Pitt Engineer - Fall 2009

fall ’09/winter ’10

Healthy Metals:

Revolutionizing Surgery with Metallic Biomaterials

Distinguished Alumni

Homecoming 2009

Student Spotlight

Stephen Tritch leads a group of exceptional alums

Annual event wrap-up and photos

Meet the first beneficiary of the Karl H. Lewis Impact fund

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A Message from the U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering

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In 2008, the University of Pittsburgh became a partner in a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center (ERC)—one of the most prestigious designations given to an engineering school—for the second time.

Swanson School of Engineering faculty have joined with faculty from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a historically Black university, and the University of Cincinnati in an $18.5 million project titled Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials. Together, these researchers will develop implantable devices from biodegradable materials. This research may someday make it possible for millions of patients to undergo implant surgery, such as rebuilding a jaw or replacing a heart valve, without requiring painful and expensive postoperative procedures to remove implanted devices.

Instead, the implants will dissolve without any harm to the patient. (See page 2 for the full story and an update on recent research.)

“ Every day, Swanson School alumni impact their communities and industries, contribute to Pitt with their time and generous financial gifts, and serve as wonderful role models for students.”

Projects like these and many dozens of others have increased our research expenditures by $45 million in the past decade.

Leveraging an engineering school into one that can compete for and receive this caliber of research support requires a dedicated and talented cadre of faculty, staff, alumni, and students.

I invite you to peruse our faculty and staff accomplishments section (pages 4–5), where you will see many award and citations for research, teaching, and innovation, including the five-year $2.2 million National Institutes of Health New Innovator Award that Ipsita Banerjee received to study stem cell development; the U.S. Department of Energy grant awarded to Radisav Vidic and Eric Beckman to develop ways to better manage wastewater generation through the extraction process of the Marcellus Shale, an issue of great concern to Southwestern Pennsylvania communities and others across the nation; or the American Society for Engineering Education’s recognition of Kristine Lalley’s research on how short-term study abroad programs influence participation in additional international education opportunities, something members of the Swanson School take very seriously as we

prepare our students to participate in a world that increasingly requires them to think and act more globally.

Every day, Swanson School alumni impact their communities and industries, contribute to Pitt with their time and generous financial gifts, and serve as wonderful role models for students. Annually, we recognize some of these outstanding alumni at our Distinguished Alumni Awards banquet.

The 2009 Swanson School Distinguished Alumnus is former Westinghouse Electric Company President and CEO Stephen Tritch, who, in 2009, also was named chair of the University’s Board of Trustees (see page 6).

He serves at the helm of the Swanson School Board of Visitors and has been integral in helping to prepare the school for the second decade of the 21st century.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the students who contribute to the fresh, innovative thinking coming out of the Swanson School. I am learning about their impressive accomplishments every day. Just as Pitt Engineer was about to go to print, I learned that a Swanson School team had received a Mondialogo Engineering Silver Award. Led

by PhD candidate and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Fellow Bhavna Sharma and Associate Professor Kent Harries, Pitt’s team partnered with students from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur to present findings on using bamboo as an effective and sustainable building material. The team was selected from more than 900 submissions for this international award (see page 16).

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our recent accomplishments.

Hail to Pitt,

Gerald D. Holder

The alumni magazine of the Swanson School of Engineering

Features Research Feature:

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Healthy Metals.......................................... 2 Engineering Degree Takes Westinghouse Chief to the Top................... 6

Departments Around the School..................................... 4 Distinguished Alumni................................. 8 Alumni Notes.......................................... 12 Student News......................................... 15

6 14 Gerald D. Holder U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering Sonia Gill Director of Marketing and Communications/Editor Teralyn Iscrupe Associate Director of Marketing and Communications/ Contributing Writer Kelly Sjol Communications Manager/Editor Don Henderson Assistant Creative Director/Designer Chuck Dinsmore Production Manager Sarah Jordan Rosenson Editorial Assistant Niki Kapsambelis Karen Hoffmann Contributing Writers

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On the Cover

Pitt researchers are partners with faculty at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and the University of Cincinnati in a five-year $18.5 million National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center project to develop implantable devices made from biodegradable materials, examples of which are shown on the cover. See page 2 for this issue’s research feature, “Healthy Metals.”

Awards 2006, 2007, and 2008 IABC Golden Triangle Award of Excellence, Magazines: 4-Color Design 2005 Western Pennsylvania Printing Industry Award, Best of Category Have a comment or story idea for Pitt Engineer? Contact Sonia Gill at 412-624-2640, or send an e-mail to sgill@pitt.edu.

The University of Pittsburgh is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. Published in cooperation with the Department of University Marketing Communications. UMC68173-0110

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Healthy Metals

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Swanson School of Engineering researchers are helping to lead a project to create novel implantable devices that will dissolve harmlessly in the body, reducing complications from surgery.

In September 2008, the school announced it had received a five-year $18.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Titled Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials, the grant enabled the school to create an Engineering Research Center (ERC).

The University of Pittsburgh will be part of the ERC’s central partnership along with lead institution North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT) and the University of Cincinnati (UC). The grant also will create the first bioengineering department at a historically Black college or university (NCAT).

William Wagner, deputy director of Pitt’s McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and professor of bioengineering, chemical engineering, and surgery, will serve as deputy director of the project with UC Associate Professor Mark Schulz, codirector of the UC Nanoworld and Smart Materials and Devices Laboratory. Jagannathan Sankar, NCAT’s Wagner

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Distinguished University Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of its Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures, will direct the project.

“The folks at North Carolina A&T, in particular Dr. Sankar, with his great enthusiasm and wonderful personal magnetism, spearheaded the effort that convinced us we should go ahead and try to compete for one of these ERC awards,” says Harvey Borovetz, Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Bioengineering. The collaboration melds NCAT’s expertise in metallurgy, Pitt’s expertise in regenerative medicine, and UC’s expertise in sensor technology. Research in the ERC will focus on developing biodegradable metals— magnesium-based alloys that could be placed in the body, then degrade when they’re no longer needed.

“The goal would be that the metal would do what it needed to do but eventually disappear, so that you would not need to replace it or do a second procedure,” says Borovetz.

“That’s the revolutionary part: You can actually program your biomaterial to know when to disappear, consistent with optimal healing.

“One of the reasons we won this award,” according to Borovetz, “was that Dean Holder, at just the right time, hired Borovetz

Kumta

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Dr. Prashant Kumta, a recognized authority in metals, biometallurgy, and the biocomposition of metals.”

Kumta, Edward R. Weidlein Chair in the Departments of Bioengineering, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, is working to develop the next generation of degradable metals: new magnesium-based alloys. With Charles Sfeir, associate professor of oral medicine and pathology in Pitt’s School of Dental Medicine, Kumta is using metals from Germany’s Hannover Medical School, which has clinical experience implanting magnesium-based alloys, and characterizing their ability to be put into bone applications.

One of the major applications of such materials is in pediatrics. Today, when children are born with a congenital deformity like a cleft palate, they’re fitted with hard metal devices that have to be removed and refitted over time.

Devices the ERC researchers will engineer—crafted from magnesium alloys and other biodegradable metals—would adapt to the body without refitting.

“When you get a coronary stent, that stent is with you for the rest of your life,” says Wagner. “Patients may need to have another stent put in, and wire cages in the arteries can get dangerous. Having it disappear after six months with the artery remaining open would be attractive.”

Finally, the team aims to develop tiny sensing systems that monitor and control the safety and effectiveness of biodegradable metals inside the body, telling doctors whether undesirable degradation by-products are reaching toxic levels.

PITTENGINEER

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Researchers at Pitt are developing biodegradable metals that could be placed in the body and allowed to degrade when they’re no longer needed. Pictured here is a magnesium-based alloy (A) that can be converted to alloy powders of controlled sizes by high-energy mechanical milling. The mechanically milled alloy powders are then converted into biodegradable 3-D porous or nonporous scaffolds using modified and customized thermal and piezoelectric ink-jet printers (B). One application of these biodegradable metals is a jaw implant, in which the scaffolding would hold the jaw in place, then degrade after human bone regenerates. The 3-D ink-jet process can be used to print and process scaffolds comprising a variety of complex shapes and porous architectures (C). Another example is the ball bearing cylinder, a shape that can be created with the alloy metal powders (D).

Another research goal is to develop degradable cardiovascular devices, like stents. Magnesium stents and other supports would restore cardiovascular function, then degrade, thus avoiding having to remove the device or expose the patient to the potential complications of leaving it inside the body.

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“These are ‘smart’ biomaterials in a sense,” says Borovetz.

“UC, with its expertise in sensors, can take a piece of metal and program it to function according to a particular clinical need.”

Wagner’s group also will work to increase value and functionality of nondegradable metals by modifying their surface.

Applications include reducing blood clotting for metals used in blood pumps and drug-releasing coatings for stents.

Says Borovetz, “The technical challenges are certainly there but, more importantly, so are the patients who need these technologies.”

Other partners in the ERC are the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India, and California State University, Los Angeles.

In addition, nearly 30 product development and industrial partners in the nanotechnology and biotechnology markets will form a consortium with the ERC to provide input on research and to help to transfer technology to patients.

Wagner points out that the United States has lagged behind in biodegradable metals research, with the leaders in this field located mostly in Germany and China. “This was a strategic investment for the country to get in at an early stage in this type of research,” he says.

Borovetz notes that being selected for the highly competitive ERC grant reflects the continuing improvement and excellence of the Swanson School and the quality of its people.

From 143 submissions at the preproposal stage, NSF funded just five.

“Normally, I’m not interested in applying for grants or other awards where you have less than a one in 25 chance,” jokes Borovetz, “but faculty in the Swanson School have the kind of reputation that is required to compete for these awards.”

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AROUND THE SCHOOL

Faculty Headlines

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Appointments Harvey Borovetz, chair of the Department of Bioengineering, has been designated Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering in recognition of his contributions to the field of artificial heart design. Appointment to distinguished professorship is among the highest honors the University bestows on a faculty member. Borovetz also holds the Robert L. Hardesty Professorship in the Department of Surgery in the School of Medicine.

In addition to his internationally recognized engineering accomplishments, Borovetz has led the Department of Bioengineering into national prominence. The number of full-time faculty members in the department has risen to 20, with more than 100 other faculty members across the University holding secondary academic appointments in the department, including more than two dozen physicians.

Pitt’s Department of Bioengineering, which is a member of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Centers consortium, is now ranked among the top five public bioengineering programs in the U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings.

Michael Sacks, bioengineering professor, was named the first John A. Swanson Endowed Chair in recognition of his outstanding research accomplishments and service to the bioengineering community at the national and international level.

Earlier this year, Sacks received the Van C. Mow Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), a highly prestigious award given to a researcher who has “demonstrated meritorious contributions to the field of bioengineering through research, education, professional development, leadership in the development of the profession, mentorship to young bioengineers, and with service to the bioengineering community.”

Department Code Bioengineering (BioE) Chemical & Petroleum Engineering (ChE) Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE)

Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) Industrial Engineering (IE) Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science (MEMS)

Visit us online at www.engr.pitt.edu/news/publications.html to view the detailed list of faculty accomplishments in the Web component of Around the School.

Renown nationally and internationally for his research on the biomechanics of native and engineered soft tissues, Sacks has published extensively in top-tier peer-reviewed journals; was named among the 2006 Scientific American 50; received the 2008 University of Pittsburgh Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award in the senior scholar category; is the technical editor of the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering; is an ASME, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) fellow; and has received National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in excess of $1 million annually.

News Maker Rory Cooper, chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, was featured on a special-edition Cheerios® box honoring 12 gold medalists from the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Cooper brings engineering expertise into the world of rehabilitation, holding appointments of professor of bioengineering and mechanical engineering. A decorated U.S. Army veteran, he is one of the world’s foremost authorities on wheelchair design. Cooper is director of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, a partnership between the University of Pittsburgh, UPMC, and the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System; chair and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology in Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; and a VA senior career scientist.

Awards and Recognition

Cheerios® is a registered trademark of General Mills and is used with permission.

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Daniel Budny (CEE) was promoted to fellow member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the North Central Section of ASEE. Kent Harries (CEE) was elected to the council of the International Institute of FRP (fiber-reinforced polymer) in Construction.

Alex Jones (ECE) received the ACM Special Interest Group on Design Automation (SIGDA) Service Award for contributions to ACM SIGDA. Hong Koo Kim (ECE) received a patent for “Metallic Nano-optic Lenses and Beam Shaping Devices (II)” in collaboration with Zhijun Sun and Christopher C. Capelli. Prashant Kumta (MEMS) was

elected a fellow of the American Ceramic Society. Patrick Loughlin (BioE) was elected a fellow of AIMBE. Donald J. Plazek (MEMS) received the 2009 Fernley H. Banbury Award from the American Chemical Members of the Pitt Manufacturing Assistance Center (MAC) were honored by State Senator Jane C. Society Rubber Division. Albert To (CEE) Orie for their participation in the Hearts of Steel Campaign. The campaign originated to remember the was awarded a 2009 U.S. Air Force Summer heroes of Flight 93, which crashed in Shanksville, Pa., on September 11, 2001. MAC participated as a Faculty Fellowship. David Vorp (BioE) was manufacturer of the bracelets. Accepting acknowledgments on behalf of MAC was Bill Peduzzi, former plant manager of MAC, who was instrumental in initiating MAC’s involvement. Also in attendance were elected to the BMES fellows Class of 2008.

Rob Beatty, current plant manager; Chuck Slagle, instructor; and former staff member Ron Tinkle.

Savio Woo (BioE) was appointed an honorary member of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedic Sports Traumatology. He is the only non-surgeon to receive such an Materials: New Paradigm of Transparent Conducting Oxides.” honor from this federation of clinicians. Minhee Yun (ECE) Xu Liang (CEE) was awarded two new grants, one from the was appointed to the board of the International Network for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for Engineering Education and Research. her project “Collaborative Research: Impacts of Assimilating Remotely Sensed Snow on the Prediction of Orographic A Pitt team recently won the Best Paper Award from the Precipitation and Streamflow in the Western United States” International Division of ASEE for an evaluation of Pitt’s Plus3 and the other from the National Aeronautics and Space program, a first-year study abroad program for engineering Administration (NASA) for the project “Enhancing NOAA and business undergraduates that exposes them to interAWIPS DSS by Infusing NASA Research Results for Drought national markets through an intensive two-week trip abroad and Other Disaster Management” (conducted in conjunction and requires a team research paper. Kristine Lalley, the with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis). paper’s lead author and director of international engineering Lisa Maillart (IE) was awarded an NSF grant to study initiatives in the Swanson School, accepted the award at the adaptive maintenance policies for complex systems. Oleg 2009 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition; the paper was Prokopyev (IE) received grants from NSF and the Air Force published in the conference proceedings. Lalley worked with Office of Scientific Research. The research will be completed Josephine Olson, director of the Joseph M. Katz Graduate with faculty from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Business International Business Center and a proSchool of Public Health and School of Medicine as well as fessor of business administration, and College of Business from Purdue University. Ravi Shankar (IE) received an NSF Administration student Brant Hawk.* research grant for “Self-Assembling Ductile and Tough Bulk Nanostructured Alloys of High Thermal-Stability.” He also Grants was the recipient of a John J. McCambridge Research Grant Ipsita Banerjee (ChE) received a five-year $2.2 million from the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management for Director’s New Innovator Award from NIH to uncover how stem exploring environmentally benign manufacturing processes. cells develop into mature cells and possible techniques for Radisav Vidic (CEE) and Eric Beckman (ChE) will lead influencing their growth to suit specific organs. Banerjee is a three-year $1.06 million project to better manage the the only chemical engineering faculty member in the country wastewater generated by the extraction process used on to have received this prestigious award this year. Mary the Marcellus Shale. They will work with Carnegie Mellon Besterfield-Sacre (IE) and Larry Shuman (IE) received a new University Assistant Professor Kelvin Gregory. The project grant from NSF to conduct a cross-institutional study of entreis funded by the National Energy Technology Laboratory. preneurship in U.S. engineering schools and will empirically Jörg Wiezorek (MEMS) received a grant from the U.S. model best practices. Kevin Chen (ECE) received a grant Nuclear Regulatory Commission to support nuclear engifrom NSF to carry out research in fiber optics and nanotechnolneering PhD students. The students will collaborate with ogy, including 3-D laser processing, a collaborative project on Westinghouse Electric Company to develop a more quantitawhich Chen will lead three universities. William Federspiel tive and mechanistic understanding of the degradation of (ChE) is a partner in a $1.9 million award from the National the austenitic stainless steels used in constructing nuclear Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of NIH to develop a groundreactors. Minhee Yun (ECE) and Xinyan Tracy Cui (BioE) breaking blood storage system. Jeffrey Kharoufeh (IE) were awarded a grant from NIH for “R21: Point-of-Care received two NSF grants to study the performance evaluation System Based on Single Polymer Nanowires for Real-time, of large-scale sensor networks and to develop adaptive mainAMI Diagnosis.” Yun also was awarded a grant from the tenance policies for complex systems. Amy Landis (CEE) University of Texas at Dallas for “Fabrication of Graphene was awarded an NSF grant to investigate the environmental Contact Electrodes.” impacts of next-generation biofuels. Jung-Kun Lee (MEMS) received an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award for the project “Electron Injection in Nanostructured *published in the July 6, 2009, issue of Pitt Chronicle

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F E AT UR E

Engineering Degree Takes Westinghouse Chief to Engineering Degree the Top 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Stephen Tritch

company of that size,” explains Tritch.

“If you did fairly well, you had the possibility of doing something different.”

By 1989, he was working in advanced energy systems on concepts such as wind and geothermal power when he moved into commercial nuclear energy, where he stayed until his retirement in 2008. It was a field that, though long dormant, appeared poised for a rebirth.

During Tritch’s tenure, the company grew dramatically, including winning a $5.3 billion contract in 2006 to build four nuclear reactors in China and being chosen as the designer for more than half of the two dozen new reactors planned in the United States.

Takes Westinghouse Chief to the Top

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Stephen Tritch can pinpoint the exact moment when he decided to become an engineer.

He was a junior in high school, waiting in line to visit the guidance counselor to discuss his plans for the future. At the time, his only thought was that he liked basketball; other than that, he had no idea what he would pursue.

He earned good grades. He scored well on standardized tests. He just didn’t have a master plan.

“I was next in line and asked the kid beside me, ‘What are you going to say?’ ” recalls Tritch. “He was in a lot of my advanced classes, and he said he wanted to be an engineer. I said, ‘That sounds good to me.’ ” Little did Tritch know how far that on-the-spot decision would take him.

He went on to attend the University of Pittsburgh, graduating in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engi6

PITTENGINEER

Nuclear Engineering Rebirth In 2006, Tritch was serving on the Swanson School of Engineering’s Board of Visitors, which he would later chair.

He spoke with U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering Gerald D. Holder about the possibility of working nuclear engineering back into the curriculum.

of opportunity,” Tritch says. Owing to the industry’s tremendous growth in the 1970s, followed by a period of relative stagnation in the 1980s and ’90s, the nuclear engineering workforce had aged together and would soon need replacements.

The school decided to offer a nuclear specialty within what is now the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. It proved to be so popular that courses were oversubscribed, and Westinghouse suddenly had a new crop of recruits in the making.

By adding a nuclear specialty instead of a full-fledged nuclear engineering degree, Tritch says companies would be getting engineers much like him— people who could acclimate to several aspects of the business with ease.

“Let me tell you this: I was never the guy who did the calculations that you need a nuclear degree for,” says Tritch, who estimates that only 10 percent of Westinghouse hires have four-year nuclear engineering degrees. “But in an executive position, you certainly get to understand the major issues that go on

neering and an MBA from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business in 1977. More than 30 years later, he would retire from Westinghouse Electric Company as its president and chief executive officer. In June 2009, the University’s Board of Trustees elected him its chair, succeeding the late Ralph Cappy.

He accepted a job with Westinghouse because he liked that it was local, and it seemed like a stable place to build a career.

“I could see what was coming in nuclear, that there was going to be lots

At first, when asked what factors played into his success with Westinghouse, Tritch offers a typically modest answer: “Fortunate timing. Right place, right time kind of thing.”

Tritch Appointed Chair of Pitt’s Board of Trustees

But back in 1967, none of that was visible in his “crystal ball.” One of five children born to an X-ray technician and a homemaker, Tritch received some financial aid to attend Pitt, which had just become state related.

But when pressed, he does allow that he worked pretty hard.

It’s not that Tritch thinks the University is in dire straits. Rather, it’s because he knows that when the bar already is set high, continuing the mission of his predecessor will be that much more challenging.

“It was the best school we could afford,” he recalls. “That entered the equation.”

‘Fortunate Timing’ For four years, Tritch studied engineering and played intramural football, basketball, and softball. When it came time to pursue a job, he had several offers, but—as with his career choice— no specific idea about where he wanted to end up.

“I was dedicated,” says Tritch. “One of the things I got from my parents was a good work ethic. I was willing to put in the time and try hard in my job.”

Though Tritch would make a name for himself as an expert in nuclear energy, in 1971, he started out working in defense. He eventually moved through many aspects of Westinghouse, such as transmission and distribution, recruiting, training, marketing, and research and development.

“I did all kinds of different things. That was one of the good things about a

with nuclear power, the economics and safety of it, the clean operation of it.”

The Road Ahead Tritch believes strongly that the United States would benefit from graduating more engineers, and he is proud of the role the Swanson School has played in reaching that goal. He also wants to ensure that Pitt will continue to provide opportunities for students like he was: intellectually talented but lacking the means to pay full tuition.

“We still pay a lot of attention as a University to making sure there is opportunity for those who don’t have the wherewithal,” he says.

Though the economy continues to struggle, Tritch believes the region’s future is bright, particularly regarding the role it will play in finding energy solutions.

“We all look at this region as having had a key position in energy creation,” says Tritch, citing Western Pennsylvania’s history in both commercial nuclear power and mining. “Now we have a resource base, both natural and educational, to allow [this tradition] to continue.”

As he assumes the helm of the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees, Swanson School of Engineering alumnus Stephen Tritch realizes he has his work cut out for him.

Tritch was voted chair of the board on June 26, 2009, succeeding the late Ralph Cappy, who served as chair for six years before his death in May. “This University has had tremendous growth and made tremendous positive strides over the past 10 years,” a testament to both Cappy and Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, says Tritch. Ensuring that that momentum continues will be his priority, he says.

In speaking of his plans for Pitt, Tritch borrows a page from the Panthers’ football and basketball playbooks: “You hear [Pitt football coach] Dave Wannstedt or [Pitt basketball coach] Jamie Dixon talk, and they say, ‘You always have to get better.’ That’s the same thing I want for Pitt.”

Stephen Tritch (left) and Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg

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Distinguished ALUMNI

Congratulations, Distinguished Alumni!

Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Richard C. Baxendell Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, 1980 Planning, Bayer MaterialScience AG, Pittsburgh, Pa. Following the completion of his Pitt degree, Richard Baxendell worked briefly for a couple of firms, then started a 24-year career with Bayer MaterialScience (BMS). He also earned an MBA from Robert Morris University in 1985.

2009 Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees More than 200 alumni, family, and friends gathered in Alumni Hall in March to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees. Held annually since 1964, the Distinguished Alumni Awards banquet recognizes graduates for their professional accomplishments, dedicated service to their communities, and commitment to the continued success of Pitt and the Swanson School of Engineering.

Baxendell had a variety of assignments in production capacities with BMS, starting in New Martinsville, W.Va., in polyurethane production. He relocated to Germany for two and a half years and worked on BMS’ polycarbonates (PCS) group, earning part of a patent during this time. He then relocated to Baytown, Texas, to run the polymerization part of the polycarbonate facility.

During these assignments, he helped to lead the successful start-up of $100 million worth of capital projects.

Baxendell served as president and CEO of Deerfield Urethane, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BMS. In 2002, Deerfield Urethane set records for sales and profitability. He then served as the NAFTA head of the polycarbonate film business until he finished the merger of this division into another wholly owned subsidiary, Sheffield Plastics. Four years ago, Baxendell came back to the BMS Pittsburgh headquarters, where he has worked in various internal consulting functions and earned a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. His most recent project assignment was leading a successful SAP Advanced Planner and Optimizer (SAP APO) installation with a budget of $11.5 million to service BMS’ planning and scheduling function. This year, Baxendell has returned to the PCS business.

Baxendell shares his passion for golf and fishing with his wife, Lorie, who graduated from Pitt in 1981 with a degree in physical therapy. He is investing in a Pitt education for his daughter, Brooke, who is a student in the College of Business Administration, and he has two other children: Matthew, who has a degree in civil engineering from the Ohio State University, and Sarah, who has degrees in marketing and finance from the University of Delaware.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering James J. McCaffrey

The Distinguished Alumni Banquet offers opportunities for alumni, colleagues, and friends to reconnect.

Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering, 1978 Senior Vice President, Material and Supply Chain Management Senior Vice President, CNX Land Resources, Inc., CONSOL Energy Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa. In 1976, James McCaffrey joined CONSOL Energy Inc., a multifaceted energy company producing coal and natural gas as well as transportation and other energy services. He worked his way through school as a coal miner.

Upon graduating, McCaffrey became an integral member of the team that began CONSOL’s Bailey Mine, one of the world’s largest underground coal mines. He was promoted to mine superintendent at Enlow Fork Mine, also a leader in high-Btu bituminous coal production, and later at Mine 84. Subsequently, McCaffrey was named vice president and general manager in the coal operations group. McCaffrey contributed to several underground mining innovations, including roof support technologies, longwall move methodology, and new equipment development. With a strong focus on safety, McCaffrey remains dedicated to ensuring that miners return home safely to their families.

In 2003, McCaffrey became vice president of marketing services. He assumed his supply chain role in 2005, and, in 2007, his role was expanded to include CNX Land Resources. He was named senior vice president in 2008. McCaffrey serves on the boards of Fairmont Supply Company and SDI. During the course of his 33-year career, McCaffrey has continued to support his alma mater and helped to reestablish a mining engineering certificate program. Since 2006, he has taught an introductory mining engineering class, which is required to earn the certificate. In addition, McCaffrey is a member of the Pitt Alumni Association and the Panther Club. A longtime Pitt athletics enthusiast, he has had football and basketball season tickets since he was a student. He also serves as a trustee of Washington & Jefferson College, supports the Boy Scouts of America, and participates in a number of industry organizations.

David A. Nelles receives the 2009 Student Leadership Award from Dean Gerald D. Holder.

McCaffrey and his wife, Terry, who also is a Pitt graduate, have three children and reside in Washington, Pa. His daughter, Alex, is an engineering student at Pitt.

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Distinguished ALUMNI Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Ronald G. Stovash

Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Luke J. Gill

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, 1970 Retired Senior Vice President, CONSOL Energy Inc., Pittsburgh Pa. Retired President and Chief Executive Officer, PinnOak Resources, Canonsburg, Pa.

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, 1965 Retired Vice President, Joint Strike Fighter Global Sustainment, Lockheed Martin Corporation Owner, G Squared Limited, Fort Worth, Texas

Ronald Stovash began his career in 1967 as a coal miner with CONSOL Energy Inc. while an engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh. After graduation, he joined CONSOL as a production engineer and progressed through numerous management positions from foreman to general superintendent. In 1987, he was elected vice president of Ohio operations and held that position at other operating groups with more than 2,600 employees.

In 1999, Stovash was appointed vice president of marketing services. In 2003, he was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing services with domestic and international sales responsibilities. In 2004, Stovash was promoted to senior vice president of operations and marketing. In 2005, he was appointed senior vice president of administration with responsibilities for corporate strategic planning, engineering, exploration, environmental affairs, material and supply chain management, and research and development.

Stovash retired from CONSOL in 2007 with nearly 40 years of service. He then joined PinnOak Resources, another coal mining company, as president and CEO. He retired again after the sale and integration of PinnOak Resources to an international company.

Stovash served his industry as a representative on the World Coal Institute, International Energy Agency, National Mining Association, Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council, West Virginia Public Energy Authority, National Coal Transportation Association, Inland Waterways Users Board, and other state associations.

Stovash is listed in Who’s Who for demonstrated leadership and industry achievement. He has contributed to mining innovations and equipment development and authored a technical paper on longwall mining. Stovash is a former member and vice chair of the Pitt Electrical Engineering Visiting Committee and was company chair for the Pitt Annual Fund for six years. He was instrumental in reintroducing the mining industry to the Swanson School of Engineering.

Stovash and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Morgantown, W.Va. He serves on the boards of West Virginia Public Theatre, Mon Health System and Mon General Hospital, and the Greater Morgantown Community Trust.

Luke Gill is founder and president of G Squared Limited, an aerospace and defense consulting company. G Squared Limited is focused on strategic planning, business development, logistics, and supply chain management to assist clients in achieving extraordinary results by streamlining processes and creating long-term business partnerships. Gill has been in a leadership role in winning proposals for the two largest contracts ever awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense. Immediately prior to founding G Squared Limited, he was executive vice president with Thomas Group, Inc. While vice president at Lockheed Martin, Gill was responsible for leading and developing the logistics and sustainment concepts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most complex weapons system in the history of the U.S. military. He joined Lockheed Martin after serving in executive positions with Continental Airlines Inc. and Northwest Airlines as well as vice president of maintenance and engineering at Southwest Airlines Co. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Gill spent 25 years in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer and logistician. During that time, he served on diverse assignments throughout the United States, Europe, and the Pacific, including remote tours in Vietnam and Korea. He commanded three squadrons and was deputy commander for maintenance in a fighter wing. Prior to retiring as a colonel, Gill was director of maintenance at a large industrial depot. While on active duty, Gill received a Master of Arts degree from Webster University.

Gill and his wife, Donna, are the parents of four children and reside in Fort Worth, Texas.

Department of Industrial Engineering Timothy G. Shack

Distinguished Young Alumni Award Raymond W. Andrick

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering, 1972 Chairman, PNC Global Investment Servicing Inc. Executive Vice President, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, 1990 Vice President, Engineering, Inmedius, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa. Raymond Andrick joined Inmedius in 2007 as director of software development with more than 10 years of technical and management experience in mission-critical enterprise software development projects. Andrick most recently cofounded and served as president of Perceptive Solutions, Inc., a technology company specializing in the development of enterprise software solutions for the collection and processing of commercial and military aircraft records. In this position, he was responsible for managing all aspects of the product life cycle and provided overall corporate leadership and direction.

After earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Timothy Shack began his career as an industrial engineer at Talon, a division of Textron Inc. He returned to Pitt to complete his MBA in 1975 and also received the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business’ Albert Wesley Frey Prize.

Shack is responsible for strategic business initiatives and technology advances at PNC Global Investment Servicing. In addition, he oversees PNC’s technology and operations efforts.

Previously, Shack served as chief executive officer of PNC Global Investment Servicing, the largest fullservice mutual fund transfer agent and second-largest provider of mutual fund accounting and administrative services in the United States, where he also serves as a director. In addition, Shack served as chief information officer as well as executive vice president for PNC’s Treasury Management and Midland Loan Services businesses. During his tenure, PNC repeatedly has been recognized by industry experts, such as CIO Magazine, as a technology leader in the financial industry.

Shack joined PNC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, in 1976 and, after years of progressively larger responsibilities, was promoted to chief information officer in December 1997 and named executive vice president in March 2001. In May 2002, PNC expanded his role to include the position of chairman, president, and chief executive officer of PNC Global Investment Servicing.

Shack has been a member of the Financial Services Roundtable and its technology group, BITS, where he served on the executive committee. Additionally, he serves as a trustee for FundVantage Trust.

Prior to joining Perceptive Solutions, Andrick served as southeast technical director for Salient Corporation, Inc., where he was responsible for technical management and mentoring in support of clients. Before joining Salient Corporation, he was a project leader and systems engineer at what was then Electronic Data Systems (EDS). While at EDS, he worked in various capacities supporting the automotive and utilities divisions.

Shack has served on the board of the United Way of Allegheny County, where he chaired the Technology Committee and was active on the Finance and Strategic Planning Committee. Shack also has served as a member of the Bethel Park Community Foundation and Pennsylvania’s Corporate Information Technology Advisory Council.

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A L U M N I N otes

Alumni Accomplishments

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Arthur G. Hoffmann Jr. (BSCE ’83) was selected as a diplomate of the Academy of Geotechnical Engineers by the Civil Engineering Certification, Inc., Academy of Geo-Professionals (AGP).

AGP was created to offer a voluntary postlicense credential that provides professional engineers with an opportunity to gain further recognition in the broad field of geotechnical engineering.

The goal of AGP is to improve the practice, elevate the standards, and advance the geotechnical engineering profession. One of the first 37 professionals in the United States to be honored with this distinction, Hoffmann is a vice president of Gannett Fleming and is the firm’s corporate quality officer. Based in the firm’s Pittsburgh, Pa., office, he is responsible for ensuring that Gannett Fleming’s ISO 9001:2000-compliant quality system is effectively implemented and maintained. Hoffmann also is responsible for oversight of the corporate safety and corporate learning programs. A registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, Hoffmann is immediate past president of the Geo-Institute of the American

Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and is a member of the Society of American Military Engineers, ASCE, the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, the Geo-Institute, and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Visiting Committee.

John A. Jurenko (BSEE ’56), center, with wife Ruth and Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, was named a 2009 University of Pittsburgh Legacy Laureate in honor of his outstanding personal and professional accomplishments.

Karl F. Updegraff (BSCE ’75) was named a vice president of Gannett Fleming. Based in the firm’s corporate headquarters in Harrisburg, Pa., he is chief engineer of the water/wastewater practice and chief of process design.

A registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania, Updegraff is responsible for the development and guidance of wastewater characterization, treatment conceptualization, technology review

Nearly 20 members of the Pitt Civil Engineering Alumni Club (CEAC) got together in February 2009 for a tour of the Port Authority of Allegheny County North Shore Connector project. The group had the opportunity to tour the construction site of the forthcoming Heinz Field station stop as well as to venture into one of the nearly completed tunnels under the Allegheny River. One of the few groups to be granted access to this work site, CEAC members were impressed by the magnitude and progress of the project. Following the tour, the group enjoyed some Pitt camaraderie across the street at Jerome Bettis’ Grille 36.

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Engineering Program and a postdoctoral researcher at Allegheny General Hospital. Her research interests include the study of the biomechanics of the upper extremity, including the hand, wrist, and elbow. She seeks an increased understanding of the forces in the elbow joint and the motions of the fingers and wrist during everyday and specialized activities. Kuxhaus has coauthored several articles and has another manuscript currently under review. She also has presented two conference papers and several abstracts. She is a member of the American Society of Biomechanics, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International), Biomedical Engineering Students’ Society, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Friends We Will Miss and selection, process design and operation, instrumentation and control strategies development, and facilities start-up and operator training. With more than 35 years of experience, Updegraff holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from Mount St. Mary’s College and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in environmental health from the University of Pittsburgh.

Active in professional associations, he is a member of the Water Environment Federation, International Water Association, Pennsylvania Water Environment Association, and Instrument Society of America (ISA).

Laurel Kuxhaus (PhD ’08) has been appointed assistant professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at Clarkson University. Kuxhaus received her Bachelor of Science degree in engineering mechanics from Michigan State University, her Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, and her PhD in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Michigan State. Before joining Clarkson, Kuxhaus was an adjunct faculty member in the Swanson School’s Freshman

Peter W. Miller, a lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, passed away July 24, 2009, of cardiac arrest.

He was 48.

An Air Force veteran, Miller earned his undergraduate degree in computer engineering summa cum laude in 1999 and master’s degree in electrical engineering in 2002 at Pitt.

He joined the engineering faculty in 2001 and taught a variety of computer and electrical engineering courses.

Miller was teaching a computer organization course during the summer term and was scheduled to teach three courses during the fall term.

Popular with students, he was named to the engineering school’s 2004 faculty honor roll.

Miller was known in the department as a fast-moving, type-A personality who kept busy, yet was not impatient with people.

Generous with his coworkers, in summers he often shared the bounty of his garden, setting out baskets of tomatoes

Tracey Thomas Travis (BSIE ’83), senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer at Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, was named a University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Alumni Fellow for 2009.

Travis met with undergraduate engineering students while visiting campus to offer advice on different career paths for engineers and balancing family and work obligations. She is pictured here with Bopaya Bidanda, Ernest E. Roth Professor and Department of Industrial Engineering chair, and Gerald D. Holder, U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering.

and other produce in the lunch area for the taking.

“He was very gregarious, extremely friendly, outgoing and talkative. He would try to get to know people,” said department chair William Stanchina.

“Students in particular were impressed by how much he went out of his way to get to know them,” Stanchina said, adding that they often expressed surprise that Miller knew them by name.

Freshman engineering program director Dan Budny worked closely with Miller, meeting weekly together to discuss the classes Miller was teaching.

“He was a joy to work with,” Budny said, adding that Miller could be counted on to cover other instructors’ classes when needed. “He was willing to do whatever it would take.”

Budny said that Miller loved to be in the classroom and students responded to his interest. “He had the unique ability to communicate with an 18-year-old,” commanding respect while being friendly at the same time, Budny said.

“He was knowledgeable in the areas he was teaching and kind and gentle in the way he would present the material. He was approachable and would answer questions. The kids would always be surrounding him,” Budny said. “He did everything a teacher was supposed to do.

“He had a personality that allowed people to get close. That’s very important at the undergraduate level, especially the freshman-sophomore level.”

As fall classes begin, Miller’s loss is tangible. “It just doesn’t seem the same without Pete here,” Budny said, adding that it will take three people this fall to cover the courses Miller planned to teach.

“You could find someone else to do the job, but never find someone to replace him,” Budny said. “He’ll be missed. He won’t be forgotten.”

Miller is survived by his wife, Sue Miller; his mother, Fran Miller; three siblings, and four stepchildren. The family requests memorial donations be made to Light of Life Mission, PO Box 535915, Pittsburgh, PA, 15253.

Originally published in the September 15, 2009, issue of the University Times

Richard Bohrer (BSCE ’72) passed away on January 16, 2009.

Chester W. Duck Jr. (BSEE ’36) passed away on March 4, 2009.

Ned T. Kunkle (BSME ’57) passed away on January 18, 2009.

Andrew Salminen, a student majoring in mechanical engineering, passed away on September 6, 2009.

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A L U M N I N otes

S t u dent N e w s

Homecoming 2009

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The Swanson School welcomed more than 500 guests to campus during Homecoming 2009. This year’s festivities included a welcome reception in the Cathedral of Learning, a reunion celebration for Pex alumni and members, and desserts on the lawn of Soldiers and Sailors Military Museum and Memorial followed by fireworks.

Student Spotlight: Deitrick Franklin

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Meet Deitrick Franklin, the Swanson School’s inaugural recipient of support from the Karl H. Lewis Impact Alumni Endowed Fund. Since coming to campus in fall 2008, Franklin, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Woodlawn, Md., has been a member in the student section of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and he was actively involved in the society’s freshman initiative program, which helps freshmen to become acclimated to NSBE and gain leadership experience within the organization.

Franklin also participated in the Pitt EXCEL program, which is committed to the recruitment, retention, and graduation of undergraduate engineers, particularly those from groups that are underrepresented in the field. He said EXCEL was the primary contributing factor to his attending Pitt. “The EXCEL staff proved that there was a support structure here for freshman engineers, and they had follow-through. I learned firsthand during my freshman year that Pitt EXCEL really does provide that support,” Franklin said.

Members of the

Pex

Class of 1949

Franklin’s plans for the upcoming year include joining Pitt’s Society of Automotive Engineers, getting more involved with NSBE, pursuing a position as a Pitt EXCEL tutor, and obtaining an internship. He credits his father, an electrical engineer, with guiding him toward engineering.

The fund was established in 2004 in honor of Karl Lewis, associate professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering.

Lewis, who received the NSBE Golden Torch Award for Lifetime Achievement in Academia, has been instrumental in developing mentoring programs at Pitt for underrepresented groups in engineering. He was a member of the Maritime Transportation Research Board of Directors (National Research Council) and has served the Pittsburgh section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as a director and president of the Associate Member Forum. He is a member of ASCE; the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering; and the Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Chi Epsilon national honor societies.

To make a gift to the Karl H. Lewis Impact Alumni Endowed Fund, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 412-624-2344.

Ninth Annual Golf Outing

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The 2009 golf outing drew 100 friends of the Swanson School to the Club at Nevillewood. Save the date for next year’s golf outing: May 17, 2010.

To view additional photos, please visit our online photo gallery at www.engr.pitt.edu/alumni/PhotoGallery.

Fellowships and Scholarships Bryan Brown (bioengineering) has been awarded a prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) for “ECM Scaffolds and Macrophage Polarization-Induced Tissue Remodeling.” Brown is conducting this research under Stephen Badylak, professor.

Chris Carruthers (bioengineering) has been awarded a 2009 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF). Carruthers is conducting his dissertation research under Michael Sacks, John A. Swanson Endowed Chair.

The University of Pittsburgh was chosen as the recipient of a $10,000 graduate fellowship by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

The fellowship was included as part of the national Francis B. Francois Award, given to PennDOT District 12. Anthony Fitzpatrick (Master of Business Administration/Master of Science in Engineering dual-degree program) was awarded the fellowship. A letter from Allen Biehler, Pennsylvania’s secretary of transportation and AASHTO president, said, “The University’s submission impressed us because its program combines the [Joseph M.] Katz Graduate School of Business and the Swanson School of Engineering to offer a dual degree in engineering [and] business. This program allows students to gain training in both the technology and management disciplines and provide transportation organizations such as

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PennDOT with talented and well-trained individuals to help meet the ever-evolving business climate.”

Jamie Haney (bioengineering) has been selected to receive a 2009 NSF GRF. Haney is conducting her dissertation research under Sanjeev Shroff, associate chair, professor, and Gerald McGinnis Chair in Bioengineering; professor, School of Medicine; senior investigator, Magee-Womens Research Institute; and core faculty, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Haney is the second Pitt bioengineering undergraduate student who matriculated to Pitt’s bioengineering graduate program to receive a GRF. Samantha Horvath (bioengineering) has been selected as a Beckman scholar (through the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation) for the 2009–10 academic year. Horvath works in Professor George Stetten’s laboratory on the Fingersight project as well as on the Breadboard Laboratory Interface Processor (BLIP) and PittKit educational system used in BioE 1310.

Carl Johnson (bioengineering) has been selected to receive an American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) Fellowship for his abstract, titled “Platelet Activation in Ovines Implanted with the Levitronix PediaVas Using Custom Cannulae.” Johnson, who is conducting research under William Wagner, professor of bioengineering, chemical engineering, and surgery, presented his abstract at the ASAIO annual conference.

Jong Kim’s American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship application, titled “The Spatiotemporal Dispersion of Extracellular Potassium Accumulation and Its Role in Cardiac Arrhythmias,” has been awarded funding. Kim, a w w w. e n g r . p i t t. e d u

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the project “Cell-based Scaffold-less Three-dimensional Construct: A Model for Dentinogenesis.” This work is being conducted under Charles Sfeir, associate professor in the School of Dental Medicine.

Anthony Fitzpatrick

bioengineering graduate student, is conducting this work under the direction of Guy Salama, professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

D. Tyler Landfried (mechanical engineering and materials science) has been awarded a highly competitive graduate fellowship from the Nuclear Energy University Programs, part of the Office of Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy.

Landfried received this award for his proposal to perform experimental research aimed at enabling reliable prediction of thermal fatigue loading in nuclear reactors. Mark Kimber, assistant professor, will serve as advisor on this research.

Xianglei Ni (civil and environmental engineering) received a 2009 American Society for Nondestructive Testing Fellowship Award for the proposal titled “Highly Nonlinear Solitary Waves for NDT of Civil Structures.” Ni conducts research under Piervincenzo Rizzo, assistant professor. Rizzo and Ni are one of five teams nationally to receive the fellowship award.

Ashish Parikh (bioengineering) has been awarded an American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship for his project, titled “Modeling the Relative Expression of Cardiac Ionic Channels/Currents to Predict Arrhythmias Phenotype.” Parikh is conducting this work under the direction of Guy Salama.

Justin Satterfield (electrical computer engineering) was named a 2009 MUST (Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology) scholar. This program, which is funded by NASA and is a joint partnership between the Hispanic College Fund, United Negro College Fund Special Programs Corporation, and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Inc., will provide Satterfield with a $10,000 scholarship and an internship with NASA in the summer of 2010.

Fatima Naz Syed-Picard (bioengineering) has been awarded an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships (F31) to undertake 16

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Patrick Vescovi (bioengineering and chemical and petroleum engineering) was one of the four University nominees for a 2009 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Vescovi received an honorable mention. He is part of an impressive track record of Goldwater Scholarship recipients in the Swanson School. Todd M. Moyle (chemical engineering) won the award in 2008; Ben Gordon (BSME ’07), now a mechanical engineering graduate student at Pitt, won the award in 2007; Margaret Bennewitz (BSBEG ’07) won the award in 2006 and is pursuing a graduate degree in bioengineering at Yale University; Daliang “Leon” Li (BSEE ’06), who won the award in 2005, currently is pursuing a PhD in medical and electrical engineering at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology; Daniel Armanios (BSME ’07), who earned the award in 2004 and was named a Truman scholar in 2005 and a Rhodes scholar in 2007, now is in England, pursuing his graduate degree at the University of Oxford; and Paul Ohodnicki Jr. (BSE ’05), who is a doctoral student in materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, won the award in 2003.

Awards An international engineering award and a 10,000-euro prize went to a team of students from the University of Pittsburgh and the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur for its ongoing project in the Indian Himalayas to popularize, design, and build bamboo structures. The team received an Engineering Silver Award presented by Mondialogo, a global initiative of German automaker Daimler AG and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that encourages intercultural collaboration. The recipients were among 32 teams chosen from 932 research proposals from 94 countries.

The Pitt group is led by Bhavna Sharma, a PhD candidate and recipient of an Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship from the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation. Kent Harries, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, serves as the project’s faculty advisor and leads students on trips to India for fieldwork.

Justin Satterfield

Tyler Davis (civil and environmental engineering) won the Outstanding Student Paper Award for his presentation at the 2009 American Geophysical Union Joint Assembly in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His work is supported and overseen by Xu Liang, associate professor.

Matthew Fisher’s presentation, titled “In-vitro Evaluation of Suture Augmentation Techniques After ACL Injury,” received the Best Student Paper Award at the International Symposium on Ligaments and Tendons-IX, held on February 21, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nev. Fisher (bioengineering) is completing his PhD under the direction of Savio Woo, Distinguished University Professor and director, Musculoskeletal Research Center.

Donna Haworth (bioengineering) received the University/ Post-Secondary Student award at the 2009 Carnegie Science Awards. Haworth is conducting her dissertation research in the lab of David Vorp, professor of surgery and bioengineering.

Jonathan Kirk (bioengineering) received second place in the Basic Science category at the American Heart Association Fellows Research Day for his poster presentation, titled “Left Ventricular and Myocardial Function in Mice Expressing Constitutively Psuedo-Phosphorylated Cardiac Troponin I.” Kirk is conducting his dissertation research under Sanjeev Shroff.

The University of Pittsburgh student section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) received the Outstanding Collegiate Section at the Silver Level award from the national SWE. This recognition is given to student sections that demonstrate SWE’s strategic priorities: education/outreach, inclusiveness/ diversity, knowledge source, and leadership/professional development. This is the first time the Pitt SWE section has won a national award.

The University of Pittsburgh chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) was selected as one of EWB-USA’s Premier Chapters in 2009.

The following Swanson School students were winners in the 2009 Big Idea Competition, sponsored by Pitt’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence: New Product Idea First Place: Samuel Dickerson (electrical and computer engineering) developed a low-cost portable cytometer, a device for counting the number of cells in a fluid sample such as blood.

The mobile nature of the product would enable diagnostic tests, such as those for HIV, to occur more easily in rural medical clinics.

Third Place: Rong Zong (mechanical engineering and materials science) invented and filed a provisional patent for a device that expedites the grinding of multiple samples for study with a transmission electron microscope. Use of this product will save time and resources for researchers and technicians in academic and private research institutions.

Business Growth Idea First Place: Micah Toll (mechanical engineering and materials science) is the founder of Disaster Rebuilding Solutions, LLC. He developed a lightweight, patent-pending portable construction beam to be used for rapid-deployment shelters and other utilitarian structures in third-world and refugee populations.

Second Place: Colin Huwyler (undeclared) is the owner of Fossil Free Fuel, LLC, a company that designs and manufactures fuel systems that enable diesel engines to operate on

D. Tyler Landfried

clean-burning, renewable plant-based fuels. After developing its first system, Fossil Free Fuels is creating a prototype for its next innovative system, a modular unit that will work universally on bigger diesel engines and is well suited for large-scale commercialization.

Two civil and environmental engineering students received awards at the Seventh annual Student Night of AEG/ASCE/ PGS (Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists, Allegheny-Ohio section/American Society of Civil Engineers, Pittsburgh Section/Pittsburgh Geological Society). Maria Jaime received Outstanding Research Study Presentation from ASCE. She presented the outcome of a yearlong research project, “Rock-Slope Design in Western Pennsylvania: A Rational Approach,” funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and directed by Jeen-Shang Lin, associate professor. This is the second time Jaime received this award. Brian Lucarelli was the AEG poster winner for his project, Makili, Mali, Fish Farm, which is based on assessments made on site in Mali for developing a sustainable fish farm for residents.

The first Energy-Efficient Building Technologies Green Design Contest, cosponsored by the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and the Heinz Endowments, asked undergraduate students from universities in Southwestern Pennsylvania to create a technique for “greening” residential or commercial buildings that carries a low price tag and a quick payoff. The challenge generated 29 proposals from which five finalist teams were selected. Please join us in congratulating the three winning teams.

First Place “Low-Cost Wind Turbine Tied with Energy Savings System” Micah Toll, University of Pittsburgh Shaun Espenshade, Duquesne University Second Place “Solar-Assisted Window Fan” Patrick Wetherill (BSME ’09), University of Pittsburgh Stephen Palmer, University of Pittsburgh Third Place “Greenbills” Jacob Mohin, Carnegie Mellon University David Kennedy, Carnegie Mellon University Benjamin Kwadwo Som-Pimpong, Carnegie Mellon University w w w. e n g r . p i t t. e d u

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Swanson School of Engineering 416 Cathedral of Learning 4200 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15260 www.engr.pitt.edu

I am a

Engineer

Joseph Breunig

Harry P. Dreher Jr.

Executive Vice President, BASF Corporation BS, Chemical Engineering, 1983 Charlotte, N.C., and Florham Park, N.J.

Manager of Acquisions and Planning, Sohio Petroleum Company (retired October 1985) BS, Petroleum Engineering, 1949 Houston, Texas

Are you proud to be a Pitt engineer? Send your photo to sgill@pitt.edu.