techcentury A PUBLICATION OF THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY OF DETROIT
V.20 | N.4  WINTER 2015-2016
Engineering & the
ARTS
ESD Launches Five New Student Chapters at Mich. Universities
14
Sign Up for ESD Members-Only Behind-the-Scenes Technical Tours 10
3-D Printing: A Career Path Towards Creative Idea Realization
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IS EvERyThIng. Today, more than ever, global competition and corporate streamlining require innovative thinking and leadership
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Architecture and Design | Arts and Sciences | Engineering | Management
Lawrence Technological University | Office of Admissions 21000 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48075-1058 800.225.5588 | admissions@ltu.edu | www.ltu.edu
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ESD’s newly launched student chapter at Lake Superior State University. See page 14.
techcentury A PUBLICATION OF THE ENGINEERING SOCIETY OF DETROIT
V.20
I N.4
WINTER 2015–2016
FEATURES
17 Lights, Camera—Engineering! BY MICHELLE LARSOSA
18 Engineering and Public Art: A Special Convergence BY PAUL DANNELS
20 Art Meets Engineering at the DIA
2016
BEST COLLEGES for Veterans U.S. News & World Report®
2016
DEPARTMENTS
3 U.S. News & 4 World Report 5 2015 ILITARY 2016 6 RIENDLY BEST SCHOOLS O O L Design 7 S C HGame G.I. Jobs Princeton Review 8 1 1 6 5 0 0 2 2 9
BEST COLLEGES for Veterans ®
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PUBLICATION NOTES PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE MEMBERS IN THE NEWS MEMBER BENEFITS IN MEMORIAM CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILE UPCOMING EVENTS
SPECIAL FEATURES
14 16
ESD STUDENT CHAPTERS LOTT: SHARING THE WEALTH
22 Left Brain? Right Brain? Designer Says Engineering & Art Use the Whole Brain 24 Engineering and Arts Make Beautiful Music and More at Michigan Tech BY MARK WILCOX
26 Digital Tools Promote the Art of Design and Construction BY ERIC POPE
28 Art, Architecture and the American City 30 3D Printing: A Career Path Towards Creative Idea Realization BY NASSIF RAYESS, RAY OKONSKI AND PATRICK PAWLOWSKI
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 1
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Publication
techcentury
NOTES
V.20 I N.4 WINTER 2015–2016
20700 Civic Center Drive, Suite 450 • Southfield, MI 48076 248–353–0735 • 248–353–0736 fax • esd@esd.org • www.esd.org
Thomas M. Doran, PE, FESD Editorial Board Chair Retired, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc.
Technology Century Editorial Board
CHAIR: Thomas M. Doran, PE, FESD, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (Retired) Nuha Alfahham Sandra Diorka, Delhi Charter Township Utpal Dutta, PhD, University of Detroit Mercy William A. Moylan, PhD, PMP, FESD, Eastern Michigan University Mark A. Nasr, Esq., Plunkett Cooney John G. Petty, FESD, General Dynamics (Retired) Filza H. Walters, Lawrence Technological University Lynley M. Weston, PE, LEED AP BD+C, Turner Construction Co. Yang Zhao, PhD, Wayne State University STAFF LIAISON: Matt Roush, The Engineering Society of Detroit
ESD Board of Directors
PRESIDENT: Douglas E. Patton, FESD, DENSO International America, Inc. VICE PRESIDENT: Daniel E. Nicholson, General Motors Company TREASURER: Steven E. Kurmas, PE, FESD, DTE Energy SECRETARY: Robert Magee, The Engineering Society of Detroit IMM. PAST PRESIDENT: Kouhaila G. Hammer, CPA, Ghafari Associates, LLC MEMBERS AT LARGE: Larry Alexander, Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau
Katherine M. Banicki, FESD, Testing Engineers and Consultants Michael D. Bolon, FESD, General Dynamics Land Systems (Retired) Patrick J. Devlin, Michigan Building Trades Council Robert A. Ficano, JD, Wayne County Community College District Farshad Fotouhi, PhD, Wayne State University Lori Gatmaitan, SAE Foundation Malik Goodwin, Goodwin Management Group, LLC Susan S. Hawkins, FESD, Detroit Medical Center Alex F. Ivanikiw, AIA, LEED AP, Barton Malow Company Ali Jammoul, Ford Motor Company David C. Munson, Jr., PhD, FESD, University of Michigan Scott Penrod, Walbridge Bill Rotramel, FCA US LLC (Retired) Kirk T. Steudle, PE, FESD, Michigan Department of Transportation Satish S. Udpa, PhD, FESD, Michigan State University William J. Vander Roest, PE, ZF TRW Lewis N. Walker, PhD, PE, FESD, Lawrence Technological University Rich Wells, The Dow Chemical Company Terry J. Woychowski, FESD, American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc.
When the ESD Editorial Board discussed “Engineering and the Arts” as a possible topic for TechCentury, everyone was excited about the idea. We thought this would be a fascinating topic to explore. So many intersections of engineering and art come to mind. Just a few include my friend, Jim, who happens to be an engineer, using finely engineered cameras to produce photographic art; the engineering of the highly functional Mackinac Bridge that’s also a soaring work of art and beauty; the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao we visited with its sparkling stainless steel facade and absence of right angles, while being functional inside. Many consider well designed and elegantly styled cars to be works of art. I’m sure you can come up with your own lists. We hope you enjoy our explorations of the topic in the pages ahead. Also, I’d like to welcome you to participate in your TechCentury magazine. We’re always looking for new talent for the TechCentury Editorial Board, which meets six times a year at ESD Headquarters in Southfield, and we love feedback about the magazine and website in general. Feel free to email me at tdoran@hrc-engr.com or TechCentury managing editor Matt Roush at mroush@esd.org.
Technology Century Staff
PUBLISHER: Robert Magee, Executive Director CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nick Mason, Director of Operations MANAGING EDITOR: Matt Roush, Director of Communications and Public Relations GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Keith Cabrera-Nguyen
Technology Century (ISSN 1091-4153 USPS 155-460) is published four times per year by The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD), 20700 Civic Center Drive, Suite 450, Southfield, MI 48076. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, MI, and at additional mailing offices. The authors, editors, and publisher will not accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made in this publication. The publisher makes no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. Advertisements in Technology Century for products, services, courses, and symposia are published with a caveat emptor (buyer beware) understanding. The authors, editors, and publisher do not imply endorsement of products, nor quality, validity or approval of the educational material offered by such advertisements.
Support Your Profession: Join the ESD Legacy Society To become a member of the ESD Legacy Society, simply include ESD in your estate planning and let us know. Please contact Heather Lilley at 248-353-0735, ext. 120, or hlilley@esd.org, for more information.
Subscriptions to Technology Century are available to nonmembers for $25 per year. ©2015 The Engineering Society of Detroit
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 3
ESD PRESIDENT MESSAGE
ARTS
and Engineering–
Always Close,
Getting Closer.
I
believe art and engineering have been closely allied fields for a long, long time. This is particularly true in architecture, where we see the results all around us in the built environment. Without both art and engineering, how can architects create such beautiful, durable buildings? Today, graphic designers and engineers are becoming more closely related, as architects have been for generations. At my employer, DENSO International America Inc., I have a small staff of graphic designers to develop instrument clusters and cockpits, plus many other products. Today’s consumer expects fine design— art, really—in virtually every consumer product. I hate to admit it, but I believe Apple really helped advance this expectation with the iPhone. Just the feel of the iPhone is art. Today, the human machine interface (HMI) is really where art—not just the art of sight, but also the art of touch—comes together with engineering. This HMI art is becoming ever more important in our lives. However, we should never forget that it takes good engineering to make all those beautiful products practical, functional and reliable. Enjoy this look at engineering and the arts, and we’ll see you again in the spring! Sincerely,
Douglas E. Patton, FESD ESD President Executive Vice President & Chief Technical Officer, Engineering Division, DENSO International America, Inc.
4 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
Scott Stowitts
Sal Conigliaro
Christopher Vogelheim
Barton Malow Co. announced that Scott Stowitts, PE, has joined the company as project director, focused on expanding the company’s water and wastewater treatment portfolio. Over a 20-year career, Stowitts has designed and constructed water and waste transmission and treatment facilities for the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department, City of Dearborn and Wayne County. He has a Masters of Science and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Michigan State University, is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Michigan, and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, The Engineering Society of Detroit and the Construction Industry Institute. Hubbell, Roth & Clark Inc. added Sal Conigliaro, PE, as Senior Project Engineer. Conigliaro previously served seven years as Director of Public Works for the City of Sterling Heights, where he was responsible for oversight of transportation, sewer collection and water distribution systems, solid waste collection, parks and recreation facilities, engineering, and vehicle fleet operations. Conigliaro is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Michigan and holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in Business Management from Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration. Harley Ellis Devereaux announced that Christopher Vogelheim, AIA, LEED AP, has joined the firm as Science & Technology Studio Leader. Based in the firm’s Detroit office, Vogelheim will oversee management of the firm’s Science & Technology practice in the Detroit area. With 23 years’ of architectural design and leadership experience, Vogelheim’s expertise spans across projects of varied scope and complexity. Prior to joining Harley Ellis Devereaux, Vogelheim most recently served as Facilities Practice Leader at AECOM, where he was responsible for client relationship management, strategic planning, business development, and project leadership. HED has also won a 2015 Architectural Honor Award in the Interiors Category from the American Institute of Architects Detroit for the renovation of its Detroit office. The 22,000-ft² renovation transformed the previously underutilized and disconnected environment into a space that is more purposeful and collaborative. Project teams form and reform along a 250-ft spine that draws everybody in the process together.
Tolga Oal
Catherine Noyes
Robert Jordan
American Axle & Manufacturing Inc. named Tolga Oal President–AAM North America (Vice President–AAM Corporate). In this role, Oal will lead AAM’s regional business and manufacturing activities for North America. Oal joins AAM from TRW Automotive, having served as Vice President of Global Electronics, a position he has held since 2012. Prior to joining TRW, Oal held various leadership positions in engineering, sales, purchasing, and finance at Siemens VDO Automotive/Continental. Oal holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical and Process Engineering from Bosporus University, Istanbul, Turkey, and a Masters in International Business and Finance from the University of Florida in Gainesville. Ghafari Associates said it provided comprehensive process design, architecture and engineering services for the paint shop at the new Polaris Industries Inc. factory in Spirit Lake, Iowa, which was recently named the “2015 Assembly Plant of the Year” by Assembly Magazine. The plant, which produces a wide variety of motorcycle models, was selected for this distinction because of its successful combination of flexible production processes and lean manufacturing principles. Ghafari Associates provided services for the two-story, 91,000-ft² paint shop at the plant, which is capable of painting more than 500 different metal and plastic parts for multiple Polaris motorcycle brands. Ghafari Associates also welcomed two new members to its leadership team: Catherine Noyes as Chief Marketing Officer and Robert Jordan as Director of Architecture and Interiors in Dearborn. With a career spanning over 25 years, Noyes brings extensive experience in marketing, executive leadership, strategic planning, team building and business development. She joins Ghafari from SSOE Group, where she served as vice president and director of corporate marketing for nearly a decade. Jordan brings more than 20 years of architecture, project management, business development and team leadership experience. He joins the firm from Sidock Group Inc., where he served as a principal and director of architecture for nearly a decade. He is a licensed architect in nine states and holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University. www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 5
MEMBER BENEFITS
2 out of 3
working Americans missed work to deal with legal issues last year. Voluntary legal and identity theft benefits can help reduce employee stress and time away from work. Offer LegalShield today and help your employees worry less and live more.
Committed to providing exceptional value to our members by delivering outstanding products and services anywhere, anytime.
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Make Your Money Grow Faster! J i l lF eeney I nd e pe nd e ntA s s o c iat e 2 4 82 0 2 7 1 82 jil l f e e ne y @l e gal s h ie l d as s o c iat e . c o m www. l e gal s h ie l d . c o m/ inf o / e s d o rg This is a general overview of our legal plan and/or identity theft plan coverage for illustration purposes only. See a plan contract for your state of residence for complete terms, coverage, amounts, conditions and exclusions. *The source for statements in this advertisement is The Legal Needs of Working American Families Study, September 2012©.
ESD recognizes those who have maintained a membership for 25 years with a pin.
25+
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6 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
You work hard—your money should do the same for you! Credit Union ONE makes it easier than ever to start saving for your future. With new CD rates as high as 1.76% APY*, your money will work harder for you. We offer multiple terms and great rates. Stop by any of our branch locations or visit us www.cuo.org to start saving today. *APY=Annual Percentage Yield. CD=Certificate of Deposit. Rate accurate as of November 10, 2015. Minimum balance and deposit required to earn the APY is $2,500, maximum is $250,000. 1.76% APY is at the 36 month term. APY is based on an assumption that interest will remain in the account until maturity. A penalty will be imposed for early withdrawal. Withdrawals and fees may reduce earnings. See the Truth in Savings disclosure for early withdrawal penalties.
IN MEMORIAM With deep gratitude for their participation and service, The Engineering Society of Detroit acknowledges the passing of the following members.
Save Big On Trips With TicketsatWork.com— An ESD Member Benefit ESD members can save big on a winter getaway—or a fun trip at any time of year— with TicketsatWork.com. Exclusive discounts are available to ESD members. Visit www.esd.org today for a complete listing. Great Wolf Lodge in Cincinnati (Mason), Ohio. Your adventure begins in the 84-degree indoor water park with more than 79,000 square feet of water-packed excitement. Outside the water park, play MagiQuest or visit Scooops Kid Spa before gathering in the Grand Lobby for nightly Story Time. Hotels up to 60% off. Save big on hotel rooms at Exclusive corporate rates. Explore the world and save at TicketsatWork.com, where you’ll find a wide selection of hotels from around the world at prices you won’t believe. Great deals on must-see shows in Las Vegas. Save on the hottest shows in Las Vegas now. Whether you’re in the mood for Cirque du Soleil or the rhythmic beats of Blue Man Group, from Jersey Boys to Rock of Ages, there’s a Las Vegas show for everyone.
Roland G. Rosslip
Retired, Senior Service Director, Liberty Mutual Chair, American Society of Safety Engineers Chair, Senior Engineers Council Member Since 1975
Richard A. Jerue
Retired/DeVlieg Machine Co., Senior Vice President of Engineering Member of the Senior Engineers Council Member since 1960
LTU Wins ‘Golfer’s Choice’ Gift Golfers who participated in ESD’s outing last June voted this fall on which ESD Student Chapter they wanted to receive a $500 “Golfer’s Choice” cash gift to use for chapter activities. The competition was very close, but Lawrence Technological University received the most votes. Congratulations to the LTU chapter! And thank you to the 200+ members and friends of ESD who raised thousands of dollars for engineering scholarships and other ESD initiatives at ESD’s Golf Outing. It is because of you that we are able to launch and support student chapters in Michigan’s colleges!
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 7
NEW CORPORATE MEMBER PROFILE
The Engineering Society of Detroit’s newest higher education member is Saginaw Valley State University. SVSU, a 10,000-student community university in the midst of the cities of Saginaw, Bay City and Midland, has received more than $8 million in recent years, through a combination of private grants from area foundations and corporations, for STEM activities in the Great Lakes Bay region. SVSU launched a new STEM@ SVSU initiative in January to tie together those $8 million in grants. The school also has a full-time executive director of STEM, Carolyn Wierda, beginning her sixth year
with the university after a 34-year career in public education that ended as superintendent of the Bay City schools. SVSU will also soon take delivery of a Dow Chemical funded mobile environmental science research laboratory—a large laboratory on wheels that will support SVSU’s Saginaw Bay Environmental Research Institute, and serve as part of its community outreach, serving area schools and community partners. SVSU’s scientific research includes efforts to improve the detection of pollution along beaches, advanced sensor networks for the space program and other applications, computer programs that can detect the
Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc. has joined The Engineering Society of Detroit as a corporate member. CEC was established in 1989 in Pittsburgh, Pa., by four founders —Jim Roberts, PE, Ken Miller, PE, Greg Quatchak, PE, and Jim Nairn. The four founders are still with the company, which is still based in Pittsburgh. The company has 19 offices around the country. CEC is recognized for delivering innovative design solutions and integrated expertise in the primary practice areas of civil engineering, ecological sciences, environmental engineering and sciences, waste management and water resources.
CEC established an office in Novi in 2006. It is led by Ryan Dunning, who has 21 years of diverse consulting experience in the environmental field, including environmental due diligence, remedial investigation, and brownfield redevelopment consulting. Dunning has a B.S. in Geology from Eastern Michigan University and has served on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Association of Environmental Professionals for four terms, including serving as president in 2013 and 2014. The Novi office currently has 15 employees—and has openings for civil engineers and geotechnical engineers. Customers include AK Steel, Citizens Bank, TCF Bank, and Republic Services. The company overall employs just over 700 people, and is on track for revenue of just over $100 million in 2015.
8 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
emotions of autistic children, efforts to enhance comprehension in STEM education, and preventing falls in health care settings. SVSU’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology is led by Dr. Frank R. Hall, who joined the university June 1 after serving as a professor and dean at Worcester State University in Massachusetts. He was also a visiting scholar at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The college currently has about 2,800 students, a figure that is growing thanks to steadily increasing enrollments in mechanical and electrical engineering, and computer science. For the future, Hall said he sees growth opportunities in mechatronics and computer science.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CLASSES
PE Continuing Education Classes Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays February 2–April 17, 2016 The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) provides professional engineers in Michigan with opportunities to meet continuing education requirements. Current PEs can take ESD review course classes on an á la carte basis to satisfy state requirements. Over 25 different courses are available to choose from. The instructor-led, half-day courses are taught by academic and industry professionals. All courses are held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at ESD Headquarters in Southfield. The cost per half-day course is $100 for ESD members and $125 for non-members. For more information or to register, visit www.esd.org or contact Fran Mahoney at fmahoney@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 116.
Michigan PE Licensing Exam Review Courses Since 1941, ESD has successfully prepared thousands of candidates for the State licensing exam in a variety of disciplines ranging from civil and environmental to mechanical and electrical engineering. You’ll learn in a small classroom-like setting from instructors who have first-hand knowledge of the course material. Let our 70+ years of experience help prepare you to pass the exam on your first try.
FE (Part I) Review Course
PE (Part II) Review Course
Saturdays February 13–March 19, 2016
The Principles & Practice of Engineering (PE) Part II Review Course consists of 24 hours of instruction, on six half-day Saturday sessions, focusing on problem solving techniques needed for the Professional Engineers (Part II) exam. All classes are held on Saturdays at ESD headquarters in Southfield. The civil engineering course meets 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Mechanical, environmental and electrical power courses are 1–5 p.m. The state exam will be held on April 15, 2016.
Tuesdays and Thursdays February 2–April 7, 2016
Saturdays February 13 – March 19, 2016
The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Part I Review Course provides 84 hours of instruction in engineering fundamentals for candidates planning to take Part I of the Professional Engineers Exam. The review courses are held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. and on Saturdays (morning or afternoon depending on discipline) at ESD headquarters in Southfield. The Saturday sessions start on February 13, 2016.
For more information or to register, visit www.esd.org or contact Fran Mahoney at 248-353-0735, ext. 116, or fmahoney@esd.org.
GET LICENSED – GET AHEAD www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 9
UPCOMING EVENTS
TOURS
ITC Holdings Corp. Operations Control Room Tour
General Motors Powertrain Laboratory Tour
The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams Tour
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016
The Operations Control Room (OCR) is the heartbeat of ITC’s operations. It has employees working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to ensure the ITC systems in Michigan, the Midwest and the Great Plains are maintained and operated safely and reliably. Each employee station in the OCR has a monitor dedicated to the local news and weather to understand what’s happening in their respective regions. The tour will take place at ITC Holdings Corp. Headquarters in Novi. Registration starts at 2 p.m. and the tour will run from 2:30–4 p.m. The cost to attend is $25 for ESD members; Non-members can join ESD for $75 (a 25% discount) and attend the tour for free. (Offer is for new, first-time members only.) Register online at www.esd.org or call 248-353-0735, ext. 222 to register by phone.
Experience the world’s most advanced automotive powertrain laboratory. ESD members will tour General Motors’ world-class research facility that produces the heart of the modern automobile. The tour will take place at the GM Powertrain Lab in Pontiac. Registration starts at 1:30 p.m., and the tour will run from 2–4 p.m. The cost to attend is $25 for ESD members; Non-members can join ESD for $75 (a 25% discount) and attend the tour for free. (This offer is for new, first-time members only.) Register online at www.esd.org or call 248-353-0735, ext. 222 to register by phone.
ESD toured Michigan State University’s Cyclotron Laboratory last winter. Now, after a year of construction work, we’ll be looking at its replacement—vthe Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a $730 million center for national nuclear physics research. Wear sturdy shoes and cold-weather gear—this is a hard-hat tour of construction as much as 40 feet underground through huge concrete chambers, where atomic nuclei will be accelerated to half the speed of light for nuclear research beginning in 2022. The tour will take place on Michigan State University’s campus in East Lansing. Registration starts at 2:30 p.m. and the tour will run from 3–4 p.m. The cost to attend is $25 for ESD members; Non-members can join ESD for $75 (a 25% discount) and attend the tour for free. (This offer is for new, firsttime members only.) Register early as space is limited. Visit www.esd.org or call 248-353-0735, ext. 222 to register by phone.
Members-only tours fill quickly—register early! 10 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
Thursday, February 4, 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS
CONFERENCES
Annual Solid Waste Technical Conference Monday, April 18, 2016 Sponsored by The Engineering Society of Detroit and the Michigan Waste & Recycling Association, the 26th Annual Solid Waste Technical Conference is designed to educate attendees on emerging technologies and regulatory changes that affect the solid waste industry. It brings together national experts to present on issues at the forefront of solid waste management including: New Landfill Regulations Stormwater Update Wetland Mitigation Anaerobic Digester Economics Coal Ash The conference will take place on April 18, 2016, at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in East Lansing. An optional post-conference training day, designed to provide practical guidance and hands-on demonstrations, will be held on April 19, 2016. For information on exhibiting or sponsoring, visit www.esd.org or contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.
VOLUNTEER OPS
Encouraging ESD Michigan Engineering Conference Regional Future City February 24, 2016 Competition Judges Needed ESD will host a conference for educators and school counselors focused on encouraging students to consider careers in engineering and technical trades. Engineering education is challenging and rigorous, and the dropout rate is close to 50 percent. Early exposure and sound advice are important keys to success, and secondary school teachers and counselors are critical parts of this process. Attendees will learn about the different disciplines of engineering, what jobs are available in engineering and skilled trades, what it takes to succeed in engineering school, what the strengths are of engineering programs at Michigan colleges, how engineering fits in with other professions, and how we can close the gender and race gaps in engineering. These questions and more will be answered by engineers and engineering leaders in business, government and academia. The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at ESD headquarters in Southfield. To receive updates on this conference, contact Elana Shelef at 248-353-0735, ext. 119, or eshelef@esd.org.
Competition Day: Monday, January 25, 2016 Inspire the future by taking part in the Michigan Regional Future City Competition. Future City is a crosscurricular educational program where students work as a team with an educator and volunteer mentor to design a city of the future. Judges are needed on competition day to evaluate team presentations and models. The competition will take place on January 25, 2016 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. The training for this phase of judging takes place at 7:30 a.m. The actual judging is from 9 to 11 a.m. At that time, the schools display their model cities and three presenting students from each team give a fiveto-seven minute presentation to a panel of judges. If you are interested, please visit www.futurecity.org/register and register as a regional competition judge. Please make sure to choose Michigan as your region. For more on judging, contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 11
UPCOMING EVENTS ESD Honor Awards & Scholarships Submission Deadline: March 31, 2016
HONORS AND RECOGNITION AWARDS
ESD College of Fellows Nominations Nomination Deadline: February 29, 2016 Once again, it is time to nominate ESD members for the prestigious rank of Fellows. Election to the rank of Fellow is one of the highest recognitions that ESD can bestow on one of its members. Candidates must be ESD members in good standing for the past five years. Candidates should possess outstanding and extraordinary qualifications and experience in his or her profession as evidenced by accomplishments in the following major areas: technical achievement; professional achievement; ESD service and leadership; and professional society service and leadership–as indicated by honors/awards, publications/patents, academic service/leadership, and community service/leadership. Please help us seek out and recognize the true engineering leaders within ESD by submitting applications by February 29, 2016. Forms and instructions can be found on ESD’s website at www.esd.org. For more information, please contact Director of Membership Heather Lilley, at 248-353-0735, ext. 120, or hlilley@esd.org. 12 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
42nd Annual ESD Construction & Design Awards Entry Deadline: February 29, 2016 ESD’s Construction and Design Awards are unique in that they honor the three primary members of the building team —owners, designers, and constructors—and recognize outstanding team achievement and innovative use of technology. These awards are among the premier recognitions accorded to members of the construction industry and their projects. Submissions are being accepted from project teams composed of owner, designer, and constructor. The entries may be submitted for: New buildings or significant construction. Renovations and additions. Significant engineered systems e.g., infrastructure, transportation, bridges, tunnels, processing facilities, etc. Significant restoration, redesign and renovation of historical structures and engineered systems in Michigan. All original structures must be at least 50 years old at the time of submission. For more information, please visit www.esd.org or contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.
Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year This award recognizes a young professional under the age of 35 who has best distinguished himself or herself in the engineering and scientific communities. Criteria include education, work experience, and professional and community activities. Applicants must be members of ESD. Outstanding Student Engineer of the Year This award recognizes an undergraduate student who has best distinguished him/herself in the engineering and scientific communities. Criteria include academic honors and engineering achievements, campus and community activities, and work experience. The winner(s) will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Outstanding High School Student of the Year This award recognizes a graduating high school senior. To be considered, applicants must have a least a 3.0 GPA, plan on pursuing a career in the field of engineering or the life sciences, and participate in volunteer activities. The winner(s) will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Awards will be presented at the ESD Annual Dinner held in June. Applications and additional criteria can be found at www.esd.org. For more information, contact Sue Ruffner at sruffner@esd.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE
Gold Award Banquet Wednesday, March 16, 2016 Once a year, ESD and its Affiliate Council pay a special tribute to engineers who are shaping the future while leaving an indelible mark on their industries. The event will take place at Schoolcraft College’s VisTaTech Center in Livonia. For details, please contact Elana Shelef at eshelef@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 119.
Engineering & Technology Job Fair
Engineering SMArT Michigan Competition
May 9, 2016
May 18, 2016
Find the candidates you need at ESD’s Engineering & Technology Job Fair. Known for being the premier recruitment event, ESD’s job fair is tailored for engineers and IT professionals. You’ll meet hundreds of the most talented professionals and students with all levels of expertise. The job fair will take place at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi on May 9, 2016, from 2–7 p.m. For information on exhibiting, visit www.esd.org or contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 152.
The Engineering SMArT Michigan™ program is a rigorous, hands-on science, math, architecture and technology (SMArT) project in which high school students design energy-efficient homes. During the 15-week program, students will be introduced to the basics of energy, alternative energies, and the energy grid, in an atmosphere of fun activities and team building. The culmination of the program is a presentation of their teamdesigned house at a competition between all participating schools where they will vie for scholarships and other prizes. Mark your calendar—judges will be needed to serve on the day of the competition, May 18, 2016. The event will take place at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield. To become a judge, or for more information on the program, please contact program director Elana Shelef at eshelef@esd.org or 248-353-0735, ext. 119.
2016 DTE/ESD Energy Conference and Exhibition Tuesday, May 3, 2016 In its 19th year, this conference, the only one of its kind in Michigan, is designed to educate small to large commercial and industrial businesses on energy technology, products, and services that will assist them in successful energy management. The event draws close to 800 people every year. For information on the opportunities to present, exhibit or sponsor, visit esd.org, or contact Leslie Smith, CMP, at lsmith@esd.org or 248-3530735, ext. 152.
ESD Annual Golf Outing June 6, 2016 ESD’s mission is to support engineering and related professions in Michigan. Proceeds help to support endeavors like educational and scholarship programs and ESD Student Chapters at Michigan’s top 25 engineering schools. Mark your calendar for June 6, 2016. The outing will take place at Oak Pointe Country Club in Brighton.
SAVE THE DATE
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 13
ESD Establishes Five More Student Chapters M
ost of us remember going back to school every fall—the excitement of new classes, new classmates, new subjects, new things to learn. Well your Engineering Society of Detroit went back to school this fall, launching several new ESD student chapters across the state. Chapters were launched at Michigan Technological University and Eastern Michigan University in October, and the University of Detroit Mercy, Michigan State University and
Lake Superior State University in November. Student chapter launches are to be scheduled soon at Oakland University, Saginaw Valley State University, Ferris State University, and both the Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses of The University of Michigan. According to ESD Executive Director Robert Magee, the university chapters fill an important void in ESD’s youth outreach activities. “We have a highly successful middle school outreach program in Future City, where kids learn the basics of engineering and
infrastructure,” Magee said. “We have a high school program in Engineering SMArT Michigan, where students learn about the electric grid, renewable energy, architecture and building systems. But we didn’t have a program for university and college students who have already rasied their hand and said, ‘I want to be an engineer.’ We can help them become engineers, and more successful engineers, by supplying some of the training knowledge that they might not get in class.” What will the student chapters do? That will be up to the students
EMU
MTU 14 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
LSSU
themselves, according to ESD Executive Director Robert Magee. “Some of our university student chapters will be service organizations, providing mentoring to middle and high school students in their communities,” Magee said. “Others will help their members prepare for the world of work through activities to learn ‘soft skills’ like interviewing and how to present oneself in a business setting. Still others will use ESD as a springboard for internship and co-op opportunities with our 140-plus corporate members. And
some chapters will combine some or all of these activities. That’s the great thing about these ESD student chapters. They can be organized in whatever way best serves the needs of that particular chapter, its students and its university.” At the student chapter launches, university leaders agreed. Dr. Darrell Kleinke, professor of mechanical engineering at University of Detroit Mercy, told the students that ESD membership had been “a real advantage in my career,” which included 14 years as a design and release supervisor at Ford Motor
Co. before he moved to academia in 2008. UDM engineering dean Gary Kulek told the students that their engineering careers will be as much about networking and communication as they are about the technology of engineering—and that organizations like ESD provide great opportunities to learn networking and communication skills. For more information on how you can become an ESD student member, contact Heather Lilley at (248) 353-0735, ext. 120, or hlilley@esd.org.
MSU
UDM www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 15
Sharing The Wealth By Tony Lott
M
ost people practice a form of “checkbook philanthropy,” which involves simply writing checks regularly to a particular organization, or randomly in response to requests from multiple organizations and individuals. While donating cash is simple and straightforward, it doesn’t always offer optimal tax advantages. Donating appreciated securities— instead of selling the securities first, paying capital gains tax and then contributing the proceeds—may be a better alternative. If the charity sells the stock after it receives the donation, as a tax-exempt organization, it will not pay tax on the capital gains triggered by the sale.
CHARITABLE GIVING VEHICLES
Besides what to donate—cash, securities or tangible assets like cars and art—another major issue to consider is how. You may choose to give to charity outright or donate through a charitable vehicle, such as a donor advised fund, private family foundation, charitable trust, gift annuity or pooled income fund. All offer various tax benefits but differ in their structure and administrative requirements. Three of the most common are: Donor advised funds: The fastest growing form of philanthropy, donor advised funds offer a simple and organized way to give. Donors make tax-deductible contributions of cash or securities to the fund, and can direct the fund to make grants to charities of their choice. Contributions are invested and professionally managed, giving donors the potential to have their contributions grow and make larger grants over time. Charitable trusts: Charitable trusts offer an immediate income tax deduction and can 16 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
Consider A Gift To ESD In Your Estate Plan
be structured to provide an income stream to either the donor or the charity. Charitable Remainder Trusts allow the donor to transfer assets to the trust and receive payments for a certain term, with the charity receiving any remaining assets at the end of that term. Charitable Lead Trusts pay the income stream to the charity, with any remaining assets in the trust passing to the donor’s heirs free of gift and estate taxes. Private foundations: Private foundations are often established with larger donations by an individual or family to further a charitable purpose. They offer donors control over grants and a way to encourage heirs to get involved in philanthropy. Private foundations, however, can have high administrative costs, offer a more limited income tax deduction, and require an annual distribution to charity of 5% of foundation assets.
When you make a planned gift to The Engineering Society of Detroit, you will continue to support ESD’s mission for many years into the future: Youth programs that foster the next generation of engineers, scientists and technical professionals College chapters that help prepare today’s engineering students for the workplace Continuing education programs of vital importance to Michigan engineers and employers Networking and leadership development programs to keep Michigan’s engineers at the top of their profession Job Fairs that boost members’ careers and help Michigan employers find the technical talent they need Technical seminars addressing areas vital to Michigan’s high-tech economy Award programs that encourage, recognize and celebrate excellence in Michigan’s engineering and technical community
If you consider yourself a checkbook philanthropist or you just want to know how to get more out of your charitable giving, it may beneficial to consider ways to make your philanthropy more organized and effective. Topics to consider include: Which organizations you want to support. How to track and organize your gifts. If you want to direct how funds should be used. Ways to encourage the next generation to become philanthropists in their own right.
ESD will work collaboratively with you and your financial advisor or attorney to craft a plan that can benefit your family while supporting ESD’s vision to keep Michigan the world capital of engineering. ESD accepts a wide variety of gifts, including stocks, bonds, real estate, life insurance beneficiary designations, retirement plan beneficiary designations, trust designations, and bequests. Depending on your situation, planned giving can also provide you with substantial tax advantages. To discuss leaving a legacy to Michigan engineering through ESD, call (248) 353-0735 and we’ll get the process started.
Anthony R. Lott, CFP, CIMA, CRPC, is Vice President-Investments at UBS Financial Services Inc.
ENGINEERING! By Michelle Larsosa
E
ngineering and the arts—The two appear to be very different, yet at the core they are very similar. The process of producing a movie is very similar to the process of engineering a car. The movie making process is broken down into three parts—pre-production, production, and post-production. During the pre-production phase, the key decision makers in the creative process are brought together to discuss the vision and planning for the film. These decision makers are the producer, writer, director, and talent. The executive producer is the lead person who has the authority to make business decisions and plans for a film project. The executive producer hires the writer, director, and additional producers who oversee the many facets of the project. The producers and director help with the casting process to get the right actors and talent in place. When I worked in the automotive industry, there was a lead execution engineer who managed the functionality of the launch project at their assigned plant facility. From here, there were additional execution engineers who oversaw certain areas of the plant, and other engineers who were trained in specialized areas (e.g. controls programming, robotics, welding) were assigned to those specific zones as well. Next is the production phase. The production phase consists of the crew members working on set during the scheduled hours of filming. These people are the cameramen, director of
photography, key grip, sound/ audio person, and skilled trade persons. During the production hours at the plant, the operators and skilled trade/maintenance workers keep the line running. At the end of a shift, so many parts and assemblies are to have been made and ready to be shipped to their next location. At the end of a shooting day, the scenes that are scheduled to be shot need to have been shot so that the entire project can be completed on time. The post-production phase is where all the scenes of the film are compiled together. Certain clips are chosen over others in order to assemble the movie within a certain time frame. The final assembly of a car consists of welding, molding, and painting. When a movie edit is complete, each frame is locked into place and transferred to its final format. When a car is fully assembled, it’s ready to be shipped off for retail sale. A completed movie would then be ready for its distribution as well (i.e. local theaters, direct to video, video on demand). The technology behind film production is cutting edge and constantly changing. Cameras have the ability to shoot and contrast images in the matter of seconds. Digital images can be saved to a card, or transferred directly from the camera to computer to complete the digitized process. Computer software can be used to organize
and edit the footage for its final output. Even the distribution platforms are continuously evolving. We can still go to the movie theater to watch a new movie release. However, we have additional options by being able to watch content online via video on demand streaming services. We can even own a digital copy of a film and save to our computers, phones, and tablet devices. It’s challenging to put into context that something that can bring people joy and stir emotions is an ever-changing medium that utilizes complex technology and business processes—bringing to life our fantasies, fears, and hope. Michelle Larsosa chair of the National Society of Black Engineers Detroit Professionals Chapter. She is also president and founder of BME Media Group LLC and a logistics equipment specialist at the U.S. Army TACOM in Warren.
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ENGINEERING AND PUBLIC ART: A SPECIAL CONVERGENCE By Paul Dannels
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ow would you respond to seeing your face publicly reflected in a mirror mounted on the head of a barrel? Or perhaps a stack of barrels? We don’t ask ourselves questions like this every day, and we might not know exactly how to answer them. Artists among us, though, ask questions of this very sort, and through public art allow us opportunities to discover the answers for ourselves. Public art provides a special place for art to converge with architecture and engineering. When art and the public co-inhabit the same space, certain accommodations need to be made in such a way that the public is safe in the presence of the art, and that the art is safe in the presence of the public. It’s not always an easy balancing act. The balancing of interests surrounding the ways in which we engage our environment is often the realm of architects. Executing that balance in specifications for materials and assemblies can be a task that falls to an engineer. It all starts though, with the art…or the vision of an artist. Mark Reigelman is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist who has made a career of inserting art into communities, art that is inevitably welcomed and enjoyed by the public with which it shares space. It’s work that is playful, but also well crafted. It’s work that is greeted as a good neighbor in part because it’s sturdy, and a 18 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
certain sturdiness is often something we appreciate in the fixtures placed in our neighborhoods. To achieve this, Mark works closely with those who fabricate his work and also with engineers who help to specify the standards of fabrication. This close collaboration creates a culture of respect where ideas can be tested, improved, and ultimately realized, in a way that produces engaging and effective public installations. To help imagine public art projects in Grand Rapids, Mich., Louisville, Ky., and Cleveland, Ohio, Reigelman has worked with the Ann Arbor engineering firm SDI Structures.
Questions are asked about what would constitute a successful or unsuccessful interaction with the art. What would create safe or unsafe interaction? Ultimately the questions become, “how does the physical assembly of the piece contribute to its success?” To explore how communities come together in public, Reigelman used the iconic form of a picnic table (pictured here) to encourage gathering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Seeing a picnic table as a traditional place of gathering and social interaction for friends and strangers alike, he envisioned a modular table element that could be linked together to create chains of tables where people meet. Mark introduced the unexpected by creating a table not with two ends, but with three. The modular table radiates out in three directions from its center. He introduced a further engineering challenge when he determined that the table would be most pleasing if it had no legs at its center. This meant a bench seat nearly twelve feet long. The questions between the artist and engineer then started to develop: How will the table be used? How many people might use it? Where might they sit? What would feel comfortable? What would picnickers find to be unnerving? These questions led to the establishment of various allowable deflection criteria for various degrees of use. More stringent criteria were specified for more reasonable uses, and less stringent for less reasonable uses. The table was then digitally modeled for structural analysis…with some give and take on member sizes and assembly methods. Aluminum was selected for the frame primarily because of its relatively low weight compared to steel, but also for its appearance and performance as an unfinished material. The tabletops and bench seats are fabricated from a variety of woods in a variety of colorful finishes. As the design developed, detailed fabrication drawings were prepared, specifying production standards that might be more typical of museum pieces than traditional park furniture. Fabrication, assembly, and placement were by Communications Exhibits Inc., a Cleveland specialty fabricator. It’s true that structural analysis models allowed rapid testing of ideas, but software was just a small
part of the process. More critical to the process is collaboration built on fluid communication and mutual understanding of a common goal. So whether the project is fanciful picnic table in Cleveland, or stacks of barrels in Kentucky Bourbon country, Reigelman and his technical support at SDI Structures rely on rapid and open sharing of ideas to progress a project along. In this way, concepts from architecture and engineering, combined with artistic vision, all to contribute to successful public art.
Paul Dannels, FAIA, is an architect and principal at SDI Structures, an Ann Arbor-based structural engineering firm consulting to architects and others who shape our built environment. He teaches engineering principles to students at The University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, and served as AIA Michigan’s 2014 President. www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 19
By Matt Roush
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he next time you visit the Detroit Institute of Arts, don’t just look at the art—look at how it’s displayed. Paintings don’t hang themselves, you know. Nor do priceless artifacts, like the DIA’s 10,000-year-old axe blade or its 5,000-year-old cuneiform tablets, place themselves on the walls or in display cases. Look carefully at the brackets and clamps and screws, cleverly placed and painted to blend in with the art. And designed to hold the art securely without damaging it, while being able to take the occasional accidental bump from a baby stroller. You’re looking at the work of James Storm, who has the title of mount designer and fabricator at the DIA. If there’s one man at the intersection of art and engineering, he’s the guy. 20 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
Storm is a graduate of Romeo High School who attended Macomb Community College before getting a fine arts degree from the College for Creative Studies down the street from the DIA. “I have always been an artist,” he said. “My grandmother is an artist, and she’d bring my brother and my cousins and me to the DIA. All through growing up, I drew and painted. But not until I attended Macomb Community College did I think a career in art was possible. So I built up a portfolio and applied to CCS and went into the fine art field, with a focus on sculpture.” With CCS sculpture chair Joseph Wesner, Storm worked on several large outdoor sculptures at major corporate office buildings around Detroit. And he said that’s when he started seeing the connection between engineering and art.
“There is a lot of structural challenge in translating a small model into a 17, 18-foot-tall structure,” he said. “You have to take into account the wind forces where the sculpture will be placed. You have to plan how we physically get it to the space.” Based on that, he said, he got “fascinated by what structural engineers do,” creating not just sculptures, but buildings that bear weight beautifully. Storm would eventually attend Syracuse University and begin work on a master of fine arts degree—but returned to Detroit before he finished, some 12 years ago, to take his current job at the DIA. So what does a mount designer and fabricator do? “I work with the exhibition designers, curators and conservators to determine the safest way possible to display our collection,” Storm said. “Sometimes designers want to put an
object in an orientation that was not intended by the artist. So I assess all the objects and determine how we present them in a way that’s structurally sound, that can withstand bumps or shocks, and in a way that does not affect their aesthetic value.” And he describes his job as a pretty ideal combination of the logical, linear left brain and the wild flights of creativity of the right brain. One good example is a pocket door Storm designed for the only entry to the DIA’s American art collection that didn’t have a door that could be closed—important for those times the DIA is used for evening receptions and parties. Yes, it’s a sliding pocket door— but it also displays art, beautiful decorated elevator grilles from New York’s Singer Building, which in 1908 and 1909 enjoyed a brief reign as the tallest building in the world, and which became the tallest building ever to be intentionally demolished when it came down in 1967 and 1968. Is it a functional door? Is it art? Yes. And yes. The basic idea of an art museum—look at the stuff hanging on the wall, and oh by the way, don’t touch anything—hasn’t really changed in hundreds of years. But Storm is also challenged by today’s younger audiences, which crave constant electronic stimulation—and want to touch everything. Storm said the DIA has responded with interactive apps for exhibits, and interactive touch screens throughout the building, developed by learning
and interpretive specialists within the DIA’s education department. As for touching the art, the DIA has one piece—a brass donkey—that it actually encourages patrons to touch—so they can see the damage that the skin chemicals from millions of such touches will cause to priceless treasures of human creativity. One challenge Storm doesn’t face is designing mounts to withstand earthquakes. His West Coast colleagues at the Getty Museum from Los Angeles actually make mounts that swivel and bounce to absorb seismic shakes. As his colleagues in the Mountmakers Forum—what, you thought there was a profession without a professional association?—put it, “the East Coast and Midwest mountmakers joke that we don’t have earthquakes, except for the two-legged kind. We do bump tests in the studio to make sure a bump isn’t going to change the position of something or cause harm to the object or a neighboring object.” Storm makes his mounts in a studio in the DIA basement that’s complete with welding and soldering gear. He’s close to much of the DIA’s collection—the DIA has 65,000 art objects, only about 12 percent of which are ever on display. “We rotate things,” Storm said. “A lot of the works on paper, a lot of the textiles, we try to limit the time they are exposed to light, because that will affect them. And we have to design our displays keeping in mind that we rotate the materials every few months.”
Storm’s latest project is the new Ancient Middle Eastern gallery on the DIA’s first floor, which opened only a month ago. Among the 177 objects on display—which required 154 new mounts—is the DIA’s single oldest object, at 10,000 years old, as well as the aforementioned cuneiform tablets. (They happen to be business receipts. Some things in human history never change— business records are preserved over everything else.) Storm says the museum mount business goes through phases and styles like any other. One is the choice of materials used to make the mounts. “Lots of designers in the past used a lot of Plexiglas or Lucite,” he said. “It’s useful because of its transparency, but to get structural stability, it needs to be thick, which looks clunky. I’m choosing to phase it out. With brass or stainless steel you can use much smaller pieces that provide the same strength.” And if Storm continues his education further, he said it’s as likely to be in engineering as it is to be in fine arts. “I would love to take some engineering classes,” Storm said. “It would be fascinating to learn the structural limitations of certain materials.” Note to Storm: Lawrence Technological University has just opened its new Detroit Center for Design and Technology at 4219 Woodward Ave., a quick walk down the street from the DIA.
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Left Brain? Right Brain? Designer Says Engineering and Art Use the Whole Brain By Matt Roush
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he man behind some of the world’s most recognizable automotive designs says there’s really no conflict between left brain and right brain. Sooshin Choi, provost of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, puts it this way: “Engineering and art —although people think they are on different sides of the brain, what engineering wants to do and what art wants to do are the same: Creating what is necessary for the future.” Both engineering and art—or as Choi says, “if I can expand it into art and design—look at the void of the future and make something for it.” True, Choi says, engineers and artists approach the task with different toolboxes. Engineers use mathematics, physics, formulas, quantitative tools. Artists, Choi says, “usually use tools like imagination, ideation, more qualitative tools.” But he notes, importantly, that “coming from only quantitative tools may not solve a problem completely, and qualitative tools may not solve a problem completely either.” When it comes to the beauty of good engineering, Choi paraphrases legendary architect Buckminster Fuller: “If a solution is not beautiful, the problem is not solved yet.” Choi notes that engineers typically “do not really have to have artistic or aesthetic sense.” In fact, Choi said he believes that “in the engineering education curriculum, not much time is given to the aesthetic, or making the solution beautiful. That is a gap in the engineering curriculum at the moment.” But, he said, engineers’ solutions will be beautiful anyway, provided 22 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
that they “truly understand the real problem that they are solving.” Choi, who worked in automotive design for General Motors Korea, Kia and Daewoo before going into academia, used the original Volkswagen Beetle as a good example. “When the Volkswagen Beetle was introduced, there was no such job as automotive designer,” Choi said. “But it is considered one of the most beautiful automobiles in history. Before Dr. Porsche designed the car, he truly sought to understand what German people at the time needed and wanted in a car. And the Beetle wound up being considered beautiful, and still is today.” When asked what his most beautiful design was, Choi mentioned his work on the 1992 Kia Sephia. “The challenge I had was that it was intended for both the Korean and American markets, and it was a subcompact car,” Choi said. “In the American market, a subcompact car was a car for individuals. In Korea, subcompacts were cars for family. So it was a family car in Korea but a small personal vehicle in America. I had to understand as a designer what the needs of a typical Korean family were when they go somewhere, and the needs of a typical American when they drive a small car to their job.” After many studies conducted in both Korea and the United States, Choi said, the design was successful both in Korea and in its intended American market— which at that point for Kia was in California only. Another example Choi offered was his work on a redesign of the seating at Korea’s Incheon International Airport in the late 1990s.
Shooshin Choi from College for Creative Studies.
Photo of 1992 Kia Sephia from Wikimedia Commons user Randy43. Used under license from Wikimedia Commons.
“When the Volkswagen Beetle was introduced, there was no such job as automotive designer,” Choi said
many different people from different countries and different cultures. People don’t sit on the chairs as the designers intend. They have different postures, they come in different sizes, they may be with families or alone. I came up with a solution that was inclusive so as to accommodate different people’s needs.” Choi joined CCS in 2014 from the University of Cincinnati, where he became a faculty member in 2003 and Director of the School of Design in 2010. He holds a bachelor of science in industrial design from Seoul National University for Science and Technology, a master of fine arts in industrial design from Hong-Ik University, also in Seoul, and a diploma in vehicle design from the Royal College of Art in London. Choi’s design experience spans multiple industries and nearly three decades. For 18 years, he worked as an automotive designer for GM Korea, Daewoo and Kia, where he designed passenger cars, vans, trucks, buses and minivans. Besides the Sephia, his designs include the first and second generations of the Kia Sedona and the Kia Sportage, one of the world’s first sport utility vehicles. At Fursys and Iloom, Choi led teams of designers and engineers to develop furniture for offices and public spaces. As the first director of industrial design at Deka Research and Development, he oversaw the next generation of such innovative products as the iBOT Mobility System, a powered wheelchair with integrated features not found in other motorized chairs. Choi’s designs have received numerous accolades, including iF Hannover Product Design and Ecology Design Awards, Japanese G-Mark and the Grand Prize of Korean Industrial Design Award. He holds 47 design patents and three utility patents for his automotive and furniture designs. Of CCS, Choi says: “We are one of the top schools in the world. We don’t call our school a college of art and design. We call it a college of creative studies intentionally, because what we teach is how to be creative when delivering what the future needs.”
Photo of Volkwagen Beetle by Robert Couse-Baker of Sacramento, Calif. Used under license from Wikimedia Commons.
When it came to airport seating, Choi said, “we considered how long travelers travel, how long they have to stay in the terminal, what happens to them when they are in a hurry, what happens to them when they get in the airplane. Looked into the manufacturing of the chair, the installation of the chair, but the fundamental question was how different travelers behave in the terminal. In airport terminals, you see
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 23
Engineering and Arts Make Beautiful Music and More at Michigan Tech Creativity and Technology generate STEAM By Mark Wilcox
S
ince time began there seems to have been a separation between arts and sciences. In some circles, the two are considered opposing forces—science being objective, rational and unbiased, as opposed to art, which is subjective and emotional. But at Michigan Technological University, the lines between art and science are not only blurred, they’re disappearing altogether. Led by the Visual and Performing Arts Department, Tech is adding Art to the STEM fields— generating plenty of STEAM. The notion that art and technology are mutually exclusive is refuted daily in classes taught by Christopher Plummer, an associate professor in Tech’s VPA department. “Artists are only as good as their understanding of their tools,” says Plummer, an award winning sound designer and educator who developed the two sound degrees at Michigan Tech, a Bachelor of Science in Audio Production and Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sound Design. Plummer says art and technology are intrinsically connected, and always have been: “Art has always been tied to technology, has always been connected with technology and science.” 24 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
Unlike musicians and other artists who learn to embrace modern technology, Plummer is a technician who embraced a career in the arts. “I was working in IT at Cornell, and I got bored,” he said. “I still work with computers but in a whole different context.” In his audio production and sound design work, Plummer does much more than make music sound better: “I study how the brain processes sound. Then take that knowledge and connect it to the understanding of stories and try to make a difference in the world.” Plummer’s work, both professionally and in education, spans the worlds of technology and art. As a sound designer and audio engineer he has worked extensively in film, stage and recording, including live sound mixing for the late Ravi Shankar, among others. In addition, Plummer is an accomplished stage director and composer. Plummer’s passion for art and technology is evident in the work of his current and former students, young people making a name for themselves, and the university, in the world of audio production and sound design.
Undergraduate student Paul Bristol has developed software to enhance sound mixing in QLab, a popular multi-media playback software. Courtney Shumaker spent the summer in Germany on a recording studio internship and is currently working with students on a new album of original music. In addition to her audio production skill, Shumaker has composed and performed music for several theatrical productions.
Michigan Tech undergraduate student Dollcie Webb, in a recording session in the University’s Walker Arts and Humanities Building. Webb considers herself an artist who reluctantly embraced technology.
Steve Green, taken in 2014, at the Walker Theatre at Michigan Tech. Now a sound designer at a video game company, Green got a dose of the Visual and Performing Arts while studying at Tech.
Tech alumnus Steve Green says art is important to engineering because it seems to foster an abstract way of thinking. “Technology is a huge aspect of my job, which blends with a number of forms of art,” Green says. Green is an audio engineer at video game studio Giant Squid and is sound designer for the
highly-anticipated underwater adventure video game ABZÛ, due out next year. He says the importance of a background in music, theater and visual arts is profound in many careers. Green says experience in the arts allows him to find creativity in making sound effects, which by its nature is a very technical process. “A great example from my current project (ABZÛ) is having made dolphin calls out of rubbing my thumb on a wet ceramic plate,” he said. “A background in the arts exercises the ‘right brain’ so it’s toned for your career, because every job uses some ounce of creativity.” If Green is an engineer who has used art to enhance his career, Dollcie Webb, a fourth-year performance major, is the flip side— an artist who, reluctantly at first, came to appreciate and embrace technology. “Prior to learning how technology could help me professionally, I thought I had to trudge through life depending on the charity of tech-savvy individuals to help me,” Webb said. The aspiring actress and voice performer finally realized she had to embrace the high-tech tools of the entertainment industry. “Pursuing the life of a creative person is never easy,” she said. “It comes down to hard work, dedication and love of your craft. As times change and technology becomes more far-reaching and influential, we, as artists, need to change to accommodate the culture. It’s really a matter of survival.” Patricia Helsel, associate professor in Tech’s VPA
Department, was instrumental in the development of Michigan Tech’s new degree program in Theatre and Electronic Media Performance. Helsel teaches young actors, like Webb, the rudiments of performance while instilling the technological acumen to become marketable in a variety of settings and performance venues. “Those of us who teach have a greater role in exposing our students to the technological side of performance,” Helsel said. “This is especially true in voice-over work. So much of the industry is digital based and comes over the web. Companies (that hire voice talent) expect you to have experience with the technology. It has become a necessity, not a luxury, if you’re going to survive.” It is a concept that her student, Webb, has come to embrace. “Learning the technical aspects of audio processing, editing and recording has made me more marketable as a voice actor and given me a great appreciation for those instances when I’m working with audio engineers,” Webb said. The basic elements of the fine arts have, essentially, remained unchanged for millennia. Actors still take words off the page and transform paper and ink into living, breathing characters. Story tellers continue to create “theatre of the mind” using only the human voice. At Michigan Tech, artists and engineers are using their talents to wrap the fine arts in amazing blankets of technology for the world’s delight. Mark Wilcox is a veteran Michigan journalist now working as a news writer for Michigan Technological University’s news and media relations staff.
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 25
Digital tools promote the art of design and construction
By Eric Pope
T
he old proverb goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” When it comes to product design, Lawrence Technological University architecture student Brendon Veldboom provided the latter—a three-axis, computer-numerical-control (CNC) amilling tool—for a university he’s been working with in Albania. Veldboom’s work is one of several projects to emerge from LTU’s makeLab, which opened five years ago in the university’s College of Architecture and Design, when LTU associate professor James Stevens and his students began assembling machines to construct physical products, including furniture, graphic displays, and models of architectural projects. Architecture modeling and design in general is now practiced almost exclusively on computers with sophisticated software, but Stevens has made it his goal to reconnect design to the act and art of making objects. The process starts with computer-aided design and the resulting designs are translated into wood and other materials through CNC programs. 26 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
Last summer, Stevens published a book, “Digital Vernacular: Architectural Principles, Tools, and Processes,” with co-author and fellow LTU associate professor Ralph Nelson, to describe how this process works. Many of the examples come from makeLab projects like Veldboom’s. For the past few years, Stevens had led workshops at Polis Universiti in Albania. At the conclusion of those workshops, the LTU group packed up their portable CNC milling tools to bring back to the United States. This year, Veldboom decided to build a large CNC milling tool – and leave it in Albania. His project began with hand sketches that were turned into a digital 3D model using Rhino software. During the prototyping process, which involved many tests and revisions, Veldboom used the makeLab’s own large three-axis CNC milling tool to cut components out of high-density plastic. The main design challenge was to build a CNC tool that would meet all government guidelines for international flight and also be robust enough to work reliably at a high-performance level. The machine was reassembled in Albania for a 12-day digital fabrication workshop in July.
Fifteen students from both Lawrence Tech and Polis Universiti learned how to operate it and then ran it for more than 30 hours without any problems. “Facing the challenges of designing, prototyping, and building the machine gave me great respect for the tools we have at Lawrence Tech,” Veldboom said. “Watching the Lawrence Tech and Polis Universiti students be introduced to digital fabrication and the amazing projects that came out of the workshop was exciting to see. … More importantly, it has helped educate others and will continue to do so.” The milling tool can be used for building objects out of wood, plastic, synthetic plastics, foam, and some construction materials. During the workshop, the Albanian students designed and created pieces for a masonry wall. As an added benefit, Veldboom also developed a manual and parts list for operating and maintaining the milling tool. The tool was also designed to be easily upgraded as the Polis Universiti program expands. Stevens worked alongside Veldboom, and his experiences with this and many other projects in the past five years provided
Here are some of the parts and tools used James Stevens and Ralph Nelson are in assembling the portable CNC milling tool associate professors in LTU’s College of in Albania. Architecture and Design.
Digital Vernacular: Architectural Principles, Tools, and Processes” by James Stevens and Ralph Nelson is published by Routledge and is available through amazon.com.
the basis for “Digital Vernacular,” a lavishly illustrated 300-page book published by Routledge this summer. In the book, he and his co-author address the why and how of digital fabrication in hundreds of step-by-step color images. They illuminate a set of working principles and techniques that join theory with practice, which is the overarching educational approach at LTU. The book brings together local traditions and innovations in architecture and design—the vernacular in architecture—with new digital toolsets. In the process, the authors seek to reconnect computerized design with the act of making physical objects. The book opens with the origins and principles of the digital vernacular and then discusses the digital-vernacular applications
Brandon Veldboom makes adjustments to the CNC milling tool in the makeLab at Lawrence Technological University. He used it to make many of the parts for the CNC milling tool reassembled at Polis Universiti in Albania.
for tools such as CNC mills, laser cutters, and 3D printers. Instructions are provided for building digital fabrication tools out of inexpensive materials. The book concludes with the processes used in the digital vernacular, including techniques for removing, joining, forming, and adding. Because of the high cost of commercial digital fabrication equipment, the latest developments in digital fabrication have usually not been available to architects and designers who build on a small scale in the vernacular of their particular culture and region. “In order to practice the digital vernacular it is imperative that the tools align with an economic model accessible to the larger community,” the authors write. Stevens has practiced what he preaches. LTU’s makeLab
has designed and built its own digital fabrication tools at a fraction of the cost of commercially available equipment. “This allows us to customize the equipment to our needs and reduces cost in maintenance and repair,” Stevens said. “Furthermore, this process gives designers a higher understanding of the tools’ abilities and limitations.” A companion website to the book, make-lab.org/the-digitalvernacular, provides additional step-by-step processes and project outcomes. Eric Pope is managing editor of the Lawrence Technological University News Bureau, part of the university’s marketing and public affairs department.
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 27
Art, Architecture and the American City By Matt Roush
Lawrence Tech Bringing Its Design Expertise To Detroit
A
my Deines sees the relationship between science and engineering as being a lot like the relationship between art and architecture. Engineering takes science and applies it. Architecture does much the same for art. That’s why good design, good architecture, “inherently has a larger ambition outside of its first order. It might set out to do something that solves a problem, but when it meets the problem, it has more return on its investment—service to humanity, civic engagement. So good design has to do more than one thing. It has to do many things very well without having to explain to the user how to use it.” Deines is now acting dean of Lawrence Technological University’s College of Architecture and Design, which has 800 students, 22 full-time faculty and “hundreds of adjuncts. We say that proudly—we actually rely on adjunct faculty to be the current voice of methods in the practice.” It’s one of three accredited architecture schools in Michigan— the others are the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the University of Detroit Mercy—and it’s the most Michigan-centric of the 28 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
lot. Fully 60 percent of all licensed architects in Michigan are graduates of Lawrence Tech. Deines says good design also unites all building systems—the backbone of a building as well as its interior spaces where people live or work. “The bones of the building should be in conversation with the tissue and the muscle and the openings,” she said. “We try to instill that in the pedagogy in the very first semester of studying architecture. What that translates into is, we know where to put the windows to make the most of natural light. We understand that gravity can help a plumbing plan.” Deines is a native of southeast Michigan who got interested in architecture at the behest of a respected older brother—who reacted to her childhood desire to be an artist by saying, “I don’t want to have to support you.” With architecture, she discovered she could combine her love for art with a natural aptitude for math and science, and make a career. Deines has an undergraduate degree in design from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in architecture from Cranbrook. Deines said her designs reflect
her views as “an urbanist, where a building always has context to its area.” One of her major research interests is repurposing reclaimed materials from post-industrial landscapes—a field for which Detroit has been a perfect place. Lawrence Tech is home to an architectural engineering program as well as architecture, Deines said, further blurring the line between art and engineering, right brain and left brain. And LTU’s focus on entrepreneurship further forces students to think creatively, about problem solving, not just buildings. For the future, Deines said, design will reflect the trend that “over 90 percent of the world’s population will move into urban environments.” And today’s millennial generation, who will influence future development and redevelopment, “like a small footprint, curated with very beautiful furniture—I say curated, because it’s almost like a museum—it’s a concise way of living. And when they walk out the front door, knowing that all of the assets that make life worth living are there.” But the problem of that, she said, is that having such amenities often leads to gentrification that prices most people out of a housing market.
Also for the future, Deines said she is “very passionate” about LTU’s new Detroit Center for Design and Technology, where she is executive director. Deines said the center is designed to work with the design and technology challenges of Michigan’s biggest city. It’s the first time LTU will have a major presence in the city since it moved its main campus to Southfield in 1955. Lawrence Tech has been involved in the Detroit conversation for years, however, including a design studio called detroitSHOP, first in the Chrysler House building and later in the former Federal Reserve building, where in exchange for free rent and parking, LTU students worked on the designs of Dan Gilbert’s downtown holdings. The DCDT and LTU is the anchor tenant for the Woodward Willis Building developed by Midtown Detroit Inc. LTU has a long-term lease for 8,000 square feet. The other 5,000 square feet will be sub-leased for the next few years. Some construction work had not been completed in time for the opening, but the center will be ready for the start of the spring semester in January. “Our goal is to actively engage the civic and social awareness of our
students and give them opportunities to become involved in projects that will have a positive impact on the city and its residents,” she said. By bringing several of the College of Architecture and Design’s urban programs together, LTU’s Detroit Center for Design and Technology will provide: An urban setting for university courses in urban design, architecture, graphic design and industrial design. A permanent exhibition space for the presentation of contemporary ideas in architecture and design. A new design incubator that will help entrepreneurs turn their design-based ideas into new businesses. Support for LTU’s outreach to STEAM-oriented schools in the region. A common meeting place for LTU students and other DCDT tenants involved in architecture, design, engineering and development. Close to 100 LTU students soon will be taking classes at DCDT on a weekly basis and they will have the opportunity to cross paths with the Woodward Willis Building’s
other tenants—Invest Detroit, AIA Michigan, AIA Detroit, SME, the Urban Land Institute of Detroit, and the local chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects. Beginning in early 2016, LTU’s DCDT Design Incubator will provide programs and services to help creative businesses grow in Detroit. It will offer access to legal advice, marketing resources, and mentorship for business start-ups. The Design Incubator will also launch a fellowship program to encourage recent college graduates to start businesses and take up residence in Detroit. LTU will also eventually study creating student housing in the city, Deines said, as well as “a messy space, a maker space, where students can experiment and make.”
www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 29
3D PRINTING A CAREER PATH TOWARDS CREATIVE IDEA REALIZATION
E
By Nassif Rayess, Ray Okonski and Patrick Pawlowski
very few decades, there comes a technology whose full effects can only be viewed and understood through the lens of time. Personal computing had fairly humble beginnings but eventually brought about the digital world, where individuals can access, create and control information at unprecedented scales. Three-dimensional printing is at similarly humble beginnings, but promises just as tectonic a transformation to the physical or material world. Among the many reasons that the digital world has become an integral part of life are its flexibility and the fact that it is fairly democratic. A person with modest means can, for the most part, have on-demand access to the same digital information as wealthy individuals. This is not yet the case for the physical or material world where the ability to create physical goods is limited by the need for dedicated infrastructure and the ability to access these goods is limited by cost and distribution considerations. The technology of 3D printing solves two of the three aforementioned limitations, namely infrastructure and distribution. The next few decades will see the functionality, quality and affordability of 3D printing increase. That will bring about a complete change of perception of how people view physical goods. It also will complete the nascent interchangeability between the physical and digital worlds where physical goods can be brought in to the digital realms through scanning
technologies and reconstituted into the material world through 3D printing. This last bit of futuristic thinking is intended to frame the current state of 3D printing in the context of its arc of development and to help define the roles of schools and universities in supporting that development. The academic community is doing much on the technology development front as most of 3D printing methods started in university research labs. However, this article is about the place of the technology in engineering curricula and the role of schools and universities in engaging and educating students on the use of this technology. The College of Engineering and Science at University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) strives to have a curriculum that is balanced between the skills needed for professional practice today and those needed for the future. This, incidentally, is not simple as the typical engineering graduate will have a 45 year career. The reader is encouraged to think about what the engineering world was like 45 years ago when engineers, who are now in the twilight of their careers, were first educated.
The IDENTILOCK™ by Sentinl gun safety device shown as a CAD model, a 3D printed model (right) and the actual product (left), http://sentinl.com.
A 3D printed, student designed bell crank mounted and tested to failure which allow students to evaluate their own designs
30 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
3D PRINTING AND THE DESIGN CURRICULUM
The art of designing components is a critical skill for engineering students and should be taught at the earliest stages. Also of importance is familiarizing
Two designs with nearly identical 3D printing cost (same material volume) but vastly different conventional manufacturing costs (one on right has far more geometric features)
An ergonomic spoon for use by people with essential tremors, made from food grade resin using a 3D printed 2-piece mold.
the students with design trade-offs, such as strength to weight ratio. Three-dimensional printing offers a mean to create physical prototypes that enhance the learning experience. Education is premised on feedback where a student creates a design and receives a critique from the instructor or other experts. In the case of a physical object designed to maximize strength and minimize weight, direct measurements of performance would prove the ultimate arbiter. That process carries far more credibility than the opinion of an expert, informed as it is. One such project used in the freshman engineering class at UDM involves designing a bell crank mechanism under strength and weight considerations. Students create CAD models of what they believe to be the best design and then have their models 3D printed. The students then assemble their prototype with the bearings and test them to failure on a universal testing machine. The student receives two critical pieces of information: the ratio of breaking force to part weight; and, the observation of how the part broke. Following a class discussion, the student
is tasked with redesigning their part. This very rich learning experience can only be possible because of 3D printing, as making dozens of unique bell cranks would be prohibitive, both in terms of cost and time. Three-dimensional printing creates a challenging environment for instructors who are cognizant of design for manufacturing practices. Manufacturing costs of a 3D printed component are determined largely by volume while costs for conventional manufacturing are determined largely by features. For example, there is an added cost for holes in a conventionally manufactured part as holes need to be drilled. On the other hand, these same holes will reduce the cost in a 3D printed part as they will mean less material volume.
EMPOWERING ENTREPRENEURS
A major application of 3D printing is making the soft molds and tools used in prototyping plastic components. This application is especially useful in a college projects with their limited budgets and time. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printed molds can be used with minimal post-processing to make thermoset parts. This is particularly important for applications that require food grade material and is an excellent way to prototype tools. UDM has an entrepreneurial engineering culture that periodically generates student-led ventures. One such student-led venture has commercialized a spoon for people with essential tremors. Limited production facilities were set-up by the students in the College and all tools were made using FDM processes.
OUTLETS FOR CREATIVITY
Two designs with nearly identical 3D printing cost (same material volume) but vastly different conventional manufacturing costs (one on right has far more geometric features)
Three-dimensional printing offers creative people an avenue for creating art that is not bound by manufacturing processes. Bronze sculptors can only dream up features that could be cast. Stone sculptors are limited by what they can chisel. In most traditional manufacturing methods, internal features are either impossible www.esd.org | The Engineering Society of Detroit | 31
There is no economically viable way to make a physical model of such a complex structure other than with 3D printing.
3D printing machines, unlike previous Maker hits such as cheap electronics, have a relatively low barrier to entry other than an ability to use 3D modeling software. As such, they promise to diversify the Maker movement. To make that happen, it is incumbent on K-12, colleges and universities to engage all students of all backgrounds in 3D printing activities.
CAREERS IN 3D PRINTING
The technology of 3D printing continues to evolve with new materials and new methods of solidifying those materials. The recent breakthroughs concerned the speed and throughput of 3D printing processes. As a consequence, one can look at 3D printing as either a stand-alone engineering career opportunity or as one of the many ancillary careers that support the 3D printing industry. Those 3D printing careers span a number of different fields such as automotive, aerospace, bioengineering and even food production. As the number of 3D printing applications increase, so is the need for competent engineers. The authors of this paper believe that 3D printing will eventually be viewed as an engineering specialization similar to today’s choices of mechanical, electrical, chemical, and others.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was funded through a grant by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network program of the Kern Family Foundation and through the philanthropic giving of Mr. Ray Okonski.
An incredibly detailed, artistic, two feet tall model of a robot, drawn by Evan Jeffries while enrolled in high school—Mr. Jeffries is currently an ME student at UDM.
or very costly to produce. Not so for 3D printing as any feature, with few exceptions, can be printed. This is particularly true for non-load bearing parts. The model robot above was designed by Evan Jeffries while attending high school and printed using a FDM machine. There is no economically viable way to make a physical model of such a complex structure other than with 3D printing.
DIVERSIFYING THE MAKER COMMUNITY
Techniques for rapid realization of ideas have always been championed by a group known as the Maker community. These are the kind of tinkerers that embody the innovative spirit of the United States. They are the early adopters of new technologies. They are also lacking sufficient representation of ethnic minorities and women. 32 | TechCentury | Winter 2015–2016
Nassif Rayess is Assistant Dean for Research and External Initiatives at the College of Engineering and Science at UDM. He also is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He teaches entrepreneurship and product design. Ray Okonski is a retired CEO of a small firm with extensive (50 years) experience in the development and marketing of new innovative products. He is a strong supporter of STEM and 3-D systems at the high school and college level. Patrick Pawlowski is a Mechanical Engineer and a UDM Alum. He is the co-founder of a student venture, SOUP Spoon, and is currently Product Engineer at Sentinl. He has a passion for innovation and is actively involved in Detroit’s entrepreneurial community.
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