Villanova Engineer: Winter 2021 by VillanovaEngineer

BUILDING ON OUR STORIED LEGACY Introducing Dean Michele Marcolongo

Diversity Lessons in Engineering | 6 Improving Conditions for Asylum Seekers | 12 Meet the College's Class of 2024 | 28

VILLANOVA ENGINEER

M E S S AG E F R O M THE DEAN Dear Friends, It brings me great pleasure to extend this greeting to you as the new Drosdick Endowed Dean of Villanova’s College of Engineering. While these first few months on the job have presented challenges in the form of social distancing, they also have, more importantly,

IN THIS ISSUE

made evident to me the resiliency and indomitable spirit of the Villanova community. Teaching and learning look different this year, but the commitment of our faculty and staff allows us to deliver the Villanova Engineering education our

EDUCATION REIMAGINED

students expect and deserve. The students in turn have done their part to keep one another safe and healthy so that uninterrupted learning can continue. With undeniable resolve, our community remains dedicated to exploring the frontiers of knowledge and bringing new advances into the world. I invite you to read each section of the magazine—Education Reimagined; Health & the Human Condition; Enough For All, Forever; Innovative Advancements; and Faces of Change—and learn how we are advancing the art of discovery. From innovative

HEALTH & THE HUMAN CONDITION ENOUGH FOR ALL, FOREVER

pedagogy and curricula to securing external research funding supporting a diverse range of projects, the College maintains its considerable momentum. I also encourage you to meet select members of the Class of 2024, whose be introduced to two alumni, nearly 50 years apart, who share the same fervent passion for their alma mater.

INNOVATIVE ADVANCEMENTS

journeys we’ll be following in these pages over the next four years. Finally, you’ll

FACES OF CHANGE

There is much to be excited about in the College and we’re pleased to have you with us for all that lies ahead! Michele Marcolongo, PhD Drosdick Endowed Dean of Engineering Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Villanova Engineer is published by Villanova University College of Engineering, Villanova, PA 19085 Drosdick Endowed Dean Michele Marcolongo, PhD Senior Associate Dean, Graduate Studies and Research Gerard F. Jones, PhD, ’72 ME

Director of Communications/Editor Kimberly Shimer Contributors Megan Amis Elizabeth Pokempner

Associate Dean, Student Success and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Stephen Jones, PhD

Photo Credits: Principal photography by Paul Crane Photography John Shetron Photography Additional photographs provided by: Debbie Fleischman Robert Meyers Seri Park Sierra Clark Photography Tommy Harrington

Assistant Dean, External Relations Keith Argue

Questions, Comments, Letters to the Editor Send to Kimberly.Shimer@villanova.edu

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs Andrea Welker, PhD, PE

Address Updates Send to alumni@villanova.edu or 1800VILLANOVA Stay Connected on Social Media Facebook: www.facebook.com/ VillanovaEngineering LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ villanovaengineering Twitter: @NovaEngineer Instagram: NovaEngineer

QUOTED

Villanova’s distinctive academic programs, world-class faculty, cutting-edge research and high-achieving students place the University in the regional and national media spotlight. Below is a sampling of media highlights from July–November 2020.

“ While adding IT equipment adds to electricity consumption, the focus on energy efficiency is to minimize the extra electricity required to make up for cooling systems and electrical power losses.” “ Attracting students into studying STEM, getting them committed to engineering, also means explaining the many ways engineering can be studied and how versatile its skills are in the job market.”

—Dr. Aaron Wemhoff, director of Villanova’s Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems, in “Next-Gen Gaming Is an Environmental Nightmare,” Wired.com

—Dr. Andrea Welker, associate dean, Academic Affairs, in “Pathway to STEM,” Mechanical Engineering

“ How come we [the American health care system] haven’t built the technology, the economic and social systems that are able to handle a situation like this—especially when something like this was predicted? Why should a single person die because we weren’t prepared?” —Dr. C. Nataraj, professor of Mechanical Engineering and team lead on NovaVent, a low-cost ventilator, in “Inside the Race to Build a Better $500 Emergency Ventilator,” Kaiser Health News

“ At Villanova University, we are applying blockchain to a wide variety of use cases—from social issues such as poverty here on Earth to satellite transactions in space.” —Adjunct Professor Hasshi Sudler ’92 EE in “E-Crypto News Talks to Hasshi Sudler On Space Blockchains,” E-Crypto News

“ The students win—they get a great practical real-world experience; the companies win because they are getting access to top talent in sustainable engineering; and the University wins by bringing the two worlds together.” —Karl Schmidt, director of the RISE Forum, in “New Approaches to Sustainability,” Planet Philadelphia podcast

“ You have to think of the stream as a living organism. If you change the conditions, the stream is going to respond to those changing conditions. The process is natural. The [flood-related] acceleration, I don’t know if I’d call that natural.” —Dr. Robert Traver, director, Villanova Center for Resilient Water Systems, in “When litter in the river isn’t the only reason the Schuylkill is trashier,” WHYY-FM, Philadelphia’s PBS and NPR station

“ Our device is wearable, it’s wireless, it can pick up trends and changes in respiratory function and send them to your smartphone, to a physician, or to a central monitoring station if an adverse trend is picked up.” —Dr. Nance Dicciani ‘69 ChE, CEO and co-founder of RTM Vital Signs, on the sensor being developed with Center for Advanced Communications Director Dr. Moeness Amin in “The Philly Company Working on a Wearable Device to Detect COVID-19 Symptoms,” Phillymag.com

“ There are several trends in technologies that are driving changes that will impact the short term in mechanical engineering: automation, additive manufacturing, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Sustainability will be a dominant theme and impact manufacturing, energy production and modes of transportation.” —Dr. Sridhar Santhanam, chair and professor, Mechanical Engineering in “Experts Weigh In on Current Job Market Trends,” Zippia.com

2020 Named Drosdick Endowed Dean, Villanova University College of Engineering 2018 Named a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors 2017 Publishes Academic Entrepreneurship: How to Bring Your Scientific Product to a Commercial Discovery (Wiley) 2016 Receives Alliance for Women Entrepreneurs Award 2014 Appointed Drexel University MSE Department Head; Co-founded MiMecore 2011 InvisALERT Solutions Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer 2010 Appointed Senior Associate Vice Provost for Translational Research 2 2009 Named Associate Dean for Intellectual Property Development 2006 Appointed Associate Vice Provost for Research 2005 Founding President of the Philadelphia Spine Research Society 2002 GELIFEX Chairman and Co-founder (sold to Synthes Spine, 2004) 1997 Joins Drexel University Faculty in Materials Science and Engineering 1995 PhD, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania 1992 MS, Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania 1989 MSME, Drexel University 1986 BSME, University of Delaware

ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRY INNOVATOR DR. MICHELE MARCOLONGO TAKES THE REINS

hen searching for the College of Engineering’s new dean, University Provost Dr. Patrick Maggitti and a committee of faculty, students and alumni were focused on finding “an individual who champions innovative teaching and scholarship, appreciates the opportunities of engineering to positively impact society, and has extensive experience working with major research corporations and agencies.” They found all of this and more in Dr. Michele Marcolongo. “Under Dean Marcolongo’s leadership, I envision even more support and opportunities for our world-class faculty to advance their research. Dean Marcolongo will also help raise the profile of the College among engineering schools at the top national universities. And we will expand our already robust student research opportunities, offering undergraduate and graduate students meaningful, hands-on experiences with our first-rate teacher-scholars,” says Dr. Maggitti. “In short, with Dean Marcolongo at the helm, I expect that the College of Engineering will continue to build upon its storied legacy and ascend to even greater heights.” Dr. Gerard “Jerry” Jones, senior associate dean for Graduate Studies and Research adds: “Dean Marcolongo has an unenviable job of leading during this unprecedented time while simultaneously learning about Villanova and its unique culture. I genuinely admire her ability to listen and appreciate the knowledge, insights and efforts of others. As someone who has started several successful bioengineering companies, I expect our entrepreneurial programs will grow under her direction.”

MEET THE DEAN Having earned degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and the University of Delaware, Dr. Marcolongo first established herself in industry, working for General Electric Aerospace and DePuy DuPont Orthopaedics, where she developed her expertise in biomedical engineering. After joining Drexel University’s College of Engineering in 1997, she steadily rose through the faculty ranks, eventually holding a number of leadership positions, while at the same time co-founding three medical startup companies. Dr. Marcolongo officially began her tenure as Villanova Engineering’s dean on July 31, 2020. “I couldn’t be happier to be here,” she says sincerely. When asked for her first impressions of the College, Dean Marcolongo is quick to acknowledge the “warm and collaborative community and the total dedication to students.” Providing those students with “the best possible undergraduate experience in a variety of dimensions with a focus on learning by doing” is one of her main priorities, along with ensuring faculty and graduate students have all the resources they need to facilitate their research and scholarship. Continuing to strengthen the bonds between faculty, staff, students and alumni is also top of mind. She adds, “I’m particularly excited about the opportunities for the College under the University’s new strategic plan, namely significantly increasing our physical space—the CEER (Center for Engineering Education and Research) expansion—and supporting our programming, which includes the research enterprise.”

IN HER WORDS The future of engineering education: An important lesson in engineering is learning to fail, re-do and then accomplish your goal. We all learn by doing and the challenge in education is to provide opportunities for students to push their own boundaries, which may result in some failures but ultimately make them stronger and more resilient in engineering practice and in life. At Villanova, students have these opportunities through research in our world-class labs, international humanitarian initiatives, self-directed design challenges and entrepreneurial experiences. Expanding these types of offerings is one of my long-term goals. Required skills for tomorrow’s engineers: More demands are being placed on engineers in the workforce and while technical knowledge is our foundation, we also need to be able to self-manage through our careers, work in interdisciplinary teams, and successfully communicate on different levels. Through the College’s Career Compass program, students’ technical skills are complemented by the professional skills desired by today’s employers. Challenges that Villanova engineers will be equipped to solve: Last year, Villanova joined the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenge Scholars Program to engage our students in addressing the needs of the 21st century. With the guidance of College faculty who possess expertise in the areas of sustainability, medical technology, communications, energy, infrastructure and the digital realm, our students will be prepared to offer solutions to myriad challenges facing our planet. Opportunities for COE growth: Our faculty and staff are impressively dedicated to educating and guiding our students toward the successful launch of their careers in parallel with a mission of discovery and innovation. Where we can grow, quite literally, is in our physical space. The construction of a new 150,000-square-foot building will transform our engineering space, serving as a crossroads for innovation. Having all engineering faculty, staff and students under one roof with teaching, learning and laboratory spaces will be a game changer for collaboration. Importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in engineering: Just as engineering benefits from a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, so too does it benefit from the experiences and perspectives of diverse groups of people. As the College works toward building a more diverse community of students, faculty and staff, we are also striving to ensure that every member feels valued. I am committed to establishing a culture of mutual respect.

EDUCATION REIMAGINED

The College of Engineering remains steadfast in its commitment to teaching. A cutting-edge, interdisciplinary freshman course; the flipped classroom; and a one-of-a-kind professional development program are among the educational advancements for which the College has received national attention in the past two decades. Though 2020 will forever be known as the year of the virtual classroom, engineering professors also developed new courses, enhanced the learning experience and improved learning outcomes.

BRIEFLY

Dr. Stephen Jones, assistant dean for Student Success and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, was selected to serve as the Eastern Region director of the Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education (PBCOHE). The purpose of PBCOHE is to ensure that the educational needs of the state’s minorities and African American students are addressed.

Drs. Sarvesh Kulkarni and Mojtaba Vaezi were awarded grants for adapting their Electrical and Computer Engineering courses to use open educational resources (OER)— free, openly licensed textbooks. Using OER addresses the rising cost of commercial textbooks, which negatively impacts student success as some delay or forego purchasing or renting course materials.

When nearly 30 freshmen expressed an interest in joining NovaRacing, the College’s FSAE team, senior leaders came up with a creative solution for providing them with the necessary skills. They set up online training modules for the design computer package SolidWorks and assigned the presentation of mini-projects to determine how much the freshmen learned.

THE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE IN THE AGE OF COVID-19

“B

y and large the faculty and students have adapted beautifully,” says Dr. Noelle Comolli, associate professor and chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering. The three class styles found in her department—fully online, hybrid and in person— reflect the style of teaching and learning that’s taking place in most departments across campus. Fully online: The challenge of finding a suitable classroom for larger courses made going online an easier decision and professors adapted accordingly. Dr. Comolli says: “To make my Biomaterials course more engaging I structured it to be a lecture with interactive questions one day, followed by one day of small group breakouts, where the material learned is applied to a real-world case study on a related medical device. Being forced to adapt can be a good thing!” Hybrid: Generally, the core courses—including those that are math intensive—are delivered in a hybrid format. Students are grouped into cohorts, which keeps their circle small, and each cohort alternates going to class in person and online. In person: Labs are delivered completely in person but have been slightly reformatted. “We cut down on the number of days in the lab so we could space everyone out, and added a design component in the senior year lab to replace the extra day of experimentation,” explains Dr. Comolli. In addition, “Each student in the lab has a PPE drawstring bag with their own hard hat, safety glasses and face shield, along with a lab coat.” Freshman EGR1200, the first engineering course students take, is also completely in person. Dr. Comolli teaches the Honors section and decided to focus on COVID-19 solutions for the required team design project. Students have developed an app for contact tracing using Bluetooth, an app for COVID safety during ride shares, two biodegradable disposable mask designs, a nose bridge for masks, and a mask sterilizer machine for dorms—all of which Dr. Comolli found “wonderfully creative!”

APPROACHING A FALL SEMESTER LIKE NO OTHER

I greeted the idea of a course redesign with a mix of apprehension and excitement. I’m used to refreshing the technical content to make sure it’s current, but now I’m completely rethinking the way I teach. For example, my senior level water resources design course is being taught 100% online, so we’re all learning and collaborating remotely. How do I help my students look beyond the numbers and make more informed decisions? They can calculate stormwater pipe diameters and swale dimensions, but does the final design make sense? Does it fit the community? While there’s no substitute for face-to-face instruction, technology has created opportunities to enrich the learning experience. We’re using polls, chats, discussion boards and other online tools to help students engage with a range of content in new ways. By using these communications tools to augment the online class experience, the students have more ways to contribute to the conversation and share information and perspectives. I think the technology is really improving the level of collaboration. Another great part of online learning is it erases geographic boundaries. When there’s literally no commute time or expense, I can bring in speakers from Colorado or Texas or the places where my students live. I plan to bring in experts from my students’ hometowns who can speak to the specific water resources issues there. It’s really exciting.

iStock.com/DrAfter123

This fall, Villanova University Provost Dr. Patrick Maggitti gathered virtually with faculty from each of the undergraduate colleges to learn about their approaches to the new semester and online and hybrid learning. Among the participants was Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Dr. Bridget Wadzuk. Dr. Wadzuk ’90 CE and her colleagues shared the incredible work they did to craft a meaningful academic experience in light of the challenges presented. This is the edited transcript of her portion of the interview:

“ How we deliver content and how we create community is going to be changing higher education for quite some time. This is, I think, a sea change in education.”

Overall, the current environment encourages the faculty to be flexible and try new things and see what works and what doesn’t. And our students are resilient—they’re flexible and willing to try out new things as well. I’m confident that they will welcome alternatives to the traditional lecture format. Villanova faculty truly do care about our students. We are all living under the same conditions and stresses as our students right now and it’s important to remind them of this shared experience. As students, the best way to minimize your apprehension about the online class experience is to reach out to a faculty member. Start one of those little conversations that you’d typically have minutes before class begins with a friend. Begin with something casual like, “What did you do this weekend?” Or “Have you been watching any good shows?” It’s those small, shared interests that help us connect, build trust and empathy. So look at us not just as a faculty member, but as people you can reach out and build a relationship with.

DISCOVERY AND DIALOGUE: DIVERSITY LESSONS IN ENGINEERING

EDUCATION REIMAGINED

illanova’s 2020–2030 Strategic Plan—“Rooted. Restless.”—identifies a number of initiatives intended to connect to and advance the University’s Augustinian Catholic values and mission. Among them are “enhancing dialogue across varied groups and perspectives” and “promoting institutional diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.” One Mechanical Engineering professor was determined to make a difference in this regard. This fall, Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Jeffrey Koller began integrating the biographies of underrepresented engineers and scientists into his Dynamic Systems and Finite Elements classes. While lessons in DEI are not typically associated with STEM courses, Dr. Koller believes they have a place in every classroom, regardless of topic. “Representation matters in the classroom, department and industry,” he says. The goal is to educate students who in turn will be more committed to creating an inclusive engineering environment. Approximately every other week, Dr. Koller spends 15–20 minutes at the end of one class doing what he calls “storytelling.” Over the course of the fall semester, he presented the contributions of seven different engineering change makers, including those whose race, gender, religion and sexuality are historically underrepresented in STEM fields. Among those he introduces: •

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lijah “the Real” McCoy, a 19th century African American inventor E best known for inventing lubrication devices used to make train travel more efficient. Katherine Johnson, one of NASA’s human “computers” who performed the complex calculations that enabled humans to successfully achieve space flight. Alan Turing, the famed code-breaking war hero, now considered the father of computer science and artificial intelligence, who was criminally convicted under the U.K.’s homophobic laws. Ursula Burns, who became the first African American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company when she was named CEO of Xerox, where she began as an intern.

Dr. Koller also shares the story of Guion Stewart Bluford Jr., a Philadelphia native who was the first African American to go to space. “The city has a statue of a fictional character—Rocky—but very little recognition for this NASA astronaut who helped break the color barrier.” “My goal is to get students to engage in dialogue about these topics outside of the classroom,” says Dr. Koller, and based on the unsolicited responses he’s received, the biographies are having the desired effect. “I’ve had several students email me to say how much they appreciate having these stories included. If one or two conversations come out of this that wouldn’t otherwise have taken place, I’m happy.”

ENGINEERING SUMMER PROGRAMS SUCCESSFULLY PIVOT TO VIRTUAL MODE While countless camps, internships and summer programs across the country were canceled in the wake of COVID-19, engineers’ resourcefulness was on display as the College of Engineering moved forward virtually with its three seasonal offerings: the Engineering Entrepreneurship Summer Institute (E2SI); INNOVATE: The L3Harris Summer Program; and NovaEdge, a one-week summer camp for high school students.

ENGINEERING ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMER INSTITUTE When Dr. Lauri Olivier joined Villanova University as director of the Engineering Entrepreneurship program in January 2020, she never could have anticipated how shortlived her time on campus would be. Just as she was ironing out the details of her family’s move from Florida to the Philadelphia suburbs, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. When she flew home in March, she didn’t know that she wouldn’t be returning for E2SI, which begins in late May, or that the program would need to quickly be adapted to a virtual learning environment for its 23 students. She says, “We tried to make this the best possible experience for them, and I think it went very, very well.” During the seven-and-a-halfweek program, which included representation from the College of Engineering, Villanova School of Business, and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, students were introduced to design thinking, creativity and innovation

frameworks, as well as customer personas, user experience analysis and market segmentation. As teams, they were challenged to establish value propositions, business models and branding, and to file patents and develop venture pitches. In addition to E2SI’s faculty, students learned from technical experts across a variety of disciplines, venture mentors and business development guest lecturers. The program culminated with the teams’ final presentations to a Zoom room of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and College of Engineering leadership and faculty. E2SI’S 2020 TEAM PROJECTS: Buzz: Uses smart band tracking technologies to help parents keep their children safe in large settings Fringle: A social media app that matches like-minded individuals seeking companionship for social events and traveling GetUp: A streaming device/motion tracking technology to bring exercise to couch potatoes ProLink: Golf instruction app providing high-quality personal lessons through a platform that connects PGA certified teaching professionals with amateur golfers Unitas: A social media app to connect students to university social clubs WildCAD: Customized video game controller development company

INNOVATE

NOVAEDGE

A partnership program of Villanova University’s College of Engineering and L3Harris Technologies, INNOVATE provides self-directed student teams with a two-month paid opportunity to develop innovative solutions to unmet societal or technical challenges. In 2020, part of the challenge was adjusting to teamwork that could only be accomplished online. As a lead-in to the teams’ final presentations to L3Harris in late July, Assistant Dean of External Relations Keith Argue offered this assessment: “The students rose to the challenge and exceeded all expectations.”

Traditionally a one-week, on-campus program, this year NovaEdge brought a diverse group of 34 high school students together online for an introduction to the traditional fields of engineering. With the help of College faculty, alumni and student volunteers, participants learned about engineering design, sustainability, self-driving cars, recyclable materials, artificial intelligence and storm water management. In addition to lectures, they worked on projects in virtual small groups and performed engineering experiments with materials in their homes or neighborhoods. The weeklong program culminated in group presentations, which Associate Dean for Student Success and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Stephen Jones said

INNOVATE’S 2020 TEAM PROJECTS: Snake Bot: An inexpensive robot designed to move through heavy brush and improve the efficiency and safety of landmine detection Driving Simulator: A simple, flexible, portable and affordable driving simulation system integrating common gaming hardware components with a rich virtual driving environment to serve as a tool for researchers and for training young drivers or specialty vehicle drivers Neuro Language Platform: Using human language recognition as its application, this brain-inspired, HD-powered platform was built upon the work of the Rahimi Lab and exceeded the speed of the Rahimi MatLab implementation Blue Blanket: A reliable, convenient, comfortable, effective and affordable blanket to treat infant jaundice at home

were “well organized and gave each student an opportunity to contribute.”

VIRTUAL SUMMER PROGRAMS BY THE NUMBERS

Enrolled students

Faculty and Staff

Student volunteers

Alumni volunteers

HEALTH AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

The College’s vision statement says, “Villanova engineers are rigorously educated, socially grounded, conscientious thinkers and doers who are professionally prepared to make meaningful change in the world.” That commitment to making meaningful change has never been more evident than in 2020, when faculty, students and alumni stepped up to respond to COVID-19. Beyond the pandemic, recent faculty research grants have reflected a passion for improving health care and quality of life for all.

BRIEFLY

Developed and taught by Dr. David Dinehart, Civil Engineering, and Jim O’Brien, Mechanical Engineering, a new elective Honors course, Engineering in the Humanistic Context, focuses on the biggest issues facing the world and the role engineering must play in the solutions. Interdisciplinary engineering teams are challenged to develop sustainable and humanistic solutions to realworld problems in places like Bidibidi, Uganda, and Matamoros, Mexico.

The work of a group of 2020 seniors advised by Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Meltem Izzetoglu has been published in the journal Brain Sciences. “ShortTerm Effects of Meditation on Sustained Attention as Measured by Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)” presents the effects of loving-kindness meditation using behavioral performance measures, physiological outcomes and cognitive activity.

With a $377,595 NSF grant, Villanova will acquire a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometer to enable identification and characterization of small quantities of chemical species in complex samples. The instrument will support faculty research in the Center for Cellular Engineering (NovaCell), including elucidating hostcell response to gene therapy and developing earthworm hemoglobin as a possible blood substitute.

PROFESSOR AND ALUMNA PARTNER TO DEVELOP A WEARABLE COVID-19 MONITORING SYSTEM

r. Moeness Amin, director of the Center for Advanced Communications, is developing an accurate, easy-to-use technology to monitor at-risk individuals, including seniors, for early signs of COVID-19—before the infection progresses to a dangerous and potentially irreversible degree. Partnering with Philadelphia-based firm RTM Vital Signs, LLC—co-founded by CEO and alumna Dr. Nance Dicciani ’69 ChE—the full monitoring system consists of an integrated sensor and smartphone application. The acoustic sensor is attached to an individual’s tracheal notch, and when the person breathes, the sensor measures the acoustic sounds as the air goes out and in through the trachea. “Instead of measuring breathing through the lungs, it is more informative from a data analysis and classification perspective to assess respiratory conditions by acquiring the signals through the tracheal notch,” explains Dr. Amin. The main system features are as follows: • The sensor accurately measures the individual’s temperature, heart rate, oxygen saturation and tracheal sound. • The mobile device receives these data wirelessly via Bluetooth, and, through an app, executes effective signal-processing algorithms and machine learning techniques to extract the minute ventilation and classify the individual’s breathing conditions and disorders. • The app computes a risk-index score that produces a series of alerts/alarms (visual, auditory and vibratory) that warn the patient and/or medical professional of worsening pulmonary function.

“In many cases, by the time an individual becomes aware of and recognizes any single or multiple COVID-19 symptoms, they are already in danger of permanent health damage or death,” says Dr. Amin. “We are trying to help solve a really big problem.”

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HEALTH AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

NOVAMED: A MISSION TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO LIFESAVING MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY AROUND THE GLOBE

ased on a firm belief that income should not determine who has access to lifesaving care, this fall Villanova introduced NOVAMED: the Villanova Laboratory for Affordable Medical Technologies. This interdisciplinary lab is dedicated to developing open source, affordable and globally available medical technologies for people in communities where the cost of such resources remains out of reach. Worldwide, annual government expenditures on health ranges from over $10,000 per person in the US to less than $75 per person in countries like Bangladesh. Low levels of expenditures on health in general leads to low levels of expenditures on medical devices, which is where NOVAMED—and platforms like NovaVent—come in. NovaVent—a ventilator with capabilities similar to those of commercial machines but at a fraction of the cost—is one of the technologies currently being developed at Villanova. With the disparity of need highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, an expert team of engineers, doctors, nurses and human-factor specialists collaborated to develop a ~$500 ventilator whose design will be available as open source, enabling anyone to rapidly produce identical devices. NOVAMED’s initiatives will go well beyond the pandemic, however, as teams design and develop more cost-effective medical technologies to benefit the global population. Examples of ongoing NOVAMED initiatives include: •

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sing drones to deliver emergency medical supplies. U A pilot project is based in India, where limited access to first responders and medical supplies hinders the delivery of emergency medical care. Repurposing the EOD robot—originally designed to remove explosive ordnance in Cambodia—to deliver medical supplies in disaster situations.

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dvancing diagnostic algorithms to increase the A accuracy of medical diagnoses, which are inaccurate 60-70% of the time in well-resourced nations and even less accurate in under-resourced communities. Designing reliable, customizable and inexpensive lab equipment that can be 3D-printed and controlled by inexpensive microcontrollers. A chromatography system currently being developed, for example, could be reduced in cost from $25,000–$100,000 to ~ $500.

Dr. C. Nataraj, director of the Villanova Center for Analytics of Dynamic Systems and the lead behind NOVAMED, says, “NOVAMED’s mission is humanitarian and will be achieved through international partnerships. We will design and prototype these devices at Villanova and collaborate with government, industry and NGO partners to bring these technologies to scale for widespread social impact.”

On 1842 Day, when $25,000 was raised for NOVAMED, an additional $25,000 was matched by John Ermilio ’67 and Gene and M’Liz Riechers P ’23. Thank you for your support!

HEALTH AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

DR. ANI URAL TO LEAD NSF RESEARCH ON ATYPICAL FEMORAL FRACTURE

Dr. Ani Ural, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Computational Biomechanics and Solid Mechanics Laboratory, has been awarded a three-year National Science Foundation collaborative research grant for “Uncovering the Multiscale Determinants of Atypical Femoral Fracture using MRI and CT-Based This model of the Modeling.” Total funding for the project is femur shows a $529,427 with $250,784 awarded to different view of Villanova University, which is the lead the high stress institution in collaboration with the location and the University of Pennsylvania. The grant detailed crack supports fundamental research to uncover growth that the factors that contribute to atypical occurs in that femoral fracture, which is a rare side effect of region. long-term use of some drugs—most notably bisphosphonate—to treat osteoporosis. Osteoporosis—a decrease in bone strength—is responsible for over two million bone fractures annually in the United States. A typical osteoporotic femoral fracture (more commonly known as a hip fracture) occurs at the femoral neck, which connects the femoral shaft to the ball part (femoral head) of the ball-and-socket joint. Atypical femoral fracture occurs in the femoral shaft. Though quite rare in the general population using bisphosphonates (3.2 to 50 cases for 100,000 person years), these fractures have high morbidity and mortality outcomes. Those with prolonged treatment are at greater risk (100 cases for 100,000 person years). Given fear of this side effect, many osteoporosis patients decline treatment, which perpetuates the problem, increasing osteoporotic fracture rates across the population. This project will make a computer model of atypical femoral fracture, based on magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging of cadaver bones, which will then be used to study how the effects of bone geometry and material properties (for example, how hard or soft a bone is) combine to determine atypical femoral fracture risk. This new understanding will ultimately improve the ability to identify those at risk. Dr. Ural says, “These longer-term outcomes will result in improved quality of life for patients and reduced health care costs.”

LIVER RESEARCH REVEALS STRUCTURE OF BLOOD FLOW ARCHITECTURE, HOLDING PROMISE FOR TRANSPLANTS The liver is not only the largest organ in the body but also plays one of the most important roles in human metabolism as it transforms toxic substances in the body. Understanding the way its blood vasculature works is crucial, particularly during organ transplant. As the new organ may be larger or smaller than the original, whether the blood circulation will adapt to the change in size is one of the most critical factors in the transplant’s success. College of Engineering Chair Professor Dr. Sylvie Lorente, Mechanical Engineering, is part of an international team whose research shows that the challenge of predicting the liver vessel network can be met thanks to the constructal law of design evolution.

because blood enters through two of those trees and goes out through one single tree. The connection between them occurs through micrometrics elements, the lobules, which behave like a porous material.” Published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, “The Liver, a Functionalized Vascular Structure” explains how the organ’s entire blood circulation can be predicted as a design that evolved towards configurations with less and less resistance to the flows that go through them. “Building on our results we plan now to model how the liver changes in size and what the limits to failure are,” says Dr. Lorente. “We hope that our work can help surgeons in the decisions they have to make before and during transplant.”

The team’s work unveils the structure of the liver’s blood-flow architecture as a combination of superimposed tree‑shaped networks and a porous system. A main blood vessel (trunk) is connected to smaller vessels (branches), which are connected to smaller and smaller branches. Dr. Lorente notes: “The liver is fascinating

lobules (porous

DEVELOPING A SINGLE POINT-OF-CARE MEDICAL IMAGING DEVICE

rolific researcher Dr. Meltem Izzetoglu, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been awarded $209,000 as part of a $1.9 million grant for a collaborative two-year project titled “Portable Diffuse Optical Sensors for Point-of-Care Monitoring in Prolonged Field Care.” Funded by the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Dr. Izzetoglu will partner with Drexel University (lead); Hebrew University; and InfraScan Inc., a medical technology manufacturer, to integrate two modalities—namely diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)—into a single (DCS-NIRS) point-of-care medical imaging device, enabling multiple capabilities to identify and monitor injury in prolonged field care. The proposed portable system will be designed to integrate several screening, diagnosis and monitoring functions into a single ruggedized system capable of simultaneously monitoring multiple brain and body vital signs to help improve medical management of injuries and exposures, including:

medium)

• • •

n-route care of hypoxia, anoxia and E hemorrhagic shock Hemorrhage and hemorrhagic shock Traumatic or hypoxic-ischemic brain injury

An expert in brain imaging for cognitive activity and physiological monitoring using optical methods, Dr. Izzetoglu will advise a PhD student on the project and will be responsible for: • Laboratory and animal-model testprotocol design • Algorithm development • Analysis and evaluation of the outcomes for cerebral and body oximetry • Cerebral edema monitoring • Hemorrhage assessment and hematoma detection using the proposed system Dr. Izzetoglu says: “It is a privilege to be a member of this national and international team of engineers, clinicians, academicians and industry partners and I am extremely excited to contribute to the development of a cutting-edge, multi-purpose, brain-and-body monitoring device that can save many lives all over the world.”

IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS ON US-MEXICO BORDER

HEALTH AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

ince the 2019 rollout of the U.S. Migrant Protection Protocols, thousands of asylum seekers from Central and South America have made Matamoros, Mexico, their home. Though their stay was to be temporary, many have been there for a year or more as they await hearings across the river in Brownsville, Texas. At least 1,000 people are still living in a muddy camp along the banks of the Rio Grande, where there are persistent problems with water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). After learning of the situation through a podcast of This American Life, Sustainable Engineering graduate student Christa Cook ’20 MSSE emailed onsite medical services provider Global Response Management and a relationship and humanitarian engineering initiative was born. First traveling to the site in December 2019, three Villanova graduate students sought to analyze the camp’s WASH resources and infrastructure with an eye toward future improvements. This is what they found: •

•

• •

I nsufficient showers and portable toilets that failed to meet the standards of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) No formal water distribution method for two emergency water kiosks with storage tanks that treated water from the Rio Grande and five more that were filled by water trucks Electricity access limited to only one electricity pole that was almost exclusively used to charge cell phones Cooking stoves made from clay that lead to deforestation since trees were the only viable fuel source Housing in camping tents, with three to five people per tent Trash management consisting of only a few trashcans, resulting in most trash being thrown on the ground

The imperative was clear. “While GRM provides innovative and efficient solutions to medical needs, no one was addressing the logistical aspects of the situation,” says Dr. Jordan Ermilio ’98 ME, ’06 MSWREE, PE, RPCV, director of Villanova’s Center for Humanitarian Engineering and International Development. “Medicine doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and health care and infrastructure often go hand in hand,” adds GRM Director of Operations Blake Davis. Recognizing that Villanovans could fill the gap, a partnership was formed. The relationship between Global Response Management and Villanova played a significant role in

GRM forming an engineering team “to increase response capacity in high-risk, low-resource humanitarian efforts.” Founded by Cook, Erin Hughes and Chloe Rastatter, this new component of the organization is dedicated to community-based, innovative, cost-efficient solutions to infrastructure problems globally. Their work has included computer engineering and Arduino coding to create open-access, affordable, high-fidelity medical training models, and utilizing Geographic Information Systems to help track deployed disaster response teams. “The engineering team has a wide range of capabilities and expertise that allows them to uniquely address the needs of vulnerable populations while utilizing technology for the greater good,” says Davis. Presently, that expertise is being applied to designing and implementing WASH solutions in Matamoros. Within six months after arriving on site, the GRM engineering team had made significant improvements: • •

• • • •

layout for a COVID field hospital, isolation area A and quarantine zone 88 handwashing sinks whose design was shared with the UNHCR and implemented at camps throughout Central America 41 showers to replace bucket showers Vital filters for providing clean water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing Potable water access points and asylum-seeker run maintenance crews School construction assistance

The team also fundraised for stormwater management and flood mitigation supplies after the first major storm of the rainy season flooded nearly every tent, destroying personal possessions and making the camp inaccessible due to mud. They dug drainage channels, lined the streets with more than 200 tons of gravel, built hundreds of wooden platforms to raise tents, and filled and distributed sandbags. The engineers also completed a flood evaluation and evacuation plan, which was utilized when Hurricane Hanna hit the camp in mid-August. “The GRM engineering team would like to thank Jordan Ermilio and the Villanova students for their continued support and guidance,” says Cook, adding, “I encourage everyone to check out the GRM website (www.global-response.org/engineering) and donate!” You can learn more about the Matamoros project on Villanova’s Humanitarian Engineer podcast.

1. Christa Cook ’20 MSSE helps build pallets to raise tents off the ground in case of flooding. 2. Water storage for the showers and clothes washing stations 3. The recently finished school for children of asylum seekers in Matamoros. 4. Cook (center) with the shower installation team, comprised of asylum seekers and GRM volunteers.

THE VILLANOVA—GRM—MATAMOROS CONNECTION • The situation in Matamoros is one of the subjects of an undergraduate course in Engineering in the Humanistic Context. • Villanova students are working on a rainwater-harvesting project for the new school, creating a manual for the water-quality testing equipment and analyzing the sustainability of GRM WASH projects. • Christa Cook has moved to the US-Mexico border to put her engineering skills to work with GRM.

FACULTY FOR ENOUGH NEWS ALL, FOREVER

ENOUGH FOR ALL, FOREVER With passion, curiosity, engagement and vision, Villanova Engineers are innovators and technical leaders, committed to serving the greater good and solving complex global challenges. Whether those challenges relate to clean water and sanitation, sustainable energy, or access to STEM education, Villanovans believe in ethical engagement and impact through collaboration with partners around the world.

BRIEFLY

At the virtually held International Conference on Bioenergy and Biomass, Sustainable Engineering graduate students Lora Urbaniak and Gonzalo Sanchez presented their research on the conversion of biosolids and food waste into higher value products such as activated carbon for adsorption of water impurities. Their work was sponsored by SoMax BioEnergy where recent graduate Jeremy Taylor ’19 MSSE is chief sustainability officer.

Dr. Wenqing “Vicky” Xu, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recognized with Villanova’s 2020 University Scholarly Achievement Award. An expert in environmental interfacial chemistry, Dr. Xu has established herself as an exceptional researcher, winning more than $2 million in grants over the course of one year for her work in contaminant destruction, wastewater treatment, and nutrient removal and recovery.

Villanova’s Sustainable Enterprise Executive Education & Development (SEED) program launches its first virtual workshop this spring. Geared toward experienced professionals interested in leading, designing and incorporating sustainability practices into their business environment to create value, the innovative program is led by Sustainable Engineering Professor of Practice Karl Schmidt, along with thought leaders from the Villanova School of Business and the College of Engineering.

INITIATIVE OFFERS SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER

ince August 2019, PhD candidate Javier Urquizo and graduate students Christa Cook ’20 MSSE, Wesley Shugart-Schmidt ’21 MSSE and Viviana Villavicencio ’21 MSEE have collaborated to develop Solar Confidence for Solar Disinfection (SoCo for SODIS). With 790 million people lacking access to potable water, the established technology of solar disinfection offers a cost-effective and World Health Organizationrecognized means of disinfecting water solely through UV radiation. The team’s efforts have yielded grants from IEEE, VentureWell and, most recently, the College Innovation Classic. Solar disinfection—sterilizing low turbid, biologically contaminated water by leaving it in a clear PET bottle in the sun for several hours—is technologically simple, low cost and low maintenance. That simplicity, however, is what limits confidence in its use and has led to improper water treatment, which can result in consumption of unsafe water. The lack of a user-friendly and reliable method for verifying water quality is solar disinfection’s greatest challenge. SoCo for SODIS addresses these limitations by using open-source UV sensors to measure the intensity and amount of light impacting the bottles and an Arduino LCD display to indicate if the bottle has been sufficiently exposed. In addition, the platform’s modular design allows users to add more bottles at any point in the SODIS process, promoting a community-based approach that distributes total capital expenses, making the per-household cost affordable. With a proposal in the second phase of the VentureWell program, SoCo for SODIS hopes to gain $20,000 in additional financial support for field testing and community feedback, weather proofing the technology, integrating telecommunications, and eventually bringing the product to market.

NEW CENTER DELIVERS INNOVATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

uilding on 15-plus years’ success with Villanova Engineering Service Learning (VESL), the College has launched a Center for Humanitarian Engineering and International Development that will engage students in unique learning opportunities that reinforce engineering fundamentals, a commitment to life-long learning and service to society. In addition to integrating VESL’s service-learning opportunities into its auspices, the Center will establish research and academic programs—including a new minor in Humanitarian Engineering—and will formalize a strategic partnership with the graduate program in Sustainable Engineering, which includes graduate fellowships and a track program in international development. According to Center Director Dr. Jordan Ermilio ’98 ME, ’06 MSWREE, PE, RPCV, the Center will serve three primary purposes: • • •

evelop and deliver a rigorous curriculum D within global humanitarian issues Implement high quality research employing applied participatory methods Provide technical support with a focus on humanitarian engineering and international development

“Meeting the needs of a new generation of students means providing experiences that address complex global issues with divergent views and multicultural awareness,” explains Dr. Ermilio. Working with humanitarian organizations also benefits faculty, providing opportunities to conduct meaningful research in a global context.

Dr. Andrea Welker, associate dean of Academic Affairs, adds, “The Center offers an ideal means of integrating Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic values into the educational experience. Its mission is at the heart of the University’s commitment to educating a ‘community of learners who are driven to think critically, solve problems, act compassionately and succeed while serving others.’” Since 2011 when VESL was formally established, hundreds of Villanova students have served with global partners on community initiatives in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Many describe these life-changing experiences as the highlight of their Villanova education, including Brian Bozzo ’07 ME, an intellectual property attorney and founder of Knots Apparel, whose sales benefit a variety of charities. Bozzo says, “My experience with engineering service learning was truly transformative. It provided me with an opportunity to apply my engineering skills for the benefit of others, which is the hallmark of the Villanova experience. The faculty and staff inspire you to learn not only for the sake of learning, but to develop the skills and character necessary to face the world and its many challenges.” Strengthening existing programs and partnerships by integrating service/outreach and research is Dr. Ermilio’s goal for implementation in the Center’s first year. Above all, he says, “Ethical engagement and impact through collaboration with global partners will be fundamental to the Center’s success.”

PODCAST: THE HUMANITARIAN ENGINEER This fall, the Center for Humanitarian Engineering and International Development launched The Humanitarian Engineer, a podcast in which students, partners and incountry experts discuss their initiatives and the challenges faced from a technical and humanistic perspective, as well as the progress achieved through collaborative efforts. Multi-episode series highlight the water and sanitation issues faced by refugees in Matamoros, Mexico, and the five-year relationship between Villanova and Aqua (now Essential Utilities), which has taken teams to Panama, Nicaragua and Ghana on water distribution projects.

• Interconnectedness to ecological system • Tradeoffs and impacts within systems • Designs are systems • Connection and collaboration with other disciplines • Planetary system boundaries

ENOUGH FOR ALL, FOREVER

illanova University is one of five national institutions selected to participate in the Lemelson Foundation’s Engineering for One Planet (EOP) Pilot Program, which was developed in partnership with VentureWell as a response to the global environmental challenges that are impacting every aspect of life. Recognizing that engineering solutions can both ameliorate and exacerbate environmental conditions, it is critical that engineering students of all disciplines are equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding of sustainable and environmentally responsible engineering. As part of the pilot, the College will receive $30,000 to begin the process of aligning the undergraduate curriculum with the EOP framework. Villanova is ideally positioned to undertake this curricular transformation given that sustainability is a guiding principle of the University’s strategic plan and the College is internationally recognized for its leadership in the field of Sustainable Engineering. Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Andrea Welker says, “Just as entrepreneurially minded learning is a mindset that can be taught to help students devise innovative solutions, EOP is a framework that future engineers can use to develop sustainable technologies, processes and products.” Led by Dr. Welker and Sustainable Engineering Program Director Bill Lorenz, over the two-year grant period the College will train 16 faculty on how to incorporate the EOP framework into their undergraduate courses. In addition to an introduction to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, which serve as the foundation for Villanova’s Sustainability Plan, the faculty will participate in an intensive four-day workshop to develop new lesson plans, projects and assignments that incorporate EOP principles. Within five years, every undergraduate in the College will have taken at least two courses infused with EOP content. “Villanova University and the College of Engineering have proudly embraced the call to contribute to a more sustainable future for all,” notes Lorenz. “As such, we believe the EOP framework provides fundamental learning outcomes that every graduating engineer should acquire.”

“ Just as entrepreneurially minded learning is a mindset that can be taught to help students devise innovative solutions, Engineering for One Planet is a framework that future engineers can use to develop sustainable technologies, processes and products.”

POWER FORWARD: EDUCATING THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE ABOUT ENERGY The College of Engineering was awarded a $25,000 grant from the national nonprofit EarthShare to launch Power Forward, a new STEM outreach program to educate Philadelphia’s underserved communities about energy choices, impact and policies. Reflective of its high poverty rate, Philadelphia residents are more likely than the average US citizen to face energy insecurity, such as forgoing food, medicine or other necessities to pay for energy bills. Low-income households also spend a significantly higher percentage of their income on utilities compared to high-income households (7.2% compared to 2.3%). Villanova Engineering students will present 12 workshops to Philadelphia high school students and their parents to provide a basic introduction to electricity and inhome systems, the environmental impacts of different energy sources, the energy consumption of household appliances, solar electric systems, job opportunities in the renewable energy field, and more.

Image provided by VentureWell

INSTILLING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES ACROSS VILLANOVA’S ENGINEERING EDUCATION

NEW DAYLOR CHAIR IS RESOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES WITH RESILIENT ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

n August, Professor Bridget Wadzuk, PhD, ’00 CE, began her tenure as the Edward A. Daylor Chair in Civil Engineering. Committed to “resolving environmental justice issues with resilient engineering solutions,” she follows in the footsteps of Professor Robert Traver, PhD, PE, D.WRE, F.EWRI, F.ASCE, ’82 MSCE, who held the position from 2015–2020. A professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering since 2005 and a faculty researcher in the Villanova Center for Resilient Water Systems, Dr. Wadzuk is recognized for advancing novel concepts in stormwater engineering, which has included turning Villanova University’s campus into a world-renowned research and demonstration park. Over the past 15 years, she has secured more than $10 million in external research funding and has authored or co-authored 27 papers. Within the field of stormwater engineering, her work on evapotranspiration has led to the reimagining of stormwater design and she is one of only a handful of researchers incorporating machine learning, artificial intelligence and edge computing into this work.

ENDOWING A VILLANOVA ENGINEERING CHAIR The position of endowed chair professor is a prestigious honor that is coveted by accomplished academic professors who are viewed as academic leaders in an institution such as Villanova. These positions are also important in attracting highly accomplished academics with international stature. Aside from the prestige, the associated endowment gives the chaired professor freedom to pursue creative and independent scholarly research topics that may not yet be ready for extramural funding. Endowment funds may be used for graduate and undergraduate research assistant salaries, equipment and laboratory expenses, conference travel, and supplementary research salary for the chair holder as the principal researcher. All are necessary to conduct the business of modern engineering research. If you have an interest in creating a named endowed chair professor, please contact Cynthia Rutenbar, senior director of Development, College of Engineering at Cynthia.rutenbar@villanova.edu.

Advancing applications in machine learning is one of Dr. Wadzuk’s three areas of focus for her first five years as Daylor Chair. Additional goals include integrating stormwater into food-energy-water nexus solutions and changing the way stormwater engineers look at a hydrograph, which is the most common tool used to explain the flow in or out of a system over time, but one which she believes needs to be remade. A committed teacher-scholar, Dr. Wadzuk also looks forward to bringing these topics and others into the classroom through new interdisciplinary courses. “I will leverage the resources of this chaired position to bring these ideas to fruition,” says Dr. Wadzuk. In addition to supporting undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-doctoral fellows and Villanova colleagues, she plans to attend more conferences to meet with colleagues worldwide. “Participating in these conferences,” she explains, “will augment publications on these new topic areas, highlight Villanova as a leader in stormwater engineering, and potentially lead to new partnerships and new sources of students.” Inaugurated in 1994, the Edward A. Daylor Chair was first held by Professor G. Lee Christensen, PhD, who retired in 2002. The chair was subsequently held by Professor Ronald Chadderton, PhD, and Dr. Traver, who stepped down in order to provide an opportunity for a mid-career rising faculty member. Of all his accomplishments as Daylor Chair, Dr. Traver is most proud of the research team assembled within VCRWS and the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership. “This team has changed the design practices of the profession,” he says. “The changes to our climate are here and the urgency is only increasing, but by combining soils, water, climate and plants, and coupling field research with computer simulation, and now machine learning, our understanding is deepening and solutions to the degradation of our water resources are being discovered.”

INNOVATIVE ADVANCEMENTS

How do biological and chemical systems behave in native environments? How can manufacturing processes be made more efficient and effective? How can sensors be used to detect a virus before symptoms are visible? How can computing be improved in missioncritical systems? Revealing new insights, advancing technology, improving outcomes—they are as much a part of our mission as building new structures, protecting the environment and designing new machines.

APPLYING BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY TO STEM THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

BRIEFLY

The illustration below highlights four key features of COVIDblocked.

“Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in multi-cell networks: Theory, performance, and practical challenges,” co-authored by Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Dr. Mojtaba Vaezi, was awarded the Fred W. Ellersick Prize for an influential paper in any IEEE Communications Society magazine in the previous three calendar years.

Assistant Professor Dr. Hossein Rastgoftar has joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering where he teaches dynamic systems and explores research problems in decision-making under uncertainty, human-robotic interaction, largescale autonomy, UAS traffic management, intelligent transportation, and formal methods and abstract representations of dynamical systems.

Dr. Kyle Juretus, a new assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, conducts research on creating secure and efficient integrated circuits through the development of circuit-level techniques to prevent intellectual property theft and counterfeiting, mitigate sidechannel leakage of integrated circuit designs, and improve electronic designautomation methodologies.

A leading voice on the topic of blockchain technology, Hasshi Sudler ’92 EE, an adjunct faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering and CEO of Internet Think Tank, has spent the past several months spearheading COVIDblocked, a contact tracing solution to help stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Developed with Assistant Professor Dr. Xun Jiao who specializes in artificial intelligence and IoT technologies, the application is based on blockchain technology that permits secure and anonymous tracing using mobile and wearable devices. The blockchain also makes this solution highly scalable for implementing anywhere in the world and beneficial for notifying people traveling internationally, all while following CDC and privacy guidelines.

MANUFACTURING PA GRANTS ADVANCE FACULTY–INDUSTRY PROJECTS

upported by Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, the Manufacturing PA initiative is designed to spur new technologies and processes in the manufacturing sector by uniting graduate and undergraduate students and their faculty advisors with industry partners. In 2020, the following Villanova Engineering projects were awarded grants: Smart Brain Imager Dr. Meltem Izzetoglu, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and InfraScan, Inc., a medical technology manufacturer in Philadelphia, were awarded $42,484 for a smart brain imager. Current smart health devices can conveniently and efficiently monitor various physiological signals from the body such as heart rate, temperature and blood pressure. Although it is one of the most vital organs, monitoring of the brain both physiologically and functionally in everyday settings remains a challenge. This is partially because, until recently, existing neuromonitoring methods based on electrophysiology or magnetic resonance imaging would not allow wearable, battery operated, wireless designs that can be reliably deployed in real-life environments. This collaborative project aims to design, develop and manufacture a comfortable, durable and affordable platform, based upon functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology, that is miniaturized, fully wireless and app-operable, thereby accelerating the field of cognitive health monitoring. Wetting of Binder Solution on a Porous Bed of Microparticles Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Bo Li and Associate Professor Dr. Qianhong Wu, working with ExOne, a binder-jet 3D-printing technology company, were awarded $69,993 for improved binder-jetting technology. Binder-jetting technology is a disruptive method of 3D printing in which an industrial printhead deposits a liquid binder onto a thin layer of powdered particles, layer by layer, until an object is formed. While binder jetting has promise as a production technology, each powdered material has its own characteristics, and particles that have porous surfaces are more difficult to assemble via the binder-jet process than those with smooth surfaces. Through this project, Villanova Engineers are investigating how to best wet porous

INNOVATIVE ADVANCEMENTS particles with the binder and generate guidelines or parameters for this form of 3D printing. Developing optimal process settings for specific materials will result in significant cost savings (less printer time, less material wasted) and enable new products to reach the market faster. Manufacturing Process, Assembly and System-Yield Optimization for Microelectromechanical-Systems Devices Dr. Rosalind Wynne, associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Avo Photonics, Inc., a photonics-based technology company that manufactures optoelectronic solutions and products, were awarded $38,707 to optimize MEMS fabrication, assembly and packaging. The global market outlook for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)—micrometer-scale devices that integrate optical, electrical and mechanical elements—are predicted to grow from $48.74 billion in 2018 to $122.83 billion by 2026. This technology impacts smart consumer electronics including wearable devices like Apple watches, IoT Amazon Alexa towers and collision avoidance sensors in the automotive sector. Lack of standardized fabrication processes in these devices, however, leads to reduced product performance and life spans. This project will take advantage of the existing decade-long partnership Dr. Wynne has established with Avo Photonics President Dr. Joseph Dallas ’85 CLAS and CFO Kim Wheeler ’88 VSB. Successful process refinement will bolster Avo market share to support its anticipated 25% workforce expansion in the next few years, generating more Philadelphia jobs while preparing graduate students to join the PA manufacturing workforce. This research will be conducted in Dr. Wynne’s Laboratory for Lightwave Devices under the auspices of Villanova’s Center for Advanced Communications.

VILLANOVA SECURES CUTTING-EDGE CONFOCAL RAMAN MICROSCOPE FACILITY WITH COLLABORATIVE $523,333 NSF MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION GRANT

INNOVATIVE ADVANCEMENTS

he design of advanced materials and systems across industries such as health care, electronics and energy production requires a better understanding of the biological and chemical processes involved, which necessitates testing environments that closely mimic real process conditions. Without the proper technology, replicating these environments is an enormous challenge, but with a new confocal Raman microscope with temperature-control stages (CRM-TCS), faculty from Villanova University, Bryn Mawr College and Cabrini University will soon possess the facility needed to enable their cutting-edge research and education projects. A $523,333 National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant provided financial support for the CRM-TCS, which will be the first of its kind in the Philadelphia area. Villanova Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Dr. Gang Feng serves as principal investigator on the grant. An expert in nano-bio-mechanical characterization, he explains: “The confocal Raman microscope with sophisticated environmental control will enable in vivo chemical mapping under a wide temperature range and different gas/liquid environments, providing high resolution and real-time structural and chemical fingerprints of materials and chemicals.” Put more simply, the CRM-TCS goes beyond high resolution imaging to detect molecules, thereby identifying actual materials.

Most importantly, it maintains the material’s native environment so that behavioral changes can be properly studied. Co-PI Dr. Bo Li, an assistant professor in Villanova’s Mechanical Engineering department, says, “By addressing all these needs, the instrument will greatly advance knowledge and promote interdisciplinary research in nanomaterials, thermal and chemical engineering, and bioengineering/biology.” At the onset, the CRM-TCS will support seven projects at the three institutions, including these at Villanova: •

•

haracterization of nanostructured thermal energy C storage materials for high-performance energy storage systems —Dr. Gang Feng Imaging of two-dimensional materials to promote new synthetic methods and understanding of their structureproperty relations under extreme conditions, with a goal of improving sensors in energy storage and electronics—Dr. Bo Li Characterization of solid oxide fuel cells to provide insight into fuel reaction mechanisms and thereby improve vehicle efficiency—Co-PI, Dr. Bryan Eigenbrodt, associate professor, Chemistry Characterization of molecular mechanisms of cryoinjury for developing cell preservation technologies— Dr. Jens Karlsson, professor, Mechanical Engineering Ultimately, Drs. Feng and Li see the CRM-TCS as a core facility in what they hope will become a new Research and Educational Center for Imaging Under Controlled Environments. In addition to the projects described above, the anticipated impacts include nine upper-level courses; annual workshops; K-12 outreach activities; and opportunities for dozens of undergraduate, graduate and PhD students.

WHEN FLUIDS MEET NANOMATERIALS: ESTABLISHING A FLUID-ASSISTED NANOMANUFACTURING PROCESS

s the United States aims to revive its manufacturing industry, two Villanova Mechanical Engineering professors are committed to establishing a field of advanced manufacturing with highly interdisciplinary features. Specifically, Drs. Bo Li, assistant professor, and Qianhong Wu, associate professor, are pursuing exciting new developments in the nanomanufacturing of flexible electronics, which requires collaborators in nanomaterials, mechanics, electronics and manufacturing to build circuits and devices on flexible polymer substrates. These devices have applications in health monitoring, drug delivery, energy storage and personal entertainment, and thus have the potential to reshape the human lifestyle. Given their small size and outstanding functionalities, nanomaterials have been enthusiastically embraced in flexible electronic manufacturing and functional coatings; however, their inherent size variation presents a significant challenge for repeatable and reliable device manufacturing. Traditionally, a separate nanomaterial sorting process is required, which is not only costly but also slows down the manufacturing process. With a new, three-year, $499,957 grant from the National Science Foundation for “Sorting and Assembly of Nanomaterials on Polymer Substrates Using Fluidic and Weak Ultrasound Fields for Fabrication of Flexible Electronic Devices,” Drs. Li and Wu will combine their individual areas of expertise in nanomaterials and manufacturing (Li), and fluid mechanics modeling and experimentation (Wu) to address nanomanufacturing limitations. This union of fluids and nanomaterials began two years ago when Dr. Li first invited Dr. Wu to his lab. He explained to his colleague: “Currently, developing nanomanufacturing is like cooking. You throw different ingredients into the pot and see how it comes out. It’s all experimental.” In looking at the challenges from his perspective, Dr. Wu detected what he called “exciting fluid mechanics problems in these cooking processes,” caused by fluids meeting nanomaterials. The combination of these different disciplines led to a close collaboration between the two research groups and their ambitious initiative to establish a new field of fluid-assisted manufacturing. With this NSF grant, these professors are taking a unique approach to developing a highly efficient sorting-assembly manufacturing process that selectively

assembles nanomaterials with similar sizes into nanostructures. Their novel method combines a fluidic control mechanism—flow chambers that are primarily used in cellular biomechanics research—in the nanomanufacturing process. “No one has thought about using a flow chamber system to grow nanomaterials,” says Dr. Wu. “We use analytical models that are typically applied in drug-delivery research to precisely describe the transport, deposition and assembly of nanoparticles in the fluidic-assisted systems. The goal is to uncover the underlying physics of the nanomanufacturing process.” Dr. Li adds: “The introduction of weak sonication will significantly promote the productivity of the manufacturing process. It also raises interesting scientific questions about how these two fields interact and create synergy to achieve better sorting and assembly of nanomaterials.” There is a long list of potential benefits and applications for fluid-assisted nanomanufacturing. Dr. Li cites, for example, a new generation Fitbit that conforms or adheres to human skin for health monitoring and medical treatment. “A flexible substrate enables conformal adhesion to surfaces (like skin) with complicated geometries,” he explains. In addition, nanomaterials with different functionalities can be integrated for tracking health conditions such as pulse and glucose level, and others can be applied as agents to treat disease. In another example, nanomaterials might be applied as functional coatings to a car windshield for anti-fogging and anti-icing such that no wiper is needed. They can be applied to house siding to prevent mold growth and keep the surface clean for years. In industry, these functional coatings can be used to protect industrial products of all sizes from hand tools to giant cruise ships. Dr. Li emphasizes: “The meeting of fluids and nanomaterials creates unlimited opportunities in advanced manufacturing. As we advance knowledge in nanomaterials assembly and discover the key fundamental mechanisms of nanomanufacturing, we will have more choices of materials and functionalities, better device repeatability, significantly enhanced efficiency, and affordable flexible electronics.”

“ We use analytical models that are typically applied in drug delivery research to precisely describe the transport, deposition and assembly of nanoparticles in the fluidic-assisted systems.”

ENGINEERING-LED NSF GRANT SUPPORTS UNIVERSITY-WIDE HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING

Villanova University research team has been awarded a two-year, $397,196 National Science Foundation Campus Cyberinfrastructure (CC*) grant. Titled “CC* Compute: High-Performance Computing (HPC) Backbone for Accelerating Campus-Wide and Regional Research,” the award will fund a University-wide HPC cluster that will help advance Villanova’s computational research. The team is comprised of Principal Investigator Dr. Aaron Wemhoff, associate professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of Villanova’s Center for Energy-Smart Electronic Systems; Co-PI Dr. David Cereceda, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering; Co-PI Dr. Ryan Jorn, assistant professor of Chemistry; and Co-PI Jonathan Graziola, manager of IT operations for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “As Villanova continues to grow its research enterprise, this University-wide computing effort will increase the capabilities of at least 27 research-intensive faculty in engineering, the physical sciences and social sciences,” Dr. Wemhoff says. The grant also establishes the Southeastern Pennsylvania High-Performance Computing Consortium, which provides computational access to researchers from small local colleges and universities, thereby fostering collaborative partnerships. The effort also connects the University to the broader Open Science Grid network for distributing available resources to researchers nationally. In addition, the grant will allow Villanova to integrate high-performance computing into 10 newly created or modified undergraduate and graduate courses.

The computational hardware—including 1,184 central processing units, 10,240 graphical processing units and 448 terabytes of data storage—will support project areas that improve the fundamental understanding of (1) structural-materials behavior in fusion-energy applications, (2) causes for various nasal sinus diseases, (3) ion transport in energy-storage devices, (4) speech perception and language processing, (5) river behavior, and (6) nonlinear mechanical behavior, including advancements in machine-learning algorithms. Dr. Wemhoff notes that the grant offers an added benefit in the form of “opportunities for student engagement, education and training, resulting in an improved preparation of students for the STEM workforce in which nearly every field is being transformed by computational advancements.”

“ As Villanova continues to grow its research enterprise, this University-wide computing effort will increase the capabilities of at least 27 research-intensive faculty in engineering, the physical sciences and social sciences.”

iStock.com/gorodenkoff

INNOVATIVE ADVANCEMENTS

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ADDRESSING CHALLENGES OF SCALABILITY IN IOT SYSTEMS

espite his relatively short tenure as an assistant professor, Dr. Xun Jiao in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department has already received a great deal of recognition for his work on the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning. Most recently, he earned a National Science Foundation Collaborative Research grant for PPoSS (Principles and Practice of Scalable Systems): Planning: S3-IoT: Design and Deployment of Scalable, Secure, and Smart Mission-Critical IoT Systems. The $250,000 Phase 1 award will be shared with researchers from the University of Notre Dame, University of Florida, University of Connecticut, Syracuse University and Kansas State University. For his part, Dr. Jiao was granted $50,000 to develop artificial-intelligence/machine-learning algorithms to design a better computing system for an IoT system in the smart transportation context. He will also contribute software testing methods to discover security vulnerabilities of software/firmware in these systems. “The rapid advancement of sensing, computing and communication devices is leading to an explosion of IoT infrastructures,” explains Dr. Jiao. He adds, “Scalability is a pressing issue.” The three main challenges being faced are: • • •

he enormous number of edge devices has made T centralized management infeasible There are multiple layers of heterogeneity creating inherent complexity Mission-critical applications of larger IoT systems struggle to meet their stringent correctness, resilience, timeliness, security and safety requirements

As head of the College of Engineering’s Dependable, Efficient, and Intelligent Computing Lab and associate editor of Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems—the top academic journal in his field—Dr. Jiao is uniquely qualified for this important new research project. He looks forward to completing Phase 1, which lasts a year, after which proposals will be written for Phase 2, which is worth $1 million a year for five years.

SIMULATOR DRIVES RESEARCH ON ROADWAY SAFETY AND OPERATION The College of Engineering is home to a new state-of-the-art driving simulator that will allow researchers to explore and understand how people drive under various roadway and environmental conditions. According to transportation engineer Dr. Seri Park, associate professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, “Simulator testing is a key step toward a systemic review and analysis of roadway safety and operation that enables stakeholders to reach an informed decision when designing infrastructure.” The driving simulator will also support a collaborative research effort among faculty from Electrical and Computer Engineering, Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Nursing to investigate the impacts of a driver’s age, underlying health conditions and cognitive level on roadway safety and operation.

FACES OF CHANGE

FACES OF CHANGE Nearly 60 years separate the Faces of Change in this issue of Villanova Engineer, evidence that you’re never too young or too old to make a difference. In addition to individual stories, the magazine is excited to introduce you to a cohort from the Class of 2024, our future change makers. We will follow this group through their four years at Villanova to see where their college careers take them.

BRIEFLY

The Philadelphia Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers recognized Robert Lund ’78 CE, ’81 MSCE as its 2020 Transportation Engineer of the Year. As deputy general manager for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), he is responsible for all transit/railroad operations as well as engineering and construction.

STEAM OUTREACH INITIATIVE EARNS FRESHMAN A YOUNG HEROES AWARD

Elizabeth “Liz” Porter ’93 EE, a member of the College’s Engineering Advisory Board, has been named Health Group president for Leidos, a FORTUNE 500® science and technology company. As group president, Porter will have responsibility for all Health Group activities, including new business growth, technology development and thought leadership.

Having emigrated to the US as a child, Phon Malone ’99 ChE would tell you that he is living the American dream. The CEO and founder of Revel Nail, Inc., a leading manufacturer of dipping powder used in the cosmetic nail industry, Malone was named a Greater Philadelphia Entrepreneur of the Year® 2020.

ivil Engineering freshman Brianna Davis wasn’t looking for recognition when she launched her “STEAM for All” initiative, but it came to her just the same. In September, she received a Young Heroes Award during the National Liberty Museum’s TD Bank Young Heroes Awards virtual ceremony. Brianna was one of 14 recipients from 11 sites across the nation, including seven from the Philadelphia area. Recalling a fellow Girl Scout troop member with special needs who hadn’t had much exposure to STEAM topics in the classroom, Brianna launched “STEAM for All” as a Girl Scout project to interest children of varying learning abilities in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. The 80-hour service project allowed her to research and plan activities that anyone can do with everyday items. With positive feedback from participants, she was motivated to put her lessons online, providing teachers with access to step-by-step instructions and other resources. School of the Future, the Philadelphia-based high school that Brianna’s fellow troop member attends, is expected to begin implementing STEAM lessons as a result. “STEAM for All is really about inclusivity,” says Brianna. “I’m hoping I can continue to inspire kids in these fields for the rest of my life.”

ENGINEERING UNLEASHED FELLOWSHIP HONORS PROFESSOR FOR HER CREATIVE APPROACH TO INTEGRATING ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET INTO TEACHING

he Engineering Unleashed Faculty Development Program, presented by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN), highlights entrepreneurially minded learning as central to the development of graduates prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Each year, the program attracts more than 200 engineering and STEM faculty who create resources that will help them and intercollegiate colleagues advance the mission to integrate the entrepreneurial mindset into practices that benefit their students, their institutions and greater society. As part of the workshop, participants identify potential projects and hone their ideas with coaches for up to one year, after which select faculty are nominated and named Engineering Unleashed Fellows. The 2020 cohort of fellows includes Assistant Teaching Professor Dr. Deeksha Seth, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Known for her work on interactive robots that can present integrated biology and engineering principles to K-12 students in classrooms and museums, Dr. Seth also finds ways of incorporating creativity into her Villanova courses and undergraduate assignments. For one of her two Engineering Unleashed projects, she employs a Saturday Night Live skit involving a Christmas sweater to communicate the importance of following the design process, understanding the client and their needs, establishing clear objectives, and evaluating outcomes based on those objectives. In Dr. Seth’s second Engineering Unleashed project, she assigns student teams state-of-the-art innovations, such as 3D printers, drones or virtual reality goggles. Students are tasked with: • Researching to understand the innovation’s applications and underlying technology • Creating a concept map that connects each of the Mechanical Engineering courses in the curriculum to the product’s development

• •

onnecting to other engineering disciplines C (e.g., civil, electrical, computer, etc.) Relating to a non-engineering academic discipline (e.g., business, political science, social science or natural science)

“The purpose is to increase awareness and appreciation among Mechanical Engineering students about how various ME core courses, engineering disciplines and nonengineering academic disciplines connect to create successful innovations that solve societal problems,” Dr. Seth explains. “An engineer/designer in the 21st century should not just be good at mathematics, technical and analytical things but also be well-versed in their ability to view engineering problems in a larger, societal context; understand how to collaborate and communicate with people from outside their field; and identify and appreciate the role others will play. Engineers don’t work in a bubble—all breakthrough innovations envelope multiple branches of engineering and multiple academic disciplines.”

“The purpose is to increase awareness and appreciation among Mechanical Engineering students about how various ME core courses, engineering disciplines and non-engineering academic disciplines connect to create successful innovations that solve societal problems.”

NICHOLAS CALIO ’65 ME IS HELPING FUEL THE COLLEGE’S FUTURE

FACES OF CHANGE

rowing up in southern New Jersey, Nicholas Calio ’65 ME had two passions: basketball and hot rodding. While the former put Villanova on his radar, it was the latter that provided him with an academic pursuit. “I found it fascinating how certain modifications to a car’s engine could increase horsepower,” says Calio. “I understood how these changes improved performance, but I lacked the technical knowledge that would enable me to calculate and optimize the increase.” Engineering promised answers. At Villanova, Calio pursued mechanical engineering. After graduation he worked as a mechanical engineer, then went on to a highly successful career as a manufacturing entrepreneur, building companies including Remcal, Rebling Plastics and the Resdel Corporation, which produces epoxy tubing for electrical and scientific use. In 2000, he received the College’s Engineering Alumni Society Award for Meritorious Service and in 2011, he was recognized with the award for Professional Achievement. For his part, Calio is quick to recognize the impact Villanova has had on his career trajectory. “My engineering education has given me invaluable tools,” he says. “I have used them not only to design and manufacture products but also, as a business owner, to talk to engineers and to interface with management.” Equally valuable, he says, are the “intangible” instincts and ethics he developed at Villanova. Chief among them is what he calls “a focused sense of fairness” that has guided his relationships with customers, employees and suppliers for over five decades. These values have enabled him to build companies that include employees who have worked alongside of him for 20 and 30 years. In a career full of accomplishments, few other professional achievements bring him as much pride. He’s also proud to be a graduate of Villanova’s College of Engineering and to see it evolve and grow. “Its academic reputation keeps climbing and its students and faculty are so strong,” Calio says. Having served as a judge at Pitch Day, Villanova’s annual event that spotlights student entrepreneurs and their projects, and as a speaker in a freshman class on career opportunities available to mechanical engineers, he knows firsthand the quality and creativity of the College’s students. In gratitude for his Villanova experience and energized by the talent and promise of its students and faculty, Calio and his wife Roselynn have generously supported the College of Engineering. Five years ago, they made a major gift to establish the Roselynn and Nicholas A. Calio ’65 Endowed Engineering Fund to provide annual support to the Mechanical Engineering Department in perpetuity. They have also funded three charitable gift annuities that will ultimately benefit the College of Engineering. “For us, the charitable gift annuity makes a lot of sense,” explains Calio, “allowing us to support COE, while also providing a lifetime stream of income and affording us several tax and estate planning benefits.” “It is our pleasure to create opportunities for students and faculty to continue to advance,” says Calio. And now, 55 years after he came to the College to learn how engines work, he and Roselynn—through their ongoing generosity—are helping to fuel the College itself.

HOW TO MAKE A PLANNED GIFT TO VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY A planned gift to Villanova University, one that is made at a future time, is something nearly everyone can consider. These gifts provide continuity to Villanova in planning for its future and most often provide the donor with tax advantages. Options include: • Naming the University in your will • Directing retirement savings (e.g., IRA funds) to the University, which is simply executed by completing a beneficiary form with your IRA administrator • Establishing a charitable gift annuity (minimum threshold $10,000)—an excellent vehicle to consider if you are interested in a guaranteed income stream while supporting Villanova in the future • Establishing a charitable remainder trust, which can also be used to provide an income stream to donors while offering more flexibility than a charitable gift annuity These are a just a few of the options available for individuals who would like to include Villanova University in their estate plans. To learn more, please contact Tim McKinley, director, Gift and Estate Planning, at timothy.mckinley@villanova.edu.

IN SHERIDAN’S WORDS: When I look at my peers in engineering, Villanova prepared me better in many ways, including soft skills like communicating with clients. Those presentations we had to give in class were annoying at the time, but they’re the skills that make a difference. The professors who stand out in my memory are Dr. Jens Karlsson, who taught System Dynamics—he was super smart and I asked him questions all the time—and Dr. Amy Fleischer, who taught Heat Transfer. The way she was able to break down a really complicated topic was incredible.

A WINK LED WILL SHERIDAN ’11 ME TO VILLANOVA AND NOW VILLANOVA’S IN WILL’S WILL

n 2007, Villanova University was on Will Sheridan’s short list. Like most students, he fell in love with the campus on Candidates’ Day. Unlike most students, however, he was sold with a wink. “A girl on campus gave me a wink. That did it,” says Sheridan with a smile. Thirteen years later the winking coed is just a fun memory as Sheridan makes his life in Long Island, NY, with wife and fellow Villanova alumnus Caitlin (Madelmayer) ’10 CLAS. University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS officiated their wedding and Villanova has been an important part of the couple’s lives ever since. Beyond their involvement in local alumni association chapters, the Sheridans have already committed to Villanova in their estate plans. That’s not the type of thing most young adults consider, but Sheridan thinks ahead where his alma mater is concerned. “Estate planning seemed like a no-brainer,” he explains. “We can be involved in our University now and give the money later. We may not be in a position to put our names on a building, but we can give back in some simple way.” Through their contributions, the Sheridans have become President’s Club Associates and members of the 1842 Heritage Society and Young Alumni Circle. Today, Sheridan is applying his Villanova Mechanical Engineering degree and Business minor to his career as an associate and sustainability team project manager for Loring Consulting Engineers. It’s a job he loves and a company he looks forward to growing with.

The course that left the biggest impression was Systems Dynamics. It’s when everything clicked, and I put all the puzzle pieces together. My most vivid Villanova memories revolve around basketball. In 2009 I was on a faith-based retreat during the Final Four. We agreed beforehand that we would pause to watch the game. There was no partying, no chit chat, we were all just zoned into the game. In 2016, I traveled to Houston for the championship weekend with my wife, former roommate and a group of Villanova friends. It was like a who’s who of Villanova alums. Go to Villanova, that’s the best piece of advice I can offer a prospective student. Once you’re here, try everything that you can. Explore the University and put yourself out there. My least useful talent? I can do surprisingly good handstands. “Success is when preparation meets opportunity.” Heard that quote my senior year and have never forgotten it. If not in my current job I’d still be in engineering, but I’d love to be a roller coaster designer. The living person I most admire is Barack Obama. He led through unity and with dignity. If everyone behaved a little more like him the world would be a much better place. These days you’ll find me adjusting to suburban life as a new homeowner and preparing to become a father. My wife and I are expecting our first child in April 2021!

PUT ON YOUR MASK, STAND SIX FEET APART AND SAY HELLO TO THE CLASS OF 2024

iven the historic conditions under which they began their college careers, Villanova Engineer has selected a group of freshmen to follow throughout their four years on campus. We’ll learn why they chose engineering, reveal those interesting tidbits that make each of them unique, and hear what they’re passionate about and what they hope to achieve.

Rafael Guerrero, Electrical Engineering, Los Angeles, CA What field of engineering are you interested in? “I’ve had a love for

FACES OF CHANGE

engineering since the seventh grade. I took a college course on robotics and visited NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and when I learned coding I wanted to continue learning more. I’d like a career in robotics after graduation.”

Olivia Billitto, Civil Engineering, Wilmington, DE

CLASS OF 2024

What’s your first impression of the transition from high school to college? It’s not too

Enrollment :

difficult, mainly because my teachers are so willing to help. They really encourage you to go to office hours and ask questions. It’s nice to know they’re there for you.

285

Female:

33%

Ethnic/racial minorities:

25%

Countries represented:

States represented:

Jordin Lamothe, Civil Engineering, Newark, NJ What are your long-term goals? To have my own

business and start a nonprofit. We need to give back and change some things in the world, because it’s not looking so good right now.

Julia Duarte, Computer Engineering, Old Bridge, NJ How old were you when you

Kylee Hall, Chemical Engineering, Bennington, VT

decided to become an

What’s something

engineer? I was young, around 10,

people would be

when my mom noticed me building with blocks and suggested I might be a good engineer. After a high school coding class and engineering elective, I thought, “Okay, I can see myself doing this.”

surprised to know

Karl Fotso, Chemical Engineering, Cameroon Why did you choose engineering? I wanted to find a profession that would help me shape the world, but I don’t like being a person on the stage, in the front. I prefer to stay in the background, but as an engineer I can still make a big difference by creating something.

about you? I’m a Nordic

ski racer and I have a 12-year-old pet turtle.

Andrea Cabot, Mechanical Engineering, Cabo Rojo, PR

What do you do for fun outside of class?

I enjoy being by myself to recharge. We’re surrounded by so many people. You’re never alone, so I need that time for myself, maybe do a face mask or hair mask!

Gabe Lekusky, Mechanical Engineering, Denver, PA What are your thoughts on starting college in a pandemic? It’s a

doozy! It’s fortunate it happened to our generation because we have a level of technical savvy, though it doesn’t make it fun. I’m proud of the fact that we’re here and that we managed to stay here. Students are willing to wear masks and follow the guidelines even if they disagree about the severity of the virus or the efficacy of masks protecting them, just because we all want to stay on campus.

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Articles inside

DISCOVERY AND DIALOGUE:

ENGINEERING UNLEASHED FELLOWSHIP HONORS PROFESSOR

Dr. Rosalind Wynne Earns PA Manufacturing Grant

FACES OF CHANGE

NEW DAYLOR CHAIR IS RESOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUES

IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS ON US-MEXICO BORDER

SIMULATOR DRIVES RESEARCH ON ROADWAY SAFETY AND OPERATION

IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS ON US-MEXICO BORDER

DISCOVERY AND DIALOGUE:

ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRY INNOVATOR DR. MICHELE MARCOLONGO TAKES THE REINS