Spring 2011 - College of Engineering - The University of Tennessee ...

From the Dean’s DeskDr. Wayne DavisAs I drive in to work each morning, I usually geta good dose of bluegrass music on XM radio tostart my day off! Yes, I am a bluegrass fan and playguitar and mandolin and a little bass to keep myfeet on the ground. One of the expressions oftenheard on XM14 is, “Be sure to you know whereNewsletter ProductionPublished byOffice of Engineering CommunicationsCollege of Engineering, The University of Tennessee207 Perkins Hall • Knoxville, TN 37996-2012Editor/WriterKim CowartGraphic DesignMitchell WilliamsonWriterJulie StansberryContentsCollege Information............................. 2Faculty News..................................... 3Faculty Focus..................................... 4Department Focus............................... 5Special Features................................. 6Student Feature.................................. 7Research Information ....................... 8-9Special Feature................................. 10Alumni Profile................................... 11Development News........................... 12Alumni News ................................... 13Memorials........................................ 14Events & Awards.............................. 15Calendar and Contact Info.................. 16Contributing PhotographerNick Myers, UT Creative ServicesPAN: E01-1301-012-028-11 DOP: 3/11you came from, and look out where you’re going.”Another way of saying this is “look back, but moveforward.”Our college has a great history, with its beginningsin 1838 when the university’s then-PresidentJoseph Estabrook hired a group of distinguishedprofessors to teach STEM courses in chemistry,geology, mineralogy, trigonometry and civilengineering—and we have come a long way. Atlatest count, we have approximately 3,250 studentsin the college today—approximately 12% of the UTKnoxville enrollment—and we have 23,000 alumnilocated in all 50 states and 64 different countries.Our enrollment in the Freshman Engage programand our Ph.D. programs grew by 30% and 25%,respectively, this year, and as best as I can tellfrom our historical data, we are at an all time highenrollment.Another thing that I learned as a bluegrass pickeris that you can never go back—if you make amistake while picking a tune with a group, youjust keep on going as the rest of the group willcarry you forward. Engineering teamwork is verymuch that way. Our college continues to makemajor steps forward in the number and qualityMeet the New President continued from page 1of the worst economic recessions in history, and hefollows three predecessors who all left office undertroubled circumstances.However, DiPietro views the challenges he faces aspart of the job, and feels confident that he can workto make a change for the better.“I believe in the ‘servant leadership’ managementstyle,” he commented. “For me, it is all about theteam. I want to build teams here at UT that can sitat the table with me and tell me what is right–notwhat they think I want to hear.”One of the university’s biggest challenges is toovercome the 20% cuts that will be coming upin the next budget cycle as a result of the endof federal stimulus funding. DiPietro wants tofocus on expanding development efforts throughprivatizing the UT Foundation, which will allow theuniversity to hire additional development officerswho will be able to raise more private dollars.DiPietro views the UT College of Engineering(COE) as a vital component of the university.“A strong, vibrant engineering program is animportant part of any land-grant institution,”DiPietro commented. “I want to see the UTKengineering college get bigger and better all of thetime. We are very fortunate to have the alliance withOak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), whichadds a significant boost to our research program.”DiPietro also wants to see the ORNL connectionexpand to other collaborations with the UT HealthScience Center in Memphis and the SimCenter:National Center for Computational Engineering atof students that we are able to educate becausethe faculty, staff and the administration act as ateam. If someone makes a mistake, we hopefullycontinue to move forward as a team. We teachthe team approach all the way from our FreshmanEngage program to the research laboratories whereour faculty/students team to conduct state-of-theartresearch. You (our alumni and friends) are alsoan integral part of our team. You and the manyalumni who came before you have collectivelycreated scholarships, provided opportunityfor student, faculty and staff awards, createdprofessorships and provided funds that haveassisted us with new buildings and renovationsthat are all critical to our moving forward.I have never been prouder of being a part of theengineering team than I am today, and I hopethat each of you feels the same as you browse ournewsletter that highlights many of the great thingsthat are happening. Please let us hear from youand share with us the accomplishments that youhave made in helping make a positive impact onthe world.UT-Chattanooga. He is an enthusiastic supporter ofthe new Center for Interdisciplinary Research andGraduate Education (CIRE), a joint effort betweenUT and ORNL focused on renewable energy thatgrants fellowships to graduate students.DiPietro is also excited about the number of newfacilities being constructed on campus, includingthe COE’s Min H. Kao Electrical Engineeringand Computer Science Building, the John TickleEngineering Building and the Joint Institute forAdvanced Materials (JIAM) Building, which willbe the first structure on the new Cherokee FarmCampus.“We owe Min Kao and John Tickle an enormousdebt of gratitude for their incredible generosity,”DiPietro said. “These new engineering buildingswill be a tremendous asset to our campus. We hopeto begin the construction of the JIAM building thisspring once the infrastructure is in place.”DiPietro understands that he has a number ofdaunting tasks ahead of him, but he is ready to takethe lead.“I’ve come to know and love the state of Tennesseeand its people,” he said. “I think I’ve finally gotthe ‘orange’ right–I know I have the skills andexperience to take on the role of president andlead the university to a better future. It will be a bigchallenge, but hey, I like to drink from the fire hoseoccasionally.”For more information about UT’s new president,visit the online version of Tennessee Alumnus athttp://alumnus.tennessee.edu/.Dr. Howard HallDr. Haitao LiaoDr. Qiuhong ZhaoDr. William WeberGovernor’s Chair Professor to Serve on National Academies CommitteeDr. Howard Hall, Governor’s ChairProfessor for Nuclear Securityin the Department of NuclearEngineering, has been asked to serveon a committee for The NationalAcademies: Advisers to the Nationon Science, Engineering andMedicine.The project title is “Assuring aFuture US-based Nuclear ChemistryExpertise,” and will examine supplyDr. Haitao Liao, a joint assistantprofessor in the Departmentof Nuclear Engineering andthe Department of Industrialand Information Engineering,recently received the 2010 WilliamA.J. Golomski Award for hisoutstanding paper, “Spare PartInventory Control Driven byCondition Based Maintenance,” inthe proceedings of the 2010 AnnualDr. Qiuhong Zhao, an assistantprofessor in the Departmentof Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering (CEE), was recentlynamed as the Vice Chair of theTask Group on Bridges: Stabilityof Steel Bridges (TG04) of theStructural Stability ResearchCouncil (SSRC).This honor recognized her researchcontributions to the stabilityDr. William Weber, Governor’sChair professor in the Departmentof Materials Science andEngineering, was elected a fellow ofthe American Physical Society (APS)in December of 2010.Weber was nominated for hisseminal contributions and scientificleadership in the materials physicsof defects, defect processes, ionsolidinteractions and radiationand demand for nuclear chemistryexpertise in the U.S. comparedwith the production of experts withthese skills. The project will last 18months.The National Academiesorganization produces reports thathave helped shape sound policies,inform public opinion and advancethe pursuit of science, engineeringand medicine.Dr. Haitao Liao Wins the 2010 William A. J. Golomski AwardReliability andMaintainabilitySymposium(RAMS).This award honorsan outstandingRAMS paperauthored or co-authored bya member of the Institute ofIndustrial Engineers (IIE). Liao wasCEE Professor Named Vice Chair of Task Group on Bridgesand safety of steel bridges underconstruction, as well as the stabilityof steel structures under seismicevents. The SSRC is the leadingworld technical organization thatoffers guidance to specificationwriters and practicing engineersby developing procedures for thesolution of stability problems, aswell as facilitating and promotingeconomical and safe design.Governor’s Chair Elected Fellow of American Physical Societydamage processes in ceramics.He was nominated through theDivision of Materials Physics.Weber was named the eighthUniversity of Tennessee-Oak RidgeNational Laboratory Governor’sChair for Radiation Effects onMaterials in March 2010.Hall was appointed as the thirdUniversity of Tennessee-Oak RidgeNational Laboratory Governor’sChair in 2009. He also servesas a professor for the Center forInterdisciplinary Research andGraduate Education (CIRE).For more information on TheNational Academies, please visitwww.nationalacademies.org.recognized at the 2011 RAMS inLake Buena Vista, Fla. from Jan.24-27.Zhao leads the Steel StructureGroup, a research group of CEEstudents interested in steel andcomposite structures. Together,Zhao and her research group havepublished five journal papers onthe topic of stability of steel girderbridges under construction in thepast two years.2 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE KNOXVILLE, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING • www.engr.utk.edu TENNESSEE engineer • Spring 2011 • www.engr.utk.edu3

Area High School Students Participate in Engineers Day 2010COE alumna and professional engineer KristinQualls addresses the crowd during the openingsession of the 2010 Engineers Day.On Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010, morethan 600 students from 34 area highschools traveled to the Universityof Tennessee, Knoxville campusto learn more about engineeringfields. Undergraduate engineeringclasses were dismissed for the dayCOE Hosts 2010 Student and Donor Appreciation LuncheonCOE Dean Wayne Davis (right) introduces BillLandry as the luncheon’s guest speaker.The College of Engineering (COE)held its 2010 Student and DonorAppreciation Luncheon on Thursday,Sept. 23 in the University CenterBallroom.Industrial Engineering continued from page 5tools of the trade–how you incorporate, protectintellectualproperty, find financial resources,determine the size of a market, take an idea to themarketplace, and so forth.”Specific skills included in the program aremethods for innovative thinking, brainstorming,idea protection (how to file a provisional patentand a trademark), how toincorporate a companyand what form it should take, how to identify andfind key resources (both financial and personnel)and how to write a specification/funding proposal/business plan. The master’s program creditrequires graduate students to complete an extraproject for credit. These range from preparing thefiling papers for apatent, to creating a product(iPhone app, product mockup) or attending 10entrepreneurial presentations and creating their ownblog from what they learned. “Industrial engineering is the bridge betweenengineering and business,” Martin commented.“IE converts one-of-a-kind products into a supplyto allow university students andfaculty to interact with students whileparticipating in competitions, exhibitsand presentations—a tradition thathas lasted nearly 100 years.Engineers Day features threecompetitions for visiting students,which include the Quiz Bowl, EggDrop Competition and High SchoolBalsa Wood Bridge Competition. Formore information and pictures of the2010 event, including competitionrules and results, please visit http://www.engr.utk.edu/ed.“Engineers Day 2010 was avery successful event,” said Dr.Masood Parang, Associate Dean ofMore than 130 COE faculty, staff,students, donors and guests attendedthe event, which allowed donors andscholarship recipients to converse overlunch.Dr. Masood Parang, Associate Deanfor Academic and Student Affairs, wasmaster of ceremonies for the event.Ben Farr, a senior in the Departmentof Nuclear Engineering, made studentappreciation remarks to the guests.COE Dean Wayne Davis introducedthe guest speaker, Bill Landry ofWBIR, who gave attendees a glimpseinto his Heartland Series tales and aEngineering Academic and StudentAffairs. “As part of the EngineersDay exhibits, students had theopportunity to view the variousrobots that several area high schoolstudents had built through theirparticipation in FIRST Roboticscompetitions. This was well receivedby all the participants. They learneda lot about engineering and whatengineers do.”Kristin Qualls, a graduate fromthe Department of Civil andEnvironmental Engineering at UT,was the keynote speaker for the event.Qualls, a registered professionalengineer, works for the TennesseeScholarship donors Robbie Nutt (far left) andRobert Nutt (far right) enjoy the luncheon withNutt Scholarship recipients Allison Davis, BradyMiller and Andrew Kaminsky.short excerpt from his latest one-manplay, “Einstein the Man.”The Student and Donor AppreciationLuncheon, first held in 2008, waschain that can effectively provide thousands ofunits on demand. Entrepreneurs need access tothis expertise that looks at a product not only froma technical feasibility standpoint, but also from afinancial viability standpoint. As production meansbecome more virtual, the expertise of supply chainlogistics becomes essential to the 21st centurytechnology entrepreneur, and IE is at the heart ofthis transformation.”Stakeholder PartnershipsSawhney and the IIE faculty are also developing thedepartment’s network.“We are knocking on doors to introduce ourdepartment to the community around us. As aresult, we have been working on multidisciplinaryprojects with the UT Center for TransportationResearch, UT-Battelle, the Department of Energy inOak Ridge and Y-12,” Sawhney said. “We also haveprojects with Children’s Hospital to streamline itsprograms to deliver better, more efficient health careto its patients.”Department of Transportation inthe construction division. She isdirectly involved in the oversight ofseveral road and bridge projects inEast Tennessee and officially tookover the SmartFIX40 project to buildHall of Fame Drive and reconfigureJames White Parkway. Qualls overseesroad projects in Oak Ridge, on LovellRoad, Pleasant Ridge Road andWestern Avenue.The College of Engineering wouldlike to thank all the students,sponsors, judges and organizationsthat made Engineers Day 2010 sosuccessful. Engineers Day 2011 will beheld on Thursday, Oct. 27.Joyce Reed (left), assistant director of theEngineering Professional Practice Office, andscholarship student Grace Biggs enjoy a laugh atthe annual luncheon.established as an annual opportunityto recognize outstanding studentswhile thanking donors who providefinancial support.Industrial engineering students have also beencaught up in the new energy that surrounds thedepartment.“We are now split into specialty groups, which ismuch more interesting,” Gagan Rajpal, a fourth-yearPh.D. student, said. “The students are really workingright now to help the department achieve its goals.”Anna Thamai, an IIE graduate student, agrees.“Since I joined the department last year, I’ve seenchanges in just one semester,” she commented.Sawhney views all of the recent developments as partof the progress.“Everything works together–the new building, therenewed energy, the improvements in our standingsacross the board. We must transform the perceptionof IIE. This is not just a one-year or two-yearimprovement–but a continuous journey. We willall see a significantly different department in thefuture,” Sawhney said. “We have a vision for thisdepartment, and it is one that we are dedicated tomaking a reality.”COE Student, Business Partner Win mtvU-NYSE Business CompetitionCOE industrial engineering student Aeron Glover (left) and College of Business student Kaliv’ Parker (right) werewinners of the mtvU business competition.It all started when Aeron Glover, a junior inthe Department of Industrial and InformationEngineering (IIE), studied abroad in Spain in thesummer of 2009.“I lived with a host family for nearly two months,and afterward, I realized that there was no way ofgetting in-depth, student generated feedback onthis family before moving in with them,” Gloversaid. “I had to rely on broad information providedby a company who paired me with the family.”When he arrived back in the United Statesin January 2010, Kaliv’ Parker, a junior in theCollege of Business, and Glover started writingthe business plan for HowsTheLiving.com, a Website whose mission is to “help you make informedhousing choices while at school, attending auniversity in the U.S. or abroad.”Glover and Parker then entered their plan into the2010 Undergraduate Business Plan Competitionsponsored by the Anderson Center forEntrepreneurship and Innovation in the Collegeof Business, where they received guidance tofurther develop their plan. They were featured onfour episodes of mtvU’s Movers & Changers andhad the opportunity to attend the New York StockExchange (NYSE) Movers & Changers Forum,ring the bell at the NYSE and present their plansto a panel of industry executives.“The experience of being at the NYSE at thefinancial capital of the world was unreal,” Gloversaid. “Early on, I realized the significance of theNYSE, but actually being on the trading floorand opening up the day’s trading gave me an evendeeper understanding and appreciation.”The final episode of Movers & Changers, whichaired on Dec. 15, 2010, revealed that Parker andGlover won the grand prize of $25,000 to furtherdevelop their company. They defeated two otherfinalists.With the seedmoney grandprize, Parkerand Glover arereinventing theirWeb site. Theyreceive feedbackfrom students andothers every dayconcerning Website additions thatwould make theuser experiencemore enjoyable.Because of that,they plan to buildtheir databaseof universitiesand studenthousing. Theirgrowth milestoneschedule outlines a strategy that will add to theirdatabase thousands of universities both in the U.S.and in other top countries where U.S. studentsstudy abroad. They also plan to hold differentpromotional contests to draw students to the site toanalyze their feedback.Glover credits a lot of his entrepreneurialcharacteristics to his engineering background.“One of the cornerstones of an engineeringeducation is a solid critical thinking and analyticalfoundation,” Glover said. “My ability to plan,create and grow HowsTheLiving.com dependslargely on my ability to foresee future obstaclesand to think through complex strategies. Myindustrial engineering education has helped mewith this and has also given me glimpses of boththe technical and business sides, which is alwayshelpful in creating and growing an Internet start-upcompany.”The College of Engineering’s Entrepreneurshipprogram played a large role in Glover’s success. Inthe spring of 2010,Glover enrolledin EngineeringFundamentals 130:Survey of TechnologyEntrepreneurship.In this class, he wasexposed to manyof the area’s topentrepreneurs, andhe got the chanceto hear about theirexperiences firsthand.Dr. Lee Martin,research assistantprofessor in the IIEdepartment, taughtthe course.Martin was recently hired by the UT Collegeof Engineering to create the EngineeringEntrepreneurship Program. He is a holder of 20U.S. patents, author of the book Techonomics, and isa mentor for many area entrepreneurs.“Dr. Martin has been a valuable resource andmentor throughout the process,” Glover said. “Heallowed Kaliv’ and I to practice our presentationand to get valuable feedback from students inanother one of his courses. It was great preparationfor the final pitch in front of the CEO judges inNew York City.”Martin was able to see Glover and Parker’s planunfold from the beginning and looks forward tothe direction it will take them in.“I am extremely excited to see the opportunitythat is unfolding for Aeron and Kaliv’,” Martinsaid. “They have demonstrated great energy andresourcefulness in their efforts to date. The mtvUaward was well deserved!”Glover plans to graduate in the spring of 2012,although he admits that deadline could change toensure that he keeps a healthy balance of classesand growing HowsTheLiving.com, along with othercampus responsibilities. After graduation, Gloverand Parker plan to pursue HowsTheLiving.com fulltime as they work toward their goal of becomingthe de facto standard in student housing reviews.Glover offered up a piece of advice to aspiringentrepreneurs: “The achievement of yourentrepreneurial and life goals requires an on-firemindset and on-fire actions. Have passion, and lovewhat you do,” he said.Episodes of mtvU’s Movers & Changers can beviewed online at http://www.moversandchangers.com.To learn more about the Engineering Entrepreneurshipprogram, visit http://www.engr.utk.edu/eep/eep.html.The HowsTheLiving Web Site6 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE KNOXVILLE, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING • www.engr.utk.edu TENNESSEE engineer • Spring 2011 • www.engr.utk.edu7

COE Researchers Play Role in Winning $20 Million EPSCoR GrantUT College of Engineering researchers are playing akey role in a recently awarded five year, $20 millionprogram devoted to increasing Tennessee’s researchbase in renewable energy technologies.The Experimental Program to StimulateCompetitive Research (EPSCoR) program wasestablished in the 1970s. The mission of EPSCoRis to assist the National Science Foundation(NSF) in its efforts to strengthen research andeducation in science and engineering throughoutthe United States. EPSCoR’s goals are to providestrategic programs and opportunities for EPSCoRparticipants that stimulate sustainableimprovements in their research anddevelopment capacity and competitivenessand to advance science and engineeringcapabilities in EPSCoR jurisdictions fordiscovery, innovation and overall knowledgebasedprosperity.EPSCoR districts are defined as states thatreceive less than 7.5% of federal researchfunding. Tennessee was designated as oneof five EPSCoR districts four years ago. Thisdesignation means that both public andprivate universities within the district cancompete for federal grants. However, theeducational institutions must compete as astatewide block for the funding.In October of 2010, the Tennessee StateEPSCoR partnership officially receiveda grant for a proposal submitted by theUniversity of Tennessee System, theTennessee Board of Regents System,Vanderbilt University and the TennesseeIndependent Colleges and UniversitiesAssociation. The overall goal of the proposalis to improve the competitive standing ofTennessee Science, Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics (STEM) researchers bycreating and enhancing a culture of collaborationwithin Tennessee’s research base.Titled “Tennessee Solar Conversion and Storageusing Outreach, Research and Education (TN-SCORE),” the proposal focused on outreach andeducation. The total of the grant awarded throughEPSCoR was $20 million, $10 million of whichwas designated for the University of Tennessee,Knoxville. A total of 14 entities applied for thegrant and seven received the funding, which willbe spread out over a time period of five years. TheState Economic Development Office overseesdistribution of the EPSCoR funds, while the overallcoordination of the program is supervised by Dr.David Millhorn, Executive Vice President and VicePresident for Research and Economic Development,the Principal Investigator of the project.The overall theme of the TN-SCORE wasalternative energy technologies, which complementseveral recent statewide research and demonstrationinitiatives and industry recruitment successes.The proposal was separated into three mainscientific thrust teams:Thrust 1: Advanced Solar Conversion andInnovation, featuring the development of highlyeffective, hybrid active layers to improve theefficiency and sustainability of solar cells.Thrust 2: Components and Devices for EnergyStorage and Conversion, focusing mainly on thedevelopment of primary technologies, electrochemicalenergy storage (batteries, supercapacitors) andconversion (fuel cells) devices, to address criticalareas of national interest and need.The EPSCoR team (back row, left to right): Dr. Stephen Paddison, Dr. Shane Foister, Dr. PeteCounce and Dr. Jimmy Mays; (front row, left to right) outreach coordinator Kat Forst, Dr.Zawodzinski and outreach coordinator-technical Gabriel Goenaga.Thrust 3: Nanostructures for Enhancing EnergyEfficiency, encompassing the development anduse of nanostructures to synthesize, fabricate,characterize and implement nanostructures withthe aim of enhancing energy efficiency in solid statelighting and solar energy conversion.Dr. Tom Zawodzinski, the UT Governor’s Chair inElectrical Energy Storage, was the co-thrust leaderfor Thrust 2. Dr. Cindy Rice-York, a professor atTennessee Technology University, was the otherco-thrust leader.“We wanted to have leaders for the thrusts fromboth universities that were research-oriented andfrom smaller academic institutions that were lessfocused on research,” Zawodzinski said.Zawodzinski’s original thrust team includes UTprofessors and Department of Chemical andBiomolecular Engineering colleagues Dr. R.M.“Pete” Counce and Dr. Stephen Paddison as wellas Dr. Jimmy Mays, a UT Distinguished Scientistbased in the Department of Chemistry. ProfessorShane Foister in the chemistry department has alsojoined the team. Researchers from Vanderbilt andMemphis round out the group.“There are a number of opportunities, with someflexible funding, for us to add other researchersfrom UT and other institutions as well,”Zawodzinski said. “What makes EPSCoR uniqueis that the program’s goal is to increase statewideresources, using the primary educational resourcesfor outreach with an emphasis on STEM.”When a previous effort to attain EPSCoR fundingwas unsuccessful, Zawodzinski led efforts toaugment the research focus with a battery andfuel thrust.Leaders of Thrust 1 were Dr. Barry Brucefrom the College of Arts and Sciences’Department of Biochemistry and Cellularand Molecular Biology and Dr. KaneJennings from Vanderbilt. UT participantsin the solar conversion and innovation teamincluded Department of Chemical andBiomolecular Engineering professors Dr.Ramki Kalyanaraman, Dr. Paul Frymier,Dr. Eric Boder, Dr. Stephen Paddison anddepartment head Dr. Bamin Khomami; Dr.Gerd Duscher, Dr. Bin Hu and Dr. Phil Rackfrom the Department of Materials Scienceand Engineering; and many collaboratorsfrom other state and private universities andcolleges.University of Tennessee participants in Thrust3 included Dr. Aly Fathy from the Departmentof Electrical Engineering and ComputerScience. A faculty contingent from Vanderbilt,as well as other academic institutions in thestate, was also involved. Dr. Sandy Rosenthalof Vanderbilt leads this Thrust.Each thrust team will contribute to the technologyinnovation base being developed in Tennessee toadd value to the research enterprise in the state.Also, each thrust includes an aggressive outreachand workforce development approach designed toenhance research capacity while creating a cultureof collaboration across the state, educating thenext generation of scientists in the classroom andproviding opportunities for students and facultythat might otherwise not be available.Workforce development programs under theEPSCoR grant include both summer and yearroundundergraduate research programs; collegefaculty summer research programs; a Council forUndergraduate Research Workshop; a secondaryschool science teacher summer program; industrysummer internships; and “Meetings in Miniature,”two conferences that will involve all TN-SCOREparticipants, one at the beginning and end of eachsummer.Continued on page 10Real Problems Make for Real LearningBreast cancer, battery design, solar houses, Alzheimer’s disease, mobile food irradiation and bridgeexpansion are just a few examples of the COE’s capstone design projects.Capstone design projects are collaborationsbetween the UT College of Engineering andlocal, national and regional businesses andgovernment entities. These projects allow uniqueopportunities for students to be involved inhands-on, complex research under the directionof engineering faculty.“Theoretical problems are essential for learningprinciples,” said Dean Wayne Davis, “However,engineers like to make things and solve realproblems. Capstone projects connected toindustry partners enable our students to delveinto real engineering issues.”The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)supports several student design projects, includingone in the Department of Chemical andBiomolecular Engineering (CBE). A joint projectinvolving 10 students, the project was proposedby CBE’s Dr. Pete Counce, Governor’s ChairProfessor Tom Zawodzinski and adjunct facultymember Dr. J.S. Watson. The project focuses onvarious aspects for redox flow battery design.Another long-term capstone design project inCBE is the collaboration with Eastman ChemicalCompany, which has been facilitated by Dr.Charlie Moore for more than 20 years. Thedepartment sends five to 10 senior chemicalengineering students to work on a process controlissue for Eastman in exchange for class credit.Eastman also has coordinated with theDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace andBiomedical Engineering (MABE) on severalcapstone projects supervised by MABE professorDr. Don Dareing.Dr. John Schwartz and his students in theDepartment of Civil and EnvironmentalEngineering are currently collaborating on acapstone design with the Tennessee Departmentof Transportation (TDOT) on a road realignmentand bridge expansion over Little Turkey Creekat Kingston Pike and Everett Road intersectionin Farragut, Tenn. The objective is to develop aset of TDOT roadway construction plans thatinclude a five-lane curb and gutter facility andsidewalks. The bridge structure will also be widenedto accommodate the additional lane, sidewalks andcurbs.The Department of Industrial and InformationEngineering (IIE) has several capstone designprojects in conjunction with area hospitals andhealth care providers including East TennesseeChildren’s Hospital, Covenant Health and St.Mary’s Medical Center (now Mercy Hospital).Projects include operating room sterile processingreview; a pharmacy chemotherapy investigation; areview and study of the efficiency of a medicationadministration process; and procedures used forprocessing patients in an emergency room setting.IIE has also coordinated capstone design projectswith EPRI, American Safety Razor and AmericanAccessories International.In the Department of Electrical Engineeringand Computer Science (EECS), several capstoneprojects are in progress. One notable example isthe Solar Decathlon 2011 Competition projectfor the design, construction and testing of acomplete solar house for the U.S. Solar DecathlonCompetition that will take place in Washington,D.C. in September. Supervised by EECS professorDr. Leon Tolbert, the design includes an optionallyconnected DC power storage system to allow thehouse to be used in a stand-alone configurationwhen disconnected from the grid. EECS professorsDr. Paul Crilly, Dr. Michael Berry, Dr. JensGregor, Dr. Kevin Tomsovic, Dr. Fran Li, Dr. GregPeterson, Dr. Mongi Abidi, Dr. Syed Islam, Dr.Seddik Djouadi, Dr. Ben Blalock and Dr. HairongQi are involved in capstone projects ranging fromelectric vehicles to android-based robot control to awireless dog leash.Dr. Carl Lundin supervised several capstone designprojects for students in the Department of MaterialsScience and Engineering (MSE). Corporatesupporters of the projects provided funding and inkindcontributions and included Lear Corporation,Metal-Tech, Homesteader Trailers and John Deere.The MSE department collaborated with the MABEdepartment on the Homesteader Trailers project,which involved a study of the breakdown designfor a utility trailer.In the MABE department, Dr. MohamedMahfouz and Dr. Bill Hamel collaborated withUT Medical Center on several capstone designprojects, including developing a touch-sensitivebreast phantom for use in the training of medicalprofessionals in clinical breast examinationsand designing and improving a laparoscopictiming device in a simulation lab. Mahfouz alsosupervised projects in coordination with OakRidge National Laboratory (ORNL) to createan epilepsy seizure forewarning system and ananalysis method for early detection of Alzheimer’sdisease.MABE faculty member Dareing, adjunctprofessor Dr. Steve Foster and Dr. Butch Irickhave worked with Denso Corporation, Accu-Router, Lexmark, Republic Plastics and CarlisleTire on several capstone design projects formechanical engineering.In the Department of Nuclear Engineering(NE), research professor Dr. Martin Grossbeckis heading up several capstone design projects,including a mobile food irradiation facility,a small mobile reactor designed to fit into atruck for rapid assembly in remote areas and aninstrumented dry fuel storage cask.“Companies who sponsor capstone projects areamong our many corporate partners, and we aregrateful for their support,” remarked Davis. “It’sa win-win situation for both the businesses whichget the power of our creative student minds andthe students who develop a better understandingof corporate challenges.”Companies who want to explore ways topartner with the College of Engineering maycontact Marc Gibson, Director of CorporateDevelopment at 865-974-7592/ mgibson4@utk.edu, Dr. Bill Dunne, COE Associate Dean forResearch and Technology, (865) 974-3608/wdunne@utk.edu, or you may visit http://www.engr.utk.edu for individual department contact listings.8 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE KNOXVILLE, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING • www.engr.utk.edu TENNESSEE engineer • Spring 2011 • www.engr.utk.edu9

Investment PartnersGary Curtis (BS/NE ’71)has joined Barge WaggonerSumner & Cannon, Inc.(BWSC) as Vice Presidentand Director of Energyand Environment withresponsibility for the overalldirection and strategicoversight of the firm’s workGary Curtiswith nuclear, fossil andalternative power generation projects. He residesin Nashville, Tenn.Kimberly S. Greene (BS/ES‘88), COE Board Memberand the group presidentof Strategy and ExternalRelations at TennesseeValley Authority, hasbeen welcomed into theChancellor’s Associates,a group of business,Kimberly Greeneprofessional and communityleaders from the greater Knoxville area, for the2010-2011 year. She resides in Knoxville, Tenn.Johnny Moore (BS/ChE ’83), assistant managerfor science for the U.S. Department of Energy,has been welcomed into the Chancellor’sAssociates, a group of business, professional andcommunity leaders from the greater Knoxvillearea, for the 2010-2011 year. He resides in OakRidge, Tenn.Kevin Stooksbury (BS/IE ’01) has been namedthe economic practices coordinator withExxonMobil Qatar, Inc. He and his wife, Keri,have relocated to Doha, Qatar.Annual COE Homecoming Allows Alumni to ReconnectThe COE development staff, from left to right: Nathan Zipper, Assistant Director; Adlai Hurt, Assistant Director; Dorothy Bryson, Senior Director of Development; Christina Parsons, Advancement Specialist I; JulieWichlinski, Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Coordinator; Kathleen Baker, Advancement Assistant III; and Brian Shupe, Director.If you are reading this newsletter, then I suspect youconsider education to be important. So do I, andthe more I am immersed in this college, the more Iam energized by both the content and approach ofthe engineering degree. Rigorous and intellectual,practical and useful–engineering educationproduces a mindset that applies to anything thatneeds solution or innovation.This is why I am proud to work with the college’sleadership to secure philanthropic investments thatwill propel the College of Engineering forward.Every donor at every level to any account in theCollege of Engineering is our investment partner.In calendar year 2010, that includes 102 Dean’sCircle members who gave an annual gift of $1,000or more to the College Fund for Engineeringor to one of our parallel department funds.Campaign UpdateCultivating Knowledge for aCompetitive EdgeCampaign commitments for the College ofEngineering now total $57,838,955, 77%,towards our $75 million goal.$7.9 million in campaign gifts and pledges wasreceived in 2010.Our partners include major corporate andfoundation donors II-VI Foundation, Bechtel,Denso, Eastman Chemical Company, Exxon Mobil,MathWorks, Nvidia, URS Corporation and others.Estate donors, endowment donors, and every one ofthe individuals who gave to the annual funds–all areinvestment partners.If you consider your engineering education to bevaluable, if it taught you to think more clearly, if itopened doors to a career (or multiple careers), if itenabled you to start a business (or two or three), ifit helped you make a living and a life, then we areasking you to become an investment partner with usor to add to the investment you have already made.You can invest in the college through annualgiving at any amount directed to the College FundWe had a 35% increase in annual giving tothe College Fund for Engineering and paralleldepartment funds–from $371,855 in 2009 to$503,415 in 2010.To make a gift, discover how to create anendowment, learn about trust and annuity options,or how you might benefit the college through yourestate planning contact.for Engineering or to the Department Fund forany one of our seven departments. The 2011commemorative medallion celebrating Dean’sCircle gifts ($1,000 or more annually), features theMin H. Kao Electrical Engineering and ComputerScience Building. Endowments provide principalfrom which annual earnings finance professorships,scholarship stipends, or program support. Legaciescan be left through Estate Bequests.Investments are tricky–full of surprises. But I canassure you as an investment partner in the UTKCollege of Engineering enterprise, you will receive apriceless return on your investment–human futures.Become a partner.Dorothy Barkley Bryson, Senior Director,Engineering DevelopmentThe Office of DevelopmentCollege of Engineering120 Perkins Hall • Knoxville, Tennessee 37966Phone: 865-974-2779 • email: engrdev@utk.eduVisit our website at http://www.engr.utk.edu/give/ and check us out on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/University-of-Tennessee-College-of-Engineering/172016882812772You may also use the envelope handily tucked inthis newsletter!The annual College of Engineering (COE) AlumniBBQ was held at 9 a.m. prior to kick-off of the UTv. Ole Miss football game on Nov. 13, 2010.There were 302 individuals in attendance,including alumni, faculty, retired faculty andstudents. Eleven student organizations, as well asthe Engineering Professional Practice Office andthe Jerry E. Stoneking Engage Program, showcasedtheir projects and research for COE alumni.“The annual Homecoming Engineering BBQprovides an atmosphere for our alumni andcurrent and retired faculty members to reuniteand ask questions about what the COE is doingtoday,” said Dr. Wayne Davis, COE dean. “I lovebeing able to talk with our engineering alumniand their families and provide an opportunity forthem to show their families where they went toschool and give them a firsthand look into theircollege experience at the University of Tennessee,along with the many changes that are takingplace. Hopefully, we will be able to provide toursof the new Min Kao Electrical Engineering andComputer Science Building next year, as it shouldbe opened by Homecoming 2011.”The event was catered by Dead End BBQ, which isco-owned by Robert Nutt, a COE alumnus.All alumni and their families are invited to attendnext year, so look out for the save-the-date formore information.Left to right: Julie Wichlinski with the COE development office, Carl Mims (W. Louis Wood’s son-in-law), and W. Louis Wood (BS/EE ‘49, BSMarketing ‘50) of Germantown, Tenn. enjoy the homecoming event.Dr. Ed Burdette (right) professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, visits with the Tucker family during homecomingactivities. Greg Tucker (facing camera) is a second-generation COE alumnus (BS/CE ’87, MS/CE ‘88) who now resides in Birmingham, Ala.12 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE KNOXVILLE, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING • www.engr.utk.edu TENNESSEE engineer • Spring 2011 • www.engr.utk.edu13

Dr. James HungMemorialsR. Theodore Davis (BS/EE ’39) died on Sept. 27,2010. He was a resident of Wilmington, N.C.Charles C. Lasater (BS/ME ’40) died on Oct. 5,2010. He was a resident of Pascagoula, Miss.William S. Regenold Jr. (BS/CE ’47) died on Sept.22, 2010. He was a resident of Highlands, N.C.James Garner (BS/ChE ’48) died on Oct. 17,2010. He was a resident of Plano, Texas.Harry W. Givan (BS/CE ’48) died on July 1, 2010.He was a resident of Port Charlotte, Fla.James E. Still Sr. (BS/ME ’48) died on Oct. 26,2010. He was a resident of Huntsville, Ala.Louis H. Sommers (BS/EE ’49) died on Aug. 23,2007. He was a resident of Huntsville, Ala.Minnis C. Harr (BS/EE ’50) died on Sept. 27,2010. He was a resident of Knoxville, Tenn.In Memoriam: Dr. James HungIn Memoriam: Dr. E. Eugene StansburyDr. E. Eugene StansburyDr. E. EugeneStansbury, a retiredUniversity ofTennessee College ofEngineering (COE)professor, passedaway on Feb. 19,2011, in Alexandria,Va. Stansburywas a professorof MetallurgicalEngineering at UTfrom 1947 until 1985.Jack H. Lefler Sr. (BS/IE ’50) died on Sept. 15,2010. He was a resident of Loudon, Tenn.William B. Robertson (BS/ChE ’51) died on Sept.21, 2010. He was a resident of Kingsport, Tenn.Dr. Ronald D. Morris (BS/ChE ’55) died on Oct.7, 2010. He was a resident of La Vergne, Tenn.Charles N. McClanahan (BS/CE ’56) died on June1, 2010. He was a resident of Centerville, Tenn.William H. Stewart Jr. (BS/ME ’57) died on Sept.22, 2010. He was a resident of Houston, Texas.Ronald G. Domer (BS/ME ’59, MS/ES ’65, PhD/ES ’73) died on Oct. 25, 2010. He was a resident ofDanville, Calif.Jimmie Pafford (BS/EE ’59) died on April 19,2010. He was a resident of Pocomoke City, Md.Robert W. Smartt (BS/CE ’59) died on April 2,2009. He was a resident of Nashville, Tenn.James C. Billingsley (BS/EE ’62) died on Dec. 8,2009. He was a resident of Tullahoma, Tenn.Dr. James Hung, a retired professor fromthe Department of Electrical and ComputerEngineering (now the Department of ElectricalEngineering and Computer Science) at theUniversity of Tennessee, passed away on Dec. 27,2010, at the age of 81.Hung was born in 1929 in Foochow, China,and came to the United States in 1954 to earnhis master’s and doctorate degrees at New YorkUniversity. He then joined UT in 1961, where hetaught systems and control courses in the ECEdepartment until he retired in 1999.In the 1970s, he consulted with NASA to buildnavigation systems for the lunar rover that becameknown as the “moon buggy.”Hung was the faculty advisor to Dr. Min Kao,chairman and CEO of the Garmin Corporation,one of the world’s largest manufacturers of GlobalStansbury was instrumental in beginning theCOE’s metallurgy program, which is now partof the Department of Materials Science andEngineering. He established graduate programs inMetallurgy at both UT and Oak Ridge NationalLaboratory (ORNL).Stansbury placed high importance on technologyin the field and developed and taught severalinterdisciplinary courses that covered its advantages.He was the author or co-author of 35 articles anda book on corrosion and was the recipient of manyprofessional and academic awards.David S. Fuller (BS/ME ’63) died on Sept. 19,2010. He was a resident of Nebo, N.C.James R. Jones (BS/EE ’74, MS EE ’75) died onSept. 25, 2010. He was a resident of KingstonSprings, Tenn.Billie M. McAlister (BS/CE ’74) died on Feb. 24,2005. He was a resident of Franklin, Tenn.Daryl Sinclair (MS/ME ’76) died on Sept. 29,2009. He was a resident of Decherd, Tenn.Dr. Thomas J. Abraham Jr. (BS/ChE ’79, MS/ChE’84, PhD/ChE ’85) died on Oct. 28, 2010. He was aresident of Knoxville, Tenn.Michael K. Howze (BS/CE ‘82) died on Oct. 5,2010. He was a resident of Franklin, Tenn.Jerry D. McCroskey Jr. (BS/ME ’84) died on Sept.10, 2010. He was a resident of Hixson, Tenn.John F. Conlon III (MS/EnvE ’96) died on Oct.25, 2010. He was a resident of Mystic, Conn.Positioning System (GPS) products. Kao receivedhis Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in 1975and stayed in touch with Hung through the yearsafter his graduation.In 2004, Kao contacted Hung about makinga gift of lasting value to the university. Hungsuggested donating money for a new electrical andcomputer engineering building. Kao eventuallycommitted to donating $17.5 million, $12.5 ofwhich was designated for the construction of theMin H. Kao Electrical Engineering and ComputerScience Building. The other $5 million wenttoward matching private donations to generate anendowment for the EECS department.In his remarks during the groundbreakingceremony in May 2007, Kao saluted Hung, hislongtime friend and advisor, who was instrumentalin Kao’s decision to give back to the college.Dr. Stansbury received his bachelor’s degreein chemical engineering in 1940 from NorthCarolina State University. He received hismaster’s and Ph.D. degrees in metallurgicalengineering in 1942 and 1946, respectively, fromthe University of Cincinnati.Upon his retirement, an endowment fund forscholarships and equipment was established.Donations can be made to the E. EugeneStansbury Endowment fund at UT (via the Officeof Engineering Development, (865) 974-2779/engrdev@utk.edu).Leadership Awards Bestowed on Engineering Diversity Program StudentsTia Renee Tabors and Aeron Lydell Glover both received the 2011Community Award at the Black Engineering of the Year Awards (BEYA)Student Leadership and Scholarship Awards on Friday, February 18.Tia Tabors receives her BEYA award from Shelton Guinn, Director of Strategic Sales at Aerotek, alongwith the emcees Marc Clarke and Fonzworth Bentley.UT ALUMNUS WINS2011 TIBBETTS AWARDAnalysis andMeasurementServices Corporation(AMS), located inKnoxville, Tenn. andowned by HashemM. Hashemian (MS/NE ’76), recentlywon a TibbettsAward for its criticalrole in research anddevelopment for theUT alumnus Hashem Hashemian government and forits success in drivinginnovation and creating new jobs. Hashemianwas presented with the award in Washington,D.C., in February.Hashemian, President and CEO of AMS, has32 years of experience with the company, whichbegan in 1977 when he and Dr. Thomas W.Kerlin, professor emeritus in the Department ofNuclear Engineering, founded AMS. Since then,AMS has provided a unique set of equipment,services and training to the worldwide nuclearindustry. These products help nuclear powerplants verify that the sensors used to controlplant operation and safety functions are workingproperly.The Tibbetts Awards are given by the U.S. SmallBusiness Administration. Award recipients areselected based on the economic impact of theirtechnological innovation and whether theyhave met federal research and developmentneeds, encouraged diverse participation intechnological innovation and increased thecommercialization of federal research. For moreinformation, visit http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110215006909/en/SBA-Announces-Winners-2011-Tibbetts-Awards.Nuclear Engineering Graduate Students Win ContestNuclear engineering student award winners (left toright): Susan Hogle, Matthew Cook and Oscar Lastres.Benita Fitzgerald Mosley speaksat the UT diversity event.The two students were recognized for outstanding academic achievement andleadership. Tabors is a senior majoring in chemical engineering, and Glover isalso a senior majoring in industrial engineering.Aeron Glover receives his award from Rear Admiral Randall M. Hendrickson from the Missile DefenseAgency and BEYA awards emcees Marc Clarke and Fonzworth Bentley.A team comprised of Department of Nuclear Engineering(NE) graduate students won first place in the 2010 StudentDesign Contest, which is sponsored annually by theAmerican Nuclear Society (ANS). Matthew Cook, OscarLastres and Susan Hogle won for their project “ConceptualDesign of a Neutron Absorber System for Spent Fuel Pools.”Dr. Martin Grossbeck, a research professor in the NEdepartment, supervised the group. UT nuclear engineeringstudents have been finalists, winning either first or secondplace in either the undergraduate or graduate category ofthis annual contest in 32 of the past 35 years.COE Alumna and Olympic Gold Medalist is KeynoteSpeaker at Diversity EventBenita Fitzgerald Mosley (BS/IE ’84) returned to Knoxville on Tuesday, February1 as the featured speaker for the kickoff celebration for the 50th anniversary ofundergraduate admission by African Americans at the University of Tennessee.Fitzgerald Mosley became the first African-American woman to win an Olympicgold medal in the 100-meter hurdles in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Shewas a 14-time All-American and five-time national champion while on the LadyVols Track and Field Team and won nine Southeast conference championships.She currently serves as the Chief of Sport Performance for USA Track & Field.For more information about the diversity event, visit http://www.utk.edu/tntoday/2011/01/25/rescheduled-50th-anniversary-kickoff/.UTSI Doctoral Candidate Receives AIAA Special AwardDr. Joe Majdalani (left) presents theaward to Brian Maicke (right) duringthe AIAA luncheon at UTSI.Brian Maicke, a doctoral candidate at the UT Space Institute, received theprestigious AIAA Special Award on November 17, 2010 at the AmericanInstitute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) luncheon at UTSI. Therecognition highlights outstanding achievements among AIAA membersand salutes spirit, teamwork, outstanding research, mentorship andsupport in the fields of high-speed propulsion and theoretical modeling ofaerospace engineering problems. Maicke has also recently had the resultsof his research published in both the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and theProceedings of the Royal Society, Series A. He also was recently recognizedwith the Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award at UTSI and received aspecial commendation from the Tennessee State Senate for his research andpublication efforts.14 THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE KNOXVILLE, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING • www.engr.utk.edu TENNESSEE engineer • Spring 2011 • www.engr.utk.edu15

The University of TennesseeCollege of Engineering207 Perkins HallKnoxville, TN 37996-2012Non-Profit Org.US POSTAGEPAIDPermit No. 481Knoxville, TNFall 2011Classes Begin................................ Aug 17Labor Day...................................... Sept 5Fall Break.................................Sept 29-30Thanksgiving............................ Nov 25-26Classes End.................................. Nov 29Exams...................................Dec 1-2, 5-8Graduate Hooding............................ Dec 8UT Commencement......................... Dec 9Senior AdministrationDr. Wayne Davis,Dean of EngineeringDr. Bill Dunne,Associate Dean for Research & TechnologyDr. Masood Parang,Associate Dean for Academic& Student AffairsDepartmentsBiosystems............................... 974-7266Chemical & Biomolecular............ 974-2421Civil & Environmental................. 974-2503Electrical & Computer Science..... 974-3461Industrial & Information.............. 974-3333Materials Science....................... 974-5336Mechanical, Aerospace &Biomedical................................ 974-5115Nuclear..................................... 974-2525CalendarContact InformationSpring 2012Classes Begin.................................Jan 11MLK Holiday..................................Jan 161 st Session Ends.............................Feb 292 nd Session Begins.......................... Mar 1Spring Break.............................Mar 19-23Spring Recess............................... April 6Classes End................................ April 27Exams................................. May 1-4, 7-8Commencement........................ May 9-11Administration & ProgramsCommunications........................ 974-0533Dean’s Office............................ 974-5321Development............................. 974-2779Engineering Advising Services..... 974-4008Engineering Diversity Programs.... 974-1931Engineering Fundamentals........... 974-9810Engineering Professional Practice.. 974-5323Engineering Research................. 974-8360Engineering Student Affairs......... 974-2454Finance & Admin. Affairs............ 974-5279Research CentersIntelligent Systems and MachineLearning.....................................974-4394Materials Processing .................. 974-0816Reliability & Maintainability Center.974-9625Scintillation Materials................. 974-0254Transportation Research............. 974-5255Save the Date!Please mark your calendars now forHomecoming 2011! Saturday, November 5thThe University of Tennessee Volunteers vs. Middle TennesseeState University.Cheer on the Vols as they take on the Blue Raiders!The College of Engineering will be hosting the Annual AlumniHomecoming Barbeque on The Hill three hours prior to kickoff.Join us for a delicious barbeque lunch; exhibits anddemonstrations; and reunions with former classmates and faculty.Details will be available in the upcoming issue of The Torchbearer.For more information, contact the Engineering DevelopmentOffice at (865) 974-2779 or e-mail Christina Parsons atcparson4@utk.edu.The University of Tennessee is an EE)/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institutionin the provision of its education and employment programs and services. All qualifiedapplicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color,national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity,age, physical or mental disability or covered veteran status.