Eppes, Milanovic, and Thiruvengadam Present Paper at COMSOL Conference

Tom Eppes, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, CETA; Ivana Milanovic, associate professor of mechanical engineering, CETA; and Sriramprasad Thiruvengadam, electrical engineering graduate student, presented a paper at the COMSOL Users conference, which took place in Newton, Mass. in October. At the annual conference, researchers are invited to submit their latest results in multiphysics modeling.

The paper, "Patch Antenna Model for an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle," describes the findings of a project performed by Thiruvengadam as part of ES 591 – Multiphysics Modeling. The work focuses on the characteristics of a patch antenna for use in a 2.5 GHz band video downlink. Patch antennas are widely used with unmanned aerial vehicles since their send and receive patterns enable radio frequency contact over a wide range of vehicular attitudes. The physical geometry, bandwidth, return loss, and near field patterns are discussed.

Students Seek Donations to Build Electric Racing Vehicle

A student group known as the Green 707 Club is working to design and assemble an electric vehicle that will ultimately be used as a drag racer.

The Green 707 Club was formed in the fall of 2010 under the guidance of Hemchandra Shertukde, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA).

The club is currently seeking donations and sponsors for this project. The estimated initial cost of construction is approximately $15,000.

Initial funding has allowed the Green 707 Club to purchase a Chevy S-10 to use for the conversion. The students have removed and disposed of the gas parts and are ready to begin design and construction. The vehicle that they are constructing is required to be “street legal” in addition to its function as a racing vehicle.

A number of donors have provided initial funding for the project, including the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department in CETA, CETA Dean Lou Manzione, the Provost’s Office, and the Student Government Association.

But additional funds are needed, Professor Shertukde said.

“We have a lot of work and challenges ahead of us for this project. Funding is essential,” Shertukde said. “We would like to be on the track by next spring.”

The club is hoping to take part in its first race with the electric vehicle on May 18, 2012. You can read about the race at www.ecedra.com/2012evdragracingexpo.html.

The Green 707 Club will provide contributors with updates on the progress of the project as it materializes.
Link for forms: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=11489&Category=1

2012 Engaged Learning Fellowships Awarded

The Office of the Provost is pleased to announce the awarding of four Engaged Learning Fellowships for 2012. These faculty members have been given a course release during the spring 2012 semester or a summer stipend in order to prepare to implement an engaged-learning strategy in one or more classes.
Engaged learning refers to any instructional strategy that encourages students to seek and discover new knowledge by exploring authentic questions and problems. Engaged learning strategies include but are not limited to service learning, problem-based learning, and learning communities.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY, AND ARCHITECTURE
Brian Swartz (assistant professor of civil engineering). In this study a "classroom flip" strategy will be employed, where much of the traditional lecture content of the course is delivered outside of class hours to allow more in-class time for problem solving and other active-learning strategies.
Any questions about the fellowships can be directed to Fred Sweitzer, assistant provost and dean of faculty development, at sweitzer@hartford.edu or 860.768.4504.

Lecture TODAY on Istanbul Architecture

Dr. Harkan Arslan, a visiting professor of architecture from Duzce University in Turkey, will deliver a lecture, "Urban Transformation in the Historic Peninsula of Istanbul City: The Case of Sulukule," on Monday, Nov. 28, at 4 p.m. in Wilde Auditorium. 

The lecture is free and open to the public, and is supported through the JCJ Architecture Endowment of the University of Hartford Department of Architecture.

CETA student nammed to WNIT All-Tournament Team

 

West Hartford, Conn. – Junior forward Ruthanne Doherty was one of six players named to the WNIT All-Tournament team as announced following the title game on Sunday at Baylor. Doherty led the Hawks through the three games that made up the preseason tournament, averaging 15.5 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Doherty joins Baylor’s Brittney Griner and Odyssey Sims, Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins and Natalie Novosel as well as UCLA’s Rebekah Gardiner on the elite team. Griner and Sims led their Baylor Bears squad to the 2011 Preseason WNIT title with a 94-81 final over Notre Dame.

Doherty opened the 2011-12 season with a 19 point night against the Manhattan Jaspers in the first round of the invitational event. She opened that game hitting her first seven shots from the field, finishing 7-of-8 overall. She was also 5-of-7 from the free throw line while providing a pair of assists.

Against Long Island, Doherty finished with 18 points on 8-of-17 shooting, while also collecting 12 rebounds for the team’s first double double of the year. She would add three assists and four steals. In the semifinal loss at Notre Dame, Doherty finished with eight points and two rebounds while passing for three assists and compiling a career-high five steals.

Her WNIT All-Tournament honor comes in addition to Third Team All-Conference and All-Tournament honors following her sophomore year and an All-Rookie distinction following her freshman season in 2009-10.

Doherty and the Hawks return to action on Tuesday night when they welcome Central Connecticut to West Hartford for a Nutmeg State clash at 7:00 p.m. The Hawks and Blue Devils meet in a rematch of the 2010-11 season opener which resulted in a 46-41 victory for CCSU in New Britain. 

Source: http://www.hartfordhawks.com/news/2011/11/20/WBB_1120115827.aspx?path=wbball

Robinson in Travel Channel Documentary on Nov. 15, Women for Change in Simsbury News, Crosbie in Hartford Courant, and More

Michael Robinson, associate professor of history in Hillyer College, will be featured in a Travel Channel documentary show called “Mysteries at the Museum," that will premiere on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 9 p.m. Click here to get a sneak peek of the show.

The front page of the Simsbury News and Foothills Trader on Wednesday, Nov. 2, featured a large photograph and feature story about the upcoming unveiling of the 2012 calendar by the Women for Change group at the University of Hartford. The calendar celebrates the many sizes and shapes of real women through the pictures of the 29 University students, staff and faculty who posed for it, notes Mala Matacin, associate professor of psychology in the University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Matacin and several students were interviewed for the article. Click here to see the story.

Michael Crosbie, professor and chair of the department of architecture in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture, reviewed the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. from an architectural perspective His opinion article, which appeared in the Hartford Courant on Thursday, Nov. 10, can be read here.

The University’s Hartford Art School hosted the National Portfolio Day program on campus on Saturday, Oct. 29. The event was previewed in an Associated Press story that ran in a number of publications, including the Connecticut Post, the Hartford Courant, and Channel 8 WTNH.com.

Richard Provost, professor and chair of the guitar department at The Hartt School, was interviewed, as was one of his students, by Fox CT for a Thursday, Nov. 3, story about "what to do with your extra hour" as the clocks were set back one hour at the end of Daylight Savings Time on November 6. Click here to see the story, which featured a number of different ideas for using that time. The story was done by former University student and current Fox CT reporter Jeevan Vittal.

Loren Thomson, a first-year student at the University, was part of an episode of MTV’s “True Life” that looked at people who are addicted to texting. The episode, which includes scenes of Loren touring the campus and later hanging out in her residence hall, ends with her discovering that she is doing much less texting now that is in college because of the demands of her course work and her new social life. Click here to watch this episode.

Hartt School alum Javier Colon and a choral group of singers from The Hartt School helped open the “Ice Palace” display at Westfarms mall on Thursday, Nov. 10. A story and photos from the event to ring in the holidays was featured on West Hartford Patch.com and there was also a photo gallery in the Hartford Courant.

Rescheduled: FuelCell Engineer to Speak at IEEE Meeting on Tuesday

George Berntsen of FuelCell Energy will join Hartford IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) on Tuesday, Nov. 15, to discuss "Large Scale Fuel Cell Power Electronics and Control Systems."

Berntsen's overview of current technologies will be followed by a short Q&A session. Pizza will be served. 

The meeting will be held at 12:15 p.m. in UT 306. All are welcome!

FuelCell Energy is a Connecticut-based manufacturer that designs and builds environmentally friendly fuel cell power plants for clients around the world. Learn more at http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/.

Nagurney Presents at Frontiers in Education Conference

Ladimer Nagurney, associate professor of electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering, CETA, presented a paper, "Synergies and Opportunities Between Engineering and Law," in a session titled "Professional Skills Beyond Teamwork and Communication," at Frontiers in Education 2011, held from Oct. 13-15 in Rapid City, S.D.

Nagurney also chaired the session "Hands-on, Cooperative, and Remote Approaches for Engineering Laboratories" at the conference.

The 41st Annual Frontiers in Education (FIE) Conference is the major international conference about educational innovations and research in engineering and computing. FIE 2011 continues a long tradition of disseminating results in these areas. It is an ideal forum for sharing ideas; learning about developments in computer science, engineering, and technology education; and interacting with colleagues in these fields.

Architect Rafael Pelli to Give Lecture on Sustainable Design

Rafael Pelli, AIA, LEED AP, a partner in Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, will give a lecture at the University of Hartford on Monday, Nov. 14, at 4 p.m. in Wilde Auditorium. The topic will be sustainable design.

The lecture is free and open to the public. It is supported through the JCJ Architecture Endowment of the University of Hartford Department of Architecture.