ABE is among 8 of the 15 schools of engineering to finish the ABET accreditation will full marks! Congratulations for all of your hard work. Special thanks to Drs. Engel, Stroshine, Rickus, Cherkauer, Lumkes, and Okos and Sally Weaver for helping us through the process. What we do here matters!

In conjunction with USDA NIFA and USDA Water Quality funded projects, the Open Ag Technologies team of Dennis Buckmaster, Aaron Ault, Indrajeet Chaubey, Bernie Engel, Jim Krogmeier, Dan Ess, Dennis Flanagan, Jane Frankenberger, and Mark Tucker have launched three web sites and released 5 apps on GooglePlay.  Credit really goes to graduate students Sam Noel, JT Welte, Andrew Balmos, and Alex Layton as well as some undergraduates for a very productive summer.  For more information, check out:

• www.waterapps.org
• www.isoblue.org
• www.openatk.com

New Faces

Maha is pleased to welcome two more researchers to the lab. First, Tyler Bleazard, a Master’s student and recent graduate of Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) will be working in the systems group researching energy-saving actuation. The second addition to the systems group is former Maha Master’s student and graduate, Kyle Williams. Kyle has rejoined the team as a PhD student and will continue his research on hydraulic hybrid powertrains. Welcome to both!

Awards/Recognitions

Congratulations to Andrew Schenk (PhD Candidate) for receiving a 2013 SURF “Graduate Student Mentor of the Summer” award! Maha SURF student Jordyn Miller nominated Andrew for this honor by sharing her experiences and rating Andrew based on “technical and instructional competence, supervision/guidance, passion/enthusiasm for research, and motivation”. Great job Andrew and thanks to Jordyn and the rest of the SURF students for their excellent research this summer!
 

Special Visitors

Maha is looking forward to celebrating another successful year of research together with esteemed donors Ken and Susan Warren at the end of the summer. Ken has been in the fluid power industry for decades and he and his wife generously support Maha with $10,000 for research each year. Additionally, Purdue and Maha graduates Rick and Najoua Klop will be in attendance.

Maha Abroad

Andrew Schenk (PhD Candidate), Davide Cristofori (PhD Candidate), and Rohit Hippalgaonkar (PhD Candidate) traveled to nearby Joliet, Illinois for the 3-day CCEFP Student Retreat at Caterpillar, Inc. The retreat included factory and lab tours, research presentations, and networking activities. Maha has been one of the key university members of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) since its inaugural year in 2006.

Rami Jabakhanji, (PhD) Peridynamic modeling of coupled mechanical deformations and transient flow in unsaturated soils. Monday, July 29, 2013 ABE 301 1:00 pm (Mohtar)

Zhong Qiao (MS) Nutrients recovery from anaerobically-digested dairy manure by struvite formation and its effect on gas releases. Thursday, August 1, 2013 ABE 212 1:30 pm (Ni)

ABE welcomes two new faces to our family this fall: Nathan Engelberth and Professor Robert M. Stwalley III

Consulting engineer and energy entrepreneur, Bob Stwalley, joins ABE this fall to take over the Crop Production Machinery and Off-Road Vehicles courses.  Dr. Stwalley comes from a farm background and is an alumni of the department (AgEn ’82).  He is married to Dr. Carol Stwalley, also an alumnae of ABE (FPEngr ’83, MS ’85, Ph.D. ’90).  They have four children: Kathryn, Robert, Elizabeth, and Daniel (two Boilermakers and two future Boilermakers).  Dr. Stwalley has an extensive background in power conversion technologies, and during the course of his career, has worked with diesel engines, gas turbines, and rocket motors.  He is interested in advanced processes and systems for crop production, innovative specialty machine designs, advanced engine technologies, sustainable agricultural practices, and renewable energy.  Dr. Stwalley is the former Director of Professional Practice for the Purdue University system and strongly believes in the practical application of learning objectives by students within their college courses.  He will be assisting with the departmental capstone projects and hopes to bring his practical, objectives-oriented approach to the mentoring of senior projects.  Dr. Stwalley is also active in K-12 public education.  He is an active school board member with Lafayette School Corporation and sits on the Board of Directors for the Indiana State School Board Association.  He enjoys reading, writing, boating, outdoor activities, tinkering, and doing things with his wife and family.

Watch this space in the September issue for Nate Engelberth's introduction!

Following in the grand tradition of the ABE Department, we will have our Welcome Back picnic at the ADM Agricultural Innovation Center on Thursday, August 29, 2013. We will begin serving at 5:00 pm and will have giveaway items from various employers. Prior to the picnic there will be a contact session from 2:30 - 4:30 pm in ABE 301.