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Tau Beta
Pi Fellow Reports
Centennial Fellow
No. 15 - Solana Christiansen
My goal is to become a rehabilitation
engineer and certified assistive technology practitioner and to
work independently as a service provider for patients with disabilities.
My current program will well prepare me for this. I have almost
completed the first year of my M.S. program in biomedical engineering
at the University of Michigan, where I have a concentration in rehabilitation
engineering. In addition to my coursework, I work during half of
each week at the University Hospital in the rehabilitation engineering
department, where I evaluate patients with disabilities and provide
assistive technology and train them in using it to help them live
more independently. This is a most rewarding experience, as I have
the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of individual
patients and see the fruits of my labors. I also have the opportunity
to solve problems with assistive devices and design some of my own
devices.
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Fife Fellow No.
45 - Marc A. Friedman
My first year of graduate school
here at Purdue University has been both challenging and rewarding.
I have had the opportunity to take several courses in the structural
engineering department that have enriched and reinforced my undergraduate
education. Both theoretical principles and modern design methods
in structural engineering have been covered in great detail by excellent
professors. I have also been a teaching assistant in two undergraduate
civil engineering courses. Through this experience, I have been
able to review basic engineering principles while refining my teaching
and public-speaking skills. I have also assisted in the design of
an on-going research database for the Precast/Prestressed Concrete
Institute.
I plan to graduate with an M.S.C.E. by December and then hope to
work for a structural engineering firm in the midwest. The design
of structures such as stadiums, arenas, high-rise buildings, convention
centers, etc., are of high interest. Many opportunities involving
these types of structures are now widely available to me because
my recent education has fine-tuned my engineering skills and has
exposed me to several new engineering fields.
I am thankful for my TBP Fellowship that has helped to create this
satisfying graduate education. It has opened many doors for me,
and I look forward to helping others like me in the future to have
the same opportunities.
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Fife Fellow No.
46 - R. Scott McEntire
My year as a Fellow has been an
exceptional one. I graduated with a B.S.M.E. in May 2000. In order
to graduate with my wife in May 2001, I set a personal goal to finish
with my master's degree in one year. Thus, I needed to begin graduate
work right away. Two days after my graduation, I began my graduate
studies. Subsequently, I did not work last summer, and our finances
became tight. Thanks to the TBP Fellowship stipend, I was able to
continue my studies successfully and graduate in May 2001 with my
M.S.M.E.
My graduate research has been computationally intensive. My research
project is named "Rigid-Body Trajectory Reconstruction" and
involves computing the trajectory of a projectile as it undergoes
high-velocity, high-acceleration impacts, using only on-board measurements.
The research has been a fantastic success, and I hope to have a
published paper out this summer.
After graduation, I plan to find a job with a professional firm
in the area of engineering design. I want to be able to incorporate
science into the new inventions and designs of tomorrow. I couldn't
have accomplished any of this without the help of TBP Thank you.
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Fife Fellow No.
47 - Marissa H. Treinen
During this academic year at Stanford,
I have pursued a master's degree in computer science with a focus
on human-computer interaction. Through this I have been able to
explore different approaches to designing new technologies. Research
projects as well as class projects have opened my eyes to such areas
as interaction design, usability studies, persuasive technologies,
speech interfaces, web credibility, technology in education, and
child development and technology. My largest projects include co-authoring
two papers accepted to the ACM-CHI conference on web credibility,
designing a technology to assist young children in learning to read,
creating an interactive online character for a chemistry website,
and administering studies to test how people react to different
interfaces. I have used the knowledge I gained through my B.S.C.S.
to bolster and support my continuing education in design, because
this background is essential in creating the best interactions under
real-world constraints.
My formal education will culminate in June when I graduate. I have
accepted a position as a user-interface designer at Adobe Systems
in San Jose and will begin employment in the fall. I am excited
to participate in the design of real products that are used by millions
of people throughout the world, as this has been my desire throughout
my education. My master's degree in design has allowed me to pursue
this area of computer science, and I am grateful to TBP for assistance.
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Fife Fellow No.
48 - Zeke W. Yewdall
This past year I started coursework
toward a master's degree in the building systems department at the
University of Colorado at Boulder, concentrating on energy efficiency
and renewable energy use for small buildings. The transition from
electrical engineering to civil engineering has been exciting-I
have taken classes in renewable energy assessment, computer thermal
simulations of buildings, lighting systems and daylighting design,
and energy and environmental policy, as well as working as a teaching
assistant.
I also helped our department write a winning proposal for the university
to enter the solar decathlon competition sponsored by the U.S. Department
of Energy. In this contest that culminates in August 2002, we will
apply our expertise in energy-efficient building and renewable-energy
system design and optimization to design and build an energy self-sufficient
house (more information about this is available at www.solardecathlon.org).
I have been awarded an NSF fellowship that will allow me to begin
research on my thesis this summer. I will be working at the National
Renewable Energy Lab in Colorado with the zero-energy-building project,
developing optimization routines for use with energy-simulation
software for small buildings to make it more powerful and easier
to use for developers and builders.
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Spencer Fellow No.
45 - Ariana C. Kalter
Looking back on this year, I wonder
where to begin. The past 10 months have been a whirlwind of activity,
filled with new experiences, overwhelming challenges, and great
people. It seems unbelievable that my first year of graduate school
is now so rapidly drawing to a close. It has been a year with boundless
opportunities for professional, educational, and personal growth.
I am working towards a master's degree in electrical engineering
at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. When I started school
in the fall, I intended to make controls engineering my area of
focus. However, as the year progressed, I found my interests shifting
toward the area of communications and signal processing. Thus, I
am now working toward a degree with a focus that accommodates my
present interests, including coursework in communications, as well
as both image and speech processing.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my master's degree
and thank TBP for its support of the engineering profession. This
summer I look forward to an internship with TRW in Dayton, OH. I
will then return here in the fall to complete my final year of graduate
study. It is exciting to reflect on my year and see the fulfillment
of my dream to achieve an M.S.E.E. rapidly becoming a reality.
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King Fellow No.
39 - John G. Castagnoli
My first two quarters at Stanford
University have been challenging, yet extremely rewarding. Recent
large earthquakes throughout the world have brought attention to
the challenges of building in highly seismic areas. I have had the
opportunity here to study earthquake engineering and structural
design with some of the top professors in the country. My coursework
has ranged from studying the behavior of microscopic finite parts
of a structural member to analyzing the entire structure composed
of many individual members. It is extremely satisfying to design
a building and then to watch it perform successfully in a computer
model when subjected to previously recorded earthquake ground motions.
Besides my own coursework, I also served as a course assistant for
a freshman introductory class in structural engineering. Instead
of just telling the students about architecture and engineering,
the professor used local projects to introduce engineering principles.
We took a class trip to the Golden Gate Bridge, and then the students
embarked on a competition to design and construct the strongest
bridge using only spaghetti and glue.
Although I have truly enjoyed studying here, I also look forward
to graduating in June and beginning a career. I am excited by the
challenge of creating more efficient and safer structures throughout
the world. I thank TBP for helping me to accomplish this dream!
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Sigma Tau Fellow
No. 27 - Edvin Kvalvik
The year of graduate study as a
TBP Fellow at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has been
both challenging and rewarding. The fall semester consisted mostly
of coursework, with studies of a CFD-software on the side to prepare
for my research. I was able to touch on numerical solutions to a
number of interesting physical phenomena. Regrettably, time did
not allow for a more detailed study of the results. During the spring
semester, all my time has been devoted to my research project-CFD-modeling
of friction-stir welding-and consequently there has not been time
to do more work with some of the things I looked into last fall.
My research project has kept me busy. A significant amount of time
has been devoted to trying to find a realistic way to model plastic
deformation of a solid, while still accounting for the inherent
limitations of the modeling tool. The preliminary results seem promising.
Many things remain to be considered, and I'm sure it will be difficult
to limit the scope of the project. I knew when starting that I could
hope only to scratch the surface of this vast field. However, the
support and guidance from the faculty and staff have been inspirational.
My career plans are not yet set in stone, but my exposure to the
world of computational fluid dynamics has spurred my curiosity.
I will look for a job where I can put the knowledge attained this
year to use.
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Stark Fellow No.
24 - John B. Slanina
I began my graduate studies overseas
at the Georgia Institute of Technology's European campus, situated
in the beautiful city of Metz, France. GT-Lorraine offers an exciting
opportunity for its students, exposing them to a specialized education
in an international environment. Metz is a 3,000-year-old city located
in Northeastern France just to the south of the country of Luxembourg.
This historic city dates to Roman times as a major trading post
with a coliseum; it was annexed as a part of Germany on separate
occasions during the last 150 years; and today it is striving to
strengthen its presence as a technological communications center
in the heart of Europe.
Last fall semester, I began classes (offered in English) with a
mixture of American and French engineering students. In the spring,
I also became a student at Ecole Nationale SupŽrieure d'Arts
et MŽtiers, where I began materials research in analyzing
the microscopic domain wall movement in piezoelectric ceramics,
as well
as completing additional courses offered in French. This fall,
I'll return to Atlanta to continue my degree, shifting my research
to
MEMS with biomedical applications by developing arrays of atomic-force
microscopes to study molecular and cellular adhesion.
This experience has been a wonderful one, allowing me to study and
travel in a different atmosphere, to develop friendships that extend
across the ocean, and to begin quality research in exciting areas.
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Williams Fellow No. 21 - Mary Jo Biddy
I have enjoyed my first year of
graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I have been
extremely busy with classwork and trying to obtain a better understanding
of the complexities of chemical engineering.
I have joined Professor Juan de Pablo's group, and my research is
focused on molecular thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. I
am applying state-of-the-art molecular simulation techniques to
study the crystal formation of triacylglycerols. With the rapidly
increasing computation speeds and continued improvement of molecular
modeling algorithms, molecular simulation is becoming a commonplace
tool for aiding in experimental research. The knowledge obtained
in simulating triacylglycerol systems can be extended to other systems
containing high-molecular-weight fatty acids, which include liposomes
(of importance to drug delivery applications), lipid bilayers (of
importance in biological systems), and micellar structures. Thus,
the work performed on these systems will help to advance the field
of molecular simulation in the engineering design of complicated,
high-molecular-weight molecules for specific applications. I am
excited about devoting myself fully to my research.
After I finish my Ph.D., I plan to pursue a position in academe,
where I always hoped to work, to allow opportunities to advance
the field of chemical engineering and to follow my desire to teach.
Thank you TBP for all your support. I am honored to be a 2000-01
Fellow.
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Deuchler Fellow No. 21 - David
M. Cwiertny
I am currently concluding my first
year of graduate study in the department of geography and environmental
engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. Under the guidance
of Dr. A. Lynn Roberts, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in the field of environmental
chemistry. Besides taking a number of classes, I have started work
on an Environmental Protection Agency-funded project investigating
the chemical reactions between organohalides and zero-valent iron
surfaces. Zero-valent iron-reactive barriers have developed into
a promising form of groundwater remediation; yet their chemical
behavior remains somewhat of a mystery. I hope to perform research
in an attempt to understand the chemical processes controlling these
engineered systems. After school, I would like to pursue a career
in academe. I would enjoy the opportunity to teach at the university
level while performing dynamic research that bridges the gap between
environmental engineering and chemistry.
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Maddox Fellow No. 5 - Jeffrey R. Callicoat
This year has been an opportunity
not only to further my own education, but also to assist undergraduate
students and university faculty. Specifically, my efforts have focused
on three objectives: 1) Furthering my own knowledge in the field
of mechanical engineering through advanced courses; 2) Serving as
a teaching assistant to help undergraduate students as they study
engineering; and 3) Participating in a research assistantship to
aid my graduate advisor with funded research projects.
To further my own knowledge, I took a variety of mechanical engineering
graduate courses this year. They broadened my understanding of my
previous undergraduate coursework and introduced me to facets of
mechanical engineering I had never before considered.
In addition to enhancing my own knowledge, I also assisted students
by serving as a teaching assistant. This role allowed me to lead
weekly lab sections of an undergraduate computer-aided-design course,
teaching engineering students how to use the Pro/ENGINEER solid-modeling
software. In addition to providing weekly lectures in the classroom,
I also held office hours each week to provide one-on-one help with
homework assignments and other course-related matters.
Although I spent considerable time in the classroom this year-as
a student and as a teacher-I also participated in funded research
projects under the guidance of my advisor. This participation will
continue throughout my graduate program and will allow me to contribute
substantially to the development of new products and the improvement
of existing technology.
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Matthews Fellow No. 3 - Thomas S. Messervy
The past eight months in the construction
engineering and management graduate program at MIT have been an
exciting journey of education and research. The program allows students
to take a diverse array of classes; my choices have ranged from
construction law to globalization in the engineering and construction
industry. With a huge variety of research being conducted within
the civil engineering field, the choice of topic can be difficult.
I am conducting research in the infrastructure-systems-development
research group. My goal is to develop a software tool that will
enable governments to organize and maintain an infrastructure inventory-and-condition
database to be integrated with a visual interface tool and planning
software to facilitate more efficient planning and budgeting.
I am planning on interning with Fluor Daniel this summer to gain
experience within the construction industry. Upon completion of
my master's degree, I plan on working with a construction company
and earning my professional registration. My future educational
goals include earning an M.B.A.
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Nagel Fellow No. 3 - David W. Draper
This year has been exceptional.
After being selected as a Fellow, I decided to continue my education
at Brigham Young University as a Ph.D. candidate. For the last year
and a half (partially as an undergraduate), I have been involved
with research in the microwave earth remote sensing lab under Dr.
David Long. During this time, I have developed an advanced quality
assurance algorithm for SeaWinds on QuikScat, the latest in ocean-wind
observing scatterometers (specialized earth remote-sensing radars)
launched by NASA. This algorithm is currently under review to be
used in connection with NASA's standard wind product. I have also
explored new ways of selecting unique wind solutions from sets of
ambiguous wind vectors produced from scatterometer wind data. My
other projects are characterizing a low wind speed roll-off in ocean-observing
scatterometer returns and rain detection using scatterometer data.
I have had the opportunity to take classes in various subjects,
including image processing, acoustics, detection/estimation theory,
and radar systems. I believe that the knowledge gained here will
be a great benefit to my future employment. I still have at least
three more years as a Ph.D. student. The stipend I have received
will be a great asset in my continuing education. So far, it has
allowed me more flexibility in my research and in my home life.
Thank you, TBP!
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GE Fellow No. 1 - Surya P.N. Singh
Experience-it is a core value that
characterizes and defines the engineering profession. To broaden
my own experiences, I have pursued an advanced study in the theory
and application of robotics and the sciences that are fundamental
to this new and emerging technology. During the past year I have
engaged in graduate study at the field robotics center, which is
part of Carnegie Mellon University's robotics institute. Here I
have focused my study on the development of algorithms for the
control and coordination of very large distributed systems (e.g.,
colonies
of robots, "school" of sensors). This research is investigating
both the fundamentals and applications of these control/coordination
techniques. For example, this technology would allow an assembly
robot not only to correct for aberrations in the material or earlier
processing, but also anticipate and correct for potential pitfalls
to later production stages (e.g., painting, polishing).
Thanks in part to the support and generosity of the TBP members
at the General Electric Corporation (and the honor society in general),
I have been able to explore a remarkable branch of mechanical engineering.
Working here has given me an opportunity to study at a center that
is casting the vision and actualizing the technology of intelligent
control. By allowing me to study with the leaders in this field,
this Fellowship has catalyzed my engineering experience and research
skills in a manner not otherwise possible.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 623 - Steven W. Alves
At the California Institute of Technology,
I have been taking many courses to fulfill requirements for M.S.
and Ph.D. degrees. The first year of graduate school for civil engineers
here is primarily intensive coursework. This summer, I will start
research in earthquake engineering. After obtaining my Ph.D. degree,
I plan to stay in academe.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 624 - Benjamin B. Cipiti
Since I have been in graduate school
at Wisconsin, I have mostly focused on my classes and meeting my
course requirements to help prepare for the qualifying exam. I will
take the qualifiers next year. I plan to receive my Ph.D. in nuclear
engineering after two or three more years of school.
I have been working on an inertial electrostatic-confinement fusion
experiment. One advantage of this type of reactor is that it is
much simpler than other fusion reactors, which makes it cheaper
and easier to run. Although there are still many hurdles to overcome
before it can become a useful power source, it has other potential
applications that are more immediate. My dissertation will probably
lie in this area.
This summer I will be working at Los Alamos National Laboratory,
where a similar project is underway. This will be a great chance
to share ideas for the benefit of both of our projects. I am sure
that it will be a valuable learning experience for me.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 625 - Michael J. Clancy
With the support of the TBP Fellowship,
I am attending Yale Law School. Through a wide range of classes
and speeches, I have explored the issue of how the law affects
engineering and technology. Such high-profile cases as A&M
Records v. Napster, Inc., illustrate that the law adapts to technological
developments.
However, what might not be as apparent is that the law takes a
proactive role in spurring technological innovation. Through
patent and trade-secret
protection, the law provides a monetary incentive for corporations
and individuals to research new technologies. Also, safety and
environmental regulations, such as air-bag requirements or emission
standards,
dictate what technological research needs to occur.
At this school, we are not simply taught what the law is so that
we might apply it. Instead, the policies and theory behind the laws
are stressed. Thus, in the above areas of law that affect technology,
I am learning not only what standards should be applied, but also
why. I consider this policy training to be the most important part
of my education. Because of the dynamic nature of technology, the
laws must constantly adapt such that research and development are
encouraged and also directed toward improving our society.
I will have two more years at law study prior to beginning practice.
In the summers, I will be supplementing my theoretical training
through working at law firms. This summer, I am working at an intellectual
property firm in New York City and the corporate division of a firm
in Chicago.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 626 - Aaron J. Danner
When I first arrived at my new school
(the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), I was overwhelmed
by all of the possible research groups and topics. After spending
a few months wandering and visiting, I finally decided to settle
down with a group doing work with VCSELs (Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting
Lasers), headed by Professor Kent Choquette. He is a new professor,
and I am a new student, so we aren't exactly a group quite yet,
but so far it's been great to help get a new research program started.
I've actually spent most of my time these past two semesters taking
classes, and right now I'm more than halfway to my Ph.D. in terms
of coursework. My favorite classes were the ones dealing with semiconductor
lasers. At my university (and probably others), the graduate students
are required to attend seminars. Fortunately, my future advisor
gave one of these seminars on VCSELs, which is when I first became
interested in the area.
I would definitely like to continue working towards a Ph.D. here.
I have had an excellent experience during my first year, and I like
the university very much. I thank TBP for the honor of a Fellowship.
My career plans are still a bit vague, but will definitely involve
working with semiconductors and fabrication.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 627 - Nicholas J. Glassmaker
I began graduate study at Cornell
University in August 2000 and am working for a Ph.D. degree in the
field of theoretical and applied mechanics. I have taken courses
to increase my breadth and depth of knowledge in all areas of mechanics.
In addition, I have spoken with several professors and attended
many seminars in order to refine my research interests. I plan to
concentrate in solid mechanics. One possible project for my initial
research direction involves modeling micro- and nano-scale mechanical
oscillators and exploring the frequency tunability of these oscillators
using mechanical constraints and optical forcing. After completing
my Ph.D. degree, I plan to seek employment in an industrial- or
governmental-research position, although not ruling out the possibility
of seeking a position in engineering higher education.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 628 - Tobias Hanrath
After graduating from the University
of Tulsa last May, I moved south to the capitol of Texas and have
now completed my first year of graduate studies in chemical engineering
at the University of Texas at Austin. Last semester, I finished
most of my core courses and decided to join Dr. Korgel's group to
pursue research in the fields of nanoscience and technology. Specifically,
I am working on the solution-phase synthesis of nanowires manufactured
from the semiconducting materials silicon, germanium, and gallium
arsenide. These semiconductor nanowires are of fundamental technological
importance because their unique optical and electrical properties,
arising from quantum confinement effects, give them great potential
in applications ranging from probe-microscopy tips to interconnections
in nanoelectronics.
I congratulate all of this year's TBP Fellows on their achievements
and wish them much success in their graduate studies. Thank you,
TBP, for honoring me with this Fellowship.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 629 - Jammie L. Himsl
After my four years at the Air Force
Academy, I found the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
to be quite a shock. Not only am I studying a different field-international
security instead of aeronautical engineering-but I am also interacting
with accomplished policy-makers. I have studied under former deputy
and assistant secretaries of defense, Dr. John White and Dr. Ash
Carter, and under President Bush's ambassador-designee to India,
Robert Blackwill. I have dined with such figures as former Senator
and Astronaut John Glenn and the defense minister of Taiwan. It
has been extremely rewarding to do focused study on public-policy
problems. I have also taken quantitative courses, including a numerical
methods course at MIT, which have been challenging as well. This
summer I will be working for the defense threat reduction agency
in Moscow, Russia. Besides learning Russian, I will begin work on
the thesis required for the master's in public policy degree. Next
year, I will continue studies in international security, but hope
to expand into topics such as international trade and business.
After graduation in 2002, I will go to USAF pilot training at Sheppard
AFB, TX. I am excited for the next couple of years. I am also thankful
for the engineering background I had the opportunity to develop
through the USAFA aeronautics department and the Colorado Zeta Chapter
of Tau Beta Pi. The engineering background prepared me very well
for the type of analysis and problem-solving skills needed to address
public policy. Thank you for the honor of being a TBP Fellow.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 630 - Robert D. Kolasinski
During the past academic year, I
have been working as a graduate student at the California Institute
of Technology in the mechanical engineering department. I arrived
at the beginning of the summer 2000 quarter and began research work
with my advisor, Professor Melany Hunt, in the field of multiphase
and granular flows. The objective of the project is to measure the
particle pressures and shear stresses exerted by a liquid/solid
mixture when it is subjected to Couette flow. During the summer,
much of my time was devoted to the design of a concentric cylinder
rheometer that will be used to make these measurements. Past experiments
have dealt with only neutrally buoyant suspensions of particles
in liquids. The project, which is sponsored by a NASA grant, will
be flown on a KC-135 aircraft to create a micro-gravity environment
so that the effect of particle density on the scaling of the stresses
in a mixture of evenly distributed particles may be assessed.
I officially began classwork in the fall quarter, in addition to
continuing my research in multiphase flow. I will have a sufficient
number of credits to complete an M.S. degree this June. Because
my ultimate educational goal is to obtain a Ph.D. in mechanical
engineering, most of the courses that I have taken have been selected
to aid me in my oral candidacy exams next spring. After completing
my graduate work here, I hope to pursue a career in the aerospace
field working for a governmental research laboratory or in industry.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 631 - Katherine J. Kuchenbecker
In my year as a TBP Fellow, I made
significant progress on my master's degree in mechanical engineering
and developed my skills as a designer and a teacher. I have focused
my study on the design of embedded mechatronic systems, a field
that combines computer programming, electronic circuitry, and mechanical
systems. The culmination of my work last quarter resulted in the
construction of a small autonomous droid that could play hockey
with other robots. With the rest of my time, I have been working
as a teaching assistant at Stanford's product realization laboratory,
the student machine shop. There, I work with students on a variety
of processes, including machining, welding, casting, and wood-working.
I coach student design projects, lead structured labs, and assist
students during open shop sessions, all of which have been incredibly
fulfilling endeavors. I learn something new about design or manufacturing
every day, and I love interacting with students on an individual
level. After I finish my master's degree in June 2002, I plan to
work as a designer for a few years and then return to graduate school
for a Ph.D. I aim to become a professor of mechanical engineering
with a focus in design, and I hope my studies next year, my work
in the machine shop, and my eventual job in industry will further
refine my interests and prepare me for this occupation. Thank you
again.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 632 - Melvin B.-T. Leok
I am a doctoral student in control
and dynamical systems at the California Institute of Technology,
where I am supported by a PoincarŽ fellowship and a Tan Kah
Kee Foundation postgraduate scholarship. I passed my doctoral qualifying
examination this January and will complete my coursework requirements
and my minor in applied and computational mathematics this academic
year.
I am continuing my research on geometric integration, and I recently
co-authored a paper entitled "Discrete Routh Reduction" that
will be submitted to Foundations of Computational Mathematics.
This was also presented as a poster at the NSF-KDI/IGPP workshop
on accurate simulation and modeling of physical systems and as
an
invited presentation at the Southwest regional workshop on new
directions in dynamical systems.
With my advisor, Prof. Jerrold Marsden, I am co-organizing a minisymposium
on geometric integration as part of the SIAM conference on applications
of dynamical systems. During the summer, I will be attending the
CNA summer school on multiscale problems in nonlinear analysis in
Pittsburgh, the PIMS graduate mathematics modeling camp in Victoria,
BC, and the PIMS industrial problem-solving workshop in Seattle.
Then, I will visit the numerical analysis group of Prof. Arieh Iserles
at Cambridge University for six weeks, followed by the mechanics
and symmetry European summer school in Peyresq, France. In October,
I will visit the geometric integration group of Prof. Hans Muthe-Kaas
at the University of Bergen, Norway, and the numerics group of Prof.
Brynjulf Owren at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology,
Trondheim.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 633 - A. James Link
It has been a busy first year for
me here at Caltech. I have completed all of my required chemical
engineering classes and taken my qualifying exams, as well as several
biology classes. In December I joined the research group of David
Tirrell and am working on a project involving the incorporation
of non-natural amino acids into proteins. Our long-term goal is
to be able to use organisms such as E. coli to produce polymers
with very specific molecular weight and stereochemistry. Beyond
the materials application, this research also has interesting consequences
for biology. We are aiming to extend the range of protein chemistry
beyond the realm of just the 20 canonical amino acids. In addition
to the schoolwork, I have been enjoying living in Southern California.
With the proximity of the San Gabriel Mountains, I have taken up
hiking on the weekends. I am also taking guitar lessons at school.
Many thanks go to T__ for building my leadership skills and helping
me succeed in graduate school and beyond.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow
No. 634 - Steven R. Little
My year as a TBP Fellow has been a
productive one. Upon starting the first semester at MIT, my graduate
studies were totally focused on the three core courses required to
continue as a Ph.D. candidate. These subjects consisted of
thermodynamics, transport phenomena, and reactor kinetics. The
courses were extremely challenging, causing me not only to explore
the subjects extensively, but also to apply many of the resources I
learned as an undergraduate. I feel I have gained a much better
understanding of these subjects by taking a different perspective on
the topics, as opposed to my undergraduate treatment of them. After
I passed these classes, my focus turned toward the qualifying exams.
After completing these exams to the satisfaction of the reviewing
board, my concentration then turned toward research. I chose Robert
Langer as my Ph.D. advisor and am quite happy with the way my
initial semester of research is going. My study will be aimed toward
gene therapy, something that I previously knew little about. I feel
that the topic I chose will inspire me to succeed in my research. I
am taking two classes, molecular biology and biochemistry, in order
to orient myself in the new subject that will be my focus during the
next four years. The classes will also apply toward my intended
minor in biology. My career goals include an industrial
research-oriented position.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 635 - Joseph M. Moritz
I am currently a well-adjusted and
happy graduate student in MIT's chemical engineering department.
I have passed my qualifying exams at the expense of 30 to 50 percent
of my hair and stomach lining and have begun research at the biological
process engineering center under the guidance of Professor Linda
Griffith. My proposed research area will involve the rat-liver biosensor
project currently underway in the lab. The biosensor is actually
a small liver-cell reactor that is being developed for the military
to detect biological warfare toxins in the short term and, in the
fanciful long term, to contribute to the development of an in vitro
human liver. My specific area of this project would be the introduction
of an in-house developed, stem-like, rat-liver cell line to this
bioreactor, with the eventual hope of causing these stem-like cells
to differentiate in vitro, thus serving as an infinite source of
liver cells for placement in the biosensor.
I recently went on a trip to Rome, Italy, and returned with a renewed
appreciation for both pasta and mopeds. I am also a Dave Matthews
fan and am going to three shows this summer, all of which will definitely
be awesome. I love Boston, where the nightlife and the people are
as good as the chowder.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 636 - Sripriya Natarajan
I spent the fall term of this past
year at Agilent Technologies healthcare solutions group, Andover,
MA, working on my master-of-engineering thesis research. My project
was an investigation into developing an automatic-gain-control system
for a small portable ultrasound device. I am spending the spring
term back at MIT, starting my stint as a Ph.D. student in the medical
engineering and medical physics program of the Harvard-MIT division
of health sciences and technology. I have been a teaching assistant
for an introductory signal-processing course and have been preparing
to join a lab to do my doctoral research in biomedical signal processing
and imaging.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 637Daniel M. O'Halloran
During the first half of the academic
year, I conducted research into the use of microelectromechanical
systems (MEMS) for creating a micro-snake robot with application
toward doing on-wing jet-engine turbine blade inspections. First,
I learned and went through the processing steps involved in creating
a MEMS device. However, after investigating a number of MEMS structures,
we determined that the technology is not now at a stage that is
advanced enough to support constructing a micro-snake robot capable
of executing the intended task.
During the latter part of my year, I began research into mechatronics
design. This is the field of integrating mechanical, electronics,
and computer systems into a device to accomplish given tasks. To
familiarize myself with the field, I worked with a group of mechanical,
electrical, and computer engineers in designing and building a device
capable of collecting metal balls among a mix of metal and nonmetal
balls in a designated play area and depositing them in a specified
target area. Working on this rather academic problem gave me extensive
insight into the issues and problems of successfully integrating
the three primary disciplines of my field, which should prove invaluable
as I continue my research into real-world applications of mechatronics
design theory. Specifically, I intend to employ mechatronics theory
in the design of novel locomotion schemes for mobile robotics, with
the goal of creating more maneuverable autonomous platforms for
use in such areas as search-and-rescue and military-ordnance detection.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 638 - Nicholas A. Pohlman
This year I began my graduate work
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology working in the space-systems
lab developing the GPS hardware and software necessary to perform
relative navigation of distributed satellite systems (DSS). The
DSS concept is important for the future of many space missions.
Rather than launching one monolithic satellite, many small satellites
can be produced/launched inexpensively and then controlled to fly
in formation, thus producing a robust virtual-satellite bus. The
key to the future of this idea is the use of GPS as its primary
sensing tool.
My primary task has been the development and experimentation of
ground test beds. We began by mounting the GPS receiver hard ware
and an augmented local ranging device on remote-control trucks.
The first test was to minimize the GPS estimation bias with a circular
initialization maneuver. Once the initial bias was eliminated, the
position estimation was verified to be within 2-3 cm. Hence, we
could proceed with autonomously controlled relative navigation.
By moving the master vehicle, to which the relative coordinate frame
was attached, a follower vehicle would move in order to maintain
its relative estimated position to the reference frame. Some success
was achieved, but many of the experiment's shortcomings were due
to the payload being too heavy for the RC vehicles.
We have since upgraded to commercially produced robot rovers with
larger payload capacities and onboard PCs. The previously mentioned
tests were then run successfully using the new vehicle test bed.
Future work will include distributing the real-time state estimation
algorithm and feedback control to the onboard PCs on the new robot-rover
test bed.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 639 - Travis L. Simpkins
My first year as a graduate student
in electrical engineering at MIT has been fun, exhilarating, and
challenging, although not always in that order. During the past
two semesters, I have completed four graduate courses, including
digital integrated circuits, digital signal processing, computer
architecture, and a class from the MIT Sloan School of Business
that will contribute to my required minor. Last fall, I was also
able to begin my thesis research under the supervision of Prof.
Anantha Chandraksan, whose research group focuses on digital integrated
circuits for both wireless applications and interconnect solutions.
My research will concentrate on optical-clock distribution for high-performance
microprocessor designs. This idea has been proposed as a means of
both reducing the power consumption and increasing the accuracy
of microprocessor clock networks, but has yet to be demonstrated
successfully.
My education has extended beyond academic courses and research.
This winter I attended the International Solid State Circuits Conference
in San Francisco, CA, where I had the opportunity to learn about
the latest innovations in the field. I plan to return to Agilent
Technologies this summer and become involved with clock-distribution
strategies for various chips.
Finally, it has been my honor to represent TBP as a Fellow during
the past year, and I sincerely thank the organization for its contribution
to my professional development. I also thank my family, friends,
professors, and colleagues for their continuing support.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 640 - Suzanne L. Stuhler
I have recently completed the spring
quarter at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Since I began pursuing
my M.S. in biochemical engineering in September 2000, I have kept
busy with classes and research, all while adjusting to living here
and the proximity of many large ski resorts to the college. My research
is in the area of pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for conversion
to ethanol and other commodity products. I presented a poster on
some of my preliminary findings in May at the 23rd Symposium on
Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals in Breckenridge, CO. My intent
is to graduate in June 2002 and begin my career as an engineer in
the area of research and development of renewable energy sources.
I thank TBP and the Fellowship Board for bestowing me with this
prestigious honor.
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Tau Beta Pi Fellow No. 641 - Ricky T.-W. Tong
I consider myself fortunate to have
this wonderful opportunity to study at the health, science, and
technology joint program between MIT and Harvard, which gave me
even more flexibility on choosing an advisor and project. The program
intends for us to bring engineering, science, and technology together
to solve many interesting, important problems in health and medicine.
To prepare myself to use an "engineer's way of thinking" on
medical problems, I took traditional engineering classes in the
chemical engineering department at MIT, along with various medical
classes at Harvard. I have decided to work for Dr. Rakesh Jain
in the department of radiation oncology at the Massachusetts General
Hospital, Harvard Medical School. In his lab, researchers have
begun
to understand the fundamental nature of vascular and interstitial
barriers of human tumors.
In the past 20 years, numerous potential cancer drugs have been
developed, but many of them have not worked as well as expected.
One major problem is that cancer drugs face numerous barriers when
diffusing from the blood stream to the cancer cells, thus reducing
the effectiveness of each dosage. This problem involves the convective
flow of blood in the tumor and issues relating to both transvascular
transport and interstitial transport inside the tumor matrix.
In addressing the problem of drug delivery, I will use gene therapy
techniques in trying to overcome the interstitial transport resistance
of cancer drugs. A mathematical model will be developed in order
to describe existing data and to guide new directions of experimental
studies. This will use knowledge I gained as an engineering student
in solving medical problems. I anticipate that the next several
years of study will be fruitful and exciting and an important chapter
of my life.
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Tau
Beta Pi Fellow No. 642 - Brian
P. Trease
Upon
starting graduate school at the University of Michigan after taking
a year off to work in industry, I wasn't sure if I'd remember how
to study. However, I wasn't completely unprepared, as my
graduate
career actually began during the summer with an internship at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. There, I focused on novel actuators
and smart structures, which continue to be my interests here in the
compliant systems-design laboratory. After this graduate-school "warm-up," I
was thrown right into combat in challenging graduate courses. Fortunately,
my old skills quickly resurfaced, the
mental exercise flexed other muscles I didn't know I had, and it
hurt. Despite the learning curve, each challenge was overcome, with
just reward.
Away from classroom firing lines, I delved into our lab's research
that involves the design and application of compliant mechanisms-jointless
mechanisms that work through flexure. I've worked on applications
from the macro-arena, such as aircraft wings, to the micro-scale. In
fact, all three class projects I've tackled this year were MEMS
design projects: a torsional micro-mirror, an accelerometer
optimization problem, and a cochlear-analogue transducer. At first,
MEMS was only an application to me, but it has now become more of a
focus.
This summer I'll work with the micro-machine group at Sandia
National Laboratory to explore joint ventures with compliant
devices. With luck, I'll return here in the fall with a solid
master's thesis project.
Overall,
this school is a wonderful place.
Great location, wildlife, sports, culture, and a wide variety
of random weather abound in Ann Arbor. I couldn't imagine a better
place to enjoy late-night coffee in a computer lab. Seriously
though, as I edge ever closer to my final goal of a Ph.D., I thank
TBP for first opening the doors.
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