A self-proclaimed man-e-ac for the mathematical constant e, Dr. Brian McCartin, professor of Applied Mathematics at Kettering University, is living the dream of many a mathematician – he has been slated to receive the prestigious 2010 Chauvenet Prize for Mathematical Expository Writing, given by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

“This is the sort of thing one dreams about but does not dare confess to dreaming about,” said McCartin of the award, which he described as the mathematical equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize, for those unfamiliar with the heady world of advanced mathematics.

“Even my best friends can’t believe I’m on the list (of Chauvenet winners),” he said of the honor. “I was thunderstruck when I was notified I had received this award.”

He was chosen as the 2010 recipient of the Chauvenet Prize for his article “e: The Master of All” published in the Mathematical Intelligencer Spring 2006 edition, a publication of Springer Science and Business Media, Inc.

e is a mathematical constant that “burst into existence in the early 17^th Century in the context of commercial transactions involving compound interest,” according to McCartin’s article. “For people proficient at math, e is the king,” said McCartin, describing the gist of his article as an in-depth explanation of how e “beats the crap out of Π!”

 e = 2.718281828459045 . . . was first discovered as the solution to the problem: How much is $1 worth if it is invested for 10 years at 10% interest? Since its discovery, it has been used in a variety of applications that include the scheduling of radiation therapy treatments, the definition of equiangular spirals like the one used to begin the Yellow Brick Road in the Wizard of Oz movie, and computing the probability of the “drunken secretary problem.” The latter involves a scenario in which, after a few too many spiked eggnogs at the company Christmas party, a tipsy secretary is confronted with n different letters and corresponding envelopes. The probability that she will produce a “derangement whereby no letter is placed in the correct envelope” can be calculated with e, according to McCartin.

After many years of reading what he calls “outstanding mathematical exposition,” McCartin said the idea for “e: The Master of All” came to him after reading Eli Maor’s 1994 book “e: The Story of a Number.” “Long a man-e-ac, I devoured this book but found that many of my favorite triv-e-a were missing!” he joked.

He began systematically collecting these miscellan-e-a, sending the completed manuscript to the Mathematical Intelligencer in 2005. After publication in the Intelligencer, the article was translated into Mandarin by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2007 for use in math education in China and is required reading for math teachers there.

To qualify for the Chauvenet Prize, an expository article must have been published for at least two years. The prize consists of a $1,000 monetary award and a certificate, and is normally awarded at the Annual Meeting of the Association, which this year will be held in San Francisco in January. Due to health restrictions that prevent him from travelling, McCartin will receive the Prize at the Regional meeting of the MAA in Ypsilanti, Mich.

First awarded in 1925, the Prize is named for William Chauvenet, a professor of mathematics at the United States Naval Academy. It was established through a gift in 1925 from J.L. Coolidge, then MAA president. Winners of the Chauvenet Prize are among the most distinguished of mathematical expositors.

McCartin has earned degrees in both Applied Mathematics from the University of Rhode Island and Music Theory from the Hartt School of Music of the University of Hartford. He holds a doctorate in Applied Mathematics from the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences of New York University. He was a senior research mathematician for United Technologies Research Center and chair of Computer Science at RPI/Hartford before joining Kettering University.

No stranger to professional recognition, McCartin received Kettering’s Outstanding Researcher Award in 2000, and the Outstanding Teaching award in 2001 and again in 2006. The Michigan Section of the MAA recognized him with their Award for Distinguished University Teaching in 2004, and in 2008 he was Plenary Lecturer at the First American Conference on Applied Mathematics held at Harvard University.

McCartin serves on the Editorial Board of the international journal Applied Mathematical Sciences and is a Fellow of the Electromagnetics Academy. He published his first book “Rayleigh-Schrödinger Perturbation Theory: Pseudoinverse Approach” (Hikari Ltd.) in 2009.

Interesting triv-e-a about McCartin: He is a devoted Yankees fan, and his wife, Barbara McCartin, creates all the line illustrations for his writings. For exponentially more triv-e-a about him, visit his web page at www.kettering.edu/~bmccarti

Written by Dawn Hibbard

810.762.9865

dhibbard@kettering.edu

Michael M. Wood, who is originally from Flint and is the former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, will offer the Commencement address when Kettering University hosts graduation ceremonies at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 13.  The event is open to the public in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center.

Kettering will graduate 198 undergraduate and 97 master’s candidates during graduation services.  About 180 undergraduates and 55 graduate students are expected to march at the ceremonies.  University President Stan Liberty will preside and Dr. Henry Kowalski, professor of Mechanical Engineering, will be the grand marshal.  Undergraduate student speaker will be Tyler Finnegan of Elyria, Ohio, who will earn a bachelor’s degree in Management. 

Here are the highlights of the upcoming ceremony:

Saturday, June 13, 2009, 11 a.m.
Connie and Jim John Recreation Center 
No tickets required to attend Commencement 
The event is free and open to the public
Allow 1 1/2 hours for the ceremony 
Presiding: Kettering University President Stan Liberty
Parking is free and available in all campus parking lots 
Information center will be located on the 1st floor of the CC (outside BJ's Lounge, behind the elevators) from 8:30 - 10:45 a.m.
There is no graduation rehearsal
Total graduates: 198 undergraduates, 97 master’s candidates 
Graduates expecting to march: 180 undergraduates, 55 graduate 
Expected number of guests: 1,600 
Faculty will host a light breakfast in the International Room, Fifth Floor of the Campus Center, 8:30-10 a.m. 
Recreation Center doors open at 9 a.m. for visitors to arrive and be seated 
Faculty and staff members assemble for the Processional between 10-10:55 a.m. in the Third Floor, Recreation Center 
Graduates assemble on the first floor of the Campus Center (just outside BJ's Lounge) between 10:30-10:55 a.m.  
Formal processional begins at 11 a.m.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT: 1
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
Michael M. Wood
Former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden
Chair, Redwood Investments, LLC 

Michael M. Wood is a son of Flint.  He grew up in the area and attended Flint’s Whittier Middle School.  After graduating from Yale University, he helped found the leading media company for the housing and construction industry.  His national service included organizing a housing industry round table in 1984 for U.S. President Ronald Reagan and representing the United States during the presidential inauguration in Ecuador in 2003.  In 2006, Mr. Wood was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden.  

Ambassador Wood was very helpful in developing the international collaboration between Kettering, Linkoping University in Sweden and others that is currently creating a waste-to-energy bio-methane center at Flint's wastewater treatment facility. Mr. Wood was also instrumental in hosting the royal visit of His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, to campus on Sept. 26 last year.  Kettering will award Mr. Wood an honorary doctor of Humane Letters.  Read his bio (http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2882) and more about the “Crowning event” that brought a king to Kettering’s campus (http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2805). 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKER: 1

Tyler Finnegan of Elyria, Ohio, is the undergraduate student speaker and will offer comments on “Resilience and Revolution” to his graduating class.  He will receive a bachelor’s degree in Management.  His co-op was at Delphi Corporation.  He is a 2005 graduate of Elyria Catholic High School in Ohio.     

A student leader and outspoken advocate for cooperative education, he has often represented Kettering in the media, including being interviewed by the New York Times for a national news story on the University.  At Kettering, Finnegan has been involved in Robot Leadership Honor Society, he was president of the Professional Leadership Honor Society, director of KSG Academic Council, a team leader for Student Ambassadors, an RA in Thompson Hall, an active employee at the Recreation Center, a regular contributor to the SuccessZone incoming student portal as the StickMan, College DECA, and a volunteer in the Flint community as part of Junior Achievement and Michigan High School DECA.  He also has served on numerous committees including the Friends of the Library and Archives, Commencement Committee and the WAG-GPA Task Force.   

He has accepted a full-time job at Guardian Industries and will join its leadership development program in Geneva, N.Y. 

OUTSTANDING THESIS AWARD: 1
The Outstanding Thesis Award winner for Spring 2009 goes to Brian L. Dorney of Holly, Mich. He is an Applied Physics major, whose co-op was at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill.  His thesis is "Hydrogen Storage by Adsorption in Polymer Materials.” His faculty adviser is Dr. Yuri Sikorski of Physics.  Dorney will be among those feted during the Commencement Honors Breakfast on June 13. 

PRESIDENT'S MEDAL WINNERS: 4
Willy Joseph, Freeport, Bahamas
Kelly Lynn Okapal, Sylvania, Ohio
Scott Michael Skelton, Belleville, Mich.
Abdrahamane Traore, Bamako, Mali, Africa

SOBEY SCHOLARS: 6
Willy Joseph, Freeport, Bahamas
Kelly Lynn Okapal, Sylvania, Ohio
Jarrad Pouncil, Flint, Mich.
Tracy Schmitz, Shelby Township, Mich.
Abdrahamane Traore, Bamako, Mali, Africa
Angela Tremble, Detroit, Mich. 

ACADEMIC HONORS:
Summa Cum Laude (97.0-100): 9
Magna Cum Laude (94.5-96.9):  18
Cum Laude (92-94.4): 28 

TOTAL GRADUATES, BY DEGREE:
Bachelor's Degrees
Applied Mathematics: 1
Applied Physics: 1
Biochemistry: 1
Business Administration: 4
Chemistry: 2
Computer Engineering:11
Computer Science: 2
Electrical Engineering: 31
Industrial Engineering: 20
Management: 4
Mechanical Engineering: 115
Dual Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics: 1
Dual Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics: 2
Dual Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering: 2
Dual Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering: 1
BACHELOR'S TOTAL = 198

Master's Degrees
Engineering: 23
Engineering Management: 6
Information Technology: 5
Manufacturing Management: 8
Manufacturing Operations: 38
MBA: 9
Operations Management: 6
Dual Engineering Management and MBA: 1
Dual Operations Management and Manufacturing Management: 1
MASTER'S TOTAL = 97

FOR MORE ON COMMENCEMENT, visit:
http://www.kettering.edu/registrar/commencement_information.jsp  

HOTELS/RESTAURANTS: Contact the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau: 1-800-24-FLINT or (810) 232-2211.

CAN WE HELP? 1-800-955-4464, ext. 9585, or 810-762-9585. 

Written by Patricia Mroczek
810.762.9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu

Kettering’s Dr. Ilya Kudish is one of 18 of the world’s leading authorities on rolling contact fatigue. He and his colleagues met in Lyon, France, this year to try to mathematically unravel contact fatigue.

Despite technological improvements in manufacturing processes, rolling contact fatigue is still an issue for gears, bearings, and other parts involved in frequent motion. Contact fatigue, or pitting, exacerbates defects and cracks in metal. It is caused by inherent material defects and repeated stresses occurring in material.

Dr. Ilya Kudish, professor of Mathematics at Kettering University, is working with 17 other experts to identify research models to solve the physical problems associated with rolling contact fatigue.

Kudish spent two days in August in Lyon at a symposium at the Institute Nationale des Sciences Appliquees, exchanging research results and ideas with other researches. His trip was funded by the office of Kettering Provost Dr. Michael Harris.

“It was a very useful meeting,” Kudish said, “usually at a conference you have 25 minutes for a presentation and questions. At the meeting in Lyon we had as much time as we wished for our individual presentations, questions, and discussion” he said. Kudish presented his research on statistical fracture mechanics and contact fatigue modeling.

This open exchange was the foundation for development of a common program of research for the participants. “We hope this collaboration will result in a tangible solution of how we can model rolling contact fatigue,” said Kudish.

Recent mathematical modeling has enabled researchers to calculate the pressure distribution between contacting surfaces under rolling or rolling/sliding conditions with Newtonian or non-Newtonian fluids in sever conditions. This allows for evaluation of the stress fields within the contact materials, but does not correlate the stress field to a fatigue life evaluation. The fatigue models presented at the Lyon meeting aimed to bridge this gap.

Of the group that met in Lyon, most were from Europe with a few from Asia and the U.S., according to Kudish. He said symposium participants would like to seek funding for their research and develop a web site to facilitate an exchange of ideas, direct work and establish informal collaborative groups.

“It was an honor to be recognized as an expert of international stature,” Kudish said of symposium, “and to collaborate with such a dedicated group of people.”

Written by Dawn Hibbard
810.762.9865
dhibbard@kettering.edu

Kettering University honored seven faculty members for outstanding teaching, research and citizenship during the institution’s University Conference for employees in September. Provost Dr. Michael Harris congratulated the recipients and thanked members of the committee that made the recommendations to him. He indicated this is the first time that faculty recognitions have been based on recommendations submitted by a faculty committee. “Recognizing faculty for outstanding teaching, research and citizenship is a reflection of the entire faculty's commitment to academic excellence," said Harris.

The seven honorees were:

Dr. Ilya Kudish, professor of Mathematics, who received the 2008 Rodes Professorship, for his project entitled, “Design of stable numerical methods for elastohydrodynamic lubrication.”  The Rodes Professorship honors Kettering faculty for breadth and depth of knowledge, commitment to diligence in terms of academic research, and leadership in developing and applying an area of knowledge, among other attributes.

The award includes a grant of $5,000 to provide the recipient with opportunity for continued professional development and a chance to disseminate the results of their research to Kettering students, alumni, University clubs, industrial groups and other colleges and universities.

Dr. Petros Gheresus, professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, who received the 2008 Faculty Distinguished Citizenship Award. This award is conferred upon a faculty member who serves the University through sustained engagement in activities such as leadership in departmental or university committees, participation in activities that contribute to the strategic mission of the university, activities that contribute to the recruitment, retention, and satisfaction of Kettering students, and performance in leadership positions in local, regional, state, national, and/or international professional organizations.

Three faculty won the 2008 Outstanding Teaching Awards:

Dr. Yuri Sikorski, assistant professor of Physics;

Dr. Stacy Seeley, interim head of Chemistry/Biochemistry and Pre-Med coordinator; and

Dr. Bassem Ramadan, professor of Mechanical Engineering.

The Outstanding Teaching Award honors faculty who have demonstrated outstanding teaching and support for students.

Dr. Peter Stanchev, professor of Computer Science, received the 2008 Outstanding Researcher Award for his substantial contributions to the area of medical imaging and multimedia systems recognized throughout the world.

Dr. Gianfranco DiGuiseppe, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, received the 2008 Outstanding New Researcher Award for his work in fuel cell research.

Dr. Ilya Kudish was also honored with the 2008 Distinguished Researcher Award for his contributions to the science of tribology and contact mechanics that are recognized worldwide.

With 31 years of service under his belt, Dr. David Green, professor of Mathematics, has been a fixture at Kettering for students since 1977, mentoring many of them through advanced Mathematics classes and teaching in Kettering’s award-winning pre-college program Academically Interested Minorities (AIM).

Doc Green – a long legacy

“I came in the middle of a six-week term, taking over a class from Professor Duane McKeachie,” said Green of his first assignment at Kettering (then GMI). McKeachie was department chair at the time.

Green has seen a lot of changes at the University in 31 years. There are more minority students and faculty, the name has changed and students’ ability to do analytical calculations without a calculator has waned. But it is the students he speaks of the most when reflecting on his career, rattling off names of outstanding students he has worked with and still keeps in touch with.

He recently talked with Kari (Bandurski) Perry who met her husband Michael Perry in Green’s Differential Equations class. Perry told Green the couple recently celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary. It is those stories that bring up memories and names of more students. “I had many students that were outstanding, that I think about often. They were the reason I enjoyed teaching, they were solid students,” he said.

In 1984 Green had an opportunity to help launch the AIM program started by Former faculty member Reginald Armstrong. “I was one of the first faculty members to teach the program,” he said, “along with Dr. Petros Gheresus and Dr. Robert McAllister.” All three continue to serve as faculty for the program.

After Armstrong left, Green ran the AIM program for seven years in addition to his teaching load. As faculty for AIM teaching the math component, Green has seen a lot of phenomenal students come through the program. “One of our first students has a Ph.D. in Physics and another earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering,” he said.

Green also served as head of the Math and Science Department until 2008. “I am very appreciative of the opportunity former Provost Dr. John Lorenz gave me to serve as department head,” said Green.

He first came to Kettering after working for a year at Michigan State University where he had earned a master’s degree in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics. Prior to that he earned a master’s degree from the University of Missouri at Columbia in Nuclear Engineering Physics and a bachelor’s degree from Florida A & M in Mathematics.

Good at math from childhood, Green said he first thought of pursuing a career in Mathematics after fourth grade. He attended a three-room school in his hometown of Monticello, Fla., where his third and fourth grade teacher asked him to help tutor his peers in math because he caught on fast to lessons.

The son of a logger, Green was the first in his family to go to college, paying his own way through by working summers and during school terms. “My Dad worked in logging for many years getting up at 4 a.m. to walk 10 miles to catch logging truck to work,” said Green, admitting he has come a long way from rural Florida to a Ph.D. in Mathematics attending international conferences.

When he came to Kettering the original plan was to stay three to four years and then move on to a major university to do research. But his wife, Evelyn, had other ideas. They met in graduate school where she was studying Chemistry. By the time he was finishing his Ph.D. Evelyn was establishing herself as a faculty member at Lansing Community College.

Green decided he had the best of many worlds at Kettering due to its proximity to MSU for research opportunities with his former thesis adviser, and connections to corporate America through Kettering. “I was able to make a lot of academic connections through my contacts at MSU and network with researchers around the country and was able to stay at Kettering and keep my wife happy with a steady job,” he said.

When he retires at the end of the year, Green will join his wife, who retired three years ago, travelling to visit daughter Alysia, a doctor for the medical clinic at Boston University developing their sports medicine program, and daughter Melissa, an attorney with General Electric, serving as general counsel in the company’s aviation division.

When not travelling, Green wants to explore his ancestral heritage. He plans to research the stories of his family and hometown community. “My paternal grandfather was reputed to have been very good in math,” he said, “which is probably where I got it.” Part of his informal research is to host a community picnic every year in Monticello, to gather people for food and conversation and to say thank you to the community that supported him in his early years.

He will also tackle some mathematical problems that interest him to keep active in Mathematical research – and he’ll do it “old school” performing analytical calculations without the aid of a calculator. “I may use a computer to do a series of calculations, but I prefer to do the math myself,” said Green.

He is also dusting off his passport to attend an international Mathematics conference in Moscow in June, organized by a friend and former colleague.

Wherever his path takes him, Green is sure to be found mentoring and teaching and playing with numbers. Of his tenure at Kettering, Green said “I hope I lived up to the expectations of Dr. Cottingham when he hired me.”

Written by Dawn Hibbard

810.762.9865

dhibbard@kettering.edu

Commencement is June 14

Innovation and technology will be the theme for Kettering University’s Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, June 14, in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center.

Kettering President Stan Liberty will preside at the 11 a.m. graduation services for 315 graduates (238 undergrads and 77 master’s candidates).  The grand marshal will once again be Dr. Henry Kowalski, professor of Mechanical Engineering. 

Two technology innovators, who helped propel their industries to new heights, will receive honorary degrees.  They are: Dr. Curtis R. Carlson, president and chief executive officer of SRI International, and the late David W. Hermance, a 1970 graduate of Kettering/GMI, who has been called “the ambassador for green cars” and “a giant in advanced vehicle technologies.”

Two graduates of Kettering’s Academically Interested Minorities program (AIM) are the undergraduate student speakers.  They are Gadryn Higgs and Stephanie Thach.  Higgs is from Freeport, Bahamas, and will receive a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.  Thach is from Flint and will receive a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. 

James Bendert of San Diego, Calif., will receive the Outstanding Thesis Award and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics.  His co-op was at Argonne National Labs in Argonne, Ill.  Bendert's thesis title is: "Diagnostics of PEM Fuel Cell Electrolytes by Raman Spectroscopy and AC Impedance Spectroscopy". It covers diagnostic study of cation impurities in PEM fuel cell electrolytes by Raman spectroscopy and AC impedance spectroscopy both in the pure membrane form and within the electrode. He was nominated by his faculty adviser Dr. Bahram Roughani, interim department head of Physics.

Here are the highlights of the upcoming ceremony:

Saturday, June 14, 2008, 11 a.m. 

• Connie and Jim John Recreation Center 
• No tickets required to attend Commencement 
• Allow 1 1/2 hours for the ceremony 
• Presiding: Kettering University President Stan Liberty
• Grand Marshal: Dr. Henry Kowalski of Mechanical Engineering
• Parking is free and available in all campus parking lots 
• Information center will be on the first floor of the Campus Center (behind the elevators), outside BJ's Lounge, from 8:30 - 11 a.m. 
• There is no graduation rehearsal
• Total graduates: 238 undergraduates, 77 master’s candidates 
• Graduates expecting to march: 144 undergraduates, 30 graduate 
• Expected number of guests: 1,600 
• Faculty will host a light breakfast in the International Room, Fifth Floor of the Campus Center, 8:30-10 a.m. 
• Recreation Center doors open at 9 a.m. for visitors to arrive and be seated 
• Faculty and staff members assemble for the Processional between 10-10:55 a.m. in the Third Floor, Recreation Center 
• Graduates assemble on the first floor of the Campus Center (just outside BJ's Lounge) between 10:30-10:55 a.m.  
• Formal processional begins at 11 a.m.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENTS: 2
Dr. Curtis R. Carlson

HONORARY DOCTOR OF SCIENCE
President and Chief Executive Officer
SRI International
Menlo Park, California 

Carlson will present the Commencement address.  He helped start and lead the high-definition television (HDTV) program that became the U.S. standard and won an Emmy Award for outstanding technical achievement.  Another team started and led by Carlson won an Emmy in 2000 for a system that measures broadcast image quality.  See his entire bio at: http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2765

David W. Hermance ’70

HONORARY DOCTOR OF ENGINEERING (Posthumous Award)
Executive Engineer for Advanced Technology Vehicles
Toyota Technical Center, USA
Gardena, California

Hermance has been called “the point man for an entire technology – the gasoline-electric hybrid.”  He died in November 2006 when his single-engine stunt plane crashed into the ocean near Los Angeles.  Hermance’s wife, Mary, and family members will accept a posthumous award.  See his entire bio at: http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2766.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKERS:  2
Gadryn Higgs of Freeport, Bahamas (AIM graduate), Mechanical Engineering
Stephanie Thach of Flint (AIM graduate), Industrial Engineering

ACADEMIC HONORS:
Summa Cum Laude (97.0-100) - 6
Magna Cum Laude (94.5-96.9) - 12
Cum Laude (92-94.4) - 29

PRESIDENT’S MEDALISTS: 5
Gadryn Higgs, Freeport, Bahamas;
Ken Luiten, Tucson, Ariz.;
Kristin Rice, Albany, N.Y.;
Robert Riggs, Spring, Texas; and
Ryan Sullivan, Ada, Mich.

SOBEY SCHOLARS: 4
Gadryn Higgs of Freeport, Bahamas;
Kristin Rice of Albany, N.Y.;
Ryan Sullivan, Ada, Mich.; and Stephanie Welch of Clio, Mich. 

OUTSTANDING THESIS AWARD:  1
James Bendert of San Diego, Calif.  

TOTAL GRADUATES, BY DEGREE: 315
Undergraduate Degrees:
1          Applied Mathematics
4          Applied Physics
1          Biochemistry
2          Chemistry
5          Computer Engineering
4          Computer Science
35        Electrical Engineering
0          Engineering Physics
14        Industrial Engineering
14        Management
150      Mechanical Engineering
4          Dual (Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering)
2          Dual (Computer Science and Computer Engineering)
1          Dual (Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mathematics)
1          Dual (Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering)
238     TOTAL

Master’s Degrees:
9          MBA
5          Engineering Management
9          Engineering
1          Information Technology
5          Manufacturing Management
33        Manufacturing Operations
12        Operations Management
2          Dual (Operations Management and MBA)
1          Dual (Engineering Management and MBA)
77        TOTAL  

FOR MORE ON COMMENCEMENT, visit: http://www.kettering.edu/registrar/commencement_information.jsp

HOTELS/RESTAURANTS: Contact the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau: 1-800-24-FLINT or (810) 232-2211.

CAN WE HELP? 1-800-955-4464, ext. 9585, or 810-762-9585.

Written by Patricia Mroczek
810.762.9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu

It started with one co-op student. Then business began to boom with Defense Department contracts and overseas opportunities. Kyle Schwulst ’02 found himself in need of experienced, motivated engineers and he needed them in a hurry.

After what he calls a “nightmare” trying to find qualified employees, he decided the answer was his alma mater. Schwulst, owner and president of ElectroJet Inc., an engineering design firm that uses patented technologies to reduce the complexity and cost of advanced engine control systems, looked at Kettering University graduates as the best resource to beef up his employee base quickly.

The young entrepreneur’s first experience with employees from Kettering was through the co-op program. “Utilizing the co-op program at Kettering was an easy decision for me as an employer,” he said, “having been in the program I knew it was a great experience for both parties. After my first term with Lu I was spoiled,” he added, “I can’t imagine a better co-op employee.”

Within six months of hiring co-op employee Lu Chen, an exchange student from  Namping in China's Fujian Province, he had hired three full-time engineers and a second co-op student. “Although they were already employed,” he said of two of his engineers, “I was able to persuade them to join me with the lure of a decent salary and creative license in their job, and it’s been great ever since.”

All his full-time engineers were referred by “people I respect,” said Schwulst. “I’ve found that endorsements from my Kettering connections work best for me.” Ryan Klumpp ’07, a Mechanical Engineering major from Goodrich, Mich., was available because his co-op employer had a hiring freeze when he graduated. Klumpp was referred by someone who liked his work, but couldn’t hire him.

Schwulst has also found that his Kettering engineers fulfill his need for employees who can work independently and take charge of their projects. “It is more critical that the employee base in a small company be high functioning than in a large company,” said Schwulst, “here there is little room for error or incompetence.” Even his patent attorney, John Nemazi of Brooks Kushman, happens to be a Kettering graduate.

Citing scooter projects with Chinese manufacturers and military projects with the U.S. Department of Defense, Schwulst admitted that despite the recent hires “we are still short-staffed for the volume of work that we do.” But already his staff has been able to facilitate the rapid growth ElectroJet is experiencing, according to Schwulst.

One example is the calibration software created by Alex Lucido ’05, a Computer Engineer from St. Clair Shores, Mich. The software calibration tool he designed enables ElectroJet to test their engine control systems on customer products in real-time, greatly reducing the time needed for product calibration.

What sets the “tool” apart from traditional calibration methods is that ElectroJet operates the calibration tool through a USB cable. It performs data acquisition directly from the module, showing up on a computer screen in the form of a virtual instrument cluster and calibration interface. “It allows us to monitor and modify all operating variables in the engine while it is on a dynamometer, significantly reducing development time,” said Schwulst.

Industry standard calibration “tools” (software and hardware) cost about $30,000, according to Schwulst. ElectroJet charges customers about $250 for their cable.

Keeping the internal research and development efforts moving forward is Parker Mossman ’05, another Computer Engineer, originally from Sandusky, Ohio. Mossman was the first full-time Kettering graduate Schwulst hired, and the only one with a private office in ElectroJet’s facility, other than Schwulst.

Of course, as Schwulst likes to point out, Mossman’s office door sign reads “supplies,” but that doesn’t seem to bother the engineer in charge of designing all the embedded controls in the company’s computer modules.

“I left a job with one of the big three automakers to join ElectroJet because I thought it was a good opportunity and would be more fun than being a ‘trained monkey’ in a big corporation,” Mossman said. “I’m still a monkey,” he joked, “but now I’m a monkey with more responsibility.”

The smaller company also offers the staff more opportunity for creativity and diversity in their work. Just how much diversity is evident inside the company’s testing facility. Behind the office area is a shop with three dynamometers for emissions testing: an engine dynamometer built in-house for testing utility engines; n eddy current chassis dynamometer for testing motorcycle and ATV emissions; and an ultra-low inertia dynamometer for aircraft projects to test small aircraft engines.

One of the challenges with engine testing is properly venting the test benches. Because their current location is rented and not equipped for this type of engineering work, Schwulst and his employees had to build their own exhaust system, doing all the work themselves, right down to the TIG welding, metal forming and hanging of ductwork.

This isn’t the kind of ductwork found in residential properties. The project became a do-it-your-self endeavor after Schwulst received a $10,000 quote to build the exhaust system from a contractor. “We did it for a fraction of that cost and created something that was aesthetically pleasing, modular and explosion-proof (yes, explosion-proof),” he said. “In addition, it was a great learning experience for the ElectroJet team.”

“That was a fun project,” said Schwulst. “It took us about two weeks to build it.” Drawing on his own Kettering experience, Schwulst taught Klumpp and co-op employee Alex “The Hammer” Halatsis, of Alameda, Calif., how to TIG weld and shape the 16-gage steel.

“Sometimes it is just nice to get your hands dirty,” said Schwulst. “I feel strongly that it is important for engineering students to know how to make things. My employees will be better engineers through first-hand knowledge of how parts are manufactured and assembled,” said Schwulst of teaching fabrication techniques to his staff.

It took a while to refine their skills however. “Hammer” got his nick name working on the ductwork. Apparently he whacked the steel so hard he left hammer marks. “The top of the ductwork is not pretty,” said Schwulst, “but it looks great from the shop floor.” “Hammer” said he enjoyed learning how to weld, “but by week three it was losing its luster.”

Chen said she didn’t do much welding, but she was in charge of boring holes in the pipe flanges so the sections could be bolted together - pretty impressive for an Applied Mathematics major.

Schwulst calls the dynamometers and the testing area the company’s pride and joy, because ElectroJet used to have to farm out testing to Kettering University and Lotus, on a project by project basis. “It is faster and cheaper to do the testing ourselves,” said Schwulst.

In-house testing is critical for ElectroJet. “As a small company it is hard to commit large amounts of funds to research and development for multiple new product targeted for the commercial market,” explained Schwulst.  What was once a variable cost based on project volume is now a fixed cost, and readily available asset for testing and development, he added.

With plans to expand testing capabilities further, Schwulst is calculating more growth for ElectroJet. “I want to grow slowly so we can manage our growth and continue to be successful,” he said.

Toward that end he plans to attend the Worlds Best Technology (WBT) Showcase in Texas this month. WBT is the largest technology-based venture capital symposium in North America. Participating technologies are selected by, and presented to, more than 100 seasoned venture investors and Fortune 500 licensing scouts, representing a variety of industries, each supported by private funding, federal R&D grants or both, according to the WBT web site.

Presenters include startup companies like ElectroJet, with technologies that have the potential for high growth commercial enterprise or that can be easily licensed to solve a specific market problem.

Schwulst’s goal is to find financing to build a larger facility for ElectroJet’s operations. “A lot of our testing equipment needs a temperature and humidity controlled environment for optimal testing,” he explained. “I would like to have a permanent (not rented) facility and purchase more equipment to expand our in-house capabilities.”

Currently the company can test products relative to the international emissions standards, but does not have the equipment to certify a product to those standards. With the right equipment, ElectroJet could do certification work. “Manufacturers need certification that our product meets emissions requirements before they can incorporate it into their vehicles and sell it in the global market,” he said. Performing certification in-house would expand the company’s capabilities and add value to the ElectroJet product.

With letters of intent from Chinese manufacturers for long-term partnerships, and more military contracts coming in, Schwulst’s dreams for growth may very soon become a reality. And with that growth will probably come more Kettering graduates and co-op employees. “It’s been a great fit so far,” he said.

Written by Dawn Hibbard
810.762.9865
dhibbard@kettering.edu

A junior at the Saginaw Arts & Sciences Academy won the prestigious Kettering University Mathematics Olympiad and was awarded a full-tuition, 4 ½-year scholarship to the nationally ranked engineering, mathematics, science, and business university in Flint. Nicholas Triantafillou of Saginaw won the top scholarship prize and a $1,000 gift certificate to Best Buy during the seventh annual mathematics competition.

Second place went to Neil Gurram of Sterling Heights, a sophomore at Detroit Country Day.  He won a half-tuition, 4 ½-year scholarship and a $700 Best Buy gift certificate.

Third prize was awarded to Philip Hu of Troy, a senior at Troy High School. He received a $300 Best Buy gift certificate.

Four fourth prizes of $100 each were also awarded to:

• Ram Bhaskar of Farmington, a sophomore at the International Academy,
• Andrew Jeanguenat of Grosse Pointe Woods, a junior at Detroit Country Day,
• Roger Jia of Rochester Hills, a senior at Wylie E. Groves High School, and
• Allen Yuan of Northville, a freshman at Detroit Country Day.  

In all, 45 high school students took the examination at Kettering on Saturday, Dec.1 The examination is designed for students in grades nine through twelve, however any student working toward a high school diploma who is currently enrolled in a public school, private school or a home-school program can sit for this examination.

The competition consists of four-to-six challenging problems and has a time limit of four hours.  Mathematics faculty members Ruben Hayrapetyan, Ada Cheng and Joe Salacuse organize and run the competition. “Our goal is to identify and encourage students with interests and abilities in mathematics,” Salacuse said.

For more on Kettering’s Mathematics Olympiad, including examination questions and solutions, and previous winners, visit: www.kettering.edu/olympiad2007. 

 This year’s competition was financially supported by the Flint Area School Employees Credit Union, Chase Bank, and Kettering University.

Written by Pat Mroczek
810.762.9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu

Members of the Mathematics Faculty at Kettering are coordinating the all-day contest that is expected to bring some of the area's best math students to campus.

"The Mathematics Olympiad is a great way of fostering interest in mathematics," said Dr. Ruben Hayrapetyan, associate professor of Mathematics. "The competition will expose some of the best high school students in Flint and the surrounding area to both Kettering University and our program in Applied Mathematics."

The schedule of events is:
9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Mathematics Olympiad
2 - 4 p.m., tour of Kettering University
5 - 6 p.m., solution session and awards presentations

The prize list includes: First prize: $1,000 gift certificate to Best Buy
Second prize: $700 gift certificate to Best Buy
Third prize: $300 gift certificate to Best Buy
Four fourth prizes: T.I. scientific calculators

The math contest consists of four to six problems with a time limit of four hours. Calculators will be allowed in the examination. The competition will take place in the International Room, which is on the fifth floor of the Campus Center, at Kettering University.

For more details, visit Kettering's Applied Mathematics Web Site at: http://www2.kettering.edu/acad/scimath/appmath/olympiad/

Students can register for the competition on-line. Registrations will be accepted the day of the contest. There is no registration fee.

More information is also available by calling Dr. Ruben Hayrapetyan at (810) 762-7877 or Dr. Joe Salacuse at (810) 762-7924.