Category: Campus News Briefs

Kettering Team Gets Resolution Passed at Model UN Conference

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Model_UN_2022From left: Hemanth Tadepalli, Robin Pelayo, Austin Schmitz, Kevin Patterson and Dr. Babak Elahi.

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Kettering University’s Model United Nations team attended the Harvard National Model United Nations Conference in Boston on Feb. 9-13.

Kettering’s delegation of Kevin Patterson (’24, EE), Robin Pelayo (’22, CS/Applied Mathematics), Austin Schmitz (’22, ME), Hemanth Tadepalli (’23, CS) and Liberal Studies Department Chairman Dr. Babak Elahi was selected to represent the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) and the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) for the country of Paraguay. About 130 schools represented 43 countries during the 68th annual event.

As part of the DISEC, the team presented a resolution on the Proliferation of Drone Technology, which was created in collaboration with other teams. The resolution defined the values and ethics of drone technology, including commercial and military usage.

“With cybersecurity being an important aspect of this and having our technical expertise from Kettering, we were so useful in the debates and construction of our paper,” said the team’s head delegate Hemanth Tadepalli. “Additionally, we created a resolution that defined when drones should be used as well as who should have control.”

In the SOCHUM, the team addressed issues facing non-self-governing territories given that their administering powers don’t have existing systems of accountability. They chose the position that citizens of non-self-governing territories should have the right to bring up issues to the United Nations (UN) regarding their culture, heritage, traditions and artifacts and that their administering powers should not vote on issues concerning non-self-governing territories.

“We believe that they have the right to either become their own nation or integrate into their administering power with the guarantee from the UN that all referendums would be fair and any abuses of power or destruction of indigenous culture would result in swift action from the UN,” said Kettering delegate Austin Schmitz.

Others agreed, and their resolution was passed.

Tadepalli said the team plans to attend more conferences next year. Students interested in participating can email him at tade2477@kettering.edu or Dr. Michael Callahan at mcallaha@kettering.edu.

Kettering DECA Teams Wins 29 Awards at State Conference

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A team of 30 Kettering University students participated virtually in the 2022 DECA State Career Development Conference Feb. 3-5. Six other universities also participated.

The team, which consists of business, engineering, science, technology and math majors, took home eight first-place awards, nine second-place awards and four third-place awards.

Kettering had the second-largest participating team, with half of its members participating in collegiate DECA for the first time.

Twenty-one team members are eligible to compete in the International Career Development Conference on April 9-12 in Baltimore.

The other six universities that competed were Clearly University, Davenport University, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan State University, Northwood University and Michigan Technological University.

DECA promotes professionalism through business and entrepreneurship at both the collegiate and high school levels throughout the world.

To learn more about the DECA team, contact Dr. Ken Williams at kwilliams@kettering.edu.

Olivia Wright Receives Collegiate Guiding Star Award

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Olivia Wright (’23, IE/MGMT) was named a Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Collegiate Guiding Star.

This award recognizes exceptional collegiate leaders who have made outstanding contributions to SWE, the engineering community, their campus, and the community and have been a member of SWE for at least two years. No more than 15 Guiding Star Awards are presented each year nationally.

“It is such an honor to be nominated by the section. Thank you for this opportunity,” Wright said. “All of our ideas and initiatives could not be possible without the tremendous support and help from our members.”

Wright will receive the award at the SWE Local Conference in Buffalo, New York, in April.

Robot Honor Society Inducts New Members

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Eight new members were welcomed into the Robot Honor Society on Dec. 7 during an event.

The Robot Honor Society recognizes 1 percent of students for their outstanding creative leadership, service that transcends self and citizenship that demonstrates responsibility. Students go through a highly selective process conducted by their peers, staff and faculty.

Congratulations to the following new members:

Parker_Authier

Parker Authier
’22, EE/CE

Alexandra_Bahm

Alexandra Bahm
’24, Management

Rachel_Learman

Rachel Learman
’22, Biochem

Austin_Schmitz

Austin Schmitz
’23, ME

Candance_Ulett

Candance Ulett
’22, ME

Valerie_Verhaeghe

Valerie Verhaeghe
’22, Applied Biology

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Dr. Veronica Moorman
Associate Professor of Biochemistry

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Dr. Allan Taylor
Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering

Alpha Pi Mu Initiates Five New Members

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Emily Hong
’24, IE

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Wyatt Moser
’23, IE

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Lauren Tithof
’23, IE

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Chloe Wegener
’22, IE

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Olivia Wright
’23, IE and Mgmt

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Alpha Pi Mu, the industrial engineering honor society, initiated five new members during a ceremony Dec. 7.

To qualify for membership, students must be in the top 20 percent of their junior class or top 33 percent of their senior class and exhibit positive character traits.

Congratulations to the following students:

Kettering Among Top Teams of International Competition

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A Kettering team took second place in the Standards for Educational Advancement and Accreditation Fifth Instant Case Competition on Nov. 27.

The team of Gerardo Rios (’21, ME), Adam Hudecek (’23, ME) and Curtis Bartz (’21, EE) took second place for their presentation, “Hospice Care During COVID-19.” Another Kettering team, Haley Fox (’21, ME), William Moss (’24, CS) and Paulene Lasaca (’26, Management) was among the 12 finalists of the competition, too.

The competition, “B-School Challenges for Preparing Leaders for Digital Era,” consisted of a written case analysis and video case presentation, judged by a panel of experts from academia and industry.

Professor John Grether used the competition as a group assignment in his Management 101 class and encouraged the two teams to enter the contest.

“I am especially proud of these students and their ability to engage in a broader discussion of the application of technology to business and social issues, as by doing so they fundamentally support the Kettering brand,” Grether said.

The virtual event took place in New Delhi, India.

SWE Honors Professor with Engaged Advocate Award

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Dr. Diane Peters, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been selected as one of the recipients of the Engaged Advocate award for 2022.

This honor is awarded by the Society of Women Engineers to people who contribute to the advancement or acceptance of women in engineering.

Peters will be presented with the award in March at the WE Local Conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

SAE Recognizes Most Impactful Volunteers

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Dr. Jennifer Bastiann (’97), Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and Kettering University Board of Trustees member Carla Bailo (’83) were recognized as members of the “Top Contributor Class” of most impactful volunteers at the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) International 2021 Contributor of the Year Celebration.

Bastiann’s volunteer work with SAE includes organizing conferences, serving on a journal’s editorial board and advising multiple SAE student teams at Kettering. Bailo’s volunteer work includes speaking at conferences and authoring SAE publications.

The event was Nov. 4-7 in Tucson, Arizona.

Jack Stock Honored with Community Award

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Jack Stock, Director of External Relations, was honored with the Gloria DeHart Community Champion Award during the Flint & Genesee Group’s Art of Achievement Awards on Nov. 4.

Stock has been with the University for more than 20 years. His work includes serving as co-chair of the University Avenue Corridor Coalition, a group of neighborhood stakeholders that addresses blight and crime spots, improve community health, stabilize land use, improve education and create partnerships to enhance the community. He also coordinates student volunteers for various community projects and events including, the CRIM Festival of Races, neighborhood cleanups and various beautification efforts.

The award, which is sponsored by Chase Bank, is given to a person or organization that worked to create a positive impact and perception of the area. It was the seventh year for the event, which is a communitywide celebration of the accomplishments that are helping move Flint and Genesee County forward.

 

Dr. Diane Peters Receives Patent Recognition Award

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Dr. Diane Peters, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, received the Patent Recognition Award at the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) annual conference, WE21, Oct. 21-23 in Indianapolis.

Peters received the award in honor of a patent granted for microfluidic device and method using double anodic bonding, for which she was one of the named inventors.

This is the second consecutive year Peters has received the award.

Student Wins Michigan ITS Poster Contest

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William Wakefield (’22, Applied Mathematics) won first place and a $2,000 scholarship Oct. 5 in a poster contest at the 2021 Michigan Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Conference.

Wakefield is a member of the University’s AutoDrive team. His poster’s design was on the AutoDrive Challenge and the work the team is doing to develop an autonomous vehicle.

Dr. Javad Baqersad Selected to Speak at IMAC-XL Conference

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Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Dr. Javad Baqersad has been selected to deliver the 2022 SAGE Publishing Young Engineer Lecture during the IMAC-XL conference Feb. 7-10 in Orlando.

The award recognizes a member of the Society for Experimental Mechanics who is early to mid-career and demonstrates potential in the field of experimental mechanics.

The IMAC-XL conference focuses on structural dynamics including simulation and modeling, nonlinear dynamics, sensors, signal processing and control spanning the full range of engineering disciplines.

Eta Kappa Nu Initiates New Members

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HKN 2021-03 Initiates Group

 

Members of the Eta Kappa Nu E-Board with initiates. From left Gabrielle Malson, Lindsey Malson, Malachi Eovaldi, Guiseppe Ciaramitaro, Matthew Attisha, Steven Samrau and Hayvin Bolten.

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The Theta Epsilon chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Honors Society, initiated three new members Sept. 21.

To qualify for membership, students must be in the top 24 percent of their junior class or top 33 percent of their senior class and exhibit positive character traits.

Congratulations to the following students:

  • Matthew Attisha (’23, EE)
  • Guiseppe Ciaramitaro (’23, EE)
  • Malachi Eovaldi (’22, CE)

KDS Welcomes New Executive Chef

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Kettering Dining Service’s new Executive Chef is Antwain Trimble. Trimble is a Flint native who studied at the Pennslyvania Culinary Institute and has experience in the hospitality industry, including Ann Arbor’s Hilton Garden Inn, Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac, the Flint Institute of Arts and Flint’s Sauce Italian American Kitchen.

He is passionate about food and loves indulging in new ingredients and trends.

“Food is my specialty,” Trimble said. “I love to make stomachs smile!”

2020 Alumnus Publishes Paper at International Conference

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Will Page (’20, IE) published a paper at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Second International Conference on Human-Machine Systems (IEEE ICHMS), which will be Sept. 8-10 in Magdeburg, Germany.

The hybrid conference (virtual and physical attendance) focuses on state-of-the-art research in Human-Machine Systems, including contributions from academia, industry and management agencies.

The paper, “Advancing Human Adoption of Technology,” will be available in the next edition of IEEE’s Xplore.

Page is now a project manager at Light Guide Systems, an industrial automation company, based in Wixom, MI.

 

Echempati Named Honorary Professor at Indian University

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Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Raghu Echempati has been appointed an honorary faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Guwahati, India.

Echempati received this honor for his work with IIT’s Ph.D. students, speaking at their conferences, giving guest lectures and working on joint research papers. The appointment lasts two years.

IME Professor Gives Keynote Address at International Conference

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Dr. Abishek Balsamy Kamaraj, Assistant Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, presented the keynote address at the Third International Conference on Recent Advances in Mechanical Infrastructure.

His topic at the virtual conference was “Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing: A Non-thermal Metal Additive Manufacturing Process.”

Kamaraj was one of three keynote speakers for the Aug. 6-8 conference, which provides a forum for discussion on issues, concepts, skill development and possible innovations in the mechanical infrastructure sector.

SoM Honor Societies Induct New Members

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The School of Management (SoM) had its Celebration of Excellence event June 10, to recognize the outstanding performance of its DECA members, the memberships of the newly established Student Advisory Board, outstanding thesis in research, co-op and entrepreneurship, and the induction of new members both management honor societies, the Nu Chi Chapter of Delta Mu Delta and Sigma Alpha Chi.

Delta Mu Delta is an international honor society that recognizes academic excellence among Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs-accredited schools. To become a member, students must be a junior or senior,  major in an undergraduate management program, earn a 3.7 GPA or higher and be in the 20th percentile of their college class in cumulative average grades.

The inductees are Tyler Bourassa (’23, MG), Peter Murphy (’22, BA) and Justin Seng (’21, BA ‘21).

Sigma Alpha Chi recognizes academic excellence and leadership in the School of Management, Kettering University and community. To become a member, students must be a business major or business minor with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in management courses, represent outstanding qualities of leadership, professionalism and have a commitment to service within the School of Management, Kettering University and community.

The Sigma Alpha Chi inductees are Alexandra Bahm (’24, MG), Emma Bishoff (’23, MG), Tyler Bourassa (’23, MG), Brooklyn Crowder (’21, BA), Jon Miller (’23, MG), Andrew Schneider (’22, ME), Crystal Smalligan (’24, MG), Max Yunker (’22, ME).

Kettering’s Baja SAE Team places in Endurance Top 10

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The University Baja SAE team, Kettering Motorsports, competed in the Baja SAE Validation competition and earned seventh place in the endurance category.

Kettering Motorsports, which placed 11th overall, was one of 24 teams to compete April 29 through May 2 in Arizona. The team earned 439.82 points out of 1,000 possible points.

For the Baja SAE competition, students are tasked with designing and building a single-seat, all-terrain off-road vehicle capable of enduring various rough terrains.

Students interested in joining the University’s Baja SAE team can contact the team’s faculty advisor, Dr. Arnaldo Mazzei, at amazzei@kettering.edu.

 

Formula SAE Team Has Best Finish in Team History at Competition

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The Kettering University Formula SAE team finished seventh of 51 at the 2021 Formula SAE Validation Event, July 7-10 at the Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn.

This was the team’s best finish in the history of the program.

“It is a big deal to finish in the Top 10, as there is very strong competition, including from very large research universities with more students and funds compared to KU,” said Dr. Jennifer Bastiaan, team faculty advisor and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering. “We are very happy to finish seventh, our highest-ever-result.”

For the competition, students design, build and test their own open-wheel race car, gaining valuable knowledge on project management, team collaboration and budgeting.

Faculty to Speak at PrevCon

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Kettering University’s Professor Kristy Brinker Brouwer and Dr. Jennifer Bastiaan will be featured as part of the Safe Kids Worldwide Childhood Injury Prevention Convention, or PrevCon, the largest meeting in the world dedicated solely to the field of childhood injury prevention. The virtual event is July 12-16.

The theme of this year’s event is “Resilience” and will include top safety experts and partners from around the world to learn proven injury-prevention strategies, discover helpful resources, fuel creativity and make lasting connections.

Professor Brinker Brouwer is a featured speaker and moderator for two conference sessions: “Children and Automated Vehicles: What Do We Need to Know and Do?” and “Plenary: Children and Automated Vehicles.” Joining her at the Plenary session to discuss this emerging technology is U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Dr. Bastiaan will be spotlighted as an expert working in the AV field in this session as well.

For more information on PrevCon, go to safekids.regfox.com/prevcon2021.

Kettering LEADERS Select New Fellow

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The Kettering LEADERS selected Nathan Edward Cahilig (’24, ME) as a new fellow during a virtual event June 15.

The LEADERS endowment was established in 1999 to promote leadership development and foster personal growth. Students that meet these qualities and have demonstrated a capacity for excellence are selected as fellows.

Eta Kappa Nu Initiates One New Member

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The Theta Epsilon Chapter of Eta Kappa Nu initiated one new member June 15. To qualify for membership, students must be in the top 24 percent of their junior class or top 33 percent of their senior class and exhibit positive character traits.

Congratulations to Terry McDonald (’23, EE).

Eight Faculty Members Participate in Virtual Technology Forum with Chinese Partners

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Eight faculty members participated in the Zhejiang Chanxing-Kettering University New Energy Innovation Technology Cloud Matchmaking Forum on June 11.

The following faculty members served on the expert panel and spoke about their achievements and research with alternative energy sources:

  • Xuan Zhou, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Allan Taylor, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Joel Berry, Mechanical Engineering Professor
  • Gianfranco DiGiuseppe, Mechanical Engineering Professor
  • Chaitanya Mahajan, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Lecturer
  • Lihua Wang, Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor
  • Ronald Tackett, Associate Professor of Physics
  • Jonathan Wenzel, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering

Participants from different companies spoke with Kettering faculty experts about current technological needs and difficulties they are facing. Some companies have already expressed interest to further collaborate with Kettering through sponsored projects.

The provost and deans also attended the forum to support Kettering faculty.

Kettering University and the Zhejiang Province have been partners since 2019. They have been working to advance automotive engineering, alternative energies, robotics and artificial intelligence.