IMPACT 2024

IMPACT The official magazine of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

ALWAYS ADVANCING HUANG POISED TO LEAD CEAT INTO A NEW ERA

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OKLAHOMA

STATE

UNIVERSITY

CENTER FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY FIRE PROTECTION PUBLICATIONS FIRE SERVICE TRAINING LOCAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CENTER INTERNATIONAL FIRE SERVICE ACCREDITATION CONGRESS CEAT IT CEAT K-12 STEM

CEAT ENGINEERING EXTENSION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES STRENGTHEN OKLAHOMA'S ECONOMY THROUGH INNOVATION, REDUCE THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS AND OTHER EMERGENCIES ON CITIZENS AND COMMUNITIES, ELEVATE THE SAFETY OF ITS CITIZENS, AND BRING TECHNICAL ADVANCES TO ITS INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC AGENCIES.

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PHOTO GARY LAWSON

FROM THE DEAN’S OFFICE

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ear faculty, staff, students, donors and friends, The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University stands poised for a new era of achievement, sustained by the continued support of all stakeholders, especially our esteemed donors.

ENDEAVOR stands as a testament to your patronage, serving as a state-of-the-art undergraduate teaching laboratory along with Engineering North and Engineering South renovations. More importantly, CEAT has drawn talented faculty, dedicated staff and exceptional students. The great people of this college form a solid foundation for future successes across our campus.

Our gifted faculty have made great strides in impactful research. In the academic year 2024, our annual research awards grew to over $25 million.

The Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education LaunchPad received $18 million from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. Great Plains Center of Excellence in CEAT — one of the five key regional hubs for the Industrial Assessment Center program of the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains of the U.S. Department of Energy — received $7 million to support industrial assessments.

CEAT’s IAC has achieved a return-on-investment ratio of 11-to-1, saving local industry more than $130 million by spending about $12 million.

Our high-achieving students, supported by talented faculty and dedicated staff, have earned

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national and international recognition. Two CEAT students were named Goldwater Scholars this past spring. CEAT’s overall retention rate has increased to 90%, while OSU’s rate has increased to 83%, compared with the national average of 77% for postsecondary institutions.

Building on this solid foundation, CEAT is set for further growth across six critical areas: academic programs, enrollment, faculty and staff, research enterprise, Extension activities, and reputation.

This growth will yield profound societal impacts, such as broader access to top-tier education for Oklahoma students, enhanced leadership education, workforce development to bolster the Oklahoma economy, and strong collaborations with tech companies to attract new business to our state.

The driving force behind CEAT’s growth is its people. I look forward to working with you in advancing this great college.

GO POKES!

Dr. Hanchen Huang Dean, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Facilitating First Responders Division of Engineering Technology aiding firefighters with research projects.

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A Lasting Legacy Retired IEM professor reflects on career as educator and donor.

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Fire Country

Focusing on the Future Dr. Hanchen Huang looks to lead CEAT forward after being named dean.

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Solar Eclipse

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W.W. Allen Scholars

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Goldwater Scholars

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Top Honors

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GEM Fellowship

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Community Paramedicine

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NSF CAREER Award

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NASA EPSCOR

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Class Matters

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Aid to Sustainability

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Hall of Fame

DEAN, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE AND TECHNOLOGY

CIVE professor and students study effects wildfires have on soil.

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Plus …

Dr. Hanchen Huang MARKETING MANAGER

Kristi Wheeler LEAD WRITER

Desa James WRITERS

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Ashleigh Green, Tanner Holubar, Savannah McDaniel, Erin Portman, Shannon Rigsby and Kristi Wheeler EDITOR

Jordan Bishop ART DIRECTOR

Dave Malec

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GRAPHIC DESIGN

Annie Buford, Cody Giles and Stephen Matthews

Fresh Air

PHOTOGRAPHY

Chemical Engineering professor builds AI-powered inhaler.

Annie Buford, Brandy DeVous, Desa James, Jordan Klein, Gary Lawson, Cody Maison, Josh New, Ritesh Sachan, Jeremiah Snell and Kristi Wheeler

44 On the cover: New CEAT Dean Hanchen Huang studies a senior design project alongside electrical engineering student Lenna Abouzahr.

(Photo by Gary Lawson)

IMPACT is a publication of the Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and is designed to provide information on college activities and accomplishments while fostering communication among the CEAT family and friends.

CEAT.OKSTATE.EDU The office of publication for IMPACT is 307 Whitehurst, Stillwater, OK 74078-1024. © 2024, IMPACT. All rights reserved.

Oklahoma State University, as an equal opportunity employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. OSU is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all individuals and does not discriminate based on race, religion, age, sex, color, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, or veteran status with regard to employment, educational programs and activities, and/or admissions. For more information, the director of equal opportunity/Title IX coordinator is located at 401 General Academic Building and can be reached at 405744-1156 or by visiting EEO.OKSTATE.EDU. This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as authorized by the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, was printed

by Modern Litho, at a cost of $10,454.69/4M August 2024/#Impact2024.

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A Rare Opportunity OSU researchers take advantage of solar eclipse to gather atmospheric data

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total solar eclipse happens somewhere on Earth about every one or two years.

However, this year was special in that it was the longest total eclipse over land anywhere on the planet in a decade.

Another one like it will not be seen until 2044.

Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education used the 2024 total solar eclipse path as a rare opportunity to improve weather forecasting.

On April 8, 16 OSU students and faculty members were joined by NASA representatives at the Choctaw Nation Community Center in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, to conduct research as part of the NASA National Eclipse Balloon Program, which started at 12:25 p.m., with totality being from 1:45 -1:50 p.m., and ended at 3 p.m.

Dr. Jamey Jacob, regents professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and OAIRE executive director, likened the eclipse’s effect to a pebble in a pond.

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“Just like a pebble causes waves in the water, the eclipse causes gravity waves in its wake as it moves across the Earth, and we want to measure those disturbances,” he said.

“These waves are essential for transporting energy in the atmosphere.

They’re good at mixing the air and act as conveyor belts to help move moisture from one location to another, just like waves in the ocean.”

Jacob said the goal is to take the atmospheric readings from such a rare but known event and use them to provide general improvements to numerical weather prediction models.

“The atmosphere is so complex to model — it’s just a very complicated phenomena,” he said. “The eclipse provides a way to verify existing models using a known condition.”

OSU was one of 53 teams across the U.S. in the NASA program, with OSU serving as an atmospheric science pod lead.

OSU was responsible for organizing and supporting other teams leading up to the eclipse and bringing their data together after the event. Teams

STORY KRISTI WHEELER AND SHANNON RIGSBY | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON

were spread out between Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

The OSU team also had a distinction from others compiling data; Dr. Brian Elbing, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and renowned OSU tornado researcher, incorporated infrasonic arrays into the data collection arsenal to better understand how those systems work for tornado detection.

OAIRE also took drones to serve as a repeatable system taking the same measurements. Jacob said someday, the balloons that carry the instruments will be replaced by drone fleets.

Zach Yap, a research and development engineer with OAIRE, has conducted research with OSU for years, including his years as a mechanical and aerospace engineering undergraduate and graduate student.

“This was a wonderful opportunity to see what happens when you essentially turn off the sun and have a rapid onset of darkness,” he said. “An eclipse is an interesting and unique way of generating atmospheric gravity waves. They happen between different

layers in the atmosphere, and the waves are good movers of energy for storms and other things. If we can better understand how these waves propagate through the atmosphere, we can better — on a continental scale — forecast weather systems.”

outreach and engagement

In addition to OSU leading several other universities, OSU researchers had the opportunity to be a resource for students at Gordon Cooper Technology Center in Shawnee as well as Okmulgee High School.

“Through the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP) and OSU, we can give them the opportunity and resources to learn from these opportunities,” Yap said. “By doing this, we can share this knowledge and inspire them to pursue a STEM career.”

Jacob said the effort included the whole range of student involvement.

“On the science side, we had high school, undergraduate and graduate students working together, and while at the eclipse,

“This was a wonderful opportunity to see what happens when you essentially turn off the sun and have a rapid onset of darkness.”

Zach Yap

OAIRE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER

CEAT students prepare a balloon launch during the 2024 total solar eclipse.

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A view of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

we used this opportunity for science outreach for younger kids and to our tribal partners,” he said. “The eclipse itself is a cosmic marvel that inspires awe in all who see it. What better way to reach the next generation of scientists and engineers?”

Ongoing research

Kate Spillman, a mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate student working for Elbing — along with three other team members — was tasked with redesigning the payload that attaches to a solar balloon to record atmospheric changes for the day of the eclipse.

Solar balloons use the sun’s radiation to float in the lower stratosphere. They are launched early in the morning and naturally descend when the sun sets because there is no longer enough radiation to support them.

The team’s main goal was to reduce the weight of the payload, which would let them use a smaller, more reliable balloon. It was also tasked with developing a design to attach a solar radiation sensor, which records the solar radiation and is located on top of the payload.

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During the total eclipse, the team launched two solar balloons.

“We used large helium weather balloons to tow the solar balloons up to wherever the weather balloons burst at, which ended up being 70,000-80,000 feet,” Spillman said. “What the solar balloon is supposed to do, since it’s towed up there, is it should come down a little bit, inflate and then reach its float altitude, which is around 60,00070,000 feet.”

The first balloon launched at 1500 UTC and was able to reach float altitude after the helium balloon burst. However, the balloon ripped at 1846 UTC, just three minutes before eclipse totality.

The second balloon launched at 1620 UTC and failed before the helium balloon burst, which they think was a result of the manufacturer changing the chemical compound of the tape that is used to construct the balloon.

Solar radiation decreases during a solar eclipse. One of the things that the research team was looking at during the solar eclipse was to see how much of a delay there was between the time the solar radiation started to decrease and the time when the balloon’s altitude began to decrease.

“When an eclipse happens, you would expect to see the balloon start to come down, but what’s interesting is we could almost perfectly see the balloon dropping in altitude as soon as part of the sun was blocked,” Elbing said. “We immediately saw a change in its performance.”

Before the team launches a balloon, they will utilize a Python script to enter the weight of the payload, where they are going to launch from, the altitude, and the time of day. The Python script can run trajectories about where the balloon is and where it’s expected to go, which benefits the team.

“This is very beneficial for us because these balloons can go very far distances,” Spillman said. “We’ve had some that run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean. The trajectories can tell us if we should launch that day or not and how far the balloon will go. Once the balloon passes a certain latitude or longitude, we can set up a geofence and, if needed, cut the payload down and we can still retrieve the data while the balloon will fly away.”

During the total eclipse, the research team wanted to see if their radiation model was accurate. Instead of seeing a gradual exponential curve,

they saw a sharp drop. Because of this, the team concluded that the model didn’t account for the length of time it would take for the air in the balloon to cool down. This preliminary analysis shows they may be able to modify the code, making it more accurate.

“If we design the balloon to fly at a certain altitude in the atmosphere, you need to know the percentage of the radiation that is actually absorbed in the balloon, so you have to know the temperature inside, which sets how much buoyancy lift you have,” Elbing said.

“There are models that were estimated, but most of the time, radiation levels aren’t measured because they cannot be controlled. However, the total eclipse offered a unique opportunity to see the correlation between how the balloon reacts to increased and decreased solar radiation.”

Elbing will continue his research in infrasound using these balloons.

“One of the things Kate and I want to do is use these balloons to fly over storms because infrasound is very directionally dependent when you’re at the ground measuring it, but it’s a lot less sensitive at altitude,” Elbing said. “We’ve flown several of our sensors on balloons, we’ve overflown some storms, but we want to start to measure from above the storms instead of below the storm.”

Future research beyond Earth

“At some point, NASA wants to launch some type of balloon-based ariel platform on Venus to learn about its interior structure, and learning about that can tell us about our planet’s evolution as well,” Spillman said.

“One of the avenues is to use a type of

zero-pressure balloon, and OSU has been an instrumental part in developing and continuing that research. I’m going to be looking at mitigating wind noise on the payloads.”

On Venus, the winds are very high.

The goal is to launch in the middle atmosphere, where the weather conditions are much less severe and the winds are lower than the exterior, but either way, there will be wind noise on the payload. Reducing that wind noise by a physical setup rather than modifying the code will decrease the risk of losing their signals.

Still, there is much to learn about Venus and the research being done at OSU through balloon launches is a big part of what researchers worldwide are learning. D

Crowds gather outside in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, to view the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse.

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Innovation, Imagination and Inspiring Dreams CEAT’s 2024 W.W. Allen Scholars have big plans

From Left: Ceyda Kara, Cooper Holley and Eliza Bobzien are the 2024 W.W. Allen Scholars.

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liza Bobzien, Ceyda Kara and Cooper Holley were selected as recipients of the Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology’s top two prestigious scholarships.

Bobzien and Kara were named the 2024 W.W. Allen Scholarship award recipients.

The W.W. Allen scholarship is available to engineering students and it offers over $135,000 in scholarships and opportunities. It consists of $7,500 annually, industry networking, study abroad experiences and mentorship.

Scholars also receive full tuition and housing to obtain a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge.

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Eliza Bobzien is from Richardson, Texas, and graduated from Regina Caeli Academy. She is passionate about playing a vital role in creating more connected and safer communities, which led her to pursue a civil and environmental engineering degree.

“Civil engineering particularly appeals to me because of my longstanding fascination with historical architecture and enthusiasm for community enhancement,” Bobzien said.

“Growing up, my favorite books included David Macaulay’s history of the construction of the pyramids, Roman cities, cathedrals and more. His beautifully illustrated books showcase the architectural design of these

buildings and their practical function. I especially loved ‘City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction’ because it explains practical designs in urban structures that improved hygiene and transportation. I was amazed by the profound and direct impact of these ancient engineers on urban life.”

With a degree in civil engineering, Bobzien realizes that she can directly impact helping build public spaces such as the ones she has read about so communities can thrive.

In addition to obtaining her degree in civil engineering, Bobzien plans to pursue a minor or earn a certificate related to Geographic Information Systems. After taking a summer class

STORY AND PHOTOS KRISTI WHEELER

Eliza Bobzien is a civil and environmental engineering major from Richardson, Texas.

in GIS at a local community college, she recognized the power of combining her creative design sense and interest in information analysis, along with being able to create information-rich visuals through GIS, would complement her career goals.

Bobzien is excited to engage in undergraduate research related to testing building materials that are both durable and environmentally friendly. Additionally, she is eager to enroll in some of CEAT’s study abroad programs and get involved in student organizations that will provide leadership and service opportunities.

Over the next 25 years, Bobzien aspires to help cities create safer, more

vibrant public spaces or facilitate better ways to access community spaces. She has a goal to advocate for investment in improvement projects for low-income areas, where funding is often scarce.

“I believe creating safe and inclusive infrastructure uplifts the entire community, providing people with a health-supportive environment and often a means to connect with others and the outdoors,” Bobzien said. “Living in safe and beautiful communities enriches the overall health of entire urban areas. Ultimately, I would like to be a part of creating a niche engineering firm as an expert consultant for cities striving to shape safer and more connected communities.”

Ceyda Kara is from Norfolk, Virginia, and graduated from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma. After interning at Stillwater Medical Center, Kara realized she wanted to pursue a degree in chemical engineering.

“In the summer of 2022, I interned at SMC, where I worked with doctors, nurses, therapists and more,” Kara said.

“Experiencing life in the hospital, I saw tiny heart stents placed in cardiology.

I saw people resuscitated after being removed from a ventilator in the ICU. In the operating room, I watched a patient receive a new knee in just two hours.”

There, she realized the depth that was behind each of these procedures.

The stent she saw placed was not C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 9

Ceyda Kara is a chemical engineering major from Stillwater.

just a stent; it was a device that had thousands of hours of research behind it. It was a procedure with lots of time and practice behind it. It was a life experience that the patient and their loved ones would spend their lives grateful for. Kara witnessed how these hundreds of inventions and innovations transformed people’s lives and wanted to be a part of that transformation.

“I aspire to be a precision psychiatrist who explores the unknown, learning and experiencing the unfamiliar complexities of life,” Kara said.

“Instead of only operating machinery or prescribing medicines, I want to be the one to create and research the medications used. I want to work to develop new surgical methods and perfect treatments for different illnesses. My answer to these curiosities lies in chemical engineering.”

In medicine, chemical engineers are instrumental in developing drugs

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and medical devices. Their expertise is crucial in psychiatry for developing effective psychopharmacological medications, optimizing drug delivery systems, enhancing efficacy and minimizing side effects. Additionally, chemical engineering is critical to groundbreaking advancements in neuro-engineering and brain-computer interfaces. These technologies revolutionize psychiatric care, offering more accurate diagnoses, personalized treatments and novel therapies.

While at OSU, Kara plans to engage in undergraduate research and hopes to work under Dr. Yu Feng, whose research focuses on pulmonary drug delivery optimization. She also plans to expand her global perspective by participating in CEAT’s study abroad programs.

“My objective is to embrace the journey of learning with curiosity,” Kara said. “To become more understanding of the world. To ask

more questions. With a heart full of ambition and a mind eager to explore, I step into this next chapter ready to transform my aspirations into reality, leaving a meaningful impact on my life and the broader community. OSU is my gateway to a world brimming with possibilities. It is here that I will not just learn, but lead, not just study, but innovate. I will not just push boundaries; I will redefine them.”

Cooper Holley is from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and graduated from Wesleyan Christian School. Holley’s passion for numbers and technology inspired him to choose electrical engineering as his major.

Holley was named the 2024 W.W. Allen Boys and Girls Scholarship award recipient.

This scholarship program was designed to benefit someone who was an active member of a Boys & Girls

Cooper Holley is an electrical engineering major from Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Club while in high school and who wishes to pursue educational goals in engineering. The recipient is awarded $15,000 annually for up to four years of study toward a degree in engineering, enrichment activities, and domestic and international travel.

Holley’s involvement with the Boys & Girls Club played an immense role in his formation as a person and basketball player. There, he learned the essential values of hard work, dedication and accountability.

“Basketball has been a vital portion of my life for as long as I can remember,” Holley said. “With a father who played at the collegiate and semi-professional level, the expectations are high. The BGC basketball program enabled me to be the best player possible. I still use every skill I was taught in that program today. I would be nowhere near the player I am today without the BGC, and I have become a better person in general.”

Numbers have always fascinated Holley. Whether reciting memorized digits of pi, meeting with teachers to study mathematics, or winning various awards at school and state levels for excelling in competition and classes, he has augmented his gift to the best of his ability.

When Holley was considering his career path and what direction he wanted to go with pursuing his college degree, it occurred to him that he could incorporate his aptitude for numbers into his passion for technology with an engineering degree.

“Technology, along with its advancements, is a topic I frequently find myself yearning to learn more about,” he said. “I desire to know how varying devices work and why they are designed in a specific manner.

Solely for consolidation, I took an extensive and expensive career aptitude and interest placement

test. In perfect affirmation, both my aptitude and interests were primarily for occupations requiring engineering degrees. More specifically, electrical and computer engineering degrees.”

During his academic career at OSU, Holley has goals to maintain a 4.0 GPA, pursue internships, enroll in CEAT’s study abroad programs and join educational clubs.

“I plan to be profusely intentional about jumping at every educational opportunity by stepping out of my comfort zone,” Holley said. D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 11

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Bringing Home the Gold

Two CEAT students named 2024 Goldwater Scholars

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his spring, two Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology students were awarded the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

Trey Dorrell and Sam Glenn stood out from a competitive pool of 1,353 applicants representing 446 institutions nationwide, earning this esteemed scholarship that provides up to $7,500 annually for one to two years.

The Goldwater Foundation has a history of fostering the next generation of professionals in critical fields such as natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. For over three decades, the foundation has awarded scholarships to college sophomores and juniors dedicated to research careers. This initiative not only supports their academic pursuits but also contributes significantly to national progress by nurturing talented individuals ready to address key challenges, from national defense to medical breakthroughs.

The legacy of the Goldwater Scholarship extends beyond financial support, often leading recipients to further accolades such as the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Fellowship, Rhodes Scholarship, Churchill Scholarship, and the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship. This recognition highlights the caliber of Goldwater Scholars.

Dorrell and Glenn’s achievements mark a significant milestone for OSU, bringing the total number of Goldwater Scholars from the university to 34, with 16 of those accolades earned by CEAT students.

TREY DORRELL Trey Dorrell, a senior majoring in mechanical and aerospace engineering

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with a minor in Spanish, came to OSU as a Freshman Research Scholar.

Dorrell found that his Spanish minor significantly enhanced his communication skills and cultural understanding, which was pivotal to his successful Goldwater application.

Dorrell’s dedication to research is evident in his work on optimizing 3D-printed hybrid rocket motors, which earned him a Wentz Research Scholarship. His role as an engineering technician at the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, combined with his leadership as vice president of the OSU Space Cowboys, showcases his commitment to advancing aerospace technology.

On top of this, Dorrell is also nearing completing his Honors College degree. To earn this distinction, students complete honors coursework in a breadth of academic areas as well as a concentration of coursework in their major.

“Winning the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship represents a significant milestone in my academic journey,” he said. “It’s a validation of my commitment to research and an incredible boost to pursue my aspirations in aerospace engineering with even greater enthusiasm.

“Dr. [Kurt] Rouser, my research mentor, and Dr. [Jamey] Jacob and Professor [Carisa] Ramming, my other recommenders, have profoundly shaped my scholarly path. Their guidance and support have been invaluable.

OSU’s dedicated faculty and educators consistently ensure students like me can achieve our fullest potential.”

Dorrell aims to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in aerospace technology, particularly propulsion systems and unmanned aerial vehicles.

“I hope to play a pivotal role in the future of space exploration, pushing the boundaries of human ingenuity,” Dorrell said.

SAM GLENN Sam Glenn, a senior double majoring in mechanical engineering and mathematics, has been immersed in research since his freshman year.

His work in the Applied Fluid Mechanics Lab, examining the role of wing shape in the aerodynamic performance of tiny insects, has earned him recognition as both a Niblack Research Scholar and a Wentz Research Scholar. Glenn has presented his research at regional and national conferences, demonstrating his expertise and dedication.

Glenn’s passion for research is deeply rooted in his family’s academic legacy. His parents met in graduate school, and his grandfather earned a doctorate in chemical engineering from OSU. Glenn plans to follow in these footsteps, aiming to complete a doctorate in mechanical engineering focusing on hypersonic flows using computational fluid dynamics.

“Winning the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship is an incredible honor,” Glenn said. “It shows me that all the hours I’ve spent in the lab and classroom are paying off.”

He attributes much of his success to the mentorship he has received at OSU. “Dr. [Arvind] Santhanakrishnan continually pushed me to be a better researcher, and Dr. [Chitrarth] Prasad helped me discover my passion for computational fluid dynamics,” he said. D

STORY AND PHOTO DESA JAMES

SAM

GLENN

TREY DORRELL

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Association. The The University Seniors Seniors of of Significance Significance Award Award recognizes recognizes students students who who have have excelled excelled in in scholarship, scholarship, leadership leadersnip and and Seniors service to to campus campus and and community community and and have have brought brought distinction distinction to to OSU. OSU. service

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Carson Voelker was also named the 2023-24 Outstanding Senior by the OSU Alumni Association. The Outstanding Senior award recognizes seniors who show excellence through academic achievement; campus and community involvement; academic, athletic or extracurricular honors or awards; scholarships; and work ethic during their time at OSU.

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Carson Sager was selected as CEAT’s Orange Gown recipient. The Orange Gown recipient is distinguished amongst all other graduates by wearing an orange robe and by being the standard bearer for their college during the processional and recessional.

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Kade Faith celebrates in Victory Lane after No. 98 Road Ranger Ford wins the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series TSport 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Need for Speed

A childhood dream comes to reality thanks to CEAT

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ade Faith credits a pit stop at the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology with helping him achieve his dream of working in motorsports.

“OSU taught me how to learn.

The hard work and influence of my professors helped grow my desire for engineering and pushed me to learn more,” he said. “I know there is nothing that I can’t pick up on eventually because of my experience here.”

A spring 2024 mechanical and aerospace engineering graduate, Faith landed his dream job as a race engineer at ThorSport Racing, a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team in Sandusky, Ohio.

When asked what started his interest in motorsports, Faith responded, “Growing up, it was the movies, ‘Cars’ and ‘Herbie: Fully Loaded,’ that got me interested in NASCAR. I was around 4 at the time and fell in love pretty quickly.”

Growing up, math and science came naturally to Faith; between this and his love of motorsports, choosing engineering was an easy decision.

Faith’s new job entails many responsibilities, including anything from fuel mileage calculations, adjustments, or running simulations on a Ford truck to see how it will perform on the racetrack.

A typical race day starts with running the truck through a technical inspection, a five-stage process that NASCAR uses to help level the sport’s playing field. Once the truck passes inspections, it is on to practice, which lasts around 20 minutes. During this time, Faith and the team make any necessary adjustments to the car. Then, onto qualifying and a couple of hours later is the race.

“My experience at college gave me a great set of knowledge that will help me moving forward,” Faith said.

STORY SAVANNAH MCDANIEL | PHOTOS ANNIE BUFORD AND PROVIDED

Some experiences that Faith attributes to helping prepare him include his time working on research projects with Dr. Brian Elbing, working as a structured learning assistant for Dr. Jennifer Glenn’s introduction to computer programming class, as well as his senior design capstone project — Aerospace Propulsion Outreach Program — with Dr. Kurt Rouser.

This project was to design and manufacture a thrust reverser for a small JetCAT turbojet engine.

“This job gives me an opportunity to grow in so many ways and CEAT helped me tremendously to prepare for it,” Faith said. “I really can’t imagine myself going anywhere else the past four years.” D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 15

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NASA Career Liftoff CEAT graduate Manning receives GEM Fellowship

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lthough Dawson Manning recently graduated, his academic and career endeavors are just beginning.

Manning earned his Bachelor of Science in aerospace and mechanical engineering and a minor in physics at the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology in spring 2024.

He also received the GEM Fellowship provided by the National GEM Consortium. Through this fellowship, Manning accepted NASA’s offer to work with them, where he will spend two summers researching the advancement of aircraft design software at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

Additionally, he is pursuing his Master of Science degree at Texas A&M University while conducting research in the National Aerothermochemistry and Hypersonic Flight Laboratory.

The GEM Fellowship Program offers M.S. and Ph.D. level students an opportunity and access to dozens of the top engineering and science firms and universities nationwide. It was designed to focus on promoting opportunities for individuals to enter industry at the graduate level in areas such as research and development, product development and other high-level technical careers.

It also offers exposure to several opportunities in academia. GEM Fellows are provided practical engineering summer work experiences through an employer sponsor, such as NASA, and a portable academic year fellowship of tuition, fees and a stipend, which may be used at any participating GEM Member University where the GEM Fellow is admitted.

Manning grew up in Alva, Oklahoma.

When he was young, he was interested in becoming an astronaut and was confident he would do that. However,

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coming from a family with medical backgrounds, he became increasingly fascinated with the medical field and the associated salaries.

When he originally enrolled at OSU, it was with the idea of attending medical school. After some thought and conversations with his family, he realized pursuing an education and a career in engineering would be more fulfilling, and quickly changed his major.

Through Manning’s undergraduate studies, he was a CEAT Scholar and studied under Dr. Kurt Rouser, an associate professor in the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Working for Rouser, Manning conducted research in the subsonic wind tunnel where his focus was adding thin slits, or “self-aspirated flow controls,” to a propeller.

These flow controls manipulate the pressure gradient of the propeller in such a way that it produces more thrust than a propeller without flow controls, when the propeller is operating at low Reynolds numbers (or relatively lower speeds). This is useful for highly versatile unmanned aircraft systems that typically operate at low Reynolds number conditions or experience low Reynolds number conditions during a versatile maneuver.

In essence, the propellers that contain self-aspirated flow control produce more thrust than the unmodified version of the propellers, which can prevent stalling of unmanned aircraft systems when they experience low Reynolds number conditions.

Manning was also an Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program Scholar.

OK-LSAMP is an alliance-based program of 12 Oklahoma institutions of higher education working together to expand the nation’s STEM workforce

by increasing the number of STEM undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded to persons from LSAMP populations.

“Being both a CEAT and OK-LSAMP Scholar has largely contributed to my academic success and has been incredibly important to my academic career,” Manning said. “I take great pride that I was able to publish two first place and one second place conference papers through the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and I was able to publish a journal article through the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) in a special edition of the journal of applied sciences.

“This was with the help of Dr. Rouser and two other incredible mentors of mine, Dr. Ryan Paul and Brenda Morales. They all pushed me to get heavily involved in research and presenting my work at various symposiums.”

Manning is currently working on publishing another research paper with his undergraduate work through the MDPI in a special issue in the Journal of Applied Sciences, titled “The Advances in Fluid Mechanics: The 2nd Edition.”

Manning doesn’t have any concrete long-term goals just yet, but he’s ambitious to pursue his dream of working with NASA. “I’m excited to see all the opportunities that come from my internships over the next two summers,” Manning said. “My graduate research is going to be over hypersonics, so my plan is that my experiences after graduate school will mold me into an asset for a position that I know I will enjoy.

“Wherever I end up, I plan to eventually pursue an MBA so that I can jump to the managerial side of engineering and aid in the success of multiple projects.” D

STORY KRISTI WHEELER | PHOTO PROVIDED BY JORDAN KLEIN

Dawson Manning, an aerospace and mechanical engineering alumnus, graduated in spring 2024 and is working with NASA through the GEM Fellowship Program.

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 17

CEAT’S K-12 STEM PROGRAM HELD

66

STEM CAMPS WITH OVER

2,100 ENROLLED IN

14

DIFFERENT CITIES IN OKLAHOMA

IMPACTING OVER

12,711

STUDENTS & PARENTS CEAT’S ENGINEERING EXTENSION UNITS SERVED ALL

ALL

AND

77 50 25 COUNTIES

IN OKLAHOMA

3,688 STUDENTS

WERE ENROLLED IN CEAT

&

STATES

IN THE U.S.

FOREIGN

COUNTRIES

29,096 CREDIT HOURS WERE COMPLETED

NSF

CAREER AWARD RECIPIENT

DR. JORGE GONZALEZ ESTRELLA

CEAT

BY THE NUMBERS 180

OKLAHOMA TEACHERS

ATTENDED PROFESSIONAL TEACHER TRAININGS THIS YEAR

OVER

$25 MILLION

IN AWARDS RECEIVED

&

OVER

350

PROPOSALS

CEAT AWARDED

FOR RESEARCH

CEAT ONLINE LEARNING HAD ENROLLMENT FROM STUDENTS REPRESENTING

42 + STATES

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

&

PUERTO RICO

AWARDED OVER

WERE SUBMITTED

735

UNDERGRADUATE &

159

GRADUATE DEGREES

$3.7 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO

1,944 STUDENTS

FIRE DRILL DET professors strive for community safety through research projects

W

henever a scenario like a natural disaster or a fire occurs, many factors determine how people respond to the situation.

Three Oklahoma State University professors in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology are undertaking three related but separate research projects to identify what can help make people more resilient during a disaster.

Drs. Haejun Park, Xiangyu (Dale) Li and Chen Chen of the Division of Engineering Technology within CEAT received grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Standards and Technology totaling approximately $1.4 million.

All three were inspired to undertake these research projects to potentially aid people in need during a crisis. Their separate projects aim

20 I M PAC T 2 0 24

to look at ways that make things safer for people in any community.

Dr. Chulho Yang, professor and interim department head of DET, said the endeavors are a great example of the effort to blaze new trails through research.

“In a remarkable demonstration of academic excellence, our faculty members have secured multiple research grants from the NSF,” Yang said. “Their outstanding achievements not only propel their individual research endeavors but also enhance the prestige of the engineering technology division at Oklahoma State University. This success resonates with our unwavering effort and commitment to pioneering research and service to the academic community.”

STORY TANNER HOLUBAR | PHOTOS KRISTI WHEELER AND ELLIE PIPER

FIREFIGHTERS'MENTALSTRESS Li, an assistant professor in DET’s fire and emergency management program, is researching firefighters’ mental health and what coping strategies are used during times of stress.

One of the main areas of research will be how firefighters cope with such a stressful working environment. Even those on the administrative side, or who may not be responding to fires directly at times, are also dealing with tremendous stress. The goal is to help contribute to an improved understanding of stress and coping among first responders.

It will also focus on how the “fire service culture” can vary across different departments, stations and shifts.

“We’re doing a nationwide study to make sure that our model works and help us learn why these people are having these issues and what kind of coping strategies they may have,” Li said.

Li said those on the administrative side can be overly stressed by people being combative when firefighters respond. He said they may also be unappreciative or irritated at the firefighters, adding to the stressors of battling fires. Li said departments are also understaffed, which results in shifts being longer and can be a cause of things such as sleep deprivation.

Firefighters are subject to two primary sources of stress: operational stressors in the field, such as sleep disturbance, grotesque trauma calls and trauma calls involving children; and managerial stressors, such as poor leadership and staffing issues.

Li also said he believes there can be a “hypermasculine culture” in some fire departments that can result in somebody not seeking out help that may be needed. He said a collaboration with

Dr. Lindsey Greco — an associate professor in the Spears School of Business who has worked with first responders on mental stress — is an excellent opportunity to gauge firefighters’ stress levels.

He has also worked on this research with Dr. David Huntsman, a senior researcher and owner of Huntsman Consulting LLC., on gathering data.

Li and Greco were honored in October 2023 with OSU’s Public Impact Research Award for research on first responders and work-related stress.

He said some of the research has shown that some firefighters deal with withdrawal behavior, such as locking themselves away or avoiding people altogether, as well as some coping with alcohol or another intoxicant in response to the high-stress level.

“We don’t want that to happen, and we want to explain what can actually change them or get them out of that little box,” Li said.

The research will be part of a two-year plan.

The goal is to gather nationwide data by collecting 3,000 responses from firefighters.

The vast amount of data collected during this project will be available to students, and Li feels it can benefit graduate students or Ph.D. students who are working on their dissertations, as they can save time by searching through the data.

Li said he is proud to be able to serve the public through his research, which is the reason he joined DET’s fire and emergency management program.

“Public impact, we are serving the public; that’s the reason why I joined this program when I was doing my Ph.D., which is in public administration,” Li said. “It’s because I care about this public value, and this project serves that goal pretty well.”

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 21

MICROMOBILITY AFTER A DISA TER Chen, an assistant professor in CEAT’s fire and emergency management program, received a research grant to study how micromobility, such as scooters and bicycles, can deliver supplies to areas impassable by vehicles.

The research will look at promoting the persistence of a community and investigate the potential role of social networks and micromobility to study how they can enhance the planning and operation of resilience hubs.

Resilience hubs are facilities that support residents and help coordinate resource allocation before, during or after a natural disaster.

Chen said the project aims to understand and validate the pros and cons of using micromobility in disaster response and recovery efforts.

He said micromobility to respond during disasters has been used for a

22 I M PAC T 2 0 24

long time, but in a marginal capacity overall, and said it is most common on the West Coast.

“In 2017, when the Mexico City earthquake happened, it shut down the public transportation and roads were damaged or congested,” Chen said.

“Some parts of the city relied on using bicycles to send out supplies, especially medical, to people in need. This is when they don’t have supplies, electricity, or a cellphone signal, but when only bicycles can get around a city to deliver and communicate.”

Chen said the project will look at the positives and negatives of micromobility in both the response and recovery stages of any kind of disaster.

He said another part of the study will also delve into how micromobility can help bring a community closer together.

“It increases people’s feeling of belonging to the community,” Chen

said. “When we feel a part of their community, we want to help other people. So, during an emergency, we can dedicate ourselves to helping other people.”

Chen said the research will also focus on people’s perspectives, such as first responders and emergency managers in cities. He said a bike drill will also be organized to test how supplies can be distributed during a disaster.

This grant provides funding to support students seeking their doctorates as it will be used to support students in presenting research at conferences and provide training opportunities, which Chen said will allow them to practice their research skills.

“All of our goals are to protect people in the public and increase community resiliency and public safety,” Chen said.

WILDFIRES AND WILDLIFE URBAN INTERFACE Park, an associate professor in the fire protection and safety engineering technology program, is researching how to improve fire resiliency during a situation where there is a fire burning in an area that includes both the urban environment, such as a house or business, and wildland, such as a forest or pasture, or the wildland-urban interface.

Park said the area being studied is essentially a fire on the boundary between the residential buildings and wildland vegetation where there is a possibility that a fire can spread from either side of the boundary.

A problem with fires in such an area is they are generally large, with firefighters tasked with extinguishing fires on multiple structures as well as vegetation, which Park said they aren’t commonly trained for. Therefore, the best risk reduction method is to take mitigation measures in advance.

He said a typical fire around residences or businesses includes multiple buildings, and the research

will focus on when a community gets damaged from such a fire.

“We have multiple efforts to reduce WUI fire risk, but the problem is we don’t know which one is more effective.

In addition, each community has its own characteristics that influence WUI fire outcomes,” Park said. “For example, one community might have lots of people but equipped with nice roads and sufficient defensible space, and another community might have a similar number of houses, but they are sparsely located and secluded, with one way in and one way out, so it’s all different. Currently, there is no model to evaluate the community resilience level for WUI fires.”

The research will study where more effort or resources could be put into specific areas, and it is unknown if the effects of certain methods of fighting such fires are efficient.

He said the project would be a performance-based model for fire resilience during this type of fire and identify and develop solutions for

communities at risk of a fire within an urban and wildland boundary.

“It’s kind of a framework that will give you community-specific optimized solutions,” Park said. “For this project, we need to present our progress every year at NIST. Our students will be exposed to high-profile research activities conducted by other researchers as well.”

Park said his inspiration for this type of research comes from a desire to help make communities safer when a fire in the wildlife and urban boundary occurs. He also said he is proud multiple projects are happening simultaneously, which shows the passion DET researchers have for helping communities.

“I think it’s a good time to make this DET-wide effort more visible,” Park said. “Previously, we had a few grants here and there, but recently, with a firefighter mental health grant and two disaster resilience grants, we want to showcase our departmentwide efforts with our research.” D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 23

-

Two Grants; One Vision

Community paramedicine program to help relieve stress on local hospitals

C

ommunities in rural Oklahoma are about to get some muchneeded help.

Delaware County will start a community paramedicine training program this fall thanks to two grants received by educational partners; the Oklahoma State University College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and the Center for Rural Health.

A community paramedicine program allows those already trained as paramedics to add an additional certification to their toolbox. By having paramedics with this additional certification providing health care, communities will see a lessened demand on emergency rooms and reduced after-hour calls for issues that can be addressed in the home, said Associate Dean of Engineering Extension Ed Kirtley.

“A community paramedicine program extends the health care system to the home and reduces the load on other parts of the health care system,” Kirtley said.

THE PURPOSE The idea for this program came from discussions about the difficulty in finding physicians and keeping hospitals open in rural Oklahoma.

Those discussions were held with many people, including Jeremiah Snell, EMS manager of Fire Service Training, an extension unit in CEAT. Snell is a retired firefighter paramedic from Delaware County and a member of the Cherokee Nation. Snell has called Delaware County home his whole life and knows the community well.

“The community paramedicine model has been established in many states across the nation for several years, but in Oklahoma, it’s still a relatively new concept,” Snell said.

“Through my extensive travels across the state, engaging with EMS and fire organizations, I often encounter

24 I M PAC T 2 0 24

discussions about the community paramedicine program.

Many departments are curious about how these programs can benefit their agencies but are unsure where to begin or who to consult.

“With Oklahoma State University’s own training program, we are uniquely positioned to lead these discussions.

Community paramedics visit community members Our goal is to assist in their homes to conduct preventative care and mental various departments well-being checks for those who can’t leave their homes, in establishing reducing the demand on emergency rooms and their own local after-hour calls. programs, thereby receive a grant to launch the training enhancing community program in Delaware County. paramedicine in Oklahoma.”

This grant gives CEAT the TWO GRANTS opportunity to collaborate with multiple The research team received a Rural departments across the university, Renewal Initiative Grant through the use extension services in place across OSU Ferguson College of Agriculture.

Oklahoma and provide training.

This grant provides funding for a TEAMWORK feasibility study in Delaware County.

The program is a true collaboration The research team will analyze whether within OSU. this type of training will be well Inside CEAT, Kirtley, Snell, received in Delaware County and what Industrial Engineering and best practices need to be considered Management Professor Dr. Tieming Liu, for the communities implementing IEM Assistant Professor Dr. Pratima community paramedicine programs.

Saravanan, and IEM graduate student “Our role is to build an organization Elmira Ahmadinedamani are involved in the community with strategic in the research and implementation of capacity to assist to make this program the program. sustainable,” Kirtley said.

Outside of CEAT, Center for Rural While the research team was Health Executive Director Dr. Denna applying for the Rural Renewal Wheeler has connections to the medical Initiative Grant, another grant school for virtual training and the opportunity came along. Through physician advisors for the training connections with the OSU Foundation program. Delaware County community and Dr. Jean Van Delinder, who leaders support the program, including served as the OSU Graduate College fire chiefs, EMS directors, county interim dean until July, the research commissioners and mayors. team presented the community “My role is to build connections paramedicine program to the in the health care community with Oklahoma Masonic Foundation to

STORY ERIN PORTMAN | PHOTOS JEREMIAH SNELL

health care providers and the continuing education for the paramedics,” Kirtley said.

“Extension’s role is helping us market in the rural population and creating introductions with community leaders. We will also be educating community members through programs already in place, like 4-H, about the community medicine program.

“This is truly a ‘We are OSU’ initiative, and I think that’s one of the reasons it’s working so well. There were no silos here — no walls.

With all the programs involved, our only desire is to improve access to health care.”

The community paramedicine program will still encounter community barriers that must be overcome to ensure the program reaches its full potential.

“Some of the biggest barriers for a local community paramedicine program are securing adequate funding for initial setup and ongoing operations, which is crucial,” Snell said. “This includes costs for training, equipment and personnel. Public education campaigns and community engagement are necessary to ensure residents understand the benefits and availability of these services. Effective integration with local health care providers, hospitals and social services is necessary for a seamless approach to patient care.”

IMPACT Training will be a hybrid model where students will attend online class sessions, have bookwork, complete tests online and clinical rotations. The course includes 200 hours of coursework.

“Community paramedicine programs reduce the strain on emergency services and hospitals by addressing non-emergency health issues directly in the community, leading to better resource allocation and more efficient emergency response,” Snell said.

“By focusing on preventive care and chronic disease management, community paramedicine programs help reduce health care costs and improve the quality of life for individuals, especially those in underserved areas. These programs also foster stronger relationships between health care providers and community members, which leads to improving health outcomes.”

The lessons learned from Delaware County will allow for the implementation of community paramedicine programs statewide and will make each community feel more connected to OSU and the land-grant mission. D

Program Success

in Other Communities STEP

01

STEP

02 STEP

03 STEP

04 STEP

05

STEP

06

Data Gather data, refine processes and address any issues from pilot programs.

Feedback Use feedback from these pilots to improve the program.

Funding Identify and secure funding sources, including federal & state grants as well as local government support.

Partnership Build partnerships with local hospitals, health care providers, EMS agencies & fire departments.

Technology Use technology to streamline operations, such as telemedicine.

Engage Engage local communities through education & outreach campaigns to build trust and awareness about the program.

STEP

07

Needs Tailor these efforts to the specific needs and demographics for each county.

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 25

IEM professor leaves a lasting legacy

O

n May 2, 2024, Mayor Will Joyce declared “Kenneth E. Case Day” for Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The announcement was made during a special event hosted by the School of Industrial Engineering and Management at Oklahoma State University to honor and recognize Dr. Case for the time, energy and passion he invested in the discipline of industrial engineering, specifically at OSU. Attendees included college leadership and guests whom Case had

26 I M PAC T 2 0 24

taught, mentored, collaborated and worked with.

The event announced the establishment of the Kenneth E. Case Society and recognized his sustaining support and gifts to IEM, OSU and the industrial engineering discipline.

The society will serve as a foundation for alumni and friends to enhance their support for IEM scholarships, research and faculty excellence; foster philanthropic activities to support IEM academic and research programs; and to fulfill OSU’s land-grant mission.

STORY AND PHOTOS KRISTI WHEELER

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 27

“I look at the accomplishments of our students and see what all they have accomplished and where they have risen to and think, I must have done something right, and I was just a part of it.” − Kenneth E. Case

“The School of Industrial Engineering and Management wanted to establish a giving society and name it after someone who has made significant contributions to OSU, Oklahoma, the nation and their people,” said Dr. Guiping Hu, IEM department head.

“The decision quickly boiled down to Ken. He has given so much to our school. He has been active in IEM and industry — locally, nationally and internationally.

He has impacted so many people, students and colleagues, and we decided naming the society after him was the right thing to do.”

Case, a regent’s professor emeritus, is widely regarded as one of the top industrial engineers in the world. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, his master’s and doctoral degrees in IEM — all from OSU. After completing his Ph.D., Case and his wife, Lynn, moved to Blacksburg, Virginia, where he taught at Virginia Tech for five years. In 1975, they returned to Stillwater, where Case joined the IEM faculty as an associate professor and was asked to become the school department head in 1980. He quickly learned that teaching and mentoring students was his passion and returned to the faculty after serving as the head for three years.

His crowning achievement is his visionary leadership in developing OSU’s Master of Science in engineering and technology management degree program, a new and first-of-its-kind fully online program geared for working engineers. The program was packed with eager students ready to learn in its opening semester.

In addition to teaching and research, Case consulted extensively. He is a fellow and served as president of both the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers and the American Society for Quality, receiving the highest recognition from each.

He is a National Academy of Engineering member, one of only three from OSU and 21 from Oklahoma.

He was also an active Academician Emeritus in the International Academy for Quality, a worldwide group limited to 100 quality experts. He served on

28 I M PAC T 2 0 24

the panel of judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Case was named the Outstanding Engineer in Oklahoma in 1987. He holds five ASQ certifications and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. He received the Quality Oklahoma Award from Gov. Brad Henry in 2003 and the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in College/ University Teaching from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in 2005. He received the Melvin R. Lohmann Medal from CEAT in 2013 and was inducted into the CEAT Hall of Fame in 2015. Case has received over 25 recognitions for teaching, including multiple from the National Technological University’s Outstanding (Satellite) Teacher Award.

Case retired from OSU in 2005 but continued consulting and stayed actively engaged with the OSU community and industry. In August 2024, Case retired from the Board of Directors for Webco Industries after serving for over 29 years.

Ken and Lynn have strongly supported OSU over the years, impacting hundreds of IEM alumni and colleagues worldwide. In 2022, they established the Ken and Lynn Case Scholarship for $25,000 (for graduate and undergraduate students) and the Ken and Lynn Case Endowed Chair in IEM was established at a value of $1 million.

“You can clearly see with anyone he interacts with, whether you are a colleague, a student or staff member, that he is a genuine person,” Hu said. “He is passionate about the discipline of Industrial Engineering, IEM and OSU.” Reflecting on his career, Case has no regrets.

“There are a lot of universities out there, and I have to say, I got so much out of Oklahoma State and its people,” he said. “I look at the accomplishments of our students and see what all they have accomplished and where they have risen to and think, I must have done something right, and I was just a part of it.

“So many teachers and mentors here at this university, in the college, such as Sunderesh Heragu, Joe Mize, both giants in the field, and so many more, have made huge impacts on generations of students.” D

KENNETH E. CASE

SOCIETY

6), MSIE(67J, and e received BSEE(6 acadern c Dr. Kenneth E. Cas U, followed by al" OS from s ree deg ng, PhDIE(69) In add1t1on to teach U OS and h Tec ved career at Virginia ted extens vely He ser su con he n, nsio <; s em r search, and exte ttie n , ahty as President of both ~ Engineers (IISE) and rec receiving the highest P Dr Caseisamembero clP the lnternat onal Aca the Male Panel of Judges for Award. ud Founding He •s also the pro program n Eng, s ster Ma sful ces suc ) ETM (MS ent em nag Ma

LEG

END

o' OSU c: h1g" Y

r ng and Technology

DONORRECOG

Dr. Ken Case and his wife, Lynn, were honored at a special event to recognize the establishment of the Kenneth E. Case Society.

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 29

-

Floyd Luinstra teaches industry professionals about different types of pumping systems.

One Lasting Impression

Luinstra’s career makes a mark in an essential industry

F

loyd Luinstra turned off the lights in the lab for the last time in August.

For over 26 years, Luinstra, an instructor in the fire protection industry, has worked in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. CEAT has a global influence, educating college students and others from around the world.

CEAT Professional Development stands out as one of the college’s notable initiatives. This unit, one of seven extension units within CEAT, has been privileged to include Luinstra, an instructor in the fire protection industry.

When Luinstra retired, he left behind a legacy of impacting countless lives through his dedication and expertise. His departure marked the end of an era for many who benefited from his extensive knowledge and passion.

Luinstra came to Stillwater in the 1970s from Woodward, Oklahoma, and

30 I M PAC T 2 0 24

never left. Not only has Luinstra taught students, but he is also an active Society of Fire Protection Engineers member. He has served on numerous committees for the National Fire Protection Association, including Standards 13 and 20.

“Floyd has taught hundreds of students — both in professional development courses as well as assisting in undergraduate lab activities,” said Dr. Virginia Charter, associate professor and program coordinator for the Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology program in the Division of Engineering Technology. “His impact is far-reaching to those who work in our industry, and he is a known entity when it comes to professional development and continuing education.”

After graduating college in 1981 with his bachelor’s degree in FPSET, Luinstra worked for local engineering consulting firms. During this time, Luinstra traveled the

Midwest performing fire and life safety inspections, many of which were in federal buildings. This was also when Luinstra became a licensed professional engineer.

Luinstra was instrumental in setting up the FPSET Laboratory on the OSU campus in 2003. In 2005, he was hired as the full-time lab manager for the facility, where he assisted with many student labs. Luinstra also taught fire protection classes for professional development. He maintained the lab equipment to keep it functional for students and aided in research for manufacturers through the New Product Development Center, another extension unit in CEAT. “Most of the people who come through the professional development courses come for continuing education,” Luinstra said. “This program encourages professional development students to consider expanding their horizons. The students take an exam

STORY ERIN PORTMAN | PHOTOS DESA JAMES AND BRANDY DEVOUS

on six of our PD classes and they get another certificate, which shows their employer that they’re willing to expand their horizons and focus on self-improvement. This can help them move up the ranks faster and have more marketability with a nationally recognized certification.”

Luinstra has left his mark on OSU and the students he taught.

The fire protection and loss control program through CEAT Professional Development has grown considerably in the last several years. In 2023 alone, the program provided professional development and training to more than 113 companies from 22 states.

“Floyd’s impact on the profession has been to help bridge the gap between the rules and regulations that are adopted and the implementation of them in the profession,” said Dr. Bryan Hoskins, associate professor of FPSET. “Companies all across the country, and, in some instances, the world, will send people to OSU to learn from him.”

Luinstra has seen many changes during his 40 years in the fire protection industry.

“We used to have a half a dozen varieties of sprinklers,” Luinstra said.

“Now we have thousands of varieties of sprinklers. We have also moved from electrical to digital electronic fire alarm systems.”

With the influence he had on his students, it’s not hard to believe he is still receiving calls asking for help solving problems and setting up fire protection systems.

“Floyd is literally an industry icon who has touched and encouraged the lives of every fire and safety student who has passed through the halls at OSU,” said Bob Caputo, American Fire Sprinkler Association president. “His working knowledge of fire alarm and water-based fire safety systems is second to none, and everyone knows whose house you’re in when in the lab. Floyd is a lot more than just a fire protection guy, he lives and breathes fire and life safety.”

“His influence on (Cowboy) fire and safety professionals will live on for generations to come.”

Floyd Luinstra enjoyed educating students for over 26 years before his retirement this fall.

D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 31

----~ TH, AND -

W

ATER IRE

hen wildfires spread, nothing stands a chance in their path.

The devastation left above ground is evident after a fire burns through an area, but what about below ground?

That is what Dr. Jaime Schussler of Oklahoma State University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering is working with undergraduate students from the University of Central Oklahoma and OSU to find out.

Their research evaluates wildfires’ impacts on soil characteristics and the subsequent consequences.

While the undergraduate researchers receive primary advisement from Schussler, they collaborate and conduct laboratory work with Dr. Haejun Park of Fire Protection and Safety Engineering.

This undergraduate research opportunity started with a mentorship that Schussler and Dr. Mary Foltz led in the spring semester of 2024, funded

by Oklahoma NSF EPSCoR. The two created a statewide mentorship program around water research — a broad topic that many students and researchers could connect with.

This mentorship program created trios comprised of a faculty member familiar with water research, a

32 I M PAC T 2 0 24

The science behind post-wildfire soil behavior

graduate student from OSU and an undergraduate student from an Oklahoma college or university.

At the end of the mentorship program, Schussler garnered funding from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for Research Experiences for Undergraduates to continue the momentum.

The two students taking part in this REU are Aria Hansen, a UCO environmental chemistry student who was Schussler’s mentee, and Jordan Erne, an OSU civil and environmental engineering student who first connected with Schussler in their hydrology course.

“It’s been a beautiful, rewarding experience for all involved,” Schussler said. “The UCO student has been able to experience the labs and facilities an R1 like OSU offers, which helps contextualize the type of research that is possible. Jordan has been able to peer-mentor and show her around campus — inside and out of research.

The shared experience provides early exposure to collaborative, interdisciplinary research and has made the process less intimidating for these students who are experiencing it for the first time.”

Schussler notes that the trio mentorship program builds a sense

of accountability for the students while giving them the confidence to ask the right questions and be more exploratory.

“I love watching them work together and empower each other — they work well as a team,” Schussler said.

The students are looking at the effects of compounding events, specifically the interface between wildfires and floods.

After a fire, several environmental changes take place, especially within the soil. One phenomenon that often takes place is hydrophobicity. This is where the soil will repel water.

Some research shows that the hydrophobic layer results from a waxy substance derived from burned organic material.

Another less investigated occurrence that can happen with a wildfire is the creation of a “crust” on the topmost soil layer. When fire interfaces with the land, vegetation and soil moisture are rapidly lost from top horizon. The magnitude of this effect is mainly dependent on the soil type.

Schussler likened this event to clay forming pottery. As the available soil moisture is removed from the soil pore space, the soil becomes dry, hard and compact. Vegetation is no longer

STORY AND PHOTOS DESA JAMES

“A lot of us have lived through the impact of a situation where there is too much or too little water, or poor water quality. I get to provide students the tools and empower them to solve these very real challenges.”

− Dr. Jaime Schussler

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 33

Jordan Erne prepares soil samples while Aria Hansen places them into the cone heater to collect data.

present to capture, or uptake moisture and the root pathways may be blocked or diminished.

When a rainfall event comes shortly after a fire event, the stormwater cannot move through the resulting crust and penetrates the soil much slower than in pre-burn conditions.

“After a fire, you start to see some crusting on open soils,” Schussler said.

“Then, when the rainfall comes in, it actually can’t go through or infiltrate through that soil.”

The same thing can happen after a prolonged drought. When muchneeded rainfall arrives after an intense burn or drought, the water might not be able to infiltrate the soil at the normal rate. This can increase runoff rates, compounding further issues like erosion and debris flows.

“Once the sediment and debris reach our conveyance or surface water systems, we have to further deal with repercussions like reduced conveyance capacities and water quality impairments, such as turbidity,” Schussler said.

Turbidity is when fine soil particles become suspended in the water

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column, creating darker, murky water that can cause significant issues for aquatic ecosystems and recreation.

The research primarily investigates the crusting effect to estimate hydraulic conductivity rates or how fast water can move through the soil after burning. Hydrophobicity is also being considered. The research intends to update parameters used in hydrological models to better estimate flood extent after wildfire.

Currently, there is a lack of scientifically backed data to modify the hydraulic conductivity values of soil after a fire happens. This means that when modeling the areas impacted by fire, there is often no distinction, making model calibration and accuracy challenging.

Schussler and the undergraduate students are conducting experimental work with Park to see exactly how the soil is changed, how it affects hydraulic conductivity and how to implement that into hydrological models.

To gather this data, soil samples are placed in cylinders and then placed within a cone heater that simulates wildfire under varying intensities.

Then, column studies are conducted to compare how water moves through the burned soil versus the control sample. In total, they are considering the 12 soil groups included on the soil texture triangle.

One issue the students ran into was the type of cylinder to use. In the cone heater, the plastic cylinders with protected tops would still melt. Metal cylinders could not be used due to the conductive properties affecting deeper soil layers, leading to skewed data.

The students reached out to Prairie Arts Center and worked with them to outsource ceramic cylinders from local artists, making this project even more collaborative.

“These are the sort of projects that get undergrads involved,” Schussler said. “They are visual and very tangible for them. It helps develop some of that confidence and excitement for research.”

The project has hopes to continue later into the year and extend to include the expertise of Park and Dr. Chen Chen. Schussler has a hydrology background, Park has fire simulation techniques and Chen will bring his emergency management

The Prairie Arts Center collaborated with Storm Water Lab to create these ceramic cylinders for research.

and planning knowledge. With such a collaborative effort, the team would be able to collect a significant amount of preliminary data and work toward a bigger proposal.

The research from that project could help predict the impact of a fire-flood compound event — resulting in better emergency management planning and distribution of appropriate resources.

Future plans include adding different fuel sources on top of the soil samples, such as different grasses or leaves, to see the impact, as well as rainfall simulations to test the response of the burned soils under varying rainfall intensity and frequency.

Teaching undergraduates is a role that Schussler sees as a great responsibility. She said she enjoys sharing a passion for water resources work with her graduate students.

“I get so pumped up and excited when an undergraduate comes to me, and they’ve never been exposed to water resources!” Schussler said. “A lot of times, I am their first experience when it comes to water resources engineering and their first exposure to research. I take that as a huge

responsibility, but also, a really cool opportunity.”

Schussler notes that students will often gravitate toward water resources engineering once they learn of it because it is something that affects everyone daily.

“Everybody experiences rainfall at some point and can picture a storm drain, often in the neighborhood they grew up in,” she said. “And a lot of us have lived through the impact of a situation where there is too much or too little water, or poor water quality. I get to provide students the tools and empower them to solve these very real challenges.”

Growing up in a small town of about 2,000 people, Schussler experienced several boil advisories for water quality and missed school because of an industrial chemical spill that affected the local drinking water supply.

Seeing instances like these and how they affected the environment and people’s recreational use of water led Schussler to a career in civil and environmental engineering.

As a first-generation college student, she participated in an exchange

program that provided her first undergraduate research exposure in France. Schussler was taught various water quality assessment techniques by a Ph.D. student who was monitoring waterbodies under the European Water Framework Directive.

Schussler quickly realized she enjoyed the research process and the people she was surrounded with.

Her graduate advisor explained that graduate school would provide her with a similar experience — to be around people of all backgrounds and assured her she’d keep getting her toes wet and hands dirty.

It’s still her favorite part of research today. D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 35

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Micrography of microplastics used by Dr. Jorge Gonzalez Estrella’s research group.

Tackling Toxic Waste Gonzalez Estrella awarded in fight against microplastics

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r. Jorge Gonzalez Estrella, assistant professor of environmental engineering, is working to make an impact with his prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award.

The award celebrates Gonzalez Estrella’s research on the environmental impact of micro- and nanoplastics from open burning of solid waste in underserved communities.

Gonzalez Estrella’s research dives into three critical areas: the release of organic carbon and additives from partially burned microplastics, the movement of these microplastics through sediments, and the contaminants’ effects on the soil biochemical cycle.

His goal is to deepen the understanding of the reactivity and mobility of microplastics and to spread this knowledge to communities lacking proper waste management facilities.

A significant component of Gonzalez Estrella’s project is community

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outreach. He plans to host summer workshops for high school students, focusing on designing affordable devices for detecting microplastics.

In collaboration with OSU’s solid waste extension cohort, he also aims to educate farmers on reducing open burning practices.

“The open dumping issue affects about 2 billion people around the world,” Gonzalez Estrella said. “In the United States, this issue primarily affects remote and underserved communities, including farmers, Native American communities, and those in rural areas.

It’s also a common practice in parts of Latin America, some regions in Europe, Africa, Oceania and Asia.”

Witnessing the environmental devastation caused by open dumping and burning in Mexico from a young age, Gonzalez Estrella’s love for nature fueled his passion to pursue a career dedicated to solving this pressing issue.

Despite plastics’ dual nature as both a commercial boon and an

environmental bane, Gonzalez Estrella is determined to mitigate their adverse effects.

“We have left a mark on Earth through plastics. They are an indicator that humans were here. It is important that we improve upon the use of plastics to change our legacy,” Gonzalez Estrella said.

Receiving this award is a testament to Gonzalez Estrella’s dedication and the collective effort of his students, collaborators, friends and family. He credits Oklahoma State University’s support and state-of-the-art facilities for his success.

With only 12 awards granted this year in his program area and coming from an underrepresented background in science, Gonzalez Estrella feels both fortunate and motivated to pave the way for more career awards at OSU. His work is not just about scientific discovery; it’s about forging a cleaner, healthier future for communities worldwide. D

STORY AND PHOTOS DESA JAMES

Dr. Jorge Gonzalez Estrella was awarded the prestigious NSF CAREER award for his research on reactivity and mobility of micro- and nanoplastics from open burning of solid waste in underserved communities.

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 37

6G Vision:

A Focus on Growth Huang’s plan to lead CEAT forward 38 I M PAC T 2 0 24

STORY DESA JAMES | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON

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r. Hanchen Huang has a vision for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology.

It’s all about growth.

Aligning with the university’s strategic plan to become the premier land-grant university, the new CEAT dean plans to foster growth in six different areas: educational programs, enrollment, faculty, research, extension and reputation — creating a proposed 6G vision for discussions with stakeholders.

Path to Stillwater Huang’s journey to Oklahoma State University is marked by impressive academic and leadership roles, making him a perfect fit for the enormous task at hand.

Huang earned a doctoral degree in nuclear engineering from the University of California-Los Angeles, a master’s degree in theoretical nuclear physics from China Institute of Atomic Energy (formerly the Institute of Atomic Energy/Chinese Academy of Sciences) in Beijing and a Bachelor of Science degree in physics from Hebei Normal University.

As a leader, he served as provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth from July 2022 to June 2023. Other previous roles include dean of the College of Engineering at the University of North Texas from January 2019 to July 2022, department chair of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University from July 2013 to December 2018 and program director of mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from August 2007 to July 2009.

In terms of society recognition, Huang is an elected fellow of four professional societies: the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, American Society for Materials International, American Society of Mechanical Engineers International and Society of Engineering Sciences as well as an elected Member of Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Society for Materials International.

Provost and Senior Vice President Jeanette Mendez expressed her confidence in Huang’s appointment.

“President Shrum and I are confident we have identified the right individual to lead CEAT, and we are excited about Dr. Huang joining the OSU leadership team,” she said.

When asked what drew him to OSU, Huang said the “excellent faculty, dedicated staff, outstanding students and loyal alumni.” He also

praised the college’s strong alumni engagement and state-of-the-art facilities.

The need for change drove Huang’s path to academic administration.

“Early on, I planned to be a scholar for life,” Huang said. “However, dysfunction of an administration–faculty relation made me ask the question: What can I do to minimize the dysfunction to positively impact the university?

Instead of sitting back and complaining, I decided to step forward and serve as an academic administrator to advance an institution with functional administration-faculty relations.

Looking back, I have no regret.”

Goals for CEAT Huang is ready and equipped with intentional goals for the college, including long-term and short-term.

In the immediate future, he plans to focus on OSU’s Polytech initiative and innovating in OSU key focus areas of energy, aerospace and One Health.

OSU Polytech is a statewide coordination of the OSU System’s workforce-driven technical academic programs geared toward the state’s most in-demand occupations in an accessible and flexible format. With an innovative STEMbased curriculum, industry-aligned academic programs, flexible learning opportunities and realworld learning experiences, Polytech will elevate and expand access to workforce development education for all Oklahomans.

In the long term, he aims to elevate CEAT to be within the top 100 colleges nationally, featuring in-demand and forward-looking educational programs and impactful research. By focusing on growth, impacts will be made to Oklahoma’s society, the tech industry and beyond through research and Extension.

Currently, OSU is ranked No. 111 overall for its engineering graduate programs in the U.S. With a ranking of No. 10 in online graduate programs, CEAT has remarkable success in several programs but still has room to grow in prestige.

Huang’s leadership achievements include growing not only a large department by about 50% and elevating its national ranking by double digits but also having the same success at the college level.

While serving as the department chair of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern University, Huang helped increase graduate enrollment from 500 to 1,700 and grew full-time faculty from 60 to 90. He continued this impressive success at the college level as well. As the dean of engineering at North Texas, Huang led the college to increase graduate enrollment from

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 39

500 to 2,500, faculty from 100 to 150 and annual research awards from $10 million to $19 million.

“I have led departments and colleges to significant growth in enrollment and reputation, and I am committed to doing the same at CEAT,” Huang said.

After Dr. Paul Tikalsky stepped down following more than a decade at the helm of CEAT, Dr. John Veenstra served as interim dean since August 2023.

“Hanchen brings a wealth of academic administrative experience to his new role at OSU to lead CEAT,” Veenstra said. “I am sure he will continue the momentum CEAT has across all its missions and strategically help to propel the college on its upward trajectory.”

Being a first-generation college graduate — in fact, a first-generation elementary school graduate — in his family, Huang is committed to expanding access to quality education to students from all walks of life.

Both undergraduate and graduate students have acknowledged this dedication. At Northeastern University, four undergraduate student groups presented Huang with the Award of Recognition “for many contributions, support and inspiration.” Graduate students at the University of Connecticut’s School of Engineering nominated and selected him for the Outstanding Faculty Advisor award.

Beyond the focus on students, Huang was a competitive badminton player at a younger age and now walks more than 10,000 steps a day.

He and his wife, Yanping, are the proud parents of two adult sons. Dan is a lawyer and Joe is a software engineer.

Importance of Alumni, Faculty and Staff Huang views faculty as the soul of a college and believes that a college is only as great as its people.

“At Northeastern University, my department maintained a record of zero attrition of tenuretrack faculty while growing by about 50% in five years,” he said.

With a goal of faculty recruitment and retention, Huang would like to promote a stronger sense of belonging through faculty and staff engagement.

He also wants to promote proactive recruiting to form clusters of well-established faculties.

Additionally, he recognizes the critical role of alumni in providing feedback, financial support and a network for students. Staff, he notes, are the enablers of quality education, research and Extension, keeping the institution running smoothly.

With a solid foundation and ambitious plans, Huang is poised to lead CEAT into a new era of growth and excellence.

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“With about 3,000 job openings and 1,500 graduates in engineering and technology each year in Oklahoma, OSU, as a land-grant university, has an obligation, as well as an opportunity, to graduate more engineers and technologists.

Being the M in OSU A&M, engineering (as well as architecture and technology) is in the DNA of OSU. “The education of students and professionals through CEAT at OSU, a top-tier (R1) university, is forward-looking and meets society’s needs now and in the future.”

Message to the CEAT Community Huang advises current students, “Take full advantage of what a top-tier research (R1) university has to offer in research and innovation.”

To prospective students, he highlights that “CEAT provides in-demand and forward-looking educational programs in a preeminent research environment.”

“In particular, CEAT is a leader in aerospace innovation and applications and has the technical expertise to lead energy research and education for a sustainable world,” Huang said. “Further, with expertise in bioengineering and engineering analytics, CEAT is in a great position to collaborate with health sciences to enhance human and animal health. Overall, our strategy is to raise the standing of engineering, architecture and technology to elevate OSU.” D

Huang notes that CEAT is well positioned to serve Oklahomans and society as a whole within the areas of: 1.

Innovating to Nourish the World

2. Leading in Aerospace Innovation and Application 3. Enhancing Human and Animal Health (One Health) 4. Powering a Growing World Population Sustainably and Responsibly

“Our strategy is to raise the standing of engineering, architecture and technology to elevate OSU.”

—Dean Huang C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 41

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A True Engineering Pioneer Singh garners national recognition for groundbreaking career

Dr. Raj Singh and graduate student Ranjan Singhal work on a setup to make nanomaterials in his lab at Helmerich Research Center at OSU-Tulsa.

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Regents Professor at Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, Dr. Raj Singh’s continued dedication and advancements to the field of Materials Science Engineering were greatly acknowledged this year.

Singh received the American Ceramic Society’s 2023 Rishi Raj Medal for Innovation and Commercialization in Ceramics. He was elected to the rank of American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow and became a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Singh’s groundbreaking invention and his incredible talent for inventing new materials and their innovative

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processing led to his election as a member of the NAE. “It is most exciting and professionally satisfying to be elected as a member of the NAE,” Singh said. “It is the highest distinction and recognition that an engineer can achieve and is recognized as such worldwide.”

The NAE is a private, independent, nonprofit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation and is comprised of over 2,000 members who are among the world’s most accomplished engineers. Members are peer-elected and include international, senior professionals in business, academic and government officials. The NAE provides leadership and expertise

for numerous projects focused on the relationships between engineering, technology and quality of life.

Singh, a world expert on ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), has demonstrated an innate ability to invent new materials and their novel processing. He has made seminal and transformative scientific and technological contributions to the field of CMCs and their applications in jet engines — a true pioneer.

Advancing Science and Industry His trailblazing work on meltinfiltration (MI) process technology for making fully dense, net-shape and

STORY DESA JAMES | PHOTOS JOSH NEW

“I want to encourage students in the engineering field to be curious, persevering, creative, inventive and passionate about their field.”

DR. RAJ SINGH

damage-tolerant silicon carbide fiberreinforced CMCs has been an industry game-changer.

This unique and inherently simple MI process has led to its widespread use and commercialization by GE-Aviation since 2016. It has accumulated over 20 million flight hours in Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion engines for Airbus, Boeing 737 and 777, and COMAC aircraft.

Singh’s inventions have not only helped reduce weight and enhance engine efficiency but also offer societal benefits through reduced CO2 /NOx emissions, creating multibillion-dollar businesses in the process.

“His technologies, wrought from a creative and meticulous research, have been adopted in commercial products that are used in vehicles from NASA, Boeing, Airbus, and the Japanese and U.S. governments,” said Dr. Jim Smay, professor and head for the School of Materials Science and Engineering.

“His depth and breadth of impact is unparalleled on the OSU-Tulsa campus.”

Dr. John Veenstra, associate dean of faculty affairs in CEAT, said Singh’s election to NAE is among the highest recognitions an engineer can receive.

“It is a clear recognition by his peers of his significant contributions to the profession,” Veenstra said. “He is a tremendous asset to CEAT and reflects the quality of CEAT faculty by having such a preeminent scholar in its ranks.

A career of demonstrated sustained excellence is the hallmark of NAE members, and Dr. Singh’s academic record is unmistakable evidence of this trait.”

Dr. Raj Singh

Lasting IMPACT Singh said the best part of his job is to help educate the best possible engineers and impart his knowledge of the discipline of materials science and engineering.

“I want to encourage students in the engineering field to be curious, persevering, creative, inventive and passionate about their field,” he said.

“Ultimately, use your knowledge and skills to create new materials and products to benefit society, the nation and the world. Never forget to be curious and inventive. It should be a lifelong pursuit.”

Singh has made tremendous scientific and technological contributions through his 350 research articles, 27 granted patents and books in the fields of CMCs, diamond films, boron nitride nanotubes, electrolyte retainer for molten carbonate fuel cell,

electrolyte for Na-S batteries, selfhealing glass seals and electrolyte and electrodes for solid oxide fuel cell and ferroelectric ceramics displaying large (0.8%) strain.

Smay notes that it is difficult to count all of the impacts that Singh’s research has had but said that his work in the field puts him at the top of both the academic/basic science wing of materials science through the significant contributions they have made to commercial applications.

“Singh was the founding department head of MSE at OSU-Tulsa and built the department to the point where it now performs over $1 million per year in research at the Helmerich Research Center,” Smay said. “He has collaborators all over the world, and his graduates have carried his legacy throughout academia and industry.” D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 43

re n

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Feng’s AI-powered inhaler is aiding lung disease treatment

STORY DESA JAMES | PHOTOS ANNIE BUFORD

In the heart of Oklahoma, a breath of fresh air is transforming the field of pulmonary health care.

Dr. Yu Feng, a visionary researcher in the School of Chemical Engineering in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology at Oklahoma State University, is leading an innovative project funded by the University of Oklahoma Foundation.

Titled “Artificial Intelligence Empowered User-Centered Smart Inhaler for Targeted Drug Delivery to Small Airways for Effective Lung Disease Treatment,” this project promises to transform how people combat debilitating lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

In college, Feng noted the ineffectiveness of current inhalers in delivering medications to designated lung sites. During his senior year, Feng also witnessed a close friend struggle with managing both COPD and cystic fibrosis. Tragically, this friend lost most of their pulmonary function and was deeply affected mentally, which ultimately led to their premature death in 2007.

This profound experience motivated Feng to develop solutions like the smart inhaler, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients facing similar challenges.

“Since my undergraduate years in China, where I majored in fluid dynamics, I’ve been deeply interested in exploring how classical fluid dynamics theories can extend beyond traditional applications like rocket science and turbines to health care,” Feng said. “During my further studies, I discovered that inhalation therapy for chronic lung diseases such as COPD suffers from inefficient delivery — less than 25% of aerosolized medication reaches the targeted small airways.”

Motivated by this challenge, Feng began his Ph.D. studies at North Carolina State University to leverage technology aimed at improving medication delivery efficiency.

Specifically, Feng studied engineering mechanics and specialized in fluid dynamics at Zhejiang University in China from 2003-07.

His focus diverged from the traditional fields of turbines and aerospace science, which typically employ computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Instead, he took an early and distinct interest in using fundamental fluid dynamics to tackle health care challenges, specifically pulmonary health care.

Starting in 2007, Feng conducted CFD simulations to trace air movement within the lungs.

He expanded on this research while pursuing his master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering at NCSU, concentrating on lung aerosol dynamics.

Feng then took his current faculty position where he led the development of physiologically accurate digital twins of respiratory systems.

This work aimed to deepen the understanding of respiratory processes and enhance pulmonary health outcomes.

Feng’s interaction with the pharmaceutical industry began in 2020 through industry-funded projects on inhaler innovation, where he learned about the significant needs in inhalation therapy and recognized the value of integrating AI with CFD to innovate smart inhalers for more effective pulmonary drug delivery.

His work in lung aerosol dynamics led to his election as the academic co-chair of the Pharmaceutical Strategy Task Force of the Avicenna Alliance. This global nonprofit organization advocates for using computer modeling and simulation to accelerate the delivery of safer, more affordable health care.

“I aim to enhance the effectiveness of pulmonary drug delivery of treatments — make it precise for each patient,” Feng said.

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 45

j .,,

A smart inhaler prototype on top of the calculations/formulas used to develop the innovative product.

HOW IT WORKS The project aims to develop a groundbreaking smart inhaler that uses artificial intelligence.

With such technology, the inhaler can change the way lung diseases, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, will be treated. By using computational fluidparticle dynamics and machine learning/ deep learning (ML/DL), the inhaler calculates the exact amount of medication needed and can deliver it to the small airways where it is needed most.

“The ML algorithm processes inputs like breathing profiles, disease status and drug particle sizes to determine the optimal nozzle settings for drug release,” Feng said.

These settings are then used by the inhaler’s hardware system to adjust the nozzle, ensuring targeted drug delivery

to specific lung sites while minimizing deposition on healthy tissues.

The pivotal role played by OSU doctorate student Mohammad Rashed Islam is central to the project’s success.

His research focuses on using AI for precise drug delivery across various lung diseases beyond COPD. Feng emphasized the significance of Islam’s work, stating, “It establishes a targeted delivery strategy that not only ensures efficiency but also minimizes potential side effects, a significant advancement over traditional inhalation therapies.”

This isn’t just any inhaler: It’s a smart device designed to make treatments more effective and reduce the amount of medicine wasted. The idea is simple yet powerful: to provide personalized and efficient treatment for everyone.

CREATING THE PROTOTYPE The initial planning process for developing the smart inhaler involved extensive market research.

Feng and his team set out to understand the needs and challenges patients and health care workers face.

Later, the planning process included feasibility studies, defining technical specifications and ensuring regulatory compliance. Feasibility studies help assess whether the product concept can be practically and economically created. Defining technical specifications ensures that the product will meet the intended performance requirements, and regulatory compliance is vital for legal market entry and to ensure patient safety.

“We then utilized the established collaborations with pulmonologists, aerosol scientists and regulatory scientists to design this smart inhaler prototype,” Feng said.

What sets this project apart is its focus on accessibility. Feng emphasizes the profound impact on individuals in rural and underserved areas, where access to regular health care is limited.

“It’s about bringing state-of-theart technology to everyday health care, making a real difference in people’s lives,” Feng said.

Imagine a future where inhalers are not just devices but intelligent companions in the fight against lung diseases.

Mohammad Rashed Islam works on an AI system that establishes a targeted delivery.

THE COWBOY WAY This project epitomizes OSU’s commitment to innovation aligned with societal needs.

The university’s strategic plan focuses on areas like enhancing human health and nurturing interdisciplinary intersections. The smart inhaler ticks the box for both.

Feng’s dedication extends beyond research; he actively engages in STEM education and outreach, speaks at public forums to promote the public understanding of pulmonary health care and creates the ideal learning space for his students.

In the classroom, Feng has been recognized for integrating his expertise in computational engineering into several of his courses. His Computational Fluid-Particle Dynamics: Basic Theory and Selected Biomedical Applications course received the Ansys Curriculum Award for empowering his students with the ability to learn in an interactive visualization that bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world applications.

Feng’s vision is ready to breathe new life into pulmonary care on the cusp of a transformative era in health

care. His relentless pursuit of excellence not only promises to improve the quality of life for Oklahomans but also holds implications for global health outcomes.

With each breath, the world inches closer to a future where lung diseases are no longer a debilitating burden but a conquerable challenge, thanks to the ingenuity of Feng and his team at OSU. D

WHAT COMES NEXT The journey doesn’t end here.

The team plans to further enhance the inhaler’s capabilities by incorporating disease-specific airway motion and advancing the algorithm to encompass a broader range of particle-particle interaction mechanisms.

Feng envisions a future where their smart inhaler becomes even more effective across diverse patient profiles, enhancing its precision and reliability in real-world clinical scenarios.

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 47

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A pulsed laser deposition system is used to vaporize a small section of a solid target material in a vacuum chamber.

Exploring the Final Frontier OSU faculty lead cutting-edge NASA research

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eing a leader in aerospace innovation and application is key for Oklahoma State University to maintain its standing as the preeminent land-grant institution.

In the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, three faculty members are set to accomplish just that.

In a testament to their academic expertise and dedication to advancing aerospace engineering, Drs. Wei Zhao, Ritesh Sachan and Alyssa Avery have been selected for NASA research initiation grants.

The NASA grants, awarded as part of the Oklahoma Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Initiation Grants

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(RIG), serve as a launching pad for faculty research, facilitating eight-week residencies at various NASA centers.

This immersive experience not only allows the professors to forge invaluable relationships with NASA colleagues but also empowers them to delve deep into their research projects, enriching their understanding and bringing back invaluable experience and knowledge to their students.

Of the five coveted NASA EPSCoR RIG awards, three have gone to MAE faculty members, highlighting the department’s distinction in the field.

Sachan and Avery will conduct their research at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio. At the same time, Zhao

will work on his project at Langley and Ames Research Centers in Virginia and California, respectively.

“MAE has a rich history of working closely with NASA on various research and educational endeavors,” said Dr. Sandip Harimkar, MAE department head. “These research implementation awards to our three outstanding young professors will further strengthen our research capabilities and facilitate collaborations in key areas aligned with NASA’s priorities, such as advanced aerospace structures, materials for harsh environments, and autonomous systems.

“These opportunities will actively engage students in research while allowing faculty to bring findings into

STORY DESA JAMES | PHOTOS DESA JAMES AND NASA

Dr. Alyssa Avery

A sensor prototype in a wind tunnel in Dr. Alyssa Avery’s lab.

classrooms, thereby preparing students for potential career opportunities in critical areas.”

Zhao’s visionary project, titled “Graphics Processing Unit Computation and Reduced Order Models for Nonlinear Analysis of Advanced Aerospace Structures,” aims to support the United States’ ambitious goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from aviation by 2050.

By focusing on the design of lightweight civil transport aircraft with extended wings, Zhao seeks to address safety challenges posed by wing flexibility during flight. His research promises to foster environmental sustainability as well as enhance aircraft safety and fuel efficiency, laying the groundwork for the next generation of aerospace innovations.

“To do this, we’re focusing on designing future civil transport aircraft that use lightweight materials and have long wings,” Zhao said. “These long wings, however, can be quite flexible and bend significantly during flight, which presents safety challenges. Our research primarily seeks to understand the structural behavior of lightweight and long aircraft wings under various flight conditions.

“The findings from our research will help design aircraft that are not only environmentally friendly but also safe and fuel-efficient. Additionally, our work supports the ongoing development of the X-66 truss-braced wing, representing the latest advancements in aircraft design.”

In the classroom, Zhao’s students stand to benefit immensely from his firsthand insights into cutting-edge aerospace research as he seamlessly integrates real-world applications into the curriculum, fostering a dynamic and inspiring learning environment.

Zhao states that the grant is of significant importance to his research endeavors. It provides the essential resources to generate preliminary research data and establish crucial computational infrastructure, including GPU-based accelerated parallel processing.

“This infrastructure not only enhances my current work but also helps me get prepared for pursuing future competitive grants, such as the NASA Transformative Technologies Transfer program and others,” Zhao said.

Meanwhile, Sachan’s pioneering project, “Ionization Radiation Studies in High Entropy Silicides for Space Missions,” is set to develop

Dr. Ritesh Sachan

Dr. Wei Zhao

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 49

The X-66 truss-braced wing aircraft studied in Dr. Wei Zhao’s project.

novel material coatings capable of withstanding the harsh space environments, including hightemperature radiation. By exploring the properties of high-entropy silicides, a recently discovered class of ceramics, Sachan and his team will equip students with invaluable experimental skills while broadening their understanding of materials science beyond conventional boundaries.

“Since the high-entropy silicide materials are unconventional and don’t follow the traditionally known fundamental materials science, the learnings of this project will help in broadening the knowledge of students and bring awareness to leading scientific discoveries,” Sachan said. “By including the discussions on these materials in my undergraduate materials science class, I’m planning to show the students the journey of materials from conceptual to advanced fronts.”

Through interdisciplinary discussions in materials science classes, Sachan will ignite students’ curiosity and appreciation for the forefront of scientific discovery.

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“The students involved in this project will learn several new experimental techniques such as fabrication, characterization and property measurements that will create skills helpful in a broad range of technical areas,” Sachan said.

Sachan states that he is honored to receive the grant as it is a reputed grant that will lead to initiating new collaborations with NASA research labs and lead to developing new science.

On another edge of aerospace innovation, Avery’s project, “Ice Accretion at Low Altitude for Autonomous Systems,” holds promise for enhancing our understanding of low-velocity icing behavior and developing cost-effective sensors capable of detecting ice accretion on low-altitude systems. Collaborating with experts at NASA, Avery’s research not only contributes to the advancement of aerospace technology but also enriches her teaching, enabling her to offer students invaluable insights into the intricate interplay between aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, sensor development and atmospheric science.

“Aircraft icing uses a blend of aerodynamics, droplet fluid behavior, sensor development and atmospheric science,” Avery said. “Considering these subjects together help students make logical and engineering connections with their courses and projects.

“I am incredibly excited to work on this project and with the experts at NASA Glenn. I have been reading papers from the facility for the last 10 years. It is a great opportunity for my own research to contribute to the work being done.”

As these forward-thinking faculty members delve into their research, their dedication to innovation and teamwork promises to drive progress in aerospace.

With steadfast determination to push the limits of aerospace engineering, they serve as catalysts for inspiring the next wave of innovators, positioning OSU as a leader in aerospace research and education. D

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High Praise

Industrial engineering organization honors Heragu, Hu

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given a chance in the field of industrial ounded in 1948, The Institute engineering and stated, “[It] completely of Industrial and Systems changed my career trajectory.”

Engineering is the leading Heragu said he is honored to be the professional association recognized first IISE member ever to receive all worldwide for its dedication to three highest distinguishments. advancing industrial engineering.

“Over the past 76 IISE is a global years, IISE has given nonprofit institution many awards, in many striving to empower its categories, to giants in the members and industrial field,” Heragu said. “To be engineering professionals recognized amongst these through opportunities giants itself is a huge honor. for skill enhancement, To be the first to receive nurturing excellence and the pinnacle awards in professional advancement. education, research and It’s the largest professional service is something I had society devoted to never imagined, but I will expanding industrial forever be grateful.” engineering education.

Heragu said he credits This year, IISE honored Dr. Sunderesh Heragu his success to his former two College of Engineering, students and colleagues.

Architecture and Technology professors During his presidency, he will — Dr. Sunderesh Heragu and Dr. Guiping work to continue advancing education Hu — with high distinctions and awards. and research for IISE has continuously spotlighted industrial and systems Heragu’s successes in the industry. In engineering students and 2010, Heragu received the David F. professionals.

Baker Distinguished Research Award.

IISE is the reason This honor celebrates a lifetime of Heragu learned many success to a nominee who has paved vital leadership skills. the way for fellow researchers. In “I hope my work 2022, he received a second award and the honors IISE recognizing his dedication to service: has bestowed upon me the Fred C. Crain Distinguished Service inspires my students Award. Heragu was also selected as to become the leaders the 2024 IISE Albert G. Holzman of tomorrow who Distinguished Educator Award winner. will change the world This award recognizes Heragu’s Dr. Guiping Hu and make it better for considerable contributions through humankind by making the systems his research, teachings, innovation around us diverse, efficient and and administrative leadership. Most sustainable,” Heragu said. recently, he was selected as IISE’s Over the past 10 years, Heragu president, beginning in 2025. has contributed significantly to Heragu grew up in a small village OSU, sharpening the minds of CEAT on the eastern coast of India. As a students, fostering global cultural young man, he was unsure what his awareness, assuming leadership as future career would be, but he was

STORY ASHLEIGH GREEN | PHOTOS DESA JAMES AND KRISTI WHEELER

the department head for the School of Industrial Engineering and Management, attaining the esteemed titles of Regents Professor and holder of the John Hendrix Chair and serving as the associate dean of academic affairs for the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. This collection of accomplishments positions him well for his role as IISE president.

Hu, head of Industrial Engineering and Management, was selected for the 2024 IISE Fellow Award.

This award is limited to 20 senior members each year who have contributed remarkable achievements in their professional careers and the industrial and systems engineering field. She has been an active member of IISE since 2006.

“Getting nominated and selected as an IISE Fellow means a tremendous amount to me personally and professionally,” Hu said. “Being a first-generation, minority college graduate, I hope this achievement can provide inspiration for future leaders in the field.”

Hu said she contributes her success to the research and educational innovations that lie in the trans- and inter-disciplinary boundary.

She has focused her research on operations and data analytics, concentrating on supply chain design, bioinformatics and health care, renewable energy systems, and sustainable agriculture.

Hu also acknowledges the mentors who have been with her along the way.

She expresses extreme gratitude to her family and friends who “provide unconditional love and support me during the high and low points.” D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 51

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An atomic-scale image of a CeO₂ (cerium oxide) nanocube captured with an atomic resolution microscope is shown. The atoms of Cerium in the lattice structure are shown without any defect.

Scoping Out a Partnership

Agreement between OSU, OU brings unique microscopic capabilities to Oklahoma

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klahoma researchers are about to get a closer look at their work thanks to new technology.

A partnership between Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma has resulted in the first aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (AC-STEM) to be available to researchers in the state.

Through a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation for a Major Research Instrumentation project, the AC-STEM microscope will be available for researchers at OSU and OU. Dr. Ritesh Sachan, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture

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and Technology, is a this unique arrangement co-principal investigator happening between OSU on the project and an and OU as they needed expert on aberrationsomebody who could corrected microscopy. provide such knowledge.”

Sachan’s expertise Sachan received an was a significant factor NSF Faculty Early Career in the submission to NSF Development Program being accepted, as Sachan Award in 2023 to research and the other PIs aimed to high-entropy alloy increase the microscopic nanoparticles. Through capabilities in Oklahoma. the CAREER project, he is “One of my areas fabricating high-entropy of expertise is in materials. He said the aberration-corrected microscope will help Dr. Ritesh Sachan microscopy and obtain atomic-resolution understanding the material properties data of those materials, which is critical at the atomic level,” Sachan said. “This to understanding the properties of the expertise was actually unique and led to materials being studied.

STORY TANNER HOLUBAR | PHOTOS GARY LAWSON, JEOL LTD AND RITESH SACHAN

The NSF CAREER award means Sachan will receive more than $500,000 over the next five years for his research proposal “Leading to Accelerated Discoveries in High-Throughput Ultrafast Laser-Driven Processing of High Entropy Alloy Nanoparticles.”

Through this research, he studies the arrangement of the atoms and compositions of materials, such as multi-elemental alloys. This type of research could result in developing new materials to be used in industry that are equally effective but consist of cheaper and more plentiful elements.

This is not Sachan’s first involvement in an award for an MRI project from the NSF, as he was also a co-PI with other OSU engineering professors for a $580,000 grant to acquire a physical property measurement system.

The system characterizes new materials being investigated for possible applications in food science, biomaterials and electronics. Various experimental techniques and the automation of the PPMS help researchers interpret the data needed to understand new classes of materials.

The aberration-corrected aspect of this microscope means that aberrations — anomalies that cause an image to become blurred or distorted — are corrected, resulting in a clear picture.

The microscope uses electrons, which appear on all materials, and those electrons can be photographed.

Sachan said if the electron beam is aberrated, the image of the material will be obscured.

The microscope, an atomic resolution microscope produced by JEOL USA, can view a material at the atomic level, where a researcher can see all atoms that make up a material and find its defects.

Sachan said microscopy is critical for understanding the properties of materials, and there is a connection between processing and manufacturing and understanding the property of what’s being manufactured.

“If you are manufacturing something, if you don’t know why you’re getting

on this project. I anticipate broader usage of this facility by our faculty, creating opportunities for exploring new directions and collaborations.”

Dr. Chuck Bunting, associate dean of research and Bellmon Chair, said this microscope will be invaluable to researchers in the pursuit of new discoveries.

“The aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope allows for atomic-level investigation of materials, proving invaluable to OSU engineering faculty and students across various fields of expertise,” Bunting said.

“This advanced tool will facilitate the development of new microelectronics, catalysts and alloys, and support machine learning for materials discoveries. Unique in Oklahoma, this microscope can visualize individual atoms, identify elements and perform cuttingedge data-driven analysis.”

Despite being in Norman, Oklahoma, the microscope will be available for OSU researchers.

Sachan studied at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee after receiving his doctorate and would travel to Tennessee to research with an AC-STEM microscope.

Having this type of microscope in An image of the type of aberrationNorman will mean a shorter trip to corrected scanning transmission use it and more opportunities to do electron microscope purchased through a $2.5 million grant from so. Sachan said the initial plan will be the National Science Foundation. to train graduate students on how to use the microscope and allow them to perform research.

“Then the idea is to arrange some certain types of properties, how can tours for undergraduate students to see you improve them? It’s very critical how the facility,” Sachan said. “And if they are microscopy works and how to use that interested, we will provide them with in manufacturing,” Sachan said. training there. One of the things that we Dr. Sandip Harimkar, department were promoting was the student training, head of the School of Mechanical and whether they are from OU or OSU.” Aerospace Engineering and Albert H. Although the microscope is more Nelson Jr. Chair, said the aberrationgeared toward research, Sachan said corrected scanning transmission it can still spark an interest in K-12 electron microscopy facility is a “gamechanging imaging capability for our state.” students to pursue state-of-the-art research, especially when somebody “This microscope provides sees an image of something taken at the unprecedented resolution to image atomic resolution level. and identify atoms, enabling new “When I show people the images understandings of materials and of atoms, it becomes a very curious discoveries across the disciplines,” case, and seeing them is an amazing Harimkar said. “I am particularly experience,” Sachan said. “It can make excited about Dr. Sachan’s participation students want to pursue science.” D as one of the co-principal investigators

I]

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 53

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Class Matters

Lamkin’s inspiring journey to preparing paths in STEM

Previous and current students representing 12 years of Class Matters history.

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r. Darron Lamkin, or DJ as he is known by many at Oklahoma State University, has made significant strides in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics community.

This has led to him being one of four from The Boeing OKC to be selected for a prestigious national Black Engineer of the Year Award, Modern Day Technology Leader Award and the NASA Educator of the Year Award.

These honors celebrate individuals who have made remarkable contributions in STEM fields, influencing aviation and aerospace industry, and the broader community.

Lamkin’s venture is a testament to his relentless pursuit of knowledge and excellence. He began his academic career at OSU, earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology in 2010. His love for learning led him to obtain a master’s degree in industrial engineering and management in 2012, followed by another master’s in entrepreneurship in 2014.

He culminated his educational endeavors with a doctoral degree in learning, design and technology,

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focusing on engineering and aviation education and digital STEM career exploration in 2023.

Early inspirations and mentorship Mentorship played an influential role in Lamkin’s career path.

Through actively seeking guidance, starting with a job shadow initiative at Tinker Air Force Base and then later in leadership roles within the National Society of Black Engineers, the trajectory of his career was drastically changed.

In 2010, alongside Dr. Wayne Jones and Kelan Berry, Lamkin co-founded Class Matters, an ideal way for Lamkin to now become the mentor. This organization was born out of a shared vision to create opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM, guiding students from pre-college through post-secondary education and into STEM careers.

“Since inception, Class Matters has conducted STEM engagement with 1,769 under-represented youth from Title 1 middle and high schools

without after-school STEM programs.

Considering that, 1 out of 7 participants have been transitioning into STEM college students or working STEM professionals annually since 2010,” Lamkin said.

“Approximately 14.3% of the 1,769 participants have pursued STEM careers at companies like Google, Dell, The Boeing Company, Paycom, Tinker Air Force Base, and John Deere, just to name a few companies. Such data could be useful for forecasting future trends, designing targeted educational programs, or addressing the demand for STEM professionals in the workforce.”

Professional achievements Currently, Lamkin is a product data management engineer at Boeing, focusing on the B-52 aircraft.

He maintains the software baseline, ensuring engineers can continuously build upon existing programs.

Lamkin’s dual degrees in mechanical engineering technology and industrial engineering management are crucial in his daily interactions with engineers, business and quality

STORY DESA JAMES | PHOTOS LASKE IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHY

Dr. Darron Lamkin and students at a recent Class Matters banquet.

teams. He excels in troubleshooting and configuring software while balancing his career, family and passion to provide STEM opportunities for students.

Lamkin’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. He has received numerous academic, community and professional awards.

“I attribute my success to community partners, university and community colleges collaboration, and Kirkpatrick and OG&E foundation donations, along with shared visions with parents and guardians, which have helped guide my decisions along the way,” Lamkin said.

Mentoring the next generation Mary Tran, STEM teaching manager for CEAT K-12 STEM, praises Lamkin for his dedication to empowering students.

“He wants students to know there are choices beyond what they have been conditioned to know,” she said.

His nonprofit, Class Matters, offers weekly meetings where students can enhance their engineering and life skills through collaboration and problem-solving.

“He uses his own story to encourage the students to create their own goals and construct processes to help achieve their goals. He is an amazing human being with a heart for students,” Tran said.

Dr. Jovette Dew, director of K-12 STEM programs at CEAT, recalls Lamkin’s helpful nature during his student days.

“Now, to see this translated into Class Matters is truly remarkable,” Dew said. “Again, he is helping people reach their full potential. He is kind and giving. He knows how to reach a community of learners that we may not have had access to. He is a great alum who also draws other alums to give back to OSU.” One of Class Matters’ notable initiatives is the “STEM Like Me” event, which provides students in the OKC area with opportunities to meet STEM professionals, learn about career paths and engage in hands-on activities like drone building.

Dew emphasizes the program’s impact: “It shows STEM is for everybody and that there are engineers who look like them.”

A lasting legacy Lamkin’s contributions to the CEAT K-12 STEM program have been an asset to their success with a Department of Defense grant.

From a curious student to an influential leader in STEM, Lamkin exemplifies the power of education, mentorship and community involvement.

“It is because of Dr. Lamkin that we get to come together as engineering alumni and help the next generation of engineers,” Dew said. D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 55

OSU leading the creation of National Center for Sustainable Construction Materials

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STORY TANNER HOLUBAR | PHOTOS KRISTI WHEELER AND DR. DEB MISHRA

“[We] will be working together throughout the project’s duration to ensure the center functions as expected and we accomplish all the project objectives, establishing OSU as a national leader in this field.”

Dr. Deb Mishra

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he carbon footprint of human activities has received a tremendous amount of attention recently.

Global environmental issues have resulted in increased efforts to mitigate the amount of greenhouse gases being produced daily.

The U.S. government has prioritized reducing the embodied carbon of construction materials. Through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Bill, $160 million has been made available by the Environmental Protection Agency for national grants for efforts to reduce climate pollution.

Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology is embarking on a fiveyear project to lead the creation of the National Center for Sustainable Construction Materials.

OSU was selected for a $10 million grant from the EPA to partner with 10 other universities and the National Asphalt Pavement Association in promoting the use of low-carbon construction materials.

It is the largest grant that the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering has received in over a decade.

Dr. Deb Mishra, associate professor in CIVE, is the principal investigator and will serve as the center’s director. Mishra will oversee all administrative tasks of the center and will lead technical aspects of the project, focusing on asphalt materials.

The center aims to encourage construction material producers to generate Environmental Product Declarations, quantifying the materials’ environmental impacts. An EPD is a standardized document that details the environmental impact of a declared unit of a material. It is usually the output of a Life Cycle Assessment study that has been carried out on the material and currently focuses on the environmental impacts associated with raw material acquisition, transportation and production phases of a material.

“The objective behind this initiative is to ultimately establish a practice where the environmental impact of products is considered during procurement processes,” Mishra said. “However, if EPDs are to be considered as criteria during the procurement process, it is imperative that they are created using consistent methods that are transparent and are based on robust/reliable data.”

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 57

Dr. Mohamed Soliman

Dr. Tyler Ley

Interdisciplinary collaboration

A national standard

The National Center for Sustainable Construction Materials will be a team effort between multiple departments in CEAT. Dr. Tyler Ley, regents professor in CIVE, will be the deputy director and assist with administrative tasks and lead technical aspects related to concrete materials.

Dr. Mohamed Soliman, associate professor and Decker Dawson Chair in CIVE and director of the Bert Cooper Civil Engineering Laboratory, will oversee technical aspects related to structural steel.

Dr. Scott Frazier, associate professor in the School of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, will coordinate all outreach and training activities undertaken in the region by OSU for this project.

“The four of us worked very closely to develop this proposal and will be working together throughout the project’s duration to ensure the center functions as expected and we accomplish all the project objectives, establishing OSU as a national leader in this field,” Mishra said.

A postdoctoral research associate with a sustainability and life cycle analysis background will be recruited for day-to-day center management.

There will be a dedicated space within CEAT where center staff will be located.

The consortium for the center’s creation is made up of experts in construction materials, namely asphalt, concrete and structural steel.

The center’s objective is to encourage construction material producers to generate EPDs, and for state and local agencies to incorporate EPDs into their material selection and procurement processes.

Partners include the University of New Hampshire; University of North Carolina-Charlotte; Auburn University; University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign; Langston University; University of Nevada-Reno; Oregon State University; University of Washington; University of Puerto Rico; and the University of Hawaii.

The partner universities’ locations give the project coverage over the entire country, with each university having strong ties to departments of transportation in their respective states and regions.

It will be impactful having each university work within its region to promote LCCMs, as each institution has strong connections to regional and state departments of transportation.

“In today’s day and age, a lot can be done through Teams and Zoom calls,” Mishra said. “However, a ‘boots on the ground’ approach is

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Dr. Scott Frazier

significantly more advantageous when we are trying to focus on something that requires a cultural change.”

The encouragement of EPDs for these types of construction materials will be done through education, creation of design tools, conversations with stakeholders and providing incentives to lower costs and risks in the industry to foster the necessary change for the EPDs to be adopted.

“The objective is to generate tools and educational materials that can be disseminated to stakeholders in each state for the different materials,” Mishra said.

There are no researchers currently involved with the project focusing on glass. The team may connect with glass researchers during the project to include them in the center’s scope.

“Our objective is to establish our center as a one-stop-shop for stakeholders in the construction materials industry and provide them with the necessary help so that they can take sustainability into consideration in their respective production practices,” Mishra said.

Providing training Each university will serve as a Center of Excellence for EPDs, working with material producers, contractors, DOTs and other stakeholders to promote the use of EPDs. All center activities will be headquartered at OSU, and educational materials and design tools will be created by all partnering universities.

Eight universities will do so for asphalt, four universities will focus on concrete and OSU will focus on all three materials (asphalt, concrete and structural steel).

All universities will promote LCCMs in their respective regions, even if an individual university may focus on only technical aspects related to one material.

“What we are trying to accomplish through these projects and the generic field of low-carbon construction materials marks a change in the thinking and decision-making process,” Mishra said. “When you think of a typical engineering procurement process, the traditional approach has been to focus on function, safety and cost. What is now being proposed is that we should include the ‘sustainability’ leg into the material selection and procurement process.”

An advisory board will be established with representatives from each university, National Asphalt Paving Association, National Ready Mix Concrete Association, American Institute of Steel Construction and representatives from state DOTs. The center will look to establish a program for EPD assistance grants for construction materials producers

to help offset the cost of collecting data and verification of EPDs and associated LCAs. Funds would only be provided to those who complete required training modules and adopt low-carbon materials.

A repository/website will be set up to store all EPDs generated through the project. This website will also house all training materials, instructional videos, and design tools created by the center and will be freely accessible worldwide.

It will be shared and cross-listed with as many other publicly available databases as possible.

A key to generating more EPDs is training workers in the construction industry, as it will require a change in practices by each part of a construction team. If each construction crew member understands the benefit of low-carbon materials, it is a more wellrounded approach than just alerting manufacturers of the benefits of LCCMs. Implementing a widespread use of EPDs will take time and practice.

OSU will host annual workshops where national organizations will train representatives from all universities and partners involved in this research to discuss training that can be used nationwide.

Training materials and activities will then be created to educate stakeholders, and activities will be designed to engage K-12 students in summer camps on the importance of low-carbon construction materials.

The goal is to host 10 summer camps per year for K-12 teachers

and students, with Dr. Jovette Dew, director of outreach programs for CEAT, coordinating the camps.

Langston University will help establish internship opportunities for students from underrepresented groups as well as help recruit students for graduate and undergraduate research positions.

To showcase the importance of low-carbon materials to producers, design tools will be created for asphalt and concrete to meet economic, performance and sustainability goals.

Performance-based testing on these low-carbon materials will take place when materials are produced and checked for quality control.

More EPDs on asphalt, concrete, structural steel, and mixed additives are among the project’s overall goals.

EPDs vary across the industry, by state and across the country, so facilitating a standard for them is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions using low-carbon construction materials.

Having a consortium made up of some of the world’s leading experts in their field is a significant strength of the project.

“We did not just pick universities to represent a geographically diverse population,” Mishra said. “We worked with faculty members who are internationally recognized for their work in construction materials. We strongly believe our team’s composition is our main strength as we undertake this exciting project.” D

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 59

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Pipe Dream

CEAT professors research development of AI virtual assistant to aid municipalities

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municipality’s ability to manage its sewer assets can be wrought with challenges, such as repairs not happening until things break or difficulties repairing infrastructure. Issues also include a lack of computerized data or a siloed asset data management approach.

Two College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology professors at Oklahoma State University are working to help alleviate these challenges as part of a two-year study.

Dr. Yongwei Shan, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Dr. Weihua Sheng, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, are working on an addition to a sewer system data management platform that was first created in 2023.

The platform utilizes a geographic information system (GIS) and a relational database as its backbone, allowing users to access the location, design information, current and historical conditions, and work orders of all sewer assets in a municipality.

The platform has been in the hands of the City of Stillwater for testing, and the professors are working to add a virtual, artificial intelligence assistant to it that will help improve the process used by cities to monitor sewer assets.

Shan said in 2018, he and other researchers worked on a National Science Foundation Innovation Corps project to explore what is needed for sewer asset management.

“We were tasked with interviewing those municipalities, contractors and

engineering firms to see what is needed in this industry,” Shan said. “Then, we later found out that for the majority of municipalities, they don’t really have a good data management tool for the sewer infrastructure to help them make data-driven asset management decisions.”

Shan said his inspiration for pursuing this research was that wastewater infrastructure in the U.S. was given a D+ rating in the 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers America’s Infrastructure Report Card.

He said reactive asset management, meaning things are fixed when they break, is common, which can be due to a lack of accessible data or data potentially not being accessible to all members of an organization.

Dr. Weihua Sheng

show the staff hours spent on sewer inspection and maintenance in the last 30 days

---Dr. Yongwei Shan

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This photo shows the hours of a sewer management staff after the information was asked for by a person to an artificial intelligence assistant designed to aid cities with the management of sewer assets.

STORY TANNER HOLUBAR | PHOTOS PROVIDED

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This photo shows a map of sewer assets in Stillwater on a platform designed through InfraTie Solutions. The AI assistant created for this platform can be asked a question and then respond with the correct information or answer. The photo shows the map as seen in the platform, as well as an example of the AI assistant being asked to show the distribution of sewer pipe materials.

The data management tool was created through Cowboy Technologies with a startup company called InfraTie Solutions, co-founded by Shan and Hossein Khaleghian, a former Ph.D. student of his and currently the chief research engineer for InfraTie. The company was created to commercialize OSU’s intellectual property. Cowboy Technologies is a shareholder in InfraTie Solutions, as they gave preseed money to help the company develop its prototype tool. The company and OSU have signed an Option for Exclusive License Agreement.

Once the virtual assistant is developed, it will also be tested by workers in the City of Stillwater’s waste department.

The virtual assistant will help tie all the information from the GIS of a city’s infrastructure and could allow quicker access to the information for workers such as city engineers and crews in the field on the same platform.

Through Large Language Models, the AI assistant is trained to better understand how humans naturally communicate. This allows users of the platform to ask the virtual assistant a question, via voice or text, and it will respond appropriately.

“We are developing a companion robot which can talk to people in their natural language,” Sheng said. “Dr. Shan approached me and wanted to make this sewer asset management system more human-friendly. Maybe it’s like a tablet or a smartphone, so the crew onsite can just talk to it and get the information they need.”

The LLMs will be used for two purposes: the first is to correct human voice recognition errors, and the second is to be able to query information. An extensive database is required to query the data, and LLMs help map the natural language query the user asks through an SQL (standard structured query language) query.

The research project has two phases.

The first phase is to use the LLMs to train the AI algorithms to accurately understand human interaction queries that will create SQL. The second phase is to create the user interface and integrate those AI elements into the data management tool. Once the City of Stillwater tests the tool, it will then be fine-tuned based on those findings.

Shan said the goal of creating the virtual assistant is to help a city “get the information quicker so that it can save them time.”

The platform can provide a better overall picture of sewer system conditions as well as different information on a specific asset to help municipalities make a more informed decision, Shan said. The platform that the City of Stillwater has used allows workers to monitor the status of a specific sewer system asset and make proper maintenance or repairs when needed instead of fixing something after it breaks.

Sheng and Shan will have a team of OSU engineering students working on this project, including a Ph.D. student, to help develop the virtual assistant and plan to get undergraduate students involved to train on LLMs and AI. “I think this is a good opportunity for students to get involved in AI research,” Sheng said.

Shan noted this type of research can motivate him to spend as much time in the lab as possible developing something that will aid cities in such an important area of infrastructure asset management.

“This is applied research, and I think what we are proud of is we are able to take the things that we’re creating in our research lab and bring it to the practical field,” Shan said. D C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 61

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Unveiling the Power Beneath

Mileva Radonjic secures grant for groundbreaking geothermal energy project

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n an endeavor to enhance the power of renewable energy, Dr. Mileva Radonjic, professor and Samson Investment Chair in Petroleum Engineering, has secured over $3 million in funding for a research project from the Utah FORGE project.

This significant three-year subrecipient award from the University of Utah is part of a Department of Energy initiative to enhance fracture conductivity in enhanced geothermal systems.

Radonjic’s research team includes esteemed colleagues: Dr. Christine EhligEconomides and Dr. Jeffrey Rimer from the University of Houston, Dr. Jonny Rutqvist from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Dr. Andrew Bunger from the University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. Hunjoo Lee, who joins Radonjic from Oklahoma State University.

Together, they are working to develop a way to optimize geothermal energy extraction by addressing a critical component of the process: maintaining

fracture conductivity to ensure efficient heat transfer and fluid flow.

temperatures, stress and corrosive environments — that deteriorate proppant materials over time. This project aims to develop more resilient proppants to enhance the longevity and efficiency of geothermal systems.

UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESS Geothermal energy harnesses the Earth’s internal heat, circulating large volumes of water or INNOVATIVE MATERIALS: supercritical CO2 (scCO2) THE KEY TO SUCCESS through fractures in hot, Inspired by recent dry rocks deep beneath advances in materials the surface. science, the team is The water, initially exploring the use of cool, absorbs heat from graphene coatings these rocks, becoming to improve proppant hot enough to generate performance. electricity upon its return Graphene’s unique to the surface. Central properties can alter surface Dr. Mileva Radonjic to this process is the chemistry, significantly placement of granular material, known as enhancing material durability. This proppant, which keeps the fractures open, innovative approach stems from allowing continuous fluid flow and heat Radonjic’s previous research with transfer. graphene nanoplatelets, showcasing the transformative potential of advanced However, geothermal reservoirs materials in geothermal applications. present harsh conditions — high

A glowing golden line symbolizes the immense geothermal power beneath the Earth’s surface.

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STORY DESA JAMES | PHOTOS ADOBE PHOTO STOCK AND CODY MAISON

GLOBAL IMPACT AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS The implications of this research are far-reaching. By unlocking the full potential of geothermal energy, communities can access a stable, renewable energy source for heating and electricity.

Homeowners could see reduced energy bills through geothermal heat pumps, while entire regions might harness geothermal power for large-scale electricity generation.

Ehlig-Economides emphasizes the societal importance of this work.

“Geothermal offers an abundant amount of renewable energy that can be used for heating and electricity generation,” she said.

Bunger also discussed the critical need for this research.

“It is, therefore, of the utmost importance to society to unlock this resource,” he said.

NURTURING FUTURE EXPERTS Beyond technological advancements, the project also prioritizes workforce development.

Each team member teaches courses specific to geothermal energy, preparing the next generation of professionals to contribute to the energy transition.

Radonjic highlights the interdisciplinary nature of their work.

“To investigate complex subsurface phenomena, it is critical to form diverse interdisciplinary teams from multiple institutions, bringing extensive theoretical, laboratory and field experience,” she said.

“This project brings together a great research team that amplifies our individual capabilities many times over.

In addition, Utah FORGE provides an unmatched platform for exchange of data, samples and knowledge, from which we will benefit initially and hopefully contribute as the project progresses.”

A LEADER IN ENERGY RESEARCH Radonjic’s journey from Serbia to the United States through England exemplifies her resilience and dedication.

With a Ph.D. and postdoctoral research from Bristol University and Princeton University, respectively, she has a rich background in both academic and industry settings. Her work with

Left: Low to high magnification SEM images of sand used as proppant.

Right: Low to high magnification SEM images of sand coated with graphene. This image shows how well graphene platelets are attached to the sand grains and how they modify rough surface to smooth less reactive and easier to transport particles.

organizations like the Federation of American Scientists and BP America has shaped her energy and environmental research expertise.

Since joining OSU in 2018, Radonjic has led numerous projects focusing on the environmental aspects of the energy industry, including wellbore integrity and greenhouse gas mitigation.

Her commitment to representing historically underrepresented groups further underscores her holistic approach to research and education.

Their work promises to significantly benefit local communities and contribute to global renewable energy solutions.

Through innovative research and a commitment to excellence, Radonjic and her team are illuminating the path toward a cleaner, more sustainable world.

“Working with Planet Earth and Mother Nature is always a better solution than going against them, as it helps us sustain life, manage resources and secure a brighter future for new generations,” Radonjic said. D

LOOKING AHEAD Radonjic and her team are not only advancing geothermal technology but also paving the way for a sustainable energy future.

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 63

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Oklahoma State University

2023 Hall of Fame J. Stephen Ford Architectural Engineering Melvin R. Lohmann Medal

D

r. J. Stephen Ford attended Oklahoma State University from 1965-70, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering.

Ford’s parents, Dick and D.H., were also OSU graduates. They brought him and his brothers to OSU’s Homecoming as children.

Those early experiences led him to an expectation and understanding that he would attend OSU. Ford and his wife, Jane, carried on the same tradition with their two girls, Jenn Grellner and Lisa Buss, who both attended OSU. Ford’s undergraduate career pivoted significantly after his freshman year. Ford’s father introduced him to a friend and the owner of a structural engineering consulting firm in Lawton, Oklahoma. Ford worked there each summer and during school breaks. This experience not only led him to meet Jane, but also fully funded his OSU studies and sparked his passion for structural engineering.

The most important lesson Ford learned at OSU happened during failure. Ford worked for OSU’s Dr. Louis Bass in his consulting office and was responsible for writing a computer program to generate loads for a complex dome structure. The program contained an error in one of the load cases and cost $800 (equates to about $6,500 in 2023) to correct.

“I still remember how kind and non-judgmental Professor Bass was when we

Previous Hall of Fame Recipients *Lohmann Medal Recipient

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2023 Duane Mass 2023 Craig Stunkel 2023 Cara Cowan Watts 2023 Alyssa Schilling Warner 2023 J. Stephen Ford * 2022 Lieu Smith * 2022 Jim Lansford * 2022 Jack Graham 2022 Dave Boyer

2022 Carolyne Hart * 2022 Bob Thompson 2021 Stan Stephenson 2021 Matthew Perry 2021 Leland Blank * 2021 Christine Altendorf * 2021 Carrie Johnson 2020 Tom Britton 2020 Stephen Searcy *

determined what was wrong,” Ford said. “I’ve tried to remember that and emulate it when well-intentioned people have made an error.”

Upon graduation, Ford attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he obtained both a Master of Science and doctoral degree in civil engineering. He was active in researching the largest assemblage of concrete beams and columns at the Balcones Research Center. His research resulted in implemented changes to the American Concrete Institute Building Code.

Ford was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of the University of Texas Civil, Architecture and Environmental Engineering Academy. In 2020, he was recognized by The Journal Record in construction and real estate.

Ford became a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (1976-78), then worked at a large structural consulting firm in Dallas until 1980.

At OSU, Ford crossed paths with Bob Zahl, sparking a friendship-turned-business partnership that has endured for more than 55 years. Zahl-Ford Structural Consultants was born in 1980. That partnership is now known as ZFI Engineering. The firm’s work lies primarily in the design of structural systems for new/renovated buildings and in structural assessments/investigations.

2020 Mark Sutton 2020 Huan Nguyen * 2019 Rick Muncrief 2019 Lyndon Taylor 2019 Jim Hasenbeck 2019 Charles Reimer 2018 Edward Shreve * 2018 Brian Price * 2018 Ali Fazel

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Oklahoma State University

2023 Hall of Fame Duane Mass Architecture

D

uane Mass founded his architecture firm, Mass Architecture, with a determination to provide customer service and attention to detail. His passion for the built environment remains as palpable today as when he started his firm over 20 years ago.

Mass was raised in Hartshorne, Oklahoma, on a family ranch. The community was settled at the end of the 19th century by Italian and other immigrant groups. Mass called his hometown “the most atypical Oklahoma small town.”

Mass graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in architecture in 1989. Much of his time was spent in the architecture studio working, learning and mastering his craft. Upon graduation, he received the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for Merit in Architecture.

His professional career began in Tulsa where he completed a large corporate project. He then moved to a firm in Oklahoma City, where he honed his expertise in educational and medical design and served on a community level. Later, he completed international and multimillion-dollar projects at a third firm. Here, he discovered his passion for historic preservation and restoration.

In 2012, Mass designed the Oklahoma County Health Department’s new 54-acre public health campus, which was featured in The New York Times. He then prepared a

2017 Legand Burge Jr. 2017 John Klopp 2017 Jack Goertz 2017 Gary Ridley 2017 Eric Woodroof * 2016 Mark Brewer 2016 Ann Oglesby 2015 Shrikant Joshi * 2015 Rao Surampalli

2015 Jack Corgan 2015 Ed Stokes 2014 Johann Demmel * 2014 Jeff Hume 2014 Janet Weiss 2014 Harold Courson 2014 Decker Dawson * 2014 Debbie Adams 2014 David Timberlake

2014 Alan Brunacini * 2013 Robert Schaefer 2013 Rixio Medina 2013 Rick Webb 2013 Kenneth E. Case * 2013 Harvey B. Manbeck * 2012 Wilson Shoffner 2012 Jerry Winchester 2012 Cassie Mitchell *

disaster and pandemic plan for Oklahoma that subsequently became the national model. Mass extensively offers his professional service to charitable foundations and other institutions within Oklahoma. He not only designs the facilities but also helps the organization fundraise to build them.

Mass led the initiative with Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry to restore the State Capitol. The restoration began in 2014 and was completed in 2023.

The American Subcontractors Association named Mass the 2013 Architect of the Year.

Today, Mass serves on the OSU School of Architecture Advisory Board. He enjoys staying connected and relishes the fact that today’s generation is working just as hard as he did for the degree. Mass and his wife, Robin Troy, created and funded a scholarship endowment assisting nontraditional students who wish to study architecture abroad.

“Students at CEAT should understand that it is our mission to serve,” Mass advised to all students. “What you build or create will serve for the betterment of all of us or it is not worth doing.”

Mass and Robin met at the Eskimo Joe’s Beer Garden on Feb. 4, 1988. They went on to have one son and two daughters: Frank and Jessica both graduated from OSU, and Rachel graduated from the University of Arkansas.

2012 Calvin Vogt 2011 Paul Liao * 2011 Lakshmaiah Ponnala 2011 Jeffrey Fisher 2011 Enos Stover * 2010 Ray O. Johnson 2010 Juan Carlos Calderon * 2010 Jerry Banks * 2009 Sridhar Mitta

2009 Richard Weidner * 2009 Meemong Lee * 2009 Charles Kridler 2009 A. Joe Mitchell Jr. 2008 Samir A. Lawrence * 2008 Ronnie Morgan * 2008 Ronald L. Hoffman 2008 Donald D. Humphreys 2007 Rand Elliott

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 65

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Oklahoma State University

2023 Hall of Fame Craig Stunkel Electrical Engineering

G

rowing up in Stillwater allowed Dr. Craig Stunkel to be immersed in the Cowboy Culture before becoming a student.

He loves the relationship Oklahoma State University has with the community. Stunkel walked onto the men’s basketball team during his freshman year, later earned a scholarship, and played throughout his undergraduate years. He was also a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity.

Stunkel graduated from OSU with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 1982 and a master’s degree in 1983.

Upon receiving his master’s degree, Stunkel accepted a job with IBM and moved to Rochester, Minnesota. He spent three years designing IBM System/38 computers before making the decision to continue his education.

Stunkel and his wife, Susan, moved to Illinois in 1986 so he could attend the University of Illinois doctoral program.

“Susan and I often say, ‘If we had understood all the things that can go wrong on the road to a Ph.D., would we have had the courage to pursue it?”’ Stunkel said. “But it really worked out well in our case.”

Stunkel began a 30-year career of avid leadership with IBM Research in 1990, serving in multiple roles, including technical leader, executive advisor, different levels of management and mentoring. His

2007 Michael Damore 2007 Leslie Priebe * 2006 Sanjiv Sidhu 2006 James L. Vining 2006 Jack B. ReVelle * 2006 Gary A. Pope * 2005 James Brooks Cummins 2005 Gordon E. Eubanks Jr. 2005 Behrokh Khoshnevis *

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2004 Steven D. Hofener 2004 J. D. “Denny” Carreker Jr. 2004 Neal E. Jones * 2004 Eddie M. Jones * 2004 David Kyle 2003 Kent E. Patterson 2003 Jim B. Surjaatmadja * 2003 James R. Holland Jr. 2002 H. Edward Roberts *

work on interconnects (a key part of any supercomputer system) contributed to, and was essential to, the development of multiple high-performance computing systems, which have been installed at the U.S. Department of Energy Labs, the U.S. Department of Defense, other U.S. government agencies and worldwide.

With Stunkel’s contributions, IBM has ranked first in the computing industry’s Top 500 list for performance of supercomputers.

Stunkel received four “Outstanding Technical Achievement” awards in three different areas: contributions to Blue Gene/P, Federation Switch and SP Communications Subsystems.

In 2020, Stunkel retired from IBM and joined NVIDIA. While Stunkel cannot share his contributions at NVIDIA, he stated that he continues to focus on creating the highestperforming networks in the world. Stunkel has 19 U.S. patents, 56 papers and three books/ journal issues to date. He is recognized as a world-class expert in the interconnect area.

Stunkel’s passion lies in computer design and high-speed internet; however, this does not take away from his continued love for basketball and his family. Stunkel and Susan have two kids, Leanne and Kevin, and three grandchildren.

2002 Frank W. Chitwood 2002 Donald W. Vanlandingham 2001 Robert Braswell * 2001 Duane Wilson 2001 B. N. Murali 2000 Thomas W. Wallace 2000 Sherman E. Smith 2000 Jim W. Bruza 2000 Charles O. Heller *

1999 Ronald L. Calsing 1999 John C. Mihm 1999 Heinz W. Schmit * 1998 Ronald D. Wickens 1998 John E. Hershey * 1997 J. N. Reddy * 1997 H. E. Cobb Jr. 1997 Donald L. Wickens 1996 R. Gerald Bennett

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Oklahoma State University

2023 Hall of Fame Alyssa Schilling Warner Chemical Engineering

A

lyssa Schilling Warner earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology program in 2002.

Schilling Warner was a Kappa Alpha Theta sorority member, an OSU Top 10 Freshman Woman, the top CEAT graduate and Top Female Graduate of OSU in 2002.

She co-founded and led the CEAT Freshman Council, was active in AIChE, president of Omicron Delta Kappa and executive director of the Big Event, now known as Into the Streets.

Schilling Warner then began what would be a 20-year career with ExxonMobil. When she had the chance to take a new role, she jumped at it, though it involved moving her family, including her young daughters, around the world because of the amazing technical opportunity. She spent the last four years of her career in Papua New Guinea. Her highest-profile role was as an asset manager where she was the operations manager for an 8.3MTPA liquid natural gas plant.

Schilling Warner grew up in Follett, Texas, and then Shattuck, Oklahoma. From an early age, she was taught key life skills: hard work, family, community and service. Shortly after graduating, she began funding a President’s Distinguished Scholarship to benefit students from rural areas studying engineering. She

1996 Marvin M. Johnson 1996 Jerry D. Homes * 1995 Ted E. Davis 1995 D. Ray Booker * 1995 Charles L. Hardt 1994 Kerry S. Havner * 1994 Donald R. Lehman 1993 Kenneth J. Richards 1993 Keith E. Bailey

1993 Jack P. Holman * 1992 Wolter J. Fabrycky * 1992 W. Wayne Allen 1992 Robert M. Lawrence 1991 Jim E. Shamas 1991 J. Tinsley Oden * 1991 David J. Tippeconnic 1989 Wilfred P. Schmoe 1989 Neal A. McCaleb

1988 Robert M. Penn 1988 Choong-Shik Cho 1987 Raymond A. Porter 1987 James D. Cobb 1986 Martin E. Fate Jr. 1986 James E. Barnes 1985 Frank A. McPherson 1984 Glenn E. Penisten 1984 Edward C. Joullian III

wanted everyone to have the opportunities she had at OSU and was willing to support them financially. She also served as a recruiter for ExxonMobil at OSU, seeking out the best students to join the company.

Schilling Warner was highly respected by the workforce in PNG as she was invested in their growth and success. Female engineers looked up to her as a role model and referred to her as “Boss Meri” or “Girl Boss” in their native language.

In 2013, Schilling Warner married Jeff Warner and soon had two daughters, Audra (2015) and Laurel (2019). Her goal was to set an example for how to be a strong, smart and loving woman for her daughters to look up to.

Schilling Warner passed away on March 16, 2023, at the age of 44. She made a significant impact on many during her life and will continue to do so through her legacy and the lives she influenced. She was everything a leader should be and an inspiration to all.

1983 George H. Lawrence 1983 Bill N. Lacy 1982 Holmes H. McClure 1982 Floyd M. Bartlett 1981 William J. Collins Jr. 1980 John B. Jones Jr. 1979 Nicholas B. Marvis 1979 John L. Hatheway 1979 Eason H. Leonard

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 67

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Oklahoma State University

2023 Hall of Fame Cara Cowan Watts Biosystems Engineering

C

ara Cowan Watts obtained a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University Stillwater in 1997 and a Master of Science in telecommunications management from OSU-Tulsa in 2002.

Before returning to OSU for her doctorate in biosystems engineering, Cowan Watts worked at Hewlett-Packard in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in manufacturing, then Williams Communications in Tulsa in telecommunications. She received her Doctorate in Biosystems Engineering in 2015.

Cowan Watts’ husband, Doug Watts, created Tulsa Pier Drilling in 1998. She married Doug in 2005. Cowan Watts oversees drilling services, a team of almost 18 fulltime and part-time employees, a fleet of commercial trucks and drill rigs, bidding, legal negotiations, human resources needs, and much more for their privately-owned business. TPD has been under her leadership since 2016.

Cowan Watts is a Louis Stokes National Science Foundation Fellow and former twice-elected member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Board of Directors. From 2017-21, she served as president of the Oklahoma Professional Chapter. In 2018, Cowan Watts facilitated an agreement between OSU and AISES to bring the National American Indian Science and Engineering Fair to OSU. In

1978 Sidney E. Scisson 1977 John S. Zink 1976 James C. Phelps 1976 Fred H. Ramseur Jr. 1976 Donald E. Adams 1975 James J. Kelly 1975 Gus L. Maciula 1974 Carl G. Herrington 1973 David B. Benham

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1972 Richard O. Newman 1971 Ralph M. Ball 1970 Veldo H. Brewer 1969 Melvin A. Ellsworth 1968 David G. Murray 1967 Eugene L. Miller 1966 Edwin G. Malzahn 1965 Myron A. Wright 1964 William W. Caudill

2020, she was awarded the highest AISES lifetime achievement award — the Ely S. Parker Award — recognizing Native American leaders who most clearly embody AISES’ mission and goals through their achievements and contributions to science, technology, engineering and math.

Cowan Watts remains heavily involved in OSU. Since 2019, she has served on the OSU Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering’s advisory board, including acting chair. She joined the OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Strategic Advisory Council in July 2021.

Cowan Watts is committed to improving her community through both STEM education and beef production. From 2003-15, she served three consecutive terms as a Cherokee Nation Tribal Councilor for portions of Tulsa and Rogers counties in Oklahoma.

She currently is serving her third term on the counties’ USDA Farm Service Agency Committee. Her goal is to drive public policy and ensure the next generation of farmers and ranchers can feed America.

1963 B. Harris Bateman 1962 Don McBride 1961 Lloyd E. Elkins 1960 Morrison B. Cunningham 1959 Francis J. Wilson 1958 Guy H. James 1957 Thomas M. Lumly Jr. 1956 Richard K. Lane 1955 Gerald W. McCullough

1954 Laurence L. Dresser

READY TO MAKE A GLOBAL IMPACT? ORANGE IS THE ANSWER. I YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD AT OSU!

Your philanthropy helps the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology educate and produce the next generation of thinkers and problem solvers. They will create solutions to the challenges that affect our communities, nation and world.

Visit OSUgiving.com

2023 LOYAL AND TRUE DONORS OF CEAT Debbie & Charlie Adams CHE Judith Allen Rebecca & Joe Alvarez CIVE Whitney & Caleb Bates ENGR TECH Suzanne & Mohd Bilbeisi ARCH, ARCH Donna & Shay Braun IEM Kari & Gene Brown ARCH Mallory & Price Buckley ARCH, MAE Vickie & Ed Cannon ECEN Cecil Culver CHE Delores & Jerry Etter MAE Ronda & Gordon Eubanks ECEN Susan & Dan Evans Amy & Jeffery Ferguson MAE Tony Formby CHE Christie & Ronald Gantz CHE Janet & Brad Gaskins Charlotte & Gordy Guest Mickey & Tim Haddican ENGR TECH Roger Harrod ENGR TECH Virginia & Jim Hart ARCH Belinda & Jim Hasenbeck ARCH Dena & Ken Hirshey Denay & Dwayne Huddleston ENGR TECH, IEM Dianne & Chris Humes MAE Barbara & Bill Johnson ENGR TECH Myra & George Kaiser Linda & Larry Kester ARCH Annabelle & Kim Kimball ECEN Valda & Randy Kreie ARCH Betty Kron Cindy & Tim Lang Patti & Bill Lundeen ARCH Charlotte & Keith Montgomery CHE Ann & Bill Oglesby CHE Jim Penn CIVE Gene & Robin Purdie-Smith Isabella & Charles Reimer ECEN Carla Rickerd Janet & Tony Sam ENGR TECH Terry Seltzer ENGR TECH Jane & Michael Sigmon ECEN Mindy & Bill Silk ARCH Harold Smith MAE Judy Thurman Misty & Brad Thurman ARCH Jane & Bill Travis MAE James Turner ARCH Brian & Johnda Tuttle Sharon & Alan Voskuhl MAE Janet & Troy Weiss CHE, CHE

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Wolf & Sandy Yeigh IEM Jamie & Darton Zink AAON Inc AISC Education Foundation Alpha Consulting Engineers Inc American General Life Insurance Company American Institute of Steel Construction B&B Concrete of Kansas Baker Hughes Foundation CEC Chevron Corporation Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP ConocoPhillips CyberGrants LLC DCP Midstream LP ExxonMobil ExxonMobil Foundation GE Grid Solutions LLC Google Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute Foundation Lehigh Hanson Leonard J. Paleck Jr. Revocable Trust Louis H. Whitehair Revocable Trust Martin Family Foundation McMahon Foundation NextStream Niagara Bottling LLC ONEOK ONEOK Foundation OSU Civil & Environmental Engineering Advisory Board Phillips 66 Raytheon Company Rockwell International Seismograph Service Corporation T. Boone Pickens Foundation Talcott Resolution Tides Foundation/Google Tulsa Innovation Labs LLC Verily Life Sciences LLC Wallace Design Collective PC White Engineering Associates Inc. Williams Paige Anderson Bob Blair CHE Kathy & Larry Blake CHE Julie & Anthony Blatt ARCH, CHE Judy & John Brown CIVE Lora & Neal Buck IEM

Renee & Jerry Conduff ARCH, ARCH Sue Fender Carolyn & H. Earl Glimp ECEN Susan & Jack Goertz IEM Kelly & Carey Harris CIVE Bari & Kent Hatheway MAE Joan Hwang William Kerber Fish & Thom Maciula Toni Melton Huan Nguyen ECEN Shirley Pappe Karen & Joe Plummer CHE Mary & Don Pruitt MAE Kevin Snowden ARCH Craig & Susan Stunkel ECEN Sarah Timberlake Marcia Tuttle Sherri Voelkel Carol White Lynne & Jim Williams MAE Kerri & Gary Wilson CHE Mary & Brent Wooten CIVE Stacie & Derek Wrobbel IEM, ECEN BJ Services Co. CEAT Student Council Charles B. Goddard Foundation Chickasaw Nation Global Gaming Solutions LLC Hughes Aircraft Company MEGASLAB National Fire Protection Association Pella of Oklahoma Pratt & Whitney Pulse Communications Inc. Raytheon Wireless Solutions Timberlake Construction Inc. United Technologies Diann & Greg Adams ENGR TECH Judy & Gary Allen ENGR TECH Rhona & Walter Allen MAE Arvind & Hema Amin MAE Dean Anderson Keith Angier Elsa & Syam Antony IEM Kevin Bailey ENGR TECH Jim Barnette ECEN Maureen & Ken Barrett MAE Carolyn & Mike Bartlett IEM Saundra & Buddy Bayer CIVE Otto Behunin IEM Lowell & Jodie Black ENGR TECH Melanie & Dan Blakely ENGR TECH Lauren & Ed Bond Brady Born Suzanne & Dallas Branch ARCH, ARCH Shirley & Arthur Breipohl Mark & Beth Brewer ECEN Laura & Blaine Bunch ECEN Richard Bush IEM Anthony Byers MAE Mabel & Paul Caldwell MAE Billie & Frank Chambers Sue & Frank Champion Hong-Ju & Pei Chang CHE Shannon & Stan Clark

Sam & Rita Combs IEM Ashley & Ardist Conner CHE Bill Cook ECEN Janell & Ken Cooper MAE Lerri & Rick Cooper Terri Cooper Kathy & Ken Corbin ARCH Carol & Jack Corgan Berlyn Cota Jim Cox MAE Michael Crowley Cynthia & Matthew Cullum MAE Sharon & Mike Damore ARCH Joan & Tom Davidson ECEN Susan & Joe Davis CIVE, CIVE B. J. & Cary DeHart ENGR TECH Julie & Weston DeHart ENGR TECH Norb & Lynn Delatte Erin & Chris DeMoss ENGR TECH Beth & David Denker MAE, MAE Lee Ann & Mark Dickerson CHE Aubree Diebolt ARCH Pat & Leo Dooley Mike & Anita Dossey CHE Lindi & Blaine Douglas ENGR TECH Liz & Brad Dunbar ENGR TECH Brian Eckhart Karen & Franklin Eckhart MAE Kevin Eckhart Scot Eckhart Jeanette & Rand Elliott ARCH Laura & David Eudey MAE Ming & Gerard Fehrenbach Joe Fehring CIVE Howard Flanders CIVE Stephen & Jane Ford ARCH Linda Foster Jacque Fowler Sandy & Darrel Fry MAE Barney Ghiglieri CHE Ian Giese IEM Briar & Patrick Glenn ARCH, ARCH J.O. Graham ARCH April & Bill Graif ENGR TECH Kim & Al Griggs MAE JJ & Craig Grilliette Michelle & Chad Grinsteiner CIVE Leticia & Frank Groenteman IEM Nancy & John Groh MAE

Christine & Greg Guckian Tamara & Anthony Haas CIVE Vickie & Joe Hall CIVE Connie Haltom Marla & Fred Hampton CHE Mike & Patricia Harris MAE Tricia & Matthew Hatley CIVE Kerry Havner CIVE Charlie Heller CIVE Paula & Dave Heller ENGR TECH Jack Hensley ENGR TECH Martin Hepp Diane & Glen Hicks MAE Rebecca & Thomas Hill MAE Shannon & David Hill Sherryl & Steve Hofener CIVE Judith & Alan Holder ENGR TECH Kathy & Don Hood MAE Francee & Jeff Hume ENGR TECH Dennis Hussey CHE Camille & William Johnston Barbara & Lucien Jones Patricia & Jeffrey Jones ENGR TECH Teri & Kevin Jones CHE Angela Kana-Veydovec CIVE Dale & Yvonne Keairns CHE Stuart Keeton IEM Zachary Kelch IEM Sharon & Mark Kelley MAE Vicki & Steve Kiester IEM Gay & Ed Kirby Geoff Koch MAE Marty Kollmeyer CHE Bonnie & Bill Kurtz MAE Sharon & John Larson ECEN Carolyn & John Lawrence CHE Russell & Sherry Lawson ECEN Amanda & David Lee ECEN Callie Lee-Petricek Cheryl & Jim Lefler ENGR TECH Laura & Don Lehman CHE Renee & Stan Lingo ARCH Megan & Ryan Lipscomb CHE Bruce & Linda Litchfield Yuan Yue & Duoying Liu ECEN John & Ruth Lloyd Logen & Jayanthi Logendran IEM Jill Long CHE Dick & Anne Lowery MAE

Shane Lupi ENGR TECH Hui Min & Ko Makabe ARCH, ARCH Mark Marston CHE Gary & Karen Martin MAE Robin & Duane Mass ARCH Linda & Phil McCurdy ARCH Trish & John Meek ARCH Bernadine & Kurt Metzinger MAE Gale & Robin Mills Cassie Mitchell CHE Martha & Gregory Mooney CIVE Laura & Jose Moreno MAE Krista & Kenny Morrison CHE Carol & Frank Morsani Dean Diane & Jerry Mounts MAE Heather & Mark Nealis CIVE, MAE Gary & Jana Oberlender CIVE Colette & Kevin O’Brien MAE Diane & John Offutt ENGR TECH Phyllis & Steve O’Hara ARCH Kathleen & Steven Oltmanns ECEN Melanie & Brian Orr CIVE Megan & Aaron Owen ENGR TECH Craig Parker Jody Parker Anna & Randy Parks ARCH Susie & Bill Phelps MAE James Pickel Kerri & David Powell ARCH Sheryl & Kent Powers IEM Brenda & Brian Price CHE Margaret Price Randy Randall ECEN Kathleen & Dan Rao IEM Eron Richards ARCH Eula Ridley Ryan & Julie Roberts ARCH Kathleen & Francis Rooney Craig Rose ENGR TECH Raina & Tom Rose Tagle Teresa & Warren Ross Katherine & Neil Ryan ENGR TECH Charles Schwarz CIVE Mandy & Bill Seider ARCH Jayne & James Selman IEM Mary & Patrick Shafer-Malicki CHE Mark Shutt ECEN Sandra Skinner Donna & Larry Smith Barbara Snoddy James Snyder CHE Barry & Christine Steichen Tangye & Kevin Stephney ECEN Shane Sterett Claudia & Ed Stokes CIVE Trina & Bradley Stover CHE Nancy & Al Strecker ECEN Lee Sudan ECEN Jeffrey Szcinski ECEN Walter Taylor Phil & Ruth Terry MAE Bob Thompson CIVE Mark & Susanne Thompson ARCH Vicki & Robert Thompson Cindy & Carl Tipton IEM Carolyn & Charles Tobin IEM, IEM David Tosetto ENGR TECH Cal Vogt ECEN

Leesha & Eric Vogt ARCH Steve Waken ECEN Kai & Dave Wang MAE Debbie & Cary Watson ECEN Van Weathers IEM Mee Mong & Richard Weidner ECEN, ECEN Doug & Barbara White IEM Ann & Rob Whiteley CHE, CHE John Wilkins ENGR TECH Yvonne & Charles Williams ECEN Nathaniel Woody MAE Katherine & Keith Yancey ARCH, ARCH Zoanne & Bob Zapata Abbott Labs AC Owen Construction Access Midstream Action Safety Supply Company Ad Astra Foundation Advanced Workzone Services AGC of Oklahoma Education Foundation AIA Oklahoma Alberici Allen Contracting Inc. American Society of Professional Estimators/Landrun Chapter 80 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Andres Construction Services LLC ANSYS Inc. Apple Inc. Association of Oklahoma General Contractors Inc. Austin Commercial LP Balfour Beatty Construction Benchmark Construction Engineering & Inspection Bronco Drilling Company Inc. Burns & McDonnell Foundation Byrne Construction Services Caddell Construction CAF America Canaan Energy Corp Cantera Concrete Company Carolyn Watson Rural Oklahoma Community Foundation Centennial Contractors Enterprises Inc Charles Machine Works Chesapeake Energy Church & Dwight Co Inc. CORD Construction Coreslab Structures Inc. Crimson Steel Supply Crossland Construction Company Inc. Crossland Heavy Contractors Inc. Cummins Construction Company Inc. Dell Inc. Deloitte Ditch Witch Dolese Bros Co. EST Inc. Flatiron Corp Flintco LLC Foundation for Engineering at OSU Frankfurt Short Bruza & Associates PC Frontier Bridge Inc. Garney Holding Company Garver

Garver LLC GH2 Architects Great Plains Haskell Lemon Construction Co. HollyFrontier Sinclair IBM Corporation International Chemical Company International Paper Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. KKT Architects Inc. LA Fuess Partners Inc. Lemon Family Foundation Lithko Contracting LLC Lockheed Martin Employees’ Political Action Committee MacArthur Associated Consultants LLC Magellan Midstream Partners LP Manhattan Road & Bridge National Association of Pipe Fabricators NextEra Energy Resources Nuclear Electric Insurance Limited NW Central PipelineCorp Occidental OK Construction Advancement Foundation OK Natural Gas Company/Oklahoma City OKC Community Foundation Oklahoma City Section Oklahoma Structural Engineers Association Olsson Overland Corporation Ovintiv Inc. Oxy USA Inc. PACCAR Foundation PACCAR Inc. Peterbilt PLW Waterworks LLC Rick Scott Construction Inc RJN Foundation Savannah River Nuclear Solutions LLC Smith Roberts Baldischwiler LLC Society of American Military Engineers/OKC Post Society of Fire Protection Engineers/ Michigan Chapter Standard Testing & Engineering Company Subsite Electronics Textron Aviation Traffic Engineering Consultants, Inc. University of Tulsa Valero Services Inc. Walsh Construction XTO Energy

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR GENEROUS DONORS!

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 71

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS!

■---------Your generous contributions to CEAT drive the college forward.

CEAT alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students, Your donations allow us to become a 21st century hub of innovation and impact. As a donor, your gift represents the pinnacle of private annual support to CEAT and demonstrates your passion for higher education, students and OSU. While we have accomplished much in the past, our ambitions continue to grow and we need your continued support.

I would like to invite YOU to become a Dean’s Club member.

The CEAT Dean’s Club is a distinguished group whose annual gifts of $2,500 or more to either the CEAT Designated Endowment Program Fund or the Scholar Program Fund, support our college’s top priorities and ensure a bright future for CEAT students. As a member, you will receive a number of exclusive benefits and privileges.

It’s because of donors like you, near and far, that our students graduate as leaders, innovators and America’s Brightest!

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ALABAMA $16,270 ARIZONA $7,200 ARKANSAS $9,717 CALIFORNIA $331,585 COLORADO $139,729 CONNECTICUT $125 D.C. $151,000 DELAWARE $10,100 FLORIDA $6,895 GEORGIA $169,136 HAWAII $860 IDAHO $330 ILLINOIS $152,698 INDIANA $16,350 IOWA $1,350 KANSAS $60,400 KENTUCKY $360 LOUISIANA $2,600 MAINE $500 MARYLAND $1,820 MASSACHUSETTS $62,200 MICHIGAN $196,400 MINNESOTA $210 MISSISSIPPI $625 MISSOURI $32,285 NEBRASKA $2,925 NEVADA $101,549 NEW HAMPSHIRE $1,000 NEW JERSEY $376 NEW MEXICO $5,665 NEW YORK $9,266 NORTH CAROLINA $2,150 OHIO $200,080 OKLAHOMA $11,349,472 OREGON $11,660 PENNSYLVANIA $126,410 RHODE ISLAND $10,500 SOUTH CAROLINA $17,214 SOUTH DAKOTA $600 TENNESSEE $6,900 TEXAS $3,547,157 UTAH $5,300 VIRGINIA $145,864 WASHINGTON $8,190 WISCONSIN $700 WYOMING $110

46

STATES DONATED

$17M IN 2023

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 73

CEAT LEADERSHIP

DEPARTMENT HEADS

Professor & Interim Head

John Phillips, P.E. Centennial Professor of Architecture, School of Architecture

Professor & Head

Professor & Head

Mari S. Chinn, Ph.D.

Heather Fahlenkamp, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Sun Grant Program-South Central Region, School of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering

Edward Bartlett Chair, School of Chemical Engineering

Professor & Head

Professor & Interim Head

HANCHEN

CHUCK

ED

KIRTLEY

Norb Delatte, P.E., Ph.D., F.ACI, F.ASCE

Guoliang Fan, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology

Associate Dean, Research

Associate Dean, Engineering Extension

M.R. Lohmann Endowed Professor, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering

Cal & Marilyn Vogt Professor of Engineering, School of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Professor & Interim Head

Professor & Head

Chulho Yang, Ph.D., P.E.

Guiping Hu, Ph.D.

Division of Engineering Technology

Donald and Cathey Humphreys Chair, School of Industrial Engineering & Management

Professor & Head

Professor & Head

James Smay, Ph.D.

Sandip Harimkar, Ph.D.

C.F. Colcord Chair, School of Materials Science & Engineering

Albert H. Nelson, Jr. Chair, School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

HUANG

BUNTING

CARISA

RAMAN

JOHN

Associate Dean, Academic Programs & Student Engagement

Associate Dean of Engineering, OSU-Tulsa

Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs

RAMMING

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SINGH

VEENSTRA

A message from

The Foundation The OSU Foundation’s mission is to “unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of Oklahoma State University.” As a development team who works with the dean and academic leaders, we strive to identify CEAT priorities and unite them with your passions to achieve excellence.

Jill Johnson

Senior Director of Development

Excellence can be defined in a variety of ways and take on a variety of forms. Sometimes excellence is the first-generation CEAT student earning their degree, a faculty member making groundbreaking research in the lab, or students gaining hands-on experience while learning to work as a team through their senior design projects.

With the current economic challenges facing higher education, private support plays a significant role in allowing the college to truly achieve excellence. Whatever your passion is for helping us achieve excellence, it is our hope that you, our alumni and friends of this great college, realize the role we play in bridging the aspirations of both parties.

Kaid Kinzie

Development Associate

“

Phone

Phone

Email

Email

405-385-0733

jjohnson@osugiving.com

LaRonna Stanbery Constituent Relations Associate

572-220-1555

kkinzie@osugiving.com

Jennifer Holcomb Development Coordinator

Unite donor passions with university priorities to elevate the impact of Oklahoma State University.

Rachel Faruque Director of Development

OSU Foundation’s mission

Phone

Email

Email

405-714-3578

lstanbery@osugiving.com

405-385-5147

“

Phone

jholcomb@osugiving.com

Phone

405-334-6873

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 75 Email

rfaruque@osugiving.com

I

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITEC TURE AND TECHNOLOGY

STRATEGIC ADVISORY COUNCIL

GREGG BRADSHAW

SHAY BRAUN

CARA COWAN WATTS

Construction Manager Joe D. Hall General Contractors, LLC

President Select Milk Producers

Chief Executive Officer Tulsa Drilling

GAREN EWBANK

JEFF FISHER

JIM HASENBECK

President GreyEdge Group, LLC

Chief Executive Officer Ascent Resources

Principal Architect Studio Architecture

HANCHEN HUANG

STEVE HUCKABY

DENAY HUDDLESTON

CEAT Dean Oklahoma State University

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Humble Midstream

Manager of Digital Products Phillips 66

76 I M PAC T 2 0 24

JEFF HUME

CHRIS HUMES

CHERIE HUMPHRIES

Vice Chairman of Strategic Growth Initiatives Continental Resources, Inc.

Consultant City of Stillwater

Director, Special Projects Williams

I CARRIE JOHNSON

NEAL JONES

JAIME MCALPINE

Chair of the Board & Principal Wallace Design Collective

President Jones Studio

President Chermac Energy Corporation

MIKE ROGERS

MARY SHAFER-MALICKI

President PACCAR Winch, Inc.

Board of Directors Gulfport Energy and Ag Growth International

ED STOKES

RICK TOMPKINS

PATRICIA VEGA

STACIE WROBBEL

President & COO LateraLift, LLC

CEO and Founding Partner Quantum New Energy

Vice President Pathfinder

President Stokes International Consultancy, LLC

C E AT.O K S TAT E . E D U 77

College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology 201 Advanced Technology Research Center Stillwater, OK 74078-5013

JOIN OUR DEAN’S CLUB! Dean Hanchen Huang invites you to become a member of the Dean’s Club!

You can join at either the College Club level, the Patron level or the Benefactor level. These are distinguished groups whose gifts benefit the Designated Endowment Program Fund or the CEAT Scholars Program Fund, supporting our college’s top priorities and ensuring a bright future for our CEAT students.

Please consider making your gift today by scanning the QR code below or visiting ceat.okstate.edu/giving/ceat-deans-club.html.

On behalf of our OSU community, you have our deepest appreciation for all you do for OSU and CEAT!

C E AT.O K STATE .ED U