UAH College of Engineering Newsletter- June 2023

INNOVATION INSPIRATION INTEGRITY

• Celebrating the New UAH College of Engineering Education and Research Hub •

LA U N C H

Engineering at UAH | Review

EDITOR:

Jennifer English

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Michael Mercier

ARTICLE CONTRIBUTORS:

Russ Nelson

Jim Steele

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DEAN OF ENGINEERING

Shankar Mahalingam

ASSOCIATE DEAN

GRADUATE EDUCATION & RESEARCH

Michael Anderson

ASSOCIATE DEAN

UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

Jennifer English

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ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CHAIRS

CHEMICAL & MATERIALS (CME)

Yu Lei

CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL (CEE)

Michael Anderson

ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER (ECE)

Aleksandar Milenkovic

INDUSTRIAL & SYSTEMS (ISEEM)

Sampson Gholston

MECHANICAL & AEROSPACE (MAE)

D. Keith Hollingsworth

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The College of Engineering (COE) at UAH publishes news and information on current research, academic programs, and student achievements. To reproduce material contained in this newsletter, please contact the COE Dean’s Office at:

Birgit Gatlin, Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean

UAH College of Engineering

301 Sparkman Drive, ENG 102

Huntsville, Alabama 35899

Telephone: (256) 824.6474 Email: birgit.gatlin@uah.edu

This last year has been monumental, culminating in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building on April 14, 2023! This new building represents the aspirations of our current students, faculty, staff, thousands of UAH engineering alumni, and former UAH engineering faculty and staff. I am truly grateful to UAH’s leadership, UA System Board of Trustees, the state of Alabama, and the Raymond B. Jones family’s generosity for making our vision, a reality. This building, when completed, will transform engineering education and research at UAH, allowing us to elevate our contribution to the rapidly growing highly educated workforce needs of our region, our state, and our nation.

We established two highly prestigious fellowships exclusively for graduate students, the first of their kind in our College’s history. They are the Andrew and Betty Ventre Memorial Fellowship, and the Mary Makima and Lester M. Ross, Senior Scholarship Two very prestigious endowed chairs – again the first of their kind in our history - the Ashok K. Singhal Endowed Chair in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and the Senator Richard Shelby Endowed Chair in Engineering were established We are truly grateful for the generosity of all our donors, and to many UAH staff for their tireless efforts that made these landmark outcomes possible.

Drs. Biswajit Ray (ECE), Abdullahi Salman (CEE), and Guangsheng Zhang (MAE) received the highly prestigious NSF CAREER award. With funding from the US Department of Energy, Drs. Gabe Xu and Jason Cassibry (MAE) are performing cutting edge research on the interaction of jets of plasma with magnetic fields in their efforts to achieve breakeven fusion, a necessary step to clean energy generation using nuclear fusion. Dr. Anu Subramanian (CME) is the PI, with Sarma Rani (MAE) as CoPI on an NIH funded research to advance the state of the art in the use of continuous, low-intensity ultrasound to regrow quality post-operative cartilage in joints like the knee or the shoulder, using an equine model as a surrogate. Advised by Dr. Dale Thomas (ISEEM), PhD student Saroj Kumar (ASE) won the International Astronautical Federation’s 73rd International Astronautical Congress Interactive Presentation Competition for his work on nuclear thermal propulsion. Inspired and mentored by our senior-design instructor David Fikes (MAE), a large student team of MAE seniors won the international 2023 Human Space Exploration Rover Challenge Thanks to Associate Dean Dr. Jennifer English’s outstanding leadership, all seven of our degree programs received the best outcome – Next General Review or NGR –from the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET in 2022; we are expecting a similar outcome for our Cybersecurity Engineering degree program in 2023.

As always, I am grateful for the support that the College of Engineering receives from many units on campus that make our educational, research, and outreach accomplishments possible. Our alumni, our corporate and individual donors, parents and supporters of our students, and our many stakeholders, thank you for enabling us, the College of Engineering students, faculty, and staff to make an impact.

With appreciation, Go Chargers!

Shankar Mahalingam Dean May 31, 2023

Breaking Ground and Launching a Future of Innovation in Engineering Education and Research

“

On April 14, 2023, The University of Alabama in Huntsville held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 80,000-squarefoot engineering facility that will be named in memory of Raymond B. Jones*, long-time business and community leader and past chairman of the UAH Foundation. The facility, which received initial approval by The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees in April 2022, will provide cuttingedge resources to support the largest college at UAH, comprising more than 2,850 students, as well as 90 faculty and staff. The new Jones Engineering Building will feature modernized, world-class research and collaborative teaching facilities that will ensure UAH continues to meet the state’s workforce needs.

“The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, Chancellor St. John and the UA System leadership understand the significance of a modern facility and what this means to UAH’s future growth, and I want to thank them for their leadership and guidance,” said UAH President Dr. Charles L. Karr. “In an effort championed by Senator Tom Butler, Governor Ivey and the Alabama State Legislature appropriated funds to make this needed building a reality, and we will forever be indebted for their commitment to higher education here in Huntsville, especially in the fields of engineering and science. I also want to thank the UAH Foundation, chaired by Dag Rowe, for its significant support. Mr. Jones was a past chairman of this philanthropic body, and because of his leadership, this university was set on a path for exponential growth.”

“Ensuring the growth and success of UAH is one of our top priorities, and the groundbreaking of this transformative building is a testament to that commitment,” said UA System Board of Trustees President Pro Tempore W. Stancil Starnes.

“The Jones Engineering Building will be integral to UAH’s role in supporting the region’s workforce, research and educational needs, and we are confident it will favorably impact this community for generations to come. The future is bright for UAH.”

UAH is known for our talented faculty and students who go on to be some of the brightest leaders in the national security, space exploration, healthcare, arts and business sectors,” said President Karr. “The Huntsville community is known for our remarkable STEM labor force, and the Jones Engineering Building will enhance our students’ experience.”

Phase I of the project received Stage II approval from The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees at its April 2023 meeting. Phase I is estimated to cost $62.38M and includes plans for new construction that will replace the Wernher von Braun Research Hall, a building constructed in 1964. The new facility will be located west of the existing Engineering Building, adjacent to the campus lake along John Wright Drive.

“This new building will serve as a centerpiece for UAH, enabling us to recruit the very best and brightest students from all 67 counties in our state, from states across the nation and beyond,” said Dean Mahalingam. “It will enable us to graduate engineers with B.S., M.S.E. and Ph.D. degrees who will contribute to filling the rapidly growing workforce needs of our region and our state. Today is indeed a historic day for the College of Engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.”

All stages of this multi-phased project are subject to approval by the UA System Board of Trustees.

NSF Research Seeks to Improve Resilience of Coastal Communities After Severe Weather

Improving overall hurricane and severe weather resilience of coastal communities is the goal of a five-year, $505,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER grant awarded to Prof. Abdullahi Salman, an assistant professor of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at UAH. This project titled, “ Integrating Resilience and Social Vulnerability into the Management of Civil Infrastructure Systems”, will advance understanding of the influence of socioeconomic factors on differential impacts of infrastructure disruptions to different populations.

Read full story here or www.uah.edu/news.

Thermal Runway and Lithium-Ion Battery Research

Assistant Prof. Guangsheng Zhang of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department won a NSF Career Award titled, “Understanding Spontaneous Internal Short Circuit Caused Thermal Runaway of Lithium-ion Batteries through In Situ Diagnosis to investigate thermal runway and lithium-ion batteries.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to account for more than half of passenger cars sold in the U.S. by 2030. However, costly battery fires have become a critical challenge for the burgeoning EV industry. What makes this challenge most concerning is that, in some cases, the batteries suddenly caught fire when the vehicles were not in use. These fires have been attributed to the internal short circuit of lithium-ion batteries, which is also a major cause of battery fires involving many other applications such as smart phones, laptops, and grid-scale energy storage. This CAREER research seeks to understand how an internal short circuit forms, evolves, and suddenly causes a thermal runaway event (and potentially a fire) in lithium-ion batteries. Insights from the research will advance the understanding of energetic failures of electrochemical energy systems and the development of safer batteries for EVs and many other applications. Read full story here or www.uah.edu/news.

Prof. Zhang Guangsheng.zhang@uah.edu

Safe, Secure and Efficient Data Storage Solutions Funded by NSF CAREER Project

Professor Biswajit Ray of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department won a NSF Career Awarded titled, “Leveraging Physical Properties of Modern Flash Memory Chips for Resilient, Secure, and Energy-Efficient Edge Storage Systems“.

Exponential growth in data created, captured, copied, and consumed by people and machines has created the Zettabytes (one billion terabytes) era, posing new challenges to the future data storage platforms. To keep up with growing demands for data storage, future storage solutions will need to provide even higher bit densities, superior performance and energy-efficiency, and improved resilience, while guaranteeing end-user privacy. Addressing these challenges requires a paradigm shift in the storage system design methods beyond the traditional technology-agnostic algorithmic approaches. To achieve this goal, the project will create new techniques that exploit rich physical properties of storage media, thus enabling unconventional but highly effective storage systems. Read full story here or www.uah.edu/news.

Prof. Ray biswajit.ray@uah.edu

Prof. Salman abdullahi.salman@uah.edu

Plasma Fusion Energy May Lead to Breakeven Fusion and Clean Energy

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department faculty have won a pair of research awards totaling $750,000 to collaborate with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) on research to advance knowledge toward one of the most sought-after goals of plasma physics, plasma fusion energy. This project marks the first experimental collaboration between the university and the LANL, helping to bring fusion and high energy density (HED) plasma research to UAH.

Prof. Gabe Xu and Prof. Jason Cassibry will be studying magnetized high-energy density plasma interactions to advance plasma-jet magneto inertial fusion, or PJMIF, a key component to achieving breakeven fusion, which could one day lead to abundant clean energy.

Read full story here or www.uah.edu/news.

The fusion reaction is created using a shrinking plasma shell, called the liner, to compress a high-density magnetized plasma target in the center of a spherical vacuum chamber. The plasma liner is generated by dozens of high velocity plasma jets produced from plasma guns mounted around the chamber.

NIH-funded Research Advances Ultrasonic Therapy to Regrow Cartilage

Prof. Anu Subramanian of the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department is conducting research on the potential use of lowintensity ultrasound therapies to promote cartilage regrowth in knees. This research aims to address the challenge of re-growing cartilage, which has limited regenerative capabilities due to its protein-rich matrix and lack of blood vessels. Prof. Subramanian's research has progressed from in-vitro and bovine cadaver knee studies to investigations using an equine model in collaboration with Colorado State University. The research has shown promise in a rabbit model, demonstrating that ultrasound can enhance tissue integration and accelerate healing in chondral defects treated with microfracture techniques.

Prof. Subramanian's research is part of a four-year, $494,000 NIH grant and involves collaborations with experts in equine surgery and preclinical surgical research. Prof. Sarma Rani of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department is a co-investigator on the project. Read full story here or www.uah.edu/news.

Prof. Cassibry jason.cassibry@uah.edu

Prof. Xu Gabe.xu@uah.edu

Prof. Subramanian anu.subramanian@uah.edu

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Research by PhD candidate Earns International Award and SSPI Recognition

Saroj Kumar, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the UAH Propulsion Research Center, has received recognition for his nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) research. His interactive presentation on "Spacecraft Integrated System Model for NTP Powered Planetary Science Missions" won the International Astronautical Federation's 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) Interactive Presentation Competition in the Space Technology category.

Kumar was one of only five winners globally, earning a grant of 500 Euros. This award adds to his previous honors, including being named one of the top 20 outstanding young space and satellite professionals under age 35 by the Space and Satellite Professionals International, receiving the best paper award at the

Nuclear and Emerging Technologies for Space Conference, and being named graduate student of the year by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Greater Huntsville Section in 2021. The IAF recognition highlights the cutting-edge research conducted at UAH's Complex Systems Integration Laboratory and Propulsion Research Center, in which Kumar's research focuses on the development of nuclear thermal propulsion systems and potential applications in space missions.

“This was something which I had never dreamed of, that I would be selected as a top young professional in the space industry on a global level,” says Kumar, who was nominated by MAE Prof. Jason Cassibry and has had his research supported by UAH’s Complex Systems Integration Laboratory.

“I am truly honored and thrilled to be recognized as one among the top 20 young professionals globally to watch in the coming years.”

Read more here or www.uah.edu/news.

Lab Discovery Leads to a Simple, CostEffective Electricity Generator

Researchers at the UAH have discovered a simple mechanical method to generate electricity for electronic devices. While testing a triboelectric nanogenerator in the Adaptive Structures Laboratory of Mechanical and Aerospace Prof. Gang Wang, postdoctoral research assistant Dr. Moonhyung Jang observed an unexpected high voltage when a Scotch tape was introduced to prevent electric shock. It was determined that the tape layer improved the generator's performance, leading to an invention that introduces tacky substances to improve the performance of triboelectric generators. The configuration produced consists of a metalized polyester sheet and a double-sided tape with an acrylic adhesive layer. This simple and cost-effective setup can harvest energy through a contact-and-separation motion, which was demonstrated when energy harvesting was performed in a walking application which involved a shoe integrated with the triboelectric generator configuration. The project is supported by Materials Sciences LLC through a U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research program, with the aim of providing an energy harvesting solution for powering sensors and electronics to track flight times of aviation and missile structures. The researchers, consisting of Dr. Gang Wang, Dr. Moonhyung Jang, Dr. Yu Lei, Dr. Simon Chung, and Jacob Lee, are exploring ways to enhance the device's performance and have a final goal of integrating the configuration into different engineering applications to provide a power source for sensor and monitoring systems.

Read more here or www.uah.edu/news.

Saroj Kumar saroj.kumar@uah.edu

Prof. Gang Wang and Dr. Moonhyung Jang gang.wang@uah.edu

UAH Establishes Senator Richard Shelby Endowed Chair in Engineering

The University of Alabama in Huntsville has announced the establishment of the Senator Richard Shelby Endowed Chair in Engineering, pending approval from the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. This endowment aims to honor Senator Richard Shelby, a retiring senior United States senator from Alabama, who has been a strong advocate for research, education, and higher education in the state. The endowed chair, one of the highest academic honors, will promote high standards of excellence and help UAH recruit exceptional faculty members to prepare future leaders. Senator Shelby expressed his gratitude for the establishment of the chair in his name and emphasized his commitment to prioritizing higher education in Alabama.

Senator Shelby has been influential in expanding federal assets at Redstone Arsenal, attracting important programs and companies to the region, and securing funds for various infrastructure and research projects at UAH. Throughout his tenure, Senator Shelby has focused on bringing jobs, economic growth, and development to Alabama, supporting state infrastructure, high-tech industries, aerospace and defense programs, and advanced education and research. His dedication to education and his service as a public servant have made a lasting impact on the state, and the endowed chair in his name seeks to honor his legacy and contribute to the growth and opportunities for future generations.

Read more here or www.uah.edu/news.

Engineering Programs Receive “Next General Review” from Engineering Accreditation Commission ABET

Seven engineering undergraduate programs have received the highest accreditation result, called "Next General Review," from the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This accreditation will remain in place for the next six years until the programs undergo their next review. ABET is a nonprofit, ISO9000-certified non-governmental agency that accredits programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. The organization comprises a federation of 34 professional and technical societies representing these fields that accredit postsecondary, degree-granting programs offered by regionally accredited institutions in the United States and nationally accredited institutions outside the U.S. The accredited undergraduate engineering programs at UAH include Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial & Systems

Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Having the highest accreditation result from ABET reassures employers that UAH College of Engineering Graduates have met the highest standards established by ABET technical professionals from member societies spanning industry, academia, and government.

In August 2023, we expect to receive the “Next General Review” for our Cybersecurity Engineering program as well.

Read more here or www.uah.edu/news.

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (L) UAH President Charles Karr (R)

Agnieszka Truszkowska, Ph.D., joined the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department as an assistant professor. Dr. Truszkowska gained her bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology in 2009 from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, and received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Oregon State University in 2014. Prior to joining UAH, she had three postdoctoral appointments, first at Oregon State University, second at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the most recent one at the New York University, Tandon School of Engineering. Prof. Truszkowska’s interests are scientific computing, with emphasis on software and model development, numerical methods, and high-performance computing. She has modeling experience in different fields of science and engineering, but her main areas are multiphysics and multiscale modeling in microtechnology-based devices, multiphase flows, and porous media

URL: www.uah.edu/eng/faculty-staff/agnieszka-truszkowska

Yooseob Song, Ph.D., P.E. joined the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department as an assistant professor. Prior to joining UAH, he served as a tenure-track assistant professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Prof. Song earned his bachelor's and a master’s degrees from Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea, and a doctoral degree from Louisiana State University. He has industry experience as a professional structural engineer at TESO Engineering Co., Ltd. He is a registered Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the state of Texas.

Dr. Song’s primary research is in analytical and numerical aspects of solid mechanics. Specific interests include strain gradient continuum and crystal plasticity, crystal plasticity finite element method, AI assisted design of high-entropy alloys, mechanics of entropy alloys, numerical analysis of extreme loadings, piezoelectric energy harvesting, and high-performance cluster computing. He has authored 1 book, 2 book chapters, and 30+ journal papers.

URL: https://www.uah.edu/eng/faculty-staff/yooseob-song

Avimanyu Sahoo, Ph.D., joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department as an Assistant Professor. Prior to joining UAH, Prof. Sahoo served as an Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK. He received a Masters of Technology and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India, and Missouri University of Science and Technology, in 2015.

s research interest includes learning-based control and its applications in physical systems, electric machinery health monitoring, lithium-ion battery pack modeling, diagnostics, and prognostics. Currently, his research focuses on developing computation and communication efficient distributed intelligent control schemes for physical systems using approximate dynamic programming, reinforcement learning, adaptive state estimation, and intelligent battery management systems (BMS) ion battery packs used onboard electric vehicles.

URL: https://www.uah.edu/eng/faculty-staff/avimanyu-sahoo-1

Prof. Truszkowska agnieszka.truszkowska@uah.edu

Prof. Song yooseob.song@uah.edu

Prof. Sahoo avimanya.sahoo@uah.edu

Hanumanthrao “Rao” Kannan, Ph.D., joined the Industrial and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management Department as an Assistant Professor. Prior to joining UAH, he served as an Assistant Professor of Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech since 2018. He received a B.E. in Aeronautical Engineering from Anna University, India in 2010, an M.S. in Astronautical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 2011, and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University in 2015. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Iowa State University and Virginia Tech.

His research focuses on improving the Systems Engineering process by developing novel theoretical foundations that enable rigorous methodologies. His research is transdisciplinary in nature involving disciplines including Decision Analysis, formal philosophy, and engineering design. Additionally, his research focuses on the intersection of Systems Engineering for AI and AI for Systems Engineering

Prof. Kannan hanumanthrao.kannan@uah.edu

John Bennewitz, Ph.D. joined the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department as an Assistant Professor. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (2005), M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (2010), and a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in Mechanical Engineering (2015). Prior to joining UAH, Dr. Bennewitz was a postdoctoral research scholar at the University of California, Los Angeles Energy and Propulsion Research Laboratory studying acoustically-coupled fuel droplet combustion, and began working at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in 2016.

Dr. Bennewitz’s present research interests focus on fundamental detonation physics, advanced propulsion and acoustically-coupled combustion.

Prof. Bennewitz john.bennewitz@uah.edu

Nick Ginga, Ph.D. joined the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Departmentas an Assistant Professor after serving as a Lecturer for over 3 years. He received both his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from The College of New Jersey. He served as a postdoctoral research fellow at both the University of Michigan and Georgia Tech in Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering focus areas.

Prof. Ginga’s research interests include mechanical testing and finite element modeling of flexible electronics and electronic packaging, fabrication and characterization of nano/ microstructures and devices, and the interface of nano/micro fabrication and biosystems.

URL: https://www.uah.edu/eng/faculty-staff/nicholas-ginga

Nathan Spulak, Ph.D., joined the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department as an Assistant Professor. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Ohio State University in 2022, and his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 2016.

Prof. Spulak’s research involves combining the disciplines of experimental solid mechanics and finite element modeling. His research interests include developing new experimental techniques to investigate the mechanical behavior of materials under extreme conditions such as at high loading rates, elevated temperatures, and complex applied stress states. The experimental data is used in conjunction with finite element analysis to develop accurate, robust material deformation and fracture models. Such data and analysis are widely used in a variety of applications including military and defense, aerospace safety and design processes, and automotive crash-test worthiness.

Prof. Ginga nick.ginga@uah.edu

Prof. Spulak nathan.spulak@uah.edu

FACULTY HONORS

2023 College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Member

CME Professor Named Fulbright Scholar

Professor Gabriel Xu

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department

Plasma and Electrodynamics Research Laboratory gabe.xu@uah.edu

URL: www.uah.edu/eng/faculty-staff/kunning-gabriel-xu

2023 University Distinguished Research and Creative Achievement and Scholarly Performance Award

Dr. Yu Lei, associate professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar. He will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, in January 2024 to continue his research into developing new catalysts at the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Czech Academy of Science.

“I’m very excited, looking forward to visiting there,” Prof. Lei says. “I can be doing research for the Fulbright scholarship, doing my sabbatical, and be an ambassador all at the same time, connecting with people in different countries. My research is to develop new catalysts using atomic layer deposition (ALD).”

yu.lei@uah.edu

URL: https://www.uah.edu/eng/faculty-staff/yu-lei

2022-2023 Patent Recognition

11,261,945 “Coupling System for Reducing Fatigue and Dynamic Amplification of Loads in Objects,” James Blackmon (MAE) and Frederick Gant

11,346,330 ”Hall Effect Thruster with Additively Manufactured Components,” Gabe Xu (MAE) and Ethan Hopping

Professor Biswajit Ray

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department biswajit.ray@uah.edu

URL: www.uah.edu/eng/faculty-staff/biswajit-ray

11,483,967 “Method of Conversion to Automated Lawn Mower,” Farbod Fahimi (MAE), Gavyn Grove, Matthew L'Antigua, Joseph Martin, Rahul Rameshbabu, Tyler Oliger

11,554,244 “Systems and Methods for Multi-Modal and Non -Invasive Stimulation of the Nervous System,” Emil Jovanov (ECE)

UAH alumnus Michael Wicks inducted into Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame

Michael Wicks (MSE, Mechanical Engineering, ’94), was one of six honorees inducted in this year’s Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame on February 25th at the ceremony held in Montgomery, Alabama..

Wicks’ career has been devoted to providing innovative engineering and technical services to the nation’s defense, both as a United States Army civilian and as a private contractor for the Department of Defense. As a successful business owner and entrepreneur, he founded Summit Research Corporation and i3. Later, Wicks joined Houston-based Diakonos Research in 2022 as its president and is leading the company’s development of state-of-the-art cancer immunotherapies.

“As a UAH graduate student, Mike led a team of 10 students who won first place in the AIAA Missiles System Design Competition in 1994,” says Dr. Robert Fredrick, director of the UAH Propulsion Research Center (PRC). “This work involved designing a multi-mission missile, estimating production costs and putting together an organization structure for a company to build the missile system. Mike demonstrated his leadership and technical abilities though this achievement, and he has continued to excel throughout his remarkable career. Mike has been an avid supporter of the UAH Propulsion Research Center and returned to campus recently to speak at our 30th anniversary celebration events.”

The Hall of Fame is overseen by the seven engineering colleges and schools across the state.

Outstanding Young Alumna of Achievement

Alumna Kristin Spencer Spearman (B.S., Engineering, 2006), was selected as the 2022 Outstanding Young Alumni of Achievement at UAH.

Spearman is the Vice President of Transmission Planning & Projects for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in Chattanooga, TN. In this role she leads a group responsible for project planning and execution for one of the largest transmission systems in North America. She has been with TVA since 2012 and has held a number of engineering and leadership roles prior to her current position, including design engineering, construction management and strategic planning. Prior to TVA, she was a mechanical engineer for the U.S. Army, working on Redstone Arsenal. Read full story here or www.uah.edu/news.

Michael Wicks MSE Mechanical Engineering 1994

Kristen Spencer Spearman, BSE 2006

New Engineering Building Named for Raymond B. Jones, Sr.

UAH announced that the new Engineering Research and Education Hub building will be named in memory of Raymond B. Jones, Sr. Mr. Jones was a long time business and community leader in Huntsville and was a member of the UAH Foundation, including serving as chairman.

Mr. Jones was born in Knoxville, TN, in 1935, to engineer Carl T. Jones and his wife Betty. In 1939, his family bought a farm in Jones Valley in Madison County where G. W. Jones & Sons Consulting Engineers had been founded by his grandfather. Raymond Jones became president of G.W. Jones upon the death of his father in 1967, and as CEO oversaw numerous engineering design and municipal projects before his passing in July 2022. For his business and civic leadership, Jones was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce. He received an honorary doctorate from UAH in recognition of his tireless support of the university.

The Jones Engineering Building will provide modern research and instructional facilities for students and faculty to ensure that UAH continues to meet the state’s workforce needs.

Leidos & Dynetics $25K Gift to COE

UAH has announced Leidos has made a gift of $25,000 to the UAH College of Engineering. The gift continues to highlight the strong and long-standing partnership between the Leidos Dynetics team and UAH that has been ongoing for several decades.

"Leidos & Dynetics Group are a true model of partnership between a research university and a corporate entity,” says Dr. Shankar Mahalingam, dean of the College of Engineering. “Our association transcends our individual associations with our respective organizations, and that is a true testament to a legacy partnership."

This latest contribution will support the Dean’s Excellence Fund in the College to help meet the needs of engineering students and faculty by funding projects and initiatives aimed at advancing engineering research and education.

“Leidos is proud to contribute $25,000 to UAH’s College of Engineering Dean’s Excellence Fund,” says Steve Cook, president of Leidos Dynetics Group. “This donation is a testament to our commitment to fostering strong partnerships and collaboration with UAH and the Huntsville community. We believe this contribution will serve as a catalyst for continued teamwork between Leidos and UAH, as we work together towards a shared goal of advancing technology and innovation.”

The partnership seeks to develop technologies to make the world safer, healthier and more efficient through shared engineering and science endeavors. One of the key areas of collaboration between UAH and Leidos Dynetics is in the field of aerospace engineering to develop advanced technologies for space exploration, missile defense and other critical national security missions. This gift will continue to aid the development of new systems and technologies that will significantly impact the aerospace industry and further national security efforts.

Raymond B. Jones

Photo courtesy Raymond B. Jones family

Ashok

K. Singhal Endowed Chair in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

UAH received a donation of $1,000,000 from Sangeeta Singhal to establish the Ashok K. Singhal Endowed Chair in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, named in honor of her late husband, Dr. Ashok K. Singhal. Pending approval from the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, this donation will create the first endowed chair in the College of Engineering endowed by an individual, non-corporate donor. Dr. Ashok Singhal played an active role in the UAH College of Engineering, serving on the Industrial Engineering Advisory Board and the UAH Foundation Board. The ‘Singhal Chair used to support the teaching, research, and professional development of a distinguished mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty member at UAH. The Singhal Chair will be one of the highest academic honors a faculty member in the College of Engineering can receive and will help attract and retain esteemed scholars in their respective disciplines.

The selected faculty member awarded the Singhal Chair will play a pivotal role in UAH's mission of providing advanced research education for developing new curricula, supporting post-doctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate research assistants, mentoring junior faculty colleagues, acquiring state-of-the-art equipment and cultivating innovative research. The chair will help UAH continue to promote excellence in engineering education and contribute

to advancements in science, engineering, and technology. As the north Alabama economy expands and the demand for engineering expertise grows, the Singhal Chair will also aid UAH in attracting and retaining home-grown top engineering talent, which will be crucial. The donation will help train the next generation of engineers and encourage cutting-edge research in engineering and technology.

The Mary Makima and Lester M. Ross, Sr. Scholarship in Engineering Established

Mary Makima Ross, a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), left a lasting impact on the institution through a planned gift of $400,000. After her passing, her husband, Lester Ross, established the Mary Makima and Lester M. Ross, Sr. Scholarship in Engineering to support graduate students in UAH's College of Engineering in conjunction with her planned gift. Graduate scholarships are less common than undergraduate scholarships, and this gift fills an important gap, allowing graduate engineering students to focus on their research and complete their degrees. The scholarship enhances UAH's ability to recruit and retain talented graduate students, furthering the university's competitiveness as a post-graduate destination for engineering education. Mary, who obtained a master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from UAH in 1982, believed strongly in the value of education and giving back; her generosity and passion for learning will continue to benefit UAH students for years to come.

Janice Hays Smith Establishes Electrical Engineering Scholarships

Jan Smith, the founder and CEO of S³, has donated $200,000 to UAH to establish the Janice Hays Smith Endowed Scholarship in Electrical Engineering. The scholarship aims to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in electrical engineering, with the recipient being titled the Janice Hays Smith Electrical Engineering Scholar. Preference for the scholarship will be given to students who are members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), students who are Alabama residents, and students that demonstrate financial need. Jan Smith, who is also a member of the UAH Foundation board, believes the scholarship will be an investment in the workforce and will bring benefit to the city of Huntsville.

“I’m so proud to be a part of this program and proud that UAH is a partner to our defense industry in Huntsville,” Smith says. “This scholarship is my second scholarship. The first was aimed more toward cybersecurity or software engineers.”

Read more here or at www.uah.edu/news

Family Honors Aerospace Engineering pioneer with Memorial Scholarship

Indiana native Ronald “Ron” Lee Lancaster, who passed away on May 15, 2022, held many titles: husband, father, friend, mentor, missionary, and engineer.

“He was so many things to so many people,” son Jeff Lancaster remembers, adding that his father was always giving of his time.

“If the opportunity presented itself, he would help anyone,” Jeff continues, noting that Ron would help neighbors work on their homes or he’d provide a meal to a person down on their luck. That, and Ron’s pride and passion for the U.S. space program, are reasons why Esther Lancaster, Ron’s wife of nearly 65 years, pledged $25,000 to UAH to establish a scholarship for students pursuing mechanical or aerospace engineering. The recipient should be an upper-level undergraduate student with the ambition to work in the aerospace industry and who is ideally an active member of UAH’s Space Hardware Club (SHC). This gift, Ron’s family says, is a way to help the next generation advance themselves in the space industry while honoring Ron’s legacy. “If they have the desire and passion to pursue this career, we want to help,” Jeff says.

Read more here or at www.uah.edu/news

Ron Lancaster at US Space and Rocket Center

EWEEK—2ND ANNUAL COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING SHOWCASE

UAH and the College of Engineering hosted the second annual UAH Engineering Showcase during Engineers Week 2023, Feb. 19 – 25. Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, EWeek is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers.

“The participation of 200-plus UAH engineering students in our 2nd Annual Engineering Showcase made the event extraordinarily successful,” notes Dr. Shankar Mahalingam, dean of the College of Engineering. “They outdid themselves in presenting their projects with enthusiasm, while displaying their technical understanding to our visitors. I was incredibly impressed by our participating freshmen for what they have been able to accomplish in just a month past their first semester at UAH. The event's overall success was only possible through the outstanding community support that we at The University of Alabama in Huntsville are privileged to enjoy.”

At the showcase, students from Senior Design, Student Organizations/Competition Teams and Undergraduate Research presented the status and results of their work to corporate partners and guests through a series of projects and competitions. All eight undergraduate engineering programs offered by UAH were featured as part of this event. Approximately 230 undergraduate engineering students presented 45 projects, 150 community partners representing 50 companies and governmental agencies attended this event. The event was sponsored in part by a generous gift from the PeiLing Charitable Trust.

“I am extremely proud of the students, faculty and staff for their outstanding accomplishments over the past year that have had a significant impact on Alabama, our nation and extending across the globe,” says Dr. Mahalingam.

Read more about EWeek activities, news, and awards here or at www.uah.edu/news

UAH team takes first in 2023 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge

A UAH engineering student team won first place in the 2023 NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC). The challenge required teams to design, build, and test human-powered rovers capable of navigating difficult terrains and completing various mission tasks. The UAH team's rover, named 'HERCules,' competed against 49 teams from different states and countries, encompassing a presentation of the rover’s design report and performance on the NASA/USSRC course.

The course included a bumpy half-mile-long trek over ‘planetary’ terrain, featuring obstacles such as simulated asteroid debris, boulders, erosion ruts, crevasses and an ancient streambed. Rover operators were also confined to working with a virtual oxygen supply of only eight minutes, leading to real-time decisions about which mission objectives to attempt and which to leave behind along the way. The HERC challenge is also part of a senior design class in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at UAH.

“One reason that UAH did so well, was that we took the reporting very seriously and accumulated a lead on most teams with our reporting and STEM outreach,” says David Fikes, a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who is the team advisor and Senior Design Instructor. “Then, our riders and rover team strategized on what to do, and what not to do, on each excursion. Decisions have to be made on the course based on your current time and distance. You can’t attempt everything and get back within eight minutes – that is part of the NASA challenge.” Read more here or at www.uah.edu/news

UAH Concrete Canoe Team is Second Overall

The student concrete canoe team from the UAH Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering won second place overall in concrete canoe competition at the recent American Society of Civil Engineers Gulf Coast Student Symposium at Auburn University.

The UAH team designed and built the canoe they competed with and also took second overall in the concrete canoe technical presentation category. In addition, the team placed second in races for the women's slalom, men's slalom, and men's sprint. Furthermore, the team were first in the concrete lawn darts competition, second in the environmental competition and third in the concrete beam and geotechnical competitions. UAH finished fourth overall out of 15 schools.

UAH Student-Built Payload Goes to Space For The First Time in a Decade

For the first time in nearly a decade, a student-led group has successfully launched a payload into space. The Terminus Spaceflight Research Group (TSRG), operating under the Space Hardware Club (SHC) at UAH, sent their payload on a suborbital flight aboard a Terrier-Orion rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility.

The payload, about the size of a dinner plate, contained various sensors to monitor flight conditions, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, a barometric pressure sensor, temperature and humidity sensors, and a Geiger counter. The team is currently analyzing the data collected during the mission to determine activity while in space and during descent into the Atlantic Ocean.

This achievement marks an important milestone for UAH and SHC, providing them with hands-on experience in spacecraft development and opening opportunities for future projects and collaborations with NASA. TSRG have goals of allowing UAH students to regularly build and launch spacecraft in conjunction with NASA’s RockOn, RockSat-C, and RockSaT-X programs, participating in activities like payload integration, sequence testing, vehicle assembly, launch pad prep, and recovery. Read more here or at www.uah.edu/news

Read more here or at www.uah.edu/news

UAH CanSat Teams Place First, Second and Third in the Nation

Three teams from the UAH Space Hardware Club (SHC) achieved top rankings in the CanSat competition, an aerospace design and production event sponsored by the American Astronautical Society. Team Spaceshot secured first place, Team Star Saber came in second, and Team Highwire took third place in the nation.

CanSat is an annual competition where university and college teams design and launch a space-capable CanSat with a payload. The CanSat is deployed from a rocket and descends with a parachute, with the objective of surviving the launch forces. The competition took place at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in June of 2022. All three teams from UAH consisted of primarily freshmen and sophomores.

All the teams overcame challenges getting over technical hurdles, time management requirements and the need for teamwork, says Tristan Carter, the SHC’s AutoSat program manager.

“By technical hurdles, I mean all the research and learning that goes into being able to make a working CanSat. Circuit design new programming languages and software, hardware integration, fiberglass lay up, intricacies associated with 3D printing and numerous more that are required to have a functional CanSat,” Carter says. The teams are already looking forward to next year with all of the experience and lessons learned, Carter says.

Charger Rocket Works Team Wins in 2023 Student Launch Challenge

NASA has announced that the UAH Charger Rocket Works Senior Design Team has emerged as the overall winner of the 2023 Student Launch challenge. Over 800 students from across the United States and Puerto Rico participated in the competition, launching amateur rockets near NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The teams had nine months to design, build, and launch rockets with scientific payloads to altitudes between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. UAH also placed 1st in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Reusable Launch Vehicle Innovative Payload Award, 2nd in the Safety Award, and 3rd in the AIAA Reusable Launch Vehicle Award, Altitude Award, and STEM Engagement Award.

SR. Design Team Creates Holiday Light Show for Huntsville Botanical Garden

Read more here or at nasa.gov/press-release/

A team of UAH electrical engineering students designed and implemented an interactive light show at the Huntsville Botanical Garden (HBG) as part of their senior design project.

The light show design utilized eight passive infrared (PIR) sensors connected to a Raspberry Pi, which served as the central control system. The PIR sensors detected the presence of people through thermal signatures and triggered the light show accordingly. The team arranged 10-foot rebar poles in a grid pattern and wrapped them with 100-pixel lights. Each of the eight sensors had different and specific commands programmed to control the light show on their corresponding poles.

All work was performed as part of an Electrical Engineering Senior Design team project during their senior design course, EE494. The team’s hard work added up to a stunning visual, as well as aural, experience.

Read more here or at www.uah.edu/news

Student Launch is part of NASA's Artemis Student Challenges, which connect student ingenuity with the agency's efforts to return to the Moon and explore Mars.

Graduate programs in engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville were recognized for excellence in U.S. News & World Report’s recent rankings of the 20232024 Best Graduate Schools.

UAH’s College of Engineering is ranked #2 among Best Engineering Schools in the state of Alabama. Its national ranking is tied at #73.

“UAH’s engineering programs draw outstanding graduate students due to the exceptional research profiles and teaching credentials of the faculty,” said Graduate School Dean Dr. Jon Hakkila.

U.S. News’ annual Best Graduate Schools rankings are based on “expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students,” according to its website. For 2023-2024, “data for the rankings in all six disciplines (business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing) came from statistical surveys of 2,214 programs and from reputation surveys sent to approximately 6,300 academics and 12,690 professionals, conducted in fall 2022 and early 2023.”

The overall rank of 73 is the highest we have received, thanks to our faculty’s success in contracts and grant funding to support and graduate PhD students, encouraging and mentoring Masters theses students, co-authoring research publications with graduate and undergraduate students, gaining significant national recognition for our research through competitive awards, and election as fellows of major professional societies. Our mechanical, aerospace, and industrial and systems graduate programs ranked 89, 38, and 68, respectively.

A summary of UAH’s Best Graduate Schools rankings, with links to each program’s profile, can be found at https:// www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/University-of-Alabama Huntsville-100706/overall-rankings

UAH notched a record $169.5 million in research and development expenditures for fiscal year (FY) 2022, a 13% increase over FY21. This announcement accompanies the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey findings which cover FY21 and mark the 10th year in a row UAH has had five or more research programs ranked in the top 25 nationally for federal research funding.

“Our research enterprises are among the best in the United States and point to the efforts of our outstanding faculty, staff, students and research centers,” says Dr. Robert Lindquist, UAH vice president for research and economic development.

UAH is an R1 research university, a ranking indicating “Very high research activity” status among doctoral-granting institutions rated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education. The university’s five-year research and development expenditures total $754 million since FY18. In addition, the university currently ranks 11th in NASA research expenditures and 17th in FY21 Department of Defense research expenditures as well.

Among the five UAH research programs highlighted in the top 20 research programs of the FY21 survey are: #6 in aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering and #18 in industrial and manufacturing engineering.

The HERD Survey collects information on Research and Development (R&D) expenditures by field of research and source of funds and also gathers information on types of research, expenses and headcounts of R&D personnel. The survey is the primary source of information on research and development expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities, an annual census of institutions that expended at least $150,000 in separately accounted for R&D in the fiscal year.

Graduate student Nageshwar Nagarajan conducts plasma research in the MAE Department Plasma and Electrodynamics Research Laboratory

COE ADVISORY BOARD

The College of Engineering extends sincere appreciation to each of our EAB members for their service.

Dr. Richard Amos

President & COO

Colsa Corporation

Dr. Tim Barton

Dynetics Group CTO

Sr VP, Leidos

Dr. Patti Dare

Executive Vice-President and Chief

Growth Officer

Davidson Technologies

Mr. Alan “Wade” Doss

Director of Engineering

US Army Engineering & Support Center

Mr. Sami Habchi

Executive Vice President

CFD Research Corporation

Mr. Joe Hill

Chief Technology Officer

Torch Technologies

Mr. John Honeycutt

Program Manager, SLS

NASA MSFC

Mr. Todd Hutto

U.S. Army Value Engineering Manager, Continuous Process Improvement Division

AMCOL-MC

Dr. Marc Kimpe

Sr. VP Research and Development Adtran, Inc.

Mr. Robert Lightfoot

Executive Vice President, Space

Lockheed Martin

Mr. Bob McCaleb

Corporate Lead Executive

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Mr. Erik Nielsen

Quality and Mission Assurance Manager

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Mr. Steven Noojin Director of Engineering

The Boeing Company

COE STUDENT ORGs

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

American Institute of Chemical Engineers

American Society of Civil Engineers

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Electric Vehicle Club

Engineers for Global Action

IEEE

Institute of Industrial Engineers

National Society of Black Engineers

Dr. Enrico Poggio

Chief Scientist

deciBel Research, Inc.

Mr. Mark Thornton

Vice President , Digital Transformation

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Mr. Tim Thornton

President & CEO

nLogic

Dr. Colin Tucker

Directory, Technology Development, Advanced Programs

Aerojet Rocketdyne

Dr. Louis Weiner

President Emeritus

Delta Research

Mr. Sim Zoeller

Director of Engineering

Raytheon Missile Systems

Optical Society of America

Reverse Engineering Club

Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers

Society of Hispanic Engineers

Society of Military Engineers

Society of Women Engineers

Space Hardware Club

Tau Beta Pi

VEXU Robotics

College of Engineering

The University of Alabama in Huntsville

301 Sparkman Drive, EB 102 Huntsville, AL 35899

Find us on Instagram: @uah_engineering

CHARGER GIVING

Friends and alumni can assist our mission by providing financial support and resources that will contribute to the College’s strategic research and educational goals. Consider giving to support both undergraduate and graduate student scholarships, to fund faculty endowments, and to enhance research and educational facilities and programs.

To learn more about giving options, please contact the Dean of Engineering, Prof. Shankar Mahalingam at shankar.mahalingam@uah.edu or 256.824.6474, or the Vice-President for Advancement, Ms. Mallie Hale at mallie.hale@uah.edu or 256.824.6501.

BECOME A CHARGER

Faculty: The College of Engineering (COE) has several open faculty positions. For more information, go to www.uah.edu/hr/ careers/faculty-careers and select College of Engineering. UAH is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution.

Graduate Students: The COE offers MSE and PhD degrees in a broad range of engineering disciplines. College faculty lead strong research programs to support student research projects. For more information on graduate programs, go to www.uah.edu/eng

Undergraduate Students: The COE offers the BS degree in 8 (7 ABET-accredited) programs: Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Cybersecurity, Electrical, Industrial & Systems, and Mechanical Engineering. Undergraduate students have numerous hands-on opportunities including nationally recognized engineering teams, undergraduate research, and cooperative education and internship programs. For more information go to www.uah.edu/eng/departments/undergraduateengineering