2014
ENGINEER
BRIDGE TO BETTER
UNDERSTANDING
Dean’s Message
I
t has been another great year for the School of Engineering at St. Thomas highlighted by double
digit growth in our undergraduate engineering and software programs. As the graphic shows
below, from our humble start about 16 years ago, our undergraduate engineering program has
grown from a few tens of students to more than 550 today.
And the future looks even brighter. Our new graduate programs in Electrical Engineering, Big Data,
and Information Technology are taking off. Construction is underway for a more than 7,000+ sq ft.
expansion of a new Lab and Design Studio. And to top it off, the Office of Admissions announced
that as of this spring that the number one selected major of new freshmen applicants to the
University of St. Thomas is Mechanical Engineering!
Growth is one measure, but it is how we are moving forward with our mission firmly in play that
makes me truly proud of what we are building here. One part of our mission is to ensure that our
graduates engage in their careers with a deep understanding of the impact that their work has on
the life of our community. In Minneapolis and St. Paul, nearly everyone can retell where they were
during the evening rush hour on Aug. 1, 2007, the day I-35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi
River. We are humbled here at St. Thomas to have obtained several pieces of the collapsed bridge
that will serve to tell the story to all of our students for decades to come.
As part of our mission we also feel that it is vital to develop an engineering educational experience
that pairs the critical understanding of science and technology with the broad education
necessary to put it all into context. We celebrate that our curriculum requires our students to
communicate to broad audiences, to be proficient in a second language, to appreciate the
faiths and cultures of the world, to experience how societies work, to deeply understand the
human condition, and to navigate comfortably in problem spaces where there is more than
one “right” answer.
In this issue of the St. Thomas Engineer magazine, you will find many other examples of how we are
carrying out our work here in this region and beyond. From our Peace Engineering efforts in Africa
to the success of our Design Clinic in engaging local industry, our vision for engineering education
is coming to life. As I often say, we are building something truly special here in Minnesota.
Again, thank you for your interest in
Engineering at St. Thomas. I hope
you enjoy reading and seeing what is
evolving here through these pages.
We look forward to seeing you soon.
Cheers,
Don
Don Weinkauf
Dean, School of Engineering
UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING ENROLLMENT 1999 - 2014
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St. Thomas Engineer
2013
2014
1
2014
Dean’S MEssage
Page 1
STEPS CAMP
Receives prestigious Tekne Award
Page 3
4
BRIDGE TO better
UNDERSTANDING
Pages 4-5
SENIOR DESIGN CLINIC
Pages 6-7
sensational six
Pages 8-9
6
On the cover: Original image photographed
by AeroMetric and made available by the
Minnesota Department of Transportation. The
image has been digitally manipulated, with
MnDOT approval, out of respect for the I-35W
bridge collapse victims.
St. Thomas Engineer is published annually
by the University of St. Thomas School of
Engineering. To subscribe, update your address
or request an alternative format, contact the
School of Engineering, (651) 962-5750 or
[email protected].
ALUMNI PROFILES
Sunil Bafna, Neel Sharma, Andy Senn
Page 10
UST alums light up the Super Bowl
Page 11
J-TERM ABROAD 2014 blogs
Spain, Greece, Italy
Page 12
Mali
11
Page 13
CLIMATE CHANGE in
cameroon
Page 14
The University of St. Thomas is accredited by
the Higher Learning Commission of the North
Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
ENGINEERING honors
The University of St. Thomas complies with
applicable federal and state nondiscrimination
laws and does not unlawfully discriminate on
the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry,
national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability,
age, marital status, genetic information, or status
with regard to public assistance or any other
characteristic protected by applicable law in the
employment of staff, the admission or treatment
of students, or in the operation of its educational
programs and activities.
John Walker receives Medal of Honor
PRINTER TO ADD
FSC SLUG
2
www.stthomas.edu/engineering
Students place in global competition
Page 15
Page 15
12
NEW ENGINEERING SPACE
on the way –
Page 16
INNOVATIVE PATENTS
Senior Design project
Page 17
Fighting Parkinson’s Disease
Page 17
16
School of Engineering’s STEPS Camp
receives prestigious Tekne Award
The University of St. Thomas STEPS Camp for girls
is celebrating its 15th year of operation! The program
has served over 3,000 young women in a weeklong
overnight summer camp on campus. For its work in
developing and driving the STEPS Camp, the School of
Engineering was presented the prestigious Tekne Award
from the Minnesota High Tech Association for innovation in
STEM Education.
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
3
BRIDGE TO BETTER
UNDERSTANDING
“Just seeing this metal torn like taffy it’s a very powerful example of the forces
that were at play that day. The pieces also
will serve as a sobering reminder of a
collapse that killed 13 and injured 145.
The installation will serve as a memorial
as well. We want to firmly embed in the
minds of our students that the things
that they design, create and build will
touch people's lives.” - Dean Weinkauf
School of Engineering dean Don Weinkauf surveys the debris that will be hauled back to the University of St. Thomas from the site in Afton, Minn.
O
n Aug. 1, 2007, at 6:05 p.m., people were heading into and
home from downtown Minneapolis across the 1,907-foot-long
I-35W bridge spanning the Mississippi River. Four of the
eight lanes were closed for a scheduled 7 p.m. concrete pour,
but the weight of the construction equipment – 578,735 pounds
– proved deadly. A thousand feet of deck truss collapsed, causing
456 feet of the main span to hit the water. One hundred and ten
vehicles tumbled into the river and its banks below as the bridge
went down.
For more than 100 years, engineers have used the symbolism of a bridge
collapse to refresh their solemn obligation to serve society through their
work. The formation of the Order of the Engineers was inspired by the
collapse of a Canadian bridge. Twisted steel from the bridge was used to
create rings, a tradition that carries on today as member engineers of the
order wear steel pinky signature rings – rings engineering students at the
St. Thomas will receive when they take the Order of the Engineer oath upon
graduation. But this year, the oath will be deepened by a real connection to
newly acquired memorial pieces from the collapsed I-35W bridge.
The I-35W bridge was designed by Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates
Inc. Construction started in 1964, and the bridge opened to traffic in
1967. It was built as a truss deck bridge of which the average life
span is 50 years. By 2004, the bridge carried more than 141,000
vehicles daily.
The pieces St. Thomas acquired in October 2013 are especially
significant; weighing 12,000 pounds total, they come from a section
called the U10W, which is a gusset plate from the north end of the
bridge. The plate is the sister piece of the one that failed on the south
end of the bridge and is believed to have set off the collapse. The
Minnesota Historical Society possesses that plate, but according
to Dr. Don Weinkauf, dean of the School of Engineering, the piece
St. Thomas has is enough to “tell much of the story of how the whole
tragedy unfolded.”
Though many theories were proposed for the bridge’s failure, the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the
probable cause of the collapse was the inadequate load capacity
of the gusset plates at the U10 nodes due to a design error by
Sverdup & Parcel. The plates failed because of substantial increases
in the weight of the bridge from previous bridge modifications,
and the traffic and concentrated construction loads on the bridge
on the day of the collapse.
The accident yielded nine recommendations from the NTSB to
improve the safety of bridges across the country, such as better
quality control processes for gusset plates and for inspectors, as
well as new processes for informing contractors on how to place
construction loads onsite.
4
www.stthomas.edu/engineering
“Just seeing this metal torn like taffy – it’s a very powerful example of
the forces that were at play that day,” Weinkauf said. The pieces also will
serve as a sobering reminder of a collapse that killed 13 and injured 145.
“The installation will serve as a memorial as well. We want to firmly embed
in the minds of our students that the things that they design, create and
build will touch people’s lives,” he said.
Looking ahead, the School of Engineering will reassemble the steel
pieces, currently residing behind Brady Educational Center, in a roughly
12-feet-wide by 8-feet-tall installation near the Frey Science and
Engineering Center.
According to St. Thomas engineering professors Dr. Deborah Besser and
Dr. Katherine Acton, the American Society of Civil Engineers 2013
Report Card for America’s Infrastructure rated it a D+; a majority of the
country isn’t aware of its aging infrastructure.
Bridge Debris Site
“The pieces offer tremendous lessons to be learned.
Students are studying these systems in class, but
it’s almost impossible to understand them without
seeing something on this scale.” - Dean Weinkauf
According to Acton, the Statics and Mechanics of Materials courses
in the St. Thomas engineering curriculum lend themselves well to
integrating some of the lessons from the I-35W bridge collapse,
especially through lab experiences that will allow students to
analyze what happened through CAD and Finite Element Modeling.
St. Thomas currently offers master’s programs in mechanical and
electrical engineering, and while there is no civil engineering
department, faculty like Acton and Besser are working on ways to
develop a path for students to go into civil engineering and get
their Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Ben Stassen, a senior mechanical engineering major, might not be
around to see concrete curriculum changes, but said the I-35W
bridge collapse has made him think differently about engineering.
“I’ve decided to pursue my PE and I may very well be working with
professional plans and drawings, so it could be my responsibility one
day to prevent something similar from happening,” Stassen said.
Star Tribune/Minneapolis-St. Paul 2014
NEW I-35W Bridge
11,000 pound gusset plate arriving at the University of St. Thomas
Better Bridges, better world
While accidents such as the I-35W bridge collapse devastate the nation,
they also give engineers an opportunity to learn hard lessons from their
prior mistakes and to continue to improve our nation’s infrastructure.
As Acton put it, “The pieces will stand as a symbol for everything that
we’re trying to accomplish here to avert disasters like this in the future.”
The remains of the I-35W bridge collapse to be reassembled on our
campus will serve as a memorial for the entire St. Thomas community
and a lasting reminder of the solemn responsibilities and commitments
that our current and future engineers hold.
– Rita Kovtun ’14 l
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
5
ENGINEERING
SENIOR
DES IGN
CLINIC
T
DENTAL MATERIAL
DELIVERY SYSTEM
REDESIGN
THE
SHOW
his year, seniors in the School of Engineering will engage in
25 sponsored projects with regional industry through the
Engineering Senior Design Clinic. The experience is a critical
component of the engineering curriculum as it requires students
to engage in the complete engineering design cycle with an industrial
partner. Unlike many similar senior design project programs throughout
the nation, students involved with “The Clinic” at St. Thomas thrive on
the authenticity of the interaction with real industry needs. It is not
uncommon for multiple patent disclosures to emerge each year from
the student/industry collaboration (see page 17).
At the end of the two-semester program, graduating seniors display
the working prototypes that just a few months earlier were nothing
more than problems, ideas and possibilities. The teams will all tell you
that at times it got tough and they themselves weren’t sure how it was
all going to unfold; that is exactly what the faculty are trying to capture
with the Design Clinic. The faculty know that where the comforts
of well-defined textbook problems are abandoned, real engineering
emerges. What you will see is the manifestation of that uncertain process
of translating ideas into reality.
TEAM: Brianna Nieson, Andressa Lunardelli, Andrew Stangler
and Gino Pitera
APPLICATION/MARKET DESCRIPTION: Dental
materials and other dental consumables are a multi-billion
dollar global market. 3M ESPE continues to advance dental
materials allowing for faster procedures, easier delivery and
better clinical results. Delivery systems add value to the dental
procedure by reducing the number of steps required to dispense
material, increasing the accuracy of materials delivered, and
improving ergonomics. Delivery systems also play a role in
protecting the dental materials from aging prematurely.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: Dental materials are often
sold in a multiple dose delivery system. The dentist or dental
assistant dispenses enough material to use for the procedure.
The dispenser is then returned to storage after being disinfected.
Delivery systems are tested to operate after being exposed to
disinfectants and steam sterilization. Material formulations are
often susceptible to reduced shelf life if materials are not stored
properly. With the delivery systems acting as a storage device
it is important that the user finds it intuitive to return it to the
storage condition. Dental practices are typically small businesses or
a sole proprietorship in the United States. Materials and delivery
systems that allow the dentist to save time are often received
well in the market. Dental materials are very costly and are often
dispensed in small amounts, so wasted materials caused by
delivery are a negative in the market place.
Senior Design Clinic 2013
“Our group was thoroughly impressed with the passion and
curiosity of the St. Thomas students to immerse themselves
in a problem in which they previously had no experience.
The value of their prototype solution was far more than we
expected from such young engineers.” - Industry Sponsor
The engineering faculty is always searching for new industries and
problems to engage with the Design Clinic. If you are interested in
learning more about how your company can get involved, contact the
School of Engineering office at (651) 962-5750.
6 www.stthomas.edu/engineering
DELIVERABLES: Delivery system design usually progresses
through an iterative process of CAD models, rapid prototypes,
to either machined prototypes of prototype injection molds.
Interaction with customers often guide the design. Product
specifications, including engineering drawings, manufacturing
quality standards and test methods, are required.
SPONSOR RESOURCES: Access to 3M ESPE facility
rapid prototyping systems and fabrication facilities material
selection databases. Able to observe dental procedures in
simulated operatories and actual procedures.
2014 INDUSTRY SPONSORS
INJECTABLE, CONFORMABLE AND
BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER STENTS
TEAM: Alex Schroeder, Sara Backlund, Nick Haugen and
Noel Naughton
APPLICATION/MARKET DESCRIPTION: Coronary
artery disease is routinely treated with percutaneous coronary
intervention (PCI), which often involves the implantation of a
stent to prop open the diseased vessel. Currently available stents
are typically either bare metal stents (BMS) or drug-eluting stents
(DES). A large number of patients would benefit from safer and
more effective stent strategies.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: Currently available stents are
limited by their thrombogenicity and their inability to conform to
vessel geometry (e.g. curvature, narrowing, bifurcation). A stent that
is formed by in situ solidification of an injected polymer will allow
for conformation to unique vessel geometries. Furthermore, use of
a biodegradable polymer will eliminate thrombogenic materials
when the stent is no longer needed to support the vessel.
REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGN: The polymer delivery
system must reach the diseased vessel utilizing standard
catheterization techniques. The delivery device must open
the diseased vessel while conforming to the vessel geometry.
The polymer must be injectable to the delivery site and
must solidify rapidly. The delivery device must be removable
following stent solidification. Finally, the stent must retain
sufficient mechanical strength to prop open the diseased artery
for one to two weeks and must rapidly degrade thereafter.
DELIVERABLES: A working prototype that demonstrates
feasibility in an in vitro model. Additionally, data relating to the
mechanical properties and degradation kinetics of the stent.
SPONSOR RESOURCES: Laboratory space, cell culture
facilities, animal facilities, imaging facilities, mechanical testing
laboratory. Direct interaction with the cardiologist who is a
co-inventor on the patent. Mentoring on medical device
design, materials selection, and fabrication techniques from
engineers in the Mayo Clinic Division of Engineering and
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases.
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
7
Sensational Six
Hometown
Currently live in
Stillwater, Minn.
Stillwater, Minn.
Matthew Nelson
Degree Programs
Undergrad
school & major
Favorite UST
classes so far
M.S. Mechanical
Engineering
ENGR 383
Fluid Mechanics
University of
St. Thomas,
B.S. Mechanical
Engineering
ENGR 221
Mechanicsof
Materials
M.S. Software
Engineering
Eau Claire, Wis.
Chisago City, Minn.
Chris Belsky
Milwaukee School
of Engineering
B.S. Electrical
Engineering &
B.S. Business
Management
Best thing about
your program
I get to learn new
and interesting
things about past,
present, and future
scientific and
engineering
innovations
SEIS 776 & SEIS 777
for my
research project
I appreciate
and enjoy how
approachable
and helpful
most of the
professors and
faculty are
Human
Computer
Interface
Good
career potential
M.S. Software
Engineering
Casablanca, Morocco
St. Paul, Minn.
Radouane Guentouri
Grand Rapids, Minn.
Rome, Italy
University of
Hassas II, Morocco
B.A. English
Literature &
Linguistics
B.S. Mechanical
Engineering
Angela Feyder
Park Ridge, Ill.
St. Paul, Minn.
B.S. Mechanical
Engineering
Lauren Thornhill
Appleton, Wis.
St. Paul, Minn.
Tremayne Williams
8 www.stthomas.edu/engineering
B.S.
Electrical
Engineering
PHYS 111
with
Gerry Ruch
ENGR 320
Machine Design
& Synthesis
ENGR 488
LabVIEW
Programming
& Data
with Lee Globus
Motivated
Friendly
Caring
Integrity
Resourceful
Committed
Organized
Hard-working
Kind
Professors!
Adventurous
Spunky
PHYS 112
with
Adam Green
ENGR 171
Engineering
Graphics & Design
Describe yourself
in 3 words
Kindhearted
Designing and
building something
from start to finish
Kind-Hearted
Affectionate
Intelligent
Passionate
Convicted
The challenge
Motivated
Williams is a
D3Football.com
All-American
Engineering students at St. Thomas are diverse, fun and funny, athletic and worldly. Here is a
simple and fun way to get to know six notable students studying in the School of Engineering.
Where to find
you on a Sunday
You would find
me with friends
and/or family,
either relaxing
or doing some
informal activities
My typical Sunday
is spent with
my family
Something most
people wouldn’t
know about you
I can wiggle
my ears
I was a radio DJ
at my undergrad
college station
WMSE 91.7FM in
Milwaukee, Wis.
(1993-1995)
If you could invite
any three people
to lunch ... who?
Favorite
mobile app
Bill Gates
Mikhail Gorbachev
Pope Francis
Google Maps
my wife
my grandfather
my children
TV shows
that you watch
Next event you are
excited to go to
My next vacation
to Cancun, Mexico
Person of Interest
NCIS
Watching lots of
quality PBS
programs
with my kids!
My research
project defense
Good Luck Charlie
PMI Meeting
New Girl
Traveling to Ireland
to hike the Cliffs of
Moher and to
Morocco to ride
a camel!!
Denzel Washington
Home
I am very
committed
Noam Chomsky
Dr. Phil
At UST: watching
Harry Potter with
my roommate Kelsey
In Rome: traveling!
In a coffee shop
doing homework
or tutoring my friends
You would probably
find me at the gym
playing basketball
or something active
My dream is to own
a yoga studio and
at the same time
have an awesome
M.E. job, living in
Golden, Colo.
I love to fish in
the Florida Keys,
and I actually held
the fishing record
there for the biggest
Permit (a game fish)
caught when
I was younger
Beyonce
Blue Ivy
Jay Z
Parenthood
Modern Family
Jimmy Buffett
Liam Hemsworth
Jonathan Toews
Snapchat
my mom
I’m allergic to grass
Instagram
my little brother
and my mentor, Al
Touchless
control
application
Nashville
How I Met your Mother
Hawaii 5-0
New Girl
Grey’s Anatomy
Scandal
American Horror Story
Parks and Recreation
Study abroad in
Sydney, Australia!
Hopefully I will be
privileged enough
to study Sustainable
Alternative Energy
abroad in France
and Italy this summer
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
9
Alumni Profiles
A
ccording to Sunil Bafna, coming to St. Thomas was “an easy choice.” Bafna graduated with a Master’s in
Software Design and Development in 1995 and recalls his time spent in the program as a blend of practical,
real-world application and academics. At the time, Bafna saw that very few schools could provide what
St. Thomas had to offer – the ability to work – as he was employed at West Publishing (now Thomson Reuters) – and
continue his education.
Bafna found the MSDD program attractive not only for its flexibility but for its “mix of academic and real-world
industry – that whole melting pot it creates [where] people from all different backgrounds come and participate.” This
intermingling of differing perspectives, explained Bafna, allows students to both build community and to create
a network, leverage and solve problems that would otherwise be challenging to resolve.
After graduation, Bafna started a consulting services company in 1997 and continued along this path until 2002,
when he moved from consulting over to solutions. This shift became Performix Business Services, which develops
both Web and mobile applications for mid-size to Fortune 500 companies and clients all over the world.
Sunil Bafna
Partner
Performix Business Services LLC
T
For the past five to six years Bafna has observed the shift from Web to mobile technology, a phenomenon he
calls “a game changer.” “Mobile is empowering the consumer. They can participate,” said Bafna. The impact of mobile empowerment is huge, and Bafna is excited by the changing nature of the industry. It’s not just about
“B2B” (business-to-business) transactions anymore, it’s also about how the “C” (the consumer) factors into the
equation. Amid these ever-shifting currents, explains Bafna, Performix has to strike a balance of setting its sights
on the future, and minding the gaps in today’s technology world. n
hroughout his four years at St. Thomas as a mechanical engineering student, Neel Sharma spent his
undergraduate career attempting to “bridge the gap” between his multivaried interests. Chief among
those interests were music and art – passions one might not typically associate with a budding engineer.
Sharma was attracted to engineering because he “always had an affinity toward understanding how things
worked, while also being able to turn an idea into something physical.”
During his sophomore year, Sharma began writing music and became interested in spoken word. Over junior
and senior years, Sharma saw 11 countries, traveling whenever and wherever he could. “I just knew I wanted to
experience something outside of my familiarity,” he said. Senior year, he became more serious about music, flying
out to Seattle over the weekends to record a demo. A common strain in all of Sharma’s pursuits is that they are
people-driven – they’ve all emerged from a desire to help others better connect and share their stories – but music
has allowed Sharma to share his story, informed by the many people, places and things he has experienced.
For Sharma, since graduation in May 2013, music has been at the forefront of everything. Sharma just wrapped up
a music project titled “Perspective: Project for the People,” which is being distributed freely at local coffee shops and
boutiques. The project is not so much an album as it is an experience or an invitation to come sit with Sharma, and
hear his story more about his experiences. He wanted to do something different, change the strategy of engagement
with his audience.
When asked about how he’d come up with the concept for “Perspective: Project for the People” and how it fits into
the path he’s carved out over the past four years, Sharma said: “You know, it’s funny. … I’m seeing that engineering, in
my experience at St. Thomas, is really what’s allowed me to do so many different things. Everything I do is focused on
engineering. Take an engine, for example. It has many different parts that all need to work at a certain level for the engine
to function. I take the same approach with any project or organization I am involved with. You have all these different
moving parts … how can you make sure they’re all working well, so that the whole engine, so to speak, will work?” n
Neel Sharma
Musician, NEEL LLC
[email protected]
musicbyneel.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/musicbyneel
twitter.com/musicbyneel
W
hile at St. Thomas, for two separate degree programs, Andrew Senn sought to blend business and engineering. Andrew graduated from St. Thomas in 2003 with a dual major: a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a B.A. in business administration. Right out of college, he started an engineering job, but a year later
he decided to go back to school part-time. “I still had a thirst for some additional knowledge needed to help me
expedite my career path and be successful at my job,” he said. What started as professional development, eventually
led to a degree-seeking program. Senn graduated with a M.S. in technology management in 2006 from St. Thomas
and then went on to the Carlson School where he received an M.B.A. in 2009.
Senn was drawn to St. Thomas as a prospective student because of the dual major program in business and
engineering. While he was at St. Thomas, he tutored students at a local elementary school, and participated
in intramural sports, but his time was dominated by research projects on medical devices, which he typically
worked on 20 hours a week.
Andy Senn
Director, R & D
Lake Region Medical
10
www.stthomas.edu/engineering
Fast forward 11 years later, and Senn now works at Lake Region Medical in Chaska, Minn., a company that
develops and manufactures minimally invasive medical devices. Senn is currently the director of research and
development – a role that Andrew says utilizes “a blend of business and technical skills.” He is a part of a team
that develops new, life-saving technologies that improve the lives of patients, like a delivery wire that can
be used during heart valve replacements. Over the course of his career, Senn has managed to achieve that
balance – between business and engineering – that he was initially drawn to at St. Thomas. n
– Samantha Wisneski ’14 l
UST alums light up the Super Bowl
J
oey Nesbitt and college friend Jeff Sevaldson started DrumLite
from a dorm room at the University of St. Thomas. They make
LED lighting kits that are installed inside drum sets.
Nesbitt and Sevaldson, now 24 and 25, met as college students and
later became roommates. Nesbitt studied engineering and worked
part time on campus, helping with concert sound and lighting.
Their friendship included a mutual interest in playing drums. Sevaldson
proposed putting lights inside their drum sets, and while in class
one day, Nesbitt began to tinker with LED lights.
“We thought it was cool, so we outfitted both drum sets,” Nesbitt said.
“People would come up and say, ‘Where’d you get that?’ ”
The students put $500 together and began making kits by hand.
Then they came up with a basic website and began taking orders. “It
blew up from there,” Nesbitt said.
Sevaldson graduated in 2011 and Nesbitt in 2012. They began
full-time jobs, with Nesbitt working in engineering. DrumLite,
however, takes up much of their free time, essentially giving them
two careers.
Jeff Sevaldson and Joey Nesbitt at the National Association of
Music Merchants show
“We do this all at night, nights and weekend,” Nesbitt said. “I don’t call
it part time because it really is full time. Neither one of us have kids, so
it’s manageable for the time being.”
While others have come up with lights to install in drum kits,
DrumLite is the first product commercially available.
Because of the demands on his time, Nesbitt has cut back on the
hours he can spend drumming. His parents, Curt and Carol Nesbitt,
were musicians in a rock band when he was young, so a drum set
always was around the house. He began playing about age 5 and
in grade school received his own drum set. At one time, he and his
parents all played in a band called the Apostles.
Nesbitt and Sevaldson learned several months ago DrumLite would
play a role in the Super Bowl haltime show; because the acts had not
been announced yet, it had to remain a secret.
Custom DrumLite set featured during the halftime show of the
Super Bowl on Feb 2, 2014
But while DrumLite appeared before its largest audience at the Super
Bowl, it’s not unfamiliar with fame. Musicians who have used DrumLite
on stage include Kelly Clarkson, Def Leppard, Eric Church, Sugarland,
Luke Bryan, Hanson and New Politics.
Smith’s drum kit, emblazoned with NFL logos, was auctioned off after
the Super Bowl, with the proceeds going to charity.
The business partners had a viewing party at Sevaldson’s apartment
with several friends. Nesbitt describes himself as “a huge Broncos
fan,” so he had a rooting interest in the game while waiting to see
the DrumLite on stage with 100 million people watching.
His product pitch: “We don’t claim to make you a better drummer
or sound better. We do claim to make you feel like a rock star. As
drummers, Jeff and I understand that sometimes you want to be
flashy. It’s all about making you feel better and have fun playing
the drums.”
Exerpts from original article posted in The Argus Reader by Jill Callison
Jan. 31, 2014
Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers performing with a
Drumlite set in background
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
11
J-TERM ABROAD 2014
January Term or J-Term as it is known, is an optional monthlong period of study in which students at the University St. Thomas have the opportunity
to explore new subjects perhaps outside their majors or minors, discover new interests, and/or have a brief study abroad experience through classes
held both on campus and around the world. During J-Term, students register for a single course, allowing them to concentrate on one subject for the
month of January.
Mathematics & Mechanics - Spain, Greece, Italy
University of St. Thomas professors Dr. Mike Hennessey (engineering) and Dr. Cheri Shakiban (mathematics) led a 2014 J-Term course titled
Mathematics and Mechanics to sites in Spain, Greece and Italy to learn more of the mathematical and mechanical engineering used by
Roman, Byzantine, Greek and Islamic cultures to create magnificent engineering and buildings in Toledo, Granada, Athens, Rome, Florence
and Pisa. Engineering student Claire Choudek, blogged on the St. Thomas engineering site during the trip.
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014
Minnesota, USA
I can’t wait to leave!! Only a few more days filled with packing and last-minute shopping for
travel supplies are all that stand between us and our grand European adventure! Stay tuned
for exciting airport updates on Monday :)
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014
Toledo, Spain
Buenos Dias desde Espana!! After a full day of travel we have arrived to a beautiful morning
here in Spain. We took an hour bus ride to Toldeo and were able to view the countryside. It
was surprising to see more roundabouts than stoplights, signs without any writing, and an
inordinate amount of graffiti. Today we got to spend time exploring the city after our first
classroom session. Many were able to take in the breathtaking views over the Tagus River,
see the beautiful exhibits in the Museo de Santa Cruz, and take in the magnificent artistry
within the Cathedral of Toldeo (2nd largest cathedral in Spain). We continued to bond
over a group dinner and time spent taking in the rooftop views of our hotel room!
Monday, Jan. 13, 2014
Granada, Spain
We had a fabulous day on Friday we got to spend the entire day exploring what Granada
has to offer. The day started with a short class and then everyone visited the Cathedral of
Granada. The church was absolutely breathtaking, showcasing incredibly vaulted ceilings
and a newly renovated tabernacle. Then the boys and girls split up to explore the city for
themselves. Of course, the girls ended up bonding over shopping and good conversation in
one of the plazas of the city.
Monday, Jan. 13, 2014
Barcelona, Spain
Hola from our last stop in Spain! We’ve spent the past two days having a wonderful time in
Barcelona. We arrived around 8:30 am yesterday and quickly began to see the great views this
city has to offer. After a couple presentations and class time, we were free to explore the city.
Some went to the beach while others just wandered around the city. We ended the night by
watching the Madrid Atletico vs. Barcelona futbol game at a pub called Cheers. It was fun to
take in a soccer game with the locals.
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014
Athens, Greece
We’re truly roughin’ it these days with no free wifi in our hotel rooms ;) We’ve spent the last
few days getting to see the major landmarks in one of the world’s oldest cities. Yesterday we
got to tour the Acropolis or high city. This ancient wonder was amazing to experience. We
had a wonderful tour guide, Elenia (Helen), who pointed out all of the features of the site that
included the theater, temples, concert hall, and the Parthenon. The most unbelievable thing
is that the entire site was constructed with perfect math and without our modern machines.
Monday, Jan. 20, 2014
Rome, Italy
In the afternoon we got to go to the Scavi. This is where they excavated the tombs located
underneath the basilica in search of St. Peter’s remains. Each day only about 200 people
get to take this tour so it was an incredible experience. Our tour guide, actually, graduated
from St. Thomas in 2012. He was amazing, providing little tidbits of information with that
Midwestern accent we understand so well. ;) Hearing the process of searching for St. Peter’s
remains and seeing them in person was an incredible experience. For me personally, seeing
the founder of the church’s remains was an out-of-body experience. To see something so
important to my faith was extraordinary.
12
www.stthomas.edu/engineering
BLOG
Sorghum Syrup Production – Mali
This year a team of four senior mechanical engineering students at the University of St Thomas has been working on processing juice out of
sorghum stalks and concentrating it as a syrup to be used in Mali, Africa. This syrup is high in sugar and will be used to benefit children by both
supplementing sugar in their diet and increasing family income for the producers.
The team is working with ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), a nonprofit agricultural research
organization, for this senior design project. As a part of the project these four engineering students, Zach Vaughan, Brendan O’Connell,
Louis Kjerstad, and Joe Klinkhammer, along with two St. Thomas engineering professors, Dr. Camille George and Dr. Greg Mowry,
traveled to Bamako, Mali, to conduct research.
LOG
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014
Mali, Africa
The team arrived in Mali around 11:45pm. Our hotel, called The Sleeping Camel, is home
base for the weeklong stay. Landing in Bamako was an experience in itself. As soon as we
walked off the plane, the smell of burning charcoal filled the air and it was quite hazy. The
wait time to get our bags and pass through Mali customs took a good amount of time.
Our professor, Dr. Greg Mowry, described it best as “organized chaos.”. We settled in and all
passed out after the long journey.
After the introductions were over, the team did it’s own harvest, crush, and concentrate
of sweet sorghum while gaining valuable insight from another ICRISAT employee named
Baloua Nebiie. He showed us how they made the syrup and gave us information about
the growing in Mali.
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014
Dioila, Mali
We woke up bright and early for a a road-trip east to Dioila and later to the nearby village
of Wacoro. After about 3 hours of expert driving by Cheick Bane we made it to the small
town of Dioila. Luckily for us it was market day so we set out exploring to see what types
of materials are available that we could utilize for the project. Just about anything could
be found in the market from food, clothing and other household items to motorcycle
parts, oil barrels, and even blacksmiths and welders making custom items. We found
many eyes were upon us as we walked through the market but they were friendly eyes,
always smiling and waving. Joe found himself a new friend.
Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014
Wacoro, Mali
In the morning, we had millet and sorghum porridge with the mayor of Wacoro. He discussed how the village of approximately 14,000 uses seven tons of refined sugar a week.
For us, this demonstrated the need for a sugar substitute, which the sorghum syrup could
provide. After a short while, three of us were selected to meet the chief of the village. Dr.
George, Dr. Mowry, and I were lucky enough to meet him. He was surprisingly 93 years old
but he seemed quite active and joked around with us in his native language, Bambara.
At the conclusion of the meeting, he wished us good luck with our project and gave us
permission to leave the village. Before that, he gave Dr. Mowry and me our Malian names.
Before the end of the trip, all members of the team were given Malian names.
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014
Koulikoro, Mali
The agenda for the Sweet Sorghum Processing Team was to visit Malibiocarburant and
IPR in the nearby city of Koulikoro, Mali. Malibiocarburant is a company that “produces
biofuel in a way that supplements farmers’ incomes, contributes to poverty alleviation
and respects the environment” and we took the hour long drive north to meet with
them. Malibiocarburant currently works with local farmers to utilize different methods
of producing biofuel. They took the team out to the fields to show us some jatropha
plants currently being used for biofuel. They explained to us that they are looking into the
possibility of intercropping the jatropha with sweet sorghum. Jatropha is a plant utilized
for biofuel, while sweet sorghum would be used for human nutrition. Intercropping with
sweet sorghum would be of more value to the farmers.
Friday, Jan. 17, 2014
Mali, Africa
The team took the trip back to home base at The Sleeping Camel and crashed for the night.
The days have been long hot but we are getting lots of work accomplished.
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
13
VULNERABLE TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Cameroon tackles the problem head-on
Though particularly vulnerable to climate change, students in
Cameroon are developing innovative technological solutions
So, how will a country like Cameroon plan for climate change and how do
universities like CUIB contribute to those plans? First, we must recognize
that climate change is a global problem. Emitted greenhouse gases do not
abide by borders, nor do their impacts. In fact, as we’ve seen elsewhere,
Cameroon is another country that has largely not caused the problem but
may be impacted more significantly than other nations. The reason for this
is threefold. First, since Cameroon’s annual temperatures are confined to a
small range, the biological systems are less capable of adapting to changes
that modify the range. Second, Cameroon is heavily dependent on
agriculture, which, in turn, depends on climate. Finally, Cameroon’s limited
financial resources make adaptation particularly difficult.
Of course, Cameroon can and will, play its role in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. However with a high unemployment rate and with
challenges related to electrical power production and distribution,
what can this country realistically achieve?
Dr. John Abraham walks with determination in Cameroon, a country
vulnerable to climate change that it didn’t cause, but is developing
innovative solutions to the problem.
M
y research involves not only studying the Earth’s climate, but
also working to find clean energy solutions that will enable
people and regions to have access to reliable electricity without
increasing emissions of heat-trapping gases. In support of this effort, I
recently traveled to Cameroon, which is on the western coast of Africa.
There, in a town near the coast called Buea, I spent two weeks with my
family and colleagues, working with a new university (Catholic University
Institute of Buea, or CUIB for short) but more about that later.
First, readers of this column will note that I take a particular interest in
the impacts of climate change that are being felt at regional or national
levels. In particular, changes to weather patterns and how those changes
are being driven by either natural or human causes is something I care
deeply about. Fortunately, there is extensive literature available about
observed changes or expected changes to climate and weather in and
around Cameroon. For instance, some studies that focus on the impacts
of climate change on the water cycle project that increases in rainfall and
evaporation from lakes, rivers, oceans, and plants will have impacts that
must be considered in future development planning.
Another study focused on the impacts that land-use changes and climate
change have on Cameroon’s forests; the study found future effects will be
profound. Loss of forest lands will lead to loss of animal life in particular.
More recent work confirms the vulnerability of Cameroon’s forests to
climate change. Those researchers found that while the people in Cameroon
expressed a great deal of understanding and appreciation of climate
change, the ability of the country to adapt to climate change was limited.
Perhaps the most detailed study regarding Cameroon’s susceptibility
to climate change was completed by the World Bank, which related
agricultural output to climate change, in particular to changes in
temperature and precipitation. The authors reported that since a large
majority of the poor of Cameroon (and a significant percentage of the
national GDP) work in agriculture, Cameroon as a nation is particularly
sensitive to some of the changes we expect to see as the world warms.
This was one of the questions I asked as I sat down with the dean of the
School Engineering, Dr. Asong Zisuh and his students. I quickly learned
that innovative ideas from the young and entrepreneur-minded scientists
and engineers might serve as a role model for us all.
“The mission of CUIB is to prepare servant leaders with moral and
spiritual values to contribute to the sustainable development of their
communities. Students are required to undertake entrepreneurial
projects on issues related to sustainable development. Ongoing
student projects in the School of Engineering include: construction of
wind turbines to generate clean and renewable electricity; construction
of a solar drier to help conserve local farm products; drawing building
plans for local housing that incorporate energy conservation practices;
developing concepts for sustainable management of solid and liquid
waste by local councils; biogas production for small scale use; and
production of briquettes from bio-residues.” - Dr. Asong Zisuh
All of these very advanced and innovative ideas have been generated
by enthusiastic undergraduate students. The young, it seems, express
tremendous courage because they don’t know what cannot be done.
By this naïveté, they are sometimes able to accomplish what we old
folks think is impossible.
The motivation for these environmental-conservation and climate
change projects is not only related to the need to curb greenhouse gas
emissions, but also to meet the growing demand for energy amid huge
supply shortages. Cameroon is a tropical country that receives a significant
amount of daily sunshine and experiences a high generation rate of
bio-residues, especially from agricultural activities. Thus, harnessing these
available and inexpensive opportunities is required for the sustainable
and economic development of the country.
Retrospectively, for someone like myself who works everyday on
climate change, the slow progress can be demoralizing at times. I
know that humans have the capacity to solve our climate and energy
problems, we only lack the will. When I see what is happening at a small
Cameroonian university that almost no one has heard of, I get encouraged.
Maybe, just maybe, innovators like I’ve met at CUIB will be the change
agents needed to preserve our future. Let’s hope that’s the case and let’s
support their efforts.
This article was first published on the Guardian’s Climate Consensus - the 97% blog by Dr. John Abraham, Jan. 28, 2014
14
www.stthomas.edu/engineering
Congratulations to the St. Thomas engineering student team
for their 11th place finish in global competition!
UST students, left to right: John Miller, Corey Schlichter and Anthony Jaworski (not pictured: Christopher Nagel) placed 11th at the 2013 ASME
International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, which took place in San Diego. The team of students took first in the regional
competition, which allowed them to advance to this global competition. The team developed a remotely operated device that attempted to
simulate remote inspection, transfer tasks, not unlike what would be required by a robot in a contaminated nuclear site.
Walker Honored with School of Engineering Medal of honor
John F. Walker, long time
professor in the Manufacturing
Engineering programs at the
University of St. Thomas has been
honored as the sixth recipient
of the School of Engineering
Medal of Honor. “John has been
an invaluable and sustained force
in the School for more than 28
years,” said Don Weinkauf, dean of
the School of Engineering. Walker
first joined the program when
engineering was just forming at
St. Thomas. “We were given the
dining room and the basement
John F. Walker
of a house on Portland Ave. that
the university owned,” Walker
reflected. Walker and the early team didn’t know what they were
starting but now 28 years later, the school has now grown to represent
more than 10 percent of the St. Thomas student population with
three ABET accredited programs.
In his address, Weinkauf noted the three major areas of contribution
for Walker: 1) leadership in the Manufacturing Engineering program,
2) development of the popular study abroad program: The Engineering
of Rome, and 3) an enduring contribution to the STEPS camp for girls
which has supported more than 3,000 campers over the past 15 years.
Other recipients of the School of Engineering Medal of Honor
include: Fred Zimmerman, John Povolny, Ron Bennett, Clint Larsen
and Bernie Folz.
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
15
New Engineering Design Space
on the way –
S
t. Thomas has unveiled plans for a new south campus
building to meet the needs of the university’s facilities
operations and the School of Engineering. Construction
is planned to begin this spring on the three-story, 8,000
square foot building on the parking lot immediately
north of McCarthy Gymnasium, and will be completed by
September and the opening of the 2014-15 school year.
The $5.6 million building will serve as the Physical Plant’s
home for central receiving, recycling, and equipment
maintenance and storage operations, and also willprovide
additional laboratory space for design projects by
engineering students and faculty.
Facilities operations have been scattered around campus
since 2009, when space was lost to construction of the
Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex and the sale of
a maintenance garage at 2076 Grand Ave. Central receiving
operations have been located in temporary quarters on the
lot north of McCarthy, and will move to the Anderson Student
Center during construction of the new building.
In addition, growth in engineering enrollment has left faculty
and students with insufficient space in O’Shaughnessy
Science Hall to conduct research projects such as those
done by the Senior Design Clinic.
“The new building provides a great opportunity to bring
several programs together under one roof and to be more
efficient in how we use our space,” said Mark Vangsgard, vice
president for business affairs and chief financial officer.
Dr. Don Weinkauf, dean of the School of Engineering, is
delighted that his program will have additional space for
design and build projects. “One in 10 freshmen at St. Thomas
majors in engineering, and as a result we are bursting
at the seams in O’Shaughnessy; this will be real working
space, where everyone from our freshmen to our seniors
will see the engineering process literally unfold in front of
them through the work of their own minds and hands.”
• Third floor – Engineering will have an open floor plan,
and also will continue to use its existing laboratory space in O’Shaughnessy Science Hall.
• Second floor – The Physical Plant will store and work on vehicles and equipment.
• First floor – Central Receiving, the Recycling Center and
the Grounds Department will be located here, with sufficient space to handle delivery of materials.
Engineering will have garage space for deliveries.
At this time, recycling operations are in the Physical Plant building on main campus but need more space.
• Basement – Will be used for storage.
• Elevator service to all four levels
16 www.stthomas.edu/engineering
Innovative patents
Senior Design project leads to new patent
F
or the more than 500,000 oil wells that dot the landscape in the United States, flowmeters are
used to measure the liquid flow; however, the market price of such a device hovers around
$100,000 – a big capital investment. Four students in a 2010 Senior Design Clinic – Morgan
Impola, Kelli Lais, Isaac Remer and Brian Sames – created a more economical multiphase flowmeter.
Now they are listed as inventors on a U.S. patent issued in August 2013.
The clinic pairs senior engineering majors with companies to develop prototype solutions to real
world problems. Emerson Process Management challenged students to create a low-cost,
three-phase flowmeter capable of measuring the amount of water, oil and natural gas flowing
from a wellhead, and the students rose to the challenge. Impola and Sames, the electrical engineers
on the project, collaborated with Lais and Remer, the mechanical engineers, on the prototype. The
cost of their prototype was approximately $10,000 and the project was a success.
Roger Pihlaja, the group’s company collaborator at Emerson, thinks the patented flowmeter is “a very
good deal” for Emerson, which derives half of its sales in oil and gas production.
Sames is employed at Emerson, Impola at Excel Energy, Remer at Minco, and Lais, a UST MBA
student, is at General Dynamics.
Partnership to fight Parkinson’s Disease
T
he patient reaches for his glass of water on the bedside table, his hand trembling and his head shaking involuntarily. With a twitch of his hand, the glass tumbles and water spills to his pillow. The nurse rushes to help. The patient keeps apologizing to the
nurse and tries to move his rigid body away from the wet pillow. The patient has just been
diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, along with other 10 million people worldwide.
Involuntary and rigid body movements are typical symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Various
treatments will be prescribed to Parkinson’s patients based on an evaluation of the severity
of the movement disorder. During this test, patients are asked to perform a routine of passive
and active motor tasks while clinical observers provide scores to characterize movement
capabilities. The test is very subjective, based upon rater experience and training. It provides
a single snapshot of a patient’s condition, is only available when patients are in the clinic, and
cannot be performed continuously or repetitively because of patient and rater fatigue. As a
result, the medicine that is prescribed is based on a subjective snapshot evaluation, and it
cannot be dynamically adjusted based on a patient’s conditions.
With its great potential to help Parkinson’s patients, a video motion analysis project was initiated
by Dr. Dwight Nelson, a former UST biology professor who now works as a chief scientist in
the Neuromodulation division at Medtronic. Requiring an interdisciplinary collaboration, it
needed neuro-scientists to clearly define research goals and interpret the findings. It also
needed to examine enough patients with various movement disorders over a long period of
time to statistically verify the validity of final findings. Dr. Aviva Abosch, from the Department
of Neurosurgery at University of Minnesota, provided videos for this study. Dr. Chih Lai, a UST
computer scientist was invited by Nelson in April 2012 to participate in this project since he
had many years of video motion analysis and data mining experience.
A challenge of this project is the ability to quantify movement disorder so the numeric results
can be used by healthcare providers to diagnose, treat or further movement analysis. There was
a need to develop a method that could quantitatively describe irregular head or body swing
(known as dyskinesia). Lai created an algorithm that has the capability of measuring tortuosity
motion similar to measuring the curvature of a river.
The methods developed by Lai have been applied to analyze six patients with different
movement disorders, each with over 48 hours of continuous analysis. The accuracy was
evaluated at 71 percent to 97 percent with over 500 GB videos. As a result of this project, two
patents were filed in summer 2013. The research team also hopes that one day this technology
can be integrated with video-conferencing so physicians can provide telemedicine and diagnosis
to Parkinson patients living in the rural area.
Chih Lai
ENG0787_14
St. Thomas Engineer
2014
17
School of Engineering
2115 Summit Ave., OSS 100
St. Paul, MN 55105-1096
Peace Engineering
J-TERM ABROAD 2014
Sorghum Syrup Production - Mali
Four senior engineering students went on
the trip of a lifetime during January 2014 for
research on their Senior Design Clinic project.
Read from their J-Term blogs, page 13, and
online at www.stthomas.edu/engineering.
The University of St. Thomas School of Engineering is celebrating 11 years of Peace Engineering – empowering
engineering students and faculty to work with entrepreneurial communities in the developing world.
www.stthomas.edu/engineering