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School of Engineering

November 2015 Update

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Fall 2015 eNews

Extra, extra!

Our latest newsletter is available online now. Here's a sampling of what's inside:

  • Dean's Message: How the SoE is answering Pope Francis' call to "educate the engineers of the future."

  • Computer Engineering grad students create software for visually impaired preschoolers.

  • Bioengineers win silver medal at international competition.

Read all the news here.

FACULTY, STAFF, AND SCHOOL NEWS:
New Faculty: This fall the School of Engineering welcomed four new tenure-track faculty members: Emre Araci (bioengineering), Yuhong Liu(computer engineering), Bill Lu (bioengineering), Ben Steichen (computer engineering), and Michael Taylor (mechanical engineering).
 Silvia Figueira (computer engineering) appears in the September 2015 edition of Insight Into Diversity as recipient of the 100 Inspiring Women in STEM Award (find her on page 54), recognizing exemplary women who inspire and encourage the next generation of young women to pursue careers in STEM.
IEEE logo  SCU's IEEE student chapter has won local, district, and Region 6 honors as best in the entire Western U.S. for their work growing student membership, reviving activity levels, and hosting regional meetings. Kudos to leaders Beeta Modarressi '13 '16, Nate Tucker '16, Blake Tsuzaki '17, and advisor Shoba Krishnan (electrical engineering).
 SCU wins silver medal at iGEM competition, the premier contest for synthetic biology. Bioengineering undergraduates Conary Meyer, Matt Kubit, and Carlos Medina teamed up with students from A&S and Law to participate in the international contest. The team was advised by Zhiwen (Jonathan) Zhang (bioengineering) and Bill Mains (business). Read more.
Christopher Kitts (mechanical engineering) served as an expert panelist at a press conference for NASA's Small Spacecraft Technology Program on Oct. 26, discussing current flight projects including the Edison Demonstration of Smallsat Networks (EDSN) mission. The EDSN mission, set for launch this fall, includes 8 interacting spacecrafts that SCU students will be controlling once in orbit.
Edwin Maurer (civil engineering) attended the Oct. 19 Summit on Climate Change and The Road Through Paris held at the White House, at which 81 of the major U.S. corporations in attendance signed the American Business Act on Climate Pledge. The Paris conference (Nov. 30 - Dec. 11) will strive to achieve a new international agreement on the climate, applicable to all countries, with the aim of keeping the global warming below 2° C. 
Nicole Morales Nicole Morales is the School of Engineering’s new Director of Digital Media Technologies! Nicole, senior administrative assistant in the Dean’s Office for the past four years, will now put her skill and creativity to work providing leadership in the development and implementation of the SoE’s website and digital media presence.
Hisham Said (civil engineering) was selected by the Construction Industry Institute (CII) to join its Breakthrough Strategy Group for his proposal on 3D Printing for Facilities Construction. This group is responsible for identifying breakthrough ideas that have the potential to create long-term research initiatives for the construction industry. 
Sukhmander Singh (civil engineering) was a participant among the eight nationally selected faculty members in the First Kazakhstan-USA Geotechnical Engineering workshop, July 12-16, held in Kazakhstan. The other faculties were from Universities of Delaware, Michigan, Colombia, Wisconsin, MIT, and UC San Diego. Singh also presented a special lecture on "Construction in Cold Regions." 
Cecilia (Cici) Sinohui Cecilia (Cici) Sinohui is the new Records Coordinator for the Graduate Engineering Programs Office. She has two degrees from SCU—a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Political Science. Welcome, CiCi!
ALUMNI NEWS:
Claudia Chen '15 Claudia Chen ’15 (M.S. Sustainable Energy) and colleagues have an article, “Influences of mass loading and rapid dilution of secondary organic aerosol on particle volatility,” published 21 Aug 2015 in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. PDF here.
Garrett Fitzgerald ’08 Garrett Fitzgerald ’08, mechanical engineering alumnus and senior associate at the Rocky Mountain Institute—a nonprofit research and educational foundation aiming to foster efficient and sustainable use of resources—is the lead author in an Energy Policy study featured in thisWashington Post article.
Shane Rogers '13 MS EMGT, Brian Holm '00 BSME, and Bryan Herrera '14 BSME Shane Rogers '13 MS EMGT, Brian Holm '00 BSME, and Bryan Herrera '14 BSME, launched edwin, a modern minimalist wallet on Kickstarter. This slim alternative to a bulky wallet was inspired by the binder clip. Rogers is also an adjunct professor in the SoE; this quarter he's teaching ENGR 171, Product Opportunity Assessment. Great work!
DEA nominations Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award nominations are open! The highest honor bestowed by the School, the DEA Award recognizes graduates whose accomplishments in their professions, communities, and University services have set them apart. We invite you to nominate candidates (yourself, included!) here.
What's your story? What's your story? Have you started a company, been granted a patent, helped your community, or received an award? We'd love to know and we'd really like to brag about you! Email Heidi Williams, Director of Communications.