Gould and Nagurney at New England American Physical Society Meeting

Larry Gould, professor of physics, A&S, and Ladimer Nagurney, associate professor of electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering, CETA, recently participated in the 2011 Joint Fall Meeting of the American Physical Society New England Section, the New England Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers (NES/AAPT), and the New England Section of the Society of Physics Students held at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass.

Gould was one of two speakers in an invited session, "Anthropogenic Global Warming: Illuminating Some of
its Scientific and Methodological Flaws", a two-hour tutorial and debate. He also contributed a poster, "Global
Warming/Climate Change: A Critical Look," to the poster session.

Nagurney presented "A Network Model and Computational Approach for the Mo-99 Supply Chain for
Nuclear Medicine" in a session entitled, Energy, Climate, Nuclear Medicine.

Patent and Copyright Class Goes Online

A new course entitled “Patents and Copyright Protection” – ES 497ST (CRN 21283) has been approved and is being offered to all graduate students and undergraduate seniors and juniors in the spring 2012 semester.

The course will be a “hybrid” distance learning-based class that will be conducted primarily online via the Blackboard system. The class will meet one evening per month on a face-to-face basis.

The course is being taught by John Mutchler, a professional engineer and patent attorney who has previously taught classes at the University of Hartford. See Mutchler's bio.

Attorney Mutchler states that he “likes to introduce some humor into his class,” and for example refers to a patent granted in 1971 for a “Baby Patting Machine” (see the illustration above).

The course includes an overview of intellectual property, namely property developed from original creative thought. The course will illustrate examples of intellectual property in the form of patents, copyrights and trademarks related to many academic programs offered at the University of Hartford, including those of the College of Arts and Sciences; Barney School of Business; College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions; College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture; Hartford Art School; and The Hartt School.
The course will describe what is and is not protectable under applicable patent, copyright or trademark practice. Knowledge of the extent of such protection is essential to almost any business or profession. For example:

• Patentable subject matter not only includes machines and apparatuses but also covers compositions of matter, non-naturally occurring genetic materials, ornamental designs, business methods and some plants.

• Copyrightable material includes literary works, computer programs, photographs, drawings, sculptures, architectural works, musical work, audiovisual work, webcasting of sound recordings and integrated circuits.

• Trademarks, on the other hand, indicate the source and advertisement of a product or service and can include words, phrases, logos, colors, or combinations thereof.

Attorney Mutchler can be contacted at mutchler@mkgip.com or 860.632.7200 ext. 308.

Women’s Basketball Sweeps UCF Thanksgiving Classic

Doherty is a CETA junior in Biomedical Engineering

The University of Hartford women’s basketball team won the University of Central Florida (UCF) Thanksgiving Classic with a clean sweep, defeating Texas Christian University (TCU) on Nov. 25 and host Central Florida on Nov. 26.

In the first game of the tournament on Friday, Nov. 25, Hartford scored a 64-60 victory over TCU, with a career-high 21 points from junior Daphne Elliott and a double double from fellow junior Ruthanne Doherty (11 points, 11 rebounds).

On Saturday, Hartford enjoyed a 55-46 win over UCF, behind strong freshmen performances and down the stretch toughness.

Hartford was led by Doherty, who finished with 13 points, one of three players in double figures. Joining the junior post in leading the Hawks' scoring efforts were freshmen Cherelle Moore and Amber Bepko, who finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Each finished with their first career double digit performance as a Hawk.

The Hawks, who now have a 5-1 record, will play next on Thursday, Dec. 1, when they travel to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for an annual meeting with the Marist Red Foxes at 7 p.m.

Honors RLC Conducts Successful Food Drive

Ceta Freshmen Ethan Bourdeau featured in photo on UNOTES.

Emily Crompton and Ethan Bourdeau of the Honors RLC are pictured with some of the boxes of food that were collected.

The Honors Residential Learning Community (RLC) of Hawk Hall conducted a food drive in November.

The Honors RLC students, led by their RA, Maria Arroyo, collected eight large boxes of food items on campus. This donation was given to FoodShare, Inc. in Bloomfield, Conn., on Nov. 21.

After the power outage and before Thanksgiving, supplies at local food pantries were desperately low, so these foods helped brighten the season for area families.

Milanovic Publishes in the Journal of Visualization

Spiral-like structure of jet in a cross-flow

Ivana Milanovic, associate professor of mechanical engineering, CETA, published the research paper, "Unsteady wake vortices in jets in cross-flow," in the Journal of Visualization. The paper was co-authored with Khairul Zaman and Timothy Bencic of the NASA Glenn Research Center.

Unsteady wake vortices of jets in cross-flow were investigated in order to (1) advance the understanding of their origin and characteristics and (2) explore various excitation techniques for organizing and accentuating them. The key finding was that the wake vortices always originated from the lee-side of the jet where the jet efflux boundary layer and the wall boundary layer intersected.
Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=11763&Category=4

Fang Presents Research Paper and Hosts Education Workshop

GIS Spatial Analysis of Hydrogen Station Layout

Clara Fang, associate professor of civil, environmental, and biomedical engineering, CETA, recently presented a research paper titled "Analysis of Hydrogen Station Network Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)" at the 14th International IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems held in Washington, D.C.

The paper is co-authored with Fang's former undergraduate student, Neftali Torres, who currently works as an engineer in the Metropolitan District, Hartford.  The research developed a GIS-based model to relate the number of future hydrogen stations and their placement on a regional scale in Connecticut. The model takes into account a wide range of spatially-referenced factors, such as population distribution, existing infrastructure (e.g., road network, gasoline stations, and traffic flow), and driver refueling travel time, and considers different types of hydrogen stations and their capacities. The research work was sponsored by a NASA CT Space Grant.

Fang also organized and hosted a Transportation Engineering Education Workshop during the 11th International Conference of Chinese Transportation Professionals (ICCTP) held on August 14, 2011, in Nanjing, China. The workshop brought together five guest speakers and more than 50 attendees. The workshop shared best practices and innovations in transportation engineering curricula and student advising at both undergraduate and graduate levels in U.S. and China universities.  Ideas of bilateral collaboration on student competition and E-learning projects were well received.

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=11735&Category=4

Acoustics Students Present Posters at San Diego Conference

Cassey Stypowany’12 & Clint Fleming ‘11

Acoustical Engineering students participated in the first annual Undergraduate Research Exposition at the national Acoustical Society of America meeting in San Diego, CA, Oct. 31^st – Nov. 4^th, 2011. 

Chris Jasinski ‘12

Chris Jasinski ‘12, a double major in Acoustical Engineering & Music and Classical Percussion Performance in The Hartt School, presented a summary of three research projects carried out on the topic of the just noticeable difference (JND) or smallest difference detectable of a room acoustics parameter clarity index (C80). Chris worked on one of the projects and helped mentor the follow-up study. All six students who worked on one of the phases of the project were co-authors on the poster. 

Chris Jasinski, Meghan Ahearn ’09, Clowy Giacomoni ’10, Cailtin Ormsbee ’12, Matthew Scheaffler ’09 and Adam Wells ‘11. “Investigations of the just-noticeable-difference of clarity index (C80).” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130:2429

Cassey Stypowany ‘12, a double major in Acoustical Engineering & Music and Cello Performance in The Hartt School, and Clint Fleming ’11, Mechanical Engineering Acoustics Concentration, presented the results of their study on the effects of different endpin materials on the radiated sound from celli.

Cassey Stypowany, Clint Fleming, R. Celmer, and M.Vigeant. “Study of the effects of different endpin materials on cello sound characteristics.” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130:2429

The bi-annual Acoustical Society of America meetings provide an interdisciplinary forum for academics and practitioners alike, in 13 separate sub-disciplines of acoustics.\

Source: Michelle Vigeant

Manzione and Fang Visit China to Explore Collaborations with Chinese Universities

Fang (far right) and Manzione (second from right) are pictured at Shanghai Normal University with the vice president and the leadership team of the College of Information, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering.

Dean Lou Manzione and Associate Professor Clara Fang of the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) recently traveled to Shanghai, China, to explore international collaboration programs with Chinese universities.

Dean Manzione also visited Beijing to attend the Global Engineering Deans Conference (GEDC) that was hosted by the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and Peking University.

Manzione and Fang visited four universities in the greater area of Shanghai and Hangzhou, China, during their one-week stay there.  They met with deans, faculty, administration and students from various colleges and disciplines, including engineering (civil, electrical, computer, mechanical and transportation), music, fine arts, architecture, urban planning, and international education.

Several collaborative programs were well received and discussed in greater detail in China. They are Graduate Engineering 4+1 model, Capstone Project leading to graduate enrollment, and student summer programs. The agreements between CETA and two engineering/architecture schools of Shanghai Normal University on educational cooperation were developed, discussed and signed.

Manzione and Fang have also opened up a dialogue with Chinese universities in the areas of the visual arts and the performing arts to introduce them to The Hartt School and the Hartford Art School, and have relayed their interest in collaboration with the University of Hartford. Manzione and Fang were also able to make several important connections through the GEDC and the Global Symposium, and this provided good visibility for CETA among the 200+ engineering colleges from around the world that were represented in these meetings.

Manzione and Fang's visit was assisted by Sam Skinner, the University of Hartford's director of international admission. The trip was extremely productive, and provides considerable opportunities for CETA and other schools and colleges of the University of Hartford to grow interactions with universities in China.

Manzione (left) meets with Dr. Bai, director of the International Office at Shanghai Normal University.

Nagurney Co-authors Two Paper Presentations at North American Regional Science Conference

Ladimer S. Nagurney, associate professor of electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering, CETA, was the co-author of two papers presented at the 58th Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International in Miami, Fla., November 9-12, 2011.

The first paper presentation, Dynamics and Equilibria of Ecological Predator-Prey Networks as Nature's Supply Chains, was delivered at a Memorial Session for Professor Walter Isard, who passed away in his 90s earlier this year.

The second presentation was Medical Nuclear Supply Chains: A Tractable Model and Computational Approach.

The North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) promotes the scholarly exchange of ideas and knowledge that apply to urban and regional phenomena in North America and across the globe. The association fosters exchange across academic disciplines and builds on the understanding that urban and regional issues are best addressed by utilizing tools, methods, and theoretical frameworks specifically designed for regional analysis, as well as concepts, procedures, and analytical techniques of the various social and other sciences.

Professor Anna Nagurney of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst was his co-author of both paper presentations.

Take the Long View,’ Harrison Urges Graduates

Professors Nagurney and Moslehpour represented the CETA faculty at the Fall 2011 commencement.

Approximately 148 graduates celebrated the completion of their degrees with cheering family and friends Sunday at the annual Fall Commencement ceremony in Lincoln Theater. Despite the challenging times in which the students are graduating, University President Walter Harrison said he is optimistic about their future.

“Wherever you look, it seems, there are things to worry about – especially, for some of you, whether you will be able to find meaningful and rewarding work,” Harrison said.

“I am here to assure you that you will, and that things will most certainly get better – much better, if you take the long view,” Harrison said. “And today, my message is just that: Take the long view.

“This may not be the most encouraging time to be entering the job force, but you have really spent the past two, three, four, or five years here preparing yourselves not just for your first job, but for a lifetime of jobs,” Harrison said. Through their University of Hartford educations, “I sincerely believe that you have prepared yourself for a fulfilling career and a lifetime of service to humanity."

The Fall Commencement ceremony is for undergraduate and graduate students who complete their degree requirements in September or January but cannot attend the University's traditional Commencement ceremony in May. Fall Commencement was introduced in 1996 to provide these students with a formal ceremony that celebrates their academic accomplishments.

During Sunday’s ceremony, the University presented an honorary Doctor of Laws degree to Chase T. Rogers, chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Upon receiving her honorary degree, Chief Justice Rogers said she was “truly humbled” by the recognition, and congratulated all the graduates on their accomplishments. She also encouraged them to “seriously consider staying in the state of Connecticut with your newfound skills.”

Rogers is the second woman and the 35th person to hold the state’s highest judicial office, having been appointed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell in 2007. Rogers served as a Superior Court judge from 1998 to 2006. Her assignments included the Child Protection Session in Middletown and serving as the presiding judge for juvenile matters in Bridgeport. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Rogers to the board of directors of the State Justice Institute, which is charged with working to improve the quality of justice in America’s state courts.

Among the graduates at Sunday's Commencement ceremony was Elizabeth Horton Sheff, a well-known activist and former Hartford City Council member who filed the landmark Sheff vs. O’Neill school desegregation lawsuit to address educational inequities in Hartford and surrounding communities. Horton Sheff, who currently serves as director of community services for the Community Renewal Team, earned a Master of Education with a specialty in educational technology.

Also celebrating the completion of their degrees Sunday were at least four University staff members. Crystal Hall Cyr of Institutional Advancement earned a Master of Busines Administration; Dianne Silliman of the Payroll Department earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration; Jacqueline Fulk-Noyan of the Bursar's Office earned a Bachelor of Arts in University Studies; and Huong Nguyen of the Office of Residential Life earned a Bachelor of Science in University Studies.

In addition, Da’Rel Eastling ’99 attended Sunday’s Fall Commencement ceremony both as president of the Alumni Association and as a graduate, having earned a Master of Business Administration.

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=11804&Category=1

Four CETA faculty awarded sabbaticals for 2012-2013

President Walter Harrison and Provost Sharon L. Vasquez are pleased to announce that the following faculty members have been awarded sabbaticals for the 2012-13 academic year:

Associate Professor Akram Abu-aisheh (Full Academic Year)
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture
Professor Abu-aisheh will use his sabbatical to pursue research in solar energy focusing on the dc-dc converters required for solar panels when used with high power Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).

Associate Professor Thomas Eppes (Spring Semester, 2013)
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture
Professor Eppes will use his sabbatical to develop a multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of laser percussion drilling, the first reported three-phase CFD model of this process.

Associate Professor Ivana Milanovic (Spring Semester, 2013)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture
Professor Milanovic will use her sabbatical to study unsteady wake vortices of low speed jets in cross-flow, using a software engine.

Professor Hemchandra Shertukde (Fall Semester, 2012)
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture
Professor Shertukde will use his sabbatical to write a new book entitled Distributed Photovoltaic - Grid Transformers, intended for publication in the Summer of 2013.

Source: http://www.hartford.edu/daily/Articles.asp?MainID=11824&Category=1

Trio Tapped as Baseball Captains for 2012 Season

CETA Biomedical Engineering Student, Simon Kudernatsch, named as one of the University of Hartford Baseball captains.

West Hartford, Conn. – First year head coach Justin Blood has named Andy Drexel, Simon Kudernatsch and Ryan Lukach as captains for the 2012 season. The trio represents a pair of senior (Drexel and Kudernatsh), while Lukach is a sophomore on the 2012 squad.

“We feel it’s important that our student-athletes make the decisions when it comes to captains,” said Blood. “Simon, Andy and Ryan were chosen by their peers and are certainly deserving of their teammates respect.  We hope to have a roster full of leaders and these three understand that they play a big role in that growing process.”

Lukach, from Hillsborough, N.J., returns as the third leading hitter from last season’s squad. The pitcher/utility finished his rookie campaign with a .276 batting average with 35 hits in 127 at bats. He finished with 10 extra base hits, seven doubles, a pair of triples and one long ball. He also finished the season fourth with 16 RBI. On the mound, Lukach made 10 appearances, six of which were starts. In a total of 33.1 innings, he allowed 42 hits and 31 runs for a 7.02 era. He finished the season 0-4 on the hill.

Kudernatsch is the only player from 2011 who started every game, mostly as the second baseman or shortstop. The native of the Czech Republic finished his junior season leading the team with 42 hits, 11 of which went for extra bases, eight doubles, a pair of triples and one home run. Kudernatsch finished the season with a .223 batting average, while he was second with 21 RBI and led the Hawks with eight stolen bases.

Drexel saw time in 13 games before suffering a season ending injury. The catcher/outfielder from Pequea, Pa. finished with eight hits in 44 at bats last season. A year prior, Drexel smacked a dozen home runs, the first player to hit double digit home runs since the 2004 season. He also led the team in RBI’s (36), runs scored (37), doubles (15) and slugging percentage (.621).

The Hawks will play a 56-game schedule over 41 dates in 2012. The scheduled includes dates with three NCAA Regional participants from 2011. The first six games for Hartford will come on the road as they beat out the winter weather in the Northeast. Hartford will open 2012 with a three-game series at Oklahoma (February 24-26), who ended 2011 with a 40-19 overall record. The Hawks home opener is scheduled for Wednesday, March 7 against Nutmeg State rival Central Connecticut.

Blood takes over the Hawks baseball program after serving as the Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Connecticut the past six years. Blood helped lead the Huskies to an NCAA Super Regional appearance last season before falling to eventual National Champion South Carolina. Last season, Connecticut finished with a 45-20-1 overall record, including a 22-5 in BIG EAST play, en route to the BIG EAST regular season title.

Source: http://www.hartfordhawks.com/news/2011/11/30/BB_1130111140.aspx?path=baseball

Shertukde Presents Position Paper on Behalf of IEEE Task Force

Hemchandra Shertukde, professor of electrical and computer engineering, CETA, presented the last revised (8th revision) position paper on behalf of the Task Force on Distributed Photovoltaic-Grid Transformers for final consideration for publication by the IEEE-Transformer Committee (TC) on Nov. 1, 2011, in Boston, Mass.

The task force, which started in the fall of 2008 in Porto, Portugal, is now dissolved, having completed its assigned task. Members have been assigned a new charge to form a working group under Shertukde's chairmanship, under the Performance Characteristics Committee of IEEE-TC, to write a User's Guide for such DPV-Grid Transformers. This will be a useful document for all industry users in the electrical power field worldwide.