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Students Present at ASEE Conference

During the week of June 14, 2015, several AME students presented papers at the annual conference for American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in Seattle, Washington. The ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition is the only conference dedicated to all disciplines of engineering education. It is committed to fostering the exchange of ideas, enhancing teaching methods and curriculum, and providing prime networking opportunities for engineering and technology education stakeholders such as deans, faculty members and industry and government representatives.

ASEE AME Attendees

Pictured from left to right: Madhumitha Ramachandran, M.S. student in industrial and systems engineering; Austin Burrus, senior in mechanical engineering; Dr. Diana Bairaktarova, College of Engineering Assistant Professor; Othman Bawareth, senior in mechanical engineering; and Nooshin Nassr, Ph.D. student in general engineering.

On Monday, June 15th, Ramachandran and Bawareth presented their paper, “Differences in Ethical Decision-Making between Experts and Novices,” in the Engineering Ethics Division. Bairaktarova said they did an excellent job, and she is so proud of them.

Austin Burrus will present today, June 16th. His paper is titled, “The Effect of Multilevel Examples,” which is in the Mechanical Engineering Division and the Thermodynamics, Fluids and Heat Transfer Session.

Nassr will be also present her paper today with Bairaktarova titled, “Special Skills Development in Engineering Students: Identifying Instructional Tools to Incorporate into Existing Curricula,” in the First-Year Program Divisions, Hands-on Projects and Spatial Skills.

Click here for more information about the ASEE Conference.

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The Baker Hughes 21st Century Co-op

In 2013, Baker Hughes teamed up with the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering at the University of Oklahoma to start a partnership with its students and Baker Hughes known as the 21st Century Co-op. The BHI 21st Century Co-op is a five year accelerated Bachelor of Science/Master of Science degree program in mechanical engineering or petroleum engineering. In addition to the required courses for both degrees, the BHI 21st Century Co-op curriculum includes customized courses offered by faculty and BHI engineers during summer internships, a senior capstone course, graduate cross-disciplinary courses and graduate theses all relevant to Baker Hughes and its initiatives.Baker Hughes Scholars

Through the BHI 21st Century Co-op, sophomores studying mechanical and/or petroleum engineering are invited to apply for the program. Students must submit an application including a resume, transcripts and an essay. Baker Hughes personnel interview a short list of candidates, and in consultation with the OU mentors, invite sophomores to become BHI Scholars. Baker Hughes and the OU mentors seek students who want to further their education with a master’s degree and those who are very career-driven with high professional goals.

“Integrity, teamwork, performance, learning and courage are the core values of Baker Hughes. These traits are what it takes to be a BHI Scholar,” said Jerry Varughese, mechanical engineering junior and BHI Scholar. “Our team seeks individuals who are willing to go above and beyond expectations. Our team looks for individuals who are willing to work hard but also always ready to learn.”

The aim of the program over the next three years is to enable BHI Scholars to work as a team on different aspects of a challenge problem identified by the BHI mentor. This year 11 BHI Scholars worked on the challenge problem. The mechanical engineering BHI Scholars are Wiley Abbott, Miles Burnett, Eric Douglas, Brandon McCabe, Chris Sanders and Jerry Varughese. The petroleum engineering BHI Scholars are Bryan Bodie, Pamela Duarte, Dallas Milligan, Dana Saeed and Alex Smith.

“The mix of petroleum and mechanical engineers brings a unique dynamic that allows us to constantly keep learning different perspectives,” said Eric Douglas, mechanical engineering senior and BHI Scholar. “The best part of this experience is the ability to work as a team.”

Something different with this program is its focus on interdisciplinary and collaborative learning. “Taking both petroleum and mechanical engineering classes is beneficial to creating a diverse educational background that will brand the BHI Scholars as a more valuable asset in the workplace, as well as well-rounded engineers,” said Dallas Milligan, petroleum engineering sophomore and BHI Scholar. “Having a perspective from both disciplines gives the BHI Scholars a chance to see problems from a different view, which can make all the difference in creating a unique solution.”

BHI 1 CroppedOn April 26, 2015, the Baker Hughes Scholars presented their solutions to the challenge problem to BHI mentor and engineer Larry Watkins. The challenge presented to the BHI Scholars focused on an overview of unconventional hydrocarbon resources, primarily shale plays and to review and identify the go forward challenges facing development of shale.Baker Hughes Co-op

On April 27, 2015, Rustom Mody, Vice President/Chief Engineer for Baker Hughes Enterprise Technology and the principal sponsor of the BHI 21st Century Co-op Program, presented a check for $160,000 in support of the program.

“The commitment from both Baker Hughes and the faculty sponsors to the program is encouraging. The faith they have in the scholars as they develop us into future contributors to the oil and gas industry definitely drives us to do our best,” said Alex Smith, junior in petroleum engineering and BHI Scholar. “Having this support system to challenge and force us out of our academic comfort zone has been my favorite part of this experience.”

Faculty sponsors of the BHI 21st Century Co-op are Farrokh Mistree, AME; Maysam Pournik, PGE; Chandra Rai, PGE; and Zahed Siddique, AME. For additional information, please contact Farrokh Mistree, farrokh.mistree@ou.edu.

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Bairaktarova Featured on Current Conversations

Dr. Diana Bairaktarova, Assistant Professor of Engineering Practice, was recently featured on Current Conversations with Robert Con Davis-Undiano. Dr. Bairaktarova discusses her research and focuses on design thinking and the human experience.

This one-on-one lively forum features people who are making a difference in the world—scientists, educators, humanists, writers, and artists. The goal is to focus on people who function as “bridge builders,” or people in the culture who are making important connections between areas of knowledge.Each week the show finds relevant connections between people and areas of knowledge that really matter and gives its viewers a close-up perspective on important developments changing the world around them.

“I hope people will watch the show and be delighted at the research that’s being done at the University of Oklahoma,” Davis-Undiano said. “It’s a chance to meet some accomplished and brilliant people.”

Bairaktarova’s Research

Design Thinking

Designers

 

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Garg’s Research Advances

Jivtesh GargDr. Jivtesh Garg, AME Assistant Professor, and fellow research members recently developed a model that explains how heat flows between objects separated by gaps of less than a nanometer. The team has developed an atomistic framework that successfully predicts the magnitude of heat transfer across all gaps ranging from finite sizes all the way to perfect contact. The work overcomes the shortcomings of previous continuum based models which predict a diverging behavior at short length scales.

Through this model the team demonstrated that at gaps of few atomic layers, lattice vibrations (phonons) can tunnel through (normally associated with conduction heat transfer) in addition to heat transfer through evanescent electromagnetic modes (near-field radiation) blurring the separation between conduction and radiation at short length scales. By using microscopic Maxwell’s equations energy transfer was directly expressed in terms of short-range forces and long-range Coulomb forces between atoms on either side of a gap avoiding the need for use of any bulk macroscopic properties such as the dielectric constant. Such a purely atomistic framework of describing heat transfer can also benefit from ab-initio calculations that provide short-range interactions through solution of the underlying quantum-mechanical problem.

The work has implications for practical applications where heat transfer at small gaps is becoming increasingly relevant such as heat-assisted magnetic recording and nano-structured aerogel materials. By providing an accurate atomistic description the work also paves way for development of non-local dielectric constant which can be integrated into continuum models allowing an easier prediction of thermal transport at these small gaps.

The research team is made up of Vazrik Chiloyan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Keivan Esfarjani, Rutgers University; Gang Chen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Jivtesh Garg. To view the paper regarding the team’s work, please click here. Additionally, the team’s work was recently featured in MIT News.

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AME Selected to Participate in TECAID Program

Tecaid LogoThe School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma was selected in late February to participate in a program called Transforming Engineering Culture to Advance Inclusion and Diversity (TECAID). As part of the program’s initiative, TECAID selected five U.S. Mechanical Engineering departments from across the country who are working to improve diversity and inclusion related to race, gender and other social identities and that wished to benefit from an infusion of support and expertise.

“We, at AME, were thrilled to be selected for the TECAID program, because we have a vision of a fully inclusive mechanical engineering program and we see this as a great opportunity to help us reach that goal,” said Rebecca Norris, AME’s office manager and member of the TECAID team.

As part of the TECAID program, each department will define a diversity and inclusion change project and work together toward achieving their goals. Expected departmental outcomes include more diversity, less bias, greater inclusion and a more informed, responsible academic citizenry in matters of gender, race, sexual orientation and other social identities. Participation in this program means that the team from AME will attend three workshops over the next year and will also meet online.

“I am very excited about our participation in the TECAID program as one of the five mechanical engineering departments in the nation,” said Altan. “The program will give us a tremendous opportunity to transform engineering culture to advance inclusion and diversity. We have formed an outstanding AME team who will work with the national leaders to develop and implement effective strategies to enhance the recruitment, retention and success of underrepresented groups in mechanical engineering at OU.”

AME’s department team includes AME Director M. Cengiz Altan, Associate Professor J. David Baldwin, Associate Professor Wilson Merchan-Merchan, Professor Zahed Siddique and Rebecca Norris. This team will rely heavily on input from faculty members, especially female colleagues and those from underrepresented groups. AME believes the transformation of our school has to be driven from within, with the perception that the “majority” is driving the change.

“The TECAID program will help us discover more effective ways to recruit and retain underrepresented students in mechanical engineering to ensure that we are providing learning opportunities to top students from all groups,” said Siddique.

Please click here for more information.

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Charles W. Bert, 1929-2015

Charles BertThe AME family lost one of its valuable members, Dr. Charles W. Bert, on February 3, 2015. Bert began his journey at the University of Oklahoma in 1963, where he served the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering as a Professor for 41 years before retiring in 2004. During this time, Bert served as Director from 1972-1978 and again in 1990-1995. He also held the Benjamin H. Perkinson Chair during his time at AME. In 1981, he was the recipient of the highest recognition for research at the University of Oklahoma—the George Lynn Cross Research Professorship. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2011.

“I am deeply saddened to lose one of our best. Charlie was a giant in the broad field of mechanics and composite materials,” said M. Cengiz Altan, AME Director. “He has been such a positive influence on me since I started my career at OU. He has always been supportive and provided encouragement to many AME faculty, as well as to countless undergraduate and graduate students. I will miss him greatly as a mentor and a friend.”

Charles Bert

Bert’s work in composite materials earned him an international reputation in the field; he authored and co-authored 205 papers in refereed journals, published one monograph, edited three books, produced 13 book chapters and 158 other papers. In connection with his research, he mentored 26 doctoral students and over 40 master’s students. He was a registered Professional Engineer, and consulted on numerous projects including the design of the propulsion clutch for the USS Nautilus (first nuclear submarine), first annular air-oil shock absorber, steel-belted radial tires and NASA Space Shuttle payload-bay doors. Charlie was elected as Fellow to seven technical organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Society for Composites.

“Dr. Bert was a great mentor and guided me well throughout my career. His reputation and research accomplishments were spread worldwide. In international or national meetings I attended, there were always people who enquired about him when they saw my name tag mentioning OU,” said Subramanyam R. Gollahalli, AME Professor. “Above all, he was a great person. We miss him very much.”

The AME family would like to send its deepest condolences to the Bert family. Charlie’s kind heart, his encouraging words and supportive attitude along with his teaching, excellent research contributions and his friendship will be dearly missed by all.

Bert Family

CHARLES WESLEY BERT, III—Obituary

Charles Wesley Bert, III was born November 11, 1929 in Chambersburg, PA to Charles W. and Gladys R. Bert. He passed away surrounded by his loving family on February 3, 2015 in Norman, OK. Charlie was a quiet gentleman who truly cared for others. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. He is now with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in Heaven. Charlie grew up in Greencastle, PA and graduated from Greencastle High School in 1947. He received two mechanical engineering degrees: a Bachelor of Science degree in 1951 and a Master of Science degree in 1956 from Pennsylvania State University. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserve, proudly served on active duty during the Korean War from 1952-54 and retired as a Captain in 1963. Charlie worked at Fairchild Aircraft in Hagerstown, MD where he met his wife, Charlotte. They were married in 1957 and moved to Columbus, OH to pursue a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics at Ohio State University, graduating in 1961.

They moved to Norman in 1963 where Charlie served for 41 years as a Professor in the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, retiring in 2004. He served as Director of the School from 1972-78 and 1990-95. He was named a George Lynn Cross Research Professor in 1981 and held the Benjamin H. Perkinson Chair.

Charlie’s work in composite materials earned him an international reputation in the field; he authored or co-authored 205 papers in refereed journals, published one monograph, edited three books, produced 13 book chapters and 158 other papers. In connection with his research, he mentored 26 doctoral students and over 40 master’s students. He was a registered Professional Engineer, and consulted on numerous projects including the design of the propulsion clutch for the USS Nautilus (first nuclear submarine), first annular air-oil shock absorber, steel-belted radial tires and NASA Space Shuttle payload-bay doors. Charlie was elected as Fellow to seven technical organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Society for Composites. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2011. He was a longtime member of McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church and the Norman Club of Rotary International. Charlie was a huge Sooner football and basketball fan for over 50 years.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Charlotte Bert, Norman; a sister, Grace Cannon of Walnut Creek, CA; two sons, Charlie Bert and his wife Pam Bert of Oklahoma City, and David Bert and his wife Susan Bert of Edmond; granddaughters Bailey, Brianna and Alyssa Bert; grandson Michael Maples, US Navy and his wife Miranda Maples; and a great granddaughter, Mia Maples.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 12 at 2 p.m. at McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church, 419 S. University Blvd. in Norman, OK. Services are under the direction of Primrose Funeral Service, Norman, OK. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to The Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma, 720 W. Wilshire Blvd., Suite 109, Oklahoma City, OK 73116 or The University of Oklahoma Foundation (Bert Family Scholarship in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering), 100 Timberdell Road, Norman, OK 73019.

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Bairaktarova Practices Technology and Creativity in the Classroom

Diana Bairaktarova, Assistant Professor of Engineering Practice, utilizes technology in the classroom in more ways than one. In the spring of 2014, she recorded her thermodynamics lectures using an Apple iPad. Bairaktarova would then upload the lectures to D2L for the students to view along with their reading before they would meet to cover the material in class. This allowed class time to not be solely lecture-based. As time went on with the iPad being one of her biggest teaching tools, she knew the idea of students using the same technology would be very beneficial. After receiving financial support from the OU Center of Teaching Excellence, the use of iPads for her students became a reality. In the fall of 2014, the students in her thermodynamics section each had an iPad. With the help of a few apps, students used the iPads for everything for the course. At the beginning of each class period, Bairaktarova asked students questions, which they then answered using iClickers. Another bonus of using the iPads was that students were able to have all of their material and learning resources in one place from notes to lectures to homework. If they solved problems in class, it was available on their iPad for future reference. Students turned in homework using their iPads, which Bairaktarova would grade from the iPad and would even record her voice offering assistance to solve problems that may have been missed. While students worked on their end-of-semester creative group projects, they were able to virtually meet each other using the technology and working together when they could not meet.

iPads

“By using the newest technology and teaching students in interactive ways, I’m meeting them where they are in their current lives,” Bairaktarova said. “I am finding my students more engaged and providing more feedback in class.”

iPads

At the end of the semester, students were given a survey to identify what they enjoyed most about their thermodynamics class; the consensus was the use of the iPads and the creative group project. It is safe to say Bairaktarova’s use of technology and creativity was a fun and innovative way for engineering students to learn, even in a difficult subject like thermodynamics.

3Bairaktarova continues to use iPads in the spring 2015 semester in the design and manufacturing processes class. The above photos feature students from this course using their iPads.

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Chang Completes Textbook Series

Kuang-Hua ChangKuang-Hua Chang, AME and David Ross Boyd Professor, recently finished and published his fourth book in a four-book series. Chang was approached by Academic Press, a leading publisher of scientific books, in 2005 to write a textbook focused on computer aided engineering design. He began writing The Computer Aided Engineering Design Series in 2009 while on sabbatical leave, publishing two books in 2013 followed by the final two in 2014.

“I have been interested in writing such a book for a long time,” said Chang. “These books are very unique as many engineering design books discuss conventional design principles. This series focuses on modern e-Design paradigm, computer design tools, current technology and different perspectives.”

The textbooks target mechanical, aerospace and industrial engineers studying design as well as engineers interested in learning computer design tools such as Pro/ENGINEER® and SolidWorks® in the context of the e-Design paradigm. Chang also uses his textbooks to teach four courses at AME as electives for seniors and graduate students. These courses include Intro to CAD, Concurrent Design and Manufacturing, Computer-Integrated Manufacturing and Design Theory and Methods.

For more information on each textbook, please click the corresponding title:

“These books benefit the students while learning design,” said Chang. “It sets them up to learn the methods and tools used in the industry while allowing the students to be competitive in the field.”

Next on Chang’s to do list is combining all four books ranging from 418 pages to 549 pages into one single book, e-Design: Computer-Aided Engineering Design, to be published by Academic Press in 2015.

 

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Liu Receives Research Grant

Yingtao LiuAME Assistant Professor Yingtao Liu received a $15,000 research grant from the OU Research Council Faculty Investment Program to develop novel polymers with self-healing capability. Once complete, this exploratory project will be a solid foundation for the design, fabrication and development of multifunctional polymers and composites for aerospace, mechanical and civil engineering applications.

“We will focus on the synthesis and characterization of self-healing polymers in this project,” said Liu. “The self-healing process of the proposed polymers will mimic the biological systems that can autonomously repair the physical damage and recover the load ability after damage.”

Liu’s long term career goal is to develop an adaptive structural health management system for multi-physics damage diagnosis and prognosis by combining multifunctional materials, intelligent and multi-scale sensing, nondestructive evaluation, multi-scale and probabilistic modeling into a general framework. The successful development of intelligent materials and structural systems will be a game changing improvement of damage diagnosis, structural maintenance and risk management for various engineering applications. This project, which focuses on the self-healing capability, is one of the key elements in Liu’s long term research plan.

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AME Newsletter 2014

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR:

Greetings from the OU School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. It’s been a busy year with exciting developments in research, renovation, student success and faculty accomplishments. I would now like to share with you our annual e-newsletter for 2014.
Happy Holidays from all of us at AME!
Best regards,
Altan medium black copy

 

Newsletter_Cover_MyEmmaJ

Click Here to Read