Faculty who received funding (all are principal investigators unless otherwise noted) were:

• Bedrich Benes, Computer Graphics Technology, 12-13 OVPR Bridge Funding for “HCC:  CGV:  Collaborative Research:  Haptic Rendering & Visual Simulation to Improve Understanding of Complex Physical Processes”, Purdue University, $61,048
• Bedrich Benes, Computer Graphics Technology, A Global High-Resolution Fossil Fuel CO2 Inventory Built from Assimilation of in situ and Remotely-Sensed Datasets to Advance Satellite Greenhouse Gas Decision Support Systems, Arizona State University, $47,564
• Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Technology Leadership & Innovation, Aligning Entrepreneurship Education with ABET Accredidation Criteria, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, $10,000
• Nathalie Duval-Couetil, Technology Leadership & Innovation, Entrepreneurship Education & Its Impact on Engineering Student Outcomes: The Role of Program Characteristics and Faculty Beliefs, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, $69,030
• Nathan Hartman, Computer Graphics Technology, Phase IX Rolls Royce/Purdue PLM Collaboration Proposal, Rolls-Royce, Inc., $100,000
• Nathan Hartman, Computer Graphics Technology, Product Lifecycle Management Center of Excellence (PLM), General Motors Foundation, $50,000
• Athula Kulatunga and Mike Jacob (Co-PI), Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology, Sinkable Power Source, Purdue University, $23,904
• Eric Matson, Computer and Information Technology, Joint Curriculum Development on Systems, Engineering and Project Management (SE/PM) for Plant Systems, Pohang University of Science and Technology, $280,000
• Marcus Rogers, Computer and Information Technology, Forensic Seminars, Multi-Sponsored Industrials, $500
• Pankaj Sharma (Co-PI), Technology Leadership & Innovation, Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS), National Renewable Energy Laboratory, $12,750

That was the thinking driving Assistant Professor Regena Scott’s course redesign of IT 23000, an introductory course on industrial supply chain management. As a fall 2012 IMPACT faculty fellow, Scott and graduate assistant Christine Witt worked together to retool two 60-student sections to ramp up classroom engagement by refining course objectives, incorporating real-world skill development and adopting proven instructional technologies with the help of ITaP educational technologists.

The changes resulted in enhanced learning opportunities, such as interactive gaming and competitive simulations, for Scott’s students, many of whom now walk away from the course with a better sense of how a supply chain works.

Read the full story.

Coordinated by the Department of Computer and Information Technology, the Tapestry Workshop invites high school computing teachers to campus to help them with strategies to get students interested in computing courses.

“The program is aimed at increasing the number of high school students who take some computing classes and leave high school knowing that information technology and computer science are options for them,” said Dawn Laux, clinical assistant professor of computer and information technology. “We want them to gain appreciation for the subject and like it.”  Laux and Angie Murphy, assistant to the department head, are organizing the workshop.

Participants will learn strategies, research-based practices, and field-tested good ideas for teaching computer science in a way that reaches all students regardless of sex or ethnicity.

“We will address how they advertise and attract students and how they can use after-school activities and competitions to their benefit,” said Fatma Mili, professor and head of the Department of Computer and Information Technology.

The workshop will also serve as a showcase for Purdue’s programs. Organizers hope to strengthen relationships with the teachers and their programs to increase awareness with their students.

Funding for the program was provided by the National Science Foundation, the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), and Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA).  The Tapestry workshop is free to participants, and they receive a small stipend after completing it. Five Tapestry workshops are being offered across the country this summer.

They will move on to San Diego, California, May 19-23 for the second stage of the competition. They will give final presentations from the technical, business and communications teams.

Fourteen Purdue students and three faculty are representing the EcoMakers team at the competition. Gary Bertoline, dean of the College of Technology, visited the team and watched some of the competition unfold late this week.

Purdue University is one of 15 North American schools participating in EcoCAR 2: Plugging in to the Future, a three-year competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM), that offers students real-world experience in an effort to educate the next generation of automotive engineers. EcoCAR 2 challenges university students to reduce the environmental impact of a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, donated by GM, without compromising performance, safety and consumer acceptability.

Purdue’s competitors include: California State University – Los Angeles, Colorado State University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee – Knoxville, University of Victoria, University of Washington, University of Waterloo, Virginia Tech and Wayne State University.

Keep up with the competition with updates from:

• Purdue ecoMakers Facebook page
• EcoCAR2 Green Garage blog
• EcoCAR 2 Twitter updates (#ecocar2)

The 2013 student leadership honors were awarded to Erika Healy and Jennifer Kirschner.

Outstanding Undergraduate Student Leadership award

Associate Dean Jamie Mohler congratulates Erika Healy on receiving the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Leadership Award.

Erika Healy, a junior from Hammond, Ind., is majoring in manufacturing engineering technology. She has been a member of the CoT Ambassadors, vice president of the Minority Technology Association and a member of the Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Council. She served as a tutor in the BEST program and was mentor chair for Women in Technology. Outside of Purdue, Erika volunteers at the YWCA.

Outstanding Graduate Student Leadership award

Associate Dean Jamie Mohler congratulates Jennifer Kirschner on receiving the Outstanding Graduate Student Leadership Award.

During her time as a Purdue graduate student in the Department of Aviation Technology, Jennifer Kirschner, from Windsor, Conn., has established herself as an effective teacher and researcher. She has produced high quality publications and presentations, taught classes that have received very favorable end of course critiques, and provided leadership for a wide variety of student, university and professional organizations. Jennifer is focused on a tenure-track academic career with an active research agenda.

by Joseph Fuehne, director, Purdue College of Technology at Columbus

May 20 is observed annually around the world as World Metrology Day and commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention in 1875. This treaty provides the basis for a coherent measurement system worldwide. Because the Purdue College of Technology at Columbus has a well-equipped metrology lab that serves as a resource for students and local industry in our region and state, we will be celebrating World Metrology Day.

Most of us don’t recognize the importance that metrology plays in our lives. First of all, it has nothing to do with the weather. Metrology is the science of measurement, and most of us rely on measurement devices every day. We make decisions based on measurement results, such as pushing the brake pedal when the speed is over the limit or cutting down on sweet food if our blood sugar level is too high. The price of much of what we buy is calculated from measurements — electricity, water, food, fuel, to name a few.

When you buy gas, how do you know for sure that you’re actually receiving the volume of gas indicated on the pump? Each state has a division or bureau of weights and measures. In Indiana, the Weights and Measurements program is under the auspices of the Indiana State Department of Health. Every county in Indiana has a weights and measures inspector whose job is to ensure that when a gas pump indicates that it has pumped 12.4 gallons of gas that it actually has pumped that amount. Every gas pump in the state should have a sticker from the Indiana Weights and Measures division that indicates the last time it was calibrated and approved. These checks should occur on a regular basis, usually annually, but possibly more frequently especially if there are complaints. With the rising costs of gasoline, this service by the state is critical. Each country also has a National Measurement Institute (NMI) and in the USA that official organization is the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).

However, there are other places where measurement impacts our daily lives. Grocery stores often sell vegetables, fruits, meats, and other produce by weight. All check out scanning stations have scales that weigh the bananas or apples you’re buying and then the store associate will code that information into the register to determine the overall price. Again, these balances must be calibrated frequently to ensure that they’re weighing objects accurately and consumers are being charged the proper amount.

Health services are another area of frequent measuring. Doctors, nurses and hospitals depend on devices that measure blood pressure, cholesterol, body temperature, blood sugar, and weight as well as many other more sophisticated measurements. These measurements are critical to the good health and well being of consumers. In the middle 1970s, a hospital in Ohio failed to calibrate an instrument that measured radiation being applied to cancer patients; over 400 patients received significantly more radiation than was necessary. This is just one example, albeit a tragic one, where measurement mistakes have been significant.

In the manufacturing industry, there’s a common saying that “If it can’t be measured, it can’t be built.” Manufacturing companies rely heavily on accurate and reliable measurement systems to design, inspect, and build their products. Many of these systems, however, are measuring distances at the nanometer level, smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Metrology is critical to our technological advancement but is seldom recognized by the general public.

The Purdue College of Technology at Columbus has begun to offer classes and provide services to local industry in metrology. The metrology lab at the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence is climate controlled (20°C ±0.5° and less than 35% humidity) and has a wide range of tools for dimensional and mass measurement. For more information about the lab,  contact Joe Fuehne at 812-348-2040 or jfuehne@purdue.edu.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors are encouraged to register online for the three-day camp.

General Motors is the lead sponsor for the event.

Find out more and see video on the WDNU Web site.

Visit the Electric Go-Kart Summer Camp Web page for information about dates and registration.

Read more from the Kokomo Tribune.

Faculty who received funding (all are principal investigators unless otherwise noted) were:

• Chien-Tsung Lu (Co-PI), Aviation Technology, Partnership to Enhance General Aviation Safety, Accessibility, and Sustainability (PEGASAS), Federal Aviation Administration, $1,500
• Michael Beyerlein (Co-PI), Technology Leadership and Innovation, CIF21 DIBBs: Conceptualization of the Social and Innovation Opportunities of Data Analysis, National Science Foundation, $24,930
• Thomas Hacker (Co-PI), Computer and Information Technology, NEES Operations:  FY 2010-FY2014, National Science Foundation, $765,000
• Marcus Rogers, Computer and Information Technology, Forensic Seminars, Multi-Sponsored Industrials, $6,000

Hank Kraebber, professor of mechanical engineering technology, was honored by the Indiana Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) during its statewide conference in April for his service as a mentor to students at Purdue and Ivy Tech and for facilitating LSAMP workshops.

Toni Munguia, adviser to Women in Technology and Minority Technology Association, has been named one of two Outstanding Advisers of the Year for Purdue University. She shared the honor with Robert Proctor, a professor of psychological sciences.

Matt Turner, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering technology (New Albany) presented “Building a Smart Grid Roadmap for the Commonwealth of Kentucky through Stakeholder Engagement” at the System and Optimization Aspects of Smart Grid Challenges 2013 Conference at the University of Arizona.

Faculty in the news:

• Bedrich Benes, associate professor of computer graphics technology, talked with the Purdue Exponent about the increased popularity and use of 3-D printing.
• Gary Bertoline, dean of the college, delivered an address titled “The Fatal Flaw in Engineering Higher Education in the U.S.” at The Automation Conference May 15, which was covered by Automation World.
• Brent Bowen, professor of aviation technology, was all over the media in April with the release of the annual Airline Quality Rating in conjunction with Wichita State University.
• Bill Hutzel, professor of mechanical engineering technology, talked with the Indianapolis Star about solar farms in Indianapolis.
• Sam Liles, associate professor of computer and information technology, talked with Fox 59 News about the Associated Press Twitter account being hacked in April.