> From the Dean It’s hard to believe but SEMS is 15 years old this year! For SEMS 15 Celebration, we have exciting events happening on campus over the next few months: ORBCRE Water Conference, Homecoming, Actuarial Science Career Day, RMU Family Weekend, and Science Bowl. SEMS is the fastest growing school at RMU and Engineering is the fastest growing major. Currently SEMS has 972 students, in 1999 we had 22. SEMS is getting ready for two very important re-accreditations: Actuarial Science, fall 2014 and ABET-engineering, fall 2015. Engineering is expanding its laboratories: Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering and 3-D Printing Labs. The increase in laboratory space is about 1,500 sq. ft. Next year the renovated JJ Building will support strong academics, promote workforce development, increase our competitiveness for grants and research money, and attract fervent students and faculty. In response to industry demands new curriculum was developed: Land Management and Nutrition Certificates; Energy and Additive Manufacturing Certificates, done in collaboration with the Energy Innovation Center. Articulation Agreement with NYCC has been finalized and this is an opportunity for pre-med students to have a chiropractic option in New York State. Scholarly Achievements in SEMS total 47 publications in peer-reviewed journals plus two grants submitted to National Science Foundation. SEMS is building strong international connections with universities in Scotland, Slovakia, Ireland and Germany. So, SEMS 15, it is quite a milestone and we want to celebrate with you this important and exciting occasion! My Best Wishes, MARIA V. KALEVITCH, PH.D., DEAN & UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR FALL 2014 > SEMS HAS SOME BRAND NEW LABS SEE INSERT FOR PHOTO. School of Engineering, Mathematics & Science > Student Achievements >> New chapters: Engineers for World Health (EWH), Engineers for Sustainable World (ESW), and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) >> Lawton Crentsil was admitted to NASA Summer Undergraduate Research Program. >> Biomedical students were accepted to the Coulter College Workshop at Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting. >> A capstone (IED) student team filed for a provisional patent. >> A mechanical student team won the International Utility of Tomorrow Competition organized by SAP. >> Multiple poster presentations were made at the BMES Annual Meeting and ASEE Conference. >> Redwana Tabassum contributed to a paper for the 2014 Composites Manufacturing Conference. >> John McCutcheon presented his research work at the RESNA Conference. He also earned Honorable Mention with his co-authors and $500. >> A mechanical engineering student team presented their work on an anaerobic digester they built at the Learning Factory at a conference in Chicago. >> Lawton Crentsil and Michael Beamer were awarded national scholarships from Society of Manufacturing Engineers. >> Maritza Jimenez was awarded National Institutes of Health (NIH) Cardiovascular Fellowship for Ph.D. study at Pitt. >> Sarah Robb was awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship for Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University. >> Benjamin Smith became the 4th RMU student to be awarded the prestigious $500 American Society of Metals (ASM) Scholarship. For the full list of student achievements see SEMS and departmental websites. >> MARIA V. KALEVITCH, PH.D., WITH WITH SILICON VALLEY ICON, PHILANTHROPIST, AND APPLE COMPUTER INC. CO-FOUNDER STEVE WOZNIAK
Transcript
> From the DeanIt’s hard to believe but SEMS is 15 years old this year! For SEMS 15 Celebration,we have exciting events happening on campus over the next few months:ORBCRE Water Conference, Homecoming, Actuarial ScienceCareer Day, RMU Family Weekend, and Science Bowl.
SEMS is the fastest growing school at RMU andEngineering is the fastest growing major. CurrentlySEMS has 972 students, in 1999 we had 22. SEMS is getting ready for two very important re-accreditations: Actuarial Science, fall 2014 andABET-engineering, fall 2015. Engineering is expandingits laboratories: Mechanical and Biomedical Engineeringand 3-D Printing Labs. The increase in laboratory space is about 1,500 sq. ft. Next year the renovated JJ Building will support strong academics, promoteworkforce development, increase our competitiveness for grants and researchmoney, and attract fervent students and faculty.
In response to industry demands new curriculum was developed: LandManagement and Nutrition Certificates; Energy and Additive ManufacturingCertificates, done in collaboration with the Energy Innovation Center. ArticulationAgreement with NYCC has been finalized and this is an opportunity for pre-medstudents to have a chiropractic option in New York State. Scholarly Achievementsin SEMS total 47 publications in peer-reviewed journals plus two grantssubmitted to National Science Foundation. SEMS is building strong internationalconnections with universities in Scotland, Slovakia, Ireland and Germany.
So, SEMS 15, it is quite a milestone and we want to celebrate with you thisimportant and exciting occasion!
My Best Wishes,
M A R I A V. K A L E V I T C H , P H . D . , D E A N & U N I V E R S I T Y P R O F E S S O R
F A L L 2 0 1 4
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School of Engineering,Mathematics & Science
> Student Achievements
>> New chapters: Engineers for World Health (EWH), Engineers for Sustainable World (ESW), and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
>> Lawton Crentsil was admitted to NASA Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
>> Biomedical students were accepted to the Coulter College Workshop at Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting.
>>A capstone (IED) student team filed for a provisional patent.
>>A mechanical student team won the International Utility of Tomorrow Competition organized by SAP.
>> Multiple poster presentations were made at the BMES Annual Meeting and ASEE Conference.
>> Redwana Tabassum contributed to a paper for the 2014 Composites Manufacturing Conference.
>> John McCutcheon presented his research work at the RESNA Conference. He also earned Honorable Mention with his co-authors and $500.
>>A mechanical engineering student team presented their work on an anaerobic digester they built at the Learning Factory at a conference in Chicago.
>> Lawton Crentsil and Michael Beamer were awarded national scholarships from Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
>> Maritza Jimenez was awarded National Institutes of Health (NIH) Cardiovascular Fellowship for Ph.D. study at Pitt.
>> Sarah Robb was awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship for Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University.
>> Benjamin Smith became the 4th RMU student to be awarded the prestigious $500 American Society of Metals (ASM) Scholarship.
For the full list of student achievements see SEMS and departmental websites.
>> MARIA V. KALEVITCH, PH.D., WITH WITH SILICON VALLEY ICON, PHILANTHROPIST, AND APPLE COMPUTER INC. CO-FOUNDER STEVE WOZNIAK
> Center For Actual ExcellenceThe RMU Actuarial Science Program holds the designation of Center forActuarial Excellence (CAE). RMU was among the first cohort of only 10 UnitedStates schools to receive this designation in 2010. The CAE designation is basedon a rigorous evaluation of a wide range of quantitative and qualitativecharacteristics by the Society of Actuaries, which is the largest North Americanactuarial science profession.
Matt Corkery and Aaron Hartman participated in the CAE student summit in Chicago, August 14-15th. This was a two day conference where studentrepresentative from all 25 CAE schools meet and discuss various aspects of their programs.
Kayla Newman, C'14, recently became a member of the "SOA CandidateConnect Advisory Board". This is a new initiative by the Society of Actuarieswhose goal is to make actuarial candidates feel more connected to the SOA and to help them become successful actuaries.
> Energy Innovation Center The mission of the Energy Innovation Center is to contribute to sociallyresponsible workforce development, foster energy and sustainable technologyadvancement, and assist in job creation through a commitment to diversity,innovation and comprehensive education. The Energy Innovation Center isactively working with employers and educators to identify, structure and deployindustry-informed education and training programs that advance the skills andknowledge of incumbent workers and meet the needs of those individualsseeking entry to the energy industry and related career paths. Severalstakeholders including RK Mellon Foundation, CJL Engineering, Bayer andothers are interested in the project.
SEMS and EIC worked on three certificates to be offered at both institutions.Certificates included two undergraduate and one graduate certificate in energy and additive manufacturing. The undergraduate certifications are named: Energy Engineering Technology and Manufacturing Engineering, both 12 months long. Advanced Additive Manufacturing Certificate is a 12month long graduate certificate.
> Leadership PittsburghLeadership Pittsburgh Inc. (LPInc.) is an independentnonprofit organization dedicated to developing adiverse group of leaders. A focus in multi-disciplinaryleadership identification and enrichment makesLPInc. one of the foremost networking organizationsin Southwestern Pennsylvania. Working in closecollaboration with RMU's School of Engineering,Mathematics & Science, LPInc. designed a programfor female high school students. “Transforming Gritty to Sassy: Introducing Girls to AppealingOpportunities in Manufacturing” showcases the valueof pursuing a career in Manufacturing Engineeringand related fields. As the only accreditedManufacturing Engineering program in PA, RMU will use University students to inspire a newgeneration of female engineers. These future leaderswill bridge the gap between the needs of the growing,regional manufacturing sector and the skills of thelocal workforce. RMU and LPInc. recently hosted aworkshop at Penn Hill Senior High School. The eventkicked off a social media campaign to keep students engaged in the future.
During WWII, Rosie the Riveter inspired manywomen to take on manufacturing jobs. Can RMUstudents create a 21st Century “Rosie” to inspire anew generation of women?
> SEMS HistorySEMS was founded in 1999 by building upon theexisting Department of Quantitative and NaturalSciences. In the late 1990's, the Board of Trustees, inresponse to regional needs, initiated the idea for a new school that would embrace degree offerings inengineering, mathematics and science as a new andstrategic direction for the University.
Small class sizes, hands-on learning, the personalattention from our dedicated faculty and staff whobring a combination of academic and industryexperience to the classroom, close ties to industry, astudent-centered private university community, andan integrated, industry-focused curriculum arehallmarks of our School.
> New LabsRMU’s Engineering Department has been busy updating its facilities toaccommodate its rapidly growing student population. John Jay Centeroffice space was transformed into multiple laboratories. Each includesstrengthened hardware and software components and is furnished withbenches and stools, storage cabinets, wireless HDTVs, and wheeled whiteboards.
JJ 123 houses the 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Laboratory,containing specialized printers including RMU-built Mendelmax 1.5+, 3D Systems Projet 460 Plus, a multi-color 3D printer ideal for printingassemblies, and low-cost welding based printers. Designated as aMechanical Engineering Laboratory, JJ 124 is stocked with 11 PC work-stations and bench top equipment from HBM and PASCO. Thisspace can be reconfigured as a class room to serve 30 students.Modifications are in process to turn JJ 106 into a Biomedical EngineeringLaboratory while JJ 254 will house the Industrial Engineering Laboratory.The Software Engineering Program will be receiving new servers andadditional software tools.
> 3D PrintingArif Sirinterlikci, university professor of engineering, will give apresentation titled "Rapid Prototyping, Tooling, and Manufacturing – APractitioner's Experience Spanning Almost 20 Years" at the 3D Printingand Additive Manufacturing Forum on Nov. 12 in Harrisburg. He alsowill be part of a panel at Bio-Printing: 3D Printing of Live Cells, atwo-day forum in Atlanta, Nov. 13-14. Sirinterlikci will take partin a panel titled "Software for 3D Bio-printing: IntegratingBioMedical Imaging to CAD Systems."
Students, alumni, and faculty in the School of Engineering,Mathematics, and Science published an article in the inauguralissue of 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing. Thearticle "3D Printing (Rapid Prototyping) Photopolymers:An Emerging Source of Antimony to the Environment"was co-authored by student Daniel Volk (environmental science),alumnus Phil Salerno (also earning a master's degree in engineeringmanagement), and alumnus Jason Melzer, who earned bothundergraduate and graduate engineering degrees. Faculty Daniel Short,Paul Badger, and Arif Sirinterlikci also contributed to the article.
Dr. Omurtag is a retired professor ofEngineering and Science at Robert
Morris University where heserved as the Founding Deanof the School of Engineering,Mathematics and Science from
1999 to 2005. Under Dr.Omurtag’s leadership, the
engineering programs were established andobtained ABET accreditation in record time.He also led the efforts to establish the MSprogram in Engineering Management andan innovative non-residential PhD programin Engineering. A Research Center was alsoestablished to provide outreach services toindustry.
Prior to RMU he was at the University ofMissouri-Rolla where he served as aDepartment Head and a Professor ofEngineering Management. During histenure as Head, the Department ofEngineering Management achievedrankings among the top tier schools ofIndustrial Engineering and Management.Throughout his service at Rolla, he directedand mentored over 50 PhDs some of whom
are now serving as faculty,department heads,deans and top leveladministrators atuniversitiesthroughout theworld.
A registeredProfessional
Engineer, Dr. Omurtag holds a MechanicalEngineering Bachelor’s degree with Co-opfrom Iowa State University, a Master ofScience in Mechanical Engineering fromMiddle East Technical University in Turkeyand a PhD in Industrial Engineering fromIowa State.
> SEMS Community and OutreachDirected by Dr. Matthew Maurer and Sarah MacDonald, the Outreach programhas been very active in promoting STEM to students and teachers in grades K-12, as well as to those at the post-secondary level. A wide variety of events havebeen created to engage students and teachers in specific STEM disciplines, careers,and problem-solving experiences. New offerings since 2012 have included:Elementary Family STEM Night, Girls in STEM, Zombie Apocalypse SummerCamp, Electo-optics Summer Camp, Alternative Energy & SustainabilityWorkshop. SEMS Outreach staff regularly attend and present at local, state, andnational conferences to promote SEMS, as well as to network and collaborate withSTEM professionals. We are looking to explore more online outreach offerings inthe near future.
If you are interested in volunteering at our events, please contact us. Connectingwith alumni is a great way for RMU students to grow and learn about their futurecareers, and alumni are a valuable professional resource for our STEM initiatives.
> The SEMS Center forResearch and Outreach Created in 2010, is home to the SEMS faculty, staff and students who are engaged in a wide variety of research, developmentand outreach activities which enrich theeducational experience at Robert Morris and connect our School to the region, thenation, and the globe.
> VISIT RMU.EDU/SEMS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR DEPARTMENTS & PROGRAMS.
Dr. Rika Wright Carlsenwas hired as anAssistant Professorof Mechanical and BiomedicalEngineering. Dr. Wright Carlsen holds a
BS in MechanicalEngineering from
University of Pittsburgh, MS and Ph.D. also in Mechanical Engineering from Johns HopkinsUniversity (JHU). Most recently Dr. WrightCarlsen was a postdoctoral researcher at theNanorobotics Laboratory at Carnegie MellonUniversity (CMU). Her previous experiencesinclude a Research Internship at SandiaNational Laboratories as well as GraduateResearch Assistantship at JHU.
Dr. Ergin Erdem washired as an AssistantProfessor ofIndustrial andManufacturingEngineering. Dr. Erdem holds
BS and MS degreesboth in Industrial
Engineering from MiddleEast Technical University (Turkey) and a Ph.D.in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineeringfrom North Dakota State University (NDSU).Most recently he was a researcher at theVeterans Engineering Research Center atNDSU. He previously worked as a lecturer in the Industrial and ManufacturingEngineering Department.
Dr. Heather Hunt was hired as anAssistant Professorof Mathematics.Dr. Hunt holds a BS inMathematics(minor in
Statistics), MA inMathematics and Ph.D.
in Applied and Industrial Mathematics fromthe University of Louisville, Kentucky. Herareas of concentration are Functional Equationsand Group Theory. Her focus of dissertation is solving functional equations on non-commutative groups using ideas from analysis, abstract algebra, calculus, anddifferential equations.
15 Years + 400 hundredgraduates.
Fantastic!
After myretirement
from BayerMaterialScience, I had
the opportunity to be one ofthose adjunct professors in SEMS. I taughtintroductory Chemistry and environmentalscience. Several things struck me in thatexperience; first, how very demanding andchallenging the work of educating is. EveryBoard member should take some time, if not toteach a full class, at least to prepare and give alecture or two. The second point that strikes me
is the intense personal commitment of thefaculty. They care about these students aspeople. It is palpable in the classrooms and inthe private one on one conversations. Third,the students are eager to learn and vested inthe process. Come prepared to be challengedand reaffirm your own knowledge.
As a board member I have also been allowed towitness the results of the Staff and facultiesconstant striving to build this program atRMU. Serving on the Visitors Board for theSchool of Engineering, Mathematics & Sciencehas been a pleasure. And most importantly ofall the pleasures is to see the product; bright,motivated, engaging, and well preparedstudents. We have seen progress on studentnumbers, student test scores, and facility and
equipment improvements. We have seen newand seasoned faculty working together tomove the SEMS agenda forward. We have seenawards and recognition.
Sometimes though looking at all thoseachievements is like looking at something too close. But every once in a while, you can step back and look at the credentials,experience , and resume of one student and you go, Wow! Better yet, you hear themdescribe their own journey, gratitude, and hopes. And you go Wow!
J A M E S K A S S N E RJ A M E S E . K A S S N E R C O N S U LT I N GC H A I R O F F U N D R A I S I N GS E M S B O A R D O F V I S I T O R S
> Letter from the Board of Visitors
> New Faculty
> Workforce Development andPresident Obama AdvancedManufacturing InitiativeRMU, along with several industries and leading universities in Pennsylvaniaand Ohio (Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, PSU, Case Western, Youngstown StateUniversities, Lorraine County Community College), was part of the proposalby the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, who is theleader of this Alliance. This proposal is in response to President Obama’s callfor Manufacturing Renaissance in the country. SEMS already has amanufacturing engineering program in place and it is the only ABETaccredited program in the state of Pennsylvania and among only a few in the nation.
On Thursday, August 16, in Youngstown Ohio at the factories of the M-7 manufacturing company, an announcement was made by the Obamaadministration officials that this Alliance was the recipient of a five year granttotaling over $60 million. This grant was in support of establishing a pilotNational Advanced Manufacturing Institute.
The grants are designated for workforce development and applied researchthat SEMS is already well known for in the region. The most important impactthis grant will have is the national recognition of SEMS Engineering and thebenefit it brings to students, faculty and alums.
> Workforce Development and Training of Future Professionals In Southwestern PennsylvaniaSEMS is involved in growing a strong workforce for Southwestern PA inengineering especially manufacturing and biomedical, and in sciences including environmental sciences for shale and gas industry development.
SEMS continues to have the Center of Actuarial Excellence designation, ABET re-accreditation till 2016, and strong enrollment with higher academicquality of incoming freshmen. Since 2008 SEMS tripled its enrollment from 337 students to 900+ students.
The newly developed Energy and Sustainabilitycurriculum (15 credit minor) has gained internationalrecognition with course offerings in Ireland andGermany. Another opportunity is to developinternational exchanges at ENU, Scotland.
The course “Renewable Resources” had a study abroadcomponent and SEMS students and faculty traveled toUniversity of Bremen, Germany. SEMS also developed an Energytrack on the graduate level, MS Engineering Management.
> Internships and Real-LifeExperiencesWithin six months of graduating, SEMSstudent internship and job placements are close to 96% with 100% placement inmanufacturing engineering. Last year SEMS students had internship experienceswith prestigious companies both regionallyand nationally. The distinguished list ofhosting organizations includes, but is notlimited to: NASA, Boeing, Lokhid Martin, US Steel, Bayer MEDRAD, Neurokinetics,Westinghouse Electric, Console Energy,Kenson Plastics, Allegheny Plastics, HartfordLife, Humana, Nationwide, Highmark, W.K.Merriman, Wheeling Hospital, andWilderness Chiropractic Health.
We provide education and training to attractand retain talented workers in the region ofSWPA, thus building a workforce of futureprofessionals in the region.
> Program Focusand IndustryConnectionOur programs focus on communications,business, and enterprise skills in addition tothe technical content within a givendiscipline. This enables our graduates to hitthe ground running upon graduation oradvance their education in graduate school.
Our programs are guided by active ProgramAdvisory Committees and the School itself isguided by the SEMS Board of Visitors. Thefeedback from these leaders drawn fromvarious sectors of the "real-world" ensuresthat our programs remain relevant andcompetitive.
