Distinguished Engineers

Seven Distinguished Engineers Named

The Texas Tech University Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering named Dr. Kelly J. Beierschmitt, Dr. Ben A. Calloni, Joe D. Gamble, Tom Jacobs, Jack L. McCavit, Scott P. Moore, and Dr. James Thompson as recipients of the 2013 Distinguished Engineer Award on April 19, 2013 at a luncheon at the Overton Hotel in Lubbock, Texas.

The Distinguished Engineer Award was established during the 1966-67 academic year to recognize the most outstanding alumni of the college. Since that time, 212 former students have received this honor.

Recipients of the award must be distinguished in their profession, an inspiration to their peers and have demonstrated a continuing interest in areas outside the field of engineering.

Super Scholar

Online SYEM Program Ranked #17 by SuperScholar.org

Texas Tech's Online Systems and Engineering Management (SYEM) program has been ranked #17 in SuperScholar.org's first annual Smart Choice ranking of the top 25 schools for online engineering management degree programs. Programs were evaluated based on accreditation, academic quality, student satisfaction, reputation in the field, and cost.

SuperScholar's Smart Choice ranking of the best universities for online engineering management degrees was designed to help students make a smart choice about where to pursue an engineering management degree online.

Engineering Faculty and Staff Awards Reception

The college hosted the Engineering Faculty and Staff Awards Reception on April 23, 2013. Faculty and staff members were recognized for awards from the university and the college. Faculty members were also recognized who received promotion or tenure.

Faculty Promotion and Tenure Recognition

University Staff Awards

College Staff Awards

University Teaching Awards

College Teaching Awards

University Research Award

College Research Awards

Paul Whitfield Horn Professor Designation

Suteria	ChemE Jeopardy Team

Students Place in Paper Competition, ChemE Jeopardy

The Texas Tech AIChE Student Chapter hosted the 2013 Southwest AIChE Regional Conference in Lubbock. Students from UT, Rice, LSU, UH, TAMU, TAMU-Kingsville, Lamar, and Tecnológico de Monterrey attended. Naureen Suteria, a student under the supervision of Dr. Siva A. Vanapalli, won first place in the Regional Student Paper Competition. The Texas Tech ChemE Jeopardy Team, consisting of Braden Pate, Seth Spear, Amber Helm, and Michael Sees, also took first place. The Texas Tech AIChE Student Chapter officers are Donny Torres, Kim Davis, Erika Yamasaki, and Jimmy Woods.

2013 Formula SAE Car

Formula SAE Team Unveils Formula One-Style Race Car

Students from the Texas Tech Formula SAE Team have built a formula one-style race car from scratch to compete in an international competition against 120 other schools in May at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. The team unveiled this year's new race car to sponsors, supporters and friends of the team, as well as the engineering college's staff and faculty in March.

Formula SAE is a student design competition organized by SAE International. The Texas Tech Formula SAE Team includes students from a variety of college majors. Each year, the students work together to design, build, test, and then finally race a formula one-style race car against top schools in the world.

The Formula SAE Team at Texas Tech has competed for the last two years in international competition. This year, the team has focused on improving the vehicle and building the car more quickly to allow additional time for testing and improvements before the competition.

RoboRaiders

RoboRaiders Win Industrial Safety Award at FIRST Robotics Dallas Regional

The FIRST Robotics Team 1817, the Llano Estacado RoboRaiders, which consists of high school students from several Lubbock-area high schools and is mentored by Texas Tech undergraduate students, competed at the First Robotics Competition Dallas Regional competition in March 2013. The team received the Underwriters' Laboratories Industrial Safety Award for instilling and maintaining a culture of safety throughout the organization and competition.

Alleman

Alleman Receives Student Academic Citizenship Award

Andrew Alleman, a master of environmental engineering student, was named a recipient of a 2012-2013 Student Academic Citizenship Award at the Texas Tech Parents Association Spring Awards Breakfast on April 6, 2013. The awards spotlight student creativity, excellence and dedication. Winning students receive a plaque and a $150 stipend as part of the award.

Beeson

Beeson Wins 2013 IEEE NPSS Graduate Scholarship Award

Sterling Beeson, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering conducting research in the Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, has received the 2013 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Nuclear and Plasma Science Society (NPSS) Graduate Scholarship Award. His research is on transient plasmas generated by high power microwaves induced along a dielectric interface as it pertains to radar systems and other directed energy applications. This award is given out annually to up to four graduate students worldwide that show outstanding contributions to the field of nuclear and plasma sciences. The award includes a $1,500 monetary award along with a one-year membership to the IEEE NPSS.

Christenson

Christenson Awarded NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship

Dylan Christenson, a graduate student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been awarded a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship (NSTRF). The goal of NSTRF is to provide the nation with a pipeline of highly skilled researchers and technologists to improve America's technological competitiveness.

NASA Space Technology Fellows will perform innovative space technology research while building the skills necessary to become future technological leaders. Selected candidates will perform graduate student research at their respective campuses and at NASA Centers and/or at nonprofit U.S. research and development laboratories. In addition to his faculty advisor, Christenson will be matched with a technically relevant and community engaged researcher who will serve as his professional mentor. Through this experience, students advance their STEM education, gain relevant research experience, and enhance their understanding of the research process.

Cloutier

Cloutier Receives NSF GRFP Fellowship

Aimee Cloutier, a graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering under the supervision of Dr. James Yang, has been selected to receive a 2013 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Fellowship. She was selected based on her outstanding abilities and accomplishments, as well as her potential to contribute to strengthening the vitality of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise. She will receive a $30,000 per year stipend for the next five years.

Gu

Gu Wins Chinese Government Award, Horn Professor Graduate Achievement Award

Changzhan Gu, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has been granted the 2012 Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad. This award was funded by the Chinese government in 2003 and is coordinated by the China Scholarship Council (CSC). It recognizes the academic excellence of the Chinese students studying abroad without government-funded scholarships. Only those with outstanding performance in their doctoral studies are considered by the award selection panel. In 2012, 489 students were selected worldwide (of more than 510,000 Chinese students abroad) from all areas of study. He received $6,000 plus travel support to Houston to receive the award.

Gu has also been named a recipient of the Horn Professors Graduate Achievement Award. This award was been established by the Paul Whitfield Horn Professors at Texas Tech University to recognize and reward outstanding research or creative activity performed by graduate students while at Texas Tech University.

Kim

Kim Receives Marvin Mundel Memorial Scholarship

Dong Yeob Kim, a junior industrial engineering major, is the recipient of a Marvin Mundel Memorial Scholarship from the Institute of Industrial Engineers for the 2013-14 academic year. The scholarship is given to students who have demonstrated an interest in work measurement and methods engineering.

IEEE Region 5 Student Paper Competition Awards Presentation

Liles Wins Second Place in IEEE Paper Competition

Jeff Liles, senior in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, won second place at the IEEE Region 5 Student Paper Competition held in Denver, Colo. in April for his paper titled "Creating a Logic Analyzer from a Field Programmable Gate Array Development Board." The student paper competition encourages the development of technical communication skills and includes an oral presentation and written paper related to technical, engineering, management, or societal aspects of subjects relevant to the IEEE. Region 5 has approximately 25,500 members of all levels and represents 7% of the worldwide IEEE membership.

Stephens

Stephens Wins 2013 IEEE Arthur H. Guenther Pulsed Power Student Award

Jacob Stephens, a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering conducting research in the Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics (P3E), is the recipient of the 2013 IEEE Arthur H. Guenther Pulsed Power Student Award. He received a bachelor of science and a master of science in electrical engineering from Texas Tech University in May 2011 and December 2011, respectively. He is currently working under Dr. Andreas Neuber's guidance. Stephens is also a member of the National Physical Sciences Consortium supported by Sandia National Laboratories. His current research interests include high-density metal plasma behavior, HPM surface flashover, and microdischarge excimer sources. He will receive a monetary prize of $1,000.

Beruvides

Beruvides Wins Imhoff Global Excellence Award

Dr. Mario G. Beruvides, AT&T Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering, has been named a recipient of the ASEE John L. Imhoff Global Excellence Award for Industrial Engineering Education. This award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of industrial engineering education and has demonstrated global cooperation and understanding through leadership and other initiatives. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium.

Hernandez

Hernandez Wins ASCE ExCEEd New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award

Dr. Annette Hernandez, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been named a recipient of a American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ExCEEd New Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. This award was established by ASCE's Project ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) and the Committee on Faculty Development to recognize and reward outstanding new faculty.

Hernandez was specifically selected because of her outstanding teaching record as a new faculty member, her contributions to the academic and surrounding community, and her proven commitment to education.

Lim

Lim Selected as a 2013 Air Force Summer Faculty Fellow

Dr. Sunho Lim, an assistant professor of computer science, has been selected as a Faculty Fellow for the 2013 Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (AF SFFP). This program is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and is administered by the American Society for Engineering Education, which provides the oversight and administrative structure for the selection and appointment of applicants.

The AF SFFP offers hands-on exposure to Air Force research challenges through 8- to 12-week research residencies at participating Air Force Research Facilities for full-time science, mathematics, and engineering faculty at U.S. colleges and universities.

Chemical Engineering

• Dr. Carla Lacerda was awarded $11,214 by the Morris Animal Foundation. The title of the proposal was "Role of Mechanical Loading and Serotonin Signaling in Myxomatous Degeneration of Mitral Valves."
• Dr. Sindee L. Simon was awarded $120,000 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "Tg Changes, Surface Effects, and Dynamics in Nanoconfined Polymers."
• Dr. Gregory B. McKenna was awarded $125,000 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "Viscoelastic Response of Ultrathin Polymer Films: Bubble Inflation Liquid Dewetting and Molecular Architecture Effects."

Computer Science

• Drs. Michael Gelfond, Joseph N. Rushton, and Richard G. Watson were awarded $140,412 by NASA/Kestrel Technology, LLC. The title of the proposal was "CertWare ABSA: Argument Based Safety Assurance." Rushton is the Pi.
• Drs. Eonsuk Shin and Mohan Sridharan were awarded $54,868.80 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Cybersecurity, Robotics, and Software Engineering."

Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation

• Drs. Priyantha W. Jayawickrama, William D. Lawson, Stephen M. Morse, and Timothy A. Wood were awarded $24,697 by the TX Dept of Transportation. The title of the proposal was "5-5849-03 Load Rating TxDOT Culvert Design Standards."
• Drs. Alon Kvashny, Hongchao Liu, Cynthia B. McKenney, Moon-Cheol Won, and Richard E. Zartman were awarded $89,657 by the TX Dept of Transportation. The title of the proposal was "Lubbock TxDOT IAC 05-1XXIA001." Liu is the PI.
• Dr. Moon-Cheol Won was awarded $42,200 by the Kongju National University. The title of the proposal was "Maintenance Technology for Light-Weight Concrete Pavement."
• Dr. Moon-Cheol Won was awarded $3,000 by the TX Dept of Transportation. The title of the proposal was "To Help TxDOT Conduct Forensic Evaluations, Conduct Laboratory Test, Field Testing and Compile Information that will Help Improve our Pavement and Save Texas Money."

Center for Nanophotonics

• Drs. Hongxing Jiang and Jingyu Lin were awarded $200,000 by the U.S. Army RDECOM. The title of the proposal was "Erbium-doped GaN Crystals as High Energy Laser Gain Medium."

Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics

• Dr. Andreas A. Neuber was awarded $12,500 by the National Physical Science Consortium. The title of the proposal was "NPSC Fellowships for Jacob Stephens and Andrew Fierro."

Electrical and Computer Engineering

• Dr. Mary C. Baker was awarded $500 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "GK-12 Mod 1: Building Bridges: Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Education on the South Plains."

Industrial Engineering

• Drs. Joseph E. Urban and Susan D. Urban were awarded $64,411.20 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "REU Site: Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Cybersecurity, Robotics, and Software Engineering."

Petroleum Engineering

• Dr. James J. Sheng was awarded $100,000 by Petrobras. The title of the proposal was "Chemical EOR Knowledge Database."
• Drs. James J. Sheng and Mohamed Y. Soliman were awarded $95,000 by the Halliburton Foundation, Inc. The title of the proposal was "Development of a Novel Method to Produce Extra Viscous Heavy Oil in Shallow and Thin Reservoirs."

Smart Grid Energy Center

• Dr. Vittal S. Rao was awarded $39,462 by the Northrop Grumman Corporation. The title of the proposal was "Cyber Security SCADA Protocol Unique Digital Signature Tool (SPUDS-T) 2013."

Water Resources Center

• Drs. Theodore G. Cleveland, Harold Gurrola, Kenneth A. Rainwater, Elma A. Uddameri, and Venkatesh Uddameri were awarded $30,000 by the Irion and Sterling County Underground Water Districts. The title of the proposal was "Irion and Sterling County Groundwater Evaluation."

See a full listing of the college's events on the Engineering Master Calendar.

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