Wednesday, February 23, 2011

ASME Student Paper Night

Hartford Section Annual Student Paper Night
Tuesday March 29th, 2011
University of Hartford
1877 Club
6pm –9:30pm
Reception and Technical Poster Competition
Made to Order Asian Stir Fry, Smoked Chicken Quesadilla ,
Feta & Sundried Tomato in Phyllo, Broiled Beef Filet on Crostiniwith Salsa Verde
Old Guard Oral Competition
Awards Presentation
Regular Admission:$25
Student Admission: $12
$5 Surcharge without Online Registration
http://sections.asme.org/hartford/

Event Schedule

Reception and Poster Competition 6pm –7pm
Cheese Board with Crackers, Crudite with Dip ,Tomato Bruschetta
Chicken Pinwheel with Spinach & Cheese , Smoked Chicken Quesadilla
Feta & Sundried Tomato in Phyllo,Broiled Beef Filet on Crostini with Salsa Verde
Beverages: Bowl of Lemonade with Lemons , Spring Waters , and Assorted Soda

Old Guard Oral Competition 7pm –8:50pm
University of Hartford and Central Connecticut Presenters in Rotunda Room7pm –7:45pm
University of Connecticut and Trinity College Presenters in D Room
Intercession, Attendees may Switch Rooms7:45pm –8pm
University of Connecticut and Trinity College Presenters in Rotunda Room 8pm –8:45pm
Central Connecticut and University of Hartford Presenters in D Room

Awards Presentation 9pm –9:15pm

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Deverell Smith '00 Featured in America East's Black History Month Celebration

In an effort to honor African American alumni from each of the nine schools affiliated with the America East, the conference has put together a nine-part video series featuring one prominent African American alumnus from each school. This video series, created in celebration of Black History Month, highlights the great history and success that African American graduates from America East schools have had and also displays the variety of different jobs and backgrounds in which these alumni have made an impact.

From the University of Hartford, the America East conference has chosen to honor alumnus Deverell Smith '00.  See the America East's profile and video of Deverell Smith.

Here is what the America East wrote about Smith on its website:

Since graduating from the University of Hartford in 2000 with a bachelor of science in architectural engineering technology, Deverell Smith has ascended to the role of project manager for the prestigious Tiffany & Co. In this role, Smith has designed stores for Tiffany & Co. across the world, including a location in the Las Vegas City Center that has won two international design awards. Prior to his work at Tiffany & Co., Smith designed retail environments for companies such as Coach, Calvin Klein and Lancome.

Due to his acclaimed work, Smith was honored by the University of Hartford with the prestigious Anchor Award in 2010. Smith also serves on the board of the University's College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture (CETA). When not designing, Smith is an avid bicyclist, as evidenced by his participation on NYC Cycling Team, Inc., which is a competitive bike racing team that he manages and races with.

With his tremendous success in such a unique line of work, Smith is proof that no matter what a person's passion might be, with hard work and a commitment to excellence, success in any field is possible. While the number of African Americans in design architecture is extremely low, seeing the work done by Smith on a national level should provide motivation to any person considering a potential career in architecture.

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=10062&Category=1

Monday, February 21, 2011

ARCHITECTURE FOR HUMANITY LECTURE


This week's lecture in the University of Hartford architecture lecture series will be a presentation by Patrick McKenna and Harding Dowell of the global organization, Architecture of Humanity, about the activities of AH and the work of the New Haven chapter of AH. Anyone who is interested in architecture's connection to social issues should attend! The lecture is free and open to the public, and will take place at 4:44 PM in Wilde Auditorium in the Harry Jack Gray Center on the University of Hartford campus. Visitors are encouraged to park in visitor lots D and K. The University of Hartford Architecture Lecture Series is made possible through the JCJ Architecture Endowment of the Department of Architecture.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Vampire Tutoring provides late-night help in math, science.

By Sarah Wilson in News,
With the success of last semester’s “Vampire” math tutoring, the program will again be implemented this semester, this time extending to chemistry and biology as well.
With the Vampire Tutoring program, students are offered a convenient way of getting help. It offers an opportunity for students to get work done at a time when they likely will not have any prior obligations, as many are busy during the day.
“Students can just walk in and do homework on their own, and have someone there to help them when they get stuck,” said Andrea Miller, Associate Director of the Student Success Center.
She explained that math and science during Vampire Tutoring are taught by two students majoring in education, with an emphasis in the math and science field.
The idea for the program came about after more and more students contacted the Student Success Center seeking help with work.
“The bulk of our tutoring requests are for math and science, and mostly the lower level courses,” said Miller. As a result, the Center created a constant resource for students seeking help in these areas.
Source: http://hartfordinformer.com/2011/02/news/vampire-tutoring-provides-late-night-help-in-math-science/

CETA student featured on University of Hartford Website

Engineering Aid

Alexander Schettino ’11

Mechanical Engineering Major
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Using engineering to help others, Designer
U OF H CONNECTION
  • Class of 2011
  • Mechanical Engineering Major
  • College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture
For my senior engineering project, I designed a piece of equipment that will enable farmers in Kenya to more efficiently cultivate their fields. It’s a thresher that separates seeds from stalks of amaranth grain. My project is the latest piece of the University’s participation in a project to help increase crop production in Kenya’s Lake Region. University students and faculty have made three trips to the country in two years and I plan to go there this summer.
I got the idea for the thresher from Professor Bernard denOuden, who teaches in philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences. He spoke to the University’s Engineers Without Borders chapter about his trip to Kenya and noted the need for a thresher to help farmers’ production. Even though the farmers have four or five acres of land they can only farm an acre-and-a-half or two because, without machines, the work is so time and labor intensive. The thresher will make it easier to harvest larger tracts of land therefore increasing the amount of amaranth they can grow and freeing up more time to do other things.
I started with a design and then developed a three-dimensional model. When I created the actual thresher the basics remained the same but I had to change the dimensions and many of the features. After I bring it to Kenya this summer and receive feedback from farmers, I will be able to make even more changes.
I designed the thresher to be inexpensive and relatively simple to build. I also wanted to make sure the farmers can easily adapt the design to fit the particular needs of their land.  I hope eventually the threshers will be built and owned by many farmers. Some might even sell them to make money. I’m pleased that this fits into the Kenya project’s goal of helping villagers create sustainable solutions to problems.
Source: www.hartford.edu

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Architecture Lecture This Wednesday!


Spring Architecture Lecture Series Starts Wednesday Architecture Professor Dariel Cobb will give a lecture on Modernism in South Africa, this Wednesday, February 16, at
4:44 PM in Wilde Auditorium across from the Architecture Department, kicking off the Spring Architecture Lecture Series. Join us for a lecture each Wednesday afternoon at
4:44 PM. A schedule will be posted on the Architecture Department website.

Summer Architecture Class in Italy – Info Session Feb. 15



Study the Architectural Monuments of Italy
May 23-June 5, 2011
Rome & Venice
AET 486/ ARC 586 Architectural Monuments (4 credits)

The course is open to undergraduate and graduate architecture students, as well as non-majors – only a desire to learn about Italian architecture is required!

Information Session:  Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Auerbach 420
Architecture Professor Dan Davis will be taking a group of students to Italy this summer, where the streets and squares of Rome and Venice will form the classrooms for students to study the history of the cities and learn the design principles of their architecture.

Start your journey in the eternal city of Rome and visit the Pantheon, Roman Forum and the Capitol. Travel by train to Venice, the city of bridges. Experience a city where cars are banned and people get around by boat! Visit the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San Marco.

10 students: undergraduate $3,360; graduate $4,110
12 students: undergraduate $3,155; graduate $3,900
$1,000 deposit due Feb. 15 to secure your spot!

Students will earn 4 UH credits. Tuition includes: housing in 3-star hotels, breakfasts, welcome dinner, train ticket from Rome to Venice, scheduled excursions, entrance fees, and public transportation pass for entire stay in Rome and Venice.

For application materials and scholarship information, visit the Study Abroad website.

Download a flyer about the Italy trip.

Contact:
Dan Davis
at 860-768-4094, ddavis@hartford.edu
Sarah Reuter at 860-768-5101, reuter@hartford.edu

Monday, February 14, 2011

Vigeant Co-Edits Book on Acoustical Design of Theatres



Michelle Vigeant, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, CETA, is one of three co-editors of the book Acoustical Design of Theatres for Drama Performance: 1985-2010.

The book was published through the Acoustical Society of America. The other co-editors are David Bradley, assistant professor in the physics and astronomy department at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; and Erica Ryherd, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga.

The book is a compilation of theatres from around the world designed between 1985 and 2010. Individual acoustical consulting firms contributed examples of their work, including drawings, pictures, and acoustical data. The book includes introductions from leading theatre consultants and a case study from an artistic director’s perspective. The contributed theatres have been subdivided into four categories: (1) Proscenium, (2) Thrust Theatres, (3) Black Box and Multi-Form Theatres, and (4) Alternative-Form Theatres. The book closes with an overview of acoustic design for drama theatres and a glossary of common room acoustics terminology.

The book is being distributed through the Acoustical Society of America.

New Edition of Shetty's Book, Mechatronics System Design


The new edition of the book Mechatronics System Design, authored by Devdas Shetty, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Dean of Research at the University of Hartford, and Richard Kolk, Senior Vice President of Technology, Pace Controls, was released at the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) annual conference in Louisville, Kentucky in summer 2010.

This book is used as a textbook in the area of mechatronics at the University of Hartford as well as several universities in the U.S. and abroad.

Competing in a global market requires the adaptation of modern technology to yield flexible, multifunctional products that are better, cheaper and intelligent. Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science, and information technology, which includes control systems as well as numerical methods used to design products with built-in intelligence. The importance of mechatronics is evidenced by the myriad of smart products that we take for granted in our daily lives, from the wall climbing robots to advanced flight control systems and multifunctional precision machines.

This book blends the pertinent aspects of mechatronics -- system modeling, simulation, sensors, actuation, real-time computer interfacing, and control -- into a single unified result suitable for use in the college-level mechatronics curriculum. The international edition of the book is expected in December 2010. The interdisciplinary approach taken in this book provides the technical background needed in the design of a mechatronic product.

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=9763&Category=4

Promotion and Tenure Granted

CETA is proud to announce the following professors have been granted promotion and tenure.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY, AND ARCHITECTURE
- Akram Abu-aisheh,
tenure and promotion to associate professor
- Thomas Filburn, promotion to professor
- Louis Manzione (dean), tenure (awarded in July 2010)
- Cenk Cy Yavuzturk, tenure and promotion to associate professor


David A. Dick Wins Newman Medal in Acoustics

The Robert Bradford Newman Student Medal for Merit in Architectural Acoustics.


There was a look of rare bewilderment on Dave Dick’s face when he arrived at the December 2010 student chapter meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. Besides the usual contingent of students and faculty, there in the room was CETA Dean Lou Manzione and . . . Dick's entire family! Everyone but Dick was in on the unexpected announcement that he had won the Robert Bradford Newman Student Medal for Merit in Architectural Acoustics.
This highly selective national award, administered by the Acoustical Society of America, is named for Robert B. Newman of BBN (Bolt, Beranek & Newman, one of the original acoustical consulting firms). Students selected for the Newman Medal must have demonstrated excellence in this discipline and in the application of acoustical design principles in the course of their studies.

Dick, who graduated in December, was honored for his work on an investigation of listener envelopment, or the sense of being immersed in the sound field. Dick’s major contribution to the project was creating a detailed room acoustics computer model of The Belding Theater concert hall in downtown Hartford. The results of this study are significant, since it is the first project to examine the relationship between listener envelopment and a room’s total acoustic absorption.

Dick hails from Norwalk, Conn., and recently accepted an acoustic engineering position with Bose Corporation in Framingham, Mass.
Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=9913&Category=1 
  
Assistant Professor Michelle Vigeant and Professor Bob Celmer '78 (right) celebrate with David A. Dick '10 (center), recipient of the Newman Medal in acoustics.       

ENHP, CETA to Engage in Translational Research with St. Francis Hospital

 Pictured at the signing of an affiliation agreement between the University and Saint Francis in June 2010 are (l-r): ENHP Dean Ralph O. Mueller; Christopher M. Dadlez, president and CEO of Saint Francis Hospital; University President Walter Harrison; and CETA Dean Lou Manzione

In response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) sent out to investigators at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and the University of Hartford last October, two projects have been selected for funding on a competitive basis. The RFP was funded through equal contributions of $25,000 from Saint Francis and the University of Hartford. Both proposals are exciting examples of how expertise from different fields can result in truly innovative and relevant projects that directly support the goals of the Institute for Translational Research in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions.

The following proposals were selected for funding:


SAFeR study: The Systematic Assessment of Fall Risk. Due to the high incidence of falls in hospitals, there is a need to develop better fall risk assessment tools. The Department of Physical Therapy in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions (ENHP) and Saint Francis Medical Center Surgery and Trauma have teamed up to develop a systematic assessment of fall risk for incoming patients. This project will identify professional clinician-identified and clinically relevant risk factors for in-hospital fall events. The possibility that the hospital room environment itself may be a contributor to falls will be included in the pilot study. Based on interviews and a comprehensive review of documented hospital falls, the project ultimately aims to create an evidence-based, clinically applicable, population-specific and modern hospital relevant fall risk assessment tool.

Team members: David S. Shapiro, MD, FACS (surgery, Saint Francis); Kevin Ball, PhD (physical therapy, ENHP); Colleen Desai, RN, MSN (trauma, Saint Francis); Adam Goodworth, PhD (physical therapy, ENHP)


Fall injury mitigation using floor pads. Some patients are at high risk for a fall; injury mitigation is an appropriate focus. To this end, the Department of Physical Therapy, ENHP; the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA); and Patient Care Services at Saint Francis Medical Center are working to find a floor covering surface that can mitigate injury when falls occur. The floor covering will be used around the beds of patients at high risk for falls. The project aims to first compare optimal and actual mechanical properties for floor pads and then to investigate the influence of pads on human balance control. Existing pads and a novel gel pad floor created by a local Connecticut company, Innovative Medical Products, will be tested in the lab and hospital as part of the pilot study.

Team members: Barbara Crane, PhD, PT (physical therapy, ENHP); Lorraine McCafferty, RN, MSN (Director, Critical Care/Telemetry, Patient Care Services, Saint Francis); Catherine Certo, PhD, PT (physical therapy, ENHP); Suhash Ghosh, PhD (mechanical engineering, CETA); Adam Goodworth, PhD (physical therapy, ENHP); James Bailey (President, Innovative Medical Products, Inc.)


This RFP was initiated as a direct result of the signing of a Partnership Agreement between Saint Francis and the University of Hartford in June 2010. Together, it is the partners’ intentions to fund these pilot projects in order to generate new focused research efforts that, within a year or so, will be suitable for the development of submissions to private, federal and state funding agencies through the Institute for Translational Research. The University-chartered institute serves as a college-wide umbrella for research activities by ENHP and other University faculty, students, and their community partners. The main rationale behind the creation of the institute in 2010 was the desire to integrate academic excellence and community engagement across all of ENHP's disciplines. Thus, the multi- and inter-disciplinary institute contributes to the University's stated desire to be a "private university with a public purpose," as well as an institution anchored in and focused on communities, be they local, regional, national, or international.

This research is conducted under the auspices of the Center for Health, Care, and Well-being and the Institute for Translational Research in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions.

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=9931&Category=1 

Construction, Engineering, Technology, and Architecture Job Fair on Feb. 15

The Office of Career Services will present a Construction, Engineering, Technology, and Architecture Job Fair on Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 4 to 7 p.m. in Konover Campus Center.

The fair is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni, who are interested in exploring career or internship opportunities within these fields. Please call 860.768.4168 with questions.

Architecture Competition Held

Architecture Competition Held

On Tuesday, November 16, 2010, the students in AET 355, Engineering Mechanics, presented their projects for the juried Sculpture in Tension (and Compression) competition. This event marks the third annual design competition in this class, which is taught by Dr. Christian Carloni. The students had to design and build an original sculpture in which each member is in tension or compression only. The jurors for this competition were Sharon L. Vasquez, provost of the University of Hartford; Louis Manzione, dean of CETA; Mike Crosbie, chair of the Department of Architecture in CETA; Edward Allen, architect and teacher; and Dr. Carloni.

The competition was won by Anthony Papa and Amberlynn Rodriguez, whose sculpture is shown below. They received a gift certificate to the University Book Store for their efforts. Runners up were Domenick Gagliardi and Jacob Hajjar; Maegan Hall and Shana Italiano; Benjamin Schuetz and Stephen Sorak; and Garret Lord and Martin Chase.

Following the presentations, Edward Allen presented a lecture called “Big Adventures with Small Structures,” in which he discussed various small-scale built projects in which he used vaults, trusses, and enhanced post-and-beam framing. His purpose, he said, “is to convince students that they can do interesting structures even on very small projects; they need not wait for a chance to do a major bridge or roof.”

Allen taught architectural design, building construction, and structural design full time at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for thirteen years before leaving to develop his architectural practice and write a series of textbooks. His titles include Stone Shelters; How Buildings Work; Fundamentals of Building Construction; The Architect’s Studio Companion; Shaping Structures: Statics; Fundamentals of Residential Construction;, Architectural Detailing; and Form and Forces: Designing Efficient, Expressive Structures. Nearly every school of architecture in North America and many in foreign countries use one or more of these titles as texts. Most of them have been published in at least one foreign language translation. Mr. Allen is the founder and for many years was the editor and publisher of Connector, a newsletter that has been influential in changing the way technical subjects are taught in schools of architecture. He has lectured and taught on four continents and has conducted architectural research on a fifth. Following an appointment as Pietro Belluschi Distinguished Professor of Architectural Design at the University of Oregon in 1997, he has retained a visiting appointment at that institution, where he was instrumental in founding the world’s only graduate program in technical teaching for teachers of architecture. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects. In 2005 he was awarded jointly by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Architects the Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education, the highest honor in this field.

CETA congratulates the winners of the Sculpture in Tension (and Compression) competition.


 the winning sculpture (top) and one of the studies done by the students in preparation for building the sculpture.

Below are various other entries in the competition.