College of Engineering
Newsletter Fall 2012
Computer Science Proposal Approved by HERC for IGEM Funding By Frank Zang The Higher Education Research Council of the State Board of Education has awarded funds through the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) initiative to three projects at the state’s research universities. The three winning proposals were selected by a review committee comprises business and industry and higher education representatives. Boise State University will receive $700,000 to enhance its Computer Science program to help meet compelling state economic development, research and workforce needs. “Boise State is investing the IGEM funding into its computer science program to address the needs of Idaho industries by increasing its number of graduates in software development,” said Mark Rudin, Boise State vice president for research and economic development. “The university recognizes its essential role in supporting our high-tech industry. New faculty members will result in more computer science research, stronger business ties and more students in the pipeline for technology careers.” Idaho State University was awarded $670,700 for development of commercially-viable, accelerator-produced materials for medical and semiconductor industry applications. University of Idaho will use its award of $640,200 for a multidisciplinary cyber-security faculty cluster hire. The grant will fund new faculty to support cyber-security research and education in computer science, electrical and computer engineering, civil engineering and sociology.
Number of Graduates 26 undergraduates received a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Computer Science from Boise State University between December 2011 and May 2012.
Employment Rates Following graduation, 21 of the CS graduates were employed in Idaho and 4 were pursuing graduate degrees.
Employers The Computer Science students who received their B.S. degrees went on to work at the following companies: Acquity Group, Clearwater Analytics, Hewlett Packard, MarkMonitor, Micron Technology, Moon Express, Pazzles.com, and Sybase.
Internships Of these graduates, over 90% held an internship prior to job placement, working at the following companies: Clearwater Analytics, Hewlett Packard, MarkMonitor, Micron Technology, Personal Shopper, NASA (Langley) and Sybase.
The vision of IGEM is to leverage private-industry guidance and the talent and expertise of Idaho’s research universities to commercialize innovative and viable technologies that will strengthen Idaho’s economy. The 2012 Idaho Legislature appropriated $2 million through the IGEM initiative for research funding for Idaho’s universities.
Boise State Study Finds Warming Climate Could Significantly Change Aquifer A new Boise State University study has found that a warming climate could impact the aquifer for both the Spokane River and Boise River basins, which provide water for much of Idaho and parts of Eastern Washington. Boise State civil engineering researchers Venkataramana Sridhar and Xin Jin simulated more than 100 different climate change modeling scenarios to evaluate how changes in precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, and timing of snow melt would affect the aquifers over the next 50 years.
The modeling results made a number of interesting predictions. Average temperatures could increase by 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit by 2060. Models predicted potential change to annual precipitation rates ranging from a 3 percent decrease to a 36 percent increase for the Boise River Basin. A narrower range (6 percent decrease to 17 percent increase) was predicted for the Spokane River Basin. Although a 2 to 4 degree temperature increase over 50 years may seem insignificant at first glance, researchers remind us that it takes more extreme daily temperatures occurring more frequently to raise the average temperature by even one degree. In addition, the models predicted that peak snow melt could shift from May to April, altering stream flows and aquifer recharge. "Warmer temperatures might cause more precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow in the mountains. In this case, you have more run off to continued on page 2
From the Dean’s Desk There's an element of nostalgia in the start of every new school year. The campus comes alive again after the quiet summer months. Students and faculty rush to classes, cars circle the parking lots looking for elusive spaces, and excitement builds for every home game day as the air turns cooler and the leaves start to turn color. Here in the College of Engineering, our hallways and classrooms are bustling with more students than ever - 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students now call Engineering their home college at Boise State. Some departments are growing more rapidly than we could have even imagined or predicted just a few years ago. Over the past four years, Civil Engineering majors have increased by almost 25 percent, Computer Science enrollment has grown by 43 percent, and Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering majors are close to doubling their numbers from 319 to more than 550. As we welcome our record number of students this fall, it is sobering to consider the growing cost of a college education that they must bear. Boise State's Financial Aid and Scholarships Office now estimates that it will cost an Idaho resident almost $20,000 to attend Boise State full-time for just one year. Only $5,884 of this cost is tuition; the rest is spent on increasing costs for room and board, transportation, books, and other personal expenses. No wonder students today struggle to stay ahead of the financial burden of obtaining college education. Boise State students work hard for their education and they excel. Nearly half of our students (46%) have GPAs over 3.0 and easily qualify for scholarships...when scholarships are available. The 426 students in Computer Science must compete for just $14,000 in scholarships - not even enough to support just one student for one year. Now more than ever we have a critical need for more scholarship money for our students. Our endowed scholarship donors recognize that a scholarship fund is a lasting legacy, providing much-needed money for student education year after year. Healthy scholarships also help attract and reward the outstanding students who are the foundation of our strong, diverse, and vital college community.
Scholarships Change Lives By Mary Rutherford There is no more pressing need at Boise State University than funding for scholarships. Scholarships ensure that the best and most deserving students become and remain Broncos, that they have the means to reach their goals and that they succeed to their fullest ability. In short, scholarships change lives. Financial concerns are the top reason students leave Boise State before earning their degree. Others, including local students who identify closely with Boise State and want to become Broncos, are lured to other universities by scholarship offers that Boise State cannot match at present. And many, who may be unlikely to leave the area for financial or cultural reasons, opt out of college altogether due to their inability to pay. Many of these students would become and remain Boise State students and, ultimately, Boise State graduates if more scholarship dollars were available. Boise State must compete to recruit and retain the best and most deserving students no matter their background or area of study. Private gifts are an irreplaceable element of that effort. Last year, only one quarter of highly qualified College of Engineering (COEN) students received scholarships, simply because there weren’t enough funds available to make awards. We want to change that statistic by doubling the amount of scholarships available for future engineering students. Please consider making a contribution to the College of Engineering Scholarship Fund. For more information about establishing a COEN scholarship, or contributing to an existing scholarship, please contact: Mary Rutherford, Director of Development, via email maryrutherford@boisestate.edu, or by phone (208) 426-2022. By giving in support of Boise State scholarships, donors help students bear escalating costs, pursue their degree unhindered by financial uncertainty and understand that they are valued as a part of the Bronco family. Boise State strives to be the school of choice for students who need or want a scholarship, and will compete for the best, most deserving students. As future Boise State graduates and successful alumni, their loyalty and pride as Broncos reinforces the foundation for our university’s bright future and enrich its traditions for generations to come.
Warming Climate Could Significantly Change Aquifer continued from page 1
surface water and less gets into the groundwater to recharge the aquifer," said Sridhar, assistant professor of civil engineering. "In terms of peak flows, we expect that in the future, the high flows will be higher and earlier, and the low flows will be lower than the historic highs and lows." To conduct the study, the researchers used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), a public domain model used to evaluate large, complex watersheds. The temperature and precipitation data used in the study came from many global climate models.
As the hallways of our college fill again this fall, it is my priority to also fill our scholarship funds so that by next fall, we can not only report recordbreaking enrollment, but also record-breaking scholarship awards.
The researchers hope that the results of their study will help policy makers better understand the implications of climate change on regional hydrologic patterns so that they can make informed land use decisions.
Amy Moll
The results of the study appear online in the Journal of the American Water Resources Association.
Dean and Professor College of Engineering
2
College of Engineering Newsletter | Fall 2012
The study was funded by the National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Simulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) in Idaho, as well as seed funding provided by the U.S. Geological Survey through the Water Resources Research Act.
COEN Faculty in Action CS Faculty Member is Part of Award-Winning 3D GameLab Development Team Alark Joshi, CS, is part of a team of Boise State faculty who developed an awardwinning research project in Boise State’s Department of Educational Technology (EdTech) called 3D GameLab – a “stage 3 winner” in the Digital Media and Learning Badges for Life Competition, which offers awards up to $200,000. 3D GameLab is an online learning platform that engages learners with game mechanics such as experience points, levels and badges. With a simple click, teachers and students can see the quests, projects and other work required to earn recognition for new skills, competencies, knowledge and achievements. Badges offer a digital alternative to traditional ways of validating accomplishment, skill, quality or interest in a field. Partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 3D GameLab’s project won for their proposal called Planet Stewards, a personalized high school environmental literacy curriculum and Mozilla badge system inside 3D GameLab. High school students would be able to create their own personalized learning pathways in ocean, coastal and atmospheric science education. Their learning would be recognized as an official achievement of the National Science Education Standards. The Digital Media and Learning Badges for Life Competition is a joint effort with the Mozilla Foundation. The competition had three stages: • In stage one, individuals, for-profit companies, universities and community organizations proposed possible content, programs or activities. • In stage two, individuals, teams or organizations such as EdTech, skilled in the design of badge systems, proposed the system they wanted to build. • In stage three, the final stage, the winners from stage one were matched with the winners from stage two to form teams to make final badge proposals. The team included: Lisa Dawley (EdTech, Boise State); Chris Haskell (EdTech, Boise State); Andy Hung (EdTech, Boise State); Alark Joshi (Computer Science, Boise State); Peg Steffen (NOAA). Work began on April 1 and will last for 12 months.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute awards $4,000 to Elisa Barney Smith Research Project The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University has announced the recipients of the first Osher Institute faculty grants. The grantees and their projects were selected from a field of 23 proposals submitted by faculty members from departments across disciplines. The $16,000 in grants ($4,000 to each recipient) was made possible by generous contributions of Osher members and Osher community partners. They recognize the scholarship of Boise State faculty and serve to promote research and as a means of thanking the university for years of support for the Osher Institute, said Osher Director Ellie McKinnon.
Miller, CE, Named 2012 Foundation Scholar at Boise State Boise State University has named faculty members Sondra Miller, Heidi Reeder and Nancy Napier 2012 University Foundation Scholars. The annual awards honor faculty members who have demonstrated ongoing commitment, expertise and accomplishment in teaching, research/creative activity, or professionally related service. Awards are presented by the Office of the Provost together with the University Foundation. Sondra Miller, assistant professor of civil engineering, is the recipient of the Foundation Scholars Service Award that celebrates a faculty member who has made substantial professionally related service contributions. The selection committee members were especially impressed by her enthusiastic and selfless devotion to student service while also providing exemplary service to her department, college, university, profession and community. As the first Faculty-in-Residence for the Engineering Residential College, she established a tradition of excellence for the program that has greatly contributed to its ongoing success. As the lead faculty adviser, professor Miller helped the 2010-2011 NASA Microgravity University team successfully design experiments and instrumentation
Also receiving awards were: Phil Atlakson, Department of Theatre Arts; Jesse Barber, Department of Biological Sciences, and Greg Kaltenecker, Idaho Bird Observatory; and Juliette Tinker, Department of Biological Sciences. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State features short, non-credit classes, lectures and field trips designed for intellectually curious adults over the age of 50. This year the institute provided 39 courses, two lecture series and numerous field trips and special events for its 800 active members. Presenters are drawn primarily from Boise State faculty, but also include faculty from sister institutions in the region and community experts. For more information, visit www.boisestate.edu/osher.
Elisa Barney Smith, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Steven Olsen-Smith, Department of English, received funding for their collaborative project involving the implementation of optical character recognition software that will transform static images of documents to searchable text files, including marginalia notation.
College of Engineering Newsletter | Fall 2012
3
Going Engineering Residential College Students Complete Fire Restoration Planting This spring, seventeen residents from Boise State University’s Engineering Residential College, a Living Learning Community, planted hundreds of sagebrush and bitterbrush seedlings in an area east of Boise, where a human-caused fire last summer burned critical winter range for big game. Civil engineering sophomore Jacob Norris organized and coordinated the volunteer activity through the Idaho Department of Fish & Game. The group received an award for their service to the community. The 2011-2012 Engineering Residential College includes sixteen
freshmen, four sophomores, program assistant Jacob O’Brien and also faculty in residence professor Janet Callahan and teen in residence Ben (who also volunteered that day). Other service activities that the 2011-2012 Engineering Residential College have enjoyed include a wide variety of hands-on activities, from outreach with hundreds of young people during Discover Engineering Day, to helping build for a day for Habitat for Humanity and readying the Bogus Basin Nordic trails lighting system for the season.
Boise State Team Experiments with Zero Gravity By Kathleen Tuck A Boise State student team recently joined groups from MIT, Yale, Purdue and 10 other universities at the competitive Microgravity University program in Houston, Texas. The group’s project, titled “Calcium Flux in Osteocytes and Osteoblasts Due to Gravitational Manipulation,” was chosen by NASA from more than 60 proposals. The experiment tested calcium signaling in bone cells during parabolic flight. Data from the experiment will further research on bone loss in astronauts and also apply to the chronic disease of osteoporosis.
Brian Crucian (NASA immunology lab), Eugene Castro, Marie Tharp, Lindsey Catlin, Audra Phelps, Matt Dolan, Reilly Clark, Jason Archer, David Connolly and Sarah Haight (faculty advisor)
4
The Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program (RGEFP) gives undergraduate students the opportunity to propose, build and fly experiments in reduced gravity. Teams performed experiments aboard a microgravity aircraft that produces periods of weightlessness for up to 25 seconds at a time by executing a series of approximately 30 roller coaster-like parabolas over the Gulf of Mexico. During the free falls, the students were able to gather data in the unique environment that mimics space.
College of Engineering Newsletter | Fall 2012
Places Boise State Engineering Students First at International Aero Design Competition By Matt Pene Students in Boise State’s College of Engineering are celebrating a first-place overall win in the advanced category of the 2012 SAE Aero Design West competition held in Van Nuys, Calif. It is the first time Boise State has won after competing for the past six years in designing, building and flying a remotely piloted aircraft capable of carrying a high payload while meeting strict competition specifications. The competition featured 65 teams from around the world and is intended to provide undergraduate and graduate engineering students with a real-life engineering challenge. After months of grueling work, Boise State’s student team built the competition’s only fully composite aircraft and the only aircraft to fly with 55 pounds gross weight. In addition to being evaluated on a design report and a design presentation, the team also was evaluated on flight characteristics such as weight carrying capabilities and reliability through multiple flight rounds. “I think the reliability of performing successfully was the factor that put us ahead of the rest,” said Boise State student Mallory Yates, the team’s captain. “The design was a result of advanced aerodynamic optimization and iterative structural weight savings. It was a neck and neck calculation near the end and it was a bit nerve racking, but I thought that we probably had it.” The first-place win earned the Boise State team a trophy and $1,000 in prize money, which will help build a base for future contest submissions. Advised by Don Plumlee, an assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, the team included Jordan Anderson, Kelci Parrish, Brendan Healy, Michael Large, Zach Harris, Tom Green, Phil Rodman, Nate Phillips, James Carrillo, Josh Brookshire, Matt McCrink and Yates. SAE International is the premier membership society dedicated to advancing mobility engineering worldwide. It has more than 121,000 members from more than 97 countries — engineers, business executives, educators and students who share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility systems.
Construction Management Club Rebuilds Pedestrian Bridge in Park By Sherry Squires A partnership between Boise State’s student Construction Management Club and the City of Boise has improved access to the Discovery Center of Idaho from Julia Davis Park. The club just completed reconstruction of the aging wooden footbridge that links the two using funds provided by NASA grants. The club obtained its own contractor license and has managed and completed the structural work for the city, including removal of wood decking and stair treads, installation of new decking, replacing chain link fencing on handrails with pickets, cleaning and sealing all wood understructures and replacing two beams. The project provided students with hands-on experience and greatly improved access to and from the park. Despite economic weak spots in the construction industry, Boise State’s
CM students receive great job offers upon graduation, said faculty member and project organizer Casey Cline, thanks in part to experiences like the bridge project.
College of Engineering Newsletter | Fall 2012
5
Alumni News John Wagstaff, ME, '01 lives in Mt. Vernon, IL. Working for National Railway Equipment Co. John has 5 children and one due in September.
Matthew Leslie, EE, '03 is a Senior Engineer at Marvell Technology Group in Boise. Matthew works with DDR interfaces and signal integrity.
Scott Shadley,EE, '02
Jeff Ward, CE, '03 was elected an Associate Stockholder position with CSHQA. Ward has been with the firm since 2004. He is licensed in Idaho and Colorado and is a member of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
is a Solid State Drive (SSD) Technical Marketing Expert at Micron Technology, since July 2011. Scott formerly worked with STEC Inc, Santa Ana, CA 2007 – 2011. Scott lives in Boise with his wife, son (11), and daughter (8). Lena (Hall) Gandiaga, CE, '03, and Kris Gandiaga, ME, '04 welcomed new baby Henry James Gandiaga born on April 24, 2012, weighing 7 lb 5 oz and was 20.5” in length. Lena is employed at CH2M Hill, and Kris at Motive Power. Shaun Greer, ME Dec. '03 is a project manager and operation leader at CH2M HILL in Boise, ID. In addition to enjoying his wife and two wonderful girls, Gracie(4) and Monroe(2), he is enjoying operating two internet lead generation companies that he founded and is now back in the classroom at Boise State enrolled in the MBA program. Brian Kibler, EE, '03 works at Motorola Solutions, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in Product management/Development Global ASTRO Product Solutions. Brian manages and develops Mission Critical two way radios for Police, Fire Fighters, Military and Federal groups world wide.
Joel Ayers, ME, '04 has been working with URS, formerly Washington Group, since graduation. He spent the last 7 years living in Paducah, Kentucky working at the Olmsted Dam Project in Olmsted, Illinois. Joel recently relocated back to the URS Boise office working for the Energy and Construction group in the Engineering and Estimating department. He has a 6 year old daughter, and his oldest daughter will graduate high school this year and will attend Boise State in the fall.
married with 9-year-old identical twin daughters and lives in Kent, WA Linda Peters, CE, '04 is a Structural Engineer at Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers. Linda has worked on projects such as the addition to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Ralph Carr Colorado Judicial Center, a new facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), renovation of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and currently the additions to the New Belgium Brewing Company -- She can’t wait to make the first site visit! Rick Kidneigh, EE, '05 worked as an engineering intern at Idaho Power from May 2004 to May 2005 in the Reliability Engineering group. Then found a full time position with Idaho Power as the eastern region Field Engineer in Pocatello. Rick passed the PE exam in 2009 and is licensed in Idaho. In May 2011 he and his family returned to Boise where he currently work as a senior engineer in the Idaho Power Reliability Engineer group.
Engineering. Mike McKee, EE, '07 worked at Eaton Corporation since 2008. In March 2012 he accepted an internal offer with the Eaton Asheville, NC plant as a product applications engineer with the low voltage assemblies product line. The McKee family (2 daughters ages 7 and 9 and my wife) relocated to Asheville in March. Amrita Jashnani, EE, '09 works at Micron Technology as a Product Engineer, and recently got married. Ben Taylor, CE '09 is working as a Civil Engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation's regional office here in Boise. He is in the Design Group; primarily working on salmon recovery projects. His kids are getting big fast... son Alex is 7 and in second grade, daughter Zahna is turning 4 next week.
Alumni Notes We want to stay in touch. Please send your updates to Leandra Aburusa-Lete at laburusa@boisestate.edu Christian Bramwell, ME, '04 works for Polaris Industries as a quality engineer in Spirit Lake, IA. It's fun, challenging and he gets to make really cool toys! Lucas Dennison, ME, '04 works for the US Navy as a Submarine Officer, and is currently serving as Weapons Officer. He is Stationed in Bangor, Washington with his wife Julianne and their three children. Zakeyo Ngoma, CE ‘04 is a Senior Civil Engineer with Puget Sound Energy in Bellevue, WA. He is
Thomas Holman, CE, '06 is a Structural Project Manager at DCI Engineers in Spokane, Washington. Eric Ketelhut, ME, '07 works at Commissioning Agents, Inc. in San Diego, CA, as a Mechanical Engineer. Joe Lane, CE, '07 lives in Spokane, WA, and recently got engaged to fiance, Ashley. Joe works for DC Engineering (based out of Meridian) managing commercial and industrial projects. He is part of a team that has started the structural division at DC
R U Following Us? Boise State College of Engineering Alumni
http://www.facebook.com/ group.php?gid=95564512914
BSUEngineering
http://twitter.com/BSUEngineering
Boise State College of Engineering Related Blogs
http://coen.boisestate.edu/blogs/
6
College of Engineering Newsletter | Fall 2012
Boise State University Graduate Living on Martian Time By KATY MOELLER — kmoeller@idahostatesman.com Dan Isla, a 2009 electrical engineering graduate, is part of a team of Earthlings who are now syncing their work schedules to the Martian day — going to work 39 minutes later. To read the whole story, visit http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/08/09/2223831/bsugrad-living-on-martian-time.html
Two Engineering Students Named to 2012 Class of Boise State’s Top 10 Scholars By Matt Pene Two engineering students were among ten outstanding Boise State graduating seniors who were recognized for their exceptional academic success at the annual Top Ten Scholars reception in April. The engineering scholars were Jessica Minick, materials science and engineering, and Aaron Smith, mechanical engineering. Top Ten Scholar is one of the highest honors awarded to a Boise State student. To qualify for consideration a student must have a 3.85 or higher grade point average. Qualified students are then reviewed based on academic breadth of coursework, research, creative works and publications, presentations at professional meetings or conferences, and extra curricular community and campus service. Jessica Minick Minick, from Boise, is a materials science and engineering major and a recipient of the full-ride Thelma and Dean Brown Honors scholarship. She worked as a research assistant with the Nanoscale Materials and Device Group for three years and led the DNA Chemical Networks Team in studying the operation of a DNA-based
Faculpedia: The Art of Knowing Stuff
nanomachine in biological media toward early diagnosis of cancer. In 2010, she earned an IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) summer fellowship and in 2011 she received honorable mention for student posters at FNANO as one of a handful of undergraduate students. During her junior year, the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers recognized her as the Outstanding Junior in MSE. Minick has been highly involved in community activities, including Discover Engineering Days, World Relief, Special Olympics, Project Angel Tree, Race to Robie Creek, Discovery Center of Idaho, MSE Club and International Students Inc. After graduating from the Honors College, she will begin the biomedical master’s program at the University of Oxford in fall 2012. Honored Faculty: Dr. Elton Graugnard, assistant research professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering Aaron Smith Smith, from Meridian, will graduate from the Honors College with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering and minors in biomedical engineering and dance. He is the recipient of several scholarships, including the National Science Foundation Scholarship, the National SMART Grant, the Mechanical Engineering Department Scholarship and the Kathy Troutner Dance Scholarship. His creativity, enhanced through dance, benefited his research on developing an application for Ni-Mn-Ga, a magnetic shape memory alloy. Using this unique material, his research ultimately led to the invention of a micropump (patent pending), which will be used in microfluidics and biological applications. Along with his research, he has volunteered and performed with several local dance organizations, including Idaho Dance Theatre, Off Center Dance and USA Dance. Smith will travel to Savonlinna, Finland, after graduation where he will continue researching and developing applications for Ni-Mn-Ga while pursuing a Ph.D. at Lappeenranta University of Technology. Honored Faculty: Dr. Caile Spear, professor, Department of Kinesiology
“The Alumni Association is proud to honor these Top Ten Scholars for their academic success and volunteer service on campus and in the community,” said Mark Arstein, executive director of the Alumni Association. “After hosting these awards for more than two decades, we continue to be inspired by the commitment and dedication of the recipients.”
Will the average person be able to afford space travel in the next century? Technologically, there are no major hurdles that could not be overcome in the next 100 years to prevent the average person from traveling beyond the confines of our atmosphere. The real answer lies in our collective vision for human space travel. When the first powered human flight occurred in 1903, a European vacation would only have been available to our wealthiest citizens. What compelling reason will humans have in the future to leave our planet and venture into space? Will there be lunar resorts for weekend getaways? Will there be orbiting Earth observation platforms? Will there be novel microgravity therapies for debilitating diseases? If so, space travel will become available and affordable, almost like a quick trip to Paris.
Dr. Don Plumlee, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering
College of Engineering Newsletter | Fall 2012
7
College of Engineering Dean: AMY MOLL (208) 426-1153 Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: JANET CALLAHAN (208) 426-1153 janetcallahan@boisestate.edu Assistant Dean for Research & Infrastructure: REX OXFORD (208) 426-5744 roxford@boisestate.edu Development Director: MARY RUTHERFORD (208) 426-2022 maryrutherford@boisestate.edu
Civil Engineering Chair: MANDAR KHANAL (208) 426-3743 mkhanal@boisestate.edu
Computer Science Chair: MURALI MEDIDI (208) 426-2283 mmedidi@boisestate.edu
Construction Management Chair: TONY SONGER (208) 426-3716 tonysonger@boisestate.edu
Electrical & Computer Engineering Chair: SIN MING LOO (208) 426-2283 smloo@boisestate.edu
Instructional & Performance Technology Chair: DON STEPICH (208) 426-1312 dstepich@boisestate.edu
Materials Science & Engineering Chair: DARRYL BUTT (208) 426-5640 darrylbutt@boisestate.edu
Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering Chair: MICHELLE SABICK (208) 426-4078 msabick@boisestate.edu
CM Students Meet Star of Campus Read Selection By Sherry Squires One group of Boise State students got a jump start on the story line in the 2012-13 Campus Read selection, “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman's Fight to Save the World's Most Beautiful Bird.” Students in professor Tony Songer’s Social Responsibility in Construction Management class spent their spring break in the small village of Bella Vista, Belize, working with third- and fourth-grade classrooms and building a playground for pre-K and kindergarten classes at Our Lady of Bella Vista Primary School. Prior to the in-country projects, the class spent time studying social responsibility and cultural aspects specific to Belize, and designing and planning the construction of the playground. One highlight of the trip was a visit to the Belize Zoo, where zoo director Sharon Matola spent several hours sharing her knowledge and passion for environmental responsibility with the students. Matola, a former circus performer turned Belize zoo owner, is the unlikely hero in “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw.” She is a true eccentric, riding around on a motorcycle and keeping a threelegged jaguar as a pet. But when a web of corporations, CEOs, banks and bureaucrats conspired to purchase and destroy one of the great rivers of Central America — and one of the final habitats of the scarlet macaw — she banded together a ragtag army of local villagers and started a campaign to save the remaining birds. Her dramatic struggle brings alive the worldwide battle over globalization, demand for energy, environmental destruction, the fate of the planet’s species, and the realities of economic survival in a tiny Third World country. Matola will personally share her story on campus Oct. 2; author Bruce Barcott will visit campus March 5, 2013. Each of their presentations will begin at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Simplot Ballroom. “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw” was named one of the best books of 2008 by Library Journal. Barcott is an environmental journalist and a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow in nonfiction. His previous book, “The Measure of a Mountain: Beauty and Terror on Mount Rainier,” was a recipient of the Washington State Governor’s Award and was recently re-issued in a 10th anniversary edition. Barcott lives in Boulder, Colo. His articles appear in Outside Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine and numerous other publications. To learn more about the student trip to Belize, visit http://cmbelizetrip2012.blogspot.com.