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NSF Grant Will Help Advance Understanding of Human Motion

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Dr. Emel Demircan, an assistant professor in the CSULB Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering departments.

Emel Demircan, an assistant professor in the CSULB Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering departments, has been awarded a $175,000 grant to advance the understanding of human motor performance to help clinicians develop more effective motion-training treatments.

The National Science Foundation award will fund research to create a cyber-human framework that advances robotics and biomechanics, deepening scientific understanding of human motor performance dictated by musculoskeletal physics and neural control.

“The project has great potential to impact our society by creating a wearable cyber-human system to provide immediate feedback to the wearer to make postural corrections – applicable for the reeducation of patients with musculoskeletal disorders and for performance improvement in motion training,” she said. Continue reading “NSF Grant Will Help Advance Understanding of Human Motion”

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MAE Remembers Dedicated Mentor Who Shared His Love of Rockets

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Charley Hoult, right, accompanied by wife Janet, at the ESRA launch site in Green River, Utah.

Charles Hoult, a longtime Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering mentor, has passed away after a short illness. Hoult shared a half-century of rocketry experience with students involved with the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA). Students plan to pay tribute to their beloved mentor by propelling some of his ashes skyward during their next rocket launch.

Hoult first began working with research rockets in 1958 while an Air Force 2nd lieutenant assigned to the Cambridge Research Lab in Bedford, Mass. He continued working at the lab for a decade, seven years after he left the service. While there, he performed systems engineering and flight testing on a variety of research, or sounding, rockets, from the Nike-Cajun thru the Aerolab Argo D-4.

After leaving the lab, Hoult worked for El Monte-based Space General on the Aerobee and Astrobee rockets; Space Vector Corp. of Canoga Park on the Aries guided sounding rocket and guidance and attitude control systems; and in the late 1970s as a consultant. Continue reading “MAE Remembers Dedicated Mentor Who Shared His Love of Rockets”

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MAE Students Submit Proposal for Reuse of Shuttered C-17 Plant

Reuse of Shuttered C-17 PlantStudents often attend lectures or solve problems for extra credit, but Dr. Juan Cepeda-Rizo’s MAE 330 Thermodynamics class had an opportunity to do something with more impact—create a proposal for reuse of the shuttered Boeing C-17 production facility.

Cepeda-Rizo, who lives near the former aircraft plant, offered the opportunity at the beginning of the semester at the suggestion of neighbor Patricia Chen. With an interest in sustainable energy, students Mohamad Alkam, Hope Daley, Elyssa Lawrence, and Eric Velazquez immediately stepped forward. Facing a tight deadline of Sept. 12, the students came up with an idea for a solar park for the 160-acre site on Cherry Avenue near the Long Beach Airport. Continue reading “MAE Students Submit Proposal for Reuse of Shuttered C-17 Plant”

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MAE CELEBRATES ITS CLASS OF 2016

The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department celebrated its Class of 2016 at an awards ceremony and reception Monday.

“Congratulations, you made it,” Chair Jalal Torabzadeh told the nearly 100 students in attendance. “You have come a long way. This is a milestone. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate and be proud of your accomplishments.”

Dean Forouzan Golshani said what graduates must do next is figure out their passion. “Find what makes your life meaningful. I hope you find whatever it takes to fulfill your aspirations.”

Patrick Goggin, VP of 747/767/777 Engineering at Boeing and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, received the Outstanding Alumni Award for his contributions to the MAE Department. Continue reading “MAE CELEBRATES ITS CLASS OF 2016”

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Labs Get Safety, Equipment Upgrades

Labs Get SafetyWhile 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”