Volume 5, Number 9, June 2009
Welcome to Ahoya! Engineers - Marquette University's College of Engineering e-Newsletter for alumnae, alumni, students and their families, faculty, staff, and MU friends. We want you to know what’s happening in your College of Engineering. This newsletter will be published periodically to share our accomplishments, milestones and activities.
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An Extraordinary Gift. A gift from Tom and Suzanne Werner made a Marquette alumni gathering last month in California a truly significant event. OPUS Dean of Engineering Stan Jaskolski announced that $5 million has been pledged by Tom, an alumnus, and Suzanne, his wife, to establish an endowed chair in secure and renewable energy systems in the College of Engineering.
“Our gift will have a lasting impact in attracting new talent to the pursuit of renewable energy/sustainability solutions at an institution we believe will make a difference,” said Thomas H. Werner, chief executive officer of SunPower Corporation. “My wife Suzanne and I believe both in the power of education and in the importance of scholarship and research in engineering and applied science.”
Tom Werner earned his bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Marquette in 1986 and was named the college’s Distinguished Alumnus of the Year in 2007. SunPower designs, manufactures and delivers high-performance solar electric systems worldwide for residential, commercial and utility-scale power plant customers. With headquarters in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Prior to joining SunPower in 2003, Werner was the CEO of Silicon Light Machines, Inc., an optical solutions subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. He previously served as an executive of 3Com’s Business Connectivity Group, Oak Industries Inc. and General Electric Co. Tom holds an MBA from George Washington University and is a board member of Cree Inc. and Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He was named Northern California Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007.
Suzanne Werner is an active community volunteer, working with local libraries, United Way agencies and soup kitchens. She serves on the board of directors and as a tutor for JustREAD, a volunteer literacy program serving high school and middle school students.
“Sustainable energy is fundamental to our quality of life. We must, from both an industrial and educational perspective, address the issues of energy consumption and find ways to facilitate energy production from renewable energy sources,” Stan Jaskolski said. “The Thomas H. and Suzanne M. Werner Chair in Secure and Renewable Energy Systems will position Marquette as a leader in this area for southeastern Wisconsin.”
The new chair will lead a multidisciplinary research cluster of four to six faculty and develop a cutting-edge curriculum. “Given student interest in sustainability and the environment, I expect this program to attract both undergraduates and graduate students,” Jaskolski explained. “We will continue to emphasize the importance of knowledge-based innovation as students work with faculty to pursue such practical applications as solar electric energy generation, modern electric drives and the design of products that make energy consumption more efficient.”
The Werner Chair is the third faculty chair endowed for our College of Engineering in the past three years. In January 2007 Jim and Kelly McShane of Chicago, 1968 Marquette alumni, donated $5 million for the McShane Chair in Construction and Engineering Management. McShane leads the McShane Companies, a diversified organization comprised of various real estate development and construction companies. Robert C. Greenheck, chairman of the board of the Greenheck Fan Corp. in Schofield, Wis., endowed the Robert C. Greenheck Chair in Engineering Design in May 2006. In addition, in 2003 the OPUS Corporation gave $5 million to endow the deanship of the College of Engineering.
“This is a new era in engineering education,” Jaskolski said. “We’re changing our curriculum and adding game-changing faculty to educate engineers who are problem solvers, innovators and leaders in our global society.”
Since returning to Marquette as dean in 2003 after a career in both academia and industry, Stan Jaskolski has raised more than $100 million for the College of Engineering, including millions for student scholarships and more than $62 million toward construction of a new $100 million engineering facility.
Lead Picture: OPUS Dean Stan Jaskolski; Dr. John Pauly, provost; Tom Werner, Suzanne Werner
Teaching Success Honored. Dr. Christopher Foley, P.E. and associate professor in civil engineering, received a John P. Raynor, S.J., Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence at the annual Père Marquette dinner on May 7. This is one of the highest awards given to Marquette faculty.
Despite the individual nature of this award, Dr. Foley credits colleagues for his teaching success. "I cannot excel at what I do without an environment that is conducive for that to happen," said Foley. "My colleagues in the department and the college are a fantastic group of people and friends. They make my job not feel like a job."
Striving to instill in his students that learning is a life-long endeavor, one of Dr. Foley's teaching priorities is to illustrate the direct connection between scholarly research in structural design/engineering and the classroom, as well as the use of modern technology to deliver information or to extend the boundaries of information delivery.
"I look at my courses as opportunities for students to try and learn new subjects," he said. "I enjoy watching my students take those opportunities, learn from them, and grow."
Receiving his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Marquette, Dr. Foley joined the faculty of the college in 1996 as an assistant professor. In 2002, he was promoted to associate professor with tenure and recently was promoted to professor, effective August 2009. He has received the college’s Outstanding Teacher Award three times and was named the 2002 Young Engineer of the Year by the Engineers & Scientists of Milwaukee.
Dr. Chris Foley
Hard Work Pays Off. When they entered as freshmen, nobody told them it would be easy to get an engineering degree – so through the years, they persisted with their classes, homework, lab reports and late nights (with a little fun on the side, of course).
The engineering diploma ceremony was held at the Riverside Theater on May 17, immediately following the university’s commencement at the Bradley Center. More than 200 of our most recent engineering graduates celebrated their accomplishments with family and friends. The packed house acknowledged this milestone with well-deserved applause as each graduate walked across the stage to receive their diploma.
The program also included featured speakers. Dr. Phil Voglewede, assistant professor in mechanical engineering and the 2009 Outstanding Teacher Award recipient, congratulated the graduates on behalf of the faculty and John Fitzpatrick, mechanical engineering, and Luke Beehner, biomedical engineering, spoke on behalf of their fellow graduates.
Although the current job market is more challenging than expected, the graduates didn’t let it deter them from enjoying their successes on this special day. Smiles, hugs and pictures were in abundance as they reached their goal of receiving their degrees.
Congratulations to our new engineering alumni!
Editor’s Note: Got jobs? If any of our readers know about current engineering job openings, please share the information with us. Contact Sue Michaelson, Assistant Dean and Director of Cooperative Education by e-mail or by phone at 414-288-7134. We are continuing to help recent graduates in their job search.
Employers Say Engineering Jobs Hard to Fill. At a Milwaukee CIRCLES event last month, Jeff Joerres, Chairman and CEO of Manpower, Inc., addressed the changing trends in today's marketplace, like talent shortages, technology and employee power. He discussed a new Manpower report, The Global Talent Crunch: Why Employer Branding Matters Now (2009), which found that employers in the United States found engineers the hardest job category to fill; engineers were fourth on a list of the top 10 jobs that employers are having difficulty filling across the 33 countries and territories surveyed. You can find the video of Joerres speech, as well as a summary of the report on Marquette’s Difference Network.
Marquette University CIRCLES is an innovative business networking program that connects Marquette alumni, parents and friends doing business in or providing services to industries like real estate, construction and design, financial services, healthcare, advertising, public relations, media, technology, and more. CIRCLES events have been held in Atlanta, Chicago, the Fox Valley, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York City, and San Jose.
See You at the Ballpark, Alumni! Gather at Miller Park with fellow Marquette engineering alumni when the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, June 23. Get a player’s view of the action from the AirTran Airways Landing Zone, located between the right field foul pole and the visiting team’s bullpen, on the field of play just beyond the right field fence.
$85 per ticket. Price includes a pre-game buffet beginning when Miller Park gates open and ending one hour after the first pitch. The buffet menu features brats, BBQ chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, baked beans, soft drinks, and two beers per adult.
A limited number of tickets are available. Please register by Wednesday, June 17.
To purchase, please call 414-288-8440 or purchase online. (NOTE: when you get to this site, you will need to log in to MU Connect).
Two Professors Gain Emeritus Status. Your College of Engineering proudly announces that Drs. Martin Seitz and Richard Gaggioli have earned emeritus status.
Marty Seitz retired in 2008 after 42 years of service to the college. After receiving his doctorate in Materials Science from Northwestern University, he joined the faculty at Marquette and began a very successful career in teaching and directing research. Through the years, he was also director of the Materials Science and Technology Center and served on many department, college and university committees. From 1982 to 1987 Dr. Seitz served as chair of the electrical and computer engineering department. He has also presented numerous seminars on transformer and power substation design. Twice he accepted the prestigious R&D 100 Award on behalf of Marquette University. The 1996 award was for the Solder Paste Statistical Process Control System and the 2008 award was for the i-SPEC Q-100 Handheld Biodiesel Analyzer, both of which were developed under his direction in the research center. An R&D 100 Award is a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that a product is one of the most innovative ideas of the year.
Richard Gaggioli joined the department of mechanical engineering as chairman and professor in 1969; three years later he returned to full time teaching and research. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Northwestern University and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. In 1981 he left Marquette to serve in leadership positions at other institutions but returned in 1990. Dr. Gaggioli retired in 2002, but remains very involved in scholarly activities. Since 1985, he has been an invited lecturer at international conferences in 15 countries. Among his many honors, Dr. Gaggioli received the university’s Père Marquette Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence and is a Life Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
We thank you, Drs. Seitz and Gaggioli, for your generous contributions to our college and to the university.
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 Dr. Richard Gaggioli |
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Awards Presented. Students were acknowledged for their academic achievements at a recent mechanical engineering industrial advisory board meeting. Cody Meyer received the Outstanding Junior in Mechanical Engineering Award. The Walter M. Hirthe Award to a senior continuing in graduate studies was presented to Kyle Saginus. Dr. G.E. Otto Widera presented the Otto F. Widera Scholarship in Mechanical Design, in honor of his father, to David Nowak.
Advisory board members then judged the mechanical engineering graduate student poster competition. Steve Freier took 1st place with 2nd and 3rd places going to Piyush Khullar and Jinming Sun, respectively.
Dr. Philip Voglewede received the department’s Teacher of the Year award and OPUS Dean Stan Jaskolski was presented with a framed picture commemorating the college’s centennial.
Get Students Excited About STEM. A Purdue University study found that the best way to get students interested in science, engineering and technology at an early age is to focus less on textbooks and more on interactive, problem-solving design projects. In every area tested, the students who were involved in a hands-on project learned more and demonstrated a deeper understanding of the issues than the traditional (textbook) group. Source: Wisconsin Science Network, 5.27.09 e-Newsletter
Marquette Engineering Outreach is offering 18 academies this summer for K-12 students, and all involve problem-based learning. Help your children explore the exciting world of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Students need to be proficient in these areas if they are to be successful in a global economy driven by innovation.
For more information about this award-winning program or to register please call 414-288-6720 or contact us by e-mail at engineering @marquette.edu. Click here for an outreach program flyer for summer 2009.
Be the Difference to Marquette Engineering Alumni and Students! Volunteers are needed to assist with the planning of Marquette University Alumni Association activities for College of Engineering alumni, students, parents and friends.
Marquette alumni are a valuable resource in alumni awards selection process and in coordinating Milwaukee-based events such as the baseball outing, freshman pizza party and the annual auction to benefit the college’s endowed scholarship fund. If you live outside of Milwaukee, there are many ways to get involved in your area including helping at Mass and brunches, summer send-off parties, service projects and game-watching parties!
Contact Theresa Nemetz by e-mail or by phone at 414 288-4768 for more information.
Rocketeers Fly High. Marquette’s Rocketeers team joined 11 other collegiate teams from Wisconsin to participate in a rocket competition sponsored by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. The competition was part of the team’s senior capstone design project.
The object of this year's competition was to successfully fly a boosted dart to its maximum altitude. To have a successful flight, the booster and dart had to separate, the dart had to coast to an altitude greater than the booster and both the booster and dart had to land via parachute and/or streamer be in flyable condition. Months of design, building and testing culminated in a few seconds of flight time.
During the first flight, the Rocketeers’ delayed deployment of the parachute damaged the dart tube, resulting in a disqualification. A second flight was allowed however, after field repairs were made. This flight resulted in the booster and dart surviving intact, but separating prematurely. The rocket reached in impressive height of 2740 feet, just over one half mile.
The performance of Marquette’s team was remarkable in that a test flight of its prototype resulted in a crash which required replacement components and a complete rebuild in a matter of days. The Rocketeers didn’t win the competition but must be congratulated for their efforts and determination and for not yielding to adversity.
Left inset, left to right: Brett Robinson, Cyrus Vandrevala, Alex Braun,
Kyle Saginus
and Brian Arnold on launch day
Right inset: Rocketeers on task in the Discovery Learning Center
Wanted: Electrical Engineers. Our country faces a serious shortage of electrical engineers. Marquette Engineering Outreach, in partnership with Waukesha Electric Systems, Inc., is offering a new academy this summer for high school students. The Electrical Engineering and Energy Systems Summer Academy will be held August 10-14 and is open to students entering their junior or senior year. We are planning for course enrollment of 24 students.
This 40-hour course will provide students with hands-on opportunities to learn how electricity is produced, distributed and utilized. The first half of the school day will be a lab experience in the college. Students will build electric circuits; solar-powered cars; wind generators; electric motors; and will also learn the technology of electronic devices as they build a lie detector; police siren; burglar alarm and ultrasonic pest repeller. The second half of the day will be spent visiting local companies to see and experience the practical applications of electrical engineering and energy systems.
We need the help of Marquette engineering alumni in supporting this program. Please contact the Engineering Outreach office by e-mail at engineering@marquette.edu or by phone at 414-288-6720 if you are able to help support this program.
Senior Tradition. The Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering hosted the 13th annual Senior Scramble at Silver Spring Country Club. The day began with 21 graduating seniors and faculty participating in a team scramble golf event.
The group then moved on to Miller Park and was joined by 60 additional graduating seniors, family, faculty and friends for a pre-game tailgate party. The day ended on a high note with a 6 to3 Brewers victory over the Florida Marlins.
Best wishes to all our graduating seniors and newest members of the Marquette alumni family. Keep an eye out for information on the CEEN/CEM Open coming this fall!
Faculty Leadership. Our faculty members have always been active in professional societies and community service activities. The leadership of one particular organization boasts numerous engineering representatives.
The Marquette chapter of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society, has the following officers from engineering: Dr. Edwin Yaz, president; Dr. James Richie, past president and board member; Dr. Said Audi, vice-president; Dr. George Corliss, secretary; and Dr. Dean Jeutter, board member.
Sigma Xi was founded in 1886 to honor excellence in scientific investigation and encourage a sense of companionship and cooperation among researchers in all fields of science and engineering. Today, it is an international, multidisciplinary research society whose programs and activities promote the health of the scientific enterprise and honor scientific achievement.
Engineering on a Mission. Get an exciting behind-the-scenes look at your College of Engineering. Featuring brief video story episodes, the college’s proposed new facility and links to recent media coverage. Click here to share in the excitement.
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