C A P S TO N E SPRING 2005
EXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Engineer
= GOAL= GOAL TOP-50 Research University Ranking
C O N T E N T S
CAPSTONE Engineering Society
COVER STORY: GOAL=Top-50 Research University Ranking An Interview with Dr. Keith McDowell . . . . . . . . . 2
1-800-333-8156 Rodney W. Summerford, PE Mobile, Ala. National Chair, Board of Directors
UA Engineering: Research Center-ed . . . . . . . . . . 6 Engineering Taking Research Projects to New Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Engineering and Medicine: UA Chemical Engineers Tour Nashville Hospital . . . . . . . . . . .12
Angelia Knight Director, Capstone Engineering Society
Keith McDowell Interim Dean, College of Engineering
Karen Meshad Baldwin Director of External Affairs & Development
Mary Wymer Editor
C A P S TO N E
Engineer
News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Surveying the College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Alumni Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 In Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Engineering Quick Facts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Issue No. 31 Capstone Engineer is published in the spring and fall by the Capstone Engineering Society. Address correspondence to the editor: The University of Alabama, Capstone Engineering Society, College of Engineering, Box 870200, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0200. Roderick Guillen Designer Christine Dietsch Proofreader
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Laura Shill, Alice Wilson, Mary Wymer, Rickey Yanaura Photographers
Correction In the Fall 2004 edition of the Capstone Engineer, we incorrectly identified Suzanne Moore’s degree as B.S.C.E. in the Alumni Notes section. Her correct degree designation is B.S.Pet.E. We sincerely apologize for this error.
Visit the College of Engineering website at www.eng.ua.edu
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DEAN’S Message
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he College of Engineering has long been associated with excellence in research. As this issue of the Capstone Engineer illustrates, research at the University and the College continues to bring the Capstone to the next level of excellence. President Witt’s goal is for The University of Alabama to become a student-centered, tier I research university. Success in all of our research endeavors is a critical step in achieving that goal. In this issue, I explain the University’s research processes and overarching research vision. I have often stated that before you have goals, you have to have a vision. My vision for UA is simple—a culture of excellence in scholarly activity. It is a vision that is not limited to science and engineering, but includes all facets of the Capstone. This issue also focuses on the Research Centers of Excellence that are headquartered in Engineering. The University has more than 50 research centers of excellence with more than 10 centers directed by the College. Many engineering faculty are involved in numerous interdisciplinary research endeavors through the Capstone’s various research centers. Finally, this issue highlights two new engineering research projects. Dr. Derek Williamson in civil engineering is conducting national environmental research with the University’s new Sky Arrow 650 Environmental Research Aircraft, and Dr. Gregory Thompson in metallurgical and materials engineering is embarking on leading-edge materials research with the University’s new transmission electron microscope. Quickly, I want to update you on the search for the new dean. We are on schedule with our plan, and we have received an excellent response for this position. The search committee has developed and implemented a multi-faceted recruitment plan, and the objective is for the new dean to join the College on or before August 2005. The search committee has established the selection criteria, and the initial review of the 39 applicants that we have received to date is complete. We plan to schedule interviews the first week of March. I encourage you to share your thoughts with me about the College by e-mailing me at dean@coe.eng.ua.edu.
Keith McDowell, Ph.D. Interim Dean
GOAL = Top-50 Research University Ranking An Interview with Dr. Keith McDowell How will UA reach that goal? It seems like a daunting proposition, but if you spend any time with Dr. Keith McDowell, vice president for research, you realize that UA will reach and surpass this goal. McDowell joined the University in November 2003 as vice president for research, and in July 2004 he also assumed the duties of interim dean of the College of Engineering. His experience includes 13 years at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he held academic posts that included vice president for research and information technology. He was affiliated with Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1979 to 1991 as a researcher and administrator. Prior to 1979, McDowell served on the chemistry faculty at Clemson University, was a research associate at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and twice received the Harvard Teaching Fellow Award for excellence in teaching. Recently, the Capstone Engineer spent some time with McDowell, and he shared with us his vision and goals for UA research and how important the College of Engineering is to UA’s research effort.
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The vice president for research position is new at the University. How has the addition changed the research structure at The University of Alabama? The principal structural change is that research has been elevated to the vice presidential level with direct reporting and responsibility to the president of the University. President Witt has stated that one of his major goals is the transformation of The University of Alabama to a “student-centered, tier I research university,” and this structural change is an essential step in achieving that goal. The addition of the new position also provides a focal point for the research infrastructure at UA and has led to several organizational changes. I can best describe these changes in the context of the functions of the Office of Research that the vice president for research directs. These four functions are administration and operations, policy and training, technology transfer, and development. The administration and operations function is directed by Dr. Marianne Woods and includes the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) and research compliance, as well as the administrative side of technology transfer. A major organization change we’ve made is to combine Contract and Grant Accounting with the old OSP (preand post-award) to form a new OSP under the direction of Cindy Jones. The joining of these two operations provides a “one-stop shop” for faculty, as well as an economy of scale and the ability to train and cross-train staff on a common “best practice” standard of research administration. OSP is currently reviewing Web-enabled grant and contract management software that will provide a Web interface for our faculty and permit user-friendly access to all aspects of grant or contract management. We also have created a new research compliance officer position, which handles the very large volume of compliance workload including Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, misconduct in science, conflict of interest, and compliance training certification. We are in the process of moving the Animal Care Facility under this person in order to separate management of animal care from academic units conducting research, which will provide a more responsible compliance environment. The Office of Research is also responsible for the operation of the Central Analytical Facility (CAF) under the direction of Dr. Mike Bersch. As UA increases our research capacity through investment in new, large-scale equipment, it is essential that we invest wisely and manage the CAF in a manner that encourages maximum use as a shared-research user facility. Dr. Bersch and I are working with our research faculty to restructure the CAF to accomplish that goal. The second function of the Office of Research is research policy and training. This function is directed and carried out principally by Dr. Woods. As an example of activities in this area, UA recently brought Julie Norris, director emeritus of sponsored programs at MIT, to the Capstone to conduct training in export control, and the response to her was outstanding. We believe that it is important for UA to experience and work with the tier I universities in the country. Only by doing so and following the best practices of such universities will UA become a tier I university.
Graduate student Atul Kumar with Drs. John Wiest, Alan Lane and Ramana Reddy are just a few of the many UA researchers working on fuel cells. Wiest is an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering; Lane is a professor of chemical and biological engineering; and Reddy is the ACIPCO Professor of metallurgical and materials engineering.
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Technology transfer is another essential function of my office. It includes the entire spectrum of activities from disclosure of intellectual property (IP) to the management and commercialization of the IP. We have taken several major steps in this area. First, we formed an IP Disclosure Committee and process for faculty. Second, we founded the Bama Technology Incubator, an organization dedicated to incubation of UA IP. Finally, we have restructured the Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence (AIME) program to serve as a center of excellence in finding innovative ways to commercialize UA IP and to build partnering relationships with Alabama and Southeastern industries. AIME is directed by Dr. Robert Wells. As a result of this restructuring, AIME has been instrumental in forming the Southern Alliance for Utilization of Biomass Resources (SAUBR), an alliance with nearly 100 Southern agencies dedicated to alternative energy and commerce through the use of biomass. The final function of my office is the development of research capacity at UA. In many ways, this is the principal activity that I carry out personally. It involves interaction with both industrial and government agencies, as well as partnering with other universities. There are several dominant themes coming out of Washington that UA must pay attention to, including technology-led economic development, workforce development, and crosscutting, interdisciplinary research agendas. One senior-level NSF administrator recently said at a meeting in Washington that the day of the independent single principal-investigator grant is rapidly disappearing. While this is a fact that many of us find very disturbing, it is nevertheless a reality and one that we must factor into our plans for growing research at UA. What are your goals for research at the Capstone? I have often stated that before you have goals, you have to have a vision. My vision for UA is simple—a culture of excellence in scholarly activity. It is a vision that is not limited to science and engineering, but includes all facets of the Capstone. We will not become a tier I institution by merely focusing on research capacity in science and engineering. All scholarly activity including the fine arts must be recognized. Not only is it important that we recognize all scholarly activity, but that we also grow a culture of excellence. I believe that if we achieve this vision, then the goals of increased research expenditures and so forth will follow naturally. For the short term, my goals focus on building a “best practice” research infrastructure. It will not do us much good to increase the number of grants and contracts and research expenditures if our infrastructure cannot handle the burden in a manner that complies with federal rules and regulations. Our timetable for achieving this short-term goal is the summer of 2005. Our long-term goal, with a timeline of about five years, is to reach $100 million in research expenditures. I’m often asked how I plan to achieve that goal. My answer is that I follow three very basic principles. First, decisions are always made from the perspective of a tier I university. Second, we get things right from the beginning
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Dr. Rebecca Allen (left), UA associate professor of psychology, is directing the Legacy Project, which helps families with life-limiting illnesses develop keepsakes such as a scrapbook, journal or photo album. She is shown here working on a project with her mother, Juanita Allen of Lexington, Ky., and Michelle Hilgeman, a first-year graduate student in psychology at UA.
with the necessary investment of time and effort up front. It takes less time in the long run. Third, we get there by taking care of business one step at a time. How will you gauge success in research at UA? There are many factors and metrics that are used by the university community to gauge success in research. The most common ones are yearly research expenditures, number of patents, number of grants and contracts, number of peer-reviewed research publications, number of faculty in the various national academies, number of faculty receiving national awards, and so forth. I believe UA has the potential to be among the top-50 research universities and I believe reaching that goal will be our measure of success. Explain some of the new research initiatives. I’ve mentioned some of our broad initiatives with respect to research infrastructure; however, we also have some specific and targeted initiatives. These initiatives follow from a strategy of choosing and promoting a relatively small number of centers of excellence targeted for enhancement. Our goal is to have centers of excellence bringing in more than $3 million per year in extramural funding. Our newest such center is the Aging Infrastructure Systems Center of Excellence (AISCE), with Dr. David Hale serving as the interim director. AISCE has just received congressional funding of $1 million for the 2005 fiscal year. The purpose of AISCE is to address the problems of our aging physical infrastructure in the United States, as well as the loss of the workforce that developed this infrastructure from a systems perspective. This aging infrastructure
includes bridges, roads, aircraft, weapons systems, health systems, information systems, management systems and so forth. We believe that AISCE is a unique crosscutting and interdisciplinary center that will play a major role in U.S. policy for the future. In a similar vein, we are reviewing and considering initiatives in alternative energy sources, such as the hydrogen economy, fuel cells and hybrid vehicles; green chemistry and manufacturing; nanotechnology for information systems and other uses; transportation; rural Alabama (health, economic development, social development, family life, transportation, education, agriculture, etc.); the Alabama environment (AERO project and airplane, ecology of waterways and the Center for Freshwater Studies, our Environmental Institute, possible research field station, etc.); mental health and geriatrics; and several more areas where UA excels. The next year or so at UA will be exciting as we focus and target our resources to build upon our current expertise and to foster new centers of excellence. How does Engineering fit in the University research structure? The College of Engineering is absolutely essential to any plans we make to transform UA to a tier I research university. As interim dean of engineering, I have challenged my colleagues in engineering to begin the process of forming a plan that will lead the College to become a top-50 college of engineering. I expect to present the draft plan to candidates for our dean of engineering position and to work with the chosen candidate to have that plan operational by the time the new dean arrives on campus. It is important that the plan be realistic and cognizant of the realities of funding resources in the 21st century. As one of the oldest engineering programs in the country, the College should be a leader in engineering research. President Witt and the central administration are committed to this goal. What factors do you use to determine allocation of resources from your office? Allocation of resources is possibly the most important component of transforming UA to a tier I research university. I have seven “investment metrics” that I use. First, it is important for everyone to understand that UA is not a funding agency. If all I do is use my funding streams to pay for research, then I will not be investing, but just spending. I include in this metric the support of graduate students, and I believe there are other and better ways to pay for graduate students. Second, I invest to expand research capacity. It is important, of course, that we use a rather expansive definition of what research capacity means since it can be specific and different for different disciplines. Third, I look for sustainability of the research enterprise produced and enhanced by the investment. This sustainability should ultimately come from external resource streams. Fourth, I look for a return on investment through publications, new grants and contracts, and so forth. Fifth, I look at the potential for extramural funding. Sixth, I expect to see leveraging of other resources and funding streams as part of the package. Finally, I make sure that the investment will follow “best practice” in all dimensions.
Dr. Eric Roden, a UA biology professor, demonstrates a research technique while biology student Ryan St. John observes.
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UA Engineering: UA engineering research centers impact our society by improving our environment as well as transportation and vehicle safety. Through the CARE Research & Development Laboratory, innovative technologies for traffic safety and law enforcement benefit the state and nation. Additionally, the Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies meets environmental and economic challenges by developing energy-efficient vehicles and propulsion systems. The University Transportation Center for Alabama also strives to advance technology and expertise in the multiple disciplines that comprise transportation. The Southeast Regional Center of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change, headquartered at the Capstone, conducts research on how environmental change affects different geographical and geological systems. These centers, along with the many others headquartered at the Capstone, have a broad impact on the College of Engineering and our society.
CARE Research & Development Laboratory—CRDL By using leading-edge technologies, CRDL offers products and specialized software development services in a variety of areas, particularly traffic safety and law enforcement. A few of the current projects include the Law Enforcement Tactical System, E-Citation, and the annual Crash Facts book for the state of Alabama.
Dr. Clark Midkiff, associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the CAVT, works with a mechanical engineering graduate student.
Traffic safety is of particular interest to CRDL, which has designed electronic citation forms, a program known as E-Citation, for use by law enforcement officers in the state. With funding from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and cooperation from the Alabama Department of Public Safety and the Administrative Office of the Courts, CRDL is implementing a paperless electronic citation system for commercial truck enforcement throughout the state of Alabama. CRDL has also developed a law enforcement search engine called the Law Enforcement Tactical System. LETS is a secure, Web-based search engine that allows law enforcement and criminal justice agencies to search numerous databases simultaneously, returning information in real time while it facilitates in-depth searches. The system was developed in 2002 and has grown rapidly. In 2004, CRDL received runner-up recognition in the best practice category for its CARE data analysis software from the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals. Each year the association recognizes exemplary state and federal projects that are good examples of implementation of new technology or demonstrate the use of traffic safety data in problem identification, project management or project evaluation.
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An Alabama trooper uses the LETS program developed by UA’s CRDL.
Research CENTER-ed Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies—CAVT In response to global energy, economic and environmental challenges, CAVT performs research related to developing energy-efficient vehicles and propulsion systems. Established in 1998 through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, the U.S. Department of Transportation has provided funding to UA. CAVT research primarily focuses on propulsion technologies, vehicle structure and vehicle manufacturing. One of the current projects is funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation and focuses on fuel cells and hybrid electric vehicles. From fuel cell design and integration to safety factors and monitoring hydrogen storage, this research is vital to the future of the automotive industry. Dr. Clark Midkiff, associate professor of mechanical engineering and CAVT director, explained that hybrid electric vehicles will lead to more developments for fuel cell vehicles. Hybrid electric vehicles are considered the technology path from today’s car to the fuel cell vehicle. Other CAVT projects include developing an affordable polymer matrix composite for lightweight vehicle structures, investigating efficient control of an induction machine for an electric vehicle, and nanocrystalline grain refinement and purification in semiconductor gas sensors for improved combustion efficiency. Southeast Regional Center of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change—NIGEC–SERC The Capstone serves as the headquarters of the Southeast Regional Center of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change directed by Dr. Duane Johnson, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering. The strategic vision of the Southeast Regional Center of NIGEC is to conduct high-quality research programs focused on understanding the consequences of global warming on terrestrial ecosystems and resources in the Southeast. The center supports research that explores, quantifies, predicts and provides fundamental understanding of the underlying principles regarding major research questions important to the region. Numerous investigators at seven major universities across the Southeast are working on projects from predicting ecosystem response to environmental change. NIGEC is divided into six regions within the United States to study environmental change on different geographical and geological systems. Each regional center develops its own research programs by soliciting proposals from scholars around the nation. NIGEC–SERC includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
University Transportation Center for Alabama—UTCA Faculty members and students from the Capstone, The University of Alabama at Birmingham and The University of Alabama in Huntsville conduct transportation education, research and technology transfer activities through UTCA. The center’s theme involves the management and safety of transportation systems to address current challenges and future opportunities. In the past few years, UTCA has conducted world-class research concerning safety with seat belts, bridge replacement issues, runway topography designs and traffic management in response to catastrophic events. In addition to research, UTCA, in a partnership with the Alabama Department of Transportation, promotes engineering education through an annual Advanced Transportation Institute, which encourages traditionally underrepresented minority groups to pursue careers in transportation engineering.
The College of Engineering leads the following major centers of research excellence at the University: n CARE Research & Development Laboratory n Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies n Center for Green Manufacturing n Electromechanical Systems Laboratory n Energy Systems and Power Quality Center n Internet 2 n Machine, Process, and Product Design Center n Manufacturing Information Technology Center n Materials Research Science and Engineering Center n Operations Research and Analysis Center n Product and Materials Processing Center n Southeast Regional Center of the National Institute for Global Environmental Change n University Transportation Center for Alabama
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College of Engineering Box 870200 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0200 1-800-333-8156 (205) 348-2452 www.eng.ua.edu
Engineering Taking Research Projects to New Levels Many engineering research activities are projects directed by leading faculty throughout the College and vary from environmental work using an airplane to examining the properties of materials at the atomic level. These projects are funded through national research grants and awards, and they are a vital research component of the University. Recently, the College of Engineering expanded its research effort with new equipment that keeps us on the cutting edge of technology and will help us in becoming a top-50 engineering college.
Dr. Charlie Haynes, professor of civil and environmental engineering and a licensed pilot, flies the new Sky Arrow.
UA’s Engineering College Unveils New Research Airplane UA engineering researchers can now be seen high in the sky. After many years of analyzing air quality on the ground, the Capstone is the second university in the country operating a Sky Arrow airplane to investigate global climate change causes and impacts. In October 2004, the University unveiled the new Sky Arrow 650 Environmental Research Aircraft and introduced the Atmospheric and Environmental Research Operations Laboratory, known as AERO. “The research possibilities with this plane are endless. From air quality and ozone issues to remote sensing and wind structure, the Sky Arrow presents many opportunities for The University of Alabama,” said Dr. Keith McDowell, vice president for research.
UA’s new AERO Laboratory will focus on air quality and environmental research, including global climate change, greenhouse effects and energy exchange between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. “Some of the exciting air-quality research we will be able to perform using the Sky Arrow includes measuring the gas and energy exchange between the Earth’s surface and the adjacent atmosphere and working with remote sensing instruments that measure ground and ocean surface properties,” explained Dr. Derek Williamson, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the AERO program.
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Photo by David Senn
aircraft’s “pusher” design consists of a rear-mounted engine and propeller. This configuration also minimizes the impact of wind wash over the airframe on particular instruments. The instruments have been designed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the instrument configuration is known as the Mobile Flux Platform. These specially designed instruments are able to measure carbon dioxide, water, and energy exchange between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere with a high degree of precision. In addition to the current research, the AERO team will be working with NOAA on developing the next generation of instruments and sensors to enhance the capabilities of the Sky Arrow and other research platforms. These types of innovations are critical to furthering scientific discovery and collecting the necessary data to address environmental challenges.
UA and NOAA representatives gather for a photo prior to a flight. Bottom row from left are Alex Maestre and Scott Kirby, doctoral students; Jason Lange, undergraduate student; second row, Stan Allen, senior pilot, Dixie Air; Dr. Derek Williamson, director of the AERO program; Ed Dumas, NOAA; Donald Jarman, undergraduate student, and, at top, Steven Brooks, NOAA and UA adjunct professor.
“The information we will be gathering will address current gaps in the understanding of gas exchange and the variability of this surfaceatmosphere transfer on climate change,” said Williamson. Williamson will be working closely with research scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Air Research Laboratory. Initial research will be conducted through the North American Carbon Program to measure carbon dioxide exchange over agricultural and forested lands. This data is a critical component to global climate change models that need carbon balance input data to track greenhouse gas concentrations and impact. The North American Carbon Program consists of nine government agencies studying the carbon cycle. Currently, most carbon dioxide exchange measurements between the Earth and the atmosphere are made using stationary towers. Towers provide very accurate data over time but cover a relatively small geographic area. As needs continue to grow for continental-scale models describing the carbon cycle and climate change, satellites offer the capability to collect data over much larger geographic areas. However, the issue of scaling ground-based tower data to data obtained from orbiting satellites is one of the major challenges to the scientific community. Small Environmental Research Aircraft, such as the Sky Arrow, will be an integral part of the effort to relate data gathered through traditional towers to that from higher-altitude aircraft and satellites. The University’s Sky Arrow is perfectly suited for such studies due to its unique airframe, design and operational characteristics, as well as its specific configuration of instruments. The Sky Arrow is ideal for environmental research because it has a rear-mounted engine that allows for the collection of uncontaminated samples through the nose probe. The
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The Sky Arrow is capable of flying at speeds of up to 100 knots or 115 miles per hour. It is powered by a naturally aspirated 100-horsepower engine, equipped with a fixed-pitch propeller, a rectangular wing supported by two struts and a fixed landing gear.
New Analytical Electron Microscopes Advance Engineering Materials The College of Engineering has experienced tremendous growth in its analytical materials research capability during the last two years. This has been a response to meeting the challenges of nanotechnology. The University is installing two state-of-the-art electron microscopes capable of nanometer compositional and structural analysis. These microscopes will be used to characterize such materials as magnetic thin films and nanoparticles, thermal barrier coating on aircraft blades, and catalytic fuel-cell materials. Grants won from the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award provided the funds for the purchase of these instruments. These microscopes will allow UA scientists and engineers to study a variety of different materials at the nanometer scale to understand their properties better. A nanometer is one-billionth the length of a meter. Similar to optical microscopes, which use light to resolve images of objects, these microscopes use electron waves to image materials. Because an electron has a wavelength much shorter than light, it is possible to see features near or at the atomic level. These research microscopes will be used for interdisciplinary research in the colleges of engineering and arts and sciences and will advance the University’s goal in becoming a top research and scientific teaching institution. In 2003, Dr. Mark Weaver, associate professor of metallurgical and materials engineering, received a $622,000 MRI award to purchase a JEOL 7000F field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM). This SEM can magnify features greater than 500,000 times with an ultimate resolution of less than five nanometers. This microscope is equipped with various detectors including secondary and backscatter detectors that collectively enhance its imaging capability for material surfaces. The JEOL SEM is capable of the chemical identification of different atoms in materials by collecting characteristic X rays, termed energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), from the surfaces of materials.
Above: Dr. Mark Weaver (center), associate professor of metallurgical and materials engineering, and Dr. Gregory Thompson (right), assistant professor of metallurgical and materials engineering, work with a student on the new SEM. Right Inset: The new FEI Quanta 3D dual-beam focus ion beam milled UA’s logo onto the head of a pin.
Additionally, the SEM is equipped to perform orientation imaging microscopy (OIM), which allows researchers to quantitatively determine the crystallographic orientation of individual grains and the identity of specific grain boundaries. The OIM images from the grains can be coupled with the chemical identification of the EDS to give a complete structural and compositional analysis.
ing the overall shape of materials at the nanometer scale, researchers gain better insight into the structure of materials.
Finally, the SEM is equipped to do electron beam lithography. Lithography is the rendering of an image on a surface. Because of the short wavelength of an electron beam, e-beam lithographic patterns can be as small as a few tens of nanometers.
Similar to the SEM, this TEM is equipped with EDS for chemical identification mapping of materials at a resolution of approximately one nanometer. Finally, the Tecnai TEM’s computer interface saves all individual settings, making it a versatile, user-friendly microscope.
In 2004, Dr. Gregory Thompson, assistant professor of metallurgical and materials engineering, received a $1.3 million MRI award to purchase a 200keV field emission FEI Tecnai F20 super-twin transmission electron microscope (TEM). This microscope can image materials at a magnification of one million times. At this ultra-high magnification, scientists can “see” individual atoms. By imaging at the atomic level, researchers understand how to engineer materials to improve such properties as electrical conduction and mechanical strength.
The College of Engineering has invested in new research capacity by purchasing a FEI Quanta 3D dual-beam focus ion beam (FIB) instrument. The FIB uses an electron beam to image or view materials while simultaneously using a gallium ion beam to cut and shape materials at the nanometer level. The ion beam is able to machine intricate shapes, which enables the FIB to make site-specific specimens that can be studied in the new electron microscopes.
This TEM is equipped with a unique imaging detector, called a high annular angle dark field (HAADF) detector, which allows atomic-level contrast imaging between different atomic-numbered materials. This helps users distinguish the image contrast between materials as a function of the type of atom. This HAADF detector also allows the TEM to do tomography imaging. Tomography is a three-dimensional imaging technique that generates multiple viewing perspectives. By characteriz-
The electron microscopes will be housed and maintained in the Central Analytical Facility (CAF). The addition of these instruments makes The University of Alabama a premier characterization facility in the Southeast and in the nation. These tools provide the College of Engineering faculty with the resources to competitively renew existing programs and win new grants and contracts by having the capability to perform atomic-level structural and chemical analysis.
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Centennial Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn.
Engineering & Medicine: UA Chemical Engineers Tour Nashville Hospital Engineering is everywhere, including the vast field of medicine. From designing new operating instruments to advanced pharmaceuticals, many chemical engineers have pursued careers in medicine-related fields. One of the Capstone’s chemical engineering graduates can testify to success in medicine. Mark Cooper, M.D., chief of staff at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., hosted a group of chemical and biological engineering students in November. Cooper received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from UA and his doctor of medicine from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Lawrence H. Kloess III, Centennial’s president and CEO and a UA alumnus, led the tour, which included visits to the surgical suites, the robotic pharmacy and the equipment preparation and sterilization areas. Dr. Chris Brazel, Reichhold-Shumaker assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering, coordinated the trip to expose engineering students to problem solving in the medical profession. The hospital conducted many demonstrations for the students including the use of a “bear hugger” (the wrap that keeps patients warm during surgeries); anesthesiology ventilators, which control lung tidal volumes and delivery of anesthetics; and a hands-on experience with laparoscopic surgery techniques. The highlight of the day was the “Da Vinci” machine, which is a robotical-
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ly controlled surgical suite with three-dimensional imaging. The surgeon sits at a monitor with hand grips, and controls the position of the surgical clamps and other tools. The students each got some hands-on experience by attempting to tie stitches using the robot. During the fall semester, members of the Chemical Engineering 319 and the Chemical Engineering Honors Forum classes worked on a design project to maintain the saline solution used in the operating room. The solution needs to be near 98°F despite the quite cold 60°F of operating rooms. Maintaining the saline solution temperature during surgery is vital, as the doctor cannot use saline that is far from the patient’s body temperature. In surgeries, if the saline is too cool to use, a new bottle must be retrieved, resulting in increased surgery time and higher costs to the patient. The class project was to develop new heater designs and test them in the labs on campus. Their results, a written report and a videotaped presentation were all sent to Cooper. “The class trip and project exposed us to real-world medical problems, and I can easily understand how chemical engineers work and develop life-saving techniques in the medical profession,” said Aundrea Lollar, a junior in chemical and biological engineering.
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BIG THANKS . . . . . . to our recent partners in UA’s College of Engineering family. We appreciate their support of our students and programs. ADTRAN Inc. for continuing support of the ADTRAN Endowed Scholarship Fund The Alabama Power Foundation for endowing an engineering professorship in electrical and computer engineering American Cast Iron Pipe Co. for continuing support of the ACIPCO Corporate Scholars Program in mechanical engineering and the ACIPCO Engineering Scholars Program American Society of Civil Engineers Alabama Section for support of the ASCE Regional Conference and Competition Fund ChevronTexaco Corp. for continuing support of scholarships in chemical and biological engineering and mechanical engineering DCES Educational Services for continuing support of the Multicultural Engineering Program Eastman Chemical Co. for support of the Multicultural Engineering Program
ALABAMA POWER FOUNDATION ENDOWS PROFESSORSHIP The Alabama Power Foundation recently completed its $1 million endowment of the Alabama Power Foundation Engineering Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering. This professorship will focus on state-of-the-art methods and systems in sensors and smart sensors technology. UA President Robert E. Witt (left) accepts the final payment from Terry Waters (right), Alabama Power’s western division vice president.
Great South Machine Tools Co. Inc. for donation of equipment for the Student Engineering Projects Building Drs. Kenneth and Sharon Harwell for continuing support of their endowed aerospace engineering and mechanics scholarship Kimberly Clark Corp. for continuing support of chemical and electrical engineering scholarships E. Sorrell and Nell Lanier for continuing support of the Sorrell and Nell Lanier Civil Engineering Scholarship LBYD Inc. for establishing the LBYD Inc. Civil and Structural Engineering Endowed Scholarship James C. Lewis for continuing support of the James C. Lewis Laboratory Equipment Fund Hua-An Liu for continuing support of chemical engineering scholarships McAbee Foundation for continuing support of the McAbee Foundation Scholarship Southern Nuclear Operating Co. Inc. for continuing support of the Multicultural Engineering Program The Honorable John Caius Tyson III for continuing support of the Mae Martin Bryant Tyson Endowed Engineering Scholarship Volkert & Associates Inc. for continuing support of the Volkert & Associates Inc. Endowed Engineering Scholarship
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ADTRAN INC. INCREASES SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT ADTRAN Inc., a Huntsville manufacturer of high-speed digital communications equipment, presented the University of Alabama College of Engineering with a fourth check of $55,000 for the ADTRAN Endowed Scholarship Fund. Accepting at the check presentation are Mark C. Smith, ADTRAN’s chairman and CEO; UA President Robert E. Witt; Dr. Keith McDowell, College of Engineering interim dean; and Howard Thrailkill, ADTRAN’s president, director and chief operating officer.
N E W S NOMINATE YOUR ENGINEERING COLLEAGUES NOW! You know who is worthy and deserving of the honor— nominate them now for the distinction! Nominations are being accepted for membership in the State of Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame and for the College’s Distinguished Engineering Fellows. Nominations for the 2006 Hall of Fame are being accepted for outstanding individuals, projects and corporations. Nomination forms are available at http://aehof.eng.ua.edu and are due July 1, 2005. The deadline to nominate individuals for the College’s Distinguished Engineering Fellows is Sept. 1, 2005, and the forms are available at www.eng.ua.edu. COLLEGE RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FROM CHEVRONTEXACO Dr. Keith McDowell (center), interim dean of the College, accepts a $6,000 check from Scott Harper (left), process engineer at ChevronTexaco, and Brian Campbell (right), work process coordinator. Chemical and biological engineering and mechanical engineering will receive $3,000 each for scholarships. Harper received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and Campbell received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
CONGRATULATIONS To ACIPCO! The College sends sincere congratulations to our friends and alumni at American Cast Iron Pipe Co. as they celebrate 100 years! ACIPCO has also been consistently recognized by Fortune as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in America. CAPSTONE Engineer
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S U R V E Y I N G
Linda Dunn
T H E
C O L L E G E
DUNN RECEIVES MCKINLEY AWARD Linda Dunn, executive secretary in the Dean’s Office, received the McKinley Award in October 2004. Her nominator declared that “Linda does all of her work with a level of accuracy, dependability, friendliness, and timeliness that is totally perfect. . . . She is one of those special people who makes a major difference in the College of Engineering as well as The University of Alabama.”
The McKinley Award was established by Helen H. and John K. McKinley of Darien, Conn., and Tuscaloosa in honor of John McKinley’s father, Vergil Parks McKinley. The award recognizes enterprising employees who, by action or idea, contributed to the University’s mission of teaching, research and service.
Bethany Forrest
FORREST TO COORDINATE COE STUDENT RECRUITMENT Bethany Forrest recently joined the College of Engineering as coordinator of student recruitment. Forrest’s activities include contacting high school students, providing information about the College, identifying students having strong math and science backgrounds, and recruiting high school and transfer students to the College.
Dr. Kevin Whitaker, associate dean for academic programs, said that Forrest brings enthusiasm needed in student recruitment. “We’re excited to have Bethany as a member of our team,” said Whitaker. “Bethany will help recruit qualified students, continuing the College’s trend of advancing engineering education and research.” Forrest received her bachelor’s degree from The University of Alabama and previously worked as an admissions counselor for the Capstone.
ME SENIORS LAUNCH BAMASAT-1 UA’s senior mechanical engineering design class recently designed and launched BAMASAT-1, a balloon system that traveled to the edge of space and transmitted images to Earth. The balloon system’s technical name is balloonsat, but UA’s team named it BAMASAT-1. The balloonsat traveled to the edge of space at an altitude of approximately 100,000 feet. As the payload traveled through space, the BAMASAT-1 took video images of the Earth’s surface as it ascended and descended.
Above: Image taken at 100,000 feet by BAMASAT-1. Left: Mechanical engineering students test launch BAMASAT-1.
The balloonsat equipment transmitted the BAMASAT-1 coordinates using a GPS tracking system on the ground. As the balloon descended, the mechanical engineering students tracked and retrieved it. To reach 100,000 feet, a disposable weather balloon was filled with helium and launched from the ground. After the balloonsat reached a certain altitude, it ruptured due to the low pressure of the stratosphere. To prevent the balloonsat from crashing back to Earth, a parachute deployed to reduce its rate of descent. “The students worked really hard to meet the many design demands of this project, including weight limitations and FAA regulations,” said Dr. John Baker, associate professor of mechanical engineering and the BAMASAT-1 team faculty advisor. The BAMASAT-1 project was funded by the Alabama Space Grant Consortium and the Student Government Association at The University of Alabama.
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S U R V E Y I N G ME PROFESSOR RECEIVES TWO NATIONAL AWARDS Dr. Beth Todd, associate professor of mechanical engineering, recently received two national awards: one from the Society of Women Engineers and the other from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. SWE recently honored Todd with a 2004 Fellow membership at its national conference. She was recognized for her outstanding leadership, commitment to students, continued support of Dr. Beth Todd the achievement of women in engineering, and passion for the engineering profession. ASME recognized Todd as the National Advisor of the Year for her outstanding leadership of UA’s student chapter.
T H E
C O L L E G E
Civil engineering students discuss job opportunities at a meeting hosted by ABC.
UA FORMS CHAPTER OF ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS Student and employer interest in construction is greater than ever. Last year, the civil and environmental engineering department, with industry support, introduced the Construction Management Certificate. This year, again with the support and encouragement of the construction industry, a student chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors has been established.
Mechanical engineering students race their moonbuggy on UA's campus.
ME STUDENTS DESIGN NASA MOONBUGGY VEHICLES FOR HIGH SCHOOLS UA mechanical engineering students participated in a local competition of NASA Moonbuggy vehicles on Nov. 10 on UA’s campus. Five teams from the mechanical engineering Design 1 class partnered with high schools and church youth groups to design the vehicles. The high schools and youth groups can choose to compete in NASA’s Great Moonbuggy Race in Huntsville in April. The human-powered vehicles are designed to compete over a moon-like terrain. Each team was responsible for designing a vehicle that occupies a space no more than four-feet wide by four-feet long by four-feet high before its assembly, which matches the space available for transport in a rocket. Prior to the race, the vehicle must be carried 20 feet by the two drivers and then assembled for use. Two team members power and drive their vehicle over the half-mile obstacle course of simulated lunar terrain.
The creation of this new student group was made possible, in large part, by the efforts of many Birmingham- and Tuscaloosa-area construction companies, including BE&K Inc.; Block USA; Brasfield & Gorrie; C. S. Beatty Construction; Doster Construction; Energy Systems Southeast; Gresham, Smith and Partners; Wayne J. Griffin Electric Inc.; Robins & Morton Group; Saiia Construction LLC; Southeastern Architectural Woodworks Co.; and Tusco Fence Inc. The kick-off meeting for the new ABC student chapter was held in November, and Robert Gambrell, senior vice president of Robins & Morton, spoke to a standing-room-only student audience on construction as a professional career. For more information about the ABC student chapter, contact Dr. Ken Fridley, head of civil and environmental engineering and ABC faculty advisor. UA GRADUATE STUDENT FIRST TO RECEIVE ASTM INTERNATIONAL AWARD Cherqueta R. Claiborn, a graduate student in metallurgical and materials engineering, received the 2004 Mary R. Norton Memorial Scholarship for Women Award from ASTM International. Claiborn is the first UA student and the first woman in the state of Alabama to receive this international honor. Claiborn is researching how welding parameters affect the microstructure and properties of resistance spot-welded galvannealed steel. Her thesis is under the supervision of Dr. Viola L. Acoff, professor of metallurgical and materials engineering.
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S U R V E Y I N G
T H E
C O L L E G E UA GETS NSF GRANT OF NEARLY $1 MILLION FOR NEW SUMMER ENGINEERING PROGRAM The University of Alabama has been awarded a grant of nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation to establish a new program that will enhance the education of students entering engineering. The focus of the Engineering Math Advancement Program, known as E-MAP, will be a five-week summer residence program that addresses math and engineering prerequisites for incoming engineering students. The goals of E-MAP are to increase engineering student retention and graduation rates by 20 percent and to increase the number of engineering graduates employed in the state of Alabama.
KNIGHT RECEIVES PROFESSIONAL STAFF SERVICE AWARD The College awarded its fourth annual Outstanding Staff Service Awards, and Angelia Knight, director of the Capstone Engineering Society, received the professional staff award. Dr. Keith McDowell (right), interim dean of the College, presents the award to Knight (left).
David Holt (left) and Samantha Loper (right) display the College's holiday card.
COLLEGE ANNOUNCES HOLIDAY CARD WINNERS The College held its first design contest for all students to submit ideas for the 2004 holiday card. Many creative entries were received and the College chose a design by David Holt and Samantha Loper, both juniors in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The pair received a $150 award for their entry.
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Few students possess the necessary skills to enter engineering disciplines. Data collected by UA’s College of Engineering revealed a two-fold problem impacting student performance related to math skills and motivation. Roughly half of the entering freshman engineering students required at least one semester of pre-calculus to be considered engineering curriculum ready. This has serious repercussions on the students’ progress because it could delay the start of core engineering classes as much as a full year. UA PROFESSOR NAMED DIRECTOR FOR CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH CENTER Dr. Duane T. Johnson, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, was named director of the Southeast Regional Center for the National Institute for Global Environmental Change, headquartered at UA. As director, Johnson will manage the multimillion-dollar institutional climate change research program for the U.S. Dr. Duane T. Johnson Department of Energy. Numerous investigators at seven major universities across the Southeast are working on projects, from predicting ecosystem response to environmental change, in connection with the center. UA SOCIETY OF WOMEN ENGINEERS RECEIVES SECOND PLACE IN NATIONAL COMPETITION The University of Alabama’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers received second place among medium-sized sections in the Outstanding Student Section competition at the National Conference in Milwaukee, Wis. UA’s SWE chapter has a tradition of placing in this category at the national conference, winning third place in 2003 and first place in 2002. UA’S CARE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT LAB RECEIVES BEST PRACTICE AWARD The University of Alabama CARE Research & Development Laboratory recently received runner-up recognition in the best practice category for their CARE data analysis software from the Association of Transportation Safety Information Professionals. CARE was recognized during the 2004 Traffic Records Forum. Each year the association recognizes exemplary state and federal projects that are good examples of implementation of new technology or demonstrate the use of traffic safety data in problem identification, project management or project evaluation.
E V E N T S
ACES and student leaders enjoy an alumni networking night.
Students tour the Student Engineering Projects Building and learn about the Formula SAE team.
ACES HOST ALUMNI NETWORKING DINNER On Nov. 5, 2004, the Ambassadors of the College of Engineering hosted an alumni networking night. Held in Smith Hall at the Alabama Museum of Natural History, the event gave students the opportunity to ask alumni questions about the world of work, résumé development and career options in a variety of fields. The Capstone Engineering Society and Honda co-sponsored the event with representatives from the following companies participating: Accenture, ADTRAN, BellSouth, Boeing, Brasfield & Gorrie, Chemical Lime, Doster Construction, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Radici Spandex, Southern Company and TVA. About 60 people attended the event, and the evaluation comments indicated a desire to have this type of event again in the future. BIRMINGHAM CHAPTER GATHERS AT THOMPSON TRACTOR Several alumni gathered at Thompson Tractor in Tarrant, Ala., on Nov. 10 for a tour of the new facility. Mike Reuter, facilities development manager, and the Thompson Tractor staff rolled out the red carpet, showed the alumni what the original facility looked like and then led them on a tour of the new portions of the plant. Alumni were given an explanation of how the company breaks down engines, restores them and reassembles them. Reuter also described their important work for the military by keeping the military vehicles in running order. The new facility was quite impressive, as were Thompson Tractor’s diagnostic capabilities and research laboratories.
Students watch an experiment in one of the chemical and biological engineering labs.
THE COLLEGE HOSTS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING E-DAY 2004 The College of Engineering held Engineering Day (E-Day), an open house for high school and community college students, on Oct. 7. About 600 students from schools throughout the state toured labs and viewed exhibits in each of the College’s eight departments. Thanks to the McAbee Pigfitters for sponsoring the lunch!
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE GOLF TOURNAMENT! Mark your calendars now for the 2005 CES Golf Tournament. The tournament is scheduled for May 3 at the beautiful Bent Brook Golf Course. If you have any questions about the tournament or sponsorship, please call 1-800-333-8156 or e-mail aknight@coe.eng.ua.edu to contact CES Director Angelia Knight for more information.
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A L U M N I
N O T E S
JOBS/PROMOTIONS/AWARDS
1949
1989
Dick Acker, B.S.I.E. ’49, was inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame in 2003 for his outstanding work in business for more than 55 years. He volunteers with the Service Corps of Retired Executives.
Brian Garvin, B.S.M.E. ’89, was appointed the director of new business development for the contract manufacturing division of PassageMaker Sourcing Solutions in Shenzhen, China.
1966 Joel S. Mize, B.S.Ch.E. ’66, recently published a book, Unionist of the Warrior Mountains of Alabama.
1990 Brian Garvin
1970
Stacye Patterson Chen, Ph.D., B.S.I.E. ’90, M.S.I.E. ’96, is teaching business statistics at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, N.J.
Stephen E. Yates, B.S.I.E. ’70, M.S.I.E. ’78, has been elected executive vice president and chief information officer of KeyCorp in Cleveland, Ohio.
1991
1978
Brian Chen, B.S.I.E. ’91, M.S.I.E. ’94, was promoted to supply chain director for the Johnson & Johnson wound care franchise in Skillman, N.J.
John O. Lassiter, B.S.A.E. ’78, was elected to the Associate Fellows by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is employed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
1979 Rebecca Blair-Crane, B.S.C.E. ’79, was elected president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Alabama (ACEC/Alabama). She is the vice president and secretary in charge of human resources at Jones, Blair, Waldrup & Tucker Inc. Crane serves as the District 3 representative on the Capstone Engineering Society Board of Directors. Charles Daley Speer, B.S.Ch.E. ’79, M.S.E. ’95, completed the United States Army Communications-Electronics Command’s radioactive commodity identification and transportation course held in Chicago, Ill. Speer is a safety engineer at the Anniston Army Depot.
David Williams, B.S.A.E. ’91, has been named operations general manager for the Chore-Time Egg Production Systems’ manufacturing facility in Decatur, Ala. He is responsible for supervising day-to-day manufacturing operations, plant support and customer service.
1995 Rodney Chester, B.S.C.E. ’95, M.S.C.E. ’97, was named director of Gresham, Smith and Partners’ new branch office in Memphis, Tenn. He has worked for the company for six years and played an integral role in expanding the firm’s ITS and traffic engineering services.
1999 Travis D. Stinson, B.S.M.E. ’99, received a promotion to Engineer I with the Alabama Power Company, located in Pelham, Ala.
1980 Alan D. McElroy, B.S.C.E. ’80, was promoted to vice president of power delivery services at Duke Power in Charlotte, N.C.
A Dream Comes True for an aerospace engineering graduate. Susan Bartholomew Williams, B.S.A.E. ’92, won a bronze medal in the triathlon competition at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Williams was a University of Alabama swim team member from 1988 to 1990 and team captain in 1992.
1983 Robin Henderson, B.S.I.E. ’83, was named associate director for management in the office of the director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Craig D. Jones, B.S.C.E. ’83, was named a vice president and signal director of Gannett Fleming Transit and Rail Systems.
1986 Craig Seabrook, B.S.Mt.E. ’86, was named business development director at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Susan Bartholomew Williams Craig Seabrook
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Williams was in the process of realizing another dream—becoming an astronaut— while an aerospace engineer for Lockheed Martin in Littleton, Colo., but left the job to concentrate on her dream of competing in the Olympics. Williams resides in Littleton, Colo., with her husband, Tim, and their 3-year-old daughter, Sydney.
YOU MIGHT BE A UA ENGINEER IF . . .
n you know Coach Bryant’s stats just like you know pi to the 100th decimal. n you average the gymnastics scores before the computer finishes. n you set your watch by Denny Chimes. n you measure land in relation to the size of the Quad. n you know where MIB is. n you calculate the height, arc and length of time the ball was in the air after every free throw in Coleman Coliseum. n you know how to cast an iron elephant. n your closest food source for four years was the Ferg.
But you know you are a UA engineer when . . . n you help shape the future of UA Engineering by supporting your College financially.
There are many ways to help—become a member of the Capstone Engineering Society, or donate gifts of cash, appreciated property or equipment for labs. Take pride in the knowledge that your contributions make UA’s College of Engineering stand out in the eyes of the nation. For more information, call us at 1-800-333-8156.
The University of Alabama • College of Engineering Box 870200• Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0200 1-800-333-8156 • (205) 348-6400 www.eng.ua.edu
I N
M E M O R Y
RAYMOND F. ANDREW Raymond F. Andrew died in July 2004. Andrew received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1959. After 25 years of service, he retired from Brunswick Pulp and Paper Co. as the manager of engineering. Andrew was a member of the National Alumni Association and Sigma Chi fraternity. EDWARD THOMPSON CARR Edward Thompson Carr died Sept. 14, 2004. He received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1950. Carr retired from civil service and from Teledyne Brown in Huntsville after a long and dedicated career. Carr was a contributor to the Capstone Engineering Society. WILHELMINA QUARLES ECHOLS Wilhelmina Quarles Echols died Nov. 6, 2004. Echols was a longtime supporter of education, and in 1987, she established the George H. and Wilhelmina Q. Echols Endowed Civil Engineering Scholarship in honor of her late husband, George Echols, who received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from UA in 1934. Echols attended the Capstone in the 1930s when the country was in the middle of the Great Depression.
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Having faced financial hardships herself, she recognized the importance of an education and that lesson served as the fundamental reason for her gift to the College. Echols was actively involved in the community. She was born and raised in Tuscaloosa, and her first job was with the Wilhelmina Quarles Echols Tuscaloosa County School System. In 1997, she made a $500,000 gift to the school system, and in 2000, a new middle school, Wilhelmina Echols Middle School, was named in her honor. ERNEST A. JOSEPH Ernest A. Joseph died Sept. 2, 2004. He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1943, and he was a contributor to the Capstone Engineering Society.
I N
JOSEPH H. KUHNS Joseph H. Kuhns died Oct. 24, 2004, in Richmond, Va. Kuhns grew up in Tuscaloosa and graduated from the Capstone in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering. After 30 years of service, he retired from Reynolds Metals Co. as a professional manufacturing engineer. In 1988, he was named a Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Outstanding Fellow. Kuhns was a contributor to the Capstone Engineering Society. MONRO BANISTER LANIER II Monro Banister Lanier II died on Nov. 14, 2004, in Birmingham, Ala. Lanier received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1948 and began his career with the industrial division of Continental Gin. He then joined USX where he was employed for more than 30 years, serving as senior procurement officer Monro Banister Lanier II and later vice president of USX Engineers and Consultants. In 1989, Lanier joined Drummond USA, a unit of Drummond Inc., where he served as executive vice president of planning until 1993. Lanier was inducted as one of the College’s Distinguished Engineering Fellows in 1997 and served on the Department of Mechanical Engineering’s Advisory Board. BESSIE SUMMERVILLE MOXLEY Bessie Summerville Moxley, the widow of Stephen D. Moxley Jr., died Nov. 29, 2004. Both were actively involved in supporting the University and the College. Stephen D. Moxley received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1949 and was named a Distinguished Engineering Fellow in 1988. Bessie Moxley attended the Capstone and was a member of Chi Omega sorority. In 1988, Bessie Moxley, Thomas C. Moxley and Gladys Moxley Ikard established the Stephen D. Moxley Jr. Endowed Memorial
M E M O R Y
Scholarship to benefit students in the College of Engineering. Upon her death, Bessie Moxley enhanced the endowment through a planned gift to the University. MARY HELON PARKER Mary Helon Parker died Sept. 24, 2004, in Jacksonville, Fla. She is survived by her husband, Alsey C. Parker Jr., who received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1950. In 1999, the Parkers and his brother-in-law and sister, James E. and Marion Parker Summerville, established the Alsey Clements Parker Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund in honor of their father, who received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at the Capstone in 1922.
DR. WALTER JACOB SCHAETZLE Dr. Walter Jacob Schaetzle, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, died Jan. 6, 2005. Schaetzle was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He earned a doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. From 1958 to 1961, Schaetzle Dr. Walter Jacob Schaetzle worked at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corp. in St. Louis on the design teams for the Apollo, Gemini and Mercury missions. In 1962, he joined The University of Alabama as a professor of mechanical engineering focusing his research on heating and cooling systems, aquifers, thermodynamics, fluids and home energy conservation. He retired from the Capstone in 1987. Faculty, staff and alumni will remember all of his work, both within and outside the College, and they have made contributions to the mechanical engineering scholarship fund in his honor. If you would like to make a donation in memory of Dr. Schaetzle, please mail it to The University of Alabama, College of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Box 870276, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0276.
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Engineering QUICK FACTS Alumni like to brag about their school, so we’re making it easy for you. Here are a few quick facts about the College of Engineering.
Department
Faculty
Undergraduate Enrollment
Graduate Enrollment
AEM
10
97
46
CE
13
268
38
CHBE
11
193
25
CS
13
166
58
ECE
14
292
44
IE
8
73
14
ME
14
353
55
MTE
9
38
34
60
3
1,540
317
Undesignated TOTALS n
n
n n n n n
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92
The average starting salary for University of Alabama engineering and computer science graduates receiving their bachelor of science degrees rose from $44,162 in 2000 to $46,952 in 2003. Although the College of Engineering comprises about 10 percent of UA’s student population, nearly 13 percent of the University’s National Merit Finalists, National Achievement Finalists, and Hispanic Scholars are enrolled in the College. More than 18 percent of students enrolled in the College are African-American and about 23 percent are women. The College of Engineering’s 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio helps students learn more effectively with all the resources of a large university. Students can work on projects, like building a concrete canoe or a Formula SAE race car, in the new Student Engineering Projects Building. One-fifth of UA engineering students are awarded academic scholarships. All of the College of Engineering’s undergraduate engineering and computer science academic programs are fully accredited, following a continuous trend since accreditation standards were implemented more than 70 years ago.
The Fifth Annual
CAPSTONE E NGINEERING S OCIETY G O L F
T O U R N A M E N T The Fifth Annual Capstone Engineering Society Golf Tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2005, at the beautiful Bent Brook Golf Course between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Join area alumni for a fun tournament sponsored by the Birmingham Chapter of CES. The format for the tournament will be a four-person scramble with a shotgun start. The registration fee of $125 includes green fee, cart, range balls, beverages, lunch, and a tournament golf shirt. Registration starts at 11:00 a.m. and the tournament begins at 1:00 p.m. You may participate in the following ways: • Team level ($500)—Team of four with all registration amenities • Individual Level ($125)—Single registration • Hole Sponsorship ($300)—Recognition on one hole plus recognition at the tournament Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Capstone Engineering Society's efforts to provide engineering and computer science students with a superior educational experience. Our goal is to have 120 players in the 2005 CES Golf Tournament. Please help us achieve this goal. Sign up today! If you have any questions about the tournament or sponsorship, please call 1-800-333-8156 or e-mail aknight@coe.eng.ua.edu to contact CES Director Angelia Knight for more information.
Capstone Engineering Society
HOMECOMING Tailgate Party Engineering alumni and friends are invited to join the Capstone Engineering Society for the 2005 Homecoming Tailgate Party. Join us on the Quad to celebrate Homecoming and cheer for the Crimson Tide. The Homecoming Tailgate Party will be the only pre-game tent for 2005 the season. Watch for more information to come this summer!
ROLL TIDE!
Capstone Engineering Society College of Engineering Box 870200 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0200
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Tuscaloosa, AL Permit 16