Reible

Reible Named Donovan Maddox Distinguished Engineering Chair

National Academy of Engineering member Dr. Danny Reible has been named a professor of civil and environmental engineering and the inaugural Donovan Maddox Distinguished Engineering Chair. Reible is the fourth National Academy of Engineering member in the college, two of whom are Maddox chair holders. Election to the National Academy is considered one of the highest professional honors among engineers. He was elected in 2005 for the development of widely used approaches for the management of contaminated sediments.

Reible received his master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering in 1979 and 1982, respectively, from the California Institute of Technology after receiving his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Lamar University in 1977. He is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer and a registered professional engineer in Louisiana. Reible is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). He received the L.K. Cecil Award from AIChE in 2001 and the Malcolm Pirnie Frontiers in Research Award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors in 2011.

His research is focused on the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment, particularly the applications to the assessment and remediation of contaminated sediments and the sustainable management of water resources.

“I am mindful of the serious condition of water resources in the state and nation and hope that I can assist in ensuring that all Americans enjoy water with appropriate quality and in sufficient quantities to meet current and future needs,” Reible said. “Texas Tech has incredible resources to address the cultural, socio-economic and technical challenges of our water resources and I appreciate the opportunity to contribute.”

The Donovan Maddox Chair was funded by the J.F Maddox Foundation in honor and memory of Donovan Maddox (Class of 1934), brother of Jack Maddox (Class of 1929). Both men were Texas Tech textile engineering graduates, served as Student Government Association presidents, and were recognized as Distinguished Engineers and Distinguished Alumni.

Texas Tech

College Improves Ranking Among U.S. News Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs

The Whitacre College of Engineering's undergraduate engineering program has improved in its ranking in U.S.News & World Report's 2014 Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs rankings. The college is now ranked #84, and is tied with eight other schools. Programs were ranked solely on a peer assessment survey conducted in spring 2013.

Savage T4 Tester

ECE Receives NI Savage T4 IC Tester

The Program for Semiconductor Product Engineering (PSPE) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering recently received a big boost into cutting edge integrated circuit test technology through a gift from National Instruments (NI). Corby Bryan, a 2008 B.S.E.E. graduate, and Nathanael Letchford, a 2012 B.S.M.E. graduate, both of whom now work full time at NI in Austin, delivered a National Instruments Savage T4 Integrated Circuit Tester to the department in September. Although the cost of silicon continues to go down as devices get smaller and smaller and manufacturing yields get higher, the cost of test continues to increase, especially in highly complex, system-on-a-chip IC’s. NI has developed a cost-effective strategy to play in this highly competitive segment of the semiconductor industry, and the T4 is their first full up entry into the automated test equipment (ATE) marketplace.

Although this design will not be publicly available until 2014, Texas Tech has been chosen as a development partner, largely because of the success of Texas Tech's PSPE and the inclusion of NI technology in the test flow developed in the coursework in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Texas Tech students will continue to work with NI and with Texas Instruments to fully integrate the T4 into the curriculum.

3D Walk-through of Petroleum Engineering Building

New 3D Walk-through of Petroleum Engineering Building

A 3D walk-through of the new Petroleum Engineering Building in the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering is now available online. Click on the image at left or watch it on YouTube.

The new petroleum engineering building will be a $22,800,000 facility with approximately 42,000 square feet of modern classroom and research space. The primary goal of the construction of the new building is to provide a facility that will integrate formal teaching environments with hands-on practical applications using cutting-edge research facilities and techniques. It will set the national benchmark for petroleum educational facilities.

SPE Student Chapter

SPE Chapter Receives Gold Standard Award

The Texas Tech University student chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers has earned the Gold Standard Award for 2013, in recognition of its exceptional programs in technology dissemination, membership development, community and social outreach, and more.

This is the second consecutive year that the chapter has been recognized with the Gold Standard Award by SPE. SPE members go to The Haven Animal Care Shelter in Lubbock once each semester to assist this non-profit, volunteer only, no-kill shelter. The students have repaired kennels and fencing, cleaned facilities, walked dogs, and provided help in many other ways. Twice a year, the organization converges on two miles of Interstate 27 North of the Lubbock airport as a part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s Adopt-A-Highway Program, cleaning up trash and litter. As the students clean up the road, it is a great time to connect with other students, meet new members, and share experiences from classes, labs, and summer internships.

Branson

Branson Named ASHRAE Fellow

David Branson, an instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been named an American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE) fellow. He was recognized for contributions that have had substantial impact on the advancement of the arts and/or sciences of HVAC&R and on the industry.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a building technology society with more than 54,000 members worldwide. The society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability within the industry. Through research, standards writing, publishing, and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today.

McKenna

McKenna Elected President of the Society of Rheology

Dr. Greg McKenna, Horn Professor and John R. Bradford Chair in Engineering, has been elected President of the Society of Rheology; his term will start during the annual meeting on October 17, 2013. The Society of Rheology is composed of physicists, chemists, biologists, engineers, and mathematicians interested in advancing and applying rheology, which is defined as the science of deformation and flow of matter.

The Society of Rheology is one of the five founding members of the American Institute of Physics. The society is also affiliated with the U.S. National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. The society is also a member of the International Committee on Rheology, which organizes the International Congress on Rheology, held every four years.

Gritzo

Gritzo Receives ASME Heat Transfer Division 75th Anniversary Medal

Dr. Louis A. Gritzo, vice president and manager of research at FM Global, one of the world’s largest business property insurers, has received the 75th Anniversary Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Heat Transfer Division. The award was given to Gritzo, a recognized expert in the field of mechanical engineering, for his dedicated service to the heat transfer community and contributions to the field. “I am delighted and deeply honored to receive this award from my peers,” said Gritzo.

Gritzo oversees FM Global’s team of scientists, as well as the activities at FM Global’s US$125-million, 1,600 acre, research campus in West Glocester, R.I., the world’s largest center for property loss prevention research.

He has served as chair of the ASME Heat Transfer Division Executive Committee and currently serves as chair of the Research Leadership Team for the Industrial Research Institute, chair of the Fire Protection Engineering Advisory Board at the University of Maryland, and is on the Governing Board for the Global Earthquake Model.

Gritzo earned a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a minor in mathematics from Texas Tech in 1992. He serves on the college's Dean’s Council.

Faculty Research Gifts From Organizations in FY 2013

Through the generous support of various organizations in Fiscal Year 2013, engineering faculty members received funding for research projects. The following investigators received funding between September 1, 2012 and August 31, 2013.

Grants and Contracts

August 23, 2013 – August 31, 2013 (Within FY13)

September 1, 2013 – September 16, 2013 (Within FY14)

* Primary Investigator

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

Follow the College on Facebook and Twitter

Keep up with news and events within the Whitacre College of Engineering by following the college on Facebook or Twitter. Updates are posted regularly.

Email Whitacre College of Engineering Publications with news, events, or stories.