Dear ME friends, alumni, and students:
Welcome to the spring 2017 issue of MechE Force. We’ve had a lot of exciting developments within the department and I’m excited to share some highlights with you.
For almost four years it has been my great privilege to serve as Chair of the ME Department. As I complete my term as Chair, I am thrilled to report that, after an exhaustive year-long external search, we have recruited a highly distinguished faculty member to the newly created position of Department Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Stay tuned – we anticipate that a formal announcement of this exciting appointment will be made on or about July 1, 2017.
Our undergraduates continue to amaze us with their talent and passion, especially the Class of 2017, who showcased their ingenuity on May 9 during Senior Design Day.
Tamer Zaki was awarded the William H. Huggins Excellence in Teaching Award for outstanding teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Zaki was selected by a subcommittee of Tau Beta Pi, who drew upon nominations from students and faculty in making their selection. This award was presented at the annual Whiting School of Engineering Convocation Awards on Monday, May 8 in the Shriver Hall auditorium. Tamer Zaki and David Kramer were among 12 School of Engineering faculty finalists nominated for teaching awards this year.
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Jeremy Brown who joined as Assistant Professor in January, and Dr. Claire Hur who will join us as Assistant Professor in the near future.
We’re extremely proud of the research and opportunities our faculty members provide to the scientific community. We’re not the only ones who are impressed, as we have multiple faculty members who have been recognized for their accomplishments. Dennice Gayme received both an NSF CAREER Award and an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program Award, Sean Sun and Jeff Wang were elected to the AIMBE College of Fellows, Dennice Gayme was installed as the Carol Croft Linde Faculty Scholar, and Jeremy Brown was installed as a John C. Malone Assistant Professor. Additionally, Rajat Mittal was showcased by ESPN’s Sport Science for his work regarding the dreaded 12th hole at Augusta National. In April, U.S. News and World Report ranked our graduate program 13th in all Mechanical Engineering Departments nationwide –an outstanding accomplishment given our small size.
No less than four ME Department staff members were nominated for the 2017 Whiting School of Engineering’s Staff Recognition Awards: Bess Bieluczyk, Shawna O’Brien, Deana Santoni, and Cynthia Larichiuta. At the WSE Staff Recognition Awards Luncheon on May 4, 2017, Bess Bieluczyk was awarded the Excellence Award and Shawna O’Brien was awarded the Rookie of the Year Award.
As for our alumni, we hope those of you who attended Reunion Weekend enjoyed your time back on campus. While it’s great to reminisce, how about sharing what you’re doing now? Recently win an award? Working on a cool project? Tell us! We’d love to hear from you and feature you on our social media channels and alumni page.
These highlights are just a portion of what’s happened within the department since our last newsletter. I encourage you to visit our website frequently, as it is constantly being updated with news and information. 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, and friends.
Did you notice something that’s missing, or simply want to provide commentary or feedback? Please feel free to email us at mech_eng@jhu.edu, call 410-516-6782, or even mail a letter to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, 223 Latrobe Hall, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.
Best Regards,
Louis L. Whitcomb
Professor and Chair
Department of Mechanical Engineering