UH Alumnus to Lead Spacewalks on 128th Space Shuttle Flight
(August 17, 2009) UH Cullen College of Engineering alumnus Danny Olivas (1993 MSME) will be aboard NASA shuttle Discovery when it launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida tomorrow. Bound for the International Space Station, the crew of the STS-128 mission will be spending 13 days in outer space to replace an ammonia tank used to move excess heat from inside the space station to radiators outside as well as retrieve a large pallet of science experiments from outside the station's Columbus Laboratory to bring back to Earth.

Saying Goodbye to the Y: Alumnus, Son of Professor Shares his Memories
(June 10, 2009) Scott Prengle (1981 BSEE, 1984 MSEE)—son of William Prengle, one of three chemical engineering department founders—recalls the significance of the Y-Building during the early years of the college's existence. He spent many days in the facility as a child and then later as a UH engineering student. The metal structure, pegged to be demolished soon, housed the first dean's office, faculty offices and laboratories and, to this day, still provides space for research and student organizations.

Speakers Honor Achievements of Alumni, University at Awards Dinner
(June 10, 2009) Four Cullen College alumni were honored Friday at the Engineering Alumni Association's Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards banquet. Accomplishments by Gabe Cuadra (1988 BSChE), Michael Harold (1985 Ph.D. ChE), Duane Germenis (1983 BSME), and Daniel Wong (1983 BSCE, 1985 MSCE, 1988 Ph.D. CE) were celebrated along with recent accomplishments of the college and university.

Alumni to be Honored at Annual Dinner
(May 14, 2009) Four University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering alumni will be recognized next month at the 2009 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards Dinner. Established in 1987, the awards dinner recognizes alumni, faculty and friends of the college and the Engineering Alumni Association. At this year’s event, four alumni will be honored not only for their contributions within the community, but also to the engineering profession. Gabriel W. Cuadra (1988 BSChE) and Daniel O. Wong (1983 BSCE, 1985 MSCE, 1988 Ph.D. CE) will be honored with Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards; Duane Germenis (1983 BSME) will receive the Roger Eichhorn Leadership Award; and Michael P. Harold (1985 Ph.D. ChE) is the recipient of the Abraham E. Dukler Distinguished Engineering Faculty Award.

Longtime NASA Employee, UH Alumnus Reflects on Time with NASA
(November 4, 2008) Dennis Webb (1976 BSEE) started with NASA during the last leg of the Apollo missions, still a rookie engineer on a University of Houston Co-op. Now, a veteran of the agency, the 54-year-old plans to end his career with NASA the same way he started—helping get astronauts to the moon. His current work with NASA is among the components of the agency’s Constellation Program, slated to take astronauts to the Moon on Orion, one component of a three-part system that will be the successor to the space shuttle.

Alumnus Tapped to Lead National Engineering Society
(November 3, 2008) D. Wayne Klotz (1976 MSCE) has been named president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the oldest national engineering society in the United States. Klotz was installed as ASCE president on Nov. 8 at the organization’s annual conference. He accepts the position following a yearlong commitment as ASCE president-elect, and more than three decades in posts on ASCE committees and boards at the local, state and national levels.

Alumnus Establishes $1M Endowment for Engineering Faculty
(August 12, 2008) William C. Miller, Jr. (1955 BSPE) has established a $1 million endowment to support the academic and research activities of UH Cullen College of Engineering faculty. The William C. Miller Endowed Chair was established in honor of Charles V. Kirkpatrick, an emeritus professor and former dean who mentored Miller while he pursued his education in petroleum engineering. Miller has served as president of his own business, W.C. Miller Operating Company, for more than 40 years.

Engineering Alumnus Wins National Award
(April 28, 2008) Scott Elmer (1997 BSCE), city engineer and director of public works in Missouri City, has been named one of the Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year by the American Public Works Association. The national award will be given to Elmer this August at the Public Works Congress and Exposition in New Orleans. He has been previously honored with the association's National Emerging Leader in Public Works Award and has received the Texas Public Works Leader of the Year Award.

College Alum Aboard Upcoming Atlantis Mission
(December 6, 2007) UH Cullen College of Engineering alum Rex Walheim (1989 MSIE) will be aboard the Atlantis (STS-122) mission when it blasts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida tomorrow at 4:09 p.m. (3:09 p.m. CST). During the mission, the STS-122 crew will be delivering and installing a laboratory module on the International Space Station. The STS-122 mission will be Walheim's second flight to the space station aboard Atlantis. In 2002, he flew on the STS-110 mission to install a truss. Read more about Walheim.

Engineering Alum Journeys to Space
(June 5, 2007) Cullen College alumnus John "Danny" Olivas (1993 MSME) will journey to the International Space Station on June 8 as a member of the STS-117 Atlantis crew. Atlantis is scheduled to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 6:38 p.m. (CST). During the 11-day mission, Olivas will assist in installing two truss segments on to the station as part of its solar-power system. He will participate in two of the mission's three space walks during his inaugural journey into outer space.

Alumna Receives "Emerging Leader" Award from SWE
(November 20, 2006) Cullen College alumna Saddika Demir (1993 BSCE) received the Society of Women Engineers' 2006 Emerging Leaders Award for her work with Bechtel Corp, an engineering, construction and project management firm based in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors women engineers who have demonstrated outstanding technical excellence resulting in significant accomplishments. Demir joined SWE while pursuing her degree at UH.

Alum Publishes Textbook for Civil Engineering Students
(October 10, 2006) Cullen College alumnus Harry O. Ward (BSCE 1984) has published Autodesk Civil 3D: Procedures & Applications, a textbook for civil engineering students that provides training in the software program. Though Autodesk has been on the market for several years now, Ward's book is the first text to cover it and has generated widespread interest since it's release last month. Several colleges and technical programs across the nation have adopted the text.

UH Alum Recognized for Offshore Drilling Development
(October 4, 2006) An invention patented by Bob Herrmann (BSME 1972, MSME 1973) was named one of the 50 most important developments in the history of offshore drilling by Offshore magazine last year. Along with two other individuals, he patented the dual-activity drilling system in 1996, which allows two drills to be operated by a single large oil derrick. The system significantly cuts the time required to conduct deep-water operations, thereby reducing costs.

Alumnus Elected Vice President of Texas Municipal League
(August 25, 2006) Cullen College of Engineering alumnus Daniel Wong, Ph.D., P.E., has been elected the First Vice President of the Texas Municipal League, Region 14. The TML is a private, non-profit association that provides services to Texas cities through legislative, legal, and educational efforts. Wong’s new role will help municipalities throughout Region 14 to effectively address their legislative needs through TML. He was also recently appointed to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers by Governor Rick Perry.

Alum Receives Award for Work in Alternative Energy
(August 9, 2006) University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering alum Vesna Mirkovic (BSEE 1999) has received the Outstanding Inventor Award from the Houston Intellectual Property Law Association. Mirkovic and a colleague developed a remote automated control system that manages several different processes and systems for the unmanned operation of Chevron’s hydrogen fueling stations. Thanks to this system, fueling stations located out-of-state can be monitored by engineers in Houston.

UH Engineering Alumnus Signs Major Deal with LucasArts
(June 23, 2006) University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering Alumnus Mitch Bunnell (1985 BSEE) has signed a contract to incorporate technology developed by his company, Pixelux Entertainment, into video games developed by George Lucas’ LucasArts. Bunnell's Digital Molecular Matter (DMM) technology simulates how objects behave in real-world environments, eliminating the need for costly pre-animation production by providing animation in real-time. DMM will be incorporated into the next ten games produced by LucasArts, including Indiana Jones and Star Wars.

Alumnus-Owned Firm Receives Award for Innovation
(June 9, 2006) A company owned by University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering alumnus Manmohan Kalsi (1970 MS ME, 1975 PhD ME) recently received the Woelfel Distinguished Innovation Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineer's International Petroleum Technology Institute. Kalsi Engineering received the award for its Kalsi Hydrodynamic Thrust Bearing™, a compact bearing that extends the performance envelope of drill bits and down-hole motors and other down-hole tools to operate under higher loads and speeds, making it cheaper and more efficient than other bearings.

UH Engineering Alums Honored During EWeek
(February 24, 2006) Three UH Cullen College of Engineering alumni were honored by various organizations as part of National Engineers Week activities. Industrial engineering alum Mario Duarte was named one of the "New Faces of Engineering" by the Engineers Week Foundation; chemical engineering alum Karin Kabin was honored as the Young Engineer of the Year by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, South Texas Section; and mechanical engineering alum Ryan Schmidt was recognized as Young Engineer of the Year by the South Texas Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

UH Engineering Alumna Develops Hand Mimetic Device For Premature Babies, Mothers
(May 10, 2005) When Yamile Cendales Jackson (2000 PhD IE) gave birth to her son Zachary, he was 12 weeks premature and weighed only one pound, 15 ounces. Now Zachary is a thriving four year old, and Jackson used her experience to develop a hand mimetic device, the Zaky, which is named after her son, to help premature babies and their mothers feel closer to each other.

Engineering Alumni Announces 2005 Recipients of the Distinguished Engineering Awards
(May 10, 2005) Benton Baugh (1967 BSME) and Steven Simmons (1981 BSCE) will receive the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award at the 2005 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, June 3 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown Houston. Eray Aydil (1991 PhD ChE) will receive the Distinguished Young Engineering Alumna Award and Cheryl Thompson-Draper will receive the Roger Eichhorn Leadership Service Award. Electrical and computer engineering professor Betty Barr will receive the Abraham E. Dukler Distinguished Engineering Faculty Award.

UH Industrial Engineering Alumnus Co-Authors First Book on Retail Consulting
(January 6, 2005) Willard N. Ander (1965 BSIE) recently co-authored a retail-consulting book, Winning at Retail. The book stresses the importance of “being the best at something for a specific segment and not trying to be everything to everyone.” Ander, also a former UH assistant professor, is an expert consultant on strategy, new store development, and retail best practices.

UH Alumnus Merges Engineering, Communication to Aid in Product Development
(December 3, 2004) As an applications engineer, UH alumnus Kevin Self (1991 BSEE) finds new ways to use his company's 8 and 16-bit microprocessors to solve technical challenges for a wide range of applications and industries. Self’s knowledge of microcontrollers and experience in technical support led him to write one of Dallas Semiconductor's technical manuals, The High-Speed Microcontroller Data Book.

UH Alumna Embraces Diversity of Engineering Background to Solve Real-World Problems
(November 2, 2004) Applying background knowledge to solve current problems is a forte of UH chemical engineering graduate Judith Oppenheim (1983 PhD ChE) at Solutia Inc. in Pensacola, Florida, where she serves as a senior research specialist with an emphasis in environmental concerns. “I used my background in air pollution control to come up with a new gas purification process,” Oppenheim said. “We have an adipic acid process, and the vent from the adipic acid process has a lot of NOx—nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide. This is an ozone depleting gas, so it needs to be controlled. Solutia had the technology so that if they were able to purify the gas, they could make a value added product.”

UH Engineering Alumnus Networked First ATMs, Developed Automated Fuel Dispensing System
(October 21, 2004) In engineering, many discoveries that improve the quality of life do so in unseen ways, but alumnus Fred Gentile’s (1961 BSEE) development is in everyday use across the world—ATM, Automated Teller Machine. He was the development manager for Docutel Corporation, where he developed the networks that tie the ATMs together. Gentile has a patent in networked automatic banking systems with networks. His interest in ATMs grew from a personal desire for expediency.

UH Civil Engineering Alumnus Develops Technology for New Offshore Structure
(October 5, 2004) Residents across the nation will feel the effects of Jose Vazquez's (1989 BSCE, 1990 MSCE, 1995 PhD CE) latest project, a deep water liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal using the Soft Berth™ system, developed by Bennett and Associates and Freeport McMoRan Energy LLC, that has been in development for the last year and a half. The system has the potential of affecting heating and cooling systems by stabilizing the supply of natural gas.

Engineering Alumni Build Flourishing Business, Recognize UH as Driving Factor
(October 1, 2004) UH Cullen College of Engineering alumni Bill Fendley (1971 BSCE) and Odis Cobb (1971 BSCE, 1979 MSCE) are featured in the Parameters magazine.

UH Alumnus Flourishes in Engineering Practice, Navy, Air Force for Three Decades
(September 1, 2004) C. Rick Coneway (1973 BSCE, 1976 MSCE) always wanted to fly. After receiving his first bachelor’s degree, the native Houstonian joined the U.S. Navy and used that time to launch a now 31-year dual career in the U.S. Navy and Air Force, and in engineering.

UH Engineering Alumnus Carlos Ortiz-Longo Designs and Maintains Equipment for International Space Station
(July 20, 2004) Although engineering is about applying math and science principles to practical uses, UH engineering alumnus Carlos Ortiz-Longo (1993 MS, 2000 PhD) is quick to explain that it doesn't mean there is no room for variety and fun in his profession -- and that makes his work out of this world. Literally. Ortiz-Longo, who works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Johnson Space Center in Houston, manages a team that designs and maintains exercise equipment for the crew of the International Space Station. Tuning exercise equipment sounds simple enough, but Ortiz-Longo and his team have one requirement that alters their work quite drastically. Story from the Daily Cougar.

UH Engineering Alumnus Lends Expertise to Small Entrepreneurial Businesses
(March 24, 2004) Michael A. Ervin (1966 BSChE, 1969 MSChE, 1970 PhD ChE) began a 21-year tenure at DuPont in positions ranging from research engineer to vice president of R&D, and his journey took him to Europe and all across the United States. Now, Ervin, eager for a change of pace, has settled down in Austin, Texas, to get involved in a small company.

UH Engineering Alumnus to Receive National Teaching Award
(March 1, 2004) UH engineering alumnus Abdeldjelil “DJ” Belarbi will receive one of the country’s most prestigious national teaching awards this week when Chi Epsilon, the National Civil Engineering Honor Society, convenes its annual meeting at Purdue University.

UH Engineering Alumnus and Entrepreneur Prepares to Launch New Software Product for Medical Industry
(January 22, 2004) “Even when I was a kid, I always knew I was going to be an engineer,” says Houston entrepreneur Jeff Beauchamp, who received both his bachelors and masters degrees in mechanical engineering from UH. Beauchamp’s startup software company, Datalign®, has recently licensed its information management technology from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and is in the early stages of product rollout. Learn more about Jeff Beauchamp..

Time Can't Erase Fond Memories for Civil Engineering Alumnus
(October 31, 2003) LeRoy Laycock (1953 BSCE) recently took a moment to thumb through his old yearbook. Serving on the calling committee for this year’s Houston Alumni Organization’s Golden Reunion has given him the chance to catch up with friends he hasn’t talked to in 50 years.

UH Scores Big in Houston Sports Scene
(June 6, 2003) UH alumnus Jimmie Schindewolf, pictured on the cover, has enjoyed a brilliant career in civil engineering, making tremendous contributions to the City of Houston and the surrounding community. Former Dallas Cowboys Head Coach and UH alumnus Tom Landry and four engineering student athletes are also featured. Read this and more in the latest issue of Parameters magazine...

Chemical Engineering Graduate Claims Regional SPE Dissertation Prize
(May 29, 2003) Luigi Saputelli's doctoral dissertation on a proposed self-learning reservoir management system recently claimed second place in the Society of Petroleum Engineers 2003 Gulf Coast Regional Paper Contest.

Ph.D. Candidate Chose UH to Connect with Industry
(April 15, 2003) Karen Coym, a Ph.D. candidate in the UH Cullen College of Engineering, is working with the university's $3.8 million contract with the City of Houston for Air Quality studies. The army of gas canisters are a small part of her arsenal for researching reduction of NOx in diesel emissions using absorption, and then desorption and reduction.

Former Engineering Ph.D. Student Receives APS Dissertation Award
(September 10, 2002) Wade Schoppa has been selected to receive the 2002 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics from the American Physical Society. The award honors Schoppa's doctoral research with the UH Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he focused on the mechanisms of fluid turbulence in flow over solid surfaces and the development of new drag reduction strategies applicable to aircraft, ships and pipelines.

UH Engineering Alumnus to Spacewalk on Next Shuttle Mission
(March 19, 2002) Astronaut Rex J. Walheim, a University of Houston engineering alumnus, will make his first trip to space and participate in two spacewalks during NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis mission to the International Space Station next month.

Two UH Alums Receive the 2002 Young Engineers
of the Year from Houston Chapters
(February 26, 2002) UH engineering alumni Peter Borsack and LeAnne Napolillo are named 2002 Young Engineers of the Year by the Society of American Military Engineers-Houston and American Society of Civil Engineers-Houston, respectively.

Engineering Good Taste
(February 1, 2002) How does a wine become exceptional? Simple answer—engineering. Just ask Raymond Haak (1969 BSEE), owner and award-winning winemaker in Santa Fe, Texas. To him, winemaking is the merging of science and math with the creative arts.