Fall 2007

• The military vehicle seat shock isolation caught wide media coverage as reflected in these news stories:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/10311547.html

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=7187706 
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=7185395
http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/14292064/detail.html
 

• Dr. Boehm was featured at City Life September 27 issue. Please click here for a link to the article.

• The department hosted a "Miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MUAV) Workshop on Saturday, September 8. The workshop was funded by the NEVADA EPSCoR Office and hosted by Dr. Mohamed Trabia. Three leading authorities in the area presented summary of their research and expectation for future developments in this area. The presenters were:
  1. Siva S. Banda, Ph.D. & Director, Control Science Center of Excellence, Air Force Research Laboratory
  2. Sunil Agrawal, Professor, University of Delaware
  3. Paul Oh, Professor, Drexel University

  The workshop was attended by 25 researchers from UNLV, UNR, Utah State University, and University of Zaragoza, Spain. The participants had mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and biology backgrounds. Click here for a photo of the participants with the presenters.

   

• Dr. Robert Boehm and Dr. Mohamed Trabia were panelists in the second (Design Education Committee) panel session is entitled "What should be in a designer's toolbox: an industry perspective." The panel was part of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC 07).
  As noted, the design community includes individuals who represent a broad spectrum of interests and diverse needs. This panel will present some perspectives on what topics need to be known by designers and thus the implications on how engineering design might be presented and taught at the university level. Although the end-result would be on impacts and concerns for design education, the panel specifically wants to emphasize the concerns of the practicing design engineers by looking at industrial perspectives. In the open discussion period with the audience, this panel will discuss the tools needed by today's designers and begin to develop the influence the needs of practicing industrial engineering designers should have on design education.

   

• HRH College of Engineering and College of Engineering, University of Kentucky hosted a reception on Tuesday, September 4, from 6:00 to 9:00 at the Student Union Ballroom as part of the ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences (IDETC 07). More than three hundred conference participants attended the reception. Tours were organized to showcase some of our labs and student organizations. Click here for photos of the reception.

• Dr. Woosoon Yim has received NSF award for a new project. The project title is, “RI: Collaborative Research: Intelligent Microwave Power Transmission and Control System for Artificial Muscle-Driven Biomimetic Robotic Systems.” The project is in collaboration with Dr. Kwang Kim, UNR. The project total amount is $440,000 over three years. UNLV is the lead institution with $250K and UNR is awarded $190K.

• Dr. Xiuling Wang has started working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, Calumet. Dr. Wang is an alumnus of the program. She did post-doctoral studies at UNLV after graduation. She collaborated with her advisor, Professor Darrell Pepper, on an impressive number of technical publications. I am quite sure that she will continue this trend.  Dr. Wang is the second Ph.D. graduate of the program to accept an academic position. The first such person is Dr. Fredericka Brown who has been on the faculty of the Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Texas at Tyler since 2004.

• The American Society of American Nuclear Society (ANS) has awarded the University of Nevada, Las Vegas ANS student section a Certificate of Distinction. Fifteen sections nationwide were awarded such certificate.
  
   

Summer 2007

• UNLV's place in the sun: Research thrives, pursues advances in solar, hydrogen, wind energy, Las Vegas Sun, August 15, 2007. Please click here to view the article.

   

• Professor Robert Boehm is a Keynote Speaker at the 2007 Inaugural Energy Symposium. This inaugural event is dedicated to showcasing the renewable/sustainable energy projects of UNLV faculty, staff, students, and collaborators, as well as other external projects underway statewide and nationally. The development and utilization of new technologies to protect the environment, achieve energy independence, and strengthen the economy will be explored. The Symposium is organized by UNLV’s Office of Strategic Energy Programs. The event offers participants the opportunity to learn about energy projects and will encourage networking and collaboration. This symposium is intended for researchers, educators, students, policy makers, public and private-sector energy and environmental professionals, and citizens.

For further information, please go to: http://osep.unlv.edu/ESy2007/index.html

• Channel 8’s, sister station LasVegas1 interviewed Dr. Brendan O’Toole and Dr. Ajit Roy regarding the Minneapolis bridge collapse on 8/2/2007.

• The department of Mechanical Engineering is hosting a Miniature Unmanned Aerial Vehicle workshop on 9/8/07 from 8:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Details available at:

 http://www.nevada.edu/epscor/docs/MUAV_Announcement_1.pdf#Page1 

• The Department of Mechanical Engineering is sponsoring a LabVIEW Hand-On workshop to be held in TBE-B367 on Thursday, July 26, 2007.  Please see the information below for details.  Although this is a free event seating is limited so please RSVP on the National Instruments website:

  http://now.eloqua.com/e/er.aspx?s=639&lid=311&elq=CC64C451109143719E0316D9CDEDF521

   

• Denis Beller attended a conference in Idaho: Topic: Nuclear Applications and Utilization for Accelerators. The Idaho Journal and the Morning News covered the conference. The success at this conference has led to the opportunity for Dr. Beller and his group to speak internationally in 2009.

• Mr. Clark McCarrell received the "Faculty of the Year" award for the undergraduate studies at the University of Phoenix on May 19th at the 2007 Commencement ceremonies. Mr. McCarrell, Nevada Power, is an alumnus of the program (B.S. and M.S.). He serves as the Chair of the Department Advisory Board.

Spring 2007

• Pankaj Kumar (Ph.D. candidate) received a UNLV Graduate Research Training (GREAT) Assistantship for the Summer 2007. The assistantship carries a monthly stipend of $1,333.00 for three months and tuition support. 

• The Sumo robot competition of ME 100 (Introduction to Mechanical Engineering) was held on April 30. Congratulations to the winning team: SEAN JACKSON, BOBBIE MILLER, CHRIS SALISBURY, and ISAAC SWAINSTON! A few photos follow. Click on Thumbnails to enlarge. Download movie highlights from the Spring 2007 robot competition here.

   

• Luis Durani received the Graebel Award for the 2007-2008 year. The $1000 award is given to the mechanical engineering undergraduate student with the highest GPA. In addition to maintaining an impressive GPA, he working toward a second major in Political Science. He is interested in nuclear engineering area. Dr. William Graebel is a Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan. He has been supportive of the Mechanical Engineering program since he moved to Southern Nevada.

• The MEG students have selected Dr. Ajit Roy as the MEG Outstanding Professors.

• The MEG faculty have voted Mr. Eric Weimer as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Spring 2007 semester. Congratulations! Eric will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• Richard Jennings received the Ray Kozak Award for the 2007-2008 year. The $500 award is given to a non-traditional mechanical engineering undergraduate student. Mr. Ray Kozak was a graduate of  the department (B.S. and M.S.). He was also a strong supporter of our educational and research efforts.

• Dr. Ajit Roy has been selected as the Outstanding Researcher for the college. Dr. Roy was recognized on April 26 at the University Honors Convocation. The college also recognized him at the April 30 College Honors Convocation.

• Mr. Jeff Markle, MEG Lab Director, is coordinating National Instruments LabView User Group held a meeting in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 26th. The meeting topic was: New Software for Easy Datalogging -LabVIEW Signal Express
   

• Robots, money, whatever it takes, UNLV goes recruiting, Las Vegas Sun, April 17, 2007.

• ASME President Elect, Dr. Sam Zamrik visited in Las Vegas, April 9th. Dr. Zamrik is a consultant and professor emeritus of engineering mechanics at Pennsylvania State University. His research area is in pipeline and pressure vessels. He met with ME 314 (Heat Transfer) students and discussed future of the engineering profession with them and its role in the face of globalization challenges. The College held a reception for Dr. Zamrik on the same day. Please click here for photos.

• Professor Pepper was selected as the chair of the Outstanding Young Researcher Medal Committee for the ICCES08 (International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences). Three outstanding researchers would receive this award for three categories: Computation, Experiment, and Theory. The

  15th ICCES Conference, ICCES08, will be held during 17-22 March 2008 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.  The winner of this award would receive $1000 and a certificate at the conference.

   

  Dr. Pepper will chair a committee of four and start seeking nominations.  The committee will form a set of rules and criteria towards selecting a suitable candidate for nomination. 

   

• Professor Boehm was invited by Resort hotel and vendor company executives regarding business and community options in conservation, renewable sources and emerging technologies during an Nevada Tourism Alliance (NTA) Issues Forum, Tuesday, March 27, Green Valley Ranch Resort, Las Vegas.

   

• Stacy Nelson was featured at:
  http://www.viewnews.com/2007/VIEW-Mar-20-Tue-2007/anthem/13206651.html
  
   

• Dr. Boehm interview about Center for Energy Research and also featured on Department of Energy News.

http://ryanishungry.com/2007/03/07/solar-las-vegas-center-for-energy-research/ 
 

• Student chapter of SAMPE is granting the wish of local Make-A-Wish child, Oscar who wished for a 'wrestling ring bed' and SAMPE built it for him.
  
   

Fall 2006

• Energy-efficient house passes first test. Model home will now be asked to perform while being occupied, Las Vegas Sun, December 29, 2006.

• During January 01 through 11, 2007, Dr. Ajit Roy gave three technical presentations entitled, “Dynamic Strain Ageing of Structural Materials for Nuclear Applications,” at the following three academic institutions.

  Bengal Engineering and Science University, Sibpur, India

  Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Bhubaneswar, India

  PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India

  Significant academic interactions took place with both the faculty and students of all three institutions.

• Dr. Dan Cook is hosting a two-day blacksmithing and toolmaking workshop Saturday, December 1 and Sunday December 2.

• Dr. M. Trabia was invited to act as a program examiner at the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, International Islamic University, Malaysia, December, 2006. He was also invited to give a lecture, “A Two-Stage Anti-Swing Fuzzy Controller for an Overhead Crane with Hoisting.”

• Ms. Stacy Raagas is selected as the UNLV Outstanding Graduate (one of six for the Fall Commencement). While women pursuing an engineering career have hit an all-time low nationally and internationally, Ms. Raagas has led teams to victories and honors in the Human Powered Vehicle and FIRST Robotics competitions. Under her leadership, the UNLV student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers was awarded a grant to develop a diversity action program to attract minorities and women to engineering.

• Dr. Z. Wang was awarded a sabbatical leave for the Fall 07  / Spring 08 semesters. Since coming to UNLV, Dr. Wang developed an impressive research program in the area of manufacturing. His research resulted in steady stream of publications in various leading technical journals and conferences in this area. The sabbatical application of Dr. Wang represents an extension of his previous efforts. During his sabbatical leave, Dr. Wang would like to understand manufacturing processes in China in a systematic way. His research will fill an important gap in our understanding of how the Chinese industries really function.

• Dr. W. Yim was awarded a sabbatical leave for the Spring 08 semester. During the last nineteen years, Dr. Yim has been active in the robotics and control areas. He was able to consistently publish in the top technical journals in these areas. His work is cited by many leading authorities of his field of study. Dr. Yim's sabbatical leave will help him prepare for the next stage of an-ongoing research project that he was involved in during the last few years. Professor Yim would like to continue developing a cilia-driven underwater small scale robotic vehicle actuated by Electro-Active Polymer (EAP) artificial muscle. This project has several potential applications including surveillance and medical diagnostics.

• Contest seeks next Bill Gates: Engineering students target daily problems, Las Vegas Review Journal, 12/7/2006.

• The MEG faculty have voted Ms. Stacy Raagas as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Fall 2006 semester. Congratulations! Stacy will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• Dr. Roy is organizing two technical sessions entitled, “Materials for Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (I and II)" at the ASME PVP-2007 Conference to be held in San Antonio, TX, June-July, 2007.  There are eight papers in these sessions that will be presented.  He will be chairing both sessions. 

• The Department of Mechanical Engineering would like to congratulate the winners of the Senior Design Competition for Fall 2006. They are:

  Interdisciplinary Award:
  
  Silverfish Poison Packet Cutter for Opportunity Village:
  
  Tim Nelson, Kim Clark, Stacy Raagas and Halli Warf. $1,000 prize to be shared amongst the participants. Advisor: Dr. M. Trabia
  
  
  First Place, Mechanical Engineering:
  
  Motorized Car Jack:
  
  Brian J. Goldstein, Kenneth R. Lloren and Chris S. Stevenson. $1,000 prize to be shared amongst the participants. Advisor: Dr. M. Trabia
  
  
  Second Place, Mechanical Engineering:
  
  Automated IAC-CPR Machine:
  
  Lawrence Garcia, David Hanson and Paul Lawson $500 prize to be shared amongst the participants. Advisor Dr. W. Yim
  
  
   

• Robot Competition was held on Monday, Dec. 4, 1:00 pm  at UNLV, Great Hall, Engineering Building.

  25 teams from Advanced Technologies Academy, Clark High School, and UNLV participated, a record. In the final round, both robots tied, with no winner. Congratulations to both final round teams: Jacob Woolman, Jacob Kreps, Kevin Wong, Steven Thomson, Ronnie Santos Jr., Patrick Garcia, Joanna Perez, and Zach McKenzie, all from Advanced Technologies Academy. Click here for photos.

   

• Peter Faught received the Ray Kozak Award for the 2006-2007 year. The $500 award is given to a non-traditional mechanical engineering undergraduate student. Mr. Ray Kozak was a graduate of  the department (B.S. and M.S.). He was also a strong supporter of our educational and research efforts.

• ASME held its 1^st Water Quality, Drought, Human Health & Engineering Conference in the Desert Research Institute at Las Vegas on October 18-20, 2006. The 2 ½ -day forum discussed issues regarding water quantity, quality, drought, human health, and engineering as well as recent advances in remediation technology, along with policies regarding regulation and legislation.

Dr. Darrell Pepper served in the Conference Organizing Committee as well as a Panel Leader.

• Dr. Darrell Pepper served as the Keynote Speaker COMSOL Users Conference 2006, Las Vegas. The conference was held at the J.W. Marriott Las Vegas on October 26-27, 2006.

• Dr. Yitung Chen and his students have received two best paper awards from American Nuclear Society (ANS), Nevada Section for the 2005 paper competition. Student papers were submitted by higher education institutes while professional papers were submitted by higher education institutes, YMP, and NTS. The winning papers are:

(1) Best Student Paper is awarded to Mr. Kiran Muramalla co-authored with Dr. Yitung Chen and Dr. Anthony Hechanova. Mr. Muramalla received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering in Spring 2006 semester under the supervision of Dr. Chen. His paper title is, “Simulation and Optimization of Homogeneous Decomposition of Sulfur Trioxide Gas on a Catalytic Surface.” He received the award certificate and cash prize.

(2) Best Professional Paper is awarded to Mr. Valery Ponyavin co-authored with Mr. Sundaresan Subramanian, Mr. Clayton Ray DeLosier, Dr. Yitung Chen, Dr. Anthony Hechanova, and Dr. Per Peterson (UC Berkeley). Currently, Mr. Ponyavin is a professional staff and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He is supervised by Dr. Chen.  His paper title is “The Flow Calculations in the High Temperature Heat Exchanger with the Manufacturing Geometrical Effects,” He received the award certificate and cash prize.

Summer 2006

• The college and department hosted a reception for the AMPT-Advances in Materials and Processing Technologies Conference on July 31^st at 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Great Hall. The reception gives us an opportunity to highlight our facilities and research project. More than 120 participants attended the reception. 

   

• Professor Boehm was invited to participate in the First NHA Renewables to Hydrogen Forum as a panel speaker. The Forum will take place Oct. 4th and 5th, 2006, at the Marriott Pyramid North Hotel in Albuquerque, NM.

• Dr. Roy has been selected as a Fellow of the British Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IMMM). This is an impressive distinction; IMMM has selected only two new fellows this year.
  
  This rank shows that the tireless effort of Dr. Roy is being recognized internationally.

• Mr. Jeff Markle, MEG Lab Director, is organizing a LabVIEW User Group meeting to be held in the conference room, TBE-A211.  This meeting will be led by Buddy Curtis who is the National Instruments representative for the Las Vegas area.  The topic for the meeting is “What can you do with an FPGA?”  The meeting will take place on Thursday, July 20th, from 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.  Snacks will be provided.

   

  The meeting is open to any one.  If you would like to take part in this meeting then please register be going to the following link:

  http://sine.ni.com/apps/we/nievn.ni?action=display_offering&offering_id=424716&site=NIC&state=NV&node=61110&l=US

   

  If you have any questions about this meeting please email them to Buddy Curtis at: Buddy.Curtis@ni.com

   

• Professor Robert Skaggs has passed away on 6/25/06. Dr. Skaggs has served UNLV close to thirty years prior to retiring in 1999. He was an expert in material sciences. Dr. Skaggs was also instrumental in building the department. The kindness of Professor Skaggs touched everyone who interacted with him. He was a mentor to many faculty members.

   

  His contributions will always be remembered.

   

• UNLV student chapter of American Society of Mechanical Engineers hosted the “Summer 2006 Diversity Action Seminar,” a unique program designed to cultivate interest in engineering as a profession among high school females and minorities.  The event was held June 23 and 24, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Thomas T. Beam Engineering Complex on the UNLV campus.

   

• Engineering spirit: Female engineering students thrive in male-dominated field, The Rebel Yell, 6/12/2006.

   

• National Instruments LabVIEW training sessions are scheduled for Monday, June 19th.  Both sessions are held in the TBE-B367 computer lab. If you are interested in attending the morning session then click on the link to the NI website to register online.
  
  The first (AM) session will be the NI LabVIEW Hands-On Campus Workshop and is for those just starting out with LabVIEW.  There are several exercises that we will do together as a class to gain exposure to the LabVIEW environment.

  06/19/2006    Time 8:30am-11:30am

  NI LabVIEW Hands-On Campus Workshop (RSVP on the web at www.ni.com/events)

  
  The second (PM) session will be focused on those wanting more advanced training on Data Acquisition , Remote Control of VIs via a  Web Interface, Motion Control (stepper motor control),
  Relay/Switch Control, Advanced Debugging, Signal Processing, Toolkit Introduction, and Matlab Code Utilization. There will be much time for discussion and addressing individual questions.

  06/19/2006    Time 1:00pm-:4:00pm

  NI LabVIEW Hands-On Advanced Discussions Session 2 (RSVP to buddy.curtis@ni.com)

  Mr. Jeff Markle, MEG Lab Director coordinated the sessions, which were attended by 31 participants, including some local engineers.

   

• Water District raising H: Another step into future taken with second hydrogen refueling station, Las Vegas Sun, 5/21/2006.

• Recent undergraduate laboratory upgrades:

  2 Computers for ME 100L: $2,064

  2 NI-ELVIS units for ME 337L: $5,372

  5 Quanser NI-ELVIS DC Motor Control Units for ME 337L: $9,759

  Darex Tool Sharpener for the Machine Shop: $3,067

   

Spring 2006

• The US Green Building Council, Las Vegas Regional Chapter has chosen Professor Boehm as the recipient of:

  Leadership Award for Research

  Outstanding Individual – Las Vegas Chapter

  The awards are recognition of the efforts of Professor Boehm in the energy area.

   

• The MEG faculty have voted Mr. Laurence Ruggieri as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Spring 2006 semester. Congratulations! Lawrence will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• ASME Student Section was awarded the 4th Annual Rebel Achievement Award. The section, especially under the leadership of Ms. Stacy Raagas, has been active in various extra-curricular and outreach activities. Congratulations!

   

• The Department of Mechanical Engineering would like to congratulate the winners of the Senior Design Competition for Spring 2006. They are:

  First Place, Mechanical Engineering --

  Cooled Electron Target Optimized for Neutron-production (CETON), by:

  Timothy Beller, Ryan LeCounte, and Brice Howard. $1,000 prize to be shared amongst the participants. Advisor: Dr. D. Beller

   

  Second Place, Mechanical Engineering --

  Next Generation Football Helmet, by:

  George Ladkany, Kent Nakata, and Lawrence Ruggieri. $500 prize to be shared amongst the participants.

• Dr. Yitung Chen and Dr. Jichun Li (Department of Mathematics, College of Science, UNLV) are organizing the NSF-CBMS conference on "Mathematical and Numerical Treatment of Fluid Flow and Transport in Porous Media," which will be held at UNLV from May 22-26, 2006. The conference is financially sponsored by NSF. Details can be found at the conference website www.ncacm.unlv.edu/cbms/.

  The principal lecturers are:

  Dr. Zhangxin (John) Chen, Professor of Mathematics and

  Gerald J. Ford Research Professor, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.

  Professor’s Chen will cover a self contained and comprehensive exposition on fluid flow and transport in porous media. The topics will cover single-phase flow, two-phase flow, multiphase flow and transport, and corresponding numerical methods.

  Additional invited lectures will also be featured by other leading experts. Invited speakers are Dr. Todd Arbogast (Univ. of Texas at Austin), Dr. Lynn S. Bennethum (Univ. of Colorado at Denver), Dr. Clint Dawson (Univ. of Texas at Austin), Dr. Jim Douglas (Purdue University), Dr. Richard E. Ewing (Texas A&M University), and Dr. Thomas F. Russell (National Science Foundation). Approximately, more than 80 participants from the U.S. and international countries.

   

• MEG 100L LEGO Robot Competition: Seven teams participated in the SUMO Robot competition on Monday, May 1st. The winner is Team 7. Congratulations to the winning team members:

  MANUEL CONTRERAS

  DARRYL MULFORD

  OLIVER SANGALANG

  Click here for a photo of the winners.

• Professor O'Toole was selected as the Mechanical Engineering Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Teacher.

• The MEG students have selected both Dr. Brendan O'Toole and Dr. Woosoon Yim as the MEG Outstanding Professors.

• The UNLV student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has been reformed recently. We have a very enthusiastic group of students excited about SAE. Elections were held today and the new officers are:

  President: Alan Evenson

  Vice President: Hilary Shyface

  Secretary: Sandra De La Cruz

  Treasurer: Mike Morgan

  The group plans to enter the Mini-Baja competition next year (2007). Design work will probably start this summer. Interested students should contact:

  Dr. Brendan O'Toole (bj@me.unlv.edu).

  Information on this competition and organization can be found at the following websites:

  http://students.sae.org/competitions/minibaja/

  http://students.sae.org/

   

• The department would like to welcome Mr. Jeffrey Markle who has just accepted our offer for the Lab Director position. Jeff is an alumnus of UNLV (B.S. (1998) and M.S. (2001)). He has an extensive industrial experience in the MEMS area, with emphasis on single-chip pressure sensors for automotive applications. Mr. Markle will supervise both teaching and research laboratories of the department.

• Energy Researchers Aim for Zero Results, UNLV Magazine, Spring 2006.

• Ms. Rocio Hernandez was nominated for the 2006-2007 Mitzi Hughes Scholarship. She is a senior in the department. Ms. Hernandez will receive $250 per semester up to a maximum of two semesters.

• "Optimization of a Light-Weight Composite Explosion-Proof Vessel for Use in Air Transport" paper received third prize for the 2006 Regional Student Conference - Region VI. The paper involved FE modeling of the explosion-proof vessel and the technique used to optimize the FE model. The paper is authored by Jagadeep Thota and Srujanbabu Sridharala. The work presented was done under the guidance of Dr. Mohamed B. Trabia and Dr. Brendan J. O'Toole. Dr. Samaan G. Ladkany is the faculty mentor of the AIAA UNLV student chapter.  The authors received a certificate of recognition and a check of $250.

• The MEG faculty have voted Mr. Lawrence Ruggieri as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Spring 2006 semester. Congratulations! Julian will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• "STRUCTURAL RESPONSE OF BLAST LOADED COMPOSITE CONTAINMENT VESSELS" paper received the Best Paper Award for the SAMPE ’06 Conference, Long Beach, CA. The paper was selected out of 350 papers. It is highlighted in the program as the best paper. The paper is authored by Brendan O’Toole, Mohamed B. Trabia, Jagadeep Thota, Trevor Wilcox, Kumarswamy K. Nakelswamy. Authors we will get certificates of recognition and a check for $1000 (total).

• UNLV student chapter of American Society of Mechanical Engineers hosted the “Spring 2006 Diversity Action Seminar,” a unique program designed to cultivate interest in engineering as a profession among high school females and minorities.  The event was held March 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Thomas T. Beam Engineering Complex on the UNLV campus. It was attended by students from Clark and Laughlin High Schools.

• Engineering club to offer diversity class, The Rebel Yell, 2/23/2006.

• The Department of Mechanical Engineering hosted the ASME Essential Teaching Seminar on March 16-18. The seminar, which targets  engineering and technology faculty, helps faculty improve their teaching skills. The seminar was attended by  seventeen faculty from various institutions including Western Kentucky University, California Maritime Academy, Weber State University, Pennsylvania State University, Kansas State University, and University of Toledo in addition to those from UNLV.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the ASME and in particular Ms. Amy Bentow. We also appreciate the dedicated efforts of Ms. Joan Conway and Ms. Christine Williams who made all the necessary arrangements for this special event.

• The department regrets to report the passing of former student Waylon Trieu on March 3, 2006. Mr. Trieu attended Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 semesters as a Pre-Mechanical Engineering student.

• Congratulations to Ken Hynes, a Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate, for receiving NSPE scholarship, which was awarded at the E-Week Banquet.

• Engineering dept. drops flat fee, charges $50 fee for certain classes, The Rebel Yell, 1/19/2006.

Fall 2006

• The Department of Mechanical Engineering would like to congratulate the winners of the Senior Design Competition for Fall 2005. They are:

  First Place, Mechanical Engineering --

  Direct Hydrogen Injection, by:

  Hiroshi Aoshima, Bryan Ganitano, and Marc Newmarker. $1,000 prize to be shared amongst the participants.
   

• The ASME’s Center for Leadership and Diversity has awarded the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, ASME Student Section a Diversity Action Grant in the amount of $1,275 for engineering camp workshops.

The objective of the grant is to reach out to students from under-represented minorities and introduce them to various aspects of mechanical engineering profession. Credit should be give to the section, especially Stacy Raagas and Kimberly Clark for taking the initiative with this project.

• The Board of Regents has approved the Center for Materials and Structures (CMS).  The interdisciplinary center is headed by Dr. Brendan O'Toole with faculty from all engineering departments and other colleges. The Mission of CMS is to conduct materials and structures research and to also provide educational and outreach activities in support of the local and national needs for highly trained personnel in these fields. The budget of research projects associated with the center is about $2,700,000 for the 2005 year.

• Russell Robinson received the Ray Kozak Award for the 2005-2006 year. The $500 award is given to a non-traditional mechanical engineering undergraduate student. Mr. Ray Kozak was a graduate of  the department (B.S. and M.S.). He was also a strong supporter of our educational and research efforts.
   

• MEG 100L LEGO Robot Competition: Twenty teams ( a record! ) participated in the SUMO Robot competition on Monday, Dec. 05. The winner is Team 11  with their "Marxist Machine". Congratulations to the winning team members:

  Sean Birnbaum
  Robert Stout
  John Cannoy
  Elden Goddard
  Robert Vazanna

  Click here for a photo of the winners.

• The MEG faculty have voted Mr. Julian Gardner as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Fall 2005 semester. Congratulations! Julian will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• Professor Boehm was selected to serve as an Associate Editor of ENERGY Journal for a three-year term. Dr. Boehm is already serving in this capacity. This appointment is an exception due to his excellent record.

• Professor Boehm is the recipient of the 2005 Rudolf Gunnerman Silver State Award for Excellence in Science and Technology. Professor Boehm is the first southern Nevadan to receive this award!
  
  The award ceremony will take place in DRI on 11/15 at 5:30 p.m.
   

• Energy efficiency back in spotlight - Record high fuel prices force U.S. to revisit politically touchy issue, San Francisco Chronicle, October 6, 2005.

   

• The Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering and UNLV Center for Energy Research will be hosting a special event to unveil and showcase an exciting new research project, the Zero Energy Home. Members of the UNLV community are invited to join us on Thursday, September 29, at 1:00p.m. for a brief ceremony, followed by tours of the house.
  
  “The Vinings” community by Pinnacle Homes
  7395 Howell Mill Court
  Las Vegas, NV 89113

  
  This unique partnership combines the efforts the College of Engineering and UNLV Center for Energy Research, Nevada Southwest Energy Partnership (NSWEP), Pinnacle Homes, ConSol, Nevada Power, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
  
  What’s distinctive about this project is that two identical-looking, 1,610 square-foot homes have been built side-by-side; one the Zero Energy Home model and the other built using conventional construction practices. Both homes have been built with monitoring instruments discreetly imbedded during construction so that UNLV researchers can monitor the energy efficiency and consumption of each home.
  
  Over an 18-month period, UNLV students and faculty from the College of Engineering will monitor the energy performance of the two homes. Real-time data from both structures will enable UNLV researchers to evaluate the energy consumption and cost savings.
  
  Come and see the future of residential energy conservation technology, Thursday, September 29th at 1:00 p.m.

• We just received a letter from our accrediting agency, ABET, notifying us of a full six-year re-accreditation for the B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering. This represents a tremendous accomplishment for the department, which was a result of collaboration of all our faculty, staff, and students.

  The support we received from our local engineering community, especially our Advisory Board under the leadership of both Mr. Clark McCarrell and Thomas Doering before him. The Advisory Board was instrumental in critiquing our curriculum, creating and evaluating surveys. Members of the Advisory Board (Clark McCarrell, Michelle Miller, and the late Ray Kozak) also reviewed our Self-Study Report. Members of the Advisory Board (Clark McCarrell, John Hill, John Stammetti, and Michael Schwob) also met with our ABET evaluator during the accreditation visit.

   

• Dr. Daniel cook has accepted the university offer to become the first full-time faculty member in entertainment engineering area. Dr. Cook had his Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley. In addition to his innovative multi-disciplinary work in the entertainment engineering, Dr. Cook has been active in thermo-fluids and metallurgy.

• The department would like to welcome Dr. Shizhi Qian who has just accepted our offer become the newest addition to the department. Dr. Qian comes to us from  the University of Pennsylvania. His research area is Microfluidics. He has already done some ground-breaking research in the area of "Lab-on-Chip." The appointment of Dr. Qian will surely stimulate biomedical research in UNLV.

Summer 2005

• Dr. Richard Brickman has passed away on 8/9/2005. Richard was our first Ph.D. graduate. After graduation, he kept close interaction with the department through participation in various research project and teaching courses.  Dr. Brickman has touched many through his dedication and hard work. He will be fondly remembered by everyone in the department.

• The department would like to welcome Mr. Kevin Nelson who has just accepted our offer for the Model Designer / Machinist Position. Kevin is an alumnus of UNLV. He has an extensive industrial experience. His has already done impressive machining experience. The appointment of Mr. Nelson will surely improve our experimental capabilities.

• The Mechanical Engineering Summer Research Program Final Competition was held on Friday 6/24/05 at the Thomas Beam Engineering Building (TBE) Great Hall. Students from Rancho and Clark High schools participated in the program. Eight students attended the program where they were introduced to the basic principles of mechanical engineering through working as teams to design and program robots. The program success was due to the efforts of several individuals including:

  1.      Professor Georg Mauer (Technical Advisor)

  2.      Mr. Jagadeep Thota (Lab Assistant)

  3.      Ms. Shirley R. McLees (Clark High School)

  4.      Mr. John Vogt (Rancho H.S.)

  5.      Ms. Bettie McRae and Ms. Joan Conway (MEG Administrative Assistants)

  6.      Ms. Carrol Steedman (Continuing Education)

  Dr. Eric Sandgren, Dean of Engineering and Dr. Richard Lee, Vice Provost for Educational Outreach, were instrumental in his support of this program. Click here for photos of the competition.

• Human-Powered Vehicle article from ASME NEWS, June 2005.  

Spring 2005

• The Mechanical Engineering Department would like to congratulate the winners of the Senior Design Competition for Spring 2005. They are:

  Interdisciplinary Project Winner
  Solar Tracking Concentrator Array
  Wade Carter (EE), Tanner Hartranft (CE), Anthony DeLeon (CE), Gar Neilsen (ME), Sergio Castellano (ME), and Mike Reynolds (COE)

• Professor Boehm was selected as the Mechanical Engineering Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Teacher.

• Surya Parimi and Ancila Kaiparabil, M.S. students in the MEG Department, have both received the UNLV James Adams/GPSA Scholarship for 2005-2006 academic year. The scholarship provides a $1,000 stipend. Congratulations!  

• The HPV team continues its impressive record. In the April 2004 Competition, we received the following awards:

  1st place: Overall for tandem

  1st place: Design for tandem

  1st  place: Sprint race for tandem

  1st  place: Endurance race for tandem

  The team, which is advised by Professor O'Toole, made extensive use of the CNC machine. Please click here to check some photos.

• Congratulations to the winning team of the the Spring 2005 MEG 100L LEGO Robot Competition:  Ryan B. Milliron, Warren S. Havens, Timothy A. Smith, and Daniel J. Skoblar. 

  More than fifty students participated in the competition. 

  Click here for photos of the winning team. 

  Click here to see a video of the competition.

• Spring 2005 MEG 100L LEGO Robot Competition: Please click here for a photo that appeared in today's Las Vegas SUN, with reference to the MEG 100 robot competition held on Monday. May 2. The event aired also in broadcasts on Channels 13 and 5.
  

• The MEG students has selected Dr. Ajit Roy as the MEG Outstanding Professor. Dr. Roy  will be recognized in the College Honor Convocation on April 25^th.  

• Mr. Clayton Delosier received the 2005-2006 Mitzi Hughes Scholarship. He is a senior in the department. Mr. Delosier will receive $250 per semester up to a maximum of two semesters.
   

• MEG students helped local schools that participated in the FIRST competition. Professor O'Toole Coordinated the course. These schools are: Cimarron (winner of the regional competition), Clark, Rancho, Coronado, and Palo Verde. Please click here for a related Las Vegas Sun article.

• The following students were awarded the O'Rourke Scholarship:

  - Sergio Castellano

  - Kimberly Clark

  - Luis Durani

  - Rico Picone

  - Sandra De La Cruz

• The MEG faculty have voted Mr. Robert O'Brien as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Spring 2005 semester. Congratulations! Robert will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• George Ladkany received the Graebel Award for the 2004-2005 year. The $1000 award is given to the mechanical engineering undergraduate student with the highest GPA. Dr. William Graebel is a Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan. He has been supportive of the Mechanical Engineering program since he moved to Southern Nevada.

• Entertainment Engineering, State of Nevada, KNPR

• Renewable Energy, State of Nevada, KNPR

• Engineering for the Spectacle, Mechanical Engineering, January 2005.

Fall 2004

• UNLV course turns students into inventors, Las Vegas Sun, December 10 2004.

• The Mechanical Engineering Department would like to congratulate the winners of the Senior Design Competition for Fall 2004. They are:

Overall Winners
Electrostatic Automotive Air Filter
June Light (EE), Daniel Lowe(ME) and Matthew Voegele(ME)
Interdisciplinary Project Winner
Surface Climbing Automated Robot
Michael Boykin(EE), Willy Hsieh(ME), Robert O’Brien(ME) and Zachary Van Cleve (ME)
Mechanical Engineering Winner
Autoleveling Wheel Chair
Mark Chatterton(ME), Nathan Quigley(EE), and Aleem Wali(ME)

• DESIGN CLASS: Imaginations run wild in UNLV class: Engineering students count on creations to make grade, Las Vegas Review Journal, December 9, 2004.  

• The MEG faculty have voted Mr. Daniel Lowe as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Fall 2004 semester. Congratulations! Danny will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• Mr. Ray Kozak (B.S. and M.S., UNLV) was killed in a car accident on 10/6/2004. Ray had both degrees from MEG. He was employed by the Water District. In addition, Ray was a tireless supporter of this department. He was an active member of the Advisory Board. He also participated in several research projects after graduation. His enthusiasm and kindness affected all who interacted with him. A scholarship was set in the name of Mr. Kozak. It will be awarded for the first time this semester. Please feel free to donate toward this worthy cause.

• The winners for the Fall 2004 MEG 100L LEGO Robot Competitions are:

Zacc Poots   
Allen Evenson      
Erik Kalarchik      
Daniel Correia

More than fifty students participated in the competition. 

Click here for photos of the winning team. 

Click here to see a video of the competition.

• RENEWABLE ENERGY: UNLV adds to solar supply, Las Vegas Review Journal, September 24, 2004.  

• Mohamed B. Trabia, professor and chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has been named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. A fellow grade is bestowed on an ASME member who has 10 or more years of active engineering practice and has made a contribution to the profession.

Summer 2004

• Dr. Mohamed Trabia was elected a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

• Professor Darrell Pepper was appointed to the ASME Committee on Engineering Accreditation, which establishes guidelines and criteria for ME accreditation for ABET.

• Winners Identified in East and West Coast Competitions of ASME Annual Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, , ASME News, June 2004.

• The department would like to extend best wished to Dr. Bingmei Fu received who is leaving us after six fruitful years. Dr. Fu has been extremely successful in obtaining funded research, publishing in peer- review ed journals , making conference presentations, and student advising. She recently received an NSF Career Grant.

• We have just received our rapid prototyping machine. It is Dimension SST from Stratasys. The machine will enhance our ability to visualize complex components before machining them. It will also help students in senior design and manufacturing courses. Click here for a photo of the machine.

• The Mechanical Engineering Summer Research Program Final Competition was held on Friday 7/2/04 at 1:00 p.m. at the Thomas Beam Engineering Building (TBE) Great Hall. Students from Rancho and Clark High schools participated in the program. The program was taught by Sachin Deshmukh and supervised by Professor Georg Mauer. Click here for photos of the competition. Click here for a movie of the competition.

• Power failure: Nevada seems unable to sustain its alternative energy visions, but green power advocates remain optimistic, Las Vegas City Life, June 2, 2004.

• Clark McCarrell (B.S., M.S., MEG, UNLV) was recently selected to be the ASME Vice President for Diversity and Outreach. Clark has done a fantastic job in reaching out to high schools with large representation of members of disadvantaged minorities to introduce them to mechanical engineering. He is also active on ASME and ASHRAE local sections. He is the current Chairman of the MEG Advisory Board.

Spring 2004

• Jason Stein, B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, UNLV, received the ASME North Texas Section of the Electronic and Photonic Packaging Division (EPPD) Young Engineer of the Year Award. Jason is currently with Raytheon Company.

• The department would like to congratulate the following Spring 2004 Senior Design Experience competition winners: 

  Interdisciplinary Project ($1000):   ARCANE: A Sales Robot: Timothy Schmidt and Woodbine Devonish,  (MEG), Brett Barney, Roger Boisselle, Anthony Fiti (ECG) Advisor: Dr. Woosoon Yim.

• Professor Boehm was selected as the Mechanical Engineering Tau Beta Pi Outstanding Teacher.

• The HPV team continues its impressive record. In the April 2004 Competition, we received the following awards:

  1st place: Overall for tandem

  1st place: Design for tandem

  2nd place: Sprint race for tandem

  2nd place: Endurance race for tandem

  The team, which is advised by Professor O'Toole, made extensive use of the CNC machine. Please check: http://www.asme.cmest.unlv.edu/projects_and_activities/ for some photos.

• Bin Chen, a Ph.D. student in the MEG Department, has received the UNLV GREAT (Graduate Research Training Assistantship for a total of $3,900.00. The award is a reflection on the hard work of Chen. Congratulations!

• The MEG students has selected Dr. Brendan O’Toole as the MEG Outstanding Professor. Dr. O’Toole has been voted by the students several times before. He is well-known for his dedication and open-door policy. Dr. O'Toole  will be recognized in the College Honor Convocation on April 21^st.

• The MEG faculty have voted Mr. Driss Benchekroun as the MEG Outstanding Graduate for the Spring 2004 semester. Congratulations! Driss will receive a plaque and $250.00 award.

• Robert O'Brien received the Graebel Award for the 2003-2004 year. The $1000 award is given to the mechanical engineering undergraduate student with the highest GPA. Dr. William Graebel is a Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan. He has been supportive of the Mechanical Engineering program since he moved to Southern Nevada.

• Professor Robert Boehm was named the UNLV Distinguished Professor. This is a well-deserved recognition and an addition to a long list of awards that Dr. Boehm has received. Congratulations!

• NEVADA VIEWS: Nuke shipments are safe, Dr. D. Beller, Las Vegas Review Journal, March 7, 2004.

• Professor Darrell Pepper was selected to become the ASME Congressional Fellow, starting January 2004. This position is one of the most prestigious at ASME. Dr. Pepper will act as a liaison between ASME and the US Congress.  He is affiliated with the office of Senator Dianne Feinstein.

• The Board of Directors of the Southern Nevada chapter of the Nevada Society of Professional Engineers met to review applications for the 2004 NSPE scholarship. One scholarship in the amount of $2000 was to be awarded to a full-time student who would graduate on or after December 2004.  The NSPE Board's unanimous decision was to select Robert O'Brien, senior in Mechanical Engineering as this year's winner. Robert will receive the scholarship award at this year's E-week banquet, to be held on Saturday, 28 February 2004 at the Rio Hotel.

Fall 2003

• A New Engineering Curriculum Tries to Make Magic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 9, 2004.

• Energy Conservation Plays Critical Design Role, Inside UNLV, November 2003.

• Board of Regents has approved the M.S. program in Materials and Nuclear Engineering in their June 2004 meeting. Many individuals collaborated over an extended period to formulate this degree, especially Dr. Culbreth, O’Toole, and Roy. Dr. Hechanova and Dr. Cerefice were instrumental in writing the proposal and getting external support letters for it.

• The Board of Regents has approved our M.S. in Biomedical Engineering degree proposal in their December meeting. This degree was the result of the hard work of many individuals, especially Professor Boehm, Dr. Neumann, and Dr. Fu. The support of the administration, especially Dean Sandgren, is greatly appreciated.

• The department would like to congratulate our Cum Laude Graduates:

  Tarek Deeb

  Mynog Holl

• The UCCSN Board of Regents approved a Biomedical Engineering Degree at 12/12/04 meeting.

• The department would like to congratulate the following Fall 2003 Senior Design Experience competition winners: 

  Interdisciplinary Project ($1000):   Smart Fire Alarm System and Remote Sensor for HVAC Systems , (Driss Benchekroun, Adam Danise (ECG) , Tarek Deeb, Nohemi Ramirez (ECG) , Derek Taguchi), Advisor: Dr. Samir Moujaes.

  MEG First Prize ($1000): BattleBots Destructor (Myong Holl, Jacob Mizrahi), Advisor: Dr. Woosoon Yim.

  MEG Second Prize ($500): Push-Pull Tricycle (Aimee Koehler, Scott Kelderhouse), Advisor: Dr. Brendan O'Toole.

• About one Hundred high school and middle school students participated in the K-12 Program for the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. Click here to view the flyer.

• UNLV adds to renewable power projects, Las Vegas Review Journal, October 2, 2003.

• Harter's research goal gains faculty, student support, Las Vegas Sun, September 12, 2003.

• From Bad to Good (Transmutation Applications), UNLV Magazine, Fall 2003.

• Mechanical Engineering First Open House, Thursday, September 18th, 5:00-6:30 p.m., TBE Great Hall.

  Announcement

  Schedule

• Dr. Ajit Roy and Dr. Yitung Chen have just received a 51% tenure track positions this fall. The appointments represent a recognition for their efforts to build the research program of the department. 

• Dr. Denis Beller has retired from LANL and taken a position as a Research Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering. University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Beller is a Purdue alumnus (Ph.D., 1986, nuclear engineering, fusion engineering).

• Enrollment numbers for next semester looks healthy, especially for MEG 100 (Introduction to Mechanical Engineering), which has 38 students as of 8/18. The course has a lab (MEG 100L), which was developed by Professor Georg Mauer, uses LEGO robots to teach students basics of design and programming.

• Funded research is still expanding. We started Soldiers' Objective Force Electronics Reliability and Survivability Technology Program (SOldier FERST). The project is multidisciplinary with faculty from mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering collaborating in several projects with staff of the Army Research Lab (ARL). The project manager is Professor Brendan O’Toole.

• Professor Woosoon Yim has just received a grant from NSF (National Science Foundation). The project title is "Collaborative Research: Biologically Inspired Cilia-Driven Microscale-Robots." Professor Yim co-investigator is Kwang J. Kim, UNR.

Spring 2003

• Dr. Darrell Pepper was recently appointed a member of Baldrige Board of Examiners. In that role, he will be involved in the judging process for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which is given annually by the President of the United States in the fields of business, education, and health care. 

• The department would like to congratulate the following Spring 2003 Senior Design Experience competition winners: 

College Grand Prize: Automated Temperature Control Shower Valve (Zach Stradling, Aaron Tippetts, Walker Fitzgerald (EE)), Advisor: Dr. Georg Mauer.

MEG First Prize: Secure Lock (Bradley Callihan, Joseph Chacon), Advisor: Dr. Woosoon Yim.

MEG Second Prize: Portable Misting System (Jeff Haasch, David Mirc, Bradley Shaffer), Advisor: Dr. Samir Moujaes.

A total of $14,000 were awarded college-wide.

• The MEG BBQ will be held on May 8, 11:00-1:00 in the Engineering Courtyard. Please come and celebrate the end of semester with us! Spring Semester Senior Design II students (MEG 498) are acknowledged.

• Engineers' Best Friend, Las Vegas Review Journal, May 6, 2003.

• Bradley Callihan received the Graebel Award for the 2002-2003 year. The $1000 award is given to the mechanical engineering undergraduate student with the highest GPA. Dr. William Graebel is a Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan. He has been supportive of the Mechanical Engineering program since he moved to Southern Nevada.

• MEG 100 design contest and reception (Lego robots) was held Monday May 5, 1:00 , Great Hall. Students from Advanced Technologies High School (A-Tech) who took this course via distance learning also participate.

• MEG students have elected Professor Robert Boehm, as the department Outstanding Faculty.

• Graduate College has approved a Non-Thesis Option in M.S. in mechanical Engineering degree. This option requires 33 credits of approved graduate courses, April 2003.

• Dr. Bingmei Fu received the College of Engineering Distinguished Research Award for 2003. Dr. Fu has been very productive in obtaining funded research, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, making conference presentations, and student advising. She recently received an NSF Career Grant. Since joining UNLV, her  research awards have exceeded $1.3 million. April 7, 2003.

• Inventive Spirit: E-Club Fosters Entrepreneurship in Engineering, UNLV Magazine, Spring 2003.

• UNLV scientists work on battlefields of the future, Las Vegas Sun, March 26, 2003.

• FE exam scores increase, Rebel, Yell, March 10, 2003.

• Gadgets useful in Engineering College, Rebel Yell, March 10, 2003.

• E-Club Fosters Entrepreneurial Spirit.

• WHAT RENEWABLE ENERGY CAN DO FOR YOU, Lecture by Dr. Robert Boehm, Director, UNLV Energy Research Center and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Fri. 6-9 pm, Jan. 31.

Fall 2002

• UNLV Gaining Prominence in Energy Research, article in Las Vegas Sun, January 13, 2003.

• HAAS VF5 CNC machine has just arrived! Funding for the machine was secured through collaboration of College of Engineering, College of Fine Arts, College of Science, and Harry Reid Center. John Morrissey the MEG technician and Dr. William Culbreth, Associate Dean of Engineering were instrumental in coordinating this effort. The machine will significantly enhance the research capabilities of the university, December 2002.

• The department would like to congratulate the following Fall 2002 graduates:

• A Biomedical Concentration in M.S., Mechanical Engineering was just approved by the Graduate College, December 2002.

• "Energizing Research," Article on Dr. R. Boehm's Research in UNLV Magazine, Fall 2002.

Summer 2002

• Rancho High School students design and build Mars rovers.

Spring 2002

• Professor Robert Boehm has been named the inaugural recipient of the Harry Reid Silver State Research Award, April 2002.

• Boehm receives research award

• Harry Reid Silver State Research Award