A magazine from the College of Engineering Winter 2013 • Vol. 5 Discover Nevada at www.unr.edu

University of Nevada, Reno

Nevada Engineering

your future starts here at the

College of Engineering we pursue excellence Contact Meg Fitzgerald Coordinator of Recruitment, Retention and Advising 775.682.7755 | [email protected] www.unr.edu/engineering

contents and CREDITS CONTENTS

CREDITS

4 5 24 34 38 46 54 58 64 74 78 79 88

Message from the Dean

Design & Publishing: Sally Casas

The New Generation of Engineers

Writer: Mikalee Byerman

Graduate Student Success Chemical & Materials Engineering News Civil & Environmental Engineering News Computer Science & Engineering News Electrical & Biomedical Engineering News Mechanical Engineering News

[email protected]

[email protected]

Photography: Theresa Danna-Douglas [email protected]

Additional Photographs Provided By: Jeff Dow • Sally Casas • Mike Wolterbeek

University Contributors:

Jane Tors • Mike Wolterbeek • John Trent Brandon Stewart • Megan Akers • Jaclyn McBride • Tiffany Moore • Riley Snyder Natalie Savidge • Roseann Keegan

External Contributors:

Engineering Alumni News

Yun Long • RGJ Sara Lafrance Jeff Ceccarelli Adam Sanford

Alumni Profile: John Naphan

Address Corrections:

College News

2012 Scrugham Medal

Please send address corrections and requests to [email protected] or phone 775-784-6925

University News

Giving: Maryanne Cameron

For all College of Engineering gifts and contributions, please call 775-682-9503 or email [email protected]

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message from the DEAN ANCHORING CAREERS, BRINGING ALIVE A COLLEGE’S ASPIRATIONS

Manos Maragakis, Dean, College of Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Dear Friends, The beginning of every academic year is a time to look forward. With the beginning of classes come great opportunities for our students, some who are just beginning their academic careers at the University of Nevada, Reno, and some who are hoping to complete their degrees soon and move on to the challenges of their professional lives.

This issue focuses on several of our newest faculty. In addition to the energy, creativity and productivity new faculty contribute, they represent one of the most singular and strategically sound investments a college can ever make. Our late University President Milt Glick used to refer to young faculty as the institution’s “seed corn” – which, when tended and encouraged, can provide the leadership and innovation for a University for a generation to come. Current University President Marc Johnson has said that young faculty provide “new perspectives, new ways of doing things” that can propel an institution to even greater national standing.

Our young faculty have great potential. But, as every young faculty member will tell you, their ultimate success is often dependent on available resources, efficient procedures, a commitment to a vision of excellence and national prominence and, above all, the mentorship, support and guidance of It is an exciting time, too, for the College of Engineering, one made even their more experienced, senior faculty members. We have been very lucky more intriguing with the addition of several new faces. Despite the economic in this regard. Our faculty, young and old, inexperienced and experienced, challenges facing our State and enthusiastic and pragmatic, is University, the College of Engineering extremely collaborative. The power has been growing strategically the of mentorship and partnership isn’t last few years by implementing a new that it just anchors a career; it helps growth plan consisting of a mixture of bring alive a college’s aspiration to be college resources, donations and state transformational in everything it does. funds. As a result we have a number of young faculty who have been added This combined effort comes at an to the college over the past few years. important moment. Engineering has These women and men represent our never been more pivotal to our future. future. With every advancement they All of our college metrics indicate make in their careers, with every course that we are meeting this challenge taught, with every research grant in key ways. We are poised to have earned, with every effort they make in more engineering majors on this reaching out to our community and our campus than ever before. We have state, they are helping our college assert initiated a program for a globally very clearly and productively its value competitive engineering and computer to our state, and to society. science education that will allow our

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graduates to compete for jobs with anyone in the world. We have been able to renovate our learning spaces to provide more state-of-the-art lab areas for our students. Many more upgrades of facilities, equipment and software are in the planning stages. We have established a new internship and career support service for all of our students and this fall we will hold our first engineering fair; we are enhancing our advisement procedures; and we are broadening our infrastructure to improve all aspects of our curriculum. Construction continues for the multi-milliondollar expansion of our earthquake laboratory, which will further position our college as the national and international leader in this vital research and safety area. Over the past year, I’ve been thoroughly impressed by our alumni and friends, who have stepped to the plate on numerous occasions with support to meet our scholarship and programming needs, as well as providing welcome counsel in understanding the business community’s future workforce needs. As we begin a new academic year, we are on the cusp of even more notable work. We are a mix of new faces and proven veterans. We are a place where our students are accumulating foundational knowledge and are also, importantly, learning how to innovate and to lead. We are, proudly, a college with very few limits, where every day we give our best effort to realize the possibility of the future of our University, the State and the great Nation that we serve. Sincerely, Manos Maragakis Dean, College of Engineering

bobby BRYANT

{Computer Science & Engineering} MAKING INTELLIGENCE SMARTER Local professor contributes to the ever-evolving field of artificial intelligence One need only look so far as the current video game landscape to understand Dr. Bobby D. Bryant’s research focus. Gone are the days of the pixilated “hero” on Atari games like Pitfall and Donkey Kong; instead, we’ve entered a world of innovative gaming that includes navigation, virtual combat, team and individual tactics and strategy. The games are peppered with choices and consequences, complex sequences and advanced artificial “intelligence.” “I work in the area of machine intelligence; more specifically, ‘autonomous intelligent agents,’ which means controllers for intelligent agents that do not have to be told what to do,” said the assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering. “I am especially interested in agents that play the roles of people in games and simulators.” Bryant’s research focuses on methods and applications for neuroevolution, which is the use of evolutionary algorithms to train artificial neural networks. His special emphasis is on training controllers for autonomous intelligent agents that “live in” a game or simulator environment, and display visibly intelligent behavior – in other words, their behavior is convincingly intelligent to human observers.

Bryant now serves as director of the Neuroevolution and Behavior Laboratory (NEBL) and an associate in the Brain Computation Laboratory on the Nevada campus. He is interested in injecting advanced techniques like memory and human expertise into evolutionary algorithms. “I want to make a contribution to the constructive use of machine intelligence,” he described of his goals for the future. “For the near term I am working on inductive agent modeling, which is the use of machine learning to create an agent that behaves like some exemplar, and I have also begun working with the University’s Brain Computation Laboratory, where we are modeling intelligent behavior on the basis of how mammalian brains actually work.” When he’s not in the lab trying to make games smarter, Bryant teaches an introductory computer science course plus an advanced class in machine intelligence each semester.

“I have been interested in games since childhood,” Bryant said. “I became interested in machine intelligence as a way of controlling agents in games as soon as I got a basic understanding of what computers can do.”

“I enjoy teaching because of the interactions with the students, and because they always make me think about my topics in new ways,” he said. “I find that teaching a topic forces me to understand it better myself.”

For that understanding to take root, his education was instrumental. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in classical studies from the University of Houston, he continued onto graduate study in the arena of computer science from the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. from the same institution.

Because most of his time is spent in front of a computer terminal for hours on end, Bryant says he has recently decided to engage in a new hobby. “I play music,” he explained, referring to the lute and “a variety of other instruments as well.” “I am very amateur, but I enjoy the struggle.” 5

dev CHIDAMBARAM {Chemical & Materials Engineering} TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION

Nevada assistant professor finds fulfillment in inspiring future engineers and scientists Dr. Dev Chidambaram embodies the definition of “unique.” Give him any date from the 20th century, and he can tell you the day of the week in less than 30 seconds. Couple that with the fact that he holds a rare degree in Electrochemical Engineering, and you have a portrait of a true oneand-only. Chidambaram graduated from India’s B. Tech program from the Central Electrochemical Research Institute, the world’s first unique technology program in Chemical and Electrochemical engineering. “Only 35 students earn that degree in the world every year,” he noted. Chidambaram now serves as an assistant professor in Nevada’s College of Engineering, teaching undergraduates and graduates about basic and advanced engineering principles.

teaching, you learn a lot. Some of the questions students ask are very thought-provoking.” He notes that working with “the next generation of engineers and scientists” is the most compelling part of his career. This fall, he is leading a lab group consisting of nine graduate students, one postdoc and three undergrads, all funded by research projects totalling $3M. “Nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing these students graduate and move on in their careers,” Chidambaram said, adding that he felt tremendous pride last spring as he watched one of his Doctoral degree students and three of his Masters degree students cross the stage during commencement. His research interest is to understand the fundamental nature of electron transfer reactions (ETRs) and its application to materials, biological and environmental sciences. The applications are varied, but they all seem to center on two focal areas: helping human health or rectifying the energy crisis through development of new materials and technologies. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering in 2003 from State University of New York, Stony Brook, then becoming a staff scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York.

He also teaches Electrochemical Engineering and Corrosion – upper level undergrad and graduate courses.

“An auto accident in 2008 made me realize that life is short, and I should focus where I can have the greatest impact,” he said of his reason to relocate to Nevada. “And I have always wanted to be an academic. The University of Nevada, Reno is a small enough university where, I believe, my efforts can truly make a difference. During my time in the College of Engineering, I have had the opportunity work with some extraordinary scientists and mentors. I have learned a lot from these colleagues and am grateful to them.

“These two courses are my passion as they directly relate to my education and research. I believe by

“I truly believe that better days are ahead for the college and the university,” Chidambaram concluded.

“I teach the first real engineering class for Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering students – because I would like to influence young minds and believe that’s where I can have the biggest impact,” he said. “I received a note saying that I am one of few faculty to have positively influenced freshman and sophomores. That was nice to hear.”

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eelke FOLMER

{Computer Science & Engineering} GAMES WITH PURPOSE Fun new technologies aim to improve the lives of the visually impaired Most people think video games are just engaging forms of entertainment. But what if they could actually improve the health and educational opportunities for some users — specifically those with disabilities? Such is the question posed by Nevada Associate Professor Eelke Folmer, who is studying whether video games can contribute to an enhanced quality of life. “I research human-computer interaction, e.g. how people interact with computers through an interface,” he said. “I specifically research accessible interfaces for users with visual impairments.” As society moves toward activities and interfaces using immersive 3D technologies — such as video games and virtual worlds — as well as more intuitive forms of interaction — like touch and gestures — new barriers emerge for users with disabilities. “My students and I try to solve interaction design problems for the most extreme users, with the potential to develop solutions that may be beneficial for anyone,” Folmer said. “My research is becoming more and more relevant due to a graying baby boomer generation, many of whom are already using computers and mobile phones.” Among his more innovative projects: low-cost software that would help blind people navigate around buildings using just a smartphone, as well as interactive video games for the visually impaired. The researcher and his students are inventing exergames — video games that use physical activity as input — using audio and touch feedback with a motion-sensing controller (Wii Remote). “Every year my students and I go to this sports camp for blind children called Camp Abilities, where we test new video games,” Folmer explained of his “VI Fit” software. “This is always an amazing experience as children go crazy over our games, especially as some kids have never played video games before.”

It’s not surprising that a researcher who is studying physically engaging games would also be active himself; the 35-yearold says he enjoys kite surfing in the summer and snowboarding in the winter, and he recently took up stand-up paddle boarding. Folmer, who holds a Ph.D. in software engineering and a master’s degree in computer science both from the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, says he’s currently writing the first book about his field of research — which ultimately could be used for teaching an online course in the emerging field of study — while gearing his research more towards industry, which may allow for solving real-world problems. “Ultimately I went into academia to make a positive contribution,” he said. “Though I have a background in software engineering, my real passion has always been in video games. I have been lucky to have worked with a set of amazing graduate students who were able to bring in fresh ideas. Together we pursued these ideas that in most cases yielded amazing dividends.”

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henry FU

{Mechanical Engineering} WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION Trained as a physicist, Fu imparts diverse knowledge to Nevada students Dr. Henry Fu has an expansive educational pedigree punctuated by the top names in education: Harvard. Cambridge. U.C. Berkeley. Brown. He began with an accelerated joint bachelor’s/master’s degree at Harvard in physics, chemistry and mathematics, graduating in 2000. He then went to Cambridge for a Certificate of Advanced Study in Mathematics in 2001. Finally, he completed his Ph.D. in Physics from University of California at Berkeley in 2006. With such a diverse scientific and educational background, it should come as no surprise that he would be well equipped to fill the position of assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. “Engineering is a broad discipline that allows you to explore all sorts of topics in many different ways,” he said. “Engineers are interested in not only how to get things to work for applications, but also why things work the way they do. For myself, trained as a physicist, engineering lets me look into research topics which are not usually included in the discipline of physics.” He notes that after graduation from his doctoral program, he wanted to work in a biologically oriented field. His postdoctoral advisor in the Division of Engineering at Brown University introduced him to the research area of biological mechanics and fluid dynamics, which he studied for four years.

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Now, the scientist continues that field of study and spends his time learning how organisms can move in complex environments, which may have numerous obstacles or different terrains. “I work on small-scale fluid dynamics and solid mechanics,” he explained. “One particular area is understanding how microorganisms such as bacteria and sperm are able to move around in fluids such as water or, in our bodies, mucus. This is important for understanding and preventing infections, for example.” Fu received funding from the National Science Foundation for work on modeling bacterial swimming. He and a graduate student designed and built a “haptic simulator,” allowing users to experience viscositydominated fluids (dense substances like mucus) firsthand. He hopes that experiences using such a simulator allow researchers greater insight into the manner by which microorganisms navigate. “The implication is that some of the swimming strategies or motions used by microorganisms may be more effective in things like mucus than in simple fluids like water,” he said. “Evolutionarily, they may have developed these swimming strategies because they really are built to be able to move through these complex environments, so it’s important to know how the environment affects their swimming efficacy.” The father of a 6-month-old son says he spends spare time backpacking and taking advantage of the region’s abundant outdoor activities. But his workdays are consumed by his professional passions: teaching engineering courses in fluid dynamics and aerodynamics and building a widely respected research program. “Engineering provides an institution where you can explore different ideas and topics,” he said. “I’m focused on having a high-quality research program.”

emil GEIGER

{Mechanical Engineering} MICRO-FOCUSED Nevada assistant professor explores microtechnology applications in the lab and in the classroom Despite losing his father during his formative schoolage years, Dr. Emil J Geiger clearly was inspired by his dad’s professional passions. “My dad passed away in a car accident when I was 4,” he said. “He was a mechanical engineer, too.” Geiger’s birthright seemingly crystalized during his early college education. He received a bachelor’s degree with honors in mechanical engineering from Louisiana State University in 2003, an experience that ultimately would impact his decision to join the Nevada staff as an assistant professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering many years later. “One of the reasons I chose the University of Nevada, Reno was because I wanted to be at a school that was similar to my undergraduate experience,” Geiger said. “Even though the University is half the size of LSU, it is similar in that it is a flagship, land-grant state university.” After completing his undergraduate education at LSU, he then refined his interests in microtechnology at the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a master’s and doctoral degree in mechanical engineering. As a post-doctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he contributed to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Artificial Retina Project, a collaborative, multi-institutional effort to develop an implantable microelectronic retinal prosthesis to restore useful vision to people blinded by retinal diseases. Geiger’s current area of scientific specialization complements his past experiences, as he is building miniature (or micro) devices using polymeric materials — “specifically, devices for applications related to renewable energy” — as well as developing polymer-based microsystems for biological applications.

And surely it comes as no surprise that a scientist dedicated to the field of mechanical engineering may be mechanically inclined, as is evident by one of his most time-intensive hobbies. “I spend a lot of time with my family,” Geiger said. “Many weekends I am working on some kind of project for my house ranging from fixing a broken appliance, to building a built-in bed for my daughter, to remodeling a bathroom.” His own education may have taken shape at larger colleges, but Geiger says he appreciates the more intimate venue afforded by the local setting. “The University is small enough that I feel like I can develop meaningful relationships with the students and thus hopefully make positive impact on their lives,” he said of his experiences to-date at Nevada. “The college has a healthy balance between research and teaching.” While research remains in focus, Geiger also feels a profound connection to his students. “I chose to teach because I love working with the students,” he said. “When I reflect back on my own education, there are a few teachers and professors that stand out and that really made a difference in my life. My goal is to be that kind of professor to the students in my classes and in my research lab.”

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mehmet GUNES

{Computer Science & Engineering} HEAD IN THE CLOUD Nevada researcher studies vital computer privacy measures Computer scientists often are a diverse group. On one hand, they enjoy the more mechanical aspects of technology; on the other, they’re fascinated by how technology and humans interact. Dr. Mehmet Hadi Gunes, assistant professor in Nevada’s department of Computer Science and Engineering, exemplifies this dichotomy. “Since my first years of college, I wanted to enhance our communication capabilities and develop better network protocols and systems,” he said. “However, my interest in complex networks stems from my childhood desire to understand the world and how we humans or biological systems interact with each other.” Gunes’ diverse interests have been evident since the early days of his education. He double-majored in electronics engineering and computer science in his undergraduate study in Turkey, then choosing computer science for his master’s and doctoral study. He received a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2008. And now his focal areas of research explore varied topics like complex networks, internet measurements and communication privacy. “I like to understand the complex systems such as biological and social networks and employ network science to discover hidden characteristics of such complex networks,” Gunes said. “In particular, I’m

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interested in measuring and modeling the Internet, the largest man-made complex network. Moreover, I like to develop privacy enhancing technologies that can help in securing cyber communications.” Specifically, Gunes says he is interested in developing systems that assure privacy in the cyber world, which he says “has been integrated into every aspect of our daily lives.” While studying such techniques, he’s also passionate about learning about the complex interactions that are happening around us. One example of his research: He and his team are working to identify mechanisms that will enhance user privacy in the cloud environment — a technological paradigm that moves computing and storage tasks from individual systems into the cloud, which provides hardware and software resources over the internet. “Cloud computing is becoming the trend in the IT industry, and addressing privacy issues is crucial for viability of moving sensitive information such as health records into the cloud environment,” he said. The 33-year-old teaches “Data Structures” and “Computer Communication Networks” courses, imparting his diverse expertise and knowledge to the next generation of computer scientists. “Teaching helps me expand my understanding of the topics that I cover in the classes,” Gunes said. “And the college provides me resources to attain knowledge. Most importantly, I get to interact with intellectual students as well as established academicians.” At home, he gets even more interaction with bright young minds. “I enjoy exploring the world and sharing my knowledge with others,” he said. “I also enjoy spending time with my three children, being with them as they explore the world.”

elie HAJJ

{Civil & Environmental Engineering} PAVING THE ROAD TO SUCCESS Nevada faculty lends asphalt expertise to students and agencies As you drive down pothole-infested roads and highways during winter months, chances are your thoughts oftentimes center on one constant annoyance: the quality (or lack thereof) of the road’s surface. But Dr. Elie Y Hajj, assistant professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, is thinking about this constant annoyance all the time. “From the first day I started my graduate studies, my interest and curiosity in asphalt pavement started growing,” he said. “The unique and complex behavior of the asphalt material kept me eager to know more about it.” After earning a bachelor’s degree in Lebanon, Hajj made the long trek to Reno, Nevada, to earn a master’s and doctoral degree in civil engineering. “Pavements/Materials Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno is a nationally recognized teaching, research and training program,” Hajj said. “The Pavements/Materials laboratory at the University is fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to evaluate the strength and performance properties of paving materials.” He says his primary research interests address concepts of pavement design and analysis, pavement construction issues, pavement sustainability and engineered paving materials such as recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and warm-mix asphalt (WMA). He recently received funding approval from the Nevada Department of Transportation for a project pertaining to engineered materials. The title of his project: “Development of Specifications for Engineered Cementitious Composites for use in Bridge Deck Overlays.” Other recent research has attempted to provide answers to questions of asphalt maintenance. “In light of shrinking agency budgets, pressure is being placed on agencies to become more cost-effective in their delivery of services to the public,” said the active

member of several national Transportation Research Board committees. “I have been extensively involved in several research studies that evaluated the long-term performance of asphalt pavement preservation and rehabilitation activities.” One such study was sponsored by Nevada’s Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County, which sought to identify and recommend the optimum time for the slurry seal application on asphalt pavements. A similar study was also completed for NDOT, in which eleven different preservation activities were evaluated using long-term performance data. “Based on the findings of this study, an elaborate pavement preservation program was developed to help Nevada DOT personnel selecting cost-effective preservation activities,” Hajj said. In his current position, Hajj says he feels fortunate to be able to teach undergraduate and graduate classes in the areas of civil engineering and pavement design and materials. He also has assisted in setting up and teaching several laboratory experiments for undergraduate and graduate courses and for technical workshops on pavements and materials. “I strongly believe that the main purpose of university education is to aid students in expanding their knowledge and developing strong critical thinking skills for better decision making,” said the married father of a 2-year-old son. “Consequently, in all my courses, I aim to help students attain active reasoning and understand the importance of the material for their career development.” 11

edward KOLODZIEJ {Civil & Environmental Engineering} THE WONDERS OF WATER Researcher and assistant professor takes passion for the environment and turns it into career in aquatic chemistry Dr. Edward P. Kolodziej is the consummate example of someone who has translated his passions into a rewarding career. “Fundamentally, I am a person who is passionate about the outdoors and the amazing environment we live in,” he said. “We can’t live without it, it is worth our care and protection, and I see environmental engineering both as necessary step on an inevitable path to societal and ecological sustainability and a way to minimize the ecological footprint that our human activities have on our surrounding environment.” The assistant professor in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering acknowledges that his career is both his birthright and his legacy. “I have had a lifelong interest in improving ecosystem health and understanding human impacts on the aquatic environment,” said Kolodziej, who holds a Ph.D. from Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins. “Basically, I do water quality because fish and fishing run in the blood of my family, and I carry that heritage forward as best I can.” Kolodziej teaches a variety of aquatic chemistry and contaminant fate and transport classes, topics he considers fundamental to both human and ecosystem health. He also mentors students with interests in water quality sustainability in the currently small, but strong and growing, environmental engineering department at the University of Nevada, Reno.

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“Teaching is how we bring understanding and knowledge to others and also ourselves,” he said. “I also enjoy interacting with intelligent students, challenging them to think, learn and grow, and learning from them myself.” He and his students undertake collaborative research with many highly respected programs, including the Desert Research Institute and several national research institutes. He says of his goals for the future: “Through discovery science and original research, to make a difference, to solve some of our most difficult water quality problems with unique and creative approaches.” “I understand water quality,” he explained. “How to measure it, improve it, manipulate it. In order to maintain our current quality of life and to preserve the integrity of the ecosystem that we are a part of, we need to ensure that we have adequate, high quality water supplies.” Of course, for someone with a passion for water, environment plays a huge role in his professional time and his playtime. When he’s not fly fishing in the Truckee River, surfing at Ocean Beach in San Francisco or backcountry skiing at Tamarack Peak, he’s exploring the Sierra mountain range. “Surrounding location is very important to me,” he said. “I love the Sierra Eastside.” An interest in tactile learning and application is evident in his other interests as well. “I actually love to work with my hands as much as I love to work with my head,” Kolodziej said. “Nothing is quite like the precision and craftsmanship of a manual job well done. If I had the time, I would build a house and everything in it from scratch.”

kam LEANG

{Mechanical Engineering} IN CONTROL Scientist balances personal and professional life — and contributes to the future of control system research Joining the University of Nevada, Reno — with its close proximity to one of the highest concentration of skiing opportunities in the nation — was perhaps destiny for Dr. Kam K. Leang, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

novel control systems for applications in nanotechnology, for example, to control the movement of small tools at the nanoscale.”

“I like to backcountry ski,” he said, perhaps unaware of the understatement. “I have a skiing streak: skiing at least once a month, year round, and as of September 2012 it’s up to 120 months, so 10 years straight of skiing The scientist notes that applications at least once a month! I’ve traveled far and near to keep of his research include tools for imaging and manipulating matter my streak alive. My wife calls it an illness. at the nano scale, particularly When he’s not feeding the sickness and finding a scanning probe microscopes. backcountry trail, Leang is hard at work doing research At Nevada, Leang also teaches in control systems and teaching future scientists in introductory control systems classes and heads up the Nevada. Electroactive Systems and Controls Lab (easyLab). “I feel it’s important to be an effective teacher so I Research there focuses on modeling and control can better train and prepare the future work force,” of electroactive systems for applications in micro/ he said. “Additionally, by exciting them to pursue nanotechnology, and more recently he has taken an careers in engineering and even encourage them to go interest in creating intelligent autonomous systems that to graduate school, it helps to build a more globally includes unmanned aerial vehicles. competitive work force for our country.” “My research is both theoretical and experimental,” he Leang understands the importance of engagement in said. education. His interest in control systems was piqued Leang notes that he spends any spare time with wife while pursuing a bachelor’s degree — and later, a Allyson, their 20-month old daughter, Norie, and master’s — at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. newborn son, Phirin, adding that the decision to “I became interested in this field when I was an relocate to Nevada years ago was a simple one. undergraduate, working as a research assistant for a “Nevada’s College of Engineering has a great reputation professor in the same area,” he said. “The professor for research and teaching, and it’s recognized nationally later became my M.S. and Ph.D. advisor. I have been and internationally,” he said. “Because of this, I feel fascinated with the research on control systems since that I am at a good place to do my research and teach. then.” Overall, the University and College have been very He then pursued doctoral study in Mechanical supportive, so this helps me be successful. Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, “I value being at the University, doing research, and graduating with a Ph.D. in December 2004. teaching,” Leang added. “It’s what I love to do!” Control systems, Leang says, are “ubiquitous”: “They are found in the cruise-control systems of an automobile to the auto-pilot systems in an airplane,” he explained. “My focus in this area is the development of 13

qizhen LI

{Chemical & Materials Engineering} REPUTATION FOR RESEARCH Award-winning junior faculty member makes an impact with exploration of materials Since joining the University of Nevada, Reno in 2006, Dr. Qizhen Li has proven her research prowess again and again. Last year, the College of Engineering associate professor was awarded a National Science Foundation five-year CAREER Award, one of the most competitive awards for university scientists totaling over half a million dollars. This prestigious award is given to the very best junior faculty members who exemplify research and educational excellence in their fields. Then earlier this year, she received a 2012 Nevada System of Higher Education Rising Researcher Award, bestowed upon one faculty member at each Nevada research institution in recognition of their early-career accomplishments and potential for future advancement and recognition in research. She also received the 2012 TMS Young Leader Professional Development Award. TMS — The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society — is a professional organization for materials scientists and engineers that encompasses the entire range of materials and engineering. “I love teaching and research in Nevada’s College of Engineering,” Li said. “It is exciting to pass knowledge on to the students and help them prepare for their future career. It is fun to do research and explore various behaviors of materials, generate new knowledge from the research and communicate new findings to the students.”

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Li received her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Ohio State University in 2004. Her Ph.D. dissertation focused on theory and modeling of mechanical behavior of nanoscale and finescale multilayer thin film. Her current research interests are an extension of her doctoral investigation, as she is studying the mechanical behavior of different types of advanced materials such as shape memory alloys, composites, thin films, porous materials and lightweight materials. “The importance of the research can be exhibited by lightweight materials,” she explained. “If we can use lighter and stronger materials than the current materials we use for vehicles, we can decrease the weight of cars and trucks, improve fuel efficiency and save energy, and lower exhaust emission.” Her NSF CAREER award is funding such research, likely having an impact on biomedical research as well. It will allow her to develop, study and experiment with magnesium-based nanoporous materials for use in applications like energy storage, biomedical joint replacements and auto body parts. “Materials are so important to our daily life, and it is exciting to have the ability to manipulate them and realize different properties for various potential applications, which makes me interested in the area,” Li said. She says her goals for the future are to continue teaching, performing research, and making contributions to the research community and our society. “I choose to teach because I love to interact with students and support their learning,” she said. “The University’s College of Engineering furnishes a good environment to promote teaching and research. The environment is friendly and family-like, and the leaders and colleagues are very helpful to junior faculty members. All these are important to the development of faculty at his/her early career stage.”

hongfei LIN

{Chemical & Materials Engineering} GOING GREEN Chemical engineer conducts groundbreaking biofuel research that may change society — and will impact Nevada students Dr. Hongfei Lin has had the fortune of witnessing the creation of a new technology — which also opened his eyes to a future research opportunity. “I worked in a company called Virent before I joined the the University faculty,” he said. “During my stay at Virent, I witnessed the birth of the world’s first biogasoline demonstration plant. That was so exciting. However, I realized that there were still significant challenges to producing price-competitive fuels from biomass.” The process at a biogasoline plant is similar to a standard oil refinery converting crude oil to transportation fuel, with one key difference: sugars from various biomass sources are used to produce the same hydrocarbon mixtures used in standard transportation fuels. “Petroleum refining has spurred the prosperity of the chemical industry for more than 50 years,” Lin said. “However, with forecasting the end of the oil age, searching for alternative energy resources becomes imminent these days. In the future’s alternative energy industry, chemical engineering will play a pivotal role again just like its central role in the petrochemical industry.” The 38-year-old Nevada assistant professor now relies on more than 10 years of experience in chemical engineering to conduct research, specializing in catalysis and reaction engineering. “I have a broad research interest spanning from novel catalytic materials to green chemical processes,” he said. “My current research is focusing on renewable energy technologies, especially catalytic conversion of biomass into advanced biofuels and green chemicals.” After joining the University in 2010, he built a team to conduct research on catalytic conversion of biomass, inventing a new technology called aqueous phase partial oxidation (APPO). This process can selectively convert biomass into desired organic acids using environmentally friendly water and air as reaction media over heterogeneous catalysts.

“With the advantages of feedstock flexibility, mild operating conditions, low external energy consumption, zero hydrogen usage, low coke formation and ease of upgrading of intermediate products,” he said, “I believe that APPO has the potential to be a promising alternative to the conventional thermochemical processes toward converting lignocellulosics into fuels and chemicals.” Lin received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2005 from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, then was a postdoctoral fellow for two years at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to joining Nevada’s faculty, he worked in the chemical industry for three years. “I enjoy the research freedom in academia,” said the father of four — girls ages 6 and 7, and 3-year-old twins. “Here I can pick up a research topic which is of the most interest to me. Teaching is challenging but also rewarding. Interacting with smart young students is fun.” He notes that seeking funding for continued APPO research is the goal in the near future, as start-up money is waning. “The long-term goal is to nurture our nascent technology, mature it and eventually commercialize it,” he said. “This could be just a beautiful dream, but that’s my enthusiasm. Integrating the cutting-edge research with education is another main goal, of course.” 15

carlos MARTINO {Mechanical Engineering} MAGNETIC ATTRACTION Researcher investigates how small variations in magnetic fields can be environmental stresses Magnets are known for attracting ferrous objects while repelling other objects — namely, other magnets of like polarity. But what do magnetic fields do to the cells within our bodies? This question is the research focus of Dr. Carlos Martino, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. “I chose to teach and do research at the University of Nevada, Reno since the College of Engineering provides me the opportunity to continue the investigations on magnetic field effects in biological systems,” he said of his reason to join the staff in July of last year. “The College of Engineering and University as a whole have the infrastructure and facility to support this research.” His early college days at the University of Houston focused on the study of science and math. “I became interested as an undergraduate student in physics,” he said. “Combining physics and biology caught my attention.” Then came both a physical and academic move: He left Houston for Colorado, pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of ColoradoDenver, a master’s degree in mathematics from University of Colorado-Boulder (UCB) and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UCB. He received his Ph.D in December 2008 for dissertation work on low level static magnetic field effects in cellular systems. He then spent two years at the Institute of Medical Engineering at the Technical University of Munich (IMETUM) as part of his graduate work. 16

Clearly, investigation into magnetic fields has been a pervasive research interest throughout his education — and now his professional career. “Current specific research projects involve modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by low level magnetic fields and inhibition of cancer cell growth in vitro by weak radio frequency magnetic fields,” he said. In other words, because humans are surrounded by a constantly changing magnetic field — be it the Earth’s or those radiating from devices like cell phones — Martino is investigating how magnetic-field fluctuations change biochemical reactions inside the human body. He recently presented some of these concepts at the Experimental Biology 2012 meeting in San Diego, Calif. “Our research shows that exposure to different types of magnetic fields affect biological response,” he said, adding that his research may raise the question of reassessing the standard limit of exposure. Effects on cells have been seen both in vitro and in vivo in the low level and radiofrequency magnetic field range. The scientist, who spends his spare time traveling both domestically and abroad to beach and mountain destinations alike, says by understanding how weak magnetic fields affect cancer cell processes and tumor growth, we may develop the potential for cancer therapy based on weak radiofrequency fields. He explains his group has recently shown that the reduction of the Earth’s magnetic field inhibits growth rates of cancerous lung fibrosarcoma cells, colorectal cancer cells and primary endothelial cells. “The goal for the future is to translate the in vitro results to the clinic,” he said. “We are in the process of obtaining promising data in in-vivo results of human pancreatic cancer.”

ramin MOTAMED

{Civil & Environmental Engineering} SHAKING IT UP Nevada researcher and assistant professor undertakes literally ground-breaking earthquake research In the United States, earthquakes are common, especially on the West Coast. But in Dr. Ramin Motamed’s country of origin, Iran, earthquakes are frequent — and often catastrophic. “Coming from a country which is located in the high seismic region, Iran, I have felt the strong ground shaking on several occasions,” Motamed said. “Since then, I have always dreamed of pursuing my career in geotechnical earthquake engineering.” So Motamed chose to learn in diverse locales, first pursuing his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Iran, then traversing the globe to Japan in 2004 for a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering — with a major in geotechnics, naturally — at the University of Tokyo’s reputed research facilities. “As an undergraduate student, I was stunned with the power of earthquakes and their devastating nature if they hit areas where engineering design was not taken into account during construction,” he said. During his Ph.D. studies, he had the opportunity to be a member of the E-Defense shake table research group and employ this cutting-edge facility for his research, for which he was awarded the prestigious 2010 Best Young Researcher Paper award by the Japanese Geotechnical Society. Earthquake research brought him to the University of Nevada, Reno, with its internationally renowned shake tables, which are part of a Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) established by the National Science Foundation. Only three NEES sites have shake tables, including Nevada. The University center has made significant contributions to the U.S. National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program, a multi agency task force led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “What brought me to Nevada was the opportunity to utilize cutting-edge NEES shake table facilities to better understand earthquake hazard in infrastructure, built environments and mitigating associated seismic risks,” Motamed said.

The 34-year-old assistant professor says his focal area of research is geotechnical earthquake engineering, which covers the behavior of soil under ground shaking due to earthquakes and the generated ground motions. “Particularly, I am interested in the behavior of loose and saturated soils subjected to intense seismic shaking,” he explained. “Such a soil may turn into an unstable condition, which is called liquefaction. Liquefaction phenomenon has caused extensive damage to buildings and infrastructures during several recent earthquakes worldwide.” In his teaching and research, Motamed takes advantage of Nevada’s state-of-the-art NEES shake table facilities to carry out experimental and numerical research studies. “My goal is to contribute to research that will provide safer and more reliable buildings and infrastructures during strong ground shaking,” he said. “This implies better understanding of the seismic hazard and proper mitigation measures to reduce the risk.” Before coming to Nevada, Motamed was a senior engineer with ARUP, an international firm of consulting engineers, and has worked on several large projects in California and Nevada as well as internationally. Now, the married father of a 3-year-old son brings that expertise to Nevada civil engineering students in the “Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering” course he’s teaching this fall. “I love to share my knowledge with students and prepare them for their future career,” he said.

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chanwoo PARK {Mechanical Engineering} POWER PLAYER Nevada scientist translates passion for mechanics of power generation to the lab and classroom For Dr. Chanwoo Park of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, becoming a professor was the fulfillment of a lifelong goal.

phase cooling loop technology. He also worked as a research specialist in Michigan’s Ford Research and Advanced Engineering Laboratory, developing engine and battery cooling systems and vehicle thermal management systems for hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.

“I dreamed of being a professor because I like very much doing my own research and discovering new things and knowledge,” he said. “Although I worked for a few industries, I managed to sharpen my research skills and interest and found that Nevada is the ideal place to start my dream.”

His current research interests stem from these early experiences.

He joined the teaching and research staff in 2008 after a winding educational path that took him to diverse venues. He received bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Taejon, South Korea and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, respectively. During his educational pursuits and subsequent scientific positions, Park developed a passion for the study of a few specific focal areas. “I liked mechanical systems in general,” he said, “especially heat transfer, energy and power generation.” These areas of interest served him well throughout his education and professional career. He has extensive experience in industrial engineering and manufacturing fields, specifically addressing concepts of electronics cooling for technology and automobile development. Before joining the Nevada faculty, he was a group leader at Pennsylvania’s Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc., where he developed an advanced pump-assisted two18

“My main research objectives are to improve the performance and efficiency of renewable energy systems such as rechargeable batteries for electrical vehicles, thermoelectric power generator and solar cell,” he said, adding that much of his research has been funded by the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Missile Defense Agency (MDA), NASA and industries. “One of my goals for the future is to be a respected scholar in my research field.” Outside of the lab and classroom, Park is a family man with diverse interests and hobbies. “I spend my time with my family, helping my two daughters with their school studies,” he said. “We also garden and hike together.” Back in the lab, Park heads up the Two-Phase Heat Transfer/Sustainable Energy Laboratory (TPHT/ SEL) on the Nevada campus, which aims to establish first-class research programs in the two-phase heat transfer and sustainable/renewable energy area. He says a goal of the lab is to produce well-educated and trained, creative engineering professionals through research and education. He also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in heat transfer. “I like teaching because I can interact with students and inspire them to achieve higher goals,” he said.

keri RYAN

{Civil & Environmental Engineering} LIFE-SAVING RESEARCH Expanding Nevada research facility will allow for enhanced study of catastrophic earthquakes Last year alone, almost 17,000 people from around the world died in earthquakes. Dr. Keri Ryan, assistant professor of civil engineering, believes research can contribute to practices that will greatly reduce death tolls by making buildings more resistant to earthquake damage. Last year, she was one of only three U.S. researchers to lead an experiment using the world’s largest single earthquake simulator (shake table) at the Hyogo Earthquake Engineering Research Center, also known as E-Defense in Japan. “My research interest is in the development and advancement of high performance, seismic protection techniques for structures to mitigate against the effects of damaging earthquakes,” Ryan explained. “Code designed structures are typically anticipated to have damage in a large earthquake. However, techniques to eliminate or greatly reduce damage exist and are currently under-utilized. “Thus,” she continued, “my research aims to develop improved seismic protection techniques and address technical, economical and procedural barriers associated with existing techniques.” The E-Defense tests, funded by the National Science Foundation and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, were conducted on a five-story, 500-ton steel-frame building, supported by two different types of shock absorber base isolation systems. The hydraulically activated table exerted several extreme earthquake motions to the building over a three-week period. While her research takes her to international locales, Ryan received both a Ph.D. and a master’s degree closer to home — from UC Berkeley. She says the primary attraction of teaching and research at Nevada was the internationally renowned shake table located right on campus. “I came to the Nevada to work with esteemed faculty in the earthquake engineering group and have access to the University of Nevada, Reno’s Large Scale

Structures Laboratory, which is expanding to become the largest and most versatile earthquake simulation laboratory in the U.S.,” she said. The planned laboratory expansion, which will be called the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research of the University of Nevada, Reno, is being funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The expansion will include a new 22,650-squarefoot Shake Table Laboratory at the University, which will be able to accommodate up to five large-capacity shake tables. New experimental capabilities will be the highlight of the new state-of-the-art facility, including the ability to test large-scale models of buildings and to conduct experiments that simulate the effect of seismic waves propagating through layers of soil under foundations. Of course, research is only one part of Ryan’s multifaceted personal and professional life. She’s also mentoring five graduate students, managing a family with her husband and two young sons, competing in her first (“and probably last”) marathon last spring and teaching two undergraduate classes this fall — each with enrollment of about 100. “My goals for the future are to increase the practice of advanced protective systems in the U.S., to be a recognized expert in this area and to increase teaching effectiveness in large classes using state of the art techniques,” she said.

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yantao SHEN

{Electrical & Biomedical Engineering} BIOMEDICAL MIRACLES Local researcher uses worldwide connections to develop novel technologies Clearly, medicine is one of the most important fields of study for the continued wellbeing of humanity; and the interface between technology and medicine is becoming increasingly important as our populations diversify and further develop. The most advanced technologies of the day owe their innovation to the field of electrical and biomedical engineering, the department in which Dr. Yantao Shen is an assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Reno.

automated pathology diagnostic interfaces and wireless/wired healthcare systems, among others. Shen completed his doctoral study in 2002, receiving a Ph.D. in mechanical and automation from Chinese University of Hong Kong. He then spent five years as a research associate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Michigan State University, leading research in sensorized and network-enabled micro/bio systems and design. He notes he first became interested in his field while conducting a biomedical engineering research project funded by the National Institute of Health. Its title: “Supermedia Interface for Internet-based Telediagnostics of Breast Pathology.”

“Conducting such research not only illustrated the need to provide a new technical solution for medical diagnostic systems, but also, more significantly, the need to develop a practical approach to accomplish “I have found that this job perfectly matches my academic breast examinations with a physician in a remote background, including teaching capability and research interests,” Shen said. “The college greatly supports my academic location,” he explained. “No doubt such research would improve medical care and potentially save lives. career by providing resources and by helping connect me with many collaborators within the college, across the University and The research experience makes me well understand the great potential of the research area and its benefits outside of our school.” to our community, thus encouraging me to contribute Connection is an important concept for those researching my knowledge into this area.” biomedical engineering. Shen has collaborated with researchers Shen believes a real-world, hands-on approach to locally, nationally and internationally to create important technologies — many of which are “bio” inspired, meaning they teaching and research best serves students who are the future of biomedical engineering. He frequently imitate biology found in nature. facilitates classes in which students are asked to “My general research interest is in bioinstrumentation create their own innovative and interdisciplinary and automation,” Shen said. “The research area not only technologies by virtue of their senses and knowledge demonstrates the strong potentials of biomedical engineering learned from electrical and biomedical engineering systems to provide better care, wellbeing and services to society, areas., crafting business plans intended to develop and but it also incorporates new and exciting multidisciplinary areas market their unique products. of research across the medical, science and engineering fields.” “I have found that teaching is a very rewarding Examples of such fields, he added, include medical robotic experience,” Shen said, “and more importantly, I enjoy systems for precision surgery, cutting-age assistive and engaging and exciting students about the field of rehabilitation technologies for persons with disabilities, current, challenging research through teaching.” 20

ravi SUBRAMANIAN {Chemical & Materials Engineering} SUN SCIENCE Solar energy conversion could just save the planet — and educate a new generation of engineers and scientists “I always loved working in the area of solar energy and developing new materials of relevance to efficient utilization of this resource,” he said. “Since the engineering discipline offers a broader and overarching opportunity that includes sciences, I chose to specialize in this area.” So it’s appropriate that his education and passion would take him from a bachelor’s and master’s degree in India to a doctoral degree at Notre Dame and now to teaching and researching in northern Nevada, a region of the country boasting a temperate climate and about 320 days of cloud-free sun per year. Subramanian, an associate professor of chemical and materials engineering, is studying hydrogen generation from renewable sources and photovoltaic (PV) cells while also devoting his time to educating Nevada engineering students. His area of focus: developing new materials for solar energy conversion as well as a device that can efficiently produce hydrogen with visible light. He collaborates regionally, nationally and internationally with scientists at Nevada’s Desert Research Institute, Department of Energy laboratories and at the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, India. “We have a good emphasis on solar energy affiliated education in Nevada’s College of Engineering,” Subramanian said. “We are working on various aspects related to solar energy utilization, not limited to electricity generation.” In fact, Subramanian knew Nevada students were interested in learning more about alternative energy, so he developed an innovative solution: He helped them create the Sustainable Energy Forum (SEF), a student organization to help promote awareness of all kinds of renewable energy through K-12 education, outreach and conscientious, community-based projects.

“I think the University of Nevada, Reno students have capabilities no different from those of students from other big schools,” he said. “The undergraduates from here especially are highly talented. With the help of these students, I think we can do wonders and make internationally recognized contributions.” Along with his research, Subramanian advises masters and doctoral candidates and teaches an undergraduate alternative energy class and an online class solely dedicated to solar energy. “Currently, I am teaching and researching,” he said. “I teach several topics of relevance to the chemical engineering curriculum. Of particular interest to me is the course on alternate energy which provides students with an insight to the various forms of energy resources besides coal and petroleum.” Subramanian says solar energy has widespread benefits and will be instrumental in addressing the global energy crisis through green jobs creation, commitment to a cleaner environment and promoting individual responsibility. And this “individual responsibility” is something he also teaches at home in his spare time. “I enjoy music, movies, driving and spending time with my wife and boys,” he said.

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murat YUKSEL

{Computer Science & Engineering} STAYING CONNECTED Nevada associate professor works to resolve some of the Internet’s most significant problems Some say timing is everything. Dr. Murat Yuksel might agree — especially as it pertains to his future career path. “When I was looking for a research field in late ‘90s, the Internet was booming,” he explained of his education. “So I developed interest into something that clearly would be (and is) a major hit. I was a new grad student and needed funding to support my family; computer networking was one of the highest paying at the time, with the most rewarding job prospects. So, there it was: The choice was clear!” Fortunately for his future students in introductory and advanced computer engineering courses alike, the crystal-clear choice would yield great reward. Yuksel is now an associate professor in Nevada’s College of Engineering, imparting his computer science knowledge to numerous students eager to learn the computer engineering ropes. “Seeing my students grow up in terms of their capabilities and insights into the field is one of the greatest gifts ever,” he said of teaching. “These kinds of results are typically not possible to achieve in industry, but they are in an academic setting like Nevada’s College of Engineering.” Yuksel, who received his Ph.D. in computer science in 2002 from New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, says his research interests lie in the realm of computer and networked systems. Specifically, he says his recent 22

focus is on optical wireless, cloud-based networking, big-data networking, network architecture, routing economics and network management. “Briefly, I try to make your inter-networking experience a better one with more speed, larger capacity, easier user-network interaction and more cost-efficiency,” he said. “The Internet has become one of the most critical infrastructures, and I believe keeping it running and efficient is almost like saving humanity! “The world is getting increasingly connected, with total traffic amounts still almost doubling (even after two decades) every year,” he continued. “We need to help the Internet keep up with this growing demand, both wireless and wireline.” He notes that several serious engineering problems exist in the face of these growing Internet demand patterns. “If we cannot solve them in a sustainable and plausible manner, we as humanity and the nation will be in serious danger,” he warned. “The fact that my work contributes to this larger vision is a key factor that keeps me motivated.” His potential to make a significant contribution to the field is expressed through several lofty research goals, among them working to resolve the problem of wireless capacity crunch; enabling a new spectrum band for mobile wireless networking — optical (light) spectrum; using cloud computing for improving the performance of the Internet; and contributing to making the economics of the Internet healthier. But despite such far-reaching goals, he remains modest about how he achieved his success — and his recipe for further success in the future. “I am not an unusually smart guy,” he said. “Persistence and repeated trials have worked for me. I just work as hard as I can, and most of the time, it all comes together if I persist.”

xiaoshan ZHU

{Electrical & Biomedical Engineering} INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERESTS Assistant professor combines diverse technologies to improve the future of healthcare At the intersection of engineering and medicine lies an emerging field of study: biomedical engineering. And helping to spearhead the evolving discipline at the University of Nevada, Reno, is Assistant Professor Dr. Xiaoshan (Sean) Zhu. “Biomedical engineering is one of the most rapidly growing interdisciplinary engineering disciplines aligned with traditional engineering disciplines such as electrical engineering in the engineering/physical sciences,” Zhu said. “The College of Engineering has a great program for biomedical engineering.” Zhu’s research interests include nanobiosensing/ imaging. “In the analysis of biological samples, numerous biomarkers of infectious disease, cancer and cellular processes are present at extremely low levels, necessitating sensitive detection methods,” he explained. “My current research focuses on high-performance in vivo or in vitro biosensing or bioimaging using engineered nanomaterials. Functionalized nanomaterials can interact with biomarkers very well in vivo or in vitro due to their small sizes, and benefit highly sensitive and specific detection of disease biomarkers due to their unique physical or chemical properties.” Such applications clearly will improve the healthcare industry, potentially benefitting diagnosis, monitoring and therapy technologies. “Two recent research papers published in ‘Biosensors and Bioelectronics’ and ‘Analyst,’ for example, illustrated how we can convert non-fluorescent nanoparticles to strong fluorescence signals for cardiac marker detection or cardiac diagnosis,” he said, illustrating critical heart-related benefits of biomedical engineering. After receiving a doctoral degree in the areas of biomedical microelectromechanical systems

(BioMEMS) and Biosensors at the University of Cincinnati in 2005, Zhu spent three years as a research scientist at the global conglomerate YSI, Inc. There, his focus was on bioanalytical devices for environmental water monitoring. “I got a fundamental training in nanosensing in my Ph.D. study, and learned more on biosensors when I worked in a well-known sensor company,” he said of his time at YSI. “Then, I decided to be involved in nanobiosensing. Now I also realize that nanobioimaging is a growing and interesting area, and I plan to start some work on it soon.” At Nevada, Zhu, who says his goals for the future include “Doing good science to educate people — students and the public” — heads up the Integrated Bio-Analytical Systems Lab. The focus of the lab is on training bioanalytical methods, microfluidics, biosensors and micro/nanosystems for biomedical applications. He also teaches microelectronics for undergraduates and biosensors for graduates. “My teaching on biosensors gives fundamental knowledge training to graduates and helps me to prepare students for research,” he said. I have a solid background on microelectronics (B.S. and M.S. in this area) and also have a lot of hands-on experiences on electronics when I worked in a sensor company. “It is good to share my knowledge and experience with students in class and let them know how to prepare for a career in electronics or related industries,” he added. 23

chemical & materials engineering: NATHANIAL ROYSDEN FINDING HARMONY AT HARVARD Local grad plans to combine academics, management and clinical skills to change the future of healthcare “In the future, I plan on applying the intellectual rigor taught by the Nevada College of Engineering, the management skills of the MBA, and the clinical background of the MD to innovating new payment methods, product designs and streamlined systems in healthcare.”

Nathaniel Roysden, 22, says he has had a lifelong passion for “… everything STEM — especially chemistry.” And this passion for science, technology, engineering and math has led the 22-year-old student from the halls of Nevada to Harvard Medical School. “I’m currently studying medicine at Harvard Medical School, and this year I’m applying to the MD/ MBA combined degree program with Harvard Business School,” said the Nevada graduate, who received his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 2011. 24

Roysden believes one of the benefits of the chemical engineering department is how it involves students in academic research. He says he felt extremely supported by the chemical engineering department in general — and Dr. Coronella, Dr. Fuchs and Dr. Maragakis specifically. “The supportive environment of the chemical engineering department, the rigorous chemical engineering curriculum and the ample opportunities to do research are an excellent preparation for any career,” he said, “especially an academic one such as medicine, or an analytic one like business consulting.” He attributes much of his success to the inter-departmental and even inter-college experiences

that helped develop his diverse passions. “The professors at the University care,” he said, pointing out some of his most influential professors like Dr. Vasquez, Dr. Itani, Dr. Ervin, Dr. Cline and Dr. Borgeson. “I feel that it is important to give credit to educators who don’t often enough get to hear how much they’ve impacted someone’s life.” Roysden also says he “fell in love with dance” during his time at Nevada, crediting dance instructors Rick Southerland, Suzette Feilen, Catherine Eardly, Barbara Land, and Kristen Avansino. And while he has little spare time at Harvard, he’s enjoying hobbies — both old and new. “Med school is rather busy,” he said, laughing at the understatement. “When I’m not doing school, I spend a lot of time exploring the many options for foodies in Boston. I did manage to do some Argentine Tango and West Coast Swing during the first semester of medical school.”

graduate student SUCCESS LARRIN THOMAS RESEARCH DRIVEN Former student uses Nevada undergrad research as preparation for Colorado Ph.D. Larrin Thomas, 25, made the decision to earn his undergraduate education at the University of Nevada, Reno, for similar reasons expressed by numerous Nevada students. “I attended the University’s College of Engineering because of the excellent value it offered and the beautiful area around Reno,” he said. “The best aspect of my education was the small class size.” That small class size, however, translated to big opportunities. Thomas was able to take his interests in engineering research, applying them to undergraduate research projects — a rarity in bachelor’s education throughout the nation. His project on “Metallic Cellular Structures” involved learning complex casting techniques and testing procedures of metallic structures that are lightweight, yet absorb energy during impact. Such structures are of significant value in applications such as vehicle crash protection systems like bumpers, which absorb impact

rather than transmitting the forces to vehicle passengers. “My time at Nevada was great,” he said. “I made a lot of friends and worked with a lot of great professors. My most memorable experience was the opportunity I had to do undergraduate research, which was great preparation for graduate school. “While at Nevada, I learned how to learn things,” he continued. “We learned the background for a variety of disciplines, but more importantly, we learned how to learn more.” Clearly, earning his bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering has opened the door to further opportunities. He’s currently studying at the Colorado School of Mines in Metallurgical Engineering in a Ph.D. program in its steel research center. His emphasis: Dual-Phase steel. “In the future, I would like to work in the steel industry or a company that does a lot of heat treating of various steels,” he said. “Carpenter

Technology would be a great place to work.” Thomas says he spends any spare time he might have — when he’s not studying and researching, that is — with his wife and son. He notes that his time at Nevada was punctuated by exceptional instruction. “The professors [at Nevada] are top notch,” he said. “Some people think the only good education comes from an Ivy League school. But the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno has many intelligent, excellent people.” 25

civil & environmental engineering: JACKSON WEBSTER EYES WIDE OPEN Nevada graduate says time at Nevada prepared him for a successful future and science I didn’t even know existed prior to my time there,” he said. “My time at Nevada really prepared me and positioned me to move forward in my life and career.”

Jackson Webster’s path to a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering wasn’t a direct route. “I started as an Environmental Science Major and then realized that engineering was a better fit for me,” says the now 30-year-old. “When I made the decision to get into engineering, it was like a light turned on: I realized that it was exactly what I wanted to do.” What he discovered: a great education in a beautiful location. “The University of Nevada, Reno means a lot to me. I think it really opened my eyes to an entire world of engineering, research 26

He utilized his exposure to undergraduate research, parlaying that experience into further study and an undoubtedly successful future. He currently is a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado, Boulder in the department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering. “My interest is contaminant transport,” he said. “Specifically, I have been looking at the role of wildfire on mercury-organic matter interactions in soil. Now that I am at a different institution with graduate students who attended colleges from across the country, I am always impressed with how much I was able to take away from the University. It is undoubtedly on par with just about any school I can think of, and I feel my education has more than adequately prepared me for success.”

He says that his time at Nevada provided him with exposure to professors who embodied an ideal combination of great research skills, effective teaching and engaged interaction with students. He noted this combination “…is hard to find, and probably one of the best aspects of the program.” Webster says his future is open to many possibilities — most likely tied to teaching. “Right now I am just looking forward to finishing my Ph.D., but I am still a little while out,” he said. “Following completion of that, I will probably be looking for post-doc work. At this point I am considering trying to become a professor, but I really try to just take things one step at a time. It is a long journey, and I am open to multiple possibilities.”

graduate student SUCCESS ARASH ZAGHI BUILDING BRIDGES Nevada Ph.D. graduate connects with students about concepts in structural engineering Arash Esmaili Zaghi designed and tested countless bridge connections during his education in Nevada’s College of Engineering. But the most significant bridge he has built: The one connecting his education and his career, which spans the distance between Nevada and Connecticut. Zaghi received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (emphasis in Earthquake and Structural Engineering) from Nevada in 2009, and he now serves as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Connecticut. “I am part of the structural engineering faculty, teaching Steel Design and Bridge Design courses,” said the 32-year-old University of Nevada, Reno graduate. “I will pursue my research in multi-hazard resilient design of structures, more specifically bridges.” He says he chose the University of Nevada, Reno in part due to the reputation of the Large Scale Structure Laboratory, which he

calls “the best in the nation.” He also looked forward to the chance to work with pioneers in the field of earthquake and structural engineering; specifically his doctoral advisor, Professor Saiid Saiidi. “My most memorable time was the day we ran a shake-table experiment to evaluate the performance of a novel bridge connection that I worked on as part of my Ph.D. research,” Zaghi said. “We had several guests from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) who were eager to see if the design method that we had developed actually worked. After the successful conclusion of the experiments, everyone was satisfied with the research outcomes. It was a big relief for me!” Such real-world applications of educational initiatives prepared him for his future, he says. “My time at Nevada gave me a very strong background on the subject matter,” he said. “It exposed me to cutting edge experimental research in the field of earthquake

engineering. It built my confidence to join academia and teach what I learned to other students — who will form the next generation of our nation’s engineers — and pursue cutting-edge research activities that will benefit the safety of our nation.” Based on his education and experience, Zaghi calls himself a “proud alumni” of Nevada. “Thanks to the dedicated faculties and staff, Nevada’s College of Engineering is one of the most successful colleges with respect to the technical quality of its graduates,” Zaghi said. 27

computer science & engineering: MEHMET BILGI ABROAD PERSPECTIVE Turkey native applies computer expertise in Nevada — and leaves with more than he brought foreigner peers can easily relate to it. I still get a little kick just by remembering those times and feel a bit nostalgic at the same time.” The decision to travel around the world for a graduate education proved fateful. Bilgi thrived at Nevada, earning a master’s degree in engineering in 2008 and then a doctoral degree in 2010 in Computer Science and Engineering. Mehmet Bilgi made a lifechanging decision when he was in his younger years: He decided to move from his home country of Turkey to Reno, Nevada, to attend graduate school. “Time at Nevada has meant a lot to me,” he said. “After all, I spent most of my 20s at the University, and I can’t forget the first few months. There was the sheer excitement of coming to the U.S. — you know, we would get excited just by thinking about simply being here. It is hard for an American to grasp well, but my

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During his time, he attended and presented at conferences, refereed conferences, taught undergraduate courses and undertook internships that would enhance his future career.

solutions to the defense-related problems of the U.S. My work involves proposing such solutions and running the program, if we get awarded.” He says his time at Nevada prepared him for a successful future. “It really opened my mind, even on the subjects that I felt very comfortable with before coming to the U.S.,” he said. “After all, this is the country where the computer was invented, and computer science has turned into a large and still-thriving industry — impacting a number of industries.”

One such internship was at Los Angeles-based UtopiaCompression Corporation — which hired him as a research and development scientist after he received his Ph.D.

The California resident says he enjoys fishing — though time at work prevents him from enjoying his hobbies much — and feels tremendous gratitude for his education.

“I now work for a company that does applied research for Department of Defense agencies,” Bilgi said of his employer, UC Corporation. “I routinely seek

“I am thankful for all the support I received during my studies,” Bilgi said. “I have to return gratitude. I hope to teach one day to pay it back more in conventional means.”

graduate student SUCCESS ANTHONY MORELLI HE’S GOT GAME Computer Science grad translates gaming skills to professional life He played and created games in college — and received college credit for it. Now he’s playing and creating games in his professional life — and being paid to do it. Tony Morelli, 35, is a software developer at Reno company Acres 4.0, where he is charged with creating new forms of gaming. He developed his passion for gaming while working toward his PhD in Computer Science and Engineering, which he earned in December 2011. “My dissertation covered new ways people who are blind can interact with technology,” Morelli said. “One aspect showed how people who are blind can play games such as Wii Sports as a form of exercise.” The VI Fit research project sought to explore how exergames — video games that use physical activity as input and which have the potential to change sedentary lifestyles — can be developed that can be played without visual feedback. Morelli’s research found that people with visual impairments

tend to exhibit lower levels of physical activity/fitness and higher levels of obesity. So the goal of his project was to increase the participation of users with visual impairments in physical activity, thus improving their health. “My most memorable experience during my education was seeing the faces light up when people who are blind played games I wrote,” he said. “It is amazing how something so simple brought joy to a group of people!” He has even found that these research experiences directly prepared him for his professional challenges. “Interestingly enough, a project I am working on has a requirement that the gambling games be played by a person who is blind,” he said. “My PhD research years at the University prepared me specifically for this challenge.” When he’s not developing software, Morelli can be found playing taiko drums at various cultural and charity events around

town with Reno Taiko. He’s also an avid runner, having participated in a 5k, 10k, and half marathon in the last year. And he’s preparing to teach CPE 491/691, Introduction to Gaming and Slot Machine Development, this coming semester at Nevada. “I will be using my 13+ years of gaming experience to prepare current students for internships or full-time positions in our industry,” he said. “CS students should sign up for it — it will be extremely fun to take!”

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electrical & biomedical engineering: ALEX CERJANIC CONTINUING EDUCATION Nevada graduate pursues M.D./Ph.D. joint degree in Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and speaking with the students here, most of them don’t have the same level of interaction until they are in grad school.” He just recently graduated with a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Nevada after an undergraduate degree in the same field in 2009. And with these degrees under his belt, his focus is — yet again — on education. Alex Cerjanic says he now understands the true value of his experience in Nevada’s College of Engineering — and how that experience will only add further value to his future. “By far, the best aspect to my College of Engineering education was the smaller class sizes and the ability to approach, be mentored by and pursue undergraduate research with the professors,” said the 26-year-old graduate. “At first, I didn’t realize how important this strength of the college was, until I started talking with students from other universities. I’m starting at the University of Illinois at 30

“Right now my goals are to pursue the M.D./Ph.D. joint degree at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (UIUC),” Cerjanic said. “I am starting the Ph.D. in Bioengineering and will start working toward the MD starting next year. With those degrees, I’m angling toward a career in translational research, or how new discoveries and inventions in the lab make to the clinic or the bedside.” Cerjanic says that the more intimate learning experience at Nevada — oftentimes in lab settings — helped him discover a passion for research. In his master’s study, he had the

opportunity to work with the multinational technical giant General Electric on a graduate project, learning about how research and development in corporations is actually accomplished. “At times it was exciting and fascinating, and at times it was extremely frustrating,” he said. “But I learned far more that I thought I would throughout the entire experience.” After his master’s study, Cerjanic applied for a National Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship, which will fund the first part of his Ph.D. “Between that, eventual lab funding and Medical Scholars Program funding for the medical school portion, my degrees are going to be funded,” he said. “After these next eight or nine years of school, and a residency, I hope to end up in an academic medical center pursuing research — ideally, this means 80 percent in the lab and 20 percent in the clinic.”

graduate student SUCCESS STEPHANIE LUONGO THE SKY’S THE LIMIT Avionics engineer isn’t far from her dream — in space For Nevada graduate Stephanie Luongo, space isn’t only the “final frontier”; it’s also a realistic objective. “My greatest professional goal — and sometimes I would even call it an obsession — is to be selected by NASA into the astronaut program and one day fly and live in space,” said the 29-year-old Nevada graduate, who holds an MS in Electrical Engineering. “But in the meantime, I am trying to grow and expand my skills in the aerospace and defense industry. I would also like work on a PhD in the next decade, and teach at the university level toward the later portion of my career.” She eats, sleeps and breathes the aerospace industry in Louisville, Colo., where she works for Sierra Nevada Space Systems. The company is a division of the Sparks-based Sierra Nevada Corporation, where Luongo first began her career as an intern, then after graduation became a systems engineer.

“I now work as an Avionics Engineer on the Dream Chaser vehicle, which is one of the vehicles in development to replace the Space Shuttle by transporting astronauts to the International Space Station,” she said. “I am also taking graduate-level courses in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder.” She notes that Nevada’s College of Engineering more than adequately prepared her for work in a technical field right out of college. “I think the best skill I gained was the ability to communicate to colleagues of all backgrounds and technical levels,” she said of her experience at Nevada. “The best aspect of my education was the quality of professors and my relationships with the faculty. During my time at Nevada’s’s College of Engineering, I felt the faculty and professors had a genuine concern for the students’ success.” The support she received has kept her reaching for the stars —

literally and figuratively. She says she has many personal goals, like learning to fly as many types of airplanes as she can, travelling to all seven continents and one day completing in an Ironman Triathlon. And of course, there’s always the ultimate aspiration of living and working in space. “I am truly living my dream,” Luongo said. “It’s such an amazing feeling to wake up every day knowing I’m exactly where I want to be.”

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mechanical engineering: SERGIY KALNAUS ‘PRICELESS’ EDUCATION Doctoral grad transfers educational experience to prestigious career practical skills and knowledge with him as he embarked on his career. He is now a research associate in the Materials Science and Technology Division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a multiprogram science and technology laboratory managed for the United States Department of Energy in Tennessee.

When it comes to his experience in Nevada’s College of Engineering, former student Sergiy Kalnaus, 37, says his education was priceless. “I got a great deal of knowledge at the University of Nevada, Reno, knowledge shared with me by the people who are best in their fields of research. There is no way to put a price on that,” he said. “This is related not only to lectures, but to research work itself, starting from big picture and down to minute practical details of experiment execution and control.” Kalnaus, who graduated in 2009 with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, would take the 32

“I am working on processes related to life limitations and safety of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for energy storage and electrification of automotive drivetrains,” he said. “Loss of capacity and high costs of manufacturing are two major roadblocks prohibiting wide commercialization of LIBs in applications beyond consumer electronics. So I am trying to look at what causes this capacity loss.” He credits his time at Nevada — especially the guidance and advice provided by advisor Yanyao Jiang —— for laying the groundwork for his current success and future prospects for advancement. He also is grateful for the opportunity to teach afforded him during his doctoral study.

“I really enjoyed interacting with the students, and I was really lucky to be able to teach to a class full of bright young minds,” he said. “Thanks to that, I believe I am well equipped to undertake a career in academia, which I will consider doing in the future. “I strongly believe that teaching and interaction with students keeps your mind sharp,” Kalnaus continued. “I definitely would apply for a faculty position at the University of Nevada, Reno if there is an opening.” When he’s not working on problems associated with electrode fatigue and fracture, he spends time with his wife Yuliya, their 17-month-old son Alex and an “extra large” dog — an English Mastiff named Dessa. He defines success in the future as finding fulfillment in his work. “Satisfaction is in doing good work, regardless of where you are,” he said.

graduate student SUCCESS YINGFENG SHAN FROM NANOTECHNOLOGY TO ENORMOUS OPPORTUNITY Doctoral student uses Nevada education to develop state-of-the-art semiconductors Yingfeng Shan, 31, says he will always fondly remember his study in Nevada’s College of Engineering. “It was a very important time period for me,” he said. “Specifically, I was able to properly prepare myself under the direction of my advisor to be successful at obtaining a good industry job. What I remember most were attending my first conference to present my research work, seeing my first journal paper get published, and the joyful feeling I experienced after spending months and months working on solving difficult problems!” Shan graduated in 2011 with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering focusing on Dynamic Systems and Control with application in nanotechnology. And now, he spends his days as a controls engineer at Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. (ESI) in Portland, Ore. “My key responsibility is system identification and developing unique control solutions for servo/ motion systems used in laser-based high precision manufacturing for the semiconductor industry,”

he described. “In other words, I help develop state of the art semiconductor manufacturing machines.” Among highlights of his doctoral study, Shan mentions his ability to support the education of undergraduate students while serving as a teaching assistant for his advisor and mentor, Dr. Kam K. Leang — as well as the research experience itself. “The best aspect of my education was being in a nationally recognized mechanical engineering department and working with my advisor who was an expert in the area of nanopositioning and its applications in nanotechnology,” he said. “I gained valuable skills that helped me a great deal at obtaining a good job.” Shan notes that the facilities in Nevada’s College of Engineering helped round out his education. “I felt that the lab facilities at the University were well equipped for me to learn and conduct research effectively,” he said. “For example, my advisor’s lab, The Electroactive Systems Lab (or easyLab for

short) contained state-of-the-art equipment that allowed me to be successful at conducting research, particularly to produce high-quality results for my publications.” When he’s not developing semiconductor solutions, Shan says he enjoys hiking, skiing, traveling and spreading the word about Nevada. “I wish more people knew that Nevada’s College of Engineering has a critical mass of worldrenowned researchers,” he said. “The University is a relatively small school, but the faculties in the College of Engineering are some of the best in the world.” 33

chemical & materials ENGINEERING New coating for aluminum developed to replace cancer-causing product; University of Nevada, Reno research team finds elusive self-healing formulation for defense, aerospace has been banned, it is still in use by the defense and aerospace industries under various exemptions.

Dev Chidambaram and David Rodriguez, Chemical & Materials Engineering. Photo by Mike Wolterbeek

A research team at the University of Nevada, Reno has developed a new environmentally-friendly coating for aluminum to replace the carcinogenic chromate coatings used in aerospace applications. The chromate conversion coatings have been used for more than 50 years to protect aluminum from corrosion. The team presented their research last week at the international Pacific Rim Meeting on Electrochemical and SolidState Science in Hawaii. “It was well received at the conference,” Dev Chidambaram, lead scientist and assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Nevada, said. “There is no question that this will be able to replace the chromate-based coating. Even though the coating formulation is yet to be optimized, the coating has shown exceptional performance.” Attempts to replace chromate coatings with non-toxic coatings have been underway since the 1980s. The awareness on effects of chromates was brought to the forefront in 1993 by the real-life incident involving Erin Brokovich and depicted in the movie released in 2000 of the same name. Although the use of chromates for consumer and automotive applications

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The carcinogenic coatings were exempted from the ban due to unavailability of suitable replacement combined with the high human and financial cost of failure from corrosion. The search for a suitable replacement has been elusive primarily due to one main characteristic of the coating referred to as “self-healing,” the ability of the coating to heal itself after being damaged or scratched. When scratched, the coating components from nearby sites migrate to the damaged region and re-protect the underlying alloy. A short video of the coating formation is on Chidambaram’s website, www. electrochemical.org/ under the heading “Cool Videos.” Chidambaram’s formulation performs comparably to the chromate formula in its ability for self-healing, which is important to the defense and aerospace industry. The coating can be applied to all aluminum products. The new formula creates an environmentallybenign molybdate-based coating that provides corrosion protection to aluminum, used for aircraft and spacecraft. These coatings, when damaged, will re-heal themselves. The University of Nevada, Reno team developed and tested more than 300 coatings before arriving at this formulation. They used a complimentary suite of advanced surface analytical techniques such as Raman microspectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to conclusively prove the presence of

molybdate in the scratched region. Further, using electrochemical testing, the team showed the coating reprotected itself via self-healing upon scratch test. The team includes graduate student David Rodriguez, who conducted the extensive testing on the materials, and undergraduate aerospace engineering major at the University of Colorado, Boulder intern Roshan Misra, who began the project as a high school summer intern from Reno High School. The team is still working to optimize the coating formulation for even better protection. “This has taken 14 years of work, continuing on work I did at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the Brookhaven National Laboratory,” Chidambaram said. Chidambaram, as the director of the University’s Materials and Electrochemical Research Laboratory (MER Lab), has obtained nearly $3 million in externally-funded research grants in the past three years from the Department of Energy (DOE), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the National Science foundation (NSF), including the Young Faculty Award for Nuclear Materials Research from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He also received an award from DOE to establish a unique facility for testing and evaluation of dynamic corrosion behavior of nuclear materials under supercritical conditions. The facility is expected to accelerate the selection of materials for Generation IV nuclear reactors. He directs eight doctoral students, one masters student, one postdoctoral associate and three undergraduate students. He is also the director of the materials science and engineering graduate program.

2012 NCET Faculty Advisor of the Year This award recognizes those Nevada college and university educators who have made significant contributions to the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup Business Plan Competition. Dr. Alan Fuchs teaches classes in chemical and materials engineering design, chemical separations processes and polymer science and engineering. Fuchs does research related to new materials for renewable energy, biomaterials and intelligent materials. Previously, Fuchs worked at Rohm and Haas Chemical

Corporation in the area of membrane filtration technology for 12 years. He worked in research, product and process development and manufacturing. Fuchs is very interested in engineering entrepreneurship, working with small companies and helping them to identify new products and processes. He enjoys working with students on Governor’s Cup projects and has done so since the competition started. NCET is an independent award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps Nevadans start and grow their businesses through educational programs and by connecting them to the resources they need to succeed. Alan Fuchs, Chair and Associate Professor, Chemical & Materials Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Subramanian’s Research Featured On Cover Dr. Ravi Subramanian, Associate Professor of the Chemical & Materials Engineering, recently had his work on solar energy materials featured in the July, 2012 edition of The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. He specializes on energy materials development with focus on clean fuel production and environment.

2012 Regents’ Rising Researcher Award Since joining the University in 2006, Dr. Qizhen Li has wasted no time in establishing herself as one of the best researchers in the country. At Nevada, Li has been awarded more than $1.6 million in research funds from federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and NASA. She is now working on two federally funded research projects involving magnesium-based advanced lightweight structures and materials. Li has also received the 2012 Young Leader Professional Development Award from the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and received Promotion and Tenure at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Collaborations Dr. Chuck Coronella will begin work this August on a collaborative R&D project with ZERE Energy and Biofuels, Inc., of San Francisco, California. With funding from the California Energy Commission, Dr. Coronella and his collaborators are developing a new way to burn gaseous fuels to produce power, called Chemical Looping Combustion. ZERE is building a small prototype, and the University of Nevada, Reno will develop a computational model of the reactor system. The CLC system has the unique advantage to allow for inexpensive collection of Carbon Dioxide from the exhaust, an important greenhouse gas. From top to bottom: Ravi Subramanian, Associate Professor , Qizhen Li, Associate Professor, and Chuck Coronella, Associate Professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering. Photos by Theresa Danna-Douglas

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chemical & materials ENGINEERING Outstanding Service Award

Kelsey Plank, Outstanding Service Award Recipient, Chemical & Materials Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Kelsey Plank’s path to engineering started with an interest and a dream to create a cosmetics line. Growing up in Gerlach, Nevada, she learned the importance of hard work and dedication from her parents, which she knew she would need to obtain a chemical engineering degree. In addition to all of the work she put into her studies, Kelsey enjoyed being a tour guide for Nevada Bound (a student recruiting event), helping to organize the AiChE Conference, and belonging to the two-time intramural basketball champion team. Kelsey has received a great deal of support from her friends and family but she would like to especially thank her step father, who was her biggest inspiration. He showed her hard work, kindness and his dedication to her family and he also bought her first scientific gift – a microscope. Following graduation, Kelsey joined Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold.

Outstanding Senior Award Diane Mar was born and raised in Reno, graduating from Wooster High School with an International Baccalaureate diploma. Her strong interest in math and sciences in general led her to a decision to study Chemical Engineering. Diane has been impressed by the versatility of the field, the opportunities offered by the department and the enthusiasm of the professors. At the time of graduation, Diane planned to attend medical school at A.T. Stills University in Arizona, stating that she felt well prepared with the skills that she has learned from engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. Diane Mar, Outstanding Senior Award Recipient, Chemical & Materials Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Award The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited US institutions. Kevin Marshall graduated in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno and was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He plans to attend California Institute of Technology to study his Ph.D. Kevin Marshall, Undergraduate Student, Chemical & Materials Engineering. Photo by Sally Casas

Graduate Student Association Awards Each spring semester, the Graduate Student Association sponsors an awards program for outstanding Nevada graduate students. Scholarships and grants are awarded in several categories, including research, teaching, and mentoring. Joan Lynam won awards in the following categories: • 2012 Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher Award • 2012 Research Grant • 2nd Place - Presentation/Poster/Paper Competition

Joan Lynam, Graduate Student, Chemical & Materials Engineering. Photo by Sally Casas

Mohammad Toufiq Reza, Graduate Student, Chemical & Materials Engineering. Photo by Sally Casas

Mohammad Toufiq Reza won awards in the following categories: • 2012 Outstanding International Graduate Student Award • 1st Place - Presentation/Poster/Paper Competition

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civil & environmental ENGINEERING FOUNDATION PROFESSOR IAN BUCKLE TO LEAD NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING GROUP Civil engineering Professor Ian Buckle has received the endorsement of the members of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) to be their next president. After his current service as presidentelect, which began in February 2012, Buckle will serve as president for two years. Buckle is an internationally recognized and respected leader in earthquake and structural engineering and research in seismic performance of bridges and lifelines as well as earthquake protective systems for structures. The Institute is a national, nonprofit, technical society of engineers, geoscientists, architects, planners, public officials, and social scientists dedicated to reducing the consequences of earthquakes in seismically-active communities.

work to the profession and the reputation of our programs." At the University of Nevada, Reno, Buckle is a Foundation Professor of civil and environmental engineering and serves as director of the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research and director of the University's world-renowned LargeScale Structures Laboratory, one of 14 equipment sites in the NSFfunded Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation.

In a highly-competitive grant process in 2010, Buckle acquired a $12 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to expand the Large-Scale Structures Laboratory. He is currently overseeing this 23,000-square-foot, $18.7 million expansion, which more than doubles the size of the lab. When completed "Being selected for the position in fall 2013, the expanded facility will of president-elect of EERI is house the largest and most versatile an achievement that clearly earthquake simulation laboratory in demonstrates the significance of Ian's the United States. many contributions to the profession as well as the international excellence Buckle has conducted extensive of our earthquake engineering earthquake engineering research program," Manos Maragakis, dean of in Japan and, among many other the College of Engineering said. "It is research projects, is collaborating on affirming to our mission of national a major project with the Center for and international prominence when Urban Earthquake Engineering at we see our faculty being elected in the Tokyo Institute of Technology. leadership positions of international societies such as this. It speaks EERI, headquartered in Oakland, volumes about the impact of their Calif., is one of the largest multi38

Ian Buckle, Foundation Professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research at the University of Nevada, Reno. He and his team concluded experiments this year on a 145-foot-long, 162-ton steel and concrete curved bridge that was built atop four large, 14-foot by 14-foot, hydraulic shake tables in the University’s worldrenowned large-scale structures earthquake engineering laboratory. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

disciplinary earthquake engineering societies in the world. Its flagship publication is Earthquake Spectra, a journal published to improve the practice of earthquake hazards mitigation, preparedness, and recovery. Learn more about EERI at http:// www.eeri.org/. Learn more about Buckle and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno at http://www.unr.edu/cee/. Story by Mike Wolterbeek

UNIVERSITY PARTNERS WITH DISCOVERY MUSEUM TO CREATE SEISMIC CHALLENGE National Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation joins challenge to provide K-12 students a creative introduction into engineering field similar to the Seismic Challenge during her undergraduate program at the University, and thought it would be a great idea to develop an educational challenge for K-12 students that could be shared with other museums and universities. “This collaboration not only introduces kids to the field of engineering, but will allow us to tell them about other activities on campus, such as engineering summer camps,” Lyttle said. “It additionally allows us to engage the general public Students participating in the Seismic Challenge on July 21 at the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum in downtown and show them the importance of Reno, in collaboration with the University of Nevada, Reno’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, build civil engineering.” structures with toothpicks and gumdrops to be tested on a shake table. Photo provided by the University of Nevada, Reno.

An innovative challenge is promoting K-12 students’ interest in the engineering field. The University of Nevada, Reno’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department has collaborated with the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum in downtown Reno to host the Seismic Challenge. The Seismic Challenge requires participants to design and build a structure and then test it on a shake table. The shake table re-enacts the forces of historical earthquakes, including the powerful Northridge event in California and Kobe event in Japan. The creative twist to the challenge is that participants must build their structures using only toothpicks and gumdrops or balsa wood.

In a series of three separate challenges held in July, participants built and tested their structures. The first two challenges, held July 21, reached maximum participant capacity. “The first challenges were a huge success,” Kelly Lyttle, civil and environmental engineering program coordinator, said. “The kids seemed to learn a lot about the importance of designing strong buildings to resist earthquakes and had a great time doing so.” Lyttle, who designed the challenge rules and ran the competition at the Nevada Discovery Museum, thought creating a seismic-based activity would be an effective and engaging way of teaching students about the possibilities in the engineering field. Lyttle participated in competitions

The Seismic Challenge is divided into four age groups and students sign up for a specific time slot. Children can signed up individually or paired with a partner, or entered in teams of two or more. The challenges also took place July 28 and 29. The Seismic Challenge is also supported by the George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). The University of Nevada, Reno earthquake simulation facility is managed as a national shared-use NEES equipment site created and funded by the National Science Foundation to provide new earthquake engineering research testing capabilities for large structural systems. By Megan Akers

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civil & environmental ENGINEERING WOLF PACK FOURTH IN NATIONAL CONCRETE CANOE CHAMPIONSHIP “America’s Cup of Civil Engineering” brings 21 universities to Reno/Sparks for 25th annual event for the oral presentation on their year-long effort and 11th in the final product/display category.

The team’s canoe, named Ducimus (Latin for “we lead, we guide”), was 15 pounds heavier than last year’s 145-pound canoe in which they placed fifth at nationals. The canoe was the lightest, by 40 pounds, of any other in this year’s competition. Team members: Emma Crossman; Chris Duarte; Jon Lau; Casey Sylvester; Alicia Veach; Mitzi Olsen; Craig Jenkins; Dustin Pefley; Justin Kunert; Lisa Bryant. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

The University of Nevada, Reno concrete canoe team battled fiercely on the water and in the lecture hall, finishing fourth overall in the 25th National Concrete Canoe Competition Saturday. For the third year in a row, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo won the American Society of Civil Engineers event, this year hosted by the University of Nevada, Reno. “The College of Engineering and the University have much to be proud of: a very successful organization of a major national event; a wonderful opportunity to showcase regionally and nationally the many wonderful aspects of the college and the 40

University; the continued success of our student team in a very rigorous competition,” Manos Maragakis, dean of the College of Engineering said. “This exemplifies the commitment of the college to excellence and national prominence, and made all of us very proud.” The Nevada team finished second in the women’s endurance race, third in the men’s endurance, third in the women’s sprint, third in the men’s sprint and first in the coed sprint for third overall in the paddling events. The races account for 25 percent of the teams’ scores. The team placed second for the paper detailing the design and construction of their canoe, seventh

After a day full of races, top finisher Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo was just shy of the overall total points record in the history of the event, and was several points ahead of second place Universite Laval, out of Canada. Third place Michigan Technological University came in third with the University of Nevada, Reno a very close fourth place finish. Nevada scored a 54.2 and Michigan Tech’s total score was 54.3. Nevada has finished in the top six at nationals in the past six years and the top five in the last five years, with a first place win in 2008. More than 500 students and faculty advisors from 22 universities around the country and Canada participated in the grueling three-day academic and athletic battle that included events on the University of Nevada, Reno’s campus and at the Sparks Marina Lake in the City of Sparks, next door to Reno. Throughout the year, teams of civil engineering students from 200 universities logged thousands of hours researching, designing and constructing their concrete canoes in search of the winning combination of creativity, knowledge and teamwork.

After coming out on top in regional competitions throughout the spring, the best and brightest from the top engineering schools matched wits and skills in the national finals. The winning team received a $5000 scholarship and a trophy. The second place team overall received a $2500 scholarship and trophy, and the third-place team received a $1,500 scholarship and a trophy. The complete 2012 rankings are: Rank/School 1st/California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo 2nd/University Laval 3rd /Michigan Technological University 4th/University of Nevada, Reno 5th/University of Florida 6th/Ecole de technologie superieure 7th/California State Polytechnic University, Pomona 8th/University of Wisconsin, Madison 9th/Youngstown State University 10th/University of California, Berkeley 11th/University of Texas at Tyler 12th/University of Evansville 13th/University of Massachusetts, Lowell 14th/Clemson University 15th/Fairmont State University 16th/University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown 17th/University of Wisconsin-Platteville 18th/Utah State University 19th/Oregon State University 20th/Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 21st/Louisiana Tech University 22nd/Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey “There are three factors behind the success of the competition and the performance of our team: the students who rise up and the do the work, alumni who provide support and technical expertise and our sponsors,” said David Sanders, civil engineering faculty member and concrete canoe team advisor. “Without all three, this top-five finish and successful event would not have been possible”. Story by Mike Wolterbeek Photos by Theresa Danna-Douglas and Sally Casas

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civil & environmental ENGINEERING AEESP Outstanding Publication Award Dr. Amy Childress, Chair of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, has won the 2012 AEESP Outstanding Publication Award for her paper, written in conjunction with Dr. Menachem Elimelech. This award is given annually to recognize authors of a landmark environmental engineering and science paper that has withstood the test of time and significantly influenced the practice of environmental engineering and science. Dr. Childress and Dr. Elimelech will be presented with their awards in New Orleans, Louisiana in the fall of 2012. Amy Childress, Chair and Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

New Faculty Ramin Motamed has recently joined the faculty in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Dr. Motamed received his PhD at the University of Tokyo in 2007 and is a recipient of the prestigious 2010 Best Young Researcher Paper Award from the Japanese Geotechnical Society. During his PhD study, Ramin was a member of a geotechnical research group at the E-Defense center in Japan where the worlds largest shake table facility is located. Dr. Motamed has been working as a Senior Engineer with Arup in San Francisco since 2009. He specializes in geotechnical earthquake engineering and has been involved in a variety of projects in California, Nevada, Southeast Asia, South America, and the Middle Ramin Motamed, Assistant Professor, East. In addition to being a practicing engineer, he has been teaching graduate classes at Civil & Environmental Engineering. Santa Clara University where he was an adjunct Lecturer. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Dr. Motamed’s main areas of research include liquefaction and mitigation measures; liquefaction-induced lateral spreading; pile foundations under seismic loading; seismic soil-pile-structure interaction; waterfront structures; seismic hazard analysis and local site effects; site response analysis; near-fault ground motions; and train-induced ground vibrations. He is an active member of several professional societies such as Northern California Chapter of EERI, ASCE, and JGS. Dr. Motamed is excited to utilize the NEES shake table facilities to carry out experimental research studies as well as performing numerical modeling to accomplish in-depth high quality research in the field of geotechnical and earthquake engineering. 42

ASCE 2012 Outstanding Practitioner Advisor of the Year, Region 8 Founded in 1852, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) represents more than 140,000 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide and is America’s oldest national engineering society. Kelly Lyttle, CCEER Program Coordinator and graduate of the Civil Engineering program at the University of Nevada, received this award for the second year in a row. Award winners were selected by the Committee on Student Activities, based on activities recorded in the 2011 Annual Report. These award winners participated in a variety of activities, from community service projects to professional meetings to social activities. Kelly Lyttle, Civil & Environmental Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Kelly was instrumental in bringing the 2012 Concrete Canoe National Competition to Nevada and assisted with hosting the event, which comprised 22 universities from across the United States of America.

2012 F. Donald Tibbits Distinguished Teacher Award, Runner Up This award was first presented in 1973 and is given to a faculty member for excellence in the classroom, giving greater recognition to teaching as a faculty activity, and is based on recommendations from college deans and department personnel. Dr. Eric Marchand is an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno where he has been on the faculty since 2000. He specializes in the environmental engineering focus area and is the program director for the undergraduate and graduate programs in environmental engineering. Eric received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Nevada, Reno before earning his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Eric Marchand, Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Eric is a licensed civil engineer in the state of Nevada and teaches the wastewater treatment plant design course in addition to biological unit operations, environmental microbiology, bioremediation, and engineering hydrology. He is also a former recipient of an NSF CAREER award and his research primarily focuses on biological processes in the natural and engineered environment. Eric is also involved in international outreach efforts aimed at enhancing water quality and availability in developing countries.

Shake Tables in Popular Mechanics

The April 2012 issue of Popular Mechanics highlighted research at the University of Nevada, Reno in their “Tech Watch” section. Civil engineers at the University of Nevada, Reno, injected a new level of realism into seismic testing, linking four shake tables to erect a 145-foot-long, 162-ton steel and concrete bridge in their lab. The coup de grace: loading the tables with full-size vehicles to explore the controversial question of how heavy traffic affects bridge stability. Researchers ramped up the tremors to more than twice the strength of the 6.7 Northridge, Calif., earthquake in 1994. The initial results suggest traffic can be a blessing and a curse. The trucks’ weight helped the bridge withstand smaller quakes but made it more vulnerable in larger ones.- ALEX HUTCHINSON 43

civil & environmental ENGINEERING Fall 2011 Senior Scholar During her time at Nevada, Stephanie conducted research of examining the fate and transport of organic endocrine disrupting steroid compounds. She credits Dr. Keith Dennett, Dr. Eric Marchand, and Dr. Amy Childress with always making her feel like her concerns were a priority and also appreciates their time, expertise & resources.

Stephanie Kover, Fall 2011 Senior Scholar Award Recipient, Civil & Environmental Engineering with her mentor, Dr. Edward Kolodziej. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Stephanie is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Environmental Engineering at University of Colorado – Boulder. She plans to continue performing research and cultivating those characteristics which contribute to success and fulfillment.

Outstanding Service Award Justin grew up in Sparks, graduating from Reed High School. In 7th grade he discovered his love for math, designing and bridges. It was at that point he knew that civil engineering was right for him. While attending the College of Engineering, Justin was impressed with the faculty for their mentoring and for supporting those students involved in the clubs and organizations. For five years Justin has been actively involved in the American Society of Civil Engineers/Associated General Contractors student chapter and the concrete canoe team, holding positions of membership coordinator, president and secretary. He credits his most proud accomplishments to paddling for the Concrete Canoe team and being President of the ASCE/ AGC student chapter. Justin Kunert, Outstanding Service Award Recipient, Civil & Environmental Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

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Justin graduated and began work for Kiewit Construction, starting in the estimating division of the Northern California district in Fairfield.

Outstanding Senior Award Erika is a fourth generation Alaskan, growing up in Juneau. Her mother, a music teacher, and her late father, a business entrepreneur, primarily in construction showed her first-hand the ingenuity of how to solve problems, how to make things work and how to meet deadlines. In her father’s commemoration in the Alaska State Legislature, he was honored for his strong ethics and integrity as a businessman. Erika hopes to live her live so others can see that same quality in her. Erika has excelled, not only in academics but also ski racing. She attended Sugar Bowl Ski Academy in high school before walking on to University of Nevada’s ski team as a freshman. Skiing for the University and competing at the national level has been the biggest thrill of her collegiate experience. Erika Horst, Outstanding Senior Award Recipient, Civil & Environmental Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Erika is following in her grandfather’s footsteps as an engineer and even her mom who ‘engineers’ music as she conducts.

Zachary B. Haber At the 2012 International Bridge Conference, Zach was presented the James D. Cooper Student Award, awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate an interest and passion for bridge engineering.

Zach Haber Civil & Environmental Engineering

Zach was also awarded with an EASPI-NSF Travel Fellowship which he completed this summer. He conducted a research project, entitled “Development of prefabricated bridge columns with innovative structural design and connections,” at The National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) in Taipei, Taiwan. An EAPSI award provides U.S. graduate students in science, engineering, and education: 1) first-hand research experiences in Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore or Taiwan; 2) an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and 3) an orientation to the society, culture and language. It is expected that EAPSI awards will help students initiate professional relationships to enable future collaboration with foreign counterparts.

Samuel Ahiamadi Samuel won awards totalling $2,900 for the following: • May 2011 ITE Intermountain Section Student Paper Competition • October 2011 Nevada ITE, ASCE, and ITS-America Joint Fall Conference Overall Best Student Paper Award • March 2012 ITE International Section Ellis Mathes Scholarship

Samuel Ahiamadi, Civil & Environmental Engineering. Photo by Sally Casas

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computer science & ENGINEERING INTERNS ADD PASSION, NEW PERSPECTIVES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES Reno’s IGT, Microsoft enjoy partnerships with UNR they come in the door,” Boyd said. “It’s been a fantastic relationship with the university.” Every department now wants an intern after seeing how successful the program has become, he said.

David Frontani, a project manager for Microsoft Licensing, back, coaches University of Nevada, Reno intern Jason Cohen Photo courtesy of Kerri Garcia, Microsoft Licensing

Internships benefit businesses as much as they do the students working in their offices.

fresh perspective in saying, ‘This is how work is being done outside of your company.’”

For Reno-based International Gaming Technology and Microsoft Licensing, interns bring energy and a new outlook.

While IGT has had interns for the past 30 years, only in 2008 was a formal program instituted in which uniform standards and benefits were finalized. The program has 20 to 30 interns and about half are University of Nevada, Reno students.

“I personally grow from having the (interns) here,” said Microsoft program manager Bill Boyd, who spearheaded the implementation of the company’s program four years ago. “… They bring that sense of passion, excitement and enthusiasm, and that is catchy.” While the students are there to learn and gain work experience, businesses also get to pick the minds of the next generation of consumers and employees. “They are learning current technology, current trends, current tools and processes,” said Jim Vasquez, IGT vice president of game engineering. “Sometimes, as a company, we are so focused on how we do business, they bring in that 46

Microsoft Licensing’s program is exclusive to University of Nevada seniors, and the latest class of 15 interns began their nine-month job in early July. In 2007, Boyd received guidance from other local businesses, Microsoft corporate offices and the University in developing an intern program. He has watched it grow to more than 71 interns over the past four years and extended the internship period to nine months from the original six months. “We get tremendous talent from the university that we can bring in, and they are productive, day one, when

Fetching coffee is not part of the job Interns at both companies are doing entry-level work, not fetching coffee or filing. “We want the interns to be doing meaningful work,” said Tracy Santos, IGT senior corporate recruiter and university program manager. “Real work that we need to get out of the door to put on markets.” Interns are placed throughout the companies’ engineering, accounting, IT and project management departments. At Microsoft, the students have structured goals and are given the tools to succeed, including coaches, buddies and managers. “(At) the start of the internship, (students and their managers) say these are the deliverables that they plan to have toward the end of their internship, and they have check-ins along the way to make sure that they are meeting those goals,” said Greg Ferro, Microsoft Licensing’s staffing lead and recruiter. Students also receive global business opportunities because they are working for such large corporations.

Both companies offer interns chances to learn about business practices in other departments through lunch sessions with high-level executives, where they can ask questions and see how the company is run. Interns also are interacting with divisions around the world. “It’s not just doing work for us,” Boyd said. “It’s also a learning experience for them.” The interns also get treated like employees, with access to paid time off, employee discounts and tuition reimbursement, depending on the program. Building for the future Internships provide the companies a chance to develop their job candidate pool. Microsoft has hired about 35 percent of its interns, including eight in the past year. Meanwhile, 13 percent are hired by Microsoft vendors, who work in-house. IGT has an 82 percent conversion ratio, Santos said. “It lays the path for us to be their employer of choice when they graduate,” Santos said.

By Yun Long Reno Gazette-Journal

NEVADA-RENO’S COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DEGREE IS ONE CREDENTIAL WITH MANY APPLICATIONS Software Engineer Insider recently interviewed Yaakov Varol, Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Nevada Reno, to learn about the Computer Science & Engineering undergraduate program. Yakov Varol discusses what drove the need to develop a program that combined computer science and computer engineering curriculum. He highlights the specialization options that allow students to find their niche, senior projects and which companies are hiring graduates of the program. This is one of the top programs of its kind in the United States. Students who have gone on to graduate programs at “big name” schools have commented that some of the courses in the Computer Science and Engineering program at the University Yaakov Varol, Chair and Professor, Computer of Nevada, Reno are of higher quality than that which they are taking in their graduate programs. Science & Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

The prestige and excitement surrounding the Computer Science and Engineering program is captured here and proves an entertaining and informative read for future students as well as current students, graduates of the program and faculty.

Reappointment

By Adam Sanford

Dr. Yaakov Varol has been reappointed as an ABET Commissioner. ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET accredits over 3,100 programs at more than 660 colleges and universities in 23 countries. ABET provides specialized, programmatic accreditation that evaluates an individual program of study, rather than evaluating an institution as a whole.

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computer science & ENGINEERING ACM Senior Member Recognition Dr. Fred Harris was awarded Senior Member Status within the Association for Computing Machinery. The ACM Senior Member program, initiated in 2006, includes members with at least 10 years of professional experience who have demonstrated performance that sets them apart from their peers through technical leadership, and technical or professional contributions.

Fred Harris, Professor, Computer Science & Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

As one of ACM’s prestigious Advanced Member Grades, ACM Senior Member status recognizes the top 25% of ACM Professional Members for their demonstrated excellence in the computing field. Along with Fellows and Distinguished Engineers, Scientists, and Members, ACM’s Senior Members join a distinguished list of colleagues to whom ACM and its members look for guidance and leadership in computing and information technology.

Promotion and Tenure Both Dr. Eelke Folmer and Dr. Murat Yuksel of the Computer Science & Engineering Department received Promotion and Tenure at the University of Nevada, Reno. Eelke’s research and outreach areas include: Games; interaction design; software engineering; accessibility/ usability of virtual worlds and games; software architecture assessment; game engine design; and component-based game development. Eelke Folmer, Associate Professor, Computer Science & Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

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Murat Yuksel, Associate Professor, Computer Science & Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Murat’s research and outreach areas include: Computer communication networks; wireless routing; mobile adhoc networks/systems; network economics; free-spaceoptical mobile ad-hoc networks (FSO-MANETs); and performance analysis.

COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT RESEARCHERS DESIGN INDOOR NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR BLIND Low-cost accessible software uses smartphone and robot technology and uses low-cost sensors, such as accelerometers and compasses, that are available in most smartphones, to navigate users with visual impairments. The system locates and tracks the user inside the building, finding the most suitable path based on the users special needs, and gives step-by-step instructions to the destination. Dora Uchel demonstrates the indoor navigation system developed by Kostas Bekris and Folmer of the Computer Science Engineering Department. Photo by Mike Wolterbeek

Computer science engineering team Kostas Bekris and Eelke Folmer presented their indoor navigation system for people with visual impairments at two national conferences in the past two weeks. The researchers explained how a combination of human-computer interaction and motionplanning research was used to build a low-cost accessible navigation system, called Navatar, which can run on a standard smartphone. “Existing indoor navigation systems typically require the use of expensive and heavy sensors, or equipping rooms and hallways with radiofrequency tags that can be detected by a handheld reader and which are used to determine the user’s location,” Bekris, of the College of Engineering’s Robotics Research Lab, said. “This has often made the implementation of such systems prohibitively expensive, with few systems having been deployed.” Instead, the University of Nevada, Reno navigation system uses digital 2D architectural maps that are already available for many buildings,

“Nevertheless, the smartphone’s sensors, which are used to calculate how many steps the user has executed and her orientation, tend to pick up false signals,” Folmer, who has developed exercise video games for the blind, said. “To synchronize the location, our system combines probabilistic algorithms and the natural capabilities of people with visual impairments to detect landmarks in their environment through touch, such as corridor intersections, doors, stairs and elevators.” Folmer explained that as touch screen devices are challenging to use for users with visual impairments, directions are provided using synthetic speech and users confirm the presence of a landmark by verbal confirmation or by pressing a button on the phone or on a Bluetooth headset. A benefit of this approach is that the user can leave the phone in their pocket leaving both hands free for using a cane and recognizing tactile landmarks. “This is a very cool mix of disciplines, using the user as a sensor combined with sophisticated localization algorithms from the field of robotics,” Folmer, of the University’s Computer Science Engineering HumanComputer Interaction Lab, said.

The team is currently trying to implement their navigation system in other environments and integrate it into outdoor navigation systems that use GPS. “My research is motivated by the belief that a disability can be turned into an innovation driver,” Folmer said. “When we try to solve interaction design problems for the most extreme users, such as users with visual impairments, there is the potential to discover solutions that may benefit anyone. Though the navigation system was specifically developed for users with visual impairments, it can be used by sighted users as well.” For their work on the indoor navigation system for the blind, Bekris and Folmer recently won a PETA Proggy Award for Leadership in Ethical Science. PETA’s Proggy Awards (“Proggy” is for “progress”) recognize animal-friendly achievements. The navigation system was deemed such an achievement because it could decrease the need to rely on guide dogs. They presented and demonstrated their research at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in St. Paul., Minn. on May 15 and on May 7 at the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, which is the premier international conference on human-computer interaction. For more information on the system, visit http://eelke.com/navatar. By Mike Wolterbeek

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computer science & ENGINEERING GE PROGRAMMING CONTEST On April 11, 2012, GE Energy sponsored the annual ACM Student Chapter programming contest. GE Energy located in Minden Nevada is part of General Electric Company, which is one of the largest engineering companies in the world. The programming contest has been held at the University of Nevada, Reno for the past 15 years and is organized by the ACM Student Chapter at the University of Nevada, Reno. ACM which stands for the Association for Computing Machinery is the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society delivering resources that advance computing as a science and a profession. The winners of the programming contest were:

Upper Division

Chris Salls - 1st Place Computer Science & Engineering

Dylan Cockerham - 2nd Place Computer Science & Engineering

Lower Division

Jared Rhizor - 3rd Place Computer Science & Engineering GE is a very large conglomerate and one of the largest engineering companies in the world. GE Energy, owns the Bently Nevada operations in Minden. The part of GE which sponsored the competition is GE Bently Nevada which offers products and services that work together to optimize plant operations, maximize the value of equipment, enable successful expansion with on-time projects and lower long-term maintenance expenses.

Matt Tanner - 1st Place Computer Science & Engineering

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Zack Ramos - 2nd Place Computer Science & Engineering

Special thanks to Ken Ceglia of GE, who has been a very good friend to the CSE Department for many years.

Outstanding Service Award After a year as a Political Science major, Marvin left college and joined the Nevada Air National guard as an aircraft mechanic, currently serving as a Staff Sergeant. Upon his return to the University of Nevada he fell in love with Computer Science – particularly Computer Vision & Artificial Intelligence. Thanks to the enthusiasm and motivation of Dr. George Bebis, he has come to appreciate research and academia. Dr. Bebis helped foster Marvin’s research and helped to publish a paper while working as an intern at NASA Ames in their Intelligent Robotics group.

Marvin Smith, Outstanding Service Award Recipient, Computer Science & Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Marvin plans to continue his research in graduate school at Nevada. He has already completed 2 courses under the MS/BS program, focusing on Artificial Intelligence & Computer Graphics. At the same time he will be working for Sierra Nevada Corporation in the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Division.

Outstanding Senior Award Brian graduated from Carson City High School in 2004. He initially left for Provo, Utah to study Mechanical Engineering at Brigham Young University. After serving a two-year foreign-speaking LDS mission to the Czech Republic, Brian returned home to seek an education closer to family and be near his little sister as she grew up. Brian’s love of technology influenced his decision to enter the College of Engineering and changed his major to Computer & Information Engineering. He recognized the increasingly important role computers play in society & in education today. At graduation Brian was a 4th generation Nevada graduate and his family was highlighted in the “Family Tree” section of the Spring 2009 Silver & Blue magazine.

Brian Streng, Outstanding Senior Award Recipient, Computer Science & Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

After an exciting 2 year software engineering internship at Sierra Nevada Corporation, Brian looks forward to continuing full time at SNC, applying the skills he has learned to further develop SNC’s Transport Telemedicine system.

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computer science & ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENT AWARDS Each spring semester, the Graduate Student Association sponsors an awards program for outstanding Nevada graduate students. Scholarships and grants are awarded in several categories, including research, teaching, and mentoring.

Navid Fallah Computer Science & Engineering

Ilias Apostolopoulos Computer Science & Engineering

1st Place Paper Competition

“The User as a Sensor: Navigating Users with Visual Impairments in Indoor Spaces using Tactile Landmarks”

Abdullah Sevincer Computer Science & Engineering

Outstanding Graduate Student

In recognition of exceptional research productivity and academic scholarship 52

Athanasios Krontiris Computer Science & Engineering

2nd Place Paper Competition

“Multi-Level Formation Roadmaps for Collision-Free Dynamic Shape Changes with Non-holonomic Teams”

Anthony Morelli Computer Science & Engineering

Outstanding Graduate Dissertation

In recognition of a dissertation with exceptional scientific merit and potential for impact

Ryan Luna Computer Science & Engineering

Outstanding Graduate Thesis

In recognition of a thesis with exceptional scientific merit and potential for impact

NASA EPSCOR AWARD 2012 RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Qandeel Sajid Computer Science & Engineering

Justin Cardoza Computer Science & Engineering

The Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, establishes partnerships with government, higher education and industry that are designed to effect lasting improvements in a state’s or region’s research infrastructure, R&D capacity and hence, its national R&D competitiveness. In addition to the research and technology development, the awards enable faculty development and higher education student support.

2012 GRADUATES The Computer Science and Engineering Department at Nevada continue to provide highly talented, motivated and globally competitive new engineers and scientists to the local and regional economy, and the world at large. This year and last year have seen record levels of graduating classes in all three categories of BS, MS and PhD. Our graduates have assumed prominent positions nationally and internationally. Recent PhD graduates started professional careers at universities in Jordan, Thailand, Turkey, Florida and Texas. At the same time, recent BS, MS and PhD graduates have begun their careers working for industry leaders such as Amazon, Apple, DreamWorks, Intel and Microsoft. Locally, many CSE graduates have found employment with Bally, GE, IGT, PC-Doctor, and SNC. One recent PhD has launched a start up company locally in Reno.

distinguished alumni during the annual Hats Off to CSE Graduates event. The distinguished alumni came from Adobe Systems, Amazon.com, Apple Inc., Lockheed Martin Group, and PC-Doctor Inc. They interacted with our graduating class students at a social dinner, and participated in a panel discussion followed by informal meetings.

In the spirit of preparing our graduates for exciting careers, this year the Department hosted five

The CSE Senior Project and Open House event this spring was a great success. There were twelve

Computer Science & Engineering Capstone Class 2012. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

outstanding projects many of which presented solutions to industry sponsored real problems. Students at all levels continued to participate in cutting edge research resulting in many refereed publications. Externally funded projects of the faculty is on an up swing as the department places higher emphasis on research productivity. By Yaakov Varol

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electrical & biomedical ENGINEERING BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING SUMMER COURSE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM NORTH NEVADA

Summer Course Students. Photo provided by Xiaoshan Zhu and Yantao Shen

Through a $90K grant from US Department of Education, Drs. Zhu and Shen in the Department of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering offered a 3-day summer course to high school students from North Valleys, Hug, Sparks, Fernley, and Pyramid Lakes. The course introduced students to the college environment

and demonstrated research activities and basic principle of biomedical engineering through four hands-on projects focusing on biomedical sensing and imaging. Through the projects, students were able to measure their brain signals using neuro-signal acquisition and image their brain activities. They also learned how to apply micro- and nano-technology in biosensing for clinical diagnosis and environmental monitoring. The course provided faculty members, graduate and undergraduate students with the opportunity to raise student awareness regarding the importance of biomedical engineering research to human health and the rapid growth of biomedical engineering education in the college. The visiting students were also provided with information regarding the college application processes and the biomedical engineering job market. Feedback from students indicates that all student participants enjoyed the summer course and a majority expressed an interest in pursuing a career in biomedical engineering.

ELECTRIC CAR STOPS AT UNIVERSITY French engineers attempting to travel more than 15,500 miles in eight months across 17 countries 100 miles on one charge, takes six hours to charge using a standard 120V electric outlet.

Photo provided by Antonin Guy and Xavier Degon

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The Electric Odyssey, the first worldtour of a standard electric car, came to the University of Nevada, Reno campus on April 9 to charge its Lithium-Ion battery. The battery, which is capable of traveling 60 to

Starting in Strasbourg, France, the two-man crew -French engineers Antonin Guy and Xavier Degon plan to make it around the world in eight months. The traveling duo says their goal is to promote electric vehicles and reassure the public that this could be the answer to our transportation needs. “If a standard electric car can make a world tour, every single person is able

to use it to go shopping,” they say on their website. Also on-hand during the pit stop to answer questions about electric-car technology and electric-car initiatives in Nevada was John Sagebiel, environmental affairs manager for the University of Nevada, Reno, Mehdi Etezadi, chair of the Electrical and Biomedical Engineering Department and Alan Fuchs, chair of the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department. By Jaclyn McBride

IEEE REGION 6 COMPETITIONS IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE's highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. IEEE Region 6 held their 2012 Spring Meeting, Student Paper Contest and Micromouse Competition at the University of California, Santa Cruz on April 28 2012.

DESIGN DEMONSTRATION AND TECHNICAL PAPER PRESENTATION Three teams from the University of Nevada, Reno took part in these sections of the contest, with Aeolus Innovations taking first place and GrabiTech taking second place in the Design Demonstration, and first place and third place respectively in the Technical Paper Presentation. The teams were: Aeolus Innovations Product: Sonivent The Sonivent is a green air register replacement that automatically opens and closes based on whether or not a room is occupied. This product could be installed in spare bedrooms to help save on cooling and heating costs. Team Member: Stefan Briones

Grabitech Product: Tag ‘n Grab Tag ‘n Grab is a Bluetooth device with multiple sensors that connects to your phone to tell you when you forget an item or let you check the temperature, humidity, or other status of a sensor that you have placed. Team Members: Cho Chong and Justin Yang HNS Electronics Product: Fingerprint Diary The Fingerprint Diary is a toy that contains a fingerprint detecting lock so that only the user will be able to open their diary. Team Member: Eric Schneider

MICROMOUSE The MicroMouse maze is made up of a 16 by 16 grid of cells, each 180 mm square with walls 50 mm high. The mice are completely autonomous robots that must find their way from a predetermined starting position to the central area of the maze unaided. This year’s team, Erick Chalko and Cliff Uber, defended the title and won second place.

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electrical & biomedical ENGINEERING College Outstanding Service Award James Johnson graduated from Douglas High School, Minden, Nevada in 2001 and then enlisted in the Army as a Microwave Systems Operator. After 6 years and tours to Iraq in 2003 and South Korea in 2006, he was able to start his goal of finishing college in 2008 with the help of the GI Bill. After developing an interest in telecommunications from the Army, he decided he would pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering, deviating from his childhood dream in Civil Engineering.

James Johnson, College Outstanding Service Award Recipient, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

James offered his leadership experience to serving as the Vice Chair for IEEE over the last year, and acts as the current Treasurer for Wolf Pack Veterans. He volunteered around the college as much as possible, assisting in the Fall Call, E-Week, and Engineer’s Day. He also helped out the EBME department over the summer with their Biomedical Engineer Summer Camp.

Outstanding Service Award Born in the Philippines Stefan Briones moved to Beaumont, Texas when he was 3 years old. He then moved to Las Vegas to complete his high school. He knew he wanted to be an engineer but it wasn’t until he blew out the electrical wiring at his high school that it became clear he was an electrical engineer in the making. While at the University of Nevada, Reno, Stefan has been involved as the treasurer for IEEE for the past three years. Academically, Stefan has been impressed with the faculty involvement with the students, both within projects and mentorship. He is proud to be part of the College of Engineering and thinks of this as his second family.

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Stefan Briones, Outstanding Service Award Recipient, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

After graduation Stefan will work in the industry and is pursuing his options across the country.

Outstanding Senior Award Cindy Hughes was born and raised in Urbana, IL, moving to Reno just in time to start high school at Bishop Manogue. She chose engineering to challenge herself and to use her love of math and problem solving to help others. Along with Cindy’s high school physics class which helped to solidify her decision to pursue engineering and directed her toward Electrical Engineering specifically, Cindy credits her father, a computer scientist, and her mother’s encouragement to challenge herself academically. Cindy says the two highlights of her academic career have been Candice Bauer’s Engineering Communication course and Dr. Bill Avery’s Microprocessors applications course. These two classes have provided her with very different but very valuable practical information that she will carry into her professional career. Cynthia Hughes, Outstanding Senior Award Recipient, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

At the time of graduation, Cindy planned to join many other Nevada engineering alumni at GE Energy in Minden, NV.

Research Award Alex Cerjanic, graduate student, received the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society Pre-Doctoral Research Award for his Master’s degree thesis work. This is a highly competitive international award. Alex has been accepted into the MD-Ph.D. program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this fall.

Alex Cerjanic, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

The IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) awards up to six $1000 predoctoral (undergraduate and masters-level) scholarships and up to ten $2500 PhD fellowships each year to encourage students to pursue a career in the area of electromagnetics.

IEEE Power & Energy Society Scholarship Plus Initiative The PES Scholarship Plus Initiative was started in response to the looming workforce shortage in the electric power and energy industry. The Initiative provides multiyear scholarships and career experience opportunities to qualifying U.S. electrical engineering undergraduate students. EBME student, Casey Jones, has been awarded this very competitive scholarship and will receive up to three years financial support, which is a total of $7,000, and gain career experience through internships and co-op work.

Casey Jones, Electrical & Biomedical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

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mechanical ENGINEERING GREINER ASSUMES INTERIM CHAIR FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, REFLECTS ON PAST, FUTURE Greiner will serve in place of his colleague, Kwang Kim, who left the University to become the Southwest Gas Professor of Energy and Matter at UNLV.

Miles Greiner, Interim Chair and Professor, Mechanical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Throughout his 26-year career in the College of Engineering, Miles Greiner has been known for stability and productivity, and for having a notable capacity for shouldering many responsibilities. In the past year alone, Greiner has continued to teach, do cutting-edge research, and to serve as director for the Renewable Energy Center. Dean Manos Maragakis announced recently that Greiner would also serve as interim chairperson for the Department of Mechanical Engineering for the 2012-2013 academic year.

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In May, Greiner also learned that he was awarded $745,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy, Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) for the project entitled “Development and Experimental Benchmark of Simulations to Predict Used Nuclear Fuel Cladding Temperatures during Drying and Transfer Operations.” According to Greiner, used nuclear fuel assemblies are initially stored underwater while their radioactivity and heat generation rate decrease. These assemblies may then be moved into dry casks for on-site storage or off-site transport. All moisture must be removed from the assemblies before they are sealed into those casks. If certain assembly components become too hot during drying, they may become brittle, which inhibits their ability to be transported or stored for long periods of time. This project, he said, will develop computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models of the drying process that will accurately predict the assembly temperature. The new models will be used by engineers to design drying processes that maintain the fuel assemblies at acceptably low temperatures. The

three-year grant will include enough money to fund two Ph.D. students and a post-doctoral researcher, Greiner said. Greiner sat down recently and discussed his many roles within the college, and what he envisions are some priorities for the immediate future. Question: Your responsibilities are numerous. How do you balance everything? Greiner: I don’t know yet (smiles). I still try to keep my work in my office, but I do find I’m answering more emails at night. It’s 100 percent more work to be department chair than being a regular professor. A lot of days, I hardly get a chance to get to my research at all. But, what I really like about being interim chairman is working more closely with our students and faculty, and what I’ve learned. There are lots of things going on in the department, college and the University, things I didn’t know about, and now I’m learning all about them. There are times in your career where you are the youngest person in the department, and you have other people you look up to, and it’s hard to believe that you one day could be in that same position. I remember graduating from graduate school and

meeting ASME fellows (an honorary grade of membership within the American Society of Mechanical Engineers). I knew they were important people and had achieved a lot (Editor’s note: Greiner is today also an ASME fellow). As your career moves along, you do see, you do experience, higher levels. My friends have become department chairs and deans, and one even become president of a university. Early on, I would not have thought that one day I would be in that cohort. Question: What are some of your goals for the coming year as interim chair? Greiner: We’re going to have two searches this year, one for an assistant professor and one for the permanent chair. And sometimes, when you are hiring people, the department needs to consider questions like, where do we want the department to go and who are we? I hope the department will feel that this is a process that involves the entire department. I hope we’ll be able to corral that interest from the department and we can determine what is the best way for us to move forward. That’s an important goal. I’d also like to find more effective ways to get more Ph.D. students to apply to our program, and to the University. We have a pretty established graduate program, but we’d like to see more people earn their Ph.D.’s and then get successful jobs, at places like national laboratories or other universities. That all starts with having a lot of highquality students coming in. Question: You’ve seen a lot of change in the department during your time in the department. What have been some of the biggest? Greiner: I started in 1986. When I came here, there were no computers in anybody’s office. There were six computers in the building. We graduated, I think, around 10 students a year. Now we’re graduating around 80. We had 10 faculty members then, now we have 12. We’re doing everything we can now to handle the enrollment. Mechanical engineering enrollments are growing

everywhere all over the country. We’ve really grown. We have more Ph.D. students and our research volume has gone up quite a bit. Throughout it all, there’s always been a spirit in the department. Faculty members have come here and taught and done research and have really wanted to be here while they’ve been doing these things. People have come and gone, people have retired and new people have joined us, but I’ve always had the feeling that we’ve had this special spirit in our department to do the best work we possibly we can. I’ve always felt it’s been a great place to work. UPDATE: In late August, the University released the following information regarding Greiner’s latest grant: Mechanical engineering professor Miles Greiner will be receiving a $745,000 U.S. Department of Energy grant next month for research on nuclear waste storage technology. Greiner’s grant, part of the DOE’s Nuclear Energy University Program that includes 47 research and development projects at universities across the country, is for his project entitled “Development and Experimental Benchmark of Simulations to Predict Used Nuclear Fuel Cladding Temperatures during Drying and Transfer Operations.” The three-year research program will develop and experimentally benchmark computational models of vacuum drying and forced helium dehydration, which are pre-storage drying processes for nuclear waste assemblies. The project will employ an experimental apparatus that was constructed at the University for earlier DOE-funded research that modeled the heat transfer between a used fuel assemblies and dry storage and transport casks. Used nuclear fuel is initially stored underwater while its radioactivity and heat generation rates decrease. All moisture must be removed from the assemblies

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before they are sealed in canisters for on-site dry storage or offsite transport. If certain parts of the waste become too hot during drying, they could break when transported or stored for long periods of time, which is dangerous. The project will develop computational fluid dynamics models of the drying process that will accurately predict the assembly temperature. The new models will be used by engineers to design drying processes that maintain the fuel assemblies at acceptably low temperatures. The data from Greiner’s research, along with data from his collaborators at the Argonne National Laboratories on cladding limit temperature research, will be used to help evaluate used fuel drying operations that assure the safety of long term dry storage and transport.

The apparatus pictured is the equipment he will use (with some modifications) for the testing and modeling of the pre-storage drying processes for nuclear waste assemblies.

In a statement earlier this year about the grant, Sen. Harry Reid said, “I am pleased that the University of Nevada, Reno will continue to conduct cutting edge research on nuclear technologies. These investments will prepare Nevada’s aspiring scientists and engineers to lead the way improving our economy through science and innovation.” By John Trent and Tiffany Moore

New Faculty Angelina M. Padilla has recently joined the faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Padilla just completed her PhD at Stanford University in July of this year. She was part of the flow physics group where she used novel magnetic resonance techniques to measure three component velocity fields in geometrically complex diffusers. She was the recipient of the Gates Millennium Fellowship, the Sloan Fellowship and the Stanford Diversity Fellowship. During her PhD study, Angelina was an active member of the Latino Engineering Graduate Organization at Stanford and served as president for a year. Upon completion of her PhD, Dr. Padilla came directly to the University of Nevada, Reno. She is looking forward to working with many students in her Angelina Padilla, Lecturer, Mechanical lecturer position. Dr. Padilla worked on industry sponsored research for both Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas her masters and PhD and plans on using that experience to enrich the courses she will be teaching. In particular she hopes to instill an appreciation for the diverse and exciting possible applications for a mechanical engineering degree especially in the areas of fluid mechanics and heat transfer. 60

2012 Regents’ Researcher Award Mechanical Engineering Foundation Professor Faramarz Gordaninejad has been at the University of Nevada, Reno for 28 years, is a leading expert in his field and the recipient of the 2012 Regents’ Researcher Award. Since joining the University in 1984, Gordaninejad has become one of the world’s leading experts in the field of “smart fluids and flexible solids,” which can change their properties in milliseconds under application of a magnetic field. Such materials are used in cars to increase safety and comfort, he said.

Faramarz Gordaninejad, Foundation Professor, Mechanical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

“The main effort has been on fundamental understanding of smart materials’ behavior and the development of smart systems, which can control damping and stiffness properties of variety of land vehicles, mechanical systems and structures in order to reduce shock and vibration, and increase safety,” Gordaninejad said. Gordaninejad received his doctorate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1983. He has authored nearly 200 scholarly publications and has 14 granted patents. Gordaninejad has also mentored more than 50 graduate students and 15 postdoctoral fellows/visiting scholars during his academic career at the University of Nevada, Reno. By Riley Snyder

Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award Dr. Emil Geiger was awarded this for his proposal entitled “Separation of Microalgae on the Basis of Lipid Content via High Frequency Dielectrophoresis”. The Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards provide seed money for research by junior faculty at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) member institutions. These awards are intended to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty and result in new funding opportunities.

Emil Geiger, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Dr. Geiger received his B.S. with Honors in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 2003. In 2006, he received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated from UC Berkeley with his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2008. His Ph.D. research involved developing a highly-functional, polymer-based microfluidic device. From 2008-2010, he was a post-doctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. There he worked on developing polymer-based microelectrode arrays for neural applications including a retinal prosthesis. His current interests lie in developing polymer based microsystems for biological applications.

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mechanical ENGINEERING Spring 2012 Senior Scholar Charley has been fortunate to have so many great instructors and professors during his collegiate career. Dr. Kam Leang has taught four of his classes. Two of those: system dynamics and system control are among the hardest classes the department has to offer. Charley says quote “It is due to no small effort on Dr. Leang’s part that I have done as well as I have and that I am where I am today”.

Charley Voos, Spring 2012 Scholar Award Recipient, Mechanical Engineering with his mentor, Dr. Kam Leang. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

After graduation Charley will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps where he will serve for 6 years, after that he plans to return to civilian life as an engineer.

Outstanding Service Award Marissa was born in California and moved to Sparks where she graduated from Reed High School. After attending a tour of the Mechanical Engineering department with Meg Fitzgerald, the College’s Coordinator for Recruitment, Retention & Outreach, Marissa knew what she wanted to do. During Marissa’s first year, she participated in the Living Learning Community “Women In Science & Engineering” (WISE) where she met her best friend Kimberly Nikkel, also a Mechanical Engineering major. It was Kimberly and Marissa’s family that supported and encouraged her through this difficult program. Marissa Tsugawa, Outstanding Service Award Recipient, Mechanical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

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Marissa was accepted into graduate school at Nevada where she is working on her Ph.D while working for Dr. Kam Leang in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

Outstanding Senior Award Trevor graduated from Nevada State High School in Las Vegas in 2009. Reno’s abundance of outdoor activities and the university’s strong ME program drew him north and three years later, he now can call the University of Nevada and the surrounding area home. His participation in the Human Powered Vehicle Competition allowed Trevor to get away from the pressures of school while further developing his engineering skills. After graduation, he will pursue a career in mechanical engineering. Trevor Cummins, Outstanding Senior Award Recipient, Mechanical Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Chris Glover

Chris Glover, ME senior, won the NSF EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) Scholarship ($3900), where the research is directed and advised by Prof. Chanwoo Park. The main research objective is to develop high-temperature thermoelectric (TE) power generators that will harvest waste heat, such as exhaust gases of diesel engines. The TE semiconductor materials (e.g., SiGe) operate on the Seebeck/ Peltier effects, a behavior in which a temperature gradient is established within a pair of the TE materials results in an electrical voltage causing electron flow (electrical current). The power generated by the TE power generator is directly proportional to the temperature difference between the heat source and sink.

Travis Fields Travis won the best student paper at the 21st AIAA Aeordynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar in Dublin, Ireland for his paper “One Degree of Freedom Approach for an Autonomous Descent Vehicle Using a Variable Drag Parachute”.

Travis Fields Mechanical Engineering

MacCallister Higgins MacCallister won the General Undergraduate Research Award for his paper “Maskless Photolithography using an Epiflourescent Microscope for Microfluidic Applications”. MacCallister Higgins Mechanical Engineering

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college NEWS ENGINEERING ‘IN THE ROOM’ FOR EC DEVELOPMENT 100,000 new engineers in a decade no pipe dream, dean says Fifty years earlier, in February 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to successfully orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7 as part of NASA’s Mercury program.

Manos Maragakis, Dean, College of Engineering. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

It was a moment that University of Nevada, Reno College of Engineering Dean Manos Maragakis will always remember. Though not necessarily for all of the obvious reasons. Last month, Maragakis was invited to be among a group of select engineering deans from throughout the country who joined President Barack Obama in the White House. On a personal level, certainly, for Maragakis, who came to the United States from his native Greece more than three decades ago, the moment carried significance. Yet, it was something else that really grabbed Maragakis’ mind. 64

The program was spurred into action with the words of President John Kennedy, who challenged the nation’s collective intelligence, ingenuity and innovation to do something special: Put astronauts in orbit around the Earth, and, once that was accomplished, send them to successfully land on the Moon and then return safely to Earth. “In a very real sense,” Kennedy told a Joint Session of Congress in 1961, “it will not be one man going to the Moon - if we make this judgment affirmatively, it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.” With those words, the nation began one of the most impressive ages of knowledge and innovation ever seen. The mission, powered by the courage and creativity of individuals, the greatest minds, and the best possible advances in science and engineering, was accomplished in less than a decade. “President Kennedy helped make engineering cool again in the 1960s by saying the United States was going to the Moon,” Maragakis said. “When

you embark on a project that aims to send people to the Moon, you develop the type of technology and innovation that enables a nation to become a leader in the world. And that is exactly what happened.” Fast-forward to the scene in the White House on the afternoon of Feb. 8. Astronaut John Glenn was now 90 years old and 50 years removed from his historic orbit. Manned space travel had receded into the background of the partisan Capitol Hill battleground of budget priorities and budget fluff. By one estimate, only 14 percent of undergraduates at U.S. postsecondary institutions were studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and of that number, about 40 percent would switch majors after one year. The annual number of engineering graduates in the country had stagnated to around 120,000. By comparison, nations such as China and India produce greater numbers of engineers, with universities there featuring 50 percent of majors in areas such as science and engineering. Maragakis and the other deans from leading engineering programs were chosen from another select group of deans that participated in a meeting organized by the Public Policy Committee for the American Society of Engineering Education, of which Maragakis is a member.

Suddenly, President Obama entered the room. Also in the room was Paul Ottelini, a partner in a new initiative to increase engineering graduation and retention. None of the deans were certain what the President might be speaking about. It was part of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, which Ottelini had pledged support and thousands of possible internships at his company for college students. “The President showed up, and in a surprise, in his own words, to underscore his support for the initiative and to show us how significant he thinks engineering education is,” Maragakis remembered. During his remarks, Obama made a call and set a firm goal. “He talked about creating 10,000 new engineers a year in our country (above the normal annual total), and to create 100,000 more engineers in 10 years,” Maragakis said, smiling at the memory. “This would be a doubling of the engineering workforce in only a decade. His words reminded me that this wasn’t just talk; it has been adopted this initiative as a national priority. “The President of the United States has now said, ‘This is a priority because this country is about technology, it is about innovation, and this is how we must grow the economy.’

“This is a strong message. I don’t care about the politics of it. This is the first time in 50 years that this country is talking about, as a national priority, creating more engineers.” country is talking about, as a national priority, creating more engineers.” To see a video of President Obama addressing the deans, use this link: http://vimeo.com/36550987 Maragakis said that engineering and many other of the University’s offerings, hold the key to the state of Nevada’s future for economic development and diversification. He noted that it is not just engineering that makes the University’s role so crucial. Science, business and the liberal arts all contribute in key ways to creating the most well-rounded graduates possible, he said. “This is our college’s ... and our University’s ... moment,” Maragakis said. “Let’s play this for all that is worth.” The numbers and their impact regarding the potential for the College of Engineering to be a key driver in economic diversification are hard to refute. Consider: The college has seen dramatic growth in student enrollment since 2006, growing from 1,200 students to today’s more than 1,700; The college has what is generally regarded as the largest and most

versatile earthquake engineering laboratory in the country; When the college submitted a nationally competitive proposal to expand the facility for a possible multimillion dollar expansion from the federal government, it bested, in upstart BCS- and bracket-busting fashion, several nationally renowned institutions to earn the funding. The facility’s worth, of the many assets the College of Engineering has, cannot be underestimated. Worth noting: The facility has been the culmination of nearly three decades of work by College of Engineering faculty. Almost 20 academic, research and administrative faculty, scientists and technicians are affiliated with the college’s Center for Civil Engineering Research and the earthquake simulation lab. More than 30 doctoral and master’s students are engaged in research projects under the Center’s umbrella. Total research funding annual reaches into the millions. In its 27-year history, the Center has published more than 160 technical reports which have provided the basis for seismic retrofits of large scale structural systems throughout Nevada, the West and the country, saving local, regional, state and federal agencies millions of dollars. 65

college NEWS “This is more than a bullet point of excellence for the University,” Maragakis said of the earthquake lab’s work. “This has demonstrated that we can do it. We have one of the best earthquake engineering programs in the world, and in Reno we have the biggest earthquake facility in the country and one of the biggest in the world. When given the chance, this University is capable of great achievement. Nearly 30 years ago, this college took something from zero and made it a ten.” Maragakis said the earthquake lab’s success was just one example of several other programs of excellence in his college. “We are making significant progress in pursuing national recognition in other areas such as smart materials, digital interactive games, select biomedical engineering applications, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, pavement materials and several aspects of renewable energy,” he said. “In addition, we are focusing on a globally competitive engineering and computer science undergraduate and graduate education that aspires to make our graduates competitively employed around the nation and the world.” “With this track record,” he added, “the college needs to be given serious consideration to contribute to the diversification of the state’s economy.” 66

Maragakis said higher education offers a path that few other economic diversification initiatives can match.

Maragakis said the state of New York offers an interesting test case for the rest of the country.

Why?

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has issued his own Kennedy-esque call for more engineering, science and tech smarts leading to more innovation, which, in turn, will help make his state more economically diverse and equipped to handle challenges from an increasingly globalized marketplace.

Because higher education generally and engineering specifically, augments and propels forward all other endeavors, he said. “Say we decide the state wants to advance agriculture,” Maragakis said. “How do we do that? Science and engineering. Do we care about our health system? We need engineering, biomedical engineering, to move it ahead. Do we need technology? We need engineering. Do we want data centers to relocate to Nevada? We need engineering. Do we want to develop renewable energy resources? You need products and engineering. “What the state is all about, higher education, engineering, science, business know-how, is at the center of all of it.” Maragakis added: “Today’s modern engineering programs collaborate closely with other disciplines, including science and business, as well as liberal arts and journalism, and medicine and agriculture. These are all relationships that are very important. We are building a strong University with programs that do not compete against each other but complement each other.”

The statewide effort has included the implementation of regional economic development councils - similar to what was recently announced by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval - and partnerships forged between the state’s research universities with proven industry leaders such as IBM and Intel, as well as development of new and expansion of old science, nanoscale and engineering colleges and facilities. Of particular note, in November one of Cuomo’s regional economic councils announced that a “city tech campus” at Roosevelt Island could become a prime spot to attract a “topnotch applied sciences program to the city.” The council deemed such an effort a “priority project,” noting that, “The campus will greatly expand New York’s academic and applied science and engineering capacity, attract the entrepreneurs and innovators who will start the businesses of the future and contribute to building new tech-

industry clusters in the region and across the state.” “The New York Governor is saying, flat out, that they are doing this because with a new engineering campus, they will attract new companies to boost the economy,” Maragakis said. “The message is clear: We need higher education, and engineering, technology innovation and entrepreneurship need to be the center of it. “Our state needs to look at this very seriously. I don’t know you achieve economic diversification without putting higher education in the middle of it, and not simply as a way to produce more graduates and put them in the workforce. Graduating great students is a major component, yes, but it goes far beyond that, to include producing state-of-theart research and expert solutions to solve problems, and doing the highest quality outreach to share our expertise. In this way, major companies will want to start coming here.” Maragakis harkened back to his visit to the White House.

“This is a moment where we must listen to what the President has now said is a national priority,” he said. “This is our opportunity to make it, or miss it. I know what many of the other schools who were in that room that day are doing. They are running ... as we speak ... with this opportunity. “I can tell you that this University is capable of the same thing. We were in the room that day, too. We have developed one of the best programs in the world. We are focusing on other areas with a commitment to excellence and global competitiveness. We know how this can be done. We know at this University how to make a difference.” Being in the room that afternoon in the White House was only the beginning, Maragakis said. After years of hard work, he said he felt as if engineering education, research and outreach in this country had finally arrived. “We are beyond having to justify engineering anymore,” Maragakis said. “We know it is needed. So let’s get it done.”

Then Maragakis smiled, and with the clarity that any engineer could appreciate, he added with a soft chuckle: “Now, if I have any further questions justifying engineering, I can refer those questions to the President. By John Trent

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college NEWS IT’S ALWAYS SUMMER FOR ENGINEERING’S SUMMER CAMPS Her everyday routine, in fact, is focused on finding ways to honor the camps’ long history of success, while also developing new programming that will enhance the campers’ experience. “We have some amazing kids who come to campus during our campus,” Bozsik said. “It’s very exciting to see their excitement as they learn and experience firsthand what engineering is all about.”

Elyse Bozsik, K-12 Outreach Coordinator Photograph by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Just a quick visit to Elyse Bozsik’s office on the first floor of the Sarah Fleischmann Building at the University of Nevada, Reno, even in October, reveals a key fact. It’s always summer for this good-natured, energetic person who smiles often and who has been in charge of the College of Engineering’s successful Summer Camp program since June. Although the camps won’t be held again until June and July 2013, Bozsik is already in the thick of planning.

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The numbers and popularity of the program are impressive. The five camps (two introductory camps for ages 12 to 15, one civil engineering camp for ages 13 to 18, one computer science camp for ages 13 to 18, one transportation camp) are routinely sold out, with all 22 spots for each camp filled. “The camps have had such a wonderful start and are pillars in the community,” said Bozsik, who is quick to credit the work of her predecessor, Debbie Delauer, in building such a strong foundation of awareness and participation. “We’ve been lucky enough to have waiting lists. We can only take so many, and there’s a cap on our enrollment.” And yet, Bozsik said, there is a clear need for more.

“We’ve gotten great feedback from the parents,” said Bozsik, who previously was in donor relations in the department of intercollegiate athletics at the University. “They love to see their kids having so much fun with engineering. A lot of our parents are clamoring for more.” To that end, Bozsik said plans are in the works for a “Girls in Engineering” camp, which would feature not only mentors from the College of Engineering’s faculty, but female engineering leaders from the community. Bozsik said she thinks the need for such a specialized camp is there – last year, 30 young women attended the camps. “In the STEM fields right now, it’s a great time for girls to learn that they can succeed in these fields,” said Bozsik, who holds a master’s degree in secondary education from the University. “To be able to show girls that engineering can be an exciting, amazing and lucrative field is a really worthwhile goal. We’re thinking (a Girls in Engineering camp) will get them excited.” In addition to her duties organizing the summer camps, Bozsik is also the coordinator of the College of Engineering’s Mobile Engineering

Education Lab. She employs the college’s students and sends them to local elementary schools for engineering outreach, lessons and demonstrations. The Mobile Engineering Lab, which dates back to the 20th century, is becoming more of a decidedly 21st century teaching tool. Bozsik said work is underway in developing new curricula and demonstrations in renewable energy and nanotechnology fields, complete with fun hands-on work with wind turbines and solar panels. “It’s an old program, but it’s still going strong,” Bozsik said, adding that the ultimate compliment is always paid to the Mobile Engineering Lab when year-in and year-out, certain teachers request that the college’s students and their van full of interesting material pay them yet another visit. “Giving these teachers new material is always nice,” Bozsik said of one of the reasons why renewable and nanotech information is being added to the Mobile Engineering Lab’s offerings. Bozsik said during her time directing the summer camps and supervising the Mobile Engineering Lab, it’s become obvious that people are extremely loyal to the college’s outreach efforts. She said she’s seen this phenomenon in other ways as well.

One of her student employees is a former Engineering Summer Camper, which tells Bozsik that the Summer Camps are doing what they are supposed to. “We’re in the outreach and retention business,” she said, adding the camps offer scholarships for students who might not otherwise afford the tuition. “That’s the beauty of what the camps do. We bring these young students to our campus, and a lot of them haven’t been on a college campus before. They learn about the engineering, the College of Engineering, and this University. “It’s a great way to show what we’re all about.” For Bozsik – who never hesitates to acknowledge the work of others, whether it’s the effort of her student employees, the college’s faculty who participate in the camps, the support and vision of College of Engineering Dean Manos Maragakis, the foundation set by her predecessor, Delauer, or the spirit and enthusiasm of the young campers themselves – it’s not surprising that every day is like summer for her. She is, after all, in a job she loves. “This is an absolutely perfect job,” she said. “I’m excited about our future.”

By John Trent

Summer Camps 2012 Photographs by Theresa Danna-Douglas

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college NEWS ENGINEERING STUDENTS ATTEND INTERNATIONAL SUMMER CAMP IN CHINA, GAIN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Amission central to the College of Engineering’s goals for students study internationally as well as bringing students to Nevada from other parts of the world. “The summer camp was a fantastic experience,” Kelly Rini, a senior civil engineering student from Las Vegas, said. “The technical lectures were useful and then we got to see the application of the methods we were shown in the lectures at construction sites throughout the city in the afternoon field trips.”

After driving the Bullet Train in the Beijing Jiaotong University engineering lab’s full-size simulator, five University of Nevada, Reno engineering students got a quiet, luxurious 300 mph ride on the actual Bullet Train from Beijing to Tianjin and back.

Sulharia, a sophomore at the University of Nevada, Reno and McQueen High School graduate, said.

The undergraduate students, participating in an exclusive summer camp for international students, toured the world-class wind tunnel facility and a half-dozen other labs at the prestigious university in China’s capital city. They attended technical lectures in the mornings and toured cultural attractions and construction sites in the afternoons.

“It’s important for our students to get global perspective and training, whether they go to work for a global company, do business from Nevada with an international company or engage in research after graduation,” Dean Manos Maragakis of the College of Engineering said. “This will help put them at the top of their field, whether it’s civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or computer and science engineering. This will help them to be successful in the increasingly competitive workplace.”

“The technical sessions were like a typical college classroom, but seeing the labs, touring engineering projects around the city – we realized how isolated we can be in Reno and how quickly they’ve developed there, kind of an engineering shock,” Amaad

As part of its global initiative, the college’s global presence for research and teaching is growing. The college has entered into student exchange agreements with universities in China, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Germany, enabling Nevada students to

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The students visited the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and National Stadium with thirty other students from around the world. They learned about the culture of the country and how engineering students are educated, trained and enter the workforce. It opened horizons for them and opened their eyes to what’s beyond Reno and the Sierra Nevada. “As a student, it is very easy to become boxed into a world of excessive amounts of homework and local knowledge,” Sulharia, who is studying chemical engineering, said. “I was blessed that the College of Engineering allowed me to attend this International Engineering Camp in Beijing. Not only did I learn technical aspects through the lectures in the mornings, but I grew so much as an engineer and most importantly as a person. Learning about the culture as well as the civil engineering side of things was a skill that could only be acquired through a program like this. I learned to network with students worldwide and now have contacts in four different countries.”

The enthusiasm was echoed by his fellow McQueen High School graduate and native Nevadan Denver Lui. “We made friendships from around the world, engineering students from at least seven other countries,” Lui, who is a computer science and engineering student, said. “It was a good experience to see what civil engineering is all about, and in other parts of the world too. It was a great experience; I didn’t want it to end.” This is just what the dean was hoping to hear. “This is so thrilling to see the student’s enthusiasm for the summer program,” Maragakis said. “While some students may be reluctant to travel, once they do the experience gives them a greater perspective. That’s important. It’s wonderful, and affirming, to see the program is so successful.” In keeping with its strategic objective of offering a globally competitive engineering education, the College of Engineering has established exchange programs with universities in Asia and Europe, including Kookmin University in South Korea, Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences in Germany, Beijing Jiaotong University in China and the TECNUN School of Engineering at the University of Navarra in Spain.

Maragakis recently traveled on a trade mission to China and South Korea with Governor Brian Sandoval where he made many valuable contacts.

engineering, said. “We are excited to have these programs to offer to students to enable them to function or interact with engineers all over the world.”

“I met with many people important to the mission of our college, our University and our State,” he said. “The trade mission helped us towards our global objectives by providing the opportunity to interact with major industries in China and Korea, present the many assets of the University of Nevada, Reno and establish collaborative educational agreements with many universities, which will provide unique opportunities to our students and faculty.”

Besides sending students abroad, we bring international students here to learn from us, Chatterjee said. Two students from Spain are here now taking courses in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Last fall, the College of Engineering hosted two students from Beijing Jiaotong University in China who took classes in civil engineering and one student from Kookmin University who took mechanical engineering courses.

He initiated discussions for the establishment of other collaborative efforts and is in negotiations with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Dankook University and Ewha Woman’s University in Korea. “The doors we opened with the governor will help us far into the future.” The collaborations will trade engineering knowledge through research agreements and create opportunities for additional student exchange programs, with programs possible in Turkey and India. “We are getting global engineering experience for the students, this is a very global discipline,” Indira Chatterjee, professor and associate dean of

In his inauguration speech, University President Marc Johnson talked about the challenges earlier university presidents have faced and the adversities students may face today with education, research and entering the workforce. “Our times are just as challenging today with globalization, world turmoil and economic volatility,” Johnson said. “It is imperative that this University immerse our students in today’s global challenges to help them think accurately, and discern Photos courtesy of the students: Denver Lui, Kelly Rini, Cris Ruggieri, Amaad Sulharia, clearly, the paths they wish and Mikko Kuch to follow if they are to lead future generations.” By Mike Wolterbeek

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college NEWS NEW APPOINTMENTS Joseph Bozsik joined the faculty at the University of Nevada in the Dean’s office as the first Internships & Career Support Coordinator for the College of Engineering. In his new role, Joseph assists students through one-on-one career counseling and the development of workshops. He is responsible for developing relationships with the local, regional, and national engineering industry to establish regular channels where our engineering students can better access internship and employment opportunities.

Joseph Bozsik

Elyse Bozsik joined the staff at the University of Nevada, Reno in the Dean’s office as the K-12 Outreach Coordinator for the College of Engineering. In her new role, Elyse will coordinate the College of Engineering Summer Camp program and the Mobile Engineering Education Lab.

Ron Ray

Craig Holloman joined the staff at the University of Nevada, Reno in the Dean’s office as the Grants and Projects Analyst for the College of Engineering. In his new role, Craig assists engineering faculty members in the development and response to grant opportunities via State, Federal and non-Federal entities. He also works with the Dean’s office in locating additional grant opportunities related to larger, more comprehensive and collaborative initiatives in an effort to increase research funds available to the College of Engineering.

Elyse Bozsik

Ron Ray joins the faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno as the Manager of Engineering Computing. Ron’s duties center on the computing resources, e-learning approaches, and other digital technologies that promote the College of Engineering’s teaching and learning mission and support its research endeavors. More specifically, he supervises the Engineering Computing Center staff and services; coordinates college-level IT support; manages software licenses for the college; partners with campus IT on computing policies, procedures, and security; and collaborates with faculty to facilitate adoption of online learning methodologies.

Shanelle Sloan

Shanelle Sloan joined the College this spring as the coordinator of the MESA Program (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement.) As the MESA coordinator she will recruit tutors and volunteers from the STEM fields (students and professionals) to work with local underrepresented Middle School and High School students in an effort to increase their interest and aptitude in STEM education, as well as coordinate events and activities at the University which will allow these students to become familiar with our campus. Kirstin Swagman joined the College of Engineering as a web communications specialist. In her new role, Kirstin works with the Office of Integrated Marketing and the various engineering departments to coordinate the College’s web presence and promote the College’s programs. She focuses on creating user-friendly web sites that showcase the College’s academic offerings and research strengths. Craig Holloman

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Photographs by Theresa Danna-Douglas

Kirsten Swagman

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING ADVISORY BOARD: “IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE” The College of Engineering continues to make remarkable strides toward achieving our objectives of: • Excellence in Education (Globally competitive) • State-of-the art research • Corporate partnerships and increased outreach • National prominence • Increasingly positive impact on Nevada’s economy The Engineering Advisory Board is pleased to support the college in these endeavors with expertise, personal time and specific input to the Dean and the staff. Through an organization structure focused on specific area such as Accreditation, Corporate Partners, Development, and Communications; our efforts stay linked to those strategic objectives of the college. Our college has made impressive progress during the recent challenging economic conditions in our country and specifically our state. It starts with the students. Our count of National Merit and Presidential Scholars is at all time high levels, clearly indicating recruiting success in attracting the best and brightest. More students are graduating as well. Bachelor degree graduates are up over 30 % from 2 years ago. The word is clearly getting out that the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Engineering is providing a quality technical education and at extremely good value.

The curriculum has not remained static either. In an effort to provide students with options for education that are consistent with the needs of business today, undergraduate programs in Renewable Energy, Nanotechnology, Digital games, and international exchange opportunities are available. And movement toward our objective of national recognition is noteworthy with three programs ranked by U.S. News & World Report: our Civil Engineering department ranked #47, Environmental Engineering ranked #65 and Mechanical Engineering making the list for the first time at #109. Consistent with the CoEN’s mission is purposeful and meaningful research. Major areas of focus include : • Infrastructure and the Environment - Urban, Energy & Environmental applications • Security and Defense – Cybersecurity applications • Human Development – Medical and Social applications An indicator of our progress in this area is the $42.9 million in grants the college was able to secure through competitive selection processes over the last two years. Our Corporate Consortium Committee has been in the process of a major outreach initiative and been successful in engaging companies like NV Energy, Sierra

Nevada Corporation, GE Energy, Granite Construction, and IGT. The partnerships created have created value for the private companies while provided support for CoEN. Win/ Win… Finally, during the difficult economic challenges the state of Nevada has faced during the last few years, a specific focus on the positive impacts that the college of engineering can provide was desired. With programs like our “World Class” earthquake lab, our growing Corporate Partners, and our Renewable Energy Center, to name only a few; it is estimated that the University of Nevada’s College of Engineering contributes over $60 million annually to the economy of our state! In a tribute to how far we have come, our Dean Maragakis was one of a select group to be invited to have lunch with President Obama and discuss the importance of developing engineers as a key component of our country security and economic vitality. Our commitment to “Pursuing Excellence” remains strong, and the Engineering Advisory Board invites you to join us in our support of the important mission of our college. If you are interested please contact Maryanne Cameron, director of development at 775-682-9503 or [email protected]. By Jeff Ceccarelli Advisory Board Chairman

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engineering alumni NEWS NV ENERGY HONORS LONGTIME EXECUTIVE AND NEVADA ALUMNUS Ceccarelli Renewable Energy Program will further workforce and economic development University’s renewable energy initiatives, including support for the University’s Renewable Energy Center, workforce development efforts and online course development on renewable energy topics. “NV Energy has donated more than $1.5 million to the University’s renewable energy program over the past several years, helping to pioneer our efforts to become a leader in renewable energy development, education and outreach,” Johnson said. “Their future support will continue this tradition in Jeff ’s name.” Jeff Ceccarelli Photo by Jamie Kingham

University of Nevada, Reno President Marc Johnson announced July 3, 2012 the naming of the renewable energy program at the University in honor of the contributions of longtime NV Energy executive and Nevada alumnus Jeff Ceccarelli ‘76 (civil engineering), who retired in July after 40 years with the company. The Jeffrey L. Ceccarelli NV Energy Renewable Energy Program will continue NV Energy’s ongoing support of the 74

Ceccarelli began his career as an intern for NV Energy - then called Sierra Pacific Power Company after he graduated from Sparks High School in 1972. At the University, Jeff played basketball for the Wolf Pack and continued to date his high school sweetheart, Rhonda, ‘83, ‘93M.A. (counseling and educational psychology), who was a Wolf Pack cheerleader. He and Rhonda were married during his sophomore year. After graduation, NV Energy hired Ceccarelli as an entry-level engineer. As the company grew from a small, regional operation, into a large, statewide company,

Ceccarelli and NV Energy continued to be champions of the University. The NV Energy Foundation has made major gifts to the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center, renewable energy initiatives, scholarships and other programs. Ceccarelli is a member of the College of Engineering Advisory Board and an emeritus member of the Alumni Council. In 2009, he was honored as the Nevada Alumni Association’s Alumnus of the Year. “NV Energy and Jeff Ceccarelli have been a critical part of the growth of renewable energy education at the University,” said Manos Maragakis, College of Engineering dean. “Their investments have helped the University take decisive steps to position itself at the forefront of renewable energy education. They have also helped the College of Engineering’s pursuit of excellence and national prominence. “We are able to offer a renewable energy minor to all students, an online graduate certificate in renewable energy, a new renewable energy track in electrical engineering, and state-of-the-art graduate education, including a renewable energy laboratory at the Redfield Campus,” Maragakis added.

The University’s interdisciplinary minor in renewable energy began in 2007, sparked by the partnership between NV Energy and the University. Lead by the College of Engineering, this program has the contributions of several other colleges within the University and is open to all students. The 12-credit online graduate certificate in renewable energy is designed for engineers, business staff and managers, government regulators and others impacted by new policies and practices relating to renewable energy, and allows working professionals to study current issues in this diverse and growing field. Instructors are experts in their respective fields at Nevada and other research institutions. As a lecturer at the Redfield Campus, Ceccarelli has seen firsthand the students’ eagerness to learn about renewable energy.

“One of the most unique opportunities in my professional life has been leading NV Energy’s support for renewable energy studies within the University,” Ceccarelli said. “Renewable and green energy studies are definitely a draw for our campus, and the Redfield Campus has been a great venue for many of these courses.” Michael Yackira, president and CEO of NV Energy, said Jeff has been both an early champion of renewable energy efforts in the state, as well as a steadfast supporter of his alma mater. “Jeff has been instrumental in establishing a strong relationship between NV Energy and the University,” Yackira said. “With the support of the university in naming this program in his honor, we are expressing our gratitude for his many years of leadership and pursuit of progress in the field of renewable energy.” By Roseann Keegan

UPDATES • Natalia Callahan ’12Ph.D. (educational leadership) and her husband, Silas R. Callahan ’07 (civil engineering), ’10M.S. (civil and environmental engineering), welcomed their son, Grayson Brodric Callahan, on Nov. 30, 2011. • Teresa A. (Kulesza) Goodwin ’02 (civil engineering) and Elliott R. Goodwin ’03 (civil Engineering), ’05M.S. (civil engineering) welcomed their first daughter, Mackenzie Grace Goodwin, on Oct. 10, 2011. • Benjamin S. Rogers ’01 (mechanical engineering), ’02M.S. (mechanical engineering) recently published his debut novel, The Flamer. Ben has published short stories and essays in various journals and is the lead author of Nanotechnology: Understanding Small Systems, a university textbook in its second edition. Ben received the Nevada Alumni Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in 2011. He lives in Reno with his wife and daughters.

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engineering alumni NEWS CAPTURING THE WORLD Nevada alum traversed the globe showing the benefits of study abroad From Civil Engineering to Video Production It was an opportunity that resulted from good preparation and a healthy dose of serendipity. Pfalmer was no stranger to international travel. During his years as a civil engineering undergraduate, he traveled several times with Professor Keith Dennett to Central America as part of service missions to build wells in Guatemala. After graduating from the University, Pfalmer worked as a Christian missionary with Campus Crusade for Christ, traveling to places as far as Istanbul, Turkey. Nevada alumnus Lee Pfalmer.

University of Nevada, Reno alumnus Lee Pfalmer experienced a moment last year that only Tom Cruise could sympathize with. His mission, should he choose to accept it, was to circumnavigate the globe, capturing on video nine study abroad locations in four countries, ranging from Chengdu, China to San Sebastian, Spain. And during the nearly three-month trip he would amass hundreds of hours of footage that would require six months of editing. Needless to say, he didn’t need to be asked twice. He only needed to figure out how to obtain the additional pages he would need for his passport. “I was spending one week in each spot,” Pfalmer, 27, a 2007 graduate of the University in civil engineering, said of his April-June 2011 tour of University Studies Abroad Consortium sites. “It was quite an experience.”

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Following his missionary stint, he returned to Nevada hoping to learn Spanish before seeking his first engineering job. But rather than stay on campus, he opted to learn the language abroad through the University Studies Abroad Consortium, spending a fall semester in Santiago, Chile and a spring semester in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. International travel wasn’t the only thing that came naturally to Pfalmer. During his time with Campus Crusade, he began to dabble in video production. Using a simple, consumer-grade camcorder and cheap software, he stitched together videos from his travels to help promote his missionary endeavors. “I took my little camera, had a table tripod, set it up on the table, and I’d ask (Campus Crusade participants) questions, to try to get out of them what I had heard naturally on the ride home or at the airport and use it for recruitment for future trips,” Pfalmer said. “That was the start of using video. I wanted to show that authenticity that I

experienced so that more people would have an emotional response and sign up for trips.” Those videos, along with a promotional video produced by Pfalmer for USAC, eventually caught the eye of the University’s Office of Integrated Marketing. Pfalmer was offered work with Integrated Marketing to produce student experience and student success videos for the University’s website. Not long after, Pfalmer found himself producing the University’s premier recruitment video and capturing the unforgettable moments of the Wolf Pack’s historic 13-1 football season. An Offer He Couldn’t Refuse That’s when USAC came knocking with the offer he couldn’t refuse: Nine cities. Nine weeks. Nine million memories along the way. Traveling with only the equipment he could carry on his back, Pfalmer departed from San Francisco International towards Shanghai, China. He would return nine weeks later to Reno. Of all the spots that Pfalmer visited, three retain a particularly special place for him: Shanghai, China; Viterbo, Italy; San Sebastian, Spain. Of his visit to film USAC’s presence in Shanghai, Pfalmer said: “Shanghai is like the New York of China. It’s just huge, unbelievably large, with tall buildings, lights everywhere, everything moving very fast. That was definitely a notable time. The Shanghai video was the first I made.” Viterbo, by contrast, was a much more deliberate, slower-moving place:

“Viterbo is about two hours north of Rome; it’s a medieval, picturesque city, surrounded by old walls. It’s all cobblestone streets, a place where if you go to a little restaurant, there is stonework and huge pieces of timber that date back to when the city was first founded.” Pfalmer said he remembered one restaurant where the “Mediterranean sense of time, where relationships more important than time,” was clearly in evidence. “The waiter recommended fresh pasta made by his mother, and his brother was working the front counter,” he said. “It was the classic Italian family taking care of each other. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, Italy’s really like this.’” San Sebastian struck Pfalmer not only for its coastal location but for its communal sensibility: “San Sebastian is a pictureperfect coastal city. Unlike a lot of cities, they didn’t build homes and run out of room, and built up; they just built apartments. This is just my observation, but the feel is that everybody is on top of everybody, and the streets are the communal interaction areas, where everybody hangs out. There are kids and chairs out in the streets and the coast is right there. I loved it there.” The Quest for Authenticity The challenge for Pfalmer, whether it is chronicling some of the world’s great studies abroad locations, or finding ways to give the world a glimpse into the life of the University, has always boiled down to a simple question. “It really goes back to, ‘why create the video?’” Pfalmer said. “What’s the point of making the video? Video is a great way to compress a week, or a few days, into three minutes. All of my videos are like movie trailers, teasers, hooks, to get the audience to find out more about the experience. “The point of the video, if it’s successful, is to create some sort of emotional reaction from the viewer that leads to action. If it

leads to an action, then it’s a success.” “Authenticity” is a phrase that comes up often in conversation with Pfalmer, and it is one of the recurring features in the videos he produces. He said that as a video storyteller, the feel should be something along the lines of, “like you’ve sat down with someone and you are sharing your experiences. If I can capture that authentic experience, and do interviews that are always based on reality, then usually the story will be something that the audience can relate to, and will hopefully be moved to action to find out more.” Pfalmer is the first to admit that his career path hasn’t been exactly what he envisioned when he graduated in 2007. If anything, he said, his degree and the work he does today are linked. In a very real sense, he said, he uses the problem-solving techniques he learned in engineering classes as he goes out on oneman assignments to film new stories. “I tell people that I ‘engineer’ videos,” Pfalmer said with a smile. The Value of a Nevada Degree But more than that, Pfalmer said his time at the University, both in and out of the classroom, has proven to be valuable. In addition to his work with Campus Crusade for Christ, Pfalmer was part of the Student Orientation Staff and played an active role in his fraternity. “It was part of the remarkable student experience,” he said. “I was recruiting people to come to whatever part of what organization I was part of. So it was more than going to classes. Your time at the University gives you four years to engage with other students, to engage with social and service organizations. “That was an important part of my student experience. In my fraternity, it required a lot of organizational structure to make it function, and take on positions

within the fraternity. In a lot of ways, it was a four-year practice run for the business world; when you’re done with your four years, you’ve learned already how to deal with people. And working with people is so critical in the real world. “If you take that opportunity while you’re an undergraduate, it opens up so many more opportunities and experiences for you.” From the first few videos he produced, to traveling the world and telling a broader story, to returning to the campus to further capture the student experience at the University, Pfalmer said he’s still a little surprised by how it has all turned out for him. In many ways, he has “engineered” a personally enriching and fulfilling career. “Fulltime work in video seemed like such a pipe dream,” he said. “I didn’t want to put my hopes into that. I billed it as a hobby, a passionate hobby. And now that I’m doing it fulltime, I think to myself, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool.’ “I had no idea that a degree in civil engineering would lead to this. When you leave here with your four-year degree, you have your classes and you have your social experiences. It opens up many more doors than your degree alone. It’s up to you to make sure you get involved, because it can really make a great difference. I know in my case, you can graduate with a degree in civil engineering, and if the right circumstances are right before you, you’ll be able to take that opportunity and run with it.” From Reno, to Shanghai, to Viterbo, to San Sebastian. And all the points in between. By John Trent and Brandon Stewart

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engineering alumni NEWS ALUMNI PROFILE: JOHN NAPHAN engineer, moving jackup drilling rigs. It was new and interesting and he immersed himself in the job. Shortly after being transferred to Dubai, he was recruited by Amoco Production Company, a global chemical and oil company, and assigned to a unique training program at their research center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And thus began a career that brought John to such remote and exotic parts of the world as Egypt, Trinidad, Russia, and Bolivia. “Each was a story in itself,” states John. “They were all fascinating experiences. I met a lot of interesting people and had an opportunity to work with and train nationals around the world, some of whom today are in the highest government positions in their respective countries.”

Nevada alumnus John Napham

The thought of a career that focused on travel never entered John Naphan’s mind when he entered the University of Nevada, Reno in 1972 to study English. Having spent a year at West Point, he was comfortable returning to Nevada where he was born and raised. And majoring in English seemed an appropriate choice for someone whose ambition was to be a writer. But it wasn’t long before John’s interest turned to engineering. “I viewed it as my insurance policy,” explains John. “I could always write a book. But the field of mechanical engineering was interesting and gave me greater potential in finding a job.” After graduation, John actually had three offers. Being, as he termed “dead broke,” he selected the one that provided the highest salary, even though it was the most unusual and a long way from Nevada. It was a position with Transworld Drilling, an Oklahoma based company that operated offshore drilling rigs around the world. The job required him to move to Morgan City, Louisiana. During his first year with the company, John worked offshore in the Gulf of Mexico as a roughneck and barge 78

In 1998, Amoco merged with BP. Although John left BP well before the 2010 Deepwater Horizon tragedy occurred in the Gulf, he did work for a time under Tony Hayward, who would later become the company’s Chief Executive Officer. In 2000, John changed careers and joined Enron, an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas, and became their Vice President of Operation, managing pipelines and midstream assets in the Southern Cone (a geographic region composed on the southernmost areas of South America). Although Enron filed for bankruptcy in 2001, their International operations continued and John served as a Commercial Vice President, providing governance for a number of the company’s assets in South America. In 2004, John left Enron to become an industry consultant. “One of the upsides,” explains John, “was the opportunity to return to Nevada and reestablish my roots.” Specializing in stressed and new venture operations, John’s business focuses on international companies, bringing him to such diverse areas as Eurasia, the Middle East, North Africa, West Africa, South America, the European North Sea, Canada and Mexico. In addition, John is currently supporting a team conducting due diligence for several large projects in Northern Iraq.

“The industry,” continues John, “is enormously different today than when I started. Initially, there was not a lot of science. Now it is essential. The cost of some wells can be staggering, in excess of a million dollars a day. And all significant companies now emphatically focus on the areas of health, safety, and the environment. As evidenced by the Deepwater Horizon, the stakes today are high. If the right competencies, procedures, and behaviors are in place, projects can be successful and risks managed. If not, it only takes a few poor decisions or actions to actually destroy a company.” One of John’s role as a consultant is to mentor and train young people entering the industry. And what advice does he give them? “First,” he states, “become the best communicator you can be. You must be able to sell yourself and express your thoughts orally and in writing. Second, learn economics. It is vital to any industry you choose to be in. Third, push your boundaries. Look for challenges; it will make you grow. Fourth, stay technically up to date with changes and advances in your industry. And if you change positions, continue to stay abreast with the area you left behind. It will keep your knowledge broad. And lastly, don’t forget your family. For me, being gone so much of the time was difficult. It is so important to stay connected, to keep your life in balance.” For John, the oil industry has been a most rewarding career. “I worked with great people, experienced many challenges, and truly have had fun. It has been a marvelous experience, going to exotic places, meeting interesting people.” And for John, in his new capacity as a consultant, the best is yet to come. By Sara Lafrance

SCRUGHAM MEDAL RECIPIENT Robert H. “Bo” Ewald grew up in northern Nevada and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1969 and graduate school at the University of Colorado. Over his career he led several public and private companies, most recently as Executive Chairman of Perceptive Pixel, the leader in large screen touch sensitive displays, which was acquired by Microsoft. Prior to that, he served as President/ CEO of several pioneering high technology public companies including Silicon Graphics, Inc. (computer graphics, servers and storage), Cray Research (supercomputers) and Ceridian (HR services). He also led private companies as CEO/ Chairman including E-Stamp (internet postage), Scale8 (cloud storage) and Linux Networx (Linux based, high performance computing). Bo began his management career at the Los Alamos National Laboratory running its Computing and Communication Division. He did early technical work in computer graphics and helped to create one of the first computer generated movies. Mr. Ewald was appointed by the White House to the President's Information Technology Advisory Committee from 1997-2003. He has served on several public and private company boards of directors and government committee/ panels and currently assists smaller companies while continuing to work on government projects. Bo resides in Red Lodge, MT and loves to fly vintage planes, ride motorcycles, restore old vehicles, ski, backpack and generally enjoy life. 79

engineering alumni MEMORIAM Howard M. Gallaway ‘33 (Mechanical Engineering) January 21, 2012

Howard Gallaway died January 21st. Howard graduated from the University of Nevada with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1933. He married his college sweetheart, Marthine Solares in 1936, who preceded him in death in 1999. They were married for 63 years.

John “Jack” A. Goetz Jr. ‘43 (Electrical Engineering) March 12, 2012

John “Jack” A. Goetz, Jr. passed away March 12, 2012. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 68 years, Dorothy, who passed away in July 2011.

H. Allen Gallaway ‘47 (Mechanical Engineering), April 21, 2012 H. Allen Gallaway passed away April 21, 2012. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno for two years, before joining the Marines during World War II. In 1944, he married his high school sweetheart, Marion L. Rovetti, in Quantico, Va., who preceded him in death.

Gerald H. Schafer ‘52 (Mechanical Engineering) November 22, 2011

Gerard (Jerry) Schafer passed Nov. 22, 2011 at Cascades of the Sierra. He attended the University of Nevada, Reno where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, the

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gymnastics team and the SAE fraternity. He married Alice Shelly April 6, 1952, and after graduation in June of the same year, they moved to Schenectady, N.Y., where he went to work with General Electric as an engineer.

John E. Shevlin ‘56 (Civil Engineering), February 6, 2012

Survived by wife, Beryl Butler Shevlin, son Michael Shevlin (Roxanne), daughter Ellen Bainbridge (Paul), ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Albert J. King ‘58 (Electrical Engineering), ‘62M.A. (mathmatics), June 8, 2012

Albert James King passed away on June 8, 2012 at his home in Reno, NV. Family and friends comforted him during the final days of his struggle with cancer and he passed gracefully and on his own terms in mid-morning of a pleasant sunny day. Al graduated high school in Reno and went on to complete a bachelor of science degree in engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1957.

Donald L. Damon ‘60 (Electrical Engineering) April 3, 2012

Larry Damon passed away April 3, 2012, in El Cerrito, Calif. He was born and raised in Winnemucca, Nev., received a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, married Emily “Emmy” Hanf, and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1960.

Ronald V. Toomer ‘61 (Mechanical Engineering), September 26, 2011

Ronald Valentine Toomer, 81, passed away Monday, Sept. 26, 2011, after a brief battle with cancer. Ron was a devoted husband and loving father.

Wayne D. Trewhitt ‘62 (Civil Engineering) May 5, 2012

Wayne D. Trewhitt passed away at his home in Woodside, Calif., on Saturday, May 5, 2012. After graduating from Berkeley High School, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was also a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. On November 17, 1963, he married Joan Sterling. They were partners in every aspect of their lives. Wayne and Joan were rarely apart in the 50 years they were together.

Bruce L. Rice ‘71 (Civil Engineering) October 4, 2011

Bruce graduated from University of Nevada, Reno with a civil engineering degree. His career began as a professional engineer for the State of Nevada Division of Water Resources, where he worked until 1977. From 1977 to 2001 he owned and operated Rice Engineering, Inc. and worked on many engineering and surveying projects throughout Nevada and California. He retired to Benton City, Wash. in 2002.

Raymond L. Aleck ‘72 (Civil Engineering), June 1, 2012

Raymond Aleck was born to Albert and Viola Aleck on Aug. 17, 1943 and raised on a ranch in Nixon. He graduated from Fernley High School, and went on to study at UNR, where he earned a B.S., degree in Civil Engineering. He worked as a civil engineer for the Nevada Department of Transportation from Jan. 1972 to Aug. 2005.

Jesus Eizaguirre ‘80 (Chemical Engineering), June 12, 2012 Le Roy A. Lindstrom ‘86 (Electrical Engineering) January 11, 2012

Le Roy was born in Los Angeles, California, to Harold and Cecelia Lindstrom. He graduated from Westchester High School in 1956 and from College of San Mateo in 1958. He married Ralda Lily Abercrombie in 1959 and settled in Cupertino. Le Roy will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

George E. Fry ‘91 (Electrical Engineering), April 16, 2012

George attended Claremont and Carson City High Schools. He was a standout tennis player. George attended Claremont Mckenna College and the University of Nevada, Reno, and received the EE degree. He also received an MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno. George is survived by the love of his life, Tina Kinsey, his beloved children: Raegan, Emily & Nicky; His parents, George and Connie Fry; sisters: Rebecca, Gail, & Mary; & Nephews: Jack, Patrick, & Jeremy.

Mahmood Azad ‘91M.S. (Civil Engineering), July 17, 2012

Former Douglas County engineer, Mahmood Azad was 6 weeks away from retiring from Nevada Tahoe Conservation District and turning 60 when he passed away on July 17.

Owen Laurence Stedham 07’ (Mechanical Engineering) June 5, 2012

Surrounded by his loving family, Owen passed away Tuesday evening, June 5, 2012. Born May 30, 1984 his life was too short, but he lived those 28 years to the fullest. He was working on his PhD in biomedical engineering when his brain cancer returned and time simply ran out for him. He gave a tremendous gift to all whose lives he touched. To those, his kindness, insight, humor and laughter will never be forgotten. He will be remembered as a loyal friend, a loving son, a wonderful husband, and had he more time no doubt a perfect father. Owen is survived by his wife Ingrid (Seibert), his 13 month old son Collin Michael, his mother Yvonne, his father David, his sister Dominique, and grandparents Austin and Joan Stedham all of Reno and Werner Schaller of Lampertheim, Germany.

Bruno Benna, Friend of the College and Advisory Board Member April 1, 2012

Bruno Benna passed peacefully, surrounded by his family at home on Palm Sunday, April 1, 2012 after a courageous nine-year battle with liver and prostate cancer. Bruno was 83. Ever the fighter, Bruno lived life to the fullest until his final week. Two weeks before his death, he attended the last Nevada home basketball game, cheering his alma mater to victory in the second round of the NIT.

While at the University of Nevada, Reno, Bruno met the love of his life, the beautiful Edna Baldwin from Los Angeles, CA. Two years later, on July 2, 1950, Bruno and Edna were married. Bruno is survived by his widow, Edna; his four children, Stephen Benna (wife Karen), Cathleen Benna Trachok (husband Rick), Alexander Benna (wife Theresa), and Christopher Benna (wife Joy Ellen); his twelve grandchildren, John Bruno Benna (wife Jennifer), Anthony Benna, Mary Benna Klausner (husband Scott), Brian Benna, Richard Mathew Trachok III, Michael Benna, Kerstin Trachok, Patrick Benna, Jacob Benna, Mallory Benna, Dominic Benna, and Eli Bruno Benna; his great-granddaughter Eva LaRue Benna, one brother Arnold Benna, and one sister Joyce Benna.

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engineering alumni UPDATE WOMEN IN ENGINEERING In our previously published special edition magazine titled, Nevada Women Engineers, we omitted some of our female alumna. Therefore, we would like to celebrate and honor all the women who have graduated from the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada and have listed them below.

Melissa K. Aarskaug '05 Ashley S. Ablahani '06 Candice K. Abrams '06 Reka Aczel '07 Shauna K. Adams '78, '91 Andrea M. Adamson '81 Anasuya Adibhatla '09 Jennifer Adkisson '97 Jacqueline E. Ahmad '06 Freshteh Ahmadian-Tehrani '07 Summer A. Ahuna '04 Laura Akers '04 Elham Alavi '02 Sarah D. Alison-Youel '06 Rawan Alkhaldi '05 Laura A. Allen '83 Kathleen A. Altman '94, '99 Joanna K. Ambroz '94, '96 Sierra A. Anderegg '07 Mary K. Andersen '96 Cari Anderson '94 Regina-Gracia C. Anderson '99 Eryn C. Andrews '08 Samia I. Ara '90 Rosa M. Arias '04 Annette R. Arlt '83 Haiyan W. Armstrong '95 Kristy L. Arnold '97 Samantha M. Asikainen '06

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Haleh Assadi '93 Marthe L. Aston '84 Jenna Atkinson '04, '06 Silvia M. Ayala '84 Kelsey L. Azcarate '04, '08 Danielle K. Backman '08 Ahmed M. Badawy '08 Mahnoush Bagheri '81, '85 Rashmi Bahuguna '03 Jeannie Baker '85, '85 Chandrikaa Balendhran '02 Brittney L. Ballard '08 Cathy F. Ballenger '93 Ambere L. Banghart '02 Jeanine D. Barnes '93 Antonia T. Barnet '86 Donette M. Barreto '94 Mica L. Barrs '75 Candice A. Bauer '01, '08 Courtney A. Beadle '05 Corinne E. Beall '11 Sohila Behamian '81, '97 Janet L. Bender '90 Danielle N. Bennett '08 Ruth A. Benthin '10 Nancy J. Bentzen '68 Gerty I. Berg '59 Rebecca C. Bernier '01 Lisa D. Bessette '10, '10 Angela R. Bezzone '09, '11 Diptiben D. Bhakta '04 *Pragna N. Bhakta '84 Jigna J. Bhatt '02, '05 Linda M. Biaggi '80

Tonia Biank '07 Michele N. Bick '11 Jaspreet Billing '10 Tasha C. Bingman '94 Janet E. Bird '99, '87 *Hazura S. Birdi '36 Catriona A. Black '95 Sara A. Black '08 Doris M. Blandino-Kelly '01 Barbara L. Blasey '68, '84, '97 Julene R. Boardman '98 Nancy E. Bobb '83 Gretchen K. Bocks '04 Carolyn J. Bonari '90, '98 Verlene J. Bonham '72 Erica W. Borum '02, '04 Megan M. Bounds '10 Katie S. Bowden '10 *Margaret F. Bowker '78 Tiffany L. Bowling '99 Adrienne E. Breland '01, '08, '11 Caitlin G. Brennan '10 Christina A. Brennan '11 Donna J. Brickell '73 Fredelina Bridges '09 Amber L. Broch '03, '05 Crystal D. Brokaw '01 Jane A. Brooks '97 Josephine L. Brooks '93, '96 Sharon L. Brown '96 Kathryn M. Browne '10 Sasha R. Browning '11 Jenna L. Bruce '10 Heather M. Brutz '03

Kelly C. Buchanan '95 Patricia J. Buchanan '76 Jennifer L. Buck '07 Maliya Bucknor-Smartt '97 Neelima Budim '03 Thu Thao Bui-Bond '97 Lindsey N. Buis-Kelley '07 Denise K. Bullock '99 Ingrid E. Burbey '91 Gail A. Burns '85 Anita K. Buzick '97, '99 Kara M. Bymers '07 Leah D. Cagle '86 Jian Cai '93 Natalie Calderone '97 Colomba A. Canas '83 Bailey K. Cannon '04, '06, '10 Felise A. Canterini '04, '08 Hong L. Cao '88 Jeanne L. Cardin '98 Nicolette A. Carlson '08 Kayla L. Cass '10 Dawn Cassidy '79 Kathleen Ceglia '10 Amy J. Chabot '85 Rebecca L. Chandler '80 Sathya Chandrasekar '09 Maryann Chandy '01, '04 Xiaomei Chao '98 Nitiwadee Chatchavalvong '94 Huma F. Chaudhery '00 An F. Chen '88 Venkata S. Chenna '74 *Carol A. Cherne '70, '81

Dorothy P. Cheung '02 Gexia Chi '92, '95 Christine Chia '09 Rajani M. Chirravuri '00 Devon L. Church '06 Dinah M. Cisco '02 Andrea E. Clark '66 Anna M. Clark '97 Molly D. Close '00 Nigar Cobanoglu '02 Jennifer L. Collier '11 Dawn Collins '93 Julianne V. Collins '94 Sara K. Condit '07 Karenkate H. Corliss '04 Jessica O. Corral '04 Barbara B. Coruna '08 Danielle N. Cotter '11 Roberta L. Cottrell '83 Shannon L. Council '96 Rachel C. Coyner '10 *Emma M. Crabtree '41 Janet K. Crecelius '93 Sandra M. Crocket '71 Audrey S. Cruz '11 Heather M. Culbertson '10 Maeve M. Curley '00, '02 Xiaolin Da '01 Vahid R. Dabestani '85 Mindi A. Dagerman '07, '11 Rebecca L. Dale '09 Georgia L. Dan '84 Stacey L. Daniel '98 Anna R. Dapra '03 Prajna P. Das '07, '08 Jill E. Daugherty '98 Joanne L. Daugherty '00, '02 Gail A. Davidson '95 Adrianne M. Davis '98, '99 Jennifer G. Davis '99 Jorgi M. Day '92 Trisa Y. De La Cruz '95 Taisa V. Deaconu '98

Alison J. Degn '75 Jinyi Deng '10 Jessica N. Dennis '07 Frances D. Denoncourt '92 Himanshu C. Desai '73 Angie C. Deschutter '06 Aimee K. Deutschendorf '04, '04 Sadhu R. Dhawan '73 Aolibama Diaz '94 Kimberly A. Diegle '07 Diana S. Diehl '80 Ilka D. Dinkelman '04, '08 Bridget C. Disanto '89 Hue T. Doan '85 Deniz Dogruer '04, '06 Stacia Dolphin '97 Darcey M. Donovan '06 *Dariel Doyle '53 Wenjun Du '11 Robin K. Duke '83 Jana L. Dunn '83, '89 Sandra A. Dunn '90 Suzanne J. Durr '08 Bobbie L. Dutt '81 Nagarathna R. Dutt '95 Brynne D. Dyer '85 Ninh A. Dzoan '77 Cynthia Eaton '90 Tammy M. Ehrmantraut '89 Sami M. Eissa '66 Shirlee E. Eitel-Bingham '04 Christine L. Eklund '07 Nazlipelin Eldeleklioglu '06, '07 Tabitha M. Ellifritz '10 Ann M. Elliott '85, '85 Alissa C. Ellis '09 Claudine M. Ellyin '04 Laney R. Elmore '07 Nancy L. Elrod '92 Kavitha Elugula '03 Elizabeth C. English '09 Cheri E. Eslinger '98, '00 Debra L. Estabrook '95

Maryam Etezadi-Amoli '04, '04 Mindy V. Eustaquio '08 Samira M. Evans-Hanson '84, '89 Eleanor M. Ewry '03 Katie M. Ezell '10 Margaret L. Fair '86 Feifei Fan '08 Jie Fan '96 Lixia Fan '00 Teresa C. Feaster '09 Julie M. Ferrarelli '91 Kylee A. Finn '08 Janet L. Fisher '85 Kelly C. Fitch '02, '10 Kaitlin J. Florey '09 Linda S. Flournoy '92 Yvonne J. Flynn '60 Sharon L. Foerschler '97 Karen Joy S. Fontanilla '09, '09 Rae L. Ford '01 *Lou E. Forrer '95 Alexandrea Foster '97 Katherine J. Fox '11 Tasha E. Frazier '99 Judith R. Fredrickson '80, '06 Carol L. Freinkel '03 Catherine M. French '00 Kristina M. Frontino '11 Fiorella J. Fuentes '08 Rachel S. Fulstone '06 Melissa K. Gabriel '05, '06 Deborah K. Gallegos '84 Michelle M. Gamble '00 Angeli M. Gamez '11 Hongyan Gao '11 Srilakshmi Garapati '03 Kelly R. Garcia '90 Rene M. Garretson '80 Constance L. Gazaway '85 Candice M. George '05 Sharen L. Georgeson '86, '87 Tamela R. Germano '90, '96 Loni J. Ghiorso '82

Mari W. Gilbert '84 Megan E. Gill Oehlert '99 Ingrid M. Gilstrap '89 Cheryl L. Glass '93 Lynn A. Glidden '89 *Lisa Glock '81 Cheryll M. Go '09 Denise L. Goddard '80 Karen L. Golder '88 Laurie L. Goldey '87 Jamie G. Gomes '01 Hedyna C. Gomez '80 Lulu B. Gonzales '07 Tasha S. Goodrich '05, '10 Teresa A. Goodwin '02 Sarah E. Grable '75 Jessica A. Gradick '04, '06 Michelle L. Grage '01 Kati G. Graham '99 Lisa S. Green '03 Serena S. Green '00 Monette L. Greer '97 Ericka Q. Gresham '04 Nirbhai S. Grewal '73 Michele C. Grey '78 Kelly A. Gritton '02, '04 Merilee A. Grulli '83, '84 Satyashree Gummuluri '00 Kimberly T. Gupta '99, '99, '03 Radha R. Gurugubelli '08 Shara L. Guzzetta '04 Aglika Gyaourova '03 Pui Y. Ha '04, '04, '11 Yan W. Ha '03 Jennifer E. Hagen '04 Jennifer Hagins '96 Aleta L. Hagman '02 Alison D. Hall '07, '08 Joyce K. Hallett '95 Cecilia I. Hamilton '04 Clarissa A. Hammett '06 Gwang E. Han '76 Dana C. Hansen '04

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Kim M. Hansen '91 Naoita F. Hansen '95 Junaidah Haron '86 Megan J. Harrington '08 Lee P. Harris '83 Catherine J. Harrison '03, '05 Jean E. Hartley '77 Nik M. Hasbullah '87 Sandra L. Haslem '82, '85 Nik N. Hassan '86 Barbara Hassebrock-Shanley '90 Barbara C. Havens '67 Diana L. Haynes '76 Shanqing He '02 Kavitha N. Hebbar '91 Colby L. Helm '97 Allison M. Hemberger '09 Mahin Hemmati '83, '87 Sarah Hemphill '03 Callie R. Henderson '08, '10 Samantha L. Henningsen '10 Stephanie D. Herndon '01 Nalleli Herrera '07, '09 Kerri L. Hickenbottom '10 Donna J. Hilton '77 Alicia M. Hoadely '95 Jamie Hobel '11 Danynne D. Hodder '93 Holly K. Hoff '03 Cherish M. Hoffman '07 Barbara L. Holm '87 Madelyn Holtzclaw '87, '90 Melinda J. Holtzman '98, '02 Susan L. Hood '95, '96 Myrtie Horgan '73 Tracy M. Horner '86 Emil A. Horvath '70 Cynthia J. Howald '05 Deborah A. Howard '83 Nalin Howard '11 Ashley N. Howden '06 *Shirley J. Howlett '75, '84 Yi-Lung Hsea '92

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Huijun Hu '89 Qi Hu '05 Rong Hu '01 Zixuan Huang '02 Jo Anne Hudson '72 Angela D. Hueftle '95 Carie M. Huff '01 Erika K. Hull-Stancliff '05 Linda S. Humphrey '06 Tina M. Huston '87 Mirinda J. Hutton '07, '09 Virginia Ibarra '00 Denise M. Inda '92 Tunyaporn Intrapairote '06 Schinthia Islam '10 Kendra H. Iwahashi '10 Meenakshi S. Iyer '04 Cami L. Jackson '11 Zuraida Jamaluddin '87 Chih-Hui Jan '00 Hema Andal Jayaprakash Narayanan '10 Prasanna Jaykrishanan '98 *Mary R. Jeffreson '87 Caitlin Jelle '08 Dawn M. Jenkins '79 Deborah A. Jenkins '91 Constance R. Jensen '79 Vandana Jha '10 Chang Jia '07 Gangshan Jin '00 Mingdi Jin '94 Mary C. Joannides '90 Shiny E. John '09 Ashley A. Johnson '05 Jolaine M. Johnson '79 Judith A. Johnson '97 Kelly M. Johnson '99, '06 Martha J. Johnson '09, '10 Rita M. Johnson '03, '04 Laurel E. Jones '04 Margaret A. Jones '08 Theresa A. Jones '94, '04

Nor A. Juni '87 Andra L. Juniel '80 Georgine G. Kabler '76 Maureen J. Kalinski '85 Katia N. Kanchananon '91 Krishan C. Kanika '64 Hadi S. Kar '89 Beril Karakas '05 Judy M. Kareck '91 Vijayashree Kari '03, '03 Tanaya R. Kawakami '10 Debra L. Kaye '96 Kirsten E. Kehe '05 Nancy B. Kennedy '93 Robin E. Kennedy '82 *Marcelline K. Kenny '28 Rima M. Kent-Stieber '80, '87, '88 Johanna G. Kerr '04 Fariba Keshehrim '83 Natalie G. Keyser '11 Sohana Khanal '10 Mehrnoosh Khaniani '88 Jenna M. Kiely '08 Miran Kim '09 Dana S. Kimbal '92 Kimberly S. King '89 Frederick C. Kingman '07 Cynthia E. Klassy '78 Cornelia G. Knapp '64 Jennifer L. Knowles '07 Sara B. Koeff '04, '04 Mayumi Komori '96 Jayashree Konda '09 Karen D. Konewko '76, '84, '92, '93 Vivian F. Kong '55 Raja R. Konuru '98 Maryalyce T. Kopp '77 Julide Koracin '04, '09 Denise M. Kowal '87 Jeanette M. Kretschmer '02, '04 Alana M. Kroll-Corbett '92 Durgesh Rani Kumari '09 Julie Kunkle '96

Bahong Kuo '71 Freda L. Kurtz '01 Kristin A. Kvasnicka '06 Yolanda V. Labia '90, '95 Bernadette B. Ladaga '04 Donna Ladouceur '96, '05 Katherine M. Laird '04 Nora K. Laitinen '06 Kristi L. Lammel '96, '99 Diane L. Lancaster '86 Denise R. Lane '01 Jessica A. LaPlante '94 Alison M. Lark '99 Tracy D. Larkin '04 Kelly E. Larson '92 Nancy P. Latourrette '03, '80 Tiffany K. Lau '06 Jacqueline M. Lawson '89 Renee A. Lawver '86 Madeline R. Laxa '09 Kira A. Lay '10 Laura A. Lazzareschi '81 Tina L. Leary '03 Ameina H. Lee '75 Devrin L. Lee '05, '08 Wing Ngar Lee '08 Brenda Lia K. Lee-Tan '90 Mary E. Legenbauer '95 Yutian Lei '97 *Margaret G. Leonard '62 Tara D. Lewis '09 Jun Li '04 Shaodan Li '99 Xiangyu Li '99 Yining Li '04 Yiying Li '03 Rui Liang '04 Cecilia Liang-Nicol '87 Anna X. Liao '97 Lu-Chun Liao '00 Wanliu Liao '91 Mylinh Lidder '95 Sharon Limroth '97

Dai Ying Lin '98 Fan-Nan Lin '75 Mei Ling '95 Christin Linke '09 Guo-Hui Liu '89 Jie Liu '97 Shyi-Luen Liu '82 Tong Liu '97 Wei Liu '98 Xiaohua Liu '96 Carey F. Loflin '66 Traci L. Loftin '94, '05 Ssu-Wei Loh '94 Brenda L. Lok '06 Annette M. Long '93 Shawnna M. Loop '06 Doris A. Looper '73 Jan E. Lorring '82 Yingyi Lu '02 Jillian G. Lucas '09 Christine Luna '77, '86 Mai Luo '93 Stephanie A. Luongo '05, '09 Alexandra D. Lutz '02, '02, '07 Amela Lyda '03 Anita R. Lyday '02 Kelly A. Lyttle '06, '08 Holly E. MacKenzie '92 Amy S. Macquarrie '04, '08 Trina M. Magoon '94 Macy D. Magstadt '10 Jitnapa Mahaviriyakul '04, '08 Michele Maher '97, '99 Robbie-Lee Mallery '87 Neelima Mallidi '06 Heather R. Malson '08 Andrea L. Manha '08 Margaret L. Mann '00 Linda C. Manning '02, '03 Sonja B. Manuel '90 Teresa Marian '82 Diana S. Marquez '11 Catherine L. Marschall '81

Kira J. Marsh '10 Dawn M. Martens '04, '10 Chris N. Martin '03, '05 Teri B. Martinetti '98 Mirna Martinovic '98 Susan Martinovich '83 Elizabeth R. Masters '76 Susan Mathew '94 Susan M. May '78, '79 Sara S. McAllister '04 Kathleen M. McAndrews '10 Jillian S. McClanahan '05 Sarah Mccormick '11 Shannon C. McDaniel '10 Susan McDole '97 Karen L. McGinley '83 Kristine M. McGinley '10 Melissa R. McKeand '01 Rebekah E. Mckenna '09 Joann R. Meacham '92 Elizabeth J. Meister '98 Prathyusha Mekala '10 Janet Melander '96 Sylvia P. Melendez '00 Katherine M. Mellon '04 Lisa E. Menante '95 Dhanya C. Menon '04 Cirel S. Menor '07 Carol-Ann Mentzer '89 Maurine G. Mihalek '87 Olja Mihic '02 Brittany Miller '07 Ciara J. Miller '00 Marchon C. Miller '85 Nola A. Miller '10 Reza Mirzabigi-Fini '85 Amrita Mishra '09 Valerie Mitchell '78 Rupali Mohansingh '00, '05 Stella A. Montalvo '06 *Genell Moore '85 Jennifer L. Moore '98, '00 Patricia Moore '09

Housain Moosavi '71 Lynda L. Morrison-Rader '87 Sarira Motaref '11 Rakhi C. Motwani '02, '10 Linda L. Muklevicz '87 Yomara Y. Munoz Ortega '01 Jamilah B. Murad '87 Hailey M. Murdock '08 Linda M. Murillo '08 Maren R. Murph '83 Karen J. Murphy '85 Reshma M. Murthy '98 Jessica M. Myer '07 Vidya Nalajala '04 Anushaw Nambakam '05 Sara Nasser '03, '08 Amy L. Nelson '91 Christine M. Nelson '76 Jill K. Nelson '78 Kathleen L. Nelson '10 Kathryn E. Nelson '99 Burcu Nemutlu '07 Kathleen A. Neus '07 Khanh T. Nguyen '93 My-Linh T. Nguyen '96, '97 Lum-Ngwegia Ngwa Nforbi '10, '11 Noelle H. Nicks '90 Asya F. Nikitina '07 Denise A. Nikoloff '85 Keri L. Noack '11 Donna M. Noel '91 Ann Nowinski '09 Jennifer L. Nugent '98 Sandra L. O'Kelly '05 Nerissa K. Oberlander '00 Ayako Okamoto '07 Nkechinyere R. Okezie-Hagen '00 Christianah A. Olaegbe '02 Beata T. Olesniewicz '88 Darlene M. Ollom '98 Elizabeth A. Olson '09 *Lynn R. Olson '28 Roshelle C. Olson '04

Lynn A. Orphan '78 Linda L. Ortiz-Gonzalez '98 Catherine M. Osterhout '03 Penelope Oteri '97 Megan C. Overton '03 Serife Ozger '10 Nuray Ozman '04 Ozlem Ozmen '02, '09 Sarup Singh Padam '63 Ann C. Pagni '92 Anne M. Paine '11 Shyamala Palanisamy '04 Ming Pan '91 Sisira P. Panchagnula '05 Roxanne M. Pannell '91 Kamrakali Paramguru '05 Lalitha Parasa '03 Adrienne L. Parcher '79 Karen M. Park '85 Kristie M. Parker '03, '04, '07 Gayathri Parthasarathy '06 Katrina A. Pascual '10 Narendra B. Patel '73 Natvarbhai C. Patel '66 Betsy K. Pearson '91 Beverly A. Peart '81 Susan J. Pederson-Stahl '95 Ma.Jessaneil B. Perez '06 Christina A. Perkins '09 Karla Perrizo '97 Kelli L. Petersen '92 Bonnie J. Peterson '78 Cherie M. Pettersson '05 Marichka L. Petty '05 Lisa N. Pham '10 Alma F. Piceno-Ramirez '09 Kimberly A. Piros '84 Jill M. Pocock '05, '07 Amy R. Poechmann '02 Liane J. Poell '86 Patricia L. Polish '78 Kristine D. Pope '81 *Marianne S. Poundstone '78, '82

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Megan M. Powers '02 Maria D. Prather '07 Marilyn E. Prenderville '78 Michon L. Presco '09 Angela M. Proffitt '10 Claudia P. Pulido-Collantes '01 Sandhya R. Pulugam '09 Mary E. Purcell '75 Diana V. Pyatov '97 Kerrie L. Racicot '08 Radhika Radhakrishnan '07 Kimberly E. Rafter '11 Anpalaki J. Ragavan '96, '03, '05, '08 Jacqueline M. Ragnone '03 Emily M. Rahn '02 Danielle C. Ramos '06 Julia J. Randall '99 Zeina Randall '00, '02, '10 Elizabeth I. Rankl '09 Anita N. Rawat '01 Archana Rawat '99, '00 Rohini Ray '11 Alina M. Recasens '83, '85 Janet S. Reck '92 Meghan C. Rector '08 Donna M. Reed-Kodalen '84 Celia W. Reese '93 Tiffany M. Reichert '10 Jennifer L. Reid '00, '02 Yong S. Reighley '73 Melissa M. Reslock '05 Olexandra L. Reznikova '00 Shana L. Rheault '02, '05 Katherine T. Richard-Haggard '83 Kimberly A. Rigdon '02 Laura J. Robertson '82 Patricia J. Robinson '77 Lucrecia Rodriguez-Barahona '03 Shannon R. Rogan '94 Roxanne M. Romero '87 Deborah M. Rose '85 Yuan C. Rosen '85, '88 Heather M. Rosenkoetter '07

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Carol M. Roth '85 Julie A. Roth '80 Jamie A. Roybal '92, '95 Gloria-Marie Rubin '91 Patricia S. Ruby '85 Rhonda Ruiz '96 Silvia E. Ruiz '99 Jesse N. Ruppert '02, '09 Renee A. Russell '91, '96 Cynthia L. Ryan '85 Leanne M. Saarem '91 Angela Sae-Wong '02 Jiqiu J. Sai '95 Lori J. Sanchez '83 Alisa C. Sandoval '82 *Leslie M. Sanford '24 Ashley L. Santti '04 Nor-Hayati Sapii '87 Manjari Sapre '09 Deepti R. Sarde '06 Evangel Sarwar '03 N. G. Satish '73 Desiree S. Saupe '98 Heather L. Schiller '95 Paula J. Schlentner '00 Karen A. Schlichting '90 Tracy L. Schmidt '88, '90 Kerry L. Schmitz '95 Bobi J. Schmutzer '79 Clare M. Schneider '08 Brianna L. Schroeder '04, '06 Erica E. Schuff '11 Trista Schulze '97 Hanni J. Schwiesow '05 Jamie L. Scott '04 Joelle Sebaaly '10 Erinn E. Seifman '09 Megan Seivert '02 Pamela A. Sekac '84 Wendy Sequeira Rojas '09 Alberta L. Settle '94 Diana L. Seymour '91 Fauzia Shamim '96

Tiffany L. Sharrard '08 Nahid Sheikhestani '91 Claire Shelton '10 Yuyi Shen '03 Linda S. Shepard '87 Jean F. Sherman '87 Lei Shi '01 Kristena L. Shigenaga '91 Haejin J. Shin '07 Yumiko Shironouchi '03 Lily H. Shu '89 Gigi Y. Shum '03 Rachel Siekerman '09 Franchesca Siepenkothen '75, '84 Laura K. Simpson '88 Rebecca Singletary '97 Krishnaveni Sistu '95 Tara M. Smaltz '09 Francis C. Smigle '51 Danielle M. Smith '09 Jennifer S. Smith '00 Kathy R. Smith '78, '81 Luz N. Smith '91 Mischelle J. Smith '80, '81 Rachelle G. Smith '10 Kathleen L. Smith-Miller '76, '92 Janet Snape '07 Wei Snider '95 Thorunn Snorradottir '96, '98, '06 *Lillian Snyder '97 Mary L. Soderstrom '88 Amandeep K. Sohal '07 Yon S. Sohn '06, '06, '08 Tanya P. Soleta '07 Alina E. Solovyova-Vincent '03 Amber L. Sosa '04, '11 Shannon Sotomey '96 Suzanne G. Sotomey '00 Amanda Sou '09 Elizabeth N. Sowers '08 Sayeelakshmi Srinivasan '99 Connie K. Stafford '84 Debra M. Starnes '82

Karen G. Starrett '86 Kelly A. Steelhammer '04 Emilie A. Steinhoff '10, '11 Sinikka T. Steinkellner '87, '91 Jamie D. Steinman '07 Carolyn T. Stone '92 Tarin K. Strickler '08 Cynthia L. Stromwall '85 Mary A. Stroup-Gardiner '85, '87 Sarah D. Struble '05 Xiaotong Su '94 Kelye A. Sullivan '87 Guo Liang Sun '98 Jianzhen Sun '95, '96 Belinda A. Suwe '05 *Charley M. Svoboda '21 Shannon A. Swanson '01 Anjali S. Talekar '08 Wingyiu Tam '97 Winnie C. Tam '92 Nami Tamura '96 Anyan Tan '94 Pingyan Tan '95 Karen S. Tanaka-Nitchman '90 Rilun Tang '99 Yuntao Tang '04 Tracy R. Tate '94 Coral R. Taylor '02 Katarina E. Taylor '08 Lisa E. Taylor '99 Cherie K. Templeton '77 Cindy M. Templeton '79 Kate S. Templeton '88 Abba Pamela A. Terrobias '11 Lolene J. Terry '80 Chirawit Theppornchai '73 Ashley I. Thibedeau '09 Tamara C. Thiel '03 Jini J. Thokalath '97 Janet M. Thomas '83, '00 Kaci C. Thomas '99, '01 Kirsten S. Thomas '97 Sarah M. Thomas '11

Amanda N. Thompson '08 Sadia M. Thompson '10 Mary Joy Y. Tibay '06 Alissa J. Tibesar '03 Elizabeth F. Tissier '10 Marissa L. Titlow '07 Rashi Tiwari '06, '09 Katharine J. Toepfer-Bidwell '05 Veronica L. Tognoni '06 Jennifer A. Tomes '07 Ann H. Tomiyasu '85, '87 Yan Tong '04 Judy L. Tortelli '02, '02 Xiaosheng Tu '00 Mariacatherine P. Tuddao '08 Tamara J. Tulloch '06 Alissa K. Turner '95 Georgia R. Turner '91 *Ong-Lee Tye '40 Ogechi C. Ugwulebo '02 Leilani N. Ungaro '04, '11 Anusha Uppaluri '11 Susan T. Vacchina '86 Christine M. Vaggione '07 Jennilyn M. Vallejera '07 Van T. Van '00 Kara V. Van Valkenburg '04 Laurien Vanderharst '80 Alexandra Vanderhoff '06, '08 Melissa A. Vandiver '10 Shailaja Varma '04 Norma J. Velasquez-Bryant '99, '90, '02 Lalitha Vemuri '07 Robin L. Via '86, '87 Indira Vinjamuri '98 Sonya M. Volce '01 Ann-Marie Vollstedt '02, '05, '05, '10 Nancy E. Vonderhaar '82 Kathryn M. Voors '06 Archana Vuppala '08 Debra C. Wagner '90 Lynna K R. Walker '91 Joann V. Wallace '00 Kim A. Walsh '74 *Denotes deceased alumna

Laura I. Walsh '87 Bei Wang '96 Evanne Wang '11 Fang Wang '04 Hongyan Wang '96 Junmei Wang '04 Li Wang '95 Xiaoyan Wang '11 Xuan Wang '09 Elizabeth A. Ware '03 Darcy L. Wcroft '98 Kathleen R. Weaver '87 Kerry P. Webb '84 Rebecca C. Weber '06 Susan M. Weiss '95 Jianhua Weng '01 Yinghui Weng '99 Trisha D. Wesner '09 Shari L. Whalen '97 *Charlyne M. Whaley '55 Carole L. Wharton '82, '86 Nichole K. Whisman '02, '03 Sylvia T. White '85 Brittany N. Whitfield '03 Liesl M. Wigand '11 Dorothy C. Wilkins '85, '99, '04 Elizabeth A. Wilkinson '93 Bronwyn M. Williams '05 Inna O. Williams '06 Laura A. Williams '83, '84 Lori L. Williams '83 Carey J. Wilson '98 Elizabeth C. Wilson '01 Wendy L. Wilson '79 Brenda E. Winkler '00 Margaret M. Witte '74, '76 *Catharine L. Wofford '86 Tracey E. Wolny '80 Corina B. Wong '11 Kelina M. Wong '07 Brittany L. Wood '06, '09 Jennifer L. Wright '93 Chu-Chun Wu '99 Mei Wu '99

Shaoxian Wu '93 Huizhi Xie '94 Mei Xin '03, '07 Yu Xin '98, '00 Yiqun Xu '02 Changjun Xue '06 Junke Yan '93 Yan Yan '00 Xiaojie Yang '01 Yi-Ting Yang '89 Lyndi C. Yankey '98 Sylvain A. Yapo '81 Yvonne Yee '10 Sravanthi Yendluri '08 Snigdha Yerramilli '08 Xiangying Yin '99 Lila K. Yocom '03 Lauren M. Yoshida '05 Jiyu Yu '94 Xin Yu '06 Bei Yuan '04, '09 Xiaojing Yuan '02 Zechuen Yuan '93 Dianne Mae M. Yumul '03 Shari L. Zaiger '83 Juneta Zawawi '86 Huiling Zeng '95 Jiangtao Zeng '02 Hui Zhang '95 Liyan Zhang '01 Min Zhang '97 Xiao L. Zhang '09 Yunjing Zhang '02 Yuqing J. Zhang '93 Tianwen Zhao '03, '08 Yibei Zhao '01 Haifei Zheng '00 Xiaoran Zheng '04 Yanhong Zhong '91 Shan Zhu '00 *Joanna K. Zielinska-Park '97, '99 Rebecca R. Zimmerman '04 Gholamreza Zolghadr '81 Amber D. Zulim '08

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university NEWS MARC JOHNSON NAMED UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO PRESIDENT Board of Regents approves recommendation by Search Committee to appoint interim president to continue as president of Nevada’s land-grant university “The University of Nevada, Reno is a quality university with a statewide obligation and presence, and we will continue to communicate with our constituents statewide to better convey what the University represents and how it contributes to Nevada’s future,” Johnson added. “We will continue to grow the University’s national reputation and remain committed to being a University with hands-on learning opportunities that prepares students with the knowledge and skills to be contributing, successful citizens.”

Marc Johnson, President, University of Nevada, Reno. Photo by Jeff Dow

Marc Johnson was named the 16th president of the University of Nevada, Reno by a vote of the Nevada Board of Regents on April 20, 2012. “It is a high honor to have been given this opportunity,” Johnson said. “I am very gratified by the community and campus support of my candidacy,” said Johnson, who has served as the University’s interim president since the sudden death of University President Milt Glick in April 2011. 88

In accepting the role, Johnson expressed his commitment to partner with faculty, staff, students and the community to sustain the University’s momentum. In the past year the University has achieved its highest-ever enrollment, number of graduates, number of National Merit Scholars, number of students of color and graduation rate. The University maintained its top tier ranking among the “nation’s best universities” by U.S. News and World Report, and this year was ranked among the top 100 public universities. Since being appointed president on an interim basis, Johnson established the University’s Office of Diversity Initiatives and has represented the

University in the upcoming move to the Mountain West Conference. Two significant gifts were made to the University in recent weeks: a $5 million gift from Phil and Jennifer Satre to benefit the School of Medicine, College of Education and athletics, and $1.6 million from the Redfield Foundation to benefit the School of Medicine. “We’ve come through some challenging times, but there is a spirit and resiliency about this University that has carried us through,” said Johnson. “It has been immensely rewarding to see the commitment of our faculty, staff and friends, and the strong desire to support our future generations and improve the quality of this institution and, ultimately, the health and economic well-being of Nevada.” Johnson was named president at a meeting of the Nevada Board of Regents at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas. Johnson was recommended as the finalist candidate by the Regents’ Presidential Search Committee on April 18. By Jane Tors

SECRETARY OF EDUCATION: ‘EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT’ Secretary of Education Arne Duncan talks affordability at Town Hall

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan answered many questions recently during a wide-ranging discussion during a “Town Hall on College Affordability and the Latino Community.” Duncan, along with Luis Fraga, a member of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, handled nearly two dozen questions with thought, some humor, compassion, and a clear command of the issue of college affordability and the general state of education in the nation. But it was a brief story Duncan told which summarized Wednesday’s program, held at the Joe Crowley Student Union. Duncan told the story of a family he had met in the Midwest. The family had to make a wrenching decision. The family had college-aged twins. And, in order to afford college, the family had to pick one child - not both - to attend college. To send both twins to college at the same time would’ve been too financially prohibitive for the family, Duncan said. One dream realized. Another dream deferred.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was part of a Town Hall meeting on college affordability and the Latino community September 12, 2012. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

“It’s intolerable, unacceptable,” Duncan said of such a decision. “I can’t tell you how many middleclass communities, and not even disadvantaged communities, who feel that college isn’t affordable for them.” He added, later: “There is a set of folks in this country who think of education as an expense. The President and I think education is an investment, and probably the best investment we have in this country.” The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics partnered with the U.S. Department of Education to bring the Town

Hall event to Reno. The University’s Latino Research Center was also a primary sponsor of the Town Hall. The public-forum event was part of the U.S. Department of Education’s “Education Drives America” bus tour. A sizeable crowd, including students from six local high schools, the University, Truckee Meadows Community College, as well as parents, teachers, veterans, public officials, and University faculty and staff, attended. By John Trent

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university NEWS UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO REMEMBERS NEVADA SENATOR WILLIAM J. RAGGIO Champion’ of education and University alumnus ‘improved the lives of all Nevadans’

William “Bill” Ragio. Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

The University of Nevada, Reno community was saddened by the death of Nevada Senator and University alumnus William “Bill” Raggio. From Marc Johnson, University of Nevada, Reno president: “Sen. William Raggio lived a life of strong ideas and even greater ideals, which are etched everywhere on the state’s landscape, most notably in

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higher education. He championed this University and all of higher education in the state of Nevada with a seriousness of purpose and sense of great passion that marked so much of his extraordinary life. He leaves behind the richest of all legacies: At every turn, his life’s work improved the lives of all Nevadans. Our University will dearly miss Sen. Bill Raggio, who was a distinguished graduate of our institution, and a valued and trusted friend. On behalf of the entire University, Karen and I would like to express our deepest sympathies to Sen. Raggio’s loving wife, Dale, his daughters Leslie and Tracy, and all of the Raggio family.” From Joe Crowley, University of Nevada, Reno president emeritus: “Bill Raggio’s contributions to Nevada made the state a better place in so many ways. He was a master of the legislative process whose commitment to building consensus, to finding solutions, to working across the aisle, to managing the end game in Carson City made him a legendary figure. Higher education was a major priority for Bill, statewide. His

name is on a building on campus as a way of saying thanks, but that does not begin to tell the story of how much he meant to his alma mater and to all the campuses that make up the Nevada System of Higher Education.” From Chris Cheney, dean, University of Nevada, Reno College of Education: “Bill Raggio has long been a champion for education. In the College of Education, we’re very grateful for his leadership and generosity. As a senator and true statesman, he was willing to work for the common good in order to move education forward and increase the quality and rigor of education for all Nevada students. He will be sorely missed, but his legacy lives on throughout the state, and certainly here in our College’s William J. Raggio Building, named in his honor.” Sen. Raggio received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1948.

By Jane Tors and John Trent

STRONG SHOWING FOR GRAD PROGRAMS IN U.S. NEWS RANKINGS The University achieved a strong showing in the annual rankings of the best graduate programs released March 13, 2012 by U.S. News and World Report. The College of Engineering, College of Business and University of Nevada School of Medicine are listed among the nation’s best graduate schools. Seventeen additional University graduate programs are listed. Of those, 16 are also ranked, with five placing in the top 100 of their field. “These rankings reflect outstanding faculty teaching and research and the quality of our graduate students,” said Marc Johnson, University president. “Our peers across the country are taking notice.” Among the best graduate schools for engineering, the College of Engineering ranks at number 137 and remains in the top 100 for public universities. The College of Engineering is also ranked among the best undergraduate schools for engineering in the U.S. News undergraduate rankings released in the fall. The University of Nevada School of Medicine is ranked among the nation’s best medical schools in the category of research, at number 86. The College of Business is listed among the nation’s best

RECORD-BREAKING COMMENCEMENT

graduate schools for business, although is not numerically ranked. However, the College of Business was ranked last fall among the best undergraduate schools for business at number 261. The Princeton Review also lists the College of Business in its Best Business Schools guidebook, based on the quality of the college’s part-time MBA Program, which Businessweek recently ranked number four in the country. In addition to these showings in the “best schools” categories, the University was noted in several program and specialty lists, including the following top-100 rankings: • Number 47 for civil engineering • Number 60 for clinical psychology • Number 65 for environmental engineering • Number 63 for geologic sciences and engineering • Number 84 for speech pathology Other U.S. News and World Report program categories in which the University was ranked or listed are art, biology, chemistry, English, history, mechanical engineering, nursing, part-time MBA, physics, political science, psychology and social work. By Jane Tors

Photo by Theresa Danna-Douglas

The University of Nevada, Reno’s Spring Commencement conferred 2,215 degrees and certificates, nearly a 10 percent increase over last year and the largest number of graduation applicants in the University’s history. Two ceremonies were held, one for advanceddegree recipients on Friday, May 18 and one for bachelor-degree recipients on Saturday, May 19. Both ceremonies took place on the University’s historic Quadrangle, located on the southern part of campus. During the University’s 122nd Commencement, 1,653 bachelor degrees and 562 advanced degrees and certificates (master’s and doctoral degrees and education specialist certificates), were awarded. The University awarded 2,012 degrees and certificates in spring 2011 and 1,997 in spring 2010. By Natalie Savidge

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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING CORPORATE PARTNERS PROGRAM The College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Corporate Partners program brings together a select group of companies/firms to collaborate with engineering and computer science educators, researchers and students. The mission of the Corporate Partners program is to generate interactions between the College of Engineering and the Corporate Partners that bridge the gap between theory and practice and bring a competitive edge to the College, the Partners, the State, the Region and the Nation. For information on the Corporate Partners program, contact Maryanne Cameron at (775) 682-9503 or via email at [email protected].

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