MNE News Archives

Current Announcements
This page updated on: June 26, 2008

Parkinson Receives Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Award - Dr. Matthew Parkinson, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering has been selected to receive the Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Award by the Society of Automotive Engineering (SAE). The award is presented to individuals who demonstrate outstanding presentation skills. The award is intended to "maintain a high level of presentations at SAE technical sessions by recognizing individuals who make outstanding presentations at those sessions. The recipient must have received the Oral Presentation Award more than twice to receive this award". Read full story here. (6/08)

Congratulations to Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Spring 2008 Student Marshalls - The Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department had 179 graduates who walked across the stage on Friday, May 23rd to receive baccalaureate degrees. The 179 included 30 nuclear engineering students and concurrent major students. The student marshals were Elizabeth Palombo for mechanical engineering and James Corson for nuclear engineering. Read full story here. (6/08)

Dr. Kenan Ünlü named Director of the Radiation Science and Engineering Center - Dr. Kenan Ünlü, Professor of Nuclear Engineering, has been named the new Director of the Radiation Science and Engineering Center. Dr. Ünlü will be assuming the new role effective July 1, 2008 following the retirement of Dr. Fred Sears who has served as the Director of the center since 1997 and has held the position of Senior Scientist at the Reactor since 2002. 

Dr. Ünlü received his Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1989. Prior to coming to Penn State, he held faculty positions at the University of Texas at Austin and at Cornell University. (6/08)

Hybrid vehicle team captures several first-place awards; finishes 6th (news from Penn State Live) - The list of categories where Penn State came out on top in the culminating year of Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, is impressive. The team scored top marks in several events, including first place in fabrication and workmanship, first in control and technical presentations, fastest autocross, best vehicle appearance and best education and outreach program. So while the team’s sixth place overall finish was disappointing, “unexpected things happen in competition,” said team leader Tim Cleary. Emissions system performance and fuel economy weighed heavily in the scoring, and the vehicle’s emissions system wasn’t performing properly at the time it was sampled for scoring.  Read the full story here on the Penn State Live website. (5/08)

Learning Factory Student Project Showcase Winners - Engineering students displayed their projects at the Learning Factory Student Project Showcase on Thursday, May 1, 2008, at the HUB's Alumni Hall. The project showcase is organized by the Learning Factory, a multidisciplinary learning environment that integrates engineering theory with practice and promotes team-oriented problem-solving skills. Read full story here. (5/08)

2008 Outstanding Engineering Alumni  - Every year, Penn State honors about a dozen individuals from the various departments within the College of Engineering with the Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award. The highest honor conferred by the college, the OEA Award recognizes graduates who have reached exceptional levels of professional achievement. This years recipients are Robert E. Jepsen Jr. and Richard R. Etling. Read full story here. (4/08)

Air Products Sponsors Distinguished Lecture Series - The Air Products Distinguished Lecture Series is sponsored with funds provided by Air Products and has been in place since 2003, in this series the department brings to campus four distinguished lecturers each year to present their most recent research findings in mechanical systems, thermal systems, nuclear engineering, and engineering education pedagogy.

It benefits us to bring professional leaders and opinion shapers to Penn State to see the good work that we are doing. Since the Distinguished Lecture Series was established it has had a significant effect in our national rankings and our ability to attract the best available faculty, students and research projects. For lecture dates and topics please check the MNE seminars web page. (4/08)

Mechanical Engineering Professor Thomas Litzinger to be honored as a Fellow of American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).  Litzinger will honored at the Annual ASEE Conference & Exposition to be held in Pittsburgh, PA on June 22-25 2008. 

Fellow membership is one of unusual professional distinction and conferred by the Board of Directors upon an ASEE member with outstanding and extraordinary qualifications, and experience in engineering or engineering technology education or allied field, and ASEE contributions. Read full story here. (4/08)

Six MNE Students Awarded ANS Scholarships - Six Penn State MNE students were awarded the American Nuclear Society (ANS) scholarships for the academic year of 2008-2009. They are (with no specific order):

Adam Nygaard--awarded the John and Muriel Landis Scholarship via ANS Nuclear Engineering Education.

Emily Stumbris--awarded the ANS Pittsburgh Local Section Undergraduate Scholarship. This award is for a student entering the field of nuclear science and engineering.

Ryan Buck and Samuel Meritt--awarded the ANS Undergraduate Scholarship. This award is for a student pursuing nuclear science and engineering studies.

Robert Zerr--awarded the ANS Pittsburgh Local Section Graduate Scholarship. This award is for a student entering the field of nuclear science and engineering.

Michael Meholic--awarded the ANS Graduate Scholarship. This award is for a student pursuing nuclear science and engineering studies. (4/08)

Penn State's Shell Eco-Marathon Team Places 1st in Fuel Cell Class - Penn States' Shell Eco-Marathon Team, with the leadership of Leland Engel, placed 1st in the Fuel Cell Class at the Shell Eco-Marathon that was held April 10-12 at the California Speedway in Fontana, California. The challenge tests students to design and build eco-friendly vehicles that travel the farthest distance using the least amount of fuel. From vehicle design to financing, student teams manage their projects from start to finish. The team competed against 31 other teams including teams from Canada and Mexico.  Read full story here. (4/08)

Kulakowski memorial bike ride set for April 25

University Park, Pa. — The Centre Region Bicycle Coalition is sponsoring the third annual Kulakowski Memorial Ride at 5 p.m. on April 25 beginning at the University's gates at the intersection of College Avenue and South Allen Street in State College.

The event, which also coincides with Bike to Work Day, honors Bohdan Kulakowski, professor of mechanical engineering, who was killed while commuting home on his bike in March 2006.

Police will escort the slow-paced ride from downtown State College to Kulakowski's crash site in Boalsburg.

For more information on the event, go to www.centrebike.org.

Two MNE professors participate in panel discussion - Dr. Jack Brenizer and Dr. Matthew Mench, both professors in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, will be participating in a panel discussion along with six other energy experts from Penn State who were speakers in the 2008 "Running on Empty?: Strategies for Our Energy Future" edition of the Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science. The other four panelists are: Richard Alley, John Golbeck, Tom Richard and Harold Schobert. 

The discussion will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. in 100 Thomas Building, Penn State University park Campus. Read full story here. (4/08)

Senior Design Class Stimulates Interest in Mechanical Engineering for an Eighth Grader - Information on our MNE Department’s website describing a senior design project in our mechanical engineering program inspired an eighth grader from Santa Ynez, CA to build a wind tunnel. The student, Caio Motta, had the need to build a wind tunnel for his science project to demonstrate principles of lift and drag. Caio contacted Dr. Savas Yavuzkurt who taught senior design in which the students built a miniature wind tunnel. After receiving instructions from Dr. Yavuzkurt on how to manufacture a replica of the miniature tunnel, the eighth grader was able to construct one for his own science project. Read full story here. (4/08)

Pratt & Whitney establishes partnership with Penn State - University Park, Pa. (from the College of Engineering) — Pratt & Whitney has announced the establishment of strategic university partnerships with Penn State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

Pratt & Whitney will team with the universities on fundamental research initiatives that support the design and development of state-of-the-art gas turbine propulsion systems used in commercial, military and emerging technology and environmental programs.

At Penn State, the Colleges of Engineering and Earth and Mineral Sciences and the Applied Research Laboratory will be involved in the venture. The University's activities will be coordinated through the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering. Read full story here. (3/08)

Mechanical engineering student Irfan Hussaini has been selected to receive the King Abdullah Scholar Award. The award is "conferred upon outstanding doctoral students to support their continued research efforts." Hussaini's research will focus on Two-phase flow visualization in operating fuel cells and the study of fundamental mechanisms controlling fuel cell transient dynamics." As a recipient of the "most prestigious KAUST scholarship award, King Abdullah Scholars represent a new age of visionary researchers, those that will have a major impact on the future of science, engineering and IT and will be a driving force for global innovation. Read full story here. (3/08)

MNE Professor Michael Modest Selected to Receive the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Thermophysics Award for 2008 - MNE Professor Michael Modest has been selected to receive the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Thermophysics Award for 2008. Modest was nominated by Professor Stefan thynell. Read full story here. (3/08)

2008 PSES Awards - Two Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering faculty and one staff member has been selected to receive PSES awards for 2008. Dr. Timothy Simpson has been selected to receive the Premier Research Award, Dr. Gita Talmage has been selected to receive the Outstanding Advising Award, and Ms. Dianne Crust has been selected to receive the Outstanding Staff Award. The awards recognize outstanding contributions, research, teaching, advising, and service in the College of Engineering and are sponsered by the Penn State Engineering Society. Read full story here. (3/08)

Hybrid vehicle team plans spring break road trip (news from Penn State LIVE) - University Park, Pa. — While many Penn State students will be soaking up sun or otherwise taking it easy during spring break, three members of the Penn State hybrid vehicle team will embark on an ambitious 1,200-mile road trip from Monday to Saturday in their converted hybrid Chevrolet Equinox.

''This is a trip we wanted to do over our spring break,'' said Tim Cleary, a master's student in mechanical engineering, ''to put Penn State Challenge X on the map and outdistance Penn State from the rest of our competition.''

Headquartered at the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute on the University Park campus, the Penn State team is participating in a four-year competition known as Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, a U.S. Department of Energy and corporate-sponsored advanced vehicle technology competition. The challenge is to reengineer a Chevrolet Equinox into a vehicle that is more fuel efficient and cleaner running while maintaining the utility for which the vehicle was originally designed. The final year of Challenge X, to be held in June, will emphasize added technical refinements to the vehicle and include a New York to Washington, D.C., road rally. The Penn State team finished 5th among 17 university teams in the 2007 competition. Read full story here. (3/08)

Senior mechanical, nuclear engineers honored (news from Penn State LIVE) -

The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering celebrated its senior class at its first Senior Recognition Reception and Banquet Monday evening at The Penn State Conference Center Hotel.

The event brought together more than 80 students in the mechanical and nuclear engineering major, along with industry sponsors, faculty and staff.

Individual awards were given to the outgoing seniors, including the Dr. John P. Karidis Department Head's Award, the Thomas Briggs Hunter Memorial Award for Student Leadership and the Nuclear Chairman's Award. Read full story here. (2/08)

'Renaissance of Nuclear Power' explored in free lecture Feb. 23 (news from Penn State LIVE) - Jack Brenizer, chair of nuclear engineering and professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering at Penn State, will discuss "The Renaissance of Nuclear Power: An Energy Source of the Future" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in 100 Thomas Building, University Park. The free public lecture is the fifth of six lectures in the 2008 Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science, which has the theme this year of "Running on Empty?: Strategies for Our Energy Future." This free minicourse for the general public consists of six lectures concerning current research on various energy options and the environmental consequences of their use. No registration is required. The lectures take place on six consecutive Saturday mornings. Read the full story on the "Penn State LIVE" website at   http://live.psu.edu/story/28836?nw=63. (2/08)

Mechanical engineer helps keep morale high during THON (news from Penn State LIVE) - The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) is about to kick off and Michael Ducker has a good reason for being "ecstatic."

The junior mechanical engineer serves as the morale committee overall chair for what is believed to be the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. He works hard to balance his academics and THON, but always comes out on top.

The 700-person morale committee serves as support and inspiration for the dancers throughout the 46-hour dance marathon. As the overall, Ducker works with his 20 enthusiastic captains to coordinate special events sponsored by the committee and energize "moralers" with excitement for the weekend.

"Morale's No. 1 goal is that no dancer quits," he explained.

Ducker credits his older sister with introducing him to THON. She danced for her sorority during his senior year in high school and strongly encouraged him to get involved with morale when he enrolled at the University.

As a first-year student he became an exemplary "moraler" and applied to be a morale captain for his sophomore year, a rare honor. After a successful year as captain, Ducker decided to take the next step and apply to be the moral overall. Read the full story on the "Penn State LIVE" website at http://live.psu.edu/story/28734?nw=54. (2/08)

Mr. Engineer Competition crowns a winner (news from Penn State LIVE) - Eight engineering students exhibited their many talents at the fifth annual Society of Women Engineers' (SWE) Mr. Engineer Competition Thursday night. The competition poked fun at beauty pageants while raising money for the IFC/Panhellenic Dance MaraTHON (THON). The event yielded $500 through ticket sales.  Read the full story on the Penn State LIVE website at http://live.psu.edu/story/28534?nw=5. (2/08)

Purdue Newsletter Features Two Penn State – MNE Faculty - Two mechanical and nuclear engineering faculty were featured in Purdue's engineering newsletter Nuclear Education: Our doorway to the future.  Drs. Hochreiter and Kim are featured in the "up close: alumni" section of the newsletter highlighing their careers. Click here to view the the newsletter. (2/08)

MNE Graduate Student Makes the News - A story about Michelle Christensen, a 27 year old mechanical engineering student, who will appear on the Food Network's "The Ultimate Recipe Showdown", was in the Sunday edition of the Centre Daily Times. See the story here http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/story/376056.html.  (2/08)

Mechanical Engineering Student Benedict Samuel has been awarded the 2008 Alumni Dissertation Award - The Alumni Association Dissertation Award provides funding and recognition to outstanding full-time doctoral students who have passed their comprehensive exams and have received approval of the dissertation topic, or to M.F.A. students in their final year. This award is considered to be among the most prestigious available to Penn State graduate students and recognizes outstanding achievement in scholarship and professional accomplishment.

Benedict's advisor is Dr. Aman Haque, he is a Graduate Teaching Fellow with the Mechanical Engineering Department teaching ME-201 for Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 semesters as well as working as a staff photographer for the Daily Collegian. Read full story here. (1/08)

Michael Modest Selected to Receive Hunboldt Research Award - Michael Modest, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering has been selected to receive the Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation in Bonn, Germany, in honor of his achievements in the field of heat transport. The Humboldt awards are a lifelong tribute to the academic accomplishments of the awardees. 

The Humboldt Foundation promotes an active world-wide network of scholars. Individual sponsorship during periods spent in Germany and longstanding follow-up contacts have been hallmarks of the foundation's work since 1953. Award winners are invited to carry out research projects of their own choice at German research institutes.  Read full story here. (1/08)

ME Professor, Eric Marsh, Selected to Receive the Charles F. Carter Jr. Advanced Manufacturing Award - The Charles F. Carter, Jr. Advancing Manufacturing award is presented annually to an active faculty member teaching at an accredited U.S. university, who is recognized by AMT as contributing to the advancement of the industry by providing enabling research that has been put into practice, and who is most respected in providing highly qualified students. Read full story here. (1/08)

Penn State student team develops solar-powered laptop for Tanzanian students - University Park, Pa. -- For a team of Penn State engineering students, the challenge wasn't getting laptops to Tanzanian students, but how to power those machines. Read full story here. (12/07)

Two Mechanical Engieering Professors receive "Distinguished Professor" title - The University bestows the Distinguished Professor title on select outstanding faculty in recognition of their outstanding teaching, research, and service at Penn State and in their profession. A professor who holds this prestigious title brings the highest distinction to the College and the University. The recipients are Professors Kostadin Ivanov and Mike Modest. Read full story here. (12/07)

Learning Factory Student Project Showcase Winners Announced - Engineering students displayed their projects at the Learning Factory Student Project Showcase on Thursday, December 13, at the HUB's Alumni Hall. The project showcase is organized by the Learning Factory, a multidisciplinary learning environment that integrates engineering theory with practice and promotes team-oriented problem-solving skills. Read full story here. (12/07)

Eric Marsh, Professor of mechanical engineering published a new book; Precision Spindle Metrology. Precision Spindle Metrology will benefit engineers, quality control personnel, and precision machine specialists responsible for maintaining high standards of precision control.

Description: This new book, in the tradition of Schlesinger, Tlusty, Moore and Slocum, introduces and explains the fundamental concepts, as well as the technology, of measuring spindle motion. Its theory and guidance are applicable to a wide range of spinning devices. The book furnishes the mathematical tools to understand—and correct—various kinds of motion and rotational errors. Using case studies and practical examples, the author explains how to set up devices for measuring spindle motion. The book then presents a detailed analysis of precision spindle metrology data and demonstrates how the data can be utilized to understand and improve the performance of spindle-based machinery, measured to the nanometer level. The information in this book is intended to help refine precision measurements, thereby enabling more accurate control and higher production quality. Precision Spindle Metrology will benefit engineers, quality control personnel, and precision machine specialists responsible for maintaining high standards of precision control.

Mechanical Engineering Professor to Recieve AIAA Award - Vigor Yang, Distinguished Professor of Mechaical Engineering has been slected to receive the 2008 AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award during the 46th Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 7-10 January 2008 at the Grand Sierra Resort (formerly Reno Hilton) in Reno, Nevada. Read full story here. (12/07)

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Dale E. Klein Visits Penn State and the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Dale E. Klein visited Penn State and the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering.  Klein gave a presentation, "Challenges and Opportunities in 'the Nuclear Renaissance' - A View from America's Chief Nuclear Regulator," on Thursday December 6 at the HUB-Robeson Auditorium on the Penn State University Park campus. The presentation was part of the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering 2007-2008 Air Products Distinguished Lecture Series. Read full story here. (12/07)

ME Student Wins 2006-2007 Anita M. Todd Internship Student of the Year Award - The winner of the 2006-2007 Anita M. Todd Internship Student of the Year Award is Caitlin Gallo, a junior in mechanical engineering. During summer 2007, Gallo completed an internship at Agilent Technologies in Budd Lake, N.J. During her time with the company, she completed an in-depth customer-needs assessment and created extensive mechanical and operating users manuals for multiple Agilent products. She also was the first summer intern in the history of the company to receive a Speed to Opportunity Award. Read full story here. (10/07)

Penn State ANS Receives Several Honors from ANS National - The Penn State student section of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) has received a number of honors from ANS National for their work during the 2006-2007 school year. The ANS student section has reached record high membership with approximately 50 active undergraduate and graduate members. During the past year, Penn State ANS has been involved in hosting a number of industry speakers as well as serving as guides for numerous events such as Engineering Open House and the Westinghouse Scholars program. Read full story here. (9/07)

Four MNE Faculty Elected ASME Fellows - The department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering is proud to announce that four of their faculty have been elected a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME). The election of a fellow of ASME recognizes significant engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession. Read full story here. (9/07)

Matthew Parkinson, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and SEDTAPP, has been selected as the winner of the 2007 Ford Best Paper Award by the Ford Motor Company and the ASME Design Automation Executive Committee for his ASME Design Automation Conference Paper "Including Preference in Anthropometry-Driven Models for Design". 

The award will be presented at the 2007 ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences & Computers and Information in Engineering Conference that is being held September 4-7, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (9/07)

Alok Sinha, Professor of mechanical engineering published a new book; Linear Systems: Optimal and Robust Control. The book provides the material for two graduate-level courses: one in linear systems and optimal control and the other in robust control. 

Description: Balancing rigorous theory with practical applications, Linear Systems: Optimal and Robust Control explains the concepts behind linear systems, optimal control, and robust control and illustrates these concepts with concrete examples and problems. Read full story here. (8/07)

Nuclear News magazine shows nuclear engineering enrollments on the rise at U.S. universities - Nuclear News magazine shows nuclear engineering enrollments on the rise at U.S. universities  The article also pictures four Westinghouse employees that are part of Penn State's nuclear engineering master's degree program. Read full story here. (pdf format) (8/07)

Matthew Parkinson, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering and SEDTAPP, has been awarded National Science Foundation grant for his reasearch "Designing for Human Variability: Allocation of Adjustability".  

"The research objective of this award is the development of methodologies for modeling the variability affecting the interaction of users with products, tasks, and environments. Types of variability under consideration will include spatial body dimensions (anthropometry), capability, and preference. Rather than focusing on requirements predicted by anthropometry, models will specifically incorporate, through a stochastic component, all of the outcome variance measured in interaction trials. The structure of the models will enable integration with rigorous design tools such as optimization and robust design. These will be used in the context of continuous and discrete adjustability (sizing), adaptive designs, and product platforms.  Read full story here. (8/07)

NIH Grant Focuses on Manufacturing of Ultra Small Medical Instruments - University Park, Pa. (College of Engineering News Release) – A team of Penn State engineers and doctors have received a $386,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue development of ultra-small surgical instruments that would allow doctors to use fewer incisions during medical procedures.

The two-year grant, titled “Nanoparticulate Enabled Surgical Instruments,” is headed by Mary Frecker, professor of mechanical engineering. Read full story here. (7/07)

Brasseur Gives Press Conference on Discovery of Magenstrasse - Dr. James Brasseur, professor of Mechanical Engineering, along with his colleague Bertil Abrahamsson of AstraZeneca Sweden, was invited by AstraZeneca Spain to give a press conference on their discovery of the Magenstrasse in Madrid, Spain on May 7th to reporters of the Spanish press (regular and medical). Read full story here. (7/07)

Santavicca in the Faculty Spotlight in the Summer 2007 issue of The Iron - Dom Santavicca, professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Director of the Center for Advanced Power Genration (CAPG) was featured in the "Faculty Spotlight" section of the the Summer 2007 issue of The Iron, the Industrial Research Office Newsletter. To view the article online click here. (7/07)

Settles to Receive Acoustical Society Science Writing Award - Gary Settles, Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Gas Dynamics Laboratory, has been chosen to receive the Acoustical Society of America's 2006 Science Writing Award for Professionals in Acoustics for the article "High-speed Imaging of Shock Waves, Explosions and Gunshots". The article was published in the January-February 2006 issue of American Scientist. (Visit online at http://www.americanscientist.org/template/IssueTOC/issue/801.

Settles will receive a certificate of achievement along with a cash prize at the national meeting on November 29th in New Orleans, Louisiana. (7/07)

Penn State Places 5th in 2007 Challenge X Competition - Penn State's Challenge X team placed 5th overall in the 2007 Challenge X Competition that was held May 30 - June 7 at General Motor's Milford Proving Grounds. Challenge X is the current incarnation of the DOE- and corporate-sponsored advanced vehicle technology competitions. Penn State competed in and successfully completed every event. In addition to the fifth-place overall finish, Penn State was one of six teams selected to participate in the Media Day Ride-and-Drive Event (based on our innovative powertrain design and robust vehicle operation), and was one of five teams selected for additional post-competition dynamometer testing (based on our strong performance in the regulated emissions event). Challenge X is designed to follow a realistic vehicle development process. Read full story here. (7/07)

Retired engineering professor and nuclear power pioneer dies at 86 (from the college of Engineering, University Park, Pa.) — Warren Frank Witzig, age 86, one of the pioneers of nuclear power in the United States and retired professor of nuclear engineering and former department head at Penn State, died June 14 in State College, Pa. The Penn State Nuclear Engineering Society recently honored him as a ''visionary and innovator in the establishment of the United States nuclear power industry.''  Read full story here. (6/07)

ROTORCRAFT RESEARCHERS GARNER NASA ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - ( University Park, Pa.) –Edward Smith, professor of aerospace engineering; Mark Maughmer, associate professor of aerospace engineering; and Jianhua Zhang, research associate in mechanical engineering, won a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Group Achievement Award. Their group, whose focus is heavy lift rotorcraft systems investigations, includes researchers from NASA, the U. S. Army, the University of Maryland and Iowa University. The Group Achievement award is presented to research teams comprised of government and non-government personnel, for outstanding accomplishment in areas pertinent to NASA’s goals. Quality results, effective cost and schedule management, customer satisfaction, development of innovative approaches and capacity for future contribution are among the criteria considered. The award and medal will be presented later this summer in a recognition ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. Congratulations! (6/07)

PSU Mechanical Engineering Alumnus, Thomas Ryan, Nominated for 2008 SAE International President - SAE International's Annual Nominating Committee named Thomas W. Ryan III, Ph.D., as its candidate for 2008 SAE President. Ryan holds master's and doctorate degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Ryan is Institute Engineer at the Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research Division for Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). He manages an industry consortium and a consulting service operated by SwRI for global engine and component manufacturers. He has managed projects for engine original equipment manufacturers, fuels and lubricants companies, and agencies of the U.S. government. 

For the full article on Ryan please visit the SAE International website.

University Park, Pa. — Timothy Simpson, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and engineering design, and director of the College's product realization minor, has been selected as the new director of the Learning Factory.

He will replace John Lamancusa, professor of mechanical engineering, who co-founded the facility in 1994. Read full story here. (5/07)

Engineering Commencement Held - More than 760 students received their bachelor's degrees at the College of Engineering’s spring commencement ceremony held on Friday, May 18 at the Bryce Jordan Center. This year's speaker was be Janet Cunningham, president of JBC Associates, Inc. The title of her address was ''Accept the Challenge.'' Read full story here. (5/07)

Nuclear Engineering Student Receives Outstanding Student Presentation Award - Jose Duo, a Nuclear Engineering Student at Penn State was selected to receive the American Nuclear Society Outstanding Student Presentation Award for his paper entitled "Singular Characteristic Tracking Algorithm for Improved Solution Accuracy of the Discrete Ordinates Methods with Isotropic Scattering".  The ANS M&C conference was held in Monterey, California April 15-19, 2007. Congratulations Jose! (5/07)

The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering announces the promotion of three of its faculty; Dr. Mary Frecker, Dr. Eric Marsh and Dr. Matthew Mench. Read full story here. (5/07)

The Penn State FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) Team placed 17th at the 27th Annual Formula SAE Competition.  The Team, advised by Gita Talmage, competed against approximately 106 teams from 12 countries including Australia, Finland, Japan, and Venezuela to finish in seventeenth place at the 27th Annual Formula SAE Competition held in Romeo, Michigan May 16 - 20, 2007. They also placed second in skid pad, fourth in acceleration, ninth in the Cost Competition, and tied for fourth place in the Design Competition. Read full story here. (5/07)

Learning Factory Celebrates it's 25th Anniversary Student Project Showcase - The College of Engineering hosted the College's first Engineering Educators & Industry Partners Day and the Learning Factory Student Project Showcase on May 3 at the HUB-Robeson Center.  The event focused on student and industry engagement and the importance of industry sponsored, real-world projects. The event was a great opportunity for students, engineering educators and industry leaders to network and share ideas and goals. Read full story here. (5/07)

Professor Kon-Well Wang to Receive the 2007 N.O. Myklestad Award - Kon-Well Wang, William E. Diefenderfer Chaired Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Structural Dynamics and Controls Laboratory has been selected to receive the 2007 N.O. Myklestad Award from The Technical Committee on Vibration and Sound (TCVS) of the ASME Design Engineering Division.  The award was established in 1991 and is presented in recognition of a major innovative contribution to vibration engineering. The award will be presented at the Biennial Conference on Mechanical Vibration and Noise to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, September 4-7, 2007.

Congratulations Kon-Well!

C. Y. Wang, MNE faculty member, and Breazeale Nuclear Reactor, a facility used by MNE faculty,  both highlighted in latest issue of Materials Research Institute’s Focus on Material. http://www.mri.psu.edu/articles/07w/FoM_w07/index.asp

INIE Mini-Grant Program in the News - See the Centre Daily Times article on the INIE Mini-Grant Program, (Innovations and Enhancements for a Consortium of Big-Ten University Research and Training Reactors), http://www.centredaily.com/116/story/71899.html.

The INIE Mini-Grant Program provides grants to businesses, colleges, Department of Energy national laboratories, high schools and industries. The goal of the grants is to widen participation in the field of nuclear science and technology. This program is made possible by the U.S. Department of Energy.  For more information on this program visit the INIE Mini-Grant website at http://www.mne.psu.edu/minigrant/.

Two ME Students Awarded the 2007 DOE Technical Internship Career Awards - The Office of Student Development announced today that two mechanical engineering students have been awarded the 2007 Department of Energy Technical Internship Career Program Awards. Michael Ducker, Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering and Justin Weber, Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering, are this year's students chosen to participate in this program funded by the Department of Energy to encourage students to pursue a career in energy at the Department of Energy. Read full story here. (4/07)

Spring 2007 Undergraduate Commencement will be Friday, May 18^th beginning at 8:00 p.m., at the Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA.

The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering is hosting a dessert buffet in honor of our Spring 2007 B.S. degree candidates.  Invitations have been mailed to Spring 2007 Graduates’ home addresses.  All Spring 2007 B.S. degree candidates and their families/guests are welcome to join us to celebrate their accomplishments.  RSVP's are due to the Undergrad Office by May 4th.  The reception is Friday, May 18^th from 5:30-7:30PM in the South Annex of the Bryce Jordan Center. Graduates must be in their seats for the ceremony by 7:30PM.

If you have any questions, please contact Erin Swanger at 814-863-1503 or ESwanger@psu.edu.
(4/07)

Two ME Professors Receive PSES Awards - Sean Brennan and Chao-Yang Wang received awards from the College of Engineering's allumni constituent organization (PSES) at an awards ceremony that was held on Friday, March 31, 2007, at Kunkle Lounge, Hammond Building.

Sean Brennan, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering received the Outstanding Teaching Award. The award acknowledges faculty who show a special talent and commitment to teaching.

Chao-Yang Wang, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Director of the Electrochemical Engine Center, received the Premier Research Award. The award goes to an individual whose contributions to scientific knowledge through research are exemplary and internationally acclaimed. (4/07)

To see photos of the awards ceremony please click here.

Simpson Honored for Excellence in Academic Integration (from the PSU Newswire, University park, PA) -- Timothy W. Simpson, professor of mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and engineering design at Penn State’s University Park campus, has been awarded the 2007 President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Integration. Read full story here. (3/07)

Jack S. Brenizer Jr. Awarded J. 'Lee' Everett Professorship in Engineering - Jack S. Brenizer jr., Chair of Nuclear Engineering and Professor of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering will be the first recipient of the J. 'Lee' Everett Professorship in Engineering.  The J. 'Lee' Everett Professorship is the fourth endowed position in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering; the first three being the Diefenderfer Chair established in 2000, and the Guillet Professorship established in 2003, and the Arthur Glenn Professorship established in 2005. Read full story here. (3/07)

Mechanical engineering course has students developing new tools for doctors, health-care providers - (by Curtis Chan, COE) When we think about the essentials to the classroom, paper, pens, and books comes to mind. Perhaps a highlighter or some white out. But, most will never have the vas deferens of a bull on special order, or a biopsy needle used in surgery or a special sheathing used in endoscopic procedures. For the students of Mary Frecker's mechanical engineering class, these special items are the essentials for the classroom. Read full story here. (3/07)

Memorial Bike Ride Held (University Park, PA) - A memorial bike ride to honor professor of mechanical engineering, Bohdan Kulakowski was held on Sunday, March 25, 2007. The ride started in State College and proceeded to the memorial site on Warner Drive in Boalsburg. Bicyclists rode in honor of Kulakowski, who was tragically killed March 2006 while riding his bike home from work on campus. Bike trailers hauled flowers that were placed at the "ghost bike" memorial.

Kulakowski is sadly missed by the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering and the bicycling community. The Department has an on-line memorial book for the family located at http://www.mne.psu.edu/NewsandEvents/bohdan-service.html. If you would like to contribute a memorial statement for the memorial book you may submit your statement to the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering via e-mail to: MNE Webmaster. Memorial statements will be taken until the end of April 2007.

For more on this story please visit the Centre Daily Times website, and also the Centre Region Bicycle Coalition website. (3/07)

AREVA - Penn State Alumni Luncheon Held (Lynchburg, VA) – Dr. Karen Thole, Department Head of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering; Dr. Jack Brenizer (PhD NucE 1981), Chair of the Nuclear Engineering Program; and Liz Larsen, Director of Major Gifts, recently invited Penn State Alumni working at AREVA to a luncheon that was held in Lynchburg, Virginia on Monday, February 26, 2007. Read full story here. (3/07)

Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) Group to Receive Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Award - The Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Award has been awarded to members of the team of Penn State, Harvard, Duke, Ohio State, and University of British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Shashi Phoha, Director of Information Science Division at the Applied Research Laboratory is the Principal Investigator of this project, with Dr. Asok Ray, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering taking the lead on the major research thrust area. The research project will be dedicated to both theoretical and experimental aspects of fundamental research in Sensor Networks for enhancement of Information Fusion. Read full story here. (3/07)