Dear ME friends, alumnae/i, and students:
I appreciate you taking the time to read this issue of Mech E Force. A lot has happened in our department since last fall, and I’m excited to share some highlights with you.
Students: The 35th annual Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Day was held Tuesday, May 3 in Hodson Hall. Sixteen teams of Mechanical Engineering Seniors presented the final results of their Senior Design Projects, in the form of presentations, prototypes and posters. One of these projects, a prosthetic foot designed for use with high heels, already has been featured in major news outlets such as FOX News and has more press in the pipeline. View all of this year’s projects here.
The Johns Hopkins Baja SAE team continues to amaze us with their creativity and determination to better themselves from the previous year. This year’s team was led by Anna Goodridge, the first female captain in the history of the club. Check out her vision for the future and what the title of captain means to her.
Finally, we are proud to guide our students to apply what they use in the classroom in real-life application. Prof. Marin Kobilarov served as advisor to a Whiting School of Engineering team that won the 2016 KUKA Innovation Award. Neda Yaghoobian, a postdoctoral visiting scholar worked with Prof. Rajat Mittal to create a computer model to help unravel the wicked wind conditions on the 12th hole on the Augusta National Golf Club. These are only a few of the most recent examples of the great work our students are performing.
Faculty and Staff: We are sad to report that Prof. Andrea Prosperetti is retiring from JHU to pursue other opportunities at the University of Houston. Dr. Prosperetti will continue to be affiliated with the Department with his appointment as Homewood Professor of Engineering beginning July 1, 2016. Join us in celebrating his illustrious career here as we wish him well in his new adventure.
Prof. Tamer Zaki received an Office of Naval Research Young Investigative Award. Prof. Charles Meneveau was awarded Honorary Doctorate by Danish Technical University. Prof. Steven Marra received the Capers and Marion McDonald Award for Excellence in Mentoring and Advising at Convocation this year.
Six of our current or former staff members were nominated for awards given by the Whiting School of Engineering this year and we are proud to announce that all three of this year’s Excellence Awards were given to current or former Mechanical Engineering staff! Jess Ader, Mike Bernard, and Lorrie Dodd received 2016 Whiting School Staff Excellence Awards for “distinguished recognition of their hard work, devotion, and commitment to excellence.”
We’re sure our alumni aren’t just resting on their laurels, but haven’t heard from many of you recently. Have an interesting story to tell? Recently win an award? Work on a cool project? Tell us! We’d love to hear from you and feature you on our social media channels and alumni page.
Our website is constantly being updated with news and information; I encourage you to visit it often. If you’d prefer a more interactive experience, our Facebook page is a great place to learn about upcoming events, view photos, and interact with other Mechanical Engineering students, alumni/ae, and friends.
Did you notice something that’s missing, or simply want to provide commentary or feedback? Please feel free to email me at mech_eng@jhu.edu, call me at 410-516-6782, or even mail us a letter at Department of Mechanical Engineering, 223 Latrobe Hall, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. I looking forward to hearing from you and hope you’re doing well.
Best Regards,
Louis L. Whitcomb
Professor and Chair
Department of Mechanical Engineering