Ingenuity 2008 by Russ College of Engineering and Technology

F R I T Z J. A N D D O L O R E S H . R U S S C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G A N D T E C H N O L O G Y

is published annually by the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University. Share your comments or questions by contacting us at ingenuity@ ohio.edu or 740.593.1488. Editor/Writer Colleen Carow Girton, M.B.A. ’05, M.A. ’97, B.S.J. ’93, director of external relations Assistants Spencer Elliot Melissa Gerber, M.S.J. ’08 Photographers Rick Fatica John Halley Michael Kleinman Luke Potter Institutional Equity Statement It is the policy of Ohio University that there shall be no discrimination against any individual in educational or employment opportunities because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, or veteran status. Ohio University is an affirmative action institution. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President and Provost, Office for Institutional Equity, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, Telephone: 740.593.2620.

ON THE COVER: The Russes make history once again. For the full story, see pages 10–11.

FEATURES

As It Begins .... 10 The Dick Mayer Years .... 19

Researchers Reap Revenue .... 14 Innovation at Work ...... 7 DEPARTMENTS From the Dean’s Desk ....................................... 2

From the Board ....................................... 8

Student Achievements ....................................... 4

Giving to the Russ College ....................................... 9

Student Life: Learning from Loss ....................................... 6

President’s Perspective ..................................... 12

Recent External Research Awards ..................................... 16 Faculty and Staff Awards ..................................... 18 Faculty and Staff Accomplishments ..................................... 20

New Hires/Retirees ..................................... 22 Class Notes ..................................... 23 Cooperative Education Report ..................................... 24

Research Spotlight ..................................... 13

FROM THE DEAN’S DESK

Dean Dennis Irwin

Dear alumni and friends:

In other exciting news, it’s hard to believe that just about a

year of construction remains on the Academic & Research ast year, I began by sharing the sad news of Dolores

Center. In early 2010, all Russ College classrooms, and

Russ’ passing. Since then, we’ve been looking back with

significant research space, will move into this new state-of-the-

fond memories, and we’ve been smiling whenever we see

art facility. As the steel skeleton rose this summer, we began

orange. It was Dolores’ favorite color, not counting our Ohio

to catch glimpses of how the building will change learning,

University green. We’ve also been looking ahead, thanks to

interaction, and research—for the better. We’re happy to give

the astounding $95 million estate gift that Dolores and Fritz,

you a peek at the progress, on page 9.

B.S.E.E. ’42, bequeathed to the Russ College. The Russ College did something extra to welcome our almost Fritz and Dolores were both humble, purposeful people.

350 first-year students this fall. We celebrated their arrival with

Our own purpose is now even more important—we are

an event that we hope to make an annual tradition. On the

approaching transformational decades during which we will

third day of classes, the Baker University Center ballroom

invest their years of planning. For more details on the gift and

was filled with hundreds of our new undergraduates, making

our plans, see page 10.

new friends and talking with faculty and department chairs over dinner.

Demonstrating their commitment to academic integrity, first-year students sign the Russ College Honor Code banner at the fall welcome event.

Also at the event, the Student and Faculty Academic Honor Councils hosted a Russ College Honor Code signing with a 15-foot-long banner now on display in Stocker Center. And we heard some life lessons from alumna Carla Lucchino, M.S.I.S.E. ’82. Carla, assistant deputy commandant of installations and logistics for the U.S. Marine Corps, oversees thousands of Marines and billions of their dollars. She treated us to some stories about working with generals and admirals every day, and had some thought-provoking comments on integrity. Another new annual event is our scholarship luncheon, at which we had the honor of celebrating our scholarship donors

Emmett Boyle, M.S. ’70, and Debbie Boger enjoy the fall scholarship luncheon.

and recipients. Beyond University-sponsored scholarships, more than 160 of our students hold scholarships provided by the Russ College. And many of those scholarships are awarded

In other academic news, we are using the change from

to multiple students at once. The Stocker Scholars award,

quarters to semesters as an opportunity to redesign our

created by the late Beth Stocker, is held by more than a dozen

curriculum. The Board of Trustees has approved the

students. The dean’s scholarship currently is held by more than

conversion, effective with the 2012–2013 academic year. Ohio

four times as many, thanks to gifts from alumni and friends to

University is the first of the four universities in Ohio still on

the dean’s discretionary fund. Because so many of you have

quarters to get board approval for making the switch.

given back, our students will have something to give as the

Ohio University and the Russ College also are leaders in new

engineers and technologists of tomorrow.

research efforts that have garnered almost $16 million in special-program state funding. Partnering with other colleges, universities, and organizations, our faculty are bringing prominence to Russ College research in bioinformatics and clean energy. For more on the projects, see page 14. As we get ready to send our fifth issue of Ingenuity off in the mail, we eagerly await the awarding of the fifth Russ Prize, in February. Administered by the National Academy of Engineering, the Russ Prize—one of the top three engineering prizes in the world—also brings prominence to the Russ College. It was all part of Fritz and Dolores’ plan. We are honored to be the keepers of their legacy, and we hope that

Gathered to celebrate the announcement of Fritz and Dolores Russ’ record-breaking estate gift, Dean Irwin greets Russ cousins Bill and Cheryl Herrmann.

we can bring them as much pride as they felt about their home here.

Dennis Irwin, Ph.D., P.E. Dean and Moss Professor of Engineering Education

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

soaring high

Engineering Ambassador Nichole Blackmore gets to know fellow students and Russ College donors at the fall scholarship luncheon.

Mihnea Anghelescu, a doctoral candidate in mechanical

for rut testing, and Flexible Pavements of Ohio reviewed

engineering, co-authored, with Professor of Mechanical

the written reports. A panel of industry experts judged the

Engineering Khairul Alam, the first analytical paper to be

mixture, report, and presentation.

published about the use of carbon foam as a new tooling material. The paper was presented and then published in the

Nichole Blackmore, a senior mechanical engineering major,

Jan./Feb. 2008 SAMPE journal, which also featured a figure

was awarded a nationally competitive, GEICO-sponsored Tau

from the paper as the cover illustration.

Beta Pi scholarship worth $2,000. Sponsored by the nation’s second-oldest honor society, the scholarship is awarded based

Civil engineering students won the Intercollegiate Asphalt Mix

on academic achievement, campus leadership, service, and

and Design Competition in February for the second year in a

promise of future contributions to the engineering professions.

row. Prior to submission, seniors Eric Biehl and Jared Perry, B.S.C.E. ’08, created and tested three different asphalts; the

Hiep Dinh, B.S.C.S. ’05, a computer science master’s

one that proved to be the most economical and rut-resistant

degree candidate, out-programmed more than 11,000

was submitted

competitors from across the globe in Google’s Code Jam,

to be judged.

a computer coding competition in which professional and

Asphalt specimens

student programmers are asked to solve complex algorithmic

were sent to Ohio

challenges in a limited amount of time. Google treated Dinh

Department of

and the other top 500 North and South America finishers to

Transportation

an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to compete for the top 100 spots. Dinh won $500 for his 57th-place finish. Eric Biehl, B.S.C.E. ’08, accepts his team’s award at the Intercollegiate Asphalt Mix and Design Competition.

Carlos Espinoza, a junior computer science major, received

Michael Marion, a senior computer science major, was

a nationally competitive Microsoft scholarship worth $4,500.

awarded a $4,000 U.S.-Japan Bridging Foundation

The annual merit-based undergraduate scholarship requires

Scholarship for study in Japan, as well as a $5,000 Gilman

enrollment in a full-time, computer-science-related

International Scholarship. Marion is spending fall and

bachelor’s degree program and a minimum 3.0 cumulative

winter quarters studying Japanese language and culture at

grade-point average.

Chubu University near Nagoya, Japan. Pursuing a career as a computer software designer, Marion hopes his Japanese minor

Seth Hostetler, an industrial and systems engineering master’s

will complement his computer engineering skills.

degree candidate, received a $3,000 Material Handling Education Foundation Storage Equipment Manufacturers

Four graduate students, Yanhui Fang, Jourdan Siemer, En

Association Honor Scholarship. For his master’s thesis,

Ye, and Ying Zhong, were awarded a $10,000 grant by the

Hostetler, who hopes to become a professor, is researching

Environmental Protection Agency to compete in the National

packing boxes into a delivery truck in a given sequence.

Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity, & the Planet (P3). The team designed a

Dan Leach, B.S.E.E. ’08, received a Fulbright Scholarship to

video game to increase public awareness of everyday chemical

study brain-computer interfacing in Japan.

exposures. The project was awarded an honorable mention from the EPA. Vanktesh Shirure, a doctoral candidate in chemical and

biomolecular engineering, received an honorable mention for a Nancy R. Gelman Foundation Grant, which is awarded to individuals planning projects to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer. Shirure proposed to study the role of adhesion molecules in the aggressive bone metastasis of breast cancer. He argued that understanding the role of adhesion molecules could lead to new ways to not only diagnose, but also treat, late stages of breast cancer.

Hiep Dinh, B.S.C.S. ’05, programs in the lab.

STUDENT LIFE

Learning from Loss

ast fall, I was praying for nothing more than landing a cooperative education position with a structural engineering firm for the remainder of the school year. When I arrived home in Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving and still had not secured a position, I was frustrated. Then, a call came from human resources at Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. (SGH), a New York City structural and building enclosure engineering company to whom I had sent my résumé almost two months before. I ended up getting the job—just a month before the start date. I joined SGH in January 2008, working at the Midtown Manhattan office across 34th Street from the Empire State Building, as well as at dozens of other project sites in and around the New York City metro area— including the World Trade Center site.

All of my work in the office such as checking shop drawings, performing design calculations, putting together field reports, and interacting with the many talented SGH employees was invaluable—but the time I spent on site visits added amazing depth to my experience. Because SGH specializes in new design, investigation, and rehabilitation projects, I was able to get involved with a variety of fieldwork. One of those projects is the resupport of a critical slurry wall at the World Trade Center site. The wall is supported by caissons, or steel that is bolted and welded together, then encased in concrete and drilled into bedrock. At one point, the welds on a cais-

son failed when a crane lifted the steel assemblies, and I was asked to go to the site and investigate. I had to inspect the assemblies, take photos, and interview experts. Since September 11, I have been fascinated with the engineering and societal aspects of the World Trade Center site, but I never dreamed I would have a chance to work there.

Civil engineering major assists with World Trade Center site reconstruction by Patrick Miner, civil engineering senior

Another exciting project was working with SGH’s building enclosure division to investigate a defective curtain wall facade on an 18-story building in Jersey City, N.J.—which meant I rode a swing-stage scaffolding up and down the side of the building on a daily basis. For another task, a rehabilitation job, I helped measure and document structural elements and connections in a lower-Manhattan building that was constructed in 1889, for which there were no existing structural drawings. My co-op assignment taught me a great deal of things that are not covered in the classroom, as far as engineering goes. But this is also true of ethics, budgeting, writing, interpersonal skills, and life in general. Just moving to and living in different areas of in the nation’s largest city— whether commuting on the PATH train beneath the Hudson River or through Central Park on my bicycle—was quite an experience. Still, I looked forward to my return to the beautiful Appalachian hills of Athens, Ohio. So, it was the best of both worlds for me.

Top photo: Patrick Miner (left, white hat), checks work on the slurry wall at the Freedom Tower site in Manhattan. Bottom photo: Standing on a swing-stage scaffolding hanging down the side of an 18-story building in Jersey City, NJ, Miner helps inspect the structure’s curtain-wall façade.

ACADEMIC FEATURE

ix capstone design teams did more than demonstrate their projects when completed—they demonstrated the potential that engineers have to change lives in the workplace, and beyond.

Sponsored by the National Institute for the Severely Handicapped, the six mechanical engineering teams were asked to use technology to improve employment opportunities for the disabled. Working with community partners, each team designed and developed an assistive technology product. The Stocker Center Street Gang designed a self-contained geared wheel that attaches to a standard wheelchair, making it easier for the user to ascend an obstacle such as a steep ramp. The wheel was specially designed “I believe that for Carolyn Bailey Lewis, of Ohio University’s the purpose of director Telecommunications Center.

engineering is to help improve the quality of living for human beings.”

—Daniel Folz, B.S.M.E. ’08

“This new geared wheel will really help relieve the pressure of getting up a steep place,” Lewis said, noting that while campus ramps meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, they can still pose challenges.

Team member Brian Kaufman, BSME ’08, says he is proud to have been part of a team that created a beneficial concept. “Every time I look at a wheelchair, I think back to the hours we spent designing and refining our concept,” he said. Partnering with a retail employee, Team MeToo created a lifting vest that helps a person who has lost an arm lift large, heavy objects with ease. Halliday’s Heroes created a pulley system that decreases the force required to operate a body-powered prosthesis. Tim Lang, a dairy farmer in Marietta, fits the system into his standard forearm prosthesis. His back pain has decreased as a result of the new system. “I can really feel a difference in my shoulders,” said Lang, who milks 100 cows twice a day. “Also, I like that the moving parts are on the inside so they won’t get caught on anything.”

“Before, I was not able to lift these bigger boxes at all,” said Dan Bohner, team MeToo’s client. “Now, they are no problem at all.”

Superior Student Solutions designed an automated cardboard cutting station to create an opportunity for a physically disabled person in the cardboard cutting unit at SW Resources in Parkersburg, West Va. Team ABP designed a tab-dispensing device for Hocking Valley Industries (HVI) that increases production and allows people with more severe disabilities perform a tabsorting task. Working with ATCO, a local nonprofit that provides employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities, Team Redundancy Team created a ballpoint pen assembly jig for an employee of ProPoint with severe mobility and dexterity limitations. The device lines the ink cartridge with the pen barrel, allowing Roy to easily slide the pen up a slope to a platform where it comes to rest. Then, he can press a button and the device slides the ink cartridge tightly into the pen barrel. The team’s design cut Roy’s pen assembly time from up to ten minutes, to an average of four minutes—and Roy was able to complete the activity with less strain. “They all demonstrated what is important—that they helped someone in the community,” said Gregory Kremer, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Beth Ruth (Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission/THISability Magazine) and Melissa Gerber contributed to this story.

EDITORIAL

From the Russ College Board

Engineers Touching Lives, Lives Touching Engineers Debbie Burke, B.S.Ch.E. ‘85, is chair of the board of visitors. A former engineering and construction manager for Columbia Gas of Ohio and Kentucky for 16 years, she also serves on the National Alumni Board. She lives in the Columbus area with her husband, Bill, D.O. ‘88, and their children, Lydia, 12, and Ross, 10.

ost of what engineers accomplish each day goes

extension and reflection of himself, saying the pen assembly

unnoticed by most people. We undertake many

jig wouldn’t have been the same without him on the team.

actions that can touch lives in big or small ways,

Beyond the great work they did for Roy, Dylan and his team

in ways we might not even realize at the moment. We have

inspired me—and my fellow board members—that day.

both great power and great responsibility as engineers and

And Roy was just one of the people we know of whom

technologists to touch lives. In turn, the people and projects

Dylan touched.

we encounter have the power to touch us. Fritz and Dolores Russ had already touched thousands of lives In May, mechanical engineering senior design teams

as champions of engineering education before they left their

demonstrated just that when presenting their projects to the

humbling estate gift to the Russ College. We’ll never be able

Russ College Board of Visitors at our annual spring meeting.

to adequately quantify the influence of their generosity—but

An especially memorable moment was trying out the

we know it will be exponential, building student upon

ballpoint pen assembly jig that “Team Redundancy Team”

student, professor upon professor, year upon year for decades

(TRT) created for Roy, a disabled worker.

to come.

In a flash, I experienced how TRT made a simple operation

We thank the Russes for trusting us and enabling us to prepare

more efficient, and therefore, improved not only productivity,

future engineers and technologists that will leave the gates of

but more importantly, the life of someone who struggles to

Ohio University to go and touch lives across the world.

do things I take for granted. I saw Roy through our students’ eyes and felt how he had touched their lives. Then, in another

It is a privilege to serve on the Russ College Board of Visitors,

flash, this past August, one of those students was gone when

and to take my new post this year as chair. I eagerly await

Dylan Andrews passed away in an ATV accident a week short

learning more about the many ways the Russ College is

of completing his classes.

improving lives for so many.

A fellow TRT team member, senior Micah McCreery, B.A. ’03, noted that Dylan viewed the project’s results as an

EDITOR’S NOTE: For more on the senior design projects, see page 7.

GIVING TO THE RUSS COLLEGE

Storybook College Experience Inspires Alumna to Create Scholarship

“If you want a storybook college life, that was it,” says Monica Collins, B.S.Ch.E. ’98. “Everything about it was perfect.” But Collins, today the operations manager of a merchant services company she runs with her husband, Christopher, in Raleigh, N.C., freely admits that she wasn’t the typical Russ College student. A physical therapy major who transferred into the Russ College as a sophomore and studied summers to catch up, Collins considered herself an average student with a strong commitment to extracurriculars. “I enjoyed my social time more than my fellow engineering students,” says the former Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and sailing club member. But she also admits that her education—in and out of the classroom—was a formula for success. “Extracurricular activities, and my engineering background, are why I’m able to do what I do today,” says Collins. That’s why she and her husband created the William and Cecilia Bees Scholarship, for an average student with extracurricular involvement. The award is named in honor of her parents—father William was a civil engineer. They provided a college education for her and three siblings, including Andrew Bees, B.S.M.E. ’01. “We were lucky to have parents who valued a college education and provided us the opportunity to get a great education with no worries of the cost,” explains Collins, the mother of Parker, 6, and Allison, 4. Another motivating factor: the lack of options for average students. “Just because you’re from a typical American family doesn’t mean

you’re less worthy of grants or a scholarship,” says Collins, who worked at Perk’s coffeehouse and campus computer labs to help pay living expenses. While she hasn’t been back to campus since graduation, Collins recalls professors and classes as though she walked the halls of Stocker Center yesterday. “Dr. Dinos had all the patience in the world for me, and Dr. Gulino—I’d go into his office two or three times with the same question,” she recalls. “Dr. Sampson challenged you in ways others wouldn’t—his class made you be an adult and think about different ways to do things,” she adds. “And Dr. Stuart is a student’s teacher. He teaches for the students; he loves the students to learn. His classes were different because of that.” Collins notes that besides the math and equations, her most important academic exercise was learning how to problem-solve and think systematically. “Engineers can think through it, bullet point it, and get it done,” she says. That lesson is enveloped in the green warmth of springtime in Athens, and images of driving back into campus along the Hocking River after a weekend at home. “The memories are all so good that it’s hard to look back and say just one is the best,” she says.

Demonstrate Your Dedication to Engineering Education Construction continues on the Academic & Research Center, a $30 million, 100,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art learning and research facility that the Russ College will share with the College of Osteopathic Medicine and others. Occupation is slated for early 2010. From student interactive spaces to incubators for centers of excellence, opportunities exist to name a space in the center. Donors

making gifts from $25,000 to $1 million will forever be recognized at both the specific and a central location within the building. This is a unique opportunity for alumni and friends to make their mark on a singular place. For more information, contact Dan Stroh, assistant dean for development, at 740.593.0894 or strohd@ohio.edu. For more information, visit www.ohio.edu/development/ilrf/. 9.

GIVING TO THE RUSS COLLEGE

As It Begins The Russes had a vision way back when

10.

wo lifetimes dedicated to engineering and engineering education culminated earlier in 2008 with the largest gift any public engineering college—or any public university in the state of Ohio—ever received. And while the Russ College was named the official beneficiary of the $95 million estate gift from the late Fritz, B.S.E.E. ’42, and Dolores Russ, the true beneficiaries are the thousands of students, faculty, and staff who have and will experience activities, programs, research, and access to education they never before thought possible. Dedication, possibility, opportunity, growth, vision—just a few Russ legacies. Giving back was another. Their estate gift—$82.1 million in cash and securities in addition to $12.7 million in property— brings the Russes’ total giving to $103.7 million. Prior to this gift, they had contributed almost $9 million to Ohio University, the majority of which is held in endowments that support the Russ College. The Russes’ generosity has made them the largest donors in the University’s history. Another engineering family—C. Paul and Beth K. Stocker— are next on the list with contributions totaling $31.9 million. The Russes believed in putting support where it would have significant influence. In addition to supporting students and facilities, they created named awards for excellence in teaching and research. In the 1980s, they established an endowment that currently supports

a named professorship. That same endowment also provided seed funds for a program in biomedical engineering, which Fritz Russ saw even at that time as an emerging field. Biomedical engineering is the current field for recipients of the Russ Prize, which the Russes created to recognize how engineering improves the human condition. One of the top three engineering prizes in the world, the Russ Prize is awarded biennially in conjunction with the National Academy of Engineering. It will be awarded in February for the fifth time. “Fritz and Dolores Russ lived modestly, thought expansively, and gave generously, but they did expect something in return—not recognition for themselves, not accolades, however deserving of them they may have been. They expected those to whom they gave to follow their example of thinking expansively,” Irwin said. Irwin will lead an external, blueribbon advisory group of experts from industry, government, and engineering education that will help the Russ College plan strategies for honoring the Russes’ commitment to innovation and engineering education. Research investment will take cues from the College’s strategic research areas: avionics, biomedical engineering, energy and the environment, and smart civil infrastructure. It is expected that funds also will support student scholarships, leadership incentives, and activities including travel to competitions. The Russ Research Center, a 28-acre research campus that offers a hightech atmosphere and currently houses 13 companies, remained part of the Russes’ real estate holdings and is included in the gift to Ohio University. Dean Irwin has recommended to the Ohio University Foundation that it be retained as a strategic partner in research and technology for the Russ College. “We hope to connect our faculty, researchers, and students with the research endeavors of the high-tech companies located there—for the benefit of the center and for the Russ College and Ohio University,” Irwin says.

OPPORTUNITY “The paper that was selected for the award was the first publication about the ammonia electrolysis technology that has been licensed recently. Due to that paper, I won a National Science Foundation award. There are a lot of things the Russes left behind that we are learning from still, and that’s inspiring.” — Gerri Botte, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineer ing, Russ Outstanding Research Paper Award recipient VISION “The biomedical engineering program is unique because it involves not just engineers but also molecular biologists, physicians, and also research physicians. You can actually expand to all these different fields and get their input and it can help accelerate your research as well as bring in new ideas.” — Anthony Schwartz, B.S.C.S. ’08, biomedical engineering M.S. candidate GROWTH “The Russ Teaching Award came at a time when I was actually considering another career path. It had been about seven years since I had started teaching and I was very excited about what I was doing but I was discouraged and actually was looking for other opportunities. The students who vote on the award and do the interviews encouraged me by saying, ‘We like what you’re doing.’ So in essence, the reason I’m still here today is because of the Russ teaching award.” — Ben Stuart, associate professor of civil engineering, Russ Outstanding Teaching Award recipient POSSIBILITY They are for me, and I think for the College, a great source of inspiration. They’ve always worked on things very, very hard and building things up from ground level. But I think, for me, their personal interest in everybody has been quite influential. I remember talking to Fritz, and he was always very interested, wanted to know exactly what was going on, and most importantly, how he could help.” — Frank VanGraas, Ph.D. ’88, Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Professor of Electrical Engineering DEDICATION “Through my Engineering Ambassador experience I was given the privilege of meeting Dolores. She told me the stories and gave me insight into the love that they had in their relationship and the respect that they shared, and also that they were one spirit in their generosity and their dedication to education.” — Sadie Roth, B.S.I.S.E. ’06, industrial and systems engineering M.S. candidate

11.

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

The PROMISE “Religion morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” —Northwest Ordinance of 1787

ulfilling the promise of Ohio University is a responsibility shared by everyone from students and faculty to alumni and administrators. It is a legacy we inherited from our founders who understood that education was the key to opportunity for the people of our state. It is a part of our essence, our Bobcat spirit that transcends through our more than 200 years as a premier educational institution. Helping students realize their greatest potential is something we recommit ourselves to each and every day. Because of our faculty, who are nationally recognized in their respective fields, students have an unparalleled opportunity to engage and receive mentorship opportunities with respected experts.

In the Russ College, our faculty and staff’s commitment to helping our students make a difference is evident in the handson learning, research, and creative activity opportunities. The Russ College is preparing the next generation of engineers and technologists—the leaders who will design the technologies our world needs and meet the challenges we face. They will create more efficient engines, build better bridges, design faster computers, navigate future aircraft, and develop technologies that will save lives in medical emergencies. Helping students to achieve their promise is not possible without the generous commitment of our alumni and friends. Two wonderful and dear friends of Ohio University, Fritz and Dolores Russ have placed their remarkable legacy in our hands. By bequeathing $95 million, the Russes have entrusted us with the responsibility to carry forward their commitment to innovation, engineering, and the betterment of humankind through our stewardship of this incredible gift. Last academic year, we also learned that our dear friend Beth Stocker provided $5 million. Half was designated for the Russ College, with the rest designated to the University Libraries, student scholarships, and the Program to Aid Career Exploration.

Sharing a laugh, President McDavis and Virginia Patton Moss enjoy the Russ College spring awards celebration.

In addition to the Russes’ and Mrs. Stocker’s gifts, the Russ College was blessed to receive more than $3 million in gift commitments to innovative initiatives such as the Academic & Research Center, which will transform how Russ College students learn and our faculty discover new technologies. This continued generosity and commitment from alumni and friends will help Ohio University and the Russ College realize its commitment to our students, our faculty, and our communities. Our students have the promise to change our world, and we are counting on them to make a difference.

12.

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

The Latest on

Russ College Research

Ohio Coal Research Center

The Ohio Coal Research Center has continued to develop carbon recycling technologies through the use of photosynthetic microorganisms. Working with the Biofuels Research Laboratory, a fellow unit in the Russ College’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment, researchers are transforming micro-algae into a biomass feestock for biodiesel. The result may significantly influence the supply of biodiesel fuel as a replacement for petroleum diesel. Several industrial partners are interested in extending the technology to address other feedstock concerns, such as the production of bio-polymers as a sustainable material in the plastics industry.

Ben Stuart, director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment, readies his BIOD 4 ME-tagged Ford Excursion, which can be fueled with biodiesel, for the Homecoming parade.

Center for Intelligent, Distributed, and Dependable Systems

On behalf of Ohio University, the Center for Intelligent, Distributed, and Dependable Systems is collaborating with 11 other colleges and universities—and

industry leaders—on a multimillion-dollar, state-funded project to recruit students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical (STEM) fields. Editor’s note: For the full story, see page 14.

Graduate assistants Ryan Young and John Dowler discuss CASSI’s cost-estimation project for General Electric.

Center for Advanced Software Systems Integration

An eight-year, $2 million costestimation General Electric Aviation project has been extended to include work for GE Energy. In addition to helping GE determine which jet engine designs are most cost effective, Russ College faculty members and graduate students from electrical, industrial and systems, and mechanical engineering are now applying the cost-estimation methods to GE’s gas turbines. Researchers examine part drawings, identify dimensions and other attributes that describe the part’s geometry and features, and then develop models to estimate the time and materials required for manufacturing.

Avionics Engineering Center

The Avionics Engineering Center is helping the Federal Aviation Administration produce a new distance measuring equipment (DME) specification. Approximately 1,000 DME stations across the U.S. support a complex, on-demand navigation system that helps pilots fly airplanes to specific destinations. The new specification will enable more friendly and efficient use of airspace.

Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment (ORITE)

The Ohio Department of Transportation has asked ORITE to assess approaches to clean up pollutants from highway runoff. One approach is the exfiltration trench, where water is strained through a layer of coarse, pervious concrete—then through one or more layers of fine filter material before running into a storm sewer or other drainage system. The other approach is a vegetated biofilter, which consists of a grassy slope leading to a grass-lined ditch. The vegetation retards the flow of water, traps suspended solids, and absorbs the metals.

13.

RESEARCH FEATURE

Russ College Researchers Reap Revenue

he last year has brought new advances in high-tech research at the Russ College—and attention from leaders across Ohio.

The state of Ohio has awarded Ohio University, Russ College, and partners several major grants for research into bioinformatics and clean energy technology. Totaling almost $16 million, the state funding will help continue to advance the Russ College to the forefront of state-of-the-art research and development—as well as create and strengthen influential connections with other institutions. In March, an Ohio University-led proposal was among just seven to earn funding in the first round of the new Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program, giving the Ohio Consortium for Bioinformatics $4.475 million for student scholarships.

(L to R): Dave Bayless, Lonnie Welch, and Gerri Botte

Ohio University and the Russ College are partnering with 11 other colleges and universities—and the Ohio Supercomputer Center, the Ralph Regula School of Computational Science, and industry leaders—to attract and graduate an estimated 345 students in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical fields over five years. Partners in the consortium will contribute more than $4.6 million to develop programs, expand offerings, and cover other related costs. Bioinformatics is the field of science in which biology, computer science, and information technology merge to form a single discipline that relies on high-performance computing to analyze large amounts of data. It can assist in efforts as diverse as finding cures for diseases, making advances in agriculture, and enhancing industrial opportunities. One of the fastest-growing areas in science, the need for bioinformatics has been driven by the vast amount of data that now can be generated by such technologies as DNA sequencing. Lonnie Welch, Stuckey Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Russ College, has been working for several years to bring bioinformatics experts across the state together. He and Terry Lewis, M.F.A. ’78, of the Ohio Supercomputer Center, organized the first Ohio Collaborative Bioinformatics Conference, held on the Athens campus in 2006. With the funding, Welch envisions the state taking a leadership role in a field that has the potential to help society in endless ways and create thousands of jobs across Ohio. 14.

“I’ve seen the expertise we have around the state of Ohio in this field,” Welch said. “By pulling together that expertise, we can form a very strong entity that covers all the areas of bioinformatics. Each of us complements what the other is doing. That’s going to be unique in the nation.” The Russ College also continues to spearhead research efforts into cleaner, more sustainable energy and environmental protection. Gerardine Botte, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, was awarded $973,992 in April to establish the Center of Excellence on Advanced Electrochemical Technologies. The money comes from Ohio’s Third Frontier program for research and economic development, and will go towards the purchase of new equipment and renovation of facilities in Stocker Center and the University’s research park in Athens, along with salaries of a research technician and two postdoctoral student fellows. Botte, already internationally recognized for her research on and development of ammonia and hydrogen-based fuel cells, intends to expand her research on new technologies. Projects include electrochemical sensors for wastewater treatment; hydrogen production from electrolysis of unconventional fuels such as ammonia, ethanol, and wastewater; ammonia and solidoxide fuel cells; and waste remediation technologies. Botte currently manages the Electrochemical Engineering Research Laboratory, which employs both graduate and undergraduate researchers and will be incorporated into the center of excellence. Her research also receives funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.

“The Third Frontier program will really help us reach our goals,” Botte said. “Being recognized by both national and international programs will help attract more attention and investment.” While Botte and her colleagues work on innovating new methods of energy production and storage, new state funding is also going to cutting-edge research on improving existing technologies. The state of Ohio’s Research Scholars Program awarded Ohio University and lead partner The Ohio State University almost $10.5 million this year to establish a collaborative cluster in advanced energy systems. The grant links Ohio University’s research on cleaner coal technologies with similar efforts at Ohio State. Russ College researchers have received more than $8 million since 2000 to determine more efficient ways to generate electricity and heat from coal—while creating less pollution. Led by Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dave Bayless, also director of the Ohio Coal Research Center, Russ College faculty, researchers, and students are studying fuel cells, converting coal to syngas (gasification) to make electricity and fuels, and using algae to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal. As part of the grant, Ohio University and Ohio State each received one endowed research scholar position. Ohio University’s endowed chair in coal research was created with about $2.5 million from the award, with matching funds from Russ College endowments. Bayless said that the funding will expand Ohio University’s already extensive and well known research in converting coal to clean energy. “Hiring an expert faculty member will advance the critical area of turning coal to a variety of products, such as fuels and chemicals, in addition to electricity,” he said. “It’s clear that as a nation, we have to move towards less dependence on foreign oil and coal conversion must be part of that effort.” Funds are also being used to support coal research staff and graduate students and to upgrade research space for the Russ College’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment. The institute, the umbrella organization for the Ohio Coal Research Center and the Center for Air Quality, also oversees laboratories that specialize in fuel cells and biofuels. Ohio University clean coal research is part of a larger research initiative, the Consortium for Energy, Education and the Environment (CE3), launched in 2003. It unites engineers in fuel and air quality research with scientists and scholars in the College of Arts and Sciences and Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs who study watershed reclamation and develop government policy solutions. “This is an affirmation of the work we’ve been doing over the last five years, building relationships across the University and with other university partners,” said Scott Miller, CE3 director. “The new funding will build Ohio University’s ability to meet the advanced energy research needs for the state of Ohio.” Mary Alice Casey; Spencer Elliot; Andrea Gibson, B.S.J. ’04; and Katie Quaranta contributed to this story.

Air Force Partnership Shows Promise

Project aids development of better planes, spacecraft

everal Russ College projects have received major recognition from across the state in the last year—and one has gotten national attention. The Russ College is partnering with several leaders in the aerospace industry on a $1.6 million federal project to research and develop the next generation of heat exchangers for military airplanes and spacecraft. In a project launched last November, Ohio University’s Center for Advanced Materials Processing is working with GrafTech International, the Ohio Aerospace Institute, and Air Force Research Laboratories to develop the exchangers. Khairul Alam, the University’s Moss Professor of Mechanical Engineering and researcher in charge of its part in the project, said the heat exchangers represent an exciting new technology because they have the potential to increase efficiency and decrease emissions in military planes. U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, who worked to secure federal funding for the project alongside Sen. George Voinovich, was optimistic that the research will be at the forefront of modernizing military technology and spurring economic development in Ohio. “We have research and technology for our military going on right here in Athens, Ohio, and that makes me proud,” Wilson said. Heat exchangers serve a variety of purposes on military and commercial aircraft, such as oil coolers and fuel heaters. The heat exchangers under development are made from carbon foam, and will weigh up to 40 percent less than ones now in use, conserving energy, saving money, and increasing aircraft lifespans. According to Alam, they could be adapted for commercial uses in jetliners and even home heating systems and refrigerators. “This is the next generation of heat exchangers that will allow people to make more energy-efficient products,” Alam said. Alam is working with several Ohio University graduate students to develop models to test various configurations of the foam, allowing them to determine how to make it both conductive and cost-effective. GrafTech, a leading carbon and graphite products manufacturer based in Parma, Ohio, ultimately will manufacture the heat exchangers.

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RESEARCH

Recent External

Research Awards For 2007–2008, the Russ College reported $12.1 million in research and sponsored programs. Highlights of recent awards, listed with the researcher name(s) and affiliation(s), are:

Chang Liu (Center for Advanced

Khairul Alam (Center for Advanced Materials Processing): $50,067 from Material Innovations, Inc., for the hybrid enclosure program. Khairul Alam and Rudy Pasic (Center for Advanced Materials Processing): $95,909 from Applied Sciences, Inc., for the development of low-cost conducting polymer for electrostatic precipitators. Tom Arthur (Avionics Engineering Center): $92,000 from a leading products and services company for an antenna baseline and attitude measurement systems feasbility study for the unmanned aerial vehicle. Tom Arthur and Kevin Johnson

(Avionics Engineering Center): $17,038 from Athena Technologies/RockwellCollins, for testing of INS/GPS/ ADAHRS units using the L-29 Delfin jet.

Michael Braasch (Avionics Engineering

Center): $25,000 from Honeywell Inc., for inertial navigation GPS/DGPS studies.

Michael Braasch (Avionics

Engineering Center): $100,000 from the FAA for integrated avionics technology development.

Michael DiBenedetto (Avionics

Engineering Center): $159,000 from the FAA for the development of automatic dependent surveillancebroadcast/flight inspection requirements methodologies and procedures. Jamie Edwards/Aaron Wilson

(Avionics Engineering Center): $75,409 from Thales ATM Inc. for the EFGS installation and optimization at the Los Angeles International Airport.

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Software Systems Integration): $10,000 from Shawnee State University for using Second Life as a pedagogical tool for improving statistics homework.

Chang Liu (Center for Intelligent, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Eric Steinberg and Aziz Gulistani, a participant in the Afghan Merit Scholar program, use software to model complete bridge systems in an Ohio Department of Transportation project aimed at assessing the effect of deteriorated bridge beams. Gulistani is one of seven participants in the Afghan Merit Scholars Program, in which faculty from Kabul and Kabul Polytechnic universities are pursuing master’s degrees in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering.