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MAE Department Celebrates Graduates’ Accomplishments

Hope Daley and professors Daniel Whisler and Jalal Torabzadeh

CSULB Mechanical and Aerospace students on Monday gathered with faculty and advisers for a celebration before their graduation. “This is a milestone,” said MAE Chair Jalal Torabzadeh. “It was not easy for some of you. The road was rough, but you have shown you can overcome challenges.”

Said Hilal, CEO of Applied Medical, who received the Distinguished Alumni Award, advised graduates to search for a sense of belonging and purpose. “You’re about to go onto the next chapter. But corporations may be thinking of you as the workforce, not the think force or the innovate force.” Continue reading “MAE Department Celebrates Graduates’ Accomplishments”

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Electrical Engineering Department Sends Its Grads Out Into the World

Dr. Tracy Maples and Nicole Forrest-Boggs with the Dunbars.

When Chris Dunbar attended CSULB, Electrical Engineering Chair Henry Yeh was a new professor and the ECS Building didn’t yet exist. “It doesn’t seem very long ago, but it was 37 years,” said Dunbar, Associate Principal Director of the Aerospace Corp.

The recipient of the department’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, Dunbar told graduates they’re living in a time of immense change for engineering. “”You guys are living in the most challenging and revolutionary time in engineering. Thirty-seven years goes by in the blink of an eye,” said Dunbar. “If you’re going to do something for 37 years, you better be doing something you enjoy.”

Dunbar said when he graduated with his BSEE in 1981, he didn’t know what to do. After working for three other companies, he joined the Aerospace Corp. and became a subject-matter expert in control systems. He now supervises 130 engineers. Continue reading “Electrical Engineering Department Sends Its Grads Out Into the World”

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Chemical Engineering Celebrates with a Chest Pound and a Fist Bump

ChE award winners

Outgoing Chemical Engineering Chair Larry Jang gave a final chest-pound fist bump to graduates Monday as the department celebrated the accomplishments of its students and supporters.

“Everyone deserves an award,” said Jang, who is retiring but plans to still teach some classes. “If you think you deserve an award, let me know.”

One of Monday’s award winners was Distinguished Alumni John Crouch, a retired VP and Underwriting Manager for the Starr Companies. “I’m so excited to see so many people pursuing this field,” said Crouch, a 1978 CSULB graduate. “Keep in touch with the people around you and you’ll be very successful.” Continue reading “Chemical Engineering Celebrates with a Chest Pound and a Fist Bump”

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CECEM Grads Recognized for their Achievement

CECEM Department Chair Antonella Sciortino and alumni

Students graduating from the Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Management Department and program supporters were recognized for their achievements Friday at the CECEM Department Celebration.

William Wolfe, CSULB’s first Beavers Endowed Chair of Heavy Civil Construction, was singled out for special recognition for helping the heavy civil construction program acquire its first major piece of equipment. Wolfe, Faculty Emeritus for the Ohio State University Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodesic Engineering, joined CSULB in fall 2016.

“It has been a great privilege to have you with us,” Dean Forouzan Golshani said to Wolfe. Continue reading “CECEM Grads Recognized for their Achievement”

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Turbine and Suspension Systems Take Top Awards at Engineering Expo

A locomotive suspension system for harsh environments was chosen as the most innovative and practical design and a turbine in-pipe system as the best design for sustainable and clean energy harvesting at the Engineering Innovation Expo Monday.

The showcase in the University Student Union included 22 Senior Design Projects from the CSULB Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department.

The pico hydroelectric turbine-in-pipe system uses excess pressure within residential-scale pipe systems to harvest electricity off-the-grid. The system consists of a reaction turbine, generator, and auxiliary electrical equipment. The electrical equipment is dependent upon the application which can include powering outdoor lights or charging small electronics. Additionally, the design of the system will keep the flow rate and pressure of the water entering the household in compliance with standards for potable water systems.

Team members include Cristina Azuara, Hope Daley, Elyssa Lawrence, and Daisy Zaragoza. Continue reading “Turbine and Suspension Systems Take Top Awards at Engineering Expo”

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Environmental Engineering Team Takes Top Spot at ASCE Competition

The Cal State Long Beach team clinched a first-place win in last weekend’s Environmental Competition at the annual ASCE Pacific Southwest Conference for building a water treatment system for less than $500. The three-day competition, which drew 1,300 students from 18 universities to Arizona State University, lets students put their civil or environmental engineering skills to the test.

College of Engineering Dean Forouzan Golshani congratulated the students on their excellence. “As we move forward toward a more robust and standalone program in environmental engineering, student interest already places us above other universities,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure how we would do at first,” said Anesia Canty, Environmental Team Captain and president of the CSULB chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World. “Last year, UCI, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and CSU Fullerton got the top spots, so I knew we had to be at their level to place.” Continue reading “Environmental Engineering Team Takes Top Spot at ASCE Competition”

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Artemus Labs’ ‘Sexy’ Prosthetic Liner Wins 2018 Innovation Challenge

Artemus Labs team

Four finalist teams faced off Thursday at the CSULB Innovation Challenge, delivering their pitches to judges and answering questions about their target customers, revenue projections, and competition. The winning team was Artemus Labs, which will receive $10,000 in cash and $40,000 in services to help market its Python prosthetic liner.

“One of the things that President Conoley and I value is innovation—especially student innovation,” said CSULB Provost Brian Jersky. “We’re the old generation and you’re the new—we’re in your good hands.”

The Artemus Labs team collected feedback from amputees and evaluated existing prosthetic liners before designing their Python liner, which is breathable and comes in bright colors and two designs. Their goal was to make amputees “feel sexy.” Continue reading “Artemus Labs’ ‘Sexy’ Prosthetic Liner Wins 2018 Innovation Challenge”

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MAE’s Yan Li Wins Best Paper Award

CSULB Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Assistant Professor Yan Li has won a Best Paper Award for her research on materials properties.

The paper, “Probabilistic Fracture Toughness Prediction of Composite Materials,” was presented at the 8th International Conference on Computational Methods (ICCM2017) in Guilin, China, in July 2017.

It explores the challenge of predicting the variation of material properties such as strength and fracture toughness in material-sensitive design, and the development of an integrated computational and analytical model to predict fracture toughness in a statistical sense. Continue reading “MAE’s Yan Li Wins Best Paper Award”

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Meet the Four Finalist Teams for the 2018 Innovation Challenge Awards

Innovation Challenge Awards Gravity Ball

Startups that have developed a versatile exercise ball, launched an augmented reality app, started a household battery recycling program, and are working on a prosthetic prototype for amputees have been named finalists in the 2018 CSULB Innovation Challenge.

Gravity Ball, the Battery Effect, StickUp, and Artemus Labs will present their business plans to judges at the April 12 Innovation Challenge Awards Ceremony. The top team will receive up to $50,000 in cash and business services.  Continue reading “Meet the Four Finalist Teams for the 2018 Innovation Challenge Awards”

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EE Remembers Lecturer Boi Tran

At its Department Graduation Monday, the CSULB Electrical Engineering Department commemorated lecturer Boi Tran’s supportive mentoring with an award in his name. Chris Hirunthanakorn (BSEE) received the Boi Tran Award, in memory of the late electrical engineering lecturer, who passed away suddenly late last year.

“It’s my honor that I’ve met and worked with Boi Tran, whose untimely passing has left a hole in our collective soul,” said Professor Anastasios Chassiakos, who described Tran as not only a very talented engineer but a trusted friend and mentor. Tran’s wife, Mindy, was present to accept the award.

Another of the department’s awards is named for the late Gerald Doski, an ever-helpful technician. The Doski Award this year went to Scott Salazar. Continue reading “EE Remembers Lecturer Boi Tran”