Dec Holiday Header 2011 
Season's Greetings and Happy New Year!
December 2011   
In This Issue
UMaine Wind Turbine Test Lab Complete
FBRI's New Wing & Technology Research Center Near Completion
Op-Ed Touts UMaine Composite, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute
8 New Online Courses for Spring 2012
Horton Joins Engineering Group at White House Event
Grants Awarded 2011
Integrated Approach to Engineering to Start in Brunswick Fall 2012
Students Win Top Awards at Maine Transportation Conference
UMaine Alumnus Donates $5,000 to Campus Organizations
UMaine Francis Crowe Society December 2011
32nd Edward Bryand Recognition Cermony
'Tis the Season ...
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Greetings!

Season's Greetings from the College of Engineering at the University of Maine. We wish the best of the holidays and a joyous and prosperous new year for 2012 to you and yours.

 

Thank you for taking a few moments to catch up with us during this busy time of year. In this holiday newsletter, we are pleased to share some recent and exciting news from our engineering faculty and students, including: windblades arrive at the AEWC, FBRI Wing & Technology Research Center Near Completion, 8 new online engineering courses for Spring '12, Students win Top Awards at annual Maine Transportation Conference, and much more.

We are doing great things here at UMaine Engineering and we are glad to keep you up- to- date on all the news. Remember to please check us out on Facebook for the latest news and to reconnect with old friends and classmates. If you would like to send us personal updates about your career or what is happening in your life, please send updates to   
[email protected]. 

Dana N. Humphrey, Ph.D., P.E.
Dean, College of Engineering
University of Maine 
 
UMaine Wind Turbine

Test Lab Complete

International companies to test wind blades in 2012


Source:  The Free Press, 12/9/11
by Christine Parrish, Feature Writer

 

The new wind turbine blade test lab at the 37,000-foot expansion of the University of Maine AEWC Advanced Structures and Composites Center in Orono is complete and equipment testing is currently under way, according to Paul Melrose, the project manager for research and development.

 

Windblade being unloaded at the AEWC Offshore Wind Laboratory

 

The lab equipment is being calibrated and tested, with commercial clients scheduled for the spring of 2012. "It will be about four months before commercial tests begin," said Melrose. "We need to run through trials and test procedures."

 

Five major manufacturers of wind turbine blades are currently lined up to test their products. "I can't, of course, tell you who they are," said Melrose, noting that AEWC has signed non-disclosure agreements with the companies. Blade design and materials are carefully guarded secrets in the technology realm, he said.

 

"I can tell you they are major companies and they are from around the world," said Melrose.  

 

Blades over TipPit

The University of Maine facility, which is able to test wind blades up to 70 meters (229 feet) long, is one of two labs in the country able to accommodate large wind turbine blades used in commercial wind farms.

 

The other accredited lab is in Boston, in a facility located beneath the Tobin Bridge and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy's renewable energy agency, NREL. The Boston facility is able to test blades up to 90 meters long, said Melrose, but is limited in other testing capabilities.

 

Melrose said AEWC offers research and development from the ground up, including design and testing of composite materials at the nano-levels, to testing of components no larger than a human arm, to testing of full-size components, including wind blades.

 

AEWC also has a wave lab used for offshore wind research and can test the effects of exposure to saltwater immersion and salt spray. When completed in the spring, AEWC will have the capacity to study and test wind blades, towers, anchors and foundation systems, either in the lab or in the field, or both.

 

Commercial clients will pay from $300,000 to $500,000 to test one blade, said Melrose.

 

AEWC does not rely on state or University of Maine funding, said Melrose. Approximately 90 percent of funding comes from grants and outside income, he said.

 

FBRI's New Wing & Technology Research Center Near Completion 

 

The Forest BioProducts Research Institute (FBRI) has seen increasing growth over the past year. This growth is most visibly evident in the two facilities FBRI has constructed over the past six months.  

 

On the University of Maine campus, the FBRI Wing at Jenness Hall is nearing completion with an expected occupation date of January 1st. This building has the potential to house sixteen people which will include the FBRI staff and visiting scientists. Also included in the new wing is a conference room able to facilitate meetings of up to sixteen people with state-of-the-art video-conferencing equipment.  

 

FBRI Wing

Just down the road, at Old Town Fuel and Fiber, the FBRI Technology Research Center is closing in on its final phase of construction, with expected occupation to occur no later than the end of January.  

 

FBRI Technology Research Center
This 40,000 square foot facility is designed for near-industrial scale testing of new processes and products, which will provide the bridge between bench-scale testing of FBRI's new processes and our ultimate goal of industrial implementation.
Op-Ed Touts UMaine Composite, Forest Bioproducts Research Institute 

In an op-ed column in the Portland Press Herald, Bill Beardsley, the commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation, said the State of Maine is well-positioned in the area of natural-resource economies thanks in part to research at UMaine. Beardsley cited UMaine research programs that are examining composite wood, liquid fuel, and sugar from trees.  

Online Engineering Courses
for Spring 2012
8 New Online Courses for Spring '12

Horton Joins Engineering Group
at White House Event

 

Karen Horton, a University of Maine associate professor of mechanical engineering technology, joined a group from the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) at a recent event at the White House that recognized local leaders in the effort to recruit and retain girls and women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.     

        

The recognition event was part of the Champions of Change program, which was created as a part of President Barack Obama's Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community activists, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.

 

L-R: Melissa Carl, SWE Washington Liaison; Karen A. Thole, Champion of Change nominated by ASME; Melissa Tata, SWE President; Karen J. Horton, SWE Government Relations and Public Policy Chair
Photo thanks to Karen A. Thole

Horton serves as the SWE government relations and public policy chair and participated in the event with other SWE leaders, along with officials from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and representatives from several federal agencies, in small group discussions with the champions and other notable guests from varying sectors and communities around engaging and supporting girls and women in STEM.

 

"SWE and its membership regularly inform policy makers about the educational and workplace best practices that can lead to greater diversity in the engineering career field, both to increase equity of opportunity in STEM careers and to improve U.S. competitiveness," Horton said after the White House event.

 

"We hope that the responsible federal agencies will make changes in their programs based on the ideas presented in the breakout sessions to expand girls' interest in engineering, improve the retention of college women studying engineering and support career opportunities for women engineers. The recently implemented NSF Career-Life Balance Initiative, which incorporates gender-neutral, family-friendly policies, is an example of this."

 

The sessions, which focused on changing the stereotypes of girls in the STEM fields, mentoring, and supporting and retaining women in the STEM workforce, were followed immediately by a larger event focused on amplifying best practices learned in each area. 

Recent research indicates that, broadly, many women leave engineering due to workplace climate, insufficient work-life balance policies, lack of advancement, and inadequate professional development opportunities.  

 

The "highest-level" theme discussed was the need for leadership at the top of organizations to exercise the will and implement the practices to change the work culture to retain women in STEM. Strategic planning around the diversification of the workforce was noted as required for success.  

 

"Organizational leaders discussed the difficulty of developing accountability of the middle managers, the gatekeepers, to achieve retention goals in the existing workplace culture. Some additional themes that emerged from the discussion included the lack of role models for girls and young women, problems of workplace culture such as women not wanting to use work-life balance policies for fear of being viewed as lacking dedication, the need for a small pool of central funds to support use of these policies, the paucity of women seeking patents, and need for strategies specific to women of color and women."    

 

Watch the Champions of Change: Girls and Women in STEM session on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkapBbp3Vuo   


For more information on Champions of Change, go online to:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/champions

 

 

Integrated Approach to Engineering to Start in Brunswick Fall 2012

The University of Maine College of Engineering is offering an innovative program at Brunswick to give students an integrated approach to earning the first two-years of a four-year engineering degree, starting in fall 2012. 

 

This two-year, nonresidential program is designed for the student who has an interest in engineering but would benefit from smaller classes and an integrated approach to learning math, science and engineering. Math and science will be taught in the context of engineering so that students can successfully apply this knowledge to solve engineering problems. The curriculum introduces students to all engineering disciplines, so students will be able to work with a wide range of professionals no matter their engineering specialty. The program is specifically designed for students who want to be civil, computer, electrical, or mechanical engineers.

 

Live, in-person courses are taught by professors recognized nationally for their expertise. The program offers a world-class education close to home, at the newly opened Brunswick Landing (formerly known as the Brunswick Naval Station).

 

After completing coursework in Brunswick, the student is automatically enrolled to complete the final two years of a B.S. engineering degree at the University of Maine in Orono , the sole  institution in Maine to offer 11 accredited engineering and engineering technology majors and full M.S. and Ph.D. programs - or can apply to transfer to the University of Southern Maine.

 

 For more information on this program, contact Dana Humphrey at 207-581-2216, [email protected], or go online to:

www.umaine.edu/brunswickengineering 

 

                 Cumulative Grants Awarded

The College of Engineering departments and units listed below have
been awarded the following grant awards -
cumulative from
July 2011 to November 2011.

Chemical and Biological Engineering $3,278,943
Civil and Environmental Engineering $3,869,720
Electrical and Computer Engineering $592,409
Mechanical Engineering $793,543
School of Engineering Technology $206,222
Advanced Manufacturing Center $480,518
Amount Awarded Total: $9,221,355

For more information on each of the departments and the grants and projects that were awarded and also grant proposals that were submitted, go to the University of Maine Office of Sponsored Programs online at:
http://umaine.edu/orsp/reports/current-fiscal-year-reports/
Students Win Top Awards at 61st
Maine Transportation Conference


On Thursday, December 1, 2011, the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT), the Maine Better Transportation Association (MBTA), and the Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) sponsored the 61st Maine Transportation Conference at the Augusta Civic Center. This conference provided individual and panel presentations on various policy and technical aspects relating to the theme "FOUNDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES".


Four cvil-engineering undergraduate students presented papers, placing in order:

1. Joshua Simpson - wildlife collisions

2. Brian Steele - ITS

3. Nicholas Hartley - queuing times

4. Shaun Turner - pavement preservation

 

SESSION II - TECHNICAL TRACK BIOS

 

Nicholas Hartley

 

Nicholas Hartley is in his third year at the University of Maine in Orono majoring in Civil Engineering. For the past two years, Nick has worked for the Maine Department of Transportation in the Materials Testing and Exploration Section. He has been exposed to many different aspects of Civil Engineering, ranging from structural to geotechnical. With this wide range of exposure, he has decided to dedicate his professional career to the advancement of transportation infrastructure. With the education provided by the University and the unmatchable experience from the Department, Nick hopes to achieve his goal of making a contribution to the innovation of how we move ourselves and the products we need in order to survive.

 

 

Joshua Simpson

 

Joshua Simpson is a junior at the University of Maine in Orono majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. His intentions are to go to Graduate School at UMaine. He is interested in Structural and Transportation Engineering. Josh is a member of Chi Epsilon, a Civil Engineering Honor Society. Josh's interests outside of school are sports. He lives and breaths sports; and is a die-hard Boston Sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He recently became engaged. He was born and raised in South Paris, Maine.

 

Brian Steele

 

Brian is a non-traditional student with a bachelor's degree from Hobart College in architectural studies and geology and is about to finish his second degree, this time in civil engineering at the University of Maine. He has over ten years of experience as a carpenter and cabinetmaker. Soon after he graduated from Hobart, he moved out west to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where he worked the winters as a portrait photographer at the ski resort, and the rest of the year as a carpenter for local contractors. He met his wife in Jackson Hole and after a couple of years they decided to move back east to Maine. They now live in Freeport with their two golden retrievers, Remi and Ruby.

 

Shaun Turner

 

Shaun Turner is a third year Civil and Environmental Engineering student at the University of Maine. He is an Eagle Scout, part of the Order of the Arrow and is still active in the Boy Scouts of America.


UMaine Alumnus Donates $5,000 to Campus Organizations

 

Mike Hartnett, a University of Maine alumnus who is the co-founder and chief investment officer of Campus Crest Communities, has donated a total of $5,000 to two campus organizations.

 

Harnett is giving $2,500 each to Engineers Without Borders-UMaine (EWB-UMaine), a student organization, and Black Bear Mentors, a program within UMaine's Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism.

"On behalf of Campus Crest Communities, I'm pleased to extend donations to organizations that share the same commitment to giving back and functioning as a positive force behind social and economic development," said Hartnett, a 1981 UMaine graduate who majored in structural engineering. "Both Engineers Without Borders and Black Bear Mentors have an impressive history of helping to improve the quality of life for others and we are proud to support their cause."

 

Hartnett met with leaders from both EWB and Black Bear Mentors during a Dec. 9 visit to UMaine.

 

Campus Crest, which develops student housing communities at colleges and universities across the country, is building a complex near the UMaine campus. The Grove at Orono is expected to be ready in time for the 2012-13 school year.

 

Campus Crest Communities owns interests nationwide in 33 student housing properties containing approximately 6,324 apartment units and 17,064 beds.

 

EWB-UMaine is the campus chapter of EWB-USA, a nonprofit humanitarian organization established to support community-driven development programs worldwide through partnerships that design and implement sustainable engineering projects. EWB-UMaine will put its donation towards a planned March 2012 trip to Honduras to implement a student-designed community sanitation system in the small village of Dulce Vivir.

 

The Black Bear Mentor Program began in 2003 with the mission to provide area youth the opportunity to develop assets needed to thrive by building safe, healthy relationships with trained, committed college student volunteers.

UMaine students currently mentor at Old Town Elementary School, Leonard Middle School (Old Town), Lewis Libby School (Milford), Old Town Recreation Department and Penobscot Nation Boys & Girls Club. The mentors meet with young students once per week for 1 1/2 - 2 hours during the school year. The program provides UMaine students with training, support and leadership opportunities, and this year developed a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Coast Maine to assist with this goal.

 

UMaine Francis Crowe Society
December 2011 
 

The University of Maine College of Engineering's Francis Crowe Society recently inducted four new members. Inducted as Distinguished Engineers  were Malcolm "Mac" Knapp, Vaughn Wildfong and Lynda Kay Knapp Fredette. Patricia Cummings was inducted as an Honorary Engineer.  

  

Moshen Shahinpoor, Mac Knapp, Dana Humphrey

Kingfield native and 1956 mechanical engineering graduate Knapp is retired after a career in the automotive industry working with fuels, lubricants, small airplane engines and powertracks for battle tanks and other military vehicles. His daughter, Lynda, was also honored as a Distinguished Engineer. 

 

L-R: Hemant Pendse, Vaughn Wildfong , Dana Humphrey

Wildfong of East Longmeadow, Mass. and vice president of sales and technology at JohnsonFoils/Paperchine, Inc., earned a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1992, an M.S. in civil engineering in 1993 and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering in 1998. He has spent his career in the papermaking industry.

 

L-R:Eric Landis, Lynda Fredette,Dana Humphrey

Fredette received a B.S. in civil engineering in 1984 and has worked in the civil and environmental engineering field. She currently is with Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut.

  

Pat Cummings -Honorary Engineer, Dana Humphrey

Cummings of Bangor and a 1989 UMaine journalism graduate and honorary member of the Class of 1944 served as director of development for the College of Engineering for the past five years, and was named an honorary engineer. She is now associate vice president for development and alumni relations at UMaine.  

 

Civil engineer Francis Crowe, a 1905 graduate of the University of Maine, went on to oversee construction of 19 of the largest dams in the Western United States, including the Hoover Dam.

  

All of the honorees, student inductees, and guests in a group shot.

For more information on the Francis Crowe Society and this event, go online to:http://engineering.umaine.edu/home/francis-crowe-society/members/distinguished-engineers/dec-2011/ 

 

32nd Edward T. Bryand
Recognition Ceremony

L-R:Radek Glaser, Karen Fogarty, Yousef Bahramzadeh, Steven Violette, William Davids, Abolfazi Razi, Alireza Sarvestani
           

  In 1979, Dean Jim Clapp organized the College Recognition Committee with all engineering departments, physics and chemistry to serve on the committee. The first College Recognition Banquet was held in 1980. Criteria were established for two awards: Ashley S. Campbell Award and the Edward T. Bryand Distinguished Engineering Award. Other awards for individuals and students were added thru the years and the awards have continued every year since 1980.


GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANT AWARD
Radek Glaser
L-R:Mohsen Shahinpoor, Radek Glaser, Dana Humphrey
GRADUATE ASSISTANT TEACHING AWARD
Yousef Bahramzadeh
L-R: Mohsen Shahinpoor, Yousef Bahramzadeh, Dana Humphrey

LEILA C. LOWELL AWARD Karen Fogarty
L-R: Mohshen Shahinpoor, Karen Fogarty, Dana Humphrey
GRADUATE ASSISTANT RESEARCH AWARD
Abolfazi Razi 
L-R: Abolfazi Razi, Dana Humphrey, Donald Hummels

   

                                        

EARLY CAREER RESEARCH AWARD Alireza Sarvestani
L-R: Mohsen Shahinpoor, Alireza Sarvestani , Dana Humphrey

 

ASHLEY S. CAMPBELL AWARD William Davids
L-R: William Davids, Dana Humphrey

 

      

EDWARD T. BRYAND DISTINQUISHED ENGINEERING AWARD
Steven Violette
L-R: Hemant Pendse, Steven Violette, Dana Humphrey
dec 2011 holiday ornament'Tis the Season to share our time, talent and treasure most generously with our family, friends and the organizations we hold dear.

The Dean, faculty and staff of the College of Engineering extend our appreciation to the volunteers who ring the bells for UMaine and higher education through service on our College and departmental advisory boards; advising our students on their capstone projects; and offering coop job experiences.

UMaine students are also engaged in service... from the Black Bear Mentors volunteer work with local 5th graders to the Engineers Without Borders Chapter implementing a sanitation plan for a village in Honduras.  

We extend our thanks to the donors who invest their treasure in the College of our Hearts Always.

If you wish to make a year end gift to THE FUND, the annual giving campaign for the University of Maine, you may do so by clicking "Give Now" on the College of Engineering website http://www.engineering.umaine.edu/

Please contact me personally at [email protected] or 800-671-7085 if you wish to become involved or invest in the College of Engineering.

We wish you all the blessings of the season!

Warm regards,
Pat

Patricia A. Cummings '89, '44H
Associate Vice President for Development
& Alumni Relations
Honorary Engineer 2011
800-671-7085
207-581-1155
Sigma Chi Heritage House
University of Maine Development Office
101 College Avenue
Orono, ME 04473-4268