College of Engineering

Dean's July 2019 Newsletter

Letter from the Dean

It’s with great pride that I share with you our recent accomplishment of reaching Bronze Level status in the American Society for Engineering Education’s (ASEE) national Diversity Recognition Program.

Not all institutions strive toward this achievement, and it highlights our commitment to establishing support for underrepresented groups in engineering; assessing our policies, culture and climate; and implementing programs to strengthen our K-16 outreach and long-term growth.

Our college’s Diversity and Inclusion Initiative was also recognized as Exemplar, a shining example of colleges that are making great progress and have a comprehensive plan in place.

By signing the Dean’s Diversity Letter released by the ASEE in 2014, our college established a firm commitment to build a more vibrant engineering community at the university.

We need more engineers, and we need engineers who add value to the teams they serve by bringing different perspectives and experiences to the table to solve problems.

Receiving this ASEE recognition is the first step in building our infrastructure to improve diversity within the college. To this end, we strive to:

Grow our population of underrepresented students, faculty and staff.
Provide more scholarships and research opportunities to underrepresented groups.
Establish a mentoring network to develop student self-efficacy.
Increase the number of outreach programs, like Women in Engineering events, focused on recruiting girls and minorities to create a pathway into engineering.
Deliver summer bridge program(s).
Provide diversity and inclusion training for faculty, staff and students.

With support from the Micron Foundation and the Idaho STEM Action Center, we are adding a position to our staff that will enable us to carry out these actions and change the culture of our college. In turn, we will be providing even better engineers to industry, both men and women, prepared to be leaders in this area.

Thank you for your support and encouragement along the way. Stay tuned as we continue to work to bring highly-skilled students into our college and build support programs that allow our current students to thrive.

An endowment has been established to support our college’s diversity and inclusive initiatives. Gifts to this endowment contribute to an annual disbursement that can be used for our initiatives in this area and making U of I a more inclusive place to learn.

Sincerely,
Larry Stauffer
Dean, College of Engineering

Larry Stauffer

Give to our Diversity Initiatives

Student Designed Underpass Opens in Moscow

Underpass makes for safer route across Highway 8

The bike/pedestrian underpass first conceived by U of I engineering students is now formally open in the City of Moscow!

A graduate assignment in civil engineering professor Mike Lowry's 2010 class led to the exploration of a bike and pedestrian path under the Troy highway.

Summer Students Break Out New Machine Shop Equipment

Wagstaff employer match and other donor support fund replacement of 50-year-old manual lathes

Department of Mechanical Engineering students in the summer 410 Lean Manufacturing course were some of the first to utilize two new Acra precision engine lathes funded through a partnership between the College of Engineering, engineering alumni Jeff Smutny, ’94, ’98, and Mike Thompson 2006, and the Wagstaff company president Barbara Wagstaff Parkes.

The fund began with Wagstaff Parkes’ generous contribution, and support continued through a dollar-for-dollar match to contributions made from Wagstaff employees. Additional support was contributed by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Western Trailers as well as several individual donors.

The new lathes replace two 1963 Logan manual lathes that had worn chucks, significant backlash on all axes, headstock bearing play of .003”, tail stock quill play of more than .01”, and way wear of .003”.

The new equipment enhances student learning of machining operations, elevates the quality of prototypes fabricated in the machine shop, and increases opportunities for stakeholder engagement around mutually beneficial design projects.

Help Support Future Facility Improvements

Engineering Students in China

Students study abroad and experience Chinese culture via exchange program

Eight of our engineering students have been in China since May to take an engineering economy course and immerse themselves in Chinese culture.

View more photos on Facebook!

The class, taught by lecturer JJ Petersen, is part of the college’s strong partnership with Wenzheng College of Soochow University (WCSU) and the WCSU Electrical Engineering Exchange Program.

In addition to this opportunity for current students on the Moscow campus to take one summer course in China, the exchange program also includes a separate and more robust 3+1 program for WCSU students in China.

As part of the 3+1 program, students spend their first three years studying U of I curriculum in Suzhou, China, and the fourth year at the U of I in Moscow.

Learn About the 3+1 Program

Conferences and Competition Ahead for Stone Scholar

Idaho Conference of Undergraduate Research, China’s ROSCon2019 and 2020 RoboSub on list of stops

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow and Stone Scholar Amanda Ward continues to add to her list of achievements and will be attending the international underwater robotics competition 2020 RoboSub next August and the developer’s conference ROSCon2019 this October in Macau, China.

Ward is currently working on the Coeur d’Alene campus with fellow computer science senior Devin Driggs on Sunfish, a lightweight underwater drone with added stability the team hopes to one day set free autonomously in Lake Coeur d’Alene to gather samples and study the lake bed.

Ward and Driggs also won grants to present at the Idaho Conference on Undergraduate Research in Boise July 30-31.

Project Hastur Now Available

Polymorphic Game studio releases second video game

University of Idaho's own game studio, Polymorphic Game Studio, has released their second video game, Project Hastur, on Steam.

Created by an interdisciplinary team of U of I undergraduates, including engineering students, Project Hastur combines elements of real-time strategy and tower defense with a population of enemies that undergoes real evolution to become tougher with every generation.

Purchase on Steam

Idaho Falls Professors Lend Expertise to 2019 PROSE Awards Subject Category Winner

A reference guide that includes contributions from two University of Idaho, Idaho Falls professors, "Space Safety and Human Performance," is a subject category winner in the 2019 PROSE Awards.

The book includes contributions from Lee Ostrom, University of Idaho associate dean in the College of Engineering and center executive officer in Idaho Falls; and Cheryl Wilhelmsen, Idaho Falls technology management and industrial technology program director.

Upcoming Engineering Events

June-August – Dig’nIT Camps – Registration is open for students ages 8-18 to participate in hands-on educational technology camps at University of Idaho Coeur d’Alene
Oct 25 – Academy of Engineers Class of 2019 Induction Ceremony
Oct 25 – Women in Engineering Day – 11th- and 12th-grade students are invited to participate in this free workshop to introduce students to career options in engineering and computer science
Oct 25 – Grand Challenge Scholars Program Pitch Event – Students pitch projects that address the 14 NAE Grand Challenges and secure funding for their ideas.