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March 2024
Volume 2 Issue 2
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Message from the Dean
Dr. Richard T. Schoephoerster
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As we continue our Washkewicz College of Engineering (WCE) centennial activities, there are so many other things for us to celebrate. Our faculty members have achieved significant milestones, such as Dr. Jingru Zhang, assistant professor in Computer Science, being honored with an NSF CAREER Award, and the renewal of support from the US Economic Development Administration's Build to Scale (B2S) program for WCE’s Entrepreneurial Manufacturer Digitization Support (EMDiS) center, with Dr. Jerzy Sawicki continuing as the PI for this grant.
Our students continue to excel and serve as inspirations to their peers. Doctoral student Kylie Schmidt shares her remarkable journey from biochemistry to biomedical engineering, while Alexis Marrero, an Electrical Engineering major with a minor in Mathematics, captivates audiences as a singer-songwriter, traveling from Nashville to LA and back home.
We are delighted to welcome Jenna Marzougui to our academic advising team and congratulate Dr. Jerzy Sawicki on his appointment as chair of the Mechanical Engineering department.
Our annual spring Engineering and Computer Science Connections fair was a resounding success, attracting over 1,000 students. This event, along with others such as the Fenn Academy activities, Senior Design Symposium, and the final Centennial Lecture with Dr. William Thesling, are highlighted throughout this publication.
As we approach the conclusion of another productive semester, and as we wrap up our centennial celebrations, I want to take this opportunity to thank the entire Washkewicz College of Engineering community for their dedication and commitment to who we have been for the past 100 years, and who we will be for the next.
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Kylie Schmitz: From Biochemistry
to Biomedical Engineering
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Kylie's journey to CSU was marked by meticulous research and networking. Introduced to the Applied Biomedical Engineering program through conversations with peers and faculty, she seized the opportunity to explore various research avenues before finding her niche in Dr. Ning's lab. Here, she collaborates on pioneering projects in biomaterial synthesis and 3D bioprinting for tissue regeneration, leveraging her diverse skill set and background. Read more here.
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A Harmony of Engineering and Music
with Alexis D. Marrero
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In the bustling heart of Cleveland, where the city's pulse reverberates through the streets, Alexis found her rhythm amidst the towering structures and the vibrant energy of the downtown area. It was during a tour of Cleveland State University (CSU) that she felt a sense of belonging wash over her, as if the campus itself whispered, "This is where you're meant to be."
"I love downtown Cleveland," Alexis recalled, with fondness. "As I was touring the school, I felt like it was where I was meant to be and didn’t feel the need to visit any other colleges." Choosing CSU was more than just selecting a school; it was embracing a vision of her future. With a determination as sturdy as the campus architecture, she embarked on her academic journey, drawn to the allure of Washkewicz College of Engineering. Read more here.
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From the Classroom to the Basketball Court, Washkewicz College of Engineering Students Score Big
Derivatives are used daily by five Washkewicz College of Engineering students, both in the classroom and on the court. The reigning Horizon League Championship Basketball Team is made up of five student athletes in the engineering college. (Pictured left to right.) Sara Guerreiro #12 (Mechanical Engineering), Shadiya Thomas #3 (Computer Engineering), Carmen Villalobos Garcia #13, named the 2024 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and All-Defensive Team honoree (Computer Science), Grace Ellis #4 (Mechanical Engineering) and Colbi Maples #11, named 2024 Horizon League Player of the Year, First Team and All-Defensive Team honoree (Electrical Engineering) played a significant amount of minutes this season for the Cleveland State University (CSU) Vikings and finished first place in the conference regular season final standings with 29 wins. Read more here. Cheers to Coach Chris Kielsmeier for being named the 2024 Horizon League Coach of the Year!
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Civil Engineering Students to Present
at the U.T.C. Conference
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Students from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department will present their research projects at the 7th Annual UTC Conference being held at Florida A&M University with Florida State University; sponsored in part by the R.E.A.T. Center (Rural Equitable and Accessible Transportation), April 18-19, 2024. Pictured left to right: Abdul Shaban Ngereza, Philip Balgayati and Ibrahim Ibrahim
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Projects
Abdul Shaban Ngereza: "Exploring Shared Micromobility as an Alternative Transportation Option: Opportunities and Challenges in U.S. Mid-sized Cities and Small Towns" and "Examining the Impact of Vehicle Automation Levels on Road Safety in Rural Areas"
Ibrahim Ibrahim: "Examining the Impact of Vehicle Automation Levels on Road Safety in Rural Areas"
Philip Balyagati: "Accessibility Assessment of Elderly Groups to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Rural Areas"
Faculty Advisors and Presenters: Dr. Emmanuel Kidando, Associate Director of Technology Transfer, Assistant Professor, Cleveland State University and Dr. Angela Kitali Associate Director - Education, Assistant Professor, University of Washington, Tacoma.
Watch overview video here. |
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Awards and Research Grants |
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Dr. Maryam Younessi Sinaki receives DOE Collegiate Faculty Explorer Award for Advancing Energy Entrepreneurship
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Dr. Maryam Younessi Sinaki, an assistant professor of practice with the department of Mechanical Engineering, was selected as a recipient of the Faculty Explorer award in the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) EnergyTech University Prize 2024 Faculty Track. She is one of 10 faculty from various universities across the US to receive this award.
The EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) has traditionally focused on growing student awareness of promising energy technologies and their commercialization potential, then asking students to propose a business plan to bring this technology to market. This year, the competition expanded to incorporate faculty-focused programming. The new Faculty Track asks collegiate faculty to develop and implement educational activities to engage more students in energy technology commercialization and entrepreneurship topics at their institutions. Read more here.
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Dr. Jingru Zhang Receives NSF CAREER Award |
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Dr. Jingru Zhang, an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, has received a five-year, $495,537 Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The CAREER Program is a Foundation-wide activity that offers the NSF's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. The research thrust of her award is the optimi-zation of facility locations to determine the best locations of facilities to serve demands under specific optimization criteria. Specifically, Dr. Zhang will study a set of facility location optimization problems in the face of uncertain demand data, and the goal is to explore new ideas and techniques to develop efficient algorithms to solve these optimization problems when provided with uncertain data. Read more here.
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Associate Professor, Director CHMS, Mechanical Engineering
Award Title: Bringing Robot Assistants into the Homes of People with Cervical SCI
Sponsor: Ohio Department of Higher Education
Period: 01/01/2024 - 06/30/2024
Award Amount: $500,000
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Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Award Title: Determining the Effectiveness of Commercial Vehicle Safety Alerts
Sponsor: Ohio Department of Transportation
Period: 07/01/2023 - 06/30/2025
Award Amount: $200,635
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Senior Advisor to the Provost, Endowed Chair & Professor, Mechanical Engineering
Award Title: Expanding Ohio Manufacturing Digitization Securely at Scale
Sponsor: U.S. Economic Development Administration
Period: 11/01/2023 - 10/31/2026
Award Amount: $1,801,370
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Welcome New Staff and Faculty Appointment |
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Jenna Marzougui was recently hired as an Academic Advisor for the Washkewicz College of Engineering. Her previous experience includes working as an Admissions Counselor at the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering & Applied Science, and Lab Manager of the Zeman Lab at the College of William & Mary. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Virginia and a Master of Science degree in Psychological Sciences from the College of William & Mary. Here's a fun fact about Jenna: She is passionate about singing and has toured the United States and Canada as a member of the University of Virginia University Singers.
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Dr. Jerzy Sawicki, PE was recently appointed department Chair of Mechanical Engineering. He is also the director of the Center for Rotating Machinary Dynamics and Control (RoMaDyC).
Dr. Sawicki joined the university in 1993, was promoted to full professor in 2001, and since 2004 holds the Bently and Muszynska Endowed Chair position. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed journal papers, over 150 peer-reviewed conference articles, one research monograph, and has co-edited three books in the fields of rotor dynamics, tribology, dynamics and vibrations, and advanced control. His research has been funded by federal and state agencies, industry and the Ohio Board of Regents.
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New Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Program Looks to Set the Gold Standard
As WCE continues to be on the cutting-edge regarding technology, we are excited to bring another degree opportunity. Students can now earn a bachelor's, master's and a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering at Cleveland State University. Read more here.
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New Departments Serving More Students |
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The academic year brought about a needed transformation in our academic programming. We created the new Computer Science (CS) department, and reestablished the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) department, due to increased number of students, faculty and programs. Associate Dean, Dr. George Chatzimavroudis is the interim chair for CS and Dr. Murad Hizlan continued as chair for ECE.
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Choose Ohio First Receives $1.2 Million Grant |
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Choose Ohio First received a $1.2 Million five-year grant (AY 24-25 - AY 28-29) from the Ohio Department of Higher Education that will support approximately 22 new undergraduate and 2 Master’s level students per year for a total of approximately 120 new students. Learn more here.
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Spring Connections Fair Huge Success |
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The spring Engineering and Computer Science Connections Fair we hosted, drew more than 1,000 enthusiastic students who came prepared with their resumes. We had 138 local employers participating, represented by 306 individuals, 80 of whom were alumni. They presented a wide range of opportunities for both full-time employment and internships across different engineering fields. Engineering students get the chance each fall and spring to engage with potential employers, offering positions that span from local to national opportunities. |
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Remembering Becky Laird
We mourn the passing of our friend and colleague Rebecca A. “ Becky” Laird, Associate of the University.
Becky dedicated 33 plus years of her life to the Chemical and Biomedical Engineering Department at Cleveland State University (CSU). During her time at CSU, she assisted in the organization of the 2005 International Society of Biomechanics Conference which took place at CSU, and the 2003-2004 Fundamentals of Absorption Conference, which took place in Sedona, Arizona. She was also the American Institute of Chemical Engineers - Cleveland local office liaison with CSU from 1986 until 2019 and served on numerous university committees. She was the recipient of several awards during her tenure, including the 2002 and 2012 Distinguished Staff Service Award, the 2006 Kaizen Achievement Award and was honored with a 2019 Golden Apple Award sponsored by the Young Alumni Council for her impact on students. Becky was described by students, faculty, and staff as the soul of the department. Read more here.
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In Memory of Mark Sturdevant '19
Mark Sturdevant graduated in 2019 from Washkewicz College of Engineering at Cleveland State University with a mechanical engineering degree. He was an avid motorcycle racer, winning the CRA dirt track season championship twice and becoming the Daytona Bike Week Amateur champion in 2018 while studying at CSU. Mark's life was cut short by cancer in 2023.
The Mark Sturdevant '19 Endowed Scholarship is intended to encourage young racers to obtain an engineering degree at CSU and encourage students studying at CSU to continue their racing activities. Mark, as a young practicing engineer, believed that his racing background made him a better engineer and in turn, his engineering education made him a better racer. The Mark Sturdevant '19 Endowed Scholarship will be given to a student at Washkewicz College but preference will be given to active racers in any motorsport. You can apply for the Mark Sturdevant '19 Endowed Scholarship here. To make a donation to the scholarship fund, click here. Thank you.
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Register for the Bell Lecture with Dr. Xuanhe Zhao here.
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Learn more about Biomechanics Day, April 5, 2024
and the Fenn Academy here.
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Register for the Lecture with Dr. William Thesling here.
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Master's Thesis Hooding and Order of Engineering and Pledge of the Computing Professional Induction Saturday, May 11, 2023 prior to Commencement. Details here.
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Senior Design Capstone Symposium.
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Thank you for your support on Giving Day 2024!
Together, we raised $17,580, including a bonus of $750 for donating through our college ambassador link.
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