UTSA College of Engineering Innovations Magazine - 2019 in Review

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

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VOL. 25 | 2019 IN REVIEW

College of Engineering Tech Symposiums Four UTSA faculty earn NSF CAREER Awards Rena Bizios named fellow of National Academy of Inventors

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING Dean

JoAnn Browning Associate Dean for Research

David Akopian

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs

Mark Appleford

Associate Dean of Administration and Graduate Studies

Anson Ong

Assistant Dean for Fiscal Administration

Staci Francis

Director of Development

Taylor Atkins

Senior Communications Coordinator Innovations Managing Editor

Julie Paulson Contributors

Krystal Castillo, Courtney Clevenger, Shea Conner, Milady Nazir, Julie Paulson, Kara Soria, Ingrid Wright Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing, Chief Communications Officer

Joe Izbrand

Mailing Address

The University of Texas at San Antonio College of Engineering One UTSA Circle San Antonio, TX 78249 Visit us on the Web

engineering.utsa.edu

ON THE COVER UTSA’s newest building, the Large-Scale Testing Laboratory, celebrated its Grand Opening on October 3, 2019. Read more on page 46. (Photo by Alamo Architects)

A message from the Dean of the College of Engineering JoAnn Browning, Ph.D., P.E.

David and Jennifer Spencer Distinguished Chair of Engineering Dean, College of Engineering Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Architecture Interim Dean of Architecture, Construction, and Planning

W

elcome to the 2019 in Review edition of Innovations. I am excited to share our successes and growth of the last year of a very exciting decade at the College of Engineering. 2019 marked the 50th anniversary for the University of Texas at San Antonio, and we enjoyed celebrating the growth of this beautiful university and our own growth within it. We look forward to the next 50 years, and all that they will hold.

2019 was a record-breaking year for the UTSA College of Engineering in research, with the highest amount of research grants awarded on record.

More details about our research success can be found on pages 32 through 37.

Our faculty continue to receive well-deserved recognition. The College of Engineering celebrated two of the four National Science Foundation Career Awards received at UTSA in 2019. You can learn more about the groundbreaking research that Drs. Nikolaos Gatsis and Teja Guda are conducting on pages 26 and 27.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

to showcase their senior design capstone projects. In the fall semester, we opened the Tech Symposium up to local high school future engineers with our first ever Tech Symposium Open House. Details and Tech Symposium photos can be found on pages 22 Additionally, Dr. Rena Bizios received the well-deserved honor of fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. You can learn more about Dr. Bizios and and 23. her extensive contributions to the field of biomedical engineering on pages Our Large-Scale Testing Laboratory 30 and 31. opened to the public on October 3, 2020.

Community members were invited to The caliber of our incoming freshmen continues to increase, with 78% tour the building and participate in a live of our fall 2019 freshmen ranking in the top quarter of their high school classes. And, as we see the brightest and the best come in, we cheer on our demonstration. We were also pleased to enjoy the honor of Steven McCabe, Ph.D., graduates as they head out to make their own discoveries and improve the world in which we live. At the end the Spring 2019 semester, we celebrated P.E. of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program as our keynote speaker.

260 Bachelor’s Degrees, 46 Master’s Degrees, and 10 Ph.D.’s. Fall 2019 ushered out an additional 181 Bachelor’s Degrees, 58 Master’s Degrees, and This unique lab space will enhance civil engineering research for faculty, students, 6 Ph.D.’s. and local engineers. Details about our testing capacities in this new space can be found on We are always proud of our students, and are excited to announce that pages 46 and 47. the UTSA College of Engineering will be sending its first group of students to the NASA Launch Competition in April 2020 (page 20). The work of Finally, the new Science and Engineering our students never ceases to amaze me. Our Engineers Without Borders Building (SEB) will be complete in the students are assisting communities in Guatemala, College of Engineering Spring of 2020, and will host 153,000 student organizations are constantly seeking outreach opportunities, mentoring the younger future engineers within the San Antonio community, square-feet of lab, teaching, and meeting space for engineering, brain health, biology, and our competition teams perform well. Our steel bridge team swept the and chemistry, with the first floor dedicated competition during the Spring 2019 Regional competition (page 21). to a new innovative Makerspace that will include collaboration and project assembly Our first EPICS (Engineering Projects In Community Service) project space and so much more. You can learn more contributed to a local children’s museum – the DoSeum. The new EPICS about the SEB, and how generous donors are program allows students from all academic levels to form multi-year, helping make it the remarkable space that it multi-disciplinary teams that partner with the local community in servicewill be on pages 39 through 41. learning projects. Students may participate for multiple years, rising to project leaders as upper classmen and mentors as graduate students. Since I hope you enjoy this latest edition of its inception in Spring 2019, the program has grown from two teams to a Innovations. We are excited to share our total of five teams at the end of the Fall semester, with the program slated growth with you, none of which would be for continuous growth and outreach. possible without the hard work and passion of our faculty, staff, and donors. Thank you We celebrated the success of our graduating seniors in our Spring and Fall Technology Symposiums, an opportunity for College of Engineering seniors for helping the UTSA College of Engineering shape the future!

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NEWS BYTES UTSA ENGINEERS DEVELOP SMART STOP SIGN.................8 NEW UTSA RESEARCH PROGRAM BENEFITS MILITARY..................................................................................................9 US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT GRADUATE PROGRAM RANKINGS................................................................................................9

IN THIS ISSUE NEW FACULTY

UTSA HARNESSES SPIN OF ELECTRONS..................................10

6-7

UTSA TO HELP BUILD HOMES ON MOON AND MARS.....11

8-19

RESEARCHERS DEVELOP PROTEIN CANCER ATLAS........12

STUDENT SUCCESS

20-23

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

24-25

UTSA DEVELOPS SYSTEMS TO CONSTRUCT POWER ISLANDS.....................................................................................................13

INNOVATING RESEARCH

26-38

SUPPORT AND GIVING

39-43

COLLEGE GROWTH

44-47

NEWS BYTES

DEVELOPING NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT BUILDINGS.....................................................................14 RESEARCHERS PREVENT AEROSPACE FAILURES AND OIL SPILLS ................................................................................................15 CPS ENERGY SUPPORTS CLEAN ENERGY AND GRID CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH........................................................16

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RESEARCHER STUDIES OSTEOPROTIC BONE FRACTURES TO RETHINK TREATMENT................................17 NANODISK COULD RESTORE FUNCTION FOR LOU GEHRIG’S DISEASE PATIENTS........................................................18 STUDENTS TO BUILD SMART HOME........................................19

UTSA ENGINEERING STUDENTS SWEEP STEEL BRIDGE REGIONAL COMPETITION/20

UTSA civil engineering students applied knowledge learned in the classroom to practical use, sweeping the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Regional Steel Bridge Competition.

For the first time in school history, UTSA engineering students have been invited to participate in the 20th NASA Student Launch competition..

GIRL CODE RUNNERS: MIDDLE SCHOOLERS EXPLORE STEM DURING SUMMER CAMPS/24

UTSA is training the next generation of female computer scientists on San Antonio’s Westside. Through the Girl CodeRunners summer camp, middle school girls are exploring computer programming and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Four UTSA researchers have each been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, totaling $2 million in new research funding for San Antonio’s largest public research university.

UTSA WINS $3M NASA AWARD TO LAUNCH EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS CENTER/28

UTSA, a public university that is nationally recognized for research excellence, will receive $3 million dollars from NASA to develop a new interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments (CAMEE).

BIZIOS NAMED A FELLOW OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS/30 Rena Bizios, Lutcher Brown Chair and professor of biomedical engineering at UTSA, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

FIRST UTSA STUDENTS INVITED TO PREMIER NASA COMPETITION/21

FOUR UTSA FACULTY EACH RECEIVE THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION CAREER AWARD/26

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NEW FA Please welcome the College of Engineering’s newest faculty members Nehal Abu-Lail

Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering (Chemical Engineering) Ph.D., Worcester Polytechnic Institute Dr. Abu-Lail’s research focuses on how cells interact with surfaces within stressful environments, with special interest in how bacterial cells interact with surfaces for a variety of biomedical and environmental applications.

She is interested in tissue engineering of articular cartilage using co-cultures of chondrocytes and stem cells under synergistic chemical and mechanical stimuli. Furthermore, she is particularly interested in why women are minorities in engineering. Along with a team of researchers in the US and across the world, she hopes to learn from the experiences of engineering women in predominately Muslim countries who achieved gender parity in engineering on how to improve women’s participation in engineering in the US.

Miltiadia Alamaniotis

Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D., Purdue University Dr. Alamaniotis’ research is interdisciplinary and draws upon various engineering fields. It focuses on the use of artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, and machine learning in the development of intelligent signal processing and data analytics applied to smart electric power systems management and control and signal detection, processing, and sensing for national security. He is also involved in research projects on the development of data-driven technologies for the intelligent control and management of complex cyber-physical systems that find applications in critical energy installations, such as nuclear power plants.

Taposh Banerjee

Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Dr. Banerjee works in the areas of machine learning and signal processing. He is interested in developing new algorithms or techniques in these areas and applying them to different applications. Application of interest include data science, cyber-physical systems, and biology.

Christopher Combs

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin Dr. Combs’ research is focused on high-speed aerodynamics and propulsion. The types of problems his research group studies impact the design of high-speed vehicles, spacecraft undergoing atmospheric re-entry, and nextgeneration propulsion systems. He will investigate the fundamental physics of these high-speed (supersonic and hypersonic) air flows in a new wind tunnel at UTSA using state-of-the-art instrumentation, like lasers and highspeed cameras, to make non-intrusive optical measurements. The results will influence vehicle design and help ensure that these systems are efficient and safe.

Hugo Giambini

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering Ph.D., Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic Dr. Giambini’s biomedical engineering and orthopedic research address the mechanical and biomechanical factors influencing hard and soft tissue integrity and performance, as well as non-invasive tissue assessment and modeling suing medical imaging. His research interests lie in using biomechanics and imaging tools to improve predictive methods and to better understand pathogenesis of musculoskeletal conditions. The long-term goal of his research is to develop clinical tools to enable earlier diagnosis, prescribe effective interventions, and assess outcomes for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders.

Yanmin Gong

Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Ph.D., University of Florida

Yanmin Gong is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio. She received her Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida under the supervision of Prof. Yuguang “Michael” Fang in 2016. She received the B.E. degree in electronics and information engineering at Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China, in 2009, and the M.S. degree in information and communication engineering at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 2012.

new faculty

ACULTY Dhireesha Kudithipudi

Professor, Robert F McDermott Endowed Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Director of AI Consortium Ph.D., University of Texas at San Antonio Dr. Kudithipudi’s current research interests are in neuromorphic computing, brain inspired neural algorithms, novel computing substrates (memristors and 3D-ICs), energy efficient machine intelligence, and AI-on-Chip.

Over the past decade, her research team has paved a path to creating artifical intelligence platforms inspired by the brain. Her research lab developed neuromemristive AI platforms with continual learning capabilities.

Amit Kumar

Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D., Purdue University Dr. Kumar’s primary area of research is transportation engineering and planning. In particular, his research interest and expertise include connected and autonomous vehicles, electrified transportation systems, crowdsourcing, smart cities, sustainable transportation, intelligent transportation system, megaregions, and relation between transportation and health. He wishes to diversify his research avenues in the future by exploring collaborative research opportunities in the areas of transportation safety, energy, and travel behavior modeling.

Amina Qutub

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Dr. Qutub’s lab develops computational and experimental technologies to uncover how human cells communicate during processes of growth in order to impact human health. In her core projects, she is discovering how functional human neural networks develop form the communication of single neural stem cells, and how protein signaling determines how hematopoietic stem cells become cancerous. Applications in her work include treating blood cancers and understanding mechanisms of neurological disorders.

Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Ph.D., Universidad Autoñoma del Estado de Morelos Dr. Ramirez-Hernadez’s research is aimed at understanding the self-organization of soft materials using theory and computational modeling. The goal is to understand the fundamental principles of the collective phenomena leading to controlled assembly and self-organization in soft matter, including biological materials. He is strongly attracted to interdisciplinary research, in particular, at areas where biology, chemistry, and physics have common interests.

David Restrepo

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering Ph.D., Purdue University Dr. Restrepo’s main research interest is to advance in the fundamental understanding of nonlinear behavior and failure mechanisms observed in materials and structures, with the aim of designing new materials that exhibit unique properties and functionalities. To achieve this goal, his research approach combines computational simulations, theoretical analysis, fabrication, and experimental testing. Applications of interest are in broad areas including healthcare, defense, robotics, civil infrastructure, and aerospace engineering.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Abelardo Ramirez-Hernandez

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It’s dark on the backroad as a motorist speeds toward the intersection. Up ahead, the stop sign blends with the night and in seconds a deadly crash occurs.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than half of all roadway fatalities occur on rural roads. Now engineers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) are building and testing a low-cost, self-powered thermal system that will detect vehicles, improve the visibility of stop signs and prevent deaths.

“Stop signs on rural roads are difficult to notice, and this leads to dangerous accidents,” said Ayetullah Biten, a doctoral candidate in the UTSA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Rural roads account for 70 percent of the nation’s byways and the location for 54 percent of all fatalities, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Without access to a power supply, they are more likely than other roads to lack signals and active traffic signage.

To improve driver safety, Sara Ahmed and Samer Dessouky, professors in the UTSA College of Engineering, created a low-cost, self-powered intersection detection and warning system to alert rural motorists about potential dangers. The next-generation stop sign uses a multi-pixel passive infrared sensor that detects a vehicle as it approaches an intersection. Once the vehicle is within the sensing range, a signal beacon triggers the stop sign’s flashing system.

“The sensor observes thermal signatures and processes them to detect passing vehicles,” said Zachary Balcar, a master’s student in the UTSA Department of Electrical

and Computer Engineering. “It distinguishes the vehicle’s direction of travel, estimates the velocity of its thermal signature and determines the classification of the vehicle.”

Overall, the smart system has a 90 percent vehicle detection rate and a vehicle classification accuracy of 72 percent. Compared to current traffic sensing technologies in urban areas such as magnetic loop inductors, video image processors and microwave radar, the new system consumes less power and offers better accuracy. The new technology is also much less expensive to produce. Current safety systems can cost as much as $5,000. UTSA’s detection promises to be a fraction of the price at $60 to $100 per unit.

“Our off-roadway system can be installed on urban or rural roads completely independent of the utility power grid, because it is powered by small solar panels and functions in all weather conditions,” said Ahmed.

The low-power rural intersection detection and warning system was developed with support from the Connect program, a collaborative research program that is cofunded by UTSA and Southwest Research Institute.

The project team has filed an invention disclosure for the system, which was recently recognized nationally by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, and expects to adapt the technology to pedestrian detection, for border security and for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.

New UTSA research program will benefit active-duty miliary and veterans

Milady Nazir | University Communications

To make this possible, the federal government awarded a $352,414 National Science Foundation award to UTSA with support from U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20).

“I welcome the National Science Foundation (NSF) funding awarded to the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to aid in student retention while providing additional resources for undergraduates, active duty military and veterans,” said Rep. Castro.

“UTSA remains at the forefront of scientific research while continuing to push community engagement, making them an ideal candidate to receive this grant.

San Antonio is home to Military City USA, and UTSA undoubtedly contributes to efforts that improve the lives of students, active duty military and veterans alike.”

The program will fund a total of 30 undergraduates over three years. It will also pair participants with

BRAVe is lead by Eric Brey, chair of the UTSA Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Amina Qutub, associate professor in the same department.

“San Antonio is a city with incredible opportunities for research working on medical challenges vital to the solider or veteran,” said Brey. “This program will expose more people throughout the country to the opportunities at UTSA and in San Antonio, and it’s an opportunity to work with students on important research at a critical time in their educational path.”

The program will include collaboration with partners throughout our community, such as the South Texas Veterans Health Care System, the City of San Antonio’s Veterans and Military Affairs Office, Trinity University and the University of the Incarnate Word.

UTSA’s military community includes nearly 5,000 veterans, active duty military members, guard, reserves, ROTC members and their spouses and dependents. The university was recently recognized as the No. 6 most Military Friendly School by Victory Media.

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has been recognized once again for the quality of its degree programs. Several UTSA graduate programs have been ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s annual 2020 U.S. News Best Graduate Schools Rankings, demonstrating the university’s growth and momentum as a destination for student success and research excellence.

UTSA’s College of Engineering graduate programs were ranked No. 8 in Texas and No. 148 in the U.S. The UTSA College of Engineering offers 12 graduate degree programs in four departments: biomedical,

civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering.

The college prepares hundreds of graduates each year for successful engineering careers in the public sector, private sector and higher education.

“Not only has our overall ranking as an engineering graduate program increased in ranking this year, but we have seen greater recognition for all of our graduate programs,” said JoAnn Browning, dean of the UTSA College of Engineering. “We are pleased that all of our programs are rapidly rising in the national rankings and look forward to continued growth and progress.”

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

U.S. News and World Report recognizes UTSA graduate programs

Courtney Clevenger | University Communications

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UTSA is launching a new program aimed at boosting student engagement and retention. The Biomedical Engineering Research for Active military and Veterans (BRAVe) program will target undergraduate students, including those at two-year colleges or who haven’t declared majors, and place them in a 10-week summer research lab program to work on projects including: regeneration of damaged tissue, non-invasive tissue recovery, and/or treating soldiers in the battlefield.

faculty members and graduate mentors. At the end of each program cycle, undergraduates will present their research work to the National Biomedical Engineering Society—a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase work to leaders in the field while making networking connections.

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the next logic circuit, you may only get to use one or two spins because the injection efficiency is very low.

This is 98 percent spin lost,” said Ahn.

Building on the Air Force’s need to develop tech devices that require minimal charging in the field, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is using principles in quantum science and engineering to build a graphenebased logic device. This new technology will improve the energy efficiency of battery-dependent devices from cell phones to computers.

“We are developing devices that can operate almost battery-less,” said Ethan Ahn, UTSA assistant professor in electrical engineering.

UTSA engineers are using spintronics, the study of an electron’s intrinsic quantum mechanical property called spin, to allow low-power operation with a possible application in quantum computing.

“An electron is a little, but very strong magnet,” said Ahn. “Just imagine that an electron spins on its own axis, either up or down.”

UTSA Assistant Professor Ethan Ahn and a multiuniversity team will develop a nanomaterial graphenebased logic device that with spintronics will permit devices such as cell phones to operate almost without batteries.

Traditional tech devices use the electronic charge of electrons for power. In spintronics, researchers are tapping the inherent spin of electrons as a new power source. With this new approach, devices will require fewer electrons to operate.

There are hurdles, however, in harnessing the power of spin.

In quantum computing that harnesses spin of electrons to transmit information, the challenge for researchers is how to capture spin as efficiently as possible.

“If you have 100 electrons injected to the channel to power

To prevent the loss of spin, Ahn has developed the new idea of the “zero-power carbon interconnect” by using nanomaterials as both the spin transport channel and the tunnel barrier. These nanomaterials are like a sheet of paper, a two-dimensional layer of carbon atoms just a few nanometers in thickness, and it’s the point of contact where spin injection is inputted into the device.

Ahn’s prototype is an interconnect built with a reduced graphene oxide layer.

“It’s novel because we are using graphene, a nanomaterial, to enhance spin injection. By controlling the amount of oxide on the graphene layers, we can fine tune electrons’ conductivity,” said Ahn. Graphene has widespread appeal because it’s the world’s strongest nanomaterial. In fact, the room temperature conductivity of graphene is higher than that of any other known material.

If successful, the zero-power carbon interconnect that Ahn is creating with his collaborators at UT-Austin and Michigan State University would be integrated into the logic component of a computer chip.

The device, once developed, will be submitted to the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, which is supporting UTSA’s work with a three-year grant.

“The military needs smaller devices that can operate in remote fields without need to recharge batteries,” said Ahn. “If our zero-power carbon interconnect is successful, it will improve the efficiency of graphene spintronics — a crucial step in advancing the next generation of low-power electronics like quantum computing.”

This interconnect could also be highly beneficial to the cloud computing industry. According to the Data Knowledge Center, on-demand cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services alone consume about two percent of the nation’s energy. If the zeropower carbon interconnect is successful, cloud servers such as those that offer streaming services like Netflix or host data, could operate faster and with less electricity

Milady Nazir | University Communications

UTSA has been tapped by The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to join a team that will build homes for human habitation on the moon and Mars. As exploration missions beyond Earth become more ambitious, NASA must consider new technologies to keep habitats operational when they are not occupied by astronauts.

To help achieve this, NASA has selected UTSA to be part of its Space Technology Research Institutes (STRIs) to advance space smart habitat designs, or SmartHab. This research will complement other NASA projects to help mature the mission architecture needed to meet challenging exploration goals.

As part of the RETHi program, UTSA will receive financial support to build computational models including the algorithms needed to build resilient moon and Mars future homes.

“This grant will allow UTSA, and its students, to play a key role in solving the challenge of deep space habitation, while building partnerships with NASA facilities, universities and industries,” said Montoya.

Through an integrated effort, RETHi will mature deep space habitats that can operate in both crewed and un-crewed configurations. The institute plans to create a cyber-physical prototype testbed of physical and virtual models to develop, deploy and validate different capabilities. The RETHI team includes Purdue University, the University of Connecticut, and Harvard.

“Our participation in efforts to map a reality of extraterrestrial habitation as part of this initiative helps to support President Eighmy’s vision for UTSA as a great multicultural discovery enterprise and being world-engaged,” said UTSA’s JoAnn Browning, dean of the College of Engineering. “This grant also illustrates our emphasis on multi-disciplinary research, as it brings together the fields of autonomous robotics, advanced computing methods for hybrid simulation, and sustainable civil infrastructure design.”

In addition to RETHI, NASA will also fund a second institute: Habitats Optimized for Missions of Exploration (HOME). HOME’s design approach for deep space habitats relies on proven engineering and risk analysis and on emergent technologies to enable resilient, autonomous and self-maintained habitats for human explorers.

UTSA with the other collaborators will be funded

by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, which is responsible for developing the cross-cutting, pioneering, new technologies and capabilities needed by the agency to achieve its current and future missions. As one of the top research universities in the country, UTSA along with the new institutes could receive as much as $15 million over a five-year period.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Arturo Montoya, associate professor with dual appointments in the UTSA Department of Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, will be part of NASA’s Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute (RETHi).

UTSA, led by Arturo Montoya, an associate professor with dual appointments in the Department of Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, will join NASA’s Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute (RETHi). The RETHi seeks to design and operate resilient deep space habitats that can adapt, absorb and rapidly recover from expected and unexpected disruptions. It plans to leverage expertise in civil infrastructure with advanced technology fields such as modular and autonomous robotics and hybrid simulation.

news bytes

UTSA tapped by NASA to help build homes on the moon and Mars

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Computational researchers and oncologists develop protein cancer atlas to accelerate personalized medicine for leukemia patients Only about one in four people diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) survive five years after the initial diagnosis. To improve that survival rate, researchers at UTSA and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center created an online atlas to identify and classify protein signatures present at AML diagnosis.

The new protein classifications will help researchers and clinicians recommend better treatment and personalized medicine for patients suffering from this aggressive cancer, which occurs in the blood and bone marrow. The breakthrough research is published in the latest April issue of Nature Biomedical Engineering.

Researcher Amina Qutub, an associate professor in the UTSA Department of Biomedical Engineering (who joined UTSA in 2018 from Rice University), and oncologist Steven M. Kornblau, a professor and practicing clinician in the Department of Leukemia at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, examined the genetic, epigenetic and environmental diversity that occurs in cancerous cells due to AML. Analyzing proteomic screens of 205 patient biopsies obtained at MD Anderson Cancer Center, first author Chenyue Wendy Hu (then a graduate student at the Qutub Lab, now at Uber Technologies), Kornblau and Qutub developed a new computational method called MetaGalaxy to categorize the protein signatures into 154 different patterns based on their cellular functions and pathways.

By approaching this challenge through the unique lens of developing a quantitative map for each leukemia patient from protein expression in their blood and bone marrow, rather than the standard lens of qualitative metrics and genetic risks alone, Qutub, Kornblau and their research collaborators will be able to more precisely categorize patients into risk groups and better predict their treatment outcomes.

To better understand the AML hallmarks at the proteomic (protein system) level and to share the results of their work with other researchers, the UTSA biomedical engineering

professor and her team including Hu, and students Andrew Ligeralde (now at the University of California, Berkeley) and Allie Raybon (from the UTSA Department of Biomedical Engineering) built a web portal known as the Leukemia Proteome Atlas. Designed by Qutub’s and Kornblau’s teams with input from clinical collaborators worldwide, the online portal gives oncologists and cancer scientists the tools they need to investigate AML protein expression patterns from one patient to the next. It also provides investigators around the world with leads for new leukemia research and new computational tools.

Since many genetic mutations cannot be targeted, the proteomic profiling and target identification process used in this research study will accelerate the identification of therapeutic targets. It also propels researchers much closer to the development of personalized combination therapies for patients based on their unique protein signatures.

“Acute myelogenous leukemia presents as a cancer so heterogeneous that it is often described as not one, but a collection of diseases,” said Qutub. “To decipher the clues found in proteins from blood and bone marrow of leukemia patients, we developed a new computer analysis - MetaGalaxy – that identifies molecular hallmarks of leukemia. These hallmarks are analogous to the way constellations guide navigation of the stars: they provide a map to protein changes for leukemia. Our ‘hallmark’ predictions are being experimentally tested through drug screens and can be ‘programmed’ into cells through synthetic manipulation of proteins. A next step to bring this work to the clinic and impact patient care is testing whether these signatures lead to the aggressive growth or resistance to chemotherapy observed in leukemia patients. At the same time, to rapidly accelerate research in leukemia and advance the hunt for treatments, we provide the hallmarks in an online compendium where fellow researchers and oncologists worldwide can build from the resource, tools and findings, LeukemiaAtlas.org.”

Milady Nazir | University Communications

UTSA develops systems to construct power islands and live off the grid

Their patent was granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, following research supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Associate Professor Brian Kelley in the UTSA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is behind the effort that proposes an infrastructure based on a liquid-battery energy storage system that permits homes to operate with continuous energy using solar power.

“It’s a much harder problem than you think,” said Kelley.

“The sun shines. The clouds come out and the solar illumination intensity changes. We run specific algorithms to optimally manage anticipated energy storage use, realtime power generation, and conversion. These systems enable the smart grid of the future.”

Since the power generated at a particular home would be used in that same location, approaching homes and buildings as individual centers of power generation is a bottom-up approach. It also offers the added benefit of reduction in transmission loss. The device operates with sensors, advanced power meters, and power converters that modify the intermittent generation from the sun to a form that is reliable and easily integrates with A/C power appliances.

Kelley envisions that every home and new construction could have a pool of batteries that supplies and transfers the

“We have to make homes and buildings carbon neutral,” said Kelley. “This frees up homes from dependency on a single power source, lowers cost, and helps make us energy independent.”

Solar energy is abundant in fast-growing metropolitan centers such as San Antonio, which have an appetite for alternative energy. According to the latest figures on solar panel adoption by cities, San Antonio ranked 7th in the nation.

Leveraging smart technology is not new to the university, recently UTSA captured global attention for using solar energy to create smart stop signs in order to prevent vehicle fatalities. The university is also home to the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute where work on microturbines is under development.

According to Kelley, innovations in technology make it difficult to predict what the future of a smart city looks like. However, homes as power islands is part of the ecosystem.

“Services in the cloud will manage smart power meters, renewable power flows between a city’s electric vehicle batteries, home energy storage pools, and home appliances. Autonomous cars will chauffeur us to work and back home for family dinner after pit-stops at fast, electric vehicle charging stations. We are going to love the future!” said Kelley.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

The microgrid operates based on a home’s particular sunlight profile. Run on Vanadium redox batteries, the electrolyte-based energy storage is reusable, low cost and has a low environmental impact.

solar power. His independent microgrid would be part of a wider approach to fully integrate smart cities— where interconnected technology improves the quality of life for residents by maximizing resources.

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More than 3400 lightning strikes and damaging winds interrupted power to approximately 57,000 residents in San Antonio, TX on June 6, 2019. On the same weekend, California’s largest utility warned tens of thousands of people that they should prepare for extended blackouts due to extreme fire risk. Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have proposed the development of islanded structures or homes that operate independently on solar microgrids without the need to tap into the central power grid.

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More than 80,000 aftershocks have been recorded in the aftermath of the two California earthquakes that occurred during the Fourth of July holiday.

Californians, generally complacent about earthquakes, were caught by surprise with tremors that were the largest in magnitude in the last decade. Although there was no loss of human life, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the earthquakes led to economic losses of approximately $1 billion. Now researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) have won funding to test architectural materials that can help reduce the lateral movement caused by seismic events with little disruption to everyday life.

“Imagine using just one material that can both hold the weight of a building but also dissipate the energy of an earthquake,” said David Restrepo, assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Architects presently rely on metallic or thick and elastic dampers to help mitigate the movement of a building during tremors. However, these same damping devices deform upon impact or melt in extreme temperatures such as fires. This inflexibility results in crumbling buildings and expensive reconstructive efforts.

“We’re working on getting new architectural materials with the right shape that can deform upon an earthquake, trap the energy, dissipate it, and then return to its undeformed state without the need of extra

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processing or repairs,” adds Restrepo. “We can create a material that relies on elastic deformation.”

During earthquakes, a building’s walls can shear and cause separation. Restrepo intends to place what’s called periodic cellular materials (PCMs), or repeating structures, within the walls to avoid this deformation.

His solution offers three benefits. First, the reduction of structural steel and costs needed in the construction.

Second, it’s lightweight. Third, it absorbs high levels of energy.

Currently, the UTSA researcher is assessing flexible architectural materials and working on mathematical formulas to calculate the strength needed for an optimal product. He will collaborate on the research with Colombian civil engineers at Universidad EAFIT and anticipates having preliminary results ready by the end of this year.

The UTSA Office of the Vice President for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise (VPREDKE) provided seed funding to jumpstart Restrepo’s earthquake resilience project.

“This is not just about buildings. It’s also about saving lives. We will eventually incorporate these architectural materials even in cars,” said Restrepo.

San Antonio researchers seek to prevent aerospace failures and oil spill disasters

embrittlement impacts the material performance of this particular metal. The San Antonio researchers will focus In 2014, Kazakhstan’s newest and largest oil field was slated to on the nickel-718 alloy because it can be used in critical become a major contributor to the global supply. But within a conditions where high mechanical properties and corrosion month of operation, a total shutdown occurred. Without warning, resistance is desired. large cracks appeared in its pipelines. For the next two years, the field remained idle due to costly repairs. The cause: embrittlement Professor Rincon Troconis’ research not only impacts the oil and gas industry. More and more AM metals are introduced of the pipelines. in aerospace. Airbus Defense has tested AM materials in its Like bones, oil and gas pipelines suffer from fragility and cracking. propulsion systems. Space X already uses AM materials to Now a group of researchers at The University of Texas at San fabricate some parts of the Falcon Rocket 9 and the Super Antonio (UTSA) and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI®) propose Draco engine chamber. DNV-GL, an international provider to examine how hydrogen embrittlement conditions develop. Their of risk management and quality assurance services, is already research is focused on an alloy used in the oil and gas industry, but promoting an initiative to set up guidelines and certifications for how AM parts will be utilized in offshore applications. fabricated through additive manufacturing (AM).

Milady Nazir | University Communications

AM has been embraced for many reasons on the factory floor. With the use of AM, more complex designs and materials can be created one layer at a time. AM also reduces overhead costs since parts can be assembled quickly on site, rather than keep a large expensive inventory.

Although many industries are quickly adopting AM, the researchers are concerned that there hasn’t been enough testing of how hydrogen

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“The operational conditions in the oil and gas industry can lead to hydrogen embrittlement. This phenomenon causes the premature failure of structures as result from hydrogen intake in the material. Hydrogen once inside the material interacts with the alloy microstructure degrading its mechanical performance and resulting on brittle fracture without any warning sign,” said assistant professor Brendy Rincon Troconis in the UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Although safety measures are of essence, without enough testing data to understand the effect of hydrogen embrittlement on AM alloys performance, the safety of AM fabricated systems remains unknown.

The hydrogen embrittlement study is made possible by the Connect Program, a jointly-funded collaborative initiative between UTSA and SwRI. The researchers hope to have data available by the summer of 2020 to provide better guidance to industries about how to design AM parts that are less susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. Currently, few national labs are working on this type of research.

“By understanding more about hydrogen embrittlement of AM materials, we can provide crucial information, with more confidence, to optimize the AM and post-fabrication processes and prevent brittle fracture of future and current systems, while advancing the AM technology, which will all lead to better protection of the community, its assets, and the environment,” said Rincon Troconis.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Professor Rincon Troconis and W. Fassett Hickey of SwRI’s Mechanical Engineering Division will work to understand how the AM nickel-718 integrity is impacted by hydrogen embrittlement. Troconis and Hickey will study hydrogen embrittlement on a molecular level to see how the location of the hydrogen atoms affects the integrity of the metal material under the high pressures and elevated temperatures typical of drilling environments. This will be accomplished in SwRI’s unique testing facilities, which allow for mechanical testing in gaseous hydrogen up to 3,000 PSI and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. UTSA’s will utilize its thermal desorption spectrometer (TDS) and scanning kelvin probe force microscope (SKPFM), one of few university laboratories in the country with the combination of these advanced technologies.

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CPS Energy supports clean energy and grid cybersecurity research at UTSA

Krystal Castilllo | Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute and Milady Nazir | University Communications

Beginning in the Fall of 2019, faculty members at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) will conduct research to enhance green power generation and smart grid security. Through the strategic alliance between the Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) at UTSA and CPS Energy, three new projects totaling approximately $750,000 will focus on improving grid security and resilience, solar energy generation and more efficient technology for power generation.

“We are thrilled to embark on these three new projects that aim to contribute to CPS Energy’s position as a key player in the new energy economy,” said Krystel Castillo, TSERI Director.

“We have been able to build knowledge and grow innovation through our partnership with UTSA over the past decade,” said Cris Eugster, CPS Energy’s Chief Operating Officer. “We expect these new projects to also bring new insights that will help us plan for the future of energy.”

The first project will develop a solar tracking system made of soft silicon rubber for building- integrated photovoltaic applications.

“This light-weight robotic system can be integrated into buildings’ facades, rooftops or windows to optimize solar energy collected by solar panels while regulating energy flow between indoor and outdoor environments.

It will also provide privacy,” said Wei Gao, project lead and assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering. Gao will partner with Yongcan Cao, assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to complete the project.

The second project will produce a prototype of a clean energy technology for steam turbines, which currently generate over 80% of the nation’s energy. UTSA researchers set a goal to replace the water used in this cycle with supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2).

“A supercritical fluid behaves like both a gas and a liquid at the same time. The phases are indistinguishable and sCO2 happens to have some very convenient properties for power generation that lead to higher efficiency and smaller turbines compared to steam,” said Christopher Combs, the assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering who will lead this effort along with his co-investigators, Karan Bhanot (Finance), Sara Ahmed (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Kiran Bhaganagar (Mechanical Engineering).

The third project will design data-driven and artificial intelligence approaches to better identify and mitigate cyber threats occurring on edge-cloud applications. The UTSA researchers will, particularly, focus on Internet of Things (IoT) devices including smart meters to verify the correctness and identify any security vulnerabilities in existing IoT devices as they interact with the smart grid. This project will be led by Paul Rad and KimKwang Raymond Choo, associate professors in the UTSA Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security in collaboration with Krystel Castillo.

CPS Energy has collaborated with TSERI for close to a decade on multiple efforts such as smart grid cybersecurity, solar forecasting, energy storage, smart buildings and clean energy technologies. These research projects have created learning and workforce development opportunities for UTSA students through summer internships that help them better transition into next-generation energy jobs and sustainability fields. CPS Energy employees will also serve as mentors to the professors and students who will be participating in these newly-announced projects.

TSERI was founded by UTSA in 2010 to leverage the university’s diverse knowledge in energy and related areas. The institute integrates scientific discovery, engineering innovation and policy deliberations with pragmatic implementation to realize the promise of tomorrow’s America as a global energy leader.

Researcher studies osteoporotic bone fractures to rethink treatment Milady Nazir | University Communications

UTSA scientists believe that proteoglycans, which occur naturally in bones’ extrafibrillar matrix in a small amount (less than 1.0% in volume), interact with water to sustain bones’ ductility, or their ability to absorb energy and resist fracture.

“If there are proteoglycans in your bones, we think you are better equipped to resist a fracture during a fall,” said Xiaodu Wang, a professor in UTSA’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and the principal investigator on the project, who will examine if this group of proteins indeed make bones tougher by absorbing water into the bone structure.

As part of the study, UTSA researchers will inject the proteins into animal models and then examine what is the appropriate strategy to best maintain the proteins in the bone matrix. They will also examine whether reversing the process of proteoglycan deficiency is possible for different gender and age groups.

Wang had a eureka moment when he thought about articulate cartilage—the firm, whitish, flexible connective tissue found in joints. It has been well known that damage to the cartilage will result in osteoarthritis.

Collaborating with UT Health San Antonio researcher Jean Jiang, Wang is one of very few scientists in the country studying the effect of these proteins on bone quality. He has close to a decade of experience on this particular subject. Recently the National Institutes of Health granted his laboratory $2.3 million to embark on this field of work. It’s anticipated that he will have results in five years.

Bone fragility fractures affect not only women but also all elderly as well as people with diabetes. The disease is responsible for an estimated 2 million broken bones per year, yet nearly 80% of older Americans who suffer bone breaks are not diagnosed or treated for osteoporosis.

“It’s about building and testing a model that includes all factors, not just bone mineral density, that cause bone fragility fractures,” said Wang. “My mother-inlaw broke her hip. This is also personal for me.”

Osteoporosis is serious, even deadly. About one in four patients over the age of 70 that suffers a hip fracture will die the following year.

This project is an example of UTSA’s commitment to solving society’s most pressing global health challenges.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Data show that BMD captures only about 50% to 60% of actual bone fragility fractures. According to Wang, when bones lose proteoglycans they appear to lose their capability to resist fractures irrespective of BMD. Wang’s laboratory seeks to understand the underlying mechanism and thus prevent or deter the loss of the proteins before bone brittleness develops.

This UTSA research will ultimately seek to answer why water loss associated with proteoglycan deficiency leads to potential bone brittleness. It will also explore what happens to the bone’s microstructure when it has a fracture.

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About half of all women in the U.S. will suffer a bone fracture due to osteoporosis. For women, the incidence of this condition is greater than that of heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined. Now, researchers at UTSA have received multimillion-dollar funding to reexamine bone mineral density, a measure of bone fracture risks, and another critical component in bone known as proteoglycans.

“Supplements like chondroitin (a type of sugar protein in proteoglycans) are taken to help with osteoarthritis,” said Wang. “I then thought the same could be examined with these water-absorbing proteins [proteoglycans] in bone.”

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Researchers’ nanodisk could restore function for Lou Gehrig’s disease patients Milady Nazir | University Communications For decades the renowned English physicist Stephen Hawking lived with a motor neuron disease until his death last year. People who suffer from this condition lose functionality of brain cells that control essential muscle activity, such as speaking, walking, breathing and swallowing.

To help individuals afflicted by MNDs, UTSA has embarked on revolutionary research that uses magnetic nano-sized disks and magnetic fields to individually modulate functionality to crucial neurons. This research could open the door to reversal of degenerative conditions like Hawking’s to restore the quality of life for about 1 million adults across the globe.

“When you lose function of a muscle, you start physical therapy or exercises—in other words, a mechanical function to regain your muscles. However, in the case of motor neuronal diseases, the doctor doesn’t tell you to stretch your brain. With these disks, we stretch the brain for you,” said Gabriela Romero Uribe, an assistant professor in UTSA’s biomedical engineering and chemical engineering departments, who is spearheading the research.

The messages from nerve cells in the brain are transmitted to nerve cells in the brain’s stem and spinal cord, and from them to particular muscles. However, when this pathway is damaged, options are limited to restore functionality.

Previous approaches to manipulate brain circuits have included electrical stimulation and optogenetics—the use of light to control ion channels—which may damage tissue. Moreover, manipulation via drug treatments is severely hampered by the blood-brain barrier, a layer of tissue that protects the brain from injury.

“The blood-brain barrier is the biggest issue in pharmacology,” Romero said. “Only about 3% of drugs administered goes into the brain. The rest enter other parts of the body and can damage organs.”

Romero’s approach to use magnetic disks to generate mechanical force is unique. The additional benefit of this method is that it’s nontoxic, drug-free and a minimally invasive procedure that leaves negligible to no damage to the body.

“Our bodies transmit magnetic fields, and we can also apply magnetic fields all over the body,” said Romero.

“We have learned that magnetic nanoparticles can receive magnetic fields and translate them into signals that neurons can understand.”

The nano-sized disks studied at UTSA then absorb magnetic fields and provide torque to stimulate motor neurons to act.

In motor neuron disease, such as Parkinson’s, neurons stop producing dopamine. Romero envisions using the nanoparticles and magnetic fields to start stimulating the neurons to produce dopamine again. Currently, she’s in collaboration with colleagues in Spain to fabricate the wireless disks in large quantities. Those magnetic materials will include gold and titanium.

Experts believe that nine in 10 cases of MND occur by chance. The exact causes are unclear, but the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke says that toxic, viral and environmental factors may also play a role.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reported that about 926,000 people worldwide suffered from one of these types of diseases in 2016, with about 34,000 ending in death each year.

Romero recently received a $1M grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences to fund the next phase of the project. The work was first developed with a seed fund made possible by UTSAs Office for Research Support, part of the Office of the Vice President for Research, Economic Development and Knowledge Enterprise, which fosters collaborative research focused on the world’s most pressing health challenges.

UTSA students to build smart home on Downtown Campus Ingrid Wright | University Communications

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Students in UTSA’s College of Architecture, Construction and Planning will be a part of the design, construction and optimization process of a sustainable, universally designed smart home.

The project will provide architecture students with an opportunity to collaborate with engineering students and incorporate technology in the architecture of a building that serves the end users and preserves the environment.

An architectural rendering shows an external, sustainable Under the leadership of Antonio Martinez-Molina, Neda green wall on the structure.

Norouzi and Miltos Alamaniotis, assistant professors in the Department of Architecture and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the project is being designed and built as a living laboratory for students, researchers and the San Antonio community. The project consists of five phases: design, construction, commissioning, monitoring and continued optimization.

The home, which will be built on UTSA’s Downtown Campus, will provide the ability to replicate the design for a multigenerational family and will be designed to generate, store and release its own renewable energy, making it 100% self-sufficient. It will also serve as a live-work unit and includes a bike repair shop to support UTSA’s walkability initiative.

He added that the United States has one of the oldest and the most energy-consuming populations in the world and this project could have an enormous impact in this country— and at UTSA in particular.

“We are incorporating universal design principle into the architecture and interior design of the building in order to provide a higher quality built environment for people of all ages and abilities,” said Norouzi.

Universal design, by definition, refers to designing products that can be used by everyone, regardless of a person’s age, ability or status in life.

“There are currently 65 million people age 60 and older residing across the country, many of whom prefer to grow

The project will include the use of information technology, in particular artificial ntelligence.

“Artificial intelligence will provide the connecting link between safety, sustainability and resilience,” said Norouzi.

“AI offers the necessary tools for building systems that identify behavioral patterns in smart homes by collecting and analyzing the data. Artificial intelligence will contribute to automated monitoring and surveillance of residents as well as be used for decision making in maintaining energy sustainability.”

This project combines two very relevant approaches of sustainable universal design that has not been commonly applied in the U.S. The combination of universal design with artificial intelligence will provide opportunities for elders and children to use the building and all its product in similar manner as young adults. For example, universal design requires different countertop heights, and AI will allow parents to stand at a counter suitable for their height and lower another counter’s height for their child.

By offering higher level of occupants’ health, safety and comfort, this building will provide students, academics, practitioners, policymakers and citizens with the knowledge of the available technology to build better buildings and cities.

The construction is expected to start in early 2020 and to finish later in the year.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

“This research project positions UTSA at the heart of development for a zero-carbon building future to amplify the research in the areas of low carbon supply, storage and demand that could be replicated in other areas of the United States,” said Martinez-Molina.

old in their own home and community,” said Norouzi.

“However, only half of these homes meet the physical needs of people who choose to age in place. This project is aiming to serve the needs of 86% San Antonians who want to age in place.”

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UTSA engineering students sweep steel bridge regional competition Julie Paulson | College of Engineering

UTSA civil engineering students applied knowledge learned in the classroom to practical use, sweeping the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Regional Steel Bridge Competition held at UTSA over the weekend. The UTSA American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Steel Bridge Team placed first overall and took first in the following categories: Construction Economy, Structural Efficiency, Lightness, Aesthetics, Construction Speed and Stiffness.

Participation in the UTSA ASCE Steel Bridge Team teaches students structural engineering problem solving, practical machine shop skills and teamwork with other engineers. After preparing for eight months, the team competed against the best engineering schools in the region.

This inter-collegiate competition is a visual display of students’ structural design and analysis skills at work.

Teams are challenged to design, fabricate and construct their own one-tenth-scale steel bridge in the shortest time and under specific building constraints that reflect real-life structural specifications and construction regulations.

The Student Steel Bridge Competition also increases awareness of real-world engineering issues such as spatial constraints, material properties, strength, serviceability, fabrication and erection processes, safety, esthetics and cost.

“Participation in hands-on events such as the Steel Bridge Competition gives our students the opportunity to work as a team to develop intellectual, leadership, and professional abilities,” states Manuel Diaz, chair of the UTSA Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “This exceptional team of students has exhibited these skills at their highest capacity, and they will carry the lessons they have learned through this experience into their professional lives.”

ASCE-UTSA has been an active participant in the steel bridge competition since 1989. UTSA has consistently been successful, bringing home numerous first place regional trophies for overall performance and many category awards. Last year the UTSA team went on to win the Ingenuity Award at the National Steel Bridge Competition.

“Our NASA Student Launch team has aggressive engineers who are going for it. They are currently designing a rocket that is 101 inches in length with a 7.7-inch-diameter body powered with a high-power reloadable rocket engine. We expect it to reach an altitude around 4,500 feet,” says James Johnson, associate professor in practice in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “It’s fun to be a rocket scientist!”

NASA Student Launch is a research-based competitive experiential exploration activity. It strives to provide relevant, cost-effective research and development of rocket propulsion systems. This project offers multiple challenges reaching a broad audience of middle and high schools, colleges, and universities across the nation.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

For the first time in school history, UTSA engineering students have been invited to participate in the 20th NASA Student Launch competition. Two student organizations in the College of Engineering—the Aeronautics and Rocket Club and Advanced Robotics teams—will join forces to represent the university. The teams are led by Mark Ramirez, Kyle Fetter, Garrett Parker, Adam Knippa and Enrique Ornelas.

Teams will also have the opportunity to predict their rocket’s altitude when submitting their preliminary design review package.

Awards will be provided to the those with rocket altitudes that reach closest to their predictions on launch day. Teams are also evaluated and given points and awards in nearly a dozen other categories, including safety, vehicle design, social media presence and STEM engagement.

student success

The teams will head to Huntsville, Alabama, in April 2020 to compete against 64 teams from 21 states and Puerto Rico. They will be required to design, build, test and fly a payload and high-powered amateur rocket to an altitude of 4,000 to 5,500 feet.

Teams participating in the college division will participate in a payload challenge in which they will collect 10 milliliters of simulated lunar ice from one of five sample locations and safely store them aboard their vehicle.

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2019

Tech Symposiums E

ngineering innovation was on display during the annual Spring Tech Symposium on April 30, 2019 and annual Fall Tech Symposium held November 26, 2019 on the UTSA Main Campus. Student teams exhibited their senior design projects, which showcased their creative advances in engineering technology that they have been working on throughout their senior year.

SPRING 2019 TECH SYMPOSIUM FALL 2019 TECH SYMPOSIUM

SENIOR DESIGN 2 OVER ALL WINNERS

1st Place - Daedalus, an automatic weapon detection system. Allen Herrera, Rembrandt Bukowski, Miles Martinez, Justice Montes 2nd Place - Zometis Innovations, a human microbiome sampling device.

Vangelina Osteguin, Juveria Fatima, Melanie Foster, Divya Kamnani, Natalia Rafiq 3rd Place - Cox Inspection, an automatic inspection system. Daniel Cottingham, Nicholas Comeau, Quadri Onikoyi, Maximilian Pittman

EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

C-CAM Technologies - Albert J. Keam, Matthew Burgess, Carlos Castaneda, Caleb Haeusslee

CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING Engineering Tomorow - Amy Lewis, Eric Bueno, Emily Brown, Cristian Martinez, James Wilcox

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING Light Speed Power System - Luis Longoria, Jr., Jason Commander, Mario Moreno, Van Tran

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Sludge Solutions - Ryan James Thompson, Jereel Cooper, Sean Nolan, Alex Uribe

SENIOR DESIGN 1 POSTER OVER ALL WINNERS BTeam - Hygienic Beauty - Kevin Castillo, Raymond Gomez, Ruby Vargas, Erick Vazquez Dart Energy - Wind Turbine Tilt Down Tower - Jose Carreon, Chien-Te Liu, Jesus Lopez, Mario Rodriguez DreamHackers - Adaptive Generator Torque Control - Oli Bhuiyan, Nestor Falcon, Bobby Reyes, Pedro Sanchez

CITE COMPETITION WINNERS

1st Place - EnVault - Noah Bemisderfer, Robert Chavez, Nestor Falcon, Bobby Reyes, Jack Williams 2nd Place - C-CAM Technologies - Albert J. Keam, Matthew Burgess, Carlos Castaneda, Caleb Haeusslee 3rd Place - JNST Solutions - Natalie Coppala, Brittany Calvillo, Maggie Gerety, Toral Khajanchi, Jesse Kluckman, Stefanos Roberts

SENIOR DESIGN 2 OVER ALL WINNERS

1st Place - 3BM, a paint-curing apparatus system that alllows infrared paint curing technology to be used on flat surfaces as well as complex shapes, such as engines. Conrad Bowden, Daniel Tran, Cory Weinberg, Greg Williams 2nd Place - Alt-Bionics. The team developed an artificial intelligence-enhanced bionic hand for below-elbow amputees that restores basic and essential mobility for its user. Max Brecheisen, Evan Jenkins, Ruairidh McWilliam, Ryan Saavedra 3rd Place - Bexar Aerospace, a soft suspension system for ground vibration testing of aircraft. Their technology allows for the testing of aircraft from weights of 1,750 pounds to 62,000 pounds. Jeremy Browder, Robert Doris, Eduardo Gamez, Lino Villanueva

EXCELLENCE IN ENGINEERING CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING NICE Engineers - Christian Anguiano, Christopher DeLeon, Isaiah DeLeon, Nicholas Panella, Erin Sandoval

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING 4GigaBytes - Mohammed Albaghli, Fahd Alqahtani, David Ovalle, David Rangel

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Pour Over^ - Gabriel Arroyo, Will Beard, Nick Lara, Carlos Quesada

SENIOR DESIGN 1 POSTER OVER ALL WINNERS Semipassive ankle prosthesis by Humaign - Drishya Dahal, Stephanie Roman, Saron Russom, Alberto Samaniego Automation and transportation of earth block press machine by The Mechanical League - Valeria Delgado, Cesar Montemayor, Oscar Puentes, Jose Maria Quiroz Screen bozz by The Q-Ladz - Ethan Beeman, Tomas Garcia, Jose Hotema, Williams Puentes

EXCELLENCE IN INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP AWARD 3BM, a paint-curing apparatus system that alllows infrared paint curing technology to be used on flat surfaces as well as complex shapes, such as engines - Conrad Bowden, Daniel Tran, Cory Weinberg, Greg Williams

IEEE AEROSPACE AND ELECTRONICS SYSTEMS SOCIETY AWARD

Wired, a road sentry system that can be used to track down vehicles fitting a specific description - Michael Emperador, Tyler Hutzler, Helena Luu, Quynh Vu

student success

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

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Girl code power: Middle schoolers explore STEM during summer camps Kara Soria | University Communication UTSA is training the next generation of female computer scientists on San Antonio’s Westside.

Through the Girl CodeRunners summer camp, middle school girls are exploring computer programming and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). With fun activities and new friendships, these girls are being empowered to code at an early age.

The weeklong Girl CodeRunners camp is expanding the students’ knowledge and interest in STEM fields through hands-on experience on creating websites and computer games, computer animation and storytelling, and robotics.

Two students who recently participated in the camp worked together to design and code a unique game.

This is just one of the many amazing projects produced during the camp this summer. The goal of their game is to catch fruit in a bowl to score points while avoiding objects like eyeglasses and lightning bolts.

One of the girls, who is 13 years old and will be entering 8th grade this fall, said her coding has improved throughout the weeklong camp.

“The teaching assistants are always here to help us out.

It feels very good to create a game and make a robot,” she explained. “It’s also fun making a new friend.”

That new friend, a 11-year-old who will be entering the 7th grade this fall, said she started coding a few years ago and enjoyed making stories and creating new memories during this camp.

The girls are proud of what they accomplished together.

The UTSA Academy for Teacher Excellence Research Center (ATE) is partnering with the UTSA College of Engineering and Institute for P-20 Initiatives to host the weeklong camps each week at Good Samaritan Community Services on the Westside. The camps started June 10 and runs through July 26, 2019.

ATE undergraduate research assistant Vedika Khanna says it’s inspiring to see the campers work together and problem solve to complete their projects.

“I want them to know you can do whatever you want when you use your intelligence and resources to solve challenges,” said Khanna, who started coding in sixth grade and is now a UTSA senior majoring in digital communication and minoring in cyber security. “My favorite part is seeing the girls show their creative side by coming up with greeting cards and games.”

community outreach

In addition to learning about coding and programming, the campers are also learning about STEM careers and the degrees they can receive to land those high-demand jobs.

“The girls often ask questions about college and degrees out there related to STEM,” said Khanna.

To capture that curiosity, the teaching assistants, all UTSA undergraduate and graduate students, are sharing with the girls what it’s like to go to college.

The teaching assistants said that some girls have mentioned that they want to be mechanical engineers, astrophysicists and programmers.

To encourage young girls to go after those careers, the campers are introduced to jobs in the gaming industry, robotics industry, animation industry and website design industry.

On the last day of each week’s camp, the girls tour the UTSA Main Campus and visit the robotics lab of Pranav Bhounsule, assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering.

Bhounsule was awarded a $100,000 grant by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to support the summer camp.

“Careers in computer programming and software are growing rapidly while also providing a competitive salary,” explained Bhounsule, the principal investigator (PI) of the grant. “However, only about 26.6% of women take up jobs in computer science and engineering.”

At the end of the week, the campers receive a certificate of completion and a chance to win prizes based on how competitive they are during the course of the weeklong camp.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

“It is important for children to know that they can become good at anything they want to no matter their economic or social background with hard work and perseverance,” said Bhounsule. “A camp like this provides a great opportunity for UTSA to go into the community, in this case the Westside, and educate young minds on careers in STEM.”

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Four UTSA faculty each receive the National Science Foundation CAREER Award

Courtney Clevenger | UTSA Communications

innovating research College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Godet has been awarded $550,462 to support his fiveyear project, “Environmental forcing on the resilience Four UTSA researchers have each been awarded a of carbonate platforms during Early Cretaceous super National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early greenhouse period.”

Career Development (CAREER) Award, totaling $2 million in new research funding for San Antonio’s “About 120 million years ago, the atmospheric content largest public research university. CAREER Awards, of greenhouse gases increased dramatically. Under one of the NSF’s most prestigious programs, helps such conditions, reef ecosystems dominated by large UTSA advance closer to National Research University bivalves either survived, adapted or disappeared,” Fund (NRUF) eligibility. explained Godet. “This project will test the hypothesis that the resilience of reef ecosystems was favored at low UTSA’s 2019 CAREER Award recipients include: latitudes by examining four locations along a transect • Nikolaos Gatsis, assistant professor, electrical and from the ancient equator to subtropical latitudes. It will computer engineering bring some insights about how modern ecosystems • Alexis Godet, assistant professor, geological sciences could adapt, or not.”

• Teja Guda, assistant professor, biomedical engineering Guda was awarded $530,688 for his project, • Xiaoyin Wang, assistant professor, computer science “Programming Vascularization by Design in Porous To earn NRUF eligibility, UTSA must meet qualitative Composites,” which will generate new discoveries and quantitative targets such as restricted research about how blood vessels grow. expenditures, the quality of an institution’s faculty and its annual rate of doctoral degrees awarded. To evaluate “What we learn about how these vessels grow will the quality of an institution’s faculty for NRUF eligibility, allow us to design new biomaterials solutions for Texas considers only the most prestigious professional tissue engineering and regenerative medicine,” said achievements. NSF CAREER Awards are among those Guda. “Understanding the underlying science could highly recognized honors. also potentially help us understand what goes wrong with vessel formation during cancer, when competent, “Through our various research excellence initiatives, structured networks of vessels are not formed.” the research culture on campus is evolving. The NSF Early CAREER award is a success marker in the research Wang will use his $492,358 CAREER award to develop world, and is an amazing accomplishment by our techniques for better detection and repair of software esteemed faculty members. Their achievement elevates bugs in his project, “Analysis and Repair of Build and promotes the quality of our faculty and the research Scripts for DevOps Software Practice.” His research conducted at UTSA to prospective students and peers interests include enhancing software productivity and alike,” said Bernard Arulanandam, UTSA interim vice quality using more robust software build systems. president for research, economic development, and knowledge enterprise.

“By reducing the bugs in software build systems, my research will lead to more timely software release and Gatsis will further his research on electricity distribution software products of higher quality, which will benefit networks and water distribution systems as part of people who directly use or are involved in activities his project, “Optimal Interdependent Operation of supported by the software,” said Wang.

Electricity Distribution Grids and Water Distribution Systems in Smart Cities.” His $500,000 CAREER award The NSF CAREER Award supports early-career faculty will support the development of more reliable and cost- who have the potential to serve as academic role models effective electricity and water delivery. in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization. Unlike “It’s an honor to receive this award,” said Gatsis. “It will most research grants, this award requires both strong enable me to explore an exciting and timely research scholarly research and a significant plan for education direction. This project also supports education through and mentorship. enhancement of the power engineering curriculum at UTSA.” Eleven UTSA faculty have won CAREER Awards over the last five years.

27

UTSA wins $3M NASA award to launch extreme environments center Milady Nazir | University Communications UTSA, a public university that is nationally recognized for research excellence, will receive $3 million dollars from NASA to develop a new interdisciplinary Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments (CAMEE).

Climate change has created extreme environmental conditions such as ocean and polar warming, and sea ice reduction. Severe weather including stronger hurricanes, sweeping forest fires, destructive tornadoes, heat waves and droughts are now more common place. Recently, soaring temperature advisories were in effect for nearly 200 million people in some of the most densely populated parts of the country, including many areas not familiar with extreme heat.

To investigate these extreme conditions, NASA and UTSA will collaborate to push the boundaries of current measurement and modeling technology by conducting research in harsh and extreme environments. They will also study the challenging conditions produced when travelling at hypersonic speeds.

“It’s urgent that measurement technologies be developed for these challenging settings to understand the physical nature of these extreme environments, and to improve our ability to predict their behavior through simulations,” said Hongjie Xie, professor and interim chair in the UTSA Department of Geological Sciences. Xie, a remote sensing scientist, leads a team of five UTSA professors who will lend expertise to CAMEE. The other four team members include Christopher Combs, a Dee Howard Endowed assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who will investigate how the extreme hypersonic flow conditions experienced during atmospheric reentry will impact the design of NASA flight vehicles.

Associate Professor and Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astraunatics, Kiran Bhaganagar, will provide expertise on fluid dynamics, turbulence and other computational models. The team is completed by sea ice specialist Stephen Ackley and oceanographer Alberto MestasNunez, who was one of the developers of ArcCI—an open source web-based dashboard to track sea ice changes in the Arctic Ocean. As it evolves, CAMEE will also welcome UTSA collaborators from other academic disciplines.

“What we have in common are harsh environments where all these measurements are made, but it’s really hard to make a measurement because the conditions are so extreme,” said Combs. “Whether it’s hypersonics, where everything is incredibly hot and you have plasma and disassociated air, or the polar ice caps, where everything is frozen and you have to do things remotely, we have similar challenges.”

CAMEE’s research focus areas will include: • Polar Sea Ice and Sea Level Rise • Gulf of Mexico and Polar Oceans • Atmospheric Science and Extreme Events

• Aerodynamics • Modeling, Simulation, and Big Data

The UTSA center will enhance NASA’s efforts to develop a diverse workforce in earth system sciences, remote sensing technologies, computational fluid dynamics, and experimental fluid mechanics in support of NASA’s Science, Aeronautics, and Space Technology Mission Directorates. The UTSA team also anticipates training 64 highly skilled professionals in STEM disciplines to support NASA’s mission.

By leveraging recent advances in measurement technology, UTSA, NASA and the other collaborating institutional organizations will develop novel diagnostic techniques that will drive discovery and improve the ability to operate in extreme environments across a wide range of measurement scales.

innovating research

“We are measuring and studying extreme conditions in the entire earth system including the atmosphere, the ocean, and sea ice. This is one novelty of this new center,” said Bhaganagar.

In addition to helping solve grand challenges posed by extreme environments, the UTSA researchers believe that advanced measurement techniques could lead to breakthroughs in data acquisition for the similarly extreme environments experienced by extra-terrestrial surfaces during atmospheric entry of NASA’s space exploration efforts.

CAMEE participants will enroll in summer internships at three NASA centers – the Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Langley Research Center. Hands-on workshops will be offered to K-12 teachers to further develop an interest in earth system science, measurement, and data analytics among the next generation. The center will also create several experiential learning opportunities for UTSA students, providing them with unique training to pursue new career opportunities.

UTSA will also collaborate with St. Philip’s College, one of the Alamo Colleges District, which will provide an additional pool of students from the Colleges District to help with recruitment efforts, and the Dee Howard Foundation, which will also assist with local K-12 outreach activities.

“One of the end goals of the center is to add to the Nation’s research capability in earth system science research and education,” said sea ice specialist Ackley.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Additionally, CAMEE will include academic partners from the University of Colorado, Boulder and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) who will provide expertise in atmospheric sciences to tackle large scale phenomena such as how high-velocity Santa Ana winds are generated which can lead to massive forest fires.

Other research collaborations will include Southwest Research Institute, Texas Space Grant Consortium and the US National Ice Center.

NASA demonstrates that the Orion spacecraft’s launch abort system can outrun a speeding rocket and pull astronauts to safety during an emergency during launch.

The test is a milestone in the agency’s preparation for missions to Mars. UTSA new CAMEE center will be part of the nation’s effort to help with this and other NASA endeavors. Photo credit: NASA

29

Bizios named fellow of the National Academy of Inventors

Shea Conner | University Communications

Rena Bizios, Lutcher Brown Chair and professor of biomedical engineering at UTSA, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

The honor recognizes Bizios for demonstrating a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.

of Fame inductees and National Academies members.

Bizios will be inducted at the annual NAI meeting in Phoenix in April 2020.

Bizios, a chemical/biomedical engineer by training and a pioneer in the field of biomedical engineering, joined the faculty at UTSA in 2006. Her research interests include cellular and tissue engineering, tissue regeneration, biomaterials (including nanostructured biomaterials) and biocompatibility. Her research endeavors made seminal contributions to cellular engineering, the understanding of cell-material

“Dr. Bizios exemplifies research excellence and scholarly output. Her induction brings great acclaim to the university.” ~ Bernard Arulanandam, Vice President of Research “Dr. Bizios exemplifies research excellence and scholarly output. Her induction brings great acclaim to the university and demonstrates the institution’s commitment to innovation and applied solutions for societal impact,” said Bernard Arulanandam, UTSA’s vice president for research, economic development and knowledge enterprise.

By her election to the NAI, Bizios joins four other UTSA faculty members inducted into the NAI. President Taylor Eighmy was selected in 2013, electrical and computer engineering professor David Akopian in 2016, and Arulanandam in 2018. This great honor places those four among an elite group of researchers that includes presidents and senior leaders of research universities, Nobel laureates, National Inventors Hall

interactions, protein/cell interactions with materials (including nanostructured ones), and in elucidating the effects of pressure and electric current stimulation on cell functions pertinent to new tissue formation. Her research has applications in the tissue engineering and tissue regeneration fields.

Bizios has taught fundamental undergraduate and graduate engineering courses and developed new biomedical engineering courses. She has mentored many undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty. She has published more than 108 peer-reviewed papers and coauthored the landmark textbook An Introduction to Tissue-Biomaterial Interactions, which is a standard in the biomaterials field and has been adopted for upper-

level undergraduate and graduate courses by several biomedical engineering programs in the United States and abroad.

She has been elected as a charter member of the UTSA Academy of Distinguished Researchers (2015); the AIMBE Excellence in STEM Education Award by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2018); and the Excellence in Biomaterials Science Award by the Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation (2019).

innovating research

Bizios’ contributions to education and her research accomplishments have been recognized by the Rensselaer Alumni Association Teaching Award (1997); Clemson Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Literature, from the Society for Biomaterials (1998); Distinguished Scientist Award, from the Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology (2009); Women’s Initiatives Mentorship Excellence Award, from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2010); Founders Award, from the Society for Biomaterials (2014); Theo C. Pilkington Outstanding Educator Award, from the Biomedical Engineering Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (2014); and Amber Award, from the UTSA Ambassadors (2014).

hold over 3,500 issued U.S. patents. Among the 2019 fellows are six recipients of the U.S. National Medal of Technology & Innovation or U.S. National Medal of Science and four Nobel Laureates as well as other honors and distinctions. Their collective body of research covers a range of scientific disciplines that includes neurobehavioral sciences, horticulture, photonics and nanomedicine. To date, NAI fellows hold more than 41,500 issued U.S. patents, which have generated over 11,000 licensed technologies and companies, and created more than 36 million jobs.

In addition, over $1.6 trillion in revenue has been generated based on discoveries by NAI fellows.

The NAI was founded in 2010 at the University of South Florida to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal Technology & Innovation.

She is member of the National Academy of Medicine, the Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas, International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, and now, the National Academy of Inventors.

The NAI Fellows Class of 2019 represents 136 research universities and governmental and nonprofit research Rena Bizios with Bernard Arulanandam at reception in 2015, upon her election to the National Academy of Medicine. institutes worldwide that collectively

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Bizios is fellow of five professional societies: American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, International Union of the Societies for Biomaterials Sciences and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Society, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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Research Awards

I

t is UTSA’s vision to be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders in the global environment. We are proud of all of our faculty and students who are striving to reach research excellence in UTSA’s path to becoming a leading research institution. Listed here are the projects awarded between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

Ahmed, Sara (PI), Dessouky, Samer (Co-PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Evaluation of the vegetation and soils to improve carbon sequestration and ecosystem services at the University of Texas at San Antonio Main Campus Funding Agency: UTSA Office of Sustainability Amount: $82,619

Benavidez, Patrick (PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: SNAP Drone: Modular 3D Printed Packable Quadcopter Assembled in a Snap Funding Agency: US Department of Defense Amount: $6,791

Bhounsule, Pranav (PI), Harmon, Belinda (C0-PI), Claeys, Lorena (Co-PI)

Ahn, Ethan (PI)

Department of Mechanical Engineering, P-20 Initiatives, Academy for Teacher Excellence (ATE) Proposal Title: Code camp for girls to increase STEM awareness in low-income neighborhood in San Antonio Funding Agency: Texas Workforce Commission Amount: $99,997

Ahn, Ethan (PI), Ponce Pedraza, Arturo (CoPI), Gao, Wei (Co-PI)

Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: REU Site: Biomedical engineering Research for Active military and Veterans (BRAVe) Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $352,414

Ahn, Ethan (PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: All-spin Logic enabled by 2D Materials Funding Agency: US Department of Defense Amount: $444,951 Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: EAGER: Feasibility Investigation of Epitaxial Oxide Resistive FET (EOR-FET) Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $99,853

Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Mechanical Engineering Proposal Title: T2: Transdisciplinary Investigation of Electromechanical CouplingDriven Properties of New 2D Materials Funding Agency: UTSA VPR Office Amount: $20,000

Akopian, David (PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: Tobacco Services for Primary Care Patients at UT Health San Antonio Funding Agency: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Amount: $274,301

Brey, Eric (PI), Qutub, Amina (Co-PI)

Browning, JoAnn (PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Supplemental to NHERI Grant Funding Agency: Purdue University Amount: $50,000

Browning, JoAnn (PI), Prevost, John (Co-PI)

Department of Civil Engineering, Open Cloud Institute (OCI) Proposal Title: CC* Team: South West Expertise in Education and Training (SWEET) Funding Agency: Texas A&M University System Amount: $112,375

Cao, Yongcan (PI)

Cao, Yongcan (PI)

Center for Excellence in Engineering Education (CE3) Proposal Title: SBIR: Algorithms for Data Fusion of Signals from Photonic Chemical and Biological Sensor for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Funding Agency: Omega Optics Inc. Amount: $25,000

Castillo Villar, Krystel (PI)

Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: Minimizing Model Uncertainty through Advanced Multi-Modal Full-Volume Metrology Funding Agency: US Department of the Air Force Amount: $69,700

Chen, Fengshan (PI)

Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Lean Systems (CAMLS) Proposal Title: UTRGV: Innovation Driven Research/Education Ecosystem for Advanced Manufacturing for the Defense (I-DREAM4D) Funding Agency: University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley Amount: $712,499

Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Lean Systems (CAMLS) Proposal Title: Education, Training and Mentoring Program for National Formosa University Students in Advanced Manufacturing/ Industry 4.0 Funding Agency: National Formosa University Amount: $417,697

Combs, Christopher (PI)

Dessouky, Samer (PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Investigating the Impacts of Truck Platooning on Transportation Infrastructure in the South Central Region Funding Agency: Louisiana State University Amount: $69,000

Dessouky, Samer (PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Thermal Energy Harvesting for Netherlands Roadways Application Funding Agency: Mis7 Amount: $8,227

Diaz, Manuel (PI), Arroyo, German (Co-PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Dwight D. Eisenhower Fellowship 2019 Local Competition Funding Agency: US Department of Transportation Amount: $10,000

Dong, Bing (PI)

Department of Mechanical Engineering Proposal Title: CAREER: Holistic Assessment of the Impacts of Connected Buildings and People on Community Energy Planning and Management Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $500,181

Department of Mechanical Engineering Gao, Wei (PI) Proposal Title: Arnold Diagnostics Summit Funding Agency: University of Tennessee, Knoxville Department of Mechanical Engineering Proposal Title: Stress Modulated Phase Amount: $122,068

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Chen, Fengshan (PI), Alaeddini, Adel (CoPI), Bhounsule, Pranav (Co-PI), Jafari, Amir (Co-PI), Wan, Hung-Da (Co-PI)

Department of Mechanical Engineering Proposal Title: CONNECT: Non-Intrusive Measurement and Simulations of Direct-Fired sCO2 Flows for Low-Emission Renewable Energy Generation Funding Agency: UTSA VPR Office Amount: $50,000 Combs, Christopher (PI), Bhaganagar, Kiran (Co-PI), Ahmed, Sara (Co-PI), Bhanot, Karan (Co-PI) Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO2) Power Generation for Renewable Energy Extraction Funding Agency: City Public Service Amount: $800,000

innovating research

Center for Excellence in Engineering Education (CE3) Proposal Title: An Active Learning Approach for Precise and Reliable UAV Formation Maneuvers Funding Agency: US Department of the Navy Amount: $452,267

Combs, Christopher (PI)

33

Transition in 2D TMDC Materials Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $326,162

Gao, Wei (PI), Cao, Yongcan (Co-PI)

Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: Development of Autonomous Soft Robotic Solar Tracking System for BuildingIntegrated Photovoltaic Applications Funding Agency: City Public Service Amount: $231,000

Gatsis, Nikolaos (PI)

Guda, Teja (PI), Ong, Anson (Co-PI)

Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: Extracellular Matrix Evaluation for Tissue Regeneration Funding Agency: CellRight Technologies Amount: $10,006

Guo, Ruyan (PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: IPA Assignment at National Science Foundation Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $232,142

Center for Excellence in Engineering Education (CE3) Proposal Title: CAREER: Optimal Interdependent Operation of Electricity Distribution Grids and Water Distribution Systems in Smart Cities Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $500,000

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: Additive Manufacturing and Sintering Project Funding Agency: Hall Labs Amount: $45,000

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Assessing the Impacts of Super Storms Flooding in the Transportation Infrastructure Case Study: San Antonio, Texas Funding Agency: City of San Antonio Amount: $49,000

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: Mitochondrial Metabolism and RNA Methylation in Cancer Funding Agency: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Amount: $27,072

Giacomoni, Marcio (PI)

Gong, Yanmin (PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: CRII: NeTS: Embracing Dynamic Spectrum Sharing without Privacy Concerns Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $175,000

Guda, Teja (PI)

Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: CAREER: Programming Vascularization by Design in Porous Composites Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $530,688

Guda, Teja (PI)

Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: Collaboration: Connexin Channels in Transducing Mechanical Signals in Bone Funding Agency: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Amount: $12,793

Guo, Ruyan (PI), Bhalla, Amar (Co-PI)

Huang, Yufei (PI)

Huang, Yufei (PI), Hsieh, Jenny (Co-PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Biology Proposal Title: T2: Identifying Local Field Potential Biomarkers for Epileptic PatientDerived Organoids Using Machine Learning Funding Agency: UTSA VPR Office Amount: $20,000

Jamshidi, Mohammad (PI), Najafirad, Peyman (Co-PI), Kelley, Brian (Co-PI), Benaidez, Patrick (Co-PI), Prevost, John (Co-PI) Department of Electrical Engineering, Open Cloud Institute (OCI) Proposal Title: Modeling, Analysis and Control of Large Scale Autonomous System of Vehicles Funding Agency: North Carolina Agricultural and Tech State Amount: $1,208,800

Kapoor, Vikram (PI), Hutchinson, Jeffrey (PI), Dessouky, Samer (Co-PI)

Kudithipudi, Dhireesha (PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: Neuromorphic Hierarchical Temporal Memory Architecture Funding Agency: Seagate Technology LLC Amount: $65,193

Kudithipudi, Dhireesha (PI)

Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: PIC: Hybrid Silicon ElectronicPhotonic Integrated Neuromorphic Networks Funding Agency: Rochester Institute of Technology Amount: $98,576

Liu, Ruijie (PI)

Department of Mechanical Engineering Proposal Title: Collaborative Research: HighFidelity Modeling of Poromechanics with Strong Discontinuities Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $100,000

Millwater, Harry (PI), Montoya Rodriguez, Arturo (Co-PI) Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: A Complex Finite Element Method Based Inverse Methodology to Extract Constitutive Parameters Funding Agency: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Amount: $74,833

Montoya Rodriguez, Arturo (PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Resilient ExtraTerrestrial Habitats institute (RETHi) Funding Agency: Purdue University Amount: $500,000

Montoya Rodriguez, Arturo (PI), Matamoros, Adolfo (Co-PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Optimizing the Geometric Configuration and Manufacturing Process of High Mast Illumination Poles Funding Agency: Louisiana State University Amount: $50,000

Matamoros, Adolfo (PI), Reddick, Christopher (Co-PI), Sandhu, Ravinderpal (Co-PI), Akopian, David (Co-PI), Castillo Villar, Krystel (Co-PI)

Nash, Kelly (PI), Wood, Elizabeth (Co-PI), Millwater, Harry (Co-PI), Alamaniotis, Miltiadis (Co-PI), Fernandez, Amanda (Co-PI)

Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Public Administration, Department of Computer Science, Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: Secure, Resilient and Smart Grid Cyber-Physical Situational Understanding using Data Driven Decision-Making and AI Funding Agency: City Public Service Amount: $469,000

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Computer Science Proposal Title: CONNECT – the CONsortuim on Nuclear sECurity Technologies

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Matamoros, Adolfo (PI)

Najafirad, Peyman (PI), Choo, Kim-Kwang (Co-PI), Castillo Villar, Krystel (Co-PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Unified Blast Response Limits for Precast Concrete Wall Panels Funding Agency: Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Amount: $40,000

innovating research

Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI), Department of Environmental Science, Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Evaluation of the Vegetation along Roadways in Edwards Aquifer Recharge and Contributing Zones for Storm Water Management and Water Quality Improvement Funding Agency: San Antonio Area Foundation Amount: $798,636

Proposal Title: Planning Grant: Engineering Research Center for Sustainable Urban Ecosystems Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $100,000

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Funding Agency: US Department of Energy Amount: $2,999,995

Papagiannakis, Athanassios (PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Partial Support for 2019 TranSET Conference Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $30,000

Papagiannakis, Athanassios (PI), Ahmed, Sara (Co-PI), Dessouky, Samer (Co-PI)

Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: Development of Self-Powered Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) System Funding Agency: Louisiana State Univesrity Amount: $49,943

Prevost, John (PI)

Open Cloud Institute (OCI) Proposal Title: SBIR: Deep Learning Gait Analysis for Primary Care, for the design and development of a novel motion capture and gait analysis product Funding Agency: GaitIQ Amount: $25,000

Rathbone, Christopher (PI)

Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: SC1: Elucidating Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cell: Microvessel Interactions in Diabetic Muscle Funding Agency: National Institute of Health Amount: $1,497,500

Restrepo, David (PI)

Papagiannakis, Athanassios (PI), Giacomoni, Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Marcio (Co-PI) Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: Demonstrating the Environmental Benefits of Permeable Surfaced Parking areas in Bexar County Funding Agency: San Antonio River Authority Amount: $1,035,761

Prevost, John (PI)

Open Cloud Institute (OCI) Proposal Title: Open Cloud Institute – Catalyst Lab Internship Program with 80/20 Foundation Funding Agency: 80/20 Foundation Amount: $6,190

Prevost, John (PI)

Open Cloud Institute (OCI) Proposal Title: Open Cloud Institute – Catalyst Lab Internship Program with SitePro Funding Agency: SitePro Amount: $4,424

Prevost, John (PI)

Open Cloud Institute (OCI) Proposal Title: Parallelized Architecture of Pattern Recognition and Description in Video Frames (Video Translation) for Medical Applications in Diagnosing Diseases and Prognosing Funding Agency: FileStack Amount: $22,953

Proposal Title: GREAT: Novel Metamaterials for Multi-Hazard Resilient Infrastructures Funding Agency: UTSA VPR Office Amount: $20,000

Restrepo, David (PI), Han, Hai-Chao (Co-PI)

Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Lean Systems (CAMLS), Department of Mechanical Engineering Proposal Title: Active Cardiac Patches for Treating Myocardial Infarction Funding Agency: San Antonio Area Foundation Amount: $34,969

Rincon Troconis, Brendy (PI)

Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: CONNECT: Effect of Additive Manufacturing on the Hydrogen Embrittlement of Alloy 718 Funding Agency: UTSA VPR Office Amount: $50,000

Rincon Troconis, Brendy (PI), Montoya Rodriguez, Arturo (Co-PI)

Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: Zramic Coating Corrosion Protection in Relevant Coating Applications Funding Agency: TWIN HAWKS LLC Amount: $50,000

Robbins, Kay (PI), Huang, Yufei (Co-PI)

Taylor, Gail (PI), Barea-Rodriguez, Edwin (Co-PI), Cassill, J. (Co-PI), Brey, Eric (Co-PI)

Romero Uribe, Gabriela (PI), Monton, Carlos (Co-PI)

Center for Research and Training in Sciences (CRTS), Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: ESTEEMED Honors Research Training at UTSA Funding Agency: National Institute of Health Amount: $1,297,492

Sharif, Hatim (PI), Dessouky, Samer (Co-PI)

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Management Science and Statistics Proposal Title: Proteoglycans and Age-Related Deterioration of Bone Toughness Funding Agency: National Institute of Health Amount: $2,334,480

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Physics & Astronomy Proposal Title: GREAT: Wireless magnetomechanical control of neural activity mediated by magnetic nanodiscs Funding Agency: UTSA VPR Office Amount: $20,000 Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Proposal Title: Corrugated Metal Pipe (CMP) Rehabilitation Project Funding Agency: City of San Antonio Amount: $750,000

Sharif, Hatim (PI), Dessouky, Samer (Co-PI), Bin-Shafique, Md (Co-PI) Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Developing Peak Rate Factor (PRF) Guidance in Hydrologic Modeling Funding Agency: Texas Department of Transportation Amount: $81,555

Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Architecture Proposal Title: Hydrology Infrastructure Data Collection and Analysis Services Funding Agency: Texas General Land Office and Veterans Land Board Amount: $1,536,419

Taha, Ahmad (PI), Banerjee, Taposh (Co-PI)

Center for Excellence in Engineering Education (CE3) Proposal Title: Optimal Sensor Selection and Robust Traffic Detection and Estimation in World of Connected Vehicles

Weissmann, Jose (PI), Dessouky, Samer (Co-PI), Sharif, Hatim (Co-PI)

Department of Civil Engineering Proposal Title: Exploratory Investigation on the Origin of Wrong-Way Drivers in SAT Funding Agency: TX Department of Transportation Amount: $70,000

Xie, Hongjie (PI), Bhaganagar, Kiran (CoPI), Mestas-Nunez, Alberto (Co-PI), Ackley, Stephen (Co-PI), Combs, Christopher (CoPI) Center for Water Research (CWR), Department of Mechanical Engineering Proposal Title: NASA Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments (CAMEE) Funding Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Amount: $2,999,998

Ye, JingYong (PI)

Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: Enhanced Treatment of Glioblastoma through Controlled Drug Release from a Novel Nano-Carrier Funding Agency: Bank of America Amount: $16,000

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Sharif, Hatim (PI), Dessouky, Samer (Co-PI), Weissmann, Angela (Co-PI), Giacomoni, Marcio (Co-PI), Rashed-Ali, Hazem (Co-PI), Kapoor, Vikram (Co-PI)

Wang, Xiaodu (PI), Gao, Wei (Co-PI), Roy, Anuradha (Co-PI)

innovating research

Department of Computer Science, Department of Electrical Engineering Proposal Title: Cognition and Neuroergonomics Collaborative Technology Alliance – subprojects NSST, LARG, SANDR, RWN-VDELS Funding Agency: DCS Corp Amount: $1,269,832

Funding Agency: National Science Foundation Amount: $282,922

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UTSA receives $2.6 million for sustainability projects in San Antonio Milady Nazir | University Communications The UTSA College of Engineering has been selected to receive approximately $2.6 million in City funding to complete three water sustainability projects in San Antonio. Five UTSA engineering professors and one environmental scientist from the College of Sciences will work on behalf of the City to demonstrate the viability of permeable parking lots, to use roadside vegetation and trenchless technology to improve water quality, and to mitigate inner city flooding.

“At UTSA we continuously work to create innovative engineering solutions for problems that our communities find meaningful. These projects are another example of how we work to serve San Antonio,” said JoAnn Browning, dean of the UTSA College of Engineering.

Two of the projects will be funded by the Proposition 1 Edwards Aquifer Protection Program.

The first project, spearheaded by civil engineering and environmental science faculty Vikram Kapoor, Samer Dessouky and Jeffrey Hutchinson, will evaluate the best vegetation to improve rain infiltration along major San Antonio roadways. The UTSA researchers will explore solutions to manage water runoff and filter toxic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which can be found in soot or formed during the incomplete burning of coal, garbage, oil and gas.

“In arid and semi-arid regions such as central Texas, the use of native perennial and evergreen xeric vegetation in

storm water retention basins represents a cost-effective method that may control sediment and pollutants,” said Hutchinson.

The second project will be led by UTSA Civil Engineering professors Tom Papagiannakis and Marcio Giacomoni. It seeks to demonstrate the viability of permeable parking lots to reduce storm water runoff while lowering surface temperatures to mitigate heat island effects. This project will examine four alternative permeable parking designs made of (1) permeable asphalt, (2) plastic grid pavers, (3) permeable concrete, and (4) permeable interlocking concrete pavers. Water samples will be collected during storm events and sent to the UTSA Environmental Engineering laboratory to evaluate water quality. Pavement and water temperatures will also be measured on-site.

The Edwards Aquifer is the major water source for the residents of south-central Texas. The vegetation and permeable pavements projects will be funded for three years with the sole mission to improve water quality in recharge zones leveraging sustainable solutions.

The third project, funded by the FY 2019 Storm Water Operating Fund Adopted Budget, seeks to replace underground street pipes that channel storm water into creeks to alleviate flooding. The UTSA team, led by Civil Engineering Professors Hatim Sharif and Samer Dessouky, will test various trenchless technology with minimal disturbance to City streets.

“The City has miles of old corrugated metal pipes that are deteriorating in San Antonio. To replace that, it will cost billions and take more than 100 years,” said Sharif. “The City is trying to find cost effective and fast solutions.”

According to Sharif, within the last several years, corrugated metal pipes (CMP) have failed or collapsed in San Antonio due to severe corrosion. This has required the City to complete emergency pipe repairs and to mitigate pavement failures. The UTSA researcher estimates that about 26 miles of CMP have an “F” rating and require immediate attention.

Professor Vikram Kapoor stands with students who will examine what is the best grass and other vegetation to use along roadways and improve water infiltration which impacts the city’s Edwards Aquifer.

The three projects are examples of how UTSA serves San Antonio to solve the grand challenges related to its fastgrowing population.

support and giving innovating research

Julie Paulson | College of Engineering The Chemical Engineering Laboratory that will be housed in the new UTSA Science and Engineering Building will be filled with state-of-the-art equipment upon the building’s completion in 2020, thanks to a generous donation.

A $200,000 gift from The Klesse Foundation will provide the funds needed to purchase multiple pieces of research equipment that will fully equip the Chemical Engineering Laboratory. This equipment will allow students to gain incomparable hands-on research experience, preparing them for this highly competitive profession following graduation.

Klesse, the former Chairman of the Board and former CEO of Valero Energy Corporation, and his wife, Margie, have a long history of supporting higher education and the UTSA College of Engineering.

In 2012, they provided support for the Diamond Shamrock Legacy Endowed Scholarship for the College of Engineering. Since the scholarship’s inception, seven UTSA students have received $9,800 to support their education.

The Foundation also created the Margie and Bill Klesse Endowed Scholarship in Chemical Engineering in 2017.

This contribution directly benefitted the recruitment of top-performing students for the College of Engineering Chemical Engineering Program and ensures that top talent is retained and that the Chemical Engineering program is entirely resourced by the time the first cohort of students graduate in 2022.

“Chemical engineers are in high demand throughout the State of Texas and have a great positive impact on their environments,” said Bill Klesse, founder of The Klesse Foundation. “Chemical engineers’ careers can go in many directions, including manufacturing industrial goods as well as the refining and petrochemical industries, to help make people’s lives better. We are very pleased to be able to support UTSA’s Chemical Engineering program to enhance our community with a new generation of talented top-tier engineers.”

The UTSA Science and Engineering Building is currently under construction on the Main Campus. The $95 million structure, which is slated to open in 2020, will provide laboratory, classroom and collaborative space for UTSA’s academic and research programs in brain health, chemical engineering, biology and chemistry. The new facility is an important step for UTSA as the university moves forward to become a nationally recognized research institution.

College of of Engineering’s Engineering’s Innovations Innovations || College

“The UTSA College of Engineering is preparing students to compete with top engineering graduates and working professionals throughout the nation, and this equipment will give our chemical engineering students an edge among their competition,” said JoAnn Browning, David and Jennifer Spencer Distinguished Chair and dean of the UTSA College of Engineering. “UTSA students will graduate with the knowledge, competitive skillset and experience to enter the workforce and compete with engineering graduates from top performing programs across the country, as well as engineering professionals.”

In 2017, The Klesse Foundation donated a $1 million gift to help support the Chemical Engineering program at UTSA, enabling the acquisition of equipment, including a two-story distillation column, which has attracted statewide attention.

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UTSA College of Engineering receiv Julie Paulson | College of Engineering The UTSA College of Engineering confirmed a commitment of $500,000 from Ed Whitacre in support of the Science and Engineering Building, currently under construction and slated to open in 2020. The new building will provide 153,000 square feet of laboratory, classroom and meeting space to support students and research in engineering, brain health, biology and chemistry.

Whitacre, former chairman of the Board of ExxonMobil, has been a generous donor to UTSA for many years.

“The UTSA College of Engineering continues to position itself to become one of the top five Engineering Programs in the state of Texas. I am pleased to assist the College as they acquire resources to train engineering students in a progressive learning environment, while exposing them to authentic project management experience,” Whitacre said.

The first floor of the building, sized at 32,650 square feet, will be dedicated to an innovative Makerspace that will include collaboration and project assembly space, a design studio, a machine shop, a 3D printing room, and cutting-edge equipment that will elevate the student learning experience in the UTSA College of Engineering.

In alignment with UTSA’s mission to become a model for student success, exposure to a Makerspace with ample resources will enhance students’ knowledge of

ves $500,000 for new Makerspace the materials, tools, resources and environments they will encounter in the professional workplace.

“Mr. Whitacre’s donation will allow UTSA students to graduate with the knowledge, competitive skills set, and experience to enter the workforce and compete with engineering graduates from top performing

Donors like Ed Whitacre are raising the stature of the Engineering Program, and helping the college equip its faculty and students, so they can advance in a rich learning environment. In turn, this provides the City of San Antonio with a strong pipeline of engineering graduates who are prepared to solve problems and develop engineering solutions that will impact the communities they work and live in.

support and giving

Whitacre’s support will specifically impact one of the integral components that will accelerate and improve the process for students to complete senior design projects, which are required for graduation: a 3D metal printer.

The 3D metal printer offers additive manufacturing technology that uses powdered metals to create intricate and durable components of various sizes. This piece of equipment is prominently used in industry and will offer students the efficient engineering solutions to manufacture senior design project prototypes, some of which have the potential to be taken to market, and engineering organization competitive teams.

programs across the country, as well as engineering professionals,” said JoAnn Browning, dean of the UTSA College of Engineering. “The overall student experience in the College of Engineering will transform through a well-equipped Makerspace.”

Ed Whitacre is also the former chairman and CEO of General Motors, and former chairman of the board and CEO of AT&T.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

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Support & Giving

P

$500,000 + Edward E. Whitacre

$100,000 - $499,999 William R. Klesse

$25,000 - $99,999 Rochester Institute of Technology Albany Engineered Composites Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute San Antonio Area Foundation Applied Technology Council American Heart Association Cathy A. Obriotti Green James M. Clements Paul E. Morton NuStar Foundation Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc.

$10,000 - $24,999 Halliburton American Society of Civil Engineers The Brown Foundation Bank of America Dee Howard Foundation Jody S. Sneed CellRight Technology Rena Bizios Brenda V. Johnson Lead SA San Antonio Pipeliners Association Terracon Foundation

$5,000 - $9,999 Amar S. Bhalla Caterpillar, Inc. Cude Engineering Gulf Coast Power Association Brad W. Jauer Hazel L. Sheen

2019 Scholarship Recipients Mysha Hawkins

Judy and James Adams Endowed Scholarship Aaron Ferrer

Anshul Sharma Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Lead SA/North Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute (TSERI) Endowed Scholarship

College of Engineering Annual Scholarship in Biomedical Engineering

Michael J. and Carol A. Burke Endowed Distinguished Presidential Scholarship in Biomedical Engineering

Mandrita Banerjee

Chaski Garnica and Alexandra Malone

College of Engineering Annual Scholarship in Chemical Engineering Lindsey Attebery, Patrick Burke, Hallie Dewlen, Elijah Lopez, and Shane Sirdashney

College of Engineering Annual Scholarship in Civil Engineering John Mendoza and Rachel Okereke

Albert Samaniego

Favour Obuseh

Mr. and Mrs. Milton F. Berry Civil Engineering Endowed Scholarship Ruben Ureno

Pape-Dawson Engineers, Inc. Endowed Scholarship

Jessica Gonzalez, Christopher Lopez, and Sulieman Naser

College of Engineering Annual Scholarship in Electrical and Computer Engineering

SAGI Geotechnical Endowed Scholarship

College of Engineering Annual Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering

San Antonio American Petroleum Institute Chapter Endowed Scholarship

Mohammed Ahmed and Raul Alva Evan Chilton and Zachary Engel

Dawson Family Annual Engineering Scholarship

Brian Keithler, Matthew Lemp, Jovanna Lucas, and Melissa Villasenor

Crystal Lebo

Rebecca Cano, Nicholas Lopez, and Chandler Murphy

Terracon Endowed Graduate Scholarship in Civil and Environmental Engineering Tyler Goodall

Diamond Shamrock Legacy Endowed Scholarship for the College of Engineering

The Big Red Dog Engineering Annual Scholarship

Dot and Roger Hemminghaus Endowed Scholarship in Chemical Engineering

The Karl Senghaas Annual Scholarship

Carlos Castaneda and Gabriela Pineda

Hallie Dewlen, Jaden Esparza, and Elijah Lopez Yessenia Garner

E9 Treatments Annual Scholarship Samantha Eaton

Engineering PREP Scholarship Mohammed Ahmed

Eric Daniel Hernandez Memorial Scholarship Braeden Marquez

Harnek S. and Malkit Gill Endowed Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering Ali Zamani

Jacob B. Shadaram Endowed Scholarship

Evan Batton and Jessica Gonzalez Joshua Ramirez

The Morris R. Pitman Scholarship Endowment for Engineering

Christopher Garibay and Houston Smith

The North Loop 410 Association, Inc. Endowed Scholarship Sulieman Naser

The Sam Madrid, Jr. Endowed Scholarship in Science and Engineering Thomas George

The Thomas B. and Kathryn Morrow Engineering Endowed Scholarship Catherine Callais and Nathan DeVore

Wender Family Annual Engineering Scholarship

Justice Falade

Samantha Eaton, Aaron Ferrer, Favour Obuseh, Gabriela Pineda, and Drew Titcombe

Ruben Ureno

Helena Luu

Jesus Esparza and Teresa Duran Memorial Endowed Scholarship

W.S. Robinson Memorial Endowed Scholarship

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Dr. Amratlal M. Patel Engineering Memorial Endowed Scholarship

support and giving

Anna and Vassileki Davara Endowed Award in Biomedical Engineering

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The UTSA College of Engineering is launching a new Aerospace Engineering Certificate to prepare students for successful careers in the aerospace industry.

The certificate program is open to mechanical engineering degree-seeking students and non-degree-seeking students with a mechanical engineering background. It certifies to employers that students have completed coursework essential to success in entry-level positions in aerospace.

To begin offering the undergraduate certificate at UTSA, the College of Engineering added three new electives to the Mechanical Engineering curriculum beginning in Fall 2019. These courses were selected based on a review of the top 50 Aerospace Engineering departments across the country currently offering ABET accredited B.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering and will accompany the currently offered Compression Flow and Propulsion Systems course. The four elective courses for the certificate will be compression flow, aerodynamics, propulsion and astrodynamics.

“By introducing these new courses, UTSA will be wellequipped to offer an Aerospace Engineering Certificate and will be taking the first steps in moving towards offering B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering,” states JoAnn Browning, dean of the College of Engineering.

This certificate will also fulfill the need of the San Antonio K-12 Initiative that cultivates student interest in aviationrelated careers, which was established in memory of

aviation pioneer and entrepreneur Dee Howard for the support of programs that enhance excellence and global leadership of the aviation and automotive sectors in the San Antonio. The students in the program participating in aerospace-related student organizations will help to serve the outreach activities for the K-12 partners of the Dee Howard Foundation.

The Aerospace Engineering Certificate is sponsored by the foundation, whose mission is to inspire, challenge and empower innovators in aerospace while training a skilled workforce for the San Antonio region.

The Dee Howard Foundation also established the Dee Howard Faculty Fellow Endowment in 2013, benefitting a select member of the UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering as it advances research and scholarship in aerospace engineering and support undergraduate and graduate students interested in the field.

“We are excited to see this aerospace engineering certificate get started, and appreciative of the Dee Howard Foundation and their support to help make this happen,” says Christopher Combs, Dee Howard Endowed Assistant Professor in the UTSA Department of Mechanical Engineering. “We have already seen a great deal of interest from the student population regarding this certificate program and expect it to prepare our graduates for jobs in the aerospace industry.”

UTSA adds Master of Science in Biomedical Technology Commercialization

Julie Paulson | College of Engineering

“With advances in biomedical technologies and the need to have diverse and interdisciplinary knowledge for commercialization of developed technologies and devices, this program is highly attractive to students who have an undergraduate degree in engineering, sciences, or business,” says Anson Ong, associate dean of Administration and Graduate Studies for the UTSA College of Engineering.

At the completion of the degree program, students will have ample knowledge in the design of biomedical devices, technology commercialization, product development, intellectual properties, and the business knowledge to market those devices.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

Approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on July 25, 2019, and administered in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, the program is designed to provide students with a common platform of understanding in the areas of bioengineering and management of technology by taking nine semester credit hours of core courses from each college.

Students will subsequently be able to enhance their learning through an additional nine semester hours of elective courses from either college and finally by completing a final

“Contemporary biomedical firms need employees who are able to help them bridge the gap between product development and success in the market place,” says Kevin Grant, associate dean of Undergraduate Studies for the UTSA College of Business. “The new Master of Science in Biomedical Technology Commercialization will provide students with the skills they need to contribute to the success of these contemporary firms.”

college growth

The College of Engineering and College of Business at UTSA are collaborating to offer a joint Master of Science degree program in Biomedical Technology Commercialization, beginning in the Spring 2020 semester.

project in the area of biomedical technologies and commercialization.

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UTSA celebrates grand opening o

Julie Paulson | College of Engineering

The University of Texas at San Antonio cut the ribbon on one of the most unique research buildings in the country on October 3, 2019: the Large-Scale Testing Laboratory, a 50-foot-tall facility where civil engineers can test the structural integrity of systems, such as concrete buildings, in a realistic setting.

The $9.95 million Large-Scale Testing Laboratory will serve students and researchers in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, one of the university’s most innovative areas. Researchers within the department have led work to prevent landslides, create drinkable water from rainfall and harvest energy from hot pavement, among other initiatives.

The laboratory will facilitate the testing of components and systems at near 100% scale. Civil engineering students and researchers will build and test structural systems, such as concrete beams, in the 15,000-squarefoot facility, supporting a wide array of geotechnical and structural engineering projects. Areas of focus include bridge and building components and new materials needed for increasingly complex construction projects.

“This building is one of few of its kind in the country,” said JoAnn Browning, dean of the College of Engineering.

“We are so excited about the capabilities that this facility provides our researchers as we continue to study civil and structural engineering. The laboratory will also be a game changer for our students as they prepare for their civil engineering careers.”

The building has a 40-by-80-foot reaction floor that provides researchers with the ability to test real-size structural systems and components. The reaction floor ranges from 3 feet thick to 5 feet, 6 inches thick and provides the capability to apply test loads up to 4 million pounds of force—making it one of the highest reaction floor capacities in the United States. Underneath the reaction floor is a basement structure for researchers to secure test specimens and monitor experiments.

The Large-Scale Testing Laboratory will give UTSA researchers the capability to test large-scale systems and components with spans of up to 70 feet. Two cranes

of Large-Scale Testing Laboratory college growth

Steven McCabe, Ph.D., P.E. of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program met with students and faculty during the grand opening. each with a 30-ton capacity for loading, unloading and transporting heavy specimens are installed in the facility.

The test floor area is surrounded by staging and shop areas with a length of 10 feet, which allows testing specimens as long as 90 feet. The clearance between the reaction floor and the bottom of the cranes is 40 feet, providing researchers the ability to test structures as tall as four stories high.

can observe tests as they are performed.

Steven McCabe, Ph.D., P.E. attended the event as the keynote speaker. McCabe is the director of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program and earthquake engineering group leader at the National Insitute for Standards and Technology.

The facility includes support areas for fabrication and instrumentation of specimens; offices for students, faculty and staff; and a conference room where visitors

Adolfo Matamoros, Ph.D., FACI, P.E., Peter T. Flawn Distinguished Professor in the Civil Engineering Department shares the capabilities of UTSA’s new LargeScale Testing Laboratory.

College of Engineering’s Innovations |

A large-capacity hydraulic power supply and highpressure distribution lines with access manifolds in the service chase facilitate the use of servo-controlled actuators anywhere on the test floor. The hydraulic power supply and distribution system provide the ability for civil and structural engineering researchers to simulate a wide range of issues, including high-cycle fatigue, earthquakes and blast loads.

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Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) students share their prototype for an interactive Spy Academy installation: Tuned In. The project is now up and running and ready for future spies to decode hidden messages at the DoSeum in San Antonio.

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