Announcing the Beavers Endowed Chair
CECS Delegates Heading to Grace Hopper Celebration
There will be hundreds of women in computing at the annual Grace Hopper Celebration this month in Houston. And two will be from the CSULB College of Engineering’s Computer Engineering and Computer Science Department.
Assistant Professor Birgit Penzenstadler is delivering a lightning talk on “Designing Future Software for Sustainability: The Karlskrona Manifesto.” Her Thelma Estrin Award from the Anita Borg Institute is funding her conference participation. Penzenstadler, the only faculty to receive a full scholarship for interdisciplinary research, will be accompanied by computer science senior Elena Caceres, whose participation is being sponsored by Palantir Technologies. Continue reading “CECS Delegates Heading to Grace Hopper Celebration”
Labs Get Safety, Equipment Upgrades
While many students were on summer vacation, the CSULB College of Engineering facilities team was hard at work completing an extensive lab modernization project. Involving two years of funding allocations, nearly a year of planning and more than a month of construction, the upgrades will not only expose students to state-of-the-art equipment, but also increase accessibility and make working in the labs even safer.
The biggest, and most expensive, part of the project was replacing cement floors with safer non-skid surfacing in the industrial labs, said COE Facilities Coordinator Mike Berg, who oversaw the planning and work. Raised platforms were also removed from many labs to improve handicapped accessibility and reduce trip hazards. There’s also now a trolley to move heavy lab materials, a hoist for sheet metal, and new personal protective equipment in labs throughout COE. Continue reading “Labs Get Safety, Equipment Upgrades”
10 New Full-time Faculty Join College
The CSULB College of Engineering this fall is seeing a major influx of new teaching talent, expanding expertise in important areas such as data analytics, advanced composites, robotics, sustainable energy, smart grids, cognitive radio, transportation planning and distributed systems.
The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Department accounts for nearly half of the 10 new faculty, while the Computer Engineering and Computer Science (CECS), Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology (CECET), and Electrical Engineering (EE) departments will each gain two full-time tenure-track positions. Continue reading “10 New Full-time Faculty Join College”
COE Welcomes New Faculty and Administrators
The College of Engineering welcomed seven new faculty and administrators during the Fall 2013/Spring 2014 academic year.
Burkhard Englert
CECS Chair
Dr. Englert has been at CSULB since August 2003, and served as the COE’s graduate program coordinator from 2011-2013. He received his PhD from the University of Connecticut in 2000, and his areas of interest include distributed computing, computer security and transportation system simulation and modeling.
Anastassios G. Chassiakos
EE Chair
Dr. Chassiakos holds a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, and been with the College of Engineering since 1992. He served as the director of the California Pre-Doctoral Program for the Office of the CSU Chancellor from 2009-2012, and has extensive experience as a consultant for aerospace manufacturers including Rockwell International and Northrop Corporation.
Nicole Forrest Boggs
Director of Development
Ms. Boggs comes to CSULB with over a decade of development experience. Most recently she served as Director of Development at Cal Poly Pomona where she was responsible for frontline fundraising in the College of Education and Integrative Studies, Student Affairs, University Library and Presidential Priorities. Prior to her work at Cal Poly Pomona, she was Director of Annual Giving at the University of La Verne. Nicole holds an MBA with a marketing emphasis and Bachelors in Economics.
Ted Yu
Assistant Professor
Chemical Engineering
Dr. Yu holds a PhD in Materials Science from Caltech and has had many years of experience conducting experimental research at Lawrence Berkeley Labs. His area of interest include alternative energy applications of fuel cells, batteries, solar cells, and artificial photosynthesis.
Mehrdad Aliasgari
Assistant Professor
Computer Science
Dr. Aliasgari holds a PhD in computer science and engineering from the University of Notre Dame, where he completed a dissertation in “Secure Computation and Outsourcing of Biometric Data.” He also received his masters degree in Computer Science and Engineering Notre Dame, and holds a bachelors in Electrical Engineering from Sharif University of Technology. His research interests include computer security and applied cryptography.
Bob Minaie
Boeing Endowed Professor of Manufacturing
MAE Department
Dr. Minaie holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota. His research areas include manufacturing, materials, and mechanics including the use of advanced composites, thin films, and multifunctional nanostructured materials for aerospace, energy, green manufacturing, structural health monitoring, fuel cell, and transportation applications. His research has been supported at a significant level by NASA, ONR, AFOSR, DOE, NSF, and industry. Close collaboration with industry and providing leadership for university-industry-government teams in conducting interdisciplinary and multi-investigator research have been integral parts of his activities. Prior to joining CSULB, he served on the faculty of Wichita State University.
Mahdi Yoozbashizadeh
Assistant Professor
MAE Department
Dr. Mahdi Yoozbashizadeh holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering with a focus in Manufacturing Engineering from USC and has had six years of experience both as a postdoctoral fellow and research assistant conducting experimental research in the Additive Fabrication and Manufacturing Labs at USC. His research interests include powder metallurgy, 3D printing, metallic part fabrication, rapid prototyping, CAD/CAM and design of experiments.
Undergraduate Research Showcased
BSAE Major, David A. Stout, represented the MAE Department and his mentor, Dr. Hsun-Hu Chen, at a Research Symposium held at Howard University in Washington, D.C., September 28-30, 2008. The undergraduate research program entitled “Presentations on the Hilltop” selected 10 presentations from across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. David’s presentation, titled “COTS Systems for CubeSats,” showcased his research to the Faculty, Directors, and Deans of Howard University and surrounding institutions.
Besnard Receives AIAA Faculty Adviser Award
Eric Besnard, a professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at CSULB, has been named the recipient of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) 2009 Faculty Adviser Award.
The award is presented to the AIAA faculty adviser of a chartered student branch who, in the opinion of student branch members and the AIAA Student Activities Committee, has made outstanding contributions to his/her students in local, regional and national activities. Besnard was also selected to receive the honor due to his passion for aerospace and his ongoing efforts in encouraging students in the field through hands-on projects.
“The rewarding part about being chapter adviser for the AIAA is working with the students to help them transform ideas into an engineering system they can test,” said Besnard. “The quality engineering department at Cal State Long Beach also helps make this possible. It is very well recognized in Southern California, with graduates in demand for local aerospace companies and are very capable of competing nationally.”
Besnard, who has taught upper-division aerospace design and space systems engineering at CSULB since 1995, was presented the honor during the 47th annual AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Award Banquet in Orlando. Teaching undergraduate and graduate students, Besnard’s schedule also includes senior design classes, spacecraft systems engineering, and rocket and spacecraft propulsion.
Much of the “hands-on” work Besnard has been recognized for by the AIAA is for the California Launch Vehicle Education Initiative (CALVEIN), the rocket program on campus that includes several projects involving AIAA. As head of CALVEIN, he helps students design, build and launch large rockets, each with its own unique characteristics.
“I am proud to be recognized by this premier aerospace professional organization (AIAA) for the job we do at CSULB in preparing the next generation of aerospace engineers by having them involved in hands-on projects, an approach that requires departmental commitment and resources,” said Besnard. “The IMU (inertial measurement unit) we now use on some of our test flights was purchased as part of a student project that was funded by the Los Angeles professional section of AIAA. Another project deals with the development of a wind-sensing package to be used for rocket launch operations.”
The students involved in the wind-sensing project took second place last year when they presented the work at the AIAA 2008 Region VI Student Conference at Arizona State University. Students Faisal M. Buharie and Samir Mohamed won the award in the undergraduate category for their new wind sensor, which may be used during launches to measure the prevalent wind at altitude. Oscar Mejia, another undergraduate student in aerospace engineering, presented his project titled “Trajectory Simulation for CSULB Sounding Rockets.”