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For the week of June 8, 2012
@COE is published on a weekly basis throughout most of the academic year. It will be published every other week through August, when the fall semester begins. Please send submissions for to Randall Brown in the Engineering Communications Office at
[log in to unmask] by noon on Thursdays.
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Dr. Peter Liaw
LIAW AND TEAM RECEIVE AWARD FOR RESEARCH INTO CLEAN COAL
Dr. Peter Liaw, Materials Science and Engineering, and colleagues have been given a Department of Energy Clean Coal Research Award for Improved Structural
Materials. Announced this week by United States Energy Secretary Steven Chu, the $300,000 award is part of a series of awards to be distributed to universities across the country.
The proposal is titled "Experimental and Computational Investigation of High-Entropy Alloys for Elevated Temperature Applications." The goal of the research is to optimize High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs) for use in steam and gas turbines at elevated temperatures
and pressures. Dr. Liaw and Dr. Fan Zhang, of CompuTherm, LLC, are principal investigators for the project team, which also includes MSE graduate students Michael Hemphill and Louis Santodonato.
Read the DOE announcement here.
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Dr. Howard Hall
HALL EXAMINES FUTURE NEEDS IN NUCLEAR AND RADIOCHEMISTRY
Professor Howard Hall, Department of Nuclear Engineering and the UT Institute for Nuclear Security, served on the "Committee on Assuring a Future U.S.-Based Nuclear
Chemistry Expertise," under the Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology in the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Research Council.
The committee looked at the ability of the United States to meet future nuclear and radiochemistry needs. It found that, while demand for nuclear and radiochemistry experts will not decrease, many of the current experts are approaching retirement age and the
number of students opting for careers in these fields has decreased dramatically. The report offers recommendations for actions to avoid a shortage of personnel in the future.
Download the full report here.
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Dr. Kivanc Ekici
EKICI RECEIVES IGTI HONOR
Dr. Kivanc Ekici and co-authors received the John P. Davis Award for "Best Paper of the Year" from the
ASME International Gas Turbine Institute. The winning paper is titled, "Non-Linear Flutter in Fan Stator Vanes with Time Dependent Fixity." Dr. Ekici, Assistant Professor in Mechanical,
Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, is currently at the Air Force Research Laboratory as a summer faculty fellow.
The IGTI's awards will be presented during the 2012 ASME TurboExpo, June 11-15 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Read about the awards here.
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CTR Director Dave Clarke poses with his rail track motorcar.
CLARKE NAMED MEMBER EMERITUS
The Transportation Research Board
(TRB) has awarded Dr. David B. Clarke,
UT Center for Transportation Research, status as member emeritus for the Committee on Rail Freight Transport.
A TRB spokesperson said, "This category of committee membership recognizes outstanding individuals who have participated as members of the Technical Activities Division's committee structure, have volunteered and shown their dedication to the TRB standing committees,
and have made significant leadership contributions to these committees over a sustained period of time."
Other UT COE members of the TRB are listed at the board's website.
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ChE majors Brown and Haines win with proposal
Chemical Engineering majors Neil Brown and Hannah Haines won a research-initiation prize of $500 from
NDConnect, a University of Notre Dame competition designed to recognize outstanding undergraduates in nanoscience and nanoengineering.
The winning proposal is titled "Systematic Assembly of Photosystem I (PS I) on Chemically Tailored Nanopatterned Substrates: Towards Bio-hybrid Photovoltaic Device Fabrications."
Brown and Haines work in Dr. Bamin Khomami's photovoltaics lab. They can submit a recap of their project and results for a chance to participate in the on-site competition this fall at Notre Dame, where $6,000 in prizes will be awarded.
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Climate-Change Impacts in the European Alps
Dr. Glenn Tootle and thirteen undergraduate students recently completed a nineteen-day study abroad course based in Innsbruck, Austria. Lectures focused on glacier mass contributions to streamflow and the use of dendrochronology (tree rings)
in water resources. Seminars were provided at the University of Innsbruck, focusing on climate change impacts on glaciers.
The Civil and Environmental Engineering study abroad class is pictured here at the top of the Zugspitze, the highest point in the German Alps.
Read students' blogs below or
read Dr. Tootle's report here.
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Will Henderson, left, sophomore in Civil Engineering; and
Angela Pelle, junior in Civil Engineering, studied "Water Resources and Climate in the European Alps" in Innsbruck, Austria, during May.
Read about it on their blog.
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Ethan Cansler is a junior in Aerospace Engineering. He visited London and Cambridge in England, and is studying German language and culture in Berlin during June.
Read about it on his blog.
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Caleb Brantley is a sophomore in Civil Engineering. He studied "Water Resources and Climate in the European Alps" in Innsbruck, Austria, in May.
Read about it on his blog.
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The UT Educational Advancement Program has space available for eligible students for a Fall 2012 Math 125 class that will meet 2:30 p.m.-3:20 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tutorial assistance
is available, plus weekly course monitoring and program study-skills support. For information on the course, contact
Celeste Brooks at
[log in to unmask] or via phone at 865-850-1960. To see eligibility requirements, visit
http://web.utk.edu/~eap.
The Society for Maintenance and Reliability Professionals (SMRP) offers scholarships for the 2012-2013 school year. Deadline for application is Aug. 15, 2012, for both the Dorothy and Jack Nicholas Scholarship
and the SMRP Higher Standards Scholarship. For information on the scholarships, visit the
SMRP website. For information on the UT Reliability and Maintainability Center, visit
www.rmc.utk.edu.
What else can you do with your major? You can now receive your degree and a secondary education teaching license with VolsTeach. The VolsTeach program is available to Math and Science majors who wish to expand their career options by earning a secondary education
teaching license. Given the current economy VolsTeach offers one degree with two career paths which will make you more competitive in the future job market.
VolsTeach provides:
- early and frequent field experiences
- personal guidance by Master Teachers and program advisors
- the opportunity to have paid exclusive internships during regular and summer terms
- a comfortable learning environment that will further enhance your professional skill set
 This is your opportunity to
be a part of the program. VolsTeach is open to freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are ready to start a journey that will give them a chance to connect with the community. Become a part of this exciting venture by signing up for the Fall Step 1 course now.
Click on the flyer at right for registration information. For more information contact VolsTeach Coach, Jada Johnson at
[log in to unmask] or visit the program's Facebook page, VolsTeach, for current events, and the program's website,
http://volsteach.utk.edu.
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Stay up-to-date with Engineering Professional Practice information and events by clicking the “Like” button on the program’s
Facebook page, following the program on
Twitter, visiting its website at
www.coop.utk.edu or calling 865-974-5323.
Students, please note: If you receive a co-op or internship offer, please contact Engineering Professional Practice for help with paperwork and any preparations you may need –
[log in to unmask], 865-974-5323 or 310 Perkins Hall.
Featured co-op student: Morgan Baltz
 Our student this week is
Morgan Baltz, at left, a chemical engineering major who accepted a co-op at ExxonMobil located in Fairfax, Va.
"I worked in Refining and Supply, Global Marine Transportation Optimization, Commercial Analysis and Business Support as an analyst," said Baltz. "My primary project was the Suezmax Coverage Strategy. Coverage strategies are completed for all vessel classes
and are an integral part of ExxonMobil's planning process. As part of this analysis, I gathered industry and company data to look at historical trends and to then project those trends out through 2016. This involved analyzing tradeflows, evaluating the current
status of the fleet, and then quantifying what ExxonMobil's requirements were internally. Ultimately I gave a final recommendation for how ExxonMobil should cover its future requirements."
"This project was very interesting because of all its different components. I had to quickly become familiar with marine transportation so that I could become an expert on Suezmaxes. It was very challenging, but that challenge also made the project very rewarding
in the end."
The biggest challenge that Baltz encountered was preparing the most up-to-date data for her first presentation.
"Before my first presentation, I was frantically trying to finish up some new graphs that my supervisor told me to include that morning," she explained. "Furthermore, I had the inevitable printing issues right up to the minute of my presentation. Lesson learned:
Prepare for the worst. I had assumed that I would have time to go over my presentation before I gave it, but unexpected events occurred that prevented me from doing so. Never assume that you will have time. Always be overprepared."
Baltz said that the most valuable benefit she received during this co-op assignment was the experience of running a meeting.
"Included in this is the simple logistics of finding a time in everyone's schedule and booking a room, putting together a presentation, managing time and focus during a meeting, as well as learning how communicate your point," she said. "All of this was real
on-the-job training and will be crucial in my future positions."
Students may read more about their peers’ co-op experiences by logging into their Engineering Professional Practice profile via
www.coop.utk.edu, clicking “Resource Library” (on the left margin) and selecting “Students at Work – In Their Own Words.”
For information on engineering co-op and internships, contact
[log in to unmask]
or 865-974-5323.
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Sustainability Careers Webinar
2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. Thursday, June 21, 2012
Career Exploration Center, 100 Dunford Hall
Join UT’s Office of Sustainability,
Career Services, and two guest green-career experts for a webinar on making a transition to a greener, more sustainable career.
Topics will include:
- Ways to assess the state of green opportunities in your field.
- How to streamline your career transition.
- How to identify your next step in your transition journey.
- Why searching for a job may not be your best transition strategy.
- How to avoid potential detours that can cost you valuable time during your transition.
- The "Top Ten Mistakes" made in career transition and job search.
Carol McClelland, PhD, is one of the nation's leading green career experts. Throughout her career, Carol has helped thousands of people find work that matches their values and interests. Carol is the founder and Executive Director of Green
Career Central, an online coaching center dedicated to helping experienced professionals leveraging their existing skills, experience and passions in the ever-evolving green/clean/sustainable economy
Vicki Lind, MS, is one of the leading career counselors in Oregon with a specialty in jobs in sustainability and is author of "Finding a Job Worth Having: for Creatives and People Who Want to Make a Difference" and co-author of "Portland Green
Guide to Networking and Jobs."
Check out www.career.utk.edu for a list of all upcoming events.
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