August 2017

AHOYA!

ENGINEERS

 
 

Ahoya august 2017 Newsletter

Marquette welcomes new class of engineers

The Opus College of Engineering welcomed 350 new students to the college as part of Marquette University’s 137th incoming class — one of the largest and most diverse to enter the college.

“We’re thrilled to welcome another new class of engineers into our Marquette family,” said Dr. Kristina Ropella, Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering. “I know these students will do wonderful, inspiring work in their next several years here with us, and we look forward to being a key partner in their success.”

As part of this year’s incoming class are the first recipients of two new Opus College scholarships for first-generation students. One Donald J. and Frances I. Herdrich Scholar and four Michael J. Cudahy Scholars each received full-tuition, room-and-board scholarships for their Marquette education. There are also three new Opus Scholars as part of the incoming class.

 

Incoming Class Infograph  
   

Dr. Daniel Zitomer named interim chair of Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Daniel Zitomer, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering and director of the Water Quality Center, has been named interim chair of that department for the 2017-18 academic year.

“Dr. Zitomer has demonstrated the qualities and gifts of a servant leader in a number of roles here in our college, and I know that he will serve this department well in his new capacity,” said Dr. Kristina Ropella, Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering.

Opus College leadership will conduct a new department chair search during the coming academic year and will invite both internal and external candidates to apply. A search committee will be appointed within the next semester.

Tyler Grymkoski
Dr. Daniel Zitomer, P.E.

Marquette engineers spend summer researching, practicing across the globe

Opus College of Engineering faculty and students spent parts of their summers putting engineering into practice while exploring the globe:

• Drs. Lars Olson, interim chair of biomedical engineering; Anthony Parolari, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering; and Walter McDonald, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, visited faculty at the Jesuit Universities of Central America in Nicaragua and El Salvador to explore opportunities for collaborative research, senior design projects and student/faculty exchange programs.

• Drs. Robert Scheidt, professor of biomedical engineering; Henry Medeiros, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering; and Scott Beardsley, associate professor of biomedical engineering, visited the University of Genoa in Italy to develop grant proposals with faculty at the university to be submitted to the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.

• Dr. Baolin Wan, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, along with four current engineering students, traveled to China to visit several universities and organizations to learn more about construction engineering in the country. The trip provided many cultural excursions and experiences, including a trip to the Great Wall of China.

Engineers Without Borders Marquette traveled to Guatemala to construct a pedestrian bridge in the rural community of El Aguacate. The team also assessed a project to bring clean drinking water to more than 300 taps, and revisited past project sites to evaluate social impact and structural integrity. Does your work as an engineer take you to interesting places? If so, share your photos with us for a chance to be featured in an upcoming edition of Ahoya! newsletter.

EWB Guatemala Bridge
Upper: Dr. Baolin Wan and students in China
Lower left: Jesuit Universities of Central America
Lower right: EWB bridge project

   
   
   
   
 

Registration open for Girls Who Code

Marquette’s Girls Who Code is seeking participants for a weekly coding club for fifth- through 12th-grade students who will meet on campus every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from September through April. This national program aims to inspire, educate and teach girls computing skills with the goal of closing the gender gap in technology.

Participation, including instruction, space and materials is free, however a donation is recommended to help offset costs. Registration can be completed online by Tuesday, Sept. 12.

For additional questions, contact the Office of Enrollment Management and Outreach at (414) 288-6720.

M.E. in STEM Teaching seeking applicants

Marquette University’s Opus College of Engineering and College of Education have been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship to develop and implement a 14-month Master of Education degree program for new science, technology, engineering and math teachers.

Applicants to this accelerated program, which will begin in summer 2018, must have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline. Applications will be available beginning in fall 2017.

Grants and awards

Congratulations to the following individuals and groups on their recent accomplishments:

• Drs. Nathan Weise, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering, and Anthony Bowman, research assistant professor in mechanical engineering, have received a $632,437 award from the U.S. Department of Energy titled, “Advanced Parallel Resonant 1MHz, 1MW, Three Phase AC-to-DC Ultra-Fast EV Charger.” Their project will develop a small, compact, lightweight and efficient 1MW battery charger for electric vehicles that, if successful, could help dramatically reduce charging times to a matter of minutes for large batteries.

• Dr. Daniel Zitomer, professor and interim chair of civil, construction and environmental engineering and director of the Water Quality Center, was designated as a 2017 Water Environment Federation Fellow for his achievements, stature and contributions in the water profession.

• Dr. Nabeel Demerdash, professor of electrical and computer engineering, received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from the Marquis Who’s Who Publication Board.

• Jeff LaJeunesse, doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering under Dr. John Borg, professor and chair of mechanical engineering, won a best poster award for his research, “Resolving the Dynamic Behavior of Earth Materials Using a Pressure-Shear Configuration,” at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency program review in D.C. this past July. The DTRA program review consists of presentations from approximately 50 DTRA-funded universities.

Upcoming events

National Academies Workshop: The Role of Advanced Technologies in Structural Engineering for More Resilient Communities, presentation by Dr. Ting Lin, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Tuesday, September 26

Emerging Contaminants in Water and Wastewater Short Course: Hosted by Dr. Patrick McNamara, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
Tuesday, October 24 and Wednesday, October 25

Engineering on social media — join the conversation!

For the latest real-time updates on the Opus College of Engineering, follow us on social media and be sure to like, comment and share to help spread the word:

 
 

Mailing address:

1250 W. Wisconsin Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53233

 
 
 



©