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DEPARTMENTAL NEWSLETTER

Table of Contents 3

DEO Message

Caterina Lamuta Receives DURIP Award

Students Build Drone for ASME Competition

Design Internship Pilot Program

An Engineer and Something More

14 Nirmal Earns LANL Fellowship

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Notes on the cover: A student works in the Engineering Manufacturing Lab.

Missing the hustle and bustle on the Pentacrest, but we hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during these times!

Over the last few months, we have been working toward our program advancement goals outlined in the ME strategic vision plan. Specifically, we introduced new control labs, added a new autonomous mobile robot, and created a head TA structure to support our teaching labs. We incentivized our BS/MS combined degree program by accepting non-engineering students, maximizing the double-counted credits toward both BS and MS degrees, and providing application fee waivers and scholarships. In addition, we appointed a new Strategic Vision committee to develop a 5-year vision plan based on the current ME strategic vision plan and the college research priorities to articulate departmental priorities. During this period, the department has also been facing tremendous challenges due to faculty and staff changes, ABET visit preparation, and most importantly a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Iowa. We moved swiftly to virtual instruction and started working remotely at home. Despite all of these challenges, we continue to be here for each other and explore new ideas in a virtual setting. In this issue, we would like to share some outcomes of these endeavors through the stories of an assistant professor Caterina Lamuta, a former undergraduate student Martell Bell, and a current BS/MS student Camilla Tabasso. Besides an ongoing ONR research grant, professor Lamuta received a new ONR DURIP grant to purchase an instrumentation system for her artificial muscle research. Through Martell’s story, one will learn about his extracurricular effort in enriching diversity, equity, and inclusion, reminding of the motto ‘Become an Engineer and Something More.’ Camilla’s execution in designing a racing cargo drone for the ASME competition as well as her plan in pursuing a PhD degree here in the area of robotics and autonomous systems is an example of following her own passion. With this transition to the leadership of new Dean Harriet Nembhard in the summer, we look forward to all the new opportunities and initiatives.

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

Caterina Lamuta Receives DURIP Award from the Department of Defense

Assistant Professor Caterina Lamuta has received a highly-competitive award from the United States Office of Naval Research (ONR). The Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) award was granted to Lamuta in March of 2020. Her work at Iowa focuses primarily on the design, modeling, manufacturing, and characterization of bioinspired and smart materials. Some projects Lamuta and her students have worked on include artificial muscles and self-morphing smart skin. Her DURIP proposal seeks an instrumentation system for the characterization and optimization of the artificial muscles-based self-morphing skin that Lamuta researches in the Smart Multifunctional Material Systems (SMMS) Lab. The instrumentation system will be utilized for application in antifouling and hydrodynamic drag control of underwater vehicles and robots. “I believe that the development of smart materials systems, able to capture data from the external environment and accordingly adapt their performance, has a transformative impact on society, in terms of energy efficiency, reliability, durability, and safety,” Lamuta says. “I am thrilled by the idea that the Department of Defense decided to invest and believe in my research idea.” This system requires three specific items, which will soon arrive at the University of Iowa. The first is an electrodynamic testing system to be used for viscoelastic characterization of both the artificial muscles and the final device at high frequency and temperature. The second item is a 3D Profilometer with white light technology, which will control the output texture and shape with a resolution of 100 nm. The third item is a 3D Profilometer with laser scanning confocal microscopy technology, which will be used to measure the thickness of extremely thin biofilms before and after artificial muscles activation. The smart skin Lamuta researches is a self-morphing skin able to perform texture and shape modulation thanks to the presence of Twisted Spiral Artificial Muscles (TSAMs) embedded into a soft material. This material can then be electrically actuated in order to provide a specific shape/ texture. The equipment provided by the DURIP award will allow Lamuta to optimize the performance of the skin. “This includes the ability to perfectly match a target shape

on demand and in real time, as well as the capability of providing antifouling performance,” Lamuta states. “Thanks to its ability to provide high-resolution on-demand textures and patterns, the flexible and lightweight artificial skin we are developing will potentially surpass the ability of biological systems in texture morphing, and pave the way for innovative applications beyond camouflage, such as visual 3D displays, Braille displays, temperature and light responsive skins, and fouling resistant surfaces ranging from ship hulls to biomedical devices.” University of Iowa Mechanical Engineering students can learn about smart material systems in ME:4200, Modern Engineering Materials for Mechanical Design. Lamuta plans to use the instrumentation system to offer lab demonstrations to her students concerning the testing and control of self-morphing smart systems based on artificial muscles. When asked about what achievements or experiences she’s most proud of so far, Lamuta enthused “My students are the thing I am most proud of. Their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn make my job one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.”

My students are the thing I am most proud of. Their enthusiasm and eagerness to learn make my job one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. 5

Students Design and Build Drone for ASME Competition* Camilla Tabasso and teammates Liyan Liu, Ben Ong, and Marissa Van Elsen are working with Professor Phil Deierling to compete in the Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D (IAM3D) Challenge in East Lansing, MI in April. This is a competition put on by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) global E-Fests. It is designed to give students around the world the opportunity to showcase their creativity and knowledge by re-engineering existing products or creating new designs utilizing additive manufacturing technologies. During the Fall 2019 semester, the VIPT (Virtual International Project Team) group constructed a racing cargo drone that is capable of picking up and dropping a payload, as well as navigating an obstacle course. They began with several design iterations, and once the final design model was completed, 3D printed all components, and assembled their drone. Now the group is in their testing stage. For safety reasons, the drone will be controlled remotely using first person visuals.

“The coursework I did in past years really helped me and my team into navigating the different stages of a design process. In fact, design of the drone involved CAD design as well as consideration on weight, flexibility, resistance, stress concentrations and many other factors. I think this project allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of all the steps necessary to fully develop a prototype,” Camilla reflected. She strongly recommended future students participate in similar competitions to utilize their classroom knowledge in real-life applications. Students in the UI ASME chapter, a mechanical engineering student organization, are doing just that. They will also be participating in the IAM3D competition this spring, and have been collaborating with Camilla’s VIPT team, and will start testing and practice flying their drone together. Camilla was recently showcased in the University of Iowa’s Dare to Discover campaign for her research regarding autonomous systems. She focuses on “the development, implementation, and testing of control strategies to enable safe operations during autonomous scenarios.” She says her research impacted her so much so that she will be continuing her education at the University of Iowa, pursuing a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering after her graduation in May.

The coursework I did in past years really helped me and my team into navigating the different stages of a design process.

* ASME E-Fests have been cancelled due to COVID-19

New Design Pilot Program Makes Waves In Summer 2019, the Mechanical Engineering Department launched a pilot design internship program. The pilot was based on suggestions from our industrial advisory board members as a way to further encourage students to participate in internships and co-op opportunities. Its unique feature is the double benefit to the student, providing the opportunity to earn academic course credit and gain real world experience from industry. Combining these two elements together provided a better overall engineering experience beyond a capstone project and resulted in a deeper level of understanding for the entire design process for these students. Four students, and their industry sponsors, volunteered for the pilot with one summer internship and 3 co-ops. In this initial iteration of the program, an internship doubles as course credit for a semester length capstone design project; while a co-op may double as a year-long (two semester) capstone design project. All participants participate in the senior design night event (held each fall/spring) to present to the public. Two of these students—Alex Brinney and Taylor Moenk— share their experiences in this pilot with us. Alex Brinney spent his summer co-op with Kinze Manufacturing in Williamsburg, Iowa. When asked what drew him to Kinze, he says, “I wanted to intern with this company because they manufacture large-scale AG equipment, and their products involve welding and fabrication. I also realize that a lot of the components that go into their products are welded and welding is a high interest area of mine.” Alex had the opportunity to work

on his project closely with his supervising engineer, with help from ME faculty as needed. He got to present his work on the project, titled “Parts Washer for Square and Rectangular Tubing,” at the most recent Senior Design Night. “I think the strength of the pilot program was that it required me to document weekly reports, provide a mid-point review, a final report, and a final presentation of my project. This allowed me to understand and explain the project at a deeper level. Overall, I thought the experience was great and very beneficial as a hopeful future engineer,” Alex says. Taylor Moenk also participated in the pilot, and will present her project titled “MLE Surface Defect Redesign” this spring. She had her co-op at Boston Scientific, a medical device manufacturer, in the Summer of 2019 in the Access and Delivery Solutions Assembly (ADSA) group. She drew from lab experiences in the ME department at Iowa, and further developed her communication, interpersonal, leadership, and troubleshooting skills. “I learned how to adapt to changes in an ever-evolving, fast paced work environment…and meet and work with diverse groups of engineers from different areas/departments of the company, which has given me insight into what kinds of roles I would be interested in post-graduation,” she says. Both students recommend that students participate in the program if given the opportunity. The Design Internship Program offers the opportunity to apply coursework in an industry setting, make connections, and grow professionally.

An Engineer and Something More Recent graduate, Martell Bell, reflects on his time at Iowa, receiving the Outstanding Senior Award, and looks to the future. “This year’s recipient is recognized for his incredible work ethic, strong desire to give back to others, and commitment to inclusion and diversity,” College of Engineering Dean, Alec Scranton, was announcing the awardee for Fall 2019’s ‘Most Outstanding Senior Award.’ The recipient is nominated each semester by their peers and faculty. Dean Scranton went on to list an impressive succession of qualifiers, including leadership roles in the National Society of Black Engineers, organizing an outreach program event for Trio Upward Bound, working as a teaching assistant, and more. “I am pleased to announce that the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Senior Award is Martell Bell.”

As Martell stood and went to receive the award, he looked over the crowd in Hancher Auditorium. He could see his family and fellow members of the Iowa Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). His phone began buzzing with words of congratulations. Martell would later go on to describe the moment as “one of the defining moments in my life…I felt so much love.” Many years of hard work and persistence brought him to that moment at graduation. For Martell, those years started in high school, where he was a four-sport athlete and competed in CAD modelling competitions through the Illinois Drafting Educators Association. It was where he first heard of NSBE, an organization where, at the Iowa chapter, he would become president and later programming director.

He was also involved in Trio Upward Bound, a government-funded college preparation and enrichment program for first-generation, low-income students. Throughout high school, he visited Illinois college campuses, toured cultural and art museums in Chicago, volunteered, and attended conferences. “Being a teenager, it was really hard to appreciate what Trio was actually doing for us. You take a lot of the people and experiences for granted. Many of the staff members were volunteer, or underpaid! Now that I’m older I realize the impact that it had on me developmentally. It gave me the ability to interact with the world. A world that is much different than what you go through on a day to day basis as a black person,” Martell recalled. It was in college where Martell would return to both NSBE and Trio Upward Bound. When asked about NSBE at Iowa, he said “I was drawn to the group in pursuit of belonging… I stayed because of the fellowship. Everyone in NSBE got along so well. And we could do more than just talk about our struggle in engineering school and chapter business.” His first major event was Black Girls Do Science (BGDS), started by UI NSBE alum, Brynn Berry, to introduce K-8th grade girls to STEM. “Walking into the room and seeing the impact that we had 100+ black girls was euphoric to me,” he recalled. The BGDS event would inspire Martell to become even more involved in NSBE at Iowa. Martell’s involvement grew significantly his junior year as a senator. Then, during his senior year, he stepped up to take

the role of chapter president. “I found myself immersed in the meticulous details of running an organization. It was in this position where I began to figure out my leadership style and what I actually liked to do,” he recalled. This led to the creation of the programming director role, which Martell held his final semester of college. On November 2nd, 2019, Martell got to see his largest program come to life: the iGNITE Engineering Success Conference. The event was put on by UI Trio Upward Bound and NSBE, and co-sponsored by the UI College of Engineering and the UI Center for Diversity and Enrichment. iGNITE hosted over 50 high school students, who participated in workshops put on by UI faculty from a variety of backgrounds, all covering STEM topics. “I loved how people from different backgrounds could get together and promote STEM in creative ways,” Martell enthused. “I never thought I’d be able to link dance and vehicle automation.” This link was formed through a collaboration between a Dance PhD student and a Trio alum. The ‘Crash Dance’ workshop—Martell’s favorite and most memorable part of the conference—demonstrated how computer code must be reconstructed following the crash of a self-driving vehicle. “I felt pure emotion as I watched 60+ people smile, laugh, and walk into each other. It was a moment that I wish could have lasted forever…[it] made everything real for me,” he said. Looking into the future of the iGNITE conference, Martell has high hopes for its return and

I didn’t know that I loved to do volunteer work. I loathed it in high school. But now it’s one of the few things that fulfills me... College taught me that my passion is helping others. to implement more elements into the program in future years. Martell says he hopes to continue helping with the program as an alum. “I didn’t know that I loved to do volunteer work. I loathed it in high school. But now it’s one of the few things that fulfills me...College taught me that my passion is helping others.”

Outside of NSBE and Trio Upward Bound, Martell still found the time to be an undergraduate teaching assistant for three semesters in the Design for Manufacturing (Engineering Manufacturing) Lab, spending countless hours assisting students on projects. “I felt a great sense of satisfaction seeing groups that I’d helped from day one successfully build a pump. I found that I loved being the person to go to when there was a problem, and learning from my students along the way,” he said. Looking at his coursework, Martell emphasized what makes Iowa Engineering different: “Iowa always stressed the importance of working together as engineers.” His Virtual International Project Team (VIPT) experience in Hong Kong exposed him to the many ways of thinking about a problem. “I learned that the way engineers approach problems vary greatly by culture and that no method is better than the other, they’re just different.” We asked Martell about his advice for current and future students, and he responded enthusiastically: “Create your own opportunities and take advantage of any that come your way! Another reason I created iGNITE was because I wasn’t having any luck securing another internship. I knew I’d need another experience under my belt and to be more marketable, and since I couldn’t get experience anywhere, I created my own.” He added, “You should try at least one thing that has nothing to do with your career

path. My cross-educational experience was participating in the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) Idea Pitch Competition. I pitched an idea for a wholistic rehabilitation center for people suffering from psychological side effects of a catastrophic injury.” For Martell, this business pitch was inspired by his own life experiences. Around two months before college, he suffered a spinal cord injury during an offseason wrestling tournament. He had to undergo surgery, was left partially paralyzed and unable to walk for over two weeks, and still feels the effects of nerve damage to this day. Speaking of the experience, he said “It has taught me a lot about myself and the resiliency of the spirit…a lot of psychological injury occurs when something like this happens, and we as a society overlook this. I guess I could finish this off with another word of advice. You should always be compassionate towards others. You never know what they are going through.” “I didn’t win any money, but I did meet many people with fantastic ideas, who I’m sure will be great successes,” he said of the JPEC competition. One of these people was a woman who has a rehabilitation PhD, former shot-put thrower, and owner of a business that makes protective equipment for throwing implements. Martell, a former thrower himself, was happy to help. Their encounter led to her business being a Mechanical Engineering Design Project this Spring. “So, to my fellow Hawkeyes…get out there! You never know the impact you’ll make.” In addition to the Outstanding Senior Award, Martell has been the recipient of the Luther H. Smith Service Award and the ‘Engineer and Something More’ Award. He said, “For me winning these awards affirmed that I was on the right path to who I am supposed to be. I started off a year behind in math, having never taken calculus. I also struggled a lot more than my peers seemed to have been doing in classes. However, I didn’t forget who I was, and I continued to do the things that I learned over the years. The awards not only affirm who I am, they also let me know that people see the good work that I do. It makes the lonely 2 a.m. study sessions and the 5+ weekly meetings outside of class and job well worth it.” After his graduation in December, Martell chose to continue his time at Iowa. He has been accepted by our Mechanical Engineering Department as a graduate student pursuing a master’s degree in the Fall 2020 semester.

Students participate in the “Crash Dance” workshop during the iGNITE Engineering Success Conference in November.

Nirmal Awarded Prestigious Directorâ€™s Fellowship with the Los Alamos National Laboratory Nirmal Kumar Rai, a post-doctoral researcher working with Prof. H.S. Udaykumar, has received the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Postdoctoral Fellowship. Nirmal begins his fellowship on March 2nd at LANL where he will collaborate with scientists and engineers on staff-initiated research. This prestigious fellowship selections are based on academic and research accomplishments, the strength of the proposed research, as well as their potential impact at the laboratory. Nominees are reviewed quarterly, with 40-50 applicants each quarter. Only 20-25 fellowships are awarded annually, which is about 10% of the applicant pool. Before starting his new position at LANL in New Mexico, Nirmal sat down for a little Q&A.

I hope to use this Q: Please describe your research. In simple terms, why does this research matter? N: Much of my research is related to numerical framework development (computations), the importance of which is due to its application. This provides better characterization of extreme behaviors via virtual simulations. Current simulation methods are done in the real-world environment which can be costly and dangerous. Creation of a better virtual simulation helps to decrease those concerns. Q: What do you enjoy most about your research? What first got you interested in this area?

opportunity as a platform from which to build a strong research career. Q: What achievements or experiences are you most proud of? N: Receiving the LANL fellowship and the group’s work to get the MURI grant. Q: Looking beyond the fellowship, what are your career goals for the future?

N: I enjoy the use of mathematical modeling to understand the fundamental physics governing the behavior of complex physical processes involved in the characterization of various materials. My initial exposure to Finite Element Method course in my undergraduate study gave me a kick start towards developing a keen interest in the field of numerical modeling.

N: To establish myself as an independent researcher. Perhaps an academic/faculty position in the long term. I might look more towards space technology for research interests in the future.

Q: What does receipt of the LANL Director’s Postdoctoral Fellowship mean to you?

N: I remember completing my qualifying exams, finishing my first year as a PhD student—life was simple then. Completion of my comprehensive exams, I remember the feeling of relief. I enjoyed the ice cream socials held by the department, it was a good time and opportunity to connect with other graduate students and faculty.

N: I consider this an early career success, on an individual and group level. LANL is a place that I had wanted and aimed to work. I hope to use this opportunity as a platform from which to build a strong research career. I am both nervous and excited for this fellowship. Q: Do you feel that your experiences at the UI has set you apart? Helped prepare you for what is next? N: From my experience the UI overall is a healthy productive environment for a budding researcher. The smaller size [of the college of engineering] provided lots of overall support from several different individual faculty members throughout my studies and research. Administrative staff at the UI is one of the best parts of the UI community, all staff encountered have been extremely helpful, they are as productive as the top researchers. The right responsibilities were given at the right times which fostered continued growth & development in all skills related to becoming a well-rounded researcher.

Q: What is your favorite/most memorable experiences at the UI? Or CoE?

Q: What do you like best about Iowa City? The University of Iowa? N: I consider Iowa City a second home. Both the city and university communities are very welcoming, and provide a diverse environment. The other thing I like about Iowa City is the food culture, considering the size of the town, we have almost every cuisine that one can imagine in any big city. Q: What do you do in your free time? N: I enjoy being outdoors—activities at the MacBride recreational center, checking out the community events in the Ped Mall/downtown Iowa City area. I picked up drums during my graduate school and I like to practice and jam whenever I can manage some time.

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

Students work with the KUKA Robots in the Control, Automation, and Robotics (CAR) Lab.