Mechanical Engineering Newsletter - Spring 2021

Spring 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.................................................................. DEO Message 3.................................................................. Iowa Baja Racing: Bringing Engineers Together in Community 7.................................................................. Pablo Carrica: Saying Goodbye 11................................................................. Being Native American on Campus 13................................................................. Amanda Mikhail Inducted into Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy 15................................................................. Amanda Mikhail Q&A 17................................................................. From Earth to the International Space Station: Beckermann Studies the Formation of Grain Structures in Metals 20................................................................. Graduate Student Appreciation 21................................................................. Graduate College Fellowships for Spring 2021 23................................................................. Martell Bell: Lulu Merle Johnson Recruitment Fellowship 24................................................................. Anvay Pradhan: Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award

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DEO MESSAGE First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the ME faculty, staff, industrial advisory board and friends for their solidarity and support for the department during the COVID-19 pandemic and its resolve to rectify the long-term staffing issue. The ME department has a long history of innovation and successfully targeting new research areas. Based upon the 2017 ME Strategic Vision Plan, the department has moved aggressively into the area of control, robotics, autonomous systems, sensors, and artificial intelligence. As a result of several new hires, new courses, and revisions to courses and requirements, there has been a surge in research funding and student enrollment with a 7.8% year-over-year increase in Fall 2019. In Spring, ME has emerged as the largest department in the College of Engineering (COE) for the first time based on the COE Spring 2021 enrollment report.

The ME program was reviewed by ABET in February 2021, and had no deficiencies, weaknesses, or concerns. Furthermore, the ME ABET program evaluator highly praised our curriculum for offering students outstanding flexibility to tailor their education to their interests, while maintaining a strong ME background. In March, we successfully recruited Assistant Professor Deema Totah whose research interests are biomechanics, mechatronics, controls, and dynamics. This raises the number of ME female faculty from zero in 2016 to three. In Fall 2021, when Dr. Totah joins the department, 18% of our tenure-system faculty will be female – the highest percentage in the departmental history.

We will soon say goodbye to Professor Kyung (KK) Choi (1973-1980, UI graduate student; 19811983, UI postgraduate positions; 1984-2021, ME faculty) and Professor Pablo Carrica (20022007, ME visiting/adjunct faculty; 2007-2021, ME faculty) because of their retirements in Summer. This newsletter issue features a farewell story for Professor Carrica. The readers can check out the farewell story for Professor Choi in the October 2020 newsletter issue. They will be missed. Furthermore, this issue features the recent research on the grain structure development of metal alloys by Professor Christoph Beckermann and the charge to graduates at December Commencement by ME alumna Amanda Mikhail (BSME, 1999) who is a member of the COE Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy. Our office student assistant Dominique Badajoz shares an inspirational story about her Native American heritage. Several graduate students were awarded fellowships.

As more people get vaccinated, we hope that everyone will have a pleasant and safe summer.

Ching-Long Lin, DEO Edward M. Mielnik and Samuel R. Harding Professor

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Iowa Baja Racing Bringing Engineers Together in Community Deep in the lowest level of the University of Iowa Chemistry Building, Iowa Baja works “to expand the knowledge of University of Iowa Students and [the] Iowa Community through collaborative, hands-on application and competitionto help them excel in the future.” Using knowledge they learned in the classroom, members of Baja put their skills to the test, designing and building cars to race in competitions across the country.

The team itself is made up of about 20 members, ranging in age and field of study. Though the

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parts of the team change from year to year, there is one common thread: community.

As an organization, Baja’s goal is to incorporate all of the skills and goals to best grow help each individual grow as a professional. It is a “place for engineers to make something greater,” and the organization hopes to allow members to grow and create at their own pace. They “teach freshmen how to turn a wrench,” according to Benjamin Denson, Iowa Baja Treasurer. Though

Though the parts of the team change from year to year, there is one common thread:

community.

Kayla Denson during a Baja race.

Pictured in car #48. Races take place all year and all over the country.

they are a team of around 20, it is very important to them that each member gets an opportunity to work on the cars. Learning and growth are the foundation that built the organization.

Benjamin is currently a second-year student at the University of Iowa studying engineering.

The purpose of his role is to be a liaison to the Student Organization Business Office (SOBO), managing funds and payments by members.

He works closely with sponsors to coordinate

funding for trips and the equipment necessary to build and race the cars safely. His role helps to bring together both the engineering and business aspects of Iowa Baja. Iowa Baja has been a large part of not only his career and professional development, but also his reason for attending the University of Iowa. Though the restrictions required by the Covid-19 pandemic have brought changes to his time in the organization, some of Benjamin’s favorite memories have been when he has worked with the team at off-site testing courses. The restrictions have limited the number of individuals who can work in the shop at anyone time, but large outdoor spaces have been essential for bringing people together.

This community is what drew Benjamin to the University of Iowa to begin with. When in high school, he was introduced to Iowa Baja by his [older sister Kayla Denson. Kayla also served as treasurer for a year and went on to serve as president and vice president. Benjamin saw the work that his sister had done and was enthused to jump in as well. Kayla Denson joined Iowa Baja as a freshman at the university. She wanted an opportunity to connect with her peers. At the time, Baja was still very small. She met with nine

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others in the basement of the Chemistry Building to start the year’s work. At her first competition, Midnight Mayhem in Kentucky, Kayla truly fell in love with Baja. Midnight Mayhem, not surprisingly, gets its name from its late night races. The competitors spend the night camping and getting to know other Baja teams from across the country. After her first race, Kayla continued working diligently to make improvements to the cars and to her own work. Eventually, she was encouraged to join the Iowa Baja executive team as the treasurer. This allowed her to see the organization from a different side and be in an even more involved setting. She then continued on to be the president the following year and vice president the year after. Because she was so young stepping into these roles, Kayla and

Benjamin Denson in car #33

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her fellow executive members did their best to record what they were doing and create a foundation for years to come. During her time as president, the organization almost doubled in size, and community-building became a major force that brought everyone together. They spent long days in the workshop, building cars together and building friendships that have lasted beyond college.

Kayla is currently working as an engineer for John Deere. She often reflects on her time in Iowa Baja and how it has impacted her life today. Starting with meeting a recruiter for John Deere at a Baja event, her current life is deeply shaped by the time she spent in Baja. When she started her job, she entered an area that she had very little

COVID-19 regulations have changed the way the team is able to use the workroom, but it remains a place for growth and learning.

familiarity with. Her time in Baja encouraged her to ask questions and recognize that she needs the support of her team to be successful. Baja also pushed her out of her comfort zone, asking her to interact with new people and take on challenging projects. She noted that a large portion of the success that her Baja team had was through good communication and relationships with each other, as well as the different university offices that they worked with. These skills have followed her as she works in her role at John Deere.

Though Baja has had to adapt to accommodate for the restrictions created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Benjamin and the rest of the active members of Iowa Baja are working hard to

complete a car for the tentative May competition.

They are currently completing a car they started in spring of 2020. They hope to complete this current car and then work toward a more efficient four-wheel drive vehicle. Only eight individuals are allowed in the shop at a time currently, so it is a uniquely challenging time to build community.

However, encouraging younger members to come and learn while staying engaged themselves has been essential to maintaining the small team dynamic. These values and efforts are what make Iowa Baja so uniquely special to engineers. It truly encompasses the Department of Engineering’s idea of an “engineer and something more.” It provides a home for all individuals to grow and expand their knowledge and love for racing.

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Pablo Carrica:

Saying Goodbye

In almost two decades at the University of Iowa (UI), Pablo Carrica has touched the lives of countless students and made great advancements in ship hydrodynamics research. Carrica, who is a professor of mechanical engineering and a research engineer at IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering (IIHR), is a native of Argentina. In 1995–96, his postdoctoral research project at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute caught the attention of Mechanical Engineering Professor Fred Stern, who was leading the ship hydrodynamics program at IIHR. Carrica visited the UI in 1996, and in 2002, he came to Iowa as associate visiting professor and associate research engineer. Carrica accepted a tenure track position at Iowa in 2007 and he has continued to make an immeasurable impact ever since.

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made of sapphire, that can detect bubbles. The probes were used to measure the bubbly wakes in two craft and helped develop and calibrate simulation models.

In his first few years at the UI, Carrica was a visiting professor and researcher, working closely with Stern on naval hydrodynamics research. Carrica’s outstanding work brought numerous new opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students alike. Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Carrica’s grant funding allowed for new classes to be offered at the university, such as Computational Naval Hydrodynamics (CHN).

Carrica’s contributions to the widely used REX code for computational ship hydrodynamics helped revolutionize the field of naval hydrodynamics, as well as giving students new opportunities to apply and explore what they learned in their classes.

Carrica says that his time at the university has given him many unique research experiences.

He focuses on fluid flow relating to the wake of ships. His goal is to reduce the number of bubbles in the wake of a ship to make it harder to track. To accomplish this, he developed models for bubble entrainment and transport that are implemented in REX. Carrica has also developed small probes, only a few microns in diameter and

Carrica has always had a love for ships. When he was younger, he spent a lot of time sailing with his family. This motivated his work and also served as an incentive to move to the East Coast later this year. After leaving Iowa, Carrica will head to Connecticut, where he will continue his naval research on submarines.

Carrica says he loved his time at the University of Iowa and hopes to continue his relationship with the university, allowing students a connection to life outside of Iowa.

During his time as a professor, Carrica enjoyed interacting with undergraduates as well as the opportunity to work closely with PhD students.

He says that the interactions with doctoral students were very impactful because, as much as he touched their lives, they touched his as well. He will continue working with two PhD students on their theses as he transitions away from the UI. As he enters the next phase of his career, Carrica says he wants a change; he is very excited to begin this new chapter of his life. However, he will never forget the time he spent at the University of Iowa. The legacy he leaves behind as a professor is one of great importance, and he will be missed! Everyone in the Department of Mechanical Engineering wishes Carrica the best of luck. We can’t wait to see his work continue to grow and change!

...two decades at the University of Iowa, Pablo Carrica has touched the lives of countless students...

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Snow Goose, Greater White-Fronted Goose flying in Cone Marsh State Wildlife Management Area, Iowa

Being Native American on Campus

BY DOMINIQUE BADAJOZ Department of Mechanical Engineering Graphic Design Student Worker

As a descendant of the Meskwaki, Sac and Fox of the Mississippi, in Iowa, I chose the University of Iowa to be close to my tribe, the Meskwaki, in Tama, Iowa. I have been grateful for the opportunity to reconnect to my roots here.

I have also found a Native community on campus through my participation in several UI student groups: the Native American Student Association (NASA), the Latino Native American Cultural Center (LNACC), and Iowa Edge. I recently stepped down as president of NASA. I am now the student coordinator for the 26th Annual University of Iowa Powwow, to be held virtually this year. I am also a center programming assistant (CPA) at LNACC, where I work with other CPAs to organize virtual events and hold online office hours. I will also support the Iowa Edge Program by serving as a returning peer leader in August, when we welcome and help new students during their first week on the UI campus.

I was also able to find two majors, informatics

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and studio art, to fit my interest in graphic design and human-computer interaction. I will soon reach my goal of graduating from a fouryear institution such as the University of Iowa as a first-generation student. I am motivated to keep going when I remember that other Native students can see me as a role model who continued to learn more about her tribal ancestors while earning two bachelor’s degrees.

The following is the Land Acknowledgment created by the University of Iowa’s Native American Council (revised in early March 2021).

A land acknowledgement remains as a written or spoken statement to recognized whose land this was before the structure of Iowa City was built.

The University of Iowa is located on the homelands of the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe (Chippewa), Báxoǰe (Iowa), Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo), Omāēqnomenēwak (Menominee), Myaamiaki (Miami), Nutachi (Missouri), Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha), Wahzhazhe (Osage), Jiwere (Otoe), Odawaa (Ottawa), Póⁿka (Ponca), Bodéwadmi/Neshnabé (Potawatomi),

Meskwaki/Nemahahaki/Sakiwaki (Sac and Fox), Dakota/Lakota/Nakoda, Sahnish/Nuxbaaga/ Nuweta (Three Affiliated Tribes), and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Nations. The following tribal nations, Umonhon (Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa), Pónka (Ponca Tribe of Nebraska), Meskwaki (Sac and Fox of the Mississippi in Iowa), and HoChunk (Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska) Nations continue to thrive in the State of Iowa, and we continue to acknowledge them. As an academic institution, it is our responsibility to acknowledge the sovereignty and the traditional territories of these tribal nations, and the treaties that were used to remove these tribal nations, and the histories of dispossession that have allowed for the growth of this institution since 1847. Consistent with the University’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, understanding the historical and current experiences of Native peoples will help inform the work we do; collectively as a university to engage in building relationships through academic scholarship, collaborative partnerships, community service, enrollment and retention efforts acknowledging our past, our present and future Native Nations.

Some of these tribal nations still maintain a connection to the university through the help of NASA, LNACC, and the Native American Council (NAC) . LNACC, which is celebrating its 50th

anniversary this year, was founded in 1971 by three students: Tony Zavala, Ruth Pushetonequa (Meskwaki), and Rusty Barceló. At first, the center was named the Chicano and Indian American Student Union but it was renamed the Latino Native American Cultural Center in 1994.

This center is now home away from home for many students on campus, where they are able to create events like the Latinx Heritage Month and support events like the University of Iowa Annual Powwow.

With help from LNACC, organizations such as NASA are able to create a homey feeling for students at their weekly meetings (when held inperson). NASA’s purpose is “to promote, advance, and support Native American Student academic success, retention, and social activities and to serve as an academic, cultural support system for the Native American community and the community at large.” NASA, with the help of NAC and the sponsorship of LNACC, can organize events such as the Native American Heritage Month, Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration, and the University of Iowa’s annual Powwow and Round Dance.

At the University of Iowa, I gained more than a degree — I reconnected with my Native heritage in Iowa and began the next phase of my journey.

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Amanda Mikhail Inducted into Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy JASON KOSOVSKI College of Engineering Marketing & Communications Director On Sunday, December 20, 2020, Amanda Mikhail (BSE Mechanical Engineering 1999) was inducted into the College of Engineering’s Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy as part of the Fall Commencement ceremony. Mikhail also delivered a charge to the graduating class. The Distinguished Engineering Alumni Academy which was created to honor University of Iowa engineering alumni for their personal contribution toward engineering achievement, leadership, and service to the profession and to society.

Mikhail began her career at IBM in 1999 as an engineer in hardware development. In 2002 she was promoted to project lead, where she managed a $1.5M budget and led multiple teams through expedient program delivery. Mikhail is an inventor on more than 25 US Patents and was the second female in IBM Rochester’s 50+ year history to receive an IBM Master Inventor award.

She was also the recipient of the Outstanding Technical Achievement award. In 2010, she became aproduct development manager where she led a teams across many US states through significant product development commitments.

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In 2014, Mikhail left IBM to join Mayo Clinic.

She currently serves as the administrative lead for research for the Mayo Clinic Department of Medicine addressing the needs of patients through strategic discovery, translation, and application of capabilities. Mikhail also serves as co-chair of Mayo’s COVID-19 Research Task Force and co-leads the DERIVE initiative—Departments Engaging Research for Innovation. She has a strong track record of employee development and commitment to diversity.

Mikhail has been a devoted member of our College of Engineering Advisory Board since 2005. She previously helped transform the undergraduate curriculum to better serve student development and overall success. She currently co-chairs the Industry Strategic Partnerships committee to strengthen our industry outreach.

Read Mikhail’s charge to the class: “Hello College of Engineering Graduates! My sincere thanks to Dean Nembhard, the Iowa Faculty and Staff, and to my fellow alumni for the kind invitation to speak to you.

First of all, Congratulations. Sitting here before you is a huge privilege for me—having been in your shoes two decades ago, I know the hard work, dedication, long nights, and endless studying you went through to get here. By nature, you have an intense passion for answering complex andcompelling questions, and you’re grounded knowing not everything has an answer, not every simulation converges, and sometimes answers just lead us to more questions. We’ve walked in similar shoes, and I admire you greatly.

Like you, I graduated with my BS in Mechanical Engineering, proud, tired, excited, nervous... like you, I had just whizzed through my last finals, through the submissions of Senior Design, and blended the warm goodbyes, with the excitement of setting out on my own. After my apartment on Iowa Avenue was packed up and crammed into my car, I drove north out of Iowa City, and eventually pulled in to Rochester Minnesota, late at night, on my own. My new apartment wouldn’t be ready for weeks, so I found the cheapest, safe hotel to stay in, realizing two weeks of hotel bills would be equivalent of more than two months’ future rent.

I still remember falling asleep that night, a little disoriented and overwhelmed, but with the satisfaction of—I did it.

I walked into my job at IBM as a hardware development engineer, to a team of all men, and nearly everyone was 15 or 20 years older than me. My IBM journey led me through developing leading technologies, almost always as the only woman, and typically, the youngest. I led teams across the US, and overseas. Even back then, working virtually was commonplace to us. In those days, we didn’t have Zoom. I actually liked the façade of being able to be an anonymous face behind my voice on a conference call. Maybe people wouldn’t see my blonde ponytail, and maybe they would think I was older. I just wanted them to value me for how I thought.

I was eventually recruited to lead critical impact teams—teams deployed when outages hit major data centers. I assembled experts from IBM labs across the globe and reported to senior executives what our next steps would be. In these report-outs I had to be concise, confident, technically nimble, and I had to be honest about what we knew about the outage, and what we simply didn’t understand yet. It was an adrenaline rush, and an experience that would shape my future.

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I share this story with you, not at all to shine a light on my own past, but to share with you an example of what an Engineering degree from the University of Iowa opens for you. At Iowa, you’ve learned how to think critically across competing demands and requirements, you’ve learned how to work through problems that had no clear answer, and you’ve learned how to build teams, and communicate with confidence and humility. Not to mention, you’ve learned this during the greatest pandemic to hit our world in a century. You, of all people, know how to be creative and rise to the challenge.”

Iowa Engineering prides itself on developing Engineers who always bring more to the table, engineers who are well rounded in critical thought, excellent in communication, and with a grounded interest in seeking improvement in the communities around us.

What I’ve just said, are not idle words. I’ve met many of you—you’re strong, smart, gracious, hardworking.

You’re creative, worldly and curious. And you will be sought, not only for the knowledge you have, but the reason you bring to problems facing you and others around you.

After 15 years at IBM, I took a leap of faith and joined the Healthcare industry, and I now oversee large portions of Mayo Clinic’s Clinical and Basic Science Research program. We’re working to discover and accelerate therapies that our patients need, but don’t yet have. It is indeed humbling.

In March of this year, just as lockdowns were starting to spread across our communities, I was asked to colead Mayo Clinic’s Research Response to COVID-19. Within days, a leading Infections Diseases Physician

Amanda Mikhail Q&A Looking back, is there anything you’d do differently in your college or post-graduate years?

When I was in undergrad, the first three years, I thought I was going on to be an engineering professor.

That’s where I really thought, at one point, that I wanted to go. So the first three years, I was doing undergraduate research and had planned on getting my master’s in engineering, and eventually my Ph.D. And then someone mentioned to me, “You know, you might really enjoy industry.” I started my internships in industry a little bit later than other people might have, so my recommendation would be to, even in an undergrad setting, allow yourself opportunities to explore and try other industries.

During the decision between grad school and industry, give yourself internships and opportunities, or work in the summer. Try to expose yourself to as many people and as many types of work as you can. Because in your late teens to early 20s, those formative years in undergrad, a lot of things are changing in what you like. And there are things you’re not yet exposed to. I think it’s really hard to try to make a decision for what you’re going to do for the whole rest of your career, based on such limited experiences. The more you can broaden your experiences, the better.

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and I stood up a Research task force to optimize our approach across test development, virology, data science, and the delivery of clinical trials. You know the classes I had at Iowa as a mechanical engineering student. Not a single one touched on antivirals, or the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. You would think that what I learned at Iowa, and in tech...didn’t matter in March. However, it did matter, greatly.

Because how we as engineers think—matters. How I could think quickly, divide a large problem into small parts, pursue multiple paths, and how I could communicate and bring others together around a common cause. And in this flurry of angst, little sleep, and high expectations, there was an underlying calm within me that this big puzzle was just another problem, with many variables, unknown outcomes.

I wish I could look forward twenty years and see where you’ll be. I can only begin to imagine the problems you’ll get to solve, or the people who will seek you out for how you think. You will build upon these problems, and solve even greater challenges over time. Because of your educational roots at Iowa, I am confident you will do so with cohesive thought, an emphasis on communication and a focus on the human element of your choices.

I wish you the best of luck as you pack up and move on to your next journey. And as you take your steps, take notice of what you encounter, what you contribute, and what you’re able to solve. It will continue to grow. You’re well equipped, and these steps are just right for you. Go do great things. It’s great to be a Hawkeye Engineer. “

BY POSTBULLETIN Published 08/22/18

Do you have any other advice?

Find mentors. It’s very easy to say and kind of hard to do, but it doesn’t have to be formal. Every single mentor-mentee relationship I have is an informal relationship. I think there’s a benefit to that, because it can come and go as the mentee needs, and there’s a very low barrier to entry, so to speak. They can just call me up, pick up the phone, or write an email, whatever. Try to find lots of different people to give you advice. Because each person who gives advice gives it from their perspective, and then the individual can take all of those pieces, kind of like a mosaic, and figure out which pieces make sense for them, to build up their perspective and input. It doesn’t have to feel like a big burden. It can be incredibly informal. It can be friends of colleagues or parents, people in your neighborhood, it can be people within your church or other organizations. You’re just looking for people with different experiences to help shed some light. Because it’s so hard to know, at 18, 19, 20. I’m looking back now, like, “Oh my god, there was so much I didn’t know then.” Twenty years from now, there will be so much I didn’t know now.

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From Earth to the International Space Station:

Beckermann studies the formation of grain structures in metals

Metallurgy, which focuses on the processing and properties of metals, is thousands of years old.

Metals are all around us, from the computers we use to the cars we drive. We all depend on these metals to function as they should.

Solidification” (SUBSA-CETSOL). Beckermann and his team are conducting experiments on the International Space Station as well as here on Earth to learn more about how metals form in a low gravity environment.

Does that mean we know everything about metals and how they form? Not at all.

Beckermann is the director of the Solidification Laboratory at the UI College of Engineering. The solidification of metals, he says, involves many thermal processes and requires the expertise of mechanical engineers. “Metal casting is the industrial application,” he says, “whereas solidification of materials is a scientific area within itself.”

Professor of Mechanical Engineering Christoph Beckermann is leading a project designed to explore the role gravity plays in the formation of grain structures in solidifying metals from their melt. Beckermann, who is also University of Iowa (UI) Foundation Distinguished Professor, is leading a team of scientists collaborating on a project titled “Effect of Convection on the Columnar-to-Equiaxed Transition in Alloy

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Beckerman wants to understand how certain microstructures form during solidification of a metal. Microstructures, or grain structures, are

Photos courtesy of NASA important to the function of a metal alloy. These grains can either be small and round (equiaxed, in scientific terms), or elongated and long (columnar). Different grain structures give metals different properties.

“We’re trying to understand and model the transition between one type of grain to the other,” Beckermann says. When metals solidify, both types of grains are often present – first the long, columnar grains, and later the equiaxed, or small round ones.

“By understanding when one forms vs. the other, we can better control the grain structure in metals,” Beckermann explains. “This is a big subject within metallurgy.”

But why do the experiments on the International Space Station? It’s not just for the fun of it, Beckermann says. On Earth, gravity influences grain formation as a metal solidifies. While the metal is still partially liquid, it flows around due to the action of gravity. Some areas are hotter, some colder. “It’s fluid mechanics, actually,” Beckermann says. “Just like hot air rises above a radiator and cold air goes down, the same will happen within the metal. And that’s called convection.”

This movement within the cooling metal affects the grain structure. In a controlled environment with little or no gravity, convection does not occur. “The metal is completely quiescent.

Nothing is moving,” Beckermann says.

Some researchers think that when metals solidify on Earth, the movement of convection causes

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the columnar grains to fragment and evolve into the round equiaxed grains. Beckermann hopes to learn whether gravity-driven convection and fragmentation is responsible for the formation of equiaxed grains.

“In space, since nothing is moving around, it becomes much more straightforward to actually predict the grain structure that will be forming,” Beckermann says.

Research on the space station and identical paired experiments on Earth will allow Beckermann and his team to test their theories and find out if they are correct. With this knowledge, they will be able to validate and finetune their theoretical models.

Beckermann was able to conduct the experiments on the space station remotely, with help from an astronaut who inserted the samples and ampules

“In space, since nothing is moving around, it becomes much more straightforward to actually predict the grain structure that will be forming” into a furnace onboard the space station. The experiments are complete, and the samples will be returned to Earth in June.

By comparing the results of the experiments conducted on Earth with those done on the space station, Beckermann will be able to learn whether the grain structure is different and what effect gravity had.

“It will be interesting to see if there is any difference,” Beckermann says.

A better understanding of this complex physical phenomenon will help scientists predict and control the properties of metals and ultimately build stronger steel, aluminum alloys, and other metals frequently used in industry.

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Graduate Student Appreciation The UI Graduate College declared April 5–9, 2021, as Graduate Student Appreciation Week.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) wanted to do something special for its graduate students, so offered them a complimentary lunch on April 5. Students were able to pick anything from the Panera Bread menu and the ME department took care of all of the other details. The department also furnished free homemade chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies to go with the meal.

When the graduate students picked up their meals from a drive up or walk through site outside of the College of Engineering Annex, they were greeted by the Professor and DEO Ching-Long Lin and Department Administrator Donna Palmer. Since everyone has been working and taking classes remotely it was a good time to meet new graduate students and catch up with other colleagues. The ME faculty and department appreciate all the work and time our dedicated graduate students have put in!

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GRADUATE COLLEGE FELLOWSHIPS FOR SPRING 2021 Dongyoung Kim

Ballard and Seashore Dissertation Fellowship

Boundary Layer Transition Models for CFD: Contributions to Naval Hydrodynamics Applications Boundary layer transition is a complex phenomenon that involves multiple physical mechanisms. In naval hydrodynamics problems, boundary layer transition can have considerable effects on skin friction, noise, propulsion efficiency, and maneuverability. For more than a century, fluid dynamics researchers have made tremendous efforts to understand this fundamental phenomenon, and have developed various theories and analytical or numerical methods to describe it.

However, there are still difficulties in the accurate prediction of transition, even though many studies are still underway to develop a robust and reliable model. In the present study, to investigate the capabilities and limitations of boundary layer transition models for naval hydrodynamics application, several recently developed models are implemented to the computational naval hydrodynamics code REX and are validated against experimental results. From extensive validations and evaluations, a variable degree of agreement with available experimental data is observed. By the nature of their implementation, the different models work best for the case that they were designed for. Since it is not clear whether a single model will cover all transition mechanisms, modified extensions for the transition model is proposed for the improvement on the specific mechanism of interest for naval hydrodynamics. Moreover, roughness correction and model are implemented to consider the effects of fouling, rough finishes, and boundary layer tripping numerically. This approach will contribute to the accurate prediction of resistance, propulsion performance, and maneuverability of naval vessels in the design stage.

Siamak Attarian

Post-Comprehensive Research Fellowship

My research is on multiscale modeling of composite materials. I do a series of calculations inquantum scale, nanoscale and microscale and collect the necessary information to use inmacroscale analyses. The results of the work will help to design a composite part with thedesired functionalities without the need for numerous costly experimental trials and errors

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Dongjin Lee

Post-Comprehensive Research Fellowship

“My research focuses on stochastic-mechanics analysis and design optimization of complex engineering systems subject to uncertainty.

During the fellowship period, I will develop new computational methods for robust and reliability-based design optimization to tackle large-scale engineering systems and deliver more reliable and cost-effective design solutions. Potentially, the methods will be envisioned to be applicable to a broad range of engineering disciplines, including bioengineering, manufacturing, energy, robotics, and more.”

Post-comprehensive research fellowship: The fellowship aims to support advanced Ph.D. students for a semester of their scholarly research activities by providing a $10,000 stipend including a tuition scholarship and insurance, etc. In the process of being awarded this fellowship, Ph.D. students who completed their comprehensive exam need to be nominated by their department to apply for this fellowship. All nominees should then contact their advisor and the director of graduate studies in their department to get recommendation letters. Finally, their application with the supporting documents, prepared by them, can and will be submitted by their department. Additional fellowship information is available at the following homepage: https://grad.uiowa.edu/funding/fellowships/post-comp.

Ramin Jahanbin

Ballard and Seashore Dissertation Fellowship “My research is focused on the development of novel uncertainty quantification methods with significant approximating power, namely stochastic isogeometric analysis with application to the design and analysis of complex mechanical systems. I work with Dr. Sharif Rahman at the Mechanical Engineering department and I develop mathematical tools to quantify the randomness of an output of interest by use of my knowledge in applied mathematics and numerical mechanics.

The most fascinating part of my work encompasses efficiently and accurately solving realistic large-scale engineering problems in stochastic mechanics. The Mechanical Engineering PhD program at University of Iowa has been a rewarding experience for me to contribute to the uncertainty quantification society with high-quality research. My publications have progressively attracted top researchers in the fields of uncertainty quantification, stochastic analysis, and numerical mechanics, and I am thankful to have received recognition by University of Iowa’s Graduate College through the Ballard and Seashore Fellowship for Spring 2021.”

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Martell Bell

Lulu Merle Johnson Recruitment Fellowship Martell Bell, PhD candidate, received the prestigious Lulu Merle Johnson Recruitment Fellowship from the UI Graduate College. Martell earned a BSE degree from our program in December 2019 and will return as a PhD candidate for the fall 2021 semester. The Lulu Merle Johnson Recruitment Fellowship is awarded to underrepresented minority doctoral students. We are proud that Martell will be advancing his education and research in our graduate program.

The fellowship is named in honor of Lulu Merle Johnson, PhD, the first African American woman to earn a doctorate at the University of Iowa and in the state of Iowa (1941). She was also among the first African American women to earn a PhD in the history in the United States. Dr. Johnson grew up in Gravity, Iowa. She earned all three of her degrees from the University of Iowa. After graduating, she served on the faculty of Talladega College (Alabama), Tougaloo College (Mississippi), Florida A&M University, and West Virginia State College before joining Cheyney State University (Pennsylvania) in 1952 as a history professor and dean of women.

The total value of the fellowship is approximately $200,000 (including stipend, tuition, and health and dental insurance allowance). Renewal of the fellowship each year depends on the recipient maintaining a strong level of performance and making satisfactory progress toward a degree. Congratulations, Martell!

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Anvay Pradhan

Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award Anvay Pradhan, a junior Mechanical Engineering (ME) student, received the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award from the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) and the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU). This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in scholarly investigation, artistic creation, or performance by undergraduates at the UI. Anvay has a variety of undergraduate research projects, which include:

• Dr. Sriram Sundararajan, Iowa State University, Department of Mechanical Engineering • Evolution of Surface Roughness Parameters During Micropitting • Dr. David Miles, University of Iowa, Department of Physics &Astronomy • Development of a Carbolite Tube Furnace for Manufacturing of Magnetometer Ring Cores

• Dr. Phil Deierling, University of Iowa, Department of Mechanical Engineering • Setup, Operation, and Programming of Stationary and Mobile Robots • Development of Autonomous Vision Systems for IndustrialApplications • Dr. Chiara Daraio, California Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical & Civil Engineering

• Origami-inspired Metamaterial with Tunable Permeability The ME faculty and staff congratulate Anvay on this award and wish him the best as he becomes a senior in our program!

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Mechanical Engineering The University of Iowa 103 South Capitol Street 3131 Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Sciences Iowa City, IA 52242

Students in the Manufacturing Processes Course working with the new Tormach Machine