OU Engineering

WaTER Center Director, David Sabatini, Featured in Jan. 2012 Inform Publication

2012-01-27T16:33:00.000-06:00

David Sabatini, a long-time member of the American Oil Chemists' Society and the Surfactants and Detergents Division, has been introducing technology that can remove contaminants from water supplies in remote villages in southern Cambodia and Ethiopia.

OU course to prepare students to work in developing regions

2012-01-18T11:57:00.000-06:00

Beginning in May, the University of Oklahoma will offer a field methods course designed to help prepare engineering students to work in developing regions. Coordinators hope to see other universities around the country create similar programs.

BY SILAS ALLEN
Published: January 18, 2012

NORMAN — About two years ago, members of the engineering faculty at the University of Oklahoma saw a problem.

Students attending the university's engineering school were graduating and going to work in developing countries. But in many cases, these students didn't have sufficient training to work in those environments, said David Sabatini, a professor in OU's School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.

“You hear the stories about students who arrive in-country with the best of intentions, but are not fully prepared,” Sabatini said.

Later this year, the university plans to roll out a program it hopes will help solve that problem. Beginning in May, the school will offer a field methods course designed to help prepare students to work in those developing regions, said Sabatini, the director of OU's Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center, or WaTER Center, a part of the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science.

The problem, he said, has been that students were leaving the university and signing up with the Peace Corps, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other nongovernmental organizations without being properly trained to work in developing countries.

When they are in that environment, those students face challenges that don't exist in the United States. They're often in remote areas and don't have access to the same resources they're used to, he said.

How they'll learn

The course will be held six hours a day during the three-week intersession in May, said Jim Chamberlain, the center's staff researcher, and most of that time will be spent in the field. The students will spend an hour to two hours in a lecture session, he said, with the rest being spent outdoors working on a number of projects.

Students will learn to build aboveground composting latrines, drill wells by hand and test for contaminants in a stream. They'll also build bio-sand filters, a type of water filtration system that uses a layer of bacteria to remove contaminants from water.

Because many of the students who participate will go on to do work related to water security and sanitation, it's especially important for them to have a sound background in water testing, as well as construction skills.

“A lot of these kids have never hammered nails before,” he said. “They've certainly never poured concrete or worked with block.”

The students also will learn to write and conduct community health surveys, Chamberlain said.

Those surveys help workers in developing areas get an idea of how people live in the area — where they get their water, for instance, and how to wash dishes. Collecting that information is critical to humanitarian efforts, he said, because it helps workers understand what communities need most.

Sabatini thinks the course is the only one of its kind in the country. Although the program is in its infancy, he said coordinators think it will be a popular offering. The course was initially intended for OU students, Sabatini said, but groups from Oklahoma State University, the University of Kansas and the University of Arkansas also have signed up to participate.

As the program progresses, Sabatini said he hopes to see more participation from other universities in the area.

Eventually, he said, he hopes to see other universities around the country develop similar programs to serve their own students.

“We can't meet the needs of every student in the United States,” Sabatini said. “But we can help pioneer a course that other institutions will choose to emulate.”

Job prospects for recent Oklahoma college grads vary by major, study says

2012-01-10T15:39:00.000-06:00

Architecture and arts degrees topped the list of recent graduate jobless rates in a Georgetown University study released last week. Oklahoma higher education officials say many of those trends are reflected across the state.

BY SILAS ALLEN, sallen@opubco.com Oklahoman
January 10, 2012

Although a bachelor's degree is still a good hedge against unemployment, job prospects for recent college graduates vary drastically by major, according to a recent study.

The study, “Hard Times, College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings: Not All College Degrees Are Created Equal,” was conducted by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. It was released Wednesday.

The jobless rate for recent college graduates with bachelor's degrees stands at about 8.9 percent, the report states. Although the report characterizes that figure as “unacceptable,” recent graduates still fared better than job seekers with only a high school diploma, who saw an unemployment rate of 22.9 percent. High school dropouts saw an “almost unthinkable” 31.5 percent rate, according to the study.

Even within recent college graduates, the statistics vary widely.

In general, the study suggests, majors that are linked closely to occupations tend to have better employment prospects after graduation. Electrical engineering majors, for example, had a 7.3 percent unemployment rate, while the rate for philosophy and religious studies majors was 10.8 percent.

But that trend doesn't hold true across the board. Unemployment tended to be higher for majors in fields with low demand. Architecture majors, for example, saw the highest unemployment rate with 13.9 percent. Recent graduates with information systems degrees had an unemployment rate of 11.7 percent.

More experienced workers, who are defined as workers ages 30 to 54 years old, tended to fare better in most fields. More experienced information systems workers had an unemployment rate of just 5.4 percent. Because of that trend, the report predicts computer-related majors will bounce back as the recovery progresses.

A temporary trend

Many of those trends are reflected in Oklahoma's colleges and universities, in particular the drop in demand for architecture majors.

“We have experienced that same thing here,” said Bette Scott, director of Career Services at the University of Oklahoma.

Nationwide, construction has slowed since the onset of the recession, and Scott said that's led to a drop in demand for architects. That trend also affects recent graduates in other fields, such as interior design and construction science, she said.

Still, Scott said, that issue isn't a detriment to OU's College of Architecture. The slowdown in hiring is a temporary trend, she said.

“All majors have their hiring ups and downs,” she said.

Pam Ehlers, Oklahoma State University's director of career services, disputed some of the study's findings, particularly in the information technology sector. Ehlers' office handles graduates from all of the university's campuses, including OSU Institute of Technology in Okmulgee.

“Information technology students are in high demand,” she said.

Conventional wisdom has long held that graduates with degrees in liberal arts fields like philosophy and history will have a harder time finding employment than those with more technical degrees. That holds true at OSU, she said, where students with degrees in fields like accounting and engineering seem to be faring fairly well.

Weathering the storm

In general, Ehlers said, Oklahoma seems to have weathered the recession better than many other states. As older workers retire, she said, companies recruit younger workers to take their place, keeping unemployment from skyrocketing.

That being said, Oklahoma hasn't been completely spared the effects of the recession. In 2007, before the economic downturn took hold, recruitment of recent graduates was at “crazy levels,” she said.

Ehlers said she doesn't expect Oklahoma will see those levels again anytime soon. But recruiting appears to be picking up, she said. The university holds its spring semester career fair in February, Ehlers said. During last year's fair, 94 employers came to campus to meet with students, she said. As of this week, 113 employers have signed up for this year's career fair.

That increase in recruiting has also existed at OU, Scott said, and has largely been driven by the oil and natural gas industry. Those companies typically come to campus looking for engineering majors, she said, but they also need to hire other employees, like accountants and human resources representatives.

While the recovery is still far from complete, Scott said she thinks Oklahoma is beginning to shake off the effects of the recession.

“I think we're coming out of it,” she said. “We don't expect it's going to turn around overnight.”

Oklahoma City hires new MAPS chief, David Todd, OU Civil Engineering Alumnus

2011-12-31T11:53:00.000-06:00

BY MICHAEL KIMBALL mkimball@opubco.com Oklahoman
Published: December 24, 2011

Oklahoma City has hired David Todd, the owner of a local engineering firm and a former city employee, to be the new leader of its MAPS office and the point man for the MAPS 3 projects.

Todd, who recently sold Todd Engineering Inc., so he can take the new position with the city, replaces Eric Wenger, who was promoted to be the city's Public Works Director in August.

Todd said the opportunity to contribute to public works projects that are designed to end up as signature elements of a growing Oklahoma City was what attracted him to the position.

“I was raised here in Oklahoma City. I really care about what's happening in Oklahoma City, and I want to be a part of it,” Todd said. “It's a really exciting time.”

Todd graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He is on the board of directors of the South Oklahoma City Chamber, is a member of several engineering societies and has participated in other local civic groups.

He worked for the city from 1989 to 1994 in the Public Works Department and oversaw the division that inspects, maintains and builds bridges. He did some contractor work for the city while he owned his own firm.

Todd said he hopes his background in civil engineering will be a strength when it comes to many of the MAPS 3 projects.

“MAPS 3, with the exception of the convention center, is very heavily civil-related with the river improvements, the park and those sorts of things,” he said. “I think that's a good fit for me.”

Todd starts his new job Jan. 3. Wenger will work with him to help the transition.

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-hires-new-maps-chief/article/3634521#ixzz1i8TjrkvW

Brian Morris, OU Mechanical Engineering Alumnus, Named VP of Engineering for Cherokee Nation Industries

2011-12-31T11:47:00.000-06:00

CNI announces new leadership
12/21/2011 9:18:43 AM

By STAFF REPORTS

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation Industries, the manufacturing and distribution division of Cherokee Nation Businesses, announced the promotions of Brian Morris to vice president of engineering and Don Whittington to vice president of operations for the company’s aerospace and defense division.

Morris, a Cherokee Nation citizen, graduated from Fort Gibson High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1995.

Prior to graduation, he worked as an engineering intern at CNI providing manufacturing solutions and cost savings measures. Morris has held the titles of planning manager, operations manager and director of manufacturing while being responsible for the engineering, quality, testing, purchasing, inventory and production departments.

Whittington, also a CN citizen, was born in Ventura, Calif. He is a Marine Corps veteran of 10 years and has more than 20 years experience in retail distribution and logistics management. Whittington has held titles within CNI, including warehouse supervisor, operations manager, general manager and vice president of operations.

Whittington will oversee the Stilwell manufacturing operations and the Pryor distribution facility.

J. Lynn Helms, Previous Head of FAA and OU Engineering Alumnus Dies at 86

2011-12-31T11:04:00.000-06:00

J. Lynn Helms, left, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, confers with Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis in June 1981 during the dispute between the FAA and the air traffic controllers union. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associate Press / January 17, 1981)

By Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times

December 20, 2011
J. Lynn Helms, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration who carried out President Reagan's order to fire more than 11,000 striking air traffic controllers and oversaw efforts to keep airlines flying during the crisis, has died. He was 86.

He died Dec. 11 of cardiopulmonary failure at his home in Westport, Conn., a family spokesman said.

Helms had a reputation as a decisive, technically brilliant aviation industry executive who led a number of companies out of financial straits, including Piper Aircraft, which he ran for six years. A former test pilot, he was the first FAA chief in a decade capable of designing an airplane that could fly.

Several months into his tenure, in August 1981, more than 12,000 members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, known as PATCO, walked off the job after contract negotiations stalled over the union's call for a reduced workweek and higher pay.

After receiving assurances from Helms that a strike could be managed, Reagan declared the walkout illegal and warned that any workers who did not return to their jobs within 48 hours would be fired. The majority of controllers remained on strike and lost their jobs.

Helms' contingency plan sharply reduced flight schedules and used supervisors, non-striking air controllers and some military controllers to direct the nation's air traffic.

According to Georgetown University labor historian Joseph McCartin, who wrote a book about the strike, Helms was well suited to the challenge of standing up to the air controllers.

"Helms developed a strong dislike for unions as chief executive at Piper," McCartin told The Times last week. "He did not believe that collective bargaining had a place in a government agency such as the FAA. And he was instrumental in convincing President Reagan and other members of the administration that they could break a strike by highly skilled air traffic controllers, even if it took firing and permanently replacing large numbers of them."

PATCO was decertified by the government two months after the strike began. The Reagan administration allowed only a fraction of the striking air controllers to be rehired.

Helms later pushed through Congress the $10-billion, 10-year National Airspace System Plan for modernizing the air traffic control computer network. It was described at the time as the largest civil aviation project ever undertaken by the federal government.

Born on March 1, 1925, in DeQueen, Ark., Helms grew up in Norman, Okla., and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering at the University of Oklahoma. After ROTC training, he joined the Marine Corps as a second lieutenant. He later became a Navy test pilot and was decorated for his service during the Korean War.

He once told an interviewer how a jet he was testing for McDonnell Douglas went out of control at 52,000 feet. He did not panic and by 12,000 feet had figured out what to do.

"You can think your way out of most problems," he said.

In 1956, he embarked on a career in the defense industry as a design engineer. He climbed the ranks at North American Aviation and Bendix before becoming president of the Norden Division of the United Air Craft Corp. in 1970. In 1974, he was named president of Piper Aircraft, rising to chairman in 1978.

A multimillionaire, Helms became the subject of federal investigations into his private business dealings in 1983. That year, the Wall Street Journal reported that two federal grand juries were examining questionable transfers of assets, frequent bankruptcies and defaults on money loaned or guaranteed by government agencies.

Helms resigned his FAA post a few days before Christmas in 1983.

The following year, the government charged that Helms and two associates had violated anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Helms' case was settled after he signed an order agreeing not to engage in the activities outlined in the charges. He was not required to return any of the several million dollars that investigators said he had diverted to companies he owned or for personal use.

In accepting Helms' resignation from the FAA, Reagan cited his handling of the strike as "your best accomplishment."

Helms is survived by his wife, Lorraine Bisgard Helms; two daughters; a son; three grandchildren; and a brother.

SME Education Foundation selects Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City, Okla., as one of six in nation for community-based approach to manufacturing education

2011-12-06T13:08:00.000-06:00

SME Education Foundation selects Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City, Okla., as one of six in nation for community-based approach to manufacturing education. .

DEARBORN, Mich., OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., November 22, 2011 — The SME Education Foundation is taking a community-based approach to manufacturing education and creating strong partnerships between exemplary schools, businesses and organizations. Francis Tuttle Technology Center (FTTC), Oklahoma City, Okla., is an acknowledged leader for providing exceptional career and technology education to high school students and adults, as well as customized training for business and industry. It is one of six exemplary schools in the nation selected for the first phase of a new initiative, PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) launched in the fall of 2011.

Other PRIME exemplary schools include: Kettering Fairmont High School, Dayton, Ohio; Walker Career Center, Indianapolis, Ind.; Summit Technology Academy, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Hawthorne High School of Engineering, Los Angeles, Calif., and Wheeling High School, Wheeling, Ill.

The Francis Tuttle Technology Center was selected based on their exemplary, technology-based manufacturing education curriculum, including a course in Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) developed by Project Lead The Way (PLTW); skilled and dedicated instructors; engaged and active students; strong collaborative and administrative support from the manufacturing community, and having SME member involvement, including SME Oklahoma Student Chapter S143.

“The Francis Tuttle Technology Center has done an extraordinary job in paying attention to the needs of business and industry by using manufacturing disciplines in its delivery of customized training,’ said Bart A. Aslin, chief executive officer, SME Education Foundation. “We need to double our response time in educating young people in advanced manufacturing —following Francis Tuttle’s lead in how they provide “just-in-time” manufacturing education.”

As an exemplary school, the Francis Tuttle Technology Center has been granted $26,000 by the SME Education Foundation which includes $10,000 to update equipment, software and/or professional development, $1,000 to support their involvement in competitions tied to organizations such as SkillsUSA and/or FIRST Robotics; $5,000 toward a Gateway Academy —a technology-based summer day camp, and $10,000 to support scholarships with provided connections.

PRIME builds on the SME Education Foundation’s $5.2 million investment in STEM education which targets three critical issues: transforming manufacturing education, changing public perception of manufacturing, and addressing the shortage of manufacturing and technical talent in the United States.

“We pride ourselves on working closely with our business and education partners and work hard to customize our curriculum and deliver quality trained workers,” says Danny King, assistant director, Francis Tuttle Technology Center. ‘Being selected an exemplary school and having the SME Education Foundation’s endorsement of our commitment to local workforce development, will definitely allow us to accelerate our efforts.”

Reaching young people at an early age is critical to the future of advanced manufacturing. The Gateway Academy will be introduced at the Portland Campus of Francis Tuttle Technology Center in summer 2012. Middle-school students from several different school districts in Oklahoma City and surrounding cities will attend the summer day camp. As they learn about engineering and manufacturing they will use leading-edge technologies for hands-on learning projects including robotics, aeronautics and mechatronics. This experience will prepare students for either the Pre-Engineering Academy at Francis Tuttle which offers PLTW’s pre-engineering curriculum or the Advanced Manufacturing/Instrumentation Program that leads to immediate employment in high skill/high wage jobs.

The Pre-Engineering Academy is a college preparatory program that prepares students for success in collegiate engineering pathways. A fully realized STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum allows students to complete mathematics courses through Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus BC and science courses that include Advanced Placement Chemistry and calculus-based (AP) Physics. Project Lead The Way engineering classes are taught as well. These classes allow for the integration of academics and add the very important component of relevance to advanced math and science.

The Advanced Manufacturing Career Training Programs at Francis Tuttle are specifically designed to deliver the knowledge and skills necessary for students to go directly from classroom and labs to a career. Equipment and facilities reflect the workplace, and curriculum is developed with advisory committee input from employers and business owners in each respective industry.

The Manufacturing Career Training Programs, led by highly qualified instructors, offer courses in Advanced Manufacturing, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, Precision Machining/Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) Machining and Welding.

Designed in cooperation with industry partners, these programs allow students to work on a state-of-the-art 3-D printer; and for rapid prototyping, HAAS CNC lathes and mills, CNC Plasma Cutter, CNC training stations, robotic work stations, and more. The facility provides students interested in engineering, architecture and manufacturing with hands-on design experience and a competitive edge for work or degree programs.

A major strength of the PRIME initiative is the connection it creates between schools, local manufacturers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and local SME Chapters. The PRIME initiative helps students by providing access to www.CareerMe.org. Introduced in 2009 by the SME Education Foundation, in partnership with the National Center for Manufacturing Education (NCME), the website encourages and provides young people in grades 11-14 with information they need on advanced manufacturing careers, regional and local access to companies, industry professionals, technologies and colleges and universities.

The involvement of SME Oklahoma Student Chapter S143 with the Francis Tuttle Technology Center has provided several opportunities for students including plant tours, mentoring and job shadowing.

Shivakumar Raman, PhD, University of Oklahoma and Faculty Advisor to SME Student Chapter S143, says, “It is very exciting that the local technology centers for whom I have been a very strong supporter, have been receiving such prestigious grants and contracts. The new PRIME program will improve the quality of manufacturing professionals who will be instrumental in job creation and revenue generation in our state. Our own partnership with Moore-Norman Technology Center for the past 15 years has helped fortify the “hands-on” contextual education of our sophomores and juniors in Engineering at OU. It is expected that the FTTC program will provide us another avenue in creating partnerships towards advanced manufacturing education. These educational partnerships, in very good measure, will lead to a revitalization of manufacturing in the U.S.”

Dr. Raman, a David Ross Boyd Professor; John A. Myers Professor in Engineering; Fellow, SME; Fellow ASME; and Fellow IIE, is also director of Shape Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (SEAM) at the University of Oklahoma, and a manufacturing educator for 25 years.

About Francis Tuttle Technology Center:
Francis Tuttle Technology Center, established in 1979, is named in honor of the founder of the Oklahoma CareerTech system, the late Dr. Francis Tuttle. The Center encompasses six public school districts serving 11,780 students who may attend Francis Tuttle tuition-free while in high school. Adult students are served by Adult & Career Development, Business and Industry Services, and daytime and evening Career Training Programs. The Center works closely with business and education partners with specific focus on workforce needs of the marketplace with the delivery of on-time, just-in-time, customized training. Visit www.francistuttle.edu

About Community Partnerships:
Francis Tuttle fosters mutually beneficial partnerships with many educational, business and community organizations to determine the best long-term strategies to meet current and future demands. Some of these include: Program advisory committees (approximately 700 members representing various industries), Center for Municipal Excellence; Central Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board, Edmond Downtown Community Center; Edmond Economic Development Authority; Oklahoma Blood Institute; Oklahoma Energy Resources Board; The Oklahoma Academy; The Oklahoma City Community Foundation; Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and Workforce Oklahoma.

Among the higher education partners who work closely with Francis Tuttle are: Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma State University (Oklahoma City and Okmulgee); The University of Central Oklahoma, The University of Oklahoma – College of Engineering; Oklahoma State University – College of Engineering, and Oklahoma Christian University – College of Engineering.

Several local Chambers of Commerce working with Francis Tuttle include: Deer Creek Chamber of Commerce, Edmond Chamber of Commerce, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Northwest Chamber of Commerce; South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and the State Chamber of Commerce.

About the SME Education Foundation:
The SME Education Foundation is committed to inspiring, supporting and preparing the next generation of manufacturing engineers and technologists in the advancement of manufacturing education. Created by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers in 1979, the SME Education Foundation has provided more than $31 million since 1980 in grants, scholarships and awards through its partnerships with corporations, organizations, foundations, and individual donors. Visit the SME Education Foundation at www.smeef.org. Also visit our award-winning website for young people at www.ManufacturingisCool.com, and for information on advanced manufacturing careers, visit www.CareerMe.org

Media Contacts:

SME Education Foundation, 313.425-3300, foundation@sme.org

Oklahoma student robotics teams' competition takes flight

2011-12-05T19:32:00.001-06:00

A drone takes to the air as students from middle and high schools compete with flying drones at the University of Oklahoma's Rawl Engineering Practice Facility in Norman, OK, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011. By Paul Hellstern, The Oklahoman

Student robotics teams from four states traveled Saturday to the University of Oklahoma in Norman to compete with autonomous flying drones.

BY MEGAN ROLLAND, mrolland@opubco.com Oklahoman
Published: December 4, 2011

NORMAN — Educators have been using robots for years to get students interested in math, engineering and science at an early age, but one robotics program is taking the game to new heights.

The Kiss Institute for Practical Robotics rolled out its newest model on Saturday, an autonomous flying drone that students can fly around a classroom, through their halls and outside; all controlled by student-developed programming.

“We teach about 8,000 kids around the world how to program and build autonomous ground robots and they think that is cool,” said Steve Goodgame, executive director of the nonprofit institute. “But kids are absolutely fascinated by a flying robot. It's over-the-top cool.”

Goodgame said they introduced the drones to a select number of middle school and high school teams to pilot the program.

Four teams — two from Oklahoma, one from Texas and one from New Mexico — traveled Saturday to the University of Oklahoma in Norman for the first drone competition.

“For us, it's such a beautiful fit for Oklahoma; the push for autonomous robotics is there,” Goodgame said.

Aerial emphasis

In Lawton, there's the Oklahoma Training Center for Unmanned Systems, which is an 80-acre site with three landing strips.

Oklahoma State University next year will offer a graduate degree in unmanned aerial systems. And Tinker Air Force Base is the epicenter of aircraft repair for the U.S. Air Force.

“We've already got an Oklahoma-based program that's filling the pipelines for those jobs,” Goodgame said, noting the institute has been around since 1994, inspiring students to go into math and science fields. “These guys are ready to get into college or a technical school and we'll have the jobs for them.”

The institute is best known for Botball, its robotics competition, which in the past 17 years has become a nationwide competition with 240 teams in 18 regions.

Goodgame said that next year the aerial vehicle competition will be available for Botball teams.

He estimated it costs about $1,000 to start up a Botball team with equipment and programming software, and then the aircraft, which looks like a hovercraft with four horizontal propellers, is an additional $300.

He said traveling and competing in Botball matches is also an expense for the programs.

The institute promotes studies in science and mathematics for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-student-robotics-teams-competition-takes-flight/article/3629097#ixzz1fiJXGAbO

ASSE's WISE Group Names Hawaii's Mary Silva One of 100 Women Making a Difference in Safety

2011-12-02T17:02:00.000-06:00

December 02, 2011 | Targeted News Service

DES PLAINES, Ill., Dec. 1 -- The American Society of Safety Engineers issued the following news release:

The American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) Women in Safety Engineering (WISE) Common Interest Group has honored Fairmont Specialty Group'sMary Silva, CSP, of Mililani, HI, for making a difference in the safety, health and environmental (SH&E) field as part of the WISE '100 Women, Making a Difference in Safety' project. Women from around the world and throughout history have been honored for their dedication to protecting people, property and the environment and for going above and beyond to make a difference.

Silva has been an active member of the safety, health and environmental (SH&E) field for more than 20 years. Last spring she joined Fairmont Specialty Group, which provides specialty niche property and accident, health insurance and surety products, as their Senior Loss Control Specialist.

In addition to her work in the insurance field, Silva has worked in construction, and in oil and gas safety, most recently as safety manager at the Maryl Group, Inc, one of Hawaii's most prominent residential developers. While at Maryl, she was responsible for ensuring a safe, compliant work environment throughout all of the company's Hawaii operations.

During her tenure at Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Silva helped the company achieve a 90% reduction in the cost of workers' compensation claims from 2005-2008, along with the reduction in the number of injuries from 123, down to 14. This accomplishment resulted in Silva being selected by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as its 2007 Safety Professional of the Year.

Silva has also improved the safety records of other prominent Hawaii-based corporations including Verizon, Fireman's Fund Insurances, and BHP Hawaii, where as safety, health and security coordinator, the company saw the loss ratio in both frequency and severity of incidents dropped by more than 50 percent.

In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Silva is an active member of ASSE's Hawaii Chapter and ASSE's Region I. She has served the Hawaii chapter as its treasurer, president-elect, president and delegate. Silva has also been a driving force behind the chapter's biennial Governor's Pacific Rim Safety and Health Conference. Through her work with her chapter, they achieved Chapter Star recognition for two years in a row and received the Small Chapter of the Year award in 2009.

Silva holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering/Pre-Med from the University of Oklahoma.

"It is absolutely such an honor to be considered and to be honored in the company of such phenomenal women, some of whom I know very well," said Silva of her inclusion in the WISE '100 Women, Making a Difference in Safety' project.

The '100 Women, Making a Difference in Safety' project honors women who, throughout history, have dedicated their careers to promoting innovation in safety, health and environmental issues. The valuable contributions of women to the SH&E profession have been recognized through this project and later this year WISE will consolidate the profiles of all 100 honorees into a single publication, titled 100 Women, Making a Difference in the Safety, Health and Environmental Profession as part of ASSE's (1911-2011) 100th anniversary.

WISE was established to foster the advancement of women in the SH&E profession. The group provides professional development opportunities, evaluates the ongoing state of women in SH&E, mentors women in the profession, provides opportunities for women to obtain professional certifications and promotes the development and peer review of written material related to issues specific to women in the SH&E workplace. For more information about WISE and upcoming events, please visit www.asse.org/practicespecialties/wise/mission.php.

Martinez Named Outstanding Senior for OU College of Engineering

2011-11-30T15:54:00.000-06:00

Moises Martinez has been named the 2011-2012 Outstanding Senior for the College of Engineering. Moises is a mechanical engineering major from Mustang, Okla. He will serve as a representative of the College of Engineering Class of 2012 at Commencement and Convocation ceremonies in May.

Moises has contributed his time and leadership to a variety of campus and community organizations including the Multicultural Engineering Program, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Deans Leadership Class, and The Big Event. Among his awards he was cited as a National Hispanic Scholar, ConocoPhillips Spirit Scholar, Outstanding Junior in Mechanical Engineering, and was awarded the Deans Advisory Board on Diversity Wayne Steen Scholarship.

CHAVEZ SELECTED AS FIRST DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY STUDENT AMBASSADOR FROM OU

2011-11-10T12:15:00.000-06:00

By Karen Kelly

Norman, Okla. – A University of Oklahoma engineering graduate student has been selected to serve as the first Department of Energy Student Ambassador from OU. Christella Chavez, a doctoral student in the OU School of Electrical and Computer Engineering’s Telecommunications program in Tulsa, will work to expand the DOE’s presence on campus and connect student jobseekers with DOE job and internship opportunities.

Chavez was encouraged to apply as a Student Ambassador last summer while working at the DOE’s Los Alamos National Laboratory, where she was involved in building a computational model for assessing and rebuilding the telecommunications infrastructure after a major disaster interrupts operations.

Chavez considers the experience in Los Alamos “not just a career changer but a life changer.” She was impressed by the level of the DOE’s expertise, facilities and knowledge coupled with their pursuit of qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds that include not only engineering students but also those from business, law, physics, program management and foreign affairs, to name a few.

In 2008, after the plant where Chavez worked for 10 years closed, she applied and was accepted as a doctoral student in general engineering.

“Chriss’ commitment to pursuing her doctorate in engineering in the area of disaster recovery of telecommunications systems is commendable,” says Pramode Verma, adviser and director of telecommunications and professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at OU-Tulsa.

“Chriss brings a rich and diversified real-life experience, having held positions with the U.S. military, Texas Instruments, Raytheon, and the Ford Motor Co. Chriss is a natural leader, a team player, and enthusiastic about her work at the University of Oklahoma,” he said.

“She is an outstanding student who earned her bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point,” said Musharraf Zaman, associate dean for Research and Graduate Studies. “We are proud of her service as a representative on our campus for the Department of Energy.”

As a DOE Ambassador, Chavez will promote job opportunities, internships and fellowships. Students can contact Chavez at christella.chavez@hq.doe.gov or (918) 408-5643.

TulsaPeople Q&A: Alan Armstrong

2011-11-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

President and CEO of Williams
Rachel Anderson Hill

Alan Armstrong took over as president and CEO of Williams in January 2011, having served the company in a variety of capacities since 1986, when he started at the Tulsa-based company as an engineer.

When a young engineer started with a Tulsa-based energy company in 1986, he didn’t know he would one day serve as the Fortune 500 company’s top officer. But then, one doesn’t often hear of someone who spends his entire professional career at one company. Today, that is unusual in and of itself.

Alan Armstrong is not exactly a household name, but his bio can be found in the likes of Forbes and Businessweek. Why? Armstrong assumed the role of president and CEO of Williams in January 2011. As the successor to Steven Malcolm, who led Williams for eight years, his first seven months at the helm have been, well, pretty busy.

Armstrong is leading Williams at a time when there are many opportunities for growth. He serves on a mile-long list of boards and he answers to a strong, experienced board of directors, as well as the company’s investors. Yet Armstrong is also a father of four who spends weekends at the lake with family and friends.

Who is Alan Armstrong? TulsaPeople recently sat down with Williams’ main man to talk business, family and Tulsa’s altruistic spirit.

Tell us why you stayed with Williams over the years and how it felt to take the reins.

Williams has continued to provide me with a lot of exciting opportunities — taking on a number of challenging and fulfilling roles both in Tulsa and elsewhere across the country. Over the years, I had opportunities to work for other companies, but Williams’ values and culture have always resonated with me. It has always been a fun and rewarding place to work. It truly is a blessing to have the opportunity to lead such a great company.

What has Williams done right?

The company has always been willing to make difficult changes when necessary. Williams has constantly evolved over the years — getting in and out of different types of businesses; buying and selling different assets; and going through mergers and acquisitions. That willingness to make changes has been a key catalyst of our success. I also think Williams has always treated its employees really well, so when the tough times hit, those employees have always been willing to roll up their sleeves and work through them. The company’s leaders over the years have always focused on integrity and doing business the right way. Finally, we’ve always kept our focus on shareholder value, which is very important for public companies.

What will Williams look like in five years? Ten?

Williams is a company that has gone through many changes over the years, but one thing that has been pretty constant is we’ve owned and operated some of the premier energy-infrastructure assets in the country. My vision for Williams in the future is that we will be the leading energy infrastructure company. … Meeting this vision will require a great deal of skills and efforts by everyone at Williams, but I’m confident we’ll get there.

Why does Williams place special emphasis on diversity and young professionals?

We believe it’s very important to create a culture of inclusion at Williams so that we can attract, retain and engage a high-performing workforce where all employees are valued and respected. We’re going to need to attract the very best talent in order to achieve the goals we’ve laid out, so we have to distinguish ourselves in the communities where we do business. Attracting young professionals is important because they are the future of the business.

What does Tulsa need to do to continue seeing growth in the energy industry?

Energy and all other companies want to do business in communities where there’s a high-performing education system, good infrastructure and a diverse offering of attractions. These are fundamental building blocks that contribute to a good quality of life and help attract and retain the best people and the best employers. We could make a lot of progress if our city could think about and act on opportunities from a perspective that emphasizes the whole community above narrower interests. It’s important that our community finds a way to professionally manage the city’s streets and other key infrastructure, ensure a high-performing educational system and maximize the benefit of public attractions.

Tell us a little about Williams’ dedication to the Tulsa community.

At Williams, we’ve always had a strong commitment to all of the communities where we do business. Tulsa is our headquarters and home to some 1,300 of our employees, so we’re very involved here. Practically all of our charitable giving is driven by our employees — from our annual United Way campaigns that raise more than $1 million to grassroots giving grants and our matching of employee donations.

Who is Alan Armstrong, the family man?

Shelly and I have been married for 25 years. I can’t say enough about the support she’s provided over the years; we’ve done a lot of moving around the country, and it takes a lot of extra effort to relocate a family several times. We have four kids, from ages 11 to 20, that we are very proud of. … Each has very unique talents and personality. We also have two dogs — a young and frisky yellow retriever, Lilly, and a very lovable, old black Lab, Ford.

What are weekends with your family like?

With four kids, the weekends involve many sporting activities. … During the summer, we spend time with extended family and friends at Grand Lake and we really enjoy our water sports together. We also enjoy being involved in worthwhile efforts that help others improve and enrich our community. Tulsa is blessed with a great spirit to give and help others.

What is something someone would be most surprised to learn about you?

I come from a long history of Phillips Petroleum career employees. Both sets of grandparents, my parents and an uncle all had lifelong careers in many different places with Phillips Petroleum. So the idea of corporate commitment and community involvement is not foreign to me.

What advice would you give to a college student today?

Stick with it and don’t sweat it if you don’t know exactly what you want to do. But do work hard to keep your options open. Choosing to take the more challenging roads now will provide you with greater options in the long run.

This article appears in the August 2011 issue of TulsaPeople.

So Much to Give: The Legacy of Garman Kimmell

2011-10-31T09:22:00.000-05:00

Written by John J. Dwyer
Friday, 14 October 2011
Published in The New American

It is a classic story of Americana, with all the excitement, dreams, struggle, disappointment, ingenuity, resilience, triumph, love, loss, and enduring lessons common to the most memorable of such tales. Also common to such sagas — particularly those of the Christian sort — the most enduring impact is still uncoiling with the long passage of years and the generations.

Those who knew Garman O. Kimmell, founder and builder of Oklahoma City-based Kimray, Inc., remember him best as a brilliant design engineer and a devout Christian man. He revolutionized the field of oil and gas production and made significant personal contributions to the field of heart treatment. But the technical nature of his inventions, coupled with a humble personality that eschewed personal glory, has consigned him to anonymity in previous American and even Oklahoman histories. That is the problem with history books — most of the men and women who possessed the noblest character and made the greatest contributions were too busy impacting other lives to get their own written about.

An American Boy

As with so many great American leaders across the fields of industry and business who were the children and grandchildren of immigrants in the 19th century, Kimmell took his cue on how to get ahead in America from his forebears. Kimmell’s father, for instance, was an imaginative capitalist. “As a young man, around the turn of the 20th century,” Kimmell’s son-in-law and current Kimray chairman Tom Hill recalls, “Garman, Sr., would pedal a bicycle from town to town in rural Maryland. He carried a projector and a sheet on the back of it. After setting up, he’d charge a few pennies for people to come see a movie.”

Garman, Sr. headed west with his family to Oklahoma during the early-20th-century oil boom when he was around 30 years of age. Though his small stature disqualified him from oil field work, he found work digging basements for houses in the red clay of a young and brawling Oklahoma City. He invested his earnings in city property during the boom, and gradually worked his way into a position as an oil and gas “land man” pulling together mineral interests for drilling projects.

“Garman, Sr. was the kind of person that if 15 people went to a farmer to get a lease, that farmer might run them all off with a shotgun,” says Hill. “But he could go and have a signed lease within 30 minutes. He was a likable, but trustworthy and genuine person.”

The younger Garman grew up in Wichita, Kansas, where his father had moved to pursue his business dealings, and reflected the older man’s imagination and zeal from childhood onward.

“He built these huge ‘war kites,’” Hill recounts of his father-in-law’s teenaged years. “They required two or three young men to hold them down, or he’d have to tie them to the bumper of a car. He would make runners to be blown up the kite string, flying several hundred feet up in the air. He hooked a big multi-cell flashlight to one of them, thinking it would be fun to have light up there. The heavy flashlight, however, came loose, hurtled toward the earth, went through the roof of a nearby house, and crashed down on the floor beside his neighbor who was reading the newspaper. His father fixed the roof and wasn’t angry with his son.”

Kimmell’s grandson David Hill, current CEO of Kimray, added to the story: One day, his grandfather “caught a neighbor’s cat and tied it into a nice silk parachute one of his friends had and sent him up the kite line glider, maybe 800 or 900 feet in the air. The kite line glider disconnected at the top, and the cat floated gently back down to earth, all very fine and dandy, except the cat wasn’t having a good time at all. Upon landing, apparently in a tree, he got hung up and he climbed up the lines and ripped that silk parachute to shreds. I don’t remember Garman being too worried about the ride the cat took, but I remember him being very disturbed about the loss of that silk parachute.”

Kimmell attended Wichita State University for two years before transferring to the University of Oklahoma because of its strong engineering program. As a student at OU, he and his fraternity brothers befriended a crow that had no flight feathers on one wing and could only hop around their fraternity. When school broke for summer, everyone wondered what to do about the crow. Kimmell suggested he could enable the bird to fly. Doubted by everyone else, he collected other flight feathers and glued them onto the crow, before taking him out onto the front porch of their fraternity house for release. The frat brothers tossed him in the air, and he flapped around, then hit the ground. Kimmell didn’t lose hope, and neither did the crow. The bird looked around, flapped his wings, then took off. He spiraled hundreds of feet into the air, so high that Kimmell and his friends could barely see him. Then he headed off in a beeline, never to be seen again.

Kimmell graduated in 1937 with a Master of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering, but “maturity” and responsibility did not abate his cheeky streak. Well past middle age, he collaborated with protégé and Audio Associates founder Greg Robertson on a recording project at his home, only to have a “small yappie” dog next door disturb them with constant barking. The two men placed a microphone near the dog and recorded his yapping at them. “Then we played the dog barking ‘a number of times louder’ back to him through one of my enormous public address horns,” Robertson recalled with a laugh. “He decided not to bark at us any more after that. It was kind of funny to watch this little dog back off and quit barking because a much bigger dog, that he couldn’t see, was roaring at him!”

For all Kimmell’s legendary discipline, focus, and single-minded perseverance, grandson David maintains, “To Garman, everything was play. Work, family, everything was a joy to him, because he approached it that way.”

New Name in the Oil Field

While still pursuing his master’s degree, Kimmell was hired by Black, Sivalls & Bryson, one of the world’s foremost designers and builders of oil and gas process equipment systems and plants. He worked there for over a decade, rising to the rank of chief research engineer before declining the company’s offer in 1948 of a further promotion and move to Kansas City, because he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City. He resigned from Black, Sivalls & Bryson and founded Kimray. Only a year later, however, his partner in the new enterprise veered from their agreement on a major project with a Texas client. “This won’t work,” he told the partner. “I’ll either pay you for your half of what I think the company is worth, or you pay me for my half.” It was back to square one for the rookie entrepreneur, as he shouldered 98 percent ownership of the budding oil and gas equipment and controls manufacturer.

Kimmell also faced a restrictive three-year non-compete agreement with Black, Sivalls & Bryson on designing new products. Kimray needed new products, however, so — with his father’s financial and managerial assistance — he purchased the rights to manufacture a valve from another designer. Unfortunately, the valve design, although patented, did not work. Kimmell redesigned the valve and in doing so the patent had to be updated twice to reflect the new designs. Kimmell continued to pay the patent owner according to the contract, even after discovering a patent that superseded by decades the one under contract. When Kimmell confronted the designer, the latter responded, “You’re right, the patent’s no good — but my contract with you is.” Kimmell agreed, and paid the designer the full value of the contract, though the man’s patent was worthless.

Tom Hill recalls hearing the designer later tell Kimmell, “Everybody else welched out, but you completely fulfilled your contract with me.”

“Garman basically revolutionized the field production of oil and gas,” says Hill. “When he started manufacturing at Kimray in 1949, most of the back pressure valves in the field were weight-loaded valves. This resulted in uneven pressure regulation at working sites, which could lead to big problems. Things were just mechanical back then,” he explains. “To have a piloted valve was just too expensive.”

So in 1950, Garman created the 3” SGT-BP, a three-inch pressure regulator that was piloted, rather than weight-loaded. A piloted valve was an enormous improvement over the traditional weight-loaded ones, since unlike those, it automatically adjusted the volatile flow of gas out of the ground to a constant rate and desired pressure, allowing easier and more accurate measurement of that flow.

The 3” SGT-BP stands as nothing less than a landmark in the history of oil and gas field production. A marvel of American ingenuity, it marked the first time an affordable product of this sort could succeed in the field. It cost only $105, and only $280 today. And as befits a true story of Americana, Kimmell first peddled it out of the back of a pickup truck. Over the next 15 years, his creative genius spawned a dozen more watershed products, all of which — along with their variations and derivatives — have had lasting impact on the oil and gas industry.

The multi-generational success of the 3” SGT-BP reflects numerous attributes of its designer’s character. One is simplicity, another endurance, in an age of planned obsolescence. “If you bought that three-inch gas back pressure regulator valve from us in 1950 and called us today needing a repair kit,” Hill says, “we wouldn’t even ask you when it was made. The repair kit we sell today fits every valve we’ve made for the last 61 years.”

Indeed, despite the company’s plethora of valves and regulators — Kimmell’s genius looms again — their parts nearly always prove interchangeable. “He built things like Tinker Toy sets,” explains Hill. “He used the same parts and made a new valve out of them. So you have all these variations of valves, but there may be only one or two different parts among them. It allows us to keep a much smaller inventory, perhaps only 10,000 parts for as many as 900 different valves.” Though materials and manufacturing processes have improved, Kimmell’s original designs approached perfection and have caused the 3” SGT-BP and his other valves to last for generations. Yet they possess such simplicity that workmen in the field can repair them on the line, then put them right back to work.

Multi-faceted Genius

Kimmell’s experiments weren’t limited to mechanical valves. In 1957, he invented an energy exchange glycol pump that eliminated the polluting of land around oil fields caused by the leaking of glycol. Hill estimates that Kimray now builds 99 percent of all the oil field exchange pumps in the world. The company’s glycol pumps, treater valves, oil dump valves, high pressure control valves, and pilots — totaling in the millions — now operate in almost every oil field lease on the planet, from the United States to Africa to Australia.

Kimmell also designed a method to estimate how much gas is held in an underground gas reservoir. He sent a device into the tubing and measured the pressures and took gas samples as the well flowed. It enabled him to calculate the reservoir capacity. But sitting on a well and opening a pipe to the atmosphere with gas blowing out at thousands of pounds of pressure per square foot to measure its capacity and output is dangerous work. The pressure can get loose and blow something off the top of the well that lands half a mile away. Kimmell nearly lost an eye doing it one time in Louisiana.

His body of work stretches far beyond his epochal contributions to oil and gas production to the medical field, electronics, audio products, the arts, and music. Nearly all his contributions possessed a common denominator: solving people’s problems.

In the 1960s, he developed a heart-lung machine and served as the technical physicist on the first open-heart surgery team in Oklahoma City. The device allowed heart doctors to perform lengthy open-heart surgeries. He created de-bubblers and oxygenators (from stainless steel canisters conscripted from his wife’s kitchen) for the blood as it was recirculating outside the body. Kimmell devoted thousands of hours of his own time toward these humanitarian pursuits — without remuneration. When asked why, he responded, “I guess the best answer is simply the philosophy expressed in the parable of the Good Samaritan: Here’s a chance to help people with congenital heart problems. My reward has been actually seeing the sick made whole, but I wouldn’t be in it at all if it weren’t for the dedication of those doctors. I may have gone the mile, but they’ve gone the extra mile.”

After all that, Kimmell helped daughter Kay make an accurate, detailed, one-quarter scale model of the open-heart surgery room for a science fair project. “It was fun to spend time with my dad making all the parts on his lathe, bandsaw, and drill press,” she says.

Kimmell considered the vena cava filter as one of his most significant inventions. He borrowed the idea from sludge valve baskets used down hole, or underground, in the oil field and applied that technology to design a delicate, wire, umbrella-type device that snags blood clots in people’s lower extremities and allows them to dissolve without limiting blood flow. Over 500,000 people have had this device implanted, and it has saved many of their lives.

For 30 years, Kimmell recorded, edited, and produced for radio the Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra’s weekly performances, all at his own expense. He eventually did so on a state-of-the-art tape recorder machine that he and A. P. Van Meter designed and built. Years before most companies employed an intercom system, Kimmell designed his own for Kimray. He also designed and built amplifiers, mixers, photographic developing equipment, and even, according to Audio Associates founder Robertson, “A gadget to automatically plug and unplug holes on the golf course for the golf balls to go in.”

Keeping pace with, or ahead of, advancing technology, Kimray launched an Automation Division in 1988. It provided engineered solutions for the oil and gas industry’s growing need for electronic monitoring, control, and data acquisition.

Another Kimmell grandson, current Kimray President Thomas Hill, noted the interesting way in which Kimmell designed products: “He put nothing on paper until he worked it all out in his mind,” the younger Hill says, “and when he did put it on paper, he would do so on the reverse side of scrap paper or, if at a restaurant for lunch, a napkin. He drew the new invention by hand, in the proper proportion, notating the size, shape, and dimensions for each piece.”

“Some of the napkins we would get back from Garman had prints on them he had drawn at lunch and they were as good as the ones we got from the Drafting Department,” says retired Kimray machine shop manager Don Huffstutlar.

“I would imagine that most of our really great products started out on a napkin!” adds David Hill.

From there, Kimmell proceeded to his home shop and created wooden parts for his new design, making sure they all fit together and worked properly. “Next,” says Tom Hill, “he would take his drawings to Kimray, asking the men in the various shops which parts they wished to make. He would return home and make the remaining parts with his own hands and shop tools. Then, he and the others would assemble the product and begin testing it.”

Kimmell never lost this ability. Two days before he died at age 95 in 2008, bedridden and racked with pain, he looked up at the ceiling fan and asked Tom Hill, “Are those blades composite? I have designed a motor for ceiling fans which is continuously variable and instantly reversible.” One day before he died, again from his bed, he regaled Robertson about the little train system Kimray was planning to build to move parts around its many buildings. “He kept taking his little oxygen mask off to tell me,” Robertson remembers.

Stool of Success

Kimmell imagined, labored, and led atop what he called his three-legged “Stool of Success.” “The legs are all equal, or nearly equal,” he said, “or else they don’t sit level on the ground.” The first leg was shareholder value. “Shareholders own the company, they’ve invested their money, and they deserve to have shareholder value, some protection, and return on their shares.”

Customers comprised the second leg. “The customer buys your product,” Kimmell said. “They deserve to have a good product at a fair price that is designed to be easily taken care of, that will serve them well and last a long time.” Employees made up the third, but equal, leg of the stool. “They do the work for you,” he said. “They are the key people in your manufacturing process; they are your customer relations people. You have to take care of your employees, be fair with them, and pay them a good wage. If you do all that, you’re going to have a good company.”

Garman Kimmell was a man of truth. He believed in the future — in this world and the next — and he believed in equipping the young to succeed in both. He would no doubt be the last man to wish the truth about him to be misrepresented in a manner that would confuse or mislead the young as they grow into maturity to face a world full of danger and conflict.

Presenting Kimmell as a perfect man would lessen the opportunity for the rest of us to relate to him as a person and benefit from the lessons of his life. Some family recollections of the not-fully-refined elements of his character bring smiles, such as his preoccupation with current projects while dinner table conversation proceeded around and without him. “He was so focused,” Tom Hill remembers, “that you would think he was ignoring you, but he was just thinking about what was going on at work. He had to be a hard man to live with.” Hill remembers 35 years of frequent dining with the Kimmells, and how his father-in-law was late almost as frequently. This spawned the oft-repeated line by Garman when his wife would ask if he wanted his dinner reheated. “No, Vera, it is just fine,” he would respond, eating cold dinners many nights.

Daughter Kay has her own mealtime story from childhood. It occurred during a Kimmell family vacation to Tucson, Arizona. “My mother cut into a piece of pie only to discover a grasshopper,” she remembers. “My dad’s logical explanation of the current grasshopper plague and of it being cooked and purified didn’t convince my mom to go ahead and eat the pie!”

Some recollections do not bring smiles, such as memories of a father who worked late, missed family activities, or didn’t hug his children or impart terms of endearment to them as often as they might have wished.

“It was wonderful, yet difficult at times, being the daughter of a genius inventor,” Kay Hill recalls. “He worked long hours, especially at night when he could concentrate on his valve designs. Consequently, he had little time for interaction with his three daughters.” An air of wistfulness pervades her voice, but she adds, “My father gifted me with his belief in and example of organization, thriftiness, resourcefulness, generosity, loyalty, honesty, patriotism, hard work, and faith in Christ, and those have guided me through all my life.”

Kimmell would share openly with family members about his finances, his work, and his other projects, but personal feelings occupied a different realm. When the Hills set about recording the history of his life, they came to a certain difficult event. Kay asked him, “Daddy, how did you feel about that?” He never answered her question.

“Some people might think he was hard,” Tom Hill says, “but that’s not true. He just didn’t show his emotions.”

Wife Vera, the love of Kimmell’s life, whom he had adored since college, passed away in 1979, nearly 30 years before him. He lost her, his mother, and his father within a few years. Hill recalls how difficult it was for Kimmell even to visit his wife in the hospital as she slowly succumbed to cancer. Not surprisingly, he immersed himself in his work. “That generation took those hardships, stuffed them, and went on and did their work. People would say that’s unhealthy, and it probably is, I don’t know. But it worked for him,” said Hill.

Deepest Beliefs

Undergirding all that Kimmell was, and all that he did, lay a sturdy and dogged Christian faith. His devoutness worked itself out in many fashions, some of them described above. Another was his commitment to giving back, in multiple ways, to his local community for the opportunity and support that community gave him, and to making it a better place to live.

The worldview emanating from Kimmell’s faith led him to what grandson Thomas Hill remembers as a simple view of politics: “He believed that government’s responsibility was limited to what the Founding Fathers thought it should be, which was to protect us from people outside our boundaries and to regulate interaction between the states. Just about everything else should be left up to local government. He fought hard for that, putting a lot of his own time and money into people and processes attempting to maintain that.”

Hill adds that his grandfather believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. “He reminded us on a regular basis that it was our responsibility, that government rested on our shoulders, that if we were not involved in the process, if we did not stand up to be counted, if we did not put our money and effort into insuring that the right things got done, we would be the ones to blame if things weren’t done.” Apparently, Kimmell applied the general precepts for personal responsibility to his own life. None of his family or friends remembers him ever blaming anyone else for something he did or that happened to him.

He shared all these beliefs with The John Birch Society, and long supported them, to the extent of his ability to do so. He passed his passion for the JBS and its often-courageous stands on to his son-in-law Tom Hill, a faithful proponent of the organization, and his other kinfolk.

Anyone who knew Kimmell for any period of time cites his Christian faith as central to his identity. They remember that he taught Sunday school for over 60 years, and was a pillar for decades at the First Lutheran Church in downtown Oklahoma City. Kay Hill remembers how, when she was a girl, “On most Fridays or Saturdays he would be at his desk in the single car garage turned library and office studying for his Sunday school lesson.” He studied the Bible, not just in English but in its original languages. He strived to buoy his knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures with the most trustworthy study aids and commentaries.

“He spent a lot of time making sure that what he believed was scripturally viable,” says Thomas Hill. “That was very important to him.”

Kimmell did not just know the Bible, he devoted his life to living it, and in some ways the life he practiced was quite rare in modern America, even among professing Christians. For one, even as his and Kimray’s fortunes rose, he lived in the same modest Oklahoma City home for 65 years. Kimmell declined the opportunity to “move up” to the more fashionable parts of town. Why? “He felt like any increase God gave him was to give away, not to spend on himself,” says Robertson. “He was a great advocate in using what God gave you to help other people.” Amazingly, convincingly, here was a brilliant, successful man of means who really lived what he believed!

Were Kimmell here today, he would not approve detailing in public his charitable giving contributions. According to daughter Kay and others who knew him well, however, they amounted to a staggering amount, in the many millions of dollars. Befitting his personal philosophy, he spread his donations amongst local, state, national, and international organizations. The list of beneficiaries included Campus Crusade for Christ and dozens of its individual staff members; the Alliance Defense Fund; Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Amarillo; Character First; Child Evangelism Fellowship of Oklahoma; Christian Heritage Academy of Del City, Oklahoma; City Rescue Mission of Oklahoma City; Cumberland College in Tennessee; First Lutheran Church of Oklahoma City; the Heart Ministries home for girls; the Hope Pregnancy Center in Oklahoma City; the Institute for Creation Research; Joni & Friends evangelical ministry to the handicapped; Navigators; Novo Ministries gospel ministry to inner city children in Oklahoma City; Oklahoma City Jail & Prison Ministries; Oklahoma Baptist Home for Children; Patrick Henry College in Virginia; Reaching Souls International in Oklahoma City; Scope Ministries Christian Counseling; The New American magazine; and The John Birch Society. Upon his death, he bequeathed his entire estate to foundations that continue his gifting.

“It didn’t matter how much he gave away, God always gave him more,” remembers Tom Hill.

Kay Hill “had the privilege of helping him with his gifting for over 30 years. He believed that everything he had actually belonged to the Lord. The more he gave to spread the Gospel and help the poor, the more God poured into his hand. He said, ‘You can never out-give God.’”

Here again, Kimmell’s legacy lives on. Kimray’s company mission statement stands apart from the vast majority of others with its undiluted devotion to Christian principles:

Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.

Serving our employees and their families by establishing a work environment and company policies which build character, strengthen individuals, and nurture families.

Producing a high quality, marketable product at a fair price in order to provide a return on the stockholders’ investment, share the Lord’s blessing with our employees, and invest in our community.

We believe that it is by God’s grace and provision that Kimray, Inc. has endured. He has been faithful in the past, and we trust Him for our future.

One of the most dramatic examples of carrying forth Kimmell’s Christian legacy — and boldly into the commercial marketplace — is the Character First organization Tom Hill birthed at Kimray in 1992. “Character First is how we have tried to promote the values of Mr. Kimmell into the future, and maintain those values in our company,” says Hill. Character First addresses the culture of organizations large and small by actively encouraging good character in each employee. The program has spread like wildfire, helping strengthen and, in some cases, save thousands of companies in 28 countries. (See book review, page 29)

Looking Ahead

Kimmell respected and learned from the past, but he built for the future. He told grandson Thomas at the end of his life that his chief regret involved not having additional time to accomplish more good.

Today, those who follow in Kimmell’s footsteps at Kimray continue his futuristic perspective. Three years after his death, the company he created more than 60 years ago shines stronger than ever. At the beginning of September, Kimray employed 725 people. As other companies in its own industry and most others decline and even fail amidst persistent national and global economic upheaval, Kimray grows; that employment number stands 125 more than the same date the year before, and twice what it was just seven years previous.

David Hill invokes another of the many powerful pillars of his grandfather’s legacy. While Kimray operates in countries around the world, employing their peoples, helping develop their resources, and enriching their economies, the components it manufactures are made by the same folks who have always made them: Americans in America. “Nothing is made offshore and everything is made in Oklahoma to boot,” says Hill with pride.

While Kimmell apparently loved few things more than drawing, designing, and building new inventions in his home shop, he seems to have reveled in sharing those experiences with young people whenever possible. He relentlessly lived out Moses’ ancient Old Testament admonition to Israel regarding God’s commandments: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

“I spent countless hours out there with Garman in his shop,” Thomas Hill says, “standing behind the lathe or looking over his shoulder when he was working on the bench as he made parts and models, and put things together. The whole time he was working, he would teach my brother David and me what he was doing. For a man who was by everyone’s estimation a genius, he could explain things to a 5-, 6-, or 10-year-old that made it crystal clear, even some concepts he himself didn’t totally understand until after he earned a master’s degree in them!” From the fourth grade on, Hill adds, “Whenever anyone would ask me what I wanted to be, I would tell them, an engineer. And that was because of Garman.”

Kimmell didn’t limit his tutoring to the realm of engineering. “He was always explaining to us the principles behind what we were doing,” Hill points out. “Whether that was a principle of physics or engineering, or theology or philosophy, or politics, he was transmitting why he was making his decisions, why he believed what he did believe, why he was doing what he was doing. From an early age, we had the benefit of a wise man who had seen a lot.”

Perhaps it is appropriate that those grandsons who learned at the feet, lathe, and bench of Garman O. Kimmell sum up his life and legacy.

“Garman never sought the limelight,” says David Hill. “He never wanted to be on the front page of the paper. He never wanted to be the one to get the credit; he was always happy for other people to get it. I saw Garman my whole life operate behind the scenes, working diligently, mostly at night, when nobody else was awake. One thing remains consistent throughout all this work, and that is Garman freely gave of himself to help other people.”

“There aren’t any buildings named after him,” says Thomas Hill. “He didn’t hold office, they’re not going to build a library and name it after him, but there are thousands of people all over the nation and the world that Garman’s knowledge, genius, money, and time impacted, people who are where they are today because at some point in the past, Garman stepped into their life.”

OU Society of Women Engineers receive awards at National Stilettos to Steeltoes Essay Competition

2011-10-29T18:58:00.001-05:00

Ceara Parks is a junior civil engineering major from Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

Students active in the OU Society of Women Engineers traveled to Chicago to participate in the annual National conference Oct. 13-15.

Three students placed in the Schlumberger Stilettos to Steeltoes essay competition: Ceara Parks, first place; Lauren Haynie, second place; and Carly Young, third place. The students were awarded $1,000, $500 and $250 each, respectively.

Following is the first place essay entered by Ceara Parks:

From my cubicle, I hope to be securely suspended from the top of the world. Instead of having a small window to peak out of from time to time, I will be observing my team’s designs from a 360 degree panorama. Below me, the floor will cease to exist; instead, the only force saving me from plummeting to the ground is the tension of the cables holding my body in place. No one told me that the road towards becoming a bridge inspector would be easy. However, it’s the sensation of pursuing a non-traditional career that continues to drive my motivation into full throttle.

Raised in the city of Pittsburgh, PA, I have always been surrounded by the most magnificent bridges in the world. The city’s history was built around every bolt imbedded and every beam placed by the hard workers who risked their lives daily. Without the labor of these individuals, transportation around the Ohio River would not be possible. The impact of these vast steel structures has not only influenced the daily commuter’s ride to work, but they have also constructed the path to my future.

In today’s society, structural failure has growingly become ever more frequent. Not only is the public witnessing the collapsing of mines and buildings, but also the collapsing of the most significant bridges in our society. One day, I hope to save commuters from becoming the next victims of an engineering miscalculation. As a bridge inspector, I aspire to find a way to produce a durable and cost efficient material that will flex with the expansive and contractive forces on a bridge. With this material, the possibility of cracking due to loading will dramatically decrease; thus providing a safer environment for commuters every day.

Ever since I can remember, soaring to new heights has been my daily challenge; however, I had no idea that I would be on my way to living on top of the world.

Engineer to be honored at WaTER conference

2011-10-29T18:20:00.000-05:00

October 12, 2011
By James S. Tyree, The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — An Australian environmental health engineer will be honored this month at the University of Oklahoma for his 30 years of trying to provide access to clean water for people in developing countries.

University of Queensland professor Ben Fawcett was chosen to receive the OU International Water Prize during the 2011 OU International WaTER Conference. The event is scheduled for Oct. 24-26 and will be hosted by the OU College of Engineering’s Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER).

Fawcett also plans to speak and deliver a presentation during the conference.

“I hope to focus the minds of delegates at the conference on the sanitation and hygiene needs of at least a billion people living in slums in the towns and cities of the developing world — a number that is expected to double by 2030 and that will probably triple, to one third of the global population, by the middle of this century,” Fawcett said.

He also plans to “highlight the terrible impacts of inadequate facilities and services, to draw parallels with and lessons from our own situation in Europe and North America 150 years ago to indicate some ways forward and to suggest some contributions that well, thought-out education can make in this work.”

The conference agenda includes several invited keynote presentations, 24 contributed oral presentation sessions, a poster session, a panel discussion, luncheon speakers and a banquet that includes Fawcett’s lecture.

The event will conclude with half-day workshops on the morning of Oct. 26. The first is a technical workshop that focuses on drilling and pump technologies, eco-latrine design and construction, and bio-sand filter design and construction.

The second workship on social entrepreneurship will have participants work in teams to develop a “super hero” who will solve water problems, and then take the characteristics of the super hero and transfer them to a socially conscious business.

Both workshops are free for conference participants who pre-register for the conference and workshop by Monday.

For more conference information or to register, visit water.ou.edu.

Kansas State Professor Najjar Receives Outstanding Faculty Member Award

2011-10-29T17:40:00.000-05:00

Yacoub Najjar, professor of civil engineering, received the Thomas and Connie Paulson Civil Engineering Outstanding Faculty Award for up to two years. In addition to being a Thomas and Connie Paulson Civil Engineering Outstanding Faculty Member, Najjar has sat on the editorial boards of both the Computers and Geotechnics journal and the American Society of Civil Engineers' International Journal of Geomechanics.

Najjar's research focuses on the application of artificial neural networks and computational mechanics to advance the civil infrastructure. He also conducts research on the interaction of soil and civil structures, transportation, geo-mechanics, geo-synthetics and geo-environmental systems. He has been published in many journals, teaches several courses at K-State and has received several awards and honors, including the Midwest Section Outstanding Teaching Award from the American Society of Engineering Education in 2006.

Najjar received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Yarmouk University in Jordan, and his master's degree and doctorate in civil engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Five OU educators inducted into state hall-of-fame

2011-10-18T22:42:00.000-05:00

October 15, 2011
Transcript Staff
The Norman Transcript
Sat Oct 15, 2011

NORMAN — Five educators affiliated with the University of Oklahoma were inducted this week into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame.

The 2011 inductees include Charles W. Bert III, David Morgan, David Swank and Daniel Wren from OU’s Norman campus and Joseph Ferretti of the OU Health Sciences Center.

The Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society sponsors the hall of fame that welcomed its first class in 1994.

Bert spent 41 years teaching in the College of Engineering and, on two occasions, directed its School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering for a combined 11 years. He retired from OU in 2004.

Morgan has been a professor emeritus of political science since his retirement in 2000. He held the Henry Bellmon Chair of Public Service at OU and he remains active in the local political scene.

Swank was a longtime law professor who arrived at OU in 1963 as its legal counsel and assistant professor. He went on to serve as professor, associate dean and dean of the College of Law, as OU interim president and was a longtime faculty representative to the NCAA.

Wren arrived at OU’s College of Business in 1973 and went on to hold several positions within the college. He became a David Ross Boyd professor emeritus in 2000 and served as interim dean in 2005-06.

Ferretti retired this year as senior vice president and provost of OU’s Health Sciences Center to return as a George Lynn Cross research professor in microbiology.

The campus’ budget nearly quadrupled to $800 million under Ferretti’s 16 years of leadership.

This year’s other hall of fame inductees are Donna Branson, Robert Miller, Karl Reid and Ronald Tyrl of Oklahoma State University; Stanley Hoig of the University of Central Oklahoma; John Kontogianes of Tulsa Community College; and Donnie Nero of Connors State College.

Through the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society recognizes men and women, both living and deceased, who have excelled in higher education and who have encouraged others to contribute to the economic development and quality of life in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame also presents awards of merit to corporations, philanthropists and other distinguished supporters of Oklahoma higher education.

More than 150 leaders have been inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame since 1994.

OU football: Four days in Dallas

2011-10-18T22:39:00.000-05:00

Posted by berrytramel
on October 11, 2011M at 10:40 pm

The OU-Texas game has become a virtual week for me. Wednesday through the weekend. You learn a lot about a city when you spend four days there doing a lot of different things. I went all the way northeast to Sherman, all the way west to Fort Worth. I drove on 10 freeways: 35W, the Tollway, the Bush Turnpike, 75, 45, 183, 114, 121, 30 and 820. I went to an OU engineers dinner and an OU Club of Fort Worth luncheon. And I saw a very interesting football game.

BATHROOM PROBLEMS

I mentioned this in my post-game report card, but it bears more discussion. I received a couple of reports about plumbing problems at the Cotton Bowl, of bathrooms being closed — or remaining open despite no water pressure for flushing. I still haven’t nailed down how extensive the problems were. I hope to write about it later.

But I’ve got to tell you. This might be the death of OU-Texas at the Fair. There’s a gorgeous stadium 20 miles to the west; Jerry Jones would salivate at getting OU-Texas. The Fair and tradition are great. But when the plumbing doesn’t work, if Dallas can’t patch up the ancient stadium, it’s time to walk away.

Dallas missed the boat when it decided not to play ball with Jones and get the Cowboys’ stadium on the fairgrounds. Ever since, Dallas has been scrambling to keep OU-Texas. Soon enough, Dallas will have spent more to put band-aids on the Cotton Bowl than it would have cost to get Jones to build his stadium in Fair Park. That’s a lack of vision and leadership. Now it’s too late. And Dallas gets to try to make plumbing installed in the 1930s for 50,000 work in the 21st century for 96,000. Good luck, Big D.

Truth is, the Cotton Bowl’s best friend right now is the stadium size in Arlington. Sure, you hear all the time about how JerryWorld can house 100,000 fans. But there are about 80,000 seats, with 20,000 standing-room tickets sold. That’s a recipe for disaster at OU-Texas. For better or worse, OU-Texas is a heavy drinking event. Pack people into tight conditions, with nowhere to go, and you’ve got trouble. The Cotton Bowl, through expansion after expansion, now crams 96,000 into the old stadium. And everyone has a seat.

TURNPIKE TECHNOLOGY

Greater Dallas has done away with tollbooths. Just drive on the turnpikes, and cameras record your license plate and send you a bill. I have one word for such an Orwellian development: fantastic.

The Tollway and the Bush Turnpike are great time-savers; less traffic, travel at angles. But they always were hassles, if you stopped every four or five miles to pay a toll. Now, no stopping. Just zipping through the Metroplex. We traditionally have stayed the weekend at Las Colinas but had dinner on Friday night with family up near Plano. That trip has been cut in half by the Bush Turnpike, which goes northeast/southwest.

I don’t know what kind of bill we’ll get. I don’t know if it’ll be $10 or $100. But let me tell, it made for one pleasant trip.

FAN INTERACTION

For several years on OU-Texas week, I’ve spoken on Wednesday night at a dinner hosted by OU’s College of Engineering, for Engineering grads in Greater Dallas. My wife is a fund-raising for the college and puts on the dinner, so I always attended with her. One year, they asked me to take questions, and one thing led to another, now it’s a tradition. And it’s always fun.

The dinner at the Anatole Hotel included three OU vice-presidents. Someone asked me if I was free to answer questions about the recent sale of The Oklahoman. I said if I can stand up there in front of three vice-presidents and answer questions about David Boren’s role in realignment, I can answer questions about the newspaper sale. Funny thing, no one asked about the paper or realignment. Everyone wanted to talk football.

Friday at noon, I was part of the program in downtown Fort Worth, at the Petroleum Club. The OU Club of Fort Worth puts on a great luncheon every OU-Texas Friday. I went three years ago and heard Steve Davis deliver a fantastic speech. Last year, I was on the program with Uwe von Schamann, who told a superb story about his mother, which I retold with my annual Mother’s Day column last May. http://newsok.com/a-mothers-adventurous-spirit-lives-on/article/3566127 This year, I was on the program with Toby Rowland. Toby told a great story of how he got the job. How he dared not dream it possible, but it came to be.

We took questions, and strange enough, this time there were tons of questions about realignment. Which is understandable. This was one day after the Big 12 invitation to TCU. Lots of people with both OU and TCU ties; Friday was a day of celebration in Fort Worth.

Anyway, the luncheon and the dinner always remind me of what OU-Texas really means. Incredible excitement for alumni and fans. But also the university mission. The ties to alums in north Texas. The recruiting of general students in the Dallas area. OU has its biggest freshman class ever, 4,500 or so students, and one quarter are from Texas. On Thursday night, Boren hosts a dinner for high school seniors (and their families) from the Dallas area. It’s a prime recruiting event.

All the people clamoring for OU-Texas to be moved to campuses have no idea how much the game in Dallas fits in with university missions. This weekend is huge for donor connections, fan incentives and general student recruitment. OU-Texas in Dallas can’t be replicated in other ways. OU (and Texas) need the game in Dallas. Or Arlington. The argument that OU owes it to the state of Oklahoma to move the game to campus as some kind of economic stimulus just doesn’t hold. The university provides all kinds of economic benefits to Norman and the state. But OU also has to make decisions based on what’s best for itself. Playing in Dallas clearly is best for OU.

THE CORNER BAKERY

On Thursday morning, my wife had a donor visit in the Carrollton area. We were going to lunch in Sherman with Brooks Hull, now a vice-president at Austin College in Sherman and formerly an OU engineering fund-raiser. So the Dish dropped me off a Corner Bakery, where I got online and did my weekly chat.

During the chat, word came that the Big 12 had invited TCU. So I’m chatting online, answering questions about TCU, and also talking with the office about how we would respond to the story, all the while thinking, I’ve still got to go to Sherman, drive back to Dallas and get to work, not only on TCU, but all the OU-Texas stuff that still was due.

But it all made me marvel at how our jobs have changed. Here I was, sitting in a Corner Bakery, chatting on line, learning all kinds of stuff while doing so, and it made me realize how much more information we produce and process. When I say we, I don’t mean The Oklahoman. I mean most everyone in the business. We know so much more about what we cover. We report so much more about what we cover. For instance, OU or OSU football. Just in the newspaper alone, we print so much more information about the Sooners and Cowboys than in previous eras, much less the blogs and videos.

The day was wild. I went ahead to Sherman, had a great lunch, a great tour of Austin College (a prestigious Division III school) and a great trip with my wife. Traveling with her is my favorite pastime, be it on a beautiful beach or driving U.S. 75 through northeast Texas. But then it was back to the hotel, where I started cranking.

THE TRIP HOME

An 11 a.m. kickoff means most anyone can get home, if they want to. I wanted to, since the Dish headed home Saturday morning. So we left the pressbox about 7:30 p.m. Saturday and headed north. If you wait until Sunday to drive home, traffic is dicey. I know some people who left about 10:45 a.m. Sunday and made it back in about 31/2 hours. Others left sometime after noon and took five hours.

Not much traffic on Saturday night, once you clear downtown Dallas. But as we drove through Denton, I saw the lights of Apogee Stadium, the University of North Texas’ glittering new football facility. I checked my blackberry to see who the Mean Green was playing, and I couldn’t believe it. Florida Atlantic.

That’s right. The Sooners and Howard Schnellenberger’s team played in the Metroplex on the same date. I was dead dog tired and glad to be headed home. But I also had more than a twinge of regret. With a little better planning and some extra sleep, I could have stopped off in Denton and talked with the Colonel one last time.

This is his last season coaching the Owls. He’s 77 and been coaching since the ’50s. At Kentucky and Alabama and in the NFL and the University of Miami and Louisville and, for one memorable season, OU. That 1995 season remains the most vivid season in my career, just because Schnelleberger was such a hoot to cover. He wanted writers at practice and had us up to his office to talk football. He would say crazy things and talk big, and even though I never had much confidence he was going to lead OU football to greatness, I never once tired of writing it all up.

Soon enough, Schnelleberger was gone. That was 16 years ago, and Bob Stoops has taken OU on a great ride the past 13 seasons. But I always miss Schnellenberger, and I’ll never again share a city with him while he’s coaching football. Made me a little sad.

-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel.

Engineer to be honored at WaTER conference

2011-10-13T09:08:00.000-05:00

October 12, 2011
By James S. Tyree
The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — An Australian environmental health engineer will be honored this month at the University of Oklahoma for his 30 years of trying to provide access to clean water for people in developing countries.

University of Queensland professor Ben Fawcett was chosen to receive the OU International Water Prize during the 2011 OU International WaTER Conference. The event is scheduled for Oct. 24-26 and will be hosted by the OU College of Engineering’s Water Technologies for Emerging Regions (WaTER).

Fawcett also plans to speak and deliver a presentation during the conference.

“I hope to focus the minds of delegates at the conference on the sanitation and hygiene needs of at least a billion people living in slums in the towns and cities of the developing world — a number that is expected to double by 2030 and that will probably triple, to one third of the global population, by the middle of this century,” Fawcett said.

He also plans to “highlight the terrible impacts of inadequate facilities and services, to draw parallels with and lessons from our own situation in Europe and North America 150 years ago to indicate some ways forward and to suggest some contributions that well, thought-out education can make in this work.”

The conference agenda includes several invited keynote presentations, 24 contributed oral presentation sessions, a poster session, a panel discussion, luncheon speakers and a banquet that includes Fawcett’s lecture.

The event will conclude with half-day workshops on the morning of Oct. 26. The first is a technical workshop that focuses on drilling and pump technologies, eco-latrine design and construction, and bio-sand filter design and construction.

The second workship on social entrepreneurship will have participants work in teams to develop a “super hero” who will solve water problems, and then take the characteristics of the super hero and transfer them to a socially conscious business.

Both workshops are free for conference participants who pre-register for the conference and workshop by Monday.

For more conference information or to register, visit water.ou.edu.

OU engineering students learn to deal with disruptive technologies

2011-10-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

By April Wilkerson
April is a reporter in Oklahoma City. Contact her at 278-2849 / https://twitter.com/JRAprilWilkerson
Posted: 06:49 PM Friday, October 7, 2011

From left, University of Oklahoma engineering professor Jim Sluss shows students David Vreeland and Jeffrey Griffin a project on thermo-electric power. (April Wilkerson)

NORMAN – Most companies focus on what their customers want, and rightfully so, but that often makes it difficult to commit time and money to investigating ideas that one day may boost their bottom line.

The next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs is being trained to think about disruptive technologies and project into the future what it would mean if their company got on board – or missed the boat – with an emerging technology.

Engineering students at the University of Oklahoma have immersed themselves in a disruptive technology curriculum, and over the summer, 18 of them spent a month in Arezzo, Italy, for a historical perspective on the subject.

Jim Sluss, OU electrical and computer engineering professor, said disruptive technology is something different than sustaining technology, which builds upon what is already in place, such as a better feature set or better performance. Disruptive technologies may be attractive initially only to emerging markets, but that can change.

“If these disruptive technologies are successfully developed and accepted by emerging markets, they start to move up the performance curve to the point where they become competitive with the sustaining technologies and ultimately knock those sustaining technologies out of the competitive marketplace,” Sluss said. “The big issue is that most companies that pay attention to their customers really well – which managers are taught to do – focus on the sustaining technologies because that’s what their customers think they want. By the time these disruptive technologies come up from the bottom of the market and erode their market share, it’s too late for them internally to catch up.”

An example of a disruptive technology was the personal computer, Sluss said. IBM, which was a mainframe computer company, set aside a separate organization to develop the PC. The PC then became disruptive in the marketplace. By the time companies like Digital Electronics Corp., which was the principal player in the mini-computer market, realized what was happening, it was too late for it to become competitive, he said.

Training students to think differently about disruptive technologies stands to make a difference. The trip to Italy helped students see how innovations from the likes of Galileo and da Vinci were met with social, cultural and religious resistance.

Jeffrey Griffin, a junior electrical engineering major, said the course is helping him add a new way of thinking to his work.

“It is no longer just looking at how do we make this technology or that technology, but rather, ‘What role is this going to play in markets that are already established?’ ‘How will it affect a business?’ It was different from other courses; I had to stretch how I was thinking,” Griffin said.

As part of their trip, students had to identify an emerging technology or come up with one of their own. Griffin chose unmanned aerial vehicles, which are now primarily being used in the defense sector, but one day may well have a commercial use, such as moving freight in airspace, he said.

David Vreeland, a sophomore electrical engineering major, looked at “computer vision” – how a camera hooked to a computer can be used to analyze what is in front of it.

Vreeland said the course is already helping him with leadership skills in college life, but he’s also using it to look toward his own future and where he’d like to work.

“We learned about leaders of companies … and how sometimes the best leaders could fail because they didn’t see a disruptive technology coming along,” he said. “I enjoyed that because it’s a look into the future about what may be going on.”

Sluss said the disruptive technology curriculum was developed by a friend who teaches engineering at West Point. The government approached him about training young military officers how to spot technologies that might be disruptive on battlefields of today and the future. Sluss said he saw potential in the course for his students.

“I thought it would be nice to look at it in engineering school, not tied to defense applications but more for commercial applications,” he said. “Most of our students will go to work in the industrial marketplace, so awareness of disruptive technology is important.”

OU graduate student awarded EPA fellowship

2011-10-05T09:43:00.000-05:00

By Kathleen Evans, The Oklahoma Daily

Published: October 5, 2011

Laura Brunson, a doctoral student in the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, recently received a research fellowship from the Environmental Protection Agency for her work in water purification. (Astrud Reed/The Daily)

Research by an OU graduate student that helps reduce the fluoride levels in water, which causes bone deformations after prolonged drinking exposure, won a fellowship with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Environmental science graduate student Laura Brunson received the EPA Science to Achieve Results fellowship, which offers an approximate $120,000 stipend over three years for living and research, according to a press release.

“I didn’t really expect to win. You know, you set out to write a good application and try the best you can, but it’s really competitive and there are lots of people all around the country doing really awesome research,” Brunson said. “So, I was pretty excited. It’s good for me to know I can pay my rent, but it also helps my professor because these are expenses he would have had to cover.”

Brunson’s research looks at ways to remove fluoride from water in developing countries, primarily Ethiopia because of connections formed with professors there in the summer of 2009, Brunson said. She is currently working with them to locate a specific area with specific needs to test her filtration methods.

“Our philosophy is that you can’t just walk into a country and say, ‘Let’s go find a rural village for this project,’” Brunson said. “You really need to work with people living and working in Ethiopia and who know a community that needs help and would be good to work in.”
She also returned to Ethiopia in summer 2011 to work with the professors on locating a village, she said.

About 200 million people in the world, including 14 million in Ethiopia, drink water with high levels of fluoride, she said. It is also prevalent in China, India, the Rift Valley region of Africa and even parts of the U.S.

Too much fluoride can cause bone deformities and darkened teeth, Brunson said. These physical conditions can limits people’s marriage options, as well as their success in finding public jobs. Bone deformities also can cause pain and limit physical labor.

“What we’re trying to do is come up with less expensive technologies that can be produced locally rather than be manufactured and then shipped,” she said. “There are a couple of techniques that some communities are using, but there’s something wrong with all of them – they produce a lot of waste or only remove fluoride up to a certain concentration … or it’s difficult to get the chemicals needed.”

Brunson tests new methods in her lab, particularly a filtration system using an aluminum coating, she said. She also experiments with filtration columns, both in Ethiopia over the summer and in the lab right now. By doing this, she can see if lab results are consistent with actual community results and whether her methods are indeed viable ones.

“It’s not a perfect system, but it’s a good method of estimating without having to build a 1000-liter system that would be incredibly expensive and would require lots and lots of water to test,” Brunson said.

Brunson was a business undergraduate at OU and now teaches a class in social entrepreneurship with the business college, she said. She earned her Master’s in environmental science from OU as well.

When applying to graduate programs, Brunson had a vague idea that she wanted to work with water but did not know in what specific area, she said. She consulted with professor David Sabatini, who was creating the OU Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center at the time, and realized water sanitation was something she could be passionate about.

“This award recognizes Laura’s unique abilities, contributions to date and future potential as an international leader in her field,” Sabatini said in a statement. “We are so fortunate to have her as part of the WaTER Center team where she is making significant contributions to improve on lives of those living in poverty in Ethiopia.”

The center was founded in 2006 by Sabatini to find methods for providing clean drinking water around the world, according to its website.

International students develop bonds with U.S. host families

2011-10-04T16:18:00.000-05:00

By Coco Courtois, The Oklahoma Daily

Published: October 3, 2011

Spending time at a U.S. university doesn’t always bridge the gap between college life and a U.S. family experience, but OU’s exchange students are trying to find that missing piece with host families.

OU’s Friends to International Students program offers exchange students the opportunity to develop relationships with volunteering American families they don’t live with. Families serve as hosts for one semester, but can continue for the full academic year, according to the program’s website.

Benedikt Kaczmar, a German aerospace engineering graduate student, said he got involved so he could get a closer look at real American culture.

“I really like my host family, and the fact that we are several exchange students in the same family, we all get really close very rapidly,” Kaczmar said. “Also, I love having a host little brother to fool around with.”

Kaczamr said he decided to join a host family, the Robertsons, because he wanted to experience special family events such as Thanksgiving or Christmas.

“I know I don’t have to attend to all activities they offer us. This way, it’s not too time consuming, and I have great experiences.” Kaczmar said. “For Halloween we’re going to go pumpkin-carving and trick-or-treating.”

And in some host families, the perks don’t stop with shared holidays.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but they drive us every week to Walmart and offered to drive us everywhere. They also offered us a welcome gift with a lot of OU school material, candies and even postcards,” Kaczmar said.

For Cyrielle Guillaume, a French foreign language student and Amélie Plot, a French law student, the experience was about more than a few gifts.

“When we arrived, they gave us everything their previous host students left: microwave, toaster, plates, silver wear ... a whole kitchen basically,” Plot said.

The two French students even had the chance to contact their host family before arriving at OU.

“A friend of ours was already in the family last year. She told them we would come, and they contacted us as soon as she left. After corresponding all summer, we had dinner with them the day right after we landed,” Guillaume said.

Guillaume and Plot’s family hosts dinner and movie nights a couple times a month.

“They try to implement movie nights. We did a western-pizza night last week,” Plot said. “We didn’t want something too time consuming and this is just fine. We see each other twice a month, more would be too much.”

For one host parent, planning things like dinners and movie nights are just part of giving back to the international community.

Mary Price, Friends to International Students board member, has been hosting students for four years and was motivated to be a host after she was an exchange student in France.

“I was so impressed by the kindness that was shown to me. I wanted to repay this kindness,” Price said.

Host families can choose the nationality of the students they want to host.

“I have family from Germany and France, so I chose mainly French and German students,” Price said.

She said she tries to stay in touch with the students she has hosted and continues to maintain those relationships.

“One of them calls us when she has problems because she knows we can help her; one of them is like a son to us. We love them all and they love us,” Price said.

There are many reasons people decide to become a host family, but many desire to discover new cultures and meet students from across the world.

“[The Robertsons] told me they will try to visit all their host children during a world trip. I’m looking forward to see them then,” Kaczmar said.

LINK: To host an exchange student, complete the Host Family Application here or email Diana Tiffany at ddtiffany@ou.edu.

Drought causes foundation headaches in Oklahoma

2011-10-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

The exceptional drought across Oklahoma has wreaked havoc on the state's clay-rich soil, which causes problems with concrete slab building foundations. The expensive repairs can put a big dent in a homeowner's finances.

BY MICHAEL KIMBALL mkimball@opubco.com

Published: September 25, 2011

Oklahoma's red dirt is as much a part of the state's cultural fabric as agriculture, oil fields and strange weather. But it can be a curse to house foundations in times of drought.

“We like our red dirt here,” said Gary McManus, associate state climatologist. “But it doesn't do us any favors whenever we start to go into this type of a drought cycle.”

The exceptional drought strangling Oklahoma's soil has contributed to foundation problems across the state this summer, experts said. The result is a large number of home and business owners facing repairs that are about as expensive as it gets with building maintenance.

The clay that makes Oklahoma's dirt red is more reactive to water than many soils across the planet.
“When that clay starts to lose moisture, it contracts, and when it rains again it expands,” McManus said.

The expanding and contracting soil puts stress on foundations, underground water mains and other structures at the mercy of the first several feet of soil.

When the soil is affected by extreme conditions like this year's drought, the compression is just as extreme. And calls for foundation repair estimates pile up as the state gets hotter and drier.

“It's an incredible spike, to be honest with you,” said Doug Denison, owner of American Leveling, a local foundation repair company. “This is one of the top three (spikes) in the 25 years I've been doing this. ... On average we're taking between 30 and 55 calls to look at properties every day. Normally, it's probably 10 or less.”

Cracks, stuck doors
The first ways damage to the foundation shows itself can be cracks in floors, walls or exterior siding and with doors that don't close or jam, said Professor Gerald Miller of the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering, who specializes in civil and geotechnical engineering.

During a drought, it's a sign the soils at the edge of the building have dried out and compressed, which puts pressure on the foundation causing it to bend.

“You can think of it like you took a piece of paper and bent down the edges, that's what the slab would do,” Miller said. “You're going to get distortion in the structure.”

Miller said homeowners can try to water the edge of their house just like a plant during a drought, and it can keep the soil from compressing. But that's not a guaranteed prevention method, and over watering or poor drainage can cause their own issues.

Houses with basements don't tend to have the same problems because the foundation is far enough underground that the soil isn't affected as much by the weather.

To fix or not to fix?
Repairs of around $10,000 are not uncommon, and costs can spiral much higher for difficult repairs or more extensive damage. Foundation problems are not covered under homeowners insurance policies.
Some repair companies offer financing, some with no interest for a year or so. Homeowners can dip into their home equity for a loan or refinance. But some homeowners with limited equity and limited flexibility who face a particularly expensive repair could think walking away from the house and mortgage is a practical, but scary, option.

Most houses with wood frames wouldn't suffer damage as severe as a collapsed wall if repairs aren't made, Miller said. But doors can stick and cracks can form to the extent it affects house's functionality, and it's possible a longer wait means a more expensive repair.

And the decision to repair the foundation or not is a factor in the future sale of the home. Even a good and long-lasting repair can push down the eventual sale price, with or without an accompanying repair warranty that has numerous exceptions in the fine print.

Louis Lackey, 45, of Oklahoma City, had repairs made to the foundation for his home near Lake Hefner last week. The previous owners had work done in 1997, and Lackey had to make repairs to a house he used to live in as part of the agreement when he sold it.

He noticed telltale cracks in his ceiling and exterior this summer and knew what was ahead. In Oklahoma, it comes with the territory.

“I knew having to fix it was pretty much inevitable,” Lackey said as a crew noisily worked away in his backyard.

Saving the world one drop at a time

2011-09-24T22:20:00.000-05:00

Contact: Lori Johnson
LJohnson@anglinpr.com
405-840-4222
University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma University College of Engineering hosts International WaTER Conference

The WaTER (Water Technologies for Emerging Regions) Center at the University of Oklahoma is bringing together researchers and advocates from around the world to focus on the life-sustaining resource, clean water. The center reports that more children die each year due to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene than AIDS and malaria. This is not due to water scarcity, but rather poverty, inequality and government failures.

The center will address both the technical and non-technical water and sanitation issues at the 2011 International WaTER Conference, scheduled for Oct. 24 and 25 at the Oklahoma Center for Continuing Education on the OU Norman campus. The two-day conference includes local and international speakers, breakout sessions, and poster and paper sessions in fields of social entrepreneurship, behavioral change, water technologies, climate change, and hydro-philanthropy in the developing world.

The highlight of the conference will be a lecture by and presentation of the OU International Water Prize to Ben Fawcett, a professor and environmental health engineer at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is the co-author of "The Last Taboo: Opening the Door on the Global Sanitation Crisis." Fawcett was selected for the Prize to recognize his three decades of focus on providing access to water and sanitation for the billions of people without these basic necessities.

The conference also will feature water and sanitation experts Ned Breslin, Water for People; Annette Johnson, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology; Dennis Lettenmaier, University of Washington; John Oldfield, Water Advocates; Kurt Soderlund, Safe Water Network; and Peter Winch, Director, Social and Behavioral Interventions Program, Johns Hopkins University.

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To register, go to http://www.waTER.ou.edu, or contact Robert Nairn at 405-325-3354. Conference registration is $350. Discounts are offered to students and participants from developing countries. The conference is open to anyone who has an interest in the role clean water plays in global health.
For accommodations on the basis of disability, contact Molly Smith at 405-325-5913 and/or mfsmith@ou.edu. Please make all requests for accommodations by Oct. 15.

Hall of Fame Astronaut Delivers Award at the University of Oklahoma

2011-09-23T16:40:00.003-05:00

September 22, 2011

Contact: Beth Higdon

E-mail: Beth@AstronautScholarship.org
Phone: 321.455.7013

NORMAN, OKLA. – Apollo astronaut Charlie Duke will present University of Oklahoma (OU) student Bradley Pirtle with a $10,000 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) during a public presentation and ceremony, September 28, 2011 at 1 p.m. in room 200 of the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility at OU.

While there, Duke will share his experiences of walking on the Moon during Apollo 16, in addition to presenting the award. The lecture is free and open to the public.

“Bradley is a clear leader in computer engineering at the University of Oklahoma,” said Duke. “He is a prime example of everything an Astronaut Scholar is supposed to be: intelligent, perseverant and destined for greatness. I am honored to have the opportunity to present this award to such a worthy OU student.”

Pirtle is a senior majoring in computer engineering. Fascinated with robots from a young age, Pirtle quickly transitioned into learning programming languages in his spare time. His current interest is in artificial intelligence with a focus on data mining. In his spare time, Pirtle tutors Calculus students and sharpens his culinary skills. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science, with the hope of being employed by a government agency or laboratory where his work will ultimately better humankind.

The Astronaut Scholarship is the largest monetary award given in the United States to science and engineering undergraduate students based solely on merit. Twenty-six of these prestigious awards were dispersed this year through the ASF to outstanding college students majoring in science, technology, engineering or math. More than $3 million has been awarded in scholarships to date. Since 2005, ASF has distributed $70,000 to Astronaut Scholars at the University of Oklahoma. These high-achieving students exhibit strong drive and phenomenal performance in their field, as well as intellectual daring and a genuine desire to positively change the world around them, both in and out of the classroom.

Duke was among 19 new astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. After serving as a member of the astronaut support crew for Apollo 13, he was named Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 16, along with Commander John Young and Command Module Pilot T.K. Mattingly. They launched on April 16, 1972, and reached the lunar surface three days later. Duke became the tenth man to walk on the Moon and during three outside excursions, he and Young drove a Lunar Rover 16 miles and collected 213 pounds of lunar rock and soil. Duke retired from NASA in 1975 and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1997. He currently serves as Chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in these fields. ASF has awarded over $3 million to deserving students nationwide. Today, more than 80 astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs have joined in this effort. For more information, call 321-455-7013 or log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.

Created by the Oklahoma Territorial Legislature in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a doctoral degree-granting research university serving the educational, cultural, economic and health-care needs of the state, region and nation. The Norman campus serves as home to all of the university’s academic programs except health-related fields. The OU Health Sciences Center, which is located in Oklahoma City, is one of only four comprehensive academic health centers in the nation with seven professional colleges. Both the Norman and Health Sciences Center colleges offer programs at the Schusterman Center, the site of OU-Tulsa. OU enrolls more than 30,000 students, has more than 2,400 full-time faculty members, and has 21 colleges offering 163 majors at the baccalaureate level, 166 majors at the master’s level, 81 majors at the doctoral level, 27 majors at the doctoral professional level, and 26 graduate certificates. The university’s annual operating budget is $1.5 billion. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution.

--asf--

Editor Note: Astronaut interview available upon request or at the presentation with advanced arrangements.

OU Student Serves as Ambassador for German Opportunities

2011-09-16T16:47:00.000-05:00

Contact:
Karin Schutjer,
Deptartment of Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics
University of Oklahoma College of Arts and Sciences
kschutjer@ou.edu
(405) 325-1907

NORMAN – Kyle Olson became hooked on Germany during a summer language course in Stuttgart following his freshman year at the University of Oklahoma. In planning his return for a longer stay, he learned of a scholarship opportunity from the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst, or German Academic Exchange Service, the German national agency for the support of international academic cooperation. Olson applied, received the scholarship and was able to return to the University of Stuttgart for a full year with all expenses paid.

Now, the civil engineering and economics major with minors in German and international studies is back at OU for his senior year. This year, he has an important new role: as one of 42 student ambassadors across the United States and Canada for the German Academic Exchange Service. Olson’s task is to spread the word to fellow students about the great array of opportunities for study, work and research in Germany, many of which come with full scholarships.

Olson joins a long line of OU students to benefit from the German government's longstanding support of exchange programs. After World War II, the Federal Republic of Germany recognized the need to reject nationalism and open itself up to the world. But an additional motive now helps drive the emphasis on international education. Germany, one of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced economies, is projecting a serious shortage of highly skilled, white-collar workers by the year 2020. Because of its declining birth rate, the country needs to attract the best and brightest from around the world to maintain its standard of living and quality of life.

Olson, just back from training at the German Academic Exchange Service offices in New York City, is ready to begin communicating what he has learned. He will speak at the “German Opportunities Forum,” a part of events planned for OU’s German Language Campus Week, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 26, in 170 Hester Hall, 729 Elm Ave.

Olson sees his role as not just informing students about opportunities, but also reducing institutional obstacles. “I will also be working with faculty and staff to make adjustments that will make studying in Germany more attractive to students,” he says.

What is the next step for Olson after he graduates next spring? He currently has his sights set on the Water Resources Engineering and Management program at the University of Stuttgart. WAREM is one of a number of graduate programs in Germany that are taught in English, attract students from all over the world, and charge little or no tuition.

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OU's Environmental Science Graduate Student Receives EPA's STAR Fellowship Award

2011-09-16T16:43:00.001-05:00

Contact: Jana Smith, Director

Strategic Communications for R&D

University of Oklahoma

405-325-1322; jana.smith@ou.edu

Norman, Okla.—A University of Oklahoma environmental science graduate student is the recipient of the 2011 EPA Science to Achieve Results Fellowship for research on safe drinking water with a focus on the Rift Valley area of Ethiopia.

Laura Brunson, a doctoral student in the OU School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, will receive up to $42,000 per year for a three-year period to support her demonstrated commitment and on-going research on safe drinking water solutions for developing countries.

“This award recognizes Laura’s unique abilities, contributions to date and future potential as an international leader in her field. We are so fortunate to have her as part of the OU WaTER Center team where she is making significant contributions to improve the lives of those living in poverty in Ethiopia,” states David A. Sabatini, professor in the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and director of the OU WaTER Center.

Brunson is working with the OU WaTER Center to develop a technique using aluminum-coated bone char that removes fluoride from drinking water. She recently traveled to Ethiopia to test low-cost, low-energy, sustainable solutions for communities in the Rift Valley.

The level of fluoride in drinking water in the Rift Valley is extremely high and results in severe overexposure to fluoride marked by damage to the bones and darkening of the teeth. Bones charred at a high temperature are effective in the removal of fluoride from water, but sustainable treatment plants and implementation methods are needed in rural Ethiopian communities.

According to Brunson, a trip to the Boundary Water Canoe Area in 1992, along with years of outdoor experiences and a belief in the importance of using ones talents and gifts to contribute positively to society, led her to study environmental science with an emphasis on water quality.

Brunson is an adjunct instructor in the OU College of Business where she teaches social entrepreneurship. She is working with a group of students from the OU Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth to develop and implement a social entrepreneurial model for the bone char technology.

For more information about Brunson’s research project or research activities of the OU WaTER Center, visit http://water.ou.edu or contact Laura Brunson at lbrunson@ou.edu.

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College Hosts First Sooner Engineering Expo

2011-09-05T22:42:00.002-05:00


The Expo will take place in the southwest corner of the LNC parking lot.

The Sooner Engineering Expo is an event for the College of Engineering's competitive teams at the University of Oklahoma to showcase their projects by way of dynamic demonstrations. Come see what we've been up to on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the southwest corner of the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot, which will literally be buzzing with race cars, off-road vehicles, human powered vehicles, radio controlled aircraft, concrete canoes (not buzzing hopefully), ChemCars and robots, all designed, built, tested and demonstrated by engineering students.

You will see the Sooner Off-Road team with their off-road "baja" vehicle, the Design/Build/Fly team with their radio controlled aircraft, the Sooner Powered Vehicle team with their human powered recumbent bike, the Concrete Canoe team with their canoe, "Wild Mary Sudik" and the Sooner Racing Team with their Formula SAE racecar, "Allison," just to mention a few.

After a short presentation to kick off the event, cars will be driving, planes will be flying, bikes will be ridden, canoes will be paddled and much more. Plan to spend the day with the OU College of Engineering competitive teams at the Sooner Engineering Expo.

The Engineer's Club will be serving hamburgers, chips and drinks from 11:30-1:00 p.m. The cost is free for all students and children; $5.00 for all adults.

Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting (405) 325-9037.

Mistree Honored By ASME For Furthering Engineering Design Education

2011-08-27T17:59:00.008-05:00

From: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/press-releases/farrokh-mistree-honored-by-asme-for-furthering-eng

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2011 – Farrokh Mistree, Ph.D., a resident of Purcell, Okla., and professor at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, will be honored by ASME. He is being recognized for lifelong dedication and numerous contributions to the engineering design community, particularly for instilling a passion for design in generations of students as an inspirational advisor and mentor. He will receive the Ruth and Joel Spira Outstanding Design Educator Award.

The award, established in 1998, recognizes a person who exemplifies the best in furthering engineering design education through vision, interactions with students and industry, scholarship and impact on the next generation of engineers, and a person whose action serves as a role model for other educators to emulate. It will be presented to Dr. Mistree during the International Design Engineering Technical Conference to be held in Washington, D.C., Aug. 28 through 31.

Mistree has spent his career pursuing his passion: to have fun in defining the emerging discipline of complex systems, in defining new education paradigms anchored in competency-based education that encourages students to pursue careers in academia, and in providing an opportunity for highly motivated and talented people to learn how to define and achieve their dreams. As an ardent educator, researcher, technical leader, advisor and mentor, Mistree has inspired countless students to study engineering design and, more importantly, to learn how to learn.

Since serving as a lecturer/senior lecturer (1976-81) at the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia), Mistree’s research accomplishments are embodied in the twin scholarships of design integration and design education. His current research focus is on learning to manage uncertainty in multiscale design (from molecular to reduced order models) to facilitate the integrated design of materials, product and design process chains. Currently, Mistree is focusing on creating and implementing, in partnership with industry, a curriculum for educating strategic engineers—those who have developed the competencies to create value through the realization of complex engineered systems.

Following his affiliation with the University of New South Wales, Mistree was an associate professor (1981-87) and professor (1987-1992) at the University of Houston before joining the faculty at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. At Georgia Tech (1992-2009), Mistree served as the founding director of the Systems Realization Laboratory (1992-97). Founded by Drs. Allen, Bras, Rosen and Mistree, this was the first occurrence of faculty in the Woodruff School volunteering to share to gain and adopting principles of governance embodied in a Learning Organization as proffered by Dr. Peter M. Senge. The members of this laboratory sought colleagues with a dream and a passion for making a difference by becoming the thought leaders of tomorrow.

After retiring from Georgia Tech as professor emeritus in August 2009, Mistree joined the University of Oklahoma (OU), Norman, where he is professor, director of the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and L.A. Comp chair. Working with his OU family and others in the OU community, he focuses on developing a curriculum anchored in experiential learning.

Mistree has supervised 28 doctoral students and more than 50 master’s students, all of whom are well-placed around the world; 12 of his doctoral students are pursuing highly successful careers in academia. In addition, he has mentored two students, one master’s and one doctoral, who now own several for-profit colleges in Orissa, India.

He has co-authored two textbooks; one monograph; and more than 350 technical papers covering the design of mechanical and structural systems, ships and aircraft, as well as more than 30 dealing exclusively with education.

An ASME Fellow, Mistree served as chair of the Design Engineering Division’s (DED) Honors and Awards Committee (1997-2003), co-general chair for the 1998 Design Engineering Technical Conferences, and conference papers chair for the 1994 ASME Design Theory and Methodology Conference. The DED honored him with Distinguished Service awards in 1998 and 2003, and the Design Automation Award in 1999.

Mistree received his bachelor’s of technology in naval architecture, with honors, at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, in 1967. He earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1970 and 1974, respectively.

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.

University of Oklahoma engineering teams have successful summer

2011-08-26T11:10:00.001-05:00

Engineering competition teams from the University of Oklahoma had successful showings at regional and national competitions this summer.

BY DARLA SLIPKE dslipke@opubco.com Oklahoman
Published: August 25, 2011

NORMAN — Thomas Ingram and other members of the University of Oklahoma's Sooner Racing Team scrambled to fix their car.

They had just finished the first of four runs during an acceleration test at the Formula SAE-West competition in Fontana, Calif.

It was obvious the car's engine wasn't running at peak performance, said Ingram, the team's captain.

Students had about an hour to diagnose the problem, solve it and make their last three runs. Turns out, the fuel filter wasn't working properly, which caused problems with one of the fuel injectors. Despite the glitch, the team finished 10th in the event and second overall at the competition. Judges evaluated students on their performance in several areas, including endurance and cost analysis.

Successful summer

The team's overall second-place performance was one of several successes OU engineering students had this summer.

The Sooner Racing Team designs, manufactures and races a new car every year. OU is ranked fourth among about 460 teams worldwide, Ingram said. The team has about 20 students from a variety of majors, including business, zoology and film studies.

Students try to raise about $65,000 to $75,000 a year just to build their car and travel to a competition, Ingram said.

Ingram, a mechanical engineering senior from Broken Arrow, said he has gained a variety of skills, including teamwork. He's also had an opportunity to meet students from around the world. During recent years, the Sooner Racing Team has traveled to Germany and Virginia for competitions.

Hungry to compete

The team is excited for this year, Ingram said. So are members of OU's Concrete Canoe team, which recently placed 12th at the 2011 American Society of Civil Engineers' National Concrete Canoe Competition in Evansville, Ind.

Cassie Gonzales, one of the team captains, remembers watching the national competition in 2010 and wishing her team had qualified to participate. OU students placed second at their regional competition that year, just shy of qualifying for the national event. Gonzales and a few other team members traveled to California to watch.

“After getting that taste, we were ready,” said Gonzales, 21, a civil engineering senior from Flower Mound, Texas. “We worked really hard this past year.”

The team qualified and sent about 20 students to the national competition this summer. In addition to placing 12th overall, the students placed sixth in an oral portion of the competition.

Gonzales said she has learned skills from the concrete canoe team that she otherwise wouldn't learn until graduate school. She has also gained experience collaborating, networking and public speaking.

OU College of Enginering Hosts Open House of Practice Facility

2011-08-21T21:50:00.007-05:00

The University of Oklahoma College of Engineering is hosting an Open House of the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 3 from 3 to 6 p.m. Come meet members of our competitive teams including the Sooner Racing Team; Concrete Canoe; Design, Build, Fly; and Sooner Powered Vehicle to name a few.

The Practice Facility is located at the corner of Felgar Street and Jenkins Avenue. We look forward to seeing you there.

Visit us on the Web: www.ou.edu/coe

School of Dreams Academy Robotics Team Named International Rookie of the Year

2011-08-08T10:50:00.001-05:00

Written by Deborah Fox/News-Bulletin
Photo courtesy of Rita Garcia
July 23, 2011
School of Dreams Academy's state Botball champions competed in the 2011 International Botball tournament and Global Conference on Educational Robotics July 12 in Garden Grove, Calif.

Photo courtesy of Rita Garcia: The School of Dreams Academy state champion Botball team visits the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology during their stay in California for the 2011 International Botball Tournament. Pictured, from left, are Danielle Garcia, Chloe Grubb and Abel Romero, who are checking themselves out on the video screen of an infrared heat-sensing camera.

They won the judge's Rookie of the Year award. Not bad when you consider the competitors they were up against.
In the students' first year in Botball, they took the state by surprise when they won overall first place in Las Cruces in April. Now they are recognized as Rookie of the Year internationally.

"There were over 500 kids and maybe 60 teams from all over the place," said Eric Brown, the robotics coach and life sciences teacher. "The east coast, to the west coast, to Hawaii; there was a team from Poland, and Austria, from all over the place. It was a great competition."

The SODA students were able to study robots that were 10 and 15 years in the making, upping their ante.
"They saw that it was a different level," Brown said. "They were really impressed."

Botball robots are unique in that they are autonomous robots. They are not remotely controlled as in the BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) robotics competitions, but are programmed by students to perform a task on their own.
Botball teaches real-life programming and software development as well as valuable teamwork skills, project documentation, and working on a schedule.

It is the brainchild of KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) Institute, a nonprofit educational organization in Norman, Okla. that uses hands-on robotics programs to communicate the knowledge and practical understanding of science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM, as it's known to educators.

"They didn't place as far as the top teams or the finalists in the competition, but they were voted by the KIPR (KISS Institute for Practical Robotics) as the rookie team of the year," Brown said. "They scored very high on their oral presentations, all their preliminary work — the work that they had to submit before the competition — to their design. They did really good, and I'm very proud of them."

The students were impressed by the robots of the competing teams, and learned a lot in an atmosphere of camaraderie, Brown said.

"They met some good people there that helped them out with some programming," he said. "They had a good time."

During the trip the students visited the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. It's the leading U.S. center for robotic exploration, where they design and build the land rovers for NASA, and Mars exploration, and our weather satellites, said Kerra Howe, a parent who went along on the trip to chaperone.

"We got a behind-the-scenes tour," said Brown. "We got to see the prototype of the rover that's going to land on Mars. The kids asked some awesome, awesome questions. I was really impressed with their questions."

"We have a group of students who were focused on a career in engineering and sciences before visiting JPL," said Howe. "Now they're very interested in finding more information to go after careers in those fields."

One student, Denton Shaver, has an uncle who is an engineer at JPL. He arranged a special tour of the facility for the students.
"It was more personal as far as the one-on-one with the students," Howe said. "They got to go to different areas on the campus that haven't been visited by other schools. They got to see the 'Curiosity Rover,' the next Mars rover that will be launched in November."

Students saw movies about previous missions to Mars, and enjoyed interactive exhibits on the solar system and Earth sciences.
In the 3D simulation building, students were treated to virtual science.

"You had to wear 3D glasses to see the movie simulation of Earth processes," Rita Garcia, another parent, said. "It definitely captured their interest."

They also viewed a satellite launch control room.

"The students went to seminars and got to hear from college professors about robotics," said Howe. "How it helps our society in everything from elderly care to people with disabilities."

"They were able to see how the basics learned in Botball apply to real-life robotics," said Garcia. "And they got a sneak peek of the new equipment for upcoming competitions."

Scoring of the competition is based on a point system. The winning robot was from a team in Hawaii that averaged 500 points a round.

SODA's scores were considerably lower, but were encouraging to the team's coach.

"We're almost there to that level, and this is our first year, so we're looking forward to next year and being able to compete," said Brown.

Some of the sponsors of the competition included NASA, the Office of Naval Research, Northrop Grumman Foundation, iRobot, Solid Works, Cisco, University of Oklahoma College of Engineering.

For information about Botball, visit www.botball.org.

Money Majors

2011-08-08T10:44:00.003-05:00

Some degree paths offer better employment opportunities than others.

PAUL FAIRCHILD

When children are young, parents tell them that they can do anything they want to when they grow up, as long as they do the best job they can do. When those children land in college, parents change their tunes. Kids have learned to do the best they can do. Now it’s about having the best job they can have. Getting that job makes living in the jungle – that place graduates reach on the other side of the stage after picking up their diplomas – a lot easier.

Only 10 percent of students are employed immediately following graduation. Roughly 75 percent are employed within six months of leaving school. Those numbers could be better if students had the right degrees.

Experts from three of Oklahoma’s top universities know what those degrees are.

The common quality these degrees share is the placement of graduates in positions and fields that are in demand. Engineers design, make and manage complex things that keep the wheels of society rolling. There will never be a drop in demand for health care workers. And Americans rely on businesses more than any country on earth to provide the goods and services we need (and want). Even in today’s rough economy, business degrees reliably translate into jobs.

Engineering
Engineering is consistently at the top of experts’ lists of in-demand degrees. As a field, engineering pays well and it’s resilient, almost recession-proof. Many new engineers are seeing higher salaries now than ever before.

“There’s been a robust and fairly sustained market for engineers, particularly for petroleum and geological engineering, which, for Oklahoma, is great. And for electrical and computer engineering. Any engineer that has the capability to work with technology, hardware and software development, is in a good spot,” says Nancy Mergler, senior vice president and provost at the University of Oklahoma.

As an occupation, engineering also has an advantage of being a field in which its practitioners is flexibility. Good schools make sure that students learn at least some aspects of the basic engineering principles that can be applied across any engineering disciplines.

The only thing hotter than an engineering degree is an engineering degree with an MBA stapled to it. To understand the science behind something and grasp the workings of the business where it’s applied – that’s gold to most employers, sources say.

Health Care
While the health care field often requires specialization, the field is also incredibly broad, offering opportunities to everybody with the right degrees and training – whether they’re speech therapists or neurologists. In fact, experts generally feel that health care related degrees and subsequent job opportunities are the most recession proof of all options.

“There’s a continuing market for individuals who are interested in health care related fields. Many of those students do need advanced degrees. Not all, but some. The nursing market, for example, is very strong,” says Mergler.

The nursing field is so hot that Oklahoma’s practically gone to war with Kansas and Texas to bring in the best nurses. As a result, those nursing salaries aren’t too bad. Once all that school gets paid off, it’s all gravy, experts intimate.

Business
“Engineering and business are hot areas right now. Agriculture is doing well, too. But business and engineering are tops right now. The top business degree is accounting. There are a lot of companies that, after the whole Sarbanes-Oxley deal, need accountants and people who can work with auditors and watch the money. If students get degrees in one of those two fields, they probably won’t have any trouble finding employment,” says Pam Ehlers, Oklahoma State University’s director of career services.

Mergler notes that the demand for business students has softened a bit, but fully expects a turnaround.

“A couple of years ago, finance and accounting were really hot. There’s been a little bit of change that might have to do with the stock market. I fully expect them to recover. We can’t survive without people that are finance and marketing and management. We need those folks. That market will recover. This is just a temporary dip,” she says.

One thing business degrees share with engineering and health care degrees is that having one in hand means a graduate has trained specifically to work in that field. Unless a graduate plans on pursuing an academic career, the same can’t be said for liberal arts degrees, currently the least successful in the job market.

“Accounting is doing well. It’s one of the fields where you’re getting a degree to prepare to go to work in that field. Those are the ones that are doing well right now,” says helly HollySr, the University of Tulsa’s director of career services.

All is not lost for graduates with other degrees, though. Ehlers emphasizes that any student can improve his chance of employment by gathering work experience while in school.

“If you’re going to go major in history or philosophy and you’re not going to work and get some work experience while you’re going to school, it’s going to be extremely difficult for you to get any kind of professional job when you graduate,” she says.

Getting the job quickly is as important as becoming the job at all. Schools are getting more and more expensive. The average graduate drags $23,000 of loans into the jungle with him. Getting rid of them means finding that job. And that has everything to do with the degree a graduate holds. But a graduate has to want to use that degree, too.

“Fifty percent of graduates spend only one year in the job they take first. They leave because they don’t like it or want to try something else,” says Holly.

Still, it’s better to have a job to leave than to not have one at all.

This article appears in the August 2011 issue of Oklahoma Magazine

OU Men's Gymnastics Season in Review

2011-08-08T10:36:00.002-05:00

Greg Fewell/The Daily
Monday, May 9, 2011

Senior Stephen Legendre performs his floor routine in a meet this season. Legendre won the prestigious Nissen-Emery Award, presented annually to the nation’s top senior gymnast. (Ty Russell/OU Athletic Department)

The Oklahoma men’s gymnastics team has steadily become one of the top programs in the nation. With three NCAA titles already under its belt, the program was already one of the elites in the nation when current head coach Mark Williams took over in 2000. Since then, however, Williams has taken the program to the next level.

In his 12 seasons at Oklahoma, Williams has led the men’s gymnastics program to five national titles — 2002, '03, '05, '06 and '08. On top of that, the men now have four national runner-up finishes. The numbers alone speak volumes about the program. The Sooners are now a gaudy 270-25 under Williams with 17 individual national champions, 103 All-America honors, eight conference titles and three Nissen-Emery Award winners.

The one stat the gymnasts and coaches care the most about, though, is the number of team national titles the program has brought back to Norman. For the select few programs in the nation on the level of Oklahoma gymnastics, bringing home the NCAA title is the goal at the beginning of every season, and this season was no different for the Sooners.

With maybe the best all-around lineup in the country — including Nissen-Emery Award winner senior Stephen Legendre and U.S. Senior National team members sophomores Jacob Dalton and Alex Naddour — the Sooners looked poised to run the table this year on the way to the program’s ninth national title. The team did not just look good on paper, either — when the season started, OU quickly showed the nation what it was capable of. The Sooners opened up competition by easily taking down Air Force and Nebraska, two top-10 opponents, at the Rocky Mountain Open.

Then, after winning the open for the 12th year in a row, Oklahoma went on to beat a string of top-10 opponents, all capped off on Feb. 19 with wins over No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 California in Palo Alto, Calif. The victory gave the Sooners the No. 1 ranking, and from there, the team coasted to victories over Michigan, Penn State and Illinois — three of the nation’s perennial powerhouses — to complete its perfect season. Even after a close disappointing loss to conference foe Nebraska at the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships, Williams felt confident his team could bounce back.

“Well, it’s disappointment to go in expecting to win a conference championship, but it wasn’t over in terms of our season,” Williams said. “It ought to get them a little fired up for our training for NCAAs, recognize that we can’t take things for granted, maybe get back to the gym and adjust the training schedule to address the problem that we had.

In the qualifying round of the national championships, it appeared the team had done just that, finishing first with a score of 363.500, the second-highest score of the season for the Sooners. However, the team could not repeat its performance for the final round of the championships. OU’s final-round score of 361.600 fell just short of Stanford’s 363.450, and the Sooners were forced to take home the title of runner-up yet again.

While the second-place finish came as somewhat of a disappointment for the Sooners, the team still realizes what an accomplishment it is to finish so high on the podium.

“We couldn’t fight off Stanford, and they are very deserving of the title,” Williams said. Things also look to be quite bright for the Sooners next season. While the Sooners do lose five seniors, including Legendre and Ian Jackson who both had major contributions to the team, they also return a ridiculous amount of talent to next year’s lineup. In fact, of the five Sooners that earned spots in this year’s individual NCAA championships, three of them were only sophomores. Troy Nitzky joined Naddour and Dalton in this year’s individual finals. Those three will return next year to lead a very strong and very young group of Sooners on what they hope will be a slightly more successful national title run.

While Oklahoma’s national title hopes will have to wait at least one more year, at least three gymnasts from this year’s team have a lot to look forward to this summer. Senior Steven Legendre and sophomores Jacob Dalton and Alex Naddour will all be competing internationally for the U.S. men’s Senior National team. The three will get the chance to get better by taking on some of the top gymnastics teams in the entire world. The fact that so many Sooners are on the U.S. national team is a testament to just how dominant Oklahoma is in the sport of gymnastics. That being said, while the program does lose some amazing seniors from this year’s team, Williams has shown multiple times in his years at OU that the program is very capable of reloading. With his recruiting and the huge wealth of talent returning, the Sooners should continue to compete for the national title not just next year, but for many years to come.

Project Helps Earn Teen Eagle Scout Status

2011-08-08T10:04:00.002-05:00

July 16, 2011
By Jocelyn Pedersen
The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — Slaughterville’s Anthony Strevett recently earned his Eagle Scout award.

The son of Keith and Stacy Strevett of Slaughterville, who will turn 15 this month, has been a member of the Boy Scouts of America for about four years. He said most scouts don’t make Eagle until they are over 16 years old, but he didn’t want to wait.

“I didn’t want to rush at the last minute to make Eagle,” Strevett said. “I wanted to get my Eagle long before that so I could do it well.”

Eagle Scout is the highest rank in scouting. Strevett said earning Eagle is a chance to experience leadership. Part of the qualifying process requires that the scout completes a community service project that they take on themselves.

Strevett’s project was to survey Turnbull Cemetery in Atoka, which is a Choctaw Indian cemetery. He said he went around and surveyed head and footstones, came home and geo-referenced them in degrees, minutes and seconds on a map. The purpose was to preserve the locations of the head and footstones. Because they were so old, authorities feared weather would destroy them.

This major undertaking took several months to complete. Strevett received his Eagle Scout rank in April, 2011, but first, he had to have his project approved by the Last Frontier Council’s Eagle Board of Review. The board approved his project in November 2009. Then he actually did the surveying all in one day on June 1, 2010.

“It was a long day,” Strevett said. “We drove down at 4 a.m. and came back about 10 p.m.”

Strevett said there were many other people who helped him at the cemetery by weed eating and cleaning up to facilitate the surveying process.

Strevett said his father, Keith Strevett, is a professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, who does surveying as a sideline. Keith Strevett brought his surveying equipment to the cemetery to help his son. They used a laser that sent signals out to mirrors, and then reflected the signal back to the GPS, which was situated on a benchmark set by the United States Geological Survey.

Anthony Strevett’s interest in this project was due, in part, to his dad. He explained that Jim Power, cemetery caretaker, approached one of his dad’s colleagues, OU’s Dr. Knox, about the cemetery project.

Eventually, Keith Strevett told his son about the venture, and Anthony thought it would make a good Eagle Scout project.

Anthony said his next scouting goal is to achieve Eagle Palm status. Through his many scouting endeavors, Strevett says he feels scouting has helped him learn to interact with strangers.

“Before I was very shy,” Strevett said. “I have met so many new people and have gotten rid of that shy thing.”

TAP-YTL: A Transportation Experience in Germany - May 22-30, 2011

2011-07-03T17:34:00.003-05:00

S. Gizem Aydin, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Industrial Engineering at The University of Oklahoma, was one of 12 individuals selected to participate in the Translatlantic Program-Young Technology Leaders. Aydin’s strong background in transportation, specifically freight transport and her basic knowledge of the German language, made her a good candidate for the program.

The group was comprised of both students and supply chain professionals, all of them sharing an interest in transportation. They enjoyed discussing differences and similarities in transportation systems in the United States and Germany.

The delegation started in Frankfurt, traveled to Hamburg, Berlin, Duisburg, Leipzig and Karlsruhe, visiting state-of-the-practice transportation/logistics facilities along the way. They met with universities and state agencies.

The group visited the Bundesnetzagentur, the German regulatory agency for utilities, telecommunications and transportation. Staff members of the Bundesnetzagentur fielded many questions from the group ranging from policy and regulations to how they respond to various freight and passenger transportation challenges.

As an industrial engineer, Aydin looks forward to contributing to the transportation arena, helping to improve and streamline processes so both people and freight can flow more efficiently. This summer, she is working on a project at the Kuehne Logistics University in Hamburg. Aydin expects to complete her Ph.D. program at OU in May 2012.

PROGRAM
TAP-YTL 2011 Logistics and Transportation

The Transatlantic Program-Young Technology Leaders is organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (GACCoM) with the financial support of
the German Federal Ministry of
Economics and Technology (BMWi).

Twelve individuals were selected to participate in an intensive eight-day delegation trip to Germany. The program included the following modules and visits to cutting-edge logistics and transportation hotspots:

- Frankfurt Airport: intermodal hub models, sustainable airport expansion and freight and logistics centers

- Hamburg: diverse port operations

- Berlin: passenger rail transport and logistics concepts

- Innovative supply chain solutions and state-of-the art, multipurpose logistics facilities

- Transportation politics and policies

- Exclusive access to top industry experts and operation sites

TAP-YTL encourages colleges and universities whose students are selected to participate in the program to offer course credits for the intensive eight-day program. There are between 30-35 hours of German language exposure and learning within the assigned field, which can include Logistics & Transportation, Sustainable Architecture and Urban Planning, and Water Management are provided throughout the trip. This is a specialized professional development program that will enhance the participant’s knowledge about the field of focus while also promoting the participant’s understanding of German culture.

To learn more, visit http://www.transatlanticprogram.org/

SRT Update: Oklahoma Takes 2nd Place Overall in Fontana, Calif.

2011-06-28T15:13:00.002-05:00

Date: June 27, 2011

From: Thomas Ingram, Sooner Racing Team Captain

To: Sponsors, Alumni, Faculty, Staff, and Friends of the Team

Photo by Robert Story

SRT Update: Oklahoma Takes 2nd Place Overall in Fontana, CA!

The University of Oklahoma's Sooner Racing Team finished 2nd place overall at the Formula SAE - West competition in Fontana, Calif.!

61 Teams from 8 different countries showed up to Auto Club Speedway on June 15th to compete in the FSAE competition. After the static events on Thursday, SRT finished 4th place in Engineering Design, 13th in Business Sales Presentation and 19th in Cost. With a smooth first two days of competition, the team went on to the dynamic events on Friday. An unpredictable fuel issue left the car down on power for the acceleration run. Despite the lack of horsepower, we still achieved 10th place in acceleration. The team then went on to win the skidpad event! At the end of the day on Saturday, the team finished 6th place in the Autocross event.

The endurance event on Sunday saw many teams cars fail mechanically. Allison, however, performed flawlessly and came in at 5th place overall in Endurance. The reliability and performance of this year's car secured the team another 2nd place overall finish! This result marks 7 straight endurances completed without a DNF, and 6 straight top ten finishes dating back to 2008. While the new world rankings are not posted yet, we anticipate moving up from our current position of 3rd in the USA and 8th in the world!

This year’s success is bittersweet as many of our beloved seniors - the major contributors to the design of the vehicle - will be moving on to other avenues of life. Without the senior's hard work and dedication to the vitality of the team, we would not be able to continue this program with the same competitive caliber as seen this year. I am optimistic for the years to come on the team, as our new generation of talented team members rise into leadership positions to carry on the success of the Sooner Racing Team.

Finally, I have to note the contributions of our sponsors and supporters. Without them this year's success would not have been possible. With everyone's budget getting tighter each year, I am more than grateful for the generosity that was shown this year towards our program. As always, if you know anyone that would be interested in supporting our program please send them our information; we can always use as much support as we can get.

If you would like more information about the team, the competition, or how to support us, don't hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

Thomas Ingram
________________________________
Sooner Racing Team Captain

Sooners Help Clean Water in Bolivia

2011-06-10T09:25:00.002-05:00

Alyssa Grimley/The Daily
Thursday, June 9, 2011

Six OU students, all members of Sooners Without Borders, and one OU staff member returned from a two-week engineering service trip to Potosi, Bolivia on June 2.

The students, along with staff and students from St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, spent the trip constructing a limestone channel to treat contaminated river water in Potosi.

Rachel Rogers, a member of the small group that made the trip to Bolivia, explained the work the group did while in the country.

“We implemented a limestone channel outside of Potosi, Bolivia,” Rogers said. “Water flowing out of mines is contaminated with metals and this flows downstream and adversely affects crops and livestock. The limestone channel we are implementing is part of a larger project which will help filter out metals from the stream.”

Despite the technical nature of the limestone filtration system, the work the OU team did was largely physical, Rogers said.

“We physically put the limestone into the stream,” Rogers said. “We took samples of the water and cleared out other rocks.”

The group’s goal was to make the contaminated stream usable for crop irrigation, Rogers said.

This project is a step closer to serving many underprivileged communities, Aissata Cisse, environmental engineering graduate, said in an email.

“I felt that this project could be a good way to get started in the developing world because I am from Mali, a developing country where I would like to realize this kind of project,” Cisse said.

Engineering physics senior, Dillon Carroll, called the trip an idealistic college student’s dream.

“The trip was a chance to put the engineering principles and knowledge I’ve been learning into practice to benefit others,” Carroll said.

OU IE Student Receives NSF Graduate Fellowship

2011-05-18T11:23:00.002-05:00

Industrial Engineering student Kaycee Wilson was selected on April 5th to become one of only seven recipients for the 2011 National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship which supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. This fellowship program was designed to help the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforce its diversity. The ranks of fellows include individuals who have made transformative breakthroughs in science and engineering research and have become leaders in their chosen careers. Each fellow receives three years of support from the NSF as well as international research and professional development opportunities and TeraGrid supercomputer access.

The program will also help fellows to establish collaborations with counterparts at Norwegian, Finnish, Danish and Swedish research institutions. The National Science Foundation, the Research Council of Norway, the Academy of Finland and the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, the Danish National Research Foundation and the Swedish Research Council will support research visits between two and twelve months duration. This international research opportunity is intended to enrich the fellows’ experience through cooperative activities with leading Nordic scientists and institutions, thus enabling them to develop early-career collaborations with international research partners. Results of the research collaboration are expected to expand opportunities for innovation and add an international dimension to fellow research projects.

OU Student Awarded $90,000 to Study Recent Flash Floods

2011-05-17T18:30:00.001-05:00

May 16, 2011

A University of Oklahoma civil engineering and environmental science graduate student recently was awarded a 2011 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Fellowship to research flash flood prediction.

Gina Hodges, OU graduate and Atmospheric Radar Research Center student, will receive $30,000 a year for the next three years to investigate her proposed research topic, Prototyping a Flash Flood Prediction System Using Next Generation Radar Observations and Stormscale Rainfall Forecasts.

"It is my goal to improve the current methods used for flash flood prediction to protect lives and property of the public," said Hodges. "In order to accomplish this goal, I will use an interdisciplinary approach combining my background in meteorology, hydrology and social sciences."

This interdisciplinary method will be applied to recent flash floods that occurred during the spring of 2010 - specifically, the Nashville, Tenn., flood that inundated the Grand Ole Opry House, the deadly Arkansas campground event and the urban Oklahoma City event. The three events chosen were recent with significant impacts and can be studied to prevent such costly and deadly results in the future, according to Hodges.

"Gina was awarded the Outstanding Senior in Meteorology award last year, and she is now pursuing a master's degree in water resources engineering," said Yang Hong, Hodges' adviser and OU College of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science associate professor and School of Meteorology adjunct professor. "Her research is part of the end-to-end, high-impact event prediction system development that integrates meteorology, weather radar remote sensing and hydrological modeling approaches. I have been impressed by Gina's ability to understand and solve problems in her innovative flash flood prediction study."

"The goal of her study is to develop and demonstrate a system that will increase the forecast lead time and identify specific locations about to be impacted by flash floods, and I am confident that her research will have broader impacts in the U.S. National Weather Service and beyond," said Jonathan J. Gourley, research hydrometeorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory and Hodges' co-adviser.

Provided by The University of Oklahoma

OU Graduate Student Developing Solutions for Water Problems in Ethiopia

2011-05-17T13:08:00.003-05:00

By Jana Smith, Director,
Strategic Communications for R&D
University of Oklahoma

A University of Oklahoma environmental science graduate student will travel to Ethiopia in June to test materials she has been investigating as possible solutions to fluorosis—a widespread problem in the Rift Valley, where high levels of fluoride in the drinking water result in dental and skeletal disease.

Laura Brunson, graduate student in the OU College of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, works with researchers in the OU Water Center on global water challenges, specifically fluorosis. Left untreated, fluorosis causes darkening of the teeth and bone deformities. In Ethiopia, the side effects of fluorosis are clearly health related, but have a cultural aspect as well. Novel approaches to this problem are needed to produce effective solutions—solutions not readily available in rural, impoverished areas of countries like Ethiopia.

Brunson has been investigating inexpensive, sustainable and locally available solutions, such as adsorption—a useful technology for fluoride removal from drinking water because it does not require energy input outside of gravity and, depending on the material used, can be very effective at removing fluoride to meet the World Health Organization standard. She has been investigating fluoride removal using several novel materials including aluminum coated wood and bone chars.

Bones charred at a high temperature are effective in the removal of fluoride from water, but Brunson is investigating other materials with similar properties of bone char because some communities do not like the idea of treating water with bones. Wood char is one possibility, but it has to have a coating for it to work as well as bone char. Brunson will test these materials in Ethiopia this summer. “It’s important to test the materials in the location where they will actually be used,” she says.

When Brunson can determine the effectiveness of the materials, the next step is building awareness in the region. A sustainable treatment plant will be needed and this will require community support. On this aspect of the project, Brunson is working with a group of students from the OU Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth to develop and implement a business model for the bone char technology. Incorporating the model into Ethiopian communities will help to ensure the project’s success.

Brunson is also working with Paul Spicer, an OU anthropologist, to conduct surveys in the area to understand the values, motivation and interests of the Ethiopian people. “We need to know what the Ethiopian people think about their water and what their treatment preferences are,” says Brunson. Spicer will spend one week in the area on this crucial part of the project. According to Brunson, “A project often fails because no one takes the time to understand the concerns of the people who are affected.”

On this visit, Brunson hopes to gain a better understanding of the materials she has been investigating as part of her graduate research project, but more important, she hopes to find a solution to the water problem in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

Brunson is a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, adjunct instructor in the College of Business and CCEW project inventor. Learn more about the research activities of the OU Water Center at http://water.ou.edu.

Follow OU Research at http://www.ou.edu/content/research/home/research_communications.html or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/OUResearch.

McCall Inducted into Distinguished Graduates Society

2011-05-16T11:33:00.001-05:00

Robert R. McCall was born in Norman, Oklahoma in 1926. The Great Depression of the 30’s caused great hardship for the family. As a teenager, Bob made the decision to move to Oklahoma City to go to High School, so that he could work the night shift at Tinker Air Force Base. These were the War Years.

Following graduation from Central High, Bob enlisted in the Navy. He spent several months training to be an electronic technician and going to submarine school. He then volunteered for submarine duty. Bob was sent to the Navy base at Midway Island in the Pacific. While there, he was assigned to the USS Hawkbill. The war was nearing the end and Bob was subsequently discharged from the Navy. The year was 1946.

After his discharge, Bob moved to Denver, worked for a large dry cleaning plant for a few months and then opened a small dry cleaning business of his own. Two years later, Bob returned to Norman where his fathr strongly urged him to take advantage of the GI Bill and enroll at OU.

Bob majored in petroleum engineering and earned a BS degree in 1951 and an MS degree in 1952. He then accepted a job with Texaco and from 1952-1960 was given a series of field assignments in Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois and Texas. He moved to Midland, TX as District Petroleum Engineer for the Midland, TX division. In 1968, Bob was promoted to Chief Petroleum Engineer for Texaco in Houston, TX.

In 1969, Bob was transferred to Texaco’s New York headquarters as a member of the company’s Strategic Planning Group. At this time, Libya was demanding excessive payments for their crude oil. Bob was part of a negotiating team sent to Libya to try to bring about an agreeable settlement. After weeks of work, their efforts were unsuccessful and the oil companies were nationalized.

Following the Libyan event, Bob remained in the New York office and became Assistant General Manager, then General Manager of Texaco’s Eastern Hemisphere Producing Department. In 1977, he was named a Texaco Vice President. During his ten years in New York, he traveled extensively to such countries as Indonesia, China, Norway, the U.K., Libya and Ethiopia to coordinate Texaco’s exploration and producing activities and to meet with government officials.

In 1980, Bob became Senior V.P. in charge of Exploration and Production throughout the U.S. and in 1983, he was named Executive Vice President of Texaco USA. He retired from Texaco in 1987.

Bob and his wife, Byrdine, now live in The Woodlands, TX.

Dr. Robert and Amanda Nairn Recognized as Volunteers of the Year

2011-05-04T15:05:00.002-05:00

On April 22, the United Way and Junior League of Norman hosted the 2011 Volunteers of the Year luncheon at Journey Church. This event recognizes volunteers in Norman who are committed to giving back to the community. A faculty member and his wife from the University of Oklahoma College of Engineering, were congratulated for making a difference in their community.

It was a special day for Dr. Robert Nairn and his wife Amanda, as the United Way of Norman recognized them as Volunteers of the Year in the Service to Youth/Education category.

Dr. and Mrs. Nairn’s daughter is a student at Jefferson Elementary School. The couple have spent many hours volunteering at the school working on an outdoor classroom for the students.

The Nairns’ expressed their many thanks to everyone involved and noted that it was a team effort to complete the outdoor classroom. “You don’t do anything like this as an individual,” Bob Nairn said. “This certainly has been a team effort. Not only the folks at Jefferson, but much of the work in the outdoor classroom involves other nonprofits in Norman and students at OU through the Big Event, a tremendous team of folks really made a difference here.”

The couple brings attention to the fact that the outdoor classroom at Jefferson brings the open-air experience to children who might not experience it otherwise.

“It’s not for the notoriety or recognition,” Amanda Nairn shared. “It’s to see the children and get to have that interaction with them. But, it’s also to see them have the benefits of an outdoor classroom; having that open-air space. So many children aren’t fortunate enough to have an outdoor space at home.”

Engineering students Zumwalt, Rice and Olusola bring home Governor's Cup Honors

2011-04-19T20:28:00.014-05:00

University of Oklahoma student teams won top honors, including the OG&E Positive Energy Award, at the 2011 Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition in Oklahoma City on April 14. Students from OU’s Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth and the Price College of Business spent months developing business plans for real-world technologies that hope to create jobs for the state of Oklahoma.

"This sweeping victory in the Governor's Cup Competition is another example of OU's national leadership in business and entrepreneurship education in practical programs,” said OU President David L. Boren. “On behalf of the OU family, I congratulate all students who are members of our championship teams," he said.

Almost 40 teams from college campuses across the state were given the opportunity to write business plans and make a pitch for investments that can be used to implement their ideas. These teams competed for more than $120,000 in cash and prizes in the seventh annual Governor’s Cup competition, and OU teams swept the competition.

Simtra Tools was named the winner of the $7,000 OG&E Positive Energy Award, recognizing the team that developed the best business plan around energy generation, conservation, new delivery methods or other technology to enhance efficient energy use. Their plan focused around a technology that provides utility linemen a versatile tool called TrueTight that helps them easily tighten power lines to the correct tension without carrying more cumbersome and expensive equipment. The team was comprised of Brandon Mikael, team leader, and Matthew Huber and mentored by their Faculty Advisor Dr. Lowell Busenitz, Academic Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship in OU’s Price College.

Undergraduate Division winner was LumiDX, which developed a business plan around a novel diagnostic test, which detects up to five indications of upper respiratory infections in just 30 minutes. LumiDX team members were entrepreneurship senior Amy Henderson, team leader, Ashley Zumwalt, Mimi Nguyen and Kaelyn Lu. Jim Wheeler, Executive Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Price College of Business was their faculty advisor. Team member Ashley Zumwalt was also awarded the Oklahoma Business Roundtable Paulsen Award Scholarship.

Lucas Rice was named as a 2011 i2E Fellow.

Winning first place in the Graduate Division was OU team CerebroGen Pharmaceuticals. The team’s plan was built around a new antibody-based drug treatment for epilepsy. CerebroGen was led by Entrepreneurship and Venture Management senior, Benjamin West, and comprised of Chase Roberts, Tobi Olusola, and Majed Gharfeh. The team’s Faculty advisor was Elaine Hamm, Director for the Office of Technology Development.

“We are so proud of all the OU teams. All their hard work and dedication has paid off,” said Jeff Moore, Executive Director of the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth.

The teams are sponsored by OU’s Price College of Business and the Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth. The Price College of Business’ Entrepreneurship program was ranked 15th in the nation according to U.S. News & World. OU’s Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth provides an interdisciplinary environment for researchers, entrepreneurs, and students to collaborate in growing and diversifying Oklahoma’s economy through the nurturing of technology-based enterprises.

The goal of the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Collegiate Business Plan Competition is to encourage students of Oklahoma universities and colleges to act upon their entrepreneurial ideas and develop skills to lead tomorrow's innovative new businesses. The business plan competition is in its seventh year.

Tobi Olusola is a senior industrial engineering/pre-pharmacy major. Ashley Zumwalt is a senior petroleum engineering major. Lucas Rice is a senior industrial engineering major.

Read more: http://newsok.com/top-business-plans-in-oklahoma-governors-cup-competition-recognized-at-awards-dinner/article/3558558#ixzz1K1TmK5rn

Read more: http://oudaily.com/news/2011/apr/18/ou-snatches-first-place-business-competition/

Like the Donald W. Reynolds Governors Cup Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/OKGOVCUP#!/photo.php?fbid=10150159041223668&set=a.383151738667.162742.217510388667&type=1&theater

Engineers race to finish concrete canoe

2011-04-15T17:45:00.003-05:00

Chase Cook/The Daily
Thursday, April 14, 2011

Stephen McCollam, mechanical engineering senior; Michael Hendrick, civil engineering junior; and Stephen Collins, civil engineering sophomore sand the sides of a canoe constructed with concrete. A team of engineering students built the canoe to compete in the regional of the National Concrete Canoe Competition on April 28 at Kansas State University.

Civil engineering junior Jason Kilpatrick leans over the side of a canoe on the first floor of the ExxonMobil Engineering Practice Facility. He works quickly to smooth out the side of the canoe before it dries. As he smooths the edges, part of the canoe starts to fall off.

“I need some more water over here — this part is falling off!” Kilpatrick says to one of his team members. The teammate sprays water on the crumbling area while Kilpatrick struggles with the thickening material in his hands.

Kilpatrick and his team are building a canoe for a national engineering competition, but they aren’t working with wood or plastic. Their canoe is built out of a concrete mixture passed down by previous teams.

The project is part of the National Concrete Canoe competition. Students build concrete canoes and compete in a mix of academia and athletics by racing and presenting the science behind each team’s canoe, civil engineering senior Jeremy Christiansen said.

Each team is graded on a technical paper, the boat’s display, an oral presentation and a series of races.

The team already completed its technical paper and the boat’s display — which provides a theme for the canoe and displays the materials used to construct it, Christiansen said. The team is hurrying to finish the oral presentation and the canoe before the regional competition begins April 28.

The body of the canoe is finished, but there is still a lot of work to do, Christiansen said. The team must complete the final outer layers of concrete to ensure the canoe doesn’t buckle from tension forces in the water. After that, the team will sand the canoe, Christiansen said.

During this process, the team has to ensure the canoe can handle the stresses of water, Christiansen said.

“Floating isn’t the most difficult part of building a concrete canoe,” Christiansen said. “Concrete wants to expand and buckle when submerged in water.”

To keep the canoe from buckling and to ensure it floats in the water, the canoe’s concrete mixture was formulated for strength and speed, Christiansen said.

Glass beads were mixed into a portland cement with fibers, additives, binders and water. The beads take up space and add strength without adding a lot of weight, Christiansen said.

The combination keeps the concrete light while giving it the strength to withstand the forces of water and passengers, Christiansen said.

The mixture does make the canoe light — two people can carry the canoe easily — but it still needs help to float in the water, Christiansen said.

At the front and back ends of the canoe are large sections of industrial foam. Teams can use as much foam and concrete as they want, and every team takes a different approach, Christiansen said.

“Last year, there was a team with an 800-pound canoe, and it floated,” he said. “But you have to remember you have to paddle that thing.”

Once the team completes all of the requirements for the contest, they will haul their creation to Kansas State University’s campus, where the regional competition will take place, architectural engineering senior Jenny Bergen said.

Bergen said she was primarily responsible for raising money to get the team to Kansas State. The trip will cost $9,000, she said.

Raising the money wasn’t difficult, Bergen said. The team sent out pamphlets, mailers and letters to firms across Oklahoma.

However, if the team makes it to the national level of the competition, it will need to travel to the University of Evansville in Indiana, Bergern said.

The trip will require an additional $6,000 in travel expenses, Bergen said. If the team makes it to nationals, members will have to contact alumni and firms for additional donations, Bergen said.

Even if the team doesn’t make it that far, Kilpatrick said the experience has been rewarding.

“I’ve learned things here that I can relate to my studies in my classes ... I can say, ‘Hey, I’ve actually done that before,’” Kilpatrick said.

OU students give back to J.D. McCarty Center

2011-04-15T10:51:00.001-05:00

April 10, 2011
Meghan McCormick The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — A student organization from the University of Oklahoma found a way to give back to the Norman community on Saturday.

Members of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society arrived at the J.D. McCarty Center ready to plant a vegetable garden for patients. The center cares for children with developmental disabilities.

Zach Dunn, a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, said the organization participates in a community service event each year.

“They had a job for us so we came out,” Dunn said.

Volunteers spent Saturday morning leveling the ground and creating a flat base for the garden. Students expected to plant produce in the afternoon.

Dunn said past projects have included helping residents with indoor and outdoor home repairs.

“We like giving back, it’s nice,” he said.

Jennifer Giamelle, J.D. McCarty Center volunteer coordinator, appreciated the group stepping up to help the center.

“They also bought a picnic table for our kids,” she said.

Giamelle said patients will use the garden as part of their therapy. Children will pull weeds and water plants.

“They will learn how to take care of the garden,” she said.

Giamelle said a summer camp expected to open in 2012 also will benefit from the garden.

“It’s something we will use in our summer camp as well,” she said.

Tiffany Smith, advisor for American Indian Science and Engineering Society, helped volunteers assemble the picnic table. She said this is the organization’s 10th year to volunteer for a project.

“Every year we do something different,” she said.

Smith said some of the materials were delivered to the site earlier in the week.

“It took a lot of planning to get this going,” she said.

Smith said the garden should produce watermelons, cantaloupes, strawberries, onions and tomatoes.

Meghan McCormick 366-3539 mmccormick@norman-transcript.com

OU Student Receives Goldwater Honor

2011-04-11T15:54:00.002-05:00

April 11, 2011
CONTACT: The University of Oklahoma, Public Affairs, (405) 325-1701

NORMAN – University of Oklahoma honors student Eddie Shimp of McAlester has been named a 2011 Goldwater Scholar. His selection brings to 31 the number of OU students named to that honor since 1995 and places OU in the top ranks of universities nationally. The prestigious scholarships are awarded on the basis of potential and intent to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering.

“The entire university congratulates Eddie Shimp on this signal honor,” said OU President David L. Boren. “His selection continues OU’s national prominence in the selection of Goldwater Scholars in math and science.”

Shimp holds a 4.0 grade-point average and is a pursuing a degree in chemical engineering with an emphasis on biotechnology and a minor in mathematics. Currently working with David Schmidtke, director of the OU Bioengineering Center and associate professor of chemical, biological and materials engineering, Shimp has worked for a year on projects that deal with cell adhesion in the blood stream. This work can help with the prevention of blood cell clotting in vessels and potentially provide a method by which pharmaceuticals could more easily target certain parts of the body.

His plans this summer include preparing for an accelerated master’s degree program and continuing his current lab research. Following graduation, he plans to pursue a master’s degree in bioengineering, followed by a doctorate in biomedical engineering. His career plans include conducting research in biomedical engineering and teaching at the university level.

While at OU, Shimp has been awarded the OU Regents’ Scholarship, the College of Engineering Program of Excellence Scholarship, the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering Program of Excellence Scholarship, and the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship. He also has received an Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the PACE Award recognizing freshmen for outstanding achievement. Additionally, he was named Outstanding Sophomore in Chemical Engineering and the Housing Center Student Association’s Outstanding Student Representative. Shimp has served the Housing Student Center Association as vice president and as General Counsel chair.

Also during this time at OU, Shimp has served as a delegate at the regional and national levels of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls Leadership Conference. Currently a Sooner Scout, Shimp is a member of the Engineers’ Club and the E-1 Club and has performed with the OU Symphony Band.

The national scholarship competition is conducted by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. The scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

McALESTER – Eddie Shimp, a junior majoring in chemical engineering, is the son of Valerie and Upton Shimp.

TULSA – Shimp is the grandson of John Burks.

Precious Water

2011-04-11T10:22:00.001-05:00

Letter to the Editor of the Tulsa World:

By David Sabatini, Norman
Published: 4/10/2011 4:41 AM
Last Modified: 4/10/2011 4:41 AM

Natural disasters usually spark a rush of response. Hearing stories of a friend's daughter, who was in Japan when the tragedy struck and has since had trouble finding clean water, or from friends in New Zealand who had to dig a hole in their backyard for human waste because the sewage system was inoperable, makes us want to help.

However, we sometimes forget there are from 1 billion to 2 billion people who don't have access to safe drinking water - every day, not because of a natural disaster. World Water Day was March 22 and it raised awareness of these issues.

More than 2 million deaths a year occur in developing countries for those who never have access to safe drinking water - that translates to a child dying every 15 seconds due to lack of something we take for granted. In these countries, it's hard to develop as a nation when the majority of time is spent just trying to collect clean water to stay alive.

At the Water Center at the University of Oklahoma, we focus on long-term solutions to drinking water and sanitation challenges in developing countries. We raise awareness and research solutions to these issues. During spring break, OU engineering students traveled to Africa to help bring life-sustaining water to those in dire need. I'm encouraged by their motivation to make the world a better place by using engineering principles, creative solutions and their generosity to help others.

Editor's note: Sabatini is a University of Oklahoma College of Engineering professor.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/opinion/article.aspx?subjectid=62&articleid=20110410_62_G2_Natura570608

Hearing System is Totally Implantable

2011-04-08T16:36:00.010-05:00

Apr 6, 2011 12:56 PM
By Rong Z. Gan, Professor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering - University of Oklahoma rgan@ou.edu

Biomedical researcher and University of Oklahoma Professor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering Rong Gan (right) listens as a colleague discusses auditory research.

Biomedical researcher and University of Oklahoma Professor of Biomedical and Mechanical Engineering Rong Gan (right) listens as a colleague discusses auditory research.

Editor’s note: The author led the University of Oklahoma research team responsible for the technology described in this article.

Challenges associated with developing the ideal implantable hearing device (fully implanted and acceptable by patients who are uncomfortable with conventional hearing aids) are three-fold: 1) minimize risks to patient’s hearing and nerves within the ear so that the driving system of the device fits the restrictions of the middle ear size with life-time function stability; 2) lower the costs associated with the development of the devices as well as surgical implantation so that implantable hearing devices can be compatible with conventional digital hearing aids in cost/benefit ratio; and 3) enhance efficacy of the device so that enough gain can be delivered to aid severe hearing loss within limitations of the capacity and recharging cycles of available batteries.

These challenges, however, appear to have been met with a newly developed totally implantable hearing system (TIHS) developed by a University of Oklahoma research team. Feasibility studies show the system capable of delivering acoustic vibrations to the middle ear ossicular chain or cochlea with minimal energy loss and distortion.

Designed for simpler surgery

While several implantable hearing devices equipped with electromagnetic or piezoelectric transducers have been investigated or developed in the US and Europe since 1990, these devices are often associated with surgical difficulty.

To overcome such difficulties, the University of Oklahoma team set out to design a system that achieves the following: minimal surgical impact on contacting nerves; no significant effect on the patient’s residual hearing; no sensation of the implant movement; and tolerance of variations in the patient’s anatomy and exact position achieved by the surgeon.

The preliminary design and function evaluation on the TIHS was completed using a 3D FE (finite element) model of the human ear and the temporal bones with laser Doppler vibrometry. The human ear model consists of accurate anatomic structures of the external ear canal, eardrum, middle ear ossicular chain, middle ear cavity, and the uncoiled cochlea. The location, orientation, and dimensions of the implant transducers including the implant magnet, ossicular attachment, and implantable coil, are determined in the model within the constraints of the middle ear and external ear canal anatomy. This model is used to conduct acoustic-structure-fluid coupled analysis as well as electromagnetic coupling.
Otologic and neuro-otologic surgeon Dr. Mark Wood examines Tony Howard, a patient with bi-lateral cochlear implants, who looks forward to an opportunity to benefit from a restorative totally implantable hearing systems under development at the University of Oklahoma.

Otologic and neuro-otologic surgeon Dr. Mark Wood examines Tony Howard, a patient with bi-lateral cochlear implants, who looks forward to an opportunity to benefit from a restorative totally implantable hearing systems under development at the University of Oklahoma.
FE model tests characterize the performance of an electromagnetic hearing device across the auditory frequency range including the following aspects: mass loading effect on residual hearing with the passive implant; efficiency of electromagnetic coupling between implanted coil and magnet; efficiency of the forward mechanical driving (the actuator implanted in ossicles) and reverse driving (the actuator placed on round window membrane); and function characterization of whole unit in response to acoustic input across the skin (implantable microphone).

The mechanism of acoustic-electrical-mechanical transmission in the TIHS is typical of electromagnetic-type transducers used in middle ear implantable hearing devices. The assembly of the implantable (or transcutaneous) microphone, DSP/audio signal processor and rechargeable battery, and the RF controlled system of the TIHS utilize the technologies similar to other such devices. However, the coil and implant transducer design and the transcanal surgical approach for implantation are different from other implantable middle ear hearing devices.

The TIHS is much simpler than other middle ear implantable hearing devices in design, manufacturing, and surgical implantation. Thus, this technology may reduce both the surgical cost of middle ear implantable device and the cost of manufacturing them.

Structure

The TIHS consists of an implant transducer (magnet) placed on the middle ear ossicles, an implantable coil placed under the ear canal bony wall, an assembly of implantable microphone, DSP-audio signal processor (sound amplifier) and rechargeable battery placed in the sub-postcranial area under the skin, and a remote control unit with a battery charger as the external components.

Figure 1. Schematic of the TIHS in the right ear.

Figure 2. Block diagram of acoustic-electric-mechanical signal transmission of the TIHS.

Figure 1 is a schematic of the TIHS in the ear with implant transducer attached to the ossicles and the coil implanted under the canal wall (the external parts are not shown). The block diagram of Figure 2 displays the acoustic-electrical-mechanical signal transmission of the TIHS. Sound signals are received by an implantable microphone and converted as electrical analog signals. The analog signals are then converted as digital signals and amplified through the DSP/audio signal processor, and finally input to the coil. The interaction between electromagnetic fields of the coil and implant magnet induces the vibration of the ossicles. Therefore, the performance of TIHS is described by the movement of the stapes, which can be derived from the FE model of the ear and measured in human cadaver ears or temporal bones.

Figure 3. Implant transducer Model I with coil placed under the ear canal.

Two implant transducers: Model I and Model II are designed to meet different patient hearing situations. Implant Model I is designed for the ears with normal ossicular chain (Figure 3). The implant is attached to the long process of the incus and the head of stapes with the ossicular attachment made from Nitinol, a shape-memory biocompatible alloy material; the implantable coil is placed in the ear canal wall. A good alignment between the implant magnet and coil within ± 5 degrees was achieved through the design with the model. The permanent magnet (e.g., Neodymium-iron boron Nd2Fe14B) is hermetically sealed inside a titanium canister.

Figure 4. Implant transducer Model II with coil placed under the ear canal.

Implant Model II is specified for the ears with disrupted ossicular chain. For the case of missing of the incus, Figure 4 shows the implant Model II as an assembly of the implant magnet and ossicular attachment placed or fixed between the malleus and stapes from the posterior-medial view. The design completed in FE model ensures the alignment of the coil and implant magnet. The implant Model II functions as active incus replacement or active partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP), driven by electromagnetic coupling between the implant magnet and coil. The coil is hermetically sealed inside a titanium canister and implanted in the posterior side of the ear canal bony wall for both Models I and II.

Advantages

The advantages of the TIHS are many. With it, there is no mastoidectomy, facial recess, and manipulation of ossicular chain during the implantation of TIHS. The ossicular attachment made of the shape-memory material eliminates the destruction of the ossicles. The implantation of the coil under the ear canal wall as the trans-canal surgical approach is commonly accepted by otologic surgeons. The assembly of the implantable microphone, audio/DSP signal processor with RF telemetry assembly, and rechargeable battery is a sub-postcranial pocket and will be implanted in the post-cranial area under the skin.

These advantages make it possible for a forward-thinking company to apply this well-tested technology with a good benefit-to-cost ratio and move it from prototype to finished product. Then, 38 million Americans who have moderate-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss will have an opportunity to have restored what most of us take for granted.

Paul McEuen's 'Spiral' Had Oklahoma Roots

2011-04-05T09:21:00.004-05:00

Cornell physicist Paul McEuen's first techno-thriller novel “Spiral” had Oklahoma roots.

BY DAVID ZIZZO dzizzo@opubco.com Oklahoman
Published: March 22, 2011

Paul McEuen is curious about a lot of stuff. Tiny drums and the end of the world, for instance.

"Spiral" book cover Provided by Random House Publishing - Provided by Random House Publish

I thought, ‘I can write something about nano stuff that would be a little bit closer to the truth and still be exciting.'” Paul McEuen

As a physics professor and nanoscience researcher at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., McEuen, 47, has stretched atom-thick graphene paper to make, and even play, a microscopic drum, a process that might someday change microelectronics.

“We call that science, interestingly enough,” he said.

And the world-ending thing? That's more of a creative flight of fantasy, one McEuen has taken at least twice. The first time was when he was 12, growing up in south Oklahoma City.

“He wrote a kind of dark, blow-up-the-world kind of poem,” his mother, Mary Lu McEuen, of Oklahoma City, recalled.

Joe McEuen, his father, remembers Paul as a “semi-nerd,” a normal kid with friends and a social life but who also was whip-smart and loved to read, especially “high-end sci-fi.”

“We never tried to push him one way or another,” Joe McEuen said. “Just encouraged him to go where he felt led.”

Paul McEuen remembers his poem was “narrated by the last person on Earth, in the process of dying,” he said. “Shows you where my head was at.”

Channeling passion

Now 35 years later, McEuen has sort of returned to that theme in his latest dark imaginings. The intellectual exercise indulges his creative side, the part of him that likes to wander off alone, to get away from his other passion, hard science. The part that loves to write.

The result was “Spiral,” a novel, if not about the end of the world, about what might present a threat of that possibility. In it, according to a review in The New York Times, an Asian evildoer snatches a Nobel winner to enlist the laureate's “microcrawler” spiderlike nanobots in a terrorist attack involving a deadly biological pathogen. Standing between the world and disaster by fungus is, spoiler alert, a Cornell physics professor.

The idea had been crawling around in McEuen's head since he read “Prey,” a novel about nanobots gone wild written by the late Michael Crichton. A longtime fan of Crichton, McEuen thought the techno-thriller heavyweight author stretched the science “a little too far,” overreaching into the realm of fiction.

“‘Prey' sort of missed the mark a little bit,” he said.

That started the microwheels turning. The job of a thriller writer is to find “something really dangerous” and then wind a feasible tale with it, McEuen said. Nanobots could be good vectors, but a biological agent, now that was a believable scourge, he decided.

“I thought, ‘I can write something about nano stuff that would be a little bit closer to the truth and still be exciting,'” McEuen said.

According to the Times, he succeeded. “It's actually better than a lot of what Mr. Crichton wrote once his prime was over,” the reviewer concluded.

The book has been optioned for a movie, but it's a long way from the screen. Meanwhile, McEuen will continue with his science. And his writing.

“I actually like doing both,” he said. “They sort of use different parts of my brain, and they feed on each other.”

Read more: http://newsok.com/paul-mceuens-spiral-had-oklahoma-roots/article/3549913#ixzz1IetDN1Ti

IE Students Bring Home Top Honors at Regional Competition

2011-03-28T08:36:00.004-05:00

February 26th, 2011

Pictured from left to right are 3rd place winners – Fahad Khan, Miguel Ortiz, and Ali Shakroun and 1st place winners – Tobi Olusola and Kaycee Wilson.

The OU School of Industrial Engineering took 19 students to Stillwater Feb. 19 for the IIE Regional Technical Paper Competition. The event was attended by students from across our region including Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Two OU IE teams presented their work in the competition and both did an outstanding job.

Congratulations to Kaycee Wilson (BS'10 and current MS student) and Tobi Olusola (BS'10 and current Pharmacy student) for winning top honors at the conference. Their paper, "Balancing the Flow of a Multi-Pallet Process", developed originally for their capstone course, won first place. They will now get to compete against the winners of the other regions at the national conference this May in Reno, Nevada.

Congratulations also to Ali Shakroun (BS'10), Miguel Ortiz (BS'10), and Fahad Khan (who will graduate May 2011) for their third place finish. Their paper, "How Camera View Affects Task Time and Performance on a Remote Control Car", developed originally for their research methods course, won third place.

CBME and Bioengineering Students Prickett and Westbrook Bring Home Awards from Bartlesville

2011-03-24T09:56:00.005-05:00

March 2011

Whitney Prickett, a masters student from Dallas studying Bioengineering at the University of Oklahoma, won first place in the poster session with 53 posters at the Annual Pentasectional American Chemical Society Meeting in Bartlesville on March 12 for her paper "Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Targeted to the Tumor Vasculature and
Near Infrared Light Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment." The paper was co-authored with Professors Roger Harrison and Daniel Resasco. Prickett received a $350 award. She is in the accelerated BS/MS program in Bioengineering. Harrison serves as her research advisor.

Aaron Westbrook, a senior from Norman pursuing his bachelors degree from the School of Chemical, Biological and Mechanical Engineering, received an award of merit for his poster "Expanding the Traditional Definition of Naphthenic Acid Structures: Inclusion of Aromatic and Dicarboxylic Acid Functional Groups." Professor Mark Nanny co-authored the poster.

In addition to first and second place awards, there was one merit award with a cash prize and two awards of merit.

Professor Focuses Biomedical Engineering Research, Education on Improving Cancer Diagnoses, Minimizing Radiation

2011-03-23T11:52:00.003-05:00

From www.newsrx.com

According to a top 100 careers rating by CNNMoney.com and Payscale.com, biomedical engineering ranked tenth out of the 100 top careers with an estimated 79 percent job growth forecasted for the next 10 years. These kinds of statistics look good for Hong Liu, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Oklahoma and endowed Charles and Jean Smith chair in biomedical engineering, who also holds the George Lynn Cross Research Professorship.

With approximately 10 graduate students typically pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in electrical and computer engineering with an emphasis in biomedical engineering research, Liu is pleased to know his students are entering a growing field that has the potential to save lives.

Liu focuses his current research on medical imaging technology to decrease radiation and generate earlier diagnosis in patients diagnosed with breast cancer, cervical cancer and leukemia.

“Medical imaging research will help save and improve lives,” he said. “I’m pleased that the field is growing dramatically, allowing us to make more advancements and lead students to pursue careers that help others.”

Da Zhang, who received his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering from OU in May 2009, studied under Liu and is currently a junior physicist in the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, said he wouldn’t be where he is today without the guidance of Liu, a lifelong mentor.

Since medical imaging currently is a hot topic in the biomedical science field, Zhang said he and his colleagues saw many new job listings in biomedical engineering when they were job hunting.

“More physicians are using medical imaging first when diagnosing a patient, so it’s a big deal to reduce radiation exposure. We also need physicians to be able to use the X-ray image to its fullest for diagnosis,” Zhang said. “One of Dr. Liu’s most promising projects to help in this area is the X-ray phase and phase contrast, which is designed to provide a clearer image and a lower dosage of radiation.”

Liu’s students have gone on to work in both industry and academia. One former student is conducting cancer research at the University of Pittsburgh; another joined General Electric early last year and is now an R&D engineer developing PET-CT systems.

“It’s an exciting but competitive field,” Zhang said. “I have goals to become a head medical physicist, further diagnostics imaging and possibly get a professorship to become a faculty member, so I can teach in addition to conducting research.”

To those interested in pursuing biomedical engineering, Liu suggests they:
Build a solid foundation through formal educational programs and increase self-learning skills through research and practices
Develop interdisciplinary collaborations and always keep the patients’ benefits in mind
Know the state-of-the-art developments, think about the big picture and then learn how to move forward to reach new discoveries

Liu joined the OU College of Engineering faculty nine years ago and is an internationally acclaimed researcher in medical imaging. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and the International Society for Optical Engineering. He serves as editor-in-chief of the Journal of X-ray Science and Technology and has also served as a charter member of the National Institutes of Health study section in Biomedical Imaging Technology. His research has been funded continuously through NIH grants and other peer-reviewed funding agencies for the past 20 years. In the past nine years at OU, he has received more than $8 million through major externally funded grant awards for his research in the areas of medical X-ray cancer imaging and optical genetic imaging. Projects include phase contrast mammography for breast cancer diagnosis, optical chromosome imaging for leukemia diagnosis, and optical fluorescence imaging for cervical cancer screening. Liu and his students have published more than 180 scientific papers and book chapters and have several issued patents.

The University of Oklahoma biomedical engineering department spans research and education activities in biomedical sciences and bioengineering on the Norman, Okla., and Oklahoma City campuses. The department provides interdisciplinary training of the highest quality to the next generation of biomedical engineers and scientists; serves as a catalyst for innovative interdisciplinary research at the interfaces of biology, engineering and medicine; and serves as the platform through which new discoveries in biomedical sciences and engineering are translated into clinical technologies and therapies for the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

###

For more information contact:
Mindy Robson or Lindsey Sparks at
Anglin Public Relations (405) 840-4222

Joint Effort Announced by Honors College and the College of Engineering

2011-03-09T21:42:00.004-06:00

March 2011 Honors College e newsletter

Beginning in August 2011, the Honors College and the College of Engineering will sponsor a new major effort to help engineering majors complete their Honors requirements by the time they graduate. The two colleges have agreed to jointly fund the new position of Honors Liaison in the College of Engineering, and Dr. Chris Dalton has been selected to fill this role.

Dr. Dalton received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from OU in 2004, also having completed the Honors curriculum and graduating magna cum laude. He continued to complete his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees, both at OU, in 2007 and 2010 respectively. Currently, he is also an affiliate instructor with the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering as well as a project director for a National Science Foundation GK-12 program operating out of the Sooner Engineering Education Center.

“I am very excited to begin this cooperation with the Honors College,” Dr. Dalton said. “Being a former OU Honors student, I think I have a good perspective on what the typical Honors experience is like, so I am hopeful I can provide a great amount of assistance to those students who have questions or concerns about the engineering curriculum.”

Dr. Dalton will serve many functions for the Honors engineering students. He will primarily serve as advisor for any students that elect to use the “Contract for Honors Credit” option, which is being revamped an attractive option for engineering students, who have a very rigid curriculum and would have some difficulty finding suitable Honors courses,” Dr. Dalton explained.

Dr. Dalton will also serve as an additional source of information for those engineering students that are confused about how their Honors requirements fit with their engineering curriculum. “It’s a long walk down to the Honors College from the engineering buildings if you want to ask questions" Dr. Dalton said. And while the engineers receive excellent advising from the college and their specific departments, most advisors are not aware of the students with Honors standing, so we wanted to have someone with a foot in both worlds that is aware of the requirements and rules from both sides.”

Dr. Dalton will be available to answer questions about the Honors curriculum, the “Contract for Honors Credit” option, Honors reading and research, and any other issues that arise. Dr. Dalton’s office is located in the Rawl Engineering Practice Facility, Room 114, and can be reached by email at cdalton@ou.edu.

“I am looking forward to working with and for the talented Honors students in the College of Engineering,” Dr. Dalton said. “It is my hope that we can provide as many options and opportunities for the students so that they can finish their Honors requirements along with their engineering degrees.”

Researcher Gives Hope to People with Hearing Loss

2011-03-08T16:32:00.002-06:00

Published March 8, 2011 - www.disabled-world.com

New Technology Will Eliminate Social Stigma of Hearing Aids - Rong Gan, a biomedical researcher supported by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2005, is working on a totally implantable hearing system that would be unseen from the outer ear and restore hearing to those with moderate to severe hearing loss. She is in the final stages of development, but needs a company with existing products or distribution channels that reach the hearing impaired to take it to market.

Three years ago, Rong Zhu Gan predicted her totally implantable hearing system (TIHS) would be fabricated, FDA approved, developed into a product and brought to market in 2012. With two years left, she’s already achieved the first two objectives, bringing her closer to her goal of giving the gift of sound to more people experiencing hearing loss.

“Conventional hearing technology has advanced tremendously,” said Gan, professor of biomedical and mechanical engineering and endowed Charles E. Foster Chair in Mechanical/Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. “However, conventional technology suffers from drawbacks such as unsatisfactory sound quality, limited frequency range, undesired distortion, blocking of the external ear canal, acoustic feedback with high amplification and social stigma. This is why I’ve set my sights on working toward a product that would eliminate the stigma and awareness of a hearing device.”

Hearing loss affects up to 10 percent of the population in the United States. The prevalence increases with age, and more than one-third of people older than 65 years have a significant hearing loss. Only approximately 20 percent of people with hearing loss seek assistance from hearing aids. Of these, as many as 20 percent do not wear their hearing aids and another 17 percent are dissatisfied with them, according to Jack A. Shohet, M.D., Otolaryngologist, Shohet Ear Associates Medical Group, Inc., in an article on eMedicine.medscape.com

Rong Gan, right, listens as a biomechanics student discusses auditory research.

Gan established a biomedical research home at the OU College of Engineering in 1999. Since then, she has received more than $2.97 million in funding for auditory research -- specifically, the measurement of sound/vibration transmission through the ear. She uses new technology and modeling to better understand and utilize auditory frequencies and developed an implantable hearing device, completely invisible from the outer ear.

Mark Wood, M.D., otologic and neuro-otologic surgeon at the Otologic Medical Clinic and the Hough Ear Institute in Oklahoma City, collaborates with Gan and other biomedical researchers on a weekly basis to discuss research questions related to hearing loss.

“Implantable middle ear devices are medically desirable for people with certain ear deformities or skin conditions that preclude the use of conventional aids,” Dr. Wood said. “Some types of hearing loss may be better served by implantable devices because they provide qualities of sounds that are not achievable with conventional aids.”

Tony Howard, a patient of the Otologic Medical Clinic, who after wearing bilateral hearing aids for 12 years now has bilateral cochlear implants, said, “The drawbacks of hearing aids are in the aesthetics. People don’t like the way hearing aids look in their ears. With my cochlear implants, I was able to do things again, normal things, like talk on the phone, hear music, play the guitar, participate in meetings, and so on. I believe the more hearing is restored to ‘normal’ hearing through amplification or implants, the less embarrassed those with a hearing impairment will feel around the mainstream population.”

Dr. Wood said, “A totally implantable system removes the stigma of hearing loss and the usual upkeep from a person's daily life. But it’s costly. More investigations will have to be done to determine if these systems are better than conventional aids for each individual case.”

Gan’s technology could potentially replace hearing aids, cochlear implants and other implantable hearing devices; therefore, she is developing a product that has better functionality, minimizes the risk to patients’ hearing and is comparable to conventional digital hearing aids in cost/benefit ratio. She said the TIHS is a more compatible fully implantable or totally implantable hearing device with less complexity, lower cost and minimal surgical implantation.

Otologic and neuro-otologic surgeon Dr. Mark Wood talks with Tony Howard, a patient with bi-lateral cochlear implants who sees benefit to research and development toward restorative totally implantable hearing systems.

“This technology is primed and ready to go. We need a company to take the TIHS technology into the market. The ideal company would have existing products or distribution channels that reach the 38 million Americans who have moderate-to-severe hearing loss,” Gan said.

Howard said, “We live in a world of language; being able to speak and listen are critical to quality living. There was a day when people who are deaf or hard of hearing had no other options, but not today. I’ve seen so many expensive hearing aids gathering dust in dressers or desk drawers. The implantable hearing device would eliminate vain excuses for not treating the issue and result in better hearing – every day.”

Gan is applying for grant funding from the National Institutes of Health to move forward on researching the mechanics of the inner ear, through the development of a finite element model of the human ear that would help detect and treat common middle-ear infections and disorders. Her team’s project has been approved by the U.S. patent office and their research, moving forward, is focusing on the clinical applications of this model.

The University of Oklahoma biomedical engineering program spans research and education activities in biomedical sciences and bioengineering on the Norman, Okla., and Oklahoma City campuses. Its goal is to provide interdisciplinary training of the highest quality to the next generation of biomedical engineers and scientists; serve as a catalyst for innovative interdisciplinary research at the interfaces of biology, engineering and medicine; and be the platform through which new discoveries in biomedical sciences and engineering are translated into clinical technologies and therapies for the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

The Hough Ear Institute is a nonprofit research, educational and humanitarian service institute. As a Center of Excellence of INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center, the IBMC Cochlear Implant Clinic and Hearing Enrichment Language Program are an integral part of the institute. HEI also interacts with Otologic Medical Clinic Inc. and Audio Recovery Inc. All of these entities are located within the Hough Ear Institute campus. In addition, research collaborations exist between the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Oklahoma State University.

University of Oklahoma Student Receives Oklahoma Transportation Center's Student of the Year Award

2011-02-28T15:47:00.000-06:00

Feb. 10, 2011

By Amy Buchanan
University of Oklahoma
College of Atmospheric & Geographic Sciences

Pictured (L-R): Musharraf Zaman, OU College of Engineering associate dean of research and graduate programs; Jewellyn Grout, spouse; Trevor Grout, OU engineering student; Michelle McFarland, Oklahoma Transportation Center assistant director; and Tony Dark, OTC executive director.

NORMAN, Okla.—Trevor Grout, engineering graduate student at the University of Oklahoma’s Atmospheric Radar Research Center, was presented with the Oklahoma Transportation Center’s student of the year award at the 14th annual Council of University Transportation Centers’ award banquet, held recently in Washington, D.C.

Grout was the only one from Oklahoma among the 60 recipients recognized nationally for outstanding achievement in and contribution to transportation research and education. Since July 2009, Grout has been working with collaborators on a project titled “Proactive Approach to Transportation Resource Allocation under Severe Weather Emergencies.” The goal of the project is to develop tools that aid maintenance managers in making resource allocation and deployment decisions to mitigate severe winter weather.

“Trevor is a unique fit for this project as it necessitates the need for a multidisciplinary approach from both a meteorological and engineering perspective,” said Yang Hong, associate professor in OU’s School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences. “Trevor’s background with a bachelor’s degree in meteorology, as well as working towards his master of science in civil engineering degree, undoubtedly gives him a great advantage. This award truly testifies the interdisciplinary weather enterprise at OU.”

OU Team Targeting Tar Creek

2011-02-28T14:25:00.000-06:00

By April Wilkerson
April is a reporter in Oklahoma City. Contact her at 278-2849.
Posted: 09:27 PM Friday, February 25, 2011

OKLAHOMA CITY – Although their initial project money has run out, University of Oklahoma professor Robert Nairn and his research team are looking for ways to continue their water restoration work at the Tar Creek Superfund Site in northeastern Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, the passive water treatment approach his team uses is being implemented in Bolivia.

Nairn, who also serves as director of OU’s Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds, is looking for new grant possibilities after finishing a $6 million project at Tar Creek that removes contaminants from water seeping up from mines. That initial system is still running, but the contaminants it captures are only the tip of the iceberg.

“The polluted water is still coming out of the ground, and we’ve done calculations of how long that will last,” Nairn said. “Those calculations indicate that the water quality problems from the underground mines will probably be a problem for few centuries. We’re only addressing a fraction of the underground mine waters, so there’s a number of streams that still have a pollution problem.”

Beaver Creek, which is culturally significant to the Quapaw Tribe, is another affected area, he said. He estimates $25 million is needed to treat polluted water emerging from the mines.

Nairn and his team began researching the water quality problems at Tar Creek in 1998. He previously worked for the now-defunct U.S. Bureau of Land Mines, where he gained experience with the passive water treatment approach.

The system at Tar Creek, completed in 2008, requires little maintenance and no electricity to operate. Rather, the system relies on gravity and natural bacteria to remove the iron, zinc, lead, cadmium and arsenic in the water coming up from the mines.

“With all the holes in the ground, that polluted water discharges to the surface and flows out into the streams,” he said. “At this particular location, there were discharges of water that worked their way into a tributary and into Tar Creek. We came up with a design that we thought would be effective.”

The first step in the process is to put air into the water, accomplished by a large surface area. The focus then turns to removing the iron, which has turned the water bright orange, Nairn said. The next step involves making the water flow vertically through a pond that is filled with organic material, which breaks down the contaminants. That organic material is relatively simple: mushroom compost mixed with wood chips.

Because that step removes the oxygen, it receives another infusion of air by wind- and solar-powered aeration pumps. A few more steps serve to “polish” the water before it is discharged back into the stream.

“The whole thing works by gravity flow,” he said. “No pumps, no fossil fuel consumption. Once in place, the design lifetime is about three decades with a limited amount of operation and maintenance. We visit on a quarterly basis since our funding ended, to take water samples and make sure everything is working properly.”

The passive water treatment system is appropriate for Tar Creek, Nairn said, because no one is drinking the water in that area, and more traditional treatments would be cost-prohibitive. “Active” treatment systems are effective, but involve caustic chemicals and significant labor, maintenance and capital.

Nairn’s system cost $3 million – about $1 million to construct and $2 million for the design and data collection, he said. The rest of the original $6 million was spent on a larger remediation and restoration monitoring program.

The OU research team also is exploring ways to recycle some of the contaminants captured from the water. Some of his colleagues in the East are recovering materials, particularly iron oxides, for use in pigment production, such as colors for concrete and brick.

“The big difference is that they’re working with coal mines that don’t have the same chemistry as the lead zinc mines here,” he said. “There’s a little difference in chemistry that we’re exploring. The expectation isn’t that anyone would make money on recovering these materials, but we might be able to produce some revenue that helps maintain and operate the system.”

Although the Tar Creek site is a tremendous pollution problem, it also serves as a major learning opportunity for Nairn’s students. That education goes far beyond the science and technology of putting such a system in place.

“We do a great job of technically preparing our students, but the real world includes lots of other factors,” he said. “To get them up into the watershed and examine the social and cultural issues, especially with tribes, gives them a different perspective on the environment pollution problems and our efforts to fix them. You can have the best technologies and good science and engineering, but you need to be able to effectively communicate and understand other folks’ perspectives. The Tar Creek watershed gives that opportunity on a grand scale.”

Nairn’s team is taking that philosophy to Bolivia, where work is under way on a passive water treatment system in the high desert of the Andes. There, the local people are still using the contaminated water for irrigation and other uses.

CNN Hero Award Winner Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe to Speak About Work in Uganda

2011-02-16T08:51:00.000-06:00

NORMAN – The Center for Social Justice, along with the University of Oklahoma Women’s and Gender Studies Program, Sooners Without Borders, and Pros for Africa, will host a talk with Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe about her work with rape victims in Africa, Monday, Feb 21. The event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Dale Hall, Room 200, 455 W. Lindsey, on the OU Norman campus. Free parking will be available in the parking lot immediately to the west and north of Dale Hall.

Nyirumbe is a Ugandan who was named a CNN Hero for her work with rape victims in Africa. She began the St. Monica’s Girls Tailoring School in Gulu, Uganda, to give shelter to girls and women who have been abducted by members of the Lord’s Resistance Army. Many of these young women were raped by their abductors and now have children. The St. Monica’s Girls Tailoring School empowers women and teaches them the skills necessary to make a living for themselves and their children.

Former Sooner Roy Williams, who works with Pros for Africa, will introduce Sister Rosemary. PFA is a nonprofit relief organization headquartered in Oklahoma City. PFA was founded in 2009 by Reggie Whitten, Bill Horn, Jay Mitchel, Jared Mitchel, Adrian Peterson, Tommie Harris, Roy Williams and Mark Clayton. PFA sends representatives to African nations to “provide food, water, clothing, medicine and other necessities to disadvantaged children of war, poverty and natural disaster.” ( For more information, visit http://prosforafrica.com/about.)

The Center for Social Justice is an initiative of the OU Women’s and Gender Studies Program, established in 2009 to promote gender justice, equality, tolerance, and human rights through local and global engagement.

Sooners Without Borders is a registered student organization of OU. The organization encourages collaboration across disciplines and is devoted to finding sustainable solutions for water, health, education, development and peace.

For more information about the event and for accommodations on the basis of disability, contact the Center for Social Justice at peace@ou.edu or call (405) 325-5787.

OU ESTABLISHES A NEW WATER AND SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE OKLAHOMA WATER SURVEY

2011-02-11T15:17:00.000-06:00

1-26-11

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Catherine Bishop, Vice President
OU Public Affairs, (405) 325-1543 or
Joanne Thomson, Marketing Manager
CORIX Group of Companies, (604) 575-6136

OKLAHOMA CITY – University of Oklahoma President David L. Boren announced today that OU is establishing an Institute for Water and Sustainability using the University’s research expertise to benefit Oklahoma and the nation, including emerging regions of the world. The institute will be led by a national expert, who will be appointed to an endowed faculty position funded by a $2 million gift from Corix, a multi-utility infrastructure company, which is in a long-term association with OU in its utility system. The Institute will include the new Oklahoma Water Survey patterned on the Oklahoma Geological Survey, which is also housed at OU.

“The formation of the Corix Institute was guided by the importance of understanding and managing water in all its dimensions,” Boren said. “The demand for water to sustain life and the economy as well as for its natural beauty presents challenges for many organizations involved in its protection and management.

The Corix Institute seeks to bring together experts from many disciplines to understand the complexity of this precious natural resource and to provide research and data for leaders to make informed decisions regarding its conservation and use.”

“The endowment to help set up the Corix Institute is consistent with our commitment to both sustainability and investing in the communities where we work,” said Brett Hodson, President and CEO of Corix. “It also builds on our unique collaboration with OU, which we believe is the first of its kind between a company like Corix and a major university in the United States.”

The Corix Institute, which will be located within the National Weather Center, will consist of three programs: the established and internationally noted Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center; the Oklahoma Water Survey, a new program that will be created; and a future program focused upon water and sustainability in critical regions. The Institute will be led by an established expert to be identified in a national search, which will begin immediately. In the interim, Paul Risser, chairman and chief operating officer of OU’s Research Cabinet, will guide the institute’s activities.

Water Technologies for Emerging Regions Center conducts extensive international research, using innovative technologies to provide clean water and better sanitation to emerging regions of the world. Led by OU Professor David Sabatini, this program has achieved international recognition and provides outstanding learning experiences for OU students, who work throughout the world as well as in some areas of the United States.

The Oklahoma Water Survey will be modeled after the University’s four existing natural resource surveys: the Archeological, Biological, Climatological and Geological surveys. The Water Survey will serve as the focal point within the University to bring together experts in water research from multiple disciplines. The Survey also will serve as a contact point for collaborating with all those people, organizations, agencies and municipalities external to the University who want to tap into the expertise and the water-related data and information. The search for the director of the Oklahoma Water Survey will begin within the year.

Because water is so important, complex and multidimensional, federal, state tribal and municipal governments are engaged in its protection and management, including addressing legal and policy challenges arising from competing demands for the same water supply. In Oklahoma, seven state agencies are charged with jurisdictional responsibility for water. Within the Corix Institute, the Oklahoma Water Survey will serve as a point of contact for the agencies, synthesizing complex data and providing a center location where information can be accessed.

One of the first tasks of the Oklahoma Water Survey will be to collaborate with state agencies and tribal governments to complete the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan to achieve the best possible blueprint for the future understanding and management of Oklahoma’s water resources.

Backel Named NCAA Top VIII Award Winner

2011-01-13T09:55:00.000-06:00

January 4, 2011
SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. — Oklahoma Track and Field alum Amy Backel was named one of eight recipients of the NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award the organization announced Tuesday. The two-time All-American and 2010 Big 12 champion in the javelin, Backel completed her Civil Engineering degree requirements with an overall 3.98 grade point average en route to becoming Oklahoma’s first ever, male or female, three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American. Backel was one of two track and field athletes nationally to receive the honor and the only student-athlete from the Big 12 Conference to do so.

The NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award recognizes current student-athletes who will have completed their athletics eligibility for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community. They will receive their award at the NCAA Honors Celebration on Jan. 14 at the 2011 NCAA Convention in San Antonio.

The honorees are selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of athletics administrators at member institutions and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes.

Backel is the second NCAA Top VIII award winner in Oklahoma history and the first since football's Anthony Phillips received the honor in 1989.

The award is the latest in a long list of achievements for the Dillsburg, Pa., native. Backel was named the 2010 OU College of Engineering Outstanding Senior in Civil Engineering and has been named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team all four years of her athletic career, carrying a 4.0 grade point average for three of the four years. In her collegiate career, Backel, who is beginning work on her master’s degree in engineering, recorded a B just once.

Backel owns six All-Big 12 honors and was also recently named a recipient of the Big 12’s Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship. During her college career, Backel served as president of Oklahoma’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served on the Big 12 SAAC from 2008 to 2009. Backel was also the 2007 recipient of OU’s Dan Gibbens Outstanding Scholar Athlete of the Year Award and Athletics Council Service Award.

The OU record holder in the javelin, Backel was the top collegiate finisher in the event at 2010 USA Track and Field Championships. Along with her individual academic achievements, Backel helped guide the OU women’s team to the top spot in the 2010 USTFCCCA Academic Team rankings.

Computer Science Programming Team Places First in Regional Competition

2010-11-05T10:50:00.000-05:00

By Karen Kelly
CoE External Relations Coordinator

Pictured are senior computer science students (from the left) Caleb Eggensperger from Cabot, Ark.; computer science professor and team coach, Rex Page; Peter Reid from Sherwood, Ore. and Allen Smith from Austin, Texas.

It's a first place win for the first time for these senior computer science majors.

Team "OU A" competed in the 2010 Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) South Central USA regional programming contest. The competition consisted of 71 teams from Okla., Texas and La.

Director of OU's School of Computer Science, Sridhar Radhakrishnan, said, "Our team was the only one to solve all eight problems. We still would have won without the final problem as we had the least completion time."

Team "OU A" has been invited to compete in the ACM International Contest in Cairo, February 27 to March 4.

Click here to view the competition scoreboard.

Path to creativity: Former aerospace engineer teaches how to explore imagination

2010-11-03T09:17:00.000-05:00

By April Wilkerson
The Journal Record
Posted: Monday, November 1, 2010

Donna Shirley at her Tulsa home. Shirley was a pioneer in the United States’ space exploration, managing the Mars Exploration Program in the 1990s and helping put Pathfinder, Sojourner and other probes into space. (Rip Stell)

TULSA – As the manager of the Mars Exploration Program in the 1990s, Donna Shirley learned a thing or two about leading highly intelligent people charged with sending groundbreaking technology into outer space.

Today, Shirley has turned that experience into a book, Managing Creativity, and she operates a consulting firm to guide others on managing creative teams.

Shirley, who lives in Tulsa, has been part of America’s and Oklahoma’s seminal moments in aerospace engineering and aerospace education, and she continues to leverage her experience and wit to make a difference.

“A lot of people think creativity is about coming up with this great idea; that’s only part of it,” Shirley said. “You have to actually do something with it. That’s why you see a lot of startup businesses fail. They have great ideas, but they don’t know how to follow through with all the dull and dirty processes you have to do to actually make something work. There’s a lot of paying attention to dull things like budgets and schedules and managing issues between people – all those sort of things that aren’t fun, especially to engineers and scientists.”

But doing those things was how Shirley made her mark on America’s exploration of outer space with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratories. Her work began in the 1960s as an aerodynamicist, when she developed concepts that paved the way for subsequent successful designs for the Viking, Pioneer Venus, Pathfinder and the Mars Exploration Rover missions. Her work continued over the decades, and from 1992-1994 she led the team that developed Sojourner Truth, the $25 million Microrover landed by Mars Pathfinder on July 4, 1997. From 1994-1998, she managed the $150-million-a-year Mars Exploration Program, which included the Pathfinder and Mars Global Surveyor missions, plus two additional missions to Mars every 26 months for several years thereafter. She also did much of her work during a time when female engineers, especially at that level, were few.

“When we were successful in our landing, it was second only to the birth of my daughter in terms of events that were great in my life,” she said. “It was pretty cool.”

Today, Shirley keeps up with space exploration, particularly involving Mars. The rovers Spirit and Opportunity are the only two functioning robotics now on Mars, and Shirley said she’s not sure that Spirit will survive the winter. The investment of time and skill with the technology still gives her a personal connection.

“I was the mother to Sojourner, the little rover, so I consider myself the grandmother of Spirit and Opportunity,” she said. “If we had never done Sojourner, people would never have been convinced you could make a rover work on Mars and we would never have flown a rover.”

Shirley also remains committed to the concept of space exploration. Humans are wired to seek out new frontiers, she said, but doing so can help us avoid some problems on Earth.

“For example, a very early mission, Mariner 2, discovered that Venus had this very thick, horrible atmosphere, and it was the result of the greenhouse effect,” she said. “That was where the greenhouse effect was discovered, and we wouldn’t have known about it otherwise. Not that we’re doing anything very intelligent about it, but at least we now understand more or less what’s going on. So you find out things about other planets that are useful in understanding Earth.

“People also say, ‘Is space worth all the money we’re spending on it?’ If you look at it just in terms of dollars and cents, no it’s not,” she said. “We’re never going to make enough money off space exploration to have a payback in any sort of early time frame. People nowadays think of rate of return and early payback. Well, you’re not going to get that. There are now companies trying desperately to make money off space. It’s just like the railroad industry was not viable until the government funded railroads across the country. The government has to do things that are not economically viable in order to get the infrastructure in place. The government is going to have to spend money to develop these new technologies before anybody is going to be able to privately invest enough money to where you get a rate of return that’s worth it.”

Shirley also left her mark on the aerospace program at the University of Oklahoma. After retiring from Jet Propulsion Laboratories, she spent 1999 to 2003 at OU as an instructor of aerospace mechanical engineering and as assistant dean of the College of Engineering. She also was brought on board to guide a strategic plan.

But the aerospace engineering program at OU first had to survive. Student interest had dropped, and the university planned to cancel the program. There was an outcry, especially from OU aerospace alumni, she said, so they struck a deal to keep the program alive. Shirley was given the task of updating the curriculum to make it more relevant for today’s students. She earned her own bachelor’s degree in aerospace mechanical engineering from OU in 1965, so Shirley was glad to infuse the program with new knowledge and energy.

Tom Landers, dean of OU’s College of Engineering, said students were drawn to Shirley’s aerospace accomplishments and her motivating and energetic personality. Shirley remains an active alumna, both as a financial benefactor and a supporter, including helping to coordinate the College of Engineering’s centennial celebration last year.

“She’s a real idea person and brings a lot of vitality to the college through her ideas and participation,” Landers said. “I also team taught a course with her, Systems Engineering, and she brings not just technical experience but also fascinating experience to the classroom that the students enjoy.”

Shirley wrote a book about her work on the Mars Exploration Program, titled Managing Martians. She’s now revising and indexing her follow-up book about management, Managing Creativity. For information about her activities, visit www.managingcreativity.com .

Center researchers to focus on biofuel and fossil fuel applications using revolutionary concept

2010-10-26T22:35:00.000-05:00

October 26, 2010

Contact: Jana Smith, Director
Strategic Communications for R&D
University of Oklahoma
405-325-1322; jana.smith@ou.edu

Norman, Okla.—A University of Oklahoma research team recently received a $2.9 million grant from the Department of Energy Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research to establish a new Center for Interfacial Reaction Engineering, which will focus on applications of biofuel and fossil fuel upgrading using a revolutionary concept developed at OU.

Daniel Resasco, OU professor in the School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, will direct activities of the multi-institutional project, which includes team members Jeffrey Harwell and Friederike Jentoft, OU professors with expertise in colloidal chemistry and catalysis; Sanwu Wang, University of Tulsa professor with expertise in theoretical modeling of interfaces; and Khaled Gasem, Oklahoma State University professor with expertise in thermodynamic properties.

According to Resasco, tiny nanoparticles are used in the process to accelerate reactions at the interface of water and oil. Solid nanoparticles converted into catalysts that work in both water and oil have been called ‘Janus’ particles like the mythological, two-faced Roman god. Nanoparticles that are attracted to water and oil seek out water-oil interfaces. The product of the reaction is an emulsion used to convert biomass in the refinery process or in enhanced oil recovery processes.

More important, these catalysts can be recovered even from complex mixtures, such as those that result when biomass products are upgraded into fuels. Clearly, there are many other applications for this group of solid catalysts that can stabilize water-oil emulsions and catalyze reactions at the liquid-liquid interface. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries should find these catalysts useful in new drug development.

An article on this subject was published in the Jan. 1, 2010, issue of the scientific journal Science at www.sciencemag.org.

Oklahoma astronaut William Pogue to visit National Weather Center in Norman

2010-10-26T10:57:00.000-05:00

FROM STAFF REPORTS Oklahoman
Published: October 26, 2010

NORMAN — Oklahoma native William Pogue, an astronaut who spent 84 days orbiting Earth aboard Skylab, will give a free public chat at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the National Weather Center, 120 David L. Boren Blvd., on University of Oklahoma's south research campus.

Pogue will share his experiences as an astronaut and answer questions. Pogue was command module pilot for Skylab 4, the third and final manned flight to the Skylab space station. He spent 84 days orbiting Earth and made two spacewalks that totaled 13 hours, 31 minutes.

He also will present a $10,000 Astronaut Scholarship to OU senior Heather Hollen during his visit. The Astronaut Scholarship is the nation's largest scholarship awarded to science and engineering undergraduate students based solely on merit.

Panel highlights water, sanitation shortages

2010-10-18T10:54:00.000-05:00

OU Daily
By Elizabeth Oberg/Contributing Writer
Monday, October 18, 2010

A panel of five jurors participated in OU’s WaTER Symposium to discuss key issues about solving the world’s major water problems on Friday.

Estimating more than 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, the World Health Organization also estimates more than 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water.

The WaTER Center’s mission is “to help solve drinking water and sanitation challenges for impoverished regions in developing countries through innovative teaching and research initiatives,” according to its brochure.

“The only way to tackle a tough problem is to jump in and take it on one thing at a time. It can be done but it’s going to take all of us to contribute to the cause,” said Randy Kolar, associative director of the WaTER Center.

Most of the symposium focused on the five panelists addressing the issues of the global water and sanitation crisis and the work they do, along with discussing the lack of access to safe drinking water for developing countries, poor sanitation and poor hygiene.

“Our job is to advocate and spread the word to the people about this problem,” said panelist Robert Adamski, vice president of Municipal Infrastructure Programs at Gannett Fleming.

Diana Maritza Betancourt, who works for Water for the People in Honduras, said her work focuses on changing hygiene behavior in schools and at home.

“I strongly believe what we are doing now is trying to make a generational change, they [the kids] will replicate these habits,” Betancourt said. “Changing hygiene behavior requires long term intervention and larger regional alliance.”

Another panelist, Jean McCluskey, former UNICEF manager, said it is important to “listen, consult and understand. Give men, women and children their space to voice their opinions.”

Each juror agreed that advocacy and sustainability were important factors in making a change.

“Water holds the key to life on this planet,” OU Provost Nancy Megler said.

According to the World Health Organization, 2 million people die every year due to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene.

Also during the symposium, the jurors choose a recipient for the 2011 Water Prize.

“We developed the prize to recognize someone whose work in this area is excellent and longstanding in developing countries,” Kolar said.

This year the panel chose Ben Fawcett, an environmental health engineer, lecturer and researcher who has worked on emergency humanitarian projects across Latin America, Asia and Africa and co-authored the book “The Last Taboo: Opening the Door on the Global Sanitation Crisis,” which addresses the hygienic states of developing countries.

Nominating Fawcett was panelist James Mihelcic, civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of South Florida, who said he hopes to create a revolution by distributing Fawcett’s book to campuses across the country and outside the U.S.

“This book is the battle flag for global sanitation,” Mihelcic said.

Awarded every odd-numbered year, the prize was first awarded in 2009 to Dr. Stephen P. Luby, who works for the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research in Bangladesh. He is the head of the Programme on Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Sciences and the head of the Bangladesh Center for Disease Control.

The winner of the prize is chosen by the jurors from one of the individuals each juror nominates.

“The ripple effect of the water center and its prize will be palpable and it will get bigger and do more,” said Robert Con Davis, former dean of the Honors College and Executive Director of World Literature Today and Professor of literature.

The prize will be awarded at the Water Conference Oct. 24 25, 2011.

What this means

» A child dies approximately every 15 seconds because of lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation.

» The poorest people in underdeveloped countries often pay the highest cost for safe drinking water.

» In the poorest countries in the world, one out of five children dies from a preventable water disease.

» Only a limited amount of fresh water is available (about 3 percent relative to total amount).

You are Invited to an Open House - ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility

2010-09-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

You are invited to the College of Engineering’s Open House of the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility. Come see for yourself what all the excitement is about!

WHEN: Saturday, September 18
10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Student team members will be on hand to show off their projects and answer questions including Sooner Racing, Baja Off-Road, Sooner Powered Vehicle and the Naval Electric Drag Boat, to name a few.

By Tara Malone

The ExxonMobil Lawrence G . Rawl Engineering Practice Facility may only have opened earlier this year, but this state-of-the-art structure is already playing a key role in the lives of University of Oklahoma engineering students.

Named for former Exxon chairman Lawrence G. Rawl, the building features five first-floor practice bays that allow students to gain hands-on experience in engineering. Four of the bays are open to the second floor. One of the one-story bays is designed to provide students with an enclosed space for projects that may generate dirt. The bays are adjacent to a machine shop that provides new and well-maintained tools and equipment needed for student projects.

In addition, two bench labs in the building cater to students with smaller projects, such as electronic circuit boards and small robots, along with student locker space for project storage. Collaborative spaces on both floors are available 24/7. These spaces overlook the open practice bays, giving students a bird’s-eye view of engineering projects in progress.

“The ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility is a window for the community to see the vitality and value of engineering; to inspire, recruit and develop talent so vital to the future prosperity and security of our nation,” says OU College of Engineering Dean Tom Landers.

The building’s practice bays serve as a workshop for nationally competitive groups, such as the Sooner Racing Team, composed primarily of mechanical engineering students who use the outstanding resources of the building to design, construct and test their entries for annual racing competitions. This past summer, the team sped to glory, taking second place at the Formula SAE West competition in California and eighth place overall at the Formula Student competition in Hockenheim, Germany. At this writing, they are ranked first in the U.S. and fifth in the world, out of 450 teams.

Other teams housed in the EPF include the Concrete Canoe, Human Powered Vehicle, Mini-Baja and Design Build Fly, to name a few. Students work side-by-side in work bays that foster collaboration amongst the diverse engineering disciplines. An information technology area provides the finest in computer aid analysis, design and visual simulation tools.

The facility also played host to incoming OU freshmen at last summer’s AT&T HEADS UP Summer Bridge Program, where students were introduced to the collegiate lifestyle and engineering projects, and provided with tips on how to become proficient in such core engineering areas as calculus and chemistry. The camp lasted three weeks, with students staying on the OU Norman campus for the duration.

Leadership Seminar Series - So Now You're an Engineer!

2010-09-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

Engineering Women in Leadership Seminar Series

SO NOW YOU’RE AN ENGINEER!
by
Freda Webb

Friday, September 10, 2010
Presentation: 11:00 am – Noon
followed by
Lunch & Discussion: Noon – 1:00 pm
ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility, Room 200

Limited seating available, so RSVP early to tdsmith@ou.edu.
Deadline for RSVPs is by Monday, September 6th, before midnight!

Freda Webb, P.E., B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, 1979, M.S. in Petroleum Engineering, University of Southern California, 1997. Freda began her oil and gas career in 1977 working for Cities Service in the Oklahoma City Field as a roustabout. Cities Service was acquired by OXY and Freda stayed with OXY until 1998, working in Oklahoma City, Okla., Tulsa, Okla., Bakersfield, Calif., and Houston, Texas. She then joined Southwestern Energy in Houston and moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 2001. In 2002, she joined a long-time friend at Greenstar Energy as Vice President of Acquisitions until 2004. Since then, she has owned her own companies acquiring oil and gas minerals and working as a contract reservoir engineer.

So Now You’re An Engineer: You have studied for as long as you can remember. You know your math, you know your science and you know your equations. ARE YOU READY FOR WHAT’S NEXT??? What is your niche??? What are you going to “BE” when you grow up??? Manager, Technical Guru, Married, Single, Mother?? Are you going to live in one place the rest of your life or travel the world? Your life has just begun. You have chosen a degree that can provide you income, challenges and rewards, make the most of it; it is time to have FUN!!!

Sponsored by College of Engineering, Williams Companies, Inc., and the OU Society of Women Engineers!

Tiffany D. Smith, M.Ed.

Sooners race toward new competition

2010-08-31T13:52:00.000-05:00

Spencer Popp/The Daily

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Fresh off a summer of competition in California and Germany, the Sooner Racing team is gearing up for another year atop the national rankings of the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers.

The team builds a new car to race in the summer competitions throughout each school year, team captain Thomas Ingram said.

Ingram, mechanical engineering junior, said the car is like a miniature race car.

“We are limited to motorcycle engines, so we have to design everything around the engine and size it all proportionally,” he said.

Ingram said the team is in the design phase, with plans to finish research and other necessary tests by November.

The car will be completed to make test runs in the Lloyd Noble Center parking lot by April, he said.

“We design all the vehicle dynamics, engine packaging, a full [computer aided design] model and get all of our components of what we want done designed,” Ingram said. “We do all the research at the beginning of fall semester.”

New ideas
Plans for this year’s car are still being discussed, but Ingram said changes are coming.

“We have lots of crazy ideas that we are going to be implementing this year that are somewhat radical,” he said. “It’s never been done by any other team.

“We’re just going show up to competition and roll out this car that nobody’s ever seen.”

When asked about plans for this year’s car, former team captain and design engineer David Collins said some exciting things are on the horizon.

“Four hundred-fifty schools worldwide have never done what we are going to do this year with the car,” Collins said. “It’s a completely new concept.”

Multiple skills involved
The competition isn’t limited to racing, Ingram said.

“The second aspect to it is the static events, design, cost and business presentation,” he said. “We have industry leaders come out and judge our car.”

Team adviser Zahed Sidiqque, aeronautics and mechanical engineering associate professor, said there is a lot of effort that goes in to producing a successful racing team.

“I think it’s a great program,” Siddique said. “Students learn from it, and since they run it, it’s almost like running a company. It’s good practice for the future.”

For more information about Sooner Racing, e-mail Siddique at zsiddique@ou.edu.

Student researches a treatment

2010-08-30T11:54:00.000-05:00

By Doris Wedge
The Norman Transcript
August 30, 2010

NORMAN — An e-mail to an instructor at Michigan Technological University opened a door to an opportunity for Brent Van Rite on the OU campus, an opportunity which will lead to a doctorate and might play a big role in the treatment of solid tumor cancers.

Van Rite was nearing graduation from MTU with a degree in bio-medical engineering when his path took an unexpected turn.

“I was on the wait list at two pharmacy schools,” Van Rite recalls, and he had nothing to lose in responding to the e-mail from Dr. Roger Harrison at the University of Oklahoma.

The professor of chemical, biological and materials engineering was looking for a student who would be interested in entering a doctoral program. Harrison had a “carrot” to offer the right applicant: the chance to work with the professor as a graduate assistant in his research project looking for a breakthrough in the treatment of solid tumor cancers.

Van Rite had taken a course that had touched on drug delivery in the body, “and it was very interesting to me,” said the young man, who describes himself as “always interested in science and math.”

His response to Harrison resulted in an invitation to visit the OU campus. By the end of the visit, in spring 2008, Harrison had offered Van Rite the chance to study and work with him in his research funded through a contract with the Department of Defense.

Ensconced in a lab in a lower level of Sarkeys Energy Center, his desk is his “office.” His world as a graduate assistant is centered in three labs, including one in Oklahoma City. “I am here seven days a week,” Van Rite said.

It is there that his work focuses on utilizing enzymes to react with a non-toxic pro-drug, which can be localized in a tumor. Once in the tumor, they hypothesize, the pro-drug will be converted to a toxic drug.

“The difference with this approach is that the drug would treat only the tumor,” he explained. “Whereas, chemotherapy kills healthy cells, as well as the malignant cells.”

This has enormous implications for any solid tumor form of cancer, but their research is focused on breast cancer.

His work thus far has been “in vitro” testing, meaning testing outside a living organism. The next phase is to work with lab mice, testing that is called “in vivo.” In a lab at the OU Health Sciences Center, he will induce breast cancer in the mice and then see if the treatment of the tumors works.

“I will work with mice that do not have an immune system, so they have to be kept in a sterile environment,” Van Rite said.

The labs on the Norman campus don’t provide that kind of environment for the mice, he said. All of the testing using mice has the approval of the IACUC, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.

Assuming that the treatment will work, further tests will determine the level of toxicity needed to produce positive results.

While other graduate assistants have worked on the project before him, flaws were found which required him to start from scratch, work that he has documented in a paper he and Dr. Harrison hope will soon be published.

“All of the in vitro data set to be published, I have done myself,” he said.

Van Rite grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and found Oklahoma to be “polar opposite” in many respects, “but it was a welcome change.” Raised in the family-owned construction business, he said his parents have worked hard to see their three children get college educations. His twin sister, Brittany, soon will finish her juris doctorate and another sister, Tiffany, has a bachelor’s degree and works in the health insurance industry.

Remarking about working in the lab seven days a week, Van Rite said, “I got my work ethic from my Dad,” who started the construction business when he was just out of high school. But the younger Van Rite finds time occasionally to golf at the Westwood or Jimmie Austin courses, playing with a single digit handicap.

Van Rite is halfway through his doctoral studies and has the research project to complete, so he anticipates being on the OU campus for at least another two years. After that, he might pursue post-doctorate work.

“I would like more experience, more hands-on research,” Van Rite said.

He is likely to eventually find a position related to the pharmacy education that he is planning on when he got his bachelor’s degree, this time in research for a pharmaceutical company.

“I would like to stay in cancer research. Cancer is taking lives left and right. With our research, we are going for a treatment. Looking for a cure would be a whole other ballgame,” Van Rite said.

As for now, he can only wonder where the results of the research he is involved in may lead him.

Quake testing planned at Miami, OK

2010-08-21T09:24:00.000-05:00

University of Oklahoma researchers Muralee Muraleetharan, left, and Charbel Khoury discuss an earthquake study in Miami, Okla. Gary Crow, for The Oklahoman

BY SHEILA STOGSDILL
Published: August 19, 2010
MIAMI, OK — Pipes that represent bridge pilings will be "shaken" next month in northeast Oklahoma during an earthquake simulation project designed to improve bridge building in quake-prone areas.

University of Oklahoma researchers Muralee Muraleetharan, left, and Charbel Khoury discuss an earthquake study in Miami, Okla. Gary Crow, for The Oklahoman

Ottawa County is not prone to earthquakes, but the soft clay soil found there is similar to the soil in San Francisco — and in areas of Missouri and Arkansas affected by the New Madrid fault line — said K.K. "Muralee" Muraleetharan, a University of Oklahoma researcher who is leading the five-university study.

A "hydraulic actuator" will be used to shake giant pipes buried near the Neosho River Bridge on the south side of Miami, Muraleetharan said. Sometimes referred to as a portable shaker, the 500-pound, 6-foot-long piece of equipment will simulate earthquake motion, he said.

Miami residents will not feel any vibrations during the hourlong test scheduled for mid-September, he said.

"Whatever we learn in Miami can be used in San Francisco and New Madrid," Muraleetharan said of the four-year, $1.2 million study funded by a National Science Foundation grant.

The project got under way Monday with preparations for a crane to push two steel pipes, about a foot in diameter each, into the soil near the base of the bridge. The pipes, called pile foundations, are used to support bridges and buildings that cannot be supported by soft soils, he said.

Miami City Manager Huey Long said there will be no danger to the bridge.

"There is no danger of hurting the bridge or hurting the roads," he said.

Both pipes with be submerged 21 feet into the earth, Muraleetharan said, one into a clay-cement mixture soil and the other in regular clay soil, to be compared.

Researchers are developing a technique called "cement deep-soil mixing" which strengthens clay soil to improve the performance of the bridge pilings, he said. The study will help determine how much cement should be added to the soil.

Iowa State University, San Jose State University, Clemson University, UCLA, Grand River Dam Authority, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, the city of Miami, Earth Mechanics Inc. and Advanced GEOSolutions Inc. are identified by a sign at the site as being partners in the study.

Major earthquakes on the New Madrid fault were felt across thousands of square miles in 1811 and 1812.

There is a 7 to 10 percent chance in the next 50 years that a major earthquake could occur like those in 1811-1812, which likely had magnitudes of between 7.5 and 8.0, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There is a 25 to 40 percent chance of a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake, it said.

Future female engineers bond before classes

2010-08-20T10:26:00.000-05:00

Meredith Moriak/The Daily
Thursday, August 19, 2010

More than two dozen freshmen and transfer students participate in event to promote female engineering careers. Growing up around airplanes and getting her pilots license early in life convinced freshman Katie Gayon aerospace engineering is the major for her.

On Wednesday, the Keller, Texas, native wore a bracelet and a necklace adorning airplane charms as she played icebreakers, heard speakers and talked with upperclassmen engineers at the inaugural College of Engineering Women’s Welcome.

Gayon and 28 other women entering OU’s engineering program participated in a two-day event open to all female freshmen and transfer students. Attendees heard from multiple women engineers, participated in team building activities, mingled with college faculty and staff and talked with upperclassmen about everything from study abroad opportunities to career fairs, as well as buying books.

Event co-chair Tiffany Smith said there is a large need for women’s support programs in the engineering field. Currently, women represent 20 percent of the college’s undergraduate population. In the future, the college hopes women will represent 50 percent of the undergraduate population, said Smith, College of Engineering staff member.

OU alumna Lou Pritchett spoke about the impact female engineers have made. The 1982, the electrical engineering graduate was active in the Society of Women Engineers at OU and now does information technology for a winery in California.

“Women have a lot to offer engineering,” Pritchett said. “They have different dynamics and skills, and I think the industry is just starting to recognize those skills.”

Event volunteer and aerospace engineering junior Carly Young believes women have the potential to be better engineers than men.

As the only female in her aerospace classes, the Society of Women Engineers president was thrilled to learn about the welcome event and helped coordinate volunteers.

“I don’t want someone to give up because they’re the only girl,” Young said. “They can do just as well as everyone else and I want them to avoid what I ran into.”

The event was sponsored by Williams Companies, a Tulsa-based energy company and attendees paid a $25 registration fee.

Winds of renewable change with insight from Michael Bergey

2010-08-20T10:03:00.000-05:00

Daily Sparks Tribune
By Cortney Maddock
August 11, 2010

RENO — A slight breeze blew through northern Nevada on Tuesday morning, but by mid-afternoon the breeze had grown into gusts. Those invisible forces of nature are what NV Energy is hoping to harness with the help of area homeowners, business owners and land owners.

During the Nevada Wind Conference held Tuesday sponsored by NV Energy, renewable energy resources and projects — such as wind turbine installations — were discussed in terms of affordability and sustainability.

Karl Walquist, a spokesperson for NV Energy, said more than 90 people attended the event seeking information about wind power. He added that the power company has seen an increase in the number of people wanting to install solar panels or wind turbines.

“There has been an increase in applications from year to year, especially in solar, since the program started in 2004,” Walquist said about the RenewableGenerations program, which helps offset the cost of installa tion for homeowners, small business, schools and other public buildings.

In 2004, the program had four SolarGenerations projects completed. In 2009, 194 projects were completed by people who applied to the program.

There has also been an increase in small wind projects, Walquist said, as well as hydroelectric renewable energy applications.

In six years, RenewableGenerations has helped Nevada residents install 595 solar projects, 36 wind projects and three hydro projects with the help of more than $15 million in rebates.

“For hydro, there aren’t as many sources, but there are areas in Nevada, this is for ranchers and farmers, if they have water on their property they can harness it for power,” Walquist said, adding that there is a new hydroelectric project outside of Austin in southern Nevada.

Although Wednesday’s conference focused on wind power, Larry Burton, program director for RenewableGenerations, said sola r and wind are both viable resources in northern Nevada.

“If (people) have a good resource, wind might be cheaper to install,” Burton said. “But in a state that has 300 days of sun a year, it is easier to predict solar.”

For smaller projects, Walquist suggested looking into rebate programs to make installation more affordable.

“Smaller projects are homeowners, business or public buildings or schools — they are all eligible for rebates,” Walquist said.

Unlike large wind projects, such as a more than 150-megawatt project in Ely and a 200-megawatt project in Jackpot, Walquist said small projects usually generate enough energy to sustain an individual building but not the community.

Speaking at the conference was Michael Bergey, president of Bergey Windpower Co., who has worked in the renewable energy field for about 35 years.

“The last real job I had was pizza-making in college,” Bergey joked. When I got started, we were in the middle of an energy crisis in the 1970s. Jimmy Carter was president and offered tax credits for wind projects.”

Bergey started building wind systems at the University of Oklahoma.

“I built wind systems and fell in love with it,” Bergey said. “It’s hard work but very rewarding work.”

Although the technology has come a long way, Bergey said the typical design of a wind turbine has stayed relatively the same throughout the years.

“The turbines built today are not your grandfather’s turbine,” Bergey said. “The technology has changed, there is less noise. We have done a lot of work to take the noise out of the system.”

For people installing wind systems in residential areas or on businesses or public buildings, Bergey also said the size of the system is significantly smaller than what people are used to seeing for larger projects. He said the blade would probably only span about 20 to 25 feet.

“There are the national strategic interests of getting off foreign oil and there are the foreign interests of limiting CO2 output,” Bergey said. “But to the individual, they can subsidize their power bill for almost nothing.”

Anywhere from 20 to 80 percent of a project’s cost can be covered by rebates, Bergey said, adding that looking into the local power company’s rebate program is always a good place to start.

“I’d have people start with our website,” Walquist agreed. “We have a listing for these programs and we also have a list of contractors.”

Before starting their own renewable energy project, Bergey said people should take smaller strides toward conservation.

“Our recommendation is to do all you can to conserve energy,” Bergey said, suggesting things such as checking your home’s insulation as well as appliances and windows to save energy. “Then look at small wind and solar to take care of the rest.”

For more information about NV Energy’s renewable programs, visit www.nvenergy.com.

Interactive testing: Center studies effect of wireless technology on medical devices

2010-08-20T09:58:00.000-05:00

By April Wilkerson
April is a reporter in Oklahoma City. Contact her at 278-2849.
Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Hank Grant, Ph.D., director of The Wireless EMC Center at the University of Oklahoma, demonstrates a testing process for medical devices and wireless technology. (Maike Sabolich)

NORMAN – The number of cell phones, wireless systems and emitters operating at any given moment is staggering.
But it’s the interaction of those devices – such as a cell phone frequency with a piece of medical equipment or a defibrillator – that will keep a University of Oklahoma center busy for years to come.

The Center for the Study of Wireless Electromagnetic Compatibility at OU was formed in 1994 at the request of the cell phone industry, said Hank Grant, Ph.D., director of the center and OU industrial engineering professor. Cell phone technology was just taking off and there were early problems between cell phones and pacemakers. In the years since, the center’s work has spanned automotives, gas stations and aviation, and it is again largely focused on the effect of wireless technology on medical devices.

The technological world is changing fast, and companies want to know the effect of their devices before they ever hit the market, Grant said. Fortunately, any problems are usually easily remedied with a bit of redesign, he said.

“We’re in a wireless world – when you think about the number of devices operating simultaneously, it’s incredible,” Grant said. “And we haven’t even seen the beginning yet. Devices will only get more intelligent and more linked together.”

Early work

The Wireless EMC Center’s first study was the effect of all known cell phones on all pacemakers on the market. At that time, it was possible for a pacemaker to mistake a cell phone signal for a heartbeat, Grant said.

“When you turn your phone on, it sends a pulse a second for a few seconds to connect with the base stations, and pacemakers sometimes mistook that for a heartbeat and tried to pace it,” he said. “Fortunately, through some electronics, we were able to filter all that radiation from a cell phone, and pacemakers today are perfectly safe.”

After the pacemaker study, the center looked at defibrillators and hearing aids. Hearing aids are a particular challenge because they are much less regulated than other medical devices, and their quality varies according to cost, Grant said. The center developed a standard of testing and rating system that helps people find a hearing aid that works for them and matches the cell phone they use.

Because of the way electronics are arranged in hearing aids, they can pick up extraneous radio-frequency transmissions, Grant said. A custom-made hearing aid is geared toward the shape of a person’s ear, so its electronics fit in the space available.

“That orientation affects their susceptibility, so it makes it a much harder problem,” Grant said. “But generally speaking, you can find a match between most hearing aids and some type of cell phone.”

The center also studied what has become urban legend – that cell phone use while pumping gas can cause a spark and start a fire or explosion. OU researchers found no documented cases of that happening, Grant said, and he describes its likelihood as less than all members of the Beatles reuniting for a tour. That doesn’t stop gas company legal counsels from putting warning signs on gas pumps, but Grant doesn’t have any worries.

The perfect storm would have to exist – a pool of gas with the right mix of oxygen, a phone in transmission being dropped, and the battery coming out and discharging to create a spark.

“You’re more likely to get a spark from sliding across the seat and getting static electricity,” he said. “It’s one of those scientific things where it’s extremely difficult to prove that it would never happen. But we can say that it’s really remote.”

Ongoing studies

The Wireless EMC Center performs two kinds of studies – one focused on individual testing of a device’s possible interactions with wireless technology, and the other focused on industry-wide studies of all models of the same product.

The center also looks at all types of wireless technologies, such as the security panels shoppers often walk through at the doorway of a store, metal detectors in airports, and radio-frequency identification tags that can be used to find inventory in a large warehouse.

Grant said their next major area of focus is “wireless coexistence,” which looks at the simultaneous effect of several emission technologies. In addition, the medical community is increasing its use of telemetry devices that transmit information about a patient at home back to the doctor. In the future, medical devices will increasingly use technology for the repair of prosthetic devices and parts of the nervous system.

The work of the Wireless EMC Center is usually done early in the design phase of a product, and 99.9 percent of the time, any problems are resolvable, Grant said.

Center funding and researchers

The center performs about $400,000 worth of research every year, Grant said, and he hopes to grow it to $1.5 million in the next couple of years. Even though most of the money comes directly from companies, the center’s staff is careful to keep those industries at arm’s length to remain unbiased, he said.

“They don’t dictate the details of the study,” he said. “As long as we’re working on problems of significance to industry, they’re satisfied, but they don’t tell us what to do. Otherwise, it would question our credibility.”

Other OU faculty members join Grant on the work of the center, along with engineering students.

That allows students an opportunity to work on today’s technologies and possible problems, said Tom Landers, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering.

“It’s a very relevant applied research field where they can put their learning to work to deal with real-world problems,” he said.

Dream Course offered by AME for Fall 2010

2010-08-19T20:07:00.000-05:00

Graduate Student Welcome Reception set for Friday, August 27

2010-08-17T14:42:00.000-05:00

Prehistoric reverse engineering brings dinosaur bones to life

2010-08-10T15:54:00.000-05:00

From the Institute of Industrial Engineers Web site - the Global Association of Productivity and Efficiency Professionals

When paleontologists from the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History decided to display the bones of a juvenile apatosaurus, they ran into a problem. They only had 15 percent of the bones required to form a display skeleton of the dinosaur. It is not unusual to find so few bones, but it does pose a challenge. In order to create molds of the complete dinosaur, each individual bone needed to be sculpted from clay by referencing similar bones, images of bones, and domain knowledge. This can be a very time consuming project that requires many volunteers and scientists.

Fortunately the University of Oklahoma paleontologists met with the engineers at the Center for Shape Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing (SEAM) at the university. SEAM was founded by OU School of Industrial Engineering faculty members Shivakumar Raman, an IIE fellow, and Binil Starly to provide research and development solutions to the aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul and biomedical industries, among others. By utilizing the tools and skills of SEAM, more efficient and precise methods of modeling the juvenile apatosaurus were developed.

Three different methods for creating virtual three-dimensional models of the bones were employed. When the virtual solid models were created, they were then printed in plastic, using a rapid prototyper, or a 3-D printer. Once printed, the paleontologists will take the plastic bones and will create the molds that will go on display in the museum.

The first step in creating a virtual dinosaur was to make the computer models of the existing juvenile bones. SEAM used a FARO Arm: Platinum Laser Scanner to collect millions of points in the shape of the bones. These points were connected through triangulation into a solid model and edited using GeoMagic Studio software. From there the model was imported into ProEngineer where it was further edited and sent to the 3-D printer. With this new method, if only the right tibia was found, the left tibia can easily be created by simply mirroring the model of the right. This greatly deceases the time spent reconstructing the dinosaur.

The second technique used to reverse engineer the juvenile apatosaurus was creating a model of the adult apatosaurus on display at the museum. SEAM engineers did this using the FARO Photon Laser Scanner. Unlike the FARO arm, the photon scanner collects the points of large-scale objects.

In less than a week, the engineers had scanned the entire dinosaur, which is about 25 feet tall and 45 feet long. Hundreds of the missing bones were captured in a single set of scans. Because the photon scanner is so unobtrusive, the museum exhibit remained open during the scanning. In GeoMagic, individual bones were isolated, transformed into solid models and scaled to the correct anatomical dimensions. Instead of sculpting bones from scratch, many of the missing juvenile bones were derived easily from the adult bones.

SEAM used a third method for the bones of the juvenile apatosaurus that were slightly different from the adult bones. Once models from these bones were created, they were brought into software called FreeForm Modeling. In FreeForm Modeling, the virtual model takes on the characteristics of being made out of clay. The model is then sculpted into the correct shape using a Phantom Desktop haptics tool. This pen-like tool applies pressure to your hand as you “sculpt” the clay computer model. Although this method requires the same skill and time to sculpt as a physical model, it easily can be edited, scaled or multiplied in the computer. Another application for the haptics tool helped with the bones that could not be easily accessed and scanned on the adult dinosaur. These bones could be sculpted from a lump of virtual clay.

Each method allows for all the 292 juvenile apatosaurus bones to be reconstructed more efficiently, in less time and with fewer volunteers. The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and SEAM collaboration allowed for a unique application of the reverse engineering tool and processes.

“While SEAM is ultimately interested in collaborative relationships with government and industry organizations, this project has provided our faculty and students with a new perspective on the capabilities of our equipment in a field where this technology is not common,” Starly said.

About SEAM

SEAM emphasizes research and development efforts toward the sustainment of large-scale systems with particular interest in the needs of the aerospace MRO industry, as it is geographically located where much of the nation’s aerospace MRO operations reside. SEAM works with commercial, government and academic organizations to provide robust shape engineering and advanced manufacturing services, including end-to-end reverse engineering and re-engineering capabilities, metrology and geometric conformance, computer-aided design, rapid prototyping and manufacturing, reconfigurable manufacturing, nondestructive inspection and material characterization capabilities and prognostics research.

OU Grads ring NYSE opening bell

2010-08-03T17:35:00.001-05:00

Two University of Oklahoma graduates took center stage at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) today to ring the Opening Bell that signifies the start of trading. J. Mike Stice and Robert S. Purgason, both Chemical Engineering graduates at OU, rang the opening bell in celebration of the successful completion of Chesapeake Midstream Partners’ (NYSE: CHKM) recent initial public offering. Mike serves as CEO and Bob is COO of the newly formed company. Chesapeake Midstream Partners is a 50/50 joint venture with Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK) and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP). Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Midstream Partners owns, operates, develops and acquires natural gas gathering systems and other midstream energy assets.

J. Mike Stice is pictured in the center in the red tie; Robert S. Purgason is standing to the left.

Summer Engineering Academy organized by OU College of Engineering

2010-07-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

OM STAFF REPORTS
Oklahoman
Published: July 15, 2010

NORMAN — Forty-eight high school students and 11 teachers explored space this week from the University of Oklahoma campus, and it was free of charge.

OU: Katrina Hammonds puts data from an experiment into a computer as high school students participate in an engineering workshop at the University of Oklahoma's Devon Energy Hall in Norman. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman

The Summer Engineering Academy, a National Science Foundation education program organized locally by the OU College of Engineering, was Monday through Wednesday, primarily in the various laboratories of the new Devon Energy Hall.

Students participated in workshops relating to aerospace engineering, solar energy and the greenhouse effect. The first part for teachers only was last week at OU. Teachers then applied their new methods for teaching science, math and engineering this week with the students.

Students gained hands-on learning experiences with the teachers' help in aerodynamics and flight controls, links between solar power and electrical engineering, and with atmospheric gases and the greenhouse effect in relation to environmental engineering.

They use what they learn in science and math classes to discover creative ways toward solving engineering and environmental problems.

The annual program's cost is free for both students and teachers, who had to apply to participate.

University of Oklahoma Researcher Developing Novel Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease

2010-07-14T11:42:00.000-05:00

Contact: Jana Smith, Director of
Strategic Communications for R&D
University of Oklahoma
405-325-1322 or jana.smith@ou.edu

Norman, Okla.—A University of Oklahoma researcher is developing a novel therapy for Alzheimer’s disease using “biopharmaceutical proteases” to attack the toxic plaque that builds up in the brain of an Alzheimer’s patient—an approach that he predicts will be lower in cost and higher in effectiveness than current therapies.

Peter J. Heinzelman, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Mechanical Engineering, recently received a $75,000 grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology to pursue this research, which includes the development of a library of biopharmaceutical proteases for public use.

Heinzelman’s previous research led to the idea that proteases, or proteins that degrade other proteins, would be more effective as a therapy for Alzheimer’s disease than existing approaches. The brain is surrounded by a barrier of cells that allows glucose to pass through but is resistant to drug molecules and therapeutic proteins.

By virtue of a single protease molecule able to degrade thousands of the plaque molecules, these proteases should be capable of delivering a catalytic benefit even if only small amounts pass through the cell barrier surrounding the brain.

“Digestive enzymes are promiscuous,” says Heinzelman. “We can create catalytic proteases that attack the beta-amyloid plaque that cause neurons in the brain to die. Current therapies use amyloid-binding antibodies that are created by the body or injected to get rid of the plaque, but these antibodies used to attack the problematic Abeta molecules can only bind one time and clear one Abeta molecule, then they are done.”

The delivery system is problematic, too. Heinzelman suggests an approach that addresses both therapeutic efficacy and delivery. He wants to re-engineer an existing technology to link proteases with “ferrying” antibodies that can encourage passage of the proteases from the circulation side across the brain cell barrier and into the brain tissue. This approach has been demonstrated in the laboratory.

Another aspect of the OCAST grant is the development of a library of proteases that will be made freely available and could become a powerful tool for the scientific community. Heinzelman is working with researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation on this grant.

For more information about Peter J. Heinzelman, his research interests and projects, visit his website at http://www.ou.edu/coe/cbme/audience/People/faculty1/heinzelman.html.