[Faculty] SDSU Fall 2015 Engineering Newsletter

[Marcie Morihiro]

Hi Everyone,

Below please find the Fall 2015 Engineering Newsletter, thank you!

Marcie Morihiro
Assistant to the Dean
College of Engineering
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-1326

Office:  E-203B
Phone:  619-594-6062
E-mail:  mmorihiro at mail.sdsu.edu



The College of Engineering Newsletter
October 2015 Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences (EIS) Complex *Dean's
Message*

We are half way through the Fall 2015 semester and the College of
Engineering is buzzing with excitement.  In just a few weeks, we will be
breaking ground for the $90M Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences
(EIS) Complex.  Engineering is the fastest growing discipline at San Diego
State University. Our enrollment has reached its peak at 3,878. We welcomed
759 new first-time Freshmen, 248 new transfer undergraduate students, and
169 new graduate students.  Our students continue to place high in national
and international competitions.

We also welcomed two new department chairs and four new faculty all with
outstanding qualifications. In addition, searches are underway for eight
more faculty positions. In parallel with increasing enrollment, the
research awards to the Engineering faculty increased by 16% in 2014-15.
Engineering faculty continue to excel in their fields and receive national
and international recognition.

Our friends, alumni and advisory board members are stepping up, more than
ever before, to help us achieve our goals by generously donating their
time, expertise, and gifts for endowed chairs, scholarships, and the EIS
Complex.

Please take a moment to go over our Fall 2015 newsletter and share our
excitement about the achievements of the College of Engineering students
and faculty.

Morteza Monte Mehrabadi, Ph.D., ASME Fellow
Dean of the College of Engineering

______________________
* MESA Program *contributes to Student Success: The MESA 2015 graduating
class of 64 STEM majors was one of the program's largest. At the 31st
annual End of Year reception, graduates were honored and $17,000 in
scholarships were presented by alumni and industry supporters; including
Northrop Grumman, Rick Engineering, Pratt & Whitney AeroPower, Solar
Turbines, and UTC Aerospace Systems.

______________________

*The Dean's Advisory Board*


Stephen P. Doyle ( '80 B.S. CivE), J.D.
President, Sandy Point Properties, LLC
Chair of Engineering Dean's Advisory Board

Today’s College of Engineering, Dean’s Advisory Board is made up of 28
leaders in Industry. Key Executive Officers and company owners meet
formally as a Board twice each year.

In addition, Board members volunteer additional time to work on one of
three committees formed to dig deeper into specific College of Engineering
issues. The Student Success Committee, Chaired by Tom Franklin, a partner
with Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton, LLP, is focused on student mentoring,
leadership and curriculum issues.

The Industry Partners Committee, co-Chaired by Pedro Orso-Delgado, former
City Manager for the City of Santee and Frank Flores, VP of Engineering for
Global Products at Northrop Grumman, are working to improve industry and
College relations through coordination of research and internship programs.
And, David Barach, Principal Partner at Cepheus Capital Partners is
directing the Development Committee which is seeking to spread the reach of
the University to alumni and industry friends, focused on the new
Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences Building.

This Board is active and engaged, with big plans and big programs in the
works!

______________________

*The Associated Engineering Students Council (AESC) Representative*

Anachristina Morino and SDSU alumae, Diane Denkler, '62.

*Anachristina Morino, the AESC representative* is a 4th year Aerospace
Engineering student with a Minor in Business Management. Diane Denkler, the
first female to graduate from the College of Engineering at SDSU, offers
Anachristina guidance and inspiration.

"I have been able to take on any obstacle I face and continue doing the
things I love. She taught me that combing passion with hard work, is what
makes a female successful in the male dominated field of engineering.

I have been able to succeed in my classes and balance my time for all my
activities, all while still managing to get enough sleep, thanks to Diane."

Annachristina Morino and SDSU alumnus, Jordan Evans, '93.

This past summer, SDSU students along with Alumni, participated in the the
JPL Summer Internship Program which offers a 10-week, full-time, summer
internship opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing
degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

As part of their internships, students are partnered with JPL scientists or
engineers, who serve as the students' mentors. Students complete designated
projects outlined by their mentors, gaining educational experience in their
fields of study while also contributing to NASA and JPL missions and
science.

Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a number of
enrichment activities, including tours, lectures and career advisement,
arranged by the JPL Education Office.

______________________

*Calendar*

*Engineering Advisory Board Meeting*
Friday, October 30, 2015. Templo Mayor, Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union,
SDSU.

*The EIS Groundbreaking Ceremony*
Friday, November 6, 2015. Construction Site of EIS Complex, SDSU.

*Engineering Design Day*
Wednesday, May 4, 2016, 1:00 PM-4:00 PM at Montezuma Hall.

*Engineering Senior Banquet*
Thursday, May 5, 2016, 5:30 PM-7:30 PM at Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.

______________________

*SDSU Campaign*

* Class of 2015 Leaves a Lasting Legacy*
Instead of a fountain, picnic bench or sculpture commemorating their time
at SDSU, this year’s graduating class is leaving a legacy through
philanthropy, having raised nearly $25,000 for scholarships that will
benefit Aztecs in the years to come. *READ MORE*
<http://www.sdsualumni.org/redirect.aspx?linkID=14651&eid=547643>



The groundbreaking for the new EIS Complex which will fuel SDSU's drive to
become a top-50 public research university will take place on November 6,
2015. The facility will double the College's teaching space and will
enhance the current research capacities of the Colleges of Engineering and
Science. It will also boost SDSU's ability to attract the best and
brightest graduate students and researchers.

The complex will house state-of-the-art research laboratories for renewable
energy systems, biomedical engineering, and wireless communications. It
will also house several interdisciplinary research and entrepreneurship
centers including the Viromics Institute, the Smart Health Institute, and
an imaging laboratory for brain research.

The construction of the EIS Complex will be completed in Fall 2017.



Mechatronics Team Wins Top Prize in International Competition *The SDSU
Mechatronics Club* took first place and a cash prize of $6,000, in the 18th
Annual Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and
Office of Naval Research's (ONR), RoboSub Competition that was held in July
2015.   The Mechatronics Club competed against 38 teams from around the
world and finalists included National University of Singapore, Maritime
State University (Russia), California Institute of Technology, University
of Arizona, Far Eastern Federal University (Russia), and Amador Valley High
School.   The Mechatronics team was invited to the office of San Diego
Mayor, Kevin Faulconer who congratulated them on their achievement. [image:
Mechatronics] Three Construction Engineering Teams Place High in Reno
Competition

*Construction Engineering students* attending the ASC (Associated Schools
of Construction) national competition in Reno, Nevada, and won first place
in both Electrical, and in Virtual Design and Construction categories. They
also took third place in the Preconstruction Services category.

The winning teams from left to right: VDC, Preconstruction, and Electrical

Two New Chairs and Four New Faculty Join the College of Engineering

The College of Engineering welcomes two new Department Chairs and four new
faculty who joined the College as Assistant Professors in Fall 2015. They
are:

   - *Dr. John Abraham*, Professor and Chair, Department of Mechanical
   Engineering
   - *Dr. Sahar Ghanipoor Machiani*, Assistant Professor, Department of
   Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
   - *Dr. Parag Katira*, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical
   Engineering
   - *Dr. Chris Mi*, Professor and Chair, Department of Electrical and
   Computer Engineering
   - *Dr. Xianfeng Yang*, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil,
   Construction and Environmental Engineering
   - *Dr. George Youssef*, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical
   Engineering

Faculty Honors and Awards

*Recipient of the DOE Early Career Award*

* Dr. Ilenia Battiato*, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
received the DOE Young Investigator award totaling $750,000 over five
years. The ultimate goal of Dr. Battiato's research is to better understand
how carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration works. CO2 sequestration is used for
controlling atmospheric carbon emissions. It works by trapping CO2 in
geologic formations for thousands of years.
*$1.5M Award to Study Ship Safety and Durability*

* Dr. Robert Dowell*, Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental
Engineering received two multi-year ship research projects from NASSCO,
totaling $1.5 million.  This research which aims at improving ship safety
and durability, initiates an important collaboration between NASSCO and
SDSU. *NSF Grant Awarded for Studying Sustainable Sanitation and
Energy Recovery*

* Dr. Natalie Mladenov*, Assistant Professor of Civil, Construction, and
Environmental Engineering received a $249,304 grant from NSF for the
"US-South Africa Collaboration on Sustainable Sanitation and Energy and
Resource Recovery from  Wastewater" that will provide important research
experience for SDSU students visiting the University of KwaZulu-Natal and
offer new sustainable technologies for South African communities. *Engin
Awarded Humboldt Research Fellowship*

* Dr. Ege Engin*, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering has been awarded the Humboldt Research Fellowship. The
fellowship starts in December 2015.   Dr. Kee Moon   Dr. Yusuf Ozturk *ME
and ECE Faculty Design Wireless Multi-sensor for Health Monitoring*

*Dr. Kee Moon*, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and *Dr.* *Yusuf
Ozturk*, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering have invented a
comprehensive multi-sensor wireless wearable platform for smart health
monitoring applications. This is the first collaborative invention
disclosure applied from the new Area of Excellence: Smart Health Institute. The
health monitoring system is the state of the art technology developed to
meet one of the fastest growing medical research and markets due to
increasing aging population and associated diseases. The new small wearable
wireless platform will connect patients and healthcare providers globally
and continuously with the most advanced diagnostic and data transmission
technology.
*ME Faculty Conducts Tests Aboard International Space Station*

Professor of Mechanical Engineering*, Dr. Subrata Bhattacharjee, *conducted
20 tests aboard International Space Station in February, July, and August
of 2014. His NASA grant was also renewed last year. *May-Newman will chair
Gordon Research Conference in 2017*

* Dr. Karen May-Newman*, Professor of Mechanical Engineering will serve as
vice-chair of a Gordon Research Conference in 2015; she will be chair in
2017. *Sarkar Serves on IEEE Globecom 2015 Conference Technical Committee*

* Dr. Sweta Sarkar*, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, will serve as Vice Chair for the Technical Program Committee
of the IEEE Globecom 2015 conference to be held in San Diego in December
2015. The conference received a record number of 2000+ article submissions
this year.  *The 2015 Outstanding Engineering Faculty*

Each year, SDSU recognizes outstanding faculty for their contributions to
teaching, research and community service. *Dr. Sunil Kumar*, Professor of
Electrical & Computer Engineering, was a recipient of the 2015 Faculty
Montys Award for his research in the wireless area.

He has received and participated in extramural grants totaling $3.5M from
the NSF, US Air Force, California Energy Commission and industry since he
joined SDSU 9 years ago. He actively involves students in his research
projects. His former students are employed by leading wireless companies
including Apple, Qualcomm, Cisco, and Sony. *The Outstanding Associate
Editor Recognition*

* Dr. Satish Sharma*, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was
recognized as the Outstanding Associate Editor, IEEE Transaction Antennas
and Propagation, July 2014 by IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society. *Nature
Physics Article on Brittle Granular Media*

* Dr. Julio Valdes* and his student *Pouya Golshan*, along with coworkers
Francois Guillard, Luming Shen, and Itai Einav, have recently published
their discovery of dynamic patterns of compaction as exhibited by brittle
porous media, in the top physics journal, *Nature Physics*.   They have
found that brittle porous media exhibit a variety of irreversible
compaction patterns that can be mapped in a single phase diagram using only
two dimensionless parameters. *The 2015 Provost's Outstanding Academic
Advising Award*

This award recognizes faculty, staff and peer advisers who provide
outstanding advising to SDSU students.  *Dr. Thais Alves*, Associate
Professor of Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering is a recipient
of the 2015 Provost's Outstanding Academic Advising Award. The 2015 Montys
Alumni Award The Montys Alumni Award honors those distinguished alumni who
have made signification contributions to SDSU, the San Diego community or
California, nationally or internationally.

The recipient of the 2015 Montys Alumni Award for the College of
Engineering is *Ziad Mansour *('82, BS Electrical Engineering; '86, MS
Electrical Engineering), leads the Digital Hardware group in Qualcomm CDMA
Technologies division as Senior Vice President of Engineering. Holding
patents in modem and low power implementation, he serves on the Engineering
Dean's Advisory Board with leaders of local industry, regional non-profit
organizations and alumni to help assure the highest quality of education
for tomorrow's Engineering workforce. Student Success & Accolades *David
Curran*, who is pursuing his Master's in Mechanical Engineering, and works
in the Combustion and Solar Energy Laboratory was awarded the prestigious
John and Barbara Yellott Award from the American Solar Energy Society
Graduate Student Award. This award is given to a single graduate student
nationwide each year who demonstrates high quality research and the
potential for future success in the solar energy field. Ph.D. student *Nathan
R. Labadie*, *Dr. Satish Sharma*, Professor of Electrical and Computer
Engineering, and Dr. G. Rebeiz (UCSD) are the recipients of the 2015 IEEE
Antennas and Propagation Harold A. Wheeler Applications Prize Paper Award.
They will be provided with a Certificate and a $1000 honorarium to be
divided among the awardees. Their paper, "A Circularly Polarized Multiple
Radiating Mode Microstrip Antenna for Satellite Receive Applications,”
appeared in IEEE Transactions on AP, vol.62, no. 7, pp.3490-3500, in 2014.

Two PhD Students: *Diletta Giuntini* and* Xialu Wei* received the First
Place Award for their presentation at the International Sintering 2014
Conference held in Dresden, Germany.

*Sergio Juarez*, MESA Mechanical Engineering graduate – was recipient of
the prestigious California State University Trustee's Award for Outstanding
Achievement. Juarez who completed an internship at the Idaho National
Laboratory through the Department of Energy, was accepted into SDSU's
Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering through his participation in
MESA.
*Amy Bigelow*, *Federick Pinongcos *and *Heather Tegley *– Environmental
Engineering students, were accepted to the International Research
Experience for Sustainable Sanitation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in
Durban, South Africa; this is a SDSU/CalPoly Pomonoa collaborative
project. Copyright
2015 San Diego State University

San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego CA 92182
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