Summer months keep CoT folks busy

Summer months are not all vacations and swimming pools. The College of Technology’s faculty, staff and students were also busy with research, international travel and personal achievements. We’ve compiled a sample of what kept your colleagues occupied between spring commencement and the first day of fall classes.

Research

Four faculty and 11 students spent time renovating, upgrading and developing engine test facilities in the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building. The students focused extensively on infrastructure and systems problem solving and project and budget planning. They renovated the test facility area to support turbine engine testing. Construction included a data collection system for the test cell. Funding was provided by Phase I of a cooperative agreement with the United States Air Force in execution of a congressional appropriation for the establishment of a National Test Facility for aviation fuels and propulsion (NaTeF). The faculty involved with the project are Mark Thom, associate professor, David Stanley, associate professor, and John Davis, clinical assistant professor, all in the Department of Aviation Technology; and Lucian Silvian, visiting assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology in Columbus.

Helen McNally, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering technology, worked to secure a biological scanning probe microscope (Bioscope II) from the School of Veterinary Medicine. The microscope was moved to the Bindley Bioscience Center, and with an in-kind gift from the manufacturer, Veeco Instruments, the equipment was upgraded to the Bioscope Catalyst version. The upgrade was worth $95,000.

Kirk Alter (right), associate professor of building construction management, was awarded a $579,275 grant through the U.S. Department of Energy and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authorty to provide the Technical Monitoring Services for the Indiana Weatherization program. This is the second grant Alter has been awarded in this program, with both totaling more than $1.2 million over the last two years. These are the largest single grants awarded to a BCM faculty member.

Randy Rapp, associate professor of building construction management, traveled to Nashville, Tenn., to research recovery from the Cumberland River flooding, especially at Opryland Hotel. He also started writing a disaster recovery book for Purdue Press.

Purdue’s Project Lead the Way (PLTW) hosted over 140 teachers from around the country in two-week core training activities. College of Technology professors teamed with a middle or high school master teacher to teach their respective curricula. Each core training course is 80 hours of intensive instruction designed to prepare middle and high school teachers to deliver the PLTW curricula in their classrooms. Technology professors involved in the training were: Mat Sutton, associate professor of industrial technology; Neal Widmer, professor of electrical and computer engineering technology; Jeff Richardson, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering technology; George Rogers, professor of industrial technology; Pat Connolly, associate professor of computer graphics technology; and Joe Dues, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology in New Albany.

Students and faculty involved with the Indiana Advanced Electric Vehicle Education and Training Consortium also had a busy summer. They conducted research on electric vehicle performance and developed an experimental laboratory test stand for lithium batteries. Members worked with more than 50 students in Purdue summer camps to test experimental electric vehicles. They also developed EV/smart grid training for a number of new technology core and elective courses.

International

Two Technology professors traveled with nine students as part of a study abroad course, SA10913/59000 (Graduate and Undergraduate Careers in Spain). The course was organized by Julie Mariga, associate professor of computer and information technology; Edie Schmidt, professor of industrial technology; and Cyndi Lynch, director of fellowships and professional development in the Graduate School. The study abroad course provided graduate and undergraduate students the opportunity to visit various companies to learn about professional careers in Spain. The students learned about the customs and culture of Spain and the types of careers available to them upon graduation. The group also visited Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, the second largest technical university in Spain (based on enrollment) and the largest technical university in Spain in terms of research and funding. They also visited the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. The companies they visited included: HP, Citi, IBM, Accenture and Bimbo. They also enjoyed many cultural activities, including tours of Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia, Costa Brava, the Meduris Islands and Codorníu Winery.

Chien-tsung Lu (right), associate professor of aviation technology, spent much of the summer in China and Taiwan conducting academic endeavors. In May, he and Denver Lopp, professor of aviation technology, facilitated an International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading seminar in Shanghai. He then led a 12-day study abroad trip to China focusing on aviation. In June, he conducted policy research methodology workshops at a university in Guangzhou, China. He was joined by Stewart Schreckengast, visiting associate professor of aviation technology, for a two-week excursion to Taiwan to survey aviation safety education at its institutions of higher education. Finally, Lu and John Young, professor of aviation technology, conducted an airport safety workshop in Taipei, Taiwan, in July.

Michael Kane, associate professor of computer and information technology, developed and taught a four-week course at the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland titled "Clinical and Non-clinical Application of Genome Screening Systems".

Stephen Elliott, associate professor of industrial technology, participated as a U.S. delegate in an international biometrics standards meeting in Malacca, Malaysia, and helped co-sponsor a biometrics standards conference in New Delhi, India.

James Mohler, professor of computer graphics technology, and Douglas Keith, clinical assistant professor of building construction management, led a summer study abroad student group to China. The group visited Beijing, Harbin, Dalian and Shanghai. They interacted with students from North Central Power University, Tsinghua University, Harbin Institute of Technology and Dalian University of Technology. They toured the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and Olympic venues and the World Expo.

Personal

Mike Jacob, professor of electrical and computer engineering technology, participated in the Race Across America as an assistant crew chief for the Hoosiers 60+ team. Participants raced nonstop from Oceanside, Calif. to Annapolis, Md., setting a new world record in their age division of six days and 16 hours. Jacob was one of 12 crew members for the team.

When not working on research or with the Academic Boot Camp, Jeremy Fehrenbacher (right), an aviation technology graduate student, built a two-person automobile from scratch. Approximately 90 percent of the parts were pieces he found in the trash. The car is a carbon-fiber, open chassis design with general similarities to the Ariel Atom. It is a fully electric car with twin motors built into the wheel assemblies. The actual speeds and distances are currently unknown, because the car is not yet completely finished.

Two aviation technology students competed in International Aerobatic Club contests during the summer. Bennett Petersen competed in the Ohio Aerobatic Open and placed third in the sportsman category. Kyle Lucas competed in the Hoosier Hoedown in Kokomo in August and placed seventh in the primary category. For the contests, they both flew the airplane in a series of loops, rolls and spins that were appropriate to their categories and were judged by a panel of qualified judges.

CoT professors Brent Bowen and Erin (Block) Bowen (left) were married in May. Brent is department head and professor of aviation technology. Erin is a visiting assistant professor of industrial technology.