Michigan Engineer

MICHIGAN
Engineer University of Michigan College of Engineering Spring 2010
Women in
Engineering
21Remarkable stories
Entrepreneur Nick Yang and CEO Wally Rhines
Plus Student Success Stories
DEAN’S View
From the Dean

One of Michigan Engineering’s points of pride is its diversity. It’s a and old, don’t entirely grasp. Our student organizations actively
characteristic of utmost importance to any organization that knows engage in mentoring and tutoring. The Marian Sarah Parker Scholars
the value of an idea based on contributions from as many varied Program encourages high-achieving women in their junior year to
sources as possible. In this issue, you’ll read about one segment of consider pursuing graduate degrees. The NSF Advance program at
our diverse family: the University focuses on faculty recruitment, retention, climate and
women in engineering leadership.
– alumni, students, We make those and other efforts in an era when women have
staff and faculty. eclipsed men in college enrollment nationwide, and are leaders in
They’ll share stories science and industry, but haven’t selected engineering as often as
from the time when they’ve chosen other science-based fields such as medicine. A third
“West Engine” was of all U.S. physicians and surgeons, and half of all U.S. medical stu-
home to the College dents, are now female. According to 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics
and a critical mass of data, no U.S. engineering profession reports even a 20 percent female
female Michigan workforce; many engineering categories are in the single digits.
Engineers didn’t exist, According to a 2005 market research study, 1 percent of our
to today, when that engineering alumni born during or before WWII are female, yet
condition has ad- nearly a quarter of our engineering alumni of recent undergraduate
vanced considerably. classes are female. Female faculty represent 16 percent of our total,
You’ll read engaging up from 10 percent a decade ago. Though not a growing number,
profiles of faculty one in four Michigan Engineering undergraduates is female.
such as Associate We strive to inspire, enroll and graduate more engineers across the
Professor Valeria board, from a variety of backgrounds. Since 2000, overall enrollment
Bertacco, a National at the College has grown from 7,000 to more than 8,000. Last fall, I
photo by dwight cendrowski
Science Foundation convened an Engineering Workforce Summit – in collaboration with

(NSF) CAREER engineering deans and other leaders from across the State of Michi-
award-winner, prolific gan – to initiate a comprehensive effort to strengthen this state’s pipe-
researcher, associate line of future engineers, including first-generation college students,
editor for IEEE students from rural communities and underrepresented minorities.
Transactions and the While we’re proud of our achievements to date, we must do better.
author of two books. In devoting this magazine to women in engineering, we celebrate the
Alumna Anne Shen achievements of women engineers and highlight the remaining chal-
Smith leads more than 7,000 employees for a subsidiary of a Fortune lenges. In so doing, I think it will be abundantly clear that today’s
500 energy-services holding company that has 20 million custom- women engineers are highly skilled. And we need that skill because
ers throughout Southern California. Student Jessica Wang is a 4.0 engineering talent from all sectors is needed to solve society’s most
undergraduate who has conducted research in the U-M Department pressing problems.
of Neurology, and volunteers with M-HEAL, a student organiza- This Michigan Engineer tells stories that can educate our commu-
tion refurbishing medical equipment for use in hospitals worldwide. nity and, I hope, will inspire some prospective engineering students
These individuals and numerous others are advancing knowledge, to pursue this rewarding profession.
building companies and expanding the influence of our Michigan
Engineering community.
This issue of Michigan Engineer is a reflection of our efforts over
the years to attract women students and faculty to the College. We
have a number of pre-college outreach efforts intended not only to David C. Munson, Jr.
inform K-12 students about Michigan Engineering, but also to Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering
explain what engineering is – something that many people, young Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
MICHIGAN
Engineer
Michigan Engineer connects alumni and other members of the Michigan Engineering community
to the College and each other by providing information, inspiration and opportunities.
University of Michigan College of Engineering Spring 2010 Vol. XXVII, No.1

2
Women in Engineering –
21 Remarkable Stories
32

Nick Yang –
Pirate-Entrepreneur
34

Wally Rhines –
Gifted Leader, Man of Heart
2
32
25 Engin NEWS 30 Alum NOTES
26 Student LOG 37 In MEMORIAM
28 Faculty REPORT
34 2009
APEX Award recipient, 2005 – 2009
Published by the University of Michigan Senior graphic Designer Michigan Engineer is published two times Read Michigan Engineer online at
College of Engineering Mira Lancaster a year by the University of Michigan College www.engin.umich.edu/engineer
of Engineering.
Publisher Contributing Editors Visit the College on the web at:
David C. Munson, Jr. Nicole Casal-Moore, Julie Christofferson, Jason Cook, Michigan Engineer offices are located at: www.engin.umich.edu
Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering Esther Eppele, Suzanne Kowalchyk, Byron Roberts, 1221 Beal Avenue
Professor of Electrical Engineering and Michele Semones, Bobbie Simson, Peggy VandeVoorde Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2102 Postage paid at Ann Arbor, MI.
Computer Science
Photo credits Phone: (734) 647-7085 Send address changes to:
Executive Editor Dwight Cendrowski Genie Lemieux-Jordan, Email us at: MichiganEngineer@umich.edu Engineering Alumni Relations
Dan Kim (LSA ’84, JD ’90) Steve Lemieux-Jordan, Bob Ramey, 1221 Beal Ave, Room 2C11A
Scott Soderberg, Martin Vloet Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2102
Managing Editor Or email: Engin.Alumni.Relations@umich.edu.
Bill Clayton
The regents of the university of michigan
Julia Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor; Laurence B. Deitch, Bingham Farms; Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms; Olivia P. Maynard, Goodrich; Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor; 31
Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park; S. Martin Taylor, Grosse Pointe Farms; Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor; Mary Sue Coleman, ex officio
W O M E N IN E N G I N E E R I N G
Womenin
2 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Engineering
21 remar k a b l e s t o rie s
O n e y o u ng w o m a n in t h e Mi c h ig a n
Engin e e ring f a m i l y r e c e n t l y
said, “There aren’t enough of us!”
Another woman, much older, said that if there are to be more women in engineer-
ing, “we need to remove the obstacles.”
Yet another, a faculty member, said that her fondest desire is to support and en-
courage women in engineering to succeed, to have interesting careers, to become
leaders in their fields.
All three care deeply about women in engineering. Yet they make a point of prov-
ing, every day, that the profession of engineering has no gender. An engineer is an
engineer.
This issue of Michigan Engineer tells the stories of 21 remarkable people who
are part of the Michigan Engineering family and just happen to be women. They
are, in fact, only a representative cross-section of Michigan Engineering alumni,
students, staff and faculty who are achievers and leaders. They’re people whose
educations, skills, creativity and passion enable them to solve some of the world’s
toughest problems and improve the quality of life. They say “We can do it” in the
face of ongoing challenges, some of which are undeniably related to gender.
They teach, nurture, create and inspire. And they speak their minds — they’re
people with opinions, some of them conventional, some quite controversial.
These are the stories of women who epitomize the very definition of “engineer.”
SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 3

Irma Wyman
Archdeacon, Episcopal Church, Retired
Vice President, Honeywell Corporate Information Management, Retired
Irma Wyman (BSE M ENG’49) was one of the early few to experiment with a “programmable com-
puter.” She rose to become the first female vice president of Honeywell, Inc., a Fortune 100 company.
She retired in 1990 and almost immediately was ordained in the Episcopal Church. After serving the
last 10 years as Archdeacon of the Diocese of Minnesota, she is now fully retired.
“I’m concerned that the
Wyman received Michigan Engineering’s 2001 Alumni Society Medal and, in 2007, an honorary doc-
tor of engineering degree. Her support for the College has been ongoing; she has also endowed the number of women in
Irma M. Wyman Scholarship at the University of Michigan’s Center for the Education of Women to
support women in engineering, computer science and related fields. engineering schools is
declining. I think there’s
still some career-track
bias. There has also
been a problem with
high-school guidance
counselors; most
PHOTO COURTESY OF IRMA WYMAN
of them don’t know

what engineering is
and what its rewards
are. So I’d tell a young
A
woman interested in
s Irma Wyman approached her high-school graduation, her
parents expected her to work for a few years, and then get married. math or engineering to
They refused to consider college as a next step for her. The options for
girls were to teach or be a typist or a nurse. “I didn’t want to do any talk to successful
of those. I wanted to go on to college, but my parents were unyield-
ing until, a few months before I graduated from high school, I was awarded a Regents engineers – men and
Scholarship to Michigan. I had little time to select a major, but math and science were
my strengths, so I opted for engineering. The limits of my scholarship meant I had to do women – who’ve done
five years’ work in four years. Lectures and labs went from 7 a.m. to evening. I worked as
switchboard operator and waitress in my dorm to cover expenses, and later worked in a what she wants to do.”
research lab. I enjoyed football games, and I ushered at Hill Auditorium to hear concerts
for free, but I didn’t have much time to myself.”
In creating the Irma M. Wyman Scholarship, Wyman reflected on the impact that her
Regents Scholarship had on her life. “My engineering education opened the world for
me, preparing me for a career in a field that didn’t exist before I graduated. But I learned
that women need support in technical studies both financially and personally.”
Read more about Irma Wyman at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Joyce Penner
Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor of Atmospheric Science
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY

Joyce Penner’s name shows up in all sorts of impressive places. She’s a fellow of the American Geophysical
Union, a professional source for publications such as Newsweek, and the author or co-author of more than “I became an engineer-
200 refereed journal articles, committee reports and book chapters, including a chapter in the 2007 report
from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was co-winner of the 2007 scientist because I
Nobel Peace Prize. Her research includes the development of methods to treat aerosols and their interac-
tions with clouds in global climate models. She teaches high-level undergrad and graduate courses, as well wanted to understand
as a first-level course for non-science majors on global climate change.
how the world works.
J
That is, I don’t think so
oyce Penner has a great affection for teaching because it requires
her to keep her own technical skills up-to-date. “Teaching students – much in terms of
men and women – who are non-science majors is interesting because
they can have very diverse opinions. I think it’s important to give them a accomplishing some-
sense of being individuals and, in my case, to cultivate an understanding
of climate change and what to do about it. thing but rather in
Penner also feels it’s crucial to “provide a better estimate of the climate forces
caused by aerosol effects on clouds.” To most people that might not sound like terms of increasing
a stimulating aspiration, but to an engineer of Penner’s caliber it’s a holy grail of
sorts. “I started out studying the effects of halocarbon emissions on stratospheric understanding. I could
ozone. But that topic lost funding after the Montreal Protocol was signed soon
after I graduated. So I worked for a while on air-pollution topics, then moved on to spend a lifetime
climate modeling when nuclear winter became a threat.”
Pursuing a topic like that – and doing it so unrelentingly – is an example of investigating climate
Penner’s first rule of being an engineer: “Follow your heart,” she said. “You need to
remain invigorated to do a good job at science and engineering. That’s what I tell modeling, for example,
my students.”
and never get bored!”
Read more about Joyce Penner at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Jessica Wang
Biomedical Engineering Student
Anyone looking for Jessica Wang

had better move fast because
“Being a woman never she doesn’t stay in one place too
long. She was a go-getter before
factored into my arriving on campus and she hasn’t
let up, volunteering regularly at the
decision to pursue University of Michigan Hospital and
Food Gatherers, the leading source
engineering. I dislike it of food for the needy in Southeast
Michigan. She’s the current New
when people differenti- Initiatives chair of Tau Beta Pi,
Service chair of the Epeians Engi-
ate between genders neering Leadership Honor Society,
a teaching assistant, a member of
when talking about the Shipman Society, and an active
PHOTO BY MARTIN VLOET, U-M PHOTO SERVICES
recruiter of prospective Michigan

math, science and Engineering students.
engineering. Women
are just as capable as
men, but it’s unfortu-
nately true that there
J
are fewer women in
essica Wang is a young woman concerned about the number of
these fields. I’m happy peers in engineering. “To recruit more women into engineering, we need
to start earlier!” she said. “K-12 girls should be getting more advice and
to see that the female- mentoring. They need to know what engineering is and isn’t. They need
advanced math and science. They need to develop analytical skills and
male ratio in the interest in hard sciences. And they need encouragement. If a female student asked
me for advice about being an engineer, I’d say, ‘Go for it! There’s nothing holding
Biomedical Engineer- you back. It’s incredibly rewarding and fun, although it takes a lot of hard work.’”
Wang knows what support can mean to a young person looking for direction.
ing department is “My parents believe strongly in the value of education, so they pushed me and my
siblings to work hard. When I was in high school, I was interested in biology and
about fifty-fifty now.” chemistry and wanted to study them further. My dad encouraged me to consider
biomedical engineering, which I saw as a twist on biology. I made the right move
– engineering has given me problem-solving skills, an analytical mindset and hands-
on experience. What I’ve learned as an engineer I can use any number of ways. I’m
applying to medical school to become a doctor; I want to see patients clinically and
do research in the lab. My engineering skills will help me treat and diagnose patients
better and help me in using and creating new technologies to solve health problems.
For me, biomedical engineering is the best of two worlds.”
Read more about Jessica Wang at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Cinda-Sue Davis
Director, Women in Science & Engineering Program
“Women in
engineering are
professionals who
want to make change
happen. They’re
confident, have
empathy and work
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
well in groups. They

understand teamwork
and the strengths and
Cinda-Sue Davis has developed a number of innovative programs: Summer Science for Girls, a residential
hands-on summer program for middle-school girls, Science for Life, a high-school internship program in weaknesses of team-
biomedical sciences, and the Marian Sarah Parker Scholars Program, an undergraduate program that en-
courages high-achieving women engineering students to pursue graduate degrees. In 1987 she hosted the mates. But women in
Gender and Science and Technology Conference as well as the first national Women in Science & Engineer-
ing Conference. She has authored numerous papers on issues facing women in engineering and frequently engineering are also
gives presentations on those topics.
like canaries in a coal
C
inda-Sue Davis feels that a basic issue she faces is that people mine – they’re early
— women and men — don’t know how wonderful engineering is. When they
find out how it impacts the world in medicine, manufacturing, media and indicators for what
entertainment, to name just a handful of areas, people see how they can make
a difference in the world. “Women and men want to be in positions that help works and doesn’t
people, and engineering will allow them to do that. But women more so than men don’t
know enough about engineering. They don’t know about materials science, for example, work in science and
and how it made a difference with the simplest of things like pins and rubber bands. U-M is
famous for testing the Salk vaccine. But not many are aware of what it takes to synthesize it engineering education.”
in large enough amounts, then transport and store it. Engineers make those kinds of things
possible. From what I see, young girls don’t think of those things. They think that engineers
make cars.”
Young women, Davis feels, need to develop skills early on. “High schools, even elemen-
tary schools, need to play up engineering. If girls are interested in science and math, for
example, we have to let them know that engineering requires those disciplines, but it’s more
about problem-solving and helping people than it is about doing pure math and science.”
Read more about Cinda-Sue Davis at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Jennifer Macks
Project Director, Barton Malow, Inc.
“I remember being worried that people would think I don’t take my job seriously
because I’m a woman. So, I tried to downplay everything but my engineering.
For example, I never mentioned my kids and family. Then, at a management
training program, I learned that I came off as distant and cold. But in interviews
with supervisors, I learned it’s OK for people to know I have kids and family and
a personal life. I opened up and now I’m a real-
ly good manager because of that, even in this
male-dominated company. Nevertheless, I
feel strongly that I don’t want to get anywhere
because I’m female. I want people to say that
I’m a great engineer, not a great female
engineer.”
I
PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER MACKS
n Jennifer Macks’ view, even if a woman wants to be known as

a great engineer, not just a great female engineer, “there are advantages
in being a woman in engineering. You stand out, you’re memorable and
your work gets more attention. Pretty soon they remember your work,
not your gender. Also, I work in construction, which I’ve found to be a
gray-hair industry – the issues aren’t related to gender; they’re generational. So I
feel pretty good about the fact that I’m a young woman who was the first female
project engineer in my group at Barton Malow, and the youngest woman in the
Jennifer Macks (BSE CEE ’94) is a professional engineer, company’s project management. My supervisors saw my strengths. I had a senior
a project director for Barton Malow Company and a superintendent who gave me the opportunity to prove myself to a client. He
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) mentored me. I’ve been blessed to have people like him around me, helping me
Accredited Professional. In 2003 Macks received the in my career.”
Recent Engineering Graduate Award and is currently Macks has also found that being a woman has helped her connect better with
president of Michigan Engineering’s Civil and Environ- some clients. “I specialize in construction for the health industry, which employs
mental Engineering Friends Association. She’s developed a lot of women. So a lot of my client contacts are with women, and it intrigues
a specialty in building facilities for the health industry them to see a woman engineer. We’re still not common in construction, but
and, in recent years, directed construction of the award- you’ll see more of us as time goes by.”
winning 656,000-square-foot south hospital addition at
William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan. Read more about Jennifer Macks at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Amy Cohn
Associate Professor, Industrial and Operations Engineering
“The hard part of my

career as an engineer is
balancing my life – I teach
and give plenty of atten-
tion to my students, I’m
interested in far more
research than I could ever
conduct, and I have a
great family I want to be
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
with as much as
possible. So there’s a
“Multidimensional” describes Amy Cohn, a Sloan Industry Studies Fellow who excels as a researcher and thirty-hour day that I have
instructor, and as a Michigan Engineering ambassador, volunteering in public schools, where she’s espe-
cially but not exclusively interested in putting engineering and science on young girls’ radar. She designs to shoehorn into twenty-
and plans large-scale complex systems, most of which have applications in passenger aviation. Renewable
energy, particularly wind farms, occupies a good deal of her lab time, as does teaching and filling advisory four hours – the time
positions for several campus organizations, including the Society of Women Engineers.
conflicts are a constant.
A
My advice? Learn to say
my Cohn “craves a sense of order in the world and a
way to solve its problems.” She finds that engineering is an ideal ‘No’ and strive for perfec-
way to satisfy her appetite. “I’m able to combine a love of math
and logic, with the chance to work on problems where I can see tion but be willing to settle
direct societal benefits. I constantly learn new things from new
people, and I often do it in exotic places. For example, I went to Barcelona to meet for less. When you agree
with women engineers from around the world, and I’m hoping to travel to Norway,
Denmark, Australia, southern France and possibly Shanghai during my upcoming to do something, ask
sabbatical. Those kinds of opportunities are a very cool part of my job.
“I’m also fortunate enough to be doing these things at Michigan Engineering – yourself the value of what
this place gives me access to incredible resources. All I have to do is look around my
department to find great, smart people, and when I want to get involved in another you’re doing and the value
field, I can tap the resources and people in other departments in the College, or in
the Business School, the Med School, the School of Natural Resources – I love hav- of what you’re not doing
ing whatever I need right here at my fingertips. I can bike my kids to school, bike to
my office… Ann Arbor is a great place to live and work and raise a family.” in its place. Then decide
Read more about Amy Cohn at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer which is more valuable.”

Annie Mitsak
“Someday I’d like to

use engineering to
create solutions for
the greater good – I
want to be a social
entrepreneur and
improve healthcare in
developing countries.
The right innovations
would be successful
there as well as in
low-income areas of
PHOTO BY bob ramey
developed countries
such as the U.S.”
Annie Mitsak is a student engineer who spends a lot of time in a non-technical world. She’s an accomplished
pianist, an artist, a tri-athlete who averages two half-marathons a year, a cook and a baker. The engineer at her
core is deeply involved in M-HEAL (Michigan Health Engineered for All Lives) and in volunteer projects for World
Medical Relief in Detroit.
W
hen Annie Mitsak joined M-HEAL student: “Passing my qualifying exam after working so hard for three
during her first semester of grad school, months – well, actually, for two years! What an effort that took.
she realized that her engineering skills I’ve had moments when I considered leaving, but I think all PhD
could be a valuable outreach tool. students have moments like that – they’re related to that feeling like
“Before that I had little knowledge or there’s no light at the end of the tunnel! I mean, you go in one end,
interest in global health engineering and social entrepreneurship, but run into the complexities of engineering, and you wonder if you’re
M-HEAL opened my eyes – it’s shaped much of my experience here. ever going to come out on the other side!”
Now I want to make engineering outreach a part of my career.” She was well prepared for the challenges of Michigan Engineer-
Her M-HEAL work has focused on creating sustainable, low-cost ing. “I always enjoyed and was good at math and science in high
medical technology for developing communities. “As part of that school,” she said. “My dad is a chemical engineer and he encouraged
goal, I’ve been volunteering at World Medical Relief in Detroit, help- me to consider engineering as a career. I’ve always considered myself
ing them test and repair medical equipment that’s donated by area a pretty creative thinker and engineering gives me the opportunity to
hospitals. After we’re done, the equipment is shipped to countries in use this when approaching problems.”
need around the world. That’s just one of the things we’re into at M-
HEAL. The work gives engineering some real meaning for me.”
Mitsak has found a lot to like at Michigan Engineering. She was Read more about Annie Mitsak at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer
smiling but emphatic when she revealed her favorite moment as a

Lorelle Meadows
Director of Academic Programs,
Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education
“It’s important to interest young women and other underrepresented students

in the field of engineering. So many talented students with altruistic values leave
engineering because they don’t see the relevance of the field to their ambitions. It’s
our job to clearly show how engineers, with their unique talents, can have a direct
and positive effect on the world.”
A
mong Lorelle Meadows’ many
aspirations is the formidable task of
attracting more women to engineering
and retaining them once they’ve gotten
there. It’s not an easy task, but she knows
how to attack the problem. She was quick and blunt, say-
ing, “I’d start very early with K-12, introducing teachers to
technology and engineering so that they can pass that along
to their students. There’s a disconnect between what teach-
ers know about engineering and what engineers actually do.
We need to bridge the gap, showing women that math, sci-
ence and engineering are relevant to what they want. They
need role models. We need to provide engineering examples
to show how studies, K-12 and beyond, apply to problem-
solving in the real world. We have to let women know that
engineering will take them where they want to go.”
Meadows formed her opinions from experience. “I
learned at a young age that I had an affinity for math and
science. I also discovered I was adept at computer pro-
gramming. People encouraged me early on to become an
engineer because they recognized my skillsets. I was lucky,
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
because no one ever discouraged me, and I went on to com-

bine my interests in the environment and the computer.
“One thing that’s great about being an engineer – and
this is true for everybody – is the freedom to pursue your
interests. From my experience, I’d say you don’t get that
degree of freedom in any other academic setting. The cool- Lorelle Meadows has a unique perspective. She’s the Director of Academic
est thing about my job has been to see how amazing our Programs in the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education. She’s
students are. They’re intelligent, inspired and inspiring. also a researcher with more than 30 peer-reviewed and conference papers to her
Working with them energizes me about engineering and credit, an experienced instructor, and an early leader in developing high-frequency
engineering education.” radar measurement systems on the coastal ocean and Great Lakes, as well as a
service-learning curriculum within the College of Engineering. She’s a consummate
Read more about Lorelle Meadows at professional and an ideal person to address the topic of women in engineering.
www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Anne Shen Smith

Chief Operating Officer, Southern California Gas Co.
“Being a woman is only one aspect of

who I am, and having an engineering
degree is just one very important tool in
the ‘bag of tricks’ that I’ve used to
accomplish my career aspirations. It’s
that full complement of skills and
attributes, rather than my gender or eth-
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNE SHEN SMITH

nicity or any other single aspect of who I
am, that has enabled me to succeed. For
a young woman engineer starting a
career today, her gender can be an
advantage – more doors will be open
Anne Shen Smith (BSE IOE ’76) leads more than 7,000 employees for a
to her in non-traditional professions as subsidiary of a Fortune 500 energy-services holding company that provides
natural-gas services to 20 million consumers throughout Southern California.
companies strive for greater workforce She has served on numerous advisory boards, committees and commissions
in the fields of energy, transportation, environment and public policy.
diversity. However, it’s still job perfor-
mance that will determine her success.”
I
n the technical context, Anne Shen Smith doesn’t many ways, including having a very successful career as an educator.
see many limitations for a competent woman engineer. So the notion of being a woman in a man’s field wasn’t an issue for
However, she feels biased social norms and perceptions still me.”
prevail in business settings, making women’s jobs difficult. When it was time to choose a path, she entered engineering at her
“For example,” she said, “traveling out of town on business father’s urging. “I wanted to be a social worker,” Smith said. “But
with a male co-worker can be awkward. And supervising an all-male my father – a civil-structural engineer and a University of Michigan
work group can be challenging. Nevertheless, I say to women who grad – urged all of us kids to get undergrad degrees in engineering,
are considering a career in engineering: go for it! The skills and because that would lay a foundation for a range of good jobs. After
knowledge you’ll acquire are completely transferable, regardless of that, he said, we could pursue any field of graduate studies of our
where you end up professionally. Don’t sweat about being a woman choosing.”
in a male-dominated field – just follow your passion.”
Smith was raised “gender-neutral” in considering career options. Read more about Anne Shen Smith at
Her parents emphasized that she couldn’t merely rely on “marrying
well” to support herself and a family. “My mom was a pioneer in

Jing Sun
Professor, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering , and
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
“A major turning point in my life was getting the opportunity to come to the United
States for my PhD study when China was just opening its doors to the outside
world in the early ’80s. That led me into entirely new territory and put me on
another journey, getting new perspectives on engineering, technology and life,
learning new things. After spending 30 years studying and working in marine and
electrical engineering, I still feel the same way: I was lucky to have had the
opportunity for higher education in China and even more fortunate to become an
engineer and an educator in the United States, especially at Michigan Engineering.
I came a long way and ended up exactly where I should be.”
E
ngineering for Jing Sun has been a fountain of
youth. “The coolest thing about my job is that I work
with people who keep me young. Each time I teach, I
learn something new. The prospect of teaching and
learning with another group of students always makes
me look forward to the next term. Attending senior student project pre-
sentations and graduate-student defenses are the most rewarding parts
about teaching. I love the special teaching and research opportunities at
the College.”
Sun’s path to North Campus started worlds away, geographically
and experientially. “I spent my days in middle school and high school
studying the ‘little red book’ in China during the Cultural Revolution,”
she said. “When I graduated from high school, the revolution had ended PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
and universities were re-opened after being closed for 10 years. In my

first college application, I chose ‘automation’ as my specialty without
knowing exactly what it was. I simply thought China needed modern-
ization, and automation sounded modern. I soon discovered that I had
got into engineering. So, you could say I became an engineer not really
by design but by accident.” Jing Sun has made a name for herself in the automotive and marine
Sun discovered that most of her classmates at the University of Sci- industries as a leading expert in the area of adaptive control and dynamics.
ence and Technology of China were men. “That’s just the way it was. At She’s a prolific researcher and writer, and a highly active consultant with
that time in China, getting into a college was a precious opportunity. I a specialty in adaptive controls and systems integration. Her recent work
thought that no matter what I was studying, and no matter who I was focuses on adaptive and optimal control of safety-critical energy systems
studying it with, just having that opportunity was the best thing that in mobile applications, but she puts lot of time into the study of integrated
could happen in my life.” power systems to maximize efficiency and improve sustainability. Sun is
also a much-sought instructor of undergraduate and graduate courses.
Read more about Jing Sun www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Patrice Langford
Chemical Engineering Student
Patrice Langford is a mover

and a shaker – a member of the
University of Michigan cheerlead-
ing team, president of the National
Organization of Black Chemists
PHOTO BY GENIE LEMIEUX, EVANSTON PHOTO SERVICES

and Chemical Engineers, and a
long-time volunteer at her church,
where she teaches liturgical dance
and cheerleading, and tutors high-
school students. She’s an enthusi-
astic shopper and an athlete with a
resume that includes high-school
track and field, soccer and softball.
And she’s industrious, welcoming
the challenges that she’s currently
taking on at Unilever in Chicago.
P
atrice Langford was headed toward
an engineering degree long before her mother
“With my mother’s help I plan to encouraged her to go for it. “My middle school
and high school exposed me to programs such as
develop my own line of hair-care the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program
(DAPCEP), which helped me learn about all the different types
and beauty products for teen- of engineering and what they do in industry. That’s what made
engineering click for me. Unfortunately, it didn’t prepare me for the
agers – they struggle a lot with challenges I faced when I got to college. I found the transition from
high school very difficult. Everything in my life changed – I didn’t
their identity and self-esteem, have the familiarity of home and family, I had to change churches,
I was on my own and had to be more responsible. That was a lot
and I want to make them feel to take in all at once, and I struggled to adjust to the workload, the
College and all of the changes in my life.”
great about themselves. When Langford decided to find her way by losing herself in activity. “I
got together with my fellow DAPCEP members and put together a
things get hard, I not only remind class that exposed seventh and eighth graders to chemical engineer-
ing. I got into cheerleading. I went to work for the Women in
myself of how badly I want my Engineering office, talking with women who are interested in com-
ing to Michigan to major in engineering. I tried to get them excited
degree but also that I want to about what Michigan has to offer… I tried to give them valuable
advice that I hoped would help them through their college experi-
make a difference in someone ences. It was great for them; it was great for me. When I look back
at my time as an engineering student, some of my favorite memo-
else’s life.” ries will be the talks I had with students interested in engineering.”
Read more about Patrice Langford at


Debbie Taylor
Director, Women in Engineering Office
“Engineers – women and men –

become successful engineers for
one reason: They like to solve prob-
lems. They want to increase
efficiency, develop new processes,
improve designs – they want to
make people’s lives better. Women
and men decide to become
PHOTO BY SCOTT SODERBERG, U-M PHOTO SERVICES
engineers for the same reasons.

An engineer is an engineer.”
Debbie Taylor has written extensively for career development publications, including
the Journal of Career Planning and Placement and Diversity Careers in Engineering
and Information Technology.
D
ebbie Taylor deals in professional settings especially. But that’s encompasses, we have to reframe the broad
day-to-day with issues that not always true.” field of engineering, using initiatives such
women in engineering Taylor and others in the engineering as Grand Challenges for Engineering
face – in the classroom, community, not just at Michigan Engineer- from the National Academy of Engineer-
in the lab, in industry, ing, are looking for ways to increase the ing, and Introduce a Girl to Engineering
in any of a number of venues. “Gender number of women who enter technological Day, to name just a couple. Those kinds
sometimes makes a difference in things that fields. There’s agreement in the engineer- of programs help change perceptions and
women do as engineers. For example, some ing community that there must be a true promote the opportunities engineers have
women will select an area of engineering commitment and concerted efforts at the to literally save the world. We need to
that allows their work to make a direct and national, state and local levels to increase consider how to engage students through
immediate contribution to society. It might the number of women entering fields such the media. We need television and feature
depend on the company or organization. as science, technology, engineering and films to portray engineers as they really
But, generally, a skilled, knowledgeable, mathematics. are – smart, engaging people. I’d also like
female engineer has most of the very same “Teachers, counselors and school to see engineers and scientists featured on
opportunities of a male engineer. That said, administrators need the information and cereal boxes during National E-Week –
there are still cases of women engineers resources to help students understand and just kidding – but we really do need more
lacking access to opportunities, facilities or appreciate the true nature of engineering,” exposure.”
positions simply because they’re women. I’d Taylor said. “Since many people in general Read more about Debbie Taylor
like to think that talent trumps prejudice don’t know what engineering actually at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Claudia Alexander
Project Manager and Project Scientist of the U.S. Rosetta Project
“Throughout school I was one of few women in class and didn’t feel very feminine
talking my way through engineering applications like dam or bridge building. At
that time there were few female role models to give me a vision of myself as a
professional engineer. I wasn’t feeling very validated, which played hugely into my
self-esteem at the time. But I stuck with it. When I was as a senior in undergradu-
ate school, a professor nudged me into a senior project on the Earth’s carbon cycle.
It turned out great. He was really pleased and pretty much got me into graduate
school. It was a case of a professor believing in me. I really needed that. Fifteen
years later I was chosen to be the project scientist on Rosetta, a lifelong dream,
and my life has never been the same!”
C
laudia Alexander, a In the world of space science, Claudia
space scientist, didn’t always Alexander (PhD AOSS ’93) is a household
have stars in her eyes. There name. In addition to her position with the
was a time she wanted to be U.S. Rosetta Project, she was the last proj-
a journalist. “But my parents ect manager of NASA’s Galileo mission to
were convinced engineering was the answer! Jupiter and, early on, was a member of the
I found it was a lot more fun to think about technical staff at the Jet Propulsion Labo-
the flow of water in a river than water in the ratory. As a researcher Alexander’s studies
city sewer, so I went into earth-science and have included the evolution and interior
got a bachelor’s in geophysics at UC-Berke- physics of comets, Jupiter and its moons,
ley.” Alexander moved on for a master’s in magnetospheres, plate tectonics, space
geophysics and space physics at UCLA, and plasma, the solar wind and the planet
a Michigan Engineering PhD in Atmo- Venus. She has written or co-authored 14
spheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, spe- papers.
cializing in space plasma. It turned out to
be a good path. “I love working in the space In 1993, the University of Michigan named
program on one-of-a-kind engineering her its Woman of the Year. A decade later,
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLAUDIA ALEXANDER
applications, like flying spacecraft, which she received the Emerald Honor for Women
is really a team effort. There are so many of Color in Research & Engineering from
aspects of keeping a piece of engineering Career Communications Group, publisher of
working and operating when it’s thousands Black Engineer and Information Technology
of kilometers away from you. The ingenuity Magazine, and she was featured in a 2007
required is amazing.” article in Black Enterprise Magazine.
Read more about Claudia Alexander

at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Lut Raskin
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
“There were no engineers

in my family, and for a
long time I was oblivi-
ous to any gender issues
in engineering. It has
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY

never been something
that greatly affected me.
However, I now know
To find Lut Raskin, simply follow her long trail of achievements that have helped solve some of envi-
that women often aren’t ronmental engineering’s most vexing problems. A fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology,
and a member of organizations such as the International Water Association, Raskin has co-authored
taken quite as seriously, 85 refereed journal articles, one book and six book chapters, and has presented more than 50 invited
lectures. Her research has found its way into applications for bioenergy production from wastewater,
at least initially. They and the use of biologically active filters to remove contaminants from drinking water.
generally have to work a Raskin teaches courses in environmental microbiology for engineers, water and wastewater treat-
ment, and a seminar for new environmental engineering graduate students that covers research
little harder to be viewed methods, career discussions and ethics in engineering. And she ekes out time to volunteer for activi-
ties like the 2009 World Water Monitoring Day for third- and fourth-grade students in Ann Arbor.
as equals. This seems to
L
be disappearing, certainly
ut Raskin loved biology and chemistry in high school, but she didn’t
in some of our academic want to become a biologist or chemist. Instead she chose an occupation that
combines her love of science and a need to apply fundamentals from science to
engineering depart- develop processes for water treatment. “I became an environmental engineer,
and I have no regrets,” she said. “We have seen more and more women coming
ments. Here at Michigan into engineering, certainly at the undergraduate level, but also at the graduate level, obtain-
ing their master’s and PhD degrees. However, I have seen a substantial number of female
we are beginning to have engineers leave engineering, including some of the best and brightest engineers. A lot of
times, this happens for personal reasons. From what I’ve seen, women are more willing to ac-
a critical mass of women commodate the needs of their families. There is still a lot of subtle pressure from society and
family members to fit in with the traditional gender roles. I’ve seen this many, many times.
faculty, and gender is Many engineering firms are trying to figure out how to respond to this and are providing a
lot of flexibility to try to retain their female engineers. We need to come up with more cre-
becoming less of an issue ative solutions since what we are doing isn’t enough. I try to show my PhD students that the
flexibility that comes with an academic position in engineering is especially ideal for family.”
than it might be else-
Read more about Lut Raskin at http://www.engin.umich.edu/engineer
where.”

Katie Lapham
Mechanical Engineering Student
Katie Lapham has had her pedal to the metal

for a long time – while most little girls were
playing with dolls, she was getting into auto
racing. She was a fixture at a local track,
where she watched her father race and man-
age professional teams. Now she’s behind
the wheel – she races in an amateur series
with him and was a driver and the project
manager on Michigan Engineering’s 2009
Formula SAE team. Her resumé also includes
a column of athletic achievements in high-
school soccer, volleyball and basketball.
She’s polished on horseback, skilled in yoga
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
and experienced in volunteer efforts for

organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.
G
“I’ve always been interested in race-
ender didn’t factor into Katie Lapham’s
decision to pursue engineering, but it has been cars and I plan to work on them after
an occasional issue as she’s worked towards her
degree. “As a woman I’ve always been a minority I graduate this year. I’m not afraid of
at the racetrack and in my math and science
classes, so I’m used to it. I hope to own or manage my own getting my hands dirty, which has a
racing team one day, and I’m not going to let being a woman
get in the way. I also plan on being a racecar engineer and learn lot to do with my parents’
as much as possible about the cars and the business. And I’ll
always keep racing for pleasure. influence – especially my father’s –
“Working closely year round with teammates on our student
project has been very rewarding, although it’s been a pain, at while I was growing up. They were
times. But I’ve always worked past the problems and, as a result,
I have a lot of great moments to remember.” both very supportive, no matter what
One occurred right after the 2009 Formula SAE competi-
tion in Germany. “All twenty team members, men and women, I’ve wanted to pursue – when I was
sat down together to eat and were able to enjoy being the best
North American team and almost winning the world competi- deciding between business and engi-
tion. When we all first got together, there had been some stereo-
typing; I simply tried to ignore them and show them what I neering, they always said it was up
could do. Eventually they got over their problem and learned to
work with me. That evening together seemed to symbolize how to me. I picked engineering and it was
things had changed.”
Read more about Katie Lapham at
the right choice – I’m still into getting
my hands dirty.”

Kristine Svinicki
Commissioner, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
“Vision and decisiveness define a good

leader. That’s a shorthand way of saying
a good leader has the ability and wisdom
to sort through and see what needs to Kristine Svinicki (BSE NERS ’88), currently one of five commissioners
appointed to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, served two
be done and the willingness to set that terms on the American Nuclear Society (ANS) Special Committee on
Nuclear Non-Proliferation and, in 2006, received the ANS Presidential
plan into action without being plagued Citation. She was awarded a Stennis Congressional Fellowship in the
108th Congress and received a Brookings Institution Legis Congres-
by doubt or regret. That holds true for sional Fellowship in 1997. She spent more than a decade as a staff
member in the U.S. Senate and has also served as a professional
women and men – gender doesn’t belong staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Svinicki
worked as a nuclear engineer in the U.S. Department of Energy
in the definition of leadership.” and, before that, was an energy engineer with the Wisconsin Public
Service Commission. In 2009, she received a Michigan Engineering
Alumni Society Merit Award.
K
ristine Svinicki became an engineer because she
has a characteristic that she believes all engineers
have: a curiosity about how things work and how to
make them better. She said that, for her, the best part
of being an engineer is “being able to harness all I’ve
learned in science and mathematics for the day-to-day betterment of
the human condition – how we live, work and play; and how we take
care of each other, as people and as nations. Engineering is tremen-
dously rewarding, and if I were asked what advice I’d give to women
who want to pursue it as a career, I’d give them the same advice that I
would give to men: In your education and as you begin your profes-
sional life, seek out as many diverse experiences as you can. In that
way, you’ll be prepared to take on whatever life sends your way and
to pursue the next step in developing interests and talents you didn’t
even know you had. Do some things that make you at least a little bit
uncomfortable. Push yourself.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTINE SVINICKI
She doesn’t see gender as much of an issue in any aspect of

engineering. “It doesn’t play a part in communication, for example,
probably because men and women engineers both communicate dif-
ferently than everyone else. I know this is a bit of a tired stereotype,
but as communities of practice, different engineering disciplines do
tend to speak among themselves in their own language. I’m trying to
branch out though – for example, by using Facebook to communi-
cate with a broader community about my work as a Commissioner.”
Read more about Kristine Svinicki at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Valeria Bertacco
Associate Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
“I love teaching young students who

are discovering the field of computer
science and engineering. They’re
enthusiastic and curious, and each
semester I have a few students who
decide to pursue the field of computer
engineering because of what they
learned in my class – that’s tremen-
dously rewarding. But for me the
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
most rewarding aspect of teaching

is the interaction with the students,
Valeria Bertacco is exciting and excited – exciting because men and women, seeing when they
of accomplishments such as receiving a National
Science Foundation CAREER award, a University of Michigan understand a new concept in class or during
Outstanding Achievement award and the Air Force Office of
Scientific Research’s Young Investigator award; excited my office hours, or when they become
because her students dive into and deliver heady projects
like FunSAT (a video game that enables players to solve passionate about a field because of the
complex computer-science problems) and analyze the
structure and properties of social networks, such as Twitter material they learned in class. I hope to help
and Facebook. Before joining the Michigan Engineering
faculty, she was a member of the Advanced Technology students build successful careers for them-
Group of Synopsys, a position in which she was a lead
developer of Vera and Magellan, two popular verification selves and I hope to develop something that
tools. Bertacco is also an associate editor for the IEEE
Transactions, the author of two books and a member of will have an impact not just in my field but on
several conference program committees.
the general population.”
L
ike everything else Valeria Bertacco does, her systems, and particularly microprocessors. She also teaches under-
decision to pursue a career in engineering was methodi- graduate and graduate courses. And she’s thoroughly enjoying what
cal. “I became an engineer by exclusion,” she said. “I she calls the “extremely collegial environment” at Michigan Engi-
knew very early on that I wanted to pursue science for neering. “I’ve worked at a few other academic sites and visited several
my undergraduate studies – literature and arts subjects more, and Michigan’s collegiality definitely stands out at every level,
weren’t really my passion. But science fields seemed disconnected from the lab, to the department, to the college – people interact,
from the concerns of day-to-day life. So I chose engineering because collaborate in research, support and promote each other. This is a
it’s science-related but there I could learn to build something that, I critical aspect for me in my job.”
hoped, would make life better or more comfortable and interesting.” Read more about Valeria Bertacco at
She works on issues related to the proper functioning of digital www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Jacquelynne S. Eccles
Wilbert McKeachie Collegiate Professor of Psychology,
Education and Women’s Studies
“If we are to increase the number of women who pursue engineering as a career,
we must pay more attention to how we formulate and present the options that
women have when making their decisions. We have to make sure that, first,
women are aware of and understand all of the options that are available and,
second, they understand what each option might enable them to achieve.”
G
ender-related inequality in technology careers has been a
persistent, troubling condition,” Eccles said. “It has been particu-
larly evident in the fact that women aren’t sharing in the salary and
status advantages attached to those careers.”
Despite recent efforts to increase the number of women in
occupational fields associated with engineering, women are less likely than men
to aspire to, and then take the preparatory courses that are required for, careers in
those fields. “In the early 1980s, my colleagues and I proposed a theoretical model
to study motivational and social factors that might contribute to that discrepancy.
We linked educational and vocational choices directly to two sets of beliefs: one,
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACQUELYNNE ECCLES
the individual’s expectations for success and, two, the importance or value that the
individual attaches to the various options perceived as available. We also took into
account the relation of those beliefs to cultural norms, experiences and aptitudes,
and to those personal beliefs and attitudes commonly assumed to be associated
with achievement-related activities – for example, how individuals interpret the
cause-and-effect of efforts that lead to achievements; the input of parents, teachers,
peers and media; gender-role beliefs; self perceptions, self concepts, personal life
goals and long-range plans; and individuals’ perceptions of the achievement itself.”
Eccles and her colleagues assumed that each of those factors affects both the
expectations an individual has for future success and the subjective value one
Jacquelynne Eccles is the Wilbert McKeachie Collegiate attaches to various options. “We came to the conclusion that those expectations
Professor of Psychology, Education and Women’s Studies and the choices made were influenced by the options available and by the value
at the University of Michigan and a research scientist at the that individuals attached to the various options. In other words, the availability
Institute for Social Research. She is also director of the Gen- and the value of options were key in the selection process. Our subsequent research
der and Achievement Research Program. Her most recent has largely supported these predictions.”
book is Gender and Occupational Outcomes: Longitudinal
Assessments of Individual, Social and Cultural Influences. Read more about Jacquelynne Eccles at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Mahta Moghaddam
Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
M
ahta Moghaddam is
one of those people
who have no trouble
PHOTO BY MARTIN VLOET, U-M PHOTO SERVICES

getting up in the
morning because she
looks forward to “interacting with students
– they always have either great ideas or
great questions, which lead to new ideas.
And I love working on state-of-the-art
technologies and being at the forefront of
discovery, even if at times our work may
seem esoteric. We work in a field (electrical
engineering) that’s broad, fascinating and
wide open to discovery. I see my work as a Mahta Moghaddam’s talents and accomplishments are broad and deep. A principal and co-investigator
tool to help individuals and society, which on numerous research projects, she’s authored or coauthored more than 180 publications. As an IEEE
is exactly what I hope to do in the course fellow she is recognized for her contributions to the field of radar remote sensing. She holds multiple
of my career – that’s what I want to do and editorial positions for prominent journals in this field, including IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and
that’s what I want my students to take away Remote Sensing. NASA calls on her repeatedly to participate in and to lead working groups, workshops
from working with me.” and panels, and has awarded multiple certificates of recognition to her. She’s a leader in the field of
Read more about Mahta Moghaddam at quantitative interpretation of multichannel synthetic-aperture radar imagery and data fusion, as well
www.engin.umich.edu/engineer as the development of complex hardware systems and algorithms for subsurface sensing.
Moghaddam is a member of the prestigious Science Definition Team for NASA’s SMAP satellite mis-
sion, a $750M mission currently under development to provide accurate global observations of soil
moisture in support of energy, weather and climate studies. Another prominent aspect of her research
is development of high-resolution mixed-mode medical-imaging and cancer-treatment systems, which
promise to detect and treat cancerous lesions at an early stage.
“Those who are interested in academic and research careers should always keep
their work relevant to society and to technologies that improve quality of life,
while clearly ensuring the highest intellectual value. They also need to be flexible
and resilient, because the needs and interests of individuals and society change
with time.”

Mary Kreuz
“I want to start an outreach program for girls in high school. I’d talk about my
experiences as a woman in engineering and get them excited about the field. And
because I love what I’m doing and I know that engineering is cool, I’d explain that
I don’t care if I’m called a nerd or geek. If I stand tall and proud behind that fact, I
think other girls will, too.”
Those who know Mary Kreuz

describe her as energetic, curious,
competitive and outspoken. But
there are other words that define
her. Talented: She plays piano and
guitar, bakes, and enjoys creative
writing and photography. Active:
She participates in intramural
sports at U-M, and follows college
football and basketball, and the
Detroit Pistons. Involved: She tutors
classmates, speaks at Women in
Science & Engineering events and
volunteers for a number of organi-
zations; and her resumé includes
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
honors concert band and varsity

cross country in high school. Deter-
mined: She’ll persevere through the
toughest times to reach her goals.
M
ary Kreuz can pinpoint the moment When she talks to young women who are exploring the pros
that she decided to pursue engineering. and cons of engineering, she tells them how she made her decision
“When I realized that I’m most in my zone and encourages them to put their hearts into it. Be prepared to
when solving difficult math and science prob- work hard, but know that you’ll be satisfied with the results. Don’t
lems, I decided to pursue engineering. I liked be afraid to ask questions. Speak up in class. Get to know your
English and history in high school but I couldn’t see myself with a classmates. Focus on learning rather than simply getting good grades.
lifetime career in either field. And I had dreamed of becoming a doc- Have fun and enjoy the ride!”
tor since I was eight years old. I wanted a degree that would prep me Kreuz’s parents and teachers supported her decision to study engi-
for med school or, if I decided not to pursue medicine, would still neering. “Everyone was so encouraging, so I went for it. I did think
give me tools for a great career. That’s why I chose biomedical engi- about the fact that there are fewer women than men in engineering,
neering. Now I hope to be a physician with engineering problem- but ultimately that wasn’t a deciding factor–I’ve been hanging with
solving skills. I would also love to use my experience as both an the boys my whole life. I decided to keep it that way.
engineer and a physician to do cutting-edge research that will make
an impact on my generation.” Read more about Mary Kreuz at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Meha Pandey
M
eha Pandey was a
Biomedical Engineering Student small-town girl with a
feeling that a big future
lay ahead – if only she
knew what direction
to take. “I wanted to study something chal-
lenging and, after a lot of consideration,
engineering was it. I saw that, with an
engineering degree, I could go on and do
anything – I’d be able to apply my analyti-
cal and problem-solving skills in a variety of
occupations. I’ve already had a chance to use
my biomedical engineering skills to make
a difference – in Honduras I helped to fix
a broken infant incubator and, a few days
later, I saw it being used in the neonatal ward
of the hospital. It was a fulfilling moment.”
She intends to continue down the
healthcare road, “first as a consultant and
eventually as the founder of a non-profit
organization that will produce and distribute
medical devices at a low-cost to underprivi-
leged people in developing countries. I know
it’ll be difficult, but getting an engineering
degree has prepared me for tough times.
Surviving the challenges of freshman year
was a turning point, and when things got
hard during my sophomore year, I was able
to stick it out.”
Those experiences forced Pandey to take
PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY
a good look at her life. “I decided that I’d

committed myself to too many extracurricu-
lar activities, and my grades were suffering.
So I learned how to balance both – and
knowing how to do that is one more thing
Meha Pandey, born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, has seen a lot of the world. that I’ll take with me when I graduate.”
She volunteered as a medical technician in a Honduran hospital during the summer after
Read more about Meha Pandey at
her sophomore year and, after her junior year, worked for a non-profit in India, helping to www.engin.umich.edu/engineer
improve the infrastructure of a village hospital. In addition to travel and lending her time
and talents to those in need, she enjoys
snowboarding and watching movies. In
high school, she participated in clubs “Traditionally, women haven’t been encouraged to
such as Quiz Bowl and Model UN, and
became expert in tae-kwon-do. In pursue science and engineering at an early age. I
college, she has served on the board of
the Indian-American Student Associa- think it’s a cultural issue – people have to understand
tion, and last year was an RA in South
Quad. Currently, Pandey serves as the that it must be made a priority to make young girls
president of the Michigan section of the
Society of Women Engineers. aware of the profession of engineering and the idea
that everyone can develop the ability to become an
engineer.”

Engin NEWS
Michigan Engineering maintained its #7 The Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE) named Doug Neal
PHOTO BY SCOTT SODERBERG, U-M PHOTO SERVICES

overall ranking for the third straight year its new managing director. Neal is a serial entrepreneur and an
on the U.S. News & World Report’s list of experienced senior technology and operations executive who
best undergraduate engineering colleges. spent the last 20 years working in leadership positions at various
CoE shared its ranking with Carnegie technology companies in California and Michigan. Under his
Mellon. Nine of the 10 CoE programs leadership, CFE launched its Introduction to Social Entrepre-
remained in the top ten. neurship course, a collaborative effort between CoE, the School
of Art and Design, and the William Davidson Institute. Another
highlight of CFE’s busy year was the selection of Jason Born-
The U-M Office of Technology Transfer horst, Jonathan Carender, and Mary Lemmer as the co-winners
(OTT) recently selected FlexDex, a of its Student Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 award.
low-cost laparoscopic tool for minimally
invasive surgery, as one of the six most
Time Magazine ranked the MESSENGER spacecraft number 11 on its list of best
50 inventions of 2009. The U-M Fast-Imaging Plasma Spectrometer, a soda-can-sized
sensor on board the NASA probe, is onboard, measuring solar winds and predicting
solar storms.
promising invention disclosures filed with
the OTT in 2008. FlexDex, invented by
associate professors Shorya Awtar of the
Mechanical Engineering department and
his collaborator, James Geiger of the
Medical School, was a featured device
at the annual Celebrate Invention event
in October 2009. FlexDex provides en-
hanced dexterity, intuitive control, greater
precision and natural force feedback dur-
ing minimally invasive surgery.
U-M researchers disclosed 350 new

inventions in fiscal year 2009, setting a
new record, according to the U-M Office
of Technology Transfer. Royalties from
University-developed technologies rose The Fast-Imaging Plasma Spectrometer helps improve weather forecasting and, in the process, makes
20 percent during that period, another shipping safer, protects vital communications and prevents the destruction of power grids that are
all-time high. highly sensitive to waves of charged particles.
Read more at
http://tinyurl.com/um-invent
U-M has received $2.5 million from the White House’s Advanced Electric Drive
Vehicle Education Program to create ten courses on topics such as hybrid vehicles,
The first annual Tech Fest welcomed batteries and green power. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel the grant will also help develop two laboratories – an Integrated Hybrid Electric System
investors, scientists and business leaders Laboratory and an Automotive Power Electronics Laboratory – and support graduate
from around the world to North Campus and undergraduate courses.
for demonstrations of labs and student
projects, networking and brainstorming.
Michigan Engineering, the Center for En- Magnetic Ventures, a student undergraduate engineering company, has received an
trepreneurship, the U-M Medical School, National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance e-team grant to further its idea
the Office of Technology Transfer and the for a magnetically assisted artificial joint.
Michigan Economic Development Corpo-
ration hosted the October event.

Student LOG
AOSS students have launched

their own weather-forecasting
Jerome Singleton Shatters World Record web page: http://aoss-research.
engin.umich.edu/weather. The
In a moment that brought site is a rich resource for current
the crowd of 1,032 to weather conditions, forecasts,
its feet, undergraduate warnings and advisories,
engineering student and trends, worldwide weather and
Paralympian Silver Medalist discussion. Send comments
Jerome Singleton shattered and suggestions to the student
the T44 world record in forecasters at aoss4casters@
the 60-meter dash. (T44 umich.edu.
designates events for athletes
with one leg amputated
below the knee.) He crossed
Endocutter, a device developed
Photo by Martin Vloet, U-M Photo Services

the finish line with a time of
by a Biomedical Engineer-
7.34 in the fifth preliminary
ing department design team,
heat at the Simmons-Harvey
was a semi-finalist in the 2009
Invitational track and field
ASME Innovation Showcase
meet in Ann Arbor, January
competition. Endocutter is
23, 2010. Singleton, whose
quickly becoming a valuable
right leg was amputated be-
tool for gastroenterologists who
low the right knee when he
need a more effective means
was 18 months old, wiped
of removing blood clots from
out the previous world
the stomach during episodes of
Singleton (center) was a member of the U.S. team that competed at the 2008 record of 7.78.
stomach bleeding.
Beijing Paralympic games.
The 1,000 Pitches competition, organized by the student

entrepreneurship organization MPowered and co-sponsored by the
Imade Asemota, 1984 – 2009
Center for Entrepreneurship, was a wild success, drawing 2,165 Imade Asemota, a doctoral student in chemical engineering, passed
videotaped pitches, more than doubling its goal. The competition away on April 11, 2009. She had begun her Michigan Engineering
took place over two months, during which students pitched their career just a year before, after having received her bachelor’s degree,
entrepreneurial ideas in one of eight categories: environment, social magna cum laude, from North Carolina A&T State University in
entrepreneurship, global business, green campus, health, local 2005, and her master’s from
business, Michigan matters (innovative solutions for the state of Michigan State University in
Michigan) and hi-tech, which had a subcategory for best iPhone 2007.
Photo courtesy of Imade Asemota Foundation
application. MPowered team members determined the 10 finalists In her honor, family and
in each category. friends created The Imade
The competition received support from a number of sponsors, Asemota Foundation for Sickle-
including Michigan Engineering, Rackham Graduate School, the Cell Research and Patients’
School of Information, Green Mountain Energy, Arboretum Ven- Welfare (http://www.imade-
tures, and Menlo Innovations, to name just a few. foundation.org). Its mission
Read more at www.engin.umich.edu/db1000 is to promote SCA research,
develop more effective pain-
management procedures and
Shima Abadi, an ME doctoral student, has received the “best enhance public awareness and
student paper in underwater acoustics prize” for her paper “Blind engagement.
Deconvolution of Remote Source Signals from Acoustic Array Colleagues and classmates said that they’ll remember her “positive
Recordings in Multipath Environments,” which she presented at attitude and encouraging smile.” She left an indelible impression on
the 158th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in San the College of Engineering and all who knew her.
Antonio, Texas, October 2009.

Student project teams in ME450, the high point
in Michigan Engineering’s design and manufactur-
what photo? ing curricula, have developed a surgical lift that
assists Dr. Karin Muraszko every time she performs
surgery at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Muraszko,
a pediatric neurosurgeon, uses the lift to compensate
for limitations from mild spina bifida, which would
Infinium, the U-M Solar Car, received the Technical Innovation Award from otherwise hinder her during surgical procedures.
Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. The Albert Shih, a Mechanical Engineering professor and
award recognizes the team that pushes the ingenuity envelope in the development of a coordinator of ME450, initiated the project after
a solar vehicle and racing strategies. The award is one more distinction for Infinium hearing about Muraszko’s special needs. Muraszko is
and the Solar Car Team, which took third place in the 2009 World Solar Challenge. the Julian T. Hoff Professor and Chair, Department
of Neurosurgery, a professor of surgery in the plastic
Tamara McDunn and Liang Zhao, AOSS graduate students, have received a NASA surgery section, and a professor of pediatrics and
Earth and Space Science Fellowship. They’re among the 98 recipients selected from communicable diseases.
more than 425 applicants to the competitive program. McDunn will be conduct-
ing research on the structure and dynamics of a 60-km-by-120-km region on Mars.
Liang, one of only four selected in heliophysics research, will analyze the current
unusual “solar minimum.” Michigan Engineering students working through BLUE
Lab (Better Living Using Engineering Lab) recently led
Sidharth Misra, AOSS doctoral candidate, has received the Best Student Paper several initiatives for sustainable development in Ja-
Award at the annual International Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium. maica. The students tackled projects such as improving
Misra co-authored “Characterization of L-band Radio Frequency Interference the quality of and access to water, and the reconstruc-
Across the Continental USA Using a Kurtosis Detector,” with his advisor, AOSS tion of a washed-out river crossing.
Professor Chris Ruf.
Alexey Morozov, a master’s student in aerospace engineering, has received a 2009

Graduate Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
Shepherd Intelligent Systems (SIS), a student-run business, has partnered with

the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) to provide easily accessible and
reliable real-time vehicle location information directly to public-transit passengers
and AATA managers. SIS uses a low-cost wireless technology that emerged from
the “Magic Bus” project, a computer-science team effort to improve the ridership
experience of U-M bus passengers. SIS is one of a dozen student-run businesses that
received start-up support from Michigan Engineering’s Center for Entrepreneurship
and other local firms.
The Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) program made

its debut in 2009, giving 90 Michigan Engineering undergraduate students the
opportunity to work closely with departments in research projects and developmen-
tal seminars. Many of the SURE students produced three-to-five minute videos,
which are available at www.engin.umich.edu/SURE (click “SURE Student Videos”).
A search feature is included to locate videos by title, student, faculty member or
Photo courtesy of BLUElab
graduate department of interest. For more information about SURE, contact Mike
Nazareth, mikenaz@umich.edu.
Catherine Walker, an AOSS doctoral student, was one of about 80 students select-
ed from hundreds of current NASA interns and fellows to be a member of NASA’s
Student Ambassadors Virtual Community. Members are charged with helping to
inspire the next generation of students in science and technology. The Student BLUE Lab students spent a lot of time hiking from one
Ambassadors will interact with NASA, share information, make professional location to another, as they are here, returning to base
connections, collaborate with peers and represent NASA in a variety of venues. from the Blue Mountain Peak in Jamaica.
Read more from the Student LOG at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Faculty REPORT
Stephen Bougher, research Ellen Arruda, professor, James Ashton-Miller,

professor, AOSS, has been ME, has been named a Albert Schultz Collegiate
named Andrew F. Nagy fellow of the American Research Professor, BME,
Collegiate Research Professor. Academy of Mechanics. ME, has been named a fel-
low of the American Society
Bougher Arruda Ashton-Miller of Mechanical Engineers.
Steven Ceccio, profes- Alec Gallimore, Arthur F.

Iain Boyd, professor,
sor, ME, has been named Thurnau Professor, AERO,
AERO, has been named
a fellow of the American has been named a fellow of
James E. Knott Professor of
Physical Society. the American Institute of
Aerospace Engineering.
Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Ceccio Gallimore
Boyd
Karl Grosh, professor, Farnam Jahanian, professor,

Mark Daskin, professor, ME, BME, has been chair, CSE, has been named a
chair, IOE, has been named named a fellow of the fellow of the Association for
Clyde W. Johnson Collegiate Acoustical Society of Computing Machinery.
Professor of Industrial and America.
Operations Engineering. Grosh Jahaniam
Daskin
Three Named AAAS fellows

Rodney Ewing, professor, James Baker, Ruth Dow Doan Professor of Biologic Nanotechnology, professor, BME
MSE, NERS, has been named and Internal Medicine, director, Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and
Edward H. Kraus Distin- Biological Sciences, Mary Anne Carroll, professor, AOSS, and Joyce Penner, Ralph
guished University Professor J. Cicerone Distinguished
of Geological Sciences. University Professor of Atmo-
Ewing spheric Science, AOSS, have
been named fellows of the
Sharon Glotzer, profes- American Association for the
sor, ChE, MSE, has been Advancement of Science.
Baker Penner Carroll
named Stuart W. Churchill
Collegiate Professor of
Chemical Engineering.
Glotzer
Stani Bohac, associate Art Kuo, professor, ME,
research scientist, ME, conducted research that was
Fawwaz Ulaby, Arthur F. appeared in the May 2009 featured in Popular Science
Thurnau Professor, EECS, issue of Popular Mechan- and Science Daily.
has been named Chen-To ics as one of the “Guys
Tai Collegiate Professor of Bohac with the Coolest Gigs on
Kuo
Electrical and Computer Earth.”
Ulaby Engineering. Wei Lu, assistant professor,
ME, has received a Bill &
Sridhar Kota, professor, Melinda Gates Foundation
Galip Ulsoy, William Clay ME, was selected to serve Grand Challenges Explora-
Ford Professor of Manu- as the assistant director of tion Grant.
facturing, has been named advanced manufacturing Lu
C.D. Mote, Jr. Distin- and ASME Fellow at the

guished University Professor White House Office of Jerome Lynch, associate
of Mechanical Engineering. Ulsoy Science and Technology Kota professor, CEE, EECS, known
Policy in Washington, as the “bridge whisperer,” has
D.C., for one year. been named to the Popular
Science “Brilliant 10” list. Lynch

Tal Carmon, assistant NSF CAREER AWARDS
professor, EECS, The following faculty members have received NSF CAREER Awards.
has received a Young
Investigator Program Shorya Awtar, assistant professor, ME Matthias Ihme, assistant professor, AERO
Award from the Air Pramod Sangi Reddy, assistant professor, ME Clay Scott, assistant professor, EECS
Force Office of Scien- Kathleen Sienko, assistant professor, ME, BME Veera Sundararaghavan, assistant professor,
Carmon tific Research. AERO
Nikos Chronis, as-

sistant professor, ME,
BME, has received the
NIH Director’s New
Awtar Ihme Reddy Scott Sienko Sundararaghavan
Innovator’s Award. Sundararaghavan
Chronis
Samantha Daly, assistant Anthony Grbic, assistant pro- John Hart, assistant
professor, ME, and Christiane fessor, EECS, has received the professor, ME, has
Jablonowski, have received Presidential Early Career Award received the 2010
Department of Energy Early for Scientists and Engineers Society of Me-
Career Research Awards. (PECASE). chanical Engineers
Daly Grbic Outstanding Young Hart
Manufacturing Engineer Award.
Jessy Grizzle, Jerry W. Suljo Linic, assistant Bram van Leer,

and Carol L. Levin Profes- professor, ChE, has received Arthur B. Modine
sor of Engineering, EECS, the 1938E Award, given Professor of Engi-
has received the Stephen S. annually by the College in neering, AERO, has
Attwood Award, the highest support of an outstanding received the 2010
award the College can bestow engineering junior faculty American Institute
Grizzle
on a faculty member. Linic member. of Aeronautics and van Leer
Astronautics Fluid
Dynamics Award.
Nilton Renno, professor, Sanford (Sandy)

Jason McCormick, assistant AOSS, discovered liquid water Sillman, research
professor, CEE, has received on Mars, a breakthrough that professor, AOSS,
the American Institute of was listed Number 7 on the conducted climate-
Steel Construction Faculty National Geographic list of change research that
McCormick Fellowship Award. Renno 2009 Top Ten Space Finds. Sillman was noted in The
Quarterly Planet.
Steve Skerlos, associate pro-
Xiaoqing Pan, professor, MSE, fessor, ME, CEE, co-authored Elliot Soloway,
has been named director of the an article for Energy Policy Arthur F. Thurnau
Electron Microbeam Analysis with James Winebrake, chair Professor, EECS, has
Laboratory. of the Department of Science, developed innovative
Pan Technology and Society/Public educational software,
Skerlos
Policy at Rochester Institute of “Mobile Learning Soloway
Huei Peng, professor, ME, Technology. Environment.”
has been elected a Visiting
Changjiang Scholar at Tsing-
hua University, one of China’s
Peng most renowned universities. Continued on page 36

Alum NOTES
Allan Maris (BSE NAME ’64) and Nathan Storm- CoE Alums Win 2010 Academy Award
zand (BSE NAME ’05) volunteered with Engineers
Without Borders during summer 2009, helping to D. Scott
complete a water-distribution project in the Tanza- Dewald
nian village of Ngelenge. (BSE AERO
’83) and Bill
Gerald S. Hanley (BSE NAME ’66, MSE ’72) is
Werner (BSE
serving as a volunteer in the Batten Conservation
EE ’82) have
Laboratory at The Mariners Museum in Newport
received an
News, VA. Hanley is working on conducting
Oscar in the
research on the design and fabrication of machinery
category of
recovered from the USS Monitor.
Science and
Photo courtesy of AMPAS

Donald Lystra (BSE EE ’68) has authored a novel, Technology.
Season of Water and Ice, which The Cleveland Plain The Academy
Dealer called “a rich and satisfying read.” The of Motion
Library of Michigan named it a “Michigan Notable Picture Arts
Book for 2010.” and Sciences
cited the work
John R. Luchini (BSE EngPhys ’71, MSE ME ’72,
they’ve done D. Scott Dewald and Bill Werner
PhD ApplMech ’77), a principal research scientist at
in refining
Cooper Tire and Rubber Company, has been named
the Texas Instruments DLP Projector to develop the core technology that’s used today
a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical
in digital-cinema projector applications in theatres worldwide. This digital projection
Engineers.
technology (aka DLP cinema) is the fundamental enabling technology for 3D movie
Ashraf Dahod (BSE EE ’72), co-founder of Starent presentations such as Avatar, which received three Academy Awards and nine nomina-
Networks, a major supplier of Internet protocol- tions, including Best Picture. Dewald told Michigan Engineer that the most enjoyable
based mobile-infrastructure products, announced part of his work is “doing something that has never been done before. My Michigan
the acquisition of the company by California-based Engineering studies figure into this. Aerospace engineering was quite multidisciplinary.
network equipment giant Cisco Systems. Indirectly, the thermodynamics, structures and physics courses were useful when looking
at the DLP cinema projector as a system.”
Bill Joy Talks

Greentech at
Goff Smith Lecture
Bill Joy (BSE CompE ’75, DEng Hon. ’04), co-founder
of Sun Microsystems and currently a partner with
Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers (KPBC), delivered
the 2009 Goff Smith Lecture, Michigan Engineering’s
premier lecture. Joy’s presentation, “The Promise of Green
Technologies,” reflected his current work at KPCB, which
Photo by Martin Vloet, U-M Photo Services
has a broad greentech portfolio of about 50 ventures. Joy

stressed the importance of using engineering to conserve
the natural environment and resources, and to curb
the negative impacts of human activity. He said that
sustainable development is the core of environmental
technologies, which must be socially equitable,
economically viable and environmentally sound.

Ahmet Yigit (PhD ME ’88) Michigan. He and his wife, He’s worked for Ford Motor
has been elected a fellow Petra, (BA Organizational Company since 1995 and is
of the American Society of Studies ’98) have been married currently the manufacturing
Mechanical Engineers. Yigit is for more than 10 years and engineering supervisor on
a professor in the Department have two sons. the next generation global
of Mechanical Engineering at Ford Focus Program in Köln,
Artiwan Shotipruk (MSE
Kuwait University, Kuwait. Germany. Christensen and his
ChE ’97, PhD ’01) and
wife Ellyn have four children.
Daisie Wheeler Boettner Anongnat Somwangthanaroj
(MSE ME ’91) is now a (MSE MACRO ’99 PhD ’03) Karl Rosaen (BSE CSE ’03,
professor and deputy head of have received 2009 UNESCO- MSE ’04) returned to Ann
Michael Tolinski (BSE MSE the Department of Civil and L’OREAL “women in science” Arbor, Michigan, from Silicon
’90), a contributing editor at Mechanical Engineering at awards, which recognize Valley to launch a new com-
Plastics Engineering magazine, West Point. She was the first outstanding women research- pany, RealTimeFarms.com,
has authored Additives for woman from Tennessee to ers who have contributed to which helps consumers find
Polyolefins (Elsevier, 2009), graduate from the Academy scientific progress. The awards fresh, local produce and farm
his first engineering book. He and is a registered professional carry a grant of $100,000 for goods. Rosaen helped develop
has also opened Art & Ideas, a engineer in Virginia. each laureate. the Google Android.
small art gallery, in Plymouth
Jason Stoops (BSE CEE ’99, Emily Adelman (BSE ME
Township, Michigan.
MSE ’00), a project manager ’04) has been hired by the
Leland “Lee” Davis (MSE in the geotechnical group at Brooks Kushman law firm as
AOSS ’77) has been elected G2 Consulting Group in Troy, an associate attorney to help
president and chief operating Michigan, has been named address the continued growth
officer of O’Brien & Gere, Outstanding Young Civil of the firm’s growing trade-
an environmental consulting Engineer of the Year by the mark practice. Adelman will
firm headquartered in Syra- Southeastern Michigan Branch be responsible for counseling
cuse, New York, with offices of the American Society of clients on trademark issues,
throughout the Northeast and Civil Engineers. managing large portfolios and
Mid-Atlantic regions. supporting the enforcement
Greg Christensen (BSE ME
needs of Brooks Kushman’s
Joel Plawsky (BSE ChE ’80), ’00) has received the Young
Dantar Oosterwal trademark clients.
a professor of chemical engi- Leadership Award from the
(BSE ME ’85) has authored
neering and thin-film expert at Automotive Hall of Fame.
The Lean Machine...How
Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti-
Harley-Davidson Drove
tute, has been named a fellow
Top-Line Growth and
Donald Frey, 1923 – 2010
of the American Institute of
Profitability with Revolutionary Donald Frey (BS MTL ’47, MSE
Chemical Engineers. He’s the
Lean Product Development ’49, PhD ’51, DEng Hon. ’67), the
author of Transport Phenom-
(Amacom Press). Ford Motor Company engineer who
ena Fundamentals (Taylor &
spearheaded the design and develop-
Francis), which is currently in Karthik Obla (MSE CE ’93,
ment of the Mustang, passed away
its second edition. PhD ’97) has been named the
March 5 in Evanston, Ill. He was 86.
new vice president of technical
Rob Meyerson (BSE AERO Frey moved on from Ford to become
services for the National
’87) wrote to say that he’s chairman and chief executive of the
Ready Mixed Concrete
the president and program Bell & Howell Company for 17
Association. He previously
manager of Blue Origin, a years. He then joined the engineer-
served as managing director,
private aerospace developing faculty of Northwestern Univer-
research and materials engi-
ment company based near sity, where he taught for 20 years. He
neering. He’s a fellow of the
Seattle, Washington. He joined was a member of the executive board
American Concrete Institute
the company in 2003 and of the World Bank and the National
and a winner of its Young Pro-
managed its growth from 10 Academy of Engineering. He received the National Medal of Tech-
fessional Achievement Award.
employees to more than 130 at nology, the University of Michigan’s Outstanding Alumnus Award,
two sites. He and wife Debra Kyle Ray (BSE ME ’94) has Outstanding Young Man Award, and Outstanding Achievement
have three children and have been installed as the senior Award; Michigan Engineering’s Alumni Society Merit Award and
settled in Tacoma, Washing- pastor of Kentwood Commu- an honorary doctorate.
ton. nity Church in Grand Rapids,

ALUMNUS Profile
Nick Yang
"Pirate-Entrepreneur"
W
hen Nick Yang looks in the mirror, out on a limb. I’ve lost battles – but I don’t lose the wars. I’m very
he sees himself with a parrot on one determined.”
shoulder, a black patch over an eye, and Philosophy also figures into Yang’s style. “Most entrepreneurs are
a light bulb glowing overhead. “I think strictly engineers, businessmen or lawyers. But I’m also a philoso-
of myself as a pirate-entrepreneur,” he pher – I lead by philosophy, I manage by engineering, I execute as if
said. “I build a ship that’s fast and mobile. I recruit a very special it’s warfare. If a plane crashes on an island, a real leader doesn’t build
crew – it’s tough to get into my company. And I chart the course – I the shelters. He tells everyone to ‘stop crying and follow me.’ Then
love getting ideas, the moment that light turns on and I figure out he picks key people to manage others who are better at the nuts-
Y
how to make a difference in people’s lives.” and-bolts of building huts.”
Nick Yang (BSE EE ’97) is one of those folks who will never be ang’s success as an entrepreneur is startling, especially
bored or boring – his entire life has been an adventure, starting with considering that he takes an unconventional approach.
spending his first nine years in China during the Cultural Revolu- “When I start a company,
tion, moving to the United States for 15 years of top-notch educa- I don’t over-think things. I know the
tion, inspiration and self discovery, then moving back to China at recommended procedure is to ana-
24 to start his first company. At 35, he’s on start-up number three lyze and tease things out, but I jump
and already has a fourth in mind. He’s dynamic, driven to succeed in. I figure things out as I go. Doing
and always on the lookout for new opportunities. a start-up is like surfing a tsunami
He demonstrated those same qualities at Michigan Engineering, – you expect a wild ride, you make
where he learned how to learn. “There was so much going on. I got the tough adjustments as you go, to
a lot of hands-on experience with the Solar Car team. I joined Eta jump on the opportunities… like be-
Kappa Nu and made connections. I hung out on North Campus ing a pirate. It’s worked for me.”
with other engineering students. We pulled all-nighters in the In 1999, Yang graduated from
CAEN computer center. We played a lot of games and did a lot of Stanford with a master’s in electrical
surfing, but that’s how I got in touch with the Internet and really engineering, raised $250,000 in capi-
started thinking about the different ways people could use it. That’s tal from about 20 of his classmates,
where I got original ideas for my first start-up. I thought it would be then went back to China and started
huge, and it was.” his first company, ChinaRen Inc.,
Sports consumed Yang, too. He followed football but devoured where he served as chief technology
basketball. “I was there during the Fab Five era. I remember waiting officer until October 2000, when
all night outside Crisler Arena to get season tickets. It was a great ChinaRen Inc. merged into Sohu.
time to be a Michigan sports fan.” com Inc. More suitable to new
The University was also a great place to cultivate a passion that ventures than to daily operations,
he’d had from a very early age: reading. Particularly philosophy and Yang moved on to set up company
history, with an emphasis on warfare. He used On Guerrilla Warfare number two, KongZhong, a mobile
by Mao Tse-Tung as an example. “It’s become the basic textbook for Internet business that provides wire-
waging revolution in underdeveloped and emergent areas, which less services. Recently he pulled the
is basically what entrepreneurship is all about. Mao advocated trigger on his third venture, Monkey
unorthodox strategies that converted deficits into advantages: he King Search. “You can live without
substituted mobility and surprise for superior firepower. You need things like soft drinks – Coke, Pepsi
strong support for the campaign, a clear exit strategy and confi- and iced tea – but you can’t live
dence that you can win and go for it, even when there’s just a one without tap water, and these days a
in ten shot of success – if entrepreneurs only play when the odds are good search engine is fundamentally
with them, great things rarely happen. I’ve never been afraid to go as important to people’s lives as tap

water. So by building a great search engine like Monkey King, I can of power lines. It’s going to change
I
make a difference in people’s lives.” the world.”
n thinking how to make his search engine different, Yang Yang also waxed philosophical Finding
took a look at competitors and saw that Google emphasizes
technology, which he believes is only one piece of the search
about management styles. “The
democratic style wasn’t working for
Balance
puzzle. “People don’t buy cars because of the engine,” he said. “They me, so I got rid of the senate, so to
look at the whole car – what it looks like, the service they can expect, speak. I started thinking about con- Entrepreneurs are by nature
and how it fits their lifestyle, age and image.” So he decided Monkey versations I had with Marines who so immersed in their work that
King would be a search engine that focuses on things of importance came back from fighting the Taliban. they’re always in danger of living
to specific customer segments. This is going to sound terrible, but I a life that’s out of whack. But
“The first version of Monkey King will appeal to a young market. see value in managing my start-ups Yang keeps himself in balance.
It’ll be entertainment-based – music, texting, games, social networks, like the Taliban manage their army. When he isn’t out conquering
all the kinds of cool stuff that kids love.” They have no formal management business obstacles, he collects
Yang paused before going on to reveal a bit of his philosophical structure. They have few lines of art, plays golf, follows Manches-
nature. “Sometimes I wonder whether or not technology is good for communication. They separate into ter United, England’s premier
people at all. We’re using up fossil fuels, making the air and water groups; each has its own com- football club, and gets in a good
toxic. We’re shortening life on Earth with technology – we’ve done mander with complete autonomy; deal of family time. “I’m still an
irreparable damage to our planet – and if we don’t do something, each is mission-driven and when avid reader,” he said. “There’s
now, the Earth will only last 100 years. The physicist Stephen Hawk- it completes a mission or needs to always something to learn.”
ing has said that it’s already too late. We have to find ways to create adjust what it’s doing, it pulls back He gets animated talking about
technology that improves and preserves life – all life. So, for my next and regroups. So, they’re not station- movies such as The Matrix
start-up, my fourth, I’m planning clean, efficient nuclear energy ary; their units are fast, flexible, well and, most recently, Avatar. And
generated by a reactor that’s no bigger than a desk. It’ll be controlled, trained and focused. There are no despite the fact that he’s on the
safe and effective. We won’t need huge, remotely located power gen- large targets to bomb, no lines of go, non-stop, for business, he
erators. They’ll be local and non-polluting. We won’t deal with miles communication to destroy. Their does travel for pleasure. “I love
units do what they have Europe,” he said. “Particularly
to do, then they’re gone, Italy because it has so much
ready to start another mis- history, culture and art.” There
sion. That’s why Taliban truly is a ying of peace to Yang’s
insurgents are hard to hectic life.
defeat. So, in my current
start-up there’s no full
management structure. I
have units, each with a commanding officer and a specific
H
mission. I hire the best and I let them do their own thing.”
e looks up to Thomas Edison, Henry Ford
and Alexander Graham Bell because they did
things that made a difference. “They weren’t
scientists – science isn’t applied; it’s pure knowing, and
that’s not enough. I’m not a scientist; I’m an engineer. An
engineer makes things work and change for the better. If
there’s one thing I want people to know about me, it’s that
I’m a guy who wants to make a difference.”
Indeed, as a pirate-entrepreneur, he’s making a sea
change in the way people live, work and play. And it’s
likely he’ll be doing that, in new and different ways, for a
long time to come.
Watch Nick Yang
On November 20, 2009, Nick Yang addressed

an audience at the Entrepreneurship Hour
sponsored by the Michigan Engineering
Center for Entrepreneurship. Dean Dave
Munson introduced Nick.
You can watch the entire presentation at
www.engin.umich.edu/n-yang

ALUMNUS Who’s Made a Difference
Wally Rhines
Gifted Leader, Man of Heart
W
ally Rhines is a straight-shooter –
not the kind of guy who likes to play
games. Unless he’s sitting around with
Bill Gates, playing charades.
“It might be hard to picture the co-
founder of Microsoft gesturing to a roomful of people shouting out
‘Two words… sounds like megabyte,’ but there he was, Bill Gates, a
down-to-earth guy having a great time. And the other players there
were the backbone of the personal-computer and semi-conductor
industries.”
Starting out in the late ’70s, Rhines (BS MTL ’68) made a deci-
sion to make contact with key people at other companies and de-
velop relationships with them. “I sought them out because they were
making things happen. I met Ben Rosen, Morgan Stanley semicon-
ductor analyst and later Compaq chairman, at a meeting when I was
demonstrating financial programs I developed for TI programmable
calculators. Craig Barrett was on my thesis committee and became
chairman of the board of Intel Corporation. Michael Dell spent
time with me when I lived in Austin. And, as I said, I spent informal
moments with Bill Gates at the PC Forum. These were important graduated from the med school in the 1880s. My father and sister
people in a wild and crazy business, fast-growing, with no estab- went to U-M, too.”
lished rules. Contacts were the keys to success.” The late ’60s on campus were turbulent years. The Vietnam War
The strategy worked. Rhines carved out a career that’s nothing was in full swing and Ann Arbor had a reputation as a town of anti-
short of extraordinary. He’s the current chairman and CEO of Men- war liberals. “Being president of the Engineering Council was less in
tor Graphics Corporation, an $800 million company specializing in vogue but created opportunities.
electronic design automation. The path to his office started long ago “Gordon Van Wylen was the dean. He wanted to build student
with early educational choices. “The decisions I made then put me participation and get feedback. Students were viewed as wild and
on a course that started a continent away in Gainesville, Florida. “It rebellious, so it helped that I was clean-cut – an example of serious
was a college town. I grew up there in a family that valued learning. purpose in a world gone wild. It was good for the College and for
My dad taught engineering at Carnegie Tech and the University of me in building relationships. I worked with the dean to set up
Florida. My mother had been a junior-high math teacher. Education student advisory boards, which provided exposure and expertise
was always a central part of my life. When it came time to think that was unusual for a student in engineering – working with the
about college and what studies to pursue, I got a lot of input.” dean and the dean’s office was a great experience. So, while I was
Engineering wasn’t a shoo-in when he started to consider a field in college, I got administrative management experience… that and
that suited him. Medicine and law were also on the list. “My father leading the engineering council, dealing with professional people –
thought engineering was great preparation for anything. And he it all helped later.”
wanted me to visit a lot of colleges, which I did. I saw that most Eventually Rhines went to active military duty. The Army
engineering colleges focused on science, but Michigan Engineering stationed him at Aberdeen, but the war was winding down and he
was practical – the approach was not only to look for answers but never shipped overseas. He returned to school, earning master’s and
to find ways to make things happen. That’s what engineering should doctoral degrees in materials science and engineering from Stanford
be. So, I chose Michigan – it really wasn’t a contest. We have other University. With those degrees in hand and a more than healthy
Michigan grads in our family, going back to an uncle who level of enthusiasm, he launched himself into what would be a

stellar career. He joined Texas Instruments (TI) in 1972 and con- were hanging out with friends at their favorite haunts. “Everyone
tinued working on an MBA, which he got from Southern Methodist got together at the Pretzel Bell – that was one of our favorites. I
University in 1975. TI enjoyed 21 years of Wally Rhines in a variety remember they gave you a free pitcher of beer on your twenty-first
of technical and business management positions culminating as birthday – you had to stand on a table and drink it. I waited outside
executive vice president in charge of TI’s entire semiconductor until midnight – they wouldn’t let me in before it was actually my
business. birthday – but I got my beer. And, yes, I stood on a table and did my
“TI had a habit of promoting people past their capability,” he said. thing.”
I
“They made me a vice president when I was 34 – at the f he had to name a favorite place, now, it would be at home
time, the youngest VP ever – but I didn’t have the experi- with Paula, his wife, and two daughters, Allison and Janet.
ence for it. When I first took the job, people were disap- “Missing them is the toughest thing about being on the road
pointed about having someone so young and inexperi- so much,” he said. “The girls are older, now, but we’re all still a tight
enced in the position. The job was a real challenge. But I little group. We’re also a pretty science-minded family. Paula has
worked through it – and I’d have to say that promotion degrees in math and computer science. Allison is a senior in biology
and job turned out to be a major juncture for me.” at Stanford and on her way to Cambridge as a Gates Scholar. Janet is
He wore a path between his office and the TI labs – a freshman at Baylor, but she hasn’t decided on a major. So I’ve failed
he’s an engineer whose practical nature kept him close to at turning out an engineer, but I sure have tried.”
new technology and product development. His hands-on However, he’s been very successful at extending his enthusiasm,
style put him center-stage in the creation of the first TI intelligence and charm to organizations that need a helping hand.
speech-synthesis devices and TI’s early lead in digital “I put in a number of very satisfying years on Michigan Engineer-
signal processing. He was also the co-inventor of the ing’s Engineering Advisory Council, at the same time as Larry Page
gallium-nitride blue-violet light emitting diode, which is of Google fame – continuing my exposure to interesting people,” he
now important for DVD players and solid-state lighting. said. “And I’m involved with organizations such as the Portland Clas-
Rhines moved on to Mentor Graphics, where he again sic Wine Auction – I have an intense interest in wines, but beyond
expanded his horizons, as well as those of the company. that I like to help the community. The Portland Classic Wine Auc-
He rose to his current position as chairman and chief ex- tion raises about $2.5 million each year for charities.”
ecutive officer. And during his tenure, Mentor Graphics’ Wally Rhines is one of those multi-dimensional people who are
T
revenue has more than doubled. hard to describe adequately. It would be even more difficult in a
hroughout his career, Rhines was carving out another game of charades – you’d need enough creativity to pantomime
niche for himself as a popular speaker – he’s as comfort- “gifted leader, man of heart.”
able with a microphone and an audience as he is guiding a
billion-dollar company or debugging
computer code. It’s a talent
that keeps him on the move,
delivering about 30 keynote Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
addresses each year at major Rhines does far more the Computer and Business Technology Industry Coun-
conferences around the world.
than he talks about. He’s a Equipment Manufacturers’ cil. Among the many awards
“I give a lot of speeches and
host a lot of panel discussions. strong supporter of educa- Association, the Elec- that sit on Rhines’ mantel
I talk about high-tech oppor- tion, having served as a tronic Design Automation are a Michigan Engineering
tunities for high schoolers in board member at Lewis and Consortium, the Corporation Alumni Society Merit Award,
Oregon. I keynote high-pro- Clark College, and constant for Open Systems and the an International Engineering
file meetings like SEMICON, friend to Oregon universi- Semiconductor Research Consortium Fellow Award, a
SEMICO and the IEEE De-
ties, Michigan, Stanford and Corporation. He led the Classic Wines Auction VINI
sign Automation Conference.
And I have a lot of conference the University of Florida. Department of Commerce Award, and an honorary
presentations on my agenda.” He chairs the Elec- Semiconductor Technical degree from Nottingham
Speaking at various events tronic Design Automation Advisory Committee. He’s a Trent University.
during his years as a U-M Consortium, and has held member of IEEE and chaired
student is a vivid memory for seats as a board member of the Oregon Engineering and
Rhines. But his best times

Faculty REPORT
Continued from page 29
Dick Sonntag, 1933 – 2010 Frederick Bartman, 1919 – 2009

AOSS and AERO Emeritus Professor Frederick Bartman (MA ’51,
Emeritus Professor and former Department of Mechanical PhD ’67) passed away October 26, 2009, in Chelsea,
Engineering Chair Dick Sonntag passed away on February 6, 2010, Michigan, after a long illness. He was 90 years old.
leaving an indelible mark on the department, family and friends. Bartman started his Michigan Engineering career in
Sonntag (BSE ME ’56, MSE ’57, PhD ’61), 1948 in the High Altitude Research Laboratory. He was
who spent his entire career at Michigan Engineer- a member of one of the early post-World War II research
ing, received the department’s 1992 Excellence teams that used rockets to conduct pioneering investiga-
in Service Award. tions of the upper atmosphere. Bartman
Contributions in his memory may be made to Contributions in his memory may be made to AOSS or
Crossroads Soup Kitchen or Dawn Farm. Arbor Hospice in Ann Arbor.
Sonntag
Students Make an Impact, You Can Too – GIVE TODAY

Your gift to the Michigan Engineering Fund creates and Your gift is especially critical in
preserves opportunities for Michigan Engineering students by: these challenging economic times.
Make an impact – give today!
Giving online is easy and
• Funding much-needed • Supporting education,
convenient. Simply click
scholarships for hard- projects and research that
working students advance the search for Icon at:
alternative energy and a www.engin.umich.edu/mef
• Supporting the Center for
sustainable environment
Entrepreneurship and other
programs that provide • Sponsoring new and
Contact Suzanne Kowalchyk
critical resources and existing engineering efforts
Annual Giving Manager
experiences for student to improve health and
Office of Advancement
entrepreneurs healthcare delivery
skowalch@umich.edu
(734) 647-9056
Create a Stay Connected

Lasting Impact Michigan eNews. Our free electronic update will keep you tuned in to recent College
happenings. Email us at MichiganEngineer@umich.edu and include your name,
degree(s) and year(s) that you completed your studies.
Professor emeritus, department chair and
renowned author Lawrence H. Van Vlack is Check out our homepage. There’s a ton of Michigan Engineering info at:
www.engin.umich.edu
the epitome of the gentleman scholar whose
quiet but powerful presence lives on long Let’s be friends on Facebook. Become a fan. Talk to old friends.
after his passing. Find new ones at: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookCoE
Van Vlack, recipient of the College of Follow us on Twitter. We’re at: http://twitter.com/UMengineering
Engineering Distinguished Faculty Award
Read the Michigan Engineering Forum. Our blog covers a lot of ground. Click the
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and Engineering.
Follow inCircle, the U-M alumni job board that connects you
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of students and their love of the College, both of which live on in their endowments alumni and students.
It’s easy to use:
for the L.H. and F.E. Van Vlack Professorship, the Van Vlack Lectureship and the
• Log in to inCircle (http://tinyurl.com/AlumJobs) using your
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In MEMORIAM

’30 Millard R. Newland 8/8/2009 ’47 William A. O’Brien 2/2/2010 ’51 Clinton A. Jaycox 5/14/2009
’32 Mr. Ronald G. Wilson 1/15/2010 ’47 Mr. Earl C. Ramsey 9/13/2009 ’51 Jack O. Juntunen 12/24/2009
’36 John W. Dersch 8/11/2009 ’47 William H. Robbins 8/22/2009 ’51 Richard S. Knape 8/2/2009
’36 Clifton S. Goddin, Ph.D. 10/12/2009 ’47 Donald Hugh Sprecker, M.D. 12/23/2009 ’51 Robert E. Morgan 11/24/2009
’36 Mr. Wencel A. Neumann, Jr. 11/26/2009 ’47 Elmer Max Steger 1/23/2010 ’51 Mr. D. Russell Smith 8/3/2009
’36 Louis D. Smullin 6/4/2009 ’47 Max Darwood Taylor 3/21/2009 ’52 George N. Jorgensen 9/8/2009
’38 William E. Buffe 12/12/2009 ’48 George Louis Balestri 8/27/2009 ’52 Dr. Louis W. Wolf 9/6/2009
’38 Mr. Delmar A. Feil 8/29/2009 ’48 Robert E. Collins 10/8/2009 ’53 Dr. Robert A. Baltzer 8/19/2009
’38 Dysart E. Holcomb, Ph.D. 2/26/2010 ’48 William S. Dougall 11/21/2009 ’54 Emil Nicolaysen 7/18/2009
’38 Paul E. Nelson 1/14/2009 ’48 Francis R. Duerr 1/6/2010 ’54 Sai Liong Ow-Yong 2/20/2009
’38 George B. Wheeler, Jr. 4/12/2009 ’48 David F. Dunkle 9/16/2009 ’54 Jaring Vanderveen 8/18/2009
’39 Merle W. Heidman 12/20/2009 ’48 Benjamin I. Gebhart 10/18/2009 ’54 Mr. William E. Washabaugh, Sr. 12/17/2009
’39 Charles O. King 1/17/2010 ’48 Mr. John M. Holland 2/11/2010 ’55 Vincent Dambrauskas 9/11/2009
’39 Fred P. Lohr 12/23/2009 ’48 Henry T. Lane, Jr. 12/25/2009 ’55 James H. Walters 8/23/2009
’39 John F. McLean, Jr. 12/26/2009 ’48 Walter C. Lanning 1/27/2010 ’56 Mr. Alfred J. Brothers 1/11/2010
’39 Rodney C. Owen 2/21/2009 ’48 Robert P. Learmont 8/8/2009 ’56 Prof. Richard E. Sonntag 2/6/2010
’39 Edward L. Page 7/24/2009 ’48 David W. Oberlin 7/29/2009 ’57 Muhammed M. Qureshi 10/6/2009
’39 Zygmunt S. Zimny 1/25/2010 ’48 Donald G. Raymer 11/7/2009 ’58 Vernon E. Kalt 11/21/2009
’40 Mr. Almon W. Conrath 11/18/2009 ’48 Mr. Raymond M. Robinson 2/9/2010 ’58 Mr. Ernest H. McCoy 7/14/2009
’40 Mr. Gridley Dement 1/5/2010 ’48 Warren J. Rutter 5/30/2009 ’58 B. William Pastoor 12/23/2009
’40 Edmund A. Guzewicz 8/6/2009 ’48 Charles W. Schoendube 10/9/2009 ’58 Lt. Col. Thomas H. Saltsman 2/14/2010
’40 Henry B. Heyl 10/27/2009 ’48 William S. Squire 8/15/2009 ’58 Donald J. Way 12/5/2009
’40 Robert H. Hockberger 8/8/2009 ’48 Mr. William Ray Upton 12/7/2009 ’59 Norman O. Brink, P.E. 5/6/2009
’40 Leon Z. Seltzer 9/23/2009 ’48 Richard M. Weeks 4/14/2009 ’59 Eugene C. Gerken, P.E., P.S 11/11/2009
’40 Robert B. Shulters 1/12/2010 ’49 Randolph C. Blyth 1 2/23/2009 ’59 Amiya Ranjan Pal 5/27/2009
’40 Foss Bell Terry 1/17/2010 ’49 Louis Demas 12/9/2009 ’60 Dr. Max Dennis Coon 2/9/2010
’41 Mr. Joseph W. Barber 2/12/2010 ’49 Col. Edward R. Feicht, USAF (Ret.) 2/3/2010 ’60 Donald G. Heffelbower 11/21/2009
’41 Mr. Oliver H. Bell 12/9/2009 ’49 Frank Haban 9/30/2009 ’61 Lt. Col. Theodore F. DeMuro 1/8/2010
’41 Emerson B. Blair 12/31/2009 ’49 George Hadden 9/26/2009 ’61 Sheldrake A. Walker 10/4/2009
’41 Donald Beach Doolittle 11/10/2009 ’49 Harold M. Hultquist 12/9/2009 ’62 Dr. John P. Palmer 7/24/2009
’41 Harold J. Harmer 2/13/2010 ’49 David J. Jay 2/18/2009 ’62 Norris R. Weimer 2/8/2010
’41 Joseph F. Meyer III 12/6/2009 ’49 Mr. W. Ralph Smith 9/29/2009 ’63 Mr. Hugo A. DiGiulio 8/5/2009
’41 Dr. Cedomir M. Sliepcevich 10/22/2009 ’49 Richard B. Starrak 2/6/2010 ’63 Mr. Michael A. O’Neil 8/13/2009
’41 Louis W. Toth 9/21/2009 ’49 Robert C. Traxler 2/25/2010 ’63 Col. Francis J. Sciples 12/13/2009
’41 John R. Weigel 2/1/2010 ’49 Mr. Theadore E. Upham 11/25/2009 ’64 Dr. James E. Rice 8/6/2009
’42 Richard E. Anderson 12/25/2009 ’49 Mr. Adrianus VanKampen 8/19/2009 ’65 William E. French, Ph.D. 9/16/2009
’42 Raymond H. Gauthier 12/9/2009 ’49 M. Harold Westerberg, Jr. 10/27/2009 ’65 Dr. Bernard J. Snyder 8/27/2009
’42 Harper H. Hull 8/22/2009 ’50 Mr. Jack J. Bialik 1/4/2010 ’66 Dr. Joseph Sela 2/2/2010
’42 Joseph G. Johnson 1/17/2010 ’50 George R. Bosworth 7/25/2009 ’66 William H. Sisson 2/8/2010
’42 Prof. Joseph T. A. Lee 8/15/2009 ’50 Robert Earl Brinks 1/15/2010 ’66 Mr. Clark W. Stephens 9/17/2009
’42 Garth Parker 7/6/2009 ’50 Mr. Elwood C. Brown 2/2/2010 ’66 Eric Carl Williams 2/9/2010
’42 Mr. Joseph F. Proctor 10/18/2009 ’50 Wilbur A. Carrington 12/24/2009 ’67 Dr. James E. Anderson 12/20/2009
’43 Dudley E. Arnold 12/17/2009 ’50 Donald S. Cleveland 11/3/2009 ’67 Dr. Fred Lester Bartman 10/26/2009
’43 James Edwin Howard 12/31/2009 ’50 Russel G. Corbin 11/21/2009 ’67 Herbert M. Federhen, Ph.D. 10/6/2009
’43 Mr. Roger W. McAleer 9/13/2009 ’50 John Neale Donhaiser 1/4/2010 ’67 Dr. William H. Ginman 10/9/2009
’43 Herbert W. McCord 8/27/2009 ’50 Paul Louis Jackson 1/17/2010 ’68 Donald R. Morelli, P.E. 8/3/2009
’44 Randolph T. Guest, Jr. 8/6/2009 ’50 Mr. Kenneth W. Martz 1/24/2010 ’68 Clyde Lacy Owings, M.D. 11/9/2009
’44 Milton A. Netter, Jr., Ph.D., J.D. 9/30/2009 ’50 Mr. Henry R. Metz 11/15/2009 ’68 James Louis Rich 7/28/2009
’44 Robert H. Overcashier 1/27/2010 ’50 Marvin Owen Miller 5/15/2009 ’70 John C. Chambliss 2/9/2010
’44 John Cann Purdue 10/7/2009 ’50 George H. Murphy 10/24/2009 ’71 Mr. James S. Francis 8/3/2009
’44 Herbert M. Wolfson 11/21/2009 ’50 John C. Newberg 8/20/2009 ’71 Timothy D. Hurd 10/10/2009
’45 Hugh Samuel Crim 11/12/2009 ’50 Mr. Richard G. Randall 1/14/2010 ’72 Lloyd Norman Osterberg 10/13/2009
’45 Mr. Robert A. Fuhrman 11/21/2009 ’50 Alan John Robertson 11/18/2009 ’73 Richard R. Noss 10/13/2009
’45 Leonard Boyd Lisher 2/17/2010 ’50 Willis J. Service 8/20/2009 ’78 Ms. Carol A. Prochnow 8/31/2009
’45 Floyd J. Miller 1/5/2010 ’50 Allen Henry Turner 9/8/2009 ’80 Janet Elizabeth Peterson 8/16/2009
’45 Richard N. Olds 2/18/2010 ’50 Richard M. Welty 7/23/2009 ’81 John Peter Giardina 6/11/2009
’46 Alfred W. Allen 11/1/2009 ’50 Mrs. Marilyn D. Wilbur 10/18/2009 ’81 Ms. Maria Ragland Davis 2/12/2010
’46 Robert W. Hess 9/3/2009 ’50 Harold J. Withrow 12/9/2009 ’82 John R. Plude 4/27/2009
’46 Paul A. Moote 11/17/2009 ’51 Glenn H. Anderson 9/19/2009 ’85 Michael J. Crison 1/28/2010
’46 Mr. Frederick G. Richardson, Jr. 7/9/2009 ’51 Richard T. Armantrout 2/17/2010 ’87 James A. Warren 8/21/2009
’47 Walter T. Burdick, Jr. 12/6/2009 ’51 George T. Carmichael 8/23/2009 ’91 Mr. Jeffrey L. Marcinowski 7/25/2009
’47 Mr. Robert C. Leary 7/27/2009 ’51 Karl Alois Faymon 1/18/2010 ’95 Mr. Matthew A. Lekson 3/8/2009
’47 Charles W. Lewis 10/3/2009 ’51 William H. Hedges 12/1/2009 ’07 Mr. Matthew T. Freddo 1/8/2010
’47 Stanley G. Neumann 8/22/2009 ’51 Richard R. Jackson 2/24/2010 ’08 Ms. Tricia N. Hayes 8/17/2009

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MICHIGAN

Engineer University of Michigan College of Engineering Spring 2010

From the Dean

Science Foundation convened an Engineering Workforce Summit – in collaboration with

University of Michigan College of Engineering Spring 2010 Vol. XXVII, No.1

APEX Award recipient, 2005 – 2009

2 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 3

of them don’t know

Read more about Irma Wyman at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

4 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 5

Anyone looking for Jessica Wang

recruiter of prospective Michigan

Read more about Jessica Wang at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

6 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

well in groups. They

Read more about Cinda-Sue Davis at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 7

n Jennifer Macks’ view, even if a woman wants to be known as

8 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

“The hard part of my

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 9

“Someday I’d like to

10 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

“It’s important to interest young women and other underrepresented students

because no one ever discouraged me, and I went on to com-

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 11

Anne Shen Smith

“Being a woman is only one aspect of

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNE SHEN SMITH

12 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

and universities were re-opened after being closed for 10 years. In my

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 13

Patrice Langford is a mover

PHOTO BY GENIE LEMIEUX, EVANSTON PHOTO SERVICES

Read more about Patrice Langford at

14 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

“Engineers – women and men –

engineers for the same reasons.

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 15

Read more about Claudia Alexander

16 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

“There were no engineers

PHOTO BY BOB RAMEY

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 17

Katie Lapham has had her pedal to the metal

and experienced in volunteer efforts for

18 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

“Vision and decisiveness define a good

She doesn’t see gender as much of an issue in any aspect of

Read more about Kristine Svinicki at www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 19

“I love teaching young students who

most rewarding aspect of teaching

20 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 21

PHOTO BY MARTIN VLOET, U-M PHOTO SERVICES

22 | SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer

Those who know Mary Kreuz

honors concert band and varsity

SPRING 2010 | MICHIGAN ENGINEER | www.engin.umich.edu/engineer | 23

a good look at her life. “I decided that I’d