College of Engineering
Message from the Dean
It is my privilege to present to you the annual report for the University of North Texas College of Engineering. As the newest college of engineering in North Texas, we are optimistic about our ability to develop as an outstanding institution for innovation and excellence in teaching, research and service. These goals are being achieved through commitment, both in expanding our existing programs and developing new avenues of opportunity. This commitment can be seen in the additions to our faculty, the support provided to current faculty to reach new milestones in their careers, the encouragement students receive to realize their academic potential, and the expanding relationships with industry. When it comes to innovative research and excellence in teaching, the College’s faculty is up to the challenge. Faculty members have received research funding from a variety of government and nonprofit institutions including the NSF, NIH and the Army Research Office. They are conducting research in areas such as methods to extend the service life of thermoelectric devices and a computational framework for assessing the feasibility of bio-emergency response plans – as well as projects that will advance education methodologies and curricula. Additionally, faculty members are receiving prestigious awards such as the PECASE, CAREER award and the Timoshenko Medal. Along with congratulating current faculty on their achievements, we welcome the new additions who bring knowledge and experience that will enhance key research areas such as alternative energy and multi-scale surface science and engineering. We also are adding and renovating lab space that will not only better equip our faculty and student researchers but also play a role in UNT’s strategic plan in expanding research and economic development.
Editor: Angela Nelson Contributors: Costas Tsatsoulis, Dean Jonathan Reynolds, Senior Photographer, University Relations, Communications & Marketing Jim Byford, Computer Systems Manager, College of Engineering
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We also are proud of our students, who are making their own contributions to research and receiving recognition from institutions such as NASA and Fulbright for their academic hard work. Their dedication to engineering also is being carried out outside the classroom through participating in community outreach events such as UNT’s Materials Camp and Engineers Week activities. These events and others including Texas Governor’s School, Robocamp and Xbox Game Camp are helping us reach out to encourage middle and high school students to consider engineering as their career of choice. Last, but not least, we thank our alumni and industry partners in their continued support of our programs and students. This has been an exciting year to report on, and I am looking to the future opportunities that are in store for the College. — Dr. Costas Tsatsoulis
This report is published annually by the College of Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2011 by the College. Periodicals postage paid at Denton, TX. Postmaster: Send change of address information and blocks of undeliverable copies to University of North Texas, College of Engineering, 1155 Union Circle #310440, Denton, TX 76203-5017.
Table of Contents FEATURES CAREER Award............................................................................ page 4 Student Research......................................................................... page 6 Summer Learning...................................................................... page 10
DEPARTMENTS Department of Computer Science and Engineering.................... page 12 Department of Electrical Engineering......................................... page 14 Department of Engineering Technology...................................... page 16 Department of Materials Science and Engineering...................... page 18 Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering................... page 20
CENG AT A GLANCE Faculty....................................................................................... page 22 Statistics.................................................................................... page 29 Sponsors.................................................................................... page 31 3
CAREER Award New research studying cold-formed steel and its applications as a construction material could make buildings more structurally sound and less susceptible to damage brought by natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
Photo/Jonathan Reynolds UNT/URCM
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D
r. Cheng Yu, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Technology and program coordinator for the construction engineering technology program at the University of North Texas, will conduct a five-year research project to study the design of cold-formed steel shear walls and to develop highperformance structures. The project will seek to study the behavior and performance of cold-formed steel shear walls as lateral force resisting systems, which are composed of braced or shear panels in wood or steel. Dr. Yu has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award, which is the most prestigious offered by the NSF for young researchers. The grant supports early career development activities of educators who effectively integrate research and education within the context of the missions of their organizations. Dr. Yu is the sixth professor at UNT to win the CAREER award. Previous UNT award winners include Dr. Rada Mihalcea (Computer Science and Engineering) and Dr. Srinivasan Srivilliputhur (Materials Science and Engineering).
The study also would design a testing method to measure how the walls are able to withstand combined loading conditions in mid- to low-rise buildings where the horizontal loads and vertical loads are applied to the building simultaneously, such as in an earthquake or hurricane. Dr. Yu’s project also will study how cold-formed steel, which is known to be recyclable and provide better fire resistance compared to wood, could improve methods for safer and more economical design for building structures and provide better tools for engineers. A team of undergraduate and graduate research assistants will assist Dr. Yu with the project. The educational component to Dr. Yu’s work involves developing a course curriculum, associated lab manual and textbook with the latest design theories for use by students, educators and professionals. The American Iron and Steel Institute’s Seismic Code Team is partnering with Dr. Yu and researchers with Johns Hopkins University on two separate research projects that will advance the seismic design of coldformed steel for light-frame construction.
“The use of cold-formed steel shear walls as a structural system is very underdeveloped in terms of design theory, and this project will try to develop a reliable design approach to accurately predict its behavior under earthquakes and strong winds.”— Dr. Yu
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Student Research & Projects F
rom polymers to unmanned aerial vehicles, UNT offers undergraduate and graduate students a wide variety of research and projects that help them to develop their knowledge as well as build their communication, teamwork and leadership skills.
Thermoelectric Devices Research being conducted at UNT could result in waste heat recovery innovations for applications such as replacing Freon used in refrigerators and using wasted heat from automobile exhaust to provide cooling inside the car. The II-VI Foundation awarded a gift to UNT’s Laboratory of Advanced Polymers & Optimized Materials (LAPOM), Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Physics. The gift was for a project titled “Polymeric Sealants for Improvement of Effectiveness of Electric Power Generation.” The agreement was signed by (seated left to right in photo) Dr. Witold Brostow (Director of LAPOM), Dean of Engineering Costas Tsatsoulis, and Dr. Carl J. Johnson, chairman of the II-VI Foundation. UNT is among 17 universities that were awarded funding for their research for the 2010-2011 year.
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Project A senior design project by students in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering was featured during the Seventh Annual University Scholars Day on April 15. Hosted by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Honors College, the event celebrates the work of undergraduate researchers at UNT. The project involved designing and building an unmanned aerial vehicle for the purpose of photography and surveillance at a much lower cost than the current industry standard. “Senior design is one of the key parts for the innovative design- and project-oriented electrical engineering curriculum. I am impressed with the quality of their work and the professional performance during both presentation and poster sessions,” said Dr. Shengli Fu, Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering. Jennifer Williams, one of the students who worked on the project, said that the team received outstanding publicity and support from the Honors College and the Department of Undergraduate Research, including being provided with funding for an enrichment activity — a day trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston in May. The students’ research also was featured in The Eagle Feather, A Journal of Undergraduate Research sponsored by the Honors College at the University of North Texas.
(Top) Students discuss the findings of their unmanned aerial vehicle project (Insert) during Senior Design Day.
Students Receive International Scholarships Two Engineering graduate students — Rajitha Peesari and Swetha Adama — were recognized for their academic achievements with the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) International Peace Scholarship. Peesari and Adama are Computer Engineering students and friends (Peesari’s specialization is Computer Networks, and Adama’s is Network Security). Each was awarded a scholarship to help subsidize the cost of their education. P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization for women with almost 250,000 members in chapters in the United States and Canada.
Graduate Scholarship Electrical Engineering master’s student Jyothy Melaedavattil Jaganathan, who works as a research assistant with Dr. Gayatri Mehta, received a scholarship from RIM. Her areas of research are reconfigurable computing and FPGA implementation. Her expected graduation is Spring 2012.
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Transportation Scholarship Awarded Yiwen Wan, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, recently was presented the Wanda J. Shafer Graduate Scholarship at a meeting of the local chapter of WTS (Women in Transportation Seminar). The Wanda J. Shafer Graduate Scholarship was established in 2002 in honor of the first chapter president of the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter. Wan is currently working in the Computer Vision Lab. Under the guidance and instructions of Drs. Yan Huang and Bill Buckles, she and Ning Luo have been cooperating on a project sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation. Wan’s research interests are image processing, computer vision, pattern recognition and data mining. In the future Wan hopes to contribute to the progress of intelligent transportation systems and security surveillance systems to help build safer and smarter cities. Wan is grateful that her group has made great progress on the project.
2nd
North Texas Inter-University Materials Science and Engineering Symposium
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In April, a group of students from the UNT Material Science and Engineering (MTSE) Department participated in the 2nd North Texas InterUniversity Materials Science and Engineering Symposium at UT Arlington. The symposium was organized by UT Arlington and sponsored by the American Society of Metals (ASM) International. Five graduate students from UNT presented their research at the symposium together with fellow students from UT Dallas, SMU, and the host UT Arlington. Ye Xiang, a Ph.D. student in the MTSE program, won the third prize of the symposium. Shailesh Vidhate, Niraj Gupta, Shravan Katakam, and Shivraj Karewar presented at the symposium. Photo shows the five participants, Dr. Srinivasan Srivilliputhur, Dr. Jincheng Du, and members of the Material Advantage UNT chapter after the symposium.
Construction Scholarship Recipient
Energy Audit Kits
CNET (Construction Engineering Technology program) student Javier Altamirano recently won a TEXO Education Foundation scholarship and received his award during the 2011 ASC/TEXO Region V Student Competition Awards Dinner in Dallas. He was in one of the UNT teams at the competition. He is a senior for the 2011-2012 school year and expects to graduate in December 2012. His plans after graduation are to work for a company in the construction industry and eventually pursue a master’s degree in construction management. “Javier is one of the outstanding students in the CNET program. His TEXO award reflects on his hard work and commitment to the career path he has chosen. We certainly appreciate the support from the industry,” said Dr. Cheng Yu, assistant professor in the Department of Engineering Technology. TEXO is the largest commercial contractors association in Texas and one of the largest affiliated with the national Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) and The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). The TEXO Foundation raises money throughout the year through the support of TEXO members. Much of these funds raised are for use in supporting the Region V universities and students.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and AirConditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently awarded a grant for a senior design project titled “Harvesting Built Environments for Global and Accessible Modular Energy Audit Training.” The UNT project involves the development of an economical building energy auditing kit for a senior design project. The team has made site visits to Preston Tower in Dallas, which is a high-rise residential building the students intend to audit to improve its energy efficiency. One of the team’s important initial findings is that the windows of Preston Tower were installed almost 40 years ago, and the weather stripping and seals have degraded to a point where the building envelope is no longer sealed tight. The conventional method to evaluate infiltration is called a “Blower Door Test,” which sucks the air out of a room, dropping the internal room pressure about 50 Pascals below ambient. The test protocol assumes that the building envelope is tight enough to establish a measurable 50 Pa pressure difference. However, some buildings are so poorly sealed that the initial 50 Pa pressure difference required to perform a Blower Door Test cannot be achieved. Anticipating this case might be true for Preston Tower, the students devised a new Blower Door Test protocol. The students recently took delivery of a blower door from Infiltec using funds from ASHRAE. They have already used this new piece of building energy audit equipment to test their new protocol.
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Summer Learning Talented middle and high school students, as well as undergrads, explore engineering educational opportunities.
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n 2010, the College of Engineering expanded its summer offerings through Robocamp and the introduction of two programs that were well received by participants.
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From left: Participants of Materials Camp, Texas Governor’s School, and SUPER. Below on previous page: Robocamp student.
The College of Engineering initiated the Robocamp for Girls program in the summer of 2005 and has since expanded the camps to include Robocamp for Boys and co-ed Xbox Game Development Camps. The College also hosted three Robocamp Jumpstart camps for 7th and 8th grade girls at Lake Dallas, Krum and CarrolltonFarmers Branch Independent School Districts. Robocamp features a mix of engineering design, programming, and robotics activities. Campers build robots and put them through a set of tasks. Debuting last year, SUPER (Summer Undergraduate Program in Engineering Research) offered to qualified undergraduates from throughout the country the opportunity to conduct research projects for eight weeks. SUPER is oriented towards students who have completed at least two years of study in Computer Science,
Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Materials Science and Engineering with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher at the end of the previous fall semester. Also making its debut in 2010 is ASM Materials Camp, which allowed high school students to explore the world of materials engineering and nanotechnology. Materials Camp offered participants various opportunities that included studying microchips and other materials using sophisticated microscopes and computers, heating materials to thousands of degrees or cooling them with liquid nitrogen, and melting and making materials using lasers, plasmas, and furnaces. The Texas Governor’s School is a free, three-week intensive summer educational program, open to all qualified resident Texas students who have completed 10th grade. This
program focuses on enriching and developing a student’s abilities in science and technology as well as exploring the impacts of these fields on past, present, and future societies. This is the fourth year UNT has hosted the Texas Governor’s School. The program is funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Exxon Mobil Foundation. Through these programs, the College is able to inspire youth to pursue STEM-related disciplines or encourage those already on the path to pursue their educational goals. Participants had the chance to make friends with other students from Texas and other states, gain confidence in their abilities to accomplish research tasks, and expand their knowledge in a fun environment — while learning about undergraduate and graduate research opportunities at UNT.
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Department
of Computer Science and Engineering
BIJECTIVE DATA SUBJECT OF NSF GRANT The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant to Dr. Paul Tarau, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. His project, “A Framework for Bijective Data Transformations,” is about structuring equivalences between a relatively small number of universal data types used as basic building blocks in programming languages and a few well tested mathematical abstractions as bijective data type transformations connecting computational objects widely used by computer scientists and mathematicians, like sequences, sets, trees, logic circuits, and graphs. An implementation of these transformations will be built in the form of an open source Data Transformation Library.
GAME DESIGN PROGRAM RANKS IN TOP 50
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering provides high quality educational programs that allow the student to find their own balance between the theoretical and the applied, and between software and hardware. 12
In 2010, the University of North Texas was ranked in the top 50 out of 500 game design programs in North America by the Princeton Review, known for the GRE exam and its annual college “Bests” lists. UNT was one of the first public universities in the United States to offer game programming in 1993, and launched a game programming certificate in 2008. More than 50 alumni have joined the game industry, garnering 245 credits on 143 commercial games, including every game in the Call of Duty franchise. Three alumni have started their own game development companies, three have written game programming books, and two are college professors who teach game programming. The Princeton Review surveyed 500 schools before arriving at its top 50 with game design studies. Programs were evaluated on several criteria: curriculum, faculty, facilities, infrastructure, career opportunities for students and graduates, and scholarships and financial aid. GamePro magazine, which worked with the Princeton Review, published the list in its April 2010 issue. More information on the UNT program can be found at http://larc.unt.edu.
PROFESSOR SELECTED FOR NIH GRANT
RESEARCHER RECEIVES NSF FUNDING FOR GEO-STREAM PROCESSING STUDY
Dr. Armin R. Mikler is the principal investigator of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stimulus grant. Dr. Mikler and his Co-PI, Dr. Chetan Tiwari, Geography assistant professor, received the award for their project, A Computational Framework for Assessing the Feasibility of BioEmergency Response Plans, which will develop a response plan based on the establishment and placement of service clinics in a given region. The clinics serve as points of dispensing (PODs) in emergency scenarios. The professors were among 400 university researchers nationwide chosen for the prestigious NIH stimulus grant. There were 40,000 applicants for funds.
Dr. Yan Huang is the principal investigator for a National Science Foundation funded research project titled “III: Small: AegisDB: Integrated Real-Time Geo-Stream Processing and Monitoring System: A Data-Type-Based Approach.” This project will contribute to the field of geo-stream processing. Specifically, an integrated realtime geo-stream processing and monitoring system called AegisDB will be built, and the research environment and results will be leveraged to stimulate learning at the K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels. The AegisDB system includes a Geo-Stream Algebra, which uses a data-type-based approach as opposed to a traditional tuple-based approach for representing and querying geostreams.
PROFESSOR RECEIVES WHITE HOUSE RECOGNITION Dr. Rada Mihalcea (second row, to the left in the photo) was among the 100 university researchers in 2010 to earn the recognition from the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor a beginning scientist or engineer can receive in the United States. Dr. Mihalcea was recommended for the award by the National Science Foundation, which honored her with a CAREER award in 2008. Mihalcea’s research focuses on the semantic interpretation of text for languageprocessing applications. Rather than using just one resource to model the meanings of words, she finds ways to combine several different monolingual and multilingual lexical resources.
Photo/Jonathan Reynolds UNT/URCM
Photo/Jonathan Reynolds UNT/URCM
Photo/Jonathan Reynolds UNT/URCM
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PROGRAM GETS ABET ACCREDITATION The College of Engineering is proud to announce that the Bachelor of Science Program in Electrical Engineering at UNT is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012.
IEEE REGION 5 COMPETITION HELD AT DISCOVERY PARK
Department Electrical Engineering
of Photo/Jonathan Reynolds UNT/URCM
UNT’s Electrical Engineering Department works to combine hands-on research, engaging faculty and top of the line facilities to provide students with the best education possible. The department focuses on active learning and “learning to learn,” integrates business approaches relevant to engineering in the curriculum, and partners with industry in teaching project-oriented laboratories. 14
The College of Engineering welcomed teams of students who came to compete in last year’s Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Region 5 Student Circuit Design Competition. The competition was part of the IEEE Region 5 Annual Business Meeting, which was held in Grapevine, Texas. The contest took place at the Electrical Engineering Department’s Projects Laboratory, and UNT was represented by Jeremy Llewellyn (photo) and Todd Crocker.
FIRST PH.D. RECIPIENTS DIRECTED BY EE FACULTY The Department of Electrical Engineering offers its best wishes to its first two Ph.D. recipients directed by an EE faculty: Jue Yang and Ning “Martin” Xu. Yang (in lower left photo with his co-major professor, Dr. Xinrong Li), the first Ph.D. recipient directed by an EE faculty at UNT, defended his dissertation last year on “Design and Implementation of Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks for Environmental Monitoring Applications.” Xu (lower right photo, whose co-major professor was Dr. Shengli Fu), defended his dissertation this spring on “Physical-Layer Network Coding for MIMO Systems.”
RESEARCHER RECEIVES EAGER AWARD, OTHER GRANTS
NASA SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT FIRST TO GRADUATE FROM DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM
Dr. Yan Wan recently has received two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants and one MITRE contract. Yan received a NSF EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) award for her study on automated adaptation of infrastructure network dynamics. A NSF Cyber-Physical Systems grant is to support the research “Dynamical-Network Evaluation and Design Tools for Strategic-to-Tactical Air Traffic Flow Management.” The MITRE contract, for the research on “Decision-Support under Weather Uncertainty in Strategic Traffic Flow Management,” has original support from the Federal Aviation Administration as subcontract through the MITRE Corporation as part of a flow contingency management project.
Katie Schniebs is the first student to graduate from a degree program allowing students to earn a bachelor’s in mathematics from Texas Woman’s University (TWU) and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of North Texas. The dual degree program, which began in 2007, allows students to attend both UNT and TWU, and simultaneously earn bachelor’s degrees from both schools. Schniebs earned bachelor’s degrees from both UNT and TWU this spring. Her plans are to pursue a master’s degree in an electrical engineering field. Schniebs was one of 20 students nationwide to win a scholarship from NASA’s Aeronautics Scholarship Program in 2010. As a summer intern, she conducted research in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center. The scholarship program aims to advance the nation’s aeronautics enterprise by investing in the country’s educational development and to provide opportunities to college students in aeronautics or related fields.
UNT TEAM WORKS ON ROBOT COMMUNICATIONS NASA needs new photos of the surface of Mars, so it sends a request to a group of robots stationed on the planet. The robots communicate with each other to select and execute the best strategy to accomplish the task. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Kamesh Namuduri, an associate professor, is programming robots to communicate with each other, make decisions and retain knowledge obtained by other robots. The research could help NASA collect unprecedented data on the moon, Mars and space. The UNT researchers work in the Autonomous Systems Laboratory.
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Photo/Jonathan Reynolds UNT/URCM
Department Engineering Technology
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The Department of Engineering Technology prepares students to be productive leaders and technology innovators in a global society. The department’s faculty strives to achieve the highest quality in the design and delivery of the programs. The department has strong ties with local industry, government agencies, alumni and the community. Departmental programs emphasize applied theoretical concepts, innovation and business processes. Classes consist of coordinated laboratory experiences and lectures. 16
PROFESSORS CONDUCT NANOELECTRONICS RESEARCH, ESTABLISH NEW SYMPOSIUM The NanoSystem Design Laboratory, directed by Dr. Saraju Mohanty (Computer Science and Engineering) and co-directed by Dr. Elias Kougianos (Engineering Technology), currently has three National Science Foundation (NSF) funded projects and one Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) funded project to advance research, education, and outreach in nanoelectronics. The projects are being jointly investigated by Dr. Mohanty and Dr. Kougianos. The NSF project, titled “Infrastructure Acquisition for Statistical Power, Leakage, and Timing Modeling Towards Realization of Robust Complex Nanoelectronic Circuits,” started in 2009 and will conclude in 2012. Another NSF grant titled “Introduction of Nanoelectronics Courses in Undergraduate Computer Science and Computer Engineering Curricula,” spanning the time period 2010-2013, supports nanoelectronics educational research. It will be used to advance nanoelectronics education methodologies and curricula. A SRC project, titled “Fast PVT-Tolerant Physical Design of RF IC Components,” studies the effect of temperature on Radio Frequency circuits. In order to increase the international visibility of UNT and to provide a continuous platform for quality student recruitment, Dr. Mohanty and Dr. Kougianos have established a new symposium, the International Symposium of Electronic System Design.
PROJECT TO AID DESIGN CYCLE OF MILITARY ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS Dr. Haifeng Zhang received a grant from the Army Research Office for a project titled “Integrated Analysis of Piezoelectric Resonators as Components of Electronic Systems.” As essential components of military electronics systems, crystal resonators are always in need of improvement with respect to new materials and/or new designs. This project aims to establish a comprehensive research program that combines modeling with experimental research.
ALUMNI’S PROJECT EARN INDUSTRY AWARD Recaro won two Crystal Cabin Awards this year, one of which was for “Passenger Comfort” with the Air New Zealand Skycouch. The Crystal Cabin Award is a prestigious industry award for excellence in aircraft interiors. Steven Cook (ETEC 2005) and Tyler DeLaCerda (ETEC 2003–in the photo on the right) were responsible for the completion of the project. DeLaCerda and Cook also received MBAs from UNT. DeLaCerda’s position on the project was program manager, and Cook was the project engineer.
PLAYHOUSES HELP BENEFIT COMMUNITY In their entry-level coursework, Construction Engineering Technology students build playhouses, which helps them get hands-on experience with construction methods and materials before moving on to more specialized courses in the program. Additionally, the houses give the program and students an opportunity to give something to the community. The house on the right is for the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation and will be raffled at the North Texas State Fair in Denton in August. The houses are 6 feet x 6 feet and about 7 feet tall, and are built with treated plywood floors and sides, 30 year roof shingles, R 13 insulation, and 50 year LP Smart Siding.
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Department
of Materials Science and Engineering RESEARCHERS DISCOVER PROCESS TO STRENGTHEN PLASTIC Researchers in the Laboratory for Advanced Polymers & Optimized Materials (LAPOM) discovered a process that allows manufacturers to produce stronger plastics at lower temperatures, resulting in energy savings and improved production efficiency. The research team, including Dr. Witold Brostow (in photo to the right), director of LAPOM and primary investigator on the project, found that by grafting the filler Boehmite with another agent, the researchers were able to improve the adhesion of the filler to molten plastics.
NSF GRANT FOR LASER SURFACE ENGINEERING
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering helps students prepare for the educational and technological challenges of the 21st century. Students are educated about the creation, application and characterization of new materials for manufacturing products. The department has strong collaborative programs with other universities and industries worldwide. 18
Department of Materials Science and Engineering Chair Dr. Narendra Dahotre (principal investigator, top left photo), in collaboration with Dr. Sandip Harimkar (Co-PI) of Oklahoma State University, has received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation titled, “Collaborative Research: Composite Surfacing of Amorphous Materials by Laser Interference.� The primary objective of this research proposal is to develop a new class of laser surface engineered amorphous materials characterized by enhanced ductility. The enhancement of the ductility of such amorphous materials is expected due to the formation of an array of periodic lines or spots of modified regions on the surface of the amorphous material by laser interference nanopatterning. Altering the microstructure of metallic glasses so they can be used in commercial applications is the goal of the project. Possible applications for the new class of metallic glasses include replacing steel cores in electric transformers with the metallic glasses for higher efficiencies. The proposal provides an opportunity for graduate students to work on a novel processing method and advanced material.
PROFESSOR DEVELOPING INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIPS
PROFESSOR TO RECEIVE TIMOSHENKO MEDAL
Dr. Peter Collins has engaged with key industrial partners, including, among others, Carpenter Technology and ATI Allvac. These two companies are among those that produce advanced titaniumbased aerospace alloys, and are each seeking solutions to very specific problems regarding microstructureproperty relationships. Collins and his research team are applying state-of-the-art characterization (such as orientation microscopy) to provide fundamental science on these titanium-based systems. Currently, these two companies have committed to financially support the project over the next year. Collins plans on continuing to develop a strong industrial partnership program, and is seeking to develop programs with aerospace companies, forging companies, and semiconductor companies.
Dr. Alan Needleman has been selected to receive the 2011 Timoshenko Medal — widely regarded as the highest international award in the field of applied mechanics — from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The Timoshenko Medal was established in 1957 and is conferred in recognition of distinguished contributions to the field of applied mechanics. Instituted by ASME’s Applied Mechanics Division, the award honors Stephen P. Timoshenko, world-renowned authority in the field. The Timoshenko Medalist delivers a non-technical lecture at the Applied Mechanics Dinner at the ASME winter annual meeting. Needleman’s honors include election to the National Academy of Engineering, the Prager Medal awarded by the Society of Engineering Science, and the Drucker Medal.
RESEARCHERS BEGIN LUBRICANT STUDY Drs. Thomas Scharf (principal investigator and in the above photo) and Jincheng Du (co-PI and in the lower photo) are working on a project, funded by a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation, that seeks to understand the mechanisms of how defect structure in ceramic coatings (transition metal oxides and in situ formed carbides) determines the thermal/oxidative and friction/wear properties. Scharf also is working on a project that focuses on identifying and characterizing novel high temperature solid lubricant composite coatings for jet engine parts that wear prematurely limiting aircraft performance.
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WORK TO BEGIN ON ZERO ENERGY LAB
Department
of Mechanical and Energy Engineering Photo/Jonathan Reynolds UNT/URCM
The Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at UNT is committed to providing outstanding and innovative programs to students. Professors integrate the fundamentals of mechanical engineering with interdisciplinary, modern applications.
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The UNT Zero Energy Research Lab will be a permanent state-of-the-art 1,200 square foot research facility with a main utility core, a bathroom with a shower, a small kitchen with refrigerator, open flexible work/laboratory space, and an attached covered loading/ work shop area. The project will be located at UNT’s Discovery Park. Students and faculty will use the lab as a testing ground for present and future sustainable technologies, such as structure integrated insulation, building integrated solar panels, energy efficient windows, energy storage and energy monitoring systems for smart grid, as well as the energy efficiency strategies involving user behaviors and social impacts. It will contribute to the global education and research infrastructure for collaborative initiatives in sustainable buildings. Initially, the facility will be powered by solar energy and wind power and will be expanded to include other alternative energy sources to allow a wide range of zero-energy building research.
NEW CHAIR BRINGS MORE THAN 20 YEARS OF ENERGY RESEARCH, TEACHING EXPERIENCE Internationally known researcher Dr. Yong X. Tao has joined the University of North Texas as chair of the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, director of the PACCAR Technology Institute and PACCAR Professor of Engineering. With more than 20 years of research and 17 years of teaching and administrative experience, Tao brings his expertise in thermal sciences, refrigeration system performance, alternative energy, multiscale computational engineering, and renewable energy applications in buildings to UNT. Tao has received more than $12.2 million in research funding for multidisciplinary teamwork projects from the National Science Foundation, NASA, U.S. Air Force, Department of Energy and various industries. Tao is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering, has served on many technical committees, and assists in the editing process for several technical journals in his research field. He holds two patents and has published his research in more than 154 professional journals.
COLLEGE GAINS TWO NEW RESEARCH LABS
STUDENT AWARDED FULBRIGHT GRANT FOR CHILE STUDY
Construction has been completed on two new research labs of nearly 3,900 square feet. As part of the continuing expansion, the new research labs add to the current and future research lab space for faculty and graduate students to conduct research such as alternative energy, energy efficiency, nanotechnology, advanced manufacturing processes, and bioengineering. The labs, along with existing space, will give the recently established UNT Renewable Energy and Conservation research cluster a distinct advantage in advancing research.
Jared Fiorentine received a U.S. Student Fulbright Research Grant that will allow him to travel to Chile and participate in a project involving concentrated solar power systems (CSP). He will work with Dr. Humberto Vidal, professor of civil and mechanical engineering at the Universidad de Magallanes. By partnering with Dr. Vidal, he will participate in a Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica funded research project in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago titled “Net energy analysis of concentrated solar power in Chile: Applications to power generation in parabolic trough plants.” His participation in the project will begin in March 2012.
ASME NORTH TEXAS YOUNG ENGINEER AWARD Dr. Aleksadra Fortier, assistant professor, was recently honored for her achievements with the 201011 ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) North Texas Section Young Engineer of the Year. This award recognizes the recipient’s accomplishments and potential as a mechanical engineer with less than 10 years of work experience, with emphasis on service to the North Texas Section and participation in ASME activities. Dr. Fortier joined the UNT Engineering faculty in August 2010. Her research work has been published in several international journals such as Journal of Electronic Materials.
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UNT College of Engineering FACULTY Computer Science and Engineering ROBERT AKL, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Robert.Akl@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt.edu/~rakl Phone: (940) 565-2804 Research interests: • Wireless communication • Wireless sensors • Multi-cell network optimization • Channel coding
BILL BUCKLES, PH.D. Professor / Graduate Coordinator Email: bbuckles@cse.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~bbuckles Phone: (940) 565-4869 Research interests: • Image understanding and related problems in search, optimization, and pattern recognition
EBRU CANKAYA, PH.D. Lecturer Email: ecelikel@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~ecelikel Phone: (940) 565-2767 Research interests: • Database security and risk modeling • Security • Lossless text compression • Cryptology
RAM DANTU, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: rdantu@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~rdantu/ Phone: (940) 565-2822 Research interests: • Wireless networks • Network security
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QUNFENG DONG, PH.D.
Assistant Professor Email: Qunfeng.Dong@unt.edu Website: http://cas-bioinfo.cas.unt.edu/ group/index.html Phone: (940) 565-3598 Research interests: • Cloud computing for data-parallel health research • Bioinformatics tools • Bioinformatics and comparative genomics
SONG FU, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: song.fu@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~song/ Phone: (940) 565-2341 Research interests: • Highly dependable computer systems • Autonomic and reconfigurable systems • Power management and energyefficient systems • Cloud computing
RYAN GARLICK, PH.D. Principal Lecturer Email: garlick@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~garlick/ Phone: (940) 565-4173 Research interests: • Development for mobile devices • Meta-heuristics • Secure electronic commerce • Engineering pedagogy
MAHADEVAN GOMATHISANKARAN, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: mahadevan.gomathisankaran@ unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~mgomathi/ Phone: (940) 565-4864 Research interests: • Secure systems architecture • Cryptography • Low power VLSI
2010-2011 Academic Year
GARY GOODMAN, PH.D. Adjunct Email: Gary.Goodman@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~goodman/ Phone: (940) 565-2809 Academic interests: • Algorithms • Automata theory • Speech recognition • Mathematics
RICHARD GOODRUM Lecturer Email: Richard.Goodrum@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~rgoodrum Phone: (940) 891-6829 Research interests: • Concurrent flow (graph theory with applications in social networks)
YAN HUANG, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: huangyan@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~huangyan Phone: (940) 369-8353 Research interests: • Spatio-temporal databases and mining • Geo-stream data processing • Spatial data integration • Geographic information systems
KRISHNA KAVI, PH.D. Professor Email: kavi@cs.unt.edu Website: http://www.csrl.unt. edu/~kavi/ Phone: (940) 369-7216 Research interests: • Computer architecture • Memory systems • Cache memory • Program tracing tools
DAVID KEATHLY
SARAJU P. MOHANTY, PH.D.
DONALD A. RETZLAFF
Senior Lecturer Email: dkeathly@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~dkeathly/ Phone: (940) 565-4801 Research interests: • Computational Epidemiology and Life Sciences • Image processing and computer vision • Information visualization • Robotics control and embedded systems
Associate Professor Email: smohanty@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~smohanty/ Phone: (940) 565-3276 Research interests: • Power, leakage, and timing modeling and optimization for nanoscale VLSI circuits • Design and CAD for nanoscale digital and analog/mixed-signal circuits • VLSI architecture for multimedia processing
Principal Lecturer Email: donr@unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~donr Phone: (940) 565-2813 Areas of Expertise: • C/C++ programming • PHP programming
RADA MIHALCEA, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: rada@cs.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~rada/ Phone: (940) 369-7630 Research interests: • Natural language processing, information retrieval, and applied machine learning • Graph-based natural language processing • Multilingual natural language processing
ARMIN MIKLER, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: mikler@cse.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~mikler/ Phone: (940) 565-4279 Research interests: • Computational epidemiology (modeling/simulation of infectious disease outbreak) • Analysis and optimization of bioemergency response plans • Intelligent agents and multi-agent systems • Bio informatics, health informatics, environmental informatics
JUNGHWAN OH, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: jhoh@cse.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~jhoh Phone: (940) 369-7790 Research interests: • Medical image and video analysis • Video database management systems • Image database management systems
FARHAD SHAHROKHI, PH.D. Professor Email: farhad@cs.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~farhad/ Phone: (940) 565-2805 Areas of Expertise: • Combinatorial Optimization • Design and Analysis of Algorithms • Discrete and Computational Geometry • Graph Theory and Graph Algorithms
PHILIP H. SWEANY, PH.D.
Interim Chair Email: Ian@cs.unt.edu Website: http://www.eng.unt.edu/ian Phone: (940) 565-2845 Research interests: • Game development • Procedural content generation • Entertainment computing
Associate Professor Email: Sweany@cse.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~sweany/ Phone: (940) 369-7427 Research interests: • Code generation for multi-core and multithreaded architectures • Experimental evaluation of the level of thread parallelism that can be exploited in imperative programs • Code generation for instruction-level parallel architectures, • Efficient use of scratch-pad memory
ROBERT J. RENKA, PH.D.
KATHY SWIGGER, PH.D.
Professor Email: renka@cs.unt.edu Website : http://www.cse.unt. edu/~renka/ Phone: (940) 565-2816 Research interests: • Mathematical software • Curve and surface fitting (interpolation and approximation) • Computer graphics, geometric modeling, and computational geometry • Numerical solution of PDEs
Professor Email: kathy@cs.unt.edu Website: http://zeus.csci.unt.edu/ swigger/ Phone: (940) 565-2817 Research interests: • Artificial intelligence • Computer instructional systems • Computer-supported cooperative work • Human factors and intelligent interfaces
IAN PARBERRY, PH.D.
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PAUL TARAU, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: tarau@cs.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~tarau/ Phone: (940) 565-2806 Research interests: • Computational mathematics, bijective data type transformations, Gödel numberings • Design and implementation of logic programming languages and agent infrastructures • Compilers, run-time systems and automatic memory management • Natural Language Processing and logic grammars
COSTAS TSATSOULIS, PH.D. Professor and Dean, College of Engineering Email: Costas.Tsatsoulis@unt.edu Website: http://engineering.unt.edu/ dr-costas-tsatsoulis Phone: (940) 565-4300 Research interests: • Multiagent systems • Case-based reasoning • Machine learning • Intelligent image analysis
XIAOHUI YUAN, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: xyuan@cse.unt.edu Website: http://www.cse.unt. edu/~xyuan/ Phone: (940) 565-4256 Research interests: • Computer vision • Data mining • Artificial intelligence
Electrical Engineering MIGUEL F. ACEVEDO, PH.D. Professor Email: miguel.acevedo@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/acevedo/ Phone: 940-891-6701 Research interests: • Ecological, environmental and geographical modeling • Coupled human-natural systems • Watershed and reservoir management • Wireless sensors and environmental observatories
SHENGLI FU, PH.D. Assistant Professor and Graduate Program Director Email: fu@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/fu/ Phone: (940) 891-6942 Research interests: • Coding and information theory • Wireless communications • Speech and visual signal processing
OSCAR N. GARCIA, PH.D. Professor and Founding Dean of College of Engineering (2003-2008) Email: ogarcia@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/ogarcia/OscarGarcia/ Phone: (940) 369-8171 Research interests: • Engineering curriculum • Human-computer interaction • Speech and affective processing • Pattern recognition and compression
PARTHASARATHY GUTURU, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: guturu@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/guturu/ Phone: (940) 891-6877 Research interests: • Pattern recognition and machine learning, image processing and computer vision algorithms • AI and knowledge based systems, neural networks, genetic algorithms • Distributed systems • Multimedia data compression and communication technologies
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HYOUNG SOO KIM, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: Hyoungsoo.Kim@unt.edu Website: http://engineering.unt.edu/ electrical/hyoung-soo-kim Phone: (940) 369-5167 Research interests: • Mixed signal circuit design • RF circuit/system design • Signal integrity of the high speed system
XINRONG LI, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: xinrong@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/xinrong/ Phone: (940) 891-6875 Research interests: • Statistical signal processing: estimation, detection, collaborative & distributed algorithms • Wireless sensor networks: localization, tracking, environmental monitoring • Radio propagation channel study: measurement and modeling
YUANKUN LIN, PH.D. Associate Professor, Department of Physics Email: yuankun.lin@unt.edu Website: http://www.phys.unt.edu/ faculty/lin.html Phone: (940) 369-8282 Research interests: • Photonic bandgap materials • Condensed matter physics
KAMESH NAMUDURI, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: kamesh.namuduri@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/namuduri/ Phone: (940) 369-8960 Research interests: • Image/video processing • Information assurance • Wireless sensor networks
GAYATRI MEHTA, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: gayatri.mehta@unt.edu Website: http://engineering.unt.edu/ electrical/gayatri-mehta Phone: (940) 369-5118 Research interests: • Reconfigurable computing • System on a chip (SoC) design • Low power Portable/wearable devices • Electronic design automation
MURALI VARANASI, PH.D. Department Chair Email: Varanasi@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/varanasi/ Phone: (940) 891-6700 Research interests: • Digital communications and coding theory • Digital systems design and computer architecture • VLSI design
YAN WAN, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: yan.wan@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/wan/ Phone: (940) 369-5115 Research interests: • Large-scale dynamical networks with applications • Decentralized control • Air traffic flow management • Systems biology
HUALIANG ZHANG, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: hualiang.zhang@unt.edu Website: http://www.ee.unt.edu/ public/zhang/ Phone: (940) 891-6876 Research interests: • RF / microwave circuits designs • Metamaterials with near-zero / negative refraction index and their applications • Antenna designs • Nano-photonics
Engineering Technology LETICIA ANAYA Lecturer Email: Leticia.Anaya@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ anaya.html Phone: (940) 565-2366
ALTHEA ARNOLD, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: althea.arnold@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ arnold.html Phone: (940) 369-7353 Research interests: • Energy use during construction • Robotics and automated construction • Sustainability • BIM (building information modeling)
NOURREDINE BOUBEKRI, PH.D. Professor Email: Nourredine.Boubekri@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ boubekri.html Phone: (940) 565-2022 Research interests: • Microlubrication in machining • Green manufacturing/design for waste and pollution prevention • Quality systems design
DIANE DESIMONE, PH.D. Lecturer Email: Diane.Desimone@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ desimone.html Phone: (940) 565-2364 Research interests: • Methods & materials • Estimating • Contract documents
PHILLIP R. FOSTER, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Phillip.Foster@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ foster.html Phone: (940) 565-2362 Research interests: • Stirling engine cycle • FMS/FMC • Tool design
ROBERT G. HAYES, PH.D. Senior Lecturer Email: robert.hayes@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ hays.html Phone: (940) 565-4474 Research interests: • Control systems • Signal processing • Pattern recognition • Digital systems
ZHENHUA HUANG, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: Zhenhua.Huang@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ huang.html Phone: (940) 369-8148 Research interests: • Wind and earthquake engineering • Bridge structure analysis and design • On-site experiment and system identifications • Building lifetime energy
ELIAS KOUGIANOS, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Elias.Kougianos@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ kougianos.html Phone: (940) 891-6708 Research interests: • Analog and mixed signal IC design and simulation • VLSI architectures for multimedia • Application of Monte Carlo methods to the solution of PDEs
MICHAEL R. KOZAK, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Michael.Kozak@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ kozak.html Phone: (940) 565-2363 Research interests: • Professional/technical presentations • Training the trainer • Curriculum assessment
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REZA MIRSHAMS, PH.D.
RICHARD F. REIDY, PH.D.
HAIFENG ZHANG, PH.D.
Professor Email: Reza.Mirshams@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ mirshams.html Phone: (940) 565-2594 Research interests: • Microstructure-processingmechanical properties of advanced engineered materials • Deformation mechanisms in nano and micro scales • Nanocrystalline Ni, Al-Li alloys. nickel superalloys and titanium alloys for aerospace applications
Interim Chair Email: reidy@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Reidy/ Phone: (940) 369-7115 Research interests: • Low-k dielectrics • Porous ceramics and supercritical processing • High-temperature ceramic materials
Assistant Professor Email: Hualiang.Zhang@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ zhang.html Phone: (940) 369-8266 Research interests: • Characterization of piezoelectric materials • Modeling and experiment of piezoelectric devices • Nondestructive testing • Active vibration control
SEIFOLLAH NASRAZADANI, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Seifollah.Nasrazadani@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ Nasrazadani.html Phone: (940) 565-4052 Research interests: • Corrosion issues in power industry (flow accelerated corrosion) • Microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of engineering materials • Biodeterioration of concrete infrastructures
ALI NOURI Lecturer Email: Ali.Nouri@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ nouri.html Phone: (940) 891-6779
MITTY C. PLUMMER, PH.D. Associate Professor (semi-retired) Email: Mitty.Plummer@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ plummer.html Phone: (940) 565-2846 Research interests: • Vibrations • Nuclear engineering • Accreditation
26
VIJAY VAIDYANATHAN, PH.D. Associate Dean of Engineering for Undergraduate Studies Email: Vijay.Vaidyanathan@unt.edu Website: http://engineering.unt.edu/ content/dr-vijay-vaidyanathan Phone: (940) 565-4203 Research interests: • Biomedical optics • Biomedical engineering • Electronics instrumentation
SHUPING WANG, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Shuping.Wang@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ wang.html Phone: (940) 369-8895 Research interests: • Dense wavelength division multiplexing • Guided wave and free-space optical interconnects • Polymer-based integrated optics
CHENG YU, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: Cheng.Yu@unt.edu Website: http://www.etec.unt.edu/ yu.html Phone: (940) 891-6891 Research interests: • Thin-walled, cold-formed steel structures • Structural Stability • Computational mechanics
Materials Science and Engineering RAJARSHI BANERJEE, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Rajarshi.Banerjee@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Banerjee/ Phone: (940) 891-6812 Research interests: • Titanium and its alloys • Nickel based superalloys • Metal matrix composites • Nanostructured thin films
WITOLD BROSTOW, PH.D. Regents Professor Email: brostow@unt.edu Phone: (940) 565-4358 Website: http://www.unt.edu/LAPOM/ Research interests: • Materials for medicine and electronics industry applications • Polymers with high scratch and wear resistance • Composites based on natural and recycled polymers • High performance concretes
PETER COLLINS, PH.D.
NANDIKA A. D’SOUZA, PH.D.
THOMAS SCHARF, PH.D.
Assistant Professor Email: Peter.Collins@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Collins/ Phone: (940) 565-4630 Research interests: • Development of direct threedimensional characterization techniques across length scales • Coupled experimental/modeling approaches • Effect of highly refined microstructures on properties of materials • 3D TEM diffraction tomography for crystal structure determination • Powder metallurgy
Professor Email: ndsouza@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ DSouza/ Phone: (940) 565-2979 Research interests: • Multifunctional composites • Environmental friendly packaging • Sensor textiles • Biocomposites • Magnetorheological fluid rheology
Associate Professor and Undergraduate Advisor Email: Thomas.Scharf@unt.edu Phone: (940) 891-6837 Research interests: • Physical and chemical vapor deposition of ceramic and metallic thin films for moving mechanical assemblies • Atomic layer deposition of nanocrystalline solid lubricant thin films for rolling element bearings and MEMS • Micro- & nano-tribology studies of solid lubricants and hard coatings • Interfacial studies of surface engineered thin films using 3-D FIB/ FESEM and HRSTEM
MOHAMED EL BOUANANI, PH.D.
Department Chair Email: Narendra.Dahotre@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Dahotre/ Phone: (940) 565-2031 Research interests: • Laser-based surface engineering for advanced materials • Laser materials interactions • Biomaterials, structural materials, and coatings • Structure-property relationship
Associate Professor Email: Bouanani@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Bouanani/ Phone: (940) 369-8109 Research interests: • Fundamentals of inorganic thin film nanostructures for micro/ nanoelectronics and atomic scale interface engineering • 3D nanostructured photovoltaics: Si, Ge, III-V semiconductors • High-k dielectrics, advanced electrode materials, metallization and diffusion barriers • Ion beam analysis: RBS, ERDA, NRA, PIXE and surface spectroscopies: XPS, UPS, AES
JINCHENG DU, PH.D.
ALAN NEEDLEMAN, PH.D.
Assistant Professor Email: Jincheng.Du@unt.edu Phone: (940) 369-8184 Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/Du/ Research interests: • Atomistic simulations and first principles calculations of materials structure and properties • Functional glasses for biomedical and optical applications • Reaction mechanisms of plasma / dielectric interactions • Defects in materials, surface reactions and catalytic materials
Professor Email: needle@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Needleman/ Phone: (940) 369-7715 Research interests: • Computational modeling of deformation and fracture processes in structural materials, in particular metals
NARENDRA B. DAHOTRE, PH.D.
RICHARD F. REIDY, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: reidy@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Reidy/ Phone: (940) 369-7115 Research interests: • Low-k dielectrics • Porous ceramics and supercritical processing • High-temperature ceramic materials
NIGEL SHEPHERD, PH.D. Assistant Professor and Graduate Advisor Email: Nigel.Shepherd@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ OTFL/index.html Phone: (940) 369-7714 Research interests: • Semiconductor physics, physical electronics, carrier transport and optical properties of electro-optical materials • Heterojunction solar cell materials (III-V and II-VI) • Light emitting materials and devices • Thin film battery materials
SRINIVASAN G. SRIVILLIPUTHUR, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: Srinivasan.Srivilliputhur@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Srivilliputhur/ Phone: (940) 369-8273 Research interests: • Atomistic models of deformation behavior and defect physics • Irradiation effects in materials • Phase transformations • Structure property relationships in materials
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ZHIQIANG WANG, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: Zhiqiang.Wang@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/ Wang/ Phone: (940) 891-6778 Research interests: • Materials under extreme conditions (e.g., radiation environment in nuclear reactors, high loading rate/ pressure) • Super alloys at high temperatures for aerospace and energy generation industries • Advanced structural materials for hydrogen storage and transportation • Nanostructured and small-sized materials for novel applications
ZHENHAI XIA, PH.D. Associate Professor Email: Zhenhai.Xia@unt.edu Website: http://www.mtse.unt.edu/Xia/ Phone: (940) 369-7673 Research interests: • Ceramic, metal, and polymer matrix micro-/nano-composites, multifunctional materials • Catalytic materials for clean energy (e.g. fuel cells) • Bio-inspired and bio-mimetic materials, characterization and biomechanics of biological materials (e.g. nerves) • Multiscale/multi-physics modeling and simulation
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Mechanical and Energy Engineering SANDRA BOETCHER, PH.D. Assistant Professor and Graduate Coordinator Email: sandra.boetcher@unt.edu Phone: (940) 565-2118 Website: http://www.mee.unt.edu/ SandraBoetcher/ Research interests: • Natural convection • Biomedical heat transfer and fluid flow
TAE-YOUL CHOI, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: Tae-Youl.Choi@unt.edu Website: http://www.mee.unt.edu/Choi/ Phone: (940) 565-2198 Research interests: • Individual nanostructures, i.e. carbon nanotubes, nanowires, nanoparticles • Nanosystems, i.e. sensors, photonic crystals • Ultra-fast transport phenomena, i.e. femtosecond microscopy • Biosystems, i.e., cell death mechanisms, DNA sensing
ALEKSANDRA FORTIER, PH.D. Assistant Professor Email: Aleksandra.Fortier@unt.edu Phone: (940) 369 8030 Website: http://www.mee.unt.edu/ fortier/ Research interests: • Reliability, efficiency, and mechanical behaviour of green electronics • Rapid prototyping of 3D multiapplication functional parts using printing techniques • Quality and manufacturing of mechanical systems
KURUVILLA JOHN, PH.D. Professor and CENG Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies Email: kuruvilla.john@unt.edu Website: http://engineering.unt.edu/ content/kuruvilla-john Phone: (940) 565-4302 Research interests: • Environmental sustainability with a focus on air quality modeling and monitoring
VISH PRASAD, PH.D. Professor and UNT Vice President for Research & Economic Development Email: vish.prasad@unt.edu Website: http://www.mee.unt.edu/ Prasad/ Phone: (940) 369-7487 Research interests: • Thermo-fluid sciences • Energy systems • Electronic materials and microelectronics
YONG TAO, PH.D. PACCAR Professor of Engineering and Department Chair Email: yong.tao@unt.edu Website: http://www.mee.unt.edu/Tao/ Phone: 940-565-2400 Research interests: • Fundamentals of thermal sciences, refrigeration system performance, and renewable energy applications in buildings
College of Engineering Facts 2010-2011 academic year Enrolling More Students
With outreach programs such as Robocamp, Engineering Preview Day, and Texas BEST robotics championship, the College of Engineering is encouraging students to consider a career in engineering — and efforts are paying off. More students are choosing UNT not only for the university’s research opportunities and award-winning faculty but also the network of support that helps them achieve their goals.
Ph.D. Students (86) Master’s Students (269) Ph.D. Students (86) Undergraduate Students (1494) Master’s Students (269) Undergraduate Students (1494)
Graduating More Students
The College of Engineering is committed to ensuring that students succeed in the classroom and are prepared for future achievements when they enter the workforce. Employers appreciate UNT engineering graduates because they are critical thinkers prepared to begin contributing the first day on the job.
Ph.D. (7) Master’s (72) Ph.D. (7) Bachelor’s (158) Master’s (72) Bachelor’s (158)
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Full-time Lecturers (10)
Ph.D. (7) Bachelor’s (158)
Quality Faculty
Master’s (72)
The College of Engineering is making investments that will both enhance students’ learning experience and strengthen collaborative research at UNT. Attracting high quality faculty who bring a wide variety Bachelor’s (158) of knowledge and experience is one way in which UNT can help drive innovation in research and help develop the next generation of engineering leaders.
Full-time Lecturers (10) Full-time Assistant Professors (23) Full-time Lecturers (10) Full-time Associate Professors (25) Full-time Assistant Professors (23) Full-time Professors (18) Full-time Associate Professors (25)
Research Funding
Full-time Professors (18)
Energy solutions for the 21st century. Keeping aging aircraft flight-worthy. Designing and developing advanced communication techniques. These are a few of the areas in which the College of Engineering $8,000,000 is advancing learning and research. The College receives funding from a variety of sources, including the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation, to shape solutions for today’s challenges. $7,000,000
$6,000,000 $8,000,000 $5000000 $7,000,000 $4,000,000 $6,000,000 $3,000,000 $5000000 $2,000,000 $4,000,000 $1,000,000 $3,000,000 $2,000,000 $1,000,000
0
0 Research Awards Research Expenditures Research Awards Research Expenditures
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Thanking our Sponsors for their Generous Support The College of Engineering appreciates the funding received from the following foundations, corporations, and individuals during fiscal year 2010. Their contributions make possible the establishment of new programs and the enhancement of others, thereby improving the stature of the College and the University in academia.
Corporations Altera Corporation AT&T B Lawrence Consulting, LLC Carolyn Corbin, Inc. CBS ArcSafe, Inc. ExxonMobil Corporation Ford Country of Lewisville Inc. Freese and Nichols, Inc. Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant James F McDonald Insurance Agency L-3 Communications Lockheed Martin Corp. McClendon Corporation McClendon Farms Inc. Microsoft Matching Gifts NUCONSTEEL Corporation Pacific Life Peerless Manufacturing Co. PepsiCo Raytheon Company Raytheon Matching Gifts Ed. Program Research In Motion Siemens TD Industries Texas Instruments Inc. Weber Aircraft Foundations II-VI Foundation ExxonMobil Foundation PACCAR Foundation Verizon Foundation Associations/BEST Sponsors Bridgepoint Center / Circle of Sciences Coppell High School Eng. Booster Club Denton County BEST Vernon High School Individuals Adams, Rhys Michael Babb, Thomas Burton Babin, James Mitchell Baker, John William Barthold, Evelyn M. Beasley, John F. Bell, James Hooper
Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. Ms. Mr. Mr.
Blonski, Slawomir Brekke, Dorothy Lynn Brock, Euline W. Brown, Patricia K. Bryan, Gregory Carl Buckles, Bill Bunce, Nancy A. Buzanowski, Mac Canada, Cecilia Ann Cardenas, Megan L. Carroll, Lisa M. Chalasani, Rajagopal Cloutier, Christopher N. Cozzolino, Clifford J. Danner, Michael Jay Dewey, John Warner Dickey, Jr., Daniel William Drennan, Jerry Drouillard, Richard Thomas D’Souza, Nandika Anne Eastwood, Mark Edward Eggers, Leah Beth Fadda, Dani Feng, Simon Sze-Ming Figueroa, Joseph Ray Gallegos, David R. Garcia, Oscar N. Gault, Wilson Ghai, Dhruva Vinay Giese Jr, Robert W. Grant, Reginald Gray, Stephen Paul Hall, Michael Halverson, Ranette Hudson Hamilton, Patti Hatch, Diana Marie Havens, Eric Lee Hickman, John T. Johnson, Debra Ann Kasaraneni, Srinivas Kennedy, Virginia Joyce Kozak, Michael R. Kramer, Tonya Christen Lee, Betty Li, Xinrong Liguori, Vincent John Lofton, Damyen Fitzgerald Mainard, Michael David
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Malik, Avnish McCauley, Denise Renee McGaugh, Kenneth Moore, Freeman L. Moorehead, Edward A. Nieswiadomy, Claire Veronica Nunn, Jeremiah Pandya, Rutvik Tushar Parker, Melville G. Parker, William Andrew Scheinberg, Joseph Seaborn, Susan Diane Shelton, Janet Lee Shoffit, James Clarke Shoopman, Timothy Wayne Soylemez, Nergis Stafford, Charles Stamm, William Allan Stein, Scott Wayne Stem, Scott Strawn, James Sullivan, Lawrence Brozak Talasila, Sowjanya Thomas, Colette Sheree Troeger, John Dunsworth Tsatsoulis, Constantinos Vaidyanathan, Vijay Van Meter, Chris Wilson Varanasi, Murali Vo, Truong Hoang Whitney, Craig C. Wilkins, Carla Jane Wilson, Alan Wood, Thomas Charles Zimmerer, Patrick Alan
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University of North Texas College of Engineering 1155 Union Circle #310440 Denton, TX 76203-5017
ROBOCAMP FOR GIRLS WINS TECH TITAN AWARD UNT College of Engineering’s Robocamp for Girls was recognized with the Metroplex Technology Business Council’s (MTBC) Tech Titan of the Future-University Level award for the program’s creative, innovative approach to encouraging girls to pursue engineering careers. The Tech Titan Award was presented by the MTBC, the largest technology trade non-profit organization in Texas, on Aug. 27, 2010. The award recognizes higher education institutions that encourage students to choose engineering and technology-related disciplines. Find out more about the summer learning opportunities the College offers on page 10.
College of Engineering