Volume 14, No. 1 Spring 2015 A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE T.J. SMULL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Building Impact: Starting at the Core
A MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Over the past few years, the faculty, staff and advisory board in the T.J. Smull College of Engineering have spent a great deal of time thinking about the college’s future and have developed a strategic plan that helps guide us to this future. As part of this plan, we articulated the college’s core values, mission and vision. The core values are especially important as they provide a foundation on which the college operates. The college’s four core values are personal relationships, engagement, opportunity, and the development and success of the individual. I have the pleasure of meeting with a number of alumni from the College of Engineering throughout the year, and I always enjoy asking them whether or not these four core values reflect the culture and environment that they experienced during their time at Ohio Northern University. Invariably, alumni indicate that these core values do indeed capture what makes our college so special. While these words may not have been articulated or written down in the past, they represent the bedrock on which the College of Engineering has been built. These core, enduring values have stood the test of time and help build our impact locally, nationally and across the globe. In this edition of Smull Talk, we focus on a number of alumni and student stories that speak to the college’s core values. The stories span from the 1960s until today. It is truly inspirational that the alumni and student stories describe a consistent culture and educational environment that have existed at ONU for decades. These stories truly support the idea that the college’s core values are indeed enduring values. We also celebrate the great accomplishments of our students and faculty as they live out these core values on a daily basis. We have sought out new opportunities for our students and recognize those pioneers who are completing our new engineering education major. We engage students in high-impact educational endeavors like senior design projects and EPICS projects that serve our communities. Ultimately, our students achieve success both personally and professionally. We are especially proud of the college’s 97 percent placement rate for those who graduated from the college in spring 2014. I hope that you enjoy reading the many great stories in this edition of Smull Talk. As always, thanks for your support of ONU’s T.J. Smull College of Engineering. Go Polar Bears!
Eric Baumgartner, Ph.D. Dean of the T.J. Smull College of Engineering
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SPRING
TABLE OF
Campus Contacts
CONTENTS
Dr. Eric Baumgartner Dean Voice: 419-772-2372 Email: e-baumgartner@onu.edu
Shaped by Enduring Values
PAGE 4
Spotts Lecture and Distinguished Alumni
PAGE 10
High-Impact Learning
PAGE 12
Pioneers and Ambassadors
PAGE 18
Competition Team Recap
PAGE 20
Engineering News
PAGE 22
Professor Thomas Zechman Assistant Dean Voice: 419-772-2698 Email: t-zechman.1@onu.edu Dr. Jonathan Smalley, BSCE ’71 Chair, Civil Engineering Voice: 419-772-2377 Email: j-smalley@onu.edu Dr. Khalid Al-Olimat Chair, Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science Voice: 419-772-1849 Email: k-al-olimat@onu.edu Dr. John-David Yoder Chair, Mechanical Engineering Voice: 419-772-2385 Email: j-yoder@onu.edu Professor Laurie (Kahl) Laird, BSME ’86 Director of Corporate and Alumni Relations Voice: 419-772-2421 Email: l-laird@onu.edu Jacqueline Daley-Perrin Director of Development Voice: 419-772-2390 Email: j-daley-perrin@onu.edu
SMULL TALK Publication of the T.J. Smull College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio, 419-772-2371, www.onu.edu/engineering ONU’s T.J. Smull College of Engineering is ranked as one of the nation’s top 50 undergraduate engineering schools by U.S. News & World Report, in Best Colleges 2015.
SHAPED BY ENDURING VALUES GENERATIONS SEPARATE THESE STUDENTS AND ALUMNI. THEY POSSESS DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS, ABILITIES AND AMBITIONS. YET THEY SHARE A COMMON BOND. THEY’VE BEEN SHAPED BY AN ENGINEERING EDUCATION WITH VALUES THAT TRANSCEND TIME AND DIFFERENCES. AN EDUCATION WHERE RELATIONSHIPS MATTER AS MUCH AS OUTCOMES, WHERE RIGOROUS TECHNICAL COURSES ARE BALANCED WITH REAL-WORLD OPPORTUNITY, WHERE HORIZONS ARE BROADENED AND DOORS ARE OPENED.
NOAH ORR is a senior from Centerburg, Ohio, majoring in computer science. He was homeschooled and always builds projects in his family’s barn. He’s insatiably curious about how computers function as logical, decision-making entities.
ALEXANDRA SEDA is a sophomore from Columbiana, Ala., majoring in electrical engineering. She is the first generation in her family to attend college. She transferred to ONU from the University of Montevallo.
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BRETT NEFF graduated with a civil engineering degree in 1993. He’s a vice president at R.E. Warner & Associates in Westlake, Ohio. He’s the youngest person ever to serve on his company’s board of directors.
ROB RYAN graduated with a mechanical engineering degree in 1981. He’s a retired engineer and executive from Shell Corporation. His career gave him the opportunity to live on five different continents and manage high-profile energy projects. He lives in Houston, Texas, and is an energy consultant.
SUSAN LETTRICH graduated with an electrical engineering degree in 1985. She is the manager of data analysis for human capital at The Progressive Corporation in Cleveland. She serves on the advisory board for the T.J. Smull College of Engineering.
LLOYD MARTIN JR. graduated with a civil engineering degree in 1967. He’s the president of Martin-Zombek Construction Services LLC in Syracuse, N.Y. He’s continued the tradition of a family business started by his grandfather in 1927. DAVID REEPING is a junior from Richfield, Ohio, majoring in engineering education. He is passionate about teaching and engineering, and he enjoys the challenge of combining the two disciplines.
MATT SLAGER is a junior from Cincinnati, Ohio, majoring in mechanical engineering. He’s following in the footsteps of his father – a mechanical engineer and role model who sparked Slager’s interest in engineering at an early age.
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He was responsible for serving three meals a day, six days a week, for around 50 people. He supervised the cook and servers, planned meals, bartered with local farmers for fresh meat and produce, and managed a budget. “I served delicious meals and made enough money to buy a new fraternity house,” he says.
As a teenager growing up in New York, Lloyd Martin Jr., BSCE ’67, split his time between sports, hanging out with friends and working in the plastering trade with his grandfather and father. Academics didn’t rank high on his priorities. He was an average student whose high school guidance counselor believed wouldn’t amount to much. But Martin had big aspirations. He wanted to run the family construction business one day. Realizing how important a college education would be to his future, Martin’s father enrolled him at Ohio Northern University. “I think he figured I couldn’t get lost at a party at such a small school,” says Martin, with a laugh. Indeed, Martin never got lost at ONU. His engineering professors and Dean Larry Archer, BSCE ’47, ACIT ’82, H of F ’88, simply wouldn’t allow it. Instead, he found himself on a path to success. He overcame mild dyslexia to achieve good grades. He learned how to solve problems, manage projects and lead people. He even met his wife, Carolyn, who’s been his life partner for the past 47 years. “It turned into one of the greatest experiences of my life,” says Martin. One of Martin’s most influential experiences was serving as kitchen steward for four years for his Alpha Sigma fraternity house.
And Martin has never forgotten the encouraging words on the eve of his graduation from his engineering advisor, Dr. Donald Milks. “He told me, ‘You are going to go far in life,’” says Martin. “He’s one of the people who made a difference.” After graduation, Martin joined the family business. He obtained a pilot’s license and bought a plane, allowing him to expand his
Enduring value: Ignite the potential in every student
company’s territory. In 1998, he assumed the company presidency from his father, growing the construction firm into one of the most highly regarded in the state of New York. In 2009, after a transfer of company ownership, he and his son-in-law formed a new company: Martin-Zombek Construction Services LLC. His firm specializes in interior work for commercial projects for universities (Cornell, Hamilton College, SUNY Albany), federal, state and local governments (VA
Enduring value: Provide individual attention and support “ACADEMIC SUCCESS DOESN’T COME EASY FOR ME. I WORK 10 TIMES HARDER THAN MY CLASSMATES TO GET THE SAME GRADES AS THEM. MY PROFESSORS KNOW THAT
“MY PROFESSORS CARE
I’M DEDICATED AND HARDWORKING. MY
ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS AND
RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY PROFESSORS
FIND OUT WHAT INTERESTS
HAVE GROWN BECAUSE OF THIS. I STAY
THEM. THIS HELPS THEM PERSONALIZE
IN TOUCH WITH THEM REGULARLY FOR
PROJECTS FOR EACH STUDENT, SO
TUTORING AND STUDY STRATEGIES. I
THEY CAN GET THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT
BELIEVE THE ONE-ON-ONE ATTENTION
FROM CLASS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF
THAT STUDENTS GET HERE IS TRULY
MY PROFESSORS ASKED ME TO HELP
WHAT SETS ONU APART.”
OUT WITH PROGRAMMING WORK FOR
– MATT SLAGER
SOME MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING CAPSTONE PROJECTS. HE KNEW I ENJOYED THIS TYPE OF WORK, AND HE WANTED TO GIVE ME A
“I WAS TAKING AN ELECTRICAL
CHANCE TO SHOW WHAT I COULD DO.”
CIRCUITS CLASS LAST FALL AND
– NOAH ORR
HAVING A HARD TIME GRASPING A CONCEPT. MY PROFESSOR TEACHING THE CLASS WASN’T IN HIS OFFICE, SO I LOOKED FOR ANOTHER PROFESSOR TO HELP. ANOTHER PROFESSOR LET ME BORROW
“I’M ALWAYS TACKLING NEW PROJECTS JUST BECAUSE
A STACK OF BOOKS THAT EXPLAINED THE
I’VE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY MY PROFESSORS OR
CONCEPT AND PROVIDED MANY EXAMPLES.
BECAUSE I THOUGHT A PARTICULAR AREA WAS
HE ALSO GAVE ME LECTURE NOTES FROM THE
INTERESTING. I’VE BEEN ON TWO MISSION TRIPS TO THE
SAME CLASS THAT HE TEACHES. THIS KIND
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, VOLUNTEERED FOR STEM ACADEMIES
OF ASSISTANCE CAN’T BE FOUND AT OTHER
AT LOCAL SCHOOLS, PARTICIPATED IN MANY UNDERGRADUATE
SCHOOLS. BECAUSE OF HIS HELP, I NOT ONLY
RESEARCH PROJECTS, AND PRESENTED AT SEVERAL
DID WELL IN THE CLASS, BUT ALSO ENDED
CONFERENCES, INCLUDING ONE IN SPAIN. I’VE BECOME A FIRM
UP SWITCHING MAJORS BECAUSE I REALIZED
BELIEVER IN USING EVERY BIT OF THE POTENTIAL I HAVE.”
HOW MUCH I ENJOYED THE CLASS AND
– DAVID REEPING
RELATED TOPICS.” – ALEXANDRA SEDA
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His professors noticed his earnestness, and they opened doors. He worked with county engineers on his senior capstone project to build a new bypass around the city of Kenton, Ohio. He assisted with a land survey of ONU’s campus, and he earned a position in the admissions office as a Bear Ambassador giving tours to prospective students and their families.
hospitals, police headquarters, public schools), retail (Victoria’s Secret) and more. What sets his company apart, says Martin, is the meticulous planning and execution that goes into each project. “I have a personal motto that whether a project is big or small, do it well or not at all.” After more than 40 years, Martin recently had the chance to visit campus and reconnect with his alma mater. He says the visit brought back a flood of positive memories. “I fell in the love with the place all over again. It’s still a special place where you’re not just a number.”
Enduring value: Cultivate a friendly and caring environment “WHEN I WAS A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT, I VISITED A LARGE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND WENT
The friendly and open atmosphere on campus taught Neff about the power of relationships. He attended Sunday services at the Ada Brett Neff, BSCE ’93, became the youngest Methodist Church with his coach, Gale person ever to earn a seat on the board of Daugherty, H of F ’94, and was invited into directors at R.E. Warner & Associates, an architectural, engineering and surveying firm his home for meals. Dr. Debow Freed, Hon. D. ’99, ACIT ’99, ONU’s president, knew him near Cleveland. Starting at the firm right by name. “It was like a second family to me,” after college, he steadily rose to the rank he says. “I always encountered an open-door of vice president because he knows how policy. Everyone from the top to the bottom to listen, learn and build relationships. He was willing to listen and extend a helping mastered these skills while an engineering hand.” student at ONU. Neff arrived on campus intending to major in business, but research at the Heterick Memorial Library convinced him that an engineering degree offered greater opportunity. In the T.J. Smull College of Engineering, he became a model studentathlete who applied himself to his studies while running track and cross country.
ON A CAMPUS TOUR WITH A LARGE MASS OF PARENTS AND KIDS. AT ONU, I WAS BLOWN AWAY WITH HOW PERSONABLE EVERYONE WAS. IN SEVERAL MEETINGS, IT WAS JUST MY FAMILY WITH THE PROFESSORS.”
Enduring value: Build lasting relationships
– NOAH ORR “LIFE IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I’VE “I WAS EXTREMELY WORRIED
LEARNED. THE RELATIONSHIPS I’VE
ABOUT BEING HOMESICK SINCE
MADE AT THE T.J. SMULL COLLEGE OF
MY FAMILY WAS IN ALABAMA. MY
ENGINEERING – WITH PROFESSORS,
WORRIES QUICKLY MELTED AWAY AS I FORGED
CLASSMATES, FRATERNITY BROTHERS – I
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL MY
WOULDN’T TRADE FOR ANYTHING.”
AMAZING PROFESSORS AND CLASSMATES.
– MATT SLAGER
THEY WERE ALWAYS THERE IF I HAD A
Today, Neff applies this same friendly approach to his client relations at R.E. Warner & Associates. As the only vice president at the firm, he manages the market segments of governmental projects, commercial real estate development and brokerage, automotive and manufacturing, and surveying. His open and genuine personality wins him a lot of friends. “Sitting behind a desk and designing isn’t my passion,” says Neff. “I enjoy being out and about and working directly with people.” Neff also seeks to understand the nuances of each project for which he’s responsible. “I am always listening, learning and growing,” he says. “I believe you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. You should listen more than you talk.” Neff and his wife, Jodi (Feasel), BSPh ’93, whom he met at ONU, maintain strong ties with the University. They have two children, and their son is considering attending ONU when he graduates from high school. “ONU gave me the opportunity to be who I am today,” says Neff. “I owe the College of Engineering a debt of gratitude.”
QUESTION, CONCERN OR JUST SHEER DOUBT ABOUT WHETHER I WAS IN THE RIGHT MAJOR. BIGGS IS PRACTICALLY MY HOME, AND THE PEOPLE INSIDE ARE MY EXTENDED FAMILY.” – ALEXANDRA SEDA
“AT A LARGER SCHOOL, I DON’T THINK HAVING THIS MANY DEEP AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. WHEN YOU GET TO HIGHER-LEVEL CLASSES, YOU’RE ALMOST GUARANTEED TO BE ONE OF MAYBE 10 OR LESS STUDENTS. IT SOUNDS CORNY TO SAY THAT EVERYONE HAS EACH OTHER’S BACK, YET THAT IS DEFINITELY THE CASE.” – DAVID REEPING
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his horizons and become an international engineering executive managing high-profile energy projects on five continents.
As a youngster, Robert Ryan, BSME ’81, scavenged junk to build go-karts, mini-bikes and even a wooden hydroplane that reached speeds of nearly 40 mph. A career in engineering seemed like a natural fit for such an ingenious kid. After high school, Ryan enrolled in the engineering college at a large university in Ohio. He sat in classrooms approaching 300 students and lived in a high-rise dormitory. It didn’t take long for him to feel disconnected. “I was slowly losing my passion for engineering and for learning,” he recounts. Frustrated, Ryan was looking for something better and decided to check out ONU. Dean Larry Archer, BSCE ’47, ACIT ’82, H of F ’88, assured him that he would have a starkly different experience in the T.J. Smull College of Engineering. Ryan enrolled at ONU his sophomore year, and it made all the difference for his future. At ONU, Ryan was no longer just a face in the crowd; he was a valued student. He badgered his engineering professors with questions sparked by his inquisitive mind. They applauded his initiative and welcomed his frequent office visits. He felt a spirit of camaraderie – not competition – among students. “We all knew each other, we all expected each other to graduate and we collaborated to make sure that happened,” he says. “As a result, I didn’t have to learn about teamwork after I graduated; teamwork is how I graduated.” Ryan also received an education that blended the hard sciences with liberal arts. At first, he didn’t appreciate the value of courses like world religion and poetry. But he later realized that these courses taught him skills as valuable as engineering skills. “I learned how to think and how to communicate those thoughts to others,” he says. His coursework, combined with summer co-ops with Marathon in Wyoming, enabled a young boy from a small town in Ohio to broaden
In 2011, Ryan retired from Shell after a productive 30-year career that took him to England, Malaysia, Australia, Russia and many other places across the globe. His career highlight was serving as technical director for the $24 billion Sakhalin Energy Project. Located in Russia, the project included the construction of the country’s first liquefied natural gas plant, first offshore oil and gas platforms, and two 500-mile pipelines and numerous other related facilities. Nearly 25,000 workers speaking more than 20 languages worked on site during project construction. Ryan and other Shell engineers worked in remote subarctic locations dealing with the special challenges of ice, earthquakes, mountain ranges and more.
Enduring value: Teach lifelong skills through a rigorous academic program
“I worked very long days for weeks at a time,” says Ryan. “But it was the most rewarding of my assignments because nearly every aspect of the project was a first for Russia and often set a new global engineering record as well.” Today, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family and working on energy consulting projects. He’s proud of all he’s accomplished throughout his career and says it wouldn’t have been possible without the T.J. Smull College of Engineering. “If I hadn’t sat in Dean Archer’s office one unusually grey spring day in 1978, my life would have taken a different course. I was seriously considering leaving engineering, but Dean Archer described an engineering school environment that sounded almost too good to be true. Fortunately, for me, it wasn’t.”
Enduring value: Broaden each student’s horizons “I’VE BEEN BLESSED WITH MANY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES AT ONU – FROM THE ONU ROBOTIC FOOTBALL TEAM TO AN EPICS PROJECT
“ONU DOES A GREAT JOB DEVELOPING THE SOFT SKILLS, ESPECIALLY ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. THERE’S NO POINT BEING THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM IF YOU CAN’T COMMUNICATE YOUR IDEAS. I USED TO BE TERRIFIED OF PUBLIC SPEAKING, BUT NOW I’VE SPOKEN SO MANY TIMES TO DIFFERENT SIZES OF AUDIENCES AT CONFERENCES, IN CLASS AND DURING FIELD EXPERIENCE THAT I’VE GOTTEN COMFORTABLE WITH THE FACT THAT PUBLIC SPEAKING IS AN
TO DESIGN A WEBSITE. AT THE END OF MY FRESHMAN YEAR, I WAS INVITED BY A PROFESSOR TO SPEND THE SUMMER ON CAMPUS TESTING THE CAPABILITIES OF A NEW MICROSOFT KINECT THAT THE COLLEGE PURCHASED. THIS PROJECT GAVE ME A HUGE AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE THAT I WOULD PUT TO GOOD USE IN LATER CLASSES. IT ALSO GAVE ME THE CHANCE TO PRESENT IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE OF MY PEERS AT THE OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY SUMMER RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM.” – NOAH ORR
ESSENTIAL SKILL.” – DAVID REEPING
“THE ENGINEERING COLLEGE IS SETTING ME UP FOR SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE BY TEACHING ME THE VALUE OF HARD WORK AND TIME MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT MY CLASSES. I ENJOY HOW RIGOROUS THE PROGRAM IS HERE BECAUSE IT GIVES ME A REAL FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. I KNOW ALL THE HARD WORK WILL PAY OFF ONCE I GRADUATE.” – MATT SLAGER
“I CHOSE THE ENGINEERING FIELD BECAUSE I WAS GOOD AT MATH AND I KNEW I COULD MAKE A GOOD LIVING. BUT SINCE I’VE BEEN AT ONU, MY MOTIVATIONS HAVE MATURED FROM A ‘ME’ FOCUS TO A ‘SERVICE’ FOCUS. MY PROFESSORS HAVE SHOWN ME THAT ENGINEERING IS A SPECIAL FIELD THAT IMPACTS LIVES EVERY DAY. I NOW TAKE SPECIAL PRIDE IN BEING AN ENGINEERING STUDENT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I HAVE THE POWER TO HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT WHEREVER I GO.” – ALEXANDRA SEDA
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At ONU, she encountered wise and caring engineering professors. They taught her a systematic approach to solving problems and how to continually build on new knowledge. “After every new theory that Dr. Bruce Burton, ACIT ’94, Hon. D. ’08, taught, he would tell us, ‘Now you have a new tool for your toolbox,’” she says. “Too often I see people who learn something, apply it once, and then start all over again. But I continue to carry around a toolbox that contains theories, life lessons, leadership lessons and more.”
Susan (Di Nezza) Lettrich, BSEE ’85, loved math from a young age. And today, she views life as one big math problem. Where others see a situation at face value, she sees known factors and unknown factors, risks and opportunities. She started her college career at John Carroll University as a computer science major. But she enjoyed her engineering courses more than her computer science courses, and that prompted her to transfer into the engineering program at ONU.
Enduring value: Inspire students to become lifelong learners “I WANT TO WORK IN ROBOTICS OR HUMANCOMPUTER INTERACTION
At times, Lettrich struggled with the rigorous academics. She remembers breaking down in tears when it seemed overwhelming. But her professors always lent support. When she transferred to ONU, she was given a list of courses she would have to make up to catch up with her peers. Her first semester, she tackled 19 credit hours stacked with engineering courses. She worked hard, and it paid off. Dean Larry Archer, BSCE ’47, ACIT ’82, H of F ’88, called her into his office and crossed off several courses he felt she no longer needed to make up. “I was so happy and proud,” she recalls. “Dean Archer, a man I had only known a short time yet respected and admired, told me that I had proven myself to him. That moment will never be forgotten.”
Enduring value: Produce well-rounded engineers who make the world a better place
AT A SMALL SOFTWARE COMPANY. I WANT TO TRANSFORM COMPUTERS INTO INTELLIGENT HELPERS FOR MANKIND AND LESS OF A BURDEN OR DISTRACTION. I ALSO WANT TO SOMEDAY BUILD MY OWN ZEPPELIN, JUST BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.” – NOAH ORR
“I WOULD LIKE TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY TO GAIN EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, I HAVE A STRONG PASSION FOR SERVICE AND WOULD LIKE TO WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT UNDERTAKES SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP. I’D ALSO LIKE TO BE INVOLVED IN MINISTRY.”
“I’D LIKE TO START MY
– ALEXANDRA SEDA
Lettrich graduated from ONU and embarked on a 25-year career at First Energy in Akron, where she worked up to the rank of director of business analytics. She recently assumed a management position in data analysis at The Progressive Corporation, a Cleveland-based insurance holding company. Progressive is the fourth-largest auto insurer in the country. Lettrich and her team provide valuable data analysis – looking at factors like employee productivity, attitudes, performance, behavior and more – to help the company cultivate a strong workforce.
In 2014, Lettrich took the Professional Engineers (PE) exam and received her PE certification. She didn’t need this certification for her career, and she’s not exactly sure why she did it. Perhaps she did it to honor Archer, who required that all seniors take the Engineer in Training (EIT) exam – no exceptions. Or perhaps she did it in honor of her father, who received his PE certification in 1958. Either way, she passed. After more than 20 years, her ONU engineering education proved its value once again. Lettrich and her husband, Phillip Lettrich, BSPh ’85, whom she met at ONU, both serve on ONU advisory boards. They care deeply about the University and their former classmates and professors. “When I passed the PE exam, I sent an email to the dean and to my fellow advisory board members. The congratulatory notes I received back were beautiful and thoughtful,” she says. “It’s as if ONU develops not only competent engineers, but also people who care for and support each other.”
OWN COMPANY. I’M VERY INTERESTED IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP, WHICH IS WHY I’M MINORING IN THIS SUBJECT AT ONU. I WANT TO GET MY MBA AND COMBINE THE TECHNICAL ENGINEERING SKILLS WITH PRACTICAL BUSINESS SKILLS TO BE A LEADER.” – MATT SLAGER
“I GREW UP NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT WHAT AN ENGINEER ACTUALLY DID. I WANT TO CHANGE THAT FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. THERE ARE MANY KIDS WHO HAVE POTENTIAL TO BE EXCELLENT ENGINEERS, BUT THEY JUST DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE FIELD. I’D LIKE TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON K-12 EDUCATION EITHER AS A TEACHER OR AN EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER WHO DESIGNS ENGINEERING CURRICULA FOR THE SCHOOLS.” – DAVID REEPING SMULL TALK
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2015 SPOTTS LECTURE AND DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS ON FEB. 23, THE T.J. SMULL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AT OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY HOSTED ITS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS PROGRAM, WHICH RECOGNIZED CAREY SMITH, BSEE ’85, AND BRENDA REICHELDERFER, BSEE ’80, ACIT ’02, FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FIELD OF ENGINEERING.
Reichelderfer has broad international experience, having run operations in 17 different countries, including most of Europe and Asia. Through her years of leadership at ITT, she helped bring Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Integrated Product Development and other commercial best practices to ITT, first within her own plants and businesses, and then corporate-wide. Reichelderfer is non-executive director of Meggitt PLC, non-executive director of Federal Signal Corporation and a member of the Technology Transfer Group of the Missile Defense Agency. She earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, with a business management option, from Ohio Northern University. She also completed extensive executive leadership programs at Duke University and MIT’s Sloan School of Management. She received her Six Sigma Green Belt certification from the University of Michigan.
million segment of ITT) and the Motion and Flow Control Group (a $950 million multiindustry segment of ITT).
Smith is president of Honeywell Technology Solutions Inc. (HTSI), a subsidiary within Honeywell Aerospace. Since September 2011, she has led the HTSI business, which provides space, physical and cyber security, logistics, engineering, and health solutions and services for military, federal, commercial and international customers.
In addition to her profit-and-loss experience, she also gained extensive operational experience, holding the roles of plant manager, vice president of operations, director of engineering and chief technology officer.
During this time, HTSI has achieved global expansion and diversification, improved win rates, and industry-leading performance while reducing cost. In business for nearly 60 years and headquartered in Columbia, Md., HTSI performs missions of national and scientific
2015 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients Brenda Reichelderfer, BSEE ’80, ACIT ’02 (left), and Carey Smith, BSEE ’85 (right), pose with Eric Baumgartner, dean of the College of Engineering (center).
A
s senior vice president and managing director of TriVista, Reichelderfer has more than 30 years of experience in general management, engineering and operations. She joined TriVista after retiring as senior vice president, director of engineering and chief technology officer of ITT Corporation in 2008. With ITT, Reichelderfer previously held the roles of group president of both the Electronic Components Group (a $750
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importance and employs more than 4,000 people at more than 50 customer locations worldwide. Smith began her career with IBM Federal Systems in 1985 as a systems engineer. She earned progressively more responsible roles in program management, engineering management, business development, strategic planning, capture management and operations management. In total, she has spent nearly 30 years in the aerospace and defense industries. Prior to this assignment, her most recent role was the vice president of technical services, in which she was responsible for significant top- and bottomline growth, excellent contract performance, and leading diverse businesses, including health, logistics, physical security, range and base operations, intelligence and information assurance. She held both domestic and international assignments, including a role as president of Lockheed Martin Canada. Smith is a certified program management professional and a certified Green Belt, and she has published more than 10 papers, one of which was recognized by Time Life Books. In 2012, she was recognized as one of the top 100 female leaders in science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM). She is a member of the Professional Services Council Board of Directors and sits on the NATO Industry Advisory Board.
Simple malware solutions are no longer enough. To protect our homeland, we need to move faster and with a deliberate plan. This is a national imperative.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Science in electrical engineering from Syracuse University.
The Spotts Lecture series was established by the T.J. Smull College of Engineering in 1986 to bring distinguished speakers to the ONU campus on an annual basis to inform students of the probable professional conditions and challenges that engineers and computer scientists will face in the future.
After the award ceremony, Smith was the featured speaker during the Spotts Lecture Series in the Freed Center. Her lecture, “Protecting Our Homeland: Past, Present and Future,” focused on measures and countermeasures being used to prevent cyber attacks, which have impacted nearly every person, company and government agency. Smith described how, in 2003, the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 established a policy for the identification and prioritization of critical infrastructure (any domain that enables people, goods, capital and information to move across the economy). Although progress has been made on critical infrastructure protection, much works remains to be done. Looking at technology, the threat is becoming more sophisticated, and new countermeasures are required.
Dr. Merhyle F. Spotts, BSME ’23, Hon. D. ’81, sponsor of the lecture series, graduated from Ohio Northern’s College of Engineering in 1923. After a decade working in heavy and light industry, he obtained a master’s degree from Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He went on to teach at the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University. Throughout his career, Spotts wrote extensively for various technical journals and was the author of four books, including Design of Machine Elements, which is now in its sixth edition and used throughout the world. Spotts was the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including an honorary doctorate of engineering from Ohio Northern University.
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Help ensure the future of the College of Engineering
Harold L. Marker, BSCE ’52, and his wife, Barbara
Barbara and I are happy to invest in the College of Engineering so that future generations of young people can benefit from the solid educational experiences Ohio Northern offers its engineering students. The faculty at Ohio Northern provided me with a strong foundation, and I am pleased to witness how the program continues to evolve, especially with hands-on opportunities. Through my recent involvement at ONU, I have viewed firsthand how students work in teams to create and solve design challenges. This is exceptional preparation for emerging engineers. Last year, I assisted in the review of the senior capstone projects, in which students take their original designs from concept to implementation. The projects and student presentations were very impressive. Recently, our firm completed the construction of the new First United Methodist Church in Ada. A team of ONU engineering students assisted in the restoration of the bell salvaged from the old church that burned to the ground. The restored 1,300-pound bell is proudly displayed in the new church lobby supported by a handsome oak pedestal built by the ONU students.
Scott Phillips (right), mentoring engineering students
In 1965, after 12 years with large commercial construction firm, Harold L. Marker, BSCE ’52, entered into a partnership with the Robert Thomas Construction Company to form the Thomas & Marker Construction Co. in Bellefontaine, Ohio. Marker became the sole owner in 1983, and the company continues to grow and flourish. In 2000, the company opened a second location in Marysville, Ohio, to handle the growing amount of clients in the central Ohio area. To make a gift of your own to the T.J. Smull College of Engineering, please contact Jacque Daley-Perrin, director of development, at j-daley-perrin@onu.edu or 419-772-2390.
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From left to right: Mitchell Schulze, David Woolley, Grant Weirich, Jessica Oliveira and Josh Long
HIGH-IMPACT LEARNING Church SERVICE Ohio Northern University’s relationship to the Ada First United Methodist Church dates back more than a century. When a fire claimed the magnificent structure on March 11, 2012, ONU shared the grief with the rest of the Ada community. Now, three years later, the University is sharing something else with the church – the talent of its engineering students – to honor the old church in the new structure that is being built in its place. The fire rendered the old church a total loss. The beautiful stained glass windows were gone. The century-old carved woodwork consumed. The altar reduced to ash. Only the 1,300-pound, cast-bronze church bell survived. Yet even it bore scars. “When the church burned, the bell lost its structural support and crashed down through the fire to the ground and cracked,” says Tom Zechman, assistant dean of the College of Engineering. The parishioners knew that they needed to save the bell; they just didn’t know exactly what to do with it. So it sat in storage in a local barn until University Chaplain David MacDonald had an idea. “When David suggested that the church contact the College of Engineering about help with the restoration of our bell, a wonderful process unfolded that has produced a beautiful icon for our new building,” says Robert McCurdy, BSPh ’65, Hon. D. ’96, chair of the church building committee and special assistant to the dean of the College of Pharmacy. This wonderful process also led to a unique learning opportunity for ONU students in the form of an EPICS project. EPICS stands for engineering projects in community service, and figuring out how to both restore and display the bell at the church would put the engineers’ project management skills to the test. “The project was a combination of preserving an object of history and giving back to the Ada community,” says David Woolley, a senior civil engineering major from Gainesville, N.Y. “Plus, there was the project management side of it, such as finding the right companies to work with and coordinating between the different entities involved.” EPICS projects are like putting a puzzle together while the pieces are moving on their
own. There are overlapping workflows, timelines and deadlines to consider, and a successful project hinges on navigating the obstacles you see and avoiding the ones ahead.
clear to the students, it was the importance of precision and planning. After all, once you start cutting boards and drilling holes, there’s no going back.
To begin, the students contacted Verdin Bell in Cincinnati, Ohio, to repair the bell. The company has been casting and repairing bells for 170 years, and their relative proximity to Ada made them an excellent choice. With the bell repair taken care of, the next step was to determine a method to display the bell. The students first thought about building a stanchion to hold the bell so that it could be rung, but in their structural analysis, Verdin discovered that the bell was too weak to support itself in such a position. The simplest and most elegant proposal was eventually settled upon: The bell would sit on a square pedestal constructed from the same stained white oak lumber that Hoge Lumber, a contractor on the new Ada United Methodist Church project, was using throughout the building.
While the pedestal was essentially a box constructed from dimensional pine lumber and sheathed in a white oak veneer – a simple design made from simple materials – the detail in every step of the process was exacting. If any student thought that having a measurement off by the thickness of a piece of masking tape wasn’t a big deal before they met Phillips, afterward they knew better. “Scott Phillips is a master woodworker who has an infinite number of tricks that he taught us as well as how to safely use woodworking tools,” says Woolley. “In the end, with Scott’s help, we might have built the most perfectly square box out of wood ever.”
“The pedestal is the one part of this project that we could get our hands on,” says Zechman. “We designed it, and Hoge Lumber supplied the materials. All we needed to do was build it.”
The final step was one of delivery. On Feb. 2, 2015, with the pedestal completed and installed inside the new church, the restored bell was lifted and set with assistance from Thomas & Marker Construction. The restored bell occupies a central place in the church entry lounge, right next to the 1898 cornerstone.
ONU has a long history of producing wellrounded engineers. Part of the reason for its success is a faculty that possesses not only a tremendous amount of skill and expertise, but also the wisdom to bring in a ringer when the project calls for it.
“My biggest reward in doing this project was just helping out a community that needed it and seeing how pleased and grateful the congregation was to see the finished product,” says Mitchell Schulze, a senior civil engineering major from McClure, Ohio.
You might recognize Scott Phillips from television if you are a woodworking aficionado. He is the host of PBS Television’s “The American Woodshop,” an instructional program produced by WGTE in Bowling Green, Ohio, and filmed at Phillips’ woodshop in Piqua, Ohio. On Thursday, Jan. 29, you might have just assumed he was another engineering professor with the enthusiasm and energy he demonstrated teaching civil engineering woodworking skills and overseeing the construction of the pedestal.
And because so many members of this grateful congregation had familiar faces, this particular EPICS project was made all the more special. “The fact that we have ONU students, alumni and ONU engineering faculty as part of our worshiping family made this bell restoration project an ideal part of helping us to remember our heritage,” says McCurdy.
During his visit, Phillips explained his goals and reasoning behind making the trip to Ada: “I’m doing this because this is something that needs to be done, and I really believe that we only have one mission in life, and that’s to make it better,” Phillips says.
“I’ve been following the engineering program at ONU, and they have a really great hands-on group of engineers. These students are salt of the Earth. They’re here to learn. They’re open-minded, creative and enthusiastic,” says Phillips. “As I travel the country, there are areas where that shines. And I challenge all the rest of the places to try and match the enthusiasm and professionalism that is here at Ohio Northern University.”
At the same time, Phillips saw this as a great opportunity to share his woodworking expertise; and if he made one thing abundantly
At the conclusion of a project well done, Phillips marveled at the quality, caliber and charity of the young ONU engineers.
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Delivering ONU engineering lessons to the Dominican Republic
The Evans
Fellowship David Reeping, junior engineering education major from Richfield, Ohio, presented a paper, “Preliminary Results of a Freshman Capstone Project to Design Educational Modules for Teachers in the Dominican Republic,” at the 2014 Frontiers in Education Conference held in Madrid, Spain, on Oct. 24, 2014. Reeping’s paper was co-authored by Dr. John Estell, professor of computer engineering and computer science, and Dr. Ken Reid, former director of engineering education. Reeping’s paper detailed how, during recent mission trips to the Dominican Republic, ONU students and faculty have conducted engineering workshops for Dominican teachers in secondary-level schools. These workshops included design challenges often found in first-year engineering courses, discussions on learning styles, and methods of integrating an engineering mindset into the Dominican curriculum. Because the Dominican teachers wanted greater access to continuing education modules, the ONU students decided to investigate different methods of distributing content to the teachers through online modules. This had the potential to have a large impact at a considerably low cost. Back home, first-year ONU programming students modified an existing term project from Estell’s Programming 2 course, in which a team of students develops an educational game, into a service-learning opportunity. They produced Java-based software applications that incorporate STEM-focused lesson plans developed during an upper-level engineering education elective course and use Spanish for the text of the application’s graphical user interface. These applications were then placed on the web and made available to Dominican STEM educators.
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Through a generous donation from Thomas Evans, BSCE ’45, ACIT ’97, ACIT ’05, the College of Engineering has established the Evans Student Research Fellowship program, which provides students in the college the opportunity to work with faculty over the summer on undergraduate research projects. This is the first sustained summer undergraduate research program in the history of the College of Engineering. Evans saw a need, and he acted on it.
“Our country needs leaders who are honest and sincere, and ONU turns out these individuals,” Evans says. “ONU is a great school, and I was privileged to attend there. I wanted to give back to help today’s students.”
HIGH-IMPACT LEARNING THE PROGRAM PROVIDES FUNDING FOR 10 WEEKS OF WORK DURING THE SUMMER. LAST SUMMER, TWO STUDENTS WERE SELECTED AS EVANS FELLOWS: ERIC HOLODNAK, A SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT FROM JEFFERSON, OHIO, AND GREGORY GEARHART JR., A SENIOR CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENT FROM WAYNESVILLE, OHIO.
Holodnak worked with Dr. Ziad Youssfi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. Jed Marquart, professor of mechanical engineering, on a project titled “ThermalAware Computing.” The project involved the application of thermal models that used finite-element analysis (FEA) to study the relationship between processor architecture techniques and chip thermal distribution. It then aimed to find novel cooling and architecture techniques to reduce hotspots and increase processor performance. “In other words, I used computer software to predict the operating temperatures of a computer processor,” Holodnak explains.
says Gearhart. “Our research focused on using recycled asphalt pavement (recycled parts or road) as a fraction of the coarse aggregate in self-consolidating concrete. Self-consolidating concrete is runny, and one of its properties is working all the voids out under its own self-weight, meaning no external work is necessary.” Familiarity made for easy research experiences, free of any needless learning curves or breaking-in processes. “Opportunities like this are available at other schools,” Holodnak says. “However, by working at ONU, I was able to work with professors I already knew, which helped us to work more efficiently.”
Gearhart echoes this sentiment. “I’m sure there are similar opportunities at other schools, but I’m not sure I would have applied for it anywhere else. The environment in the engineering college is so student-focused that the research was geared more towards the student experience than at other schools. The one-on-one experiences helped me pick up on things I may not have in a larger group setting.” “The opportunity to pair faculty with students through this program is important to the vitality and the continued improvement of the college,” says Dr. Eric Baumgartner, dean of the College of Engineering.
Gearhart, meanwhile, worked with Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Mohti, assistant professor of civil engineering, and Dr. Hui Shen, associate professor of mechanical engineering, on “Measuring Characteristics of Recycled Asphalt Pavement SelfConsolidating Concrete,” in which they investigated the fresh and hardened properties of self-consolidating concrete that contains recycled asphalt pavement. “Traditionally, concrete must be worked to get all the voids out, which helps it reach its fullest strength. Also, typical aggregates in the mix are sand (fine) and stones (coarse),”
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HIGH-IMPACT LEARNING Burger time They just don’t patty ’em like they used to. We’re talking about hamburgers, of course, and this is the sentiment held by Kewpee Hamburger, a Lima institution and icon since 1928. These days, Kewpee is owned and operated by the Shutt family. For the past couple of decades, the Shutts have struggled with a problem made worse with the passage of time: the lack of parts for the machinery used to slice and stack those signature Kewpee burgers – a process collectively known as “pattying.” These machines shape the hamburger meat into square patties, place waxed paper on the bottom, and then cut and stack them. It’s a system that has worked for decades. The creation of that unique “Mity Nice Hamburger” depends on it. Because each Kewpee location does all of its burger processing in store, each location must have a pattying machine. Each one of these machines makes 3,000 patties every morning. It’s a daily grind, to be sure.
In the 1950s, these pattying machines were state-of-the-art. Today, they are outdated, cantankerous and hard to maintain. Parts are growing impossible to find, but the old machines seem to be the only way to get that signature Kewpee texture. Newer pattying machines incorporate stamping processes that compress the meat, leaving a patty that’s flat and uninspiring. Simply put, a Kewpee patty needs to be fluffy. Really, for Kewpee to introduce a new piece of machinery to the process would compromise the identity of the food. So, the Shutts were very interested in maintaining the status quo while, at the same time, modernizing it. Such modernization came forth from the minds of engineering students at Ohio Northern University. Approached by Kewpee general manager Scott Shutt, BSEE ’83, to solve the outdated equipment problem, Dr. David Mikesell, BSME ’97, associate professor of mechanical engineering, led a team of three students through a senior capstone project focused on modernizing 60-year-old equipment without losing the essence of what makes said equipment so great. The Shutt family has a longstanding relationship with the University, so it was natural for them to seek ONU’s help. Both Scott Shutt and his daughter, Emily Shutt, BSBA ’13, are alumni. Plus, The ONU Holiday Spectacular has been underwritten in part by Scott Shutt’s parents, Harry and Myrna, and Kewpee Hamburger since 1994. To date, that production has been seen by more than 130,000 people. To begin tackling the Kewpee equipment problem, the students were loaned a slicing and stacking machine. But the team – made up of Austin Conley, BSME ’14, Andrea Masters, BSME ’14, and Lauren Poll, BSME ’14 – needed to come to an understanding of how the machine worked before they could proceed. “It was an old electric motor-driven system with cams and clutches,” Mikesell says. “We had to stare at that thing
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for half an hour before we had it all figured out. There was some real quirky action on the original slicer with the way that the tiny cams inside worked, and getting those set precisely was a real headache.” Armed with a fresh understanding of the vintage equipment, the team set about reimagining its operations. The students didn’t want to be constrained by what Needham Manufacturing had done in the 1950s; they wanted to create the best concept possible with tools available today. The students envisioned a number of creative alternatives, but it was challenging to come up with something new that would properly handle a floppy, sticky hamburger patty. In the end, it was decided that the Needham engineers had come up with a pretty clever concept, but the students could make it a lot more robust and reliable with modern actuators and controls. So, ONU students modified the slicer and the stacker elements using cardboard and slices of wood as burger stand-ins. They didn’t change the way the patty is made; they just changed the way the elements move. What used to be full of motors, cams, pulleys and clutches was replaced with two pneumatic cylinders and some electronic sensors. A fist-size computer also was added to control all the action. The process remains the same. It took six months of brainstorming and design work, and then another two months of fabrication, but in April 2014 the students were finally able to demonstrate their prototype to the Shutts and representatives from Kewpee. After some refinements, the goal is to install the updated equipment in all three Lima locations. To date, the studentbuilt machine has made more than 300,000 patties since it was delivered. With an infusion of ingenuity from ONU engineering, generations to come will still be able to say, “Your Grandpappy ate here!”
THEORY PRACTICE The College of Engineering’s Theory 2 Practice series was established to bring guest speakers to campus to discuss the connection between the engineering theory taught in the classroom and the realities of the working world. Although the series began in February 2013, Theory 2 Practice has featured a great list of outstanding speakers this year alone:
October 2014
Joanna Pinkerton, BSCE ’98 Senior Associate Director OSU Center for Automotive Research Automotive Research
November 2014
Robert Ryan, BSME ’81 Energy Consultant Kitimat LNG – Apache Corporation The Engineering and Business Nexus
December 2014
Mark Mishler, BSEE ’86 Director of Development Engineering L-3 Fuzing and Ordnance Systems Ultra-High-Tech Defense
February 2015
Dave Cunningham, BSEE ’86 President and CEO Precisions Governors LLC Career Movement: Managing Risk With Confidence
March 2015
Jeff Bowers, BSEE ’83 President of Software Solutions Giesecke & Devrient Is Your Phone More Secure than your Career? SMULL TALK
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Pioneers
and Ambassadors Three ONU engineers – seniors Graham Fennell and Tyler Hertenstein and Elizabeth “Liz” Spingola, BS ’14 – are the first people in the country to receive an undergraduate degree designed to turn them into ambassadors for the engineering profession.
“I have no doubt that these outstanding young engineers will make a mark in society just like they’ve done here at the college,” says Tom Zechman, assistant dean. The T.J. Smull College of Engineering launched the bachelor’s degree in engineering education in fall 2011 with the goal of producing teachers and engineering professionals who could steer young people toward careers in engineering. The four-year degree program gives students a solid foundation in engineering, mathematics and education. Students take 18
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general engineering courses and then focus on a specific field of engineering with a fourcourse concentration. They graduate with all the necessary qualifications to be licensed as secondary math teachers in Ohio. Fennell, Hertenstein and Spingola – among the first students to enroll in the new program – became “guinea pigs,” according to Zechman. “They say your first child teaches you how to be a parent. Well, these three showed us how to make our program better,” he says. Exhibiting a strong work ethic and boundless enthusiasm, these students emerged as campus leaders. They designed and executed programs and projects, offered feedback on curriculum, engaged in research and much more. In the end, they strengthened the engineering education major while developing an impressive skillset that makes them highly marketable. “These students will be able to write their tickets,” says Zechman. “They will be highly sought after in the marketplace because of the uniqueness of their degree and experiences.”
GRAHAM FENNELL MARS, PA. • Switched from civil engineering to engineering education during his freshman orientation session. “I was torn between engineering and teaching, so when this degree came out, it was the best of both worlds.” • Currently a student teacher at Van Wert High School, where he teaches courses in Project Lead the Way (PLTW) – a national STEM program. He graduates in May 2015. • Wants to be a high school engineering teacher, preferably at a school with a PLTW program. “I want to have an impact on the lives of my students.”
IN A SNAPSHOT Here’s why they’re pioneers and ambassadors:
TYLER HERTENSTEIN ST. MARYS, OHIO
• Discovered the engineering education program at a college fair. “I instantly fell in love with the program because it allowed me to develop my interest in engineering and try my hand at teaching.” • Received ONU’s DeBow Freed Leadership Award – awarded to just one male and one female student from each class – during his freshman and sophomore years. • Currently a student teacher at Allen East High School. Graduates in May 2015. • Wants to become a lifelong high school teacher, focusing on engineering. “I want my students to experience what it could be like to work in any STEM field and to inspire the next generation of innovators.”
LIZ SPINGOLA BUTLER, PA.
• Switched majors her sophomore year from mechanical engineering to engineering education because she enjoyed teaching and wanted to focus on the betterment of the engineering field. • Received ONU’s 2014 Catherine Freed Leadership Award, which recognizes the outstanding female leader on campus. • Currently a Ph.D. candidate in the engineering education program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she’s involved in funded research pertaining to curriculum design, co-curricular activities and engineering cultures. • Passionate about recruiting more minorities and women to the engineering field. Wants to work in the field of research, government policy or STEM program development. “The strength of ONU’s engineering education program is that it shows you the struggles of the engineering profession through the years and inspires you to be an agent for change.”
•ASEE Chapter. Fennell and Hertenstein played instrumental roles in establishing a chapter of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) on campus – the first undergraduate chapter in the country. They served as president and vice president for three years, capitalizing on ASEE offerings – like guest speakers, regional and national conferences, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) outreach programs – to enhance the educations of current and future ONU engineering education majors. “ASEE allows us to network and spread the word about ONU’s program,” says Fennell. •STEM Academy. Fennell and Hertenstein helped develop a STEM Academy – a popular program that brings ONU engineering students to local schools for a fun day of interactive engineering projects. With around 30 engineering students and 15 workshops, ONU has hosted several STEM Academies at Piqua City Schools and Bluffton Schools for fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. Fennell and Hertenstein developed curriculum, recruited volunteers and customized engineering activities – like building batteries from lemons and designing weight-bearing structures from playing cards – for each event. “They took a good idea and turned it into a sustainable and impactful program,” credits Zechman. “Schoolchildren have told us it’s their favorite day of the school year.” •Mars Rover. Spingola served as team leader for an EPICS (engineering projects in community service) project to design and build a quarter-scale replica of the Mars rover Curiosity for the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio. “Curio” – designed to spark young people’s interest in aerospace engineering – is portable and travels to community festivals and area schools when not exhibited at the museum. •Cultural Connection. Spingola and Hertenstein traveled to the Dominican Republic with Northern Engineers without Boundaries to show local teachers how to integrate engineering activities into their everyday lessons. “We faced cultural differences and a language barrier,” says Spingola. “But it was a rewarding experience.” •Research. Fennell, Spingola and Hertenstein engaged in research related to engineering curriculum and presented their findings at regional and national conferences. Spingola, in particular, discovered a passion for research. She assisted with a research study funded by the National Science Foundation that created a classification scheme for all first-year engineering programs, and she co-authored a total of 12 conference papers. Spingola and Hertenstein spent a summer at Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts as research assistants for a national study aimed at improving the educational experience for undergraduate engineering students. Only 12 engineering students nationwide were selected for this program. SMULL TALK
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National Design Competition Recap
ASCE Concrete Canoe:
IEEE Micromouse:
March 2014
April 2014
• 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers’ regional canoe and steel bridge competition
Best theme award
Third in design paper
Second in oral presentation
• Captured second place at the Region 2 IEEE Student Activities Conference hosted by Rowan University in New Jersey.
ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge: April 2014 • Fourth place at the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (HPVC) East competition at the University of Central Florida
ASCE Steel Bridge Competition: March 2014 • Competed in the 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers’ regional canoe and steel bridge competition 20
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Robotic Football: April 2014 • Defeated the University of Notre Dame by a score of 29-7 as part of the Brian Hederman Memorial Robotic Competition • This marks the second consecutive win of the Brian Hederman Memorial Robotic Competition for ONU
2015 UPCOMING ENGINEERING COMPETITIONS April 9-12 Baja SAE Auburn Auburn, Ala. April 10
Baja SAE: • Baja SAE Kansas: May 2014
17th overall
• Baja SAE Illinois: June 2014
11th place overall finish
• Baja SAE Midnight Mayhem: October 2014
Car No. 32: third in endurance race
Car No. 7: 16th overall
Car No. 5: 31st overall
Robotic Football vs. Notre Dame Ohio Northern University Ada, Ohio
April 10-12 IEEE Micromouse the Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio April 10-12 ASCE Concrete Canoe and Steel Bridge Competitions University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio April 11-12 US EPA P3 Competition National Sustainable Design Expo Alexandria, Va. April 24-26 ASME Human Powered Vehicle Challenge West Competition San Jose, Calif. May 7-10
Baja SAE Maryland Baltimore, Md.
May 27-30 Baja SAE Oregon Portland, Ore. See what else we are up to in the College of Engineering by liking Ohio Northern University T.J. Smull College of Engineering on Facebook.
SAE Aero Design East 2015: March 2015 • Seventh place among 37 national and international teams at the SAE Aero Design East competition in Lakeland, Fla. SMULL TALK
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Engineering News
BOB WARD RETIRES FROM THE COLLEGE
Robert “Bob” Ward retired from the College of Engineering in December 2014. Ward came to ONU in 1989 after completing his Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas and his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science at the University of Missouri. Ohio Northern provided Ward with his first “taste” of living in the Midwest after he taught briefly at New Mexico State University and held engineering jobs in Missouri, Kansas, Texas and New Mexico before moving to Ada. Since his arrival at ONU, Ward has worn out countless bicycles, and his love of sports and commitment to students were transferred into many volunteer hours as he assisted with ONU sporting events ranging from basketball to football to track and field. More often than not, he also was found accompanying Son’s Rays to
their off-campus performances. He was the longstanding chief advisor for the college’s award-winning engineering honorary, the Ohio Iota chapter of Tau Beta Pi; supported the concrete canoe team wherever they traveled to compete; and, for 20 years, helped with a middle school camp for girls called Camp GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math and Science). During his years at ONU, Ward was active in the North Central Section of the American Society for Engineering Education and held several offices on its board, including president. Ward has truly been an asset and a blessing to the University and to Ada. This semester, Ward continues to teach at ONU as an adjunct professor. He and his wife, Karen, plan to stay in Ada and are enjoying spending more time with their children and grandchildren.
NEW FACULTY Louis DiBerardino
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Louis DiBerardino joined the mechanical engineering department as an assistant professor. He comes to the College of Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Ph.D. in 2014 and a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in 2008, all in mechanical engineering. At ONU, he teaches Introduction to Engineering 1, Dynamic Systems 1, Dynamics and Computer Applications. DiBerardino also is the co-advisor for freshman mechanical engineering students. His research interests include musculoskeletal biomechanics, control of human movement and nonlinear dynamics.
Lori Sahloff
Visiting Instructor Lori Sahloff comes to the College of Engineering as a visiting instructor responsible for planning, coordinating and instructing in the first-year engineering course sequence. Sahloff is not new to the University, as she was previously an adjunct professor in the departments of Mathematics and Technological Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. Prior to that, she held various engineering positions with the Ford Motor Company, Philips Display Components and Mettler-Toledo. Sahloff received a Master of Science in engineering management from Kettering University and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Toledo. 22
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Briana Enty
Graduate Intern Briana Enty is a graduate student at Bowling Green State University in the College Student Personnel program. At ONU, she serves in the Office of Residence Life as a resident director in Stadiumview West and as an intern in the T.J. Smull College of Engineering. In the College of Engineering, Enty provides services focused in the area of academic affairs. She runs the freshman mentoring program, trains engineering students to provide successful high school outreach programs, coordinates student improvement plans (SIP), and assists with STEM day activities in elementary and middle schools. Enty is from Reisterstown, N.Y., and earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from the New York Institute of Technology in Old Westbury, N.Y.
Vladimir Labay
Visiting Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering Vladimir Labay joined the College of Engineering from Gonzaga University, where he currently is on sabbatical. He earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Victoria and his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Manitoba. At ONU, Labay teaches circuits and advises senior capstone projects. His research interests include the modeling and development of microwave/ millimeter-wave integrated circuit devices used in wireless and satellite communications. Recently, he successfully led the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) initiative at Gonzaga University.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR I have served this advisory board for the past 15 years, the last three years as chair. I am always humbled, thankful and inspired by the passion and dedication of our advisory board members, alumni, faculty and staff. These individuals all help base our institution on futures – planning, educating and staffing for them. We combine this with building meaningful learning environments and high-impact learning experiences for the lives we touch and inspire each day. The present we currently know is based on those individuals who lend their time, talents and treasures to plan and cultivate the experiences our current students thrive on. In addition, as a college, it is our duty to keep our eyes turned toward the horizon for future needs. In the months ahead, we will share a lot more about the exciting future we are creating as we execute the advanced stages of our strategic plan. I invite all readers of the Smull Talk to seek out opportunities to participate in our efforts to build on our past legacies to create amazing learning experiences for the engineering students of tomorrow. Go Polar Bears! Kevin D. Freese, BSME ’84 Chair of the Advisory Board T.J. Smull College of Engineering
2014-15 Members of the College of Engineering Advisory Board
Michael Chow, P.E., LEED AP BSEE ’92 Owner/Principal Metro CD Engineering LLC Dublin, Ohio
Frederick “Fritz” Kucklick BSME ’69, ACIT ’09 Engineering, Mgmt & Lit. Consultant IMT Consulting Inc. Cassopolis, Mich.
Lt. Col. Brett Mason BSEE ’86 Vice President, Intelligence Community, AC4S Mission Essential Personnel LLC Fairfax, Va.
Jeff Garlock BS ’85 Associate Chief Engineer Honda of America Manufacturing Inc. Marysville, Ohio
Scott McClintock, P.E. BSCE ’86 Project Manager Kass Corporation/2AW Limited Pataskala, Ohio
Board Vice Chair Deborah (Green) Houdeshell, P.E. BSCE ’87 Senior Associate Hazen and Sawyer Akron, Ohio
Dr. E.F. Charles LaBerge Professor of the Practice of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, Md.
Lori (Burgett) Gillett BSCE ’96 Business Development Manager Kokosing Construction Company Westerville, Ohio
Dr. Donald Campbell BSME ’59, ACIT ’95, Hon. D. ’98, ACIT ’11 Director (Retired) NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, Ohio
Bruce Hollinger BSCE ’75 President/Co-Founder WiSys LLC Flowery Branch, Ga.
Susan (Di Nezza) Lettrich BSEE ’85 Manager, Data Analysis – Human Capital Progressive Insurance Mayfield Heights, Ohio
Board Chair Kevin Freese BSME ’84 President and CEO Affordable Living Spaces Ltd. Cleveland, Ohio
Neil Naiman, P.E. BSEE ’74 Manager, Downstream Planning and Strategy (Retired) Marathon Petroleum Company LLC Findlay, Ohio
Victor Marone, P.E. Senior Partner Chesapeake Management Associates Annapolis, Md.
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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage
PAID
Berne, IN 46711 Permit No. 43
College of Engineering 525 S. Main St. Ada, OH 45810
REWARDING SUMMER ENRICHMENT OPTIONS
CAMP GEMS
SUMMER
Girls in Engineering, Math & Science WHAT:
WHAT:
WHERE: WHEN: WHO:
A weeklong residential camp for gifted students that introduces students to challenging courses ranging from math and engineering to theatre and the legal system. Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio June 14-19 and 21-26, 2015 For gifted high school students entering the ninth, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade in fall 2015
MORE INFO: onu.edu/sahi
WHERE: WHEN: WHO:
A four-day residential engineering, mathematics and science camp Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio July 15-17, 2015 Girls entering the seventh or eighth grade in fall 2015
MORE INFO: onu.edu/campgems