SEMS Newsletter Fall 2016

School of Engineering, Mathematics & Science FALL 2016

The School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science (SEMS) has so much to be proud of. We have one of the university’s best freshman retention rates, at 94%. Typically more than half the university’s Presidential Scholars who receive full tuition are SEMS students. Our degrees feature mandatory internships and research seminars, and we are recognized as a national and international leader in STEM education. It is amazing to recall that we started the school in 1999 with only 22 engineering students.

We now have well over 1,000 students, and last May we had a graduating class of 160 enrolled in more than 10 majors, minors, and certificate programs.

One of the main reasons our graduates find good first jobs and establish successful careers is because of RMU’s engaged learning opportunities. Our students experience hands-on learning, collaborate with professors, participate in mandatory internships, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and present at conferences. RMU has played a major role in shaping the region’s professional workforce, and we are well positioned to help grow Pittsburgh’s energy industry and spark a revival in manufacturing.

The future holds more exciting opportunities as we expand and modernize our facilities, hire more expert and diverse faculty and students from all walks of life, and collaborate through cross-disciplinary research and partnerships with industry and the wider community.

This newsletter highlights some of the work we are doing at SEMS, so I hope you will enjoy it and share it with your friends and colleagues.

My best wishes,

M A R I A V. K A L E V I T C H , P H . D . , DEAN & UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR

>> VISIT RMU.EDU/SEMS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENTS AND PROGRAMS.

> From the Dean

> Scholarship Winner The SEMS Board of Visitors is proud to present their first scholarship to Jessica Sales, a freshman in the industrial engineering program. Jessica’s enthusiasm and positive attitude towards RMU was amazing! She was a participant in the Presidential Scholars Day, a very prestigious event where 100+ high-achieving students competed for scholarships. She presented a portfolio/dossier with all of her accomplishments, which were impressive.

She decided to study engineering because engineers solve problems and make the world a better place. She is now part of Engineers for a Sustainable World in SEMS. Jessica speaks German and French, loves vintage photography, and is the president of the photography club. She has taken classes in air traffic control and private pilot theory and flew a plane with an instructor over Myrtle Beach.

I chose to study environmental science as I knew combining multiple sciences was of interest to me.

Looking back, I was fortunate to not only have intelligent professors, but professors who were dedicated and invested in their students’ future. I recall my freshman microbiology course where Dean Kalevitch put us through a rigorous amount of coursework. She set me up with an environmental science mentor at the Bayer Corporation, where I subsequently interned for 15 months.

In 2012, I was accepted into a research fellowship program at the Department of Energy – National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh. During my senior year at RMU I worked there researching how various fluids interacted with Marcellus Shale, a hot topic due to the active natural gas industry in the region. During my final senior semester, I worked with Dr. LaSota to write a thesis on my research of the Marcellus Shale. That spring, Dr. LaSota and I traveled to the Alpha Chi National Conference in Nashville, where I presented my research and was awarded a fellowship towards graduate school.

I continued to work at NETL throughout graduate school in the field of geochemistry, and now I currently work in the Morgantown, W.V., NETL office assisting with geologic research projects.

The knowledge and work ethic I developed at RMU helped prepare me for the rigors of graduate school.

In 2015 I embarked on a road trip to work at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, where I was a geoscience park ranger intern. That summer I captured a memorable photograph of the night sky, which was chosen by the U.S. Postal Service as a Forever Stamp to celebrate the National Park Service 2016 Centennial. Fulfilling my dream of traveling out West to share my passion for science with others was an incredible experience that I documented on my website: www.MDieterichPhoto.com.

>> SEE MATTHEW’S AMAZING PHOTOS AT: WWW.MDIETERICHPHOTO.COM.

> Profile: Matthew Dieterich ‘13

> Q&A Session with Matthew

Did some aspect of your studies at RMU help you develop your interest in celestial photography? My coursework in environmental science helped me develop my appreciation for not only preserving resources on the ground, but also in the sky, mainly due to the fact that we are losing our connection to the night sky because bright city lights drown out the faint starlight. The goal of my photography is to help shed light on the environmental issues that light pollution causes in our night sky.

How did RMU impact your current career? First and foremost was the professional opportunity I had during freshman year when Dr. Kalevitch saw that I would be a good fit for the Bayer Environmental Science Scholarship. I will never forget how excited I was knowing that my professor saw I possessed the work ethic and drive to represent the school for this great experience at the Bayer Corporation.

What are you up to currently? I am working as a geology research fellow with the Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, W.V.

> Game Theories Recent M.S. Engineering Management graduate Bandar Al Tassan presented his findings from his master’s thesis at the 2015 ASEM (American Society for Engineering Management) International Conference in Indianapolis.

His presentation, “GameBased Simulation in Urban Planning Decision-Making,” was co-authored by his advisor Arif Sirinterlikci, university professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering and engineering department head.

This novel work is based on utilization of the “Sim City” computer game as a simulation tool in understanding the impact of decisions made by urban planners and managers on their cities’ development and satisfaction of their residences.

> Collaborative Education Program Robert Morris University and the Energy Innovation Center have worked together for the past year to develop three engineering and technology certificates, including the Manufacturing Engineering Certificate (18 credits), Advanced Additive Manufacturing Certificate (12 credits) and Energy Engineering and Technology Certificate (18 credits). These certificates allow engineering and technology personnel working in industry to obtain their academic and professional credentials and develop their future career paths. Credits obtained via certificates will be fully transferable should students choose to continue their education leading to undergraduate or graduate engineering degrees at RMU. The courses will be delivered by RMU faculty in the EIC building in downtown Pittsburgh.

To support the academic activities of these certificates, a brand new, fully equipped advanced manufacturing, energy, and sustainability laboratory is being developed on the EIC campus by RMU faculty. The laboratory will include hands-on experiments and demonstrations associated with advanced additive manufacturing, 3-D modeling and printing, and renewable energy topics such as solar, wind, hydro, and biofuels. The laboratory will also be used to teach topics related to energy efficiency, thermodynamic cycles, and conventional energy sources such as clean coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels. Finally the laboratory space will be used for the instruction on life cycle assessment and associated embodied energy of products and goods.

> New Hires

Anthony Robins is associate professor in science and also deputy chief diversity and inclusion officer in the university’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity. Robins holds degrees in biology and psychology and a Ph.D. in epidemiology. His professional training in psychiatric epidemiology and health disparities has afforded him unique opportunities to serve his community for more than 20 years. He has been instrumental in guiding efforts for developing policies, procedures and guidelines at local, state, and regional levels.

Woodrow W. Winchester III is associate professor of engineering management and coordinator of graduate programs.

Winchester received all three of his degrees from North Carolina A & T State University: B.S. and M.S. in industrial engineering and Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering. He comes to RMU from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Winchester’s current research and teaching interests are focused on exploring and understanding the product development process in product ecosystems design.

> Getting Recognition

The engineering management online program was ranked on SuperScholar’s list of the 50 Best Online Master’s in Engineering Management Programs at No. 32 — higher than Drexel. Our B.S. in environmental science program was rated in the top 50 in the nation

by EnvironmentalScience.org — higher than UC-Davis.

The actuarial science program is one of only 16 schools nationwide classified as a Center of Actuarial Excellence by the Society of Actuaries.

> Global Perspective The School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science places high importance on the expansion of international opportunities. The faculty represents eight different foreign countries: Bahrain, Nepal, India, Turkey, the UK, South Korea, China, and Russia. The school hosted a trip to Germany for the students in the Energy and Sustainability class, as well as a developmental exchange program between RMU and ENU in Scotland for both students and faculty.

> Faculty Profile Rika Wright Carlsen is assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering. Her research interests include injury biomechanics and she developed computational tools to study the mechanisms leading to traumatic brain injury. She is now working with researchers at Harvard University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to develop experimental and computational models of traumatic brain injury.

Carlsen received three degrees in mechanical engineering: B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, M.S. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. She was a postdoctoral research fellow in the mechanical engineering department at Carnegie Mellon University.

Contact Us MARIA V. KALEVITCH, PH.D. Dean, School of Engineering, Mathematics & Science 412-397-4020 kalevitch@rmu.edu

1020-50-16

Additional connections have been built with universities in Northern Ireland and Slovakia, and we would like to expand these opportunities to countries in Africa, Asia, South America, and Australia.

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The undergraduate engineering program was recognized

by U.S. News and World Report on their list of the nation’s Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. College Factual has ranked the engineering program as the third most affordable nationwide. We have Pennsylvania’s only ABET accredited bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, and our manufacturing program is nationally recognized through a White House initiative on additive manufacturing. And thanks to a $350,000 grant from the R.K. Mellon Foundation, RMU will build a 3-D printing lab and classroom in the Energy Innovation Center in Pittsburgh for applied research and training.