Engineering
Solutions
tion in the basic principles of SMART Design, which is a catalyst for entrepreneurial thinking. In the spring, students learn about new product development in the Data Acquisition
and Processing course. By the end of their first year, freshmen have identified a need for
and produced a fully functioning intelligent product. These projects range from an automatic pet feeder to a camera stabilization device.
Such innovative projects solve everyday problems, but others aim to have a greater impact
on improving people’s lives.
Lauryn and her team designed their project, “Foot-in-Mouse,” to help a friend, who is a
paraplegic. Their foot mouse allows those with low motor control to use their foot and the
rotation in their ankles to control
a computer mouse.
Hitting the Ground Running:
Freshman Engineers Turn SMART Designs
into Reality
Freshman engineering students at Western New England
University are immersed in innovation from day one. Introductory
courses not only teach students to approach problems through
the eyes of an engineer, but also encourage them to apply
what they’ve learned through hands-on projects and formal
presentations.
Mechanical Engineering major
Lauryn Winiarski was excited
to jump right into her studies.
“The first
“Your ankle is just as adaptable as your wrist,” Lauryn
explained. “This way you can
put the device on the floor,
brace yourself with one leg,
and use your ankle.”
Another team used its knowledge
of SMART Design to solve a road safety issue. The “Blind Spot” alert system sets off an
alarm if another vehicle is in your blind spot. For practicality’s sake, the alarm only sounds
when you use your turn signal to switch lanes.
Consistent with the College of Engineering’s focus on sustainability, the “Weather Fridge”
utilizes New England’s naturally cool air to power a
week you’re learning refrigerator and lower a home’s electric bill.
about programming, and the
second week you’re already
building your robot…”
“Here, you get started quickly,” she
explained. “The first week you’re learning
about programming, and the second week you’re
already building your robot for an end of the semester project. Your
professors keep you aware of what’s expected. Everyone will help you.”
Freshmen participate in a First Year Engineering program that includes faculty
mentoring and working in a studio-learning environment to acclimate them to the
College of Engineering. The Introduction to Engineering course provides a founda-
“It draws cold air from outside through a low power fan
and shoots it into the fridge,” explained Civil Engineering
major Brandon Mager. “Instead of having a pump to inject
cold air into your refrigerator, we are just taking that air
from outside.”
The First Year Engineering program culminates in the Emerging Engineers Exhibition, where
first year students showcase their work alongside seniors displaying their capstone design
projects. The Exhibition also gives freshmen the opportunity to gain a firsthand look at what
will be expected of them in the coming academic semesters.
“It was a great first year. I love engineering,” said Brandon. “I’m glad I came here.”
Senior Design Projects 2014
Alternative Ultrasound Gel for
Developing Countries
Prosthetic Arm Adapted for
Swimming
Senior Industrial Engineering majors Sara Martins and Aaron Parker got a crash course
in microbiology and the challenges of healthcare in developing countries to design their
project. Inspired by Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering Christian Salmon, who
works with a healthcare clinic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sara and Aaron
developed an alternative ultrasound gel made of cassava root and other common
materials found in Africa.
“Dr. Salmon was very helpful in all aspects, but most importantly it opened our eyes to
the issues we were unaware of in healthcare facilities similar to ones in the Congo,”
explained Sara.
Sara and Aaron were conscious of designing the project with the practitioner in mind,
which did not come without challenges. “The biggest challenge was understanding the
microbiology aspect of the project in terms of testing the gel for bacteria,” said Aaron.
They overcame that barrier by using resources at the University.
Sara has accepted a position with United Technologies Corporation (UTC). Aaron is
planning to pursue graduate school for his MBA.
For his Senior Design Project, Biomedical Engineering major Nick Schreiber combined his
resourcefulness with his desire to use technology to improve the quality of life for arm amputees. His goal was to design a new type of prosthesis that is adapted for swimming. To
create the prosthesis, Nick enlisted the help and equipment of Shriners Hospitals for Children.
“I had to be on-site at Shriners to evaluate the project and see what was possible,”
Nick explained. “I made some calls and got in. Shriners was on board with the project.
They were very supportive and gave me advice.”
The end result was a prosthesis that was flexible and adaptable to various swim
techniques. A flexion wrist unit enables the hand to turn, and the arm sits in the water
at an angle that allows it to work on its own, minimizing resistance.
www.wne.edu/engineering
Recycling Waste Energy into Electricity
Electrical Engineering majors Albert Cortina, Ruth Berben, Timothy Piehl, and Ryan Reed,
and Mechanical Engineering majors Tyler Graziano, and Erdinc Yenigul spent their senior year
working on a project that has global potential for developing sustainable power sources. The
group constructed a Thermal Engine with Metastable Power Extraction Step (TEMPES). The
objective of this project was to design a piston engine to capture waste heat energy and convert
it into usable electricity. The project required integrated teamwork through Mechanical and
Electrical Engineering disciplines.
The TEMPES engine is a revolutionary method of energy recovery through the use of nonequilibrium thermodynamics and a metastable power extraction step. This technology was
conceived at Firestar Technologies by Research Scientist Greg Mungas and Dr. Kourosh Rahnamai,
professor of Electrical Engineering. Dr. Rahnamai was able to include his students in the research,
allowing them a unique opportunity to work on a professional interdisciplinary project.
“The Senior Design Project is a very intense and powerful experience that makes you use all
your courses and education in one specific given problem,” Erdinc said. “It prepares you for
a real world working environment.”
Not only did the TEMPES project prepare students for the workforce, but it also gave them
a competitive edge.
“Assisting faculty with proprietary research is an ideal way to distinguish yourself in the job
market,” said Albert. “It teaches students to be independent, which is good preparation for
the workforce.”
Solar Decathlon 2015
Western New England University Among 20 Teams
to Compete in Prestigious Solar Decathlon 2015
A focus on SMART technology, sustainability, and innovative design helped Western New
England University to be selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon
2015 against teams of students from institutions such as Stanford, Yale, and Vanderbilt.
The cross-disciplinary project will involve 100 students from the University—from Civil
Engineering to Accounting majors—who will design, fund, and construct a net-zero solarpowered house over the next two years. Supporting the University’s focus on globalization,
the Western New England team will also collaborate with international students from the
Universidad Tecnólogica de Panamá and Universidad Tecnólogica Centroamericana in Honduras.
“We are very excited to be selected as one of 20 teams to compete in Solar Decathlon 2015,”
says Dr. Kenneth Lee, professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “This prestigious competition provides our students with a unique opportunity to
design, build, and operate a full-scale innovative solar-powered house and reinforces the fact
that our students are of the highest caliber competing at national and international levels.”
The Solar Decathlon challenges teams to blend affordability, consumer appeal, and design
excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. The teams will design,
construct, and test their houses over the next two years before reassembling them in fall 2015
at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, CA. Additional information is available at
http://www.solardecathlon.gov.
College Facts
Engineering Degrees
• Biomedical
• Civil
• Computer
• Electrical
• Industrial
• Mechanical
Combined Degree
Programs
• Five-year Bachelor/MSEM
• Five-year BSEE/MSEE
• Five-year BSME/MSME
• Six-year Engineering/Law
• Five-year Bachelor/MBA
Western New England
University
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business
• College of Engineering
• College of Pharmacy
• School of Law
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Engineering
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See the future through the eyes of an engineer