Issuu

Fall/Winter 2010–11

University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of engineering

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A Message from Our Dean

More than 30 years have passed since Pittsburgh began reinventing itself as something other than the Steel City. As As the the regional regional and and global global economies economies shift and evolve, so, too, has Western Pennsylvania found a way to adapt. The city’s new identity is multifaceted: Health care, technology, and green design are all areas where Pittsburgh rightfully has earned recognition. But as the nation moves toward a new phase in its quest for energy, the city also is becoming known—with the help of the Swanson School of Engineering—as a center for energy research and development.

Swanson School graduates are making an impact at all levels of the energy frontier. Anthony Anthony Cugini Cugini (BSChE ’81, MSChE ’86, PhD ’93), the driving force behind the National Energy Technology Laboratory, is a Swanson School grad—in fact, I was his PhD mentor. Other alumni are lending their expertise and leadership to such companies as Consol CONSOL Energy, Westinghouse, Eaton, and natural gas companies. Approximately Approximately $35 $35 million million in in active active energy energy research, research,driven driven by 150 students and 50 faculty members, can be found at the school. Speaking of students, they are perhaps the Swanson School’s most substantial contribution to the economy. Each year, they go to work for more than 100 different companies where they develop technology, new materials, fuels, medical devices, controls that build efficiency, and countless other projects. This doesn’t happen just in the United States; for example, most new nuclear power plants are being built outside the country, and our students are involved with many of these projects. Similarly, our graduates and researchers are contributing to much of the Pittsburgh area’s reputation as a leader in green buildings and sustainable growth. From the research that fuels the economy and improves our lives to the legacy of the students who pass through our hallways, the Swanson School is proud of its role in local, regional, national, and global economic growth. May our influence and work ethic continue to lead to innovation and substance in our lives and the lives of future generations.

Gerald Gerald D. D. Holder Holder U.S. U.S. Steel Steel Dean Dean of of Engineering Engineering

The alumni magazine of the Swanson School of Engineering

Sonia Sonia Gill Gill Director Director of of Marketing Marketing and and Communications/ Communications/ Editor Editor

Cover Story

Teralyn Teralyn Iscrupe Iscrupe Associate Associate Director of Marketing and Communications/Contributing Communications/Contributing Writer Writer

From Lab to Classroom to Industry, Swanson School Engineers New Economic Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Don Don Henderson Henderson Assistant Assistant Creative Creative Director/Designer

The Swanson School is influencing broader economic decisions through conducting research, partnering with industry, and preparing students for careers that cross the boundaries of traditional engineering.

Chuck Chuck Dinsmore Dinsmore Production Production Manager Manager

Features

Sarah Sarah Jordan Jordan Rosenson Rosenson Editorial Editorial Assistant Assistant

Commitment to Diversity Spans Precollege to PhD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Niki Niki Kapsambelis Kapsambelis Morgan Morgan Kelly Kelly Contributing Contributing Writers Writers

Initiatives such as the Pitt Engineering Career Access Program and Summer Engineering Academy have earned the Swanson School national recognition for its efforts to diversify engineering.

Kelly Kelly Sjol Sjol Communications Communications Manager/Editor

On the Cover AA new new economic economic life life cycle cycle isis necessitating necessitating interdependence interdependence between between research research and and industry industry across across multiple multiple sectors, sectors, and and Swanson Swanson School School faculty faculty and and graduates graduates are are well well positioned positioned to to impact impact the the regional, regional, national, national, and and world world economies. economies.(See (See cover cover story, story, page page 2.) 2.) Shown Shown inin the the background background are are the the classic classic power power flow flow equation—where equation—where PP represents represents power, power,VVSSrepresents representsvoltage voltage(sending (sending end), end), VVRR represents represents voltage voltage (receiving (receiving end), end),XX represents represents the the impedance, impedance, and and δδ represents represents the the phase phase angle—and angle—and the the equation equation for for the the relationship relationship between between electron electron and and X-ray X-ray structure structure factors, factors, which which isis used used to to determine determine the the nature nature of of the the interatomic interatomic bonding bonding of of intermetallic intermetallic compounds compounds by by convergent convergent beam beam electron electron diffraction diffraction using using an an energy-filtered energy-filtered transmission transmission electron electron microscope. microscope. Equations Equations provided provided by by Gregory Gregory Reed, director, director,Power Power&&Energy Energy Initiative, Initiative, and and associate associate professor, professor,Department Departmentofof Electrical Electrical and and Computer Computer Engineering, Engineering, and and Jörg Jörg Wiezorek, Wiezorek, William William Kepler KeplerWhiteford WhitefordFaculty FacultyFellow Fellow and and associate associate professor, professor,Department DepartmentofofMechanical Mechanical Engineering Engineering and and Materials Materials Science. Science.

Benedum Transformation Celebration and Open House . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Pitt engineering alumni and friends gathered to commemorate the transformation of Benedum Hall and to recognize those who contributed to the renovations.

Departments Around the School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 I Am a Pitt Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Awards 2006, 2006, 2007, 2007, and and 2008 2008 IABC IABC Golden GoldenTriangle Triangle Award Award of of Excellence, Excellence, Magazines: Magazines: 4-Color 4-Color Design Design Have Have aa comment comment or or story story idea for Pitt Engineer? Contact Contact Sonia Sonia Gill Gill at at 412-624-2640, 412-624-2640, or or send send an an e-mail e-mail to to sgill sgill@ pitt.edu. @pitt.edu.

Gerald D. Holder U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering

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COVER STORY

From Lab to Classroom to Industry,

Swanson School Engineers New Economic Life Cycle

When Gregory Reed describes the need for new engineers to take the place of an aging workforce in the power and energy sector, he cites this telling statistic: More than half of the labor force will be eligible for retirement within five to 10 years. “What we’ve seen over the last couple of decades is a ‘perfect storm’ environment,” says Reed, associate professor and director of the Power & Energy Initiative at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering.“We’ve had an increase in energy demand and new regulatory and environmental constraints, many that we, as an industry, can’t define.” Moreover, he adds, the industry has experienced “an underinvestment in both infrastructure and technology development.” Investment in energy is happening across multiple sectors—electricity, mining, and nuclear energy, for example. To help cultivate the talent needed to meet those challenges, the Power & Energy Initiative has partnered with several key industry players to develop a curriculum and place students in internships and, ultimately, jobs. It’s just one example of how the Swanson School impacts the regional, national, and even international economies. “The interest in the initiative is going well beyond the region,” Reed says. “We’re really being seen nationally and internationally as a model program.”

A Portable Degree Regardless of their specific disciplines, Swanson School students are preparing for careers that cross the boundaries of traditional engineering jobs. Gone are the days when an engineer stayed in a strictly functional role from graduation Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Larry Shuman 2

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to retirement; rather, engineers have become the next generation of problem solvers, whether the problem is in engineering, business, society, or politics. “A lot of people, not just us, view engineering education as the liberal arts of the 21st century,” explains Larry Shuman, senior associate dean for academic affairs. “The idea that you come here to simply be an engineer is sort of outdated.You come here for a really good education.” From the moment they enroll, Swanson School students are encouraged to broaden their horizons. Minors, certificates, and dual degrees with other schools at Pitt are encouraged, and about 30 percent of engineering graduates also participate in international programs. Shuman points to Daniel Armanios, who double majored in mechanical engineering and political science and was named a Rhodes scholar in 2007, as one example of cross-disciplinary success. Another is Ben Novak, who earned bioengineering and political science degrees in 2004 and now serves as a budget analyst for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he prepares the department’s bioterrorism and emergency preparedness budgets.

Industry Collaborations Research is another area through which the Swanson School has influenced broader economic decisions. In the summer of 2010, Jörg Wiezorek, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow, spent two months at the Westinghouse Electric Company Materials Center of Excellence studying how metals are “The idea that you come here affected over to simply be an engineer is sort time by the harsh of outdated. You come here conditions in for a really good education.” nuclear reactors. Most U.S. reactors are aging, and “it’s very difficult to project how some of these components will hold up over time,” Wiezorek explains.

Larry Shuman

For example, stainless steel—a widely used material in nuclear reactors—deteriorates over several decades in an environment where temperatures Continued on next page

While at Pitt, Novak was encouraged to take multidisciplinary courses and pursued a congressional internship, and he credits the Swanson School’s support with helping him to achieve his professional goals. “We are a medium-sized engineering school in a very large liberal arts university, and they come here to take advantage of that” as well as of Pitt’s research facilities, says Shuman. “When they come to visit us as prospective students, we tell them that what we want to give them is options.”

Associate Professor Gregory Reed, director, Power & Energy Initiative w w w . e n g r . p i t t. e d u

COVER STORY

can reach 300 degrees centigrade and pressures are extreme. To help mitigate the damage, the steel could be treated with lasers, certain chemicals, or surface machining tools. Another project seeks to extend the lifetime of these components and understand how minor changes in the composition of alloys used to house the fuel can benefit performance in fuel assemblies. As a result of the time he spent at Westinghouse, Wiezorek has had ongoing discussions with some of the company’s personnel to develop research program initiatives that they hope to have funded through the U.S. Department of Energy. “I expect that this is really just a kickoff, a start to collaborations with engineers and scientists working at Westinghouse in those areas,” says Wiezorek. “From my perspective, this has been a very successful experience, being inserted into the industry for a while and developing a mutual understanding of how we operate and what our needs are.”

“ From my perspective, this has been a very successful experience, being inserted into the industry for a while and developing a mutual understanding of how we operate and what our needs are.” Jörg Wiezorek

(In foreground) Jörg Wiezorek, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) and William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Fellow, with Mark Kimber, MEMS assistant professor 4

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Global Problems, Engineered Solutions Other industry partnerships have helped to fuel the symbiotic relationship between the school and business. In addition to Westinghouse, Eaton Corporation and CONSOL Energy Inc. have championed the Power & Energy Initiative. More recently, the school has partnered with ABB and Siemens AG—both of which are headquartered in Europe and offer global opportunities for Swanson School graduates—as well as with BPL Global, Ltd., a local company that is developing smart grid technologies.

exactly what the industry needs. The industry recognizes that there are these global implications and that energy and power are among the grand challenges that we have as a society. We are educating not only the next generation of great engineers, but the future leaders of these industries.” Radisav Vidic, William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is using engineering as a platform for environmentally safe solutions to extracting natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation, a resource that analysts believe will bring a wave of economic stimulus to the region.

One indication of the strong industry interest and participation in the program was the presence this year of more than 30 organizations at the fifth annual Pitt Power & Energy Industry Conference, which combines a technical program involving industry participants and Pitt researchers and a dynamic networking session between industry and Pitt engineering students studying in these fields.

A three-year, $1.06 million project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy will seek to better manage the wastewater generated by the extraction process. The Pitt approach would reuse the wastewater instead of letting it languish in reservoirs or the environment and would reduce the level of treatment required prior to reuse, which would save money, says Vidic.

“Today’s students, at Pitt in particular, are high-quality students,” says Reed. “They bring a different perspective, and I think a more comprehensive one. It’s

“By reusing the acid mine drainage readily available at many gas drilling locations, we can manage acid mine drainage from older mines, which is

a serious environmental concern in Pennsylvania, and simultaneously manage wastewater from current drilling operations, which may become a serious environmental concern if not handled properly,” says Vidic.

Where Logic Meets Creativity Assistant Professor Amy Landis and Research Assistant Professor Jason Monnell are working with GTECH Strategies on a project designed to fight urban blight. Their group helps to reclaim vacant lots by planting sunflowers and other plants that naturally remove specific metals and organic pollutants from the soil as they grow. Seeds are harvested and their oil is extracted for biofuels, and the project employs local high school students to tend the plants. A team of eight researchers is working with corporate partners to develop beneficial reuse of their wastelands. “If this research is fruitful, you will have the reduction of waste from two very large manufacturing industries,” Monnell says. Moreover,“it has tremendous impact on water quality around the area, so we can start to mitigate the impact of water quality degradation by doing this ‘industrial ecology.’ ” Shuman says the reason an engineering education has become so portable is that “we teach students to be problem solvers.” Active chapters of groups such as Engineers Without Borders, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and Engineering World Health give students the opportunity to apply their methodology to issues about which they’re passionate. For example, in one village of 1,400 people in Mali, a landlocked country in western Africa, students are designing a fish farm to provide food and a source of income.

Radisav Vidic, William Kepler Whiteford Faculty Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with postdoctoral researcher Elise Barbot

Better Health Care through Engineering Meanwhile, a two-year, $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is funding research through industrial engineering to create more efficiency in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. If they succeed, the projects may be duplicated at other VA facilities throughout the country, says Jay Rajgopal, an associate professor who is working with fellow faculty member Andrew Schaefer on the grant. One project seeks to more efficiently schedule the hospital’s operating rooms. “Operating rooms are extremely expensive, and [the hospital has] about nine in the whole suite,” explains Rajgopal. “They don’t want the rooms to be idle.” At the same time, the hospital wants to avoid spending too much on staff overtime. To address the issue, the research team is using statistical analysis to build computer models that will test scenarios based on a number of uncertainties that affect efficiency; procedures that take longer than expected, patients who don’t show up for their procedures, and missing equipment are examples. Another project seeks to better coordinate usage of the intensive care unit

(ICU)—another expensive resource—by building models that predict different stages of ICU admissions. “There is tremendous potential for savings,” Rajgopal says. A third, smaller-scale project involves standardizing procedures for sterilizing and reusing medical equipment to reduce infection rates. Rajgopal points out that all of these projects present classic problems that engineers are well qualified to solve. “We, as industrial engineers, are trained to run systems as efficiently as possible,” he says. “A hospital is not that different from a manufacturing or production system. Many of the same sorts of principles to make a factory run more efficiently can be applied to making a health system run more efficiently.” According to Shuman, industry is quickly recognizing the value of people who can apply engineering principles to other disciplines. “We tend to pigeonhole students more in schools than industry does,” he says. “Industry’s looking for bright people who can work in teams, have good communication skills, understand the engineering process, and bring some technical skills to the table.”

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AROUND THE SCHOOL

Around the School

Swanson School Ranked Number Two The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) has ranked the Swanson School of Engineering second in North America for percentage of doctoral degrees awarded to women in 2009. Pitt was positioned just slightly behind the University of Iowa in ASEE’s 2009 edition of Profiles of Engineering and Engineering Technology Colleges, published in June 2010. The annual publication provides statistics and profiles for all of the more than 400 engineering schools in the United States and Canada.

Bilec

Improving Green Construction by Revamping Sustainability Model Faculty at the Swanson School of Engineering are leading a federal grant to revamp sustainable construction by investigating the true environmental presence of current green buildings and redesigning the scientific method that guides sustainable construction. The researchers will integrate their work into a digital simulator that can predict a structure’s ultimate footprint based on construction and performance decisions. Melissa Bilec and Amy Landis, both assistant professors of civil and environmental engineering, received an Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation grant in Science in Energy and Environmental Design (EFRI-SEED) from the National Science Foundation to lead a group of researchers in evaluating and expanding the scope of life cycle assessments, or LCAs. When used in construction, LCAs analyze a building’s environmental impact throughout its entire existence, from the production of its basic components and raw materials to its eventual demolition and disposal. Coinvestigators from Pitt include Alex Jones, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Laura Schaefer, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science. Also involved is Stephen Lee, head of the Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture. Landis

Of the PhD degrees the Swanson School awarded last year, 37.5 percent went to female doctoral students, only two percent less than PhD degrees awarded to women at the University of Iowa, according to the report. ASEE ranked only the 103 institutions that awarded at least 25 PhD degrees last year. The other top 10 universities in this category were Yale University; Stony Brook University; Duke University; the University of Oklahoma; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Northwestern University; Washington University in St. Louis; and the University of Louisville.

Pitt Partners With Siemens A new partnership with Siemens Energy, Inc., will provide Pitt’s aspiring electric power engineers with the full professional version of its Power System Simulator for Engineering (PSS®E) software; access for faculty and students to attend Siemens Power Technologies International courses, which provide up-to-date training in power system analysis and planning; and support of an annual graduate fellowship in power and energy engineering.

Gregory Reed, director of the Swanson School’s Power & Energy Initiative and associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, said the partnership presents an important advantage to students entering an engineering field that is in step with the nation’s increasing need for electric power as well as more efficient and expansive delivery networks. “We will be educating our students with the direct support of the world’s leader in power system analysis, giving them a unique

opportunity to work with the tools they will use in their careers,” Reed said. “PSS®E is the tool utility companies use for daily operations and long-term planning, from maintaining their networks to implementing new technology. Wherever our students go in the power and energy field, whether they were undergraduates who were introduced to the software or graduate students who conducted research with it, their experience with PSS®E will set them apart.”

The team received one of only 10 EFRI-SEED grants awarded this year, joining such other recipients as the University of California, Berkeley; University of Pennsylvania; and University of Virginia. Initial work on the project was supported by the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, Pitt’s center for sustainable engineering and sustainable neighborhood design.

Steel Bridge Team Excels The Pitt steel bridge team placed third in the stiffness category and was runner-up for the Spirit of the Competition award at the 2010 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Ohio Valley Student Conference, held at the University of Kentucky. Members of the steel bridge team were Steven Chiado, Daniel Bruener (BSCE ’10), Matt Gilfillan, Brian Bieber, Brian McGlynn, Ryan Bachman, Nicholle Piper, Ryan Kossol, Eric Brichler, Sonya Daley, and Anthony Deramo. 6

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Pitt faculty and staff and Siemens employees joined Al Novak, Pitt’s vice chancellor for institutional advancement, and Kevin O’Hara, vice president and general manager of Siemens Transmission and Distribution Service Solutions, to commemorate the Swanson School and Siemens partnership. w w w . e n g r . p i t t. e d u

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Pioneering New Energy-Efficient Building Designs

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner, Pitt Alumnus Discusses Resurgence of Nuclear Energy With Students

Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of U.S. energy consumption and carbon emissions. Developing systems to improve building efficiency will provide significant benefits—reducing energy use and bills, cutting pollution, and creating jobs in the building efficiency industry.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission member and Pitt alumnus William D. Magwood IV visited campus during Pitt’s Nuclear Engineering Night on September 30, 2010, to discuss the recent re-emergence of nuclear power as a global energy option and to encourage students to study science and engineering. Magwood also discussed Western Pennsylvania’s potential as a center for nuclear energy production, research, and education. More than 200 students and representatives from five area corporations attended.

The Pitt Center for Energy will join a team of researchers who are developing technologies to make buildings more energy efficient. The project, funded up to $122 million by the U.S. Department of Energy, is led by Pennsylvania State University, which will establish an energy innovation hub and bring together leading researchers from academia, two U.S. national laboratories, and the private sector in an ambitious effort to develop building designs that will save energy, cut pollution, and position the United States as a leader in this industry. The Pitt team will account for at least $2 million of the research and will be led by Laura Schaefer, associate director of the Center for Energy, Bicentennial Board of Visitors Faculty Fellow, deputy director of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, and associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science.

Pitt Experiments Led to First Wireless Phone ‘Call’ in 1900, 110 Years Before Apple’s iPhone 4 Debut The iPhone 4 that hit stores this past summer may put Apple Inc. ahead in wireless technology, but behind it is the work of a University of Pittsburgh engineering professor from 110 years ago.

Laura Schaefer with team member Jeffrey Vipperman

Schaefer explained that the Pitt research team will aim to improve technologies that take into account all aspects of a building. “We are interested in a comprehensive approach that keeps in mind the systems that operate within a building, the way a workplace is subdivided and constructed, the building envelope—such as the outer walls, roof, and windows—and how all of these components interact with each other to maintain the same quality of work life or productivity in that building while using less energy for the same or better conditions.” Some specific examples of technologies the Pitt team will research include walls that can

turn their insulation on or off; using natural wind currents through “sails” to produce electricity for the building; dynamic controls that turn a building into a thinking organism; and rerouting steam that is a by-product of a building’s heating system to have a purpose, such as heating water. Other members of the Pitt team include William Clark, Daniel Cole, Mark Kimber, Jeffrey Vipperman, and Lisa Weiland, all of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and Amy Landis and Melissa Bilec of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Pitt Team Designs Artificial Cells That Communicate and Cooperate Like Biological Cells, Follow Each Other Like Ants Pitt engineers have developed the first models for producing polymer-based artificial cells capable of self-organizing; performing tasks; and transporting “cargo,” from chemicals to medicine, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by lead author German Kolmakov and Victor Yashin, both postdoctoral researchers in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, who produced the cell models; Anna Balazs, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Robert Von der Luft Professor; and Steven Levitan, John A. Jurenko Professor of Computer Engineering, who devised the ant-like trailing ability. Watch the video at www.pitt.edu/news2010/CellTalk.wmv, which shows the signaling cell (right) emit the agonist nanoparticles (shown in blue) and the target cell (left) respond with antagonists (shown in red) that stop the first cell from secreting. Once the signaling cell goes dormant, the target cell likewise stops releasing antagonists, which makes the signaling cell start up again. The microcapsules get locked into a cycle that equates to an intercellular conversation, a dialogue humans could control by adjusting the capsules’ permeability and the quantity of nanoparticles they contain.

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Reginald A. Fessenden, chair of Pitt’s electrical engineering department from 1893 to 1900, began experimenting with wireless telephones in 1898; had a wireless communication system functioning between Pittsburgh and Allegheny City (now the city’s North Side) in 1899; and achieved the first wireless voice transmission in December 1900, shortly after he left the University. In 1907, Fessenden established successful wireless telephone connections that spanned up to 400 miles.

“The modern cell phone is essentially what Fessenden wanted: a telephone where people could talk normally to each other and not be tethered by cords,” says Marlin Mickle, Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Mickle is familiar with Fessenden’s work and also develops wireless technology, particularly devices powered by radio frequency. He was sought as an expert on antenna technology by the media, including The Wall Street Journal, during the iPhone 4 launch. Some also might say that Fessenden developed the original app by virtue of a patent he received in 1902 for his Apparatus for Signaling by Electromagnetic Waves, the basic technology behind wireless telephony. Learn more about Pitt’s contribution to wireless phone communications online at www.engr.pitt.edu/news.

Pitt Researchers to Explore Key Component of U.S. ‘Smart Grid’ Under Westinghouse Grant Researchers in Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering have received a grant as part of the Westinghouse Electric Company LLC Revolutionary Research and Technology Program to begin work on an essential component of the “smart grid,” widely regarded as an important step toward improving the efficiency, control, and management of the United States’ electric power infrastructure. A team led by Gregory Reed, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the Swanson School’s Power & Energy Initiative, will design an interface to more efficiently integrate nuclear power and other low-emissions energy resources into the nation’s larger power grid. The interface being developed at Pitt will allow consumers to have direct access to information from the energy supplier and enable them to control and manage how much electricity is flowing in and out of a facility. The intent is to improve overall energy management, which would both save energy and reduce costs. The new interface would balance nuclear power with renewable energy resources and could eventually influence future nuclear reactor designs by managing electrical output more efficiently. The project builds on the Pitt Power & Energy Initiative’s ongoing work in the areas of energy production, delivery, and end use aspects, which includes various collaborations with private energy industry organizations and government agencies.

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AROUND THE SCHOOL

Credited with having made modern-day project management possible, David I. Cleland was honored for his lifetime of achievement by the Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI), the world’s leading professional membership organization for project managers. Cleland is professor emeritus of industrial engineering and cofounder of Pitt’s Manufacturing Assistance Center.

John C. “Jack” Mascaro (BSCE ’66, MSCE ’80) was named a 2010 University of Pittsburgh Legacy Laureate at a ceremony hosted by Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg during Pitt’s Homecoming 2010 festivities. Legacy Laureates are alumni recognized for their outstanding personal and professional accomplishments. Mascaro joined 12 others as the newest Legacy Laureates. Mascaro founded Mascaro Construction, one of the nation’s largest general contracting, construction management, and architectural firms. The company is at the forefront of green construction and currently is ranked as a top green contractor by Engineering News-Record.

Cleland is recognized as the most published contributor in the field of project management. He is the author or editor of 40 books, has published numerous articles and handbook chapters, and has presented many papers on project management and leadership at professional meetings. In 1997, PMI established an award named in his honor; the David I. Cleland Project Management Literature Award recognizes the best project management literature published during the previous calendar year. (Left to right) Dean Gerald D. Holder, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Patricia E. Beeson, Legacy Laureate John C. Mascaro (BSCE ’66, MSCE ’80), and Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg

Mascaro has received many awards for his professional accomplishments. He has been honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from both the Swanson School and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and is a member of the Swanson School Hall of Fame. Mascaro has served in various positions with numerous professional and civic organizations, including as director and president of the Master Builders’ Association of Western Pennsylvania, Inc., and founding benefactor of the National Aviary.

His volunteer work for the University includes chairing the Construction Management Industry Advisory Board and serving as a member of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation Advisory Board. His gifts to establish the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, John C. Mascaro Learning Center, and Peter J. Mascaro Endowed Fund in the Construction Management Program have been critical to strengthening the Swanson School of Engineering.

Plant-based Plastics Not Necessarily Greener Than Oil-based Relatives Biopolymers are the more eco-friendly material, but the farming and energy-intense chemical processing that go into producing them means their production is dirtier than that of traditional petroleum-derived plastics, according to a study by Pitt researchers published in Environmental Science & Technology.

assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering. Tabone and Landis worked with James Cregg, an undergraduate chemistry student in Pitt’s School of Arts and Sciences, and Eric Beckman, codirector of Pitt’s Mascaro

Center for Sustainable Innovation and the George M. Bevier Professor of Engineering. The project was supported by the National Science Foundation. More information about this study is available at www.engr.pitt.edu/news.

Biopolymers trumped the other plastics for biodegradability, low toxicity, and use of renewable resources. Nonetheless, the farming and chemical processing needed to produce them can devour energy and dump fertilizers and pesticides into the environment, wrote lead author Michaelangelo Tabone (BSChE ’10), who conducted the analysis as an undergraduate student in the lab of Amy Landis, The above table, which is from Environmental Science & Technology and appeared in the Pitt Chronicle, shows the results of the life cycle assessment, with biopolymers listed as PLA-NW, PLA-G, PHA-G, and PHA-S and the hybrid as B-PET. 10

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Photo is reprinted with the permission of The Project Management Institute, Inc.

Cleland Honored for Lifetime of Achievement

John C. “Jack” Mascaro Receives Prestigious Recognition from the University of Pittsburgh

Cleland (left)

Students Plan, Present at NSBE Regional Conference Region II of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) held its fall regional conference in Pittsburgh, and Pitt engineering students were an integral part of the planning process. Participating were Sossena Wood (electrical engineering senior), Region II vice chair; Erica Brokaw (chemical engineering senior), fall regional conference planning committee chair; and LaNee Jones and Amber Wright (electrical engineering juniors), workshop coordinators.

More than 750 participants from seven states and the District of Columbia attended this three-day event, which consisted of research and career-planning presentations, exhibitions, and workshops. Deneen Gaynor (chemical engineering junior) took second place in the Technical Research Exhibition for her presentation, “Tyrosine Nitration in Beta-Lactoglobulin Using Peroxynitrite.” Other student presenters included Stephen Canton (bioengineering sophomore); Deitrick Franklin

(mechanical engineering junior); John Orr (industrial engineering senior); and Ashley Smoots (bioengineering sophomore), who, along with Alaine Allen, director of the Pitt Engineering Career Access Program (PECAP), and Yvette Moore, Pitt EXCEL Program academic counselor, presented “How to Prepare for Engineering” at a luncheon hosted by the Swanson School for precollege participants attending the conference.

(Left to right) Sossena Wood, LaNee Jones, Amber Wright, Erica Brokaw, and Deneen Gaynor w w w . e n g r . p i t t. e d u

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Stetten’s Sonic Flashlight Featured on Innovators George Stetten, professor of bioengineering, and his Sonic Flashlight were featured on the Bloomberg Television program Innovators. The Sonic Flashlight merges the visual outer surface of a patient’s skin with a live ultrasound scan of what lies beneath. It creates the effect of a translucent ultrasound image floating in its actual 3-D location within the patient, showing blood vessels, muscle tissue, and other internal anatomy. Missed it when it aired? Watch it at www.engr.pitt.edu/news/media.

Engineering Diversity Program and Staff Receive Awards An Engineering Office of Diversity program and two staff members have received awards for their contributions to their fields. The Pitt EXCEL Program and Alaine Allen, director of the Pitt Engineering Career Access Program (PECAP), received the University of Pittsburgh African American Alumni Council It Takes a Village Sankofa Award. The award, a special feature of the Sankofa Homecoming Weekend 2010 celebration, was presented to EXCEL and Allen for contributions to the educational success of African American Pitt students. The Sankofa Award recognizes the commitment of Allen individuals and organizations that have cared deeply for and contributed significantly to the support of Pitt students.

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Linda W. Demoise also received an award. Demoise, academic support coordinator for the INVESTING NOW program and tutoring coordinator for the Pitt EXCEL Program, received a 2010 Dignity & Respect Campaign Champion award for her work in tutoring. The award, sponsored by the Center for Inclusion in Health Care, UPMC Health Plan, the City of Pittsburgh, and The Pittsburgh Foundation, promotes dignity, respect, and community unity in Pittsburgh.

Swanson School Freshman Wins Jazz Scholarship Bioengineering freshman Jacob Sacks has been selected as the winner of the 2010 Pitt-BNY Mellon Jazz Scholarship. The $5,000 tuition prize is awarded annually to a Pitt music student and is based on submitted tapes of jazz standards that are judged by a panel of nationally recognized jazz musiSacks cians. Sacks, who began composing at age 8, plans to declare a double major in bioengineering and music composition. His works garnered first-, second-, and third-place honors in the statewide PTA Reflections Program competition. He played piano for five years and violin for eight before discovering his love for the guitar in high school. Sacks has taken master classes with guitarists Joe Negri and Ken Karsh and has studied under R.J. Zimmerman, adjunct professor of guitar at Duquesne University.

Engineering for Humanity Certificate to Address Sustainable Engineering, Help to Solve Societal Needs Engineers are turning their attention toward using technology to address the problems of society—in the less-developed world and in the United States—as companies are being forced to carefully consider their business models in the face of resource depletion. To address the need for engineers to be appropriately trained to combine ecological, economic, and sustainability concepts in order to address humanitarian needs, the Swanson School has developed the Undergraduate Certificate in Engineering for Humanity. By combining service learning and course work, students will be able to delve into a broad array of topics, including energy, green construction, and water management—all major research foci of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, which will serve as an academic resource and administrative home for this initiative. Students’ education will include not only the tenets of engineering sustainability but also issues significant to expedited public adoption of the resulting technologies, which has a low success rate without social marketing and community education. For this reason, it was important to include course work in cultural perspectives, business model development, and public policy.

Lisa Weiland, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, will lead the certificate program, which aims to “insert sustainability thinking into our engineering training so that engineers are developing things and processes that lead to a more sustainable world.” Ultimately, students will be poised to help affect a business bottom line with sustainable engineering practices, Weiland explained. Weiland also noted that students already were conducting many grassroots service learning projects before the certificate was officially launched and that the program will help to bring all of these projects together. She pointed to the Pitt Engineers Without Borders group, which developed its own funding to design and build a fish farm in Mali, Africa. Weiland also noted Engineers for a Sustainable World, with whom she is working on a hydrokinetic project in Vandergrift, Pa., a town that suffered an economic collapse after the demise of the steel industry. With funding from the Mascaro Center, Heinz Endowments, and National Science Foundation and funding forthcoming from Bayer MaterialScience AG, Weiland and the students are examining

how micro hydro technologies might enable the Vandergrift business district to lower its energy bills, helping to attract new businesses to town. Student projects are under way internationally as well. In 2008, students Nicole Ostrowski and Curtis Larimer and Associate Professor Ian Nettleship traveled to Brazil to better learn about the possibility of using low-cost ceramic water filters in low-income communities. The group hopes to apply this information to improving upon a ceramic water filter first developed by the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Potters for Peace. Said Nettleship, “The filter we are improving today would cost a family $10–15 per unit, and we are talking about families who earn $1–2 a day. Our goal is to reduce this cost barrier and increase the lifetime of the filter.” Nettleship works in collaboration with the Braddock Carnegie Library ceramic studio and such NGOs as Shoulder to Shoulder and Filter Pure, Inc. to develop better materials and manufacturing practices. Under the new engineering for humanity certificate, students performing service learning projects such as this will have more direct access to the communities their projects will serve.

Modeling one of their cost-saving ceramic water filters are (left to right) Ian Nettleship, Curtis Larimer, and Nicole Ostrowski.

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FEATURE

Commitment to W Diversity Spans Precollege to PhD

When students from underrepresented populations enter the Swanson School of Engineering, they are encouraged to take full advantage of everything the school has to offer. That’s where Alaine Allen comes in. Allen, director of the Pitt Engineering Career Access Program (PECAP), which includes the Pitt EXCEL Program, provides students with academic counseling and helps them to connect with the Co-op Program, international education, and career development opportunities, among other resources, that will help them to be excellent students. A one-time engineering major herself, she understands firsthand the particular challenges that underrepresented students— including women—face. “I think the biggest part of Pitt EXCEL is the community building,” says Allen.“We do a lot to make sure students feel like the school in general is a place where they feel included.” The Summer Engineering Academy brings freshman students to campus two weeks early so they can get a jump on the chemistry, math, physics, and problem solving they will need in the academic year ahead. By connecting with a peer group early, students feel less overwhelmed by the rigors of college life. The Pitt EXCEL Summer Research Internship program pairs undergraduate students with faculty mentors for nine weeks, culminating in five-page papers—some of which have been published in professional journals. Initiatives such as these are the reason the Swanson School is gaining national recognition for its efforts to diversify engineering. In July 2010, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) ranked the school second in North America for the percentage of doctoral degrees awarded to women in 2009. That same month, the Dignity & Respect Campaign recognized Linda Demoise, academic support coordinator for INVESTING NOW, PECAP’s precollege component, with its Champion award. “INVESTING NOW was created with the thought that there are all of these universities in the Pittsburgh area. What are they doing to service the community?” says Allen.

Clockwise from bottom left: PECAP Director Alaine Allen, Associate Dean for Diversity Affairs Sylvanus Wosu, Samuel Dickinson (electrical and computer engineering graduate student), John Obeid (chemical engineering sophomore), Andrew Freeman (industrial engineering senior), Jamie Freeman (computer engineering senior), Stephen Canton (bioengineering sophomore), and Michael West (electrical engineering graduate student) 14

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The program recruits eighth-grade students and works with them throughout high school to move them toward college studies in science, engineering, and technology.

“Some of these students don’t really know what engineering is, so it gives them an opportunity to find out what the field entails,” says Allen. “Through their participation in the program, they’re going to be well prepared to apply to Pitt.” At the graduate level, an abbreviated summer program identifies students at the end of their sophomore year in college and targets them to consider doctoral studies.

“INVESTING NOW was created with the thought that there are all of these universities in the Pittsburgh area. What are they doing to service the community?” Alaine Allen

“I believe when a student expresses interest and visits the campus, you have a more than 50 percent chance of convincing the student to come to you,” says Sylvanus Wosu, associate dean for diversity affairs. Through its participation in the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and other consortia, the Swanson School has aggressively recruited key students. “When we compare ourselves with our peer and aspiration institutions, we are at the top in the majority of cases,” says Wosu, who travels extensively in search of PhD candidates.“It’s a challenge to recruit minority faculty into academia. For every one minority PhD, there are 20 institutions in industry and academia looking for that one graduate.” The INVESTING NOW program seeks to address that problem before underrepresented students even apply to college by introducing them to the idea of engineering as a career path far in advance. According to Wosu, the Swanson School is unique in that diversity is one of its priority areas. “To me, it is something that this university should celebrate,” he says. “It is a testament to the leadership of this school.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

Homecoming 2010 Homecoming 2010 marked the fifth time the Swanson School of Engineering welcomed alumni and their families to a tent on the lawn of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, a coveted location on campus for viewing the fireworks over the magnificent Cathedral of Learning. This year, more than 300 alumni and friends joined us at the welcome reception in the Cathedral and then later on the lawn for reminiscing over desserts—and under the fireworks!

Dean Holder with Margaret and James (BSChE ’59) Degnan Jamie Richardson (computer engineering senior) and Miguel Mignott (mechanical engineering junior) enjoy the desserts table.

Dean Holder with Salisa Berrien (BSME ’91)

Matthew Weinstein, senior executive director of development and alumni relations, with husband and wife Eric Schoch (BSCHE ’04) and Desiree Bonadonna (BSBEG ’04), and Fran Borovetz

Nita Amar, Craig Staresinich (BSAE ’69), and Staresinich Scholars Lucas Duvall (chemical engineering senior) and Nicole Salamacha (freshman engineering) Jessie Nevins, Pex; Mark Redfern, associate dean; J. Karl Johnson, interim chair of chemical and petroleum engineering; and Ben Zaczek, Pex

Lyonel Douge (BSCOE ’06); Alaine Allen, director of PECAP; Oluseyi Adekanmbi (BSCE ’07); and Robert Francis (BSEE ’07)

The Department of Bioengineering hosted alumni, family, and friends as the Pitt Panthers romped on the University of Louisville, winning the homecoming game 20–3. 16

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Courtney Browne (industrial engineering junior) attended the African American Alumni Council Sankofa Homecoming networking event with the student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.

View more photos online at www.engr.pitt.edu/alumni/photogallery/2010_homecoming.html.

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ALUMNI NEWS caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption caption

Tenth Annual Alumni Golf Outing

Benedum Hall Transformation Celebration and Open House

The Club at Nevillewood Monday, June 14, 2010

Alumni and friends gathered on September 10, 2010, to celebrate the Benedum Hall transformation and to thank those who have named a space in the renovated building.

Nearly 80 alumni and friends joined Dean Gerald D. Holder on the course this year for a day of golf.

Above: William Niro (BSChE ’67), Mary Lou DiBartola, and Raymond Niro (BSChE ’64)

1. Craig Staresinich (BSAE ’69)

2. Rae and Joseph (BSCE ’61) Ott 3. Marlin Mickle (BSEE ’61, MSEE ’63, PhD ’67), Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor 4. Linda and Richard Abbott

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5. Melissa Staff Gargani (BSIE ’87) and John Gargani (BSChE ’86) 6. Sharon and James (MSME ’74) Drake with Associate Professor Willie F. Harper Jr. (center) 7. Janet and Dennis McKamish

8. Michael (BSEE ’83) and Peggy Pietropola

9. Russ, Phyllis, and David Lachman 10. James (BSChE ’59) and Margaret Degnan 11. Robert and Carolynn Haman

More photos are available online at www.engr.pitt.edu/alumni/photogallery/2010_golf.html. 18

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12. Fred Weingruber (BSChE ’49) with J. Karl Johnson (left), interim chair of chemical and petroleum engineering

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I AM A PITT ENGINEER

I am a Engineer

(Below) Congratulations to Anne-Marie Alderson (BSBEG ’05), who completed the Ford Ironman Louisville—consisting of a 2.4-mile open water swim, a 112mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run—in a time of 13:23:21 on August 29, 2010. Ben McMillen, electrical and computer engineering PhD student, traveled on a grassroots expedition during summer 2010 to scale an iceberg in L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada. Here he is atop the iceberg! (Above) Members of the Civil Engineering Alumni Club met up at the Pitt vs. Rutgers University football game on October 23. Hail to Pitt! (Left) Bridget and David (BSME ’68, MSIE ’81) Kitch stand at the top of Mount Floyen in Norway in June 2010. David Kitch is a member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Visiting Committee.

(Below) Carol Simko Christobek (BSMET ’77), an Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) awardee, receives her ribbon-cutting scissors for the ceremony (dedicating the newly restored ODK walkway between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel). The ODK honor had been given exclusively to male seniors at Pitt for 52 years—becoming known as the “Man of the Year” award—until Christobek won it and received the certificate in 1977. But, alas, the finer text of the award certificate was left unchanged and refers to her “as the senior man of the class of 1977.” Christobek said she still chuckles about the wording, adding that some things never change: When she attended the event with her husband, Mark Christobek (BSIE ’77), some participants incorrectly assumed that he, not she, was the ODK alumnus. Learn more about Carol Christobek, Pitt’s first female “man of the year”, in the spring 2011 alumni e-newsletter, due to hit e-mail inboxes around the world in April. Not a subscriber? Visit www.engr.pitt.edu to sign up! (Above) Members of the Pitt Formula SAE team with Margaret and Andy Benedict (BSME ’71) and Will Slaughter, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, at the Michigan International Speedway in May 2010 Joseph A. Maruszewski (BSCE ’51), of Duluth, Ga., retired from LTV Steel and is still consulting today.

(Above) Connected Pitt engineers: Pictured here are Charles Toran (BSME ’82) with Jacob Denson (civil engineering senior) and Denson’s mother (inset), Marla Redwine (BSIE ’78, MSIE ’81). Redwine was delighted that her son completed an internship at Sci-Tek Consultants, Inc., of which Toran is president. Redwine and Toran both are alumni of the IMPACT Program; Denson is an alumnus of Pitt EXCEL.

(Above right) The Cupp scholars met with Pitt alumnus Marna Whittington, daughter of the late Harvey L. Cupp Jr. (BSME ’40) in August 2010. Whittington, along with her husband, Thomas D. Whittington Jr., a Pitt law school alumnus, created the Harvey L. Cupp Jr. Scholarship Fund in Mechanical Engineering in 2001 in honor of her father. The endowed fund provides one full-tuition scholarship each year. Marna Whittington also provides one additional scholarship each year as part of this fund. From left to right are U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering Gerald D. Holder, Cupp Scholars Alexander Hamilton and Dwayne Blank (both mechanical engineering), and Marna Whittington.

Are you proud to be a Pitt engineer? Upload your photo at www.odar.pitt.edu/iamapittengineer. 20

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Swanson School of Engineering Office of Development and Alumni Relations 104 Benedum Hall 3700 O’Hara Street Pittsburgh, PA 15261 www.engr.pitt.edu

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