Trouble viewing this email? Click here to view it in your browser.
Whitacre College of Engineering Today
             
 
Categories
News
Student News
Faculty News
Alumni
Grants and Contracts
Events

Bookmark and Share
 
COE Monthly Newsletter
COE Home COE Today Archive
 
Whitacre College of Engineering Today
Connect with Engineering on FacebookConnect with Engineering on Twitter
 
News
Bullard Hanley Heitzman
Bullard Hanley Heitzman
McFarquhar Oeltjenbruns Wade
McFarquhar Oeltjenbruns Wade

Six Distinguished Engineers Named

The Texas Tech University Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering named Denny Bullard, Fiske Hanley II, Stephen Heitzman, Dr. Dudley McFarquhar, Dr. Henning Oeltjenbruns, and Rene Hatten Wade as recipients of the 2015 Distinguished Engineer Award on April 24, 2015.

The Distinguished Engineer Award was established during the 1966–1967 academic year to recognize the most outstanding former students of the Whitacre College of Engineering. Since that time, 225 former students of the Whitacre College of Engineering 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.

Learn More
Nejat
Nejat

Nejat Awarded $500,000 NSF CAREER Grant

Dr. Ali Nejat, has received a $500,000 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program Award from the National Science Foundation for his proposal, “CAREER: RecovUS - An Agent Based Model of Collective Post Disaster Housing Recovery.”

He plans to create an agent-based modeling system to analyze recovery behavior, specifically of households, following a disaster. This model will be comprised of several intelligent decision-making agents, calibrated and validated utilizing existing data collected from previous real-world disasters. The sensitivity of households’ recovery decisions to a given recovery policy will also help assess its effectiveness which in turn will lead to an optimized recovery plan for a given community.

Learn More
Dean Al Sacco addresses questions at signing ceremony on the LCU campus on April 17, 2015
Dean Al Sacco addresses questions at a signing ceremony on the LCU campus on April 17, 2015

Texas Tech Signs Engineering Articulation Agreement with Lubbock Christian University

On April 17, 2015, the Whitacre College of Engineering signed an articulation agreement with Lubbock Christian University (LCU), paving the way for LCU students to earn degrees from both institutions. The agreement will allow engineering students to spend their first two and a half years of their college career at LCU and then transition to Texas Tech for the next level of their education.

Engineering dean Al Sacco, Texas Tech provost and senior vice president Lawrence Schovanec, LCU president Tim Perrin, and dean Toby Rogers signed the agreement and fielded questions from LCU students, who were eager to begin their educational path to the Whitacre College of Engineering.

Learn More
Student News
Alvarado
Alvarado

Alvarado Named Among New Faces of Engineering

Kelli Alvarado, a fourth-year petroleum engineering major from Odessa, was named as one of the nation's 12 up-and-coming engineering professionals in DiscoverE's fourth annual New Faces of Engineering, College Edition. Alvarado has been influential both at Texas Tech University and in the petroleum engineering field. She was nominated for the honor by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

“I am very honored to have received this prestigious award and be able to represent the Texas Tech Whitacre College of Engineering,” Alvarado said. “Throughout my collegiate career, the Engineering Opportunities Center (EOC) has helped me in so many different ways to learn and grow as an engineer. I would like to thank the EOC and petroleum engineering chair Dr. Marshall Watson for recommending me to apply and now to achieve such a high honor. Texas Tech has provided me with such a positive platform and I am eager to see what the future holds. I'm so lucky to call myself a Red Raider.”

The New Faces of Engineering recognizes students who display the vision, innovation and leadership skills necessary to build the foundation for a successful career in engineering. Students honored also display excellence in the classroom, leadership in student organizations, outstanding communications skills and community service in non-engineering related fields.

Learn More

Engineering Students Place in 14th Annual Graduate Research Poster Competition

On April 10, 2015, the Texas Tech Graduate School held the 14th Annual Graduate Research Poster Competition at the Helen DeVitt Jones Sculpture Court at the Museum of Texas Tech University. This year’s winners from the Whitacre College of Engineering were as follows:

DeptWinnersDeptWinners
CHE Nabiollah Kamyabi - Ph.D. ECE Maha Ambalangoda Palliyaguruge Perera - Ph.D.
  Engineering Category I -- 1st Place   Engineering Category III -- 3rd Place
CHE Mehdi Nekouei - Ph.D. IE Harshvardhan Gazula - Ph.D.
  Engineering Category I -- 2nd Place   Engineering Category II -- 3rd Place
  Fardin Tayebeh Khabaz - Ph.D. ME Hasan Molla - Ph.D.
  Engineering Category I -- 3rd Place   Engineering Category IV -- 1st Place
CECE Rozbeh Moghaddam - Ph.D. ME Haileyesus Endeshaw - Ph.D.
  Engineering Category II -- 1st Place   Engineering Category IV -- 2nd Place
ECE Akshaya Ramachandran - M.S. ME Ambeygoda Liyanage Malaka Sanka - Ph.D.
  Engineering Category III -- 1st Place   Engineering Category IV -- 3rd Place
ECE Mitchell Kelley - Ph.D. PE Fathi Elltaif Saad Elldakli - Ph.D.
  Engineering Category III -- 2nd Place   Engineering Category II -- 2nd Place

Learn More

Asio
Asio

Doctoral Students win First Place in 2015 SEMS Student Paper Competition

Sarah M. Asio and Sasan T. Khorasani, industrial engineering doctoral students, received first place in the 2015 Society for Engineering and Management Systems (SEMS) Student Paper Competition for their paper, “Social Media: A Platform for Innovation."

The SEMS student paper competition sponsored by UPS® recognizes the academic work of students that demonstrates or describes the use of techniques that improve productivity and quality through effective and economical managerial techniques and philosophies. Both undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit papers.

Student winners must present their papers in the ISERC Engineering Management Track at the IIE Annual Conference & Expo May 30 - June 2, 2015 in Nashville, Tenn.

Learn More
Renken Yew
Renken Yew

Two Engineering Students Receive Helen DeVitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching Awards

Katharina Renken, a doctoral student in industrial engineering, and Henry Yew, a graduate student in civil engineering, have been named recipients of the 2015 Helen DeVitt Jones Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. This award supports excellence in teaching awards administered by the Graduate School for Graduate Part-time Instructors (GPTI). It also recognizes outstanding scholarly activity and excellence in teaching and is awarded annually during the statewide graduate student appreciation week. Each awardee receives a $500 honorarium before taxes, and will be honored at a ceremony during the appreciation week.

Learn More
Hall, Gershman, and Gatlin
Hall, Gershman, and Gatlin

IEEE Teams Place at Regional Conference

Two Texas Tech IEEE student teams placed in “The Standards of Tomorrow” competition at the IEEE Region 5 Conference. Joanna Gatlin and Abigail Gershman won second place, and Benjamin Hall won third place in the competition. The goal of the competition is to give an opportunity for IEEE Region 5 members to learn more about IEEE standards, to encourage IEEE members to submit written work and have it judged by a professional committee, and to increase awareness of the IEEE Standards Education Committee (SEC).

The IEEE Region 5 includes 25,500 members of all levels and represents 7% of the worldwide IEEE membership. The region comprises 26 local sections, 186 technical society chapters, and 102 university/college student branches. The Region 5 meeting is structured as a weekend event and includes the Region 5 Student Competitions, Student Professional Activities Conference (SPACs) and the annual Region 5 business meeting.

Learn More
Faculty News
Lim
Lim

Lim Receives Texas Tech Alumni Association New Faculty Award

Dr. Sunho Lim, an assistant professor of computer science, has been named the recipient of the 2014-2015 Texas Tech Alumni Association New Faculty Award. In order to assist Texas Tech in attracting and retaining world class faculty, the Texas Tech Alumni Association established the New Faculty Awards program in 1987 to recognize outstanding new members of the faculty in each college and the School of Law.

The dean of each of these academic units designates the recipient of the award, which carries with it a certificate and an honorarium of $500 funded by the Texas Tech Alumni Association. The awards are presented to faculty who have four years, or fewer, of service at any university and who have earned distinction for dedicated service to Texas Tech.

Lawson
Lawson

Lawson Named Integrated Scholar

Dr. William D. Lawson, an associate professor of civil, environmental, and construction engineering, has been named an Integrated Scholar by the Texas Tech Office of the Provost. Integrated Scholars are faculty who dedicate themselves to a course of lifelong learning and advance Texas Tech's role in educating, serving and inspiring others to do the same.

Integrated Scholars are not only outstanding in teaching, research and service, but they are also able to generate synergy among the three functions. Faculty members who are Integrated Scholars consistently promote active learning and infuse the results of their research and scholarship in courses and other learning experiences. Integrated Scholars publish results of their teaching innovations in peer-reviewed journals. Finally, Integrated Scholar faculty members plan and execute service commitments to complement their teaching and research goals.

Learn More
Pantoya
Pantoya

Pantoya Publishes Fourth Children's Book

Dr. Michelle Pantoya, the J.W. Wright Regents chair and professor in mechanical engineering, has recently published her fourth children's book, “Engineering in Space: Adventures of an Astronaut Engineer” with Emily Hunt, a Texas Tech alumna and associate professor of mechanical engineering at West Texas A&M University and with close collaboration from Al Sacco Jr., dean of the Whitacre College of Engineering.

“These children's books go beyond our region, they literally go around the world,” Pantoya said. “Who knows who might see this book, read it, become inspired and someday go on to change the world.”

“Engineering in Space” discusses engineering principles and a first-hand account of the beauty of space as recounted by Sacco, who was an astronaut. “His life in space, all the intimate details, is captured in this book so children can imagine themselves orbiting earth and what life is like in space,” Pantoya said. The book further supports her mission to educate children on what engineering is and what engineers do.

Learn More
Alumni News
Endsley Fuller
Endsley Fuller

Two Engineering Graduates Named Distinguished Alumni by the Texas Tech Alumni Association

Mica R. Endsley, chief scientist for the United States Air Force and a 1982 industrial engineering graduate, along with Terry E. Fuller, president of Phoenix PetroCorp, Inc. and a 1977 petroleum engineering graduate, have been named recipients of the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Awards — the highest honor bestowed by the Texas Tech Alumni Association and the university.

Since 1967, the Texas Tech Alumni Association has been presenting the awards to the most prestigious graduates of Texas Tech University for their professional achievements, contributions to society and support of the university. Past recipients have governed states, flown space missions, sung leading roles in the great opera houses of the world, served as CEOs and military commanders, won Olympic Gold Medals, and even performed heart surgery on celebrities such as Larry King and David Letterman.

Nominations are accepted year-round from members and friends of the Alumni Association, as well as Texas Tech University faculty and staff. Attendance at Texas Tech University is a requirement to be eligible for nomination, although receiving a degree is not compulsory. A committee comprised of alumni and university officials reviews the nomination materials and makes the final selections.

Learn More
Grants and Contracts

March 11, 2015 – April 27, 2015

Investigator(s)AgencyTitleAmount
Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation
Dr. Pangil Choi,
Dr. Sanjaya P. Senadheera, and
Dr. Moon-Cheol Won*
TX Dept of Transportation 14-17 Research on Joint Seal Materials to Improve Installation and Performance $147,370
Dr. Theodore G. Cleveland and
Dr. Elma A. Uddameri
TX Dept of Transportation 15-77 Evaluating Use of Sub-Grade Drains with PFC for Stormwater Drainage $85,010
Dr. Moon-Cheol Won Kunsan National University Development of High Durability Concrete Pavement Incorporating Pozzolanic By-Product Materials $124,138
Dr. Theodore G. Cleveland TX Dept of Transportation GRI: TxDOT DES 601, DES 602, and DES 606 Course Instruction: Hydrology, Urban
Storm Drain, and Watershed Modeling
$549.59
Dr. Alon Kvashny,
Dr. Hongchao Liu*,
Dr. Cynthia B. McKenney,
Dr. Sanjaya P. Senadheera, and
Dr. Moon-Cheol Won
TX Dept of Transportation Technical Assistance to Texas Department of Transportation $136,137.80
Dr. Theodore G. Cleveland TX Dept of Transportation TxDOT 14-9 New Rainfall Coefficients $82,841
Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics
Dr. James C. Dickens,
Dr. John J. Mankowski*, and
Dr. Andreas A. Neuber
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics CHTV X-band Phase 2A Extension $200,000
Dr. James C. Dickens,
Dr. John J. Mankowski, and
Dr. Andreas A. Neuber*
U.S. Air Force/Univ of Maryland Collaborative Research on Novel High Power Sources for Physics of Ionospheric Modification $500,000
Dr. James C. Dickens,
Dr. John J. Mankowski,
Dr. Andreas A. Neuber, and
Dr. David Reale
Office of Naval Research Frequency-Agile NLTL Array for Vulnerability Testing $274,149
Dr. James C. Dickens*,
Dr. John J. Mankowski, and
Dr. Andreas A. Neuber
Office of Naval Research Investigation of a Frequency-Agile NLTL Array with kHz Rep-rate Capability $150,851
Dr. James C. Dickens,
Dr. John J. Mankowski, and
Dr. Andreas A. Neuber
Israeli Ministry of Defense Sealed Vircator HPM System $400,000
Chemical Engineering
Dr. Harvinder S. Gill NIH/Baylor College of Medicine Harnessing NK Memory To Protect Against HIV Infection $175,350
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Douglas A. Smith Electric Power Research Ins NWI: High Wind Effects on Nuclear Power Plants $27,000.45
 
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Yu-Chun D. Lie DARPA/Northrop Grumman Systems Corp The Inductive Communications and Power Transfer Technology on DARPA SHIELD Program for Northrop Grumman $129,384
Industrial Engineering
Dr. Mario Beruvides* and
Dr. Jaime Cantu
DOE/BWXT Pantex, LLC. Organizational Health System Dynamics Model for CNS Pantex Plant Explosive Operations $128,066
Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Hanna Cho National Science Foundation Collaborative Research: Intentionally Nonlinear Design of High-frequency Atomic Force Microscopy for Enhanced Material Characterization $204,773
Dr. Jian Sheng Gulf of Mexico Rsrch Initiative/UT Austin DROPPS II Consortium: Dispersion Research on Oil: Physics and Plankton Studies $287,922
Dr. Chang Dong Yeo National Science Foundation GOALI/Collaborative: Ferromagnetic Thin Films under Mechanical Stress, Adiabatic and Frictional Heat Generation $296,770
Dr. Luciano Castillo*,
Dr. Suhas U. Pol, and
Dr. Namrata B. Tapase
National Science Foundation NSF-I-CORPS Team: A Cyber Infrastructure Medical Visual Interface Technology $50,000
Dr. Juan G. Araya and
Dr. Luciano Castillo
National Science Foundation NSF/ONR: Whither Turbulence and Big Data In the 21st Century?-NSF $30,000
Dr. Alan A. Barhorst and
Dr. Darryl L. James
Electric Power Research Ins NWI: High Wind Effects on Nuclear Power Plants $33,000.55
Water Resources Center
Dr. William A. Jackson and
Dr. Stephen M. Morse
DOD/SERDP SERDP: High Resolution Delineation of Contaminant Concentrations, Biogeochemical Processes, and Microbial Communities in Saturated Subsurface Environments $220,312

* Primary Investigator

Events

See a full listing of the college's events on the Engineerster Caing Malendar.

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.

Connect with Engineering on FacebookConnect with Engineering on Twitter
 
Email Whitacre College of Engineering Publications with news, events, or stories.

TTU Home | Texas Tech University Whitacre College of Engineering
©2015 Texas Tech University | All Rights Reserved
Apr 30, 2020