May 19, 1999

Engineering Students Win Awards in Undergraduate Research Symposium

Four engineering undergraduate students win awards for their research at the Eighth Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium held at North Carolina State University. The students submitted abstracts and competed in a poster presentation in the Engineering and Technology division.

This year's engineering student winners are Susan M. Brandenburg, a chemical engineering undergraduate, for her project, "Kinetics of Ethane Hydrogenolysis over Supported Pt Catalysts," working with Dr. Henry Lamb; Tagbo C. Ekwueme-Okoli, an electrical and computer engineering undergraduate, for his project, "Implementation of a Probablistic Neural Network for Multi-spectral Image Classification on a Remote FPGA Based Custom Computing Machine," working with Dr. Clay Gloster; Thilynn Gallen, a materials science and engineering undergraduate, for her project, "Investigation of Bacterial Adhesion on Plasma- and Silver-Treated Material Surfaces," working with Drs. Jerome Cuomo, Richard Spontak and Roger Narayan; and Melvin B. McLaurin, a materials science and engineering undergraduate, for his project, "Ultra-thin Film Thickness Measurements with Spectroscopic Ellipsometry," working with Drs. Dennis Maher and David Venables.

The Undergraduate Research Symposium at NC State University is sponsored by the University Research Committee, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society, NC State University Provost Office, the University Honors Council, and the Research Operations Council.

May 19, 1999

Hassan Receives AIAA 1999 Thermophysics Award

Dr. Hassan A. Hassan, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has been selected by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to receive the 1999 Thermophysics Award.

The award honors an individual for outstanding technical or scientific contributions in thermophysics related to the study and application of the properties and mechanisms involved in thermal energy transfer and the study of environmental effects on such properties and mechanisms. Hassan is cited for his contributions to improving physical models in direct simulation Monte Carlo methods and hybrid Monte Carlo/Navier Stokes Solvers and for the development of a transition/turbulence model for the prediction of onset and extent of transition on flight vehicles. He will receive the award at the AIAA Thermophysics Conference in Norfolk, Va., to be held June 28 through July 1.

May 19, 1999

Chokani Honored with SAE's Ralph Teetor Award

Dr. Ndaoni Chokani has been selected to participate in the 1999 Ralph R. Teetor Award Program sponsored by the Society for Automotive Engineers. Chokani is one of 16 recipients of the award that honors outstanding engineering educators.

Recipients were recently honored at SAE's 1999 International Congress and Exposition in Detroit and participated in meetings with engineers from the automotive industry and a day-long program of technical presentations and discussions at General Motors Corporation.

May 12, 1999

Engineering Foundation Names Officers and Board Members

The North Carolina Engineering Foundation (NCEF) has elected James M. Davis Jr. as 1999 president. Davis of Raleigh, a 1958 mechanical engineering graduate of NC State, is a retired senior vice president of power operations at Carolina Power & Light Company.

Newly elected vice presidents of the board are A. Fred Gant of Raleigh; C. Robert Rhodes of Greensboro, partner, Rhodes, Coats & Bennett; and Craig M. Wardlaw of Charlotte, executive vice president, Corporate Investments, NationsBank Corporate Center.

Joining the NCEF board of directors for a four-year term are Jeffery A. Buffo, of Smyrna, Ga., manufacturing manager, Evenflo Company Inc.; E.O. Ferrell III of Charlotte, senior vice president, Electric Distribution, Duke Energy Corp.; Berry G. Jenkins Jr. of Raleigh, director, Highway Heavy Division of Carolinas AGC Inc.; and Gayle Seawell Lanier of Raleigh, director, Next Generation, Nortel Networks.

Continuing members of the board are E. Steve Arthur Jr. of High Point, president, Thompson-Arthur Paving Division, APAC-Carolina Inc.; Keith V. Collins of Cary, R&D strategist, SAS Institute Inc.; Glenn E. Futrell of Manteo, managing partner, Pirate's Cove; Paul B. Goodson of Raleigh, executive director, Professional Engineers of North Carolina; Harry C. Grimmer of Charlotte, president, Harry Grimmer and Co. Inc.; Dr. Zdenek J. Holy of Raleigh, director, Switching Development, Fujitsu Network Communications Inc.; James R. Jones of Raleigh, president, D.M. Holding Company; Michael D. Killian of Columbus, Ohio, vice president and general manager, Foundry Products Division, Ashland Chemical Co.; Ted J. Kratt of Charlotte; John T. McCarter of Schenectady, N.Y., president and CEO, General Electric Company-Latin America; Beverly P. McKim of Raleigh, civil engineer and program analyst, US Environmental Protection Agency; Larry D. Nixon of Raleigh, secretary-treasurer, Bass, Nixon and Kennedy Inc.; Larry K. Petty of Gastonia, president, Petty Machine Co.; Norman G. Samet of Greensboro, chairman of the board and CEO, Samet Corp.; C. Ed Scott of Winston-Salem; Roger M. Scovil of Atlanta, Ga.; Paschal W. Swann of Winston-Salem; Dr. Robert E. Troxler, Troxler Electronic Laboratories Inc.; C.E. Vick Jr. of Raleigh, chairman, Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc.; Edward I. Weisiger Jr. of Charlotte, president, Carolina Tractor; Edwin L. Welch of Winston-Salem, president, I.L. Long Construction Co. Inc.; and Carl D. Wills of Greensboro, president of Wills Travel Inc.

Founded in 1944, the NCEF is the fund-raising arm of the NC State University College of Engineering. The foundation raises and manages funds to support scholarships and teaching, research and outreach activities in the college. Members of the NCEF Board of Directors are volunteers.

May 3, 1999

Angelo Scholarship Awarded to Joshua Gentry

Joshua Gentry

Joshua W. Gentry of Kernersville, N.C., has been selected to receive an Ernest James and Ethel Hudgins Angelo Scholarship at North Carolina State University. Gentry is the third recipient of an Angelo scholarship.

Dr. E. James Angelo Jr. and his brother, William E. Angelo, established the scholarship in memory of their late parents. Recipients must be from Forsyth County, N.C., and demonstrate an interest in the environment and pursue an engineering degree that will give them the opportunity to work to protect the environment.

Gentry is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Granville W. Gentry of Kernersville, N.C. He will graduate from East Forsyth High School this spring. An Eagle Scout, he is a North Carolina High School Athletic Association Scholar Athlete, a Crosby Scholar and a National Honor Society member. His accomplishments include Cross-Country Coaches award, National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, Academic Achievement Award, Governor's School candidate and Chief Junior Marshal. Listed in the 1999 Who's Who in America's High Schools, he is a member of the Boy Scouts, the Cross-Country team, the X-Plorer's Club, the Junior Civitans, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Spanish Club.

Angelo scholarships are valued at $7,500, provide full tuition, fees, room and board for one year and are renewable. They are the single largest merit scholarships awarded by the College of Engineering at NC State University.

May 3, 1999

Narayan Named TMS Fellow and Life Member

The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) has selected Dr. Jagdish "Jay" Narayan of Raleigh, Distinguished Research Professor of Materials Science, to receive its highest award, TMS Fellow and Life Member.

Elected by the TMS Board of Directors, TMS Fellows are honored for outstanding contributions to the practice of metallurgical science and technology. Narayan was honored at the 1999 TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition, held recently in San Diego, for his pioneering research in novel materials, laser processing methods and defects and interfaces in solid state materials.

Narayan's current research focuses on laser and plasma processing of materials, atomic-scale characterization and modeling of defects and interfaces, high temperature superconductors, diamond and diamond-like materials, thin films and superhard materials.

Narayan joined the NC State faculty in 1984 after working as a senior scientist and group leader for Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 12 years. He received his master's degree in 1970 and his doctoral degree in 1971 from the University of California, Berkeley, and his bachelor's degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, all in materials science and engineering. He has published more than 650 technical papers, edited 8 books and holds 15 patents.

April 28, 1999

Engineers' Council Sponsors Second Annual Career Fair

NC State University's Engineers' Council sponsored its second annual Engineering Career Fair on February 11 in the McKimmon Center. More than 80 companies attended the fair, including Delphi Systems, Fujitsu Network Communications, IBM, Lockheed Martin and Microsoft Corp. An estimated 1200 students attended the day-long fair to meet with the company representatives.

Daniel Burrell, who will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, discusses his career possibilities with Betty Hooks, a recruiter with Delphi Systems.

Pamela Lyons, a graduate student in mechatronics, talks with Raj Lakhani, a hardware engineer recruiting for Lockheed Martin Corp.

Engineers' Council members Ben Ray (left), Stephen Craig (second from left), Neal Guthrie (right) welcome Microsoft Corp. recruiters Tracy Foltz (third from left) and Rob Lehew (second from right) to the Career Fair.

April 26, 1999

Wolfpack Legends Team to Race in Orange County on April 24

The Wolfpack Legends Team will compete in the third race of the 1999 Intercollegiate Association for Racing (ICAR) season in Orange County this weekend. The team hopes to continue its strong showing at the races to be held at the Orange County Raceway on Saturday beginning at 12 p.m. Media are invited to come early to meet team members and view the Legends cars. The raceway gates will open at 9 a.m., and practice will start at 10 a.m.

The Wolfpack team will compete with teams from Duke University, NC A&T State University, University of South Carolina, University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University of Virginia in a qualifying event and three feature events. The Wolfpack team currently holds second place in the 1999 ICAR season standings.

The teams race Legends race cars, scale models of the 1934 Ford equipped with a Yamaha motorcycle engine, under the auspices of ICAR, an affiliation of ABET-accredited engineering colleges. ICAR was developed to enhance engineering educational programs through student design contests and participation in auto racing as drivers and crew members. The Legends cars are supplied to each of the competing universities by 600 Racing Inc. of Charlotte.

Each team will have three drivers competing in heats on the speedway's one-fifth-mile track. NC State's drivers are Scott Brewer of Denver, a freshman in mechanical engineering; Will Goodman of Hickory, a junior in mechanical engineering; and Jason Holshauser of Raleigh, a senior in mechanical engineering. Dr. Joseph David, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is the faculty adviser.

The Wolfpack team is sponsored by Caterpillar of Clayton, Wilder's Inc. of Raleigh and Demis Wall Covering of Highpoint. The team continues to seek support from the community to help defray the costs of racing. For more information about the team, contact David at (919) 515-5298 or visit the team's web site at www.mae.ncsu.edu/legends.

April 19, 1999

Engineering Student Study Center Named in Honor of Professor

Dr. Matthews

The College of Engineering dedicated and officially opened the N.F.J. Matthews Student Study Center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held March 3 in honor of Dr. N.F.J. "Sy" Matthews, a respected professor who served on the electrical engineering faculty for more than 30 years.

Located on the third floor of Daniels Hall, the N.F.J. Matthews Student Study Center is designed to give students a quiet, comfortable area to study while not in class.

The event was attended by university administrators, College of Engineering faculty and friends of Matthews. Speakers for the event included Dr. Charles Moreland, interim provost for NC State University; Dr. Nino Masnari, dean of the College of Engineering; Dr. Robert Kolbas, professor and head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and William Troxler, CEO of Troxler Electronics.

"This study center is a fitting tribute to a man who spent his life teaching students," said Dr. Robert Kolbas, professor and head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

A native of Clinton, Matthews joined the NC State faculty in 1964. He earned the admiration and respect of his colleagues and students through his dedication to teaching, research and service to the university and the community. He received several teaching awards and was named an Alumni Distinguished Professor in 1992. He retired from the university in 1998.

Matthews' research aimed at developing a unified field theory. He has published the principal results of his 31-year research effort in a monograph, Unification of Electromagnetism, Kinematics, and Gravitation, now in press. The theory he developed could reveal the internal structure of electrons and other elementary particles.

Prior to his retirement from NC State, Matthews held several administrative positions, including director of graduate programs for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and chair of the Courses and Curricula Committee for the department. He served as a mentor and friend to young faculty members and provided counsel to his peers.

Matthews received his BSE and MSE in mathematics from George Washington University in 1957 and 1959. He received his master's and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Princeton University in 1961 and 1964.

April 19, 1999

NC State, UNC-Asheville Collaborate to Offer Mechatronics Degree

In a new program that will allow students in western North Carolina to earn an engineering degree from NC State without moving to Raleigh, NC State University College of Engineering provides the professors and University of North Carolina at Asheville provides the classrooms and core courses. The University of North Carolina recently approved funding for the new bachelor of science degree with a concentration in mechatronics offered by NC State in collaboration with UNC-Asheville.

Students attending engineering classes on the Asheville campus will be instructed by professors teaching in distance education studios located on NC State's campus in Raleigh. The core curriculum courses, including science and mathematics courses, will be taught by UNC-Asheville faculty, and classes will be offered during evening hours to accommodate students who work full-time. The mechatronics degree is a combination of information technology and mechanical, electrical and computer engineering.

A pioneer in distance education technologies, NC State's College of Engineering was the first in the state to offer an on-line, real-time interactive classroom using Internet conferencing technology for distance education in the fall of 1996. UNC-Asheville was the site of the first remote Internet "virtual classroom." NC State has expanded the sites, offering the Internet classes to include Lenior Community College and UNC-Wilmington.

April 14, 1999

1999 College of Engineering Senior Award for Humanities

Adam Price

Adam Price is a computer science major who is also a very talented screenwriter, producer and director, with a minor in film studies. For his senior design project, Adam drew on his interest in computer graphics to create a program that models the effect of solar radiation on the human body for an Environmental Protection Agency research effort. He is currently working with Dr. Healey and Dr. St. Amant on a research project on the visualization of complex databases.

In addition to his work in computer graphics, Adam has written and produced several short films and a full-length screen play set in post-World War II North Carolina. The play required traditional aspects of screenwriting as well as historical reconstruction.

An excellent student in both his engineering and humanities courses, Adam is a University Scholar and a member of the Department of Computer Science Honors Program and Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society. He has completed an internship with IBM and participated in a summer immersion program in film at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

We wish Adam well in his future and look forward to seeing his work on the big screen, someday.

1999 College of Engineering Senior Award for Leadership

Neal C. Guthrie

Neal Guthrie is a born leader with a geniune enthusiasm for getting involved in projects, clubs, and committees. He has given his time generously, serving on the Engineers' Council for the past three years and currently serving as president of the Council. In 1997, he was the founding chair for the Engineers' Council Career Fair, which has been an enormous success for both industry and students. He also has served as the student co-chair for the College of Engineering's Awards Committee and as the student liaison for ABET accreditation. He is an active member of Pi Tau Sigma; the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers.

An outstanding senior in mechanical engineering, Neal holds many academic honors, including North Carolina Co-op Student of the Year and the Outstanding Achievement Award from Exide Electronics. He is a member of the Order of Saint Patrick, Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, and a recipient of the William E. Luddy Jr. Memorial Scholarship. He has also completed co-op work assignments at Exide Electronics and Carolina Power & Light Harris Nuclear Plant.

We are grateful to Neal for his leadership and wish him well in the future.

1999 Outstanding Senior Award for Citizenship and Service

Angela N. Tucker

Angela Tucker's middle name should be "volunteer." She has worked to improve the lives of others, giving her time to many worthy causes. Her volunteerism includes serving meals at the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen, sorting canned goods for the Food Bank of North Carolina, organizing supplies for Habitat for Humanity, and participating in events for Special Olympics and the Association for Retarded Children with the Junior Civitans.

An excellent student, Angela is majoring in textile engineering. She has been on the dean's list every semester and is a member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Society, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society, and Gamma Beta Phi National Honor Society. She is a member of the Engineers' Council and the Textile Engineering Society, and she has worked as a tutor for the College of Engineering and as a research assistant for the College of Textiles.

Angela is an example to us all, proving that we can meet our obligations in the classroom and have time to make the world a better place. We will miss Angela's enthusiasm for helping others and wish her much luck in her future.

1999 Outstanding Senior Award for Scholarly Achievement

Regis Joseph Kline

Joe Kline has taken full advantage of what NC State and the College of Engineering have to offer students. He excels in his classwork and participates in extracurricular activities. His achievements set him apart.

A senior in materials science and engineering, he has delivered presentations here at NC State and in Georgia and Ohio. His presentations have won awards, including the Glaxo Wellcome special topic award for his presentation to the North Carolina Society of Microscopy and Microbeam Analysis, the Sigma Xi Outstanding Presentation Award for Engineering and Technology for his Undergraduate Research Symposium poster entry, and two Microbeam Analysis Society Distinguished Scholar Awards for presentations delivered in Cleveland and Atlanta.

Joe is the recipient of a John A. Boren Merit Scholarship, a United Technologies Scholarship, and a College of Engineering Dean's Fellowship for graduate studies. An excellent student, he is a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society, Tau Beta Pi, and Alpha Sigma Mu. An active participant in his professional societies, he currently serves as treasurer of the NC State chapter of the Materials Research Society.

We look forward to learning of Joe's future achievements, of which there are sure to be many.

1999 Outstanding Senior Award for Citizenship and Service

William Joseph Patnaud Jr.

Will Patnaud believes in the importance of participating in the community. A senior in electrical engineering, Will has used his talents and knowledge to help others through his love of amateur radio. During hurricane Fran, Will spent many hours at his radio, providing a critical emergency communication link for Raleigh when much of the area was without telephone or power services. He serves as a liaison between the amateur radio "SkyWarn" severe weather watch network and the National Weather Service office. Will also shares his vocal talents with the university and the community as a member of The Grains of Time, the Varsity Men's Glee Club, the NC State University Chamber Singers, and the Raleigh Oratorio Society.

A recipient of the W.D. Stevenson Electric Power Research Scholarship and the Jamestown United Methodist Church Kenneth T. Miller Scholarship, Will is a member of Tau Beta Pi national engineering honor society, Gamma Beta Phi and Phi Eta Sigma national honor societies, and Eta Kappa Nu national electrical engineering honor society. He is an Eagle Scout and the recipient of an American Radio Relay League Public Service Commendation.

We are grateful to Will for his service to his community and wish him all the best in the future.

1999 Outstanding Senior Award for Scholarly Achievement

Tagbo Ekwueme-Okoli

Tagbo Ekwueme-Okoli is a student with a tremendous enthusiasm for learning. A senior double majoring in electrical and biological engineering, Tagbo's impressive academic record is just the beginning of his many achievements. He has co-authored a paper presented at the international conference of IEEE's Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, and he is a Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Intern. An INROADS Merit Award Scholar, he is a member of five honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi national honor society, Tau Beta Pi national engineering honor society, Eta Kappa Nu national electrical engineering honor society, and the Golden Key honor society. A recipient of the Chancellor's Brotherhood Award, he is a fellow of the National Society of Black Engineers.

Tagbo has worked as a research intern for NC State, a quality engineer for AMETEK's Lamb Electric Division, and as a verification engineer for IBM's Network Hardware Division. He has also been an active participant in clubs and professional societies, serving as president of the Biomedical Engineering Club and the Beta Eta Chapter of the Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society, as well as serving as professional development chair of the North Carolina Alpha Chapter of Tau Beta Pi Honor Society.

We will miss Tagbo's enthusiasm for learning, and we wish him the best of luck in the future.

April 13, 1999

College of Engineering Announces Awards for Excellence Winners

Dean Nino Masnari announced the winners of the 1999 Award for Excellence for the College of Engineering April 7 at an afternoon ceremony and reception honoring the nominees. Susan Fenn of the Ergonomics Resource Center and Harold Morton from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are the SPA employee award recipients. Larry Shirley of the Industrial Extension Service received the EPA employee award.

In addition to the award recipients, the nominees included Carol Holloman, computer science; Carol Hubbard, Mars Mission Research Center; and Sharda Sawhney, electrical and computer engineering.

April 13, 1999

Bahler Invited to Speak at Stanford and in China

Dennis Bahler, associate professor of computer science, spoke at the Plenary Session of the Stanford Spring Symposium at Stanford University in March. He presented on "Predictive Toxicology of Chemicals: Experiences and Impact of AI Tools." In addition to speaking at the conference, Bahler delivered three papers.

In June of 1998, Bahler was an invited member of the 1998 Artificial Intelligence Delegation to the Peoples republic of China. He gave a series of talks on his research in artificial intelligence applications to toxicology and environmental science and technology. Bahler was the guest of nine university and industry groups in Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

March 30, 1999

Prospective Students Learn About Engineering at Annual Open House

An estimated 2,000 prospective students, parents and other visitors learned more about the College of Engineering at the annual Open House held Saturday, March 27, on the NC State University campus. The visitors toured departments, participated in hands-on demonstrations and discussed engineering education with professors and college and department representatives during the event.

Tours featured highlights of current engineering research projects, including an artificial retina prosthesis, an electronic nose, a concrete canoe, a mini-Baja car built by students and the NC State Legends race car.

NC State University's College of Engineering offers 16 undergraduate, 17 master's and 14 doctoral degree programs. The college has the sixth largest undergraduate program in the United States and ranks fifth in the nation in industry-sponsored research. The college has 219 tenured and tenure-track faculty members and 10 members of the National Academy of Engineering.

March 29, 1999

College of Engineering Seeks Student Applicants for Summer Programs

The North Carolina State University College of Engineering is accepting applications to its summer programs through April 27. The programs--Student Introduction to Engineering (SITE), Young Scholars Program in Nuclear Science and Technology, and Mechatronic Systems Workshop for Young Scholars--are residential programs for high school students.

SITE, a program open to rising high school juniors and seniors, features demonstrations, lectures, laboratory experiments and hands-on exercises in engineering labs. Two one-week sessions will be held this summer. Session I runs from June 13 through 18, and Session II runs from July 11 through 16.

The Young Scholars Program, a three-week program to be held July 11 through July 30, introduces rising high school seniors to nuclear science and technology through laboratory tours and lectures during the first week. Students work directly with faculty researchers and graduate students on research projects during the second week.

The Mechatronic Systems Workshop for Young Scholars, a week-long program for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in intelligent (decision-making) electro-mechanical systems, will be held from July 25 through 30. Participants learn the fundamentals of mechatronic system design and build a small, self-propelled roaming vehicle. The workshop is sponsored by the departments of Industrial, Electrical and Computer, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Tuition for SITE is $350 per student. Tuition for the Young Scholars Program is $800. The Mechatronic Systems Workshop tuition is $450. The fees for each program include room, meals, supplies and materials, gymnasium access and insurance coverage.

For SITE applications and information, call (919) 515-9669 or (919) 515-3693, or write to SITE Coordinator, College of Engineering, Box 7904, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695. E-mail may be sent to kay_leager@ncsu.edu.

For more information about the Mechatronic Systems Workshop, call (919) 515-3808 at the Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering (IMSE) Institute, or send e-mail to nancy_evans@imsei.ncsu.edu.

For information about the Young Scholars in Nuclear Science and Technology program, call (919) 515-1464, or write to the Department of Nuclear Engineering, Box 7909, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695. E-mail inquiries may be sent to ajackson@ncsu.edu.

March 24, 1999

Murty Participates in TMS Meeting

Dr. K.L. Murty, professor of nuclear engineering, recently co-organized two symposia at The Metallurgical Society meeting in San Diego, "Creep Behavior of Advanced Materials for the 21st Century" with R.S. Misra, A.K. Mukherjee and "Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) and Material Properties" with P.K. Liaw, R.J. Arsenault, R.E. Green, and R.B. Thompson. These symposia were published, and Murty is listed as co-editor. Also during the meeting, Murty presented three papers that he authored and co-authored with his students.

March 11, 1999

Elmaghraby Awarded the Louisiana State University Chancellor’s Commemorative Medal

Dr. Salah E. Elmaghraby, professor of industrial engineering and operations research, was awarded the Louisiana State University (LSU) Chancellor’s Commemorative Medal during his visit as the first lecturer in the Chancellor’s Distinguished Lecture Series on March 11, 1999.

Elmaghraby presented his lecture, "Risk and Criticality in Activity Networks," which mentions his current research on activity networks.

The purpose of this lecture series is to bring internationally recognized researchers and educators to LSU.

-- powell --

February 10, 1999

Gilligan Selected for North Carolina Mining Commission

Dr. Gilligan

Dr. John G. Gilligan of Cary, associate dean for research and graduate programs and professor of nuclear engineering at NC State University, has been selected to serve on the North Carolina Mining Commission.

Commission members are appointed by Governor James B. Hunt Jr. and serve for six years. The commission was established under North Carolina statute "to promulgate rules for the enhancement of the mining resources of the state." In addition to setting rules for the administration of the Mining Act of 1971 and hearing permit appeals, the commission serves as the advisory body to the Interstate Mining Compact.

Gilligan, who currently serves as chair of the NC State University Minerals Research Laboratory advisory board, joined the College of Engineering faculty in 1983. Previously, he served as an assistant professor of nuclear engineering at the University of Illinois and as a research associate at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

A recipient of the Alcoa Foundation Engineering Research Achievement Award, Gilligan is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American Nuclear Society, American Physical Society and the American Society of Engineering Education. He received his bachelor's degree in engineering science from Purdue University in 1971 and his master's and doctoral degrees in nuclear engineering from the University of Michigan in 1973 and 1977.

February 8, 1999

Masnari Appointed Distinguished Professor

Dr. Masnari

Dr. Nino A. Masnari, professor of electrical and computer engineering and dean of the College of Engineering at NC State University, has been designated a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, effective November 19, 1998. The designation honors excellence in teaching and research at the university.

Masnari joined the NC State faculty in 1979 as head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. In 1988, he was named director of the Advanced Electronic Materials Processing Center and of the SEMATECH Center of Excellence on Advanced Single-Wafer Processing. He was appointed dean of the College of Engineering in 1996.

Masnari's career began at the University of Michigan, first as a lecturer in 1964 and later as a full professor and director of the Electron Physics Laboratory. He also worked at the General Electric Research and Development Center in Schenectady, N.Y., while on leave from the University of Michigan from 1967 to 1969.

A graduate of the University of Michigan, Masnari received his bachelor's in 1958, master's in 1959 and doctorate in 1964, all in electrical engineering. A native of Three Rivers, Mich., he is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

January 26, 1999

1999 Engineering Career Fair

Click here for Information

January 26, 1999

The Eighth Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium

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January 21, 1999

Industrial Engineer to Receive Norman Dudley Award

Dr. Yuan-Shin Lee, assistant professor of industrial engineering, and his graduate student, H. Ji, have received the Norman Dudley Award for their paper, "Surface Interrogation and Machining Strip Evaluation for 5-Axis CNC Die and Mold Machining." Presented by Taylor and Francis Limited of the United Kingdom, publishers of the International Journal of Production Research, the award honors the authors of the paper judged to have the most potential for making the greatest contribution to the advancement of manufacturing practice.

A recipient of the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award, Lee is recognized worldwide as a major contributor to 5-axis complex surface machining, which eliminates errors and improves machining efficiency. He is also a registered Professional Engineer and the recipient of the 1997 Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. Lee received his doctorate in 1993 and his master's degree in 1990 from Purdue University, both in industrial engineering. He received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from National Taiwan University. He joined the NC State faculty in 1995.

January 13, 1999

Fulp Makes Mining Presentation on Capitol Hill

William L. "Rocky" Fulp II, minerals research project specialist for the Minerals Research Laboratory, participated in a workshop for the Congressional Mining Caucus in Washington, D.C., in December. Fulp spoke on the mining industry's role in the economy and the impact of mining on the quality of life in the U.S.

January 7, 1999

Chemical Engineer Receives NSF CAREER Award

Dr. Genzer

North Carolina State University researcher, Dr. Jan Genzer of Raleigh, assistant professor of chemical engineering, is the recipient of a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The award is the highest honor given by the NSF to young university faculty in science and engineering.

As part of the award, NSF will provide $360,000 in funding over the next five years. Genzer will use the award to support his research in polymeric thin films and nanostructures.

Genzer's research exploits the incompatibility of different polymers to create orderly matrices in polymers. Working at the molecular level of nanocomposites, he hopes to produce hybrid materials with "unusual optical, electrical and magnetic properties for use in future generation devices."

"What I am attempting to do is create new materials of orderly dispersed guest materials in a polymer matrix," says Genzer. "The result would be polymer materials with myriad possible properties."