The University of Texas at Arlington

2005

Two Retired Engineering Faculty Receive Emeritus Rank

December 14, 2005

Professor Emeritus status has been granted to two retired professors of Electrical Engineering – Jack Fitzer and Charles V. Smith, Jr. The rank of Professor Emeritus signifies a history of exceptional teaching and research performance. Both had been with UT-Arlington for more than 30 years.

Lewis Named Fellow of British Engineering Society

December 12, 2005

Professor Frank L. Lewis, Moncrief-O'Donnell Endowed Chair of Electrical Engineering and head of the Advanced Controls and Sensors Group at the Automation & Robotics Research Institute, has been named a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Measurement and Control. Election to Fellow is dependent on an individual successfully demonstrating, through technical or other roles, significant contribution to, and superior responsibility in, the industry.

Bioengineering Gets $2.5 Million to Improve Medical Imaging

December 12, 2005

UT-Arlington's Bioengineering Department received a $2.5 million Congressional earmark to fund additional research in optical medical imaging. Four faculty members in the department are conducting research in optical medical imaging.

Grant Extends Study to Improve Nursing Assignments

December 5, 2005

Industrial Engineering Assistant Professor Jay Rosenberger has received a $130,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to continue his studies to optimize the assignment of nurses’ duties. Eliminating or minimizing duty imbalances will enable nurses to meet their patients’ needs and improve care and safety.

Engineering Professor Receives Society’s Highest Award

December 1, 2005

University of Texas at Arlington Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Abdolhossein Haji-Sheikh received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Heat Transfer Memorial Award, which is bestowed on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of heat transfer through teaching, research, practice and design, or a combination of such activities.

Oraintara Receives $400K Grant for Intruder Sensor Network

November 30, 2005

Electrical Engineering Assistant Professor Soontorn Oraintara will begin work in January to develop a self-managing radar sensors network to safeguard our nation's border and critical civilian infrastructures. The project focuses on the development of a robust and energy efficient self-managing radar sensors network for intruder detection, identification and tracking.

New Chair Announced for Civil & Environmental Engineering

October 20, 2005

Nur Yazdani, Ph.D., P.E., has been appointed chair of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department. Dr. Yazdani will begin his duties November 1. Dr. Yazdani was formerly with Florida A&M University - Florida State University, where he was director of the Infrastructure Research Laboratory.

UTA & Hanson Collaborate for Structural Research Center

October 6, 2005

The College of Engineering and Hanson, PLC will jointly develop a new research center for full-scale structural testing of heavy building materials. The center, with approximately 10,000 sq. ft. of conference/classroom/office space and approximately 20,000 sq. ft. of research space, will be operated by the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department.

Electrical Engineering Professor Receives Patent for Fiber Cable Feature

October 4, 2005

Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering Michael Vasilyev and his co-inventors at Corning have received a U.S. patent for a fiber optic cable design that improves the quality of signal pulses. This is Dr. Vasilyev’s fourth patent involving electro-optic signals.

Electrical Engineering Professor Editor of Video Coding Handbook

October 3, 2005

Dr. K. R. Rao, an internationally-recognized authority on digital video encoding, recently completed "Digital Video Image Quality and Perceptual Coding." The book is set for publishing later this year by Taylor & Francis and should become the standard in classrooms and commercial laboratories around the world as digital signals increasingly replace analogue transmissions.

Major Upgrades Nearly Complete at Nanotechnology Research Facility

October 3, 2005

Year-long renovations to the Nanotechnology Research & Teaching Facility have resulted in the addition of four major pieces of equipment that will greatly increase research capabilities. The equipment purchases are valued at more than $3.5 million and facility modifications are valued at more than $1 million.

Formula SAE Team Wins Again at SCCA Solo II Nationals

September 28, 2005

UTA's Formula SAE racing team earned several awards, including first place in the FSAE class, while competing in the Sports Car Club of America’s Solo II Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering graduate student Erick Kohler took first place in the FSAE with an overpowering four second lead over the second place finisher.

Engineering Professor Named Visiting Professor at Two Universities

September 15, 2005

CSE Professor Sajal Das has been honored as a Concurrent Professor of Fudan University in Shanghai, China during the university’s centennial celebration. This is the second he has received this year. In January, he was also appointed as an Adjunct/Visiting Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur.

UTA, Mayo Clinic, Iowa State Collaborate on Medical Technology Research

September 6, 2005

CSE Professor JungHwan Oh is the lead investigator on a three-year, $579,000 grant funded by the National Science Foundation to develop new hardware and software to produce and analyze digital endoscopy videos. The grant sponsors collaborative research to develop a system to capture high-quality endoscopy videos, analyze the captured videos and provide efficient access of their content to medical providers.

Nine New Faculty Join College of Engineering

August 25, 2005

The University of Texas at Arlington‘s College of Engineering has added nine faculty members this fall, each recognized for outstanding research and teaching abilities. Their addition is the result of the continuing increase in the number of engineering students and the college’s goal of providing an exceptional learning and research experience.

Richard Billo Named Associate Dean of Engineering

August 9, 2005

Dean of Engineering Dr. Bill Carroll has announced the appointment of Richard E. Billo as Associate Dean of Engineering for Research. Dr. Billo was formerly the Intel Faculty Fellow and chair of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at Oregon State University.

Departments Merge Expertise for Transportation Research Project

August 2, 2005

Three units of the College of Engineering - Civil & Environmental, Computer Science & Engineering and Electrical - are combining their strengths to develop low-cost, high-efficiency cameras, mounts and poles for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). TxDOT will utilize the new systems to monitor traffic conditions on high-density sections of highways across the state.

College of Engineering Invigorates Focus on Philanthropy

July 28, 2005

Ann Davidson has joined the College of Engineering as its Director of Development, a new position in the College. Davidson will develop and implement strategies for the solicitation and stewardship of leadership gifts, endowment funds and planned gifts.

Roger Walker Named Interim Chair of Computer Science and Engineering Department

July 28, 2005

Dr. Roger Walker, a leading research scientist at the University of Texas at Arlington, has been named interim chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE). He founded UTA’s CSE department and served as its first chair in the early 1980’s.

Collegiate Racers Gather at UTA for Texas Autocross Weekend

July 8, 2005

Student auto racing teams from across the U.S. will gather Saturday, July 16, to test their skills in a challenging autocross competition. Approximately 23 cars from 10 universities will be speeding around a twisting course set up on a parking lot on the south side of the campus.

UTA Student Team Wins International UAV Competition

July 7, 2005

A team comprised of four UTA Aerospace Engineering students and one faculty advisor took top honors at the 3rd Annual Student Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Competition July 2 in Maryland. Fourteen university teams participated in the competition, including Cal Poly Pomona, Cornell and MIT.

Dr. Jim Williams Named Transportation Engineer of the Year

July 6, 2005

Civil Engineering Professor Jim Williams has been selected as the 2005 Transportation Engineer of the Year by the Texas District of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The award recognizes to an individual for his/her outstanding practice, teaching or research of the science and art of transportation engineering in the State of Texas.

Aerospace Students’ Mars Flyer Scores High in National Competition

June 23, 2005

Five aerospace engineering students entered their senior design project in a competition for an exploration air vehicle (EAV) organized by the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Technology Office at NASA’s Langley Research Center. Their efforts were rewarded with a shared top-tier award.

Nanoparticles Target Tissues to Cure Eye Diseases/Conditions

June 23, 2005

Bioengineering Associate Professor Liping Tang is developing nanoparticles that carry drugs to a specific area of the eye. His work will bring hope to millions of people who are losing their sight

Engineering Courses via the Internet Gaining in Popularity

May 19, 2005

The College of Engineering’s Engineering Center for Distance Education televised 37 courses this spring and enrollment in most of the courses is growing. Though most engineering distance education students are employed in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, others are across Texas and in Indiana and Michigan.

Aerospace Student Receives Columbia Crew Memorial Scholarship

May 18, 2005

Timothy Lewis has been awarded a Columbia Crew Memorial Scholarship by the Aviation and Space Foundation of the Texas Space Grant Consortium. The scholarship recognizes high-achieving students and encourages their consideration of graduate studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

Three to Receive Engineering Student Leader Scholarships

May 11, 2005

Three outstanding engineering students - Alejandro J. Russo, Karina Solorio and Herman D. Tarin - will be receiving Student Leader scholarships for the 2005-2006 academic year. The scholarships are sponsored by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth.

Student Design/Build/Fly Team Wins Lockheed Martin Support

May 10, 2005

Aerospace Engineering students recently returned from Maryland, where they participated in the national Design/Build/Fly competition sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The team is partially supported by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

Novel Approach for Electric Power Generation from Wind

May 9, 2005

Materials Science & Engineering Assistant Professor Shashank Priya and his associates want to change the way small devices are powered. They’re testing various ways to utilize piezoelectric materials and wind or vibrations to create electricity inexpensively.

Hispanic Engineering Society National Student Office Now at UTA

May 2, 2005

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is opening its national Student Programs office in Nedderman Hall. The Student Programs office directs SHPE activities such as scholarship, K-12 education, graduate and student leadership programs.

UTA Biomedical Engineering Program Elevated to Department Status; Gets New Name

April 29, 2005

The Biomedical Engineering program has become the Department of Bioengineering. The change was brought about by the continuing growth of activities within the program and the field of engineering for health care. Professor and Chair Professor Khosrow Behbehani said the core components of the department will remain intact.

Professors Kamangar, Das and Holder Awarded Top Honors

April 29, 2005

Three Computer Science and Engineering professors – Farhad Kamangar, Sajal Das and Larry Holder – received top university awards for teaching and research excellence. The awards were presented by UTA President James Spaniolo during the 2005 President's Convocation for Academic Excellence in April.

CE Alumni Receive Career Service Awards

April 28, 2005

This year seems to be a banner year in the amount of awards presented to graduates of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department. In addition to the three people named earlier this month, two more CE graduates have also received awards from professional societies.

Eberhart Named Fellow of Biomedical Engineering Society

April 12, 2005

Robert C. Eberhart, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, has been recognized as a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). Dr. Eberhart is also a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Founding Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

EE’s Fung Selected for UTA’s Academy of Distinguished Scholars

March 28, 2005

Adrian K. Fung, Jenkins Garrett Professor of Electrical Engineering and director of the Wave Scattering Research Center, will be inducted into UTA’s Academy of Distinguished Scholars during an April 7 ceremony. Dr. Fung is the fourth faculty member in the College of Engineering to achieve this honor in the Academy’s two-year history.

Technical Club of Dallas Honors Two UTA Engineering Students

March 25, 2005

The Technical Club of Dallas presented two of its Outstanding Senior and Freshman Awards to CSE senior Stephen Olivier and EE freshmanJohn Hudlow during a March 21 ceremony. The awards are given to students who have achieved not only the highest academic scholarship performance but also exhibit significant leadership participation in student and civic affairs.

Outstanding Faculty, Staff Saluted at Annual Awards Banquet

March 16, 2005

Several individuals were recognized at the College of Engineering’s Annual Awards Banquet for their outstanding performance over the past year. The banquet was the concluding event during Engineers Week on campus, February 21-25.

NSF Grant Supports Development of New Scheme for Nanodevice Fabrication

March 15, 2005

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $400,000, five-year Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant to Dr. Seong Jin Koh. The grant will allow Dr. Koh to develop a new method of nanoscale device fabrication based on controlled positioning of nanoscale objects in parallel processing.

Summer Short Courses Targeted to Water Treatment Professionals

March 15, 2005

UTA's Civil & Environmental Engineering Department will offer two three-day courses in May on water treatment and wastewater treatment plants. The courses are designed to bring municipal engineers and managers up to date on current practices and future trends, recent regulatory changes, and the procedures for planning, design and operation of water and wastewater treatment plants.

Chiao Receives Patent on MEMS Optical Device

March 10, 2005

Electrical Engineering Associate Professor Jung-Chih Chiao has received U.S. Patent 6,850,353 for his MEMS Optical Components. His process features the low-cost manufacturing of multi-wavelength filters through self assembly.

Three Civil Engineering Alumni Receive Achievement Awards

March 8, 2005

Three Civil and Environmental Engineering graduates from The University of Texas at Arlington - Gary K. Trietsch, Jennifer Hutchinson and Scott Berman - were recently honored by various Texas chapters of professional engineering societies for their outstanding achievements.

Aerospace Professors Receive Patent for Propulsion System

March 3, 2005

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Professors Don Wilson and Frank Lu have been issued a U. S. Patent for their design of a Multi-mode, Pulsed Detonation Propulsion System. The system can employ various propulsion modes at various times of flight and has potential applications for hypersonic and aerospace planes.

Naval Grant Funds Development of Wafer-Scale, Single-Electron Memory Devices

February 28, 2005

The Office of Naval Research has awarded a three-year, $320,000 grant to Drs. Seong Jin Koh and Choong-Un Kim of The University of Texas at Arlington’s Materials Science & Engineering Program and the Nanotechnology Research & Teaching Facility to develop a technology for wafer-scale fabrication of single-electron memory devices.

Dirty Dozen Puzzle Contest Returns for Engineers Week

February 10, 2005

A $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to the student who correctly answers the most questions in the Industrial Engineering-sponsored "Dirty Dozen" Puzzle Contest. The contest begins a 5pm on Thursday, February 17 and concludes at 5pm the following Monday.

Meletis Named Director of Materials Science & Engineering at UTA

January 26, 2005

Efstathios I. Meletis, Ph.D., is the new director of the Materials Science and Engineering program. Dr. Meletis was formerly an endowed professor of the Materials Science and Engineering program at Louisiana State University.

Retired Engineering Professors Receive Emeritus Status

January 25, 2005

Retired Professors Mo-Shing Chen and G. T. Stevens, Jr. have been named “Professor Emeritus” in recognition of their service to The University of Texas at Arlington. Chen had 42 years of distinguished service and Stevens had 26.

Transportation Project to Improve Traffic Flow and Clear the Air

January 24, 2005

A research project currently underway by researchers in The University of Texas at Arlington’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department should aid motorists and help the Dallas-Fort Worth area meet new air pollution standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The project will measure emission reductions associated with synchronized traffic signals.