In the Lead

The National Science Foundation has announced that a team from the University of Arkansas is one of only 21 teams selected for the inaugural class of the Innovation Corps, or I-Corps, program. This team includes Nilanjan Banerjee, assistant professor of computer science and computer engineering, Xiangyu Liu, an undergraduate and a member of the Honors College and Douglas Hutchings, a graduate of the University of Arkansas micro-electronics and photonics program.

 

Susan Gauch, head of the department of computer science and computer engineering and holder of the Rodger S. Kline Computer Science and Computer Engineering Chair in the College of Engineering, has been selected to take part in the Hypothes.is Reputation Fellows Program. An expert in intelligent search, Gauch will take part in the  Hypothes.is project, which is developing tools to improve the quality of information on the Internet, using the model of community peer-review.

 

Jamie Hestekin, associate professor holder of the and the Jim L. Turpin Endowed Professorship in Chemical and Biochemical Separations, was one of 85 young engineers selected to attend the National Academy of Engineering’s 17^th annual U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium. This symposium is a gathering of engineers between the ages of 30 and 45 whose research and technical work has been judged by the academy to be exceptional.

 

Heather  Nachtmann, associate professor of industrial engineering, has been named a fellow of the American Society for Engineering Management. Nachtmann has served as the director of the Mack Blackwell Rural Transportation Center at the U of A. Her current research focuses economic, operations, and security analysis of transportation systems; cost and quality issues in the healthcare supply chain; and advanced methods for engineering economic analysis.

 

Kim Needy, head of the department of industrial engineering and holder of the Twenty-First Century Professorship in Engineering, has been elected as the new president of the Institute of Industrial Engineers. IIE is the world’s largest professional society dedicated solely to the support of the industrial engineering profession and individuals involved with improving quality and productivity. A IIE Fellow, Needy’s research interests include engineering management, sustainability and supply chain optimization.

 

Darin Nutter, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been named a fellow by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning. Nutter’s contributions to this field include research for the industry, teaching, and providing support for students interested in this field. Nutter conducts experimental and numerical research to investigate the fundamental heat transfer and thermodynamics in buildings and in heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems.

 

Roy Penney, professor of chemical engineering, has received the Award for Excellence and Sustained Contributions to Mixing Research and Practice from the North American Mixing Forum, an affiliate of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. One of Penney’s most important contributions to this field was leading an engineering effort to design a chemical reactor system to mix and react dextrose with fatty alcohol from palm oil to produce alkyl polyglocoside.

 

Manuel Rossetti, professor of industrial engineering, has been selectedas the John L. Imhoff Chair in Industrial Engineering for a two-year period beginning in January 2012. This chair was established in 1983 to honor the memory of John L. Imhoff, founding head of the University of Arkansas department of industrial engineering. Rossetti will be the fourth recipient to hold this title. Rossetti’s research focuses on transportation, manufacturing, health care and simulation.