Congratulations to graduating senior, Hanna Bobinger, on her award of a national Mortar Board Fellowship for post baccalaureate study. Hanna graduated this Spring with her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and has been accepted in the University of South Alabama College of Medicine.

Steven Klepac, Civil Engineering alum, was one of two Alabama Concrete Industries Foundation (ACIF) 2021 Scholarship recipients. The ACIF has awarded scholarships since 1993 to students pursuing building science, engineering, or architecture at any of the Alabama universities. This is the second consecutive year a South Alabama student received this award.

Steven served as the president of Tau Beta Pi honor society and was the vice president of the Civil Engineering Honor Society, Chi Epsilon. For the full article, see 2021 ACIF Scholars.

May 2021 graduate, Darcey D'Amato, has been selected the 2021 recipient for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Greater Huntsville Section award.

Darcey was nominated by associate professor and faculty advisor for USA's student chapter of AIAA, Dr. Carlos Montalvo, for her extraordinary service in organizing Aerospace Week and for her outstanding leadership over two CubeSat projects while at the University of South Alabama. For the full article, see AIAA 2021 GHS Award.

Congratulations to the USA American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Student Chapter and Dr. Eric Steward, faculty advisor, for receiving the 2021 Richard J. Scranton Outstanding Community Service Award.

A team from the College of Engineering received two awards at the 3rd Annual Cast in Steel Competition. The event, sponsored by the Steel Founders Society of America (SFSA) is intended to promote student interest in careers in the steel casting industry.

The USA Team partnered with Howell Foundry, LLC to produce this years' design: Thor's Hammer. The team received Best Video Award (one of the three main awards in the competition) as well as "Ben's Honorable Mentions" for the Most Creative Alloy Combination.

For the full article, see Cast In Steel Competition.

Undergraduate Laboratory Equipment Campaign

The College of Engineering has launched an initiative to enhance our laboratories in Shelby Hall. These labs provide our students with hands-on experience and ensure that they are prepared to enter the workforce upon graduation. Your gift, of any amount, will have an immediate impact on our students and their future careers. To learn more about specific needs of each department, click Engineering Labs.

Professor Dr. Kuang-Ting Hsiao's research group has recently developed an innovative polymer matrix composite enriched with nanoparticles and reinforced with carbon fibers. This work was originally supported by NASA and later on by NSF, Alabama Department of Commerce, and industry. It is now further funded through NSF's Partnership for Innovation (PFI) program for exploring the commercialization feasibility with potential industrial partners in a broad range of industries including MHP Americas, Porsche Motorsports, UST Mamiya, Hexcel Corp., and Toray Composite Materials America. The composite is called ZT-CFRP and the information on ZT-CFRP can be found in several notable business magazines and company news: Composites Portal, Composite World, Composites Manufacturing, and MHP.

For the full article, see Developing Next Generation Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers.

Dr. T. Grant Glover, associate professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, is part of a collaborative effort with researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Chicago, and General Electric to design and develop a portable device that produces drinking water out of thin air. For the full article, see Turning Air Into Drinking Water.

For Dr. Mohamed Shaban, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of South Alabama, deep learning computer analysis offers a powerful tool in using electroencephalography for the early detection of Parkinson’s disease. It’s a new way of looking at an old test.

Shaban’s research focuses on brain waves — the familiar squiggly lines of an EEG — which have been used to study neural activity for more than half a century. The latest computer-aided research techniques help reveal clues such as “synchrony,” an excessive synchronization of waves that indicates the cognitive impairment of a brain disorder. For the full article, see New Possibilities in Parkinson's Treatment.

Congratulations to the following College of Engineering faculty in the William B. Burnsed Jr. Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering Department for being selected as "Top Prof" recipients in the Sally Steadman Azalea Chapter of Mortar Board Honor Society.

For the full article, see Mortar Board Honors South's Top Professors.

We are excited to announce Dr. Eric Steward from the Civil, Coastal & Environmental Engineering Department has moved to the position of Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs for the College of Engineering.

The College thanks Dr. Tom Thomas for his service as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs for the past 5 years. Dr. Thomas has returned to faculty status as an Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Congratulations Mrs. Ronda Girardeau for receiving the Outstanding Link Coordinator Award from the Order of the Engineering for 2021. Mrs. Girardeau was selected for this award for her many years of excellent service in this role at the University of South Alabama.

Chemical Engineering: Alejandro Gallegos Tovar

Civil Engineering: Steven Klepac

Computer Engineering: Trenton Howell

Electrical Engineering: Emily Nguyen

Mechanical Engineering: Abigail Koons

Friday, August 20th: Welcome to the Jungle 10:00am-2:00pm, Shelby Hall Fountain - Welcome to the Jungle is the first event of the year providing the opportunity for students to join the many different engineering student organizations. This years' Welcome to the Jungle is hosted by AM/NS Calvert.

Annual Alumni Fall Social - Details TBA

Join the College of Engineering Tailgates at the

Whitney Hancock Stadium on USA's Campus this Fall!

We are currently looking for guest speakers interested in sharing their engineering experiences with our current students as well as companies interested in discussing what they are looking for in future employees. We can host in-person or virtual meetings.

Please contact Nani Perez Uribe at [email protected] for more information.

College of Engineering Alumni polos are currently for sale! If you're interested in ordering a polo, orders can be placed and paid for online: Alumni Polo Order. We have several sizes and colors in stock. If we don't have your size or preferred color, the next order will go out in the Spring. All proceeds go towards the College of Engineering Alumni Society Scholarship. Polos are priced at $39.50 (shipping/handling included).

The polos are crafted using performance material and are offered in men's and women's sizes in the following colors: Black, Charcoal Grey, Navy Blue, Red, and White. Below is an example of a red polo with the USA alumni logo.