experience-based A publication of Wichita State University s College of Engineering

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2 experience-based A publication of Wichita State University s College of Engineering

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6 Beets: Jump-starting the Success of Freshmen

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10 on the job

11 faculty research Vis Madhavan Wins CIEE Grant Money

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13 engineer of 2020 SPOTLIGHT

14 A successful biodegradable stent could possibly phase out other long-term clinical problems sometimes associated with traditional metallic implants, Mahapatro said. Contributing to society s well-being The research being done by Mahapatro, Asmatulu and Yao includes the testing of magnesium-based alloys as possible metallic biodegradable stent material. Typically, pure magnesium corrodes too quickly, losing its mechanical integrity before the tissue has had time to heal. WSU professors research could enhance quality of human life Coronary stents have saved a lot of lives over the years, but there is a growing interest in what happens when a stent stays inside the body for too long. With that in mind, Wichita State assistant industrial and manufacturing engineering professor Anil Mahapatro is focusing his research on the investigation of biodegradable metallic stents. Mahapatro, who came to WSU in August 2011, is collaborating with associate mechanical engineering professor Ramazan Asmatulu and Li Yao, assistant biology professor. The goal of their research is to someday develop metallic implants, including cardiovascular stents, that will safely dissolve inside a person s body. There exists a critical clinical need, as well as a growing interest, in development of biodegradable stents, Mahapatro said. About biodegradable stents A biodegradable metal is a metal that would degrade inside the body without causing any harm to the human body. Biodegradable metallic implants are being explored for applications that currently use permanent metallic implants but do not require those implants to be in the body lifelong. Examples include cardiovascular stents and orthopedic fracture fixation devices. Coronary stents are placed during a percutaneous coronary intervention procedure, better known as an angioplasty, for treating coronary artery diseases resulting from narrowing of coronary arteries. A stent is a tubular mesh-like scaffold that is placed and expanded inside a coronary artery during angioplasty. There have been many arguments within the medical research community over the potential benefits of having the stent removed after months, by which time most stents have fulfilled their purpose. Mahapatro said the most obvious argument for stent removal is the fact that the stent is a foreign object, and its presence is associated with the potential for inflammatory reactions and other damage. Researchers also worry that the long-term presence of a stent could cause remodeling of the arterial wall in a person s heart. But a biodegradable stent would provide a temporary opening to a narrowed arterial vessel. When the vessel is fixed, the stent would progressively disappear. One of the focuses of their research is to develop surface coatings and modification strategies to control and slow the biodegradation rates of magnesium-based materials. Mahapatro s interest in this line of work started with casual discussions with clinicians and slowly evolved from there. Being involved in biomaterials and biomedical engineering research enables me not only to be involved in basic and applied research, but also in contributing to the wellbeing of the society by developing medical technologies that improve and enhance the quality of human life. Article courtesy of WSU News, University Relations, Wichita State University 13

15 awards & achievements Winners of the 2013 University Faculty Awards include: Gamal Weheba (Academy for Effective Teaching) (Left) Pingfeng Wang (Young Faculty Scholar) (Center) and Vinod Namboodiri (Excellence in Teaching) (Right). Students: Thomas Dieker, a freshman, was named the first recipient of the Mel Hambelton Endowed Scholarship at WSU. He will receive a $2,500 scholarship annually for a total of $10,000 for four years. He is pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering. Seniors Nick Thomas, undergraduate student of industrial engineering, and Dusty Greer, undergraduate student of industrial engineering, started the Shocker Wrestling team in fall The team won the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Division II Team title. They were also the only Division II team to be invited to the NCWA National Duals. Four engineering students were among those who presented at Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Topeka Capitol Building: Jenice Duong and Taylor Russell, electrical and computer engineering, Shahla Pourkaram, aerospace engineering, and Jordan Bontrager, bioengineering. Faculty & administrative staff: Preethika Kumar was granted tenure and promoted to assistant professor, electrical engineering and computer science. She was awarded the 2013 University Faculty Award (Academy for Effective Teaching) and the 2012 Excellence in Teaching award. Hamid Lankarani, professor and NIAR Senior Fellow, mechanical engineering, earned Professor Incentive Review. Steven Skinner, professor, electrical engineering and computer science, was named the COE s associate dean for graduate research and assessment. Lawrence Whitman, professor, industrial and manufacturing, was named the COE s associate dean for undergraduate education. Winners of the 2013 Wallace Excellence in Teaching Awards are: Jie Yang (outstanding graduate teaching assistant award), Roy Myose (experience-based learning award), Three engineering faculty/staff members were named 2013 Shocker Pride Celebration Honorees: Beth Reid (Left), administrative assistant, aerospace engineering; Steven Skinner (Center), associate dean and professor, electrical engineering and computer science; and Mehmet Bayram Yildirim (Right), associate professor, industrial and manufacturing engineering. Alumni: Sean Miller 02, director of energy services at Knipp Energy Services, was named a Wichita Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree in WSU group helps Wichita City Hall reduce electricity use, costs Wichita State University industrial and manufacturing engineering faculty Bill Wentz, Michael Overcash and Janet Twomey led the Industrial Sustainability Initiative group that collaborated with Wichita City Hall to lower lighting use and cost at the building. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, allowed City Hall s team, led by Rebecca Lewis, environmental services, and Kay Johnson, manager of environmental initiatives, to purchase and install occupancy sensors in offices on eight floors in the building. The Wichita State group analyzed the effects and results of the automatic lights. The WSU team projected $280,000 in savings over the next 10 years for City Hall the result of a 10 percent light electricity reduction, or 620,000 pounds less carbon dioxide emissions per year at Westar Energy power plants. Wichita State College of Engineering s involvement in the project was sponsored by the Sam Bloomfield Chair in Sustainable Engineered Systems a part of WSU s Sam and Rie Bloomfield Foundation. Article courtesy of WSU News, University Relations, Wichita State University 14

16 In Memoriam

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18 Name: Ruth David Hometown: Dexter, Kansas Title: President & Chief Executive Officer Employer: Analytic Services Inc. Degrees: B.S., Electrical Engineering, 1975 Graduate work: MS, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 1976 PhD, Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, 1981

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