MME Achievements

MME 10-Year Merge Anniversary (2011-2021)

We're celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the successful merge of the departments of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics. Enjoy some of the highlights as we emerged into Mechanical & Materials Engineering.


Read MME 10-Year Magazine (PDF)
Cover of MME 10 Year Magazine


Nine student researchers earn awards at UNL Research Days

During the week of April 12-16, several Nebraska undergraduate and graduate researchers participated in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Research Days, and nine students earned top awards:

Undergraduate

  • Andrea Goertzen, junior, Chemical Engineering – " Metabolic modeling elucidates the distinctive landscape of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells"
  • Becca Francis, senior, Biological Systems Engineering – "Development of Nitric Oxide Testing Methodology to Investigate the Impact of Reactive Species on Breast Cancer Cells"
  • Aaron Haake, senior, Mechanical Engineering – "Tunable 3D Printing of Liquid-Metal-Embedded Elastomer Composite"
  • Stephanie Perez, senior, Civil Engineering – "Microplastic Soil/Sediment Extraction Efficiency for Different MP Polymers and Different Soil Types"

Graduate

  • Courtney Keiser, Ph.D. in Engineering, specializing in Materials Engineering – "Mechanically Optimized Vascular Bypass Grafts for Treating Patients with Peripheral Artery Disease" (Top Honors)
  • Amir Monemianesfahani, Ph.D. in Engineering, specializing in Biomedical Engineering – "Characterization of the Strain Rate-Dependent Mechanical Response of Single Cell-Cell Junctions" (Top Honors)
  • Samuel Flint, Ph.D. in Computer Science – "Escaping the Time Pit: Pitfalls and Guidelines for Using Time-Based Git Data"
  • Brandi Brown, Ph.D. in Biological Engineering – "Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009 Lignin Catabolism and Bioplastic Production"
  • Thivani Senathiraja, Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering – "The role of monovalent and multivalent cations within SiO2-TiO2-PBC nanocomposite membranes: Preparation and Characterization"

Nelson elected Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Carl Nelson, professor of mechanical and materials engineering.
Carl Nelson, professor of mechanical and materials engineering, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

The ASME Committee of Past Presidents confers the Fellow grade of membership on worthy candidates to recognize their outstanding achievements. ASME Fellows are nominated by other ASME Fellows or members and must have 10 or more years of active practice and at least 10 years of active corporate membership in ASME.


MME doctoral student Avegnon chosen Fellow in Black Trailblazers in Engineering

Kossi Loic M. Avegnon, a doctoral student in mechanical and materials engineering.
Kossi Loic M. Avegnon, a Ph.D. student in mechanical and materials engineering, was selected as a Fellow in the Black Trailblazers in Engineering (BTE) program organized by Purdue University.

The goal of the BTE program is to prepare future engineering faculty who are also committed to increasing the success of Black engineers. BTE Fellows were invited to attend a virtual four-day workshop - Feb. 24-27 – and will receive a $500 scholarship.

Avegnon, who is being advised by Michael Sealy and is a graduate research assistant specializing in additive manufacturing (3D printing) in the NEAT Lab, said his roots as a student and entrepreneur in Africa inspired him to create educational opportunities for rural and underserved communities. Avegnon said he hopes to pay forward his good fortune by becoming an engineering professor and inspiring more Black students to pursue engineering careers.

"My passion is helping raise professional mobility for students with less access to quality education," Avegnon said. "In Ghana, there are many students who are highly motivated but lack access to mentors and resources to truly excel in science and engineering.

"I was lucky to come across the right people who served as my mentors and contributed to my personal and professional growth. I want to do the same for the generations that come behind me."


MME alum Kube receives ASNT Young NDT Professional Award

Christopher Kube
Christopher Kube, who earned both master's and doctoral degrees from the Department of Mechancal and Materials Engineering, has been chosen by Materials Evlauation journal to receive the Young NDT Professional Award. This award recognizes individuals "whose initial career contributions exemplify high standards of excellence in the areas of professional achievement and meritorious service."

Kube is an assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics at Pennsylvania State University and is a cofounder of the Penn State Ultrasonics Laboratory (PennSUL), which is dedicated to ultrasound-related research with a core focus on research in nondestructive evaluation.

Prior to joining Penn State in 2018, Kube was a contract researcher at the US Army Research Laboratory, where he specialized in the nondestructive characterization of additively manufactured (AM) parts and structural health monitoring for fatigue awareness in rotorcraft vehicles.

In 2014, Kube received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics from Nebraska, where he studied the influence of residual stress and deformation on the scattering of ultrasound from inhomogeneities.

Kube's research interests include experimental and theoretical modeling of resonant ultrasound, acoustic microscopy, nonlinear ultrasonics, and ultrasonic scattering. Currently, he is leading several active research efforts spanning the use of ultrasound to monitor melt pool dynamics in 3D printing of metals, constitutive modeling of soft and deformed piezoelectric materials, and the combined influences of texture and residual stress on the resonant behavior of AM parts.


77 College of Engineering employees honored at UNL Service Awards

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln honored nearly 1,000 faculty and staff at the 2020 Service Awards, held virturally on Oct. 19. Among those recognized were 77 from the College of Engineering:

55 YEARS
Bing Chen, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Jerald Varner, Electrical & Computer Engineering

45 YEARS
Dennis Alexander, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Shelly Everett, Computer Science & Engineering

40 YEARS
Larita Lang, Computer Science & Engineering

35 YEARS
Thomas Grady, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Hamid Vakilzadian, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Joyce Young, Engineering Computer Science

30 YEARS
Karen Coen-Brown, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Ronald Faller, Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
Jim Holloway, Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
Michael Kocher, Biological Systems Engineering
Gary Krause, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Omaha
Tim Terrell, College of Engineering

25 YEARS
Leonard Akert, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Scott Chaffin, Computer Science & Engineering
Richard Koelsch, Biological Systems Engineering
Ann Koopmann, Computer Science & Engineering
Charles Riedesel, Computer Science & Engineering

20 YEARS
Aemal Khattak, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Lincoln
Karen Moore, Engineering Dean's Office-Omaha
Mark Stroup, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Alex Russell, Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
Lily Wang, College of Engineering
Clarence Waters, Durham School Architectural Engineering & Construction

15 YEARS
Junke Guo, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Omaha
Jay Harner, Biological Process Development Facility
Haorong Li, Durham School of Architectural Engineering & Construction
Ying Lu, Computer Science & Engineering
Yong Rak Kim, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Lincoln
George Morcous, Durham School of Architectural Engineering & Construction
Barbara Robertson, College of Engineering
Mathias Schubert, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Carl Nelson, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Li Tan, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Ken Townsend Jr., Electrical & Computer Engineering

10 YEARS
Milunka Brajic, College of Engineering
Julia Brunkow, College of Engineering
Carrick Detweiler, Computer Science & Engineering
Lucia Fernandez Ballester, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Jenna Huttenmaier, Computer Science & Engineering
Srivatsan Kidambi, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Ron Kruml, Computer Science & Engineering
Wei Niu, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Lameck Odhiambo, Biological Systems Engineering
Shea Svoboda, Computer Science & Engineering
Erin Swanson, College of Engineering
Steve Sypal, Biological Process Development Facility
Douglas Triplett, Biological Systems Engineering
Tracy Zimmerman, Biological Systems Engineering

5 YEARS
Cameron Adams, College of Engineering
Vitaly Alexandrov, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Justin Bradley, Engineering Computer Science
Phillip Carter, College of Engineering
Micah Chaffee, Engineering Dean's Office-Omaha
Brittany Duncan, Computer Science & Engineering
Garrett Gassman, College of Engineering
Jenna Hefley, Biological Systems Engineering
Jiong Hu, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Omaha
Qing Hui, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Nicole Iverson, Biological Systems Engineering
Emili Jones, Engineering Dean's Office-Omaha
Kasey Juel, College of Engineering
Amanda Lager Gleason, Biological Systems Engineering
Patricia Lena, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Lincoln
Laurie Prettyman, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Jay Puckett, Durham School of Architectural Engineering & Construction
Jennifer Rasmussen, Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
Daran Rudnick, Biological Systems Engineering
Jared Schreiner, College of Engineering
Michael Sealy, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Chungwook Sim, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Omaha
Chung Song, Civil & Environmental Engineering-Lincoln
Cody Stolle, Midwest Roadside Safety Facility
Eli Sutter, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Peter Sutter, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Jian Wang, Mechanical & Materials Engineering


Keiser chosen to SWE Leadership Development Program

Courtney Keiser, doctoral student in mechanical and materials engineering.
Courtney Keiser, a Ph.D. student in mechanical and materials engineering, has been chosen to participate in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Leadership Development Program (LDP) on the Beginners Track. Keiser, who is advised by Alexey Kamenskiy, has a research focus on developing femoropopliteal bypass grafts and aortic stent grafts with optimized mechanical properties for cardiovascular surgery.

The LDP is an intensive program designed to help SWE collegiate members expand their leadership potential and overall SWE knowledge. Over the course of a year, selected participants engage in monthly meetings, develop relationships with collegiate and professional SWE members, and further expand their leadership abilities through implementation of their learnings. In addition, LDP participants join other collegians at the Collegiate Leadership Institute (CLI) at Society conference for professional development workshops and networking opportunities.

Keiser has served as the SWE Graduate Member Coordinator for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's collegiate section since 2019 and is the Learning Content Coordinator for the GradSWE Leadership Team.


Doctoral student Sotelo receives SHPE 2020 STAR Award

Luz Sotelo, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics, is one of four engineering students in the U.S. who have been chosen to receive a 2020 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) STAR Award for being Student Role Models. Sotelo is the only graduate student among the four recipients. The Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) Award recipients will be recognized during the virtual SHPE 2020 National Convention, Oct. 28-29. 

The prestigious awards honor outstanding professionals for their dedication, commitment, and selfless efforts to advance Hispanics in STEM careers.


Sotelo chosen as LATinE 2020 fellow

Luz Sotelo, a doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, was among the 17 students from across the U.S. chosen as a LATinE 2020 Fellow for the Latinx Trailblazers in Engineering conference that was held July 29-31 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Sotelo was also one of three poster competition winners at the workshop.

LATinE is a new initiative intended to increase the number and success of Latinx/Hispanic engineering faculty in the U.S., who in turn, will blaze new trails with new discoveries, innovations and social impact and serve as role models for the next generation of engineers.


Study of ceramics manufacturing using lasers featured by national lab

An article on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory website shows how Nebraska Engineering researchers are studying how to manufacture and functionalize a wide range of advanced ceramic products using new technology, such as laser additive manufacturing (LAM). The team, which includes Bai Cui, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, and Xiang Zhang, graduate research assistant in mechanical and materials engineering, used lasers in the Laser-Assisted Nano Engineering Lab and high-end 3D printers in the Nebraska Engineering Additive Technology Lab, to melt and print samples of advanced ceramics and study how those processes induced changes and defects in the materials.


Paper by Cui, Lu among most-cited in Journal of American Ceramic Society

A paper co-authored by Bai Cui, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, and Yongfeng Lu, professor of electrical and computer engineering, is among the most-cited papers published in Journal of the American Ceramic Society. The paper is titled “(Hf0.2Zr0.2Ta0.2Nb0.2Ti0.2)C high-entropy ceramics with low thermal conductivity,” and was one of the first reports of high-entropy ceramics, a new ceramic material that has become an attractive material due to their high structural stability, unique physical properties, and potential applications in ultra-high temperature environments in aerospace and nuclear applications. For 102 years, the Journal of the American Ceramic Society has been a leading source for top-quality basic science research and modeling spanning the diverse field of ceramic and glass materials science.