UAB Engineering, Winter 2011

ENGINEERING WINTER 2011

Without Limits

Celebrating

40 years of Engineering Innovation

ENGINEERING AGENDA It’s a very exciting time for us as we celebrate the School of Engineering’s 40th anniversary! As we look back on our first 40 years, we take great pride in the tradition of success that has helped us grow into a school with a strong identity.

• Engineering at UAB is about the brightest, most talented researchers in their fields bringing new basic science discoveries and new applied technologies to fruition.

• Engineering at UAB is about smart, driven students from across the city, state, and world learning together and taking advantage of a multitude of opportunities for real-world educational experiences.

• Engineering at UAB is about collaboration: projects that are bringing engineers together with medical professionals, business leaders, and fellow scientists from other disciplines, in order to push the envelope and discover new, innovative solutions for the challenges our world faces.

• Most importantly, Engineering at UAB is about you. Whether you are a prospective student, parent, alumnus, prospective faculty, friend, or someone just wanting to learn more, this school of engineering seeks to provide you with the opportunities you need to meet your goals.

The UAB School of Engineering has been on an upward trajectory since its inception. My mission is to continue the momentum with dynamic learning opportunities in engineering education, innovative research initiatives, and renewed community engagement that will lead us into the future. We have come far in our first 40 years, and I am confident that the years ahead will lead to even greater accomplishments. I want you to be a part of the UAB breakthroughs that happen at the School of Engineering. My hope is that you will join us as we move forward.

Melinda Lalor, Ph.D. Interim Dean, School of Engineering

1 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

PAGE 3

Without Limits Celebrating 40 Years of Engineering Innovation

CONTENTS Features Electric Avenue: ECE Chair Carving a New Niche......................................... 9 Calling Leonardo: New Program Combines Art and Engineering................. 10

PAGE 10

A Driving Force: Center Has Big Economic Development Potential........... 11

Departments Faculty Briefs.................................................................... 12 Student Spotlight.............................................................. 13 Alumni Profile................................................................... 16 Development.................................................................... 17

PAGE 15 PAGE 11

UAB Engineering is published by the UAB School of Engineering in collaboration with the Office of Public Relations and Marketing.

Executive Editors: Matt Windsor, Victoria Allen • Managing Editor: Grant Martin • Writers: Victoria Allen, Caperton Gillett, Grant Martin • Executive Art Director: Ron Gamble • Art Director: Jessica Huffstutler • Photography: Steve Wood • UAB Engineering Editorial Board: Melinda Lalor, Ph.D., Interim Dean; Zoe Dwyer, Ph.D., Director of Freshman Services; Victoria Allen, Director of Development and External Relations; Beth Briggs, Alumni Relations Officer; Tina Bryant, Administrative Support

UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 2

Without Limits 1936

establishes the Birmingham Extension Center. Students are

Birmingham is a city built

And by the time UAB was created

allowed to complete two years

on engineering.

in 1969, the single industry that

of engineering coursework in Birmingham.

1962

Ground is broken for construction of the engineering building on 8th Avenue South.

1964

Celebrating 40 Years of Engineering Innovation

The University of Alabama

When the steel industry first

had dominated the city’s early his-

showed an interest in the iron depos-

tory was in decline, giving way to a

its beneath Red Mountain, no city

more diverse marketplace in need of

existed. There was no housing, no

locally trained professionals.

mines or roads—in short, no infra-

The School of Engineering (SOE)

structure to support the massive

received accreditation in 1971 and

operations to come.

over the ensuing 40 years has been

In a few short years, businesses

at the heart of a changing city. UAB

The first engineering classes

were established, tunnels dug and

graduates can be found in leader-

are held in the new engineering

railways laid, and the Magic City was

ship positions in virtually every

building adjacent to the medical

mapped, built, and settled.

Birmingham industry, from the his-

center.

Many decades would pass before

toric metals and material engineering

a four-year engineering program

interests to health care, utilities, and

would be established in Birmingham.

construction, to name a few.

3 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

1967

Joseph Appleton becomes director of the Division of Engineering.

1970

Ralph H. Aldridge Jr. receives the first engineering degree from UAB.

1971

Prophetic Opposition As far back as the 1940s, efforts were made to provide a four-year engineering training program in Birmingham. And while an annual crop of locally trained engineers would provide an obvious and immediate benefit to the steel industry,

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) grants the first accred-

according to UAB history professor Tenant McWilliams’s book, New Lights in the Valley, U.S. Steel, by far the city’s largest employer, did not support the initiative. Presumably,

itation to the bachelor’s in engineering programs offered at UAB.

an influx of trained engineers would make the area more attractive to other industries—and create a diversified workforce that would compete with the steel industry for labor.

Today, the School of Engineering stands as justification for those fears: UAB’s engineering graduates account for large portions of the workforce in a wide variety of industries. In addition, students and alumni alike continue to introduce start-up companies to the marketplace, continuing a long tradition of entrepreneurial successes that fit the nature of UAB itself.

Engineering students and faculty engage in a wide variety of research interests that break down conventional boundaries and create interdisciplinary partnerships that elevate research capabilities to unprecedented levels.

It is with great pride, therefore, that the UAB School of Engineering looks back at its first 40 years of existence as the foundation for a

the city was losing out on signifi-

new appointees to the UA board,

future without limits.

cant growth opportunities because

such as Winton “Red” Blount and

of the lack of locally trained engi-

Ehney Camp. With Rose keenly

neers. Those arguments found an

aware of the importance of the UA

audience in University of Alabama

Extension Center in Birmingham,

Planting Seeds In the late 1950s, Birmingham’s civic leaders began complaining that

(UA) President Frank Rose and continued on next page UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 4

1971

Engineering is named one of the first four schools in UAB’s new University College. he urged John Morton and James

rooms and laboratories all over the

448 students enroll in the

Cudworth—the UA deans of con-

city until a brand-new engineering

fall term at the School of

tinuing education and engineering,

building was opened in 1964 on

Engineering.

respectively—to cooperate in every

8th Avenue South between 19th

way possible with the university’s

and 20th Streets. A year later, a

The school’s first gradu-

Birmingham personnel and civic

master’s program was added, and

ate degree is awarded

leaders to ensure the creation of a

the groundwork for what would

to Carlton Merlin Berg.

four-year program in the city.

one day become the UAB School of

Joseph Appleton is

ed under the direction of corporate

named dean.

1978

In 1963, that program was start-

Engineering was laid.

“When you talk about the

engineer Joseph Appleton. With no

40-year anniversary of the School of

space available for his new program,

Engineering, you have to recognize

James H. Woodward

Appleton arranged

that an engineering program

Jr. is named second

for classes to be

was created many years

dean of the School of

held in conference

before that,” says Appleton,

Engineering.

1979

The school establishes four departments— biomedical, civil, electrical, and mechanical/materials—and begins offering discipline-specific baccalaureate programs.

1979 1982

The only master’s degree-granting BME program in the state of Alabama is established.

Construction begins on the BEC after completing the school’s first major fundraising campaign.

1983

The school’s first Ph.D. degree is awarded to

1984

Jay Goldman becomes the school’s third dean.

1984

David A. Conner becomes the first engineer-

Linda Lucas.

ing professor to receive UAB’s Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence in Teaching.

5 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

who would be named dean when

Baswell became the first woman to

the school was established in 1971.

earn a baccalaureate degree a year

“The school would never have been

later. While the diplomas officially

established if not for the efforts of

were granted by the University of

several individuals who raised the

Alabama, many of the early gradu-

money and lobbied to provide engi-

ates would become key figures

neering training in Birmingham.”

in the future of UAB, with Barry

Birmingham native John Duncan,

Andrews, Ph.D. (currently the chair

1988

With a substantial gift from

a transfer student from Tuscaloosa,

of the Department of Materials

was the first to earn a degree from

Science and Engineering), and Ray

the BellSouth Foundation,

the fledgling program in 1963.

Watts, M.D. (currently the dean of

the first chair in the School of

Fellow Birmingham native Jerry

the UAB School of Medicine), both

Engineering is established and

Abbott received the first master’s

receiving engineering degrees during

named the Wallace R. Bunn

degree in 1967, and Imogene

that period.

Chair in Telecommunications in continued on next page

honor of Chief Executive Officer of BellSouth Corporation, Wallace R. Bunn.

1990

The School of Engineering receives a generous gift to help support equipment enhancement from The Kresge Foundation.

1992

The Department of Civil Engineering establishes the school’s first Advisory Board.

1996

Steve Szygenda becomes the

1997

The school acquires and

school’s fourth dean.

renovates the Office for the Advancement of Developing Industries Building and renames it the Hugo and Margaret Hoehn Engineering Building.

1997

BioHorizons®, a dental implant company located in Birmingham, emerges from the research of BME faculty member Martha Bidez and her students. BioHorizons sells implants and other products worldwide.

UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 6

Legacy of Leadership Naming Appleton as the founding dean undoubtedly helped with the transition from program to school, but Appleton provided UAB with much more than that. In 1978, he

1999

2001

stepped down as dean but stayed Neelaksh “Neel” Varshney,

on as a faculty member. Over a

a senior electrical engineering

30-year career in Birmingham,

major from Madison, Alabama,

Appleton was appointed to numer-

is the first UAB student chosen

ous committees within the univer-

as a Rhodes Scholar.

sity, and he helped establish the

Linda C. Lucas, Ph.D., is named the school’s fifth dean.

School of Engineering as an important contributor to the university’s success in a variety of disciplines.

Jim Woodward, Ph.D., who had

2001

The bachelor’s degree program

previously served as assistant vice

in biomedical engineering is established. The program is the only accredited BME program in the state.

2007

Student Steven Williams and other materials engineering

2002

students design and build the

Mike and Gillian Goodrich cre-

iron Blaze dragon that now sits

ate the T. Michael and Gillian

outside of the BEC Building.

Goodrich Endowed Chair of Engineering Leadership by contributing the largest individual gift in the history of the UAB School of Engineering.

2007

The UAB School of Engineering partners with the Misr University for Science and Technology (MUST) in Cairo, Egypt, to develop the

2006

A new School of Engineering Design Laboratory is developed for student design projects.

school’s first international academic program for faculty and students to travel abroad. The program is designed to focus on construction

2006

The Shelby Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building opens, increasing UAB’s research space by 25 percent.

engineering management, with particular emphasis on the emerging fields of sustainability and green building construction.

7 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

2008

Blazer BEST Hub is formed. BEST Robotics is an organization whose mission is to engage middle and

president, was named dean of the

sonnel into the Hoehn Building, insti-

high school students through par-

school in 1978. Under his direction,

tuted the first executive master’s

ticipation in a competitive robotics

the school established four sepa-

program, and established a develop-

competition.

rate degree-granting departments:

ment office for the school.

biomedical, civil, electrical, and mechanical/materials. Additionally, in

became the fifth dean. Over

1979, the school would offer the first

the next decade, she oversaw

master’s level biomedical engineering

the construction of the Shelby

program in the state.

Building for Biomedical Research

Woodward would go on to hold

2008

In 2001, Linda Lucas, Ph.D.,

service mission trip to Peru.

2008

as well as other new state-ofthe-art laboratories, such as the

UAB, including senior vice president

Materials Processing and Application

of academic affairs. He is credited

Development Center (see page 11).

with many of the efforts to move

Lucas also helped usher in 21st-

the university toward a more tradi-

century education by offering a

tional campus experience through

variety of online options for long-

the creation of green space and on-

distance students, including a new

campus dormitories.

master’s of engineering program

was in dire need of a new, modern-

Engineers Without Borders is established and embarks on its

several leadership positions within

By the early 1980s, the school

The UAB student chapter of

To honor Mr. William F. Edmonds, BE&K makes a gift to establish and support the William F. Edmonds Interactive Learning Center in the School of Engineering.

2009

VisCube opens, providing new opportunities for collaborative research.

with three tracks.

In 2011, Lucas was named UAB’s

2009

SOE faculty start Innovative

ized facility, and it launched its first

interim provost, and longtime fac-

major fundraising campaign, result-

ulty member Melinda Lalor, Ph.D.,

win first place in the Alabama

ing in construction of the Business

was named interim dean. But even

LaunchPad competition.

and Engineering Complex.

in a time of transition, the school

In 1984, Jay Goldman became the

moves forward, bringing in new

school’s third dean. During his tenure,

faculty (see page 9) and continuing

the school continued to grow through

to engage in the kind of high-level,

numerous gifts, which helped add

cross-disciplinary research that will

faculty and modernize equipment.

continue the transformation of the

In 1996, Steve Szygenda became the school’s fourth dean. He orches-

Composite Solutions, Inc., and

2010

The School of Engineering opens

2010

UAB spin-off company Endomimetics

the MPAD. (See page 11.)

develops a coating for stents to mimic the lining of blood vessels. The com-

Birmingham area into a research hub

pany was cofounded by UAB cardiolo-

for the 21st century.

gist Brigitta Brott, M.D., and Ho-Wook

trated the move of engineering per-

Jun, Ph.D., an assistant professor in biomedical engineering,

2010

Martha Bidez, Ph.D., starts the Master of Engineering in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management Program. (See page 12.)

2011

Enrollment for the fall term surpasses 1,200 students.

UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 8

faculty spotlight “This is a very exciting time for

cal center, but not specifically with

electrical and computer engineering,

the Department of Electrical and

because today’s undergraduate stu-

Computer Engineering. In recent

dents have grown up with electron-

months, however, Massoud and his

ics and computers,” Massoud says.

team of researchers have revealed a

“That familiarity will be an advantage

less obvious opportunity for medical

when this generation begins to

collaboration—but one that can be

design future technologies.”

extremely productive.

Prior to coming to UAB, Massoud

All Hands on Deck

Electric Avenue Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair Carving New Niche

was on faculty at Rice University,

Massoud has spent his first sev-

where he and his team worked on a

eral months at UAB directing under-

$4 million project for the Department

graduates to take an active role in

of Defense in which they devel-

research. “There is a misconception

oped software that could convert

that undergraduates are here for

analog signals to digital at a much

studying and training while graduate

lower sampling rate than was previ-

students conduct research,” says

ously believed possible. The result

Massoud. “We still want our under-

is a device that is smaller, uses less

graduates to get the highest level of

energy, and can hold 10 times the

training, but we also want them to

amount of data of previous devices.

take a more central role in research.”

“There are many areas where this

To demonstrate this new approach,

could be utilized,” Massoud says.

Massoud leads a tour of a new ECE

“But because of the tremendous

laboratory, where work ranges from

amount of medical expertise and

graduate and postgraduate students

research at UAB, it makes sense to

using state-of-the-art equipment to

concentrate our efforts on medicine.”

work on multimillion dollar projects

Massoud says the opportunities

to undergraduate students designing

for cross-disciplinary research were

Imagine a future where patients

the aforementioned cellphone appli-

a major factor in luring him to UAB.

in remote areas can obtain and

cations that could revolutionize health

In fact, he is already working to

send real-time medical information

care.

establish collaborative research with

instantaneously to doctors via their

By getting undergraduates involved

the School of Medicine, including

cellphones. Imagine the possibili-

in research, Massoud says he hopes

opportunities in neurology, diabetes,

ties for clinical studies when doctors

to raise the visibility of UAB among

cancer treatment, and medical imag-

have access to information from

high school students in order to

ing, among other departments and

patients scattered all over the world.

recruit the brightest minds into elec-

centers on campus.

According to Yehia Massoud, Ph.D.,

trical and computer engineering.

the new chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, that future is just around the corner—

“We want to build on UAB’s reputation as an international health-care

A New Niche The UAB School of Engineering

research leader and use our department’s skills in engineering and com-

and it’s today’s undergraduates who

has a long history of successful

puting to develop novel solutions for

will make it possible.

research collaboration with the medi-

health-care problems,” he says.

9 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

engineering instructors will “hide the mathematics behind a curtain” as much as possible, Soni notes.

Art faculty, meanwhile, will adapt their methods to “teach aesthetics and creativity to science students, who tend to be very concrete sometimes,” Lowther says. “We’re trying to foster the kind of scholar who has characteristics like da Vinci, who was

Calling

equally at home in the left and right brain.”

Leonardo

Both sides of the brain are crucial for making use of emerging 3-D and

New Certificate Program Combines Best of Art and Engineering

interactive technology, says Soni. Recent blockbuster movies have helped transform

It’s a Twenty-first century

3-D from a theme park

program with a 15th-century name,

gimmick to a home the-

but make no mistake: The Leonardo

ater standby in a matter

Art and Engineering Certificate

of a few years. “But

Program is old-school in name only. The program is affectionately known as “Leonardo” to developers Bharat Soni, Ph.D., and Christopher Lowther, because it aims to combine the concrete aspects of engineering (Soni) with the creative aspects of art (Lowther), thereby molding students into the kind of well-rounded Renaissance-minded people implied by the program’s namesake—artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci.

UAB faculty already have extensive expertise in designing and building immersive virtual-reality environments, says Soni, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The school’s summer

institute for high-school students has

in engineering, this is something

given faculty experience in teach-

we’ve been doing for some time,”

ing computer-simulation techniques

Soni says. “High-dimensional visu-

to the mathematically disinclined.

alizations and simulations are used

And Lowther’s time-based media

in many different ways, to simulate

class in the Department of Art and

the aerodynamics of jet airplanes, for

Art History, which makes heavy

example, or to model fluid dynamics.

use of 3-D modeling and animation

What are missing are some artistic

software, presented a near-perfect

characteristics.” And that’s where

bridge between the two disciplines.

the artists come in. “We encourage creative thinking and creative solutions in addition to skills in aesthet-

Double Talk

ics,” Lowther says. “We’re changing

The challenge has been building that bridge for students with

paradigms. If you think of yourself

very different thought processes,

as an artist-engineer, you’re going

Soni says. Art students who enter

to start having bigger ideas. And

the program will have to immerse

Leonardo epitomizes that.”

themselves in a very technical and science-based environment, but

“And the name,” Soni says, “is so catchy.”

UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 10

Features

A Driving Force New Center Turning Heads with Economic Development Potential Unparalleled. One of a kind.

any other university-based metal-cast-

that began with grants to its com-

Unique.

ing lab in the country—or in industrial

posites lab in 2004 to develop new

testing facilities.

materials for use in military missile

A lot of adjectives have been used to describe a new center of excel-

“The metals lab will allow us to

systems and new compounds to cre-

lence at the School of Engineering,

do what very few facilities can do—

ate lighter-weight, more reliable body

but there are only so many words

produce large-scale components

armor for military personnel.

to describe something that offers

and testing in real-world conditions,”

But the potential impact of MPAD

no comparison to existing facilities.

says Barry Andrews, Ph.D., chair of

goes far beyond one project or indus-

The UAB Materials Processing and

the UAB Department of Materials

try. Local leaders see an enormous

Application Development Center

Science and Engineering (MSE).

benefit to local economic develop-

(MPAD) is a 15,000-square-foot facil-

The facility was funded in part by a

ment through the center. Neal Wade,

ity that officials say will be involved

$1 million grant from the U.S. Army

director of the Alabama Development

with development and production of

Research Laboratory. The ARL fund-

Office, says the future of materials

innovative materials on scales so large

ing is an extension of a multiyear

manufacturing in Alabama will be

that they essentially are nonexistent in

research relationship with UAB MSE

shaped by the skilled scholars and

11 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

students working in a newly dedicated center of excellence at the School of

“The metals lab will allow us to do what very few facilities can do—produce large-scale components and testing in real world conditions.” —Barry Andrews, Ph.D.

Engineering. “Companies that don’t want to spend extra dol-

composite materials laboratory and

methods for various applications all in

lars in this economic time on research

9,000-square-foot metals labora-

one location.”

and development can now look to

tory, MPAD is the largest academic

UAB to conduct tests and develop

research facility of its kind in the

equipment installation phase, but

new materials,” Wade says. “This

country.

by late fall will begin to discover

center is the real deal. They have an

MPAD’s metals lab is still in its

“Having both composites and

and test new metals and alloys

unparalleled level of intellect here and

metals research under one roof is

for improved, safer vehicle armor,

are operating state-of-the-art equip-

extremely rare,” says Melinda Lalor,

among other projects. The lab will

ment to work in the most advanced

Ph.D., interim dean of the UAB

be capable of pouring 500-pound

areas of composite and metal materi-

School of Engineering. “We will be

test castings, significantly larger

als research.”

able to develop new materials and

than the traditional test samples

new processing technologies and

fashioned at most U.S. universities.

Home to a 6,000-square-foot

Faculty Briefs

within the University of Alabama at

the American Society of Safety

Birmingham.”

Engineers’ Women in Safety

Bidez is an internation-

Martha Warren Bidez, Ph.D., professor and director of the Advanced Safety Engineering and Management graduate track in the School of Engineering, has been named System Safety Society’s Educator of the

Engineering.

ally renowned biomedical

Martha Warren Bidez, Ph.D.

Year for 2011.

“Dr. Bidez is being honored for her outstanding achievement in safety education,” says Anthony Burno, operational vice president, System Safety Society. “I am honored to award Dr. Bidez for her development and implementation of the Advanced Safety Engineering and Management graduate program

engineer, entrepreneur,

Robin D. Foley, Ph.D., an associ-

and system-safety consul-

ate professor in the Department of

tant. She has more than 29

Materials Science and Engineering, is

years of experience in seri-

the 2011 recipient of the Ellen Gregg

ous injury investigation, sci-

Ingalls/UAB National Alumni Society

entific research, teaching at

Award. Foley, who joined UAB in

the School of Engineering,

1990, was honored at the Fall Alumni

and technology transfer

Society luncheon on September 23,

within the health-care sector. She

2011, at the Alumni House.

is a National Leadership

The Ellen Gregg

Fellow of the W.K. Kellogg

Ingalls/UAB National

Foundation and a fellow

Alumni Society Award

of the American Institute

for Lifetime Achievement

for Medical and Biological

in Teaching is considered

Engineering.

the highest recognition

Bidez also was named

for faculty presented by

one of the top 100 women in safety engineering by

the university.

Robin D. Foley, Ph.D.

UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 12

student spotlight Cooper Wins CD-adapco’s 2011 Academic Paper Contest SOE graduate David Cooper is

For his win, Cooper received an

the winner of CD-adapco’s 2011

all-expense paid trip to the STAR

Academic Paper Contest. The

American Conference 2011 in Chicago.

paper on his senior design project,

He also had the opportunity to pres-

“Performance of a Proposed Micro-

ent his work to the gathered audience

Aerial Vehicle Design,” explains how

of distinguished industrial simulation

he used a number of STAR-CCM+

experts. Cooper graduated from the

techniques in an applied engineering

School of Engineering in May.

design that otherwise would require completion of the project to test.

Cooper says, “My team and I were designing and constructing a micro air vehicle and simulation was the only means available to evaluate critical design parameters, such as the From left, mentor Gary Cheng is joined by team mem-

amount of power required and ideal

bers Tim Whitehead, David Cooper, Rodney May, Simon

wing motion.”

Muriuki, Michael Dale, and mentor Roy Koomullil.

Student Briefs Brian Mareno of Helena, a senior

cants of the four-year programs,” says

The Alabama Society of

in the UAB School of Engineering, is the

Greg Ford, chair of the Bruce Tucker

Professional Engineers has named

recipient of the Bruce Tucker Memorial

Memorial Scholarship Trust. “He has

UAB student Amanda Haglund

Scholarship from the Mississippi Valley

a great GPA and put a lot of effort into

its Student of the Year, extending a

branch of the Associated General

making quality grades in a hard field of

nine-year streak, as UAB students

Contractors of America. The award is

study. He is involved and well-liked by

have won this honor every year since

given annually to undergraduates with

his peers and teachers.”

2002.

outstanding academic achievements

Mareno, 24, is the first UAB student

“Amanda is outstanding and a

and an interest in the construction area

to win this scholarship. He has worked

superb student and we are all proud

of civil engineering.

full-time in the construction industry

that she extends a tradition of excel-

since 2005 and is scheduled to gradu-

lence as the 10th straight UAB stu-

ate in May 2012.

dent to earn the honor of ASPE stu-

“Brian Mareno achieved the highest aggregate score from all the appli-

13 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

Open House 2010 High school students from throughout the Birmingham metropolitan area converged on the School of Engineering again last year for the school’s annual Open House event.

Open House takes place each fall and has become one of the key opportunities for the school to gain exposure in the local community and give prospective students an up-close

Photos provided by the Birmingham News

look at what student life in the SOE is all about.

School Now Offers New Concentrations for Undergraduates Beginning this fall, the School

dent of the year,” says Melinda Lalor,

lege. Plus, the School of Engineering

Ph.D., interim dean of the School of

has a small-school feel because the

of Engineering will be offering

Engineering.

professors are very involved,” says

concentrations in biomaterials,

Haglund. “I love my teachers, and

metallurgy, and polymer matrix

Department of Materials Sciences

my department allows students who

composites within the bachelor of

and Engineering also was named the

want to gain hands-on experience

school’s Outstanding Undergraduate

to experience those opportunities in

science degree in materials engi-

Student Engineer for 2010-11.

real-world situations.”

The Birmingham native from the

Haglund credits her success to her

Linda Lucas, Ph.D., the former dean

neering.

In addition, the school will offer concentrations in biomaterials/

environment. “I was home-schooled,

of the School of Engineering and cur-

and my mom chose a lot of AP cours-

rent UAB interim Provost, won this

tissue engineering and biomechan-

es so I was quite ready to start col-

award in 1978.

ics within the bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering.

UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 14

student spotlight UAB Hosts SAE Baja Competition UAB students have long participated in the annual SAE Baja competition, but in April 2011, engineering students were able to host the event for the first time.

The School of Engineering, along with the SAE Alabama Section, hosted the competition at the Stony Lonesome OHV Park in Bremen, Alabama. College teams from 59 schools throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico converged on the Cullman County park, where they competed with off-road vehicles they designed and built to survive the severe punishment of rough terrain and water.

The UAB team won third place overall, third place in suspension and endurance, and third place in endurance.

Homecoming 2010 Last fall, School of Engineering students got into the spirit of UAB’s Homecoming week in a big way by bringing in several university-wide homecoming awards, including: • 1st Place: Most Creative Float • 1st Place: Most Creative Gurney Passenger • 3rd Place: Building Decoration Additionally, the school won the first ever Blazer Pride Award for the best display of UAB spirit throughout Homecoming Week 2010.

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alumni profile Vocal Hero: Meet the Face that Launched Gang Green Jeremiah Haswell is larger than

ebrating UAB’s 64-46

life. He has appeared on T-shirts, bill-

win over Memphis—

boards, newspaper ads, and stadium

when a photographer

scoreboards dozens of feet high.

captured the famous

With a six-inch green wig, Blazer logos on his cheeks, and a mouth

shot of him celebrating the victory.

frozen mid-shout, Haswell’s greentinted visage has been the face of UAB athletics for years. Yet even

Jeremiah Haswell

Going Green Haswell, who says

though the two-time alumnus is a

he was never a basketball fan prior

use,” Haswell says.

regular at Blazer sports events, few

to enrolling at UAB, began attend-

“I didn’t know what

of his fellow fans recognize the icon

ing games as a freshman and was

photo he was talking

in their midst—even if they’re wear-

immediately hooked. When the

about, but I said OK. Then

ing his face on their shirts.

athletic department began promot-

when I got back to school that fall,

ing the idea of a student support

there was a full-page ad in the stu-

captured in a nine-year-old photo-

organization, Haswell was among

dent newspaper with my face on it.”

Haswell’s spirit-filled image, as graph, is the logo of Gang Green, the

the first to join the effort. “We

UAB student organization formed

started out as just a small group of

to support Blazer athletics. Haswell

students,” Haswell says. “I thought

Even without all the attention the

was a founding member of the

Gang Green was a great way to cre-

Gang Green ad generated, Haswell’s

group in 2001 and served as its third

ate some excitement and get more

presence at UAB was never exactly

president in 2003, in between earn-

people involved.”

inconspicuous. He was a freshman

ing bachelor’s and master’s degrees

Haswell’s athletic interests weren’t

Still One of the Gang

orientation leader, a UAB Ambas-

from the School of Engineering. Yet

relegated to life on the sidelines,

sador, a Student Government

his most lasting contribution came,

however. The summer after his soph-

Association representative, a mem-

unbeknownst to him, when he was

omore year, he rode a bicycle across

ber of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, and

just another face in a packed Bartow

the country for the Journey of Hope,

vice-president of UAB Engineers

Arena.

a national charity dedicated to serving

Without Borders. He received a

“We got dressed up and went all

people with disabilities. Somewhere

bachelor’s degree in mechanical

out for some of the bigger games,”

in the middle of the 64-day, 4,100-

engineering in 2003 and added a

against teams like Cincinnati, Louis-

mile trek, he got a call asking for

master’s in civil engineering in 2008.

ville, and Memphis, says Haswell.

permission to use his image to help

He currently works as a team leader

He was at mid-court on February

publicize Gang Green. “My roommate

for Alabama Power Company and is

22, 2002—covered in body paint and

said they had a photo of me from a

married to a fellow two-time UAB

waving a huge UAB flag while cel-

basketball game that they wanted to

alumnus, Lindsay Greer Haswell.

UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011 16

development 40 Years of Engineering Excellence This fall the School of

in teaching and research, our plan is to work even

Engineering celebrates its 40th

harder. But it’s about more than engineering. It’s

anniversary and is taking time to

also about making a positive impact on people’s

reflect on its many successes. As

lives, our communities, and the world. At the UAB

you have read, the school was an

School of Engineering we are offering our students

important part of UAB’s begin-

a unique, interdisciplinary educational environment

ning and has continued to have an

that provides them with a foundation to become

indelible impact on the university

the leaders of tomorrow. By setting and meeting

and the city of Birmingham. As

ambitious goals, we can ensure that the school

we look back on the past four

remains competitive and continues to attract top

decades, we take great pride in

students and faculty to engineering.

what the school has achieved in

Private support will be crucial to the continued

such a short time. The credit for

growth of the School of Engineering. If you haven’t

these accomplishments must be

already, I sincerely hope that you will consider join-

given largely to the dedication of

ing the ranks of others who have made a commit-

our extraordinary faculty and staff

ment to assist us in providing the best engineering

and to our alumni who so proudly

education possible by contributing to our annual

represent the School of Engineering in their com-

fund, endowment, and scholarships. These funds

munities. We thank you for your continued commit-

will help us recruit and retain the most talented

ment to UAB.

students and faculty and also support the research

As UAB continues to grow and change, so does the School of Engineering. Having seen the larg-

efforts of the school.

There are so many ways for alumni, friends, and

est increase in enrollment on campus this fall, the

corporations to make a positive impact at UAB.

school is moving forward with enthusiasm and

Please visit www.uab.edu/supporteng to explore

preparing for busy times ahead. If you have not

our various charitable options or contact me for

had the opportunity to visit UAB or the School of

personal assistance. I am happy to help in any way

Engineering recently, I would encourage you to

and your comments or suggestions are always wel-

rediscover and reconnect with this ever-changing

come.

institution. As an alum myself, it is so exciting to

Thank you for your continued interest in the UAB

see this relatively young university blossoming into

School of Engineering. I look forward to working

the bustling epicenter of Birmingham. Of course

with each of you!

none of this would be possible without the support offered by our alumni and friends. We are so

Victoria E. Allen

grateful for your generosity and recognize that our

Director of Development and External Relations

progress would not be possible without you.

To prepare the School of Engineering for the future, and to continue the pursuit of excellence

17 UA B ENGINEERING M AGA ZINE • W IN T ER 2 011

veallen@uab.edu 205.934.8481

UAB School of Engineering Designing a Better Tomorrow

Making a bequest to the UAB School of Engineering is a thoughtful and flexible way to achieve your charitable and financial goals without making an outright gift today. Your bequest to the school may reduce your estate taxes and will give you peace of mind knowing that: • you are making a gift that will provide a legacy of support for professors, students, and programs at the School of Engineering; • you may direct your bequest to a particular purpose, program, or department (the SOE and the Office of Planned Giving will work with you and your advisors to ensure your gift is structured properly); and • you will be invited to join the Torchlighter’s Society, an exclusive group of donors who make lifetime gifts to UAB. If you would like to learn more about making a bequest to the SOE, please contact development director Victoria Allen at (205) 934-8481 or veallen@uab.edu.

Learn more at www.uab.edu/development/areas/academics/engineering.

The Universit y of Alabama at Birmingham UAB School of Engineering HOEN 100 • 1075 13th Street South 1530 3RD AVE S Birmingham AL 35294-4440 (205) 934-8400

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