Inspecting a newly installed light post Nueva Providencia, Guatemala
July 2011 issue:
Lighting Nueva Providencia
In late May members of the Marquette chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) packed their tools and headed to Nueva Providencia, Guatemala to continue work on the community electrification project. Team members wired five homes, two churches and the community kitchen and mill.
Since most families in the community earn less than $5 a week, subsistence farming is common, meaning that most children do not attend school past the age of 12. The addition of power in the village provides many new opportunities. New micro-economic options become a possibility; oxygenated fish tanks for tilapia farming and sanitary, steam-cleaned fruit canning operations to name a few. Students will have easier access to computers and lighting will allow them to study after dark.
Marquette engineering students Elyse O’Callaghan, Rachel Beyer, Kelsey Welch, Corey Steinmetz and Oliver Haglund; Nicole Thompson, Spanish interpreter from the College of Education; Nate Holmer, a 2011 graduate with a master’s degree in civil engineering; Gene Moe, electrical engineer from the Milwaukee area; Darlene Martins; office assistant in the College of Engineering; and Dave Muschinske, Darlene’s husband made up the team. Learn more about EWB.
Old school shop guys
Here's a story on two of the coolest characters — and ultra-handiest guys — at Marquette. Ray Hamilton and Dave Gibas are the connection between the College of Engineering's sparkling new high-tech home and the once-ubiquitous shop floors of industrial Milwaukee. They're the hands-on know-how that helps the CAD-generated designs of the college take shape in brass, steel and aluminum. Read their story.
Historic first images
Robert Cooper, doctoral student in biomedical engineering, is part of a team of scientists that in early June reported that the tiny light-sensing cells known as rods have been clearly and directly imaged in the living eye for the first time. Using adaptive optics (AO), the same technology astronomers use to study distant stars and galaxies, scientists can see through the murky distortion of the outer eye, revealing the eye's cellular structure with unprecedented detail. This innovation will help doctors diagnose degenerative eye disorders sooner, leading to quicker intervention and more effective treatments.
This research is a collaborative effort of Marquette, the University of Rochester and the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Breen honored
John Breen, Eng ’53, Hon Deg ’04, was named to the 2011 Class of Distinguished Members of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was awarded a distinguished membership for seminal research contributions in the areas of reinforced and post-tensioned concrete bridge design, for leadership in development of code provisions for loads and reinforced concrete, and for a career dedicated to educating and mentoring generations of structural engineers.
Recently Breen was also chosen as one of the Luminaries of Marquette Engineering.
The class of 2015
We welcome the class of 2015.
Marquette University and the College of Engineering welcomed incoming freshman students and parents at the recent summer Preview. More than 200 of the 340 new engineering students visited the Marquette campus over the two week period to attend college programs and advising sessions designed to inform and prepare students for the upcoming fall semester. Attendees were given the opportunity to ask current students for their opinions at Q & A sessions hosted by Sue Michaelson, assistant dean and director of cooperative education, and current engineering students. Dr. George Corliss, professor of electrical and computer engineering, presented a “Preview the Classroom” lecture on operating systems.
New COEAA board members
The College of Engineering Alumni Association (COEAA) is proud to announce its newly-elected board members for 2011-12:
- Bob Boehler, Eng ’78 – President
- Randy Holterman, Eng ’78, Grad ’87 – Vice president
- Cynde Murphy, Eng ’92 – Secretary
- Justin Smith, Eng ’03 - Treasurer
COEAA would like to thank the following outgoing board directors for their years of dedicated service:
- Eric Dauenhauer, Eng ’99
- Robert Lecey, Eng ’77
- Kathleen Matson, Eng ’00 – Past president
- Terry McCallum, Eng ’97
Alumni interested in learning more about COEAA and volunteer opportunities should contact Marquette staff liaison Carol Winkel at 414.288.7633 or carol.winkel@marquette.edu.
Milwaukee’s first “green” street
2011 civil engineering graduates Paige Peters, Klarissa Keadle and Kyle Hill under the direction of Clifford Crandall, associate professor of engineering, designed a proposal for storm-water management to help address the runoff issues along a five-block stretch of Milwaukee's South 6th Street.
The street would be reconstructed so it could hold rain where it falls and use it in growing trees and flowers and replenishing groundwater. Paved roads traditionally send rainwater into storm sewers that discharge to creeks, adding to downstream flooding.
A one-inch rainfall on this section of South 6th Street would yield 116,000 gallons of storm water. The students' design, incorporating such simple steps as planters for shrubs and flowers between the road and sidewalk, or bioswales that are specially constructed ditches designed to absorb water rather than drain it away, has a much greater capacity for water retention. Learn more in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article.
Eagle Scout in the engineering family
Jonathan Schmit son of Brian Schmit, associate professor of biomedical engineering, was promoted to the rank of Eagle Scout in early June. He is following in his grandfather’s, Bob Agnew, Eng ’64, Eagle Scout footsteps. Jonathan, 16, has Down syndrome and began Scouting at age 8. Read his story and view photos of his Eagle Scout ceremony.
2011 Alumni Reunion Weekend is July 28-31
Relive your days as a student during Alumni Reunion Weekend. The weekend is full of activities, and engineering festivities include Friday night fraternity gatherings for Triangle and Sigma Phi Delta, as well as a Saturday Back to School Open House in the College of Engineering. Lean more and register for these events.
Celebrate
The new home of the College of Engineering is a living laboratory where students and faculty will tackle global challenges in a setting that will educate and inspire. What happens inside will change lives, and we invite you to be a part of this change. Visit the website to learn more.
Mark your calendars and join us for the Opening Celebration on October 7, 2011.
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