Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News

Category: News

25 Service Years for Sarazin, 30 Service Years for Miskioglu, 40 Service Years for Predebon

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Michigan Tech Employee Service Recognition Event

On Wednesday, May 11, faculty and staff members, along with their guests, gathered at the Memorial Union Ballroom for an awards dinner recognizing 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service to Michigan Tech. The following ME-EM faculty were recognized:

25 Years
Ibrahim Miskioglu, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

30 Years
Ibrahim Miskioglu, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

40 Years
William Predebon, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Read more at Tech Today, by Human Resources.

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New Funding on Autonomous Microgrids

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Wayne Weaver (ECE) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $119,997 research grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research. Rush Robinett (ME-EM) and Nina Mahmoudian (ME-EM) are Co-PI’s on the project entitled “Autonomous Microgrids: Theory, Control, Flexibility and Scalability.”

This is the first year of a potential four-year project that could total $869,980.

From Tech Today, by Sponsored Programs.

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ME-EM News Briefs

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Research Professor John Johnson (ME-EM) chaired a National Academy of Engineering (NAE) committee that has published the NAE Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Third Report. Former Michigan Tech President Dale Stein also served on the committee. Johnson has chaired committees that produced several other NAE reports. He also serves on the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards committee.

Michigan Tech Mobile Lab Helps Engineers Design for Human Comfort: Michigan Tech’s mobile lab will travel to Novi, Mich., on Oct. 28 to serve as the site for a one-day workshop on the use of specially designed human manikins and software to measure air velocity, temperature, radiant heat flux and relative humidity in vehicles. Engineers have been invited to participate in the “Manikinalysis” workshop hosted by Michigan Tech, Thermetrics and ThermoAnalytics. Thermetrics makes the HVAC Manikin and ThermoAnalytics produces the human thermal software.

Michigan Tech alumnus Gregory Hardy has received the Steve Thorne Leadership Award, funded by the GE African American Forum. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in the National Society of Black Engineers.
Hardy graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech and is currently a mechanical science and engineering graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Regarding the award, Hardy told the NSBE, “This fuels my fire to do more and inspire others to do the same.”

“Michigan Technological Engineering is known for its space related research and education – aerospace and mechanical engineering” – featured in USA Today special edition “NASA – Beyond Earth” on page 25

Nina Mahmoudian (MEEM) has received a $57,708 grant from the Office of Naval Research for her research project titled, “Toward Undersea Persistence.”

Channel 2, KTVN in Reno, Nevada reported on SAE International’s expansion of its SAE John Johnson Award for Outstanding Research in Diesel Engines to honor individual leaders in the field. Established in 2008, the award traditionally recognized authors of an SAE International outstanding technical paper that addresses research advancements in diesel engines regarding efficiency and low emissions achieved by innovative experimental and modeling research of the engine, fuel and/or after treatment systems.
This prestigious award honors John H. Johnson, a Presidential Professor with Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering Mechanics. Read the story.

Dr. Hussein Zbib received the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture’s 2015 Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award. Professor Hussein earned his BSME, MSME, and PhD in ME-EM all from MIchigan Tech and is a member of our EAB. He is a professor and former head of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University.

Research Professor John Johnson (ME-EM) chaired a National Academy of Engineering (NAE) committee that just published the Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership Third Report. Former Michigan Tech President Dale Stein also served on the NAE committee.

Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Consortium Partner Meeting: The Department of Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics will host a Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Consortium Partner meeting September 16 in MEEM 1021. Industrial partner representatives from Cummins, John Deere, Daimler-Detroit, Corning, Johnson Matthey and Tenneco will be on campus all day to review research progress during the second year of three year consortium. The focus of the consortium is on experimental and modeling research of advanced diesel after treatment systems and is a part of the APS Labs. John Johnson, Jeff Naber and Gordon Parker are the faculty associated with the Consortium.

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Friedrich named ASME Fellow

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Craig Friedrich Passpor3tTech Today by Mark Wilcox

Craig Friedrich (MEEM), has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. William Predebon, chair of Michigan Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, said Friedrich was recognized for his “outstanding contributions in mechanical micromilling for micro-device packaging, micro heat exchangers and fluidic interconnects, deep x-ray lithography masks and biomedical implants.”

Predebon, who nominated Friedrich, said “Dr. Friedrich is not only an outstanding researcher and engineer, he is also a leader in his profession and in the ME-EM department as the associate chair and director of graduate studies.”

Friedrich said it is gratifying to have been formally recognized by such an esteemed professional society and by the support of peers and colleagues over nearly three decades.

“To be honored in such a way shows that it isn’t a single day that defines success but rather the years of hard work that precedes it,” Friedrich said.

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Patrick McCabe applies his ME-EM education as entrepreneur

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PMcC_4652-150x202aMichigan Technological University is renowned for their prestigious engineering program as they prepare students to enter a disorganized world with the tools and capabilities to make a constructive difference. Today, green technologies bring innovation and change into our daily lives; and, Michigan Tech alumnus Patrick McCabe continues to utilize his strong engineering background, along with his brilliant entrepreneurial skills to redefine the solar industry.

Patrick is COO and co-founder of GreenLancer, a Detroit-based startup company that utilizes an e-commerce platform to produce high-quality solar design documents. Creating solar designs may seem simple on the surface, but the innovative combination of engineering and virtual manufacturing allows GreenLancer to actively compete with the traditional brick and mortar design firms.

Upon graduating with his BSME degree, Patrick moved to Salt Lake City, then to San Diego to pursue a job in the solar industry. He began to work from home as a freelancer, but that wasn’t enough. Alas, GreenLancer emerged, originally named Stellar PV. Pat, along with a few friends, traveled across the country doing web-based design work for solar electricity companies. After several years on the road, Pat decided to bring the work back to Detroit in hopes of redefining manufacturing and the working class, both of which have plagued the city’s reputation in the past.

The idea of cultivating a remote workforce, managing workflow, and streamlining processes via technology began to attract attention from the city’s evolving tech start-up scene. Through family and friends, Patrick was able to raise $50,000 to bring the company to Bizdom, a start-up incubator on the heart of Detroit. There, generous investors gave an initial investment of $1 million to continue the advancement GreenLancer. In April of 2015, the company finished raising a Series B funding of $5 million from new and existing investors. The trajectory of GreenLancer and its concept is moving upward from solar to potentially all green technologies.

Patrick applauds Michigan Technological University for challenging him during his academic career. “I’m grateful for the education I received at Michigan Tech as it has helped to propel my achievements,” Patrick stated. Similarly, “It is exciting to see fellow alumni contributing to solving problems across the world.” Pat is looking forward to watching the continued success of the engineering program at Michigan Tech.


Article about GreenLancer

“GreenLancer raises Series B funding round of $5 million, expands in Detroit” Article from Crain’s Detroit

“Patrick McCabe, 29: CEO and co-founder, GreenLancer Energy Inc., Detroit” (Article from Crain's Detroit)

For more information about GreenLancer, please visit GreenLancer.com.

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Michigan Tech 1 of 5 Universities Chosen to Help Improve Diversity in Mechanical Engineering Education

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image123548-horizMichigan Technological University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics is one of five mechanical engineering departments nationwide selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to participate in a new diversity training program. The others are Purdue, Oregon State, Texas Tech and the University of Oklahoma.
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Nina Mahmoudian Receives a Young Investigator Program Award from Office of Naval Research

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image123120-horizOnly 36 faculty across the US were invited to join the Young Investigator Program (YIP) from the Office of Naval Research this year; additionally, only a small percent of faculty receive the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Nina Mahmoudian, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics at Michigan Technological University, is one of a select few to receive both in the same year.

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ME-EM Hosts High Voltage/Temperature Materials and Structures (HVT) Meeting

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Odegard2The week of May 18th ME-EM hosted the semi-annual NSF I/UCRC Industrial Advisory Board meeting for the Center for Novel High Voltage/Temperature Materials and Structures (HVT). The meeting was organized by Site Director Greg Odegard (ME-EM) and Co-Directors Julie King (ChE) and Paul Sanders (MSE).

The meeting was attended by 46 faculty, graduate students and Industrial Advisory Board members from Michigan Tech’s Departments of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Engineering; University of Denver, University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne and Boeing, Bonneville Power Administration, BP, CTC Global, General Cable, John Crane Inc. Global, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Southwire Company and Western Area Power Administration.

The mission of the HVT Center is to develop and evaluate new materials and structures for a range of HVT technological applications, particularly for the power transmission and aerospace industries.

The HVT Center has entered its second year of operation; the meeting was focused on the review of the current projects, proposals for future research and discussions on directions for Center growth. The Center is jointly funded by NSF and the Industrial Advisory Board member companies.

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