Spring 2021

Letter From The Chair

I would like to share with you the Spring 2021 edition of the Mechanical Engineering Newsletter. Our students, faculty and staff continue to be engaged in a broad range of activities centered around learning, teaching, research, and outreach. I invite you to read about some of them by browsing the web links below and download a printable copy of the newsletter. Thank you for your readership and ongoing support of our distinctive program.

Go Vandals!

Gabriel Potirniche
Professor and Chair

Browse Newsletter by Topic

SUPPORT LAB UPGRADES — Pages 1-2

• Launching a Renovation — Lead gift from alumnus Bob Parkinson ’64 boosts updates to Senior Capstone Design Suite.

TEACHING INNOVATIONS — Page 3

• ME Students Mentor Invent Idaho Participants — Several Invent Idaho invention ideas to become future capstone design projects
• 100% Success Rate Achieved on Fundamentals of Engineering Exam  — Exam review course participation and passing rates increasing

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS — Page 4-5

• Enriching the Capstone Laboratory Experience
• Freshman Year Experience Initiative for Vandal Engineers
• Key Card Access Provides Extended Hours for Selected Facilities

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT NEWS — Pages 5-7

• A Life-Saving Gift — Engineering, WWAMI Medical Students Build Assistive CPR Device to Help More Users, and Those With Disabilities, Successfully Perform CPR
• ASME Innovations — Phase 1 of Lounge Renovation Project Complete
• Two Win DOE Energy Assessment Research Competition — Student Research Team under the Direction of Dr. Dev Shrestha and Dr. Steven Beyerlein won DOE AMO Competition
• Clean Snowmobile Challenge Team Thrives in Virtual Competition — Computer-Modeling Format in Combination with Real World Testing
• Vandal Atmospheric Science Team (VAST) Conducts First Tethered Balloon Launch

GRADUATE STUDENT NEWS — Page 8-9

• Rene M. Maura, Ph.D. — Graduate Student Highlight
• Laurie Delenin — Visiting Scholar Highlight
• Yusuf Oduntan, Ph.D. — Graduate Student Highlight

FACULTY & STAFF NEWS — Page 9-10

• ME, Nuclear Faculty Join CAES Summer Research Teams — Mike Maughan, Vibhav Durgesh, David Arcilesi to participate in summer visiting faculty program

ALUMNI NEWS — Page 10

• Advisory Board Chair Takes Lead — Jonathan Richards, ME Advisory Board Chair.

LETTER FROM THE CHAIR — Pages 11

• Professor Gabriel P. Potirniche — Letter from Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department

EXPO  — Page 12

• EXPO 2021 In-Person and Virtual — The EXPO is our annual celebration of the accomplishments of our engineering students, and is formal acknowledgement of our cherished partnerships with regional industry partners and collaborators.