Echoes Spring 2019

SPRING 2019

ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Contents

IN THIS ISSUE

12 EXPLORING DEEP SPACE

COLUMNS/FEEDBACK 2

Message from the President

3

Elephant Ears: Readers’ Feedback & #RosePlates

32

The Bailey Challenge

14 JOY RIDES

4 BLAST FROM PAST

COVER STORY: TO THE MOON AND BEYOND 4

18 BIG DIG

Space Pioneers

6 Mission Critical

7 Launching Pad 11 Mars Generation CAMPUS CONNECTIONS 12 Photo Album: Astronomical Wonders 25 Creative Spaces 28 Happening Place 31 Answering the Call Back Cover

Parting Shot: Aquaponics

‘To the Moon and Beyond’ T-shirt Available for Purchase

FRONT

BACK

Celebrate Rose-Hulman’s many contributions to America’s space program by proudly wearing a special commemorative “To the Moon and Beyond” T-shirt that features the colorful image from the cover of this issue. Each T-shirt costs $10. Order online at rose-hulman.edu/MoonShirt. Orders must be received by June 13, and will be shipped by June 28 — so you will have it in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing this July.

Contents

IN THIS ISSUE

25 TINKERING AROUND

31 MAKING A SPLASH

21

40

SHARK TANK

TIME CAPSULES

SPECIAL FEATURES Behind the Wheel 14 Indy’s Big Dig 18 Entrepreneurial Spirit 21 Guest Opinion: 24 Productivity Principles Alumni News 33 Class Notes 34 Weddings 37 Rosebuds 38 In Memoriam 39 Memory Lane: 40 Note Takers

PUBLICATION CREDITS Vice President for Communications and Marketing: Mary Wade Atteberry Vice President for Institutional Advancement: Steven P. Brady Alumni Association President: Kelly (Sullivan) Noel, Class of 2002 Office of Alumni Relations: Charlie Ricker, Assistant Director; Katie Hoffmann, Assistant Director; Holly Kowalski, Administrative Assistant Executive Editor: Dale Long Contact E-mail: Dale.Long@rose-hulman.edu Creative Director: Traci Nelson-Albertson Staff Writers: Arthur Foulkes and Dale Long Staff Photographer: Bryan Cantwell Staff Videographer: David Essex Contributing Writers: Herb Bailey and Steve Kaelble Contributing Designer: Chris Denison Cover Design: Jason Nye

Contributing Photographers: Astrobotic, Brad Bailey, John Bivens, Blue Origin Media Relations, Gib Bosworth, Guy Chriqui, Richard Ditteon, David Dvorak, Samuel Howell, Jason Jones/Jones Foto Inc., Chrissy Meyer/Root Ventures, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, University of Notre Dame, David Wojahn and Heather Weist Class Notes/Alumni News Contact: Send alumni news and address updates to alumniaffairs@rose-hulman.edu Echoes is published by: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47803 Digital copies of this and past issues are available at www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes It is the policy of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to admit students on the basis of their academic ability. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, citizenship status, disability, veteran status or sexual orientation.

Echoes Goes Gold Echoes earned a Gold first-place award in the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education’s Best of CASE V district publication contest for institutions in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin with 2,999 or fewer full-time students. This is the second straight year that the magazine has earned recognition in this contest.

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From the President

@ROSEHULMANPREZ

One of our shared values in the Rose-Hulman

community is to be lifelong learners. In the various administrative roles I’ve served here in my nearly 30 years, I can surely attest to this being an environment of continuous learning.

Since my appointment to president by the Board of Trustees last year, I’ve probably learned more than I have at any other time here. Much of that has recently come in the classroom, sitting alongside our brilliant students and learning from our highly engaged faculty.

After all, it’s in the classroom where we deliver on our educational mission to provide our students with the best undergraduate STEM education with individual attention and support.

I really wanted to see for myself how it all happens.

So far, I’ve observed more than a dozen classes in subjects covering everything from thermodynamics to the ins and outs of intellectual property law. As a quasiBY ROB COONS, PRESIDENT student, I’ve learned coons@rose-hulman.edu about lift-to-drag ratios, Gauss’ Law, and the impact of the percentage of iron in the composition of steel and cast iron, to name only a few topics.

But, most importantly, I was able to see with my own eyes the interactions between our excellent faculty and students. It was impressive to see some of our more “seasoned” faculty, after decades of instruction, continue to be vibrant in their lectures, committed to their students and passionate about the subject material.

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Many of our faculty make it a point to call on every student during a 50-minute class, including Dr. Rick Ditteon who, after 35 years of teaching, is as animated as ever in his Physics II lecture. Several of our faculty use humor and props to illustrate concepts. I watched in amusement as Dr. Phil Cornwell incorporated singing and dancing into his Mechanical Systems course. If you’ve ever watched Olympic athletes perform, you know you’ve seen the best in the field.

That’s how I feel after observing our faculty at work.

This experience also has affirmed my faith in our students. They come to class well prepared and often challenge their professors as much as their professors challenge them. In Soully Abas’ Design and Color course, it was impressive to see a group of engineering majors attack this non-technical subject with as much vigor and enthusiasm as they do their STEM subjects.

Considering their workloads, extracurricular activities and the difficulty of their courses, the performance of our students is nothing short of remarkable. It is clear to me that we are still recruiting the best and the brightest at Rose-Hulman.

We also continue to see the impact lifelong learning has on Rose alumni. In this issue of Echoes, we focus on the tangible contributions Rose alumni, faculty and students have had, and continue to have, on humanity’s exploration of outer space—from putting an astronaut on the moon to today’s efforts to reach to Mars and beyond. With this summer’s 50th anniversary of the moon landing, it’s natural to reflect on where we’ve been and where we are going.

I’m very proud to be a part of this remarkable institution and its continuing tradition of excellence and success. Thank you for being part of our story and please join me in celebrating those aspects of our past, present and future featured in this issue of Echoes.

A GOOD BEACH READ —First Electronic-only Issue Coming this Summer As you pack up your books and digital readers for that long-anticipated summer vacation, be sure to download the new, all-digital summer edition of Echoes and take it with you! For the first time, we are experimenting with a slimmed-down, digital-only format that will contain special stories, features and videos to entertain you this summer. The issue, accessible through www.rose-hulman.edu/echoes, will be ready for your reading pleasure in July, and we’ll send you a vacation postcard from Terre Haute, Indiana, to let you know when it’s online. For readers who prefer magazines you can roll up and tuck under your arm, do not fear; we will continue to print and mail the Fall and Spring issues of Echoes to your door. (But we hope you’ll at least peek at the digital issue.) After you’ve had a chance to peruse the summer issue, let us know what you think of it; we welcome feedback as we continually review how best to serve Rose-Hulman and our alumni. Send your comments to Executive Editor Dale Long at dale.long@rose-hulman.edu.

Tantalizing Tangrams Inspiring Others I enjoy reading Echoes. My husband, Matt Walter, is an RHIT graduate (CHE, 2001). I was organizing a Girl Scout robotics camporee this spring, helping the girls to earn the robotics badge. The Tangrams shapes and images within the fall 2018 issue piqued my interest. If possible, could you share the puzzle images as a PDF file? I would like to incorporate these into our badge work.

– Jennifer Walter (Editor’s Note: See the tangrams in Echoes’ online version at www.issuu.com/rosehulman Spring 2019 issue).

Campus Hijinks Still Bring Chuckles Every class has stupid little stories that others may find amusing.

Here are a few that I recall.

I and two other students decided during one summer in the mid-1980s to hold a campus protest. I was bored and convinced Resident Assistant Mark Bower (EE, 1987) and another member of the Class of 1987 to make some signs and protest around the student union. The board of trustees was meeting inside to discuss the admission of girls to the college. Some men scowled, while others laughed and engaged us in conversations. The three of us linked arms when approached by Gary Flora, the campus’ head of security. He and others knew it was all in good fun.

Also, I know that the bottom of Speed Lake is covered with unusual items from student hijinks. A bowling ball is down there somewhere. One winter day, a classmate was throwing his bowling ball as high as possible to crash on the ice-covered lake. We watched in amusement from the dining hall. Eventually, the ball broke through the ice and was gone forever. The entire dining hall erupted in laughter.

These memories still bring a chuckle or two for me and, hopefully, for others.

– Gregory J. Sharp (CHE, 1985)

The R on Your Car We’ve seen some clever examples of how our alumni and friends personalize their Rose-Hulman license plates. Got a special message on your plate? We’d love to see it! Share on social media using #RosePlates or email to longd@rose-hulman.edu.

We might feature it on Rose-Hulman’s social channels, website or in an upcoming issue of Echoes.

Billboard Kept Up With the Times

Elephant Ears

READER FEEDBACK

I was encouraged to hear that Rose was renovating the iconic Clabber Girl Baking Powder billboard east of campus. This sign has many entanglements with my childhood, Rose and career as a process engineer.

Growing up in Brazil, Ind., (not South America) I passed the sign many times before coming to Rose in the fall of 1971. From the time I got my first watch, I would check on the sign’s claim of “Five Minutes to Terre Haute.” I guess that taking data to check the accuracy of claims at the age of 6 years old is was my eaerly sign of “nerdom.”

My first job from Rose is rooted in the earliest days of Hulman and Company (owner of the Clabber Girl Corporation). In 1975, the A. E. Staley Manufacturing Company of Decatur, Ill., was expanding rapidly with the commercialization of the first generation of high fructose corn syrup. They hired three 1975 Rose chemical engineering grads — Bill Hausmann, Greg Hausmann (no relation) and myself. It turns out that Staley, now Tated Lyle, was founded to produce corn startch by wet milling of corn. The company became the sole supplier of corn startch to Hulman & Company for Clabber Girl Baking Powder.

I’m looking forward to seeing the renovated sign later this year.

– Michael L. Patrick (CHE, 1975)

Blue-Ribbon Drive for Success l have had an incessant drive to build things throughout my life. My earliest recollection is building a concrete in-ground swimming pool for my sister’s dolls. I spent half of my corporate life building a large-scale power plant.

In retirement, my passion has turned to building a giant party pavilion at my farm, creating numerous pieces of furniture for my children and grandchildren, making ornate mailboxes for my neighbors, and producing elegant jewelry chests. A rocking horse that I created won a blue ribbon (and $8 prize) in the woodcraft competition at the Kentucky State Fair.

I guess some hobbies are addictive.

– Frederick Wright (ME, 1962)

We welcome getting feedback on stories in each issue.

Send Elephant Ears items to: dale.long@rose-hulman.edu or Dale Long, Executive Editor-Echoes, CM 14, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 5500 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47803.

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3

Taking Note

SOLUTIONS

Putting the Pieces of Tangrams Together. . .

I

n the fall issue, we asked our readers to take a tangram of seven distinct shapes (below) and form a variety of puzzles that were located throughout the publication, starting with Rose-Hulman’s popular ‘R’ logo.

Here are how the pieces fit together to form the distinctive shapes.

We hope you enjoyed this special feature.

– Dale Long, Executive Editor

3A

Taking Note

SOLUTIONS

INSIDE COVER

PAGE 6

PAGE 18

PAGE 22

PAGE 26

PAGE 29

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3B

Cover Story

LIFTOFF

to the moonand beyond

Alumni Embedded in Space Exploration

FROM authoring the memo

that set the timetable for America’s first trip to the moon in 1969 and making the calculations that charted the navigation for that historic landing, to helping develop current rocket, telescope and communications systems, Rose-Hulman alumni have played important behind-thescenes roles in advancing America’s space exploration.

So, as the United States prepares to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of mankind’s first moon walk, Echoes examines those Rose connections from the early days of the space program to present day, as the country readies for new exploration of the moon — and sets its sights far beyond.

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STORY

BY DALE LONG

LIFTOFF

n o k o M and Bac

Cover Story

To the

by the End of the Decade

A

S A PIONEER OF AMERICAN AIR AND SPACE EXPLORATION, ABE SILVERSTEIN (BSME, 1929; MSME, 1934; HD, 1959) WAS A CREATIVE ENGINEER WHOSE CONTRIBUTIONS PLAYED A LEADING ROLE IN DEVELOPING THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA), SET THE AGENCY’S COURSE FOR EXPLORING THE MOON, AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AVIATION TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS.

It was Silverstein who suggested to NASA administrator James Webb (HD, 1965) that “we could go to the moon” and could achieve that goal “by the end of the decade.”

Within days, in two famous speeches in 1961, President John F. Kennedy set the space program on a course to putting a man on the moon before 1970.

Silverstein spearheaded the development of the revolutionary Centaur liquid hydrogen rocket and led NASA’s Mercury (1961-63) and Gemini (1965-66) programs, helping to select the original seven astronauts for Mercury’s manned missions. He was asked to manage the Apollo program, but decided to lead the work of engineers and scientists on projects for the launch vehicle program as director of Abe Silverstein (bottom) shows NASA officials one of the several instruments at the Lewis Space Center near Cleveland, Ohio, which helped develop the revolutionary Centaur liquid hydrogen rocket for America’s space program.

Alumnus Abe Silverstein’s knowledge of propulsion systems made him a valuable member of the original National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and, later, the first director of space flight programs for NASA. He led the Mercury, Gemini and early Apollo missions that eventually put a man on the moon.

the Lewis Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio (now NASA’s Glenn Research Center).

Neil Armstrong was one of several young engineers, scientists, and aviators Silverstein mentored. The administrator noted Armstrong’s love of flying and encouraged him to become a test pilot in hopes of joining NASA’s astronaut program.

Silverstein retired in 1969, shortly after Armstrong’s historic moon walk, and died in 2001 as America’s space program had moved on to focus on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station.

After Silverstein’s death, former NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin said, “[Silverstein] was a man of vision and conviction…

His innovative, pioneering spirit lives on in the work we do today.”

OF SPECIAL NOTE...

Byron MacNabb (EE, 1932), an engineer at General Dynamics Corp., was involved in development of more than 200 rockets, spacecraft and satellites. He oversaw development of America’s first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Atlas, which became a booster rocket for manned and unmanned space flights in the 1960s. “Mr. Mac” directed programs that sent the first unmanned space vehicle to the moon and initiated explorations of Mars and Venus. He directed launch operations for Mercury space flights.

Donald Fordyce (BSME, 1956; HD, 1990) and Richard Wegrich (ME, 1958) helped create components for the Hubble Space Telescope. Launched in 1990, it provided scientists with their first unobstructed view of the universe due to its location outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Fordyce was brought in to manage the Hubble Fordyce program after having a successful career at Fairchild’s space systems division, where he was vice president. Wegrich directed development of the temperature-control system for the stellar eye piece, making possible new discoveries, data collection and photography from the telescope.

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Cover Story

LIFTOFF

Calculated Risk

A Trajectory Of Success For This Rose Grad

F

ROM THE GROUND NAVIGATION DESK AT NASA’S JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, DICK OSBURN (MA, 1967) HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT FOR TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RADIO TRANSMISSIONS IN THE HISTORY OF SPACE EXPLORATION:

“The Eagle Has Landed” - Announced Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969, as America landed on the moon for the FIrst time

“Houston, We’VE HaD a Problem HERE”

- Alerted JACK SWIGERT on April 14, 1970, about an anomaly within the Apollo 13 spacecraft

Osburn was among a smart group of new college graduates who joined NASA with only 2 1/2 years remaining to achieve President Kennedy’s challenge of landing a man on the moon within the decade of the 1960s.

He describes the atmosphere in America’s nascent space program as “electrically charged.” There was an abundance of talent and optimism, but no road map to follow. Everything from calculating spacecraft trajectories and landing procedures to communication and fuel conservation—“We had to figure it out as we went along,” he says.

“The high (from achieving the moon landing) lasts for a long time. I’m still on the high today,” he admits. “I get emotional when I hear (Armstrong’s transmission) and will probably for as long as I live. Everybody knew we were doing something special. I don’t know if we knew how special it was.”

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His other memorable moment, for far different reasons, came less than a year later when Osburn was in the middle of his shift in Mission Control when an oxygen tank exploded inside the Apollo 13 spacecraft.

He was the first controller to report the problem to the mission’s flight director.

“We knew immediately that we were in trouble,” Osburn recalls.

His problem-solving skills were put to good use as engineers figured out a way to return the Apollo 13 crew to Earth safely— scenes that were depicted vividly in the Ron Howard-directed “Apollo 13” movie.

“We encountered real-world problem solving at its best and a situation that was out of our hands, millions of miles away,” Osburn recalls. “We had to communicate things accurately, make sure things were understood, and that it was a right decision.”

His 36-year career in space exploration started with NASA’s Apollo 7 mission, the first manned Apollo flight, in the fall of 1968, and continued with NASA’s Skylab missions and early Space Shuttle flights.

Dick Osburn describes the unique atmosphere inside Mission Control in the early days of NASA’s missions to the moon: www.rose-hulman.edu/Osburn

OF SPECIAL NOTE...

James Dunlop (EE, 1952) developed the nickel-hydrogen battery that powered satellites, the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station. His prototype battery is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

Guy Etheridge (ME, 1985) had a distinguished career with NASA before his death in 2006. He was program manager for Kennedy Space Center’s Research Integration Office, interacting with engineers and scientists across the globe, and was widely recognized as an expert in space life science.

LIFTOFF

Cover Story

on the Horizon

alumni help spacex, blue origin

blast off S EVERAL ALUMNI ARE PLAYING KEY ROLES AS SPACEX AND BLUE ORIGIN BREAK NEW GROUND IN SPACE EXPLORATION AND MAKING SPACE COLONIZATION POSSIBLE.

The latest development came this spring with the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the company’s first mission for a paying customer. Reusable hardware is part of Falcon Heavy’s appeal, reducing the cost of spaceflight. The rocket is the most powerful vehicle flying today, according to reports. Also, its $90 million price tag is a third of the price of its closest competitor.

Steven Schmitz (ME, 2007) is a senior manager for SpaceX’s avionics mechanical engineering operations. He formerly supervised the design and analysis of avionics mechanical systems for the Falcon 9 and Dragon space flight vehicles, which led to the development of the Falcon Heavy rocket.

Jeff Van Treuren (ME, 2010) is test director for space exploration

Costenaro

Malik

technologies, including rocket development, at SpaceX’s operations in Texas.

Ben Lauer (ME, 2008) is lead build reliability engineer for sub-assemblies in SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, based in California.

Other alumni contributors include Katie Piens (ME, 2007), a build reliability engineer, and Tim Balz (ME, 2017), a launch engineer, both at SpaceX’s flight operations center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. In California are James Jones (ME, 2010), a manufacturing engineer for propulsion systems; Samuel Throne (ME, 2015), a structures engineer at SpaceX’s operations; Spencer Jackson (ME, 2016), a structures engineer; and Brian Greenblatt (ME, 2017), an integration and test engineer.

Meanwhile, Michelle Costenaro (CHE, 2001), Ian Malik (CHE/ ECON. 2014) and Heather Wiest (ME/ECON, 2011) share Jeff Bezos’ dream of developing technology to enable people to live and work in space through his private company Blue Origin. Key components of the project are reusable rocket engines and launch vehicles that will dramatically lower the cost of access to space.

Alumni involved in a variety of SpaceX projects include (from left) Katie Piens, Steven Schmitz, Tim Balz and Jeff Van Treuren.

Costenaro is a manager with Blue Origin’s test and launch engineering team, leading efforts to develop conceptual designs, budgets and schedules for planned upgrades to the launch pad for the company’s New Shepard reusable launch vehicle. She also assists with the design of new test facilities in launch sites in Washington and west Texas.

Malik is a mechanical engineer in the test facilities group, designing and supporting a variety of test stands and ground support systems.

Wiest is a mechanical engineer in Blue Origin’s launch facilities development group, located in Merritt Island, Fla., Wiest and is helping with the construction of a launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for the New Glenn, a reusable heavy-lift two-stage rocket that’s capable of carrying people and payloads routinely to the Earth’s orbit and beyond.

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Cover Story

LIFTOFF

learning from the

moon & planets T

HE SCIENCE LEGACY OF THE APOLLO MISSIONS IS YET TO BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD. RESEARCHERS WILL SOON BEGIN STUDYING PIECES OF THE MOON THAT HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY STORED AND UNTOUCHED FOR NEARLY A HALF CENTURY— ONE OF SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK FOR FUTURE FLIGHT MISSIONS.

All of this work is being done by the NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) and its deputy director Brad E. Bailey (PH, 1998), based at the Ames Research Center in California.

Teams will examine one of the three remaining lunar samples from Apollo missions 15, 16 and 17 which have never been exposed to Earth’s atmosphere. Of particular interest are samples that were vacuum-sealed on the moon after being collected by Apollo 17 astronauts Harrison Schmitt and

Gene Cernan in December of 1972.

Today’s scientists can’t wait to get their hands on nearly 1.8 pounds of rocks and core samples from below the moon’s surface.

“It’s remarkable that we’re still learning lessons from the Apollo space program 50 years later, and what we’re about to learn should help set the course for our future aspirations in space,” says Bailey.

These new scientific studies will prepare for the next era of exploration of the moon and beyond, according to Bailey.

NASA’s SSERVI is a virtual, distributed organization of 13 teams with nearly 500 researchers across 100 institutions who are focused on merging scientific and space exploration endeavors.

Bailey has recently taken a new job at NASA headquarters, where he will enable scientific payloads and instrumentation to get to the moon’s surface. These projects will help pave the way for humans to return to the moon.

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Brad Bailey has spent his entire career studying astrobiology and other scientific endeavors at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California.

Howell

Above, sample of moon rock.

OF SPECIAL NOTE...

Samuel (Sam) M. Howell (EP, 2010) is focusing on the premise of life underneath Europa’s 100-kilometer thick water ice shell. He has recently been added to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory team as an ocean world research scientist.

Howell says, “This is the best candidate for life beyond Earth in the solar system. The thick ice shell shows many of the same processes as plate tectonics on Earth.”

That’s why he is co-leading NASA’s Honeybee robotics collaboration to develop technology to drill through Europa’s ice shell and reach its ocean.

He uses computer simulations of the ice and published information to develop system requirements and science observation strategies.

Cover Story

LIFTOFF

A look at &

mars jupiter S

CIENTISTS ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE CONDITIONS ON THE PLANETS MARS AND JUPITER THROUGH RESEARCH PROJECTS ASSISTED BY ALUMNI. Thomas A. Werne (BSMA/EE, 2007; MSEE, 2007) is a NASA technical group supervisor at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and was the flight software lead for the space agency’s recent Mars Cube One (MarCO) project.

Two briefcase-sized satellite spacecraft known as “CubeSats” accompanied the space agency’s InSight lander, which touched down on Mars late in 2018. This was the first time CubeSats were used in deep space exploration.

Thomas noted during the mission, “A big part of MarCo is to prove something like this can be done.”

He has expertise in the development of small spacecraft systems and software systems that assist in the study of space-based data.

Elsewhere, in JPL’s Systems Engineering and Formulation Division, Daniel (Dan) L. Dvorak (EE, 1972)

Learn more about Rose-Hulman’s involvement in space exploration: past, present and future at www.rose-hulman.edu/Beyond

has been improving systems engineering and software architecture for semi-autonomous spacecraft. He helped develop early flight software technology for the Mars Science Laboratory, now known as the Curiosity rover, that operated on Mars earlier this year. Dvorak says, “Higher levels of autonomy are increasingly important for deep space missions because round-trip light-time delays can be hours long for the outermost planets in our solar system.”

After starting at NASA/JPL in 1996, Dvorak worked on technology that has made spacecraft, like the Deep Space 1 project, more autonomous and able to complete activities with less intervention from operators on Earth. He also led a NASA study on flight software complexity which led to the creation of the NASA Software Architecture Review Board, which has provided constructive feedback to improve software reliability, verifiability and portability. Dvorak led the review board for several years.

A Rose-Hulman graduate also had a hand in NASA’s Juno space probe, which provided scientists a close-up view of Jupiter in 2016. Software engineer Karl R. Ammerman (1996, CPE) developed and implemented the interface flight software that was critical to that mission.

The mission uncovered more

Daniel Dvorak of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory helped develop early flight software technology for the Curiosity rover that traveled on the surface of Mars.

about Jupiter’s composition and its origin, and by extension the origins of the solar system, particularly Earth. Ammerman worked at Lockheed Martin in the space exploration systems division and now is a software development engineer at LGS Innovations.

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Cover Story

LIFTOFF

IN OTHER WORK...

Making

space hauling

profitable T

ODAY’S SPACE RACE HAS NINE COMPANIES DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGIES AND STRATEGIES TO RETURN AMERICA TO THE EARTH’S MOON, INCLUDING THE DELIVERY OF CARGO THAT COULD TURN IT INTO A RESUPPLY AND REFUELING STATION FOR SPACECRAFT TO GO MUCH DEEPER INTO SPACE.

Hoping to win the race is Astrobotic Technology, a Pittsburgh robotics company that was awarded a $10 million contract last fall from NASA to create a vision-based precision landing system for their lunar lander, Peregrine. The lander is being designed to deliver cargo shipments for companies, governments, universities, nonprofits and individuals—showcasing that such transport could become a profitable venture.

Ander Solorzano (EE, 2013), a lead systems engineer for Astrobotic, spent nearly three years

working to develop the Peregrine lander through the Lunar CATALYST program at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (Maryland) and John Glenn Research Center (Cleveland).

He has supervised the implementation of the vehicle’s electrical power storage, power generation, power management, guidance navigation systems, and avionics control systems.

Peregrine provides a delivery service to the moon, carrying nearly 200 pounds with rovers, science experiment modules and a variety of commercial technology demonstration payloads bolted to the top and undersides of one of its four payload decks.

Once on the surface, Peregrine functions as a local utility station that will provide power and communication to deploy, support, and facilitate the operation of its payloads on the surface of the moon.

Guy Chriqui (ME, 2011) is a senior research engineer at Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center, where his work focuses on opto-mechanical systems design and development. He leads the development of a photonic integrated circuit-based imaging system that could significantly shrink the telescope (by factors of 10 to 100 times) through interferometric imaging approaches.

Before joining Lockheed Martin, Guy’s career path included assignments at Boeing, NASA and Moon Express, leading teams that developed Lunar Micro Rovers in an effort to make a commercial off-the-shelf rover a reality.

Chriqui

Ronald K. Neumeyer (ME, 1986) has seen the ups and downs of the space industry during more than 30 years as a research engineer with Aerojet Rocketdyne, which provides propulsion systems and energetics to domestic and international customers in the space, missile defense and strategic systems, and tactical systems areas.

The California-based company has had a successful hot-fire test of engines that were remnants from the Space Shuttle program in hopes of using them in NASA’s Space Launch System for the first crewed mission back to space.

Neumeyer honed his engineering skills by analyzing test data of engines developed for the shuttle program, and helped perfect liquid rocket engine programs used on Delta IV rockets to launch satellites. He is currently working on the RS-25 engine, with new controller electronics and manufacturing techniques, for NASA’s future Space Launch System program.

Kris Verdeyen (EE, 2000) is a principal electrical engineer at Texas’ Houston Mechatronics, which is developing an Aquanaut remotely operated/autonomous underwater vehicle to assist with oil and natural gas exploration without the expense or hassle of a tether. Just prior, as a robotics engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, he managed the development of NASA’s Valkyrie full-scale humanoid robot to explore the potential of bipedal walking on Mars and other planets.

“We have a core lander with adaptable payload decks, depending on the customer’s needs,” Solorzano says.

Ander Solorzano has assisted in the development of Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander scheduled for a mission to the moon in 2021.

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Peregrine’s maiden voyage is planned for early 2021 and Astrobotic already has 12 signed commercial deals for that first mission.

Verdeyen

the mars

generation student marisa dimperio has eyes on the skies

righthand corner of her resume in hopes of attracting interest from potential aerospace companies for future internships or co-ops.

Dimperio

M

ECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT MARISA DIMPERIO HOPES SHE’S IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, AS THE SPACE PROGRAM REFOCUSES EFFORTS TOWARD RETURNING HUMANS TO THE MOON AND AN EVENTUAL MISSION TO MARS.

The junior isn’t bashful about her love of astronomy and rockets, as her social media hashtag @TheCosmosNerd would attest.

Her profile proclaims: “One day I’m going to be an astronaut, just give me a few years to get the degrees I need first.” And, Dimperio has been known to draw pink rockets in the bottom

She was among a group of potential Mars explorers featured in the Netflix documentary “The Mars Generation,” after spending a portion of three summers in simulated space missions at the U.S. Space Camp. A photo on Dimperio’s Instagram page shows her holding a handwritten sign proclaiming:

ALSO CREATING...

Physics and optical engineering students helped NASA develop an innovative, early-stage solution to a high-priority need within America’s space program through a two-year $500,000 grant. Undergraduateand graduate-level students worked with professors to design and test semiconductor lasers which could enable high speed free-space optical communication systems.

Cover Story

LIFTOFF

A group of Rose students (below) is inspired by NASA’s Human Exploration Rover Challenge to create a vehicle that could be capable of traversing the surface of another world. This is the first year that the Robotics Club has participated in the authentic engineering experience, which builds off the former Great Moonbuggy Race. In preparation for entering the 2020 competition, the student team has been building and testing technologies that enable rovers to perform in a wide variety of environments.

“We Cannot Be ‘The Mars Generation’ Without Going to Mars.”

She says, “I love everything about rockets, and becoming an astronaut would be my dream job. It’s so fascinating that we’re once again looking to test our creative minds and engineering abilities in something that’s really big. The moon is before our very eyes every night.

There’s nothing stopping us, except ourselves. Then, Mars would be the next step. We have to keep dreaming big.”

Rover Challenge Team Members

Students Discover, Name Asteroids

Telescopes inside the institute’s Oakley Observatory on campus and Oakley Southern Sky Observatory in Australia are allowing students to discover new asteroids and other astronomical wonders, and to co-author articles for the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers’ Minor Planet Bulletin. Their work is under the mentorship of observatory director Richard Ditteon (PH, 1974). Astronomy Club members host events, like an annual May the Fourth be With You (May 4th) open house, to allow the campus and community to view a variety of astronomy events and learn more about the sky above.

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Photo Album

IN FOCUS

Telescopes at Rose-Hulman’s campus Oakley Observatory and Oakley Southern Sky Observatory in Australia are providing students with different perspectives — from both hemispheres — of the Milky Way galaxy, a variety of nebula, a blue-white star spiral galaxy and other astronomical wonders.

Many of these objects have been captured by physics professor Richard Ditteon (PH, 1974), director of the institute’s Oakley Observatories, through the lens of a digital camera. The observatories also are allowing students to discover and name new asteroids in honor of alumni such as Gene Glass (EE, 1949) and Niles Noblitt (BIOE, 1973), along with president-emeritus Samuel Hulbert — all longtime supporters of the astronomy program. “We have several more yet to name,” says Ditteon.

Students get within-this-universe experiences in the campus’ Oakley Observatory, under the guidance of observatory director/physics professor Richard P. Ditteon (PH, 1974).

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Photo Album

IN FOCUS

Above, the sun, appearing purple, has a large, perfectly round spot that actually is the planet Venus. At right, is M83, a spiral galaxy similar to our own Milky Way galaxy.

Students use a variety of telescopes in the campus’ Oakley Observatory to study the skies.

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Alumni Feature

VINTAGE RIDES

CLASSIC Cars STORY

BY DALE LONG

Alumni Preserving the Past through Love of Vintage Autos Electric and autonomous vehicles may be the current rage of the automotive world, but nothing beats the good-old horsepower, sleek styles and blazing accessories of a vintage Porsche, Corvette or Buick Roadmaster.

At least that’s the case for alumni Gib Bosworth, John Malmquist and David Wojahn, who each has amassed quite a collection of exotic automobiles of different shapes, sizes and colors that have attracted the attention of car collectors and enthusiasts throughout the world.

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David Wojahn has kept this 1950 Buick Roadmaster in pristine, unrestored condition.

The vehicle has been featured in the Buick Club of America’s magazine.

Every classic car has its own distinctive story—just like the retired engineers who prize them.

Gib Bosworth is a mechanical engineering graduate who sold large turbine engines to help utilities power homes throughout the U.S., before he settled into living in a mountainous region east of Phoenix, Ariz. From inside a large garage he goes about the tedious task of restoring and rebuilding replicas of the Porsches that dominated the racing world in the 1960s and 1970s.

John Malmquist is a civil engineering alumnus who had success as an engineer and financial representative, and has classic Corvettes scattered in shops near his homes in Wisconsin and Oklahoma. Versions are in pristine benchmark condition, while others have been modified to race on road courses throughout the U.S., including the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

And, David Wojahn is a retired chemical engineering major who helped Texaco, Chevron and smaller companies find oil on land and offshore throughout the country and Gulf of Mexico.

His home south of Denver was designed with a garage large enough to keep his collection of Buick and Pontiac speedsters from 1949 through 1971, along with a family car or two.

Passionate About Porsches

1972 911 ST Kremer Racing Tribute

Bosworth became fascinated with the Porsche’s handling, speed and style after taking his first ride in the vehicle in 1988, and soon thereafter buying his first 911 SC (Super Carrera) model for leisure driving while working in Alaska.

Alumni Feature

VINTAGE RIDES

“I began reading everything I could about this little car company that was dominating the racing scene, all the way back into the 1960s,” says the 1966 graduate.

“There was just something about that car that caught my attention.

I was impressed with how tight they were in driving and the feel while being behind the (steering) wheel. There’s nothing quite like it... Some people work on cars as an investment and some as a hobby, but I’m passionate about whatever car I’m working on at the moment.”

And, that “moment” could last several years as Bosworth goes about copying every minute detail of popular Porsche 911 versions that are coveted by vintage car collectors throughout the world.

This work has him traveling throughout the country to find just the right engines, carburetors, headlights, fender flares and other chrome details, along with the distinctive racing-trim decals and color patterns that make each car so unique.

Bosworth

“ The joy is modifying the cars, chasing down the parts and learning as much as possible about each one of them. Each car is special in its own way.”

— GIB BOSWORTH, ME, 1966

From 2002 to 2006, Bosworth poured his energy into replicating a silver Martini & Rossi RSR model, and followed that with a distinctive viper green 1972 911 ST model. His most ambitious project was recreating the light yellow 911 sport model that originally had been specially produced by 1972 911 ST Toad Hall Racing Tribute

(CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

1972 911 ST Porsche Martini & Rossi Tribute

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Alumni Feature

VINTAGE RIDES (CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

Porsche designers for Toad Hall Motor Racing to compete in the 1972 racing season, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans (the only 911 to finish).

Starting with the bare shell of the 911 ST model, Bosworth went about putting everything together, enlisting the help of restoration experts, painters and decal makers to produce just the right look and performance qualities. No detail was missed, right down to through-the-grille lights, signature steering wheel, period-looking seat belts and dual outlet sport muffler. The finished model drew considerable attention from die-hard collectors and Porsche fans.

“The joy is modifying the cars, chasing down the parts and learning as much as possible about each one of them. Each car is special in its own way,” he says. “There’s few people willing to take the time and financial resources to do this. You get attached to each project because they’re a labor of love. You spend so much time on each of them that they’re so hard to release (sell) at the end of each project.”

Getting Up To (High) Speed Attention to detail also is important to Malmquist, who classifies his collection of Corvettes, street-worthy hot rods and AMX classic sports cars as works of art.

“People buy artworks to enjoy and admire them, not for their (financial) value. That’s precisely the case for me,” he says. “I like to keep and restore these cars. We’re just caretakers so that future generations can enjoy seeing them in their purest form.”

“ People buy artworks to enjoy and admire them, not for their value... I like to keep and restore these cars.

We’re just caretakers so that future generations can enjoy seeing them in their purest form.”

— John Malmquist, CE, 1969

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Several of Malmquist’s restored Corvettes have earned elite benchmarkgrade quality standards for having the original engine, chassis and paint coating, and no changes to original interior amenities. And, not surprisingly, the vehicles attract considerable attention whenever Malmquist appears at Sportscar Vintage Racing Association events throughout the country.

John Malmquist sits in one of the several vehicles in his collection, including a 1969 Corvette that has raced throughout the country.

Other cars in his collection include a 1972 Corvette Coupe, with distinctive white- and red-colored interior fixtures, that has only been driven for 66,000 miles; a modified 2000 Corvette that John’s son, Adam, has used to compete in events within the annual Pirelli World Challenge; and a 1969 Corvette, with an engine capable of producing 550 horsepower, that has competed on the road course at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Road America (Wisconsin) racing venues.

“The 1969 car is our little plaything,” admits Malmquist, a 1969 alumnus. “There’s nothing better than putting the pedal to the floor and getting up to 155 mph down the front straightaway at Road America.”

Later, he achieved a lifetime goal by circling the oval speedway used for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, completing nine laps at speeds nearing 160 mph.

“There’s not many non-professional drivers who can say they’ve run on the oval and road course at Indianapolis (Motor Speedway). I checked one of my bucket list items there,” remarks Malmquist with a chuckle. “Really, there’s no better feeling than being out on the open road, clutching the steering wheel, hearing the engine rev up and having the wind sail through your hair. I enjoy the mechanics about these really cool cars. Being an engineer, who wouldn’t?”

1971 Pontiac GTO 455 HO

Like Members of the Family Wojahn’s interest in cars dates back to when he was 3 years old and first laid eyes on a 1950 Buick Roadmaster in the family driveway. By the age of 5, he could identify the manufacturer and model of every car he observed on the road during travels.

So, it shouldn’t be surprising to find that Wojahn now is the owner of eight vintage cars covering his youth, teenage years and beyond—from a 1949 Buick Super Convertible to a 1962 Buick Electra to a 1971 Pontiac GTO to a 1998 Firebird WS6 Trans Am with just 3,700 miles.

Throughout the years, his stable of cars also has included a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, 1958 Corvette and a 1962 Chevy Impala.

1964 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport

and highways—or “giving them some exercise” as he refers it—on days when rain isn’t in the forecast.

“You have to drive them. I take them out for a drive once every month or two, for about 20 to 25 miles at a time, at high speed and in stop-and-go traffic. I will bend over backward to keep my cars in original unrestored condition,” he says. “I have these cars for me. I don’t even have to drive them. I could just sit in a chair in my garage and admire all of them. They’re that special to me.”

Alumni Feature

VINTAGE RIDES

“ Every one of my cars has a specific reason that I purchased it. They have become like members of the family.”

— David Wojahn, CHE, 1975

“I’m a car enthusiast, not a collector,” admits the 1975 graduate. “I don’t have plans to sell the eight I currently have. They’re all my favorites. Each has a special story and history for me.”

Like a version of his family’s 1950 Buick Roadmaster that was found in a showroom of a Milwaukee car dealership after a 17-year search. Wojahn first noticed a 1964 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport model being washed in a driveway while visiting his mother’s home in Niles, Mich., during the summer of 1988.

He engaged in a friendly conversation with the car’s owner with each return trip, learning more about its history. Twenty years later, Wojahn was given an opportunity to purchase the car.

1949 Super Convertible

“Every one of my cars has a specific reason that I purchased it. They have become like members of the family,” he states.

In fact, he has organized birthday parties for members of his collection, used cars in family weddings and other special occasions, and just happened to own the same 1964 Buick Electra twice. He admits, “I knew I shouldn’t have sold it in the first place. So, when it came up for sale again, I just had to get it back, where I could give it the attention it deserves.”

Wojahn keeps the vehicles in immaculate condition, with low mileage and occasional drives on local roads

David Wojahn and his wife, Patricia, are the original owners of the red 1998 Trans Am WS6, which is the youngest car in the family fleet and has been driven for only 3,700 miles.

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Alumni Feature

INDY’S BIG DIG INDY’S BIG DIG

DOWN UNDER STORY BY DALE LONG PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL

DEEP UNDERGROUND TUNNELS ADDRESSING A CITY’S WASTEWATER, SEWAGE OVERFLOW ISSUES

Indianapolis residents have spent the past seven years working, living and playing in Indiana’s capital city while being mostly oblivious to a massive public works project that’s forging a 28-milelong network of deep rock tunnels 250 feet beneath their feet.

The $2 billion DigIndy Tunnel System is being built to virtually eliminate combined sewer overflows (CSO) into area waterways by 2025—complying with a federal consent decree and state regulations to improve the quality of area waterways, while providing future economic development benefits.

More than 800 communities across the U.S. are facing similar issues regarding

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the need to transform antiquated combined storm water and wastewater sewer systems to mitigate the overflow of untreated waste into streams, rivers and reservoirs. It takes as little as a quarter inch of rain to overwhelm Indianapolis’ outmoded system, which can occur an average of 60 to 70 times annually.

Citizens Energy Group is addressing these problem by constructing a series of tunnels ranging from 1.7 miles to 7.9 miles in length below the city. The public charitable trust acquired the city’s water and wastewater assets in 2011.

The system goes like this: Diversion structures are built into existing CSO locations to intercept the flow and

DOWN UNDER The DigIndy project features a series of deep rock 18-foot diameter tunnels that will virtually eliminate combined sewer overflows in Indianapolis.

In preparation for the DigIndy work, further enhancements were made that more than doubled the capacity of two advanced wastewater treatment plants in the city.

Several Rose-Hulman alumni are involved in the project— one of the largest civil engineering endeavors in Indiana history. Mayor Joe Hogsett has classified DigIndy as a “transformational project for Indianapolis.”

One of those alumni, Citizens Energy Group President & Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Harrison (EE, 1989), says DigIndy has already prevented almost one billion gallons of sewage from overflowing into five local tributaries since the first 10-mile tunnel segment opened in December of 2017.

“DigIndy is now functioning just as it was designed,” Harrison states.

Using deep tunnel technology has reduced disturbances to neighborhoods along the project route, adds alumna Jessica (Huggins) Bastin, manager of water and wastewater design in Citizens’ capital programs and engineering division. Value engineering strategies and cutting-edge deep rock boring prevent discharge into waterways. techniques have helped reduce costs Flow is routed through new surface and maximize savings. In fact, value collection sewer systems to centralized engineering efforts have allowed for drop shafts that transport wastewater the construction of a two-mile-long vertically into the deep tunnel system in sixth tunnel in lieu of a network of the bedrock underneath Indianapolis’ surface interceptors, minimizing metropolitan area. The tunnels will disruption to neighborhoods while collect more than 270 million gallons providing additional system storage of raw sewage during a wet weather capacity at a lower capital cost. event and transport it to an advanced The halfway point of the mining portion wastewater treatment facility south of of the project was completed last fall. the city for eventual treatment when capacity at the plant becomes available. The entire project is scheduled to conclude in 2025.

This prevents overflows of the system.

Value engineering strategies and cutting-edge deep rock boring techniques have reduced project costs and allowed for an additional tunnel to be added to the network.

“We have worked hard to find innovative ways to keep the project ahead of schedule and under budget, (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

DEEP INSIDE ‘DIGINDY’ Here are the basics about the largest civil engineering project in Indiana history: SCOPE: The deep rock tunnel storage system features a network of six segments covering 28 miles; the 18-foot diameter concrete-lined tunnels are 250 feet below ground. The sewage treatment plant is being expanded to handle 550 million gallons of waste per day.

TIMELINE: Planning began in 2006, with construction starting in 2012. The first 10 miles of the tunnel system opened in late 2017. Completion is set for 2025.

COST: Capital budget, $2.4 billion; additional improvements to two advanced wastewater treatment plants will increase Citizens Energy Group’s project commitment to $4 billion.

GOALS: Reducing combined sewer overflows into area waterways by up to 97%, meeting a federal mandate to clean up Indianapolis’ antiquated sewer system; addressing 134 past Combined Sewage Overflow discharge points; reduce CSO frequency to two to four per year (from 60 to 70 previously).

WORLD DRILLING RECORDS: The Tunnel Boring Machine has set records for most feet mined in one day, 409.89; most feet mined in one week, 1,690.04; and most feet mined in one month, 5,755.15.

OTHER TECH INNOVATIONS: For the first time, the boring machine has been able to back up and maneuver to begin digging other segments of the tunnel, instead of being taken apart and transported to the start of the new section. This revolutionary construction development has produced substantial project cost and production time savings, along with increased storage capacity for the system. (See image below)

Citizens Energy Group image of tunnel boring tool

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DOWN UNDER ALUMNI HELPING KEEP PROJECT ON TRACK The following alumni have an active role in several aspects of the DigIndy project: Jeffrey A. Harrison (EE, 1989), Citizens Energy Group’s president and CEO (top administrator for the public charitable trust that acquired Indianapolis’ water and wastewater assets in 2011) The DigIndy project features diversion structures, a new surface collection sewer system, centralized drop shafts and the deep tunnel system that transports wastewater to be treated.

Jessica S. (Huggins) Bastin (CE, 2001), manager of planning and design, engineering division, Citizens Energy Group (supervising overall project design and implementation since 2015) Maceo R. Lewis (CE, 2001), Project Manager, Black & Veatch (design team member since 2009)

(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

Chelsie S. Donnelly (CE, 2016), Project Design Engineer, F.A. Wilhelm Construction Inc. (design team member since 2016)

while maximizing benefits for the environment,” says Bastin (CE, 2001). “This project impacts nearly every person in the city, whether they live or work here.”

Donnelly

Bastin

Lewis

View these videos in our digital edition: www.rose-hulman.edu/DigIndy In Her Own Words: Jessica Bastin discusses why the DigIndy project was needed to improve quality of life in Indianapolis In His Own Words: Maceo Lewis talks about anticipating and reacting to problems in the massive DigIndy project In Her Own Words: Chelsie Donnelly reacts to seeing the tunnel system for the first time since concentrating on surface aspects of the project

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The project has required Citizens and contractors, including Black & Veatch and F.A. Wilhelm Construction, Inc., to work closely with city government officials, transportation and parks entities, and local citizens and neighborhood groups. Residents are starting to see construction of the surface sewers and drop shaft sites as Citizens works to correlate work with other improvement projects throughout the city, including bridge replacements, neighborhood redevelopment projects and rapid transit system projects.

Maceo Lewis (CE, 2001) is a project manager for Black & Veatch’s portion of DigIndy design, including aspects of the near-surface collection sewers, deep drop shafts, and deep tunnel systems. Meanwhile, Chelsie Donnelly (CE, 2016) is a senior project engineer with F.A. Wilhelm Construction, which is building portions of the extensive near-surface collection sewers that transport flows from the existing combined sewer systems to the drop shaft sites, including the infrastructure in the vicinity of Lucas Oil Stadium.

“The initial challenge was coming up with the plan. We’re consolidating about 140 overflow

Citizens Energy Group image

points throughout the city into a more manageable system,” says Lewis, a member of the project’s design team since 2009. “It is fascinating to see all of the technologies coming together. It may seem easy to just separate storm and wastewater sewer systems, but that’s a very disruptive and costly solution. It’s phenomenal to have something 250 feet deep that the community doesn’t even know is happening.”

Donnelly started working on the project as a Citizens intern, where she supported efforts to secure funding for DigIndy through the Indiana Finance Authority State Revolving Fund loan program. After graduation, she joined Wilhelm Construction and has concentrated on development of the near-surface infrastructure.

Recently, Donnelly had the opportunity to visit the deep tunnel portion of the construction project for the first time. A crane lowered her and other guests in a large cage approximately 250 feet underground to visit the deep tunnel system.

“Seeing the deep rock tunnel in all its glory was an incredible experience,” she says. “This is an extremely valuable project because we want to keep our waterways clean and usable for recreation.”

Bastin adds, “I went into civil engineering to make a difference. The most rewarding part of this project is seeing the impact we’re making for the environment.”

Alumni Feature

NEW VENTURES

A LONG AND WINDING ROAD STORY BY STEVE KAELBLE

TURNING CREATIVE IDEAS INTO COMMERCIAL SUCCESS

a

lot of great ideas have been known to hatch from scribbles on a napkin. For that inspiration to develop into a successful venture, however, every budding entrepreneur rapidly discovers a long and challenging road to be navigated.

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Chrissy Meyer is a partner with Root Ventures, a California-based venture capital firm that makes seed-stage investments in industrial automation, robotics, and hardware ventures.

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NEW VENTURES

Do’s & DON’TS

OF SEEKING FOR YOUR IDEAS

$

CHRISSY MEYER OFFERS THE FOLLOWING ADVICE FOR PEOPLE SEEKING TO GAIN SUPPORT FROM VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS FOR THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEAS:

DO: • Research the firm and partner before you pitch your idea.

• Know the backgrounds of the people and the companies they have invested in.

• Start your pitch by explaining the problem and the size of the market. Then describe your solution and team.

• Deeply understand who wants and needs your product. Talk to these people early and often.

DON’T: • Send a cold email. Get a warm introduction from a shared contact in your network whenever possible.

• Assume venture capital is the only way to get funding. VC firms look for fast growth and billion dollar markets.

• Ask them to sign a non-disclosure agreement. VC firms don’t sign NDAs.

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(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

Alumna Chrissy Meyer thrives on helping others make the journey and arrive at their hoped-for destination. As a partner with California-based venture capital firm Root Ventures, founded by engineers, she knows that a great concept is just the beginning; the fuel that moves the idea down the path to reality is capital. Root makes seed-stage investments in industrial automation, robotics, and hardware ventures. “We focus on companies solving really hard, deeply technical problems,” Meyer says.

“We get excited about bringing cuttingedge technologies into more traditional industries, such as agriculture, manufacturing and construction.”

Meyer, who has a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Rose-Hulman (2005) and a master’s in the field from Stanford, has more than a decade of experience in prominent places within the tech world. She was an early member of Apple’s Watch team, and as an engineering program manager had a hand in the shipment of tens of millions of iPods.

Later, she helped roll out new pointof-sale hardware for Square, which powers retail transactions. She also was director of hardware for Pearl Automation.

“I really fell in love with early-stage stuff,” says Meyer. “Now that I am a venture capitalist, I get to do that over and over again. It’s a fun and rewarding job.”

So, how do great ideas become reality?

People bring forth great ideas every day, seeking investment dollars.

Unfortunately, Meyer says, the reality is that “we have to say ‘no’ more than 99 percent of the time.”

The first thing to remember is that a venture investment is a vote of confidence in the potential for commercial success. “The thing a lot of people don’t realize about venture capital is that we’re not investing in your product or your technology” Meyer says.

“We’re investing strictly in a business.”

To put it another way, a product can be jaw-droppingly cool from a technological standpoint but still not be a good bet for an infusion of capital.

“You have to convince me that it’s going to be a massive success for it to be a good

NEW VENTURES fit for venture capital,” she says. “If it doesn’t make for a scalable, sustainable business model, we’re not going to invest in it.”

Those pushing a new product need to be able to answer how the product will make lives easier or unlock a new technology ecosystem, and they need to give thought to all kinds of long-term business questions, such as the pricing strategy. A prototype is helpful and, though many hopeful entrepreneurs show up without one, today’s prototyping tools make it more feasible than it used to be.

“When I started working in this industry, if you had an idea for a product it was incredibly hard and expensive to make just one working prototype. It’s faster now to do one prototype or even 10,” she says.

But scaling from crafting one or 10 prototypes into manufacturing a thousand or 10,000 products remains complicated, and a big undertaking that must be addressed. “People underestimate the amount of time, effort and money it takes to scale.”

Invest ed in Succes s

The good news is, candidates who have a solid product and a good overall sense for how to deal with the business challenges will find that VC firms like Root Ventures are an amazing

resource for success. “If we think there’s promise, we’re willing to roll up our sleeves and help them think through the business strategy,” Meyer says.

That can be a game-changer.

Think about the typical startup that has made it from the cocktail napkin into the garage. “You have a handful of people and every team member is doing everything,” Meyer says. In comes the venture capital firm, bearing not just dollars but also expertise in creating business strategy, debugging failures, meeting legal requirements, reviewing manufacturing contracts, developing a supply chain, and all kinds of other things that may or may not be part of an engineer’s innate skillset. “When we invest in a company, we work for them.

Every time we make an investment, we’re in it for the long haul.”

The “long haul,” though, is not necessarily forever. If all goes well, the business will grow, and Root Ventures may make additional, “follow-on” investments. But if things continue to go well and the company keeps on growing, it will ultimately graduate to the next level, growing beyond the seed investment stage that is the focus of Root Ventures. “There will be a point in which a company has demonstrated traction, and is ready for additional rounds of venture funding,” Meyer says —a happy ending and a new beginning, a long way from the cocktail napkin.

THE BIG QUESTION: WHY SHOULD I SUPPORT YOUR IDEA? Root Ventures partner Chrissy Meyer admits that a product can be jaw-droppingly cool from a technological standpoint, but still won’t be a good bet for an infusion of financial resources. “You have to convince me that it’s going to be a massive success,” says the 2005 electrical engineering graduate. “If it doesn’t make for a scalable, sustainable business model, we’re not going to invest in it.”

A WOMAN IN A VENTURE CAPITAL WORLD When Chrissy Meyer joined Root Ventures, the company hailed her consumer and manufacturing expertise and knack for bringing ideas to mass-market scale. One other accomplishment of note was landing a job as a woman in venture capital, which remains a mostly male world.

“Only about 9 percent of venture capitalists are women,” Meyer says. That, she adds, is part of a bigger problem in the technology world: “Only 15 percent of venture funding goes to teams that have a female co-founder.”

As with any issue, the first step in the solution is acknowledging the problem. “It starts by people being cognizant of it,” she says. And that consciousness is growing. Meyer is committed to being part of the solution, and not just as an example herself.

Among other things, she participates in awarenessbuilding events. For example, last fall she served as a panelist in a session focused on “Women in Tech: Optimizing the Workforce.”

She also networks with other women who have succeeded in the tech world. “We meet on a regular basis with cohorts and we just get together and talk about it,” she says. The hope is to figure out how they can collectively keep building opportunities for women to bring their ideas and expertise to the table. “How do we help them to get their foot in the door?”

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Opinion

CAREER TIPS

Core Principles Can Put You on the Path to Productivity Success In his career as a consultant serving manufacturing and high-tech clients, alumnus Jeff Kavanaugh (EE, 1987) has found that there are essential professional skills, starting with learnability, which all STEM professionals must have to be successful.

Kavanaugh, vice president and executive editor for Infosys Knowledge Institute, the research and thought leadership arm of Infosys, is author of the book “Consulting Essentials: The Art and Science of People, Facts, and Frameworks.” It includes foundational competencies and enduring skills that were valuable years ago and will continue to be valuable well into the future. These areas include critical and creative thinking, oral communication, written communication, productivity and leadership.

He believes the following productivity principles to be most valuable: GENERATE INSIGHT: Always be thinking how you can help your clients or colleagues learn something new.

HAVE FUN: Find aspects of your work that you enjoy,

and that you would do even if you weren’t getting paid.

LIVE WITH INTEGRITY: Feel good about what you’ve

accomplished at work each day.

BUILD YOUR SUCCESS ON THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS:

Focus first on making customers successful, then our colleagues and finally ourselves.

DELIVER CANDID, HONEST FEEDBACK: Don’t be disagreeable,

but it’s important to be honest. This shows respect.

KEEP COMMITMENTS AND DELIVER A FINISHED PRODUCT:

In consulting, we say “client-ready” and my personal favorite “done-done.” Completed, checked, proofed and ready to submit. Your manager should not be the final editor. This distinguishes a true professional from a good worker.

SHARE INFORMATION: Effectiveness depends on sharing what you know with colleagues, while you hope they do the same.

BRING SOLUTIONS: Be that rare person who brings an issue and also provides a few prioritized recommendations. It will be noticed.

BECOME KNOWN FOR SOMETHING: Develop a personal brand and find an area to excel. You have skills— whatever is your “superpower,” find a way to stand out.

REMEMBER THAT EVERYTHING COUNTS: Look forward

to the consequences of your actions.

PRACTICE GRATITUDE: It’s not easy to be grateful, but it’s

worth it. If you have food, freedom and opportunity, you have plenty of reason to be grateful.

BE DIFFICULT TO REPLACE: The amount you are paid

depends on your ability to do what you do, the difficulty of your role and how difficult it is to replace you. If you want to change what you earn, change those things.

KEEP A JOURNAL: Journaling draws out inspiration

SEE “CONSULTING ESSENTIALS” (LIONCREST, 2018) FOR A FULL LIST OF OTHER CORE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS. 24

and provides a fresh perspective. When you wake, ask yourself what you want to accomplish in that day. In the evening, ask yourself what you would have liked to have done differently.

Campus Feature

NEW INNOVATION SPACES

BUILDING BLOCKS STORY BY DALE LONG PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL

FORM HUB OF ACTIVITY, LEARNING INSIDE THE NEWEST ENGINEERING DESIGN AND LABORATORY BUILDING ON CAMPUS, FABRICATION EQUIPMENT, 3D PRINTERS, WIND TUNNELS AND DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS TOOLS ARE WITHIN EASY REACH OF STUDENTS IN COMPETITION TEAMS, CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECTS AND TWO NEW MECHANICAL ENGINEERING CLASSROOMS. THE 13,800-SQUARE-FOOT RICHARD J. AND SHIRLEY J. KREMER INNOVATION CENTER THAT OPENED AT THE START OF THE 201819 WINTER ACADEMIC QUARTER WAS DEDICATED APRIL 3. LOCATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF CAMPUS ADJACENT TO THE BRANAM INNOVATION CENTER AND NAMED TO HONOR THE COUPLE’S PHILANTHROPY TO ROSE-HULMAN, THE FACILITY HAS EXPANDED AND ENHANCED OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATION AND EXPERIMENTATION. (CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE)

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BUILDING BLOCKS

KREMER CHERISHED A ‘CARING’ CAMPUS

Richard Kremer holds fond memories of the welcoming campus environment he experienced after transferring to Rose-Hulman from nearby Indiana State University and has never forgotten the understanding displayed by his professors as he juggled his chemical engineering studies with the full-time employment he needed to provide for his family and pay for his education.

“Rose-Hulman is a great place with caring faculty and staff who help students succeed,” says Kremer (CHE, 1958). “I am very proud of my association with Rose-Hulman. It is a special place that opens doors for its graduates in industry. That was certainly true for me and I’m forever grateful.”

Kremer became the founding owner of FutureX Industries Inc., a manufacturing company in Bloomingdale, Ind., that specializes in custom plastic extrusion. FutureX Industries has grown over the course of the past 42 years to become a leading supplier of plastic sheet materials to transportation, printing, and manufacturing industries. Meanwhile, he and his supportive wife, Shirley, also established a family.

The Kremers’ philanthropy has enhanced educational opportunities, especially evident in the KIC. “Shirley and I wanted to make a gift to Rose-Hulman that would make the greatest impact in helping students,” says Richard.

Several months after opening, the KIC has become a popular space on campus. Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons says, “The Kremer Innovation Center is giving our students the skills, experiences and mindset to play a key role in developing future advances benefiting all areas of our lives. Richard and his career success are excellent examples of the core values of this institution at work; values that continue to consistently provide a rock-solid foundation for the current and future success of Rose-Hulman and our students.”

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Members of the Design-Build-Fly (top) and Robotics Club (opposite, right) competition teams work on adding technical elements into their projects. Several student teams are utilizing the expanded areas inside the Kremer Innovation Center.

(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

“The KIC” offers equipment that students are using to create device prototypes for a variety of projects.

A CNC router in the Fabrication Lab (dubbed “Fab Lab”) cuts large sections of foam and wood to create cross sections of vehicles for racing teams.

A water jet machine, wood cutting equipment and new tabletop CNC router shape metal, thick plastic, wood and glass into useful parts of all shapes and sizes.

Four 3D printers coming soon will allow students to take their designs from the drawing board (or computer screen) to fabrication and then prototype stage—the early stage in the production cycle of any engineering project, notes Bill Kline, associate dean of innovation and professor of engineering management.

There’s also a new Thermofluids Laboratory (“Wet Lab”) with a water channel and other equipment that’s allowing mechanical engineering

BUILDING BLOCKS professors to build dimensional analysis experiences into their fluids classes, which are being taught in the adjacent classrooms.

“This is a very high-quality fluids laboratory,” says associate professor of mechanical engineering Michael Moorhead, who consulted on designing the KIC’s features. “What we’re able to do here would have been very challenging previously. Now, if (professors) think a hands-on example would help reinforce a teaching concept in fluid mechanics, they can go next door and put the concept into practice.”

Other classes utilizing the educational spaces are covering such topics as theoretical aerodynamics, introduction to design, propulsion systems, fatigue analysis and combustion.

Rose-Hulman Provost Anne Houtman says, “The co-location of classrooms and project space is supporting faculty in incorporating hands-on activities in their instruction. Also, the KIC is helping us separate larger, messier projects from smaller, ‘cleaner’ ones.”

In the middle of the building is a Maker Laboratory, where students are tinkering and developing creative ideas. In addition, open workspaces and a conference room are in use throughout the day and night by a variety of competition teams finding opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. A design studio for the new major in engineering design is being added for the 2019-20 school year.

“Everything we do is to better serve our students,” says Kline. “We put in an open area and really didn’t know if students would use it. In fact, students just gravitated toward it and it’s become one of most popular areas of the building.”

NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING FOOTPRINT BEGINS Preliminary construction preparations began this spring to create a $29 million academic building featuring collaboration areas, design studios, flexible classrooms, chemistry laboratories and faculty innovation spaces. The 60,000-square-foot, three-story building on the east side of campus, between Moench and Myers halls, is scheduled to open for the 2021-22 school year.

A $15 million lead gift from an anonymous donor is supporting the project. Opportunities are available for donor naming of the building as well as classrooms and workspaces. For information, contact Steve Brady, vice president for institutional advancement, at brady1@rose-hulman.edu or 812-877-8784.

ROTZ LAB EQUIPMENT MOVED TO INNOVATION SPACES Wind tunnels, engine testing rooms and robotics equipment have a new home inside the Branam Innovation Center and Kremer Innovation Center. The building that housed that equipment was demolished this spring to make room for the new academic building and associated landscaping. Specifically, a concourse with green spaces will take its place, surrounded

by Moench Hall (to the west), Myers Hall (to the north and east) and the new academic building (to the south).

Students can be found throughout each day exchanging ideas on a variety of projects in the new Kremer Innovation Center.

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Campus News

IN BRIEF

Glass Outdoor Pavilion Expands Green Spaces

Linda and Mike Mussallem (BSCHE, 1974; HDENG, 1999) have found another way to impact the lives of students and campus. The couple recently donated $1.5 million to construct a new three-season pavilion for outdoor dining and gatherings. It will be located a stone’s throw from the the newly renovated and expanded Mussallem Union (“The Muzz”), where the couple cut the ribbon late last May 2018 at the dedication of the $25 million project, for which they provided the $9 million lead gift.

The pavilion will feature sliding glass doors around the perimeter and sustainable green space with plants covering a portion of the roof—complementing the nearby student center and White Chapel. The building will provide seating for 40-50 people, includes an outdoor grill, and will hold audio-visual equipment for multimedia presentations including student movie nights and other gatherings.

In a joint statement, the couple remarked, “We are so pleased to partner with Rose-Hulman to expand the student union to the outdoor pavilion, which we hope will give students an additional space to enjoy, de-stress and create community. The Muzz and surrounding areas serve as the vibrant campus center and it is exciting to see how much the students are enjoying it. We look forward to this vision for the pavilion becoming a reality.”

Construction of the outdoor structure began this spring and is expected to be completed in time for dedication during Homecoming weekend, Oct. 4-5.

Moody to Address Graduating Class Alumnus and trustee Darin Moody, a senior vice president with Eli Lilly and Company, will present the Commencement Address to the Class of 2019 on May 25.

Moody (CHE, 1987) has been senior vice president since 2016 with responsibilities for Lilly’s active pharmaceutical ingredient and dry manufacturing operations. His 31-year career with the Indianapolisbased company has included leadership roles in corporate engineering, global health, safety and environment, and maintenance engineering.

Moody also has been a corporate Six Sigma champion as he’s overseen manufacturing operations for bulk insulin, biosynthetic human insulin, fermented animal health antibiotics, and biochemical products. These responsibilities have taken him through the world, including Lilly production facililities in Speke and Liverpool, England.

As a Rose-Hulman trustee since 2008, Moody has been interested in initiatives to expand diversity among the institute’s student body, administration, faculty and staff. He has been a member of several trustees’ committees. He received the Alumni Association’s Career Achievement Award in 2007.

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Moody

Hymel Returns as First Maker-In-Residence Technical content creator Shawn Hymel (CPE, 2006) returned to campus as the first Maker-In-Residence for a new Maker Week (March 11-15). He presented a series of workshops that allowed students to learn new tools and materials to develop creative projects.

Topics covered included an introduction to using Arduino microcontrollers for building robotics and digital devices; using Arduino and Python software programming for Internet of Things projects; applying the tiny and affordable Raspberry Pi computer to create interactive objects; and using soldering techniques to connect electronic circuits.

HYMEL

Campus News

IN BRIEF

Hymel, former creative engineer with SparkFun Electronics, also showed students how they can use makerspaces in the new Kremer Innovation Center and nearby Branam Innovation Center to enhance their classroom experiences and explore their own STEM interests.

Professors, Administrators & Staff End Legendary Careers

Bear Named New VP for Enrollment Management

Award-winning faculty and administrators will end their legendary Rose-Hulman careers during the 2018-19 school year. These retirees include:

The institute didn’t have to look very far to find the ideal candidate to replace retiring Vice President for Enrollment Management Jim Goecker. Thomas Bear, senior director for enrollment management at the University of Notre Dame, will be joining the leadership team July 15.

Mike Moloney, the institute’s longest-serving professor after 51 years of teaching physics and optical engineering. He earned the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 1996.

Jim Goecker, vice president for enrollment management, has been involved in recruiting more than 14,650 students—an estimated two-thirds of the institute’s living alumni—during 32 years in college admissions. He received the Dorothy Cheesman Distinguished Service Award this year from the Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling.

Ed Mottel, who taught inorganic chemistry for more than 44 years as part of the chemistry and biochemistry faculty. He has been a longtime faculty adviser with the campus’ Triangle fraternity chapter.

Phil Cornwell, in his 30th year teaching mechanical entineering. He received the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher (2000) and Trustees Outstanding Scholar (2001) awards, and was featured in the Princeton Review’s “Best 300 Professors” book.

Dale Bremmer, in his 31st year teaching economics. He earned the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 2002.

Jan Jerrell, in her 31st year as a member of the Logan Library services and business/finance staffs.

Terry Schumacher, after 19 years as associate professor of engineering management.

Bear brings a wealth of experience in student recruitment, financial aid and enrollment management in both private and public higher education to the vice presidency at Rose-Hulman.

At Notre Dame, Bear has been overseeing enrollment strategy and operations, which includes management of the offices of financial aid, student accounts, shared services, and early outreach and engagement.

Bear Prior to his move to Notre Dame in 2012, he was vice president of enrollment services at the University of Evansville for seven years, and assistant vice president and dean of admission at Evansville for four years. His career also included a variety of roles in the Ivy Tech Community College system, Adrian College (Mich.) and the Walden School (Ky.).

“Dr. Bear’s extensive experience, strong analytical skills, passion for his work, and collaborative, open leadership style were readily apparent during his campus visit and earned him high marks from faculty and staff,” says Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “These accolades confirmed for me that we have found the right person to lead our enrollment management operation forward.”

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Campus News

IN BRIEF

Students’ Optical Headlight Design Wins Global Contest A novel freeform optical engineering concept that could refocus the automotive LED headlight industry earned four students grand prize honors in the 2018 Global Capstone Design Fair that was part of South Korea’s E2Festa engineering education festival.

The students’ prototype utilizes a complex concept in light-emitting diode (LED)based headlights, through light manipulation and shaping. The technology requires fewer working parts than current headlight models and utilizes molded plastic instead of the current practice of metal reflector cones. This would make headlights potentially easier to manufacture, more compact, and cheaper to produce.

Using non-sequential ray tracing, students designed a 3D freeform lightguide to direct the light source into a road’s legal pattern, without the use of reflectors or bevels. The headlamp is designed to meet automotive regulations for low-beam patterns. Developing the idea were seniors Audrey (Audie) Brand and Simon Tsaoussis, and sophomores Husam Altoonisi and Zhaowei (Zac) Chen. Visiting optical engineering professor Hossein Alisafaee was the team’s faculty mentor.

Academic All-America Honors a Slam Dunk

Bromenschenkel Aoki

Seniors Ally Bromenschenkel and Ryuji Aoki supplemented their record-setting basketball careers with top academic performances that earned them Google Cloud Academic All-America team honors — marking the first time in Rose history that a men’s and women’s basketball player have been recognized in the same season by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Bromenschenkel was a second-team choice, becoming the second Academic All-American in women’s basketball history. The mechanical engineering major ranks among the school career leaders in nine categories, including games started (109) and points (1,409), and helped the Engineers win three Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championships and

VPs, Academic Heads Appointed

secure the program’s first two NCAA postseason tournament appearances.

Meanwhile, Aoki was a third-team Academic AllAmerican after being the career school record holder for free throw accuracy (93.2%) and ranking sixth in school history in 3-point field goal accuracy (40.3%).

He is a senior biomedical engineering major.

Two fall student-athletes earned Academic All-America honors in 2018: football’s Garrett Wright, first team, and volleyball’s Bailey MacInnis, third team.

Rose-Hulman has had 137 Academic All-Americans, including at least one honoree for 34 consecutive years.

That streak ranks sixth among all NCAA institutions and first in NCAA Division III.

Keep track of latest Rose-Hulman news at www.rose-hulman.edu/news.

President Robert A. Coons completed his administrative cabinet with the promotions of Matthew D. Davis to vice president for finance and Megan C. Elliott to vice president for human and environmental services. Coons had responsibility for those areas in his prior position as senior vice president and chief administrative officer.

Davis is leading groups responsible for finance, administrative services, risk management and facilities operations.

Elliott is overseeing human resources along with public safety, environmental health/safety, custodial services, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and Office of Professional and Organizational Development.

Meanwhile, the Office of Academic Affairs has appointed Richard Onyancha as head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, effective July 1, replacing Lori Olson, who led the department for five years.

Reappointed department heads are Craig Downing, engineering management; Galen Duree, physics and optical engineering; and JP Mellor, computer science and software engineering.

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Kala’s Floating Seat

STUDENTS CREATE ASSISTIVE SWIM DEVICE FOR TODDLER

STORY BY ARTHUR FOULKES PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL

Seat” went through several stages, including a couple of test runs with Kala in the campus’ swimming pool.

After about six weeks of design and modifications, the final version was ready for delivery in early April. The students presented it to Ryan and Kala in Myers Hall.

Campus News

HELPING HANDS

“We’re all really proud of the work we put into this,” says Archuleta, a biomedical engineering major.

A big smile lights up Kala Steiner’s face as her father dips the 3-year-old slowly into the swimming pool.

Within an instant, she’s kicking her legs and splashing her hands. Swimming—until this spring—had seemed like an unattainable goal for Kala, who has cerebral palsy and autism, and spends most of her time in a wheelchair.

But Kala’s father, Ryan Steiner, is not easily deterred.

He wanted Kala to learn to swim, so he turned to students in Rose-Hulman’s new engineering design major for help. Part of the program’s allure to prospective students is that they can work on projects for real-world clients, such as Ryan and Kala, beginning as early as their first year.

Ryan’s call for help was a perfect challenge for first-year students Yiqing Li, Isabella Popoff and Carla Archuleta, along with sophomore Youhua Lu. The team— a mix of engineering design and biomedical engineering majors —was ideal for the task. The students met with Ryan and Kala, examined a swimming device Ryan had designed himself but didn’t work as well as he’d hoped, and got busy designing and building something completely new that would provide Kala with the in-pool assistance she needed.

“They asked lots of questions and they were very thorough,” Ryan says of his meetings with the students. “They were great.”

Design and construction of what the students call “Kala’s Floating

The “Floating Seat” is a bit of an understatement, as it actually allows Kala to do much more than just float.

She can lie forward on her stomach in a swimming position and kick her legs, which can help strengthen them for walking and improve her neurodevelopment, according to Ryan. The device also is designed to expand as Kala grows and gains weight. And, just for fun, Kala’s Floating Seat includes four flashing lights with interchangeable color combinations on each of its corners.

“We call (the lights) ‘friend makers,’” Ryan says. “They always attract other kids in the pool, and she loves that.”

Four engineering design and biomedical engineering students worked together to create the flotation device to help 3-year-old Kala Steiner learn how to swim this summer.

Ryan hopes Kala can use her device in the Special Olympics, which has a swimming event with assistive devices. And, eventually, he hopes his daughter will learn to swim without it.

For the team that put it together, Kala’s Floating Seat is a perfect example of why they wanted to become engineers.

“To think we had this opportunity in our freshman year is really amazing,” says Popoff, a biomedical engineering major. “I’m actually getting to help someone in my community. It’s an amazing feeling.”

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CHALLENGES STIMULATE LONG-TIME SOLVER

BY PROFESSOR EMERITUS HERB BAILEY

I must have pushed too hard with the fall challenge, resulting in fewer solvers. So, I hope you find this spring’s problems to be easier, but still challenging to solve.

SPRI N G PRO BLEM 1

In the given cryptogram, the letters at right represent distinct digits and there are no carries. Find all possible addition problems that could be represented by this cryptogram.

ONE +ONE TWO

SPRI N G PRO BLEM 2

Let A = x2 – 6x – 6 and B = x2 + 4x – 60.

Find all possible values of x such that AB =1.

“I was taught that reliability is an important character trait, and once committed to something, I feel compelled to maintain consistency,” says Priem, who lives in Katy, Texas. After working in the energy sector for British Petroleum, Amoco and Exxon Mobil, he is now owner of Priemere GeoTechnology.

SPRI N G BO N US PRO BLEM

Malfatti circles are three circles inside a given triangle, such that each circle is tangent to the other two and to two sides of the triangle. An example is shown in the figure at right. Find the radii of these circles if the length of each triangle side is 10 inches.

Estimate these radii if the triangle has sides 10, 10 and 5. (The lengths are not to scale in the figure.)

SO LUTI O N TO FALL BO N US A

Without a series, let ‘x’ be the length of the base of the bottom square and ‘y’ be the lengths of the bottom triangles. Then we have x + 2y = B and x/y = H/(B/2), since the triangle with sides x, y is similar to the triangle with sides H and B/2. Solving gives x = BH/(B+H) and y = B2H/2(B + H).

The bottom parallelogram has area x2 + xy and the bottom square has area x2. Thus, the fraction that is in the square is x2/( x2 + xy)=2H/(2H + B). This is the same fraction of each successive pair that is included in the square. Hence, the total area of the squares is the area of the large triangle, BH/2, times this fraction, which simplifies to BH2/(2H + B).

H y1

y

x1

y1

x

y

B

SO LUTI O N TO FALL BO N US B With a series, let x1, y1 in the second parallelogram correspond to x, y in the first. Then x1+2y1=x.

Using calculations similar to those in Bonus A, we find that r=(x1/x)2 = H2/(B+H)2, where ‘r’ is the area ratio of the bottom square to the square above. This ratio is the same for each successive pairs of squares.

The total area of the squares is given by the series x2 + x12 + x22 + . . . The sum of this geometric series is x2/(1– r). Substituting the above expressions for ‘x’ and ‘r’ and simplifying gives BH2/(2H + B) for the total area of the squares.

Send your solutions to Herb.Bailey@rose-hulman.edu or to: Herb Bailey, 8571 Robin Run Way, Avon, IN 46123. Alumni should include their class year.

Congratulations to the following solvers of the summer problems: ALUMNI: T. Jones, 1949; C. Hirschfield, 1954; J. Moser, 1957; D. Bailey, 1959; J. Kirk, 1960; L. Hartley, 1961; J. Tindall, 1961; R. Lovell, 1963; A. Cleek, 1964; R. Dutton, 1969; A. Englehart, 1969; B. Myers, 1969; J. Walter, 1969; E. Arnold, 1971; W. Pelz, 1971; D. Dvorak, 1972; D. Hagar, 1972; J. Sanders, 1972; R. Kominiarek, 1973; M. Marinko, 1973; J. Zumar, 1973; D. Wheaton, 1974; P. Eck, 1975; M. Bailey, 1976; B. Hunt, 1976; J. Schroeder, 1976; P. Van de Motter, 1977; T. Greer, 1978; R. Priem, 1979; P. Gunn, 1981; S. Nolan, 1981; M. Taylor, 1982; B. Downs, 1983; T. Endress, 1984; J. Marum, 1983; S. Blonigen, 1986; B. Wright, 1986; M. Lancaster, 1987; C. Abdnour, 1989; R. Burger, 1991; R. Hochstetler, 1991; P. Kimmerle, 1991; J. Przybylinski, 2006; M. Trowbridge, 2008; A. Rai, 2009; K. Kragh-Buetow, 2010; and L. Evans, 2013.

FRIENDS: B. Burchett, T. Cutaia, A. Kremer, J. Ley, L. Metcalfe, P. Nilsen, M. Rosene, J. Walsh and C. Wicker.

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Rich Priem (ME, 1979) is proud to be classified as a “faithful Challenge solver,” an honor arising from his stretch of successful solutions that extends through at least 26 Echoes issues, including this fall’s problems. (See solvers list below)

As a student, Priem was a captain of Rose-Hulman’s math team, coordinated by math professor Gary Sherman.

The 1977 team won first place in the Indiana Collegiate Mathematics Competition and had the highest score among Indiana college teams in the national Putnam competition.

The Bailey Challenge problems remind him of those days he joined math team member Jay Slupesky, an electrical engineering major, in late-night/ early-morning study sessions preparing for exams in Al Schmidt’s theoretical math class.

“There was one complex item that we gave up on, rationalizing that it was too difficult to put on the test, and sure enough it was on the test,” recalls Priem.

“I enjoy the Bailey Challenge for the mental stimulation, and affirmation that my skills have not significantly diminished over the years. Similar to how many folks get that instant gratification from a ‘Like’ on Facebook, I get a better buzz when I submit my solution, and again when Herb responds.”

— Dale Long, Executive Editor

Alumni, Campus Reps Honored for Success, Service The Alumni Association’s Alumni Awards ceremony recognized a dozen alumni March 30 for their career successes, while honoring faculty and staff members along with a current student for strengthening institute initiatives. This year’s award winners, by category, were:

HONOR ALUMNI AWARD

LIFETIME CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AND INSTITUTE SERVICE

100 Years of Army ROTC on Parade The Army Reserve Officer Training Corps’ Wabash Battalion is celebrating its 100-year anniversary with a year full of events that started Feb. 16 with a military ball honoring alumnus/ retired major general James (Jim) K. Gilman (BIO ENG, 1974), and the unveiling of a special monument covered by dog tags embossed with the names of ROTC cadet graduates.

Past battalion members can add their names to the memorial list by contacting Lt. Col. Matthew Miller at miller8@rose-hulman.edu. The battalion also commissioned the image above in which campus photographer Bryan Cantwell merged photographs of past and current cadets parading in front of Moench Hall on campus.

Noel Takes President’s Gavel Kelly (Sullivan) Noel (EE, 2002) is set to begin her two-year term as president of the Alumni Association on July 1.

She replaces Gregory (Greg) M. Gotwald (CHE, 2001).

Noel

Noel is senior vice president of facilities with Aurora Heath Care, a not-for-profit health care provider and network of medical professionals serving Wisconsin and northern Illinois. She was among this year’s Milwaukee 40 Under 40 class for making a major impact on the community. (See Class Notes in this issue)

In other officer news, Kedar D. Murthy (CHE, 1984) has been elected to serve a two-year term as vice president of the association. He has recently become chief commercial officer of Boston Materials, a carbon fiber and advanced composite materials company in Boston, Mass.

Meanwhile, the following alumni have been selected to serve two-year terms on the AA Board of Directors, starting July 1: Mark A. Renholzberger (CHE, 1982), master production scheduler with Vertellus Specialties in Indianapolis; Jason B. Carlyle (CS/MA 1998), executive director of technology with J.P. Morgan Chase & Company in Chicago; Allison P. Bowman-Rogers (EE, 2014), an engineering specialist with the Ford Motor Company in Louisville, Ky.; and Dieter J. Schultz (CE, 2016, MSEMGT 2017), an engineer with ExxonMobil Corporation in Houston, Texas.

Chris A. Mack (PH/CHEM/EE/CHE, 1982), co-founder/chief technology officer of Fractilia in Austin, Texas Benjamin Studevent (AO, 1991), a physics and history teacher in Louisville, Ky. John N. Voyles Jr. (ME, 1976), retired vice president with Louisville Gas & Electric/Kentucky Utilities Energy Services

Alumni News

TAKING NOTE

CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD DISTINCTIVE CAREER SUCCESS

Charles S. Elmore (CHEM, 1991), head of isotope chemistry with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Sweden James S. Freudenberg (MA/PH, 1978), professor at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Richard C. Haut (ME, 1974), retired founder of Haut Energy Solutions and Technologies in Texas James P. Young (EE, 1977), an industry expert in radio frequency integrated circuits design

DISTINGUISHED YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD SUCCESS WITHIN FIRST 10 YEARS AFTER GRADUATION

Ranjana Chandramouli (CHE, 2014), process engineer with Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Ind. Amanda (Mandie) E. Gehring (CHEM/PH, 2008), team leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico Garrett Koetter (ME, 2013), regional site supplier technical assistance engineer with Ford Motor Company in Louisville, Ky. Chris M. Wlezien (ME, 2010), associate product design engineering director with McKinsey & Company in Chicago, Ill.

COLLEGIAN ROSE AWARD ALUMNI RHIT FACULTY & STAFF MEMBERS

Papa to be BOT Representative Jeffrey (Jeff) L. Papa (ECON, 1993) has been selected to represent alumni on the Rose-Hulman Board of Trustees. His two-year term of office will begin July 1, 2019.

Papa is the chief of staff/general counsel for the Indiana State Senate after being a partner at Barnes & Thornburg, where his legal practice focused on immigration, higher education and government relations matters. He is president

Richard E. Stamper (ME, 1985), professor of mechanical engineering and engineering management

of the Youth Enhancement Training Initiative, Inc., an orphanage in Nepal.

HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD

For his career and humanitarian efforts, Papa received the Alumni Association’s Honor Alumni Award in 2013.

Papa replaces Charles (Chuck) L. Sigman (CHE, 1980), whose will complete his term early this summer.

HONORING FACULTY & STAFF FOR SERVICE TO ALUMNI/INSTITUTE Rebecca B. DeVasher, associate professor of chemistry Dale H. Long, executive editor of Echoes alumni magazine and director of media relations Papa

RACHEL M. ROMAS STUDENT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARD

MERITORIOUS SERVICE TO THIS STUDENT ORGANIZATION

Assistant Director Ready to Help

Madeline R. Wagner, a senior biomedical engineering major

Katie Hoffmann is a new member of the Office of Alumni Relations, serving as assistant director. She will be leading the alumni awards program and working with alumni volunteers throughout the country to help them stay involved with the institute. Hoffmann spent 10 years in elementary education before taking a few years off to help raise her son. She has a master’s degree in human resources management.

SAVE THE DATES FOR HOMECOMING 2019

OCTOBER 4-5

See profiles of all award winners at www.rose-hulman.edu/AlumniAwards2019

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! ECHOES

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Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

60s

80s

Ross Kuykendall (ME, 1960) has received the Benemerenti medal from Pope Francis for “good merit” service to the Roman Catholic Church. Kuykendall has been a long-time member of the Charleston, S.C., Diocesan Buildings and Renovation Committee, assisting in 10 major building projects. Professionally, he is a retired project manager with General Electric Company and has lived in Bluffton, S.C., since 1998.

Mark C. McCullough (ME, 1981) is now executive vice president of American Electric Power’s transmission division, the nation’s largest system with more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines serving 5.4 million customers in 11 states. He formerly was executive vice president of the company’s generation operation and has spent his entire career with AEP, based in Columbus, Ohio.

70s

Moujalli C. Hourani (MSCE, 1982) received an outstanding achievement award from The Moles, a national heavy construction industry professional organization.

He is a distinguished professor and former head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Manhattan College (N.Y.).

Alan L. Smock (ME, 1973) received the first Friend of Conservation award from the Dubois County (Ind.) Soil and Water Conservation District. Since his retirement, he has farmed property in the county, and served as supervisor and vice chair with the district.

Jack Farr II (BIOE, 1975) was once again named among central Indiana’s top orthopedic surgeons in Indianapolis Monthly magazine’s 2018 Top Doctors issue.

He practices with OrthoIndy in Greenwood, Ind. Jeffrey S. McCreary (EE, 1979) has joined the advisory board with Spark Connected, a leading technology developer of advanced and innovative wireless power system solutions.

John N. Hostettler (BSME, 1983; HD, 1999) is vice president with the Federal Affairs for States Trust, a new initiative of the Texas Public Policy Foundation that’s focused on addressing America’s toughest challenges through federalist-oriented state-based solutions. He represented Indiana’s 8th congressional district from 1995 to 2007.

Gregory L. Gibson (CE, 1984) has been inducted into the Indiana Track & Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame as a contributor.

Jeffrey (Jeff) S. Gilbert (BSME, 1985; MSEMGT, 2006) has retired as chief executive officer with SEP, a Carmel, Ind.-based firm he co-founded in 1988 with three alumni colleagues.

The software product design and development company collaborates with clients throughout the world.

Eugene (Gene) J. LeBoeuf (CE, 1985) has assumed command of the 79th Theater Sustainment Command of the U.S. Army Reserve, based in Los Alamitos, Calif. LeBoeuf, who holds the military rank of major general, is the associate department chair and director of undergraduate studies in Vanderbilt University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Jeffrey A. Myers (BSEE, 1987; MSEMGT, 2003) has become an independent consultant specializing in utility business operations. He spent nearly eight years in management with Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utility Energy, and seven years as vice president of engineering and operations with Central Indiana Power.

Jeffrey A. Harrison (EE, 1989) has been named to the board of directors for the Indiana Sports Corporation, a not-for-profit organization hosting world-class sporting events in Indianapolis.

Mussallem, Umpleby Honored for CEO Excellence Alumni and Rose-Hulman trustees Michael Mussallem and D. James (Jim) Umpleby have been recognized among the world’s top corporate executives.

Mussallem

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Harvard Business Review put Mussallem (BSCHE, 1974; HDENG, 1999) at No. 15 on a list of the world’s best-performing chief executive officers. This is the fourth time he has made the list for transforming Edwards Lifesciences from a debt-ridden spinoff into a leading medical device provider.

Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Umpleby (BSME, 1980; HDENG, 2017) was named 2019 International Executive of the Year by The Executives’ Club of Chicago. The award recognizes an individual’s exemplary values-based leadership and significant contributions to their company and the global business community.

Mussallem’s 18 years in leading Edward Lifesciences has seen the Irvine, Calif., company’s value rise 4,000 percent with a stock value exceeding $32 billion.

Umpleby has led the Fortune 50 company since early 2017 and was elected chairman of the board of directors in December of 2018. In these roles he is leading the company’s execution of a new enterprise strategy to achieve profitable growth.

Find out more about Mussallem’s HBR award at www.bit.ly/EchoesMuzz

Find out more about Umpleby’s honor at www.bit.ly/EchoesUmp

Umpleby

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Matthews Setting Example for Diversity & Inclusion Joseph (Joe) E. Matthews knows that diversity and inclusion are building blocks that strengthen an organization. The Gary, Ind., native brings those lessons into his new role as the first diversity officer for Michigan-based Gentex Corporation.

Matthews (EE, 1991) is in charge of developing and implementing Gentex’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. He also is providing leadership to the new DE&I Council and helping guide the Women at Gentex internal business resource group.

Matthews has been part of Gentex’s purchasing department since 2010, serving as vice president of purchasing for the past four years. He will continue in that role, in addition to the added management responsibilities of the new position. Matthews also worked with Whirlpool Corporation (2003-08) and Delphi Technologies (1991-2003), where he was nominated as the company’s Black Engineer of the Year.

Learn more about Matthews’ new role at www.bit.ly/EchoesMatthews

90s Corbett S. Kull (EE, 1990) has been appointed a director with AgEagle Aerial Systems, an aerial drone imagery collection and analytics company. He is senior director of marketing with The Climate Corp. and formerly co-founded the agribusiness entity 640 Labs.

Douglas Tougaw (EE, 1991) has been re-elected vice president for finance with the American Society of Engineering Education. He has served in the position since 2017 and has been active in ASEE since 2000. Tougaw is chair and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Valparaiso University.

Raman N. Ohri (CPE, 1993) has added the title of chief executive officer to his leadership role with SEP, a Carmel, Ind.,-based software development company. He started at SEP in 1993 and rose through the ranks as project manager, vice president of engineering and president.

Mitchell (Mitch) A. Landess (BSEE, 1994; MSEE, 1996) is senior director of industry 4.0 with Conexus Indiana, helping build relationships between academia and industry to support the state’s advanced manufacturing and logistics economy. He spent 17 years as director of business development and operations with Rose-Hulman Ventures.

Robert Walker (MSEE, 1994) is the new chief technology officer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Ind., where he has worked for 30 years. He is responsible for internal science and technology investments, technology transfer and an artificial intelligence development laboratory.

Kenneth N. Whah (ME, 1994) has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of Hanson Logistics, whose network of refrigerated warehouses includes facilities in Michigan and Indiana. He has been the company’s chief operating officer since October 2017 after being director of North American logistics operations with Whirlpool.

R. Michael Meneghini (CE, 1995) was named among central Indiana’s top orthopedic surgeons in Indianapolis Monthly magazine’s 2018 Top Doctors issue.

He practices at Indiana University Health Physicians Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Fishers, Ind. Timothy A. Sublette (CS, 1995) is the chief technology officer of Bolstra, a scale-up company that’s

providing a business-to-business customer management platform. He is working out of his home in Park City, Utah.

Jeremy J. Newton (CS/ECON, 1997) is now a certified financial planner with StrongBridge Wealth Advisors in Highland Village, Texas. He has been a financial planner and investment representative since 2001.

George C. Bergstrom (CS, 1999) is coordinating activities for the Indiana State Library’s southwest regional operations. He also is part of the library’s professional development office.

Clay D. Fette (BSCHE, 1999; MSCHE, 2004) is chief executive officer of StemSys, a Florida-based company that’s focused on advancing healing techniques and tissue regeneration. The company has developed the FDA-approved biological agent XCelliStem wound powder that introduces stem cells into a wound to allow for better healing.

Matthew R. Kane (BSME, 1999; MSBE, 2003) co-founded Precision BioSciences Inc., a startup that’s using genome editing to eliminate cancers, cure genetic diseases, and create safer, more productive food sources.

The Durham, N.C., entity is striving to raise $100 million in an initial public offering.

W E WA N T YOU R N E W S !

Send news and photographs to alumniaffairs@rose-hulman.edu

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Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Federle Inducted into National Academy of Construction Mark O. Federle (CE, 1985) was recognized for career achievements as an educator and mentor to construction engineers by being inducted into the National Academy of Construction. He started the construction engineering program at Marquette University, where he is now the associate dean for academic affairs for Marquette’s Opus College of Engineering.

Federle has been a tenured professor at Marquette since 2008 after leading the construction engineering program at Iowa State University. Before entering academia, he spent 10 years as chief information officer with the Weitz Company.

A Fellow in the American Society of Civil Engineers, Federle has worked with Engineers Without Borders.

00s David S. Fisher (ME, 2000) has been promoted to full professor of computer science, software engineering and mechanical engineering, with tenure, at Rose-Hulman, effective Sept. 1, 2019.

Micah T. Taylor (CS, 2004) has been promoted to associate professor of computer science and software engineering, with tenure, at his alma mater, starting Sept. 1, 2019.

Jason A. Caron (ME, 2002) has been promoted to deputy program manager with responsibility for $73 million in annual explosive projects in cartridge and propellant actuated devices with the Naval Air Systems Command, based in Indian Head, Md. Kelly K. (Sullivan) Noel (EE, 2002) was among this year’s Milwaukee 40 Under 40 class for making a major impact on the community. She is senior vice president of facilities with Aurora Health Care, a not-for-profit health care provider and network of medical professionals serving Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

Heidi E. (Brackmann) Davidson (CHE, 2003) has been promoted to textiles development group leader with Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tenn. She formerly was an innovation manager with the company.

EE: Electrical Engineering

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BIOE: Biological Engineering

EMGT: Engineering Management

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Cecilia M. (Latta) Pierce (CHEM, 2008) was among the National Safety Council’s 2018 Rising Stars of Safety. She is the chemistry leader for energy systems specialized testing and evaluation at the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Crane, Ind.

Michael D. Martin (BSCPE, 2004; MSEMGT, 2011) is the first chief customer officer with 10K Advisors, bringing sales and delivery together with a customer focus. He previously had several positions with Appirio, recently leading the company’s Indianapolis delivery center.

Singalex (Alex) B. Song (BSME, 2000; MSEMGT, 2010) has moved to Las Vegas to become an engineer with JT4. He spent four years as a senior applications engineer with 3M Corp.

BIO: Biology

Jacob (Jake) B. Wagle (CE, 2007) has been promoted to operations director with Garmong Construction Services, based in Terre Haute, Ind.

Jessica F. (Farmer) Albert (CHE, 2004) is a corporate process safety manager with LyondellBasell in Houston. She previously worked in process safety with Lubrizol.

Bryan W. Egli (CE, 2000) is a senior project manager with Louisville-based Dugan & Meyers.

BE: Biomedical Engineering

Find out more about Federle’s award at www.bit.ly/EchoesFederle.

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Nathan M. Adair (ME, 2009) is director of engineering with firearms manufacturer Naroh Arms, where he helped develop the company’s flagship product, the Naroh N1 9mm handgun. He has worked in the firearms industry since graduation.

Andrew Twarek (CE, 2005) was featured in an article of Civil Engineering magazine about a structural engineering project completed

by Ruby and Associates. He is a project manager for the Detroit-area company.

Guillaume D. Rousson (CE, 2009) has earned a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University. He also started a new job as a project manager with Raycliff Capital, a private equity firm in New York City.

Richard L. Franko (CE, 2007) is now a national account manager with ConvergeOne, based in the Denver area, after being an account executive with Venture Technologies for nearly three years.

Whitney D. Zimmerman (EE, 2009) has been promoted to senior consultant with McKinsey & Company, based in Munich, Germany. He joined the international consulting company in the spring 2018.

CE: Civil Engineering

EN: Environmental Engineering

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CHE: Chemical Engineering

EP: Engineering Physics

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CHEM: Chemistry

MATH: Mathematics

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MAJORS KEY

CPE: Computer Engineering CS: Computer Science

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ME: Mechanical Engineering OE: Optical Engineering

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PH: Physics

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ECON: Economics

SE: Software Engineering

10s Brianna (Bri) Butchart (CHE, 2010) has been promoted to manager of manufacturing excellence at International Paper’s mill in Newport, Ind. She has relocated back to Terre Haute, Ind., after working in Springfield, Ore. Michael Z. Jones (BSCS/SE/MA, 2010; MSSE, 2016) is now a lead software engineer with Chicago-based Mesh++. He formerly was a senior software engineer with Genesys/Interactive Intelligence and co-founded his own software company, Aerosta.

Timothy J. Tepe (ME, 2010) has joined Kroger’s corporate offices as a network strategy project manager.

He formerly had a variety of managerial roles with Fameccanica North American in Cincinnati.

Meredith L. Woodard (BSOE, 2010; MSEMGT, 2012) is a consultant with the P3 Group in South Carolina.

She previously worked as a project engineer at NWS Technologies since 2015.

Quinton J. Huffman (CHE, 2011) was among Ingram’s magazine’s 2018 “20 in Their Twenties” honorees within business in Missouri and Kansas.

He is an engineering technical manager at Honeywell’s plant in Kansas City.

Ross M. Kippenbrock (ME, 2011) has been promoted to engineering manager of Alteryx, an information technology and service company he has worked with since 2017.

David J. Sanborn (BSME, 2011; MSEMGT, 2012) is a consultant in Eli Lilly & Company’s customer service and logistics division. He has worked for the company since 2016 after more than three years with Whirlpool Corporation.

Virginie A. Adams (CPE/MA, 2012; MSEMGT, 2013) was among this year’s Women Inspiring Strength & Hope award recipients by the Make-A-Wish organization’s Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky region. She was recognized for career success, commitment to community service and personal commitment to the organization.

Sara M. (Hardin) Hoorn (BSME, 2012; MSEMGT, 2014) has been promoted to senior construction project engineer with McKinstry in Seattle.

She has worked at the company since 2015.

Nathan C. Weir (CS, 2012) is a senior frontend engineer with NovoEd, an education technology company based in San Francisco.

Emily L. Eckstein (ME, 2013) has been promoted to senior design engineer with Caterpillar Inc., supporting development of the D8 track-type tractor. She will work at resolving machine build issues and build cross-functional collaboration at the company’s proving grounds in the U.S., and assembly facilities in Brazil and Thailand.

Ranjana Chandramouli (CHE, 2014) was a finalist for the United Way of Central Indiana’s Volunteer of the Year award. She is a senior process engineer with Eli Lilly and Company’s Indianapolis operations center.

Matthew B. Etchison (MSEM, 2014) has been promoted to chief information officer of Ivy Tech Community College after being vice president for information technology for more than two years.

He is a member of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s executive council on cybersecurity. Etchison formerly was a senior group manager with Interactive Intelligence in Indianapolis.

Weddings

Brian G. Kodalen (PH/MA, 2014) has started a job with the National Security Agency after earning a PhD in mathematics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Casey J. Levitt (BSBE, 2014/MSEMGT, 2015) is now the program manager for integrated engineering services with National Instruments, where she has worked since 2015.

Benjamin J. McDonald (EP, 2014) is a blaster with Trinity Energetics in Texas, currently working on pipeline jobs and quarry servicing.

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Emily R. Latta (CHE, 2016) was a member of the explosives safety team that earned the Naval Warfare Surface Center’s collaboration award with the Navy’s general command.

Andrew (Andy) Rhine (CHE, 2017) and his father have taken over ownership of Cascade Lakes Brewing, which operates two brew pubs in Oregon — one in Bend, another in Redmond.

Andy has been a home brewer.

Bradley (Brad) S. Rostron (CE, 2017) has become an assistant project manager with Principle Construction Corporation. He formerly was a project engineer at Tank Industry Consultants.

Jonathan H. Hall (ME, 2018) helped design the headlights for Toyota’s 2020 Tacoma model.

He is a design engineer with North American Lighting.

Ethan O. Petersen (CS/MA, 2018) has developed a mobile application, Guess Less, to help people share clothing sizes and gift ideas. The startup was featured in a Google case study. He is a graduate student at Indiana University.

Alexander (Alex) R. Merchant (ME, 2014) and Kristen N. Latta (AB, 2011) were married on Dec. 15, 2018, in Terre Haute, Ind., where they live. Alex is a cryogenic engineer with Technifab Products in Brazil, Ind. Kristen is assistant director of student activities in the Office of Student Affairs at Rose-Hulman.

Steven J. Stark (SE/CPE, 2010) married Ali Caldwell on Oct. 13, 2018, in Indianapolis, Ind. He is a lead software engineer with Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories.

Devin R. Wentz (ME, 2012) married Marilyn M. Striby (ME, 2012) on June 29, 2018, in Carmel, Ind. They live in Indianapolis. He is a reliability engineer with Faurecia and Marilyn is a national strategic account manager with Johnson Controls International.

Continued on next page

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Alumni News

CLASS NOTES Weddings / Continued from previous page Palmer D. Crampton (ME, 2016) married Savannah N. Minor (ME, 2016) on Oct. 27, 2018, in Clemson, S.C. Palmer is a project manager with Invotec Engineering and Savannah is a structural research engineer with the U.S. Air Force. The couple lives in Dayton, Ohio.

Alanna Nacar (BSME, 2015) married Casey M. Dant (MA, 2016) on Oct. 27, 2018, in Terre Haute, Ind. The couple recently moved to Nashville, Tenn. Alanna is a quality engineer with Innocor Inc. while Casey has become an analyst of ticket research and strategy for the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans.

Bradley (Brad) G. Strickland (CHE, 2017) married Melissa LaChance on July 21, 2018, in the White Chapel at Rose-Hulman. They are living in Richmond, Ind. Brad is a lean manufacturing engineer with Belden Wire & Cable.

Rosebuds John H. (Jake) Jacobi (EE, 1959) and wife, Judy, welcomed their first great-grandchild, Rose Catherine, Oct. 8, 2017, in Columbia, Md. She is the daughter of grandson Blake Doty and his wife, Alisha. Both families live in Maryland.

Jake retired after 53 years as an electrical engineer.

Dax R. Scott (CS, 1998) and wife, Angela, had their fourth daughter, Emerson (Emmy) Honor, April 4, 2018. The family lives in Streamwood, Ill., where Dax is a solutions architect with Rightpoint Consulting in Chicago.

Jennifer M. (Meyer) Chagnon (CHE, 2002) and husband, Armands, welcomed their first child, Liliana Mina, Sept. 29, 2018. Jennifer is an administrative patent judge at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The family lives in Washington, D.C. Lewis H. (Hardy) Spry (CS, 2004) and wife, Danielle, had their first child, Philip Joseph, July 22, 2018, in Avon, Ind. Hardy is a principal consultant with Revelant Technologies in Indianapolis, Ind. Andrea L. (Bollinger) Long (CE, 2008) and husband, Brandon H. Long (ME, 2006), welcomed their first child, James Harrison, Sept. 21, 2018, in Denver, Colo. Andrea is a project manager at the City of Aurora (Colo.) and Brandon is the engineering manager at Encore Rail Systems.

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Andrew J. Hettlinger (CS, 2009) and wife, Allie, welcomed their first son, Carson, Nov. 30, 2017. The family lives in Avon, Ind. Andrew is a principal software engineer with Indiana University.

Rachel McHenry (CHE, 2009) and husband, Eric Brynsvold (SE/CS, 2008) had their first daughter, Chloe Rose, Sept. 7, 2018. The family lives in Austin, Texas.

Rachel is a data scientist with Walmart Technology while Eric is an Android developer with Atlassian.

Rachael A. (Spellum) Reese (ME, 2009) and husband, Logan G. Reese (ME/EE, 2009), had their third child, Keziah, in August of 2018. The family resides in Greenwood, Ind. Katherine (Katie) C. Kragh-Buetow (EP, 2010) and husband, Christopher J. Kragh-Buetow (EE, 2009/MSEMGT, 2010), had a daughter, Esther Teresa, Nov. 17, 2018. The family lives in Hillsboro, Ore. Zachary B. Zdrojewski (EE, 2015) and wife, Artishmie, welcomed their first son, Malachi, March 6, 2019. The family resides in Raleigh, N.C., where Zachary is an assistant engineer with Hazen and Sawyer.

Megan (Chirich) Loyer (EE, 2016) and husband, Brandon Loyer (EE, 2016), had a son, Chase Samuel, Oct. 26, 2018.

The family lives in Plainfield, Ind. Megan works for Duke Energy while Brandon is employed with Burns & McDonnell.

In Memoriam Robertson Put Rubber to Road to Support Alma Mater Brent E. Robertson (CE, 1962), 78, died Jan. 5, 2019, in Indianapolis. The former Alumni Association president (1995-96) received the Honor Alumni Award in 1989. He was a proud supporter of Rose-Hulman in central Indiana and made corporate contacts in the tire and rubber industry to benefit the institute and its alumni. He was director of sales and marketing for Michelin North America for 16 years. Later, Robertson led a family-owned residential decorative concrete business, and became a consultant for retirement investments and real estate management.

Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

Moore Rose to Top as Respected Educator & Campus Leader Inspirational Rose educator and mentor Noel E. Moore, 83, died on Oct. 21, 2018, in Bradenton, Fla. He taught chemical engineering for 30 years, was department chair for a decade, and earned the Dean’s Outstanding Teacher Award in 1981. He also was a leading faculty advocate for coeducation of the institute’s student body and led the popular Operation Catapult program for several years. He was named an emeritus faculty member following his retirement in 1998.

James P. Laughlin Jr. (EE, 1949), 94, died Jan. 14, 2019, in Evansville, Ind. He spent nearly 40 years with Seeger Refrigerator and Whirlpool Corp.

of Goshen, Ind., and later became director of public works after owning RWM Construction and several entrepreneurial enterprises.

Herbert L. Patterson (ME, 1949), 94, died Oct. 26, 2018, in Terre Haute, Ind. He retired after being president of Patterson Equipment Company and American Tredex Corporation, overseeing the design and production of the first inclining hydraulic treadmill.

John H. Ostendorf (PH, 1966), 74, died Oct. 27, 2018, in Vincennes, Ind. He retired after 50 years as a professor at Vincennes University, where he was a department chair and vice president of the faculty senate.

Raymond H. Naras (CE, 1952), 91, died Feb. 11, 2018, in Chicago, Ill. John N. Simpson (CE, 1953), 87, died Dec. 9, 2018, in Plainfield, Ind. He retired after 37 years as an award-winning engineer with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Richard (Ric) F. Werking (ME, 1953), 89, died Jan. 25, 2019, in Shelbyville, Ind. He retired after serving as president of Component Sales Associates in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Raymond V. Fischer Jr. (ME, 1956), 84, died Nov. 26, 2018, in Cleveland, Ohio. He owned his own business and worked as a manufacturing representative in the lighting industry.

Samuel T. Vanover (CHE, 1956), 84, died Oct. 12, 2018, in Shepherdsville, Ky. He was a physician for more than 30 years in Bullitt and Jefferson counties and the medical officer at the Naval Ordinance Station in central Kentucky.

Stanley R. Carpenter (EE, 1956), 84, died Oct. 12, 2018, in Buzzards Bay, Mass. He was an award-winning philosophy of science professor at Georgia Institute of Technology for 25 years after being a research engineer with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Instrumentation Laboratory for nine years.

Frank P. Molinaro (ME, 1958), 82, died Oct. 15, 2018, in Munster, Ind. He retired from the Interlake, Inland/ArcelorMittal and Danieli Corus steel companies.

Roger A. Nelson (CE, 1967), 72, died Sept. 28, 2018. He retired after serving as an attorney and adviser with the U.S. Public Health Service.

James C. Bennett (CE, 1971), 70, died Nov. 6, 2018, in Nashville, Ind. He retired as a civil engineer who worked on major projects throughout the Brown County area.

Richard E. Williams (ME, 1971), 70, died Jan. 22, 2019, in Cambridge, Mass. The decorated military pilot worked with Raytheon Corporation as part of the team that rebuilt the Baghdad International Airport’s air traffic control center. He also owned and operated Williams Auto Electric in Billerica, Mass., until his retirement in 2014.

Randall G. Shoaf (ME, 1972), 69, died Nov. 11, 2018, in Avon, Ind. He retired after a 43-year career as an engineer with Lennox.

Gary W. Tullis (CHE, 1975), 65, died Jan. 24, 2019, in Bluffton, Ind. He retired as director of quality systems during a 40-year career with AOC. Michael R. Walters (MA, 1976), 64, died Oct. 5, 2018, in Indianapolis, Ind. He retired as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army after serving 22 years of active duty. Later, he was a teacher at Colonial Christian School in Indianapolis.

William C. Blanford (EE, 1977), 70, died Jan. 2, 2019, in Lafayette, Colo.

William David Wainscott (ME, 1961), 83, died Dec. 17, 2018, in Kokomo, Ind. He retired after 45 years with Haynes International.

Steven K. Yockey (CS, 1977), 63, died Dec. 9, 2018, in Hilliard, Ohio. He was a senior software engineer with AOL and CompuServe.

Robert W. McCoige (CE, 1964), 77, died Dec. 13, 2018, in Elkhart, Ind. He was first engineer for the City

Robert S. Congdon (ME, 1981), 60, died Dec. 17, 2018, in Zionsville, Ind. He was a senior application

engineer with Eaton Corp. after being a sales engineer with Westinghouse.

Mark E. Talkington (CHEM, 1982), 59, died Dec. 31, 2018, in West Bend, Wis. He was a chemist with Pope Scientific for nearly 25 years.

Max Russell (Russ) Phinney (BSME, 1984/ MSME, 1993), 58, died Dec. 5, 2018 in St. Louis, Mo. He was a logistics manager for ThyssenKrupp after spending 18 years as an ordinance engineer with the Naval Warfare Surface Center in Crane, Ind. Peter C. Gibbons (EE, 1985), 54, died July 27, 2018, in Irving, Texas. He was president and chief operating officer with Internet America Inc. Christopher R. Shadday (CHE, 1989), 52, died Dec. 26, 2018, in Coventry, Conn. He was a senior vice president with Rogers Corp. after being president of Viance LLC and working with Rohm and Haas.

Sean P. Springman (ME, 1997), 44, died Feb. 26, 2019, in Beech Grove, Ind. He earned a law degree and became a patent attorney in Chicago.

Christopher G. Dupin (EE, 2003), 38, died Nov. 17, 2018, when his private aircraft crashed near Niceville, Fla. He was transitioning from a career in the U.S. Air Force, being director of operations for the 40th flight test squadron at Eglin Air Force Base. He also was a flight instructor who founded Dupin Air Services and Gulf Coast Aero Adventures. Survivors include his wife, April D. (Duncan) Dupin (EE, 2003).

FACULTY / STAFF / FRIENDS Stephen C. Carlson, 71, died Aug. 18, 2018, in Terre Haute, Ind. He was a longtime mathematics professor for the institute.

Joy Sacopulos (HD, 2003), 79, died Jan. 30, 2019, in Terre Haute, Ind. She was a passionate Terre Haute community leader who, for almost 50 years, dedicated herself to developing, improving and preserving the quality of life of local citizens.

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DOWN MEMORY LANE

HANDBOOKS PROVIDE GLIMPSES INTO STUDENTS’ CAMPUS LIFE, EXPERIENCES

TIME CAPSULES

L

ook around any college campus today and you’ll see students keeping track of their activities through their smartphones, iPads and laptops.

pages for noting upcoming appointments or recording significant events. Students were issued the handbooks annually until the mid-1960s.

One hundred years ago, these personal electronic devices didn’t exist, but Rose Polytechnic Institute students still had a wealth of helpful information at their fingertips through their nifty student handbooks.

William (Bill) H. Junker, a 1921 mechanical engineering alumnus, was one student who used his handbook extensively. Now part of the Logan Library’s archival collection, it is loaded with handwritten details about his daily experiences.

For instance, Junker’s Theta Xi fraternity house suffered a devastating fire on Dec. 28, 1920, in downtown Terre Haute. He helped his fraternity brothers move into a new home on Jan. 4, 1921.

These tiny (about the size of a deck of cards) books were filled with useful information, such as the names of professors, information about student organizations, and math and scientific conversion charts. The earlier handbooks also included calendar

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We would love to hear of passages pulled from other alumni’s student handbooks.

Contact Echoes editor Dale Long at dale.long@rose-hulman.edu.

STORY BY ARTHUR FOULKES PHOTOS BY BRYAN CANTWELL

And, finally on the memoranda page he wrote a passage that has been shared by Rose alumni throughout the years: “Four years of work & play, but now for forty years of REAL STUFF!!!”

(Under that entry he added a large question mark.)

And, there were lots of academic tests noted, along with a VERY active social life. According to Junker’s handwritten notes, he had 122 dates during his senior year alone. Most of the dates were with a friend named Mary Stark, but “he seemed to have a lot of girlfriends,” says his son Allan, a 1950 mechanical engineering graduate.

On Feb. 20, 1921, for example, Bill Junker had an early date with Mary and a second date that evening with Marion Davis.

And, on Feb. 24 came a date with Mary and a declaration of “The Decision!” What happened isn’t disclosed, but he continued to take Mary to college dances and other social events through graduation on June 9. (Allan acknowledged that Bill and Mary didn’t marry.)

In the page that allowed students to note expenses from the school year, Junker noted: “It would be impossible to account for all the money spent during the last year at school.”

Mechanical engineering student Karl A. Froeb was another scholar whose well-used handbook is preserved for posterity. He noted in his 1919-1920 senior-year handbook that Rose Poly students celebrated the first anniversary of the end of World War I (Armistice Day) by skipping school—an act that resulted in the entire student body being suspended for the following two days. He also took time to note when all of Terre Haute’s street lights went dark for a spell in 1919 due to a local coal miners’ strike. He and Junker separately recorded the titles of silent movies they attended at various local movie theaters.

A handbook owned by Philip R. Boller, a 1957 civil engineering alumnus, includes several interesting Yells and Chants that were popular at school events. One such yell was “Locomotive” with the following lyric: Nuts—Bolts —Screws—Gears ... Rose Poly Engineers Fight! Fight! Fight!”

And, the “Ballad of Rambling Wreck” includes the passage: When the students stop their cribbing and the weary are at rest.

When I’ve made a million dollars in Wall Street to invest.

When saloons close up at midnight and on Sunday sell no beer.

Then I’ll be a Poly Grad-u-ate and a hell of an engineer.

I’m a rambling wreck from old Rose Tech and a helluvan engineer.

The oldest Rose Poly handbooks were published by the campus’ Young Men’s Christian Association with advertisements for local businesses, such as The Great Northern Cafe, an all-night eatery that billed itself as “Poly Headquarters.” By the 1930s, the ads were gone and handbooks were distributed by the Rose Student Council. Around the same time, the daily calendar diary feature was removed from the handbooks, but space remained for students to record

Students used their handbooks to keep precise notes about what was happening on campus and in their lives.

their class schedules and other special notes.

The books were published during the Great Depression, World War II, through the 1950s and into the early 1960s. There was also a 15-page correction manual for the 1960-61 handbook. One of the oldest handbooks in the archives belonged to Froeb from the 1916-17 school year. There is also a handbook once owned by legendary Rose-Hulman educator Herman A. Moench, a 1929 electrical engineering alumnus.

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5500 WABASH AVENUE TERRE HAUTE, IN 47803 Address Service Requested

PARTIN G SHOT A student examines one of several tilapia growing in an aquaponics environment that’s part of an undergraduate research project taking place in the Branam Innovation Center. The project, supervised

by Zac Chambers (ME, 1994), is growing fish and lettuce for use by the campus’ Bon Appetit food service operations.

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