LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm visited Kettering University Aug. 19 to highlight the school’s $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced earlier in August by Vice President Joe Biden.  Combined, Michigan’s higher education institutions were awarded $10.5 million for training programs geared toward advanced electric-drive vehicles. 

The funding Kettering received is part of a $2.5 million grant awarded to the University of Michigan and their partners to create 10 courses on hybrid electronics, batteries and green power.  The courses will be taught at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, at the university’s Dearborn campus, and in Flint at Kettering.

“For Michigan to be a leader in advanced-battery technology and electric vehicles, we need a well-trained workforce prepared by our colleges’ and universities’ training and cutting-edge ideas and research,” Granholm said.  “That’s the vital role Kettering and other Michigan colleges and universities will fill.  These Recovery Act grants to the University of Michigan and Kettering, along with Wayne State and Michigan Tech, will help to create an entire industry cluster around this critical advanced technology.”

Over a dozen Michigan projects were awarded more than $1.35 billion in federal grants to support advanced-battery and electric-vehicle manufacturing and development.  The projects are estimated to create 6,800 jobs in the next 18 months and up to 40,000 jobs by 2020.  Funding for the competitive grants comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Michigan saw the opportunity for an advanced-battery industry well before any other state and developed an innovative strategy to bring to Michigan the jobs and economic development created by advanced-battery research, development, and manufacturing.

That strategy includes Michigan’s first-in-the-nation advanced-battery tax credits.  Earlier this year, Granholm signed into law legislation providing up to $700 million in refundable tax credits to encourage companies to develop and manufacture advanced batteries and commercialize advanced-battery technologies in Michigan.  The initiative – the first of its kind in the United States – was a key factor in Michigan projects receiving the DOE grants.

“In 2006, Michigan charted a course to lead in advanced-battery development, and we have not looked back,” Michigan Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Greg Main said.

“We engaged industry experts every step of the way and secured unprecedented bipartisan support for some of the most generous and innovative economic development tools in the nation.  I commend Governor Granholm and the Michigan Legislature for enabling Michigan to be a global leader in this industry,” Main continued.

The Michigan recipients of Recovery Act DOE grants are:

Advanced Electric Drive Vehicle Education Program

• Wayne State University – $5 million awarded for educational programs for graduate, undergraduate, and secondary students; teachers; technicians; emergency responders; and general public.  Partnering with NextEnergy and Macomb Community College.
• Michigan Technological University – $2.98 million awarded for graduate, undergraduate, and secondary students; and general public. Partnering with Argonne National Laboratory; AVL, GM; Eaton; Horiba; MathWorks; and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Woodward.
• University of Michigan – $2.5 million awarded for educational programs for graduate, undergraduate, and secondary students; teachers; and general public. Partnering with University of Michigan-Dearborn, Kettering University, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Eaton Corp, DTE Energy, Mentor Graphics, Ballard, Quantum Technologies, and A123 Systems.

Cell, Battery and Materials Manufacturing Facilities

• Johnson Controls – $299.2 million awarded for production of nickel-cobalt-metal battery cells and packs, as well as production of battery separators for hybrid and electric vehicles.  Facility in Holland.
• A123 Systems – $249.1 million awarded for manufacturing nano-iron phosphate cathode powder and electrode coatings, fabrication of battery cells and modules, and assembly of complete battery pack systems for hybrid and electric vehicles.  Facilities in Romulus and Brownstown.
• KD Advanced Battery Group – $161 million awarded for production of manganese oxide cathode/graphite lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles.  Facility in Midland.
• Compact Power (on behalf of LG Chem) – $151.4 million awarded for production of lithium-ion polymer battery cells for the GM Volt.  Facilities in Holland, Pontiac, and St. Clair.
• General Motors – $105.9 million awarded for production of high-volume battery packs for the GM Volt.  Facility in Brownstown Township.

Electric Drive Component Manufacturing Facilities

• General Motors – $105 million awarded for construction of U.S. manufacturing capabilities to produce the second-generation GM global rear-wheel electric- drive system.  Facility in Wixom.
• Ford Motor Company – $62.7 million awarded to produce a Ford electric-drive transaxle with integrated power electronics in an existing Ford transmission facility.  Facility in Sterling Heights.
• Magna E-Car Systems of America – $40 million awarded to increase production capacity of advanced automotive electric-drive system component manufacturing plants located in the United States.  Facility in Holly.

Advanced Vehicle Electrification

• Chrysler – $70 million awarded to develop, validate, and deploy 220 advanced plug-in hybrid electric pickups and minivans.  Facility in Warren.
• South Coast Air Quality Management District – $45.4 million awarded to develop a fully-integrated, production plug-in hybrid system for Class 2-5 vehicles.  Facility in Galesburg.

Advanced Vehicle Electrification and Transportation Sector Electrification

• General Motors – $30.5 million awarded to develop, analyze, and demonstrate hundreds of Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicles.
• Ford Motor Company – $30 million to accelerate the launch and commercialization of PHEVs and EVs by partnering with 15 of America’s leading utilities.

A video detailing Michigan’s advanced-battery activities can be found online at http://www.michiganadvantage.org/Targeted-Initiatives/Advanced-Energy-Storage/Default.aspx 

# # #

Michigan’s Advanced-Battery Strategy

• November 2006 – Michigan targets development of advanced-battery sector.
• 2007 – Michigan engages battery experts, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Defense to convey critical need for a domestic battery industry and develop strategies to ensure adequate funding will be available.
• May 2008 – Michigan establishes team of advanced energy-storage experts to hone Michigan’s business strategy and develop incentives.
• July 2008 – Michigan creates Centers of Energy Excellence program to leverage university, public, and private sector strengths to accelerate commercialization of alternative-energy technologies.
• September 2008 – Michigan designates Sakti3 a Center of Energy Excellence and approves a $3 million grant for next-generation technology battery development.
• September 2008 – Michigan commences negotiation on advanced-battery credit legislation.
• November 2008 – Michigan designates A123Systems Inc. a Center of Energy Excellence and approves $10 million grant for pilot cell assembly facility.
• January 2009 – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signs into law advanced-battery credits worth $335 million for battery-pack manufacturing; advanced-battery vehicle research, engineering, development and integration; and establishment of a fully integrated, large-format cell manufacturing facility.
• January 2009 – General Motors makes major announcements:  Chevy Volt battery-pack manufacturing facility, world’s largest battery test facility to be established in Warren; and new Advanced Battery Coalition for Drivetrains laboratory to be built in conjunction with the University of Michigan.
• February 2009 – Congress passes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
• February 2009 – Michigan approves General Motors for advanced-battery credits of $160 million for pack manufacturing and vehicle engineering and Ford Motor Company for $30 million in advanced-battery technology credits and $25 million in vehicle engineering credits.
• March 2009 – U.S. Department of Energy issues grant solicitation, allocating $2 billion for battery-related development and technologies.
• April 2009 – Michigan expands advanced-battery credits by $220 million, adds two $100-million credits for cell manufacturing, and an additional $20 million in vehicle engineering credits.
• March and April 2009 – Michigan reviews applicants for advanced-battery credits for subsection 5, cell manufacturing.
• April 2009 – Michigan approves advanced-battery credits for A123Systems, Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions, KD Advanced Battery Group, and LG Chem-Compact Power.
• May 2009 – Michigan expands advanced-battery credits by $145 million, adding $100 million for cell manufacturing and $45 million for vehicle engineering.
• May 2009 –Michigan awards Ford Motor Company an additional $20 million credit for vehicle engineering.
• May 2009 – Sakti3 applies for U.S. Department of Energy funding for pilot plant.
• July 2009 – General Motors announces Chevy Volt pack manufacturing site in Brownstown Township.
• July 2009 – fortu Power Cell announces search for site to manufacture advanced-battery cells in western Michigan.
• August 2009 – U.S. Department of Energy announces battery awards.

# # #

Written by the State of Michigan, Office of the Governor

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm came to campus Aug. 19 to celebrate with the faculty and students of Kettering University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE).  Members of the ECE department, and Kettering officials, greeted Gov. Granholm, showcased recent ECE research and activities and expressed appreciation for the $500,000 that is coming to the University from the federal stimulus money.  The funding is part of $1 billion+ that is coming to Michigan from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  

Special guest at the event was ECE Professor James Gover, who is the author of Kettering's part of the successful proposal that brought the $500,000 to campus.  Kettering will share in a grant that was awarded to the University of Michigan for the creation of 10 courses on hybrid electronics, batteries and green power. Two laboratories will be developed to support graduate and undergraduate courses, some of which could begin as soon as winter semester. 

Governor Granholm had an opportunity to speak with several Kettering faculty and students about their research in areas such as hybrid vehicle battery technology and LED lighting.  Commenting afterward, Governor Granholm said she wants Michigan to become a national leader in green technologies and alternative energy.  “This is really what the strategic plan of Michigan is all about,” she said.  “We decided that Michigan would be the epicenter of advanced battery technology.  It is a huge deal for jobs.  What a great day for our future – we are all partners in building this state we love so much to be something spectacular,” she added. 

Kettering President Stan Liberty said the Kettering’s participation in the project is a symbol of the strength that mid-Michigan brings to the state.  “Kettering is pleased to partner with the University of Michigan and the federal government on the advanced laboratories and courses needed to educate tomorrow’s workforce.  Michigan’s university partners will train the next generation of workers in these new technologies."

“We at Kettering are delighted to receive stimulus funding for electric drive vehicle battery and component manufacturing,” said Dr. Michael Harris, Kettering’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “We will partner with other institutions of higher education and with industry to continue our advanced work in education and applied research in the field. This award is a testimony to the capacity of our faculty.”

Dr. James Gover, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the stimulus money will help in the creation of a new hybrid vehicle power electronics laboratory that will upgrade the teaching of three currently existing hybrid vehicle/power electronics courses at Kettering.  Additionally, the funding will develop two new hybrid vehicle courses, he explained.

“When completed, the State of Michigan will have several universities with leading-edge hybrid vehicle education programs and research facilities.  Hopefully,” said Gover, “this will lead to plug hybrid vehicles assembled in Michigan with the batteries, power electronics, IGBT switches and electric machines all manufactured in our state.” 

Watch video coverage from the Governor's visit.

Read an overview of Michigan’s advanced battery technology.

Kettering University will receive about $500,000 of a $2.5 million grant from federal stimulus money, according to an announcement Wednesday in Detroit by Vice President Joe Biden.  The announcement is part of $1 billion that is coming to Michigan from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.   

Kettering will share in a grant that was awarded to the University of Michigan for the creation of 10 courses on hybrid electronics, batteries and green power. About half the courses will be taught at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with others taught at the university’s Dearborn campus and in Flint at Kettering. Two laboratories will be developed to support graduate and undergraduate courses, some of which could begin as soon as winter semester. 

Kettering President Stan Liberty said the University’s participation in the project is a symbol of the strength that mid-Michigan brings to the state.  “Kettering is pleased to partner with the University of Michigan and the federal government on the advanced laboratories and courses needed to educate tomorrow’s workforce.  Michigan’s university partners will train the next generation of workers in these new technologies."

Dr. Michael Harris, Kettering’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said he is pleased with what the funding represents for the University.  “We at Kettering are delighted to receive stimulus funding for electric drive vehicle battery and component manufacturing,” he said. “We will partner with other institutions of higher education and with industry to continue our advanced work in education and applied research in the field. This award is a testimony to the capacity of our faculty.”

Harris said he especially wants to acknowledge the work and leadership of Professor James Gover and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. “We will use these resources to enhance our educational capacities in this field so we continue to be a national leader. This is part of our transformation into the economy of innovation,” Harris added. 

Dr. Gover, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the creation of a new hybrid vehicle power electronics laboratory will upgrade the teaching of three currently existing hybrid vehicle/power electronics courses at Kettering.  Additionally, the funding will develop two new hybrid vehicle courses, he explained. 

“Other courses are being developed in Ann Arbor and Dearborn,” he continued.  “The courses will be transferred to Kettering for our use in hybrid vehicle education.  Of course, all of these courses can be adapted to continuing education courses that are offered to companies.  When this work is completed, the State of Michigan will have several universities with leading-edge hybrid vehicle education programs and research facilities.  Hopefully,” he said, “this will lead to plug hybrid vehicles assembled in Michigan with the batteries, power electronics, IGBT switches and electric machines all manufactured in our state.”  

Gover noted that Kettering will work with Dr. Huei Peng, a professor of Mechanical Engineering and executive director of Interdisciplinary and Professional Engineering Programs at the University of Michigan, who will create classes at universities and educational programs for K-12 students and the general public.  “We want to develop all opportunities so the workforce in Michigan can be transformed,” Peng said in a University of Michigan press release. 

$1 Billion For Michigan: Vice President Biden’s announcement on Wednesday also said that two companies, A123 and Johnson Controls, will receive a total of approximately $550 million to establish a manufacturing base in the state for advanced batteries. Two others, Compact Power and Dow Kokam, will receive more than $300 million to manufacture battery cells and materials.  Large automakers based in Michigan, including GM, Chrysler and Ford, will receive a total of more than $400 million to manufacture thousands of advanced hybrid and electric vehicles as well as batteries and electric drive components. 

Around The U.S.: In all, 48 projects around the country will receive $2.4 billion in grants for next-generation batteries and the ongoing development of electric vehicles. The projects, which the Department of Energy (DOE) selected through a highly competitive process, will help accelerate the development of U.S. manufacturing capacity for batteries and electric drive components as well as the deployment of electric drive vehicles. The announcement marks the single largest investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles ever made, White House sources said. Industry officials expect that this investment, coupled with another $2.4 billion in cost-sharing from the award winners, will result in the creation of tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. battery and auto industries. 

Special Visitor In September: “Not only is Michigan getting stimulus funds to make it the leading source of HEV education,” Gover continued, “the world’s leading HEV conference -- the IEEE VPPC -- will be in Michigan at the Fairlane Center in Dearborn Sept. 7-11.”  The IEEE conference will feature a visit by distinguished scholar/expert, Professor C.C. Chan of Hong Kong, who holds the highest professional title in engineering in China and the United Kingdom.  Professor Chan is an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong and a Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering in the U.K.  He is also president of the World Electric Vehicle Association and Electric Vehicle Association of Asia Pacific and the founding director of the International Research Centre for Electric Vehicles, Gover explained. 

Professor Chan will visit Kettering from Sept. 2-5 to give presentations, meet faculty and collaborate with Kettering's Electrical Engineering faculty in research, Gover added. Professor Chan is also an IEEE Fellow.  He is the father of hybrid and electric vehicles in China. 

Read More:
From the University of Michigan: http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=7265
From Great Lakes IT Report/WWJ: http://www.wwj.com/Michigan-Gets--1-Billion-Plus-In-Battery-Grants/4947276  

Written by Pat Mroczek and Gary Erwin
810.762.9533 and 810.762.9538
pmroczek@kettering.edu and gerwin@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

Bexar County, Texas, sits at the crossroads of trade.  The U.S. national freeway system Xs at San Antonio, logistically connecting the community from the Pacific to the Atlantic and from Mexico to Canada. The Texas railway network is robust, which is also part of why one of every six jobs created in the U.S. last year was created in Texas.  Texas has been the #1 exporting state in the nation for seven consecutive years.

Bexar County (pronounced “bear”) is big.  It’s the size of a small U.S. state and it’s very old (founded by Spain in the 1600s).  Yet, the average age of Texans (33) is younger than the U.S. national average (36 years old).

Bexar County’s manufacturing and business sectors have economic momentum, but the region needs more engineers and expert technical talent – lots of them, in fact, said David Marquez, executive director of Bexar County's Economic Development Department.

Paraphrasing former Texas demographer, Dr. Steve Murdoch, Marquez said, “the Texas of today is the U.S. tomorrow. Bexar County has a strong tax base and Texas and Northern Mexico are growth areas,” he explained.  “We have active manufacturing here and 200 OEM Tier 1 supplies in a nascent automotive manufacturing corridor that includes those Mexican states that border Texas.

"This Texas-Mexico Automotive SuperCluster has final assembly facilities from GM, Toyota, Chrysler, BAE Systems, Freightliner, Peterbilt and more.  Texas added 153,700 jobs in December 2007 to 2008.  And the Texas economy has out performed the national economy since 2005.”

But, Marquez said, San Antonio employers report a need for talent in five critical areas:

• Mechanical Engineers,
• Industrial Engineers,
• Manufacturing Engineers,
• Management specialists and
• Electro Mechanical experts.

“It’s stable here, with a bright future,” Marquez added.  “We can offer strength amid the recession, but we need to stop poaching trained workers from each other.  We need a larger educated workforce who will consider Texas home.”

San Antonio’s needs and opportunities have been keeping Kettering’s Bob Nichols busy for months.  Nichols, who is Kettering’s director of external affairs, has been meeting with Marquez, Kyle Burns, president and CEO of the Free Trade Alliance of San Antonio, and others to see how the region’s workforce needs can align with what Kettering has to offer.

Nichols started in Texas with focus group research conducted by Galloway Research Service of San Antonio.  “Pat Galloway completed a market research study among San Antonio’s key business and industry executives and found some very positive conclusions, worthy of further study,” Nichols explained.  Briefly:

• San Antonio has developed a large manufacturing base and has a notable number of large employers that are global leaders in their respective industries.
• The concentration of military bases in San Antonio has historically attracted various government contractors, with needs for a technically trained workforce in science, engineering and managerial positions. 
• The need for R &D in medical and manufacturing sectors has been growing and diversifying at a rapid pace in the region.  The need for highly educated science, technical and engineering personnel far exceeds the community’s ability to supply them locally.

Employers in the research study said that the need for technically educated personnel will continue to grow over the next five to 10 years, and that an annual growth rate of 300 to 400 new jobs was conservative, Nichols reported.  Job growth in “hot sectors,” such as bio-technology and aerospace, will be much more rapid.  “Employers in our research study were unanimous in stating that they would prefer to recruit local personnel in the undergraduate fields they need,” Nichols added.

That’s why on March 16 the presidents of San Antonio College and Kettering, along with the vice chancellor of the Alamo Community Colleges in Texas, signed a fully articulated academic agreement to develop and build a stronger pool of technical talent for the San Antonio region
 
San Antonio College President Robert E. Zeigler joined Kettering President Stanley R. Liberty and Alamo Community Colleges Vice Chancellor for Economic & Workforce Development Federico Zaragoza in forming a unique academic partnership. 

The alliance is intended to ensure a smooth transition for San Antonio students, who will begin their college studies and co-op experiences locally and then transfer into the country’s most advanced professional co-operative education program.  Students will spend their first two years at San Antonio College and their final 2 ½ years in Kettering’s unique baccalaureate program.

"This partnership creates a collaborative model for a new concept in engineering education," said Zeigler.  "The joint efforts of community colleges and four-year institutions will produce adaptable 'industry-ready' engineers for the unpredictable 21st century economy."

Liberty said, "An alliance between San Antonio College and Kettering University will provide a unique educational opportunity for local students and an opportunity for San Antonio businesses to establish an early connection with local talent.  Kettering is very pleased to join with San Antonio College in this endeavor and looks forward to helping the region address its future technical workforce needs."

At Kettering, students will spend three months in academic classrooms and then return to Texas for three months to work in professional co-op jobs at a variety of San Antonio businesses.  Students are paid during their co-op terms.  At the end of the three months, students will return to Michigan to begin the three-month academic cycle again.

As the largest single-campus community college in Texas with more than 21,000 students, San Antonio College (SAC) is approved and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution, SAC is also one of the Alamo Community Colleges. 

The 2005 book "Enhancing the Community College Pathway to Engineering Careers" from the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council considers San Antonio College an exemplary institution and recognizes the college's engineering program.  In fact, with direction from Coordinator Dan G. Dimitriu, Ph.D., PE, SAC's Engineering program has more than doubled its enrollments in the last eight years from 230 students in fall 1999 to 489 students in fall 2007.  

Dimitriu also coordinates a summer bridge program for high school students interested in Engineering, and partners with industry and other universities to help students continue their education and ultimately embark on Engineering careers.  
 
Kettering University, founded in 1919, has long been a leader in the preparation of technical and managerial leaders for industry and society and is a national leader in professional co-operative education.  It is the only co-op school in the country that sends its entire student body into professional co-op jobs.  Income from the co-op term is a significant resource to help pay college expenses.  

For more on San Antonio College, visit www.accd.edu/sac/

Written by Patricia Mroczek

810.762.9533

pmroczek@kettering.edu

Fact or fiction: at 100,000 miles, some electrical and electronics systems on U.S. manufactured vehicles stop working inexplicably.

The answer? Fact and fiction.

Why?

“Because in some cases common electrical switches or connectors used in automobiles made by U.S. companies fail after 100,000 miles due to a lack of incremental improvements made year to year, while mechanical drive trains are very reliable,” explained Dr. Jim Gover, professor of Electrical Engineering at Kettering University in Flint, Mich., and vice president, Automotive, of the Board of Governors of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE, http://ieee.org) Vehicle Technology Society (VTS). The IEEE is the world’s leading professional association for the advancement of electrical and electronics science and technology, and boasts more than 350,000 members worldwide.  

According to Gover, U.S. automakers “need to treat electrical engineering and its application in their vehicles more scientifically rather than at the technology level. If car companies do this, they could ultimately increase vehicle quality, which would increase consumer confidence in their offerings, as well as establish the perspective that U.S. built automobiles are better engineered,” he added.

This, then, leads one to ask the following question: mechanical drive trains produced by U.S. car companies often last more than 250,000 miles at a time when vehicles are becoming more electrically intensified—so why can’t companies manufacture and perfect electrical components and systems to offer this same level of quality?

There are a myriad of reasons why. Many U.S. car companies engage in a process called horizontal integration during the engineering and production of vehicles. This process requires automakers to purchase components and systems used in their products from other companies, which means automakers must sign confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements.

If one of those systems fails or operates incorrectly, the automaker has a difficult, if not impossible, time bringing in personnel outside the company or supplier to examine the failure. Simply put, these agreements prevent automakers and other companies competing with suppliers from infringing on patents or developing products that are basically identical copies.

“More than 25 percent of the cost to produce a single car is the electronics and electrical systems,” Gover said.  “And because of the possibility of failure in these systems after 100,000 miles or more, people are switching to car companies that have a history of mastering these electronic systems,” he added.

But U.S. car companies can make a positive change to this trend. Although the U.S. auto sector generally treats electrical engineering at the electronics technology, black box level, organizations like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Vehicle Technology Society (VTS) sponsor conferences that bring more scientific approaches to vehicle electrical and electronics engineering. IEEE-VTS conferences include comprehensive, in-depth papers that address the scientific challenges of electrical and electronics engineering in automotive applications, and provide scientifically sound courses to members.

In the fall of 2009, the IEEE Vehicle Technology Society will co-sponsor the Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference in Dearborn, Mich. The majority of papers will focus on scientific studies of hybrid and plug hybrid technology.

As experts and organizations such as the IEEE debate the question of whether or not the U.S. auto industry is falling behind other countries in terms of technological advancements, there are ways the auto industry in the states can better compete.  

Car companies like Toyota employ a process called vertically integrated manufacturing, which is a type of management control that unites research, development, engineering and manufacturing processes through one common owner. If one of the components on the vehicle runs into problems, engineers can examine them without the worry of non-disclosure agreements, since the automaker owns the entire vehicle.

This vertically integrated manufacturing process has also helped Toyota achieve a high degree of success. The company is first in product satisfaction among consumers and the Prius hybrid is considered the standard in hybrid vehicles.  In addition, Toyota also develops its own batteries, power semiconductors and other components without issues related to nondisclosure.

“When institutions and organizations such as the IEEE teach courses on hybrid automotive applications, they use the technology featured on the Prius, since it’s easy to study and the company is willing to allow people to examine it in depth,” Gover said. “In a way, Toyota receives free marketing through academic examination of the hybrid power train and power electronics,” he added.

Because of their mechanical engineering histories, societies such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Society of Automotive Engineers examine hybrids in depth scientifically at the mechanical engineering level; however, these societies often treat electrical and electronics engineering at the “how” level.

But the IEEE goes deeper into its study of hybrids through the use of academic conferences that bring together scholars from around the world to discuss the latest trends in this emerging form of automotive power based on a total systems engineering approach that takes into consideration mechanical, electrical and electronic power systems as one highly integrated system controlled by electronics.

Dr. Stan Klein, managing principal of Open Secure Energy Control Systems, LLC, in Silver Spring, MD., and a member of the IEEE Energy Policy Committee, believes that the standardization of electrical interfaces would also help domestic car companies better compete with their foreign counter parts.

“There would be significant advantages to developing standard interfaces for the electrical, electronics and software components in the cars, which would enable incremental improvements and provide the flexibility to accommodate important advances,” he said.

In addition, Kettering faculty and students study hybrids, as well as hybrid fuel cell-powered vehicles, based on this systems engineering approach by offering electrical and computer engineering courses focused on automotive electronics as part of the total hybrid system. Using state-of-the-art laboratories funded through donations and resources from companies throughout the world, students receive important experience that translates to their professional jobs immediately.

Vertically integrated engineering and manufacturing, which relies on a systems engineering approach, also helps produce modest improvements from each model year, since it’s designed to help with incremental improvements. While some critics view these improvements as small, over time they do add up to better, more efficient vehicles that encounter less and less problems.  

With horizontal integrated manufacturing and the use of outsourcing to produce certain components, improvements are often larger in scale but take longer to develop, Gover explained.  

Overall, Gover does see U.S. car companies trying to make strides in the plug-in hybrid field. He points to the Chevrolet Volt as a good example of this progress. “The Volt was a show stopper at the last Detroit auto show,” he said, adding that for the vehicle to gain even more acceptance when marketing for the car starts in 2010, the battery life “needs to be developed further, which is exactly what GM is attempting to do now. They are researching newer ways to extend battery life as a means of making the vehicle more practical to consumers.”

For questions regarding this story, contact Dr. Jim Gover at jgover@kettering.edu.

Written by Gary J. Erwin

gerwin@kettering.edu

810.762.9538

A “green” lighting revolution will happen over the next few years, according to Dr. Doug Melton, associate professor of Electrical Engineering, and Kettering University students will have had an opportunity to be in the vanguard, developing new solid-state lighting electronic systems based on recent advances in high brightness LED's for The Whiting, in Flint’s Cultural Center.

Melton predicts the boom in compact fluorescent light bulbs will be replaced by more efficient and environmentally friendly LED light bulbs – currently in development by leading lighting manufacturers.

Enter The Whiting, looking for help in developing ways to make the 2,043 seat theater greener and give it a smaller environmental footprint. Melton’s Senior Design Project class, or what is commonly known on campus as a capstone class, was approached for help with greening the lighting technology by Linda Moxam, director of Development for the Flint Cultural Center Corporation.

“In professional theater there is a movement to go green and become more environmentally friendly,” said Wendy Fournier, Advertising and Promotions manager for The Whiting. “We are currently in the process of changing every light bulb in the building to more energy efficient bulbs,” she said, adding that efforts are also being made to use more environmentally friendly cleaning products and recycle plastic and cardboard. The Whiting is a performance venue featuring regional, national, and international performing artists and is host to the Flint Symphony Orchestra.

“We though it would be a great collaboration to work with Kettering on the footprint of our new lighting plan,” said Fournier. While compact fluorescents have recently been seen as a solution for energy efficient lighting, Melton and his capstone class recognized that the (light)wave of the future is LED.

“Fluorescents actually pose more environmental problems than they solve,” said Melton. “They contain mercury and phosphor, which are environmentally unfriendly when they enter the waste stream, and they require high voltage, which create electro-magnetic compatibility problems,” he explained.

LED lighting is more environmentally friendly from a standpoint of waste and toxicity and more energy efficient, according to Melton. The energy efficiency of a light bulb is measured in lumens (lm) per watt. A 100watt incandescent light bulb typically casts 17 lm/watt, a compact fluorescent casts 40-60 lm/watt, and a state-of-the-art LED casts 130 lm/watt.

With this in mind, Melton’s capstone class tackled what seemed to be a very large, rather undefined project. “We had to figure out the different pieces of a lighting project of this scale and identify how to use The Whiting as a hub,” said Melton.

“Most senior design projects are internal and smaller in scope,” Melton said, “we don’t have a history of interacting with industry for a capstone project. This project had the big picture in mind and offered us an opportunity to work with the community and industry from an educational standpoint.”

Class members determined their project would include an energy study – counting light bulbs and wattage, analyzing energy costs, and a lighting study – understanding how The Whiting is currently lit and how to change the lighting and preserve the look of the theatre. “A lot of theaters are going to a modern look, but preserving the older styles does not preclude using LED lighting,” said Melton.

The class broke into teams to address various aspects of the project more efficiently. They looked at the light levels in a variety of spaces, measuring color. “Light color has a lot to do with perception,” said Melton. “We needed hand-held chromaticity meters which run about $3000 per meter.”

The price was prohibitive for a student project, however, Konica/Minolta loaned the group a meter to measure light levels in the house, lobby and backstage areas of The Whiting. They were then able to use the LUX (lumens per meter) squared to determine the brightness and color of lighting in the various areas. The group collaborated with the Kettering Physics Department to help understand how light is measured.

“I am amazed at how much color and color perception have infused this project,” Melton said. “The industry partner we are working with has been able to customize their components in terms of color temperature,” he said. “People involved in theater are very concerned with color temperature. LEDs also provide new possibilities for creating rich colors for effects or washing a wall with color,” he added.

“The company our capstone group worked with, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Inc. of Northville, Mich., gave our students a seminar on the new LED technology for this project,” said Melton.

OSRAM Opto Semiconductors Inc., a Kettering co-op partner, is part of OSRAM GmbH, Germany, one of the world's leading lighting manufacturers, and a member of the Siemens international family of companies (on the web at http://www.osram-os.com).

OSRAM provides LED products with a wide range of color temperatures to achieve nearly any color white lighting from cool white to warm white.

“For instance, the yellow color people like lamps to cast is 3500 kelvin, while sunlight is a little cooler at 5000 kelvin. The higher the color temperature number the cooler the light color, he explained. Kelvin is used to measure the unit increment of thermodynamic temperature.

The second part of the project was to design and construct a solid state LED luminaire (light fixture) prototype and the final part of the project was the application and installation of a light fixture. The group installed their prototype in The Lamb of God Fellowship Church to pilot their LED lighting design.

“This was a good project for our students because it got us outside the University’s walls,” said Melton, “and it required more front-end work that any other senior design project has,” he added, referring to the research and analysis needed prior to designing a prototype.

Not only did the group visit The Whiting multiple times, they also visited DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, Mich., a state-of-the-art performance venue with LED bar lighting throughout, and the church where they installed the prototype, where the students had to determine the technical parameters of the application needs for that venue.  In addition, some of the students met with the exhibit director for the Alfred P. Sloan Museum in Flint to learn about how public venues are developed. All of this background research happened before the students began to develop their actual lighting project.

Melton credits OSRAM with making the design a reality. “OSRAM has been generous in supplying us with parts to use,” he said, “They have been very generous.” The church hosting the lighting prototype and The Whiting also helped to support the project financially, he said.

The final lighting solution developed by the students is a 16-foot LED installation that will wash a wall with color during musical presentations and services at the church.

Because of the community and industry collaborations and real-world applications involved in the project, Melton said he would like to work with The Whiting again with the fall term capstone class. “This is a great opportunity for the students to use Electrical Engineering in ways they don’t normally think of,” he said.

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

Steve Schwartz and Ben Talavera take their work and their music seriously --– not so much themselves. “People always have important sounding names with big titles to define them professionally,” said Schwartz of their tongue-in-cheek Alfa Jango titles. “We wanted to steer away from any sense of exaggerated importance,” he explained.

He and Talavera have launched Alfa Jango (http://www.alfajango.com/) in preparation for graduating from Kettering this June. “Ben always wanted a company with word ‘alfa’ in the name and I always wanted a company with the word jango in the name,” said Schwartz, hence the web, branding, marketing, infrastructure and information management company with the quirky name.

Quirky names are somewhat of a specialty with Schwartz, a Mechanical and Electrical Engineering major from Wilmington, N.C., who is also a founder of “Moment of Inertia,” which is an engineering term used to describe the rotational analog of mass, and co-founder of RateMyStudentRental.com, a website that allows students to rate the apartments, houses, even dorms where they stay during their terms on campus (www.ratemystudentrental.com).

“Moment of Inertia,” or MOI, is a popular party band at Kettering and they manage to keep up a healthy concert schedule locally when they are on campus. They are currently working on their second CD, recently recording some of the music on campus, and trying to launch an independent rock tour of southeastern Michigan called “Rock D-Town,” featuring local bands in local concert venues.

Juggling all this AND their last semester of college, Schwartz and Talavera seem very calm, almost laid-back. Schwartz casually explained how Alfa Jango was a spin off of his original company “No BS Web Design and Development,” started when he was a sophomore.

“Alfa Jango came about because I started doing more marketing work and consulting than actual web development,” said Schwartz. “I partnered with Ben Talavera, a Computer Engineer with a minor in Computer Science. He does the information and infrastructure work and I handle the web, marketing and business development.”

“A number of ‘No BS’ clients started asking for marketing advice so it morphed into Alpha Jango and Ben came on board,” Schwartz explained. “We do any kind of marketing, but we try to specialize in companies who need to market to our generation, the Echo-Boomers. Who better to market to us, than us?”

Indeed. For both their “No BS” clients and their new Alfa Jango clients, Schwartz and Talavera start out with traditional marketing plans and media, and then branch into the “new” media of Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and other online social networking venues to market to their peers. 

“A lot of companies that specialize in this type of marketing STUDY how to reach people with this media, but we’ve been using it from the inside out,” said Schwartz. “We use it just as a matter of course, so we have an edge in how to use it for marketing.”

Beyond marketing to fellow Echo Boomers, Alfa Jango helps companies utilize new technologies to grow their businesses from the inside out. “As companies grow, they have trouble with how they share information within the company,” explained Schwartz, “we build custom software to help companies grow and continue to operate efficiently, by solving internal communication infrastructure problems to help deal with growth, what we call scalable infrastructure,” he added.

To keep ahead of the technological curve Schwartz is involved in networking groups and professional associations in the Ann Arbor, MI, area. He helped organize Digital Edge Michigan (DEMI - www.digimich.com), which started out as networking group for web entrepreneurs. Schwartz, Kristen Winter, a fellow RateMyStudentRental.com founder and Kettering student, and Joe Minock, founder and CEO of WhatUNeed, LLC, saw the potential for DEM and began working to turn it into a non-profit incubator for web start ups in Michigan. “Digital Edge is about bringing together the web community,” said Schwartz, “we have more than 100 casual members and 75 active members now. And actually a few people over 30 have joined,” he joked, referring to the average age of Echo Boomers who are mostly under 30.

Running with the big dogs of the new technology-based business model, Schwartz is fast becoming recognized as a Michigan Internet player, serving as the youngest “expert” on discussion panels such as the “Internet User Experience Conference” at Washtenaw Community College, sponsored by the Usability Professionals' Association, and the New Enterprise Forum, focused on innovative new business models, sponsored by the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center (MIsbTdc) and GLEQ.

Fellow expert panelists for these events included Scott Collins, Slashdot; Derek Mehraban, CEO, Ingenex Digital Marketing; Ed Vielmetti, director of Social Media, Pure Visibility; Howard Brown, co-founder and CEO, CircleBuilder Software; Joe Minock, founder and CEO, J. Edward Media Group/AccuGet.com; and Rick Warner, CEO, Parking Carma.

In between classes, serving as expert panelists, calls from clients and MOI gigs, Schwartz and Talavera are dreaming big for their Rock D-Town Michigan rock tour (www.RockDTown.com). The plan is to get five or six of the best area bands from southeast Michigan to perform at locally-owned venues in a summer concert tour in July and August, and throw in an element of community service. 

Their goal is to promote the creative culture of Detroit and get people involved in charitable work.  “We’re trying to work it out to give all proceeds from the Rock D-Town tour to charity,” Schwartz said. To get people involved in service, the plan is to have participating band members do community service projects in the areas where they will be playing that night and invite fans to join them.

To make the Rock D-Town Rock Tour dream a reality, Schwartz, Talavera and Winter are putting their new technology skills to use to help find funding for the project. The Rock D-Town idea is one of eight finalists for the month of May on the web site IdeaBlob.com, where users vote on their favorite ideas, and at the end of each month, the idea with the most votes gets $10,000 to help make it happen.

“If we can win this $10,000, we could really make the rest of the nation stand up and listen to what’s going on in Detroit,” said Schwartz. But that $10,000 prize would be just the first step in making the Rock D-Town Rock Tour a nationally recognized event. “We’re also in the process of working out some major sponsorship and bringing a nationally known band to headline the tour,” added Winter. The band under consideration is originally from the area, keeping in line with the tour’s Detroit focus.

Contrary to how he appears to people with half his energy, Schwartz claims he is not a work-a-holic. “I like working if its fun and my thing,” he said of his hectic schedule.  “I work a lot, but I still have a healthy social life. Sometimes the social life wins over the work or school life,” he admitted.

He indirectly credits Kettering for fostering his entrepreneurial endeavors. “Kettering is not exactly known for having a lot of social activity,” Schwartz said, “but it’s a great place to make connections, to network, to meet a lot of people like me who are ready to start stuff. If I were at a state school, I probably wouldn’t be doing half of this,” he said, referring to Alfa Jango, MOI, RateMyStudentRental.com and the Rock D-Town Rock Tour.

“I’m crazy happy with my life right now. I’m 23 years old and I can’t stand not having anything to do. I may have stress on a daily basis, but it’s a stress I enjoy,” he said.

Written by Dawn Hibbard
810.762.9865
dhibbard@kettering.edu

Still, the awareness is there. Yet the ego one might associate with an individual fully cognizant of his innate intellectual capabilities is absent, perhaps a product of a good, humble upbringing.

And for those corporate leaders who lament the country’s K-12 education system and lack of interest in science and math among our youth, this student represents a precise example of what is right with focused education and scientific opportunity for kids in the U.S.

Matthew R. Bauerle of Fenton, Mich., is a young man destined for a compelling career perhaps in the field of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Why? The evidence thus far is clear: a perfect 36 score on the science ACT test on his first try. Although his score on the math section was lower—a 33—his parents and his mentor, Dr. Mark Wicks of Kettering University, feel it’s only a matter of time before Matthew achieves perfection in the Math section of the ACT.

Bauerle is one of many kids across the country considered “profoundly gifted/intelligent,” according to the Davidson Institute (http://www.ditd.org/), an organization based on Reno, Nev., which recognizes, nurtures and supports profoundly intelligent young people and provides opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference. The organization offers free support services to gifted children under the age of 18 throughout the U.S. who exhibit an extreme need for constant mental stimulation; an ability to learn and process complex information rapidly; a need to explore subjects in surprising dept; an insatiable curiosity with endless questions and inquiries; a need for precision in thinking and expression; an ability to focus intently on a subject for long periods of time; and an inability to concentrate on a task that is not intellectually challenging, including repetitious ideas or material presented in small pieces.

Wicks began working with the young student four years ago through Bauerle’s parents, Mary and Paul, who found the professor’s name through the Davidson Institute. Wicks is one of many mentors the institute often connects to students of high intelligence who live in the mid-Michigan area to help nurture their interests.

“We contacted the Davidson Institute when we realized Matthew had special gifts,” Mary said. “We knew he would need a mentor and we requested their help in finding one. Eventually, we connected with Dr. Wicks through Davidson and he and Matthew have worked together since,” she added.

In 2004, Bauerle and Wicks began exploring how electrical circuits operate and learning about micro computing. Today, they have advanced to understanding wire-frame graphics and digital signal processing. The two meet once every two weeks to discuss Bauerle’s projects and related interests.

The young student is also working with Kettering’s Dr. Jim Gover, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, on the modeling of the drive train of a hybrid vehicle to minimize the overall power loss in the system.  In addition, Bauerle is currently taking Gover’s EE 424—Power Electronics course as an independent study and using notes posted online at MITA for graduate students also taking a similar course. According to Gover, “he’s doing very well in the course and we hope to have a paper ready for Matthew to present in Dearborn for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Vehicular Power and Propulsion Conference in 2009, which will be held in Dearborn.”

“Matthew shows considerable interest in these fields and at the age of five read his father’s college textbooks, so he clearly desires these kinds of intellectual challenges,” Wicks said, adding that although much of what Bauerle read was difficult, “he could comment on the book, discuss principles expressed in the work and how the pieces worked together.”

The textbooks were Digital Circuits and Microprocessors by Herbert Taub and Micro-Electronic Circuits by Adel Sedra. The fact that he was even motivated to read them at all, Wicks said, showed that he had the motivation to challenge himself intellectually, which is one of the markers of a gifted child.

This is not surprising to Matthew’s mother and father. Mary Bauerle continues to home school Matthew and his younger brother, Joshua, 12. His older sister, Sarah, 18, was also home schooled and is currently a freshman majoring in Music at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich.  His father, Paul, is an engineer at the GM Proving Grounds in Milford, Mich., and said that Matthew reminds him of what he liked to do as a kid.

As far as Matthew’s interest in circuits and things electrical, Paul is not surprised at his son’s level of interest.

“I was interested in electronics as well, specifically amplifiers, when I was his age,” Paul said.   

Recently, Matthew participated in a regional science fair held at Kettering University. His project, titled “Finding the Maximum Power Point of a Solar Panel with a Golden Section Search Algorithm,” earned him a first prize selection in the junior division. His hypothesis examined the potential of whether or not a boost converter could greatly increase the power from a 3-volt solar panel into a resistive load. Additionally, Bauerle predicted that a Golden Section Search Algorithm will serve as an effective method for finding the maximum system efficiency of a small Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) unit.

What does all of this mean?

Well, according to Bauerle’s supporting paper to his science project, the solar panel he used provided an open circuit voltage of three volts and six cells. One issue with solar cells is that they provide the most power at a certain voltage, which is defined as the Maximum Power Point (MPP). If a solar panel does not operate at this point, some power waste is possible. Bauerle added a MPPT converter to his solar panel and increased its output voltage to lift a small weight.

Although this technique is used to power large solar arrays, Bauerle suspects that it’s never powered a small one using the Golden Section Search to identify the maximum value of a function between two bounds. In essence, he was able to take a very small solar array and maximize its power output, which, in his view, has not been attempted until now.

And while he is only a few years away from a full-time college career, he may take a college course or two before enrolling full-time. For Wicks, the motivation and intelligence of Bauerle is both exciting and inspiring. “Matthew continues to surprise me with his quick mind and breadth of interests. I am often surprised to find that his knowledge and interest in other subjects is equally deep as it is with Electrical and Computer Engineering,” Wicks said, adding, “it’s been very rewarding to watch Matthew grow intellectually and as a person during the four years that I’ve worked with him.”

Written by Gary J. Erwin
810.762.9538
gerwin@kettering.edu