B
4
Dean & Publisher
Pramod P. Khargonekar
Publications Adviser
Cammy Abernathy
Managing Editors
Megan Gales
Ron Franklin
Editor
Nicole Cisneros McKeen
Lead Designer
Christina Loosli Cozart
Designers
Linda Corsair
Holly Franklin
Jin Young Yi
Photographer
David Blankenship
Contributors
James Garrett, photographer
Aaron Hoover, writer
Andrew Stanfill, photographer
Reshelle Smith, writer
Editorial Intern
Chris Davis
Printing
Boyd Brothers Inc.
The Florida Engineer is published
twice a year by the College of
Engineering at the University of
Florida. The Florida Engineer is an
essential tool to keep alumni and
friends of the College connected to
Gator Engineering. For permission to
reprint any part of this publication,
contact the managing editor:
Truly Connected
On The Cover
Materials Science & Engineering Department Chair Kevin Jones.
The Department of Materials Science & Engineering serves as a
catalyst for interdisciplinary research in the College. Without these
interconnections between departments it would be very much
like working in the dark.
Engineering Publications
P.O. Box 116550
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611
352.392.0984
rfran@eng.ufl.edu
www.eng.ufl.edu
Cover photo by David Blankenship
What you want, Where it is
From 300 Weil Hall
A letter from the Dean 2
From 349 Weil Hall
A letter from the Editor 36
The People Pages
All He's Cracked Up To Be
A faculty profile
Material Girl
A student profile
Finding Fate At Fourteen
An alumni profile
Alice Holt She's Got It Covered
A staff profile
Larry Hench's Web Of Greatness
Diagramming a legacy
A Deeper Look
Materials Science Engineering -
Truly Connected
By Megan Gales
Baby, We've Come A Long Way I Think
By Nicole Cisneros McKeen
Gentleman, Start Your Molecular Motors
By Reshelle Smith
From Head To Toe
By Holly Franklin and Jin Young Yi
The Future Is So Bright, He's Gotta Wear Shades
By Aaron Hoover
The Regular Stuff
You Oughta Know
Faculty updates
A Little Perspective
Hey What's Going On?
Alumni updates
Friends We'll Miss
How We've Developed
Time Warp
Worth A Thousand Words
Ultimate Frisbee champions
In The Hopper
What to expect in the next issue
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 1
he caricature of engineers as
pocket-protector-carrying
nerds rarely evokes images
of great artists such as Pablo Picasso
or Miles Davis. Indeed, not too
many people can achieve the artistic
greatness of Picasso or Davis.
But engineers do have one thing in
common with artists creativity.
Engineering is traditionally viewed
as applied science. With firm
foundations in physics, chemistry,
mathematics and biology, engineering
science creates design and analysis
procedures to produce useful products
and processes. This is what has led us
from the steam engine to the airplane
to the pacemaker to the Internet.
Fundamental science is descriptive
and analytical, whereas engineering is
creative and synthetic.
Science is aimed at discovering
the universal laws of nature. They
restrict what we can do. For example,
there cannot be a perpetual motion
machine. There cannot be a device
that creates energy energy must be
conserved. An object at rest cannot
start moving unless an external force
is applied. No mass can travel faster
than the speed of light.
Now, this leaves enormous room
for things that can exist. Laws of
nature do not say that steam engines
cannot exist. But it took engineering
creativity to put it together and
convert heat into motion. Energy was
conserved and all the laws of nature
were obeyed. Similarly, the Wright
brothers figured out how to get a
machine to fly. The space of what is
possible is enormous and limited
only by the laws of nature and human
creativity. Even today, we have only
explored a very small part of what is
possible.
Creativity is deeply embedded in the
engineering culture.
An analogy from literature laws of
the English language do not preclude
Hamlet, but it takes Shakespeare's
genius to put the words together just
right. Have we seen all the great books
that can be written? Likely not.
2 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
Dean Pramod P. Khargonekar
takes advantage of a quiet
moment in his office and
the view of Ben Hill Griffin
Stadium.
Photo by David Blankenship
"I pm alpy dig ghtwig I ant o0 n re
tpa p ma learg bop to do it -Pbl Pi'aI''
g' alay ppnkn pgou craig Myur 'prt 'gpg I waeIpevr
^^^^f^M^R^<^^mornMa~~ing. Everyday Ifindsometbing creative to dowit my Miles Davi
This issue of The Florida Engineer
is focused on materials science
and engineering one of the best
exemplars of creativity in engineering.
It is also a discipline that connects
well with many other parts of
the contemporary scientific and
technological landscape.
Materials have been around for a long
time well before human civilization
developed. Metals such as iron,
copper, gold and silver are profoundly
connected with the development of
society. Much of early science was
devoted to measuring, analyzing, and
understanding properties of materials.
Today's materials scientists and
engineers are reversing the equation
- specify the desired properties,
and they will design the materials.
Of course, things are a lot more
complicated than this simplistic
description. But in essence it is true.
Materials science is one of the newer
engineering disciplines. New materials
are critical to many things we take
for granted: jet engines, computer
chips, golf clubs, hip replacements
and other things. And there is a
tremendous promise for the future of
new materials. Solid-state lighting
in which ordinary light bulbs will be
replaced by LEDs could have a big
impact on energy consumption. Fuel
cells will change the way we make
electricity. Biomaterials and tissue
engineering could create artificial
organs. Nano-materials can create
precise drug-delivery mechanisms.
You will read about the exciting
work being done by our faculty and
students in this leading-edge field of
engineering.
Materials science and engineering
is an inherently interdisciplinary
field. Advances in this field come
from merging discoveries in physics,
chemistry and biology with high-
performance computation and the
synthetic traditions of engineering.
At the University of Florida, we
have a nationally and internationally
prominent Department of Materials
Science & Engineering. Indeed,
by most measures, it ranks among
the Top-10 materials science and
engineering programs in the world.
We take great pride in the creative
work all our colleagues are doing.
I am writing this essay during
the Thanksgiving weekend. I do
have many blessings for which I
am grateful. I am blessed with a
wonderful family and good health. I
am blessed to be working at a great
university with superb colleagues
and friends. The College is blessed
with wonderfully supportive alumni
and friends. We thank you for your
constant support and encouragement.
The thought that our work will
help educate the next generation
of engineers and leaders is deeply
inspiring.
Wishing you and your family a joyous
and peaceful holiday season,
VA ictr
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 3
rI.
A~
** -S.
deprtmnt itwud0 evr much lik wokn in th dar.
MSE
Tu C *n t
6 ** 6l
S I *5I
t was an ordinary day in 1962.
Men gathered at a table. They
were part of a select group of
engineers who came to the University
of Florida to start something greater
than themselves. They asked for a
department of their own and
that's what they got. They named
it the Department of Metallurgical
Engineering.
It grew out of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering at the
University of Florida. From the very
first day, collaboration and friendship
have been at the heart of what is now
the Department of Materials Science
& Engineering. Because of the nature
of the field, materials science is at the
center of engineering.
"If it's going to be real, if you're
going to be able to touch it, it's got
to be made of a material," said Tim
Anderson, the College's associate dean
for research and graduate programs.
Materials science winds through the
College of Engineering, connecting
researchers and departments with
the outside world. The Department
actively works with each of the
College's 10 other departments.
"There is not a department where the
science and engineering of materials
are not core to the mission," said Bill
Ditto, chair of UF's J. Crayton Pruitt
Family Department of Biomedical
Engineering. "Really, it is a core
discipline that impacts all."
At UF, biomedical engineering
sprung up from materials science and
engineering in much the same way
as materials science had come from
mechanical engineering.
In the 1990s, faculty recognized that
biomedical engineering was a rapidly
growing field. MSE professors Chris
Batich and Tony Brennan organized
interest into a biomedical engineering
program, and they developed a
graduate-level curriculum. When
Pramod Khargonekar became the
College's dean in 2001, he made it
a priority to establish biomedical
engineering as its own department.
Khargonekar made the program a
department and hired Ditto in 2002.
Four decades earlier, another founding
chair arrived in Gainesville. Leaving
tenure and a lifetime position in
metallurgy behind, Frederick N.
Rhines came from Carnegie Technical
Institute to create an empire. Professor
emeritus Robert T. DeHoffwas one of
the emerging young researchers who
came with Rhines. It was DeHoffs
first real job. Almost half a century
later, it's been his only real job.
"Rhines did such a good job of
building up a department into
something with national visibility
that I have never felt the need to go
anywhere," DeHoff said.
It was a time of nationwide
change for the field. Traditional
departments metallurgical or
ceramics departments, for example
- concentrated on a narrow part of
the bigger idea. The UF department,
though traditionally named, was
anything but conventional.
DeHoff said that in the early 60s,
metallurgical researchers around the
nation began to realize the broader
field of materials science was the way
of the future and not metals alone.
"Rhines happened to be developing a
department about the time when that
became pretty clear," DeHoff said.
"And so from early on, he began to
hire people in areas besides metals."
This led to research of every variety
imaginable in every department
possible. Research proposals have a
better chance of being funded when a
novel use of materials or an entirely
new material is part of the project.
"I think that's one of the reasons
why we do collaborate with so many
people," said MSE Department Chair
Kevin Jones. "They want to have that
kind of cutting edge to say, 'I'm
going to not only design and build this
new engineering entity, but I'm going
to build it out of a material no one's
ever thought of before.' That's going
to make it even better than anybody
else who has previously designed or
thought of this concept."
Anderson said there are several
research centers on campus for that
exact purpose.
Rooted in materials science, the
Major Analytical Instrumentation
Center was established within the
Department more than 20 years ago.
It's an always-busy, user-friendly place
where researchers from around the
state can analyze materials.
"From my perspective, it's probably
the most important physical resource
on campus," Anderson said. "It's
probably the only place on campus -
other than the emergency room -
that you can go in at 3 a.m. and find it
crowded."
In November, the Florida Board of
Governors provided money for six
centers of excellence throughout
the state. UF MSE specifically
- will receive funding for two of the
centers. Eric Wachsman will lead
the Florida Institute for Sustainable
Energy, which received $4.5 million.
Brij Moudgil will lead the Center for
Nano-Bio Sensors, which received $4
million.
6 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
*1,ir-1 11 1 i II 1:1
i ,l .1.I- I ,
ii,. --.
Recent research trends almost important credential. If the faculty
eliminate the pure forms of traditional doesn't feel that the candidate will fit
fields. Instead, Jones said, the focus is academically and socially, it doesn't
shifting, extend an offer to hire the person,
Jones said.
"Now what you're finding is that the
cutting-edge research is all done at the
boundaries," Jones said.
These boundary areas bridge materials
science to subjects like physics and
biology. And research on the edge
invites more collaboration than ever
before.
"We've always had a very open
mind about new materials and new
directions," Jones said. "I think that's
really helped us grow."
Clearly the growth hasn't stopped.
Even in recent years, when national
student enrollment averages are down,
the Department's numbers are higher
than ever.
"We're sort of bucking the trend, and
I attribute it all to the faculty," Jones
said. "We have really great faculty in
this Department."
Hiring the right people is part of
the strategy. When they interview
candidates to fill a position, for
example, they consider personality an
The result? A dynamic group of close-
knit professionals.
"There's been a long-standing tradition
in the Department of camaraderie. It's
just always been there," Jones said.
This second-nature friendship leads
the faculty to naturally formulate
ideas and together turn them into
project and funding proposals. With
the proposals come researchers
from many disciplines. Materials
science faculty often serve as primary
investigators, but they also often share
this responsibility.
"There's always been this attitude
of a multi-disciplinary, multi-PI
approach," Jones said.
Materials science faculty members
are themselves interdisciplinary
investigators, Anderson said.
Their educational backgrounds are
wonderfully diverse, he said, which
helps the college.
"They do set some standards of
excellence in research," Anderson
said. "When they interact with other
people, they bring these attitudes and
standards with them. It permeates."
Today -just like 45 years ago men
and women gather at a table in the
food court at the Reitz Union. They
meet here for lunch several times
"If it's going to be real, if you're going to
be able to touch it, it's got to be made of a
material."
a week, talking about football and
kicking around ideas for research
proposals. Faculty from other
departments inside and outside the
College of Engineering frequently
join them. Because of the impact
materials science researchers can have
on a project, Jones says his faculty
have long been in high demand. And
that's the way they like it.
"Materials naturally reaches out. We
recognize we can't do it all," Jones
said. "There are going to be people
that do a much better job of x,y or
z on these things, but we really like
taking on that leadership role."
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 7
Baby, We've Come A Long
Way I Think
By Nicole Cisneros McKeen
Wien Janise McNair was
in graduate school she
was patient. She knew
the responsible thing was to wait for
the things she wanted. While all her
friends were taking trips down the
aisle, courting real estate agents for
homes and picking out the perfect
shade of pink for their nurseries
McNair waited.
She wanted a new car but drove a
used one. She was eager to start her
career but waited until she completed
all three of her degrees. She and her
husband, Clarence, wanted a house but
lived in a student community.
Now she is an assistant professor of
electrical and computer engineering
in the University of Florida's College
of Engineering. Her tenure clock is
ticking, and McNair isn't waiting
anymore.
In 2004 McNair and her husband
welcomed little Clarence to their
Family. She gave birth to a baby girl,
SAbigail, on Sept. 29.
Women in engineering are a minority,
. even at the University of Florida. But
Being a woman isn't a big issue. The
issue is motherhood.
Women in the sciences and engineering
are less likely than men to get tenure,
and having children makes it even more
difficult, according to a 2005 National
Science Foundation study. The study
goes on to state that typically married
women and women with children
are less successful than men who are
married and have children.
"In our culture we ascribe more
parenting roles to women than men,
and that makes it harder for women,"
said Angel Kwolleck-Folland, a
women's history professor at UF.
"If more men took an equal role in
parenting than do currently, it would
be a little bit easier for women, but
it would be harder for men. It would
equalize the problem, in a sense."
McNair went ahead and took the
plunge. She and her husband started a
family before she earned tenure.
"I went to my department chair and
told him I was pregnant," McNair
said. "How do I do maternity leave?
He said, 'I don't know. You tell me."'
McNair was the first woman to need
maternity leave during Department
Chair Mark Law's term.
Tenure, the holy grail of academia,
is one of the major milestones in an
academic career. It is awarded for
recognition of achievement in one's
field and means lifelong employment.
The tenure clock stopped for McNair
twice.
Cammy Abernathy, the College's
associate dean for academic affairs
and a professor in materials science
and engineering, took a different route
when it came to having a family.
Abernathy and her husband, Steve
Pearton also a professor in
materials science and engineering -
welcomed their son, Max, in April
1999. Abernathy and Pearton went
through the yearlong tenure process at
the same time one year before Max
was born. They both were awarded
tenure in June 1998.
"It wasn't planned like that,"
Abernathy said, referring to starting a
family after she received tenure.
She says she is glad their son was born
a little later because this gave her
time to establish a research lab a
lab she couldn't go into for nine
months because there were hazardous
chemicals harmful to pregnant
women. Because she already had
tenure, it wasn't professional suicide.
Tenure aside, Abernathy has an even
bigger concern that's been bouncing
around her head like a pingpong ball
for the past eight years.
8 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
JdIllSe IVYICI.u dilU ldleie,, L, IUUK
for alligators at UF's Lake Alice.
"We don't have paid maternity leave," in on me in the office, and so I will
Abernathy said. "You can take sick go downstairs [to the car] and do my
leave, which was fine for me because duty."
I had been here for long enough
to accumulate sick leave. But what
happens if you're new?"
There may be light at the end of a
very long nine-month tunnel. The
University has no maternity or
family leave policy, but College of
Engineering Dean Pramod
Khargonekar is making it easier for
new mothers and fathers to take
time off. He has challenged a group
of faculty to set guidelines covering
issues like teaching load and working
from home.
Luckily for McNair and her children,
she already had the support of her
department, the administration and
a devoted husband. Her husband,
who is a privately employed computer
engineer, has the flexibility to stay
home with the babies while McNair
is at work. McNair is on leave right
now by the grace of her department
chair and the blessing of the Dean,
but she still comes into work at least
three times a week even though
her daughter is at the stage when you
count her age in weeks.
"For the last two days I've been
running down to the parking lot to
feed her," McNair said. "My husband
will call and say, 'I am on my way. I've
tried everything and she's hungry.'
I'm always afraid somebody will walk
Kwolleck-Folland says breastfeeding
is one area that the business culture
has turned a blind eye to, and women
could use more flexibility.
McNair and her husband may have
the issue all figured out.
"No one can do it all," McNair said.
"But I think some people are good
at doing a piece, but not at the same
time. So when you are at home you
can be focused at home, and when
you are at work you can be focused at
work."
And that is exactly what she does.
McNair has found balance that works
well for her family.
And it seems balance and each parent
doing their fair share is what makes
being a mother and an engineer
harmonious.
"Because as a culture, we have these
expectations about motherhood,"
Kwolleck-Folland said. "We assume
motherhood has a special importance
and so the issue falls more heavily
on women than men. If we had a
situation where all women, all men,
all fathers, all mothers participated
equally in the parenting process
- and our culture assumed that
would happen then things would
be easier and more difficult for both
of them."
- I inise, big Clarence, little
SClarence and Abigail enjoy
rile Florida sunshine.
Abernathy agrees that culture plays a
vital role in family dynamics, and she
and her husband benefit from equal
parenting.
"I believe in priorities and goals,"
Abernathy said. "Sometimes there are
things that aren't going to get done.
I am much more efficient now that
I've had Max. I think trying to have a
balance makes you more productive.
I don't travel as much. It is just
something I decided to do and that
has implications."
Abernathy has found the very
delicate balance between engineering,
academia, administration and
motherhood, and says there are some
things she is not willing to give up.
"There are certain things I do with
Max that I am sure my husband would
do," Abernathy said. "But I want to
do them. I want to tuck my son in at
night."
Abernathy also sees the advantages to
being a woman in engineering.
"There are a lot of things that I
think I have been able to accomplish
because I was a woman," Abernathy
said. "Not because there are special
benefits, but because women are
socialized to do certain things that
make us very effective. Building
consensus is something that women
are traditionally encouraged to do and
that is very useful in engineering."
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 9
By Nicole Cisneros McKeen
He and a colleague found
themselves in a tunnel and then
in a very dark room. They were
standing in front ofa sarcophagus
destroyed by thieves 4,000years
ago. Others were just staring -
probably pondering the disturbed
sacred burial. He was fascinated.
He wanted to take picture so he
could see the fractured tomb, but the
sarcophagus was veiled in darkness.
So his colleague shined a laser
pointer on the sarcophagus and
made just enough light to capture a
picture.
Jack Mecholsky couldn't believe
what he saw.
Mecholsky figured out exactly how the
ancient sarcophagus had been violated.
Through the red-tinted picture he
S discerned that thieves slowly chiseled
the sarcophagus along the top until
a weakness in the stone was revealed
and the sarcophagus cracked.
a
10 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
All He's Cracked Up To Be
"You can use fractal analysis in
archaeology and all sorts of things,"
Mecholsky said. "In court cases you
may want to know why something
broke, or in large disasters you would
like to know if it was a failure of the
materials or failure of design. This is
the heart of what I do."
Mecholsky joined the University of
Florida Department of Materials
Science & Engineering in 1990 and
has been breaking things ever since.
He says that when he was a little boy
he wanted to be a detective. Now
when he thinks about it he is.
"'his is detective work with materials,
only I don't get shot at." Mecholsky
said. "I try to solve crimes of nature."
Mecholsky received his Ph.D. in
1973 from the Catholic University
of America. Just before receiving his
degree in materials science, he began
working for the Naval Research
Laboratory in Washington, D.C.
At the research laboratory a colleague,
Roy Rice, was examining a fracture
surface under the microscope and
Mecholsky asked what he was doing.
"After I looked, I was hooked,"
Mechlosky said. "I knew at that
moment exactly what I wanted to do."
In 1979, Mecholsky moved to Sandia
National Laboratories in New Mexico.
And after five years in the Southwest
he needed to scratch an itch a
teaching itch. So when an opportunity
arose at Penn State University he took
it. And he loved it.
After a few cold well, very cold
- winters in Happy Valley, Pa.,
Mecholsky, his wife and four children
made a move south. And 16 years
later, Mecholsky is associate chair
for the Department of Materials
Science & Engineering, where he
has established a smashing career
analyzing how and why materials
break.
Mecholsky's research focuses
on biomaterials, fractal analysis,
fractography and the application of
fracture mechanics to the failure
analysis of advanced ceramics
and composites. But he's not all
research. He teaches graduate and
undergraduate classes, and he won
UF's engineering teaching award in
2003.
He developed a freshman class called
Engineering Innovations of the 21st
Century. The purpose to excite
engineering freshmen by showing
them the practicality of taking what
may sometimes seem like daunting
courses.
Mecholsky has the freshmen study
patents. He challenges them to learn
how the products get to the final
stages. The students tackle this by
dissecting the patents and learning
the technicalities. Students end up
with a road map illustrating every step
of the patented products' journies to
completion.
For the final project they study patent-
infringement court cases.
"These are freshmen, you have to
realize," Mecholsky said. "And it
always amazes me that by the end of
the semester they always get to the
core of the problem."
Jack Mecholsky even though he
loves to watch things break more than
a six-year-old boy, he is all he's cracked
up to be. He is also considered the
glue by many in his life.
"dfter I looked, I was hooked. I knew at that
moment exactly what I wanted to do."
Mecholsky is a dedicated board
member of the St. Francis House
Homeless Shelter. He's a lector at St.
Augustine Catholic Church. He is
a Fellow of the American Ceramics
Society. He's authored or co-authored
123 refereed journal articles. He's
been married for 40 years to Sue, and
he's the father ofJohn, 33, Nick, 26,
Chris, 24, and Sarah, 20. And, oh
yeah, at 62, he climbed Tanzania's
Mount Kilimanjaro in February.
"I was on sabbatical and we went to
a party to support climb for cancer,
Mecholsky said. "They had five people
from Gainesville going and they had
room for one more. So I did it. In
retrospect I don't know if I would
have done it. But we raised about
$50,000...the problem was that I
don't particularly like camping, and I
had never climbed before. I made it. I
made it to the top."
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 11
Faculty updates am
You Oughta Know
Agricultural & Biological
Engineering
Jonathan F.K. Earle, P.E.,
Ph.D., associate professor
and associate dean for
student affairs, is now a
councilor for the board
of directors for Tau Beta
Pi, a national engineering
honor society. He was cited
for his work in water and
wastewater management,
solid wastes and pollution
control.
J. Crayton Pruitt Family
Department of Biomedical
Engineering
William 0. Ogle, Ph.D.,
assistant professor, received
a New Scholar in Aging
award from the Ellison
Medical Foundation.
Chemical Engineering
Timothy Anderson, Ph.D.,
professor and associate dean
for research and graduate
programs, is now a Fellow
of the American Society
for Engineering Education.
He was recognized for his
application of chemical
engineering to processing
advanced electronic and
photonic materials.
Tony Ladd, Ph.D., professor,
has been selected to receive
the Humboldt Research
Award from the Alexander
von Humboldt Foundation
in Germany. This award
recognizes Ladd's lifetime
academic achievements.
Mark Orazem, Ph.D.,
professor, is now a Fellow
of the Electrochemical
Society. He was cited for
his work on impedance
spectroscopy and cathodic
protection of buried
pipelines.
Fan Ren, Ph.D., professor,
is now a Fellow of the
American Vacuum
Society. He was cited
for contributions to the
development and integration
of semiconductors.
Computer& Information
Sciences & Engineering
Benjamin Lok, Ph.D.,
assistant professor, won an
NSF CAREER award.
Electrical & Computer
Engineering
Rizwan Bashirullah, Ph.D.,
assistant professor, won an
NSF CAREER award.
Mark Law, Ph.D., professor
and chair, won the 2006
Aristotle Award from the
Semiconductor Research
Corp.
Jenshan Lin, Ph.D, associate
professor, has been selected
to receive the 2007 N.
Walter Cox Award from
the IEEE Microwave
Theory and Techniques
Society.
Sanjay Ranka, Ph.D.,
professor, is now a Fellow of
the American Association
for Advancement of
Science. He was cited for
work on the theory and
practice of parallel and
distributed computing.
Scott Thompson, Ph.D.,
associate professor, is now
a Fellow of the Institute of
Electrical and Electronic
Engineers. He was cited for
contributions to common
metal-oxide semiconductor
In February, the University of Florida and Universidad
Privada del Norte in Peru signed two collaboration
agreements one between the universities and one
between each university's engineering college. These
agreements serve as umbrellas to facilitate additional
proposals between both universities.
In May, a proposal for the creation of an Industrial
Assessment Center was presented at UPN by Cristian
Cardenas, assistant in engineering at UF. The proposal
was approved and is financed with $71,000. To finalize
the arrangements for this project and to explore others
under the collaboration agreements, on Oct. 18 20, UPN
President Daniel Rodriguez Risco and UPN Vice President
Alfredo Munoz Gonzales visited UF.
During their visit they had a chance to meet with the
College's administration and Dennis Jett, dean of the UF
International Center and former U.S. Ambassador to Peru.
In addition the visitors discussed faculty and student
exchanges and research collaboration that will result in
papers, thesis, research and teaching activities.
technology for high-volume
manufacturing.
Industrial & Systems
Engineering
Ravi Ahuja, Ph.D.,
professor and co-director
of the Supply Chain and
Logistics Engineering
Center, and his former
doctoral students, Krishna
C.Jha andJian Liu, received
the INFORMS Daniel
H. Wagner Prize for
Excellence in Operations
Research Practice.
Panagote Pardalos, Ph.D.,
distinguished professor and
co-director of the Center
for Applied Optimization,
is now a Fellow of The
Institute for Operations
Research and Management
Sciences. He was cited for
contributions to the field of
global optimization.
Materials Science &
Engineering
David Norton, Ph.D.,
professor, is now a Fellow
of the American Vacuum
Society. He was cited for
his research on oxide thin
films and superlattices.
Mechanical & Aerospace
Engineering
Sivaramakrishnan
Balachandar, Ph.D., chair
and William F. Powers
Professor, is now a Fellow
of the American Physical
Society. He was cited
for his work in fluid and
thermal dynamics.
Warren Dixon, Ph.D.,
assistant professor, won an
NSF CAREER award.
12 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
College facts and figures
A Little Perspective
Faculty Total
(Sept. 2006)
Total Tenured/Tenure Track
Professor
Aso Prof
Ast Prof
Non-tenure Faculty *
PostDoctoral Associates **
* Non-Tenure Faculty includes: Equivalent Faculty
and Lecturers
** Post Doctoral Associates also include Research
Associates
Not included in count are Ast & Aso in's
Members of the National Academy
of Engineering 7
Robert G. Dean
Martin E. Glicksman
Larry L. Hench
Brij Mohan Moudgil
Chih-Tang (Tom) Sah
John H. Schmertmann
Charles E.Taylor
Enrollment 7,019
(Fall 2006)
Undergraduate 4,711
Master's 962
Ph.D. 1,262
Unclassified (OEGs) 84
Degrees Awarded 1,577
(2005-06)
Bachelor's
Master's
Ph.D.
Federal Research Expenditures
All Engineering Schools
Total Federal
UF ranks 18th -All Schools
UF ranks 12th Public Schools
402 U.S. News& World Report Rankings
Public Institution Rankings
Graduate Engineering Programs
287
S April 2006 UF ranks 15th
121 UF ranks 14th in research expenditures
94 $92.1 million
UF has 10 ranked Engineering Specialties
Aerospace 21
Chemical 13
Civil 16
Computer Engineering 23
Electrical 18
Environmental 16
Industrial 10
Materials 3
Mechanical 19
Nuclear 8
Undergraduate Engineering Programs
August 2006 UF ranks 17th
UF has six top-ranked programs
Agricultural 6
Civil 14
Environmental 5
Industrial 12
Materials 6
Nuclear 9*
*Nuclear ranked in 2004
Public & Private Institution Rankings
Graduate Engineering Programs
April 2006 UF ranks 26th
UF ranks 20th in research expenditures
$92.1 million
UF has 10 ranked Engineering Specialties
Aerospace 29
Chemical 21
Civil 24
Computer Engineering 39
Electrical 29
Environmental 28
Industrial 16
Materials 6
Mechanical 31
Nuclear 9
Undergraduate Engineering Programs
August 2006 UF ranks 30th
Total Research Expenditures 2005-06
$107,762,954
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,0,,
Funding Sources
i Federal I Industry
0 State Non-Profits
S Foreign Local
a Special State Research Program
Data from ASEE- 2004-05
UF has six top-ranked programs
Agricultural
Civil
Environmental
Industrial
Materials
Nuclear
* Nuclear ranked in 2004
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 13
A student profile
MATERIAL GIRL
By Reshelle Smith
Anika Odukale is a Ph.D. student
in materials science and engineering.
Where are you from and where did
you get your degrees from?
I'm from Minneapolis, Minn., born
and raised. I went to North Carolina
State University for my undergrad and
got my bachelor's in chemistry. I got
my master's from Michigan State in
analytical chemistry.
The "Star Trek science" is what I call it.
"Wouldn't it be cool if we could do this?
Let's try it"- that's engineering.
How did you become interested in
engineering?
What I found was I was more
interested in engineering and the
science and the applications of
chemistry, more so than the hard-
core, straight, traditional chemistry.
People say "well, what does a materials
engineer do," and I say it's everything.
It's a hodgepodge. Materials
engineering is chemists, physicists
and chemical engineers. That's why I
ventured toward engineering the
applications and the crazy science
in engineering that you can do. The
"Star Trek science" is what I call it.
"Wouldn't it be cool if we could do
this? Let's try it" that's engineering.
What would you say is the proudest
moment in your life?
I can't say that there is one proud
moment in my life there are
several. I would say one of the
proudest moments in my life would
have been when my husband got his
Ph.D. He worked very, very hard.
If you had one do-over in life, what
would it be?
I would have listened to people older
than me a lot more than I did.
What's the most fun you've had in
your career?
I would say the most fun I've had is
just working in lab. I love to work in
lab from morning to night until
my feet hurt.
If you had to choose another career,
what would it be?
I would be a general contractor for
building homes. I love doing that
type of stuff on the weekends. Tiling,
gardening, planting, putting in new
light fixtures and new flooring, new
sinks and countertops I love doing
all that type of home improvement
stuff.
If you could describe yourself in three
words, what would they be and why?
I would say motivated. Also, I'm not
terribly outgoing, but friendly. Maybe
easygoing would be a better word.
Third, I would say I'm a giving person.
What's your favorite smell?
Nag-champa, an incense. It's a moving
aroma. To me, it makes the energy in
the room move. It's got some spices in
it that are relaxing and stimulating at
the same time, which is kind of weird.
Whatwords or phrases do you most
overuse.
"Like"- I say that all the time and
I'm told that a lot too. And I say
"you know." Unless you're around me
a lot, you really don't know. I kind
of make up words as well. They're
very situation-fitting, but they don't
mean anything. But, you get what
they mean when I use them. Like
"groovealicious" or "spunkadocious,"
those are my favorite made-up words.
Are there any talents you would like
to have, but don't?
How much time do you have?
Do you have a talent?
I would say my gardening and my
home construction stuff. I'm pretty
good at that. My husband calls it the
jungle because I have a yard full. I
actually build things for people too
- entertainment units, vanities.
Every Christmas for the last four or
five years, my list has been power
tools. This year, my family says no
more power tools. I got a miter saw
and a wet saw for tile, so my family
has put me on power-tool restriction.
What trait do you value most in your
friends and colleagues?
Honesty. I think that is the basis
not only for friendship, but for
professionalism.
14 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
What would you say is the biggest
misconception about engineers?
The biggest misconception about
engineers is that they're all nerdy or
braniacs and you can't relate to them.
I also think engineers have a sense of
humor that other engineers can enjoy,
so maybe a goofy part as well. I'll
crack up when I'm around a bunch of
engineers. I think that sense of humor
is very funny. My other friends do not.
What would you say is your guilty
pleasure?
Ice cream, without a doubt. My
favorite kinds have something to do
with cookie dough. My recent favorite
was coffee ice cream. That kicked in
late this summer.
What are your plans after getting
your Ph.D.?
When I finish this school year, I
would like to do a post-doc for a year
or two, get some experience and then
go on to teach.
Ideally, what kinds of classes would
you like to teach?
I would love to teach general
chemistry. We have a class here that
is general chemistry for engineers
and I really like the way that is taught
- with the emphasis on engineering
and real-world experiences.
Anika Odukale tries to tame the
jungle -AKA her garden.
I* i .
M molecular motors, a body diagramming scores of potential
life-improving devices, and organic lighting this is some of the
research in the College of Engineering.
Through the study of molecular motors, researchers are figuring out
how to harness chemical energy and turn it into mechanical energy.
The human body has become a sort of pegboard for our
researchers. At almost any spot on the body, researchers are
finding new ways to engineer the science of materials into medical
applications ultimately improving quality of life.
And in the future, organic lighting will be available at a fraction of
today's energy costs.
The College spent more than $100 million on research this past
year. The research that is conducted on this campus is something
all Gator Engineers can be proud of and care about it is too
fascinating not to.
This is Gator Engineering.
-I
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G start your
molecular
motors
By Reshelle Smith
n the last 150 years, technology
has progressed from the steam
engine to the to the tiny motors inside
computers. But while engineers were
out building these motors, lurking
inside their own bodies were cells
cells with extremely efficient
motors.
Henry Hess, an assistant professor in
the Department of Materials Science
& Engineering, has been working to
release the power of these microscopic
motors for the past six years.
"We explore how molecular motors
can enable new approaches to
technology," he said. "Having these
extremely small molecular motors
might enable you to do completely
different things, such as make
materials which move by themselves,
which you don't even recognize as a
motor."
At this point, it is difficult to pinpoint
the ultimate application of molecular
motors, Hess said. Much research still
needs to be done.
"Finding out what you can do with
this ability to convert chemical energy
to mechanical work is really the
defining aspect of what we are doing,"
he said.
Henry Hess, assistant professor in MSE, sits next
to a motorcycle motor. If a molecular motor was
the size of a person, this motorcycle motor would
E extend all the way to the moon.
c2
Hess has been studying kinesin
motors, one of the many types of
motors in cells. These motors can
be found in most human cells, pond
scum bacteria and other single-celled
organisms. These motors walk along
the skeleton of the cell, transporting
essential cellular components.
Depending on the cell, kinesin
motors participate in many different
cellular activities. For instance, they
can separate replicated chromosomes
during cell division or transport
neurotransmitters from one end of a
cell to the other.
Hess wants to use kinesin motors
outside their natural, cellular
environment to create a nanoscale
method of transportation.
"It's this beautiful ability to utilize
what nature has provided us and
actually harness it and then direct it
toward an engineering application,"
said Kevin Jones, the chairman of the
Department. "The potential is there to
do some really amazing things down
the road."
Hess is currently working on
creating "smart dust" biosensors that
use molecular motors to analyze
microscopic amounts of fluid now,
the same type of analysis is done by
a credit card-sized microfluidic lab
connected to peripheral elements that
take up a whole desktop. Molecular
motors, which get their fuel from the
surrounding solution, could remove
the need for any type of external
pump or batteries. The molecular
motors are doing the transporting
rather than the pumps and are
powered by ATP fuel in the solution
rather than batteries.
Another possible application of
molecular motors is in nanoscale
manufacturing. Hess envisions
creating a microscopic assembly line
where motor proteins in a specific
pattern create a molecular conveyor
belt that transports materials along a
sequence of processing stations.
To Hess, the process of learning to
work with molecular motors is just as
important as the end result.
"Understanding how we engineer
molecular motors also helps us
understand how molecular motors are
used in biology what the functions
and limitations for molecular motors
are," Hess said. "For example, why
exactly is a muscle put together the
way it is put together, or how exactly
do you use biological molecular
motors to affect cells?"
Studying these molecular motors
requires knowledge from many
branches of science, Hess said.
"I think what makes this research
interesting is that it is truly
interdisciplinary in the sense that it
covers aspects from engineering to
chemistry, physics, and also biology,"
Hess said. "This makes it interesting
and a challenge because you cannot
be a specialist in just one of these
things and expect that you will make
it work."
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 19
Mircofabricated channels
coated with kinesin motors
can guide thetransport
ofmicrotubules.The
microtubulescan capture
proteins and viruses and
transportthis cargo to
defined locations. This
ability permits the design
of"smart dust" biosensors
which utilize microtubules
as nanoscale transporters.
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20 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
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The FLORIDA ENGINEER 21
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By Aao Soove
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Th FLOIDAEGNER2
The Future Is So Bright, He's Gotta Wear Shades
T hat's the assessment of
University of Florida materials
science and engineering
researchers Franky So, Jiangeng
Xue and Paul Holloway. Supported
by a $1.2 million grant for lighting
research, from the U.S. Department
of Energy, So, an associate professor,
Xue, an assistant professor, and
Holloway, a professor, are striving to
solve many of the technical challenges
that will allow relatively obscure
OLEDs to become commonplace in
next-generation consumer products.
"Devices made from organic light-
emitting diodes offer a number of
advantages, including that they are
inexpensive to manufacture and use
i very little electricity," So said. "I think
the potential for OLEDs is huge."
-o
g Seeing the Big Picture
SLaptops and other flat-screen displays
- and florescent lights tap different
technologies today, which would
seem to suggest that they will evolve
along separate technological lines.
But organic light-emitting diodes
may conjoin their fates. OLEDs have
unique properties that open the door
for the diodes to play a starring role
in these applications and not only
that, but also make lights and display
screens flexible.
To get a grip on OLEDs' potential,
it helps to understand what they are.
OLEDs share part of their acronym
with the much more familiar light-
emitting device LEDs. They are
organic because they use carbon-based
compounds, or compounds that are
generally obtained from plant or
animal sources.
LEDs are pencil-eraser-sized lights
widely used as indicators, as well as
light sources in products ranging from
flashlights to traffic lights to stadium
giant screens. Like computer chips,
LEDs are semiconductors. Organic-
light-emitting devices also emit light
from a large area. But instead of
semiconductors, they tap long-chain
molecule polymers polymers or
organic because they come from
petroleum, which is produced by
bacteriological decay or small
organic molecules as their primary
light sources. thesee polymers are
printable, either on a large piece of
glass or a flexible material. 'hey can
even be printed using newspaper
printing process similar to a roll-
to-roll process.
OLEDs are tantalizing commercial
products for several reasons. One
reason is inorganic semiconductors
are difficult and relatively slow to
manufacture OLEDs much less so.
There are many stumbling blocks to
printable electronics, including finding
ways to print all the transistors,
connections and other electronics
that would actually make the screen
function. But, in theory, success would
mean printers could churn out display
screens with nearly as much ease and
speed as today's printers produce
newspapers and fabrics.
"If you want a low-cost big-screen TV,
the idea is print the display," So said.
"You can lower your manufacturing
costs significantly if you can just click
a button and print it."
24 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
IVIb Associate Protessor -ranKy So.
o
Organic green-light-emitting
device of fabricated on
a glass substrate. These
devices can be fabricated
onto flexible plastics. So is
working on a unique device
structure that will give a very
high efficiency of 100 Lm/w.
Energy efficiency is another OLED
plus. Today's standard technology in
laptop and cell-phone displays is the
LCD, or liquid crystal display. In
an LCD, the display consists of two
polarizing transparent panels, with
a liquid crystal surface sandwiched
between. The display is lit from the
back, with the liquid crystal working
as a light valve. Regardless of the
image on the display, the backlight
is always on, and that process hogs
electricity. OLEDs, which require
no backlight, are a lot more energy
efficient.
"OLED screens would use 50 percent
to 75 percent less power," Xue said.
"That would give you much longer
battery life for laptops and similar
devices."
Third among OLEDs' promises is
flexibility. Flexible display screens
would have obvious utility. Electronic
newspapers as portable and user-
friendly as traditional ones but with
updatable text and photos have
long been a dream of the newspaper
industry.
As promising as these applications
are, there are significant hurdles
ahead. Thanks in part to So's previous
research at Motorola and other
companies, engineers already know
how to make small OLED display
screens indeed, the crisp screens
noted for their visibility from any
angle are already widely available on
cell phones in Asia. But making larger
OLED display screens is far tougher.
Xue says the problem is that larger
areas contain more flawed pixels,
which mars the display.
OLEDs the great white light
For the moment, the DOE-funded
research at UF is on making OLED
white lights for room lighting. Xue
and So believe that the lights have the
potential to produce as much as 100
lumens per watt, about a third more
brightness than achieved by the most
efficient florescent bulbs on the market
today. But challenges, such as limiting
the wavelengths produced by the
devices to only those needed for white
light, are many.
Xue said current OLEDs produce
around 30 lumens per watt double
that of incandescent bulbs but less
than commercial florescent ones. But
he is optimistic that he and So can
push this number much higher.
"I think based on our estimation
by the end of the project we should
be able to get to 100 lumens per
watt," Xue said. "Because I think
the pathway we have to get there is a
pretty strong one."
Xue is also working on a related
technology, organic solar cells.
These are solar cells based on
organic materials that are cheaper to
manufacture than traditional silicon-
based cells. Like OLED screens, they
can flexible. Xue envisions flexible
solar cells that would, for example,
wrap around curved surfaces on
a home or car doubling as an
attractive exterior and energy source.
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 25
Sachio Semmoto (Ph.D. EE '71), an
entrepreneur in the telecommunications
industry, on Nov. 9 gave the inaugural
presentation of the College of
Engineering's Zhe WeilLectures. The
series is intended to provide students
and faculty an opportunity to learn from
entrepreneurs, CEOs and successful
leaders. Lecture attendees learned about
Semmoto's experiences and discussed the
formation of his companies.
Semmoto is recognized worldwide for
his leading role in developing Japan's
telecommunications system. He has founded several very
successful companies. The newest one, eMobile, focuses on
broadband technology.
This lecture was sponsored by the College of Engineering and
the Warrington College of Business.
David Nelms (B.S. ME '83) returned to
the College on Sept. 1 to share his story
about how he went from UF undergrad
to chief executive officer of Discover
Financial Services. He shared his
perspective on the credit-card industry
and what engineering students need to
know to succeed.
Nelms studied engineering to emulate
his engineer father and to get his
foot in the door at Harvard Business
School, where about 25 percent of
MBA candidates are engineers.
"Though, Nelms' engineering background didn't hurt his
efforts to lead Discover Financial Services. "Those skills
made the towheaded Nelms a golden boy of the credit-card
industry.
"I certainly wouldn't remember thermodynamics I'd
be totally lost," he says. "But engineering teaches you
problem-solving skills, analytics. Ihat helps."
1963
Robert H. Miller, B.S. ISE,
was a panelist at the 90th Florida
Engineering Society/Florida Institute
Sof Consulting Engineers Summer
: Conference and Exposition. His panel
Swas entitled Things to Know Before
Graduating. He retired in 2004 after
-: serving as president of Miller Legg for
More than 25 years.
1965
Otis P. Lutz, B.S. EE, M.S. EE, '69,
received patent US 6827333 for a
hammer with an extendable fulcrum.
He is now retired from owning a
computer business that designed and
built systems for NASA, Lockheed
Martin and other large companies.
Cornelius Patrick McKenzie,
B.S. ME, is now a fifth-degree black
belt in Tae Kwon Do.
1980
Dan Tintner, B.S. CE, has been
promoted to senior vice president of
engineering at Miller Legg after more
than 17 years with the company. He
now oversees the firm's engineering
departments in all six offices.
1983
William E. Schaefer II, B.S. CE,
has founded Dominion Engineering
Group in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. He
is the father of five children.
1990
Steven J. Thomson, Ph.D.
ABE, was the keynote speaker for a
session of the First Asian Conference
on Precision Agriculture, held in
Toyohashi, Japan. He is a research
agricultural engineer with the USDA-
ARS Application and Production
Technology Unit in Stoneville, Miss.
He studies crop irrigation techniques.
Glenn A. Shiller, B.S. CE, is now
a project engineer at the Lakeland
office of Nodarse & Associates Inc.
1995
Andrew T.Schmid, PE., B.S.
ABE, is now the branch manager of
the Ormond Beach office of Nodarse
& Associates Inc.
2005
Carolina Cubides DeGreiff,
B.S. CE, has joined Miller Legg's
land development sector of the civil
engineering department. She will be
developing site plans for pavement,
drainage and sewage.
Benjamin Ellis, B.S. CE, now
works at the Lake County, Fla., office
of MSCW Inc. as a staff engineer on
the planning and engineering team.
2006
Laure Fluriach, B.S. CE, has
joined the Lake County, Fla., office of
MSCW Inc. as a staff engineer on the
planning and engineering team.
Michelle Lightbourne, B.S.
CE, has joined Miller Legg's traffic
and transportation sector. She will
work on transportation-related
projects such as traffic analysis and
conceptual designs.
James C. Wright, B.S. CE,
has joined Miller Legg's land
development sector of the civil
engineering department. He will be
developing site plans for pavement,
drainage and sewage.
26 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
CM-ill
Benton Engineering Council
President Roberto Hernandez
speaks at the Grand Guard
luncheon. Engineering
Ambassadors President Danni
Hirsch and Associate Dean Cammy
Abernathy watch.
College of Engineering alumni
gathered with a couple of current
students for a luncheon at the
University of Florida Nov. 17.
The event was an opportunity for
members of the College's Grand
Guard those who graduated at least
50 years ago to reminisce about
UF.
Much of the talk focused on changes
in the curriculum, particularly the
notorious thermodynamics class,
and the impact of new technology
on students. Senior engineering
students Danni Hirsch and
Roberto Hernandez discussed their
experiences in the College. The crowd
asked questions and shared their own
stories, too.
"I just want to know, where's your
slide rule?" Ken Safko (B.S. ME '56)
asked while Hernandez spoke.
Hernandez, a 23-year-old mechanical
and aerospace major and president of
the Benton Engineering Council, had
an answer ready.
"What's a slide rule?" he joked.
Dick Vinchesi ('56) reached into his
pocket and pulled out a slide rule. He
held it up for Hernandez to see.
Vernon Shaffer (B.S. EE'44, M.S.
EE'60) talked about trying to
complete his degree as a member
of UF's then-mandatory ROTC
program during World War II.
"Infantry ROTC was like basic
training," he said. "They had you
crawling under barbed wire... [with]
simulated fire."
It was not uncommon to see engineers
wary of being drafted, Shaffer said.
Many increased their normal course
loads from 19 hours to 23 hours in
an attempt to graduate as quickly as
possible.
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 27
Dick Vinchesi, a College of
Engineering alumnus class
of 1956.
FRIENDS WE WILL MISS
'31 J. L. Sanders, BS EE, of Frankfort, Ky., died Dec. 25, 2005.
'32 Harold M. Gulick, BS CHE, of Hollywood, Fla., died Dec. 28, 2004.
'35 C. Addison Pound Jr., BS ME, of Gainesville, Fla., died March 24, 2006.
Leopold M. Toribio, BS EE, of Tampa, Fla., died Jan. 10, 2006.
'36 Max S. Cleland, BS CHE, of Ormond Beach, Fla., died Nov. 15, 2005.
'37 William A. Glass Jr., BS EE, of Palestine, Texas, died Feb. 1, 1990.
Charles D. Mason, BS ME, of Clearwater, Fla., died Oct. 13, 2005.
'38 Sam P. Goethe, MSE ME, of Crystal River, Fla., died Oct. 1, 1986.
Harbert S. Gregory, BS EE, of Covington, La., died Feb. 13, 2006.
James E. Overall, BS CHE, died April 7, 1997.
George H. Whiteside, BS CHE, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., died Sept. 21, 2006.
'39 Yoshikazu W. Yamauchi, BS ME, died June 1, 1984.
'40 Burney B. Cowden, BS CE, of Winter Haven, Fla., died Sept. 18, 2004.
John E. Graham, BS, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Nov. 1, 1985.
'41 Thomas F McGlynn, B IE, of Tulsa, Okla., died April 13, 2002.
Frank W. Zander Jr., BS EE, of Saint Petersburg, Fla., died May 22, 2006.
'42 Lynn E. Lightbown, B ME ME, of San Diego, Calif., died Dec. 13, 1996.
'43 Ely H. Grossman, B ME, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died June 1, 1974.
E. Stuart Lofberg, B CE, of Miami, Fla., died Oct. 14, 2005.
Hugh B. Summers Jr., BS CHE, of Lake City, Fla., died Oct. 20, 1998.
Harper E. Whitaker Jr., B IE ISE, died July 1, 1974.
'44 Richard D. Eastman, BS CHE, of Urbana, Ill., died Aug. 21, 2002.
'45 George F. Schrader, B EE, of Freiburg, Germany, died Jan. 1, 2003.
'47 Harold Cherner, B ME, of Newton, Mass., died Feb. 19, 2005.
Claude W. Coffee Jr., BS IE, of Newport News, Va., died Sept. 7, 2005.
George W. Hoover Sr., B CHE, of Morehead City, N.C., died Dec. 19, 1989.
Maurice P. Wexler, B EE, died March 1, 1986.
'48 Edward M. Edmonson, BS CE CE, of Gainesville, Fla., died Oct. 1, 2005.
Henry A. Pickle Jr., B EE, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., died April 15, 2004.
Robert G. Poage, B IE, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Aug. 26, 2006.
David E. Russell, B ME, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Jan. 17, 2006.
James A. Stinson, B EE, of Tampa, Fla., died Dec. 14, 2005.
'49 Maynard T. McGurn, B IE, of Port Orange, Fla., died Nov. 24, 2005.
Charles F. Philips, B CE, of Charleston, S.C., died Oct. 5, 2006.
James B. Sasser Jr., BS IE INE, of Jacksonville, Fla., died June 26, 2006.
'50 Ralph H. Carper, BS EE, of Johnson City, Tenn., died June 1, 2002.
John R. Feldman Jr., BS CE CE, of Pensacola, Fla., died Feb. 7, 2006.
Thomas A. Friday Jr., B CE, of Spartanburg, S.C., died April 11, 2006.
Charles J. McCarthy, BS EE, of Melbourne, Fla., died April 1, 2002.
John A. McKay Jr., BS CE, died July 9, 1994.
Clayton A. Morrison, MSE, of Gainesville, Fla., died Jan. 23, 2005.
Jack H. Smith, B ME, of Goldsboro, N.C., died Jan. 11, 2006.
Jerome T. Taylor, BS ME, died Oct. 1, 1977.
'51 Charles E. Bedford, BS ME, of Tampa, Fla., died Sept. 15, 2006.
Burton T. Datson, B IE, of Orlando, Fla., died June 13, 1988.
Cecil H. Rowland, BS CE CE, of Jacksonville, Fla., died May 1, 2006.
Gerald J. Spolter, B CE, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died July 7, 2006.
Eugene V. Whittle, B IE, of Jacksonville, Fla., died Feb. 15, 2006.
Nancy S. Whittle, BS IE, of Hilliard, Fla., died Oct. 24, 2005.
'53 Donald K. Curry Jr., BS CE CE, of Miami, Fla., died June 9, 2006.
Lawrence W. Porter, BS EE, of Algiers, Algeria, died June 11, 1992.
Thomas S. Walters, B EE, died June 1, 1975.
'54 Eugene F. Dearing Jr., BANE, of Port Saint Joe, Fla., died May 2, 2005.
Frank K. Durden, BS EE, of Willow Grove, Pa., died Aug. 12, 2005.
Eugene K. Dyson, BS ME, of Oceanside, Calif., died June 30, 2005.
Robert B. Fendick, BS, of Leesburg, Fla., died Aug. 25, 2005.
Arthur Fine, BS EE, of Atlanta, Ga., died April 1, 1995.
28 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
Harold G. Moore, B ME, of Bay Minette, Ala., died July 13, 2006.
Richard K. Snelling, B IE, of Alpharetta, Ga., died Nov. 14, 2001.
'56 Lloyd W. Cover Jr., B ME, of Wilmington, Del., died Oct. 1, 1985.
Celestino F. Fernandez, BS CE CE, of Tampa, Fla., died Dec. 7, 2005.
Wasfi A. Hijab, PHD CE, of Beirut, Lebanon, died Sept. 16, 2004.
Russelle R. Lacy, BS CE, of Mobile, Ala., died Sept. 17, 2004.
Charles H. Moore, BS EE, died May 1, 1971.
'57 Charles N. Campbell, MSE, of Friendswood, Texas, died Dec. 28, 1995.
Orelan R. Carden Jr., BS EE, of San Antonio, Texas, died Nov. 3, 2005.
Donald T. Hamilton, MSE, of Jacksonville, Fla., died May 29, 2006.
Leif Harris, B EE, of Live Oak, Fla., died Aug. 7, 2006.
William S. Hogan, BS CE, died Sept. 1, 1970.
Herbert S. Hovey Jr., B EE, of Jacksonville, Fla., died April 16, 2004.
George T. Lohmeyer, MSE, of Jacksonville, Fla., died June 1, 1986.
J. Norman Mitchell, MSE, of Potomac, Md., died May 20, 2006.
Claude S. Moses Jr., BS EE, of Edgewater, Fla., died Feb. 12, 2006.
'58 James R. Boyett, BS EE, of Annapolis, Md., died Aug. 2, 1993.
David L. Dean, B EE, of Indian Harbor Beach, Fla., died March 23, 1994.
Peter E. Hastings, B IE, of Gainesville, Fla., died Sept. 29, 2006.
Donald H. Hicks, B CE, of Houston, Texas, died May 2, 2006.
Jack E. Jones, B ME, of Casselberry, Fla., died Jan. 28, 1998.
William K. McManus, B EE, of Gainesville, Fla., died July 15, 1988.
Dermot M. Pogson, B CE, died July 15, 1992.
Donald E. Stanaland, B CE, of Lakeland, Fla., died May 14, 2005.
Thomas C. Ware, BANE, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died Oct. 29, 1999.
'59 Jack E. Bond, B EE, of Richland, Pa., died Nov. 18, 2005.
Carl R. Fears, BS EE, of Minneapolis, Minn., died May 26, 2005.
Earnest L. Patrick Jr., BS ME, of Perry, Fla., died Oct. 4, 2006.
Donald D. Schenk, MSE, of Arley, Ala., died Feb. 19, 2005.
David A. Twiddy Sr., B CE, of Oviedo, Fla., died March 15, 2006.
'60 John K. Crawford, B CE, of Boca Raton, Fla., died June 6, 2006.
John E. Ebelink, BS EE, of Annapolis, Md., died July 1, 1990.
William D. Huggins, B EE, died April 24, 2005.
Henry E. Kamman, BS IE, died July 1, 1983.
John R. Menear, BS AGE, of Lakeland, Fla., died March 8, 2006.
Donald A. B. Mills, MSE, of Montgomery, Ala., died Aug. 8, 2006.
Arthur L. Sawyer, B EE, of Merritt Island, Fla., died Dec. 22, 2005.
Thomas A. Segree, B EE, of Arnold, Md., died Sept. 29, 2006.
'61 John D. Charles, B EE, of Saint Petersburg, Fla., died July 16, 1999.
Ernest E. Erickson, PHD EE, of Longwood, Fla., died Jan. 21, 2006.
Ralph H. Keen, B EE, died Oct. 2, 1999.
Meng M. Li, MSE, of Silver Spring, Md., died Jan. 24, 2002.
Richard W. Lincoln, B ME, of Miami, Fla., died July 17, 1991.
James E. McKinnon, B EE, of Gadsden, Ala., died Jan. 7, 2006.
Rufus S. Tidwell, B ME, of Pensacola, Fla., died Jan. 9, 2006.
Vernon M. Vogt, BANE, died Aug. 21, 1997.
'62 Harry F Smith Jr., B CE, died July 15, 1989.
'63 Bernard B. Burklund, B EE, of North Palm Beach, Fla., died May 19, 2006.
Bob F Henderson, B ME, of Lancaster, Pa., died April 22, 2006.
'64 Richard B. Cox, B EE, of New Orleans, La., died April 19, 1993.
Bernard Deleman, B ME, of Panama City, Fla., died Feb. 5, 2005.
Myron M. Fiedler, MSE ME, died Feb. 6, 1999.
Robert H. Hartley, MSE, of Albemarle, N.C., died Jan. 9, 2006.
James C. Mailen, PHD CHE, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., died Jan. 28, 1994.
Frederick K. McCann, B EE, of Spring Hill, Fla., died Nov. 26, 2005.
William H. Naylor, BS EE, of Monticello, Fla., died Aug. 11, 2006.
'65 Harland H. Ehlers, BS CHE, of Athens, Ga., died Jan. 18, 2005.
Howard W. Jewett, ME, of Winter Springs, Fla., died Nov. 20, 2003.
Wayne B. Poutinen, B IE ISE, died Aug. 1, 1972.
'66 Renny H. Berson, BS EAE, of Marietta, Ga., died July 2, 2003.
Robert W. Bongers, ME, died Sept. 1, 1981.
William C. Choate, PHD, of Dallas, Texas, died Aug. 12, 2006.
James N. Crenshaw, BS CE, of Kenneth City, Fla., died May 15, 2006.
Richard M. Goss, BS IE, of Daytona Beach, Fla., died July 21, 2006.
James H. Nichols, BS CHE, of Knoxville, Tenn., died Aug. 19, 2000.
Abbas Zaman
Abbas Zaman, vice president of engineering at Nanotherapeutics Inc., died July
25, 2006, in Gainesville. He was 49.
Zaman received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering from the
University of Tehran in Iran. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from
the University of Florida in 1993. He served as a research associate in the
Department of Chemical Engineering until 1997, when he joined the Particle
Engineering Research Center. He was promoted to associate engineer in 2002.
He left PERC in 2005 to join Nanotherapeutics Inc.
His work resulted in a number of patents and publications in well-known peer-
reviewed journals. He had a very strong theoretical background in the areas of
fluid mechanics and rheology, numerical methods, thermodynamics and heat
transfer, and statistics.
Zaman is survived by his wife and his daughters.
Welch McNair Bostick III
Welch McNair Bostick III, a graduate student in the Department of Agricultural
& Biological Engineering, died Aug. 28, 2006, after being struck by a car while
cycling on Williston Road in Gainesville. He would have completed his PhD this
semester. He was 34.
Bostick was born in Charlotte, N.C., and earned his undergraduate and
master's degrees in agricultural engineering at Clemson University. At the
University of Florida, Bostick was known as a committed leader, talented
researcher and kind husband and father. He served as the mayor of his
graduate housing community, and he was an emerging star in the crop
modeling research area.
Bostick is survived by his wife, Carmen Valero Aracama, and their now 1-year-
old son, Luca Bostick-Valero.
The ABE department has established a fund to commemorate Bostick. Mail
contributions to the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
c/o The University of Florida Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 14425, Gainesville, FL
32604-2425. Mention the McNair Bostick Memorial on the check's memo line.
Also, there is an education fund for Luca. To contribute to it, send donations to
Bank of America, Private Bank, 101 North Main St., Greenville, SC 29601, FBO
Luca Bostick-Valero Education Fund.
George W. Olsen Jr., MSE, died Oct. 2, 1990.
Leroy N. Schafer, BS EE, died May 20, 2001.
Louis I. Wilson, BS IE, died March 1, 1973.
'67 Edward C. Poston Jr., ME ISE, died Oct. 26, 1994.
'68 John J. Dunn, BS IE ISE, of Day, Fla., died March 1, 1981.
Joseph H. Pearce Jr., BS EE, of Sarasota, Fla., died March 18, 2002.
Leon H. Toups, MS ASE, of Largo, Fla., died Sept. 5, 2006.
Ross H. Woods, MSE, died May 1, 1989.
'69 John K. Emond, BS EE ISE, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died Dec. 25, 2005.
Hans R. Fuehrer, PHD ENM, of Casselberry, Fla., died Feb. 18, 2006.
Robert H. McVay, BS EE, died Aug. 22, 1992.
'71 Charles J. DeBrosse, PHD CHE, of Strongsville, Ohio, died April 6, 2001.
Milan James, ME, of Orlando, Fla., died Dec. 5, 2005.
Reapard A. Justice Jr., BS EE, of Albuquerque, N.M., died March 8, 2006.
'72 John J. Farkas, BS EE, of Gainesville, Fla., died Jan. 15, 2001.
William R. Staples, BS ME, of Palatka, Fla., died March 14, 2005.
'74 John Snell, MS ISE, died Feb. 1, 1989.
James E. Swander, PHD NES, of Knoxville, Tenn., died June 1, 1974.
Giuseppe Basile
Giuseppe Basile, an emeritus professor in the Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering at UF, died Sunday, April 16, 2006, in an airplane
accident at Gainesville Regional Airport. He was 69.
Italian by birth, Basile loved to fly airplanes. He dedicated his entire adult life
to aviation research. He was a pioneer in the field of geometric approaches
to linear systems. Basile was a certified pilot for more than 38 years and
conducted flight control research for more than 34 years. He held at least
two patents. In 1975, Basile came to UF to work under the direction of Rudolf
Kalman. Basile retired from the University of Florida in 1999. He is remembered
as an inspiring teacher who loved his students.
He is survived by his wife, Yesha Brill, daughters Anna Basile and Margarita
Carrera, and son, Stefano Brill.
Stephen M. Varosi
Stephen M. Varosi died Sunday, April 16, 2006, in an airplane accident at
Gainesville Regional Airport. He was 40.
Varosi was born in Rockledge, Fla. He received his bachelor's degree in
1987 and his master's degree in 1991 from the UF Department of Electrical
& Computer Engineering. He collaborated in Basile's autopilot research. He
worked for several local engineering companies. Most recently, Varosi led a
research effort at Convergent Engineering in Gainesville. He collaborated with
Rizwan Bashirullah, an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical &
Computer Engineering.
Outside of the University, he was known for his love of percussion instruments.
As a talented drummer, he was a member of many local bands.
He is survived by his parents, Joseph and Katalin Varosi, brothers, Frank Varosi
and Otto Varosi, and sister, Linda Varosi.
'80 Louis F Blum III, BS ME ME, of Farmington, Mo., died Oct. 8, 2006.
'83 Mary J. Lewis, BS ENE NE, of Mahomet, Ill., died Nov. 23, 2005.
'86 Rafael F Diaz, BS EE, of West Palm Beach, Fla., died April 28, 2006.
'87 Nitin B. Joshi, MS EE, of Millbrae, Calif., died July 7, 2002.
'89 Dale A. Pope, BS CE CE, of Atlanta, Ga., died April 30, 2006.
'90 John H. McKinnerney, BS CHE, of Fernandina Beach, Fla., died
Jan. 7, 2003.
'91 Stephen M. Varosi, MS EE, of Gainesville, Fla., died April 16, 2006.
'93 Li-Hang Wang, PHD CE, of Sacramento, Calif., died April 14, 2004.
Abbas A. Zaman, PHD CHE, of Gainesville, Fla., died July 25, 2006.
'95 Brian A. Simpson, ME ASE, of Edwards, Calif., died Jan. 23, 2006.
'06 Jonathan A. Hack, PHD MTL, of Gainesville, Fla., died April 6, 2006.
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 29
An Alumni Profile
Finding Fate At Fourteen
The picture on the left
shows a bunch of tiny
holes, or tubules, on a tooth
surface. These tubules
become exposed due to the
breakdown of enamel and
then the nerve becomes
vulnerable.When a hot or
cold substancefinds its way
into the tubules, there is
tooth sensitivity. The photo
on the right is a tooth treated
with DenSheild. The tubules
are sealed ice cream is in
the very nearfuture.
Images courtesy of David
Greenspan.
Untreated Dentin Surtace
By Nicole Cisneros McKeen
ew people find fate when they're
teenagers David Greenspan
found it twice at Marine Park
Junior High, P.S. 278, in Brooklyn,
N.Y.
The first time he was blind sided by
fate he was in seventh grade. Fate sat
down next to him her name was
Alice. He and Alice dated through
school and eventually married.
The second time Greenspan was
whopped upside the head by the fist
of fate, he was 14. He and his family
were on vacation and made a stop
by the Corning Glass Museum in
Corning, N.Y.
"I found it fascinating," Greenspan
(Ph.D., MSE '77) said. "And when I
saw the glass blowers at the Steuben
Glass exhibit, I was totally hooked.
All I wanted to do from that moment
on was be a glass blower."
Luckily for Greenspan and for those
who would be helped by his work,
he chose a different career. It was
his fascination with glass that led
him straight to Alfred University, in
Alfred, N.Y., where he earned his B.S.
in glass science.
After graduation he and his wife,
Alice, moved to Gainesville. Alice
had just graduated from Pratt
Institute with a degree in interior and
environmental design and Greenspan
promised her they would only be in
Florida for a year and a half, maybe
two tops. Alice agreed and they
moved from the progressive north
to what seemed to be the very Deep
South.
Greenspan remembers going to
play basketball with a friend and
being dumbfounded by remnants of
segregation.
There were segregated water fountains,
probably holdovers from years before,
Greenspan said. They just hadn't been
removed yet. That was wild. He had
never seen or felt anything like that
before.
Gainesville may not have a whole
lot to offer in the early 70s by way of
cosmopolitan city-fare. It did however
have two things the University of
Florida and Larry Hench. Hench is
a ceramic engineer and he invented
Bioglass.
"I came here to study with Larry
because he was the best," said
Greenspan, who is vice president and
chief technology officer of NovaMin
Technology Inc.
Greenspan arrived at UF right when
Bioglass was taking off- a great
time for the Department of Materials
Science & Engineering.
Bioglass is a material that bonds to
human tissue and promotes healing
by releasing small amounts of soluble
silica and calcium.
And now, years after he first studied
with Hench, Greenspan has taken
some of the principles of Bioglass
and incorporated them into dental
products.
Using the technology developed at
UF, Greenspan found new uses that
changes the way the world brushes its
teeth. This became NovaMin.
30 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
DenShield Treated Dentin Surface
NovaMin is a compound made from
elements critical to bone and tooth
mineralization. Calcium, phosphorus,
silica and sodium delivered together in
their ionic forms make a dominating
force of dental protection.
The NovaMin particles are the
delivery system for the ions, and the
particles react with saliva or water.
This process rebuilds tooth enamel.
Four different product forms are
available. Soothe Rx is a product
prescribed by dentists for home use
to treat tooth sensitivity. DenSheild
is toothpaste available to patients
and sold in Europe and the Far
East. Oravive is for in-home use to
combat tooth sensitivity and available
online. NuCare is a form ofprophy
paste the gritty-paste dentists use
during teeth cleaning but it's not as
abrasive on teeth and gums.
Even though Greenspan was one
of the forces behind bringing the
technology of Bioglass to NovaMin,
he has another success that means a
lot more to him his family.
'Thirty-five years later he and Alice
have two children. Geri, 29, is
studying law at Yale University.
Before that, she was in West Africa
with the Peace Corps. Adam, 26, is
an aerospace engineer who attended
Embry-Riddle University.
"Without a doubt, I consider my
biggest success to be my family,"
Greenspan said. "I really owe
whatever success I have had to Alice,
and I definitely believe that our
partnership and our children are my
biggest success."
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 31
How We've Developed
The College of Engineering is fortunate to have the support of many generous benefactors. Their vision and
financial leadership help the College continue to be a world leader in engineering education, research and
service. Only 34 cents of every dollar needed for engineering programs comes from state funding. The rest
comes from gifts, donations and grants like those from the following supporters.
George and Rolande Willis gave $1.4
million in the form of an irrevocable
charitable remainder trust. 'Ihe
proceeds of the trust will be used to
support professorships in engineering
economics. The spendable income
from the endowment will provide
salary, research support and other
resources for faculty. The professorship
in engineering economics will
enhance our students' understanding
of engineering's contribution to the
economy and show them how to
use engineering to benefit economic
performance.
"Obviously the University of Florida
is one of the great universities in the
nation, so without question it was the
stature of this institution that led us
to approach the University of Florida,
with the result that you see," George
Willis said.
A charitable remainder trust allows
the donor to name beneficiaries
- including the donor and his/her
spouse to receive payments from
the trust for a lifetime or for a fixed
period of time up to 20 years. Upon
termination of the specified time, the
remainder of the trust is given to the
University to be used as specified by
the donor.
James and Cathy Spoto made a gift of
land valued at more than $900,000
to fund an irrevocable charitable
remainder trust. Using an appreciated
asset to fund a charitable remainder
trust provides many tax benefits to
the donor. The trustee will sell the
land, pay no capital gain tax on the
appreciation and in turn the proceeds
fund the trust. Upon termination
of the trust, the Spotos' gift will be
used to support the Department of
Electrical & Computer Engineering.
"It's my way of saying thanks and
contributing to the future success of
the College of Engineering," Spoto
said. "I'm proud to be a Gator and
proud of my education ... I want to be
part of the University forever."
Lenny Bernstein chose to support the
College through a gift to the chemical
engineering building campaign. A
teaching classroom will be named
in his honor. His gift will be eligible
for a 100 percent match through the
Courtelis Facilities Enhancement
Challenge Grant program, in which
private gifts are matched 1 to 1
by the state of Florida. Bernstein
graduated in 1962 from the chemical
engineering department.
"There is a saying, that chance favors
the prepared mind," Bernstein said.
"The chemical engineering education
I received at U of F was excellent
preparation. I was able to take
advantage of the chances that came
my way, and the result has been an
interesting and satisfying career."
If you have further questions about
gifts to the University of Florida College
of Engineering, the development office
is ready to assist you.
For more information please contact
Ann McElwain
352.392.6795
amcel@eng.ufl.edu
With the help of alumni and friends, the
College will continue to be ranked among
the best engineering colleges in the United
States.
The tradition of support from alumni, families and friends at UF
has always been a keystone. Your support bridges the future
of our students, faculty and research with recognition of our
accomplishments. Your investment enhances the value of your
degree and illustrates to potential students and donors that
you are proud of UF.
Make UF proud as you continue this tradition and show your
Gator Engineering pride.
You may make a gift by going to www.uff.ufl.edu and specifying
the College of Engineering.
32 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
Alice Holt She's Got It Covered ByNicoleCisnerosMcKeen
The University of Florida Department
of Materials Science & Engineering,
country music, church on Sundays and
the Florida Gators. They all have one
thing in common Alice Holt.
Holt, a program assistant in MSE, has
dedicated her life and fingers to the
Department.
She began her tenure with the
University of Florida and materials
science in 1968 as a 20-year-
old secretary. Led by Founding
Department Chair Frederick Rhines,
the Department was young, too -just
six years old. History unfolded around
Holt as she worked for now-legendary
faculty members like professors Rolf
Hummel and Larry Hench, former
Department Chair Reza Abbaschian,
and current Department Chair Kevin
Jones, just to name a few.
She's chronicled it all on her
typewriter, too. Decades ago, it was
part of her job to help professors and
graduate students by typing up all
of their technical articles, proposals
and books. In the 38 years she's been
with the Department, her fingers
have keyed every stroke of more than
300 research reports, more than 100
academic proposals and more than five
books.
Now nearing retirement, Holt said she
looks at her time at UF and recognizes
the tremendous changes that have
come in four decades.
"I remember when I used to have
to go to another building to use the
copy machine," Holt said. "And then
when we finally got a copy machine
[in MSE], they kept it under lock and
key. You had to go check the key out
to use the copier."
The people who know her best say that
through all of the change, Holt has
been the one constant.
Class of'82 Gator Engineering
alumnus John W. Sheets Jr. said he
remembers Holt as "the one who
really ran the show" for professor
Larry Hench, research principal
and inventor of Bioglass. Sheets,
now worldwide vice president and
advanced research and development
chief technology officer for
ETHICON, said Holt always had a
smile on her face and truly filled the
room with happiness.
Sheets said that during graduate
school, he and his friends goofed
around a lot by playing practical
jokes on each other. He said the joke
that sticks out the most is one that
involved Holt.
"I remember one time, as a practical
joke, I pulled the chair out from
behind her," Sheets said. "I thought
she saw me do it. She didn't and she
fell on the floor. She didn't get mad,
we just sat on the floor laughing and
laughing. Alice has a personal warmth
[about her]. It didn't matter who you
were student, professor or staff."
When Holt retires, there is no doubt
that a little bit of the Department's
history, warmth and laughter will
leave with her.
Holt, though, said she isn't sad about
moving on she has plans.
She'll travel to all parts of the country,
she said, especially the mountains
in North Carolina. And she'll take
a little bit of country singer Alan
Jackson and some Baptist hymns
along too. No matter where she
is, though, one thing is for sure
- she'll never be too far away to
see her Florida Gators win SEC
championships, and materials science
will always be as much a part of her as
she is of it.
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 33
A staff profile
Left: Alice Holt in her office in 2006. Right: Holt and Wayne Acree in 1982.
Cheng-Tsin Lee
Union City, Calif.
Walter J. McCracke
Advanced Biotics
Santa Clara, Calif.
Douglas Eric Pars
University of Mississippi
Oxford, Miss.
Douglas Eric Parsell earned his Ph.D. in
materials science and engineering from
UF in 1994. In 1995, he joined the faculty
at the University of Mississippi Medical Ronali
Center, where he is currently a professor Mississi
in the School of Dentistry and adjunct Starkvil
appointed to the Department of
Orthopedic Surgery. Parsell's research is
focused on developing novel ionomeric
cements and bulk amorphous materials
for dentistry and orthopedic use.
Gary Messing
Penn State University
State College, Pa.
Gary Messing was Hench's student in
the late 70s. He is now the department
head for materials science and
engineering at Penn State. His research
focuses on powder synthesis by spray
pyrolysis and spray drying, among
other topics. This affects industries that
require phase pure, submicron
powders or particles of specific
morphology.
"He took time to know the people
around him at a personal level,"
Messing said in an e-mail.
7
d Pair
ppi Sta
ner
ite rversity
le, Miss /
Burtrand Lee
Clemson University
Clemson, S.C.
Burtrand Lee received his Ph.D. in
materials science and engineering from
UF in 1986, joining the faculty of
Clemson University soon afterwards. He
also spent time as a Fulbright Professor
at the Norwegian Institute of
Technology in 1989. Lee is researching
the synthesis and processing of ceramic
materials to obtain superior
performance and properties in the final
product.
"As a research adviser, professor Hench
gave me all the freedom I needed to be
creative" Lee said in an e-mail."l learned
and matured much more that way."
34 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
C
n.j
"'41
N4
Akio Fuwa
Waseda University
Tokyo, Japan
Akio Fuwa received his master's
from UF in 1970. He is now a
professor at the Waseda University
Graduate School of Science and
Engineering in Tokyo, Japan. His
degree field is extractive
metallurgy, and he is researching
transport phenomena and
quantum chemistry analysis in
materials processing.
t
Besim Ben-Nissan
University of Technology
Sydney, Australia
By Andrew Stanfill
Diagramming a legacy
Larry Hench is a man who stands out
in the history of UF Engineering. He
joined the faulty in 1964 and is now a
professor emeritus. His many projects
created new arenas of research and
processes of design.
In 1967, Hench took a career-
changing bus ride. An Army colonel
who was a passenger on the bus
challenged Hench to create a better
prosthesis material to repair limbs
shattered by bullets in Vietnam.
This conversation led Hench to
research the use of glass as a material
for repair. After several years, he came
up with Bioglass. It was a material
the human body didn't reject, and it
even broke down over time as healthy
bone grew in its place.
Hench's 1991 paper, Bioceramics
- from concept to clinic, is among
the 10-most-cited papers of the 90s,
according to Ihomson Scientific's
Essential Science Indicators. 'he
paper details the evolution of
bioceramics, simplifying research for
those in the field.
His work over the years has led to
numerous patents in the ceramics
field, many of which also bear the
names of his graduate students.
Hench's students have carved out
research and teaching careers all over
the world. A sampling of them at
least the ones we could find are
diagrammed above.
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 35
A letter from the Editor
From 349 Weil Hall
I never pictured myself as a science writer.
I figured I'd freelance for a parenting magazine, maybe
write a few short stories and stay home with my four
children. But I was kidding myself. I wanted no, I
i needed to work. I wanted to work at a place not at
home in my baby-slobber-stained pajamas. It was fate that
there was an opportunity to write and edit in the College of
Engineering. I would be able to use my journalism degree,
run a magazine and work with great people who respected
that I had almost birthed a basketball team. And the best
part was that I would get to learn learn about things I
never would have been exposed otherwise. My husband
gets a phone call at least once a day with an excitable and
somewhat superior inflection in my voice.
"Hey, guess what we're doing over here," I say.
And of course when I say we, I mean the engineers. It is
truly remarkable to be immersed in a place where ideas are
not just lofty daydreams, they're potential world-changers.
And as Gator Engineering alumni, I'm sure you see where
I am coming from. Engineers are inspiring, and contrary to
stereotypes, they aren't just for wearing pocket protectors.
I plan on using this magazine to shout it from the rooftop.
Some may say I am preaching to the choir, but that's OK
I think the choir likes it.
In this issue of The Florida Engineer, you'll notice some
changes. The goal is to get more information to you by
covering more of the College, more research and more
people the students, the faculty, the alumni and the
people who work in the background making sure the pulse
of the College keeps beating the support staff.
With the redesign in full swing, pictures of my kids
collecting their first layer of dust and my chair sufficiently
dented, there is one issue that I haven't been able to get a
handle on alumni interaction. Basically, we need more.
I challenge you to become a part of 7he Florida Engineer.
Write and tell us what you want to see in your alumni
magazine. Send us pictures. Keep us up to date with news
in your circle. Be a guest columnist. Adopt a decade and
help us stay informed about the Gator Engineers from that
time. Pitch story ideas. Tell us what you like, tell us what
you hate -just tell us.
The College of Engineering is an amazing place. I feel
very blessed to be a part of it. I hope you enjoy this issue
and start your countdown to the next issue of The Florida
Engineer, arriving in summer 2007.
Nicole Cisneros McKeen
-O Bo 115 0
I0*II' it5f'l o
Gainesville FLa 32611-6550I (
36 The FLORIDA ENGINEE
Time Warp
1981
Endless Love, by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross,
tops the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 list for nine
weeks, the longest of any song that year.
The average price of gas in the U.S. is $1.38
per gallon.
Chariots ofFire, starring Nicholas Farrell, Nigel
Havers, and lan Charleson, wins the Academy
Award for best picture.
IBM introduces the first personal computer
that uses what will become the standard disk
operating system, or DOS.
UF student enrollment is 33,772.
MTV debuts, offering music videos 24 hours a
day, starting with Video Killed the Radio Star by
The Buggies.
AIDS is identified by the Center for Disease
Control after five men in Los Angeles
are diagnosed with a very rare form of
pneumonia.
The 236-mph TGV, Europe's first high-speed
passenger train, is built.
Sandra Day O'Connor becomes the first
woman on the Supreme Court.
NASA's first shuttle, Columbia, carrying
astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen,
is launched.
Pramod P. Khargonekar finishes his Ph.D.
Only two members of the UF engineering
faculty are women, out of a total of 263.
The research budget is $11.1 million.
2006
SexyBack, by Justin Timberlake, is number
one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 list for
seven weeks, the longest of any song that
year.
The average price of gas in the U.S. is $2.20
per gallon.
Crash, starring Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle
and Sandra Bullock, takes best picture at
the Academy Awards.
Computers can now be found in nearly
every household, and there are more than
205 million Internet users in the U.S.
UF student enrollment is 50,785.
Videos of all sort are sold for download to
portable players, such as Apple's iPod -
common accessories for college students.
The average life expectancy of people with
HIV has increased dramatically to 24 years,
compared to just seven years in 1993.
Magnetic-levitation trains push the
boundaries of speed, such as Japan's JR-
Maglev, MLX01, which was clocked at 361
mph.
O'Connor retires, leaving Ruth Bader
Ginsburg as the sole woman on the court.
The Department of Agriculture & Biological
Engineering has experiments at the
International Space Station studying
interactions between light and gravity
influence on plant architecture.
Khargonekar now serves as the dean of the
College of Engineering.
Thirty-two women are members of UF
engineering's 402-member faculty.
The research budget is $107.8 million.
Khargonekar arrived in 1978 to study with Rudolph Kalman. After receiving
his Ph.D., he was hired as an assistant professor and is pictured here in 1981.
After teaching at the University of Minnesota and running the Department of
Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan,
Khargonekar returned home to Gainesville as Dean.
Chris Batich arrived at UF in 1981. He is a professor and co-graduate coordinator
of the Department of Materials Science & Engineering. Batich was also
instrumental in establishing the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of
Biomedical Engineering.
Jacob Jones, assistant professor in materials science and engineering, joined the
faculty in July. Jones, left, is pictured in 1981. He was 4. His research specialties
include ceramics, crystallographic texture, anisotrophy and electromechanical
behavior.
Thirty-two faculty members present in 1981 are still here in 2006
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 37
Worth A Thousand Words
When you think UF
national champions, you
think Gator basketball
and Florida football -
not so fast my friend. UF
has a new champion on
campus the Ultimate
Frisbee team.
Florida qualified for its first Ultimate
Frisbee college nationals since
1989. Florida's sole loss this season
came from Wisconsin in the finals
of Centex, an earlier tournament,
which they only lost by one point.
However, Florida would not be denied
a championship. They beat Wisconsin
15-12 and finished the season with a
49-1 record.
Kevin Jones, materials science and
engineering department chair and an
avid Ultimate Frisbee player himself,
is the team's faculty adviser. Tim
Gehret, an MSE Ph.D student, won
the 2006 Callahan Award, which is
the equivalent Hesiman Trophy for
Ultimate Frisbee.
For more information about the team visit
www.ufultimate.com
Left to right, top row:
Russell Hall, Matthew Deavenport, Cyle Van
Auken, Kurt Gibson, Brodie Smith, Jon Windham,
Gray Kirkmyer, Timothy Gehret
Left to right, bottom row:
Joseph Cutrono, Dustin Travaglini, Nate Stewart,
Tommy Rush, Zach Floyd.
38 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
The FLORIDA ENGINEER 39
In the Hopper
What to expect in the next issue
Are You A Good Gator Engineer?
All the snow will have long been
melted, the front-porch rockers will be
singing their squeaks, fresh
lemonade and perhaps a margarita
or two will be savored, and the
summer issue of The Florida Engineer
will arrive in your mailbox.
The Florida Engineer, summer 2007,
will delve into the very raw nature of
engineers their humanity.
At their core, engineers help people.
They make things work better and
more efficiently. They improve quality
of life. And while their work is purpose
driven, it is only a natural step for
their personal lives to reflect the
nature of their professional lives.
James Klausner, interim director of UF
EDGE, and his wife started a school
for children with cerebral palsy and
neuromuscular disabilities. Engineers
Without Borders is an undergraduate
group dedicated to helping with
sanitation issues all over the world.
And YOU, alumni we need your
stories. Because after all, this an
alumni magazine.
"My skill and knowledge shall be
given without reservation for the
public good."- an excerpt from the
Order of the Engineer oath.
This spring the College will be sending
a survey to the graduates of classes
'99, '02 and '04. Please take the
time to fill it out. We promise we won't
ask for a dime. We just ask for your
candor.
1. How many Gator Engineers have you hired?
a. My company bleeds orange and blue thanks
to me.
b. Those decisions aren't up to me, but if I
could, I'd make my coworkers eat Burrito
Brothers for lunch every day.
c. I give everyone a shot I've even hired some
FSU/FAMU grads.
d. I hide my Gator heritage at work.
2. Have you kept in contact with your favorite
professor?
a. When I call, all I have to say is "Hey, it's me
again."
b. My cell phone plays Mr. Roboto when he
calls.
c. I stop in and say hello every few years. I
think he remembers my name.
d. It's been so long that his junk filter would
probably mark my e-mails as spam.
3. Have you mentored a Gator Engineering
student this year?
a. Yes
b. No
4. Have you updated your contact information
with the College?
a. I update it so often that you guys ought to
have my address memorized by now.
b. Funny you should ask I'm back here doing
this quiz because it caught my eye as I filled
out the address update form in this magazine.
c. I've been meaning to do that. I'll get around
to it eventually.
d. Heck yes, I've "updated" it. But I gave
you fake information...hey, how did this
magazine find me?!
5. Have you written The Florida Engineerwith
updates about your career and family?
a. You look forward to my holiday card-
complete with pictures of my kids.
b. I try to keep up. Every few years or so, I
send in an update.
c. You want to know that kind of stuff? I didn't
realize that.
d. I go out of my way to hide my true identity
from you.
6. Have you done the Gator Chomp lately?
a. Yes
b. No
7. Who is the dean of the College of Engineering?
a. Win Phillips
b. Ringo Starr
c. Pramod Khargonekar
d. John Benton
8. How old is the College of Engineering?
Years
9. In the last five years, how many times have
you come back to campus for a Gator game
and the Homecoming alumni barbecue?
a. Six times! One year, I just couldn't wait
for Homecoming, so I came in mid-April.
They wouldn't give me any free barbecue,
though...
b. I wouldn't miss it for the world. There's a
seat in the stadium with my name on it.
c. I've come a couple of times whenever it's
convenient.
d. Barbecue? What barbecue?
10. Did you know that The Florida Engineer really
wants to hear from you?
40 The FLORIDA ENGINEER
Acknowledgements
The staff of The Florida Engineer would like to extend its very sincere thanks and appreciation to the following
people for all the support given to us during production of the winter 2006 issue of The Florida Engineer.
Cammy Abernathy, Connie Alford, Tim Anderson, Ines Aviles-Spadoni, Bob Bird, Anesia Burns, Charlie
Blankenship, Emma Blankenship, Mike Braddock and the machine shop guys, Sonya Brooks, Lance Cozart,
Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, Bill Ditto, the Dr Pepper Co., Jonathan Earle, Rachel Everett, Gary Fisher, M.F. Foley,
Tim Gehret, Diana Giese, David Greenspan, Crystal Henry, Alejandra Hernandez, Roberto Hernandez, Daniel
Herrera and the SAE team, Henry Hess, Diane Hickey, Melissa Hilleary, Danni Hirsch, Robert DeHoff, Alice
Holt, Karly Jacobsen, Sherrie Jenkins, Steve Jobs and the wonder that is Macintosh, Julie Johnson, Kevin Jones,
Jacob Jones, Pramod Khargonekar, Angel Kwolleck-Folland, Ronny Larsen, Mark Law, Martha McDonald,
Marianna McElroy, Ann McElwain, Charley McKeen, Jackson McKeen, Savannah McKeen, Travis McKeen,
William McKeen, Abigail McNair, Clarence McNair, Clarence McNair Jr., Janise McNair, Jack Mecholsky,
Michael Mokka, Jan Nuetzel, Anika Odukale, Steve Orlando, Kristan Pardue, Jim Perkins, Leisa Sargent,
John W. Sheets Jr., Pree Silva, Ted Spiker, Robin Snyder, Franky So, Toni Sotkiewicz, Suzana Vallejo, Eric
Wachsman, Diana Wade, Matthew Walters, Margie Williams and John Wright.
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