Latest News from the ESM Department

Mahendra Singh receives honorary professorship at Indian Institute of Technology

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:56:14 -0400

Mahendra Singh, the Preston Wade Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech, has received a two-year, extendable distinguished visiting professorship at the Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee, India. (Read more about Mahendra Singh, Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech, and the Indian Institute of Technology)

James Hanna to join ESM in Fall 2013 Semester

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:57:53 -0400

Dr. James Hanna will join us this coming fall semester as an assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics. He is currently a postdoctoral research associate, living as an engineer among the physicists of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He has earned three degrees from Dartmouth, an A.B. (Engineering Physics, '02), M.S. (Engineering Science, '04) and Ph.D. (Engineering Science '09). (Read more about James Hanna joining ESM) .

Puri to become Dean of Engineering at McMaster University

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:18:56 -0400

The appointment of Ishwar Puri as the new dean of engineering at McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada, was officially approved by the University’s Senate and Board, effective July 1. (more...)

ESM MS and PhD Alumna receives Texas A&M Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:29:02 -0400

Texas A&M Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence Award Recipients Announced
Dr. Lawrence S. Brown of the College of Science and Dr. Helen Reed of the Dwight Look College of Engineering (more...)

Professors Michael Hyer and Keith Kedward To Receive AIAA-ASC James H. Starnes, Jr. Award

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:53:06 -0400

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Society for Composites (ASC) congratulate the winners of the 2013 AIAA-ASC James H. Starnes, Jr. Award, Michael W. Hyer, N. Waldo Harrison professor emeritus, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.,(more...)

Virginia Tech’s Doug Holmes Wins Outstanding Educator Award

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 08:58:39 -0400

Douglas P. Holmes, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics at Virginia Tech, is the 2013 recipient of the Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russell Johnston, Jr., Outstanding New Mechanics Educator Award. (more...)

Winston Becker and Chris Prohoda (ESM BS'13) win National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:48:00 -0400

Winston Becker and Chris Prohoda (both ESM BS'13) are winners of National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowships. Winston has been mentored by Dr. Raffaella De Vita. (more...)

A discovery made more than 100 years ago is quantified

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:46:34 -0400

Sunghwan Jung is a fan of the 19th Century born John William Strutt, 3rd, also known as Lord Baron Rayleigh. An English physicist, Rayleigh, along with William Ramsay, discovered the gas argon, an achievement for which he earned the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1904.(more...)

“Mostly Mountains”: New Norris Hall Art Exhibit by Frances Faison Frederick

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:49:00 -0400

The second floor west wing of Norris Hall is now filled with exciting, vibrant artwork created by Frances Faison Frederick. (more...)

ESM Alumnus Maurizio Porfiri wins Gary Anderson Award

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:49:38 -0500

Maurizio Porfiri (Ph.D., 2006) has been selected as the winner of the 2012 Gary Anderson Early Achievement Award for his contributions to the field of smart structures and materials. (more...)

Nature’s phenomena might teach Virginia Tech engineers new tricks

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 09:15:28 -0500

Lizards and frogs are about to take up residence in the laboratories of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering. (more ...)

Virginia Tech Teacher of the Week

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:31:14 -0500

Dr. Tsu-Sheng Chang, or “Roger” as he asks his students to refer to him, is often described by his students as the best-known instructor in the College of Engineering. Not because of impossibly hard tests or because his class is an easy “A” or even because he has the “coolest” robots or planes, but because he is a great teacher. He is famous for allowing students to do work in his office whether they are taking his class or not, and receive help from him when it’s needed. (more...)

ESM student, Scinju Gadamsetty, embodies Ut Prosim

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 09:30:14 -0500

In the fall of 2012, Scinju Gadamsetty of Fairfax, Va., a senior in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics and a member of the Corps of Cadets, decided that his friend Justin Graves needed to see the Cascade Falls – a hike that is a Hokie tradition. However, the hike seemed impossible to Graves, a paraplegic who has been reliant on a wheelchair since age 3. (more ...)

Masoud Safdari and Mehran Tehrani receive NSF Sponsored Travel Award for the 2012 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Conference and Exposition

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:12:13 -0500

Masoud Safdari and Mehran Tehrani, both are PhD students at ESM, were awarded two National Science Foundation (NSF) Travel Grants to attend the ASME –IMECE 2012 (more...)

Masoud Safdari, ESM PhD student, ASC 2012 award winner

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 16:19:36 -0400

The American Society for Composites (ASC) awarded ESM doctoral student Masoud Safdari one of three scholarships for the year 2012. This scholarship is annually awarded by the ASC to Ph.D. candidates in engineering or science disciplines with outstanding research focused on composite materials. This year, applications were reviewed and judged by six judges from academia and from the composite industry. (more...)

Norma Guynn and Mac McCord Receive 2012 ESM Department Head's Award

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:11:16 -0400

Ms. Norma Guynn and Mr. Marshal (Mac) McCord are the 2012 recipients of the ESM Department Head's Award. Each of these individuals has more than 20 years of service to the ESM Department. (more...)

Scholar of the Week - Jake Socha

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 08:44:30 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Jake Socha, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics, for his work to understand the biomechanics of gliding in flying snakes.(more..)

ESM ranked fifth in the nation in US News ranking of undergraduate engineering science/engineering physics programs

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:01:18 -0400

In the latest US News & World Report ranking of undergraduate engineering science/engineering physics programs, the Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics is 5th in the nation. (more...)

Michael Madigan Scholar of the Week

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:06:16 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Michael Madigan, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics (ESM), for research that uses both human subjects testing and computer modeling to study factors contributing to slip, trip, and fall accidents.(more...)

Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research recognizes ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh Batra as Teacher of the Week, September 2, 2012

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 07:50:44 -0400

The Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research (CIDER) has recognized Dr. Romesh Batra, Clifton C. Garvin Professor of Engineering Sciences and Mechanics, for excellence in teaching graduate level courses that prepare students to conduct cutting-edge research in emerging fields, and challenging them to critically examine their work and the assumptions made in proving a result.(more...)

Raffaella De Vita - Scholar of the Week

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 15:36:15 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Raffaella De Vita, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics (ESM), for her research focusing on characterizing the mechanical properties of biological structures ranging from cell membranes to ligaments and tendons in vertebrates and tracheal tubes in invertebrates.(more...)

Scholar of the Week - Marwan Al-Haik

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 17:03:57 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Marwan Al-Haik, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, for the synthesis and mechanics of nanoscale materials.(more...)

Art show unites two different worlds

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 13:22:14 -0400

Engineering and science aren’t often associated with art, but an art show at Virginia Tech seeks to challenge that. The Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics has partnered with the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention to host the Norris Hall Art Show.(more...)

ESM Icon Bill Smith Passes

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:32:15 -0400

Professor C. W. Smith, Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics and a member of the Academy of Engineering Excellence at Virginia Tech, passed away Monday, July 30. He was a lifetime resident of Christiansburg.(more...)

Dr. Shane Ross receives 2011-12 Liviu Librescu Prize

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:29:49 -0400

Dr. Shane Ross, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, is the 2011-12 recipient of the Liviu Librescu Prize. Based on accomplishments over the year, the prize is awarded annually to a young scholar working in the area of mechanics at Virginia Tech. (more...)

ESM seniors Aleksandr Andreyev, Andy Borum, James Burns, and Peter Wentzel win ESM Best Senior Project

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 09:24:10 -0400

Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Virginia Tech, seniors Aleksandr Andreyev, Andy Borum, James Burns, and Peter Wentzel worked on "Capturing Near-Earth Asteroids Using A Binary Exchange Mechanism", a project where they did modeling (more...)

J. Wallace 'Wally' Grant honored with emeritus status

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 01:30:16 -0400

J. Wallace "Wally" Grant, Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow and professor of engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering, has been conferred the “Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics” title by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.(more...)

Shane Ross promoted to associate professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 12:54:39 -0400

Engineering Science and Mechanics Department at Virginia Tech, is pleased to convey that Dr. has been promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure. In recognition of his scholarship and teaching,(more...)

ESM Alumnus Satish V. Kulkarni (EM Ph.D.'72) receives 2012 Graduate Alumni Achievement Award

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:12:18 -0400

Satish V. Kulkarni, who currently serves as the director of energy initiatives in Virginia Tech’s Office of the Vice President for Research and as a research professor of engineering science and mechanics at the Virginia Tech Research Center — Arlington, received the 2012 Graduate Alumni Achievement Award at this year's Graduate Commencement Ceremony held on Friday, May 11, at 8:30 a.m. in Cassell Coliseum. (more...)

Hyer delivers keynote address

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:40:04 -0400

M.W. Hyer, N. Waldo Harrison Professor Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics, delivered the SDM Lecture at the 53^rd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials (SDM) Conference in Honolulu April 23^rd. (more...)

Dr. Roger Chang Awarded 2012 College of Engineering Certificate of Teaching Excellence

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Roger Chang has been awarded a 2012 College of Engineering Certificate of Teaching Excellence for his teaching for the 2010-2011 Academic Year.(more..)

Dr. Raffaella De Vita's research highlighted as a "Notable Accomplishment" of NSF CBET division

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:46:40 -0400

Dr. Raffaella De Vita's research has been highlighted as a "Notable Accomplishment" of the National Science Foundation (NSF) CBET division. She is an assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics at Virginia Tech.(more...)

Patricia Baker receives 2012 Staff Career Achievement Award

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:04:29 -0400

Patricia Baker, retired fiscal technician in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College of Engineering, has received the 2012 Staff Career Achievement Award. Baker retired in 2011 after 22 years of service to the university. (more...)

ESM doctoral alumnus Dr. Satish Kulkarni to receive the Virginia Tech 2012 Graduate Alumni Achievement Award

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:14:06 -0400

ESM doctoral alumnus Dr. Satish V. Kulkarni (EM Ph.D.'72) has been selected to receive the Virginia Tech 2012 Graduate Alumni Achievement Award. This award was established by the Graduate School and Virginia Tech Alumni Association to recognize and honor distinguished graduate alumni for outstanding achievement (more...)

University Honors student Winston Becker awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:32:05 -0400

Winston Becker of Advance, N.C., a sophomore honors student majoring in engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering, has been awarded a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for the 2012-13 academic year. (more...)

Virginia Tech honors Engineer Larry Marshall for his career achievements

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 15:32:18 -0400

Larry Marshall, of Chesterfield, Va., who earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech in 1966, is a 2012 inductee into Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering Academy of Engineering Excellence, joining an elite group of 112 individuals out of more than 58,000 living engineering alumni. (more...)

Virginia Tech Honors Engineer Maurizio Porfiri for his Career Achievements

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:27:03 -0400

Maurizio Porfiri, of Brooklyn, N.Y., who earned his engineering mechanics master’s degree and doctorate, both from Virginia Tech, in 2000 and in 2006, respectively, received Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering Outstanding Young Alumnus Award for 2012. (more...)

Raffaella De Vita wins National Science Foundation award to study pelvic floor disorders in women

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:03:38 -0400

In 2010, roughly one-third or 28 million American women suffered from pelvic floor disorder, including urinary and/or fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse, or the literal collapse of the uterus into and inside the walls of the vagina. (more...)

ESM undergraduate Winston Becker earns prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:05:39 -0400

Winston Becker, an undergraduate student in ESM, has received the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. (more ...)

Nicole Abaid to join ESM as assistant professor

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:01:00 -0400

Ms. Nicole Abaid will join ESM as a tenure track assistant professor in the area of dynamical systems next fall semester.(more...)

ESM doctoral student Mehran Tehrani named 2012 Virginia Tech College of Engineering Outstanding Doctoral Student

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:34:00 -0500

Mehran Tehrani has been named the 2012 Virginia Tech College of Engineering Outstanding Doctoral Student. Besides this award, he is the recipient of the 2011 PerkinElmer scholarship award from Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE) and the 2011 Liviu Librescu scholarship.(more…)

ESM doctoral student Alireza Salmanzadeh named 2012 Virginia Tech Graduate Man of the Year

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:00:00 -0500

Alireza Salmanzadeh, a doctoral student in Engineering Science and Mechanics, is the 2012 Virginia Tech Graduate Man of the Year. This honor, which has a counterpart (more...)

Dr. Ganesh Balasubramanian Receives Honorable Mention for Outstanding Dissertation

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:31:18 -0500

I am pleased to convey that ESM alumnus Dr. Ganesh Balasubramanian has received an Honorable Mention in the Virginia Tech Outstanding Dissertation 2011 competition. His dissertation, “Modeling nanoscale transport phenomena: Implications for the continuum” was selected in the Engineering, Science, Mathematics and Technology category. (more..)

Mark Stremler invited to the Indo-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Mark Stremler, a Virginia Tech engineering faculty member, is one of 60 young engineers selected by the organizers of the 2012 Indo-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium to attend this global meeting. (more...)

Dr. Shane Ross is awarded the prestigious NSF CAREER Award

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

I am pleased to convey that Dr. Shane Ross has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers NSF's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars (more...)

Dr. Raffaella De Vita is awarded the prestigious NSF CAREER Award

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Raffaella De Vita has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program offers NSF's most prestigious awards in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars (more...)

Four Virginia Tech engineering faculty selected for National Academy of Engineering symposium

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Sixty-five of the nation's most innovative, young engineering educators, including four Virginia Tech engineering faculty members, have been selected to take part in the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) third Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium. (more...)

ESM Undergraduates Gary Nave and Brian Chang Collaborate with Dr. Sunny Jung in Fluid Mechanics Research

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Upon completion of a research project under the supervision of Dr. Sunghwan "Sunny" Jung, ESM undergraduates Gary Nave and Brian Chang collaborated with Dr. Jung on an article titled "Drop Formation from a Wettable Nozzle". The article was recently published in the (more...)

Alireza Salmanzadeh Earned Poster Award at the ISVT Research Symposium and Cultural Showcase

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

On September 10, 2011, at the "ISVT Research Symposium and Cultural Showcase 2011", ESM graduate student Alireza Salmanzadeh was awarded third place for his poster "Isolating Cancer Cells from Blood using Contactless Dielectrophoresis (CDEP)." (more...)

VT Staff Employee of the Week - Anne-Marie Bracken

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Ms. Bracken leads by example by showing respect for others and listening and encouraging open communication among ESM faculty, staff, and students. (more...)

2011 Liviu Librescu Prize Awarded to Dr. Michael Madigan

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Michael Madigan is the 2011 recipient of the Liviu Librescu Faculty Prize. The prize honors the memory of the late ESM professor, Dr. Liviu Librescu, particularly his leadership in scholarship and his service to humanity throughout his life. (more...)

Hassan Aref, former dean of engineering at Virginia Tech, dies

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Hassan Aref, who held a chaired professorship and served as the former dean of engineering at Virginia Tech, died at his home this past weekend. (more...)

In Memoriam: Hassan Aref (1950-2011)

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Hassan Aref (b. 1950, Alexandria, Egypt, d. 2011 De Land, Illinois, U.S.A.) was the Reynolds Metals Professor in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech, and also served as the Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at the Technical University of Denmark.

Microbes travel through the air; it would be good to know how and where

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Preliminary research on Fusarium, a group of fungi that includes devastating pathogens of plants and animals, shows how these microbes travel through the air. Researchers now believe that with improvements on this preliminary research, there will be a better understanding about crop security, disease spread, and climate change.

Photographer Mike Diersing featured in Land and Link Competition

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Once again, Mike Diersing, ESM's talented Media Specialist, is in the limelight. He received the second and third prizes in the 2011 Juried Photography Competition and Exhibition through O. Winston Link Museum and the Western Virginia Land Trust. The theme of the Land + Link competition/exhibition was "Preserving Our Landscape."

Roger Chang and Scott Hendricks Voted in the Top 20 Best VT Teachers

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech students recently voted for their favorite teachers through the www.ratevtteachers.com website. Engineering Science and Mechanics' Dr. Tsu-Sheng "Roger" Chang was voted second best teacher at Tech and Dr. Scott Hendricks the nineteenth best out of over one thousand such instructors on our campus. Both have received major recognitions and awards for their teaching.

ESM Alumnus Zac Cates Cycles TransAmerica

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

From May 22nd through July 30th of this year, ESM alumnus Zac Cates cycled on a TransAmerica route covering a distance of approximately 4,500 miles. He joined his best friend, West Robison and together their trip took them through ten states starting in Yorktown, Virginia and culminating in Florence, Oregon. They stayed in campgrounds, parks, friends' houses, new acquaintances' homes, churches, volunteer fire departments, historical societies and two hotels.

Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" Presents the Liviu Librescu Award for Best MS Thesis in Aerospace Structures

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

University degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" in Rome, Italy, recently established the Liviu Librescu Award for the best MS Thesis in Aerospace Structures. To be eligible for this award, students must be enrolled in Italian MS Aerospace Programs. The first recipient of this award is Mr. Michele Pasquali for his thesis "Geometrically exact models of thin plates towards nonlinear dynamics system identification via higher order spectral approach."

ESM Alumnus Dr. Soumik Banerjee Joins Washington State University

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

ESM alumnus Dr. Soumik Banerjee (EM PhD '08) will be joining the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University as an Assistant Professor this fall. While at ESM, he worked in the Multiphysics Research Group (MuRG) led by Dr. Ishwar K. Puri, N. Waldo Harrison Professor and Department Head. His research involved molecular modeling of nanoscale transport phenomena. He was a recipient of several awards including the Pratt Presidential Graduate Fellowship in 2006 and 2007 and the Best Poster Award at Dean's Forum on Energy Security and Sustainability at Virginia Tech. Since graduating from ESM, Dr. Banerjee has held several prestigious positions including a Research Scholar position at the Max Planck Institute in Magdeburg, Germany (2008 - 2009) and Research Fellow position at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (2009 – 2011). His current research involves molecular modeling of a range of nanoscale processes including growth and agglomeration of nanomaterials with applications in energy devices.

ESM doctoral student Yasser Aboelkassem to receive recognition at ASME 2011 PVP Conference

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Mr. Yasser Aboelkassem, a third year doctoral student in the ESM department, will receive an Honorable Mention and a $500 award for his entry to the Student Paper Symposium and Competition of the ASME 2011 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference to be held in Baltimore, Maryland in July. The award will be presented on July 20 during the conference's Honors Luncheon.

ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh Batra selected as Fellow of the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh Batra has been selected as a Fellow of the U.S. Association for Computational Mechanics in recognition of his contributions to the field of computational mechanics.

ESM doctoral student Timothy Hartman receives Jefferson Goblet Award

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Timothy B. Hartman was the recipient of the Jefferson Goblet Award for the best student paper at the 52^nd AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference recently held in Denver, Colorado. At the conference, four student paper awards were presented; the Jefferson Goblet Award is the top award. The award consists of a cash prize and a silver goblet fashioned after one designed by Thomas Jefferson.

ESM Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor David Dillard Receives 2011 Dean's Award for Excellence in Research

Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. David Dillard of engineering science and mechanics received a 2011 Dean's Award for Excellence in Research. Dr. Dillard's research expenditures exceed $56 million, with personal expenditures in excess of $9.3 million. His efforts have included gaining improved insights into processes relevant to hydrogel manufacturing for biomedical devices; and studying reversible adhesion for a novel class of microelectronic adhesives. In February 2010, Professor Dillard received the Adhesion Society's prestigious national Award for Excellence in Adhesion Science. One of the nominators of Dr. Dillard for this award wrote: "In my view Prof. Dillard is the world's leading authority on the mechanics of adhesive bonding, and he has played a leading role in the application of mechanics approaches to problems in adhesion science. Much of his work has been very influential in my own research..."

Virginia Tech honors engineer Charlie Harris for his career achievements

Sun, 22 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

BLACKSBURG, Va., April 28, 2011 – Charlie Harris of Poquoson, Va., who earned his bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Virginia Tech in 1972, a master's degree in engineering mechanics in 1972, and his doctorate in engineering science and mechanics in 1983, is a 2011 inductee into Virginia Tech's College of Engineering Academy of Engineering Excellence, joining an elite group of 105 individuals out of more than 55,000 living engineering alumni.

New Norris Hall Art Exhibit

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Beginning Tuesday, May 10, 2011, the latest rotation in the ongoing art exhibit co-hosted by the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention (CPSVP) and the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics' (ESM) features work by ESM and CPSVP faculty and staff.

Virginia Tech's Hassan Aref earns honorary degree for his achievements

Fri, 06 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Today Hassan Aref received the honorary degree of "doctor technices honoris causa," the highest honor awarded by the Technical University of Denmark, on May 6 at the university's commencement ceremony.

Professor Balakumar Balachandran (ESM PhD'90) Named Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Maryland

Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Bala Balachandran (AE MS'86; ESM PhD'90) who is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland has been appointed to serve as the Chair of the Department. He was the Department's former Director of Graduate Studies, and in this role, he helped increase the diversity of its graduate student population and the number of students recruited from highly ranked undergraduate programs, the number of fellowship holders, and the number of Ph.D. graduates placed in tenure-track positions.

ESM PhD students Mehran Tehrani and Abdessattar Abdelkefi have been awarded the Liviu Librescu scholarship for Spring 2011

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Mehran joined ESM in the fall semester of 2010 as a transfer PhD student from the University of New Mexico. His research expertise covers diverse fields such as nanomaterials, composites and solid mechanics. His recent experimental research highlights the fabrication of composites for blast resistance and radiation mitigation, the design of polymeric nanocomposites for enhanced electromagnetic and high-energy particle radiation shielding, and the synthesis of alumina nanoparticles for dental applications. To date, Mehran has co-authored eight published journal articles and has presented results of his research in several national and international conferences. Professor Marwan Al-Haik, who supervises Mehran, wrote in the nomination letter "he has been a very sincere and diligent student whose hard work is a constant source of inspiration to the other students in my group." Mehran has also shown a devotion to professional and community service by organizing and participating in several activities including the College of Engineering open house, a soccer club, and service to SEM and ASME.

ESM alumnus Dr. Mohammed F. Daqaq receives NSF CAREER Award

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

ESM alumnus Dr. Mohammed F. Daqaq, who is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Clemson University, is a recipient of a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). He is also a two-time successive recipient of Clemson's Eugene Bishop Award for excellence in teaching and of another two NSF research grants. Dr. Daqaq credits his success to the exceptional education that he received in ESM and the high-quality research he was able to do with his mentor Dr. Ali Nayfeh, a University Distinguished Professor, who is now an ESM emeritus.

ESM doctoral student Mehran Tehrani awarded 2011-2012 PerkinElmer Graduate Scholarship

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Society of Plastic Engineers (SPE) announced that ESM doctoral student Mehran Tehrani is the recipient of the PerkinElmer Graduate Scholarship for the year 2011-2012. This scholarship is sponsored by the PerkinElmer Instruments Company in conjunction with the Composites Division of SPE and is awarded on a yearly basis. The award is dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of information on the science, engineering fundamentals and applications of advanced polymer composite materials. This year, 39 applications were reviewed and judged blindly (no student names or university affiliations were visible to the judges) by six judges who work in the composites industry and are members of the SPE Composites Division. Mr. Tehrani will receive the award during the reception lunch at the SPE annual Technical Conference; ANTEC 2011, Boston, MA. His research, as described in the winning abstract, will be presented in a paper at ANTEC 2012, Orlando, Florida.

Dr. Doug Holmes joins ESM as assistant professor

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Douglas P. Holmes will join ESM this coming fall semester as an assistant professor. He is an expert on soft matter mechanics. His work on the snapping and wrinkling of the Venus Flytrap has been featured in the popular press, such as in Science News, Discovery News, Physics, and Wired. His archival publications appear in journals such as Advanced Materials, Soft Matter, and Physical Review Letters.

ESM Department Head Ishwar Puri named N. Waldo Harrison Professor

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Ishwar Puri, professor and head of the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named the N. Waldo Harrison Professor by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

Virginia Tech names Jack Lesko associate dean of engineering

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

John J. “Jack” Lesko, a professor of engineering science and mechanics, will assume the position of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, effective May 25, 2011.

Virginia Tech names ESM alumnus Dr. Satish Kulkarni as director of energy initiatives

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Satish V. Kulkarni, a Virginia Tech alumnus who has led international and national collaborations related to energy, security, and the environment for more than three decades, has been named the director of energy initiatives for the university.

ESM doctoral student Ganesh Balasubramanian named 2011 Virginia Tech Graduate Man of the Year

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

ESM doctoral student Ganesh Balasubramanian has been named the Graduate Man of the Year for 2011 by Virginia Tech. He will be formally recognized at the Graduate Education Week awards banquet on March 24, and at the university Student Recognition Banquet on April 2.

When worms stick together and swim on thin water, what happens and why does it matter?

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Nematodes, microscopic worms, are making engineers look twice at their ability to exhibit the "Cheerios effect" when they move in a collective motion.

Michael Diersing Exhibits Photograph in Roanoke's O. Winston Link Museum

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

ESM's Media Specialist, Michael Diersing, is a man of many talents. He recently exhibited an original photograph at the O. Winston Link Museum entitled, "Reflection into the Past." Describing the photograph, Mike stated, "The H&C Coffee and Dr. Pepper signs are reflected in the windows of the art museum. The angle of the window frames draws your attention into the photo and help frame the subjects. The frames help present the signs in a modern art style."

Engineering Science and Mechanics Students Present Art Exhibit in Norris Hall Gallery

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In 2011, the Norris Gallery will showcase the creative side of the faculty, staff, and students who share Norris Hall. Spring semester will begin with an exhibit of artwork by Engineering Science Mechanics (ESM) students. The special element that ties the show together is research. Students submitted images inspired or directly derived from the topics they are studying, including photographs taken of scans from electron microscopes.

Virginia Tech's Engineering Professor Romesh Batra Earns Outstanding Scientist Award

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Romesh C. Batra, Virginia Tech professor of engineering science and mechanics (ESM), is a 2011 recipient of the Virginia Outstanding Scientist Award. He will be honored at an awards reception today with the Virginia General Assembly and sponsored by the Science Museum of Virginia.

Detection of metastatic breast cancer cells in Dr. Raffaella De Vita's Soft Biological Systems Laboratory

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Blacksburg, Va., Jan 10, 2010 – Research by engineers and cancer biologists at Virginia Tech indicate that using specific silicon microdevices might provide a new way to screen breast cancer cells' ability to metastasize.

Hassan Aref of Virginia Tech receives the G. I. Taylor Medal for research activities

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics Hassan Aref has been named the recipient of the G. I. Taylor Medal by the Society of Engineering Science. The award, made in recognition of Aref’s outstanding research contributions in fluid mechanics, will be presented at the society’s annual meeting held at Northwestern University on Oct. 12-14, 2011.

As earthquakes take their toll, Virginia Tech engineers look at enhancing building designs

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

A next generation of design criteria for buildings located in geographic regions where earthquakes are known to occur, either rarely or frequently, is under development at Virginia Tech through a research contract awarded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Romesh Batra: The measure of success

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The collision was offset from the center by 1.2 millimeters, the Ph.D. student said, but noted that the authors of the paper he was citing didn't explain whether the offset was along the X axis or the Y axis or both.

Virginia Tech engineers show photos of how a specific fluid defies normal activity

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

An illustration showing a scientific phenomenon that defies common intuition has garnered Sunghwan (Sunny) Jung, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics at Virginia Tech, and his doctoral graduate student, Navish Wadhwa, of Blacksburg, Va., the international Milton Van Dyke Award.

Virginia Tech engineers introduce thermotherapy as a chemotherapy alternative

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Using hyperthermia, Virginia Tech engineering researchers and a colleague from India unveiled a new method to target and destroy cancerous cells at the 63rd annual meeting of the American Physical Society held today in Long Beach, Calif.

Invenergy Beech Ridge Wind Farm Tour

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

On Saturday November 6^th a group of 27 students and faculty from Virginia Tech had the rare opportunity to experience wind turbine technology first-hand when they visited the Invenergy Beech Ridge Wind Farm near Rupert, West Virginia. Among the group were a number of ESM students. The tour was organized by Aaron Barr (ESM, 2005), Technical Leader, General Electric Wind Energy, based in Greenville, South Carolina. General Electric ranks second worldwide and first in the US among global wind turbine manufacturers. The Invenergy Beech Ridge Wind Farm features 67 General Electric 1.5 MW turbines supplying power to American Electric Power transmission lines. Each 1.5 MW wind turbine provides enough energy to power 400 homes. The blade assemblies of the 1.5 MW turbines are 77 m in diameter and the support towers 80 m tall, about the length of the Hokies' Football Field.

Virginia Tech, MIT, Princeton collaborate on cat study that shows intriguing gravity issues

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Who knew that a cat's drinking strategy, when studied by Virginia Tech, MIT and Princeton engineers, would show a way to defeat gravity, and pull liquid into the feline's mouth. The subtle biological trait has implications in bioengineering, and is featured in an article "How cats lap: Water uptake by Felis catus" in the Nov. 11 publication of Science released today.

Grant Vogl Awarded ASC Scholarship

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

ESM graduate student, Grant Vogl, was awarded a scholarship by the American Society for Composites at the society's 25^th Annual Technical Conference at the University of Dayton, OH, in September 2010. The award was presented as a result of a proposal entitled, "Dynamics of Bistable Unsymmetric Fiber-Reinforced Composite Laminates." Grant received a monetary award, travel and conference registration expenses and a plaque.

ESM alumnus Maurizio Porfiri named one of the Brilliant 10 scientists by Popular Science

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Maurizio Porfiri (EM PhD'06) has been named one of the Brilliant 10 scientists by Popular Science, http://www.popsci.com/category/tags/brilliant-10-2010. Dr. Porfiri is a star at Polytechnic Institute of New York University where he serves as a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. His work considers that the schooling of fish, flocking of birds, herding of social ungulates, and patterns of traffic flow in human crowds can inspire algorithms for coordinating robotic systems. It is improving our current understanding of complex multi-agent dynamical systems and has had an impact on multi-vehicle robotics, animal behavior science, aquacultural engineering, and fish protection methods.

VT Staff Employee of the Week - Mark Warbeck

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Mark joined the Engineering Science and Mechanics department in 1999 as a Computer Systems Engineer and has consistently performed in an outstanding manner in all facets of his job. He is always helpful to the department's members, often helping out with IT problems unrelated to his normal routine.

Undergraduate Students Lauded at the Annual ESM Awards and Recognition Brunch

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

ESM students, faculty, staff, family and friends gathered at the annual Awards and Recognition Brunch at the Holiday Inn on Saturday, September 11^th to celebrate their achievements and accomplishments. Several undergraduate students received scholarships based on their dedication to excellence in their studies. Please see the list of these great achievers and their awards below:

Dr. Jake Socha receives the 2010 Liviu Librescu Faculty Prize

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Jake Socha is the recipient of the 2010 Liviu Librescu Faculty Prize. This prize is awarded annually to a researcher or educator in ESM at any rank below that of full professor, for which research and affiliate faculty are also eligible.

ESM ranked fifth in the nation in Engineering Science/Engineering Physics by US News and World Report

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

ESM has been ranked fifth in the nation in the Engineering Science/ Engineering Physics category by US News and World Report for its undergraduate program. The complete rankings on the US News website, provided for the top six such programs in the nation, are:

Dr. Michael W. Hyer appointed as N. Waldo Harrison Professor Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Michael W. Hyer has been recognized by the Board of Visitors for his 23 years service to the university, beginning in 1987, with the title of N. Waldo Harrison Professor Emeritus of Engineering Science and Mechanics. Dr. Hyer served as the graduate advisor for 24 ESM doctoral students and is the author of over 300 publications, including journal papers, conference proceedings, and government and university reports. This research work won him a Best Paper Award from the American Society for Composites in 2001, and an Award of Appreciation from the American Society for Testing and Materials in 2002.

Ms. Sally Shrader receives 2010 Department Head's Award

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Ms. Sally Shrader is this year's recipient of the Department Head's Award. She has worked in ESM for approximately twenty seven years and has one of the longest tenures among our staff. In addition to her normal duties, Ms. Shrader has shown extraordinary leadership and effort in several instances. For example, she handled much of the organization and correspondence associated with the conference commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ESM Department. She has also worked on the biennial conferences for nonlinear vibrations for many iterations, one of which occurred during the same summer as the 100th anniversary conference. Ms. Shrader was cited by her nominators in regard to her assistance in developing significant research proposals. Her organization and attention to detail were praised and her nominators praised her ability to allow the faculty members whom she assists to more fully focus on their responsibilities. Of other note, Ms. Shrader developed the welcoming garden in front of Norris Hall to celebrate the ESM centenary.

Romesh Batra, Clifton C. Garvin Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech, honored for the high number of citations on his publications

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Romesh Batra, the Clifton C. Garvin Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech, has been selected to appear on ISIHighlyCited.com because of his exceptional citation count in the field of engineering. The high number of citations his publications have received from fellow scientists is the reason he was selected for this academic honor.

NSF Funds Virginia Tech Program to Train Researchers at the Intersection of Engineering and Biology

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech Colleges of Engineering, Science, and Agriculture and Life Sciences have been awarded a $3 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch a Ph.D. training program aimed at preparing future researchers to solve emerging challenges at the intersection of the engineering and biological sciences.

Gut movements in caterpillars have impact on robotic design

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

"Weird movements" in the abdomens of freely crawling caterpillars are making headlines in the fields of engineering and biology, says Jake Socha, Virginia Tech assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics. Beyond evolutionary implications, the findings are already contributing to the design and development of soft material robots.

CPSVP and ESM Next Art Exhibit Installment

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention (CPSVP) and the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) are pleased to present the next installment in an ongoing series of art exhibits to be displayed in the second floor west wing hallway of Norris Hall.

Ali Nayfeh, University Distinguished Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, honored with emeritus status

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Ali Nayfeh, University Distinguished Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been conferred the "university distinguished professor emeritus" title by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

ESM welcomes Amanda Stanley as Undergraduate Academic and Career Advisor

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Ms. Amanda Stanley will join ESM in her role as Undergraduate Academic and Career Advisor in the A/P faculty category. She received her B.S. degree in Family and Child Development from Virginia Tech in 1997 and an M.S. degree in Counselor Education (Student Affairs Administration) from Radford University in 2008.

Pavlos Vlachos, ESM Affiliate and Alumnus, Wins Best Paper Award

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Pavlos Vlachos, Virginia Tech associate professor of mechanical engineering, and graduate student, Adric Eckstein, of Salem, Va., received the 2009 Outstanding Paper Award from the Institute of Physics' "Journal of Measurement Science and Instrumentation" for their work in the area of fluid mechanics.

Virginia Tech's Shane Ross' research on pollution dispersion aids understanding of 2002 break-up of Antarctic ozone hole

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The recent eruption of the volcano in Iceland has drawn attention to air flow patterns, as airlines lost millions of dollars and travelers remained stranded for days to weeks, as particles from the natural disaster traveled throughout Europe, forcing closures of major airports.

Drs. Ross and Socha Named COE Outstanding New Assistant Professors

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The College of Engineering recently named Dr. Shane Ross and Dr. Jake Socha as Outstanding New Assistant Professors. Dr. Ross joined ESM in August 2006 after serving as an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Southern California.

Dr. Mark Stremler Awarded the Liviu Librescu Faculty Prize

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

ESM announces the award of the Liviu Librescu Faculty Prize to Dr. Mark Stremler for 2009. Since Dr. Stremler's arrival at ESM in Fall 2006, he has greatly contributed to the scholarship in the department.

Scott Case named interim head of academic affairs

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Scott Case, professor and associate department head of engineering science and mechanics (ESM) at Virginia Tech, will serve as the interim associate dean for academic affairs during the 2010-11 academic year.

Virginia Tech's Dan Dudek co-authors Nature piece on designed biomaterials mimicking biology

Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Engineered artificial proteins that mimic the elastic properties of muscles in living organisms are the subject of an article in Nature magazine to be released May 6, and one of the authors is Dan Dudek, an assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics (ESM) at Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech Honors Engineer Pat Artis for his Career Achievements

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Pat Artis of Pagosa Springs, Colo., who earned his bachelor's degree in engineering science and mechanics from Virginia Tech in 1972, is a 2010 inductee into Virginia Tech's College of Engineering Academy of Engineering Excellence, joining an elite group of 97 individuals out of more than 55,000 living engineering alumni.

Virginia Tech, YMCA wind and solar project gets off the ground in time for Earth Day

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

By now, Blacksburg residents and commuters who travel Main Street will have noted an egg beater-like apparatus on a pole in front of the YMCA. The raising of the pole for the mini wind-turbine on April 19 was a major milestone in what has turned out to be a year-long effort by Virginia Tech students, faculty members, and staff, and community volunteers to build a wind and solar demonstration site and education center at the YMCA center at 1000 North Main Street.

Dr. Marwan S. Al-Haik to join ESM as tenure track associate professor

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Marwan S. Al-Haik will join ESM as a tenure track associate professor this coming Fall semester. He received his masters and doctoral degrees from Florida State University, and has served as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of New Mexico since 2005. While there, he received a National Science Foundation Faculty (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to examine next generation multifunctional composite materials.

J.W. Grant named first Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

J.W. "Wally" Grant, professor of engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech and former director of the Virginia Tech Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, has been named the university's first Kevin P. Granata Faculty Fellow by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

College of Engineering instructor Jeff Bolton wins Sporn Award

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Jeff Bolton, a statics and dynamics teaching instructor with the Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM), is the 2010 Virginia Tech College of Engineering Sporn Award winner.

ESM Graduate Student Ganesh Balasubramanian to be Inducted into Alpha Epsilon Lambda

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

ESM graduate student Ganesh Balasubramanian will be inducted into Alpha Epsilon Lambda (AEL) on March 23, 2010. AEL is a national honor society that recognizes graduate and professional students who excel in academics while exemplifying leadership qualities. Ganesh joined ESM in 2007 and has been conducting research into multiscale modeling of thermal transport in mesoscale devices. He received a 2009 Liviu Librescu Memorial Scholarship Award, and was session chair at the 2009 Joint ASCE-ASME-SES Conference on Mechanics and Materials. Ganesh's record of leadership and service includes being chair of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) research symposium, GSA representative for ESM, captain of the Virginia Tech Table Tennis Team, as well as serving as treasurer for the VT Ping Pong Club.

ESM Alumnus, Shakti Gupta, honored with Medal from the Indian Defense Ministry

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Shakti S. Gupta (Ph. D., 2009) received the Silicon Medal and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Scientific Advisor to the Indian Defense Minister on the National Science Day held at the Defense Institute, Poona on 1 March 2010. He also gave a lecture "'Carbon based Nanomaterials'" that was attended by approximately 300 persons which included Faculty, Students and Supporting Staff of the Institute.

Researchers move closer to understanding chaotic motion of a solid body in a fluid

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In a paper appearing in the Feb. 24 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London A, Virginia Tech Engineering Science and Mechanics Professor Hassan Aref, and his colleague Johan Roenby at the Technical University of Denmark shed new light on the chaotic motion of a solid body moving through a fluid. They claim to have discovered two basic mechanisms that lead to chaotic motion of the body as it interacts with its vortex wake. The work may lead to better understanding and control of real body-vortex interactions.

Although it goes back to the work of Henri Poincaré at the end of the 19’th century, chaos emerged in earnest as a new concept in science in the 1960s. Scientists then realized that even very simple systems, governed by perfectly deterministic laws, could have very complicated and seemingly random behavior. Anyone who has played with dice literally has had hands-on experience with the high sensitivity to initial conditions exhibited by a chaotic system. This makes long-term prediction of the system’s evolution virtually impossible, Aref and Roenby explained.

It has long been known that the motion of a solid object through a fluid may be chaotic. Mechanisms that lead to chaotic motion in such systems are important, sometimes because one wants to avoid them, at other times because one wants to exploit them. For instance, when designing aircraft, one strives to prevent chaotic motion, whereas it might be a good strategy for a prey trying to escape a predator to enter a regime of erratic, unpredictable motion.

Fluid-body interactions are not very well understood. It is, however, reasonably well established that the delicate interplay between the body and the vortices shed from it, and present in the fluid, plays a key role. For example, it may be shown that if the motion is strictly two-dimensional and there are no vortices, chaos cannot occur. Chaos can occur for three-dimensional motion of a solid body through a fluid even in the absence of vortices.

To understand how vortices may create chaos in the body motion, Aref and Roenby studied a simplified body-vortex interaction model. The simplicity of the model allowed the scientists to take well-known, non-chaotic solutions as the starting point and then slowly increase the influence of parameters that would cause chaos to occur. It was by triggering the chaos in this controlled manner that the authors discovered two sources of chaos in the model.

The work “shows how a chaotic region grows from a specific type of equilibrium,” the authors claimed. Aref and Roenby knew from classical hydrodynamics that a body in an “unbounded, ideal liquid has a limiting motion between the rocking and tumbling regime. Adding a vortex to this effectively acts as a random torque on the body.” This is one mechanism for chaos. The other chaotic regime arises when the body is made slightly non-circular. For certain parameter regimes this renders the vortex motion, and thereby its force on the body, chaotic. “The kind of parametric scans we have performed may give important clues as to which geometries and parameter regimes to avoid, if one wants to prevent chaotic motion”, the authors said.

As Aref, Roenby and others unravel the forces that come into play when vortices are produced through interaction between a solid body and the fluid surrounding it, they are furthering the understanding of aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces, the drag and lift that are paramount in virtually all motion of bodies through air or water.

YouTube videos on the work can be found at http://www.youtube.com/user/JohanRoenbyPedersen

Aref is Virginia Tech’s Reynolds Metals Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics. He also holds a Niels Bohr Visiting Professorship at the Technical University of Denmark. Roenby is a Ph.D. student in the mathematics department and the Center for Fluid Dynamics at the Danish University. He is currently a visiting scholar at Imperial College, London.

Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering is internationally recognized for its excellence in 14 engineering disciplines and computer science. As the nation’s third largest producer of engineers with baccalaureate degrees, undergraduates benefit from an innovative curriculum that provides a hands-on, minds-on approach to engineering education. It complements classroom instruction with two unique design-and-build facilities and a strong Cooperative Education Program. With more than 50 research centers and numerous laboratories, the college offers its 2,000 graduate students opportunities in advanced fields of study, including biomedical engineering, state-of-the-art microelectronics, and nanotechnology. http://www.eng.vt.edu/main/index.php

Virginia Tech's David Dillard Receives International Adhesion Science Award

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

David A. Dillard, who holds the Virginia Tech Adhesive and Sealant Science Professorship endowed by the Adhesive and Sealant Council, has received the 2010 Award for Excellence in Adhesion Science, sponsored by 3M. http://www.adhesionsociety.org/Awards/excellence.htm

The citation credits Dillard with “exceptional insight, teaching, and illuminating experimental investigations concerning the mechanics and durability of bonded systems.”

In announcing the award, the Adhesion Society credited Dillard as “a practitioner of truly innovative approaches to fundamental questions in adhesion science. Over the last 25 years Professor Dillard developed a broad-based research program in order to gain an understanding of the inter-relationship between fracture mechanics and chemical characteristics of bonded systems.”

A major thrust of Dillard’s research work is the development of appropriate test methods for evaluation of adhesive bonds, analysis and design procedures for adhesive joints, and studies of the durability of such systems when exposed to a variety of environmental conditions. Recent efforts include durability of fuel cell materials and behavior of adhesives under impact conditions. http://www.esm.vt.edu/person.php?id=10009

Dillard served for five years as director of Virginia Tech’s Center for Adhesive and Sealant Science (CASS) and served as founder and interim director of the Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute (MII) at Virginia Tech. http://www.mii.vt.edu/

Dillard recently completed a term as president of the Adhesion Society, and is a Robert L. Patrick Fellow of that organization.

Dillard has co-authored more than 140 referenced journal articles and several book chapters and has received best paper awards from the Society for Experimental Mechanics and the Society for Wood Science and Technology. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri at Rolla) in engineering mechanics in 1976 and 1978, respectively. He received his doctorate in engineering mechanics from Virginia Tech in 1981.

He received the award at the 33^rd Annual Meeting of the Adhesion Society Inc., in February in Daytona Beach, Fl.

Engineering professor Romesh Batra earns State Council of Higher Education for Virginia teaching award

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Romesh C. Batra, Virginia Tech professor of engineering science and mechanics, is a 2010 recipient of the Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Dominion, an energy company based in Richmond, Va.

Featured Graduate Student, February 2010: Ali Yeilaghi Tamijani

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Ali came to Virginia Tech in 2007 as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM). He is part of a group that works on unitized structures under the supervision of Professor Kapania. Ali was recently awarded the Manual Stein Scholarship. He currently serves as the president of Iranian Society, the treasurer of Graduate Student Assembly (GSA), and sits on University Student Budget Board and ESM graduate committee. Ali enjoys working out, camping and playing guitar.

CPSVP and ESM Next Art Exhibit Installment

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Update: The CPSVP -- ESM Art Exhibit Reception has been rescheduled to Friday, February 19th from 2-4 pm in 205 Norris Hall.

ESM Graduate Student Attilio Arcari Awarded the 2009 Daniel Frederick Scholarship

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

ESM doctoral student Attilio Arcari's performance has earned him the 2009 Daniel Frederick Scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, doctoral students should have completed their course work, passed all qualifying and preliminary examinations, have had their dissertation proposal approved and accepted by their committee, and be in good standing with the Graduate School. Selection for this award is based upon the student's academic record, creativity in research, performance on doctoral exams, and other appropriate doctoral student measures

ESM Doctoral Student Ali Yeilaghi Tamijani Awarded the 2009 Manuel Stein Scholarship

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

ESM recognized the performance of doctoral student Ali Yeilaghi Tamijani by selecting him for the 2009 Manuel Stein Scholarship Award. The scholarship criteria are those well-reflected in Dr. Stein's own lifetime of service to his profession and commitment to his colleagues and students: the potential for scholarly achievement in teaching and research, and a demonstrated dedication to the welfare and well-being of others.

ESM W.S. White Distinguished Professor Emeritus Daniel Schneck is Named Editor-in-Chief for the New Journal of Forensic Biomechanics

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

During the past decade, the field of Forensic Biomechanics has grown tremendously... to the point where Ashdin Publishing, a Company based in France, has launched a new Journal of Forensic Biomechanics. All articles published in Ashdin journals are open access and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For more information regarding the Journal of Forensic Biomechanics, please access the website: http://www.dinahgroup.com/jfb.htm.

ESM Dedicates The Liviu Librescu Student Engagement Center

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

On November 13, 2009, ESM dedicated the new Liviu Librescu Student Engagement Center on the second floor of Norris Hall. It is a fitting tribute to Dr. Liviu Librescu's memory who served as a professor in the department and sacrificed his life defending students on April 16, 2007. A framed portrait of Dr. Librescu hangs in the center.

ESM Doctoral Students Ganesh Balasubramanian and Hadi Shafiee Awarded 2009 Liviu Librescu Memorial Scholarships

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ESM noted the scholarship of doctoral students Ganesh Balasubramanian and Hadi Shafiee by selecting them for the 2009 Liviu Librescu Memorial Scholarship Awards. These scholarships were established to honor Dr. Liviu Librescu, former ESM professor, who died on April 16, 2007 in service of his students.

Student engagement center named in memory of Liviu Librescu

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Engineering Science and Mechanics Student Engagement Center, one of the six new rooms created when Virginia Tech renovated and re-opened the second floor of the west (short) wing of Norris Hall, has been renamed in memory of Liviu Librescu, one of the 32 faculty and students who lost their lives on April 16, 2007.

Virginia Tech names biomechanics laboratory in memory of Kevin P. Granata

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The new biomechanics research laboratory located in room 208 of Norris Hall at Virginia Tech has been named the Kevin P. Granata Biomechanics Laboratory as an enduring tribute to the late engineering professor who lost his life on April 16, 2007.

Sandie Griffin receives the ESM Department Head's Award

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The ESM Department Head's Award Committee has made its recommendation to Department Head Ishwar Puri, and he has concurred with the recommendation. So the Committee hereby announces that the 2009 recipient of the award is Sandie Griffin.

ESM Laboratory Manager Danny Reed Recognized with Outstanding Performance in a Lab Award

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Daniel (Danny) Reed is the winner of the 2009 Outstanding Performance in a Lab Award and will be presented his award tomorrow (October 14, 2009) morning at the Lab Employee Professional Network (LEPN) Exhibits and Workshops event at The Inn at Virginia Tech. This award is co-sponsored by Human Resources, University Organizational and Professional Development, and the Office of the Vice President for Research. The objective of this award is to recognize an individual or team (3 or more members) for performance supporting research and teaching labs in a non-administrative position. Outstanding Performance in Labs, for the purposes of this program, is defined as exemplary accomplishments, professional development and any relevant background and experience demonstrating how the individual or team interacts with colleagues and students.

CPSVP and ESM Collaborate on Rotating Art Exhibit

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention (CPSVP) and the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) are pleased to present the first in an ongoing series of art exhibits to be displayed in the second floor west wing hallway of Norris Hall.

Dr. Sunny Jung's pictures of bioinspired design featured in the Physics of Fluids Gallery of Fluid Motion

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A recent edition of Physics of Fluids contains images of floating flowers and spider webs taken by Dr. Sunny Jung, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics. These images show the utility of bioinspired design.

British press coverage of Professor Shane Ross' remarks at the British Science Festival

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Professor Shane Ross spoke at the British Science Festival in Guildford, UK, on September 10, 2009. His remarks were covered in the next day's editions in the British press, such as in the Times of London and the Telegraph.

Virginia Tech biomedical engineering team to study knee ligament sprains

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A team of Virginia Tech engineering researchers has won a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to study knee ligament sprains at the micro-mechanical level.

The 2009 Joint ASCE-ASME-SES Conference on Mechanics and Materials

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

On June 24^th through 27^th, the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) hosted The 2009 Joint ASCE-ASME-SES Conference on Mechanics and Materials (Mech 09) at The Inn at Virginia Tech.

The secrets of the lowly ground beetle could lead to better tissue engineering

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Insects are about to be analyzed in a new way by a host of Virginia Tech engineering faculty. They will be using some fancy state-of-the-art equipment, such as a kilometer-long synchrotron x-ray light source, which might be enough to scare any bug. And first up will be beetles, grasshoppers and silk moths because they have some endearing characteristics.

Team led by ESM Frank Maher Professor Norman E. Dowling gets best paper award

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The team led by ESM Frank Maher Professor Norman E. Dowling which included ESM doctoral student Attilio Arcari, ESM BS alumnus Christopher A. Calhoun, and MSE undergraduate student David C. Moore received the best structures and materials paper award at the American Helicopter Society International 65th Annual Forum and Technology Display that was held from May 27-29, 2009 in Grapevine, TX. Dr. Dowling and his group plan to update the paper, "Strain-Based Fatigue for High Strength Aluminum Alloys," for submission to the Journal of the American Helicopter Society.

ESM Assistant Professor Shane Ross to speak at British Science Festival

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Assistant Professor Shane Ross will speak at the British Science Festival to be held on September 10 at University of Surrey, see http://www.britishscienceassociation.org/forms/festival/events/showevent2.asp?EventID=144

Staff Employee of the Week - Lisa Smith

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

During Ms. Smith's tenure with the department, she has always been at the forefront to offer creative solutions, volunteer for special projects, or to rouse other employees to participation.

Virginia Tech engineering student Pagliaro selected as a national lab research associate

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

John Pagliaro, a senior at Virginia Tech, was selected as a research associate at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under the U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE) Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education (ORISE) program. Pagliaro is completing the 10-week summer appointment at NETL's Morgantown, W.Va., research site.

Professor Romesh C. Batra honored with Engineering Science Medal of Society of Engineering Science

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Professor Romesh C. Batra was honored with Engineering Science Medal of the Society of Engineering Science (SES) at the recently concluded 2009 Joint ASCE-ASME-SES Conference on Mechanics and Materials that was held in Blacksburg, Va. The medal was presented to Dr. Batra by Professor Judith A. Todd, President of SES and P. B. Breneman Department Head Chair of the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at The Pennsylvania State University.

David Simmons is Awarded the Virginia Tech Leadership Award

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

On Thursday, May 7, 2009, Virginia Tech's Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Hal Irvin, presented Dave Simmons with the Virginia Tech Staff Leadership Award. Co-sponsored by Human Resources, University Organizational & Professional, and the Commission for Staff Policies and Affairs, this award recognizes strong leadership qualities among non-student wage, classified and university staff employees. It acknowledges employees who regularly demonstrate the behaviors of a strong leader in support of the goals of the university, college/VP area or department.

Dr. Scott W. Case promoted to rank of professor of engineering science and mechanics

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is pleased to convey that the University Board of Visitors approved the promotion of Dr. Scott W. Case to the rank of professor effective August 10, 2009. Dr. Case's research interests are focused in the area of life prediction techniques for composite materials, as well as in the experimental characterization of elevated temperature polymeric composites. In support of the life prediction techniques, he has worked heavily in the area of micromechanical modeling of composite behavior. In the past, he has also been involved in the modeling of "smart" material systems.

In Memory of Sean Patrick Logan

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is saddened to announce the death of Sean Patrick Logan, who was a senior in our department. On Thursday, May 21^st, Sean was injured in a skateboarding accident and died on Tuesday, May 26^th at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. He is survived by his parents, John and Theresa Logan, his sister, Gillian, and numerous relatives.

Sean was very active in the Boy Scouts and proudly attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He served as a radio DJ at Virginia Tech, was an avid reader of literature, and a lover of outdoor sports. ESM will remember Sean as a person with a quick sense of humor and an enthusiasm for living. He will be missed.

As a last generous act of his service-oriented life, Sean was an organ donor and gifted some of his organs to five grateful recipients.

Those wishing to make a donation in Sean's memory may send it to:

Mecklenburg County Council of Boy Scouts of America
1410 East 7^th Street
Charlotte, NC 28204.

Darrell Link Receives the COE Exemplary Employee Award

Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

On Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the CASE luncheon, Dean Richard Benson presented a plaque to Darrell Link, ESM's Laboratory Instrument Maker, for the College of Engineering Exemplary Employee Award. Dean Benson noted that Mr. Link is a quiet force (an "unsung hero") working behind the scenes, in the machine shop in Norris Hall. His 32 years of experience as a machinist, including nine years with ESM, has enabled him to demonstrate his knowledge and skill building fixtures and tooling with high accuracy.

Professors Muhammad Hajj and Mark Stremler honored at College Awards ceremony

Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Professors Muhammad Hajj and Mark Stremler were honored by Dean Benson during the College Awards ceremony held recently. Dr. Hajj received the Dean's Service Award and Dr. Stremler was named as an Engineering Faculty Fellow.

Professor Hajj, who received the Service Award, served as the president of the Engineering Faculty Organization for the past two years. He chaired the 18th ASCE Engineering Mechanics Conference in June 2007 in Blacksburg. He also serves on the Virginia Tech Advisory Council on Strategic Budgeting and Planning and the UniversityPromotion and Tenure Committee among his numerous research, teaching and service commitments. More importantly, through his diligent service on ESM faculty search committees, he has been involved in the successful search for each of our faculty members hired over the past four years.

Professor Stremler, who received the $5,000 Faculty Fellow Award, was named by the Army Research Office as a Young Investigator in 2004. According to the ISI Web of Science, his publications have been cited over 650 times and his h-index is 10 (that is, 10 of his papers have been cited at least 10 times). He is a pioneer in the application of topological chaos to fluid mixing. Dr. Stremler has cultivated a cross-college biological transport group that developed an invited NSF IGERT proposal. The momentum behind the Multi-Scale Transport in Environmental and Physiological Systems (multiSTEPS) effort shows significant promise for years of productive interdisciplinary research activity.

ESM is very pleased to have scholars of high caliber on its Faculty.

ESM Alumnus Satish Kulkarni (EM PhD '73) Inducted into the VT Academy of Engineering Excellence

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

A native of India, Satish Kulkarni's career has taken him around the world and back home again since graduating with a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 1973. An alumnus of Calcutta University and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kulkarni says his choice of Virginia Tech for his doctoral degree in 1969 was easy. He was attracted by the wide scope of the university's engineering science and mechanics (ESM) department, which broadened his view of engineering, a field he says often can become too compartmentalized. Attending Virginia Tech would be his first trip to the United States. Moving to the southern United States in the late 1960s to obtain his doctorate could have been challenging, but Dr. Kulkarni says his welcome by fellow students, faculty and the community of Blacksburg was strong and constant. "Coming as an immigrant to the United States and getting a top-quality education" was the beginning of a successful career, Dr. Kulkarni says.

Dr. Sungwan "Sunny" Jung joins ESM as assistant professor of fluid mechanics and dynamical systems

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Sungwan "Sunny" Jung will join ESM this coming Fall semester as an assistant professor of fluid mechanics and dynamical systems. Dr. Jung is an instructor at the Massachussets Institute of Technology, prior to which he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University. He received a doctoral degree in physics from the University of Texas in 2005 where he was also awarded the Outstanding Physics Dissertation Award. He has a 2001 M.S. degree in physics from Pohang University of Science and Technology and a 1999 B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Sogang University.

ESM doctoral student Frances M. Davis awarded 2009 Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ESM doctoral student Frances M. Davis has been awarded the 2009 Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowship. The fellowship is sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by the National Research Council of the National Academies. It will provide three years of support for Ms. Davis to pursue studies leading to an Engineering Mechanics Ph.D. Ms. Davis is being mentored by Dr. Raffaella De Vita, who is also her thesis advisor.

Staff Employee of the Week - Anne-Marie Bracken

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Since joining ESM in 2006, Anne-Marie Bracken has become an integral part of departmental operations. She assists the department head, is the in-house HR liaison; assists with faculty promotion and tenure processes; helps visiting scholars come to do research; liaisons with the ESM Advisory Board; serves on various committees; and supervises other staff.

ESM doctoral alumnus Dr. Xiaopeng Zhao receives prestigious NSF CAREER award

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ESM doctoral alumnus Dr. Xiaopeng Zhao, who is now at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has received an NSF CAREER award based on a proposal entitled "CAREER: Integrated Research and Education in Nonlinear Dynamics in Biological Systems." Under the supervision of University Distinguished Professor Ali H. Nayfeh of ESM, Dr. Zhao received his Ph.D. in 2004 from our program with a dissertation on the modeling and simulation of MEMS devices.

ESM doctoral alumnus Anoop G. Varghese wins Paul R. Torgersen Research Competition prize

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Anoop G. Varghese, who successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in Fall 2008, won the second prize for the oral presentation of his dissertation research in the Paul E. Torgersen Research Competition held on Saturday, April 4, 2009 at Virginia Tech. The award is funded by an endowment established by Dr. and Mrs. Torgersen. Dr. Paul Torgersen was dean of engineering before serving as president of Virginia Tech. Dr. Varghese was mentored for his doctoral degree by ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh C. Batra.

2008-09 Senior Project Presentations scheduled for 3-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5 in the Graduate Life Center, Room F

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Mark your calendars now! The 2008-09 Senior Project Presentations are scheduled for 3 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 in the Graduate Life Center, Room F. For a preview of the projects, please visit http://www.enge.vt.edu/paretti/ESM4015_6/SrDesignProjects2008_09.htm

American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc. announces that ESM graduate student Douglas Harold is a recipient of a 2009 ASNT Fellowship Grant

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc. has announced that Douglas Harold is a recipient of a 2009 ASNT Fellowship Grant to support his research on Global/Local Distributed Strain/Temperature Measurements in Composite Materials. Fiber-reinforced composite materials are being used extensively in air and space craft such as the Boeing Dreamliner and the NASA Advanced Composites Technology Project. More importantly the US Air Force Scientific Advisory Board has recent published a report ["Use and Sustainment of Composites in Aircraft" DTIC ADB 339128] suggesting that more work needs to be done to improve our ability to nondestructively evaluate and monitor the health of composite structures.

American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc. selects Professor John C. Duke as recipient of the 2009 ASNT Faculty Grant Award

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc. has announced the selection of Professor John C. "Jack" Duke as a recipient of the 2009 ASNT Faculty Grant Award to support the development of a "Design Course Module-Sustainable System Design."

Professor Norman Dowling named as Frank Maher Professor of Engineering

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors has named Professor Norman Dowling as the Frank Maher Professor of Engineering. Professor Dowling is a recognized expert in fatigue, fracture, and deformation of structural components and materials, including the effects of notches, cracks and plasticity.

ESM student Jacob (Jake) Grohs named 2009 College of Engineering Outstanding Master's Student

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Jacob (Jake) Grohs has been named the 2009 College of Engineering Outstanding Master's Student.

Staff Employee of the Week - Dave Simmons

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

David R. Simmons, Lab Instrument Supervisor with ESM, is fully engaged with the Virginia Tech missions of learning, discovery, and outreach. He supports the ESM capstone undergraduate class, senior design, by assisting students as they create and fabricate their designs over an academic year, works with graduate students in helping fabricate their experiments. His service to students is selfless and motivated by a desire to make a positive and lasting impact. His services were exceptionally important after the tragic events of April 16, 2007, as he has been a critical member of the recovery and reoccupation team for Norris Hall after the tragedy. His first instinct after ESM was displaced from Norris was to serve students by helping to have their laboratories and our machine shop reopened. He was one of the first to reoccupy Norris Hall and served as a role model for others -faculty, staff, and students. Last year Dave received the College of Engineering Dean's Award He combines his compassionate nature with a practical component and always gets things done.

ESM senior, Kellen Shain, awarded a 2009 Summer Internship with Nike

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

ESM senior, Kellen Shain, has been awarded a 2009 Summer Internship with Nike. He will be working at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon for 10 weeks on three separate projects centered around team sports equipment. Kellen and fellow senior design team members David Zuelzer and Taylor Walsh are currently involved in a project investigating the effectiveness of catcher's masks at helping to prevent concussions in baseball. This experience provided Kellen with a competitive advantage in pursuing this highly sought after internship. Congratulations, Kellen!

ESM Affiliate Professor Rakesh K. Kapania Receives Distinguished Aerospace Engineering Alumni Award From Indian Institute of Science

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Rakesh K. Kapania, who is Mitchell Professor of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering and ESM Affiliate Professor, will receive the Distinguished Aerospace Engineering Alumni Award from his alma mater, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, India. This award will be presented during the IISc Centenary Intenational Conference and Exhibition of Aerospace Engineering (ICEAE 2009) that will be held at IISc from May 18-22, 2009. Dr. Kapania is an internationally recognized expert working on nonlinear finite element analysis of plates and shells, shape sensitivity analysis of aerolastic response, statistical analysis of structures, and neural networks and genetic algorithms.

ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh C. Batra to be awarded Engineering Science Medal

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Romesh C. Batra will be awarded the Society of Engineering Science (SES) Engineering Science Medal for his work on adiabatic shear bands at the forthcoming ASME-ASCE-SES Conference to be held in Blacksburg on 24-27 June 2009. The medal is awarded in recognition of a singularly important contribution to Engineering Science.

ESM PhD candidates Douglas Harold and Arnab Gupta awarded ASNT $1000 Travel Stipends

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ESM graduate students Douglas Harold and Arnab Gupta have been selected from a group of applicants from across the nation to receive $1000 travel stipends to participate in the ASNT 18th Annual Research Symposium and Spring Conference 16 - 20 March 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. These awards will allow them to attend the Symposium, make technical presentations regarding their dissertation research, network with other researchers from industry and government laboratories, and to also attend the Research Council dinner meeting where they will be recognized. American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) is the primary professional society concerned with research, development, and education in the field of nondestructive testing. Professor John Duke, who is a Fellow of ASNT, is the dissertation advisor of both Mr. Harold and Mr. Gupta.

Staff Employee of the Week - ESM Staff

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The ESM staffs behavior and actions following the tragedy of April 16, 2007, were exemplary. They continued their important work soon after being evacuated, even though the department was unable to return to Norris Hall for several months. In doing so, many of them went beyond the call of duty, including using personal resources to communicate with others in the university, sometimes working from their homes. These staff members helped provide support and resources to students so they could graduate. They also provided emotional and practical support to each other as well as faculty and students. They actively assisted with reoccupying Norris Hall. Due to their dedication, ESM is on its way to recovery.

ESM N. Waldo Harrison Professor Michael W. Hyer Publishes Stress Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Publication of the updated edition of Stress Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials by M.W. Hyer has recently been announced by DEStech Publications, Inc. Hyer's work remains one of the definitive introductions to the use of mechanics to understand stresses and deformations in composite materials caused by mechanical loads and temperature changes. In contrast to a materials science approach, Hyer emphasizes the micro- and macromechanics of stress and deformation for composite material analysis. The book provides invaluable analytic tools for students and engineers seeking to understand composite properties and failure limits.

ESM Emeritus Professor Robert Jones publishes the book Deformation Theory of Plasticity

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Emeritus Professor Robert M. Jones has published a new book, the title of which is Deformation Theory of Plasticity. It contains a treatment of classical metals plasticity, including the thick-walled spherical shell under internal heating and pressure. It also presents treatments of the plastic buckling of bars, plates, and shells, the thermal buckling of bars and plates with temperature-dependent material properties, as well as a nonclassical total strain energy approach to the nonlinear behavior of composite materials, both fiber-reinforced and particulate.

Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week - Mark Stremler

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Mark Stremler, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, for his fundamental analysis of fluid motion, including the dynamics of vortex-dominated flows, chaotic fluid transport, and fluid mixing.

ESM Staff Member Lisa Smith Appointed as Graduate Enrollment Specialist

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Following an internal search, ESM has appointed Ms. Lisa L. Smith as the department's Graduate Enrollment Specialist. She will serve as the primary staff contact for the ESM graduate program and will work with the Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Muhammad Hajj. Ms. Smith has been with Virginia Tech for 20 years, the last ten with ESM. Earlier this year, she received the Department Head's Award for exemplary service.

ESM Associate Professor Mark Stremler Named as Associate Technical Editor for Journal of Fluids Engineering

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The nomination of Professor Mark Stremler as Associate Technical Editor for the Journal of Fluids Engineering has been approved by the Fluids Engineering Division Executive Committee and the Publications Board of ASME. Dr. Stremler is an internationally recognized authority in fluid mechanics and applied mathematics, chaotic advection and fluid mixing, and vortex dynamics. I have every confidence that his knowledge and expertise will greatly benefit the Journal.

Fall Fluid Mechanics Symposium

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The 2008 Fall Fluid Mechanics Symposium is dedicated to Professor Demetri Telionis in honor of his retirement and for his many significant contributions to the field of fluid dynamics. The symposium is a collection of short presentations by faculty and students covering a broad range of fluid mechanics topics that showcase some of the ongoing research at Virginia Tech and surrounding universities. The symposium includes numerous presentations by ESM faculty and students, including the opening lecture by ESM Head Ishwar Puri. The keynote presentation will be given by Professor Joe Katz from Johns Hopkins University. Remarks honoring Professor Telionis will be presented by Professor Palvos Vlachos from the Mechanical Engineering Department, who is an ESM alumnus and a former student of Dr. Telionis.

Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week - Dr. Hassan Aref

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Hassan Aref, the Reynolds Metals Professor of engineering science and mechanics, for his research in theoretical and computational fluid mechanics, particularly vortex dynamics, the application of chaos to fluid flows, and the mechanics of foams.

Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week - Dr. Shane Ross

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Shane Ross, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics, for applications of nonlinear dynamics and chaos that range from studies of walking stability to fuel efficient space travel.

Welcome to the ESM Art Exhibit!

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Celebrating our 100^th year anniversary, Engineering Science and Mechanics is showcasing some of our talented students, faculty, staff and family members in an art exhibit. The exhibit, comprised of painting, sketches, photographs and even a 3-D piece, is open to public from Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm in 329 Norris Hall. For more information, please contact Anne-Marie Bracken, bracken@vt.edu, 540.231.3243. We hope to see you there!

ESM's 100'th' Year Anniversary Celebrated with a Garden

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Honoring our department’s 100^th year anniversary, Ms. Sally Shrader, ESM’s own in-house Master Gardener, has shown her green thumb by designing and tenderly caring for a lovely garden outside Norris Hall. Ms. Shrader headed up a team of ESM staff volunteers who helped plant and water. Thoughtful planning went into the design of this garden with a variety of colorful perennials. A bench was placed so that people can sit and contemplate the beauty of the garden. ESM is proud of Ms. Shrader and the results of her efforts. Photo credit: Mike Diersing

Lisa L. Smith receives the ESM Department Head's Award

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

In appreciation for her outstanding contribution to the department in which she exhibited commitment above and beyond her normal job expectations, ESM takes great pleasure in awarding Lisa L. Smith the Department Head's Award for 2008.

Marie C. Paretti earns National Science Foundation CAREER award for investigating capstone experiences

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Marie C. Paretti, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech, recently earned a $405,308 National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award for her research regarding the experience of engineering capstone design courses both for students and faculty.

ESM Emeritus Professor Robert M. Jones receives 2008 Outstanding Research Award from American Society for Composites

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Robert M. Jones, ESM Emeritus Professor, received the American Society for Composites 2008 Outstanding Research Award "for distinguished contributions to composite materials research" during the society's 23rd Technical Conference in Memphis at a luncheon on 9 September 2008. Dr. Jones is an expert in solid mechanics, mechanics of composite materials and structures, plasticity, and buckling.

Virginia Tech develops multi-university, interdisciplinary engineering ethics curriculum

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Does the responsibility of an engineer cease after providing professional advice or does it involve additional advocacy? Consider such questions as whether oil fields should be established on the North Slope of Alaska or whether a renewed effort should be undertaken to build nuclear power plants. Should a dam be built that would help prevent flooding but severely impact the environment? Should robots be built that would increase manufacturing efficiency but put large numbers of people out of work?

Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week - Dr. Wally Grant

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Wally Grant, professor of engineering science and mechanics, for his scholarship in biomechanics, equilibrium, and aerospace medicine.

ESM Doctoral Students Alper Erturk and Alejandro Pacheco Awarded 2008 Liviu Librescu Scholarships

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics is pleased to announce that ESM doctoral students Alper Erturk and Alejandro Pacheco are recipients of the 2008 Liviu Librescu Scholarships. We award these scholarships for the first time with pride and humility.

ESM Ph.D. student Alper Erturk and ESM Affiliate Professor Daniel J. Inman publish topmost downloaded journal article

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The article, A Distributed Parameter Electromechanical Model for Cantilevered Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters, by ESM doctoral student Alper Erturk and ESM Affiliate G.R. Goodson Professor Daniel J. Inman, which was published in June 2008 in the Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, was the topmost downloaded article for the journal during that month.

The Liviu Librescu Memorial Scholarship Call for Nominations - Fall 2008

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Graduate Committee of the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) at Virginia Tech is accepting nominations for the Liviu Librescu Memorial Scholarship for Fall 2008. All ESM faculty members are invited to nominate their students for this exceptional award. It is expected that the scholarship will provide a stipend in the amount of about $5,000 per student to supplement a half-time Graduate Research or Teaching Assistantship for one semester. Up to two scholarships per academic year could be awarded to students of exceptional caliber and who have demonstrated a high level of research potential. The nominated students should also have outstanding academic records and have demonstrated strong leadership potential and commitment to professional or community service.

Congratulations to ESM Graduates, High Achievers

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

During the 2007-2008 academic year (Summer I 2007, Summer II 2007, Fall 2007, and Spring 2008) thirty-four ESM students completed their BS degree requirements. In terms of numbers, this represents the sixth largest graduating class in the history of the undergraduate degree program.

ESM Doctoral Student Dennis Anderson Receives NIH National Research Service Award

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ESM doctoral student Dennis Anderson is the recipient a three-year National Research Service Award from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institute of Health. In his work "Implications of in vivo muscle loading for hip fracture etiology", Dennis will use a broad array of research tools and analytical techniques to investigate the role of muscle loading on hip bone health. His goal is to improve our understanding of how muscle loading contributes to risk of hip fractures from falls. Dennis will conduct this work under the supervision of his ESM faculty advisor and mentor, Dr. Michael Madigan.

Engineering Professor David Dillard receives honorary professional degree

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech Engineering Science and Mechanics Professor David Dillard was awarded the Missouri University of Science and Technology (formerly the University of Missouri at Rolla) honorary professional degree in May at their commencement.

ESM Professor Demetri Telionis Appointed as Frank J. Maher Professor Emeritus

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is pleased to convey that the Board of Visitors of Virginia Tech has appointed Demetri Telionis as Frank J. Maher Professor Emeritus. While Dr. Telionis retired on May 1, 2008, he continues to conduct research on campus and also supports graduate students.

ESM Emeritus Professor Daniel J. Schneck to Give Keynote Address on Leadership

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Emeritus Professor Daniel J. Schneck will present the keynote address on the topic of "Leadership" at the annual meeting of the Association of Laboratory Managers to be held in Waltham, Massachusetts on October 16. Dr. Schneck remains active in retirement. He is also listed with a national expert witness directory because of his credentials as a court qualified expert in biomechanics (http://www.jurispro.com/DanielSchneck).

Dan Inman receives distinguished alumnus award

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Dan Inman, director of Virginia Tech's Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures and the holder of the George Goodson Professorship of Mechanical Engineering, is Michigan State University's Distinguished Alumnus in mechanical engineering for 2008.

ESM appoints Dr. Daniel M. Dudek as Assistant Professor of Biomechanics and Solid Mechanics

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ESM has appointed Dr. Daniel M. Dudek as an Assistant Professor of Biomechanics and Solid Mechanics. Broadly, Dr. Dudek is interested in how animals work from a mechanical and physiological perspective. In particular, he applies engineering techniques to an array of animal locomotor systems across multiple levels of organization to extract general principles regarding how body structure affects mechanical function in nature. His efforts in biomechanics, biomaterials, and bioinspiration will provide a diverse compliment to ESM and accentuate our research portfolio that lies at the intersections of engineering and the natural sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from University of California Berkeley and a B.A. in Biology with Honors from University of Chicago.

Virginia Tech Honors Engineer Celine Mahieux as Outstanding Young Alumna

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Celine Mahieux, who earned her master's degree in materials science and engineering and her doctorate in materials engineering science from Virginia Tech in 1996 and in 1999, respectively, is the 2008 recipient of Virginia Tech's College of Engineering's Outstanding Young Alumni Achievement Award.

Pat Artis, ESM Graduate, Named Engineering College's Distinguished Alumnus

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

When Pat Artis was a youngster, he built and launched a rocket, promptly blowing a hole in the family's truck window. His unlikely cohort in the crime - his father - shielded him by telling Pat's mother that a rock hit the vehicle. The teenager continued tinkering with rockets and eventually won a research and development award from the National Association of Rocketry.

ESM alumna Professor Helen Reed (EM MS'80, PhD'82) inducted into Virginia Tech Academy of Engineering Excellence

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

On Helen Reed's web page, under her photo, are the words: "Currently Teaching / My Hours: Open Door." She may be the only engineering department head in the country with such a novel overture to its university students, and at Texas A&M's Top 10 aerospace engineering program that is no small offer. Being the 2nd largest aerospace engineering department in the U.S., there are 628 undergraduates and 112 graduate students.

ESM appoints Dr. Anne E. Staples as Assistant Professor of Biomechanics and Fluid Mechanics

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ESM has appointed Dr. Anne E. Staples as an Assistant Professor of Biomechanics and Fluid Mechanics. She currently holds a selective NRC Postdoctoral Research Associate position at the Naval Research Laboratory. There, she is conducting research in the area of computational biomechanics, which involves the modeling of single and coupled physiological systems in biological organisms. Dr. Staples will continue this work at Virginia Tech by establishing a computational physics laboratory focusing on multiscale modeling. Specifically, she intends to complete her work on developing the "computational human", which is a human representation of a biological organism as a complex network of physiological systems.

From Maddening Mechanics to Funny Fluids, Learn How to Teach with Toys

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

"Teaching With Toys" will be the topic of a seminar by Hassan Aref, the Reynolds Metals Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech, who also holds a Niels Bohr Visiting Professorship at the Technical University of Denmark.

ESM Doctoral Student Osama Marzouk Honored

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Osama Marzouk has been named as the Virginia Tech Graduate Man of the Year. He will also be listed in the 2008 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

Three ESM Faculty Members Honored with Dean's Awards

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Three ESM faculty members received Dean's Awards recently. W.S. "Pete" White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education Professor Scott W. Hendricks received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching, ESM N. Waldo Harrison Professor Michael W. Hyer received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Service, and Dr. Marie Paretti, who is Assistant Professor of Engineering Education and Director of the MSE/ESM Engineering Communications Program, received the Outstanding New Assistant Professor Award.

ESM Affiliate Professor Rakesh K. Kapania named Norris and Laura Mitchell Professor of Aerospace Engineering

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Rakesh K. Kapania, a professor in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was appointed the Norris and Laura Mitchell Professor of Aerospace Engineering by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during the board's quarterly meeting March 31.

Scott L. Hendricks named to W.S. "Pete" White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Scott L. Hendricks of Blacksburg, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was appointed to the W.S. "Pete" White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors during the board's quarterly meeting March 31.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref appointed member of NAS delegation to IUTAM General Assembly

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref has been appointed as a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) delegation to the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) General Assembly by Dr. Ralph Cicerone, President of the NAS, to represent the scientists of the United States . The IUTAM General Assembly will be held in Adelaide, Australia from August 24-30, 2008, and Dr. Aref's term as a delegate continues until October 31, 2009.

Dr. Marie Paretti - 2008 Sporn Award Recipient

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Nominated by the Student Engineer's Council, Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the Virginia Tech Engineering Communication Center Dr. Marie Paretti has been chosen as the recipient of the 2008 Engineering Sporn Award.

ESM Alumnus Jennifer S. Wayne (ESM BS'83) Named Engineer of the Year by Richmond Joint Engineering Council

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ESM alumnus Jennifer S. Wayne (ESM BS'83 summa cum laude), who is a Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopedic Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University, has been named Engineer of the Year by the Richmond Joint Engineering Council in recognition of her academic, leadership and career achievements, and for her dedication to and integrity for the engineering profession. The Richmond Joint Engineers' Council is a coalition of engineering, scientific and technical societies, which promotes engineering education and provides a vehicle to disseminate the art and science of engineering.

ESM Alumnus Pat (EM BS'72) and Nancy Artis to be featured artists at the Holtzman Alumni Center

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The featured artists from May through August at the Holtzman Alumni Center are ESM Alumnus Pat (EM BS'72) and Nancy Artis. We, in ESM, hope that you will visit the center to enjoy their photography, further details of which are to be found at http://www.alumni.vt.edu/holtzman/.

ESM University Distinguished Professor Ali H. Nayfeh Selected as First Recipient of AMD-ASME Tom Caughey Award

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ESM University Distinguished Professor Ali H. Nayfeh has been selected as the first recipient of the newly instituted Tom Caughey Award by the Applied Mechanics Division (AMD) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

New ESM Logo

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Recently, ESM held a contest for selecting a new logo, which will be included hereafter on its materials and communications. ESM students, staff, and faculty were invited to submit an entry through an open competition following which a selection committee consisting of a cross-section of the department recommended a winner to the department head. The winning designer based on that recommendation is Daniel Lassiter who is an ESM senior.

ESM alumnus Charles E. Bakis (EM MS'84, EM PhD'88) named Distinguished Professor at Pennsylvania State University

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ESM alumnus Dr. Charles E. Bakis (EM MS'84, EM PhD'88) has been named as Distinguished Professor at Pennsylvania State University, which is that institution's highest distinction for its faculty. Professor Bakis has been a faculty member in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State, our sister department, for nineteen years where he has conducted pioneering research in composite materials. Applications of these materials are found in communications satellites, military aircraft, rotorcraft, engines for high speed, high efficiency aircraft, flywheel energy storage systems, reinforced concrete, robotic actuators, artificial muscles, and autonomously tailored structures. Dr. Bakis serves as the Director of Penn State's Composites Manufacturing Technology Center where his research has had a major impact on the development of light weight, high temperature composite components for structural applications and in the development of new composite manufacturing technologies.

ESM Alumnus Maurizio Porfiri (PhD EM'06) Receives prestigious NSF CAREER Award for Innovative Integrated Research and Education

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

ESM alumnus Maurizio Porfiri (PhD EM'06) has received the prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award for promising young faculty members. Dr. Porfiri, whose ESM mentor during his doctoral studies was Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh C. Batra, is an assistant professor in the department of mechanical, aerospace and manufacturing engineering at Polytechnic University, New York.

ESM Research Accessed and Downloaded in Notable Numbers

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Research by ESM faculty members has been accessed and downloaded in notable numbers in two IOP journals.

ESM Alumnus K. Chandrashekhara (EM PhD'85) Named Curators' Professor at Missouri University of Science & Technology

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

ESM alumnus Dr. K. Chandrashekhara (EM PhD'85) has been named as Curators' Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Missouri University of Science & Technology (formerly known as University of Missouri, Rolla) where he also serves as Director of the Composite Manufacturing Laboratory. He joined that institution in 1985 as an assistant professor. Professor Chandrashekhara's interests lie in the broad area of composite materials including multifunctional composites, biocomposites, structural dynamics, finite element analysis, and composite manufacturing and experimental characterization. He is the author of nearly eighty archival journal articles and another ninety in conference proceedings.

Virginia Tech students' research could give the Beach Boys a new surfing song

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Blacksburg, Va. - Surfers in Hawaii had better beware. Four Virginia Tech engineering science and mechanics (ESM) students have completed "Surf Green" for their senior design project, and conclude that they can technically improve the surfboard's performance.

ESM Professor Liviu Librescu Named Beliefnet's Most Inspiring Person of 2007

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Beliefnet (http://www.beliefnet.com/mipy/2007/) has named the late ESM Professor Liviu Librescu as the Most Inspiring Person of 2007. The Most Inspiring Person of the Year award, a yearly recognition by Beliefnet readers and editors of noteworthy humanitarian actions, is bestowed upon a nominee who has risen high above everyday expectations.

ESM to celebrate 100th anniversary by organizing mechanics conference

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics will celebrate its 100th anniversary during 2008. As part of its celebration, the department is hosting a two-day mechanics conference on May 29 and 30, 2008, at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center.

ESM Professor & Department Head Ishwar Puri Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Ishwar K. Puri, professor and department head of engineering science and mechanics, for contributing to advances in understanding mixing dynamics at the nanoscale, creating carbon nanotubes using high temperature chemical synthesis, and for the mathematical modeling of cancer growth.

ESM N. Waldo Harrison Professor Michael W. Hyer Honored by Purdue University

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Michael W. Hyer, N. Waldo Harrison Professor of engineering science and mechanics, was presented with a 2007 Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Award by Purdue University at a ceremony held in West Lafayette, Indiana earlier this month. Professor Hyer earned a Masters degree in engineering science from the school of aeronautics, astronautics, and engineering science at Purdue. The award is presented to its alumni who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated excellence in industry, academia, government service, or other endeavors. The school has recognized only 1.5% of its past graduates with this award.

ESM Alumnus William N. Barker (EM BS'64) Inducted Into Virginia Tech Academy of Engineering Excellence

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Unknown to most citizens, the U.S. maintains a Space Catalog, a directory of approximately 13,000 known objects that now orbit the earth. "The importance of this catalog, especially to the nation's defense, cannot be underestimated," says William N. Barker, a 1965 engineering mechanics graduate of Virginia Tech. He and his team of engineers are responsible for many of the innovations leading to improvements of the catalog accuracy.

ESM Preston Wade Professor Mahendra P. Singh to join NSF as Director for Program of Structural Systems and Hazard Mitigation of Structures

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Preston Wade Professor Mahendra Singh, who is internationally renowned for his research in structural dynamics, hazard mitigation of structures, and structural health monitoring, will join the National Science Foundation while on assignment from Virginia Tech. There, he will direct research overseen by the program of Structural Systems and Hazard Mitigation of Structures (SSHM) in the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI). The SSHM program focuses on experimental, analytical, and computational research on design and performance enhancement of structural systems. It supports research on new technologies for improving the behavior and response of structural systems exposed to natural hazards; fundamental research on safety and reliability of constructed systems and of indoor environmental conditions; innovative analytical developments; and model based simulation of structural behavior and response.

ESM Staff Member Ms. Pat Baker named as Virginia Tech Staff Employee of the Week

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Ms. Pat Baker has been named as the Virginia Tech Staff Employee of the Week. The citation states, that she "is an exemplary member of the Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) Department and the university community".

Pilot Research Program at Virginia Tech Renamed to Honor the Life and Career of Professor Kevin Granata

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The College of Engineering-led Center for Innovation in Construction Safety and Health at Virginia Tech has created a way to honor a faculty member lost in the April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech, Kevin Granata. Kevin was a friend and co-principal investigator to the members of the center and is deeply missed.

ESM University Distinguished Professor Ali H. Nayfeh receives "Academy Gold Medal of Honor" of Academy of Transdisciplinary Learning and Advanced Studies

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM University Distinguished Professor Ali H. Nayfeh has been bestowed the highest honor "Academy Gold Medal of Honor" of the Academy of Transdisciplinary Learning and Advanced Studies (TheATLAS) for his "distinguished contribution to the advancement of transdisciplinary foundational ideas and activities". The award recognizes unusual accomplishment in transdisciplinary education and research, public service, and other allied pursuits beneficial to design and process science. Please see www.theatlas.org for more information about this award.

ESM Tucker Chair Professor Roop Mahajan's research featured by nanotechweb.org

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Recent research by ESM Tucker Chair Professor Roop Mahajan, who is also Director of the Institute for Critical Technologies and Applied Science, and his colleagues has been featured by nanotechweb.org. This work has also been published in the journal Applied Physics Letters. The exceptional electrical and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes are well known but impurities on their surfaces can severely degrade the material's properties. Many applications require pure, defect-free carbon nanotubes, the purification of which is very difficult. Dr. Mahajan and his colleagues use an ultraviolet laser beam to blast the nanotubes, which quickly removes the amorphous carbon-contaminating layer from their surfaces without damaging their structure. The full story is featured at the link http://nanotechweb.org/articles/news/6/8/19/1.

US News & World Report ranks Virginia Tech ESM as 8th best in nation

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

US News & World Report has ranked the Virginia Tech ESM undergraduate program as eighth best in the nation among those at doctoral institutions. Our ESM program was considered in the category Engineering Science/Engineering Physics in the "America's Best Colleges 2008" guide. In general, the magazine provides rankings for the top ten percent of all programs in a category. While it comes as no surprise to the Virginia Tech ESM Family that our academic programs are highly regarded, it is a reputation that we are proud to share with others.

ESM Professor Emeritus Henry Tieleman, Alumnus Dr. Zhongfu Ge, and Professor Muhammad Hajj Publish "Hottest" Paper

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics lists its twenty-five "hottest" articles for the first quarter of 2007 at http://top25.sciencedirect.com/?journal_id=01676105. The most downloaded, or hottest, paper "Theoretically estimated peak wind loads" is due to ESM researchers Professor Emeritus Henry Tieleman, Alumnus Dr. Zhongfu Ge, and Professor Muhammad Hajj that was published in volume 95 of the journal on pages 113-132. Dr. Ge was awarded a three-year NRC fellowship with the US Environmental Protection Agency in Athens, Ga. upon his graduation in December 2004.

Jack Lesko named special assistant for energy initiatives

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

John J. "Jack" Lesko, professor of engineering science and mechanics in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been named special assistant to the vice president for research for energy initiatives.

Dean Richard Benson's Comments on Professor Liviu Librescu at the Holocaust Remembrance 13th Project Annual Award Dinner Held on Thursday, July 19, 2007 in Washington, DC, Sponsored by the Holland and Knight Charitable Foundation

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

"Thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak to you tonight about a wonderful friend and colleague, Liviu Librescu. It is an honor to be in your company tonight - with Marilena Librescu, Judge Sessions, Ambassador Eizenstat, special guests, Holocaust survivors, Holland and Knight employees, teachers and essayists - especially the essayists.

Pioneering research by ESM Professor Wally Grant's group cited in Briefings in Bioinformatics

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The journal Briefings in Bioinformatics recently published a review (doi:10.1093/bib/bbm025) of the research on mechanosensation, which is the mechanism by which organisms react in response to mechanical stimuli. A major difficulty in studying mechanosensors is their inherent multiscale nature. Systems involved in mechanosensing can span eight orders of magnitude in length scale and up to 10 orders of magnitude in time scale. Therefore, multiscale modeling methods are required to simulate such systems.

ESM Professor Surot Thangjitham Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research has recognized Dr. Surot Thangjitham, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, for his innovative contributions to the use of probabilistic methods and stochastic processes as applied to vibrations and controls, and composite structures. Dr. Thangjitham examines uncertainties in materials properties, component dimensions, and other factors in a practical environment so as to develop rational design conclusions. To do so, he carefully integrates traditional engineering analyses and probability assessments. An example of his scholarship is the probabilistic service life prediction of aircraft wings made of advanced materials.

Marshall McCord promoted to rank of mechanical engineer

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is pleased to report that Marshall H. McCord has been promoted to the rank of mechanical engineer effective July 10, 2007. Mr. McCord has served Virginia Tech since 1983 and has worked in the Engineering Science and Mechanics department for almost twenty years as a laboratory instrument maker. Mr. McCord's primary role will be supervision of the maintenance, operation, and renovation of our teaching laboratories in many areas such as materials testing and fluid mechanics. Within ESM, Mac will also assist students during their theses, dissertations, and senior projects and serve as a substitute instructor in laboratory courses. In addition, he will support researchers from outside the department. We are very proud to see Mr. McCord's advancement within our department.

Dr. Michael L. Madigan promoted to the rank of Associate Professor

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is pleased to report that Dr. Michael L. Madigan has been promoted to the rank of associate professor effective August 10, 2007 by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. Dr. Madigan is a recognized leader in the fields of human movement dynamics, motor control of human movement, biomechanical modeling, and the mechanics of human physiology. We are very proud of what Dr. Madigan has achieved and believe that his promotion offers testimony to the strong tradition of scholarship within ESM.

ESM Staff Member Robert A. Simonds Named Virginia Tech Employee of the Week

Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Staff Member Robert A. Simonds has been named Virginia Tech Employee for the Week. Mr. Simonds is an invaluable member of ESM and the university community. His primary role is supervision of the maintenance, operation, and renovation of our teaching laboratories in many areas such as materials testing and fluid mechanics. Within ESM, Bob assists students during their senior projects and serves as a substitute instructor in laboratory courses.

ESM Professors Shane Ross and Mark Stremler in leadership roles at SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems

Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Professors Shane Ross and Mark Stremler are participating in leadership roles at the 2007 SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems, which is being held this week in Snowbird, Utah.

ESM Thanks Apple For Its Gift

Wed, 16 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is grateful for the generosity of Apple computer for its gift of five high end MacBook Pro laptop computers to help us overcome the difficulties caused by the disruptions on April 16. These laptop computers are accompanied with Duo 15 Brenthaven cases. We are using this gift to continue our scholarship, teaching and service to the community from our temporary quarters in 660 McBryde Hall.

ESM Thanks Dell For Timely Gift

Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 -0400

When the department was displaced from Norris Hall on 4.16.2007, Dell Computers immediately stepped in. It rushed fifteen laptops to help ESM resume operations and soon thereafter sent another fifteen laptop and twenty desktop computers with LCD displays. We are very grateful for this kind, compassionate and useful gesture during our time of need.

ESM Tucker Chair Professor Roop Mahajan Receives ASME Ralph Coats Roe Medal

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Engineering Science and Mechanics Tucker Chair Professor Roop L Mahajan is the recipient of the prestigious ASME Ralph Coats Roe Medal. The medal was established in 1972 and is awarded annually to an individual who has made a significant contribution to a better public understanding and appreciation of the engineer's worth to contemporary society. Dr. Mahajan received this honor "for lifelong contributions in communicating to the public the potential of engineering research for the betterment of society, and for contributions to engineering education as an aspiring teacher and and role model to students".

ESM Professors Honored With Dean's Awards For Excellence

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Two ESM professors have once again been honored as recipients of the Dean's Awards for professional excellence, which offers tribute to the strength of the ESM missions of education, discovery and outreach.

ESM Junior Richard Mallalieu Wins Prestigious ASNT 2007 Engineering Undergraduate Award

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM undergraduate student Richard Mallalieu is the latest recipient of the prestigious American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) Engineering Undergraduate Award. This 2007 award, which is given for outstanding undergraduate work in nondestructive testing, also includes a sum of $3,000. Richard is mentored by Professor Jack Duke who is a distinguished beacon in the ASNT community.

Thank you for your sympathy, solidarity and support

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Thank you for visiting the Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) website.

In Memoriam, Professor Liviu Librescu Who Died While Serving Virginia Tech and ESM

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In Memory of Professor Liviu Librescu, 1930-2007

In Memoriam, Professor Kevin Granata Who Died While Serving Virginia Tech and ESM

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In Memory of Professor Kevin Granata, 1961-2007

ESM Appoints Dr. Raffaella De Vita as Assistant Professor of Solid Mechanics and Biomechanics

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM has appointed Dr. Raffaella De Vita as assistant professor of solid mechanics and biomechanics. She has a Laurea degree in Mathematics from the University of Naples II from where she graduated with honors, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pittsburgh in Mechanical Engineering. Her past research has included the development of constitutive models for soft tissues and knee ligaments, modeling of bovine pericardium, and understanding the response of cell walls to mechanical stress. Her expertise encompasses continuum mechanics, solid mechanics, and constitutive modeling of soft matter such as liquid crystals, ligaments and tendons, and cells. Dr. De Vita is a recipient of the 2006 American Society of Biomechanics President's Award for her research contribution at the ASB meeting.

ESM assists in organization of International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (ICMEM 2007)

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM and Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh C. Batra are assisting in the organization of the Second International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics (ICMEM 2007) -- http://www.icmem.org/. This multidisciplinary conference will be held from November 5-7, 2007 in Wuxi, China near Shanghai. ICMEM 2007 is also organized by Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Techniache Universitaet Chemnitz, Kyushu University, and University of Hong Kong.

ESM Doctoral Student Grant Vogl wins 2007 NDSEG Fellowship

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM doctoral student Grant Vogl has won a 2007 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship that is a high honor awarded through the Department of Defense. This portable fellowship is awarded to U.S. citizens or nationals following a competition each year and allows the recipients to pursue graduate studies at a U.S. institution of their choice. Grant received both his BS (2000) and MS (2002) degrees from ESM.

ESM Affiliate Professor Daniel J. Inman Authors Engineering Mechanics: Statics, Computational Edition

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM conveys the publication of yet another book by its faculty, that of "Engineering Mechanics: Statics, Computational Edition" written by Robert W. Soutas-Little, Daniel J. Inman, and Daniel S. Balint. Dr. Inman is an ESM Affiliate Professor who is also George R. Goodson Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Center for Intelligent Materials and Smart Structures. The approach used in the book is embodied by its title: the authors have incorporated the use of computational software into the solution of some problems in special manuals for MATLAB, Mathcad, Maple, and Mathematica.

ESM Professor Norman Dowling Recognized As Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400

I am pleased to convey that the Office of the Vice President for Research has recognized Dr. Norman Dowling as Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week based on his scholarly contributions. Dr. Dowling is is both professor of materials science and engineering, and of engineering science and mechanics. He served as interim department head of both departments during the earlier part of this decade. Professor Dowling has made major contributions to the understanding of fatigue, fracture, and deformation of structural components and materials, including the effects of notches, cracks, and plasticity.

ESM Doctoral Student Osama Marzouk Receives Outstanding Student Service Commendation Award

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0400

ESM doctoral student Osama Marzouk will receive the Outstanding Student Service Commendation Award during the 7th Annual Graduate Education Week for his ability to "promote the public good". This honor is bestowed by Virginia Tech on graduate students who make outstanding contributions to their academic and local communities and promote the reputation of our university as a leading land grant institution.

Dr. John J. Socha Joins ESM as Assistant Professor of Biomechanics

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Jake Socha will join ESM in Fall 2008 as assistant professor of biomechanics after completing the named Ugo Fano postdoctoral fellowship at Argonne National Laboratory. He received BS degrees in Physics and Biology from Duke University in 1994 and a PhD in Organismal Biology and Anatomy from the University of Chicago in 2002. He was Science department head and teacher, in Centerville, La. as a Teach for America national teacher corps member after graduating from Duke. Dr. Socha has also served as a lecturer at the University of Chicago and as a research associate in the Field Museum of Natural History Fishes Division.

ICTAS Launches Seminar Series

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Three renowned researchers will kick off the Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) inaugural seminar series.

ESM Professors Jack Lesko and Scott Case Recognized for Winning Externally Funded Grants

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Professors Jack Lesko and Scott Case have been recognized by the Office for the Vice President for Research for their success in winning externally funded grants and contracts. Of the fifty-two highest such awardees at Virginia Tech during the first six months of this fiscal year, Drs. Lesko and Case were ranked twelfth and fifteenth in the institution, respectively, with awards worth $1.25M and 1.19M. Their participation in research teams was also similarly applauded through their roles as collaborators in enabling interdisciplinary research. They were listed among the 54 highest grant getters during this period through collaborations. Dr. Case, ranked second, contributed $1.17M to his total awards through seven collaborations. Likewise, Dr. Lesko contributed nearly $160,000 towards his total through four collaborations.

Astronaut and author Mike Mullane to speak at Virginia Tech on Feb. 20

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Former Space Shuttle astronaut and author Mike Mullane will speak about his experiences in space travel on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. in Virginia Tech's Burruss Hall Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

ESM Professor Ishwar K. Puri Publishes Textbook on Combustion Science & Engineering

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The latest addition to a distinguished collection of textbooks authored by ESM faculty over the years is by Professor and Head Ishwar K. Puri. This book, Combustion Science and Engineering, was co-authored by Kalyan Annamalai from Texas A&M. Virginia Tech College of Engineering Dean Richard Benson notes "Professor Puri has produced a substantial, beautifully organized and highly readable text on the title subject. This follows on the success of Prof. Puri's earlier textbook (also with Prof. Annamalai), Advanced Thermodynamics Engineering. I predict that Combustion Science and Engineering (from the CRC Series in Computational Mechanics and Applied Analysis) will find wide adoption around the world and will extend the extraordinary reputation enjoyed by the Virginia Tech Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics as source of classic texts."

Dr. Marie Paretti recognized as Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Office of the Vice President for Research has recognized Marie Paretti, assistant professor of engineering education, as the Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week. Dr. Paretti conducts research on learning and teaching professional skills in engineering curricula, with interests in global virtual teams, capstone design classes, workplace communication in the curriculum, and assessment of engineering learning.

ESM N. Waldo Harrison Professor M.W. Hyer and Associate Department Head S. W. Case Write Reference for Mechanics of Composite Materials

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The 11th Edition (90th Anniversary Edition) of Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers, edited by Eugene Avallone, Theodore Baumeister III, and Ali Sadegh has been released by McGraw-Hill. This edition has a new section on the mechanics of composite materials authored by N. Waldo Harrison Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics Michael W. Hyer and ESM Associate Department Head Scott W. Case. Their contribution provides an introduction to the subject and addresses the deformation and stress analysis of fiber-reinforced composite materials, including their failure. There are twenty two example problems in the new section that will assist both practicing engineers and researchers. ESM doctoral alumni Sontipee Aimmanee and Miao Sun helped with preparation of the section, which exemplifies the ESM commitment to the integration of education with research.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref elected President-elect of American Academy of Mechanics

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref has been elected President-elect of the American Academy of Mechanics. His term begins in 2007 and ends two years later. In January 2009, Dr. Aref will assume the Presidency of AAM. Currently, he is also Niels Bohr Visiting Professor at the Technical University of Denmark.

Vanessa McCoy Retires

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) bids a fond farewell to Vanessa McCoy, an exemplary staff member, as she retires at the end of January 2007. Ms. McCoy joined the department in 1977 and served as Technical Computer Entry Specialist Supervisor for much of that time. Her dedication, willingness to do any task that would help her colleagues, as well as her easy-going nature made her an integral part of the ESM team. She served as a model for others.

ESM Professor Mark Cramer named as Virginia Tech Faculty Scholar of the Week

Fri, 29 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Professor Mark Cramer has been named as Virginia Tech Faculty Scholar of the Week by the The Office of the Vice President for Research. He has been recognized for his noteworthy explanations of theoretical and computational gas dynamics, transonic flows, shock waves, dynamics of dense gases, nonlinear waves, superfluid hydrodynamics, and thermal waves in solids, which have helped advance the field of fluid dynamics over the last three decades. Dr. Cramer has also developed useful teaching websites, such as www.navier-stokes.net, www.fluidmech.net, and www.galleryoffluidmechanics.com that have logged tens of thousands of visitors.

ESM Professor Emeritus Don Morris Named Distinguished Fellow of Mississippi State University College of Engineering

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Emeritus Don Morris has been named as one of ten new Distinguished Fellows of the Mississippi State University Bagley College of Engineering. The MSU Distinguished Fellows program was initiated in 1992 to recognize engineering alumni who have made significant contributions to their field. Professor Morris' accomplishments include such contributions to experimental solid mechanics, composite materials, and engineering education.

ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh C. Batra Recognized By Journal of Sound and Vibration as Most Cited Author

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Clifton C. Garvin Professor, Dr. Romesh C. Batra has been recognized by the Journal of Sound and Vibration as one of its most cited authors. Dr. Batra is among the most cited scholars in ESM. His books, book chapters, and research papers have been cited nearly 2,500 times by scientists and engineers. His scholarly activities include multiscale analyses of multiphiysics problems involving material and geometric nonlinearities, and other investigations pertaining to nanomechanics, dynamic failure under shock loads, smart structures, and functionally graded materials.

ESM University Distinguished Professor Ali H. Nayfeh Recognized By Journal of Sound and Vibration as Most Cited Author

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0500

University Distinguished Professor, Dr. Ali H. Nayfeh has been recognized by the Journal of Sound and Vibration as one of its most cited authors. Dr. Nayfeh is also one of the most cited scientists at Virginia Tech. His books, book chapters, and research papers have been cited twelve thousand times by various researchers. This scholarship has dealt with many topics including aerodynamics, perturbation methods, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, ship and submarine motions.

ESM Doctoral Student Osama Marzouk Named VT Citizen Scholar

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM doctoral student Osama Marzouk will be honored as a VT Citizen Scholar by Dean Karen DePauw and the Graduate School. In its communication, the Graduate School stated, "We applaud him for his desire to prepare himself as a leader in the community, the state, the nation, and the world, and to apply his scholarship in meaningful ways to society."

ESM Tucker Chair Professor Roop Mahajan and ICTAS Director Featured in NIST Technical Beat

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Tucker Chair Professor Roop Mahajan, who is Director of the Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technologies and Applied Science, was featured in the November 22, 2006 issue of the NIST Technical Beat. Along with colleagues from NIST and the University of Colorado at Boulder, Dr. Mahajan designed a carbon nanotube knife that could work like a tight-wire cheese slicer. It could be used in future as a tabletop biology tool, allowing scientists to cut and study cells more precisely than is possible today. Conventional diamond or glass knives cut frozen cell samples at a large angle, thereby forcing the samples to bend and often crack. In comparison, carbon nanotubes are ideal materials for thinly cutting precise slivers of cells, since they are extremely strong and slender in diameter. For instance, using the nanokife, scientists might be able to make three-dimensional images of cells and tissues for electron tomography, which requires samples less than 300 nanometers thick.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref is Danish Center for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics Annual Speaker

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Hassan Aref, ESM Reynolds Metal Professor and Niels Bohr Visiting Professor Fluid at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), is the Danish Center for Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (DCAMM) Annual Seminar Speaker for the year 2006. He will lecture on December 4 and 5, 2006, making two presentations, one on 'Marvelous Mathematical Models in Mechanics' at Aalborg University and another on '150 Years of Vortex Dynamics' at DTU. DCAMM is a framework for internationally oriented scientific collaboration involving faculty members at DTU and Aalborg University.

ESM Professor Liviu Librescu Receives International Recognition

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Professor Liviu Librescu, ESM Researcher Zhanming Qin, and their collaborators from South Korea recently received a Scholarship Award at the 17th International Conference on Adaptive Structures and Technologies (ICAST 2006) that was held in Taipei. Dr. Librescu's research continues to be internationally recognized. His paper "Dynamic response of anisotropic sandwich flat panels to explosive pressure pulses" that was published in Volume 31 of the International Journal of Impact Engineering in May 2005 (with T. Hause) rates among the "Top 25" most downloaded articles for that journal.

ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Batra receives D.Sc. (Honoris Causa)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Romesh C. Batra, Clifton C. Garvin Professor of Engineering Science & Mechanics, was honored with the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) degree on October 24 by his alma mater, Thapar University, Patiala, India. He is only the second person to receive this distinction from the institution since its inception nearly fifty years ago. The Senate of Thapar University was unanimous in its recommendation of Dr. Batra for the degree in recognition of his academic brilliance, matchless contributions to engineering education, highly competent administrative abilities and his continuous association with the most prestigious universities of the world. It particularly noted his magnanimity, humility, simplicity and integrity.

ESM Professor Scott Case Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Professor Scott Case has been named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week by the Office of the Vice President for Research. Dr. Case is associate professor and associate head of engineering science and mechanics. He has been recognized for his significant contributions to life prediction techniques for composite materials, the experimental characterization of elevated temperature polymeric composites, his extensive work in the area of micromechanical modeling of composite behavior and on the durability of fuel cell components.

ESM Professor Ron Kriz is keynote speaker at International Conference on Computational and Experimental Engineering and Science

Mon, 23 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Professor Ron Kriz is a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Computational and Experimental Engineering and Science to be held in Miami, Florida from 3-8 January, 2007. Dr, Kriz has been invited to speak on "Envisioning Structure-Property Relationships at the Nano and Macro Scales: Graphics for Presentation and Insight". In the talk he will demonstrate how researchers at Virginia Tech have used both high performance computers (HPC) and visualization resources in interesting and unique ways. Professor Ron Kriz is a keynote speaker at the International Conference on Computational and Experimental Engineering and Science to be held in Miami, Florida from 3-8 January, 2007. Dr, Kriz has been invited to speak on "Envisioning Structure-Property Relationships at the Nano and Macro Scales: Graphics for Presentation and Insight". In the talk he will demonstrate how researchers at Virginia Tech have used both high performance computers (HPC) and visualization resources in interesting and unique ways.

ESM Student Fred Cook Wins Best Poster Award at 2006 College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Symposium

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

ESM senior Fred Cook received an "Outstanding Poster Presentation" award at the 2006 College of Engineering Undergraduate Research Symposium for his research on "Interlaminar Fracture Toughness of Unidirectional Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites". Three such awards were given out at the collegewide symposium for superior presentations of their research. Fred's work was conducted under the supervision of ESM Professor Jack Lesko. More information on the symposium is available at http://www.writing.eng.vt.edu/symposium.html.

ESM Ph.D. Students Soumik Banerjee and Sayangdev Naha Win Best Student-Created Poster Award at Deans' Forum

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Doctoral students Soumik Banerjee and Sayangdev Naha received The Best Student-Created Poster Award at the October 16, 2006 Deans' Forum on Energy Security and Sustainability held at Virginia Tech for their submission "Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes and Their Hydrogen Storage Capacity". In their collaboration, the two ESM students focused on carbon nanotubes that, due to their high surface area and capillarity and possible functionalization with specific metals, exhibit a large hydrogen storage capacity. Banerjee conducts molecular dynamics simulations to identify the compositions of promising carbon nanotube based structures that maximize hydrogen storage, and Naha synthesizes these nanostructures in the laboratory and develops detailed surface chemistry and gas transport models explaining their fabrication.

ESM Professor Ron Kriz Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0400

The Vice President for Research has recognized Dr. Ron Kriz, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics, as the Scholar of the Week. Dr. Kriz is a leading expert in fracture mechanics and nondestructive evaluation of composite materials. His research places emphasis on high performance computing simulations and scientific visual data analysis of simulation results. Dr. Kriz founded the Laboratory for Scientific Visual Analysis in 1991, which has resulted in many innovations by the university's faculty, staff, and students. He is also the holder of the W.S. "Pete" White Innovations in Engineering Education Award.

High External Citations of ESM Research (as of September 2006)

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400

ESM contributes greatly in many ways towards the reputation of Virginia Tech. One is through the citations of the scholarly research conducted by ESM faculty members. Citations are a general, but not exclusive, indication of how well-used the scholarly research of an individual researcher is. The attached data show the number of times ESM faculty members have been cited in the scholarly literature (source ISI Web of Knowledge, September 2006). The record of ESM citations is particularly impressive since ISI Web of Knowledge does not archive all of the possible citations of the scholarship conducted in ESM.

ESM Visiting Assistant Professor Raffaella De Vita Obtains American Society of Biomechanics President's Award

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Rafaella De Vita was awarded the American Society of Biomechanics President's Award during its annual meeting that was hosted at Virginia Tech last week. This award "recognizes meritorious research involving highly innovative use of experimental or theoretical methods in any field of biomechanics that is presented as a poster at the annual ASB meeting". ESM is very proud of the high caliber of the researchers on its roster. Faculty members who were local hosts of this important meeting include ESM Professors Kevin Granata and Michael Madigan.

Dr. David Dillard Named Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. David Dillard has been named the Adhesive and Sealant Science Professor in Engineering Science and Mechanics by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. This endowed professorship was established at Virginia Tech in 1989 by the Adhesives and Sealant Council. Professor Dillard has been a member of the Virginia Tech faculty for 21 years. He also served as Director of the Center for Adhesive and Sealant Science from 1999-2004, and as Founder and Interim Director of the Macromolecules and Interfaces Institute in 2004. He has held visiting positions at National Taiwan University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

ESM Professor David Dillard in the News (Boston Globe)

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. David Dillard, Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics and the President of the Adhesion Society was recently quoted in the Boston Globe on an article on adhesion in its August 28, 2006 issue. Said, Professor Dillard, one would not be able to "recognize the world without adhesives". There would be no computers or iPods and people couldn't walk around in shoes. "There are adhesives in almost everything you can imagine."

ESM Welcomes Four New Faculty Members

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is very pleased to welcome four new faculty members this Fall semester, namely,

Raffaella De Vita, Visiting Assistant Professor (in the area of solid mechanics)
Roop Mahajan, Tucker Chair Professor and Director, Institute for Critical Technologies and Applied Science (in fluid mechanics)
Shane Ross, Assistant Professor (in dynamics and control)
Mark Stremler, Associate Professor (in fluid mechanics; and dynamics and control)

These additions to our faculty again attest to the health and vitality of our scholarly and educational programs. We look forward with enthusiasm to their anticipated future successes.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref appointed IUTAM Delegate by National Academy of Sciences

Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

The President of The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), Dr. Ralph Cicerone, has appointed ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref as a member of the NAS delegation to the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) General Assembly. Dr. Aref will serve as a US delegate along with Drs. Ted Belytschko (Northwestern), Carl Herakovitch (UVa), Wolfgang Klaus (Caltech), and Gary Leal (UC Santa Barbara). This is yet again international recognition of the fine caliber of the outstanding faculty in ESM.

ESM Associate Professor Scott Case Named ABET IDEAL Scholar

Mon, 26 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Associate Professor Scott Case has been selected to participate in the ABET Institute for the Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL) that will be held in Baltimore from July 31-August 4, 2006. Dr. Case will participate in this workshop with over thirty other faculty members from around the world, as an IDEAL Scholar. The scholars will develop their leadership skills related to program assessment methodology, group facilitation, and change management. His selection highlights the commitment that ESM has to a high caliber undergraduate and graduate education, particularly one that is responsive to change and emerging technologies. We in ESM are very proud of such efforts by our eminent faculty.

ESM Graduates and Faculty Do Good (Yet) Again

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Stephen P. Engelstad (PhD, Engineering Mechanics '90), Technical Fellow of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, and Dr. Michael W. Hyer, N. Waldo Harrison Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, have been elected General Chair and Technical Program Chair, respectively, of the 48th AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials (SDM) Conference to be held at the Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu April 23-26, 2007. Co-located with the 48th SDM Conference are the 15th AIAA/ASME/AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, the 9th AIAA Non-Deterministic Approaches Conference, the 8th Gossamer Spacecraft Forum, the 3rd AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Specialist Conference, and the AIAA Dynamics Specialist Conference. These collocated conferences are a widely-acknowledged annual event that provide a unique forum dedicated to the latest developments in basic and applied research in structures, structural dynamics, and materials, including analysis, experiment, and design.

ESM Professor Muhammad Hajj Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Professor Muhammad Hajj, and expert in fluid dynamics, dynamical systems and prognosis, has been named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week. He has been so recognized for his outstanding research on the characterization and modeling of turbulent fluid flows, extreme loads from hurricanes and tornadoes on low-rise structures, aeroelastic behavior of wings and bridges and the fatigue life of structures and their components. Dr. Hajj's research, which involves theoretical analyses in connection with experimental measurements or numerical simulations, has far reaching implications from the design of structures able to withstand tropical storms and hurricanes to the prognosis and prediction of the effective performance of various machines and components.

ESM alumni Chris Chabalko and Greg Vogl awarded prestigious National Research Council (NRC) postdoctoral opportunities

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

ESM alumni Chris Chabalko (PhD'06) and Greg Vogl (PhD'06) have been awarded prestigious National Research Council (NRC) postdoctoral opportunities. Chris will be an NRC Postdoctoral Fellow at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). There, he will examine the aeroelastic stability of structures with application to micro air vehicles (MAVs). Chris will also apply his knowledge of fluid structure interaction to model the stability of F-16 planes.

ESM Seniors Heike Lohse-Busch and Seth Lambrecht Receive Dan H. Pletta Award for Outstanding Senior Project

Wed, 07 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Heike Lohse-Busch and Seth Lambrecht have been selected as this year's recipients of the Dan H. Pletta Award for an outstanding senior project. Ms. Lohse-Busch (B.S. ESM and B.S. Physics, cum laude) and Mr. Lambrecht (B.S. ESM) were advised by ESM Professor Dave Dillard and CEE Professor Pay Plaut on their project entitled "The Insulated Rail Joint Project."

Virginia Tech materials researchers selected to improve military armor

Wed, 31 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech has been selected by the Army Research Laboratory to establish a Materials Center of Excellence to develop polymer-based materials to protect personnel and equipment against weapons attack. The center will also offer graduate student and postdoctoral scholar mentorship and undergraduate research programs.

ESM Appoints Dr. Mark Stremler as Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics (in Fluid Dynamics and Dynamical Systems)

Mon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

The latest faculty addition to ESM is that of Dr. Mark Stremler who intends to join ESM as an Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics "with great pleasure". He writes that he is "excited about this opportunity to work with the outstanding faculty, students, resources, and leadership" at Virginia Tech.

Three ESM Professors Selected to Receive 2006 XCaliber Award for Team Involved In Teaching with Technology

Thu, 11 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

The ESM team of Professors Scott Hendricks, Glenn Kraige and Don Morris has been selected by the Virginia Tech Center for Innovation in Learning to receive the 2006 XCaliber Award for a team involved in teaching with technology. All three are celebrated teachers who, between them, have won numerous institutional and national teaching awards and have a combined 100 years of teaching experience. Unified lecture software has been developed and sustained in ESM in various forms for over three decades to help teach the three main courses in the Engineering Science and Mechanics department, which are taught to students in many other programs. The software is now in the third generation and is continually improving and evolving with use and in response to student feedback. The recognition of their achievements is consistent with the high standards that we set for teaching, research, service and outreach in ESM.

ESM alumni and faculty at Ut Prosim, "That I May Serve".

Mon, 08 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. H. Pat (ESM '72) and Nancy Artis of Performance Associates, Inc., Pagosa Springs, Colorado, were honored as new members of the Ut Prosim Society at a black tie reception and dinner Saturday April 29. The Ut Prosim Society was created to honor distinguished alumni and friends for outstanding financial support. Through their extraordinary generosity, Ut Prosim members make it possible for future generations to have the opportunity to excel and to live out the university's motto Ut Prosim, "That I May Serve".

ESM Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus C. W. "Bill" Smith Inducted into Virginia Tech Academy of Engineering Excellence

Sun, 07 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Few retirees have the honor of hearing themselves described as an "icon" in their field. One of the most deserving is Virginia Tech's C. W. "Bill" Smith, 80, whose name is synonymous with its Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM).

Senior design project team to compete in the 2006 Space Elevator Games

Mon, 01 May 2006 00:00:00 -0400

The 2005-06 Engineering Science and Mechanics Creative Design class included an integrated team of seven seniors (David Gillespie, Meghan Gloyd, Clay Myatt, Ryan Steele, Chris Sturgill, Samantha Vaillant, and Elliotte want) as well as two freshmen assistants (Brandon Corder and John Helveston). They performed the initial design for a project that will compete in the 2006 Space Elevator Games (please see www.elevator2010.org). A video illustrating the process to complete a space elevator prototype is available at http://www.esm.vt.edu/video/vtset.wmv (Windows Media format).

Four ESM Faculty Members Honored at College of Engineering Ceremony

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400

Four ESM faculty members received College of Engineering awards at a reception held on Tuesday, April 18, at the German Club. They are:

ESM Student Osama Marzouk is Virginia Tech's Featured Graduate Student for April 2006

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400

ESM doctoral student Osama Marzouk is the Featured Graduate Student on the Graduate School website: http://www.grads.vt.edu/profiles/featured_grad/index.html for April 2006. The site also features an interview with Mr. Marzouk who is from Cairo, Egypt where he finished his BS in 2001, and his MS in 2003 in aerospace engineering. He joined Virginia Tech in 2004 as a PhD student, and is working in the area of computational fluid mechanics and nonlinear dynamics under the supervision of university distinguished professor Dr. Ali Nayfeh.

ESM Professor Norm Dowling to Present Eminent Professor Lecture to Siemens Power Generation Company

Fri, 07 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0400

ESM/MSE Professor Norm Dowling will present a lecture on "Review of Fatigue Life Prediction Methods" to the Gas Turbine Engineering Department of Siemens Power Generation Company in their Eminent Professor Lecture Series on April 13. Dr. Dowling is an internationally renowned scientist in the area. He will travel in May/June to Japan courtesy of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Fukuoka University in Fukuoka, Japan to lecture and visit with colleagues. He is also a member of our sister Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Department.

ESM W. S. (Pete) White Chair Professor Glenn Kraige Publishes Sixth Edition of Engineering Mechanics (Vol. 1 Statics)

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Glenn Kraige has published the sixth edition of Engineering Mechanics (Vol. 1 Statics) with Dr. James L. Meriam. This textbook series was begun in 1951 by the late Dr. Meriam. Dr. Kraige holds the Virginia Tech W. S. (Pete) White Chair for Innovation in Engineering Education. In a foreword to the book, Dr. John Junkins who is George J. Eppright Professor at Texas A&M and a member of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering, states, "The faculty and students privileged to teach or study from Professors Meriam and Kraige's Engineering Mechanics will benefit from the several decades of investment by two highly accomplished educators." He further writes, "... this textbook stresses the application of theory to actual engineering situations, and at this important task it remains the best." These words very aptly sum up the ESM philosophy to education and scholarship, a vision which we are very proud of.

ESM Assistant Professor Michael Madigan Named Virginia Tech Faculty Scholar of the Week

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The Virginia Tech Office of the Vice President for Research has recognized Dr. Michael Madigan, assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics, for his contributions to biomechanics research pertaining to age-related differences during recovery from a forward fall. This research has found that older adults have more difficulty recovering from a forward fall compared to young adults because of reductions in muscle strength and movement speed at the hip, knee, and ankle. Identifying these reductions is the first step toward developing exercise interventions to help prevent falls in older adults. ESM is very proud of the accomplishments of its faculty, students and alumni.

ESM Professor and former Interim Department Head Norman E. Dowling Publishes Third Edition of Mechanical Behavior of Materials

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The third edition of Mechanical Behavior of Materials by ESM Professor and former Interim Department Head Norman E. Dowling has been published by Prentice Hall. Dr. Dowling is also a faculty member of our sister department, Materials Science and Engineering. This new edition of the text includes an emphasis on safety factors for engineering design, updated problems and examples, and fracture mechanics. ESM is very proud of such contributions by its faculty, many of which are on display in its seventy-plus number book gallery that can be viewed at http://www.esm.vt.edu/galleries/facpubs/index.php.

ESM Professor Liviu Librescu Named Distinguished Visiting Professor at University degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", Italy

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Professor Dr. Liviu Librescu has been appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University degli studi di Roma â€œLa Sapienzaâ€, Rome, Italy in its Department of Aerospace Engineering. He will visit La Sapienza during during June-July, 2006. This honor is associated with a research grant that Dr. Librescu has received to collaborate with Italian scientists at that institution. Dr. Librescu has made seminal scholarly contributions, among others, in the areas of aeroelasticity and control of advanced flight vehicles; composite structures in high temperature environments and impacted by blast pulses; sandwich constructions exposed to underwater and in-air explosions; turbomachinery rotating blades made of functionally graded materials; multifunctional material structures and their behavior.

ESM Professor Jack Duke Selected as Editor-in-Chief of Research in Nondestructive Evaluation After International Search

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Jack Duke been selected as the new editor-in-chief of Research in Nondestructive Evaluation (RNDE). The selection was made subsequent to an international search and following a series of extensive interviews that were recently completed in Orlando, Fla. RNDE is an archival publication that is ranked 2nd (of 23) by ISI in the area of Materials Science, Characterization & Testing based on impact factor. Dr. Duke will assume his responsibilities in January 2007. This continues a proud tradition for ESM and Virginia Tech in that the retiring editor-in-chief is Engineering Associate Dean Edmund G. Henneke, II. ESM is very fortunate to house faculty members of international distinction, profiles of whom are available through our website.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref named as co-chair of ICTAM mini-symposium

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref has been named as one of the two co-chairs of the mini-symposium on â€œClassical and quantum vortex ringsâ€ at the 22nd International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics that will be held in Adelaide, Australia from 24-30 August 2008. The invitation to Dr. Aref is in recognition of his seminal contributions to the area. The Congress is organized by the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and other mini-symposia will be held in the areas of: Cohesive zone models of fracture and failure; Multi-component designer materials â€" metals, ceramics and polymers; Dynamics and control of walking; Mechanics of colloidal systems; and Fluid dynamics of animal swimming and flying. ESM is very fortunate to house faculty members of international distinction, profiles of whom are available on our website.

ESM Robotic Arm Based on Electroactive Polymers Rated Strongest in International Competition

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0500

A robotic arm designed by a group of ESM seniors was judged the strongest in an international competition held on February 27 in San Diego, California. The team consisted of senior students advised by Dr. John Cotton, including Joseph Ash, Matthew Degner, Sara Jasin, Jordan Milford, Kevin Nash, Josh Oechslin, Catherine Ross, and Brandon Shue. Three robotic arms using artificial muscles, also called electroactive polymers or EAPs, wrestled in the competition. The arms were first tested on their strength and how fast they could lift a one-pound weight, and then wrestled one another. The ESM senior design course is taught by Professors Jack Lesko (ESM) and Marie Paretti (from our sister Engineering Education department), information on which is available at http://www.esm.vt.edu/design/.

ESM Appoints Dr. Shane Ross as Assistant Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics (in Dynamical Systems)

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM is very pleased to announce its latest faculty addition, that of Dr. Shane Ross who "very enthusiastically intends to join ESM" as an Assistant Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics. Dr. Ross is a very promising young scientist working in the field of dynamical systems. He has a BS ('98) degree in Physics and a PhD ('04) in Control and Dynamical Systems, both from Caltech. He currently holds an NSF mathematical sciences postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Southern California. Dr. Ross has received the Caltech Everhart Lecture Series Award, NASA Space Act Award, two NASA Innovation Awards for proposing celestial dynamics solutions for interplanetary transfers, and an AAS/AIAA Best Paper Award.

ESM Emeritus Professor Don Morris Publishes 6th Edition of Mechanics of Materials

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Emeritus Don H. Morris has coauthored the sixth edition of the book "Mechanics of Materials" with William F. Riley and Leroy D. Sturges that was recently published by John Wiley. This classic text, designed for a first course on mechanics of deformable bodies, has been in existence since 1960 and has been updated to include a new visualization tool "MecMovies". ESM is very proud of such contributions by its faculty, many of which are on display in its seventy-odd number book gallery that can be viewed at http://www.esm.vt.edu/galleries/facpubs/index.php.

Engineering Excellence in the 21st Century Lecture

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The College of Engineering and the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics cordially invite you and your family and friends to hear Elon Musk, Founder and CEO of spaceX, www.spacex.com. Mr. Musk will discuss the launch of Falcon 1 and the future of university space research. SpaceX is developing a family of Falcon launch vehicles with reusable stages, intended to reduce cost and increase reliability of access to space. The first flight of Falcon 1 will launch FalconSat-2 to measure space plasma's effect on GPS satellites and other space-based communication systems.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref Named to National Research Council Board on International Scientific Organizations

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref has been named to a second term on the National Research Council (NRC) Board on International Scientific Organizations (BISO). The goals of BISO are to strengthen US participation in international scientific, engineering, and medical organizations and to help build their capacities. BISO provides information to the National Academies, the National Science Foundation, Department of State, and others.

ESM Professor Mark Cramer Develops Unique Online Learning Site

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Professor Mark Cramer has developed a unique "Foundations of Fluid Mechanics" website -- http://www.navier-stokes.net/. The site was recently reviewed and published by MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching, http://www.merlot.org/), which is an international initiative supported by 23 higher education systems and NSF. According to MERLOT Editor James Rutledge, Dr. Cramer has made "valuable contributions ... to advancing the learning and teaching of mathematics. His mathematics materials are a model of the scholarship of teaching that can benefit faculty teaching and student learning around the world". ESM is very pleased to have such world class faculty, more information about whom can be found at http://www.esm.vt.edu/.

ESM Students on Deans' List for Fall 2005

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0500

We are very pleased to communicate the names of the thirty Engineering Science & Mechanics students who appeared on the Deans' List for Fall 2005.

ESM Frank Maher Professor Demetri Telionis Recognized as Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The Virginia Tech Office of the Vice President for Research has recognized Dr. Demetri P. Telionis, the Frank Maher Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, as the Scholar of the Week for his major lifelong contributions to unsteady aerodynamics, high-angle-of-attack aerodynamics, flow over fore-body configurations, cardiovascular fluid mechanics, flotation processes in mining engineering and vertical or short take-off and landing mechanics. Dr. Telionis' research has far reaching implications, from the design of maneuverable and more efficient aircraft to the development of more suitable mechanical heart valves.

ESM Professor Zafer Gurdal to Retire After Twenty Years of Service to ESM

Mon, 30 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

After having faithfully served Virginia Tech for 20 years in the College of Engineering, beginning in 1985, ESM Professor Zafer Gurdal recently announced his intention to retire and thereafter join the faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. As a Chaired Professor, he will be heading the Aerospace Structures research group, which has a world class reputation mostly based on the contributions of its former professors, namely Koiter, van der Neut, and Arbocz. In ESM, Dr. Gurdal taught a wide range of courses from sophomore to advanced graduate level. He advised and counseled numerous undergraduate and graduate students, serving as the graduate advisor for 24 masters and 15 doctoral students. His contributions to the research areas of composite materials and structures, and structural and multidisciplinary optimization resulted in 177 publications, 3 books, and 2 book chapters. Dr. Gurdal has been externally recognized for accomplishments by being named as an Associate Fellow of AIAA.

ESM Emeritus Professor Daniel Schneck Writes Book on Music as Clinical Tool

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

A new book by ESM Emeritus Professor Daniel Schneck, The Music Effect - Music Physiology and Clinical Applications by Dr. Schneck and Dorita S. Berger (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) - discusses how human physiologic function is directly interfaced with the elements of music to bring about an understanding of why music is so effective as a clinical treatment tool. It includes five case studies.

ESM Reynolds Metals Professor Hassan Aref Named Niels Bohr Visiting Professor by Danish Ministry for Research

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

In connection with a conference on elite research earlier today, the Danish Ministry for Research announced six Niels Bohr Visiting Professors for 2005-2006 (please see -- http://www.dg.dk/). ESM Reynolds Metals Professor Hassan Aref is among these six distinguished academicians. The visiting professorships involve an award of 90 million DKK (about $15 million) over five years and are six half time appointments. Dr. Aref's host in Denmark will be Professor Tomas Bohr of the Department of Physics at the Technical University of Denmark. The Danish ministry expects that Professor Aref's involvement will "create a large number of valuable results within areas such as instabilities, bifurcations and chaos in fluid dynamics, interfaces, bubbles and drops, vorticity dynamics, fluid dynamics at very small length scales and complex fluids and solutions".

University of Rome "La Sapienza" and ESM Joint Laboratory of Mechatronic Systems

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

The ESM strategic plan places emphasis on high caliber international collaborations, such as the Joint Design Laboratory of Mechatronic Systems, which is a joint venture with the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering at the University of Rome "La Sapienza". The laboratory is situated in Cisterna di Latina, Italy, close to Rome. This collaboration has been led by ESM Adjunct Professor Francesco dell'Isola, and Professors Romesh Batra, Scott Case, Norm Dowling, Ed Henneke, and Michael Hyer, as well as ESM staff member Bob Simonds. We are excited about these opportunities, since they help provide higher-quality educational and research experiences to our students as a result of this and other international collaborations.

ESM Associate Professor Jack Lesko to Lead $2.5M in Research

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Jack Lesko, who is an Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, will lead $2.5M in research as reported recently by the Roanoke Times -- http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/46405. This research involves the development of composite structures for the U.S. Navy using a combination of carbon or glass fibers and polymers instead of steel to construct the hulls and decks of ships. Dr. Lesko, who is well known for his research on composite materials and enhancing the civil infrastructure, has the objective of helping the Navy become more efficient. The technology that he hopes to develop will allow for ship navigation in shallower waters, make ships more energy efficient and significantly reduce the human resources required for their operation and maintenance.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref is Invited Speaker at IUTAM Symposium

Wed, 18 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref will be an invited speaker at the IUTAM Symposium on Hamiltonian Dynamics, Vortex Structures, and Turbulence to be held this August in Moscow, Russia. The meeting will bring together leading scientists in the area and the invited speaker list is a veritable Who's Who of authorities in the field. ESM is very proud to have faculty of international distinction in its program. Further information about some of their accomplishments is available at http://www.esm.vt.edu/FactSheet.pdf.

ESM Affiliate Professor Dan Inman Has Topmost Downloaded Article in JSV

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Dan Inman is an author of the topmost downloaded article in the Journal of Sound and Vibration. Please see -- http://top25.sciencedirect.com/?journal_id=0022460X. The paper -- Wang, K.; Inman, D.J.; Farrar, C.R., "Modeling and analysis of a cracked composite cantilever beam vibrating in coupled bending and torsion" Journal of Sound and Vibration, Volume 284, Issue 1-2, 1 June 2005, Pages 23-49 -- discusses the coupled bending and torsional vibration of a fiber-reinforced composite cantilever with an edge surface crack. The authors' analysis is based on linear fracture mechanics, the Castigliano theorem and classical lamination theory. Their intention is to offer a damage prognosis tool for a composite wing.

Biomedical Engineer Writes Book About the Multi-dimensional Human Experience

Fri, 09 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Daniel J. Schneck, Engineering Science and Mechanics Professor Emeritus at Virginia Tech, has drawn from his unique and diverse background in engineering, music, medicine, and law to write his new book, â€œSearchingâ€, which includes 52 essays that address the multidimensional human experience.

ESM Book Authors, 2004-05

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Please find below a list of books that ESM faculty members have authored, coauthored or edited during 2004 and 2005. You will find a very rich offering that is consistent with the diversity of interests within ESM and representative of its scholarship. A fuller gallery of the seventy plus books from ESM can be viewed at http://www.esm.vt.edu/galleries/facpubs/index.php.

ESM Alumnus Dr. Pavlos Vlachos (MS'98 PhD'00) Presents T. Francis Ogilvie Young Investigator Lecturership at MIT

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0500

ESM alumnus Dr. Pavlos Vlachos presented the Eleventh Annual Young Investigator Lectureship in Ocean Engineering at MIT on October 28. He is assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech -- a stone's throw from ESM -- and received his degrees (MS'98 PhD'00) through the mentoring and advice of ESM Frank Maher Professor Demetri Telionis. Said, Dr. Telionis with evident pride, "(This) speaks for the quality of our program." Dr. Vlachos addressed the influence of wall motions on near wall turbulence in boundary layers and presented his advances in developing a new class of mini/micro sensors for direct measurements pertinent to the phenomena during the lecture. In addition to his fifty technical papers, he also holds two patents.

ESM Professor Liviu Librescu Publishes First Monograph on Theory of Composite Anisotropic Thin-Walled Beams

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Joining the over seventy books authored or edited by ESM faculty members is the latest entry, Thin-Walled Composite Beams: Theory and Application, by ESM Professor Liviu Librescu and his collaborator Dr. Ohseop Song that has been published by Springer. This is the first monograph devoted to the theory of composite anisotropic thin-walled beams and, true to the ESM mission of being "the interdisciplinary glue between various engineering and science disciplines", it discusses applications related to aeronautical, aerospace, naval, and mechanical structures. ESM congratulates Professor Librescu on this achievement and for bringing additional worldwide visibility to Virginia Tech.

ESM Professor Emeritus Robert M. Jones named AIAA Fellow

Sun, 20 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Robert M. Jones, ESM Professor Emeritus, has been named a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Dr. Jones received this high honor for a career that has produced significant contributions in the mechanics of composite materials and structures, plasticity and buckling. He will be honored by AIAA during a black tie dinner in April, 2006. Dr. Jones' elevation to the rank of Fellow is representative of the historically strong and internationally recognized scholarship of the ESM faculty of which a partial list is available at http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/twocol.php?content=profAffil.

ESM Professor Liviu Librescu Awarded Certificate of Appreciation by ASME Design Engineering Division

Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Liviu Librescu was recently awarded a certificate of appreciation by the ASME Design Engineering Division. The citation states that the certificate was presented "in testimony of the high regard of your associates and the deep appreciation of the Society for your valued services in advancing the profession". The recognition arises from Professor Librescu's efforts as a symposium organizer of the 20th Biennial Conference on Mechanical Vibration and Noise. ESM is very proud of the external recognition that its faculty bring to Virginia Tech.

ESM Professor Emeritus Daniel Schneck inducted as Fellow of Biomedical Engineering Society

Thu, 10 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Daniel Schneck, who is ESM Professor Emeritus, has been inducted into the 2005 "Inaugural Class" of Fellows of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). Dr. Scheck is recognized "for pioneering contributions to biomedical engineering education, significant achievements in blood rheology and musculo-skeletal research, and for many years of dedicated public service to the biomedical engineering community". BMES Fellows are named for national and international contributions and for inspired leadership. His elevation to the rank of Fellow is representative of the historically strong and internationally recognized scholarship of the ESM faculty of which a partial list is available at http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/twocol.php?content=profAffil.

ESM Senior Design "Space Elevator Project" Featured in Roanoke Times

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Once again, an Engineering Science and Mechanics senior design project is in the news. This time, following on the heels of the "Artificial Arm Project" that was featured widely last year in the international media, the spotlight is on our "Space Elevator Project" that involves eight ESM seniors. The article is in today's edition of the Roanoke Times at http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/wb/xp-39688.

ESM Professor Ishwar K. Puri named Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Professor Ishwar K. Puri has been named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Puri also serves as Department Head of ESM and is the author of over 200 archival and conference publications in the field of combustion and transport phenomena (e.g., related to combustion theory, emissions, field-assisted self assembly, and hydrogen storage). This honor is representative of the historically strong and internationally recognized scholarship of the ESM faculty of which a partial list is available at http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/twocol.php?content=profAffil.

ESM Alumnus Dr. Eugene T. Camponeschi (BS, MS) Receives ASTM International Award of Merit and Title of Fellow

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Eugene T. Camponeschi, Jr (ESM BS, MS) was recently honored with the 2005 ASTM International Award of Merit and accompanying title of Fellow. Dr. Camponeschi serves as senior engineer at the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, in West Bethesda, Md. He received the award for his leadership and contributions to the ASTM International Committee D30 on Composite Materials. This award is the highest society recognition of individuals for distinguished service and for their outstanding participation in ASTM International committee activities. Dr. Camponeschi manages U.S. Navy programs for ship structures and focuses on marine composite materials and assemblies. He holds a B.S. and M.S. in engineering science and mechanics from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware. Professor Ishwar Puri, ESM Department Head stated, "Such an honor to an ESM alumnus once again illustrates the high value that we continue to give to all of our students. We are very proud of their many worthy accomplishments."

ESM Alumnus Dr. Sanj Malushte (EM MS'84, CE MS'87, EM PhD'89) Named Bechtel Fellow

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Sanj Malushte (EM MS'84, CE MS'87, EM PhD'89) has been elected a Bechtel Fellow. His ESM mentor was Preston Wade Professor Mahendra P. Singh. Bechtel is a premier full service Architect/Engineering/Construction (AEC) company with about 45,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of about $17.4 billion in 2004. The Bechtel Fellow is the highest technical recognition within Bechtel. This is a very high honor since the number of Fellows varies between only 15 and 20 and they are selected based on their international reputation, which is consistent with the standards established within ESM. Fellows can hold the title for the duration of their employment.

Dr. Michael Hyer Appointed as N. Waldo Harrison Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors has honored Professor Michael Hyer with an with endowed professorship. Dr. Hyer has been appointed the N. Waldo Harrison Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics. He is a distinguished scientist who has conducted outstanding research advancing the understanding and use of fiber-reinforced composite structures in spacecraft, aircraft, submarines, and automobiles. Professor Hyer is also a successful leader in organizations involving composite materials and their use.

ESM Researchers Ashok Sinha, Ranjan Ganguly and Ishwar Puri Are Finalists in International Visualization Competition

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Three ESM researchers -- doctoral student Ashok Sinha, former postdoctoral researcher Ranjan Ganguly and Professor Ishwar Puri -- were declared finalists in an annual NSF/AAAS competition. This competition is held each year to recognize outstanding achievements by scientists, engineers, visualization specialists and artists who are innovators in using visual media to promote the understanding of research results and scientific phenomena.

Ms. Nancy Linkous honored as the Virginia Tech Staff Employee of the Week

Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Ms. Nancy R. Linkous, who recently retired from ESM, was honored as the Virginia Tech Staff Employee of the Week (August 29, 2005). ESM is very pleased to see Nancy so honored and thanks her again for her many contributions towards the welfare of the department.

ESM Professor David Dillard Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Mon, 29 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Engineering Science and Mechanics Professor David Dillard has been named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week by the Office of the Vice President for Research. This again provides testimony of the high caliber of scholarship in ESM. Professor Dillard has made outstanding contributions in the area of failure and time dependence of polymeric materials. His research advances our understanding of fracture mechanics, viscoelasticity, fatigue, environmental degradation, durability predictions, and test method development. Dr. Dillard's special emphasis for many years has been on adhesives and the development of appropriate test methods for evaluation of adhesive bonds, analysis and design procedures for adhesive joints, and studies of the durability of such systems when exposed to a variety of environmental conditions. His recent well-recognized efforts include durability of fuel cell materials and behavior of adhesives under impact conditions.

ESM Professor Michael Hyer Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Once again Engineering Science and Mechanics has been recognized for its eminent faculty. The Virginia Tech Office of the Vice President for Research has recognized ESM Professor Michael W. Hyer for outstanding research advancing the understanding and use of fiber- reinforced composite structures in spacecraft, aircraft, submarines, and automobiles, as well as for his teaching contributions to the field of composite material structural mechanics, and successful leadership in organizations involving composite materials and their use.

ESM Alumnus Aaron Barr ('05) Receives National Spirit of Service Award

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The Corporation for National and Community Service will honor ESM alumnus Aaron Barr on behalf of the federal government with a Spirit of Service Award for his outstanding volunteer service while he was a student at Virginia Tech. Aaron graduated earlier this year with a BS degree from ESM with a near perfect GPA. Aaron was selected to receive the 2005 Spirit of Service award in recognition of his accomplishments in establishing environmental programs at Virginia Tech as part of a service-learning project. He helped found the largest student environmental group on campus. His coalition of more than 800 students helped implement a volunteer-driven paper recycling program after the university had to cut funding for its recycling program due to budget cuts. More than 20 academic buildings and hundreds of offices recycle paper weekly now with the help of the programâ€™s 25 student volunteers. While he was at Virginia Tech, Aaron also started can recycling programs, litter clean-ups, energy awareness programs, and an annual large-scale Earth Day celebration that has raised environmental awareness among the Blacksburg community. He is very gifted at mobilizing students around common concerns and building cooperation rather than competition among various groups on campus.

ESM UDP Ali Nayfeh to Present Key Lecture at International Symposium

Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0400

University Distinguished Professor Ali H. Nayfeh of ESM will present the Key Lecture on "Ship-Mounted Cranes" at the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) Symposium on Vibration of Nonlinear Mechanism and Structures that is to be held from July 18-22, 2005 in Munich, Germany. Dr. Nayfeh is also a member of the Scientific Committee of the Symposium. ESM is very pleased to have internationally-recognized researchers on its faculty.

ESM Professor Michael Hyer Quoted in Current Issue of Business Week (June 20, 2005)

Wed, 15 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM faculty are called upon periodically to provide expert opinions due to their strong external recognition. A recent example is ESM Professor Michael Hyer who is quoted in the current edition of Business Week (June 20, 2005) regarding Boeing's plans to build a plane mostly of polymer composites. ESM houses one of the foremost composite research programs in the world. Professor Hyer is a past President of the American Society for Composites.

ESM Professors Romesh C. Batra and Liviu Librescu Deliver Keynote Lectures

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Professors Romesh C. Batra and Liviu Librescu delivered two out of six keynote lectures at the 6th International Congress on Thermal Stresses held in Vienna, Austria on May 26-29, 2005. The Congress is held every two years on a different continent and focuses on material response to severe thermal environments. Dr. Librescu served as Chairman of the International Organizing Committee and received an award recognizing his contributions in the field of thermal stresses.

ESM Office Manager Ms. Nancy Linkous receives President's Award for Excellence

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Ms. Nancy Linkous, ESM Office Manager, will receive one of only five campus wide President's Awards for Excellence from President Steger as a reflection of her forty years of outstanding service and dedication to Virginia Tech (of which thirty-one have been in ESM). This recognition reflects very favorably upon the top-notch staff in the department who continue a long tradition of dedicated service to the institution including its faculty, other staff, and students. Ms. Linkous is retiring next month and so this award is timely and literally icing on the cake.

ESM Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref is Invited Speaker on Distinguished Panel at Einstein Symposium

Tue, 31 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Reynolds Metal Professor Hassan Aref has been invited to speak at the Einstein Symposium at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, June 4-6, 2005. The Symposium has been organized to celebrate the declaration by UNESCO of 2005 as the World Year of Physics. The speaker panel includes three Nobel Laureates (Gell-Man, Hooft, Klitzing) and a Fields Medal winner (Witten). This is yet further corroboration of the high stature and international reputation of the ESM faculty.

ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh Batra Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Mon, 16 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Romesh C. Batra, Clifton C. Garvin Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics, as Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week. Dr. Batra's work delves into developing an understanding of the failure of materials subjected to a catastrophic event, such as a blast load or fire, a natural disaster such as a hurricane, or a terrorist event.

ESM students Ayesha Johnson and Justin Greene win ESM Best Senior Project Award

Sun, 15 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The project "Design, Modeling, and Reliability Testing of Metallized Optical Fiber" by Ayesha Johnson and Justin Greene is this year's winner of the Best Senior Project Award. Dr. Hendricks states, "The (project) report is very well written and the presentation of the results are well organized." The project included analysis and design of a complex and practical engineering mechanics problem. The two first conducted a stress and failure analysis of metallized optical fiber under actual service applications. This was followed with subsequent experimental testing and statistical analysis to determine the reliability of the model and design. Their results have been recently implemented by Rohm and Hass (R&H) in an actual manufacturing process.

ESM announces Elon Musk as "2006 Engineering Excellence in the Twenty-First Century Speaker"

Thu, 12 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM is very pleased to announce that the next speaker in the "Engineering Excellence in the Twenty-First Century" is Elon Musk who will visit Virginia Tech on February 21, 2006 and speak in Burruss Auditorium at Virginia Tech. This successful lecture series is sponsored by Performance Associates through the generosity of benefactors Pat ('72 ESM) and Nancy Artis. The lecture is facilitated by the ESM strategic thinking vision, a key element of which involves bringing prominent technological innovators to the Virginia Tech campus to interact with our engineering and other students, as well as with the larger community. The inaugural speaker in the series this year was civilian astronaut Captain Brian Binnie who piloted SpaceShipOne to win the ten million dollar Ansari X Prize and spoke to an audience of 1600 at Virginia Tech.

ESM Professor Michael Hyer receives highest ESM award

Thu, 12 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Professor Michael W. Hyer received the 2005 Frank J. Maher Outstanding Educator Award at the ESM Awards and Recognition Brunch on April 16. The award was established in 1979 in recognition of Professor Emeritus Frank Maherâ€™s distinguished career spanning more than 41 years at Virginia Tech. The award, consisting of a metal plaque, is presented annually to an accomplished ESM faculty member. It symbolizes excellence in professional education and is one of the highest awards that can be bestowed within the ESM Department.

ESM Staff Member Vanessa McCoy receives multiple employee recognition awards

Thu, 12 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM staff member Vanessa McCoy received one of two Employee Recognition Awards for 2005 presented at the annual College Association for Staff in Engineeringâ€™s (CASE) luncheon at the Donaldson Brown Center on May 9. This program was initiated by CASE to enhance morale in the College by recognizing staff for outstanding contributions exhibited above and beyond normal job expectations.

Professor Jack Duke appointed as ESM Book Fellow

Mon, 09 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM Professor Jack Duke is the inaugural ESM Book Fellow and has been appointed for Summer, 2005. Dr. Duke will write the first in a novel series of texts that incorporate computational software such as Mathematica or Maple to eliminate computational drudgery and frustration from learning for basic engineering courses. His Mechanics of Deformable Bodies text will use the computational and graphical capabilities of the mathematical software platform to provide interactive 3-D images. These images should facilitate a spatial understanding of the description of a state of stress and how the same state of stress can be described in different ways as the coordinate axes used for representation are changed. Professor Duke's innovative approach to presenting the subject will lend itself to self paced teaching and also allow students to progress with more confidence. This is important, since students' frustration born out of routine computational issues, rather than content, often leads to disenchantment with the subject and its subsequent extension to more advanced courses.

Richmond's Bill McAllister receives Virginia Tech's highest engineering honor

Thu, 05 May 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Virginia Tech's College of Engineering bestowed its highest alumni honor on William C. McAllister, a 1965 engineering mechanics graduate, inducting him into its Academy of Engineering Excellence. McAllister was the founder and chief executive officer of Colonial Mechanical Corp., of Richmond.

ESM Graduating Senior Aaron Barr Named Virginia Tech Man of the Year

Fri, 15 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Each year, Virginia Tech selects one undergraduate man and one undergraduate woman to be honored by naming them Virginia Tech Man & Woman of the Year. This award recognizes balanced achievement in scholarship, leadership, service, and commitment to the university. This year's Man of the Year is ESM graduating senior Aaron Barr. ESM is very proud of the consistent achievements of its strong student body.

ESM Professor Michael Hyer receives 2005 Alumni Award for Research Excellence

Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Michael Hyer has received the Virginia Tech 2005 Alumni Award for Research Excellence. The award was established by the Alumni Association to recognize faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in research. Dr. Hyer is a fellow of four professional societies including American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Society for Composites (of which he was President), American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and American Academy of Mechanics. He has made seminal contributions to the research in the mechanics of composite materials and structures and is the author of the highly regarded text, Stress Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Materials. Of late, he has very ably guided the ESM strategic thinking exercise.

ESM Student Aaron Barr Leads Engineering Project to Assist Homeless Children in Peterstown, W.Va.

Tue, 12 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM student Aaron Barr led a project to install a wind turbine at a camp for homeless children called Scotties Place in Peterstown, W.Va., where he is a volunteer. Children accustomed to living on the streets or in homeless shelters come to the camp to learn about nature and hopefully gain self respect and self esteem. This was featured in the Roanoke Times. The engineering purpose of the project is sustainability, which is a passion for Aaron. The electricity generated by the turbine will supply power to a new lodge. Excess energy will eventually be stored in batteries, providing the camp with power even on windless days.

ESM Announces Amir Chand and Dewki Bai Batra Scholarship for Doctoral Students

Mon, 11 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The Amir Chand and Dewki Bai Batra Scholarship has been established through the generosity of benefactors ESM Clifton C. Garvin Professor Romesh Batra and his wife Manju Batra. Beginning this Fall, a $2000 scholarship will be awarded annually to an ESM doctoral student who has an exemplary portfolio of publications and presentations at various national and international conferences, has mentored undergraduate students through lecturing and laboratory courses, and participated in the ESM Graduate Seminar. The student's GPA, performance in the ESM preliminary examinations, and time to degree will also be considered during the evaluation process.

ESM Professor Ed Henneke receives American Society for Nondestructive Testing Award

Fri, 08 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

Ed Henneke, of Blacksburg, associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, received the Award for Innovation in Nondestructive Testing Research (NDT) at the American Society for Nondestructive Testingâ€™s 14th Annual Research Symposium in Albuquerque, N.M. This award was established to recognize highly distinguished individual breakthroughs in research in NDT.

ESM Professor Kevin Granata Named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Thu, 07 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics Kevin P. Granata for his research on the active muscle tissues in the lower back, which is being applied to identify workplace risk factors in order to control and prevent the onset of low-back pain.

ESM/MSE Professor Norman Dowling presents keynote lecture to Society of Automotive Engineers

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

ESM/MSE Professor Norman Dowling will present the invited keynote lecture on Fatigue Research and Applications on April 12, 2005 during the Society of Automotive Engineers 2005 World Congress and Exposition that will be held in Detroit, Michigan, April 11-14. The title of his lecture is "Notch Strains for Fatigue Analysis: Historical Review." The session to which the lecture will be delivered has been organized by the SAE Fatigue Design and Evaluation Committee, of which Professor Dowling is a longtime member. This is yet another example of the high external regard for the research of ESM faculty.

2004-05 ESM Capstone Design Projects

Mon, 04 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0400

The 2004-05 Engineering Science and Mechanics Capstone Design Projects are now complete. These projects provide the basis for making various products that range from a running robot to a composite catapult and reflect the imaginations and ingenuity of ESM seniors. The projects are the result of two ESM classes in Creative Design that are taught by ESM Professors Jack Lesko and Marie Paretti. The website -- http://www.esm.vt.edu/design/2004_05ProjectOverviews.htm -- also describes the syllabus and policies for the courses.

ESM congratulates Virginia Tech AOE Professor Roger Simpson for election as AIAA President

Sun, 03 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0500

ESM congratulates Virginia Tech Aerospace and Ocean Engineering Jack E. Cowling Professor Roger Simpson for his election as President of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). This high honor is rarely bestowed on someone in academia. There are many AIAA members, including its Fellows, in ESM who benefit from the society's high presence at Virginia Tech through Dr. Simpson.

ESM Professor Romesh Batra appointed to NRC Panel

Wed, 30 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Professor Romesh Batra has been appointed as a member of the NRC Panel on Survivability and Lethality Analysis that also includes many National Academy of Engineering members. His appointment for an important study sponsored by the federal government offers further testimony of the high external regard for the scholarship in ESM.

ESM Professor Liviu Librescu named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Mon, 21 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes engineering science and mechanics professor Liviu Librescu for his work on the stability of hypersonic flight vehicles and ways of avoiding catastrophic flutter.

ESM Professor Don Morris receives ASEE-SE Outstanding Teaching Award

Fri, 18 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Don Morris is this year's recipient of the ASEE-SE Outstanding Teaching Award. The award recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to engineering education through outstanding classroom performance. This high recognition is additional proof of the significant teaching contributions that ESM faculty members make to classroom teaching and to the mentoring of baccalaureate engineers at Virginia Tech. Don Morris is an exceptional man. He will retire later this year after many years of distinguished service to the profession, first as a researcher, then as a teacher, and more recently as an administrator. His nomination was prepared by another outstanding teacher in ESM, Professor Glenn Kraige, who is himself a winner of numerous awards and is the current occupant of the prestigious Pete White Chair for Education. Professor Ishwar Puri, ESM Department Head stated, "I am grateful to him for bringing additional honor to an already illustrious program in ESM."

Professor Scott Case Appointed as ESM Associate Head Effective August, 2005

Mon, 14 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Scott W. Case will assume the position of ESM Associate Head this coming Fall Semester. He will try to fill the shoes of Professor Don Morris who has held this position for more than a decade and a half. "These are big shoes to fill," said ESM Head Professor Ishwar Puri, "since Don has been my close advisor and has been involved in most important matters related to the functioning of the department since I assumed the ESM Headship. I am, of course, very confident that Scott is more than up to this task."

Dr. Case has an Engineering Mechanics PhD from Virginia Tech. He is an accomplished researcher with consistent GRA student support above the departmental norm. His research interests include life prediction techniques for composite materials and experimental characterization of elevated temperature polymeric composites. He has worked in the areas of micromechanical modeling of composite behavior and smart material systems. Dr. Case is also a popular teacher in ESM and is well known for his service both to the profession and the department.

ESM Senior Executive Assistant Nancy Linkous will be honored as Staff Employee of the Week

Sun, 13 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Senior Executive Assistant Nancy Linkous will be honored as Staff Employee of the Week by the Virginia Tech Commission for Staff Affairs. Ms. Linkous is Senior Executive Assistant and thirty-one of her forty years at Virginia Tech have been spent in service of ESM. This honor provides further testimony of the high caliber of ESM staff who toil hard and effectively to ensure the smooth functioning of our various programs. A summary of Nancy's accomplishments will be highlighted sometime between April and September of 2005 on a special university webpage and a brief announcement will be provided by University Relations in their regular campus news at that time.

ESM Professor Romesh Batra is a Master of the Mission

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Surrounded by mounds of paper, Professor Romesh Batra whirls in his chair and impressively plucks the requested information in a matter of seconds. These stacks and his ability to manage them are indicative of the scholarâ€™s multi-faceted career and commitment of service to teaching, research, and outreach. Batra, the Clifton C. Garvin professor of engineering science and mechanics, engages Continuing and Professional Education as a vehicle for many of his outreach efforts.

ESM Undergraduate Students To Participate in International Robotic Arm Wrestling Competition Using Artificial Muscle Arm

Tue, 01 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Update: From National Public Radio -- All Things Considered, March 8, 2005
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4527297

Virginia Tech names ESM alumnus Dr. Bryan Love as 2005 College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech has named ESM alumnus Dr. Bryan Love as the 2005 College of Engineering Outstanding Graduate Student. This is yet another honor for the ESM graduate program and a testimony to the high caliber of our students and their research.

ESM Research Expenditures and Graduate Program

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Virginia Tech ESM faculty had roughly $2.5 M in direct research expenditures (excluding indirect costs) from external grants and contracts during the first six months of fiscal year 2005 or $100,000 in direct expenditures per tenure track faculty member for the period. If this trend were to continue, it extrapolates to $200,000 in direct expenditures per faculty member for the year. These are resources well spent to produce a high quality research program.

Lecture by SpaceShipOne pilot Brian Binnie

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0500

The Virginia Tech College of Engineering will host a seminar by SpaceShipOne pilot Brian Binnie of Scaled Composites (please see this SpaceShipOne website) on Tuesday, February 15, 2005 in Burruss Auditorium. This seminar has been made possible due to the generosity of benefactors Pat (1972 ESM) and Nancy Artis in the name of ESM.

Four Eminent NAE Members on ESM Graduate Program Review Committee

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0500

The ESM Graduate Program will be reviewed during the week of April 25. The review committee consists of four distinguished members of the National Academy of Engineering:

ESM Undergraduates Named to Virginia Tech Dean's List

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0500

The Fall 2004 Dean's List for ESM is available at the university's Honors and Awards Website. To be named to the Virginia Tech Dean's List, undergraduate students must attempt at least 12 credit hours graded on the A-F option and earn a 3.4 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) during the spring or fall semester. (Dean's List honors are not compiled for summer sessions.) The university and department take great pride in posting the names of those students who achieved Dean's List honors last semester. Congratulations to all those students so named!

Mahendra P. Singh named Virginia Tech Scholar of the Week

Mon, 17 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0500

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognizes Mahendra P. Singh, Preston Wade Professor of Engineering. He has developed methods to detect, locate and ascertain the extent of hidden damages in structures that are subjected to catastrophic shock. He has also provided a scientific basis for improved emergency evacuations of large building complexes during such events.

ESM Professors develop innovative educational software

Fri, 07 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0500

ESM continues to be at the forefront of innovation in engineering education by integrating software into traditional classroom lectures. The team of Professors L. Glenn Kraige, Scott L. Hendricks, and Don H. Morris has developed third generation mechanics lecture software to aid in-class presentations. The history of the software dates back to the early 1980â€™s when student-owned personal computers first became a factor in engineering mechanics education. Major features include professionally-prepared illustrations, fast navigation, fine user control, a concise review of the theory, numerous sample problems, and extensive use of animation to assist the comprehension of an engineering student.

The software supports synchronous and asynchronous learning. It can be shown in a small or large classroom with a computer-driven projector, and placed on the internet for student review. It is suitable for use in large classrooms in which writing on the board is not always practical.

A few questionnaire comments from students enrolled in a Fall 2004 dynamics class are: "It helped me understand concepts and ideas that were difficult to understand from the book.", "In all, the dynamics software is fantastic.", and "The software was great for test review since it hits on the major point of each secti

ESM Professor Jack Duke named Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Thu, 06 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0500

Professor Jack Duke has been named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). This follows his recent elevation in 2004 to Fellow status in the American Society for Nondestructive Testing. Dr. Duke has made many important contributions to nondestructive measurement science and experimental mechanics. His latest achievement is representative of the historically strong and internationally recognized scholarship of the ESM faculty of which a partial list is available at http://www.esm.vt.edu/php/twocol.php?content=profAffil

ESM University Distinguished Professor Ali Nayfeh receives 2005 Virginia Life Achievement in Science

Thu, 16 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500

ESM University Distinguished Professor Ali Nayfeh will receive the 2005 Virginia Life Achievement in Science from the Commonwealth of Virginia. This very prestigious award was created in 1984 to recognize and honor the excellence of scientific research throughout Virginia. Jurors take their evaluation very seriously and, hence, the award is not given on an annual basis, but at the discretion of the jurors.

Virginia's Life Achievement in Science is selected for a recent contribution to basic scientific research that extends the boundaries of a field of science. To qualify, a contribution should be easily recognizable as a significant advance of knowledge or a technological development. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that Professor Nayfeh received the award due to his many frontier-level contributions to nonlinear dynamics, and fluid and solid mechanics. The award will be presented in the spring at the Science Museum of Virginia's Richmond site at a black-tie dinner and ceremony.

ESM houses many faculty of distinction who have made several important scientific and technological contributions, of which Dr. Nayfeh's represent a superlative example.

ESM Emeritus Professor Leonard Meirovitch develops new theory

Mon, 13 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500

ESM emeritus faculty member Leonard Meirovitch, University Distinguished Professor Emeritus, and Ilhan Tuzcu, his former Ph.D. student and Postdoctoral Research Associate (and currently Assistant Professor, University of Alabama), have achieved a significant breakthrough in aeronautics. In particular, they have developed a unified theory capable of simulating the flight of flexible aircraft.

Their new theory is expected to open a new area in aeronautics research and aid the development of a new generation of aircraft, namely, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These aircraft must execute critical maneuvers while being controlled by autopilots. Their novel theory is described in three recent papers in AIAA Journal and Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics.

According to Professor Meirovitch, problems of aircraft dynamics have traditionally been investigated within the confines of two separate disciplines -- flight dynamics and aeroelasticity. The first is concerned primarily with the stability of maneuvering rigid aircraft and the second with the divergence and flutter of flexible cantilevered wings. The theory developed by Meirovitch and Tuzcu recognizes the obvious facts that all aircraft possess some degree of flexibility and carry out various maneuvers. Based on fundamental principles, for which ESM is renowned, and using a global or "system concept" the theory integrates material from four different disciplines, namely analytical dynamics, structural dynamics and aerodynamics, and controls into a single mathematical formulation.

The Meirovitch-Tuzcu concept automatically includes all six rigid body degrees of freedom of the aircraft (three translations and three rotations) and the elastic deformations of all flexible aircraft components, as well as all the forces acting on the aircraft, such as aerodynamic, gravitational and control forces, and forces of an external nature (e.g., due to gusts). Considering the manner in which aircraft are flown, and using a perturbation approach, the state equations of motion are separated into a nonlinear problem for the large motions of the aircraft flying on a given path as if it were rigid and a linear, generally time-varying problem for the elastic variables and small perturbations in the rigid-body variables. Feedback control forces are then designed to drive the elastic vibration and the perturbations in the rigid-body variables to zero, thus ensuring that the aircraft flies on the intended path.

ESM Doctoral Degree Recipient to serve as Student Marshall at the Fall Graduate School Commencement Ceremonies

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500

As a continuing indicator of the excellence in the ESM doctoral program, our recent PhD graduate Bryan Mathew Love has been invited by the Graduate School to serve as a Student Marshall at the Fall Graduation Ceremonies to be held on 17 December. The selection of a student marshall is based on overall excellence in achievements, including QCA in courses taken at Virginia Tech. We are very pleased to note that this is the 2nd year in a row that an ESM doctoral student will be thus honored by the Graduate School; Matt Lear served as student marshall at the Spring 2003 Commencement exercises. (Soon to be Dr.) Bryan Love successfully defended his doctoral dissertation "Multiscale Analysis of Failure under Dynamic Loading in Heterogeneous Solids" on 12 November 2004. Both Love and Lear worked with the ESM faculty member Professor Romesh C. Batra for their doctoral degrees. Dr. Batra is Clifton C. Garvin Professor in ESM and a Fellow of many professional societies including Society of Engineering Science, American Society of Engineering Education, American Academy of Mechanics, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

ESM Professor Ali Nayfeh named first recipient of Lyapunov Award for lifelong contributions to nonlinear dynamics

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0500

ESM Professor Ali Nayfeh has been named as the first recipient of the newly established Lyapunov Award to recognize his lifelong contributions to the field of nonlinear dynamics. He was chosen for the award by the The Technical Committee on Multibody Systems and Nonlinear Dynamics of the ASME Design Engineering Division. The award will be presented for the first time at the 5th ASME International Conference on Multibody Systems, Nonlinear Dynamics and Control, as part of the ASME 2005 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences to be held in Long Beach, California, September, 2005.

Dr. Nayfeh is simply the international authority on nonlinear dynamics although he has made seminal contributions to many branches of engineering, including those in solid and fluid mechanics, and nonlinear dynamics. He is an eminent researcher and has directed over 25 million dollars in basic engineering research. Dr. Nayfeh has developed a novel wave envelope method to analyze acoustic waves in aircraft engine-duct systems; developed a new methodology for controlling ship motions, which is being used in the industrial design and evaluation of ships; developed a system for controlling the pendulation of military and commercial cranes, which is being implemented on container cranes and ship-mounted cranes for naval and commercial applications. His method of multiple scales is the method of choice for treating nonlinear vibration problems.

Professor Norman Dowling receives ASTM Fatigue Achievement Award

Sun, 14 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0500

ESM faculty member Professor Norman Dowling recently received the prestigious "Fatigue Achievement Award" from the Committee EOS on Fatigue and Fracture of ASTM International. The award was presented to Dr. Dowling for his "outstanding and sustained contributions to the field of fatigue and materials". He received the ASTM Award of Merit and was named as a Fellow of that society in 1990.

Performance Associates Faculty Fellows Program

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0500

ESM is pleased to announce the Performance Associates Faculty Fellows Program that has been made possible through a generous gift from benefactors Pat and Nancy Artis. The Fellows will be appointed for a semester and provided support to develop a new interdisciplinary research program that anticipates emerging technologies. Each Fellow will be required to collaborate with another Virginia Tech faculty member outside of ESM and will be selected in part on the basis of a novel research proposal. The gift also makes it possible to invite prominent seminar speakers and short-course instructors who will address emerging research areas. The motivation of the program is for ESM faculty (including affiliates) to be able to sustain innovation and bridge their research towards emerging technologies.

Ziyad Masoud named VT Scholar of the Week by the Vice President of Research

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0500

Dr. Ziyad Masoud was named VT Scholar of the Week (on November 1, 2004) by the Virginia Tech Vice President of Research for his invention of a control system to reduce cargo sway on commercial and ship-mounted cranes.

Paper by ESM Professor Ron Kriz profiled as Editor's Selection in the journal Mechanics (Volume 33, No. 9-10)

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0400

The article "Experiences in Teaching Multi-scale Material Modeling: From Nano- to Macro-scale" discusses modules for teaching multi-scale modeling of materials behavior. This project used existing Web-based commercial software and created a new user friendly Web-based Java interface that allowed simulations to be submitted to remote computers which were better suited to handle the larger simulation models. The modules are extensible to otherclasses taught in ESM. The image shown is a CAVE simulation view of a fourth-order stiffness tensor wave-surface glyph representation of a special crystal class symmetry for orthorhombic symmetry, where the longitudinal and both transverse wave surfaces are connected into a single surface.

Professor Ali Nayfeh appointed member of the Scientific Committee of The IUTAM Symposium on Dynamics and Control of Nonlinear Systems with Uncertainty

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0400

Due to his "great contributions to the nonlinear dynamics and control", Professor Ali Nayfeh has been appointed as a member of the Scientific Committee of The IUTAM Symposium on Dynamics and Control of Nonlinear Systems with Uncertainty by the Secretary-General of IUTAM. The Symposium will be held in Nanjing, China from September 18 to September 22 2006.

Professor Romesh Batra honored by Nanjing University of Science and Technology

Tue, 14 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0400

On September 1, 2004, the President of the Nanjing University of Science and Technology (NUST) appointed Romesh Batra as an Honorary Professor of NUST. The university had a banner reading "The NUST warmly welcomes Dr. Romesh C. Batra of VT"at the main entrance to its campus on that day. After the award ceremony, Dr. Batra gave a ninety minute lecture on Material Failure at High Strain Rates. NUST was founded in 1953, and it is one of the national key universities of China. It has nine schools with 3,000 plus faculty members and an enrollment of 25,000 students including 4,000 graduate students.

Professor Harry Dankowicz of ESM wins 2003 Presidential Early Career Award

Fri, 10 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0400

The White House announced the recipients of the 2003 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the nation's highest honor for professionals at the outset of their independent research careers, on September 9, 2004. We are very pleased and proud that Professor Harry Dankowicz of ESM was one of the recipients. His research continues in the strong scholarly traditions of our department.

Fifty-seven researchers were honored this year. The Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, established in 1996, honors the most promising beginning researchers in the nation within their fields. Further details of the awards and the ceremony are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/09/20040909-9.html. Watch the PECASE 2003 Award Ceremony held at the White House Executive Office Building on September 9, 2004.

Wind Engineering Efforts at Virginia Tech

Wed, 08 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0400

The recent weather in the Southeast United States, particularly Florida, has revealed once again that destructive wind storms, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, pose a dangerous threat to human lives and are an enormous drain on the economy. Low-rise buildings, including residential, institutional, and commercial structures are most vulnerable and carry the brunt of the damage and losses from extreme wind.

The group has been a part of Hurricane Loss Reduction Consortium that was funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Their objective is to provide a full computational platform to calculate wind loads and structural capacities of low-rise buildings. This objective is complemented with experimental and analytical validation. Their efforts are also a part of the recently-established Center of Extreme Load Effects on Structures under the ICTAS initiative.

Artis' Become Major Benefactors to Engineering Science and Mechanics

Wed, 01 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0400

Artis' Become Major Benefactors to Engineering Science and Mechanics with $5.5 million Bequest. Pat(1972 ESM) and Nancy Artis started their own company, Performance Associates, Inc., (PAI) in 1986, that covers a huge niche in the complex world of information technology. Photo left ot right: Doris Smith, Pat Artis, Bill Smith and Nancy Artis. To read the press release, click here.

Trip Recovery, Muscle Strength and Older Adults

Tue, 31 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0400

ESM faculty member Dr. Michael Madigan (http://www.biomechanics.esm.vt.edu/) was recently awarded a grant to examine the role of muscle strength in trip recovery of older adults. The loss of muscle strength with aging is commonly linked to the increase in fall rates in older adults. However, the biomechanical mechanism by which decreased muscle strenth contributes to falls is unclear. Dr. Madigan's two-year project from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (part of the Center for Disease Control) will attempt to identify this mechanism. These results could be used to improve strength training regimens for older adults and decrease the number of injurious falls.

Self Assembly of Three-dimensional Mesoscopic Structures

Tue, 31 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0400

ESM faculty and researchers have developed a novel technique for the self assembly of three-dimensional mesoscopic structures by employing magnetic fields in flows with magnetic liquids (or ferrofluids). Unlike many other forces, a magnetic force is effective even from a distance, permitting action at a distance and it is localized. The competition between the magnetic force and fluid flow enables unique self assembled ferrofluid structures. The group has assembled colloidal nanoparticles into aggregates with well-controlled sizes and shapes. They have created permanent structures with a fast cure silicone elastomer. Their results provide a basis for developing effective self assembly techniques for various engineering applications.

Another Textbook from ESM

Mon, 30 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0400

The latest addition to a distinguished collection of textbooks authored by ESM faculty over the years is by Professor Harry Dankowicz. His textbook -- Multibody Mechanics and Visualization -- published by Springer Verlag is being used for the similarly named ESM 4124 engineering science elective for electrical and computer engineers. Dr. Dankowicz designed it to appeal to computer-savvy students who are also able to acquire significant skills in mathematical and physical modelling of mechanical systems during the process of producing attractive computer simulations and animations.

Supported in the text is a simulation and animation application MAMBO (available as freeware from http://www.esm.vt.edu/~danko/Mambo). In contrast with existing commercially available educational software tools, MAMBO requires detailed input from the user in order to define the specific geometry of a mechanism as well as the differential equations governing its behavior. Consequently, according to Dr. Dankowicz, "MAMBO allows a student to understand the implications of decisions made throughout the modeling process, check her mathematical analyses, and to truly enjoy the fruit of her labor!".

Carbon Nanotube Mechanics & Composites: Development of Engineering Models from Molecular Mechanics

Thu, 20 May 2004 00:00:00 -0400

To realize the excellent structural applications potential of carbon nanotubes, it is important to characterize their material response. Molecular mechanics simulations offer advantages over physical testing due to their cost effectiveness, versatility and precision. Molecular mechanics models of tension, torsion, bending and buckling were used to create and verify traditional engineering continuum models. Examples of molecular mechanics and finite element model wall buckling shapes are shown for two multi-walled nanotubes.

One possible application of nanotubes is as fibrous reinforcement for polymer composites. A molecular mechanics model of a single walled nanotube embedded in a matrix of entangled polymer strands is shown. The strands were placed using a random walk technique and relaxed to the positions shown. The effect of fiber waviness on the composite stiffness will be studied. Equivalent continuum models will be developed from these results to help predict the composite properties.

Faculty Award

Thu, 01 Apr 2004 00:00:00 -0500

L. Glenn Kraige has been awarded the W. "Pete" White Chair for "Innovation in Engineering Education for generating new interest in the teaching of engineering and in improving the learning process."

Development of a Strength and Life Prediction for a Composite Bridge Girder

Wed, 04 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Fiber-reinforced polymeric (FRP) composites are finding increasing use in the areas of civil infrastructure and construction. Specifically, composites are being considered for structural elements in bridge construction as lighter, more durable alternatives to steel and concrete. However, the durability of FRP materials in critical, load-bearing structures under the influence of varied environmental factors is uncertain. The current study is motivated by the need to understand and predict the performance of a particular structural member that has been developed for the infrastructure market.

Analysis of Fluid-Stent Interaction Via Digital Particle Image Velocimetry

Tue, 03 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

Vascular stents are commonly used as a scaffold to hold arteries open after angioplasty. The clinical use of stents has also extended to treatment of cerebral aneurysms and as a graft anchor for endoluminal treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. In spite of the clinical success of stents, very little quantitative data exist on how stent structure influences blood flow patterns. Once in place, stents alter the mechanical and geometrical properties of the arterial tree. Such alterations represent an impedance mismatch between stent and unstented vessel. These changes appear to have a profound influence on pressure and flow wave interaction. These alterations may play a role in flow mediated stent failure.

ESM Graduate Student Receives National Award

Mon, 02 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

The P.E.O. Sisterhood is a philanthropic, educational organization committed to encouraging increased opportunities for higher education for women. Founded in 1869, the organization has grown to its current membership of over 252,000 women in the US and Canada. The sisterhood sponsors a national P.E.O. Scholar Award. For eligibility, the applicant must be nominated by the local P.E.O. chapter and be a US citizen or Canadian. The applicant must also be within two years of completing her academic program and must have at least one full academic year of work remaining. Selection criteria involve scholarly excellence, qualifications of applicant, recommendations, and potential of applicant to make a significant contribution to her field.

Senior Design Award

Sun, 01 Jun 2003 00:00:00 -0400

This year two students received the award for best senior design project. Both Ian Blanford and David Wadden were awarded the Dan Pletta Award for their project titled "Improved Stent Design Through Finite Element Analysis." The Howard Sword Award, which is often given for best computational design project, was not awarded this year.