Dean's April 2012 E-Letter
A Newsletter for Alumni and Friends | April 2012
An Engineering Tradition
We invite everyone to attend EXPO and be inspired by how four years of college can impart the knowledge, expertise, confidence and leadership to solve real world challenges.
Join us for the 19th Annual Engineering Design EXPO on Friday, April 27.
$200 for Teachers Challenge
Middle and high school students are encouraged to explore the exciting world of engineering design and innovation VIRTUALLY, and at the same time win $200 for their favorite math or science teacher.
Learn more about the $200 for Teachers Challenge.
Upcoming Events
John C. Wahl thinkTANK Grand Opening
Thursday, April 26
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Engineering EXPO
Friday, April 27
9:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Academy of Engineers Ceremony
Friday, April 27
4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Dean's Message
Welcome to the April issue of Vandal Engineering News!
We have incredible faculty in the College of Engineering and I'm constantly amazed by their continuing accomplishments. That's the focus of this month's message. While I can't include every accomplishment, I'll highlight a few to illustrate the breadth and depth of those faculty who make your College of Engineering the ‘Engine of Innovation' for the state, region, and nation.
President Nellis recently announced that both Terry Soule (Computer Science) and Ahmed Abdel-Rahim (Civil Engineering) were selected for the President's Mid-Career Award. This award was established this year to acknowledge achievements made by gifted faculty, during the middle of their career, who have demonstrated a commitment to outstanding scholarship, teaching, and engagement. Ten awards were made across the university this year. Individuals selected for the award will receive a $5,000 temporary base salary adjustment effective the following academic year for two years.
A couple months ago President Nellis submitted our College's capstone design program to the National Academy of Engineering. They are seeking to highlight programs that integrate industry and engineering education. In this program students work in teams, learn about the design process, and are provided an opportunity to apply their entire college education towards an industry-sponsored project. The College was just selected as one of 29 examples in the nation that demonstrate successful, sustaining programs. For those of you who have attended one of our EXPO events over the past couple decades you understand the significant impact the capstone design experience has on our students. Thanks to faculty members Steve Beyerlein (Mechanical Engineering), Edwin Odom (Mechanical Engineering), Jay McCormack (Mechanical Engineering), Greg Donohoe (Computer Science), Tom Hess (Biological and Agricultural Engineering), Brian Johnson (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Chris Wagner (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Fritz Fiedler (Civil Engineering), and David Drown (Chemical and Materials Engineering) who helped with the nomination process and teach capstone design and to all of the other faculty in the College that have played a role in our capstone design program over the years. This recognition by the National Academy of Engineering is a testament to the hard work and talents of many of our faculty.
Peter Goodwin has joined the U.S. Geological Survey for a two-year appointment as the Lead Scientist for the Delta Science Program. In this capacity, Dr. Goodwin will lead the Program that oversees research grants and fellowships for the science involved in the restoration of the San Francisco Bay estuary. This estuary is the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers that help feed the bay. Land use changes, particularly urbanization, have resulted in the loss of wetlands including changes in water, sediments, and the ecology.
Several of our new faculty have begun to make their mark. Mark Roll (Chemical and Materials Engineering), Matt Riley (Mechanical Engineering), Suat Ay (Electrical and Computer Engineering), and Tao Xing (Mechanical Engineering) were 4 of the 14 recipients of a university seed grant. The process this year was very competitive, with 35 proposals submitted. The proposals that ranked highest were those that seemed most likely to support a principal investigator's field and career development, with the result of increasing research and scholarly activity.
There are many more faculty whose accomplishments I could highlight. The examples provided here illustrate some of the many ways in which our faculty excel and are recognized by the university and nationally.
Sincerely,
Larry Stauffer
Research/Faculty News
California's Delta Stewardship Council Appoints New Lead Scientist
Dr. Peter Goodwin, an internationally-recognized expert in ecohydraulics (the impact of management on aquatic ecosystems), ecosystem restoration, and enhancement of river, wetland and estuarine systems is the new Lead Scientist for the California Delta Science Program. In making the two-year appointment, Delta Stewardship Council Chair Phil Isenberg said, "With his broad understanding of water-related science and engineering, and his background as a former CALFED Independent Science Board member, Peter will provide crucial knowledge and scientific leadership for the Delta Stewardship Program and the Delta Plan."
"I look forward to helping build the scientific community and to search for the common truths on the many critical issues that face the Delta," Dr. Goodwin said. "The development of the Delta Plan is clearly a project of critical importance to California that is helping set standards of how science can inform the making of policy."
Goodwin's appointment was the result of a nationwide search and is effective March 1. He replaces Dr. Cliff Dahm, an expert on aquatic ecology and a professor at the University of New Mexico, who served three and a half years in the same post.
Goodwin is the DeVlieg Presidential Professor in Ecohydraulics and professor of civil engineering at the University of Idaho. He also is the founding and current director of the Center for Ecohydraulics Research at the U-Idaho. He is recognized internationally for his research with particular contributions in the field of modeling flows, sediment transport, and river channel evolution.
University of Idaho Awarded Two Grants to Advance Sustainable Transportation Research
Two grants recently received by the University of Idaho will support the efforts of university researchers to make the nation's transportation system more sustainable.
The University of Idaho's National Institute for Advanced Transportation Technology (NIATT) was recently awarded $3.5 million from the Department of Transportation to lead a national Tier 1 University Transportation Center. The University of Idaho is leading one of only ten Tier 1 Centers selected from a highly competitive pool of 46 proposals. Partners in the center are Old Dominion University, Syracuse University, Texas Southern University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). The center is a collaborative university effort to further develop technologies to improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of the transportation system.
NIATT also was awarded a $600,000 grant to partner in a Regional University Transportation Center led by the University of Washington. This center will focus on the diverse transportation needs of the Pacific Northwest, such as transportation safety, using data to improve traffic movement, measuring freight routing performance, and sustainability and livability for the northwest. Other regional partners are Washington State University, University of Alaska-Fairbanks and Oregon State University.
Read more about the new Sustainable Transportation Research grants.
For more information about research in the college, contact Fred Barlow
fbarlow@uidaho.edu | (208) 885-7263
Donor Spotlights/Alumni News
Director of Alumni Relations Steve Johnson, Susan Stauffer, Deb and Bill Eisinger, and Interim Dean Larry Stauffer at the Silver and Gold Reception.
The University of Idaho Alumni Association bestowed its Silver and Gold Award on Bill Eisinger at a dinner celebration Thursday, March 14 at Chandler's Steakhouse in Boise. The Silver and Gold Award honors an alumni's distinguished record of achievement and service and was presented by Alumni Director Steve Johnson and Interim Dean Larry Stauffer.
Bill earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the University of Idaho in 1975, a master's in electrical engineering from Santa Clara University in 1979 and an MBA from Boise State University in 1983. During the last 35 years, Bill has been involved in the management and design of electric utility transmission line and substation projects ranging from voltages of 46 to 500 kilovolts with capital costs of up to $500 million. Bill currently serves as the Executive Vice President of POWER Engineers in the Transmission and Distribution Division.
While becoming a world-wide recognized engineer and leader in the field of Transmission and Distribution, Bill still continues to find the time and energy to support the Vandals. In 2009, a $500,000 donation to the University of Idaho from POWER Engineers established the POWER Center for Engineering, creating one of the nation's premier centers for power engineering research, education, and collaboration between industry and academia.
A longtime Vandal supporter, Bill served many years on the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board, currently sits on our College Advisory Board and was the 2009 Honorary Chair of our Engineering Design EXPO. Because of his success, Bill has helped to develop many careers of young engineers and other professional people. His contributions to the engineering profession and work with Professional Associations continue to be outstanding.
For more information about giving to the college contact Mary Lee Ryba
mryba@uidaho.edu | 208-755-4916
In Your Words
"Not a day goes by that I don't think of the University of Idaho College of Engineering and appreciate the education I received."
--Henry A. Zwick, MS Math '78 MSCS ‘86