Engineering Quarterly Fall 2024 by Engineering Quarterly

EngineeringQuarterly

WELCOME!

Itisamazingtolook backatthepastten yearsfromtheconceptiontotheconstruction andcompletionofthe HammSchoolofEngineering.Allofthework thatwentintotheresearchanddesignofcurriculumwiththehelpofdozensofcompanies acrossthestate,thehiringofour15faculty andstaffmembersforElectricalEngineering, MechanicalEngineering,CivilEngineering, EnvironmentalEngineering,ComputerScience,ComputerEngineering,Construction Engineering,andConstructionManagement, theraisingoffunds,thedesignandconstructionoftheclassrooms,laboratories,andoffices,thepurchasingofequipmentanddevelopmentofthemanylaboratoriesweoffer acrossourdegrees,themarketingtostudents acrossthecountry,andtheABETaccreditationofourdegrees.Itissogratifyingto seeitallnowincompletedform.Wehave around250students,fivecohortsofgraduateswhoarenowpracticingengineersacross thecountryandtheworld.Someofwhom havealreadycompletedtheirfiveyearsas EngineerinTraining andhavereceivedtheir licensureasProfessionalEngineers.Thegoal ofourprogramhasshiftednowfromoneof programbuildingtooneofcontinuousimprovement.Westrivetoimproveeachofour programsandeachofourcoursesandlabsto ensurethatwestayatthecuttingedgeofnew technologicaldevelopmentssuchasArtificial Intelligence,MachineLearning,Automation, BigData,newpowersources,newregulations,andchangingstudentdemographics. Wearealsostartingresearchprogramssothat ourfacultycandevelopprofessionallyand introducethestudentstotheexcitingworld ofcuttingedgeresearch.Engineering,forus, isnotmerelyajob,itisourpassionandour vocation.Thereisnothingmoresatisfyingto usthantoseethesparkofunderstandingina studentseyes,theexcitementtheyexperience whencompletingtheirdesignprojects,the joytheyexperiencewhentheywalkacross thatstageandreceivetheirdegree,andthe satisfactiontheyexhibitwhentheyreturnto visitduringouralumnieventsandsharewith ustheirsuccessesintheircompanies,their families,andtheircommunities.Thisreally isthelife!Inthisissueweinviteanewfaculty membertoourMechanicalEngineeringdepartmentandanewadministrativeassistantto ourschool.Weoutlinethedetailsofournew degreeinComputerEngineering,wesharea samplingofstoriesbysomeofourstudents abouttheirfunsummerinternships,scholarshipsourstudentshavereceived,research projectsourfacultyareworkingon,research grantswehavebeenawarded,promotionsour facultyhaveachieved,serviceprojectswe haveundertakenforoursurroundingcommunity,companiesthathavevisitedourcampus

tohireourstudents,andevenalookatan engineeringprojectfromourhistorywhen ourformerUniversityofMaryPresident,SisterThomasWelder,spokeatthededication ceremonyofthenewAppleCreekbridgeaftertheoriginalbridgesuddenlycollapsed38 yearsago.Wehopeyouenjoythisissueof EngineeringQuarterly andwehopeyouwill shareitwithyourfriendswhoareinterested inEngineering,theUniversityofMary,or thosewhowouldliketobecomemembersof ourfamilyofstudents.

NEW MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSOR

TheHammSchoolofEngineeringispleased towelcomeBishalBhattarai,whojoinedour facultyasanAssistantProfessorofMechanicalEngineeringthisFall.Bishalcomesto theUniversityofMarywithastrongacademicandresearchbackground,combined withteachingexperiencefromhisprevious roleasanAssistantProfessorofMechanicalEngineeringatAdamsStateUniversityin Colorado.

BishalearnedhisPh.D.inMechanical EngineeringfromtheUniversityofIdahoin 2023,wherehisresearchmadesignificant contributionstothefieldofbiophysicalecology,specificallyinthestudyofsalmonredds usingComputationalFluidDynamics(CFD). Hisworkinvolveddetailedflowanalysisof riverwatertounderstandhowvariableslike flowdepth,speed,reddshapeandsize,and thepermeabilityofsandandgravelbedsinfluencethesurvivalofsalmonembryos.This researchisparticularlyvitalasitshedslight onthecriticalfactorsthataffectoxygenand nutrientsupplytothedevelopingembryos, whichareessentialfortheirsurvival.Inadditiontohisworkonsalmonredds,Bishal’s researchportfolioincludesstudiesonthemicrofiltrationofoil-in-wateremulsionsandthe wettingpropertiesofnanoparticle-enhanced superhydrophobicsurfaces,showcasinghis diversestudyinfluiddynamicsandsurface engineering.

BornandraisedinNepal,Bishalhasthe uniqueexperienceofstudyingacrossdifferentcountries,includingNepal,India,andthe UnitedStates,bringingarichculturalperspectivetohisteaching.Bishalmovedto theU.S.in2016topursuehismaster’sdegreeinDayton,Ohio,andhassincecontinued hisacademicandprofessionaljourneyinthe country.HeismarriedtohiswifeSushma, andafternearlytwoyearsofmarriage,they havebeenenjoyinglifetogetherasacouple.

Bishal’spersonalvalues,rootedinkindness,compassion,andadeeprespectfornature,resonatestronglywiththemissionofthe UniversityofMary.Heappreciatestheuniversity’scommitmenttoafaith-basededuca-

tionsystem,whichalignswithhisbeliefthat faithfostersintegrityandmoralresponsibility.

Dr.BhattaraiattheGreatSand DunesNationalPark,June2024

AsheembarksonthisnewchapterattheUniversityofMary,Bishaliseagertoapplyhis extensiveresearchandteachingexperience tocontributemeaningfullytotheMechanicalEngineeringDepartmentandthebroader community.

NEW ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

TheHammSchoolofEngineeringwelcomes EmilyZahnasournewadministrativeassistant.

“IamagraduateofRidgewaterTechnicalCollege,whereIearnedmycertification asaMedicalAssistant.Myjourneyinhealthcarebeganwithapassionforhelpingothers, whichledmetoworkatSanfordHealth.Initially,Iimmersedmyselfinthenursingfield,I thentransitionedintoinformationtechnology, whereIfoundauniquewaytoblendmymedicalknowledgewithtechsolutions.Beyond myprofessionalendeavors,Iammarriedto KyleZahn,andtogetherwearetheparentsof fourwonderfulchildren:Ethnie(19),Kinzie (16),Keelie(12),andEmberlyn(6).Ihave dedicatedthepastsevenyearstocoachingfigureskating.Thisexperiencehasnotonlyallowedmetosharemyloveforthesportbut

alsotomentoryoungathletes,helpingthem developtheirskillsandconfidenceontheice.”

“Iamexcitedtotakethenextstepinmy careerbyjoiningtheUniversityofMarycommunity,whereIhopetocontinuemakinga positiveimpactinthelivesofthosearound me.”

RECORD ENROLLMENT!

Thisisthesecondyearinarowthatthe UniversityofMary,andtheHammSchoolof Engineeringhashadrecordenrollment.

Theabovegraphshowsthetrajectoryofour enrollmentnumberssincewestartedtheengineeringschoolin2015alongwithourVision 2030goalof400students.Thedistributionof ourstudentsbymajor,byhomestate,andby religionareshowninthefollowingpiecharts.

Weareverypleasedwithbothourtotalstudentnumbersaswellasthedistributionof majors.WiththerecentadditionofprofessorsMichaelDouglasandBishalBhattaraiwe nowhaveafullcomplimentofprofessorsto

teachallofthecoursesinoureightdifferent majorsaswellasanumberofadjunctprofessorswhoareprofessionalengineersfrom industryandcomeintoteachavarietyof coursesforus–whichgivesourstudentsdirectexperiencewiththecuttingedgeinthe field.Inthesedaysoflowcollegeenrollment nation-wideitisnicetoknowthatmoreand morestudentsarechoosingtheUniversityof Maryfortheirhighereducation.

ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS SCHOLARSHIPS

OnThursday,September26,TomToddfrom NorthwestContractingandRussHansonfrom AssociatedGeneralContractorsofNorth DakotapresentedscholarshipstoConstructionEngineeringstudentsNathanHolthaus, TannerRoers,andMarisaShiland.TheAssociatedGeneralContractorsofNorthDakota awardsscholarshipseachyeartohighschool seniorswhoarepursuingacareerinconstruction.TheAGCawardsover$60,000inscholarshipseachyeartostudentsgoingintoconstructionrelatedfields.

OnSeptember27,2024,thestudentsinsoil mechanicscompletedstep2oftheAtterberg Limitslab,atestusedtodefinetheengineeringbehaviorofclayeysoils.Weekonestarted byfindingthemoisturecontentwhereasampleofclaytransitionedfromaplastictoaliquidmaterial,usually30to100percentmoisture.Toperformstep2,thesoilhadtobe muchdriersothatitwouldrollintoathread

andbegintocrumbleat1/8"diameter,usually around15to20percentmoisture.Toremove somuchwater,studentstriedsunshine,hair dryers,bathroomhanddryers,fans,blowing, mixing,androllingforasolidhourbeforethe soilwasclosetotesting.Theabovepicture showsthestudentsearlyonwhentheenthusiasmwasatthehighest.

WesDickhut,P.E.,isanAdjunctProfessorin ourDepartmentofCivilEngineering

FACULTY PROMOTIONS

Ourfirstpromotionoccurredin2021when ourLaboratoryCoordinatorRodrigodaCosta AparecidowaspromotedfromInstructorto AssistantProfessor.ThisyearfiveofourfacultyintheHammSchoolofEngineeringwere promoted.Dr.NancyKelly,Dr.JamesCarrico,Dr.AnthonyGarcia,andFr.AthanasiusOweiswerepromotedtoAssociateProfessorandDr.TerryPillingwaspromotedto Professor.TheRank&PromotionLuncheon washeldonAugust28,2024duringourannualfacultyformationdayandwasattended byfacultyfriendsandfamily.Promotionat theUniversityofMaryisgrantedafterfive yearsofserviceandisbasedonperformance intheareasofTeaching,Service,andScholarship.Weareveryproudofthisachievement byourfacultymembersandfortheirrecordof excellencetothestudents,theuniversity,and tothecommunity.

RESEARCH:U.S.DEPARTMENTOF ENERGY GRANT

ByASSALHADDAD

TheHammSchoolofEngineeringEnvironmentalEngineeringprogramhasbeen awardedafederalDepartmentofEnergyresearchgrantthroughthestateenergyprogramintheamountof$41,419.20forincreasingawarenessofandpreparednessforroles insustainability,organicwastemanagement, andgreenenergythroughthedevelopmentof abiogasproject.

UniversityofMaryislocatedinaveryactiveagriculturalregionwherethesolidwaste streamisrelativelyorganic.Theprojectaims atcreatingasmall-scaleplottoproducebiogasfromorganicsolidwastegeneratedon campus.Thissmallplotcanthenbeused tomeasurethemethanepotentialfordifferent

ATTERBERG LIMITS LAB

ByWESDICKHUT

organicsolidwastestreamsgeneratedfrom variousagriculturalandanimalhusbandryactivitiesinthesurroundinglocalregion.Finally,acostandalifecycleassessmentwill becarriedoutdemonstratingthefeasibility andimpactsofthissolidwastemanagement option.Anaerobicdegradationwithgascollectionwillbecomparedtosolidwastecombustionwithenergyharvestingononehand andwiththecurrentpractice(landfilling)on theother.Thisprojectwillbeincorporated intocourses: ECI432 -EnvironmentalEngineering, ENV411 -SolidWasteManagement, ENV433 -AdvancedEnvironmentalEngineering,and ENV421 -EnvironmentalSustainability.

Asaresultofthisprojectengineeringstudentswillhaveagreaterawarenessofsustainability,organicwastemanagement,andgreen energyandtheopportunitiesandchallenges associatedwiththem.Theywillbemore likelytoseekoutjobspertainingtosustainability,solidwastemanagement,andgreen energyandwillbebetterpreparedandmore confidentinthoseroles.

ThismaterialisbaseduponworksupportedinpartbytheOfficeofEnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergy(EERE),U.S. DepartmentofEnergy,underAwardNumber DE-EE010044.

RESEARCH:PUBLICATION

ByBISHALBHATTARAI

ProfessorBishalBhattaraihadaresearch paperacceptedforpublicationinthe JournalofHydrodynamics thissemester.The articleisentitled EvaluationofReynoldsaveragedNavier-Stokesturbulencemodelsin openchannelflowoversalmonredds andit waspublishedintheSeptember13,2024issue.

RESEARCH:PUBLICATION

ByDAYAKARLAVADIYA

ProfessorsDayakarLavadiyaandEricGarcia,alongwithengineeringstudentsClare PankratzandKristineKalthoffhavesubmittedaresearchpaperforpublicationin MDPI -CivilEngineering thissemester.Thearticleisentitled AlternativeSlope-Deflection EquationsforStaticAnalysisofIndeterminate Structures andisbasedonresearchconducted intheirECI351:StructuralAnalysiscourse.

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

LeoDevick didaninternshipatMDU Resourcesthis summeronthe Businessand CustomerfacingWebDevelopmentTeams.

“Iwasassigned customersupportticketsfor ourinternalapplications,whichweremostlybugfixesand painpointsthatuserswerehavingwiththe apps.IalsowasthechairmanoftheSwirl SteeringCommittee.Swirlisalow-codeapplicationforcreatingRESTfulAPIendpoints thatcanquerySQLandOracledatabases, andwaswrittenbymymanagerinJavausing theSpringbootframework.AsChairman,I wasresponsibleforleadingweeklymeetings andreviewingmicroserviceswiththeteam todeterminewhichoftheseservicescould bereplacedwithSwirlendpoints.Alotof ourJavamicroservicesareoldandneedtobe upgraded,sowearerewritingtheminSwirl tomakevulnerabilitymanagementeasier.

IenjoyedworkingwiththeBWEBand CWEBteamsagain.IworkwithafewUMary Alumniandithasbeenfuntoswapstories aboutschool.ThemostexcitingdayinSoftwareEngineeringwasonaThursdaywhen ourPayrollapplicationbroke.ThepayrollapplicationiswritteninVisualBasic,andusesa frameworkcalledCrystalReportstogenerate PayrollPDFsthatwesendtothebanktopay theemployees.OneoftheSystemAdmins hadjustupgradedCrystaltousex64instead ofx86thenightbefore.Thursdaymorning, myinboxwasfilledwithtroubleticketsfor thepayrollapp,aswellasthetreasuryapp. Themaindeveloperoftheseapps,myintern mentor,wasoutfortheweekend,soIhadto workwiththeAdminstodiagnosewhatthe problemwasandfixitbeforeFridaywhen thesepaystatementsneededtobesubmitted. Wediscoveredthatanoldx86librarywasstill somehowincludedwiththeapplication,andit didnotlikebeingrunasax64bitapplication.”

JamesCampion workedlastyearasaNPD manufacturingengineeringco-opattheBobcatexcavatorfactoryandthisyearhestarted workingasaQualityEngineeringInterninthe StudentDevelopmentProgramattheBobcat AccelerationCenterfromJanuary-August.

“AbigprojectIworkedonwascompletely revampingvisualdashboardsfortorquetool

controllerstatistics.Ibecameoneofthemost knowledgeableemployeesatthecompanyon thedashboardsfromtheThingworxsoftware. Iwroteover18Javascriptstocollectandreportthedataandmadeinnovationsthatallowmanufacturingengineerstoeasilytroubleshootanddiagnosethehealthofalltorque toolsinanassemblyline.

AnotherprojectIworkedonwasR&Dfora manufacturingsoundsensorfortheexcavator factory.Igottoresearchhowtocapturespecificfrequenciesofsoundandworkedwitha measurementcompanytogetademokitfor metouseandcapturedata.Someofthefun thingsaboutthejobwasgettingtheopportunitytooperateallthedifferentmachinesthat Bobcatmakeswithsomeotherinternfriends.

I’vereallyenjoyedmyexperienceworkingforBobcatbecauseofthegreatpeople andmentorship.It’sbeengreattogainall thisexperiencewhilestillworkingonmymechanicalengineeringdegreeandI’mexcited toworkasaDesignEngineerInternthisfall goingintomysenioryearatUMary.”

IliyanaChumachenko workedattheND DOTDesignDivision,withtheUtilitiessection,locatedinBismarck,ND(acouplefloors abovetheDMV),“Myjobwasmostlyhelpingmysupervisorandsomecoworkerswith sideprojects,butImainlyworkedonfinding specificlanddocumentsthathadtodowith utilities,andIuploadedthemandthecorrespondingdataintoamappingsystem.Then,I connectedthelocationthatthedocumentwas referringtowiththedocumentitself.Ialso learnedaboutOCR,ArcGISPro,andmuch more,intheprocess!

Theinternshipwasenjoyable.Atfirstitwas hardtogetusedtoofficeworkeverydayfor8 hours...butovertimeIgotusedtoit.Ilearned aboutMicrofilm–crazyolddocumentsthat havebeenstoredforthelongtermonfilmpaper.Thatwasaninterestingproject.Iwason thehuntforONEpeculiardocumentamong alloftheplotsoflandbeingusedbyrandom

peoplewithvariouslastnames,ranchersaskingthestateforacowpass,picturesofold fencingandhousingonaweirdplotofland. Veryinterestingstuff–Ienjoyedthisalot. Ialsostartedusingsomeofthecodingthat IlearnedatUMaryforacertainGISproject thatIamworkingon!IthoughtIwouldnever useit-haha(thoughIwastolditwoulduseful someday)nowIseethepowerofcoding!It’s souseful,everyoneshouldknowit!

IgottogoonatourwiththeDOTCgroup. Itwasprettyfun.Ialsoenjoyedthis!Iand threeotherinternswereinvitedtolearnand presentaboutAASHTO’sengineeringSTEM kitsatateacher’sconvention.Wetalkedwith theteachersandmadesomefunconnections. Theteachersseemedveryinterested,andwe evengotonthenews!Interestinglyenough,it sparkedaninterestinmetolearnmoreabout teaching.WegotontheASSHTOwebpage, onprairiepublic,andontheNDDOTwebpage(maybeinternalthough).Oh!Notto mention,anotherUMarystudentinthebridge sectionwasalsohelping–PeterLane.He alsogotinthenews.”

CalebRaes returnedtowork anotherinternshipatPhiBer ManufacturinginCrystalCity,Manitoba,Canada, thissummer.

“Iworkedwith R&Dinthe designteam. Mostofmy timewasspentworkinginCADsoftware designingpartstobelasercut,form,andthen weldedtogether.Thecompanywasinthe midstofdesigningandprototypinganew rangeofproducts,soIwasabletoberightin theprocessofdesigningnewcomponentsand watchingallthedifferentpartscometogether. Ialsodidsomeworkwith3Dprinters,particularlywithtoolchangingprinterssuchas thePrusaXL,onmulti-materialprints.This meantthatIcouldcombinemultiplematerials forpartswithhigherperformanceorwider usagescenarios.

Ireallyenjoyedmyinternship;itwas especiallynicetobeabletoreturntoaworkplacethatIalreadyknewandwasestablished in.Itwasalsoveryinsightfultoseeallthe mistakesthatyoungermehadmadeandhow ithighlightedhowfarIhadcome.”

JustinSimones workedatChart Industriesin NewPrague, MN,thissummer.“Iwaspart oftheResearch andDevelopmentteam.I workedasan intern,butmyjobtitlewasactuallyMechanicalEngineer1.Ihadtowritetestplans,set uptests,runtests,analyzethedata,andwrite thereports.Ilearnedalotaboutcryogenics overthesummer,andIreallyenjoyedmy

SomecoolthingsIgottodoweremakeliquidnitrogenicecreamandhelptestaheat exchangerforahydrogenfuelcellairplane.I alsoconductedatestondifferentmanufacturingmethodsofnitrogenfinvaporizers.The resultsIfoundwillsavethecompanyhalfa milliondollarsperyearinproductiontime!I amexcitedtoreturnbacktoChartnextsummer!”

Ireallyenjoyedmyco-op!Ilearnedalot aboutthedesignprocessandwhatitislike beingapartofabiggercompany.Ialsogot handsonexperience,andtheytrustedmeto workoncertainprojectsbymyself.Ihad areallygreatteam,whichhelpedmelearn toworkwithothersandseeotherengineers thoughtprocess.Myco-workerswerefunto workwith,andalwayswillingtohelpwhenI neededit.

Forengineeringweek,wehadadayof STEMgamesandbuildingcommunitywith thefellowengineers.Igottowitnessmultiple testsonnewparts.Theyhadapartyfornationalinternday.”

MadisonCampbell worked atCollinsAerospace inJamestown, ND,asaNPI (newproduct introduction) mechanicaldesignco-opstudentthissummer.“Someof mymainresponsibilities were:assistingwithredesigninganddesigningmodels andassemblies,runmodelchecksandadjustthemodelsthemtobestpractice,read modelbaseddrawings,helpsetupatestfor arestraintsystem,makingarrangementsin assembliestoshowthefunctionsofparts,assistingwithsoftwaretesting,checkandapply thecorrectfinishedandmaterialstoparts, checkingpartsandassembliesforcorrect centerofgravity,applyPMItoCADmodels, createaninstructionmanualonhowtoinstall acargosystem,andcreateaPowerPointto explainmycalculations.

MeganAchbach workedatBobcatinBismarckthissummer.“Thissummerwasmy thirdsummerinterningforBobcatherein Bismarck.IworkedontheElectricalDesign teaminNewProductDevelopment.Iwas responsibleforharnessandschematicdesigns forvariousplatformsincludingloadersand mowers.Oneofthebestpartsofthesummer waswhenmybiggestprojectactuallywent toproduction.ThisprojectwasaqualityimprovementthatIstartedlastsummer.Igotto seeitfromconceptualizationtoprototypes, throughdesignreleasetoproduction.Itwas anincrediblyrewardingexperiencetoseemy designsonamachineandpositivelyreceived byourmanufacturingteams!Ihelpedout duringourDoosanDayofCommunityServicewhereIwasonateamrefinishingdocks, addingsandtothebeach,andpruningtrees atMcDowellDam.Ilookforwardtostarting mycareerwithBobcataftergraduationinDecember!

T.PaulKariuki workedat NationalInformationSolutionsCooperative(NISC)in Mandan,ND. thissummer. “Istartedasa part-timeSoftwareDevelopmentinternin theofficein Februaryand transitionedto afull-timeremotepositioninthesummer.I workedonNISC’sEndUserBillingTeam. Theybuildthesoftwarethatcalculatesbills fortheMembercompanies’customersand thenprintsthemandsendsthemout.Ihelped maintainthesoftwarethatgeneratesreports onallthebillingsforthelastfewmonths.I lovedbeingabletoworkonsoftwarefull-

time!ThespecifickindofprogrammingIdid wasnotmyfavorite,butIhadanabsolutely amazingteamwhowaswelcomingandhelpful.Iwasworkingoncodethatwasolderthan me!ItwasaverygoodexperienceandI’m gratefulIgottoseewhatitwaslikeworking onasoftwaredevelopmentteam.

Overthecourseofthesummer,afew companiesjoinedasMembersandafewmore lefttheco-op,soIsometimeshadprojects withadeadlinebecausethecodeIwaswriting wasbeingusedtoonboardortransitionouta Membercompany.Itwasawesomeknowing thatmycodewasactuallybeingused!”

GavinArgent workedasa mechanicalengineeringinternatWorley inBismarck, ND.“Worley isanengineeringconsultant withafocusin thepowerindustry.Theyareheadquartered inNorthSydney,Australiaandhavelocations allovertheworld.TheBismarcklocation hasabout10engineerswhoworkonmainly refineryandpowerplantprojects.Mymain responsibilitiesforthesummerwereassistinginapipingandinstrumentationdrawing walkdownandvariousmechanicalengineeringactivities.

IspentmostofmytimeattheMandan MarathonRefinerymakingsuretheirpipingandinstrumentationdrawings(P&IDs) matcheduptowhatisinthefieldattherefinery.TheP&IDstellyouwherepipesgo toandfrom,wherevalvesarelocated,and whereinstrumentationis,aswellasmany otherthings.Sometimeschangesaremade inthefieldwithoutupdatingtheP&IDsand someoneneedstoverifythedrawings.We spenttimemakingsurepipesconnectedto wheretheyweresupposedto,verifyinginstrumentation,andmarkingchangesthatneed tobemadetotheP&IDs.Itisanongoing projectatWorley,butourfocusforthesummerwasthetankfarmandoilmovements areas.

Myotherresponsibilitieswhilewewerein theofficewereassistingthemechanicalengineeringdepartment.TheprojectIworkedthe mostwithwasawastewatertreatmentproject. Forthisproject,Ianalyzedthepipestressusingacomputerprogramtomakesurethe pipeswouldnotfailinnumerousloadcases. Thiswasveryinteresting.Ialsowasinvolved insomeprocurementprocessesforspecialty itemsinthisproject.Thisinvolvedgetting quotesfrommanufacturersandverifyingwe arereceivingthecorrectitem.ThefinalmechanicalengineeringactivityIdidwasrecommendingvariousrequirementslikehydrotest pressure,paintcoatingprocess,maxallowableworkingpressure,andnon-destructive testingrequirements.Thesewereallderived fromcompanycodesandstandardsaswellas theASME31.3Bcodeforprocesspiping. Idevelopedagoodunderstandingoftherefineryprocessandhowproductsaremoved aroundandmonitored.Iwasexposedtoso muchequipmentrelatedtoprocesspiping.

IenjoyedtheP&IDwalkdownsbecausewe wereoutsideandlookingatinterestingstuff constantly.Ialsoenjoyedtheofficeprojects becauseIlearnedhowallpipesandinstrumentsaredesignedbeforetheyareimplemented.

GannonSteffes workedat PacketDigital inFargoND. “Thissummer Iworkedasa hardwareengineeringinternwheremy mainresponsibilitywasbased aroundPCB (printedcircuitboard)design.Iamstill employedtherebutovermysummerIwas abletodesigntwoboardsintheirentirety. Bothoftheseboardsweremeanttosupport ourinternaltestingteamtotestvariousbatterypacksweweredeveloping.Thisisthe 3rdinternshipI’vehad,allofwhichhave beenindifferentindustries.PacketDigital isinvolvedintheelectronicsmanufacturing industry,andthiswasmyfirstexposureto it.VirtuallyeverythingIdidonthejobwasa newlearningexperiencewhichwasextremely difficultbutalsowhatmakesitfun.Thishas beenmymostenjoyableinternship,andIstill haveplentymoretolearn.Duringmytime IlearnedallaboutthePCBdesignprocess fromthedesignsoftware(Altium)tohow theyaremanufacturedandassembled.Ialso learnedsomegoodsolderingtechniquesand howtosolderunderamicroscope.Ialsogot todosomedestructivefusetestingwherewe wouldpumpacouplehundredampsoracouplethousandvoltsthroughfusesuntilthey exploded.”

AlonsoGutierrezdeVelasco workedfor Architectural Grillesand Sunshadesin FrankfortIllinois.“Wemake anddesignarchitecturalfinishessuchas sunshadesand canopies,as wellasglazing forwindows. Iworkedfull timeforayearandthreemonthstosaveup moneyforuniversityaswellastogainexperienceinarealworkenvironment.Istartedin thewarehouse,manningtheCNCmachines sinceIhadexperiencewithG-Codefrommy 3DPrintinghobby.Iwasthenmovedintothe officetoworkasageneralassistantandsecretaryforthewholeteam.Iwouldbegivenall sortsoftasksbythegeneralmanager.These variedfromreprogrammingprojectlogsto beautomaticorscanningineveryaluminum extrusiondiewestillhadaccessto.Ieven wasputinchargeoffindinganewandbetterITserviceprovider.Ienjoyedit,Itook callsandredirectedthemtotheproperemployee,madenotesofwhenwewouldreceive

shipments,andhelpedtheothersworkabit moresmoothly.Ihadverylittleexperiencein programmingbeforeIworkedontheproject logandhadtolearnhowExcelworked.It waseasiestformetolearnsinceIwasstill themostexperiencedprogrammerinanoffice fullofarchitectsandengineers!Oneofthe managerslovedtosetupeventswherethe officeandwarehousecouldeattogetherat lunch.HotDogDayforIndependenceDay, ChiliCook-offCompetition,sendingmeto gopickuppizzawhentheblizzardsmadeit dangerousforthemtogooutandtakealunch break(mycarwastheonlyonetheytrusted togooutinthesnow).Ialsoworkedtointerpretbetweentheimmigrantworkersinthe warehouseandthenon-Spanishspeakersin theoffice.Ievenmadeahandytranslation guideforthemostcommonwordstohearin thewarehouse.Drive,pickup,“don’ttouch that”,simplephrasesforwhenIleft.Ihad tohelptranslatewhentheytransitionedfrom tempworkerstofulltimeemployeesonce theygottheircitizenship,andhelpedexplain thewithholdingwagestaxsystem.Thatwas ahassle.”

ClarePankratz workedatKLJ Engineeringin theAviation Sector(airports notairplanes) thissummer. “Iworkedon constructioninspectionaswell aspavement historyupdates, costestimates, grantwritingandassembly,alongsideother varioustasks.Ireallyenjoyedit.Theteam inBismarckisawesome!Superfungroupto workaswellastheyalltookmeundertheir wingsasIlearnedhowairportsoperateand theFAAworks.Ihadaveryhighsecurity clearanceattheBismarckairportandgotto scanthroughgateswithmybadgewhichwas fun.Ialsogottoberightnexttotheaprons, taxiways,andrunwaysastheairportwasstill infulloperation.Beingthatclosetoaplane hitsalittledifferent.”

SamanthaSheridan workedinBillings,MT, forNorthwesternEnergythissummer.“I don’thavepicturesofmeworking,butIdo havepicturesofwhatIsawandfromthehot airballoonfestivalthatIhelpedorganizevolunteersfor.

Mymainresponsibilitywastosupportthe NewConstructionEngineeringdepartment thatdesigneddistributionpowerlines.I helpedwithvariouspartsofthebusinessprocesslikecallingcustomers,creatingquotes,

mappingservicesforconstruction,andstakingprojects.Ireallyenjoyedthisinternship becauseIhadtheopportunitytoworkona widevarietyofprojects,andIgottodoalot offieldwork.

AllofthepeopleIworkedwithwerevery friendly,andeveryonewashappytoanswer anyquestionsIhad.Igottotourthecoalmine andgeneratingfacilityinColstrip,Montana, andIwasalsoabletohelpgivetoursofthe newgeneratingfacilityinLaurel,Montana.

Aspartofmyinternship,Ihadavolunteer projectwhereIorganizedvolunteersfora communityeventcalledtheBigSkyBalloon Rally,andIwasabletogoupinoneofthe balloons.Finally,oneofmyfavoritepartsof myinternshipwaswatchingthelinemenwork onnewinstallationprojects.”

MaryandtheNorthDakotaUniversitySystems(NDUS)hostedthe BeingHumanand WorkingintheAgeofArtificialIntelligence conference,aplatformdedicatedtoexaminingtheevolvingrelationshipbetweenhumansandAIinthecontextofwork,society,andpersonaldevelopment.AsAIcontinuestoreshapeindustriesandredefinethe natureofwork,itisessentialtoexplorehow wecanmaintainourhumanitywhileleveragingthetransformativepowerofartificialintelligence.Speakersrangedfromresearchers, industrypractitioners,policymakers,educators,andthoughtleaders.Therewerepresentations,paneldiscussions,workshops,and interactivesessionsthataddressedtheconferencethemesandofferedinsightsintothehumanexperienceintheageofartificialintelligence.

Itismoreandmoreimportantthatwe,as academicsandasasociety,explorethehumandimensionsofAIintegrationandseekto fosteradeeperunderstandingofhowwecan harnessthepotentialofartificialintelligence whilepreservingourhumanitysothatwecan shapeafuturewheretechnologyservestoempowerandenhancethehumanexperience.

Theconferencethemesincluded:

• Human-CentricAIDesign:Howcan AItechnologiesbedesignedandimplementedtoprioritizehumanwell-being, autonomy,anddignityintheworkplace?

• EthicalChallengesofAIIntegration: Addressingethicalconsiderationsand challengesassociatedwiththeintegrationofAIsystemsinvarioussectors, includingprivacy,bias,accountability, andtransparency.

• SkillsfortheAIEra:Exploringthe skillsandcompetenciesneededforindividualstothriveinanAI-driveneconomy,includingadaptability,creativity,emotionalintelligence,andethical decision-making.

• Human-AICollaboration:Examining strategiesforfosteringproductivecollaborationbetweenhumansandAIsystems,leveragingtheuniquestrengthsof eachtoachievesharedgoals.

• WorkplaceDynamicsandOrganizationalCulture:Investigatingtheimpact ofAIonworkplacedynamics,organizationalculture,jobdesign,andemployeewell-being.

• FaithinAIdesignand/orimplementation:Examiningtheinterplaybetween faith,ethicsandartificialintelligencein collaborationwiththespiritualapplicationsofAIinmoraldecisionmaking.

SciencemajorandaddedminorsinbothComputerScienceandComputerEngineering. Herearethedegreerequirementsforeachof thesenewprograms.

COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJOR

Description: Prepareforacareerinsoftwaredevelopmentinawiderangeoffields, includinggamedevelopment,theInternet-ofThings,EmbeddedSystems,ArtificialIntelligence,NeuralNetworks,datascienceand analysis,communicationandsecurityalgorithms.Becomeabettersoftwareengineerby understandingcomputerengineeringdesign principles.

StudentOutcomes:

• Learntousetechnologyasatoolfor analysisanddevelopment

• SoftwareDevelopmentutilizinganumberoflanguages(C,C++,Java,Python, Kotlin,andAssembly)

• Knowledgeofdatastructures,algorithms,andcomputernetworks

• Knowledgeofbasiccybersecurity, cryptography,andalgorithms

• UtilizeArtificialIntelligenceandNeuralNetworksformachinelearning

• DataAnalysisusingLargeLanguage Models

• Strongtheoreticalmathematicalbackgroundinlinearalgebraandstatistics

• BasicCircuitdesigninordertobecome abettercomputerscientist

ProgramLength: 4academicyears/132 credits

ProgramRequirements: Needagradeof “C-”orbetterforallcoursesrequiredofthe major,aswellasanypre-requisitecoursesfor themajorrequirements.Studentmustalso achieveaGPSof2.5orhigherforallcourses requiredofthemajor.

RequiredCourses:

CSA220 ComputerNetworkingEssentials

CSA300 SystemsDevelopmentI

CSA340 WebpageDevelopment

CSC102 PrinciplesofSoftwareEngineering

CSC106 SoftwareProgrammingConcepts

CSC107 ProgrammingLanguageFundamentals

CSC203 IntroductiontoObjectOriented Programming

CSC204 GraphicalApplicationProgramming

OnSeptember26,2024onthecampusofValleyCityStateUniversity,theUniversityof

NEW COMPUTER ENGINEERING MAJOR

TheUniversityofMary’sHammSchoolof Engineeringhasanewmajorbeginningin Fall2024inComputerEngineering.Wehave alsomodifiedandmodernizedourComputer

CSC211 SoftwareDevelopmentwith Frameworks

CSC356 IntermediateObject-OrientedProgramming

CSC357 ProgrammingforInternet-ofThings

CSC360 ComputerArchitecture

CSC370 FoundationsofDataScience

CSC440 SoftwareProtocols&Algorithms

CSC457 HardwareProgramming

CSC471 ArtificialIntelligence&Neural Networks

CSC487 OperatingSystemEngineering

EEL206 CircuitsI

EEL206L CircuitsILab

ENR101 IntroductiontoEngineering

ENR200 ComputerApplicationsinEngineering

ENR210 ComputerAidedMeasurement

ENR280 EngineeringDesignLabI

ENR281 EngineeringDesignLabII

ENR304 ComputerAidedDesign

ENR452 EmbeddedSystemswithLab

ENR460 EngineeringEconomy

ENR470 EngineeringEthics

ENR488 SeniorDesign

MAT204 AppliedStatistics

MAT209 CalculusI

MAT210 CalculusII

MAT306 Combinatorics

MAT312 LinearAlgebra

PHY251 NewtonianMechanics

PHY251L NewtonianMechanicsLab

COMPUTER SCIENCE MINOR

Description: TheComputerScienceminor introducescomputerprogrammingusingimperative,functional,proceduralandobjectorientedprogrammingparadigms.Thestudentwilllearnhowtodevelopsoftwaremodulesfromscratchandutilizingframeworks, aswellasusedatasciencemethodsforanalyzingresults.

ProgramLength: 19semestercredits

ProgramRequirements: Needagradeof “C-”orbetterforallcoursesrequiredofthe minor,aswellasanypre-requisitecoursesfor theminorrequirements.Studentmustalso achieveaGPSof2.5orhigherforallcourses requiredoftheminor.

RequiredCourses:

CSC102 PrinciplesofSoftwareEngineering

CSC106 SoftwareProgrammingConcepts

CSC107 ProgrammingLanguageFundamentals

CSC203 IntroductiontoObjectOriented Programming

CSC211 SoftwareDevelopmentwith Frameworks

CSC356 IntermediateObject-OrientedProgramming

CSC370 FoundationsofDataScience

COMPUTER ENGINEERING MAJOR

Description: Prepareforacareerinsoftware developmentandcomputer/microcontroller designinawiderangeoffields,including softwaredevelopment,engineeringdesign andanalysis,andcreativeproblemsolving throughhands-onexperimentallearning.Becomeabettercomputerengineerbyunderstandingwhatittakestoprogramyourdesigns.

StudentOutcomes:

• Explorewaystodesignandbuildtechnologythroughhands-onexperiences

• SoftwareEngineering(coding,testing, aswellasprogramdesign)

• Knowledgeofdesigning,coding,and testingsoftwareandcomputersystems

• Adapttoworkingwithawiderange ofsoftware,dependingonthehardware architecture

• Abilitytoselectthebesthardwarecomponentsfordesiredsoftwareenvironment

• Ensuringhardwareandsoftwarework together

• Strongmathematicalbackgroundincalculusandphysics

ProgramLength: 4academicyears/131 credits

RequiredCourses:

CSA300 SystemsDevelopmentI

CSA340 WebpageDevelopment

CSC102 PrinciplesofSoftwareEngineering

CSC106 SoftwareProgrammingConcepts

CSC107 ProgrammingLanguageFundamentals

CSC203 IntroductiontoObject-Oriented Programming

CSC204 GraphicalApplicationProgramming

CSC356 IntermediateObject-OrientedProgramming

CSC357 ProgrammingforInternet-ofThings

CSC360 ComputerArchitecture

CSC457 HardwareProgramming

CSC487 OperatingSystemEngineering

EEL206 CircuitsI

EEL206L CircuitsILab

EEL313 CircuitsII

EEL313L CircuitsIILab

EEL462 DigitalSystemswithLab

ENR101 IntroductiontoEngineering

ENR200 ComputerApplicationsinEngineering

ENR210 ComputerAidedMeasurement

ENR280 EngineeringDesignLabI

ENR281 EngineeringDesignLabII

ENR304 ComputerAidedAnalysis

ENR338 AdvancedEngineeringMathematics

MAT209 CalculusI

MAT210 CalculusII

MAT211 CalculusIII

MAT306 Combinatorics

MAT334 DifferentialEquations

ENR419 EngineeringDataAnalysis

ENR452 EmbeddedSystemswithLab

ENR460 EngineeringEconomy

ENR470 EngineeringEthics

ENR488 SeniorDesign

PHY251 NewtonianMechanics

PHY251L NewtonianMechanicsLab

COMPUTER ENGINEERING MINOR

Description: TheComputerScienceminor introducescomputerprogrammingusingimperative,functional,proceduralandobjectorientedprogrammingparadigms.Thestudentwilllearnhowtoautomatemeasurementsandanalyzetheresultsofelectrical systems.

ProgramLength: 19semestercredits

RequiredCourses:

CSC102 PrinciplesofSoftwareEngineering

CSC106 SoftwareProgrammingConcepts

CSC107 ProgrammingLanguageFundamentals

CSC203 IntroductiontoObjectOriented Programming

CSC356 IntermediateObject-OrientedProgramming

ENR210 ComputerAidedMeasurement

ENR304 ComputerAidedAnalysis

Eachfall,theUniversityofMaryholdsaDay ofService,wherethestudentbody,faculty, andstaffventureintotheBismarck/Mandan communityandperformactsofservice.This year,onMonday,October7th,thefaculty fromtheHammSchoolofEngineeringconstructedaGagaballarenaforthestudentsat theStBernardMissionSchoolinthetownof FortYatesontheStandingRockreservation.

GagaBallisagamethatcombineselements ofdodge-ballandfour-square,andrequires anoctagonalenclosuretobeplayedproperly. Thisisthethirdtimewehaveconstructeda Gagaballpitontheplaygroundofaruralelementaryschool.Thefirstone,in2018was atAppleCreekschool.Thepictureaboveis aGoogleMapsstreetviewimageofthatone today.

Thesecondonethatwebuiltwasin2020at ManningschoolandaboveshowsaGoogle Mapsimageofthatonetoday.TheSchool ofEngineeringhasalwaystreatedtheDay ofServiceasanopportunitytousetheengineeringskillsofourfacultyandstudents asanadvantage.In2019,weconstructed 6planterboxesforAppleCreekElementary Schoolwhichalloweachgradeleveltoplant smallgardens/plantsandlearnaboutgardening,farming,andbiologyintheprocess.

ThisyearMichaelDouglas,AnthonyWaldenmaier,Fr.Athanasius,AssalHaddad,James Carrico,andTerryPilling,alongwithMike’s sonTim,tookpartintheconstructionofthe arenafortheSt.Bernard’sMissionSchool.

Preparationfortheconstructionstartsabout amonthpriortotheDayofServicesince wehavetoorderthematerialssuchasthe wood,thebolts,andthedoorhingemechanism.Wethenprepareboththematerials andthetoolsandalsocontacttheCall-BeforeYou-Digutilitiesrepresentativestoensurethat therearenoburiedutilitylinesinthearea.

Constructionofthearenawasthenaccomplishedbymovingfromposttopostaround theoctagon,allowingforminorchangesinelevationandensuringthepitenclosesalleight sides.Webeganwiththefirstpost,allowingforasufficientspacefortheentirepit,as roughlymeasuredusingbasicgeometry.

Afterthefirstholeisdugandthepostis poundedintoplace,thelowerboardisattachedtomeasuretothenextpostplacement. Theprocesscontinuesaroundtheoctagonuntilthefirstandlastpostareattachedandthe pitisclosed.

Atthispointagateisconstructedforthe arenawithalatchmechanism.Whilestudents andfacultyaddthesecondandthirdboards toeachside,thegatehingesandlatchare markedintoplaceandthegateisconstructed andattachedbythehinges.

Thisyear’s DayofService GagaBallpitwas atremendoussuccessandweareconfident thatcurrentandfuturestudentsoftheStandingRockschoolwillenjoythepitformany yearstocome!

OnTuesday,October15,from9:00amto noonweheldourannualFallCareerFairin Founder’sHallandChick’sPlace.Thisyear therewere85differentemployerswhoattendedinsearchofstudentstodosummerinternshipsandco-op’swiththeircompanies. Belowwelistthecompanieswhoattended.It wasgratifyingtobereunitedwithmanyofour ownalumniwhowererepresentingtheircompaniesatthecareerfair.

FALL CAREER FAIR

• Ackerman-Estvold-Minot,ND

• Adolfson&PetersonConstructionGoldenValley,MN

• AdvancedEngineeringandEnvironmentalServices-GrandForks,ND

• AmericanEngineeringTesting-St. Paul,MN

• AmesConstruction-Burnsville,MN

• ApexEngineering-Fargo,North Dakota

• AppliedEngineering-Fargo,ND

• Bartlett&West-Topeka,Kansas

• BasinElectricPowerCooperative-Bismarck,NorthDakota

• BNICoal-Center,NorthDakota

• Bolton&Menk,Inc-Mankato,MN

• BraunIntertec-Minneapolis,Minnesota

• BroszEngineering,Inc.-Bowman, NorthDakota

• Burian&AssociatesLLC-Fargo, NorthDakota

• ButlerMachineryCompany-Fargo, NorthDakota

• CityofMandan-Mandan,North Dakota

• CityofMinot-Engineering-Minot, ND

• CivilScience-Lehi,Utah

• CollinsAerospace-Charlotte,North Carolina

• ConsolidatedConstructionCo.IncAppleton,Wisconsin

• CWSTRUCTURALEngineers-Bismarck,NorthDakota

• DoosanBobcat-WestFargo,North Dakota

• DoosanDigitalInnovationAmericaBismarck,NorthDakota

• DRN/ReadiTech-Ellendale,North Dakota

• EAPCArchitectsEngineers-Grand Forks,NorthDakota

• EnterpriseMobility-St.Louis,Missouri

• FastenalCompany-Winona,Minnesota

• FCIConstructors,Inc-GrandJunction, Colorado

• G&RControls-SiouxFalls,SD

• GarrisonDiversionConservancyDistrict-Carrington,NorthDakota

• HDR,Inc-Omaha,NE

• HoustonEngineering-Fargo,ND

• IndianHealthService-Rockville, Maryland

• InterstateEngineering-ND,SD,MN, MO,WY

• KilldeerMountainManufacturingDickinson,ND

• KLJEngineering-Bismarck,ND

• KnifeRiver-Bismarck,ND

• LowryEngineering-Fargo,ND

• MAPIndustrial,Ic.MAPGeneralMechanicalContractors-Fargo,ND

• MarathonPetroleumCompany-Findlay,Ohio

• MBNEngineering,Inc-Fargo,ND

• McGough-Roseville,MN

• MDUResourcesGroup,Inc/WBIEnergy,Inc-Bismarck,ND

• MillerInsulation-Bismarck,North Dakota

• MinnkotaPowerCooperative-Grand Forks,NorthDakota

• MooreEngineering,Inc-WestFargo, ND

• MountainPlains,LLC-Bismarck,ND

• NationalInformationSolutionsCooperative-St.Louis,Missouri

• NDAirNationalGuard-Fargo,ND

• NorthDakotaDepartmentofEnvironmentalQuality-Bismarck,ND

• NorthDakotaDepartmentofTransportation-Bismarck,ND

• NorthropGrummanCorporation-Falls Church,VA

• RainbowEnergyCenter-Underwood, ND

• SRFConsultingGroup-Minneapolis, MN

• Steffes-Dickinson,ND

• TheNorthAmericanCoalCorporation -Plano,TX

• TitanMachinery-WestFargo,North Dakota

• USArmyCorpsofEngineers-Omaha, NE

• WesternAreaPowerAdministrationLakewood,CO

• WSB&Associates,Inc-GoldenValley,MN

THOUGHTSFROMOUR STUDENTS

“Ispentafewyearsoutsideofhighereducationaftermyfirstyearincollege.Now aformaltransferstudent,Icanonlybeam wheneveranyoneasksmehowmystudiesare going,especiallyattheirmostchallenging. Myprofessorsarepassionate,talented,skilled andhardworkingpeoplefromallaroundthe world.IfIhaveeverfeltlost,ithasnever beenforlong.Theprogramhere,througheveryonethathasmadeitpossible,standswith conscientiousintentionasabreakthroughfor oursharedfuture.”

-ArielArriaga

Junior,MechanicalEngineering

“IfIhadtorecommendUMarytoafriend foronereason,itwouldbefortheHamm SchoolofEngineering.”

-JoshuaFranz Senior,ElectricalEngineering

“I’vethoroughlyenjoyedmytimehere atMary!Asamechanicalengineer,I’ve learnedalotIneverexpectedtolearn,especiallyregardingcoding.I’vefoundseveral applicationsfromtheskillsI’veattainedin myeverydaylife,includingusingthingslike BashandCADdesigntospeeduporincrease accuracyinprojects.Asasophomore,I’m learninghowtobeonateamandworkwith acommoninterest.IalsoampartofConcert Choir,whichhelpsmegrowincommunityand infaiththroughablendofvoices.Maryhas inmanywaysbecomemyhome.”

-NicholasStandage

Sophomore,MechanicalEngineering

“MyfavoritethingabouttheUniversity ofMaryEngineeringprogramisthefaculty’s interestinyoursuccess.TheyknowwhoI am,whatIdo,andwhyIamhere.Ihave developedrelationshipsonafirstnamebasiswithmultipleprofessors,somethingthat israrelyofferedinotherprograms.Thefacultycaredeeplyaboutme,myeducation,and myfuture.Beingastudent-athlete,theyare committedtomakingsuremyeducationisthe prioritywhilestillfullysupportingmyathletics.”

-GavinArgent Senior,MechanicalEngineering

“TheHammSchoolofEngineeringisa havenforaspiringengineerstogrowintothe

technicalvocationthatGodiscallingthem to.EachFacultyMemberhasseentheTrue, GoodandBeautifulthroughthelensoftheir discipline,andeverylastoneenthusiastically sharesthisknowledgewiththeirstudents.As Engineers,weblurthelinebetweenScience andArt,andourcurriculumletsusexperiencethejoyofcreation,whilealsolearning togrowthroughourfailings.”

-LeoDevick Junior,ComputerEngineering

“TheUMaryEngineeringprogram clearlystrivesforexcellenceinitsstudents bymeansofitsphilosophyanditsdedicated professors.Youcanfeelhowprivilegedyou aretostudyherewithprofessorsthatcare.”

-EamonKummings Sophomore,MechanicalEngineering

“Themostfulfillingpartofbeingastudent attheUniversityofMarymajoringinanEngineeringfieldliesinthechallengingnature ofthecourseworkitself.AnyEngineering studenthereispromisedvastopportunities forpersonal-developmentiftheyarewilling tofullyimmersetheirmindinthebrilliant taskandsolongastheyarewillingtoask forhelp.Theenthusiasticinstructorshereare alwaysincrediblysupportiveofanyquestion anEngineeringstudentmayhaveandthey trulytreasuretheirstudent’sacademicsuccess.Thesupporthereisunmatched–andso isthepotencyforgrowth.”

-WilliamPurvis Freshman,MechanicalEngineering

“STEMisScience,Technology,Engineering,andMathematics.TheUniversity ofMaryhelpsstudentsthroughtheSTEM courseswithexceptionalenthusiasmand prowess.”

-JeffreyVanderPoel Freshman,CivilEngineering

A COMPELLINGSTORYOFTEAMWORK, RESPONSETONEED, AND NEIGHBORLINESS ByTERRYPILLING

AppleCreekstartsnearthetownofWing,ND andflowsfor65milesintotheMissouriRiver neartheUniversityofMary.

Thecreekisknownasaplaceforkayaking,fishing,hiking,andhuntinganditalso hoststheAppleCreekCountryClubandthe MenokenIndianVillage,astatehistoricalsite, nearitsbanks.StudentsfromtheUniversity

ofMarycanoftenbeseenjoggingorwalkingdownthetrailthatrunsthroughcampus andthendownthehillalongthewestside ofNorthDakotaHighway1804andacross AppleCreek.Oftentimes,youcanevenexpectanofficeroftheStateHighwayPatrolor theBismarckSheriff’sOfficetobeparkedin theparkinglotinSwensonParknexttothe bridgewiththeirradargundetectingpeople frombothdirectionswhocreepupoverthe 55mphspeedlimitinthissectionofND1804.

UniversityofMarystudentsalsoenjoythe picnicshelteratSwensonParknexttotheAppleCreekBridgewheretheyspendtimefishingandenjoyingarestafterahealthyjogfrom campus.

TheoriginalAppleCreekBridgewasconstructedinthe1800’sandin DakotaDatebook,CodyGoehring,whileperusingthe archivesofthe BismarckDailyTribune and the BismarckWeeklyTribune from1885, foundnumerousinterestingstoriesinthose newspapersinvolvingthecreekandthe bridge.Forexample,backinin1885,residentsalsoconsideredthecreekarecreational spotforfishingandexploring.OnearticlereportedhowamannamedJ.H.Rickertsdiscovereda“mammoth”snappingturtleweighing“sixty-threepounds”inthecreek.Others

calledthebridge“inadequateandinsufficient” becauseitwastoonarrowforfarmmachinery andstillothersdeclaredthatcrossingtheAppleCreekbridgeafterdark,orevenwithashy teamofhorsesbydaylight,couldbeperilous.

Onestoryinvolvedawagonandateam ofhorsesownedbyThomasFoster.The teamandwagonhadgonemissing,butwere laterfoundinthecreek.Thehorseshad drowned,possibly“precipitatedintothewaterbyfright.”Therewasalsoastorydescribinghowoneday,railwaypostalclerks H.FinkandE.S.Beardsleywerehunting inthecreekbottomsandtheycameacross somewildgrapesand,whilepickingandeatingthem,Finkaccidentallyshothimselfand died.

ThehistoryofAppleCreekandtheAppleCreekbridgeisrifewithinterestingstories likethesefrom1885butourstoryherebeginsahundredyearslater,onApril11,1986, whenChristineAngellwasdrivingonhighway1804justnorthoftheUniversityofMary campus.AsshewascrossingtheAppleCreek bridge,thestructurecollapsedandsheandher carwentdownwiththebridge!Thankfully, sustainingonlyminorinjuries.

AssistantHumanResourcesDirectorJudy FrosethwasintheDepartment’sTraffic Safetysectionatthattime.Occupantprotectionwasoneofherprogramareas.Inthe mid-1980sseatbeltusageinNorthDakota waslow.Judyremembers“Wehada‘Saved bytheBelt’programtopromoteadultsafety beltuseandchildrestraintuse.Aplaquewas giventoindividualswhowerewearingproper restraintswhentheywereinvolvedincollisions.Chriswaswearinghersafetybeltwhen thebridgecollapsed.Sheroutinelyworeher safetybelt,whichwascreditedwithsaving herfromseriousinjury.”

AfterthecollapseBridgeEngineerKeith McLeandirectedRogertogetonsitetoconductaninspectionanddeterminethemost

probablecauseoffailure.Roger’smemoriesofthatinspectionare“The‘old’structurewasatimberstructureontimberpile. IrecallthinkingthatIwouldgetonsiteand findamessoftimbersplintersanditwould bedifficult/impossibletodetermineaprobablecause.However,whenIarrivedonsite, Icouldseehowthestructurecollapsedand wasquiteconfidentonwhatcausedthecollapse.Thetimberpileswereshortpilesand weredamagedbyacombinationofveryhigh streamflow,shiftingstreamchannel,andice movement.”

Planninganddesignforreplacingthebridge hadbeenunderwaysincemid-1985andafterthecollapseHighwayCommissionerWalt Hjelleimmediatelysignedanorderallowing theDepartmenttoconstructadetourwhilethe replacementstructurecouldbedesignedand built.

DesignEngineerRogerWeigelwasthebridge designerforthereplacementstructure.Roger recalled“Thereplacementbridgewasinthe projectdevelopmentphase.Iwasthelead bridgedesignerforthereplacementbridge. Theplansetforthereplacementbridgewas nearcompletion,sincetheprojectwasscheduledtobebidwithin4-5months.Iwas directedtogetthefinalplansetcomplete ASAP.Myrecollectionistheplanswere completedwithin7-10daysafterbeingnotifiedofthecollapse.”

MaterialsEngineerRonHornerwasinthe DesignDivisionoftheNorthDakotaDepartmentofTransportationin1986andremembersbeingshockedto“hearaboutitandthen toseethepicturesinthepaper.”Ronadded thathe“wasinvolvedwithadesignteamto puttheroadwayplanstogetheronbothsides ofthebridge.”

DonWolf,theDepartment’sChiefof LandAcquisitioncompletednegotiations withDonaldandHazelFalconer,andwith MarionUnruhonMay6thfortheacquisition oftheright-of-way.OnMay8ththeDepartmentcertifiedtoFHWAthatrightofwaywas acquired.Amere8dayspriortotheopening ofthebiddingprocessforconstruction.

NorthernImprovementwasthelowbidderon theprojectat$346,784.52andstartedwork onJune2nd.Thefinalcostoftheprojectwas $355,713.77.

OnOctober10,1986thebridgeandapproachroadwayswerereadyforpublicuse. TheDepartmentcoordinatedanon-sitededication.SpeakersthatdayincludedLieutenantGovernorRuthMeiers,HighwayPatrolColonelBrianBerg,ChristineAngell, whowasthefirstpersonto“officiallydrive overthenewbridge,”WaltHjelle,andSister ThomasWelder,PresidentoftheUniversity ofMary.SisterThomasrecalled“Iremember theentireepisodesowell.Itremainsacompellingstoryofteamwork,responsetoneed, andneighborliness.”

ContactInformation

Thedigitalversionofthis,and allpreviousissues,ofthisnewslettercanbefoundat issuu.com/ umary-engineering Formoreinformationaboutourengineeringprogramortocommentonanyofthearticlespleasefeelfreetoemailusat Engineering@umary.edu

Nextissue:February2025