ryan Patrick, Catherine Perego, Matthew Woods, Kelsa Benensky.

Matthew Woods, a recipient of the Boeing Outstanding Junior Award, is studying mechanical engineering. As the additive manufacturing lead for the Penn State Lunar Lion team, he conducted the design and manufacturing of the team’s rocket engines, among other components of the spacecraft, to be built via Direct Metal Laser Sintering machines. While attending the Penn State Berks campus, he was co-founder and president of the Penn State Berks Table Tennis Club and the vice president and student government representative of the SAE Baja Club. Woods has tutored students in science, technology, engineering and math subjects and conducted research with engineering faculty on multi-rotor helicoptors. He is also an active member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Student News

ASME Team Takes Second at Goldberg

The University Park chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers won second place.

Students from the University Park chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) won second place in the Penn State Regional Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, sponsored and judged by the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society. The annual competition challenges students to use innovative ideas, unconventional problem-solving skills, and a little humor to design a machine that completes a single task in a complex, roundabout manner. This year’s national challenge was to design and build a machine that zips a zipper in 20 or more steps. The ASME team thought up components that they wanted to incorporate — such as a waterfall and swinging apes — and then proceeded to figure out ways to connect the steps, according to McDivitt. Their jungle-themed final project includes 29 individual steps. “Seeing the amount of little kids and the joy on their face as they watch these (machines) go off and getting them interested in it, that’s probably the most rewarding part of it,” said team member Ray McDivitt, senior mechanical engineering student. Although ASME University Park took second place this year, it had won the contest for the past five years. The Engineering Leadership Society won first place overall and the People’s Choice Award. The ASME Penn State Harrisburg chapter won third place. Other participants included the Chinese Undergraduate Student Association, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the Society of Energy Engineers from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest is named after the late artist and cartoonist Reuben Lucius Goldberg, who created cartoons in the mid-1900s that combined simple machines and common household items to create wacky contraptions that accomplished trivial tasks. RUBE GOLDBERG & RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE CONTEST are ® & © of RUBE GOLDBERG INC. All Rights Are Reserved Worldwide.

Department News

Trethewey Receives Eisenhower Award

Marty Trethewey received the Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching from Penn State.

Marty Trethewey, the Arthur L. Glenn Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been recognized by Penn State for the Milton S. Eisenhower Award for Distinguished Teaching. This award honors the recipient for the highest levels of academic excellence, outstanding leadership and meritorious service. Having taught at Penn State for 32 years, Trethewey focuses on developing and delivering “real-life activities inside and outside of the classroom in order to facilitate the transition from student to practicing professional engineer.” He has his mechanical engineering students work in teams to simulate a small professional consulting company. “This ‘company approach’ allows the students to simultaneously practice professional skills, such as teamwork and communication, as well as immediately apply newly studied technical topics,” he said. Trethewey spearheaded development of the Global Capstone Project Team activity to give engineering students international experience without having to travel internationally. Penn State students partner with students at an overseas university to work on a project for an industry sponsor, along the way dealing with time-zone differences and communication challenges. One nominator said Trethewey “developed a pathway that led to incredible opportunities for our undergraduate students to achieve global engineering experiences.” In 2012, the National Academy of Engineering awarded the project a Real World Engineering Education Citation. According to one student nominator, “No other professor that I have encountered combines passion, integrity and professional expertise with a student-centric approach like Dr. Trethewey.” The professor received the Penn State Engineering Alumni Society Outstanding Teaching Award in 2012. Trethewey was one of two department winners of the Eisenhower Award, which recognizes excellence in teaching and student support among tenured faculty who have been employed full time for at least five years with undergraduate teaching as a major portion of their duties.

Department News

NSF CAREER Award

Dr. Tak-Sing Wong (middle); Shikuan Yang (left), post-doctoral researcher; and Birgitt Boschitsch, PhD student, examine a silicon substrate consisting of micro-manufactured grooves and structures.

Wong Receives CAREER Grant for Nature-Inspired Research Penn State is pleased to announce Dr. Tak-Sing Wong, head of the Laboratory for Nature-Inspired Engineering, has been awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant supports Dr. Wong’s research in designing omniphobic surfaces with multi-functional characteristics. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant provides funding for the design and development of a new class of biologically inspired liquid-repellent materials with multi-functional characteristics. The blueprints of these bioinspired materials will be based on the surface engineering principles of multiple natural species, including but not limited to the lotus leaf, butterfly, Tokay gecko, beetle, springtail, and the pitcher plant. Enabled by their surface architectures at the micro and nanometer scales, many of these natural species exhibit unique macroscopic wetting, adhesion, and optical properties. In understanding these natural surface architectures, novel biologically inspired materials engineered to have multifunctional capabilities will be developed using advanced microand nanomanufacturing techniques. Combinations of functions, such as directional liquid repellency, friction reduction, water harvesting, as well as switchable wetting, adhesion, and optical characteristics, are of particular interest. The results of this research will lead to the development of

a new class of multi-functional materials and surface coatings with various industrial and medical applications, including but not limited to coatings for anti-biofouling, anti-icing, friction reduction, camouflage, reversible adhesion, thermal management, and fluid collection or separation. Through a “mix and match” of various natural surface engineering mechanisms, these multi-functional materials will further enrich the existing library of biologically inspired materials, in which most of these materials are currently modeled after individual natural species. The research will also contribute to the development of novel multi-functional materials exhibiting interplay between wetting, adhesion, and optical properties. Ultimately, the outcomes of The National Science this research will enhance the public Early Career Development understanding of the foundation’s most biologically inspired support of junior faculty technology, as well as their importance of teacher-scholars to technological research, excellent advancement. Dr. Wong joined Penn State faculty in 2013.

integration of education context of the mission

Department News

NSF CAREER Award

Dr. Hosam Fathy (far right) directs Alison Hake (ME), Sergio Mendoza (graduate, ME) and Michael Rothenberger (graduate, ME) in testing physics-based models of electrochemical battery systems in the Control Optimization Laboratory.

Fathy Receives CAREER Grant for Battery Research Dr. Hosam Fathy, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has accepted a $400,000 CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation in support of research regarding identifiability optimization in electrochemical battery systems. Dr. Fathy will develop a formal framework to quantify the parameter identifiability of thermo-electrochemical lithium-ion battery models—work which has gone unexplored in the field— and build a numerically efficient algorithm for combined state and parameter estimation in lithium-ion batteries. The proposed research will tailor battery charge/discharge trajectories to improve the estimation speed and accuracy of onboard battery diagnostics algorithms, and also increase the accuracy with Foundation’s Faculty which battery model (CAREER) Program offers parameters can be prestigious awards in estimated. Finally, the project will develop a who exemplify the role formal framework for through outstanding assessing the impact of battery sensor selection, education and the placement, and and research within the fidelity on parameter identifiability. of their organizations.

The research is motivated by the ongoing rapid progress in battery technologies, and the growing use of battery storage in systems such as satellites, consumer electronics and hybrid vehicles. With this growth in advanced battery technologies and applications comes new safety risks. Catastrophic lithium-ion battery failures have, for instance, injured automaker employees and led to the grounding of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet. This research will bridge the gap between battery electrochemistry, optimal estimation, and optimal control literatures. Dr. Fathy’s project has broad impacts beyond research literature. This project will engage exceptional undergraduates, especially women and underrepresented students, in performing the research. Students will work to create web-based open courses based on the research areas supported by the grant. Industry will benefit from a reconfigurable battery pack currently being built by a collaborative team from academia and industry, led by Penn State and funded by an ARPA-E grant that complements this proposal. Dr. Fathy has been a member of the Penn State faculty since 2010. His research focuses on control-oriented modeling of health degradation in advanced batteries, battery optimal power management and networked hardware-in-the-loop simulation of sustainable energy systems.

Department News

$5M NSF Grant Focuses on Nuclear Threat Inspection Penn State has received a five-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for nuclear threat inspection, as part of a team led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and including Georgia Tech. The proposal, titled “Low-Dose Inspection for Nuclear Threats Using Monochromatic Gamma-Rays,” is led at Penn State by co-principal investigators Dr. Igor Jovanovic, the Bashore Faculty Development Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering, and Dr. Zoubeida Ounaies, the Dorothy Quiggle Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Cory Trivelpiece, research associate at the Materials Research Institute, is also part of the effort. The grant stems from the DHS and NSF Academic Research Initiative focusing on domestic nuclear detection, and is the only large multidisciplinary grant this program awarded to universities in the past five years. The program is designed to develop new systems and sensors that will help detect nuclear weapons, special nuclear materials, radiation dispersal devices and related threats.

Shielded Special Nuclear Material Detection group: Jonathan Goldberg (ME); Dr. Mike Mayer (post-doc in NucE); Dr. Cory Trivelpiece (research associate, MRI); Dr. Amira Meddeb (post-doc, ME); Dr. Igor Jovanovic (Assoc Prof in NucE; PI of the grant); Dr. Zoubeida Ounaies (Assoc Prof in ME; co-PI). Not pictured: Jason Nattress (graduate student in NucE) and Daria Carini (NucE).

“As part of this collaborative research with MIT and Georgia Tech, Penn State will design, build, and test novel composite detectors capable to discriminate among different types of radiation. We will also participate in integrated experimental campaigns at the MIT accelerator facility, with a goal to perform better inspections for special nuclear materials while simultaneously reducing the radiation dose,” Jovanovic said.

$3M DOE Grant Researches Hybrid Car Batteries A Penn State-led team has won a $3 million grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) for applied battery research. The two-year grant from the DOE's Vehicle Technology Office supports the project "High Energy, Long Cycle Life Lithium-ion Batteries for PHEV (plugin hybrid electric vehicles) Applications." Penn State serves as the main principal investigator on the grant, with the University of Texas at Austin and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as co-PIs. Also partnering on the grant is the Argonne National Laboratory and industrial power products firm EC Power. Dr. Donghai Wang, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and principal investigator, said the focus of the project is to explore advanced materials for use in future power cells. Specifically, the effort looks to develop high-energy, high-power lithium-ion batteries for use in PHEVs.

Clockwise, left-right: Dr. Donghai Wang and graduate students Michael Melnyk and Ran Yi in the Energy Nanostructure Laboratory.

Department News

Simpson Given ASME Sparks Award

Dr. Tim Simpson has been awarded the ASME Ben C. Sparks medal in recognition of his contributions.

Dr. Tim Simpson, professor of industrial engineering and mechanical engineering at Penn State, has been awarded the 2014 Ben C. Sparks Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Established in 1990, the Sparks Medal recognizes service to engineering education through “innovative, authentic, practicebased engineering design/build experiences to undergraduate students.” Dr. Simpson was honored for his numerous contributions to engineering education while he served as director of the Bernard M. Gordon Learning Factory from 2007 to 2012. The Learning Factory melds real-world experience with classroom education by providing students with hands-on experiences through industry-sponsored and client-based capstone design projects. Under his leadership, the Learning Factory became the largest college-wide capstone design program in the United States. Dr. Simpson was recognized at the 2014 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Education Leadership Summit in March in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he received a bronze medal, a $1,000 award and travel expenses for the conference. A member of Penn State faculty since 1998, Dr. Simpson serves as co-director of the Engineering Design and Optimization Group Laboratory and co-director of the Center for Innovative Materials Process through Direct Digital Deposition. His research centers on engineering design and design methodologies. Dr. Simpson’s awards include the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Award, the American Society of Engineering Educators’ Fred Merryfield Design Award and the SAE International’s Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award. He is an ASME fellow and associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Simpson received his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech.

O’Connor Receives Volvo Fellowship

Dr. Jacqueline O’Connor (center) reviews lab results with her students.

Dr. Jacqueline O’Connor recently accepted the Volvo Mechanical Engineering Faculty Fellowship, the result of an official partnership between Penn State and Volvo Technology of America, Inc., to research diesel combustion and efficiency. Inspired by Dr. O’Connor’s previous work at Sandia National Laboratories, the project will explore the injection profiles of unsteady jets, examining the fluid mechanics of how fuel mixing affects pollutant formation and engine efficiency. At Penn State, Dr. O’Connor will guide a team of graduate and undergraduate mechanical engineering students responsible for the project. The experiment is relatively simple, but powerful diagnostic methods will provide insight into mixing during fuel injection that is difficult to measure in an engine. These results will be compared against industry-standard reducedorder models to test the accuracy of the predictions. Further, simultaneous chemical modeling will help integrate the highfidelity fluid mixing results from the experiment into chemical mechanisms that can predict the formation rates of important pollutants, including nitrous oxide and unburned hydrocarbons. This research has a wide range of industry applications, including in heavy-duty diesel combustion. It will provide the field with research to improve the operational emissions output and efficiency of commercial diesel vehicles. The fellowship includes annual contributions of $25,000 for three years in support of research costs. Dr. O’Connor has been an assistant professor in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Penn State since August 2013. She directs the Reacting Flow Dynamics Laboratory and teaches undergraduate-level thermodynamics and graduate-level combustion. She received her doctorate from Georgia Tech in aerospace engineering and was a post-doctoral researcher at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA, in the Engine Combustion Department. Her research at Sandia focused on using laser diagnostic techniques to understand fluid-chemical interactions in heavy-duty diesel engines for the mitigation of pollutants such as soot and unburned hydrocarbons.

Department News

Moore Awarded NSF Grant for Tissue Cutting Research Dr. Jason Moore, assistant professor, has accepted a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support a collaborative research project with North Carolina State University. The research will study how vibration can affect the forces of needles cutting tissue, in order to develop needles that can be extremely accurately positioned inside the body. While well-studied in traditional metal machining, this is a mostly unexplored topic in tissue cutting, where it has the potential to impact both manufacturing engineering and medicine. Highly accurate needle positioning could benefit a number of procedures including brachytherapy, in which needles are used to accurately position radiation inside the body to directly target cancer. Research activities will be integrated into graduate and undergraduate classes at both universities.

Brennan Named Director of Vehicle Systems Dr. Sean Brennan has been named director of vehicle systems at the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. Brennan has been an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering since 2003 and is the leading faculty at Penn State in the area of vehicle chassis dynamics and control. An NSF Graduate Fellow, he received his master’s and doctorate in mechanical engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research unifying concepts of scaling and control theory for the study of vehicle-to-vehicle variability and commonality was recognized with the 2002 Outstanding Graduate Research award from the ME department at UIUC. He is the current secretary for the International Forum for Road Transport Technology, and an assistant editor for an upcoming IEEE Control Systems Technology special issue on Vehicle Control.

Recent Department Faculty Retirements

Dr. Gary Catchen investigated a variety of topics in solid-state physics and materials science, using perturbed-angularcorrelation spectroscopy. He published extensively in Physical Review B and other refereed journals. Catchen taught nuclear and radiochemistry, statistical thermodynamics, and engineering thermodynamics. Dr. Catchen retired in December 2013.

The George L. Guillet Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Robert J. Santoro received the PSES Premier Research Award for his world-renowned research in combustion and soot formation. He is one of the world’s leading experts on liquid rocket propulsion, and his Cryogenic Research Lab is the only one of its kind found on a college campus. Dr. Santoro retired in June 2013.

A recipient of the PSEAS Outstanding Advising Award, Leland Engel has been closely involved in guiding students in creating multi-disciplinary industrysponsored projects. He has advised winning teams in preparing for and competing in the Shell Eco-Marathon competition and other design projects. Students often describe him as a mentor. Engel is retiring in July 2014.

As emeritus professor, Dr. Stephen Turns researched pollutant formation and control in combustion systems, combustion engines, slurry fuel combustion, energy conversion and engineering pedagogy. He has published multiple textbooks and journal articles, and in 2011, won the ‘Best Paper’ Award from the American Society for Engineering Education. Dr. Turns retired in June 2013.

Department News 1200 1000 800

NucE Enrollments ME Enrollments Total Enrollment in ME and NucE

600 400 200 0 2006/07

2007/08

2008/09

2009/10

2010/11

2011/12

2012/13

2013/14

Growing Enrollments in ME, NucE The number of students enrolling in mechanical and nuclear engineering majors continues to climb steadily. The 2013-2014 enrollment in both mechanical and nuclear engineering is at 957 graduate and undergraduate students, demonstrating an enrollment increase of more than fifty percent since 2006-2007.

2012–2013 Snapshot: Graduation Rates Fall 2012

Spring 2013

Summer 2013

Total

B.S. ME

225

316

The department’s stellar programs get noticed, both on and off-campus. The mechanical engineering major is consistently ranked one of the most popular in the university, according to the First Year Survey Data on Preference of Majors. U.S. News and World Report ranks Penn State’s undergraduate mechanical engineering program 13th among mechanical engineering programs in the U.S. Its Best Graduate Schools 2015 edition ranks Penn State’s College of Engineering 25th; the nuclear and mechanical engineering programs stand out among universities, ranking 5th and 17th, respectively.

B.S. NucE

Concurrent

M.S. ME

M.S. NucE

M.Eng. NucE

Ph.D. ME

In order to accommodate the influx of students and sustain the department’s dedication to providing a world-class, handson education, the department is expanding opportunities for students. From increasing the opportunities for corporations to sponsor student design capstone projects and internships, to connecting current students with alumni networks, the department continues to seek ways to extend students’ education and apply their knowledge to practical needs.

Ph.D. NucE

Overwhelmingly, students say that one of their most valuable educational experiences is engaging in the senior capstone project. Through allowing them to collaborate across disciplines with the goal of creating a project that will provide measurable value and innovation to the engineering industries, the department is working to create the next generations of worldclass engineers. As an alum of Penn State’s Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, you know firsthand the quality education and the lifetime preparation that we provide. The department continues to elevate the quality of its programs by seeking out

Total Degrees

518

the most respected and expert faculty. These faculty reflect the world-class reputation of Penn State and the mechanical and nuclear engineering department, and attract funding to support research and educational opportunities for students. This magazine has demonstrated the research and experiences faculty and students are exploring every day at Penn State. “We are proud to provide a world-class education to tomorrow’s mechanical and nuclear engineers by creating opportunities to learn from and alongside faculty performing innovative research,” said department head Dr. Karen Thole. Thanks to the enthusiasm of our talented faculty, partnerships with corporate and industry sponsors and the continued support of our alums around the world, Penn State’s Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering continues to help our students achieve in the engineering world.

MNE News

Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering The Pennsylvania State University 137 Reber Building University Park, PA 16802

Mechanical Engineering