Engineer
U.Va.
The Alumni Magazine
FALL 2006
of the School of Engineering and Applied Science
Wilsdorf
Hall
Engineered for
Tomorrow’s Research
message from the dean
It’s clear to me that progress in the 21st century is going to be
defined by our ability to engineer material and structures at the
nanoscale level. That’s why I am very excited about Wilsdorf Hall,
which opened its doors November 10, 2006.
Faculty members across the Engineering School have been
involved for a number of years in efforts to manipulate the
fundamental building blocks of matter to develop new materials,
new structures and new devices. Research at the nanoscale has
greatly expanded our understanding of the properties of materials
and enabled us to create new materials with unique properties.
Advances in electronic devices are being made by “growing” structures at the molecular level
to form complicated and dense computing devices. In a related area, our work on catalyst
design is setting the stage for next-generation energy sources. We built Wilsdorf Hall to give
our faculty a facility that reflects the ambitious nature of their work.
Truly an amazing building, Wilsdorf Hall is the product of intense collaboration
between our faculty and the building’s architects and engineers. The result: a state-of-the-art
facility with advanced systems to suppress vibration, shield laboratories from electrical and
magnetic fields and manage airflow.
But Wilsdorf Hall is much more than just a building. It’s a fantastic opportunity — for
existing faculty to do the research they’ve long dreamed of doing, for the School to attract
the best new faculty and the most promising graduate students in the country and for the
University to make its mark as a world-class leader in science and engineering.
Ultimately, though, Wilsdorf Hall is a reflection of our success in building community.
In the past, buildings like this were funded by the state. Now they’re created only when
we enlist the support of people who feel passionate about the Engineering School and
about the potential of the work being done here. I can’t say enough about the foresight
and generosity of donors, such as Greg Olsen and the Matthews family, who honor the
past by funding a one-of-a-kind facility that will provide generations of faculty members
and students with the equipment and space they need to be successful in new and existing
engineering fields.
Seen in this light, the Capital Campaign, which we officially launched at the end
of September, is a challenge to go even further — to find new and innovative ways to
strengthen our faculty, students and academic programs; to fund exciting new facilities for
research and education such as Wilsdorf Hall; and, most of all, to enlarge and expand the
Engineering School community.
No matter where your career has led you, I know that your life has been touched by
your time at the University and by pioneering faculty members such as the Wilsdorfs. I invite
you to take a more active role in shaping our future. By working together, sharing ideas and
resources, we can achieve ever more ambitious aspirations for the School and for future
students who pass through its halls.
JAMES H. AYLOR
Louis T. Rader Professor
Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006 |Vol. 19, No. 1
Editor
Josie Loyd
Contributing Editors
Andrea Arco
Morgan Estabrook
Graphic Design
William J. Green & Associates
Writers
Andrea Arco
Rosalyn Berne
Charlotte Crystal
Morgan Estabrook
Charlie Feigenoff
Josie Loyd
David A. Maurer
Photography
Michael Bailey
Gordon Berne
Tom Cogill
Ian Czekala
Daily Progress Photo Collections
Morgan Estabrook
Dan Grogan
KBAS LLC
Bill Sublette
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006
Contents
2
Wilsdorf Hall
A Building Ahead
of Its Time
4
By Josie Loyd
The Capital
Campaign
for SEAS
Innovation,
Progress and
Promise
By Morgan Estabrook
Departments
6
14
Inside SEAS
Alumni
Connection
8
17
The SEAS Effect
Reflections &
SEAS Reads
U.Va. Engineer is published by the University of Virginia School of
Engineering and Applied Science using private funds. An online version
of the magazine is available at: www.seas.virginia.edu/uvef/publications/fall06.
Address corrections to:
University of Virginia Engineering Foundation
P.O. Box 400256
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4256
2
Feature
Wilsdorf
Hall
A Building Ahead of Its Time
By Josie Loyd
T
hree years after Gregory H. Olsen (MSE ’71) used a
backhoe to break ground and dig the first shovelful
of dirt in an undeveloped area near Engineer’s Way, the
99,000-square-foot, five-story Wilsdorf Hall stands ready
to welcome researchers who will help carry the University
of Virginia forward as a leader in research and discovery.
Wilsdorf Hall houses state-of-the-art laboratories, large
classrooms/laboratory areas for undergraduate and graduate
students, the latest computational facilities, conference
rooms and a community café. The building is physically
connected to the chemical engineering and materials science
and engineering buildings and the chemistry library.
“Wilsdorf Hall is a major step forward in Virginia’s
commitment to best-in-class science and engineering
education, built on the promise of collaborative research that
will yield breakthrough discoveries for the global marketplace,”
said Virginia Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra.
During its $3 billion Capital Campaign, which was
announced publicly in September and is slated to run
through 2011, U.Va. has set a goal of $268 million
for new laboratories and other research facilities.
“In the Capital Campaign now under way,
we intend to transform our capacities
for scientific research and to position
the University as an international
leader among research institutions,
with core strengths in science and
engineering,” University President
John T. Casteen III said.
“Wilsdorf Hall will be a
tremendous asset to us as
we work toward that goal.”
University Professor Emerita
Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf and
Gregory H. Olsen (MSE ’71)
share a moment together at the
dedication of Wilsdorf Hall.
The building was designed by Charlottesville architectural
firm VMDO Architects PC, in consultation with the
professors who will conduct research in the building.
Constructed by Barton Malow Company, it was designed with
special consideration for the research that will occur there.
The building is extraordinary in many ways, according to
architect Terry Forbes. Of the five floors in the building, two
are below ground; the lowest floor is designed to suppress
vibrations in order to allow sensitive equipment on that
floor to perform research functions at the nanoscale level.
Electric power comes into the building through an isolated
switching room before it is distributed in the building,
keeping laboratory equipment shielded from the electrical
and magnetic fields. There is an air-handling isolation system,
which traps and contains chemicals, and a delivery system
with multiple functions weaves overhead through the labs.
“Wilsdorf Hall is one of only a handful of buildings
that have ever been designed this way,” Forbes said.
“This building will allow research in characterization
and fabrication at the atomic level that hasn’t been
possible due to the need for mechanical and electrical
isolation and stabilization,” said James H. Aylor,
dean of the School of Engineering and Applied
Science. “This new environment and the research
it allows will foster both formal and informal
interdisciplinary collaborations
across the Engineering School and
throughout the entire University.”
Occupants of the building
include interdisciplinary faculty
within the Engineering School who
share a focus on nanotechnology
and on materials that enable new
technologies and solve a wide
range of societal problems. The
concept of grouping researchers
in adjacent laboratories with a
related research purpose stimulates
interaction among occupants
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006
of the building — researchers who tailor the behavior
of materials through developing a fundamental
understanding of the nature of materials from the
quantum and nanoscopic sizes through application scales.
Nanoscale characterization and computational modeling
are key elements of this next generation of science.
The construction of Wilsdorf Hall was funded with
a $15 million gift from Olsen in honor of two faculty
members: the late Professor Heinz G. F. Wilsdorf, who was
the first chair of the Department of Materials Science (now
the Department of Materials Science and Engineering), and
Doris Kuhlmann-Wilsdorf, University Professor of Applied
Science (Emerita). Olsen founded EPITAXX in 1984 and
Sensors Unlimited Inc. in 1991, and last year he was the third
private citizen to travel to the International Space Station.
“Greg Olsen’s gift is a wonderful tribute to the
Wilsdorfs and also a testament to the enduring impact
of teaching and mentoring,” President Casteen said.
The Research
Nanotechnology — or the ability to
engineer systems with components on
the scale of one to 100 nanometers —
enables researchers to examine how
properties react on this very small scale.
This work has implications for a variety
of fields, including nanomaterials by
design; nanoelectronics, -optics and
-magnetics; health care; the
environment; energy; microspacecraft;
bio-threat detection; transportation; and
national security. The U.Va. Institute for
Nanoscale and Quantum Engineering,
Science and Technology (NanoQuest)
is housed in Wilsdorf Hall, as are
laboratories designed to accommodate
the next several generations of
nanoscale materials characterization
and fabrication instrumentation
that will enable research far
beyond what has been possible.
“Our faculty members educate women and men who
go on to exceptional achievement in their professional
lives, and when those women and men give back to the
University, they create opportunities for new generations
of teachers and students to sustain excellence.”
A suite of laboratories and the connector between
Wilsdorf Hall and the chemistry library were made
possible by a generous gift from the Matthews family in
honor of the late John W. Matthews, a U.Va. physicist who
pioneered the understanding and application of epitaxy.
Additional funding for Wilsdorf Hall came from
University resources; private and corporate donors, including
the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation and Merck & Co. Inc.;
and a state bond issue.
Materials Science and Engineering — or
the development of new materials, new
manufacturing processes for materials
and new strategies for their use — is an
integrated discipline with far-reaching
impact. SEAS materials scientists
work in the areas of structural metals,
electrochemistry, electronic
materials, intelligent processing,
physics of solids, surface science
and nanotechnology. State-of-the-art
research space for the department
and its six interdisciplinary centers
for excellence — the Center for
Electrochemical Science and
Engineering, the Intelligent Processing
of Materials Laboratory, the Light
Metals Center, the National Science
Foundation’s Materials Research
Science and Engineering Centers (NSF
MRSEC) on Nanoscopic Materials
Design, the Nanoscale Materials
Characterization Facility and the Center
for Computational Materials — tripled
with the opening of Wilsdorf Hall.
Learn more at…
www.seas.virginia.edu/wilsdorf
Chemical Engineering involves the
application of mathematics, chemistry
and other natural sciences to find
economical ways of using energy
and materials — such as fuels,
pharmaceuticals, foods, plastics,
metals and basic chemicals — for
the betterment of humankind.
The department’s main research
thrusts include bioengineering and
biotechnology; complex biological
and chemical systems; computer and
molecular simulation; electrochemical
engineering, environmental engineering,
heterogeneous catalysis and reaction
engineering; and materials, materials
processing and interfacial phenomena.
Wilsdorf Hall provides demonstration
labs that greatly enhance the educational
experience of both graduate and
undergraduate students.
3
4
Feature
The Capital Campaign for SEAS
Innovation, Progress and Promise
By Morgan Estabrook
T
he stars were shining brightly over Charlottesville,
Va., on September 29, 2006. While celebrities such
as Katie Couric and Tiki and Ronde Barber turned out
to help the University kick off its $3 billion Capital
Campaign, the Engineering School’s own stars — our
students, alumni and friends — also gathered to celebrate
the public launch of the Capital Campaign for SEAS.
The celebratory weekend began Friday morning, when
the SEAS Trustees assembled for their quarterly
meeting and to commemorate the official launch
of the SEAS and University campaigns. That night,
however, the stars would truly align — as SEAS
students, alumni, Trustees, faculty, staff and friends
came together to celebrate in true SEAS style.
At a reception and dinner program that evening, SEAS
alumni, friends and administrators paid tribute to their School
in distinctly meaningful ways. As the “Voices of SEAS,” a
dozen students, alumni and faculty shared their vision for
U.Va. Engineering in our changing world. In a collaborative
venture, a handful of current students demonstrated
their creativity through a light show, which illuminated a
Thornton Hall replica they had constructed specifically for
the celebration. U.Va. President John T. Casteen III and
University Campaign Chair Gordon Rainey also took part
in the event, sharing their thoughts on how integral the
success of the Engineering School is to the entire University.
The Capital Campaign for SEAS is the Engineering
School’s answer to an important call — one issued by
University President Casteen and the Board of Visitors
when they named engineering and the sciences among the
University’s highest priorities. Through the Capital Campaign
for SEAS, the School seeks to raise $150 million by 2011
to support academic programs as well as capital projects.
“We at the Engineering School are ready,” says
Dean James H. Aylor. “We are ready to educate our
undergraduate and graduate students across the
breadth and depth of engineering through innovative
programming and solid academic opportunities, ready
to pave the way for new and exciting areas of research
and ready to become a top-20 engineering school.”
Dean Aylor has identified several priorities for the
Capital Campaign, among them departmental and
faculty endowments, graduate student fellowships,
new research equipment and support for the School’s
educational programs such as the Rodman Scholars and
the Science and Technology Policy Internship Program.
In addition, capital projects such as Wilsdorf Hall
and the School’s planned information technology and
engineering, bioengineering, and advanced research
and education buildings could help propel U.Va.
Engineering to a position of leadership in a myriad of
research areas, including nanotechnology, molecular
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006
SEAS Campaign Cabinet
Campaign Co-Chairs
Richard L. Ramsey (’76)
Robert M. Wadsworth (’82)
Honorary Campaign Co-Chairs
Ann Lee Saunders Brown
F. Hudnall Christopher Jr. (’55)
Campaign Cabinet Members
James T. Fang (’95)
Douglas P. Garland (’83, ’87)
Lois K. Garland (’83, ’87)
Alton G. Keel Jr. (’66, ’70)
Linwood A. Lacy Jr. (’67, ’69)
John L. Lewis IV (’86)
H. Eugene Lockhart (’72, ’74)
E. Morgan Massey (’49)
Peyton H. Owen Jr. (’79, ’84)
Paul G. Rice (’75)
E. Lee Showalter (’58)
A. Thomas Young (’61)
Ex-Officio Cabinet Members
James H. Aylor (’68, ’71, ’77)
Davies W. Bisset III
Nancy J. Cable (’84)
Andra P. DuPont (’75, ’76, ’77)
Douglas D. Garson (’78)
electronics, tissue engineering, medical imaging, computer
security, alternative energy sources and sustainability.
Through support for programs like these, Dean Aylor
says, the Engineering School will continue to educate
engineering leaders with the diverse and experiential
education needed to be successful in today’s world.
“We at the Engineering School are
ready. We are ready to educate our
undergraduate and graduate students
across the breadth and depth of
engineering through innovative
programming and solid academic
opportunities, ready to pave the
way for new and exciting areas
of research and ready to become
a top-20 engineering school.”
— James H. Aylor, Dean
Learn more at…
www.seas.virginia.edu/campaign/
5
6
I n s i d e SEAS
Professor Robert Kelly’s Rust Research
Proves Valuable to Pentagon 9/11 Memorial
By Charlotte Crystal
A
ground-breaking ceremony for
the memorial to commemorate
the people who died in the September
11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon took
place on June 15, 2006, in Arlington,
Va. Among the 150 family members
and other guests invited to attend the
event was Robert Kelly, professor
of materials science and engineering
at the University of Virginia, who
served as a consultant on the project.
Designed by two young architects
from New York (Julie Beckman
and Keith Kaseman, who won a
worldwide competition that attracted
1,126 entries), the memorial will
consist of 184 simple, streamlined
metal benches — one for each of
the people killed during the terrorist
attack — cantilevered over lighted
reflecting pools. The benches will
be oriented differently, depending
on whether the victim was in the
building or on the plane. Behind
the benches of those killed in the
building, visitors will see the Pentagon;
behind the benches of those killed in
the plane, visitors will see the sky.
Soon after winning the design
competition, the architects contacted
Kelly and Edgar A. Starke Jr.,
former dean of the Engineering
School, professor of materials
science and engineering and a wellknown authority on aluminum
alloys, seeking advice on the best
material to use for their benches.
“They wanted to use aluminum
for the memorial units for each
of the victims,” Kelly said. “But
aluminum alloys are not the best
materials to use because they’re not
particularly resistant to corrosion.”
The environment surrounding the
memorial has more than its share of
corrosive elements — deicing salts
from nearby highways, gases from
vehicle emissions and moisture from
a neighboring saltwater tidal basin.
Also, the memorial design calls for a
highly reflective surface on the metal
benches, which is difficult to achieve
and maintain with aluminum.
Kelly, whose expertise is in
corrosion, began to look for a stainless
steel alloy that would meet the needs of
the architects — corrosion resistance,
high reflectivity — while remaining
affordable and easy to work with.
Shown above: renderings of the Pentagon 9/11 memorial.
After reviewing five castings of
sample benches using different steel
alloys at a foundry in St. Louis, Mo.,
Kelly believes the project team is
closing in on a stainless steel alloy that
will work. The commercially available
SS 316LN, an austenitic stainless
steel, is a likely candidate. It is a
stainless steel that, along with iron, is
composed of chromium (18 percent),
nickel (12 percent), molybdenum (2.5
percent) and nitrogen (0.13 percent).
“The steel is about two and a
half times more expensive than
aluminum, but it will resist corrosion
much better and cost less to maintain,”
Kelly said. “The design goal for the
memorial is to last 100 years.”
About $10 million has been
raised for the memorial, which is
expected to cost about $22 million.
Organizers plan to raise an additional
$10 million to ensure the memorial’s
maintenance. The federal government
has contributed about $1 million to the
project, which is being funded primarily
by private donors. Kelly provided
his services on a pro-bono basis.
Finding Meaning in Moving Patterns
2006
U.Va.Engineer
Engineer || Fall
Fall 2006
U.Va.
By Charlie Feigenoff
T
ake the pattern in a Persian
carpet: it’s intricate, but totally
static. Because the threads in the
carpet remain relatively inert,
the carpet will never change, no
matter how long you stare at it.
In Ginger Davis’ world,
patterns evolve as their constituent
elements — some visible, some
hidden — change over time and
interact in a variety of ways. The
assistant professor of systems
engineering uses multivariate time
series analysis to track these changes
and understand their significance.
Davis, shown right, applies these
tools in a variety of contexts. One area
is computer security, where she analyzes
patterns in the flow of packet data.
She can look at the arrival times and
patterns of packet data for applications
that typically run on a particular server
and apply a hidden Markov model to
determine the intangible as well as the
observable parameters of the system.
She then uses this information to
identify the characteristic patterns of
data flow associated with permitted
applications, creating a basis for
screening out other activity. “This
system could be used by a company
trying to prevent employees from
using AOL Instant Messenger or
to prevent someone from hacking
into a backup server,” she says.
Her work is ideally suited
for environmental phenomena,
where there are many complex
variables that must be tracked and
correlated over time. For instance,
she is working with government
officials in Houston to make real-time
predictions of ozone events, evaluating
real-time data generated at 42 stations
located across the sprawling city.
Davis is also working with the
U.S. Geological Survey in Missouri
to track the spawning behavior of an
endangered species of sturgeon. In the
past, the only way to tell if these fish
were ready to spawn was to capture and
kill them. Davis has taken data from
fish that were equipped with sensors
recording water temperature, depth and
location. “We were able to determine
that there were characteristic differences
in the depth profiles of fish that spawn
and fish that don’t spawn,” Davis says.
Finally, she is exploring leading
and lagging relationships among stock
markets as the trading day moves
around the world. She has developed
a technique to look at the return on
an asset in the U.S. market and predict
the return on similar assets in overseas
markets. Based on the performance
of an exchange-traded fund such as
an S&P 500 Index fund at closing in
New York, an investor can buy or
short an exchange-traded fund on
another market. “You only trade when
the forecast of price and variability
are favorable,” she remarks. Davis has
found that an investment reflecting
this strategy would turn a profit over
the course of a year.
Corporate engagement
Whether through recurring internships, career fair job recruiting or support for a new or existing program,
SEAS partners with industry in a variety of innovative and mutually beneficial ways.
Capital One joined the newly
launched SEAS Industry Partners
Program in September 2006.
As a new partner, the Fortune
500 financial services provider
donated $5,000 in philanthropic
support of the School’s
academic programs. Capital
One also plays an active role
in diversity programming at SEAS through involvement
with many of the School’s student engineering groups.
Crutchfield Corporation is
teaming up with the U.Va.
Engineering School and the
College of Arts & Sciences
through the U.Va. Corporate
Partners Program. Through
this program, the consumer
electronics retailer has donated
$5,000 each to Arts & Sciences
and the Engineering School to help sponsor collaborative
efforts like the new Bachelor of Arts degree in computer
science and the engineering business minor.
Learn more at…
www.seas.virginia.edu/uvef/giving/corporate.php
7
8
THE SEAS EFFE C T
U.Va. Engineering Student
Emily Hesaltine’s Internship
Helps Make America ‘Really Ready’
By Morgan Estabrook
W
hat would
you do in
the event of an
emergency? If
faced with
a natural or
human-made
disaster, would
you be ready­ —
really ready?
ReallyReady.org, the Federation
of American Scientists’ (FAS) new
emergency preparedness Web site,
launched on August 1, 2006, with
a current SEAS student at its helm.
Modeled after the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security’s Ready.gov,
ReallyReady.org was created by
Emily Hesaltine, shown above,
a third-year systems engineering
and economics student at U.Va.
Serving as an Engineering
School Science and Technology
Policy intern to the FAS’ Michael
Stebbins, Hesaltine developed the
site, which addresses inaccurate and
incomplete information found on
the DHS portal, in just nine weeks.
ReallyReady.org includes an
evaluation of the government site,
which has been the subject of much
criticism since its 2003 launch and,
Hesaltine says, “offers clearer and
less confusing recommendations
for emergency preparedness and
response. … [ReallyReady.org] is
easier to use and understand.”
As a result of Hesaltine’s
work with the FAS site, she and
ReallyReady.org have been the subjects
of a great deal of media attention. In
the days immediately following the
launch, her story was told by ABC,
CNN, The Washington Post, several
radio stations and countless blogs
throughout the country and world.
With headlines like “Is DHS Site Really
Ready? Science Intern Thinks Not”
and “20-Year-Old Takes on Homeland
Security,” articles and broadcasts
described Hesaltine’s site as giving
the DHS “a run for its money.”
“The big problems that we
found [on Ready.gov] are inaccurate
information, generic advice, redundant
details and lengthy descriptions,”
Hesaltine told ABC News. For example,
the DHS site advises the public to
go around a corner in the event
of a nuclear explosion nearby.
Hesaltine explained, “A small
nuclear bomb like one a terrorist
would use would probably have
a radius of destruction greater
than a mile, so going around a corner
wouldn’t really help you that much.”
Hesaltine was one of 13 students to
participate in the 2006 SEAS Science
and Technology Policy Internship
Program this summer. Now in its sixth
year, the program gives students an
opportunity to explore the ways science
and technology influence — and are
influenced by — public policy in the
nation’s capital.
The Science and Technology
Policy Internship Program is
administered through the Engineering
School’s Department of Science,
Technology and Society and is
funded by donations from SEAS
alumni and friends. Next year, the
program will become international,
with a placement in Paris.
Learn more at…
www.sts.virginia.edu/wip
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006
2006 Science and Technology Policy
Interns, Placements and Projects
Margaret Bonner (Engr Sci ’08)
Virginia Secretary of Technology
Alternative Energy Research and
Development in Virginia
Jeff Rominger (CE ’07)
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Federal Role in Green Buildings
Jenny Saik (BME ’07)
National Institutes of Health
The Use of Lotteries as Recruitment Tools
in Human Subjects Research
Jon Carrier (SE ’08)
House Committee on Science,
Subcommittee on Research
Net Neutrality
Peter Sauerwein (CE ’07)
International Relief and Development
Coca and Poppy Eradication
Ben Cooper (Economics ’08)
Amazon Conservation Team
Compensation to Amazonian Indians
for Pharmaceuticals from Frogs
Valerie Skinner (SE ’08)
White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy
Energy Policy
Sarah Foster (SE ’07)
National Foreign Trade Council
Peruvian Trade Promotion Act
Jonathan Smith (Aero ’08)
Senate Committee on Commerce,
Subcommittee on Science and Technology
High Performance Computing
Emily Hesaltine (SE ’08)
Federation of American Scientists
Emergency Preparedness in the 21st Century:
Influencing Policy with Technology
Lee Watson (ChE ’07)
Federal Government
Alternative Sources of Energy:
Economics and Policy
Erin McElroy (SE ’08)
National Science Foundation
Science in UNESCO
Marin Odioso (SE ’08)
National Capital Planning Commission
Evaluation Criteria for the National Capital
Planning Commission’s Rail Relocation Initiative
The 2006 Science and Technology Policy Interns.
Top row (from left): Jonathan Smith, Jon Carrier,
Peter Sauerwein and Lee Watson; middle row: Sarah
Foster, Jeff Rominger, Jenny Saik, Erin McElroy
and Marin Odioso; bottom row: Valerie Skinner,
Margaret Bonner, Emily Hesaltine and Ben Cooper.
Spotlight on SEAS
There’s more to the story…
:
Read more about SEAS faculty and students at
www.seas.virginia.edu/spotlight
:
Check out the Engineering School’s research publication,
IMPACT, at www.seas.virginia.edu/impact
:
Others are taking notice! See how we’re
making news at www.seas.virginia.edu/news
:
Sign up for E-News and get monthly e-mails from
the dean at www.seas.virginia.edu/enews
9
10
THE SEAS EFFE C T
For U.Va. Engineers,
the Sky is Not the Limit
By Andrea Arco
U
.Va. engineers reach great
heights — literally. Take Ian
Czekala, a Rodman Scholar, Jefferson
Scholar and first-year Engineering
School student, for example. “I’ve
always been interested in aviation,” said
Czekala, who decided this year to make
it a family affair. During the Czekalas’
annual father–son trip, the duo decided
to visit Oshkosh, Wis., for AirVenture,
the week-long Experimental Aviation
Association’s (EAA) fly-in convention,
held in July.
Founded in 1953 by Steve Poberenzy,
this EAA event is the world’s largest
annual convention of any kind, with
more than 500 forums and seminars
hosted by NASA researchers, aircraft
designers and aviation enthusiasts.
“This trip confirmed my intent to
major in aerospace engineering,” said
Czekala. “During my four years here,
I would like to make it possible for all
first-year Engineering School students
considering an aerospace major to be
able to attend this convention. It is fun,
educational and inspirational — you
really get a feel for what is possible in
terms of aviation and space flight.”
Czekala
is not alone in
his interest in space travel.
Due perhaps to the innate curiosity
that first led them to engineering or the
analytical and technical training they
received here, many SEAS alumni (as
well as faculty and staff) are pushing the
atmospheric boundaries.
Take Kathryn Thornton (Physics
’79), associate dean for SEAS graduate
programs, for example. Thornton holds
a Ph.D. in physics from U.Va. and
traveled more than 16 million miles in
space during her 12 years as a NASA
astronaut. Thornton flew four space
missions — including the first Hubble
Space Telescope Service Mission — and
logged more than 975 hours in space
and over 21 hours of extravehicular
activity (space walking). She holds the
women’s record for both quantity and
duration of extravehicular activity.
Then there is Leland Melvin
(MSE ’91), shown right, who worked
for NASA Langley Research Center
before joining the Astronauts Corps
and serving at NASA Johnson Space
Center in the robotics branch, a section
intimately involved with return-to-flight
efforts. Melvin will be part of the crew
on a space shuttle mission slated for
September 2007.
Currently there are almost 200
SEAS alumni involved in space
exploration — and not all of them are
inside the shuttles. Eric Anderson
(Aero ’97) is the president and
CEO of Space Adventures Ltd., the
only company to have successfully
launched private explorers to space.
Headquartered in Arlington, Va., with
offices in Cape Canaveral, Fla., as
well as Moscow and Tokyo, Space
Adventures Ltd. offers a variety of
programs, such as Zero-Gravity and
MiG flights, cosmonaut training,
spaceflight qualification programs
and reservations on future suborbital
spacecraft. On October 1, 2005,
Anderson’s company made the dream
of one fellow SEAS alumnus a reality.
On that date, scientist and entrepreneur
Gregory H. Olsen (MSE ’71), became
the world’s third citizen space explorer.
With an ever-growing list of SEAS
alumni launching into the space
exploration industry, it seems natural
that Czekala’s summer trip would
confirm his academic concentration
choice: aerospace. Whether studying
aviation design or blasting off into
space, one thing is certain: U.Va.
engineers continue to demonstrate that
anything and everything is possible.
2006
U.Va.Engineer
Engineer || Fall
Fall 2006
U.Va.
11
Blazing New Trails
Students Willing to Put in Extra Legwork
on Summer Vacation
By David A. Maurer
A
s three University of Virginia
students followed Engineering
School Professor James F. Groves and
Albemarle County (Va.) worker Dan
Mahon through thickets and brush,
they were learning just how hard it
can be in the modern world to create
even something as basic as a trail.
When Samantha Rowell (CE ’08),
Patrick Neyland (SE ’08) and Dan
Restivo (CE ’08) re-emerged from
the tangles, they were dripping
sweat — and it wasn’t the first time.
The University students, together
with high school student Zach
Starsia, spent their summer vacation
working their muscles and their brains,
looking for a community trailhead
location for a proposed trail system.
The students, directed by Groves,
assistant dean for research and outreach
in U.Va.’s Engineering School, were
implementing a project that began in
an introduction to engineering course
that Groves taught to first-years
at U.Va. The course takes students
through the engineering design process
of how to identify a problem and
then innovate toward a solution.
Groves identified the
traffic congestion in the area
as the problem and asked his
students to select a project
involving transportation
alternatives in Charlottesville, Va. Their
selection was the development of a
final conceptual design for walking
and biking paths in the Biscuit Run
area south of Charlottesville.
The students discovered that in
addition to plans and drawings, an
engineering project often calls for
permits, public input, cutting through
red tape and a host of other hurdles,
both anticipated and unexpected.
Groves said giving future engineers
a good taste of these real-world
challenges is critical to their education.
“Here in the Engineering
School, we have something called
an Engineering in Context program
at the undergraduate level,” Groves
said. “The idea is that, yes, engineers
do lots of math, science and number
crunching. But ultimately to get projects
implemented in society, there’s a lot
more to do than just that. They have
to understand community response to
something that they might develop.”
The students identified the pieces
of property and were charged with
discovering who owned what. They
found that the 1,353 acres of land
known as Biscuit Run and Forest
Lodge were purchased by Forest Lodge
LLC and, because the land is in one
of the county’s
designated-growth
areas, it eventually could
contain as many as
4,970 residential units.
Suddenly, the initial
work became even more
important — and the deadlines more
immediate. Consequently, once the
school year ended, Groves decided to
move the Biscuit Run trail
system concept to the next level.
With $6,000 of his own money and
additional financial support from the
Engineering School, Groves hired the
four students to work on the project
this past summer. Mahon, greenways/
blueways supervisor for Albemarle
County, worked closely with the
students. Much of the summer work
the students did consisted of working
toward securing property access rights
from land owners. “I went to a lot of
existing trails in the area and to those
being proposed and mapped them
out with a GPS,” said Restivo, who is
looking at a career in environmental
engineering when he graduates. Mahon
said the information Restivo gathered
will go into the county’s geographic
information system. He is already using
data Neyland gathered this summer
concerning trails and crime in order to
show the positive effects trails can have.
Because of monetary considerations,
Groves was able to hire only four
students for the project on a firstcome-first-serve basis. He said there
were a host of reasons why he donated
$6,000 of his personal funds to the
project. “I suppose a little bit of it
has to do with putting your money
where your mouth is,” Groves said. “I
personally have a concern about the
environment and global warming. If
you create something like the Biscuit
Run trail system we are envisioning,
perhaps you can entice a few more
people into using alternative means of
transportation. And, in the process, we
have helped some engineering students
really see what it ultimately takes to get
projects implemented in our society.”
This is an abbreviated version of a story that appeared
in The Daily Progress on August 30, 2006.
12
THE SEAS EFFE C T
SEAS Voices
Welcome to a new column, SEAS Voices, in the U.Va. Engineer. In every issue, we will ask an alum, a
faculty member, an undergraduate and a graduate student the same question and print their responses.
Our hope is that you find these responses provocative, insightful and, perhaps, useful as catalysts for
further dialogue. Gain a glimpse into the perspectives of the people who make SEAS great.
How do you see engineering changing our
everyday lives over the next few years?
Emily Ewell (’07), fourth-year chemical
engineering undergraduate
Historically, engineering has been
a central driving force for change and
innovation — whether these
transformational engineering processes
apply to systems in agriculture,
manufacturing or government, or to
the design of a technical instrument
or “life-simplifying” device. I think in the next five years
there are going to be significant breakthroughs in biotech
research, alternative energy resources and energy utilization
and sustainability. Although it’s the small items like the iPod
and Blackberry that seem to make the greatest impact on
day-to-day life, it’s the social and cultural shifts stimulated
by technology that are, although perhaps less noticed,
more deeply ingrained and influential. I see a world facing
increasingly difficult transportation and medical challenges,
but I envision that in only a few years, we’ll have a world
with seamless communication systems, a research population
dedicated to optimizing our natural resources and improved
treatments for cancer and neuro-degenerative diseases.
Bill Walker, associate professor,
Department of Biomedical Engineering
I see two aspects to this question.
The first is the tangible, technological
contribution of engineering, and
the second is the more subtle, but
deep, transformation of our culture.
I expect to see computing and
communications become even more
ubiquitous than they are today. We
will soon be able to reliably use voice recognition and
computer reading to boost our productivity, especially
away from the office. At the same time, search engines will
be able to answer questions just the way a knowledgeable
person would. Of course all this information will force
us to become much more selective about what to believe.
Ronald Reagan’s famous statement that we should “trust
but verify” will take on a new, broad importance.
Karthik Narayanaswamy (’07), fourthyear Ph.D. student in civil engineering
We are experiencing and will continue
to experience a very exciting time for
engineering, during which the profession
will be driven by innovation on a global
scale. The emergence of new and
rapidly developing economies in Asia,
coupled with the sheer talent within
that population, offers enormous opportunities as well as
challenges. One important structural consequence of these
challenges and opportunities will be a narrowing of the
chasm between academia and industry. As a result, innovative
ideas will be more efficiently transferred to the marketplace,
and the historic perception of a “distinct engineered product”
will be nullified. Combined with the need for engineered
solutions worldwide, these facts will effect a new paradigm
of seamless technology — a model by which a variety of
engineering applications will be integrated into the relevant
cultural and economic systems quickly and effectively.
Rebecca L. Johnson Kirk (’80),
flight controller, Electrical Power System,
International Space Station,
NASA-Johnson Space Center
I see engineering providing solutions
that both improve and complicate our
everyday lives. Information exchange
will be faster and increasingly accessible.
This will add convenience to our lives
and be invaluable when the information
is personally significant. It will also blur the end of the
workday. The individual challenge will be to balance
work and personal life in this type of environment.
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006
My
Favorite
Professor
13
Engineering School professors make an impact on their students each and every day.
Often in E-News, alumni are invited to share thoughts with the dean about a variety of
topics, including their favorite SEAS professors, memories and experiences. Below are
two tributes to Professor Melvin W. Aylor, Dean James H. Aylor’s father.
Dear Dean Aylor,
Dear Dean Aylor,
While I look back on my time at U.Va.
I want to tell you that your father had
quite favorably, there was one teacher
the single greatest impact on me through
experience of which I was most fond. And
my many years of post-secondary study.
as your dad would say, “Well, let me draw a
I went into teaching after graduation and
little picture …” — that’s a phrase I still use
then administration — as a principal and
to this day. Yes, taking my first-year calculus
assistant superintendent. I retired in 2001
from your father was my favorite Engineering
and returned to the classroom to teach
School teacher experience. Always willing to
mathematics. Professor Aylor is still the one
stop and explain things. Always explaining
professor to whom I refer when speaking
Dean Aylor holds a framed version
clearly. He was kind, and I looked forward
to my students about “how to teach.” Your
of David L. Houseman’s tribute to his
to going to those classes. Dr. Aylor will
dad gave me the confidence that helped me
father, Melvin W. Aylor.
remain my favorite teacher at U.Va.
to succeed in math and has helped me help
David L. Houseman (EE ’71)
my students become success stories as well. He provided
me with the example of what a teacher should be. He was
truly unique in his care, patience and understanding — not
necessarily common characteristics. You are blessed, I am
sure, as I was, for you had him as your teacher for many years.
Who was your favorite professor? John W. Prohaska
Send comments to vef-info@virginia.edu.
(Engr Undeclared ’68, ’71)
We want to hear from you!
Got married?
Got a new job?
Scored a promotion?
Had a baby?
Let us know.
Submit your news items, personal milestones or an obituary of a
loved one to: The University of Virginia Engineering Foundation,
P.O. Box 400256, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
22904-4256, or submit it online at hoosonline.virginia.edu.
And/or send responses to articles you’ve
read in this magazine to vef-info@virginia.edu.
This photo mosaic was created by Gabriel Robins, professor
of computer science, using the AndreaMosaic program and
the U.Va. Computer Science photo collection.
14
ALUMN I C o NNE C T I ON
Thomas “Ned” Locke Jr. (Engr
Undeclared ’68) has been a member of
the Charlotte County (Va.) School Board
since 1985, serving as vice chair for the
past several years. He has spent 37 years
in the industrial engineering profession
and is currently employed as plant
industrial engineer for Dan River Inc.
1970s
1920s
Charles E. McMurdo (EE ’29), shown
above, was featured in a Richmond TimesDispatch article, “What It Takes to Live
Independent: How to Live Independently
as Long as Possible.” The interview was
given on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
1950s
Robert Rockwell (BME ’58) retired
from General Motors Corp. in 1999
after 36 years of service. He is enjoying
fine cars and boats in his retirement.
1960s
William K. Kincaid Jr. (Aero ’63, ’66)
was elected to the International Academy
of Astronautics, an organization that
exists to foster international cooperation
in the advancement of astronautics.
Kincaid’s career with Lockheed Martin
Corp. began in Sunnyvale, Calif., where he
worked on civilian and military aerospace
programs. He is currently vice president
of corporate development for Lockheed
Martin Orincon Corp. in La Jolla, Calif.
Roger L. Simpson (ME ’64) is serving
the American Institute of Aeronautics
and Astronautics as president from 2005
through 2007. He also currently holds the
Jack E. Cowling Professorship of Aerospace
and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech.
Just as one
drop of water
can impact
the ocean ...
G. Steve Gardner (CE ’72) was appointed
executive director for the Greater Orlando
Aviation Authority. He will be responsible
for both Orlando International Airport
and Orlando Executive Airport, and he will
oversee an annual budget of more than
$300 million and more than 700 employees.
Peter Couchman (MS ’72, ’76) was
appointed to the board of the Mental
Health Association of Morris County,
N.J., and serves as secretary/treasurer.
Russell D. Jamison (Engr Physics
’72) was named dean of the Virginia
Commonwealth University School of
Engineering in May 2006. Previously he
was a professor of bioengineering and
materials science and engineering at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
James J. Rooney (ChE ’75) is a senior
risk/reliability engineer at ABSG Consulting
Inc. and was part of a project team that
received the Joel Magnussen Innovation
Award from the U.S. Coast Guard for
the creation of the Maritime Security
Risk Analysis Model (MSRAM). The Joel
Magnussen award recognizes significant
contributions made in knowledge
management, information sharing, decision
making and measurement systems/tools
throughout the U.S. Coast Guard.
Thomas C. Schievelbein (Nuc Engr
’76) was elected to the New York Life
Insurance Company board of directors.
Jill Stein Tietjen (Applied Math ’76)
was re-elected to a three-year term
as outside director for the Georgia
Transmission Corporation Board of
Directors. She is president and CEO
of Technically Speaking Inc.
Kenneth R. Lutchen (Engr Sci ’77) was
named dean of Boston University’s College
of Engineering. “I am kind of a kid in a
candy store,” he said in a story covered in
Massachusetts High Tech Online magazine.
Frank C. Zirnkilton Jr. (Aero ’77)
was named chief administrative officer
for Metrologic Instruments Inc.
T. Patrick Kelly (CS ’79) joined
Vignette Corp., a leading provider of
enterprise content management (ECM)
solutions, as chief financial officer.
1980s
Allen Julian (ChE ’80) joined
Chemtura Corp. as general manager
for urethanes business.
Rebecca L. Johnson Kirk (ChE ’80)
is a flight controller for NASA.
Kathy Robertson Green (CS ’82) is a
professional consultant with Jefferson
Wells International Inc., a manpower
company in the technology risk
management group, where she performs
IT audit and IT management services.
Edward G. L. Henifin (CE ’82)
was named director of the Hampton
Roads, Va., sewage agency.
Gregory S. Merritt (SE ’82) was
appointed director of corporate
marking for Cree Inc., a developer
and supplier of LED semiconductors
and devices in Durham, N.C.
The Annual Fund for Engineering
Your contribution can have a positive impact on
an entire generation of U.Va. Engineering leaders.
Help us create a far-reaching ripple effect.
A single drop, a single contribution. A powerful impact, powerful possibilities.
Please use the enclosed envelope to make your gift to the 2006–2007 Annual Fund
for Engineering.
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006
Daniel M. Sorkowitz (CS ’83) is a field
engineer for Cupic Corp. in Taidong,
Taiwan, and recently married Jennifer
Chang, who is a dolphin trainer.
Eric Ullman (EE ’83) has joined
Alvarez and Marsal Business Consulting
LLC as director of IT solutions in
their Chicago practice. Previously, he
was a senior manager at Accenture.
Daniel T. Leary (SE ’90) joined
ConSentry Networks Corporation
as vice president of marketing.
Jeffery J. Shirer (Aero ’90) and
Katherine Hubbard (Col ’90) had a
daughter, Natasha Wright, on Jan. 12, 2006.
Natasha joins an older brother, Nathan,
age 4. The family lives in Vermont.
Paul B. Najarian (EE ’85) and
Philomena Burke (Law ’87) had their
first child, Emma, on April 24, 2006.
Patricia Tiernan Waugh (Aero ’90) and
her husband, Steven, had their second
child, Michael Paul, on Aug. 22, 2005.
He joins older brother Robert, age 2.
John B. Muleta (SE ’86), a former director
for the FCC and partner with Venable
LLP, has founded M2Z Networks Inc., a
telecommunications company striving to
develop and sell low-cost, secure broadband
services to families across the country.
Leland D. Melvin (MSE ’91), a member
of the Astronaut Corps, was recently
assigned to a mission that will deliver
the European Space Agency’s Columbus
Laboratory to the International Space
Station, possibly as early as September 2007.
John T. “Hap” Arnold (EE ’88), a
lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force,
assumed command of the 36th Electronic
Warfare Squadron on May 5, 2006. The
ceremony was held at the Air Armament
Museum in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
John D. Hamann (EE ’92) joined the
law firm of Fish & Richardson PC as an
associate focusing on patent litigation.
He works in the firm’s Atlanta office.
David J. Naffin (EE ’88) earned a Ph.D. in
computer science, specializing in robotics,
at the University of Southern California.
Bruce K. Sadler (ME ’88) is a partner
in Austin Brockenbrough & Associates
LLP. The company was featured
in a Richmond Times-Dispatch article,
“Building Relationships with Clients,
Community: Fifty-Year-Old Engineering
Firm, Austin Brockenbrough, Grows
to Work on Large-Scale Projects.”
Thomas K. Scott (SE ’89) and Katherine
Stallings Scott (CS ’90) had twin boys,
Carter Richard and Thomas Kennerly
III, on April 25, 2006. The boys join
older brother Christopher, age 3.
The children are grandsons of Thomas D.
Scott (Col ’57); nephews of James
F. H. Scott (Col ’91 L/M) and Kimberly
Stallings Suringa (Col ’92 L/M); and
cousins of Anna Deane Scott (Educ ’67).
1990s
Jennie Lintz Koss (Aero ’90) and Stephen
M. Koss (ME ’91) had a daughter,
Noelle Christine, on Feb. 23, 2005.
Noelle joins an older brother, Sean, age
4. The family resides in Springfield, Va.
Leland C. Keller (ME ’92) and his wife,
Darlene Rooney-Keller, had their first
child, Rowan Thomas Keller, on June
27, 2006. Keller is a senior associate at E
Source COS. LLC, a syndicated research
and publishing firm for the electric and
gas utility industry in Boulder, Colo. The
family resides in Longmont, Colo.
Scott M. Krushinski (CE ’92) is a
contract employee of the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Gulf Region Division/
Project and Contracting Office in the
Facilities and Transportation Sector. He
and his wife, Blanca, reside in Iraq.
Simone L. Pollard (ChE ’94) is associate
director of the University of Arizona’s
Eller College of Management.
Joseph E. Lenzi (ME ’95), an employee
of Chesterfield County, Va., arranged
for the county to donate a combustion
turbine to the Department of Mechanical
and Aerospace Engineering. In exchange,
over the next three years, up to 20
students from the county per year will be
invited to tour the department and listen
to a presentation on Professor Harsha
Chelliah’s research using the microturbine.
Eric C. Anderson (Aero ’96), president
and CEO of Space Adventures Ltd.,
has partnered with Anoushed Ansari’s
investment firm, Prodea Systems Inc., to
contract with the Russian Space Agency to
build a fleet of suborbital spacecraft. The
spacecraft would enable humans around
the world to fly more than 100 kilometers
into space as tourists beginning in late
2008 at a cost of less than $200,000.
Stephen Leroy Garrison (CS ’97, ChE ’99)
received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering
from the University of Delaware in 2005.
He is employed by NIST in Gaithersburg,
Md., and recently presented his paper, “The
Spin State of Linear Atomic Chains of
Gold,” at the 2006 International Conference
on Nanoscience (ICON) in Choroní,
Venezuela. He and his wife, Caroline, had
a son, Peter DuVal, in October 2005.
Eric Jason Cline (CS ’99) and Robert
D. Ericsson (Grad ’93, Com ’03) recently
published SQL Server 2005 for Developers.
SQL Server 2005, the latest version of
Microsoft’s enterprise database product,
has many enhanced tools involving data
management, developer tools and business
intelligence. SQL Server 2005 for Developers
teaches software developers how to
leverage these new tools and incorporate
SQL Server 2005 into their IT projects.
Charles River Media published the book.
Ritchie Eppink (CS ’99) graduated from
the University of Idaho College of Law
in May and received the Faculty Award
of Legal Achievement, presented to the
graduating law student with the highest
cumulative grade point average. He is
now researching public legal education
in Canada as a Fulbright scholar.
Benjamin Clark Gathright (CE
’93) is a principal at Daggett & Grigg
Architects PC in Charlottesville, Va.
He is a civil engineer, in charge of
engineering services at the firm.
Stephanie L. Moll Springate (SE ’93)
and her husband, Kevin, had their first
child, Dylan Matthew, on Feb. 5, 2006.
The family resides in Fayetteville, Ark.
Todd D. Wood (CE ’93) began working
as a land development manager for Pulte
Homes Inc./Del Webb in its Ocala,
Fla., division in October 2005. He and
his wife, Joan, reside in Ocala with their
two children, Rebecca and Kelley.
15
16
ALUMN I C o NNE C T I ON
Jonathon D. Frieden (SE, Philosophy ’94),
a partner in the Fairfax, Va., law firm of
Odin, Feldman & Pittleman PC, started a
public e-commerce law blog in April 2006
to discuss news, trends and legal issues
affecting businesses that sell, purchase
or transact business over the Internet.
Catherine Leigh Graham (BME ’94)
married Robyn Lee Martin on April
22, 2006. Graham is a rehabilitation
engineer with the University of
South Carolina’s School of Medicine.
Martin is a business analyst with
Palmetto Health hospital system. The
couple resides in Columbia, S.C.
Matthew Leonard (BME ’95) and his wife,
Siobhan, recently moved to Oslo, Norway,
where she serves the U.S. Embassy as
assistant regional security officer. Leonard is
a senior product manager with Savvis Inc.
Melissa Lisowski Hockstad (Engr Sci
’96) joined the Society of the Plastics
Industry Inc., the major trade association
of the plastics industry, as senior technical
director of new and existing technologies.
Tung Dao (SE, Economics ’97) was
promoted to assistant vice president
at BB&T. He is a business services
officer in BB&T’s commercial loans
department, based in Northern Virginia.
James S. Tybur (SE ’97) was promoted
to principal with Trinity Ventures,
a leading investor in early-stage
information technology companies.
His focus is on investments in Trinity’s
Internet and software sectors.
C. Mark Davis (ME ’99) and Sophie
Ostrovsky Davis (Col ’98) welcomed their
second child, Benjamin Evan, on Jan. 20,
2006. Ben joins older brother Tyler, age
2. The family resides in Yorktown, Va.
Jason N. Memering (Aero ’99) and
Christine Ingersoll Memering (Col ’98,
Nurs ’02) had their first child, Elizabeth
“Zabby” Nicole, on Oct. 31, 2005. The
couple was married in 2002. Jason is an
aerospace engineer working with the U.S.
Marine Corps on the V-22 Osprey aircraft.
Miguel A. Mora (CS ’99) and his
wife, Emily Newman Mora (Educ ’99),
recently moved back to Charlottesville,
Va. Mora telecommutes for Adaptive
Methods, located in Centreville, Va.
Brad C. Pantuck (ME ’99) married
Stacy Smith on May 27, 2006. The couple
resides in Alexandria, Va. Anthony Hoang
(SE ’98) and Taylor Rowlett (ChE ’99)
were members of the wedding party.
2000s
Sean M. Bias (EE ’01, SE ’05)
married Mary Lyman on May 6, 2006, in
Somerset, Va.
Jason S. Bias (EE ’02) recently served as
best man in the wedding of his brother,
Sean M. Bias (EE ’01, SE ’05). Jason
currently lives in Washington, D.C.
Adam J. Spanberger (CpE ’02) and Abigail
A. Davis (Col ’01) were married on April 1,
2006, at the U.Va. Chapel. Alumni sharing
in the celebration included Michael S.
Abernathy (EE ’96), Brian A. Dofflemyer
(CE ’02) and Allison Esclapez Stacy (CS
’02). The couple resides in Alexandria, Va.
Sarah J. Amelon (ME ’04), a mechanical
engineer with Hayes, Seay, Mattern
and Mattern Inc., earned Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design
accreditation through the U.S. Green
Building Council, a coalition of
building industry leaders promoting
environmentally responsible buildings.
Douglas S. Watson (BME ’04) and Misty
East (Col ’04) were married on March 26,
2006. The wedding party included Calvin
J. Chan (SE ’04). Douglas is pursuing a
Ph.D. in bioengineering at the University
of California, Berkeley. Misty is a personal
banker with Bank of America Corp. The
couple resides in San Francisco.
Jeremy P. Schubert (ChE ’05) received
his master’s degree in engineering
management from Duke University.
In Memoriam
The University of Virginia
Engineering School mourns the
passing of our alumni and friends.
T. Gibson Hobbs Jr. (ME ’40) of
Lynchburg, Va., died Oct. 26, 2005.
Nils David Kjellstrom (CE ’41) of
Richmond, Va., died August 26, 2005.
Edward H. Balentine (Engr
Undeclared ’45) of Greenwood,
S.C., died Nov. 24, 2005.
Richard B. Isenhour (Engr
Undeclared ’47) of Lexington,
Ky., died March 19, 2006.
Edmund F. Stark (ME ’49) of
Jacksonville, Fla., died April 6, 2006.
William L. Davis Jr. (ChE ’50) of
Midvale, Utah, died May 22, 2005.
Richard C. Mapp Jr. (ME ’50) of Kitty
Hawk, N.C., died Sept. 17, 2005.
John Thomas “Jack” Smith (CE ’52) of
Virginia Beach, Va., died Oct. 29, 2005.
John Bruce Fleming M.D. (ME ’55)
of California, died Dec. 30, 2005.
Donald G. Cuddihy (EE ’56) of Lake
Gaston, N.C., died Feb. 20, 2006.
Jacob H. Lichtenstein (Aero ’58) of
Newport News, Va., died Nov. 13, 2005.
Charles R. Huddle III (Engr Undeclared
’61) of Providence, R.I., died Feb. 18, 2005.
Herbert G. Tull III (ME ’67) of
Rustan, La., died June 8, 2006.
Robert Lockwood Graff (ChE ’81) of
Clarksville, Ohio, died Dec. 10, 2003.
John M. Vlissides (EE ’83) of Mahogan
Lake, N.Y., died Nov. 24, 2005.
Steve Pavlica (EE ’87) of Chantilly,
Va., died May 6, 2005.
Christopher Robin Dove (CE ’97) of
Warrenton, Va., died Sept. 16, 2005.
reflections
U.Va. Engineer | Fall 2006
Ethics, Research and Education
at the Nanoscale
By Rosalyn Berne, Associate Professor, Department of Science, Technology and Society
anotechnology has entered a new
N
stage. For years, scientists and
engineers predicted that the next
great leap in technology would occur
when we could observe and organize
matter at the atomic level. As long as
the promise of nanotechnology went
unrealized, however, the claims of its
proponents remained in the realm of
conjecture — and the ethical
implications of these claims
went unexamined.
The word these researchers
used most often to describe
nanotechnology was revolutionary,
and certainly the applications they
envisioned — fantastic new
materials, microscopic drug delivery
systems and elaborate surveillance
networks — supported this choice
of words. The report of the
National Nanotechnology Initiative
(NNI) asserted that nanoscale
science and technology had the
potential “to profoundly change our
economy, to improve our standard
of living and to bring about the
next industrial revolution.”
Now that the first fruits of
nanotechnology are finding their
way to the marketplace, we owe it
to ourselves to take these claims
seriously. If we are indeed gaining the
power to impose sweeping changes
on the human experience, then we
have a moral obligation to do so
in ways that reflect humanitarian
and earth-respecting values.
This is a discussion in which we all
can participate, but it is particularly
important that researchers who are
driving discovery in nanotechnology
play a leading role. As scientists
and engineers deeply immersed in
discovery, we are positioned to most
fully appreciate the potential of the
technology we create for good and for
ill. And as best we can, we have the
responsibility to be conscientious in
the processes of study and creation.
There are many forces that are
aligned against this sort of deliberate
ethical examination and that tempt
researchers to pursue their goals
regardless of potential consequences.
Nonetheless, as researchers, we can and
should make a choice to think about
the values that are important to us and
to deliberately and conscientiously
examine the technology we create in
light of them. And it is of paramount
importance that we, as educators,
convey the necessity of ethical selfexamination to our students. After
all, it will fall to their generation to
move beyond the steps that we have
taken to realize the full potential
of the nanoscale revolution.
It is, no doubt, naïve to think
that such a process of reflection
will absolutely guarantee that the
revolutionary changes wrought by
nanotechnology will better society.
On the other hand, the chances that we
will all benefit from nanotechnology
are much improved when researchers
consider their work in light of their
fondest hopes and dreams for society.
What do you think?
To respond to Reflections, send an
e-mail to vef-info@virginia.edu.
SEAS READS
Alumni often ask for reading recommendations from their favorite Engineering School professors. Some alums want to keep
abreast of the ever-evolving industry of engineering, some are curious and some just appreciate the suggestions for
a good read, knowing that they come from those whom they respect. In our SEAS Reads column,
we present you with the first of these SEAS Reads recommendations. Enjoy!
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Engineers
Can Do Anything and Everything!
Without engineers there would be no:
Bring someone you know
who may be interested
in engineering to the
SEAS Open House and
find out more.
• Computers • Mountain bikes • Pacemakers • Cars
• Cell phones
• Airplanes
… No world as we know it today!
When: February 24, 2007
Where: Thornton Hall,
University of Virginia
What:
• Displays
• Demonstrations
• Computer graphics
• Undergraduate admission information
• Tours
• Exhibits
Learn more at…
www.seas.virginia.edu/openhouse
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
Charlottesville, VA
Permit No. 37
University of Virginia Engineering Foundation
P.O. Box 400256
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4256
www.seas.virginia.edu