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MechanicalS C I E N C E A N D E N G I N E E R I N G

Moving the World Forward

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As we find our-selves in the

midst of the 2011-12 academic year,it seems busierthan usual in theDepartment of Me-chanical Scienceand Engineering.

We have new faces among the students and thefaculty alike, new international centers downthe hallway, and new associate heads leadingour undergraduate and graduate programs.There are new technological breakthroughs,new grants and awards, and an unbelievablyimpressive new freshman class. We are break-ing fresh ground literally every day, and thingshave never seemed so energized—or so busy!

Some of our most exciting happenings involve two important research centers thathave opened recently in our department. Oneof these, the $25 million National Science Foun-dation Center for Emergent Behaviors in Integrated Cellular Systems (EBICS), involvesMechSE professors Jimmy Hsia as associate director and Taher Saif as a research leader.EBICS creates sensors, processors, and actuatorsfrom living cell clusters and assembles them toproduce different capabilities that can addresshealth, security, and environmental issues. Thiscould open up a completely new research fieldand have incredible implications for medicineand biology. The department’s second new cen-ter is a part of the $160 million InternationalInstitute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research, called I2CNER (pronounced “Ice-ner”). We are proud that MechSE professor andassociate head for mechanics programs PetrosSofronis is the director of both the Illinois re-search and the overall institute. With its mainheadquarters located at Kyushu University inFukuoka, Japan, I2CNER was established to de-velop the science behind a carbon-neutral en-ergy economy.

Energy has emerged as one of the key re-search areas in mechanical engineering and en-

gineering mechanics, and many MechSE fac-ulty and multiple centers are now involvedin energy research. In addition, the depart-ment now offers an MSME Degree with Cer-tificate in Energy Systems Engineering. Theprogram is designed to serve students seek-ing a post-graduate degree and enhancedpreparation for a career in the growing field of energy engineering. It will providemechanical engineers with intense and accelerated exposure to the science and en-gineering that forms the basis of energy sys-tems, plus an integrative project experienceto enable independent research, develop-ment, and design skills. Graduates from thisprogram will be qualified to work for com-panies currently addressing the many prob-lems of providing affordable and sustainableenergy solutions.

MechSE has three new faculty members,Elif Ertekin, Randy Ewoldt, and Seok Kim,who count energy research among theirspecialties. While you will read more aboutthem in the faculty section of this magazine,I would like to point out how proud we areto have attracted such stellar talents to Illinois. And the department’s growth willnot stop there, as we will be searching formore early-career, tenure-track faculty for2012-13 as well. Professor William King, thechair of our faculty recruiting committee,will be seeking the best and brightest candi-dates who possess great energy and a pas-sion for new technologies and researchareas, as we plan to grow our faculty size toaddress the increasing demand for mechani-cal engineering.

Indeed, our vision for the future in-cludes combining mechanical science andengineering with other disciplines in newand novel ways. Just in the pages of thismagazine, you can read about ProfessorKing’s huge contributions to modern manu-facturing through nano-technology andProfessor Amy Wagoner Johnson’s utiliza-tion of mechanical technology in healing

severe breaks in human bones. It is this typeof ingenuity and imagination we strive tostir up in MechSE students as well. Our Eco-marathon student team even broughthome a first-place trophy from the 2011Eco-marathon international competition,after notching 871 miles per gallon with acar running on ethanol in the alternative energy category.

The department is fortunate to be in a position to attract undergraduate andgraduate students of such caliber that theysomeday could—and in many instances,will—change the world. To continue bring-ing in these top students, we need to con-tinue awarding generous scholarships andfellowships, providing state-of-the-art labo-ratories, and offering opportunities likestudy-abroad programs, senior design proj-ects, and other real-world experiences. Ourfacilities soon will need an improvement inorder for us to remain among the elite andmost sought-after programs in the world.Your past support is greatly appreciated andhas gotten us to the strong position we arecurrently in, and we hope to receive yourcontinued support as well. It is an invest-ment that pays handsomely, both in the im-proved outlook for the department, faculty,and students, and in the value of the degreeyou received. A degree from the Depart-ment of Mechanical Science and Engineer-ing at Illinois holds incredible valuethroughout the world, and we look forwardto that value only increasing in the future.

With best regards,

Placid FerreiraDepartment HeadGrayce Wicall Gauthier Professor

3 Department News

8 MechSE Students

14 Alumni Features

20 Faculty and Research

26 In Memoriam

30 Donors

35 Advancement and Communications

Mechanical Science and Engineering

Department Head Placid Ferreira

Director of AdvancementChad Rohlfs

EditorBill Bowman,

Associate Director of

Communications

wbowman@illinois.edu

WritersBill Bowman

Kim Cheney

Linda Conway

Rick Kubetz

Kate Leifheit

Jim Phillips

Betsy Powers

Laura Schmitt

PhotographyBill Bowman

Joe Domenico, Sr.

Jason Lindsey

Jim Phillips

Betsy Powers

Brian Stauffer

DesignerPat Mayer

ContentsFrom the Department Head

Give a Gift

Spring 2012 3Mechanical Science and Engineering

4

prove overall fuel cell efficiency. Illinois and Kyushu faculty will ad-

dress organic and inorganic semicon-ductor materials and correspondinginterfaces to find more efficient waysto produce hydrogen, including usingsolar cells to capture sunlight and elec-trolyze water.

Working with Brian Somerdayof Sandia National Laboratories andBerkeley professor Rob Ritchie, Illinois Materials Science professor IanRobertson, Sofronis, and Kyushu pro-fessor Yukitaka Murakamiwill inves-tigate the compatibility of hydrogenwith structural materials for the build-ing of the hydrogen distribution infra-structure, e.g. pipeline systems anddispensers at fuel cell stations.

In addition to research directed atenabling the hydrogen economy,I2CNER research will explore ways toreduce CO2 emissions by focusing onmethods to efficiently capture andstore CO2 from an array of sources,such as manufacturing and powerplants. Researchers including PaulKenis from Chemical and Biomolecu-lar Engineering will focus on turningthis CO2 into a useful product. One re-search theme will explore new ways ofseparating CO2 from other exhaustgases. Other research themes will ex-plore how to safely store the CO2 un-derground or under sub-seabedgeological strata.

According to Sofro-nis, researchers at Illi-nois are wellpositioned to addressthe CO2 sequestration

issue, in part, due to the efforts of the MidwesternGeological SequestrationConsortium—directed byRobert Finley, with assis-tant director Sallie Green-berg—which is conductinga large-scale operation toconfirm that CO2 emissions (1 milliontons/year) can be stored permanentlyin deep saline sandstone rock forma-tions. In that study, engineers liquefyand compress CO2—a byproduct of theArcher Daniels Midland Company’sethanol plant—and inject it into deep(about 2.1 km) underground wellsnear Decatur, IL, where it will bestored in porous rock for millions ofyears. The work of MechSE associateprofessor Dimitrios Kyritsis focuseson determining the structure of CO2flows in the high-pressure, low-tem-perature regime that is relevant to CO2sequestration and capture.

“I2CNER researchers will also lookat how the liquid CO2 interacts withthe water in the porous rock,” Sofro-nis said, noting that Materials Sci-ence professor David Cahill willinvestigate the properties of super-critical CO2. “We want to avoid frac-turing the porous rock because thenthe CO2may escape. This is a funda-mental science problem—a wonderful

example of using mechanicsagainst fracture and

material deforma-tion instability.”

Another fun-damental scienceproblem is under-

standing how the CO2 inthe oceans and the atmos-phere interacts with theocean turbulence and theocean surfaces. MechSEassociate professor andI2CNER satellite office as-sociate director Kenneth

Christensen, an expert in the area ofturbulent flows and on the effects ofroughness on the flow of fluidsaround surfaces, will be studyingthese fluid mechanics issues. MechSEprofessor Arne Pearlstein is con-tributing research focusing on the development of computational toolsthat can be used to assess the dissolu-tion of CO2 drops into the ocean.Such tools are of paramount impor-tance for assessing the risk of variousapproaches to sub-seabed storage.

There will be an intensive pro-gram of faculty and student exchangebetween Illinois and Kyushu Univer-sity that will expand the internationalvisibility of both institutions. Accord-ing to Sofronis, Illinois has been aworld leader in hydrogen materialscompatibility research for more than30 years largely because of continu-ous support from the U. S. Depart-ment of Energy.

To enable this technology develop-ment, I2CNER scientists and engineerswill partner with industry. Already,they are collaborating with researchersat ExxonMobil Research Company inClinton, NJ, on hydrogen/materialscompatibility issues.

and assembling them to produce dif-ferent capabilities that can addresshealth, security, and environmentalissues.

“The machines will be built fromliving cells and they can have theirown objectives, but the key thing isthey must be able to sense, actuate,and learn,” said MechSE professorand EBICS researcher Taher Saif.

“If successful, we will open up anentirely new field of research withwide-ranging implications, rangingfrom regenerative medicine to developmental biology,” said RogerKamm, EBICS director and MIT mechanical engineering professor.

Illinois MechSE professor K. Jimmy Hsia, who serves as EBICSassociate director, noted that thecenter’s focus on living cell clusters is a nascent research field.

“Biologists are either studying in-dividual cells—how they move, whatkind of environment would changecell behavior or differentiation—orthey are studying whole animals,such as mice, to study many phe-nomenon,” Hsia said. “Very few peo-ple are actually studying the criticalmass of cells that have so-calledemergent behavior. We want to findout when individual cells forminginto clusters become functional and

what functionality can emerge fromthat collection of cells.”

EBICS research is organizedaround six research themes: the de-velopment of machine componentsmade of muscle, neuronal, and en-dothelial cells derived from stemcells; engineered interactions amongcell clusters; directed and emergent3-D multicellular structures withcontrolled microenvironments; en-gineered machines with sensing,processing, and release functions forneurotoxin annihilation; the devel-opment of autonomous bio-botsusing 3D stereolithography and hy-drogels; and the development of cel-lular machines for glucosebiosensing and insulin release.

Saif is leading the researchtheme on engineered interactionsamong cell clusters. According toSaif, the main goal of this theme is tounderstand what parameters are re-quired to guide neurons, muscles,and epithelial cells to form a coher-ent structure that can self-suffi-ciently provide nutrition andactuate in cells.

“We believe the mechano-microenvironment has a huge role toplay,” Saif said. “We’re looking to seeif we can create a variation of themechanical hardness or softness in

the environment as a way to guide themovement of neurons in the right direction.”

Underlying each research themeis the development of enabling technologies that provide EBICS re-searchers with micronanotechnology,simulation, and imaging tools to carryout their work. According to Hsia, anovel cell mass and growth measure-ment system that he developed withEBICS colleague Rashid Bashir, anIllinois MechSE affiliate professor,may help researchers in the cell-cellinteraction theme answer some fundamental biology questions.

Their cell measurement systemincorporates MEMS resonant masssensors into a square-shaped platformwith four springs; it can directlymeasure both mass and growth rateof single adherent cells, which is afundamental biological processknown as the mitosis cycle.

While no one can predict howlong it will take to develop biologicalmachines, Hsia is fairly confident thatEBICS researchers will have createdseveral simple machines within thenext five years. He also foresees phar-maceutical and medical product com-panies to be among the first industriesto take an interest in EBICS results.

The University of Illinois has estab-lished a new research center on

campus to develop the fundamentalscience required for a carbon-neutralenergy economy. The center is part of the $160 million International In-stitute for Carbon-Neutral EnergyResearch (I2CNER, pronounced “Ice-ner”) located at Kyushu Universityin Fukuoka, Japan.

“Our research is basic science but itis issue-driven rather than curiosity-driven,” said MechSE professor PetrosSofronis, who directs both the Illinoisresearch and the overall Institute. “TheInstitute will advance the science nec-essary to both establish a non-fossil-based energy carrier system andcontribute to the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions.”

One of the objectives of I2CNER is toexplore ways to produce, store, anddistribute hydrogen. In particular,I2CNER researchers Andrew Gewirthfrom Chemistry and Lane Martin andAngus Rockett from Materials Sci-ence and Engineering will focus on ar-tificial photosynthesis as a means ofcreating hydrogen using the energy ofthe sun. Researchers will also exploreusing this hydrogen in next-generationhydrogen fuel cells for automobiles.

Hydrogen-powered fuel cell carsexist, but they are extremely expen-sive, in part, because the fuel cells aremade with the costly metal platinum.I2CNER researchers including ThomasRauchfuss from Chemistry will workto discover new materials to replaceplatinum as the catalyst that drives re-actions inside the fuel cell and to im-

New center advancing toward cellular machines

the driving force behind Illinois-Japan research center

Imagine if there was a patch that di-abetics could wear on their skinthat automatically detected glucoselevels, produced insulin, and releasedinsulin into the bloodstream whenneeded. For the 18 million Americansdiagnosed with diabetes, the patchwould be a life-changing miracle. Nomore needle pricks six or more timesa day to test blood sugar levels, nomore insulin injections, no more riskof dangerous blood sugar reactions.

Or, imagine microfluidic ma-chines that mimic the behavior ofhuman organs and serve as testbedsfor potential disease-curing drugs.The machines could take the drugs,allowing scientists to monitor thedrugs’ effectiveness without havingto go through expensive and time-consuming animal trials.

Although this patch and drug-screening machine may still be yearsaway, researchers at the University ofIllinois, MIT, and Georgia Tech are de-veloping the fundamental science re-quired to make these and otherbiological machines a reality. The re-searchers are part of the $25 millionNational Science Foundation Cen-ter for Emergent Behaviors in Inte-grated Cellular Systems (EBICS),which is creating sensors, processors,and actuators from living cell clusters

Petros Sofronis

5Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

Taher SaifJimmy Hsia

Clean energy

MechSE professors Taher Saif and Jimmy Hsia with the rest of the EBICS team.

ranged from 0 to 35 miles per hour.“We found out by watching and talk-ing to other teams that the best strat-egy was to kind of bump your enginea bunch of times to keep your rangebetween 13 to 18 miles per hour.”

The team focused on two keyareas: engine efficiency and rollingfriction. A standard Honda 50cc en-gine was modified for electronic fuelinjection (EFI) using a micro-con-troller to optimize combustion effi-ciency and air-fuel-ratio via O2

Imagine driving from Champaign toNew York on one tank of ethanolthat was produced by using ten-by-tensquare feet of grown corn,” saidMechSE professor Michael Philpott,the adviser of the Eco-marathon team.

The 2011 Eco-marathon team’sBlue Lightning car attained 871 milesper gallon in fuel efficiency, whichroughly equates to the distance fromChampaign to New York—on just onegallon of fuel! The team won 1st placewith a 100% ethanol engine car in thealternative energy category and 10thplace overall at the Eco-marathoncompetition, which took place indowntown Houston, Texas.

“Coming from a corn state, I thinkthat is pretty cool,” Philpott said.

The team’s second car, OrangeThunder, finished 8th in the un-leaded gas category and also in theoverall competition. The car con-sumed unleaded gas at approxi-mately 900 miles per gallon.

The rankings are determined bycalculating the highest equivalent tomiles per gallon of each car. Compet-ing cars ran on fuels including un-leaded gas, electricity, solar power,ethanol, diesel, and more. Each car

had 24 minutes and 15 seconds tocomplete six miles on a track indowntown Houston, potholes and all,and demanded that a car must travelan average of at least 15 miles perhour and carry at least 100 pounds inorder to qualify for a standing.

This is the fifth year the ShellEco-marathon occurred in America.It started as a friendly event betweenresearchers in 1939 to see which carcould get the most miles per gallon.

It became a competitive event in1985 in France, an event that at-tracted students and scientists.Philpott said the long-range goal isto design a car that will travel 3,000miles, about the distance of NewYork to Los Angeles, on an equiva-lent of one liter of fuel.

This is just the second year ateam from the University of Illinoiscompeted in the event, and the 11seniors were able to work togetherto outpace last year’s mileage byabout 559 miles per gallon.

“The biggest improvement wasour driving strategy,” team memberJoseph Domenico said. Originally,the team did a drive-and-coastmethod in which the car’s speed

sensors, engine RPM, and road-speedmonitoring. To minimize rollingfriction losses, the students carefullydesigned the steering mechanismwith camber, caster, and Ackermanangle working together to minimizetire scrubbing. They also utilized E2,energy-efficient, ceramic cage wheelbearings; a single-stage chain-drive

train system; and high tire pressuresmapped to the prevailing road sur-face conditions.

“Our car was pretty unique,”team member Brock Pollmannsaid. “We made an aluminum skele-ton out of rods and then stretchedspandex over it and then used fabricstiffener and paint to harden it upand it worked pretty well.”

Each team member worked anaverage of 15 hours per week on thecars, which increased to 30 to 40hours during the last three weeksbefore the competition. In 2012, the

team hopes to get underclassmen involved so the club has studentsworking on the car for four years,accumulating more knowledge andkeeping more expertise in the clubfrom year to year.

“If you have kids working on itfor four years, then they can get a lotmore experience and be one of thetop competitors in more than one[Eco-marathon] category,”Domenico said.

Illinois’ 871 mpg good for 1st place at international event“THE LAST MONTH, WE ALL JUST KIND OF CAMPED OUT IN THE

SHOP EVERY DAY ASWE TRIED TO GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER.

I FEEL LIKEWE ALL JUST GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER,

WHICH MADE IT GOODWHENWE GOT DOWNTO COMPETITION.”

–TEAM MEMBERMARKHAUGHEY

The Illinois Eco-marathon team, along with

“Blue Lightning” and “Orange Thunder,”

await the start of the 2011 Eco-marathon.

ME 470 – Senior Design Class

The “Blue Lightning” and “Orange Thunder” cars were both developed as part of theSenior Design class, or ME 470. As shown in the photo above, the cars had not

reached their final competition form during the Fall 2010 session, but the underlyingmechanics were taking shape nicely.

For the Spring 2011 Senior Design competition, not only had the cars been completed, but they had already competed in the Eco-marathon event in Houston. A first-place finish in an international competition did nothing to hurt the team’s performance in the Senior Design competition either; the team took first place in theSpring 2011 Senior Design session.“There are really just a ton of impressive projects here and some incredible work

has been done by these students,” one of the senior design judges said. “But as judges,one of the things we have to look at is not only was the work top-notch, but was it completed 100% so it’s ready to package and ship.“Getting first place in the Eco-marathon says a lot. Now that’s a finished product.”

“ITWAS REALLY SATISFYINGWHENWE ACTUALLY GOT THERE AND

BOTH OUR CARSWERE ON STANDS READY TO GO AND EVERYBODY

ELSE HAD THEIR TABLE GRINDERS OUT STILL TRYING TO FINISH. WE

HAD A SOLID RUN.” –TEAM MEMBER BROCK POLLMANN

The creation of the Eco-marathon cars

started in the Fall 2010 semester as part of

the ME 470 Senior Design class.

6 7Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

“

98 Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

It was almost two years after thefirst prototype when MechSE grad-uate student Scott Daigle heard thesuccessful sound of gears shiftingwhile pushing a wheelchair up anddown an open hallway. Daiglebreathed a sigh of relief and felt agrowing excitement. The Intelli-Wheels automatic gear shifting sys-tem worked.

In March 2011, Daigle won the$30,000 Lemelson-MIT Illinois Stu-dent Prize, which is administered bythe Technology Entrepreneur Center.The ceremony was telecasted withthree other universities (MIT, Cal-tech, and Rensselaer) and was held inthe National Center for Supercom-puting Applications Auditorium.

Daigle’s invention of the Intelli-Wheels automatic gear shifting sys-tem improves the basic health ofwheelchair users. According toDaigle, there are 2.2 million wheel-chair users in America and 73% ofthem develop shoulder pain.

“People who need wheelchairsface a lot of problems that others donot on a day-to-day basis,” Daiglesaid. “For example, pushing a wheel-chair up and down hills can havehuge wear on your shoulders.”

Even though it takes a physicaltoll, a lot of wheelchair users still liketo use their arms while traveling. Theaction is a form of exercise for wheel-chair users and equivalent to walking.

The IntelliWheels automatic gearshifting system eliminates some ofthe strain and difficulties wheelchairusers experience from traveling daily.The automatic gear shifting systemhas sensors on the bottom of thewheelchair so that when a wheelchairmoves it analyzes three parameters:speed, tilt, and torque. A microcon-

troller system then selects and shiftsto the best gear for wheelchair userswhen they encounter changes intheir environment, such as an uphillor downhill slope. It is a similar con-cept to when people switch gears ontheir bicycles.

As an undergraduate senior inmechanical engineering at Illinois,Daigle brought his idea to MechSEprofessor Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler.Hsiao-Wecksler became his co-ad-viser with Kinesiology and Commu-nity Health professor Jacob Sosnoff.Both of his undergraduate adviserscofounded IntelliWheels, Inc. withDaigle, who now has MechSE profes-sor Michael Philpott as his facultyadviser for his master’s thesis.

“I like the drive he has to makethe design function,” Hsiao-Weckslersaid. “He has tremendous focus andvision.”

It was these qualities in Daiglethat enabled him to form Intelli-Wheels, Inc. Before graduate schooleven started, Daigle made a 50-poundprototype with the support of TECprofessor Brian Lilly. It failed towork, but he continued to move for-ward. He visited the Division of Reha-bilitation-Education (DRES) weekly tolearn about the needs and wants ofwheelchair users. According to his re-search and conversations, wheelchairusers desire a system that is attach-able to their personal wheelchair, islightweight, and has a low profile.

In the summer of 2010, he workedon a physical transmission design togo inside the wheelchair. By the be-ginning of the fall semester, he al-ready started building anotherprototype and went to the mechani-cal engineering machine shop forhelp on manufacturing parts.

Throughout graduate school,Daigle had to go through the tediousprocess of searching for his ownfunding. He did this early on by com-

peting in business competitions.Daigle and his partners, MarissaSiebel and Jean Samson, won sec-ond place in the Cozad New VentureCompetition. The money they wonfrom the prize allowed them to con-tinue work on their prototype aswell as start their company.

“We heard our names and thegiant cash prize next to it and wewere so ecstatic and so amazed thatpeople believed in us like that,”Daigle said.

Later, they received a grant fromthe National Collegiate Inventorsand Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) for$20,000. By searching for funding,Daigle said he learned how impor-tant it is to present his ideas welland to have confidence in his ideaseven before having a tangible proto-type. His previous advisers, Hsiao-Wecksler and Sosnoff, encouragedhim greatly through the process.

“They helped me find funding.They helped me figure out what weare going to design next, and theyhelped me figure out how we aregoing to test it,” Daigle said. “I don’tthink I could have ever done it with-out the two of them.”

Becky Daigle, Scott Daigle’smother and a physical therapist,also noticed the great impact theUniversity of Illinois has had onhelping her son achieve his goals.

“The university has just been agreat place for him,” she said. “Theyhelped him start a business withlegal support, office support, and hisadvisers have been wonderfully sup-portive in his lab.”

Daigle acknowledged the won-derful support of his mother and hissister’s great help with editing pro-posals and reports. His father passedaway about five years ago, but Daiglestill reminisces on the times whenthey did home improvement proj-ects, and he is thankful for the inno-

Student’s prize-winning invention

rolling toward market introduction

Graduate student Scott Daigle and

associate professor Liz Hsiao-Wecksler

exhibit an advanced prototype of the

IntelliWheels wheelchair.

“PEOPLE WHO NEEDWHEELCHAIRS FACE A LOT

OF PROBLEMS THAT OTHERS DO NOT ON A

DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. FOR EXAMPLE, PUSHING A

WHEELCHAIR UP AND DOWN HILLS CAN HAVE

HUGEWEAR ON YOUR SHOULDERS.”

– SCOTT DAIGLE

vative character-istics his fatherinstilled in him.

Now, Daigle has$30,000 from theLemelson-MIT Prize,and he plans to use a lot ofthat money to help the companycommercialize its products.

“When I say commercialize, Imean trying to distribute it and get itto the people that need it,” Daiglesaid, explaining that the most sus-tainable way to do that was by start-ing a company. The company seeksnew ideas to create more productsthat will benefit the wheelchair com-munity. One product they made is aspare tire kit that is small and attach-able to a wheelchair with color-coded instructions because of howoften wheelchair users get strandedwithout easy access to the righttools. They are also working on thedevelopment of caster-skis to helpwheelchairs travel through thesnow.

The next step for IntelliWheels isusability testing, which will entailwheelchair users trying out the auto-matic gear shifting wheelchair in asimulated real-world environmentand on different types of terrain.After the usability testing, the com-pany will run the device with a spe-cial testing rig for 40 days and 40nights. This will simulate three yearsof use because the average wheel-chair user buys a new wheelchairevery 3-5 years. This will also test thedesign quality for handling the rigorsof everyday life. Daigle predicts theconclusion of the next steps will takeapproximately 18 months, includingthe building of the third prototypethat he hopes will be polished, new,and ready for use.

Anyone interested in learningmore about IntelliWheels, Inc. canvisit the company’s website atwww.intelli-wheels.com.

MechSE Endowed FellowshipsEugene and Lina AbrahamFellowshipJonathan FeltsMarc GhossoubMatthew RosenbergerTarun SanghiPat and Bette CalabreseFellowshipJames PikulJustin VannessGeorge A. Costello Memorial FellowshipAnthony LicariPeter MaginnisJohn SandersThomas J. and VirginiaFisher Dolan FellowshipRaymond EssickEduardo TorrealbaC. J. Gauthier MechanicalScience and EngineeringFellowshipRaymond EssickLance KingstonPeter MaginnisHenry L. Langhaar FellowshipMaryam GhazisaeidiAmanda JonesLouis J. Larson FellowshipSushil KumarReetesh Ranjan

Robert E. Miller FellowshipJames PikulMechSE Alumni Teachingand General FellowshipJay CarrollLouis DiBerardinoAmne El CheikhLance HibbelerBlake JohnsonPatrick LynchWilliam MorganKashif NawazSteffen PeukerGustavo PottkerJames E. Peters FellowshipTim DeppenAmanda JonesPeter MaginnisShao Lee Soo FellowshipTim DeppenCarlos OrdunoStoyke FellowshipDavid BuchtaSushil KumarH.C. Ting FellowshipEli LazarLance KingstonAaron Shinn

College of Engineering FellowshipsRoy S. Carver FellowshipNatalie BeamsMavis FellowshipMelih EritenVikhram Vilasur SwaminathaXin TangGraduate College Fellowship Board BlockGrant FundingJoseph FaslMei Kuen HsuMichael JohnstonMegan KaniaLance KingstonJustin KoelnSushil KumarMatthew RosenbergerJustin VannessBrian WilliamsMichael WinemanSURGE (Support for Under-Represented Groupsin Engineering) Fellowship Amanda JonesCarlos OrdunoSarah MannenEduardo Torrealba

National FellowshipsASHRAE (American Societyof Heating, Refrigeratingand Air-Conditioning Engineers) Fellowship Kashif NawazFeini ZhangASME (American Society ofMechanical Engineers)Teaching Fellowship Neera JainFulbright FellowshipBerkem MehmetMina MikhaeelGEM (National Consortiumfor Graduate Degrees forMinorities in Engineeringand Sciences)Eric RiveraNSF’s Intergrative Gradu-ate and Research TrainingProgram (IGERT) ProgramSamantha KnollXin TangNASA (National Aeronau-tics and Space Administra-tion) FellowshipAaron Shinn

SMART (Science, Math andResearch for Tranforma-tion) FellowshipEli LazarInternational FellowshipsVietnam Education Foundation FellowshipKim Doang Nguyen

Corporate-Sponsored FellowshipsCaterpillar Tsinghua Corporate FellowshipJingyu (Kelly) ChenFei JiHongwei ZhangDepartment of Energy FellowshipJonathan FeltsNeera JainExxon Corporate FellowshipMd Zubaer HossainJustin VannessSandia National Laboratories FellowshipAdam SawyerMike SenaDavid TseSargent and Lundy FellowshipTodd Reedy

11

Scholarships and fellowshipsare an important way forMechSE to attract top stu-dents. Listed below are therecipients of the MechSEscholarships and fellowshipsfor 2010-11 and 2011-12. Wecongratulate these studentsand would like to expressour thanks to the alumniand friends who made thesehonors possible.MechSE EndowedScholarshipsJames W. Ashbrook ScholarshipAndrew JacobsSaichaitanya KalidindiA. Richard Ayers ScholarshipAlexander BerryKaleb CollierJames and Loretta BayneScholarshipWilliam CharvatSarah CoadyShaival DesaiAnne GoeringLucas GuthrieStuart HerndonAmit MadhukarKathryn NevilleNeeraj RamachandranWilliam SmithCassidy WarningPaul A. and Edna M. Beckemeyer ScholarshipIan BergJames HumThomas J. Breen and GailSchaller Breen ScholarshipMatthew CarmodyDonald E. Carlson ScholarshipDaniel BorupBrian PierceBei Tse and May ChaoScholarshipTimothy GarbaciakDaniel GualandriDaniel KramerAnn ZuzulyGuy Richard Collins Engineering ScholarshipBryce AustellStephen BaranyAndrew BellMason BlakeJessica BrownRebecca ByrdAnthony CaoJaclyn CoyleEric EckstrumMichael HafemanJoseph HainesLuke JunglesAndrew Lee

10 Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

Jarrod MartisMichael RouseAdam RussellDale SormazCassidy WarningScott ZacekLuke ZaczekSamuel ZschackPhillip A. Dethloff ScholarshipKaleb CollierJoseph HainesAndrew LeeLee Ann MonaghanHenry ZarnowieckiPatrick B. and Janet A.Flanagan ScholarshipMichael VadnaisMadison WhittA. G. Friederich MemorialScholarshipMarco VenturatoLuke ZaczekC. J. Gauthier MechanicalScience and EngineeringScholarshipErik AndersonAndrew BankoMark CoticchioChristopher DelaneyAnthony FiorinoAndrew JacobsBrian RoehlMargaret L. GongawareScholarship Ian BergAnthony BrunoChee Haw ChanJixin ChenCarl DarukhanavalaRichard DeeringQuinton FordCarl HandleyPrashant JayaramanScott KramerMatthieu KruyswykMichael McCarthyRyan RuddellLogan WanNicholas WilliamsAlbert XiaoAl Hallene/Pella Corporation EngineeringScholarshipChristopher DelaneyJonathon ErvinRoger and Sandra HeathScholarshipZachary RenwickAlexander SmillieMiles and Louise HinsleyScholarshipAnthony BrunoChee Haw ChanRichard DeeringMarc DeetjenPrashant GuhaGrant HallanJennifer Lin

Jacob PetefishMichael TealElizabeth WeeksErle E. Johnson ScholarshipSalem CherenetMichael GomezHarry RochaKarl W. Kolb and Arden M.Kolb-DeBolt ScholarshipAlexander GuiMichael HutchinsonJessica SimpsonBrian TuckerGM Philip W. Leistra, Jr.ScholarshipDamian SokolowskiJohn H. and Billie JeanMarsh ScholarshipBrock PollmannAlexander SmillieRobert E. Miller ScholarshipDrake HislopJohn MagerkoRyan MottMatthew PiperGregory WilkJames E. Peters ScholarshipJill GodmanNikhil KapurAmanda StowersMark E. Prasse MemorialScholarshipWilliam GrayBen Jay Rosenthal ScholarshipAdam FlandersSam Sachs MemorialScholarshipMichelle BoehmAnthony CerquaDouglas LittekenKathryn SvobodaNicholas TrainaKent F. and Carol AnnSchien Engineering ScholarshipJames LeighFred B. Seely ScholarshipZachary BerentOr DantskerTrent MooreJonathan WeberMonica YangGeorge M. and Ruth N. Sinclair ScholarshipJonathon ErvinAmanda LietzJohn MagerkoMustafa MohamadKendall RakEarl and Althea SmithScholarshipJames HumJeffrey Peters

Soo Family ScholarshipJulia HuynhMelanie WilliMorris Stern ScholarshipMichael HolzMustafa MohamadWilbert F. Stoecker ScholarshipJill GodmanClaire SlupskiCharles E. Taylor ScholarshipAnthony CerquaRyan MottThomas-Lain ScholarshipMichelle BoehmJaclyn CoyleAnthony FiorinoJill GodmanAnne GoeringGrant HallanNikhil KapurNeeraj RamachandranJames ZhuJames R. Tucker ScholarshipAndrew GoldbergRoy LeeMax MethlingScott MickelRaymond and BiruteViskanta ScholarshipBobby BaerJoanna BoberAlexander GruebeleMichael HutchinsonLogan WanEleanor and Eugene Wesselman ScholarshipEleanor GoodClaire SlupskiSteven Kyoon Yun Memorial ScholarshipZachary WeinerGan Quan Wu

MechSE Annual ScholarshipsWilliam L. Fourney ScholarshipIan McNamaraCameron StewartIllinois Mechanical Engineering ScholarshipDeyan DimovMarathon Oil CorporationScholarshipTimothy EwanMechSE Alumni ScholarshipZachary BakerMichelle BoehmRobert BornGail ButlerStuart HerndonGideon HorbergRohan KarmarkarKevin Kibler

Scott KramerKaren LipaMaggie NadenAdam RosenbaumJessica SimonMechSE OutstandingScholarshipKris AndersonShun Jie Joshua AngMark FiggeAnthony FiorinoJames HowDoojoon JangAndrew RiegertAdam RussellNicholas SteachMarco VenturatoJames Zhu

MechSE Corporate ScholarshipsCaterpillar ScholarshipTimothy EwanQuinton FordGabriel GaetaTimothy GarbaciakDaniel GualandriJulia HuynhNikhil KapurAdam MillerLee Ann MonaghanCharles OrozcoMelissa PearlsteinAlejandro ScholcoffJessica SimpsonAmanda StowersMichael TealConocoPhillips ScholarshipElizabeth BertnessLauren KlonowskiExxonMobil CorporationScholarshipErik AndersonBryce AustellElizabeth BertnessJixin ChenMarc DeetjenLucas GuthrieRaymond TurnerKevin WallingtonIllinois Tool Works Foundation ScholarshipAndrew BankoNathan DostartAlexander GuiMatthew SadaDennis SinksNicholas TrainaKaiser Foundation ScholarshipGabriel GaetaMatthew LedesmaCharles OrozcoCarol RegalbutoAlejandro ScholcoffParker Hannifin ScholarshipNathan DostartRohan Karmarkar

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Honors

Student HonorsThe following students wererecognized for their outstand-ing achievements during the2009-10 and 2010-11 academicyears. They received theirawards at the MechSE AnnualAwards Banquet held at theend of each spring semester.

MechSE GraduateAwardsJames O. Smith MemorialAwardWilliam MorganStephanie Ott-MonsivaisStanley I. Weiss Outstanding Thesis AwardBen BlaiszikVinay Natrajan

MechSE Departmental AwardsBei Tse & May Chao AwardMatthew RosenbergerLuke ZaczekClarence L. & Harriette John-son AwardBryce AustellMadison Whitt

O. A. Leutwiler AwardChristopher DelaneyGreg EisenmannMark FiggeFred B. Seely AwardOr DantskerBrian PierceMarvin C. Stippes AwardDaniel BorupBrian Pierce

MechSE Interest AreaAwardsCaterpillar AwardCarol RegalbutoGina ZakJohn C. & Elizabeth J. ChatoAward in BioengineeringIan BergMei Kuen HsuA. G. Friederich MemorialAwardOr DantskerDavid SchmidtGeorge W. Harper AwardPrashant JayaramanMichael LeickKathryn Svoboda

Helmut H. Korst AwardOleg BaryshnikovThomas ConnellyMaterials Processing AwardAndrew BankoDale R. MagliolaT. A. Peebles AwardKawa CheungGerardo DeLa TorreT & AM Merit AwardAdam BooherElizabeth JonesDaniel MaynardKenneth J. Trigger AwardBruno AzeredoMark CoticchioJames Zhu

MechSE StudentSociety AwardsKonzo/ASHRAE EngineersAwardAnthony FiorinoMatthew MarekASME Junior LeadershipAwardMark FiggeValeria Laguna

Patrick B. & Janet A. Flanagan ASME SeniorLeadership AwardCarol RegalbutoGina ZakPi Tau Sigma SophomoreAwardErik AndersonJames HowJames W. Bayne Award forOutstanding Senior in PiTau SigmaSteven PelechStephan SuharGM/Philip W. Leistra Jr. Society of Automotive Engineers AwardMichael KawkaDamian SokolowskiLeonard Fieman StudentResearch AwardDaniel Kramer

College of EngineeringAwardsAndrea J. Culumber AwardBrian RoehlEngineering Council Outstanding Student AwardEric Gobst

William R. SchowalterAwardEric GobstC. S. Larson Transfer Student AwardKyle NagyKnights of St. PatrickAdam BooherDouglas LittekenBrian RoehlAndrew Zwicky

University HonorsBronze TabletWilliam BreyKawa CheungTim DeppenGreg EisenmannJustin GalbraithMei Kuen HsuTung Yuen LauScott LeithemTyler LemanJeffrey PetersBrian PierceEric ReillyMatthew RosenbergerZachary SchrammKevin WallingtonReginald WeeceGina Zak

National Science Foundation Fellowship Winners: Bruno Azeredo, Elizabeth Jones, Justin Koeln, and Eduardo Torrealba

12

LEGO-bots invade Engineering 100

13Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

For the Fall 2011 incomingMechSE freshmen, Engineering

100 was a mix of engineering andflat-out fun. For the first time, thestudents built remote-controlled robots constructed of Legos—“LEGO-bots”—as the hands-on portion of the four-week course.

“It worked out really well,” saidStanley Chang, lead engineeringlearning assistant for this year’s En-gineering 100. “Because they’veplayed with LEGOs before, we knewit’d be easy enough to do, but alsoit’d be hands on.”

“I thought we’d end up with a lotof robots that looked the same, be-cause the manual provided instruc-tions on how to build one specificrobot,” Chang said. “But the robotsall came out very different. Therewas a ton of creativity from the kids;it really surprised me.”

Engineering 100 is a requiredcourse for all freshmen engineeringmajors at the University of Illinois. Itgives a broad overview of topics thatcan help students become familiarwith campus resources, resumes, in-ternships, and other topics that canlead to a successful undergraduatecareer and beyond.

More than 200 freshmen wereenrolled in the 13 MechSE sessions ofEngineering 100.

One class session per week wasdedicated to building the LEGO-bots,with students working in teams toconstruct the robots from LEGOMindstorm NXT kits, with their ownandroid smart phones serving as theremote controls. Many of the fresh-men did not limit their work time toclass, and the Senior Design Lab oftenhad groups of students working tocustomize their LEGO-bots duringtheir free time.

“My students loved the robotproject!” said engineering learningassistant Ann Zuzuly. “They wanted

the entire class to be longer just sothey could fit more robot-buildinginto it. Multiple students said theywanted to go into robotics because ofthis project.”

On the final day of the class, acontest was held that entailed fourLEGO-bots at a time competingagainst each other in a race to gatherup balls and place them in the team’sdesignated corner. Each team’s entrywas unique, as they took differentstrategies toward what would makethe most effective ball-gatheringmechanism.

Clockwise from top:

Freshman MechSE students, faculty,

and others crowded around to see the

very entertaining competition.

Some of the LEGO-bots, like this one,

utilized a pinching mechanism for ball

retrieval.

The champion team from one of the

Engineering 100 sessions consisted

of freshmen Albert M. Xiao, Hriday

Bhalaria, Avantika Mohapatra, and Erin

Ostojic.

Thomas J. DonovanThe first job out of college for new MechSE

alumni board member Thomas J. Donovan(B.S. Mechanical Engineering ’82) was as a me-chanical engineer with Sargent & Lundy, an en-gineering consulting firm located in Chicago.Although he enjoyed engineering work, he en-rolled in law school about two years later andearned his J.D. in 1987 from Chicago-Kent Col-lege of Law.

“Combining my interests in technology andthe law has provided me the foundation for avery rewarding career as a patent lawyer,”Donovan said.

Donovan joined Barnes and Thornburg LLPas a partner in 2000 and has been practicingpatent law for almost 25 years. He is a memberof the 2011 Intellectual Property Law360 edito-rial advisory board, an influential publication inthe intellectual property field, and serves as anadjunct faculty member at Chicago-Kent College of Law teaching an intellectual prop-erty course. Donovan plans to share his experi-ence and knowledge with Illinois students.

“I think it's vitally important to share expe-riences with the next generation of engineers,"Donovan said. "I look forward to helping cur-rent students understand the significance ofprotecting intellectual property.”

Donovan continues to be recognized yearlyas an “Illinois Super Lawyer” from surveys fea-tured in Chicago Magazine and conducted by Law& Politics. Proud to be an Illinois alumnus, Dono-van said he saw how alumni loyalty to the pro-gram encourages research, increases hiring,and advances the reputation of the school.

“Helping inspire loyalty and pride amongmechanical engineering alumni is a critical steptoward building a successful academic pro-gram,” Donovan said.

Jean GibbonsDuring the last 21 years, Jean Gibbons (B.S.

Mechanical Engineering ’82, M.S. Mechanical Engineering ’85) has helped Grumman/ButkusAssociates expand the design services side of theEvanston-based engineering consulting firm.

“When I started in 1989, the company had 18people and they mostly did energy consultingwith a small amount of design work,” said Gib-bons, the firm’s senior vice president and chiefoperating officer.

Gibbons recently managed the HVAC designof a new research facility—the Center forNanoscale Materials—at Argonne National Labo-ratory. This facility provides scientists withhighly specialized laboratories, including class100 and class 1,000 clean rooms and numerouslabs. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerat-ing, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)presented Grumman/Butkus with a 2008 ASHRAERegional Technology award for this project.

According to Gibbons, she was well-preparedto work in engineering design and consulting be-cause of her experience at Illinois. But she saidthe department currently faces tough challenges,such as rising undergraduate tuition costs, andthat she’d like to help raise more money forscholarships.

“The top students can’t always afford themost expensive schools so this could be one wayfor alumni to really help,” she said.

Another challenge, according to Gibbons, isfor Illinois MechSE faculty to continue addressingsocietal needs with their research and teaching.

“I’ve always thought energy was importantbut it’s becoming even more important with thenuclear crisis and higher energy prices,” she said.“It’s important for the department to stay in-volved in energy research—production, conserva-tion, and management—and to keep trainingstudents in energy-related areas so they cansomeday help solve the problems.”

John SutherlandAs the head of Purdue’s nascent Environmental

and Ecological Engineering Division, John Sutherland(B.S. Industrial Engineering ’80, M.S. Industrial Engineering ’82, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering ’87) un-derstands the challenges facing top-tier engineeringschools.

“Trying to figure out how to excel in an era whensupport for state universities is flat or declining is anissue everywhere, including Illinois,” said Sutherland.“Yes, there are financial challenges, but we also recog-nize we must constantly strive to improve ourselves.”

Sutherland said he is impressed with MechSE’smany initiatives, including the new one-year master’sdegree program with certificate. This new degreeserves mechanical engineers who want an advanceddegree and enhanced preparation for a career in En-ergy Systems or Micro and Nano Systems Engineering.

Sutherland pointed out that he has spent much ofhis career studying how to effectively collaborate withothers, and he hopes that knowledge can facilitate ad-ditional collaborations and connections between hisalma mater and Purdue.

“The two universities have historically had manyconnections; current faculty such as Placid Ferreira,Debasish Dutta, and Tony Jacobi are Purdue grads,and there are many Illinois grads at Purdue,” he said.“There is a tremendous opportunity to leverage theseties for mutually beneficial collaborations.”

After earning his Ph.D. in 1987, Sutherland held avisiting faculty position in Mechanical and IndustrialEngineering at Illinois for two years before helping tolaunch Process Design and Control, Inc. (PDC), astartup firm in Champaign. The company specializedin software development, consulting, and training forstatistical process control, design of experiments, andmachining simulation.

In 1991, he left Illinois for the upper peninsula ofMichigan, where he joined the faculty at MichiganTechnological University (MTU). In 2009, he joinedPurdue’s College of Engineering.

Three newalumni boardmembersnamed in 2011

New alumni board members John Sutherland, Jean Gibbons, and Thomas J. Donovan.

Schien’s business philosophy, leadership, and philanthropy

were recognized when Innoventor won the St. Louis Region Top 50 Company

award four times, and he received the 2007 Missouri Small Business Person of the Year

award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Among his other achievements are: 2011

National Prime Contractor by the SBA, 2011 Honorary Board of Directors Member for Easter Seals,

2010 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year regional finalist, and two-time Easter Seals Missouri

Volunteer of the Year. He serves on the Easter Seals international board of directors and on

the board of Life Skills, an organization that finds meaningful work for adults and

teens with developmental disabilities.

KR Sridharwants to change theworld, and he may have the

power to do it—electrical power, thatis. Sridhar (M.S. Nuclear Engineering’84, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering ’90),the founder and CEO of Bloom Energy,is the inventor of a solid-oxide fuelcell technology that is producingclean, reliable, and affordable electric-ity on site for some of the biggest cor-porations in America. Ultimately,Bloom Energy wants to provide thatenergy to everyone in the world.

According to Sridhar, the currentenergy model—large, capital-intensivepower plants burning fossil fuels tocreate high-voltage electricity thattravels hundreds of miles along powerlines—can’t adequately meet theworld’s voracious energy appetite.

“We need a paradigm shift for en-ergy,” he said.

The paradigm that Sridhar advo-cates is distributed generation, whereelectricity is produced at or near

For now, all of Bloom’s customersare in California, where state subsi-dies promote the adoption of cleanenergy generation and thus makeBloom’s technology affordable for itscorporate customers. However, Srid-har believes, as with any new tech-nology, the costs will come down.

“Any new technology you do, youmust have a Moore’s Law,” he said,referring to Intel cofounder GordonMoore’s observation about the paceat which technology advanced in thesemiconductor field. “When weshipped our first unit to Google, itcost us 35 cents per kilowatt hour.Within 18 months, it was costing ushalf that to make electricity.”

As for changing the world, Srid-har acknowledged that Bloom hasn’tyet met its goal of providing clean,reliable, and affordable energy toeveryone on earth, but he is opti-mistic.

“It will take a while and that isstill the goal,” he said. “We can ac-complish that if we are able to pro-vide distributed generation ofelectricity with local fuels beingavailable from local sources.”

He added: “We’re a young com-pany. So far, we’ve produced enoughelectricity to power 10,000 homes ayear. We build one box per day today;18 months ago we built one box permonth. That’s 30 times better in ashort time.”

where it is used. But un-like some renewablesolutions like windturbines and solarpanels, which pro-duce energy onlywhen the wind isblowing or the sun is shin-ing, Bloom Energy has createdservers with a footprint the sizeof a parking space that produce100kW of power, enough to meetthe baseload needs of 100 averagehomes or a small office building24/7.

The servers, known asBloom boxes, are filled withthousands of individual, patentedfuel cells. Each fuel cell is a thin (150microns), four-square-inch ceramicsubstrate coated with proprietaryinks. Oxygen enters the cell fromone side and fuel from the otherside. An electrochemical reaction in-side the cell converts the fuel andoxygen into electricity. The fuelsource can be natural gas or bio-gas.

“You don’t need to say ahead oftime what fuel you’ll use to run thebox,” Sridhar said. “This makes surethe [commodity] markets won’t hurtour technology.”

A single fuel cell square producesabout 25 watts of electricity, orenough to power a light bulb, mak-ing it a simple building block. Usingan inexpensive metal alloy betweeneach square, Bloom can stack the

squares into a device the sizeof a bread loaf to produceone kilowatt of energy.Stacking 25 one-kilo-watt devices together

produces 25 kilowatts,and so on. According to Sridhar,

Bloom chose this modular ap-proach because it is quickand easy to install the en-ergy servers.

“If you can install apower plant for someone in a

few hours, think about how im-portant that is,” Sridhar said.Google was Bloom’s first cus-

tomer, installing four Bloom boxes in2008; other customers include Coca-Cola, FedEx, Walmart, Adobe, andeBay, all of whom have paid$700,000-$800,000 per server. In a “60Minutes” report that aired in 2010,eBay’s CEO said its five Bloom boxesrunning on bio-gas from a landfillhave powered 15 percent of its SanJose campus and saved the company$200,000 in one year on electricity.

In 2011, Bloom launched a newservice, enabling customers to pur-chase electricity generated fromBloom servers without having to buythose servers. Caltech was one of thefirst customers to sign on with theBloom Electrons program, and cur-rently purchases enough electricityto power one-third of its Pasadenacampus.

MechSE distinguished alumnus transforming energy industry

“WHENWE SHIPPED OUR FIRST UNIT TO GOOGLE,

IT COST US 35 CENTS PER KILOWATT HOUR.

WITHIN 18 MONTHS, IT WAS COSTING US HALF

THAT TO MAKE ELECTRICITY.”

– KR SRIDHAR

14 15Spring 2012

As a member and president of the MechSE Alumni Board for

more than a decade, Kent Schien(B.S. Mechanical Engineering ’81) waswell aware of the financial challengesfacing campus.

“In my conversations with thedepartment head, dean, and chancel-lor, I heard about the ongoing pres-sure that Illinois has with dwindlingstate funds and it appears that [trend]will continue,” Schien said. “I knew Ineeded to do something to help ourfaculty feel appreciated and encour-age them to stay at Illinois. I realizedindustry needed to step up and helpour wonderful university.”

As chief executive officer of In-noventor, a progressive, entrepre-neurial design-build engineeringfirm, Schien was poised to make a dif-ference. He endowed a professorship,and he and his wife, Carol, were onhand March 4, 2011, when Agricul-tural & Biological Engineering profes-sor Yuanhui Zhangwas invested asthe first Innoventor professor in En-gineering. An expert in indoor airquality, Zhang also conducts researchthat uses a thermochemical processto convert swine waste into a bio-oil.

Schien founded Innoventor in1996 in the basement of his St. Louis-area home, exploiting a need thatarose from the corporate downsizingtrend of the late 1980s. Within 10years he built a multi-disciplinaryteam of more than 100 engineers who

support customers in a variety of in-dustries. According to Schien, compa-nies were cutting the developmentstaff from their R&D efforts so theylacked the engineers to make thenext-generation products that theirresearch teams had created.

“There was a niche there thatneeded to be filled,” Schien said. “AsInnoventor’s name indicates, we in-vent for ourselves and we innovatefor others. There are not a lot of firmslike us who go to Lockheed, Boeing,and Caterpillar and solve tough prob-lems for them.”

With a client base that includesdozens of Fortune 500 firms, Innoven-tor’s engineers apply their produc-tion, process, and product develop-ment expertise to many industries,including aerospace/defense, renew-able energy/agriculture, medical/pharmaceutical, automation, andtransportation.

Before starting Innoventor,Schien worked for McDonnell Douglasfor 10 years, where he became groundsupport manager for the Space Sta-tion program. He thenworked forLaBarge, Inc. forfour years,

helping the electronics manufactur-ing company reduce its dependencyon defense contracts to 50 percentwhile doubling its revenues.

Once he decided to start his ownfirm, Schien adopted some of thesame management principles thathelped Silicon Valley companies likeIntel and Amgen succeed.

“Those companies had a differentapproach to how they managed theirprofessional organization,” Schiensaid. “I realized we can manage peo-ple differently; we can allow them theright to decide when they work andwhen they’re at home as long as theykeep their internal and external cus-tomers happy.”

Philanthropy is another aspectthat Schien incorporated into hiscompany’s culture. One of the biggestbeneficiaries of Innoventor’s gen-erosity is Easter Seals, a non-profitorganization that helps people withdisabilities live, learn, work, and playin their communities. Innoventoremployees have raised nearly

$300,000 for Easter Seals overthe years, making

the companyone ofEaster

Seals’ leading single contributors inMissouri.

Schien’s philanthropy extends be-yond gifts of time and money. At In-noventor, he has established severalopportunities—co-op, extern, and in-tern programs—for young people toexperience engineering and preparefor a successful career.

“When I joined McDonnell Douglas, I realized I didn’t even knowany engineers other than my profes-sors,” Schien said. “I was lucky be-cause I liked engineering, so I decidedthen that if I could ever help anyonedecide whether they liked engineer-ing or not I wanted to impact them.”

The University of Illinois has alsorecognized his accomplishments withthe 2009 MechSE DistinguishedAlumni Award and the Alumni Associ-ation’s 2008 Constituent LeadershipAward, which he shared with RickFurkert (B.S. Engineering Mechanics’70, M.S. TAM ’72) for their efforts inmerging the alumni boards of the De-partment of Theoretical and AppliedMechanics and the Department of Me-chanical and Industrial Engineering.

He currently serves on the College of Engineering’s Board of Visi-tors, an advisory group that developsand implements strategic priorities tosustain and enhance academic excel-lence, connect scholarship to societalimpact, and continue to affirm thetradition of excellence that is the hall-mark of an Illinois engineer.

Filling a gap: Alumnus’ donation rewards top faculty

“WHEN I JOINEDMCDONNELL

DOUGLAS I REALIZED I DIDN’T EVEN

KNOWANY ENGINEERS OTHER THANMY PROFES-

SORS. I WAS LUCKY BECAUSE I LIKED ENGINEERING,

SO I DECIDEDTHENTHAT IF I COULD EVER HELP

ANYONE DECIDEWHETHER THEY LIKED ENGINEERING

OR NOT I WANTED TO IMPACT THEM.”

–KENT SCHIEN

Mechanical Science and Engineering

Sidney Lu (B.S. Mechanical Engineering ’81)knows how to work hard. During his first year

at the University of Illinois, he earned 58 credithours—almost twice as many as a typical fresh-man. During his first three years at FoxconnTechnology Group, a world leader in contractmanufacturing services, he worked 80-hourweeks, averaging 310 work days annually.

His hard work has paid off: Lu is the corpo-rate executive vice president of Foxconn and gen-eral manager for its Network InterconnectionBusiness Group (NWInG)—one of the world’s topfive employers. He is also a member of the boardof directors of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.Ltd.—the parent company of Foxconn. On April15, his alma mater recognized his achievementsby presenting him with a 2011 Mechanical Sci-ence and Engineering Distinguished AlumniAward.

As head of the NWInG, Lu is responsible for100,000 employees working on interconnectproducts such as connectors, cables, wire har-nesses, switch gear, antennae, and keypads forthe computing, communication, consumer elec-tronics, and automotive industries.

“If any of you have a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, Sidney Lu probably had something to dowith it,” said MechSE Head Placid Ferreira be-fore presenting the alumni award to Lu.

According to Ferreira, Lu has played a keyrole in introducing scientific analysis and totalquality control throughout engineering, productdevelopment, and manufacturing operationprocesses. Under his leadership, NWInG domi-nates the computing-related connector and cablefield.

“When we first started, we were not evenranked in the top 50 of the connector industry,"Lu said. "We are now in the top 5 and the largestin the computer industry. Also, we are recognizedby IBM and Intel as the technology leader.”

Volcanoes erupting in Iceland preventedMechSE Distinguished Alumnus Nick Aravas

(TAM, M.S. ’82, Ph.D. ’84) from receiving his 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award at the University ofIllinois campus last year. This year nothing got inhis way as he came to campus in April and gave alecture about his research on the constitutivemodeling of skeletal muscle and tendon tissues.

“I try to visit Illinois at least once a year,” Aravas said. “I have good friends here, and thereare a lot of opportunities for research collabora-tions.”

Originally from Greece, Aravas received hisB.S. degree from Aristotle University of Thessa-loniki in 1980 before heading to the University ofIllinois. He chose to do his graduate work at Illinois because of the influence of Aristotle pro-fessor George Lianis, who was previously a long-time faculty member at Purdue.

“It was a mixture of ignorance and trust ofthe professor that I did not apply to anywhereelse,” Aravas said. “I applied here initially and re-ceived a teaching assistantship, which thenchanged to a research assistantship.”

Aravas was honored with the J.O. SmithAward for Teaching Excellence in 1982 when hehad a teaching assistantship at Illinois.

After earning his Ph.D., he worked as a seniorengineer at the company Hibbitt, Karlsson, and

Lu’s 20-year career with Foxconn began as adesign manager on connectors. Within 18 months,he was in charge of a development group of 60 en-gineers. A few years later, he took over a businessunit that included manufacturing. By 2003, he waspromoted to be in charge of the whole connectorand cable operations. Although Lu acknowledgedthat hard work and talent have played a role in hissuccess, luck was part of it, too.

“I was lucky that I found the right company tojoin at a time when they were small,” he said. “I joined Foxconn when it had $67 million in revenue; the company has over $100 billion now inrevenue.”

As a student, Lu recalled getting valuable advice from a College of Engineering placementadviser.

“He told me to slow down, and I did, which al-lowed me to take some valuable elective courses,”Lu said. “Those courses helped me become a goodmanager and executive later when I had to com-municate with bankers and lawyers.”

One of those courses was Accounting 101,which gave Lu a fundamental understanding of fi-nancials such as balance sheets and income state-ments. In addition to his ME degree, Lu also earneda bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

Lu's first job out of school was with thePackard Electric Division of General Motors inOhio, where he performed load flow and dynamicanalyses of connectors. After seven years andthree promotions, Lu left Packard/GM and took amanufacturing job with AMP (now known as TEConnectivity)—a leading maker of terminals, con-nectors, and related products found in electronicsfrom toasters to supercomputers. He joined Fox-conn in 1990.

In 2011, he returned to the University of Illinois to receive a Distinguished Alumni awardfrom MechSE.

“I’m grateful to Illinois,” Lu said. “I learnedhard work here, and I learned how to learn.”

Sorensen, Inc. in Rhode Island and helped de-velop ABAQUS, a finite element program. In de-veloping the program, he worked on theimplementation of constitutive models with ma-terials such as metals.

“He developed numerical integration algo-rithms for material systems that are used exten-sively by the mechanics community and havebeen implemented in commercial finite elementcodes such as ABAQUS,” said professor PetrosSofronis, formerly of TAM and currentlyMechSE’s associate head for mechanics pro-grams. “They are also used for the solution of im-portant engineering problems.”

In 1986, Aravas joined the mechanical engi-neering and applied mechanics faculty at theUniversity of Pennsylvania, where he worked forthe next 11 years. During his time there he re-ceived the Presidential Young InvestigatorAward.

In 1996, he returned to Greece and became aprofessor of computational mechanics of struc-tures at the University of Thessaly (UTH). Hemoved to the position of vice rector for researchand development and chairman of the researchcommittee and then was elected dean of engi-neering from 2004 to 2007. He later served aschairman of the department of Mechanical Engi-neering and acting chairman of the departmentsof Civil Engineering and Computer and Commu-

nication Engineering at UTH. Recently, he played a key role in establishing

the Center for Research and Technology and be-came the director of Mechatronics Institute, whichis connected to three other institutions: Institute ofTechnology and Management of Agriculture, Insti-tute of Biomedical Research and Technology, andInstitute of Human Performance and Rehabilita-tion. These facilities were created to advance inno-vation in the industrial section of Thessaly.

Aravas’ work continues to have an impact oncomposite materials, structures, metal forming,computer manufacturing, and much more. Hismost recent research builds a model that predictsthe stresses and the formations that develop inhuman muscles in response to exercise. This modelwill reveal the foot areas susceptible to injuries andmay also aid in the development of shoe design.

“The next application would be to see the ef-fect that the shape and size of the shoe has withtransmitting the load of our bodies to our foot,” Aravas said.

Aravas credits his success to the education hereceived at Illinois, particularly the great experi-ence he had working with professor RobertMcMeeking, who supervised his doctoral work.

“If I hadn’t been a graduate student in TAM, Iwouldn’t have had the career I had,” Aravas said.“The department was really good and the facultywas first rate.”

LU RECALLS GETTING

VALUABLE ADVICE FROM A

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

PLACEMENT ADVISERWHEN

HEWAS A STUDENT. “HE TOLD

ME TO SLOW DOWN, AND I

DID, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO

TAKE SOMEVALUABLE ELEC-

TIVE COURSES,” LU SAID.

“THOSE COURSES HELPED ME

BECOME A GOOD MANAGER

AND EXECUTIVE LATERWHEN I

HAD TO COMMUNICATEWITH

BANKERS AND LAWYERS.”

HIS MOST RECENT RESEARCH

BUILDS A MODEL THAT PREDICTS THE

STRESSES AND THE FORMATIONS THAT

DEVELOP IN HUMAN MUSCLES IN RESPONSE TO

EXERCISE. THIS MODELWILL REVEAL THE FOOT AREAS

SUSCEPTIBLE TO INJURIES AND MAY ALSO AID IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF SHOE DESIGN.

TAM alumnus succeeds in industry and academia

16 17Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

Lu making mark at the forefront of tech industries

Roger L. Plummer(B.S. Engineering Mechanics ’64) was

honored with the 2010 University of IllinoisAlumni Achievement Award. Established in1957, this award is the highest honor the Uni-versity may bestow on a graduate, and is pre-sented to those alumni who have attainedoutstanding success and national or interna-tional distinction in their chosen profession orfield. Plummer joined 157 other notable recip-ients of this honorable award, including NobelPrize winners, U.S. naval admirals, and pastuniversity presidents.Plummer is recognized for his ground-

breaking contributions to the field of telecom-munications. Beginning his 30-year career inthe Bell System as a management trainee, headvanced through positions in engineering,network operations, sales, and marketing to

John J. Nowicki (B.S. Mechanical Engineering’56) and Alan R. Parkinson (M.S. MechanicalEngineering ’79 and Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering ’82) were both honored with 2010Distinguished Alumni Awards by the Depart-ment of Mechanical Science and Engineering.

John J. Nowicki wasborn in Chicago, Illinois. He graduatedfrom Lane TechnicalHigh School in 1948,and then he receiveda degree in Mechani-cal Engineering from

the University of Illinois in 1956. He served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps from January 1951 to May 1952. In 1953 he married Gladys, his wife of 57 years; they have two children, Bob and Linda, and fivegrandchildren.

18

He was employed by Advance Heating andAir Conditioning Corp. (now Advance Mechani-cal Systems Inc.) in Chicago as an engineeringdraftsman in September 1956. He is currentlyChairman of the Board. His career was spent inthe design and construction of many promi-nent Chicago-area buildings. He is a RegisteredProfessional Engineer in the State of Illinoisand a life member of ASHRAE.

Alan R. Parkinson isa professor of me-chanical engineeringand currently servesas dean of the Ira A.Fulton College of Engi-neering and Technol-ogy at Brigham Young

University. The college is home to 3,300 stu-dents in 11 programs. Previous to his appoint-ment as dean, he was an associate dean from

2003 to 2005 and chair of Mechanical Engi-neering from 1995 to 2001. He received hisPh.D. and M.S. degrees from the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign, and B.S. andM.B.A. degrees from Brigham Young Univer-sity. Parkinson’s areas of research interest in-clude design automation, optimizationmethods, robust design, and engineering edu-cation. He is currently conducting researchon cross-cultural virtual engineering designteams. He is a co-author of a commercial opti-mization software package, called OptdesX,which has been used at companies and uni-versities in the United States and Europe. In 2003, he received the Design Automa-

tion Award from the American Society of Me-chanical Engineers for his work in robustdesign and design optimization. Dr. Parkinsonwas elected to Fellow status in the AmericanSociety of Mechanical Engineers in 2004.

Alumni Awards

Underwriters Laboratories CEO wins Chicago Alumni Award

You may not know Tom Castino(B.S. Mechanical Engineering

’60), but his work touches your lifeevery day. He has spent his careermaking everyday products safer formore than four decades at Under-writers Laboratories, Inc. (UL), wherehe eventually became president andCEO. In 2011, the University of IllinoisAlumni Association and the ChicagoIllini Club recognized Castino’s serv-ice by presenting him with the 2011Chicago Illini of the Year Award.

UL is an independent productsafety certification organization thattests products, conducts factory in-spections where the products aremade, and writes standards forsafety. More than 25 billion productsmanufactured worldwide now carrythe UL mark.

“Everything I am in my career isbecause of the University of Illinois,”he said. “It changed everything forwhat my life was supposed to be.”

The son of an Italian-Americanmerchant who sold laundry productsin the Chicago area, Castino was des-tined to someday take over his fa-ther’s business with his brother. Hisfather suffered a stroke at the age of50 and nearly died.

“Even though he wasn’t speakingvery well because of the stroke, mydad tearfully told me to go to collegeand be somebody,” Castino said.

Living at home to help with thebusiness, Castino first attended theUniversity of Illinois at Navy Pier and then transferred to Urbana-Champaign. After earning his bache-lor’s degree in 1960, he accepted a joboffer with UL as an assistant engineerin the company’s Chicago Fire Protection Department.

Early in his career at UL, Castinospent two years at the National Bu-reau of Standards (now known as theNational Institute for Standards andTechnology) in Washington, DC,where he became an expert on theflammability of building materialsand developed several fire tests forthose materials, enhancing thesafety of buildings.

As UL’s chief engineer in theearly 1980s, Castino helped developand promote methods for electronicsafety signaling. The standards thatUL devised improved the effective-ness of products such as smoke de-tectors. Castino also managed thegroup that developed standards forthe first carbon monoxide detectors.

Named UL’s president and chiefexecutive officer in 1990, Castinoembarked on what would becomehis biggest achievement at UL: glob-alizing the non-profit organization.During his 12-year tenure, Castinomanaged UL’s international growthfrom a single branch office in HongKong to 23 subsidiaries in Asia, Eu-

rope, and North and South America.This growth nearly doubled UL’s staffworldwide and more than doubledthe number of UL marks placed onproducts.

“UL could better serve the UnitedStates and the world,” Castino saidabout the expansion. “I’m proud ofthe fact that we nationalized all thesubsidiaries so, for the most part, thepeople running those facilities arefrom those countries.”

Castino also played a major rolein the opening of a new U.S. facilityin Camas, WA. This UL facility, whichemploys more than 200 people, spe-cializes in the testing and certifica-tion of wire and cable and an array ofequipment for the audio/visual, med-ical, and dental fields. To honorCastino when he retired in 2003, ULnamed the Camas facility after him.

Castino’s devotion to Illinois isevident in his service to the MechSEdepartment. He and his wife, Joan,have supported an undergraduatescholarship in the MechSE depart-ment for nearly 20 years. A member

of the MechSE Alumni Board,Castino helped negotiate and facili-tate aspects of the merger betweenthe departments of Mechanical andIndustrial Engineering and Theoreti-cal and Applied Mechanics. Castinosaid that he’s compelled to give backbecause the university enabled himto succeed professionally.

“Illinois rounds the whole per-son,” Castino said. “I learned to leadand communicate there.”

Among Castino’s other awardsare the prestigious American Na-tional Standards Medal, the HollisAward from the National IndustryDefense Association, the DrakeAward from Worcester PolytechnicInstitute, the Wherry Award fromthe Steel Door Institute, the Stan-dards Engineering Society’s LeoMoore Medal, the 1997 University ofIllinois Department of Mechanicaland Industrial Engineering Distin-guished Alumni Award, and the 2003Illinois College of Engineering’sAlumni Award for DistinguishedService.

“EVERYTHING I AM IN MY CAREER

IS BECAUSE OF THE UNIVERSITY

OF ILLINOIS. IT CHANGED

EVERYTHING FORWHAT MY LIFE

WAS SUPPOSED TO BE.”

–TOMCASTINO

19Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

Plummer receives University Alumni Achievement Awardbecome operations vice president for IllinoisBell. In 1987, he was chosen as president andCEO of Ameritech Information Systems, wherehe integrated direct sales and service operationsof Ameritech’s five Bell Operating TelephoneCompanies and developed strategic initiatives insystems integration, health care informationnetworks, document imaging, and library au-tomation. Since retiring in 1994, Plummer has devoted

himself to supporting not-for-profit organiza-tions, including the University of Illinois, wherehe chaired the UI Alumni Association Board ofDirectors, served on the Board of Trustees, andis a current board member for the UI Founda-tion. He also provides senior leadership for theInternational Engineering Consortium, whichfosters partnerships between academia and thehigh-tech industry segments, such as telecom-munications and electrical power, to address

major opportunities and challenges of the in-formation age. As a past recipient of the University of

Illinois Distinguished Service Award, the Col-lege of Engineering Alumni Award for Distin-guished Service, and the Department ofMechanical Science and Engineering Distin-guished Alumnus Award, Plummer's dedica-tion and reverence for the University and theMechSE Department are well-recognized andgreatly appreciated.

USA Today recognized Plummer in 1988 asone of the Top 10 Black Executives in Amer-ica. A dynamic leader, Plummer is describedas positive, upbeat, articulate, and very fo-cused. His volunteerism and philanthropystretch across vast areas, including educa-tional, health care, and cultural institutions inthe Chicago area, in addition to his work andgenerosity with the University of Illinois.

Nowicki, Parkinson named Distinguished Alumni

“Industry is eager to harness thepotential of micro-technology, but hasbeen unable to do so for most con-sumer products because of the highmanufacturing cost,” explainedMechSE’s William P. King, a WillettFaculty Scholar who was also named aCollege of Engineering Bliss professorin 2011. “Our low-cost, scalable micro-manufacturing technology changesthe game.”

“Microstructures molded onto asurface can change the properties ofthat surface,” King added. “By mold-ing microstructures into a surface, wecan engineer the surface friction, heattransfer coefficient, or water repel-lency. All of these are in demand forenergy applications, from hydraulicequipment to air conditioners to bat-teries.”

King’s innovation was recently se-lected by the Society of Manufactur-ing Engineers as one of the “2011Innovations That Could Change theWay You Manufacture.” This award isgiven to new and emerging technolo-gies that are making a difference inmanufacturing.

“This award recognizes our tech-nology for micro-machining appliedto consumer products,” King said.“This technology is creating good man-ufacturing jobs today and tomorrow.”The technology is being commercial-ized by Hoowaki LLC, a company co-founded by King in 2008. Hoowakicustomers include many Fortune 100companies.

According to King, micro-machin-ing is used to fabricate complex mi-crostructures onto the surface of metal

Thanks to MechSE assistant pro-fessor Amy Wagoner Johnson,

a major void may be filled in bonereplacement technology.

Even when bone replacementsrequire filling a gap that is less thana centimeter in size, they have re-quired an allograft (bone from an-other part of the patient such as thehip) or an autograft (bone from adonor). But allografts increase thewear and tear on patients, and ac-cording to the Mandible Reconstruc-tion Project, the complication ratefor autografts exceeds 30%.

Coming at the problem from amechanical engineering angle, Wag-oner Johnson and her colleagues areusing manufactured “scaffolds” tobridge the gap where only actualbone has been used before.

“Having the bone in the microp-ores will toughen the material, and itwill also make a fully interconnectedmatrix of bone,” Wagoner Johnsonsaid. “Some of my work has shownthat this particular type of bone-tis-

between the rods. These microporesnot only stimulate bone regenerationwithin the larger pores, but they alsomake bone growth more uniformwithin the scaffold and stimulatebone growth within the microporesthemselves. These researchersproved, even though it was previ-ously thought not possible, that boneis possible to grow in pores thissmall.

“We want to understand what itis about that environment thatmakes the cells work to get intothose small pores,” Wagoner Johnsonsaid. “They have to want to go inthere, and so we want to know why.”

The ability to analyze the growthprocess of bone within these struc-tures is important because it will helpthem understand what variables in-fluence bone regeneration and howto build scaffolds with custom detailsto fit the specific characteristics foreach individual.

“When we have solid rods weform kind of a ring of bone on the

sue scaffold was really a lot more ef-fective in-vivo. So now we’re trying togo back into a dish to figure out whatit is about the material or the envi-ronment that gave us this really unex-pected result.”

Working with her research groupcolleagues at Illinois—includingMechSE professor and College of Engineering associate dean for research Andrew Alleyne—and otherschools, Wagoner Johnson createsthese bone tissue scaffolds out of cal-cium phosphate-based materials, likehydroxyapatite (HA). Doctors alreadyuse HA routinely for hip and dentalimplant coatings and to fill smallerbone defects. Scaffolds that can heallarge and load-bearing defects are stillbeing investigated and this scaffoldsystem may be one solution.

Wagoner Johnson’s team hasfound that micropores 5-40 micronsin diameter within the rods of thescaffolds, which also have pores be-tween the rods, stimulate more bonegrowth than scaffolds with only pores

outside, at the scaffold/defectboundary, and it doesn’t grow allthe way to the center; whereas, forthe ones that have porosity in therods, bone does grow all the waythrough,” Wagoner Johnson said.“You want to have bone all the waythrough your implant so that themiddle of it can also be viable.”

The research group is currentlyworking on ways to fabricate thesescaffolds with multiple materials tofurther customize the scaffolds andmake more complex shapes.

The process of tailoring thenumber of micropores and varyingmaterials of the scaffolds producesopportunities to make versatile andideal bone replacements.

“You have bone in your bodythat is really dense and some that isporous,” Wagoner Johnson said, “sowhen we build our scaffolds wemight make regions that are morelike the dense bone or more likeporous bone.”

Utilizing mechanical engineering for biological benefits

molding tools, the metal templatesused to form plastic, glass, or metalparts in a manufacturing process.The microstructures on the moldingtools are transferred onto the finalpart during injection molding, em-

company that is making implantedmedical devices that run off of a bat-tery. Because the battery is im-planted in your body, it must besmall and carry as much energy aspossible. By putting microstructures

the kinds of heat exchangers in yourcar or in an airplane. Similarly, youcan heat or cool a home or buildingwith much less energy.”

More than improving a specifictechnology, King considers the tech-

Micro-technology implementationmeans huge improvements in manufacturing

“WE CAN DESIGN THE

SURFACE MICROSTRUCTURES FOR THE

DESIRED PERFORMANCE. WE CAN INCREASE

OR DECREASE FRICTION, CONTROLWATERREPELLENCY, OR STORE ENERGY”.

nology as a “game changer,” provid-ing a significant opportunity forAmerican industry.

“This is the way that manufactur-ing comes back to the U.S.,” Kingadded. “It’s high-tech that we canlead. It adds a lot of ‘know how’ but atlittle cost, and it results in dramati-cally different performance for thethings that you are buying today.”

inside the battery, we can increasethe battery surface area, whichmeans more energy.”

According to King, incorporat-ing microstructures into a designcan also reduce the amount of en-ergy needed to run some machines.

“Increasing surface areachanges the way that liquids inter-act with the surface, for example in

20 21Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

bossing, or rolling. The presence ofthe microstructures on the final partchanges the properties of the part.

“This is very high value-addedtechnology,” King remarked. “It dra-matically changes the product thatyou are already buying today, result-ing in improved performance andnew properties. For example, one ofthe users of this technology is a

22

New Faculty

Elif ErtekinNew assistant professor ElifErtekin comes from a postdoc-toral research scientist positionat the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology. Ertekin works in the field of computa-tional materials research: a research area that usescomputer simulations, modeling, and theories to de-scribe the properties of materials, includingnanoscale systems such as carbon nanotubes, andbulk systems such as new materials for solar cells.

“I think the richness of the behavior that youcan get out of materials—combining materials indifferent ways and introducing interfaces betweenmaterials—is pretty amazing,” Ertekin said.

Ertekin received her masters and doctoratefrom the University of California-Berkeley. In fall2011, she introduced a new special topics course onthe fundamentals of photovoltaics. This course cov-ers the intricacies of how a solar cell works. Thecontent elaborates on all processes that are neces-sary for the successful conversion of sunlight toelectricity, such as absorbing light, separatingcharge, transporting charge, and collecting charge.

Randy EwoldtNew assistant professor RandyEwoldt specializes in non-New-tonian fluid mechanics and Rheology. Non-Newtonian fluids

often combine both fluid and solid behavior, exist-ing as substances somehow between those twoareas–like hair gel and snail slime. Such squishy ma-terials are ubiquitous in nature, and Ewoldt likes totake ideas from nature to discover fundamentalprinciples that can be used with engineered sys-tems.

“I try to understand non-Newtonian fluids froma fundamental level and also use them for applica-tions,” Ewoldt said.

He develops mathematical models and experi-mentally studies the physics of complex fluids andsoft materials. As a graduate student at MIT, Ewoldtused his analysis of the fluid to replicate snail-likewall climbing with a mechanically-engineered de-

vice. In his first semester at Illinois, he has focusedon building his laboratory. During the spring se-mester, he will help teach fluid mechanics. Hesoon hopes to start a special topics course in non-Newtonian fluids and rheology.

Seok KimInspired by gecko foot hairs,butterfly wings, snake skins,and fish scales, new assistantprofessor Seok Kim looks at bi-

ological systems for ideas on how to create andarrange materials with the most effective systemarchitecture. As a postdoctoral research associatewith Rogers Research Group at Illinois, Kimworked with transfer printing and how to adheremicrostructures to elastomeric surfaces.

“In human society everywhere there is someorder,” Kim said. “In the academia field I thinkthere is more creativity and freedom.”

Kim received his masters at the University ofCalifornia at Los Angeles and doctorate at CarnegieMellon University. For Rogers Research Group,Kim developed aphid foot-inspired microtip sur-faces that improved transfer printing and in-creased the difference of adhesion by a factor of1,000. Transfer printing enables diverse materialsin various micro- and nano-structural forms tomove from one substrate to another by using soft,elastomeric stamps.

“These ideas represent a new way to do manu-facturing of electronic semiconductor devices,”said renowned professor John Rogers, Kim’s for-mer adviser.

Retirement

The incredible 42-year career ofJim Phillips, MechSE professorand associate head for under-graduate programs, came to anofficial close on May 15, 2011

with a lively retirement celebration. He remainswith MechSE as an emeritus professor.

“I think I’ll miss the students the most,”Phillips said. “I enjoy working with the students.We have a wonderful group of undergraduates in

the Engineering Mechanics program, and the pro-gram is growing. It’s an exciting time and we havea strong and robust student body in that curricu-lum with good-sized classes, especially at theupper-division level, and a lot of excitement.”

After receiving his Ph.D. from Brown Univer-sity, Phillips came to Illinois in 1969 as an assis-tant professor in the Theoretical and AppliedMechanics (TAM) department. He remained a pil-lar of the TAM department for more than justyears; it was literally decades. He became associ-ate head of TAM in 1985 and continued in thatrole until the department merged with Mechani-cal and Industrial Engineering to form the newMechSE department in 2006.

Farewell

Bob Coverdill, who directedMechSE’s engineering andtechnical services for years, leftthe department in August 2011to become director of the Na-

tional Science Olympiad. It’s difficult to sum upwhat Coverdill meant to the MechSE departmentover his 24-year stay; he did so many things it wasnearly impossible to track them all.

“I’ve been involved in almost every aspect ofthe department life: teaching, research, machineshop, facilities, computer support, alumni affairs,and on and on,” Coverdill said. “I’ve been verythankful for all these opportunities.”

Coverdill started his time here as an under-graduate in Mechanical Engineering in the early1980s. He has had countless accomplishmentsover the years, and he points to the MechanicalEngineering Laboratory building’s massive reno-vation and expansion as the biggest of them all.He has received recognition for the unparalleledvalue he brought to the job, including the Chancellor’s Academic Professional ExcellenceAward.

“I will cherish every year that I’ve spent herein this department,” Coverdill said. “They haven’talways been easy, but the rewards have beengreat. I look forward to the next 25 years for thisdepartment, and I look forward to great things.”

Faculty & Program Changes

MechSE Undergraduate Programs Office

Professor Andreas Polycarpou became MechSE’s new AssociateHead for Undergraduate Programs in May 2011. He took the positionaiming to improve an already excellent undergraduate curriculum.

“I have been part of the undergraduate programs committee, andlast year we devised what we call a design stem,” Polycarpou said. “Sonow we’re offering the students, from the first year all the way to theirsenior year, opportunities to be involved in some sort of design.”

Since joining the University of Illinois in 1999, Polycarpou has estab-lished a preeminent research program, has published 126 archival jour-nal articles, and has received 11 U.S. Patents, with contributions fromengineering applications to advances in our fundamental understandingof friction and wear. He is an internationally renowned scholar, and hehas been recognized for his scholarship through numerous awards.

In moving to a leadership position overseeing a large program, henoted that the existing staff made the transition much easier. Emad Jassim, the director of undergraduate programs, and Jenny Ehrn-thaller, the undergraduate programs coordinator, provided a solid corefor the office, with support from assistants Marian Brinkerhoff,Amanda Houser, and Tammy Smith.

“The excellent staff that we have in place already has a great handleon our advising, tours, and things like that,” Polycarpou said.

Over the years, Polycarpou has shown great dedication to universityinvolvement, and he currently serves on three critical committees: theCampus Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Faculty Advisory Com-mittee, and the Vice Chancellor of Research (VCR) Compliance AdvisoryCommittee. He also serves as a campus Faculty Senator.

“I always like to be challenged, I like something different, somethingnew,” Polycarpou said. “I understand we do research and we are really,really good at it, but I look at it that our main mission is really under-graduate education.”

MechSE Graduate Programs Office

Professor Harley Johnson officially took the reins as MechSE’s new As-sociate Head for Graduate Programs in August 2011. He stepped into the rolefocused on setting and going after some lofty goals.

“We’re always trying to become a more competitive department andthere are a lot of aspects of graduate education that play into that: place-ment of students, competing for the best incoming students, competing tobuild a more diverse graduate student body,” Johnson said. “We want tohave the highest standards we can, and I think that focusing the graduateprogram and improving the student experience, the quality and diversity ofthe students, job opportunities, placements, and so on are ways we can movenot only the graduate program forward but the whole department forward.”

Johnson received his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1999 and came toIllinois in 2001. In his research, he studies micro- and nanomechanics of elec-tronic materials, mechanics of nanostructures, materials behavior in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), and the mechanics of photonicmaterials. He leads the Nano-Electro-Opto Mechanics Group, which usesatomistic and continuum modeling methods to understand coupled mechan-ical and electronic or optical behavior.

“Harley has achieved high levels of success ever since he came to Illi-nois,” said MechSE department head Placid Ferreira. “He has reached highlevels of achievement in all of the important facets that go into being a suc-cessful faculty member and researcher for a top university.”

Johnson noted that having an accomplished staff—graduate programscoordinator Kathy Smith and graduate admissions coordinator Katrina Hagler—already in place is a big help and will help him take on initiativesright away.

“I’m very excited to join the office of graduate programs,” Johnson said.“I think that focusing on graduate education is one way to really help the de-partment move forward, and it’s something I really care a lot about.”

New leaders named for undergrad and grad offices

MechSE’s undergrad office: Jenny Ehrnthaller, Associate Head Andreas Polycarpou,

and Emad Jassim.MechSE’s grad office: Katrina Hagler, Associate Head Harley Johnson, and Kathy Smith.

23Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

2011 sees three faculty additions, two major departures

24 25Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

Andrew Alleynewas awarded a Na-tional ReseachCouncil (NRC) Re-search AssociatesProgram fellowship

in 2011 to address thermal manage-ment systems challenges on-boardfuture air vehicle platforms.

Narayana Aluruwas invested as aKritzer Distin-guished Professor in2009. He was namedan ASME Fellow in

2011. He was named a UniversityScholar in 2010.

Armand J. Beaudoin receiveda 2009 BP Award forInnovation in Un-dergraduate In-struction and was

named an Engineering Council Out-standing Adviser.

Kenneth Christensen wasnamed an AIAA As-sociate Fellow in2010. He receivedthe APS-DFD Fran-

cois Frenkiel Award in recognitionof significant contributions to fluidmechanics in 2011. He received theuniversity’s Arnold O. Beckman Re-search Award in 2011. He was alsoappointed to the editorial board of Measurement Science of Technologyin 2011.

Anthony Jacobi wasnamed an ASME Fel-low in 2011. He waselected a Fellow inthe American Soci-ety of Heating, Re-

frigerating and Air-ConditioningEngineers (ASHRAE) in 2009.

Harley Johnson re-ceived a promotionto full professor in2011. He was namedthe new associatehead for graduate

programs in MechSE in 2011 (seepage 23). He was named a KritzerFaculty Scholar in 2010. He receivedASME’s Thomas J.R. Hughes YoungInvestigator Award and XeroxAward for Faculty Research fromthe College of Engineering in 2010.

Shiv Kapoor re-ceived the MechSEAlumni Five-Year Ef-fective TeachingAward in 2011. Healso received a Wu

Research Implementation Awardfrom NAMRI for outstanding origi-nal research in 2010.

William King re-ceived a promotionto full professor in2010. He was nameda Bliss Professor bythe College of Engi-

neering in 2011. His work was fea-tured in SME’s “Innovations thatwill Change Manufacturing” in 2011.In 2010, he was named a Willett Fac-ulty Scholar. He won the Best PaperAward at the IEEE Sensors Confer-ence in 2010. He received the EdisonAward for Innovation from the

Harry Dankowiczwas promoted tofull professor in2011. He was namedan associate of theUIUC Center for Ad-

vanced Study for 2011-12. Followinghis leadership role in organizing atransnational partnership betweenUIUC and three universities inStockholm, Sweden, he was ap-pointed faculty liaison for the Illinois-Sweden Program for Educational and Research Exchange(INSPIRE). In 2011, the ASME ap-proved him as editor for Applied Me-chanics Reviews with term beginningin January 2012.

Geir E. Dullerudwas named an ASMEFellow in 2011.

Debasish Dutta wasnamed a GutgsellEndowed Professorin 2009. He wasnamed director ofthe National Acad-

emy of Engineering study LifelongLearning Imperative in 2011.

Placid Ferreira was named an SMEFellow in 2011.

Jon Freund wasnamed a KritzerFaculty Scholar in2011. He received apromotion to fullprofessor in 2010.

He received a Xerox Award for Faculty Research from the Collegeof Engineering in 2010.

Nick Glumac re-ceived the MechSEAlumni Five-YearEffective TeachingAward in 2010. Healso received the

AIAA Best Paper Award in 2009.

Naira Hovakimyanwas appointed aSchaller FacultyScholar in 2011. The University ofIllinois named her

a University Scholar in 2011. She received AIAA’s Mechanics and Control of Flight Award in 2011.

Predrag Hrnjakreceived the GustavLorentzen Medalfrom the Interna-tional Institute ofRefrigeration.

K. Jimmy Hsia wasappointed the Uni-versity of Illinois’Associate ViceChancellor for Research for New

Initiatives. (See page 4 for moreabout Professor Hsia.)

Naval Research Laboratory in 2010.He was also named an ASME Fellowin 2011. (See page 21 for more aboutProfessor King.)

Dimitrios Kyritsisreceived the AlumniTwo-Year EffectiveTeaching Award forboth 2010 and 2011.He received the

Campus Award for Excellence in Un-dergraduate Teaching for Faculty in2011. He received the 2011 TeachingExcellence Award from the Collegeof Engineering. He was also namedan AIAA Associate Fellow in 2010.

Chia-Fon Leewasnamed an SAE International Fellowin 2010.

Moshe Matalon re-ceived AIAA’s Pen-dray AerospaceLiterature Award in2010. He receivedthe Campus Center

for Advanced Study Award in 2010.He also received the DistinguishedPaper recognition in the LaminarFlames colloquium of the 33rd In-ternational Symposium on Combustion in 2010.

Prashant Mehta re-ceived a promotionto associate profes-sor in 2011.

Norm Millerreceived MechSE’sAlumni Five-YearTeaching Award in2011.

Robert Miller re-ceived the AlumniAward for Distin-guished Servicefrom the College ofEngineering in 2010.

Martin Ostoja-Starzewski pub-lished the bookThermoelasticity withFinite Wave Speeds in2009. In 2010, Es-

sential Science IndicatorsSM namedhis paper one of the most-cited inNew Research Areas of Engineering.

Andreas Polycar-pouwas named thenew associate headfor undergraduateprograms in MechSEin 2011 (see page

23). He was named a Wilkins Profes-sor in 2011. He also was named a2011-12 Fellow for the Committee onInstitutional Cooperation’s Aca-demic Leadership Program.

Taher Saif wasnamed an EdwardWilliam and JaneMarr Gutgsell En-dowed Professor in2009. He was named

an ASME Fellow in 2011. (See page 4for more about Professor Saif.)

David Saintillanreceived the 2011 PiTau Sigma GoldMedal in Mechani-cal Engineering. Healso received the

Arnold O. Beckman Research Awardfrom the UIUC Research Board in2010.

Huseyin Sehitoglureceived ASTM In-ternational’s Fa-tigue Lecture Awardin 2009 for his ex-tensive contribu-

tions to the field of fatigue ofmaterials.

Mark Shannonwasnamed an ASME Fellow in 2011. Healso received the In-novation DiscoveryAward at the sixth

annual Innovation Celebration atthe University of Illinois ResearchPark.

Sanjiv Sinha re-ceived NSF’s CA-REER Award in 2010.He also received theDARPA Young Fac-ulty Award in 2011.

Petros Sofronisreceived the U.S. Department of En-ergy’s 2011 DeliveryTeam Award. Healso was named the

director of the new International In-stitute for Carbon-Neutral EnergyResearch, or I2CNER (see page 5).

Brian Thomas re-ceived the TMS Ap-plication to PracticeAward in 2011. Hewas elected to ASMInternational’s Col-

lege of Fellows in 2009.

Daniel Tortorellireceived the Col-lege of EngineeringCollins Award forInnovative Teach-ing in 2010. He

also co-edited Special Issue: PapersDedicated to the Memory of Donald E. Carlson, Journal of Elasticity, in memory of the lateTAM professor.

Kimani Toussaint,Jr. participated inthe 8th AnnualKeck Futures Ini-tiative in 2010. Healso received the

NSF CAREER Award and was namedan IEEE Senior Member in 2010. Hewas elevated to the rank of SeniorMember in the Optical Society ofAmerica (OSA) in 2011.

AlexanderVakakiswas in-vested as a WilkinsProfessor in 2009.

Amy WagonerJohnson receivedNSF’s Young Inves-tigator Award in2011. She receivedthe 2011 Arnold O.

Beckman Award. She also co-au-thored the book Mechanobiology ofCell-Cell and Cell-Matrix Interactions,published in 2011. (See page 12 formore about Professor WagonerJohnson.)

Faculty News

received the AAM Lifetime Service Award in 2005.Carlson was editor of the Journal of Elasticity from1982 to 1997. He retired from Illinois in 2006 butcontinued to write, and in 2010 completed an in-vited paper to appear in a special Mathematics andMechanics of Solids volume. A departmentalscholarship has been initiated to recognize Carl-son’s many contributions to the engineering com-munity.

Bei Tse Chao died March 2,2011. He was 92 years old. Afterspending his early life in Chinaand then attending graduateschool at the University of Man-

chester, England, Chao came to the Department ofMechanical and Industrial Engineering at Illinoisin 1947, becoming a full professor in 1955. Chao be-came the department head in 1975, and he re-mained in that position until he retired in 1987.Chao was elected as a member of the U.S. NationalAcademy of Engineering in 1981 due to his pio-neering contributions to heat transfer researchand leadership in engineering education. Amonghis many honors and awards were the ASMEBlackall Machine Tool and Gauge Award; the HeatTransfer Memorial Award ; the first recipient ofthe ASEE Ralph Coats Roe Award; Max Jakob Me-morial Award given jointly by ASME and AmericanInstitute of Chemical Engineers; the BenjaminGarver Lamme Medal (the highest honor fromASEE); the first recipient of the Tau Beta Pi DanielC. Drucker Eminent Faculty Award; Senior Univer-sity Scholar, University of Illinois; the William T.Ennor Manufacturing Technology Award; and theASEE Centennial Medallion.

John C. Chato died November2, 2010 at his home. He was 80years old. Chato joined the facultyof Mechanical and Industrial Engi-neering in 1964 and served the de-

partment and the university until his retirementin 1996. Following his retirement, he remained ac-tive in the alumni board and often attended de-partmental events. Chato was instrumental inestablishing a campus-wide bioengineering pro-gram at the university and served as the firstchairman of its executive committee. In 2001, heand his wife established the John C. and Elizabeth J.

We have recently lost many of the facultywho helped make the storied history of en-

gineering at Illinois. They will be missed, and wehope to carry on in the great tradition they havebestowed upon us.

Hassan Aref died September9, 2011, at his home in Deland,Illinois. He was 60 years old. Arefgraduated from the University ofCopenhagen in 1975 and from

Cornell University with a Ph.D. in physics in 1980.He was the head of the Department of Theoreticaland Applied Mechanics (TAM) at Illinois from1992 to 2003. At the time of his death, he had justreturned full-time to the Engineering Science andMechanics faculty at VPI after a Niels Bohr Visit-ing Professorship at the Technical University ofDenmark (2006–2010). Aref was particularly wellknown for developing the concept of chaotic ad-vection in fluid mechanics. He was awarded theOtto Laporte Award from the American PhysicalSociety, a doctorate technices honoris causa fromthe Technical University of Denmark, and the G. I.Taylor Medal of the Society of Engineering Sci-ence. He was also a Fellow of the American Physi-cal Society, the American Academy of Mechanics,and the World Innovation Foundation. He heldmany leadership positions in the InternationalUnion of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Healso led the efforts to establish System X, the firstacademic computer to exceed 10 teraflops.

Donald E. Carlson died Au-gust 21, 2010. He was 72 yearsold. As a student at Illinois, hegraduated with Bronze Tablethonors in the first engineering

mechanics class (1960). After receiving a master’sdegree in TAM, he attended Brown University forhis Ph.D. In 1964, he returned to Illinois to begin a42-year career of teaching and research in TAM,serving on three occasions as interim or actingdepartment head (1970–1971, 1988–1989, and1991–1992). Carlson advised hundreds of under-graduate students, and served on innumerablequalifying, preliminary, and final examinations atthe graduate level. He advised or co-advised 15doctoral students in mechanics. His many paperson applied mechanics are widely acclaimed. He

26 27Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

in mechanical engineering from the University ofNew Mexico, he returned to earn an M.S. in me-chanical engineering from Illinois in 1950, and aPh.D. in administration from Illinois State Univer-sity in 1976. From 1946 until his retirement in1983, Jim served on the mechanical and industrialengineering faculty, including 25 years as a pro-fessor and 36 years as the director of the Mechani-cal Engineering Foundry Laboratory. For morethan 20 years, he also provided training and con-sulting services in the development and improve-ment of foundry programs around the globe,including in India, Kuwait, Kenya, and Iran. Fromtheir home foundry in Urbana, he and his wifeworked with local companies, artists, the univer-sity, and others in casting unique pieces. He alsohad a distinguished career in the Air Force, serv-ing as a pre-flight instructor, a pilot during WorldWar II, and a flight instructor, before retiring fromthe Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel.

Wilbert F. Stoecker, profes-sor emeritus of mechanical engi-neering, died September 5, 2010.He was 84 years old. Born in St.Louis, Stoecker received his bach-

elor’s degree from the Missouri School of Mines(1948), his master’s degree in mechanical engi-neering from Illinois (1951), and his doctoratefrom Purdue University (1962). He taught for 36 years at Illinois before retiring in 1984. He received the E.K. Campbell award, the F. Paul Anderson award, and the Richard Kritzer Distin-guished Professorship. He was also the author ofnumerous books, including Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and Industrial Refrigeration Handbook.He was active in ASHRAE (Fellow and Life Mem-ber), IIAR, and IIR. He lectured internationally and

sin-Madison. He had served on the University ofIllinois faculty since 1971. He was elected to theNational Academy of Engineering in 2000, thehighest honor for an engineer in the U.S. A dedi-cated researcher and teacher, he mentored morethan 150 M.S. and Ph.D. students who have as-sumed leadership roles in academia and industry.He received the College of Engineering EverittAward for Teaching Excellence, the Campus-wideTeaching Award for Excellence in UndergraduateTeaching, and the College of Engineering Hal-liburton Engineering Education LeadershipAward in 1989. He also received the Society ofManufacturing Engineers Education Award in1993 and the S. M. Wu Research ImplementationAward in 2010. Professor DeVor was a formerpresident of the North American ManufacturingResearch Institution of the Society of Manufac-turing Engineers. He was a Fellow of the Ameri-can Society of Mechanical Engineers and theSociety of Manufacturing Engineers.

Thaddeus MusserElsesser, associate professoremeritus of Theoretical and Ap-plied Mechanics, died April 16,2011 in Urbana. He was 87 years

old. Elsesser earned his BSME from Illinois in1945. While still an undergraduate, he joined theNavy reserves at the height of World War II. Heserved overseas after graduation until 1947, whenhe resumed studies in TAM at Illinois, completinga master’s degree in 1950. He became a TAM in-structor, and was promoted to assistant professorin 1955 and then to associate professor in 1959.He retired in 1979. Thad published and consultedin the area of materials testing, and with TAMprofessor Harry R. Wetenkamp developed an in-novative videotaped course in 1961 on behaviorof materials—the series was quickly dubbed the“Thad and Harry Show.” The tapes were used atUIUC and at other schools, including West Point.He was also among the first UIUC faculty to de-velop interactive courses on the Plato system.

James L. Leach, Sr. died onAugust 4, 2010 in Champaign. Hewas 92 years old. An Illinois all-state football player, “Scrapiron”Leach originally enrolled at Illi-

nois on a football scholarship. After earning a B.S.

Chato Award in Bioengineering to honor out-standing undergraduate students engaged in ac-tivities related to bioengineering. Born inBudapest, Hungary, Chato earned his master’s inmechanical engineering from the University ofCincinnati, and then added a master’s degree inmechanical engineering at Illinois and a Ph.D. inmechanical engineering and math from MIT. Hewas a professor of Mechanical, Biological, and Nu-clear Engineering at Illinois from 1964 until retir-ing in 1996. Chato was world-renowned in hisfield, received numerous awards, and publishedmultiple articles. He particularly enjoyed his workwith graduate students, which continued wellinto his retirement.

Marlyn Earl “M.E.” Clark,professor emeritus of Theoreticaland Applied Mechanics, died No-vember 18, 2010. He was 88 yearsold. Clark taught and conducted

research in the area of fluid mechanics and bio-engineering. He retired in 1992 after 44 years ofservice. Much of his research focused on the fluidmechanics in the human cardiovascular system.His research on cerebral blood flow in the Circleof Willis led to the development of a computersimulation that models cerebral circulation. Hewas also president and co-founder of the GenesisResearch Laboratory in Urbana, a nonprofit groupthat studied the Genesis flood using engineeringprinciples and computer simulations. Clarkearned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineeringat the University of Wisconsin (1944), and hismaster’s degree in theoretical and applied me-chanics at Illinois (1948). In the 1980s, he was ac-tive in the American Society of Civil Engineers’Committee on Bioengineering, and for manyyears he provided Pitot-tube calibrations for in-dustry. He advised or co-advised several doctoralstudents.

Richard E. (“Dick”) DeVor,College of Engineering Distin-guished Emeritus Professor ofManufacturing, died July 26, 2011at his home in Lake Mills, Wis-

consin. He was 67 years old. Born in Milwaukee,DeVor received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechan-ical engineering from the University of Wiscon-

promoted global research into new refrigerationsystems following the discovery that the com-mon refrigerant freon was contributing to ozonedepletion in the atmosphere. It was through hisguidance that Illinois’ Air Conditioning and Re-frigeration Center was first established in the1980s as an NSF center and later expanded intowhat has become an international cooperativeresearch effort, with member companies fromthe U.S., South America, Europe, and Asia.

Edward M. Wu, professoremeritus of aeronautics at theNaval Postgraduate School,Monterey, California, died June3, 2009. He was 70 years old. Pro-fessor Wu was born and raised

in Hong Kong. He earned a B.S. in mechanicalengineering, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in TAM, all atIllinois. After a short stay at Illinois as an assis-tant professor in TAM, Wu moved to Washing-ton University in St. Louis, and then went on toLawrence Livermore National Laboratory, wherehe set up state-of-the-art laboratories for staticand life testing of composite materials in orderto support his research on statistical modelingand the quantification of composite reliability.In 1984, he moved to the Naval PostgraduateSchool to teach and conduct research on com-puter-aided certification of large critical com-posite structures ranging from aerospace partsto civilian infrastructure components. He retiredin 2001 and continued his consulting work forboth industry and government. Wu served onthe editorial board of the Journal of CompositeMaterials and was a member of several engineer-ing societies.

Faculty In Memoriam

In 1961, more than 40 years before the invention of YouTube and the popularity of distance learning, Thaddeus

Elsesser (with fellow TAM Professor Harry R. Wetenkamp) made the innovative videotaped course dubbed the

“Thad and Harry Show.”

28 29Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

1931Howard J. Littell, 1/22/2009

1933Anthony F. Zamis, 12/06/2009

1936Charles W. Bimba, 11/25/2009

1938James R. Fletcher, 5/25/2009James M. Walden, 12/10/2008

1939Richard P. Molt, 1/07/2010William O. Odgers, 6/30/2010

1940Irving H. Alexander, 2/28/2010John T. Bunting, 6/15/2011Thomas M. Cross, 10/17/2008George B. Grim, 2/24/2011Thomas W. Meisenzahl, 11/25/2008Carrel B. Morgan, 6/28/2009Milford B. Morgan, 4/11/2010

1941Frank W. Hochmuth, 8/05/2009Robert M. McCreary, 4/07/2009John D. Nyquist, 1/15/2010Gardner W. Raistrick, 9/22/2009

1942James H. Burkhart, 1/20/2010Lawrence H. Goto, 5/01/2011John B. Jarman, 1/30/2010Frank K. Johnson, 11/03/2009

1943Ralph B. Clark, 4/22/2011Paul E. Lanferman, 6/02/2011Dean E. Madden, 9/02/2010Gust J. Mihal, 10/21/2009W.K. Peasley, 9/18/2009Donald C. Ward, 3/03/2010Will J. Worley, 5/16/2009

1944Norris W. Carlson, 9/23/2008E.B. Kleber, 8/31/2010Edward A. Roberts, 12/29/2008

1952John S. Horsley, 6/03/2009 William D. Jordan, 4/03/2011 Joseph L. Krahula, 9/03/2010 Ronald L. Reisinger, 1/03/2010 Masaki Sugi, 6/10/2010

1953Edwin S. Levitan, 7/11/2008 Walter I. Nelson, 3/27/2010 Jerry W. Schweiker, 9/28/2009

1955Avinash K. Ahuja, 6/07/2009John C. Chato, 11/16/2010 Joseph J. Grass, 10/13/2010 Raymond L. Moser, 6/05/2010 Harold W. Nero, 3/19/2009John F. Randolph, 6/10/2009

1956David P. Albert, 10/26/2009 Peter C. Bodett, 12/15/2010 John W. Melvin, 6/20/2011 Robert F. Wagner, 8/05/2009

1957Richard L. Brunnenmeyer, 11/14/2009

Robert H. Bryant, 01/06/2010 Richard G. Dezelick, 1/24/2011John P. Holmes, 6/26/2010 Virgil H. Johnson, 4/09/2009

1958Ross E. Childers, 4/07/2010 James H. Healy, 7/27/2009 Stanley L. Pierce, 5/03/2009

1959Carl A. Bodenschatz, 12/12/2009 Dan A. Duwell, 5/21/2010 John P. Hipskind, 9/08/2010 Louis R. Marchini, 3/18/2011

1960William C. Biallas, 12/25/2009 Richard Bolton, 4/30/2010 Donald E. Carlson, 8/21/2010

1945Lee E. Stickler, 10/20/2008

1946Ernest M. Hausler, 2/21/2009Chang K. Liu, 8/31/2009Douglas O. Wilson, 10/23/2009

1947Merrill F. Butler, 5/01/2011Frank W. Foley, 11/03/2008Perry L. Huie, 5/24/2009Henry M. Kidder, 4/07/2009Charles H. McCreary, 1/31/2009Donald J. O'Brien, 10/21/2008Howard P. Orlebeke, 7/10/2009James J. Redmond, 1/14/2011Donald E. Schneider, 12/18/2008George F. Schrader, 8/09/2009Bruce H. Simpson, 11/22/2010Albert E. Walmsley, 7/08/2010Paul D. Winchester, 10/14/2009

1948Edward V. Anderson, 3/13/2011Frank W. Anderson, 5/09/2009Richard M. Anderson, 8/14/2008Henry M. Barkow, 6/04/2011Ralph W. Behler, 2/20/2011Marlyn E. Clark, 11/18/2010Gene Durren, 11/16/2010John S. Eisele, 3/06/2011Howard L. Erickson, 3/10/2011Richard Evans, 5/10/2010Harold J. Farrar, 7/28/2009Richard I. Koci, 3/29/2010William E. McCarthy, 1/09/2011Thorvald E. Mouritsen, 8/01/2010Martin C. Sabath, 5/09/2010Cheng Shih, 10/30/2008Kunio A. Sumida, 5/12/2009Fred J. Zatorski, 6/03/2011

1949Harry E. Beams, 7/06/2009Charles Boetto, 7/16/2010Hugh G. Brady, 1/09/2011John L. Colp, 2/23/2010Arthur V. Deyot, 6/26/2009

Albert W. Eckert, 12/07/2010Eugene R. Eggers, 1/01/2011James J. Florek, 5/22/2009Dale G. Gubbins, 8/22/2009Ronald G. Hansen, 1/22/2011Robert W. Hay, 4/30/2010Leon R. Henry, 8/27/2009Robert L. Hunter, 6/16/2009Travis C. James, 10/10/2010Paul O. Nelson, 12/14/2009Joseph J. Poczatek, 10/21/2010Gilbert Riske, 9/22/2008Erich W. Schoen, 8/15/2009James A. Shaver, 10/06/2009Harry M. Sholota, 2/19/2010Rodger K. Snelson, 9/27/2008Lyell B. Stevens, 5/03/2009

1950Ralph A. Andersen, 9/13/2010Fred P. Cairo, 5/06/2010Adolph J. Gawin, 7/05/2009 Frederick M. Hugh, 1/25/2011 William F. Jones, 12/22/2009 James L. Leach, 8/04/2010Charles M. Lubeck, 8/20/2009Edwin A. Nolan, 7/31/2010 Richard P. Osberg, 5/18/2009 Carl E. Poling, 6/07/2011 Shirley J. Smith, 5/31/2011 Wilbert F. Stoecker, 9/05/2010 George H. Wildi, 9/25/2009

1951James W. Baldwin, 1/15/2009 Richard E. Beckmann, 10/27/2010 Donald R. Burnett, 9/11/2010 Thomas P. Cosgrove, 7/01/2009 Robert M. Gerzetich, 12/18/2008 Gordon E. Lykkebak, 2/27/2011 James T. Marsden, 3/11/2010 Carl E. Morris, 6/04/2011 Richard A. Powers, 8/24/2009 Richard O. Probst, 10/07/2008 John W. Shugart, 1/23/2011 William E. Spires, 10/09/2010 Clarence D. Wesley, 8/10/2009 James R. Winston, 9/18/2009

Glenn B. Finney, 1/10/2011 Stephen S. Groves, 5/29/2011 Kenneth M. Jauch, 9/21/2008Edward M. Wu, 6/03/2009

1961Samuel L. Britten, 10/04/2009 Robert L. Malcolm, 3/17/2011 Philip A. Trast, 5/28/2010 William F. Waterman, 6/10/2010 David M. Wickersham, 6/01/2010

1962Carl S. Eckberg, 11/06/2010 Raymond R. Hagglund, 11/30/2010 Elmer E. Reis, 1/23/2010 Mark M. Shamamy, 3/12/2009 Klaus J. Weinmann, 11/03/2010 James B. Weyres, 2/25/2011

1963Kenneth F. Lindgren, 12/12/2009

1964David F. Conde, 5/07/2011 Alphia E. Knapp, 10/22/2010 Douglas I. Norman, 6/12/2011 Robert J. Novotney, 12/05/2010

1965Clarence J. Beardsley, 5/15/2010 Charles C. Fretwell, 5/11/2010 Carl A. Mansperger, 12/10/2009

1967Robert C. Claypool, 5/21/2009 Gerald W. Gladden, 6/18/2010 Robert C. Hansen, 8/16/2009 Dale A. Henning, 6/01/2010 Maurice L. Higgins, 10/01/2009 Jorge L. Torrico, 1/10/2010

1970Michael H. Kinsinger, 3/24/2011 Paul C. Lam, 5/24/2009 James P. Leshuk, 5/04/2011 Steven V. Miller, 3/22/2009

1971Todd R. Downing, 9/14/2009 Carl F. Lind, 12/08/2010

1972Rolland R. Fisher, 12/31/2008

1975Douglas E. Paquette, 7/30/2008

1976Jon M. Goldhagen, 9/10/2009

1977Rodney D. Huber, 11/18/2009

1978Vincent E. Cascia, 7/26/2009 Thomas G. Diekroeger, 4/16/2010

1979William C. Barrows, 2/03/2009

1980Michael S. King, 5/03/2009 David H. Voigtlander, 8/20/2010

1981Brian W. Smith, 1/08/2010

1982Sandra D. Graves, 5/05/2009 Michael P. Wehr, 5/23/2010

1984Gerald L. Cler, 10/08/2010

1986George M. Unger, 4/30/2011

1988Thomas J. Mack, 10/19/2009

1990David R. Glackin, 10/08/2008

1991Jason R. Cole, 4/18/2011

1993Kevin J. Kleiner, 6/01/2011 John C. Knudten, 4/20/2009

1999Jayandran Palaniappan, 5/11/2010

2000Michelle A. Tang, 10/10/2009

Alumni In Memoriam

July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2011

The spirit of philanthropy,so much a part of the Ameri-can heritage, empowers ourquest for excellence. Againand again, with pride andgratitude, we write or speakthese words: “It was madepossible through the gen-erosity of alumni andfriends.” You have helpedmake Mechanical Scienceand Engineering at Illinoiswhat it is today, and yourphilanthropy is what willmake our future so bright.

$25,000 and aboveFriendsPamela A. Caulfield May K. and Bei Tse Chao Neil and Natasha Chriss Constance S. Fourney Christine T. Predick Hermia G. Soo Dorothy F. Tucker Estate Catherine J. Weiss

1910sArthur W. Lindstrom Trust

1920sRay and Edna SweigertTrust

1940sStanley I. Weiss

1960sWilliam L. Fourney

1970sEdward M. Caulfield Paul R. Predick

1980sKent F. Schien

2000sZachary M. Kaplan

$10,000-$24,999FriendsLisa L. Abrams Sara McMurtrie Awe Patricia A. Day Nancy Ghandhi C. Lee and Barbara C.

Johnson Martha L. Lacey Lola Vae Lawrence

James W. Phillips Roger E. Rhodes Rita Chilow Sachs David D. Soo and Sheila J.Chapman

Carol L. Tonelli

1940sRobert H. Johnson Trust

1950sDavid L. Day Burzoe K. Ghandhi A. Duane Tonelli Raymond Viskanta

1960sRobert Roy Awe Emerson W. Lacey Donald R. Sittner

1970sLon R. Ballard

1980sHugh A. Abrams

$5,000-$9,999FriendsCathy E. Barnhart Elizabeth J. Chato Marilee Davies Lisa C. Duffin Cheryl Wassmundt Esmond Jo Gautschy Norman R. and Sallie H.Miller

Kathleen M. Mitchell Gladys M. Nowicki Earl and Marcia Prasse Jill Prasse Shirley A. Soo and MatthewGorman

Marc and Judy S. Tillman James K. and Karen G. Trigger

Susan C. Winn

1940sGeorge B. Grim

1950sFred Abdula John C. Chato Charles A. Gautschy, Jr. John J. Nowicki

1960sTom E. Breuer Richard Davies Jack Bailey Esmond William R. Winn

1970sSusan E. Brasmer Michael R. Mitchell Norman R. Warpinski

1980sEdwin S. Chim

1990sJohn S. Barnhart Katherine S. Lin

2000sThomas L. McKinley

$2,000-$4,999

FriendsAnnie Abbott and Beniamino Barbieri

Juanita R. Brand Joan D. Castino Rhoda Y. Chow Mark D. Davids Janet A. Flanagan Phyllis W. Hallene Ruth Karasek Helmut H. and Rudy K.Korst

Vernice Lynn J. Michael Moore Josephine Oehmke Jane E. Prasse Kyle A. Prasse Jean A. Sweningsen Lucile N. Taylor Vivian M. Tsuji

1940sJ. Raymond Carroll John T. Fisher Steve Lynn Roger Oehmke Charles A. Sweningsen

1950sRichard L. Brunnenmeyer Wen L. Chow Thomas C. Goad Lester D. Moore George R. Powers Charles E. Taylor

1960sG. Thomas Castino Donald H. Frenzl Sonia K. Metropole Patrick S. Tsuji

1970sLarry R. Brand James N. Correll Walter L. Earley Jan Paul Favero

Patrick B. Flanagan Richard E. Furkert Michael J. Molitor

1980sJohn R. Ewan Mark L. Karasek Ronald C. Schneider Lonnie Sharpe, Jr.

1990sPaul A. Kawka Robert J. Pahl

2000sNatalie A. Stevens

$1,000-$1,999FriendsPaula J. Anderson Angela M. Bayne Randall D. Buss Brett Camden David A. Cerotzke Rosemary Citek Karen J. Clausen Jean Costello John R. DeCardy Anjeanette Blesy Dimenna Barbara A. Ehlers Grant Frost Jin Gao Barbara R. Grandt Mary Ann Halpin-Ruff Catherine P. Heidenreich Connie Hickman Arden M. Kolb-DeBolt Karen E. McLaughlin Alex J. Montgomery Deborah L. Morgan Barbara E. Pardekooper Rita Olsen Pister Robert C. and Joanne Ryan Sarah D. SaltzerJean C. Sanford Susan C. Shevlin Lydia M. Soo Yulin L. Tan George Timothy Tomaich Barbara A. Voorhees Rita Watson Sigrid B. Weinmann Thomas R. White Margaret K. Wolf Xiaojing Yang

1940sRobert T. Ruff Robert M. Sanford

1950sDavid Lee Carlson Frank J. Citek O. William Clausen Marvin W. Ehlers Calvin C. Frantz Karl S. Pister Robert K. Reynolds Ellis A. Schmidt Robert K. Smith Charles J. Travers Philip V. Voorhees

1960sAlten F. Grandt, Jr. James C. Hickman H. Karl Ihrig, Jr. Michael E. Kent Garrett J. Pardekooper Chor Weng Tan Ronald G. Watson Klaus J. Weinmann

1970sDonald W. Anderson Allen R. Baker Michael E. Heidenreich Walter E. Lohmann, Jr. Larry B. Morgan Stephen Plesh James C. Rice Bruce E. Shevlin

1980sKenneth J. Bayne Robert L. Bayne Kathryn N. Frost Thomas A. Grossman, Jr. Thomas D. McGowan Maureen J. Murray Laura L. Pauley Michael J. Petit Michael T. Sullivan Daniel M. Tarkoff

1990sAmit Acharya Heather L. Camden Jonathan D. Chappell Ralph A. Dimenna Greg M. Levine Samuel A. Woodson Weiqun Zhou

2000sDavid P. Lynch Brian McGreevy Andrew Stubbs Marina L. Tharayil Rong Zhang

$1-$999FriendsRobert H. Adams, Jr. Nick G. and Mrs. Nick G.Alexakis

Charles E. Anderson Marcia Anderson Valerie A. Andres Karyln Gansel Ang Beverly J. Azer Mary L. Bahnfleth Nancy L. Bahnfleth Hubert L. and Mary W.Barnes

Marilyn Lee Barr Laura Baylor Raeanne J. Bazyn Deborah Wiley Beaird Alicia Marie Beck Sylvia D. Bellows Clifton G. Bergeron Tina T. and Mr. David L.Bishop

Suzanne A. Blotner Wendy S. Boothe Janet R. Bose Leroy T. Boyer Patricia L. Bramhall Maynard J. and Jane A.Brichford

Marian Brinkerhoff Heidi Lauren Brockstein Becky S. Brouillette Joann B. Brown Gayla B. Cahan Harry M. Calcutt, Jr. Jo Ellen Campbell Reita J. Carlson

Joretta A. Chambers O. Jane Chang Hsin Lan Lee Chao Amber J. Chapman Claire Ann Cleff Helen Rodemer Coddington Betty K. Cook Davon Taylor Cook Therese Walsh Cormack Celeste M. Coverdill Sharon R. F. Cressman Margo J. Crotts Ida E. Crown Joycelyn R. Dieter Judy F. Doering Robert C. and Linda R. Duffin

Linda Dystrup Jennifer L. Ehrnthaller Robert D. and Mary Ann Espeseth

Catherine A. Falck Patty L. Favet Joanne Felker Claudia H. FischerJoan R. Fisher Lisa M. Fortino Harold S. French Nancy M. Fuchs Bonnie Fulton Diane I. Geach Gary N. Gebauer Mary T. Gold Anna M. Greene Gerald N. Griffith Mariana D. Grimson George M. and Nancy L.Hansen

Mary Faith Henderson

David F. and Elizabeth E.Hittle

Susan E. Holland Nancy A. and Thomas M.Holmes

Amanda L. Houser Margaret Donovan Hovde Pi-Yu Huang Carol and Don Imhoff Greg Imhoff Mary Catherine Ingram Vickie Ann Ishimaru Mary A. James Charles D. Janota Susan F. S. Jeng Chip Steven and JenniferMargaret Jorstad

Karen M. Kapolnek Michael E. Kerr Linda M. Koe Karen H. Koehler Dorothy M. Korst Richard H. Korst Herman Krier Elizabeth M. Kroeger Donald R. Kurtz Paul and Serena Kwong Juline T. Lambert Shuk Ying Lau Kathleen Laude Christopher Lea and Donald E. Hughes

Regina N. Lee Rong Li Aeja C. Lin Myrna L. Lipnicke L. Lane Loyko Peggy L. Malnar Mildred M. McCormick

Marvin R. Mehler Patricia K. Menees Karen L. Messersmith Helen U. Miner Ada M. Mittlesteadt Donna K. Moore Robert E. Moore Sarah Miller Moore Barbara R. Morris Ruth J. Moyar Allan G. and Gloria F.Mueller

Richard Nechtow Elizabeth Ann Voss Neilson Charisse D. Nilles Julia F. Noll Hazel L. Offner Peter P. and Sherry A.Ohotnicky

Charles E. Olson Lavonne A. Palmer Robert L. and Jane AllenPeddicord

Sharon L. Peterson Catherine Petroski Maynard A. and Mona C.Plamondon

Rosemary A. Plamondon David G. Powless John E. and Laurel L. Prussing

Brian F. Quigley Holly S. Rasmussen Anne Marie Reband Thomas Brian and Catherine Marie Reif

Janice L. Rideg David W. and Sheree Shaffer Rogers

Lori S. Samp Hildegard M. Schneider Margaret L. Sellers Vicki S. Shoop Raymond J. Sieracki Sharon B. Smaller Ronald E. Smelser Celia G. Snyder Shirley M. Staab Nicholas M. Stiglic Kimberly Kathryn Stojkovich

Alice M. Sun Dawn M. Szatkowski Juanita Taylor Andrea F. Tingleff Courtney R. Tobin Cheryl R. Tom Kassandra Towle Linda F. Triozzi Loretta Ryan Tuegel Debra J. Tyler Lynda Vanderweit Linda S. Vassallo Linda S. Walter Carol Jean Wandke Gail A. Wavering Nola C. Whalin Patricia A. Wilder Bernice B. Wilhelm Margaret I. Winters Paul C. Wood Wei Xue Hyungshim R. Yoo Ying Yu Henry R. and Carol S. Zenner

Carolyn E. Zerkle Yisheng Zhang

Donors

30 31Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

MechSE alumni board members, distinguished alumni, faculty, and friends tour the Blue Waters supercomputing facility in 2011.

1940sEugene P. Barta Lester H. Beck Harold I. Blotner James Howard Burkhart Ralph B. Clark Albert W. Eckert Harold W. Faull John M. Gerty William K. Herda Victor G. Jackson Gerald L. Jenkins M. Rudolph Lenich Clarence M. McClymonds Richard E. McGrath William W. Mittlesteadt, Jr. H. Huddler Moore, Jr. Merrill D. Moore George E. Neilson, Jr. David H. Offner Norman W. Seip Earl E. Spillar Jacob E. Staab Edwin A. Whalin, Jr.

1950sDonald F. Adams Naim Z. Azer Donald R. Bahnfleth George M. Barr Leonard M. Bartosik Glen L. Bellows Leonard J. Carlson Kenneth R. Carroll James O. Chambers Bruce A. Cook

A. Berchard Coppens, Jr. John C. Crandall Marcus B. Crotts James L. Davidson, Jr. Ronald Lee Devaisher Willis D. Dillon Antanas V. Dundzila John H. Grimson Emmanuel F. Guyon H. LeRoy Henderson Carl R. Hillman Travis C. James James T. Johnson Joseph F. Kennell William G. Kilker Fred N. Krull William H. Lahrman Brace H. Lambert Jay R. Larson Eugene W. Lewis Harvey W. Liberman John M. Lipnicke Gerald E. McGinnis William L. McNulty John R. Menees Gary B. Miner William C. Mohr Lawrence J. Moran Gerald J. Moyar James D. Neff Robert J. Nikolai Sheldon H. Pitkin Joseph A. Plamondon Daniel Post Donald R. Reichel Robert H. Rollins II

Alan S. Ross John R. Ross Jay Severance William H. Smith, Jr. Veto J. Straznickas Albert Barry Taylor, Jr. Clair C. Trefz Franklin A. Vassallo Gunther G. Wackerman Roger K. Wadsworth Norman E. Wandke Philip S. Webber Donald D. Weidhuner Robert B. Wentworth

1960sDavid R. Anderson Thomas J. Bander Charles P. Barbaro Phillip J. Batchelor E. C. Blomeyer Melferd A. Bose Eugene F. Brown Fred W. Brunke Larry E. Campbell Kenneth R. Carlson Yih P. Chiu Frank J. Cihak William Carl Cleff Richard C. Coddington James M. Corum Walter P. Dieckmann Archie M. Doering John A. Dystrup William D. Fischer Phillip H. Fisher

Jerome M. Frein R. James Fulton Kenneth M. Geach Joseph Harry Golant Behrooz Hakimian Ronald J. Haky James L. Hill Michael P. Hills Roy G. Hlavacek Mikio Ishimaru Lowell P. Iverson Duen Ren Jeng Thomas A. Johnson Bruce G. Koe Ronald H. Krasnitz Gerald J. Krupp Yong Nak Lee Harold J. Liberman James R. Lobitz Robert J. Malnar Arlan G. Martin Waldo D. Martin Jerry N. Mason Norman J. McCormick Victor J. Melville Thomas E. Murley Brian H. Nagamatsu Marcos F. Nakagawa Ray N. Nitzsche Wallace W. Noll Gerald L. Oelberg Donald W. Pacer Linn A. Peterson Henry J. Petroski Thomas C. Powell Cordell Reed

Donald J. Render Larry Ivan Ross Thomas J. Rudolphi David E. Russell Martin H. Sadd Mostafa A. Shirazi Frederick A. Smith, Jr. Bruce T. Stafford Karl K. Stevens Byron W. Stutzman Benedict C. Sun Richard B. Thomson Philip Albert Trast Stephen K. Tung Martin A. Vanderweit Frank R. Vigneron Branimir F. VonTurkovich Steven E. Wilder George F. Zehner, Jr.

1970sSteven K. Anderson Raymond M. Anderson Michael J. Andres Dennis P. Ashlock William P. Bahnfleth James C. Baird Brian W. Beaird Ronald L. Beldon Jason C. Bramhall V James R. Brodrick William R. Brose Joel A. Cahan I-Shih Chang Francis H. K. Chen David M. Connor

John W. Walter, Jr. George N. Walton Ted B. Wertheimer David X. Werts

1980sAdrienne L. Adams James A. Ang Andrew J. Bahnfleth Philip M. Barton Blake E. Bastien Wayne F. Boothe Andrew J. Boris Thomas P. Brand Jeffrey R. Brassel Brian H. Bratvold Bruce E. Brockstein John J. Brown Jane E. Buckthal Harold W. Buddenbohm Liming Chang Yuh Jin Chao Carl S. Chow Emily Clausing Robert E. Coverdill Karl W. F. Cressman Mark A. Curley Patrick W. Dohogne Michael E. Erickson Craig S. Espevik Daniel J. Foreman Joel S. Freeman Joseph G. Gaidos Michael W. Gillman Bobbie J. Gilman Stephen E. Gold Mark S. Goodin Charles L. Gustafson Bryant Ho Randall C. Johnson Michael R. Kapolnek Michael J. Kempiak David D. Kiefer Richard J. Kooy Craig A. Kroeger Michael M. Landgraf Paul A. Langholz James D. Larson Thomas G. Leone David L. Lewis Kun-Ho Li Thomas G. Limbrunner Chao-Hsin Lin John N. Lubbe Thomas R. Lyons, Jr. Kenneth M. McClurg Thomas W. Megli Robert J. Messersmith Douglas E. Miles Scott R. Miller

Richard S. Muff Kevin L. Myers Ronald F. Narcisi Van P. Naylor Clay G. Nesler Hoang X. Nguyen Thomas J. Nilles Paul D. Olsen Steven S. Pak Sung J. Pak John J. Pausche Thomas R. Perzentka, Jr. Andrew W. Phillips Ernest P. Pierz, Jr. Michael J. Pinnella Joseph M. Powers George L. Pritchett Craig R. Randolph Craig T. Reali David A. Reband Mark E. Richards David N. Rocheleau Todd J. Rockstroh Charles E. Rohrer Sidney P. Rohrscheib Joshua S. Rolock Timothy J. Rothrock Michael A. Rutkowski Michael K. Samp Joseph L. Savio Gerald A. Schaafsma Todd Schneeberger Michael G. Schneider David J. Scott David M. Shaffer Asif S. Sheriff Thomas J. Simeone Russell D. Skocypec Corbett T. Smith Timothy A. Staber David A. Stark David W. Stengel Paul O. Steranka, Jr. Goran Predrag Stojkovich Scott L. Stroup John H. Suzukida Dale A. Sylvan Michael S. Szatkowski David C. Thoman, Jr. Daniel M. Thompson William J. Trefz Andrew R. Tucker Julie M. Tucker Eric J. Tuegel Steven A. Tyler Christopher M. Waaler Albert J. Wavering III Daniel J. Weinacht Paul R. Wyness Jamal S. Yagoobi

Jeanne C. Yu James J. Yurik, Jr. David K. Zerkle

1990sZainul Abadin Clifford J. Alberts Marika N. Alexakis Douglas N. Anderson David J. Anderson Michael E. Bange David Denis Beck Carsten Berndt David J. Bjork Todd M. Blindt Gareth I. Block Sean N. Brennan James N. Brouillette Joel P. Busker William E. Chapman Jason Reid Cole Brad Cook William H. Coulter Stephen J. Dieter Michael L. Favet Christopher J. Fisichella William J. Fortino II Laura Kristine Garrett Jonathan J. Giardina Martha A. Grover Robert D. Hancock Garrick W. Herbst Clayton L. Hinkle Kelly O. Homan Michael J. Kaneshige David G. Kenyon, Jr. Michael W. Lee Yijun Liu Rui Liu Bernard S. Mania Brian David Mansfield William F. Mason Thomas L. McCutchan Clifford E. Miller Peter E. Miserendino David L. Nagreski Timothy E. Newman Michael C. Newman Kathleen A. Olson Stephen R. Pirman John G. Plumpe Rodd E. Pope Yaoxin Qian Keith G. Rackers Eliezer Sanchez Derek A. Sauder Erik E. Schubert Sarah J. Schultz Todor K. Sheiretov David M. Siegel

Khadijah Smith Michael L. Smotrys Daniel E. Solarz Kevin M. Stone Randall H. Thoele William T. Tingleff Christopher D. Tomkins Mark P. Towle Robert E. Trimble John P. Wappel Valerie R. Wiest Michael J. Wilson Anson Wong Heather R. Wright Thomas S. Wujek

2000sKelly S. Aita Timothy A. Bazyn Vladimir P. Cabildo Paul A. Carter Don E. Carter Shaun S. Chan Zhiqun Deng Brian D. Eldredge Emad W. Jassim Xiaoai Jiang Matthew P. Johnson Michael C. Keir Thaddeus J. Kiedaisch John M. Kolinski Dennis Burton Kramer Gang Li Patrick T. Lynch Christopher Jordan Marks Benjamin E. Newell James D. Norton Nicholas John Ploplys Bryan P. Rasmussen Matthew R. Richter Eric T. Ross Christopher Michael Schuman

Viral R. Shah Scott M. Shoff Nicholas W. Shute Brian R. Swade Sarah E. Swantner Erik I. Tamas Edward Tom Satya N. Varadhan Kevin Verzal Dongyao Wang Sunhee G. Yoo Quan Yuan Danian Zheng

2010sBruno P. Azeredo Douglas A. Litteken

Marlin D. Crown John F. Curtis Bruce L. Drolen Alan S. Duncanson Steven J. D'Urso Ellwyn C. Englof Ahmad Fakheri Robert H. Felker Kevin M. Flannery Ronald E. Frishmuth N. Allen Gammon Glenn R. Gehrke Andrew J. Goettsch C. Scott Hahn Alan M. Hallene, Jr. Ira C. Hanan Mehrdad Hojati Carl W. Holland Peter L. Hovde Min-Nan Huang Richard George Ingram Floyd D. Jennings Leonard K. Johnson James C. Keiler D. Brad Keleher William J. Keppel Thomas P. Kieffer Robert A. Koehler Mark A. Kopec James M. Laude Richard A. Liebler, Jr. Peter F. Lilienthal II Timothy J. Lochhead Jeffrey M. Makulec Cynthia J. Matthews Borys J. Melnyk James C. Moore III Wilford D. Morris Roger E. Mott Wayne K. Murphy David L. Ostrodka Alan R. Parkinson Jeffrey P. Peterson Terrence R. Phelan Gary R. Polk Paul I. Poorman James G. Porcelli Troy Lynn Roney David H. Rudy Mark R. Sandberg Charles M. Schwartz Dennis A. Schwertman Richard L. Shell John C. Shoop Mark A. Snowden Paul E. Sowa Stephen K. Takagishi Stanley R. Thomas, Jr. Steven A. Velinsky Gary S. Walgenbach

Donors

32 33Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

The summer sun brightens Bardeen Quad and Mechanical Engineering Laboratory.

34 35Spring 2012 Mechanical Science and Engineering

July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2011

Our strong partnerships with corpora-tions, foundations, and professional or-ganizations have created an importantsource of support for MechSE. Grantsand gifts provide scholarships and fel-lowships, restricted or unrestricted sup-port, facility improvements, andstudent project support. Such gifts in-clude matching gift funds made in con-nection with donations from employees,typically alumni. We are proud to ac-knowledge the organizations here,which have supported MechSE pro-grams over the past three years.

A. O. Smith Corporation ABB AB Abbott Laboratories Fund Abdula Family Foundation Accenture Foundation, Inc. Agilent Technologies, Inc. Alliant Techsystems Community

Investment Foundation Ameren American Air Liquide, Inc. American Chemical Society American Railcar Industries American Society of Heating

Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.

Ammonia Refrigeration Foundation Anasys Instruments Corporation Anheuser-Busch Foundation Arcelik AS ArcelorMittal USA, Inc. AREVA NP Inc. Arvin Meritor, Inc. ASHRAE Central Illinois Chapter AXA Foundation Behr GmbH & Co. KG Brazeway Breuer & Co. Burlington Northern Santa Fe

Foundation C. E. Anderson & Associates, PC

Structural Engineers Carrier Corporation, A United

Technologies Company Caterpillar Foundation Caterpillar Inc. Cerro Flow Products, LLC Chevron Corporation CITGO Petroleum Corporation Combustion Institute Conecraft Incorporated ConocoPhillips Company Continental Automotive, Inc. Cooledge Lighting, Inc. Corning Incorporated Corus Technology BV Creata USA, Inc. Crowe Horwath LLP

C-U Partners Cummins Business Services Cummins Inc. Daikin Air-Conditioning &

Environmental Lab, Ltd. Daimler Chrysler Corporation Fund Danfoss A/S Refrigeration and Air

Conditioning Danville High School Choral Boosters Delavan Limited Delighter's, Inc. Delphi Delphi Thermal Systems Dewied International, Inc. Ducato Gardens Eclipse, Inc. ElectroMotive Eli Lilly and Company Foundation Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc. Emerson Electric Company Exelon Exelon Nuclear Exxon Mobil Corporation ExxonMobil Research and

Engineering Company FHP Holdings, Inc. FHP

Manufacturing Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Folding Guard Ford Motor Company Foxconn Electronics, Inc. Fritech, Inc. GE Foundation General Motors Corporation Greenheck Fan Corporation Hallene Family Foundation Halliburton Foundation, Inc. Harley-Davidson Foundation, Inc. Heat Transfer Research and

Development, Ltd. Hill Phoenix Honeywell Hoowaki, LLC Horizon Hobby, Inc. Hussmann Corporation Hydro Aluminum AS ACC Sunndal IBM Matching Grants Program Illinois Clean Energy Community

Foundation Illinois Tool Works Foundation Industrial Fabrics Association

International Information Storage Industry

Consortium Ingersoll Rand Innoventor, Inc. Intel Corporation Inventables, Inc. IP2Biz, LLC ISS Inc. ITW Delpro J. P. Morgan Chase Foundation

Jarden Consumer Solutions Jewish Federation of Madison, Inc. JFE Steel Corporation Joel A. Cahan, MD, PC John Deere Company Johnson Controls Johnson Controls Foundation KBR Korea Institute of Machinery and

Materials Kysor/Warren L-3 Communications Electrodynamics,

Inc. Lake Anesthesia Associates Le Claire Manufacturing Company LG Electronics Liberman Construction Company Lockheed Martin Corporation Lockheed Martin Foundation Lovejoy, Inc. LWB Refractories Company Magnesita Manitowoc Foodservice Group Marathon Oil Corporation Marathon Petroleum Company McNish Corporation Mekania Company, Ltd. Mexichem UK Limited Microsoft Midea Refrigeration, Ltd. Midtronics, Inc. Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation Mimosa Acoustics, Inc. Mobil Retiree Program Modine Manufacturing Company Motorola Solutions Foundation Nano Electronics Research

Corporation National Collegiate Inventors and

Innovators Alliance Newell Instruments, Inc. Nippon Steel Corporation Northrop Grumman Corporation Nucor Steel Decatur, LLC OB/GYN Associates of Greene County Owens-Illinois Fund Packer Engineering Inc. Panasonic Corporation Parker Hannifin Corporation Parker Hannifin Foundation Pella Rolscreen Foundation Pepsi Cola Technical Operations,

Inc. Philips Electronics North American

Corp. Pohang University of Science &

Technology Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. POSCO Pohang Iron and Steel

Company Postech Academy Industry

Corporation

Psylotech, LLC Quaker Manufacturing, LLC QuantLogic Corporation Raytheon Company Robert Bosch, LLC Robert W. Baird & Company

Incorporated Rocket Supply S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. SAE International Samsung Electronics Company,

Ltd. Samsung Information Systems of

America Sanden Corporation Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. Sargent & Lundy LLC Science Applications International

Corp. Sempra Energy Foundation Shanghai Hitachi Electrical

Appliance Company, Ltd. Shell International Exploration

and Production, Inc. Shell Oil Company Shell Oil Company Foundation Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. Sport Dimensions, Inc. SSAB Iowa, Inc. Stamford Hospital Inpatient

Rehabilitation Department Tangent Technologies, LLC The American Society of Mechanical

Engineers The Austin Company The Baxter International Foundation The Boeing Company The Burroughs Wellcome Fund The Chrysler Foundation The Goad Foundation The GSI Group, LLC The Pittsburgh Foundation The Procter & Gamble Fund The Trane Company Trane U.S., Inc. United States Binational Science

Foundation United Technologies Corporation University of Minnesota University of Pennsylvania Vactor Manufacturing, Inc. W. M. Keck Foundation Walker Process Equipment Division

of McNish Corporation Washington Group Foundation, Inc. Whirlpool Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Foundation Whiting Corporation Wieland-Werke AG Xerox Foundation

Bolded listings = $25,000+ donors

Corporate and Foundation DonorsMessage from the Advancement and Communications Office

Hello, MechSE alumni!Now just a few months into my position as MechSE’s new ad-

vancement director, I already realize how fortunate I am to work withthe talented and motivated alumni, faculty, and students who makeup the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the Uni-versity of Illinois. There is an incredible passion for both the depart-

ment and the university that they all share. I am so glad to now be a part of it myself!In almost any setting, it’s clear that all of the people involved with a top-ranked pro-

gram end up benefiting. And in the case of the world-class MechSE Department, that’sdefinitely the case. Our students receive a superior education and end up with better jobprospects than those who attend almost any other university. Our professors get to teachthe best students, have top labs and facilities in which to work, and carry the clout ofworking for a world-class institution. And you, our alumni, will always be able to claimthat Illinois, and our department in particular, was the institution that launched your career. It’s a carrying card that few possess, and you should be proud.

To all of our alumni and friends who have generously supported the Department ofMechanical Science and Engineering through the years, I sincerely want to thank you.Whether this has been through financial donations or through time you have volun-teered for us, you are the reason our program continues to flourish. As we look to the fu-ture, with top engineering schools continually pushing technology to new heights, I can’temphasize enough that the future of MechSE depends on each and every one of you.Your support is what will maintain the long-term stability and success of the MechSE De-partment for faculty, students, and research. The size of your gift does not matter nearlyas much as just the effort of giving something—with more than 12,000 alumni worldwide,the cumulative effect of many small gifts can make a significant difference.

I am grateful to be working with such a great group of alumni, and I cannot wait tomeet you. We plan to stay in touch often, and I look forward to hearing your storiesabout the department and the university when we touch base. I hope it will be soon.

Best regards,

Chad RohlfsDirector of Advancement

Keep in touchKeep up to date on the MechSE Department by receiving our e-newsletters. Just go to

mechse.illinois.edu/contact to signup with your current contact infor-mation. If you have a smart phone, you

can access this pageby scanning the

accompanying QR code.QR code reader app must be used to scan thiscode.

Give a GiftGiving a gift to MechSE online is simple and secure. Just go tomechse.illinois.edu/giving. If you have a smart phone,you can access this page

by scanning the accompanying QR code.

QR code reader app must be used to scan this code.

Alumni relationsBill Bowman is the department’s associate directorof communications. Please contact him if you have anewsworthy event, a cool project on video, or feed-back on the MechSE website, alumni magazine, orany of our other communications efforts. wbowman@illinois.edu

Cynthia Coleman is the department’s associate di-rector of external relations. She serves as a liaison forcorporate entities interested in deeper engagementwith MechSE. If you see potential for a partnershipbetween your company and MechSE, Cynthia wouldwelcome a conversation to explore these possibili-ties. ccoleman@illinois.edu

Betsy Powers is the department’s coordinator ofalumni and student relations. Feel free to contactBetsy to update your contact information, if you haveinterest in organizing an alumni event in your area,or with any questions you have regarding MechSE.epowers2@illinois.edu

Chad Rohlfs is the department’s director of advance-ment. He works closely with MechSE alumni, facili-tating their campus visits, making trips around thecountry to stay in touch, and coordinating volunteerservice and philanthropy. Please contact Chad withany ideas you have for strengthening MechSE’salumni relations or for ways to give back to the de-partment. crohlfs@illinois.edu

Bill Bowman, Betsy Powers, Chad Rohlfs, and CynthiaColeman

Department of Mechanical Science and EngineeringUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign1206 W. Green StreetUrbana, IL 61801-2906

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Join our social networks—just go to mechse.illinois.edu!

Keep in touchKeep up to date on the MechSE Department by receivingour e-newsletters. Just go to mechse.illinois.edu/contactto sign up with your current contact information. If youhave a smart phone, you can access this page by scanningthe accompanying QR code.QR code reader app must be used to scan this code.

Giving a gift to MechSE online is simple and secure. Just go tomechse.illinois.edu/giving.

If you have a smartphone, you can accessthis page by scanningthe accompanying QR code.QR code reader app must be used to scan this code.

Give a Gift