Utah State Engineer, Fall 2017 by USU Libraries

TRUST THE EXPERTS When the Oroville Dam spillway broke apart during heavy flows earlier this year, the California Department of Water Resources turned to USU’s Utah Water Research Lab. Engineers built a 1:50 scale model of the spillway to test repair and replacement options for a new concrete spillway at America’s tallest dam.

Utah State Engineer, formerly Creating Tomorrow, is the annual alumni magazine of the College of Engineering at Utah State University. For delivery information and other inquiries, contact engineering.office@usu.edu. ©2017, Utah State University.

Industry Advisory Board: Todd Adams Richard Anderson Marsha Bala Vance Checketts Greg Crane Jay Fiebig Neil Holt George Humbert Larry Jacobsen Kent Jones Ki Ho Kang Eva Nieminski Jim Nottingham Scotty R. Nowlin Fred Perkins Rex Plazier Mark Ripke Steven Rowlan Mel Torrie Catherine Wong

On the Cover: An eye for clutter: USU aerospace engineering researchers are scanning the heavens to track orbital debris, the useless junk that clutters near-earth orbit. Dr. David Geller works with graduate students Rachit Bhatia and Arun Bernard.

CONTENTS

FROM the DEAN

Featured

News & Events

OROVILLE SPILLWAY

7 -13

USU’s Utah Water Research Lab builds 1:50 scale model of the troubled spillway at America’s tallest dam

Mechanical Engineering Students Win Big in Las Vegas

ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS Engineering students travel to the Per uvian Highlands to tackle a timeless challenge

VITICULTURE FROM SPACE USU researchers are ushering in the next era of precision agriculture

Civil & Environmental Engineering Professor Named Educator of the Year

THE RIGHT KIND OF GRADUATES

New Electrified Transportation Research Center Opens at USU

High School Students Return for Engineering State Summer Camp

It’s an exciting time for our graduating students to enter the workforce. The need for highly-trained engineers and computer scientists has never been higher, and career opportunities span every industry.

Students Celebrate Engineers Week

All Eyes on the Utah Water Research Lab

ORBITAL DEBRIS TELESCOPE

Bio Engineering Students Showcase Research at Industry Meeting

Bear Lake telescope offers clear view of cluttered night skies

Utah Water Research Lab Unveils Latest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

32 Gifts That Last A Generation

PREPARING

37 I Make Their Dream A Reality

We’re preparing future engineers and computer scientists not only with technical knowledge, but with the right mix of design, leadership and industry perspective they’ll need to become successful leaders. A majority of our graduates pursue careers in industry. To meet the growing demand of talented professionals prepared for the 21st-century marketplace, we’re implementing exciting changes and giving students a new opportunity to connect with practicing engineers and business leaders. This fall, we will unveil our brand new Idea Factory. This exciting new space inside the Sant Engineering Innovation building offers students a state-of-the art facility to turn ideas into reality. The Idea Factory will be a high-tech design and fabrication lab where students can interact with professional engineers and peers about senior capstone projects, design competitions, outreach missions and more. Equipping our future engineers with hands-on design and industry collaboration experience will prepare them for tomorrow’s top engineering and computer science careers. We recognize the importance of industry connections and the valuable input our industry advisory board provides as

we continue to develop this innovative workspace. We also extend a sincere thanks to our alumni and friends of the college who provide generous contributions that support student scholarships and meaningful outreach programs. Thank you. We invite you to browse through our newly-designed annual alumni magazine full of exciting news highlights, student and faculty success stories and the latest in water resources and space-science engineering.

Jagath Kaluarachchi PhD | PE | D.WRE | F.ASCE | F.EWRI Interim Dean, College of Engineering Utah State University

COLLEGE AT A GLANCE

NEWS and EVENTS

Six Academic Departments • Biological Engineering • Civil and Environmental Engineering • Computer Science

2016 2017

• Electrical and Computer Engineering • Engineering Education • Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

ENROLLMENT • 2,620 Undergraduate Students • 385 Graduate Students

18.2 Million in research expenditures in 2016

9 Research Centers and institutes

• 14% Female Enrollment • 21:1 Student-to-Professor Ratio

11 Patents Issued in 2015 with 26 pending and 28 co-issued to students

76 Students Awarded Engineering Undergraduate Research Program (EURP) fellowships since 2010

RESEARCH

New Electrified Transportation Research Center Opens at USU Last fall, a first-of-its-kind transportation research center opened its doors for business at USU. SELECT, the Sustainable Electrified Transportation Center, brings electrified transportation industry members and engineers together to develop holistic solutions to global electrified transportation. The center is comprised of university partners and a range of industries and government agencies.

CEE Faculty Appointed to Air Quality Board Research Associate Professor Dr. Randy Martin will serve a four-year term on the Utah Air Quality Board. He was officially sworn into the role on May 24. Martin is a leading expert in air quality topics. Since joining USU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2000, he has become well known for his expertise of fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5 or PM 10.

THAT INSPIRES

engineering.usu.edu

Mechanical Engineering Students Win Big in Las Vegas Mechanical engineering students competed against 23 other teams and won 2nd place overall in the 2017 Human Powered Vehicle Challenge. The competition took place March 17–19 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The USU team also placed 1st in the women’s speed event, 3rd in the men’s speed event and 2nd in the endurance event. HPVC events are organized through the American Society of Mechanical Engineers to inspire future leaders in alternative transportation engineering.

All Eyes on the Utah Water Research Lab Reporters and photographers visited the Utah Water Research Lab in June for an up-close view of the lab’s Oroville spillway scale model. Media outlets including the New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Daily Mail, Scientific American and Utah news agencies spoke with Water Lab faculty about the ongoing efforts to repair the damaged spillway.

Utah Water Research Lab Unveils Latest in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles In February, the Utah Water Research Lab unveiled its newest platform of unmanned aerial vehicles. The new ‘BluJay’ line of all-electric aircraft is used for research in precision agriculture and water resources engineering. The student-designed aircraft can fly a distance of over 200 miles and captures imagery with resolution up to 10cm by 10cm.

Native American Students Explore Biological Engineering

Patriot Award Goes to Computer Science Faculty

USU Students Outshine Peers in National Scholarship Challenge

The BE Department hosted an eightweek summer outreach program to give under-represented students from Southern Utah and Idaho an opportunity to explore academic opportunities in biological engineering. The NSF-funded initiative is part of the Native American Student Mentorship Program. As part of their research, participants studied the environmental conditions that affect the growth and health of wheat crops.

The Defense Department’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program recognized a USU faculty member for his support of a student who serves in the Utah Air National Guard. Computer science lecturer Chad Mano was presented the ESGR Patriot Award by Retired Army Col. Morty Jenkins. Mano was nominated by student and Sr. Airman Daniel Evans, who said Mano supported him when he learned he would deploy for a mission just days before final exams.

Last fall, eight engineering students received scholarships from the American Nuclear Society–a significant accomplishment considering USU does not have a nuclear engineering program. The scholarships were the most awarded to any institution nationwide. Recipients: Cody Andrew Barrie, James Broderick, Robert L. Olsen, Erik Olson, Zachary W. Pickering, Joshua David Rasmussen, Colby K. Searle and Zachary F. Thomas.

engineering.usu.edu

Biological Engineering Undergrad Wins International Video Contest Nathan Guymon, a junior majoring in biological engineering, won a second-place award in an international video contest aimed at educating the public about solid waste. Guymon submitted his video to the International Solid Waste Association. His animation-based video was one of 34 entries from 15 countries. He received a $900 prize and was invited to attend ISWA’s annual conference this fall in Baltimore, Md.

High School Students Return for Engineering State Summer Camp Future engineers from 12 states converged on the USU campus in June for the 26th annual Engineering State youth summer camp. 233 participants, including 64 young women, took part in the four-day event featuring hands-on challenge sessions, tours of the Space Dynamics Lab and a barbecue bash at First Dam. Registration for E-State 2018 opens Jan. 1. Visit estate.usu.edu.

USU’s Val Potter Elected to State Legislature

Computer Science Students Organize State’s Biggest Hackathon HackUSU has become a signature USU event for computer science students from across Utah. Each year, participants build software and hardware tools designed to solve everyday problems encountered in technology or programming. Students also learn new technologies and network with recruiters from top Utah companies. HackUSU returns to the Logan campus Nov. 17–18. Visit: www.hackusu.org.

Engineering Education Dept. Offers New Online Certificate USU’s Engineering Education Department will offer a new online graduate certificate in engineering education. Program developers say there’s growing demand for improved training tools for both practicing and future engineering educators. The program consists of 12 online coursework credit hours and a one-credit teaching and learning portfolio requirement. More information at eed.usu.edu.

The Utah State Legislature welcomed several new lawmakers to its ranks earlier this year, including Val K. Potter, the Executive Director of Development at Utah State University’s College of Engineering. Potter was elected in November 2016 to Utah’s House District 3 which covers constituents in the northern part of Cache Valley and the northwest portion of Logan City. Originally from Tremonton, Utah, and a USU alumnus, Potter has an extensive background in public service.

engineering.usu.edu

Aggies Sweep American Water Works Association Scholarship Challenge

Civil & Environmental Engineering Professor Named Educator of the Year Dr. Paul J. Barr was named the 2017 Educator of the Year by the Utah Engineers Council. Barr is a veteran engineering educator and leading expert in bridge and roadway engineering. He began teaching at USU in 2003.

Students Celebrate Engineers Week

Four Utah State University engineering students received scholarships from the American Water Works Association Intermountain Section. The 2017 winners are: Stetson Bassett (civil & environmental engineering graduate student) Kade Beck (civil & environmental engineering graduate student) Dominique Bertrand (civil engineering undergraduate student)

USU students celebrated Engineers Week with cardboard boat races, a calculator quick draw, community night and a Miss Engineering pageant. The annual tradition has become a favorite for students and faculty. The famous Marv n’ Joe open-faced sandwich, named for two CEE faculty, goes on sale during the weeklong celebration.

He was promoted to full professor in 2014 and has served as head of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department since 2015.

Biological Engineering Alumna Honored with Robins Award

ECE Professor Extends International Speaking Tour

Aggie Air Team Publishes Study in Air Traffic Control Journal

Defense Contractor Donates to Society of Women Engineers

Aerospace Faculty Creates Free 3-D Aircraft Design Software

Bio Engineering Students Showcase Research at Industry Meeting

Biological engineering alumna Darcie Christensen is among the winners of the 2017 Robins Awards. She received the Scholar of the Year Robins Award. Originally from Tremonton, Utah, Christensen plans to pursue a Ph.D. in engineering education after completing a graduate degree in environmental engineering.

Engineers around the world are getting a glimpse into the latest engineering research at USU thanks to the ambitious speaking tour of Dr. Rose Hu. She was selected from a worldwide pool of candidates to be named a 2015-16 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Communications Society Distinguished Lecturer. Hu speaks at conferences and engineering symposiums around the world. This year, IEEE extended Hu’s commitment through 2018.

USU researchers who specialize in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for waterrelated remote sensing recently published a study about multi-drone operations in the Journal of Air Traffic Control. Authors Daniel Robinson, Nathan Hoffer and Calvin Coopmans outline how multiple UAVs can be safely coordinated in the national airspace system.

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) received a $5,000 donation from defense company Northrop Grumman on Dec. 1. Katie Henderson, USU SWE chapter president, was joined by fellow SWE members, Interim Dean Jagath Kaluarachchi, Nina Glaittli and Val Potter to receive the donation. Justin McMurray, business unit director at Northrop Grumman, said there’s a growing need for more women in engineering careers.

Dr. Doug Hunsaker developed a free software tool that is revolutionizing the drone industry. MachUp is an easy-to-use 3-D online software program that generates aerodynamic information about a user’s aircraft design. The program is available at aero.go.usu.edu. It operates on any browser and platform including smartphones and tablets and features training tutorials.

Biological engineering students helped welcome the world to Utah during the Institute of Biological Engineering’s (IBE) annual meeting March 30–April 1 in Salt Lake City. Students met with fellow BE students and faculty from 36 universities and networked with industry professionals. They presented research posters and spoke on topics including biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, environmental engineering, biosensors and more. About 40 USU students participated in the event, the highest turnout in the last five years.

Jorge Espinoza (civil engineering undergraduate student)

engineering.usu.edu

MINIATURIZING AMERICA’S TALLEST DAM

Utah Water Research Lab team builds scale model of Oroville spillway When heavy winter rains filled Northern California’s Lake Oroville earlier this year, the torrential outflow tore apart the dam’s spillway, sending public safety officials and engineers scrambling for answers. In the days that followed, engineers at the state’s department of water resources picked up the phone and called a trusted expert who they’d turned to before. “We got a call and they said, ‘hey, can you please help us with this?’ Dr. Michael Johnson knew the voices on the other end. He had been asked to help with projects at Oroville Dam in the past. A leading expert in experimental hydraulics, Johnson helped design a solution that improves the Feather River valve outlet system in low-level reservoir conditions. His work helped alleviate the effects of drought in the Central Valley from 20142016. This time, the stakes were even higher. “They asked us to help the hydraulics team ensure that a new spillway design

Welder: Engineering Technician Andy Lee Students: Hayden Coombs and Taylor Stauffer

engineering.usu.edu

Engineers: Dr. Michael Johnson, left, and Dr. Zachary Sharp

at Oroville would perform safely and have the capacity to handle the required flood releases,” said Johnson, a research professor at the Utah Water Research Lab. “And all this needed to happen very quickly. Repairs needed to be finished by November when the rainy season starts again.” Johnson and his colleague Dr. Zachary Sharp worked with a team of 15 engineers, technicians and students to construct a 1:50 scale model of the Oroville Dam spillway in just 40 days. The 100-foot-long, 60-foot-wide model was built to replicate the jagged terrain conditions left in the wake of the damaging flows. Engineers in California provided the UWRL team with precise terrain measurements that were incorporated into the model through dozens of laser-cut steel cross sections. The spaces between each section were then filled with cement to create a continuous surface. Johnson says the model will provide useful information about hydraulic conditions in and around the damaged spillway. He and his team are currently

taking measurements on various sections of the model to determine depth of flows, wave action, pressures, velocity profiles and more. “Our goal is to assist the design team in California in making the best decisions moving forward with data from the model,” said Johnson. “The data will provide useful information that will help engineers make better-informed decisions about repair and replacement.” Since its original construction, the team has reconfigured the model to reflect the latest repair designs. The acrylic spillway chute now features specially-designed aerators that reduce the amount of energy in the descending flows, a change that is expected to significantly improve the spillway design. Since 1965, the UWRL has modeled a wide range of spillways, energy dissipaters, channels, chutes, pipes, valves and other hydraulic structures, including dozens of large dams and spillways. These physical models have improved designs, cut costs and increased the safety of hydraulic structures around the globe. ■

Model Information: Scale: 1:50 Construction: wood, acrylic, steel and concrete Size: Approx. 100 feet long by 60 feet wide. The model simulates a prototype dam and spillway area of over 4.4 million square feet Team: 15 engineers, engineering technicians and engineering students constructed the model in 40 days Capacity: The model supplies just over 7,030 gallons per minute to simulate a flow of 277,000 cubic feet per second Budgeted Model Cost: $277,000

• An elevation change of 15 feet in the scale model simulates an elevation change of ~750 feet • 20,000 lbs of concrete were used to form the topography • The topography was obtained using LIDAR then imported into CAD to create cross sections • Steel cross sections were cut out using a laser cutter

engineering.usu.edu

PRIMING PLANTS TO TOLERATE DROUGHT

ECE graduate student Muhammateziz Tursuniyaz holds a transparent antenna

A CLEAR SOLUTION:

Dr. David Britt, right, and Jonathan Valiente

PRINTING TRANSPARENT ANTENNAS ON GLASS

Dr. David Britt is overseeing a major research st udy aimed at improving drought tolerance by boost ing a plant’s defense mechanisms

Food growers are facing a difficult reality: climate change is expected to intensify drought conditions, and expanding urban populations are competing for arable land and water supplies. Experts say drought-tolerant plants will be the cornerstone of maintaining agricultural productivity. Dr. David Britt, an associate professor of biological engineering, is overseeing a major research study aimed at improving drought tolerance by boosting a plant’s defense mechanisms through exposure to engineered nanoparticles containing copper, zinc and silicon. Such nutrients are already present in some fertilizers but not in nano-formulations which, due to

their small size and unique geometries, can provide additional benefits. In nature, plants co-exist with a variety of beneficial microbes that colonize a plant’s root zone. Britt says interactions between microbes, the root zone and micronutrients can lead to the formation of protective proteins and metabolites that enhance drought stress protection. Britt and his team will apply nanoparticles to soils in several greenhouse tests using wheat, a grain cultivated in droughtsusceptible regions around the world. The research is funded by a $450,000 grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. ■

New light weight antennas could replace the bulky parabolic dishes used on spacecraft A researcher at Utah State University is one step closer to solving a complex space problem: how to equip satellites with highgain antennas without the added weight and mechanical complexity of a bulky parabolic dish? Dr. Reyhan Baktur, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, developed an innovative solution. She demonstrated how a high-gain antenna can be printed directly onto a satellite’s solar panel. Using a materials printer and conductive ink, Baktur and her team print antennas onto a variety of surfaces including glass solar panels that power communication and small research satellites. “This concept could eventually replace the heavy, complex antenna structures currently used on hundreds of satellites,” she said. “The problem with using conventional antennas and their reflective dishes, is that they’re heavy and they create added complexity in which something can go wrong.”

Baktur’s design is simpler. She uses silver-based ink to print antenna elements onto a thin layer of glass that covers the solar panel. A printed antenna weighs less and retains 95 percent or more of the solar panel’s transparency. Printed antennas are also less expensive to make and are capable of higher data transfer rates compared to S-band or UHF antenna systems. Baktur and her team are working closely with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to schedule a test mission in the near future. She hopes to expand the technology to develop antennas that can be printed on paper, fabrics, balloons and more. “We could print antennas into soldiers’ uniforms so they don’t have to transport heavy communication equipment,” she said. “Or we could print antennas on a weather balloon or onto the roof of a car or airplane. Printing on glass is only the beginning.” ■ Dr. Reyhan Baktur engineering.usu.edu

Photo Left: EWB members Michael Flores, Garrett Wood, Katie Henderson, Heather Nielsen, Camiel Bruneel, Camryn Christensen, Karl Christensen and faculty advisor Dr. Marv Halling traveled to Southern Peru.

LIFE AT 12,800 FEET Engineers Without Borders team visits Per uvian Highlands Engineering students spent part of their summer break in Southern Peru investigating contaminated water supplies and helping local alpaca farmers solve an ongoing problem. USU’s student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) travels to the region each year. Part of their mission has been to develop a lightweight portable shelter designed to protect alpacas from cold weather and predators. Students and faculty advisor Dr. Marv Halling taught local residents how to build a shelter of their own and how to transport it. Alpaca farmers say the shelters make a

big difference in regions where up to 50 percent of a herd can be lost to extreme weather. This year EWB also began researching ways to reduce arsenic contamination in drinking water. Throughout the region, many residents get water from nearby wells that are susceptible to groundwater contamination. Students sampled dozens of wells near the community of Tuni Grande and recorded elevation and GPS data that will be built into a digital map to reveal contamination trends. The next step will be to reduce arsenic levels using ceramic water filters.

Students visited Pucará, a small town known for its ceramics industry. Figurines, kitchenware and a variety of clay goods are made here and distributed throughout Peru. In regions where arsenic contamination is a concern, residents use ceramic filters which, due to their high iron content, can absorb arsenic. Samples of different clay materials were brought back to USU for analysis. Halling said the findings will enable the team to design an effective clay filter that locals can construct and sell. ■

engineering.usu.edu

Heather Nielsen and Michael Flores construct an alpaca shelter. The student-designed shelters protect vulnerable alpacas from cold and predators.

HOW TO PREDICT THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF CAVITATION A common culprit in damaged water pipes and ship propellers, cavitation is the formation and collapse of gaseous bubbles that form in liquids under specific conditions. Cavitation can also occur inside a longneck glass bottle. Striking the top of a liquid-filled bottle, for example, can shatter its bottom, leaving scientists thirsty for answers. Now researchers are eliminating the mystery of acceleration-induced cavitation with a newly-published study and math equation that proves acceleration of a fluid can cause cavitation. Their findings were published July 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Study author and MAE faculty Dr. Tadd Truscott says energy from an impulsive force on the bottle transfers to the fluid and causes a drop in the fluid’s static pressure. When the pressure drops, a fluid can boil at a much lower temperature, giving rise to the gaseous vapor bubbles that form near the bottom. When the internal pressures equalize, the cavitation bubbles collapse in tiny but violent shockwaves. “Being able to predict the onset of cavitation would be extremely valuable

in many applications,” Truscott said. “Cavitation from fluid acceleration happens in underground pipes and valves, marine propellers; even some brain injuries are the result of acceleration-induced cavitation.” But the traditional cavitation formula used for decades in physics classrooms often incorrectly predicts the onset of cavitation in liquids accelerated over a very short period of time.

Truscott and his team – comprised of researchers at USU, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology and Brigham Young University – have devised a new equation that considers a fluid’s depth and its acceleration. Researchers in Japan and Utah conducted similar cavitation experiments and got identical results. The group says their new equation correctly defines the physics of cavitation onset. ■

young people to pursue STEM degrees. “The camp gives us an opportunity to interact with students and learn what aspects of STEM interest them,” said Becker. “We want to understand what changes their minds about pursuing STEM careers.” Becker says peers, parents and a variety of factors can influence how teens choose a major. By evaluating participating students’ goals and perceptions early in the camp experience, Becker and his colleagues can evaluate how their interest in STEM

changes over time. As part of the Gear Up program, students worked with engineering students and faculty conducting water quality research in the Bear River watershed. They hypothesized about what impacts water quality, collected data from streams and presented their findings in a poster session. “We want them to start thinking about big-picture problems,” said Becker. “That’s what engineers do. Hands-on research shows participants what engineers do every day.” ■

THE MOTIVATION BEHIND STEM Engineering education researchers explore what draws students to technical majors

Student Heather Nielsen works with a local ceramics artist in Southern Peru. Iron-rich clay can be used to make ceramic water filters that absorb arsenic.

It’s hard not to get excited about science and engineering after a weeklong, research-themed summer camp in the mountains. This summer, more than 40 middle school students from across Utah came to Logan for the 2nd annual Gear Up Engineering Camp. The event offers a snapshot into engineering, the “E” in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The camp is part of a seven-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education and USU’s College of Education & Human Services. Dr. Kurt Becker, a professor of engineering education, is a coinvestigator on the project. He says part of improving engineering education programs starts with understanding what motivates

engineering.usu.edu

VITICULTURE FROM SPACE:

USU-NASA STUDY ANALYZES VINEYARD WATER USE

Engineering researchers at Utah State Universit y are pioneering the technologies that will make the next era of precision agriculture possible In drought-prone Central California, grape producers are looking for new ways to improve crop production with less water. And it’s not just wine makers feeling the pinch. The citrus groves, nut orchards and alfalfa fields of tomorrow will depend on an increasingly sophisticated toolkit to get the most out of the region’s precious water resources. Engineering researchers at Utah State University are pioneering the technologies that will make the next era of precision agriculture possible. Dr. Alfonso Torres-Rua and Dr. Mac McKee of the Utah Water Research Lab and USU’s Dr. Lawrence Hipps are leading a three-year, $1.3 million NASA-funded study aimed at estimating vineyard water use and stress using a combination of groundbased

Dr. Alfonso Torres-Rua Photo: Gerry McIntyre

engineering.usu.edu

sensors, unmanned aerial systems and satellite imagery. Torres-Rua, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, says grape production covers about 1 million acres in California’s Central Valley and contributes $6 billion to the state’s economy. Fruit and nut orchards represent an additional 2.6 million acres and $10 billion-plus in economic impact. The USU team is collaborating with scientists at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and Ernest & Julio Gallo Wineries. The goal of the study is to improve the maps and models that depict grape crop water use, water stress, soil moisture and other factors. Torres-Rua says improved models can help water vineyard managers make better decisions about when to start irrigating and how much irrigation water to apply. The current methods used by vintners across California often lead to over-irrigated vines. “A water savings of just five percent can mean significant

economic impact for growers in this region,” said Torres-Rua. “Developing more efficient irrigation strategies is both good for the crop and good for business.” Torres-Rua and his team will focus on providing ultra-high resolution images acquired from USU’s AggieAir unmanned aerial vehicle program. AggieAir’s new line of all-electric UAVs, known as BluJay, can fly three hours on a single charge and cover 50 square km or 12,000 acres. The images from BluJay will be combined with satellite imagery to provide a new digital mapping tool for visualizing crop water usage and stress. Torres-Rua says the images reveal so much information, they can tell vineyard managers the status of a single grapevine. “UAVs provide the best remote sensing information from which satellites can benefit,” he said. “This will allow us to recognize the crop’s water needs in real time which translates to irrigation efficiency.” ■

BETWEEN THE LINES:

TREE RINGS HOLD CLUES ABOUT A RIVER’S PAST Alfonso Torres-Rua and research engineer Ian Gowing take GPS measurements at a vineyard near Borden, Calif. USU researchers are leading groundbreaking research that combines satellite and UAS imagery to analyze vineyard water use and stress.

USU hydrologists are looking centuries into the past to better understand an increasingly uncertain water future By analyzing centuries-old growth rings from trees in the Intermountain West, researchers in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department are extracting data about monthly streamflow trends from periods long before the early 1900s when recorded observations began. Their findings show, for the first time, that monthly streamflow data can be reconstructed from annual tree-ring chronologies – some of which date back to the 1400s.

“Trees grow one ring per year and the ring width gives an annual snapshot of hydrologic conditions,” said USU’s Dr. Jim Stagge, a hydrologist and civil engineer who’s leading the study. “By linking tree ring chronologies from multiple locations and tree species with observed streamflow data, we can statistically reconstruct monthly streamflows.” Knowing monthly streamflow, the authors explain, is key to making betterinformed decisions about water use and management. In Utah and around the

world, populations in arid climates depend on seasonal and often inconsistent water supplies for agriculture and urban use. “One data point per year gives a very limited picture,” said collaborator Dr. David Rosenberg, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. “Decisions about water management happen much more frequently than just once per year. Water managers have to make decisions every month, every week, sometimes every day.” To fill in the missing monthly data, researchers built a model that reconstructs monthly streamflow averages for three rivers in Northern Utah. The reconstructions are available to the public at www.paleoflow.org and show monthly streamflows dating back to 1661 for the Logan and Bear rivers and as far back as 1430 for the Weber River. Collaborators include Justin DeRose with the U.S. Forest Service and Dr. Tammy Rittenour, an associate professor in USU’s Department of Geology. ■ engineering.usu.edu

STAR LIGHT, STAR BLIGHT Bear Lake Telescope Offers Clear View of Cluttered Night Skies Humans have been rocketing themselves and their stuff into space for more than half a century. The satellites and spacecraft launched into orbit have improved our lives, but they’ve also created a unique problem. After a few decades of space launches, the nuts and bolts of yesterday’s rocket missions are beginning to accumulate above our planet. NASA describes this so-called orbital debris as any man-made object orbiting the Earth that no longer has a useful purpose. Traveling up to 17,500 mph, even the tiniest speck of orbital debris is a threat to functioning spacecraft. The catastrophic collisions depicted in science fiction films are exaggerated, but experts say the possibility of impact is a very real concern. Researchers at Utah State University recently completed the installation of a

USU aerospace engineering researchers built a telescope near Bear Lake to track space debris.

specially-constructed telescope designed to monitor orbital debris. The project is part of a growing international effort to keep closer tabs on the space junk that poses serious threat to defense, communication and weather satellites and human spaceflight. The Utah State University Space Situational Awareness Telescope for Astrodynamics Research, or USU-STAR, is an astrograph-type 10-inch aperture telescope built specifically for spotting space debris only a few inches in diameter. “It has a 1.5-degree field of view, which sounds very narrow, but it’s actually quite wide,” said Dr. David Geller, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and lead researcher on the USU-STAR program. “This isn’t the type of telescope we would use to see distant galaxies. It has a very wide view so we can see objects tracking across the sky.” The telescope’s new home at the Bear Lake Observatory in Rich County, Utah, provides an ideal setting. On the foothills west of Garden City, the location features

high elevation, limited light pollution and low humidity. Each week, researchers send the telescope a list of objects to be tracked. The telescope captures about 500 to 1,000 images per night depending on the time of year. Each image provides data about an object’s velocity and trajectory. Knowing an object’s location and trajectory in space is key to avoiding collisions. “There are tens of thousands of objects out there and someone has to maintain a catalog of position and velocity of all those items,” said Geller. “Knowing an object’s position and velocity is the first step. And if we don’t do that first step correctly, we can’t do any of the additional steps that tell us where that piece of debris will be at some future time.” The telescope will serve two key functions: first, to track and catalog known objects; and, second, to help USU researchers validate and improve the scientific theories and technologies used

engineering.usu.edu

Dr. Doug Hunsaker

Data from the USU-STAR telescope will be used to validate new and existing theories about space surveillance.

SHUSH! AEROSPACE ENGINEERS

Left: Dr. David Geller, Akhter Mahmud Nafi, Dixon Nielson, Aaron Elwood, Andrew Smith and Jackson Graham

There are millions of small pieces of orbital debris, including approximately 20,000 pieces larger than a softball. for space surveillance. Geller says data obtained from USUSTAR will help researchers around the globe improve the methods used to mitigate the problems associated with orbital debris. He says a better understanding of space surveillance is key to preserving near-earth space as an important and functional resource. Earlier this summer, Geller and his student Akhter Mahmud Nafi and a team of support technicians visited the telescope for the usual software fixes and technical bugs common to a such a complex instrument. After tweaking the countless cables and connectors that make USU-STAR come to life each night, Geller brought out one of the most important tools in the space surveillance trade –a wet/dry vacuum. He spent the next 15 minutes vacuuming inside the retractable dome that houses the telescope. “Dust is the last thing we want around

WORKING TO HUSH SONIC BOOMS If supersonic flight is to take hold in commercial air travel, aircraft designers will need to overcome a noisy problem: sonic booms.

the telescope,” he said, vacuuming inside the retractable dome that houses the telescope. USU-STAR is the second telescope dedicated to this task at a civilian university in the United States, and the first west of the Mississippi. The telescope will also provide hands-on experience for USU aerospace engineering students. ■ GEO Objects

MEO Object

USU-STAR System Specifications Optics: AG Optical Systems Imaging DallKirkham (idk) 10-inch aperture, f/6.7 Camera: Finger Lakes Imaging Proline PL16801 4K4KCCD (KAF-16801) Mount: Astrosysteme Austria DDM-85 Basic German Equatorial w/custom bent pier Structure: Astro Haven Enterprises 7-footdome

Approximately 20,000 items in space are tracked for the purpose of collision avoidance

USU aerospace engineering faculty Dr. Doug Hunsaker is joining Texas A&M University, Boeing and a team of university and industry partners to design aircraft that break the sound barrier during overland flight without violating noise restrictions. The work is part of a $10 million NASA grant awarded to several institutions. USU will receive $75,000 per year for five years. “Sonic booms represent one of the biggest challenges in supersonic flight,” said Hunsaker. “They can damage property and they disturb communities along the flight path.” Experts say part of the solution will

come from aircraft structures that change shape during different phases of flight. Engineers are experimenting with airfoils constructed from new metals called shape memory alloys (SMAs) which, depending on their temperature, can take on different shapes. “If you bend a paper clip it can easily be reformed into its original shape,” said Hunsaker. “The same is true for SMAs. They have two stable shapes at two different temperatures. Using electrical current, we can change the metal’s temperature and alter its shape.” Hunsaker and his students will look specifically at wing and airfoil designs.

They plan to run detailed computational fluid dynamics simulations coupled with optimization algorithms to uncover designs that perform best at various altitudes and airspeeds. NASA says the study addresses one of its main aviation-related research goals. “Potential outcomes of the research could include revolutionary technologies, operational concepts, design tools, models, or other advancements we can’t even begin to characterize today,” said Doug Rohn, director of NASA’s Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program. ■

engineering.usu.edu

DEVELOPMENT

THANKS TO ALUMNI GIVING BACK!

254

SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED in 2016

1,326

PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED

to the College of Engineering in the past five years

167 2006

2016

3.6 Million

12.7 Million

COLLEGE ENDOWMENTS

continue to grow

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GIFTS

THAT LAST A GENERATION: ENGINEERING ALUMNI PAY IT FORWARD As I travel around the country meeting with alumni, I’m str uck by how often people tell me that the reason they give back is because they want to return a favor. For decades, thousands of engineering students have enjoyed the benefits of an academic scholarship or internship opportunity, and today many of those same recipients are paying it forward to the next generation of engineering leaders. Engineering alumni across a range of industries look back on their Aggie experience and tell us it’s time to give something back. Our office recently worked with two generous donors who are passing along the same benefits they received as students. Last fall, alumnus and retired USU professor Roland Jeppson and his wife, Mary Anna, created a scholarship endowment to help civil and environmental engineering undergraduate students successfully complete their degrees and pursue careers in water resources engineering. In April, USU alumnus Bhupesh Parikh and his wife, Kumud, also created a scholarship endowment that will provide tuition funding for deserving Aggies who are studying civil and environmental engineering. The endowment will provide assistance for two or more students per year. These are just two examples of the many generous donors who help shape the College of Engineering and our students. To our alumni and friends of the college, thank you for all you do to help build this institution. To learn more about giving or other development opportunities, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Even small contributions can change the life of a student and give a wonderful return on your investment. Please contact me with questions about how you can leave a lasting impact on the College of Engineering and Utah State University. Visit:

engineering.usu.edu/giving to get started.

Val Potter Executive Director of Development 435-797-8012 | val.potter@usu.edu

CEE Alumnus Makes Generous Contribution to Future Engineers

Civil and Environmental Engineering alumnus Bhupesh Parikh and his wife, Kumud, established a new scholarship endowment that will provide tuition funding for deserving Aggies who are studying civil and environmental engineering. Originally from Gujarat, India, Parikh graduated from USU with a bachelor’s in civil engineering in 1962 and later earned a master’s in civil engineering from the University of Southern California. He now resides in Glendale, Calif., and is president of Pari Enterprises, a successful engineering consulting and real estate firm specializing in the development of estate homes, apartments, shopping centers and motels. He said the decision to give back to USU

In honor of his generous contribution, the university named an engineering classroom after USU Engineering alumnus Bhupesh Parikh. felt like the right thing to do. “I got a very good education there, and the fees were low compared to universities in California and elsewhere,” he said. “I got a lot more out of Utah State than what I could ever give back. I thought this was the least I could do.” Looking back on his experience, Parikh said he felt right at home studying at USU. “The town was very wonderful, it was a safe place to study and I made a lot of good friends,” he added. “During Christmas and

Thanksgiving, families invited us into their home and always made us feel welcome and very comfortable.” Parikh says he’s thankful to those who helped him along the way, especially the professors who offered him part-time jobs while he was in school. “The whole experience was very wonderful,” he added. “I always tell my children that I gained so much from Utah State. I feel indebted to the college so this is one way to pay it back.”

New Scholarship Endowment Honors Former Civil Engineering Professor Roland Jeppson A newly-established scholarship endowment for USU engineering students honors former professor Roland Jeppson and his wife, Mary Anna, of Providence, Utah. The endowment, established with a $100,000 donation, will help civil and environmental engineering undergraduate students successfully complete their degrees and pursue careers in water resources engineering. Roland Jeppson was an honored faculty member in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department for 34 years. He earned his BS and MS degrees at USU and a PhD from Stanford. Jeppson has traveled the world working on water engineering projects and has educated hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students throughout his years of teaching and research. He was born and raised in Box Elder County. Mary Anna was born and raised in Logan.

Former engineering professor Dr. Roland Jeppson and his wife, Mary Anna, have established a scholarship endowment to help support undergraduates studying civil and environmental engineering.

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‘Living in the Journey’ Megan Gordon is second woman engineering valedictorian in 15 years Civil Engineering alumna Megan Gordon never thought she’d be a valedictorian. She hadn’t even considered a degree in engineering. Growing up in Mount Vernon, Wash., Gordon thought her love of the ocean would lead to a degree in marine biology. But her experience charting courses on her father’s sailboat and checking his calculations in the woodshop revealed her technical knowhow. Engineering was a natural fit.

CEE Department Head Dr. Paul Barr says Gordon isn’t one to self-promote or make excuses about the hard work that comes with earning an engineering degree. At age 14, Gordon’s father died, and serious health problems during her sophomore year nearly forced her to quit school. “Life didn’t always go well for Megan,” said Barr. “But she persevered.” Gordon is quick to credit others with her success, and she says working hard at good

grades isn’t the most important part of the college experience. “I know my dad would be proud of me, but he’d also be a little disappointed,” she said. “He would have told me I spent too much time focusing on grades and not enough time having fun, making friends and developing hobbies. “For those like me, take a moment now and commit to living in the journey.” ■

Engineering Faculty Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Grant Assistant Professor of Engineering Education Dr. Idalis Villanueva received a 2017 National Science Foundation CAREER Award – a $625,649 research grant that will further her research into understanding the effects of ‘hidden curricula’ in engineering programs. Hidden curricula refers to academic rules, social norms, or other knowledge that is commonplace in a particular setting, but not necessarily well known to individuals from diverse social or cultural backgrounds. Villanueva’s research will reveal classroom behaviors that impact the academic success of under-represented engineering students. Her findings will inform the engineering education community about how to reveal hidden curricula to create a new engineering culture that promotes sharing integral academic rules and information that helps everyone succeed regardless of culture, race, ethnicity or gender. ■

‘I MAKE THEIR DREAM A REALITY’ CEE alum designs solution for new Maverik Stadium expansion During construction, the steelworks for USU’s Maverik Stadium renovation rose into the air and then branched off left and right, leaving whole sections of the shimmering new building floating in mid-air. It wasn’t an optical illusion. The new facility features a cantilevered design that allows it to hold more square feet on a smaller footprint. USU Civil Engineering alum Corey Price (CE ’01, ’02) was the project engineer on the renovation. Price engineered the architects’ design which called for a cantilevered building that extends 20 feet to the west and 18 feet to the east with no support columns underneath. Price works for Reaveley Engineers + Associates. He’s been with the company since 2003. “It was a fun engineering project,” he said. “Definitely a unique design.” Price credits the architects for the appearance of the new press and suites complex. But it was his engineering that made the elegant design possible.

“The challenge with any cantilevered structure is that without correct engineering, you can feel the floor move,” Price explained. “And the right amount of movement can make the floor move a lot which is not a pleasant sensation.” To eliminate unwanted floor movement throughout the 76-foot-tall building, Price developed a way to tie the supporting beams under each floor together, effectively damping out a majority of perceptible movement. Price engineered the concept down to the last detail to provide a structure that meets building code requirements and improves human comfort. Looking back on his years at USU, Price said he enjoyed being in classes where friendly professors made him feel welcome and made learning a fun experience. Price lives in Farmington, Utah, with his wife and three children. ■

Alumnus Profile: Corey Price • BS Civil Engineering ‘01 • MS Civil Engineering (structural engineering emphasis) ‘02 Current Position: Senior Engineer/Associate at Reaveley Engineers + Associates, Salt Lake City

engineering.usu.edu

Mini Baja Buckle up! MAE senior capstone students designed and built a single-seat, off-road vehicle to compete in design, cost, sales, acceleration, hill climb, maneuverability, suspension and endurance challenges April 27–30 in Gorman, Calif. The team placed 51st out of 85 teams, with their highest event placements of 26th in the hill climb event and 32nd in the suspension category.

WELCOME NEW FACULTY Alfonso Torres-Rua

Doug Galarus

Assistant Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering

Assistant Professor Computer Science

Tianfang Xu

Jonathan Phillips

Erik Falor

Research Assistant Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering

Professional Practice Assistant Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering

Lecturer Computer Science

Shelly Halling

Patrick Singleton

Belize Lane

Lecturer Engineering Education

Assistant Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering

Design-Build-Fly Here’s your mission: design and build an electric, radio-controlled aircraft that can be stowed inside a tube and built to withstand a drop test. No problem for USU’s student-led Aggie Air team. Their aircraft, dubbed ‘Pucker Up’ for its cargo of hockey pucks, competed at this year’s Design-Build-Fly event April 20–23 in Tucson, Ariz. The team placed 45th out of 84 teams. Ruijie Zeng

Areti Kiara

Assistant Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering

Assistant Professor Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Zhen Zhang Assistant Professor Electrical and Computer Engineering

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NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. Postage Paid Utah State University USU College of Engineering Office of the Dean 4100 Old Main Hill Logan, Utah 84322-4100

Join Us in 2018 Engineers Week | Feb 20-23 Community Night | Feb 22 Engineering State | June 4-7

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Creating Tomorrow ... Today!