Trouble viewing this email? Click here to view it in your browser.
Whitacre College of Engineering Today
         
 
News
Faculty Recognitions
Staff Recognitions
Grants and Contracts
Student Accomplishments
Alumni
Events
 
COE Monthly Newsletter
COE Home COE Today Archive

News

Temkin

Henryk Temkin Passes Away

Dr. Henryk Temkin passed away on March 24, 2009 in Arlington, Virginia.

Henryk was a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, a Horn Professor, the inaugural J. F Maddox Chair, and co–founder of the Texas Tech Nano Tech Center. A memorial tribute is tentatively scheduled for late April or early May at Texas Tech.

Henryk's contributions through his service at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and his critical research discoveries have left an indelible mark on the world.


Livermore Center Grand Opening

Livermore Grand Opening A ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony was held at the recently completed Livermore Center on March 9. The renovation of the Livermore Center is the first stage of a multiphase project to renovate and expand the college, beginning with the renovation of the Livermore Auditorium.

The project team of F&S Partners of Dallas, Lee Lewis Construction of Lubbock and Texas Tech’s Facilities Planning and Construction created the Livermore Center by demolishing an existing concrete balcony and adding a second floor containing research laboratories and offices. The project converted the first floor to classroom, lab and student interactive space, added new stairs and an elevator, and added the campus’ distinctive Spanish Renaissance Architecture feature to the building façade.

The building opened for the spring 2009 semester.


Bob L. Herd Visits the Campus

Petroleum Engineering Petroleum engineering alumnus Bob L. Herd visited the Texas Tech campus on March 12. His visit included a question-and-answer session with the petroleum engineering senior seminar class. Herd is pictured (at right) with the class and petroleum engineering faculty.

Bob L. Herd donated $15 million to Texas Tech in August 2008 to create the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering.


Llano Estacado RoboRaiders Compete

Team 1817 Texas Tech's FIRST Robotics Team 1817, the Llano Estacado RoboRaiders, aims to offer a hands on, challenging engineering experience to 7-12th graders in the area. The team recently competed at the Dallas Regional. The team progressed to the semifinals and received two awards:

  • Rockwell Automation Innovation in Control Award
    Celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components to provide unique machine functions.
  • Underwriters Laboratories Industrial Safety Award
    Celebrates the team that progresses beyond safety fundamentals by using innovative ways to eliminate or protect against hazards.

For photos and more information, visit the Team 1817 Web site at www.team1817.org.

Faculty Recognitions

Morse Dr. Audra Morse, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been appointed to the Transportation Research Board's (TRB) Committee on Physicochemical and Biological Processes in Soils from April 15, 2009 until April 14, 2012.

The TRB is a division of the National Research Council (NRC), a private, nonprofit institution that provides expertise in science and technology to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The NRC is jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

Staff Recognitions

Mary Beth Abernathy, supervisor in the Department of Chemical Engineering returned to the department on March 30.

Vladimir Mansurov was hired as a post doctoral research associate in the Nano Tech Center on February 23.

Grants and Contracts

02-18-2009 - 03-18-2009

Chemical Engineering

  • Dr. Gregory B. McKenna was awarded$10,000 by the Office of Naval Research. The title of the proposal was "Financial Support of the 6th International Discussion Meeting on Relaxations in Complex Systems."
  • Dr. Rajesh S. Khare was awarded $60,500 by the Office of Naval Research. The title of the proposal was "Molecular Mechanisms of Enhanced Flame Resistance of Layered Double Hydroxide-Epoxy Nanocomposites."
  • Dr. Brandon L. Weeks was awarded $9,023.30 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "REU Site: Micro and Nano Device Engineering."

Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation

  • Drs. Priyantha W. Jayawickrama, William D. Lawson, and Sanjaya P. Senadheera were awarded $54,847 by the Texas Department of Transportation. The title of the proposal was "Geotechnical Engineering Training: TxDOT GEO101 & GEO102 (2009)."
  • Dr. Moon Won was awarded $10,000 by the Texas Department of Transportation. The title of the proposal was "Technical Support for Rigid Pavement and Concrete Materials Branch."

Electrical and Computer Engineering

  • Drs. Timothy J. Dallas and Donald Lie were awarded $50,000 by Texas Instruments Incorporated. The title of the proposal was "Medical Electronics for Fall Detection and Geriatric Patient Monitoring."
  • Drs. Ayrton Bernussi, Timothy J. Dallas, and Richard O. Gale were awarded $69,479.41 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "REU Site: Micro and Nano Device Engineering."

Industrial Engineering

  • Dr. Shiren Wang was awarded $15,000 by 3M, Inc. The title of the proposal was "Understanding Organic Solar Cell Efficiency: Insight and Novel Solution."

Mechanical Engineering

  • Dr. Jingzhou Yang was awarded $1,500 by the Texas Space Grant Consortium. The title of the proposal was "Design of Dust-proof Hand Tools."
  • Dr. Yanzhang Ma was awarded $73,392 by the Dept. of Army/Iowa State Univ. The title of the proposal was "Phase Transformations in Ceramics under Compression and Shear."
  • Dr. Jordan M. Berg was awarded $4,511.65 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "REU Site: Micro and Nano Device Engineering."

Nano Tech Center

  • Drs. Hongxing Jiang and Jingyu Lin were awarded $123,875 by the U.S. Army Research Office. The title of the proposal was "High Al-Content AlGaN Alloys for Deep UV Laser Applications."
  • Drs. Jordan M. Berg and Ayrton Bernussi were awarded $7,218.64 by the National Science Foundation. The title of the proposal was "REU Site: Micro and Nano Device Engineering."

Water Resources Center

  • Dr. Audra N. Morse was awarded $15,000 by Carollo Engineers. The title of the proposal was "City of Lubbock Solids Stream Studies of the Southeast Water Reclamation Plant."
  • Drs. Todd A. Anderson, W. Andrew Jackson, and Kenneth A. Rainwater were awarded $11,985 by B&W Pantex, LLC. The title of the proposal was " Laboratory Demonstration of In Situ Treatment Effectiveness for Reduction of Perchlorate, TCE, and Chromium in Perched Aquifer Sediments at Pantex Plant."

Student Accomplishments

Sanders SEOTY John Sanders, student assistant in the Dean's Office and a junior computer science major, was awarded the Student Employee of the Year Award (SEOTY) for 2009 at Texas Tech. The mission of the SEOTY award is to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending college. John was awarded a $1,000 scholarship.



Robert Biddy, a senior civil engineering major from Paducah, is working in the office of U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry of Amarillo as a part of the Congressional Internship Program. For more information on the program, click here.

Alumni

Dr. Lloyd Gordon, a 1983 graduate with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and a Laboratory Chief Electrical Safety Officer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, received the 2008 National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Management & Operating Contractor Safety Professional of the Year award.

Gordon displayed outstanding leadership in electrical safety, both at the Laboratory and across the Department of Energy (DOE), said Tom D’Agostino, NNSA administrator.

He is a primary author of the Electrical Severity Measurement Tool, which is now used across the complex to categorize and report electrical incidents. Gordon also provided leadership and technical guidance to nearly 150 group and division electrical safety officers and developed and delivered training to thousands of Lab workers. Gordon served as chair of the 30-member Energy Facility Contractors Group’s (EFCOG) Electrical Safety Subgroup in 2008 and has chaired or co-chaired EFCOG/DOE Electrical Safety workshops for the past five years.

Events of Interest

Distinguished Engineer Awards Luncheon

Distinguished Engineers The 43rd Annual Distinguished Engineer Luncheon will be held Friday, April 3 at 11:30 a.m. in the Frazier Alumni Pavilion. Blake W. Augsburger, Dr. Chi-Ming Chang, James A. Edmiston, Shelby Johnson, and J. G. "Greg" Soules will be honored.





Spring Faculty and Staff Meeting

Faculty and Staff Meeting The Spring Faculty and Staff Meeting will be held in 101 Livermore Center on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 3:30 - 5 p.m. A reception will be held immediately following in the Livermore Courtyard.








Farewell Reception for Dean Pamela Eibeck

A Farewell Reception will be held for Dean Pamela Eibeck on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at the Frazier Alumni Pavilion. Come and wish Dr. Eibeck well as she leaves to become the President of University of the Pacific. RSVP to rsvp.coe@ttu.edu by April 17.

Submission Information

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

  Whitacre College of Engineering Today  

TTU Home | Texas Tech University Whitacre College of Engineering
©2009 Texas Tech University | All Rights Reserved

Apr 30, 2020