ITems | May 2007

Public lecture focuses on rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina

“Rebuilding after Katrina” is the focus of the next Institute of Technology public lecture at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 16 at the University’s Coffman Memorial Union Theater, 300 Washington Ave., S.E., Minneapolis. The program is sponsored by the IT Alumni Society and is free and open to the public.

Institute of Technology alumnus Craig Johnson (M.S. CivE ’79), a vice president at Stanley Consultants and senior project manager for Task Force Guardian, will discuss rebuilding the hurricane protection system in New Orleans and restoring the public's trust in the city's infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formed Task Force Guardian after Hurricane Katrina to restore New Orleans' hurricane protection system to pre-Katrina protection levels by June 1, 2006, the beginning of the next hurricane season. Under national and international media scrutiny, 59 construction projects were completed by 26 contractors in just eight months. The $800 million effort included miles of new floodwall, levees, scour repair, and several gated closure structures.

After the lecture, a panel of Institute of Technology faculty and alumni including
Keith Anderson (CivE '74, M.S. '76), Roger Haxby (ME '58), Mike Hugo (M.S. SoftwareE '06), and professor Chris Paola (geology and geophysics), who have been involved in hurricane protection and recovery following Katrina, will answer questions from the audience.

The University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology offers public lectures featuring distinguished leaders on topics related to science and technology. The lectures are designed to share the latest scientific discoveries, explore the impact of technology on culture, and encourage networking on campus.

For more information about the lecture, visit www.it.umn.edu or call 612-626-8282.

Institute of Technology professor elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Professor Allen Goldman, head of the Institute of Technology's School of Physics and Astronomy, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Goldman was chosen for his research contributions in the physics of superconductivity, a state in which electrons move freely, encountering no electrical resistance. The phenomenon is usually studied in three-dimensional solids. Goldman was among the first to study in detail ultra-thin, two-dimensional metal films. He and his research team devised a way to construct metal films that are only a few atoms in thickness.

Goldman has published more than 250 research publications and lectured extensively on his research around the world. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the Fritz London Memorial Prize, one of the highest awards in physics. More...

Three Institute of Technology alumni receive Outstanding Achievement Awards

Three Institute of Technology alumni received the prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota and were recognized at the Institute of Technology commencement on May 4. The award is the University’s highest honor conferred upon alumni, and recipients are chosen for attaining “unusual distinction” and demonstrating “outstanding achievement and leadership” in their respective field and community.

Omer W. Blodgett (metallurgical engineering ’41, mechanical engineering ’74), regarded as a world-class expert in welded connections, is recognized as a resourceful pioneer whose lifelong research and contributions to education and the promotion of national safety and inspection standards have improved the safe and economical use of structural steel in construction nationwide. His handbook, Design of Welded Structures, has been a standard reference since it was first published in 1966.

Eugene E. Covert (aeronautical engineering ’46, M.S. ’48) is a world-renowned aeronautical expert who served on the Presidential Commission for the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. He is a pre-eminent educator whose dedication to the teaching of young engineers has been recognized by membership in the National Academy of Engineering and the Daniel Guggenheim Medal, the most distinguished award in the aerospace field. He is an innovative scientist in the field of unsteady aerodynamics and considered a pioneer in the use of computer technology in wind tunnel research.

Russell H. Susag (civil engineering ’56, M.S. ’65, Ph.D ’65) is a researcher, educator, and leader in the development of corporate and municipal solutions to the urban problems of wastewater treatment, storm water management, and drinking water quality and capacity. Susag made his mark as a pioneer in pollution prevention. He’s regarded as a visionary scientist whose training and experience have enabled him to address public policy issues for the betterment of our communities and give the engineering profession a greater impact in society.

Alumnus returns to speak at commencement

Alumnus Richard M. Kruger (ME ’81), who currently serves as executive vice president of ExxonMobil Production Company, returned to his alma mater to speak at this year’s Institute of Technology commencement on May 4 at Northrop Memorial Auditorium. In his speech entitled “Inventing Tomorrow,” Kruger commented on the graduates’ decision to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, and offered words of advice to the graduates for a successful career.

This year’s Institute of Technology commencement recognized about 900 students who have completed degree programs over the last year.

Several Institute of Technology award-winning faculty and students also received special recogition at the commencement ceremony including faculty Max Donath, Marc Hillmyer, James Leger, Christopher Leighton, Ezra Miller, Wei-Chung Hsu, Thomas Hoye, Ned Mohan, Bruce Wollenberg, and Kenneth Heller, and students Alexander Hanhart, Brian Lucero, David Gasperino, Matthew Nohelty, David Vanderpool, and Akash Kumar. More…

Tech Tune-up: Bio-Inspired Electronics is May 21-23

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is hosting the Tech Tuneup: Bio-Inspired Electronics course on May 21-23, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in room 3-180 Electrical Engineering/Computer Science Building.

The three-day course consists of 20 hours of lectures and discussions taught by industry experts and faculty from the University of Minnesota specifically targeted toward continuing education for industry professionals. This year's Tech Tuneup will focus on the applications and problem areas associated with biomedical applications. More...

President Bruininks delivers State of the U address

Delivering his fifth State of the U address last month, University President Robert Bruininks highlighted several achievements made across the University system since the strategic positioning initiative of becoming one of the top three public research universities was launched two years ago. Noting that the University’s five campuses and their students are flourishing, he listed several new strategies for ensuring greater student success and higher graduation rates, as well as ongoing efforts designed to improve service and productivity across the University of Minnesota system. Read the entire transcript.

Last chance to enter 2007 Minnesota Cup

May 25 is the deadline to enter the the 2007 Minnesota Cup, the statewide competition for breakthrough business ideas in all industries. Top prize includes $25,000 in seed capital and professional services to help bring the idea to fruition. A student award of $5,000 also is given as part of the competition. Visit www.breakthroughideas.org to learn more and submit your idea.

Honors

Professor Max Donath (mechanical engineering) has won this year's George W. Taylor Distinguished Service Award. Through his leadership, the Intelligent Transportation Systems Institute (ITS) has become one of the leading centers for research on intelligent transportation systems in the U.S. and the world.

David Gasperino, Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering and materials science; Matthew Nohelty, computer science student; and David Vanderpool, graduating senior in computer engineering, have received the President's Student Leadership and Service Award.

Mathematics graduate student Alexander Hanhart received the John Bowers Teaching Assistant Award in recognition of his commitment to and success in teaching Institute of Technology students.

Professor Kenneth Heller (physics and astronomy) has been awarded an IT Distinguished Professorship award for his service to the college and the University, his national leadership in physics education, and his forefront research and leadership in high energy particle physics.

Associate professor Marc Hillmyer (chemistry) has been awarded a George W. Taylor Award for Distinguished Research from the Institute of Technology. Established in 1928, the Taylor Award recognizes younger faculty members who have shown outstanding ability in research.

Professor Thomas Hoye (chemistry) and professor Ned Mohan (electrical and computer engineering) received a Horace T. Morse-Alumni Undergraduate Teaching Award for their outstanding contributions to undergraduate education.

Professor Wei-Chung Hsu (computer science and engineering) has been awarded the collegiate 2007 Charles E. Bowers Faculty Teaching Award for his exceptional teaching that is innovative and relevant at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Professor Mos Kaveh (electrical and computer engineering) has been elected to serve as the President-elect of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Signal Processing Society for 2008-2009. After his two-year term in this position, he will become President of the Society for 2010-2011. The President-elect also serves as a member of the Society's Board of Governors and the Executive Committee, and chairs the Society's Long-Range Planning Committee.

Graduating senior Akash Kumar (chemical engineering) was chosen to deliver the student address at this year's commencement.

Assistant professor Christopher Leighton (chemical engineering and materials science) has been awarded a George W. Taylor Award for Career Development, which recognizes exceptional contributions to teaching by a candidate for tenure.

Professor Jim Leger (electrical and computer engineering) has received the George W. Taylor/IT Alumni Society Award for Distinguished Teaching for 2007. This annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to undergraduate and/or graduate teaching by a member of the Institute of Technology faculty.

Professor Ellen Longmire (aerospace engineering and mechanics) received the 2007 Distinguished Women Scholars Award, issued jointly by the University of Minnesota Graduate School and the Office for University Women. The award acknowledges and honors the accomplishments of distinguished women scholars at the University.

Civil engineering graduating senior Brian Lucero has received the 2007 Paul A. Cartwright/IT Alumni Society Outstanding Student Service Award for his involvement in various University student groups, his community involvement, and his international engineering relief work in Costa Rica, Pakistan and Ghana.

Professor Peter H. McMurry (mechanical engineering) was awarded a 2007 Guggenheim Fellowship as one of two engineers in the U.S. to receive the prestigious award. The fellowship will support his research on new particle formation and growth in the atmosphere during his 2007-08 sabbatical leave, which he will spend at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., and the University of Helsinki.

Associate professor Ezra Miller (mathematics) has been awarded the 2007 Guillermo E. Borja award for his contributions to combinatorial geometry and algebra that have been recognized worldwide.

Professor Shashi Shekhar (computer science and engineering) has been selected to serve on the National Academies' Mapping Science Committee from 2007-2010. The committee provides oversight for the National Research Council's studies, which gives direction to government agencies on geospatial science, technology, and policy issues.

An innovative Web site created by computer science and engineering graduate student Jesse Vig was nominated for the Best NetArt Web site of 2007 as part of the 11th annual Webby Awards. Vig’s site, www.geogreeting.com, which gained local media attention in February, allows users to send messages comprised of letter-shaped buildings from Google Maps.

Professor Bruce Wollenberg (electrical engineering and computer engineering) received the University of Minnesota Alumni Association/University of Minnesota Award for Contributions of Posbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education.

Science Watch, a subscription newsletter that tracks research trends and performance, ranked the University of Minnesota’s Computer Science and Engineering Department ninth for the citation impact of published research papers among the top 100 federally funded universities. The department’s papers were measured between 2001 and 2005.

Media watch

A smoother ride for alternative fuel

Mechanical engineering researcher Kelly Strebig says other problems—not biodiesel-related—are mainly to blame for clogged fuel filters in trucks this past winter. March 28: Pioneer Press

Comment on "Wetland Sedimentation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita"

Researchers from the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory and Department of Geology and Geophysics are cited as contributing to measurements of sedimentation from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in coastal Louisiana and inferred that storm deposition overwhelms direct Mississippi River sediment input. April 13: Science Magazine

“Diamonds in Minnesota”

Typically, Minnesota conjures up images of lakes, snow, woods, and diamonds? A recent soil survey done by U researchers indicates that Minnesota’s soil might contain diamonds. Harvey Thorleifson, director of the U’s Minnesota Geological Survey, explains. April 2: Minnesota Moment.

Lose your head? There's a cellphone for you...

Computer science and engineering doctoral student Pamela Ludford created Placemail as an alternative to traditional paper to-do lists. The technology works by storing information in a person's cell phone about their favorite locations. April 9: The Gazette-Montreal

Biologist predicts ethanol from grass in this decade

A leading researcher in finding ways to transform grasses into ethanol, Lee Lynd, says most of the technical hurdles will be jumped before the end of the decade. Lynd was in Minneapolis to give a lecture at the University of Minnesota. April 10: Star Tribune

U of M student's web site nominated for "Webby Awards

University of Minnesota Institute of Technology graduate student Jesse Vig’s Web site GeoGreeting.com has been nominated for the Best NetArt Website of 2007. April 12: Star Tribune, University of Minnesota News Release; April 26: Star Tribune

Neal St. Anthony: Nordic states offer lessons in real energy independence

Four U.S. ambassadors to the Nordic countries met with University researchers to talk about energy independence. David Kittelson (mechanical engineering) demonstrated how millions of gallons of "black liquor" created in the wood pulping process can be gasified or distilled into high-grade boiler or transportation fuels. April 16: Star Tribune

Tyson, ConocoPhillips link up for biodiesel

Tyson Foods is working with ConocoPhillips to produce and start selling biodiesel made from chicken, pork and poultry fat. April 17: CNET

Psst! Want to get rich? It's obvious: GET GREEN

The University of Minnesota is home to some of the brightest stars in the biofuels landscape -- particularly bioenergy. April 22: Star Tribune

U of M to co-host Conversation on Energy

How Minnesota and the United States will meet growing energy needs in the future will be the topic of conversation at a town hall meeting co-hosted by the University of Minnesota's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) and ConocoPhillips. April 23: University of Minnesota News Release

Giant space cloud may be powered by black holes

New observations suggest an enormous cloud of roiling plasma in space may be drawing its energy from black holes. According to Lawrence Rudnick (physics and astronomy) the results are exciting because they are the clearest detection [of such a plasma cloud] far from a rich cluster of galaxies. April 23: New Scientist

Students pull all-nighter playing networked games

In celebration of IT Week, the University chapter of the Association of Computer Machinery hosted a Local Area Network party on campus. April 23: Minnesota Daily

Rochester Public Utilities considers wind turbines to meet energy mandates

The future site of an electricity substation on Rochester's far west fringe likely will become more than a junction for transmission lines. A fuel cell research project, now underway with the University of Minnesota, could expand there. April 26: Rochester Post-Bulletin

U of M mechanical, electrical and computer engineering seniors show their stuff at design fair

University of Minnesota's senior mechanical, electrical and computer engineering students demonstrated their designs at the Senior Engineering Design Show from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 1 in the Great Hall at Coffman Union. April 26: University of Minnesota News Release

The science behind Spidey

James Kakalios' (physics) book, "The Physics of Superheroes" is based on one of his classes, which is called “Everything I needed to know about physics I learned from reading comic books.” His research is gaining attention with the recent release of the "Spiderman 3" movie. April 12: Web wire; April 29: Malaysia Star, April 30: Bakersfield Californian

U team finishes fifth in mini-satellite competition

In their rookie season, the University of Minnesota finished fifth in the national mini-satellite competition. The team has already begun work for the next round of competition which culminates in spring 2009. May 1: Minnesota Daily

Former computer science students hit it big working at Google

University computer science alumni Levent Ertoz and Uygar Oztekin share their experiences about working at Google world headquarters, also known as Googleplex, in Mountain View, Calif. May 1: Minnesota Daily

Events

3M Seminar on Technology Commercialization

May 7: Developed exclusively for graduate and Ph.D. students in technology and science programs, the 3M Seminar series features interactive discussions and case studies on how to bring your ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace. This is the fifth in a series of five seminars that will discuss the unique aspects of commercializing technology within a corporation. 4-6 p.m., Carlson School of Management, Executive Conference Center, Room 2-260 T, RSVP to ces@csom.umn.edu

Institute of Technology Dean's Club Reception

May 8: The Dean's Club recognizes donors who support the Institute of Technology with annual gifts of $1,000 or more. A reception to celebrate Dean's Club members will take place prior to the UMAA Annual Celebration. For more information, please contact Liz Stadther at stadt001@umn.edu or 612-626-1802. Reception, 4 p.m., Club Room, Williams Arena.

UMAA 2007 Annual Celebration featuring Tony Dungy

May 8: Tony Dungy, University of Minnesota alumnus and head coach of the world-champion Indianapolis Colts, will be the keynote speaker at the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Annual Celebration. The event is sponsored by UMAA, TCF Bank and Mortenson. For more information, contact Sara Beyer at sbeyer@umn.edu or 612-626-8282. Registration, 5:30 p.m.; Dinner, 6 p.m.; Program, 7:30 p.m., Mariucci Arena.

Looking for start-up capital? First learn the do's and don'ts

May 10: Simon Foster, founder of Simon Delivers, will share his thoughts on how to convince venture capitalists that your idea will change the world. Minnesota Cup Founders Dan Mallin and Scott Litman will also share thoughts on how to stand out and win this prestigious business competition. 3:30 p.m., Carlson School of Management, 3M Auditorium. No fee. RSVP to toddw001@umn.edu.

Public Forum on Institute for the Advancement of Science and Engineering

May 10: University of Minnesota Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost is sponsoring a Public Forum on the Institute for the Advancement of Science and Engineering. The Institute’s Advisory Committee will discuss its vision for the future of science and engineering at the University, and those attending will have an opportunity to share ideas on this new, interdisciplinary Institute. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 2-520 Moos Tower. Interactive live broadcast available. Learn more.

Building from the Center: Getting the Job Done on Renewable Energy

May 14: Senator Norm Coleman will speak on renewable energy as part of "Connecting with Government: Public Forums with Minnesota's Elected Officials" presented by the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance. 10-11:15 a.m., Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Center. No charge.

Fifth Annual Intelligent Storage Workshop

May 15-16: The DTC Intelligent, Storage Consortium (DISC) is hosting the Fifth Intelligent Storage Workshop (ISW5). This year's workshop will continue its focus on applications and architectures for intelligent (object-based) storage but will also add presentations on storage and high performance computing. Fee charged. Register online. 402 Walter Library.

Public Lecture Series - "Rebuilding After Katrina"

May 16: Institute of Technology alumnus Craig Johnson (M.S. CivE '79), vice president of Stanley Consultants and senior project manager of Task Force Guardian, will discuss rebuilding the hurricane protection system in New Orleans and restoring the public's trust in the city's infrastructure after Hurricane Katrina. Reception, 6:30 p.m.; Lecture, 7:30 p.m., Free and open to the public. Coffman Memorial Union Theater.

Tech Tune-up: Bio-Inspired Electronics

May 21-23: The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is hosting the Tech Tuneup: Bio-Inspired Electronics course. The program consists of 20 hours of lectures and discussions taught by industry experts and faculty from the University of Minnesota specifically targeted toward continuing education for industry professionals. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in room 3-180 Electrical Engineering/Computer Science Building.

DTC Data Mining Fundamentals Seminar

May 22-23: Sponsored by The University of Minnesota Digital Technology Center — Data Mining Consortium and Carlson School of Management Computer Science & Engineering Department, students will discuss state-of-the-art techniques for: problem selection, objectives setting, data sourcing and preparation as well as data analysis and measuring success against goals by using data mining case studies as background. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (day one); 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (day two), 402 Walter Library. Fee charged. Register online.